Thats what I was expecting with the Moto X, but it would almost always last me just about 24 hours. HTC One is about 7 - 10 hours depending on how much I use it. I rRooted mine and put Sense 6 on it yesterday, one of the best phone's Ive used
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Best 2013 Android phone for camera & battery life?
- Thread starter ozaz
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Thats what I was expecting with the Moto X, but it would almost always last me just about 24 hours. HTC One is about 7 - 10 hours depending on how much I use it. I rRooted mine and put Sense 6 on it yesterday, one of the best phone's Ive used
I've been reading a bit about the camera on the LG G2. Despite some very good qualities of the camera (in particular, OIS) I notice there is (or at least was) as problem with shutter lag.
Most of the reviews were written shortly after the phone was released so I'm wondering if this is still a problem or if it has been improved with software updates?
Does the GS4 have issues with shutter lag?
Most of the reviews were written shortly after the phone was released so I'm wondering if this is still a problem or if it has been improved with software updates?
Does the GS4 have issues with shutter lag?
If it has to be a 13', S4 Google Edition, that way your not locked by the bootloader like the AT&T etc version. Can root and rom to tweak better (personally vanilla android is completely boring and lacking in features to me, even more plain then iOS lol). Touchwhiz camera is great as sammy does some niffty optimizations and options, could pry find a zip copy of it on XDA to install.
After updating my Verizon G2 to kitkat earlier today I have to put another vote towards the G2. This phone is just as smooth and snappy as the Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 but with a better price tag.
In regards to shutter lag mentioned above the time to focus isn't the fastest by any means.
In regards to shutter lag mentioned above the time to focus isn't the fastest by any means.
The G2, M8 and S5 are all going to be close enough to negate the differences in battery life.
All will give 10hrs of wifi browsing.
I think you could probably split the battery life differences and focus on skin features, "feel", build type and overall user preference.
All will give 10hrs of wifi browsing.
I think you could probably split the battery life differences and focus on skin features, "feel", build type and overall user preference.
G2 without a doubt. I sold my Iphone 5S and couldn't be happier. I was leery of the buttons on the back, but I never use them. I use the knock knock feature to turn it on. Optical image stabilization, wireless charging and a fantastic display in an efficient form size makes this the best phone out there right now.
If battery life and camera are your requirements then I would say the S5. You can't beat the camera. The battery life is great. I usually get almost 2 days of use for me. Then throw in the water resistance and it adds great value. But the G2 is a very nice phone as well. The G3 is rumored to be right around the corner.....
Thank you for input, but just a reminder the thread is intended to be about 2013 phones
Thanks for all the comments on this thread. It really helped focus my choice to just GS4 vs G2 
Initially I was leaning toward the G2 due to far more recommendations on this thread, optical image stabilisation in the camera, and slightly better battery life across the reviews that I've read. However, in the end I've gone for the GS4.
My reasons were: 1) GS4s were cheaper on ebay than I expected (perhaps driven by people upgrading to GS5). In particular 16GB GS4 + 32GB microSD card was considerably cheaper than 32GB G2. 2) I became slightly concerned about reports of shutter lag on the G2 that I read in some reviews. 3) I expect I'll appreciate the user-replacebale battery on the GS4 when travelling. 4) I thought it might be interesting to give the controversial touchwiz a go for myself.
I've been using the GS4 for a week now and I'm very happy with it. Most importantly, the battery life and camera are more than satisfactory for my needs. Furthermore, touchwiz has not been problematic for me at all. I don't notice the lag that everyone warns about. However, I've turned off all the fluff (gestures, eye tracking etc) and animations, and replaced a number of the touchwiz apps/interfaces (keyboard, calender, contacts, dialler, messaging) with alternatives that I liked using on my previous phone. The only major interface difference I now regularly notice in relation to my Moto G are the settings, notification centre, and in-call display. But I got used to these changes very quickly.
Initially I was leaning toward the G2 due to far more recommendations on this thread, optical image stabilisation in the camera, and slightly better battery life across the reviews that I've read. However, in the end I've gone for the GS4.
My reasons were: 1) GS4s were cheaper on ebay than I expected (perhaps driven by people upgrading to GS5). In particular 16GB GS4 + 32GB microSD card was considerably cheaper than 32GB G2. 2) I became slightly concerned about reports of shutter lag on the G2 that I read in some reviews. 3) I expect I'll appreciate the user-replacebale battery on the GS4 when travelling. 4) I thought it might be interesting to give the controversial touchwiz a go for myself.
I've been using the GS4 for a week now and I'm very happy with it. Most importantly, the battery life and camera are more than satisfactory for my needs. Furthermore, touchwiz has not been problematic for me at all. I don't notice the lag that everyone warns about. However, I've turned off all the fluff (gestures, eye tracking etc) and animations, and replaced a number of the touchwiz apps/interfaces (keyboard, calender, contacts, dialler, messaging) with alternatives that I liked using on my previous phone. The only major interface difference I now regularly notice in relation to my Moto G are the settings, notification centre, and in-call display. But I got used to these changes very quickly.
I'm not trying to replace my dedicated camera with a smartphone camera. But its not much use when I don't have it with me day to day.
Yup. The only phone that has a camera that (under certain circumstances - most importantly, in broad sunlight) surpass the likes of the RX100 WRT corner sharpness / detail level - the Nokia 808. All other phones are sometimes considerably worse.
I do miss the 808 and would be tempted to get another one if only I could put up with symbian. I find it strange that no other manufacturer has yet to better that amazing camera. Perhaps there's just no demand for it?
It seems no one wants to release a thick cameraphone. Unfortunately, large sensors mean thick camera humps - this is (for me, unknown OIS constraints aside) why Nokia has also considerably decreased the sensor size in the 1020.
I only wish Samsung released a truly high-end S5 variant (no 2012/2013 processor / screen tech for me) with OIS, a wideangle prime lens and a huuuuuge sensor as they've (2014 tech aside) done with the new Galaxy K but catering for the optical zoom folks. I'd be the first to purchase it.
Just remember that it's only the Sony Compacts that have decent hardware and identical camera. The LG G2 Mini, for example, has not only considerably slower hardware, but also worse camera.
(And there's still no Z2 Compact. The Z1 Compact, just like the Z1, is a big no-go for a camera enthusiast. The Z2 is better but still can't deliver the same IQ as even the 1020, let alone the 808.)
Regrettably, all Nokia X models suck if you need a great camera & decent hardware - they're low-end models.