yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
I'm glad you found the HTC One works better for you, but to me there's more than one downside about that phone. Battery life is below average, phone gets really hot because of the metal chassis, signal isn't as strong as it could be (once again, because of the metal), black levels aren't great (but white levels are wonderful and screen is brighter... personal preference really), camera only 4MP (but superior low light performance and good software) and of course, button placement (wtf were they smoking when they came up with that?). Oh and the repair-ability is horrible, you can forget about replacing anything in that phone unless you're a mechanical engineer. All in all a great phone, but hardly as superior to the S4 as people seem to think.

That said, if Verizon actually came out with the black HTC One like I was waiting for (for 2 months!) then that's the phone I would have. I blame Verizon for that though, not HTC. I actually love the HTC One and I have high hopes that they will continue that design and improve on it next time. HTC Two?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
We must have 2 different experiences lol.

Honestly, the s4 is not a bad phone at all. But my wife put it best. When I first got the HTC and she was playing with it, she says "this phone isn't very user friendly is it?"

That's when it hit me. The galaxy line is really for iPhone users transitioning to android. I owned the s2, s3, and note 2,then the s4. Great phones but I always got bored of them quickly.

I got used to the button placement on the htc quickly and prefer it. battery life want the greatest at first but it is getting better I noticed. Not better then the s4 but id say it's almost about there. I also saw (maybe the placebo effect) better signal strength. And the heat is an issue at times, because of the metal. it's never as hot imo as the s4 got on mdk or me7. But even so, when it warms up I don't mind because you know it's the metal. The cool effect it gets in the am makes up for that.

But again it's all user preference. I've had android since the original droid and I don't feel like using something made primarily aimed at iPhone ex iPhone users. it's a great device with some amazing features too, but I saw myself not using them as much as I use BlinkFeed. (I am a news junkie myself)
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Polymatical:
All I can say is that I went from the orginal Droid Incredible (Rooted, S-Off, Custom rom/bootloader/recovery, etc) and I'm absolutely loving the experience other than the fact that I can't get a custom recovery other than safestrap because the guy at best buy who set my phone up when I bought it ran a software update and that put it on ME7 >.<

Kinda got off topic there but whateves
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] 1454:
Should have took it back and got another.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Dollyllama:
I came from a Galaxy Nexus. I LOVED my Galaxy Nexus. I sold it to a good friend and was happy that it was him who purchased it instead of a stranger because I know he will take care of it...sounds silly, I know...but I take care of my things.

I would still be using the Galaxy Nexus today if it were not for the Verizon "glitch" the last weekend of September that allowed my wife and I to keep unlimited data and get a new phone at subsidized pricing. We narrowed our choices down to the S4 and the G2 (didn't like the HTC, the Moto X or Note 3 as much for our needs). My wife could care less about her phone's software as long as it works for her. I am a computer teacher who is a huge nerd/amateur software developer on the side. We chose the S4...that's what she wanted for a while, and I was cautious about LG getting much dev support.

Now, having owned the device for a month, (running Hyperdrive 10), I am very pleased with the speed, smoothness, BATTERY LIFE and signal strength of the device. Our devices came with ME7 so I'm using safestrap. Tonight I was creating a CL listing for my wife's Galaxy Nexus, and when I was wiping the device, I decided to try putting KitKat on it. I like it...I like it a lot! :) It pains me that I cannot do that with the S4. After following the development here, it seems like that's not on the horizon for ME7 users anytime soon either. I am toying with the idea of selling my S4 and picking up a G2...I really miss being able to flash the latest greatest. I see that the G2 has roms that are on 4.3, (not 4.4 yet).

Due to ME7, am I essentially stuck on 4.2.2 indefinitely? Should I jump ship to the G2?...judging by recent prices, I could probably sell my S4 32GB with otterbox defender for $400ish and pick up a G2 for a few bucks more...

I am also planning on picking up a Nexus 7 2013 around Black Friday or a Nexus 10 2nd edition whenever it comes out...

Obviously then I could have my AOSP fix...I DO love my S4...I just wish it wasn't locked down like a golf cart.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Polymatical:
I didn't realize till about a week later what had happened because when I first came here and lurked around, I personally thought I was still on MDK because I didn't put two and two together </3.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] joshm.1219:
ME7 will be stuck on 4.2 unless Hashcode can get kexec support going or is able to get safestrap on MJ7. Regardless, development will always be limited on this phone so if you're worried about it I would sell and switch.

Sent from the 215
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Dollyllama:
Thanks for the advice. I decided to do just that. I was able to pick up a brand new in box G2 on swappa for $435 and sold my S4 for a net $412 after fees. I really did like the S4 but it came down to a device that MAY be unlocked enough that I could flash aosp roms vs one that already does have the ability. I had to take the opportunity while it was available. I'll still be following progress here as my wife is keeping her S4 because she is more than happy with safestrap and Hyperdrive.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] joshm.1219:
Nice. After you spend some time with the G2, please chime in with your feelings about it in comparison to the S4. I was having a hard time deciding between the two, but the fact that I could get an MDK S4 (the firmware you can run a custom recovery on) pushed me backed towards Samsung, since I'm used the removable battery & expandable storage. The G2 looks like an awesome device though and I can only imagine what Dev's are doing with their multiwindow software.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] IamIronMan:
I jumped ship. I convinced Verizon to replace my S4 with an HTC One.

I have worked with Samsung before in my career, and they are narrow minded, and don't care for for the needs of customers outside of Asia, which is sad. That should have been enough to keep me from getting Samsung, but apparently not. I will not make the same mistake twice.

Good luck to all of you. If you have 5+ years with Verizon, you could call in and talk to a manager to do the same as they did for me. Make sure you talk to a Manager, the reps will not work with you.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] 1454:
Sorry for whatever happened, but this is my second Samsung device, and before these two I was all HTC. I've been burnt more times from that company than I care to remember. I would never buy/use another HTC device again after the rezound.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] IamIronMan:
All of my HTC devices I had were solid. The only reason I sent any of mine in (through insurance) was to get a device that no longer looked worn.

My main reason for sticking with HTC is how they help those who want to unlock their devices, instead of restrict them more.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] fillyo:
I picked up my S4 off craigslist 2 weeks ago, came from an S3. I am on MI1 and rooted and have just debloated a bit. I have not installed safestrap and am definitely frustrated about the bootloader situation. I am also debating trying to trade for a G2. I miss being able to flash at will. However, S4 is a big upgrade from S3, and I am getting a full day's use no issues, battery life is better than S3. I really like the SD card option, mine is almost full. I could deal more with cloud storage for pics, but not sure of LG battery life. I am hopeful that they will be able to exploit 4.4. Maybe I will wait for Kit Kat, and if its locked down, I'm moving on.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
Uh from what I know they blocked that on their website after the first day of release, did they somehow reverse the decision? The unlocked bootloader on the HTC One comes from an exploit from what I was reading, it isn't by the good grace of HTC...
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] IamIronMan:
I feel like a tool. You are right. I see the HTC one isn't on the unlock list. I had the rezound and the incredible before which were unlockable.

It seems I will have to donate a portion of my next paycheck to the person who unlocked it. Thanks for calling me out on my bad info.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
Ironically I figured a massively popular device like the S4 would get the bootloader unlocked (for newer versions) far sooner than the much more obscure HTC One but here we are. I still love my S4 but I came very close to buying the HTC One and now I'm sort of green with envy...

I really dislike Verizon (and others) for forcing these companies to lock down their phones when otherwise they may have offered an easy way to unlock, without having to resort to spending tons of cash on "developers editions".
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Mistertac:
Hey guys I've been reading up a little and just want to make sure... The LG g2's bootloader can be unlocked? I'm thinking of getting rid of my s4 which I do really love but I miss you flashing. I'm stuck on rooted 4,3 which isn't terrible but s

Where's the fun in that???? :confused:
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] joshm.1219:
Thanks for your perspective, awesome write up and you answered the questions that matter to us rommer's which the journalists don't address.

I personally have an MDK phone and rarely worry about battery because of the zerolemon, something that isnt possible with the G2. I'll make the jump if the G2 has more development, because I'm a crackflasher. Unfortunately all we really have here is a few TW roms and the various CM/PA ripoffs

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
This is a really good comparison between the 2, thanks for taking the time to write it up. I really wish they didn't neuter the US version of the phone, seeing as the Korean version has a removable battery and expandable storage, but hey what are you gonna do. Quick note about the display though, and I don't mean to get all snobby, but the G2's display is actually LESS accurate than S4's, and apparently LG way over-saturates the display in order to get that AMOLED feel to their panel. Go watch this video for more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DChnGXLErrI. I just feel like people misuse the word "accurate" these days. It's a stunning display though, I'll give ya that.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] s44:
Loki, like the MDK S4.

G2 is a nice option, but why not get the dev edition S4 or a secondhand MDK?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] joshm.1219:
I might make the move if development gets bigger over there, our phone will always be really limited on support.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] law65:
2 phones now.....?

Ugh... I got a predicament.... A while back my phone was stolen... and well a few weeks later I found it at school in a classroom (not one of my classes weirdly enough...) Sounds great right? The only problem is I reported it stolen to Verizon. They made me pay 100 bucks and they shipped me a new one. Is the old one still usable? Will they call me out on insurance fraud if I do? Cause if so... well I hate to say it... but that little baby is going out to the shooting range next trip. :( Any info would be helpful...
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
If you report it stolen they blacklist the IMEI so if you try to activate it on the network again, it will fail. I'm not sure if they will track you down if you try it, but I can assure you it won't work on their network anymore. It's basically trash now.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] law65:
To the shooting range!!!!!

Thanks a ton!!!!!:D
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] nicholi2789:
Is anyone here contemplating jumping to the HTC One Max? I've been running an MDK S4 for four months now (s3 before that) and was thinking about the HTC One but no expandable storage was a deal breaker. I love Sammy devices but this bootloader situation is very frustrating. I really love the look and build quality of the one but don't like the smaller screen and no storage. So enter the One Max.

It is a little under-spec'ed for its size but that's okay. My understanding is that is has the same chipset and internals (minus the fingerprint scanner) so maybe there will be development like the One..? I'm really thinking hard on this device as it should be out in the new few weeks.

Has anyone else had any thoughts on jumping ship to it?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
Not at all. The One Max is actually an oversized HTC One Mini, and isn't near the premium quality that the regular HTC One is. I strongly suggest you go on youtube and look up pocketnow's review on the One Max to see where it fails (they also did a great comparison video versus the Note 3). If you want a giant phone that can actually do a lot of stuff, you need the Note 2/3. The ONLY reason to go to a One Max would be if you watch a lot of videos and absolutely 100% need the awesome speakers on it and consider the screen on the regular One too small. Other than that though, it's bleh.

edit: Oh and the Note 3 has a bootloader unlock I think. Food for thought.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] nicholi2789:
That's not correct. I had a note 3 that I rooted and tried Safestrap on and sent it back. It uses a boot strapped recovery called Safestrap, there is no unlock just like the ME7 S4s. You can only run stock modded roms via Safestrap rom slots. The note 3 is a wicked device and would be my first choice if it had an unlock. I can't run stock though, I need my kernels and Roms. I don't like the idea of running a secondary /system on top of the stock rom.

And no, the One max runs a Snapdragon 600, same as the One and two gbs of ram also the same. It has the same chipset as I said.

I don't know where you got that about it being the same as the One mini but it's wrong.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
I get what you're coming from but with all the features the Note software brings I don't think I'd want to use AOSP and lose the functionality. I would still want the option though for sure. Anyway, when I said it was more like the One Mini I was more referring to the design language and premium feel, not the specs. Like I said, check out pocketnow's video for a better explanation.

Why not go with a G2? Bigger screen than the S4, MUCH better camera than the One (and One Max), wireless charging, great battery life, and it has a bootloader unlock I believe. Verizon made it kinda ugly imo, but it's still a beast. No expandable storage though, so that might kill it for you.

Also, why count out the Note 2? It's still a monster and has a ton of development already.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] nicholi2789:
You make a fair point. Samsung does have some cool functionality built into their TouchWiz rims, but to me Truthfully, most of it is just bloatware that I don't use. I do really like Samsung' s video player and S note apps, that's about it for TW features for me. I just feel like it's time for a change of manufacturers w/all this Samsung bootloader stuff happening, and something about the One/One Max devices really appeal to me. Though I do wish they had better cameras.

On another note, the G2 hasn't really appealed to me at all. I've never been a fan of LG stuff and the design on its funky. Plus the fact that it has no expandable memory. Having a removable battery doesn't really matter to me as I always use stock. But no SD card is a deal breaker. Gotta have my 64 gb Sandisk for all my music and backups. Though it does have quote alot of development for it going right now.

The Moto X is really the only other device besides the Note 3 and One Max that I've considered. But again it has major shortcomings for me.

I'm just gonna wait a bit and see what happens with the Max and if there is development for it or not. Otherwise I'll wait for the S5 or some of the other flagship devices of 2014. And thanks for the link to the video review, I'm going to watch that.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
Yeah I think waiting might be your best option. I don't really like Touchwiz either, but for some reason on Note devices I really don't mind it, I guess because of all the functionality. On my S4, I would love nothing more than to go stock Android, but I'm on ME7 so right now that's just a pipe dream. I have been toying with the idea of selling my S4 and getting an HTC One lately for the simple fact that it has a bootloader exploit... I would just really miss my camera and battery life I get from this thing. I would LOVE the speakers on the One, however. The only thing really holding me back is the fact that I think the silver model is ugly compared to the super sleek black model.

Well, good luck in your search and if you decide anything be sure to update us.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] JeeperDon:
I didn't know anything about the G2 when I got my new S4 only 5 days ago. I am a Samsung fan in general (TVs/Blurays/PCmonitors/etc). I cranked though a few sights last night assessing whether I should get a refund on the S4 (Costco) and get a G2. I decided ...

My lifestyle likes the removable/swapable battery. I found out my old smaller Nexus battery will power the S4 if I add a couple plastic spacers to hold it in place (today's project). My old Nexus batteries and charger can then continue on in service (saving $50 for a spare S4 batt/charger).

I like having an SD slot and I just got a 32Gig SD. My S4 now has more storage than a G2, and room to grow even more if needed.

I've done enough ROMing over the past two years with my Galaxy Nexus that my head hurts. I'm happy to let that addiction go.

I actually like the look of TW over the more utility look of the AOSP stuff you get with ROMs. I'm also a NOVA prime purchaser, used that for past two years, so I can go back to that anytime I want and be visually in AOSP mode.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] v3rn:
I just posted my MDK S4 on eBay. Ending up grabbing a Moto X and am really liking it. Hopefully whoever is looking for an S4 that they can use a custom ROM on it finds my phone. Loved the S4, was just a bit too big for me. The Moto X is the perfect size.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] joshm.1219:
That's the other phone I'm looking at. I feel like it's a step down in specs but it just feels so damn nice.

Sent from the 215
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Mistertac:
I've been looking at MDK S4s on Swappa... That's an option for sure. Maybe if the price came down on dev edition that too. I'm not real sure yet I do love the S4 though. Wish there was a way around this bootloader!!
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Mistertac:
Question.... Which would be better to get if you had to choose...

S4 GPE / S4 dev Edition?

Is there a real benefit to getting one over the other?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] s44:
GPE doesn't work on Verizon. It's AT&T/T-Mobile only.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Mistertac:
Well I guess that answers that lol I missed that part.

In my defense im just a '' stupid truck driver ''

:confused:
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
GPE's are nice, but they are NOT Nexus devices so you aren't guaranteed updates on day 1 like a true Nexus device. I guess it's an easy way to get AOSP without having to work around bootloaders and whatnot but you lose the ability to use some of the more useful Touchwiz stuff (like the camera app, multi-window, etc). As already explained though they don't even work on Verizon, but I find them kind of pointless in general anyway. It'd be cheaper just to buy an MDK S4 and flash AOSP honestly.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Mistertac:
Well.. Once I'm done throwing money at my truck for repairs I'll probably pick up an MDK if I can find one
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] joshm.1219:
Go on Swappa there's always something.

Sent from the 215
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] speedingcheetah:
May have already been mentioned....

Best Buy is offering the S4 FREE for new or upgrades contracts now through black friday.

Don't think I will upgrade...seems the newest firmware is much more a pain to deal with as far as root and custom recovery goes...

I like the power and control i have with my S3.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] lennie paz:
I have an S4 sitting in my cart on BB.com, but before I pulled the trigger, I came here to see if I should go from my S3 to the S4. I basically just like custom Roms, and having Google Wallet. Will the S4 fit my needs, or should I stay with my 3? All opinions welcome.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Bradh024:
Well Im in the same boat you guys are in. I've got a note 2, and the development pretty much took a ****, so I'm pondering upgrading to the s4. What's going on with the bootloader thing? Unlockable? Is it like moto to where you have to put a boot strap on it? I'm not sure if I want to upgrade if I can't do anything with it.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] JeeperDon:
S4 is pretty locked down. Not pretty for ROMing. You have to just like the phone to be happy with it. I came from a SG Nexus and ROMed all the time. I'm happy not having that ROM crap in my head all the time now, can get on with my life. :D
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] speedingcheetah:
Having the ability to Root is essential to me. I can not use a non rooted android phone. I want 1. Ad Blocking. 2. DSP Manger .zip(flashed in recovery) 3. Remove/Freeze crap I don't want. Additionally, more toggles than stock and the ability to tether(though I rarely use it..if ever, but I want the ability to have it if I need it)

I am kinda partial to the HTC one...but loose the m sd card slot and removable battery...but far as I have looked into it...the HTC One...more open to rooting and roms....(I could be wrong)
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] JeeperDon:
You can root the S4, at least you can in all the firmware iterations so far. You just can't swap the bootloader to get recovery. I installed and use Root Explorer, Titanium, and Ad Blocker too.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] speedingcheetah:
from what i was reading....only if u have MDK, ME7, or MI1 firmwares first can u root....most phones come with MJ7 now...if so...no joy.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Bradh024:
I went head and pulled the trigger on the free phone from best buy, took a little bit of thought with not having it rooted, but whatever. I'm sure the root and unlocked bootloader will come eventually. Coming from the note 2, I figure I'll sell it while it still has some value. Beyond the lack of romming with the new update, whats everybody's opinion of it??
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] JeeperDon:
Look up vroot for MJ7 phones. The XDA admins are afraid of it, won't let you provide links in a post, but many have used with no problems. I am legacy rooted on MJ7 from MI1, but I would not hesitate to use vroot if I was on a fresh MJ7.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] speedingcheetah:
I still need recovery to flash .zips and to do backups and such....

and....stores around me are sold out anyway..and backordered online..