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Hi all,
Every time I get a new phone, I like to write a guide giving my impressions and help anyone that may be interested in getting it as well.
Just to give you an overview, I've had android devices since September 2010.
Device history: Motorola Cliq>MyTouch 3G Slide>HTC G2> MyTouch 4G Slide
Now onto the Glide...
Build quality is solid, albeit cheap at times. It's very plasticky and light. All of my previous phones have felt much more dense in the hand. The shiny plastic bezel around the sides gets scratched up very easily, as does the top bezel over the screen. The top bezel wear is mostly from using the keyboard, as when you go to press the top keys, your fingernails may scrape the bezel. The back cover is nice, although I prefer soft touch finishes. My G2 felt the best in the hand. Back cover withstands knocks fairly well, and doesn't show scratches easily.
The charging port cover is a nice touch.
This is the biggest device I've owned thus far, and the bulk is becoming apparent. I wish Samsung worked a little harder on getting the form factor down in size a bit, because I feel as though it's not as optimal as it could be. When I pick up a phone, I want to feel that I'm holding nothing but the screen and keys I need. This phone feels a little wider and taller than necessary. Very blocky. If they tapered the edges more, this phone would be much easier to hold. There's a lot of space between the soft keys and screen and around the screen in general. This is about as big as I will go for form factor, because it's just starting to get a little unmanageable.
I wish Samsung made the screen a little bigger or added a trackpad, instead of making room to stick their logo on the front. The amount of space it takes up is deliberate and offsets the entire screen on the phone.
Screen: It's very bright and colorful. I appreciate the extra screen space over my old phones. This is about the limit for screen size for me. I don't think going any bigger would make the phone any better. I will however mention that the screen resolution is quite low for a screen this size. I didn't think I would notice it as much, but text does become hard to read when you try to zoom out on a webpage. 75% of the time, this is not a big deal but it's prominent enough that I mention it. There's a subtle hint of sharpness missing when it comes to the screen.
I hope that future phones will work more towards having edge to edge displays or displays without bezels (such as the Droid Razr M).
Keyboard: It will take some time to get used to, but it's a decent keyboard. Tactile feedback, although the keys are flat. Not the best keyboard I've used, but heaps better than my previous phone the 4G Slide. The keys are big enough that the flatness doesn't matter much. But it is hard to type on this phone without looking, if that's your thing. The G2 keyboard is hands down the best keyboard I've used on a device. I like the accent colors for different symbols and numbers
Battery: The stock battery that comes with this phone is very good. It holds a charge very well and can last you through the whole day with light to moderate use. I find myself charging my phone less than my previous phone, even though the screen size is bigger. Definite plus.
Speed: This is all relative now. Any phone you buy today will have more than enough power for your daily tasks and beyond. I have noticed that the Tegra 2 chipset is terrifically fast and tackles anything I throw at it effortlessly. I did not expect anything less. I would like to point out that, when under load, the phone does not feel as hot as my older phones did, even though the temps still go fairly high. While playing GTA Vice City over an hour the temperature peaks at around 50 degrees Celsius. I suspect the plastic helps with this, as when my G2 got that hot, the metal accents made it uncomfortable to hold.
What's interesting to note is this: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html
The Tegra 2 ranks all the way down at 640. But just the fact that it's on the list impresses me. I expect that phones will catch up to laptops in terms of computing power within the next 1-2 years. They are already matching laptop chips from 8 years ago.
Faults:
I sorely miss my physical trackpad. I used it on a daily basis, and it's a blaring omission on this device. I would always use my trackpad to wake the phone, as it's very easily accessible and the easiest button to locate on a device. It's also much easier to reach for, vs. the power button. The similar sized Relay 4G manages to incorporate a physical button (not trackpad) in the same size as the Glide. The trackpad was also a great way to edit text on screen without the keyboard open.
Speaking of the power button, I kinda wish it was placed up top. It's in an awkward position, very close to the top corner of the phone. If it's going to be that high up the side of the device, might as well put it on top because you index finger has a longer reach than your thumb (yes, I've thought about this extensively).
The charging port is poorly placed. It's almost impossible to use the keyboard if your phone is charging. There's no good way to wrap your hands around the phone when charging. Also puts unnecessary strain on the cable and port if you're talking on the phone while charging, as it's at the top of the phone. Having the headphone jack right next to it only compounds the problem. Although the keyboard is still ok to use when you have only headphones plugged in.
There is no notification light. Very big miss on Samsung's end with this one. Why they couldn't throw one in is beyond me.
I will update this review, the more I own the phone. If there's anything you'd like me to comment on or compare, please let me know. I'd be more than happy to add it.
Nice review, you showed pretty much the most important downsides of the phone. I would also add RDS radio, which to me is the most important omission. The led notification can be decently passed with NoLed app.
I got mine just a week ago, and I can say I enjoy it, it's surprisingly powerful. As my first smartphone, can't really compare, but overall, it met all my expectations, and for the money I paid (155$) it is a pleasure. In Europe one can't really find anything close as performance to this.
Great phone overall.
Indeed this is an S2 variant with QWERTY sans FM radio hardware and larger screen. I was thinking of getting an S3 Mini instead will probably go for a second Captivate Glide for my gym and car audio use.
God knows when we'll see an S3 QWERTY variant.
Long live hardware QWERTY keyboards!
incidentflux said:
Indeed this is an S2 variant with QWERTY sans FM radio hardware and larger screen. I was thinking of getting an S3 Mini instead will probably go for a second Captivate Glide for my gym and car audio use.
God knows when we'll see an S3 QWERTY variant.
Long live hardware QWERTY keyboards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt we'll ever see any more QWERTY devices. The last one was released in September 2012, and there hasn't been any word on a new phone coming out. And very few of the phones available are actual high end premium stuff. Not the mid range garbage you're used to seeing all the time.
They are getting quite rare and hard to come by.
incidentflux said:
Indeed this is an S2 variant with QWERTY sans FM radio hardware and larger screen. I was thinking of getting an S3 Mini instead will probably go for a second Captivate Glide for my gym and car audio use.
God knows when we'll see an S3 QWERTY variant.
Long live hardware QWERTY keyboards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S3 with a keyboard would be so sweet!
JB
dudejb said:
S3 with a keyboard would be so sweet!
JB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.christianpost.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s3-with-qwerty-keyboard-launching-on-t-mobile-this-month-81229/
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SGH-T699DABTMB-features
Speaking of the Relay 4G, I actually just picked one up.
I can safely say, the hardware is flawless. It actually covers EVERY one of the faults I listed with the Glide.
I don't want to trade in my Glide just yet though, considering dev support for the Glide is much further along (nearly perfect).
If anyone would like direct comparisons or side by side details, please let me know. Both of these phones are arguably the best Android QWERTYs currently on the market.
gtmaster303 said:
Speaking of the Relay 4G, I actually just picked one up.
I can safely say, the hardware is flawless. It actually covers EVERY one of the faults I listed with the Glide.
I don't want to trade in my Glide just yet though, considering dev support for the Glide is much further along (nearly perfect).
If anyone would like direct comparisons or side by side details, please let me know. Both of these phones are arguably the best Android QWERTYs currently on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed ... i need to get me a relay as well...
gtmaster303 said:
Speaking of the Relay 4G, I actually just picked one up.
I can safely say, the hardware is flawless. It actually covers EVERY one of the faults I listed with the Glide.
I don't want to trade in my Glide just yet though, considering dev support for the Glide is much further along (nearly perfect).
If anyone would like direct comparisons or side by side details, please let me know. Both of these phones are arguably the best Android QWERTYs currently on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi gtmaster! I found this forum (and you!) looking for a comparative between captivate glide and relay. I read your great review about the glide, and I'll be very interested if you could write some sort of summary telling what is better and what is worse in the relay.
Of course my biggest concern is how the keyboard performs (if not I wouln't be looking for a qwerty ), but for example, how the 5MP camera in the relay compare to the 8MP in the glide, regarding pictures and videos?
Thanks in advance mate!
ninguno2 said:
Hi gtmaster! I found this forum (and you!) looking for a comparative between captivate glide and relay. I read your great review about the glide, and I'll be very interested if you could write some sort of summary telling what is better and what is worse in the relay.
Of course my biggest concern is how the keyboard performs (if not I wouln't be looking for a qwerty ), but for example, how the 5MP camera in the relay compare to the 8MP in the glide, regarding pictures and videos?
Thanks in advance mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, been pretty caught up lately, but I haven't forgotten about you. I'll try and get some comparisons up tonight. 12 hours shifts really do take a toll on you
Sent from my Captivate Glide
I think this is a great review. I just wanted to add a few notes from my own perspective.
Keyboard: This is the worst keyboard I've ever owned. My previous devices have been blackberries up until getting a Stratosphere last year. It's soft, the targets are imprecise, and the tactical feedback is... squishy. Being 4-rows sucks, and aside from that it's marginally worse than the Strat in feel (strat is 5 row and, well... better.) Still, compared to BB, a joke. This keyboard actually drops to the level of being fatiguing to use. Where I would have no problem writing a novel on the BB, and a blog post on the Strat, I've actually started to use the virtual keyboard even for poking around in C source files on the terminal in VIM.
Hardware: Damn this tegra 2 is fast and silky. I have a side-by-side debian install and even building C++ projects I feel is only limited by the SD card speed. I can't see needing to upgrade this guy for a long time. Unless the Blaze has a much better keyboard (and has 1900mhz support, I travel the globe, dammit.)
Network: Has been pretty good. I'm travelling in Costa Rica right now, and I get HSPA+ almost everywhere. A few times I have had to re-register on the network (even a reboot wouldn't get me back) but I blame that on latin america cell service.
Wifi: Reception is about on par with other phones. Not as good as my Nexus7, nowhere near as good as my laptop, but if I'm reasonably close to the signal it does OK.
Battery: Bad. I got even got a giant 3800mah beast. Fortunately with thegreatergood's cm10.1, latest litekernel, inverted apps, and ondemand governor, I've gotten it to where it is serviceable. Being a former BB user, I still scratch my head when people think getting through almost an entire day with barely using your device before it dies means it's good. I can get about 2-3 hours of screen time now before things start to get low, and it can idle for days. I'd like more, but soldering the stock battery in parallel to this monster I have in here doesn't seem like an awesome idea.
Overall I'm extremely pleased with this device. It's so fluid and smooth - all of that "Android lag/stutter" I've come to expect over the years (developing on android and such, just never using one as my personal device) is all gone. It's not as "smooth" as my wife's jesusPhone4s, but god the UI on her phone seems so primitive and ugly compared to mine.
I feel like this is the first phone (thanks to thegreatergood, dman and CM10 team) that I'm really happy with since my torch, but I use it more than the torch because that was basically only good for talk/text/email. This phone is inferior at the text/email part, but better at everything else. And I can run a full blown Django dev server on it so I can code on the road .
Review Relay 4G
ninguno2 said:
Hi gtmaster! I found this forum (and you!) looking for a comparative between captivate glide and relay. I read your great review about the glide, and I'll be very interested if you could write some sort of summary telling what is better and what is worse in the relay.
Of course my biggest concern is how the keyboard performs (if not I wouln't be looking for a qwerty ), but for example, how the 5MP camera in the relay compare to the 8MP in the glide, regarding pictures and videos?
Thanks in advance mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So in response to your query (better late than never)...
The Relay 4G is much better than the Captivate Glide in a lot of key areas. I feel as though Samsung deliberately took the Glide back to the drawing board and corrected most, if not all of the flaws the phone had.
For starters, it's a much better device to hold. The back of the Captivate Glide is very slippery, despite being raised and textured plastic. I don't know why but I'm always scared of dropping it. The Relay 4G has a soft touch finish on the back which nicer to hold and easier to grip. Even though the Relay is marginally bigger than the Glide, the tapered and rounded edges make it fit in the hand naturally. The hand is not made to accommodate flat and angular objects well. This is especially apparent when you hold up an iPhone 4/4S/5. Sure, it's a high end device and feels like a luxury item, but it never felt ergonomic.
The phone has a notification light (Hurrah!). It also has a physical home button. It's well placed and easily accessible, making the phone to turn on a breeze.
The keyboard. Ok, this is where things get interesting.... It's not a bad keyboard by any means. I've used quite a few keyboards over the past few years and this one is somewhere in the middle. On the one hand, the keys are very responsive and properly spaced out (horizontally). But on the other hand, the whole orientation of the keyboard is shifted to the left for some reason. It doesn't feel centered or natural. You can grow accustomed to anything over time, and this by no means a deal breaker but it is a quirk to be mentioned. Also, I noticed that the keys themselves are very thin. Although the typing and feedback is precise, there's not much room between the keys vertically. I feel like Samsung focused hard on trying to cram a number row into a dedicated keyboard space and slightly ruined it.
The camera is decent. It's by no means the best camera you will ever use, and it will get the job done in a pinch. But don't ditch your old point and shoot for this camera. There's a lot of noise whenever you take pictures with a lot of detail. If you put in a little effort though, it will give you some great shots for a phone. I think when Samsung was designing this phone, the camera is where they cut corners and I'm glad they decided to do that here. I'd rather they cut corners here than with the keyboard, battery, or design.
The way I see it is, if you're buying a phone for its camera, you're buying it for the wrong reason. The cameras that manufacturers slap onto the back of phones these days are monumentally better than they used to be, but in the real world they still pale in comparison to a dedicated point and shoot. Sure you can probably get some amazing shots when you put them side by side. But with the phone, the angle, lighting, distance, location, status of your marriage, amount of mortgage you have left, what day of the week it is, and what kind of car you drive all have to be just right to get those amazing shots. Smartphones are closing the gap, but we're not there yet folks...
Overall the Relay feels solid in the hand, but at the end of the day it's still plastic. I don't care what you have to say about plastic or what kind of finish you put on it. The phone still feels cheaper (notice I didn't say cheap outright). It's solid I'll give you that, but you don't get the sense that you have a high end crafted device. Nor is this meant to be. Plastic and quality never go in the same sentence, no matter how hard you try. You cannot escape the fact that this phone is very generic bland looking, plasticky, and boring black. Personally I don't care so much for looks as I do for functionality, but ever since I've moved away from HTC devices and into Samsung devices, I noticed that the physical presentation of the phone isn't anything to write home about. Although I will say the styling is slightly better than the Captivate Glide. But that's like saying Rosie O'Donnell is slightly better looking than Whoopi Goldberg.
The Relay is, what the Captivate Glide should've been. After spending some time with the Relay, I realize that the Glide was more of an afterthought, rather than an actual phone designed for people who love a keyboard. So would I say you get one? ABSOLUTELY. But do I expect more from Samsung, or any manufacturer that's going to make the next android QWERTY? Yes.
Does any of that really matter? Not in the least. Because whoever makes the next QWERTY (assuming there is one), knows that it's a lukewarm market with no competitors and the sole buyers being the low-mid range market, texting teenagers, and us.
Thank you for your reviews.
I don't own a Relay, but reading the specs it looks like glide has better camera (as you said), more powerful processor (please correct me) and gorilla glass, which Relay doesn't have.
Relay apparently has no FM Radio, which is a lack in Glide (not the main, yet i would enjoy).
Glide has 4 soft keys on the front, instead of Relay's 3 (and i think this is a point for Glide, for esthetics and functionality).
Looking at the specs, i don't understand what makes Relay so far better than Glide.
sbiricuda said:
Thank you for your reviews.
I don't own a Relay, but reading the specs it looks like glide has better camera (as you said), more powerful processor (please correct me) and gorilla glass, which Relay doesn't have.
Relay apparently has no FM Radio, which is a lack in Glide (not the main, yet i would enjoy).
Glide has 4 soft keys on the front, instead of Relay's 3 (and i think this is a point for Glide, for esthetics and functionality).
Looking at the specs, i don't understand what makes Relay so far better than Glide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the glide is definitely slower. Gorilla glass is just a gimmick as far as I'm concerned. Sure it may be stronger, but it all depends on how you drop your phone. If it impacts a certain way, it will crack. Sometimes you get lucky and it won't. It has more to do with the design rather than the glass itself.
I would much rather have a physical home button, even if it means I lose a soft key. The ease of use is tremendous.
The relay is an all around better package than the glide. It's not amazingly better in any single way, but all the little changes add up to make a big difference.
Sent from my Captivate Glide
Battery on the Glide, and Relay AT&T
Hello,
Thanks for the great reviews.
I've got two questions, first is the Relay an AT&T phone? I was under the impression it was not.
Second, with regards to the battery on the Glide, for me I've found it rather disappointing, if I barely use the phone, I can get two days out of it. This is not ideal, I don't want a phone just to sit around, I want to talk, text, that's the main maybe some google play stuff, a hard day of use and I've got to charge the battery nightly. I'd love to know tips on battery improvement or a battery of the extended variety that will work with the glide?
Thanks.
tech927
1 full day's use with a battery is not considered to be dsiappointing in the Android world. It is rather considered fair.
tech927 said:
Hello,
Thanks for the great reviews.
I've got two questions, first is the Relay an AT&T phone? I was under the impression it was not.
Second, with regards to the battery on the Glide, for me I've found it rather disappointing, if I barely use the phone, I can get two days out of it. This is not ideal, I don't want a phone just to sit around, I want to talk, text, that's the main maybe some google play stuff, a hard day of use and I've got to charge the battery nightly. I'd love to know tips on battery improvement or a battery of the extended variety that will work with the glide?
Thanks.
tech927
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The relay is a tmobile phone, but it supports AT&Ts bands.
There are quite a few battery threads out there. Go search
Sent from my Galaxy S Relay
Sony Smart Watch 3 Review
TLDR? Quick version here.
First Impressions: A small plain little box, clear plastic and the rather plain looking watch. It’s all quite an non-fancy affair, simple and nondescript. The watch is just like the box, plain and simple looking. Actually I like it in the flesh more than in photos, the matte black strap with the silver clasp and the black face. Mind you in photos the metal silver one looks considerably more fancy. I’ve seen it said that you should be able to buy the silver strap and transfer the watch face into it. That is something I certainly fancy the idea of.
Specifications: OS Android Wear, Display Resolution 320 x 320, Colors 16 bit, Diagonal Size 1.6", Transflective TFT LCD, Dimensions 36mm x 10mm x 51mm, Weight Watch Module 38g, Sport armband 36g, Battery 420mAh, Processor 1.2 GHz, Quad-core ARM® Cortex™ A7, Water and Dust Resistance IP68, Memory 4GB eMMC with 512 MB RAM, Ports & Connectors Micro USB, Connectivity Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi ready, Sensors Ambient Light, Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyro, GPS, Vibration Motor, Microphone
Okay that’s a lot of spec’s. so what bits of it matter? Well it’s pretty similar to most Android Wear watches. The RAM, the CPU, the storage space, the screen size and resolution are pretty much all the some as every other one. So why did I buy this one? Well that’s easy but unless you know about screen technologies you won’t have picked up what makes the Sony Smartwatch 3 different.
Accessories: Well the 3 comes in an assortment of coloured strap options. It also can come in metal and personally I think the metal one one looks freekin’ awesome. Sony did once say they were going to make the metal band available……… yeah they still haven’t and at this point I don’t see it coming. You can buy the rubber straps, they do black, white, luminous yellow or bright pink. Yet those straps seem to go for over £30. Errr no. Ebay also seems largely bereft of things, other than screen protectors. They also curiously do a universal holder thing. You put the watch facing into a rather unattractive black plastic holder and that then attaches to standard fitting watch straps. If it was metal and not black plastic I’d be all over that but as it stands, na, it’s pretty ugly.
Fit/Comfort: Excellent on both accounts. Now for charging the snap shut strap band thingy may be a pain in that it doesn’t separate but for use on the arm? Great stuff. Set to the size I wanted, hand goes in, snap the thing closed and voilà. I’m normally not wild about plastic/rubber straps as I find it traps sweat and you can get a bit of skin irritation. Though its easily cleaned and because the strap comes away from the electronic bit you can stick it under a running tap.
Screen: Some Android wear watches use AMOLED which only consumes power as it lights up individual pixels. So a mostly black screen will use relatively little power, a mostly white and it’ll eat much more. Then there is a normal LCD display. They work by shining a light behind the screen then the screen blocks out colours to make a picture. The whole screen is powered up no matter if you show a mostly black face or mostly white. The key similarity with both technologies is that they need to consume power to light up in order to be visible.
The Sony watch uses a transflective screen. If you don’t know what that means I’ll explain. An AMOLED screen is emissive, each pixel emits its own light. A normal LCD is a transmisive screen, allowing light to pass through the screen and it has to be bright enough to be visible, which is why LCD screens are pretty rubbish in the sunshine. A transflective is different. Transflective screens have a backlight just like a normal LCD but it also is reflective. That means with the back light (the power hungry backlight) is off you can still see what’s on the screen by utilising the ambient light of where you are. This makes is possible to permanently have the time showing on the display! Something that is kinda handy for a watch. It also means that in the brightest sunshine you can still read the screen too, in fact the brighter the environment the more light there is for it to reflect, just like an e-ink screen would. A feature I for one think rather useful in a watch.
Simply put this screen is what makes it a viable device to use in real, normal life.
UI: The user interface is the standard Android Wear one. Everything is a sequence of up/down to get to new cards. Then scrolling left to progressively go into that cards details. So the weather one, first card tells you the weather right now. The next card to the right tells the weather for the next series of hours then the next one gives you the option to open the app on your phone. The cards you have available changes based on what Google Now cards Google thinks are appropriate. Oh and of course any notifications you have outstanding. Personally I’d like the weather card to be always available. So I have to not sweep it away and sometimes you just do it without thinking.
It is actually a bit complex when you start adding in all the different notifications and different apps that add cards, you can over load yourself. You can fill it up and make it practically as complex to use as your phone is. Add in your own app drawer and everything, Wear Mini Launcher is so freekin’ awesome!!! Sure it’s not for everyone but if you want complexity and having every imaginable option in the world available to you then it’s just fantastic. I personally love it and the interface to all my apps it provides. However in many ways it’s not what you want for a watch and I understand that. It’s not for everyone and as is shown by the Iphone popularity, mind numbingly locked down and limited is a boon to many.
In short the UI can be as complicated as you like, though it can still be fairly simple if you want it that way but it require you to remember what commands you have available to you so it may not be for everyone.
Features: Erm anything and everything just about. In terms of what’s common in a smart watch the things it doesn’t have is Qi charging and more oddly, no heart Rate monitor function. Now given I have things that can do that, I’m aware just how not super useful that functionality is, they don’t monitor you continuously because it would destroy the battery so it’s only read when you tell it to. Sony for some reason, in might I add its very sporty looking watch, did not include it. The trade-off it seems is that it has built in GPS rather than simply relying on the phone (which may be in a pocket or at home) so the watch can chart your outdoors run itself. Yeah I live in Edinburgh and don’t run so it’s not such a boon to me.
The other lacking item, no Qi means that you have an awkwardly placed micro USB slot to charge it underneath a rubber flap. This is so awkward to use, I immediately hit up old ebay and got a right angle adapter for the damn thing. Seriously Sony what the F were you thinking? I know it does have a better water proof rating, IP68, which has been said is thanks to the rubber flap but I don’t see how Qi would have made that worse?
The thing also has not just Bluetooth but Wi-Fi too so….. what that means is you can use the watch without a phone. Stream Google Music directly to your Bluetooth headphones while on your run outside that the built in GPS can track for you. You can leave your gigantic phone at home. Though where you’re getting Wi-fi that you wouldn’t be wanting your phone with you anyway, yeah I don’t know. A gym that bans phones maybe?
Frankly, far and away the best “feature” on the 3 is that transflective screen. Words can’t express how useful it is over the highly pretty but battery destroying AMOLED on the 360. Personally having used both, I don’t think I’d buy a non transflective screened watch. Well e-ink maybe.
Build Quality: Very good. I have mixed thoughts on the rubbery strap, that may be because Sony swore the Silvery metal one would be coming separately and it yet has to. Still it’s nice so ignore my bitter grumble. Its everything you would just expect from something Sony stamped on it.
Usability: Well its really up to you. If you want it nice and simple you can keep it pretty simple. If you don’t then you can add it full of everything and have it tell you whatever you like. It really was a joy to use, I vastly preferred it over my Moto 360 and its retarded circularish screen. While the almost round screen looks great and watch like but the fact is square is more functionally useful. It just is better to use. Seriously, everything is made squareish, try imaging what a round monitor, round TV or round book would be to use. Square make it so easy to just swipe in or out across the screen. Round is awkward and frustrating. I really cannot emphasis enough how nice to use the Smart Watch 3 is. It’s so pleasant and easy, straight forward and really what I would hope all Android Wear things to be.
Battery: When it’s behaving, 2 days and maybe into a third depending on how much you use the thing. That’s what it’s like on a good days however, since the last update it got, I think that turned on the Wi-Fi direct thing the battery sometimes seem to just tear through the battery. I mean in half a day its gone. I don’t know what causes this battery abuse and thus I don’t have any way to avoid the circumstances that cause the battery destruction. Its entirely unpredictable and thus when it happens the first you may know of it is when you go to use the thing and it’s just dead. Very frustrating, VERY VERY VERY, get it fixed Sony, Google whoever is to blame.
N.B. So of course just after writing there was an update, seemingly it has cured the random battery drain issue so it’s back to being great. Still I’m not giving it weeks to time to test and confirm it’s cured so that’s why I’m leaving this as is.
Connectivity: It has Bluetooth® 4.0, NFC, Micro USB and Wi-Fi. It doesn’t specify the WiFi so I have taken it to be 802.11G. NFC doesn’t seem to do much but assist in pairing super easily. Though I suppose that if Google Pay is less utterly useless than Google Wallet was then maybe one day you might be able to pay for things with it. I however, would certainly not hold my breath on that one. (Frowny face at Google.) Otherwise Bluetooth worked just perfectly and without the faintest whiff of an issue. Paired easy, stayed connected, always reconnected easily and range was great.
Value: The metal one is currently going for about £185ish which is roughly what the Rubberbanded ones started at. They however have since plummeted to about £110. I look at the Smart Watch 3, at the £60 odd fit bit and my god, the 3 is vastly, vastly, vastly better and more feature filled. If you want it to be just a pedometer it’ll do that and act as a watch should and tell you the time. That’s already double what the Flex can. The other reason why this is super good value is that transflective screen. There is no way you can quite grasp how important that screen is. It stays visible not just in the blazing sunshine but it can be always on with negligible power consumption. You can glance at your arm and see the time!!!! Trust me these sound so stupid and trivial and they are too. They are right up until you use an Android Wear watch that has a normal type of emissive display. Just trust me on this.
Conclusion: The Smart Watch 3 isn’t a faultless device. That wonky battery issue is the most glaring thing but it’s only a software issue as it didn’t do it before. At present it seems cured however. The lack of Qi, well with the right angled adapter I bought it’s not so bad anymore and the rubber cover flap thing, well I’ve just gotten used to it. The positives waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than make up for it. That screen. That tranflective screen is the star feature of the 3. Sure when you first see it, it won’t wow you. It does look a little washed out in comparison to the stunning OLED one of the 360. It looks so lacking in colour and mildly greyed out. Ahhh but then you walk outside. You can see the 3 perfectly, it is perfectly clear somewhat like those of e-ink screens. The 360 in comparison may as well be a mirror attached to your arm.
So what about indoors then? It not like Edinburgh is blessed with endless days of brilliant sunshine. So the watch, on your arm, you flick it ever so slightly and glance down. With the 3 you can read the display and see the time, all the time. In theory the 360 can light up with a wrist flick but it’s not a subtle wrist flick or you can have it always, dimly lit. That destroys the battery like you would not believe. The transflective one on the 3 is the screen type that ALL Android Wear watched ought to use. Google needs to mandate its use. Yes it really is that good over normal display types.
The rest, well that’s really a question of if you want an Android Wear watch. I’d say you do if you have bothered to read this. It’s not something you will ever need but it’s so convenient glancing at your wrist rather than pulling out your ginganto phone just to see the time or to see who it was that just texted you. The little vibration on the wrist I found super helpful in actually noticing notifications too. That and telling the time was worth it for me. You? Well only you can answer that but if you have read this far, you clearly want one and the Smart Watch 3 is no question, THE Android Wear watch to get.
N.B. i did have photos but it seems to be a total arse to add them to XDA, that is why there is none showing.
Nice review. I believe that the usb charge option is great as i can charge it in most places. Nowadays microusb is everywhere. QI charging cannot even use the phone equivalent version so I need to carry the mobile one which is kind of irritating.
Nice review. I am new to the SW3 and currently have an iphone 5s so I'm using with the new iOS Android Wear (I'm hoping to change my phone to a OP2 soon) The functionality on iOS is currently very limited so I'm definitely not getting the most out the device but that aside I'm enjoying the experience.
Do you really thing NFC will not be able to be use for Android pay? I really hope it will.
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
The phone feels really good in the hand. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the worry I have with the scratches.
I love my Note 7 so much! The build quality is exceptional and the display is truly stunning. its just so immersive.
Made a little quick look video about it
Alright, alright. I had to create an account after reading several critiques and complaints on this forum. I'm sure a lot of people that are considering buying the phone will be popping in and reading the very same complaints while considering their purchase. The purpose of this thread is to clear up said complaints, from my own personal experience.
First of all, I'd like to ensure you all who haven't bought the phone yet that you absolutely have to buy it and experience it for yourself before making any decision. After all, you usually have 14 days to return it. I say this because, while the phone is not "perfect" as many here on this forum have pointed out, it is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing phones I've ever laid eyes on, and feels incredibly comfortable in the hand. Pictures DO NOT do this phone justice, and the overflowing screen, combined with the size and weight of the phone, gives an overwhelming feeling of vibrancy when holding/viewing.
(Cost) The phone is expensive, yes, but there's a reason for that: it's a top tier smartphone. If you haven't gotten used to a hefty price tag yet, then you must not have been in the market for long. If you can't afford it, get a OnePlus 3, but I can guarantee you it wont be as fine an experience. Most cell phone companies offer financing, anyway. Meaning, you make a small monthly payment for the phone itself over the course of the 1-2 years you'll be using it anyway, and if you decide to, you simply cancel service and pay the phone off. Most companies will then give you an unlock code, and the phone is then yours to do what you please with it, or bring it to another service provider. Either way, every dime you pay while financing brings you closer to owning it, if you decide not to buy it outright. I personally will probably just pay mine off when the price tag gets down to about $400 dollars.
(Delicacy or Lack Thereof) As I stated in the introduction, the phone is thin, comfortable, feels great in the hand, but the overflowing screen gives it a very large & vibrant appearance even though it doesn't FEEL that large in the hand. Does this mean it feels delicate and fragile? Not at all. Now that's not to say you wouldn't WANT to drop it, but for the most part, it's easy to handle, has the perfect weight to it, and doesn't feel fragile by any means. This phone is NOT going to scratch/break in your pocket, unless you're mashing your legs into the sharp edges of tables or falling onto it, or for whatever reason like to keep sharp objects in the same pocket as your phone. It's NOT going to scratch by simply setting it down on a table, or having it slide in between the seats of your car.
This brings me down to a point I've emphasized before: If you're going to buy a $900 phone? DO... not... drop it! I mean, honestly, lets be real here guys: accidents DO happen. However, it's those of us who are incredibly careful, who are capable of owning phones like these. If you're someone who is very clumsy, careless, active, etc., perhaps NO phone of this design type is meant for you. That is not the fault of the manufacturers. There are many phone manufacturers who build phones designed for DURABILITY. My last Galaxy, which wasn't exactly designed for durability, lasted me 2 FULL YEARS however, and has never been dropped once, nor does it have a single scratch. This phone IS durable though- it's durable for a phone of THIS make, this design, and trust me... this is a stylish designer phone, it simply is not an ACTIVE phone. If you want to turn it INTO an ACTIVE phone? Buy a damn Otterbox Defender. When you're hiking/rock climbing/playing basketball, whatever- you're going to have an ACTIVE Note 7 phone. Then when you're doing some casual driving, sitting at a desk, sitting anywhere at home really, at dinner with friends, or pretty much doing anything that's non-active, pop it out of it's case. You'll then, once again, have the nicest phone that anyone's ever laid eyes on.
To summarize the above, be a responsible phone owner, and you'll be fine. If you can't handle the responsibility of owning such an expensive product that was designed to be durable while keeping a fantastic overall appearance, don't buy it. You can't fault manufacturers for your lack of care.
(Battery Life) I've owned this phone for a little while now, and I've charged it approximately one and a half times (by a half, I mean plugged it in at 40-50% before leaving the house) per day. I keep High Accuracy GPS on, I keep brightness at 85-95%, I keep a multicolor 'Always On' display up, I have the "screen off" time set to 3 minutes, I have HD quality wallpapers for home & lock screens, and I keep WiFi on. I have yet to use any of the battery saver modes or capabilities. During the first few days of owning this phone, I would install back to back programs, take 15+ pictures while playing around with the different camera & video settings, record videos of my screen, experiment with the S pen, experiment with different mobile games, set up setting after setting, security feature after security feature, experiment with high quality video, stream YouTube & Netflix movies, the list goes on and on and I'm sure anyone who's ever owned a new phone knows exactly what I'm talking about.
During these times, my battery would last approximately 9 hours before falling to 20% or below. That's EXTREME HEAVY use, with battery draining functions, brightness, and high resolution screens, and no power saving whatsoever giving me 9 hours of use without even falling into critical battery levels. When I get down to around 20%, I plug it in and it takes about 40-50 minutes to charge back to 100%. If my battery is at 30% or higher, I simply plug it in and it's charged in 30-40 minutes or less. I have ONCE allowed my phone to fall below 10%, and it took no longer than one hour to charge to 100%. So yes, the battery is EXTREMELY good, and it charges extremely fast.
(Fingerprints) This phone will have fingerprints on it within just a few minutes of use, however, they are hardly noticeable unless you're actually looking for them. Once it gets marked up really heavily, which only takes about two hours of use to happen, it becomes a little more noticeable at a glance, but still, you have to be UP CLOSE to the phone to even notice. Now, I have EXTREME OCD, so this should bother me a lot more, right? No, it doesn't. What I do is keep 2 microfiber towels- one on my desk(where I spend a lot of my time) and one in my car. Whenever I pick up my phone after an extended period of non-use, I simply wipe it with the dry towel(takes 15 seconds) and viola- it looks like it JUST came out of the box again... brand new. When going somewhere, I do a quick wipe of the phone before exiting my vehicle- and viola. Brand new looking phone sitting in my pocket wherever I'm going. The gorgeous material of this phone is a worthy sacrifice for some barely noticeable fingerprints that can easily be rectified. Oh, by the way. BECAUSE of the material the phone is made of, it is MUCH EASIER to clean with said microfiber towels than the older plastic models, such as the S4. That one took at lot more scrubbing and hitting specific areas, and would also get smudge marks from the fingerprints being "wiped in" by the cloth, that were almost impossible to get rid of.
(The "oh so" Awful Speaker) This is one of the biggest critiques the phone has received, by both people on this forum, and review videos/articles/websites all across the interwebz. And I? I just don't see it. The speaker, to me, is LOUD. Now, it's not booming, bass boosted music cube quality, however... it is loud enough to where I could easily hear it ringing(depending on the ringtone) from across the house in another room. It's also loud enough to where I could play a video, turn the volume to max, set it about 50 feet away, and still hear it vividly. Also, I love the quality of the sound. It doesn't sound cheap, or poor at all to me. Non-speaker voice sound is crystal clear through this during calls. Sometimes if you hold the phone a certain way, you can block off the speaker since it's on the bottom, muffling the sound. However, muscle memory allowed me to quickly get used to preventing this after the very first time it happened. I never have a problem with the speaker being on the bottom, outside of the fact that I slightly prefer the headphone jack being on the top.
(Performance) Mentions of slow loading, TouchWiz lag, etc on this thread, I have yet to experience once. TouchWiz also has a much better interface now, especially after downloading a free theme that I liked. TouchWiz does not lag at all for me. Nothing on this phone loads "slowly" for me. I did a screen-record video of myself navigating different apps, games, etc on my phone, and literally sh** was opening within milliseconds of each tap, minus games, which, depending on the size/type of game, would take just a few seconds. I see no "slowness" in this phone whatsoever. There's literally not even delays between navigating pages on Facebook, switching from Facebook to YouTube and then from YouTube to Gmail and then from Gmail to a video on my phone. If I were to do all these app switches and loads in order of what I just listed, it would take no more than the time it takes me to open the Edge screen and tap the different apps. Game-play on games such as Mage and Minions is fluid, without noticeable frame drops, and without lag.
(Fingerprint & Iris Scanners) Fingerprint scanner works perfectly if you actually use it right, i.e., gently place your *entire* fingertip over the button. The iris scanner is not perfect, but it works 95% of the time and is FAST... VERY FAST when it does work. If you're looking for a "more secure" method of locking your phone- that's what it's for. It is supposed to be much more secure than the fingerprint scanner, and it's very fast as long as you do it right. Like, I'm talking, sometimes I don't even have time to see the "eye circles" appear on the screen. It just unlocks in a millisecond, as I'm already holding the phone in the correct position upon swiping up. Now, if you wear glasses or contacts, just skip the iris scanner. It is not 100% necessity, by any means, and your phone can be secured with simply the fingerprint scanner or a complex password. Not the end of the world.
Now, I do not consider myself to be a "Samsung fanboy," nor a "Galaxy fanboy." I do not dislike Apple Products outside of the fact that I think they're just a tad highly priced in comparison to Samsung(I know, the difference is becoming very slight, but even still). My wife has the 6s Plus, and it's a great phone. I do not work for Samsung, I do not work for any cell phone company at all, I am not paid to write any of the above. This was simply my unbiased response/personal review of the Note 7, that I was inclined to write after seeing so many negative comments on this thread in addition to a lot of misinformation. I WANT others to get the same experience I'm getting with my Note 7, and frankly, not be discouraged by others. So there you go.
Ace Ryan said:
If you haven't gotten used to a hefty price tag yet, then you must not have been in the market for long. If you can't afford it, get a OnePlus 3, but I can guarantee you it wont be as fine an experience.
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i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
radioraheem2 said:
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
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Click to collapse
Eh, I'm not attempting to justify it so much as I am saying "it is what it is, and that there are affordable options for those who can't just buy the phone outright. For everyone else, and for those who do not care for the added specs, then there are a wide range of options out there. No doubt, the OnePlus 3 is a great phone for the price, and a good alternative for those who don't want to shell out the extra expenses. It is very much comparable in many ways, but as you said yourself, the Note 7 is better. I am, however, questioning the legitimacy of your statement that you own both phones after you stated your doubt as to people being able to tell the difference between 1080p and the display of the Note. Almost so much so, that I'd be willing to bet you're just a OnePlus3 owner. Maybe I just have good eyesight, but the HUGE difference between the phenomenal display of the Note 7 and the OnePlus 3 when put side to side was what made me go with the Note 7. Also, I can't speak for everyone, but I've owned this phone for a while now and have not experienced a single blip of lag. Then again, I don't use search functions for apps or settings due to the fact that I have a custom layout that has everything very easily accessible with a swipe and a click.
In terms of camera quality, yes, the OnePlus 3 barely falls behind. However, speed of focus, dark lighting, things like that, the Note 7 camera wins hands down.
Ace Ryan said:
I am, however, questioning the legitimacy of your statement that you own both phones after you stated your doubt as to people being able to tell the difference between 1080p and the display of the Note. Almost so much so, that I'd be willing to bet you're just a OnePlus3 owner.
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Click to collapse
Wow, Ryan, you're straight out calling me a liar on here when I typed a pretty reasonable response? How old are you, 14? anyway, i'd advice you stop making so many bad bets, cause you'd go broke.
radioraheem2 said:
Wow, Ryan, you're straight out calling me a liar on here when I typed a pretty reasonable response? How old are you, 14? anyway, i'd advice you stop making so many bad bets, cause you'd go broke.
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Click to collapse
I is that the p9 plus?
This phone is the best in 2016. Full of useful options and performance is awesome with a fantastic build quality
vodovodo said:
I is that the p9 plus?
This phone is the best in 2016. Full of useful options and performance is awesome with a fantastic build quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi voodoo, yes that is a p9 plus. I like it a lot too, though, the note 7's rounded corners feels so much more comfy in my hands than the square edges of p9 plus.
I love mine! Completely happy with it. I feel like I got one of the better built ones? No light leaks, call quality is amazing compared to my iPhone 6, Note 4 N910W8, LG G4 and S5. Battery life a astonishing! Was out for 14 hours yesterday and had the screen on auto brightness 80-90% most of the time and an hour of Pokemon Go (brought my power bank in case never got to use it) at the end of the day it was still at 62%! Lol! I dont know if thats normal but I'm happy.
Edit:
Just finish Antutu 3D and got a 133565 score which is not bad for me. maybe its because I came from a note 4 my expectations are way low lol.
Love
Sent from my Galaxy Note7 using XDA Labs
radioraheem2 said:
Hi voodoo, yes that is a p9 plus. I like it a lot too, though, the note 7's rounded corners feels so much more comfy in my hands than the square edges of p9 plus.
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Click to collapse
I own a p9 plus also at moment and I love it, nevertheless the Note 7 is interesting for me.
Can you comment more on the differences?
I tried many devices and as I live in an area with poor reception one of the best things is that the p9 has absolutely unparalleled reception quality - also compared to the S7 Edge ...
Gesendet von meinem VIE-L09 mit Tapatalk
OnkelAlbert said:
I own a p9 plus also at moment and I love it, nevertheless the Note 7 is interesting for me.
Can you comment more on the differences?
I tried many devices and as I live in an area with poor reception one of the best things is that the p9 has absolutely unparalleled reception quality - also compared to the S7 Edge ...
Gesendet von meinem VIE-L09 mit Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Hi,
The biggest difference is that the Note 7 feels a bit more comfortable in the hand, due to its rounded sides compared to the P9 plus' square-ish sides. The software is, obviously, quite different too if used as is. but i use nova launcher on both so they behave closer now.
otherwise, there isn't that big a difference. again, i really don't see a difference between 1080p and quad HD display (i really tried putting the phones side by side and looking at various photos and apps and videos), and the Note 7 camera -- while probably the best overall -- isn't that much better than other cameras out there. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). in fact, i love the P9's gimmick camera features like light trails and night shot, which create really stylish photos that the Note 7 cannot.
as for speed, the P9, like the OnePlus 3, is actually a bit smoother than the Note 7. the Note 7 isn't bad at all, it's just slightly laggy/buggy because of TouchWiz.
overall i would still say the Note 7 is the better phone, BUT i can't stress enough that the difference between the note 7 and a Chinese flagship isn't that big ... not enough to justify the extra $300 or $400 to the average consumer.
i'd recommend the Note 7 for the following types of people:
1: people who don't think US$400 is a lot of money
2: people who really need features like waterproofing and stylus (say, if you are a lifeguard, or if you need to anecdote documents regularly, etc)
3: tech geeks who like to collect gadgets and own the latest/most buzzworthy thing (i am one of these).
4: loyal samsung fans who just want to stick with the company's products
that's about it. otherwise, to the average person -- someone who just buys a phone and uses one phone only for a year or two -- it's very, very hard to justify paying US$850 for the note 7 when the OnePlus 3 costs US$400 or the Huawei P9 Plus costs US$500.
Note 7 is underrated by these standards
radioraheem2 said:
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In performance, OnePlus seems amazing. However the reason I got the Note 7 as a expensive price was, Water Resistance/Proof for 1M 30 Minutes, Curved Screen and Design, Micro SD up to 256gb, Pen for drawing, Iris Scanner (For Wearing Gloves or wet fingerprint), 2K screen, (DPI doesn't matter but for VR, 2K+ definitively needed) Dual Camera and Powerful "Water-Proof" speaker. So far, I have used all these features and found them to be lacking in other phones. I did get Note 7 for Samsung Pay MST however Aussie support sucks so, just rooted and tripped knox.
The Screen is beautiful and curved that makes it appear bigger that it actually is without major size difference. The Water sealing without external ports is so easily to deal with and when i'm in the shower/bath the S-Pen actually helps. I kinda of just got this phone for the easy convenience features. Waterproof is a huge deal, specifically without external ports, it's a major design for people to get the phone. I hear sales people always advertising it and customers wanting it.
I don't own a OnePlus but I'm just saying despite this overpriced phone with it's security restrictions (Hate that) no other phone has all this. Not LG, not Nexus, not OnePlus, not Sony. I do like OnePlus open OEM policy, so no hate. Just hardware and general phone wise, Note 7 is worth twice the price.
BotoxGod said:
In performance, OnePlus seems amazing. However the reason I got the Note 7 as a expensive price was, Water Resistance/Proof for 1M 30 Minutes, Curved Screen and Design, Micro SD up to 256gb, Pen for drawing, Iris Scanner (For Wearing Gloves or wet fingerprint), 2K screen, (DPI doesn't matter but for VR, 2K+ definitively needed) Dual Camera and Powerful "Water-Proof" speaker. So far, I have used all these features and found them to be lacking in other phones. I did get Note 7 for Samsung Pay MST however Aussie support sucks so, just rooted and tripped knox.
The Screen is beautiful and curved that makes it appear bigger that it actually is without major size difference. The Water sealing without external ports is so easily to deal with and when i'm in the shower/bath the S-Pen actually helps. I kinda of just got this phone for the easy convenience features. Waterproof is a huge deal, specifically without external ports, it's a major design for people to get the phone. I hear sales people always advertising it and customers wanting it.
I don't own a OnePlus but I'm just saying despite this overpriced phone with it's security restrictions (Hate that) no other phone has all this. Not LG, not Nexus, not OnePlus, not Sony. I do like OnePlus open OEM policy, so no hate. Just hardware and general phone wise, Note 7 is worth twice the price.
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you make fair points. thanks for responding in a civil manner, unlike that dude AceRyan, who just accused me of being a liar.
vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you really did not see the mentioned flaws or defects when you bought the phone? I always check the things I buy before paying
As far as the phone, It's gorgeous. Minor things I don't like, but more or less, it's 5 stars.
vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@vodovodo- thanks for posting and making the video....was wondering, do you think the lack of build quality is because it is a non-US variant?
vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure that is not light leak but rather light refraction?
Alright, alright. I had to create an account after reading several critiques and complaints on this forum. I'm sure a lot of people that are considering buying the phone will be popping in and reading the very same complaints while considering their purchase. The purpose of this thread is to clear up said complaints, from my own personal experience.
First of all, I'd like to ensure you all who haven't bought the phone yet that you absolutely have to buy it and experience it for yourself before making any decision. After all, you usually have 14 days to return it. I say this because, while the phone is not "perfect" as many here on this forum have pointed out, it is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing phones I've ever laid eyes on, and feels incredibly comfortable in the hand. Pictures DO NOT do this phone justice, and the overflowing screen, combined with the size and weight of the phone, gives an overwhelming feeling of vibrancy when holding/viewing. The colors are phenomenal, the contrast is phenomenal, the screen just pops out at you and is bursting with seamless beauty.
(Cost) The phone is expensive, yes, but there's a reason for that: it's a top tier smartphone. If you haven't gotten used to a hefty price tag yet, then you must not have been in the market for long. If you can't afford it, get a OnePlus 3, but I can guarantee you it wont be as fine an experience. Most cell phone companies offer financing, too. Meaning, you make a small monthly payment for the phone itself over the course of the 1-2 years that you'll be using it anyway, and if you decide to, you simply cancel service and pay the phone off. Most companies will then give you an unlock code, and the phone is then yours to do what you please with it, or bring it to another service provider. Either way, every dime you pay while financing brings you closer to owning it, if you decide not to buy it outright. I personally will probably just pay mine off when the price tag gets down to about $400 dollars.
(Delicacy or Lack Thereof) As I stated in the introduction, the phone is thin, comfortable, feels great in the hand, but the overflowing screen gives it a very large & vibrant appearance even though it doesn't FEEL that large in the hand. Does this mean it feels delicate and fragile? Not at all. Now that's not to say you wouldn't WANT to drop it, but for the most part, it's easy to handle, has the perfect weight to it, and doesn't feel fragile by any means. This phone is NOT going to scratch/break in your pocket, unless you're mashing your legs into the sharp edges of tables or falling onto it, or for whatever reason like to keep sharp objects in the same pocket as your phone. It's NOT going to scratch by simply setting it down on a table, or having it slide in between the seats of your car.
This brings me down to a point I've emphasized before: If you're going to buy a $900 phone? DO... not... drop it! I mean, honestly, lets be real here guys: accidents DO happen. However, it's those of us who are incredibly careful, who are capable of owning phones like these. If you're someone who is very clumsy, careless, active, etc., perhaps NO phone of this design type is meant for you. That is not the fault of the manufacturers. There are many phone manufacturers who build phones designed for DURABILITY. My last Galaxy, which wasn't exactly designed for durability, lasted me 2 FULL YEARS however, and has never been dropped once, nor does it have a single scratch. This phone IS durable though- it's durable for a phone of THIS make, this design, and trust me... this is a stylish designer phone, it simply is not an ACTIVE phone. If you want to turn it INTO an ACTIVE phone? Buy a damn Otterbox Defender. When you're hiking/rock climbing/playing basketball, whatever- you're going to have an ACTIVE Note 7 phone. Then when you're doing some casual driving, sitting at a desk, sitting anywhere at home really, at dinner with friends, or pretty much doing anything that's non-active, pop it out of it's case. You'll then, once again, have the nicest phone that anyone's ever laid eyes on.
To summarize the above, be a responsible phone owner, and you'll be fine. If you can't handle the responsibility of owning such an expensive product that was designed to be durable while keeping a fantastic overall appearance, don't buy it. You can't fault manufacturers for your lack of care.
(Battery Life) I've owned this phone for a little while now, and I've charged it approximately one and a half times (by a half, I mean plugged it in at 40-50% before leaving the house) per day. I keep High Accuracy GPS on, I keep brightness at 85-95%, I keep a multicolor 'Always On' display up, I have the "screen off" time set to 3 minutes, I have HD quality wallpapers for home & lock screens, and I keep WiFi on. I have yet to use any of the battery saver modes or capabilities. During the first few days of owning this phone, I would install back to back programs, take 15+ pictures while playing around with the different camera & video settings, record videos of my screen, experiment with the S pen, experiment with different mobile games, set up setting after setting, security feature after security feature, experiment with high quality video, stream YouTube & Netflix movies, the list goes on and on and I'm sure anyone who's ever owned a new phone knows exactly what I'm talking about.
During these times, my battery would last approximately 9 hours before falling to 20% or below. That's EXTREME HEAVY use, with battery draining functions, brightness, and high resolution screens, and no power saving whatsoever giving me 9 hours of use without even falling into critical battery levels. When I get down to around 20%, I plug it in and it takes about 40-50 minutes to charge back to 100%. If my battery is at 30% or higher, I simply plug it in and it's charged in 30-40 minutes or less. I have ONCE allowed my phone to fall below 10%, and it took no longer than one hour to charge to 100%. So yes, the battery is EXTREMELY good, and it charges extremely fast.
(Fingerprints) This phone will have fingerprints on it within just a few minutes of use, however, they are hardly noticeable unless you're actually looking for them. Once it gets marked up really heavily, which only takes about two hours of use to happen, it becomes a little more noticeable at a glance, but still, you have to be UP CLOSE to the phone to even notice. Now, I have EXTREME OCD, so this should bother me a lot more, right? No, it doesn't. What I do is keep 2 microfiber towels- one on my desk(where I spend a lot of my time) and one in my car. Whenever I pick up my phone after an extended period of non-use, I simply wipe it with the dry towel(takes 15 seconds) and viola- it looks like it JUST came out of the box again... brand new. When going somewhere, I do a quick wipe of the phone before exiting my vehicle- and viola. Brand new looking phone sitting in my pocket wherever I'm going. The gorgeous material of this phone is a worthy sacrifice for some barely noticeable fingerprints that can easily be rectified. Oh, by the way. BECAUSE of the material the phone is made of, it is MUCH EASIER to clean with said microfiber towels than the older plastic models, such as the S4. That one took at lot more scrubbing and hitting specific areas, and would also get smudge marks from the fingerprints being "wiped in" by the cloth, that were almost impossible to get rid of.
(The "oh so" Awful Speaker) This is one of the biggest critiques the phone has received, by both people on this forum, and review videos/articles/websites all across the interwebz. And I? I just don't see it. The speaker, to me, is LOUD. Now, it's not booming, bass boosted music cube quality, however... it is loud enough to where I could easily hear it ringing(depending on the ringtone) from across the house in another room. It's also loud enough to where I could play a video, turn the volume to max, set it about 50 feet away, and still hear it vividly. Also, I love the quality of the sound. It doesn't sound cheap, or poor at all to me. Non-speaker voice sound is crystal clear through this during calls. Sometimes if you hold the phone a certain way, you can block off the speaker since it's on the bottom, muffling the sound. However, muscle memory allowed me to quickly get used to preventing this after the very first time it happened. I never have a problem with the speaker being on the bottom, outside of the fact that I slightly prefer the headphone jack being on the top.
(Performance) Mentions of slow loading, TouchWiz lag, etc on this forum, I have yet to experience once. TouchWiz also has a much better interface now, especially after downloading a free theme that I liked. TouchWiz does not lag at all for me. Nothing on this phone loads "slowly" for me. I did a screen-record video of myself navigating different apps, games, etc on my phone, and literally sh** was opening within milliseconds of each tap, minus games, which, depending on the size/type of game, would take just a few seconds. I see no "slowness" in this phone whatsoever. There's literally not even delays between navigating pages on Facebook, switching from Facebook to YouTube and then from YouTube to Gmail and then from Gmail to a video on my phone. If I were to do all these app switches and loads in order of what I just listed, it would take no more than the time it takes me to open the Edge screen and tap the different apps. Game-play on games such as Mage and Minions is fluid, without noticeable frame drops, and without lag.
(Fingerprint & Iris Scanners) Fingerprint scanner works perfectly if you actually use it right, i.e., gently place your *entire* fingertip over the button. The iris scanner is not perfect, but it works 95% of the time and is FAST... VERY FAST when it does work. If you're looking for a "more secure" method of locking your phone- that's what it's for. It is supposed to be much more secure than the fingerprint scanner, and it's very fast as long as you do it right. Like, I'm talking, sometimes I don't even have time to see the "eye circles" appear on the screen. It just unlocks in a millisecond, as I'm already holding the phone in the correct position upon swiping up. Now, if you wear glasses or contacts, just skip the iris scanner. It is not 100% necessity, by any means, and your phone can be secured with simply the fingerprint scanner or a complex password. Not the end of the world.
(Camera) I'm only very slightly disappointed with the outdoor light(ex: sitting in a carport with an overhead light at night). This causes somewhat of a grainy appearance in the camera. In every other light/dark scenario so far, unless zoomed in too far, these pictures are crystal clear. Near professional. Beautiful. The camera is fast & responsive. The interface is very easy to use and understand.
Now, I do not consider myself to be a "Samsung fanboy," nor a "Galaxy fanboy." I do not dislike Apple Products outside of the fact that I think they're just a tad highly priced in comparison to Samsung(I know, the difference is becoming very slight, but even still). My wife has the 6s Plus, and it's a great phone. I do not work for Samsung, I do not work for any cell phone company at all, I am not paid to write any of the above. This was simply my unbiased response/personal review of the Note 7, that I was inclined to write after seeing so many negative comments on this forum in addition to a lot of misinformation. I WANT others to get the same experience I'm getting with my Note 7, and frankly, not be discouraged by others. So there you go.
i can agree to just about everything that you said, except for my experience with the battery. i haven't had a chance to really test it in optimal conditions because i have little to no service while i'm at work underground in an elevator shaft but we will see. i hear mixed things about screen on time, etc. but most things are a factory reset away if there is any trouble. for the most part this is one of my favorite devices i have ever owned. if you love the note line or never have been in it, this phone (note 7) is the culmination of all of its beauty and brawn.
Ace Ryan said:
After all, you usually have 14 days to return it
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Anyway please remember that we are on an International forum and this possibility is not always offered in some countries, or impracticable or too expensive when buying online from some far east sellers.
IMHO it's still too early for a definitive evaluation of the expensive N7, so personally I preferred to cancel my pre-order and wait a couple of months after having seen many reports of daily usage from normal users like me, not only web magazine techie or pseudo-techie people (unfortunately sometime questionable if not clearly biased... )
themissionimpossible said:
Anyway please remember that we are on an International forum and this possibility is not always offered in some countries, or impracticable or too expensive when buying online from some far east sellers.
IMHO it's still too early for a definitive evaluation of the expensive N7, so personally I preferred to cancel my pre-order and wait a couple of months after having seen many reports of daily usage from normal users like me, not only web magazine techie or pseudo-techie people (unfortunately sometime questionable if not clearly biased... )
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Deciding to wait is not a bad idea- however- while you do not know me and vice versa, I promise you that all of what I said above is completely true and honest, with no bias whatsoever. The problem is, people who "review" things for a living need something to REVIEW. They NEED both good AND bad. That leads to nitpicking. I on the other-hand, don't have a reason to nitpick, as I am not a paid reviewer or anything like that. Not only that, but I rely on this phone heavily for work, and I use it almost constantly during down times at work to keep myself entertained & busy. That said, even though I do not have reason to nitpick, I DO have many reasons to NEED an amazing phone.
My phone, as of right now, is far from factory default. I already have about 7 videos, 35+ pictures, I've downloaded every program that I used on my previous Galaxy phone, IN ADDITION to other programs/apps/games.
This is part of why I wrote such an extensive review, because even though I haven't had the phone that long, I've been putting it through the ringer and it's still performing phenomenally. I've been glued to it since the day I got it almost non-stop. While using it heavily for work, I'm texting/calling CONSTANTLY, almost every 10-25 minutes throughout 10 - 14 hour shifts, in addition to taking credit card payments on this phone. That said, I've accumulated close to a thousand text messages or more already and a pretty massive call log.
Also, of course I'm aware that return policies differ, not only from place to place but from carrier to carrier, which is why I said "usually." I do not want anyone to mistake that statement for fact and cause them to buy a phone they cannot return, so I'll add some extra emphasis on that in my OP. Everyone, however, should always do their own research on their sellers return policies and general procedures. This should be common sense.
themissionimpossible said:
Anyway please remember that we are on an International forum and this possibility is not always offered in some countries, or impracticable or too expensive when buying online from some far east sellers.
IMHO it's still too early for a definitive evaluation of the expensive N7, so personally I preferred to cancel my pre-order and wait a couple of months after having seen many reports of daily usage from normal users like me, not only web magazine techie or pseudo-techie people (unfortunately sometime questionable if not clearly biased... )
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Hi. Respectfully if you believe what is written on forums regarding ANY device you would never make a purchase, not even a pair of shoes.
THE only review that counts should and must be your own.
I have been buying tech stuff since the early 70's and research every single thing I buy prior to purchase. I find this silly habit of mine part of the fun buying experience for me. I have read glowing reports on tech that I have returned the same day and read awful reports on tech that I have kept and used for years.
To cancel the Note 7 based on what you have read either positive or negative is unwise. Take forum posting. How many satisfied owners are going to seek out a forum and write praise? Now, how many are going to write to complain! Its called 'human nature'.
Its totally disproportionate to reality. Sitting on the fence is not the way to live. Buy, test then make your own judgement. You can always return it if not satisfied.
Best of luck, Ryland :good:
The battery takes a lot longer to charge for mine. Does it get hot when charging for anyone else?
Ryland Johnson said:
THE only review that counts should and must be your own.
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Respectfully, IMHO a very pointless suggestion..
I just don't want to buy something first and then regret to have bought it and wasted my money....
themissionimpossible said:
Respectfully, IMHO a very pointless suggestion..
I just don't want to buy something first and then regret to have bought it and wasted my money....
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How do you know that your wants and needs are the same as whoever's critique you're reading? For some reason this forum has an inordinately large number of OMG!'rs that freak out relatively easily. And most are freaking out at theory as they've never touched a Note7 better yet own one.
No phone is going to be perfect as there are always going to be OEM induced compromises. They are what they are. I came from a Note5 and the Note7 exceeds it in every way including all the categories listed by the OP. Some things are different but none that aren't made up for in other ways.
People should buy what makes them happy and do their homework first. That includes reading reviews and forums but filtering the results to what applies to their specific needs and usage. Some of the OCD posts in this forum make me laugh. No phone built or to be built will ever satisfy some folks here.
BarryH_GEG said:
How do you know that your wants and needs are the same as whoever's critique you're reading? For some reason this forum has an inordinately large number of OMG!'rs that freak out relatively easily. And most are freaking out at theory as they've never touched a Note7 better yet own one.
No phone is going to be perfect as there are always going to be OEM induced compromises. They are what they are. I came from a Note5 and the Note7 exceeds it in every way including all the categories listed by the OP. Some things are different but none that aren't made up for in other ways.
People should buy what makes them happy and do their homework first. That includes reading reviews and forums but filtering the results to what applies to their specific needs and usage. Some of the OCD posts in this forum make me laugh. No phone built or to be built will ever satisfy some folks here.
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At Last a voice of reason. Bravo! :good: :good: :good:
Ryland
---------- Post added at 04:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:44 PM ----------
themissionimpossible said:
Respectfully, IMHO a very pointless suggestion..
I just don't want to buy something first and then regret to have bought it and wasted my money....
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Hi, Thanks for the reply. I like certain fruit and what I enjoy you may not so I may say X fruit is bitter but you may like bitter...It truly is a question of perspective.
You simply can't base what you fear buying on other peoples comments be they positive nor negative. Its all so subjective as pointed out several times, mot of the naysayers here, and there are a few, don't even own the device! You are nervous to purchase in case you don't like it based on this forum. Please Youtube this mobile and read the professional reviews, people who have been testing these devices for years. They all appear to me to write and speak highly of the note 7. BTW that would not change how I felt about my ownership even if they spoke poorly of it as I think its a very good work device. NOT for everyone though, not supposed to be. It is for me with bells on.
I wish you well with what ever you purchase. :highfive:
Ryland
Finally I was abput to create a thread about how we discuss the greatness of the phone. Too many negative ppl complaining if you dont like it pick up said phone and take it back, this community is suppose to be positive supportive not bashing new products or what others enjoy regardless. Refreshing to see positivity I love this phone it's simply amazing and superb. Thank you to the others that are positive in this forum.
Sent from my SM-N930V using XDA Free mobile app
very true indeed matsuyamakaze
Phones, like cars and pretty much everything else, are a matter of personal choice. For me this is by far the best phone I have ever owned (last two were a SonyZ3 and a Z3+). I would agree that the speaker is pretty soft but only an issue if you want to use it to play music (get a BT speaker). There's nothing more that I want in a feature packed phone. Read the reviews and make your own choice.
the best fone of 2016 till 2019 ,thats y its note 7 and not note 6 , im so pissed off by all this criticism
Sent from my SM-N930F using Tapatalk
The only complaint I have is that they took out the features from the old s note app like link to action. Besides that I live this gorgeous piece of hardware. Oh another complaint I have to cover this beauty with a case. That's about it though. Even with the recalls. I still love it.
Sent from my SM-N930V using XDA-Developers mobile app
Do you feel there are any caveats to the curved screen? I'm considering a Note 7 because the curvature is a lot less noticeable than on the S7 Edge, which was criticized for distorting the image around the curve afaik. I currently have a Oneplus One that I'm quite happy with but would love something just a tiny bit physically smaller and with a fingerprint reader but don't feel the Oneplus 3 is much of an upgrade in other areas.
themissionimpossible said:
Respectfully, IMHO a very pointless suggestion..
I just don't want to buy something first and then regret to have bought it and wasted my money....
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With mutual respect. So what you suggest is we should all read your opinion and purchase one based on your opinion? Opinions are like ears, we all have them and to suggest we buy based on any report is unwise. Taste is a major factor not to mention what we need the device to perform. I need the S-pen so that leaves me zero options.
No one on earth can choose ones hi-fi set up for us, we all have different preferences in sound reproduction that's why we have such a massive choice and stores that will arrange a listening session before ones purchases. 'The best' is simply ones own opinion and personal taste. Same with mobile phones.
With such a purchase you have to see the item and test it yourself. Forum opinions and professional reports can, on times, be a rough guide but that is all they are. True professional in the field of electronics will state that.
Ryland :good:
---------- Post added at 04:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:00 PM ----------
kasakka said:
Do you feel there are any caveats to the curved screen? I'm considering a Note 7 because the curvature is a lot less noticeable than on the S7 Edge, which was criticized for distorting the image around the curve afaik. I currently have a Oneplus One that I'm quite happy with but would love something just a tiny bit physically smaller and with a fingerprint reader but don't feel the Oneplus 3 is much of an upgrade in other areas.
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First thing. Do you NEED the S-pen? If you don't then consider the S7. Great deals can be found on the S7 at present.
Second point. I have been buying the 'edge' editions since they where introduced and have yet to find a half decent screen saver of any type be it skin or armor glass type. Does this matter? Well yes it does as the Note 7 comes with a more drop resistant Gorilla glass BUT the trade off is it appears softer so 'may' scratch more easily than the S7 edge? I have my Note 7 in the Samsung LED flip case and I have left the factory screen saver on until I can find the courage to change it to the Samsung screen saver looking at me in its box!
YOU must decide what you want then what you need from your mobile and purchase accordingly. Its great fun looking and searching for ones next technology fix! :highfive:
Don't be pushed and don't rush. Enjoy the shopping experience.
Ryland
Ryland Johnson said:
First thing. Do you NEED the S-pen? If you don't then consider the S7. Great deals can be found on the S7 at present.
Second point. I have been buying the 'edge' editions since they where introduced and have yet to find a half decent screen saver of any type be it skin or armor glass type. Does this matter? Well yes it does as the Note 7 comes with a more drop resistant Gorilla glass BUT the trade off is it appears softer so 'may' scratch more easily than the S7 edge? I have my Note 7 in the Samsung LED flip case and I have left the factory screen saver on until I can find the courage to change it to the Samsung screen saver looking at me in its box!
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I don't necessarily need it but I would probably like it. The S7 is too small for me, I'm used to a 5.5" display so anything smaller just seems a bit too small now. I find myself doing a lot of reading on my phone now whereas before with a 5" display phone I used a tablet a lot more. I was wondering about the curved Note 7 display mainly if it causes any problems clicking icons that are on the edge of the screen or seeing them if they are right on the curved part.
Screen protectors or cases don't really matter to me as I generally use my phones without any. So far haven't broken or scratched a single display. If anybody makes a Oneplus One "sandstone black" type texture skin or case for a Note 7 I might reconsider as I love how grippy that is.
Ryland Johnson said:
No one on earth can choose ones hi-fi set up for us, we all have different preferences in sound reproduction that's why we have such a massive choice and stores that will arrange a listening session before ones purchases. 'The best' is simply ones own opinion and personal taste. Same with mobile phones.
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I see you probably live in a more favorable country...
I don't know a store here in Italy that let you install and test by yourself with their 3 or 4 demo top smartphones all your main apps and games, and let you play with those phones for a few hours... Usually those demo phones don't even have a valid SIM card inserted and/or Internet wifi access...
And of course I can't just go to USA or to some other country only for such tests.
Conversely, here in Italy a lot of hi-fi stores let you test many different audio or video setups with your own video or music material, so at least in my case your proper suggestion to do the same with smartphones unfortunately is actually not practicable as with hi-fi...
Hi,
I am confused between S7 Active and S7 with Exynos processor. Would really like to know what you guys think. These are some points that have kept me in this limbo:
1. Scratches and Scuffs: Plan to use this phone for atleast 2 years but I am afraid S7A will look really bad if I drop it multiple times as the outer material on S7A can be scuffed. I would rather put a good protective case on the regular S7 and change the case if it becomes unusable.
2. Batteries: One of the main reasons why S7A is popular is because of its huge battery (4000mAh compared to the S7's 3000mAh). However, I read in multiple blogs that S7 Exynos battery life is significantly better than the S7 with Snapdragon. Since S7A is only with Snapdragon, would like to know how it compares to S7 with Exynos.
3. Cost: I am able to find a new S7 with exynos for $550 on Amazon where as S7A is $800.
I am sure this question is relevant for those who are looking to buy an S7A. TIA.
1: It's a rugged phone in most respects, the IP68 rating ensures the dust and water-resistance (not water-proof as so many people get wrong) will keep it working in some environments where other devices might just cough up a dustball literally and die when dunked. There are cases for the Active which make it even bulkier but some aren't so bad - SUPCASE once again makes their Unicorn Beetle case and they're very useful overall. I'd get one for my GS7A but I like the camo green look to it and they aren't making a yellow/black Beetle case so that's that.
As for scuffs and scratches, it's bound to happen if you actually make use of the device in various environments but that will happen to any device - think of the Active as an S7 with a few extra features and a built-in case, if you will.
2) The 4000 mAh battery in the Active consistently gives me 2+ days of battery life since I've had it and that's about 2 weeks now. I typically get at least 2 days and some hours before it gets to the 2-3% point and that's with screen brightness about 40-45% most of the time (if I'm outdoors I just set it for Auto brightness so I don't have to fiddle with it as I'm moving from place to place). Screen on time has been averaging about 6.5-8 hours depending on usage for me.
I only use cellular service when I'm out and about moving around but if I'm within range of actual Wi-Fi service that works I have Tasker set to disconnect and switch over - at home I don't use cellular at all. For the record I barely use my cellular service to be honest, I never give out my carrier number and I use Google Voice for all phone calls and SMS usage. Only 2 people know my carrier number, my Wife and a family member in case of emergencies and that's it (well my carrier knows it of course but they don't have any reasons to call me).
I have zero complaints about the battery life, so that's my position on it, and of course it's a Snapdragon 820 which is damned fast. I have an LG G Flex 2 (Wife uses it) and it's a Snapdragon 810 and the best Antutu score I've had on it running pretty cold to start was about 92K - I tested the Active the other day and got just shy of 142K which is damned impressive to me. So considering the Snapdragon 810 is an 8-core device (big.LITTLE) and the Snapdragon 820 is a 4-core device (still big.LITTLE) Qualcomm made some rather outstanding architecture changes to have such a remarkably higher score with half the number of cores is stunning.
My usage is not typical, mind you, with me not using cellular 24/7; I only use it when actually needed aka not connected to Wi-Fi someplace. Other people will have vastly different experiences and battery life so again, I don't consider my usage typical in any respects. I made a thread here talking about the battery life I've been achieving:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-active/how-to/battery-life-simply-amazing-t3469942
3) Yes the Exynos can be found for less and the GS7A is obviously carrier locked to AT&T as the only seller but it can be unlocked for GSM carriers worldwide after purchase (especially if you buy it outright you can get the unlock code the same day from AT&T). The Exynos models are also the only ones that have root right now iirc, I might be wrong on that but I think I'm correct. And there are some custom ROMs out as well but I might be wrong on that one too - I don't do much poking around in the Galaxy S7 forum here since I know the Active will more than likely never get root or custom ROMs, it's just not a popular device overall.
Having said that if I had to choose for myself I'd still get the Active but that's just me. I prefer it over typical "consumer" models meaning the pretty shiny glossy slick slippery S7 models including the Exynos-based ones. I don't care about 8 freakin' cores - on the G Flex 2 my Wife is using I have it rooted and use EX Kernel Manager to enforce a quad core setup (2 big cores, 2 LITTLE cores) and she gets damned impressive battery life - not nearly what I can get with the Active but even so, it lasts much longer than having all 8 cores enabled.
Yes there's a price premium on the Active but I personally think it's worth it. Be aware that the GS7A does have Gorilla Glass 4 but the actual part you touch to use it is a polycarbonate layer on top of the GG4 that protects it and helps increase the shatter-resistance. Because that top layer is not Gorilla Glass 4 itself it is more prone to scratching but Samsung does offer replacements if necessary. My advice: if you do get the GS7A, get a nice screen protector of some kind for it whether you get something made from a plastic composite or whatever or tempered glass and it'll protect the polycarbonate later.
Basic gist for me: I don't care about the looks of the device, really. The G Flex 2 has a damaged glass surface to it, actual pieces of glass are missing in the lower left hand corner but the digitizer still works 100% and my Wife has zero issues using it. It has a few cracks in it too but the damage is almost entirely contained in the lower left hand corner and not directly over the IPS LCD panel itself so, just a crack or two that stretches from one corner to the other but you really have to be looking for it to notice it.
The Active is a damned fine device but if the price is too much for what it offers, grab the Exynos and he happy I guess.
The S7 Active was built for basically rugged and outdoor use, its battery is greatly increased from 3000mAh to 4000mAh. Reports have indicated it can last you 2 days of moderate-heavy use easily.
Samsung also claims it can survive drops of up to 5 Feet without the glass shattering or anything. The sides and corners are also thicker to safeguard from drops as most accidental drops hit the sides or the corners of the phone.
The back has also been changed to somewhat of a textured plastic obviously to aid in the phone's strengthened outer covering.
Buttons have been replaced by capacitive buttons and the fingerprint sensor/home button is retained.
Overall if you really want a rugged phone without a case, something that you can take anywhere and you know it can withstand the elements the S7 Active is for you. But mind you it comes with ALOT of pre-installed bloatware.
An alternative/cheaper option would just be to just get the S7 Exynos, purchase something like an Otterbox Defender and one of those IP68 Rated Powerbanks and you'd essentially have the "feel" of a rugged device. This option is if you want more customization options, as the Exynos variant of the S7 is the only unlockable variant. ( Root and Custom Roms/Kernels etc. )
Either way, they're both great devices and it all boils down to what would you use it for. Good Luck
Just noted I crossed another day of use - I really do love this phone so far.
The only thing I can complain about (if even that) is the Camera seems to take a lot of energy which is somewhat interesting. I spent some time outside taking photos (with Auto brightness on) and it was damned sunny here in Las Vegas yesterday so I was expecting the display to use more power but that wasn't the case: in the first hour of using the GS7A for photo snapping I noted that the Camera accounted for roughly 45% of the battery used during that 1st hour - the screen came in at like 15% even with full brightness outside. Kinda weird and I wonder if that's something a software upgrade might help with but even so, this camera does seem to hit the battery pretty hard when it's in use. The area by the Power/Sleep button gets quite warm when the Camera is in operation as well.
But I still love the battery life, absolutely.