Galaxy S4 v HTC One

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unfaithfulsfan
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Galaxy S4 v HTC One

Post by unfaithfulsfan »

Hi all,
Don't know if this is the place for this question so feel free to move it. (Like you need my permission! :lol: )

Anyway, I'm on the precipice of getting a new phone and had been jonesing, if that's a word, for an S4 but after reading a number of reviews I'm wondering if the HTC One might not be a better choice. The majority of the negatives regarding the Galaxy point to its apparent fragility, e.g. minor drops resulting in catastrophic damage. Better than half the negative reviews shared that topic. I'm pretty rough on phones because of the extensive nerve damage in my hands from 35 years of Diabetes. So , needless to say, I'm a little apprehensive now.

The other point that has me waffling is audio. Outside of my phone being a phone, that is. While I use my phone occasionally for email, Internet, etc., and I use GPS frequently, mostly I use it for Internet radio while I'm walking the dog, driving, etc. I know the HTC One has Beats audio but I seldom listen to the phone speakers. I use headphones or the car speakers so I don't think Beats audio is going to make a difference to me in that regard. I also got a free Scosche bluetooth bullet speaker that sounds pretty darn good in its own right for occasional use. Bottom line I don't know if there's an advantage by either phone for my music needs.

I had also read several reviews that complained about the S4 lacking the ability to move apps to the SD card like my Optima does. Although the CleanMaster app seems to have taken care of the most contrary apps. I was surprised, too, to learn that the OS takes up 80% of the phone's memory, leaving less than 10 GB for apps, photos, music, files, etc.. Granted, I haven't used much of my SD card on the Optimus, but I could see that changing. These were reviews submitted in the last week or so.

I like the bigger screen, especially with the vision problems I'm having now. My 3 yo LG Optimus has been rebelling for the last few months and I had to wait for our old contract to end to upgrade. Now, I'll be able to upgrade every 6 months if the need arises.

Anyway, to recap, aside from phone calls and texts, mostly I use my phone for streaming audio. I use the camera some, although the HD video is very intriguing for village activities, and I'd like to be able to use Skype to visit with my granddaughter in Utah and friends/relatives down South. I surf the 'Net and check email when I forget to bring a book and I use GPS fairly frequently. My wife is my opposite. She uses the camera a lot more and data a lot less though she can text about 80 wpm. She'd also like Skype which our LGs do not support. She's not nearly as bad as I am about dropping her phone but she has dropped it a few times.

I'd deeply appreciate your thoughts on these two phones. Which do you guys prefer and why? What are your suggestions as far as to what I use my phone for? Guess I ought to point out, too, my carrier T-Mobile has both phones for $0 down and I'm trying to stay in that price range.

Thanks for any help & advice you can offer!! :supz:
J
"A payphone was ringing and it just about blew my mind,
when I picked it up & said 'Hello' this foot came through the line"
~Bob Dylan
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KnightRid
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Re: Galaxy S4 v HTC One

Post by KnightRid »

I just got the S4 myself and the two main reasons - user replaceable battery and microsd card slot.

OS and apps takes up about 6gb out of 16 so about 10 free on mine which is around 38% not 80 ;) - I am not sure if any of that space is empty but reserved or not. Maybe for media, etc.

Compared to my Droid X2, this phone is phenomenal.

Durability is one of my concerns also (with my neck injury I lose feeling down my back and arm more often as the years roll on) so I bought the otterbox defender case (got model 77-27768 on Amazon - had to do the baby powder trick with this one which did suck but was easy to do). Had one for the Droid X2 also. I liked the Droid X2 one better as they seem to have listened to the idiots asking for a smaller Otterbox. I would rather have a huge honkin piece of plastic and rubber that I know will protect my phone.

Audio - no clue. I rarely listen to music except in the car and then it is classic rock cause rap/hiphop/djcrap just all suck :finga:

I have the phone in hand so just ask away if you want to know anything else.
Remember, I am opinionated and nothing I say or do reflects on anyone or anything else but me :finga:
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bubba
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Re: Galaxy S4 v HTC One

Post by bubba »

Wouldn't worry about it, just buy a case. Every touch screen phone I have had I put a case on it. Pretty much why I could care less what a phone looks like, I'm just going to slap a black case on it anyway...

Case in point. My buddy has an S3, from day one he ran a case on it. Couple weeks ago he decided to take the case off, and run without it because the phone is stupid thin and lighter without a case. One fall from the car seat height of a mustang to the parking lot broke the screen.

Save the trouble, get a case.
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
-Thomas Jefferson
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unfaithfulsfan
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Re: Galaxy S4 v HTC One

Post by unfaithfulsfan »

Great! Thanks! I was wondering if putting a case on it would help, guess it does!

Headed out tonight to Bills v Lions at the Ralph. Sucks that EJ's out for at least a couple more weeks but our "Cheap Fitz" took himself out last week with another concussion which is the biggest contribution he's made to the team. Hope Tuel can hold his own. They looked horrible vs Redskins. Offense lackluster, defense non-existent although they did pretty well against the run, even special team seemed unsure of itself. Just hoping for a .500 or slightly better season this year. That'd be the first since I've been in WNY. [-o<
"A payphone was ringing and it just about blew my mind,
when I picked it up & said 'Hello' this foot came through the line"
~Bob Dylan
sgkean
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Re: Galaxy S4 v HTC One

Post by sgkean »

If you tend to drop your phone at all, a case is a worthy investment. Otterbox and Ballistic make some tough cases. At CES 2013, Ballistic had a demo tossing a phone in one of their cases against a brick wall (about 5 feet away) and letting it drop onto a brick floor. Watching a cell phone (S3 in my case) bounce off a wall onto a floor sold me on their cases.

I'm like Bubba, I put my phone in a case as soon as I get it. I look at the other options on the phone, screen quality, replaceable battery, micro SD, etc rather than looks.
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unfaithfulsfan
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Re: Galaxy S4 v HTC One

Post by unfaithfulsfan »

Thanks sgkean. Sorry, I've been under the weather since about the 3rd. Can't seem to shake this crap. I got an Urban Armor Tech case but I'm not real sure about it as it really has nothing to protect that uber-vulnerable big screen. I'll definitely take a look at Ballistic. I saw Otterbox cases at Wmart but forgot about it when I was searching Amazon. I'll check it out too.
"A payphone was ringing and it just about blew my mind,
when I picked it up & said 'Hello' this foot came through the line"
~Bob Dylan
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