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Samsung Galaxy S4 (new flagship Android phone from Samsung)

i don't get the S3 comparisons. it looks a lot like a Note 2 and very little like a S3. maybe if someone with tiny hands was holding an S4, people might mistake it for a Note 2, but anyone who would identify the phone in the first place would see at a glance that it is not the S3.


Not trading my S3 anytime soon. Maybe next year I'll pick up the Note 3/4.

What are good apps for rooted phones? The 'battery saving' ones seems to just draw much more battery than the regular phone...

try Greenify
 
This, or the Sony Z, or the HTC One, or the Nokia 920....

I know competition is a good thing but damn it makes for hard choices lol.

I want to see the camera performance of the S4 before making a decision.
 
i don't get the S3 comparisons. it looks a lot like a Note 2 and very little like a S3. maybe if someone with tiny hands was holding an S4, people might mistake it for a Note 2, but anyone who would identify the phone in the first place would see at a glance that it is not the S3

The Note II is bigger than the S3 or S4, quite a bit bigger. The S3 and S4 are almost identical in size.
 

Jedi2016

Member
It's like a S3S.. iterative, but nothing fancy about the hardware, and a few software tricks, most of which I wouldn't use.

I'm on iOS right now, but switching to Android in a few months when my contract is up for renewal. I'm leaning towards the HTC One. Front-facing speakers and a better camera, and tops the S4 on pretty much every technical stat.
 
Welp that's a galaxy alright I already have one of those in my pocket.

Underwhelming....

What were you expecting that would have impressed?


They made the screen bigger & better, the battery bigger & better, and adding a nice hardware spec bump to ram, processor, camera, wireless charging, ram etc while making the phone smaller and lighter.

They added more software innovations this year than Apple has added since the launch of the iphone.

Personally I am blown away by how much innovation Samsung brought to the table this year.
 
It's like a S3S.. iterative, but nothing fancy about the hardware, and a few software tricks, most of which I wouldn't use.

I'm on iOS right now, but switching to Android in a few months when my contract is up for renewal. I'm leaning towards the HTC One. Front-facing speakers and a better camera, and tops the S4 on pretty much every technical stat.

Does it? I'm pretty sure the S4 wipes the floor with the One, even considering the camera.
 
That chart is wrong for a start. The One has multi-mic noise cancellation. Plus real world speed test haven't been compared yet, plus they gave Samsung the edge on the screen due to its size. Chances are the One is going to have a much nicer screen. Just like the One X does compared to the S3. Bad chart is bad.

That's not really the point. If you're talking about objective stats, the One loses, period. As far as design, that's a toss. I like removable batteries, so plastic is best for me, plus plastic is more durable in my experiences. (Have a Note). Bigger battery, smaller, more sensors, newer version of android, more skinned features, faster processors, removable battery, removable storage. This really isn't much of a competition. There hasn't been a single android phone that's sold well that's been unibody or has had removable storage.
 
That's not really the point. If you're talking about objective stats, the One loses, period. As far as design, that's a toss. I like removable batteries, so plastic is best for me, plus plastic is more durable in my experiences. (Have a Note).

You need to step outside Te Verge. I've read about 7 reviews for the One and the Verge is the only one to differ on almost all points compared to the rest.

Objective stats mean nothing if the phone isn't optimized properly. Even now there's talk of a lagging interface on the S4, with people stating its just an unfinished software build. We need reviews and real world tests to see which ones are actually faster.

As for plastic being more durable. Eh. Maybe. Aluminum seems pretty strong to me too, but I always have a case on my phones so its not an issue for me.
 
You need to step outside Te Verge. I've read about 7 reviews for the One and the Verge is the only one to differ on almost all points compared to the rest.

Objective stats mean nothing if the phone isn't optimized properly. Even now there's talk of a lagging interface on the S4, with people stating its just an unfinished software build. We need reviews and real world tests to see which ones are actually faster.

As for plastic being more durable. Eh. Maybe. Aluminum seems pretty strong to me too, but I always have a case on my phones so its not an issue for me.

I was just addressing the original post (..." tops the S4 on pretty much every technical stat."), claiming that the One has better stats. It doesn't. Period.
 
why are they going with Snapdragon in the US and not the eight core exynos ?
same thing happened with the S3, something to do with LTE. Probably not a real noticeable difference in real-world use so don't worry about it. Snapdragon even has some advantages...easier on development!
 
Note III is going to be so fucking real. I bet they'll try and squeeze a 5.7" screen into almost the same space the current 5.5" screen fits into the Note II. Plus 8 cores in my phone, I don't even have 8 cores in any of my PCs!
 
Someone smart help me (so all of GAF ♥):

I'm not very smart when it comes to phones and phone plans and carriers since I'm still under a family plan. I'm under a Wal-Mart plan through T-Mobile so I'm assuming I won't be able to get this phone at all with this plan.

If I were to switch carriers entirely to one that offers the S IV, what would I be looking at in terms of price? Like, if I jump on board with a new carrier, am I allowed to get a new phone at the low price (contract or whatever)? I have no clue how this works.
 
Someone smart help me (so all of GAF ♥):

I'm not very smart when it comes to phones and phone plans and carriers since I'm still under a family plan. I'm under a Wal-Mart plan through T-Mobile so I'm assuming I won't be able to get this phone at all with this plan.

If I were to switch carriers entirely to one that offers the S IV, what would I be looking at in terms of price? Like, if I jump on board with a new carrier, am I allowed to get a new phone at the low price (contract or whatever)? I have no clue how this works.
pretty much what you said. When you sign with a new carrier you will pay a subsized price. So instead of lets say 700 bucks for the phone you'll pay 200 plus tax (if that was the price) and be signed on for 2 years.
 
pretty much what you said. When you sign with a new carrier you will pay a subsized price. So instead of lets say 700 bucks for the phone you'll pay 200 plus tax (if that was the price) and be signed on for 2 years.

That sounds way less awful than buying an unlocked, retail-priced S IV. Thanks! Now, which carrier should I go with?
 
Samsung must be doing something right when they have a guy like me who has been wanting to pick up a Galaxy SIII for the longest time (Stupid contract) and than they release a more polished version of that.
 

-COOLIO-

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

i would take the one personally but off the top of my head:

amoled, battery life, removable battery, sd slot.

edit: actually if the one's battery life is as bad as i hear, i would probably take the s4.
 

demolitio

Member
That sounds way less awful than buying an unlocked, retail-priced S IV. Thanks! Now, which carrier should I go with?

That really depends on your area as it's quite subjective really. AT&T used to drop calls all the time here for my entire family (a pretty big city too) so we switched and haven't had a dropped call since. It can also work the other way though depending on what provides the best coverage in your area. I get 4G all the time here as well on Verizon so even though the plan went up in price by a bit to begin with, it's been worth it to us.

Otherwise, whatever you feel comfortable with price-wise.
 
Where do you live? Is there a particular place you visit often?

Northwestern Ohio. I don't really travel much, but if I were to, Michigan would be common.

I have Sprint, unlimited data and all, it's a great service though there's BARELY any 4G in my area.

That's what I fear: no 4G coverage.

That really depends on your area as it's quite subjective really. AT&T used to drop calls all the time here for my entire family (a pretty big city too) so we switched and haven't had a dropped call since. It can also work the other way though depending on what provides the best coverage in your area.

Otherwise, whatever you feel comfortable with price-wise.

Thanks. Is there anyway I can tell which provider would be best for my area?
 

nib95

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

- 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
 

-COOLIO-

The Everyman
Samsung's death will be caused by the three p's....pixelation, pentile, and plastic :(

complaining about pentile on a 1080p phone is like complaining about how a radio show host dresses. sall good man. though i would prefer a full rgb 720p phone for the battery life myself.

then again maybe im wrong, does the s4 pentile still tint white slightly?
 

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
That sounds way less awful than buying an unlocked, retail-priced S IV. Thanks! Now, which carrier should I go with?
You might pay more upfront without a contract but I bet your monthly bill will triple if you're on the $30 plan.
 
Northwestern Ohio. I don't really travel much, but if I were to, Michigan would be common.



That's what I fear: no 4G coverage.



Thanks. Is there anyway I can tell which provider would be best for my area?

I would tell you to give Verizon a good look over. Also, all providers have coverage maps on their websites.
 

-COOLIO-

The Everyman
- 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

well damn, the htc looks hot and has awesome speakers but for the same price id probably go with the s4, you have a good list.
 
I would tell you to give Verizon a good look over. Also, all providers have coverage maps on their websites.

Verizon is providing the best 4G coverage from what I can tell. How much can I expect to pay if I were to switch to Verizon? Mind you, I have NO idea how any of this works. Isn't there a fee for switching carriers before my contract ends?
 

TokiDoki

Member
Isn't the octa core is actually 2 set of quad core that interchange depend on usage . So it is not really running on 8 cores as per see .
 

demolitio

Member
Northwestern Ohio. I don't really travel much, but if I were to, Michigan would be common.



That's what I fear: no 4G coverage.



Thanks. Is there anyway I can tell which provider would be best for my area?

I live in Cincinnati and my family in Cleveland and I get good coverage in both of those areas with Verizon but I'm not sure about your region. Definitely check the coverage maps and even ask around how it works in your area. Coverage maps are a good indicator, but technically, we had good AT&T coverage here but still had problems.

While Verizon might be more expensive than some of the other carriers, it's definitely the most reliable I've had after all 3 big carriers, but it's so subjective based on your area so it's hard to say.

Edit: Late to respond. Check the Verizon website to get a good idea on what plan would fit you and for how much. A lot of employees of businesses even get discounts. It was kind of funny when my dad and brother who work at banks got more than my military discount...lol
 

Cipherr

Member
Verizon is providing the best 4G coverage from what I can tell. How much can I expect to pay if I were to switch to Verizon? Mind you, I have NO idea how any of this works. Isn't there a fee for switching carriers before my contract ends?

Yeah, a big fee for switching before a contract ends. Head over to Verizons website, click through the options of choosing and buying a phone. Itll show you the options for the different plans. Choose the plan that you would want, and in the end it will tally your monthly fee so you can see how much you would be paying per month.

On a 2 year agreement, you get the phone for only $200, but they own your ass for 2 years, and your gonna pay about $65 a month or more for service, damn near guaranteed.
 
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