Database Users

A small iPhone 4S vs Galaxy Note comparison

ANTI-FANBOY DISCLAIMER:
I am aware that I am on a forum full of people that are geared towards a single OS (Android) and who are more likely than not very biased about which is "better" and which "sucks". I am aware that many are not platform agnostic and have not learned to be objective about different ecosystems. Thus, I am anticipating the possibility of anti-apple comments. Oh well.
Anyways, I just wanted to create this side note to say that I'm platform agnostic for everything and have just about every major commercial platform (Windows/Mac, Android/iOS, Wii/PS3/360). So when I do this comparison I am naturally doing it without fanboyism, although my bias does seep through as I naturally have different preferences than others (just a fact of life, different people like different things). However, I try to be as objective as possible.
Hey all,
I'm sitting here with my black Galaxy Note 16GB and white iPhone 4S 64GB and have been thinking about the two a lot lately, mainly comparing them and considering which I should go with. So here's a comparison:
iPhone 4S
TLDR: The thing "just works" with zero hassle, low time requirements to get what you need done, and pretty much everything that you want software-wise is more than satisfied.
Superior:
- Better UI interface (more intuitive, logically laid out, refined, etc) for pretty much every part of the phone
- A little more smooth in terms of performance
- Does multitasking MUCH better and it is easier to use multitasking. Its quite usual to have about 10 to 15 apps going in the background and being able to comfortably switch between them. That's simply not possible on the Note on 2.3.6 (stock firmware) or is much more difficult to do thanks to the multitasking switching method (recent apps window) and the large RAM/CPU demand of many android apps.
- Cloud sync, if you have a mac, is absolutely wonderful and works better than expected. It just works. No hassle, minimal (almost zero) setup and maintenance time.
- The sound quality on the 4S is MUCH better.
- App store is fantastic, has better apps than the Android. This can't be emphasized enough as there are numerous apps on iPhone that simply have no equivalent in terms of quality. For me, the major ones are the office suite (Keynote, Pages, Numbers) as well as a class manager app called iStudiez. I've tried the equivalents on Android and I have found them to be not up to the quality where I would be willing to use them (bad aesthetics, lacking functionality, doesn't "just work with zero hassle")
- I have zero worries about viruses, malware, etc on my iPhone
- if you know other people with iDevices running iOS 5, then FaceTime/iMessage is great.
- I like that the iPhone uses white for a lot of the background colour. The black backgrounds for the settings, messages, etc on the Note really depresses me and makes the screen seem small.
- Camera is better, and it has better anti-shaky-cam functionality. 1080p video works great and the phone handles it wonderfully. I am able to record lectures in class perfectly.
Inferior:
- The hardware is just not as good as the Note. Screen is claustrophobic/postage-stamp-size and hampers full use of the best apps (Pages, Keynote, Numbers).
- The OS and apps don't take advantage of the resolution. It might as well have a 320 x 480 resolution.
- Some people may not like that its not very customizable. I don't mind it because the stock experience is pretty much perfect. I don't HAVE to change anything. On the other hand, I don't GET to.
Galaxy Note
TLDR: Great, but not as good as the 4S in terms of software (which cripples the phone). But, this will be fixed in time and I doubt even the iPhone 5 will be able to beat the Note once the software becomes even close to being on par.
Superior:
- Hardware is wonderful. The screen allows me to use the phone in a much more advanced, useful way - especially for browsing the web. I have been reading my etextbooks on my Galaxy Note quite regularly and prefer reading off of it rather than my actual physical textbooks. That really goes to show that the Note has an amazing screen because I don't want to read my etextbooks off anything else - and I have some amazing displays at my disposal: a 17" macbook pro screen, a 17" alienware R2 RGBLED screen (best screen ever made IMO), a 27" Thunderbolt display, etc.
- S-Pen is pretty useful just with the stock apps, and I can't wait until iAnnotate comes out along with other apps.
- The OS allows me to customize it more. I don't really like this as I have a tendency to waste my time looking for good upgrades for it, but some people might.
Inferior:
- App store has very few Apps on par with the iPhone editions of them. There are some good ones but generally the quality is lower than the iPhone app store. This is the biggest con. I can't express how much this affects my use of the phone. I can't use the phone for office capabilities because polaris is glitchy, looks bad, and isn't optimized for the screen size, and there is no alternative to iStudiez that is on par with it (already tried class buddy, it's quality is not high enough to be useful to me).
- Stock experience of Android is good but is showing its age compared to the iPhone. ICS should fix this but it won't fix the lack of great apps.
- Camera is not as good, and I can't seem to take 1080p videos over a certain file size. I can't record lectures with it due to the file size thing.
- Viruses on android. My mom got her email hacked because of some stupid malware app (she has a Note and 4S too, but sold her Note because of the security vulnerability and her bad experience with getting hacked).
This review is kinda short but I don't have much free time lately as I am very busy.
The major let down for me was the app store for android. If it was on par with the iPhone app store then I would use the Note over the iPhone even though iOS is superior to Gingerbread. Though this shouldn't be around forever (I give it about two or three years before they are on par), but its crippling the phone for me.
So, what I've ended up doing is using both phones. I use the Note for internet, and the iPhone for everything else. I await the day when I can dump the iPhone as i prefer the hardware of the Note. My prediction is that ICS and its stylus support will encourage more devs onto the platform and will result in better apps, but to what degree I'm not sure. Even if it doesn't immediately result in more good apps coming out, I'm sure that within two or three years the iPhone app market will be saturated enough to persuade developers that they will get more money from Android.
EDIT: I figured out a while ago what the solution is: Buy the Galaxy Note and an iPod Touch and tether the two with wifi while on the go. It gives the best of both worlds for not all that much money (especially if you get a used iPod touch).You get the App store on the iPod touch and the hardware of the Note.
- Liquid

Does multitasking MUCH better and it is easier to use multitasking. Its quite usual to have about 10 to 15 apps going in the background and being able to comfortably switch between them. That's simply not possible on the Note on 2.3.6 (stock firmware) or is much more difficult to do thanks to the multitasking switching method (recent apps window) and the large RAM/CPU demand of many android apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You really don't understand how Android multi-tasking works, do you? Or how it works on iOS, for that matter.

Im not going to bother reading it but I can tell by the longer list of "superior" items under the iphone that android is not for you. Dont want to make this a vs thread but you have no idea what your talking about. You and mom(viruses) should give up android.
Theres a reason I wont allow my wife or mom to purchase a android device. My wife uses a iphone4 and ipad2 daily. Theres absolutely nothing a iphone does better than sgs, sgs2 or note.
Funny thing is family and friends go crazy over all my android devices. With everything they can do. Christmas day, with all my friends over, watching movies/games thru mhl, and the million other things that entertained us. Bought my wife the ipad 2 for christmas and after a weeks time, the only thing that was even fun was the camera mirror photo booth app.
Out of the box android is superior to iphone. Jail-broken iphone only tries to mimic android. Funny thing is my winmo 6 devices were superior to android/iphone years ago.
and android doesnt have a app store lol.

1. 4S is can NOT be jailbroken, the devs are not even close to a solution.
2. Siri, is a gimmick and send all the voice data to apple for processing, this in turn increases your data usage.
3. The visible hardware is unchanged from iPhone4 and Androids have moved ages ahead.
4. iPhone4S has some Simcard issues. Loss of network is the result.
5. The iPhone UI is unchanged since the first 2G. Thats a lot of years of using the same UI. Most people didn't upgrade to 4S from 4 (including me) as the external form factor and the UI was the same. I just couldn't justify spending a bomb on a new fone that looks exactly the same and has the same interface.
6. Theme support? You can not put winterboard or dreamboard ,if you are not jailbroken.
7. iMessage although a nice concept has its own issues. It doesnt come close to Whatsapp or Blackberry Messenger.
The positive things about an iphone is the the resale value due to the novelty value is good and the Accessories that are available. Like the Indash DVD unit of my car syncs to ipod/iphone the Kicker music dock syncs to iphone/ipod etc.
Apple with iPhone 5 will really have to come up with something radical to catch up with the droids i believe.
Edit : How could i forget iPhone are marred by the fact that iTunes exists.
PS. I'm not a Droid fanboy, i used to be a apple fanboy.

Croak said:
You really don't understand how Android multi-tasking works, do you? Or how it works on iOS, for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It might be right, that LiquidNitrogen have no idea about dalvik, JVME or JIT-Compiling. What he does is: He is sharing his experience with both devices and the point is, that LiquidNitrogen loves the "no hassle" thing and uses the devices stock - like thousands of people do!
His arguments are only subjective and not scientificaly prooved and thats what apple is turning in to their business: they create products with zero-hassle-experience! Even my Mom could use an Iphone, and she allready has problems using a TV Remote
For me, i like hassle. I want to customize the look of my device and utilize it for doing what i want to, since WinMo 5.0... Android is just perfect for me.
I allways used big screen devices like HTC Universal, Dell Streak, etc.
I cannot understand how apple can sell a poststamp-sized-screen-phone for 700 bucks.... and: i would never buy this device since iTunes is an "must-have" thing. I hate iTunes, there is nothing worse than iTunes. my sister calls me once a week: "i just downloaded a video in .flv format, how can i make iTunes sync this with my iphohe?" you guys know what i mean ;-)

I don't have an iphone, but I thought your post was pretty objective.
Of course, this being the internet, you'll get flamed no matter what you do.
Some things I'd comment on:
LiquidNitrogen said:
pretty much everything that you want software-wise is more than satisfied.
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Click to collapse
Software is always personal choice. I think as long as you have facebook, twitter, and angry birds, you satisfy 95% of the general public. That's a slight exaggeration, but not by much actually.
LiquidNitrogen said:
I like that the iPhone uses white for a lot of the background colour.
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Click to collapse
I absolutely hate white backgrounds since It's just a battery drainer.
LiquidNitrogen said:
- The OS and apps don't take advantage of the resolution. It might as well have a 320 x 480 resolution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume you mean fonts/buttons are still large - this is a result of the small screen. Even on the note, some tablet apps are just too painful to use. The text is just too small.
LiquidNitrogen said:
I don't mind it because the stock experience is pretty much perfect. I don't HAVE to change anything. On the other hand, I don't GET to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See 'the paradox of choice'
- Frank

This post made me laugh. The iPhone having better multitasking? Really? No. the iPhone freezes your app that's "open" and there is no "multi tasking" it's monotasking with an icon to reopen where you were.
Cloud sync? Really? I haven't had to backup my contacts in years. Nor my calendar. I have sugarsync and dropbox, mostly sugarsync since I have a paid account with them, for my desktop. I also use it on my phone. It automatically backs up pictures and videos and any folders I want every day on my terms: wifi, plugged in. I don't see "cloud sync" as a pro for iOS. Especially not since it JUST came out. I've been syncing since my blackberry days to Google Contacts and Calendar.
Data usage on the iPhone is also a lot higher. Your email app for example loads emails AGAIN and AGAIN every time you open the email you want to see! Great way to lose data on silly things.
I used an iPhone 4 for almost a year, (that's a long time for me, check my signature), and I liked it but I got SOOO bored :
Tiny screen (not small, TINY...)
UI was so outdated, even though smooth. I'd prefer functional over esthetics. On my Notes desktop I have widgets for everything I need, and direct shortcuts to everything else. In 2 clicks I have wifi, gps, volume, etc. Access to a ton of features. Turning on / off wifi on the iphone is a pain. I'd imagine they did it on purpose as to be too much of a pain to turn it on and then you'd just use your data connection, use more data, and get carriers more money (back to the constant reloading of data)
Games were fun! But they were on such a small screen that text was almost illegible.
Multitasking took FOREVER. Many times I would want to reload an app, and since it wasn't made for saved-state, it would reload! And then there's the whole RELOADING of the app entirely if your ram ran out and your phone decided to recycle it completely while still showing that it's running.
Regardless, I DO agree that the iPhone just works. I also find that they made a huge profit margin on the same product (iphone 4 --> 4s) due to the same frame, screen, memory, buttons, etc.
That's a huge waste for us. Don't people want innovation? Choices? Apple gives you 1 iphone a year, with the same form factor, and the ONLY thing you can choose is memory and color. What if you could only get a car in 2 colors, and if it's a v6 or v8? Everyone would hate that. I think apple limits technology. I do believe Apple does do some things right though: user experience. Just because I love to tinker doesn't mean others do. Cameras, they have fantastic cameras in their phones. And that's about my limit. Ohh... and hyping a device They're good at that, too. haha.
These are my personal opinions. My mom uses a motorola flipout because it's got a physical keyboard. She likes her memory games and simple things that a crappy device gives her. She doesn't need a 600 euro phone (iPhone) that doesn't do anything better than her current 120 euro (unlocked) flipout that I got her 8 months ago, especially for her. Apple doesn't give her the choice for devices. Android devices do: they come in all shapes, prices, sizes and colors.

The OP was very respectful and quite accurate in his shared ideas.
At least as for the sound quality goes the iPhone headphone out trumps the Note one in terms of resolution and soundstage (Easily audible thru my Westone UM3x).
And that's a fact. As the lack of a clean line out is another fact. For music iPhone is still the king however you look at it.
For reading and browisng the Note trumps the iPhone. Obviously.
In the end the OP prefers the Note because of the screen. I don't see any fanboysm on him.
His view on the Android app market is spot on. Android fragmentation prevents apps to reach the quality level that they feature on iOS. It seems that ICS will fight that fragmentation.

IMO, in simplest terms, the iPhone and Note just caters to different people with different tastes.
In terms of library, iOS has a more robust environment compared to Android. And the fact that iOS apps simply "just works" is one feature that people would pay, rather than getting into a hassle.
Convenience has always been the market of choice for Apple, and it delivers.
And no, i do not own an iPhone, but my cousin has one, and i mostly assist when she needs to access the iOS market, so i have an idea of how robust this is.
Granted, the note works "out of the box", but the name of the game is customization, and android delivers. Especially when you decide to "root", and you just have a device, free from restrictions, and capable of becoming anything you want it to (granted, it is within the possibility).
I enjoy tinkering my note. Encountered plethoras of problems, and have grown wiser from it. Learned the capabilities and limitations of my device, and keep pushing it to its limits and beyond.
The note is a modders' dream come true.
I agree that iPhone is easier to use. I also agree that the Note is more superior compared to it. What i don't agree with, is labeling iPhone is superior/inferior to Note, because, based on how you use it, it always boils down to personal preference.
I am not fond of countering arguments, because in the simplest terms, they are just opinions. And opinions basically goes two ways. It's either you agree with it, or you disagree with it, and provide a counter argument.

Any device without a back button = FAIL

Croak said:
You really don't understand how Android multi-tasking works, do you? Or how it works on iOS, for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disqualified all his review as soon as I read about his opinion regarding multitasking... he has no opinion and doesn't know that ios is a half backed multitasking... lol and let me not start about his cloudsync or even Sirius lol

Croak said:
You really don't understand how Android multi-tasking works, do you? Or how it works on iOS, for that matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How it works under the hood is only for geeks, 99.99% of the users only care about the user experience and for him its easier on iOS. No need to complicate things.

luv the note but !!!
feel embarassed to use the iphone headset wid it coz the one which came wid the note suckss .rest note is a beast.

Fair comparison, I don't and wont use apple myself but when some friends of mine that are totally clueless about tech stuff ask me what to get. I tell them to get an apple, they work as are and don't need any customization simply because it doesn't let you.
A more techy person will prefer android as its much more open and to get the best out of it you need to get down and dirty a little. Apple is simple and fairly idiot proof thats why the Idiots prefer them only joking lol.
I love the title a small iphone 4s vs NOTE

I have not read your post either since this kind of opinions has become too boring.
But will instead give you one piece of advice:
Whoever bought theGNote is unlikely to go back to IPhone, that's why this kind of comparison are useless. Just an hour ago went to meet a client, he was with a group of friends first thing he does seeing me: Hey Jack is that Samsung of yours with you?
-sure
They compare it with their IPhones, they want to watch a movie,just yesterday downloaded Paul with HD quality,their eyes pop up!!
Is this also a phone? One of them asks, -yes.
They want to see the camera, they are impressed after seeing the Spen.
-how much you said you paid for it?.
And no I don't work for Samsung,you don't have to since people have eyes to see.They want F#####g CHOICES, not just one form factor, telling you either take it or take it. !!

hagba said:
I have not read your post either since this kind of opinions has become too boring.
But will instead give you one piece of advice:
Whoever bought theGNote is unlikely to go back to IPhone, that's why this kind of comparison are useless. Just an hour ago went to meet a client, he was with a group of friends first thing he does seeing me: Hey Jack is that Samsung of yours with you?
-sure
They compare it with their IPhones, they want to watch a movie,just yesterday downloaded Paul with HD quality,their eyes pop up!!
Is this also a phone? One of them asks, -yes.
They want to see the camera, they are impressed after seeing the Spen.
-how much you said you paid for it?.
And no I don't work for Samsung,you don't have to since people have eyes to see.They want F#####g CHOICES, not just one form factor, telling you either take it or take it. !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. I chose to buy my Note over an iPhone for such reasons. Though I'm ever more concerned of wowing myself than other people.
But I do have to agree to one point in the review: Android market needs a little more apps, more specifically - games! But I'm pretty sure it'll catch up in no time so no pressure. On the productivity side, what we have now is more than good enough.
App selection aside, the iPhone is just like an Android phone that doesn't let you change mostly anything. (which is also in the review ) It starts of great but stays there. Androids can potentially start crappy, but if you know what you're doing you can make it better like, ten to hundredfold.

This thread is troll bait if I ever saw it...Must not reply...must not reply...lol

hackerboi said:
1. 4S is can NOT be jailbroken, the devs are not even close to a solution.
2. Siri, is a gimmick and send all the voice data to apple for processing, this in turn increases your data usage.
3. The visible hardware is unchanged from iPhone4 and Androids have moved ages ahead.
4. iPhone4S has some Simcard issues. Loss of network is the result.
5. The iPhone UI is unchanged since the first 2G. Thats a lot of years of using the same UI. Most people didn't upgrade to 4S from 4 (including me) as the external form factor and the UI was the same. I just couldn't justify spending a bomb on a new fone that looks exactly the same and has the same interface.
6. Theme support? You can not put winterboard or dreamboard ,if you are not jailbroken.
7. iMessage although a nice concept has its own issues. It doesnt come close to Whatsapp or Blackberry Messenger.
The positive things about an iphone is the the resale value due to the novelty value is good and the Accessories that are available. Like the Indash DVD unit of my car syncs to ipod/iphone the Kicker music dock syncs to iphone/ipod etc.
Apple with iPhone 5 will really have to come up with something radical to catch up with the droids i believe.
Edit : How could i forget iPhone are marred by the fact that iTunes exists.
PS. I'm not a Droid fanboy, i used to be a apple fanboy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
one major reason why I came back to android after getting the iphone 4s awful network faults, buggy its oh and locked down fymware never again will I own anything apple note rocks love it
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

EarlZ said:
How it works under the hood is only for geeks, 99.99% of the users only care about the user experience and for him its easier on iOS. No need to complicate things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
Also, I do know the basics of how multi-tasking works on iOS vs Android, but not enough to make comments about it so I didn't. I based the multi-tasking comment on how the average non-techie person would interpret the phone. I get 6 apps in Android's "recent apps" list and I get as many as I want in iOS's multi-tasking 'tray'/'bar'. Also, I didn't make a comment about apps being frozen by iOS simply because of this question: Do I notice it? The answer is no. I rarely, if ever, notice that my apps are being frozen. And when I do, I don't care. On Android, I DO notice that I can't pull up more than six apps easily. I also notice that I can't play youtube and other videos in the background on the Note, which annoys me to no end. This will be fixed in ICS though, if I remember correctly.
As for the back button thing, yes it certainly is a pro for Android. On the downside, it doesn't always perform correctly. I anticipate this being solved in ICS though. Gingerbread, to me, feels full of 'beginner/basic mistakes' that will be probably solved in ICS. I didn't mention most of them because of that.
Also, I am aware that my comparison is very top heavy in terms of more stuff written about iPhone then the Note, but I just ran out of steam by the end of my article.
As for rooting/jailbreaking, I didn't include either as I don't have experience with either, and I also didn't include it as the average person does not know how to do that nor will end up doing it if given the option: either because they don't want to, don't have the time to, don't have the knowledge/techie-skills to, etc. I tried to base my article around what the average user might experience than the advanced stuff.
On a side note, I've noticed a lot of flamey/poorly-written comments. Oh well. I expected it, even though I don't root for one device or the other. Please take note of how I didn't say "The iPhone is better" or "The Note is better" but rather just listed features where one felt superior/inferior to the other. Basically a pro's/con's list. I did this because, objectively speaking, neither is better or worse than the other.
Also I didn't even mention Siri, but from some comments here some people think that I did - which is an obvious tipoff that a lot of people are commenting without reading. Anyways, perhaps I should have mentioned Siri, but I didn't. Why? I never really use it. Same with the voice functionality on the Note. If I did, however, have to choose one or the other, I would definitely choose Siri - just because of the way its setup and the things I can do with it. Whenever I have used siri it is when I have the phone in my pocket and don't feel like answering a text or otherwise pulling the phone out, so I long-press on the button on my headphones and just tell Siri what I want. She gets it right most of the time.
I also didn't mention that the iPhone has a superior physical design. The metal and glass design looks amazing. I didn't mention it, however, because I always have it in a case, so I hardly see it. It also makes it very heavy. The Note feels kind of cheap if I had to comment about it, at least in comparison to the iPhone, but its part of the reason why its light so its forgivable, and I never really notice the quality difference between the 4S and the Note.
Also, BIG DIFFERENCE between the Note and the 4S that I didn't think to write: the 4S is very scratch resistant and the screen just feels more durable. My Note's screen gets scratched very easily and the glass on it feels much less durable.
Another difference is that the volume rocker and the power button on the Note are right where I always want to grab it to pull it out of my pocket or a case or whatever. I often always pretty the power button by accident while holding the phone. It's very annoying. However, I realize that they did it that way because the top of the phone is too far to reach with the hand that is holding the phone. If I was given the choice, though, I wouldn't change the power button and volume rocker configuration - but it is annoying. Also, I usually don't have that problem with the iPhone and if I do it is just the volume buttons I end up pressing.
Also, another interesting social aspect of the Note vs iPhone: When I got my iPhone, my friends with Android phones flamed me to no end (and still flame me to this day). However, when I got the Note, my friends with iPhones didn't make a single negative comment and complimented me on it. This may be unique to my situation but it's just another difference I noticed.
What's also interesting is that the S-Pen on my Note is much more sensitive and better to use than the one on my parents Note. Both were stock and running the same firmware, and came from the same source and carrier (and probably batch).

LiquidNitrogen said:
As for the back button thing, yes it certainly is a pro for Android. On the downside, it doesn't always perform correctly..
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Click to collapse
Used SGS, SGS II, now using SGN - never faced any problem.
Two things I liked about the white iPhone 4 and the Black iPhone 4S I had was they had very good resell value and a really pretty girl wanted to see my white iPhone and we had coffee together.

Guys Plss Help me eiither to buy galaxy note or something else

Hi Friends,
I confused either to buy galaxy note or Iphone4s
Pls Help me. . any other new Models??

Note.

Hi good sir,
First of all, you are barking in the wrong thread..
this is the Galaxy Note N7000 thread and surely you know of all people what their answers would...
Anyway, I would give you the benefit of the doubt still on your question..
Go out to the stores and compare the 2 phones and test it for yourself.. I guess most guys here would give you a subjective answer in preferably selecting the Note over any other brand of Smartphone...
My take? this isn't really the best answer there is but.. What you perceive to be the best on your part is the answer to your question. (What are you looking for in a phone anyway?)
Don't trust my answer or for that matter, most of the answers here.. because I'm sure it would be biased to the Note itself..
Trust yourself and what your looking for on a phone and if it fits your needs and your type of lifestyle.
There are couple of websites also that you can read and compare their reviews, specs and etc on the phones your comparing to.
Again, this is a Note thread.. so the answer to most would be the same answer you will get... - NOTE

I am not sure if most answers will be yes. My wife use a note and I played with it, and try with installing new rom and kernel. I have few complaints about note:
- The position of the power/screen off is very inconvenient when you use the phone in the horizontal position. your left hand would press on the screen off button times and times again and cause screen off. Other buttons at the bottoms also cause lots of unwanted actions when you touch them accidentally.
- The CPU is very strong but the GPU does not seem to catch up. So when play game like gameloft let's golf 3 you will have lots of lags, not enjoyable anymore.
- The stock FW with stock kernel is very slow to response and lots of lags.
Some custom kernel such as FM may help improve significantly but still not perfect. I have tried also rocket rom but also got disappointed.
- you can make it works better with overclock but then it cause too much heat.
.....other problems...
If I will buy I will choose some other phone that has large screen and more clever design. I don't know but may be galaxy nexus, experia s or something.
Hope it provide information for your consideration.

ask yourself either you want an expensive gadget without many functions which are supposed to help you everyday, or an not that expensive smartphone with lots of, lots of functions.
Additionaly, even if you would not use all of Note's capabilities you should definitely go for it
Check out this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pfM5mZcuio&hd=1

srinivas07, the answer is simple : It depends on yourself and what you are looking for when buying a phone!! Do some research on Google about the phones you are looking for and you'll find reviews which will point out the positive and negative sides for each model. It will be easier for you to decide instead of asking this on a forum. Decide yourself depending on your needs...it will probably take some time to take a decision but it's more efficient...

The note is a small tablet and a phone with a stylus. Iphone is just a phone...

I am not sure if most answers will be yes. My wife use a note and I played with it, and try with installing new rom and kernel. I have few complaints about note:
- The position of the power/screen off is very inconvenient when you use the phone in the horizontal position. your left hand would press on the screen off button times and times again and cause screen off. Other buttons at the bottoms also cause lots of unwanted actions when you touch them accidentally.
- The CPU is very strong but the GPU does not seem to catch up. So when play game like gameloft let's golf 3 you will have lots of lags, not enjoyable anymore.
- The stock FW with stock kernel is very slow to response and lots of lags. I have tried some custom GB roms but also got disappointed.
Finally get back to FM kernel and stock rom which is much improved but not perfect.
- you can make it works better with overclock but then it cause too much heat.
.....other problems...
If I will buy I will choose some other phone that has large screen and more clever design. I don't know but may be galaxy nexus, experia s or something with large screen. IP4 screen is a bit too small in my opinion.
Hope it provide information for your consideration.

nothing but the note

Wait a sec... just need to sideload crystal_ball.apk on my Note, then I'll get back to you about the ieadl phone for your needs.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1579913 this post has feedback from people who have used the note and their impressions.

If you want a tiny screen, buy the iphone.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Buy a htc hero
From the big ole Note

get the iphone. That will be your punishment for starting this thread.

well if you want something that was horribly outdated at the release and you like sheep activities then the 4s is your baby... if you want to be up with technology and able to use 4g (just not show you where 4g is like the 4s) and not be a sheep then the note is your baby...

Get an iphone if u dont want to play/waste time/ with new roms
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA

iPhone 4s is a much more powerful phone than the Note, also has better customization.
iCloud is better than than the Google ecosystem too.

FirstNoobToBrickHisPhone said:
iPhone 4s is a much more powerful phone than the Note, also has better customization.
iCloud is better than than the Google ecosystem too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gtfo, you troll. iPhone is worse in every aspect except that Androide doesn't have cloud sync, which is really weird seeing as it's google- the original cloud company.
To the thread starter: get an iPhone. Just asking this question shows the Note is too advanced for you.
Sent from my superior GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

buy the htc one x...quad core...wid tegra 3 graphics
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Zamboney said:
Gtfo, you troll. iPhone is worse in every aspect except that Androide doesn't have cloud sync, which is really weird seeing as it's google- the original cloud company.
To the thread starter: get an iPhone. Just asking this question shows the Note is too advanced for you.
Sent from my superior GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have an Android phone, it does have Cloud sync, you just have to use the right apps in order to do it. Some phones don't include all the apps when you buy your phone so you'll have to download them.
Mail and contacts - Gmail app
Pictures and videos - Google+ app
Docs - GDocs app
Purchased apps - Google Play
Songs/Music - Play Music
These are a few of the apps made by Google for example.
When you get a new phone or wipe your current phone, once you re-enter your gmail email address (and download the appropriate apps if needed), just about all your data syncs back to your phone since using these apps sync your data to Google's cloud network.
To the OP:
If you would like to wait maybe a month or so, I would wait and see what the Galaxy S III has to offer. It has a bigger screen size vs an iPhone (smaller than a Note), should have a more powerful CPU/GPU combo using the latest Exynos and Mali chips than our Note among other things, although most likely you will not have the S-Pen built into it.

Buy Galaxy S4 or stick with Nexus 4 and buy iPhone 5?

Update:
I've been thinking long and hard about this dilemma for the last few days and I've finally made my decision...I'm just going to wait.
Next month when the S4 and HTC One are both released, I'm going to take a trip to the AT&T store and make a hands-on comparison between them and the iPhone 5. I'm not loyal to any brand (I've owned devices from all three companies, all of which have been great), so I'm just going to pick the one I like the best. What really made me begin doubting my choice to get an iPhone 5 is the large price for the 64gb version I would have to purchase in order to store my music collection. $400 is ridiculous for any phone on contract. However, if the S4 has subpar audio quality and the HTC One underwhelms me or AT&T doesn't offer the 64gb variant, I will more than likely be splurging for the iPhone 5. But, after thinking about it, I really don't want to. While messing with my Nexus 4 today, it hit me hard how much fun I've had with Android. It's the most powerful, dev-friendly mobile OS and it truly gives the user the ability to make their phone their phone. And I feel like purchasing an iPhone would be going against everything I've enjoyed with Android, even if I still do have a Nexus 4. So, if at all possible, I'll be purchasing either the S4 or the HTC One (I'm growing fonder of it with each passing day). But if the storage and sound quality expectations I have cannot be met, I will more than likely buy an iPhone 5 simply for the fact that I made a promise to myself that my next smartphone would also be my MP3 player.
I'd like to thank everyone who posted in this thread and helped me make my decision. Many of you actually did bring up some very helpful points and made me seriously consider what I should use my upgrade on.
_______________________________________________________________
I've been conflicted lately. My mom recently bought an iPhone 5 and I've sort of fallen in love with it. I'm no fan of the home screen (it is very, very boring), but the apps are amazing and the audio quality (both external and internal) is great. I'm also not very bothered by the screen size. In a way, moving to something smaller is slightly refreshing. However, it's still an iPhone and I think there's a possibility I could become bored with it...but when I consider this, I remember that I do have a Nexus 4, so I wouldn't be abandoning Android completely. And so here's my idea:
Option one - Keep Nexus 4 (I'm keeping it either way) and buy a Galaxy S4):
Benefits:
Both run Android, though one is skinned with many new features
The Galaxy S4 is a true flagship and should excel in all areas the Nexus 4 doesn't (camera, etc)
I'm sticking with one platform
Negatives:
Android is getting a little old to me and the Galaxy S4 might bore me even more than an iPhone 5 (I'm eagerly awaiting Key Lime Pie; the ICS/Jelly Bean look is wearing thin on me)
The S4 with the S600 (the one I'll be getting since I live in the states) will not have as good audio quality as the iPhone 5 (internal or external)
The Galaxy S4 isn't a huge upgrade over the Nexus 4 and could even be considered a "needless purchase" (not that I really care; I make a ton of those)
Option two - Keep Nexus 4 and buy an iPhone 5:
Benefits:
I get to keep up with the two largest mobile platforms
When I finally get a Mac Mini, I'll have integration with it
The apps are great
Audio quality is great
Build quality is amazing
I won't have to wait for updates through the carrier
I could keep up with Android through my Nexus 4
The battery life is probably longer than the S4's despite having a smaller battery
iOS is really smooth and browsing is honestly a pleasure (not that it's not on Android; I just find it to be a bit better on the iPhone 5)
If I end up hating it, I can sell it and buy a Galaxy S4 (I would buy a 64gb iPhone 5, so it would definitely cover the cost of the S4)
If I end up loving it and want to buy the next model, I can sell it on eBay at an 85% resale value (great thing about Apple products)
Negatives:
The iPhone 5 is six months old (I would have to sell it on eBay for the next model pretty soonish)
I'd maybe have to rebuy some apps
I would sort of be be betraying Android, an operating system that I truly love
I'd have to find a way to wifi-tether (but this might be a problem on a carrier version of the S4, also)
Anyway, can anyone help me out with my decision? And please don't say anything like "Get the S4! iPhones suck!" Actually observe what I have written above and help me decide what the best choice for me is. Because right now I am ridiculously confused and have no idea what I should use my upgrade on.

Only you can decide what's best for you. Follow your gut.

jtc276 said:
I've been conflicted lately. My mom recently bought an iPhone 5 and I've sort of fallen in love with it. I'm no fan of the home screen (it is very, very boring), but the apps are amazing and the audio quality (both external and internal) is great. I'm also not very bothered by the screen size. In a way, moving to something smaller is slightly refreshing. However, it's still an iPhone and I think there's a possibility I could become bored with it...but when I consider this, I remember that I do have a Nexus 4, so I wouldn't be abandoning Android completely. And so here's my idea:
Option one - Keep Nexus 4 (I'm keeping it either way) and buy a Galaxy S4):
Benefits:
Both run Android, though one is skinned with many new features
The Galaxy S4 is a true flagship and should excel in all areas the Nexus 4 doesn't (camera, etc)
I'm sticking with one platform
Negatives:
Android is getting a little old to me and the Galaxy S4 might bore me even more than an iPhone 5 (I'm eagerly awaiting Key Lime Pie; the ICS/Jelly Bean look is wearing thin on me)
The S4 with the S600 (the one I'll be getting since I live in the states) will not have as good audio quality as the iPhone 5 (internal or external)
The Galaxy S4 isn't a huge upgrade over the Nexus 4 and could even be considered a "needless purchase" (not that I really care; I make a ton of those)
Option two - Keep Nexus 4 and buy an iPhone 5:
Benefits:
I get to keep up with the two largest mobile platforms
When I finally get a Mac Mini, I'll have integration with it
The apps are great
Audio quality is great
Build quality is amazing
I won't have to wait for updates through the carrier
I could keep up with Android through my Nexus 4
The battery life is probably longer than the S4's despite having a smaller battery
iOS is really smooth and browsing is honestly a pleasure (not that it's not on Android; I just find it to be a bit better on the iPhone 5)
If I end up hating it, I can sell it and buy a Galaxy S4 (I would buy a 64gb iPhone 5, so it would definitely cover the cost of the S4)
If I end up loving it and want to buy the next model, I can sell it on eBay at an 85% resale value (great thing about Apple products)
Negatives:
The iPhone 5 is six months old (I would have to sell it on eBay for the next model pretty soonish)
I'd maybe have to rebuy some apps
I would sort of be be betraying Android, an operating system that I truly love
I'd have to find a way to wifi-tether (but this might be a problem on a carrier version of the S4, also)
Anyway, can anyone help me out with my decision? And please don't say anything like "Get the S4! iPhones suck!" Actually observe what I have written above and help me decide what the best choice for me is. Because right now I am ridiculously confused and have no idea what I should use my upgrade on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would go with the Qualcomm S4. I personally see cyanogenmod as a must for my new phones. When I got my I9300, I didn't even check to see what the stock rom features were. Rooted it and install CM9 in 20 minutes. My main problem with the iPhone (don't know if it's changed) is the need for iTunes to sync your media. I much prefer to rip my CDs and drag and drop the flac files in conveniently organized folders. I had an old iPod where iTunes would take readable mp3 files like "My Favorite Song.mp3" and stick them in some obscure folder and give them weird names like a9wepjmcw.mp3. Not to mention for video files I like to keep them organized in a way I can understand. I just hate being tied down to iTunes for trivial things like loading new music, movies etc. Also, while you may not have to wait on a carrier for firmware updates, if rooting/jailbreaking means anything to you, you WILL be waiting for the newest jailbreak fix to come out. At least on android you have CM to take care of carrier updates. My SGS1 runs android 4.2. One of the biggest benefits I think of rooting/jailbreaking is just for the ad blockers. Makes a MUCH cleaner phone experience.
And, I think the whole build quality is highly overrated. As long as it doesn't scratch too easily I could care less whether the phone is made of the cheapest looking plastic or highly reflective aluminum. I buy my phones (when I can afford them) for the raw hardware power and CM, not really for the premium look. Sadly, I'm not due for a new phone at least until 64bit armv8 comes out in 2015? (Which ever comes later.)

AAccount said:
I would go with the Qualcomm S4. I personally see cyanogenmod as a must for my new phones. When I got my I9300, I didn't even check to see what the stock rom features were. Rooted it and install CM9 in 20 minutes. My main problem with the iPhone (don't know if it's changed) is the need for iTunes to sync your media. I much prefer to rip my CDs and drag and drop the flac files in conveniently organized folders. I had an old iPod where iTunes would take readable mp3 files like "My Favorite Song.mp3" and stick them in some obscure folder and give them weird names like a9wepjmcw.mp3. Not to mention for video files I like to keep them organized in a way I can understand. I just hate being tied down to iTunes for trivial things like loading new music, movies etc. Also, while you may not have to wait on a carrier for firmware updates, if rooting/jailbreaking means anything to you, you WILL be waiting for the newest jailbreak fix to come out. At least on android you have CM to take care of carrier updates. My SGS1 runs android 4.2. One of the biggest benefits I think of rooting/jailbreaking is just for the ad blockers. Makes a MUCH cleaner phone experience.
And, I think the whole build quality is highly overrated. As long as it doesn't scratch too easily I could care less whether the phone is made of the cheapest looking plastic or highly reflective aluminum. I buy my phones (when I can afford them) for the raw hardware power and CM, not really for the premium look. Sadly, I'm not due for a new phone at least until 64bit armv8 comes out in 2015? (Which ever comes later.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree with basically everything that you've said, but I already have two Nexus devices (the 4 and 7) so pure Android is always going to be accessible to me. Also, I sort of keep my entire music library in iTunes anyway. I just always have, even when I haven't owned Apple devices. Sometimes I'd use it alongside of another one such as MediaMonkey or Winamp, but I always found iTunes to be the simplest when it comes to managing music, burning CDs (am I the only person who still does this?), and finding new music.
As for audio quality, I usually go for strictly 320 Kbps MP3s. FLAC files are huge and I've never been able to notice a huge difference (maybe a slight one), so it doesn't bother me. What does bother me is the hissing I get with the Qualcomm DAC on my Nexus 4. The rom/kernel I'm on increased the volume (making it about equal with the iPhone). However, at about 3/4 of the volume level, distortion kicks in. I'm worried that this will also be problem for the S4 considering the DAC from the S4 Pro to the S600 is probably the same. For probably two years now I have been dying to have all of my music locally on my phone. It hasn't been possible due to either hardware limitations (16gb of storage on the Nexus 4 is a no-go) or horrible DACs (Galaxy S2).
The more I think of it, the more I like the idea of the iPhone. I mean, the Galaxy S4 is by no means going to be bad phone. If I didn't have the Nexus 4 to keep up with Android, I'd buy it immediately. But I think this time around I'm going to try something different. I'm not 100% sure, yet. But probably 60% of me is leaning towards the 5.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

jtc276 said:
The Galaxy S4 isn't a huge upgrade over the Nexus 4 and could even be considered a "needless purchase"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you think like this buy an iphone.

honestly, I think you should go for the iPhone.
the nexus 4 is a great device, and even though the S4 is much better (IMO) it's not worth keeping if you buy an S4,
I would say sell the nexus, get the S4 and the iPhone 5 ahah
but maybe you like the nexus more than I do
if I had the S4, I doubt I'd ever get the Nexus 4 even though I'd like to have multiple phones I think I'd be better off with the S4 and an iPhone

Kremata said:
If you think like this buy an iphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. Yes. The Galaxy S4 is better in many areas. However, if the Galaxy S4 isn't a huge upgrade from the S3, it's definitely not a huge upgrade to the Nexus 4.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

PLUG313 said:
honestly, I think you should go for the iPhone.
the nexus 4 is a great device, and even though the S4 is much better (IMO) it's not worth keeping if you buy an S4,
I would say sell the nexus, get the S4 and the iPhone 5 ahah
but maybe you like the nexus more than I do
if I had the S4, I doubt I'd ever get the Nexus 4 even though I'd like to have multiple phones I think I'd be better off with the S4 and an iPhone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would much rather keep the Nexus 4 because it gets updates from Google and Key Lime Pie will be out pretty soon. However, I can understand why others would rather have the S4 than the Nexus 4 because of the hardware. But every time a new Android OS update is released, I get software envy, so it's best for me to keep a Nexus device.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

iPhone?
I would go for S4 as of now... Did you look at the benchies?

hell_storm2004 said:
iPhone?
I would S4 for now... Did you look at the benchies?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Because I've never found benchmarks to be a good indication of real world usage. The iPhone 5 is ridiculously smooth. I was literally blown away when I realized how smooth it was compared to my Nexus 4 which I considered to be the smoothest phone I've ever used.

jtc276 said:
No. Because I've never found benchmarks to be a good indication of real world usage. The iPhone 5 is ridiculously smooth. I was literally blown away when I realized how smooth it was compared to my Nexus 4 which I considered to be the smoothest phone I've ever used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
seriously, I think you should go for the iPhone
I know that deep inside you've made up your mind and want it
you've got a great android phone already

PLUG313 said:
seriously, I think you should go for the iPhone
I know that deep inside you've made up your mind and want it
you've got a great android phone already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just saying did you look at the benchies or not... not asking you to base your choice of phone out of it. Although it no matter a whole lot if the differences are marginal. But certainly does matter when the differences are huge!

hell_storm2004 said:
Just saying did you look at the benchies or not... not asking you to base your choice of phone out of it. Although it no matter a whole lot if the differences are marginal. But certainly does matter when the differences are huge!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I did look at them. The S4 is around two times-faster (processor-wise) than the 5. However, you wouldn't be able to know that when actually using it.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

PLUG313 said:
seriously, I think you should go for the iPhone
I know that deep inside you've made up your mind and want it
you've got a great android phone already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. I've pretty much made my mind up. I'm going to go with the 5. There's no point in having two great Android phones when I can I have one great Android phone and one great iOS phone. And I'll be switching between the two every now and then just to see how each of ecosystem is improving (I'm VERY excited for KLP and I hope that iOS 7 makes some UI changes).
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

jtc276 said:
Yeah. I've pretty much made my mind up. I'm going to go with the 5. There's no point in having two great Android phones when I can I have one great Android phone and one great iOS phone. And I'll be switching between the two every now and then just to see how each of ecosystem is improving (I'm VERY excited for KLP and I hope that iOS 7 makes some UI changes).
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, that's nice
just make sure you at least jailbreak it xD
what's KLP btw?

Have a mind of your own and decide for yourself. :good:

PLUG313 said:
yeah, that's nice
just make sure you at least jailbreak it xD
what's KLP btw?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Key Lime Pie. AKA: Android 5.0
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Do whatever you want, who cares. (Excuse my honesty
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

Omg I'm so considering this now that tmobile is selling the iPhone starting this April. I love android to death but the iPhone seems so smooth and stable. The only problem with the iPhone is no swiping keyboards and it had a terrible battery compared to the s4.
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app

Closed Source Project said:
Omg I'm so considering this now that tmobile is selling the iPhone starting this April. I love android to death but the iPhone seems so smooth and stable. The only problem with the iPhone is no swiping keyboards and it had a terrible battery compared to the s4.
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has a smaller battery, but it's by no means terrible. The battery life on the 5 I've used has been better than most (or maybe all) of my past Android phones.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Should we buy or wait s4 due to screen or other issues?

I want to know from expert guys who have bought S4 or those who have expert ideas about screen smearing or other issues with S4, kindly advise me should we buy S4 right now or should we wait, or should we consider iPhone5 which does it all in good way but just smaller display or even HTC One?
Advice required?

How can you even consider iPhone 5 is beyond me...
Wait to see if the problems get fixed I guess. HTC One is the next best thing.

@usmanxhmed you can choose whatever you prefer. People here will bash you if you mention any iOS devices. But tbh I just switched to S4 and currently having yellow tint issues .. I believe my iPhone 4S's display is brighter and clearer than my current S4, only that it's smaller. You may want to wait.

it's not bashing about ios. iphone 5 is rubbish. even galaxy s3 is better. how could someone consider iphone 5 to galaxy s4. it's beyond my imagination.

I'm loving my S4, I can't see what everyone is moaning about, inventing all of these 'issues' with it! Just set your phone up properly and off you go.
Seriously, it's the best phone I've ever had. My mate has an iPhone, I was showing off my S4 today and it does impress.
The quality of the screen is the first thing you notice, just playing the helicopter video which is on the phone does a good job when showing off, then demonstrate hovering over text messages and emails, then gesture scroll on the browser, it can't fail to impress, even iPhone owners!
Don't hesitate, just buy an S4.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

usmanxhmed said:
I want to know from expert guys who have bought S4 or those who have expert ideas about screen smearing or other issues with S4, kindly advise me should we buy S4 right now or should we wait, or should we consider iPhone5 which does it all in good way but just smaller display or even HTC One?
Advice required?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you consider to buy a Iphone 5 instead of the s4, better go with the One. Its closer in terms of fluidness, haptics, optics and display.

nniicckkss said:
I'm loving my S4, I can't see what everyone is moaning about, inventing all of these 'issues' with it! Just set your phone up properly and off you go.
Seriously, it's the best phone I've ever had. My mate has an iPhone, I was showing off my S4 today and it does impress.
The quality of the screen is the first thing you notice, just playing the helicopter video which is on the phone does a good job when showing off, then demonstrate hovering over text messages and emails, then gesture scroll on the browser, it can't fail to impress, even iPhone owners!
Don't hesitate, just buy an S4.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're probably just too excited with your S4. I had an iPhone before the S4 and the screen is much brighter. Also, my S4 has a yellowish tint, which is not something i'm happy about. Oh and all those features by Samsung are gimmicks and useless, I turned them all off.
It's a good phone, don't get me wrong, but I hate how this forum is filled with fanboys defending it with everything. Phones DO have disadvantages whether you like it or not -.-

The screen is definitely brighter on my brothers iPhone 5, but most the time you have it on mid brightness anyway, otherwise the 1400mah battery will run out
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium HD app

@3473 Yeah a smaller battery and drains fast, but the screen does not disappoint imo. I always had my brightness on 80%. The thing is, I never noticed it until today, hence why I am annoyed by it so much. I realise it now every time I turn on my S4 :\

ZaZu90 said:
You're probably just too excited with your S4. I had an iPhone before the S4 and the screen is much brighter. Also, my S4 has a yellowish tint, which is not something i'm happy about. Oh and all those features by Samsung are gimmicks and useless, I turned them all off.
It's a good phone, don't get me wrong, but I hate how this forum is filled with fanboys defending it with everything. Phones DO have disadvantages whether you like it or not -.-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my first Samsung phone ever, for less than a week, and now I'm a fanboy...!
You're funny.
If your gimmicky phone is broken, change it!
(Perhaps for an iPhone as you like them so much.)
Mine isn't tinted yellow, it's fine.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

@NNIicckks This is my first samsung as well, hence why I'm disappointed. Can you hold your phone with an empty white screen to your laptop (both on full brightness) ? See if you can find yellow tint in yours.

Firstly i am not iFanboy, as i bashed all my life iPhones when i use to love Symbian, the likes of e52, which i bought 4 times in few years and i use to dislike Android as it stole the show and i use to laugh at iPhone as i thought it lacks basic features.
Then features made me switch to Android and i could never switch back to Symbian which i still love, but can't use as most of them you know why, thought i have an old Nokia 5630 for emergencies like now.
Used few Xperias, Desires, Galaxy and the last one i sold was HTC One x About 40 days ago to get decent money out of it just to save money for S4.
Then S4 was so dam late after its announcement, i could not wait, i bought brand new black iPhone 5 just to try iOS for the first time in life, to see why girls, and people like girls like iPhone so much, mainly i evaluated in past because it just do most things, and it does in fairly better way.
When i bought it, i liked iPhone5 screen, not just the brightness because i usually set brightness at 40 percent, to save batter, but the blacks, the colours and it was decent package.
I was surprised that you cannot change even SMS app in iPhone but little happy too that i could never decide which SMS app or which launcher i should use with Android, i was happy there is no home screen in iPhone as i was always nervous to use any widgets on Android due to poor batteries of all android phones.
I was sad that you cannot block calls, you cannot record calls and you have to pay for paid Apps unlike in Android, in which i use to find Apps from net and manually install them. i decided not to jailbreak iPhone because i bought it for ease of use and not to mess, so i given up in whatsapp being paid and start using viber.
then i found it iPhones bezal is prone to scratch like a fire in jungle, softwares were beautiful and screen was too small i felt, though i bought to use for long term but due to those limiations i bought new iPhone 5 with good loss for S4 a week ago after using for 2 weeks.
Now i kept my savings back to buy S4, now guess what, screen, issue, over heating, battery drain? now i think did i made bad choice to sale iPhone, as it was doing most things good and plus its size was great to carry it around, if i could adjust with smaller screen thinking, little is big if little can do most big screens task, as i sold iPhone for big screen S4 plus normal android features like default softwares changing, hacked apps, sharing of songs/videos and larger screen to view web pages and videos and pictures.
Though iPhone screen was very good, i was fond of AMOLED sharp colours too and deep blacks.
Now nobody knows whats the situation of S4 in Pakistan, i called the retailer he says he has no clue about about smearing, what it is, means he is not sure if its there or not, so i am left to spend all my savings to buy this fun and see if my luck is good or bad.
Another thing that let me down is no response from Samsung, i think they taking success as granted just as Nokia did and see its condition now, My beloved Nokia too took success by granted an stayed in past glory, by feeding ancient generation slow CPU when the world was moving to dual cores, they thought we are Nokia we can do whatever we want.
Now samsung is silent, no official response, are they this careless about consumer or worried about 10M pre orders?
now i am here without a smart phone? how can i buy S4 when i am not sure if my unit will have issue or not.
For HTC One X lovers, Metal is good, but prone to scratches and dents more than plastic, so you have to put silicon cover, metal gone and phone becomes fatter, but fine, its ok to bear it, but power switch is not fine? it must be pain for me? HTC in years every reviewer bashed your power button placement, and you are not willing to learn, this time put even farther.
Screem is better but why smaller? battery is nice and again smaller as was the case in S3 and One x? why HTC has to do these compromises is beyond me?
But the two things that is putting One off for me is power button placement, hello i have to use second hand every time? and batter concerns?
I have written too much bull**** here, why? because Samsung could not come up with official statement and they are sitting silent like ****** ?
So? so i may end buying another new iPhone 5 and forget about android advantages and just use my phone is phone and be happy with smaller screen, skype, viber, fluidity etc?

usmanx i think you are clearly isheep..
doesn't matter which phone is good. everywhere on internet said galaxy s3 is better than iphone 5. phone of the years 2012 is galaxy s3. phone of the years 2011 is galaxy s2.
2013 should go to galaxy s4 or htc one. iphone is big sh1t of rubbish. i have use iphone 1, 3gs and 4. yes my wife has iphone 4s and 5atm.
i know how it works. it's simple a prison ( iphone ). you can't do sh1t with it. a damn old ugly interface for ages now. same design kept for years.. nothing innovation.
well. i'm not fan of anything. but i'm sure go to freedom. android is freedom. f*ck ios. my galaxy s3 with wanam custom rom are million miles better than iphone 5. not to mention my galaxy s4 is going to be. once the dev start kicking.

nniicckkss said:
I'm loving my S4, I can't see what everyone is moaning about, inventing all of these 'issues' with it! Just set your phone up properly and off you go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to agree. I don't have or notice any of the screen issues folks are going on about. Compared to my HTC Evo 4G LTE, the whites might not be quite as bright at times, but the colors are so much better and the screen is very easy to see and use, even in full sunlight. I guess the screen comes down to personal preference in the end, but I sure would not let any minor issues like that have been reported stop you from trying it. It's not perfect, but I'm really enjoying mine so far after a week of using it.

Hovering affect is waist, so as air gestures? they are not reliable plus they will drain battery plus they will slower the phone, plus they make the OS heavy plus simply touching the screen is more assured? and if you have to show these off, then i should not take your advice.
You can talk about benefits of larger screen, more sharing options and other useless features, please not gimmiks, thanks.
I wanted S4 to be automatic choice for me, but a phone with unreliable screen?

conmeo said:
usmanx i think you are clearly isheep..
doesn't matter which phone is good. everywhere on internet said galaxy s3 is better than iphone 5. phone of the years 2012 is galaxy s3. phone of the years 2011 is galaxy s2.
2013 should go to galaxy s4 or htc one. iphone is big sh1t of rubbish. i have use iphone 1, 3gs and 4. yes my wife has iphone 4s and 5atm.
i know how it works. it's simple a prison ( iphone ). you can't do sh1t with it. a damn old ugly interface for ages now. same design kept for years.. nothing innovation.
well. i'm not fan of anything. but i'm sure go to freedom. android is freedom. f*ck ios. my galaxy s3 with wanam custom rom are million miles better than iphone 5. not to mention my galaxy s4 is going to be. once the dev start kicking.
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No dear i am not isheep, actually i was symbian fan, when it died i went to android, used many android phones, i was waiting for S4 after selling HTC One x, but it was getting long wait, so i bought new iPhone 5, liked it, but had small screen and lack of sharing features so i tempted to sale it again for S4 as i thought it is automatic choice, but now after these issues i am confused

conmeo said:
usmanx i think you are clearly isheep..
doesn't matter which phone is good. everywhere on internet said galaxy s3 is better than iphone 5. phone of the years 2012 is galaxy s3. phone of the years 2011 is galaxy s2.
2013 should go to galaxy s4 or htc one. iphone is big sh1t of rubbish. i have use iphone 1, 3gs and 4. yes my wife has iphone 4s and 5atm.
i know how it works. it's simple a prison ( iphone ). you can't do sh1t with it. a damn old ugly interface for ages now. same design kept for years.. nothing innovation.
well. i'm not fan of anything. but i'm sure go to freedom. android is freedom. f*ck ios. my galaxy s3 with wanam custom rom are million miles better than iphone 5. not to mention my galaxy s4 is going to be. once the dev start kicking.
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Well a personal question, you are not forced to answer, but why your wife has 2 iPhones any ways? is one not enough?
and few people don't have free brain and free time to waist on custom roms or all that stuff, they just want to use phone and after using iPhone i know its limitations and strengths now.
Plus, man take it easy, dont enforce your thoughts on others, and dont think what ever you think is absolute right for everyone, every one as different needs and brains, hence different preference for phones.
So if you tell phone one is good and phone too is crap, i will sit back and feel sorry and i will think you need time to be mature in life.
You should say my favourite phones has these benefits which other phone is not having, thats better

jejb said:
Have to agree. I don't have or notice any of the screen issues folks are going on about. Compared to my HTC Evo 4G LTE, the whites might not be quite as bright at times, but the colors are so much better and the screen is very easy to see and use, even in full sunlight. I guess the screen comes down to personal preference in the end, but I sure would not let any minor issues like that have been reported stop you from trying it. It's not perfect, but I'm really enjoying mine so far after a week of using it.
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Well dude, perfect is nothing, not iPhones scratch prone premium body, not HTC One bigger body with smaller screen as compare to S4 or its power button position, but for the like of me, who is not that rich and he save some money to buy expensive phone, its not easy feeling to buy it when he reads all this up here?

usmanxhmed said:
its not easy feeling to buy it when he reads all this up here?
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I understand. All I can tell you is that after using mine for a week, I don't find ANY display issues at all with my S4. I think there is just a mountain being made of a mole hill, personally.
BTW, some of the "gimmicks" are useful. Like the hover thing. In certain apps, it's kind of like hovering your mouse over a thread header in this forum and getting a preview of the thread.

The issues aren't that significant and they don't make the device unusable. Apart from these tolerable display issues, the device is amazing. Perfect audio quality, great battery life, thin and light.
iPhone 5 is also a great device. Yes, the display is small but it has great contrast and accurate colors. Just know that there will be things that you could easily do on Android but can't on iOS.
I didn't get a chance to use HTC One, so I can't comment on that one.
mkrmec said:
How can you even consider iPhone 5 is beyond me...
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How you can't even use proper grammar and still feel the right to insult someone else's smartphone choice is beyond me.

Better than a Note 4?

I love my AT&T Note 4...it's a great thing! It is! But root is *still* not possible. I know people are working feverishly at it and I don't necessarily think it won't happen but I really miss it. Sure, I am one of those rare dudes that use the stylus multiple times a day, as well as all the multitasking/splitscreen stuff, but I can't run some apps that I used to rely on heavily when I took the leap of faith to the Note. One MAJOR thing that bugs the every loving piss out of me is the fact that I can't flash a custom ROM! I know temporary root has been achieved but, from what I understand, that's not good enough to flash a custom recovery and ROM, AND I can't use my root apps like SSHTunnel.
Anyway...blah blah...Seeing this phone makes me want to toss the Note 4 on eBay. Yes, the screen is lame but the CPU is epic and it's much more open.
I might be down to let the 4 go but there are a few hangups: That invite system. How the HELL am I supposed to get an invite? Another hangup is that screen...it's "only" 1080p...how does it look? Is it a good piece of hardware? I'm sure I'll miss the 4's screen but if the 1080 screen looks good overall, I might be able to deal due to the hackability and the CPU.
Overall, I'm just looking for some feedback and overall impressions of the phone when it becomes more widely available. Think it's a worthy upgrade from the Note 4?

I had used Samsung Galaxy Phones starting from the S2 > S3 > Note 2 > Note 3 and then moved to the Oneplus One.
Here are the key differences :
1. If you have a taste for the saturation of the AMOLED display, you will miss it. The Deep Blacks are spectacular on the Samsung Flagships (Ive seen the note 4 too) However i was pleasently surprised by the Clarity of the Oneplus One. The pentile matrix of the AMOLED displays on the galaxy range does leave room for more clarity and the Oneplus Display though not as saturated was as bright and it was more crisp/clear. Today after 8 months of using the OPO i will not go back to an AMOLED unless they do away with the Pentile matrix (I am yet to sample a QHD AMOLED display though)
2. OPO ran CM 11/12 vs Touchiwiz /custom roms on The Note 3. Although i liked some features of Touchwiz , the overall look was not to my taste. Custom Roms though available come with thier own bugs. Having used the OPO and also having liked CM early on i was happy for the native support. I am a tinkerer, run a lot of root apps, Hence i loved the OPO where i dont lose my warranty on rooting/unlocking. Also CM/Oxygen are far less bloated than other ROMs hence I enjoyed snappier performance and better battery life compared to the Note 3.
3. I did like the oneplus one in terms of its looks but the note 4 looked better. i chose the oneplus because i could just trade my one year old Note 3 and get the OPO at no extra cost. the OP2 looks better, has a metal frame and better styleswap covers. I personally really liked the sandstone black back though, but that is a matter of taste. At less than half Price of the Note 4 the OPO was a steal.
4. The OP2 has 4gb of DDR4 Ram, so i expect better performance than anything else out there. I however do not game much, or use too many apps simultaneously so i dont forsee a heating issue for me using the SD810.
5. The Note 4 Camera is most likely better than the OP2. But this is just speculation at this point.
To sum up : The OP2 is newer hardware, root friendly, bloat free, will likely have good developer support. It does lack MicroSD expansion, NFC,quick charge. If you want to experiment with a new device offering near pure android, at a very reasonable price - i would vote for the OP2.

rmp5s said:
I love my AT&T Note 4...it's a great thing! It is! But root is *still* not possible.
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This is not the fault of Samsung or your Note 4, but your carrier. Get a phone through Verizon or AT&T and be prepared to be punished with a locked bootloader.

Im also in a fix.Im also using Note 4 sd variant but I haven't rooted it due to knox crap.Confused coz i love the Note 4 screen but I see full hd screen with sd810 as an advantage.
Sent from my SM-N910G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

jack_frost said:
To sum up : The OP2 is newer hardware, root friendly, bloat free, will likely have good developer support. It does lack MicroSD expansion, NFC,quick charge. If you want to experiment with a new device offering near pure android, at a very reasonable price - i would vote for the OP2.
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Awesome reply. Thanks for the feedback!
I'm still a bit on the fence about it...good to hear the screen is good, though. That's one thing I am COMPLETELY spoiled with...the Note 4's screen is simply unparalleled.
There is nothing about the Note 4 that I hate and I'd truly miss the SmartPen...I'm one of the few that actually use the thing every day. I also love the multitasking functionality and use it all the time.
But, the "don't listen too loud" nanny every time I plug headphones in, the "how to clear app defaults" every damn time I set one, the COMPLETELY random battery life (some days, after my 12hr shift, it'll be at 40-45%...other days it'll be at 5%...you never know...) and, obviously, the lack of root and the EPIC OP2 amongst other things all add up to me considering making the switch. The fact that the Note 4 goes for 400-450 on eBay doesn't hurt things, either. My Note 4 is pristine. I even have all the original box/papers/etc that it came with.
I'm going to think about it for a little while and we'll see. Right now I'm thinking I'm going to do it.
Oh...and...how does one go about getting a OP2 invite?

CafeKampuchia said:
This is not the fault of Samsung or your Note 4, but your carrier. Get a phone through Verizon or AT&T and be prepared to be punished with a locked bootloader.
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Sprint version had root almost a year ago . It's a shame they do that in 2015 but when your at the top at&t and verizon you can do whatever you want. Highly doubt it get root at this point most people probably got another device. Hope im wrong tho

rmp5s said:
Oh...and...how does one go about getting a OP2 invite?
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I'm not begging or entering any stupid contests to get a 1+2 invite. I'm the customer and OnePlus wants my business, not the other way around. If an invite doesn't fall in my lap, I'll get something else from a company ready to do business with me.

Agreed. I definitely don't like the business model. I'm not JUST holding out of a OP2...I'm VERY intrigued by the upcoming Nexus...I adored my Nexus 4. Had that thing for a long ass time. The OP2 is very Nexus-ish...I just don't get why they don't just sell the stupid things...why be difficult about it?

rmp5s said:
I love my AT&T Note 4...it's a great thing! It is! But root is *still* not possible. I know people are working feverishly at it and I don't necessarily think it won't happen but I really miss it. Sure, I am one of those rare dudes that use the stylus multiple times a day, as well as all the multitasking/splitscreen stuff, but I can't run some apps that I used to rely on heavily when I took the leap of faith to the Note. One MAJOR thing that bugs the every loving piss out of me is the fact that I can't flash a custom ROM! I know temporary root has been achieved but, from what I understand, that's not good enough to flash a custom recovery and ROM, AND I can't use my root apps like SSHTunnel.
Anyway...blah blah...Seeing this phone makes me want to toss the Note 4 on eBay. Yes, the screen is lame but the CPU is epic and it's much more open.
I might be down to let the 4 go but there are a few hangups: That invite system. How the HELL am I supposed to get an invite? Another hangup is that screen...it's "only" 1080p...how does it look? Is it a good piece of hardware? I'm sure I'll miss the 4's screen but if the 1080 screen looks good overall, I might be able to deal due to the hackability and the CPU.
Overall, I'm just looking for some feedback and overall impressions of the phone when it becomes more widely available. Think it's a worthy upgrade from the Note 4?
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the best phone is the one with the best final user experience which is much more about software than hardware. hence your question is almost answered LOL, a phone which is either impossible or difficult to root and unlock is never ever better than a perfectly set up phone rom, kernel. launcher and root app wise. having said that the only remaining criteria are: display size to footprint ratio, weight, design ( should not be ugly ) and basic specs like camera memory cpu ram and battery life. those depend of course on personal preference as well as personal usage patterns.
so if you do not need 128GB or more memory and if you do not need the pen under all circustance etc. etc. the OP2 is far better because it's customizable to the edge and the hardware specs are in parts better, in parts equal and in parts not available, so what counts is what are your priorities.

Op if you rely on the stylus pen like me, as I do a lot of typing. Then just stay with the n4. The n5 is also around the corner and am sure it will blow away the oneplus no doubt.

Applsung note 5 - no thank you
I know the Oneplus 2 has not removable battery or sd support but it's going to be at least half the price possibly more looking at pricing of s6 etc
64gb is just about enough for my needs and my note 4 stylus is a redundant piece for myself of course

Wow the ATT Note 4 still doesn't have official root yet, almost one year later ? WTF F. you ATT and Scamsung for allowing ATT to control you like that.
Just on principle alone, I'd ditch that Note 4 and pick up the OnePlus Two and the freedom to do what you want with your phone. Plus Oxygen OS will be way lighter and smoother than the god awful Windows 95 inspired Touchwizz.