[Q] Advice Needed: Rooted Note or SGS3 - AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note I717

I am still within the window of returning my G Note (which i love except for a few things) and possibly getting a SGS3.
I really like the GNote and the massive screen, the extra real state is really nice! I am on AT&T and really like the idea of the HSPA network backup to the not yet present LTE here in South Florida. I am getting avg between 4-6 mbps DL.
NOTE (AT&T):
Likes:
* HSPA Network on AT&T
* Screen Size
* S-Pen (I actually use the thing)
Dislikes:
* LAG!!! It's minimized using TW, but any other launcher seems to slow it down. Over all it sometimes does not feel as responsive as expected from the specs.
* No OC on ICS (might be wrong here)
* Potential for less Dev support once SGS3 comes out.
SGS3 (VZW):
Likes:
* Camera...I have toddler at home and a quick camera would be great (this is my biggest factor for considering this phone)
* Power...this things seems like a beast!!!
* form factor
* ICS, although I am not as concerned about software bcs it's a matter of porting by one these great devs in XDA.
Dislike:
* Smaller Screen
* Slow 3G speeds when not on LTE area about 50% of time!
Any thoughts that might help me rationalize this decision is greatly appreciate it!
Thank you!

Crey23 said:
Dislikes:
* LAG!!! It's minimized using TW, but any other launcher seems to slow it down. Over all it sometimes does not feel as responsive as expected from the specs.
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Click to collapse
Is lag only in the launchers? If so, try Launcher Pro. No perceptible lag for me.
Good luck figuring this out, it's a tight race between these 2 devices.

davaj said:
Is lag only in the launchers? If so, try Launcher Pro. No perceptible lag for me.
Good luck figuring this out, it's a tight race between these 2 devices.
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No, it's not limited to Launchers, but they do affect normal navigation. I had ran GO, ADW EX, and Holo....and Holo being the "fastest". I just installed Go Ex and it's really fast. I think it more to do with one the widgets that I was running.
But lag can be seen while unlocking, but I hear that the SGS3 is the same...something to do with deep sleep that Samsung uses. It can also be seen while playing some games like Angry Birds. It ran kind of choppy on my old htc Vision(G2) Oc'd @ 1.2 Ghz, but the Note sometimes shows that choppiness too.
One thing that also concerns me is that the RAM is ually running at 65%-75% capacity anyone else?

I can't decide either. My problem is that I have would have to return my note before ever seeing the gs3. I sold my international note for the one x and didn't like that phone so I would probably regret trading for the gs3 as well. Once you get used to the screen on the note its hard to downgrade. Believe me when I say that the note's screen looks way better than the one x, even the guy at Walmart's at&t store agreed with me. Hopefully when we get a kernel source it will speed up our notes, although my note isn't that bad now.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

First and foremost determine what you need in a phone, do you need the Horsepower of a quad core? Most apps aren't designed to work with the quad cores and I would believe that the support of them in ICS is kind of like windows, yes they will use them, but will it use them effectively? Do you want the screen or the camera more? I know for my needs I prefer the screen and the camera is plenty quick enough for what I do, but I don't have kids. As for lag, if it's really that bad, I'd exchange it for another. I only saw lag on my phone after I had launched 20 or 25 apps, running tons of widgets and hadn't shut my phone down in 3 weeks.
So in the end, the trade off is what will you utilize more and what would be best for you. I for one wouldn't trade my note for anything, but again I came from a streak and make full use of my very large screen and not the camera so much. Not to mention, you could wait to get the S3, get it, and in a year they'll probably release a phone that has 3.2GHz quad cores with brand new LTE system that's 10x faster than what we have now.
Technology has always grown faster than we can keep up with, the real question is, how long will you wait to get the latest and greatest? That's the reason why I haven't upgraded my home PC. There's always a new CPU coming out with a new form factor, or the next best graphics card is going to be released in a month or two. My current logic with it now is, hey it works, it works well, I'll keep it until it doesn't suit my needs anymore.
Just my thoughts on it.

Apex launcher is the best launcher for the note no lag on my end. I couldn't see myself going to a smaller screen. My hands fit the phone perfect.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

I will share my views with my days with the ATT Note. If you are running stock ROM..it was a HORRIBLE experience. I had my Captivate at the time and it was super smooth compared to the ATT Note stock.
If you are cool changing ROMS, which I think you are since you are here, I would expect it to be a lot better.
As for the dev on the ATT one dying after the GS3 comes out...well , unless you are buying an international GS3, I wont expect the dev for it to be that huge either compared to the international version but this is just a guess.

davaj said:
If so, try Launcher Pro. No perceptible lag for me.
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Click to collapse
this.

lyall29 said:
I can't decide either. My problem is that I have would have to return my note before ever seeing the gs3....
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
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This is exactly my concern.....Yes it might be all that, as the hox was when it came out, but after I played with it for a bit I was not convinced and actually opted for the GNote instead despite the additional $70 that it cost me.
I guess I like to be a s bleeding edge as possible, being that at the speed of industry... in two years, by the time my contract is over, there will be 6.8Ghz eight core, 0.5 TB solid state drive phones with 21MP cameras that wipe my butt too.... But reality is that it might be overkill.
The other thing that attracts me to the SGS# is that finally an Android phone will have as many accessories as an iPhone given the number of pre-sales, and the fact that it will be the flag-ship device for the 5 major carriers in the US/Canada. I am tired of walking into a best buy and see 90 different cases for the iPhone and, if I'm lucky, finding the $hitty Speck case for my Note lol.
Lastly, my other concer is that in order to get the SGS3 I would have to go from AT&T to VZW, and I am not convinced at all of going from lightning fast VZW LTE to crawling speed 3g EV-DO signal. It is reliable in the area, but LTE does not reach 50% of my territory.
I guess I'm going to keep the GNote, root it and wait for a kernel to break 2.0 Ghz blazing fast phone. I have read a few reviews that measure web processing throughput and the Note beats the SGS3 in the benchmark. Also some of the ROMs available have been tweaked to improve DL perfromance quite drastically.
The camera is pretty snappy too....It seems to take long, but when the picture is revealed it look amazing!

Alrighty, a couple of things to keep in mind.
1. While most apps arent designed to utilize quad cores, this isnt likely to stay that way for long. Since quadcores are fairly new and Android app developers can actually update their apps without some sort of approval process, expect support to happen fairly quickly.
2. The SG3 has a stylus too.
3. ICS will be available for the Note probably in the next month or so. The latest rumour is July 13th. It was delayed 2 weeks because Samsung was fixing a kernel bug that caused the international Note to hard brick when flashing ICS roms.
4. The stock apps are interchangeable. The apps on the Note are available for the SG3 and the SG3 apps are available to put on the Note (this will become easier once ICS is official on the Note).
5. While yes, the Note is bigger, it isnt by much.
Now that Ive addressed those points, I want to talk about ram usage and lag.
The very first thing I am going to recommend is a simple factory reset. Strange as it may be, my Note had nothing but problems first day I had it. I should interject here, my Note was brand new, NOT a refurb. I had only installed a few of my own apps (Audible, BeyondPod, Go Launcher, Beautiful Widgets, and Widget Locker) and had NOT (and still havent in fact) rooted it. I also updated as many of the stock apps manually from the market as I could find since I noticed the stock apps were not linked to the market. And apps began force closing left and right, battery was dead within 6 hours of just streaming audio over bluetooth (hardly any screen time), poor performance, etc. Before I returned it, I did a factory reset and it has been running great since (on probably month 3 now of having it, I bought it very shortly after it came out in the states).
Strangely enough, my brothers Samsung GNexus had poor network performance out of the box, we did a factory reset WHILE driving home with his brand new phone (we drove 2.5 hours to pick up his phone so we had the time) and since then, it has been working fine since.
Ram usage is normal for it to be in the 75% range. Android works a bit differently than Windows and their is no negative to high ram usage TO A POINT. Ram usage exceeding at or exceeding 90% however would be troubling and actually cause poor, laggy performance but under 90% is fine. I dont want to go into the details here but a quick Google search, difference between windows and linux ram usage, might be beneficial.
Finally, my raw opinion, the SG3 is the better phone. The screen is better (albeit smaller), slightly faster, etc. Software differences are a moot point since all of that will be changed in a month when ICS is official for the Note and you can just install software from the phone you DONT have on the phone you DO have. Source code has been released for the Note and the SG3 so we may actually begin seeing some decent rom development begin to happen here in the coming weeks for both phones. What I would say is this, if you want a better quality screen and a slightly faster phone spec wise, go with the SG3. If you want the bigger screen, stick with the Note. Personally, I prefer the screen size and since I spent money on an extended battery for the Note (the Mugen 5400 mah), I wont be switching phones any time soon.

I guess the only thing that bugs me with the at&t note is opening apps. When I had the international note it was twice as fast at opening apps and the international gs2 was even faster. The app I use the most is cash flow for my check register. It takes almost 5 seconds to open with the at&t note and like 1.5 seconds with the gs2. I know I'm being picky but I like things to be fast. The HTC one x to me, was even slower than my gs2. Maybe because of the sense UI, but that's what scares me about the gs3 seeing how it has the same processor as the one x. Maybe I need to be content with what I have and quit wanting all the latest and greatest. After all this worrying I'll probably still get the gs3.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

littlewierdo said:
Alrighty, a couple of things to keep in mind.
1. While most apps arent designed to utilize quad cores, this isnt likely to stay that way for long. Since quadcores are fairly new and Android app developers can actually update their apps without some sort of approval process, expect support to happen fairly quickly.
2. The SG3 has a stylus too.
3. ICS will be available for the Note probably in the next month or so. The latest rumour is July 13th. It was delayed 2 weeks because Samsung was fixing a kernel bug that caused the international Note to hard brick when flashing ICS roms.
4. The stock apps are interchangeable. The apps on the Note are available for the SG3 and the SG3 apps are available to put on the Note (this will become easier once ICS is official on the Note).
5. While yes, the Note is bigger, it isnt by much.
Now that Ive addressed those points, I want to talk about ram usage and lag.
The very first thing I am going to recommend is a simple factory reset. Strange as it may be, my Note had nothing but problems first day I had it. I should interject here, my Note was brand new, NOT a refurb. I had only installed a few of my own apps (Audible, BeyondPod, Go Launcher, Beautiful Widgets, and Widget Locker) and had NOT (and still havent in fact) rooted it. I also updated as many of the stock apps manually from the market as I could find since I noticed the stock apps were not linked to the market. And apps began force closing left and right, battery was dead within 6 hours of just streaming audio over bluetooth (hardly any screen time), poor performance, etc. Before I returned it, I did a factory reset and it has been running great since (on probably month 3 now of having it, I bought it very shortly after it came out in the states).
Strangely enough, my brothers Samsung GNexus had poor network performance out of the box, we did a factory reset WHILE driving home with his brand new phone (we drove 2.5 hours to pick up his phone so we had the time) and since then, it has been working fine since.
Ram usage is normal for it to be in the 75% range. Android works a bit differently than Windows and their is no negative to high ram usage TO A POINT. Ram usage exceeding at or exceeding 90% however would be troubling and actually cause poor, laggy performance but under 90% is fine. I dont want to go into the details here but a quick Google search, difference between windows and linux ram usage, might be beneficial.
Finally, my raw opinion, the SG3 is the better phone. The screen is better (albeit smaller), slightly faster, etc. Software differences are a moot point since all of that will be changed in a month when ICS is official for the Note and you can just install software from the phone you DONT have on the phone you DO have. Source code has been released for the Note and the SG3 so we may actually begin seeing some decent rom development begin to happen here in the coming weeks for both phones. What I would say is this, if you want a better quality screen and a slightly faster phone spec wise, go with the SG3. If you want the bigger screen, stick with the Note. Personally, I prefer the screen size and since I spent money on an extended battery for the Note (the Mugen 5400 mah), I wont be switching phones any time soon.
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Littleweirdo ...thanks for the explanation and opinion. I share much of what you are saying regarding the SGS3, and I think dollar for dollar the SGS3 is far more powerful than the Note. I looked at our bill, and with the new plans that VZW is pushing out on June 28th, we would actually save about $32 a month from our phone bill (which allone is an enticing reason to change). My concern is the LTE to 3G connectivity of the VZW network...not sure if that is a strong enough argument not to change to VZW. Something can be said about the quality of the VZW network that does, in a way, outweigh sheer DL speeds.
lyall29 said:
I guess the only thing that bugs me with the at&t note is opening apps. When I had the international note it was twice as fast at opening apps and the international gs2 was even faster. The app I use the most is cash flow for my check register. It takes almost 5 seconds to open with the at&t note and like 1.5 seconds with the gs2. I know I'm being picky but I like things to be fast. The HTC one x to me, was even slower than my gs2. Maybe because of the sense UI, but that's what scares me about the gs3 seeing how it has the same processor as the one x. Maybe I need to be content with what I have and quit wanting all the latest and greatest. After all this worrying I'll probably still get the gs3.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
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My concern with dropping my Note for the SGS3 sight-unseen is that the SGS3 will not meet my expectations based on the hype.
This is the most annoying cellular phone decision (purchase) I have ever done!! LOL!

Please use the Q&A Forum for questions &
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lufc said:
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions &
Read the Forum Rules Ref Posting
Thanks ✟
Moving to Q&A
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Thanks lufc, hadn't realized that I wasn't in Q&A. :

Well I bit the bullet..... I switched to VZW. Specs wise the sgs3 seems to be superior, but push come to shove, a $35 a month savings with unlimited voice and text and 4gb gigs once the new pricing plans kick in at the end of the month.
I will miss the huge screen and te s- pen. And I might regret it, but I had to do it from a logical perspective.
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Crey23 said:
Littleweirdo ...thanks for the explanation and opinion. I share much of what you are saying regarding the SGS3, and I think dollar for dollar the SGS3 is far more powerful than the Note. I looked at our bill, and with the new plans that VZW is pushing out on June 28th, we would actually save about $32 a month from our phone bill (which allone is an enticing reason to change). My concern is the LTE to 3G connectivity of the VZW network...not sure if that is a strong enough argument not to change to VZW. Something can be said about the quality of the VZW network that does, in a way, outweigh sheer DL speeds.
My concern with dropping my Note for the SGS3 sight-unseen is that the SGS3 will not meet my expectations based on the hype.
This is the most annoying cellular phone decision (purchase) I have ever done!! LOL!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, Im not a fanboy by any stretch of the imagination. BUT, Samsung hasnt created a crappy phone since prior to the Galaxy S line of phones - I cant speak to anything prior to that because I never owned a Samsung phone prior to the Captivate. They have proven that they are ready to play with the big boys, they are even taking on a certain fruit company in court.
Why WOULDNT the Galaxy S3 not live up to all the hype? All the tech enthusiasts love it, ask anyone who has it outside of the US, they all love it as well. I think its a fantastic device and other than a smaller screen, its an upgrade from the Note in EVERY aspect, including a much higher quality screen.
If I wasnt invested in the Note already (ie a contract & a $100 extended battery), Id be looking very seriously at the S3 because the Note is older tech. Honestly, Id be laughing at the Note's screen size (I did originally before I decided to just see if I could live with it) because hell, its big.
If Im GOING to buy a phone, Im going to get the latest tech because I know that living with a phone for two years is going to be painful during the last 6 months of the contract.
Although I dont see myself wanting to upgrade my phone after two years due to the limited things I actually USE my phone for (podcasts, audiobooks from Audible, driving directions and checking for app updates for the 15 or so apps I have installed), my Note is plenty adequate. Hell, I would still be using the Captivate if it hadnt died on me. It did everything the Note does for me (that I use it for that is) and it even had a MUCH better sound processor (the Note's sound processing is TERRIBLE).

I'm still curious why people talk about the sgs3 like it's a pentium 4 to the notes pentium 2. The us note is a 1.5ghz dual core, the us sgs3 is a 1.5ghz dual core. The sgs3 has more ram, which means very little when appropriate customizations can create a silky smooth experience on either device. And to top it all off, with the right optimizations in the rom and kernel, a 1ghz tegra 2 is just as smooth as these 1.5 ghz chips. My atrix was buttery smooth on cm9, my note is buttery smooth on cm9, and I'm sure the sgs3 will be buttery smooth on cm9. In my opinion, it comes down to aesthetics and screen, because everything else is a variable if you plan to flash.
SGH-i717 mesosphere

littlewierdo said:
Ok, Im not a fanboy by any stretch of the imagination. BUT, Samsung hasnt created a crappy phone since prior to the Galaxy S line of phones - I cant speak to anything prior to that because I never owned a Samsung phone prior to the Captivate. They have proven that they are ready to play with the big boys, they are even taking on a certain fruit company in court.
Why WOULDNT the Galaxy S3 not live up to all the hype? All the tech enthusiasts love it, ask anyone who has it outside of the US, they all love it as well. I think its a fantastic device and other than a smaller screen, its an upgrade from the Note in EVERY aspect, including a much higher quality screen.
If I wasnt invested in the Note already (ie a contract & a $100 extended battery), Id be looking very seriously at the S3 because the Note is older tech. Honestly, Id be laughing at the Note's screen size (I did originally before I decided to just see if I could live with it) because hell, its big.
If Im GOING to buy a phone, Im going to get the latest tech because I know that living with a phone for two years is going to be painful during the last 6 months of the contract.
Although I dont see myself wanting to upgrade my phone after two years due to the limited things I actually USE my phone for (podcasts, audiobooks from Audible, driving directions and checking for app updates for the 15 or so apps I have installed), my Note is plenty adequate. Hell, I would still be using the Captivate if it hadnt died on me. It did everything the Note does for me (that I use it for that is) and it even had a MUCH better sound processor (the Note's sound processing is TERRIBLE).
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Yeah I hear ya.....I have seen multiple videos on the the SGS3 and it seems like an incredibly fluid device. I have to say the screen real state i will miss, but since I am returning my Note today, and will get the SGS3 in early July I am back on an Blackberry Pearl 8130...the screen size is about 1/4 of the Note's....maybe less LOL. So I think by the time i get the G3 it will seem like a huge screen!
I will miss the S-Pen....I did use it quite a bit. I stopped taking my notebook to meetings bcs all I needed was my note.
pyro254750 said:
I'm still curious why people talk about the sgs3 like it's a pentium 4 to the notes pentium 2. The us note is a 1.5ghz dual core, the us sgs3 is a 1.5ghz dual core. The sgs3 has more ram, which means very little when appropriate customizations can create a silky smooth experience on either device. And to top it all off, with the right optimizations in the rom and kernel, a 1ghz tegra 2 is just as smooth as these 1.5 ghz chips. My atrix was buttery smooth on cm9, my note is buttery smooth on cm9, and I'm sure the sgs3 will be buttery smooth on cm9. In my opinion, it comes down to aesthetics and screen, because everything else is a variable if you plan to flash.
SGH-i717 mesosphere
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You are right in the sence that many phones just need to be optimized in order to get them smooth. I did that with my htc Vision/G2 once I rooted, swaped kernels, flashed a "few" ROM's including ICS and had it OC'd to nearly 2x it's rated processor speed. BUT, and you know a but was coming....
There is something to be said of the posibilities of a device being launched nearly simultaneously on all 5 major carriers in the US...no other device has ever done that (at least under the same name, and never in so close proximity of one from the other).
The other thing impressive about the G3 is the hardware, it's got 2GB of ram, and incredible camera, a very good processor (though not the latest), and note like beautiful screen. For me the camera alone draws my attention, and the fact that the spec are as close to bleeding edge as we can get in a production device, makes me pretty happy to know that I can pull of 2 years of no upgrades.
In fact, when I purchased the htc G2 on T-Mobile nearly 2 yrs ago, it was the only phone on 4G network, and it was the best phone out there for a while, and I found no reason to envy any other devices. I switched from it bcs I got tired of the poor data strength of T-mobile in my area, and the fact that sitting at my office, getting signal was a hit/miss situation, but the device itself it's still kicking....it's my toddler's mini tablet at the moment.

littlewierdo said:
my raw opinion, the SG3 is the better phone.
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Amazes me that people make statements like this without ever seeing, touching, or using a phone..

wase4711 said:
Amazes me that people make statements like this without ever seeing, touching, or using a phone..
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Ive seen it first hand (the international version). The screen is probably the biggest thing about the SG3, its a better quality screen than the Note.
Samsung has NAILED every phone. Would people be buying it otherwise? Look at the world wide sales, look at the tech reviews, there is hardly anything negative to say about it.
In fact, the only negative is that it doesnt have the latest processor, big whoop in my opinion. Oh, and maybe touchwiz, but touchwiz is decent now, nothing like the pile of poo it was on the Captivate.

Related

Would you buy the Note again?

Thinking about dumping Verizon due to their amazingly crappy selection of phones. It also doesn't help that their network in the Seattle area is frequently the 1G network (works great elsewhere when I travel). Primarily I need a phone that has a minimum 48gb space (with SD card) and a large screen. Just wondering the satisfaction with this phone. Currently I'm using a Dinc 1 but it's getting old and the screen is nowhere near the size of the Note.
My gf has a dinc 1, there is no comparison between it and the note. Completely different league of device.
i had a captivate before the note, and even comparing that to the dinc, the dinc comes up short, but now that i have and am used to the note, they both feel like toys in my hand. Just Tiny.
If you want that much space, and a big screen, the note is the biggest screen around. I am really happy with it.
i have been super happy with the note. i would certainly buy it again. i dont regret picking it up on launch day at all.
+1 to studacris as well. everything else seems to tiny. i gave my son my skyrocket and even that 4.5 inch screen seems small. i couldnt not imagine those that have the 3.5 inch screen...cough cough damn fruits.
lol
great phone though
Yes. Screen size has become a much more meaningful spec to me these days. Hopefully they will have a new version (same screen size) out by the time I'm ready for an upgrade. Given Samsung's track record for new phones this seems highly likely. It will be hard to go to a smaller screen, no matter how many megapixels and cores they throw in these phones. When I had the Skyrocket I continued to stay abreast on the latest phones and was also thinking of buying the Nook Tab. Now that I have the GNote I'm not concerened anymore about the upcoming latest and greatest phone/tab. I'm about as satisfied as one can be.
10 char answer - YES!
Yes I would buy the note again without a doubt.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Definitely would buy again. I am ruined from all other phones, they are just too small now.
The Note is a great phone. I carry my skyrocket while at work. I'm a crane operator so the Note is not practical for that environment and I mostly use my phone for music while working. After work its all Note, especially when I'm out running errands and handling business. I can make notes, schedule appts, make grocery list, create and track agendas etc, much easier and quicker with the Note than I can with my other phones. Reading an ebook in the bed is great on the Note. Also the S-Pen is very nice (Mr. Jobs clearly was wrong), can have a little lag, but I'm sure that will be ironed out in the future.
No question I would buy the Note again.
Awesome phone (one of if not THE best there is today) and I love the feature set as well as capabilities, but the longer I own it, I've got to admit, the more cumbersome it becomes.
I really do like the phone a lot, but I find that I do so in spite of its size. Sure, I love the screen size for the sake of what it "shows you", but form-factor wise from an overall hardware perspective, it's just proving over time to be too big IMHO, and I'm an avg sized guy w/avg to slightly larger-than-avg sized hands.
In short, I don't plan on selling it anytime soon (I'm under contract until Sept 2013, and I'm not a phone jockey who buys and sells these things on eBay like packs of tube socks), but I can't say with any amount of honesty that I'd buy a phone that even approaches this size again.
I'm sure someone's gonna flame me for this response, but I am hoping that the point of this thread is honest disclosure and not just for back-slapping among Note-owners.
-Ryan
YES!
Big time happy with the Note... came from an Infuse 4G and Blackberry Torch before that. No looking back!
No other phone currently on the market appeals to me. I would therefore happily buy the note again.
I would buy it again! Most definitely. The Note is coming to Sprint when they release their LTE. Not sure when or if Verizon is going to release it. The htc one x looks nice BUT I will definitely wait for a NOTE 2. I wont go back to a smaller screen.
-Once you go NOTE, you'd say 4 inches a Joke
I had the iPhone 4 before and the only thing I miss is the Retina Display,other than that, the Galaxy Note is the best phone I've ever had.
I would definitely buy it again.
ryandelman said:
Awesome phone (one of if not THE best there is today) and I love the feature set as well as capabilities, but the longer I own it, I've got to admit, the more cumbersome it becomes.
I really do like the phone a lot, but I find that I do so in spite of its size. Sure, I love the screen size for the sake of what it "shows you", but form-factor wise from an overall hardware perspective, it's just proving over time to be too big IMHO, and I'm an avg sized guy w/avg to slightly larger-than-avg sized hands.
In short, I don't plan on selling it anytime soon (I'm under contract until Sept 2013, and I'm not a phone jockey who buys and sells these things on eBay like packs of tube socks), but I can't say with any amount of honesty that I'd buy a phone that even approaches this size again.
I'm sure someone's gonna flame me for this response, but I am hoping that the point of this thread is honest disclosure and not just for back-slapping among Note-owners.
-Ryan
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Sound like a good honest opinion to me. I personally went for the note for the screen size as the number one factor. I'll probably stick with it until the note 2 comes out, but if I were like you and wanted something smaller I'd probably be looking closely at the sgs3 or asus padfone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium
SG3 around the corner
The Note is a great phone the screen size is great for web browesing and watching hd videos (minus the Black crush/Clipping issues that hopefully will be fixed with ICS) But with the SG3 coming out next month with a 4.65 super amoled+ display with true RBG tiles 300+ ppi, quad core exynos LTE chip inside, ICS onboard at launch (still none of these specs are official just expected).If I were off contract I would have a hard time deciding get the Note or wait for the SG3 or wait longer til Nov for the Note2 with better specs than the SG3. It all depends on what you want out of it and if you want to wait. Personally I like to get a new phone at launch keep it for 20 or more months til the next launch of great phone so I guess I'll be waiting for the Note 3!
The negatives to know about...
The Note does not yet have NFC (Near Field Communication) but there is a custom software fix to enable it (requires root and CWM to install).
The screen also has 2 issues, what some have called black crush, and another completely separate issue called banding. The banding was my issue (I havent noticed any of the "black crush' issues people have been mentioning). I found a setting under the display options to disable saving screen power and it took a day or two and the banding began to disappear (it wasnt an immediate fix).
The last thing about the display is that it is a pentile display. Colours arent 100% accurate so if you are super sensitive to this, you'll notice. The display is a high contrast and slightly over saturated with colour as well so expect this.
The phone does not have the same high quality sound processor that the Captivate had. In fact, its quite lousy. I mean, it works but the experience will be very similar to a built in sound chip on a motherboard rather than having a dedicated sound card.
The phone also does not have a quadcore processor because ATTs LTE does not yet work with quadcores (dont ask me why).
Some have argued that the video chip on the Note is not as fast as Qualcomms.
The last over all issue is the size. Its huge. Its massive. It took nearly a week for me to get used to the size. The biggest problem with the size is that it will occasionally require two hands to reach certain screen locations. You should be aware of this if you occasionally need to do something with your phone and need one free hand (driving for example).
Touchwiz sucks.
On the dev side, things are moving rather slowly compared to other phones, primarily because we still dont have any source code yet (based on my understanding anyway). Once source code is floating around, most of the software issues will be resolved (like Touchwiz).
Now, it may seem like I just trashed the phone. Honestly, I believe in knowing all the negatives up front. Personally, I like my Note. Every phone has its own problems, not one of them is perfect.
Most of the display issues (which are the bulk of the problems) I personally am ok with but Im not super picky in this regard. The sound chip does bother me, Im more of a sound person as I am a musician. The phone having a dual core is fine considering I rarely utilize half of this phones processing power. NFC doesnt bother me because I simply dont have a use case for it.
Would I get a different phone? Probably not.
But if you are considering a different phone specifically due to size, take a look at the Galaxy S2 (the sky rocket on ATT but every carrier has their own branded version). The Galaxy S2 doesnt have most of the screen issues the Note has and is more manageable to people with smaller hands while still being a fantastically great phone (I have two Galaxy S2's).
I dont believe in looking to the future unless you are looking at most a month in the future. If you do, you'll never buy a new piece of hardware as there is always something better around the corner.
I believe the Galaxy S2 or the Note are both future proof thru the next 2 years. While there are better phones coming, these phones are getting to the point that 99% of users will never achieve more than 80% of these newer phones full potential. Processing power is more than enough for anything coming in the next couple of years. Hell, other than the screen size, my Samsung Captivate is more than capable of doing everything out right now and my Captivate is two years old.
For the time being, I would repurchase the Note. Even with ICS still being refined for the time being, it's the most 'future-proof' phone for the time being. It should have this status for at least the next year span (or at least for 6 months).
Considering that I went from the Streak to this, the next 'successor phone' has to be a phablet again....be it Samsung or whichever vendor steps up their game.
Like right now, the One X looks ok...but honestly looks like a GS2 replica basically. (I personally haven't tried it yet...but that's just from skimming online articles about it).
Buy it. You will not be disappointed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717
Yep without a doubt. Came from an iPhone4. Using one of those now the screen is tiny and it feels like a toy.
I have purchased the Note three times. My girlfriend has one, and I just went back to the Note after trying iPhone for two weeks.
Great phone with ICS installed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium

Note VS. HTC One X AT&T

I'm really leaning towards the AT&T Galaxy Note but I am somewhat swayed by the HTC One X. Leaning more towards the Note because of the development and SD card. I just love Samsung phones and have had bad experiences with HTC phones. But the one thing keeping me from the Galaxy Note is the horrible S3 processor. Its to bad we didn't get the Qualcomm S4 chip like the ONE X got.
HTC One X Pros:
-Great Design
-Awesome screen
-S4 Chip
Cons:
-Locked Bootloader (kind of a newbie at rooting but have been successful flashing roms with the i777, and skyrocket)
-16GB internal and THAT'S IT
-Horrible at multitasking (pretty much a deal breaker)
-Many report defects with the phone: screen issues, loose buttons, dust in screen
G-NOTE Pros:
Development support (Tons of ICS roms)
Very easy to root and flash rom
Love the form factor
Spacious
SD-Card
Cons:
Processor, while faster than the Exynos chip, its still out performed
Think I answered my own question, but would love to hear some thoughts on those who have been using the Note now for a couple months. I HATE LAG and read the Note suffers from this, but I plan on flashing Saurom.
Let me attempt to help you out.
I had the onx x first and exchanged it for about 5 times for defects. Good luck getting a perfect one.
screen is better quality on one x. But the note is almost as good with bigger size.
I'm done with the one x. Happy with the note since switch.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
You pretty much said it yourself the not e is totally the way too go. I considered going to the X when it first came out but with all the little problems it seems to have and me loving everything about my Note i see no reason to get it.
I guess I've had two devices without lag or I just don't know what lag is. I guess that click an icon to and it takes half a second on occasion to do that action is lag but I'm just not that impatient.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
If you were even considering the One X why not wait for the S3? It is very comparable in size to the X. The only real difference I see is a little bit of real estate and a pen.
I am seriously looking at the S3 as a backup phone to my Note. I can't see it replacing the Note though.
This is like comparing apples to oranges...
Unless you are buying international, the one x will not be quad. Since you mentioned att I'm assuming you want an att phone, might be wrong here.
IMO note wins, love it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
The GNote is a great phone, which has been remarkably bug free for the most part. I am also going to pick up a SGSIII after launch. I just sold my skyrocket to make room for the SGSIII. I never even considered the HOX.
I like to switch out periodically.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
With an ICS ROM there is no lag on the Note that I can tell. You would be sorry real quick with the limited storage and locked bootloader. The Note's processor has never been an issue to me. While not as "good" as the Exynos, still a quality chip with LTE support. Note is a great phone. I've owned it since day one.
I have an upgrade available and I was thinking about getting the HOX ---
but I think Im gonna wait for the S3 or the next iPhone. The HOX and its lack of features (removeable battery, expandable storage, unlocked bootloader) makes me think its going to be another Atrix. All the balls but noone to play with it. (Although the Atrix has come a long way since it was released).
If you want, get the Note first. When the gs3 comes, get that and sell the Note. I am really spoiled by the Huge screen....I dont think I will switch anytime soon. Unless 「Note 2」
-Once you go NOTE, you'd say 4 inches a Joke
You come on a note forum as ask which one we'd get? Lol.
The One-X has to many shortcomings which far overshadow the few good things about the device. I wouldn't even consider the device.
The S3 seems not special enough. My next device will probably be a note 2
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
If I have to use this god forsaken iPhone another day I'm gonna EXPLODE!!!
If i were you i'd get the Htc one x, and share your experience with htc with us. I had it with htc, good design but lots of hardware issues. I had the titan, issue gallore.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
I think the fact you can buy two spare batteries for the note for 15$ is a pretty good argument haha
add to the fact that you can have 48+ gb's on the note
I don't see what good a camera with zero shutter lag is if your going to fill up the 9 gb's the user has available in absolutely no time.
After upgrading to ICS, I've experienced no lags or hiccups with the S3 processor
The Note is better than the One X, but i dont think it is better the SGSIII so the SGS3 will have to give me my new phone Fix till the Note2 drops.........Cant wait on both of these devices.
I purchased the One X the day it came out, upgrading from a galaxy s2. Had to take first one back because of a broken speaker. Kept the "good" one for a week then took it back and was going to wait for the sgs3... then out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimmer of sunlight shining off the Galaxy note.
I said meh and figured I'd keep it a couple weeks and wait for the 3. Surprised to say that I cancelled my pre-order on the sgs3 yesterday (had the phone about a week now).
Love the note, the development community is great and diverse (even coming from the vastly populated sgs2 community), and the accessory / upgrade options that the note has well established.
One X multi tasking finished it off for me, sense took way too much memory, battery life hurt, screen was great but I'm spoiled by the perfect contrast of the amoled since the sgs2 (I am in darker environments most often and the inverted screens are unbeatable on amoled). Locked boot loader will eventually be cracked but I don't want to support a company (at&t or htc) doing that anyways, so it made the decision that much easier.
I'm a big benchmarker myself, so seeing some of the scores on the note felt like a punch in the gut at first. But after loading cm9 and tweaking a bit I've got mine running great with no noticeable lag at all, which is less than I can say for my sgs2 on cm9 and especially the HOX (even without sense).
Go grab the hox play with it for a bit, you get 30 days return with at&t. But know that the processor isn't something you're going to hold and look at daily (like the feel of the phone, or the bad ass screen- both of which the note wins out on IMO) :beer:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
I hadn't even seen this thread until after I exchanged for an AT&T Note, but I got the AT&T HTC One X two weeks ago.
My summary of it was: ICS and the Hardware are nice, but coming from the SGS4G, I liked having an external sdcard.
Since the HOX bootloaders are locked and s-on, not really much rom development yet. I'm sure there will be awesome roms when they unlock.
So with that, I figured I'd keep my phone stock + root for a while and wait for unlocked bootloaders. But the software on the HOX is kinda flaky. I lost my job a few weeks ago and need phone calls from recruiters. The other day I got 5 emails stating that they tried calling me but no answer. That won't work for me.
So, Now I have a note
Processor isnt EVERYTHING!
-Once you go NOTE, you'd say 4 inches a Joke
I swap phones all the time. I am always curious about what is new.
That being said I am a huge fan of the note, but snagged a one x at launch.
Within the first hour, or the honeymoon phase, I was in love. The one x is well built, and is a snappy phone. However, with natural and practical use - the phone loses its luster with the multi tasking. While it may not seem like a big deal - imagine an app, or a web page re loading fresh at every view.
Also, imagine a phone with no sd slot, leaving you with no greater than 8gb storage for media once all of your apps were installed. The point of owning a smart phone is a one stop shop of a device - one that you can browse the web, listen to music, make calls, use apps etc. the point of a smartphone, for me at least is to NOT carry multiple devices for life's activies. I don't have an unlimited data plan, so te fact that I couldn't store my music on the phone was a deal breaker, since I use my phone at least 5 days a week for music.
Also, the gps performance was sub par. I can not confirm that this was or was not my particular unit- but if the phone wasn't under the window of my car it would quickly lose gps signal.
Note is one of the best phones I've used. The only downside is that it requires almost constant 2 handed use. Sure you may get away with some one handed action, but not while driving.
---------- Post added at 11:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 PM ----------
Don't get me wrong - rhe one x feels and looks superb. The display is, although smaller, just as beautiful as the note's. However, after the initial "wow" factor wears off, You begin to feel like the onex was kinda pushed out the gate. It's poor memory management is assumed to be directly related to allocating system resources to making sure sense runs well and good - which it does.
My final point being - of you were to try a device for 30 days, I would test a note. There are some cool things happening almost daily now to keep you interested and also improving an already awesome device. Give htc some time to figure out their situation and figure out if they want REALLY sell their flagship device or not.
When I saw the Note I just feel in love with this device from the bigging and watch story on it on youtube and web and forums about other people posted about the device.
I did look into the HTC ONE X
I was so upset it didn't support SD Card that really turn me down on this device.
don't get me wrong both are wonderful devices and it's up to you what device you would like to have and do research on it before you buy it.

Galaxy S3 VS EVO 4G LTE

hey everyone, I currently have the EVO 4g LTE, and really like it. although, I'm wondering if I should switch to the galaxy s3. do you guys think that its worth the switch?
Oh please no. Threads like these cause chaos
Here's the bottom line though and this applies to everyone:
You will never have the "best" phone out there because there will always be something better. And not only to that point, but different phones have different strengths and weaknesses. I recommend you try the S3, either go to the store or if a friend of yours has it swap phones with him or her for a couple of days. Don't make the decision based on what's the "best" phone but rather what is the best phone for yourself.
Considering the fact that you really like your Evo, there's no need (in my opinion) to jump onto a new device.
On a personal note, I dislike Samsung phones (although their monitors are AWESOME) so while I do like the hardware components of it, it would not invoke a switch for me. Not to mention the LTE is a brand new phone anyway and I'm not planning on spending full retail for any phones in the near future
Either way, whatever you decide, I hope it works out for you. In the future though, don't post these threads in a forum which is dedicated to either phone. You will get answers results because people that have the phone have it for a reason
Points you'll here from people who wouldn't give it a thought:
1. Higher Pixel Density Screen Thats Visible In Sunlight (3 sub pixels for every pixel compared to the samsungs 2 sub pixel pentil display)
2. Current App Market Has No Use For 2GB of RAM (I can open 20 apps on my phone and it wont lag)
3. Higher Aperture Camera And Better Camera Software Plus A Camera Button
4. Beats Audio, Sense Widgets, and HTC's better radios.
MARIO SHARK said:
hey everyone, I currently have the EVO 4g LTE, and really like it. although, I'm wondering if I should switch to the galaxy s3. do you guys think that its worth the switch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Follow-up question: Which is better - Mac or PC?
You will obviously always be able to find somebody to tell you what you want to hear. If one device was perfect, there wouldn't be any other devices.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
im in the same boat as you OP and i've been thinking about it for the past couple days and, no doubt, for the next coming days until launch. but until it touches down you have to decide what you would rather have in a phone:
screen (realistic + vibrant vs oversaturation + deeper blacks)
UI --> sense vs twiz OR stock vs custom roms
kickstand + camera button vs not
form factor vs case (if youre going to put it in a case then form factor hardly matters anymore)
non\removable battery (keep in mind, replacing an nfc battery will prob cost more than usual)
the biggest thing to consider, i would think, is the user interface. for a stock experience, the s3 has more goodies, but if youre going to rip stock off whichever phone you get then next to consider is the screen, which i would determine by going to a sprint store and comparing the displays btwn the lte and the nexus, which is pretty fricken hard, but good luck
something to keep in mind: thinking about jumping ship to another phone can be seem more tempting bc you've already passed the "honeymoon" phase by already having the lte, dont let the shiney newness of the s3 make you to make the wrong decision - compare the facts, when you think you've decided, compare them again.
The only thing better is the ram. A different launcher pretty much eliminates what people think of when they see the word touchwiz or sense.
The evo feels way better to hold. i had a nexus s and while it did feel ok it was very plastic. The gs3 will be the same.
Pretty much the use of the phone will be the same. They will both have their hitches every so often which is an Android issue. It really comes down to personal preference.
What opinions do you think you will get in the evo forum.
Hmmmm ok. I'm only thinking that I should make the change since I've been with HTC for 3 years. I'm wondering if its time for a change
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
I think it honestly boils down to better screen vs. 2 gigs of RAM. Take your pick.
MARIO SHARK said:
Hmmmm ok. I'm only thinking that I should make the change since I've been with HTC for 3 years. I'm wondering if its time for a change
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might be, I did just the opposite. My entire android experience besides a brief time with a hero has been with Samsung. I decided to switch without looking back and couldn't be happier I did. These high end gadgets will always have their pluses and minuses but in the end either way the experience is much better once you commit and start enjoying what you have and not comparing anymore.
Sent from my EVO
I know people say the extra ram won't matter But let me remind you all that the htc sensation had 768 (or close) to it ram and the gs2 had 1 gig the htc evo 3d also had 1 gig and the phones with 1 gig didn't suffer from the lag the sensation had from lower ram, they were much smoother . My old pc had half a gig of ram in it an it ran like **** slow very slow. My friend put another half a gig stick in the computer and when it booted up i couldnt believe it that much faster. Point I'm trying to make I's there not putting a extra 1gig of ram in the phone for nothing ,there's gonna be a difference but I'll let it playout when the gs3 release . I'll keep my told you card in my back pocket till then lol. Still keeping my evo unless Samsung pull off a greater phone i pre ordered the gs3 with intentions to sell it on Ebay .
Sent from my EVO using XDA Premium App
Cry Havoc said:
I think it honestly boils down to better screen vs. 2 gigs of RAM. Take your pick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. The Pentile screen is a deal breaker for me, but boy am I jealous of the 2 gigs of RAM. While others may not see the benefits of it, I sure would.
Choosing between high end devices is simply an evaluation of your needs vs the feature set, not which is the best per se.
Maybe one day all of us can have our specific needs and wants addressed and have the perfect phone..... for us.
(I've also heard there's a big difference in the quality of the radios which also swung me towards the EVO)
The pentile screen on the sgs3 isn't the noticible... A friend of mine got the global version of the sgs3 and you can even tell the difference between sgs3 screen to the EVO 4g LTE screen... Very minor differences.
Network, Network, Network
I would honestly say that the difference between the two phones will be pretty slim. Question becomes what you need the phone to do when you are in your normal routine. Luckily I live 10 blocks from my place of employment in a mid-major metropolitan area (nearly 300,000 people) and I am on Wifi most of the time. Unfortunately Sprint will not be rolling out 4g here anytime soon. If I didn't have Wifi as much as I do I would have switched to Verizon a long time ago. Was promised Wi-Max with the OG and never got close to getting it within 150 miles. I would think that the Evo would have a more dedicated development community from my experience with the OG but I could be wrong.
My question is more based towards rooting, and development.
The EVO 4G LTE does not have a removable battery, thus a battery pull cannot be done in the event of a boot loop.
The Sammy GS3 on the other hand does have a removable battery.
What are some thoughts on this?
silentstryder said:
My question is more based towards rooting, and development.
The EVO 4G LTE does not have a removable battery, thus a battery pull cannot be done in the event of a boot loop.
The Sammy GS3 on the other hand does have a removable battery.
What are some thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holding the power button for 20 seconds or so does the same thing. It interrupts the circuit as if you pulled the battery.
---------- Post added at 11:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 AM ----------
AllI know is a tablet like the transformer prime has 1gb ram and no one complains. The only reason people complain is because there is now a device with more, even if it doesn't matter. I doubt there is even one app in the market that can make use of more ram other than a ram benchmark.
Very legitimate question, OP. Normally this would be very easy to shrug off as flame-bait, but what we need to keep in mind is the overlap between these two devices. Because of the LTEVO's delay, its return window comes extremely close to the GS3's launch, so we're in a very unique (and beneficial) situation. Many of us are able to test both phones before making our final decision. I had my LTEVO for almost 2 weeks before returning it to Wirefly. Don't get me wrong, for the most part, I LOVED the phone, but I would have REALLY been bummed if for whatever reason the Galaxy S III ends up being a much better phone. If we're able to test both, why not wait? Wait a few weeks is a much easier pill to swallow than waiting a few months (thank you LTEVO delay).
I think it's really gonna depend on sense vs touch wiz vs custom roms and mods. I loved all the custom roms and mods that came with the original EVO. I had the S2 but my favorite developers stayed with HTC. Samsung phones are awesome, but it needs more developers.
Forgot to add that I had the S2 2x before and after LOS. Now the signal sucks and its a new kernel update every 3 days. Had a lot of software issues, but great phone.
AsinX said:
Points you'll here from people who wouldn't give it a thought:
1. Higher Pixel Density Screen Thats Visible In Sunlight (3 sub pixels for every pixel compared to the samsungs 2 sub pixel pentil display)
2. Current App Market Has No Use For 2GB of RAM (I can open 20 apps on my phone and it wont lag)
3. Higher Aperture Camera And Better Camera Software Plus A Camera Button
4. Beats Audio, Sense Widgets, and HTC's better radios.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget to add that you have to shell out $40 for the new proprietary MHL cable that only samsung sells.
unknown_owner said:
Don't forget to add that you have to shell out $40 for the new proprietary MHL cable that only samsung sells.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea Samsung is taking a page out of apple's book there..it seems to me.that although they are still android that Samsung is breaking away from whole team Android..IMOa proprietary mhlis ridiculous..what's next the charging port
firmbiz94 said:
Yea Samsung is taking a page out of apple's book there..it seems to me.that although they are still android that Samsung is breaking away from whole team Android..IMOa proprietary mhlis ridiculous..what's next the charging port
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Proprietary cables piss me off. I'm still mad that things went from mini-usb to micro-usb. I have had so many problems with micro-usb cables and ports. Never had a problem with mini-usb, was nice and solid. I think the micro-usb ports are crap... I too am having a problem deciding between S3 vs EVOLTE. I have the original EVO still. I wish sprint would just get the Galaxy Note/Journal, thats the phone I really want right now...

Looking at upgrades - SGN or SGS3

I have been looking at upgrades to my SGS2, and I am a bit torn between the two phones - Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Samsung Galaxy S III (AT&T).
Looking at the stats, there is very little difference, and the Nexus is about half the price for an unlocked one straight from Google.
Battery life should be close, but the specs all show a much lower number then I would expect, so I am guessing that it is from the quad core version, and not the US version.
Has anyone done a comparison? I have been looking and always end up with the Quad core version rather then the Dual core one for the US.
The Nexus isn't an upgrade from the S2, it's a sidegrade at best (and possibly even a downgrade depending on what's important to you in a smart phone).
I've been having the same trouble . It just seems like the SGS3 is a better choice. Also the SGN isn't LTE and the SGS3 is.
According to your question it's undoubtedly the Samsung galaxy S3
but on the other hand if you are a pure android fan and want fast updates from google then it's definitely the Galaxy Nexus...
I would say that the SGS3 would be the better one unless you want pure Android.
i would say wait for the next nexus phone with lte capabilities..that's gonna be my next smartphone maybe, want pure android not pure bloatware from carriers and delayed updates
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Nexus for sure
Jelly Bean makes it feel like a whole new phone, I am probably going to order mine next Week.
crimsonconcepts said:
I have been looking at upgrades to my SGS2, and I am a bit torn between the two phones - Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Samsung Galaxy S III (AT&T).
Looking at the stats, there is very little difference, and the Nexus is about half the price for an unlocked one straight from Google.
Battery life should be close, but the specs all show a much lower number then I would expect, so I am guessing that it is from the quad core version, and not the US version.
Has anyone done a comparison? I have been looking and always end up with the Quad core version rather then the Dual core one for the US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As much as you would hate this... I'll say waite.
There is nothing wrong with the SGSII. Its freaking awesome, and for me, it's even better than the G Nexus.
As for the SGS3, Android as for now, is in no need of 4 cores, specially samsung ones that are a brand new technology that is still in developement. Even Tegra 3 are equaled in performance by S4 dual core chips, while consuming less power. (as seen on One X series)
I bet around fall we will see a new and decent Nexus device, that i say its worth the waite.
rich.x87 said:
As much as you would hate this... I'll say waite.
There is nothing wrong with the SGSII. Its freaking awesome, and for me, it's even better than the G Nexus.
As for the SGS3, Android as for now, is in no need of 4 cores, specially samsung ones that are a brand new technology that is still in developement. Even Tegra 3 are equaled in performance by S4 dual core chips, while consuming less power. (as seen on One X series)
I bet around fall we will see a new and decent Nexus device, that i say its worth the waite.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The at&t s3 only has 2 cores
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
I'm waiting for the next batch of phones with a new SoC.
The only thing I want from the SGSIII is that screen.
I would say look at reviews of both and see which fits your needs and then make a decision. No one can make this decision for u
Sent from my SGH-i777 using XDA
IMO, the only reason to pick a Galaxy Nexus over any other phone is because you want quicker updates. It has nothing else over any other device, imo.
I too am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have 1 line available for an upgrade now and another on Aug. 1st. Problem is my SGS2s work perfectly and even though the S3 has some nice features (zero shutter lag for one). It does not feel like enough of an upgrade harware wise. The GNexus is pretty much on par with the S2 except a slightly larger screen size and NO removable sdcard. So I decided to just wait. But my daughters handed down SGS1 Cappy sdcard just failed a few days ago. She was runing it with CM7 still and liked it. So since I am STUCK with having to get a new phone my dilema is this. Get the SGS3 and hand down my SGS2? Get the Gnex from the play store which I like the updates available but give it to her, then I STILL have 1 phone available for upgrade and another soon so IF something better comes along I can jump on it. OR third choice get a SGS2 I777 for her and waste one upgrade. Decisions decisions...
Sent from My SGH-I777 Running UCLE5 SANGRE AZUL 2 Rom
RockRatt said:
I too am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have 1 line available for an upgrade now and another on Aug. 1st. Problem is my SGS2s work perfectly and even though the S3 has some nice features (zero shutter lag for one). It does not feel like enough of an upgrade harware wise. The GNexus is pretty much on par with the S2 except a slightly larger screen size and NO removable sdcard. So I decided to just wait. But my daughters handed down SGS1 Cappy sdcard just failed a few days ago. She was runing it with CM7 still and liked it. So since I am STUCK with having to get a new phone my dilema is this. Get the SGS3 and hand down my SGS2? Get the Gnex from the play store which I like the updates available but give it to her, then I STILL have 1 phone available for upgrade and another soon so IF something better comes along I can jump on it. OR third choice get a SGS2 I777 for her and waste one upgrade. Decisions decisions...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That middle option sounds good to me. It'd be nice to have an upgrade available late in the year or early 2013 when new phones start coming out...
Wait for the Next Nexus that will hopefully come out in the fall/winter season.
mattdm said:
That middle option sounds good to me. It'd be nice to have an upgrade available late in the year or early 2013 when new phones start coming out...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I'm edging towards with my upgrade. I was considering selling my SGSII and buying the GNex in order to have the upgrade available for the next batch of phones (Krait Quads) or just wait until then with my SGSII although I would be able to sell if for much less at that time.
SGSII is such a great phone but seeing the SGSIII, that screen is just making me so tempted to upgrade. I'm a sucker for bigger screens with better res. Someone smack the temptation out of me!
RockRatt said:
I too am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have 1 line available for an upgrade now and another on Aug. 1st. Problem is my SGS2s work perfectly and even though the S3 has some nice features (zero shutter lag for one). It does not feel like enough of an upgrade harware wise. The GNexus is pretty much on par with the S2 except a slightly larger screen size and NO removable sdcard. So I decided to just wait. But my daughters handed down SGS1 Cappy sdcard just failed a few days ago. She was runing it with CM7 still and liked it. So since I am STUCK with having to get a new phone my dilema is this. Get the SGS3 and hand down my SGS2? Get the Gnex from the play store which I like the updates available but give it to her, then I STILL have 1 phone available for upgrade and another soon so IF something better comes along I can jump on it. OR third choice get a SGS2 I777 for her and waste one upgrade. Decisions decisions...
Sent from My SGH-I777 Running UCLE5 SANGRE AZUL 2 Rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... Give your daughter the SGS2 and get a SGS3 or One X. And you'll have the extra upgrade to get any of the phones coming later this year.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app
Now when you say s3, att crap or real, int s3? Because if att one, id say stick to s2 or maybe Note.
raduque said:
IMO, the only reason to pick a Galaxy Nexus over any other phone is because you want quicker updates. It has nothing else over any other device, imo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I know that the idea of getting updates quicker is what is would seem, but in reality, that is not the case. The Nexus models may be a Google phone, but they still have to go through the carrier to get updates.
I think that although a new phone may be nice, many of you are right that the S2 is an amazing phone, and should be good for a while. As far as the comment about no need for Quad cores, I thought the same thing when I got my Eris, and thought it was lighting fast... until the new apps came out and then the phone ran like a slug, even rooted and modded.
The software will push the hardware limits at all times, so if new hardware comes out, software will start to use it, which means that eventually the old ones just don't work right. This is the bane of technology. I also have an iPad, and as of later this year I am out of luck and will not get any software updates before iOS 6 won't install on it. (But that is whole different conversation)
Looking at the specs between the two on phone arena is actually funny, since they are both SO close. I have worked in computers for long enough that I know that a .2 or .3 different in CPU speed, isn't going to make or break a difference. Memory, Cores, and Storage tend to make the biggest difference.
crimsonconcepts said:
Well I know that the idea of getting updates quicker is what is would seem, but in reality, that is not the case. The Nexus models may be a Google phone, but they still have to go through the carrier to get updates.
I think that although a new phone may be nice, many of you are right that the S2 is an amazing phone, and should be good for a while. As far as the comment about no need for Quad cores, I thought the same thing when I got my Eris, and thought it was lighting fast... until the new apps came out and then the phone ran like a slug, even rooted and modded.
The software will push the hardware limits at all times, so if new hardware comes out, software will start to use it, which means that eventually the old ones just don't work right. This is the bane of technology. I also have an iPad, and as of later this year I am out of luck and will not get any software updates before iOS 6 won't install on it. (But that is whole different conversation)
Looking at the specs between the two on phone arena is actually funny, since they are both SO close. I have worked in computers for long enough that I know that a .2 or .3 different in CPU speed, isn't going to make or break a difference. Memory, Cores, and Storage tend to make the biggest difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus updates except for Verizon and sprint do not go through any carrier
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Alpha once, nevermore? iPhone smoothness and support?

I've read and read, and looking for feedback from users who may be familiar with both platforms-the Samsung Alpha and the IPhone (5s or 6), hopefully that's not too taboo around here. I've always found XDA to be very helpful and objective, more so than random blog type reporting sites.
A little backstory: I've had a couple of bad phone purchases. Most of the problems are with the HTC models. I had a One X+, and that model wasn't supported for long due to it's mid-model upgrade chipset. it was powerful, but was often very very hot, so much so that plugged in and using navigator it would shut down. Not plugged in it would kill battery very quickly. The One came out short time later and HTC announced One X+ would not longer be updated. I hate the trend for bigger and bigger phones, I really like to use with one hand. I invested in HTC One Mini, thinking it was very similar to full size (M7) model, especially from initial (seemingly biased) reviews now. Initially it seemed fine, but after installing a few apps it's very slow and jerky most of the time. Especially long lag between apps, attributed mostly to it's small RAM size of 1gig. It's a nicely made phone for the most part tho. It took weeks to realize this, and after a factory reset it improved but shortly got worse again.
Most of my friends have either the SGS5, or the majority use Iphones (5s or 6). These have become my options as well, except that SGS5 and iP6 are larger than I'd like.
Enter the SG Alpha. My concern is long term support for this phone, and smooth operation without killing the battery or jerky throttled down operation. Would you say this phone works smoothly, and if you can compare to IOS phones? I really don't want to buy a Iphone, but most everyone tells me they just work and I'm tired of fighting, hacking and modifying Android (which hopefully doesn't sit too poorly in this forum ) I also like Widgets, and IOS does not have those.
Thanks!
aldridgec said:
I've read and read, and looking for feedback from users who may be familiar with both platforms-the Samsung Alpha and the IPhone (5s or 6), hopefully that's not too taboo around here. I've always found XDA to be very helpful and objective, more so than random blog type reporting sites.
A little backstory: I've had a couple of bad phone purchases. Most of the problems are with the HTC models. I had a One X+, and that model wasn't supported for long due to it's mid-model upgrade chipset. it was powerful, but was often very very hot, so much so that plugged in and using navigator it would shut down. Not plugged in it would kill battery very quickly. The One came out short time later and HTC announced One X+ would not longer be updated. I hate the trend for bigger and bigger phones, I really like to use with one hand. I invested in HTC One Mini, thinking it was very similar to full size (M7) model, especially from initial (seemingly biased) reviews now. Initially it seemed fine, but after installing a few apps it's very slow and jerky most of the time. Especially long lag between apps, attributed mostly to it's small RAM size of 1gig. It's a nicely made phone for the most part tho. It took weeks to realize this, and after a factory reset it improved but shortly got worse again.
Most of my friends have either the SGS5, or the majority use Iphones (5s or 6). These have become my options as well, except that SGS5 and iP6 are larger than I'd like.
Enter the SG Alpha. My concern is long term support for this phone, and smooth operation without killing the battery or jerky throttled down operation. Would you say this phone works smoothly, and if you can compare to IOS phones? I really don't want to buy a Iphone, but most everyone tells me they just work and I'm tired of fighting, hacking and modifying Android (which hopefully doesn't sit too poorly in this forum ) I also like Widgets, and IOS does not have those.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alpha is best compact phone ,
Exynos 5430 is very fast and never lagged .
Phone is very fluid with Stock rom , and overall Best phone .
Camera is very superb overall , but average on low light . Video recording quality is mind blowing and Beyond imagination .
i was confused between Alpha and ip5s , but i choose Alpha ,
Main reason was Alpha has 32 gb . While 5s priced nearly same but only 16 gb .
and 32 gb was out of my budget .
if u have unlimited budget than u can go for iphone 6 64 gb too.
If not than go for Alpha
aldridgec said:
I've read and read, and looking for feedback from users who may be familiar with both platforms-the Samsung Alpha and the IPhone (5s or 6), hopefully that's not too taboo around here. I've always found XDA to be very helpful and objective, more so than random blog type reporting sites.
A little backstory: I've had a couple of bad phone purchases. Most of the problems are with the HTC models. I had a One X+, and that model wasn't supported for long due to it's mid-model upgrade chipset. it was powerful, but was often very very hot, so much so that plugged in and using navigator it would shut down. Not plugged in it would kill battery very quickly. The One came out short time later and HTC announced One X+ would not longer be updated. I hate the trend for bigger and bigger phones, I really like to use with one hand. I invested in HTC One Mini, thinking it was very similar to full size (M7) model, especially from initial (seemingly biased) reviews now. Initially it seemed fine, but after installing a few apps it's very slow and jerky most of the time. Especially long lag between apps, attributed mostly to it's small RAM size of 1gig. It's a nicely made phone for the most part tho. It took weeks to realize this, and after a factory reset it improved but shortly got worse again.
Most of my friends have either the SGS5, or the majority use Iphones (5s or 6). These have become my options as well, except that SGS5 and iP6 are larger than I'd like.
Enter the SG Alpha. My concern is long term support for this phone, and smooth operation without killing the battery or jerky throttled down operation. Would you say this phone works smoothly, and if you can compare to IOS phones? I really don't want to buy a Iphone, but most everyone tells me they just work and I'm tired of fighting, hacking and modifying Android (which hopefully doesn't sit too poorly in this forum ) I also like Widgets, and IOS does not have those.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With this phone you cant go wrong on performance, i have it for a month now and i am amased how smooth and fast it works. Tried most of the functions that it offers and they work pretty fine, also like you, for me this size is the last acceptable one and it lays comfortably on the hand. Now i havent used an iphone, neither i will, but i can say for sure that it feels better than any apple products around i have had in my hands to test. Battery is good even for the 1860 maph that it has i can take out a day and a half or maybe two with 4 hours SOT, plus it is removable and its expected a new more powerfull one from Samsung. As for the android since you already have used a phone with it i really wouldnt go much deeper into it. So finally my opinion is that you should defenetly choose the alpha.
Sent from my SM-G850F using xda app-developers app
tileeq said:
With this phone you cant go wrong on performance, i have it for a month now and i am amased how smooth and fast it works. Tried most of the functions that it offers and they work pretty fine, also like you, for me this size is the last acceptable one and it lays comfortably on the hand. Now i havent used an iphone, neither i will, but i can say for sure that it feels better than any apple products around i have had in my hands to test. Battery is good even for the 1860 maph that it has i can take out a day and a half or maybe two with 4 hours SOT, plus it is removable and its expected a new more powerfull one from Samsung. As for the android since you already have used a phone with it i really wouldnt go much deeper into it. So finally my opinion is that you should defenetly choose the alpha.
Sent from my SM-G850F using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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