Time for a new phone

[Grant Lamontagne]

Oh yeah, and the HTC One Max and Samsung Note III are expected to come out in the next few months and they might be worth waiting for if you like a big screen.  Both are rumored to be around the 6 inch mark, which was something that interested me greatly since I often have to try to read .pdf's and spreadsheets in direct sunlight and I figured a larger screen would help.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I also found this interesting video comparison of Siri and Google Now:



The results were pretty close, so if the idea of having a digital assistant like Siri was of interest to you, well Google seems to have closed that gap.  I've had Google Now on my Nexus 7 for some time and never used it.  Now I'm starting to fiddle with it a bit more and I like it.  I haven't used Siri, so I have nothing to compare G Now to, but it does seem to work well.

Def

[Cupboard]

The massive problem with such things is that they require decent internet connections. Realistically, for my day to day life both are pretty useless for me sadly. Does anyone actually use and get a lot of benefit from either Siri or Google Now?



Decent weather forecasts would be really useful to me but I haven't found an app yet that pre-caches lots of information. The Met Office app is great if you have internet, but when I get to work that's a case of wave your phone around at arm's length hoping for the best. When I'm in the office I can get far more detailed forecasting from a paid for service we use.

I am impressed at how well Android makes use of what little reception there is to snag emails and how it manages to not completely kill the battery in the process. Even with checking IMAP regularly (sadly yes, it's IMAP) I can comfortably get three days out of my phone with plenty of calls and texts.

[derekmac]

Also weighing up S3/4 for my next phone... can't think of a good reason why not at this point!

Because you're cool and the S3/4 isn't.

The next couple of weeks should see the new iPhone. If you want Android, the HTC One is nice.

+1
If you compare the two head to head using various benchmark programs, they are very close to each other.  In terms of build quality, the S4 doesn't even come close to the One IMHO.  My wife has the S4, and I have the HTC One, and the One feels like a flagship phone, and the S4 a middle grade one. 

You can't really beat the feeling of a zero gap, CNC machined aluminum body for feel, compared to a creaky cheap plastic body.  The negatives on that for the One are that you can't replace the battery, and there's no micro sd slot for added storage.  Right now, I've used 26 of the available 32gigs, but I also have over 3000 pictures and videos on there as well.

For the different flavors of Android, I've always like HTC's Sense.  I didn't really get along with Samsung's offering, but I know if I were to use it more, I'd end up liking it.  For both, you can use a different launcher like Nova Launcher and make your phone just how you want it to be.

The biggest disappointment for me in regards to the One is the camera.  Though it's fast, and does do fairly well in low light, it's just not overall as good as the S4.  I get them trying the whole "Ultrapixel" thing, but I think they could have done better.  As any photographer knows it's not all about megapixels, but I think they could have done better than 4, seeing how the S4 has a 13.

Where the camera lacks, Boom Sound (whoever thought that name up should be kicked in the head) shines.  I have never head a phone that has such clear and deep sound.  Try playing a game like Asphalt on the One, then play it on the S4 and you'll see what I mean.

If I were choosing a phone right now I'd probably take the S4 simply because I like to keep them as long as possible (it's always inconvenient to me to have to change phones, laptops etc) and the S4 is currently the most advanced and "futureproof" phone there is at the moment.  Still, if it somehow improves on the S3 then I think it would be amazing as the S3 is pretty darned good, even though it's "last year's" phone. 

Def

I have to say I don't completely agree with that, but I also don't disagree either (does that make sense?  ).  The S4 has far better aftermarket support right now, and you can get "Tough/Waterproof" cases for it.  Right now the only way to waterproof the One is to put it in a waterproof bag.  I'm not sure if Lifeproof or Otterbox are planning on releasing their waterproof cases for the One or not, so if you (Like Grant) need to have you phone be able to stand up the the elements, than the S3/S4 would be a better choice for you right now.

Now with me loving my One as much as I do, I find myself looking to sell or trade it for an iPhone 5    Why do I want to trade what even I think is a superior phone for the iPhone?  When I bought the HTC One, it was going to be my main internet device in the basement watching TV, so I wanted the bigger screen.  When I happened to stumble on a 10.1" Android tablet at Future Shop for $99 (was marked down to $299 but someone lost the charger so it was dropped to $99) I grabbed it faster than warp 9.  So now that I have the tablet to use downstairs, I find myself not really needing to carry a bigger phone.  Another plus with the iPhone would be the insane aftermarket support for it.

The massive problem with such things is that they require decent internet connections. Realistically, for my day to day life both are pretty useless for me sadly. Does anyone actually use and get a lot of benefit from either Siri or Google Now?

My brother inlaw uses Siri a ton, and I've just started to use Google Now.  If I need to navigate somewhere, it is faster to just say "Navigate to ..." than to go into Maps, and type in where you want to go.

[Pacu]

Ordered a white S4 last night to replace my HTC Incredible 2. Still trolling reviews for a good case for it. Otter defender seems like a winner.

Every work environment im in I am immersed in undisclosed high speed wifi.   
Save on my data plan.

[comis]

I have a friend whose work is in quality control for cell phone parts in China, and he did tell me the current 'smart' phone we have seen, HTC does have the best parts inside them.  However, he also did comment that HTC probably didn't play the marketing game as well as Samsung/Apple, so probably end of year/next year we should see some newer/better phone from HTC.

In retrospect, my first smart phone is the HTC/google phone, it does run super smooth and I do remember there is less annoying software/malware from the phone manufacturer.

[Syph007]

I actually liked the HTC a lot.  If it had a replaceable battery I would have got that one.   I'm loving my s3 though!

[Grant Lamontagne]

I carried an HTC Touch for several years and I liked it a lot.  It was a great little phone and it lasted longer than any other phone I've had, except maybe my old Motorola Star Tac.  Of course, I did have to replace my Touch once, but that was because Daisy decided it looked like a fun chew toy, and they just don't make phones to stand up to a very large puppy.

I like HTC phones and the One was indeed one of the finalists for me when I thought I might decide to choose my own phone.  The S3 was chosen for me by the insurance company, and I'm pretty happy with it so far, although I will be a lot happier when the Armor Case arrives and I feel like I can actually use it.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

The Armor Case arrived for my phone today and it is quite a bit bulkier, but not much more than my old Atrix was in it's Defender series case.  I really don't mind the bulk if it protects the phone, and tonight will be it's trial by fire since I'm heading off to work this evening and most of the night, then back to work tomorrow morning and we are experiencing a heavy weather event- that means rain, and lots of it.

I have noticed that the screen seems less responsive and that some of the buttons need to be pressed that much harder to be effective though.  While I have teeny girly hands the access to the buttons on the front does seem a bit restrictive, and I figure anyone with larger manlier hands might have real issues hitting the back and menu soft keys.

About the only other concern I have is the metal hinges on the side that hold the whole thing together- I wonder if those are going to be a problem in the winter with wet gloves, or possibly with rusting.

Still, if it protects the phone the way they claim it will, it'll be worthwhile.

Def

[comis]

 

You are probably busy for the next day or two, but it'd be nice to see the case in action.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'll see what I can do. My phone is my primary camera at work which makes it difficult to take photos of my phone!

My big question for it is whether or not it floats, and I'll do my best to figure that out this weekend as it gives me a perfect excuse to go kayaking. 

So far so good though. The case is a bit bulky and awkward but it also feels very secure, like there's little to no chance that anything is going to harm your phone, which I like.  Rather than have it tucked away in a waterproof box when I go paddling I'll be able to keep it handy for the kind of photos I usually miss because it takes too long to dig the phone out.

Plus I'll also be able to use it to control my GoPro and Contour cameras remotely, something I was hesitant to do before since the cameras were protected but the phone was always the weak point, but also the most crucial since I rely on it for work.

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

[Pacu]

was checking at work last night and I don't see an armor case for the s4....hmmm
 

they go up to defender from commuter but that's it...kinda interested in this armor otter box.

[Grant Lamontagne]

It seems the Armor series was limited to the iPhone 4, 5 and S3.  I wonder if the Armor serious was just an experiment?  Those were the three original models it was made for and I don't think any new ones came out after that.

Def

Sent from a digital multitool