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In a sticky situation right now. My phone just died on Verizon and I need a new phone. Unfortunately I'm still under contract for another 9 months so I have to pay full price for a new phone or I can jump to Tmobile and have them pay my ETF but then I have to buy a phone from them. I don't want to spend more then $350 on something and I want to be able to unlock it and use it with AT&T at some point.
I can pick up the Note 2 as a refurb for $344 or I can get a Nexus 4 for $324. I guess what I'm wondering is whether or not the Note 2 is worth spending that much on?? Should I just ride out my contract for 9 months and get my old phone fixed (Razr Maxx HD $200 to fix)? Is there another phone I should consider?
Any thoughts appreciated.
Nexus 4 for $342?? I can't even sell my brand new Nexus 4 for $180 AUD.
I would not get a refurb Note II for $344, it's not worth it. You can get brand new for a bit more online.
kuromusha38 said:
Nexus 4 for $342?? I can't even sell my brand new Nexus 4 for $180 AUD.
I would not get a refurb Note II for $344, it's not worth it. You can get brand new for a bit more online.
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If I pay $200 to get out of my contract with Verizon I can get anything. I'm looking at jumping to Tmobile since they'll cover the ETF cost. Only catch is I have to buy a phone from them. So whats a good Tmobile phone that will work on ATT under $350? I'm trying to do this as cheap as possible. Otherwise I would just cancel for $200 and get a nexus 5 for $400.
Hi there,
YES it is still worth buying the Note 2. I had both phones, Nexus 4 and Note 2 and the Nexus 4, compared to the Note 2, was garbage. Nexus 4s battery is small (mAh), display colors were washed out, the speaker was completely crap when listening to music, etc. That's just my experience.
Better get the Note 2
I moved on to the Galaxy S5 and maaaan, do I miss my Note 2. That's all I need to say LOL
Okay so price of the note 2 refurb'd w/tax and shipping is about $330. I know I can buy brand new on Amazon for roughly $60 more but I have to buy from Tmobile if I want my ETF covered and they only sell a refurb'd note 2.
I'll probably go this route then unless there are any other suggestions. Thanks!
Absolutely! Its still fast as hell, even on KitKat and Im sure will remain to be so for the near future.
Note 2 still kick ass and I love it. But I think u should get a newer phone.
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naeem86 said:
Note 2 still kick ass and I love it. But I think u should get a newer phone.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Free mobile app
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If you can find it around $350 , I would say yes
I bought note 2 over s4 and i am perfectly satisfied
mubeenshahid said:
I bought note 2 over s4 and i am perfectly satisfied
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Click to collapse
I'd take Note 2 over S4 (even S5) any time!
Allow me give you my opinion on this. I strongly believe the Note 2 is a remarkable device for the following reasons and I would still chose it over any other phones.
- It still has one of the best battery life of Samsung devices. I know... the Note 3 has 100mah more but that doesn't suffice, having a 1080p screen, more pixels means more drainage. Also, it has a more powerful octa-core processor (a nice pro) but again with great power comes even greater battery drainage, remember that.... lol The Knox app components which constantly guards the phone from illegal privileged access is also a resource hog (RAM) and hiders the phone even more (coming from 4.3 I have that experience). Take a look at the Huawei Ascend Mate 2, they are doing it correctly... keeping 720p resolution (which is dense enough imo) and a gigantic 4050mah, make it the longest running phone (not tablet) on the market at the time of this writing.
- The screen is 720p, as I discussed already has its benefits on battery, furthermore, it is the only flagship device by Samsung that isn't pentile. This means full RGB sub-pixel for every single pixel. It is a true-HD display. While its not as dense as other phones, it still can hold its ground very well. I am scared for the note 4, Samsung will make it a 2k display, instead of focusing on what really matters. 2k on screens below 7inches is a waste of technology. 10-12 inch tablet with 2k displays and larger batteries, now you are talking.
- It is made polycarbonate plastic, as with all Samsung phones, can be regarded as a pro. As CPUs get faster it generates more heat. Metals heat very quickly and can make you feel uncomfortable when holding while running CPU-intensive tasks. I think even though metals can dissipate heat well, if run too long it, exposes the internals to heat and wear the internals faster. But one definite pro of polycarbonate is improved reception, I assure you, along with other benefits, naturally scratch resistant, lighter, and more durable. When I look at a phone, I don't care for "premium feel", I care for quality of operation.
- Lastly, camera. Sadly, I must admit the Note 2 doesn't have the top optics, as it improves rapidly with technology. But after lots and lots of reading and comparing, I found that the Galaxy S4 has produces the best quality/sharpness/color IHMO, bar NONE (not even Lumia 1020 which captures more detail, but fails at color reproduction). The Note 2 does inherit the S4's color reproduction traits, so that's good. But the best all-rounder (ie. in low light, good light, night mode etc) I have to give it to Iphone 5s. Well done Apple, even if you do not belong here. lol
Video strangely doesn't fall into the same category as photo, as the S4 gives murky, blurry 1080p videos. For the best video I nominate the S5 at 4k, clear even when zoomed in at the slightest detail, thanks to 16MP camera. This is improvement from what used to be the best, Note 3, which is blurred when zoomed in. No, optical image stabilization sadly, but that comes later. Even so the Note 2, doesn't slouch and gives its best in both categories. It also produces the loudest audio, and all devices after the S4 has poor speaker sound quality.
So, there you have it, my long explanation of why I would still choose the Note 2 over S4, Note 3, or S5, even if it breaks now. Samsung really hit the nail on the head when it made the S3/Note 2 generation, and I hope they will again someday. Was the very best, make history, and set a good example for generations to follow.
Thanks everyone! Definitely helped make this decision much easier than I thought it would be. My note 2 arrives today and then I'll active it with T-mobile. I plan on unlocking it after the 40 day wait period is up with T-mobile and bringing it over to AT&T. From my research that shouldn't be an issue as T-mobile and AT&T share all the same bands outside of one that AT&T uses for 4G LTE. Curious to know if anyone has done this previously?
On another note (no pun intended :laugh, I've been looking into installing a custom ROM once I get it. I love cyanogenmod but curious if there are other recommendations I should consider? This may need to be in another thread so I can move it if needed.
I bought my Note 2 about 450$ in Samsung brand shop at April 2014, it worth because my work need 3G always on to check email or contact with boss (my country not have 4G LTE)
eknee1417 said:
On another note (no pun intended :laugh, I've been looking into installing a custom ROM once I get it. I love cyanogenmod but curious if there are other recommendations I should consider? This may need to be in another thread so I can move it if needed.
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In my opinion, CyanogenMod isn't a good idea for this phone. It has some annoying bugs and you lose ALL the SPen features. I'd recommend you to install any TouchWiz based Rom.
Note 2 screen is outdated though.
onagric places
Yeah, original Note screen is better
I had a Note 2 and bought a Nexus 4 as backup when my Note 2 was being repaired. I was thinking that I might switch to Nexus as android is a big interest of mine and it would be wonderful to get all the new features quick.
It was a big relief to get my Note 2 back from the shop. The Nexus 4 doesn't last a whole day (with my usage pattern). The external speaker volume is to low. And its very slippery! (had to buy the LG bumper).
Recently upgraded to a Sony Z2 and it feels like a smaller upgrade than I expected, coming from the Note 2. Its was/is an awesome phone.
Hi everyone. I just wanted to make a thread and see how many people were jumping ship to the newer devices. And why?
Note 4? - Is it really worth the upgrade right now?
Note Edge? - Is the new curved edge display gonna be functional enough being that it is completely new tech?
I'd like this to be a spot where we can debate differences, pros, and cons. Really just looking for other people's input because I'm really torn between the Note 4 and Note Edge.
Also my Note 2 is still in perfect condition, runs great, and does everything I need it to still. So I'm also deciding if I really need to upgrade or not. Decisions, decisions ?????
Sorry if this is in the wrong spot.
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I am making the jump. I think the edge will end up like the Mega forgotten about shortly after its release.
ProFresh4 said:
I am making the jump. I think the edge will end up like the Mega forgotten about shortly after its release.
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Thank you for your input ?
Right now the only selling point for me with the Edge is just that WOW factor when someone does see you have it they'll probably be like "woah what phone is that", because of the edge screen.
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Yea it has the wow factor. But they displayed the phone a year ago when they talked about the galaxy round which never made it to the U.S
I can't help myself...
I want a new phone every year. I know that some need to change even more often, but I get trapped into thinking I "need" the better screen, camera, etc. I love the Note product line. I've had all three. I have to say that the Note II was by far the best upgrade, so far. In fact, to be honest, going from the Note II to the Note 3 had as many downsides as upsides in my opinion. From my personal experience, the camera was not better - it had more features (mostly useless), but the autofocus did not function as well as the Note II. I had more blurry pictures on my Note 3 than ever on my Note II. You start to realize that once you get a good camera, the upgrade to higher MP isn't as important as having a good camera that just works.That was one of the letdowns I had with the Note 3. The other is battery life. First of all, the orignal Note had a horrible battery life and I thought that was just going to be the price of having for an enormous phone with a great screen. but the Note II solved that issue in spades! The upgrade to the Note II was worth it just for the battery life alone. The Note 3 on the other hand was a pretty serious downgrade in battery performance... at least from my experience. Which brings me to the topic of this thread (finally)...
I'm very concerned that the battery life will take a step backwards from the Note 3 to the Note 4. The screen on the Note 4 is unbelievable, but there is a price to pay in the battery. I find it crazy that the battery size was not bumped up to accomodate. I know they stated in their intro that it was something like 7% more battery efficient than the Note 3, but I don't think THEY even believed that, because it was just thrown in at the end. Instead they spent time talking about how they made it faster charging. I don't know about you, but I don't want to plug my phone in during the day, every day; even if it is only for 30 minutes for a quick charge. Battery life is just too important to me, as I learned from the original Note and I don't want to go backwards AGAIN. the Note Edge has an even slightly smaller battery and the extra screen that seems to have an "always-on" feature. I'm even more worried about that one.
Hmmm. Maybe I'll sell my Note 3 and buy a Note II and pretend that is my annual upgrade. HA!
FYI, last weekend, i saw the edge at best buy's on display on friday in san francisco. i went back on monday to see it again and it was removed.
Just setting up my edge right now, coming from n1, n2 and n3. Loved my n2 the best. Just got it a couple hours ago, but it's cool. Was going to get a n4 but they were out of stock.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N915A using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
I plan on getting the nexus 6 in a few months. I like the shape of it. Dual front facing speakers. Pure stock. I don't use the s-pen often. I have had the original note now the 2. I use straight talk prepaid AT&T Sim so the international 6 will be a perfect fit. And by February I may find one a llittle cheaper. I like the note series but the nexus 6 has the bigger screen and less crap and no TW. And I dont have to root it to have a pure stock android experience. I like the note 4 but I just like the N6 better.
I love my Note 2 but I want to upgrade to something better. I'm keeping my Note 2 till It blows up or something but whats a good step up that has good dev support, SD Card slot and T-Mobile LTE compatibility? It could be the Note 3 or Even the S4, I'm kinda on a budget.
If you have a budget, just wait. Save a little more for a better phone when your note 2 finally packs in.
I'm not sure about LTE compatibility but have you considered the Nexus 6?
I feel the same way friend, badly want to upgrade, but since we're on the verge of seeing tons of phones with 64 bit processors, I'm holding off, at least till CES gets done so we'll know what's coming soon. Less than a month left.
But if you don't have the patience, maybe the HTC Desire 820? I think it has a 64 bit processor and is around the same price range or possibly cheaper than the S4/Note3
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using XDA Free mobile app
my next phone will be a note 4/ 5 or an One Plus (One/Two)
I think I'm going to grab the Nexus 6. Even though it's missing a sd card slot, it'll have updates for a while and it's so quick.
I switched few weeks ago to s5 and I'm glad I did it. It's great upgrade if it comes to speed. Display is slightly smaller but that just perfect. I recommend to all note 2 users
I just got a droid turbo 64gb ballistic nylon ..I am coming from a galaxy s3 and i was trying to choose between the 2 and thought maybe the note 4 might be too big but after getting home etc im having a bit of buyers remorse.. naked android is fine and all but im not really going to use the moto voice functions and the camera is meh.. the bigger note is a little imposing but if i can handle 5.2 on the turbo fine i figure 5.7 is fine as well .. i almost never 1handed use (im 6ft big hands anyways) and after seeing some s pen demos and camera shot im close to returning my turbo for a note 4... i would love some pros and cons of the note 4 and any experiences you guys have owning your note 4 thanks in advance
I would. The note 4 is a nice phone and I really like. I'm coming from a mdk S4. I had the same question as you for size. The size is perfect.
thanks my wife has an s5 and we have a galaxy tab and i bought her a gear 2 neo smartwatch for xmas i should have stayed in the family
Remember that you are in a note 4 forum so there will be some bias. I love the note. Came from the note 2. I have 0 regrets and I love the s pen. It is a game changer. Camera is pretty good. It is a larger phone but to me not too big. Although I will say I hope they don't go any bigger. One handed operation is not an issue for anyone because of the 1 quick 1 handed operation feature. All you do is swipe back and forth from the sides and it shrinks the whole screen to that side. And you can also adjust that screen. Bigger or smaller. I attached a picture but not sure how if it shows it.
Biggest deal breakers are no SD card and no battery. I love my 128gb SD card and with 5.0 allowing apps to save data to the SD card again makes it even better.
I will say that if you like to root it is not looking good. I would not get this phone on hopes that it will get root and unlocked bootloader. But to honest, I don't miss it at all. This is coming from someone who has jail broken/rooted every single phone.
Just my 2¢. Good luck.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
furfmonkey said:
I just got a droid turbo 64gb ballistic nylon ..I am coming from a galaxy s3 and i was trying to choose between the 2 and thought maybe the note 4 might be too big but after getting home etc im having a bit of buyers remorse.. naked android is fine and all but im not really going to use the moto voice functions and the camera is meh.. the bigger note is a little imposing but if i can handle 5.2 on the turbo fine i figure 5.7 is fine as well .. i almost never 1handed use (im 6ft big hands anyways) and after seeing some s pen demos and camera shot im close to returning my turbo for a note 4... i would love some pros and cons of the note 4 and any experiences you guys have owning your note 4 thanks in advance
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Eventually note 4 is my choice, which great camera quality.
Android_Fr3ak said:
Remember that you are in a note 4 forum so there will be some bias. I love the note. Came from the note 2. I have 0 regrets and I love the s pen. It is a game changer. Camera is pretty good. It is a larger phone but to me not too big. Although I will say I hope they don't go any bigger. One handed operation is not an issue for anyone because of the 1 quick 1 handed operation feature. All you do is swipe back and forth from the sides and it shrinks the whole screen to that side. And you can also adjust that screen. Bigger or smaller. I attached a picture but not sure how if it shows it.
Biggest deal breakers are no SD card and no battery. I love my 128gb SD card and with 5.0 allowing apps to save data to the SD card again makes it even better.
I will say that if you like to root it is not looking good. I would not get this phone on hopes that it will get root and unlocked bootloader. But to honest, I don't miss it at all. This is coming from someone who has jail broken/rooted every single phone.
Just my 2¢. Good luck.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
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this. i am rocking my note 4 with 160 gb of total space and 3 removable batteries. i am selling my nexus 6 which doesnt have sdcard or removable battery. dump the turbo man. even though note only has 16 mp camera i think the software is better therefore it takes better photos then the turbo. This is my perfect phone!
I came from the Droid Turbo Ballistic 64 gig and can say without a doubt the Note4 is a better device all around. The build quality is better, the screen is larger, extSD support and the camera is quicker. I'm 6ft with big hands too and prefer the larger phone. The Turbo is a nice phone but the lack of a extSD, removable battery and no reboot option from the power menu killed it for me. Both have no root for the retail but that isn't a issue for me, there are two other rooted S5's here in case I get bored. I had the Turbo for two weeks, the stock Android got really boring and the camera lag was horrible. Both cameras aren't the best with the stock app so I would suggest a 3rd party app like A Better Camera. I ended up purchasing the app but the free version was nearly just as good. To sum it up I'm happy with my decision to go back to Samsung and the Note4.
Ok guys i pulled the trigger.. I called Verizon and i got the last black note 4 they had in stock .. (at first she told me only white then hold on a few seconds and someone just cancelled their order) I don't even have to leave my home . The new note 4 is being mailed to me and i just have to put the turbo in the box and slap on a prepaid label and im all done and its only like $2 more a month .. thanks for the feedback and i look forward to sharing my stories with my note 4
Good choice
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You will love it
I like droid turbo and where Motorola is going with their devices but...they're just not quite there yet imo. Note 4 is just a better phone all around if you don't mind touchwiz
I too started with the turbo ballistic backing 64 gig version. I wanted to love that phone but turned out that the note 4 was just a better choice for me. The turbo IMO is a sweet looking phone more so than my note 4 but the wow factor didn't seem to match up with the hype I've heard people talking about . don't get me wrong it's a very nice phone but after getting used to the size of the note 3 it just seemed like the turbo was tiny which it isn't but just felt that way. I also didn't like the fact that you couldn't pull the battery and no SD slot. I liked the note 3 I had but I love the note 4 so far. It's fast has a beautiful screen and battery lasts longer than I thought it would. And another big plus with me is that all of my other phones use the same size sim as the note 4 so I can switch phone anytime I want. If I would have kept the turbo then i could only use that one phone with the sim that it took. If Verizon still had the 30 day period maybe I would have been able to really test out the turbo but only having 2 weeks I went ahead and returned it for the 4 which turns out was right f decision. Jesse
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IMHO if you are not a phone junky, not someone who actually uses your phone all day, or actually if your not a person who is into Android enough to read this website.... Then the Turbo is the better phone. Especially if you've been an iPhone person and this is your first Android.
BUUUUT, if you know a little, and actually understand what touch wiz is comparabley, the the Note 4 is miles ahead.
Ignorance is bliss
I just got the note 4 yday, had to exchange it cause mine was defective. While waiting, I played with the turbo and was impressed. I like the heavy duty feel it has. Makes it feel less fragile than the note and I'm really hating touchwiz right now. Really debating on taking the turbo.
had a note 2 and have a note 3. i *just* got a turbo thinking the extra battery and more accurate gps/compass (you note 3 owners know what i mean) would be more important but I already have buyer's remorse.
as much as people bag on touchwiz, the added features are something i find extremely useful. quick toggles, lockscreen shortcuts. all the settings tiles. these things are not there on the turbo and with no root it won't be happening any time soon.
i thought i could move on, and i can't. i'll be putting in for an exchange tomorrow.
and, fwiw, the compass/gps doesn't seem much better than the note 3 and the battery life is certainly not that of a phone with 3900mAh on tap. totally disappointed. its a great phone, but it i thought it would be better, and it's not.
Hello Friends,
I am a currently using Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Love the phone EXCEPT the battery. in terms of Screen-On time, It hardly lasts for 3.5 hours. I use my phone a lot and have to charge it 3 to 4 times a day. Moreover, there is no SD card slot and am hanged with 32 GB storage ONLY.
I was in market looking for a new phone by replacing note 5. Things I want in new phone:
a) bigger screen
b) bigger battery
c) Dual sim
d) SD card support
e) Ram over 4 GB
f) Camera with OIS
g) Under $300
h) S-Amoled Screen
Now it ticks many boxes except point F and H. I am huge on camera. I love taking pics and videos. The lack of OIS is sorta deal breaker for me but IF the camera works really well without it, I can live.
Anyhow, I want your suggestions, moving from Galaxy Note 5 to Xaomi, is it a wise decision?
100% wise decision. Order 6gb/128gb variant with xiaomi.eu rom from TradingShenzhen (theirs is the one with least headache and hiccups), and I'll walk you through the process. We have excellent camera and even better quality with camera2api enabled via magisk(root) for Google camera.
opasha said:
100% wise decision. Order 6gb/128gb variant with xiaomi.eu rom from TradingShenzhen (theirs is the one with least headache and hiccups), and I'll walk you through the process. We have excellent camera and even better quality with camera2api enabled via magisk(root) for Google camera.
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I was planning to get it from Dubai. I am visiting there in January. I hope to get it under some deal(s).
You think the price will be even more stable (drop) by Jan?
And by the way, my experience with non-flagship phones has been bizarre. I mean after 1.5 years their parts start failing like microphone etc. I mean companies use really mediocre parts for non-flagship phones.
filthykid said:
I was planning to get it from Dubai. I am visiting there in January. I hope to get it under some deal(s).
You think the price will be even more stable (drop) by Jan?
And by the way, my experience with non-flagship phones has been bizarre. I mean after 1.5 years their parts start failing like microphone etc. I mean companies use really mediocre parts for non-flagship phones.
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Dubai is overpriced. I'd avoid the wait and order online and have it in a few days. That's just me. Prices will stay around the same. They've hovered around $300-350 US for some time. No issues with this phone so far. No complaints either from month long users. Xiaomi is on another level. My bro has a mi book pro that is running flawless. It's all in how you care for your products. I would never recommend anything bad to anyone especially if not owning or wanting it for myself. I'm a heavy user from rooted Note 8 to rooted Mi Max 3. Absolutely no regrets.
lol, lot of people even switched their Note FE, note 8 to Max 3 ...
filthykid said:
Hello Friends,
I am a currently using Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Love the phone EXCEPT the battery. in terms of Screen-On time, It hardly lasts for 3.5 hours. I use my phone a lot and have to charge it 3 to 4 times a day. Moreover, there is no SD card slot and am hanged with 32 GB storage ONLY.
I was in market looking for a new phone by replacing note 5. Things I want in new phone:
a) bigger screen
b) bigger battery
c) Dual sim
d) SD card support
e) Ram over 4 GB
f) Camera with OIS
g) Under $300
h) S-Amoled Screen
Now it ticks many boxes except point F and H. I am huge on camera. I love taking pics and videos. The lack of OIS is sorta deal breaker for me but IF the camera works really well without it, I can live.
Anyhow, I want your suggestions, moving from Galaxy Note 5 to Xiaomi, is it a wise decision?
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Click to collapse
Coming from a Note 4 ( destroyed it by accident) The thing that strikes me most is the good build quality and the brightness of the huge screen.The screen quality also seems very good compared to an amoled screen. Obviously no stylus support on it.The Camera seems good in the light, but needs to be improved in the dark...to much noise.However there are options with the Camera app to have manual control or install the Open Camera app.Screen on time using that 5500mah is also very good....just make sure you've got large hands and large pockets
I was having a Galaxy Note 4 before the mi max 3
Im realy happy with the phone
The battery life is very good , i only got like 5-6 hours screen on time , but please note im using it outside with mobile data , bluetooth gps always on and the sreen is nearly max brightness, the S G note 4 lasted 1-1.5 hours with the same settings / apps
Call quality is good
Camera is way better thn my S G note 4
The eis in the video does a very good job( please check out this video i made with the mi max 3 handheld https://youtu.be/VayuQmvZ-Kw )
The ringtones and notification sound are not that loud as the S G note 4
Size wise its a big and heavy phone but you know what , couple of years ago when i bought my S G Note 4 i said and my friend said the same :laugh: