Just got an S4... any must-have apps?

[foggyb]

My must-have apps list:

Es File Explorer
Fing Network Tools
Astrid Tasks
Photo Editor
Groove IP
MyWeather Mobile
Adaway
Chrome
Unified Remote (paid)

[Rampion]

Yep, I really did.  Lots of little things I just really didn't like about it.  The keyboard is terrible (all of them), the screen is very hard to see in sunlight, some apps are $10 or $20 on Android while free on iOS, I can't go from the lock screen straight to taking a picture, taking a screenshot of the phone didn't work 80% of the time, etc.  The iPhone just does everything I want it to do except Bitcoin (hopefully more support in that area will come soon), so I switched back.

You sound like me switching from an iPhone.
"Lots of little things I just really didn't like about it. The keyboard is terrible (there's no way to try even one other), the screen is tiny, the appstore is blatantly censored for political views and there's no way to sideload apps, I can't use lockscreen widgets (or widgets at all), can't replace the battery (useful on long trips), can't expand the tiny storage space with an SD card, no Bitcoin allowed, etc etc. Android does everything I want it to, so I switched to it.

Agree that the screen is smaller than I'd like it to be on the iPhone, but it's too big on the S4 for some things... I never really decided if I liked the 5" screen size or not.  1080p was awesome, but I couldn't one-hand it across the entire screen like I can on the iPhone.  It's more like using a tablet instead of using a phone.

App store censoring is annoying, lockscreen widgets are cool, I agree, and replacing the battery and storage is awesome.  The downsides just threw me off too much though.  I'll probably try the latest and greatest Android offering in another year and a half, when I am again eligible for an upgrade, and see if I like it.

The keyboard is way better on the iPhone though.  It actually autocorrects properly.    If you do so much as add an extra letter on the S4, it would come up with all sorts of words you didn't want.  The iPhone's autocorrect is just a lot smarter, and means I can type essentially without looking and very quickly, and it almost always comes out how I wanted it to, even though every other letter was mistyped.

It's true that the iPhone keyboard is better than the Samsung one - but Swiftkey (a third party app which replaces the Samsung KeyBoard) is WAY superior to both of them. You can actually fully customize it, it learns the way you write and it pretty much "writes all alone by itself". Plus, on Swiftkey you can set up three preferred languages for the autocorrection, so you do not need to switch between languages when writing. I know many english speakers only write in english, but for many of us who use +3 languages per day is a HUGE advantage.

I think you shoud have given a little bit more time to your Android - it's true that iPhone works pretty good "out of the box", while on the contrary you need to tweak the Android for it to really shine. But, as soon as you have put a little amount to work in it (downloading the widgets that are relevant for you, replacing the keyboard and other apps that control key functions), you will discover a world where "everything is possible", while on iOS you are locked inside Apple's very limited world.

[Rampion]

My must have Apps:

1password
Evernote
Google Authenticator
Waze
K-9 mail (WAY superior to the built-in mail app)
Dropbox
Spotify
Whatsapp
JuiceDefender
Skype
My Bank's app
Smart Tools
Bitcoin Widget
Bitcoinium

[wolverine.ks]

I like litecoin widget better than bitcoin widget.
litecoin widget is able to display a whole bunch of coins including bitcoin and it's faster to refresh the price

[compro01]

also, i would suggest getting Cyanogenmod flashed to your phone. Its available for Rogers and TMobile versions of the S4, last time I checked. There may be unofficial builds for the other carriers.

Let me know if you get Cyanogenmod up and running on a Galaxy S4 (AT&T)

The issue is that AT&T (and Verison) S4s have locked bootloaders, though an temporary (you need to redo it every time you flash) exploit is available.

[foggyb]

Here's the ultimate battery saving app. I just found it and its already saving me tons of battery life. These smart phones suck power like crack addicts.

Its called DS Battery Saver Pro.

This app simply puts your phone in deep sleep timer. It will wake up after a set period, turn on all network devices, sync, and then go back to sleep after a specified time. So far with this app my phone uses 3% battery per hour, that's 30+ hours with very lite use, waking every 15 minutes to sync.

Unfortunately if you need to answer all incoming voice calls then this app will not work for you.

[SgtSpike]

Yep, I really did.  Lots of little things I just really didn't like about it.  The keyboard is terrible (all of them), the screen is very hard to see in sunlight, some apps are $10 or $20 on Android while free on iOS, I can't go from the lock screen straight to taking a picture, taking a screenshot of the phone didn't work 80% of the time, etc.  The iPhone just does everything I want it to do except Bitcoin (hopefully more support in that area will come soon), so I switched back.

You sound like me switching from an iPhone.
"Lots of little things I just really didn't like about it. The keyboard is terrible (there's no way to try even one other), the screen is tiny, the appstore is blatantly censored for political views and there's no way to sideload apps, I can't use lockscreen widgets (or widgets at all), can't replace the battery (useful on long trips), can't expand the tiny storage space with an SD card, no Bitcoin allowed, etc etc. Android does everything I want it to, so I switched to it.

Agree that the screen is smaller than I'd like it to be on the iPhone, but it's too big on the S4 for some things... I never really decided if I liked the 5" screen size or not.  1080p was awesome, but I couldn't one-hand it across the entire screen like I can on the iPhone.  It's more like using a tablet instead of using a phone.

App store censoring is annoying, lockscreen widgets are cool, I agree, and replacing the battery and storage is awesome.  The downsides just threw me off too much though.  I'll probably try the latest and greatest Android offering in another year and a half, when I am again eligible for an upgrade, and see if I like it.

The keyboard is way better on the iPhone though.  It actually autocorrects properly.    If you do so much as add an extra letter on the S4, it would come up with all sorts of words you didn't want.  The iPhone's autocorrect is just a lot smarter, and means I can type essentially without looking and very quickly, and it almost always comes out how I wanted it to, even though every other letter was mistyped.

It's true that the iPhone keyboard is better than the Samsung one - but Swiftkey (a third party app which replaces the Samsung KeyBoard) is WAY superior to both of them. You can actually fully customize it, it learns the way you write and it pretty much "writes all alone by itself". Plus, on Swiftkey you can set up three preferred languages for the autocorrection, so you do not need to switch between languages when writing. I know many english speakers only write in english, but for many of us who use +3 languages per day is a HUGE advantage.

I think you shoud have given a little bit more time to your Android - it's true that iPhone works pretty good "out of the box", while on the contrary you need to tweak the Android for it to really shine. But, as soon as you have put a little amount to work in it (downloading the widgets that are relevant for you, replacing the keyboard and other apps that control key functions), you will discover a world where "everything is possible", while on iOS you are locked inside Apple's very limited world.

I'll probably dive back in to the Android world in 18 months again, we'll see.  But yes, I wish I would have had a chance to try out the swiftkey keyboard.

For now though, I am quite enjoying the addition of an iPad to my arsenal of electronics, due to the money saved by just using my old iPhone and selling the S4.