Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPIC?

[mcp6530]

Got my EPIC last August when it came out, now I'm due for an upgrade this August since I'm a top customer or whatever. Anyway, the EPIC was riddled with issues, from battery life, to the slow release of software updates (see eclair/froyo) - hell, we're still on Froyo while the other phones are on Gingerbread! So, why would we want another Samsung device when the first one was less than good in the first place?!?!

Just asking as I try to figure out my next phone. Maybe the Nexus S, which I think is made by samsung anyway. I don't like the HTC EVO's , they are too big.

 

[JayWill]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

Got my EPIC last August when it came out, now I'm due for an upgrade this August since I'm a top customer or whatever. Anyway, the EPIC was riddled with issues, from battery life, to the slow release of software updates (see eclair/froyo) - hell, we're still on Froyo while the other phones are on Gingerbread! So, why would we want another Samsung device when the first one was less than good in the first place?!?!

Just asking as I try to figure out my next phone. Maybe the Nexus S, which I think is made by samsung anyway. I don't like the HTC EVO's , they are too big.

Samsung and Sprint do tend to be towards the bottom of the "update" list, but it could be as much the fault of Sprint as it is Samsung. Hard to tell since both are involved with updates, and neither can push out an update without the other. In the end, the carriers control updates, and that could be a large part of the problem.

I think people are excited about this phone because of its reported performance. It's a beast, and it could be argued that it's a bit ahead of its time. But we'll have to see what they do to the Sprint version, if anything. We've already seen from the leaked photo (assuming its the GS2) that they changed the camera bezel and it looks like the form factor may be a bit different too. But the biggy is if they changed any of the insides. Anything less than the stock specs could changes people's minds.

Still, this is a top of line all touch phone that is sleek, light, and comes with a screen that most people are going to consider beautiful (qHD vs. Super Amoled+ arguments aside). Not to mention it's at the top of most if not all performance benchmarks at the moment. I'd bet most are willing to overlook past history on updates to get their hands on a device like that.

 

[Mike77]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

Samsung and Sprint do tend to be towards the bottom of the "update" list, but it could be as much the fault of Sprint as it is Samsung. Hard to tell since both are involved with updates, and neither can push out an update without the other. In the end, the carriers control updates, and that could be a large part of the problem.

I think people are excited about this phone because of its reported performance. It's a beast, and it could be argued that it's a bit ahead of its time. But we'll have to see what they do to the Sprint version, if anything. We've already seen from the leaked photo (assuming its the GS2) that they changed the camera bezel and it looks like the form factor may be a bit different too. But the biggy is if they changed any of the insides. Anything less than the stock specs could changes people's minds.

Still, this is a top of line all touch phone that is sleek, light, and comes with a screen that most people are going to consider beautiful (qHD vs. Super Amoled+ arguments aside). Not to mention it's at the top of most if not all performance benchmarks at the moment. I'd bet most are willing to overlook past history on updates to get their hands on a device like that.

All of Sprints HTC phones had Froyo before Epic. Even multiple carriers/manufacturers mid range phones had it before the Epic.

 

[mcp6530]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

OK - that's all fine and good that the HTC managed to get updates first, but still, as stated in my initial post, I think they are too big and clunky and the screen on my friends EVO looks like crap compared to my Epic. I just think the Epic was and is very buggy and not so impressive at all on updates. So, don't know what the excitement is about to get the Epic part 2!

 

[lafountain]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

I am an Epic owner and I am still looking forward to the Within as I expect it to be my next device. As for the issues with Samsung / Sprint regarding updates, I think it is a shared fault. Samsung obviously isn't horrible at all updates as the non-US versions have all gotten updated fairly quickly. Though it is hard to put all the blame on Sprint as all of the US Variants were slow to get updated, even though T-Mobile said they had the Samsung update months before it was actually released. Will this phone have all the same upgrade issues as the current Epic, it is a possibility, but even if it is running Gingerbread and everything else is on Ice Cream Sandwhich, it is still a good device. Just like the Epic is a good device still on Froyo while others are now on Gingerbread. Having the latest and greatest does not always mean what you have is useless if the OS is still a bit older.

 

[thekarens]

The Evos aren't any bigger than the Epic. I have both and the Epic is bigger...well, fatter. The same will apply to the SGS2. it's as big as the Evo, but it's thinner.

Personally, I think the Evo screen is better than Epic because the Epic looks pixelated to me. I think that problem has been solved with the SGS2 though with the super amoled plus display.

I don think you can put the update problem on the carriers since it was all the US carriers that had a problem, but I'm not worried since this phone has a large developer community and I'll get my updates there.

 

[lafountain]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

I don think you can put the update problem on the carriers since it was all the US carriers that had a problem, but I'm not worried since this phone has a large developer community and I'll get my updates there.

Part of it was the carriers. T-Mobile said this when they were about to update the Vibrant.

It was purely technical, Brodman said—it wasn't about marketing, payments or sales. Samsung sent its base 2.2 upgrade to T-Mobile in late November, and with the holiday season, it's taken until now for T-Mobile to work out the kinks and integrate its own features.

Samsung Vibrant Froyo Upgrade Coming Jan. 21 | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

Not all of it can be put on Samsung or the Carriers, like I said, it is a shared blame.

 

[RBrown9180]

The Evos aren't any bigger than the Epic. I have both and the Epic is bigger...well, fatter. The same will apply to the SGS2. it's as big as the Evo, but it's thinner.

Personally, I think the Evo screen is better than Epic because the Epic looks pixelated to me. I think that problem has been solved with the SGS2 though with the super amoled plus display.

I don think you can put the update problem on the carriers since it was all the US carriers that had a problem, but I'm not worried since this phone has a large developer community and I'll get my updates there.

You must have been comparing the best evo screen ever made to the worst epic ever because screen comparison with those two phones is night and day... in favor of the epic

 

[youngzayiles]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

Im sorry but I think the update issues are Samsung...Look at Sprints track record with the htc updates.. They come quick... Phil even made a post about how all carriers and manufacturers to do as they have done..

 

[Mike77]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

I will be very reluctant to go Samsung again, but there is no denying that their screens are amazing. Was going to return Epic for an Evo but the screen was the deciding factor. Cameras are great too.

 

[Q-fugee]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

Sprint's calling this the "Within," correct? Reasons to be exited:

1) Samsung processor. The same family as in the iPhone. No more Qualcomm CPU. It's fast but not dual core.
2) Faster GPU than Epic. It was running around 60fps in Neocore compared to 55fps for the Epic.
3) More internal RAM and ROM than Epic, plus it still has an SD card slot. The Nexus S has no SD slot and they've been having all sorts of problems with the 16GB internal storage getting corrupted.
4) 8MP camera.
5) Giant 4.5 inch 480x800 screen.
6) Really slim. Bigger HxW than an Epic but slimmer than either the iPhone 4 or Nexus S.
7) Is 2.3 reason to be excited? I'm not sure since what it ships with is probably the only update we'll ever see. This is 100% Sammy's fault, not Sprint. Updates come from the vendor and are only tested by the carrier.

Am I missing anything? This is the leading candidate to replace my Epic when my contract runs out in October, unless I decide to go global and try out the Motorola Photon.

The Photon has GSM and a dual core in its favor. I've also always thought Moto had the best actual phone (remember the phone part of smartphone?) quality. In terms of call quality, I've found Moto and Blackberry to have great call quality, and Samsung a distant fourth to Sanyo. HTC phones have always been unintelligible to me, going back to the old rhino-horned PPC6700 I once toiled with. I think the EVO sounds the same. Unfortunately, aside from excellent voice quality, my old Moto Q (see my user name) was an utter and complete piece of turd.


--Qfg

 

[Citizen Coyote]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

I'm torn on this issue. My fiance has the Epic, and I'm not a fan of it. I agree the screen looks better than my Evo's, but her battery life is worse, her GPS goes wonky sometimes, and don't get us started on the Froyo update debacle (she was in New York at the time and it totally screwed up her phone for a day).

That said, every review of the GS2 I've read has called it an amazing phone, far superior to the original Galaxy series. I'm willing to give Samsung the benefit of the doubt that they've learned some things during the interim, and I'll certainly check out the Within or whatever it's called. If worse comes to worse, you can always root the sucker to get your updates in a timely manner (and without TouchWiz or whatever Sammy calls their skin).

 

[heymista]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

I've had an Epic since September. The update issue was absolutely pathetic on Samsung's part. They let bugs go uncorrected while HTC continuously pushes updates to correct their problems. You can't explain why HTC and others efficiently push Android updates through Sprint, but Samsung does not. It's not Sprint. My daughters have the new EVO 3ds and they have already received 2 updates.

I like the Epic. I don't love it, but is a solid device with several bugs. I favor the slightly smaller Epic over the new larger devices. I need to be able to shove it in my jeans pocket, and I can just barely do this with the Epic. I don't like using GPS on any phone manufacturer, but the Epic is pathetic an not even worth attempting to use GPS. In general it's not a bad phone, and I may even keep it longer to see what else comes down the pipe. I absolutely will NOT buy the Within or any Samsung until I see a change in the way they update software and correct bugs. I'm not just talking about Froyo, but problems that they let go for 6 months and still ongoing.

If the Photon does not blow my mind, then I may keep the Epic until leaks of the Sprint lineup begin to appear for 2012. The Photon seems like it is going to be a much larger device with the same thickness as if had a keyboard. I needed an international device over the past few months, but now I can wait a while if necessary. I really think the manufacturers are just beginning to utilize new battery saving technologies such as the new intel mobile chips which will allow much faster processing more efficiently. I think the improvements between 2011 and 2012 will be greater than 2010 and 2011.

 

[VDub2174]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

Just asking as I try to figure out my next phone. Maybe the Nexus S, which I think is made by samsung anyway. I don't like the HTC EVO's , they are too big.

The EVO's 4.3" screen really isn't much bigger than the Epic's 4" screen.

 

[justinsaneeeee]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

I loved my Epic, I got the HTC Evo the day it came out and was very excited about it but after 6 months with it I got bored so I got the Epic loved it ever since then butttt...the number one thing I hated about the Epic is the GPS it is HORRIBLE.. the first thing I will be trying out is the GPS for the SGS2. I also tried out the HTC Evo 3D I liked it alot too but I feel as if they will put out a better phone like they did with the Evo and Epic ... the Epic was better and came out later. So I will wait....(now rocking the HTC Arrive ...witch btw is not the greatest)

 

[cacherpaderp]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

Sprint's calling this the "Within," correct? Reasons to be exited:

1) Samsung processor. The same family as in the iPhone. No more Qualcomm CPU. It's fast but not dual core.
2) Faster GPU than Epic. It was running around 60fps in Neocore compared to 55fps for the Epic.
3) More internal RAM and ROM than Epic, plus it still has an SD card slot. The Nexus S has no SD slot and they've been having all sorts of problems with the 16GB internal storage getting corrupted.
4) 8MP camera.
5) Giant 4.5 inch 480x800 screen.
6) Really slim. Bigger HxW than an Epic but slimmer than either the iPhone 4 or Nexus S.
7) Is 2.3 reason to be excited? I'm not sure since what it ships with is probably the only update we'll ever see. This is 100% Sammy's fault, not Sprint. Updates come from the vendor and are only tested by the carrier.

Am I missing anything? This is the leading candidate to replace my Epic when my contract runs out in October, unless I decide to go global and try out the Motorola Photon.

The Photon has GSM and a dual core in its favor. I've also always thought Moto had the best actual phone (remember the phone part of smartphone?) quality. In terms of call quality, I've found Moto and Blackberry to have great call quality, and Samsung a distant fourth to Sanyo. HTC phones have always been unintelligible to me, going back to the old rhino-horned PPC6700 I once toiled with. I think the EVO sounds the same. Unfortunately, aside from excellent voice quality, my old Moto Q (see my user name) was an utter and complete piece of turd.


--Qfg

Well the Exynos processor IS a dual core processor and it's a significant improvement over the Apple iPhone 4's A4 processor. The only similarities that they have is that they are manufactured by Samsung and not Qualcomm. They are not technically in the same family. The Exynos is a Cortex A9 and the Apple A4 processor is a ARM Cortex A8 single core.

It also will have a 4.3" screen and not a 4.5"

IF the Sprint release of this phone is similar to the global version of the SGS2 then getting updates shouldn't be a problem (If you decide to root and get unofficial releases ;-) ).

 

[milominderbinde]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

Differences:
Compared to the Samsung Glaxy S II, the Epic is:
• Speed: Half as fast in the benchmarks
• Display: Not SAMOLED+
• Size: Not a full 4.3" display
• RAM: Half the RAM
• Thickness: Twice as fthick
• Weight: 33% heavier
• Battery: 1/3 the talk time
• Rear Camera: 40% lower def, not 1080p HD
• Front Camera: 85% lower def
See: Samsung Glaxy S II vs Epic Comparison
Also: Galaxy S II benchmarked, makes other phones cry in shame

Plus the Samsung Galaxy S II adds key features missing in the Epic:
• USB OTG for Flash Drive
• Bluetooth for external Keyboard and Bluetooth Mouse
• Near Field Communication
See: Galaxy S II USB OTG Flash Drive + Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse + NFC

 

[ZDriver]

differences:
Compared to the samsung glaxy s ii, the epic is:
? speed: Half as fast in the benchmarks
? display: Not samoled+
? size: Not a full 4.3" display




? ram: Half the ram
? thickness: Twice as fat
? weight: 33% heavier
? battery: 1/3 the talk time
? rear camera: 40% lower def, not 1080p hd
? front camera: 85% lower def
see: samsung glaxy s ii vs epic comparison
also: galaxy s ii benchmarked, makes other phones cry in shame

plus the samsung galaxy s ii adds key features missing in the epic:
? usb otg for flash drive
? bluetooth for external keyboard and bluetooth mouse
? near field communication
see: galaxy s ii usb otg flash drive + bluetooth keyboard/mouse + nfc

similarities:
? the samsung galaxy s ii and the epic both have 3.5mm headphone jacks.

i love this reply!!!

 

[mcp6530]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

I think the dealbreaker for me is the crappy battery life of the current Epic - it's really brutal for me and I have to keep data off to get through the day, which seems pointless to me.

Also, bigger is not better for me - I don't want a 4.3'' screen unless it doesn't get any better than the Epic. The epic is as big as i wanna go, the EVO feels like a clunky monster in my hands that i can't negotiate with just one hand. i can do anything on the epic with one hand and i like it that way. these phones are getting too big in my opinion so anything about the size of the epic will be my next choice.

probably the nexus since the update seems to be pleasing people.

 

[EggoEspada]

Re: Why is everyone excited about this phone? Do you have an EPI

Sprint's calling this the "Within," correct? Reasons to be exited:

1) Samsung processor. The same family as in the iPhone. No more Qualcomm CPU. It's fast but not dual core.
2) Faster GPU than Epic. It was running around 60fps in Neocore compared to 55fps for the Epic.
3) More internal RAM and ROM than Epic, plus it still has an SD card slot. The Nexus S has no SD slot and they've been having all sorts of problems with the 16GB internal storage getting corrupted.
4) 8MP camera.
5) Giant 4.5 inch 480x800 screen.
6) Really slim. Bigger HxW than an Epic but slimmer than either the iPhone 4 or Nexus S.
7) Is 2.3 reason to be excited? I'm not sure since what it ships with is probably the only update we'll ever see. This is 100% Sammy's fault, not Sprint. Updates come from the vendor and are only tested by the carrier.

Am I missing anything? This is the leading candidate to replace my Epic when my contract runs out in October, unless I decide to go global and try out the Motorola Photon.

The Photon has GSM and a dual core in its favor. I've also always thought Moto had the best actual phone (remember the phone part of smartphone?) quality. In terms of call quality, I've found Moto and Blackberry to have great call quality, and Samsung a distant fourth to Sanyo. HTC phones have always been unintelligible to me, going back to the old rhino-horned PPC6700 I once toiled with. I think the EVO sounds the same. Unfortunately, aside from excellent voice quality, my old Moto Q (see my user name) was an utter and complete piece of turd.


--Qfg

The updates aren't all Samsung fault, Samsung has the updates up and ready every time. Its the carriers that hold back the process. They have to test it and have it reach their 'standards' and thrown in all their bloat. Why do you think unlocked phones get updates faster than carrier locked phones? Because the carriers slow the process down.

Also, I'd like to point out its most likely a 4.3" phone, and it does have a dual core processor.