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I currently have the Galaxy Note 10.1, which currently has most of the features that the Note II already has, and soon to get more whenever they roll out JB.
I quite like the Note 10.1 and think that the Note II is quite a nice piece of equipment. But, I have this overwhelming feeling that the Note II's features will be redundant considering I have the tablet. That, or it'd make my tablet a bit useless, depends on how you look at it.
So, my question is, do you guys think I should buy the Galaxy Note II or the Galaxy S III? I also seen that the new LG Nexus 4 is quite nice, but with the flaw of not having expandable storage from what I've been able to gather. Or, do you guys have any phones that you would recommend that's pretty high end and expected to be good? I'm not buying my phone for at least a month, so I'm starting my research now.
The Note 2 is a perfect combination of a phone and a tablet. You can utilize it for both purposes easily. I strongly recommend it.
I am Dr. Night, and I approve this message
AirSupply said:
The Note 2 is a perfect combination of a phone and a tablet. You can utilize it for both purposes easily. I strongly recommend it.
I am Dr. Night, and I approve this message
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Thank you for your recommendation. I'm going to do more digging into the phones to see what would be the best for me. But I'm unfortunately one of those techies that like my equipment to be high end and very pretty..
Question is really.. what do you do on your phone? watch movies? alot of web browsing?
i love my note 2 cos i do just that.. watch movies, listen to music, surf on the web reading news, forums.
couldnt live with anything smaller now. and me and my G/F use the pen daily.
if you like the Note 10.1 i think you cant go wrong with note 2 if you can stand the size
heatfire said:
Question is really.. what do you do on your phone? watch movies? alot of web browsing?
i love my note 2 cos i do just that.. watch movies, listen to music, surf on the web reading news, forums.
couldnt live with anything smaller now. and me and my G/F use the pen daily.
if you like the Note 10.1 i think you cant go wrong with note 2 if you can stand the size
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Well, on my current phone (Galaxy W CM9 Beta 1) I used to do a lot of web browsing, but, my current phone right now isn't playing very nice with me and Dolphin. I tend to do a lot of texting, as well. If I have the time in college or out and about I may watch a few things, depending on battery. It does seem like a brilliant choice. But, the 5.5 inches does sound rather insane! But the pen does come in handy a great deal. The Note II is the top contender for me, right now. No other phone even amounts to how amazing it is to me.
Note 2 is simply the best phone yet. And size is really good. Felt like it was designed for me after several hours of use. And the battery is so goood
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Well, I think it's decided! Thank you guys. I really do need something with good battery. I was worried that with the massive screen and overwhelming processor that the poor wee battery wouldn't be able to cope! The Galaxy W has terrible battery life when the data is active, which is something I tend to use a lot.
the size is huge but you get used to it, and i gotta say i love the pen for writing notes you can have a small notepad pop up every time you remove the pen im not a huge fan of onscreen keyboards and writing with the pen is very comfortable with almost no lag on the input.
was in the hospital for 4 days and the note 1 phone saved me with its huge screen, i watched youtube and movies and never felt the screen beeing to small or got eyestrain from its size.
Battery time is amazing on the note 2 also. about 8 hours watching movies twice what the first note could do, and the same the iphone 5 can do
ive seen some reports of even 10 hours watching movies
i dont see my phone as large any more, its normal its the other phones thats small.. smartphones should be about 5" with all this CPU power!
You should buy the note 2 because there is no other phone on the market now that can perform better than it benchmark test prove that.
zaslamel42 said:
I currently have the Galaxy Note 10.1, which currently has most of the features that the Note II already has, and soon to get more whenever they roll out JB.
I quite like the Note 10.1 and think that the Note II is quite a nice piece of equipment. But, I have this overwhelming feeling that the Note II's features will be redundant considering I have the tablet. That, or it'd make my tablet a bit useless, depends on how you look at it.
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I'm betting the note 2 is going to make your tablet redundant and not the other way around. You'd probably find yourself using the phone more than the tablet because how much easier it is to hold on to and take with you on the go.
Tablet functions on a phone that fits into my pocket? Yes, please.
My advice, sell the note 10.1 before the value goes down too much if you plan to get the note 2.
Silent25r said:
I'm betting the note 2 is going to make your tablet redundant and not the other way around. You'd probably find yourself using the phone more than the tablet because how much easier it is to hold on to and take with you on the go.
Tablet functions on a phone that fits into my pocket? Yes, please.
My advice, sell the note 10.1 before the value goes down too much if you plan to get the note 2.
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Click to collapse
See, I use the tablet for note taking in college. Well, that's what I bought it for, at least. It arrived as my classes got to the point where I wasn't getting taught anything. So that's on hold for a month or so. I also use it for organisation with the calender for things such as college assessments and important dates. So I'd have the calender synced on both devices, which might increase productivity. I'm using it for app creation, whenever I get back into it, too. It's also used for when I need to use stuff like remote desktop, or take it out with me for when I go to fix up computers, or do work on my own, as well as general web browsing. And I use it for guitar, as well. One of the best uses I've found for it!
The Note II will make some of the features in my tablet useless, but I do use it for a great deal which the Note II couldn't do as well due to is smaller size. Being a programmer and musician, the screen, the better the results. I do admit that certain things will be used less, but certain things will be boosted, too. I've only just began to explore the uses for the tablet.
When note7000 came I regret buying it. When I heard of note7100 ive learned. I know that's the one I've been waiting. The next big thing right in my hands no regrets.
"This thing is BIG" .... that's what she said
zaslamel42 said:
See, I use the tablet for note taking in college. Well, that's what I bought it for, at least. It arrived as my classes got to the point where I wasn't getting taught anything. So that's on hold for a month or so. I also use it for organisation with the calender for things such as college assessments and important dates. So I'd have the calender synced on both devices, which might increase productivity. I'm using it for app creation, whenever I get back into it, too. It's also used for when I need to use stuff like remote desktop, or take it out with me for when I go to fix up computers, or do work on my own, as well as general web browsing. And I use it for guitar, as well. One of the best uses I've found for it!
The Note II will make some of the features in my tablet useless, but I do use it for a great deal which the Note II couldn't do as well due to is smaller size. Being a programmer and musician, the screen, the better the results. I do admit that certain things will be used less, but certain things will be boosted, too. I've only just began to explore the uses for the tablet.
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After looking at your list it would still seem the note 10.1 is a waste. I'm a programmer as well but not a musician. A laptop note 2 combo should beat out a note 2, note 10.1 combo for school related task by a long shot and both could sink to Google calendar. As a programmer I would hate to be stuck with all my devices running a mobile OS not to mention the added weight I would be force to endure from carrying all those devices. When fixing pc's I want the fastest and easiest to use device possible and there the note 2 would again beat out the 10.1 and not mention since it is a phone we'd always be carrying it.
It seems like the only real area it would shine is the musician route for your guitar and for that it seems overpriced. Of course this is all my opinion so please don't take any offensive to it.
If you get the note 2 you will end up selling the note 10.1... I own a note 1 (waiting for my note 2 to arrive) and I had a galaxy tab 10.1 p7500.. I bought my tab back when I had a gnexus and was very useful but since I got the note 1, I didn't use my tab at all so I've sold it because it was just a dust collector...
Enviado desde mi GT-N7000 usando Tapatalk 2
Silent25r said:
After looking at your list it would still seem the note 10.1 is a waste. I'm a programmer as well but not a musician. A laptop note 2 combo should beat out a note 2, note 10.1 combo for school related task by a long shot and both could sink to Google calendar. As a programmer I would hate to be stuck with all my devices running a mobile OS not to mention the added weight I would be force to endure from carrying all those devices. When fixing pc's I want the fastest and easiest to use device possible and there the note 2 would again beat out the 10.1 and not mention since it is a phone we'd always be carrying it.
It seems like the only real area it would shine is the musician route for your guitar and for that it seems overpriced. Of course this is all my opinion so please don't take any offensive to it.
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I see where you're coming from, and I'm happy with your input. The Note 10.1 is brilliant for college related stuff because I have a desktop, meaning with my Note 10.1 I'm able to sit downstairs to study. It's also great for college because of how light weight it is. I just pop it in my bag and off I go. The way I use it is quite productive, for me. When fixing PC's it's normally so that I can have certain things up on the screen such as instructions, videos and what not, meaning the bigger screen is still more efficient. I normally have my bag with me when fixing PC's so it's again, on my person and easily carried. I went with the Note 10.1 over a laptop because of 1.) It's lighter 2.) Faster to boot up and operate, since everything in android is small (for the most part) and 3.) A laptop would be a waste, considering I have a high-end desktop. I did plan out what I needed before making the decision of getting one. As a programmer, though.. I work on Visual Studio for college and my own C# projects, but with Android - when I go to learn to develop on it - I will be programming with a mixture of AIDE and Eclipse. AIDE is an APK in android that lets you design apps straight from your device, then build and test them, too. It also syncs with your workspace for on the go.
But, I do thank you for your honesty. My set up is ideal for me, so far. Just that my phones a bit rubbish because of the lack of ram. I still need to look more into what is out there. Money is a bit of a factor so if I can get something that's pretty great with a lower price tag I'll probably jump on it.
aaah galaxy note 2 may be best for me
very helpfull thread after reading through this thread i think i am gonna buy not 2 only i have this old galaxy S which i think needs a replacement :cyclops: few days back i saw this galaxy note 2 in a show room since then i doubted whether to buy such a big phone or not but now i think i will buy it as soon as i collect enough resources i mainly use android phones to play games
shameless15 said:
very helpfull thread after reading through this thread i think i am gonna buy not 2 only i have this old galaxy S which i think needs a replacement :cyclops: few days back i saw this galaxy note 2 in a show room since then i doubted whether to buy such a big phone or not but now i think i will buy it as soon as i collect enough resources i mainly use android phones to play games
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Click to collapse
If you want an android phone for gaming I'd recommend a T3 device like the HTC One X+. T3 has exclusive THD games however Gameloft games don't work as well as not optimised properly for T3.
None the less GN2 is still packing some gaming power behind it.
A simple answer to your question is. If you are buying a smart phone now, than buy Note 2. Why settle for something less, when the next big thing is already here. Lol
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EvoYas said:
A simole answer to your question is. If youbare buying a snart phone now, than buy Note 2. Why settle for aomething less, when the next big thing is already here. Lol
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
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Aha, top lad! I'm hoping that the 32Gb/64Gb version is out by next month! Samsung never have enough chips to actually release those modes. (
I've been debating with myself which phone to get - I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person in this boat so I made this thread.
My situation:
Nexus IV: $360 here in Canada
Note II: $400 here in Canada, although with a 3 year commitment ($40 a month for unlimited nationwide calling, unlimited data, although they throttle after 5gb, and unlimited nationwide text).
I'd use the same data plan if I got the Nexus, although on the plus side, I have no contract. Not too sure how big of a plus that is, as I don't want to swap from Wind Mobile.
Strongly leaning in favor of the Note II right now.
Nexus IV Advantages: Overall this phone is very similar to the Optimus G; not unlike the Nexus S and the i9000s.
- The SOC appears to be faster
- No Touchwiz (IMO Stock > anything the manufacturers come up with)
I personally do not care about the Wireless "charging orb" and think it's a gimmick; of limited use in the real world where one can simply connect a micro-USB.
Perhaps the biggest advantage the Nexus IV has is well ... a Nexus phone. That means that the development community around it will be much bigger, faster updates, and a 100% chance of Cyanogenmod. I'm not sure what's the Cyanogenmod prospects on the T889, but there is a beta one working for the N7100 and considering how similar this phone is to the international version. I don't know how big the development community for the T889 is going to be.
Note II Advantages: More or less a blown up Galaxy S3.
- Audio quality appears superior (Wolfson DAC); important to me; I keep a rooted voodoo Galaxy S variant just for the audio as a PMP; I am unsure at this time of what DAC the Nexus IV comes with, but having listened to the Galaxy S3 and the Optimus G
- Speaker appears to be superior (not a big deal IMO)
- Bigger screen (good for browsing and movies)
- S Pen (and everything that comes with it; probably the only custom thing that any manufacturer has done that has added value; well maybe Sense before Froyo added value to Android)
- Expandable storage (Nexus IV probably not enough to import a serious FLAC collection)
- Battery life (based on reviews, it looks like the Note II has a better battery life)
I would discourage people from using a "points" system to evaluate the 2 phones.
Areas for debate:
- Size .... I personally prefer a larger phone, up to debate though
- Screen; well it comes down to IPS vs Amoled. Both have outstanding viewing angles, and the Amoled isn't pentile (although not the traditional RGB either it seems). Amoled has deeper blacks, but the white reproduction isn't the greatest. IPS has better brightness and is better out in sunlight.
- Neither the Nexus IV nor the Note II can claim to have a better camera for taking images
- I'm not sure how well these phones will last over time - the glass back on the Nexus might be an area for concern; the Note II seems to do well in the drop tests though
- Pentaband phone (the T889 is pentaband as is the Nexus); not planning on making any international trips, but this would come in handy if it did
LG also seems to have a bad reputation; not too sure as I personally have never owned LG phones for an extended period, but my Samsung experiences have been positive.
Your thoughts?
How much faster is the processor known to be on the Nexus 4?
I considered both, but definitely do not regret having gotten the Note II because I really care about the larger screen (the main reason I upgraded from a GS3, though I really wanted the quad-core exynos)
Also, there's a big difference in retail price, which is going to be a major factor in the comparison.
Nexus 4 is crap! Don't buy it or u will regret it!!!!!!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
jkxklutz said:
How much faster is the processor known to be on the Nexus 4?
I considered both, but definitely do not regret having gotten the Note II because I really care about the larger screen (the main reason I upgraded from a GS3, though I really wanted the quad-core exynos)
Also, there's a big difference in retail price, which is going to be a major factor in the comparison.
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Click to collapse
In my case, price is very close, but yeah the screen is a big attractor.
honestly i don't think you can compare these 2. galaxy s3 versus nexus 4 is more of a fair comparison. Either you want the big screen or you don't, really what it comes down to. The pen is nice too although I seriously doubt how much i'll use it. I believe samsung cameras are superior as well. and i'm sure its gotten better, but frankly stock android sucked to me when i tried it on froyo and gingerbread.
Apples and IEDs
You're comparing Apples and ****ing IEDs; Note is HUGE, wicked fast, polished up with TouchWiz and has the surprisingly useful S-Pen. Nexus devices are wonderful, and I've owned every single one except the two just announced... But you can pry the Note II from my cold dead hands because it is hands down, the greatest device on Earth today.
Ya, I gotta agree, you are comparing two totally different products. While saying your movie collection will help you get over the fact that you will be stuck with 8 or 16 gb worth of space, over time, you will kick yourself for being stuck with 8 or 16 gb worth of space. 64gb microSD cards should be enough for you to stop making silly statements referencing your FLAC collection; it's a no brainer.
The S-Pen should be at the top of your list for a device that's centered around productivity. If you just want to watch movies, buy a tablet.
Long story short, CM10 and the rest of the ROMs are needed on devices... the Note 2 doesn't need them. Oh, and you forgot to compare battery sizes... probably something more important than any rom or even the microSD card slot. On the Note 2, it's glorious!
IMHO i need the sd slot by getting that phone i would have to revert back to ousting my iPod for music amongst the other things I've got on it.. can't do it... sides love the s pen.. this phone is awesome
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I would personally never buy the nexus 4 simply because it is made by LG and Samsung is far superior when it comes to smart phones. I upgraded my SGS3 to the Note 2 for the larger screen and the extras like the s-pen. Only thing that sucks right now is there are very few accessories for the Note at the moment but Seidio and Otterbox are in the works.
brashmadcap said:
You're comparing Apples and ****ing IEDs; Note is HUGE, wicked fast, polished up with TouchWiz and has the surprisingly useful S-Pen. Nexus devices are wonderful, and I've owned every single one except the two just announced... But you can pry the Note II from my cold dead hands because it is hands down, the greatest device on Earth today.
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You are exactly right.. I honestly don't see how i can honestly go to soothe device after I've had the note 2 i had a guy at work offer me 300 bucks and his white s3 I was like no!! Put the s3 on Craig'slist and get your own...the next phone i buy wool obviously be a note 3... What can i say I'm hooked...
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
I have to agree. The t889 is the way to go. I look at the nexus4 and it is very similar to my t989 with a updated soc and very slightly different size screen. Along with the whole stock android thing. I didn't really feel the need to upgrade to the s3 from my s2 especially since I don't like hardware home buttons. But the note 2 has got me desperately wanting out of my contract so that I can get it. Bigger better screen, s pen, removable battery and sdcard slot. And I don't know about the statement that the qualcomm Soc is better then the exynos they are probably very very close but I'd take the Mali gpu over the adreno any day of the week. If you really want a nexus device just get a 199$ nexus 7. It seems like a better deal then the nexus 4. But you probably wouldn't even use the 7 incher if you had the t889.
I'm not sure what sort of crap people are talking on here and saying the Nexus 4 is crap, but that's an absolutely ridiculous statement. The SoC on the Nexus 4 is definitely faster than the Note II, but honestly Need for Speed Most Wanted is the only thing that doesn't run perfectly on the Note II (and even then we're talking a handful of frame drops that make no difference to gameplay). Most games aren't even close to being as taxing as NFS MW, so I wouldn't even worry about that. Games that usually slow phones down like Plight of the Zombie, and livewallpapers that do the same don't slow down the Note II at all. Everything runs perfectly on the phone.
As for features, it's really TouchWiz vs. stock Android. As nice as Android 4.2 is, the features in TouchWiz are unmatched, even though it can be extremely ugly. What's really nice about the Note II though is that there are already a lot of theming kitchens available, like this one, that make TouchWiz just a little less ugly by letting you customize icons and colors in the interface. Honestly after having the S-Pen features on the Note II, I'm not sure I could go back to any phone that doesn't have such features. It's one of the reasons I'll probably never run an AOSP based ROM on this phone. Of course AOSP has S-Pen gestures now, so there's no telling what the wizards here at XDA will do over time, but for now I bought the Note II for the S-Pen features primarily, and that keeps me from jumping ship from Samsung's stuff.
It's up to you. I'm getting my wife a Nexus 4 for Christmas because although she loves the Note II and the features, it's just a little too large for her. Plus I'd recommend a Nexus 4 over a Galaxy S III any day, but that's a whole 'nother thread. Get the Note II, you won't be sorry. It's by far the best phone I've EVER used.
---------- Post added at 08:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 AM ----------
bookburner said:
I have to agree. The t889 is the way to go. I look at the nexus4 and it is very similar to my t989 with a updated soc and very slightly different size screen. Along with the whole stock android thing. I didn't really feel the need to upgrade to the s3 from my s2 especially since I don't like hardware home buttons. But the note 2 has got me desperately wanting out of my contract so that I can get it. Bigger better screen, s pen, removable battery and sdcard slot. And I don't know about the statement that the qualcomm Soc is better then the exynos they are probably very very close but I'd take the Mali gpu over the adreno any day of the week. If you really want a nexus device just get a 199$ nexus 7. It seems like a better deal then the nexus 4. But you probably wouldn't even use the 7 incher if you had the t889.
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Click to collapse
The Nexus 4 has a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core and an Adreno 320. It's in a league of its own honestly. The only thing that truly competes with it is the SoC in the iPhone 5. Burns me that that's the case, but facts are facts unfortunately.
Gwanatu said:
I'm not sure what sort of crap people are talking on here and saying the Nexus 4 is crap, but that's an absolutely ridiculous statement. The SoC on the Nexus 4 is definitely faster than the Note II, but honestly Need for Speed Most Wanted is the only thing that doesn't run perfectly on the Note II (and even then we're talking a handful of frame drops that make no difference to gameplay). Most games aren't even close to being as taxing as NFS MW, so I wouldn't even worry about that. Games that usually slow phones down like Plight of the Zombie, and livewallpapers that do the same don't slow down the Note II at all. Everything runs perfectly on the phone.
As for features, it's really TouchWiz vs. stock Android. As nice as Android 4.2 is, the features in TouchWiz are unmatched, even though it can be extremely ugly. What's really nice about the Note II though is that there are already a lot of theming kitchens available, like this one, that make TouchWiz just a little less ugly by letting you customize icons and colors in the interface. Honestly after having the S-Pen features on the Note II, I'm not sure I could go back to any phone that doesn't have such features. It's one of the reasons I'll probably never run an AOSP based ROM on this phone. Of course AOSP has S-Pen gestures now, so there's no telling what the wizards here at XDA will do over time, but for now I bought the Note II for the S-Pen features primarily, and that keeps me from jumping ship from Samsung's stuff.
It's up to you. I'm getting my wife a Nexus 4 for Christmas because although she loves the Note II and the features, it's just a little too large for her. Plus I'd recommend a Nexus 4 over a Galaxy S III any day, but that's a whole 'nother thread. Get the Note II, you won't be sorry. It's by far the best phone I've EVER used.
---------- Post added at 08:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 AM ----------
The Nexus 4 has a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core and an Adreno 320. It's in a league of its own honestly. The only thing that truly competes with it is the SoC in the iPhone 5. Burns me that that's the case, but facts are facts unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Imagine a note 2 with a s4 pro
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I think these devices have really different use cases.
One major draw back for me about the nexus 4 is the battery and SD card. I've owned every nexus devicedevice and while they are amazing devices, there always seems to be some (major)drawback.
This could be said about any phone.
For the note2, the Major drawback is the size, something that I'm OK with. Which is whyi won't be switching to the n4.
brashmadcap said:
You're comparing Apples and ****ing IEDs
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mdt73 said:
Ya, I gotta agree, you are comparing two totally different products.
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I agree they're pretty different, but definitely not comparing apples and oranges (or IEDs). ..mainly because (for most), it's one or the other. They're going to serve the same purpose, even if in different ways.
I've been going crazy, back and forth btwn the two. I told myself I'd never get a non-nexus device again, but leaning more towards the NoteII now. The most important aspect for me now is the developer support. ParanoidAndroid has ruined my crackflashing escapades. I've never been on a ROM so long, and everything else seems weird now.
I hope PA comes soon. Aside from that, I worry about the N4's lack of storage/expandable storage which has seriously been a PITA on my Gnex. That BS from Duarte or another Googler about users not needing expandable memory is bs. And the cloud storage argument is ridiculous. Files commonly accessed get cached on the device anyway and take up space. (preaching to the choir). I'm less concerned about the LTE futureproofing, but it's definitely an issue as well.
dannydv said:
Nexus 4 is crap! Don't buy it or u will regret it!!!!!!
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The nexus 4 isnt going to be crap. There are many negative points for me regarding the nexus 4 versus the note 2 but it will not be a bad phone.
On another note. I haven't done any reading or researching on the matter, is the snapdragon really THAT much faster than the exynos? I didnt know such a disparity existed.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
I got the Note II because it has much better battery life than the new Nexus. My last phone was the Galaxy Nexus, a great phone, but I was always carrying an external battery with me or charging it in the wall. Compared to the galaxy nexus (and probably the nexus 4 and most androids out there), my experience so far with the Note II is that the battery life is about twice as good. With the Note II I can leave the bluetooth on, gps on, screen bright, and it's all okay for the day. It also charges super fast at 2amp. It took me longer to charge my Galaxy Nexus even though the battery was much smaller.
Wifi calling, removable battery, larger screen, SD card are nice as well. It seems Google doesn't update their OS that often anymore anyways. I had the Galaxy Nexus for a year and only had very few updates that barely improved anything (where as my Nexus S and Nexus One seemed to have had more significant updates.)
The charging is pretty cool on the note 2. Ive never had a phone with such a huge battery that can chsrge so fast
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Funny thing is when I had my S2 all I heard is how crappy the snapdragon was and how great he Exynos was, now that the nexus has one all of a sudden its the best. Smh
tigerz0202 said:
Funny thing is when I had my S2 all I heard is how crappy the snapdragon was and how great he Exynos was, now that the nexus has one all of a sudden its the best. Smh
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Click to collapse
This exactly.
Sent from my JellyBean Galaxys3
Hi all,
i currently am using a galaxy nexus and wish to upgrade my phone. I am debating between the Galaxy note 2 and the nexus 4.
I'm a fan of the pure google experience but am intrigued by the galaxy note 2's stylus functionality. I would appreciate if note 2 owners can share their experience of using the phone. Is the S pen functionality actually useful day to day? Or is it more of a cool "show off" feature?
thanks!
Doubt your going to get an unbiased answer in here.... :laugh:
That said, I wasn't even considering the Note 2 at one stage, but in the end because I couldn't get a Nexus 4, it made me think again about what I wanted...
I had a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Nexus. I saw the Nexus 4 as just a very fast, more polished version of the Galaxy Nexus, otherwise the ownership experience was much the same IMHO. The Nexus 7 was superfluous and I didn't really use it to its potential. So I looked into the Note 2, as it addressed many things I didn't like about the Gnex, mainly, poor battery life, poor camera and lack of storage.
So I've got the Note 2.
No regrets. The camera appears to be better than the Nexus 4, battery life MUCH better (in fact, much better than any phone I've ever used before), and although the screen does not have 300+ PPI, its more "impressive" to look at. And it also fills in as a tablet.
Very happy with it. I do slightly miss Vanilla Android, but TBH you can still turn it into an object of desire with a little work.
As for the pen, for me, its a bit of a gimmick TBQH. Others may disagree.
netninja said:
Hi all,
i currently am using a galaxy nexus and wish to upgrade my phone. I am debating between the Galaxy note 2 and the nexus 4.
I'm a fan of the pure google experience but am intrigued by the galaxy note 2's stylus functionality. I would appreciate if note 2 owners can share their experience of using the phone. Is the S pen functionality actually useful day to day? Or is it more of a cool "show off" feature?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't speak for the rest, but I honestly bought the first note thinking that I'd NEVER use the SPen, but in reality it's REALLY useful.
When I am on a phone call, I whip out the pen and just start writing on the smemo pad that comes up... Numbers, words, dates, etc. Very handy.
It's also a very precise tool.
When it's cold outside, I can use the Spen instead of taking off my gloves. Saves me from frostbite LOL.
It's great for screen captures of a specific size, or even the whole page!
I also admit that I was thinking about buying the Nexus 4 in addition to my Note 2. But I thought to myself that Pure Google is great, but I'd miss A LOT of the added functionality that Samsung or any other company adds to their devices. Those little touches make the experience really nice. So does google! But the SPen, huge battery, expandable memory, added software, larger screen.... All are necessary for me now... I'm a Samsunger for the next year at least hehe.
I hope I've helped shed some light on my personal use and opinion.
zkyevolved said:
When I am on a phone call, I whip out the pen and just start writing on the smemo pad that comes up... Numbers, words, dates, etc. Very handy.
It's also a very precise tool.
When it's cold outside, I can use the Spen instead of taking off my gloves. Saves me from frostbite LOL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never realise it did that, interesting, thanks.
As for getting cold in Spain, give over!
Thanks for the replies guys. They were all very good descriptions.
I gotta make a decision and it ain't an easy one!
The S-Pen is the reason I bought the Note 2 and i use it for more things than I first intended. I love all the retouching tools that are available on Android not to mention apps like SketchBookPro which are pretty useless without the S-Pen.
The pen is also, as another wrote, very accurate and very useful on Web pages like this to quickly change to italic or bold without having to zoom in!
One feature I really thought was a gimmick was the smart stay feature. But I assure you it isn't. It is one my favourites. In good light I now never have the screen sleep on me whilst reading. It however sleeps 15 seconds after I turn my head away.
Hey all,
Just wanted to say thanks for the advice! I got my Galaxy Note II in titanium today very pleased so far.
netninja said:
Hey all,
Just wanted to say thanks for the advice! I got my Galaxy Note II in titanium today very pleased so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good desicion, this is without doubt the best phone I have owned, so smooth. When I get my wife's s3 it feels slow and tiny compared.
i was making the same choice as well
nexus 4 advantages
-pure google experience
-cheap
-qualcomm s4 pro
-higher pixel density
galaxy note 2 advantages
-android 4.1 with touchwiz customisations which gives it a lot more software features out of the box compared to nexus 4
-a bit more expensive but i managed to order mine for $529AU, which isnt too much more compared to $399AU price of the nexus 4
-exynos 4412 might not be as quick as the s4 at 1080p, but at 720p theyre more or less on par
-although pixel density is lower, the screen real estate is much higher when you factor in that the on screen keyboard of the nexus 4 reduces the usable screen area to around 4.4-.4.5inches
-camera has a lot of useful features that i'd use
-a lot more choices in terms of cases available at the moment
-monster battery
-s pen (this wasnt really a selling point for me though since i barely used it in my note 1)
so after evaluating it (and seeing a massive price drop), i forked out the money. it also helped that the note 2 was available whereas the nexus 4 is still unavailable.
Ability with my N7105 to swap out the (massive capacity) battery and provision of a microsd slot wins it for me The 16GB max of the Nexus 4 is a deal breaker for me. No way I'll buy any device lacking a card slot. Why does Google do this? I can't see the non swappable 2100mAH battery lasting long on a quad core device either.
mitchelln said:
Ability with my N7105 to swap out the (massive capacity) battery and provision of a microsd slot wins it for me The 16GB max of the Nexus 4 is a deal breaker for me. No way I'll buy any device lacking a card slot. Why does Google do this? I can't see the non swappable 2100mAH battery lasting long on a quad core device either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, without µSD card, you can't take your music, vidéos and game with you. My internal memory is almost full, Gameloft game consume up to 1Go per game. Other games and apps use more and more spaces, around 50Mo per apps, and you have only 10Go left on the 16Gb model.
The main problem about the note is that you can't move game data to the external µSD without beeing root and using something like DirectoryBind.
And if you take many HD videos, 16Gb is ridiculous.
netninja said:
Hey all,
Just wanted to say thanks for the advice! I got my Galaxy Note II in titanium today very pleased so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Enjoy mate I'm sure you will
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Galaxy Note 2. Nexus 4 is slow in comparison. Nothing special about it unless you like stock ROM from Google. No external memory slot. Absolute deal breaker for any phone for me.
I just traded away my 16gig n4 for the international Note 2 and wow is all i can say. This is the best phone ever, samsung really hit a home run with this thing.
Nickel Dime Bay said:
I just traded away my 16gig n4 for the international Note 2 and wow is all i can say. This is the best phone ever, samsung really hit a home run with this thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice. I'm curious what made you decide to switch the N4 for the GNOTE 2?
netninja said:
Nice. I'm curious what made you decide to switch the N4 for the GNOTE 2?
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Click to collapse
Bigger screen (N4 was super nice and clear)
Colors on the N4 were a bit washed out. That could also have been my eyes just like AMOLED screens better.
SD card slot
LTE (getting the ATT one soon)
And battery life is INSANE!
Those are some of MY reasons for switching. Loved the Nexus, that phone is so smooth!! But the Note 2 is just better in my eyes.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
I really wanted the Nexus 4, had two in the cart but was never able to purchase them on the release date. Really was bummed about that.
However, since I had time to wait for them to restock, I started looking a bit harder at other phones, and came across the GT-N7100 Note 2. What sealed it for me was:
Bigger screen
Huge battery capacity
Replaceable battery
Back isn't made of glass
SD card slot (64Gb on the way!)
S Pen sounded like a really neat idea
International version avoided carrier bloatware
International version has hotspot enabled
Since I've got it:
Screen really is nice
Battery life really is good
S-pen holds definite promise
Runs so, so smooth
Big phone is big
Can't move apps to SD card, (why god, why?!) but this can be fixed with root
Doesn't have a dedicated car dock like my Epic 4G did
Finding a 2A car charger is damn near impossible, but easy if you are good with a soldering iron to mod an existing one
Belt cases are hard to find (yeah, i kick it old school)
Completely happy with my purchase. Google did me a favor by running out of stock so fast.
netninja said:
Thanks for the replies guys. They were all very good descriptions.
I gotta make a decision and it ain't an easy one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I moved on from the Note1 powered by CM10/AOSKP based Roms, to the Note 2 and never doubted between it and the N4.
Could not even consider a phone without a sd slot, replaceable battery and smaller screen, even for that price and being pure Google.
Not to mention the Note 2 got an amazing sound, due the Wolfson DAC, and an amazing GPS/GLONASS performance.
And talking about amazing, what an amazing battery performance!
Actually, if you don't care about the fact that the Note is manufactured by Samsung, and don't care about the pure Google experience (Nexus devices) and prices, I don't even understand why you still have doubts.
Specially after all the answers you got here
Did you post this same question on the N4 forum?
.
sleebus.jones said:
[*]Finding a 2A car charger is damn near impossible, but easy if you are good with a soldering iron to mod an existing one
[*]Belt cases are hard to find (yeah, i kick it old school)
[/LIST]
Completely happy with my purchase. Google did me a favor by running out of stock so fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
otterbox has a defender case with belt clip. some ebay cases have a belt clip too.
and as for the 2A charger, just go on the google play store and buy the 2A charger that they sell for the nexus 7. i've been using my nexus 7 2A charger to charge my note 2, charges quite rapidly.
I have the note 2....also getting the nexus 4...because its cheap...... will be useful to give it as a gift to my brother
scribbled from my note 2 (N7100)
Hi all,
Having been a Nexus 10 user since March having switched from a Note 10.1 I now have a craving for going to a Note 8!. I now carry my N10 around even less, it now mainly stays at home, now that I have got a Samsung Chromebook 3G which I carry to & use at work on a daily basis, so I would like a smaller tablet to replace my N10 as I also miss the S-Pen. My plan is to use the Note 8 as a sat nav / music player in my car for the days when I drive in to work and use it for magazine / document reading for the days when I take the train instead, which I can just throw into my bag along with the Chromebook.
This would also make me a Samsung fanboy by having a Note 8, Chromebook & SGS3
What do you guys think to this combination of devices, or what do you carry around on a daily basis?.
The Note 8 has more features by way of hardware but you lose the flash. It has a lower screen resolution but the screen still looks nice and bright. Battery life is great with the 4.2.2 update (leaked) even with the S Pen. The S Pen is certainly the most interesting part of the device, it doesn't feel too flimsy but maybe a little cheap. As far as whether to upgrade or not, it's all up to you, but if you get the Note 8 you get more portability and a quad core processor. Even though the price is notably high for a device of this size you'll hopefully find the extra features will be worth it.
Cheers, 64kb
Sent from my GT-N5110 using xda app-developers app
Switched from n10 to note 8 3 weeks ago, and I really don't regret it at all. 8 inches feel much better, and I really really like the spen features. Tbh, I use tablets only in university, but taking notes is much easier with the note. I think the n10 still is the better device for multimedia purposes, but I never used that anyway. And I really prefer 8 inches compared to 10. I think 8 is just the perfect size for a tablet. Ofc, everything depends on your personal preferences
Multimedia -> n10
Reading, writing, mobility -> note8
I really don't see a reason you need a Note 8 if all your doing is nav, music, etc. in the car. If you didn't find a reason to keep the Note 10 then the Note 8 probably would not get you anything more unless you want a bit smaller tablet.
The resolution of the Nexus would be nice to have in car as well I think. Sounds like you just want something new to play with. :good:
I was thinking of returning my Note 8 and picking up a N10... I like the spen but it feels like something I won't use longterm.
I have a N10 that I love and just got a AT&T Note 8. I'm partial to the Note being a Sammy fan myself (and having the 10.1 before the N10), but no root/recovery/roms is killing me. If development doesn't pick up soon I'm going to have to trade this I467 for a wifi version or give it to the wifey and trade the N10.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Xparent Green Tapatalk 2
CCallahan said:
I really don't see a reason you need a Note 8 if all your doing is nav, music, etc. in the car. If you didn't find a reason to keep the Note 10 then the Note 8 probably would not get you anything more unless you want a bit smaller tablet.
The resolution of the Nexus would be nice to have in car as well I think. Sounds like you just want something new to play with. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
unless you want to use it specifically for note taking and / or drawing you would be better off saving your money and going for a non stylus enabled tablet. The new nexus 7 looks pretty swish.
My Note 8.0 makes a great travel companion and I use it as sat nav / in car entertainment on my journeys. During those periods though I have no use for the S Pen.
---------- Post added at 12:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:09 PM ----------
For Magazines the 8inch form factor is good, I dont like it for comics / graphic novels though and would recommend continuing to purchase physical copies or a 10 inch tablet for those.
So, basically, I'm in the process of quitting smoking. As a "congratulations" type gift, my parents are purchasing me a tablet. I'm stuck choosing between the Nexus 7 (2013) and the Galaxy Note 8.0 right now. I already know the Nexus is worth the money, but I like the features and such on the Note.
If you saw my other thread asking about ROMs for a Note, that was part of trying to make my decision. Now that I've seen that I can keep the functionality, gain some more, and improve performance, I have to decide if it's going to be it or the Nexus.
At $330, is the Galaxy Note 8.0 worth the money at this point in its life cycle? Please try to avoid just straight yes or no answers, I would love you to elaborate. I know it also depends what I'm using it for, so just assume that I like to draw, am not fantastic at it but it's a fun hobby, and I would make use of the office suite included.
I had the Note 8.0 and the Nexus 7 2013. The Note 8.0 has much ore functionality and a MicroSD slot. The Nexus has the better screen. They are similar speed wise. Best Buy has the Note 8.0 for $299 right now. I assume because the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 launched last week. I like Multiwindow of the Note also.
nrage23 said:
I had the Note 8.0 and the Nexus 7 2013. The Note 8.0 has much ore functionality and a MicroSD slot. The Nexus has the better screen. They are similar speed wise. Best Buy has the Note 8.0 for $299 right now. I assume because the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 launched last week. I like Multiwindow of the Note also.
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Click to collapse
Thanks very much for your input. At Best Buy here, the Note 8.0 is $330, but I'm Canadian so that's just the crappy exchange rate.
I've done extensive reading on both of these tablets, and that's something that really stood out, just how much more functionality the Note has over the Nexus. The SD card slot is a huge thing, too. Being able to spend $40 and slap a 64gb class 10 MicroSD card in it would be nice. Speed wise, I heard TouchWiz can be laggy, get hung up here and there, but that custom ROMs fix that with improved performance, removing some bloatware, etc.
As it stands, I'm still slightly on the fence between the two, but I'm leaning toward the Note. I figure I don't need to make this thread in the Nexus forums, because I already know the Nexus is worth the money (minus that there's no SD card slot) and it's got its own advantages. I'm glad the Note 8.0 community is willing to give me some insight
Amazon has refurbished models for $250US.
IMHO, the only reason to chose a Note 8.0 over a Nexus 7 is the stylus/handwriting recognition. it's what makes the Note truly unique the 7-8" tablet range. If pen computing is 'nice, but not essential', then go with the Nexus 7. It's cheaper, a better screen, just as powerful, and slightly better battery life. The speakers suck compared to the Note, but then most people use headphones or powered speakers than listen to the tablet 'naked'.
Spookymonster said:
Amazon has refurbished models for $250US.
IMHO, the only reason to chose a Note 8.0 over a Nexus 7 is the stylus/handwriting recognition. it's what makes the Note truly unique the 7-8" tablet range. If pen computing is 'nice, but not essential', then go with the Nexus 7. It's cheaper, a better screen, just as powerful, and slightly better battery life. The speakers suck compared to the Note, but then most people use headphones or powered speakers than listen to the tablet 'naked'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks muchly for your input! From what I've heard, the speakers on the Note 8.0 are pretty crap, very tinny. That's not much of a concern though because, as you said, headphones or external speakers are what I'd be using when I'm using it for movies or music.
For me, the advantages from the stylus are that I can use it to draw, to learn to draw because kindergarten kids probably do better work lol, and various small functions like improved web browsing and such. I've also got a thing for teaching myself random things because... well... I'm a nerd lol, so the S pen will be good for general stylus uses in that regard as well, like highlighting, etc.
Now, one thing I've noticed is people talk so much about how the Nexus 7 has a much better display and that text is hard to read on the Note 8.0. However... if you look at reviews from before the Nexus 7 or iPad Mini Retina came out, you see everybody saying how nice the display looks and how easy it is to read all sizes of text. To me, that says that focusing on the resolution and the PPI is more a marketing scheme than anything. Don't get me wrong, the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini Retina DO have sharper screens, the numbers don't lie, but the people talking about those numbers tend to exaggerate just how much a difference it is.
I have the note and my wife has the nexus. I much prefer my note over hers. The extra inch of screen males a huge difference. I also use the pen a lot at work highlighting material, writing logs but mostly writing on pictures.
The resolution on the nexus is better but the functionality of the pen makes this the tablet to have IMHO.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk
Well I paid half price before Christmas for a new boxed 5110 and in January half price for a new boxed SGH-i467. Could not touch those deals with any other product that is like the Note 8.0. Though there is not many like it to choose from.
Well, it's decided! You've all helped me solidify my thoughts about the Note 8.0, I'm not just crazy and making myself think it's good. That's what I'm getting then! I'll just have to figure out how to get updates manually, since in Canada we don't seem to get them very fast. From what I've heard, we don't even have 4.2.2 available for OTA updates here.
If I were buying a tablet now, I'd highly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, which was just released in the US yesterday for $399.
It looks to be everything the Note 8 is, except with a much nicer screen and an updated processor; but no pen. Although personally, I found I don't even use the pen on the N8.
The N8 is a great tablet, and I use it every day, sometimes for hours. But its getting close to last gen specs, having been released April 2013. And I typically don't recommend buying last gen technology.
redpoint73 said:
If I were buying a tablet now, I'd highly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, which was just released in the US yesterday for $399.
It looks to be everything the Note 8 is, except with a much nicer screen and an updated processor; but no pen. Although personally, I found I don't even use the pen on the N8.
The N8 is a great tablet, and I use it every day, sometimes for hours. But its getting close to last gen specs, having been released April 2013. And I typically don't recommend buying last gen technology.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would certainly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, but my problem is price. I'm stuck with a firm $350 price limit (tax not included), and it's unfortunate because an extra $50 would open up my options immensely, but beggars can't be choosers right?
ArobeeTV said:
I would certainly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, but my problem is price. I'm stuck with a firm $350 price limit (tax not included), and it's unfortunate because an extra $50 would open up my options immensely, but beggars can't be choosers right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should have quit smoking earlier, then you would have plenty of money (those things are expensive!!!).
But seriously, I realize everyone has different budget requirements (one of the main reasons your question "is the N8 worth the money" is ultimately a decision only you can make). But to me, an extra $100 to get the new generation hardware (versus something almost a year old), is a bargain. Although if you think you will use the pen, that is obviously a consideration as well.
redpoint73 said:
You should have quit smoking earlier, then you would have plenty of money (those things are expensive!!!).
But seriously, I realize everyone has different budget requirements (one of the main reasons your question "is the N8 worth the money" is ultimately a decision only you can make). But to me, an extra $100 to get the new generation hardware (versus something almost a year old), is a bargain. Although if you think you will use the pen, that is obviously a consideration as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair point. I appreciate the input!
Like nrage, I had both at the holidays. First I had the new Nexus 7 lte, and I was wondering what I might be missing with the note 8, so I bought one of them and compared. I kept the Note 8 simply due to the larger screen, and the sd card slot. I figured, I can always tether for data, and I didn't see much difference in the screens side by side, or the audio side by side.
Also, the Note 8 will be getting kitkat 4.4.
sashusmom said:
Like nrage, I had both at the holidays. First I had the new Nexus 7 lte, and I was wondering what I might be missing with the note 8, so I bought one of them and compared. I kept the Note 8 simply due to the larger screen, and the sd card slot. I figured, I can always tether for data, and I didn't see much difference in the screens side by side, or the audio side by side.
Also, the Note 8 will be getting kitkat 4.4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was kind of having the same thoughts. I recently saw a Note 8.0 and a Nexus 7 in a local computer store, and the screens aren't that different in quality. In fact, I liked the Note screen better, because it was bigger and more accurate with colors, and still very clear. The SD card slot is a big thing too, that's for sure. As for the Note 8.0 getting KitKat, that's a good thing I suppose. I don't know that it'll improve it much, or how long it'll take before we get it in Canada (we still don't have 4.2.2 on Note 8.0 here, I believe), but one can hope.
I wish you woud have posted this back in August. I bought my note 8 from staples for $240 with tax and be honest the note 8 is going to updated to kitkat soon.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
evolishesh said:
I wish you woud have posted this back in August. I bought my note 8 from staples for $240 with tax and be honest the note 8 is going to updated to kitkat soon.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$240? I wish. For some reason, everybody appears to have RAISED their price on it today. From a business standpoint, that doesn't make sense.
ArobeeTV said:
$240? I wish. For some reason, everybody appears to have RAISED their price on it today. From a business standpoint, that doesn't make sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me. They had it for $299-75 dollars coupon, plus taxes. It all came out to $240.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
For someone who just bought this note yesterday l will say it is worth the money as there are no other Comparable tablet you can find and left for a hander the handwriting recognition is superb.
Sent from my GT-N5100 using Tapatalk
biggiebro said:
For someone who just bought this note yesterday l will say it is worth the money as there are no other Comparable tablet you can find and left for a hander the handwriting recognition is superb.
Sent from my GT-N5100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks muchly for the input! I've been wondering about that handwriting recognition thing, even though I probably won't use it that much. In case I do end up using that feature, it's good to know it works well!
@ ArobeeTV- I forgot!!!!! A huge :highfive: and congratulations on quitting smoking. You won't be sorry:victory: Since your parents are buying your tablet, I will assume you are young enough to be able to heal all your lung tissue and have a healthy life!
My mom smoked her whole life. I fought with her to quit since I was 16. She died of a heart attack. Lung cancer doesn't always get you. For her it was periph. artery disease- she couldn't walk more than 20 feet at once, and emphysema, and a clogged heart that got her in the end. Very poor quality of life for her last 10 years. :crying: I am a nurse and witnessed an autopsy of a smoker with lung cancer. Very ugly.
OK. I'm done with my speech!
Please keep up the good work and be healthy while you use your shiny new tablet!! Whatever one you choose.