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so i know a lot of people are debating getting the note 3, coming from their note 2s, but is anyone else out there considering doing it from their s4?
i like my s4, out of the box theres very little needing to be done. it was the first phone ive owned where custom roms would only mess things up. battery life for days, camera didnt need any hacking, everything ran fast, and looked good. there was an annoying popup turning up volume with headphones, and that was pretty much it. oh yeah and it didnt have a good sound chip like the s3, but the note3 wont either so thats not in the running.
despite being a solid phone, my reason for considering an upgrade is really just to change things up. is anyone thinking of moving to the note3 from the s4?
ill add "Thanks" to anyone giving feedback/input/2ยข
note3
better gpu/cpu
more ram
internal memory
possibly s pen features?
s4
screen has better density,, otherwise no other differences?
up in the air
glass type?
probably same LED?
gps?
still pictures?
4k is alright, but what looks better in 1080p? (only thing that matters in 2013)
battery life?
radio?
air gesture? (really ONLY useful for gloves)
I have considered it and for me it's simply a matter of do I need...
1) a bigger screen again and
2) the spen features.
Although tempted by the Note 3 (after a year of the Note and Note 2) I went to the S4 in May. I really miss the spen and larger screen but found the size of the Note devices to be too much of a hassle in/out pocket, etc. But that's just me....I use my S4 (gps) for a lot of outdoor activity (backpacking, running, biking, note taking..ideas, etc.), and the Note 3 size would just make it more difficult to lug around.
My experience w/S4* has been nothing but excellent and it really fits all my needs for a smartphone...although I wish it had an onboard stylus.
So I basically think it's a matter of how you use your smartphones. Currently I'm sporting a S4 combined with Nexus 7. If I did get the N3 I'd get rid of the N7.
No doubt however, when it arrives in the stores i will definitely compare my S4 to the N3 and ponder...can I make it work for me? But the 5", physical size, sensors, etc. of the S4 work great.
*S4: stock, nova. Other than the original Palm pilot, it's the first smartphone I've owned that I haven't jailbreak, rooted, romed, etc. I enjoy the fact that everything works.
I actually will be going from the S4 to the Note 3.
The larger screen size will be nice for the real estate, but it's a slight trade off as I will lose the 1 handed operation I'm used to, and it's the same screen and resolution (diamond Pentile 1080p) as the S4 so you will technically lose some PPI, relevant or not.
For me getting the N3 is largely about the SPen features I'm looking forward to, especially with what I'm working on these days. The bump from 16 to 32GB storage is also welcomed. Also the new radio power management should provide a nice boost and I have little doubt the N3 will last a bunch longer on battery than the S4. USB3 is also a nice plus.
Everything else for me is a wash, Sammy's TW 4.3 will feel the same I'm sure. Yea the 800 will be faster than the 600 but will you see all that in day to day? probably not, but it's more future proof I suppose. Don't care about 4K video, and the camera stills will likely be the same between the two.
soraxd said:
up in the air
glass type?
probably same LED?
gps?
still pictures?
4k is alright, but what looks better in 1080p? (only thing that matters in 2013)
battery life?
radio?
air gesture? (really ONLY useful for gloves)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not the same LED. The N3 has more pwoerful LED than the S4.
Both the two variants wont have FM Radio on board.
S4 vs Note3 are pretty much the same device, only in a larger screen.
If I had the S4 I'll probably not get the Note3 unless i wanted a larger screen plus the S-pen
Originally i was going to get the S4 when it was released earlier this year, then i got winds about the Notes3 coming out so I held back, as I wanted all the features from the S4 plus all the feature that the Note3 offers
I'm very glad I waited.
I had this question in mind when I was on s3. I moved to note 2 as it had all features from s3, bigger screen and most of all bigger battery. I am very proud I made that decision so I guess it will be worth to upgrade to note 3 considering the overheating, smearing and poor battery issues of s4.
Sent from the New S Pen
I personally think people buy the Note-series for the wrong reasons. The only reason I owned a N2 (and soon an N3) is because I use S Pen/S Note, inking,, and multiview heavily. Those things require a screen at least as large as the Note's. If I didn't use those things I'd have a SGS4 or one of its competitors because lugging around a phablet isn't always fun. If you have decent size hands one-handed operation is workable but still not ideal.
Ask yourself these questions...
Do I want a larger display? - If yes, from a feature/performance/size perspective the N3's a great choice. If you're not in to S Pen/S Note or inking there are other large screen devices, both available and rumored, to consider that may have larger displays than the N3 or lower prices.
Am I moving to the N3 strictly for performance gains? - The Note-series phones have a lot going on under the hood. 3GB of RAM sounds fantastic but multiview and some of the other S Stuff are going to use a chunk of it. S-800's impressive but other smaller devices including the Nexus 5 and a possible LTE-A S-800 version of the SGS4 will be released with it too. So if you're hunting for performance the N3's a great choice but you may have other smaller-sized choices available soon. If you're going to root and run a non-TW ROM the performance of the N3 without Samsung's "features" should be impressive.
Am I creation/productivity user? - Used for what it's intended, there's nothing that competes with the Note-series. If you aren't currently using a device for creation/productivity but are in a creative line-of-work or do a lot of business communication and time management on your phone it might be worth exploring what the Note's features can provide. I have a Note 10.1 and N2 and would never own a non-Note device again. One man's opinion of course.
BarryH_GEG said:
Do I want a larger display? - If yes, from a feature/performance/size perspective the N3's a great choice. If you're not in to S Pen/S Note or inking there are other large screen devices, both available and rumored, to consider that may have larger displays than the N3 or lower prices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another thing to consider when answering this question is the downside of having a Larger Display, is the size form factor of the phone itself.
Ask you self these questions:
4. How I'm going to carry this phone on a daily basis?
5. How easy/hard would it be for me to access the phone when I need to answer/make a call?
for me I'm still trying to answer #4, I have Notes 1 and it hasn't been easy, I still use my Galaxy S2 more than my Notes 1 because of this reason.
for answer #5 the Samsung Gear, that watch will finally solve my problem I've been having with the Notes 1, yes, i used Bluetooth before, but it wasn't the same, it was really hard to access the phone to look up things as it didn't quite fit in the usual pockets, specially if you are out in Shorts and T-shirts
at least with the Samsung Gear, no I can keep the Note 3 in arm pocket or something, and then use the Gear to do the basic stuff when i'm out biking on Shorts & Tshirt
which in a way solves the conodrum i was having with quesiton #4
AllGamer said:
How I'm going to carry this phone on a daily basis?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny you'd say that. A ton of people were pissed when it was confirmed the N3 was "only" going to have a 5.7" display. I was thrilled because the N2's size is the max I'd go for something whose primary purpose is a phone and the N3's actually smaller.
I think people play with a phablet in a store and think "it'll be fine." In addition to things you mentioned try to use one running through an airport trying to find a connecting gate. Or with only one hand free walking down the street. What seems "fine" in a store or speculatively changes real fast depending on your lifestyle.
I'm going to upgrade from the S4. I actually don't mind the touch wiz that much I just don't think the S4 has enough juice to run it. I love the phone it just gets really hot when I'm playing games and the battery doesn't last me half a day.
Here is my thought process:
Size - S4 is already large so I already had to get used to changing the way I carry my phone
Battery - I can't get half a day out of my S4 in power save mode with features I would use turned off
Screen - I like as much screen size as I can get and I have trouble typing stuff out on smaller phones. I spend a lot of time correcting.
S Pen - This is something I actually really like, some might not care at all about it
RAM - More = better!
Storage - I got the 16GB S4 and didn't realize how little of it would be left. Without installing anything on my phone I'm at 9 GB with some games at 1-2 GB that is not enough space
I'm jumping from the S4 to Note 3. Can't wait!
I'm also ditching the s4 and getting a note 3.
Being a note 2 owner before the s4 I really regret selling my note 2!
I miss the big screen and tons of battery Life.
Also the s-pen makes it worth while for me.
The s4 is a good device but it doesn't fit my needs.
Can't wait till I get my note 3!
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I too will be making the change from a S4 to a Note 3. Main reason being the bigger screen and the ability to use the S-Pen. I had a Note 2 and sold that to get the S4. After a while, I just really started missing the bigger screen. Even with the smaller S4, I still found myself using two hands anyways. So for me it's really a "once you go big, you don't go back." Also I was able to sell my S4 for $500. Purchasing the Note 3 off-contract which is really the same as purchasing the phone on contract since it's a $225 difference or so between what I sold my S4 for and what I'm paying for the Note 3.
wow what awesome feedback!
so everyone seems to agree the biggest selling point is the S-Pen! what exactly does the S-Pen do? i thought the airview/air hover was supposed to the s4's version of the S-Pen, but airview and air hover are absolutely 100% useless in every possible way imaginable. all these features do are get in the way if youre trying to actually do something.. im positive everyone turned them off after the first few days.
so what does the S-Pen contribute?
i was hoping being able to hover over an area of a webpage would act the same way hovering a mouse does, where it brings dropdown menus, mouse hover features, toast popups, any java/flash/html5 features, and every other thing an on-screen mouse is used for. however samsung implemented none of this, and closesourced its hover features. theyre only used for gimmicky things like turning pages on the touchwiz launcher if you hold it a certain way.. -___________-"...
soo, S-Pen?? wutitdo?
I'll keep my S4. Having a larger phone would only be a hassle for my pockets. Plus I have small hands. My S4 will be my pick. I don't need a bigger phone...
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
I missed the screen real estate going from the Note 2 to my S4. I have been anxiously awaiting the Note 3 to step back up to a good size screen. I don't agree that the S4 didn't need anything done to it, but I'm not a fan of all the bloat Samsung and the carriers include on these great pieces of hardware.
edit - For me the S-Pen is secondary. It just happens to be included in a great specced phone with a large screen. I'd gladly buy an identical model without the Pen.
The s-pen isn't the deciding factor for me, though I don't want to give it up either! (I have the Note 2). I use it every once in a while but not often. For me it's all about the screen size. I am one of those who wanted the N3 to be 6" or perhaps even bigger.
However there have been times when it was a bit larger than comfortable in the pocket - ie especially during sports. This was partly the weight, not the size - with loose trousers and big pockets it's worse. Still doable but not ideal; it's a trade off I am happy to make though. Hopefully the lesser weight of the N3 will mitigate that problem somewhat.
On the other hand I'm not considering other brands with larger phones because I think Samsung brings way more software-wise to the table - lots of new features each model, and the s-pen is perhaps the best example. For me the S4 would be too small after the Note 2.
I'm really looking forward to the upgrade as it appears that almost everything on the phone will be improved. Since I have an extra Att upgrade to use and it will cost effectively nothing, upgrading is a no-brainer. If I had to pay full price though I'd wait.
I think if I were you, I'd figure out which phone was the right size; the one I'd be most comfortable with most of the time. After all, feature wise they're pretty close. Both are great devices. (Sorry for long response...)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
One thing I haven't seen people taking about is signal strength.
Maybe it's just me but when I went from the Note to the SGS 3 I noticed a big drop in signal.
soraxd said:
soo, S-Pen?? wutitdo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are already two detailed (p)reviews from phonearena and gsmarena. The former stated the new s-pen features and the latter described them comparatively more in-depth.
Links:
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-3-Preview_id3423/page/2
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_3_preview-review-986p4.php
So, we got a new pen window to start these fresh new things to enhance the multitasking:
Action Memo
Srapbooker
Screen write
S Finder
These are already been mentioned by knowledgeable and assumption-expert member(s) like @BarryH_GEG earlier in the general threads. Demo'ed in those vids too.
I am using s3 for a li'l over a year and I find s-pen along with these new features (with varying degrees) interesting.
For an S4 (i9500) user it should be exciting to have the exynos variant. Because now the exynos 5420 has HMP support which will never be possible for i9500 s4.
I really don't understand the OP's question
GNote2 owners doubting to upgrade to the Note3 is understandable, however ..
The S4 is a PHONE while the Note3 is a PHABLET, with S-pen capabilities ...the choice is totally personal
Correct me if I'm wrong .....
Edit: Not to mention the fact that somebody already started a thread just like this one a couple of days ago ....what a mess ....
.
Hi guys,
I am having some serious thoughts on what to get... Basically I am a software developer and I have a Galaxy Nexus, a Galaxy S1 some ond Xperia and a Nexus 7. It is time for me to switch to a new device as my daily driver. The options I have are Galaxy Nexus 5 and the Note 3. The Note 3 is more expensive with around 150$ in my country, considering the type of contract I am getting. The phone will be used for at least one year.
Nexus 5: well, no review yet. Price is reasonable in my country and has the new 4.4. The new android version doesn't impress me. To be honest I find the google experience pretty boring but I have to admit I liked receiving fast updates on my Nexus.
Note 3: I have been reading around the forum for the last days. I saw that many have problems with the home button, the battery life, the screen issues. I like the s-pen features but I am not sure how much I'll use them.
What advice do you give me ? What should I get ?
alinescoo said:
Hi guys,
I am having some serious thoughts on what to get... Basically I am a software developer and I have a Galaxy Nexus, a Galaxy S1 some ond Xperia and a Nexus 7. It is time for me to switch to a new device as my daily driver. The options I have are Galaxy Nexus 5 and the Note 3. The Note 3 is more expensive with around 150$ in my country, considering the type of contract I am getting. The phone will be used for at least one year.
Nexus 5: well, no review yet. Price is reasonable in my country and has the new 4.4. The new android version doesn't impress me. To be honest I find the google experience pretty boring but I have to admit I liked receiving fast updates on my Nexus.
Note 3: I have been reading around the forum for the last days. I saw that many have problems with the home button, the battery life, the screen issues. I like the s-pen features but I am not sure how much I'll use them.
What advice do you give me ? What should I get ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have galaxy note 3 but if i time returns i will choose nexus 5
Please mention your reasons. It would help me a lot. Thanks
I'm using note 3 at the moment and my nexus 5 is on its way to me, will give more accurate impression once received.
Features I prefer nexus 5 over note 3
Design look and feel (massive improvement)
No TW bloatware (another massive factor)
Easier to carry around
More regular software updates kat 4.4
No lag freezing (hopefully)
Features I will miss coming from note 3
camera not impressed at all (will miss that the most)
4k video recording
Battery life
S-pen (just a little)
Multi screens (what a feature)
Large screen
Ext memory
Have you encountered any problems with the Note 3 ? Does it lag ? Do you have that effect on low brightness for dark borders ? How does TW bloatware affect you ?
Battery wise note has 50%more juice. Home button issues - do you mean the button moving around? It is not a problem, people are too much complaining about tiny tiny things they should never find unless they read about it.
Camera - i think nexus5 is way better than n3. Its not the pixels that matter, or software options. Nexus 5 camera is next level, focus is about 10 times faster.
Bloatware yes, samsung puts 700mb of bloatware that you dont receive on nexus. Not sure if anything of that is usable. But cyanogenmod should arrive soon!
I wish note3 had the new camera and with optical stabilization, then it would be perfect!
As for 4.4 - its just a number. There will definitely arrive new android versions fast on the n3, just that you have to flash it yourself and void the warranty.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app
I like Nexus because:
- The design of the device and the appearance of the UI is more appealing to me. I like to keep things on my phone looking pretty "minimalistic" with few colors and lots and lots of black. I absolutely hate the Touchwiz cartoony look and I always change everything about it, the process starts immediately on first boot of the phone. Everything about Touchwiz looks awful - the icons, the menus, the choices in colors, those horrible big green quick settings toggles in the notification bar. Stock Android is much much better when it comes to looks. The Nexus 5 and its software looks like it's been designed by a design team made up of adults who actually make cohesive decisions together. Touchwiz looks to me like the school project of a pre-school class where everyone can add their favorite color and everyone gets to participate and add their touch to the design. Little Johnny wants a big blue, round icon there - OK let's put it right next to Jenny's rectangular pink icon there and add Lisa's green toggles! Fun for everybody.
I like Note 2/3 because:
- The battery is bigger. I've never been this satisfied with battery life.
- The screen is bigger. Honestly after using the Note 2, I cringe every time I use my iPhone 4 (I keep it as my spare phone) or my wife's Galaxy S III. The displays are so tiny, I don't think I could go back. Not even to a 5" display.
- I don't like the on screen nav buttons of stock Android. I want the physical menu, home and back buttons.
- The S-Pen. I'm not a heavy S-Pen user but it has really nice features on the Note 3. I use it much more with my Note 3 than I did with my Note 2.
- Memory card slot. Seriously. I could not live without one.
- Removable battery - not a big reason but nonetheless it is nice.
I hate the Note 2/3 because:
- I get to a point where I'm never satisfied with the ROM I use. New stuff is released on XDA and I feel this pressing need to try other ROMs. All the time. Sometimes it seems all I do with my phone is restoring backups. With the Nexus I think that I would be more easily able to just stick with one ROM.. Maybe even the stock ROM, just rooting it.
Don't listen to them
I just bought Note 3 after using Note 2 for couple of months
And go for Note 3 believe me this is the beast .. Note 3 Snap dragon
I am in the same boat as op.
I have a s2 now for 3 years and looking for an upgrade.
Minimum 5 inch screen, preferably a tad bigger.
Key feature should be office workability, due to a upcoming promotion as a project manager.
So I need info from all sorts of documents on the fly. Including excel.
Does the note provide this?
For free time I love playing games and viewing movies.
Help appreciated.
EJ
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
U may have to wait for few weeks to get the full hands on review about this. Nexus 5. The specs r good. But we don't know about battery life, camera performance, and heating issues. Note 3 is good in these areas.
Sent from my SM-N9005
I am planning on using the Note 3 with stock firmware from Samsung... because of warranty issues of knox trigger. This would also help on trying to reproduce bugs that appear on TouchWiz platform easier. So, having stock on Note3 sucks performance wise ?
efjbdejong said:
I am in the same boat as op.
I have a s2 now for 3 years and looking for an upgrade.
Minimum 5 inch screen, preferably a tad bigger.
Key feature should be office workability, due to a upcoming promotion as a project manager.
So I need info from all sorts of documents on the fly. Including excel.
Does the note provide this?
For free time I love playing games and viewing movies.
Help appreciated.
EJ
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps wait for nokia lumia 1520.
That's ideal for such mundane tasks. Lol
---------- Post added at 02:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 PM ----------
alleshi said:
Don't listen to them
I just bought Note 3 after using Note 2 for couple of months
And go for Note 3 believe me this is the beast .. Note 3 Snap dragon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 3 is far better then note 2 for sure but is it the best ow no. It's a beast but not the best.
If i didn't have the Note 3 already i would be pretty tempted to buy the Nexus 5. It's half the price, here, with great hardware, Kit Kat, Google updates, etc. But those touch buttons (why?) on the screen are a no no for me.
Thank you all for replies. After doing a lot of reading on the Buyers remorse thread I see that most of note3 users are happy. The only notable problems are: very weak audio output because of the small speaker, the pink effect around black edges on low brightness settings and the wobbly home button. Also I see that the battery isn't so great.
I am really thinking what to get, as I said, the difference would be around 150$ in price.
If I didn't have N3 already I would have the N5. I had N4 previously.
N3 has plus and minus points.
+ points
Battery Life - best I ever had
SD Card - installed 64GB,some users have install 128GB.
Big Screen - I like the screen some don't like AMOLED colors.
Fastest CPU & 3GB RAM
Multi Window & Pen Window
IrDA port - can control devices from my phone.
- points
Design - not very stylish
Build quality - my back cover already creaks only 1 month old. Others have experienced Home button and screen/multi touch issues
External Speakers - embarrassing from Samsung.
Samsung bloatware - unnecessary
Wireless Charging - not built in but @ extra cost
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Costum ROM
why wouldn't you just wait on xda to get pure 4.4 android and install that ROM on your note 3 ?
Hi,
the Google Nexus 5 is indeed a very good phone. Having switched from Nexus 4 to Galaxy Note 3 I can basically give you good explanations.
The Galaxy Note 3 has plenty more features than the Google Nexus 4 abd 5 which is great.
I would say the Note 3 wins everywhere against the Nexus unless you tell me you prefer smaller screen. In my case, the screen size was the reasob why I moved.
On the otherside, yes there are a lot of Samsung apps and that sucks to me. The Galaxy Note 3 can be rooted easily, so you can easy remove those bloatwares which make me feel more confortable that way.
On the other hand, I do prefer the PURE Androis that the Google Nexus has to the TouchWiz by Samsung because it uses way less resources.
The perfect phone for me would be a Note 3 with a AOSP Rom. (CyanogenMod or Android Open Kang Project (AOKP) because it would give the pure android feeling which means higher battery life, no bloatwares, faster updates.
Ok guys, some N5 reviews have appeared and to be honest, things don't look that good in battery and camera departments. Actually that was kinda expected considering the 2300 mAh battery and 1080p screen.
Now back to note 3, all the small things that bothered me (wobbly home button, pinkish black borders, bloatware) are not important anymore. The things that worries me most is the screen burn in. I saw some reviews where this is mentioned (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3mbkoXCMhs&feature=em-uploademail from 19 minute). I have own so far a Galaxy S1 and a Galaxy Nexus both having amoled screens. On my GNex sometimes I can see the keyboard shadow after using it, but I haven't really noticed any permanent retention as it goes off after a few seconds. I just did a quick check with blue color all over the screen and I can see a very faint shadow of the top bar, but nothing really noticeable. BUT, I use the phone on auto brightness and considering that Note 3 has the most bright amoled display built, I am afraid that it will suffer from permanent burn in because of blue pixels. Could anyone tell me if they have burn in ? This is a major drawback for me and might be the point which may convince me to give up on note3 in favor of N5.
Thanks all for your help. I really appreciate it.
For me it's so simple. They don't even belong to the same category.
Do you need/like the S-Pen features (and do you actually use them)? Do you need the bigger screen and the amazing Full HD @60fps video (let alone the 4K)?
If not then the Nexus 5 is a no brainer at this price point. Plain and simple.
Apps and bloatware are of no importance to me. I always remove them to my preference, to me flashing ROMs is an integral part of a smartphone like Note 3.
I agree with you, but if the screen has issues than all the other features are pointless, considering that the screen is the thing we see most.
It would be really great if owners could do some screen tests and return with the result.
After Note 5 was published, people make lots of complaints about it. So, can anyone tell me why Note 4 better than Note 5?
The War LOrD said:
After Note 5 was published, people make lots of complaints about it. So, can anyone tell me why Note 4 better than Note 5?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MicroSD-Card reader, IR Blaster, swappable battery, larger battery, Gear VR, no fragile glass body, etc.
Screen off Memo
the only reason why I want to update to Note 5 from Note4 is "Screen off Memo". And now we can have this SOM on Note 4, so no more Note 5 for me (Big thank to xperiacle and Pako7).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4/themes-apps/screen-off-memo-t3203744
The War LOrD said:
After Note 5 was published, people make lots of complaints about it. So, can anyone tell me why Note 4 better than Note 5?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No microSD support is bad, but I still can manage that.
But NO user replaceable battery....that's a DEAL BREAKER!
I'm the type of person who use a device until it is broken.
So being able to replace battery easily means I can just replace the battery if the original battery is broken.
That's why Note 4 is better than Note 5
note 4 vs note 5
I just purchased a note 4 Exynos chip instead of a note 5. The reasons for the going for the older model.
- expandable SD card.-( I upgraded from an LG G2), it was always a hassle to backup Roms and if the memory is full from apps and app data then there was no space for music let alone videos. now with SD card I can carry loads of media and even swop out SD cards while I travel. also easy to update ROMS and load content from computer to phone without the need for cables.
- Battery life-the note 4 has a larger battery, yes the note 5 has more efficient hardware and might actually last longer but i believe that with proper software like the recent update to 5.1.1 will negate the hardware effectiveness unless you run high intensity games. I easily reach 2 days battery life and can push 3. and then you can just pop off the back and boom insert new battery. also as your device ages the battery dies and it is a cheap fix to just pop out the back and insert new battery, future proofing a bit.
-Exynos chip- The note 5 has a much faster chip but I am not a gamer. I like to use my phone for everything from calling(yes it is obvious but very overlooked) to running functionality apps that simplify life, with some light to medium gaming thrown in between. IE more calculations than graphics that is why i purchased an unlocked exynos chip note 4. it has the ability to oneday, with the correct software, to also run with 64 bit capability. downside is lack of ROMS especially my favorite CM 12.1. I have also done benchmark test and on geekbench i am getting results of 4500 plus multi score and 1200 single. Antutu gives still 54000 . this means that with Android 5.1.1 the phone is not much slower than the note 5.
The Spen - you cant break your phone with the note 4 Spen, and is idiot proof like you can with the note 5. the other little upgrades are just software. Software can always change. Look at some of the fantastic work done by Devs here to give note users the latest features on older phones.
IR blaster- overlooked but so useful, can control TVs Aircons and Media devices. (just wish samsung could also learn IR signals like my old G2 to custom make a remote for the house/office)
Things that make the note 5 better.
Faster chip( as mentioned above not that major for sum of us, if you game a lot then maybe it is), more ram, better fingerprint reader(one thing I wish note 4 had), samsung pay (nice to have, will unfortunately not be coming to my country soon so not a problem).
Things people say makes note 5 better but I think is just hogwash
- build quality- both are excellently built, but everyone just puts covers on anyway and then the note 4 even wins with better covers that integrate with the back panel, and no glass that can be slippery.
- wireless charging. REALLY people how difficult is it to insert a charger , USB type C with fast charging would be the ultimate solution. and if you really want it the note 4 can also use wireless charging with 3rd party products
Above is just my 2 cents worth. use it ignore it it is just up to you, I know I made my disision and I am not regretting it at all. will probably root my phone soon, but so far there is little reason to root. maybe to use note 5 apps
:good::good:
Plus no mhl and no smart select ie and converts to text
The Note 4 has overall mostly the same features as the Note 5 does. You won't really notice and difference in speed on a normal daily use, only benchmark wise.
The Note 4 has a removable back, replaceable battery and microSD support. If your Note 4 battery is fauly, you can get a new one under warranty. If your Note 5 battery is faulty then you would have to send it back to Samsung.
And, of course, the Note 4 is cheaper and you're getting way more value for your money than with the Note 5 in my opinion.
It seems to me that every new Note has features I don't want added, and ones I really use taken away.
Case in point - I still have my old Note 3 lying around as a spare, and picked it up to use the other day. It made me stop and think - the Note3 was actually an awesome phone, why on earth did I "upgrade" to a Note4 in the first place?
1) Note3 was lighter and slimmer than the Note4
2) It had USB3 - to be honest I don't miss that all that much, but it was kind of cool when copying large videos off the phone
3) The car dock audio worked flawlessly via the USB cable, something I've been waiting in vain for Lollipop to fix, but to be honest I think it's a hardware limitation
I feel the same about the Note5 - everyone + dog has belabored the lack of SD card and removable battery, and while I wholeheartedly agree that these individually would be a deal breaker for me, the nail in the coffin is the lack of a Snapdragon processor.
Yes, yes the Exynos is a fine processor I'm sure but it feels as if all the development of ROMs is happening on the Snapdragon. I mistakenly bought the N910C Exynos version when the Note4 was first released and it took me about a week before I sold it, at a loss, to buy a Snapdragon variant - it just felt laggy, I couldn't find any hope that I'd ever be able to put CyanogenMod onto it. In short I hated it, and myself for not checking the model number before buying.
My Note 2 has served me well, but it's time to move on. The screen shows signs of burn in, and applications frequently crash due to (likely) faulty memory. Clearing the cache helps, but it's not something I want to do daily.
I'm looking for a similar phone with a pen/stylus, replaceable battery and mSD card support. Is the Note 4 the only option? Other than having a phone with no faults, what are expected to be the main benefits if I upgrade, and are there any regressions/drawbacks to consider?
Thanks!
wait a few weeks and see what the Note 7 have to offer ( it wont have removable battery though )
definately Note 7 - waterproof, with decent camera and audio, superb screen, sd card and many many more. I migrated to Note4 (DN5) from N3 and I'm waiting also for n7 as n5 is a crap (or beta version )
Lack of replaceable battery makes the Note 7 a non starter. When travelling I frequently use the phone for many hours without charging (on-foot navigation; tripadvisor etc) and I need it to be completely dependable. With a replaceable battery I just pop a new one in and I'm good for the rest of the day. I tried using a portable charger in the past, and hated how unwieldy it was compared to just spending 10 seconds to replace the battery.
The LG Stylus 2 Plus looks somewhat comparable to the Note 4 and is newer (Android 6, touch fingerprint reader), but seems to have a more limited stylus and lacks a physical home button (which I like very much in the Samsung, but I'm not sure lack of it is a deal breaker).
Thoughts?
Edit: Man, this promotional video from LG is good!
2 august is the day!!!
SM-N910F
What happens on August 2?
If you are on a budget then yes the Note 4 is a worthy upgrade from a Note 2. As it's the last in Samsung's flagship line that had a removable battery. However if you have the cash to spend, wait and get the Note 7.
The Note 7 doesn't fit my requirements, regardless of cost (no replaceable battery). It seems I need to decide between the Note 4 and the much newer LG Stylus 2 Plus.
oren_b said:
The Note 7 doesn't fit my requirements, regardless of cost (no replaceable battery). It seems I need to decide between the Note 4 and the much newer LG Stylus 2 Plus.
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Yap.
My vote is for Note 4.
It`s really an awesome device.
I`m using this one for last one year without any issue.
Excellent Display.
Removable Battery.
Expandable Memory.
Good XDA Dev support.
Stock MM really gives good battery backup.
Micheal86 said:
Yap.
My vote is for Note 4.
It`s really an awesome device.
I`m using this one for last one year without any issue.
Excellent Display.
Removable Battery.
Expandable Memory.
Good XDA Dev support.
Stock MM really gives good battery backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the LG Stylus 2 Plus is a rather poor spec device. You are much better getting the Note 4 instead of that! As the stylus used in the LG Stylus 2 is just a regular capacitive stylus that you can get at any high street retailer.
Ok, so I'm probably getting a Note 4 later this week. A few questions to make sure I'm making the right decision:
1. Is it easy to root?
2. Do I need to worry about Knox?
3. Can I use it worldwide without an issue (roaming)? I've had no issues at all in this regard with my Note 2.
4. I can get the N910C variant for less money than the N910F. Is there any significant difference between the two? Note that I don't play games on my phone.
Thanks!
Edit: I can also get the Galaxy Note Edge SM-N915F for the same price as the N910F. It seems pretty cool, but getting a TPU case for it (which I like) seems to be impossible. Such cases are very easy to fine for the Note 4 and usually cost only a couple of bucks.
The N910C is much more stable than the N910F as the N910C uses the Exynos 5433 SOC rather than the Snapdragon 805 in the N910F. You can root it pretty easily both the N910C and F models have excellent worldwide coverage with the exception of specific US carriers.
It is possible to get TPU cases for the Note Edge I've seen them online.
When you say the N910C is much more stable do you mean the N910F tends to crash / freeze, or something else?
Bought the Note Edge eventually. I love almost everything about it, but there are some senseless regressions on the software side:
- No way to display Favorites (contacts) as a list. The thumbnail-based display uses tiny text for names and has them truncated.
- No way to display Apps as a list. The grid display is much slower to browse because the eye has to go in different direction to follow the correct alphabetization.
- Dialer log does not support long-press menu anymore. Makes it more difficult to add a number to the reject list or favorites.
Why cripple things that used to work so well?
oren_b said:
Bought the Note Edge eventually. I love almost everything about it, but there are some senseless regressions on the software side:
- No way to display Favorites (contacts) as a list. The thumbnail-based display uses tiny text for names and has them truncated.
- No way to display Apps as a list. The grid display is much slower to browse because the eye has to go in different direction to follow the correct alphabetization.
- Dialer log does not support long-press menu anymore. Makes it more difficult to add a number to the reject list or favorites.
Why cripple things that used to work so well?
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Congrats mate.
Hope you`re enjoying your new device.
Best of luck.
:good:
Overall I do enjoy it. Hopefully I can find solutions for these relatively minor annoyances.
oren_b said:
Overall I do enjoy it. Hopefully I can find solutions for these relatively minor annoyances.
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Sure mate. Best of luck.
[emoji106]
The Note 4 is great. Since you have no interest in the Note 7, then you'll be completely fine with the N4. I upgraded from a Galaxy S5 and it feels like a completely new phone even though it released a long time ago. Marshmallow breathes new life into it.
AndroidGTAF said:
The Note 4 is great. Since you have no interest in the Note 7, then you'll be completely fine with the N4. I upgraded from a Galaxy S5 and it feels like a completely new phone even though it released a long time ago. Marshmallow breathes new life into it.
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Click to collapse
Exactly. It's an amazing device
Hello, I'm kinda stuck in this weird position here.
I've been a heavy Note 3 user for the past two years, flashing it to hell and back multiple times but now I've gotten the Note 4 passed down to me after the Note 8 finally arrived after two months of waiting (shipment got stolen, etc.).
After using it for a few days I've noticed how terrible the stock android 6 ROM is (compared to the custom ROMs I've been using on the Note 3) so I am really tempted to just flash TWRP and be done with it, but I've also noticed that compared to the Note 3 it kinda doesn't have that much more to offer in my opinion.
Sure the screen, camera and overall specs are better and the finger print scanner makes things much easier, but I've never really hit the ceiling with the Note 3 so I don't really see any good reason to keep this phone. I'm thinking about selling both the Note 3 and Note 4 and instead buying a completely different phone, an S8 might be nice to get.
I'd like to hear something from the long time Note 4 users here, something that made them trip the Knox fuse.
TIA
I also recently switched from the Note 3 to the Note 4
The Note 3 spoiled me too much, it has amazing ROMs with full teams dedicated to improving the performance
Sad to say that the Note 4 is a bit neglected. It does have some great ROMs, but there are still things that need to be figured out
It's not difficult to find a Note 7 port that is stable, but the ROMs usually only let you customize about 40% currently of what the Note 3 offers in their ports.
I enjoy it nonetheless and I can live with it
Removable back, IR blaster and decent specs still, I won't complain
1. 2.5D glass (less prone to damage) > S8+ or Note 8 curved display (fragile)
2. Removable battery, so you can switch battery when your battery dies or you want to get from 0% to 100% in less than few mins, instead of carrying heavy powerbank
3. IR Blaster
4. Easier to switch micro-sd card
justmoto92 said:
1. 2.5D glass (less prone to damage) > S8+ or Note 8 curved display (fragile)
2. Removable battery, so you can switch battery when your battery dies or you want to get from 0% to 100% in less than few mins, instead of carrying heavy powerbank
3. IR Blaster
4. Easier to switch micro-sd card
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What stable ROM do u recommend to replace the stock android6?
I just need root, get rid of bloatware and Android 6 is enough for me
dapgo said:
What stable ROM do u recommend to replace the stock android6?
I just need root, get rid of bloatware and Android 6 is enough for me
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So better stay at stock rom. root it and remove bloatware. I don't advice other roms.