Database Users

King Note2-Anything better on the horizon?

By better I refer to powerful & versatile.. what about all the rumors of Nexus devices this year?
Yesterday I checked out again the original Note which was uniquely cool but still felt a bit like a prototype Vs. the surprisingly underwhelming S3 which seems like a weak-sauce kid brother of the Note2 & even the underpowered hardware of the Note 10.1 where I could at least test out some of the features (split screen multitasking, resizeable PIP video, pen input etc) that the Note 2 has that hasn't made it to the S3 (will those software features?). If I only wanted another smartphone the OneX variants currently get my vote but the Note2 from everything I've seen seems like the first real supersmartphone or a real versatile powerful pocketable handheld computer. Anyone feel encumbered by its larger size or mainly just empowered?
I did notice that the ladies seem quite intimidated by the Note1's original size & so I do look forward to holding the less wide Note2. I have long fingers so I didn't notice significant issues navigating the original Note but would likely enable gestures like for notification tray etc..(still use currently use GO Launcher)
I assume I'm not the only one here who thinks the Note2 is the current king device in terms of versatility so the question is for how long? I actually value the pen input functionality so it's unlikely anything will replace its reign until the Note3?
I even want to check out those keyboard dockable Samsung Win8 tablets with pen input when they hit as the in-store Asus Transformer Infiinity still with ICS & Note 10.1 still felt laggy..

Considering how many find the HTC One X variants the best in their class (I personally far prefer it to the S3 except for the enclosed battery), I will want to check out the following when its variants make it to the US possibly as one of the rumored Nexus for the holidays:
HTC J Butterfly preview: a stunning 5-inch 1080p phone for Japan (video)
KDDI unveils HTC J Butterfly (HTL21), the first phone with 5-inch 1080p display-"global device. Not bad for a 140g package, and it's waterproof as well, rated at IPX5"
The Note 2's S-pen functionality & software features will likely keep me favoring it but I will want to check this out & I'm feeling more confident that the Note 3 screen will be 1080p unless the battery hit is too brutal. No battery tests on this 1080p device yet..

http://androidandme.com/2012/10/sma...-wanted-android-smartphones-for-october-2012/
Thoughts on the competition?

I got my Asus TF700T yesterday. Im gonna sell it & buy a Note 10.1

I am a Note II owner and love the phone. Then I really felt like buying an Android tablet. I went and got me Asus Transformer Infinity yesterday & boy Do I regret!! I just put an ad to sell it 100$ off price just to get rid of it & get a Note 10.1 !
Here's what pissed me off. Its a ***** to get the bootloader unlocked. You gotta use Asus unlocker tool & their servers dont respond. its been 48 hrs almost and still no luck.
Theres like only 1 or 2 costume roms available for it and for that this needs to be unlocked.
What pissed me off most that it had only 1gig ram. I thought since it was pricier then a Note 10.1 then its probably at least the same specs.
And damn is it laggy! I guess it could be the ICS' fault and that the JB for it will be smoother but right now it cant be compared to smoothnes of my Note phone at all!
The charger connector is also not standard mini usb which sux and the keyboard for it is too pricey!
One thing I was really looking for was to play Tegra 3 games on it & of the 5 games I tried only 1 was not buggy!
anyways... from what Ive seen from the Note 10.1 dev forum it looks just as promising as my NoteII.
so if anyone here thinks I am making a mistake or something I missed plz let me know.
donno why I even bothered buying this. I was so happy with my Note2. It would have been logical to get another galaxy product!
It was an expensive lesson I even ordered a screen protector for it which costs 30bux inc shipping!

I think you're making the right decision, but....
You should know that the Note 10.1 also doesn't use a mini-usb plug. It's also proprietary.

Don't waste your money.
The Note 10.1 didn't have ANY ROMs out when I bought mine,
and technically there still isn't any official JB for my N8013.
I would wait.
The Note 10.1 is not perfect, no tab is. Based on your post,
you seem to be a hasty kinda buyer cuz you seem to not
research your purchases beforehand. Keep in mind:
The Note 10.1 also has a proprietary non-standard charger/connector.
The few available docks if you want one are rare and pricey as well.
The TF700 has a far better display (by ppi)
The Note 10.1 is not tegra 3 but exynos quad.
Samsung is NOTORIOUS for taking forever to push updates

blud7 said:
Don't waste your money.
The Note 10.1 didn't have ANY ROMs out when I bought mine,
and technically there still isn't any official JB for my N8013.
I would wait.
The Note 10.1 is not perfect, no tab is. Based on your post,
you seem to be a hasty kinda buyer cuz you seem to not
research your purchases beforehand. Keep in mind:
The Note 10.1 also has a proprietary non-standard charger/connector.
The few available docks if you want one are rare and pricey as well.
The TF700 has a far better display (by ppi)
The Note 10.1 is not tegra 3 but exynos quad.
Samsung is NOTORIOUS for taking forever to push updates
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a bit of an overstatement?
No one is saying the Note 10.1 is perfect.
Well, about the lag, the Note 10.1 doesn't lag at all - yes, I'm not saying this just because I own one, it's because it doesn't lag at all.
It's fast and fluid, and with the correct use, it will blaze at an amazing speed.
It has already many custom ROM's available and it's hack-friendly. Samsung releases the open-source very often for their devices.
Oh, and about the updates, Samsung was actually quick to bring in Jelly Bean. It makes your Note 10.1 be twice as fast (in some cases).
You can also have a plethora of keyboards (non-OEM) that are cheap, and some even turn to be covers as well.
All in all, it's a pretty nice buy, but if the non-standard charger/connector is a no-GO, then it's a don't buy this. This tab uses the proprietary connector.

ricardosteve said:
That's a bit of an overstatement?
No one is saying the Note 10.1 is perfect.
Well, about the lag, the Note 10.1 doesn't lag at all - yes, I'm not saying this just because I own one, it's because it doesn't lag at all.
It's fast and fluid, and with the correct use, it will blaze at an amazing speed.
It has already many custom ROM's available and it's hack-friendly. Samsung releases the open-source very often for their devices.
Oh, and about the updates, Samsung was actually quick to bring in Jelly Bean. It makes your Note 10.1 be twice as fast (in some cases).
You can also have a plethora of keyboards (non-OEM) that are cheap, and some even turn to be covers as well.
All in all, it's a pretty nice buy, but if the non-standard charger/connector is a no-GO, then it's a don't buy this. This tab uses the proprietary connector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on that add also the multiwindow option /svoice /airview /front stereo speakers and n8000 model can do gsm calls and allot more, i used note II for like a week before buying note 10.1 and personally i think spen on 10.1 is some what more senstive and more ergonomic, something to note also the spen can work as a mouse in web browser to review links, etc and scroll
Sent from my X10S using xda app-developers app

did you vote yes or no ?
hoss_n2 said:
+1 on that add also the multiwindow option /svoice /airview /front stereo speakers and n8000 model can do gsm calls and allot more, i used note II for like a week before buying note 10.1 and personally i think spen on 10.1 is some what more senstive and more ergonomic, something to note also the spen can work as a mouse in web browser to review links, etc and scroll
Sent from my X10S using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you vote yes or no ?

I got my Note last Friday and can say that I love it. The quad core and 2GB of RAM keeps it fast and responsive, something I can't say about my first gen Android tablet that this replaces. I'''ll upgrade my Android phone next year once I see which LTE may come to my area; however, I know it will have similar specs to the Note.

toofank said:
I am a Note II owner and love the phone. Then I really felt like buying an Android tablet. I went and got me Asus Transformer Infinity yesterday & boy Do I regret!! I just put an ad to sell it 100$ off price just to get rid of it & get a Note 10.1 !
Here's what pissed me off. Its a ***** to get the bootloader unlocked. You gotta use Asus unlocker tool & their servers dont respond. its been 48 hrs almost and still no luck.
Theres like only 1 or 2 costume roms available for it and for that this needs to be unlocked.
What pissed me off most that it had only 1gig ram. I thought since it was pricier then a Note 10.1 then its probably at least the same specs.
And damn is it laggy! I guess it could be the ICS' fault and that the JB for it will be smoother but right now it cant be compared to smoothnes of my Note phone at all!
The charger connector is also not standard mini usb which sux and the keyboard for it is too pricey!
One thing I was really looking for was to play Tegra 3 games on it & of the 5 games I tried only 1 was not buggy!
anyways... from what Ive seen from the Note 10.1 dev forum it looks just as promising as my NoteII.
so if anyone here thinks I am making a mistake or something I missed plz let me know.
donno why I even bothered buying this. I was so happy with my Note2. It would have been logical to get another galaxy product!
It was an expensive lesson I even ordered a screen protector for it which costs 30bux inc shipping!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm done with ASUS, too...
TF700 has a superb display, and thats about it...mine was laggy,too. OTA wouldn't work, so i did an unlock using ASUS's unlock-tool, tried to update with TWRP and downloaded update.zip - would't work either but kept the tablet in a bootloop. ASUS of course refuses warranty because unlock, tries to charge me repaircosts 90% of a brandnew device - come on guys, kidding??? Sold the keyboard, bought the note 8010, fast and smooth with root and Team Union Jelly Bean...an expensive lesson for me, too...

I'm not bashing the Note. I have the phone and the tab as well and love both.
I'm commenting on the op's qualms about the choice he made, which he regrets.
All I'm saying is the op obviously didn't do any research before buying. Some of the
stuff he hates about the Asus TF are also present with the Note. Which means he
is still making the same mistake of not researching.
The reason I said he should keep it is cuz he seems to be guilt-tripping over a perfectly
good purchase. That and he's going to sell his perfectly good tab and be out $100 bucks
because of it.
And you're making a point of there being cheaper docks for the Note 10.1.
Cheaper dock options are also available for the TF700.
And no, the note does NOT have LOTS of ROMs but dev is heading there. On that subject
I was saying that if he waits, dev will get better for the TF.There are ~20 custom ROMs
on xda for the TF700 and less than ten for the Note 10.1. Two or three for the WiFi only devices.
I still also maintain that Samsung drags its feet when it comes to updates.
The TF had JB since October. As of writing this there still is no JB for the N8013, no
leak, no official. Asus is in fact known for their frequent updates.
The tab has quality control issues as I well. I had to return the first one I bought since
the screen was defective. If you read up, this very forum will confirm that I was not alone
in this. Some report lag with the software. Asus is well known for having poor quality
control though.
With all that said, I considered both tabs when buying, did my research and bought the
Note. I love the one I have now and don't regret it at all. It is amazingly good despite any reviews
saying this or that is better.

I've had both and the Note is a better choice (for me at least). A lot less lag and more options. I have the OG note for my phone and have it running stock android. I much prefer touchwiz on the 10.1. Multi window is awesome and I actually use the IR blaster a lot more than I thought I would. Lots of cool features that vanilla android doesn't offer. I vote Note
Sent from my big 10 inch..

Since the Note and N10 have come out the TF700 forum has become a ghost town. Picture tumbleweed. Scott Crossler, the magician who made the TF700 usable, is no longer supporting it. Others are trying to keep up his work but picture "Otto Pilot" from the movie Airplane. Asus has done little or no marketing for the TF700 and it's just sort of floating out there. Asus’ Q3 sales of 10.1" tablets was actually down year-over-year.
Here's my elevator conversation summary of the three most talked about Android tablets:
Note 10.1 - It's the most complete tablet available (any OS) and has unique features like multiview, inking via a Wacom digitizer with palm rejection, S-Note, and a slew of Samsung developed features not available elsewhere that make it a joy to use. It's powerful, has JB (kind of), has great sounding front mounted speakers, gets above average battery life, and has a great display with decent (for Samsung) color accuracy, good contrast, and is nicely bright. There are two downsides and they apply mostly to consumption-only buyers. The 720P display isn't as good on text and computer generated graphics as higher PPI tablets and all the things that make the Note great at creation and productivity add a lot of complexity for people that aren't going to use those features. It's also available with 3G and when so equipped it doubles as a giant phone. The only tablet I'd consider replacing my Note with is another Note with a higher PPI display.​
N10 - I, like many people, saw the specs for the N10 before it was released and thought it was "game over" for all other 10.1" Android tablet makers. As it turns out the N10 is a "value" tablet not a "high-end" tablet. It has the highest PPI of any tablet on the planet but it's fairly dim, is pretty warm, and has just average contrast. The number of N10's reported with light bleed on their displays is pretty shocking (at any price) for a Samsung-built tablet. The N10's A15 SoC is state-of-the-art and kick-ass powerful. But, because of the mammoth PPI it's powering, it's no more powerful than the Note. It also has a bizarre quasi-phone UI which wastes a tremendous amount of display real estate and looks awkward on a 10" tablet. It's "Pure Google" which is fantastic for updates but, feature wise, it's a barren wasteland compared to the features bundled with TW. Battery life is below average and recharging time is six hours. The N10 is a great consumption device for the price. And that's about it.​
TF700 - The Infinity is nothing more than a gussied up Prime which means its design is over a year old. It's also using a Teg3 SoC whose design is eighteen months old and at the end of its useful life and now used primarily in budget devices. It has no 5GHz Wi-Fi, uses single channel memory (the Note and N10 are dual channel), has 1GB of RAM, has IO issues that Asus has made famous, and is built using outdated components that, in a lot of cases, are from second-tier manufacturers (EG: AzureWave Wi-Fi radios). Asus' QC is dreadful, their repair center in TX horrible, and to unlock the bootloader you agree to completely void your warranty. There are a couple of things that are unique and, IMHO, the only reason people should be looking at a TF700. They are: the keyboard which also extends battery life, expandable storage, and the Super IPS display that makes it great for outdoor use. Someone only looking for PPI is better off with a N10.​
So, as someone above said, no tablet's perfect. Of the three, I think living with the Note's perfectly acceptable but lower PPI display involves the least amount of compromise. For someone wanting/needing a higher PPI the N10's a decent choice and a good value. For someone who has to have a keyboard and/or higher PPI and expandable storage there's the TF700. But based on it and Asus' history, declining sales, and price, you're probably better off leaving Android and buying a W8 tablet.

BarryH_GEG said:
Since the Note and N10 have come out the TF700 forum has become a ghost town. Picture tumbleweed. Scott Crossler, the magician who made the TF700 usable, is no longer supporting it. Others are trying to keep up his work but picture "Otto Pilot" from the movie Airplane. Asus has done little or no marketing for the TF700 and it's just sort of floating out there. Asus’ Q3 sales of 10.1" tablets was actually down year-over-year.
Here's my elevator conversation summary of the three most talked about Android tablets:
Note 10.1 - It's the most complete tablet available (any OS) and has unique features like multiview, inking via a Wacom digitizer with palm rejection, S-Note, and a slew of Samsung developed features not available elsewhere that make it a joy to use. It's powerful, has JB (kind of), has great sounding front mounted speakers, gets above average battery life, and has a great display with decent (for Samsung) color accuracy, good contrast, and is nicely bright. There are two downsides and they apply mostly to consumption-only buyers. The 720P display isn't as good on text and computer generated graphics as higher PPI tablets and all the things that make the Note great at creation and productivity add a lot of complexity for people that aren't going to use those features. It's also available with 3G and when so equipped it doubles as a giant phone. The only tablet I'd consider replacing my Note with is another Note with a higher PPI display.​
N10 - I, like many people, saw the specs for the N10 before it was released and thought it was "game over" for all other 10.1" Android tablet makers. As it turns out the N10 is a "value" tablet not a "high-end" tablet. It has the highest PPI of any tablet on the planet but it's fairly dim, is pretty warm, and has just average contrast. The number of N10's reported with light bleed on their displays is pretty shocking (at any price) for a Samsung-built tablet. The N10's A15 SoC is state-of-the-art and kick-ass powerful. But, because of the mammoth PPI it's powering, it's no more powerful than the Note. It also has a bizarre quasi-phone UI which wastes a tremendous amount of display real estate and looks awkward on a 10" tablet. It's "Pure Google" which is fantastic for updates but, feature wise, it's a barren wasteland compared to the features bundled with TW. Battery life is below average and recharging time is six hours. The N10 is a great consumption device for the price. And that's about it.​
TF700 - The Infinity is nothing more than a gussied up Prime which means its design is over a year old. It's also using a Teg3 SoC whose design is eighteen months old and at the end of its useful life and now used primarily in budget devices. It has no 5GHz Wi-Fi, uses single channel memory (the Note and N10 are dual channel), has 1GB of RAM, has IO issues that Asus has made famous, and is built using outdated components that, in a lot of cases, are from second-tier manufacturers (EG: AzureWave Wi-Fi radios). Asus' QC is dreadful, their repair center in TX horrible, and to unlock the bootloader you agree to completely void your warranty. There are a couple of things that are unique and, IMHO, the only reason people should be looking at a TF700. They are: the keyboard which also extends battery life, expandable storage, and the Super IPS display that makes it great for outdoor use. Someone only looking for PPI is better off with a N10.​
So, as someone above said, no tablet's perfect. Of the three, I think living with the Note's perfectly acceptable but lower PPI display involves the least amount of compromise. For someone wanting/needing a higher PPI the N10's a decent choice and a good value. For someone who has to have a keyboard and/or higher PPI and expandable storage there's the TF700. But based on it and Asus' history, declining sales, and price, you're probably better off leaving Android and buying a W8 tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would really like your opinion on why you think the n8013 in the US has not seen the JB update and why there seems to be not even a peep about it. All promotion of the note 10.1 happens only on the Samsung Mobile International Facebook Page, including the big Christmas vid, but not word about the 10.1 on the Samsung Mobile USA page. It is like the product vanished.
Thoughts?

rap6388 said:
I would really like your opinion on why you think the n8013 in the US has not seen the JB update and why there seems to be not even a peep about it. All promotion of the note 10.1 happens only on the Samsung Mobile International Facebook Page, including the big Christmas vid, but not word about the 10.1 on the Samsung Mobile USA page. It is like the product vanished.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because HTC, Motorola, and Samsung all suck at managing device updates. Before I got my N2 two weeks ago I was using a Teg3 One X. In an official press release with quotes from their CEO HTC said the Teg3 One X JB roll-out was going to be in October. Taiwan (HTC's home country) got a JB update in October that was so bad the roll out was stopped for the rest of the world. It started again two weeks ago and only five regions out of over a dozen have received it. In between, regional HTC offices have been providing inaccurate and conflicting updates on what the JB schedule really is.
Back to Samsung. Having nothing to do with updates Samsung's s/w management process is a cluster f-k. A single device can have over twenty four "current" versions of s/w running on it because Samsung creates unique s/w for each region a device is sold in. A good example is that while rolling out JB to the N8000 they were still releasing 4.0.4 ROMs in certain regions of the world. So there are newer ICS ROMs than there are JB. HTC rolls out a single version of "current" s/w that all of their devices globally (except specific Asian markets) get updated to within the span of a few weeks. So HTC's managing two versions (global and Asia) of s/w per device while Samsung's managing dozens. And the complexity this creates makes Samsung's update process overly complex and difficult for us on the outside to track and make sense of.
So, the short answer to your question of "where's the N8013's JB update?," is that it's stuck somewhere in Samsung's plumbing waiting to be deployed. It's fun to talk about reasons for delays like patent issues and the like but I really think it’s just Samsung being Samsung. The OG 8.9 on AT&T just got ICS last week after the rest of the world received it in August. Go figure.
The upside is that Samsung's s/w is versatile for end-users to manage with Odin so that when a newer ROM comes out for a different region you can just use that with no repercussions. My Brazilian N2 is running a Panamanian ROM and my also Brazilian Note 10.1 is running a British ROM. At some point soon either someone on XDA or Samfirmware is going to post a complete MD5 file for the N8010. Once that happens every 8010/3 user can update to it using Odin without the current complexity of loading a new ROM followed by using recovery to update it to JB from SD. Look at it this way; at least we have some options. The poor folks waiting on HTC and Motorola just have to wait.
This is kind of old but makes the point of how complex Samsung's s/w managment process is. This is a list of ROMs deployed just for the N8000. Kind of scary.

I don't understand what the problem is with the proprietary connector? Seems to work fine for me.

SkizzMcNizz said:
I don't understand what the problem is with the proprietary connector? Seems to work fine for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is twofold:
Compatibility
Portability
Which are two sides of the same coin. You must use Samsung's connector
which limits your options for peripherals, unless you get an adapter. Even
then the lack of a separate HDMI port and the fact that you can't charge via
your PC's USB port (not enough current) are annoying. And you can't use your
devices chargers which means one more charger to carry around.

blud7 said:
The problem is twofold:
Compatibility
Portability
Which are two sides of the same coin. You must use Samsung's connector
which limits your options for peripherals, unless you get an adapter. Even
then the lack of a separate HDMI port and the fact that you can't charge via
your PC's USB port (not enough current) are annoying. And you can't use your
devices chargers which means one more charger to carry around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
small price to pay for the dogs bollocks of android tabs, I have been putting off buying waiting for decent specs with micro sd, bought a nexus 7 & took it back next day, felt like cheap plastic crap! I would love to see a review for the note 10.1 based on a price of £268 which is what I paid after cashback, im sure it would get editor's choice awards across the board!

goodie said:
small price to pay for the dogs bollocks of android tabs, I have been putting off buying waiting for decent specs with micro sd, bought a nexus 7 & took it back next day, felt like cheap plastic crap! I would love to see a review for the note 10.1 based on a price of £268 which is what I paid after cashback, im sure it would get editor's choice awards across the board!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just answering his question :crying:
And that's a good price. I paid $499 plus shipping.

You can charge on a PC's USB... Just reeeeeeeeeally slowly.... Best to leave overnight to charge in this instance, but I have been using it before and charging at the same time...

Thanks for all the info. Im still waiting for someone to buy the asus
The thing that was most dissapointing was the lag. Jerky surfing and delayed responses.
Dont care much about that tiny higher screen resolution

blud7 said:
Don't waste your money.
The Note 10.1 didn't have ANY ROMs out when I bought mine,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The JB update came out the day I bought mine so YMMV.
and technically there still isn't any official JB for my N8013.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is relevant only if the N8013 is the version he is going to buy (and seeing that he is from Norway it most probably is not).
The Note 10.1 is not perfect, no tab is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure but IMNSHO it's the best one out there.
Based on your post, you seem to be a hasty kinda buyer cuz you seem to not
research your purchases beforehand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, how could he assume for example that the Transformer had to have 2GB of Ram just because it was more expensive... :silly:
[*]The Note 10.1 also has a proprietary non-standard charger/connector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, which means neither of them has an advantage over the other in this respect.
[*]The few available docks if you want one are rare and pricey as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
False, I got a Samsung original desktop dock (stand, charge and audio out) for € 20 (in Italy) and it works with practically all of the Samsung 7" and 10" tablet lines.
[*]The TF700 has a far better display (by ppi)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is its ONLY advantage.
[*]The Note 10.1 is not tegra 3 but exynos quad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is actually a PLUS (unless you are a gamer maybe, which I am not).
[*]Samsung is NOTORIOUS for taking forever to push updates
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
False, Asus has been one of the best ones for their tablet line but Samsung is not bad at all when you compare it with all of the others and has actually been pretty good with their smartphones.
I run the official JB on my Note 10.1 3G and should get the official JB update on my OG Note very soon.
What he should keep in mind is:
- the Note 10.1 has 2GB RAM (a killer spec for how I use it)
- MultiWindow
- the 3G version is one of the handful of 10" tablets in the world (all of them Samsung AFAIK) that have full GSM call and message capabilities (another killer spec for me)
- it has the S-Pen (I don't use it all that often but when I need it it's VERY useful)
- very good and loud stereo audio
- Touchwiz and Samsung added SW, services and personalizations
- I don't know how it would do with games (I don't have a single one installed on my mobile devices) but on everything else the quad-core Exynos is the fastest and smoothest Android tablet I have ever seen.
- very good battery life
- one of the very best non-HD displays
- light and with a PLASTIC back (I HATE metal bodies!!!!)
- it has an IR blaster and you can use it as a smart remote

Will you be getting the Note 3 when released?

Just a poll: if your note 2 is still in good working condition, will you upgrade when note 3 comes out?

No. I have my Note 2 for 7 months. I go for the Note 5.

No. I'll only consider buying new one, if they manage to create screen that will be perfect visible in direct sunlight. Apart from that, I don't see a reason to buy next gen note. Note2 is a beast, that run perfect for me.

Fostil said:
No. I'll only consider buying new one, if they manage to create screen that will be perfect visible in direct sunlight. Apart from that, I don't see a reason to buy next gen note. Note2 is a beast, that run perfect for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that. I tried taking pictures of my car with my Note 2 to send to someone interested in buying it and they call came out looking like crap because I couldn't make out what was on the screen even though the sun wasn't hitting the screen directly. Give me a phone with a super-bright screen mode (even if it reduces the battery life to three hours or less) so I can use the camera outdoors!
mudge

Absolutely.
Sent from my Note 3 using xda app-developers app

Without a shadow of a doubt. Using an iPhone 5 now, like the experience but its very claustrophobic with the tiny display. Been waiting for the note 3 since the Note 2 was released and will definitely upgrade on day 1.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

YES I WILL I CAN'T WAIT
Sent from my GT-N8013 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

The rumored specs looked fine to me. I was jumping down to s4 but skipped it cz of bugs. Now I know that note 3 will carry all the cool features from s4, so I will surely go.

Not much difference between note 2 and note 3..2gb RAM of note 2 is more than enough and same is true for CPU and camera
i will wait for note 4/5 because i will consider that as upgrade
some people just got for new one even if their current phone satisfy all their needs

It's a big difference... And I will buy day 1
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

I'll wait until the official announcement and then make a decision. We have no real details at present.
Sent from my GT-N7100

I wont
Or depends on built quality also now
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

Here are my thoughts; maybe they'll help others deciding whether to leave the N2 for the N3. First, the N2’s been the best phone I’ve ever owned. Its combination of features and performance make it a great all-around device. I’m one of the few that actually use S Pen, S Note, multiview, the Pop up browser, Samsung Link, KiesAir and quite a few of Samsung’s other s/w features. I’m going to get a N3 as soon as I can, probably the Octa/Mali version. If the S-800 international version supports global LTE than I may get it instead. I have no interest in a U.S. carrier version of the N3.
Here are my main reasons for switching:
Performance – While the N2’s no slouch more is always better; especially from the GPU. I’m sure that the N3 having twice the pixel count of the N2 is going to offset some of that performance but it should still be a noticeably smoother device. That’s in spite of the boat load of additional s/w “tricks” that will most likely be included which is why I’m betting Samsung’s upped the RAM to 3GB (which in retrospect they should have done with the SGS4). The RAM on the N3 is also supposed to be faster than the SGS4.
32GB of Storage – Even though I’m sure we’ll be paying for it via a higher MSRP I’m thrilled that the N3 will start at 32GB (assuming the rumor’s true). It’s great that Samsung created an A2SD feature starting with the SGS4 but it does you know good on certain DRM protected apps that won’t/don’t recognize external storage.
The Camera – 13MP with OIS and potentially a Xenon flash sounds terrific. It’ll most likely be the Exmor RS sensor from Sony which has gotten great reviews from i9500 users (the i9505 uses the older Exmor R sensor).
Battery – A 3,450mAh battery is kick-ass and, based on Octa/S-600 in the SGS4, should deliver 25% better battery life over the N2 in spite of all Samsung’s additional sensors and the extra pixels from the 1080P display. Pack a spare battery and you could be away from an outlet for two days easy with a N3.
Software – I like Samsung’s gimmicks. Some are incredibly useful while others are cool “just because you can.” The N3 will have all the S4’s new s/w and then some. The N3 will keep me entertained for hours just playing with it. Samsung also registered a new URL (samsungpenup.com) that could mean they are finally investing in S Note and potentially making it multi-platform so you can open and edit S Notes on non-Samsung windows PCs.
Here are some reasons I wouldn’t switch:
720P vs. 1080P – At 12-15” away the human eye can’t resolve the detail between the two. With the N2’s large display I find I typically hold it further away anyway. I’m sure the N3’s display will be an upgrade in image reproduction but the additional pixels alone don’t sway me. The N2’s got a great non-PenTile display and I have no complaints with it.
5.5” vs. 5.68” – The bump in size may seem larger in everyday use but it’s not big enough (at least to me) to justify replacing the N2 for it. If Samsung plays with the DPI so that you can get more on the display (5 rows of icons vs. 4) that would be interesting. A higher quality larger display with more on it is more attractive than a fractional bump in size. I also don’t think anything over 5.68” is necessary to ink and view multiple apps and am glad Samsung didn’t throw the N3 in to the “colossus wars” like Sony, LG, and HTC have.
Design/Size – Unless Samsung’s got some surprises in store I’d bet the N3 will follow in the SGS4’s footsteps – more stuff, bigger display, smaller and/or lighter package. That’s cool to have but I’m fine with both the N2’s size and design.
Here’s why I wouldn’t leave Samsung for HTC, Sony, Motorola or LG:
Samsung’s Mass – Developers of mass market apps launch stuff for Samsung devices first and best. Samsung devices represent the largest audiences available and they tend to be more thorough in their testing for it. Here’s an example. My cable company has a “watch live TV app.” It works on iOS and one Android device; Samsung’s Note-series so I have it on my N2 and Note 10.1.
They Make Cool Stuff – WatchOn’s brilliant if you have a Samsung SmartTV. Not only can you use WatchOn to find stuff easily and control the TV their newer TV’s have AllShare Cast built-in as well as Samsung Link and the ability (on higher-end models) to watch content (including DRM protected) on your Samsung mobile device.
Samsung Link is life changing. It’s your own personal network that allows all your devices to be accessible to each other all the time. For mobile devices that includes over 3/4G. For example, if I’m on 3G with my Note 10.1 and want to pull a Word document off my home server all I need to do is access it via Samsung link. Same goes if I want to move pics taken on my phone to my tablet.
All the above is of course a YMMV. I love Samsung’s s/w and there are tons of people that couldn’t live without AOSP and the “pureness” of whatever Google’s serving up. Also a ton of people bought the N2 because of the size of its display and could care less about inking and Samsung's additional features. For them there will be a ton of additional giant phone choices this year. For people like me the only reason I have a giant phone is because of things like S Note/S Pen so there really isn't another choice; at least not based on what's been announced/leaked so far.
Happy decision making and enjoy whatever your choice may be.

Damn BarryH....great synopsis!
BarryH_GEG said:
Here are my thoughts; maybe they'll help others deciding whether to leave the N2 for the N3. First, the N2’s been the best phone I’ve ever owned. Its combination of features and performance make it a great all-around device. I’m one of the few that actually use S Pen, S Note, multiview, the Pop up browser, Samsung Link, KiesAir and quite a few of Samsung’s other s/w features. I’m going to get a N3 as soon as I can, probably the Octa/Mali version. If the S-800 international version supports global LTE than I may get it instead. I have no interest in a U.S. carrier version of the N3.
Here are my main reasons for switching:
Performance – While the N2’s no slouch more is always better; especially from the GPU. I’m sure that the N3 having twice the pixel count of the N2 is going to offset some of that performance but it should still be a noticeably smoother device. That’s in spite of the boat load of additional s/w “tricks” that will most likely be included which is why I’m betting Samsung’s upped the RAM to 3GB (which in retrospect they should have done with the SGS4). The RAM on the N3 is also supposed to be faster than the SGS4.
32GB of Storage – Even though I’m sure we’ll be paying for it via a higher MSRP I’m thrilled that the N3 will start at 32GB (assuming the rumor’s true). It’s great that Samsung created an A2SD feature starting with the SGS4 but it does you know good on certain DRM protected apps that won’t/don’t recognize external storage.
The Camera – 13MP with OIS and potentially a Xenon flash sounds terrific. It’ll most likely be the Exmor RS sensor from Sony which has gotten great reviews from i9500 users (the i9505 uses the older Exmor R sensor).
Battery – A 3,450mAh battery is kick-ass and, based on Octa/S-600 in the SGS4, should deliver 25% better battery life over the N2 in spite of all Samsung’s additional sensors and the extra pixels from the 1080P display. Pack a spare battery and you could be away from an outlet for two days easy with a N3.
Software – I like Samsung’s gimmicks. Some are incredibly useful while others are cool “just because you can.” The N3 will have all the S4’s new s/w and then some. The N3 will keep me entertained for hours just playing with it. Samsung also registered a new URL (samsungpenup.com) that could mean they are finally investing in S Note and potentially making it multi-platform so you can open and edit S Notes on non-Samsung windows PCs.
Here are some reasons I wouldn’t switch:
720P vs. 1080P – At 12-15” away the human eye can’t resolve the detail between the two. With the N2’s large display I find I typically hold it further away anyway. I’m sure the N3’s display will be an upgrade in image reproduction but the additional pixels alone don’t sway me. The N2’s got a great non-PenTile display and I have no complaints with it.
5.5” vs. 5.68” – The bump in size may seem larger in everyday use but it’s not big enough (at least to me) to justify replacing the N2 for it. If Samsung plays with the DPI so that you can get more on the display (5 rows of icons vs. 4) that would be interesting. A higher quality larger display with more on it is more attractive than a fractional bump in size. I also don’t think anything over 5.68” is necessary to ink and view multiple apps and am glad Samsung didn’t throw the N3 in to the “colossus wars” like Sony, LG, and HTC have.
Design/Size – Unless Samsung’s got some surprises in store I’d bet the N3 will follow in the SGS4’s footsteps – more stuff, bigger display, smaller and/or lighter package. That’s cool to have but I’m fine with both the N2’s size and design.
Here’s why I wouldn’t leave Samsung for HTC, Sony, Motorola or LG:
Samsung’s Mass – Developers of mass market apps launch stuff for Samsung devices first and best. Samsung devices represent the largest audiences available and they tend to be more thorough in their testing for it. Here’s an example. My cable company has a “watch live TV app.” It works on iOS and one Android device; Samsung’s Note-series so I have it on my N2 and Note 10.1.
They Make Cool Stuff – WatchOn’s brilliant if you have a Samsung SmartTV. Not only can you use WatchOn to find stuff easily and control the TV their newer TV’s have AllShare Cast built-in as well as Samsung Link and the ability (on higher-end models) to watch content (including DRM protected) on your Samsung mobile device.
Samsung Link is life changing. It’s your own personal network that allows all your devices to be accessible to each other all the time. For mobile devices that includes over 3/4G. For example, if I’m on 3G with my Note 10.1 and want to pull a Word document off my home server all I need to do is access it via Samsung link. Same goes if I want to move pics taken on my phone to my tablet.
All the above is of course a YMMV. I love Samsung’s s/w and there are tons of people that couldn’t live without AOSP and the “pureness” of whatever Google’s serving up. Also a ton of people bought the N2 because of the size of its display and could care less about inking and Samsung's additional features. For them there will be a ton of additional giant phone choices this year. For people like me the only reason I have a giant phone is because of things like S Note/S Pen so there really isn't another choice; at least not based on what's been announced/leaked so far.
Happy decision making and enjoy whatever your choice may be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

No... I will wait for note 4
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

@ Barry, you wouldn't switch because of the display??? That's my main reason to switch. If you experience a 1080p display or should I say a 320+ Ppi display, you'll definitely notice the difference. Not that it breaks the experience on the note 2, far from it, but I would say that the display is definitely a main reason to upgrade because 1080p displays are NOTICEABLY better than 720p displays.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Rajaasim1980 said:
Not much difference between note 2 and note 3..2gb RAM of note 2 is more than enough and same is true for CPU and camera
i will wait for note 4/5 because i will consider that as upgrade
some people just got for new one even if their current phone satisfy all their needs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have absolutly same opinion.

The decision is easy for me because I'm moving from S2. I was waiting for S4, but seeing my wife's N2 and the usefulness of the S Pen at that screen size, I decided to get a Note 3 at launch. Now, I'm deciding whether to sell my Note 10.1, since I find myself using the recently acquired 11" Macbook Air for most of my "work/entertainment from the couch" activities and there'll be some overlap between N3 and N10.1.

I'm not buying another phone until they either switch back to plastic screens, or develop one that doesn't break when you drop the thing. Cracking my Note 2 screen was devastating...

barondebxl said:
You wouldn't switch because of the display??? That's my main reason to switch. If you experience a 1080p display or should I say a 320+ Ppi display, you'll definitely notice the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. I've posted this before and you're probably tired of seeing it but it's true. Beyond a certain PPI the human eye can't resolve the additional detail. And where it can is limited to CGI and text not pictures and video which is explained in the article.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/10/1080p-on-a-smartphone-screencan-it-possibly-matter/
In every area outside resolution the HTC One's display is inferior to the One X's. People have become so hung up on PPI that they've stopped caring about the criteria that affects them most like consistency across displays, brightness, color temperature, contract, etc. I think the N3's display will be better than the N2's more because of improvements in AMOLED design and manufacturing than just PPI. The SGS4's display is significantly brighter than the N2's and the N3's will probably be more so because there's more battery to work with in terms of where Samsung can set max brightness.
Here's what AnandTech (who arean't big Samsung fans) said about the N2's display.
It’s tempting to look at the 1280x800 of the Note and the 1280x720 of the Note 2 and assume it’s lower resolution, when in fact the Note 2 has more subpixels (2.05 MP vs 2.76 MP) and in spite of the size increase stays around the magical 1 arcminute subtense (1.073 arcminutes on Note 2).​The reference to 1 arcminute is significant. Anything below 1 arcminute can't be processed by the human eye at 12-15" away. The One and SGS4 have an arcminute subtense of .66 which is just a waste. That is unless someone holds the phone 12" or less away from their face and happen to be looking at text or icons. I think the improvements people are seeing on newer displays has less to do with PPI in some cases (SGS3 vs. SGS4) and more to do with advances in technology that impact overall display performance.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6386/samsung-galaxy-note-2-review-t-mobile-/8

New Galaxy tab s better than note 10.1 2014?

i was wondering if we leave alone the s pen feature , whether the newly launched galaxy tab s be a better option than the note 10.1 2014. ? in terms of screen , battery , performance etc.

I always prefer SuperAMOLED screen. (oversaturate color)
I think next Note Pro series will use SuperAMOLED display soon.
(CPU /RAM / GPU / Battery may be not much different) :silly:

rkoforever90 said:
i was wondering if we leave alone the s pen feature
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People who "leave alone" S Pen probably shouldn't have bought a Note-series in the first place.
Whether the newly launched galaxy tab s be a better option than the note 10.1 2014?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a consumption device? Yes. Its display alone makes it a better consumption device. As a productivity device? Highly doubtful because of the many S Pen-related features unique to the Note-series. It comes with a pretty cool keyboard accessory which will be intriguing to people but also (as of now) only comes in a 16GB version which is a fail with 4.4's external SD card limitations (for the unrooted).
screen , battery, performance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Tab S' aren't using S-801 (like the SGS5 they're patterned after) so it's highly likely their using the same h/w all Samsung's tablets starting with the N10.1-14 are using which mean S-800/Exynos 5420 (with HMP disabled) .That means outside whatever the display impacts it'll perform exactly the same as our device and the Pro's. Energy usage wise, AMOLED does better on blacks and LCD does better on whites. Our battery is larger at 8,220mAh vs. the Tab S' at 7,900mAh. For people that watch a lot of video the Tab S should last longer than the N10.1-14 with the opposite occuring on web browsing.
As for dimensions the Tab S is thinner and lighter. It's also bigger but you get a 1/2 inch more display area in the process. It has a lower PPI but it may not be PenTile so we'll have to see after it's reviewed how, outside being AMOLED, it holds up in comparison. I have a N3 and am constantly bouncing back-and-forth between its AMOLED display and my N10.1-14's LCD display. I'm fine with either.
Is it worth moving from a N10.1-14 to a Tab S? I guess that's an individual determination. I'd never give up S Pen so I have no interest in it. The 16GB limitation is also a turn-off. I do like everything else about it but wouldn't pay the difference on what I'd be able to sell my N10.1-14 for against it's purchase price for the display and other new features. To each their own.

Best Buy claims to have an exclusive 32gb edition for pre-order...
Samsung - Galaxy Tab S 10.5 - 32GB
I love my Note tablet and rarely use the pen!
Spec wise its a top android tablet, that you can also write on
...Although I do want to check this new out.

rkoforever90 said:
i was wondering if we leave alone the s pen feature , whether the newly launched galaxy tab s be a better option than the note 10.1 2014. ? in terms of screen , battery , performance etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well leaving out the S-pen seems to make the question of "which is better" kind of an obvious answer. But regardless if you already own the N10.1 it's definitely not worth the upgrade. The specs are superior, but ever so slightly. And seriously what is with Samsung releasing a new line of tablets like every goddamn month? Weren't the Tab PROs supposed the be the flagship tablets of he first half of 2014? Now we have a summer line of flagships in the "S" line before we get the new Notes in the Fall? Not to mention the plethora of budget tablets they have too. This is starting to get ridiculous. Speaking of the Note though, that's the one you'll want to wait for if you're considering upgrading IMO. The next Note 4 phablet is rumored to have beastly specs (including the snapdragon 805) and since the Note version of the tablets are basically blown up versions of the phone, you can expect similar specs on those too.
If it's for a 2.7ghz SD805, 3-4gigs of RAM, a SuperAMOLED (possibly 4k?) display, and the small things like the charging port on the side, and the micro USB 3.0 port that our 2014 version is stupidly missing then it's worth the upgrade I guess.

Do we detect...
Sent via my Note 8

rkoforever90 said:
i was wondering if we leave alone the s pen feature , whether the newly launched galaxy tab s be a better option than the note 10.1 2014. ? in terms of screen , battery , performance etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S-pen is the reason we bought Notes. Otherwise the Tab Pro would have been the way to go, and the S is just a slicker version of that with a better screen.

BarryH_GEG said:
People who "leave alone" S Pen probably shouldn't have bought a Note-series in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welllll ... that, like so many other things, is answered by "it depends".
I bought the OG Note 10.1 (N8000) grey-market 'cause of the features: AT&T-capable 3G WAN, 4 Exynos cores, 2GB RAM, Micro-SD expansion and a bright, 10" screen; in my case to get those features (that nobody else had at the time on any tablet easy to get in the US) I also got this "S-Pen" thing- which I used once or twice when I bought to try out, and never used it again.
So now comes the 2014 version, with a faster Snapdragon CPU, 3GB RAM, LTE on nearly every US carrier's band, 32GB of internal storage and expandable storage- couple that with T-Mobile US giving it to me for $0 down and 0% financing and a discount on data, and it was again a great deal for me- except this time I don't think I've even pulled the S-Pen out once
But I do know people with OG Note 10.1s that use their S-Pens quite often, even as an extension of their touch finger.

kcrudup said:
Welllll ... that, like so many other things, is answered by "it depends".
I bought the OG Note 10.1 (N8000) grey-market 'cause of the features: AT&T-capable 3G WAN, 4 Exynos cores, 2GB RAM, Micro-SD expansion and a bright, 10" screen; in my case to get those features (that nobody else had at the time on any tablet easy to get in the US) I also got this "S-Pen" thing- which I used once or twice when I bought to try out, and never used it again.
So now comes the 2014 version, with a faster Snapdragon CPU, 3GB RAM, LTE on nearly every US carrier's band, 32GB of internal storage and expandable storage- couple that with T-Mobile US giving it to me for $0 down and 0% financing and a discount on data, and it was again a great deal for me- except this time I don't think I've even pulled the S-Pen out once
But I do know people with OG Note 10.1s that use their S-Pens quite often, even as an extension of their touch finger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are great niche examples where other features drove the decision. I'm getting a SM-P605M the next time I'm in Latin America to replace my 3G N10.1-14 so I can get LTE data and the phone features you gave up when you got a carrier N10.1-14. Just goes to show everyone has different needs and priorities.
The subject of this thread is about choosing between the Tab S and N10.1-14. For those without unique needs (like ours) and who have no need for S Pen it's pretty much a no brainer decision. It's only a matter of time before the U.S. carriers start selling the LTE version(s) so, without the dialer, folks wanting LTE without S Pen will have the same no brainer decision.

Once you start to use S-Pen and its very hard to change others devices without S-Pen. Even I rarely use S-Pen, but still I want a device with it and it can be very handy whenever I need it. :victory:

BarryH_GEG said:
... so I can get LTE data and the phone features you gave up when you got a carrier N10.1-14 .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can see where that could be a deal-breaker for some, but I ended up going from Straight Talk for my OG Note's service (which has talk and text) to an AT&T iPad data-only plan; while it was good to know that I had the ability to make calls, I just never used it (even when abroad- all my handsets are unlocked, and I'd just used those).
But I have hope that someone's going to find a way to allow the bootloader to modem down/side-grade the flash, then I'm all good, mostly so's I can say I have the feature, even if I don't use it

kcrudup said:
But I have hope that someone's going to find a way to allow the bootloader to modem down/side-grade the flash, then
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one could figure it out on previous gen 3/4G G-Tabs with unlocked bootloaders so it's a long shot.
I'm all good, mostly so's I can say I have the feature, even if I don't use it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a 3G N10.1-12 too and am kind of hooked. Not that most here will care but here's some benefits I've found...
Talk time is like a month. I use my N10.1-14 for all my multi-hour conference calls just for battery security and to keep my phone alive for other routine calls.
It's great being able to have the phone function and S Note on one device when you're in a call. You don't have to fumble around with different devices to mute or conference other's in. In Pen Window the dialer can be made a pinhead so it's always available quickly.
Action memo works the same way it does on my N3 and the extra screen area of the N10.1-14 makes it more useful.
MMS is great with a keyboard and mouse; especially when setting up and sending group messages.
This stuff doesn't work without MMS and the dialer...

Samsung Tab s5e

Wednesday I bought the S4 and keyboard.
Thursday it arrived, I was very surprised by it.
Friday, the next model s5e was announced, literally on every tech site.
Saturday I messaged Samsung via the members app as I was disappointed. Looks like the s5e has android pie already, but is missing the s pen. Apparently the processor isn't as good, but I think it will make little difference as the price is likely to be half of that which I paid for the s4. It will not have Dex mode, or spend. These are the only differences I can see. Ohh and the s5e offers fingerprint too.
I know Samsung.com offers 28 day returns which in likely to take them up on. Come the 20th Feb we will know more about the new devices which are coming. Yet the tablet, phones and wearables have all been leaked.
But if the foldable phone is actually announced, I may be better off. My S9+ is in the upgrade plan, so maybe I don't need the S4 at all!
As a consumer I'm torn, as a tablet user I'm impressed with the s4's battery life, but that could also be because of my tab S (original) not lasting as long as a day, yet this is pushing for 2days.
My question is, what would you do. What are your feelings on the s5e? Is it just a budget version of the S4? Or a very good deal at something like half the price

Price should be posted for consideration.
Tab s4 $650
Tab s5e $400
Thats a hard one to call, I mean its more than half extra for a better cpu and lack of stylus. Okay this might be a wild ride but lets do it. URL REDACTED seems to suggest that the 670 is about as powerful as an 820. The tab s4 has an 835. We can kinda get a feeling for what to expect, vaguely with this. URL 2 REDACTED
Tab s4
Multi: 6000~
Single: 1841~
Renderscript: 7780~
Tab s5
Multi: 3700~
Single: 1500~
Renderscript: 6800~
Obviously this is widely inaccurate as to how it will really perform, but it will be good to come back to this in 6 months or so to see the real results and how far they deviated. The major difference here seems to be the multi core processing speed. How much and how well the android ecosystem is multithreaded, that I don't know the answer to.
The tab s4 isn't a particularly strong CPU, so an even weaker one might be troublesome. For me I purchased the tab s4 so that I could watch an array of 4k remux videos on it, without stuttering and in HDR. I know the tab s4 tablet is capable of doing that. I don't know from these details whether the tab s5 could do that.
So it largely depends on your purpose for the device, if it is a general purpose device and you don't have one specific task / requirement for it then I would say go with the new tab s5e.
edit: seems im not allowed to post links because of low post count, gizmodochina and androidbenchmark were the sites you'll have to google them if you want the links.

I've been very happy with the S4, and don't view the S5e as a replacement. Overall it looks like they simply made a more affordable "essential" version for those who don't need the power of the S4, nor want to pay the price.
The S4 can be great for those who like the S-pen, or like Dex mode for a form of laptop replacement.
I think there's always a problem if you buy too close to a new model coming out. The S4 price is likely to come down as the S5e is announced and starts to be released. But then it can go back up as the S5e is released, S4 supply decreases, but some people still want the power of the S4. On the plus side, since the S4 has been out awhile, you're likely to get better deals on a case, screen protector, etc., and have better selection.
Personally, I don't push the S4 heavily, nor often use the S-pen or a keyboard, such as when I'd need a laptop. But I'm very glad it can do those things when I want it to. And the S4 Pie upgrade is supposed to be here by April.

What would you rather have, buyers remorse because you think you paid too much for the S4 or buyer's remorse because your less expensive Tab S5e is not performing as well as you'd like?
The former is in your head and the latter will be in your hands every day.
I think you're right about the S9+ though, you really don't need any other tablet unless like me, you're tired of looking at a tiny screen.

The used market is also something to consider. You can probably get a used tab s4 for the same price as a new tab s5e.

Do you need 3.5mm headphone jack in your tablet? Then get a Tab S4.
Do you already have some nice bluetooth headphones? Consider the Tab S5e.

I bought the s4 with keyboard Case for 600 over Christmas. Love it!
There will be a keyboard Case for s5 email but no spen and in end I paid 100 more for better spec device in power and battery and can use it to draw take notes etc.
Pie will be coming to s4 by April.
Sent from my SM-N950W using Tapatalk

Only good thing the Tab S5E has going for it is the Display as it's Amoled.. The Speakers as they are Dolby Atoms that’s it..
it's got no Dex no s-pen it’s an entry level tablet i would go for the Tab S4 plus if you hunt around you will be able to get it for around 400 no way I would pay that for the Tab S5e..

N1NJATH3ORY said:
Only good thing the Tab S5E has going for it is the Display as it's Amoled.. The Speakers as they are Dolby Atoms that’s it..
it's got no Dex no s-pen it’s an entry level tablet i would go for the Tab S4 plus if you hunt around you will be able to get it for around 400 no way I would pay that for the Tab S5e..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are wrong. Tab s5e supports Dex. It is not entry level, it is almost identical to s4 except without s pen. The processor is not as bad as you think.
So, it is worth it to buy this device as I did, because I managed to buy the tab with the keyboard cover, and it is still cheaper than s4.
S4 is only meant for people who really need s pen.
---------- Post added at 01:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:43 PM ----------
BarajaVLC said:
Do you need 3.5mm headphone jack in your tablet? Then get a Tab S4.
Do you already have some nice bluetooth headphones? Consider the Tab S5e.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It comes with a wired headset with dongle to connect to USB port

torickray said:
You are wrong. Tab s5e supports Dex. It is not entry level, it is almost identical to s4 except without s pen. The processor is not as bad as you think.
So, it is worth it to buy this device as I did, because I managed to buy the tab with the keyboard cover, and it is still cheaper than s4.
S4 is only meant for people who really need s pen.
---------- Post added at 01:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:43 PM ----------
It comes with a wired headset with dongle to connect to USB port
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well no s pen or not. S4 has bigger battery and the processer even though older is still more powerful. I personally think it's more solid too. The s5e will bend or warp easily

#Teampixel said:
Well no s pen or not. S4 has bigger battery and the processer even though older is still more powerful. I personally think it's more solid too. The s5e will bend or warp easily
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It is only 260mAh different. But the weight is much lesser ( 400g vs 483g). Has android 9 on board.
I used tab 10.1 2014 before. I don't use s pen that offen. I'm not an artist. For people who just need a tab, s5e is a good option.
The processor is not that much different in performance, especially for daily reading, internet browsing. I'm not sure about gaming as that is not the reason I bought this tablet.
Saving RM1000 or USD250 is a lot. I bought the keyboard cover as well with came with DeX mode.
It is worth to buy this for the price. To buy a slightly better device with extra USD250 is too much for me.
It is really light, not easily bend as you said, but why would you bend it for?

torickray said:
It is only 260mAh different. But the weight is much lesser ( 400g vs 483g). Has android 9 on board.
I used tab 10.1 2014 before. I don't use s pen that offen. I'm not an artist. For people who just need a tab, s5e is a good option.
The processor is not that much different in performance, especially for daily reading, internet browsing. I'm not sure about gaming as that is not the reason I bought this tablet.
Saving RM1000 or USD250 is a lot. I bought the keyboard cover as well with came with DeX mode.
It is worth to buy this for the price. To buy a slightly better device with extra USD250 is too much for me.
It is really light, not easily bend as you said, but why would you bend it for?
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Click to collapse
Yeah the tab s5e is a good option no doubt. I personally don't the tab S4 a bit smoother .
In the UK you can pick up a tab S4 easily for £400.
Both are good tabs just saying overall the tab S4 is better .
I don't mean physically bend. Metal can warp overtime or bend if left in the wrong place.

#Teampixel said:
I don't mean physically bend. Metal can warp overtime or bend if left in the wrong place.
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Click to collapse
Like a back pocket for example ??

Too51oll said:
Like a back pocket for example ??
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Haha. Like the iPad pro or air 2. And the previous tab S2. There too thin for there own good, they can easily warp
Seen it many times and experienced it.

I was in this exact scenario. Bought s4 and then a week later, the tab s5e was announced. I was just as torn and decided to preorder the tab s5e (6gb model) just to see how it compared. Once I had it in hand, I was sold. The form factor is amazing for watching movies, reading, or browsing. I know some say that they are worried it will bend, and if you are going to be applying pressure on the tablet in that sort of way, then do not get this tablet - I cannot speak for metal warping however. For normal usage, this is a great tablet. I compared it between the s4 and here were my ultimate conclusions:
- The weight and size difference looks small on paper, but damn, this is a nice tablet to hold and the s4 feels like a tank in comparison.
- The S5e (and the s4) both ran very well in everyday tasks - did not experience any noticeable performance issues. The tab s4 did launch apps slightly faster, but nothing that would make you think the s5e was slow or laggy. Without a direct comparison, this would likely not even be noticeable.
- Screen quality was the exact same.
- The speakers on the s5e were surprisingly better, much louder and clearer. Nothing wrong with the s4 speakers, but these were better
- Call and message continuity is such a nice feature for those who don't want to have to carry their samsung phones with them when using the tablet around the house - I was very annoyed that this did not come to the s4 with the android pie update.
- The s5e can handle light gaming great - I do not play intensive games, but I am sure it would have issues with those due to less powerful hardware.
- Personally, I like the s5e's fingerprint scanner much more than the iris scanning on the s4 - but this is a matter of preference.
- So far, battery life seemed to be slightly better on the s4, but the s5e still does a great job lasting through the day.
Those who need an s pen, headphone jack, vibration, camera flash, or heavy gaming usage should not get the s5e and instead look at the s4. I also tried to replicate the wifi antenna issue on the s5e and was unable to see any signal drop - although this might just be an issue with particular models/hardware batches (I have the US wifi model).
At the end of the day, no one can tell you what is the right device for YOU. You need to decide what is important to you in a device and pick the one that best fits your needs. If you decide to go with the bigger, more powerful tab s4, it will perform great. If you are willing to trade off some power and hardware features for increased mobility, the tab s5e is still a great tablet. I was initially intimidated by the benchmarks and people saying that the tab s4 was better... but in the end, I am extremely happy with the tab s5e and will be selling my tab s4.

Hi guys,
currently hesitating between s4 and s5e, what most preoccupy me is video decoding capabilities regarding hevc (aka h265) 10bits videos.
From spec it's clear s4 can hardware decode 10bit hevc, I have a phone with same snapdragon 835 chipset and such videos are indeed smooth to play on it.
For s5e I'm not sure as chipset spec seem to imply 10bits videos are not hardware decoded and I haven't been able to test it in any outlet yet.
Has anyone here with a s5e already tried to play hevc 10-bits videos like some found on http://jell.yfish.us/ for example?
For those who know mxplayer, are 10bit hevc videos read using HW+ mode or HW or SW?
do "codec infos" apps show Main10 support for hevc?

It must be remembered that Tab s5e has EMMC memories, which over time tend to slow down the device quite a lot while Tab S4 has UFS 2.1 memories, much more performance.

Tried "jellyfish-40-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit", it will play it if copied locally in MX Player Pro, I cannot get it to stream as it is challenging for my Wifi. It uses HW+ decoder when playing and plays smoothly. MX Player does not seem to handle HDR yet though.
truc113 said:
Hi guys,
currently hesitating between s4 and s5e, what most preoccupy me is video decoding capabilities regarding hevc (aka h265) 10bits videos.
From spec it's clear s4 can hardware decode 10bit hevc, I have a phone with same snapdragon 835 chipset and such videos are indeed smooth to play on it.
For s5e I'm not sure as chipset spec seem to imply 10bits videos are not hardware decoded and I haven't been able to test it in any outlet yet.
Has anyone here with a s5e already tried to play hevc 10-bits videos like some found on http://jell.yfish.us/ for example?
For those who know mxplayer, are 10bit hevc videos read using HW+ mode or HW or SW?
do "codec infos" apps show Main10 support for hevc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

nsx2brz said:
Tried "jellyfish-40-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit", it will play it if copied locally in MX Player Pro, I cannot get it to stream as it is challenging for my Wifi. It uses HW+ decoder when playing and plays smoothly. MX Player does not seem to handle HDR yet though.
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Click to collapse
well that's great news! :good:
not surprised about HDR, even devices supposed to support it lack support from content provider (netflix, amazon, etc) anyway

jrac86 said:
I was in this exact scenario. Bought s4 and then a week later, the tab s5e was announced. I was just as torn and decided to preorder the tab s5e (6gb model) just to see how it compared. Once I had it in hand, I was sold. The form factor is amazing for watching movies, reading, or browsing. I know some say that they are worried it will bend, and if you are going to be applying pressure on the tablet in that sort of way, then do not get this tablet - I cannot speak for metal warping however. For normal usage, this is a great tablet. I compared it between the s4 and here were my ultimate conclusions:
- The weight and size difference looks small on paper, but damn, this is a nice tablet to hold and the s4 feels like a tank in comparison.
- The S5e (and the s4) both ran very well in everyday tasks - did not experience any noticeable performance issues. The tab s4 did launch apps slightly faster, but nothing that would make you think the s5e was slow or laggy. Without a direct comparison, this would likely not even be noticeable.
- Screen quality was the exact same.
- The speakers on the s5e were surprisingly better, much louder and clearer. Nothing wrong with the s4 speakers, but these were better
- Call and message continuity is such a nice feature for those who don't want to have to carry their samsung phones with them when using the tablet around the house - I was very annoyed that this did not come to the s4 with the android pie update.
- The s5e can handle light gaming great - I do not play intensive games, but I am sure it would have issues with those due to less powerful hardware.
- Personally, I like the s5e's fingerprint scanner much more than the iris scanning on the s4 - but this is a matter of preference.
- So far, battery life seemed to be slightly better on the s4, but the s5e still does a great job lasting through the day.
Those who need an s pen, headphone jack, vibration, camera flash, or heavy gaming usage should not get the s5e and instead look at the s4. I also tried to replicate the wifi antenna issue on the s5e and was unable to see any signal drop - although this might just be an issue with particular models/hardware batches (I have the US wifi model).
At the end of the day, no one can tell you what is the right device for YOU. You need to decide what is important to you in a device and pick the one that best fits your needs. If you decide to go with the bigger, more powerful tab s4, it will perform great. If you are willing to trade off some power and hardware features for increased mobility, the tab s5e is still a great tablet. I was initially intimidated by the benchmarks and people saying that the tab s4 was better... but in the end, I am extremely happy with the tab s5e and will be selling my tab s4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does the screen brightness of the 2 tablets compare as according to online specs I've seen, the S4 has 463 nits and the S5e 600 so in theory the S5e screen should be slightly brighter.