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My contract is already up,and I have some questions about the note. For those of you using the note for a while. Is the note's size an issue or is it totally worth having even though the note is a very big phone? Screen quality how is it? Is it a fast phone? If you didn't have the note, would you buy it again? Call quality? I'm thinking about buying one tomorrow, and I wanted your input on the phone. Feel free to add any info that could be useful about the phone. Thanks guy's.
lildoggs said:
My contract is already up,and I have some questions about the note. For those of you using the note for a while. Is the note's size an issue or is it totally worth having even though the note is a very big phone? Screen quality how is it? Is it a fast phone? If you didn't have the note, would you buy it again? Call quality? I'm thinking about buying one tomorrow, and I wanted your input on the phone. Feel free to add any info that could be useful about the phone. Thanks guy's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The size is really overblown on a lot of web reviews. It is comfortable to hold, fits into all of my pants pockets just fine, is really awesome when browsing the web, and the size allows for the larger battery.
I have had the Note for a month now and do no ever see myself returning to a smaller screen.
The resolution is beautiful, but there are some issues with gradients and dark scenes in movies so be sure to walk into a store when buying it so that you can run some tests on the phone they are going to sell you. There is a thread here about black clipping with a lot of great tests to try out. Some Notes are worse than others.
I love the call quality on the Note. The only downfall is that you really have to lower the volume while in a call unless you don't mind folks around you hearing it. The ear speaker is very loud.
As far as speed goes...that really depends on your phone. I have seen posts where people are experiencing lag even though I haven't personally experienced any of it.
I started off with the white Note, but returned it due to the soft keys having bad light bleeding at night. They can be turned off, but it bugged me so now I have the black/blue one.
Also, try out the stylus. I didn't realize it until I exchanged my Note, but the stylus on the first one was really laggy and unresponsive. I thought it just sucked until I got the second Note. It should be snappy and precise.
I am now running DAGr8's ICS rom and have turned the DPI down to 240. It really enhanced the phone by making the resolution smaller which in turn gives you more space for widgets, icons, etc.
lildoggs said:
My contract is already up,and I have some questions about the note. For those of you using the note for a while. Is the note's size an issue or is it totally worth having even though the note is a very big phone? Screen quality how is it? Is it a fast phone? If you didn't have the note, would you buy it again? Call quality? I'm thinking about buying one tomorrow, and I wanted your input on the phone. Feel free to add any info that could be useful about the phone. Thanks guy's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. The Note is large, yes, but very easy to hold and get used to due to how thin it is. Screen quality is unmatched by anything out there in my opinion. The combination of Gorilla Glass, Super AMOLED, and 720p resolution are really awesome. Some people say they have lag, but I have not had or used a faster Android device. Also, if you are in an LTE area, you get that awesome speed too. If I didn't have it, I would still be drooling over it. I got lucky and got it for half off, but if I hadn't, I would still be waiting a couple months until summer to buy it, which I definitely would again. Call quality is also great, and speakerphone is also loud and clear.
Now for the other things I highly commend the Note for. The SPen is awesome. You may think it's gimmicky, but you would be wrong. It's great for jotting down quick notes while on a call. Great for making funny captions on pictures before you send them. Great for navigating the phone. Great for Swyping with the tablet Swype beta. Great for taking screenshots. Also, we now have ICS, which brings some new and exciting features, my favorite being face unlock. I really can't recommend this phone enough. People may say, wait for the gs3 or one x, but I don't see the attraction. We already have ICS, and those other phones are small compared to the Note, and won't have the SPen. You may think the size is too big, but you get used to it really easy, and my nope had now ruined any smaller of a device. Also, battery life is the best I've experienced on any Android, besides the RAZR MAXX, but who wants a Moto phone anyways?
Really, the only way I would upgrade to another phone is when the Note 2 comes out. I don't have a single complaint, and this screen is killer.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
To answer your questions.
Is the note's size an issue or is it totally worth having even though the note is a very big phone?
I came from a Streak, I'm a BIG guy and the phone sits well in my hands. My gf has freakishly small hands and she says it's too big for her hands, but loves the fact that she can put it into her purse and can easily find it. It does look silly holding up to your head and talking though.
Screen quality how is it?
Personally I think the screen quality is great for a 5.3" device. A lot of people are complaining about black crush (there's a good thread on it) and while it's there, personally it isn't enough to bug me, I've watched low res videos for a long time and it just doesn't bug me anymore.
Is it a fast phone?
A lot of people are complaining about lag on their phones and yes I can see it there from time to time but I run 2 RSS feed readers, 5 email accounts, 2 weather widgets, and quite a few other things. The device is speedy, I can play games like shadowgun without the hint of lag, when i tell the phone to do something it might think about it for an 1/16 of a second then away it goes. So is the phone fast? I say yes it is.
If you didn't have the note, would you buy it again?
In a heartbeat
Call quality?
I love it, it's clear and easy to hear people, except my gf, she has the original droid and that thing has a TERRIBLE mic and speaker. a lot of our fights have been caused by her phone . Again it does look silly when you hold it to your head, but I've never been one to shy away from looking silly.
In short, depending on what you want to do/replace with the phone I'd say buy it. I use mine to manage 100 servers and RDPing into them while on the move which it does a great job on. I can read docs on the go and pull up webpages to prove people wrong and they can read them without having to hold my phone.
Lastly, if you're in one of those great states that charge you tax on the full price of the phone (in this case 700 smackers), look for a Sam's Club. I bought my phone on release day from them for 260 and with tax it was under 300.
Thanks for posting these questions. I have my upgrade available later this month and I am strongly considering the Note.
What I want to know is, as far as anyone can tell, is there a color or build location that seems to have fewer problems overall? I have seen a few places that people seem to think the white ones are less laggy. There was some speculation that the China Notes have less black crush. I'm pretty color neutral on these. I just want to be able to look at the box and get a sense that the one they give me has a better chance of being issue free.
How in the hell would the color of the plastic around the phone affect performance? :what:
That's like painting flames on your car to make it go faster.
Black crush is fixed in ics
studacris said:
How in the hell would the color of the plastic around the phone affect performance? :what:
That's like painting flames on your car to make it go faster.
Black crush is fixed in ics
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Click to collapse
First, Black Crush is not fixed in ICS, they just lowered the point of full black so it would appear better. The dropoff is still severe, but it is less noticeable. I don't own the device but I have been following these things very closely.
Second, I did not come up with the color thing. It is based off what I was reading. In this case it is not at all like painting flames and expecting something to go faster. They very well might come off different assembly lines with different QA and different physical runs of parts. I know its a longshot, but that is why I am asking if anyone can verify. I realize it is more likely that the Chinese vs. Korean Notes may exhibit some differences. Again, I am asking in the Q&A section to be sure.
knight4led said:
First, Black Crush is not fixed in ICS, they just lowered the point of full black so it would appear better. The dropoff is still severe, but it is less noticeable. I don't own the device but I have been following these things very closely.
Second, I did not come up with the color thing. It is based off what I was reading. In this case it is not at all like painting flames and expecting something to go faster. They very well might come off different assembly lines with different QA and different physical runs of parts. I know its a longshot, but that is why I am asking if anyone can verify. I realize it is more likely that the Chinese vs. Korean Notes may exhibit some differences. Again, I am asking in the Q&A section to be sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've read the only issue that seems different between the white and black is the micro crack that people have in the white ones. It seems spread wide on who has a good one and who has a bad one. So to be fair I can understand where studacris is coming from on the color. As for the black crush, I can't say either way as I'm running completely stock non-rooted, but I'd imagine that if it's hardware related then no it wouldn't be fixed with ICS, if it's software related, other phones would be experiencing the same issue. Lastly I guess a good question would be who bought their phone where and if it's running poorly or not to see if there's a correlation with the batches.
Hey guy's thank-you for posting your opinions and thoughts about this phone. If you have anything else to post please do so and I'll be here checking out this thread as the day rolls on.
I had a Streak for over a year, and I wouldn't have replaced it with a device with a smaller screen. Think about what you do/want to do with your mobile device. If you mostly use it for talking on, than maybe the Note is not for you. But if you do a lot of email, Web surfing, navigation, playing games, etc. than after you've used a Note for a week you'll never want to use a smaller device again, and you'll wonder how you ever did before
I have a white one and my phone rarely shows any lag, and my quadrant scores ate just as high as anybody's...not that wouldn't means much, but people seem to obsess over it. There isn't any difference between the two except that micro crack thing, although I'm sure that could also be a problem with the black version. I say that, because a similar crack would be nearly impossible to see in black plastic. When I had my old iPhone 3g, I exchanged it multiple times due to the problem that they had with cracking around all of the ports, and it was really only visible with the white ones. I looked at multiple black ones that friends had, and they all had the cracks, but you basically had to look at them with a magnifying glass in the right light to see the cracks. Therefore, I think it may be the same case with the Note.
Really, I can't recommend this phone enough. I dare a manufacturer to try and top it, because that would be a hell of a feat in my eyes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk
Got the phone a couple days ago, wanted to share some first impressions as everyone (or most) here has been so helpful.....
1. Screen
One of the major reasons I upgraded. Obviously much sharper, rendering the nytimes in desktop mode is my de facto test and is quite glorious compared to the s3 indeed, though chrome seemed to have difficulty rendering the smaller text. I have the display set to dynamic, auto adapt off, auto correct tone off and the white point with these settings is definitely preferable to the s3. Initially I looked at my s3 and my first thought was, WOAH !, that the s4 screen was way too warm but then I looked at my desktop lcd and realized the s4 screen was very similar to lcd white balance. I guess our brains, or mine at least kind of calibrates to different white sources.
I was a little concerned about the brightness when browsing sites with high APLs (mostly white pages) as Samsung seems to have programmed in a bit of trickery with the auto brightness to save on battery. I can definitely confirm that firefox has a substantially brighter white luminance than either the stock or chrome browsers. Much brighter than I was able to achieve with the s3. It's nice to be able to crank it and hurt your eyes once in a while when your on the couch lol.
Outdoor viewing was surprisingly good considering it's an often used attack on the amoled screens, a notch or two better than my old s3, and that one was no slouch either.
Oh yeah, and the screen is dead black at night, kinda freaky as I feel like the phone if off, the s3 kinda gave me a vague glow in similar conditions.
2. Battery
Yeah, my s3 was giving me problems with this for some reason. I could get 2-3 hrs screen time max. Yesterday I got around 5 with high brightness, mostly wifi, and only a few of the samsung features turned on. Today was a bit more of a mix 80% wifi, 20% 4g, mostly max brightness and I am at 2 hrs 45 min with 45% remaining. I am cautiously pleased so far, especially considering all of the downloading and installing that was going on.
3. System interface :/
So I am using nova prime and that's helping a lot but like a few others here, I am noticing some strange hiccups/stutters in daily use that are pretty foreign to me coming from the s3. After turning off the samsung feature set, maps of all things is still hiccuping along when zooming or moderate panning. This is worse with a tilted satellite view but still noticeable even with just the road layout. Viewing photos in the gallery has a slight chop as well, using quickpics has been a temporary solution. I hoping for some kind of software update.....
Not a huge of the fan of the redesigned dialer, contacts list. Black themes should be a mandatory option (lol) with these oled phones.
One of feature that originally generated some excitement which was mercilessly quashed after reading reviews but then rekindled with the unit in hand was air hover. Using this in mail, messages with the haptic setting on is surprisingly smooth and useful, not to mention pretty cool. Your finger doesn't even need to be particularly close. Not sure about the air gestures, they seem pretty consistent but need to be used to add different functionality. I can imagine some neat implementations if developers decide to hop on board.
Design
Well I think I need some time to adjust to this but I can tell you that my observant roommate (who is a techie and just got the one) hasn't realized i got the new phone yet and I've been talking about it for a while. Even with all the installation beeps and ringtones that come with a new phone and him sitting on a nearby couch for hours he hasnt said anything. I ll see how long I can pull this off.
For me it definitely feels different in hand, not as slippery due to the less tapered edges which is good but also a bit less curvaceous and flirty (which I kind of liked in the s3). This feels more like a passat and the s3 more like a jetta I guess. Let me say that I do appreciate really well designed things in general and this phone doesn't make me cry so......
Last thing, I bought this phone off contract at full price and my purchase experience at the verizon store was really bizarre. Of course they must make less money when someone buys it outright but the salesman was like," why do you want to upgrade from the s3??" ,"The battery might be a bit better than your used to but don't count on it."..."So you're gonna like play around with the screen "(in mocking tone cause I told him I was interested in the new display) . That place sucks and the one out in the surburbs was even worse. Like used car salesman or something...
. Anyone else have this kind of experience?????
Also, anyone using lightflow with this device? In case you haven't guessed I love to freakin tweak thingszzzz...
best to yall.....
I came from the s3 yesterday.. picked up the s4 and couldn't be happier. I've had the phone for about 24 hours.. first thing I noticed was how clear the screen was. Not much if a difference over the s3 but it's there. Battery life as been great on stock un rooted rom. Compared to my s3 which was rooted running slim bean and a custom kernel overclocked and uv. I wanna say s4 is better. I like the feel of the s4 better other than the s3's rounded edges. Overall I'm happy... Will root soon!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda premium
I just upgraded yesterday as well. So far I am liking it. Initially I wasn't impressed but I shattered my s3 screen and figured since I had an upgrade on my other line I would go ahead and get it instead of spending $100 just to get another s3. I have already rooted and froze most of the bloat with titanium backup. I have never flashed any roms but since my s3 is still functional, I plan on using it to learn. I am already having fun with the irblaster changing channels on random TVs lol. Overall I'm happy so far.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Battery and other things
The battery is like night and day. Yesterday around dinner time my battery was at about 85%, and I use my phone constantly. On my SIII, I'd be lucky if it went the whole day without dying. That is one feature that I did not think would vary as much as it did, and am very happy with that.
I love the screen. It seemed a bit flickery (that's the best way I can describe it) for the first couple of days, but whatever was causing that (perhaps my imagination) has stopped.
The infrared sensor is much more useful than I had initially anticipated. Aside from being able to use it with multiple TV/set top box setups, I can screw with people in restaurants. :silly:
As a smartphone in general I have been very impressed so far.
Why would using Quickpic be temporary? First thing I do is set Quickpic as the default and hide gallery.
Frankly, I never really notice the stutters that other people talk about. When using an app that is reflowing from the net, there is no way to separate device issues from network issues, and I always notice it is these sorts of apps people complain about (maps, browsers, etc.).
yeah, quickpic was actually my goto image app on the s3 now that I think I about it....
The stutters and what not are definitely a little more pronounced on the maps app with the s4 than the s3 on the same
wifi network. Maybe it's the fact that the s4 is moving 2.5 times the pixels, maybe it's an early bug yet that will be fixed shortly,
maybe it's the way the snapdragon throttles the cpu too aggressively according to some thread I remember reading over or maybe I am just expecting too much buttery perfection
yeah just tried the ir blaster. 3 of my housemates were so seriously into watching the final episode of "top of the lake" about an hour ago and I was tempted to spoil the moment but I hadn't programmed the phone for that tv. oh well......
I've been skeptical of purchasing a samsung device because I don't generally fall for overly marketed items. That being said, I went ahead and pulled the trigger coming from HTC Rezound and I couldn't be happier about this device. It is no doubt a winner among users as long as you root and get rid of the bloat coming with it.
I love this phone... I mean love this phone, but had I not been having mad GPS problems with my S3 I would never have made this upgrade. It's just not a compelling upgrade over the S3, which is still an awesome phone. Most of the new features are very gimmicky. I have pretty much everything with the prefix "Smart" turned off and almost everything with the prefix "Air" turned off. The hovering trick is pretty much the only one I don't feel is a gimmick.
About Quickpic - that has been my go-to gallery app since the Thunderbolt but I actually like the S4 gallery better. The GUI is very slick and the hover image preview is actually useful.
I agree with a few of the topics covered coming from the S3
The screen is awesome, definitely noticeable to me, battery life seems to be up, GPS works perfectly, and the camera is pretty awesome; really like the wider angle on the front camera as well. Pretty motivational upgrade if you ask me..
However, I am noticing some UI lag, as mentioned maps as well as chrome. This could be that I was using cleanrom on the S3 and that rom is amazing! made the phone much snappier and fluid. Its out for the S4 now so will be giving it a try soon. Also apex launcher helped some.
and little things like the smaller notification led seems cheaper. the colors dont mix well. the power button isn't as clicky as Id hope for either.
I'm really happy with the battery life. My galaxy nexus went tops 4 hours on a charge. I can easily to 8 - 9 on this.
I have a lot of apps running that kill battery for me specifically Touchdown for work which It hink is one onf the biggest offendors. Maybe i should download gsam and follow it a little more closely.
I agree that the display is amazing, and the camera too, but the device seems no faster and radios no better.
From normal viewing distance, the display does not stand out either, but is better if you view closer. It is the size of the display that minimizes the higher def effectiveness.
I only have 6gb free on my S3 32gb, so do not see enough improvement to sacrifice the storage. I still want the S4, but only if a 32gb is ever released.
orangelight99 said:
Last thing, I bought this phone off contract at full price and my purchase experience at the verizon store was really bizarre. Of course they must make less money when someone buys it outright but the salesman was like," why do you want to upgrade from the s3??" ,"The battery might be a bit better than your used to but don't count on it."..."So you're gonna like play around with the screen "(in mocking tone cause I told him I was interested in the new display) . That place sucks and the one out in the surburbs was even worse. Like used car salesman or something...
. Anyone else have this kind of experience?????
best to yall.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, I got mine with a new contract (Coming from Sprint, never had Verizon before). When the guy asked me if I wanted the insurance for $199 and I told him no, he was straight-up BEWILDERED. He literally could not comprehend how in the world I would not want to pay $200 to replace my phone if I smashed it. And then he was like, "Well, let's go look at cases now," as if he had just assumed I would, of course, want a case. But I didn't want a case. He was so flabbergasted. His eyes went as wide as possible and he just stared at me for a good 10 seconds before saying, "What if you drop it? What then?!"
It was more funny than weird, to me. I've never bought insurance for any phone I've ever had, and I've never regretted it. I honestly could not tell if the guy was seriously just that crazy, or if it was just some really stupid sales technique that, of course, did not work on me.
Ayesuku said:
Haha, I got mine with a new contract (Coming from Sprint, never had Verizon before). When the guy asked me if I wanted the insurance for $199 and I told him no, he was straight-up BEWILDERED. He literally could not comprehend how in the world I would not want to pay $200 to replace my phone if I smashed it. And then he was like, "Well, let's go look at cases now," as if he had just assumed I would, of course, want a case. But I didn't want a case. He was so flabbergasted. His eyes went as wide as possible and he just stared at me for a good 10 seconds before saying, "What if you drop it? What then?!"
It was more funny than weird, to me. I've never bought insurance for any phone I've ever had, and I've never regretted it. I honestly could not tell if the guy was seriously just that crazy, or if it was just some really stupid sales technique that, of course, did not work on me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because one out of five people react to the bewildered face and get the insurance They ARE sales people, you know.
jimmiem said:
I love this phone... I mean love this phone, but had I not been having mad GPS problems with my S3 I would never have made this upgrade. It's just not a compelling upgrade over the S3, which is still an awesome phone. Most of the new features are very gimmicky. I have pretty much everything with the prefix "Smart" turned off and almost everything with the prefix "Air" turned off. The hovering trick is pretty much the only one I don't feel is a gimmick.
About Quickpic - that has been my go-to gallery app since the Thunderbolt but I actually like the S4 gallery better. The GUI is very slick and the hover image preview is actually useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it possible to get quickpic to show the pics in internal memory without being rooted? I'm only seeing the pics on my SD card.
Super Sam Galaxy said:
I love the screen. It seemed a bit flickery (that's the best way I can describe it) for the first couple of days, but whatever was causing that (perhaps my imagination) has stopped.
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Click to collapse
When you saw the screen flicker, were you outside by any chance?
I have noticed that when I am inside then step out into direct sunlight, the screen flickers while it ramps up to full brightness, then it stabilizes.
mutelight said:
When you saw the screen flicker, were you outside by any chance?
I have noticed that when I am inside then step out into direct sunlight, the screen flickers while it ramps up to full brightness, then it stabilizes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I hate to say it as I'm sure this will not help you diagnose any issues you may have been experiencing, but I don't think that I was. If I remember correctly it was mostly when I was in my apartment. I remember this because I have an overhead light that is florescent and I remember at least on one occasion wondering if that was what was flickering.
Sorry if that doesn't help.
Super Sam Galaxy said:
Actually, I hate to say it as I'm sure this will not help you diagnose any issues you may have been experiencing, but I don't think that I was. If I remember correctly it was mostly when I was in my apartment. I remember this because I have an overhead light that is florescent and I remember at least on one occasion wondering if that was what was flickering.
Sorry if that doesn't help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, no worries! The only time I have seen the screen flicker was under the scenario I described or if I look down at the display with a pair of my active shutter 3D glasses.
I can see the PenTile dithering in the display however, so my eyes are fairly sensitive.
mutelight said:
Oh, no worries! The only time I have seen the screen flicker was under the scenario I described or if I look down at the display with a pair of my active shutter 3D glasses.
I can see the PenTile dithering in the display however, so my eyes are fairly sensitive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I see! Well I would assume in my case it was just the fluorescent lighting. My eyes are not all that sensitive, so I may not notice small flickers like that. The part that confused me is that it stopped! But I think that also suggests it's just the light, because sometimes they seem to flicker depending on how they are sitting, and if you tap them a bit they stop. Either that, or it actually was flickering, but to such an unnoticeable extent that I got used to it very quickly. It was one of those undefinable things where you feel like you saw it flicker but if you have to explain exactly what part flickered, you wouldn't really be able to.
elucid said:
Is it possible to get quickpic to show the pics in internal memory without being rooted? I'm only seeing the pics on my SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't install it because I like the S4 Gallery better. You should be able to, though. Just poke around in the settings and look for included folders.
So first 2-3 days with the device I kept noticing more and more issues since its been out of the box. I'm really particular with anything I own and if I'm paying money for it then I expect nothing but the best, and I'll take care of my belongings the same.
As soon as I unboxed it I noticed that some of the edges of the metal finish were unevenly colored and scratched. The dark plastic fillers on the back had patches in them and were discolored also. I told myself I wouldn't be so nitpick-ey about those. Moving on...
Later once I setup the phone I realized the power button's right side was completely sunk in, while the volume rocker was also uneven, with the Volume up Side sticking out of the device, and the Volume down Side completely flush with the device.
Concerned I took it to the closest AT&T store where I've become quite friendly with some of the sales associates there. Just wanted to get an opinion as to whether I should live with these imperfections (it would have drove me crazy). I showed it to one of them and they urged me to call AT&T support and try to set up a buyers remorse period exchange straight away.
It took two hours to deal with AT&T customer service on the phone, but it was worth it. I'm shipping this one back and they're gonna priority ship out another one soon. The representative told me they've been getting a few calls regarding such hardware issues.
I'm interested to see if any of you have had any issues yet so far. And if this is a isolated situation with a few devices manufactured at different warehouses.
As with any new product launch, there are going to be some bad ones that slip through the cracks in the rush to get the product to consumers as quickly as possible. I'm glad you got your fixed rather easily, though!
Bammeh said:
As with any new product launch, there are going to be some bad ones that slip through the cracks in the rush to get the product to consumers as quickly as possible. I'm glad you got your fixed rather easily, though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes of course I completely agree with you. With a few product launches recently and the ones I've bought right when they were released have had issues out of the box or after major updates. The XboxOne, PS4, Retina iPad Mini, 5S etc have given me a little trouble out of the box or after their big updates, but they're still premium devices. Same with the HTC M8 that's why I didn't make too big a deal about it and seek to get my money back. I just asked for an exchange that's all. The rep that helped me, he urged me to ask for a replacement. This device is going to my daily driver for the next year and a half or so. Really happy with it minus the little issues thus far. Best mainstream android device I've ever used.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
My M8 was random rebooting every so often. It was enough to notice it as a problem. I did a factory reset, problem still persisted. AT&T gladly exchanged and now I'm good to go ???
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
SO far I have the power button stick on me a few times. Pressing it a few times seems to get it to go back to normal.
Also once while on a call, afterwards the phone would not sleep. Powered the phone off. Ever since phone has been running smooth.
Glad you were able to get it exchanged. I've had mine for a few days and while there are no critical flaws, I do see some scratches that I most definitely did not cause and were there out of the box. I also know what you mean by the uneven banding because I have that too, it's very minor though. There are 2 surface scratches on the back that aren't noticeable unless you have really good eyes (which I do) and a very small chip at the front around the bezel that is impossible to cause naturally. I'm trying to tell myself I shouldn't be so picky because I've already unlocked the bootloader and put a custom rom on it and I assume if I want to exchange it at Best Buy I'll have to put the stock rom back on and lock the bootloader. I'm on the fence. I don't exactly want the Best Buy employee to think I'm crazy if I take it back plus it all takes up my time so I'm trying to tell myself it doesn't matter. If I caused the scratches I'd just live with it but it annoys me that they were there out of the box. Please tell me I'm crazy or I might actually go for an exchange.
Just got mine the other day and found a couple issues with it.
The top panel just below the front camera is pushed out a bit so there's sharp edge and stuff is already getting caught under it. You can push it down and make it flush but it pops back up after a while. Also my touchscreen will just randomly stop responding to touch. Going to reset to back to stock and exchange it later this afternoon.
pingy1030 said:
Glad you were able to get it exchanged. I've had mine for a few days and while there are no critical flaws, I do see some scratches that I most definitely did not cause and were there out of the box. I also know what you mean by the uneven banding because I have that too, it's very minor though. There are 2 surface scratches on the back that aren't noticeable unless you have really good eyes (which I do) and a very small chip at the front around the bezel that is impossible to cause naturally. I'm trying to tell myself I shouldn't be so picky because I've already unlocked the bootloader and put a custom rom on it and I assume if I want to exchange it at Best Buy I'll have to put the stock rom back on and lock the bootloader. I'm on the fence. I don't exactly want the Best Buy employee to think I'm crazy if I take it back plus it all takes up my time so I'm trying to tell myself it doesn't matter. If I caused the scratches I'd just live with it but it annoys me that they were there out of the box. Please tell me I'm crazy or I might actually go for an exchange.
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Click to collapse
Honestly you're lucky it's Best Buy. I've done multiple exchanges there before for each: MacBook, Xbox One and iPhones. They did it easy no questions asked. At least in my case. If I were you I'd exchange it. No excuses for the device to be that scratched up and imperfect out of the box. Also remember to check for Dead Pixels, Volume Rocker, and Power Button issues.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
rahtrip said:
Honestly you're lucky it's Best Buy. I've done multiple exchanges there before for each: MacBook, Xbox One and iPhones. They did it easy no questions asked. At least in my case. If I were you I'd exchange it. No excuses for the device to be that scratched up and imperfect out of the box. Also remember to check for Dead Pixels, Volume Rocker, and Power Button issues.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. For a little bit today I was determined to go get an exchange but I kind of buffed out the worst scratch (which was only like 3mm) with a nail buffer so I think I'll just save myself the trouble of putting the phone back to stock, having to take it to best buy, and re-flashing the new phone. Plus I did not take a backup of the stock AT&T rom. I don't know if someone has posted it in the forums, I'm going to look, but it's just such a drag to go through with putting it back to stock then an exchange.
The volume rocker doesn't sit 100% parallel but it's very close, the power button has no issues, and the bezel is pretty well flushed with the speaker grills. I think I'll just keep this one, I am also afraid that the new one might even have worse problems. HTC needs to get their quality control tighter because I have had tons of devices but never a problem out of the box.
Next time I buy a phone I am going to make sure I check the condition thoroughly. Or at least check it before I root and flash a rom. When I got the M8 I just grabbed it and went...
So I said I wasn't going to exchange it but I was still annoyed by the flaws and I was approaching my 14 days.. took it to Best Buy today without putting it back to stock and was able to exchange it. They just switched out the SIM card and gave me a new one, but they did reiterate that they don't normally do it for scratches and they were making an exception. I could totally tell they didn't believe it was the manufacturer's fault, but they didn't give me attitude and were nice. They didn't look at the software or boot screen in the old phone so they didn't even see that it was unlocked and rooted. They mentioned it was getting sent back so HTC is going to have to deal with it, which they should have to because the one I exchanged for is totally perfect. I didn't realize the other one was even more problematic than I thought until I saw how well constructed this one is. The volume rocker doesn't fumble around, the screen is set perfectly leveled with the speaker grills, no scratches on bezel or back. This is how they SHOULD come, every single one of them. In the future when I get HTC phones I am going to examine it right then and there so I don't have to go through the trouble of sounding asinine while trying to explain what the store employees surely think are non-problems.
I don't think I would've made the exchange without this thread though so thanks. I'm now free to enjoy the awesomeness of this phone without being held back by structural annoyances.
The top panel just below the front camera is pushed out a bit so there's sharp edge and stuff is already getting caught under it. You can push it down and make it flush but it pops back up after a while.
Hello,
I'm looking to buy this phone. I currently have an Axon 7, but I can potentially return it if I order soon, and this phone is half the price for similar specs.
Therefore, I wish to know a few things, if anyone will oblige:
1. Can people please take some screenshots of the interface? I want to see just how cancerous the skin is. Specifically, I would like to see settings.
2. Can someone get me LxW measurements on the screen please? I thought 5.5 wouldn't be much smaller than six, but it turns out it almost fits on that screen. I love phablets!
2.5. Can somebody run some benchmarks? I'd be particularly interested in seeing The slingshot one from 3dMark.
3. How'd you say the camera is, in your subjective experience?
3.5. As presumably the folks here have followed development fairly closely.... how's it looking for Lineage/CM/Something else close-ish to stock? If video recording is the only issue, I have no problem with that.
4. Anything else I should know?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
you can find most of those info on YouTube and gsmareana.
btw why would you return your axon 7 for a max 2?
appsmarsterx said:
you can find most of those info on YouTube and gsmareana.
btw why would you return your axon 7 for a max 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
X2
All you ask is in youtube.
Actually, it isn't, hence why I came here. I know the rules. Look and then ask for help, my annoyance is how often I do and am dismissed out of hand by people who don't realize that several hours of googling for some obscure answers can be otherwise resolved in a few minutes f their kindly donated time with a ruler and some perspective, and that's when Google does actually have something. In this case, I'm confident to say it lacks what I'm interested in knowing in more than superficial detail.
Or at least, 4 hours into YT and written reviews and I have yet to see what I'm asking for. Please, if you're going to tell someone to just google it, make sure it actually will help, and if not, don't waste time with such an answer.
I've seen only the launcher a very quick look at the settings root, and no dropdown for notifications in that time.
As to photos, I trust the people here to be more in my camp in terms of expectations. The cam looks sharp enough.
Nobody has yet listed the screen dimension in anything but the diagonal, and I don't have a good point of reference for that. I also see fairly rampant issues w/ the fp scanner, and id be interested to know whether those have abated.
As to why I would replace an Axon 7 with it... the 7 is $513 cad. The LE Max 2 is $270 cad. 47% cheaper. It's a lot of money to leave on the table if the differences are negligible.
2 min in google:
https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-leeco-le-max-2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yBjaMT5nXU
https://www.kimovil.com/en/compare/leeco-le-max-2,zte-axon-7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWf8LC7Z210
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifnXV6g87mY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP9eAgfZnac
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-L-0sMjLPE
if you want know more info about the interface there are plenty of videos on eui.. and there are plenty of benchmarking videos too.. why waste 4 hours?
if you don't like the stock launcher, install something like Nova or Pixel.
dimensions
http://m.gsmarena.com/leeco_le_max_2-8051.php
156.8 x 77.6 x 8 mm (6.17 x 3.06 x 0.31 in)
appsmarsterx said:
if you want know more info about the interface there are plenty of videos on eui.. and there are plenty of benchmarking videos too.. why waste 4 hours?
if you don't like the stock launcher, install something like Nova or Pixel.
dimensions
http://m.gsmarena.com/leeco_le_max_2-8051.php
156.8 x 77.6 x 8 mm (6.17 x 3.06 x 0.31 in)
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Click to collapse
Of the phone, not the screen, I want the screen dimensions and I'd rather have avoided having to do algebra to get it. I checked GSMarena already. I did get some of the more obvious things like Benchmarks out of the way, along with photos, but I don't trust the interface to remain the same on a generic branding.... I wanted to see it specifically on this phone, and every review I've found, if they even address such things, only offers brief flash of the root menus.
One thing I would really like to know it's almost certain the reviews don't touch upon.... how is the hitbox for the capacitive buttons? I have a BLU Pure XL too, and those are extremely narrow, it's quite annoying.
TheLastCanadian said:
Hello,
I'm looking to buy this phone. I currently have an Axon 7, but I can potentially return it if I order soon, and this phone is half the price for similar specs.
Therefore, I wish to know a few things, if anyone will oblige:
1. Can people please take some screenshots of the interface? I want to see just how cancerous the skin is. Specifically, I would like to see settings.
2. Can someone get me LxW measurements on the screen please? I thought 5.5 wouldn't be much smaller than six, but it turns out it almost fits on that screen. I love phablets!
2.5. Can somebody run some benchmarks? I'd be particularly interested in seeing The slingshot one from 3dMark.
3. How'd you say the camera is, in your subjective experience?
3.5. As presumably the folks here have followed development fairly closely.... how's it looking for Lineage/CM/Something else close-ish to stock? If video recording is the only issue, I have no problem with that.
4. Anything else I should know?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TheLastCanadian said:
Of the phone, not the screen, I want the screen dimensions and I'd rather have avoided having to do algebra to get it. I checked GSMarena already. I did get some of the more obvious things like Benchmarks out of the way, along with photos, but I don't trust the interface to remain the same on a generic branding.... I wanted to see it specifically on this phone, and every review I've found, if they even address such things, only offers brief flash of the root menus.
One thing I would really like to know it's almost certain the reviews don't touch upon.... how is the hitbox for the capacitive buttons? I have a BLU Pure XL too, and those are extremely narrow, it's quite annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Standard size hitbox, warriors rogues dks should still stay behind the boss, ranged attacks should still be made from max range 30-40 yrds.
Used screen size is 126mm x 71mm. Will answer more when I can, not had it long.
Well, I bit.
The Axon 7 is nice, but if we're being realistic I mostly just use my phone for web browsing anyway. Paying $513 for that doesn't make much sense when I can get similar specs for $270. We'll see. Worst case scenario I suffer with it for a while and then just buy a flagship when my cheap ass finally learns its lesson.
TheLastCanadian said:
Well, I bit.
The Axon 7 is nice, but if we're being realistic I mostly just use my phone for web browsing anyway. Paying $513 for that doesn't make much sense when I can get similar specs for $270. We'll see. Worst case scenario I suffer with it for a while and then just buy a flagship when my cheap ass finally learns its lesson.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been in your camp 1.5 years ago. Coming from Xperia, I said I want to buy a cheap one until a good flagship comes out. And so I bought the Le 1s, a 200$ phone when it just came out. I have to say that I was impressed that I can do whatever I need with it with so much ease, and it doesn't have to cost a kidney.
However, when Le Max2 came out, I ordered it immediately and handed over the 1s to my mom who is still using it without problems as we speak.
The interface is the same, I can tell you that there are no big differences, so if you will google the interface of any LeEco phone, it will be the same as on Max2 as far as I'm concerned.
The screen is a bit bigger than on the 5.5" phones and thus the footprint is taller and wider. Somehow a little difficult to sit with it in the front pocket. I remove it when driving, sitting at the table, most of the times I forget to take it out when I'm putting my shoes on and I do feel it.
Should I ask, why not go for the Pro3 when it has a bigger battery, FHD 5.5" screen, better CPU? The difference between FHD and QHD were tested with a photo taken from a mirrorless camera and it turned out it's very hard to spot the better sharpness on Max2 than on Le 1s.
I would go for the Pro3 now but my dad is yet to get used to touchscreen phones, so I'll keep it a bit more.
Considering the price/ what you get, as of now, I'd still go with LeEco anytime. The thing to keep in mind is to order it 2-3-4 months after release because the price would have dropped significantly.
valy_cta said:
I've been in your camp 1.5 years ago. Coming from Xperia, I said I want to buy a cheap one until a good flagship comes out. And so I bought the Le 1s, a 200$ phone when it just came out. I have to say that I was impressed that I can do whatever I need with it with so much ease, and it doesn't have to cost a kidney.
However, when Le Max2 came out, I ordered it immediately and handed over the 1s to my mom who is still using it without problems as we speak.
The interface is the same, I can tell you that there are no big differences, so if you will google the interface of any LeEco phone, it will be the same as on Max2 as far as I'm concerned.
The screen is a bit bigger than on the 5.5" phones and thus the footprint is taller and wider. Somehow a little difficult to sit with it in the front pocket. I remove it when driving, sitting at the table, most of the times I forget to take it out when I'm putting my shoes on and I do feel it.
Should I ask, why not go for the Pro3 when it has a bigger battery, FHD 5.5" screen, better CPU? The difference between FHD and QHD were tested with a photo taken from a mirrorless camera and it turned out it's very hard to spot the better sharpness on Max2 than on Le 1s.
I would go for the Pro3 now but my dad is yet to get used to touchscreen phones, so I'll keep it a bit more.
Considering the price/ what you get, as of now, I'd still go with LeEco anytime. The thing to keep in mind is to order it 2-3-4 months after release because the price would have dropped significantly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My brother has a OP3T, and while I won't say there's anything inherently wrong with 1080, I can definitely see a difference in images on my 2K Blu Pure XL. I need a phone that has ROMs available, as I really don't trust the Chinese to design a non-garbage OS, and a major part of the allure for the Le Max 2 was the 5.7" screen. I'd have taken just shy of six if I could've gotten it, but alas, some compromises must be made.
It'd also be simple insanity to argue against a $270 price point on a phone that people say isn't inherently flawed (aka: not garbage). The axon 7 costs $513, for services/components I'm unlikely to use (I rarely put anything on phone speakers, and rooting would void their warranty anyway - plus, I take impeccable care of my devices).
Then go for it if you're into a bigger screen. 270 cad will sure be a cheap purchase but I do suggest to go for 4/64 version for few bucks more. I have 4/32 and after transferring some pictures from my camera, keeping some ROMs, apps, having my own pictures in, looks like some 4-5 GB left. I'd have to clean to use multirom Also go for the Grey version as the Rose Gold is too pinkish depending upon the light, but it's mostly pink...
To keep it short:
Pros:
- big screen
- sufficient RAM and a very good CPU
- easy to tinker with
- USB C
- Dual SIM
- cheap
- practically unbrickable
Cons:
- somehow twistable up to some extent, but nothing major; you can bend it back with your own hands, and had never been an issue
- quite large for the pocket
- camera could've been better
This is my opinion about the Max2. I would buy it again if you'd ask me
valy_cta said:
Then go for it if you're into a bigger screen. 270 cad will sure be a cheap purchase but I do suggest to go for 4/64 version for few bucks more. I have 4/32 and after transferring some pictures from my camera, keeping some ROMs, apps, having my own pictures in, looks like some 4-5 GB left. I'd have to clean to use multirom Also go for the Grey version as the Rose Gold is too pinkish depending upon the light, but it's mostly pink...
To keep it short:
Pros:
- big screen
- sufficient RAM and a very good CPU
- easy to tinker with
- USB C
- Dual SIM
- cheap
- practically unbrickable
Cons:
- somehow twistable up to some extent, but nothing major; you can bend it back with your own hands, and had never been an issue
- quite large for the pocket
- camera could've been better
This is my opinion about the Max2. I would buy it again if you'd ask me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know if they make this in a gold (yellow) colour?
I cancelled my order because while the images and colour description said "Golden", their chat reps insisted it would be Rose Gold, which doesn't do it for me.
They do have Gold (as they call it Force Gold) which is like normal yellow version. The other Gold is Rose Gold.
Do search for "Force Gold" color.
I've had my Pixel 6 for the better part of a year. To my memory, it hasn't really had any significant issues. Instead, I've found it far and away the most enjoyable phone I've ever owned.
More recently there have been times where I tap something and there's no response until I, like, go back and then try again. But that has only happened a few times.
I really like the camera, Material You, the feel and look of the device... I keep mine in a case that is very comfortable for me. I don't have a screen protector because I didn't want to pay for the installation and doing it myself is always an anxiety-inducing, perfectionists' nightmare. So, unfortunately, I have a small scratch on the screen from when I stupidly put my keys in my pocket with my phone.
Other than that, it's been a largely pain-free, and surprisingly positive experience.
How about you guys?
Honestly, as far as the phone itself goes - yeah, it's been problem-free, good performance, good battery, good signal, good... everything. The only thing that's bugging me is the fact that there's still no TWRP for it. I want to play around with custom ROMs and whatnot, but that's a big pain with no way to do quick and easy backups. That's not the phone's fault, though.
its been ok, but nothing special and honestly a disappointment for a flagship device.