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riviera74
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Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:19 am

If I wanted to replace my iPhone 4 right now, what would be the best phone to replace it with? I would use either AT&T or Verizon.
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:45 am

Samsung Galaxy SIII or 4S I presume depending on Applications you've already purchased really.
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 10:29 am

Considering the iPhone 5 is a few weeks away, I'd highly recommend waiting for that.

If you don't want to stay with iOS, then the Samsung Galaxy SIII or the HTC One X are great choices.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:33 pm

A friend just picked up the Galaxy S III. The high-resolution display is amazing. It's like looking at a glowing sheet of paper, as though there were no resolution limits or glass thickness.
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 1:56 pm

I guess the better question is what are you finding as a shortcoming in your current phone?

You want a phone with a different marketplace like Android? Faster CPU? More talk time? Or do you just want something new in general and nothing to tie you to Apple's ecosystem because you didn't buy any apps?
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:33 pm

If you are used to the iPhone's level of finish and quality and its variety of industry-leading apps, you are most likely to be satisfied with a newer iOS device like the upcoming iPhone 5. It remains the premium smartphone ecosystem and UI standard for a reason.

Given your familiarity with the iOS on iPhones, I would think twice about Android on anything smaller than a tablet. Even on fast hardware like that found in the the Galaxy S or LG Optimus multicores, Android lacks Apple's fit and finish, still suffers from a less evolved and convoluted design, and on non-Google brands updates can be slow and iffy. The finicky home button on smartphone designs can be an interrupt-driven curse and the system look and feel is not much better than that of Win 9x. However, Android is evolving and may someday become a safe and decent choice, particulary if you get one of Google's flagship Nexus models which are assured of future updates.

If you are looking for something new in the same class of UI and ecosystem quality, you could try the Nokia 900. Its Windows Phone 7 OS is praised for its beautiful and easy aesthetic and is considered superior even to Apple's offerings by guys like Wozniak. Although, you might still want to wait for the next iteration which is coming on a different and more advanced hardware platform.
Last edited by trackerben on Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:44 pm

trackerben wrote:
It remains the premium smartphone ecosystem and UI standard for a reason.

:roll:

trackerben wrote:
Given your familiarity with the iOS on iPhones, I would think twice about Android on anything smaller than a tablet. Even on fast hardware like that found in the the Galaxy S or LG Optimus multicores, Android lacks Apple's fit and finish, still suffers from a less evolved and convoluted design, and timely updates from non-Google brands can be iffy. The finicky home button on smartphone designs can be an interrupt-driven curse and the system look and feel is not much better than that of Win 9x. However, Android is evolving and may someday become a safe and decent choice, particulary if you get one of Google's flagship Nexus models which are assured of a working update path.


As a matter of interest, have you tried Jelly Bean? The thing is, recent Android (aka Jelly Bean) coupled with the nicer HD displays on handsets like HTC One X or Samsung Galaxy Nexus or Galaxy SIII is going to give a better overall experience than the iPhone. But of course that could all change with the iPhone 5. I don't have any experience with Windows Phone 7.
Last edited by cynan on Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:59 pm, edited 3 times in total.
 
lilbuddhaman
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:47 pm

I would wait for:
-The win8 phones to hit the market
-The holiday Android phones to hit the market (note2, Galaxy S3 variants, etc)
-iphone5 (though I wouldn't expect much other than a new connector)

Then decide.
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:59 pm

Wait until Motorola's x86-based phone is out and get that.

(Sorry, I couldn't resist...)

No, seriously, wait for a few weeks. Lots of new stuff should come out soon, like iPhone 5, new Nokia Windows phones, and - yes - Motorola's new crop of phones. Read reviews and decide
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:09 pm

The only Android phone worth considering is the Galaxy Nexus from Google, and only get something else if you're willing to run a 3rd party ROM.

You really need to evaluate what services you use. If you're a heavy Google user, then Android is a good choice, but if you're not, then the iPhone is probably the better choice between the two.

If you game much, an iPhone is a better choice, and if you want to be a brand snob, the iPhone is a much better choice.

It's too early to tell if WinPhone8 is going to do any better in the market then WinPhone7, so I would hold off to make sure you don't end up on a dead platform. I would say a May of next year will give a good picture of how it's doing in the market place.

RIM will finally be releasing the BlackBerry 10 phones, but once again, I would hold off to make sure you don't end up on a dead platform.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:44 pm

It depends on how you define 'best', and what characteristics are important to you.

Best gaming phone:
iPhone 4S - fastest GPU and largest app base.

Best navigation:
nokia Pureview 808 and nokia's lumia phones have offline GPS and very good turn-by-turn navigation. If you don't need offline GPS (ie you never travel overseas and/or don't mind paying international data rates, then android phones are a good alternative). Note: MS is said to be pushing offline GPS capabilites to all WP8 phones, not just nokia-branded ones. Also, the lumia WP7 offline GPS capability is still buggy, which is why the 808 made it on my list.

Best cameraphone:
nokia Pureview 808 - by a landslide. If you consider video recording, then it's a knockout punch, with high-bitrate 1080p recording and amazing stereo microphone.
Runner up: HTC One X/S

Best Screen:
iPhone 4S, Samsung Galazy SIII (tie)

Best battery life:
Droid Razr Max
Runner up: iPhone 4S
(You know, I hate to even bring up nokia again, since symbian is a dead end, but I'm still getting 4+ days of average use on my N8 between charges. My friend's Razr Max tops out at 2.5 with light usage)

Best interface:
Samsung Galaxy S3, HTX One X/S (tie)
Runner up: WP7

Best portability:
iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy SIII

Best build quality:
HTC One X/S, nokia Lumia 900

Most accessories:
iPhone 4S, easily

If you're already using an iPhone, you may not want to migrate if you have a large investment in iOS apps. If you move to Android, you will have more usability options - live homescreen widgets, more customisability, more connectivity with MTP/USB/bluetooth modes, at the expense of ease of use. Unless you get a Nexus X or root your phone, you're at the carrier's mercy whe nit comes to updates.

I wouldn't get a WP7 now as it is a dead end. WP8 will have more features and WP8 native apps won't be backwards compatible with WP7 phone (WP8 phones should run all WP7 apps, though).

In fact, if you could wait a few months, the iPhone 5 is on the horizon, as are WP8 phones and doubtless many new android models. If you have to buy now, it'd probably be a 3-way shootout between the iPhone 4S, Galaxy S3 and HTC One X/S. For me, my priorities are camera + GPS + battery life, so I am still considering the 808 and nokia's upcoming WP8 phones.
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 3:49 pm

Unlocked Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store + T-Mo monthly 4g plan. Do it.
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:07 pm

cynan wrote:
As a matter of interest, have you tried Jelly Bean? The thing is, recent Android (aka Jelly Bean) coupled with the nicer HD displays on handsets like HTC One X or Samsung Galaxy Nexus or Galaxy SIII is going to give a better overall experience than the iPhone.

Posting this from my Nexus 7 and it was a pain in the ass to cut text and position the cursor in Chrome.

I bought the Nexus 7 to give Android a shot. Paid $ to get my main apps/workflow up and running. The experience so far has been meh. My next phone will be the upcoming iPhone.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:37 pm

cynan wrote:
As a matter of interest, have you tried Jelly Bean? The thing is, recent Android (aka Jelly Bean) coupled with the nicer HD displays on handsets like HTC One X or Samsung Galaxy Nexus or Galaxy SIII is going to give a better overall experience than the iPhone. But of course that could all change with the iPhone 5. I don't have any experience with Windows Phone 7.


I've had the most experience with ICS phones and 4.1 tablets, and coming from the standpoint of Nokia S40 blastproofing and Apple iOS fitness and quality, Android seems like a promising beta program you have to pay to join in. It still feels like that because the standard Android smartphone keymap template appears to be cursed with default buttons which cannot be bypassed if you have issues with their implementation or placement. My state-of-the-art 1.5GHz multicore LG LTE /digital TV with a 4.5in 720p screen could play any HD media on its fantastic screen and speakers. And yet it failed as a phone for simple one-handed use, because of the uneasy controls. I had also had to think carefully when choosing new apps for it because of the constant malware threat, which is something I need not even have worried about when using Apple devices.

An Android phone is a work-in-process which needs to be carefully managed and groomed to work nicely, and to me this is not a phone so much as a gadget or hobby, and I have little patience for a gadget which needs to be fixed and managed, I have other more interesting hobbies and systems to administrate. Apparently Apple has patented the more efficient designs and layouts. Which is a base UI burden for smartphones, because with anything so personal that you carry and operate with your hand, each and every detailed operating burden counts.

All that said, the latest Android tablets seem to be far less prone to UI issues as they tend to have fewer if any questionable hardware controls to mess the UI. Which is why I can recommend experimenting with Android 4.1 tablets, in particular the Google Nexus 7. But have nothing impressive to say for now about Android smartphones. I have to try the Nokia Lumia 900 to make a decision about buying it now or waiting for the iPhone 4S price to drop.
Last edited by trackerben on Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:38 pm

I'm in the same boat.. I have an iPhone 4, the wife has a Galaxy S1.. waiting for the new phones to launch to make a decision.

I'm leaning towards the iPhone 5 for both of us. We have quite a few accessories for the iPhone.
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 5:02 pm

elmopuddy wrote:
I'm in the same boat.. I have an iPhone 4, the wife has a Galaxy S1.. waiting for the new phones to launch to make a decision.

I'm leaning towards the iPhone 5 for both of us. We have quite a few accessories for the iPhone.


Rumours are the iPhone 5 will sport a completely new and smaller sync/dock connector. You may have to buy new adapters/ new docks for it.

My wife has a 4S, I use a Nokia Classic. I keep a 3GS around for a spare cellno and for BT hotspotting. I may dedicate the LG Optimus 4.5in to GPS navigation duty.

Why not an iPhone 5? My wife will almost certainly get one (along with every officer and principal in her entire bank, if not industry) and hand-me-down her 4S. And I will continue to carry my trusty Nokia every day.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Mon Aug 20, 2012 5:41 pm

trackerben wrote:
I've had the most experience with ICS phones and 4.1 tablets, and coming from the standpoint of Nokia S40 blastproofing and Apple iOS fitness and quality, Android seems like a promising beta program you have to pay to join in. It still feels like that because the standard Android smartphone keymap template appears to be cursed with default buttons which cannot be bypassed if you have issues with their implementation or placement. My state-of-the-art 1.5GHz multicore LG LTE /digital TV with a 4.5in 720p screen could play any HD media on its fantastic screen and speakers. And yet it failed as a phone for simple one-handed use, because of the uneasy controls. I had also had to think carefully when choosing new apps for it because of the constant malware threat, which is something I need not even have worried about when using Apple devices.

An Android phone is a work-in-process which needs to be carefully managed and groomed to work nicely, and to me this is not a phone so much as a gadget or hobby, and I have little patience for a gadget which needs to be fixed and managed, I have other more interesting hobbies and systems to administrate. Apparently Apple has patented the more efficient designs and layouts. Which is a base UI burden for smartphones, because with anything so personal that you carry and operate with your hand, each and every detailed operating burden counts.

All that said, the latest Android tablets seem to be far less prone to UI issues as they tend to have fewer if any questionable hardware controls to mess the UI. Which is why I can recommend experimenting with Android 4.1 tablets, in particular the Google Nexus 7. But have nothing impressive to say for now about Android smartphones. I have to try the Nokia Lumia 900 to make a decision about buying it now or waiting for the iPhone 4S price to drop.


Sounds like your issues with Android stem more from that LG handset than Android Itself. As you said, Android 4.1 on a tablet is fine. And 4.1 on a phone with 720p resolution is a pretty similar experience as far as seamlessness of usability is concerned. All I know is that I've used an iPhone 4/s and Jelly Bean on a Galaxy Nexus provided a nicer experience - yes largely due to the nice screen. But this was also for practical reasons such as easier web surfing, less fatigue when reading text, easier to type on the touch screen keyboard, etc. And unlike the Galaxy Note, the 720p phones in the 4.6-4.8 inch size are perfectly usable one handed (though perhaps not for someone with small hands).

Yes the iOS ecosystem (not necessarily iOS itself any longer - at least not to any large degree) is more polished and still offers much more variety (it's also more restrictive - which, as you say, may not matter if you don't consider your phone a hobby). But that's not the only thing dictating user experience. For core tasks performed on a daily basis, in my opinion, some of the new Android handsets are superior to the current iPhones. The iOS devices are pretty great, but that's no reason to dismiss the newer alternatives just because it was vastly superior to the competition when it first came out. That's how technology works. It evolves. And in this market, it happens quite quickly.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:41 am

cynan wrote:
Sounds like your issues with Android stem more from that LG handset than Android Itself. As you said, Android 4.1 on a tablet is fine. And 4.1 on a phone with 720p resolution is a pretty similar experience as far as seamlessness of usability is concerned. All I know is that I've used an iPhone 4/s and Jelly Bean on a Galaxy Nexus provided a nicer experience - yes largely due to the nice screen. But this was also for practical reasons such as easier web surfing, less fatigue when reading text, easier to type on the touch screen keyboard, etc. And unlike the Galaxy Note, the 720p phones in the 4.6-4.8 inch size are perfectly usable one handed (though perhaps not for someone with small hands).

Yes the iOS ecosystem (not necessarily iOS itself any longer - at least not to any large degree) is more polished and still offers much more variety (it's also more restrictive - which, as you say, may not matter if you don't consider your phone a hobby). But that's not the only thing dictating user experience. For core tasks performed on a daily basis, in my opinion, some of the new Android handsets are superior to the current iPhones. The iOS devices are pretty great, but that's no reason to dismiss the newer alternatives just because it was vastly superior to the competition when it first came out. That's how technology works. It evolves. And in this market, it happens quite quickly.


Yes Android 4.x on the latest multicore tablets can be fine. But until Google's smartphone guidelines mandate button interfaces which equal Apple's well-designed control placement and feel, the likes of LG and Motorola and HTC will continue to release confusingly dissimilar UI designs and customizations. Samsung knew this and their designers were told to pretty much copy Apple's UI design parameters for the excellent Galaxy S3. But Samsung is slow on updates and can be inconsistent in tweaks, and are likely to wind up under Apple's thumb due to their dishonorable behaviors. These are disincentives as Samsung's Android line will continue to suffer design jitter going forward as a result. I've seen this before in early 2000s bar featurephones, in those days one could never rely on any brand bringing out consistently useable keypad layouts from one model to the next. Which is why I went with Handspring/Palm, who stayed mostly true to the keypad layout they cribbed from Blackberry.

I will have to disagree about the 4.5in plus screens being one-handedly useable since these things are by definition oversized. The Android UI is fragmented because it is purposed as an OEM package differentiated on vendor choice of controls, among other things. That an entire online debate has sprung up about this issue is a telling sign that Google cannot get around Apple's control of the most efficient UI design elements.
http://www.tested.com/news/news/1463-th ... n-android/
http://mashable.com/2012/08/17/hardware-home-button/
http://www.droid-life.com/2012/05/30/de ... -overflow/
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/why-an ... suck/20313
http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2012/04/1 ... me-button/

In core uses of a phone - calls, contacts, messages - a classic featurephone can efficiently outdo todays' touchscreeners outside of handsfree usage. The good thing about iPhones ( and perhaps Windows Phone 7/8) is that they feature a unified and consistent UI which is least obstructive and frustating to these uses. iPhone physical and virtual buttons do not harm one's sanity too much as their operation does not usually bring unexpected interruptions, particularly when the user's fingers are involved in minding a call or twitching in a game all over the screen.

The latest 7 and 10in Android tablets and the Galaxy Nexus phone partly get around this because they eschew hardware for virtual system buttons and added some interface tweaks. More importantly, the Home "interrupt" button is less likely to be accidently triggered on screens as spacious as those found on tablets. Android will likely eventually suceed in evolving useable smartphone button clusters, but for now it seems best to let what amounts to an extended, publicly-funded hardware beta program to evolve just a bit more.
Last edited by trackerben on Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:06 am, edited 2 times in total.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Tue Aug 21, 2012 12:01 pm

trackerben wrote:
Yes Android 4.x on the latest multicore tablets can be fine. But until Google's smartphone guidelines mandate physical buttons which equal Apple's well-designed control placement and feel, the likes of LG and Motorla and HTC will continue to release confusingly dissimilar and frustrating designs.


There will be no mandate. That's one of the good things about Android. It's open source and you aren't locked into using one particular feature one particular way. Also, Motorola has already released a phone with the three standard virtual buttons in ICS and they have another on the way in the coming weeks.

trackerben wrote:
I will have to disagree about the 4.5in plus screens being one-handedly useable since these things are by definition oversized. The Android UI is fragmented because it is purposed as an OEM package differentiated on vendor choice of controls, among other things. That an entire online debate has sprung up about this issue is a telling sign that Google cannot get around Apple's control of the most efficient UI design elements.


What definition are you using here? Just one you made up? A 4.5" phone being over-sized is quite obviously an opinion. Also if by definition they are over-sized, why did you buy a 4.5" Android device?
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Tue Aug 21, 2012 1:42 pm

DancinJack wrote:
There will be no mandate. That's one of the good things about Android. It's open source and you aren't locked into using one particular feature one particular way. Also, Motorola has already released a phone with the three standard virtual buttons in ICS and they have another on the way in the coming weeks.


Yes this is Android's one great advantage, its liberal specification regime and customization appeal to OEMs. This paradigm worked quite well too for Microsoft in making Windows desktop and laptop PCs appealing to users. However, traditional Windows could never be a good fit for mobile handheld use, and what is the best industrial proposition for manufacturers is not necessarily the best UI design for the average consumer with the average hand-finger-eyesight bundle.

I need to keep looking at Motorola's designs, their Atrix is the only SE Android handheld which passed milspec EUD guidelines, which says something about its useability and reliability under extreme conditions and with tactical gloves.


What definition are you using here? Just one you made up? A 4.5" phone being over-sized is quite obviously an opinion. Also if by definition they are over-sized, why did you buy a 4.5" Android device?


I just defer to the USPs explained and implied by the different brands' marketing and reviews. Wording such as "big", "larger", "huge", "unprecedented". And reviewer comments on similarly-sized models, like:

"...world’s first AH-IPS LCD display on it’s monstrous 4.5-inch 1280 x 720 pixel resolution screen..." (Optimus LTE - slashgear), or
"...boasts a massive 4.5-inch display with a native 720p HD..." (Optimus LTE - mobileburn), or
"... Its 5.27-inch height, on the other hand, is huge any way you slice it..." (Nitro HD - theverge), or
"...Make no mistake, though: this is still a huge phone..." (Optimus 4X - theverge), or
"...For a lot of you, it will feel large — maybe too large..." (Optimus 4x - digitaltrends), or
"...how much bigger the SGS3 is compared to other phones..." (Galaxy S3 - anandtech), or
"...Sure 3.7-inches is not big when you place it against mammoth devices like the Galaxy S III..." (HTC One V - neowin).

Why did I really buy a state-of-the-art, supersized smartphone? It was one of the few droids with a path to 4.1, and at that time I mistakenly thought that Jelly Bean would resolve Android's remaining UI issues. It impressed me by playing 1080p AVC encoded in mkvs, which the iPad2 did not do until Flexplayer. Viber had finally released a decent Android app, the LG allowed quicker SIM swaps than my iPhone - this is key as there is a greater variety of standard SIMs with decent dataplans found at international airports. Google Maps and navigation on that big screen would also do in a pinch as auto GPS and in rental cars, with the right mount. Importantly, it was offered at a low price with 16GB mSD because the owner had trouble upgrading the installed Gingerbread - one of Android's more useful "techie features".

And lastly if all else failed, I figured I could always lend it to my son who keeps on asking for my iPad.
Last edited by trackerben on Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:32 pm

trackerben wrote:
Why did I really buy a state-of-the-art, supersized smartphone? It was one of the few droids with a path to 4.1, and at that time I mistakenly thought that Jelly Bean would resolve Android's remaining UI issues.


I honestly can't agree with that statement that it was one of the few with a path to 4.1. LG has been pretty bad about updating it's phones with newer revisions of Android.

As for phones being too big, I guess that's just a matter of opinion. I think the Galaxy Nexus, with it's 4.65" screen and on-screen software keys is just about right for my hands. Obviously everyone is going to have a different experience, but for me it fits just right.
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:22 pm

trackerben wrote:
"...world’s first AH-IPS LCD display on it’s monstrous 4.5-inch 1280 x 720 pixel resolution screen..." (Optimus LTE - slashgear), or
"...boasts a massive 4.5-inch display with a native 720p HD..." (Optimus LTE - mobileburn), or
"... Its 5.27-inch height, on the other hand, is huge any way you slice it..." (Nitro HD - theverge), or
"...Make no mistake, though: this is still a huge phone..." (Optimus 4X - theverge), or
"...For a lot of you, it will feel large — maybe too large..." (Optimus 4x - digitaltrends), or
"...how much bigger the SGS3 is compared to other phones..." (Galaxy S3 - anandtech), or
"...Sure 3.7-inches is not big when you place it against mammoth devices like the Galaxy S III..." (HTC One V - neowin).


I'm not sure what quoting what is basically tantamount to marketing hyperbole is doing for your argument that the newer HD Android handsets are oversized. Your argument is is akin to saying that Apple and Dell obviously should have known better than to come out with 30" monitors when they first did about half a dozen years ago as these, relative to what was available at the time to the vast majority of desktop users, were vastly oversized. And you can find just as much hyperbole about how big they were from the first websites reviewing them as well (but I'm not about to look for quotes to link here). When I first got my Dell 30", I though it was rather large and that maybe I'd wasted money on a screen that was obviously larger than it was practical. That sentiment lasted about a week. I had a similar experience with my Galaxy Nexus.

To each there own - which is why an alternative like Android (and I suppose Windows Phone) will always be at least somewhat compelling - it offers more choice. If I want an iOS device, I have very little choice. Yes, the downside to this, as you've pointed out is a bit too much fragmentation - especially when hardware OEMs and carriers fill said handsets with superficial layers of GUI garbage and other bloatware. But I'd rather have the choice of hardware config/handset that will best fit my specific usage/preference than to simply be told what works best for me. Which is about what you are stuck with with Apple, regardless of how good those implementations were when they were first conceived. I'm glad I have the option to choose a ~4.6" HD Android handset as I value this more than any dwindling OS superiority that iOS may still have over Android in their latest incarnations.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:32 am

DancinJack wrote:
I honestly can't agree with that statement that it was one of the few with a path to 4.1. LG has been pretty bad about updating it's phones with newer revisions of Android.

As for phones being too big, I guess that's just a matter of opinion. I think the Galaxy Nexus, with it's 4.65" screen and on-screen software keys is just about right for my hands. Obviously everyone is going to have a different experience, but for me it fits just right.


Official ICS had just been announced in June when I came across the Optimus LTE/Nitro HD, and there was talk in the forums of one further upgrade cycle since it wasn't a year yet. Agreed, LG is pretty slow on updates especially on their cheaper models, some of which they still release with Android 2.3.x

You must have large hands because I find the big Optimus a two-handed affair where I'm shuffling it between thumbs at times and worried about it dropping.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:58 am

trackerben wrote:
Official ICS had just been announced in June when I came across the Optimus LTE/Nitro HD, and there was talk in the forums of one further upgrade cycle since it wasn't a year yet. Agreed, LG is pretty slow on updates especially on their cheaper models, some of which they still release with Android 2.3.x

You must have large hands because I find the big Optimus a two-handed affair where I'm shuffling it between thumbs at times and worried about it dropping.


Sometimes we pay to be early adopters I guess. Ouch. No one should be releasing phones today without 4.0 and up. You do always have the option to root and install a custom ROM if the development community is alive and well for your device. CM is a great choice. It appears there is a stable version for the Nitro as well. http://get.cm/?type=stable

I must have big hands. The Nexus and the Nitro are really close in size.
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Wed Aug 22, 2012 1:58 am

cynan wrote:
I'm not sure what quoting what is basically tantamount to marketing hyperbole is doing for your argument that the newer HD Android handsets are oversized. Your argument is is akin to saying that Apple and Dell obviously should have known better than to come out with 30" monitors when they first did about half a dozen years ago as these, relative to what was available at the time to the vast majority of desktop users, were vastly oversized. And you can find just as much hyperbole about how big they were from the first websites reviewing them as well (but I'm not about to look for quotes to link here). When I first got my Dell 30", I though it was rather large and that maybe I'd wasted money on a screen that was obviously larger than it was practical. That sentiment lasted about a week. I had a similar experience with my Galaxy Nexus.


Relative to what was mostly available then, my LG definitely was vastly oversized. But sadly my hands did not grow oversize in response, and are likely not as big as yours. Those 30" monitors are not touchscreens, and your desktop input must still be with the usual keys/pointer. I would suspect that your preferences for keyboard layout and mouse grip sizes have not grown overmuch over your computing experience just like me. At least not at the same rate as smartphone sizes over the past five years. But there are operating optimums and bounds with controls engineered according to human factors, and the current Android superphones are probably at the limits for the average audience.


To each there own - which is why an alternative like Android (and I suppose Windows Phone) will always be at least somewhat compelling - it offers more choice. If I want an iOS device, I have very little choice. Yes, the downside to this, as you've pointed out is a bit too much fragmentation - especially when hardware OEMs and carriers fill said handsets with superficial layers of GUI garbage and other bloatware. But I'd rather have the choice of hardware config/handset that will best fit my specific usage/preference than to simply be told what works best for me. Which is about what you are stuck with with Apple, regardless of how good those implementations were when they were first conceived. I'm glad I have the option to choose a ~4.6" HD Android handset as I value this more than any dwindling OS superiority that iOS may still have over Android in their latest incarnations.


If you find the industrial availability proposition of Android an encouragement then that's great. I also find it good to know that my choice of ecosystem buy-in isn't going to fade away like Symbian or Palm due to poor or declining market acceptance. But note that Symbian like Android for many years was considered the main show when it came to smartphones, a competent but fragmented system compared to the consistent slickness of PalmOS and (to some extent) Blackberry. Symbian eventually weakened not because it stopped delivering functionality users needed but because it continued to deliver with frictional abandon, with unresolved issues over its form, UI, and apps schema accumulating and demoralizing the average buyer over time. Which ironically prepared the general audience for the smartphone concept but with something better in terms of UI, style, and app delivery.

The insidious fragmentation and resultant undermining of Symbian is a warning from recent history for Google, as Android development is still beset by many of the same evolutionary frictions which plagued precursor platforms. The late 2000s was supposed to have been Nokia/Symbian's walk in the sun, most industry analysts and observers and developers then were betting on it. Nokia thought it would rule rising smartphone markets through 2020, ceding only some of the corporates to RIM and Palm. And then Apple upped and arrived, followed by Google in a reprise of the 1980s Apple/Microsoft contest - except that both Apple and Microsoft (and partners) eventually reaped world-beating profits in their competitive run.

This is not the case for most of Google's ads-phone partners. The 2010s should have been the Android legion's turn in the sun, but tellingly only Samsung gets enough shine on its ledgers. Apple's iPhone disrupted global markets so much that it remains the most profitable and exemplary brand by far and still enjoys overwhelming mindshare in the crucial AB segment in every major market. Except for South Korea, where corrupt industry-government partnership has succeeded in locking out Nokia and even Apple with standards schemes championing old Chaebols like Samsung. Thus ensuring a profitbase sanctuary from which the Koreans continue to help fund Google's vision of cloud-mining all the world's information streams.

Edit: Removed the bit about Apple's astounding Japanese 2010-2011 market share. Recent 2012 data show Android is gaining over Apple there. Now even though that includes many substandard droids, it's only wise to wait for more details.
Last edited by trackerben on Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
 
riviera74
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:02 am

Well, that last paragraph would explain why Samsung has a large marketshare in Android. My question is (excluding iOS), does Samsung make the best Android phones?
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:12 am

riviera74 wrote:
Well, that last paragraph would explain why Samsung has a large marketshare in Android. My question is (excluding iOS), does Samsung make the best Android phones?


Right now it seems to be between the HTC One X and the Galaxy SIII for the kind of the Android hill.

Personally, I wouldn't consider a non-Nexus Android phone, but that's more because Apple spoiled me with their crazy notion of supporting a device after the sale. Who ever could have guessed that be broadening the installed base of your most current OS release by backporting it to older devices would pay dividends in the kind of developer support that gives your platform an edge?!?
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Wed Aug 22, 2012 1:16 pm

riviera74 wrote:
Well, that last paragraph would explain why Samsung has a large marketshare in Android. My question is (excluding iOS), does Samsung make the best Android phones?


Of the current superphones I've only used the LG Optimus LTE/Nitro HD for long. Based on features and update history the Galaxy Nexus made for Google by Samsung would be the only one worth trying. It does feature only virtual buttons which can be an issue for some.
 
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Wed Aug 22, 2012 2:00 pm

I wouldn't bother upgrading for another year, the phone you have is still very good. The only reason I would upgrade is if you're looking for a different experience entirely. The Galaxy Note 2 is due pretty soon, that might be one to consider.
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trackerben
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Re: Best iPhone 4/4S replacement

Wed Aug 22, 2012 2:19 pm

DancinJack wrote:
Sometimes we pay to be early adopters I guess. Ouch. No one should be releasing phones today without 4.0 and up. You do always have the option to root and install a custom ROM if the development community is alive and well for your device. CM is a great choice. It appears there is a stable version for the Nitro as well. http://get.cm/?type=stable


Oh yes, arrows in the back and all that. I've been a bit harsh on LG, even Samsung still sells their non-Galaxy lines with 2.3.x installed. I've sworn off non-official firmware ever since my AT&T 3GS got its final jailbreak. It wasn't just the grind of staying ahead on the updates treadmill, there were all the malware vulnerabilities. Non-SE Androids are even more exposed and I decided my LG is not going to be rooted, not with a precocious kid around the house who keeps on figuring out all my accounts and passes.

If Apple does not release the notorious mini iPad I'm likely ordering a Nexus 7, unless the Lumia Pureview Nokia just announced turns out to be a wonder.
Last edited by trackerben on Wed Aug 22, 2012 2:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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