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Photon or Galaxy S2

^I saw that...I also saw the noled app which may make the GSII acceptable. Everybody seems to be reporting the GPS is working properly, and I do like the GSII interface.

I wonder if there will be an app to let the menu/back buttons serve as LED's...

I like a lot about the Motorola, but it seems there is more love for Samsung, and even more for HTC.

Ahh. What to do....wait seems to be the dominant choice...

Do you really care that other people have love for Samsung and HTC? If you are happy with the Photon, then that's all you need to do. I could care less if others have love for brand X or brand Y, all I care about is that the phone meets MY needs and I love it. Why does the choice have to be dominant for other people for you to make a decision? Do what makes YOU happy.
 
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^Part of what makes me happy is ensuring developers make rooting and unlocking the bootloader possible. I enjoy custom roms and without the support of the developer, the Photon won't be more than it is as it sits right now at the Sprint Store.

Also, I didnt say what is the dominant choice, I said of my current options waiting seems to be the dominant choice. (i.e. waiting for the GSII, iP5 & Prime)
 
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^Part of what makes me happy is ensuring developers make rooting and unlocking the bootloader possible. I enjoy custom roms and without the support of the developer, the Photon won't be more than it is as it sits right now at the Sprint Store.

Also, I didnt say what is the dominant choice, I said of my current options waiting seems to be the dominant choice. (i.e. waiting for the GSII, iP5 & Prime)

Well, the MoPho bootloader was unlocked already and XDA is supporting it, so not sure what the issue would be.
Photon 4G - All Things Root - Android Forums
 
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Finally get a release date for the S2, Sept 16 for $199.

I have until Sept 8 to return my MoPho. Wise timing there, Sprint.

Call quality, strong signal, speaker volume, and sunlight readability on the Photon are huge pluses for me.

The .2" larger diagonal screen on the S2 is the only real plus for the Sammy. Touch Wiz has some cool eye-candy vs miniBlur, but no more real functionality. I could care less about shooting 1080p video from my phone.

I think I'll keep the MoPho; my oldest son is getting the S2. I'll be able to know if I made the right decision, and I just may put up a comparison video if I'm not too busy.
 
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I didn't really care about the GS2, but in the vids the Epic 4G Touch looks like the very definition of a beast. That massive screen alone makes me drool.

Touchwiz looks more smooth than the Euro version as well. One thing I really dislike about the Photon, which is mostly a really good phone, is the sluggish feel of the UI, which is the norm for all android devices other than the Evo3D and Nexus S 4G.
 
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The GS2 for Sprint DOES HAVE A NOTIFICATION LED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Cant wait for some reviews...man, the screen is so freakin' huge :(

Google search Samsung Epic Touch 4G and you'll find some already.
- Improved touch wiz looks decent with some new functions
- Big screen and slightly bigger dimensions than MoPho, w/ exception to it being a lot less thick.

Overally, the ET4G looks like a beast, as expected. It's too bad Samsung has developed the bad reputation for phone support from past US versions of their phones, so we'll see how well supported their mobile phones will be for the next year. If they improve, we may see more people upgrading to Samsung phones next year. I think they won the "form factor" this year, for sure. And their build quality has never been much of a problem, it's always been their US mobile phone support and GPS signal.
 
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I didn't really care about the GS2, but in the vids the Epic 4G Touch looks like the very definition of a beast. That massive screen alone makes me drool.

Touchwiz looks more smooth than the Euro version as well. One thing I really dislike about the Photon, which is mostly a really good phone, is the sluggish feel of the UI, which is the norm for all android devices other than the Evo3D and Nexus S 4G.

Wish I could say the UI is a determining factor for me, but it never has been. Just don't really like any of the stock UI's, with exception to Sense UI (and even that I have complaints about).

That said, I'm not even sure what Motorola's UI felt like. I had it on there for the 1st day and then switched back to Launcher Pro Plus, which is super smooth on the MoPho.
 
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I think that Motorola Photon is being overlooked because Sprint hasn't have much Motorola phones in their lineup aside from the iden phones. Sprint's customer (especially their long time customers) are more familiar with LG, Samsung and HTC phones. If you look at the Verizon you can see that their support (fan and developer) of the Droids, DroidX, and the Bionic is huge. Motorola along with Nokia have been known for a long time to make phones that have the best (signal) receptions.
 
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Overally, the ET4G looks like a beast, as expected. It's too bad Samsung has developed the bad reputation for phone support from past US versions of their phones, so we'll see how well supported their mobile phones will be for the next year. If they improve, we may see more people upgrading to Samsung phones next year. I think they won the "form factor" this year, for sure. And their build quality has never been much of a problem, it's always been their US mobile phone support and GPS signal.

Indeed. After looking at the specs, pics, and hands-on videos, I will admit to feeling my inner gadget lust kick in. Wow, I thought, that looks awesome. But then some reality started sinking in. 4.5" is big. I could get used to it, sure, but the Photon is already pushing comfort levels in pocket (especially in a shirt pocket). Second, we don't yet know for sure how well it works as a phone. I suspect it will be fine, but given the signal/radio problems my fiance has with her Epic, I'm not ready to assume the GS2 will be trouble free.

Third... it's Samsung. Until they show me they can support a mobile phone with timely updates for a year, I just can't see myself buying a Sammy phone that's not stock Android (like the Nexus). Maybe next year. The Photon does everything I ask of it, and performs admirably. I'm not willing to trade a known for an unknown, even if it is faster and has a prettier screen. :)
 
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The GS2 for Sprint DOES HAVE A NOTIFICATION LED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's the deal with these phone manufactures either not having LED notifications or ones that are so small and weak you can't even see what color it is...

I want a nice, big colorful LED on my phone so i can see it flash from more then 4 inches from my face... GEEZ guys (manufactures) get a CLUE!
 
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Indeed. After looking at the specs, pics, and hands-on videos, I will admit to feeling my inner gadget lust kick in. Wow, I thought, that looks awesome. But then some reality started sinking in. 4.5" is big. I could get used to it, sure, but the Photon is already pushing comfort levels in pocket (especially in a shirt pocket). Second, we don't yet know for sure how well it works as a phone. I suspect it will be fine, but given the signal/radio problems my fiance has with her Epic, I'm not ready to assume the GS2 will be trouble free.

Third... it's Samsung. Until they show me they can support a mobile phone with timely updates for a year, I just can't see myself buying a Sammy phone that's not stock Android (like the Nexus). Maybe next year. The Photon does everything I ask of it, and performs admirably. I'm not willing to trade a known for an unknown, even if it is faster and has a prettier screen. :)

I agree with you for the most part, CC. The only thing I can say about the 4.5 being such a big screen, Samsung compensated for that by making the device crazy thin. And it's only .1 taller than the MoPho. Don't get me wrong, I completely LOVE the MoPho and wouldn't trade it for the Epic Touch 4G (because I still can with Best Buy Silver rewards), but I wish all the candy bar phones could be made as thin as the Samsung. That would increase the comfortability of holding the phone (and I'm sure would make a difference in a shirt pocket too).

Any confirmation if the 32gb internal storage translated over to the Epic Touch 4G? I had read some articles saying that it would only be the same as the MoPho (e.g. 16gb, not counting memory that pre-loaded UI and software would take up). Other things that I obviously favor with the MoPho, kickstand, Motorola (and now Google) mobile support, and "unique" look and feel. I have an EPIC on one of my secondary lines, so I know how nice looking the screen is, but it's not a "big" or "important" factor for me, as long as there's at least a 4.3" screen.
 
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True story! I have absolutely no complaints about the photon as well. World phone, awesome call quality, quick, does what it needs to do. The photon had an issue with mute calling and reboots, Motorola put out an update, no issues since. I have no regrets with the device whatsoever!
Samsungs new GS2 does look nice with its screen size and thin form factor. But again, I too had a moment, and an epic. And the way samsung handled updates to their devices left a sour taste in my mouth. Other devices were jumping on the gingerbread update, and the epic was just then getting froyo afterwards....and a buggy version of it at that! (Checkered internet anyone? Geo tagged pics that you couldn't untag unless you turned off gps? Gps issues for that matter?)
Soooooooo thanks but no thanks. My photon is suiting me just fine!
 
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Any confirmation if the 32gb internal storage translated over to the Epic Touch 4G? I had read some articles saying that it would only be the same as the MoPho (e.g. 16gb, not counting memory that pre-loaded UI and software would take up).

I don't think anyone knows for sure yet. Sprint and Samsung don't list memory in any of the official release documents. Phone Arena only confirms that it has 1GB of RAM and can support up to 32GB microSD cards. Zero mention of onboard storage space, but my money would be on 16Gb.
 
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I don't think anyone knows for sure yet. Sprint and Samsung don't list memory in any of the official release documents. Phone Arena only confirms that it has 1GB of RAM and can support up to 32GB microSD cards. Zero mention of onboard storage space, but my money would be on 16Gb.

Hmm, that's odd. I'm pretty sure at the Motorola/Sprint event where they announced the MoPho, they confirmed the 16gb internal storage.

Just looked back at the June 9 press release and they definitely did:

Sprint Newsroom | Motorola Photon 4G fact sheet
 
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True story! I have absolutely no complaints about the photon as well. World phone, awesome call quality, quick, does what it needs to do. The photon had an issue with mute calling and reboots, Motorola put out an update, no issues since. I have no regrets with the device whatsoever!
Samsungs new GS2 does look nice with its screen size and thin form factor. But again, I too had a moment, and an epic. And the way samsung handled updates to their devices left a sour taste in my mouth. Other devices were jumping on the gingerbread update, and the epic was just then getting froyo afterwards....and a buggy version of it at that! (Checkered internet anyone? Geo tagged pics that you couldn't untag unless you turned off gps? Gps issues for that matter?)
Soooooooo thanks but no thanks. My photon is suiting me just fine!

This is why people should stay away from Samsung. If the phone has bugs, don't plan on them being fixed.
 
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Reasons to go for a Photon 4G:

1. Moto's build quality is usually better than Samsung's
2. Google now owns Motorola Mobility
3. It's a worldphone. The Sprint SGS 2 doesn't look like it'll be a worldphone
4. $99 at select stores vs $199 for the SGS2
5. Tegra 2 SOC = access to a few special features including no-hassle Tegra Zone exclusive games (instead of having to root an SGS2, load Chainfire 3D, and pray that the game runs)
6. Dock features (like the Atrix)
7. Screen is more usable in broad daylight
8. Wireless chipset performs better than the one in the SGS 2 (which is the same one found in the Nexus S 4G).
9. Higher res screen
10. Samsung's software track record

Reasons to go with an SGS2:

1. Newer Exynos SOC running at 1.2 GHz vs the almost 2-year-old Tegra 2 running at 1 GHz. Performance is very close (per-Mhz), though. Exynos is said to edge out the Tegra 2 but almost all testers ignored the impact of lower resolution res.
2. Samsung SAMOLED+ screen looks better than Moto's improved pentile used in the Photon under most conditions.
3. FFC has Skype video call support. nVidia showed off Skype running beautifully with HD quality video (720p) on an Acer Iconia back in January, but Skype has yet to release it and unofficially claims that the Tegra 2 doesn't meet the hardware spec for Skype (aka - Bull$h1t).
4. Exynos has NEON
5. 2.5 mm thinner
6. Larger screen
7. 1080p video capture out of the box. Photon is capable but Moto hasn't enabled it in software yet.
8. More hackable right now (MoPho still has an officially locked bootloader but unofficial unlock is available).

Reasons to skip the SGS2 and Photon 4G if you can:

1. Nexus Prime is due out by the end of the year.
2. Tegra "Kal-el" phones due out by December 2011 or Spring 2012 (depending on US carrier delay).
 
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Based on my experience with Samsung, I'll never buy another Samsung phone again. Yeah, the Epic II 4G Touch looks nice with its specs and one hell of a beautiful screen but considering the number of times that Samsung's dropped the ball in supporting their products after releasing them with timely fixes and maintenance releases, endless delays for upgrading to the latest Android platform, not to mention being notorious for having a GPS that functions intermittently, at best, I'm a bit surprised that anyone is considering one of their phones as a viable option.

If you don't believe me, ask people who bought the Samsung Moment how much they like their phone and the support Samsung gave them. Or better yet, hop on the Epic forum and ask them about Gingerbread. While every other manufacturer was getting Gingerbread on their phones, it took you how long? And considering that this was supposed to be Samsung's flagship device and this is the kind of support they gave it? Even better yet, ask ANY Samsung phone owner how well their GPS functions and I'll bet you that you'll find many that have had issues since day one with their GPS.

In my experience, company's that are either suffering (like Motorola previously was) or are small but growing (like HTC previously was), are hungry for your business. They understand that they have to do a lot more to earn customers' business than companies that are resting at the top of the heap. They know they have to bend over backwards and exceed customer expectations to earn your business and trust, and more importantly, keep your business and earn your loyalty. They also understand that their brand is their identity. Some companies get it, while others don't. And there's a reason behind that.

I found that big companies and corporations, especially those that have a multitude of product offerings, like Samsung, appear to care less about pleasing one tiny segment of their consumer market who happens to be upset about a few glitches on their phone. Do you think Samsung really cares about responding to Joe Blow in Dayton, Ohio, reporting issues or having questions about when Samsung plans to release an update to fix his failing GPS. Nah, not when they have their TV and Camera, home appliances (washer/dryer, microwaves, refrigerators, etc.), digital camera, computer business to keep them afloat? (SAMSUNG) So, who cares if one of their phones has a few bugs. The masses know our reputation and name recognition alone will carry our business in that industry when we release the next iteration of Galaxy "I don't give a sh*t" phone or whatever we call it at the time, because we make damn good TVs and the screens on our phones are beautiful, like our TVs, and the tech reviewers and others will focus in on it and remember that.

Sure, Motorola had its glory days with the early flip phones and Razor but got left standing alone when they made a few missteps a few years back and suffered dearly for it. But recently, they've crawled back, slowly but surely, hungry for our business and responded well, beginning with their Android offerings on the carriers. Unlike most of us, they learned from their mistakes, and in my opinion, did it right with this product. More importantly, they understand that if they please their customers and respond to their customers concerns, those same customers may become their biggest advocates and tell others about them. They also understand if they fail or don't meet their customers' expectations again, those same customers will become their biggest critics, by telling others about their lousy experiences with their brand, and warn others to stay the hell away from their products (like I am and many others on this board and other forums are saying about Samsung's phones).

Am I a Motorola fan boy? By no means, no. I was previously loyal to HTC after jumping ship from Samsung. But I have been impressed with Motorola so far in how quickly they've released fixes to address issues with their phones. Take a look at their company's website and product support forum. They even have an employee who's sole job function is to monitor that forum in order to identify possible issues customers are reporting, provide possible solutions, and more importantly, respond to customers' questions and/or concerns. In fact, part of the reason the Photon's source code was released was due to endless requests submitted to their forum SUPPORT manager ("Mark"). Motorola understands that the customer experience goes a long way in ensuring their brand's reputation isn't tarnished.

So in the end, if you want a phone that you can show to your friends how the screen looks as nice as your big screen at home, go on ahead. But for me and other past Samsung customers, no thanks Samsung. Although I agree that you make one nice television, I really don't care to have a nice screen on my phone if you can't support them after making them.

As G W would say, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMKkQx_dTC4 ;)

Okay, I'm stepping off of my soapbox. I apologize for the long post but that's how strongly I feel about this. And I don't want anyone else to make the mistake of buying a Samsung phone.
 
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Hey Flipper...

Don't hold back now. How do you really feel about Samsung? ;)

Samsung really is just too big to really give their mobile phones their primary attention. Motorola, not so much. It's HTC's bread and butter, and it shows in their UI experience. I was really looking forward to the Evo's successor until it came out with that ridiculous 3D gimmick.

After reading your post, I'm happier than ever that I jumped on the Photon. I REALLY have been lusting after the SGS2 since April or May, and have been a little upset that I won't get to see them both before I choose. My 30 days are up in about 6.

For the record, I HATE the Epic screen. It looks like Toontown! Every day when I walk across the parking lot to my car after work, checking the traffic in full sunlight, I like the Photon screen more and more.

Call quality, loud speaker, and sunlight readability make the Photon an easy choice for those who actually need a phone.

I may sing a different tune in 16 days when Son Number 1 gets his SGS2 and I get to play with it.
 
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Also considering this choice currently. In the process of switching from Verizon, and looking at either the Photon or the GS II.

Having owned a Motorola for awhile, I have grown fond of their handsets and Samsung's support really makes me skeptical to spring for the Galaxy. I have tested a few Galaxy I's at work, and like the feel, but can't really say I'm a huge fan of the TouchWhiz UI.

Most likely I'll go w/ the Photon. What's Sprint's exchange policy, if I were to decide to switch to the SG II once it's available?
 
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Also considering this choice currently. In the process of switching from Verizon, and looking at either the Photon or the GS II.

Having owned a Motorola for awhile, I have grown fond of their handsets and Samsung's support really makes me skeptical to spring for the Galaxy. I have tested a few Galaxy I's at work, and like the feel, but can't really say I'm a huge fan of the TouchWhiz UI.

Most likely I'll go w/ the Photon. What's Sprint's exchange policy, if I were to decide to switch to the SG II once it's available?

You have 30 days from the day that you purchase the phone to either exchange it for another or return it.

Since the release date has already been announced for the SG2, you'd still be within the 30 days if you were to purchase the MoPho today.

Here's the thing, if you get the MoPho now, but switch to the SG2 by the release date, at that point you will not be allowed to exchange the phone again. You can still, however, return the phone completely by the time the 30 days are up (from when you got the MoPho).

Hope that makes sense.
 
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I think I'm gonna stay with the Photon. The Galaxy 2 has the same long charge time as most of Samsung's phones. Those 3 1/2+ charge times are really annoying when you need a quick charge to get you through the night. I was hoping their newer phones won't have that problem but from reading through most of the gsm Galaxy 2 complaints they still do.
 
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Makes sense Drex, thanks. I'm gonna go w/ the MoPho (purchasing tomorrow hopefully). Since I won't be able to switch back to the MoPho if I do decide to switch to the SG II, I guess I'll need some overwhelmingly compelling evidence to go w/ Samsung.

Thanks again for the quick response.

Now, I should've mentioned that I've been able to switch to a 3rd phone within the 30 days before, but it was just because of how I dealt with the situation, so they granted an exception for me.

One thing I can say is, Best Buy and other 3rd party retailers are usually more understanding with this type of thing.

On one of my secondary lines, I switched to 2 different phones, prior to the person that was on that line being satisfied. Motorola i886>LG Optimus S>Evo.
 
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