Samsung Galaxy S4

[IndyBeerman]

Which reminds me of this great ol' joke. Adapt as needed for any Apple product:


Q: You know how to know if someone has an iPhone?

A: Oh, he'll f*cking tell ya'.


Galaxy S3 user here. It does the job. I don't use hardly any apps and it's more or less just so I can browse the web on the toilet and make phone calls and text messages. It does what I want.

I remember when the I5 came out, all the fanboi's @ work was running around sticking them up in the air like they was John Travolta posing on the cover of Saturday Night Fever with his hand thrust in the air holding a I5.

I'd just lay my year old Droid X2 with the bigger 4.3 inch screen on the table beside them playing a video I took of the Diamondback roller coaster that I recorded and walk away saying, "behind the curve son".

When I got the S3, I just laid it on the table while doing paper work and they would all avoid me like the noid.

I really want a S4, but I'll have to save up money and buy one outright, I'm still using my grandfathered unlimited internet package.

What ticks me off the most is the slow market response for aftermarket items for the S3 & 4. Their still cranking out I-Phone this, I-Phone that and not paying attention to the market.

 

[Cemetery-man]

I was thinking about getting a new phone but after reading I think I'll stay with what I have. My son has the Note II and his battery life sucks big time also. The last thing I want is to always be worrying about my phone going dead. IMO, a device isn't much good if the battery only lasts half a day. I get 2 days out of a charge and I don't have to switch batteries, tweak settings, monitor apps, etc. to do it.

C'mon people, take a breath. Their Frick'n phones!!!!

I like right where I'm at and can just sit back and watch. I find it amusing how people get so worked up and have to constantly try to prove that "my phone is better than your phone" to a point where they resent people and have "handles" for them if they have different opinions and don't go out and buy one just like theirs.

And we wonder why the OC/CC debate is still going strong.

 

[Scutter01]

C'mon people, take a breath. Their Frick'n phones!!!!

In my job, having portable internet access is far more valuable to me than the ability to make calls. Smartphones are a powerful tool in my bag.

 

[lovemachine]

I love my iPhone 5. With it being my second iPhone, originally had a 4, I have had no reason to switch.

But seeing the Samsung Galaxy on tv, I have been tempted to try one. But I use my iPhone to listen to music at work and while working out, and I have no idea how to switch my 3,000 - 4,000 songs from iTunes format to whatever I need for Galaxy.

So I dunno if I ever switch.

And speaking of Sprint and AT&T. I couldn't stand the Customer Service from Sprint. And thru my wife's work, she gets a good discount from AT&T.

 

[Scutter01]

I really like the music management on the iPhone a lot better than on Android. iTunes is great for that. There are alternatives for Android, but they're not nearly as easy. As for "format", unless the music is DRM-encumbered, your Android will play whatever music your iPhone will play. Just pick a folder on the phone and copy the music to it. The Android will find it when it does its media scan.

Check out
MediaMonkey » Free Media Jukebox, Music Manager, CD Ripper & Converter
Love your music. For Android, Mac & Windows - doubleTwist
JRT Studio's iSyncr Syncs iTunes Libraries To Android Devices. | JRT Studio

The last one is the one I use because it will hook directly into iTunes. I wanted to be able to sync only songs with a check mark instead of only playlists. Doubletwist will supposedly be releasing a new version this summer that will do it, but it's not here yet.

 

[Que]

I never knew there was so much to buying a phone. A few years ago, I went with T-Mobile through a salesperson I met at my insurance agent's office. After I signed on the dotted line, I contacted T-Mobile to get the incentives started. They said I had to contact "X Company" because they were a third-party vendor. That company gave me the run around for three months before I got what they promised. Then T-Mobile didn't provide the incentives for another three months. By that time I got some extras, but it was a huge pain.

This time we were about to buy our phones from Walmart or something, but the salesperson said we would probably have issues, so I didn't even bother and stayed with the brick-n-mortar store and didn't even work with the salespeople over the phone.

The S3s are great and thanks to some INGO members, I have changed my settings and now my battery lasts an entire day and only goes down to about 40%. It's the first phone I can actually hear when there is background noise and it even has a booster, just in case the noise is extremely loud. However, my old phone would adjust the screen when I surfed on INGO, but this new one doesn't. I have to scroll and scroll, just to read posts. I guess that is why a lot of people want the app for INGO.

 

[s-works]

[ QUOTE]I guess that is why a lot of people want the app for INGO.[/QUOTE]

I would just be happy to have an ingo shirt.

 

[IndyBeerman]

I really like the music management on the iPhone a lot better than on Android. iTunes is great for that. There are alternatives for Android, but they're not nearly as easy. As for "format", unless the music is DRM-encumbered, your Android will play whatever music your iPhone will play. Just pick a folder on the phone and copy the music to it. The Android will find it when it does its media scan.
Snip

I don't know what iTunes is like, but I do use Google Music through Google Play, easy enough to upload music to it, I pop my MP3 into the temp upload director and it uploads. I don't know the limit of songs because there is no way I'm uploading the 75 gig of music I have, I just uploaded my favorite 267 songs and comedy bits.

The S3s are great and thanks to some INGO members, I have changed my settings and now my battery lasts an entire day and only goes down to about 40%. It's the first phone I can actually hear when there is background noise and it even has a booster, just in case the noise is extremely loud. However, my old phone would adjust the screen when I surfed on INGO, but this new one doesn't. I have to scroll and scroll, just to read posts. I guess that is why a lot of people want the app for INGO.

Like always, there are +'s and -'s when getting a new phone.

My S3 normally lasts 14+ hours with med usage, usually the only reason I drain the battery and need a recharge during the day is if I'm streaming WIBC or 1070 the Fan when I'm driving in Northern/Southern Indiana and can't get the OTA signal, streaming is a battery drainer.

I was thinking about getting a new phone but after reading I think I'll stay with what I have. My son has the Note II and his battery life sucks big time also. The last thing I want is to always be worrying about my phone going dead. IMO, a device isn't much good if the battery only lasts half a day. I get 2 days out of a charge and I don't have to switch batteries, tweak settings, monitor apps, etc. to do it.

C'mon people, take a breath. Their Frick'n phones!!!!

I like right where I'm at and can just sit back and watch. I find it amusing how people get so worked up and have to constantly try to prove that "my phone is better than your phone" to a point where they resent people and have "handles" for them if they have different opinions and don't go out and buy one just like theirs.

And we wonder why the OC/CC debate is still going strong.

Battery life, the biggest complaint most people have.

Your son having a Note 2 even with the 3100ma battery that it has, with the huge 5.5 inch screen and not paying attention to power hungry apps that are left in the background it can drain a battery very fast even with minimal usage.

Throw rural areas or areas where there the reception is bad and leaving the Wifi on, the phone will beat itself to death searching for a Wifi signal, this also contributes to battery drain.

I learned real quick that by turning of the Wifi when I'm not around my usual sources for it and a little tweaking greatly extended my battery life, and I like the screen brightness on high unless I'm in a dark enviorment.

The only time I poke iPhone users @ work is because of their arrogance, and are oblivious to the fact that there could even be another phone in the universe that could equal or be superior to theirs. That's been my biggest gripe. I've seen iPhone guys @ work actually ignore fellow workers because they have anything other than a iPhone, heck if it's happening in a work place, imagine what's going on in schools.

 

[edporch]

Quote:
Originally Posted by edporch
The S4 having a removable/replacable battery was the main deciding factor in which phone I upgraded to recently.

I will not own a phone that doesn't have a removable/replaceable battery.

-SNIP-

I cleaned my screen too before putting on the Otterbox, and cleaned the inside of the Otterbox screen. Maybe I should take it off and try again. I think it should be better than it is.

I don't have problems with the button getting pushed often, but my husband does on his old Galaxy S. He's been complaining about it a lot. We haven't been able to find an Otterbox for that phone.

When I was talking about pulling the battery, I was refering to those times when the phone freezes and pulling the battery cycles it.

I too was talking about the rare times the battery needs to be removed when the phone "loses it's mind", in addition to being able to replace the battery.

I just should've been clearer.

For example, my Droid X "lost it's mind" about 3 times over the 2 1/2+ years I had it, and removing the battery for a minute or two restored it.

With the newer ones that have a permanent battery, the only choice when this happens is to return the phone and they'll send it on.

PLUS in the case where one has a phone they really like, and the only problem is a battery that no longer holds a charge, it's expensive to have the battery replaced.

For example, I also have a second line with a regular phone (a Motorola V750 mil spec with the extended battery) that I got in Sept of 2008.

It's been a GREAT phone, but the battery finally got to where it wouldn't hold charge last year, so I simply got another one online and it's back to working great!

 

[CindyE]

Do any of you post pics to Facebook with the S4? I'm having issues doing that with the new phone. Any suggestions? Just fails to upload.

 

[IndyBeerman]

Do any of you post pics to Facebook with the S4? I'm having issues doing that with the new phone. Any suggestions? Just fails to upload.

More than likely it's a Facebook app problem, not your S4.

They released a new and different version I think last week and have been hearing problems about it. I have had problems in the past with new updates to FB's app, and for that reason I took FB off of the auto update.

BTW, I was having the same exact problem most of the time when problems creeped up.

Uninstall and reinstall the app to see if that corrects it.

 

[dmarsh8]

In my job, having portable internet access is far more valuable to me than the ability to make calls. Smartphones are a powerful tool in my bag.

Does it seem like it takes forever for your screen to rotate when you turn your phone?

 

[$mooth]

I just got the S3 after my iPhone 5 had an adverse reaction with a hot tub. So far, I'm not a fan. The apps aren't as well integrated. I have to use 3rd party software to easily close apps (holding down the button and swiping them away seems to get rid of em, but they're still running in the background). For my hands, the screen doesn't work well; when i try to reach an icon at the top, my palm hits a button on the bottom. And I don't like how the back button does different things on different apps (sometimes it's back a page, sometimes it exits); same for tapping the top to go to the beginning of anything, only works on a few apps, not most. It's a little slow and the touchscreen isn't as great (seems like it keep selecting a different button than I want when they're close)

For a $10 phone, it's pretty good. But I plan on going back to an iPhone eventually. We had an original galaxy S a few years ago, and this doesn't seem like a big improvement.

 

[sepe]

Does it seem like it takes forever for your screen to rotate when you turn your phone?

The only time it takes a second or 2 to rotate is when I've got a crapload of apps open.

 

[CindyE]

I just got the S3 after my iPhone 5 had an adverse reaction with a hot tub. So far, I'm not a fan. The apps aren't as well integrated. I have to use 3rd party software to easily close apps (holding down the button and swiping them away seems to get rid of em, but they're still running in the background). For my hands, the screen doesn't work well; when i try to reach an icon at the top, my palm hits a button on the bottom. And I don't like how the back button does different things on different apps (sometimes it's back a page, sometimes it exits); same for tapping the top to go to the beginning of anything, only works on a few apps, not most. It's a little slow and the touchscreen isn't as great (seems like it keep selecting a different button than I want when they're close)

For a $10 phone, it's pretty good. But I plan on going back to an iPhone eventually. We had an original galaxy S a few years ago, and this doesn't seem like a big improvement.

My husband has the original Galaxy S also, but I like the S4 much better.

 

[dmarsh8]

Video transfer

anyone know how i can take a video from my s4 and transfer to pc? prob easier than it seems but im having trouble...
thanks

 

[IndyBeerman]

anyone know how i can take a video from my s4 and transfer to pc? prob easier than it seems but im having trouble...
thanks

Ya, same way you do on a S3.

You can use the micro usb charging cable that came with your S4, just pop it off the charging block, insert the USB into your computer usb port and plug the micro usb into your phone.

Wait for the pop up window and look for the video.

 

[dmarsh8]

Didn't have an s3. Thanks for the tip.
Guess I just didn't see the Window.

 

[jetmechG550]

Didn't have an s3. Thanks for the tip.
Guess I just didn't see the Window.

You may have to enable USB debugging or there's another setting you have to turn on that by default isn't on like it was in previous versions of the OS. I think if you are on Jellybean 4.2.2 it is not enabled by default. Unfortunately don't have my laptop with me to hook up and tell you exactly.

 

[jetmechG550]

Or try KIES Air