25K+ Should I get the S5?

[ithehappy]

Hey guys, I was an S4 user for pretty long (8+ months) before getting frustrated and selling it. I hated it cause with every update something broke and the phone itself was very fragile so that I had to put a protective case to it. Then I searched further and saw how disgusting and slow TouchWiz is. So I bought a hTC M7. However I received a damaged product but the major things of the phone were okay and I came to know the disadvantages of a metal phone. It took at least 3-4X more time to fix on GPS and same time to regain back network signals from areas of low / no network. Also the phone was really slippery, so I had to be careful each and every time I held it. Sense was great, but nothing extraordinary, far better and lighter than TW though.
Now I am all confused as to what to get! Sometimes I think that I need a phone with a compact size (I hate big phones), so I was thinking about the Moto X or Xperia Z1 Compact, then heard that neither of them are really that great and missing something from a high end flagship, so I now I am back to either Z2 or S5. But that Z2 is really huge! And I hate on screen buttons! Do you guys think I should get the S5? Has anyone moved to S5 from S4? Is TW little better now? I am only considering the S5 because it has a much better build quality now, if it were like S4 I would even think about it for a second.

There are no budget limitations, but honestly I don't feel that paying 45+k for Z2 is worth it, where I can get the S5 for around 38k, however doubtful that's worth it either. And if I get the S5 I am talking about the Snapdragon variant here, not Exynos.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ithehappy]

Where you can get a snapdragon s5 from ? no warranty in india for it.

http://cgi.ebay.in/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=171352963426&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:IN:1123

I don't care about warranty.

I have cancelled out the option of Z2. Tried it on store for half an hour, sorry not my thing. It's way too big, bigger than S5. It's awkward and not comfortable to hold on, I absolutely don't like the idea of putting glass at back side. And last but not the least Sony has still not learnt how to make a phone perfect for Indian audience, the earpiece call volume was so low, I mean I was inside the store where there were barely 10 people, and it was low than I had to push the phone firmly to my ear, can't believe what the situation could be in noisy streets. That issue can be somewhat solved by rooting and flashing the volume boost mod though, but some simple things are not meant to be modified. Whatever. Didn't get a chance to play with the S5, only dummy was available.

Now I am either getting the S5 or the Moto X. I just can't get over the brilliant compact size of X, however that brilliant display of S5 is still haunting me. Boy it's better to not have money sometimes.

 

[hareshr29]

Go for s5 have been using it (Verizon s5) since two weeks it's good except for camera night shots and touch wiz a bit slow but bearable

 

[eternoMind]

You are well-versed with rooting and custom FW right?
Then what is probably stopping you from getting a Snapdragon variant of the S4 or the S5. You can't go wrong with either of them.

 

[AMG]

Since you are guy who hates huge phones + wants good hardware + wants a not so fragile phone, why are you not looking at nexus 5

 

[blr_p]

http://cgi.ebay.in/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=171352963426&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:IN:1123

I don't care about warranty.

I have cancelled out the option of Z2. Tried it on store for half an hour, sorry not my thing. It's way too big, bigger than S5. It's awkward and not comfortable to hold on, I absolutely don't like the idea of putting glass at back side. And last but not the least Sony has still not learnt how to make a phone perfect for Indian audience, the earpiece call volume was so low, I mean I was inside the store where there were barely 10 people, and it was low than I had to push the phone firmly to my ear, can't believe what the situation could be in noisy streets. That issue can be somewhat solved by rooting and flashing the volume boost mod though, but some simple things are not meant to be modified. Whatever. Didn't get a chance to play with the S5, only dummy was available.

Now I am either getting the S5 or the Moto X. I just can't get over the brilliant compact size of X, however that brilliant display of S5 is still haunting me. Boy it's better to not have money sometimes.

How did you test out the call volume ?

After having the S4 i can see why the S5 would appeal.

Snapdragon version of the samsung should be ok. what about knox though.

Battery on the moto x is average, you will find it needs to be recharged much sooner. Otherwise it looks like a good phone. I can't help saying wait and see what the followup brings, the x came out last Aug.

And then there is the G3, possibly with 4G.

 

[ithehappy]

How did you test out the call volume ?

After having the S4 i can see why the S5 would appeal.

Snapdragon version of the samsung should be ok. what about knox though.

Battery on the moto x is average, you will find it needs to be recharged much sooner. Otherwise it looks like a good phone. I can't help saying wait and see what the followup brings, the x came out last Aug.

And then there is the G3, possibly with 4G.

Like I always do, by calling the CC of Vodafone. Nothing can be done for KNOX, that bloody infectious thing will just remain there. I was waiting for the X Plus One too, but waiting more is really boring. G3 is excessively huge, and also I find it meaningless to have QHD on a 5.5" display.[DOUBLEPOST=1402525681][/DOUBLEPOST]

Since you are guy who hates huge phones + wants good hardware + wants a not so fragile phone, why are you not looking at nexus 5

Because it's cheap, fragile. That display is dumb. And by no means it's a compact sized phone.[DOUBLEPOST=1402525745][/DOUBLEPOST]

You are well-versed with rooting and custom FW right?
Then what is probably stopping you from getting a Snapdragon variant of the S4 or the S5. You can't go wrong with either of them.

I had the S4! The Exynos variant. Software glitches and the bad build quality were some of the reasons why I sold it!

 

[blr_p]

Like I always do, by calling the CC of Vodafone.

So you insert your sim into the shops demo model and it works to make calls just like that ?

This is a really important paramter to try out and none of the review sites has any way to measure it. gsm arena measures the sound output of the loudspeaker (!) not the earpiece.

Guess, sony expects you to use a bluetooth headset. They have some nice ones.

Nothing can be done for KNOX, that bloody infectious thing will just remain there. I was waiting for the X Plus One too, but waiting more is really boring.

your ebay S5 supports 1800 on LTE so it should work whenever they launch that band here.

G3 is excessively huge, and also I find it meaningless to have QHD on a 5.5" display.

yep

I had the S4! The Exynos variant. Software glitches and the bad build quality were some of the reasons why I sold it!

And you used to have the note 2 for 8 months earlier which you struggled with. S4 was a pain.

That's two strikes already for samsung, and yet you still want another samsung

Ash made a video about this recently, did it influence you. At the same price as exnos the price is attractive, s4 snapdragon options were mid 50's when i checked a year back.

 

[ithehappy]

So you insert your sim into the shops demo model and it works to make calls just like that ?

This is a really important paramter to try out and none of the review sites has any way to measure it. gsm arena measures the sound output of the loudspeaker (!) not the earpiece.

Guess, sony expects you to use a bluetooth headset. They have some nice ones.

Lol, no, the Z2 was not a demo model. It was a working model which was used by a Sony employee in the store where I checked it, D.P Electronics in Madan St. It had a Vodafone SIM already inserted, and I just asked for his permission to call Vodafone's CC. The S5 was the demo model.
I have six years old SE Bluetooth headset. GV435 I think, not really a Bluetooth kinda guy.

your ebay S5 supports 1800 on LTE so it should work whenever they launch that band here.

Yeah. You are in Bangalore, I am in Calcutta. I don't even use 3G to be honest, so those bands don't matter to me, at least not yet.

And you used to have the note 2 for 8 months earlier which you struggled with. S4 was a pain.

Yes, but Note 2's main problem was it's size. Just out of the box though, the Note 2 was far better optimized than S4, far better. And when I saw that Android Rev HD was available for N2 it was just a great news! ARHD on N2 was just awesome. Damn at the size of that phon....umm...phablet rather.

That's two strikes already for samsung, and yet you still want another samsung

Ash made a video about this recently, did it influence you. At the same price as exnos the price is attractive, s4 snapdragon options were mid 50's when i checked a year back.

And that's the problem. I was so determined and sure when I sold my S4 that I would never come back to Samsung, at least not in couple of years. Then after getting the M7 and used it for two weeks all my attraction towards metal gone away. Other than that, I missed the display of S4, I missed the camera and the rooting process or any custom package flashing process on hTC was just so complex!

If I think practically, selling the S4 and getting S5 is just stupid as hell. But the main thing is this time it's the Snapdragon model, thus way more support, and less bugs. And you are right, at 37-38k the S5 is a very nice deal, especially when the rivals are still at 45k, though with warranty.

All I know that, if I get the S5, I will be getting an awesome display, very good battery life, nice camera and top notch hardware (however I don't play any games, so I don't know how that'd affect me) and an IP67 certified unit. If I get the Moto X, I will get nothing at their best, all average product, but with optimization at it's best, and at a compact size. God, why is it so hard to decide?

 

[eternoMind]

I still think plonking down your money for a snapdragon version of the S4 or S5 is your best option. Quite clearly you have a liking for the Samsung twins' display, ergonomics, and camera. All that mattered was the poorly supported chipset, and snapdragon solves that for you as well. But you do lose out on local warranty though.

One of my friends sold off his Indian S4 a couple of months ago and one of his main gripes was the lack of good dev support.

 

[Rockfella]

What about the Lumias? Are they so bad?

 

[prateekS]

For all its worth, S5 is now 36k on infibeam..

 

[Rockfella]

Since you are guy who hates huge phones + wants good hardware + wants a not so fragile phone, why are you not looking at nexus 5

Yup yup.

 

[haris5sani]

Undoubtedly S5 should be your choice...

Top specs, awesome screen, extra add-ons and lesser price makes it worthy.

People who are saying that TW becomes laggy after phone got filled, I think they don't know how to use their phone.
Just root and install greenify it, best way to stop/limit running fore-ground/background apps, which ultimately saves battery and data too.

Also need to mention that S5 is a very sturdy phone......Sammy this time has hardened the phone by doing their own drop-tests(check google).

Also check this :
http://blog.gsmarena.com/samsung-galaxy-s5-gets-premium-perks-india-including-free-repair-pickup/

I would say wait for metal clad Galaxy F/Prime release, their units have already reached India and is under update/testing. Once launched, S5 price will comes @ 32-34k
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Meta...laxy-S5-boasts-LG-G3-like-slim-bezels_id57070

 

[Onemufc]

So people dont know how to use the phone.

They should root and install greenify on it. Hmmm

I dont have the time for that and when I spend top dollar I dont want to do that. Simple. If the company cant optimize its top device then they are not getting my money now.

 

[haris5sani]

So people dont know how to use the phone.

"So people dont know how to use their (smart)phone."

you need to be smart to utilize the smart features, rooting is one of them.
Since OP is not interested in warranty, its best thing once can do on their android phone.
It removes OEM barriers and provide superuser privilege on your phone.

Although, greenify app has been updated and you can install on non-rooted device too, but you won't gain much performance boost without rooting.

Moreover, just buying a flagship phone doesn't makes you smart until you know how to operate that device in various ways.
I have seen people buying flagship phones and don't know about internal specs, just buying since they have heard of it or their friend have the same phone.

 

[AMG]

Because it's cheap, fragile. That display is dumb. And by no means it's a compact sized phone.[DOUBLEPOST=1402525745][/DOUBLEPOST]

Cheap? So why dont you say in plain simple words that you're looking for a status symbol phone.

Fragile? Not as fragile as the S5 for sure.

Compact: it is 2.72”-wide, whereas the S5 measures 2.85”, and the Nexus is also shorter at 5.43” against 5.59” on the S5. On top of that, Google’s smartphone is also slightly thinner (0.32” vs 0.34” on the S5) and lighter (4.59oz vs 5.11oz). Overall, this makes for a difference that is substantial for those who value compact-ness.

Display: You may have a point there, but its close.

 

[haris5sani]

Fragile? Not as fragile as the S5 for sure.

Are you kidding, just check drop tests of both phones, especially one in which Tesla moves over S5 and it was perfectly working though in shattered screen
I am not saying that N5 is worst phone, but people like me needs some military class case to protect it, since phone falls from my hand a lot.

For S5 specially, Samsung identified weak body portions and strengthen them.

Check Sammy complete test procedure below :
http://business.financialpost.com/2...m-radiation-to-whether-it-can-survive-a-fall/

 

[AMG]

Are you kidding, just check drop tests of both phones, especially one in which Tesla moves over S5 and it was perfectly working though in shattered screen
I am not saying that N5 is worst phone, but people like me needs some military class case to protect it, since phone falls from my hand a lot.

For S5 specially, Samsung identified weak body portions and strengthen them.

Check Sammy complete test procedure below :
http://business.financialpost.com/2...m-radiation-to-whether-it-can-survive-a-fall/

People who need strength my friend, dont move from an metal body phone to a plastic one.

 

[Rockfella]

Are you kidding, just check drop tests of both phones, especially one in which Tesla moves over S5 and it was perfectly working though in shattered screen
I am not saying that N5 is worst phone, but people like me needs some military class case to protect it, since phone falls from my hand a lot.

For S5 specially, Samsung identified weak body portions and strengthen them.

Check Sammy complete test procedure below :
http://business.financialpost.com/2...m-radiation-to-whether-it-can-survive-a-fall/

Then you should be looking at these:

http://www.flipkart.com/caterpillar-cat-b15/p/itmdzn3b3wtfvapf#read-reviews

http://catphones.com/phones.aspx

 

[ithehappy]

Cheap? So why dont you say in plain simple words that you're looking for a status symbol phone.

Fragile? Not as fragile as the S5 for sure.

Compact: it is 2.72”-wide, whereas the S5 measures 2.85”, and the Nexus is also shorter at 5.43” against 5.59” on the S5. On top of that, Google’s smartphone is also slightly thinner (0.32” vs 0.34” on the S5) and lighter (4.59oz vs 5.11oz). Overall, this makes for a difference that is substantial for those who value compact-ness.

Display: You may have a point there, but its close.

Because I am not! I never understood how words like status and phone being used in the same sentence!

Nexus 5 and S5 have same or even close build quality? You literally have no idea what you are talking about. Nexus 5 is one of the worst made product, along with few others. Also it is smaller than S5, that still doesn't make any sense. It might be 10% smaller than S5, but it's still by no means compact! If I want compact my choices would be Moto X or phones like XZ1C.
I like the idea of Nexus, I mean vanilla android and all, but no way I am paying for a fragile unit like that. Kindly keep the Nexus thing out of this topic. I am not interested.