All about Smartphones and Tablets...

[Tribble]

*hangs head in shame for all women kind*

[Stuart]

I ask them "Do you know what Android is?". Answer: "Little green thingy".

Well, Android does sometimes remind me of a booger.

[GreyWolf]

*hangs head in shame for all women kind*

Oh it's not just the women. I mentioned them specifically because they are currently interested in new phones, but there is maybe 1 other guys here who knows what "OS" even stands for.

This experience has led me down a path of logic that end at the following conclusion: most people (ie. the uninformed, non-geeks out there) only buy a phone because of the fashion value. This makes me sad.

[Tribble]

Agreed. At least be excited about what the gadget can do.

[Tribble]

Oh yes yes yes. My S4 has arrived. Going to get it this morning Had to wait longer for the black though.

[Tribble]

And here she is - my beautiful baby. I must admit - I love the new features. I love the feel and how the elements move. And the SVoice is so much better. Haven't changed everything yet - want to get the feel for the original before I start replacing

[GreyWolf]

Nice!

[StarPhoenix]

Lucky Cat! This is really the boss's phone of course. You still use pigeons....

[Tribble]

Yes - but she doesn't know it has arrived yet - so I get to play with it.

So far - no need to replace the desktop with GO Launcher. Really liking the feel and look. Smooth as silk. Love the S-Voice - I am actually talking to my phone now and not so much to the voices in my head. Going to have to get used to the video thing but those are my own insecurities and not the device's flaws.

Battery life not too bad - though I have downloaded GO Battery Extender. Could use the one on the phone but I know the GO one works. Charges quickly and seems to last if you don't play with it constantly.

Got the S-Voice cover - oh what a treat. Locks and unlocks the phone for you when closing and opening the cover. S-Voice is automatically activated and allows you to answer calls without touching the phone. Can answer with cover closed as it has a view window and moves the answer/reject buttons there.

Has a feature that scrolls the page as you read - really cool. Air view and gestures are awesome for not getting fingerprints on the screen. If you look away from a video - it will pause automatically but you can disable that feature.

Can change the colours of the flashing indicator for different programs and functions (yes like the BB can).

Has a you like chicken? for all your best features/apps.

Camera is voice activated Kids have tons of fun with that one.

Will tell you more as I play with it. But really loving it.

[StarBound]

I'm still an apple fan but love to hear what the competition offers. Does it feel faster than the previous phone?

[Tribble]

Oh so much faster. Not that I would complain about the S2 but this S4 flies. No thinking required. And so many features - still learning about new ones. Haven't tried screen mirroring, Multiwindows, Wifi Hotspot, SBeam, NFC, Smart Stay, Blocking......and that is just across the top of the screen. Yes that function bar scrolls sideways

Oh yes - and even better - the phone actually understands me when I talk

[D3PART3D]

S- voice finally working is awesome. Enjoy Tribs! I liked the display too. It would be great for comic book reading, and video looks good.

[Tribble]

I haven't watched a single video yet - I will have to rectify that immediately!

[ryanrich]

Now here's an S4 I would actually want...

http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/15/43352 ... with-stock

[D3PART3D]

There's going to be an HTC One from Google with stock Android too.

DO WANT … to stick with iPhone. <3

[Tribble]

You are missing out on so much D33

[GreyWolf]

So i has been about a month, and here i my quickie review of my Xperia Z:

Likes:
1. Super smooth operation. I don't know if its because of Jellybean or the processor, but everything runs like its on butter.
2. Google Now. I can only relate how awesome this is through a story. I had my phone for about two weeks, when one day I decided to check out Google Now. Upon opening it, a card pops up showing the route I travel between my office and my home, the traffic along the route and the time it will take me to make the trip. The thing is, I had not entered my my home or work address and I had never used my GPS or data (both are always off to save battery power). The software had figured out everything by itself including the times I leave. If traffic is very heavy, it suggest alternative routes! Then a week later, I used my work PC to Google for hotels in an area for a supplier that was coming to visit. Later I open up Google Now on my phone, and there is a card with the contact details of the Hotel I had clicked on while searching.
3. The waterproofing is a great party trick. Get everyone's attention, hold phone out at arms length. Drench it in water! Crowd goes wild.
4. The camera is really good IMHO.
5. The power button on the side of the phone. this needs to become standard on all phones. Weather I pick up my phone with my left or right hand, the power button is easily clickable to bring the phone out of hibernate.
6. The Sony photo gallery is very nice as is the walkman app. The earphones that came with the phone are very very good.

Dislikes:
1. Battery. It is not terrible, I can get about 48 hours on a charge, but it is very rare, and usually have to charge every day and a half. The biggest power drain is the screen which...
2. Is perfectly acceptable, but a little dull...
3. As is the design of the handset. When its on a table it just looks like a black cube. There are little pieces of inspiration, but you have to look closely to notice them.

Everything else works just as it should and I have no complaints about things like call quality, which is excellent.

Overall, I am very happy, with just the low battery warning really causing any buyers remorse.

Score: 8.5/10

[SykomantiS]

Dislikes:
1. Battery. It is not terrible, I can get about 48 hours on a charge, but it is very rare, and usually have to charge every day and a half. The biggest power drain is the screen which...

You get a day and a half on average, and complain? My Galaxy Nexus gives me a day, at best. usually half a day. So I've resorted to ordering an extended battery and cover.

[rustypup]

here i my quickie review of my Xperia Z:<..>

we live in different worlds..

Likes (2) would creep me out enough to get rid of the thing...

Dislikes (2) and (3) simply don't even figure into the equation... in all honesty, if you're the sort of person who gets a warm cuddly feeling from looking at technology, no way i'm letting you anywhere near the electronics in my place*...

*ok... maybe the toaster... because he's asking for it...

battery life and connectivity are frankly the only things i look for...

it's a mobile phone... it's not a life, personality or intellect upgrade....

[GreyWolf]

Likes (2) would creep me out enough to get rid of the thing...

It does have an Orwelian stench about it, doesn't it? I think it's awesome though.

Dislikes (2) and (3) simply don't even figure into the equation... in all honesty, if you're the sort of person who gets a warm cuddly feeling from looking at technology, no way i'm letting you anywhere near the electronics in my place*...

*ok... maybe the toaster... because he's asking for it...

To be fair, when I said the screen was a little dull, I meant that the colours are dull, and you need to turn up the brightness when in bright sunlight.

I know better than to argue with you about the pros and cons of aesthetics, so let me just say: I like the pretty things in life and for better or worse the way things look is important to me.

battery life and connectivity are frankly the only things i look for...

The battery I have discussed, and the only thing this phone doesn't have in terms of connectivity is IR.

it's a mobile phone... it's not a life, personality or intellect upgrade....

The point of tech is to make life easier. If my phone can prevent me from sitting in traffic, or remove the need for me to remember and/or write down information that I will use maybe 3 times in my life, then I am all for it.

And I think you are looking at things from an outdated point of view: what may have started out out as way to make phone calls without having to be tied to a specific geographical location has evolved. Things I use my phone for:

• Making phone calls
  Numerous messanging platforms
  A rolodex
  Reading books / comic books
  Keeping track of my vehicle expenses
  A torch
  A camera
  A record of how long I have not been smoking and the health benefits thereof
  A calendar
  A remote for my media center PC
  A way to track my daily jogs

It is good to excellent for doing all of these tasks, and its all in 1 device. To say it is convenient is an understatement, so as a piece of tech, it is doing exactly what it was intended to.

[Stuart]

DO WANT … to stick with iPhone. <3

I'm going back to iPhone when I upgrade again. Or possibly Windows Phone. I guess the ultimate deciding factor will be cost. This S3 is terrible. It lags, it freezes, it randomly reboots. I hate the way Android handles contacts. I am counting the days . . .

Perhaps in the interim I need to just root the thing and see if that gives me any more of a pleasurable experience.

2. Google Now. I can only relate how awesome this is through a story. I had my phone for about two weeks, when one day I decided to check out Google Now. Upon opening it, a card pops up showing the route I travel between my office and my home, the traffic along the route and the time it will take me to make the trip. The thing is, I had not entered my my home or work address and I had never used my GPS or data (both are always off to save battery power). The software had figured out everything by itself including the times I leave. If traffic is very heavy, it suggest alternative routes! Then a week later, I used my work PC to Google for hotels in an area for a supplier that was coming to visit. Later I open up Google Now on my phone, and there is a card with the contact details of the Hotel I had clicked on while searching.

Every now and again I get reports of the traffic and time it will take me to get to Midrand. For no good reason.

[GreyWolf]

Or possibly Windows Phone.

Please do this and give feedback. Yes I am asking you to experiment with your money. Do it for old times sake...

[Stuart]

Or possibly Windows Phone.

Please do this and give feedback. Yes I am asking you to experiment with your money. Do it for old times sake...

I mostly enjoyed the Windows Phone experience I had a few months back. I just ended up with a dud phone, which kept on rebooting all the time, and when I eventually got it swapped I decided to steer clear until such time as the rebooting is sorted. Turns out that Android reboots just as much as Windows, so I may as well have saved myself the effort.

[Tribble]

Mousey - you are doing something wrong. My S4 has never rebooted itself - nor have I needed to reboot it.

[GreyWolf]

Wohooo !