Related
I am interested in upgrading from a 2012 to a 2014 edition.
Can some of you please comment on reviews that say there is "sluggish" performance with the 2014 (I would get a 600 wifi model).
Also - is there a performance difference between the 16GB and 32GB models.
I would use the expansion slot.
The only sluggish thing I've found with my wifi only 32g model is waking up. It takes a few seconds, maybe 2 or 3, to wake which is slower than my previous tablet. But once it wakes up, it's a great tablet. And if you use the S Pen feature, nothing comes close.
From what I understand, the sluggishness you've read about was from the version of Android the Note launched with, or perhaps a first update. I got mine after the first few updates and I've never experienced the stuttering the reviews talked about.
I've had mine for 7 or 8 months and I still love it!
I bought note 2014 around 8 months ago, i use it everyday, and it doesn't feel smooth but its powerful, its hard to explain for example:
My friends same year nexus feels smoother in menu ,but demanding games which lags in his device works good on mine, also note has really fancy long interface animations for example if you slide from one screen to another that sliding animation is long and it feels slow, but you can go to dev options (without rooting) and make it play twice faster.
Also if you don't plan to play with rooting and roms, don't forget Samsung forgets about their devices in 1year or two, device is now on android 4.2.2 i think , and it can be last official update.
all in all it doesnt feel perfect and maybe now where is better options for similar price i don't know but when i bought it friends said its slow and blah blah , and at the moment i can run every game i want and a lot off my friends with similar age devices sits where and enjoys their smooth screen unlocking animations.
edit:
pay attention that note WiFi is slower it has different cpu then lte version
I have owned the Nexus 7 (2013) since early 2014. It's quite nice overall although occasionally the touchscreen becomes unresponsive. It's running stock Marshmallow which is pretty nice. The only shortcoming for me is the 7" screen. I'd like a slightly larger screen but something less than 9". Either an 8 or 8.4 seems about right. I will buy a used tablet and the current 8" S2 models are still more than I want to spend so I'm thinking either a Tab S or a Tab Pro. Leaning towards the S because it's running Lollipop. Just wondering if any 8.4" Tab S owners came from the Nexus 7 and if so, are you happy you made the switch. FWIW, I mainly use it for reading books, web-surfing and a few apps e.g., NYTimes, Flixster, XDA, Facebook, YouTube. I don't play any games. Thanks.
I had a Nexus 7 2012, then a Nexus 7 2013 before coming to the Tab S 8.4. I have had my Tab S since February of last year, and loved it...until the day before yesterday when it bricked. But that is a different story...=(
The Tab S is a great tablet, and was a huge upgrade over either of the Nexus. My only complaints were 1.) the camera is far inferior to the N7 2103's, and 2.) the stock lollipop was so bloated I couldn't stand it. So I rooted it early on, and ran the stock firmware, debloated via Titanium, for well over a year. A couple months ago I switched to AOSP 6.0 because I needed to have adoptable storage. Like any tablet, it is sometimes laggy, etc. But overall the performance, for me, was top notch. I don't play games on my tablet, tho. It is mostly utilitarian for me, websites and spreadsheets, etc. for work, and watching movies and such at home.
I hope this helps.
-A.H.
amateurhack said:
I had a Nexus 7 2012, then a Nexus 7 2013 before coming to the Tab S 8.4. I have had my Tab S since February of last year, and loved it.
I hope this helps.
-A.H.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it does. Thanks.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Free mobile app
Op, I am curious if you have considered the Nvidia Shield K1 tablet? In USA, the new one is now priced at 200USD. According to a lot of reviews and benchmarks, the K1 has faster internal hardware than either Tab S1 or S2, although its screen colors may be less accurate than those of both Samsung tablets.
Akopps said:
Op, I am curious if you have considered the Nvidia Shield K1 tablet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not but I'll give it a look. My impression was it's aimed at the serious gamer which I am not. Thanks.
lmacmil said:
Yes it does. Thanks.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget to click that "Thanks" button, then. =)
amateurhack said:
Don't forget to click that "Thanks" button, then. =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done!
Btw, I found your comment "Like any tablet, it is sometimes laggy" very interesting. I have noticed this both on my Nook HD (whether it was running CM11 or CM13) and to a lesser extent, on my Nexus 7 (currently on Marshmallow.) I'm not sure why that is. Sometimes when the Nook first wakes up from sleep, it is sluggish for several minutes until it "warms up." Not sure if this is due to hardware or software or both. FWIW, I never notice that kind of behavior on my Moto X phone.
I had the Nexus 7 (2012 and 2013) and the Tab Pro 8.4 before I got the S 8.4. The AMOLED screen on the S 8.4 is the best feature, so skip the Pro 8.4. Since you're used to AOSP (Nexus 7 and Moto X) you'll probably hate Touchwiz, but that's easily remedied with custom AOSP ROMS on the S 8.4. I love the S 8.4 and I don't plan on upgrading for a while. I don't play games on my phones/tablets either.
Here's a comparison the S 8.4 vs Nexus 7 2013
HKSpeed said:
I had the Nexus 7 (2012 and 2013) and the Tab Pro 8.4 before I got the S 8.4. The AMOLED screen on the S 8.4 is the best feature, so skip the Pro 8.4. Since you're used to AOSP (Nexus 7 and Moto X) you'll probably hate Touchwiz, but that's easily remedied with custom AOSP ROMS on the S 8.4. I love the S 8.4 and I don't plan on upgrading for a while. I don't play games on my phones/tablets either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good info on the Tab Pro vs S. Had been looking at the Pro mainly because they are cheaper, being a little older. Since it will be mainly a reader, websurfer and YouTube video watcher, the older screen may not be a big issue for me. I just bought a Tab S 10.5 for my wife to replace her Nook HD+. I should have it on Saturday so I'll play with it some and see how Touchwiz is. You're right, I'm not a fan of the manufacturers' overlays in general. When it comes to Android, less is more, imo. I'm not averse to flashing a new ROM as long as it's pretty stable. I have only used CM on the Nooks.
lmacmil said:
Good info on the Tab Pro vs S. Had been looking at the Pro mainly because they are cheaper, being a little older. Since it will be mainly a reader, websurfer and YouTube video watcher, the older screen may not be a big issue for me. I just bought a Tab S 10.5 for my wife to replace her Nook HD+. I should have it on Saturday so I'll play with it some and see how Touchwiz is. You're right, I'm not a fan of the manufacturers' overlays in general. When it comes to Android, less is more, imo. I'm not averse to flashing a new ROM as long as it's pretty stable. I have only used CM on the Nooks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forgot the Tab S has 3 GB of RAM versus 2 on the Tab Pro.
Yes. I've made a spreadsheet comparing specs. The RAM and the screen appear to be the main differences, other than the Android versions.
Sent from my Nook HD running CM13 (Android 6.0.1)
Samsung is supposed to announce the availability of the Tab S3 some time soon which means that the prices on the Tab S2 (even brand new one), should start coming down any moment now. That's just my theory.
Akopps said:
Samsung is supposed to announce the availability of the Tab S3 some time soon which means that the prices on the Tab S2 (even brand new one), should start coming down any moment now. That's just my theory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in no hurry so I will just wait until the S3 is released. I would actually prefer the 8" to the 8.4" screen anyway so if S2 prices do come down, that would be good.
lmacmil said:
Done!
Btw, I found your comment "Like any tablet, it is sometimes laggy" very interesting. I have noticed this both on my Nook HD (whether it was running CM11 or CM13) and to a lesser extent, on my Nexus 7 (currently on Marshmallow.) I'm not sure why that is. Sometimes when the Nook first wakes up from sleep, it is sluggish for several minutes until it "warms up." Not sure if this is due to hardware or software or both. FWIW, I never notice that kind of behavior on my Moto X phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've always attributed that to background processes that sometimes wake up while you're using the device. Every "computer-type" device I've owned in the last 30+ years has had some level of lag at times. The only way to eliminate that would be to eliminate multitasking, and who wants that? I did find, after a year or so of heavy use that the lag was getting to be pretty bad, and I realized that I was always running critical on internal storage. I have the 32gb model, and I initially had a 32gb sd card, so I had plenty of storage, but the cache would almost instantaneously take up more than 1gb with all the apps I have installed. So that's why I switched to the AOSP 6.0 ROM, and I upgraded to a 128gb sd card, and adopted it all as internal storage. It hasn't eliminated the lag, but it hasn't been nearly as bad. If you look at some of my previous posts, you can see some of my history with that, if you like.
I'm also happy to say that my tab s miraculously uh-bricked itself today. Minutes ago, in fact. I am one super-happy camper at the moment.
Thanks for the thanks!
amateurhack said:
...and I upgraded to a 128gb sd card, and adopted it all as internal storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not heard of this. Is this an Android feature or a feature added to a custom ROM?
It's a feature of Android 6, but you will need a custom ROM to enable it as it is expected that the Samsung stock 6.0 ROM will have it disabled. Just search for "adoptable storage."
Howdy, folks.
I'm in the market for a tablet, and not familiar with the Samsung lineup, so I could use some guidance here.
First, I'm not sure I understand the difference between the A and S series. I assume it's a CPU issue, and I seem to recall a Tab A that I played around with didn't have an accelerometer and/or GPS, which are both critical for me.
Then we get to the firmware. I need to run Xposed and Xprivacy. Obviously that means I'll need to be able to root the machine. Would I be correct in assuming that I'm stuck with getting an S2, or is it possible to downgrade an S3 so I can benefit from the better hardware specs?
My choices seem to be an S2 at $480 or an S3 at $550 except that the S3 ships with a pen and LP, if I'm not mistaken, which knocks me out of the box in terms of running Xprivacy unless I can downgrade the OS.
Anyway, your input here would be helpful, and any pointers on unlocking / rooting would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
I think since late 2014, the Samsung tablets were split into just two lines, the Tab S, the high-end line, and the Tab A, the low cost line. In my humble opinion, the Tab A line is utter crap and it hasn't been updated effectively since 2015. If you want a cheap low end tablet, you might as well just buy one of those sub-100 dollar Amazon Fire tablets. Their specs are in the neighborhood of those Tab A tablets, but Fire tablets are much cheaper. Quite sadly, I think Samsung's high end line Tab S has also lost its way. I mean, I certainly love the idea of a high end Android tablet, but not at 500-600USD, specially when it comes with outdated flagship SoC, like the Snapdragon 820.
I love my Tab S 10.5, but if I am forced to replace it tomorrow, I'll probably get the Huawei Mediapad M3. Its hardware specs are high end enough to check nearly every box, and it costs under 300USD.
Excellent suggestion. I was wondering about alternatives to Samsung.
How would you compare the M3 to the S3? Can it be rooted? The new Samsung got excellent reviews for both construction and performance, and I confess the pen has appeal. I also wanted a 10"-ish screen, and the Huawei comes in at 8, so while the price is right, you give up a fair amount of screen.
I can pick up the S3 32 gig with a keyboard case for $550, which was more than I wanted to spend, but i can live with it since I'm not the type to buy a new device every year. Or even every two or three years, for that matter.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
I have purchased 5 Tab A devices, 3 T280 and 2 T555. Me the missus and little one have the T280, my mother and I have the T555. Both have an accelerometer and GPS. I don't know of a Samsung tablet that doesn't unless you meant gyroscope?
The Tab A T280 is stuck on Lollipop and the T550 runs Nougat.
I don't have issues with either for how I use them.
I also own the Tab S, but I use the Tab A T555 far more as it's light, comfortable to hold and runs just fine.
BillTheCat said:
Excellent suggestion. I was wondering about alternatives to Samsung.
How would you compare the M3 to the S3? Can it be rooted? The new Samsung got excellent reviews for both construction and performance, and I confess the pen has appeal. I also wanted a 10"-ish screen, and the Huawei comes in at 8, so while the price is right, you give up a fair amount of screen.
I can pick up the S3 32 gig with a keyboard case for $550, which was more than I wanted to spend, but i can live with it since I'm not the type to buy a new device every year. Or even every two or three years, for that matter.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first thing I do when looking for a new tab is xda support, if you can't get a custom rom for it, forget it!
M3 support is thin to non-existant, they are just getting it to root, and no TWRP ( I think) , other than that its the best hardware for the price. Tab s2 is good, Tab A fair, s3 just starting.
Xposed is now officially on NU, the main framework has been released, modules compatibility varies.
For that amount of cash, your in ultrabook / chromebook territory.
A tablet that does not fit in a pocket, and costs the same as a dell ultrabook with 256 gb hdd and an i5, is a bad choice maybe?
I use my t705 as a pocket device, with the aspect ratio it just fits, and the fact that's its also a very cool phone makes it a nobrainer.
Also remember the folding screens are just months away, once they are out most of the current tabs will be obselete real quick.
I want something larger format (~10") for use when doing demos for customers, casual browsing or web work away from my desk or when traveling for short spans. An 8" screen is not of interest.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
Hello folks, i still rock the galaxy s5 and wanted to buy this phone a year ago, but changed my mind.
Now I want to buy a new smartphone again, one with long battery life. However all the other properties of the Lenovo P2 seem to weak to me (especially the camera, it is atrocious). I just wanted to know, whether there is an alternative, A BETTER alternative to this phone? A more recent one? I just want to survive a day without charging even after 2-3 years of use (like with this phone). I am also ready to pay several hundreds, if not up to $1500 for a phone of that kind. Any suggestions?
xsyndicate58 said:
Hello folks, i still rock the galaxy s5 and wanted to buy this phone a year ago, but changed my mind.
Now I want to buy a new smartphone again, one with long battery life. However all the other properties of the Lenovo P2 seem to weak to me (especially the camera, it is atrocious). I just wanted to know, whether there is an alternative, A BETTER alternative to this phone? A more recent one? I just want to survive a day without charging even after 2-3 years of use (like with this phone). I am also ready to pay several hundreds, if not up to $1500 for a phone of that kind. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe check out the Samsung M30/A50 or even the upcoming A90 the specs seem promising but it's still too soon to say anything about developer support.
Good battery and camera doesn't add these days. At least It looks like this. If you really find device that meets these requirements let me know. I'm interested too.
Honor note 10, Mi max 3, Galaxy M30, Mate 20, or just wait for the Mi max 4.
So it looks like this might be my next phone but I have a few questions
1. Is it still worth it to have my samsung galaxy watch 4? I know there are a few features that you lose if you dont have a samsung device like ECG and body measurement features.
2. Is it going to be better to get the pro instead of waiting til next year to get the s21 ultra because I was thinking about that as well since the price might come down.
1. Yes keep it, you loose very little with this (if anything). You can enable blood pressure and ECG with this (currently running it on OnePlus 8Pro and it works without issues):
How to enable ECG and Blood Pressure features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Here's how you can enable ECG and blood pressure monitoring on your Galaxy Watch 4 in all regions, even with non-Samsung phones.
www.xda-developers.com
So just some fiddling around, but you only need to do this once and you're set to go.
2. No one can tell you what is better for you but I can share how I decided to return to Google.
The most important phone feature for me always been smoothness. Long time ago I switched from Nexus 5 to Samsung Note 4. It was supposed to be a step up with the newer processor, but Sammy let me down big time.
I was shook by how much smoother the Nexus was. I was chasing for a better performance for Note 4, so I tried rooting, custom roms etc., but without luck. Nexus 5 was simply much better in that regard.
What I learned about Google phones in the long run:
I was used to getting a poorer and poorer performance from Samsung as the phone aged. With Nexus and Pixels it was always the other way around. In my experience Google phones were not that great when they got released, but in months, with help of updates, they started flying.
I loved the community support around these devices. What most called 'a plain' version of Android, happened to be as rich in functionality as I would want them to be (with help of rooting and some neat apps). Also, Google phones had the reputation of being a compromise choice. E.g. with Pixel 2 people didn't like the screen. Meanwhile I absolutely adored it because I knew there were tools that allowed you to adjust display as you like. If not the community, I would've never learned about this though.
Reviews never called full justice over these devices for some reason. I was rarely finding a review that would justify my experiences with Google phones. It felt like the reviewers were playing around with them for a couple of weeks and then putting them back to the drawer. A Nexus/Pixel in early days without rooting for me seemed like a waste (things have changed now days, I don't see a reason for rooting anymore).
I split ways with Pixel after 2XL. Although it was a really amazing phone, Pixels 3 and 4 didn't seem attractive for me with the price.
I went to OnePlus with 7 PRO which was offering a clean enough OS, smooth performance and insane screen. Really amazing phone.
8 PRO is still ok, but it never felt like a step forwards from 7 PRO (except from camera). Software updates got very slow, i'm not even sure if 8 is supported anymore, lol. I have very little to no hope in regards to the unified OS they are bringing.
I have 0 complaints about Galaxy Tab S7, so I considered Samsung 21 Ultra. I liked it when I got a chance to use it in a store. But after the atrocious experiences with Note 4 and some short time spent with Galaxy 9, 10, I still don't see myself using a Samsung phone.
In Pixel 6 video comments I saw people raging on 21 Ultra for slowness, battery issues so it looks like not much has changed unfortunately.
When I heard about Google working on a chip for Pixel, that got me excited. As long as it's at least comparably as fast as SD 865, but is smooth, I will be more than happy to return to the vanilla Android. Can't lie, I missed it.
Summarizing, if you owned a Pixel before, you should know pretty well what's to expect and whether you liked it or not. If that would be your first Pixel device, just go for it. This year seems to be the best time ever to join #TeamPixel.
BabeShaq said:
1. Yes keep it, you loose very little with this (if anything). You can enable blood pressure and ECG with this (currently running it on OnePlus 8Pro and it works without issues):
How to enable ECG and Blood Pressure features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Here's how you can enable ECG and blood pressure monitoring on your Galaxy Watch 4 in all regions, even with non-Samsung phones.
www.xda-developers.com
So just some fiddling around, but you only need to do this once and you're set to go.
2. No one can tell you what is better for you but I can share how I decided to return to Google.
The most important phone feature for me always been smoothness. Long time ago I switched from Nexus 5 to Samsung Note 4. It was supposed to be a step up with the newer processor, but Sammy let me down big time.
I was shook by how much smoother the Nexus was. I was chasing for a better performance for Note 4, so I tried rooting, custom roms etc., but without luck. Nexus 5 was simply much better in that regard.
What I learned about Google phones in the long run:
I was used to getting a poorer and poorer performance from Samsung as the phone aged. With Nexus and Pixels it was always the other way around. In my experience Google phones were not that great when they got released, but in months, with help of updates, they started flying.
I loved the community support around these devices. What most called 'a plain' version of Android, happened to be as rich in functionality as I would want them to be (with help of rooting and some neat apps). Also, Google phones had the reputation of being a compromise choice. E.g. with Pixel 2 people didn't like the screen. Meanwhile I absolutely adored it because I knew there were tools that allowed you to adjust display as you like. If not the community, I would've never learned about this though.
Reviews never called full justice over these devices for some reason. I was rarely finding a review that would justify my experiences with Google phones. It felt like the reviewers were playing around with them for a couple of weeks and then putting them back to the drawer. A Nexus/Pixel in early days without rooting for me seemed like a waste (things have changed now days, I don't see a reason for rooting anymore).
I split ways with Pixel after 2XL. Although it was a really amazing phone, Pixels 3 and 4 didn't seem attractive for me with the price.
I went to OnePlus with 7 PRO which was offering a clean enough OS, smooth performance and insane screen. Really amazing phone.
8 PRO is still ok, but it never felt like a step forwards from 7 PRO (except from camera). Software updates got very slow, i'm not even sure if 8 is supported anymore, lol. I have very little to no hope in regards to the unified OS they are bringing.
I have 0 complaints about Galaxy Tab S7, so I considered Samsung 21 Ultra. I liked it when I got a chance to use it in a store. But after the atrocious experiences with Note 4 and some short time spent with Galaxy 9, 10, I still don't see myself using a Samsung phone.
In Pixel 6 video comments I saw people raging on 21 Ultra for slowness, battery issues so it looks like not much has changed unfortunately.
When I heard about Google working on a chip for Pixel, that got me excited. As long as it's at least comparably as fast as SD 865, but is smooth, I will be more than happy to return to the vanilla Android. Can't lie, I missed it.
Summarizing, if you owned a Pixel before, you should know pretty well what's to expect and whether you liked it or not. If that would be your first Pixel device, just go for it. This year seems to be the best time ever to join #TeamPixel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You make some really great points. If I can get those features paired with a 6 pro then I'll probably go for it. I don't normally use those features but it's just something about me if I don't get the full of experience of a device I paid $450 for. This does seem like the perfect time to move over to pixel. Battery life means a lot to me and with that 5000mah I'm pretty much sold on it. On top of that if this is anything like what apple is doing with their bionic chip then battery life should be really good.
I'm also not sure if I should do 128gb or 256gb
I plan on using my cool galaxy watch 4 with this badboy device! Cheers
I just pre-ordered mine. 128gb stormy black. Gonna put a dbrand skin on it
orlans21 said:
You make some really great points. If I can get those features paired with a 6 pro then I'll probably go for it. I don't normally use those features but it's just something about me if I don't get the full of experience of a device I paid $450 for. This does seem like the perfect time to move over to pixel. Battery life means a lot to me and with that 5000mah I'm pretty much sold on it. On top of that if this is anything like what apple is doing with their bionic chip then battery life should be really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a galaxy watch 4 with a pixel 4xl. I use the modified apps and they work great. It's not hard at all to get them installed. Simple ADB for the watch.
gettinwicked said:
I have a galaxy watch 4 with a pixel 4xl. I use the modified apps and they work great. It's not hard at all to get them installed. Simple ADB for the watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats good to know. I'll do that when i get it
orlans21 said:
So it looks like this might be my next phone but I have a few questions
1. Is it still worth it to have my samsung galaxy watch 4? I know there are a few features that you lose if you dont have a samsung device like ECG and body measurement features.
2. Is it going to be better to get the pro instead of waiting til next year to get the s21 ultra because I was thinking about that as well since the price might come down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
ailinmcc666 said:
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bought the phone but I dont have it yet. But that is interesting to hear. Maybe make a post about it in the GW4 forums
ailinmcc666 said:
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That maybe android 12 issue rather then phone
ailinmcc666 said:
I don't know if you've bought the phone yet, but you may want to hold off on that. I've been having problems - the watch (Galaxy Watch 4) and phone (6 Pro) both pair initially just fine. But if I restart my phone, the phone won't reconnect to the watch, and the galaxy wearable app seems to have forgotten the watch. The only way to reconnect them is to reset the watch completely. Considering returning the phone over it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same setup as you. I don't have this issue at all. Maybe occasionally after a reboot I'll have to go the app and hit connect, but it's quick to do so.
Overall, I think the experience is what I hoped for.
BabeShaq said:
1. Yes keep it, you loose very little with this (if anything). You can enable blood pressure and ECG with this (currently running it on OnePlus 8Pro and it works without issues):
How to enable ECG and Blood Pressure features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Here's how you can enable ECG and blood pressure monitoring on your Galaxy Watch 4 in all regions, even with non-Samsung phones.
www.xda-developers.com
So just some fiddling around, but you only need to do this once and you're set to go.
2. No one can tell you what is better for you but I can share how I decided to return to Google.
The most important phone feature for me always been smoothness. Long time ago I switched from Nexus 5 to Samsung Note 4. It was supposed to be a step up with the newer processor, but Sammy let me down big time.
I was shook by how much smoother the Nexus was. I was chasing for a better performance for Note 4, so I tried rooting, custom roms etc., but without luck. Nexus 5 was simply much better in that regard.
What I learned about Google phones in the long run:
I was used to getting a poorer and poorer performance from Samsung as the phone aged. With Nexus and Pixels it was always the other way around. In my experience Google phones were not that great when they got released, but in months, with help of updates, they started flying.
I loved the community support around these devices. What most called 'a plain' version of Android, happened to be as rich in functionality as I would want them to be (with help of rooting and some neat apps). Also, Google phones had the reputation of being a compromise choice. E.g. with Pixel 2 people didn't like the screen. Meanwhile I absolutely adored it because I knew there were tools that allowed you to adjust display as you like. If not the community, I would've never learned about this though.
Reviews never called full justice over these devices for some reason. I was rarely finding a review that would justify my experiences with Google phones. It felt like the reviewers were playing around with them for a couple of weeks and then putting them back to the drawer. A Nexus/Pixel in early days without rooting for me seemed like a waste (things have changed now days, I don't see a reason for rooting anymore).
I split ways with Pixel after 2XL. Although it was a really amazing phone, Pixels 3 and 4 didn't seem attractive for me with the price.
I went to OnePlus with 7 PRO which was offering a clean enough OS, smooth performance and insane screen. Really amazing phone.
8 PRO is still ok, but it never felt like a step forwards from 7 PRO (except from camera). Software updates got very slow, i'm not even sure if 8 is supported anymore, lol. I have very little to no hope in regards to the unified OS they are bringing.
I have 0 complaints about Galaxy Tab S7, so I considered Samsung 21 Ultra. I liked it when I got a chance to use it in a store. But after the atrocious experiences with Note 4 and some short time spent with Galaxy 9, 10, I still don't see myself using a Samsung phone.
In Pixel 6 video comments I saw people raging on 21 Ultra for slowness, battery issues so it looks like not much has changed unfortunately.
When I heard about Google working on a chip for Pixel, that got me excited. As long as it's at least comparably as fast as SD 865, but is smooth, I will be more than happy to return to the vanilla Android. Can't lie, I missed it.
Summarizing, if you owned a Pixel before, you should know pretty well what's to expect and whether you liked it or not. If that would be your first Pixel device, just go for it. This year seems to be the best time ever to join #TeamPixel.
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Thanks for the advice. It does seem like a good time to join the Pixel family. Only device I've seen previously is my partner, who has a Pixel 4a, which I've used a bit, and I found it to be a impressive device.
I'll stick with it for now, maybe do a factory reset without restoring from a backup, go in fresh, and maybe that will help with this problem.
orlans21 said:
You make some really great points. If I can get those features paired with a 6 pro then I'll probably go for it. I don't normally use those features but it's just something about me if I don't get the full of experience of a device I paid $450 for. This does seem like the perfect time to move over to pixel. Battery life means a lot to me and with that 5000mah I'm pretty much sold on it. On top of that if this is anything like what apple is doing with their bionic chip then battery life should be really good.
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Battery life has been strange for me on the device - sometimes it's unbelievably good, other times, it seems to drain quite fast. But I haven't really kept track of my usage on those days, so it could have been something I'm doing sometimes to drain it fast.
ailinmcc666 said:
Battery life has been strange for me on the device - sometimes it's unbelievably good, other times, it seems to drain quite fast. But I haven't really kept track of my usage on those days, so it could have been something I'm doing sometimes to drain it fast.
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It can drain fast if you have weak cell service and its also adaptive battery so it could be learning your usage
gettinwicked said:
I have a galaxy watch 4 with a pixel 4xl. I use the modified apps and they work great. It's not hard at all to get them installed. Simple ADB for the watch.
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Do u need a computer? If yes. Then Is not"simple". Lol
ajftl said:
Do u need a computer? If yes. Then Is not"simple". Lol
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It really is dude. You turn on adb debugging on the watch, connect to it via wifi, put in like 3 commands and done. Also, if you're in XDA, this is probably the most simple thing you do to devices.
Adb connect 'ip'
Adb -s install 'ip' watch4.xxx
Adb disconnect 'ip'
Done
I have no issue with pairing. Phone and watch work good together.