If Sprint released the Evo3D and SGS2 and Photon on the same day which would you pick?

[you2]

Not disagreeing with your comments but the problem here is that the display used in the evo3d is completely different than the one in the driod-x2. That's not to say it will be worse or better or about the same but for now it is a bit of an unknown.

I hope it is NOT the same display in the sensation. I also hope it does not become a lottery (remember evo display with multiple vendors).

So I went and spent a couple hours in-store with a qHD-LCD (Droid X2) and a Super AMOLED Plus (Droid Charge). I discovered I much preferred the brightness and resolution on the qHD-LCD. Also (on a personal level) I felt the sA+ was over saturated & looked unnatural.

 

[ArmageddonX]

Not disagreeing with your comments but the problem here is that the display used in the evo3d is completely different than the one in the driod-x2. That's not to say it will be worse or better or about the same but for now it is a bit of an unknown.

I hope it is NOT the same display in the sensation. I also hope it does not become a lottery (remember evo display with multiple vendors).

Ohh, no. I appreciate your cander. I most certainly understand they are different.

I was just using it as an example of a good qHD-LCD display when I went to compare them. I did specify later in my post that the Droid X2 has a PenTile Display while the Evo3D should has a RGB-Stripe. It should be an improvement.

Why don't you like the Sensation display?

 

[novox77]

SAMOLED --> SAMOLED+ is a big improvement in my book because Sammy eliminated the PenTile matrix and went with the traditional RGB square matrix.

It allows me to tolerate some of the other problems I had with SAMOLED: cool color temp and overall lack of brightness.

As I've said before, I'm not married to either type of panel technology (OLED vs LCD); actually I have high hopes for OLED. Now that PenTile is gone, I really want to see if my opinion of SAMOLED+ is better.

I'm also a fan of high pixel density. WVGA on a 4.3" screen was pretty good, but if the video processing is up to snuff, I definitely welcome higher densities. Would love to see SAMOLED+ @ qHD resolution.

 

[you2]

I believe that samsung has stated that s3 will ahve SAMOLED+ @ qHD and timeline is 12 to 18 months.

I'm also a fan of high pixel density. WVGA on a 4.3" screen was pretty good, but if the video processing is up to snuff, I definitely welcome higher densities. Would love to see SAMOLED+ @ qHD resolution.

 

[ArmageddonX]

I agree with you, Novox. I've said before that if they could get a qHD Super AMOLED Plus I'd gladly jump on the bandwagon if they could make the color saturation a little more true-to-life. Also, a great improvement for me on a personal level was if we could get them on non-Samsung phones. They are truly beautiful screens. I'm just not personally ready to go WGVA resolution when I have higher PPI options. It's a personal thing I suppose...

I think OLED is the future, I'm just not ready to sign up for it yet. The only problem I have is when people talk as if "If it's not OLED then it's worthless and obsolete"... It's simply not true. Not yet at least. qHD-LCD still have marked advantages over sA+ that some people are not ready to give up. However Super AMOLED Plus was a great move in the right direction and definitely has marked advantages over qHD-LCD in it's own right.

Nexus 3? SGS3? Will probably have qHD-Super-Duper AMOLED Plus or something.

I'm waiting also for the technology to go mainstream. Right now it's a Samsung exclusive of course. Maybe with their new OLED plant we might see a HTC or another brand with the next-generation of OLED technology as well. I know, the rumor is, Apple is interested in future OLED and 3D technology also.

 

[you2]

Comment was based off of videos; later this week or next weekend I'll stop by a T-mobile store and play with one. Quite possible that the images on video distorted the user experience. I guess I should not make such statements quite so definitely until I see it in person.

I was always mixed about the Evo but after I learned about the lottery and radical difference in lcd displays I have no clue which one I was viewing when I formed the opinion. It also might explain different folks opinions as not every one was receiving the same "evo" hardware

Why don't you like the Sensation display?

 

[ArmageddonX]

I was always mixed about the Evo but after I learned about the lottery and radical difference in lcd displays I have no clue which one I was viewing when I formed the opinion. It also might explain different folks opinions as not every one was receiving the same "evo" hardware

Ohh, man... this is something I surely hope does not happen with the Evo3D.

 

[EarlyMon]

Ohh, man... this is something I surely hope does not happen with the Evo3D.

I wouldn't worry on this one.

The Evo was going into pre-production about the time that Samsung withdrew their AMOLED supply that HTC was using. Models like the Incredible had to change displays in mid-production, there was a lot of chaos.

So, the first Evos hit with a panel made by Novatech and shortly thereafter - for whatever reason, no one really knows despite speculations - the Epson display came along. A little after that, the S-LCDs came along and that's been the steady supply. Remember that to worsen matters, all that was happening while Sprint/HTC (another thing we never really knew) was trying to cope with Evo demand.

Things have been pretty stable in the supply chain for some time - and I doubt they're going anywhere for a competing 3D display anytime soon.

My opinions.

 

[hakujin]

****** Not much of a feature -- the dock costs more than a netbook that gives you more functionality.

******* This is a good feature and essential for frequent travelers. I, however, don't need it.

Of course, the S2 is thinner and lighter, has a nicer screen, has multiple container and codec support, 1080p video capture, and a more powerful chipset.

To add to your points, that lapdock is ridiculously overpriced, and isn't a feature in the last when you look at cost. I'll take my vnc for remote screen control, and or various android http servers any day of the week (for other 'pc' controls) over it for similar features at NO additional cost.

Reiteration on 'global radio' aspect is only meaningful if local carriers abroad can be used, which means phone necessitates SIM/IMEI unlock predicated on... bootloader unlock or root? Pardon my ignorance on this as I've only ever used Android on CDMA carrier. I hope I am ill informed, as I would actually consider the Photon (if w/o Tegra 2) for this feature.

If I'm correct, then 2G global radio is a somewhat worthless feature to any non-corporate customers w/ sensibility toward savings. What is the going rate abroad... $2/min? Pffftt... no way any sane, savvy traveler would go for it, unless uber rich or corp. customer.

Curious also, do you (or anyone) know if Photon will support UMTS 2100?

Two contraditioncs:
3600-4700 kpbs is signficantly less than 10mbps.
The resolution of the 7inch galaxy tab is significantly less than the xoom.
You never said which galaxy tab you have but if it is 7 inch wifi version it is significantly slower than tegra 2.
-

As an aside, where are 10mbps h.264 vids at? I've never seen any x.264 w/ such a high bitrate, but then I'm only interested in 720p so perhaps there exists some uber large 1080p rips out there. In the case of Tegra 2, it becomes a lame duck and can playback neither in high profile. This means handbrake will be thy friend. Might as well be any codec support at that point. Transcoding is simply bothersome and a total buzz kill for instant gratification.

I have a tegra 2 device (do you?). It can play 1080p @ 2mb/s fine. Btw I think you missed part of comment on the wifi version of the 7 inch display. It lacks the faster GPU of the g3 version.
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Anyways this is my last post on the topic. I fully acknowledge that tegra 2 devices have issues with high bit rates at 1080p and the instruction set is non optimal for certain encodings. I also will state that MY tegra2 device can play 1080p streams fine; BUT since I like to keep the streams below 4GB (and often 2GB) I've only encoded a few test streams; as the bit rate used for those relatively small file sizes will produce higher quality streams at 720P (or lower).
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I think it is time to close this debate. You clearly don't have a tegra 2 device and I fully acknowledge that tegra 2 instruction set is non optimal for some encodings.

I honestly don't know the max bitrate for baseline h.264 but maybe your 2Mbps file is non constrained baseline profile? Either way, this is a serious flaw of Tegra 2 design, NOT just in higher bitrates, but in 'most' videos w/ high profile feature set, wouldn't you agree? No Predictive lossless coding, No Quantization scaling matrices, No CABAC... one needn't own Tegra 2 appliance to know this. HiP is way more ubiquitous on the web.

Neither here nor there, but this is the entire reason I skipped the Moto Xoom and opted for iPad 2. And now I lament w/ crappy iOS multimedia software, anxiously anticipating a jailbreak in order to install xbmc.

 

[hakujin]

Can anyone point me to the reports of sprint waiving contract wait times so that customers can upgrade to these great new phones coming out this summer? I believe I even posted on it but can't find the thread to save my life... perhaps wrong forum?!

They just gave me a number to call. I'm do for full $150 discount upgrade Jan 1st, but would like an earlier go at it.

It's driving me bananas! I can't find these posts!

 

[Jceinc]

I'm really liking the SGS2

 

[Cobravision]

Reiteration on 'global radio' aspect is only meaningful if local carriers abroad can be used, which means phone necessitates unlock (or no?), since Moto publicly commented Photon will be locked down like Atrix. If I'm wrong, pls. let me know, and I will actually consider the Photon (if w/o Tegra 2).

If I'm correct, then GSM radio is a worthless feature to any non-corporate customers w/ sensibility toward savings. What is the going rate abroad... $2/min? Pffftt... no way any sane, savvy traveler would go for it, unless uber rich or corp. customer.

It is apparently difficult to impossible to unlock a Droid, and unless you can unlock the SIM, you are beholden to roaming rates. I believe Sprint will unlock the SIM, but only after your contract period is up. Until then, it's technically their phone.

As an aside, where are 10mbps h.264 vids at? I've never seen any x.264 w/ such a high bitrate, but then I'm only interested in 720p so perhaps there exists some uber large 1080p rips out there. In the case of Tegra 2, it becomes a lame duck and can playback neither in high profile. This means handbrake will be thy friend. Might as well be any codec support at that point. Transcoding is simply bothersome and a total buzz kill for instant gratification.

And that's the long and short of it. Any mention of 10mpbs videos and 2mpbs videos are exceptions to the rule and just hair splitting. The bulk of the mkv files are in the 3.5-5mbps range, and either your device can play them or not. It's that simple.

 

[hakujin]

It is apparently difficult to impossible to unlock a Droid, and unless you can unlock the SIM, you are beholden to roaming rates. I believe Sprint will unlock the SIM, but only after your contract period is up. Until then, it's technically their phone.

I'm sure you heard that Moto is ostensibly changing tune on this (probably all the buzz as of late) but NOT on the Photon. I wander why they are such stalwarts on the issue. If HTC can provide an unlock patch, then they must be able to as well right...

Anyway, do you contend that bootloader cryptographic sig will indeed prevent sim unlock? I was hoping there might be a dialer workaround like on earlier feature phones and the like. If not, that's disappointing.

Edit: Also Cobra, do you plan to upgrade to SGS2 when it hits? Can you PM and let me know how high profile x.264 mkv rips fare? I would MOST grateful! If I can carry flicks on the go and play via HDMI on friend's tele, that would HTPC nirvana!

 

[heavychevy]

This is sort of what happen to me. I had been watching video reviews and browsing the forums for several weeks and I had decided that an AMOLED screen was a "must have" feature for me.

So I went and spent a couple hours in-store with a qHD-LCD (Droid X2) and a Super AMOLED Plus (Droid Charge). I discovered I much preferred the brightness and resolution on the qHD-LCD. Also (on a personal level) I felt the sA+ was over saturated & looked unnatural.

Keep in mind I came to this conclusion on a personal level as everyone should as well. These are just my opinions. Also keep in mind the X2 is a PenTile qHD-LCD, and while impressive, the "rgb" qHD-LCD in the Evo3D should be even better.

Good point, I do not like the overly cool texture of the OLED screens either but had decided the same that I just had to have one since they are so crisp. Plus I'm not positive the 3D is that much of a departure from the 4G that I'll feel like it's a new experience. I change my mind 3-4x daily.

Not 100% sure but if you are talking about the zoom/reformat feature to make text fit on a page; as far as I know that is a local HTC modification. It is super nifty and I'm surprise it has not not yet been copied by google and other folks.
-
I've not seen a consistent pattern of issues on the S2. A few folks seem to have recharge issue and a few folks seem to have hardware issue but it is far different than with the S1 where nearly everyone has GPS issues.
-
Probably the most consistent issue I've seen with the S2 is weak reception (mostly for wifi).
-
I am interested in which issues you've seen with the S2. The problem with blogs/user boards is that there will be a certain number of devices that have hardware issues (qa) and a certain number of user issues (people who don't know what they are doing) and the difficult part is weeding out design issues from QA and user issue (I'm willing to ignore QA issue because I can always exchange the device).
-
The GPS issues on the S1 (plus sprint adding a keyboard) were deal breakers for me. The S2 looks more promising though I'm a bit concern abuot antenna (reception) issues.
-
This is not to say that the S2 has other serious issues; I just haven't found enough commonality to recognize them yet.

They aren't serious issues, but there seem to be a lot of minor issues, like the phone was rushed out to beat the 3D to the punch, kind of how the 4G seemed rushed last year to beat competitors. HTC was brilliant in there update speed and I just don't have the same confidence in Samsung based on their history.

There does however seems to be quite a few people suffering with constantly rebooting phones, VERY slow charge rate or reception issues. The reception issue is almost a deal breaker for me. I have been side by side with my wife's Epic for months now and my 4G CLEARLY has better reception almost all of the time. Her pandora cuts out non stop, she has no service roaming when my phone is working fine and just has quite a few complaints about the phone in general.

While the screen and performance is very tempting, the real world application seems to be in favor of HTC still. But I want a Within because I'm still not sold on 3d being of any use for a cell phone.

 

[hakujin]

is it plausible all these potential sgs2 problems might be sorted in the u.s. model? gps and other reception issues would be a deal breaker for me as well. i'm tired of gps problems in general.

 

[Cobravision]

Also Cobra, do you plan to upgrade to SGS2 when it hits? Can you PM and let me know how high profile x.264 mkv rips fare? I would MOST grateful! If I can carry flicks on the go and play via HDMI on friend's tele, that would HTPC nirvana!

I plan on reading every single review of the Evo3D, then every single comparison between the 3D and S2 before making a final decision.

Here's an article about what formats the S2 can handle. mkv at High L3.1 appears to be the limit, but that's going to cover most of the stuff you're trying to play.

Also check this out:

http://androidforums.com/samsung-ga...80p-full-hd-720p-mkv-video-playback-test.html

 

[novox77]

It is apparently difficult to impossible to unlock a Droid, and unless you can unlock the SIM, you are beholden to roaming rates. I believe Sprint will unlock the SIM, but only after your contract period is up. Until then, it's technically their phone.

I'm sure you heard that Moto is ostensibly changing tune on this (probably all the buzz as of late) but NOT on the Photon. I wander why they are such stalwarts on the issue. If HTC can provide an unlock patch, then they must be able to as well right...

Anyway, do you contend that bootloader cryptographic sig will indeed prevent sim unlock? I was hoping there might be a dialer workaround like on earlier feature phones and the like. If not, that's disappointing.

The Moto Droid's bootloader was unlocked easily because it didn't have an encrypted signature. So I assume Cobra meant that carrier unlocking was difficult.

And AFAIK, carrier unlock doesn't depend on the bootloader security status...

 

[heavychevy]

is it plausible all these potential sgs2 problems might be sorted in the u.s. model? gps and other reception issues would be a deal breaker for me as well. i'm tired of gps problems in general.

I was wondering this as well. The problem is that some of these problems carry over from the previous galaxy models so it seems like fundamental problems with Samsungs hardware/software. They did patch up the GPS between Euro-US launch last year on 1st generation, but it was still not all that great.

<----------Mind changes to EVO

So this ends up being a REALLY tough decision. My wife's epic has basically survived every kind of drop, kick slam and toss you could imagine. I have replaced 3 EVO's with cracked screens. Not saying they weren't my fault, but I would like my cell phone to take more of a beating. I don't carry it around like a loaf of bread.


<-------Mind changing again.

 

[drexappeal]

For those that are curious about the Photon 4G, the mods/admins have created a sub-forum, and I just posted a link in this thread: http://androidforums.com/motorola-photon-4g/351917-motorola-photon-sprint.html

The link I posted is from Motorola's website, where you can subscribe to updates on the Photon 4G.

 

[hakujin]

Also check this out:

http://androidforums.com/samsung-ga...80p-full-hd-720p-mkv-video-playback-test.html

That's funny! I just came back to edit my post as I found that online clip prior to, and here you've posted it, thx!

mkv at High L3.1 appears to be the limit, but that's going to cover most of the stuff you're trying to play.

Crap... are you serious? That doesn't cover ANYTHING I wanna play. Virtually all my stuff is either High@L4.1 or High@L5.1. Fudge... that takes the wind outta the sails for me. I guess there's still mpeg 4 .avi but that takes the bedazzlement out of hooking a phone up to hdtv. Dag...

what about AC3 and DTS I wonder... does it decode?

Found this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r63B2gSCNM

looks like a transmux to mp4 is in order for gpu acceleration (though not an ideal solution wonder if rock or mobo can handle 720p 4.1 or 5.1, in cpu on either phone)...

I suppose if it doesn't need to be reencoded, and merely container changed, this isn't so bad, so long as I can make it a one click (batch) affair... wonder which program will do that, perhaps mediaencoder. Still, it's bogus that companies always gimp mkv like that. Should support the same profiles that mp4 supports given the same identical video stream. Collusion/retaliation of the film industry conglomerates, I swear!

 

[Cobravision]

Crap... are you serious? That doesn't cover ANYTHING I wanna play. Virtually all my stuff is either High@L4.1 or High@L5.1. Fudge... that takes the wind outta the sails for me. I guess there's still mpeg 4 .avi but that takes the bedazzlement out of hooking a phone up to hdtv. Dag...

what about AC3 and DTS I wonder... does it decode?

How large are your files? If they're over 4GB, you have to split them for FAT32. The AC3 decodes for sure, but I wonder if it outputs the 5.1 track.

looks like a transmux to mp4 is in order for gpu acceleration (though wonder if rockplayer can handle 720p high, in cpu on either phone)...

I suppose if it doesn't need to be reencoded, and merely container changed, this isn't so bad, so long as I can make it a one click (batch) affair... wonder which program will do that, perhaps mediaencoder.

Transmuxing to mp4 isn't nearly as bad as re-encoding. I transmux mkv files to mpg containers to play them on the PS3 with mkv2vob, and it's not discernably slower than a file copy. It appears to transmux to mp4 containers as well. If you make the destination directory the SD card, it's really just a file copy with a couple of extra clicks. Oh, and it will split the files for FAT32 partitions.

And yes Drex, I meant carrier unlocking enabling you to use any SIM card.

 

[stlc8tr]

I have a tegra 2 device (do you?). It can play 1080p @ 2mb/s fine. Btw I think you missed part of comment on the wifi version of the 7 inch display. It lacks the faster GPU of the g3 version.
-
Anyways this is my last post on the topic. I fully acknowledge that tegra 2 devices have issues with high bit rates at 1080p and the instruction set is non optimal for certain encodings. I also will state that MY tegra2 device can play 1080p streams fine; BUT since I like to keep the streams below 4GB (and often 2GB) I've only encoded a few test streams; as the bit rate used for those relatively small file sizes will produce higher quality streams at 720P (or lower).
-
I think it is time to close this debate. You clearly don't have a tegra 2 device and I fully acknowledge that tegra 2 instruction set is non optimal for some encodings.

What were you guys debating again? If the Tegra supports high profile H264 (High@L4.1 or High@L5.1)? AFAIK, it doesn't. This has been a source of much debate over the past few months with the introduction of so many T2 tablets.

This can be a big deal depending on where you get your HD content from. Almost all "scene" HD material is high profile so the T2 won't be able to play them back properly whereas other CPUs with high profile support like the Hummingbird will. You can always transcode but in an ideal world, you won't need to if all of your devices supported high profile H264.

 

[hakujin]

I agree Cobra. But you're with me in that adding the support to > 3.1 on mkv when it already exists on mp4 should be fairly easy yes? I acknowledged its a better option over re-encode but its still one more unnecessary step and requires that I have two of everything I a. wish to keep and b. wish to play on device. It would seem other influences are at play here and always have been...

Regarding > 4GB, I totally forgot about FAT 32 on sd card! Guess would have to split. ahh... yet another step countering my ultra simplicity home theatre mobile manifesto! cool if mkv2vob handles that as well tho. incidentally, i've had that app on my hdd for years now, would be neat to finally put it to good use!

Totally OT, but pondering in my head whether EXT4 SD Card would be plausible on a modified kernel. I mostly access my SD over SMB anyway, and it would bring other advantages over lousy fat 32.

 

[hakujin]

This can be a big deal depending on where you get your HD content from. Almost all "scene" HD material is high profile.

AFAICT, almost all h.264 content online is high profile, not just scene (mkv container is largely scene only); youtube HD is one blatant example. it also uses CABAC.

 

[Deleted User]

In-Depth UK review of Samsung Galaxy SII.

YouTube - &#x202a;Samsung Galaxy S2 Review&#x202c;&rlm;

Just from what i can tell by him using the phone, touchwiz seems really apple-ish and that is a big turn-off for me. I don't know how easily the SII will be able to be rooted, but that would be a must for me. It just is so bland. I know it is kind of a small gripe, but that is what as a user, i am going to be looking at everyday of use.

I haven't gotten my hands on any device with TouchWiz or Sense 3.0 but just from videos i have watched, Sense 3.0 seems to be a much more user-friendly, useful, and more customizable.

I am a bit biased in this, since i am not a fan of things resembling IOS. (i get apple shoved down my throat by a number of my teachers and one of my best friends). And TouchWiz seems to be in the same ballpark as IOS. Although i did read a post somewhere stating that Samsung filed suit against Apple for copyright infringement.

I used to feel the same way, but from what I've read in the Samsung/Apple lawsuit discussions, it seems there's a case that maybe Apple took their ideas from an earlier Samsung. Tech partners and competitors - curiouser and curiouser.

here it is, it is from page 6 of this thread.

In this case it is a matter of the chicken or the egg, but either way i am a T-Bone steak kind of guy so that part of the argument is a moot point.

In the question of 3VO vs SGSII

From what i have seen the Galaxy is a wonderful android device, that has a good company backing it and should be a great addition to the Android world. With that being said, as a first time Smartphone buyer, I have sampled tons of Smartphones over the last year and a half. (iPhone 3, 3GS, 4, Moto Droid, Droid 2, Droid X, & EVO 4G) I have read a ton of posts and articles about company support (HTC, Apple, Samsung). And, I am leaving Big Red (VZW) for hopefully greener pastures in Sprint.

I have come to a personal conclusion that the relationship that Sprint and HTC have is just too solid, and HTC is too well reviewed of a company to put out a lackluster phone as their new flagship model. The 3VO is going to be a top 3 phone of 2011, and maybe even the number 1 if the 3D trend continues the way it has. The SGSII may have more storage space, and the AMOLED Plus display, but I think that with the combination of HTC Sense 3.0, 3D technology, 4G on Sprints WIMAX network, 1.2 dual core snapdragon processor, shipping with Android 2.3.3 and later upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich, & a huge 1730 mAh Li-Ion battery, HTC might just have the perfect storm as far as upgrading the world renowned EVO 4G.

If i came off as a fanboy or extremely biased i do apologize. I am very excited to get my 3VO, and i really really can't wait to immerse myself into the android world. I figure, what better way to do it than with a brand new phone, with a fresh start on a different network.

Peace, Love, & 3VO