Related
What do you guys think? Software, hardware, android updates, rooting, features and why do you think one is better than the other? Cheers
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
Lots of discussion here about that:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/help/nexus-6p-vs-note-5-t3212443
I like the size of the note better (I couldn't care less about front speakers). The note barely fits in the place I put my phone in my car, I don't think the 6P would.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Thats from a nexus forum perspective. I wanna hear from the note side of things.
I'm trying to convince myself to get the 6P but can't find a good enough reason to make the switch just yet.
Development community and updates don't mean as much to me anymore as they used to. I no longer flash roms or have the desire to (but I will root). Updates don't matter as much to me either because I always get the latest phones anyways and don't last long enough with phones to worry about updates.
With that said if the 6P was the size of the G4 and definitely not bigger than the Note 5 and had a IR blaster, I've might have been all over it.
Other things I'll be looking for is the 6p screen actually the same quality as the Note 5 screen? How about outdoor visibility, is it as amazing as the Note 5 is?
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Hey buddy, nice to see you here. I'm keeping my Note 5. The Note 5 is the absolute perfect size for a 5.7" screen device. 6P is too big to me and I don't care about front facing speakers.
But my main reason is I hate stock android. Looks like crap and is boring. I know roms and themes can help that but I'm completely over rooting. It just doesn't add the benefits that it used to and I'm tired of doing it.
So with all that being said, I feel that I have the better device. And I like using the S-Pen.
Right now there are no benefits to get that phone. The strongest argument nexus people make is that they have great developing community, however it takes around 3 months for developers to get their units and to add features. By that time sd820 will be out. On top of that, nexus developers won't be able to bring any cooler features that the note 5 already has. I love the scroll to capture feature on the note 5 for example. Stock android is pretty boring as well, and like previous dude said, I am bored of flashing and running custom roms every week, new bugs and stuff like that. As far as it regards the hardware, I believe the note 5 kills the new nexus.
Same here. Man tapatalk quotes have not been working today. I love my Note 5 and i keep trying to get an excuse to try the 6p but i would be giving up too much by getting rid of my lovely note.
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
@WizeGuyDezignz Hey man! (WizeGuyDezignz)Glad to see you again! Yeah man stock android is quite boring. Even if i were to get the 6p i wouldnt keep it a month if that. The S pen is really fantastic. Once you start using the features of the note its hard to get something else.
Its for you WizeGuyDezignz, even mentions are not working for me besides the quotes for some odd reason.
Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
By the way, I forgot the mention the camera interface. Google camera might be good but that camera interface is so outdated. Yes I can always install a third party application, but man the whole camera experience on the Samsung is a total different Galaxy!
Even though I have the option to return the N5 once there 6p is out, I think I might keep the N5. Haven't owned a nexus device before, just ended up flashing an AOSP based ROM on the Samsung device I owned.
Just might wait it out until someone releases one for the N5.
Only thing nexus is better its updates and roms support
If you want stock, front facing speakers, and ROMs get 6p.
if you like a faster cpu/gpu, a pen, Samsung Pay, better camera (in most ways), and TouchWiz enhancements get note 5.
I also like the size of the note 5 more. 6p is too tall for me.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
This is why I got my Note 5 over a Nexus 6P
**Hardware**
The Note 5 will undoubtedly have superior hardware.
The 14nm Exynos 7420 is miles ahead of the SD810 both in terms of speed and efficiency. Early benchmarks of the SD820 which is also 14nm are actually comparable to the 7420 which is a huge kudos to Samsung for having this chip out there 12 months before Qualcomm in the chipmaking world which runs on 6/12mth cycles. The SD810 in the 6P (even v 2.1) is going to get hot and then throttled as the system underclocks it to compensate. Its just a matter of when, which depends on Huawei's cooling. The SD808 even shares the same problem to a lesser extent.
TLDR: Exynos 7420 chip is miles ahead of the SD810 and has a degree of future proofing.
-NAND storage UFS 2.0 in the Note 5 vs. eMMC in the 6P. Yes its proprietary, but UFS gives much higher read/write speeds.
-4GB RAM vs 3GB. More is better. The aggressive app closing that people have complained about in Galaxy's can be fixed to maximise the use of this for multi tasking.
-Best in class camera – the 6P sounds like it's going to have the best camera ever in a Nexus, but it's still below the S6 edge according to DxoMark, which is going to be below again the yet to be reviewed Note 5. OIS with manual settings is something else altogether if you know what you're doing. Eg http://i.imgur.com/LLp4WQS.jpg – I took this beauty with a super slow shutter speed whilst resting the phone on someone's head lol.
-Best in class screen – there is no way the 6P is going to get the Note 5's screen which has been rated best in class by displaymate and anandtech. Best case scenario is maybe the Note 4's screen which is better than the Nexus 6, but still 40% less efficient compared to the current gen Note 5 (http://www.displaymate.com/Galaxy_Note5_ShootOut_1.htm)
Build – I'm not a huge fan of the slippery glass back on the Note, but kudos for the screen to body ratio and tapered edges to help with one handed use, while maintaining the same screen size as the note 4. I use cases for all my phones, so in a way build materials don't really matter. The aluminum build on the 6P also looks nice, but the bezels top and bottom bezels are huge (for the front facing speakers?) and is reflected in the relatively poor screen to body ratio (71.4% vs. 75.9%)
True compared to the Note 4, the omission of the mSD card, IR blaster and replaceable battery are disappointing. There are ways around lack of mSD (see below) and sadly it's a trend that a lot of other smartphone makers are adopting as well. The battery although smaller actually provides more juice compared to the Note 4 thanks to processor and screen improvements in efficiency. If you decided to keep the device for 3+ years, the sealed battery is actually replaceable – not super easy to do, but there are guides online. It's not as if the Nexus 6P has any of these features either.
The Note 5 also has wireless fast charging for a sacrifice of 0.3mm of thickness, which was the main reason Nexus 6P engineers have given for its omission.
**Software**
I'm the first to admit that I'm a huge pure android and nexus nut, but Marshmallow may be the first new version of android that I really can't get excited about. The touted features in Marshmallow are not ground breaking and represent disappointing incremental features which already exist in Lollipop with xposed and even 3rd party apps. True it's giving people who don't root their phones access to them for the first time, but for the power user there really isn't much there. See: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/10/android-6-0-marshmallow-thoroughly-reviewed/
TLDR:
Doze – can still be bypassed by developers of apps. Only affects standby time so will make no difference to the biggest drain which is screen, app usage and cellular reception quality. Can do similar already with greenify, amplified and other similar apps.
On tap – very hit and miss. More miss than hit
Permissions – nice and about time I guess, but already doable with 3rd party apps (AppOps) / a firewall
Google launcher changes – had these for months already with nova launcher
In context voice commands – nice if you use voice commands often. I don't know many people who do.
Xposed won't work for a while and there will undoubtedly be new bugs as always until 6.1.
All up, the maturity of android is making the latest and greatest pure android updates less mandatory.
My last experience with Touchwiz back with the Note 2 were pretty negative. However, with a dark material theme from the theme store, nova launcher and xposed, the gaudy bits of touchwiz are no longer as bad as they once were. Samsung have really pulled it back and you can do the rest with a simple debloating app or a modded stock ROM. With the [dark material theme](http://www.xda-developers.com/material-and-material-dark-hit-samsungs-theme-store/), it really isn't too disimilar to stock android.
I'm not a huge stylus person, but some of the TW features like signing PDFs and better hand writing recognition seem genuinely useful. Multi window which was touted in the developer preview of Marshmallow but disabled at launch has been around in TouchWiz for years.
The cons of the Note 5 would be that updates are 4-6 months late and there will be no AOSP custom ROM support given it runs on exynos. This means updates for only 2 years at most. However, the maturity of android as an OS has meant that there are less "essential" features to upgrade to or problems for custom ROMs to fix. Xposed framework is a miracle in allowing a degree customisation that only customs ROMs used to be able to offer.
Samsung is also committed to monthly security updates for android, which is huge as you're no longer reliant on a nexus for this. http://www.androidcentral.com/samsu...urity-updates-every-month-its-android-devices
**Price**
Local RRP for the 6P is $899 which call it what you want (gouging, Australia tax, market factors) is a huge increase in the $499 US that US customers pay.
Unfortunately I think it will be harder to source cheap grey Nexus 6P stock this time around, as all countries except for North America (with the US Bands version) got done over by the [international pricing model](http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/09/30/prices-nexus-5x-nexus-6p-across-globe/). Hong Kong/Asia where a lot of grey stuff comes from is not significantly cheaper than Australia (+27% vs +21%) and that's without a GST. You can probably get one for $840 delivered from Clove/Handtec at launch, but at these similar prices I'd personally pay an extra $50 for excellent 2 year playstore warranty. Historically, Nexus devices have had stock supply issues initially and thus haven't always had cheap grey stock prices for 3+ months after launch.
Either way, it's going to be more expensive than the Note 5 in the foreseeable future.
Samsung has pretty good price retention as well. Brand new Note 4s still retail for $650-$700. Resale value used is ~$500-550 on ebay compared to the Nexus 6 which is $400-450. When I got my [Nexus 6 in December](https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/174328), I remember it actually cost more than the Note 4 (paid $765 via Amazon France, Note 4 was ~$720 on a ebay sale).
TLDR
The Note 5 has undoubtedly miles better hardware and will be cheaper than the Nexus 6P at launch. The benefits of pure android and the latest android updates are no longer as important as they once were given the maturity of android as an OS as evidenced by only minor incremental updates in Marshmallow. Advancements in TouchWiz and xposed framework have made non pure android much more tolerable than it once was.
The only other major con I see with the Note 5 is the absence of a 64GB version in Australia, and if it does come it'll be ridiculously expensive (+$300 over the 32GB currently from grey imports and no stock as well). There are ways around this with cloud storage. I uploaded my 20GB music collection to Google music and can stream it free. I run a networked storage drive at home for media streaming. You can also get USB OTG dongles for your mSD card which work well when you want to carry extra media locally.
@PearsonDKA Why not return your $800 device and get a $500 device if you want to run aosp? Quote isn't working... That is for PearsonDKA.
WizeGuyDezignz said:
@PearsonDKA Why not return your $800 device and get a $500 device if you want to run aosp? Quote isn't working... That is for PearsonDKA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I like having the options to go back and forth between TW and AOSP in case I get bored with one of em or something. I'm actually still on the fence about returning it as well, just gonna see how the N5 handles for the next week.
Here is the thing though, in my honest opinion the Note is just a better device overall and im not just talking about specs.
I understand that people love stock android cause you get the updates quickly and a nexus is a dream for people who love to root and all that. This is xda developers and the chances are that people here (all over xda) will mostly be in favor of the nexus because you can root, rom it, have aosp, flash kernels and all that good stuff and this is the site where it all goes down. Thats all beautiful and they are perfectly right.
But when it comes to having a phone that have features and that truly utilizes that big ass display, really nothing out there competes with the note 5. Its a productivity user's dream. It offers an excellent camera (arguably the best), its absolutely future proof with the 4GB of ram and the powerful SoC, it has arguably the best display on a smartphone, it has the S pen which no one can match on the market at the moment.
People who own the note should use these features, use multiwindow and screen capture and all that, you will see that you wont be able to use another device because you have a mini computer in your pocket that performs wonderfully and do things that other devices cant . As a smartphone, what can beat the note 5 when all is considered? Not a thing.
As a developer's phone, as someone who likes to root and tinker with their device to their liking, nothing can beat a nexus especially the 6p with its amazing specs. Honestly the choice is pretty clear: if you wanna root, rom, flash aosp and CM and all that, you MUST go with a nexus. If you want a phone full of features with the best camera on the market and is a productivity champ you have to go with the note. Forget things like battery life and performance and all that cause both devices are champs. I am using a non carrier note 5 which is expected to have android 6.0 by year's end or early next year, im not sweating it cause the phone works extremely well for me. If i get a nexus 6p now, its only because of the hype but i know what type of user i am and the note 5 works best for me. I skipped the nexus 6 this past year, used many devices and im still alive despite not having used a stock android phone
....just saying
One last thing lol, before the note 5 i had the Iphone 6s and i loved it. But then i wanted a bigger display and i was on the fence between the 6s plus and the note. When i returned my 6s at the apple store to grab the 6s plus, thats when i knew i had to get the note 5 cause i saw how much the 6s plus was just a big phone that does not take advantage of the big display, same with the 6p.
Check out this video guys, trust me its worth it.
https://youtu.be/EYRIX9YP3Lk
Ill keep it simple.
Note 5 has:
Multi Window
Pen
Brighter screen in daylight
Better camera
Wireless charging
Tiny bit better dimensions
More attractive/professional build quality
Samsung pay
Better cpu/gpu
More ram
Nexus has
Dual forward speakers
Type c port
Bigger battery
Rootable without voiding warranty
Instant updates
Note 5 wins.
liqn7 said:
This is why I got my Note 5 over a Nexus 6P
**Hardware**
The Note 5 will undoubtedly have superior hardware.
The 14nm Exynos 7420 is miles ahead of the SD810 both in terms of speed and efficiency. Early benchmarks of the SD820 which is also 14nm are actually comparable to the 7420 which is a huge kudos to Samsung for having this chip out there 12 months before Qualcomm in the chipmaking world which runs on 6/12mth cycles. The SD810 in the 6P (even v 2.1) is going to get hot and then throttled as the system underclocks it to compensate. Its just a matter of when, which depends on Huawei's cooling. The SD808 even shares the same problem to a lesser extent.
TLDR: Exynos 7420 chip is miles ahead of the SD810 and has a degree of future proofing.
-NAND storage UFS 2.0 in the Note 5 vs. eMMC in the 6P. Yes its proprietary, but UFS gives much higher read/write speeds.
-4GB RAM vs 3GB. More is better. The aggressive app closing that people have complained about in Galaxy's can be fixed to maximise the use of this for multi tasking.
-Best in class camera – the 6P sounds like it's going to have the best camera ever in a Nexus, but it's still below the S6 edge according to DxoMark, which is going to be below again the yet to be reviewed Note 5. OIS with manual settings is something else altogether if you know what you're doing. Eg http://i.imgur.com/LLp4WQS.jpg – I took this beauty with a super slow shutter speed whilst resting the phone on someone's head lol.
-Best in class screen – there is no way the 6P is going to get the Note 5's screen which has been rated best in class by displaymate and anandtech. Best case scenario is maybe the Note 4's screen which is better than the Nexus 6, but still 40% less efficient compared to the current gen Note 5 (http://www.displaymate.com/Galaxy_Note5_ShootOut_1.htm)
Build – I'm not a huge fan of the slippery glass back on the Note, but kudos for the screen to body ratio and tapered edges to help with one handed use, while maintaining the same screen size as the note 4. I use cases for all my phones, so in a way build materials don't really matter. The aluminum build on the 6P also looks nice, but the bezels top and bottom bezels are huge (for the front facing speakers?) and is reflected in the relatively poor screen to body ratio (71.4% vs. 75.9%)
True compared to the Note 4, the omission of the mSD card, IR blaster and replaceable battery are disappointing. There are ways around lack of mSD (see below) and sadly it's a trend that a lot of other smartphone makers are adopting as well. The battery although smaller actually provides more juice compared to the Note 4 thanks to processor and screen improvements in efficiency. If you decided to keep the device for 3+ years, the sealed battery is actually replaceable – not super easy to do, but there are guides online. It's not as if the Nexus 6P has any of these features either.
The Note 5 also has wireless fast charging for a sacrifice of 0.3mm of thickness, which was the main reason Nexus 6P engineers have given for its omission.
**Software**
I'm the first to admit that I'm a huge pure android and nexus nut, but Marshmallow may be the first new version of android that I really can't get excited about. The touted features in Marshmallow are not ground breaking and represent disappointing incremental features which already exist in Lollipop with xposed and even 3rd party apps. True it's giving people who don't root their phones access to them for the first time, but for the power user there really isn't much there. See: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/10/android-6-0-marshmallow-thoroughly-reviewed/
TLDR:
Doze – can still be bypassed by developers of apps. Only affects standby time so will make no difference to the biggest drain which is screen, app usage and cellular reception quality. Can do similar already with greenify, amplified and other similar apps.
On tap – very hit and miss. More miss than hit
Permissions – nice and about time I guess, but already doable with 3rd party apps (AppOps) / a firewall
Google launcher changes – had these for months already with nova launcher
In context voice commands – nice if you use voice commands often. I don't know many people who do.
Xposed won't work for a while and there will undoubtedly be new bugs as always until 6.1.
All up, the maturity of android is making the latest and greatest pure android updates less mandatory.
My last experience with Touchwiz back with the Note 2 were pretty negative. However, with a dark material theme from the theme store, nova launcher and xposed, the gaudy bits of touchwiz are no longer as bad as they once were. Samsung have really pulled it back and you can do the rest with a simple debloating app or a modded stock ROM. With the [dark material theme](http://www.xda-developers.com/material-and-material-dark-hit-samsungs-theme-store/), it really isn't too disimilar to stock android.
I'm not a huge stylus person, but some of the TW features like signing PDFs and better hand writing recognition seem genuinely useful. Multi window which was touted in the developer preview of Marshmallow but disabled at launch has been around in TouchWiz for years.
The cons of the Note 5 would be that updates are 4-6 months late and there will be no AOSP custom ROM support given it runs on exynos. This means updates for only 2 years at most. However, the maturity of android as an OS has meant that there are less "essential" features to upgrade to or problems for custom ROMs to fix. Xposed framework is a miracle in allowing a degree customisation that only customs ROMs used to be able to offer.
Samsung is also committed to monthly security updates for android, which is huge as you're no longer reliant on a nexus for this. http://www.androidcentral.com/samsu...urity-updates-every-month-its-android-devices
**Price**
Local RRP for the 6P is $899 which call it what you want (gouging, Australia tax, market factors) is a huge increase in the $499 US that US customers pay.
Unfortunately I think it will be harder to source cheap grey Nexus 6P stock this time around, as all countries except for North America (with the US Bands version) got done over by the [international pricing model](http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/09/30/prices-nexus-5x-nexus-6p-across-globe/). Hong Kong/Asia where a lot of grey stuff comes from is not significantly cheaper than Australia (+27% vs +21%) and that's without a GST. You can probably get one for $840 delivered from Clove/Handtec at launch, but at these similar prices I'd personally pay an extra $50 for excellent 2 year playstore warranty. Historically, Nexus devices have had stock supply issues initially and thus haven't always had cheap grey stock prices for 3+ months after launch.
Either way, it's going to be more expensive than the Note 5 in the foreseeable future.
Samsung has pretty good price retention as well. Brand new Note 4s still retail for $650-$700. Resale value used is ~$500-550 on ebay compared to the Nexus 6 which is $400-450. When I got my [Nexus 6 in December](https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/174328), I remember it actually cost more than the Note 4 (paid $765 via Amazon France, Note 4 was ~$720 on a ebay sale).
TLDR
The Note 5 has undoubtedly miles better hardware and will be cheaper than the Nexus 6P at launch. The benefits of pure android and the latest android updates are no longer as important as they once were given the maturity of android as an OS as evidenced by only minor incremental updates in Marshmallow. Advancements in TouchWiz and xposed framework have made non pure android much more tolerable than it once was.
The only other major con I see with the Note 5 is the absence of a 64GB version in Australia, and if it does come it'll be ridiculously expensive (+$300 over the 32GB currently from grey imports and no stock as well). There are ways around this with cloud storage. I uploaded my 20GB music collection to Google music and can stream it free. I run a networked storage drive at home for media streaming. You can also get USB OTG dongles for your mSD card which work well when you want to carry extra media locally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL at 'miles better harder'?... You are exaggerating quite a bit. BTW, it has been confired that the 6P uses the latest Samsung panel.
"Miles better hardware' yet multitasking, scrolling and animations are faster and smoother on the 6P. Advanced Kryptonian technology won't make Touchwiz smooth. You care too much about spec sheets dude. Real life performance is much more important.
---------- Post added at 06:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:02 AM ----------
seh6183 said:
Ill keep it simple.
Note 5 has:
Multi Window
Pen
Brighter screen in daylight
Better camera
Wireless charging
Tiny bit better dimensions
More attractive/professional build quality
Samsung pay
Better cpu/gpu
More ram
Nexus has
Dual forward speakers
Type c port
Bigger battery
Rootable without voiding warranty
Instant updates
Note 5 wins.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You forgot more efficient and smoother software under Nexus.
---------- Post added at 06:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:03 AM ----------
Reviews are in for the 6P and almost all of them are stating it's the best Android smartphone period including the Note 5. It just goes to show you that the sum of it's parts and amazing optimized software trump spec sheets. Pre-ordered 5 days ago. Going to sell the Note 5 as soon as it arrives. Can't wait to leave touchwiz!
Cool have fun with no s pen, no multi window, no one handed mode, no quick reply, a worse camera, bland speakers, and no wireless charging. Oh and a garbage processor with a full gig less ram. Bye.
Ok, we all know that the Note 7 is coming out in a few days but does anyone actually have any desire to upgrade? I've owned my note 4 for over a year and a half and gone through several ROMs and now I've settled with tx's stock LP OK1 ROM. After debloating and applying some minor tweaks my phone is running great. Everything works. The IR blaster is an awesome tool. I use it to to control my TV's, fios boxes, AC's, etc. The FM radio is great and can use it to listen to my radio stations. I love having the removable battery and when my battery starts loosing juice I'll buy a new one. My phone is fast and does just about anything I need it to. My phone is always in a case with a screen protector, so there are no scratches on it and the screen is perfect.
Now that it's just about 2 years old does anyone have any real desire to upgrade, if your phone is working properly? To me it seems like the missing features such as the IR Blaster, FM radio and removable battery in the Note 7 are a deal breaker. I'm sure it will be a handsome and lightening fast phone. Yeah it will beat out my note 4 on every benchmark but is it worth the $700+ upgrade? I just don't see any reason to upgrade.
Please share your thoughts.
deeken said:
Ok, we all know that the Note 7 is coming out in a few days but does anyone actually have any desire to upgrade? I've owned my note 4 for over a year and a half and gone through several ROMs and now I've settled with tx's stock LP OK1 ROM. After debloating and applying some minor tweaks my phone is running great. Everything works. The IR blaster is an awesome tool. I use it to to control my TV's, fios boxes, AC's, etc. The FM radio is great and can use it to listen to my radio stations. I love having the removable battery and when my battery starts loosing juice I'll buy a new one. My phone is fast and does just about anything I need it to. My phone is always in a case with a screen protector, so there are no scratches on it and the screen is perfect.
Now that it's just about 2 years old does anyone have any real desire to upgrade, if your phone is working properly? To me it seems like the missing features such as the IR Blaster, FM radio and removable battery in the Note 7 are a deal breaker. I'm sure it will be a handsome and lightening fast phone. Yeah it will beat out my note 4 on every benchmark but is it worth the $700+ upgrade? I just don't see any reason to upgrade.
Please share your thoughts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not worth the upgrade in my opinion. Galaxy note 4 + 10000mAH battery is life
I got an AT&T Note 4, but due to locked bootloader, I sold it without even using it. Upgraded to LG G4, sold it due to bugs. Nexus 6P is nice, but I always found myself missing my Note 3 and the S-Pen, backup batteries, and SD cards.
So I sold the Nexus 6P and now I bought myself a Note 4 with unlocked bootloader and I'm all set for the long term with my Note 4. When I researched Note 5 and 7, I totally lost interest at the non-removable battery part. They should have renamed the Note series to Samsung Galaxy GNote 5 and GNote 7 (Gimped Note).
Is the Note 4 the last great phone? For me, yes.
Hard to justify going to a Note 7. It's just not that impressive. Only thing I wish would be better on the note 4 is the camera. The S7 camera is pretty impressive and fast.
I can let most things slide, or grow to love other features, it's just hard without the IR blaster... Not sure why Samsung thought it was a great idea to remove it from their phones. I mean it's not like they make home theater equipment.... So, yeah, it sucks as we evolve in some places we simultaneously devolve in others.
Looks like I'm not alone in my thoughts. Hopefully more of us are sticking with our Note 4's. I just hope the ROM community for it stays strong. From what I've heard its gonna be locked bootloaders from now on.
deeken said:
Looks like I'm not alone in my thoughts. Hopefully more of us are sticking with our Note 4's. I just hope the ROM community for it stays strong. From what I've heard its gonna be locked bootloaders from now on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note 7 does sound very appealing, it has specs you can't ignore, it's defiantly better than the Note 5(which was a step backwards in my eyes, not even an sd card).
But i would never spend 700 on it to upgrade from a note 4. Maybe if I had a crappy phone, I would. Especially if they keep locked bootloader. These companies need to quit with this locked bootloader s#*t.
The note 4 is one of the best phones ever. It can still stand up to most new phones out there. Unlocked, replacable battery, sd card, ir port. Lots of development for it, need i say more.
With that being said, I'll be keeping my note 4 for a long while.
aaron74 said:
The Note 7 does sound very appealing, it has specs you can't ignore, it's defiantly better than the Note 5(which was a step backwards in my eyes, not even an sd card).
But i would never spend 700 on it to upgrade from a note 4. Maybe if I had a crappy phone, I would. Especially if they keep locked bootloader. These companies need to quit with this locked bootloader s#*t.
The note 4 is one of the best phones ever. It can still stand up to most new phones out there. Unlocked, replacable battery, sd card, ir port. Lots of development for it, need i say more.
With that being said, I'll be keeping my note 4 for a long while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup I agree. Once I heard the specs about the note 5 I completely lost interest. The note 7 does have some nice specs and the added SD Card support is great but still, too many essentials are missing. And most importantly the locked bootloader. No chance I'm going to buy a phone that is locked down. Hopefully nothing happens to my note 4 for the next few years.
deeken said:
The FM radio is great and can use it to listen to my radio stations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait, what? How are you doing this?
AWildColin said:
Wait, what? How are you doing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The NextRadio app lets you do this. Sprint has unlocked the FM Radio in their phones for quite some time now.
I got my Note 4 last July. By that time, it had already been out for a while, but I had an early upgrade opportunity and made the jump from the Galaxy S5 I had gotten just 11 months earlier.
At the time, I was looking at either the Nexus 6 or the Note 4. Ultimately, the Note 4 won because of a removable battery and the option to add a micro SD card for extra storage. The phone still works great, and while I'm still about a year out from my upgrade point, I'm hoping there will be better options by that time.
iTzFeRReTTi said:
Not worth the upgrade in my opinion. Galaxy note 4 + 10000mAH battery is life
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed
[/COLOR]Locked bootloader? No thank you.
Only way to fully protect yourself from malvertising 0 day exploits is full phone adblock and AdAway needs root.
My Note 4 has been great, with Anker battery and wireless chargers everywhere never running out of juice.
The Note 7 is pretty disappointing to say the least. Really not much different than an S7 Edge. Sammy really dropped the ball on that one.
Keeping mine too. I'm done with Samsung. Time to move on to someone else
The main appeal to me is the water resistance but not knowing if the battery will die fairly rapidly like the note 4 battery pretty much counters that with it being not removable. Ill probably wait and see if the next nexus iteration has water resistance.
beezar said:
The Note 7 is pretty disappointing to say the least. Really not much different than an S7 Edge. Sammy really dropped the ball on that one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 7 was meant to be disappointing. You gotta remember, the note series is intended for business users who have a need for a stylus. It was never going to have 6GB of RAM or the newest snapdragon. If we all expected that then we don't know why the S7 exists. It is the flagship phone from Samsung, not the Note. The people on XDA who root their notes pales in comparison to the actual number of note users who do not. Samsung is like any other company. IPhone has 1 flagship. That's what samsung wants
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA-Developers mobile app
The note 7 is still an awesome phone. Better specs than the note 4. I still don't mind using the note 4 and will continue to do so. I wanted to upgrade to the newest note but if the bootloader is locked and no possibility of root it's a no go for me.
Sent from my SM-G935V using XDA-Developers mobile app
the Note 5 disappointed me but the Note 7 has everything i want except for an IR blaster.
If you don't think the Note 7 is an upgrade, you must not have played with it in real life. The phone is gorgeous especially the screen. The only thing I will miss is the IR blaster but oh well. Now to find where to sell my Note 4 for the highest price....
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA-Developers mobile app
S7 edge and the curved on note 7 is better
S7 Edge, and because why not. New stuff is always fun, and I typically upgrade phones a lot.
Nexus 6p to note 7 because I like new phones
HTC One M8 to Note 7 because the M8 is wearing out and the Note 7 looks to be an awesome device. However I'm a bit uneasy about not having the ability to root, not being able to restore apps borked by updates, and not being able to TWRP backup the device once I have it set up the way I like. Hoping the device is good enough that no root will seem like a minor trade off.
Nexus 6 to Note 7. Nexus 6 is a lag-fest. I miss calls constantly because the screen refuses to let me swipe to answer. Yes, I've tried reflashing, keeping apps uninstalled, etc. The only thing I haven't tried is rooting and doing a custom ROM, which I am not doing to make the phone simply usable. Not to mention the camera is awful. Laggy, slow, and takes awful pictures. Of all the Android phones I've owned, the Nexus 6 is 2nd to worst [worst was Droid RAZR due to horrid battery life].
As much as everyone loves the Nexus, it feels like the only thing going for it is updates straight from El Goog.
One of my favorite phones was the Note 2, if not the favorite. It feels like I am coming home with the Note 7.
MJB_One said:
HTC One M8 to Note 7 because the M8 is wearing out and the Note 7 looks to be an awesome device. However I'm a bit uneasy about not having the ability to root, not being able to restore apps borked by updates, and not being able to TWRP backup the device once I have it set up the way I like. Hoping the device is good enough that no root will seem like a minor trade off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went from M8 to Note 5 and was uneasy like you. It was the first phone I ever bought with (1) Nonremovable battery, (2) no expandable storage, and (3) the knowledge that it probably would never get root. I have not regretted it or missed flashing ROMs constantly at all, honestly! Maybe I'm just over the non-stop updates and stuff, but it was great having a phone that flat out rocked and I never felt the NEED for root because it was fast and pretty damn great out of the box (and still is!). I think you'll find a similar experience with the Note 7, which looks even better!
Anyway, I'm coming from the Note 5 and going to the Note 7 because I was able to get a good deal and sell my Note 5 for $450, making my Note 7 free for 13 months (and then my upgrade kicks in so the cost per month drops to $16/mo basically). So the phone will cost me under $200. No brainer at that point!
Sent from my SM-N920V using XDA-Developers mobile app
HTC 10 - I thought I could live with the screen size. Turns out I can't.
Also -- The n7 just looks so damned good.
Very reassuring, thank you! I am SO looking forward to getting this phone, and really tired of seeing the "order processing" status on Verizon lol.
PsiPhiDan said:
I went from M8 to Note 5 and was uneasy like you. It was the first phone I ever bought with (1) Nonremovable battery, (2) no expandable storage, and (3) the knowledge that it probably would never get root. I have not regretted it or missed flashing ROMs constantly at all, honestly! Maybe I'm just over the non-stop updates and stuff, but it was great having a phone that flat out rocked and I never felt the NEED for root because it was fast and pretty damn great out of the box (and still is!). I think you'll find a similar experience with the Note 7, which looks even better!
Anyway, I'm coming from the Note 5 and going to the Note 7 because I was able to get a good deal and sell my Note 5 for $450, making my Note 7 free for 13 months (and then my upgrade kicks in so the cost per month drops to $16/mo basically). So the phone will cost me under $200. No brainer at that point!
Sent from my SM-N920V using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 3. I REALLY wanted the Note 5 but was not impressed enough, I love my rooted Note 3. I thought it was just time for something new. Not thrilled with the Edge screen but tired of waiting for the perfect phone that just never seems to come out as expected.
Note 5, and because it's a Note.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
HTC M 9 because it's my 4th one and it's garbage. HTC NEVER AGAIN
jak341 said:
Nexus 6 is a lag-fest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Nexus 6 is one of the fastest, smoothest phones I've ever used.
jak341 said:
The only thing I haven't tried is rooting and doing a custom ROM, which I am not doing to make the phone simply usable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's unfortunate, because that's one of the main features of buying an unlocked Nexus device. Being able to ROM it with any number of amazing ROM's. And that is why my Nexus 6 runs super-fast and super-smooth.
jak341 said:
Of all the Android phones I've owned, the Nexus 6 is 2nd to worst
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Nexus 6 has been the 2nd best device I've ever used, only next to my Note 2 and 3.
jak341 said:
As much as everyone loves the Nexus, it feels like the only thing going for it is updates straight from El Goog.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of the features is frequent updates. Another is one that I mentioned previously: to be able to install any ROM you like. To be able to completely customize the phone however you like from top to bottom. It's all about freedom to do what you wish with your device.
The only negatives I have about my Nexus 6 is battery life is waning. And the phone is much heavier and thicker than a Note. I'll be retiring my Nexus 6 (as a backup device), and getting the Note 7. I'll miss being able to root and ROM. But, with the updates to TouchWiz, and the amount of features and settings that come with the Note 7, I think I may be able to live without rooting/ROMing...... for now.
Exactly. Honestly I am tired of chasing custom roms, kernels, radios..... trying to figure out what works best, what's compatible with what, having to maintain software updates myself.... I want my phone to work and I don't have time or interest in "modding it". That's why my Nexus 6 is going back to VZW and I'm finally getting another Note..
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Note 5... because of the IP68 water and dust resistance.
S6 - wanted to give the curved screen and s-pen a try. Also miss microSD storage, but it appears I'm trading that for the IR blaster.
iPhone 6S Plus 64GB, Upgraded to the Note 7 for the iPhone 7 supposedly not having a headphone jack and never getting a jailbreak. Got bored with the phone and needed to go back to Android.
Coming from the Nexus 6P, main reason was no support on Verizon for my phone so features like wifi calling at my house isnt an option and I need to be able to receive calls for work. Love my 6P but when I saw that Note 7 i had to order
iPhone 6s to the N7. Bored of iOS and want a bigger screen. Love the water/dust resistance and miss having an s-pen when I had a N3.
Note 4. Because I dropped it and broke the screen about a month ago and had to use my wife's old phone waiting for the 7 to come out.
Coming from Note 5 64GB which I liked more than the note 2, 3, and 4. Upgraded because the SD is back, better battery, cool Iris feature, sleeker, Spen is better, color, and just the fact that it's a new note.
Hello, I'm kinda stuck in this weird position here.
I've been a heavy Note 3 user for the past two years, flashing it to hell and back multiple times but now I've gotten the Note 4 passed down to me after the Note 8 finally arrived after two months of waiting (shipment got stolen, etc.).
After using it for a few days I've noticed how terrible the stock android 6 ROM is (compared to the custom ROMs I've been using on the Note 3) so I am really tempted to just flash TWRP and be done with it, but I've also noticed that compared to the Note 3 it kinda doesn't have that much more to offer in my opinion.
Sure the screen, camera and overall specs are better and the finger print scanner makes things much easier, but I've never really hit the ceiling with the Note 3 so I don't really see any good reason to keep this phone. I'm thinking about selling both the Note 3 and Note 4 and instead buying a completely different phone, an S8 might be nice to get.
I'd like to hear something from the long time Note 4 users here, something that made them trip the Knox fuse.
TIA
I also recently switched from the Note 3 to the Note 4
The Note 3 spoiled me too much, it has amazing ROMs with full teams dedicated to improving the performance
Sad to say that the Note 4 is a bit neglected. It does have some great ROMs, but there are still things that need to be figured out
It's not difficult to find a Note 7 port that is stable, but the ROMs usually only let you customize about 40% currently of what the Note 3 offers in their ports.
I enjoy it nonetheless and I can live with it
Removable back, IR blaster and decent specs still, I won't complain
1. 2.5D glass (less prone to damage) > S8+ or Note 8 curved display (fragile)
2. Removable battery, so you can switch battery when your battery dies or you want to get from 0% to 100% in less than few mins, instead of carrying heavy powerbank
3. IR Blaster
4. Easier to switch micro-sd card
justmoto92 said:
1. 2.5D glass (less prone to damage) > S8+ or Note 8 curved display (fragile)
2. Removable battery, so you can switch battery when your battery dies or you want to get from 0% to 100% in less than few mins, instead of carrying heavy powerbank
3. IR Blaster
4. Easier to switch micro-sd card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What stable ROM do u recommend to replace the stock android6?
I just need root, get rid of bloatware and Android 6 is enough for me
dapgo said:
What stable ROM do u recommend to replace the stock android6?
I just need root, get rid of bloatware and Android 6 is enough for me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So better stay at stock rom. root it and remove bloatware. I don't advice other roms.
Hello folks.
I'm looking to replace my current cell phone. It needs to be an unlocked CDMA (Sprint) phone. Things that are important to me:
high quality screen
processing power
decent storage
Things that aren't that important to me:
camera
I have a price limit of $150. Given the above, I am looking at:
Moto E4
Galaxy S5 (refurbished)
Galaxy J3 Emerge
Moto G4 Play
All of them have 5" screens, but the S5 has the highest resolution (the rest are 1280x720). The S5 also has the highest clock rate.
My concern is that the S5 is using technology from 4 years ago, while the rest are more recent. Should that be a concern, or is the S5 the best option here?
Thanks!
mrfeh said:
Hello folks. I'm looking to replace my current cell phone. It needs to be an unlocked CDMA (Sprint) phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best bet is to post this question within one of the following threads that is specific to your question.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1846277
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I DO NOT provide support via PM unless asked/requested by myself. PLEASE keep it in the threads where everyone can share.
yes
mrfeh said:
Hello folks.
I'm looking to replace my current cell phone. It needs to be an unlocked CDMA (Sprint) phone. Things that are important to me:
high quality screen
processing power
decent storage
Things that aren't that important to me:
camera
I have a price limit of $150. Given the above, I am looking at:
Moto E4
Galaxy S5 (refurbished)
Galaxy J3 Emerge
Moto G4 Play
All of them have 5" screens, but the S5 has the highest resolution (the rest are 1280x720). The S5 also has the highest clock rate.
My concern is that the S5 is using technology from 4 years ago, while the rest are more recent. Should that be a concern, or is the S5 the best option here?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in my opinion, for this expense and one of the best!
I use a Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo and everything works fine.
2 weeks ago there was an update for the S5 over OTA. It is still alive and good.
In USA the normal S5 is still a smartphone that is one of the bestsellers.
I have no need to get another phone.
And the original S5 is better than my neo.
Gesendet von meinem SM-G903F mit Tapatalk
I would go with the S5...
Amoled screen, wireless charging, fingerscan...16mp cam..
Put LOS or RR and youll get the best deal...
Or try a xiaomi mia1
Hello, had a galaxy s5 for around 3 years. My unit had a bit of a network issue, which sullied my experience, so be careful when buying a refurb!
Also, if processing power is important to you, you should note that it has constant slowdowns/stutters and, though not as often, crashes. It also heats up pretty quick and has mediocre battery life, draining pretty fast with any decent usage. The chipset really does not hold up compared to mid range chipsets now imo. Near the time I upgraded, it became nearly unusable for a bit whenever i turned the wifi on, though a factory reset and a sparser app library has alleviated the worst aspects of using the phone. It might be powerful specwise, but in irl use I find newer midrange chips outperform it in day to day use.
I recently upgraded to a redmi note 5 (china) and it was an upgrade in every way. From build to smoothness to battery life (and both cameras but you don't care about that). It also has the 6' display while retaining the same width as my s5, thanks to the 18:9 display. The aspect ratio is great in all apps that aren't games and in general UI use. It also has oreo out of the box and will get updates in the future, unlike the s5.
The redmi 5 plus(china) could also be a replacement that's cheaper, but I can't vouch for the screen on that one. The redmi note 5 has a bright lcd that looks really good. It's not amoled, but the transition hasn't bothered me at all, it's quite excellent! I've gotten compliments on the screen from many friends who have seen it in person as well.
So, yeah, look into the phone and see if your budget can be adjusted. Shoot for the 3/32 GB which is a steal imo. Oh, and it has a micro sd card slot, just like the s5, so storage won't be an issue. Another plus with these phones is that they actually have a fingerprint scanner that's not trash - another thing from the past that does not hold up.
I looked up the prices for these phones and they seem to be out of the 150$ budget, so, if the budget is rigid you might want to look into the redmi note 4, which can be found for 160$ and has all the same internals as the redmi 5 plus. I cannot vouch for how good the screen is, but it's 1080P IPS LCD. I would personally consider it a better phone to buy than the Galaxy S5 as well (working fingerprint scanner, larger screen, equivalent if not better chipset usability wise).
Anyway, I'm not really as knowledgable as most people in xda but I am a s5 owner, so I figured I'd chip in and try to help.
While S5 is still a nice phone, it is not worth buying one at this time. The best option would be to get current/last year mid end phone. Look at the local market websites, maybe there are good deals. Xiaomi redmi 5 plus is nice phone for low price, also redmi note 4 is nice phone too, you will get better peformance than S5, or at very least the same, more ram, much better battery life due to bigger battery and better chipset, you will get android updates.
S5 is still a great phone.. Do not buy refurbished.. you can find great deals on Ebay.. My cost $110 no dings, or dents or scratches.. Phone actually had very little call time on it.. Moto's IMOP are junk.
Hi ,
I personally think you should go for a newer phone like Honor 8. The main problem i would have with an S5 is the fact that it only has 16GB internal memory. Apart from that it is still a great phone.
With those 16 GB you will always struggle if you want to install many applications and keep Whatsapp data on your phone.
loomax12 said:
Hi ,
I personally think you should go for a newer phone like Honor 8. The main problem i would have with an S5 is the fact that it only has 16GB internal memory. Apart from that it is still a great phone.
With those 16 GB you will always struggle if you want to install many applications and keep Whatsapp data on your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does support SD Cards up to 128 GB though. I'm a kinda heavy user and never had problems with storage, always around 3-4 GB free in internal. Though I did put my games on my card obviosly (there was some app that does this, I forgot name).
i picked mine up monday for 45$. cracked rear camera glass. still takes photos fine.
anyway, i love the thing. i went from an s7 to an iphone 7 then to and old moto then to this. i love the effing thing. i get 2 days in low power mode with the original battery. im hunting for a parts phone now.
the s5 has issues from what ive heard but so far, im running fine.
After 2 weeks using the S5 of my wife I have to reverse my opinion. I installed latest lineageos 14.1 on it and it works like a charm. With lineageos there is still a lot of internal memory left for apps. Bluetooth which is often a problem for custom roms seems to work pretty well.
I've actually recently bought an S5, and although it is not the best option, the support for it has been huge over time and its still going on with amazing roms like AEX or CrDroid.
The only part I dislike is the storage, because yea 16GB are little to me. And the fact that it is refurbished is good contrary to what people assume, because, then that means its already fixed, you wont have to go through that pain as you would with a new one waiting to fail, that's how it is, you have more chances of a new one having issues than a refurbished one because that one already had them and its already fixed. On the other hand, "refurbished" doesnt always mean "it broke and we fixed it", usually its because people return it to the store, the package is open, they cant sell them as new, even if theres nothing wrong with it, it automatically falls to the "refurbished" category and not many people think of that.
Now, the Moto G4 is actually a better option, it has a good performance, but you should opt for the Plus version with 32GB internal
So, I'd recommend the G4 Plus, if you cant buy that, then the S5 is the way to go
S5 is still going strong.
I would not change it, but I need a dual SIM phone now.
So if you can get one, go for it.
However, I am not aware of CDMA capabilities or tested it, sorry. I have European model...
My uncle gave me his old S5 back in January to replace my dying S4 LTE-A, and with LineageOS 15.1, it feels like a brand new phone
im now rooted and running the latest lineage 14.1 and its awesome.
12 hours of battery, 4 hours of SOT and no issues. these nougat kernels are pretty nice. lol
people talking about storage, flash Lineage, have a clean sd card in and use the SD card as adptive storage. it shows it as all internal storage and works like a charm.
Bodisson said:
S5 is still going strong.
I would not change it, but I need a dual SIM phone now.
So if you can get one, go for it.
However, I am not aware of CDMA capabilities or tested it, sorry. I have European model...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
would you recommend the S5 as a backup to the Note 4?
I still have an S5 as a backup phone. Main phone Xiaomei Redmi Note 4x which I bought due to its superior battery life. The S5 imo is still good as backup phone and has an excellent camera (if you stick to TouchWiz based roms).
mrfeh said:
Hello folks.
I'm looking to replace my current cell phone. It needs to be an unlocked CDMA (Sprint) phone. Things that are important to me:
high quality screen
processing power
decent storage
Things that aren't that important to me:
camera
I have a price limit of $150. Given the above, I am looking at:
Moto E4
Galaxy S5 (refurbished)
Galaxy J3 Emerge
Moto G4 Play
All of them have 5" screens, but the S5 has the highest resolution (the rest are 1280x720). The S5 also has the highest clock rate.
My concern is that the S5 is using technology from 4 years ago, while the rest are more recent. Should that be a concern, or is the S5 the best option here?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello!
I can definately assure you that:
A. Off the phones you have listed AND
B. Your stated price range
The S5 is your choice!!
It is amazing!! You will not be dissapointed! Unlimited battery life (multiple batteries), screen resolution, clock speed etc etc.
I am currently typing from one! Lol, I have the OnePlus 3 and my good ol' trusty S5! Some tips:
You stated about being older firmware (S5 is marshmallow) whilst others are nougat..... The S5 is one of the most developed phones ever! even still!!! In literally 5 minutes and little knowledge you can flash a custom recovery and then a custom ROM, no root needed. I have used the S5 since the early days and have used pretty much EVERY rom, honestly!
I can suggest resurrection remix as THE most customisable, they have features beyond any other! They have 100% stable nougat build and Oreo also, I use them both. In fact we have multiboot so can run 2 ROMs at once just choose at boot!
We have lots of kernels if you choose to root like myself, this way you can have 2.1 amp quick charge, boot windows or Linux on PC from phone, double battery time, gaming performance and over clocking to 2.84 GHz!!!! The phone is a beast!! It is reliable as hell too! I have had mine rooted for 4 years, overclocked and its given me no worries....And waterproof with a removable battery!!!!!!
Hope this helps, any questions at all please ask, happy to help
ErbDroid said:
Hello!
I can definately assure you that:
A. Off the phones you have listed AND
B. Your stated price range
The S5 is your choice!!
It is amazing!! You will not be dissapointed! Unlimited battery life (multiple batteries), screen resolution, clock speed etc etc.
I am currently typing from one! Lol, I have the OnePlus 3 and my good ol' trusty S5! Some tips:
You stated about being older firmware (S5 is marshmallow) whilst others are nougat..... The S5 is one of the most developed phones ever! even still!!! In literally 5 minutes and little knowledge you can flash a custom recovery and then a custom ROM, no root needed. I have used the S5 since the early days and have used pretty much EVERY rom, honestly!
I can suggest resurrection remix as THE most customisable, they have features beyond any other! They have 100% stable nougat build and Oreo also, I use them both. In fact we have multiboot so can run 2 ROMs at once just choose at boot!
We have lots of kernels if you choose to root like myself, this way you can have 2.1 amp quick charge, boot windows or Linux on PC from phone, double battery time, gaming performance and over clocking to 2.84 GHz!!!! The phone is a beast!! It is reliable as hell too! I have had mine rooted for 4 years, overclocked and its given me no worries....And waterproof with a removable battery!!!!!!
Hope this helps, any questions at all please ask, happy to help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello.
Please make recomendation for Nougat and Oreo firmwares