Upgrading to a new Smartphone

[Ekorad]

Hello everyone,

I'm considering on buying a new Smartphone, upgrading from a Nokia N95...

At the moment, I really am struggling on deciding what should I buy. The two contestants are the famous Samsung Galaxy S3 (I9305) and the LG Nexus 4. Right now, the Nexus is in the lead, but I don't want to rush. I not too familiar with Android OS, only with this stupid iOS on iPad, and it would be nice if you people could be more explanative.

Before I actually start, I'd like to apologize for any grammar mistakes I have made/will make, English is not my native language :-\

This is what I want from a Smartphone:
? CAMERA!!!
? High FPS while playing games
? As less lag as possible (while in the menu, starting the apps etc.)
? Decent memory (16 GB will do)

Based on what I know untill now, I'd like to ask you people a couple of questions:
1. The Galaxy S3 runs ICS, and is upgreadable to JB 4.1.1. I heard that ICS is a bit laggy. Will the upgrade to JB eliminate it? Will I still be able to use Flash Player?
2. I noticed there is a difference between the pixel density (318 - Nexus 4 and 306 - Galaxy S3) and the screen resolution (1280x768 - Nexus 4 and 1280x720 - Galaxy S3) Is this difference noticeable/big?
3. Nexus 4 has LTE, but it's disabled. Is it as efficient as the I9305's LTE if enabled?
4. I have heard that the Galaxy S3 gets slower and slower after a certain amount of time. Is that true?
5. CAMERA!!! I saw people complaining about the Nexus 4's camera. Is it true? As far as I know, they share the same specifications except for the front camera.
6. Is the Nexus 4 MUCH faster than the S3, or is it a small difference???
7. I also heard people complaining about TouchWiz. Why so?
8. I HATE the Nexus 4's virtual buttons, because they take up some screen space. Is there any way to make them disappear while playing games?
9. Is the Nexus 4's glass on the back so fragile as people say?

That's about it. If you people know any other good smartphones (that don't cost more than the Galaxy S3) please write them down

Cheers

 

[Paul627g]

Hello

Without getting real deep into this since you have obviously been doing the research its going to come down to much of your own personal preference.

The Nexus line is Pure Google, meaning your going to be the first in line to run the latest released OS & updates available by Google. Currently the officially supported NEWEST Android version available is JB 4.2.2. for the Nexus 4. It runs nice, I have it running on my older Sprint Galaxy Nexus. The S3 on the other hand is waiting in line like any other branded device for its updates to be approved by Samsung & carriers before its pushed out to the consumer. Yes we can safely assume the S3 will eventually get on JB 4.2.x like the Nexus line and be running smooth. My wife has the S3 and she has no issues with it, it does everything she expects of it and more.

So with that again now your coming down to what's your gut telling you? Things like does you carrier provide both phones? Specs are very much in aline with each other, camera's on both phones are on the high end for quality, both devices have more than capable processors and handle daily tasks and beyond without problems. Both are supported well by the developers for apps, accessories and more.

Plus with the recent information on the S4 we were told by Samsung they were going to update the S3 with whatever possible ' software ' related enhancements from the S4 in the near future thus giving the S3 even more reason for consideration giving it support by Samsung moving in to the future. Touchwiz, I've used it going all the way back to Android 2.1 (Eclair) and its come a LONG way like all other OEM skins/UI's. With everything that is added now in OEM UI's like TW/Sense/Blur, etc its hard to NOT give them a look because so much has changed in the last year and the customization and options available are mind boggling to say the least at times.

Keep doing your research and good luck with your choice, either way you will have a winner.

 

[sting7k]

Hello everyone,

I'm considering on buying a new Smartphone, upgrading from a Nokia N95...

At the moment, I really am struggling on deciding what should I buy. The two contestants are the famous Samsung Galaxy S3 (I9305) and the LG Nexus 4. Right now, the Nexus is in the lead, but I don't want to rush. I not too familiar with Android OS, only with this stupid iOS on iPad, and it would be nice if you people could be more explanative.

Before I actually start, I'd like to apologize for any grammar mistakes I have made/will make, English is not my native language :-\

This is what I want from a Smartphone:
? CAMERA!!!
? High FPS while playing games
? As less lag as possible (while in the menu, starting the apps etc.)
? Decent memory (16 GB will do)

Based on what I know untill now, I'd like to ask you people a couple of questions:
1. The Galaxy S3 runs ICS, and is upgreadable to JB 4.1.1. I heard that ICS is a bit laggy. Will the upgrade to JB eliminate it? Will I still be able to use Flash Player?
2. I noticed there is a difference between the pixel density (318 - Nexus 4 and 306 - Galaxy S3) and the screen resolution (1280x768 - Nexus 4 and 1280x720 - Galaxy S3) Is this difference noticeable/big?
3. Nexus 4 has LTE, but it's disabled. Is it as efficient as the I9305's LTE if enabled?
4. I have heard that the Galaxy S3 gets slower and slower after a certain amount of time. Is that true?
5. CAMERA!!! I saw people complaining about the Nexus 4's camera. Is it true? As far as I know, they share the same specifications except for the front camera.
6. Is the Nexus 4 MUCH faster than the S3, or is it a small difference???
7. I also heard people complaining about TouchWiz. Why so?
8. I HATE the Nexus 4's virtual buttons, because they take up some screen space. Is there any way to make them disappear while playing games?
9. Is the Nexus 4's glass on the back so fragile as people say?

That's about it. If you people know any other good smartphones (that don't cost more than the Galaxy S3) please write them down

Cheers

The Galaxy S3 is a year old. The Galaxy S4 comes out in 2 weeks. Check out either the HTC One, Galaxy S4, or Nexus 4. Those are the newest greatest Android devices out there.

On the Nexus 4, the virtual buttons are only there when you need them. On games, videos, and lots of apps they go away.

 

[Ekorad]

Thank you very much for the replies, will do some more research.

I can only dream of HTC One or Galaxy S4 because at the moment the highest sum I can pay is the same as the Galaxy S3's price.

 

[FuzzyB]

You will likely love either one. I have an S3 with JB 4.1 and there is no lag or slowing down what so ever. With ICS it seemed that way but not with JB. The only complaint I have about the S3, and it really isn't a big deal, is the battery life. While it is good considering what the S3 brings to the table I get frustrated with the lack of battery technology to keep these powerful beasts from draining as fast as they do...the S3's screen is awesome. Good luck with your choice.

 

[sting7k]

Thank you very much for the replies, will do some more research.

I can only dream of HTC One or Galaxy S4 because at the moment the highest sum I can pay is the same as the Galaxy S3's price.

Totally understandable. Still check out the Nexus 4 though. You can probably get it for a good price and it's a solid phone all around. Don't fear the virtual buttons.

 

[Ekorad]

Ok, thank you very much... Will check

 

[Nuno Coelho]

I'm a Nexus 4 owner and I'm trully in love... However you put the camera in a important factor. Nexus camera is quite good, but GS3 ir GS4 h?s better cameras.
About th e Nexus performance... I can say onde thing... Perfect. No lags, excellent FPS and great screen.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Ekorad]

Thank you very much for your replies people. I will buy the phone this week on Saturday, so I will have some more time to decide what to buy

I have also checked that HTC X920E, and it looks quite interesting.

 

[Vicken]

If camera is your top priority, between the two choices I'd say get the Galaxy S3

 

[return_0]

If camera is your top priority, between the two choices I'd say get the Galaxy S3

Really? Never used the GS3 but from what I've read the N4's camera is as good.

Plus, the N4 has a newer version of Android, stock Android, a better processor, possibly more RAM (depending on where you live), and so much more.

 

[return_0]

Hello everyone,

I'm considering on buying a new Smartphone, upgrading from a Nokia N95...

At the moment, I really am struggling on deciding what should I buy. The two contestants are the famous Samsung Galaxy S3 (I9305) and the LG Nexus 4. Right now, the Nexus is in the lead, but I don't want to rush. I not too familiar with Android OS, only with this stupid iOS on iPad, and it would be nice if you people could be more explanative.

Before I actually start, I'd like to apologize for any grammar mistakes I have made/will make, English is not my native language :-\

This is what I want from a Smartphone:
? CAMERA!!!
? High FPS while playing games
? As less lag as possible (while in the menu, starting the apps etc.)
? Decent memory (16 GB will do)

Based on what I know untill now, I'd like to ask you people a couple of questions:
1. The Galaxy S3 runs ICS, and is upgreadable to JB 4.1.1. I heard that ICS is a bit laggy. Will the upgrade to JB eliminate it? Will I still be able to use Flash Player?

Jelly Bean will get rid of almost all, if not all, lag. You will only be able to use Flash Player if you sideload it.

2. I noticed there is a difference between the pixel density (318 - Nexus 4 and 306 - Galaxy S3) and the screen resolution (1280x768 - Nexus 4 and 1280x720 - Galaxy S3) Is this difference noticeable/big?

Not really. Something to note, however, is that the Galaxy S3 uses an AMOLED screen, while the Nexus 4 uses an IPS screen. AMOLED screens are known to have truer blacks, however, they also have a bluish-green tint. IPS screens have more natural colors.

3. Nexus 4 has LTE, but it's disabled. Is it as efficient as the I9305's LTE if enabled?

I'm not sure, but I personally don't have a need for LTE as HSPA+ is plenty fast.

4. I have heard that the Galaxy S3 gets slower and slower after a certain amount of time. Is that true?
5. CAMERA!!! I saw people complaining about the Nexus 4's camera. Is it true? As far as I know, they share the same specifications except for the front camera.

I don't own a GS3, so I can't speak from personal experience, but from what I've read, the cameras are about on par with each other.

6. Is the Nexus 4 MUCH faster than the S3, or is it a small difference???

Again, I don't own the GS3, but the N4 should be slightly faster. Not sure how noticeable the difference will be.

7. I also heard people complaining about TouchWiz. Why so?

TouchWiz adds bloatware to the phone, making it a bit slower and contributing to slower updates on the phone. It also adds cosmetic changes which, in the opinions of the majority of people (including me), make the software look much uglier than with the N4's stock Android. Look at some screenshots to compare for yourself.

8. I HATE the Nexus 4's virtual buttons, because they take up some screen space. Is there any way to make them disappear while playing games?

They disappear when not needed, like during some games and all videos. You can hide them completely with some ROMs like ParanoidAndroid, and make them show up only when swiping from the bottom or side of the phone. Also, remember that while the N4's on-screen buttons take up screen space, the GS3's physical buttons add bezel, making the phone physically larger.

9. Is the Nexus 4's glass on the back so fragile as people say?

From my experience, not really. I've dropped my N4 several times onto hard floors with no case, bumper, or screen protector, and my phone still looks good as new.

That's about it. If you people know any other good smartphones (that don't cost more than the Galaxy S3) please write them down

Cheers

I'd like to add that the Nexus 4 has the advantage of stock Android (as mentioned before), the latest version of Android guaranteed (for example, the GS3 has 4.1 while the N4 has 4.2, and when 5.0 comes out in a month, the N4 will immediately get it while the GS3 will lag behind, possibly not even getting the update), better development support, and better specs overall.

Good luck with your choice! Both are great phones and I'm sure you'll love either one.