Develop Bugs

Has anyone here switched to/tried extensively a Mega 6.3??

I am seriously thinking about downgrading (specs-wise) from my Note II to the Mega 6.3 simply for its screen size. 6.3" is just about the PERFECT display size I have ALWAYS wanted.
After 15 months with the OG Note and 5/6 with the Note II I planned to upgrade to a Note III in the fall but since it seems it will only have a 5.99" display and a 6.3" display *is* on the market, I can't stand to go for the worse choice. Especially since it is "almost a Note", I mean it has almost all of the hardware and software features which make Samsung top-end smartphones the ONLY smartphones I would buy today.
The biggest problem are not losing the S-Pen, losing AMOLED and losing 2 cores, the biggest problem is losing 512MB of RAM...
So, seeing as the Mega 6.3 is now available in Europe, I need to know from someone who has been using a Note II what's it like to switch to a Mega 6.3, especially in regard to the lesser RAM with heavy multitasking and to the display quality.
YouTube comparisons I have watched so far are pretty useless but I have some more to watch.
BTW, if you have come across some *good* and in-depth comparisons please point them out.
P.S. When a Galaxy Mega 6.3 forum on XDA??

The mega series is a midrange level phone. It's almost certainly going to choke under heavy multitasking. It's meant for people who aren't heavy users but just want a bigger screen for cpu light tasks like pictures, maps, reading, etc.
Ignore the screen size change and it's significantly worse than the note 2.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

I would also like to have a bigger screen than my Note II, but with Mega there is almost certainly too much to compromise.
I am looking forward for Sony's 6.44 inch device to be announced soon.

ChodTheWacko said:
The mega series is a midrange level phone. It's almost certainly going to choke under heavy multitasking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will slow down for sure, *by how much* is the question...
Anyway, since I am not interested in games in the slightest, my main concern is not a slower or laggier phone (since the difference in anything but games is very likely going to be acceptable for me), is just apps switching and how many of them can it maintain active in the RAM with their inputted data and in the state I have left them...
It's meant for people who aren't heavy users but just want a bigger screen for cpu light tasks like pictures, maps, reading, etc.
Ignore the screen size change and it's significantly worse than the note 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well.. yeah, of course it's worse than the Note II in pretty much everything.. my whole point was that I just can't "ignore the screen size" and was trying to understand by how much exactly everything else is worse than the Note II...
If it's not too much I might be willing to compromise in order to get a PERFECT SIZE display.

just wait for the note 3....

hagba said:
I would also like to have a bigger screen than my Note II, but with Mega there is almost certainly too much to compromise.
I am looking forward for Sony's 6.44 inch device to be announced soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah there is the Huawei Ascend Mate at 6.1" too but this (and most likely the Sony as well) has a f*cking integrated battery so that's the biggest deal braker of all right there and I can't even be bothered to go over the rest of their specs... Useless junk.
The LG Optimus Pro would be an alternative worthy of consideration if its screen wasn't just 5.5". Too small an improvement in screen size to consider switching over from Samsung HW and SW (both of which I LOVE).

FinancialWar said:
just wait for the note 3....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I was/am doing but it seems more and more likely that it will have a 5.99" display... (and yeah, I would buy it in a heartbeat but would still be pissed at having to give up bigger displays which already exist today!).

xdapao3 said:
That's what I was/am doing but it seems more and more likely that it will have a 5.99" display... (and yeah, I would buy it in a heartbeat but would still be pissed at having to give up bigger displays which already exist today!).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
miss for like few months, big deal! You will be getting 1080p too.

FinancialWar said:
miss for like few months, big deal! You will be getting 1080p too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not just the wait, it's the fact that its display size (if it's confirmed at 5.99") will be SMALLER than SEVERAL competitors (one from Samsung itself!) which are much closer to or exactly my ideal size!!
P.S. I care much more about a perfect size than 1080p since we aren't talking low res displays in any case here, 720p for a 6.3" display is very much OK with me (not ideal, of course. 1080p would be ideal).

Follow up: the Mega is a no-go, I have reverted back to wait for the Note III.
The smaller RAM is too much of an handicap and the Mega sold in Europe is the 8GB/LTE variant and not the 16GB/3G. LTE is pretty much still useless over here and I would much rather have 16GB of internal storage (at a lower price to boot!)...
Plus, there are ton of original accessories already available (including all of the ones I always get for my smartphones) but the Brodit car dock (the ones I use) is not available for the Mega and IDK if and where it will be and the Samsung one is the only original accessory that is not available...

It'll eventually slow down as apps getting updates and requires more cpu and ram
_____________________
Via GT-N71OO using XDA_Elite_App

I have had the Mega 6.3 for about a week now. I have had the Note 2, as well as, S4. Here's my experience so far.
--Software is identical to the S4 (airview and all that good stuff)
--Very slim body compare to the Note 2
--Battery lasts surprising well (I'm a power user)
--The display is quite amazing. I wasn't expecting much, but I am truely impressed.
--Similar sound quality as the S4
--Have not noticed any lag at all. Very fluid.
I'm trying to think of negatives, but nothing is coming to mind except:
--No dedicated XDA forum
--No Root/CWM/ROM yet
--Looking for an extra battery or charger, but could not find on Amazon or anywhere.
--There are some batteries on eBay from China...but, not gonna gamble with those.
I'm running it on T-Mobile. I'm in refarmed 4G area. There's LTE available here as well, but can't pick it up
Overall, on paper spec-wise...might seem like an inferior phone. However, in really world experience, I'm truly and utterly impressed. Not going back to my Note 2 at all. it's a godsend for ebook readings and Youtube watching.

knite75 said:
I have had the Mega 6.3 for about a week now. I have had the Note 2, as well as, S4. Here's my experience so far.
--Software is identical to the S4 (airview and all that good stuff)
--Very slim body compare to the Note 2
--Battery lasts surprising well (I'm a power user)
--The display is quite amazing. I wasn't expecting much, but I am truely impressed.
--Similar sound quality as the S4
--Have not noticed any lag at all. Very fluid.
I'm trying to think of negatives, but nothing is coming to mind except:
--No dedicated XDA forum
--No Root/CWM/ROM yet
--Looking for an extra battery or charger, but could not find on Amazon or anywhere.
--There are some batteries on eBay from China...but, not gonna gamble with those.
I'm running it on T-Mobile. I'm in refarmed 4G area. There's LTE available here as well, but can't pick it up
Overall, on paper spec-wise...might seem like an inferior phone. However, in really world experience, I'm truly and utterly impressed. Not going back to my Note 2 at all. it's a godsend for ebook readings and Youtube watching.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks for the reply but the only thing I was researching and could not find a clear answer for was how 1.5GB RAM impacts heavy multitasking as opposed to 2GB RAM..
As for the original accessories I don't know where you are based but over here ALL of the original Samsung accessories (various pouches, covers, cases, batteries, chargers, separate battery chargers, desktop dock ecc) are available (and pretty cheap too) minus the car dock.

xdapao3 said:
Yeah there is the Huawei Ascend Mate at 6.1" too but this (and most likely the Sony as well) has a f*cking integrated battery so that's the biggest deal braker of all right there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
As for the RAM.. Has there ever been a point when you've checked and seen that your GN2 was using more than 1.5GB? If not, then you'll be fine. If so, then I'm sure managing your RAM a little better is worth if for the 'perfect screen size'

I have seen its review on youtube...its available ram is only 1.1 gb sumthing .. n most of the time note 2 consumes 1.1gb something ..so i think ram can cause you problem...
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

Also its not what RAM you use currently, its what your useage demand will be in say 6mnths time. We all know that a phone that had enough when we bought it often feels crippled halfway through ownership as more & more demand is placed on it.
A new phone needs to have twice the RAM you currently need.
Note 3 screen is an 8% increase in size & that's plenty extra for me.

KCA. said:
This.
As for the RAM.. Has there ever been a point when you've checked and seen that your GN2 was using more than 1.5GB? If not, then you'll be fine. If so, then I'm sure managing your RAM a little better is worth if for the 'perfect screen size'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, unfortunately. As said, upon further research plus some empirical tests 1.5GB RAM is really too little RAM for me. I have to pass..

taran181 said:
I have seen its review on youtube...its available ram is only 1.1 gb sumthing .. n most of the time note 2 consumes 1.1gb something ..so i think ram can cause you problem...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, RAM size is one of the specs I care most, nowadays.
I am not a gamer and I don't terribly mind some small slowdown and lag here and there but available RAM and display size are THE things which really let you use your smartphone as a "pocket computer" so I am not willing to compromise on those as much as I may on some other things.

Pat. said:
Also its not what RAM you use currently, its what your useage demand will be in say 6mnths time. We all know that a phone that had enough when we bought it often feels crippled halfway through ownership as more & more demand is placed on it.
A new phone needs to have twice the RAM you currently need.
Note 3 screen is an 8% increase in size & that's plenty extra for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that in 6 months I will be using double the RAM I am now doing the same things but I would surely appreciate 3 GB of RAM on the next Note!
An 8% increase in display size is definitely NOT what I am looking for in the next Note. I am, and have *always* been, looking forward to a 6.3"/6.5" display (depending on the bezel and aspect ratio, of course).
That's my ideal. Always have been (I was talking about those dimensions back when 4" seemed "huge" to most folks), always will be.
We will get there and people will get it, in the end. But these small steps are somewhat frustating (especially since a big part of the reasons for these baby steps is just people's dumbness).
I believe the "ultimate" screen sizes around which future smartphones will coalesce will be 5" and 6.3"/6.5".

My old note & my note2 both "disappeared" when not in use.. as in i forget its there .. i do alot of outdoor activity like cycling & i have the phone in my front Jean pocket, a 5.9" with small bezel will also be viable.
Its fairly clear that 6.3" is simply too big for that & Samsung do alot of research on this.
People will buy 6.3" phones but not in huge numbers like the 5.9 Note3.
Samsung know that huge numbers of people wont buy a phone they can't put in their jeans. I wonder how many people who want a 6.3" screen have made a dummy from wood ETC & tried it ... its BIG ..

Thinking I May Return My Tab 3 8"

I'm pretty disappointed with the Tab 3. Seems very slow/laggy. In addition, there is zero development on XDA for the tab 3. I know this just came out in the US, but it has been out for months worldwide. I've had this tablet for a couple weeks, so it's not just a first impression at this point.....
Currently, very unstable root and recovery. No custom roms. No way to install scripts/intd.
I've had a Galaxy 3 phone for about a year and love it. My phone runs circles around the Tab 3 in terms of responsiveness, processing......pretty much everything actually.
Am I getting a unique experience with my Tab or is everyone noticing the slow, dragging, instability of this tab? Size and screen are great, but do not outweigh the performance issues in my book.
Anyone else returned/exchanged their Tab 3? If so, what did you return it for? Thinking about going w/ the new Nexus 7, but there are a lot of options out there....please help!!!!!!

Weird. I had the nexus 7 2, the note 8, and now the tab 3 8. I don't think the tab is slow at all. Granted I don't play games, but overall I think its quite responsive and solid all around.
But I've seen a few complaints about how awful it is so it seems people have vastly different experiences.
Did it get slower over time? What are you doing when it lags? Did you install a ton of weird stuff?

rumatt said:
Weird. I had the nexus 7 2, the note 8, and now the tab 3 8. I don't think the tab is slow at all. Granted I don't play games, but overall I think its quite responsive and solid all around.
But I've seen a few complaints about how awful it is so it seems people have vastly different experiences.
Did it get slower over time? What are you doing when it lags? Did you install a ton of weird stuff?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not at all. I don't play games on it or anything that requires heavy cpu usage. Just basic navigation is very slow. Is your tab rooted?
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

arshull said:
Not at all. I don't play games on it or anything that requires heavy cpu usage. Just basic navigation is very slow. Is your tab rooted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope not rooted.

Yeah I wish I could return mine at this point the asus memo 7 hd seems like a much better choice for 50 less than this thing.

arshull said:
I'm pretty disappointed with the Tab 3. Seems very slow/laggy. In addition, there is zero development on XDA for the tab 3.
Currently, very unstable root and recovery. No custom roms. No way to install scripts/intd.
Am I getting a unique experience with my Tab or is everyone noticing the slow, dragging, instability of this tab?
Anyone else returned/exchanged their Tab 3? If so, what did you return it for? Thinking about going w/ the new Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I owned a Nexus-7 2013.. Took it back on the 15th day.. (Walmart) They're a lot of issues going on with the N7.. GPS being the main one.. And there are some bad ones out in the field.. So be warned. I was lucky and got a good one, but it just did not justify the price (32 Gb) $294.00 out the door.. for the size of the Tablet for me.. I also own an iPad Mini.. and the 7" Screen of the N7 just was not cutting it for me after being exposed to the 8" 4:3 Screen of the iPad Mini for the last year or so.. The N7 just seem too small.. lots of development for it.. but for me they were the same ROMs I was running on my recently sold Galaxy Note.. so they were Quite Boring and offered nothing new. Then I spotted this Tablet and the Beautiful Saturated Colors and it's 8" Screen won me over on 1st sight.. You got a bad Tablet.. You should just do a Factory Reset Wipe everything and go back to how the Tablet was when it came out of the box. if it's still laggy.. Return it and try another Tab 3 8.0 or something else. Mine was fast out of the box .. is now rooted and still smokes.. have you tried a different launcher? have you gone into developer options and adjusted your animations for faster response...?
rumatt said:
Weird. I had the nexus 7 2, the note 8, and now the tab 3 8. I don't think the tab is slow at all. Granted I don't play games, but overall I think its quite responsive and solid all around.
But I've seen a few complaints about how awful it is so it seems people have vastly different experiences.
Did it get slower over time? What are you doing when it lags? Did you install a ton of weird stuff?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No issues with my Tab 3 8.0 either..
mirrin said:
Yeah I wish I could return mine at this point the asus memo 7 hd seems like a much better choice for 50 less than this thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think this is about the Tab 3 "8.0" but you are correct... the Asus would be a better choice when comparing to the Tab 3 7.0.. IMO..
Sell what you got for $150.00... Then buy the Asus.
You are still cutting someone a deal if your unit is still in "Like New" Condition..

Speed
Mine is rooted and still is quite responsive.
Speed wise it was not as fast as the Note 8.0 but it is only dual core!
Ran Antutu on Note 8.0 and tab 3 before buying tab 3 8.0
note was 16,000 and tab 12,000
Where as my mtk6569 Note 5.5' clone came in at 16,138.
my old mtk6575 was around 9,000 from memory. But it has gone to the gods RIP.

vladmaster98 said:
Speed wise it was not as fast as the Note 8.0 but it is only dual core!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is potentially misleading. It's the same clock rate processor. For many tasks the Tab 8 is just as fast as the Note 8. Exactly the same speed.
Where a quad core will shine over a dual core is when you're trying to do lots of stuff at once. The main area I noticed a difference is something like loading a huge web page and trying to scroll while it's still loading. Lots of stuff happening at the same time there so more processors makes a clear difference.
But for basic, one at a time tasks where there's not much parallelism to be found, there isn't much noticeable performance difference.

I don't know if the '8 is that much different, but my tab 3 10.1 is among the speediest i' ve ever used(tablets)
Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk 4

Should I upgrade to tab s?

I love my 2 month old tab pro 8.4, love its pixel density and speed
Does the tab s has a better pixel density? Should I switch to the 10.5
Sent from my SM-T320 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Same pixel density as Pro (359). Differences are S has super AMOLED screen, 32gb storage, 3gb RAM and Exynos chips.
IDK......not enough of an upgrade to make me spend the cash.

I asked myself the same question. The Tab S doesn't offer anything new that I want, and I dislike how the back side looks. I just want to enjoy the excellent device that I already have. I say get what you think will satisfy you in the long run, or else you will fall into the trap of upgrading to a new tablet every 2-3 months. =/

animedreamer240 said:
I asked myself the same question. The Tab S doesn't offer anything new that I want, and I dislike how the back side looks. I just want to enjoy the excellent device that I already have. I say get what you think will satisfy you in the long run, or else you will fall into the trap of upgrading to a new tablet every 2-3 months. =/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A few people in another thread who have seen the S model have said that the screen did not look noticeably better than the Pro.

Does s model AMOLED share subpixels like they do on my old galaxy s4? Because that caused letters on screen to have fuzzy little hair.
Sent from my SM-T320 using XDA Free mobile app

sharpehenry said:
Does s model AMOLED share subpixels like they do on my old galaxy s4? Because that caused letters on screen to have fuzzy little hair.
Sent from my SM-T320 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rumor has it that it does use subpixels. It's supposedly a AMOLED, not Super AMOLED.
I've always preferred LCD so will be sticking with my Tab Pro 10.1. Though, I'll check out the Tab S today at Best Buy. I hear they have an instore price of $249 on the Tab Pro 8.4. If true, that's one hell of a price for a phenomenal tablet.

chasney said:
Rumor has it that it does use subpixels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tab S 8.4 is confirmed (at least somewhat, based on the following link - and I've seen it stated as pentile on other websites) to be a pentile display (subpixels); while the Tab S 10.4 is RGB stripe: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8168/samsungs-galaxy-tab-s-105-84-hands-on-with-samsungs-66mm-thin-tablets
Reviews around the web, and opinions on XDA I've read say the AMOLED is not significantly better or worse than the LCD on the Tab Pro models, just "different". Colors are a tad over-saturated, while blacks are a bit more true. If you like/dislike the AMOLED displays on the Samsung phones, your opinion will likely be the same for the Tab S.
Aside from the increased storage and RAM, I don't see this as much of an upgrade. And certainly not willing to buy another device after 2 months.
A bit questionable for Samsung to be releasing such similar devices so close together. I suppose choices are always good. But it gets to the point where they are just over-saturating the market (and maybe that is the intent?) and confusing the customer.

I'm more intrigued with almost double the battery time

yodan4 said:
I'm more intrigued with almost double the battery time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too... based on Anand's tests the Tab S has better battery life for video playback than any other tablet currently out including the mighty IPad Air.
I have the Tab Pro and like it as well but the new device rocks with battery life.
I'd like to see application testing though. Video playback is definitely of value (I travel and watch videos) but I rarely spend hours on the tablet for internet use (that's what my computers are for).
However I do read a lot on my tablet and it would be interesting to see how long it lasts compared to the Tab Pro.

RobilarOCN said:
Me too... based on Anand's tests the Tab S has better battery life for video playback than any other tablet currently out including the mighty IPad Air.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was a bit intrigued by the comments on battery life, and read the review. Hardly seems like an objective test. The reviewer states that they used a movie with lots of dark scenes which greatly favors the AMOLED screen. So this doesn't tell you much of anything . . . unless you only watch dark movies all the time!
Would have been nice to see more data points, and for various movies to be played.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8197/samsung-galaxy-tab-s-review-105-84inch/3
---------- Post added at 04:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 PM ----------
yodan4 said:
I'm more intrigued with almost double the battery time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where are you seeing double the battery time? Anandtech is showing 50% more for video playback (15 hours versus 10) and less time for internet browsing.

What to buy?

Ok my poor tab pro 8.4 lte t325 got destroyed ( you know dog and kids= dead tablet) Wrong time to have left my tablet on the floor so I guess its really my fault.
Anyways I am in the market for a new tablet. I LOVED the tab pro 8.4 but don't want to buy another one as it is going to be left behind as it was replaced by the tab s. I want another tablet with cell connectivity and don't know if I should by the tab s or wait for a version 2 of it. I was hoping for a tab s with a snapdragon in it but I only get Verizon and at&t where I live. (Well at&t if I have the tablet in one part of my house)
I see that sprint is the only 8.4 with a snapdragon processor where the at&t has the samsung processor.
The snapdragon in my t325 was much more responsive than the samsung processor in the wifi tab s when i tested both side by side.
I had a at&t sim in my tab pro. Will say the Sprint version run on at&t? Does it have the antenna for it?
Now if a version 2 of the tab s is going to be out soon should I wait to see what its going to offer?
I am using my sons tab 3 10.1 for my tablet purposes (its painfully slow and doesn't connect to my samsung dongle for my tv) my daughter won't let me use her note 8
Any insite or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Matt
Sent from my SCH-S968C using XDA Free mobile app

I don't know why people keep going on about the Exynos versions of the device compared to the snapdragon. I have the Lte Exynos version and it performs admirably. No perceivable lag, nothing that I wouldn't expect on any device.
I have an HTC M8 with Snapdragon 801, which in my mind is well overspec'd anyway, and it performs well against it it in my tests and isn't far behind it.
In any of the benchmark tests I've done (yes I know benchmarks aren't the be all and end all ) the cpu still ranks high up with the best cpu's.
The other thing is that the Snapdragon version has virtually no 3rd party support, no roms, no root, etc. Whereas the Exynos tab has plenty.

Hi. The tab s is more fragile than the tab pro. Um not sure about the sim part as i never owned an lte device. Just a heads up

What's more fragile about it?
Normally my tablets are very well taken care of. My last one was more of a freak accident. Just really bad timing and judgment on my part.
Sent from my SCH-S968C using XDA Free mobile app

efanatic said:
What's more fragile about it?
Normally my tablets are very well taken care of. My last one was more of a freak accident. Just really bad timing and judgment on my part.
Sent from my SCH-S968C using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its more expensive to replace then an regular tablet. For example one hard drop can cause the screen to break completely. Its because we have an amoled screen which could break easy. But this tablet is great for watching videos in my opinion. Up to you. If you are careful then the tab s should do it for you. Its a big step up from the tab pro. Once you see the screen its just amazing! Ive had mine since july and no problems so far. If you want a better screen and performance then the tab s is a step up from the pro. Keep in mind its really thin also. Hope this helps

efanatic said:
What's more fragile about it?
Normally my tablets are very well taken care of. My last one was more of a freak accident. Just really bad timing and judgment on my part.
Sent from my SCH-S968C using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, what's fragile, what do you intend to do with it, strap it to the bottom of your shoes? Look after it properly and use it as you should and there will be no problem. No device is meant to be dropped, same as don't crash your car and it won't get smashed up.
Honestly the crap people float about.

If you wanna secure your investment then get a otterbox case paired with a tempered glass screen protector which is what I have and I'm just paranoid that way and still careful then you'll be fine.
Sent from my SM-T805

I ended up getting the tab s t707 on Verizon. I ordered a glass type screen protector and a book style cover for it. Still need to go to the Verizon store and get it activated. So far I'm loving it.
Only down side is one of my hobbies is photography and the pics from my camera look completely different than what's printed. The look exactly like what they print out like on my daughter's note 8 though. So my raw photo editor on this tablet does me no good.
Sent from my SM-T707V using XDA Free mobile app

Buy Nexus 7
I guess it is better to buy Nexus 7. This tabs coming with features Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 12 core GPU, 7-inch 1280 x 800 screen, 16GB or 32GB.

Get a Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and a really nice case

[Q] Galaxy Tab S or S2 ?

Hi Guys,
My 2012 Nexus 10 is showing its age and I am desperate for a new tablet. I waited so long for Galaxy Tab S2, but I am kinda disappointed with its spec. old 5433 SoC and 4:3 screen with downgraded ppi and resolution ! so I am thinking about Galaxy Tab S, what do you think about it after lollipop update ? I heard many users complained about its lags and underpowered SoC, would you recommend it ? also how is the custom ROM community for it ? I can see there are a couple custom ROMs but are there stable enough to for daily usage ? I remember exynos had very limited developer support, so there was not many great ROMs for exynos devices out there, what do you think ? Galaxy Tab S or S2 ?

The S1 is a masterpiece the S2 is a frankenstein monster, 4:3 spit, virtually mono sound spit, so looks plain jane spit, no camera flash spit, no if-red spit, portrait design spit, I though it was an Galaxy Tab A by the photo`s it looks so cheap.
Exynos version has loads of rom`s, snapdragon version hardly any, If you want stability stick to kitkat, if your fine with flashing have fun with different roms.
John

But what about the lags and stutters on kitkat ? I heard lollipop fixed that. is it true ?

I have had no lag or stutter on my 10.5" kitkat , I had it running continuously for 160 days, I never shut it down or restarted it, I only did a restart to re-calibrate my battery but i had no problems with the battery, it was just maintenance.
But i am not a gamer, I mostly watch video`s and browse the internet for at least an hour every day, but white on an oled display eats the battery, if you do a lot of browsing use night mode or get an lcd tablet.
John.
fifthelement said:
But what about the lags and stutters on kitkat ? I heard lollipop fixed that. is it true ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

hmm. hard question. I personally would not get either right now. The s2 looks like a step backwards in the key areas, the darn screen.
the s has the lovely screen, but unless you can get a decent deal, its too long in the tooth to spend out a lot for.
its so irritating as there are no tabs which tick all the boxes. the experia z3 is good, but the res is lower, but everything else is up to speed.
dont get me wrong, I really do like my tablet, but who knows what is coming out in the next few months, or will be announced. I hope finally there is something which is progress in all areas.

The Tab S2 has a lower resolution screen than the Tab S (both resolution AND PPI), a significantly smaller battery and a marginally upgraded processor.
I'd wait for the true successor to the Tab S - which will likely a more upmarket SAMOLED tablet, priced higher than the Tab S with a full metal body (Like the Galaxy Tab A) and more of a competitor for the iPad.

I prefer plastic to metal, metal is cold and when bent or dented it does not spring back like plastic also it blocks radio waves so you have to have non metal sections to let the waves in and out, Samsung are masters of durable plastic, you can bend the battery cover of their phones almost in two and it will spring back without any damage try that with metal.
John

So I bought my Tab S around a month ago and I have to say I'm in love with it! After seeing the specs of the Tab S 2 I knew straight away the device for me.
The tab s in my opinion tick pretty much every box the only thing I wish was better is the GPU for gaming (not that it plays games badly - they play well enough) but I can be quite picky and if I'm not getting the max FPS from a game I feel upset! Everything else on the tablet is perfect and I'm the kind of chap that sells his devices every couple of months for the latest better version but this is the first device I've come across that I've not even looked at replacing, well worth the £300 I spent for it. The xperia z4 tablet is now out and it's specs are majorly impressive but it's thick bezels I think make it an ugly design, I love the thin sides of the Tab S, another tablet I've been looking at is the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 but again after seeing it in the shop I think it's quite ugly and put a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse and hancom fine with my tab s and it's replaced my laptop, which I'm selling on eBay at the moment as it hasn't been used since I bought my tablet.
I'm a network manager at a school and have used my Tab S for a hell of a lot including connecting to multiple servers and writing 30 page policies. It's a great little device.
I upgraded to Lollipop but I'm using IronRom instead of stock and I have to say it's very stable and very fast. No lag. On antutu I got around the 4100 mark with all my GPU and CPU over locked it's just as powerful as an S5 phone. I'd recommend it to anyone and already multiple family members and the girlfriend have ordered one after seeing mine.
Sorry this was long but I hope it helped

Comes down to a few questions:
Do you value performance. The Exnos 5420 is a 2 year old processor. The 5433/7410 is a 1 year old processor (though it is a 20nn version of the 7420 in the S6)
Do you value battery life. The Tab S2 8.0 has a battery that is 20% smaller than the original tab. It may be that the 20nn processor and smaller newer screen are more efficient but I don't expect better battery life.
Do you value longevity/updates: The Tab S2 is a year newer so it will have its updates discontinued later than the Tab S.
Does display ratio matter to you: If you mostly read, the Tab S2 may be a dream come true. If you mostly watch videos, it's a disaster.
Do you value internal storage: Other than a best buy limited edition model, the Tab S has 16gb storage. The S2 has 32GB.
It seems like the Tab S2 is a Galaxy Note 4 (international) turned into a tablet. The Tab S was the Galaxy Note 3 (international) turned into a tablet.
This is a tough question for me. I re-bought the Tab S 8.4 for 190 (ridiculous deal best buy had a few months ago) after leaving it late last year to try other tablets (The Xperia Z3 Tablet and the Venue 7840). I also bought the Tab S 8.4 on day 1 last year (great deal, $350 for the tablet, Samsung cover, and 16gb sd card) to replace my Tab Pro 8.4 that I bought on day 1. I'm leaning towards getting it if the same deal is in play.

I have asked basic maths for help:
smaller side of t800 is 5.87 inch and of t810 is 5.82 inch...
So I do not see any advantage for browsing in new generation...

rp3 said:
Comes down to a few questions:
Do you value performance. The Exnos 5420 is a 2 year old processor. The 5433/7410 is a 1 year old processor (though it is a 20nn version of the 7420 in the S6)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately yes he is right here as the Tab S processor is a year older, though I find it very quick and non-laggy when using IronRom on lollipop. As stated above the one thing I'd change is GPU performance but remember you always have over clocking when you root!
rp3 said:
Do you value longevity/updates: The Tab S2 is a year newer so it will have its updates discontinued later than the Tab S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best thing about android is that you can flash a custom ROM so updates never bother me as I can always flash a latest build of Cyanogenmod if needs be.
rp3 said:
Do you value internal storage: Other than a best buy limited edition model, the Tab S has 16gb storage. The S2 has 32GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 16GB internal storage on my Tab S including a 128GB memory card. Everything including apps is stored on my memory card thanks to the app "foldermount" you must be rooted though, I don't think the Tab S 2 has expandable storage but I could be wrong.

Good Point the S1 beats the S2 in both horizontal and vertical resolution, so the S2 is not really better for browsing, though you have to turn the S1 10.5" to portrait mode as it`s an landscape tablet while the S1 8.4" is an portrait style already.
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/co...ch,Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-S-10.5/phones/9385,8662
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/co...nch,Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-S-8.4/phones/9384,8663
John.
ivanox1972 said:
I have asked basic maths for help:
smaller side of t800 is 5.87 inch and of t810 is 5.82 inch...
So I do not see any advantage for browsing in new generation...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thank you all for your responses and opinions, I guess I would go for a Galaxy Tab S. but I will wait until S2 is released so I can get a good deal. I expect galaxy tab s gets a discount when s2 is released.

S1 - just bought my third for the household, was holding out for the S2 but so glad i did not wait for a iPad Air copy.

This morning I read that the S2 comes with Android 5.0.2 and started to laugh. Seriously 5.1.1 has been out for months including on a few Samsung devices. At the glacial pace that Samsung updates their tablet OS versions Android M will have been out for at least three months before the S2 gets v5.1.1, what a joke.
That on top of an older processor makes you wonder why they even bothered. I'm very happy to have bought my S 10.5 at almost $70 less retail, a few months ago, rather than this laughable new flagship tablet. Samsung's advantage of the best screen technology in the industry is getting sabotaged by very odd engineering decisions. It seems like the tablet division is run by their B team.
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA Premium HD app

Frankly speaking, I would never buy an S2 over the Tab S. At the moment on the Tab S you can have Lollipop, Xposed, custom kernels with F2FS, and the tablet flies, literally.

Yeah, but with the S2 you have like errr emm eerrr nothing help!!!!
John.
stopa10 said:
Frankly speaking, I would never buy an S2 over the Tab S. At the moment on the Tab S you can have Lollipop, Xposed, custom kernels with F2FS, and the tablet flies, literally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

www.youtube.com/watch?v=P28m9cwa47E
Samsung tab s2 hands on and comparison with tab s. In English . According to this guy tab s2 has much more per and pricing will be matched to tab S.

ivanox1972 said:
I have asked basic maths for help:
smaller side of t800 is 5.87 inch and of t810 is 5.82 inch...
So I do not see any advantage for browsing in new generation...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the advantage is that is almost the same viewing area but in a smaller and lighter package. Also, much more natural than the awkwardness that 16:10 is in portrait on such a large tablet as the tab S IMO. YMMV.

yohandesilva1 said:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P28m9cwa47E
Samsung tab s2 hands on and comparison with tab s. In English . According to this guy tab s2 has much more per and pricing will be matched to tab S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That video sure did nothing to change my mind that the S2 is a step backward. Especially the comparison of reading the magazine which showed nothing visually while the video playback did demonstrate the smaller picture and unused screen black bars. Is Samsung going to pronounce, to video watchers, that the black bars on video playback is actually a way to extend your battery life? Which maybe needed as the thinner design and aspect ratio has reduced overall battery size. It is going to be tough to polish a turd and sell it at a flag ship price.
After reading the S2 details I'm still amazed that the OS is v5.0.2 and it does not have the same processor that the S6 phone uses. What were they thinking?
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA Premium HD app