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I just returned from my local at&t store after spending around 30 minutes with both the galaxy s4 and htc one. I walked in fully expecting to choose the s4 but willing to be won over by the one (there's a pun there somewhere). But I left the store empty handed, not convinced that either phone is worth the upgrade right now.
Galaxy s4:
Make no mistake that this is a pretty phone. The screen is crisp and reading is comfortable on the phone. However I found that basically all of the features that are so highly touted by Samsung are crap. Scrolling with your eyes doesn't work, I found my head moving up and down like a bobble head doll and only then do I get the screen to move. Smart pause is the most annoying feature ever put into a phone... Ever. The camera while good at what it does, is good just for being a camera. All the fancy modes do not have much practical use in real work scenarios. The other thing that bothered me was that side by side, I couldn't make the galaxy's screen brighter than my note 2's screen, even with both screens maxed, note 2 was brighter. Finally, the top left corner of the phone got really hot after running an tutu. My note does not get hot ever.
One :
I think this phone has way better whites and it def outshines the screen on the note 2. The biggest problem is that this phone gets hot all over very fast. I almost had to put the phone down after running an tutu (btw, I couldn't get anywhere near review sites benchmarks with either phone) once. Also. I downloaded iron man 3 on this phone and it stutters a lot in the menu, although the game itself seems to be okay once it gets going, but again. The phone gets really hot. I love in Florida and do not want a hot phone in my pocket.
At the end of the day, I may and up choosing the s4 since I can profit 200 dollars by extending my contact and selling my note 2.but if I upgrade, it won't be because of the phones themselves.
Anyone else having similar feelings or am I out of my mind? I'm really bummed I didn't like these phones that much
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
There is a stickie thread for upgrade talk. Post there.
This ^^^^^
Review
Ok, so I got New Note 3 T-Mobile version SM-N900T which is the latest version of the note. As one of the forum moderators I have always been a pretty big fan of the Samsung phones owning the Galaxy Vibrant, the Nexus, S2, S3, S4, Note 1, Note 2 various tablets and now the Note 3. That said, this is just a 1st blush review for people who might find my views helpful.
The Note 3 compared to the Note 2 is close to an ounce lighter , it is 1/16 inch narrower @ 3-1/16" versus 3-1/8" Both are just under 5 inches. My Hands are big and I am used to the size, the fact that it is lighter really makes it way easier to manipulate
The 1st impression is its lighter weight does not give the impression of feeling cheap. Gotta say I kinda like the back texture. Didn't think that I actually would but it has a nice secure feel.
The screen is remarkable, booting up faster than the Note 2 the Color is much richer than anything else I have experienced shy of a BluRay on my computer (which is a top end setup). Some new stock adjustments allow you to set the standard screen color setting e.g. dynamic, movie...etc.. Also it has a USB 3 socket on the phone for higher transfer rates and of course, it works with a USB 2 as well.
There is a on phone a search feature that is kinda novel phone though I am not sure how useful it is provides features as search last week, last 30 days.... etc
The Camera that is stock does have some nice on-board custom shooting and editing features. The Still Camera is noticeably better than the S4 camera, and the Video like most of the latest phones is excellent. One improvement on the still camera is its Infinity camera shooting. Much Much Sharper now, which was one of my common gripes the phone cameras all seem to suffer from. So this a real plus ! Like All the latest phones the Video is excellent tracks movement pretty well. Better than my Canon in fact.
The phone is pretty responsive and the new software provides custom touch sensitivity and a host of other interactive adjustments that let you make just about every custom tweak you can think of......... Remember this is a stock Rom only rooted...........
Most of the other things on it are incremental improvements compared to the Note 2. FYI the Note became the longest phone I ever have owned and consistently used--- The Note 3 Blew it off the top spot without doubt ....
For those who care Antutu got a 30394 and Quadrant was a 22580.. one thing I did notice is the fps are very consistent @ 60-65 at all vdo benches.
The Things I found I do not like that much are NO Custom Roms ...YET ☺ Battery life is not as good as the note 2 but that was a custom Rom so really not a fair comparison.
The HTC does have the 2 speakers the Note... still 1 speaker. Music on speaker the quality is a bit thin and a bit on the 2 dimensional side, but, For speakerphone calls it is just fine. With the Head phones/buds or Bluetooth speakers it really excellent. That said, if you are a headbanger for over driven bass then use Beats or something like that with this thing that would allow you to over boost the bass in a way some ppl like. This phone is really something it really rocks !
In closing, I am really glad I got this new note 3 if you need a business phones there really is not anything better than this phone.
I have included some photos to show how it takes a shot that is a long distance focal point... This was a rainbow tonight Around 7:10 pm the trees are 45-55 feet away .....
Comments welcome........
How did/do you like the S4? I love the Note 2 on 4.1.2, it's smooth and basically lag free. However I found the S4 a bit clunky and laggy. Could you perhaps comment on how they did with the Note 3? Mainly I remember on the S4 there being some stutter in the UI, and lag in the gallery and Touchwiz browser.
Thanks for any thoughts!
lmemma16 said:
How did/do you like the S4? I love the Note 2 on 4.1.2, it's smooth and basically lag free. However I found the S4 a bit clunky and laggy. Could you perhaps comment on how they did with the Note 3? Mainly I remember on the S4 there being some stutter in the UI, and lag in the gallery and Touchwiz browser.
Thanks for any thoughts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 3 has enough CPU power and RAM to handle even all those additional features Samsung added to the TW without any delay or lag.
It's a super fast smartphone. :good:
ArborRes said:
Note 3 has enough CPU power and RAM to handle even all those additional features Samsung added to the TW without any delay or lag.
It's a super fast smartphone. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true, but that's what I thought about the S4, lol! Although the S4 has perhaps even more fluff and fancy features.
I'm glad to hear it runs well tho, thanks :thumbup:
oka1 said:
Gotta say I kinda like the back texture. Didn't think that I actually would but it has a nice secure feel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So many of the early hands-on reviews have spoken ill about the new textured plastic back saying that it "doesn't feel like real leather". I've failed to understand the point they were trying to make in that statement. I don't think Samsung intended to fool a single person into thinking that the back was made of leather. They went for a new unique aesthetic that had a functionality benefit as well. In that regard, I think they succeeded greatly.
After getting my hands on one of these in store, I can say that my initial impressions from pictures and videos was reaffirmed. Aesthetically, it's great. I like the looks of the textured back a lot. The feel, however, is far better than I imagined. I expected it would feel like a cheap plastic cover. It is a cheap plastic cover, but it has a unique feel to it. It doesn't feel like leather, and I never once expected it to. It does, however, feel unbelievably better than the previous galaxy line back covers.
lmemma16 said:
How did/do you like the S4? I love the Note 2 on 4.1.2, it's smooth and basically lag free. However I found the S4 a bit clunky and laggy. Could you perhaps comment on how they did with the Note 3? Mainly I remember on the S4 there being some stutter in the UI, and lag in the gallery and Touchwiz browser.
Thanks for any thoughts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S4 stock was not that good but the S4 with Carbon or any other custom was equal or better than the note 2 but not enough to want to change so I gave it to one of the other employees.... I am kinda lucky I buy all the phones for the company so I get to pick which one I want and try them all out.....
Like I said the Note 3 is such an awesome phone especially for business there is nothing else like it
oka1 said:
The S4 stock was not that good but the S4 with Carbon or any other custom was equal or better than the note 2 but not enough to want to change so I gave it to one of the other employees.... I am kinda lucky I buy all the phones for the company so I get to pick which one I want and try them all out.....
Like I said the Note 3 is such an awesome phone especially for business there is nothing else like it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I would have run Carbon or Slim on the S4 all day, except for some audio issues that I don't think they have ever solved (it worked but not as well as on TW)... in the end I couldn't get happy with the S4 lol(well I also like the biggest screens now).
The Note 2 I am still using, and still love, and am glad to hear they got the Note 3 running nice and smooth. Will probably pick it up once I figure out the logistics thanks
Just traded my Tmo S4 for a Tmo Note 3 and wow, this thing is a Beauty and the Beast. It's a bit larger than my S4 but after 10 mins of setting it up, it feels like the size of my S4 and not big at all. Doing some reading tonight on the Note 3 and playing w settings tomorrow. My movies look incredible on this phone. The only thing that I have issue with, is the tiny speaker and low volume at max.
Ian B
Sounds funny but when I pick up and use the Note 3 I handle it just like all my previous phones with one hand unless using the pen of course, only when I look at it do I say holy crap this is big lol. I have regular non gargantuan hands but no struggling to reach a button as on the Htc One or mistakenly hitting power trying to lower volume on the G2. I had an S4 as well and the first thing to go was the stock launcher in favor of Nova Prime, glad to say I haven't even thought of using it with the Note 3, its just so fast and no lag whatsoever. I've even played around opening windows of other apps inside some games I play, writing a document out with the S-pen while inside Total Conquest plundering a village is mighty cool to me.
Today I flashed Darthstalker not because anything in particular was bothering me but I like the little changes he implements and some tweaks plus removing bloat is always a good thing. About that back cover, I love the way it looks and imo this phone does not look cheap at all. I never saw it in black but the white is quite elegant, my daughter thinks its not manly enough but I love my first white phone. I really liked the grip and feel of the back cover, it doesn't feel like plastic, I feel bad hiding it in a case but a phone this size is easy to lose hold of during the hand to pocket transition if you get distracted.
Flashed Darthstalker as well
This did improve the sound, and of course got rid of the bloat..... lame tmo sounds etc......
After using it a day ... I noticed battery about the same, volume is more, and there are some custom screen functions that are cool.
This phone is sizing up to be a real Rock Star
I currently have the Note 3 and even though I have to admit, it is an awesome phone when it's rooted and loaded with a custom ROM/Kernel. With that being said, I just don't use the features that make the phone different to the rest, such as the stylus.
I could say that maybe 3-4 times, I've used the stylus, that's it. And lately the dropped calls and the phone as a whole, is getting bit long on the tooth.
Seeing that I really don't need a stylus and the phone is I want to say, a "tad" too big for my hands; is the LG G3 a good phone to switch to?
Would it be an upgrade for me? Or more like a lateral move or perhaps even a downgrade?
Suggestions, advices?
BTW, is it hard to root the LG G3?
I have a note 3 and in the same boat as you. I absolutely despise amoled screens and that's the reason I want to move to lg g3. However, I don't know how I feel about the back minted buttons add I often use my phone on the desk and back mounted buttons can be an issue
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
I've had all 3 Notes. I loved the phone. I didn't use the S-Pen that much either. I bought the Note 1, 2 and 3 purely on specs and screen size. Other manufacturers kept an eye on the Note sales and seen they were doing good. Now there is plenty of competition in the 5.5" plus category. If you switched from the Note 3 to to the LG G3 I really don't think you would be disappointed. It's a sweet device. Especially the knock on knock off for the screen.
---------- Post added at 09:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 PM ----------
nohcho said:
I have a note 3 and in the same boat as you. I absolutely despise amoled screens and that's the reason I want to move to lg g3. However, I don't know how I feel about the back minted buttons add I often use my phone on the desk and back mounted buttons can be an issue
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO issue at all, you can tap to turn on screen, as well as turn it off, there is a option for a volume slider in the notification area. I hardly ever use the buttons.
I cant speak for the note 3 but i do love my g3. The specs are better than the note 3 and it doesnt feel as bulky. Only thing the note 3 has is 64 gb opposed to 32 gb memory. But throw an sd card in and your good. The screen on the g3 is awesome plus the camera is pretty legit too. Hope this helps
Sent from my LGLS990 using XDA Free mobile app
nohcho said:
I have a note 3 and in the same boat as you. I absolutely despise amoled screens and that's the reason I want to move to lg g3. However, I don't know how I feel about the back minted buttons add I often use my phone on the desk and back mounted buttons can be an issue
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you hate about the AMOLED screens? I really like the deep blacks when watching a show or movie. It's amazing to see just pitch black where it's supposed to be black.
From what I read, the back buttons take a bit of getting used to until mucle memory kicks in, and it then feels very intuitive. I think I could get used to that.
But back to the screen, what are the pros of the IPS screen over the AMOLED one?
budco2000 said:
I've had all 3 Notes. I loved the phone. I didn't use the S-Pen that much either. I bought the Note 1, 2 and 3 purely on specs and screen size. Other manufacturers kept an eye on the Note sales and seen they were doing good. Now there is plenty of competition in the 5.5" plus category. If you switched from the Note 3 to to the LG G3 I really don't think you would be disappointed. It's a sweet device. Especially the knock on knock off for the screen.
---------- Post added at 09:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:30 PM ----------
NO issue at all, you can tap to turn on screen, as well as turn it off, there is a option for a volume slider in the notification area. I hardly ever use the buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, seems like everyone is raving about that knock on knock off feature. I agree, the Note 3 is indeed a great phone but I just feel that I'm not the person for it. In other words, like I'm not getting the max potential out of it.
AviatorBimmer said:
What you hate about the AMOLED screens? I really like the deep blacks when watching a show or movie. It's amazing to see just pitch black where it's supposed to be black.
From what I read, the back buttons take a bit of getting used to until mucle memory kicks in, and it then feels very intuitive. I think I could get used to that.
But back to the screen, what are the pros of the IPS screen over the AMOLED one?
Yea, seems like everyone is raving about that knock on knock off feature. I agree, the Note 3 is indeed a great phone but I just feel that I'm not the person for it. In other words, like I'm not getting the max potential out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also a fan of AMOLED. I like the deep blacks and the vibrant colors. The G3 LCD screen is not bad at all. I've had the last 2 generations of the Nexus 7 so I'm used to both screen types.
AviatorBimmer said:
What you hate about the AMOLED screens? I really like the deep blacks when watching a show or movie. It's amazing to see just pitch black where it's supposed to be black.
From what I read, the back buttons take a bit of getting used to until mucle memory kicks in, and it then feels very intuitive. I think I could get used to that.
But back to the screen, what are the pros of the IPS screen over the AMOLED one?
Yea, seems like everyone is raving about that knock on knock off feature. I agree, the Note 3 is indeed a great phone but I just feel that I'm not the person for it. In other words, like I'm not getting the max potential out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I do agree that amoled screens display deep blacks and all, but thats just part of a story. The fact still stands that amoled screens aee not very accurate color reproducesrs, blue whites, power consuption when displaying anything other than dark colors, burn in issues.
People love deep blacks beacause those pixels are completely shut of. But oversaturation is an issue that still persists on amoled screens. So thos are my gripes.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
nohcho said:
While I do agree that amoled screens display deep blacks and all, but thats just part of a story. The fact still stands that amoled screens aee not very accurate color reproducesrs, blue whites, power consuption when displaying anything other than dark colors, burn in issues.
People love deep blacks beacause those pixels are completely shut of. But oversaturation is an issue that still persists on amoled screens. So thos are my gripes.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that and those are valid concerns, though I don't hold those high in my list of things when it comes to displays. Personally, I will look for perfection when it comes to the projector in my home cinema which powers my 135", 16:9 screen. For the occasional movie or show I might watch on a 5" screen, I don't worry about oversaturation or if the color hue is a bit off. But that is just me and I respect your opinion.
I got the Note 3 with Sprint as soon as it came out last year, Oct 2013. I was the same as you and only used the stylus for a few months before I didn't use it anymore, just didn't really need to or remembered that I had it. The Note 3, with my added case, was a bit too bulky in my hand and my hands are large. After a while of holding it while reading the news or books, my hand would start to cramp. It's a nice phone but just a tad too large to hold and carry in one's pocket.
Holding the G3 is a A LOT better and easier over the Note 3 and the screen is just about as large (0.2" smaller IIRC from the Note 3). It feels a lot more comfortable, even with the a tad bulky Supcase Beetle case on it. Makes a helluva difference on the train, holding the phone in one hand and the pole in the other.
Though, it was a bit unusual to get use to the G3 colors and screen, coming from the extremely saturated Note 3 AMOLED, especially since I had kept it on extra saturated mode (forgot it was on that) for months. The G3 screen looks a bit washed out compared to the Note 3, but you get use to it after a week, as I did. It did win an award for best RGB color representation, if that matters to you.
As with you, I left Sprint due to the very poor coverage, bad call quality and dropped calls. Tmo is much, much better and the G3 call quality is great, especially when it even tells you on a call if the call is HD Voice or not, it'll let you know. It does have Wi-Fi calling and it *might* get the VoLTE later this year if you're in a market with it or soon will be.
I did root my G3 with Purple Drake and it was the easiest root ever I have ever done with rooting my phones in the past 5yrs over seven separate device models since I started rooting, and it's just unbelievably easy and quick to do with the G3 and thecubed's Windows zip. You won't realize it till you actually root it and go "Wow, that was easy."
Also, I changed the DPI on my two G3's to 560 and the screen is much better to navigate and doesn't look so cluttered over the 640 stock DPI, looks much more streamlined and smooth, but you can change it from 530-640 for your tastes. It's a great screen, but the icons are a bit too large and the Notification panel needs to be scrolled once you just get a few popups, but the new DPI fixes that.
There is an app called G3 Tweaksbox that unlocks and lets you modify PLENTY of features and more on the G3 after you root it and install the Xposed installer. I am still using the free version but will be buying the premium ($1.50), as there are plenty more features unlocked with it and very well seems worth it.
Even with the lack of a full ROM for the Tmo G3 so far, the G3 Tweaksbox makes it almost negligible with the features is gives.
The G3 feels just as smooth as the Note 3 and once I cleaned off the bloatware and other programs and processes, it runs smooth and purrs with battery life comparable to the Note 3. I always had my Note 3 on 100% brightness and I'm getting the same battery life on the G3 with the same settings and all on it.
Coming from the Note 3 to the G3, it does take a little learning curve with the rear buttons, cause I kept reaching for the side power button or the hard Home button. But, once you get use to the buttons and layout, it's a wonder you never thought of this layout earlier.
Add in the Knock-On and you're going to be using it nonstop. The one part I did find a bit annoying was when I had my phone flat on the desk all day, face up, I couldn't access the power button to restart. But, I just installed QuickBoot and dropped a widget for Reboot and use that for a super quick restart without having to flip or pickup the phone.
It's good and it's snappy, I don't think you'll be disppointed but not entirely sure you'll be wow'd by it, coming from the Note 3. If you were coming from a earlier generation phone (like the HTC One M7, that my wife had), you'll be really surprised by it, as she was.
But I haven't complained about it, so that, in my opinion, makes it good, because if it wasn't, I would be swapping it for another device.
The one thing you might not like is the extra sharpening on the text that LG did for some extremely odd reason. It only appears with a semi dark background, like white text on gray or vice versa, the text gets a halo effect. You can find plenty of threads about that on here, it's not too distracting and you get use to it after a while, but it's not overly distracting or straining.
That's my opinion on it, if you root and clean up the bloatware and make some easy changes, I think you'll be happy with the phone and what it can and will do.
Any other questions, I'll try and answer them if I can.
AviatorBimmer said:
What you hate about the AMOLED screens? I really like the deep blacks when watching a show or movie. It's amazing to see just pitch black where it's supposed to be black.
From what I read, the back buttons take a bit of getting used to until mucle memory kicks in, and it then feels very intuitive. I think I could get used to that.
But back to the screen, what are the pros of the IPS screen over the AMOLED one?
Yea, seems like everyone is raving about that knock on knock off feature. I agree, the Note 3 is indeed a great phone but I just feel that I'm not the person for it. In other words, like I'm not getting the max potential out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One major concern of AMOLED is burn.
Fortunately, I did not have any even after 9 months of use (some look pretty bad on G Flex).
JustLok said:
I got the Note 3 with Sprint as soon as it came out last year, Oct 2013. I was the same as you and only used the stylus for a few months before I didn't use it anymore, just didn't really need to or remembered that I had it. The Note 3, with my added case, was a bit too bulky in my hand and my hands are large. After a while of holding it while reading the news or books, my hand would start to cramp. It's a nice phone but just a tad too large to hold and carry in one's pocket.
Holding the G3 is a A LOT better and easier over the Note 3 and the screen is just about as large (0.2" smaller IIRC from the Note 3). It feels a lot more comfortable, even with the a tad bulky Supcase Beetle case on it. Makes a helluva difference on the train, holding the phone in one hand and the pole in the other.
Though, it was a bit unusual to get use to the G3 colors and screen, coming from the extremely saturated Note 3 AMOLED, especially since I had kept it on extra saturated mode (forgot it was on that) for months. The G3 screen looks a bit washed out compared to the Note 3, but you get use to it after a week, as I did. It did win an award for best RGB color representation, if that matters to you.
As with you, I left Sprint due to the very poor coverage, bad call quality and dropped calls. Tmo is much, much better and the G3 call quality is great, especially when it even tells you on a call if the call is HD Voice or not, it'll let you know. It does have Wi-Fi calling and it *might* get the VoLTE later this year if you're in a market with it or soon will be.
I did root my G3 with Purple Drake and it was the easiest root ever I have ever done with rooting my phones in the past 5yrs over seven separate device models since I started rooting, and it's just unbelievably easy and quick to do with the G3 and thecubed's Windows zip. You won't realize it till you actually root it and go "Wow, that was easy."
Also, I changed the DPI on my two G3's to 560 and the screen is much better to navigate and doesn't look so cluttered over the 640 stock DPI, looks much more streamlined and smooth, but you can change it from 530-640 for your tastes. It's a great screen, but the icons are a bit too large and the Notification panel needs to be scrolled once you just get a few popups, but the new DPI fixes that.
There is an app called G3 Tweaksbox that unlocks and lets you modify PLENTY of features and more on the G3 after you root it and install the Xposed installer. I am still using the free version but will be buying the premium ($1.50), as there are plenty more features unlocked with it and very well seems worth it.
Even with the lack of a full ROM for the Tmo G3 so far, the G3 Tweaksbox makes it almost negligible with the features is gives.
The G3 feels just as smooth as the Note 3 and once I cleaned off the bloatware and other programs and processes, it runs smooth and purrs with battery life comparable to the Note 3. I always had my Note 3 on 100% brightness and I'm getting the same battery life on the G3 with the same settings and all on it.
Coming from the Note 3 to the G3, it does take a little learning curve with the rear buttons, cause I kept reaching for the side power button or the hard Home button. But, once you get use to the buttons and layout, it's a wonder you never thought of this layout earlier.
Add in the Knock-On and you're going to be using it nonstop. The one part I did find a bit annoying was when I had my phone flat on the desk all day, face up, I couldn't access the power button to restart. But, I just installed QuickBoot and dropped a widget for Reboot and use that for a super quick restart without having to flip or pickup the phone.
It's good and it's snappy, I don't think you'll be disppointed but not entirely sure you'll be wow'd by it, coming from the Note 3. If you were coming from a earlier generation phone (like the HTC One M7, that my wife had), you'll be really surprised by it, as she was.
But I haven't complained about it, so that, in my opinion, makes it good, because if it wasn't, I would be swapping it for another device.
The one thing you might not like is the extra sharpening on the text that LG did for some extremely odd reason. It only appears with a semi dark background, like white text on gray or vice versa, the text gets a halo effect. You can find plenty of threads about that on here, it's not too distracting and you get use to it after a while, but it's not overly distracting or straining.
That's my opinion on it, if you root and clean up the bloatware and make some easy changes, I think you'll be happy with the phone and what it can and will do.
Any other questions, I'll try and answer them if I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW, thanks for taking the time for writing up such a nice and elaborate post. [emoji2]
I will definitely swing by TMO and check it out in person.
From what it seems, there really isn't even a need to install a custom ROM on it. With that app you mentioned, you can tweak your rooted phone and leave it running like a nicely, streamlined, custom ROM, sort of speak. Kudos for that.
Thanks again, buddy!
BTW, is the UI way better than TouchWiz?
I also came from Note 3.
The hardware is far superior than other high end models, but only G3 is comparable.
I don't want M8 because the battery is not removable (I have to replace battery once sometimes).
The reason why I jumped ship is Samsung's attitude. N900T only supports six languages and there's no other "hidden" languages. I am absolutely fine with English, but I'd prefer Trad Chinese interface (my native), but G3 has a lot of different languages even with Japanese and Arabic.
Note 3 screen is good and the contrast is unlimited, but G3 isn't bad at all. The only downside is mine has "cold" tint under outdoor sunlight. Viewing angle on G3 is pretty close to 180 degree without discoloration.
Even the screen is slightly smaller than Note 3, the total size of G3 is smaller and easier to handle (I have big palm and I can hold Note 8 with single hand).
Tap to wake (Knock on) is a pretty useful feature which I just tap twice to wake the phone though I just press home button on Note 3 to wake, but pressing home button causes some mis-operation sometimes in the bag.
Battery is slightly better on Note 3 (3.2Ah vs 3Ah), but it doesn't matter much because the battery is removable.
Both supports FAT64/SDXC.
Note 3 supports MHL2.0 but G3 does not, but Chromecast comes handy if you want to mirror screen to TV.
Calling quality on G3 is second to none. Wi-Fi calling on G3 is same as with cellular; Note 3, on the other hand, Wi-Fi calling is BAD (fading voice, chopping, distortion).
Though VoLTE isn't available on G3 at this time, I'd disable it because I hear nothing with VoLTE where the network is busy, so I have to use UMTS for cellular calling instead.
USB3 does not have much advantage on Note 3. If you have 2A or higher USB power supply, you can't tell the difference when charging.
Speakerphone and music playback is much louder on G3 (this reminds me S3 day which has exceptional speaker quality) than Note 3.
G3 can get hot easily when browsing internet continuously or playing CPU intensive games. It's same problem as S3 but G3 has thermal throttling. Note 3 seldom has overheat problem.
Music playback quality over headphones G3 is better with 192kbps ogg than Note 3, but the music may stutter (it's rare) when the unit is acquiring signal while Note 3 does not have such problem.
Angry Birds Star Wars and Angry Birds Star Wars II cannot be downloaded from Play Store, but it works fine after sideloading.
I personally prefer G3 over Note 3 though both have top notch hardware.
Good to hear all different inputs. I'm still undecided though. Note 3 is a serious piece of equipment that still holds up very well. But the smaller size on g3 May win me over as the Note 3 is just stupid big.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Awesome thread so far!!! Nothing better than to read experiences from people just like me and in a similar situation. I agree, the decision is tough because the Note 3 is no slouch! LOL
JustLok said:
I got the Note 3 with Sprint as soon as it came out last year, Oct 2013. I was the same as you and only used the stylus for a few months before I didn't use it anymore, just didn't really need to or remembered that I had it. The Note 3, with my added case, was a bit too bulky in my hand and my hands are large. After a while of holding it while reading the news or books, my hand would start to cramp. It's a nice phone but just a tad too large to hold and carry in one's pocket.
Holding the G3 is a A LOT better and easier over the Note 3 and the screen is just about as large (0.2" smaller IIRC from the Note 3). It feels a lot more comfortable, even with the a tad bulky Supcase Beetle case on it. Makes a helluva difference on the train, holding the phone in one hand and the pole in the other.
Though, it was a bit unusual to get use to the G3 colors and screen, coming from the extremely saturated Note 3 AMOLED, especially since I had kept it on extra saturated mode (forgot it was on that) for months. The G3 screen looks a bit washed out compared to the Note 3, but you get use to it after a week, as I did. It did win an award for best RGB color representation, if that matters to you.
As with you, I left Sprint due to the very poor coverage, bad call quality and dropped calls. Tmo is much, much better and the G3 call quality is great, especially when it even tells you on a call if the call is HD Voice or not, it'll let you know. It does have Wi-Fi calling and it *might* get the VoLTE later this year if you're in a market with it or soon will be.
I did root my G3 with Purple Drake and it was the easiest root ever I have ever done with rooting my phones in the past 5yrs over seven separate device models since I started rooting, and it's just unbelievably easy and quick to do with the G3 and thecubed's Windows zip. You won't realize it till you actually root it and go "Wow, that was easy."
Also, I changed the DPI on my two G3's to 560 and the screen is much better to navigate and doesn't look so cluttered over the 640 stock DPI, looks much more streamlined and smooth, but you can change it from 530-640 for your tastes. It's a great screen, but the icons are a bit too large and the Notification panel needs to be scrolled once you just get a few popups, but the new DPI fixes that.
There is an app called G3 Tweaksbox that unlocks and lets you modify PLENTY of features and more on the G3 after you root it and install the Xposed installer. I am still using the free version but will be buying the premium ($1.50), as there are plenty more features unlocked with it and very well seems worth it.
Even with the lack of a full ROM for the Tmo G3 so far, the G3 Tweaksbox makes it almost negligible with the features is gives.
The G3 feels just as smooth as the Note 3 and once I cleaned off the bloatware and other programs and processes, it runs smooth and purrs with battery life comparable to the Note 3. I always had my Note 3 on 100% brightness and I'm getting the same battery life on the G3 with the same settings and all on it.
Coming from the Note 3 to the G3, it does take a little learning curve with the rear buttons, cause I kept reaching for the side power button or the hard Home button. But, once you get use to the buttons and layout, it's a wonder you never thought of this layout earlier.
Add in the Knock-On and you're going to be using it nonstop. The one part I did find a bit annoying was when I had my phone flat on the desk all day, face up, I couldn't access the power button to restart. But, I just installed QuickBoot and dropped a widget for Reboot and use that for a super quick restart without having to flip or pickup the phone.
It's good and it's snappy, I don't think you'll be disppointed but not entirely sure you'll be wow'd by it, coming from the Note 3. If you were coming from a earlier generation phone (like the HTC One M7, that my wife had), you'll be really surprised by it, as she was.
But I haven't complained about it, so that, in my opinion, makes it good, because if it wasn't, I would be swapping it for another device.
The one thing you might not like is the extra sharpening on the text that LG did for some extremely odd reason. It only appears with a semi dark background, like white text on gray or vice versa, the text gets a halo effect. You can find plenty of threads about that on here, it's not too distracting and you get use to it after a while, but it's not overly distracting or straining.
That's my opinion on it, if you root and clean up the bloatware and make some easy changes, I think you'll be happy with the phone and what it can and will do.
Any other questions, I'll try and answer them if I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What did you use to change your DPI. I want to try 560 as well. Not sure if I should use an app, xposed, or just change it in the build prop with root explorer
budco2000 said:
What did you use to change your DPI. I want to try 560 as well. Not sure if I should use an app, xposed, or just change it in the build prop with root explorer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
W A R N I N G:
MAKE SURE YOU BACKUP YOUR DEVICE!!!!!
Once you have you phone rooted, edit build.prop the following line:
Code:
ro.sf.lcd_density=640
to
Code:
ro.sf.lcd_density=560
I am currently using the Nexus 5 and looking at changing to the G3. I have used this program to change the dpi size on the nexus 5. It might work on the G3
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.texdroider.texdroider_dpi
I agree with @JustLok and @mingkee.
I had two Note 3s. The first one would not hold a signal at my house, and I live 25 minutes from downtown Houston. The second Note 3 was no better. So I decided to switch to another OEM. The G3 is a little easier to use one-handed. I always used two hands with the Note 3 because I was afraid I would drop it. But I can comfortably use the G3 with one hand.
As others have noted, the G3 colors are not nearly as saturated as AMOLEDs, but you probably won't miss that after a few days. I had a GNex, Galaxy S3, Note 2 and Note 3, and I don't miss the overblown colors (but I do miss the inky blacks). I got my G3 on release day and have not had any overheating issues, but I don't play a lot of heavy 3D games.
Rooting the G3 is brain-dead simple, thanks to PurpleDrake. And spending $1.50 for the full version of G3 TweaksBox is a no-brainer too. If you used Wanam Xposed on the Note 3, then G3 TweaksBox is an absolute must have. Most people spend that much on soda or junk food every day, so $1.50 is a bargain for something that enhances your phone every day.
Call quality is exceptional, especially on Wi-Fi. UI lag is virtually nonexistent if you install a good launcher like Nova and reduce window animations (under main settings > Dev Options)
Battery life is good, but not the best. My Note 2 and Note 3 had slightly better battery, but the G3 lasts all day, so that is really all I need. I think the Note 3 and Galaxy S5 have better cameras, but the G3 is very close.
In the end, it just depends on your priorities. If you like the extra Note features, then stick with the Note 3 or wait for the Note 4. But if you want something a little more compact without sacrificing screen size, and runs all day without lag, then the G3 deserves a look.
After having the G3 for a few weeks now and on my 2nd one since the first one was a lemon. I don't regret it at all. It's actually easier to hold one handed compared to the N3, battery isn't as good as a N3 and IMHO I prefer the AMOLED screen more. But the G3 is still a very good device and the keyboard is awesome.
What I miss the most from the N3 is the stylus for work and SHealth. I wished LG Health was similar to SHealth is all the options it has but it does its one job very good.
G3 is worth the purchase of you're looking for something different.
Not to be a sick in the mud but the note 4 release isn't too far away, I would wait to see what they offer. I am thinking of getting the g3 as well if the note 4 doesn't wow me.
Hardware is beautiful and working great thus far, coming from a blackberry z10.
issues:
- noticed the best buy demo units are slightly snappier and quicker vs the verizon one that was released
- spigen cases i tried covered up thr mic holes at bottom by charger so need to change cases now (reported in another thread)
- i config'd my 5 non-gmail email accounts (hotmail, outlook, yahoo, etc) and noticed my battery was draining like crazy, 50% gone in like an hour, phone was super hot, and then i realized ghe inbox for all accounts was not syncing and phone keeps retrying constantly. after thorough testing, the issue was that if "group by email conversations" was setup for each account under account advanced settings, once i disabled this for all my accounts, the device was flying, no hot phone, and battery was great
1. I am surprised Wiz is not the usual mess and I am not compelled to go to Nova yet.
2. Radio reception for data is the same as the S3 and S4. Same high battery drain and hottish device in weak signal areas. Good though in medium or better signal areas.
3. Display is great, but still would rather have a great 1080p for battery more battery life.
4. Audio output is low from the audio jack, but Poweramp's gain increase fixes this.
5. Sound quality from the audio jack is good.
6. The speaker is okay, but could be better.
7. Charge time with included charger is fast.
8. Performance is as great.
I would like to agree with everything above and add:
1. Switched to Nova Launcher and is a bit snappier.
2. Not sure how much faster this phone is compared to my LG G3 real world.
3. I must say the N4 stock UI is faster than the LG G3 stock UI.
4. Samsung should really take a page from HTC One M8 or the LG G3 for audio sound quality and output. Both of those phones smoke my N4 especially in volume loudness.
Using Neutron Player and Westover W40s with all lossless recordings. Definitely need to crank up the preamp a bit.
5. Feature set is Awesome so far.
Arie McD said:
I would like to agree with everything above and add:
1. Switched to Nova Launcher and is a bit snappier.
2. Not sure how much faster this phone is compared to my LG G3 real world.
3. I must say the N4 stock UI is faster than the LG G3 stock UI.
4. Samsung should really take a page from HTC One M8 or the LG G3 for audio sound quality and output. Both of those phones smoke my N4 especially in volume loudness.
Using Neutron Player and Westover W40s with all lossless recordings. Definitely need to crank up the preamp a bit.
5. Feature set is Awesome so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agree note 4 stock ui smokes g3 stock ui
Everything is a positive for me but recent app button (wish it was menu on one tap and recent button was long press on home button hopefully root will fix) and screen wake for text msgs besides that its perfect
any bluetooth issues? Or is it just my accessories (jawbone speaker, car stero)--doesn't even see device
Yes I put it in discover mode while scanning
minor issues
I'm finding that the audio jack is really finnicky with different types of headphones. Some don't work at all. I've seen in the store some are compatible with Apple or Android, is there a way to tell the difference by looking at the plug?
Also I agree that this phone looks incredible, however when looking at the black version, if you look inside the USB port it does appear to still be plastic with some sort of metal coating. This is also evident if you remove the s pen and look at the back case. It is a whitish gray color. The antenna lines through the sides of the case are also white where the bevel is on the front and back. It doesnt bother me at all, just something that I noticed.
One last thing is that on certain videos on YouTube I don't have the option for 1440p. I know on my tab s I had to go back to an earlier version of youtube to get this. Does anyone else have this option for videos on YouTube that are 1440p on their computers or tablets?
Are any of you getting extreme lag with Facebook and instagram?
Cons:
1. The stock launcher is slow. Nova is tons better.
2. Had to turn off all those animations within the developer menu. Device is much speedier now.
3. Glass protectors shows this halo effect because of the 2.5 glass. Wish they just left the screen completely flat.
4. Fingerprint scanner works great with my index fingers but not my thumbs. But once lollipop hits I won't be using the fingerprint scanner for unlocking purposes. A Bluetooth or NFC device will work nicely.
5. Root on the Verizon model may come to Kitkat but it might be near impossible on Lollipop.
6. And where the heck is Gear VR?
Pros:
1. The display quality is better vs Note 3
2. Touchwiz actually looks nice when it comes to the settings menu.
3. The IR blaster strength is so much better vs the Note 3. I don't have to point straight at my devices.
4. The build is a clear step up. Feels super solid.
5. Best camera I've used in a smartphone.
6. Gear VR is the primary reason for upgrading to the Note 4.
The 3 apps I recommend for this phone is:
AcDisplay = Moto X like notifications
Gravity Screen = Turn phone on and off without the power key. Wave hands over the proximity sensor to see AcDisplay and place phone face down to turn off.
Smart Remote = Unleash the true potential of the IR blaster.
Yes I get the the lag on Facebook as well
arkgrotto811 said:
Are any of you getting extreme lag with Facebook and instagram?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no phones flies on everything.
new issue. bezels are chipping and scratched already. going to go in and get new note or ask for refund
oneandroidnut said:
no phones flies on everything.
new issue. bezels are chipping and scratched already. going to go in and get new note or ask for refund
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Mine came with scratches on the bezel right out of the box. Might just be exchanging for the turbo or getting a new note 4. Still in my 14 day return period! ?
asides from technical issues, physical issues included from other posts
- not that many cases have the proper mic holes for VZW N4
- most glass screen protectors are causing halo effects, manufacturers still working on them
Chuckleb0ne said:
Same here. Mine came with scratches on the bezel right out of the box. Might just be exchanging for the turbo or getting a new note 4. Still in my 14 day return period! ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
seriously!? glad im not the only one. i am returning for the refund (minus $35 restock fee) and probably going to buy dev ed note but we will see. going to go in tomorrow or this weekend when turbo is out. i have until nov 5th
oneandroidnut said:
seriously!? glad im not the only one. i am returning for the refund (minus $35 restock fee) and probably going to buy dev ed note but we will see. going to go in tomorrow or this weekend when turbo is out. i have until nov 5th
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, I watched the Verizon employee take it out of the box and immediately hand it right to me. The first thing I noticed was the scratch on the top lol. It really disappointed me. Anyways I hope the turbo is in the stores tomorrow so I can make a quick exchange. Does it take a couple days to do a even exchange? I bought my phone from a Verizon retail store.
Chuckleb0ne said:
Yea, I watched the Verizon employee take it out of the box and immediately hand it right to me. The first thing I noticed was the scratch on the top lol. It really disappointed me. Anyways I hope the turbo is in the stores tomorrow so I can make a quick exchange. Does it take a couple days to do a even exchange? I bought my phone from a Verizon retail store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow i dont know how mine got it. it came off all in my case and it is a mess. and i am just returning for refund. i havent even opened factory battery yet lol and they should exchange in store no problem
oneandroidnut said:
wow i dont know how mine got it. it came off all in my case and it is a mess. and i am just returning for refund. i havent even opened factory battery yet lol and they should exchange in store no problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea they have to accept it if it doesn't show screen damage and really bad damage.
Chuckleb0ne said:
Yea they have to accept it if it doesn't show screen damage and really bad damage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup im just going to go in and not say a word about anything just say i want to return too many good phones right now i dont know what to get and check out turbo while i am there lol
My wife and I both got new note 4s this weekend. I wanted to wait for a black one (BB only had white), but yesterday was the last day to get the $200 trade in on my ancient Evo. Overall, it's been a good experience. I noticed that I have a bit of a gap on the right side of my white note 4, but it is less of a gap than I had on my old GS3. I got a case that covers the gap, anyway.
Things I love:
1. The spen is very cool. There's so much that I can do with it, and am still figuring it all out.
2. I've never had a phone that had such good radios. Places that I normally struggle with 3g get me a couple of bars of 4g. My GS3 was terrible with the radios. Really, just terrible. I'm not sure if there is another current phone that has radios this good.
3. The screen really is a thing of beauty. Pictures are sharp, and colors are bright and vibrant.
4. The build quality is solid. The phone feels great. The buttons all have solid click feedback. Serious thought went in to the aesthetics of this phone. I've never had a complaint about that on any Samsung phone that I've had or used.
Issues that I'm having:
1. The wifi is terrible. I have a Netgear Nighthawk router. I've played with the settings a bit, and nothing that I've done has made a difference. None of my other electronic devices are having a problem. Well, except for my wife's note 4.
2. There is an ever so slight greenish tint at the very bottom of the screen that's only visible on white screens. Sometimes I am not even sure if I'm seeing it. My wife does not see it at all. I do tend to be picky about screens, and will willingly return an electronic device because of screen issues. It's most noticeable on lower brightness, and not noticeable on full brightness.
3. The viewing angles on this aren't that great. Mine is actually better than my wife's. If I tilt her phone even a bit, it starts to look greenish. Mine will do it as well, but it takes a more extreme angle.
4. The colors ARE amazing, except for white. White isn't really well represented on either of our phones, unless the brightness is cranked up.
5. Chalk this one up to personal preference. The phone is huge! The GS3 is so much smaller than this. I've read a lot of comments that say that you just need to give it a bit of time to get used to the size. I've only had it for a day, so it remains to be seen if I will adapt.
These seem like a lot of complaints, but really, they're minor. For the most part, this is a solid phone with a TON of cool features. I've been looking at all of the phones for quite a while, and there simply isn't another phone with this array of neat stuff.
The thing is, I feel like there really aren't any phones out there that as good as this one. Looked at the iPhone like I do every time my contract is up, and there's really nothing new there. I really have to laugh at NFC that can only be used for Apple Pay. The droid turbo seems ok, but looks a bit dated. And it's sort of a fat phone, though it's much more pocketable than the Note. I also spent some time looking at the G3, and just didn't like it. I'm not even sure why. Maybe it was the skin.
I am not sure what I'll end up doing with it, because I don't know what I'd get if I did return it. I don't want to exchange this one just for a perceived screen issue that might only exist in my mind and that I probably won't notice two weeks from now. Participating in a screen lottery only leads to madness, and I've been down that path before. My GS3 didn't have the most uniform screen, and I totally forgot about it. Because both of our Note 4s have wifi issues, I'm guessing that it's not hardware related.
I think what it comes down to is, can I adapt to the size?
usmaak said:
My wife and I both got new note 4s this weekend. I wanted to wait for a black one (BB only had white), but yesterday was the last day to get the $200 trade in on my ancient Evo. Overall, it's been a good experience. I noticed that I have a bit of a gap on the right side of my white note 4, but it is less of a gap than I had on my old GS3. I got a case that covers the gap, anyway.
Things I love:
1. The spen is very cool. There's so much that I can do with it, and am still figuring it all out.
2. I've never had a phone that had such good radios. Places that I normally struggle with 3g get me a couple of bars of 4g. My GS3 was terrible with the radios. Really, just terrible. I'm not sure if there is another current phone that has radios this good.
3. The screen really is a thing of beauty. Pictures are sharp, and colors are bright and vibrant.
4. The build quality is solid. The phone feels great. The buttons all have solid click feedback. Serious thought went in to the aesthetics of this phone. I've never had a complaint about that on any Samsung phone that I've had or used.
Issues that I'm having:
1. The wifi is terrible. I have a Netgear Nighthawk router. I've played with the settings a bit, and nothing that I've done has made a difference. None of my other electronic devices are having a problem. Well, except for my wife's note 4.
2. There is an ever so slight greenish tint at the very bottom of the screen that's only visible on white screens. Sometimes I am not even sure if I'm seeing it. My wife does not see it at all. I do tend to be picky about screens, and will willingly return an electronic device because of screen issues. It's most noticeable on lower brightness, and not noticeable on full brightness.
3. The viewing angles on this aren't that great. Mine is actually better than my wife's. If I tilt her phone even a bit, it starts to look greenish. Mine will do it as well, but it takes a more extreme angle.
4. The colors ARE amazing, except for white. White isn't really well represented on either of our phones, unless the brightness is cranked up.
5. Chalk this one up to personal preference. The phone is huge! The GS3 is so much smaller than this. I've read a lot of comments that say that you just need to give it a bit of time to get used to the size. I've only had it for a day, so it remains to be seen if I will adapt.
These seem like a lot of complaints, but really, they're minor. For the most part, this is a solid phone with a TON of cool features. I've been looking at all of the phones for quite a while, and there simply isn't another phone with this array of neat stuff.
The thing is, I feel like there really aren't any phones out there that as good as this one. Looked at the iPhone like I do every time my contract is up, and there's really nothing new there. I really have to laugh at NFC that can only be used for Apple Pay. The droid turbo seems ok, but looks a bit dated. And it's sort of a fat phone, though it's much more pocketable than the Note. I also spent some time looking at the G3, and just didn't like it. I'm not even sure why. Maybe it was the skin.
I am not sure what I'll end up doing with it, because I don't know what I'd get if I did return it. I don't want to exchange this one just for a perceived screen issue that might only exist in my mind and that I probably won't notice two weeks from now. Participating in a screen lottery only leads to madness, and I've been down that path before. My GS3 didn't have the most uniform screen, and I totally forgot about it. Because both of our Note 4s have wifi issues, I'm guessing that it's not hardware related.
I think what it comes down to is, can I adapt to the size?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a note 3, give it a few weeks, and the phone becomes "normal" size. I had issues with size when I first got my note 2.
No voice command to turn off the alarm clock?
I don't know if I just am unable to find it but have you guys figured out if there's a voice command to "STOP" the alarm clock? I loved it back when I was using my Note 2. I am pretty sure that this feature also existed on the Note 3. Did Samsung decide to take this feature out on the Note 4? It may not be a big deal but it still was such a convenient feature.
I traded in my Note 5, which I loved for the Note 8 and the Note 8 is clearly the best phone I've ever used. That said, 2017 has finally brought compelling competition worth considering.
What I love about the Note 8:
-Hands down the highest quality screen of any phone
-6 GB RAM makes multitasking great
-The camera takes awesome pictures
-The battery life is incredible
-The theme engine allows dark theme without root
-Call quality is outstanding
-The phone is blazing fast 98% of the time
-Headphone Jack
What I don't love about the Note 8:
-The height and weight of the phone. I have large hands and could always manage the Note 5 one handed, but the height of the Note 8 with added weight make it awkward to use in certain situations. I think if the phone were wider, it might balance the weight distribution. Using a Pixel 2 XL and V30, both are much manageable in the hands.
-The forced white navbar is a nuisance for dark themes. Couldn't Samsung offer grays or faded navbar icons to minimize burn in? I use a 3rd party app to mostly mitigate the problem, but not all apps work properly with it.
-The Bixby button. Again, I've used a 3rd party app to mitigate the problem, but it doesn't seem like a polished solution. Samsung just needs to give us options to remap it.
-The curved screen. Yes, it looks great, but the shadows and light refraction make it annoying at times.
Obviously, the pros of the phone greatly outweigh the cons but every time I see someone using a Pixel 2 XL, I am jealous of the more manageable size, the fast and fluid UI that gets updated faster, and the even bigger battery. I am well aware that both the Pixel 2 XL and V30 have far more problems than the Note 8, namely their screens and bluetooth. Being on Verizon, the OnePlus 5T isn't an option, though I love the thought of a phone that has 8 GB RAM and custom ROM capabilities. Maybe I'm just dreaming of a Note 8 running stock Android, and with a flat 18:9 screen ratio instead of 18.5:9 (which seems to account for the length and narrowness). I'm not actually considering switching phones, but I've been tempted to get another flagship to replace my Nexus 6 as a business line. Thoughts?
I got a note 8 and my wife broke the screen of her s7 edge so of course she wanted fixed or a new phone. Gave her my note 8 and got myself an LG V30 thinking that my note 8 was still too big. After 4 hrs I decided I wanted the note 8 back. The note 8 is a superior phone in all ways except for the audio. I traded the v30 for a new blue note 8 in Bestbuy with 300 dollars off. If I have spare money for another phone I would probably get a pixel 2 xl. I watch a lot of videos and YouTube and the 2 speakers in the front appeal to me. For a daily driver I would get bored right away of the pixel. The note 8 could be customized in so many ways that I haven't even installed Nova launcher yet which has been a most in all my previous phones. If you have a note 8 you have the best Android phone currently and period.
Ha, what competition. Note 8 plays in it's own world. It's a beast.
Also with Oreo update it's only better
I had an ASUS Zenfone AR that I got in September. Nothing but problems - which probably explains why VZW pulled it in less than 6 months. After going through 3 Zenfones, I finally convinced VZW to buy it back and got the Note 8 last week.
Size is very good
Wireless charging FTW
Agreed with above points on speed, screen resolution, etc.
First thing I did was install Nova Plus
I played with the advanced Audio settings - including the hearing test and my LG BT Headset sounds amazing!
Theme engine???????
Disabling Bixby and downloading Google Assistant, finding an obscure setting that I can't find again that selects GA as the default and now it works perfect, but it took me a week to get it to work right.
The one thing I DON'T like about the curved screen is that in 2 weeks, I've had 2 tempered glass screen protectors crack and I have to think this is because of the curve. This second one is just a minor hairline at the bottom but the first one was worse.
The other was being reminded that you can't just connect a Samsung to your computer and transfer files >: Still looking for the best way to do that or break down and pay for Wondershare Mobile Go - which may be worth it since you can browse system files
I've only had it a few days.....had to root and debloat and amend some things (adblocker, viperFX...) It's sure is a beautifully designed thing. It's also like having a Mercedes made out of glass. First thing I did when I ordered it was to order a case and screen protector. No way I would go without it, even walking around a carpeted house. But the key reason I got it was that it was rootable and a high end phone. I was coming from a quirky but great V10 and a Note 3 before that. I will simply not have a phone that I can't root.
I like it a lot incredible battery life using a disable of course most crashes are caused by wonky apps..not blazing fast but not real important. I still prefer it over my iphone 6s plus.. not sure which phone is faster, but for a phone, I choose android.. previous phone was LG10,Note4,galaxys4....way better than those
I'm just looking for a upgraded spen device then I'll be content with the note 8