Upgrade from Bionic?

[SekiTimewalker]

I'm almost at my upgrade period. I was under my friends plan, but he wants me off, therefore I won't have Verizon anymore. Another friend said I could go under her plan, and she has US Cellular. I was looking at this device, and it looks great. How happy are you all with this phone? Is it worth upgrading to it? I was also looking at Straight Talk, but found out I couldn't use my Bionic with it. Can this phone be used with Straight Talk?

 

[Gman9831]

If you want to hop on Straight Talk with this phone it would be ideal to get the tmobile version (Model # M919) and if you get a tmobile sim which you most likely will. The S4 doesn't even have to be unlocked.

 

[SekiTimewalker]

One major thing for me is money. If I go under my friends plan, it'd be 200 for the phone, 30 for activation, and 50 a month. If I go straight talk, will it be the full 600+ for the phone? If yes, then I'm definitely doing the US Cellular.

 

[TheyCallMeBT]

I can't speak as to which service provider you should go with, but as far the phone goes-- yes, it's a great device. I have heard others talk about how the Bionic had some issues. I think battery life was one, right? I can easily get through 15 or more hours with moderate use in a day. Software side, it's very stable and has some nice features that you may or may not decide to use. I did go with a 3rd party launcher, Nova. I would get annoyed fast if I had to use the stock launcher, but that would go for any non-vanilla Android device.

At the moment, the S4 and the HTC One are the top devices in Android land. So yeah, you definitely can't go wrong with the S4.

 

[WalkaboutDavid]

I can't speak as to which service provider you should go with, but as far the phone goes-- yes, it's a great device. I have heard others talk about how the Bionic had some issues. I think battery life was one, right? I can easily get through 15 or more hours with moderate use in a day. Software side, it's very stable and has some nice features that you may or may not decide to use. I did go with a 3rd party launcher, Nova. I would get annoyed fast if I had to use the stock launcher, but that would go for any non-vanilla Android device.

At the moment, the S4 and the HTC One are the top devices in Android land. So yeah, you definitely can't go wrong with the S4.

Top devices widely available from American providers! But, I'd argue Nexus 4, some other LG phones, and the comparable Sony phones are every bit as good.

 

[WA_Bob]

Top devices widely available from American providers! But, I'd argue Nexus 4, some other LG phones, and the comparable Sony phones are every bit as good.

If the OP is looking to economize and still get a great phone with an MVNO, you really can't go wrong with the N4. It's still a great phone at a really good price.

 

[marine one]

I replaced my Bionic that I'd had since the day after it was released with the S-4 on June 15. I've had the S4 long enough to live with, which has included some traveling. I feel that at this point I can offer a realistic assessment of the S4 compared to the Bionic.
In a word, the S4 is simply a much better device. I had rooted my Bionic and was using an extended battery. The S4 is faster, has a better screen and user interface, and gets substantially more time out of a standard battery than the Bionic did from a moto extended battery. The only area where the S4 it might lag behind the Bionic is in durability. I have installed a body glove case to protect against damage from the eventual drop.
It seems that your choice is more one of a carrier to get the best bargain. Once you narrow that down, I think you'll be very happy with the move from Bionic to S4.

 

[TheyCallMeBT]

Top devices widely available from American providers! But, I'd argue Nexus 4, some other LG phones, and the comparable Sony phones are every bit as good.

Yeah, I wish that the Sony phones were available on Verizon in the US. Or for that matter, I don't think that they are even widely available in the US as a whole, are they? At least not subsidized. I don't know what their main model is right now, and how it stacks up specs-wise. But they do make some attractive devices.

 

[Yeltnerb]

I replaced my Bionic that I'd had since the day after it was released with the S-4 on June 15. I've had the S4 long enough to live with, which has included some traveling. I feel that at this point I can offer a realistic assessment of the S4 compared to the Bionic.

I have to echo this. I also had a launch Bionic and did the upgrade to the S4 on June 14 as the Bionic is not a world phone. Within the first hour it was apparent that the S4 has better everything than the bionic. Better radio, superior wifi switching, faster and a much bigger clearer screen.

I was really impressed, it just works well, I get good battery life (but will be adding a second battery and charger).

I don't like the options for a car dock (I don't want to have to plug something in manually) but other than that it is fantastic phone.

 

[SekiTimewalker]

Thank you everyone. I think I will definitely pick this phone up once I switch carriers.

 

[marine one]

The hands down, coolest app on the S4 has to be WatchOn. I love being able to use the phone to control my TV.