[UPDATED with final decision] Buy Galaxy S4 or stick with Nexus 4 and buy iPhone 5?

[jtc276]

You might end waiting longer and being more conflicted. It is rumored that the i5s is due out in July.

At the end of the day, if you keep waiting for the next big thing, you will never be happy. Get the device that meets your needs by testing them yourself. I personally have an issue with any device maker that has such tight controls over their ecosystem that they don't pay attention to the needs of the user and dictate the needs for the consumer as if they know better.

All of the high end smartphones are well made and designed. You are not going to find one device that has the best premium design with even better performance, speed and features. I prefer performance, speed and features over design. I also like the option to tweak my device and have the flexibility to add storage or a fresh battery.

Samsung has chosen to appeal more to those that value performance over style. It is a given that design is a good clear weakness but not a fatal one. Slap a Defender case on the GS4 and now we are down to substance over style. They fit a larger, higher definition display with an improved penile matrix, though I would have preferred an HD LCD display, into the same dimensions as the GS3. The device is thinner than the GS3 but has a larger battery to power the improved display and internals. The thinness even with a large Defender case will be even more pocketable.

Their focus on the user experience is what made me transition to Android instead of Apple from BlackBerry. The additions and improvements to the Nature UX skin will only help to improve the experience for existing users but also help the new user. Since the device has not yet been released, it is pointless to bemoan all of its shortcomings of which there are a few as hopefully some will addressed in the successor of the GS4.

None of us has the magic answer and you are right to continue your research and test drove all the devices in person.


Sent From My Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Tablet

I'm pretty much over wanting an iPhone. It's more or less between the S4 and the One now. There are things that each have that I want, which is really the hardest part. I'm starting to lean more towards the S4 again, but the One is certainly a nice looking phone and the speaker implementation is great. I wish Samsung would have done that with the S4.

It's probably just going to come down to which device provides the best audio quality and loudness. I'm just going to stick a pair of headphones into both devices and buy the one that sounds better. They're both great devices, so I think either will satisfy my needs otherwise. But music is the biggest one this time around because it's been something I've just settled with on past Andoid devices.

 

[Raptor007]

Based on the latest news AT&T is getting the HTC One 64GB as an exclusive so no other carriers will get it. Verizon might get something to replace the Droid DNA and maybe it will be the same internals but with 32/64GB of storage, but this is Verizon so I don't see 64GB happening.

As for the GS4 with 64GB no carrier in the US will likely carry it and I doubt AT&T will since they have the exclusive HTC One 64GB, it could have been a trade off for them and a way to lock in the higher storage demanding customers, it certainly has me thinking about it except I hate HTC's unreliable updates and broken promises and sealed battery crap (like the iPhone).

I guess I have to wait and see what comes out.

 

[QuinnSF]

How about the blackberry z10? Either kudos to u for being able to afford all these phones!

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Android Central Forums

 

[sproctor61]

Update:


[*]I would sort of be be betraying Android, an operating system that I truly love
[*]I'd have to find a way to wifi-tether (but this might be a problem on a carrier version of the S4, also)
[/LIST]

Hmm I have a iPhone 5 now but thinking of getting the Galaxy S4. I am on AT&T and teather alot with my iPhone. You can't teather with the S4????

 

[Suda]

Hmm I have a iPhone 5 now but thinking of getting the Galaxy S4. I am on AT&T and teather alot with my iPhone. You can't teather with the S4????

I'm sure you can, no phone I can think of from recent memory doesn't have the ability to tether. It'll be no different with the S4.

 

[Kerafyrm]

This thread is seriously lacking in numbers.

The S4 with the S600 (the one I'll be getting since I live in the states) will not have as good audio quality as the iPhone 5 (internal or external)

In other words, the new Qualcomm DAC in the HTC One and Galaxy S4 produce cleaner audio output than the iPhone 5 (which introduces a slight amount of distortion/noise and stereo crosstalk with headphones plugged in) at the expense of signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range. The Galaxy S4, as noted by the GSMArena review, has "average" volume levels, but the HTC One is much better in this regard.

If you're looking for pure audio quality and 64 GB internal storage space, I'd go with the HTC One (the dual front stereo speakers are a nice touch too). If you need more than that, then you don't have a choice but to go with a 32 GB/64 GB Samsung Galaxy S4 with a 64 GB microSD.

If I end up loving it and want to buy the next model, I can sell it on eBay at an 85% resale value (great thing about Apple products)

Resale value is highly dependent on popularity (which is dependent on whether the phone is available on all carriers). I can't make any statements on the HTC One, because it will be the first HTC phone available on 3-4 U.S. Carriers at once (much like the Galaxy S3 was). However, for resale value we can check swappa:

iPhone 5, 16 GB
Retail value on AT&T: $649.99
Minimum price on Swappa after 6 months: $520
Percent resale value retained: 80%

Samsung Galaxy S3, 16 GB
Retail value on AT&T: $549.99
Minimum price on Swappa after 6 months: $415 (had to check InternetArchive for this one)
Percent resale value retained: 75%

Google Nexus 4, 16 GB
Retail value on Google Play: $350
Minimum price on Swappa after 5 months: $329?
Percent resale value retained: 94%?

Also note that having a 64 GB phone - iPhone or HTC One or Galaxy S - does NOT mean the resale value will have another $100-200 on it. When people trade in their 64 GB phones (I know, not resale), they get offered an extra $10-15 (rather than $100-$200) for the extra 48 GB of space.

Meanwhile, a 16 GB phone with a 64 GB microSD means you can just pop the microSD out after you're ready to sell.

 

[jtc276]

This thread is seriously lacking in numbers.



http://i.imgur.com/eKIamMV.png

http://i.imgur.com/pWbyRJ7.png

In other words, the new Qualcomm DAC in the HTC One and Galaxy S4 produce cleaner audio output than the iPhone 5 (which introduces a slight amount of distortion/noise and stereo crosstalk with headphones plugged in) at the expense of signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range. The Galaxy S4, as noted by the GSMArena review, has "average" volume levels, but the HTC One is much better in this regard.

If you're looking for pure audio quality and 64 GB internal storage space, I'd go with the HTC One (the dual front stereo speakers are a nice touch too). If you need more than that, then you don't have a choice but to go with a 32 GB/64 GB Samsung Galaxy S4 with a 64 GB microSD.



Resale value is highly dependent on popularity (which is dependent on whether the phone is available on all carriers). I can't make any statements on the HTC One, because it will be the first HTC phone available on 3-4 U.S. Carriers at once (much like the Galaxy S3 was). However, for resale value we can check swappa:

iPhone 5, 16 GB
Retail value on AT&T: $649.99
Minimum price on Swappa after 6 months: $520
Percent resale value retained: 80%

Samsung Galaxy S3, 16 GB
Retail value on AT&T: $549.99
Minimum price on Swappa after 6 months: $415 (had to check InternetArchive for this one)
Percent resale value retained: 75%

Google Nexus 4, 16 GB
Retail value on Google Play: $350
Minimum price on Swappa after 5 months: $329?
Percent resale value retained: 94%?

Also note that having a 64 GB phone - iPhone or HTC One or Galaxy S - does NOT mean the resale value will have another $100-200 on it. When people trade in their 64 GB phones (I know, not resale), they get offered an extra $10-15 (rather than $100-$200) for the extra 48 GB of space.

Meanwhile, a 16 GB phone with a 64 GB microSD means you can just pop the microSD out after you're ready to sell.

Would you put a bet on the Qualcomm S4 receiving a mod that will increase the volume? Because that's really my only concern at this point. BoomSound really isn't a huge deal to me and I'm not at all impressed with how the HTC One seems to be holding up in terms of durability with those who have it. Plus, I just really don't think I'll be over to get over the One's ridiculous button layout.