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[Bitmap Frogs]

- Better battery life
- Bigger screen size
- Amoled (better blacks)
- Size, weight and slimness (overall smaller, lighter and slimmer)
- Better software (subjective, TouchWiz vs Sense)
- More features (multi window, dual camera use, direct call etc etc)
- Better specs (cpu, gpu etc)
- Better camera (large sensor, 13mp vs 4mp, plus more camera modes/options)
- Removable battery
- SD card slot
- More software support/updates

Smartphone camera modules can't resolve 13mp. Heck, some modules can't even resolve 8mp. All the extra pixels in the file are just noise. Which requires a crapton of noise reduction to remove, which makes the image soft, which means its gonna require pretty heavy sharpening... You get the idea.

HTC's decision to go for a 4mp sensor is gonna get you nicer looking photos but its gonna cost them sales since what drives marketing and consumer interest are inflated mp counts.

 

[CrankyJay]

I know, and I have since I posted my earlier reply. Thanks though, it still doesn't answer my original question.

There's no indication when they will announce carrier prices...we still don't know exactly when the phone will come out.

They said late April, but that could mean overseas first...it's possible the US won't see this until May or June unless Samsung is changing up what they did since last year and release it a few months earlier to get a jump on Apple.

 

[TimeKillr]

Not sure if posted

QFS


Apple cannot afford a 5S this year. I mean, its a little person in a sea of giants.

Give me inches damnit!

That graph is wrong on the S3 specs - the US version has 2gb ram.

And most likely the US version of the S4 will run the Qualcomm processor (like the S3) for some stupidass reason (probably LTE shit)

 

[fuenf]

HTC's decision to go for a 4mp sensor is gonna get you nicer looking photos but its gonna cost them sales since what drives marketing and consumer interest are inflated mp counts.

That isnt set in stone, it's definitely the right appraoch but that doesnt mean that it's automatically better than an 8mpx or 13mpx camera, especially when you downsample the photos.

 

[Talon]

It's HTC's first stab at it, but hopefully it's a move in the right direction. The Megapixel war in cameras has stopped for a while.

The Sony RX1 (camera) is hopefully a sign of things to come for full-frame sensors in smaller bodies. Years and years away from smartphones, though.

 

[mnannola]

That isnt set in stone, it's a step definitely the right appraoch but that doesnt mean that it's automatically better than an 8mpx or 13mpx camera, especially when you downsample the photos.

I think we really see to see some good comparison shots in a variety of lighting conditions in order to find this out for sure.

 

[Kiraly]

Samsung NL says we get the S600 here in the Netherlands, bit dissappointing.

 

[NJ Shlice]

Sales numbers indicate that the iPhone 5 isn't suffering from the competition at all. Don't expect them to change course until that ASP dips significantly.

For better or worse, that company always operates in a vacuum.

Given their stock dump the past 6 months, and the proposed reason behind that is their lack of future stability. Releasing another sub-par iteration of their phone is not going to bode well.

 

[BFIB]

Given their stock dump the past 6 months, and the proposed reason behind that is their lack of future stability. Releasing another sub-par iteration of their phone is not going to bode well.

I'm fine with what Samung did this round, but the GS5 better be a whole new ballgame.

 

[TommyT]

There's no indication when they will announce carrier prices...we still don't know exactly when the phone will come out.

They said late April, but that could mean overseas first...it's possible the US won't see this until May or June unless Samsung is changing up what they did since last year and release it a few months earlier to get a jump on Apple.

Thanks, this is the stuff I was looking for (sincerely). Trying to plan accordingly to keep the anxiousness of a new phone purchase at bay.

 

[CrankyJay]

So what sort of visual customizations can I do with the Samsung software to make the phone look like I want it to (without rooting)?

 

[CrankyJay]

Thanks, this is the stuff I was looking for (sincerely). Trying to plan accordingly to keep the anxiousness of a new phone purchase at bay.

I'm in sort of the same boat...I have an aging iPhone 4 and I'm torn between waiting for the new iPhone, getting the S4, a Windows phone, or maybe the Xperia Z.

 

[fuenf]

So what sort of visual customizations can I do with the Samsung software to make the phone look like I want it to (without rooting)?

You can install another launcher like Nova.

 

[____]

Anyone have T-Mobile 4G LTE?

Is it reliable? I'm planning to switch from Sprint to T-Mobile (Sprint service in Miami is absolutely HORRENDOUS). I can get a similar plan to what I have now, for about the same price with my company discount, but I'm more concerned about coverage and data connectivity.

Sprint "says" they have great coverage in Miami, but for the last 3 years I've had them, it's been laughable at best.

 

[TommyT]

I'm in sort of the same boat...I have an aging iPhone 4 and I'm torn between waiting for the new iPhone, getting the S4, a Windows phone, or maybe the Xperia Z.

Ugh yeah... I have a 4s and just started a new job that monitors bandwidth so I NEED 4G to stream on my phone. I want to wait for the S4, but if I can find an S3 cheap enough I suppose I'll jump on that. This is my first foray into Android so that doesn't help the anxiousness of buying one of the phones.

sidenote: In looking to buy an S3 sooner rather than later, I keep seeing the "clean esn" which always bothers me and makes me hesitant to buy one. Soooo if anyone is looking to sell on GAF...

 

[Talon]

Given their stock dump the past 6 months, and the proposed reason behind that is their lack of future stability. Releasing another sub-par iteration of their phone is not going to bode well.

Samsung would love to have the shipments of that "subpar" phone. Samsung was touting 40 million S3 sales over 9 months. The iPhone 5 reached between 24-27 million in 3 months. HTC or Sony would be happy with a quarter of those numbers.

Competition is good for the marketplace but let's not pretend that anyone is being taken to school. Apple and Samsung are making money hand over fist, while everyone else is puttering along.

 

[Asimov]

So... I just ordered an unlocked Nexus 4...

Is the Galaxy S4 that much better over my Nexus 4?

 

[DrFunk]

So... I just ordered an unlocked Nexus 4...

Is the Galaxy S4 that much better over my Nexus 4?

better is subjective, but it does have features you won't find on the Nexus 4

Subsequently, the Nexus 4 will see software updates months before the S4. 'Tis a tradeoff

 

[CrankyJay]

So... I just ordered an unlocked Nexus 4...

Is the Galaxy S4 that much better over my Nexus 4?

I guess it depends on what you need/want. From all accounts maybe the Nexus 4 is a weaker phone by comparison, but that doesn't make it an unworthy phone.

In fact, I've read some wonderful things about it.

 

[-COOLIO-]

So... I just ordered an unlocked Nexus 4...

Is the Galaxy S4 that much better over my Nexus 4?

for buying a phone outright? No. If I were buying off contract then the nexus 4 is still the clear winner of any phone.

 

[Macattk15]

Looks like it's finally gonna be time to upgrade my phone ... I'm well over the upgrade mark on my plan with Sprint.

I may just switch to Verizon though ... fucking Sprint in my area is poop in some spots.

 

[Asimov]

Is LTE 4GB much faster than HSPA+ 42?

 

[kinggroin]

Would it kill Samsung to at least adhere to Holo guidelines as far as navigation is concerned.

Fuck. The phone is sooo good but sooo bad.

Make the screen even bigger, but keep that Tab based interface? Ugh.

 

[Talon]

Is LTE 4GB much faster than HSPA+ 42?

Really depends where you are because these networks rely on saturation.

The reason HSPA+ 42 on T-Mobile is still fast is because their subscriber numbers are so damn small, and there aren't that many devices on T-Mobile that can utilize it.

 

[Kill Your Masters]

Would it kill Samsung to at least adhere to Holo guidelines as far as navigation is concerned.

Fuck. The phone is sooo good but sooo bad.

Make the screen even bigger, but keep that Tab based interface? Ugh.

Sammy devs and designers love gingerbread.

 

[Asimov]

Good to know.

In Mexico, LTE 4G is the dominant tech (in 3 big carriers) and the carrier I'm using just deployed their HSPA+ 42 network, the only in the country. It's going to be good then!

I hope I don't regret this, but they have this promotion: 3GB of HSPA+ (unlimited... lower speed after 3GB), data only, I can't make calls (I can receive) for $13 dollars. 2 year contract. They only sell you the SIM with a USB adapter.

So, I'm going to use the SIM on the unlocked Nexus 4.

I hope I can survive with data only.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Smartphone camera modules can't resolve 13mp. Heck, some modules can't even resolve 8mp. All the extra pixels in the file are just noise. Which requires a crapton of noise reduction to remove, which makes the image soft, which means its gonna require pretty heavy sharpening... You get the idea.

HTC's decision to go for a 4mp sensor is gonna get you nicer looking photos but its gonna cost them sales since what drives marketing and consumer interest are inflated mp counts.

except the camera samples aren't nicer, check the reviews.

Samsung NL says we get the S600 here in the Netherlands, bit dissappointing.

role reversal in play? i still don't get why they're using SD600 at all... it just makes no sense...

 

[SirMossyBloke]

except the camera samples aren't nicer, check the reviews.







role reversal in play? i still don't get why they're using SD600 at all... it just makes no sense...

One review said it was going to be their new go to camera phone. Sounds good enough to me.

 

[nib95]

Smartphone camera modules can't resolve 13mp. Heck, some modules can't even resolve 8mp. All the extra pixels in the file are just noise. Which requires a crapton of noise reduction to remove, which makes the image soft, which means its gonna require pretty heavy sharpening... You get the idea.

HTC's decision to go for a 4mp sensor is gonna get you nicer looking photos but its gonna cost them sales since what drives marketing and consumer interest are inflated mp counts.

That's not true. Depends entirely on the sensor. The S4 is using a new larger sensor which should be able to resolve more detail than the previous one, which was already very good at 8mp.

 

[kinggroin]

Sammy devs and designers love gingerbread.

not that Samsung is concerned with guys like me, but I really want to want that phone.

 

[SirMossyBloke]

New 4 minute overview for people who dont watch to watch....whatever that was they showed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2LHv1FPd1Ec

 

[coldfoot]

wow, that's laggier than my GS1 running CM 10.1, i guess it's time to pack it up Samsung.

Well, for the majority of people, who are normal and won't be bothered with installing a different OS on their phones, it'll be laggy like that. Samsung software is pure junk. If you want an Android phone, I can't see any other alternative than something Google sells themselves like the Nexus.

 

[1871]

Isn't it pretty much what was expected? GS was a novelty, GS2 improved it, then GS3 was a new big progress and now the GS4 is an incremental evolution again... GS5 should dare to do more...

 

[The Faceless Master]

Well, for the majority of people, who are normal and won't be bothered with installing a different OS on their phones, it'll be laggy like that. Samsung software is pure junk. If you want an Android phone, I can't see any other alternative than something Google sells themselves like the Nexus.

i dunno what you're talking about man, my Note 2 and my cousin's GS3 are both way smoother than that and they are both running TouchWiz. or maybe that's it, maybe the GS4 is a downgrade in CPU/GPU! that's gotta be it!

Isn't it pretty much what was expected? GS was a novelty, GS2 improved it, then GS3 was a new big progress and now the GS4 is an incremental evolution again... GS5 should dare to do more...

nah, they were all incremental evolutions. the only difference is the spotlight.

 

[nib95]

Isn't it pretty much what was expected? GS was a novelty, GS2 improved it, then GS3 was a new big progress and now the GS4 is an incremental evolution again... GS5 should dare to do more...

Most people were complaining the S3 was incremental on its reveal. History repeats itself, even with the comparisons to the competition and HTCs flagship.

 

[BigEvilTurtle]

So what date are we thinking it'll be on the market and at what price unlocked?

 

[coldfoot]

i dunno what you're talking about man, my Note 2 and my cousin's GS3 are both way smoother than that and they are both running TouchWiz. or maybe that's it, maybe the GS4 is a downgrade in CPU/GPU! that's gotta be it!

Video evidence vs. your word, I am confused on which one to trust now...
Has it occured to you that maybe they are used to the lag so they don't even notice it anymore?

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

except the camera samples aren't nicer, check the reviews.







role reversal in play? i still don't get why they're using SD600 at all... it just makes no sense...

The only nicer samples are from the 808.

It even outperforms the 920 in low light.

 

[sun-drop]

pretty freaking amazed the managed to make the phone smaller than the s3, and yet the screen is bigger.


selling my s3 day 1

 

[adelante]

Video evidence vs. your word, I am confused on which one to trust now...
Has it occured to you that maybe they are used to the lag so they don't even notice it anymore?

Nope, no lag on the Note2. Responsive controls + 60fps UI was actually the main reason why I finally decided to switch from using iPhones, same reason why I'm using the default browser and not Chrome (millisecond response lag when scrolling bugs me).

 

[zedge]

Well, for the majority of people, who are normal and won't be bothered with installing a different OS on their phones, it'll be laggy like that. Samsung software is pure junk. If you want an Android phone, I can't see any other alternative than something Google sells themselves like the Nexus.

There is no lag on my s3. I can't imagine the s4 being any different.

 

[Martian]

Samsung NL says we get the S600 here in the Netherlands, bit dissappointing.

What does that mean?
I might want a new phone, but I dont know if I want S3, nexus or S4

 

[DrFunk]

Video evidence vs. your word, I am confused on which one to trust now...
Has it occured to you that maybe they are used to the lag so they don't even notice it anymore?

dude, it's early software. Many sites have said this already

 

[The Faceless Master]

dude, it's early software. Many sites have said this already

c'mon now, why would you even say that? did you not notice i was stating everything EXCEPT the obvious?

 

[Heysoos]

Anyone have T-Mobile 4G LTE?

Is it reliable? I'm planning to switch from Sprint to T-Mobile (Sprint service in Miami is absolutely HORRENDOUS).

Sprint "says" they have great coverage in Miami, but for the last 3 years I've had them, it's been laughable at best.

:lol Are they better than mine? Took this last night when I went to go get gas.

It's not like I live in the middle of no where either, every other company has 4G coverage in my area.


At least, I rarely drop calls. Data is a whole other issue though.

 

[DrFunk]

c'mon now, why would you even say that? did you not notice i was stating everything EXCEPT the obvious?

He didn't get it, obviously. Think of it as a mercy post

 

[The Faceless Master]

He didn't get it, obviously. Think of it as a mercy post

of course he got it, it's coldfoot.

 

[.GqueB.]

Not to shit on this phone, but why would anyone want it over the HTC One?

Bigger screen while also being comparable in size.

Better battery (That's also removable).

Expandable memory.

Available on more carriers (Obviously a huge deciding factor. I'd own an HTC One if it were available on Verizon).

More color options.

There are obviously reasons but it ultimately comes down to preference.

 

[commish]

I have an iphone, but this phone seems pretty awesome.

 

[Spinluck]

After thinking about it, I'm more than fine with my S3. My biggest complain by far is battery life...

If I could fix that one things about this damn phone I'd be golden.
I don't want to add bulk in the process >___>

EDIT: If there is a God, the next Nexus phone will be designed by Sony.