Database Users

Get the Galaxy Note or wait for Note 2?

Hi folks,
My contract expires this month and I'm thinking the Galaxy Note is for me. However, I noticed recently that Samsung are hinting at a possible october (EU) release date for the Note 2. I also noticed that there is a good chance it will look similar to the S3, a design which I really do detest, it reminds me of a bar of soap, not to mention it will mean a fair amount of waiting time. But is it really that much different to the original note in terms of power?
I've probably already answered my question here, but what are your thoughts? Anyone else thinking the same?

Seeing there are no specs for a note 2 only assumptions based on the s3 at a larger size how can anyone answer your question.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

that we don't know really what the Note 2 will look like or anything else until samsung leaks some infos. Your decision is one of the most easy - if you are eager to get a large screen phone and don't want to wait, go for the Note but if you want the most powerful phone in the Samsung lineup, go for the S3. Personally, the large screen of the Note is worth every money especially if you browse the internet a lot but the design of the S3 is also appealing and you will certainly look cool if you own a recently released device - people will think that this person has a lot of cash to be able to afford such expensive device...haha...lol

I recommend you to hold on, don't buy any Note and keep waiting for Note 4S+.
That will definitely far more advance than the GT-N7000 Note!
Sent from my GT-N7000

LowDef said:
I recommend you to hold on, don't buy any Note and keep waiting for Note 4S+.
That will definitely far more advance than the GT-N7000 Note!
Sent from my GT-N7000
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Ditto
The Note is last year's tech. Hold off especially if you are getting locked in for 2 years.

Wait for it, use a dumb phone in the meantime.
The GNote is not maintained by Samsung anymore (LPY bug and Screen Issues).

Wow are we getting GN2?
When?
What is the spec?
However, if you want to wait for GN2 you might need to wait more than a year

tannykim said:
Wow are we getting GN2?
When?
What is the spec?
However, if you want to wait for GN2 you might need to wait more than a year
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Click to collapse
I heard Oct 2012. Sorry to be lazy to quote any source, but try googling and see.
I vote to get the S3 Korean version which is Quad Core +2GB of RAM.
Anyway, I think you can sell the S3 without much loss. The resale value should be quite strong?

in your place i would take note and later get note 2, sell note 1 ;D

If they would bring out a note 2 that had the exact same design I'd do it, I really can't get on board with the S3 design though, hate those curves. It really is as if it was designed by their team of lawyers despite what they might say!

I'd get one if i were you. We don't even know for sure that there will be Note 2 - not to mention when.
Not to mention the fact that Note 2 - obviously - will be better, but Note 1 already has everything you would possibly need at the moment.
About Samsung not supporting Note anymore - no offense but that's quite "curious" opinion. We just had 4.0 update, how is that not supporting ? Ok, there are bugs and serious problems but give them time to fix them, don't expect updates after 2 weeks - this is not Apple ( 1 good thing about them i guess ).
Anyway, who cares about Samsung's support if there's CM9
"If they would bring out a note 2 that had the exact same design I'd do it, I really can't get on board with the S3 design though, hate those curves. It really is as if it was designed by their team of lawyers despite what they might say!"
I'm afraid Note 2 might share the "nature-pebblish" design of the S3...

Second good this about apple, and second reason why you OP should wait for GNote 2: http://techpp.com/2011/10/27/sorry-state-of-android-updates-support-infographic/

It's not for everyone but what I usually do (because I am an update freak) is to buy a second hand phone for a good price. Use it until the launch of the new note. And then sell it back for about the same price.
If you do it right you can always have the last technology without spending that much money. The secret is to sell before the new model comes. And to buy after all the first hype is over. It works...

I think if I would personally get the S3 then sells it when the Note2 is out. The S3 resale value will be much higher than the Note 1.

IMO go for the note. You can always trade it in for note 2 when it comes.. S3 isnt worth it. I prefer note to s3 anyday!!!
but if you have a lock in.. then better to wait it out!!

The Note is the most useful/useable phone right now, the Note2 is just an idea still. Get a Note and swap to Note2 later.
Sent from my GT-N7000

If you are in US then you have a good 7 to 8 months with Anerican Note..Go for it...
I think I am the only one who likes the new s3 design...it feels so nice & rounded in the hand...
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA

What about buying second-hand Note and resell it when Note2 out? That way you won't lose much money and by the mean time you'll know if the note fit you or not.

I'm gonna buy the phone outright from Amazon, so if I change my mind 4 months down the line, I could just return it for the full price I paid (say it's faulty or something, or I don't like it)and then put the rest towards a note 2, couldn't I?

I think Amazon does that just for 30 days .
It would be cool though, as I did buy mine from Amazon, as the price of it new was almost the same as the second hand devices were selling on eBay (crazy).
The price of a Note now is about 430 euros, and the new Note II should start at 650-750 euros, so maybe even if the Note II was out you would have to spend almost 50% more to get one.
If you are getting it for free by staying in a contract, than it might be worth the wait, but otherwise you need to do the calculations.
For me, after I got my Note, and I am with it for just a few weeks I can say that all the news about the bricks, horrible ICS update (slow and without some nice features like the widget preview) and the lack of Samsung to acknowledge that there is a problem and that they are working on it, is making me seriously consider the return of my new toy.
The screen and size are OK for me, but the fact that SG3 is all smooth and nice and G.Note users are left with a buggy and slow OS, when most of us spent way over 450 euros (over 560 USD) on it, is making me mad. Now with the new tool from Chainfire I have discovered that my eMMC chip has the bug that Samsung doesn't want to acknowledge.
Finally the bug that prevents my Note to go into deepsleep, and consumes the battery incredibly fast for idle (about 6%/h) is just unbelievable.
Well I'm sorry for this feedback, but if Samsung does not do something soon, I'll might be searching for a cheap 2nd hand smartphone to let me by until I make my mind on what to buy.

If and when to upgrade from a Galaxy nexus

I bought a galaxy nexus last spring, and am quite happy with it. Then I see the n4 at a price of $350!
I did a quick search on Kijiji, and the galaxy is still going for $300-$350 on there. It would almost be an even trade to go up a generation.
I wonder if I should sell right away, before the value of the G nexus goes down.Is it worth the hassle at all, since I just use my phone for music (have a tablet for games and videos).
Opinions?

warlock257 said:
I bought a galaxy nexus last spring, and am quite happy with it. Then I see the n4 at a price of $350!
I did a quick search on Kijiji, and the galaxy is still going for $300-$350 on there. It would almost be an even trade to go up a generation.
I wonder if I should sell right away, before the value of the G nexus goes down.Is it worth the hassle at all, since I just use my phone for music (have a tablet for games and videos).
Opinions?
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If you're sure you can manage to get $300-350 for it, then I say absolutely go for it. The longer you wait the more the value will drop as we get closer to N4.

Well it will be getting the upgrade to 4.2 anyway, so not much point if you only want it for music. If you're planning to game on it the extra grunt power will come in useful.

Yeah, the resale value is about to plummet

Maroon Mushroom said:
Yeah, the resale value is about to plummet
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Yeah, I almost want to sell immediately, even if I'm without a phone for a few weeks.
My solitaire game with be blazing fast with a quad core processor

warlock257 said:
Yeah, I almost want to sell immediately, even if I'm without a phone for a few weeks.
My solitaire game with be blazing fast with a quad core processor
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Click to collapse
Same here! I don't care if I'm phoneless for a week if a nexus 4 is headed my way lol

[Q] S4 $200 or S3 for $10? beating a dead horse

Sorry all for brining it up again. I've got a dual core Evo 3D that's struggling along and finally can upgrade. Can people comment on the real world difference between the S3 and S4? I figured many S4 owners are previous S3 owners. I can get the S3 for $10 or S4 for $200, both under contract. Just trying to justify the price difference really. I consider resale on the device too, but figured I wouldn't get an additional $190 in resale when my next upgrade is available, pointing me back at the S3.
I don't play any performance intensive games, mostly use mapping and web browsing. I might actually watch videos now that I might have some reliable 4G LTE performance where I am. So far with Wimax 4G it was pointless to try and my 3G failed me as it does with most.
Thanks.

mtnbkr said:
Sorry all for brining it up again. I've got a dual core Evo 3D that's struggling along and finally can upgrade. Can people comment on the real world difference between the S3 and S4? I figured many S4 owners are previous S3 owners. I can get the S3 for $10 or S4 for $200, both under contract. Just trying to justify the price difference really. I consider resale on the device too, but figured I wouldn't get an additional $190 in resale when my next upgrade is available, pointing me back at the S3.
I don't play any performance intensive games, mostly use mapping and web browsing. I might actually watch videos now that I might have some reliable 4G LTE performance where I am. So far with Wimax 4G it was pointless to try and my 3G failed me as it does with most.
Thanks.
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S4 has a newer processor and better gpu and some more features that I think will be ported to s3 too. If you are not a gameplayer I would recommend you s3 as its still a good device.
On the other hand if you want a good device with plenty of updates take a look also for HTC one and Sony xperia z as they are great devices and much better from s4 or s3.

The S4 will definitely have more resale value than the S3 down the line. As far as making a choice between the two, its either you want the newest and better or the older and still good. I recommend checking out some YouTube videos comparing the two.

Stealyourface said:
The S4 will definitely have more resale value than the S3 down the line. As far as making a choice between the two, its either you want the newest and better or the older and still good. I recommend checking out some YouTube videos comparing the two.
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I will take a look at youtube, thanks. In 2 years time, do you really think the S4 would get $190 more than the S3? I thought even the S2 gets reasonable resale still.
DaRk-L0rD said:
S4 has a newer processor and better gpu and some more features that I think will be ported to s3 too. If you are not a gameplayer I would recommend you s3 as its still a good device.
On the other hand if you want a good device with plenty of updates take a look also for HTC one and Sony xperia z as they are great devices and much better from s4 or s3.
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I'm not a fan on HTC at the moment so I'll pass on that. My wife has the S3 so I want to stick with a Galaxy of some sort.

The only thing about the S3 is that in two years when your contract is up it will be a 3 year old device. That's a long time in tech. The S4 is essentially twice the processing as the S3 and a bigger battery with a Hd screen etc. I would save money and get the better phone. Also I've seen the S4 on wirefly.com and amazon for $150. Just shop around. Sprint will be the most expensive. Prices change daily so keep your eye out.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

GiantJay said:
The only thing about the S3 is that in two years when your contract is up it will be a 3 year old device. That's a long time in tech. The S4 is essentially twice the processing as the S3 and a bigger battery with a Hd screen etc. I would save money and get the better phone. Also I've seen the S4 on wirefly.com and amazon for $150. Just shop around. Sprint will be the most expensive.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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I'm doing an upgrade and haven't seen anything under $188. At $150 I'd start leaning for S4. I have the money to spend on the S4, but just trying to get someone to really justify to be why it's worth an extra $190 at this point and time. Will the S3 really be so bad in 2 years time? I did think the same thing for my last phone, that'd it'd be fine, dual core 1.2GHz, 1 GB ram, but now it's a slow snail.
For ebay, just did a quick search. Used S3s are selling at maybe $225-$250 and used S2s are going for about $100 less. By that comparison, in 2 years, I'd hope to get something in the $150 range for a used S3 vs maybe $250 for an S4. Does that seem reasonable? With that, I feel better off for the S3 now since it'd almost $200 cheaper for me. All of this is pointless if the S3 will really struggle to meet my needs in 2 years.

mtnbkr said:
I'm doing an upgrade and haven't seen anything under $188. At $150 I'd start leaning for S4. I have the money to spend on the S4, but just trying to get someone to really justify to be why it's worth an extra $190 at this point and time. Will the S3 really be so bad in 2 years time? I did think the same thing for my last phone, that'd it'd be fine, dual core 1.2GHz, 1 GB ram, but now it's a slow snail.
For ebay, just did a quick search. Used S3s are selling at maybe $225-$250 and used S2s are going for about $100 less. By that comparison, in 2 years, I'd hope to get something in the $150 range for a used S3 vs maybe $250 for an S4. Does that seem reasonable? With that, I feel better off for the S3 now since it'd almost $200 cheaper for me. All of this is pointless if the S3 will really struggle to meet my needs in 2 years.
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I have owned the S2, Galaxy Nexus, S3 and now the S4. I bought the S4 off contract after trading in my S3 to Best Buy for $262.50, I paid $385 out of pocket. The main reason why I love the S4 is the hardware. The battery is phenomenal, the screen is beautiful and it's light and looks better. Also better antennas etc. Not to mention it's a beast on the inside so I know whatever new apps or whatever Android 5.0 brings this phone will handle no problem. It's got a whole year of innovation and technological advances behind it. Idk, I would just wait a little bit and you will see the S4 for $150 sometime soon.
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---------- Post added at 05:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 AM ----------
This thread has some pricing info http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2283861
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Think about it like this. App developers are developing to support faster hardware. Who knows what you're favorite app will be in a year & if the S3 will support it?
The S4 is packed with more goodies in nearly the same size container as the S3, including larger screen, processor, battery, and RAM.
The S4 is entirely worth it. I was the first in my office to get one, now 3-4 others have it after seeing it.

mtnbkr said:
I will take a look at youtube, thanks. In 2 years time, do you really think the S4 would get $190 more than the S3? I thought even the S2 gets reasonable resale still.
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That depends on where you sell it and your area. Condition it's in etc. No resale value is ever set in stone.
mtnbkr said:
I'm doing an upgrade and haven't seen anything under $188. At $150 I'd start leaning for S4. I have the money to spend on the S4, but just trying to get someone to really justify to be why it's worth an extra $190 at this point and time. Will the S3 really be so bad in 2 years time? I did think the same thing for my last phone, that'd it'd be fine, dual core 1.2GHz, 1 GB ram, but now it's a slow snail.
For ebay, just did a quick search. Used S3s are selling at maybe $225-$250 and used S2s are going for about $100 less. By that comparison, in 2 years, I'd hope to get something in the $150 range for a used S3 vs maybe $250 for an S4. Does that seem reasonable? With that, I feel better off for the S3 now since it'd almost $200 cheaper for me. All of this is pointless if the S3 will really struggle to meet my needs in 2 years.
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Click to collapse
It's $150 at bestbuy. You think your current phone is slow? Add 1GB of ram to it and you have an s3. Then think two more years down the road. It would be better to get the S4 yes. But is it better for the money? That is a question only you can answer for yourself since its your money.

Stealyourface said:
That depends on where you sell it and your area. Condition it's in etc. No resale value is ever set in stone.
It's $150 at bestbuy. You think your current phone is slow? Add 1GB of ram to it and you have an s3. Then think two more years down the road. It would be better to get the S4 yes. But is it better for the money? That is a question only you can answer for yourself since its your money.
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I got the S4 at release date, and I definitely go with the S4. You'll definitely get your money back with the S4, I sold my S3 on Craigslist for 315 cash the day after the S4 came out and actually made money with my upgrade.
If you get the S3, it'll hardly be worth anything with a resale as it'll be two gens behind when you try to sell it one or two year in the future. Plus you'll have a much much easier time selling the S4 then you will the S3 then. I can honestly say the S4 is a huge upgrade, it's just simply better in every category even if it's not visibly evident.
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Note 4 after 2-3 years

I am planning to buy Note 4 but I wonder if the specs & longevity will still be supported after 2-3 years? As I usually use my phone up to 2+ years and get it on contract, so I really want to convince myself this is a correct investment for me as this will be my first Smartphone. Thank you for any help in advance.

vontos said:
I am planning to buy Note 4 but I wonder if the specs & longevity will still be supported after 2-3 years? As I usually use my phone up to 2+ years and get it on contract, so I really want to convince myself this is a correct investment for me as this will be my first Smartphone. Thank you for any help in advance.
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Click to collapse
Well I have a note 2 and am planning on upgrading to the 4. I've had the 2 since release day and I've loved every minute with it. Its still fast, still supported by a few ROMs and kernels, and still outpowers (especially rooted) many androids I see people carrying around. But my suggestion is to definitely get it close to launch to enjoy all the benefits if having the newest tech. These things are just like computers, once they're on the shelves they're already 6 months outdated.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

vontos said:
I am planning to buy Note 4 but I wonder if the specs & longevity will still be supported after 2-3 years? As I usually use my phone up to 2+ years and get it on contract, so I really want to convince myself this is a correct investment for me as this will be my first Smartphone. Thank you for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Deleted
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

vontos said:
I am planning to buy Note 4 but I wonder if the specs & longevity will still be supported after 2-3 years? As I usually use my phone up to 2+ years and get it on contract, so I really want to convince myself this is a correct investment for me as this will be my first Smartphone. Thank you for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A top of the line phone like the Note 4 will always be future proof for many years. Will there be some earth shattering new tech that all of the smartphones in the next 3 years will have? Doubtful, but even so, the Note 4 will have staying power.
I'm still using a note 2, and to be honest, it's still really amazing - I just want to upgrade to newer tech because tech is what I'm into.
If the note 4 does what you want it to, then it'll be a good investment.

The Note 2 has been a great 2 year investment for me. While I did some drooling when the Note 3 came out, the Note 2 still served my purposes like a champ. Add to the fact that the Note 2 still has great custom roms and its a package that still holds up for me today. I am defiantly ready to move onto the Note 4. The only thing that has gotten worse for me over the last few years with my Note 2 is the battery life. However that is to be expected with any phone. The Note 2 has been a worth while investment and I expect no less from the Note 4.
I am sure I will do the same drooling when the Note 5 comes out so I will just have to wait for the Note 6

vontos said:
I am planning to buy Note 4 but I wonder if the specs & longevity will still be supported after 2-3 years? As I usually use my phone up to 2+ years and get it on contract, so I really want to convince myself this is a correct investment for me as this will be my first Smartphone. Thank you for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The single best thing you can do, if you want long term support is get a device with an unlocked bootloader. I can run kitkat on a Galaxy S2 or a barnes and noble nook because of this. Long after the carriers/companies have dropped support there will be devs here pushing updates to the latest and greatest from google.

[Q] is price going to change?!

hi, 800$ is so much ! i would build an custom pc with that money, so, is the price going to change at all? because thats expensive for what it is !!!!!
i see some phones get cheaper after release

All phones get cheaper after release... android phones tend to get cheaper faster than iphones. So maybe wait 4-6 months.
Why compare to pc? Can you carry your custom built desktop outside with you? Why not get a 2nd hand car if you want to make better use of your $800...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

kamranhaghighi said:
hi, 800$ is so much ! i would build an custom pc with that money, so, is the price going to change at all? because thats expensive for what it is !!!!!
i see some phones get cheaper after release
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Click to collapse
I have been upgrading to a new Note every year for the past two years. I have the Note 3 now and I gave my Note 2 to my wife. Last year I wanted to pickup the Note 3 when it was released, but I was not enthused about the price in October. Same story this year with the Note 4. I am an ATT customer and the Note 4 is $826 plus tax; about $900. I wish I had paid closer attention last year on what happened on price ... but, at any rate the Note 3 had fallen to a discounted price by December 13th and I picked one up. So I ended up waiting from mid October to mid December for a deal. A little less than two months. There was an article in the International Business Times speculating that there will eventually be pretty aggressive discounting on the Note 4. Since the Christmas season is Samsung's best near term shot (outside of intro) at moving volume, I am putting my money on discounts in December. I can wait two months to save what I hope with be $200+ ... my current Note 3 is working out great for me. I am confident enough about this approach that I have preordered four cases and glass screen protector.

UCSB said:
I have been upgrading to a new Note every year for the past two years. I have the Note 3 now and I gave my Note 2 to my wife. Last year I wanted to pickup the Note 3 when it was released, but I was not enthused about the price in October. Same story this year with the Note 4. I am an ATT customer and the Note 4 is $826 plus tax; about $900. I wish I had paid closer attention last year on what happened on price ... but, at any rate the Note 3 had fallen to a discounted price by December 13th and I picked one up. So I ended up waiting from mid October to mid December for a deal. A little less than two months. There was an article in the International Business Times speculating that there will eventually be pretty aggressive discounting on the Note 4. Since the Christmas season is Samsung's best near term shot (outside of intro) at moving volume, I am putting my money on discounts in December. I can wait two months to save what I hope with be $200+ ... my current Note 3 is working out great for me. I am confident enough about this approach that I have preordered four cases and glass screen protector.
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Click to collapse
Don't all those Christmas sales require new contracts? I've never seen a phone's off-contract price get a holiday discount, at least not that I can recall.

thanks all ! i mos also wait for nexus 6 to decide whats my nexus device, i was thinking of waiting for 64-bit BUT I CAN'T WAIT ANYMORE xD jk,

mkim055 said:
All phones get cheaper after release... android phones tend to get cheaper faster than iphones. So maybe wait 4-6 months.
Why compare to pc? Can you carry your custom built desktop outside with you? Why not get a 2nd hand car if you want to make better use of your $800...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Click to collapse
yes, but portability is not worth that much !!! i can still buy nexus 5 6 ect or htc one !! or lg g3 ect
or maybe overclock my nexus 4
its worth it if i don't buy any phone for like 2 years or 3 years !!!! and right now nothing special is happening on phone market as i see :| it can't get any better (jk)