Foolish to get S4 now or wait for S5?

[Markus729]

My 2 yr contract with my Droid Razr Maxx is up this month and am ready for a new phone. I'm liking the HTC One or the S4. The Galaxy S4 has consistently been rated and reviewed as a top 3-5 phone, even as of March 2014. However, since its been out a full year, is it foolish to get the S4 now, or should I hold out for the S5? I don't want to get the S4 and be stuck with a phone that will be 3 y.o. when my next contract is up, which is ancient by phone standards... Advice?

 

[ironass]

I don't want to get the S4 and be stuck with a phone that will be 3 y.o. when my next contract is up, which is ancient by phone standards... Advice?

I think that you have just answered your own question.

 

[Shocky]

My 2 yr contract with my Droid Razr Maxx is up this month and am ready for a new phone. I'm liking the HTC One or the S4. The Galaxy S4 has consistently been rated and reviewed as a top 3-5 phone, even as of March 2014. However, since its been out a full year, is it foolish to get the S4 now, or should I hold out for the S5? I don't want to get the S4 and be stuck with a phone that will be 3 y.o. when my next contract is up, which is ancient by phone standards... Advice?

The Galaxy S5 is quite a large phone with lots of features you probably don't need.

There are some good devices already available with similar performance for a lower price. LG G2, Nexus 5, Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact.

There is also the Note 3 but it's huge, all of these will last just as long as the Galaxy S5.

 

[Crashumbc]

Do you "need" a new phone?

Is something "wrong" with the Razr that it needs replaced now?

If not, I'd wait a month or 2, at the very least you'll save money when the S4 gets heavily discounted...

 

[jejb]

I'd wait on the S5, as long as there is no pressing need to switch. Not that much different, but it's usually nice to have the latest and greatest.

 

[rsgoldens]

It also depends on how much you want to spend. I love my S4 and you could probably get one free, but if you don't mind spending the probably $299 that the S5 will cost then go for it. It really depends on you. I can barely keep a phone for a year, but I'm lucky and have five people on my account and they always let me have the upgrade and I give them my old phone which is still usually pretty new! I just got a Moto X straight from Motorola off contract and I switch between that and my S4 every week just so I don't get bored lol

 

[Goodspike]

The Galaxy S5 is quite a large phone with lots of features you probably don't need.

There are some good devices already available with similar performance for a lower price. LG G2, Nexus 5, Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact. .

Similar performance, maybe, but not similar features. MicroSD, IR, removable battery, etc., all are reasons the S4 has sold so well.

As to the OP, but biggest difference will likely be price. To wait for the S5 at a reasonable price you're going to be waiting a few months after its release.

I would also note that with smartphones maturing that their lifespan increases. So the real question is do you want to pay an extra $200 or so for the newest model? That depends on how important $200 is to you.

 

[Markus729]

Thanks all. As for the "need"... this might be psychosomatic, but in the last month my Razr Maxx has been horribly slow, always crashing, almost every app is "not responding" for some reason. I've loved this phone and its been dependable, and the battery life is still freaking amazing, even now. But I don't like how its suddenly gone down hill so fast. Waiting another month would drive me nuts.

Nah, I don't really want to spend an extra $200. However, the S4 still gets raves, but not sure it will continue to get latest OS update support after a year of having it.

I'm intrigued by the Moto X and the HTC One but some of their 'cons' I've read about in head to head with the S4 are troublesome to me. I'm a superuser, and my wife is not. She's had the Bionic which is acting out worse than mine, and she really just wants something dependable, she doesn't care about the bells and whistles, and is liking the S4 mini.

Also concerned about Motorola being sold by Google and those implications down the road.

I guess my REAL question is, what is the best, reliable, most-likely-to-be-supported-in-the-next-1+ years alternative to the already one y.o. S4? The Xperia has been getting very great reviews but its Sony!

Ugh!

 

[Hadron]

Similar performance, maybe, but not similar features. MicroSD, IR, removable battery, etc., all are reasons the S4 has sold so well.

And nothing to do with Samsung having the largest marketing spend in the business

Seriously though, IR isn't unique to Samsung, and I doubt it's a big point for most. And half of the devices Shocky listed have SD slots. Plus if the original question was "should I buy an S5 rather than an S4?", none of those is a reason to buy an S5.

 

[anoniemouse]

If you are in to rooting your phone then the S4 is going to be the better option as it will more than likely have an unlocked bootloader, the S5 on the other hand will come with the bootloader already locked.
Although you can root your phone with a locked bootloader, it is imo not what i consider to be a full root as options are more limited.

 

[Crashumbc]

If you are in to rooting your phone then the S4 is going to be the better option as it will more than likely have an unlocked bootloader, the S5 on the other hand will come with the bootloader already locked.
Although you can root your phone with a locked bootloader, it is imo not what i consider to be a full root as options are more limited.

According to the OP's profile,they are on VZW.

VZW S4's bootloaders are ALL locked (baring the dev edition stright from Samsung). Only the very first firmware was even rootable. The root community for it is virtually non-existant.

 

[Shocky]

Similar performance, maybe, but not similar features. MicroSD, IR, removable battery, etc., all are reasons the S4 has sold so well.

Microsd is a nice feature on budget devices and makes up the lack on internal storage, but Samsung think it's OK to do this with premium devices. The Galaxy S4 only has a pathetic 8GB free for applications, you can't install apps on the microsd card without root so a phone with 32GB internal with no sdcard has it's own advantages.

I've had the Galaxy S4 since launch, never had any success with the watchon app, tried it when I get the phone never again since, also never had to replace my battery.

In fact in 10 years of using phones with removable battery covers I've never replaced the battery.

 

[Canesfan]

I vote for waiting for the S5 or the (gulp) iPhone 6.

 

[speedlever]

Microsd is a nice feature on budget devices and makes up the lack on internal storage, but Samsung think it's OK to do this with premium devices. The Galaxy S4 only has a pathetic 8GB free for applications, you can't install apps on the microsd card without root so a phone with 32GB internal with no sdcard has it's own advantages.

I've had the Galaxy S4 since launch, never had any success with the watchon app, tried it when I get the phone never again since, also never had to replace my battery.

In fact in 10 years of using phones with removable battery covers I've never replaced the battery.

But that remaining 8 Gb free ram is only on the 16Gb version. Get the 32Gb and you'll start with around 23Gb free.

I see the issue the OP has is that he is being charged the same subsidized price for an off contract phone as he would be charged for a new contract phone. That's enough there to inspire me to consider spending $200 for a new phone.

But I am on AT&T, not VZW... so I am not familiar with VZW's most recent purchase options. Does VZW have anything like AT&T's Next program? Or BYOD? And then get a discounted rate (IE, non-subsidized rate) without being on a contract?

For the OP, I would be tempted to wait for the GS5/iP6... whatever is looming on the near horizon for new phones. Of course if VZW has something like AT&T's Next 12, you can update to a new phone in 12 months with no penalty. But you do end up paying for the privilege, one way or another.

IMO, buy and hold beyond the contract period (on AT&T or TMo) and realize significant savings over the subsidized plans. OTOH, if you absolutely must have the latest/greatest phones, you will pay for the privilege.

Personally, I find the GS4 so good that I have no interest in the GS5.. except that I really like the waterproof/dustproof feature (what little I know about the GS5, that is). But if I had an old phone and was looking for something new, I'd have to wait for the GS5 unless it's too far out in the future. It's a PITA to redo all the custom program installs and tweaks, and being basically lazy, I don't care to set it up again... even though I anticipate doing that when I upgrade to KitKat. Sigh.

 

[itsallgood]

If build quality is a must, then I say go with HTC One. If not, go with S4. (Since Google has said that all manufactures, have to upgrade the OS, on all phone up to 2 yrs, you should be good.)

If you go with the S4, get the 32 GB version. (It has something like 24 GB of on board storage available for the user.) Unlike the 16 GB version with only had around 9 GB available.

As others have said, you will save money if you buy either HTC One or S4. (If that's a concern for you.)

Personally, I love my S4. I use a 3rd party launcher, so I don't use Touchwize as my launcher. (Don't like it.) Most of the S features, I don't use in day to day activities. Its nice to have them though, when I need them.

 

[speedlever]

If build quality is a must, then I say go with HTC One.

Not to side-track the thread, but can you elaborate as to why you feel the HTC 1 has superior build quality? (please don't say metal construction. But if you do go that route, please explain why metal is better than plastic in a smart phone application.)

 

[Shocky]

But that remaining 8 Gb free ram is only on the 16Gb version. Get the 32Gb and you'll start with around 23Gb free.

32GB has a high price premium and if previous releases are anything to go by there will be no 32GB Galaxy S5 on launch, probably a few months later and even then in limited numbers.

 

[speedlever]

$50 is a high premium over the 16 Gb version? That's what I recall the difference was when I moved from the 16Gb GS4 to the 32Gb GS4. I thought that was reasonable.

Agree that if history is any indication, the 32Gb phones will follow the 16 Gb phones.

 

[Shocky]

$50 is a high premium over the 16 Gb version? That's what I recall the difference was when I moved from the 16Gb GS4 to the 32Gb GS4. I thought that was reasonable.

Agree that if history is any indication, the 32Gb phones will follow the 16 Gb phones.

Can't comment on the upgrade price, I don't think we get those kind of deals here in the UK and I don't do contracts.

 

[Deleted User]

But I am on AT&T, not VZW... so I am not familiar with VZW's most recent purchase options. Does VZW have anything like AT&T's Next program? Or BYOD? And then get a discounted rate (IE, non-subsidized rate) without being on a contract?

VZW Edge plan is silly expensive, and does not even include insurance. 2 64GB iPhones 5s models were going to cost me about $70 more a month for the edge plan over my current $160 a month for 2 phones - not including the $35 + full device taxes (about $90 total) per phone as a down payment.

Returned them after a week or so and found some on-line sales for a couple S4's on a standard 2 yr contract and never looked back.

 

[anoniemouse]

All the phone shops i looked in, that included network ones & independant in my area in the UK only sold 16gb ones.

 

[itsallgood]

6469345[/URL]]Not to side-track the thread, but can you elaborate as to why you feel the HTC 1 has superior build quality? (please don't say metal construction. But if you do go that route, please explain why metal is better than plastic in a smart phone application.)

Well, first let me say that I prefer plastic over metal. But, metal is much more durable then plastic. I've seen lots of drop test, on Youtube, with the S4 and HTC 1 and the HTC One held up a lot better then the S4. Another thing the HTC One has that helps to protect the screen on side drops, is the boom speakers being at the top and bottom of the phone. The screen doesn't stretch all the way to the bezel, like on the S4. Now this is all moot, if you put a case on your phone. (Like I have.)

6469405[/URL]]$50 is a high premium over the 16 Gb version? That's what I recall the difference was when I moved from the 16Gb GS4 to the 32Gb GS4. I thought that was reasonable.

Agree that if history is any indication, the 32Gb phones will follow the 16 Gb phones.

Your correct. When I took back my 16 GB for the 32 GB, it was only $50 more. (Reasonable price to pay and worth every penny in the long run.) Also, will be easier to sale with more memory available to the user.

 

[speedlever]

Fair enough. I simply did not want to hear the often quoted tech media perception of the superiority of metal construction vs inferior "cheap" plastic perpetuated vebatim.

As you, I much prefer the plastic over the metal and don't find the plastic cheap feeling at all. That's a very subjective perception anyway. So I roll my eyes every time I see the quality plastic construction of the Galaxy series impugned... especially as compared to the iPhone and HTC 1.

Here is one of the most common "features" of unprotected smart phones, be it either metal or plastic construction:

 

[Markus729]

Thanks for all the great feedback. LOL, my continued research and reading more in other areas of this forum, I am now seriously considering the LG G2. This is based on such good feedback on the LG, as well as many people really NOT being that impressed with the specs of the upcoming S5, either in lack of discernably major changes from the S4, and the current specs of the G2 actually being a little better than the brand new S5. If not better in some areas, then not enough of a difference to matter.

 

[speedlever]

I have a friend with the LG G2. Nice phone. But no replaceable battery. Not sure about the SD card option.