4G Android phone megathread

[Zedia]

This is probably an Android 101 question, so i apologize for putting it here.

I'm trying to help my wife get her yahoo business email set up on her phone (she's clueless about this stuff, and I'm not much better). It's no problem setting it up on my Droid Bionic (just used the corporate email setup), but we can't figure out how to get it on her LG Optimus Elite.

If we use the Yahoo mail app, it defaults to her main yahoo address instead of the business address. Her LG doesn't have the corporate email option that my phone has. I think the solution is not to use Yahoo business email, but in the meantime, any suggestions for work arounds?

 

[rembrat]

Any truth to the rumored Samsung Galaxy S4 mini rumors? The only thing stopping me from buying the S4 right now is it's size. I can't get over how big it is. I saw a few on the train this afternoon that were honkin'

EDIT: Although, I could have confused it with the Note...

 

[Curll]

The S4 has a 5" screen, it isn't a small phone. That said, it is very thin and feels fantastic in-hand. I can't really tell it is in my pocket, it feels GREAT in the inside pocket of a sports coat. 
 
Go to a retailer, play with it. The Note II is massive, the only person I know who has one is 6'4". It feels like a newborn's laptop.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

The Moto X phone is real
 
Now I think I may wait on the S4 and see how this develops
 
http://www.theverge.com/android/2013/5/29/4377868/the-moto-x-phone-is-real-says-motorola-ceo-dennis-woodside

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Any truth to the rumored Samsung Galaxy S4 mini rumors? The only thing stopping me from buying the S4 right now is it's size. I can't get over how big it is. I saw a few on the train this afternoon that were honkin'

EDIT: Although, I could have confused it with the Note...

Dude once you get a phone with a big screen like that you will wonder how you ever used an iPhone. You'll love the size.

 

[Traut]

Any truth to the rumored Samsung Galaxy S4 mini rumors? The only thing stopping me from buying the S4 right now is it's size. I can't get over how big it is. I saw a few on the train this afternoon that were honkin'

EDIT: Although, I could have confused it with the Note...

S4 mini is real. However, it's reportedly a very different and lesser device than the S4.

 

[JerBear]

S4 mini is real. However, it's reportedly a very different and lesser device than the S4.

http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-announces-galaxy-s4-mini
 
"The Galaxy S4 Mini rocks a 4.3-inch qHD (960x540) SuperAMOLED display, and is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM. Around the back there's an 8-megapixel camera, on the front is a 1.9MP front-facer. There's also 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD card. Powering everything is an 1,900mAh battery."

 

[Curll]

Wow, roughly all the specs are halved, except the screen looses .7".

 

[zenter]

http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-announces-galaxy-s4-mini
 
"The Galaxy S4 Mini rocks a 4.3-inch qHD (960x540) SuperAMOLED display, and is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM. Around the back there's an 8-megapixel camera, on the front is a 1.9MP front-facer. There's also 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD card. Powering everything is an 1,900mAh battery."

 

Wow, roughly all the specs are halved, except the screen looses .7".

 
How underwhelming. I love the size of my S2 (4.3" screen), and was hoping for more from S4 Mini. It's a significantly lesser device than the S3, and a slight upgrade from my S2 (mainly in the area of processor). I guess I shouldn't be surprised - my S2 is way more powerful than the S3 Mini. The branding annoys me - call these mildly-intelligent devices S-Plus and S2-Plus or some such thing.

 

[trekfan55]

i just got an S4 unlocked phone.  Been a blackberry user for more than 4 years.
 
What is a good place to learn to get the most out of that phone?

 

[JerBear]

Nexus experience HTC One coming "soon" - http://www.androidcentral.com/google-edition-htc-one-coming-soon-vanilla-android
 
Article raises interesting points about the various HTC incorporated stuff (Beats, IR Blaster, etc).

Official now from HTC.  Doesn't answer any of the questions though.
 
http://blog.htc.com/2013/05/htc-one-google-nexus-experience/?gb25

 

[rembrat]

The Moto X phone is real
 
Now I think I may wait on the S4 and see how this develops
 
http://www.theverge.com/android/2013/5/29/4377868/the-moto-x-phone-is-real-says-motorola-ceo-dennis-woodside

 
You really going to wait until October for this thing? I don't know if my Galaxy S can hold on much longer.
 

Dude once you get a phone with a big screen like that you will wonder how you ever used an iPhone. You'll love the size.

 
I think you're right. The more I think about it the more I think I saw Note II's on the train. The dudes were pretty huge and it still looked large. I'm going to visit my local TMobile store soon and get my hands on it.

 

[LondonSox]

The sg4 isn't that big, I have big ugly otter box on mine, which seems to be about as big as covers get, and it is still light and fit in my pocket easily.
The note won't easily, hence as I don't carry a man purse it's out for me,but the sg4 is fine.

I second the trekfan question, if anyone has any links to some good guides for the sg4 I'd be interested.
My Verizon version seems to be different from the guides I've seen, eg the air gesture toggle doesn't show on the task bar toggles and the muting of noises overnight menu option isn't where I saw a guide tell me it should be, so I assume it's a Verizon thing as it came out later than the first tips and tricks.

 

[zenter]

i just got an S4 unlocked phone.  Been a blackberry user for more than 4 years.
 
What is a good place to learn to get the most out of that phone?

 
Unfortunately, the (crappy) manual is a good starting place for Android. Basically, go into every setting and learn about how it works and what you can customize. If the manual doesn't help, explore Google. Here are some links I found with some quick Googling.
 
Get rid of S4 bloatware
Using Google Now
Getting Started on S4
Hidden GS4 Features (mostly basic stuff)
Business Insider's favorite apps
 
And then there's Googling to figure out one thing or another. And asking all of us.
 
 

The sg4 isn't that big, I have big ugly otter box on mine, which seems to be about as big as covers get, and it is still light and fit in my pocket easily.

 
My wife refuses to get anything bigger than the GS2 (4.3" screen version) and I assume she's not alone. With a case, the GS4 is just outside her comfort zone in terms of usability. Providing "mini" options for more powerful phones is a good idea, but only presuming the mini options are actually somewhat powerful. The S4 Mini is a very expensive joke.

 

[LondonSox]

If I was female with smaller hands (or smelled like cabbage) I could see having concerns about using a big phone. That aside I don't understand the refusal to consider larger phones, it's lighter than some smaller phones and girls have handbags etc.

If you can't hold the phone comfortably etc then that's kind of killer. It seems for now the iPhone is going to be the small phone, all androids seem to be drifting larger.

 

[zenter]

If I was female with smaller hands (or smelled like cabbage) I could see having concerns about using a big phone. That aside I don't understand the refusal to consider larger phones, it's lighter than some smaller phones and girls have handbags etc.

If you can't hold the phone comfortably etc then that's kind of killer. It seems for now the iPhone is going to be the small phone, all androids seem to be drifting larger.

 
Well this gets to my wife's knee-jerk hatred of Apple... And iOS's general Playskool-ness. She wants a powerful and customizable phone that she can comfortably hold. And she's not a tiny person. Android phone manufacturers are simply missing the boat by being so andro-normative with their phone efforts. 

 

[Fratboy]

Moto X in October? Perfect time to upgrade for me! (Eligible in November.) I can't wait to see the specs on the puppy, though lack of an SD card slot would be an instant deal breaker.

 

[24JoshuaPoint]

Dude once you get a phone with a big screen like that you will wonder how you ever used an iPhone. You'll love the size.

 
Seriously. Today is my second day on the Galaxy 3 after switching from the Iphone. I nearly brought the phone back because it was so big after i put a waterproof case on it. Now i'm questioning why i stuck with Apple for so long.
 
Does anyone know if Awesome Note is available for Droid phones? I can't seem to find it. I was syncing that with my Google Drive on the iphone and that worked well. Does anyone know of a different list/note taking app that can sync with Google Drive?

 

[JerBear]

Seriously. Today is my second day on the Galaxy 3 after switching from the Iphone. I nearly brought the phone back because it was so big after i put a waterproof case on it. Now i'm questioning why i stuck with Apple for so long.
 
Does anyone know if Awesome Note is available for Droid phones? I can't seem to find it. I was syncing that with my Google Drive on the iphone and that worked well. Does anyone know of a different list/note taking app that can sync with Google Drive?


Google keep?

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Google keep?

Google Keep is basic, but I like the interface a lot better than Evernote. I'm a huge fan of it.

 

[zenter]

Here's your completely-vanilla HTC One, people.

 

[rembrat]

Moto X in October? Perfect time to upgrade for me! (Eligible in November.) I can't wait to see the specs on the puppy, though lack of an SD card slot would be an instant deal breaker.

 
Moto X in October is a headline I saw and not at all confirmed by anyone. At this point, no one knows anything about the Moto X except that it 'knows when (something) is happening.'
 

 

[zenter]

It's basically confirmed since Dennis Woodside (the Moto head in your photo) said it more or less on the record. That's about as close to an announcement as you'll get without a formal announcement.

 

[rembrat]

Anyone care to speculate on what these sensors are going to do? The only thing that comes to mind is disabling texting in a moving car. But for a million reasons that's more an inconvenience than a benefit. 

 

[zenter]

Anyone care to speculate on what these sensors are going to do? The only thing that comes to mind is disabling texting in a moving car. But for a million reasons that's more an inconvenience than a benefit. 

 
If the GS4 sensors are any indicator, expect a pedometer, a thermometer, and essentially more stuff so it knows where it is and the conditions around it.
 
The key thing is context-aware software. There's your driving example. But maybe this is a better one - say, for example, you frequently open up Yelp when you're in a certain place on Friday nights - the X will start loading Yelp in the background the moment you pull the phone out of your pocket so it instantly "opens" when you click the icon. Maybe it knows you're on vacation - in a place you've never been that is also known to be a tourist spot. It could spool up the camera before you act (Google Now has "photo spots nearby" so this seems a natural integration).
 
I'm thinking, on a day like today in NYC, it knows to search for and suggest places to get a cold drink nearby, before I think to ask.
 
These are already happening, and more is coming. Get used to your device more frequently straddling the creepy line.

 

[rembrat]

Interesting. I can't say I'm a fan of that kind of thing. We're talking about saving, what, the 5 seconds it takes to find an app like Yelp? That really doesn't excite me.
 
How much of a hit does the camera take when running stock Android vs TW? Talking about the S4 here if it matters.

 

[crystalline]

So over the next month in the Google store:
Nexus 4 is $300
Galaxy S4 $650
HTC One $600
 
I'm finally going to make the switch to an unsubsidized-phone T-mobile plan, and probably get the N4.  Am I making a mistake?

 

[Blacken]

No.

 

[jayhoz]

nm

 

[zenter]

So over the next month in the Google store:
Nexus 4 is $300
Galaxy S4 $650
HTC One $600
 
I'm finally going to make the switch to an unsubsidized-phone T-mobile plan, and probably get the N4.  Am I making a mistake?

 
Depends on how much you expect to value LTE and how long you want to keep the phone. TMo is expecting to light up LTE covering something like 75% of people by the end of 2013. They have the fastest 3G (HSPA+) of carriers, so the N4 should do you fine for at least a year or two. If you think you'll want more speed or don't want to upgrade phones quite as often, the HTC One or the S4 might be a better long-term option. Think in terms of TCO and desired capabilities, not only purchase price.

 

[trekfan55]

Question, how do I get push email on my S4?
 
Can I get rid of the Samsung email app?

 

[milfordsoxfan]

Looks like the HTC One is confirmed for Verizon this summer.  
 
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/06/03/htc-one-on-verizon-is-official-coming-later-this-summer/
 
 

 

[pmb116]

i just got an S4 unlocked phone.  Been a blackberry user for more than 4 years.
 
What is a good place to learn to get the most out of that phone?


Androidforums.com, find your phones subsection. Xda is great as well.

 

[CoRP]

You really going to wait until October for this thing? I don't know if my Galaxy S can hold on much longer.
 
 
I think you're right. The more I think about it the more I think I saw Note II's on the train. The dudes were pretty huge and it still looked large. I'm going to visit my local TMobile store soon and get my hands on it.

You'll love it. I just bought one for $79 on Amazon. It's the size of my stereo display in my audi. I lean it up against the screen and turn on Waze. Awesome.
 
And the pen is great for jotting quick notes.  Don't know how I ever lived without this thing.  Doesn't seem to big to me, but I'm 6'3".

 

[Cellar-Door]

So looking back at the HTC hate.
I have a Droid DNA, which I LOVE, I know the thunderblt was a bad phone, but every manufacturer has bad phones
Samsung had the Solstice, Moment, Charge, Intercept etc
HTC had the THunderbolt, Rhyme etc.
LG had the intuition, Lucid etc.
Motorola had the Bionic, Titanium etc
Apple had the iphones 4 through 5
Sony had the Xperia Play (possibly the single stupidest AND worst phone ever)
Nokia had basically every smart phone that came before the Lumia.
 
Point is that every manufacturer has terrible phones and good phones, the thing to do is research the phone before you buy it (unless you are compulsive must have it day one person in which case you should know the risks)

 

[kartvelo]

You'll love it. I just bought one for $79 on Amazon. It's the size of my stereo display in my audi. I lean it up against the screen and turn on Waze. Awesome.
 
And the pen is great for jotting quick notes.  Don't know how I ever lived without this thing.  Doesn't seem to big to me, but I'm 6'3".

I'm confused... what did you buy for $79 on Amazon?

 

[Blacken]

The HTC Thunderbolt was a flagship phone. Every other phone you mention (except the face-meltingly stupid mention of the iPhone, seriously you should apologize for that level of tard) was either a budget phone or from Sony and nobody buys Sony's Android stuff anyway.
 
Nobody to date has replicated HTC's intense failure with the Thunderbolt.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

The Bionic was a flagship phone. Motorola just messed it up completely, which caused it to be delayed 4-6 months, while it still sucked and followed it up shortly with the Razr.

 

[zenter]

Verizon users would correctly point to the De-Googled/Bing-ified Galaxy S (Fascinate) as a failed flagship phone. Luckily the rest of the line wasn't so ruined, nor its successors.
 
On a different topic: any recommendations for high-quality phones with screens no larger than 4.5" for my wife? As I've noted earlier, my phone (AT&T Galaxy S2 - i777 - with a 4.3" screen) is at the very upper limit of hand-comfort for her. I have seen no reports that the S4 Mini is coming to T-Mobile or AT&T (yet) and I'm not a fan of how crippled it is versus S4.

 

[Fratboy]

I can't be the only one who saw Cellar Door's post and thought, "The HTC Hate? When's that coming out?"
 
I'd totally buy a hatephone.

 

[Fratboy]

Verizon users would correctly point to the De-Googled/Bing-ified Galaxy S (Fascinate) as a failed flagship phone. Luckily the rest of the line wasn't so ruined, nor its successors.
 
On a different topic: any recommendations for high-quality phones with screens no larger than 4.5" for my wife? As I've noted earlier, my phone (AT&T Galaxy S2 - i777 - with a 4.3" screen) is at the very upper limit of hand-comfort for her. I have seen no reports that the S4 Mini is coming to T-Mobile or AT&T (yet) and I'm not a fan of how crippled it is versus S4.

 
If that's one your shopping list, so should the HTC One Mini that was leaked early today. What's she using right now, and is she on AT&T with you?

 

[zenter]

If that's one your shopping list, so should the HTC One Mini that was leaked early today. What's she using right now, and is she on AT&T with you?

 
Agreed on One Mini. And currently, she's on ATT with me using a Samsung Focus S (Windows Phone) that I won. It uses hardware halfway between the SGS Infuse and my SGS2. Her previous phone was a cheap LG Android that constantly suffered from memory issues and was obsolete within 6 months of her getting it.
 
Neither of us dislike Windows Phone, but Android is simply a better ecosystem, especially for apps, so we're hunting for an option for her.

 

[wibi]

I can't be the only one who saw Cellar Door's post and thought, "The HTC Hate? When's that coming out?"
 
I'd totally buy a hatephone.

 
Thanks for making me laugh Frat.  HTC Hate sounds like a great phone 

 

[saintnick912]

I can't be the only one who saw Cellar Door's post and thought, "The HTC Hate? When's that coming out?"
 
I'd totally buy a hatephone.

 
That was the HTC First.

 

[PortlandSoxFan]

Yeah, the Bionic was a POS.  I waited forever for that, and got it the day it came out.  Then, 6 hours later, I dropped it into a cup of iced coffee without insurance, and burned another upgrade to buy it AGAIN.  Just a terrible, terrible phone.

 

[rembrat]

Jumped into a BestBuy and got my hands on a SGS4. It is not big at all. It feels perfect actually. 
 
I can't wait until the 26th.

 

[zenter]

If you're thinking TMo and HTC One, HTC offering a minimum $100 (up to $300) on smartphone trade-in. Not bad.

 

[crystalline]

Thanks for the feedback.  I just ordered a Nexus 4 from Google Play. 
I know I'm a little late on the obsolescence curve but it's the best cost-benefit for me now.  I'm willing to live without LTE for the 1-2 years I will own it; prorating the price diff. with the S4 over the expected lifetime, I'm OK with what the N4 provides.  I'll have T-Mobile port my # from Verizon as soon as it arrives. 

 

[kelpapa]

Jumped into a BestBuy and got my hands on a SGS4. It is not big at all. It feels perfect actually. 
 
I can't wait until the 26th.

I tried to make a call from an iPhone 4 yesterday, and I couldn't believe how small it was. I could never use a phone like that again.

 

[zenter]

Wife is thinking of doing the HTC One tradeup thing. Anyone have it? My biggest concern for her is the camera - is it the real deal or is it a gimmick? The 4MP gives me pause because it maxes out a 8x10 prints which leaves little room for crops. Thoughts/advice?