[mrich]

Apps aside, I can recommend putting the latest beta MIUI ROM on the Samsung. The default Samsung UI is kind of ugly in my opinion. With MIUI you get a beautiful interface which is very customizable. Standard disclaimers apply.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1130951

[mkopinsky]

For someone currently happily using a dumbphone, who recently had an embarrassing experience that could have been prevented if I had a GPS and is now considering drinking the kool-aid, what can you tell me about the standard disclaimers? I know that rooting the phone means you lose your warranty, but what I'm not sure of is a) how easy is it to restore the original ROM so that VZW can't tell the difference, b) how much value a warranty has anyway. When my last cell phone broke Verizon didn't offer to fix it, I had to get a new phone using an upgrade.

[mrich]

First, I can definitely recommend getting a smartphone. I'm normally a late adoptor, but I am glad I switched relatively early to a smartphone. I ran into people now and then who tell me they don't need their phone to do X, they just want to call people, but I'm sure once they have all the functionality in one device they would never give it back.

Regarding risks, I ran into a problem with the custom MIUI ROM where I couldn't boot the phone anymore. I was scared there for a second (since I couldn't even get into the recovery mode) but I just found the current official Samsung firmware, flashed it and everything ran fine again. You can tell though that it has been modified, since each flash of a firmware increase an internal counter. So in theory there is always the risk of a bricked phone or voided warranty. But I don't know anybody who had this happen.

[mkopinsky]

For me, so far it's been a lifestyle choice. Seeing the extent to which I am addicted to my computer and am totally glued to it when it's turned on, I am scared the same will happen with a smartphone. On the other hand, being able to look something up quickly on a smartphone might make it easier to keep the computer off and engage with life.

[qjz]

FWIW, I was once like you and resisted getting a smartphone for quite a while. Now I'm no longer chained to my desk. I can go on an epic bike ride, chart it with GPS, and never miss an important email. If anything, the smartphone has given me more freedom, improved my health, and increased my awareness of my surroundings (never get lost, locate nearby businesses/attractions, leave the house more often). The nice thing about a smartphone is that it spends most of the time in your pocket. You only pull it out when you need it.

[axiomotion]

Flashing back to the stock rom/kernel in Samsung phones takes about 10 minutes with a tool called odin.

[flexd]

I actually find myself liking the TouchWiz interface over HTC Sense. I've tried others HTC phones before and my SGS2 is the first android device I've owned. It's quite nice so I haven't bothered changing roms yet. I might if there's a significant battery usage improvement though.

[mrich]

I came from a Motorola Milestone/Droid which has a higher-res screen and the big font/menus of the S2 was a real turnoff for me first. I even thought about getting an HTC Sensation which has a slick UI with small fonts. But once I put MIUI on it I never looked back, the UI is just beautiful (a little iPhone-inspired though, but not copying the bad things - e.g. the 'back' button in the upper left corner). Don't think you will see battery improvements since the UI is mostly black-on-white as opposed to the default, which is suboptimal for AMOLEDs.

[mrich]

Update: This is the current version (known bugs are listed) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1278306

[riams]

From what I can gather, the MIUI SGS2 port isn't officially supported by MIUI, and has a few bugs and issues. Do you think it's good enough to use on a day-to-day basis?

[mrich]

There are some bugs, and with the beta I had two months ago I ended up in a state where the phone wouldn't boot anymore. Afterwards I flashed it again and didn't have any problems since. Haven't updated to the latest version though. Everything I need works (so basically all the features of the phone).