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[LowEndTorque]

Are there any significant reasons to choose this over the new Xperias? Design and aesthetics still look cheap.

Considering a switch from iOS to Android soon.

 

[Kiraly]

Samsungs come with a boatload of (useful? you decide) apps, other than that nothing you'll notice much. Probably better battery life.

 

[TheContact]

Well my gf's Droid 1 broke yesterday so she had to buy the S3 yesterday. Too bad she couldndt've waited for the price drop at least

 

[Cipherr]

Are there any significant reasons to choose this over the new Xperias? Design and aesthetics still look cheap.

Considering a switch from iOS to Android soon.

They won't be all that different... Theres some software differences. I think Sony has some PSN gaming like stuff on their phones, or at least its optional, while Samsung has stuff like Smart Stay and other stuff.

Most of the software stuff has alternatives on the Play Store though, so honestly, just pick whichever is more pleasing to you.

 

[TommyT]

I'm still thinking about going S3 to see if I like Android as much as I think I will and to test the local (see: work) 4G speeds before dipping on one of the big boys.

Someone like TFM brake this down for me like a fraction: What are the measurable cons to the S4? (to a non phone junky and 2+ iOS user)

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

I'm still thinking about going S3 to see if I like Android as much as I think I will and to test the local (see: work) 4G speeds before dipping on one of the big boys.

Someone like TFM brake this down for me like a fraction: What are the measurable cons to the S4? (to a non phone junky and 2+ iOS user)

Compared to other Android phones/S3 or just in general?

 

[TommyT]

Compared to other Android phones/S3 or just in general?

In general. For direct comparisons I've just been doing a Google search about X vs Y.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

In general. For direct comparisons I've just been doing a Google search about X vs Y.

Oh then nevermind.

If you havent gotten a grasp on Androids strengths and weaknesses and havent already searched for them then I lack the energy to type them all up. Comparing the S4 to other android phones is easy.

Just look at your wants and needs

 

[TommyT]

Oh then nevermind.

If you havent gotten a grasp on Androids strengths and weaknesses and havent already searched for them then I lack the energy to type them all up. Comparing the S4 to other android phones is easy.

Just look at your wants and needs

Not what I'm asking at all. Thanks though, I suppose I'll just keep digging.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

I know, but the S4 isn't THAT much different from any other high-end smartphone minus Samsung's TouchWiz, which in itself isn't that much different either.

 

[surly]

Are there any real measurable cons to the S4? I guess it's subjective in some cases.

TouchWiz could be considered a con. It adds features, but some people dislike it. You can use another launcher, but you can't truly get rid of it without rooting and flashing a different ROM.

The fact it doesn't run pure Android could be considered a con. My unlocked/unbranded S3 is running 4.1.2 which is the latest version available for the S3, while the latest version of Android is 4.2.2. It pissed me off that I bought an unlocked phone specifically so I wouldn't have to deal with the network's bullshit when it came to getting updates, yet Samsung rolled out updates to branded phones first in the UK, which is the first time that's ever happened with any phone AFAIK.

The plastic casing could be considered a con. I don't find the S3 feels cheap though, as some people claim, and it's been pretty durable as I've dropped my phone a few times but there's still not a mark on it.

I dunno about battery life and the camera. The S3 battery life is OK - I get a full day out of it - and the S4 battery is 500 mAh greater in capacity, but then it has a bigger, higher res screen to power as well as higher specs pretty much all round.

I love the S3 and I'd swap it for an S4 in a heartbeat, but I'm not going to buy one. I'd just be doing it so I could have the latest shiny, rather than because I actually need what it offers over the S3.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Are there any significant reasons to choose this over the new Xperias? Design and aesthetics still look cheap.

Considering a switch from iOS to Android soon.

you might want to go with an Xperia or HTC One if 'premium materials' are a primary concern

I'm still thinking about going S3 to see if I like Android as much as I think I will and to test the local (see: work) 4G speeds before dipping on one of the big boys.

Someone like TFM brake this down for me like a fraction: What are the measurable cons to the S4? (to a non phone junky and 2+ iOS user)

Cons: Samsung is popular now, it might be seen as trendy or hip to own a GS4

 

[Confused101]

So I messed around with a co-worker's GS3 the other day and I was rather pleased with what I saw. It was super responsive and I really liked the form factor and size. So now I'm seriously considering dropping my iPhone 4 for the GS4 which I believe is coming out at the end of next month.

I feel the HTC One looks a bit better physically, but I really want the extended storage. The Xperia Z looks amazing, but it appears like I'll have to buy one outside of a contract and pay a huge amount of money for it. With the GS4, I should be able to use an upgrade and reduce the price, correct?

 

[Knoxcore]

Are there any significant reasons to choose this over the new Xperias? Design and aesthetics still look cheap.

Considering a switch from iOS to Android soon.

If the screen is important, the Xperia Z has terrible viewing angles. Plus the Xperia Z doesn't have a removable battery if that's an important feature for you.

 

[surly]

If the screen is important, the Xperia Z has terrible viewing angles. Plus the Xperia Z doesn't have a removable battery if that's an important feature for you.

I have also heard that the Wi-Fi is not great on the Z, the camera is pretty mediocre, and the speaker is weak and tinny too. The phone looks great, but I don't think it lives up the hype based on what I've read and I wouldn't be surprised if the HTC One is the same. I'm interested to see what the Nexus 5 is like when that's announced.

 

[.GqueB.]

So I messed around with a co-worker's GS3 the other day and I was rather pleased with what I saw. It was super responsive and I really liked the form factor and size. So now I'm seriously considering dropping my iPhone 4 for the GS4 which I believe is coming out at the end of next month.

I feel the HTC One looks a bit better physically, but I really want the extended storage. The Xperia Z looks amazing, but it appears like I'll have to buy one outside of a contract and pay a huge amount of money for it. With the GS4, I should be able to use an upgrade and reduce the price, correct?

Wow we had the exact same thought process pretty much. But yea, if you're eligible for an upgrade you'd get it at the reduced price.

Question for everyone. Is there any benefit having everything in your phone storage vs buying a micro SD and expanding? I feel like it'd be cheaper to buy the 16GB then buy a big ass card.

 

[BigEvilTurtle]

Wow we had the exact same thought process pretty much. But yea, if you're eligible for an upgrade you'd get it at the reduced price.

Question for everyone. Is there any benefit having everything in your phone storage vs buying a micro SD and expanding? I feel like it'd be cheaper to buy the 16GB then buy a big ass card.

It would be, but I think apps are stored internally only. I could be wrong, though. So I guess if you plan on getting a ton of huge apps, increase the internal storage.

 

[surly]

Wow we had the exact same thought process pretty much. But yea, if you're eligible for an upgrade you'd get it at the reduced price.

Question for everyone. Is there any benefit having everything in your phone storage vs buying a micro SD and expanding? I feel like it'd be cheaper to buy the 16GB then buy a big ass card.

Apps can only be stored on the internal memory, so a 16GB phone with a 16GB microSD card isn't exactly the same as having a 32GB phone. Unless you're downloading a bunch of huge games though, I think 16GB is plenty of internal storage for apps and it's cheaper to buy the smaller capacity phone and use a microSD card for music/movies/photos. I have a 16GB S3 with 86 apps on it (including some large games) and I have 7.36GB free on the internal memory. I also have a 32GB microSD card that's filled with music, plus I have the camera set to use that for saving photos.

 

[Knoxcore]

I have also heard that the Wi-Fi is not great on the Z, the camera is pretty mediocre, and the speaker is weak and tinny too. The phone looks great, but I don't think it lives up the hype based on what I've read and I wouldn't be surprised if the HTC One is the same. I'm interested to see what the Nexus 5 is like when that's announced.

All reviews and previews of the HTC One that I have viewed on YouTube and read say the One is one of the best, if not the best Android phone right now. We know that the One's camera and speakers are up to par.

 

[surly]

All reviews and previews of the HTC One that I have viewed on YouTube and read say the One is one of the best, if not the best Android phone right now. We know that the One's camera and speakers are up to par.

The Verge's review gives it 5/10 for battery life and 6/10 for the camera: -

That's all nice to have, but it doesn't change the fact that the pictures I took on the One just don't look very good. Sure, shots are bright and colors are good, but it's clear noise reduction processing is running roughshod all over the photos you take, leaving them soft and mushy even in good lighting. Nothing looks sharp or crisp, no matter the situation. Things look fine at Facebook or Instagram sizes, which HTC is clearly betting is all you need, but when you zoom or crop, photos lose a lot of their luster.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/11/4086390/htc-one-review

The editor in chief of The Verge was on This Week In Tech this week and he said that it has an amazing screen, but other than that he didn't seem particularly taken with it.

 

[sonitii]

Anyone know if the S4 will be at least UHS-1 compliant?

Samsung makes a 64GB Extreme microSDXC Class10 UHS-I card with speeds at up to 70MB/s Read and 20MB/s Write. Existing devices like the S3 and Note2 don't take advantage of the full speed since they don't support UHS-I standard.

Would be a huge plus if the S4 does. Means that external micro SD could potentially get a lot closer to read/write speeds of the internal flash storage built into the phone.

 

[Knoxcore]

The Verge's review gives it 5/10 for battery life and 6/10 for the camera: -



http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/11/4086390/htc-one-review

The editor in chief of The Verge was on This Week In Tech this week and he said that it has an amazing screen, but other than that he didn't seem particularly taken with it.

And the Verge is God of phone reviews or something? Do yourself a favor and look at multiple sources.

Nice cherry picking, but David Pierce, the reviewer of the HTC One by The Verge had this to say.

https://twitter.com/piercedavid/status/311138425027821568

 

[surly]

And the Verge is God of phone reviews or something? Do yourself a favor and look at multiple sources.

Nice cherry picking, but David Pierce, the reviewer of the HTC One by The Verge had this to say.

https://twitter.com/piercedavid/status/311138425027821568

Don't shoot the messenger. You said "we know that the One's camera and speakers are up to par", yet there's a review that says the camera is not up to par. Obviously you are discounting any sources that disagree with your pre-conceived notions. That's up to you.

This is from PC World's review, the very top result when I searched for reviews on Google: -

Pictures taken were pretty good: occasionally noisy which we didn't expect from a camera with such a low pixel count, but good in low-light conditions. It's not a camera for serious photographers, but it will let you take multiple decent snaps in a timely fashion - even in a dingy bar.

Some more from page 1 of the Google search results: -

CNET: -

The amount of pixels might be lower, but the individual pixels themselves are supposedly bigger. As they're bigger, they're able to capture more detail, resulting in better quality pictures. At least, that's the theory HTC is trying to push. In reality though, the camera by itself doesn't do that much to impress.

Trusted Reviews: -

The HTC One can’t produce the same sort of detail-filled shots as the high-end smartphone competition, and its relatively noisy.

Know Your Mobile: -

Detail was our biggest concern given the 4.3-megapixel camera on the One. While we know the science behind the lower resolution is sound, sadly, detail just isn’t where it needs to be.

But we know the camera is up to par, yeah?

 

[.GqueB.]

It would be, but I think apps are stored internally only. I could be wrong, though. So I guess if you plan on getting a ton of huge apps, increase the internal storage.

Apps can only be stored on the internal memory, so a 16GB phone with a 16GB microSD card isn't exactly the same as having a 32GB phone. Unless you're downloading a bunch of huge games though, I think 16GB is plenty of internal storage for apps and it's cheaper to buy the smaller capacity phone and use a microSD card for music/movies/photos. I have a 16GB S3 with 86 apps on it (including some large games) and I have 7.36GB free on the internal memory. I also have a 32GB microSD card that's filled with music, plus I have the camera set to use that for saving photos.

Ah ok. Didn't know about apps only being able to be store on internal memory. Is that something they changed in the last few years? I can move apps to my micro SD on this old as bawls droid I have.

 

[Knoxcore]

Don't shoot the messenger. You said "we know that the One's camera and speakers are up to par", yet there's a review that says the camera is not up to par. Obviously you are discounting any sources that disagree with your pre-conceived notions. That's up to you.

I never discounted anything. You simply took one review and used it as the be-all-end-all of reviews. That is disingenuous and you know it. You know exactly why you did it...it supports your claim.

Certainly, I rather believe the collective opinions of the consumers of XDA rather than one reviewer.

 

[surly]

I never discounted anything. You simply took one review and used it as the be-all-end-all of reviews. That is disingenuous and you know it. You know exactly why you did it...it supports your claim.

Except I edited in comments from other reviews to my post that also criticise the camera. You believe what you like though.

 

[Kiraly]

The Verge is utter shit though, not just with this review but with ANY

Spoiler

non-Apple

reviews.

 

[Chinner]

im gonna be boring, but i think there so many good phones out there that there's probably one that suits your needs.

i can totally see why people want the htc one or gs4, but i want the zl

 

[surly]

The Verge is utter shit though, not just with this review but with ANY

Spoiler

non-Apple

reviews.

What about CNET, Trusted Reviews, PC World and Know Your Mobile? Are they all "wrong" as well? I added their comments to my post above. Should I only believe reviews that say the HTC One camera is great? If I can find one, I'll let you know.....

 

[The Faceless Master]

What about CNET, Trusted Reviews, PC World and Know Your Mobile? Are they all "wrong" as well? I added their comments to my post above. Should I only believe reviews that say the HTC One camera is great? If I can find one, I'll let you know.....

i know of at least one... but most say it's great in low light and only ok otherwise.

the speakers are #1 on a phone though

 

[IronFistedChampion]

Why does the "Black Mist" version look so much like the GS3's ugly Pebble Blue? I don't want a white GS4 because I currently have a white 4S so I want to switch it up but that new black isn't really doing it for me. I really hope it's just the pictures or something that makes the color look weird, but I don't know it just doesn't look like a normal black phone.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Why does the "Black Mist" version look so much like the GS3's ugly Pebble Blue? I don't want a white GS4 because I currently have a white 4S so I want to switch it up but that new black isn't really doing it for me. I really hope it's just the pictures or something that makes the color look weird, but I don't know it just doesn't look like a normal black phone.

it's just you, it looks more like the Titanium Grey and nothing like the awful Pebble Blue.

 

[nib95]

Galaxy S4 (non final firmware) vs retail Sony Xperia Z camera samples. Suffice to say, the S4 is better across the board. Sharpness, contrast, detail you name it.

GSM Arena | Samsung Galaxy S4 preview: Take two

 

[yogloo]

Wow. The sony Z camera quality is terrible.

 

[DrFunk]

The Exynos 5 model (Octa-core) isn't coming to the UK:

http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-s-4-exynos-5-model-reportedly-not-coming-to-uk-20274752/

Samsung has finally come back to us today, with the following statement:

“Currently, the Galaxy S4 will be available at launch in the UK as a 4G device with a 1.9GHz Quad Core Processor.”

We called the spokesperson to confirm this and we were told that was the information Samsung has provided them, yesterday.

This contradicts the press release the UK media were sent during the launch event for the Galaxy S4, which stated the “1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor” would feature in the handset.

The new CPU details does confirm the specifications we saw in our benchmarking results, which notes that the CPU frequency as 1890.0MHz.

Our source for the benchmarks has confirmed the model number of GT-I9505 is the UK model, even if Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed this to us in writing.

UPDATE:

Samsung has been in touch with us, once again, with the following updated statement:

“In the UK the Galaxy S 4 will be available as a 4G device with a 1.9GHz Quad Core Processor”

This is with the word Currently removed, from the original.

It has added - “Samsung Galaxy S 4 is equipped with a 1.9GHz Quad-core AP or a 1.6GHz Octa-core AP. The selection of AP varies by markets.”

UPDATE 2:

We asked Samsung to confirm which markets, where the spokesperson has come back with – “not at this stage”.

http://mobilenews.omio.com/mobile-p...t-core-cpu-mobile-phone-not-coming-to-the-uk/

 

[nib95]

The Exynos 5 model (Octa-core) isn't coming to the UK:

http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-s-4-exynos-5-model-reportedly-not-coming-to-uk-20274752/



http://mobilenews.omio.com/mobile-p...t-core-cpu-mobile-phone-not-coming-to-the-uk/

Nooo!!! BS. I might just import if true.

On a side note, are we even sure the Exynos 5 is even faster than the 1.9ghz Quad Core? I heard only 4 cores are used at a time, and even then, those cores are clocked slower than the Snapdragon? I'd like to see some benches.

 

[thuway]

Dat Xperia Z camera quality :-/. I wonder if rooting will improve things?

 

[MiloFoxburr]

Dat Xperia Z camera quality :-/. I wonder if rooting will improve things?

It likely will at some point since people have discovered pictures taken in burst mode on the Z are far far superior to the default settings. So someone will come up with a Camera Mod to turn off whatever crappy processing Sony are doing to the images.

 

[sonitii]

Nooo!!! BS. I might just import if true.

On a side note, are we even sure the Exynos 5 is even faster than the 1.9ghz Quad Core? I heard only 4 cores are used at a time, and even then, those cores are clocked slower than the Snapdragon? I'd like to see some benches.

Not sure how the quad Krait 300 cores @ 1.9ghz compares to the quad A15 cores @ 1.6ghz, but the GPU picture is more clear.

The Qualcomm S600 SoC will have Adreno 320 gpu. Exynos 5 Octa SoC will have PowerVR SGX544MP3 gpu.

From what I've read, the Exynos GPU is supposed to be more powerful of the two. I've read that the PowerVR is similar to the iPhone 5 GPU but is clocked much higher.

We'll have to wait and see how the performance shapes out between the two variants.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

But were those Z pics in Burst Mode?!?!!?! lol.

 

[Chinner]

I actually made that post - it's a legit point don't diss

 

[The Faceless Master]

Galaxy S4 (non final firmware) vs retail Sony Xperia Z camera samples. Suffice to say, the S4 is better across the board. Sharpness, contrast, detail you name it.

http://i.cubeupload.com/p9DQ8U.jpg

http://i.cubeupload.com/B4TF8H.jpg

http://i.cubeupload.com/7YLXqt.jpg

http://i.cubeupload.com/4JAvSS.jpg

http://i.cubeupload.com/EdkucN.jpg

GSM Arena | Samsung Galaxy S4 preview: Take two

how do these other dudes keep clowning Sony with Sony's very own camera sensors?

The Exynos 5 model (Octa-core) isn't coming to the UK:

http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-s-4-exynos-5-model-reportedly-not-coming-to-uk-20274752/

http://mobilenews.omio.com/mobile-p...t-core-cpu-mobile-phone-not-coming-to-the-uk/

hey peeps, remember when i speculated that Exynos Octa was running too hot to include an LTE baseband? yeah, this is looking like it's true. got LTE rolling out by your carrier? GONNA GET QUALCOMM'D

Nooo!!! BS. I might just import if true.

On a side note, are we even sure the Exynos 5 is even faster than the 1.9ghz Quad Core? I heard only 4 cores are used at a time, and even then, those cores are clocked slower than the Snapdragon? I'd like to see some benches.

on paper, the CPU is faster than the 600 even at lower clock speeds. and the GPU styles all over the 320.

But were those Z pics in Burst Mode?!?!!?! lol.

burst mode is the new night mode

 

[nib95]

Managed to get a non scientific camera comparison of the HTC One vs the Xperia Z vs the Galaxy S4. Pretty interesting results. S4 comes out on top again imo, quite handily. I know it's not the best comparison in the world, but it's the only one out there at the moment. Open the image in a new window or tab to get a better size and viewing.

Links.

GSM Arena | HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z quick camera shootout: Is less more?

GSM Arena | Samsung Galaxy S4 preview: Take two

 

[adelante]

Managed to get a non scientific camera comparison of the HTC One vs the Xperia Z vs the Galaxy S4. Pretty interesting results. S4 comes out on top again imo, quite handily. I know it's not the best comparison in the world, but it's the only one out there at the moment. Open the image in a new window or tab to get a better size and viewing.



Links.

GSM Arena | HTC One vs Sony Xperia Z quick camera shootout: Is less more?

GSM Arena | Samsung Galaxy S4 preview: Take two

Different time of day but yeah, S4 wins hands-down in terms of image clarity.

 

[nib95]

Different time of day but yeah, S4 wins hands-down in terms of image clarity.

True, but the results from the Z don't seem to change much even in the same time of day. See here.

I should mention though, the Z apparently seems to take much better pics in Burst Mode. I have no idea if these were taken in burst mode or how it compares.

 

[adelante]

True, but the results from the Z don't seem to change much even in the same time of day. See here.

I should mention though, the Z apparently seems to take much better pics in Burst Mode. I have no idea if these were taken in burst mode or how it compares.

JPEG compression seems to be more aggressive on those Z shots too, maybe it isn't in Burst Mode which might explain better looking shots using that setting.

 

[Totalriot]

Ah ok. Didn't know about apps only being able to be store on internal memory. Is that something they changed in the last few years? I can move apps to my micro SD on this old as bawls droid I have.

Moving apps to your SD card was introduced with Android 2.1 and it ist still available on my 4.0 Galaxy S. I don't think they removed this feature with version 4.1 or 4.2.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Moving apps to your SD card was introduced with Android 2.1 and it ist still available on my 4.0 Galaxy S. I don't think they removed this feature with version 4.1 or 4.2.

the removable SD Card in the sd slot is mapped to ExtSDCard on the GS3 and GN2 instead of the usual sdcard0 and the ~11 GB or so of user space on internal memory is mapped to the (user) data and sdcard0 spots. long story short, there's a root app that will swap the ExtSDCard and sdcard0 mappings.

 

[kutthoat5150]

dam I thought Samsung sorted out all the bs with getting lte to work on their chips by now, I'm guessing even the s5 is going to have a Qualcomm in it here in the states

 

[Totalriot]

the removable SD Card in the sd slot is mapped to ExtSDCard on the GS3 and GN2 instead of the usual sdcard0 and the ~11 GB or so of user space on internal memory is mapped to the (user) data and sdcard0 spots. long story short, there's a root app that will swap the ExtSDCard and sdcard0 mappings.

I see, so it's a phone's issue. Thank you for this.