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Samsung Galaxy Note - I tried to like it :-(

I tried to like the Galaxy Note. I really did. However, the size is just to overpowering for me. Plus, I couldn't shake the fact that the GS3 has come out as a more feature-proof device.
When I first got the phone, I was in LOVE, LUST, whatever! However, pulling it out of my purse begin to feel like a chore and the noticeable lag was not something I felt I had to deal with on a $600.00 phone. Now, I know you say, well stall a new launcher/rom. But guys, these treats should ADD to a phone not mask faults/shortcomings.
I have to say, after hearing that the Note II may be a bigger size, I have to wonder what brave soul would carry it? Soon, will be putting Ipads up to our ears!
All in all, I want to say that I have enjoyed the Note forums and have learned soo much. Kudos, to those who LOVE their phones and I wish you a smooth free experience going forward.
P.S. Not looking for a fight, please don't start one. We are entitled to our opinions. That's what makes the world go round
Any Note owners considering the move to the GS3? I'd love to hear from you.

Im sad you feel like that but i guess its personal preference,
For me Ive adapted to the size, at first it was overwhelming but now it feels normal, All other phones feel miniature lol !!
Im also considering the SGS3, but not to replace my Note ! I have 2 lines with my provider and ones almost up, So I think I may get the S3 or hold out for the note2
that being said, Phones are getting bigger and bigger now, The HTC One X is big, Hell even the SGS3 is big !!
I dont make a lot of calls, and when i do i have my head phones / bluetooth headset in, So i rarely need to hold it to my ear.
I love my ''Phablet'' !!!

I could have bought an S3, but I chose the note instead. The S3 has a very slightly better camera sensor and two more cores on a slightly better CPU.
I see the Note's size as a plus, but that's entirely subjective. Both are great devices, and either will serve you well. Sometimes it takes a day or two to really know if you really like a device enough to keep it.

Today I asked a retailer if I could swap my SGN for S3.
I consider moving to S3 because of superbrick bug and screen issues.
But I'm still holding ..... isn't S3 another Samsung phone ?
Little confusion but I'll follow S3 forums and decide.

I was on the.original 5" bandwagon with the sell streak, I have had my note since November and I won't consider anything other than a note 2 for my next device.
There really is no going back from the.functionality of a 5" screen, for me at least.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA

angieutc said:
But guys, these treats should ADD to a phone not mask faults/shortcomings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are not masking anything..bad choice of words.
Using a better ROM makes the phone faster and a lot smoother. There is no masking involved is all too real and proves that is not a hardware fault.
I do it with every phone and in the case of the NOTE. I am not changing unless it is for a NOTE 2 or similar.
Regards

shaolin95 said:
You are not masking anything..bad choice of words.
Using a better ROM makes the phone faster and a lot smoother. There is no masking involved is all too real and proves that is not a hardware fault.
I do it with every phone and in the case of the NOTE. I am not changing unless it is for a NOTE 2 or similar.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^I agree with this guy.
Take some time to consider such a concept:
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"lightbox_download": "Download",
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Ever heard of these little battery-powered race cars from some years ago?
You buy one, Car A, and it goes like say, just for the sake of an example, 20mph. You buy another one, Car B, and it goes for 15mph.
Then you get yourself some aftermarket parts - engines, wheels, or whatever, and modified both Car A and Car B and now you're sure they are both in their fastest. After doing that, Car A now goes at 30mph, while Car B goes at 40mph. Car B is faster now even if it was slower to begin with. It had more potential than Car A - but that won't be realized without some effort on your part. Also, it's also useful to note that the manufacturers of these two cars may be different from each other and may also not be expecting what you intend to do modify their cars as well.
Heck, why am I even using toy cars as a comparison? Should've went straight to phone comparisons and the text would've been much shorter. XD
Anyway, I'm assuming you have a Note. Try not to throw it away and just play with it. Maybe you'll find time to like it some day.

This is the best phone i ever had and i don`t feel the need to buy the Galaxy S3.
I`am not realy fond of touchwizz so i am running CM9, the phone is super fast, has no lags and does work as it is supposed to be.
I love the big screen for browsing, games, video`s and photo`s.
I will probably only change for the Note 2 :victory:

shaolin95 said:
You are not masking anything..bad choice of words.
Using a better ROM makes the phone faster and a lot smoother. There is no masking involved is all too real and proves that is not a hardware fault.
I do it with every phone and in the case of the NOTE. I am not changing unless it is for a NOTE 2 or similar.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Difference of opinion. I stand by my original statement. I even upgraded to ICS and while it made some difference in smoothness, the results were negligible plus it added some problems.
Adding to my original post. I also think the Note is going to become the red-headed step-child now that the GS3 is out. May not be true, but that is my gut feeling. Besides, I bought my note, last week -- Technically, I'm already using outdated equipment. For those who are passed their return windows, the Note is great, but for those who still have time to AT LEAST play with the SG3, I would.
Loving the conversation

I love my Note, have a fantastic rom running on it and its lightning fast and perfect for everyday use. Plus it suits my massive hands down to the ground.
Sent via carrier pigeon

The only my 1 BIG reason getting the Note is S-pen. It really saves my work days apart from other BIG cool features.
If the S-pen means a lots to you then all other smartphones, out there, are being nothing nowadays.

do you really need it?
I'm sensing that you don't need a Note or the S3.
The note is all about utility and function, not form or fashion.
Are you just uncomfortable with not having the latest?
Just how fast/smooth do you need it to be?
If UI speed is your main concern, you need Windows Phone 7.
Looks like you want a WP7 phone like a Lumia 900.

if u r afraid of roms or if think u r going 2 get something good 4 u as a seasoned droid guy
STOCK?
u r insane
what u get is a rom thats good 4 samsung or apple or whowevers biz strategy it happens 2 be
4 me the whole point of using andriod and supporting its accension is **** like xda & linux...the customization
ultimately this stuff is all based on winmo old school winmo & so much was pioneered here on this forum
we r pushing envelopes here
u should have copped an iphone
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

11% more pixels and 100% more useful 16 x 10 1280 x 800 vs 720p.
/end thread
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

angieutc said:
Difference of opinion. I stand by my original statement. I even upgraded to ICS and while it made some difference in smoothness, the results were negligible plus it added some problems.
Adding to my original post. I also think the Note is going to become the red-headed step-child now that the GS3 is out. May not be true, but that is my gut feeling. Besides, I bought my note, last week -- Technically, I'm already using outdated equipment. For those who are passed their return windows, the Note is great, but for those who still have time to AT LEAST play with the SG3, I would.
Loving the conversation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check my youtube channel , specially something like the Nova 3 running Smooth on NOTE video and tell me if it there difference is negligible.

I don't like my Note...
I love it
And the S3 won't change my mind!
Waiting for Note2
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

Interesting discussion, and I'd like to post my opinion as well.
What clearly differentiates the Note from other phones is the size. And the pen. I almost forgot about the pen, as I hardly use it. For me, a Note would be equally fine if it came without the pen. Some will disagree here, as they have other usage requirements.
I deliberately chose the Note due to the screen size. I had iphone and other phones, and I use the phone frequently to watch movies and to browse the web during my frequent travels. Having used iphone and others previously, I got more and more depressed with the small screens. I can say that I appreciate the Note's larger screen and its great resultion. It makes these tasks simply more fun.
If someone performs tasks such as phone calls and SMS, the larger screen size does not benefit (much). So appreciation with the phone is releated to its use.
So I believe the phone serves people with certain specific requirements, and other features/functions are then simply less important.
Unfortunately for me, watching movies is somewhat affected by the bad screen gamma as reported at many several in the forum. But I still would not want to change back to a smaller size, as I am not much disturbed by it and I can live with the issue (also because my screen is by far not as bad as what some guys report here).
If I ever (have to) change the phone, I wish it would have the following characteristics:
1. Approx. same screen size, but certainly not smaller
2. No gamma issue / better gamma calibration
3. Better back camera (better sharpness, less distortion, better light sensitivity)
4. Provide root access out of the box (no jailbreak/rooting required)
5. Better battery life of Android OS (probably requires better software programming skills)
Performance-wise, I am totally happy with what I have now, and I am not requiring more CPU cores or higher frequency. My phone has been totally responsive all the time out of the box since November 2011.
I had GB 2.3.5, 2.3.6 and ICS 4.0.3, am now on Paranoid Android 0.4 as I totally disliked the email app in ICS. So the operating system still matters somewhat. So it is good to have a choice here.

The only time I feel that the Note is too big is when I am in "dangerous" zones in the city where people could snatch your phone anytime! I mean if you take out a smaller phone, it would probably go unnoticed at 60% of times, but with the Note out in your hands, this huge beast will surely attracts everyone's attention in 99% rate!
Otherwise, I never encountered any so called problems that many people are complaining about!

Some adapt to Note's size, some don't. Good thing is that we have a choice. I'm really against Apple-like "one size fits all" philosophy.

from a gamer's perspective i say : f*ck all other phones, the screen is just perfect for my taste.

Anybody underwhelmed? Now impressed!

I got the new Nexus 7 at Walmart and also picked up the old Nexus in perfect condition from Craigslist for $85. Been spending time working with both side-by-side all morning. My thoughts...
1. The new one seems marginally quicker at some things like swiping between screens in the launcher. That to me is the most noticeable difference, and it's not that big of a change. I am thinking the better graphic acceleration contributes here.
2. I can't tell much difference in the screens. I know there is more resolution, but with my bifocals, I am just fine with the old screen. Saturation on the new screen seems a teeny bit better, but there is also a slight buish tint. I expected to be blown away by the new screen. I'm not.
3. Call me crazy, but I prefer the feel in the hand of the old version. The more rounded edges and the back feel better to me. Can't tell much of a difference in weight, but the new one definitely feels thinner, and the thinness cuts into my palm a bit more. I don't like the thinner bezels at all. And the new one is slightly taller, feels kind of awkwardly shaped.
4. The new tablet takes significantly longer to charge.
5. I couldn't care less about the front camera. Will never use it.
6. Perhaps the deal-killer for me is that the new version has some kind of touchscreen problem. The keyboard gives double-presses, and single touches on buttons (like "accept" in the Play Store) too often requires multiple tries. Anybody else noticing this? Maybe mine is bad?
All-in-all, it looks like the new Nexus 7 has provided a nice opportunity to get the old version cheap for me. After trying both, I don't see a compelling reason to stay with the new one. Just my honest assessment. Your mileage may vary.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

having seen 2 different N7 2013 units already, i'd say the screen is a lottery just like it was with the 1st model. yellow tint, contrast setting and scroll blur will vary on each one. btw i never understood the reviews that go into some major details about the screen, like anandtech for example. don't get me wrong, their reviews are amazing but those screen technicalities are not worth anything seeing how the review unit will be different to any actual unit on the store shelves.

Cubfan99 said:
I got the new Nexus 7 at Walmart and also picked up the old Nexus in perfect condition from Craigslist for $85. Been spending time working with both side-by-side all morning. My thoughts...
1. The new one seems marginally quicker at some things like swiping between screens in the launcher. That to me is the most noticeable difference, and it's not that big of a change. I am thinking the better graphic acceleration contributes here.
2. I can't tell much difference in the screens. I know there is more resolution, but with my bifocals, I am just fine with the old screen. Saturation on the new screen seems a teeny bit better, but there is also a slight buish tint. I expected to be blown away by the new screen. I'm not.
3. Call me crazy, but I prefer the feel in the hand of the old version. The more rounded edges and the back feel better to me. Can't tell much of a difference in weight, but the new one definitely feels thinner, and the thinness cuts into my palm a bit more. I don't like the thinner bezels at all. And the new one is slightly taller, feels kind of awkwardly shaped.
4. The new tablet takes significantly longer to charge.
5. I couldn't care less about the front camera. Will never use it.
6. Perhaps the deal-killer for me is that the new version has some kind of touchscreen problem. The keyboard gives double-presses, and single touches on buttons (like "accept" in the Play Store) too often requires multiple tries. Anybody else noticing this? Maybe mine is bad?
All-in-all, it looks like the new Nexus 7 has provided a nice opportunity to get the old version cheap for me. After trying both, I don't see a compelling reason to stay with the new one. Just my honest assessment. Your mileage may vary.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Do you play graphics/processor intensive games? The new processor crushes the old one. I don't recommend the upgrade if smoother swiping between screens is all you're looking for.
2. Again, if you are content with the old resolution... stick with that. Clearly, the majority of reviewers and myself personally are in love with the screen. When I use my GS3 now, I cringe.
3. That's great that you like the old thickness. Sounds like an issue with your expectations.... Not the device itself.
4. You have a point here.
5. You should have known this prior to buying the device.... How can you be underwhelmed by a feature you already knew you didn't want...
6. Never had this happen on the two 32 g models I've used.
TL;DR You're doing it wrong. Stop hating on the device because your expectations are off... Doesn't sound like what you need out of a tablet demands a new Nexus 7... you can't blame the tablet for that.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Well the reason it takes longer to charge is the old nexus 7 came with a 2 amp charger and the new one only has a 1.3 amp

I for one LOVE the new screen, if you can't see the difference then your in the minority.
An $85 older Nexus 7 is a great value. Just keep it and return the New Nexus, if you do think it worth the premium to you.

I love everything about the New Nexus 7. It is what I expected from Google/Asus and they delivered. What else do you want them to do at the $229 price point? Google has put in a nice 1080p display, underclocked S600 processor, 2gig of ram, 5ghz wifi and the memory subsystem has been approved over the original. My only real criticism is the lack of SD card slot but that is true for any Google device. This is not the perfect tablet and people have to put their expectations in check.
Can anyone compare another $229 tablet to this one? Even the $400 Note 8 gets beat buy this and I'm a Note 2 owner.

I mean for all that are reading this and don't have one yet the truth is this. Should you upgrade? Hell yes!!!! Now when is the question to you I sold my 16gb gen1 for 170 a week ago came with cases so to spend 40 bucks to get the new one is nothing. Even if its 60 dollars its worth it. Think about how much apple fanboys spend to upgrade every year. The new nexus is better in every way possible.
Now if you happy with the old I understand most people are probably using this for reading stuff so the first one is fine. I just never really liked the first design wise
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I still have yet to see the new Nexus 7. I hadn't used my OG Nexus for probably 2 months and, now that I am again, I'm realizing how "good enough" it is. I'm going to have to see the new one to really convince myself to drop $270 on the 32gb.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

its a good upgrade, still a bit of stagger here and there. they should of went with the snapdragon 600 instead of the s4.

This gen is deff better then last gen i wasnt really liking how it felt on the first one this one feels and looks alot better
Sent From My Fresh Nexus 7(2013)

fix-this! said:
its a good upgrade, still a bit of stagger here and there. they should of went with the snapdragon 600 instead of the s4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We already know its not just an S4 pro. Basically a binned and under clocked 600
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

I'm not saying the new one isn't better... Just that it isn't $150 better (to me).
-- Sent from my Galaxy Note 2

It's underwhelming when you compare it against the high expectations of the first Nexus 7.
The original Nexus 7 made an absolute joke of all the other mfg's 7"-8" tablets at their existing price point. The ONLY reason you'd buy something other than a Nexus 7 was if you wanted micro sd card support - otherwise the specs were no contest. And why should they? Google was working on razor thin margins for the hardware compared to mfgs.
If you go to a box store and look at the new N7, and then look at all the other 7" tablets, everything else is still a joke and it's far from underwhelming. Google stated that they were making a profit on this one, but my guess is that a big part of this is being able to leverage Motorola's buying power/agreements to reduce individual component cost. Best buy is making a 3.5% margin on the new nexus 7 (8-9.4USD). - it barely makes sense to take up the floor space to sell the damn things and I'd wager that most other box retailers are not doing much better.
OT
It'd be genius if someone from BB knew that staples was running the tablet coupon of $30 off and launched early to cause staples to take a loss on their inventory ($~20 per unit).

Cubfan99 said:
I'm not saying the new one isn't better... Just that it isn't $150 better (to me).
-- Sent from my Galaxy Note 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand that, especially after you mentioned picking up the 2012 Nexus 7 for $85 off Craig's list.
People here are gadget geeks and and spec-mongers, always wanting the latest and greatest (me included). Some of its get a little defensive if someone seen to put down our device of choice.

No I am not underwhelmed overall, but I am by the lack of optimization in the games I care about... The funny thing is the old N7 smokes this devices in both GTA3 and Vice City... go ahead, try and max out the settings, I dare any of you. Now I know this device is significantly more powerful but the bottom line is real world performance and I believe the OP raises a valid point: there isn't a significant difference.
Source: I've owned an N4 since launch (and now an N7.2) and had a friend's OG N7 for a couple weeks when they were out of town.

Yeah maybe the upgrade isn't worth an extra $150 over the 1st gen you just got, but it is still an upgrade and we want the latest and so most people are willing to pay the premium for that.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

This should be consolidated into a single "whine" thread instead of cluttering the forum.

Personally my first gen doesn't come close to touching my new one. Everything is so much faster, smoother and instant. Thanks to the extra RAM it doesn't get crippled when running lots of apps or updating. Can't believe anyone could use both devices and not come away thinking the new one is an upgrade and a half.
Oh, and the screen is flipping fantastic, my GS3 takes a second to get used to when switching directly between the two.
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mi7chy said:
This should be consolidated into a single "whine" thread instead of cluttering the forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, a shame to clutter a general discussion forum with discussion.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Well if chime, by the time your ready for an upgrade the og n7 will be worth peanuts

The new Kindles came out, anyone regret buying their N7?

http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/25/amazon-debuts-kindle-fire-hdx-7-and-8-9-inch-tablets-we-go-han/
Snapdragon 800, 2560x1440 and starting price is something like $279. What do we think?

I already do, but this makes it worse....

Macmee said:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/25/amazon-debuts-kindle-fire-hdx-7-and-8-9-inch-tablets-we-go-han/
Snapdragon 800, 2560x1440 and starting price is something like $279. What do we think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty impressive.

Not necessarily. Remember, these amazon tablets have their own OS on them. It wont nearly be as easy or nice as our Nexus 7 tablets to root, and put on a custom ROM.
So I dont feel bad yet.

Macmee said:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/25/amazon-debuts-kindle-fire-hdx-7-and-8-9-inch-tablets-we-go-han/
Snapdragon 800, 2560x1440 and starting price is something like $279. What do we think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you get the 2560X1440 and the $279 from?
per AndroidCentral, $229 for the 7" model and $379 for the 9" model
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The 7" model matches prices with Nexus 7 and have a stronger SOC, but given the choice between native AOSP and FireOS I do not regret getting my N7 at all(not to mention the extra a month plus I had with N7 instead of waiting for HDX). I know you can root, unlock and flash custom ROM on Kindle too, but the process is harder and the dev community is definitely smaller. I will take a slightly inferior SOC for the ease of rooting/unlock/flash, the easy availability of factory images & the much larger dev community.
Without review we don't even know the quality of the screen yet, per Anandtech's review Nexus 7 have the best screen in any tablet available today hands down, unless Amazon sourced the same screen they would have a hard time beating it.

acdcking12345 said:
Not necessarily. Remember, these amazon tablets have their own OS on them. It wont nearly be as easy or nice as our Nexus 7 tablets to root, and put on a custom ROM.
So I dont feel bad yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
'Tis true

NovaSense said:
I know you can root, unlock and flash custom ROM on Kindle too, but the process is harder and the dev community is definitely smaller. I will take a slightly inferior SOC for the ease of rooting/unlock/flash, the easy availability of factory images & the much larger dev community.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think, you wanted to say the development community for the Kindle is tiny.
Without review we don't even know the quality of the screen yet, per Anandtech's review Nexus 7 have the best screen in any tablet available today hands down, unless Amazon sourced the same screen they would have a hard time beating it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the hands on photos/videos, it looks like the Kindle screens are very reflective.
My N7 screen is by a huge amount the best factory calibrated screen I had on any device/monitor with an average error of 2.6 dE2000.

Units really look good. I'm really glad to see some high quality tablets become really cheap and affordable. I've never owned a Kindle but I've owned a Nook and I'm assuming the setup is kind of the same with the rom. Dev support was really lacking especially later on. The Roms that were available were all buggy. They worked well enough for people like us but I couldn't hand it over to my mother to use daily.
The N7 is great in that my Mother can buy one and get pushed all the latest and greatest Android has to offer for a few years to come. That, in itself, is worth the difference to me.
Keep in mind these are the just the lowest memory models. So $229 for the 16gb which perfectly aligns it up with the N7. Even the 32gb is priced the same at $269. The good news is that they do offer a 64gb version and support AT&T and Verizon.

Good specs but I personally think the form factor is pretty ugly.

tni.andro said:
I think, you wanted to say the development community for the Kindle is tiny.
From the hands on photos/videos, it looks like the Kindle screens are very reflective.
My N7 screen is by a huge amount the best factory calibrated screen I had on any device/monitor with an average error of 2.6 dE2000.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did say later that I regarded the Kindle dev community as small, so I don't deny that. The size of Nexus devices' dev community is really unrivaled, especially for a tablet.

As already pointed out: I don't regret buying my Nexus 7 one bit because of the flexibility. I say flexibility because the Nexus 7 is not only a great average end-user tablet, but also a really great development tablet. You can buy one for 'ma and 'pa back home and keep the bootloader locked and everything stock, but you can also buy one for yourself, unlock the bootloader, and start flashing away. With all the development on the Nexus line, you have a billion options. Between my Nexus 4 and Nexus 7, I flash something new almost every day.
So to answer OP's question: no, I don't regret buying my Nexus 7. And I won't, ever. I prefer software options and flexibility rather than a slightly faster SoC in a locked, or at least less-open, environment.

There were already some rumors about snapdragon 800 when I bought my N7 but i got it anyway.
Their software sucks but it won't be that hard to install Cyanogen mod. However there's always a nexus advantage of software updates.

I'm with lots of others around here. As long as amazon works so hard to try and lock you into their ecosystem, I have no interest in a kindle fire.

The Kindle Fire HDX is no doubt impressive but I have moved away from Android tablets after owning both this and the previous Nexus 7. I think Android is great as a phone OS and with them being 5 to 6 inches, I don't have a particular need for a 7 inch tablet for school anymore. I am personally looking forward to the Nexus 5 and Surface Pro 2 which will be in a whole different caliber with Haswell i5, HD 4400, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, digitizer.

Only thing i'm even remotely jealous of is the offline caching of amazon prime content. I'd REALLY like that for other devices or netflix.

Development for Kindles have been terrible, I think they have two bootloader and both are locked or something, I'm sure I read that somewhere.

I believe that one of the problems with Kindle development were the lack of drivers related to TI OMAP basically being an EOL product and not as open as qualcomm which has CAF, etc. It may be different. There is of course still a boot loader to crack. I don't really care personally since I don't play games.

hundred exp
biggiestuff said:
Only thing i'm even remotely jealous of is the offline caching of amazon prime content. I'd REALLY like that for other devices or netflix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does amazon have an andriod app for prime yet? The last time I tried I had to load up a flash browser to watch content.

Yea Amazon gets it money from profit from their store content and books. They have very high interest to keep users locked into their software. Even if eventually it gets unlocked and get CM, it still won't be a good as having official support. Eventually development will slow down. New Android updates will cease being available on it. It's a hack job in the first place. Not something you can let the wife or mom use.
Every time I jump out of the Nexus lineup, I regret it very badly.
With the N7, you'll get latest and greatest updates for years to come.

I hate downloading MP3s from Amazon and using their lame bloatware downloader.
Why would I want their tablet?...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

I'll Take The Note 4 Over The Samapplesung S6 All Day...

Simply put.. I consider the Galaxy S6 too big of a departure from what makes Samsung.. Samsung.
Sealed Batteries and the lack of the Micro-SD Card option (not to mention the styling) has turned one of Samsung's flagships into a Samapplesung device in my eyes..
At least, we now have the distinction of owning what will be the LAST Samsung flagship device that did not conform to Apple's standards.
Because I honestly feel in 6 months, we will see a castrated Samapplesung Note 5 as well..
Am I the only one feeling the party is almost over? and that this will most likely be my last Samsung flagship purchase?

You know what they say, the S series are an insight to what the Note series will be. lol

Say It Ain't So Toe...
mgbotoe said:
You know what they say, the S series are an insight to what the Note series will be. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In this case.. I pray not Toe..
I'll prepare for the worse...
And hope for the best.

RaiderWill said:
Simply put.. I consider the Galaxy S6 too big of a departure from what makes Samsung.. Samsung.
Sealed Batteries and the lack of the Micro-SD Card option (not to mention the styling) has turned one of Samsung's flagships into a Samapplesung device in my eyes..
At least, we now have the distinction of owning what will be the LAST Samsung flagship device that did not conform to Apple's standards.
Because I honestly feel in 6 months, we will see a castrated Samapplesung Note 5 as well..
Am I the only one feeling the party is almost over? and that this will be most likely be my last Samsung flagship purchase?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mgbotoe said:
You know what they say, the S series are an insight to what the Note series will be. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a damn shame. I'm already looking for an alternative manufacturer. I have big hands so the Note 4 feels normal for me. I need to see if LG or HTC have a good alternative. Its a damn shame. They could have at least kept the Micro SD card.

naruto.ninjakid said:
Its a damn shame. I'm already looking for an alternative manufacturer. I have big hands so the Note 4 feels normal for me. I need to see if LG or HTC have a good alternative. Its a damn shame. They could have at least kept the Micro SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to see you here my friend...
Can you believe I still have my LG G-Pad 8.3...
And I've been running the same Mahdi ROM from 5-20-14...
It was his Greatest Version for the G-Pad.. FLAWLESS not one hiccup in over 9 months !
My Note 4 is not going anywhere for some time to come if this is truly Samsung's new direction.. Keep your Note 4 and run FireKat V10 it's the front runner for KK ROM's IMO and just hold your ground.. The Note 4 does the job just fine.
I just don't like Samsung turning into Samapplesung to silence critics on build quality.. Our Note 4's with a touch of metal still feels much more premium than the Note 3 and we STILL have Battery & SD-Card access.

Anyone interested in Samsung Pay will come to the Note 4? That's about the only thing I would like to see from the S6. Google wallet is cool, but if you can use the magnetic card terminal, Samsung is going to trounce Apple Pay and Google Wallet, at least for now.

RaiderWill said:
Good to see you here my friend...
Can you believe I still have my LG G-Pad 8.3...
And I've been running the same Mahdi ROM from 5-20-14...
It was his Greatest Version for the G-Pad.. FLAWLESS not one hiccup in over 9 months !
My Note 4 is not going anywhere for some time to come if this is truly Samsung's new direction.. Keep your Note 4 and run FireKat V10 it's the front runner for KK ROM's IMO and just hold your ground.. The Note 4 does the job just fine.
I just don't like Samsung turning into Samapplesung to silence critics on build quality.. Our Note 4's with a touch of metal still feels much more premium than the Note 3 and we STILL have Battery & SD-Card access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'm going to stick with this till the note 6 at least.

I thought they were completely changing the look and feel of touchwiz. It looks pretty much the same. Thats utter garbage,
And samsung had been overhyping the idea of completely re-designing the phone.. to make it look like the iphone 6? I mean seriously? I get the iphone 6 has a beautiful design and I love it too, but out of a million possibilities for designing your phone you chose to copy apple. Thats ridiculous.
On an ending note, I really like my Note 4, the first thing i did was replace touchwiz, but apart from that I really like the device. Unfortunately it looks like it will be one of the last samsung phones I own. Whats even worse is that we are running out of decent alternatives and android on a whole looks to be having a ****ty year in the high end phones market segment.

RaiderWill said:
Simply put.. I consider the Galaxy S6 too big of a departure from what makes Samsung.. Samsung.
Sealed Batteries and the lack of the Micro-SD Card option (not to mention the styling) has turned one of Samsung's flagships into a Samapplesung device in my eyes..
At least, we now have the distinction of owning what will be the LAST Samsung flagship device that did not conform to Apple's standards.
Because I honestly feel in 6 months, we will see a castrated Samapplesung Note 5 as well..
Am I the only one feeling the party is almost over? and that this will be most likely be my last Samsung flagship purchase?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know its almost like SanDisk is trolling HTC and Samsung at this point:
http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/01/sandisk-200gb-microsd-card/

rosedog said:
You know its almost like SanDisk is trolling HTC and Samsung at this point:
http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/01/sandisk-200gb-microsd-card/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$400.00?
You can purchase two 128's for $198.00.. more for less =

RaiderWill said:
$400.00?
You can purchase two 128's for $198.00.. more for less =
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right now, sure but I don't like swapping cards if I don't have too and this won't be the price forever. The 128gb card came down pretty fast in price iirc. This is also great for tablets and the Surface Pro 3.

Different Strokes...
RaiderWill said:
$400.00?
You can purchase two 128's for $198.00.. more for less =
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rosedog said:
Right now, sure but I don't like swapping cards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My station in life ill affords me the means to spend upper-middle class cell phone money on just an SD-Card..
So.. from my perspective, even if it came down $100.00 to $300.00.. I would not pull the trigger when I can swap 128's out in what? 60 seconds ?
And heaven forbid *failure* and loss of data by engendering that much trust in one card..
But if it works for you.. your ship has arrived.. :good:

While this phone is average at best, it's probably going to do worst than the S5. Samsung will realize their mistake and bring back the sd slot and removable battery by the time the note 5 comes out. The only reason this phone would be appealing is, IF the new touchwiz was as smooth stock android or htc skin. The only thing samsung had over other android oems was the removable back and sd slot.
It would be stupid for LG to not use this opportunity to destroy the S6 with their G4.

raza89 said:
I thought they were completely changing the look and feel of touchwiz. It looks pretty much the same. Thats utter garbage,
And samsung had been overhyping the idea of completely re-designing the phone.. to make it look like the iphone 6? I mean seriously? I get the iphone 6 has a beautiful design and I love it too, but out of a million possibilities for designing your phone you chose to copy apple. Thats ridiculous.
On an ending note, I really like my Note 4, the first thing i did was replace touchwiz, but apart from that I really like the device. Unfortunately it looks like it will be one of the last samsung phones I own. Whats even worse is that we are running out of decent alternatives and android on a whole looks to be having a ****ty year in the high end phones market segment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point I’m wondering what’s going on. I wanted Samsung to increase the size of the Note 4 but they didn’t. I can accept that though. But no SD card and removable battery is a deal breaker. The S series always forebodes what will come to the note. I’m not sure why no other manufacturers are going head o head with Samsung. HTC looked like they were with the one max but no one max 2. Hopefully they pull what they did with the S5 waterproof and say again the note targets certain individuals and add the removable battery and SD Card or no more Samsung phones for me. Someone also needs to make some S-Pen alternative as well.

Even the HTC M9 has expandable storage. Why Samsung why??????
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Samsung must be listening to the WRONG customer polls, no one that buys Samsung devices cares that the back is glass, especially if that means they have to lose the removable battery, and the sd card . and everyone uses a darn case anyway
Love the new processor, and I'd imagine the improved memory standard, but none of these improvements are worth losing so many hardware functions :thumbsdown:

I keep reading everywhere how the S design language leaks into the Note that follows... Can someone please explain what from the S5 appeared in the Note 4.. I see 2 very different distinct phones. IMO the Note look, feels, and means business and the S is more of a every person device.

racer83l said:
I keep reading everywhere how the S design language leaks into the Note that follows... Can someone please explain what from the S5 appeared in the Note 4.. I see 2 very different distinct phones. IMO the Note look, feels, and means business and the S is more of a every person device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that.
Have both S and Note series and been following its upgrades; just becoz of the fact that the S series are released b4 the N series doesn't mean the S models are pilot projects for the N's. They serve for different segments.
Anyways as for the S6, I too am sad for the absence of ext SD card and removable battery cover, but then again maybe (surely) Sammy had done a thorough market research and knows what's best for their interest; xda community's opinion only represents a tiny minority of its users and by no means are used as benchmarks.
My $0.02
Sent from my handphone, not yours

racer83l said:
I keep reading everywhere how the S design language leaks into the Note that follows... Can someone please explain what from the S5 appeared in the Note 4.. I see 2 very different distinct phones. IMO the Note look, feels, and means business and the S is more of a every person device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We aren't saying the note 4 is a bigger s5...the thing is when samsung does something to a phone, best believe it will pop up in the next line.
Take the finger scanning and the shealth / exercise thing for example. those were introduced in the S serie and behold behold...they popped up on the note
And take the note edge for example...behold behold...the S line has it. The only difference between them is the size but essentially anything you can find in the S serie is on the note serie.
And if its not visually there, it is disabled in the code (their lil multitasking box they came out with on the s5)
The odds of no removable battery / sd card...is well you know, 90% chance of happening lol. I personally thought that will happen on the Note line first (and the glass) because end of the day, the note IS and will ALWAYS be geared towards business people and not regular consumers. And sammy seems to be on their iPhone classy trip right now. There was nothing wrong with the leather back covers...

Looks like the micro SD got left out of Samsung's phone and made its way to HTC's. Next is gonna be the Note 5 with no S-pen and the excuse that no one uses it (hopefully they don't go that direction). They better bring back micro sd for the Note 5 or I won't upgrade.

So i have PH-1 and 5t in hand...one is going back

I love the hardware on the ph-1 to the point the 5t feels like a phone from 1 or 2 years ago and I love the software on the 5t for the most part. Software is what you live with day to day and PH-1 has its issues. Screen doesn't respond always camera thing (why can i not shoot 16:9 photos argh) prefer oled but the lcd is pretty stunning. So i don't know what to do. Can somebody that really has really spent some time with the PH-1 and maybe know about the 5t tell me why I shouldn't or should keep that over 5t or will the little annoyances just get to me eventually. BTW huge user of AA so consider that as well.
Example of what i'm looking for when going to websites like Androidcentral the website takes advantage of the entire screen (the top) but where before i could could on the address and drag down to get to card view, on any site that does this I can have to click on the little card button...annoying. Or 5t i can zoom in full screen in youtube why can't i on ph-1. This is what i'm looking for. Thanks.
Oh and one other thing what pixel camera apk do i need to download to get better pictures/more options. I know there are ports and variation of ports some require some setup...looking for simple that give some level of hdr and if it's the one with full setup what setup should i have and keep. I know there are other pages but there are other phones million of responses constant update with in threads as opposed to updating the OP, thanks.

Honestly if your network supports the 1+5T stay with it.

Forgetfull said:
Honestly if your network supports the 1+5T stay with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
any more insight...it does. Consider this too i guess though money not really an object in this situation but OP5t with accessories about 650 (couple charges cover) Essential 399 with free 360 care which i will be quickly selling so for $300 bucks or so I for the phone which would allow me to quickly jump into something new in the spring when new stuff starts showing up again.

I had a OP5, and I know that for me custom ROM support and software are really missed, but I love the PH-1. This phone just looks and feels so much better for the price, I am willing to wait a while to see more dev support and official Oreo release. OnePlus has upset me in that they are now releasing 2 phones a year. I have had all their phones, but I think I will be taking a break from OP and just keeping the PH-1 for a while...

OP5T wins with the software. They have been working on their OS for almost 3 years so they know what they are doing. On the other hand, there is no other phone that looks and feels like the Essential, hardware is the best handsdown. There are some software issues, but to be honest I have non of it, everything works fine. I use mine in Mexico and in the US.
If you have good cellular reception with the PH1 I think you should keep it.

I personally am not a fan of OnePlus. If money truly isn't an issue, then I would go with the S8+. You can almost always find deals from Samsung on sites like Slickdeals and get it for a comparable price to 5t.
OnePlus has made it abundantly clear they don't care for their customers. I had three OnePluses since their first, and I can tell you first-hand that they are a terrible company. They don't like to honor their warranty and they make you pay for the shipping, and there's quite often problems with their phones... Then they only offer a year-and-a-half support for each device.
Essential has already stated that this phone will be updated for a very long time, especially since it's their first. I personally believe only things can go up from here, and their continuous support has proven that notion.
But it's up to you obviously go with whatever you like most.

Until recently I was on the market for a new phone. I had settled down on two choices: the PH-1 and OP 5T. Given that I had previously bought a OP2, I was trending towards a OP5T. But I ended getting the PH-1. Primarily because of OP's sofware update policy. It is downright unacceptable.
A couple of years ago, I bought my dad the OPT (OnePlus Two). They did not bother to push out Nougat update though Nougat arrived just a few months after the OPT. Ultimately I installed LineageOS on the OPT. But OP's software upgrade policy drove me away. Once bitten, twice shy.
One another reason I am disappointed with OP is their "no" to Treble support for existing devices as they upgrade to Oreo. Atleast they were straight about it, unlike other fiasco's like the data collection & push ads etc. Don't get me wrong. Not bashing OP for nothing. We love the OPT. Hardware still runs great with the LineageOS ROM.
But this time its the Essential PH-1. They have shown commitment to upgrade to Oreo with the beta on 11/14. Also some of the very recent updates to FW and to the camera app, the camera performance has improved significantly. The new portrait mode does bokeh very nicely. I would keep the PH-1!

i like to tinker with software so 5t has me interested at the same time I no longer want to root so really what it comes is is a bonus...i am leaning toward essential atm. WIll drive one for 1 week then the other for 1 week and see where i land. I hear you about the OP fiascos with the op2 etc i guess not to worried there. Not sure I like Rubin being away from essential i feel like he is the one pushing the boundaries there. I do like how quickly they have been updating...hope the wireless dock is not stupid...1 thing i really hate is no qi charging. I don't like samsung so that is out flirted with LG but don't like it enough to justify the price, if it was stock i would buy it all day long for what they charge.

thisguy159 said:
any more insight...it does. Consider this too i guess though money not really an object in this situation but OP5t with accessories about 650 (couple charges cover) Essential 399 with free 360 care which i will be quickly selling so for $300 bucks or so I for the phone which would allow me to quickly jump into something new in the spring when new stuff starts showing up again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one plus has a better screen, more responsive digitizer, historical better development, longevity as a company, better camera, bigger battery, smoother release.
But.....
At that price differential the PH-1 probably wins out. My opinion that the 1+ is better assumes the 450$ essential VS a 550 1+

I'm having a hard time justifying keeping the PH1 and not getting the 5T. I still have my OP3 as a backup and I like everything better, but the size. I mean, build quality of the PH1 is amazing, but not the screen. Besides, the only time I ever get to admire the build quality is when I take it out of the case, which I won't go without. Even though my OP3 is 1½ yr old, the fluidity of the software with that screen is just so much better, not to mention the haptic feedback is perfect, not like the stupid overly strong haptic feedback on the PH1. I just love the size of the PH1, it's perfect. OP, I don't blame u asking for help making this decision. It is a really tough one. If I had to though, I would lean towards the 5T.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk

Ive had the op2 and op5. When I bought the op2, I felt the value of my purchase was solid for 2 years, it was the best value phone hands down. Now oneplus had an upward trend of rising prices that suddenly peter out bc of some competition from the essential. On top of the fact that their T releases always are better than their main numbered releases just seems extremely counter intuitive. On top of all the negative press they've been getting, makes me really wonder about the integrity of the company. Could their prices be cheaper seeing as how premium the essential is in the same price range? Did they really not have the technology to push a bezeless phone on their op5 release? I no longer trust oneplus, and will reevaluate the phone market in 2 years or so when I'm ready for an upgrade. My op5 got stolen, and so far I'd love to keep using essential as long as they stick around in the same price range.
I always rock a 50 dollar otterbox on my ops, but so far have been just using a tempered glass protector with no problems. So factor in a 128 gb phone with otterbox would put the phone close to 600 whereas I paid 400 for the essential. The essential over op5t is a no brainer for me.

Last Monday morning I ordered the one +5T,then I seen the Amazon offer for the PH1 and it was a no-brainer ,I immediately ordered the PH1 and cancelled the 5T.Software can be tweaked and with the amount of updates essential are pushing ,it's only going to get better.Hardware your stuck with once purchased and nothing comes close to the PH1

Combat same story with me except I choose to receive both then decide. I don't care about the recent bad press of OP every manufacture has some kind of data collection and every manufacture has had this issue including Samsung...op responded and adjusted. I also don't care that op upgrades fast somebody always does on monthly basis might as well be op.
I do care however that op didn't come with Oreo basically allows op to not support the device as long and stop at 9 instead of 10. In fairness the phone will be gone by then but this kind of strategy from a company frustrated me more then the other two issues listed above.

PH-1. Design and build. Semi-pure Android. Ridiculous $145 price. Possibly unfounded hope for Essential as a company I'd like to see stick around. And I rarely take pictures of anything that isn't a whiteboard or my thumb.
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