Database Users

[Q] how long will the note 3 live?

How long will the note 3 live?
The reason i am asking is because with all these new hardware and new android updates, i feel my privacy is withering away, and am pretty much in absolute authority and control of my current note 3 (4.4.2 kitkat).
i.e there is no way in hell i am buying a phone with a fingerprint scanner or use a software that isnt compatible with xposed modules like xprivacy.
So how long can i keep this phone, be up to date with high-specs requiring apps and also have my privacy at the same time?

How long will the phone live depends on your usage and luck. It might last three years, four years, five years, no one knows.
You can understand that what hardware is latest, what's not. Note 3 N9005 uses SD 800, while SD 810 is the latest. And does that matter to you? Again, depends on your usage, I mean if you always want the latest and greatest then Note 3 is slightly behind the line, but if you are just an average user then well, its still a great phone.
If you like KitKat (you should because its stable) and as you said Xposed compatibility etc., then keep the phone as long as you can. No one has the right to play with our privacy, totally with you there.

Hardware wise, for regular use it'll hold out very well for at least 2 more years.
With proper management (debloating, custom launcher and proper care) 3-4 years.
You may need to replace the battery at some point though. Those don't last that long.
I've got a 2.5 year old S3 that still runs smoothly in everyday use. And that's the 1GB RAM Exynos version. Considering that, a 3GB RAM Snapdragon 800 device will last at least 5-6 years before it starts struggling to keep up.
Sent From My Samsung Galaxy Note 3 N9005 Using Tapatalk

Then maybe a feature phone is safer. Without updates it gets boring. You can use custom roms so you don't need to have fingerprints stored or don't use that feature. There is always a privacy risk nowadays no matter what android you use. Old versions may be at risk as the newer versions get updates etc. You don't have to worry unless you do some "rare" things. Who cares what game you play or which movie you like. For usual people it doesn't matter unless you are sure that your privacy is misused. I was thinking same before but don't care about small things as life will be more tough and i would worry about apps..... Love life instead ^^

It will last loong
My first android was Samsung galaxy I which lasted until note 3 showed - featuring big support from a lot of people who made that phone blazing fast apart from official ROM which was horrible - it lasted loong. For the same thing Note 3 will probably last as much since no significant improvement will be made with future phones.
This phone is feature rich and powerfull, it has really big community and a lot of users. Apart from the hardware related features any software changes can be ported from future phones to this one. And as it gets older it will only be less buggy than freshly new phones.
Well this is my point of view at least and i think i will stick to this baby for as long as it works and boots up! (unless 4k becames standard as 1920x1080 is now that way i might reconsider my view).

Yep note 3 specifications are good to go another 2 years.. But now sammy makes beautiful devices, specifically gs6 and edge are very beautiful.. I think note 5 will be more beautiful.. Becase of that some time we have to go for new divice..

Updated to lollipop and it still runs like a champ. Kitkat is even more stable and kinda feels more practical as well, especially when opening the recent apps menu where you have to wait an eternity.
3gb of ram and a snapdragon 800 should have no problems for at least 2 more years. After that there will probably come other games or apps with higher requirements.

I have a Samsung Galaxy note 3 N9005 and I have a hard time looking for original Samsung note 3 battery in Malaysia. I heard Samsung stopped producing samsung note 3 battery and the battery in the market currently was fake samsung battery. Can anyone recommend me place to buy original samsung note 3 battery which can last for 3 years in Malaysia?

See Accesories section .
Original not many left if any .

most of the batteries on Amazon are fake
Jordantanjunwen said:
I have a Samsung Galaxy note 3 N9005 and I have a hard time looking for original Samsung note 3 battery in Malaysia. I heard Samsung stopped producing samsung note 3 battery and the battery in the market currently was fake samsung battery. Can anyone recommend me place to buy original samsung note 3 battery which can last for 3 years in Malaysia?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to get a good battery because it was included with a new charger (the white clam shell version)
Try a phone repair store. They would know how to get a good replacement.
I still have 2 left.
FYI
I just put a 256 GB Samsung Select EVO card (39.99) and it works fine.
Plays 4GB movie files just fine. (08-2019)
Samsung 256GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSDXC EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter

paulsemail2016 said:
I was able to get a good battery because it was included with a new charger (the white clam shell version)
Try a phone repair store. They would know how to get a good replacement.
I still have 2 left.
FYI
I just put a 256 GB Samsung Select EVO card (39.99) and it works fine.
Plays 4GB movie files just fine. (08-2019)
Samsung 256GB 100MB/s (U3) MicroSDXC EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a GadFul compatible battery on amazon about 1 year ago. This battery is really cool, I can use my phone more than a day long without needing to charge it (if I use my phone not as a game station ).
Lst month my motherboard died (sim card reader could not read my sim card anymore), a 2nd hand mb on aliexpress cost about 25 USD... very easy to replace. I am gone for another 4-5 years

Overall a step backwards compared to the Note 4? Alternatives?

Overall, it looks like this phone doesn't seem to offer much compared to the Note 5 for enthusiasts.
This seems to be a matter of form over function here:
3000 Mah battery, which will probably not last 1 day of heavy use - even less so if you are outside (you must turn up the screen brightness in the sun)
To add insult to injury, no removable battery, so extended batteries by companies like Hyperion are harder to come by and in 12 months, changing the battery (because it doesn't hold as much of a charge) will be more difficult
No SD Card (for people who want to store FLAC and movies on their phone)
Exynos means that this phone will probably not be getting an AOSP ROM (not saying the 810 Snapdragon is perfect, as it overheats, but the larger size of the Note might be able to mitigate that)
Glass back assures that you have to use a case or it will crack (plus it makes the "premium" pointless)
They got rid of the IR blaster too
No features like water proofing or anything else special
Other specs are not a huge upgrade - the Exynos is faster than the Snapdragon 805 on Note 4, but not by much
I guess we should look for alternatives? There were rumors of an LG G4 Note (or Pro) and LG's executives did confirm they were releasing an "ultra premium" (their words) device.

There needs to be an "ultra premium" phablet device other then the note...I thought I would be upgrading but not planning on it anytime soon.. hopefully another company steps up and fills the void samsung just left.

sauron0101 said:
Overall, it looks like this phone doesn't seem to offer much compared to the Note 5 for enthusiasts.
This seems to be a matter of form over function here:
3000 Mah battery, which will probably not last 1 day of heavy use - even less so if you are outside (you must turn up the screen brightness in the sun)
To add insult to injury, no removable battery, so extended batteries by companies like Hyperion are harder to come by and in 12 months, changing the battery (because it doesn't hold as much of a charge) will be more difficult
No SD Card (for people who want to store FLAC and movies on their phone)
Exynos means that this phone will probably not be getting an AOSP ROM (not saying the 810 Snapdragon is perfect, as it overheats, but the larger size of the Note might be able to mitigate that)
Glass back assures that you have to use a case or it will crack (plus it makes the "premium" pointless)
No features like water proofing or anything else special
Other specs are not a huge upgrade - the Exynos is faster than the Snapdragon 805 on Note 4, but not by much
I guess we should look for alternatives? There were rumors of an LG G4 Note (or Pro) and LG's executives did confirm they were releasing an "ultra premium" (their words) device.
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Click to collapse
I got a G4 and it's a beast. Compared to a Note 4 and it's marginally smaller.

Yeah it's a step back and a sidegrade at best.
Amazingly the Note 4, which I have, remains the best smartphone in the world at least for me.
I suspect sales of the Note 5 will be disappointing like the Galaxy S6 and hopefully the Note 6 will be an improvement.

Abandoning Note 4, and not for a Note 5 ...
I too will not go with the Note 5. I'll be watching this thread with interest.
So far I"\'m evaluating between the upcoming Nexus devices (thinking of the Huawei, depending on specs), Moto x Pure (but I prefer to get 4gb RAM due to the large number of apps I use, and the Pure will be 3); LG G4 Pro (but I'm thinking it may be too expensive.
An obstacle for me is I'm on AT&T, and they are pretty much making the vendors make the phones unrootable. (Exceptions out there, but I think those will narrow). So due to need to purchase outside of AT&T, it makes the expense of the phone an issue for me.
Of course I don't think there will ever be a perfect phone.

No IR blaster either :crying:

You forgot the removal of IR-blaster. Wonder what feature they will remove for S7?

Still on my Note 2 and was anticipating the announcement hoping the rumors were false. Too bad, I'm either getting something else or getting a used t-mobile Note 4 from one of the clowns that end up upgrading. The sd card I might live with, the non-removable battery is a complete deal breaker.

I am hoping lack of IR blaster is ....false?

I too am very disappointed with the new offerings from Samsung. I currently have the Note 3, I didn't upgrade to the Note 4 as it wasn't a big enough jump, and the Note 5 is quite disappointing. The non-replaceable battery, no SD card or 128GB phone to make up for this, Samsung Pay will not work with ROOT, and KNOX, makes this another one I will skip. I think at this point I will wait until the new 820 chip powers a nice new phone, before I dump my Note 3.

Very disappointed too.
but not only because the lack of the SD card.
i'm tired of using a heavy device. Almost 180g is just too heavy.
I want something up to 130g.
and, looking back, i'm ready to sacrifice s-pen for a lighter device with no problem at all.
but it has to have sd-card, that's for sure.
you think you got us hooked, Samsung?
wrong! we will switch easily and happily.

mgbotoe said:
I am hoping lack of IR blaster is ....false?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No IR blaster. Last year they touted it and this year not on the device.
Not sure if the Moto X Pure has one or not, but does have:
64GB storage option WITH sd slot (128gb more storage than the Note 5)
Front stereo speakers that apparently sound good (preview event feedback)
Zero carrier bloat
Zero of the infamous Samsung bloat
Case design options
No crack magnet glass case design
The 64GB model is over $300 less than the Note 5 64GB. Moto X Pure 16GB = $400, 32GB = $450 and 64GB = $500
Seems from an overall standpoint the Note 5 is comically on the weak side in comparison.

nygmam said:
I too am very disappointed with the new offerings from Samsung. I currently have the Note 3, I didn't upgrade to the Note 4 as it wasn't a big enough jump, and the Note 5 is quite disappointing. The non-replaceable battery, no SD card or 128GB phone to make up for this, Samsung Pay will not work with ROOT, and KNOX, makes this another one I will skip. I think at this point I will wait until the new 820 chip powers a nice new phone, before I dump my Note 3.
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Click to collapse
Umm, sir you used incorrect terminology there: Offerings? Lol. jk
I am definitely not getting the Note 5. It's a giant step backwards to pre 2013.

LG G4 Pro in october.

WTF SAMSUNG!!! You cut two of the most essential Note features and you don't make a 128GB model!!!! Insanity ? I think I'll wait for the Nexus 6 or the Moto X pure I'll miss the S pen and multitasking feature but it's not worth it at all. Smh ?
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app

Getting it regardless.

Wait for the Nexus 5 (2015).
Seems this year your battery life will suck. Let it suck with a Snapdragon 820 inside and pure Android.
Or, as someone mentioned above, G Pro 4 (or whatever the hell it will be named). Will contain probably SD820, massive 27 MP camera and probably bigger battery than Note 5.

Talk about killing the excitement with all these negative reviews. Anyone with positive comments? I will be going from a S4 to the Note 5.

Europe: No Note 5 for the time being
To me the Note 5 is also not a step but actually a giant leap backwards, since Samsung happily decided to abandon a lot of powerful features that made the preceding Notes shine.
Of course I am not surprised that the Note series has now fallen victim to the same strategies the S series has, which come straight out of the playbook from Cupertino.
But what makes me shake my head even more in anger is that - at least for the time being - Samsung are not even planning on bringing the Note 5 to Europe but are trying to force feed us the S6 edge+ over here.
Allegedly because Europeans got their Notes mainly because of the screen size!
Although they cannot speak for the whole continent, my Note 1, Note 10.1 and Note 3 beg to differ.

Note 5 is the best smartphone on the market. Looks very good, top hardware. I'm waiting for full reviews and to see it in stores but it is a beautiful phone. Especially the new metallic color. Everything else is just talk. What I was expected was the 128 gb option. The rest are not so important ( I owned every Galaxy S and Note from the beginning, I use 128 GB sd card atm but has never been occupied more than 50%. Now I own S6 with 128 gb and It's enough. Maybe 64 Gb will be the low limit, but the 32 gb variant it's out of discussion.
---------- Post added at 10:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:51 PM ----------
BTW.
1.No IR blaster - a good universal remote from Philips or Logitech cost 30 USD. Can do so much more and so much confortable with that than a phone with limited data base ( samsung has never implemented the learning feature of a true universal remote). So not much of a problem the lack of IR.- there is not.
2. No sd card - 64/128 Gb of fast internal memory will do more than 128 of external with limited capabilities. Do not forget the limitation we had with external sd. BTW -an micro sd OTG adapter is the size of the coin an can be attached to the phone whenever we want.
3. No removable battery -this could be a problem but in my opinion a power user who charge a phone every day will update in 90% of cases before 2 years. Even so the battery could be exchanged with a new one in service without too much trouble.
THE LACK OF 128 GB IS THE ONLY REAL PROBLEM WITH NOTE 5/S6 EDGE +AND THE LACK OF HDMI OUT LIKE THE S6 ( THIS WAS A REALLY STUPID STUPID MOVE FROM SAMSUNG IN MY OPINION)

Why is Note 4 Better than Note 5?

After Note 5 was published, people make lots of complaints about it. So, can anyone tell me why Note 4 better than Note 5?

The War LOrD said:
After Note 5 was published, people make lots of complaints about it. So, can anyone tell me why Note 4 better than Note 5?
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Click to collapse
MicroSD-Card reader, IR Blaster, swappable battery, larger battery, Gear VR, no fragile glass body, etc.

Screen off Memo
the only reason why I want to update to Note 5 from Note4 is "Screen off Memo". And now we can have this SOM on Note 4, so no more Note 5 for me (Big thank to xperiacle and Pako7).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4/themes-apps/screen-off-memo-t3203744

The War LOrD said:
After Note 5 was published, people make lots of complaints about it. So, can anyone tell me why Note 4 better than Note 5?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No microSD support is bad, but I still can manage that.
But NO user replaceable battery....that's a DEAL BREAKER!
I'm the type of person who use a device until it is broken.
So being able to replace battery easily means I can just replace the battery if the original battery is broken.
That's why Note 4 is better than Note 5

note 4 vs note 5
I just purchased a note 4 Exynos chip instead of a note 5. The reasons for the going for the older model.
- expandable SD card.-( I upgraded from an LG G2), it was always a hassle to backup Roms and if the memory is full from apps and app data then there was no space for music let alone videos. now with SD card I can carry loads of media and even swop out SD cards while I travel. also easy to update ROMS and load content from computer to phone without the need for cables.
- Battery life-the note 4 has a larger battery, yes the note 5 has more efficient hardware and might actually last longer but i believe that with proper software like the recent update to 5.1.1 will negate the hardware effectiveness unless you run high intensity games. I easily reach 2 days battery life and can push 3. and then you can just pop off the back and boom insert new battery. also as your device ages the battery dies and it is a cheap fix to just pop out the back and insert new battery, future proofing a bit.
-Exynos chip- The note 5 has a much faster chip but I am not a gamer. I like to use my phone for everything from calling(yes it is obvious but very overlooked) to running functionality apps that simplify life, with some light to medium gaming thrown in between. IE more calculations than graphics that is why i purchased an unlocked exynos chip note 4. it has the ability to oneday, with the correct software, to also run with 64 bit capability. downside is lack of ROMS especially my favorite CM 12.1. I have also done benchmark test and on geekbench i am getting results of 4500 plus multi score and 1200 single. Antutu gives still 54000 . this means that with Android 5.1.1 the phone is not much slower than the note 5.
The Spen - you cant break your phone with the note 4 Spen, and is idiot proof like you can with the note 5. the other little upgrades are just software. Software can always change. Look at some of the fantastic work done by Devs here to give note users the latest features on older phones.
IR blaster- overlooked but so useful, can control TVs Aircons and Media devices. (just wish samsung could also learn IR signals like my old G2 to custom make a remote for the house/office)
Things that make the note 5 better.
Faster chip( as mentioned above not that major for sum of us, if you game a lot then maybe it is), more ram, better fingerprint reader(one thing I wish note 4 had), samsung pay (nice to have, will unfortunately not be coming to my country soon so not a problem).
Things people say makes note 5 better but I think is just hogwash
- build quality- both are excellently built, but everyone just puts covers on anyway and then the note 4 even wins with better covers that integrate with the back panel, and no glass that can be slippery.
- wireless charging. REALLY people how difficult is it to insert a charger , USB type C with fast charging would be the ultimate solution. and if you really want it the note 4 can also use wireless charging with 3rd party products
Above is just my 2 cents worth. use it ignore it it is just up to you, I know I made my disision and I am not regretting it at all. will probably root my phone soon, but so far there is little reason to root. maybe to use note 5 apps
:good::good:

Plus no mhl and no smart select ie and converts to text

The Note 4 has overall mostly the same features as the Note 5 does. You won't really notice and difference in speed on a normal daily use, only benchmark wise.
The Note 4 has a removable back, replaceable battery and microSD support. If your Note 4 battery is fauly, you can get a new one under warranty. If your Note 5 battery is faulty then you would have to send it back to Samsung.
And, of course, the Note 4 is cheaper and you're getting way more value for your money than with the Note 5 in my opinion.

It seems to me that every new Note has features I don't want added, and ones I really use taken away.
Case in point - I still have my old Note 3 lying around as a spare, and picked it up to use the other day. It made me stop and think - the Note3 was actually an awesome phone, why on earth did I "upgrade" to a Note4 in the first place?
1) Note3 was lighter and slimmer than the Note4
2) It had USB3 - to be honest I don't miss that all that much, but it was kind of cool when copying large videos off the phone
3) The car dock audio worked flawlessly via the USB cable, something I've been waiting in vain for Lollipop to fix, but to be honest I think it's a hardware limitation
I feel the same about the Note5 - everyone + dog has belabored the lack of SD card and removable battery, and while I wholeheartedly agree that these individually would be a deal breaker for me, the nail in the coffin is the lack of a Snapdragon processor.
Yes, yes the Exynos is a fine processor I'm sure but it feels as if all the development of ROMs is happening on the Snapdragon. I mistakenly bought the N910C Exynos version when the Note4 was first released and it took me about a week before I sold it, at a loss, to buy a Snapdragon variant - it just felt laggy, I couldn't find any hope that I'd ever be able to put CyanogenMod onto it. In short I hated it, and myself for not checking the model number before buying.

It seem our note 4 is still the best phone on the market?

Considering removable battery, memory card, infra red, s. pen etc. After almost one year it seems there's no real competition ... I was looking to buy a new phone but at best there may be phones with better cameras (marginal). Seems a shame that no real progress this year. I could live without the s. Pen but want much better battery life and memory card or at least a large internal memory.
Maybe LeTV LeMax 2 will convince me to change.

Note 4 is the best for now

Some phones have better cameras, some other have better cpu e.t.c. but all around I think note 4 is the best. Spen+sd card+super amoled ROX.

Exactly. I consider the Note 5 a worse device. I switched from Note 2 to 4, but even that didn't feel slow at all, so I don't care about cpu.
I was hoping for waterproofing and stereo front speakers, but neither happened, instead we lost the nice fauxleather back. I also have a 128GB card in mine for a total of ~160GB, would never go back to a phone without card slot.
I would sacrifice the removable battery for a bigger battery, or some of the above, even the s-pen.
But there's really nothing out that compares. One year from now when I'll start looking for a replacement I'll look at Sony, but I'd miss the Amoled screen... Also some premium chinese phones now come with amoled, maybe even one of those.
Here's hoping Samsung turns around with the Note 6.

Still pretty good, yes.

Still worth buying?

I'm considering either this or the Galaxy Note 5 (although not out yet where I from) but favour the Note 4 because of the SD card slot. How does the screen compare to the Note 5? I usually keep the same phone for 2+ years minimum. Is the 64 bit processor a big deal?

topcorner said:
I'm considering either this or the Galaxy Note 5 (although not out yet where I from) but favour the Note 4 because of the SD card slot. How does the screen compare to the Note 5? I usually keep the same phone for 2+ years minimum. Is the 64 bit processor a big deal?
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Click to collapse
While I can only speak of myself, I repurchased a note 4 for a few reasons. I had a s6 for a few months and it was ok. I kept missing features from the note series and also considered waiting till the note 5 came to Europe. However, I decided that I really needed a device with a removable battery and the sd card slot is a huge help. Battery life is a high priority for me and the note 4 can deliver that, it has fast charging, can add wireless and most of all, I can carry an extra battery.
The 64bit SOC isnt the standard yet, so its not a big deal atleast for another few years.

I want to know this too. I'm on the Note 3 and debating whether I should get the Note 4 or wait for the Note 6?
I saw a video that said the Note 4 has slow and unreliable GPS issues?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU85r3blu9c
Does it have any other problems?

I was in the same dilemma either to jump from a note 3 to a note 4 or 5 but ended up going to the note 4 for the convenient of the replacement battery and sd card.
IMO while holding the Note 5... People were saying it felt premium but to me it felt cheap. The note 4 felt more premium with the faux leather. On day to day usage I don't think you'll see much difference unless you're into heavy gaming.

Note 5 has not got lag at all and you would feel the screen improvement too. Note 5 is better from note 4 in global.
BUT someone who's got Note 4 can be disappointed in many ways.
Just for comparison you can sell N4 for 330 and buy new N5 for 450 in England which is not a big deal for a new NOTE
My opinion: I'll stay with my N4

Neo3D said:
I want to know this too. I'm on the Note 3 and debating whether I should get the Note 4 or wait for the Note 6?
I saw a video that said the Note 4 has slow and unreliable GPS issues?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU85r3blu9c
Does it have any other problems?
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Click to collapse
On both note 4's that I have owned, I never had a GPS issue. Both were N910F

JSing said:
I was in the same dilemma either to jump from a note 3 to a note 4 or 5 but ended up going to the note 4 for the convenient of the replacement battery and sd card.
IMO while holding the Note 5... People were saying it felt premium but to me it felt cheap. The note 4 felt more premium with the faux leather. On day to day usage I don't think you'll see much difference unless you're into heavy gaming.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I felt the Note 5 at the AT&T store at the mall and it felt premium to me. I like the camera and new fingerprint sensor too. Everything else seemed the same.
But, I need upgradable storage and removable battery. Those are deal breakers for me. I just bought new batteries for my almost 3yr old Note 3 and it feels like new again! I love it when my friends all have bulky external chargers shackled to their phones for hours waiting for a recharge when all I have to do is swap a battery and <30 secs later, I have 100% again.
For me, it's gonna be either Note 4 or Note 6. And if Samsung doesn't bring back microSD and removable battery, then I'm leaving for another brand.
It's ironic that Samsung took out the microSD when I read that Marshmallow has native support for it now. I'm not a big fan of the cloud. It makes you depend on a carrier's strong signal, which is hit and miss depending on where in the country or world you are. And all the carriers are desperately trying to kick off all their unlimited data people. It wouldn't surprise me if Samsung and the carriers had some under the table deal to drop the microSD card feature.

Neo3D said:
I felt the Note 5 at the AT&T store at the mall and it felt premium to me. I like the camera and new fingerprint sensor too. Everything else seemed the same.
But, I need upgradable storage and removable battery. Those are deal breakers for me. I just bought new batteries for my almost 3yr old Note 3 and it feels like new again! I love it when my friends all have bulky external chargers shackled to their phones for hours waiting for a recharge when all I have to do is swap a battery and <30 secs later, I have 100% again.
For me, it's gonna be either Note 4 or Note 6. And if Samsung doesn't bring back microSD and removable battery, then I'm leaving for another brand.
It's ironic that Samsung took out the microSD when I read that Marshmallow has native support for it now. I'm not a big fan of the cloud. It makes you depend on a carrier's strong signal, which is hit and miss depending on where in the country or world you are. And all the carriers are desperately trying to kick off all their unlimited data people. It wouldn't surprise me if Samsung and the carriers had some under the table deal to drop the microSD card feature.
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Click to collapse
Yeah I agree. I'm not optimistic that Samsung will bring the MicroSD card slot back. It seems like it's the new trend going forward

Neo3D said:
I felt the Note 5 at the AT&T store at the mall and it felt premium to me. I like the camera and new fingerprint sensor too. Everything else seemed the same.
But, I need upgradable storage and removable battery. Those are deal breakers for me. I just bought new batteries for my almost 3yr old Note 3 and it feels like new again! I love it when my friends all have bulky external chargers shackled to their phones for hours waiting for a recharge when all I have to do is swap a battery and <30 secs later, I have 100% again.
For me, it's gonna be either Note 4 or Note 6. And if Samsung doesn't bring back microSD and removable battery, then I'm leaving for another brand.
It's ironic that Samsung took out the microSD when I read that Marshmallow has native support for it now. I'm not a big fan of the cloud. It makes you depend on a carrier's strong signal, which is hit and miss depending on where in the country or world you are. And all the carriers are desperately trying to kick off all their unlimited data people. It wouldn't surprise me if Samsung and the carriers had some under the table deal to drop the microSD card feature.
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Click to collapse
That's why I chose the note 4 because of those deal breaker. TBH, phones have gotten so good in the past couple of years that we're merely just buying aesthetic of the phone instead of functionality when we're upgrading. If Samsung had the same support as Apple with their upgrade Operating System, I don't think a lot of people would be upgrading beside Tech Heads who needs the latest and greatest phone at the time.

I'm staying with my 4.
Got a note 5 on my hands at the store. It really feels better and the s pen is much better. But aside that, note 4 wins on the SD card slot that I swap a lot. I'll wait for the note 6 or some other thing.
As the other friend said. Phones got so much better in the last couple years that there is not much reasons for considering an yearly upgrade.
Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

For me, at least removable battery is enough & Note 4 can do that.
For storage, at least OTG USB flash drive is accessible, but microSD is of course better.
I hope Note 6 or 7 bring back at least removable battery.
For now Note 4 is worth buying/keeping instead of Note 5.

Compare all the features side by side and considering the price difference I would say note 4 is still a better option that of course if you don't need fingerprint scanner. All the features of the note 5 are already available through custom ROM s and developers are hard at work to improve them.