ATT Galaxy Note 2, initial impressions - AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note II

Coming from a Note 1...
1. Speakerphone: Wow. So much more volume and body, this makes me super happy as I like to listen to audio books and TTS of e-books at night in bed. Music as well. Excellent external speaker.
2. New stylus. Also great. MUCH more comfortable to use now than it was.
3. New Spen features. Overall pretty slick as well. Still need to play with them more, but I love the automatic SNote popup on calls and such.
4. Lack of search button... this doesn't thrill me. I really liked having search from one click. Unless I'm missing something (like a shortcut to bring up search) this feature I will miss.
5. Phone UI performance. This was my last remaining dissapointment with Android devices... NOW that is gone. The phone IS buttery smooth, orientation turns work smoothly, as do other UI related actions. I think that we're looking at iPhone parity here for the first time.
6. SD Card slot performance. Wow! This is one of those un-touted features missed in reviews. Accessing data on the external card is super fast. What this means is that apps that look to the card as they load, such as Ebook/Audiobook/etc load MUCH faster. Very snappy. Very happy
7 General feel. Shape is great. The phone's a bit "slick" so I'll be looking to add a skin with a bit more grab, but overall it's very comfortable.
8. Home button. Will take some getting used to. It requires some pressure (must be pressed in) to activate, and a few times I've found my finger sliding up to press the screen instead (which can cause issues depending on what's on the screen) but not a major issue. Just something that will require adapting to.
9. Google Now voice response... working fine on my phone. Ask the phone the weather and it speaks it back without issue.
10. Nova launcher works fine with SPen features.
I'll add more thoughts as I have time to play with the phone. Overall how can anyone not be thrilled with this marvelous piece of tech.
What to you all think so far?

Thanks for sharing!
Really can't wait to receive mine next week.

santiagodraco said:
Coming from a Note 1...
1. Speakerphone: Wow. So much more volume and body, this makes me super happy as I like to listen to audio books and TTS of e-books at night in bed. Music as well. Excellent external speaker.
2. New stylus. Also great. MUCH more comfortable to use now than it was.
3. New Spen features. Overall pretty slick as well. Still need to play with them more, but I love the automatic SNote popup on calls and such.
4. Lack of search button... this doesn't thrill me. I really liked having search from one click. Unless I'm missing something (like a shortcut to bring up search) this feature I will miss.
5. Phone UI performance. This was my last remaining dissapointment with Android devices... NOW that is gone. The phone IS buttery smooth, orientation turns work smoothly, as do other UI related actions. I think that we're looking at iPhone parity here for the first time.
6. SD Card slot performance. Wow! This is one of those un-touted features missed in reviews. Accessing data on the external card is super fast. What this means is that apps that look to the card as they load, such as Ebook/Audiobook/etc load MUCH faster. Very snappy. Very happy
7 General feel. Shape is great. The phone's a bit "slick" so I'll be looking to add a skin with a bit more grab, but overall it's very comfortable.
8. Home button. Will take some getting used to. It requires some pressure (must be pressed in) to activate, and a few times I've found my finger sliding up to press the screen instead (which can cause issues depending on what's on the screen) but not a major issue. Just something that will require adapting to.
9. Google Now voice response... working fine on my phone. Ask the phone the weather and it speaks it back without issue.
10. Nova launcher works fine with SPen features.
I'll add more thoughts as I have time to play with the phone. Overall how can anyone not be thrilled with this marvelous piece of tech.
What to you all think so far?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
long press on the menu button for instant search. I came from the international version, which used that. works on my Note II as well from Rogers.

Love this phone so far. My 1 quirk, getting use to pressing the home button compared to tapping the icon on my note 1. I'm sure ill get use to it fairly quickly.
also that camera burst shot? WOW thats freaking quick. If you haven't tried it yet, basically you just hold down the take picture button and it will snap up to 20 photos in a matter of seconds.

I say you covered it. Im loving it so far. I loved my note 1 but this most definitely kills it. Its so quick and responsive. The screen is better. Feels better to hold etc.
Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using xda app-developers appe

Scythe024 said:
Love this phone so far. My 1 quirk, getting use to pressing the home button compared to tapping the icon on my note 1. I'm sure ill get use to it fairly quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i went from the captivate to the international Note. I felt the same at first. you get used to it after a while, and i find i use it to unlock the phone more than the side unlock button now.

rnewton01 said:
i went from the captivate to the international Note. I felt the same at first. you get used to it after a while, and i find i use it to unlock the phone more than the side unlock button now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good point, didnt even think of using it for that.

Started a thread on Q&A subforum for intial thoughts and poss. BUG alerts!
Hi,
Got this on the 8th around 0858 in the morning FedEx...which was nice! Great so far...seen most of the features for over a month now.
I started a thread about initial thoughts and possible bugs or issues on the Q&A subforum, for the ATT build.
Check it out, or maybe we can merge this. Not sure what the moderators would suggest, as I am new to post here.
The reason was that I have a similar thread going hot on Android Central forums as well, started on the 8th when I got it. Lots of interest, so I hope these threads help, from casual AC users to developers here on XDA.

Definitely much snappier than the original note. The speaker volume is good as well. No need for apps like Volume+

dponte said:
Hi,
Got this on the 8th around 0858 in the morning FedEx...which was nice! Great so far...seen most of the features for over a month now.
I started a thread about initial thoughts and possible bugs or issues on the Q&A subforum, for the ATT build.
Check it out, or maybe we can merge this. Not sure what the moderators would suggest, as I am new to post here.
The reason was that I have a similar thread going hot on Android Central forums as well, started on the 8th when I got it. Lots of interest, so I hope these threads help, from casual AC users to developers here on XDA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread is focused on initial impressions, not bugs as such. Think of this a "quick review" thread for users.

Best phone ever comming from note 1 and nexus
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

i dislike the bigger icons and 4x4 layout. kind of silly the google search bar sits so low from the top when it is the top icon. also a slight delay from hitting the unlock or home button before you can unlock the screen with a swype.

Scythe024 said:
i dislike the bigger icons and 4x4 layout. kind of silly the google search bar sits so low from the top when it is the top icon. also a slight delay from hitting the unlock or home button before you can unlock the screen with a swype.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first thing I did was install Nova launcher. But I agree, the default launcher and layout... isn't the best

santiagodraco said:
The first thing I did was install Nova launcher. But I agree, the default launcher and layout... isn't the best
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can someone please post a video of their Note II once they have it optimized with launchers and tweaks that they think are ideal? :fingers-crossed:

Love it so far. Just waiting on the multi window feature. Or is it already on here? Lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!

The device is amazing!!! I just wish there was a legit way to turn off LTE and use HSPA+ for maximum battery life. I don't always need 40mbps down lol.

Had it a couple hours and its just a better note than the first which I had. Its a pretty sweet device and im glad I bought it. Now if we can just get it rooted and debloated. I ended up on a stock based rom on my note 1 and ill probably do the same here. I enjoy the spen and all the features. I do love this damn thing.
Sent from my being stalked from my jealous note 1...who is mad she doesnt get touched anymore.

Picked one up for the wife today and am very impressed. I had the original note and this seems a lot smoother and the speaker is very loud.
Sent from my HTC One XL using xda premium

I have pretty big hands, didn't have much trouble with the note 1, but this one is much easier to handle somehow. I agree it's a bit slick though. With apex pro and animation speed set at .5, it's fast. Hard to quantify, but you can tell pretty quickly theres a big motor under the hood, much better than my oc'd note 1. I really liked my note 1, but after about 10 hours with this, I ain't going back.

Related

Pro's & Con's of the Note II

I'm not going to lie.. I'm nervous about buying this phone. I've been a slider user forever and love my old trust worthy Galaxy S running Cyanogenmod's Jellybean port. It really does everything I want.
But I've been thinking about buying a tablet lately and maybe going the Note II route is a better option for me.
If you own one of these phones and have been using it for a couple of weeks and feel like sharing, what do you see as the pro's and con's of this phone?
Con 1 for me - no keyboard.
I love mine - I do a ton of typing and use numbers and characters all the time - switching with a touch screen keyboard to type something like k3yb0ard takes me 2 or 3 times longer using a screen then it does with my keyboard (I've timed it using everything from the stock keyboard to swype)
Pro's - pretty much everything hardware related but the lack of keyboard.
How stable is root on this phone? Everything running nicely? Overclocking? Good ROM and Kernel support? Beats audio? Voltage Control (or other overclocking apps)? All the usual phone root/modding goodies.
Is there a good portable keyboad that works with this phone? (bluetooth, small enough to carry in a pocket also, good battery life) That may be a solution when I'm doing a lot of emails or typing a lot of mixed format msgs.
Anyway, thanks for your answers.
The keyboard thing can be an issue. I know it was for me when I went from a HTC Touch Pro 2 to the EVO 3D. However, after a while I got used to it and it is second nature now. What's nice is the Note 2 takes it a step further. You can use the sPen to HANDWRITE your message instead of using the touch keyboard. It will translate your handwriting to text. I am just starting to get a handle on using the sPen to it's fullest. The new multi-window option is nice too(have a split screen with 2 app running at the same time).
The root on this is solid. It's an easy step by step process, with prebuilt programs that do all the work. The only real difference here is the Samsung counter that counts how many times you have loaded a custom ROM. Anything past 0 will prevent warranty work. BUT there is a program that can reset it and also the original stock tars are out there.
ROM development is lacking a bit right now because it is new. However, I am already seeing an increase in custom ROMs in just the last week or so. So it will get going. It may not get to the level of say the S3 but I think it will be good.
Hope this helps.
The screen is so large that typing on a virtual keyboard is much easier than it used to be.
I had a physical QWERTY fascination starting with the G1 and ending most recently with the MT4G Slide. I have to say that I don't have any moments where I long for a hardware keyboard with this device.
The voice input of Jelly Bean is amazing as well. If you are in a service area or wifi area, it works VERY nicely.
I also recently purchased a Logitech BT keyboard that allows me to use the Note II like a touchscreen netbook. Samsung's Smart Dock will most likely allow a keyboard, mouse, spare USB port and HDMI for only $100, so I consider that to be an option for some.
Even the smallish Samsung swypable keyboard that pops up in Multiview types quite well.
I don't think you will be disappointed with the input options that this device will allow you. Plus, the flatness in your pocket is something that you won't ever get in a slider. This giant phone actually feels better in my pocket than my 3.6" MT4GS did. I even have moments where I need to check if the phone is there. (Side note: I'm an adult and I wear the proper size pants at the proper waist level, sagging's for kids)
I understand where you are coming from.. I had a slider phone myself a few years ago and missed the physical keyboard.. I had an epic 4G touch previously and the screen was cramped for me since I have big hands.. But typing on the note 2 is great due to the large screen and I use swift key and you can increase the keyboard size.(also trying in portrait mode =AWSOME, so much more room lol) . Plus the haptic feed back when pressing keys makes it feel more like a physical keyboard
As far as root its way beyond solid... The customer kernel runs nice.. You can over clock to 1.8..I haven't yet since the phone is so smooth out the box.. I might over clock one day.. The unlimited multi windows is a bonus.. It would really suck to limit multi windows to only a few apps.. The audio mods are nice.. Very loud and nice bass
A really great start to a new device.. Can't wait to see what's to come over time
-TeaM VeNuM Like A Boss
-Galaxy Note II Edition
I too had keyboard concerns but got over it with the help of SwiftKey. I am a big corporate email user and couldn't imagine being productive without the keyboard. Someone in this forum said go with SwiftKey and you'll never look back. I must also add that the stock N2 isn't bad
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Thanks for all the posts.. I drove myself to the sprint store today so I could play with the phone a bit in person and I'm glad I did.
We might be important when it comes to the election drama, but Ohio won't have LTE until late next year.
Made my decision easy.. no way - no how.
We have 4G wimax here and it's plenty fast.. I'm not downgrading to 3G just to upgrade the rest of my phone. (plus they charge you for 4G LTE anyway - even though we don't offer it.. just in case you go to a area with it)
Anyway, thanks for all the replies. By the time we get 4G LTE here I'll be posting about the Note 4 I think.
Yea, if you are solidly in a Wimax area and use it all the time, unless you can't live without the features of the phone, stay with the wimax phone till LTE comes around.
Where I'm at, the only place I had Wimax was when I was outside for lunch at work. Indoors, I can hardly get a signal for a phone call(this applies to ALL the carriers, as our building really screws with the signal.
I Still think tho that with the new cash infusion/purchase by Softbank, you will see Sprint accelerate it's LTE buildout quite a bit.
Bro there's days I miss my Sidekick Lx
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

Thinking of making the jump to note 2

My upgrade comes next month and I wanna hear from those who switched from the og note to the note 2. Was it worth it to you? How is the phone performance? How about development? I've been watching this forum closely and I look forward to any input you might have. Thanks in advance.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
LittleRedDot said:
My upgrade comes next month and I wanna hear from those who switched from the og note to the note 2. Was it worth it to you? How is the phone performance? How about development? I've been watching this forum closely and I look forward to any input you might have. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went from the HTC Desire HD to the Samsung Galaxy SII, and now, to the Samsung Note II.
The size takes a bit getting used to. I'm still trying to use the back button with my left thumb, which just can't reach across. I have tiny hands. But other than that, I love the screen when I'm watching or reading something. The S-Pen adds a totally new dimension that I didn't expect before. I don't mean just the handwriting recognition or being able to get your cursor where you want. Being able to do screenshots, crop and annotate them is super useful, at least to me.
Aside from that, performance is what i'd expect from a brand new phone; everything is snappy and smooth. The battery lasts me the whole day (8am to when I sleep, 11pm or so?) rather than just half a day (have to charge before I leave work). I consider myself a moderate to high user: I've used 5gb out of 6gb of my quota (around 1gb for google reader alone), but most of it was for tethering.
The Samsung stock keyboard was surprisingly useful. They snuck in that word prediction feature from Swiftkey (well, i bought swiftkey from before) and it's finally took me away from the compact qwerty layout I've been using since the first Blackberry Pearl (2006).
Lots of little Samsung'isms all over the place. Little tilt motion things, not turning off when you're reading, keeping orientation when you lie down in bed while reading ... it's useful!
Things I'm not impressed with:
Not enough S-Pen specific apps. Not really Samsung's fault, I know they've been trying to motivate developers
Screen is too bright sometimes in the dark. I think it might be me not figuring out how to set it yet
Size. Both its strength and its weakness.
TouchWiz. Okay, this is personal preference for sure. But I replaced this with one of the many 3rd party launchers available, so it's okay.
Language Support, in particular East Asian language handwriting recognition support. Again, 3rd party. Most people won't need this, I'm guessing.
Not being able to save apps to the SD card. I don't know why, But I haven't been able to find the function. I only got the 16gb one, so I'm scared it's going to fill up.
That's all I can think of right now.
Download "screen filter" to solve the brightness problem. I use it every night and every morning. Regarding the apps2sd, well you can't without rooting. Some idiot at Google decided to remove that feature which is completely insane. I only reason to do this imo is because they (Google) are planning on releasing a console in th near future. A console which would probably not sell so well after we upgrade our just as powerful smartphones after 2 years and use them as a console instead. Whatever the reasons it is bad for us, bad for developers, bad for android and bad for sd card makers. The funny thing is that Samsung boasts about the expandable storage!!
I just recently switched myself and all I can say is wow! This phone is something else. I am really starting to love this phone. (coming from iP4s by the way) Its been a week now and I have no regrets at all. I still have a lot to learn about the full potential of the phone.
I do miss some of the simplicities of the iP4s IOS but just love the performance of this phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
LittleRedDot said:
My upgrade comes next month and I wanna hear from those who switched from the og note to the note 2. Was it worth it to you? How is the phone performance? How about development? I've been watching this forum closely and I look forward to any input you might have. Thanks in advance.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I came from the Note 1. And everything is better faster etc etc on the Note 2. On the Note 1 I had it rooted and custom ROM'd and on the Note 2 I have not felt the need to do any of that...yet. The battery is bananas...I got almost 5 hours screen time and 1 1/2 days stand by on a single charge...I also still had 25% left in the tank. That alone makes it an easy choice. The main reason I was doing the custom roms on the Note 1 was to kill some of the bloat and apps I didnt need to save battery life. With the Note 2 it doesnt seem needed.

Note 2 vs nexus 4

So guys I'm in a dilemma here I have both phones right now sealed in the box I don't know which one to keep and which one to sell. I'm in Canada so lte works on the nexus 4. What do you guys suggest ? Thanks
One for work one for play ;p
sent from outside ur window
twanskys204 said:
One for work one for play ;p
sent from outside ur window
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Click to collapse
I was in the same dilemma as well. If you don't mind the size, the Note 2 is the better choice. The Nexus 4 may get the faster updates but we're on xda anyway so pretty much any phone with a good community will get updates.
Personally, if I had a choice between those 2 phones, I would prefer the Note 2. I'm a bit biased because I've been with Samsung for so long and I don't trust any other brand other than them. LOL. But from an unbiased point, the Nexus 4 provides faster updates (as mentioned), the Krait processor, and it's Google. Note 2 has a bunch of useful features and now we have some very reputable and brilliant developers in our community which will jump start our development. There's even an Android 4.2 (WIP) coming for us!
offwiththeface said:
So guys I'm in a dilemma here I have both phones right now sealed in the box I don't know which one to keep and which one to sell. I'm in Canada so lte works on the nexus 4. What do you guys suggest ? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 2 hands down...more features and great dev support.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
I've used both and ended up sticking with the note 2 there's nothing out there right now that can compare to its specs not even goggles own baby
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Did you ask this same question in the Nexus 4 section? lol...It's gonna be hard to get an unbiased opinion when you ask a question like that in a section specifically for one of the phones
Having said that, I had the LG Optimus G, and aside from the LG skin (which wasn't TOO horrible) it was a good phone, but I still promptly exchanged it for a Note 2 and don't regret it one bit. I have never had good experiences with LG phones. The display was beautiful though.
I have a note 2 and my buddy has a nexus 4. I thought the nexus 4 screen looks way better then note 2 screen hands down in my opinion. The build quality and feel of nexus 4 is also much better. However no removable battery no lte, and no sd card support are major deal breakers. 16gb is just not enough with games and apps installed. At least if they made a 32gb version.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
The nexus 4 has some attractive points. LTE maybe less of an issue if you in Canada. The screen is nice and it's a fast performer.
But for me the lack of MicroSD and non-removable is a no go for me. Not only is battery life on the Note 2 awesome, but I have a spare battery i can use if every needed. I also really like having the s pen and the 5.5" screen i greatly enjoy. The size of the note is not for everyone, I'm OK with it.
You have to decide how important each of these factors are to you. Once you do that I'm sure you'll be happy with your choice.
If note 2 was made by LG and nexus 4 by Samsung, I'd say go for nexus 4...
Personally I'm staying away from anything LG, I had enough gray hair with LG Nitro HD, thank you very much.
[email protected] said:
If note 2 was made by LG and nexus 4 by Samsung, I'd say go for nexus 4...
Personally I'm staying away from anything LG, I had enough gray hair with LG Nitro HD, thank you very much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're lucky you never tried the Thrill then...
I need more time before trying LG again. The guy at the AT&T store tried to get me to buy the Optimus G when the Note was not in stock yet. The nexus might be okay if LG isn't responsible for the software.
Sent from my Note ][
When you ask such question in Note 2 forum, my feeling is that you are going to get some bias answer.
I have both phones, and I think both phone are top notch in their own way. Here's what I think:
Nexus 4
- Very solid build, the construction is as solid as iPhone. Feels great in hand.
- The display does produce some relatively accurate colour compare to my IPS displays. I do a lot of photo editing/viewing. On the other hand, the sAMOLED does throw the colour off a bit by over saturated (nature of AMOLED), with the "natural" profile on Note2, it does become closer to real colour. Pixel density on the N4 is also better, but it's not critical as the Note 2 display is pretty sharp with the sAMOLED HD.
- AOSP, AOSP, AOSP! If you aren't a fan of Touchwiz, this is what you should keep. Not just the updates, as they don't come everyday. It's the user experience. Samsung does add a lot of neat feature that many can't live without, but in my honest opinion, AOSP does provide a nice layout and great feature out the box. I am also not a huge fan of Samsung's oversized UI, either.
- Believe it or not, the on screen button is a very important "feature" of N4 - You now have a place to put your thumb when you hold the phone, especially when passing the phone to people to show them stuff...without accidentally touching any of the buttons. However, also because of the on screen button, you do lose some screen estate.
- Buttery smooth, yes, smoother than the "more powerful" Note 2
- The price - You are indeed getting a lot of phone for the price that you are paying.
- Battery is medicore, partially due to bugs of 4.2 I believe. Dead locks are draining the battery.
- Lack of SD card might be a deal breaker for you. It isn't for me.
- Camera sucks.
Note 2
- Huge display, this is probably the max that you can carry with the borderline portability. The display is beneficial for reading stuff, browsing, sharing contents with friends
- The battery is ridiculous. The size, with the power management of the software makes it unreal. I get average 2 hours of light/moderate usage per 10%, on LTE.
- Touchwiz - To use the full features of the Note2, you probably don't want AOSP. The S-Pen works well with touchwiz, and I find touchwiz works well with large displays due to the oversized UI elements
- Size - It's pocketable, but it's not extremely comfortable. Taking in and out, using it in public, talking on it looks very awkward. No matter how big your hands are, how big of a person you are, this IS larger than your average phone by a lot
- One hand usability - Samsung does have some one hand accessibility but in general, reaching for places around the screen is a struggle with one hand
- Great sound - Speaker, and headphone jack.
- Strong vibrator
- S Pen - Unless you have a use for it, it's a gimmick. It's fun to fool around with it, but the hype tends to die off quickly
- FAST charging. Nexus 4 is fast, but Note 2 is even faster consider it's massive battery. This is a very important feature to me.
- Impressive camera, but not that it's any/much better than that of SGS3
- Oh, if you don't have a 7" tablet yet, this should fill that gap a bit.
As it stands, Note 2 has some very attractive points to me, such as the large display for reading and the insane battery life that makes me not to worry about being close to a charger. However, I don't feel comfortable using it on a daily basis due to the size. WIth that said, I am using a Note 2 now as I gave my Nexus 4 (8GB) to my other half. I have a 16GB coming in a month, and I will re-evaluate it again by then.
These two phones are pretty much Android in it's best form in today's market, and they are not substitutable for each other due to the different nature of them. The phone war has evolved to beyond to the specs-war just like computing world. The "better specs" of Note 2 doesn't necessary determine whether the phone is better or not, and with that said, Nexus 4 specs is pretty impressive too. You need to pick your own base on your need
Hope it helps a bit with your decision! Any more specific questions you have that can help with your decision, just ask. It's a tough one to make.
Awesome thanks for the input its a huge decision I think of will end up keeping the note
Sent from my SGH-T879 using xda app-developers app
The Nexus 4 ultimately had too many drawbacks for me to consider it. The thermal throttling issues with the S4Pro processor, the non-swapable battery with less than stellar battery life, the limited storage without microSD expansion, the glass back prone to cracking, and no LTE. And now we find out that the Nexus 4 cannot support USB-OTG, so all those who bought one thinking they could move files over to an external drive are SOL. No USB keyboards/mice/Dualshock etc. Not a big deal if you have bluetooth peripherals, but I want to have as many options as possible. The Note II is a superhero in that regard...
I have the Note 2 and personally love it, but if you don't need the size, then nexus 4 is a much better option. I love the vanilla 4.2 JB and the screen is much crispier, any build quality is top notch [I have both phones]
If note 2 had a 1080 display then, I would so Note 2 hands down.
Get a quality BT headphone and you won't have to worry about how you look to other people...personally I really could give a rats behind how others think...but hey that's just me...
Nexus vs Note II...to me it all comes down to do you want the biggest best phone or a smaller phone that doesn't offer as much.
S-pen is there if you need it...and it's always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
ASOP...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046616..it has a few minor glitches...but if this is your thing...then enjoy it.
Smoothness...drop this one in...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2028661 add Nova launcher and tweak it...and your golden...
Memory card...your going to want one...just to fill up with all of the videos you'll be watching and music you'll be rocking to...
My advice...prop them both up side by side and watch any video on it...browse the internet..then ask yourself...which offers you what you want/need to enjoy it with
Mac
Mac11700 said:
Get a quality BT headphone and you won't have to worry about how you look to other people...personally I really could give a rats behind how others think...but hey that's just me...
Nexus vs Note II...to me it all comes down to do you want the biggest best phone or a smaller phone that doesn't offer as much.
S-pen is there if you need it...and it's always better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
ASOP...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2046616..it has a few minor glitches...but if this is your thing...then enjoy it.
Smoothness...drop this one in...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2028661 add Nova launcher and tweak it...and your golden...
Memory card...your going to want one...just to fill up with all of the videos you'll be watching and music you'll be rocking to...
My advice...prop them both up side by side and watch any video on it...browse the internet..then ask yourself...which offers you what you want/need to enjoy it with
Mac
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Click to collapse
Mac,
No offense but I think your post is pretty bias.
- Yes, you can always bring a BT headset, but shouldn't you be able to hold a phone comfortably on your face instead of having to depend on a BT headset in order to not look silly? Also, how about the people that don't like bluetooth headset in general?
- S-Pen, yes, it's better to have but at what cost? Size of the phone?
- Touchwiz isn't without it's own glitches, whether AOSP or not is a pure preferences whether it has bugs or not. I actually find touchwiz works well with GN2, AOSP won't.
- Smoothness, sorry, Note 2 just isn't as smooth as a N4 no matter what launcher you put in. It could be due to settings, but out the box even with Nova, it's not there.
- Memory Card - why must he get one?
I do agree with Note 2 having better specs, but the cost is the size. If you can live with the size and Touchwiz, there isn't a reason not to get Note2....but only if you can live with the size.
Cheers.
cy88 said:
shouldn't you be able to hold a phone comfortably on your face instead of having to depend on a BT headset in order to not look silly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Caring about what other people think of you holding a phone to your face reeks of insecurity to me. "Looking Silly" is the last thing that would sway me from buying an excellent device.
Remember how small phones used to be ten years ago? It wasn't that long ago when people also thought 3.5" smartphones were huge.
cy88 said:
Mac,
No offense but I think your post is pretty bias.
- Yes, you can always bring a BT headset, but shouldn't you be able to hold a phone comfortably on your face instead of having to depend on a BT headset in order to not look silly? Also, how about the people that don't like bluetooth headset in general?
- S-Pen, yes, it's better to have but at what cost? Size of the phone?
- Touchwiz isn't without it's own glitches, whether AOSP or not is a pure preferences whether it has bugs or not. I actually find touchwiz works well with GN2, AOSP won't.
- Smoothness, sorry, Note 2 just isn't as smooth as a N4 no matter what launcher you put in. It could be due to settings, but out the box even with Nova, it's not there.
- Memory Card - why must he get one?
I do agree with Note 2 having better specs, but the cost is the size. If you can live with the size and Touchwiz, there isn't a reason not to get Note2....but only if you can live with the size.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cy8888, that's funny you said Mac's post was biased because that's exactly what I thought when I read your long post above.
Remember, the OP asked what people thought and the reply's have been, for the most part, just that. Almost every statement you made in your lengthy post was "your opinion", certainly not facts. For example, I use the S-Pen daily and love it's added benefit and it, in my opinion, is not a gimmick as you stated.
So, no need to call out another forum members post when he is doing the same as you...giving his opinion as requested by the OP.:angel:
andrawer said:
Cy8888, that's funny you said Mac's post was biased because that's exactly what I thought when I read your long post above.
Remember, the OP asked what people thought and the reply's have been, for the most part, just that. Almost every statement you made in your lengthy post was "your opinion", certainly not facts. For example, I use the S-Pen daily and love it's added benefit and it, in my opinion, is not a gimmick as you stated.
So, no need to call out another forum members post when he is doing the same as you...giving his opinion as requested by the OP.:angel:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was bias because I love/have the Note 2 so much but the size, right?
What I said: "S Pen -Unless you have a use for it, it's a gimmick." - You do, so it's not a gimmick for you for sure. I know a few people that do have a use for it and I am impressed with how they make use of it for work purposes.
Which other point of my post is pure bias? I simply listed out the things I from with using both devices, I never said one is better for another for everyone. However Mac did say that "you are GOING to want one", "BUGS with 4.2", etc etc to just praise the Note 2. OP is trying to make a decision, and words like that aren't going to make his choice easier is it?
UCLAKoolman said:
Caring about what other people think of you holding a phone to your face reeks of insecurity to me. "Looking Silly" is the last thing that would sway me from buying an excellent device.
Remember how small phones used to be ten years ago? It wasn't that long ago when people also thought 3.5" smartphones were huge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might have worded it wrong, but the fact that it's bigger than normal does draw attention. Yes, you can choose not to care about anyone thinks at all, but there are some actually "dont" want to draw that type of attention with a device. It is a fact that Note 2 is humongous, and that's ALSO it's selling point. Unless you have a need and can live with the size, otherwise you might want to look at other alternatives like SGS3 (which i have one sitting here also if you want comparison) that offers something in the middle.
I apologize if I've rubbed anyone the wrong way, wasn't the intention.
Cheers!

G3 letdown?

Coming from the note 3 I'd say overall this phone is better, but there's some problems with the software. At least that's what I'm guessing. When I switch to app alternatives it runs great.
For instance the keyboard feels ungodly awful. Spacebar recognizes only half my taps, and the auto correct feels poorly utilized. I have to manually select dictionary suggestions. Going to SwiftKey and there's no problems. I'd love to actually test the g3 keyboard features but It's almost unusable.
Window transitions also seem to lag a bit and I see redraws. But I also notice it sometimes too navigating settings menu.
So what do you guys think, how's the software? Should I simply flash another rom ?
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Honestly the only thing I agree with you on is the keyboard but I upgraded from a gs3.
I love the phone so far. I switched from the S5. This phone feels allot like the s5 but it runs better in my opinion. I have a problem plugging things in the headphone jack. Sometimes the phone recognizes it and sometimes it doesn't.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Free mobile app
Are we not able to use Google keyboard?
Nitemare3219 said:
Are we not able to use Google keyboard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.inputmethod.latin
Not sure why people post this, if you don't like it take it back. Problem solved..
The keyboard turns off auto correct out of box but leaves suggestions. When typing the two word on the left and right are suggested spellings if they are misspelled and you just swipe up on the left or right side to auto fix the word.
Coming from the note 3 I don't agree your phone is faulty keyboard is far better than the note 3. Go to your keyword setting and look around I will suggest. Only agree with window transition but it's far less laggier than the note 3
I say it's OK because I will install Google Cantonese Keyboard anyway (unfortunately, Samsung keyboards does not support ChangJei - one of the reasons I drop Samsung phones).
I came from a Note 3 as well. On it I miss the AMOLED, USB 3.0, and the S-Pen. On the G3i like the smaller form factor while keeping the larger screen and the resolution. The G3 does have some bugs I don't like though, such as my keyboard would keep reverting to the LG one until I froze it. I don't think either is better, just slightly different.
Tbh I think the lg keyboard is the worst I've ever used. I uninstalled it and I'm on the android l keyboard now
There was an update today for the keyboard.. Seems to make it much smoother and word suggestions appear as you swype and not after.. Looks to be big improvements. Also added emoji's into word suggestions . Give it a try!
I am trying this keyboard instead of using Google's and it seems to be okay.
mgbotoe said:
Coming from the note 3 I don't agree your phone is faulty keyboard is far better than the note 3. Go to your keyword setting and look around I will suggest. Only agree with window transition but it's far less laggier than the note 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I absolutely love the keyboard once I went into settings and set things the way I wanted them.
Eckono said:
I love the phone so far. I switched from the S5. This phone feels allot like the s5 but it runs better in my opinion. I have a problem plugging things in the headphone jack. Sometimes the phone recognizes it and sometimes it doesn't.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard about that issue and LG is denying that its a hardware issue.. I think it may be a software bug but who knows i havent had the problem so i wouldnt know but try going back to your tmobile store if that is where you got it from if not then... you're screwed :silly:
I don't focus on stock things like keyboards which can be easily swapped for something else. I'm used to the Google Keyboard and just use it with any device, problem solved.
Personally I like my devices as close to stock Android, and with Root + Xposed you can pretty much get there. The only thing I really use that's LG's is the camera app, and it's quite good. People complain about the camera app too -- well guess what, you can load other cameras too - either the stock Google Camera or FV-5, A Better Camera, etc.
I'm coming from an HTC M8. I loved the M8 but I dropped it in a pool and TMobile gave me the option of either getting a refurb replacement via the insurance I pay for or getting a different phone. As much as I loved the M8, I took a new phone. Mostly because I wanted a larger screen again, but other than the size of the screen and maybe the camera (camera isn't a real big issue though) I loved the M8.
I will agree that I don't like the stock keyboard. But being on Android, we can change that. I've put my trusted and true Swype on and i'm back in business.
I've seen people complain about lag in the UI and there is a non root fix for that using a service phone number and changing a setting. I did notice a pinch of that lag and applied the change and it seems to have cleared up. http://www.droidviews.com/how-to-fix-lag-on-lg-g3-without-root/ if anyone is interested.
The 4K screen is more than a phone needs but isn't the reason why I chose the phone. Its pretty, plenty bright for me and yes, I was using it outside during the day and it was bring and clear enough for me. The battery is good too. I notice that when the screen is on, the battery is faster ( /duh) but when the screen is off, the battery practically doesn't go down. I have a 10,000MaH battery to recharge my devices on the go so if I it dies I can use that or guy a 2nd battery to swap. But I have an office IT job so I am never far away from a plug.
I am quite impressed with the camera though. I will always use my DSLR for important shots but this phone has a good camera and the autofocus is stupid fast.
I'm quite happy with the G3 and won't be taking it anywhere near a pool. I've had at least 7 smart phones and the M8 was the first I broke. Cost me $175 for my clumsiness.
johnomaz said:
I've seen people complain about lag in the UI and there is a non root fix for that using a service phone number and changing a setting. I did notice a pinch of that lag and applied the change and it seems to have cleared up. http://www.droidviews.com/how-to-fix-lag-on-lg-g3-without-root/ if anyone is interested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll be damned...these changed settings did kill the lag issue on mine..it took a few seconds after the second boot, maybe 15-20, but suddenly it was like I was running Nova or Apex with 0 Animations. Good catch, thanks, and welcome to G3! Cheers!
Why do people miss samoled screens? Sorry but that black can suck it with the dark banding while scrolling crap. The absolute best keyboard is the Xperia one hands down. It literally took the best features from each keyboard and packed it into one. Just wish they had a theme option besides the only 3 stock ones.
I should be getting a G3 next month and can't wait. Size wise it's a downgrade from a Z Ultra but I'll be keeping it around as a tablet so to speak.
The keyboard out of the box is terrible.
However, after customizing it to my liking, it's honestly one of the better keyboards I've ever used. The update happened a day or two after I bought it as well, so perhaps that had something to do with it.
I came from the Note 3 as well, and I couldn't stand the keyboard on that (though I liked the device overall).

HTC 10 Satisfaction

Been doing my research and thinking of getting the HTC 10. Just wanted to gauge users overall satisfaction.
Currently the only vote heh, so I'll elaborate on my "It's alright" (the cons). I don't think there's a worthier replacement for it, but there's definitely room for improvement.
- The captive buttons are a touch too low, just enough to be a minor inconvenience physically when reaching for them, and sometimes more when you miss them by a bit.
- I like the fingerprint scanner being a touch scanner (don't need to press it), but since it acts as a home button too, it's prone to accidental presses. I also just prefer a physical home button, my preference when it comes to feel. Ideally it would've been an actual button, but also touch sensitive just for the scanner.
- The screen could be brighter. Not a deal breaker, but it's less bright at max settings than my old m7 it replaced.
- Battery. I wish they put in a bigger one. It's quite alright when it comes to battery life, but it's just that the phone is thin enough in my opinion that making it a bit thicker for a 3600 battery could've definitely helped, and be better instead.
- Extremely minor, but still - the boom sound icon shouldn't be there when I'm playing music, if BOOM sound is turned off.
Not a fan of decryption.
It's already turned into a headache for me.
It makes being a flash-a-holic tougher.
Sent from my 2PS64 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I have had mine for 2 weeks or so. I like it and keeping it. That being said... It's not perfect and don't think there will ever be a perfect phone. I'm on Sprint and coming from a LG G2. Coming from a G2 I'm always reaching for the buttons on the back and touching the camera requiring lots of cleaning for good picture. And I miss some of the customization of LG homescreen layout. The 10 is fast and responsive. Battery is great for me and quick charge is awesome. Takes good pics but usually requires some user adjustment prior to taking. Hopefully updates can make for better point and shoot. Some minor annoyances of getting used to a different phone after about 3 years with the same phone.
Sent from my 2PS64 using Tapatalk
Randy Lahey said:
Been doing my research and thinking of getting the HTC 10. Just wanted to gauge users overall satisfaction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Unlocked HTC 10 modified to be a Verizon phone. Had the M7, M8, and M9 before this, and really like it. The brighter notification light and less carrier bloat make it perfect. It's fast, does not overheat, and has great hand feel.
Randy Lahey said:
Been doing my research and thinking of getting the HTC 10. Just wanted to gauge users overall satisfaction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're given only one life, bro, consequently it's no doubt your mistake failing getting an hTc 10 the last April yet.. ??
Sent from quite brutal hTc 10 ..
Extremely happy with mine. Second favorite Android device after the Nexus 5
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Most recent phones just the past 12 months;
- OnePlus One ( Which I still have as a backup )
- Galaxy Note 5 ( Rooted and ROM'd )
- LG G5 ( Owned for like a week and returned for various reasons )
- HTC 10 ( rooted and running LeeDroid )
Out of the above 4 phones I have had within this year, I surprisingly still like the OPO a lot more than I'd ever think, mainly for the wicked awesome CM13 ROM's out there, and amazing development community on that phone., but the phone is showing it's age of course. Th Note 5 was really nice, but just got sick of Samsung and the MAJOR wait for MM was insane, not coming out till like late April / Early May, putting it like 7 to 8 months after the Nexus devices originally got it, that's inexcusable. The LG G5 not a bad phone at all, actually feels really good in the hand, and overall a nice size, and the G5 battery was shockingly very good, giving me 6h Screen On time with ease. But the screen was too dim, not bright enough, the display was very poor and cheap, and sucked outdoors, and the build quality seemed just ok, and the development community almost nonexistent, I gave up after one week, it was an ok phone.
The HTC 10 really is cool, fantastic build quality, but the screen isn't the best outdoors either, not like a recent Samsung phone, which are outstanding on sunny days. The development community for the 10 is GREAT, and hoping to see a solid CM13 eventually on it. But little things irk me, the stupid lock screen weather deal, I don't want to have to have GPS enabled to see the weather on my lock screen, why can't I just enter in a specific city, and have it show the weather based off the city I choose ? And I seem to have issues with selecting a different lock screen wallpaper than the home screen, it just never sticks, only shows the same wallpaper as the home screen I set. But could be the DPI I changed ?
Also, themes on the HCT 10 sucks IMO, compared to Samsung, ( And I am no Samsung fan whatsoever ) But the themes on Samsung, really transform EVERYTHING on the phone, the pull down quick settings, to the phone dialer, to Messaging, to Settings menu. Look at the AOSP Themes for a Samsung phone, they radically change the look of the phone big time, throughout the entire system. I have yet to see HTC's themes offer anything like that ?
Battery life seems pretty good with my tweaks, I am getting 5.5h to 6h Screen On time.
Most likely will dump this phone for the new Nexus this September.
I love it! The best phone on market for me.
But those ugly stock quick settings...
The first ever android phone in many years i havent rooted. Enjoying the phone rather than flashing constantly. Best phone out there currently, but looking forward fo next LG
Sent from my LG-D855 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Thanks everyone for your votes and replies so far. Most seem to love their phone so far. I guess the results might be biased as most of those that hated it would likely have already returned it and wouldn't be on this thread in the first place.
Two things I've been following concern me though, and I'm curious if any of you HTC 10 lovers have experienced these problems.
The first is the Gap-gate (or Mind the Gap), where people have noticed a significant gap between the bezel and the aluminum frame. Most the people complaining so far seem to have the white face model.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-10/help/gap-screen-frame-t3376620
And the second is the fact that more than one person has claimed that the HTC 10 has destroyed their SD cards.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-10/help/htc-10-damaged-micro-sd-card-t3385664
Interested to hear the view of HTC 10 owners that maybe have had their phone since release (ie a couple months now).

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