Who's happy, who's not with the S4

oleb84 said:

I have a pretty vast amount of apps on my memory and still plenty of storage to spare. I also have a 32gb memory card that I have a tone of music, movies, ebooks and games on. So to answer your question, yes you can pay gangs straight from the memory card. I use emulators by the way so those are the games I'm talking about.

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Wonderful!

I suppose there's no need for me to search for the harder-to-find 32gb version then. As long as games can be ran from the card that is...I'll just buy a couple of 32gb cards for games or a 64gb card and be done with it.

Some games like Need For Speed I'd have to play, lol. As long as those files can be stored on a card, well, touche`!

Now it's just deciding whether I want to wait on the SGS4 Active or go ahead and buy one outright. I really wish the Active didnt exist - It's clouding my judgement. I want to wait on it, but geez, I've been waiting on a new phone for most of the year! I waited on the Q10 release, then decided I don't want it. Now I decided on the S4, and the one I want won't release until probably late July. After that, who knows when At&t will carry it!

Might as well go ahead and get a regular S4....Decisions.

hosta said:

Wonderful!

I suppose there's no need for me to search for the harder-to-find 32gb version then. As long as games can be ran from the card that is...I'll just buy a couple of 32gb cards for games or a 64gb card and be done with it.

Some games like Need For Speed I'd have to play, lol. As long as those files can be stored on a card, well, touche`!

Now it's just deciding whether I want to wait on the SGS4 Active or go ahead and buy one outright. I really wish the Active didnt exist - It's clouding my judgement. I want to wait on it, but geez, I've been waiting on a new phone for most of the year! I waited on the Q10 release, then decided I don't want it. Now I decided on the S4, and the one I want won't release until probably late July. After that, who knows when At&t will carry it!

Might as well go ahead and get a regular S4....Decisions.

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I haven't read the whole discussion so I'm just jumping in here so I apologize if I'm misunderstanding.

But without root you can't move app/game data to the microsd card, that will only be stored on your internal storage

For emulators sure you can put them all on sdcards but not the app data for apps from the market, not without root anyway.

Also if your going to swap sdcards don't use the apps to sd feature if/when you get that update for the S4 because it will get messy.

Upgraded from a rooted HTC Desire HD yesterday and so far, hmm.

Having been using HTC phones for more than 10 years (maybe I'm a Fanboi too!), It was a hard choice between S4 and One with my ideal phone being the One, but the lack of memory card slot (I've got a 32gb card in my DHD, so already breaking the memory limit on the One!) and hard memory limit pushed me to the S4. EE were also offering double data on the S4, and better discounts than the One, which also helped...

Phone seems ok so far, though there are a few gripes. (Maybe I'm looking for them...!)

The headphone socket on top makes me wonder how I'll dock it in the car. Mind you, I didn't notice where it was in the One!

I'm being warned on screen that I shouldn't use the phone whilst charging. Umm, seriously?? I've never had that problem on any other phone I've used?? So if my battery is dying at night (as it is now - 3%) and I want to listen to music (as I am now) then I can't use my S4 whilst charging? (as I did regularly with my DHD). Actually, there were warnings in the manual about it as well - may risk electrocution and damaged phone if used whilst charging. So why this phone and none of the others I've had? Seems like a backward step for me...

I'd echo what some have said about some of the features and apps being gimmicky rather than refined, as I felt they were on the One. I do feel like I miss Sense (yes, really!) and the feel of the HTC apps and system. Maybe I need to root again on the basis that it made my DHD feel and perform like a new phone (as well as give me the updates that HTC didn't...) In fact, given how I use it, I'm not seeing a huge performance difference against my rooted DHD and I'm not convinced the battery life is any better. Again, maybe rooting will help.

The hardware isn't as plasticky as I thought it was going to be though!

So I guess I've got a week to decide if its a keeper....!

James Blonde said:

Upgraded from a rooted HTC Desire HD yesterday and so far, hmm.

Having been using HTC phones for more than 10 years (maybe I'm a Fanboi too!), It was a hard choice between S4 and One with my ideal phone being the One, but the lack of memory card slot (I've got a 32gb card in my DHD, so already breaking the memory limit on the One!) and hard memory limit pushed me to the S4. EE were also offering double data on the S4, and better discounts than the One, which also helped...

Phone seems ok so far, though there are a few gripes. (Maybe I'm looking for them...!)

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We all look for gripes when we switch between phone manufacturers. I swtiched from Motorola to Samsung with S3 and in the beginning was not impressed. With time it grew on me and I got to really like it.

The headphone socket on top makes me wonder how I'll dock it in the car. Mind you, I didn't notice where it was in the One!

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On the One it is at the top as well.

I'm being warned on screen that I shouldn't use the phone whilst charging. Umm, seriously?? I've never had that problem on any other phone I've used?? So if my battery is dying at night (as it is now - 3%) and I want to listen to music (as I am now) then I can't use my S4 whilst charging? (as I did regularly with my DHD). Actually, there were warnings in the manual about it as well - may risk electrocution and damaged phone if used whilst charging. So why this phone and none of the others I've had? Seems like a backward step for me...

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Not a Samsung thing, must be your carrier that added that as mine is not doing that. Try to do a search, maybe someone has already found a method to suppress it.

I'd echo what some have said about some of the features and apps being gimmicky rather than refined, as I felt they were on the One. I do feel like I miss Sense (yes, really!) and the feel of the HTC apps and system. Maybe I need to root again on the basis that it made my DHD feel and perform like a new phone (as well as give me the updates that HTC didn't...) In fact, given how I use it, I'm not seeing a huge performance difference against my rooted DHD and I'm not convinced the battery life is any better. Again, maybe rooting will help.

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S4 is a 100% geek's phone. There is not one single phone out there that puts so much emphasis on gimmicks, so I see no reason to be surprised here. As for gimmicky versus refined - these do terms have nothing in common. Something can be gimmicky and refined at the same time and one does not annul the other. If you root, you will be able to freeze a few apps with TiB, but I see no reason for performance to go up. I came from S3 and see a big performance increase, so unless your DHD was a unit from the future or your S4 is broken, you should see a huge performance increase.

As for the looks of HTC Sense, I have always hated it for looking like a toy and being targeted at the community with no customization skills whatsoever.

The hardware isn't as plasticky as I thought it was going to be though!

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Same here. I love S4 compared to S3. It is vvery comfortable to hold.

So I guess I've got a week to decide if its a keeper....!

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Give it a try, it is always worth it.

If you guys like the Galaxy S4 now your going to love it even more when you get the new update, the lag is completely gone on my Galaxy S4, there's no reason to disable animations anymore as everything is very quick and smooth.

Shocky said:

If you guys like the Galaxy S4 now your going to love it even more when you get the new update, the lag is completely gone on my Galaxy S4, there's no reason to disable animations anymore as everything is very quick and smooth.

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Wanna post a video to show this?
I am disappointed it took Samsung what, 2-3 months now to address this issue?!? Not only that, it is going to make another 1-2 months for carriers like Verizon to approve the update.

How about defining conditions for lag to show.

Reboot the phone so there are no running apps.

Now where do you see lag? Bringing up the contact list? Bringing up the dialer? Bringing up the messaging app? About how much time can elapse without calling lag? Under a half second? Anything over a second?

Sometimes I felt i typed so fast there were delays and sometimes I would have to go back and retype some letters.

I installed nova launcher, went into its settings and set the "look and feel" animation speed to 'faster than light ".... That fixed that crap!

Just switched from the iPhone 5.... I work for best buy mobile so I surround myself with new cell phones that I want but non has compared to the s4 so far. The screen alone is worth the switch... Camera is the best quality I've seen... I have no lag issues on my AT&T 16gb version... Speakers are loud which I put a side by side test up to the htc one and they are the same quality... My iphone friends group texted me in the stock messaging app and it went through with no problems...Customization of android and the extra features puts this phone on top... I am very very happy with my s4....

Was looking at pics just the other day from a friend with an iPhone, trying to be polite I commented on how cloudy her pics were.... Maybe she had makeup smudged on the lens....

chris2k5 said:

Wanna post a video to show this?
I am disappointed it took Samsung what, 2-3 months now to address this issue?!? Not only that, it is going to make another 1-2 months for carriers like Verizon to approve the update.

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Don't have anything else to record with, the update is only officially available in Germany atm and only for the International LTE version so US users will have to wait a while.

Sucks for US users as usual.

Anyone know what version the "lag" fix brings the phone up to? Just installing an update now, and wondering if that's the one...

So a few days in....

The headphone socket on top and charging socket on the bottom is annoying, although as has been said, the HTC has the same location so I would have had the same gripe. It's worse in the car! How are people managing this? Charging cable sticking out the bottom, 3.5mm out the top and cables everywhere! Looks awful! Is there a car dock that deals with the wires (or plugs), actually looks tidy and isn't distracting??

The phone keeps turning off whilst plugged in in the car. My HTC used to recognise the car charger (well it did before I rooted it...!), is there a setting or something on the S4 that will fix this, or do I need to install one of those event management apps as I did on my rooted Desire HD?

I'm missing default cursor keys on the keyboard and lack of holding for punctuation that I had on my old DHD, but I'm sure I'll find a keyboard that has them, and I'll be back to my fluent self!

Otherwise, I think it's growing on me!

I wonder if the lag some of you are all complaining about is due to the heavy Touchwhiz features. I disabled all that stuff, and am running Apex launcher. I have no real lag, although I did notice a few screen redraws over the last few days.

CaptainRon said:

I agree totally. I came from a rooted Galaxy Nexus which I thought was a great phone. The S4 is faster and has a nicer screen, but after a few days it doesn't feel like the quantum leap I got going from the Droid to the GNex. Maybe I'll feel different after I root it.

Again, I'm "happy" with the S4. It's a great phone, it just doesn't quite meet the hype.

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Thanks CapT!

I came from a OG, to a GNex. I drowned my GNex last week(for the second time), and reactivated my OG till I decided what to get... I have an upgrade, just have to decide...

Right now, the decision is GS4 or wait for the Note3... :smokingsomb:

My OG was rooted, and I swapped ROMS only about every other month. With my GNex, I never rooted, never felt like it needed it. Sounds like if I go with the GS4, I better plan on root and de-bloat.

Note3 - Seems silly, but in the store, while playing with the phone, I really like the stylus on a Note2. I often wish my son's 3DS stylus worked on my phone, but no dice. Other than that, the Note2 seems outdated, low rez screen, lower processor and memory. Note3 rumors sound good, wonder how long it will take to hit the market, and if I can put up with my OG till then?

G3 is outdated too.. "sorry". I did upgrade from the S3, I have zero buyers remorse!

If your comfortable, I would wait to see the Note 3, it could be quite the upgrade still!

Came from an iPhone 4 mostly (used an iPhone 5 for a few weeks but gave it to gf). I'm loving it! I feel like I have much more of an emotional bond to this phone lol, as sad as it is.

Overall I am very happy with my S4. My wife has the iphone 5 and I prefer the S4 but that is my opinion.