Samsung Galaxy S IV

Here's why the GS4 is currently at the top of my wish list:
1. Yes, the plastic/polycarbonate shell is less than ideal. But honestly my phone is anything but a fashion accessory to me, so objectively this matters little except for the sake of vanity.
2. It has the best specs, period. It has more sensors than any other phone in existence (ambient thermometer! neat.).
3. Humongous, replaceable battery. HTC and their non-removable, so-so battery life will not cut it.
4. Wireless charging. Yes, I know Nexus 4 has this too (and that is second on the list for me).
5. Some of the software features are gimmicks, but some are actually quite cool. Like recording 5 secs of audio with a picture -- I already know how that would be very useful to me.
6. Samsung is hacker friendly. HTC is decidedly not. This (and the battery thing) make the HTC One a non-starter for me, no matter how beautiful it is. I'm going to get tired of the stock look in 2 months max and when that happens, I can't afford to be stuck.
7. Good camera. As an amateur photographer, this matters to me. HTC's 4MP grainy gimmicky camera won't cut it.
8. 5" 1080p AMOLED. Yes. These things matter.
9. Worldwide LTE roaming. Yes.

In the end, the only real downside is that it isn't the prettiest thing in the world. And in the grand scheme of things, that really doesn't matter that much. The Nexus 4 is really the only other phone I'm seriously considering, but it would essentially be a cheaper, less-equipped alternative. So it's pig out on Galaxy S IV and get the best, or settle for a Nexus 4 (admittedly a great phone in its own right though).

 

You scallywag!

 

¡¡¡ǝuoɥd ɔıʇsɐןd bıq 'ʇsɹıɟ ʎɯ ʎnq oʇ ʇıɐʍ ʇouuɐɔ ı

 

Anyone heard anything on U.S. release dates?

 

people at sprint told me middle of next month.

 

Anyone know of any special deals for this phone with an AT&T contract? The cheapest i've found is on amazon for $168 (16GB)

 

Or does anyone know who fixed cracked screens in Houston on the S4? I already broked mine.

 

Not much more of savings but Walmart Mobile has it for $159

http://wireless.walmart.com/content...ag=specialoffer&refcode1=RSK_0000_000_CELLTOP

 

Thanks, I didn't see that when I checked walmart.com earlier, but it looks like it's for new accounts only. I went ahead and upgraded through Amazon.

 

There's a place in the Galleria that replaces the screen, but they're pretty expensive ~$270-300.

I was able to replace it on my own with a heat gun and the replacement screen that I got on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/230982528483?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649