It's been a couple of years. I don't actually know what to do know, so I'll probably just keep using the S4/ATT.
Pros have been excellent voice quality, though strangely the first two weeks seemed different, maybe I hadn't yet figured how to hold the phone. After that 2 weeks, which I've always believed was related to a bandwidth switchover at ATT, voice quality has been superb, and the old iPhone 3g was crappy, and I'm reluctant to recommend iPhone to non-Geeks because I wonder if the voice quality of the iPhone has kept up with Samsung, and nobody does (or maybe can do ) a review with a full quantification of voice quality, they just say "poor".
The phone has a nice OLED screen, which is a very cool idea, however actually the old LCD display of the iPhone 3G held up better in bright sunlight. I was amazed to see this, but the S4 frequently does get completely blanked out by the sunlight. I love the saturated colors of OLED, but if I were a frequent traveler, I might worry. Of course I'm at least two generations behind with my S4.
The worst thing of all has been the button placement. I still haven't gotten used to it and believe it's just plain wrong. There should not be buttons on both sides, just one, so you can handle it on the sides more easily. I always reach for the phone and turn it off. The on/off button must be at the top right corner. The iPhone 3G buttons were perfect--and I didn't mind the size largely because of that perfection.
The plastic backing and fake chrome trim has a tinge of dinginess after 2 years. The iPhone, encased for one and uncased another, looks like brand new in some ways…the sold chrome and metal still gleam. But of course the Galaxy has removable back and battery.
The S4 from ATT came loaded with ATT and Samsung bloatware and adware, sometimes with both duplicating Google functions, or Google provided functions like internet sharing disabled (with a premium AT&T app provided instead). One might have 3 different versions, or more, of the same basic function, all with different names, sprawling through the 4 pages (?) of standard apps.
I don't find separate set of pages for system apps and user apps helpful at all. iPhone 3 had just one set of pages for everything and it was far less confusing.
I like the way the iPhone 3 handled calls and alerts. I saw information on the start screen. Then, after opening the screen, alerts for both were cleared. I wasn't forced to enter the phone app to cancel the phone alert.
Endlessly my S4 has beeped the alert signal for nothing of importance. Emails on my rarely used Google email account, spam really, especially from Eco Ethernet would set off my alert signal. I got an app to control the alert signal and even it can't seem to stop the light blinking from whatever things I haven't figured out yet.
Speaking of which I had the hardest time figuring out how to stop a stupid dialog from coming up every time I started the camera. Nobody could help me. Finally, I figured out that by scrolling the page there was a previously invisible Don't Show This Warning Again checkbox. But since the Dismiss button was visible without scrolling the page, I never saw that checkbox.
Because I had the full 32G memory in my phone…when it quit working I had to get a replacement by mail, though once I went through the inspection process AT&T sent a replacement quickly. I've used far less that 16M for some reason, I just don't bother with so much music and pictures.
Generally, other than in voice quality--which might be different now--and bandwidth, and (when I had it) the failing map app, I liked the interfaces and defaults of the iPhone better.
The kiosk where I bought the phone wasn't much help, the AT&T store was decided less cheery and quick as the Apple Store. which was ultimate (I haven't been there in awhile). I find all the AT&T extras, services, TV, disgusting. They're endlessly trying to sell me stuff, which makes me feel even worse about it.
It's my perfect example of the virtue of having aruthless fascist dictator at the helm, keeping the aristocrats of this or that family from mucking up the rail system or whatever. Jobs had special talent for selection of features and talent too…of course if you're dictator it has to be done right or it's a sinking ship.
He was picky about keeping those damned alerts in check, and having it just so, and I think it still is.
Anyway, I'm still undecided, I might go back to iPhone.
Pros have been excellent voice quality, though strangely the first two weeks seemed different, maybe I hadn't yet figured how to hold the phone. After that 2 weeks, which I've always believed was related to a bandwidth switchover at ATT, voice quality has been superb, and the old iPhone 3g was crappy, and I'm reluctant to recommend iPhone to non-Geeks because I wonder if the voice quality of the iPhone has kept up with Samsung, and nobody does (or maybe can do ) a review with a full quantification of voice quality, they just say "poor".
The phone has a nice OLED screen, which is a very cool idea, however actually the old LCD display of the iPhone 3G held up better in bright sunlight. I was amazed to see this, but the S4 frequently does get completely blanked out by the sunlight. I love the saturated colors of OLED, but if I were a frequent traveler, I might worry. Of course I'm at least two generations behind with my S4.
The worst thing of all has been the button placement. I still haven't gotten used to it and believe it's just plain wrong. There should not be buttons on both sides, just one, so you can handle it on the sides more easily. I always reach for the phone and turn it off. The on/off button must be at the top right corner. The iPhone 3G buttons were perfect--and I didn't mind the size largely because of that perfection.
The plastic backing and fake chrome trim has a tinge of dinginess after 2 years. The iPhone, encased for one and uncased another, looks like brand new in some ways…the sold chrome and metal still gleam. But of course the Galaxy has removable back and battery.
The S4 from ATT came loaded with ATT and Samsung bloatware and adware, sometimes with both duplicating Google functions, or Google provided functions like internet sharing disabled (with a premium AT&T app provided instead). One might have 3 different versions, or more, of the same basic function, all with different names, sprawling through the 4 pages (?) of standard apps.
I don't find separate set of pages for system apps and user apps helpful at all. iPhone 3 had just one set of pages for everything and it was far less confusing.
I like the way the iPhone 3 handled calls and alerts. I saw information on the start screen. Then, after opening the screen, alerts for both were cleared. I wasn't forced to enter the phone app to cancel the phone alert.
Endlessly my S4 has beeped the alert signal for nothing of importance. Emails on my rarely used Google email account, spam really, especially from Eco Ethernet would set off my alert signal. I got an app to control the alert signal and even it can't seem to stop the light blinking from whatever things I haven't figured out yet.
Speaking of which I had the hardest time figuring out how to stop a stupid dialog from coming up every time I started the camera. Nobody could help me. Finally, I figured out that by scrolling the page there was a previously invisible Don't Show This Warning Again checkbox. But since the Dismiss button was visible without scrolling the page, I never saw that checkbox.
Because I had the full 32G memory in my phone…when it quit working I had to get a replacement by mail, though once I went through the inspection process AT&T sent a replacement quickly. I've used far less that 16M for some reason, I just don't bother with so much music and pictures.
Generally, other than in voice quality--which might be different now--and bandwidth, and (when I had it) the failing map app, I liked the interfaces and defaults of the iPhone better.
The kiosk where I bought the phone wasn't much help, the AT&T store was decided less cheery and quick as the Apple Store. which was ultimate (I haven't been there in awhile). I find all the AT&T extras, services, TV, disgusting. They're endlessly trying to sell me stuff, which makes me feel even worse about it.
It's my perfect example of the virtue of having a
He was picky about keeping those damned alerts in check, and having it just so, and I think it still is.
Anyway, I'm still undecided, I might go back to iPhone.
