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Hey,
My phone contract is up for renewal on the 11th January 2013 and wanted to get some opinions from people who used to own the phone I currently own which is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
I really can't fault my current Nexus, it is running Rasbean ROM with Franco kernel with very smooth, fast, reliable results.
However, with my free upgrade coming soon I'm a little bit stumped as to what my next move is. I don't want to move away from my current Tariff because it is the only tariff (mobile network) in my area that gives me good coverage around my house, so I'm more than happy to carry on paying monthly instead of going down the PAYG phone with a GiffGaff tariff etc...
I've just watched a video comparing the Nexus with the Nexus 4, yes the Nexus 4 does seem half a second or so quicker at starting apps etc and the screen looks completely different to the Nexus.
- Is there any other differences that you noticed from your upgrade?
- Now you have been using the Nexus 4 for a couple weeks+ would you do the same upgrade again?
- Is the non-removable battery a problem at all when flashing buggy Kernels/ROM's?
- Is the signal coverage roughly the same as the Nexus?
- Can you get the stock Nexus browser on the custom ROM's instead of the slow Chrome browser that came with the Nexus 4?
Any other pointers would be a massive help in me upgrading or not. Either I upgrade and sell the phone on as brand new or I keep the Nexus 4 upgrade and sell my 10 month old Nexus as used.
What would you do?
Why would the non removable battery be a problem with roms? The signal should be equal or better than the Gnex. You can get whatever browser you want on any android phone you want (almost).
The Nexus 4 is a beast. Its fast, fluid and just incredible.
If you're concerned about not getting the phone out of a bootloop you can always press vol up + power to force reboot(afaik).
Install CM10.1 and you will get the stock AOSP browser but theres also an alternative in the themes and apps section.
My signal seems better than with my Xperia S and it was already good, so I would say its the same or even better.
I would definitely upgrade(ok i did ) if I were in your situation.
I just got mine today but I say Yes. It is completely worth it. As for the non removable battery. It shouldn't be a problem as you can always get into fastboot. I don't know about other roms but you get stock android browser on Paranoid Android. The screen is much nicer. Fast processor. Pretty much everything you need unless you want LTE.
I had a galaxy nexus before this. Here's some points in the nexus 4's favor:
-Much much better screen
-Better battery life
-Better camera
-Faster and smoother UI
-Looks and feels like a higher quality device
-Music output significantly better through earphones, and louder through speaker
-Wifi reception is better. Cellular signal slightly better or the same.
Also note:
-Almost all custom ROMs come with the AOSP browser and ditch chrome.
-You can reset the device at any time by pressing and holding the volume and power keys together. There are loads of devices without removable backs and they all use this kind of reset combo. Don't worry about not being able to battery pull.
Cons of the nexus 4 to the galaxy nexus:
-Not as much development happening in the N4 forums as yet compared to the galaxy nex. I'm sure that will shift with time and is only the case due to poor availability of the N4.
-Not as durable as the gnex. Will probably take a lot less to break it.
tatltael said:
I had a galaxy nexus before this. Here's some points in the nexus 4's favor:
-Much much better screen
-Better battery life
-Better camera
-Faster and smoother UI
-Looks and feels like a higher quality device
-Music output significantly better through earphones, and louder through speaker
-Wifi reception is better. Cellular signal slightly better or the same.
Also note:
-Almost all custom ROMs come with the AOSP browser and ditch chrome.
-You can reset the device at any time by pressing and holding the volume and power keys together. There are loads of devices without removable backs and they all use this kind of reset combo. Don't worry about not being able to battery pull.
Cons of the nexus 4 to the galaxy nexus:
-Not as much development happening in the N4 forums as yet compared to the galaxy nex. I'm sure that will shift with time and is only the case due to poor availability of the N4.
-Not as durable as the gnex. Will probably take a lot less to break it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better battery life is subjective. You can get official extended batteries at around 2000 mah whereas n4 is 2100. Not much of a difference and the hsic wake lock is a problem for most people at least until Google panes out a update or flag a custom kernel
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
its basically the same. its maybe a tiny tiny bit faster in daily use, it doesnt scroll faster or anything but the transitions are nicer. so, first thing you notice is ... nothing. i know i'm getting tortured now but its the truth. its a nice little upgrade, beautiful screen (if you calibrate, otherwise its greatly inferior to your nexus), i love that its wider. in some games you notice slight differences, theres new lightting effects, flares, etc. overall it feels more precious and shiny and you can be sure it will withstand the next 24 months - and thats the thing with nexus, the software is the same, but it lets you enjoy what android has to offer without having to worry about silly stats. the new one is just making sure it stays like that bringing enough punch for tomorrows demands.
I'm coming from the GSM galaxy nexus.
The N4 has a wonderful screen, I like it a lot more than my Galaxy Nexus' screen.
But if you have the 2000 mah OEM battery, you will find the battery life of the N4 on 3G very disappointing. On WiFi they're pretty comparable.
Brilliant feedback folks, thanks a million for the in depth conclusions.
I'm swaying towards the Nexus 4 - for the pure reason of it been more future proof than the Galaxy Nexus.
The ROM and Kernel issues don't worry me, as they will get stronger and stronger as time go on, and both my favourite DEV's have got one and are developing ROM/Kernel so that's a bonus.
I was worried about the battery life of the Nexus 4, but by the sounds of it if you are on wifi the battery is not too far from the performance of the Galaxy Nexus.
I'm just slightly nervous about selling my nexus as it has been faultless.
chrisgtl said:
Brilliant feedback folks, thanks a million for the in depth conclusions.
I'm swaying towards the Nexus 4 - for the pure reason of it been more future proof than the Galaxy Nexus.
The ROM and Kernel issues don't worry me, as they will get stronger and stronger as time go on, and both my favourite DEV's have got one and are developing ROM/Kernel so that's a bonus.
I was worried about the battery life of the Nexus 4, but by the sounds of it if you are on wifi the battery is not too far from the performance of the Galaxy Nexus.
I'm just slightly nervous about selling my nexus as it has been faultless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't be nervous, it's about a $100 upgrade depending how much you get for your phone. I'd say it's worth it if you are selling ur old device for a good amount. Battery life, I wouldn't worry.
Franco Kernel + ROM of your choice, you shouldnt be disappointed.
Well........that was a quick decision if I ever I made one.
My Nexus 4 will be delivered by o2 tomorrow. Nexus is up on the popular bidding channel.
See you around the dev forums
Cheers and Happy New Year.
chrisgtl said:
Well........that was a quick decision if I ever I made one.
My Nexus 4 will be delivered by o2 tomorrow. Nexus is up on the popular bidding channel.
See you around the dev forums
Cheers and Happy New Year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats nice to see you have fast stock there. First things first would be to fastboot oem unlock of course (manual method, not toolkit )
zephiK said:
Congrats nice to see you have fast stock there. First things first would be to fastboot oem unlock of course (manual method, not toolkit )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think most of the major shops have plenty Nexus 4's left, its just Google play store that doesn't have any.
Yes, fastboot oem unlock & USB debugging will be carried out quite quickly.
chrisgtl said:
1- Is there any other differences that you noticed from your upgrade?
2- Now you have been using the Nexus 4 for a couple weeks+ would you do the same upgrade again?
3- Is the non-removable battery a problem at all when flashing buggy Kernels/ROM's?
4- Is the signal coverage roughly the same as the Nexus?
5- Can you get the stock Nexus browser on the custom ROM's instead of the slow Chrome browser that came with the Nexus 4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- Better camera, better materials, looks nicer, better audio quality, better screen, feels solid
2- Yes
3- No
4- I can't tell you cause I always get full signal here...
5- I have both on Xylon ROM, but dolphin and chrome are great browsers
Nexus 4 turned up last night so had a couple hours to play round with it now it is all setup with rascarlo ROM and franco kernel.
What have I noticed so far (in order):
1) It's quicker, installing apps from play is very snappy
2) Screen looks different, its like it is raised up compared to the Nexus
3) Boots up v.quick
4) Feels heavier, more solid
5) Camera is better
Quite happy with my new purchase! Just need to see how much I can claw back from ebay on my old Nexus.
Eric-1987 said:
Why would the non removable battery be a problem with roms? The signal should be equal or better than the Gnex. You can get whatever browser you want on any android phone you want (almost).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My previous phone was a g2 and several times a rom would become unresponsive or if I was testing a nightly rom it came in handy being able to take out the battery to reboot the device
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Coming from Gnex.
Using the N4 in everyday life is not a big difference (same software, sometimes a bit faster). Not a milestone ahead.
But - the phone is so solid, good-looking and has a better camera compared to the Gnex.
If it is really worth to change is more emotional than stick to facts.
floppyears said:
My previous phone was a g2 and several times a rom would become unresponsive or if I was testing a nightly rom it came in handy being able to take out the battery to reboot the device
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holding down the power button for ten seconds performs this same action
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Hello together,
i am going to get a nexus 4. At the moment i am going with the s3, but i love the look and feel of the nexus 4. But i have some questions i found a lot of differnt storys on the web.
1. whats about the battery? It is really that weak a lot of reviews tell me? Anyone got a s3 before and have a direkt comparison?
2. whats about the "menu" botton, is it possible to get rid of the useles last app softkey and have a menu button there ? maybe with another launcher or rom?
3. if i compare the camera of my friends nexus 4 and my s3, i have to say the nexus is really not the best here.
are there any other problems with the nexus ?
thanks alot
greetings
Havoc2k said:
Hello together,
i am going to get a nexus 4. At the moment i am going with the s3, but i love the look and feel of the nexus 4. But i have some questions i found a lot of differnt storys on the web.
1. whats about the battery? It is really that weak a lot of reviews tell me? Anyone got a s3 before and have a direkt comparison?
2. whats about the "menu" botton, is it possible to get rid of the useles last app softkey and have a menu button there ? maybe with another launcher or rom?
3. if i compare the camera of my friends nexus 4 and my s3, i have to say the nexus is really not the best here.
are there any other problems with the nexus ?
thanks alot
greetings
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My battery life is awesome. I can run a full day with it with 4+ hours screen time. But I'm also running a custom Rom with a custom kernel. I haven't tried the stock rom and stock kernel yet...Lol once I got the phone I immediately rooted it.
There are a ton of roms out there that give you the option to change your nav bar. You can literally put anything you want...at first when I got the phone, it was bugging me that I didn't have a menu button, but overtime i got used to it and I love not having it anymore! Also, the menu button comes up on every app that needs it. So it's pretty much always there.
Downside is the glass back. I put a case on my phone so I'm not worried. But I heard people get nicks and scratches very easily with the back glass.
Hope this helps.
Sent from my Nexus 4
Havoc2k said:
Hello together,
i am going to get a nexus 4. At the moment i am going with the s3, but i love the look and feel of the nexus 4. But i have some questions i found a lot of differnt storys on the web.
1. whats about the battery? It is really that weak a lot of reviews tell me? Anyone got a s3 before and have a direkt comparison?
2. whats about the "menu" botton, is it possible to get rid of the useles last app softkey and have a menu button there ? maybe with another launcher or rom?
3. if i compare the camera of my friends nexus 4 and my s3, i have to say the nexus is really not the best here.
are there any other problems with the nexus ?
thanks alot
greetings
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No, battery is much better compared to the galaxy nexus for example. 4.2.2 has been a good update. Custom kernels might give you that little bit more.
2. Many roms offer that possibility.
3. Again, much better than the galaxy nexus. S3 is better though, agree. By all means though, camera isn't bad or something!
Get a case. This baby is much different to the all plastic s3..
I had GalaxyNexus GSM > International S3 > Nexus 4.
1. I think that battery depends pretty much in your usage, for instance, I always have great battery life in my phones, so I think it's because the way I use it. With the Galaxy Nexus I always got 4+ of screen on time, with the S3 I got at least 5+, now with my N4 I get more than 6 hours (Wifi+3g on all)
2. You can change the navbar to whatever you want.
3.The best camera is the S3's, but N4's is not far from it, GN is the worst, no doubt.
The reason I sold my S3 was because I really like flashing new roms, as I tend to get bored with what I have, and because I had the international version of the S3, customroms didn't worked as good as they should because of the exynos SOC. Also, here in Mexico, the resell value of the S3 is quite high, I sold mine in almost 750 USD, and with that I bought a N4 and a N10
Caramba, 750 us$?! Niiiiice..!
Thank you
I think i gonna stick with my s3. N4 is for sure a nice phone, but the s3 is too. Just the feeling of the n4 is sooo good .D
I'm running AOKP with Custom Kernel
1. I get around 1 hours screen time for every 20% (5 hours screentime). A bit less if you game or use heavy apps.
2. Current AOKP build 3 allow it to hide on the side. Or you can shorten the height of it as well. (With the navi-bar down, you get approximately the same amount of usable screen estate as the S3)
3. Only downside, the camera is not that great. My old S2 have better image.
Your best bet is try them out.
If you're going to flash and such, N4.
If you're keeping everything stock, S3.
I had the s3 before this, trust me switching to the nexus will be the best move you make. Camera a tiny bit better but nexus camera only just behind. Everything else way better plus the nexus experience is just awesome
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Battery Life: I've had the N4 for almost 3 months now and the battery is AWFUL. It is literally the worst battery life I've had over the last 3 phones. I'm running paranoid ROM and stock kernel. Others have grand claims of great battery life which I'm sure is ligitimate but I can't seem to reproduce it no matter how much I try. I'm getting tired of always worrying about whether wifi is off or GPS is off or my phone will be dead by 2PM. Even if I do turn them off when I leave the house, the phone is dead by 4ish sometimes 5 if I try really hard not to use my phone as I do daily. For me, my phone is a tool to get things done so I'm probably a heavy user but still I haven't had battery concerns like this in 2+ years.
Camera: Apply the same as above but for the camera. It's pretty bad. It's SLIGHTLY better than the Gnex. iPhone 4, 4s, 4, and GS3 have better cameras as a comparison.
Other Issues: Some N4's have a horrible data drop issue, including mine. For an example on the same wifi where my iPhone 5 gets 45MB down on average, my N4 get's around 12MB on average although was I able to get it to 20MB once or twice. There are many threads about this so it's definitely not an isolated issue but at this point I have no recourse so I'm stuck with it. At some point I'll flash a different radio once one comes out which has been confirmed to fix data drop issues.
Anyhow like any device YMMV and you might get an N4 with not issues but I like many others I know were not so lucky even though there are many here who were.
FWIW the N4 is definitely a COOL device and definitely cooler than the S3 IMO but for me reliability heavily outweighs the cool factor.
1. Battery on this device isn't the best for the size. GS3 has definitely better battery life, but with even a heavy usage, I go through a day, which is enough for me since I charge my phone every night.
2. Custom ROM can change the nav bar but it never bothered me. IMO, I like how stock nav bar is designed. I never liked the menu button for some reason. Recent button is definitely more useful than menu IMO
3. Camera isn't that great, not going to lie. But it is really usable and capable of producing beautiful images and videos. Is it better than GS3? NOPE. But I don't mind the camera.
Sent from my TF300T using Tapatalk HD
What are your experiences with Nexus 10?
After 1 month
1. Disappointed ( battery life )
2. Feeling in the sf world with more goods to come related softwares ( android and maybe Ubuntu )
3. Happy with the games performance
4. Disappointed ( OEM accessories ) ( Google and Samsung care about the product ) Google for way to sell the product and Samsung for not able to make a 1m pogo cable .
5. Disappointed ( slow charge )
6. Happy with the developers attention ( kernel , ROM and recovery ) especially with Trinity kernel and AOKP Mr Robinson
7. Feel proud for have this in front of my friends ( I keep the bad thinks for me about it )
8. Happy with the CPU performance
9. Happy with the camera quality
10. Happy with the micro USB and hdmi connectors and possibility to connect : mouse , keyboard , HDD , Ethernet etc.
And more ...
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
I actually kind of disagree with the previous post. Generally my experience has been pretty good. Battery life is solid for me...I generally get 6-8 hrs of screen time each charge. Charging is slow, but the battery is 9000mAh which is huge. I plug mine in at night and its fully charged in the morning. Its all about your own expectations I guess.
Performance is really good and the screen is amazing. Some complain about lightbleed but its not an issue for me. Peruse the forums. There are many topics about issues.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
Coming from an iPad, extremely dissatisfied. Nowhere near as smooth and has half the battery life. The colors on the display are not as vibrant and the blacks are not as deep and rich. Unacceptable stability, tons of freezing, crashing and random reboots which are all symptoms of android 4.2, zero accessory support, half the battery of the iPad (I'm lucky to get three hours of screen on time at max brightness which I need to be on to see the screen in brightly lit rooms (iPad got much brighter and lasted 10 hours of actual screen on time). Games are laggy and I just regret this purchase.
I was expecting an experience like I have on my note 2. But its nowhere near as smooth and stable. And actually lasts a shorter amount of time before it needs to charge.
I'm only two days in but I love this thing... does have minimal light bleed but it's not noticeable in normal use... wish I got it sooner
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
Overall, I love it..had it near a month now and use it alot more than I expected too.
As an avid android user, I am glad I didnt jump ship to ipad which I thought about doing so, but glad it was just a thought. I still hate hate hate iOS.
Battery life sure could be tad better, but it gets me through the day and can toss on charger at night.
screen is just awesome looking
gaming is fun, love hooking up my controller via a 14cent otg adaptor and play nes/snes/playstation games.
Plex is just pure awesomeness on the tablet
and well Simpsons Tapped Out...damn addicting..
over all just been a great experiance, and nothing really would change, and glad I chose this.
Really pleased with my N10, had it since just after release. Performance is excellent. The only app I have that lags is FF. I had some random crashes and lockups before 4.2.2 but since then it's been rock solid with not a single problem. Battery life is good considering the outstanding screen it's powering.
The only issue I have is it losses time occasionally, I know this is a recognised problem but I would like to see it sorted as I use the tablet as a bedside clock/alarm when I'm travelling.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app
Eatonitis said:
... The only issue I have is it losses time occasionally, I know this is a recognised problem but I would like to see it sorted as I use the tablet as a bedside clock/alarm when I'm travelling...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use an app like "clocksync" to deal with device time slippage
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.org.amip.ClockSync&hl=en
If lost or stolen, I'd buy....
another without hesitation! I guess I'm lucky, I just don't have or see all the "issues" for my use of this tablet that others seem to struggle with day after day. :victory:
Tomsawhun said:
What are your experiences with Nexus 10?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite mixed.
I'm still thin about that myself.
Tomsawhun said:
Quite mixed.
I'm still thin about that myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, think ...
I just picked up the Nexus 10 today and can't believe how smooth it is completely stock it is much smoother than my asus Infiniti which has a custom rom and kerneI i really can't wait to unlock the nexus 10 and flash carbon rom get some to make it even faster ! The asus Infiniti is going up for sale tonight lol
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium HD app
Ted C. said:
another without hesitation! I guess I'm lucky, I just don't have or see all the "issues" for my use of this tablet that others seem to struggle with day after day. :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you don t see an issue that google lied us about the battery life and no care about OEM accesories?
- i paid for 7 hours of web browsing - i get 5 hours ( stock rom , stock kernel , no background apps running instead of web surfing ones , brightness to 30 % )
- i paid beacause its google/samsung and i can have a simple case that fits this product - i got nothing
- i paid for google brand because its a inovative company - i ve got no pogo cable to charge faster not to charge more that stays on
you are in heaven now - don t you worry child
Google -> put your as to work and deliver us some high class products like the search engine is ! I tought that you are the best ... don t get us more disappointed
Samsung -> shame on you because of the ugly bleeding screen problem . wtf you are nr 1 company in the world that produce this toys ... be carefull next time
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
Have had my Nexus 10 since early December, after having returned a disappointing TF700T. I use it heavily, just about every day.
I ran it stock for a while, although unlocked and rooted. Apex Pro. Using Chrome Beta let me avoid most of the early issues, and since android 4.2.2, this has been rock solid.
I recently flashed a custom ROM: AOKP PUB build. I'm also using the KTManta kernel. Performance, which was always great, is even better now. Lightning fast, super fluid / smooth. Incredibly reliable and stable.
I've had no issues at all re: squeaking, creaking, flexing, or light bleed. WiFi has been excellent in my experience.
Battery life has been fine. I average about 6 to 7 hours screen time in a typical day, and after a 16 to 18 hour day like that, I still have about 12 to 15 percent battery left. I generally leave brightness at about 70 pct.
I have SwiftKey Flow installed... Spectacular on this device and on my GNex.
I have the third party pogo cable and love it. I also found a genuine leather version of the Moko slim multi angle case on Amazon for $21, and it is perfect. Elegant, very functional, very well made, and a perfect fit.
I'm finding more and better ways to use the Nexus 10 every day. Spectacular device that is changing the way I work. Very highly recommended.
...beamed to your planet from my Nexus 10
I'm happy with the Nexus 10. I think the battery lasts enough, its shape is attractive and the data capacity is good.
Let's get real here
I'm not a hardcore XDA user and i don't modify my tablet more than it needs, So my experience with the nexus 10 has been great. Even though i have lost so many features from tf700t (with dock + SD Card) to Nexus 10, But it's worth it after seeing that performance that i got from the nexus 10.
Rants : only 16GB, Not way to upgrade. (Of course you could use cloud services)
Camera : 5MP, Would have loved to see a higher MP camera (It's not a big difference between 5-8)
Apps : Higher the quality, More the space it takes and it will eat up those 16gbs (You could get the 32GB but i haven't seen the 32gb available in over 3 months)
Love the Screen, Love the Performance, Love the Mic quality & Everything else ( Of Course apps that we download for the nexus 10 aren't updated yet, Well 95% of them)
If you want a tablet right now & You could get through the apps updating period (Where they update the graphics for Nexus 10) Then you are good for Nexus 10, Even though Nexus 10 is hard to get your hands on.
But If you want a simple tablet that will do your stuff without being confused, Nexus 10 is the way to go. But suggest If you want a table that already has a ecosystem you could try the iPad 4 they have alot of apps optimized, It's better to wait and think about it than going out and buying it (I learned it the hard way)
It depends on you and how you want to spend your money.
The things i said are something that i hate or love / My Opinion & Should not taken as a hate message.
Overall the Tablet gets 10/10, The things i mentioned (Rant) are things that doesn't bother me but i would have loved to have it, Just for sake of having them. I'm Completely happy with my tablet and couldn't wish better. "Whisper" 64GB or 128GB "Whisper"
Thank you very much your opinions!
You are very helpful.
Best regards
My glowing opinion of my N10 here:
http://dibblebill.blogspot.com/2013/02/farewell-a500-hello-manta.html
However, I am afflicted with the strange battery indicator issue. Calling Samsung later today. Give the N10 a 9.5/10. I get 8-10 hours at about 30-40% brightness, though that's all I need in my work environment. Get home from work shift and still have 50-70% battery left, depending on how much I use it at work.
All in all, I considered the Acer a500 the BEST of the Honeycomb tablets, and I, based on experience, consider this the best (for my purposes) of the ICS/JB tablets. Its only contender when I bought it was the Note 10.1.
I've been using mine a lot, every day basically, from watching movies and tv shows on netflix/other sites to playing games (Android and emulators) to productivity (Evernote, Kingsoft Office with a bluetooth keyboard) to web browsing. Works great, still fluid, and overall very happy with it, I actually got rid of my laptop as I could do everything I wanted to do on it.
I've had mine since the end of December, and I use it every day. I absolutely love it. My only issue with it is that I can never decide which ROM to keep on it. I've been running a healthy diet of CM 10.1, AOKP, and PA, and all run so well, and smoothly. This tablet has gone beyond my expectations.
I am coming from a Samsung Galaxy S3. I am due for an AT&T upgrade early July. I was really leaning towards the new Galaxy S5 but then I saw that I could get a Note 3 for the same price. I am really torn. The advantages I see with the Note 3 are:
---32 GB hard drive space vs 16 GB in S5
---3 GB ram vs the 2 GB that the S5 has
---larger screen
---bottom speaker (which I personally prefer to rear speakers)
The advantages I see for the Galaxy S5 are:
---a better camera (though I would love to hear just how much better)
---easier to handle with one hand
---water resistance
---apparently a screen that is brighter and slightly more accurate
I would like to hear from those who have had both and would like to elaborate or mention more advantages with either device. Thanks!
First it's about size difference. If you dislike a big phone you better don't buy a note. Everything else is a lot better on the note!!! For the same price and if the size is ok for u I would even prefer the note over the s5.
I went to an AT&T store yesterday and messed with a Note 3 for a while. The screen is humongous but the Galaxy S5 isn't too far from the same size with a much smaller screen.
I've liked everything about my Galaxy S3 except battery life (I now have a 3500 mah battery) and heating issues when doing gaming with, for example, Minecraft, even at its lowest graphical setting. I just can't game for more than 15-20 minutes on this phone without it getting extremely hot. Screen temperatures easily reach 100 within that time span.
Yesterday, I played Dead Trigger on the Note 3 for about 15 minutes. The phone did get quite warm on the screen side opposite the camera. It wasn't as bad as my S3 but it was a tad disappointing. Unfortunately the S5 next to it didn't have Dead Trigger on it and so I couldn't do a "heat" comparison.
BTW, hearing a lot about GPS issues and some suggesting not to upgrade to KitKat. Has the GPS issue been fixed without me having to run a custom ROM?
Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
Capa1970 said:
I went to an AT&T store yesterday and messed with a Note 3 for a while. The screen is humongous but the Galaxy S5 isn't too far from the same size with a much smaller screen.
I've liked everything about my Galaxy S3 except battery life (I now have a 3500 mah battery) and heating issues when doing gaming with, for example, Minecraft, even at its lowest graphical setting. I just can't game for more than 15-20 minutes on this phone without it getting extremely hot. Screen temperatures easily reach 100 within that time span.
Yesterday, I played Dead Trigger on the Note 3 for about 15 minutes. The phone did get quite warm on the screen side opposite the camera. It wasn't as bad as my S3 but it was a tad disappointing. Unfortunately the S5 next to it didn't have Dead Trigger on it and so I couldn't do a "heat" comparison.
BTW, hearing a lot about GPS issues and some suggesting not to upgrade to KitKat. Has the GPS issue been fixed without me having to run a custom ROM?
Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
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I haven't had any GPS issues on the Note 3, but I wouldn't base your decision on the GPS anyway since it's a problem which can be fixed. Like I said before it's about your preference. Try to focus on the things you really need/want to see on your device and look also for different Android phones. There are so many good devices on the market and if you can wait there will be some more beasts coming in the next couple of months!!! Me personally god used to the size and smaller devices feel like toys when I use them.
From what I heard you need a better battery life and good gaming and over all performance. Something else?(music, camera)
Thanks for the reply. Battery life, no exaggerated heat when gaming, camera, very good speakers, and removable battery are the most important things to me. I absolutely love the HTC M8 but the camera and non-removable battery kill it for me. I would really love to have front speakers, but the other candidate, Sony Z2, has bezels too big for my taste.
I am waiting on more information on the LG G3 and this Galaxy Prime that I keep on hearing about. As mentioned earlier, I am due for an upgrade in early July and so I have time to really think about things but I like doing my research months in advance instead of last second.
I mentioned to my brother that I was considering the Note 3 and he said that is has reception issues---dropped calls, weak signal, etc. I googled it and there were some threads on the subject. Any comments on this potential issue?
Weak signals and dropped calls would be a network issue not really a handset issue
I came from a s3 to a note 3 and I'll never look back anything smaller feels miniscule now initially took time to adjust to the size of the screen but now I can't see me ever using a smaller device
Battery has served me well get a full day out of it no problem
You won't find a phone that won't heat up while gaming it's impossible to cool a device operating at full power without some sort of cooling mechanics other than heatsinks
Phone will take anything you throw at it and then some
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I own both. (I'm using my S5 as a glorified mp3 player these days, as the screen is too small for me.) Much prefer the Note 3.
The camera on the S5 is in no significant way better than that on the Note 3. I'm an actual photographer so I haven't used any of the filters, and I set everything manually, but in term of picture quality, both are rubbish in low light. In bright light they're near equal.
In terms of screen the S5 is smaller with a higher pixel density. You can only see it when you're about 2cm away from your screen. The colours are slightly more saturated on the S5. (That's a matter of preference, I prefer somewhat more normal colours. Mainly because I can't stand the ghastly Touchwiz colours on the S5.)
Each phone heats up whilst gaming. That's what happens when the plastic case serves as the heatsink without any other fan or coolant. Particularly if you're holding it. The more powerful the device, the more it heats up.
I have no issues with GPS on KitKat. It locks quickly, is stable and has no satelite loss. Call reception is also fine, any drops in signal is entirely due to the sometimes hilariously bad coverage of my provider. (I've nagged them about that. Repeatedly. In person, at their HQ, to the network manager. No luck.)
The S5 is a bit better at handling drops and bumps. The Note 3 is a bit more fragile, so if you lead an active lifestyle or you're clumsy, consider a case.
If you have the time, I would indeed suggest waiting for the S5 Prime before making your choice. http://www.sammobile.com/2014/05/09...ith-qhd-display-snapdragon-805-android-4-4-3/
ShadowLea said:
I own both. (I'm using my S5 as a glorified mp3 player these days, as the screen is too small for me.) Much prefer the Note 3.
The camera on the S5 is in no significant way better than that on the Note 3. I'm an actual photographer so I haven't used any of the filters, and I set everything manually, but in term of picture quality, both are rubbish in low light. In bright light they're near equal.
In terms of screen the S5 is smaller with a higher pixel density. You can only see it when you're about 2cm away from your screen. The colours are slightly more saturated on the S5. (That's a matter of preference, I prefer somewhat more normal colours. Mainly because I can't stand the ghastly Touchwiz colours on the S5.)
Each phone heats up whilst gaming. That's what happens when the plastic case serves as the heatsink without any other fan or coolant. Particularly if you're holding it. The more powerful the device, the more it heats up.
I have no issues with GPS on KitKat. It locks quickly, is stable and has no satelite loss. Call reception is also fine, any drops in signal is entirely due to the sometimes hilariously bad coverage of my provider. (I've nagged them about that. Repeatedly. In person, at their HQ, to the network manager. No luck.)
The S5 is a bit better at handling drops and bumps. The Note 3 is a bit more fragile, so if you lead an active lifestyle or you're clumsy, consider a case.
If you have the time, I would indeed suggest waiting for the S5 Prime before making your choice. http://www.sammobile.com/2014/05/09...ith-qhd-display-snapdragon-805-android-4-4-3/
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That is exactly how I compare the two devices just a lot more detailed lol.
In September/October should be the note 4 release and if I wouldn't have the note 3 now I would definitely wait. (I will probably still upgrade cause of my cell phone interest/addiction)
Guys, thanks for the replies and, Shadow Lea, thanks for the detailed comparison! I'm sure that it is close, but which one would you say has better battery life?
Capa1970 said:
Guys, thanks for the replies and, Shadow Lea, thanks for the detailed comparison! I'm sure that it is close, but which one would you say has better battery life?
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I myself have always found the note series vs the s series that the note had way better battery life and camera wise your photos will about the same but since you due in July wait for note 4 or the s5 prime
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Capa1970 said:
Guys, thanks for the replies and, Shadow Lea, thanks for the detailed comparison! I'm sure that it is close, but which one would you say has better battery life?
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I'd say they're fairly even matched. The S5 is smaller, but has a smaller battery. I do feel my Note 3 lasts a bit longer, but maybe because I put more effort into extending the batterylife.
I am seeking some clarity. Exactly which Snapdragon 800 chipset is in the AT&T Galaxy Note 3? This article assumes that it is the variant with ram clocked at 933 MHz and the GPU at 550 MHz:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/snapdragon-801-performance-xperia-z2,3777-3.html
However, I've seen articles that have the ram at 800 MHz and the GPU at 450 MHz. Which is correct?
Don't buy the current S5 as Samsung is going to release a better version of it with a better chipset and more RAM and Quad HD display. The Note 3 is just as good for photos, has the S-Pen, speakers at the bottom as stated before, 128 GB Micro SD slot, same screen resolution, more RAM, and almost the same processor speed. W/ the S5, you're just getting features the Note 3 will get sometime later in the year, waterproofing (case can solve that w/ good research), and an easier device to carry around. People joke about my Note 3 a bit saying it's too big, but I honestly don't care because most people use that crappy iPhone 4S or something miniscule.
IMO just wait for the Note 4 right now.
First off - prefer the Note 3 because of the larger screen, however one thing that the others haven't mentioned is that the S5 comes with Kitkat which has restricted access to the SD card. The note 3 might still come with android 4.3 (if you are lucky) which allowed full access to the SD card. Obviously if you don't use the SD card than this is of no interest however if you do then, to me, this is a really important issue. Fortunately I jusy got my phone on a two year contract so I have at least 19 months before I have to worry! (as long as I don't press the firmware upgrade button by mistake!) Hope Google put something better in place in android 4.5 or android 5 or reverse this stupid decision.
What restriction r u talking about? I'm on kk.
@op if you get the chance compare it hands on. I heard a lot of people disliking the size of a note!!! It is most important that u like your phone and feel comfortable or else u regret spending money on it and start threats about strange issues u have in the forum Good luck with your decision. And as I said before at least wait for the note 4 if the screen size isn't a problem.
Google kitkat sd card issues tons of complaints. Someone has even started a petition. Although you can save your photos and music to the sd card all apps must save to a single app specific directory and are not allowed to write to other directories. E.g.take a photo with your phone them try and edit it with another programme. Because you aren't allowed to save it to the original directory you will end up with two copies in different locations. Also when you uninstall an app any data on the sd card will be deleted! Right pain in the ...neck!
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Barneyabz said:
Google kitkat sd card issues tons of complaints. Someone has even started a petition. Although you can save your photos and music to the sd card all apps must save to a single app specific directory and are not allowed to write to other directories. E.g.take a photo with your phone them try and edit it with another programme. Because you aren't allowed to save it to the original directory you will end up with two copies in different locations. Also when you uninstall an app any data on the sd card will be deleted! Right pain in the ...neck!
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Seriously the SD card issue isn't a big deal. The only problem is for old apps. But if you're using a new device, you should download apps that are optimized for your OS instead of running old apps anyways.
If the developer didn't bother with an update for a big permission change then obviously it's a sign that you should find a new app because If the app was like a banking app or something related to work, and they didn't update to 4.4 permissions, then how would you rely on them when a huge exploit for the app is released which leaked all your passwords and vital information?
Rooting allows for you to bypass this, but in all honesty, the play store is filled with new apps that always get updated weekly (especially File sharing apps) and you should use those instead. I understand not everyone can do this, but by choosing to buy a 4.4 device (even if you did an update you should have read up about changes), you automatically assume 4.4 features to be what you will live with.
It's ok. I bought a 4.3 device and read about the changes in 4.4 so I haven't updated. Personally I wanted my phone and next tablet to replace a Windows PC. Android 4.4 won't work for me. So I'll stay on 4.3 until warranty is up then upgrade and root. Next tablet will be a windows 8 not android.
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Barneyabz said:
It's ok. I bought a 4.3 device and read about the changes in 4.4 so I haven't updated. Personally I wanted my phone and next tablet to replace a Windows PC. Android 4.4 won't work for me. So I'll stay on 4.3 until warranty is up then upgrade and root. Next tablet will be a windows 8 not android.
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I would definitely wait with win 8 tablets. The most r crap and the good ones r waaaay 2 overpriced. Know the win cycle one software good one bad... Windows 7 was good Vista bad XP good... Think about it
Wow, using it over a week now and loving this phone even more....
Long stretch from my Galaxy S5, why didn't this phone come before I bought my S5 LOL
No battery issues here, getting more out of this phone then my S5 and better after the last OTA update. For anyone who's having battery issues, there are several features to disable to get the most out of your battery, do a search on google, there's a ton of people who's increased battery life by taking these steps.
As for the bloatware, I usually root my phone but I don't see the reason too with this one even with all the bloatware, most you can disable. The PC Link is a godsend, wow, every phone should have this feature. Speed wise, I've got mine on Balance mode and it's lightning speed, you can go all out and draw a bit more speed by using the Performance mode but you'll sacrifice some battery life, I didn't notice a whole lot of battery drain in that mode, may go back just to get that extra speed.
The only real gripe I have with this phone is the ability to sync effectively with Outlook, I keep my contacts and schedule on Outlook and with the S5 Samsung Kies was a nice free option to do so. Wish ASUS had a similar app to sync Outlook. The best way I found so far to do this is SyncDroid, worth the $4 to get my contacts synced alone. Calendar I just use Google Calendar Sync seems to do the job. But still prefer to stick with one PC app that does it altogether. If anyone out there found a better (Free) option then SyncDroid, please let me know. I won't use Outlook.com, I find it a pain and somewhat glitchy. Outlook is a pretty widely used app and I think this should be mandatory for all Android phones, this to me would make Android the ultimate mobile device. I paranoid about syncing my entire contact list and calendar via online/cloud etc. I prefer to do it locally with my pc.
This truly is an amazing product for the price, screen is not as bright as my S5 SuperAmoled but I'll take the performance, size, memory over screen hands down, big deal, it's a bit hard to see under sunlight but honestly, I don't use it under direct sunlight that much to ditch the phone. Asus has made excellent effort to keep OTA's coming, which is more then what I can say for Samsung phones. I don't think this phone is going away anytime soon, the only store that sells this phone in our city can't keep this thing in stock, they are constantly sold out, that's a good thing, if it sells that well, Asus will continue to support this phone. The hardware in the phone has great potential for future improvements, Android OS updates will just keep making it better.
Let's just hope the built in battery (which is my other gripe) will last. I hate built in batteries, gives me Iphone jitters I hope the battery is easily replaceable. But Samsung's new flagship has also gone this route. I saw the Zenfone 2 takedown and it seems relative straight forward so battery replacement is doable, would be nice to see companies start making 4000mAh or 5000mAh batteries for this phone
For all who are having intermittent issues and giving up, just be a little patient, this is a brand new phone, there will always be issues, happens to flagship phones, Asus is doing very well getting OTA's to us to fix these problems and I'm confident there will be more to come, growing pains. And please, don't knock this phone because it's not up to par with your Iphone 6 or S6 or phones that are twice/three times the price, it's like giving a Honda Civic a bad review because it doesn't compare to your Audi or Mercedes, how much did your Mercedes cost compared to your Civic, come on, let's be realistic.
Good luck with your new ZF2!
The problem is large amount of zen2 having defective battery. It causes high battery drain or randomly shutdown issue. I also have my battery replaced from service center. Otherwise, this fone perform very well with its price
Sorry I didn't read whole post...I just want to know how much SOT are you getting?
tuilalnvinh said:
The problem is large amount of zen2 having defective battery. It causes high battery drain or randomly shutdown issue. I also have my battery replaced from service center. Otherwise, this fone perform very well with its price
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Sorry to hear you're having that luck, with any phone there are defective units, I've only read a handful who's had battery issues, which version do you have? ie. North America, China etc.
SRV Rockable said:
Sorry I didn't read whole post...I just want to know how much SOT are you getting?
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I haven't really measured using the battery usage. I go by normal use through out the day comparing it with my S5, I'll go through a day running my typical apps, texting, surfing and emailing and the odd calls. I'll end up with about 60-70% battery life by about 9 pm from about 8 am, that's when I sit down and plug it in to charge, I consider pretty good considering I was getting about 30-40% with my Galaxy S5 using it the same way. Not sure if that helps.
Minim3 said:
Sorry to hear you're having that luck, with any phone there are defective units, I've only read a handful who's had battery issues, which version do you have? ie. North America, China etc.
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It's a taiwan version, i had issue with it after 2 weeks of using. I also see people report error from other versions too in zentalk
I've used mine for a bit over a day and I'm impressed. Performance is great, build quality seems great too. I've read some reviews that state the phone feels cheap, but to me it feels and looks better than Samsung S4 or S5.
I have no problem reaching the power button on top, it feels easier than pressing the power button on the side of my old 4.7" Blu Life Play phone, as I don't have to change the grip to reach the power button.
Battery life is a concern though. Yesterday I spent the day applying updates, rooting, instalar all my apps and tweaking all config options. The charge did not last me the day. Hopefully today it'll fare better today after all customization and setup is done.
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Minim3 said:
I haven't really measured using the battery usage. I go by normal use through out the day comparing it with my S5, I'll go through a day running my typical apps, texting, surfing and emailing and the odd calls. I'll end up with about 60-70% battery life by about 9 pm from about 8 am, that's when I sit down and plug it in to charge, I consider pretty good considering I was getting about 30-40% with my Galaxy S5 using it the same way. Not sure if that helps.
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i have no problem with battery too, with a normal use, some calls, web browsing, whatsapp and facebook i still have more than 50% at home at night, a great improvement since my samsung s3
i also tested the display on some hours, and it should last 5/6 hours of continuos web browsing
onesky said:
i have no problem with battery too, with a normal use, some calls, web browsing, whatsapp and facebook i still have more than 50% at home at night, a great improvement since my samsung s3
i also tested the display on some hours, and it should last 5/6 hours of continuos web browsing
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I've been reading a lot of reviews for the ZF2 seems like the CN versions have more problems, I wonder if they got some duds. And also, I've noticed that the ZE551 CN versions have different configurations, maybe that's the problem.
Sorry to bring up an older post, but I see a lot of people loving this phone, and some haters (There's always haters)....I have an iphone 6 now after being on Android for a long time, and I'm about fed up with iOS...All of the things people say about iOS are true...locked down...Boring...Ect... That's a different topic for a different day..
My question is, how is the screen? Lots of people have complained about brightness, or lack there of. Also, camera, is it at least average? I'm looking to go about 300 on a phone and there's a few choices out there, but none seem as powerful as the Zenfone 2 with 4gb of ram, 64gb storage. It seems a little more future proof than the OPO, so I'm thinking of getting it....
Will I be disappointed coming from the Nexus line, then iPhone 6?
smokinjoe2122 said:
Sorry to bring up an older post, but I see a lot of people loving this phone, and some haters (There's always haters)....I have an iphone 6 now after being on Android for a long time, and I'm about fed up with iOS...All of the things people say about iOS are true...locked down...Boring...Ect... That's a different topic for a different day..
My question is, how is the screen? Lots of people have complained about brightness, or lack there of. Also, camera, is it at least average? I'm looking to go about 300 on a phone and there's a few choices out there, but none seem as powerful as the Zenfone 2 with 4gb of ram, 64gb storage. It seems a little more future proof than the OPO, so I'm thinking of getting it....
Will I be disappointed coming from the Nexus line, then iPhone 6?
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If you have little patience to wait little more for 5.1 to come up (which most people dont have and hence judging things wrongly) then its worth having for sure..
I came from a G2 and iphone 6. I still have an iPad. I couldn't be happier to be honest
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I came from an HTC m7 and I love my new ZenFone 2. I have the 4gb/64gb model and it is superb. I also was worried about screen brightness, but I haven't found it bad at all.
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smokinjoe2122 said:
Sorry to bring up an older post, but I see a lot of people loving this phone, and some haters (There's always haters)....I have an iphone 6 now after being on Android for a long time, and I'm about fed up with iOS...All of the things people say about iOS are true...locked down...Boring...Ect... That's a different topic for a different day..
My question is, how is the screen? Lots of people have complained about brightness, or lack there of. Also, camera, is it at least average? I'm looking to go about 300 on a phone and there's a few choices out there, but none seem as powerful as the Zenfone 2 with 4gb of ram, 64gb storage. It seems a little more future proof than the OPO, so I'm thinking of getting it....
Will I be disappointed coming from the Nexus line, then iPhone 6?
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Click to collapse
I've had mine now about 3 weeks and I think that the phone is great for the price. The camera is OK, certainly not iPhone 6 good, but reasonable, especially when you use alternate camera apps. The screen is fine, but once again, I'm indoors most of the day, so no issue. Max brightness outside is not so great the one or two times I've used it.
I think that the phone is a work in progress and that a lot of the deficiencies that you see people griping about will be addressed with future Android updates. On the plus side, Asus had been sending out updates frequently so they seem committed to making this phone better.
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Thanks for the input guys...Really having a hard time between this and the OPO....I still have until the end of the month to make my choice, but I'm leaning towards this phone...Really can't go wrong for $300 per the specs, and I like that Asus is continually updating this phone....
I had the same choice to .and and went for the ZenFone 2. I have had it for 4 weeks now and have had no regrets. This phone performs flawlessly in my opinion.
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Had mine for 4weeks now....am so LOVING it...
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i have no problem with battery, It's a taiwan version.
over 2 months and still in love.
smokinjoe2122 said:
Thanks for the input guys...Really having a hard time between this and the OPO....I still have until the end of the month to make my choice, but I'm leaning towards this phone...Really can't go wrong for $300 per the specs, and I like that Asus is continually updating this phone....
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I came from a Nexus 5 and was considering the same two phones as you. Decided to go with the zenfone 2 based on Asus being more reputable and customer friendly from what i read. So far its been great. I did root (which is super easy via one click) and used titanium to freeze all the unwanted apps. Haven't experienced any lag. Camera wont be as good as the Iphone, but definitely better than my nexus 5. I dont game on it because I dont see the point of gaming on a phone, but i did run hearthstone flawlessly. To me, the build quality is nice. comparable to Galaxy s4/5, so im not sure why so many reviews bring it up as a major con. at $300 this phone is awesome. And once Asus pushed out 5.1 it should shine even more, as 5.1 bumps android up to 64bit, and this has a 64bit chipset.
This phone is way better than I expected for $299. I'm coming from an LG G2, and I'm not missing anything. You can spend 3x this much on a phone and you won't end up with much more.
Honestly my biggest nit-pick is the power button placement, but double-tap-to-wake/sleep is far more convenient than any possible hardware switch. Battery life is a touch lower than I'm used to, but QC 2 is really great.
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