androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
When the update comes out for S3 I'll probably cave in and get it, I just wish the update had more stuff to it.
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Help being nagged to update S4 to Kitkat
- Thread starter nickdalzell
- Start date
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- Tags
- samsung galaxy s4
When the update comes out for S3 I'll probably cave in and get it, I just wish the update had more stuff to it.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
Perhaps i just prefer my UI to remain as i want. i got used to TouchWiz with my first Samsung product, my Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, and the familar look continues through to the previous S3, to the new S4. it remained familiar while giving me more options to play with. there's the addition of more S-Voice options and a faster UI, Air View, Gesture, a superior update to the stock Camera app, better depth in the main home screen, while maintaining the balance of flat and 3-D. you can notice the familiar toggles in the notification shade, the presence of color in the notification icons, with the transparency being an improvement without turning it hideously flat or removing things. the icons have a half-flat, half-3D look. i like that. buttons look like buttons (see samsung music widget) and widgets are outright beautiful and take advantage of the high resolution, 1080p capable OLED screen. to lose all that in an OS update or in the new S5, not an option for me.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
Perhaps i just prefer my UI to remain as i want. i got used to TouchWiz with my first Samsung product, my Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, and the familar look continues through to the previous S3, to the new S4. it remained familiar while giving me more options to play with. there's the addition of more S-Voice options and a faster UI, Air View, Gesture, a superior update to the stock Camera app, better depth in the main home screen, while maintaining the balance of flat and 3-D. you can notice the familiar toggles in the notification shade, the presence of color in the notification icons, with the transparency being an improvement without turning it hideously flat or removing things. the icons have a half-flat, half-3D look. i like that. buttons look like buttons (see samsung music widget) and widgets are outright beautiful and take advantage of the high resolution, 1080p capable OLED screen. to lose all that in an OS update or in the new S5, not an option for me.
That's amazing... great now I feel like I shouldn't update it
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
best to not fix what is not broken Androidlover. Nature UX got a major visual improvement with the S4 and Android 4.3. i know the update to KitKat doesn't change too much but any change i don't like bugs me. and forget the S5 with its Nexus/iOS 7 inspired UI. not happening. i love Nature UX. i just am saddened that Samsung gave up on it when the S4 had it in the best possible light. they just HAD to listen to the few out there who claimed TouchWiz was 'ugly'. it's not ugly and it obviously helped them sell tons of Galaxy series phones and tablets. i highly doubt the majority of sales were to rooters and ROM devs.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
I used cyanogenmod for a while... I spent the last week on here trying to get back touchwiz, glad I did!!!
What sucks is this looks like an end to an era with Nature UX...
If anything Touchwiz is even more ugly now, lol.
What I hate about touchwiz though is the lag... which is the big reason why I am still considering the update (and I just like updating things to the latest possible)
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
i have tried many custom ROMs, but found myself going back to TouchWiz every time. i hated losing some of the stuff that only works in TouchWiz. last time, i had CM 11 (KitKat) doing a good impression of TouchWiz, managed partial framework, organic green status bar icons (through a CM Theme called Denite! Leather) as well as the TouchWiz launcher, weather widget, and some apps, like S Memo, Samsung Apps and S Voice. unfortunately, i could not get the Samsung Camera to work. so i lost zero shutter lag and the UI as well as the many options that the Samsung version offeres. i lost Multi-Window. i could get a Smart Stay alternative on Google Play Store but it wasn't as good and hardly worked right. it also ate some resources. i tried OpenMic+ to give me lock-screen voice commands but it ate the battery up and made the phone run hot.
i could tack on some of Nature UX but it wasn't good enough. so i kept going back. now i stay there.
I am not sure what you mean by 'lag' because i have yet to experience any at all. are you using a lot of apps? using Google Play? removing Google Play made all my devices run a lot better, which i think Google was responsible for most of the lag. Google Play apps tend to have this knack for constantly polling GPS, data use, and running all the time without shutting down eating up resources. you can disable sync but most of the apps cease to work then or crash, or give connection errors. i have only a few Google apps at the moment, and Play Store is enabled but is set to not run on start and doesn't do anything since i turned all its permissions off.
i could tack on some of Nature UX but it wasn't good enough. so i kept going back. now i stay there.
I am not sure what you mean by 'lag' because i have yet to experience any at all. are you using a lot of apps? using Google Play? removing Google Play made all my devices run a lot better, which i think Google was responsible for most of the lag. Google Play apps tend to have this knack for constantly polling GPS, data use, and running all the time without shutting down eating up resources. you can disable sync but most of the apps cease to work then or crash, or give connection errors. i have only a few Google apps at the moment, and Play Store is enabled but is set to not run on start and doesn't do anything since i turned all its permissions off.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
Yeah with me the camera never worked... it crashed 90% of the time... (I tried different apps, but none were like the samsung app) and the general UI was too boring and made me feel sad, I missed having all those pointless motion gestures I never used, and those colourful settings and what not, and multiwindow!!! My favourite feature of samsung phones!!! I'm glad I went back to touchwiz, thanks to the guys here
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
what most people complain about with Samsung phones, or call 'gimmicks' i find more reliable and often use them more often than not. for some though, with the way Google markets the Play Store and such, people think Google Play is the be-all end-all of Android and cannot use anything else. i find that astoundingly disappointing. even if i manage to get Google Play Store to install one app it isn't until i spend half an hour figuring out why it gave me 'no connection retry' when i have a perfectly stable 4G LTE connection....
I am a heavy user of Amazon Apps and MP3 store. in fact i prefer buying my music and having it on my device storage over the whole subscription thing Play Music does, where the music skips or stops working if i go into a dead zone. not into the whole 'cloud' thing. Play Music does offer a 'pin offline' feature but it eats more than it should in the storage (tell me Google, why does 50 MP3s total 3.5GB?) and it is SLLLLOW to download any songs.
I am a heavy user of Amazon Apps and MP3 store. in fact i prefer buying my music and having it on my device storage over the whole subscription thing Play Music does, where the music skips or stops working if i go into a dead zone. not into the whole 'cloud' thing. Play Music does offer a 'pin offline' feature but it eats more than it should in the storage (tell me Google, why does 50 MP3s total 3.5GB?) and it is SLLLLOW to download any songs.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
Wow... :/ google play never did that to me, in fact, I love the play store! Being able to go to your computer and tell it to install an app to your phone, you turn your phone on at any time, turn on wi-fi, boom it downloads!!!
I turn off all the motion settings cause half the time I forget they exist
lol.I still wish Samsung brought air view and smart pause to the S3 in 4.3/4.4...
No reason for it, both phones have the same sensors.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
ha. using the web store for Google Play is the one time it actually connects, but almost every app i want falls victim to the stupid, often-wrong 'not compatible with your device' problem, so i just sideload it from Amazon or 1Mobile. Play sucks to me. the UI is horrid, it has tons of bugs Google refuses to fix, i hate how they stopped letting my hardware menu key bring up the menu, and it is SLOOWWW.
Two of Play Store's additional shortcomings are no local save of the downloaded APK file, and no 'free paid app of the day'.
Play Store also takes too many steps to install an app. first, i have to tap the three little dots and hope it registers and does not load up the app's page instead, then i have to tap install, then accept permissions (Windows User Account Control much?) then hope the hell it downloads and installs. 90% of the time it sits there waiting to download, and either gives me an 'cannot be downloaded due to an error' with some vague error code, or it downloads, like 50 or so MB, then sits at 'installing' for like, ever, then craps out giving me 'package file is invalid'. so there goes some wasted data allowance.
Amazon App Store on the S4? just tap 'install' and done. no three-four steps. if you noticed in my screencaps, i also don't update my apps if they work fine. my 'don't upgrade' policy applies not just to Android or any OS, but to software that works well.
Two of Play Store's additional shortcomings are no local save of the downloaded APK file, and no 'free paid app of the day'.
Play Store also takes too many steps to install an app. first, i have to tap the three little dots and hope it registers and does not load up the app's page instead, then i have to tap install, then accept permissions (Windows User Account Control much?) then hope the hell it downloads and installs. 90% of the time it sits there waiting to download, and either gives me an 'cannot be downloaded due to an error' with some vague error code, or it downloads, like 50 or so MB, then sits at 'installing' for like, ever, then craps out giving me 'package file is invalid'. so there goes some wasted data allowance.
Amazon App Store on the S4? just tap 'install' and done. no three-four steps. if you noticed in my screencaps, i also don't update my apps if they work fine. my 'don't upgrade' policy applies not just to Android or any OS, but to software that works well.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
......
I never experienced any troubles, and my data never once crashed on me EVER, I think you should contact your carrier...
The free app thing I agree on, but you could just get it illegally for free heehee.
What colour is your S4? My S3 is a nice, pebble blue (more of a navy blue actually, are pebbles even blue in the first place?) so it fits even better with the nature UX, it's colourful
lol.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
mine is the futuristic White Frost. i have matching colors on my new Galaxy Tablets too. but my S4 is in a 'blue' S-View case so it gives it a unique professional look too.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
Oh, cool.
The more I look at the white notifacation bar the worse it gets... it's so bland :S
On mine I have a flip case that folds downward vertically... which I dislike but my dad bought it back when it was his phone, but it's an alright case
(I can't use the camera without it looking awkward though...From the side it looks like an icecream sandwich kinda XD (fits the OS, eh?)
It's white, blue, there's a black piece under the phone to hold it in, then there's white again
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
Fancy! I'd take a picture of mine but I don't have a good camera...
Oh! FYI on the note 3 after kitkat they made it so that if you have a third party case like that, it doesn't work with it... but yours is an official one from what I can tell so it doesn't seem like you'll have a problem with that
I downloaded an app from the playstore (thanks to funkylogic) that makes the screen open when I open the case! And close when I flip it back on
only complaint is whenever I put my finger on the sensor it locks the screen and when I take it off my finger...I hope phones in the future have magnets in the front so that they can interact with cases without messing with the phone (kinda like those cases ipads have)
(btw the app is called flip case control)
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
My Galaxy Gear only has a shotty 3MP camera but it gives pretty clear shots! the last one came out blurry as i moved my arm as i was taking the shot.
My S-View case turns the screen on when i flip it open! no app needed. once again, good one, Samsung.
My S-View case turns the screen on when i flip it open! no app needed. once again, good one, Samsung.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
I thought it was a 2 MP camera...
Yeah the S3 didn't have a case with a cut open window...
All I have is my phone (8 MP camera) and my 3DS (0.3 MP camera) for pictures... you guess which one I use XD
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
maybe i'm wrong on the Gear camera specs. either way it takes decent photos. on my iPhone 4 it had a 5MP camera, but photos had that abominable purple haze that made the Galaxy Gear's camera superior.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
My sister has the 4S, dunno how different it is from mine considering the fact that they both are 8MP shooters, what I love about samsung phones is their cameras, always so nice and bright and take awesome photos, and I love the way they organize all the settings in both the camera app, and the actual settings themselves!
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
i like Samsung's camera being instant. no delay or shutter lag. i also like voice commands. saves a smudge on my screen.
Hi, Galaxy, Open Camera. Shoot!
no touching needed.
Hi, Galaxy, Open Camera. Shoot!
no touching needed.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
Omg yes, samsung's camera takes photos instantly, even faster than on iOS
Hmm... maybe I should use voice comands to take photos when the case is closed, dunno if it'll detect it because the mic would get blocked.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
the S-View case does mute voice control, but my Galaxy Gear also has camera voice commands. i think the only touch-response the S-View gives me is when an incoming call comes in, i can swipe to answer or reject.
The Note 3 has additional features, the S-View case for it allows Action Memo, some S-Pen stuff, and a music widget.
The Note 3 has additional features, the S-View case for it allows Action Memo, some S-Pen stuff, and a music widget.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
Cool, I find it rediculous how the note 3 requires 3gb of ram though...
I don't have the S-view case, mine's a third party case with no window on it
I was saying that my mic would get muffled cause it covers the whole front of the display.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
the Galaxy S3's mics are on the top right of the phone as well as the bottom next to the micro-USB charging port. the only thing that would be covered up is the earpiece speaker. look closely on the silver bezel on the top and bottom of the phone for little tiny dots, that look like reset holes. those are your mics.
The Note 3 does not require 3GB of RAM, it has 3GB of RAM.
The Note 3 does not require 3GB of RAM, it has 3GB of RAM.
androidlover9
Android Enthusiast
Oh okay, I'll try it and see if it responds