Related
I have prepared this thread to help myself and others compare and contrast the different phones and hopefully come to a decision here. If anyone has anything to add to the comparison that I have missed, please list it and we can get it all chocked up.
For the record. I have only listed something as a "Disadvantage" if I believe that the category is below what we would expect of the average Android.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advantages:
ATRIX
Battery Life - This is a big thing for me. I can make my vibrant last through a 14 hour day by crippling every single possible feature. But people here are saying that the Atrix runs solid though 30 hour periods. This is a huge plus for me.
Higher Resolution (even if its fake) - Even though this resolution is fake and can actually cause text to blur, I can say first-hand that I saw the screen in action at a local wal-mart and found it to be acceptable by my standards. I think it may help overall with browsing. The GS2 has a larger screen size, and no pentile matrix display, which could possibly be considered better. This is one that may work out to be a tie.
Tegra 2 - I list this as an advantage not because it is faster, the various benchmarks for either processor seem to be inconclusive at this point. I am listing it as an advantage because it has its own series of games optimized specifically for it, and because Google has chosen to build their framework around tegra 2.
Webtop - I am initially hesitant to even mention this. The phone has a webtop environment, it is most likely Debian Linux and it is said to also be very sluggish. If, in the future, devs gain access to this environment and find ways to optimize it and add in worthy apps such as Chrome and open office, then this will be a massive advantage, but right now it is pretty much just a gimmick.
The webtop interface retains its session when you disconnect it. So you can plug the phone back into another dock and go right back to what you were doing. This is one of the good things about webtop.
Laptop Dock - We all know it is hideously overpriced right now and maybe in the future a cheaper solution will be available. But regardless of how you get the dock, it is an advantage to run your apps in full screen, even if you don't use the sluggish webtop interface and firefox.
The dock charges your phone, but plays sound through your atrix speakers, it has no speakers of it's own, you can answer calls by removing the phone, picking it up on bluetooth or by just yelling at it from behind the laptop. The phone retains its session when you remove it and there is no special unmounting procedure, you just grab it and run.
GALAXY S2
Screen - Bright beautiful and extremely rich. Those who have seen the screen firsthand have claimed that there is nothing like it at all and that it is miles above even the old Super Amoled display. The 4.3 inch size is also a bonus for those of us with large hands. This is probably the best overall feature of the Galaxy S2.
Camera - 8 Megapixels, and 2 megapixel front facing camera. People say that megapixels don't really matter in the long run but the Atrix camera is also said to have a purple wash to it and that the video can be splotchy in certain situations.
Design - Even though it looks way too much like the iPhone, this phone actually looks exceptionally nice. I like the three button design much better than the 4, the search button is pretty useless overall. The thinness of this phone is also amazing if you are into that sort of thing. Naturally it may come down to the US carriers to ruin the design, but by it will likely be summer before that happens.
32GB internal storage - Expect to pay for it, but it is there, you get 64 gigs total with this phone.
Gingerbread - The Atrix won't likely get gingerbread until at least this summer, this phone will have it much sooner if you get the international version coming sometime this quarter.
Gyroscope - This phone has it, do any apps support it? Not sure, but it is there.
NFC - In the off chance that any stores upgrade to NFC this year, you will have the ability to use it. NFC may have other uses that we haven't envisioned yet. It is a protocol, so it can be applied to just about anything. You could potentially set it up to unlock your home, cars could start with it, whatever.
So it has a lot of potential use other than having your money stolen from you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disadvantages:
ATRIX
Bootloader - To sum it up for those not familiar, the phone can be rooted, a custom ROM can be flashed, but the kernel cannot be altered at all. (someone will likely correct me here) but if part or all of the webtop code is contained in the kernel somehow it will be difficult to alter it to add new software or make it run more efficiently. This would be a terrible shame.
I can tell you that Team Whiskey has made my Vibrant browse faster than I have seen in Atrix videos, with half the memory and a single core processor. It is scary to think of what this phone could actually accomplish if Moto decided to allow it.
Motoblur - I read that this requires you to sign up for an account before you can even use the phone. I find it alarming that Motorola has decided to help themselves to all this information and it makes me wonder just exactly what they really have access to and why.
Crippled FM radio - WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY. All of these phones have both transmitters and receivers for FM. So can someone tell me why in god's name anyone would disable them? FM radio has many more uses than just listening to local stations and why again should I have to burn my limited data on
internet radio when there is a receiver right in my phone?
GALAXY S2
Heat - My current Galaxy S runs very hot already, if the screen is active while the phone is being charged it will heat up to what seems to be a very dangerous temperature. The pre-release Galaxy S2 was said to be scorching hot after running with the screen on and the charger active.
Fail File System, Hideous and crippling lag - Update: the galaxy S2 is said to not use RFS. Chock one up for Samsung.
Updates - Samsung has a horrible reputation for updates when working with US carriers, even for new phones. If it was not for this community I would have likely given up on Android and Samsung altogether. Although I know that part of the update delay has been t-mobile, it is also in Samsung's interests to ship out new phones instead of updating their old ones.
Battery Life I have a feeling that Samsung tried to push the limits to get their phone to be as thin as possible and I am worried that they have done so at the expense of battery life. We won't know for sure until it gets in people's hands but I expect the battery life to be subpar.
NO HID Bluetooth Support (possibly) - I have had a black wiimote sitting here for 6 months waiting to connect to my Vibrant. I love emulated classics but action games are near impossible to play with the on-screen kb. So if you want this feature, I would make sure that the GS2 has it first, because it is not likely that it will.
Availability - What it really comes down to now. Unless you want to shell out over 1000 for the phone, you will probably need to wait 5 months from now for any kind of US availability this summer. And don't doubt that those versions will become crippled and even more bloated in the process. But again there is no locked bootloader here.
Ok I think that covers it. Having written all this down, I think I am really leaning more toward the Atrix. There just doesn't seem to be anything else out there now that will be able to match it at the moment. And as you can see, our experience with Samsung has not been exceptional.
Good comparison there. I am also looking at the exact 2 models and thank you very much, looks like Atrix will too be my choice.
I guess I'll get the atrix laptop dock too and prays for the devs here to make it all better. Otherwise, I think its still a good piece of hardware I don't mind owning.
""Samsung's dual-core, Gingerbread-powered Galaxy S II has appeared on Play.co.uk alongside a tentative SIM-free price and release date. According to Play, which is currently taking pre-orders for the phone, it'll ship Mar. 31 for £599.99 (~$960). Pre-release prices are never guaranteed to be accurate and are always subject to change, but £599 seams like a realistic price point for the Galaxy S II, as it's slightly higher than current single-core offerings from other manufacturers.""
Just published at androidcentral. £599.99 (~$960)?? Get a grip..
Not bad, just a couple of things to note that I thought of while reading. First, the screen resolution can be arguable considering the Pentile screen that the Atrix uses. That gives the SGS2 more sub pixels, but then it's a bigger screen, so less (I believe) pixel density still... it's really kind of a toss up, but I think they will both look great. I think the lower resolution and bigger screen on the SGS2 will look just fine with the full 3 subpixels per pixel.
Also, the SGS2 looks nothing like an iPhone. I wish people would stop saying that about every phone that comes out. Apparently every square black phone with a screen is an iPhone now.
And also it's been reported that the SGS2 does not use RFS.
The Galaxy S2 looks like a great phone, but even as much as I hate Motorola's implementation of the lockdown...I can't *STAND* Samsung for updates. They've promised up and down that they would release updates for every phone since Android came out, and they've delivered on about 3 of those promises...out of probably 20. They are *HORRIBLE* at updating devices and they don't even apologize when they cancel. I would *never* buy a Samsung on the hopes that it would get an updated OS.
As for the screens, I don't really notice much of a difference. I'm a pretty severe audiophile and videophile and although I can tell a difference it's absolutely not enough to make me go with one phone over another. I'm coming from an iPhone 4 which has the best screen to date on a mobile phone...and even between that and my Atrix I barely see a difference. They're both fantastic screens.
hotleadsingerguy said:
The Galaxy S2 looks like a great phone, but even as much as I hate Motorola's implementation of the lockdown...I can't *STAND* Samsung for updates. They've promised up and down that they would release updates for every phone since Android came out, and they've delivered on about 3 of those promises...out of probably 20. They are *HORRIBLE* at updating devices and they don't even apologize when they cancel. I would *never* buy a Samsung on the hopes that it would get an updated OS.
As for the screens, I don't really notice much of a difference. I'm a pretty severe audiophile and videophile and although I can tell a difference it's absolutely not enough to make me go with one phone over another. I'm coming from an iPhone 4 which has the best screen to date on a mobile phone...and even between that and my Atrix I barely see a difference. They're both fantastic screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The updates aren't really an issue for people who visit sites like this. I would never rely on Samsung to update my phone. My Captivate has been running 2.2 for ages while they just released the update for everyone else. Yes, Samsung sucks at updating, but the hacking community will always get it done regardless.
I must be the only one, but i use the search hotkey absolutely all the time. I love it and I realize that you can hold menu for the same effect on the SGS2, but i'd prefer to have the 4th hotkey than their ugly stupid home button. It is not an iPhone, embrace uniqueness samsung.
eallan said:
I must be the only one, but i use the search hotkey absolutely all the time. I love it and I realize that you can hold menu for the same effect on the SGS2, but i'd prefer to have the 4th hotkey than their ugly stupid home button. It is not an iPhone, embrace uniqueness samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really miss the hardware home key! The orientation of the 4 buttons makes it a bit awkward to thumb navigate since its so close to the bottom. Its actually one of the things about the sgs2 that is making me think twice about my atrix. Despite how much I love it.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Man_of_Leisure said:
I really miss the hardware home key! The orientation of the 4 buttons makes it a bit awkward to thumb navigate since its so close to the bottom. Its actually one of the things about the sgs2 that is making me think twice about my atrix. Despite how much I love it.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't mind if the buttons were hardware, thats another debate. I just want all four of them!
The back button is beyond crucial. Maybe back and home should be two hardware with the other capacitive? For symmetry, obviously a concern for samsung .
I definitely want the new Galaxy S 2. I've heard that the Atrix was a huge let down. I used to own a Captivate and I loved everything about it except the ****ty build quality and lack of flash for the camera. It was so smooth with voodoo and custom roms. The Galaxy S 2 will have an amazing screen and I think it will do average on battery consumption. Just my 2 cents
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
King Shady said:
I definitely want the new Galaxy S 2. I've heard that the Atrix was a huge let down. I used to own a Captivate and I loved everything about it except the ****ty build quality and lack of flash for the camera. It was so smooth with voodoo and custom roms. The Galaxy S 2 will have an amazing screen and I think it will do average on battery consumption. Just my 2 cents
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
****ty build quality? Like hardware wise? I personally think the Captivate is the nicest of all of the Galaxy S phones. The hardware itself has been absolutely wonderful for me. The software quality leaves a lot to be desired from a stock standpoint though.
AJerman said:
****ty build quality? Like hardware wise? I personally think the Captivate is the nicest of all of the Galaxy S phones. The hardware itself has been absolutely wonderful for me. The software quality leaves a lot to be desired from a stock standpoint though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The plastic build was a huge downgrade for me, especially coming from a beautiful iPhone 4. I'm much happier with the Inspire 4G now though. HTC Sense is amazing and super smooth, and HTC build quality is great. The phone feels ultra solid.
SGS2 is apparently RFS-free. Also, some versions will have Tegra2 instead of Exynos - hope this includes us.
People knock Samsung's plastic designs, but they're actually a lot harder to break than the "well-built" iPhone 4.
Very good write up man, these are the posts that I like to see.
By looking at my signature, you can see that I just got the Atrix as well, and I love the phone. Amazingly fast, awesome screen (love the higher density and the effect itbhas on the overall experience), and the battery is pretty good too.
I'm seriously thinking about buying the laptop dock, but I don't know how well that will perform, and I haven't seen any live videos of it.
I really like the design and specs of the GS 2, but there are a lot of possible problems holding me back....
Rooted/ROM Captivate (For Sale)
Rooted Atrix
FLAC Vest said:
Very good write up man, these are the posts that I like to see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot, bro.
I am no engineer and I can't build tools. But I can put a few thoughts together and provide someone with some information.
This is an amazing community and what people do here is outstanding, I just want to do what I can to add to that.
King Shady said:
The plastic build was a huge downgrade for me, especially coming from a beautiful iPhone 4. I'm much happier with the Inspire 4G now though. HTC Sense is amazing and super smooth, and HTC build quality is great. The phone feels ultra solid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S2 looks like meizu m9
I have both and a Galaxy S 2 on order
Why? I really liked the Captivate. My plan was to use both but the Atrix is so much more fun to use I'm selling the Captivate. Well, maybe. Maybe not.
Yesterday after I removed the SIM card and replaced it, the Atrix went bonkers with freezes and instability issues. After numerous soft resets, two factory resets and replacing the SIM card, SD card and battery a couple of times it seems to be back to normal. I suspect I had reinserted the SIM card incorrectly but maybe there was another issue.
So why would I pay $1000 for the Galaxy S 2? The Captivate was that much fun. Although I'm sure we will be able to do more custom rom's shortly on the Atrix, the Galaxy S 2 sounds like an even bigger blast than either. And boy oh boy does that LG 3D look interesting. But you have to draw the line somewhere.
Here is what the Atrix has that the Captivate does not:
1-better graphics and screen quality, dynamic and vivid visuals, a joy to read and watch (text as well as video quality is sharp and crisp, very clear)
2-more interactive features with outside devices (i.e. computers)
3-interacts more efficiently with e mail, voice and text programs (really like the way it handles multiple incoming calls especially when you are already on one-notification, instructions and directions for handling)(I can now actually use Excel spreadsheets and Word documents) (works well with contacts)
4-updated browser can handle more types of video content and pop up windows better
5-it feels better when you hold and talk or watch or do most anything with it (I did make one call and even though I could hear the other party clearly they could not hear me-I do not what happened.)
My friends all tell me I should get an iphone. I had one for years and the Androids are far more fun. I'll never return. I don't think. LG 3D anyone?
I think Tegra2 is actually a disadvantage for Atrix 4G.
As a new generation dualcore processor, it's early, but not strong.
It's video playback ability of H.264 is limited, but H.264 is currently the most frequently played format.
It has no neon support, big loss on processing power.
Till now Tegra2 has not proven itself in Graphics power. In benchmarks it's no superior to Hummingbird.
However the performance of Mali400MP on GS2 is also questionable, so just wait and see...
hotleadsingerguy said:
The Galaxy S2 looks like a great phone, but even as much as I hate Motorola's implementation of the lockdown...I can't *STAND* Samsung for updates. They've promised up and down that they would release updates for every phone since Android came out, and they've delivered on about 3 of those promises...out of probably 20. They are *HORRIBLE* at updating devices and they don't even apologize when they cancel. I would *never* buy a Samsung on the hopes that it would get an updated OS.
As for the screens, I don't really notice much of a difference. I'm a pretty severe audiophile and videophile and although I can tell a difference it's absolutely not enough to make me go with one phone over another. I'm coming from an iPhone 4 which has the best screen to date on a mobile phone...and even between that and my Atrix I barely see a difference. They're both fantastic screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 great post!
King Shady said:
The plastic build was a huge downgrade for me, especially coming from a beautiful iPhone 4. I'm much happier with the Inspire 4G now though. HTC Sense is amazing and super smooth, and HTC build quality is great. The phone feels ultra solid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See, I don't understand that. There is far less plastic on the Captivate than the majority of the phones out there. The front is all glass, and the back is mostly metal. It's only the top and bottom on the back that are plastic, and they have both felt very solid to me since I got the phone on launch day. I came from an iPhone 4 as well, and granted nothing compares to the iPhone 4 in build quality, the Captivate definitely doesn't seem bad at all to me.
As long as you're happy with what you have now though, that's what matters. I just think the Inspire is a bit of a waste of money considering it's lack of power compared to all the other phones coming out now. It feels like it's last generation still. I did play with it a little at the AT&T store though, and it seemed nice. If it had come out last summer with the Captivate (even if it didn't have 4G), I might have gotten it. Now I'm going to wait until a dual core offering I like though.
Thought you guys might like this
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF3FBC87CED31C34B&feature=mh_lolz
I've been in London at the Launch event. Let me know if you have any questions
I enjoyed your comparison videos alot, thanks for that.
I have a question. What was your impression of the screen in person next to the One X, or in general for that matter? When you first saw the display was there anything that put you off about it? Or are all the 'pentile haters' exagerating?
Cheers!
Is that a screen burn in for the iPhone?
Does the Galaxy S3 really look as bad in person as in the pictures?
I really liked the look of the One X over the s3, but like the s3 features more. Btw nice comparison
HaloMediaz said:
Does the Galaxy S3 really look as bad in person as in the pictures?
I really liked the look of the One X over the s3, but like the s3 features more. Btw nice comparison
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that i'm looking at it without the hype glass, I think this is one of the most beautiful phones ever created. The lines just flow and I love it's minimalist approach. Can't wait to own such a beautiful and powerful device! Kudos to Sammy!
Very nice videos thanks. Gs3 design is growing on me.
Sent from my iPad 2 using Tapatalk
Liked all your videos.. Iphone looks like ****.. lol
And HOX is running ahead by an hour in time, thanks to the 1.5GHZ processor as compared to 1.4GHZ of SGS3..
Appreciate your sharing these videos, puts a close up + personal perspective on all the media frenzy of this past week............can't wait to hear availability dates / final specs for US version..............more videos!
..........sent from today's android 4.0.4
Check this iPhone 4S vs SGS3
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-S-III-vs-Apple-iPhone-4S_id3038
Pretty nice
SGS3 smokes the iPhone.
But I found it almost painful to watch, how this apple fanboy tries to find a positive aspect for his love.
It was nice to see how he destroyed the myth of easier use, when he showed the music player, or how you get movies on your device (pocket cinema)
Why not compare it with next iWhatever to be fare ?
We are basically comparing everything with iPhone4s and that itself says all ..
Strictly not apple or android fanboy as both have its own set of advantages and disadvantages
Sent from Galaxy Ace which just landed on "MOON"
"There shouldn't be any doubt that the iPhone 4S is the better-designed handset." I agree with that, although I know I should keep my mouth shut until I have actually held the SGS3 in my hands. But I do feel that the iPhone sports a well thought-out design, and it does feel premium, although it's kinda heavy for being a 3.5" device, no?
"Apart from its multimedia superiority, the Galaxy S III is also the better phone if you love tinkering with the software of your mobile device." Exactly. I have enjoyed my time with the iPhone, I really have, but it's getting boring now. I've had it for a year and now I want to tinker. I want to mod. I want to change icons and I want to flash kernels. I want to try out experimental ROMs that cause bootloops. I want that kind of fun back! I love the way you can truly personalize an Android device. I miss that and I want that back.
Winterboard, you say? Oh yay, I can choose from 2,000 ugly themes to apply, and they'll all make my phone slower and less responsive? GTFO...
Really though, what's so wrong with Ray S? I think the last two paragraphs in this review really say it all and I agree with what he writes 100%
The iPhone doesn't suck! It's a really good phone if you want that simplicity! Ray doesn't suck either! He awards points to BOTH phones and I think he did a good job with this.
The review was a total joke, since he deliberately didn't mention many advantages of the GS3.
Design - 'iPhone has more premium feel', but of course he didn't say how much more durable plastic is and how fragile iPhone is.
Keyboards - of course he didn't mention that Galaxy phones come with Swype, or that you can install a number of 3rd party keyboards compared to no choice on iOS.
I could go on but it was not a very fair review at all.
S2 and the Note beat IPhone 4s. S3 is way too better.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA
madman_amit said:
Why not compare it with next iWhatever to be fare ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the point. He's comparing it to a, frankly, outdated phone and still spinning it to prop them both up equally.
The 4S, after all, was really an incremental update from the year before; I don't think a comparison even deserves to be made (the only reason it even comes up is because the 4S is Apple, oh my).
Unfortunately, it's just not feasible to compare it to the next iPhone, for obvious reasons.
Android phones have set certain standards in the last year, that a new iphone has to match or they won't have a chance IMHo. Really interested to see what they do about the screen size and how they will handle he resolution dilemma.
The iPhone is beginning to look and feel really old by now.
Phone Arena has a bias toward iPhone, as seen in their S3 review, we have gone over this in the previous thread. I think to compare an iPhone to Android by itself is a stupid concept. I mean if you were to give me an iPhone 4S right now, what would I do with it? I can do more thing and have more fun with a used $120 Galaxy S variant, no exaggeration.
Kiahnlliya said:
"There shouldn't be any doubt that the iPhone 4S is the better-designed handset." I agree with that, although I know I should keep my mouth shut until I have actually held the SGS3 in my hands. But I do feel that the iPhone sports a well thought-out design, and it does feel premium, although it's kinda heavy for being a 3.5" device, no?
"Apart from its multimedia superiority, the Galaxy S III is also the better phone if you love tinkering with the software of your mobile device." Exactly. I have enjoyed my time with the iPhone, I really have, but it's getting boring now. I've had it for a year and now I want to tinker. I want to mod. I want to change icons and I want to flash kernels. I want to try out experimental ROMs that cause bootloops. I want that kind of fun back! I love the way you can truly personalize an Android device. I miss that and I want that back.
Winterboard, you say? Oh yay, I can choose from 2,000 ugly themes to apply, and they'll all make my phone slower and less responsive? GTFO...
Really though, what's so wrong with Ray S? I think the last two paragraphs in this review really say it all and I agree with what he writes 100%
The iPhone doesn't suck! It's a really good phone if you want that simplicity! Ray doesn't suck either! He awards points to BOTH phones and I think he did a good job with this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kiahnlliya said:
I honestly don't get why people seem to be giving Ray S such a hard time... I actually like his reviews, both in written form and his videos as well... Maybe I just don't get it though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Issue i have with his every review is more of an opinion piece instead of an objective review. He has tendencies to amplify negatives that can be seen as positive things on non-apple devices.
also the conclusion that everyone who fits the criteria below to get an iphone? If he said things like ecosystem, itunes, etc then yeah i can see it but generalized conclusion that fits both device doesn't.
Phonearena said:
Apparently, those guys would be the kind of users who don't really pay so much attention to their smartphone, but still want something that's contemporary and reliable. Are your needs limited to the basic phone stuff, surfing the web, occasional social network check and maybe even playing a game every now and then, but you have no intention of spending hours of rooting, flashing ROMs and searching for the ultimate widget set? Well, you guessed it you'll be better off with the iPhone 4S, as it's designed just for you, buddy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My response from the other thread
Samsung Galaxy S2 is better than iPhone 4S. But my favourite feature on iPhone 4S is Siri. But I still like the iPhone, after comparing them also.
I was very impressed at the review posted on Android Police.
It's like they are reviewing a different tablet from the one I have.
It's a shame as people might be discouraged from buying a great product.
I personally wouldn't have bought it base on the article posted.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...iew-an-embarrassing-lazy-arrogant-money-grab/
My response (added to the comments on Android Police)
I do agree with some of the observations made by the reviewr.
However, I do like the tablet a lot, I really wasn't looking to buy a tablet when I drove to Bestbuy, but since my HTC flyer is not performing as it used to, and I love the pen, I decided to go with this one after testing it for a while.
And I have to say I like it, it's plenty fast, I do agree that the multi tasking is more a gimmick, but it's really not the reason why I bought it.
Something I do have to note, mine is not flexible at all, I was really amazed at your video. Mine will not flex or make any sounds. I does looks very plastic, but other than that I have nothing bad to say in regards to the built quality. I do miss the aluminum on my HTC flyer, but the overall construction of this device is really good.
I don't have misaligned issues or parts or corners that look out of place, it feels completely solid.
I guess that different people have different opinions and everyone has different needs or expectations for devices.
I do respect the point of view presented in this article, but also disagree with some of the observations.
I would recommend interested people to actually go and try it out yourself.
Also, something I did notice when I started playing with it, is that mine felt much more heavy compared to the one the Samsung representative had at Bestbuy.
The Samsung lady had a black one what felt surprisingly light, could it bee there is kind of a demo version?
Anyway, the only point I completely agree with reviewer is that the multitasking is only gimmick... other than that my experiences been completely different and I really love the tablet, its my first 10 inch, and my first Samsung tablet, before I had Dell, HTC, and I also own a Nexus 7.
I find the built of the Samsung to be vastly superior of that of the N7.
Read this one from GSMArena. Their very thorough as you'll see (it's 10 pages). I think a lot of reviewers are just assuming the Note's a standard G-Tab with a pen and not really spending the time to appreciate it how well it does the things tablets are primarily used for.
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_10_1-review-798.php
In all of those reviews I've been noticing that there are issues not present in retail models. I actually watched a 40min russian review on youtube and they found a lot of problems, including creaking, pen sensor not working correctly and so on. Otherwise, the review was very well done and I tend to trust the reviewer. My feeling is, some of these review units are dodgy, maybe preproduction units.
Yep I went on quite a rant in my response to the review on Android Police Google+ page. I really do not get all the negative reviews of this product.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2
Thankful
I'm just thankful I bought this tablet before reading reviews.
It's fantastic, im thinking of selling my N7, which I also love.
And yes, I agree the are testing preproduction models.
I just hate that they are missleading people which might have bought it.
I haven't used my computer since I bought this beast, I'm having exactly the same internet experience as my pc.
Without the wait of coming up out if hibernation.
One thing that really annoys me about these reviews is their assumption that HD (Infinity) and QVGA (iPad) are the *norm* now. They aren't - the vast majority of tablets in the 10.1 inch size are still 1280x800.
The reviewer is also a bit confused on some key points.
1. The Note 10.1's battery life is actually not that great. It ranks in around 8.5hrs of continuous use on video loop at 50% brightness. The Prime gets 10.5hrs. It seems what that the Note 10.1 does get right is long standby times which is actually very useful since most of us tend to use tablets in 'bursty' ways - off most of the time, then use for a bit then off for a long time.
2. His complaint about the power cord must come from not realising that Galaxy Tabs (of which the Note is one) can use the same peripherals (mostly) including the synch cable. A little digging and he could find a 6' synch/charge cable.
3. I don't have my Note yet - should be here in a few days - but I've fondled a Tab 2 10.1 and the back felt pretty sturdy. As someone else noted, they may have gotten pre-release units. As for 'everyone using aluminum" not really true. Apple does. Asus does on the Prime and Infinity only - the TF300 doesn't. And aluminum on the Prime is why it sucked... it made the GPS unusable. As for the pen feeling like a hollow rod.. if they'd made it heavier - it would have made the tablet heavier.. and you know what his comment would have been then...
4. NFC. Seriously? The lack of NFC was one of his big buttons? I have NFC on my Galaxy Nexus and it's essentially useless. And not for trying. No one else has NFC, so 'bump' is pointless. I can't use it as a credit card replacement. I can't use it to replace my office ID card. I can't find TecTiles at any store - and no one carries any other kind of NFC tokens. I CAN use it to read my British passport, but that gets kind of dull after a while.
5. Camera. This is one of those 'no way to win' things. Yes, I'd be happier if the Note had a 8MP camera. Yet everyone seems to be happy with the Nexus 7 - which has NO back camera. The back camera for me will be mostly for quicky shots and barcoding. How good is it for that? Wellll.. the reviewer was so wrapped up in not looking bad that he couldn't bring himself to test the camera - which makes him a bad reviewer.
And gee - look - once again a reviewer forgets to test GPS, WiFi and BT.
Having come from the Asus Prime disaster - the fact that almost no one here so far has posted any serious issues with the Note 10 gives me confience that this will be a good tablet.
I couldn't stand reading THST android police article. I had to stop after a while. They don't know what the hell they talking about..lol. they seem very biased. I will admit the grey version doesn't look no where near as good as the white one. I agree with THST they likely received a prproduction unit. My plastic back doesn't flex or is wavy. Plus my device right out the box performed well. They went overboard on bashing this device.
I like ASUS and will say Samsung deserves more credit on this tablet. I'm glad I didn't read the reviews also. I just got it off of reading specs, Watching unboxing videos, and Samsung promo videos on it. Those were enough to catch my interest enough to try it out. A very pleasant experience being my first Samsung tablet I've ever used.
These reviewers are too stuck on ipad3 resolutions now. Now if a tablet doesn't have 1080P or better, they write the display off as subpar. 720P is good enough for me as this display isn't your run of the mill 1280x800 dpslay. They did something with it to make it look better than other tabs with same resolution. Maybe its the color reproduction or whatever but I know this display is one of the better ones I've seen. 720P movies and videos/you tube look great on it.
Going to post my response about this here.
crystalstylez said:
See this type of review makes me really angry. Its ok if a device really sucks but you can cleary tell this guy has a personal vendetta againsr samsung/Touchwiz. I feel if you dont like something then biased opinions should be left out ans they should not review the product. Samsung has been doing touchwiz for a while now ao what made him think that this tablet would come with stock ui. I don't agree with blogs using there popularity to trash a device. Seriously with the picture of the device in the trash. Go back to the laggy xoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Hmmm.
None of samsung and apple devices disappointed me.
I want buy this because of bad review.
I want check it all by myself.
I seem to remember the Asus Transformer Prime getting excellent reviews when it first came out, go figure. One of the worst tablets I ever owned. :/
The Note 10.1 is the best performing Android tablet I've owned so far, no lag at all, everything is fluid.
When did 1080p on a tablet for android become normal?
acer and asus are there any more with that resolution? cause that article makes it seem that is the normal size lol what a boring read
jobryan26 said:
Yep I went on quite a rant in my response to the review on Android Police Google+ page. I really do not get all the negative reviews of this product.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, me too, I think I spent at least 4 hours today rebutting comments on the article, on Google+, and on reddit. Most reviews miss the point of the Note completely.
Honestly, I think we users of the Note should write our own reviews, especially focusing on how we find the S Pen useful. Like really, we should make an effort to write more balanced reviews of the device and post them on Google+, reddit, etc. and try to clear up some of the misconceptions.
Does anyone else's tablet creak, because mine certainly does not. And I have yet to experience any lag while writing whatsoever, it's as close to real time as I can discern. I also noticed that if you run javascript animations in the browser while multitasking with another app open, they continue in the browser, so it's not an illusion of multitasking by any means. I can even write, with no lag, in S Note, while animations run in the browser.
---------- Post added at 11:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 PM ----------
habs101 said:
When did 1080p on a tablet for android become normal?
acer and asus are there any more with that resolution? cause that article makes it seem that is the normal size lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be fair, these are the only recent tablets that have come out for $500. I think the point is that at that price they expect a higher resolution, but it's like they expect the S Pen and digitizer to be free, which is incredibly naive.
I think it is good to have a bad review and a good one for the new buyers to find out whats really going on.
Re MSplit Screen
"It only works with the Browser, Polaris Office, S Note, Video Player, Gallery, Email, and that's it. None of those applications are really any good, and I would much rather use Chrome, Google Docs, YouTube, Google Talk, Twitter, and Gmail."
Its a shame to be honets.....it was the reason I wanted to but this tablet.
Do you think guys that custom Roms make it possible for Gmail, Chrome etc?
Same for this one from PC World Australia : (I cannot post direct links yet...)
pcworld.idg.com.au/article/434234/samsung_galaxy_note_10_1_android_tablet/
It seems that the guy who made this review didn't get ANY thing about this tab
qwerty1q said:
I think it is good to have a bad review and a good one for the new buyers to find out whats really going on.
Re MSplit Screen
"It only works with the Browser, Polaris Office, S Note, Video Player, Gallery, Email, and that's it. None of those applications are really any good, and I would much rather use Chrome, Google Docs, YouTube, Google Talk, Twitter, and Gmail."
Its a shame to be honets.....it was the reason I wanted to but this tablet.
Do you think guys that custom Roms make it possible for Gmail, Chrome etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the point is that the review is bad in that it's incomplete and/or misguided and/or biased, not that it's a negative review. As in, the assessment is not accurate and thus should not be used as a recommendation for or against the device. That's how I feel, anyway.
It's currently not possible for other apps, and I doubt any implementation based on the Touchwiz implementation will happen (that's a crapton of smali hacking) but I have a feeling CM10 will actually incorporate some sort of multitasking, as Cyanogen himself stated that he wanted to incorporate Onskreen Cornerstone, or at least similar functionality, into CM9 way back in February.
qwerty1q said:
Do you think guys that custom Roms make it possible for Gmail, Chrome etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regarding split screen... just step back and think for a short moment... and you will understand that the custom rom developers would need to heavily modify Android itself.
The display of information on the screen is a core os function. Having more than one app simultanously using the screen requires changes in the Android core. Otherweise this featute will be limited to special versions of Android (like TouchWiz) and special app using it. These special version will delay Android updates as they need to be adapted to major Android releases until they work again.
Android was designed for small screens of smartphones controlled with fingers. Starting with HC on tablets, Google should have implemented this, but it obviously did not happen.
And the feature is rarely useable on a normal smartphone...
You mean the same guys who justified the 8GB in a Nexus7 WITHOUT micro-SD card slot:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/0...-expandable-storage-and-why-its-for-the-best/
Those guys are pure attention-grabbers. Just check the number of comments in that review and compare it against other reviews. They were also *****ing a lot about GS3 menu choice. This is like a bimbo threatening to run naked to grab your attention and get advertisement-clicks in his article.
As I recall the reviewers HATED the Note and it went on to record sales.
You have to undertstand that tech reviewers have a couple disadvantages. Quite often they are reviewing buggy pre-release hardware. Next they tend to be spec nerds. They focus more on pure specs than does the damn thing actually work for people.
Honestly who cares what they say? If I wanted an iPad I would have bought one. Face it, by this time next year everything that is awesome now will suck by comparison.
Sent from my awesome Note 10.1
The most shocking thing in those reviews is "oh, and it has an S Pen, you can take notes with it" like it was less important than for example number of megapixels in the rear camera. Even the positive reviews mostly ignore S Pen.
Actually, when reading the review - I didn't finish it though, too annoying - the picture of one of these little dogs that tend to bark at anybody and everything kept appearing in front of my inner eye ... this Amadeo guy must be one of these short people.
I couldn't care less for NFC. And resolution, oh my. Everything about this was already stated here. I care for the pen. And that works good enough
I've just watched the stream of the sgs4 presentation and I'm glad to say I'm sticking with my HTC One pre order. For an sgs3 owner like myself there seems to be no incentive to upgrade. The new gimmicks will be available on google play in some other guise anyway.
Worth keeping in mind though that the price of the HTC One may drop when the sgs4 is released at the end of April. If you're not in a mad rush to get the One you might be better off waiting 6 weeks and get a better deal when the two devices really go to war in the shops.
Are you swaying or stick with the One?
This thread is not intended to be a comparison discussion.
Still getting the One...but then I always like backing the underdog
I'm going to be sticking with HTC and get a One time it comes out. I'll be buying it off contract so the price isn't going to go down much even with the S4 comes out.
The One to me is the better looking phone with the better looking UI. All the other features the S4 has are pretty gimmicky (right down to the way they were presented). I used to have a Galaxy S2 which I loved, but since then Samsung hasn't won me back.
Yes it has. It's made me want the HTC One even more.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
you mean the SGS3S? No way! LOL
In before the lock.
Massive fail. They will still sell a huge amount of phones tho.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Yes it has, i'm getting the Galaxy S IV. But in the end, i'll probably get both.
clarkgable said:
Yes it has. It's made me want the HTC One even more.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^^^^ this!!!, though i do think the s4 looks good and has good features albeit very gimmicky ones and ones I doubt most owners would need or use but the One is superior imo in everything i need it for.
Yes it did, it locked me 100% on the One.
S4 looks nice but it's just like the last 5-6 Samsung phones I had, and I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, I am just bored of it and looking for something new and more elegant.
The only way I would purchase the S4 over the One is if HTC really blows the release and the S4 is available to me before the One, but I hope I don't have to make that call. Unfortunately Samsung is putting more priority on the US release than HTC, so time will tell.
Now you're just asking for trolls
But in all seriousness, I'm now split. On one side I've always loved AMOLED, on the other 5" seems to big for me and 4.7" seems like a nice size.
On another side, I don't want to deal with having to unlock a bootloader, and neither UI I particularly like.
The One seems to have a better design, but the S4 has a nicer look to my eyes for some reason. Add the fact that the S4 has a real camera and a proper button layout and I'm leaning towards the S4 at this point.
I'll give you the short answer; no. Take a minute and look at this. Spot the toy.
Hahaha! I think it's the latter. Now more samsung users are gonna flood HTC One and Xperia Z forums!
In my honest opinion the only thing thats best on S4 is the GPU and .... and ..... guys! Help me add another best thing on the S4.
Personally me, I think the s3 had a lot to offer over an s2 and love the phone, have had no issues whatsoever.
I just miss HTC build quality and the One has the better build, by far.
Not sure on sense 5, but nothing a different launcher can't fix.
I was really hoping those leaks were fakes and or the software in an s3 type body to fool/Surprise the heck out of everyone, but nope, looks like the s3 with some gimmicky crap I would hardly ever use.
The one is my next phone, granted I do like the Note 2 due to spen function and multiwindow. Oh and screen real estate.
Gonna test each phone out quite a bit whenever the One comes to T-Mobile.
Definitely not impressed with the s4, which is saying Something as I enjoy my s3.
Sent from a galaxy far away!
The only thing that would have swayed me is if they said they managed to double the battery life or some crazy under the hood thing. Instead the spent more time talking about all the gimmiky crap that would likely do the opposite. GG
It comes down to what motivates people to pick one smartphone over another. Hardware wise, accept for the One's smaller display and battery, their similar. The 4MP camera on the One will most likely do better in low light while the 13MP in the SGS4 will do better with detail. I'd be surprised when the standardized tests from GSMArena or Anandtech come out if they don't both end up in a tie. The dual-speakers are really the only unique feature the One has over the SGS4. The "stuff" Samsung's added to the SGS4 camera is equal to or better than Zoe. Speaking of "stuff," the s/w features Samsung's added to the SGS4 are impressive; even if they are gimmicks. HTC's only stand-out addition to Sense is BlinkFeed. So in the end, a purchaser with no bias to Samsung or HTC will buy the One because they doesn't care about "stuff" or display size and are more interested in design or dual speakers. People interested in the SGS4 like "stuff" and the fact it's thinner and lighter than the One but has a 5" display, expandable storage, and a removable (larger) battery. Samung's design and use of plastic didn't hinder the SGS3's sales and there's no reason to expect it will harm the SGS4's either.
Thinking... Thinking... Thinking...
HTC or Samsung
Sent from my HTC One X
Samsung made my decision easy, definitely going with the One now. The uninspired UI and hardware turn me off so much, I can't stand everything about the S4's appearance.
I hope this one doesn't sell well and Samsung gets a reality check. People shouldn't take this minimal effort at full price.
The most significant thing for me was Samsung trying to hide Android more this time, with a load of new S apps that often mimic existing Google ones.
Samsung is trying to hook users into its own ecosystem from now on. It sees Google as a possible threat and needs a plan B. This is in the form of Tizen.
If you buy the GS4 you will use the Samsung apps, which will also be available on their new Tizen devices to appear in the autumn/fall.
Of course they don't have to ditch Android (like Nokia gave up everything for WP) but this is what they're planning.
Personally I want less customisation and the promise of more timely updates to bring new Android services.
yes
was 50/50
now 100 for htc
jonmorris said:
The most significant thing for me was Samsung trying to hide Android more this time, with a load of new S apps that often mimic existing Google ones.
Samsung is trying to hook users into its own ecosystem from now on. It sees Google as a possible threat and needs a plan B. This is in the form of Tizen.
If you buy the GS4 you will use the Samsung apps, which will also be available on their new Tizen devices to appear in the autumn/fall.
Of course they don't have to ditch Android (like Nokia gave up everything for WP) but this is what they're planning.
Personally I want less customisation and the promise of more timely updates to bring new Android services.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
When I saw some of the features such as navigation, translate, voice, etc. all I can think about is that Google already offers this (Google Maps, Translate, Google Now). Then with talk about using their cloud services for everything you can really tell they are trying to remove as much Google from their phones as possible.
A few features though sounded pretty neat, such as the photo modes that let you remove unwanted people, drama shot, and a few others. But for features like the photos with sound, I'm sure you need to Samsung gallery to view them, it's not a simply JPEG file anymore.