Engadget Review

[Crispy]

I just returned from the AT& store where I tried the One X and Sense 4.0 for the 1st time.

- AT&T said none of their stores are selling the phone because of the Apple lawsuit :-\ There were a number of customers there who wanted it

- The multitasking issue is there and its annoying. It works better with well behaved apps (e.g. gmail will reload but its good about saving state so the impact is not bad). Free memory after killing everything in task manager was <200MB

- the screen is absolutely fantastic!

- Sense 4.0 still seems to have some lag. I compared it to my phone (Evo 4g with MIUI). On the One X I started 2 downloads (on AT&T 4G), and then simple things like hitting home or app drawer would sometimes lag. Expected better

- Its a very desirable phone, so sleek, good looking and light. It made my Evo feel like a brick

Conclusion - custom rom's make a world of difference and will almost be a necessity to unlock the full potential of this phone.

 

[Skunkape60]

Yes, it does. It means Samsung is purposely and willfully ignoring googles intent for android, for no other reason than to be different. It creates fragmentation, and open conflict between Samsung and the rest of android.

Lol... Tell me that you even know what Google's intent for android is.The fact that it's open source shows us that fragmentation means nothing to them.

Besides, stock android would not survive without phone manufacturers and carriers putting there own twists on it. Stock android is the most boring UI there is. Android would never have become as popular as it is now if asop was all that was available. The fact there is so many different variances is why it's doing so well.

_______________
Just Flash It !!!

 

[JHBThree]

Lol... Tell me that you even know what Google's intent for android is.The fact that it's open source shows us that fragmentation means nothing to them.

Besides, stock android would not survive without phone manufacturers and carriers putting there own twists on it. Stock android is the most boring UI there is. Android would never have become as popular as it is now if asop was all that was available. The fact there is so many different variances is why it's doing so well.

_______________
Just Flash It !!!

Uhm. We know what googles intent is, because they've 1) Told us, in the form of the android style guide and numerous 'helper' documents for developers and 2) because they've shown us with Nexus devices. Google wants the physical menu button dead. Samsung apparently doesn't care.

 

[LazrRocketArm]

Uhm. We know what googles intent is, because they've 1) Told us, in the form of the android style guide and numerous 'helper' documents for developers and 2) because they've shown us with Nexus devices. Google wants the physical menu button dead. Samsung apparently doesn't care.

The millions of people buying the SGS3 don't seem to care either.
Probably will be gone in the states, so I do not care. Really do not care about the button in the middle, whether its physical, capacitive, or on screen.
Same function, so what's the difference.

Sent from my Samsung SGH-i727 on ATT LTE

 

[Skunkape60]

Uhm. We know what googles intent is, because they've 1) Told us, in the form of the android style guide and numerous 'helper' documents for developers and 2) because they've shown us with Nexus devices. Google wants the physical menu button dead. Samsung apparently doesn't care.

I for one, will leave android if I am forced to use on screen buttons. This is the reason it's opened source. So everything can be modded.

_______________
Just Flash It !!!

 

[hounddogdaddy]

Being broken would mean that it doesn't function as intended. HTC intends for it to function exactly the way it does. So, no, it's not broken. It's also not a Nexus. It doesn't have to run exactly the way Google says. That's the beauty of open source. Anybody that doesn't like the way it runs can return it and get something else. I could argue that changing the framework will alter the way Android functions, and by your definition, would then be considered broken.

And from your previous post...

Samsung has taken the suggested way of doing things and thrown them out the window. This is a fact. Android shouldn't have a menu button or removable storage. Period. This is clearly a step in the wrong direction for the Android platform as a whole. Yes, people want these things, but Samsung should've went ahead and planned for the future.

Really?!?! So it's apparently ok for HTC to make arbitrary changes to core Android functionality, but not Samsung? This is such a blatant double standard that it makes me question almost all of your thoughts on the GS3. It seems as if you have an agenda to push, either trashing Samsung or just pumping the tires of HTC. It's especially disappointing because your comments on the quad vs dual core debate were fantastic and really helped me understand the difference and the reasons that the dual core S4 chip is not simply inferior to quad cores for the 2 vs 4 reasons.

Sent from my HTC EVO3D, oh God I need a new phone!

 

[Mark_C]

Interesting conversation, there is certainly some love for Sense 4 but I still don't quite understand the arguments..
Samsung are being bashed for leaving a physical button because "its not how google intended"
But HTC are getting praise for totally changing multitasking - surely thats not how google intended though ? but it seems ok for HTC to do this ?

Also:

Show me where Sense modifies less of ICS than TouchWiz.

Looks are totally subjective, but e.g Sense persists in using rounded corners, gradients and button chrome when Holo is supposed to be square, monochromatic and flat. Compare the 2 dilalers and tell me which one looks more like stock.

I kind of agree with ecrispy's post. We still haven't seen minimal modification from Sense.

Still we see Sense getting praise for being "closely aligned with ICS", yet it doesn't look the same, doesn't function in the same way and is heavily modified in almost all areas.
TW uses stock screens in some places and as we saw from screenshots on the previous page is very similar to ICS in places.

Maybe I'm being a bit dim, but I still don't understand how Sense is closer to ICS. Would love for Phil to chime in here

 

[Crispy]

I also feel some of the posts here are not entirely objective. I've used a One X and I can tell you Sense feels nothing like stock ICS. I could care less about following some arbitrary standards if the user experience is poor.

So instead of opinions, here are some facts -

1. One X is fundamentally broken (no one cares what HTC calls it, that's just PR spin) and is reason enough for anyone not to get the phone. It would be better if reviews on all sites let users know this.
   
2. The menu bar that appears in most apps today is a usability nightmare. Maybe in a year when all apps have been updated it will make sense. On a phone with no onscreen buttons, the correct decision is to have a menu key, and that is fully within Google UI guidelines, which explicitly state that if apps don't have a menu button, it will be shown next the the other buttons.
   
3. If you want to fix these issues with custom roms, once again HTC phones are not dev friendly like Samsung's.

 

[weberm13]

I love the galaxy s line, had an Epic 4G and two different Galaxy S IIs (one at&t and one tmobile). But the GSIII doesn't look all that great to me. While the specs definitely impress, the white version looks almost identical to the phone I have, only thinner and bigger.

Plus the pentile screen might make me steer clear of this Galaxy S. I'm gonna try the One X if it ever comes to Tmobile USA.

 

[mykrlz182]

"If you want to fix these issues with custom roms, once again HTC phones are not dev friendly like Samsung's."

Wow this quote said it all, you guys are worse than the Apple guys. Denial, is all I gotta say...... You start out by saying that your going to stick with "facts", there was not one single word of fact in that paragraph. :banghead:

From my long awaited and totally worth it EVO LTE!

 

[blitz118]

I love the galaxy s line, had an Epic 4G and two different Galaxy S IIs (one at&t and one tmobile). But the GSIII doesn't look all that great to me. While the specs definitely impress, the white version looks almost identical to the phone I have, only thinner and bigger.

Plus the pentile screen might make me steer clear of this Galaxy S. I'm gonna try the One X if it ever comes to Tmobile USA.

The specs, and the features sold the phone for me and reviews I've read said the screen looks very good. The phone looks good to me, and I will be picking up two of them.

 

[Dreamliner330]

I wonder if the GS3 will have the same terrible signal strength as every other Samsung Android phone.

I don't know what's worse, the fact that the phones have data/voice connection issues or the fact that people accept it.

Never again Samsung, never again.

 

[neiljay6]

hmmm...my s2 doesn't have signal strength issues nor does my htc inpire..

 

[Dreamliner330]

hmmm...my s2 doesn't have signal strength issues

Riiiiight.

 

[neiljay6]

wow.. this guy is trying to tell me how my phone operates

 

[Dreamliner330]

wow.. this guy is trying to tell me how my phone operates

Perception my friend. If you think a certain behavior, or lack thereof, is normal, then you have no reason to believe that behavior abnormal.

Step into the light.

 

[neiljay6]

Ha! Normally i might take offence to you implying that i just don't know any better, buuut its not worth it. at the end of the day we both are entitled to our own opinions i guess.

 

[LazrRocketArm]

Perception my friend. If you think a certain behavior, or lack thereof, is normal, then you have no reason to believe that behavior abnormal.

Step into the light.

Might give your argument some credit if you didn't TOTALLY ignore his reference to his HTC phone.
So, inferring he doesn't know any better, also directly suggests the HTC phone has issues as well.

So we know you are just trying to be argumentative.

Sent from my Samsung SGH-i727 on ATT LTE

 

[Crispy]

"If you want to fix these issues with custom roms, once again HTC phones are not dev friendly like Samsung's."

Wow this quote said it all, you guys are worse than the Apple guys. Denial, is all I gotta say...... You start out by saying that your going to stick with "facts", there was not one single word of fact in that paragraph. :banghead:

From my long awaited and totally worth it EVO LTE!

Care to tell me what was wrong in my statement instead of insulting? Do you know the differences in the root process between Samsung / HTC?

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Really?!?! So it's apparently ok for HTC to make arbitrary changes to core Android functionality, but not Samsung? This is such a blatant double standard that it makes me question almost all of your thoughts on the GS3. It seems as if you have an agenda to push, either trashing Samsung or just pumping the tires of HTC. It's especially disappointing because your comments on the quad vs dual core debate were fantastic and really helped me understand the difference and the reasons that the dual core S4 chip is not simply inferior to quad cores for the 2 vs 4 reasons.

Sent from my HTC EVO3D, oh God I need a new phone!

It's okay for both companies to do whatever they want. That's why open source is awesome.

Samsung has a terrible track record with updates, though, so the more they change the longer they will take. That and the fact that a lot of the "features" don't work as well as I hoped (most of them really do look cool).

I also feel some of the posts here are not entirely objective. I've used a One X and I can tell you Sense feels nothing like stock ICS. I could care less about following some arbitrary standards if the user experience is poor.

So instead of opinions, here are some facts -

1. One X is fundamentally broken (no one cares what HTC calls it, that's just PR spin) and is reason enough for anyone not to get the phone. It would be better if reviews on all sites let users know this.
   
2. The menu bar that appears in most apps today is a usability nightmare. Maybe in a year when all apps have been updated it will make sense. On a phone with no onscreen buttons, the correct decision is to have a menu key, and that is fully within Google UI guidelines, which explicitly state that if apps don't have a menu button, it will be shown next the the other buttons.
   
3. If you want to fix these issues with custom roms, once again HTC phones are not dev friendly like Samsung's.

Multi tasking isn't broken. HTC changed it. So don't say it's okay for samsung to change things and not HTC, even if you personally disagree with what they changed.

The menu bar is the fault of apps not being updated. I don't want my phone to make up for the deficiency of the app dev. The app dev should update their app to work with hardware that's based on current Google guidelines. What's harder to update, an app or the phone?

The One X is seemingly more future proof because of this. What happens to that menu button when all apps are updated? Will samsung have to push an update to change its core functionality? I haven't seen anyone really touch on that.


I'm personally disappointed in the SGSIII and I think samsung could've done more on the software side. They had more time with the code, but all they really did was add some maybe useful for some features.

Touchwiz vs sense will be personal preference as far as appearance, and although I like dark themes better, new touchwiz looks too much like old touchwiz IMO.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums