Develop Bugs

[Q] Galaxy Note 2 Still Worth Buying?

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.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Free mobile app

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.

[Q] Which would you buy today given the choice?

If you already ordered and/or received your Pixel XL, and had to option to replace it, would you stick with your current one or replace it with another version? Which version did you get, which would you get instead?
Thanks, checking on what's the consensus to make a decision on my purchase.

I want one of those phones that explodes. Need a little excitement in my life.
But in seriousness, no. I'm coming from from the s7 edge and I like the pixel better. The s7 does do better on benchmarks, but in everything I run games included, the pixel seems to be faster and smoother.

4 reason why I'm hesistating getting this phone
1. It's made by HTC, obviously a cost saving move by Google.
2. No IP68 rating.
3. Dual speaker not available ? What a step back from the 6p.
4. The design is like Apple had sex with a samsung s4. Wassup with that half ass back? It's metal then turn into gorilla?
That said I current using s7 edge exynos version. Exynos version can be flashed to have dual audio, it's ip68 rating, big battery and pretty much a well rounder.
I used a lot of phone this year and in the past, to include the iPhone 7. I felt like the note 7 could have beat the s7 edge but **** happens.

Chord_Hugo87 said:
4 reason why I'm hesistating getting this phone
1. It's made by HTC, obviously a cost saving move by Google.
2. No IP68 rating.
3. Dual speaker not available ? What a step back from the 6p.
4. The design is like Apple had sex with a samsung s4. Wassup with that half ass back? It's metal then turn into gorilla?
That said I current using s7 edge exynos version. Exynos version can be flashed to have dual audio, it's ip68 rating, big battery and pretty much a well rounder.
I used a lot of phone this year and in the past, to include the iPhone 7. I felt like the note 7 could have beat the s7 edge but **** happens.
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But it's touch whiz :cyclops:

evocalante said:
But it's touch whiz :cyclops:
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its tone down a lot, most of the useless features are gone, the good one they kept, like dual screen and Always on display. I missed AOD a lot when I switch to HTC 10, use that for a couple month, then go to Iphone 7 and now back to S7 edge again.

Samsung Will Release the S8 and The Note 8 at the same time...?

Yesterday, I posted a message in this board about a theory i had...
https://forum.xda-developers.com/no...rry-note-8-t3490413/post70701827#post70701827
Top of the Page...
Now, here's some news for the Note fans...
Today a Video was released of two cases prepared for the two upcoming Samsung Phone Models which will be released soon..
and Guess what?
The bigger case has an "S-Pen" Opening...
Video: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzbccI2ykLA"
Just sayin!
PS: Here's the theory I posted yesterday:
Theory based on Internet Rumors:
Rumors:
- Samsung is working on a S-Pen for the S Series... (you guys remember this one right?)
- There will be 2 S8. One normal screen, QHD, and another 4k.
- S8 won't be revealed next month. (not a rumor anymore).
Theory:
Around April or May, Samsung will reveal both the S8 and the Note 8 at the same time. The rumor about the S8 Edge with an S pen is in fact the Note 8 itself. There won't be any "bigger version of the S series anymore like the edge. It will be flagship and the Note. Which makes sense when you think of it since Samsung will abandon the flat screen, they don't need to separate the "Edge" series anymore. Why not just have one single event, less confusion, and have 1 S phone and 1 Note.
So this year we will get a Note way sooner. Around May or June, same time as the S8. That's why they postponed the S8 presentation.

Correction, both cases have an "s-pen opening". The s seris don't come with s-pens, it is just not the s series. So why would those be s-pen openings?
This is not a new rumour by the way, it has been speculated it is that but many then thought it is not.
I DO wish your theory was true and I will be over the moon if it is, but I don't think so. I think we will have a Note8 in December.

It could be true if Samsung would launch a phone with foldable screen this year.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I don't understand why they just don't tell us their plans. At least a hint. The least they could do knowing many of us are waiting to upgrade. Honestly I don't think my phone will last long enough if they don't step up the pace with the Note8. And I don't think s8 will be worth the price compared to Huawei P10. If it is not a note, it may as well not be Samsung.

If they do somehow release them together then that for me is a no Brainer on the one I'd choose ?
AmyF, Sent from my Note 5

There is no way Samsung would ever make things that easy or put themselves on the line for possible new unresolved bugs so soon. If you want a note eight you better have fixed your own note seven yourself like the boss you are and get ready to sit tight for August / September release of the note 8 if not later. Unless you want to jump ship or use inferior hardware.

Galaxy S8 Plus will be my next badboy device...

galaxys said:
Galaxy S8 Plus will be my next badboy device...
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I wouldn't consider anything smaller than my Note 5 5.7" the s7edge is good (I have that thru tmobile and will jump it to the next phone) but the screens too small and I'm not thrilled about the angle of the curved screen
AmyF, Sent from my Note 5

amyf27 said:
I wouldn't consider anything smaller than my Note 5 5.7" the s7edge is good (I have that thru tmobile and will jump it to the next phone) but the screens too small and I'm not thrilled about the angle of the curved screen
AmyF, Sent from my Note 5
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Yep, the S8 Plus 6.2 should work for me just fine! :good:

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus - appears to be the best Samsung phone yet

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus - appears to be the best Samsung phone yet
why?
read the S8/S8+ or Note8 reviews if you have any doubt. For example - screen lottery (bad colors).
Stunningly so many bad overall reviews!
Not only in my opinion, S6E+ makes better photos than Note8 (!!!)
That has to be one the greatest phones Samsung has ever made alongside the famous Note 4.
I thought about upgrading but.... why?

Annnnd... You're right.
My partner got the 8+, c and whilst it IS good, both my 6+ (thinner, beautiful screen) and my Note 4 (indestructible, removable battery, excellent pen, great screen) excite me more.
So much so, I just recently refurbished them. I'm going to keep them forever.

kolembo said:
Annnnd... You're right.
My partner got the 8+, c and whilst it IS good, both my 6+ (thinner, beautiful screen) and my Note 4 (indestructible, removable battery, excellent pen, great screen) excite me more.
So much so, I just recently refurbished them. I'm going to keep them forever.
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I tell that over and over to pps who have S6E+ that there is no reason to upgrade since a better phone has NOT been created by Samsung yet.
BTW Galaxy S9 will have 4 GB of RAM just like we do and 3000 mAh battery just like we do!
S9 with these parameteres? No thank you, one big LOL!
Man, buying S6E+ was the best choice ever! Still rocks!

Who is Getting the New S9 and Why?

Also, tell from which device you are upgrading or staying...?
Big news!
quote from http://bgr.com/2018/02/25/galaxy-s9-preorder-pricing-best-deals-t-mobile-vs-verizon/
"Best Buy’s preorders will open on Friday, March 2nd, and Best Buy has a big headline offer to try and entice customers. Best Buy customers save $100 when preordering on a Verizon, AT&T or Sprint plan, on top of saving up to $350 when trading in a qualified smartphone. That’s total savings of $450, although as we note below, Verizon and AT&T are charging significantly more than Samsung for the device, so assuming Best Buy is using Verizon and AT&T’s pricing, the savings compared to buying from Samsung are not as great as it might seem."
That's 390 for S9+ and 270 for S9
What!

Currently have S7 Edge and i'n thinking to get the S9+, but i'm very disappointed with the design.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

I'm coming from a Oneplus 3, i really like this phone(i've tryied s8) but i'm not sure because of modding barriers like locked bootloader and knox counter

Nah!!! Sticking with the best phone...One Plus 5t....

If it doesnt come with the OEM unlock issue the note 8 has (talking about exynos, i dont waste money on crapdragon versions) i will get one.
If it does then ill pass on it like i did not on the note 8.
sent from my Pixel 2 XL or Note FE

In all likelihood I'll be going to the S9+ from the Essential PH-1. The Essential was a terrible choice for me but I couldn't justify over $1000 for a pixel 2XL. I'll likely get the S9+ through my carrier. I've gotten quite used to stock Android over the years so a skinned version on the Galaxy will be different. We'll see....

I'll be getting the S9+ at the beginning of 2019, when the price starts to decrease a little. I'll be upgrading from my S7 Edge which just turned a year old few weeks ago.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge using XDA Labs

grumpycoder100 said:
I'll be getting the S9+ at the beginning of 2019, when the price starts to decrease a little. I'll be upgrading from my S7 Edge which just turned a year old few weeks ago.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge using XDA Labs
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Dont do it.
I got a S8+ last december and i regretted it. battery was the worst (3,5-4h sot max) and the software lag too annoying. samsung is good for the first 6 months, then they begin to age rapidly
everybody knows that so i had sell my s8+ for a lot less than i bought it for. got me a mate10pro, happy now.
if u want s9 so badly, try to look for second hand around 2 months after launch... i think thats the better choice if you still want to experience the high

0alfred0 said:
Dont do it.
I got a S8+ last december and i regretted it. battery was the worst (3,5-4h sot max) and the software lag too annoying. samsung is good for the first 6 months, then they begin to age rapidly
everybody knows that so i had sell my s8+ for a lot less than i bought it for. got me a mate10pro, happy now.
if u want s9 so badly, try to look for second hand around 2 months after launch... i think thats the better choice if you still want to experience the high
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I would have to agree on the first part, where Samsung's software does not age beautifully most of the time (my S7 edge thankfully is still running well and has maintained it's fluidity even after a year). Samsung still needs to learn to prioritise on optimisation IMHO. They focused wayy to much on the UI/UX till they forgot about the core system itself.
And yeah. I might also consider going for a second hand S9+ if the reviews don't go according to my expectations. I'll be waiting for MKBHD's (popular tech guy) review and will be watching it the moment it becomes available.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge using XDA Labs

grumpycoder100 said:
I would have to agree on the first part, where Samsung's software does not age beautifully most of the time (my S7 edge thankfully is still running well and has maintained it's fluidity even after a year). Samsung still needs to learn to prioritise on optimisation IMHO. They focused wayy to much on the UI/UX till they forgot about the core system itself.
And yeah. I might also consider going for a second hand S9+ if the reviews don't go according to my expectations. I'll be waiting for MKBHD's (popular tech guy) review and will be watching it the moment it becomes available.
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I will agree, upgrading from a s7e is useless, the only reason that can be is a little more processing power, but still it isn't enough, and s7e for me too is running smoothly although there had been issues with build quality, but i really don't think mate 10 is more in performance than s8, maybe in other areas like ui etc it could be. I will pass on s9 and wait until there is a phone with real upgrade not some marketing gimmicks.
Sent from my S7 Edge using XDA Labs

shah22 said:
I will agree, upgrading from a s7e is useless, the only reason that can be is a little more processing power, but still it isn't enough, and s7e for me too is running smoothly although there had been issues with build quality, but i really don't think mate 10 is more in performance than s8, maybe in other areas like ui etc it could be. I will pass on s9 and wait until there is a phone with real upgrade not some marketing gimmicks.
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True, the mate10pro has exceptional battery life as well as lag free UI though. Before s8 I had a huawei Nexus 6p, had great battery life too (got warranty replacement after 1.5 years with fresh battery) so the s8 kinda feld like a downgrade.
I think the CPU speed is highly overrated nowadays and does not make a real impact on everyday use. (Apples Chip ist supposedly 2x faster than 835 but does the iPhone feel 2x faster?
All in all I upgraded for the bezelless screens... Anything else my Nexus 6p was almost as good at.
Anyone else who has a 2016 flagship (s7e or mate 9 or iPhone 7) should not upgrade for another reason than the larger screens... Anything else in the new phones has only improved a little and does not justify the price in my opinion (unless having the latest tech is part of your lifestyle)

0alfred0 said:
True, the mate10pro has exceptional battery life as well as lag free UI though. Before s8 I had a huawei Nexus 6p, had great battery life too (got warranty replacement after 1.5 years with fresh battery) so the s8 kinda feld like a downgrade.
I think the CPU speed is highly overrated nowadays and does not make a real impact on everyday use. (Apples Chip ist supposedly 2x faster than 835 but does the iPhone feel 2x faster?
All in all I upgraded for the bezelless screens... Anything else my Nexus 6p was almost as good at.
Anyone else who has a 2016 flagship (s7e or mate 9 or iPhone 7) should not upgrade for another reason than the larger screens... Anything else in the new phones has only improved a little and does not justify the price in my opinion (unless having the latest tech is part of your lifestyle)
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Agreed , but iphone 8 and X is almost 2x faster in real life too, so yes cpu power does impact in real life, search for their app loading times and video editing times on web, the fastest android phones were note 8 and then s8, they were lagging almost 1.5x.
And yes mate 10 got excellent battery life too thanks to its 4000 mah battery, i think every phone should have atleast 4000 mah battery these days,
Sent from my S7 Edge using XDA Labs

shah22 said:
Agreed , but iphone 8 and X is almost 2x faster in real life too, so yes cpu power does impact in real life, search for their app loading times and video editing times on web, the fastest android phones were note 8 and then s8, they were lagging almost 1.5x.
And yes mate 10 got excellent battery life too thanks to its 4000 mah battery, i think every phone should have atleast 4000 mah battery these days,
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Well I don't know anyone who is editing video on his phone... That's what I mean with everyday a friend friend of mine has iPhone 8 and it doesn't feel significantly faster in my opinion, it's more about ram keeping apps for running (so you don't actually need to look for launch speed) and internet speed
Yes I think the biggest Upgrade in the future needs to be bigger batteries in order to keep up with the screens and all the other new stuff

0alfred0 said:
Well I don't know anyone who is editing video on his phone... That's what I mean with everyday a friend friend of mine has iPhone 8 and it doesn't feel significantly faster in my opinion, it's more about ram keeping apps for running (so you don't actually need to look for launch speed) and internet speed
Yes I think the biggest Upgrade in the future needs to be bigger batteries in order to keep up with the screens and all the other new stuff
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You know I have the s7 edge since release, it is still a beast. Can handle any game on the play store, lags here and there. But dont thing upgrading is worth it imo. Maybe when foldable phones come lol

Which custom rom & kernel developers will be getting the S9/S9+ ?
If not, will they be getting the Note 9 instead ?

I think i would be upgrading because this sounds like a perfect replacement for iphone-7. As for performance , I think it depends individual to individual on his config and usage patterns. There are 3 galaxy phones in my house including an aging s6 edge and all seem to be working fine.
Yes, its hard to match iphones in their speed and zero-lag but there are so many trade-offs that purchasing a iphone ahead of a s9 or a note-8 is not a worthy option.

I'm on Galaxy Note 4 and LineageOS 14.1. UHD video recording is not working and I need it. Better low light performance too on S9+. I don't like the curved glass though. I'd also much rather take a removable battery over any kind of IP rating but gotta move along with the times, I guess. I don't undertsand the all-glass exterior idea at all - it's slippery and a protective case is a must, adding to the cost.

Definitely getting an S9 as long as there's no down payment on Jump on Demand. On a v30 now, and the thing is just crap. It stutters - literally. As in the sound stutters and I have to reboot to fix it. It also has all kinds of lag on bluetooth stuff. 8 years on Android and never had anything this bad. Going back to Samsung and not looking at LG for a long time again.

I will stay on my S8 for now... S9 designed so bad... ?

Illrigger said:
Definitely getting an S9 as long as there's no down payment on Jump on Demand. On a v30 now, and the thing is just crap. It stutters - literally. As in the sound stutters and I have to reboot to fix it. It also has all kinds of lag on bluetooth stuff. 8 years on Android and never had anything this bad. Going back to Samsung and not looking at LG for a long time again.
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I wouldn't buy a US or Canadian version, the bootloader's will be locked again...total waste of money.
Go exynos for sure, the OEM unlock issue is a helluva alot better to have than have the device be totally locked down.
sent from my Pixel 2 XL or Note FE