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Choosing an S10

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Same here, which is why I recommend OnePlus and BLU. Both companies allow for and even encourage the use of custom configurations and custom firmwares if that's what you need of your devices. Affordable prices and good specs as well. Yes, Thank You!
Why do you assume he wants to use custom firmware? It's ever more weird than suggesting overclocking to everyone.
He wants a smartphone and he focuses on camera quality. How hard is that to understand?

Honestly, have you ever modified a blender? I bet you at least thought about it.
 
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Why do you assume he wants to use custom firmware?
I'm not. Trying to point out that devices from those two companies can be trusted not to spy on their users because they're transparent about how they do business. He has those options, where devices from Samsung, less so.
He wants a smartphone and he focuses on camera quality. How hard is that to understand?
It isn't. He clarified his needs and I responded with encouragement for one of the device he originally mentioned.
 
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Phone pricing pushed me towards just replacing my S7 battery instead of changing.

A royal pain to do, but the new phones are just not worth it for consumer use.
 
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Phone pricing pushed me towards just replacing my S7 battery instead of changing.

A royal pain to do, but the new phones are just not worth it for consumer use.
That is one of the other reasons I recommended BLU. Many of their models have user replaceable batteries, which is one of the reasons I own a BLU phone.
 
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OP, just move to the very first galaxy since nothing have changed.

On an actual serious note, S10 are incredible, yet of course expensive. Am using an S8 atm, and have access to an S10 sometimes. Experience is better, but not vastly. This is not something that IMO would be worth X2 the money.
 
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I would go S10 plus if what you care about is the camera. i really like my Note 9 it takes pretty good pictures but so did my iphone 7 plus and my note 4 before that. I think the S10 is by far the nicest android phone. If you're still happy with your phone and your traveling isn't going to happen till later this year you may want to wait for the other 7nm android offerings sure to come out this year.
 
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Am using an S8 atm, and have access to an S10 sometimes. Experience is better, but not vastly. This is not something that IMO would be worth X2 the money.
Is that S8 upgraded to latest OS?

Because I really don't see how the experience "is better".
It's like switching from a 4790K to a 7700K. It's newer, it's faster, but the difference is so tiny that you can't really notice it.

And to be honest, I feel that S10 is a step back somehow. S8/S9 had that Iris sensor, and also a color illumination sensor on front on that top bar.
Both are gone in all variants of S10. What is gained is a depth sensor on S10+, but both S10 normal and "e" are inferior in terms of sensors.

Even worse, Unbox Therapy and others have proven that S10 can be unlocked with a simple photograph on another phone. That's BAD, really bad.
The Iris sensor on the other hand is very hard to trick, needs special equipment to simulate the reflectivity of human irises in infrared light.

And if someone doesn't care about fingerprint sensors (for whatever reason), the back placed fingerprint thing on S8/S9 are simply not relevant. I for one never used it.

I feel that too many sacrifices have been made for the sake of the larger screen to body ratio.
/pass this gen, sorry but waiting for something different.
 
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Not forgetting the dreaded screen burn, though most samsung owners say it does not happen.
 

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If i could get the Touchwiz 3.0 Gui from Samsung on another phone I would.
 
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Because I really don't see how the experience "is better".
It's like switching from a 4790K to a 7700K. It's newer, it's faster, but the difference is so tiny that you can't really notice it.
Actually it's 30-40% faster in synthetic benchmarks. ;-)
It's hard to feel the difference, because S8/S9 are still fast enough. It should get noticeable later on.
And if someone doesn't care about fingerprint sensors (for whatever reason), the back placed fingerprint thing on S8/S9 are simply not relevant. I for one never used it.
This I don't understand at all. What's wrong with that placement? I find it much more comfortable than one on the front - be it a button (like older iPhones) or an in-screen one we get today. I leaves you more freedom in holding the phone, doesn't it?
 
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@notb both your and my statement are somewhat ambiguous, so I'll try to clarify:

Fingerprint sensor on the back = Bad
Fingerprint sensor on the front = Good
Not using fingerprint sensor at all = Not caring where it is.

That should do it.
 

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@notb both your and my statement are somewhat ambiguous, so I'll try to clarify:

Fingerprint sensor on the back = Bad
Fingerprint sensor on the front = Good
Not using fingerprint sensor at all = Not caring where it is.

That should do it.
Disagree with that, my pixel 2xl sensor is on the back and I prefer it miles over the placement of on my old galaxy s6
 
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Not forgetting the dreaded screen burn, though most samsung owners say it does not happen.

Have had 2 Samsung phones, neither had any screen burn in, yet my Moto X first gen did get it after ~3 years.
 

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That is one of the other reasons I recommended BLU. Many of their models have user replaceable batteries, which is one of the reasons I own a BLU phone.

Yeah easy access battery cannot be overstated. I'm just too used to the Samsung screens now, and got really picky. With a new battery I should be good for another 3-4 years at least until 5G might be generally available and usable. I don't see the phone CPU itself getting outdated any time soon, just security updates will probably be discontinued.
 

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Yeah easy access battery cannot be overstated. I'm just too used to the Samsung screens now, and got really picky. With a new battery I should be good for another 3-4 years at least until 5G might be generally available and usable. I don't see the phone CPU itself getting outdated any time soon, just security updates will probably be discontinued.

Custom roms extend functions
 
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Yeah easy access battery cannot be overstated.
Yup... it makes the phone bigger, kills build quality and water resistance...

I don't understand why you need it so much. This was important a decade ago, when we used phones for longer and the batteries were worse.

Still, assuming you want to use the phone for longer than 2 years, it's not a bad idea to replace the battery.
I can have S9 battery replaced for around $50-70 in an authorized service point. This means I get a service warranty and a paper that it has been done properly (keeping the IP rating) - in case it's still covered by original warranty.
A battery alone costs $30.
In other words: it costs me extra $40 to have a slimmer, waterproof phone. This has to be one of the best deals available... People spend more on cases.
 
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Why do you assume he wants to use custom firmware?

I was stating my personal reasons for avoiding Samsung on principle. It has nothing to do with my end reccomendation and everything to do with me admitting I'm not up to date on them. Quit being so worrisome, no one was attacking Samsung beyond what they already do.

Yup... it makes the phone bigger, kills build quality and water resistance...

There have been water resistant small phones with a replacable battery, but hey, whatever you tell yourself at night.

And although it wasn't actually certified, there are posts showing even the good ol' LG G3 was pretty much waterproof up to 5 meters. And it had a fricking plastic case with detatchable back.

batteries were worse.

Batteries honestly haven't improved much, if at all. We're still on Lithium Ion.

Custom roms extend functions

More than that, they provide security updates OEMs notoriously neglect for months and months on end. But I wasn't even going to go there.
 
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Custom roms extend functions
And they usually ruin the experience. :)

A huge team of designers and programmers made your phone as good as they though it can be. But you decide that a custom ROM made by a random bloke is better...

It's like those people that modify cars in small 3rd party workshops.
At BMW 200 people with engineering PhDs designed and tested the engine and the suspension, so that the car offers the best possible compromise of performance and safety.
But some people still hope that a random mechanic will make it better. :)
 
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There have been water resistant small phones with a replacable battery, but hey, whatever you tell yourself at night.
I'm not saying you can't make a small phone with a replaceable battery.
But making the battery easy to replace makes the phone bigger and heavier. It's a principle.
Adding water resistance will make it even worse because of all the seals that have to be included.
And although it wasn't actually certified, there are posts showing even the good ol' LG G3 was pretty much waterproof up to 5 meters. And it had a fricking plastic case with detatchable back.
Waterproofing only makes sense if it's confirmed by the manufacturer.
 
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