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[Q] Galaxy Note 2 Still Worth Buying?

In a sticky situation right now. My phone just died on Verizon and I need a new phone. Unfortunately I'm still under contract for another 9 months so I have to pay full price for a new phone or I can jump to Tmobile and have them pay my ETF but then I have to buy a phone from them. I don't want to spend more then $350 on something and I want to be able to unlock it and use it with AT&T at some point.
I can pick up the Note 2 as a refurb for $344 or I can get a Nexus 4 for $324. I guess what I'm wondering is whether or not the Note 2 is worth spending that much on?? Should I just ride out my contract for 9 months and get my old phone fixed (Razr Maxx HD $200 to fix)? Is there another phone I should consider?
Any thoughts appreciated.

Nexus 4 for $342?? I can't even sell my brand new Nexus 4 for $180 AUD.
I would not get a refurb Note II for $344, it's not worth it. You can get brand new for a bit more online.

kuromusha38 said:
Nexus 4 for $342?? I can't even sell my brand new Nexus 4 for $180 AUD.
I would not get a refurb Note II for $344, it's not worth it. You can get brand new for a bit more online.
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Click to collapse
If I pay $200 to get out of my contract with Verizon I can get anything. I'm looking at jumping to Tmobile since they'll cover the ETF cost. Only catch is I have to buy a phone from them. So whats a good Tmobile phone that will work on ATT under $350? I'm trying to do this as cheap as possible. Otherwise I would just cancel for $200 and get a nexus 5 for $400.

Hi there,
YES it is still worth buying the Note 2. I had both phones, Nexus 4 and Note 2 and the Nexus 4, compared to the Note 2, was garbage. Nexus 4s battery is small (mAh), display colors were washed out, the speaker was completely crap when listening to music, etc. That's just my experience.
Better get the Note 2

I moved on to the Galaxy S5 and maaaan, do I miss my Note 2. That's all I need to say LOL

Okay so price of the note 2 refurb'd w/tax and shipping is about $330. I know I can buy brand new on Amazon for roughly $60 more but I have to buy from Tmobile if I want my ETF covered and they only sell a refurb'd note 2.
I'll probably go this route then unless there are any other suggestions. Thanks!

Absolutely! Its still fast as hell, even on KitKat and Im sure will remain to be so for the near future.

Note 2 still kick ass and I love it. But I think u should get a newer phone.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Free mobile app

naeem86 said:
Note 2 still kick ass and I love it. But I think u should get a newer phone.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can find it around $350 , I would say yes

I bought note 2 over s4 and i am perfectly satisfied

mubeenshahid said:
I bought note 2 over s4 and i am perfectly satisfied
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Click to collapse
I'd take Note 2 over S4 (even S5) any time!

Allow me give you my opinion on this. I strongly believe the Note 2 is a remarkable device for the following reasons and I would still chose it over any other phones.
- It still has one of the best battery life of Samsung devices. I know... the Note 3 has 100mah more but that doesn't suffice, having a 1080p screen, more pixels means more drainage. Also, it has a more powerful octa-core processor (a nice pro) but again with great power comes even greater battery drainage, remember that.... lol The Knox app components which constantly guards the phone from illegal privileged access is also a resource hog (RAM) and hiders the phone even more (coming from 4.3 I have that experience). Take a look at the Huawei Ascend Mate 2, they are doing it correctly... keeping 720p resolution (which is dense enough imo) and a gigantic 4050mah, make it the longest running phone (not tablet) on the market at the time of this writing.
- The screen is 720p, as I discussed already has its benefits on battery, furthermore, it is the only flagship device by Samsung that isn't pentile. This means full RGB sub-pixel for every single pixel. It is a true-HD display. While its not as dense as other phones, it still can hold its ground very well. I am scared for the note 4, Samsung will make it a 2k display, instead of focusing on what really matters. 2k on screens below 7inches is a waste of technology. 10-12 inch tablet with 2k displays and larger batteries, now you are talking.
- It is made polycarbonate plastic, as with all Samsung phones, can be regarded as a pro. As CPUs get faster it generates more heat. Metals heat very quickly and can make you feel uncomfortable when holding while running CPU-intensive tasks. I think even though metals can dissipate heat well, if run too long it, exposes the internals to heat and wear the internals faster. But one definite pro of polycarbonate is improved reception, I assure you, along with other benefits, naturally scratch resistant, lighter, and more durable. When I look at a phone, I don't care for "premium feel", I care for quality of operation.
- Lastly, camera. Sadly, I must admit the Note 2 doesn't have the top optics, as it improves rapidly with technology. But after lots and lots of reading and comparing, I found that the Galaxy S4 has produces the best quality/sharpness/color IHMO, bar NONE (not even Lumia 1020 which captures more detail, but fails at color reproduction). The Note 2 does inherit the S4's color reproduction traits, so that's good. But the best all-rounder (ie. in low light, good light, night mode etc) I have to give it to Iphone 5s. Well done Apple, even if you do not belong here. lol
Video strangely doesn't fall into the same category as photo, as the S4 gives murky, blurry 1080p videos. For the best video I nominate the S5 at 4k, clear even when zoomed in at the slightest detail, thanks to 16MP camera. This is improvement from what used to be the best, Note 3, which is blurred when zoomed in. No, optical image stabilization sadly, but that comes later. Even so the Note 2, doesn't slouch and gives its best in both categories. It also produces the loudest audio, and all devices after the S4 has poor speaker sound quality.
So, there you have it, my long explanation of why I would still choose the Note 2 over S4, Note 3, or S5, even if it breaks now. Samsung really hit the nail on the head when it made the S3/Note 2 generation, and I hope they will again someday. Was the very best, make history, and set a good example for generations to follow.

Thanks everyone! Definitely helped make this decision much easier than I thought it would be. My note 2 arrives today and then I'll active it with T-mobile. I plan on unlocking it after the 40 day wait period is up with T-mobile and bringing it over to AT&T. From my research that shouldn't be an issue as T-mobile and AT&T share all the same bands outside of one that AT&T uses for 4G LTE. Curious to know if anyone has done this previously?
On another note (no pun intended :laugh, I've been looking into installing a custom ROM once I get it. I love cyanogenmod but curious if there are other recommendations I should consider? This may need to be in another thread so I can move it if needed.

I bought my Note 2 about 450$ in Samsung brand shop at April 2014, it worth because my work need 3G always on to check email or contact with boss (my country not have 4G LTE)

eknee1417 said:
On another note (no pun intended :laugh, I've been looking into installing a custom ROM once I get it. I love cyanogenmod but curious if there are other recommendations I should consider? This may need to be in another thread so I can move it if needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion, CyanogenMod isn't a good idea for this phone. It has some annoying bugs and you lose ALL the SPen features. I'd recommend you to install any TouchWiz based Rom.

Note 2 screen is outdated though.

onagric places
Yeah, original Note screen is better

I had a Note 2 and bought a Nexus 4 as backup when my Note 2 was being repaired. I was thinking that I might switch to Nexus as android is a big interest of mine and it would be wonderful to get all the new features quick.
It was a big relief to get my Note 2 back from the shop. The Nexus 4 doesn't last a whole day (with my usage pattern). The external speaker volume is to low. And its very slippery! (had to buy the LG bumper).
Recently upgraded to a Sony Z2 and it feels like a smaller upgrade than I expected, coming from the Note 2. Its was/is an awesome phone.

What Phone do I get Now??

Ok, let's say there is something to this New Note 7 problem.
What phone would you get?
Has to be Android...

HTC 10?
Maybe LG V20?
Pixel?
S7 egde?
I know.... Questions, questions, questions!!!

Has to be a flagship phone and have an S-pen type feature, so none of the current offerings. Have already reactivated my Nexus 6P and will wait a while to see what shakes out.

Wait for S8E... But it will be a pain because I still own a S4

If there is another recall. I hope they just replace it with s7e
Sent from my SM-N930F using XDA Free mobile app

I'll just stick with my Note4 and wait for the Note8, might go the route and flash a Note7 ROM

Since there's no other phone that I absolutely like right now, I will probably just revert back to my Note 4 and be contract free for some time, hoping something better comes along. I had the S7 Edge for a few weeks, and I found it was unresponsive and lagging at times, so there's really no alternative for me.

No idea. In my case in the US I switched carriers so my old device has already been sold and I would have to get something else immediately or terminate my contract with them. I would say Pixel XL if it was sold though AT&T.

i wish they sold the moto z force in the netherlands, no brainer!
perfect specs, almost stock android, shattershield glass (better than gorilla glass 5) waterproof etc etc.
https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-z-force-droid-edition

I'm giving my note 4 to my daughter.. So I need a new phone.
I'm choosing between
1. Google pixel
2. LG v20
3. Sony xz

Hopefully such thing is not happening as Note 7 satisfies almost all my criteria for a good phone... If it does and since none of the current offerings by other OEM able to fulfill what I want, I will just have to go back to my Note 1 (chose it because it has the biggest screen at that time + a stylus)...

koppee1 said:
I'm giving my note 4 to my daughter.. So I need a new phone.
I'm choosing between
1. Google pixel
2. LG v20
3. Sony xz
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Click to collapse
Give your daughter a new phone and keep the N4, it has no competition out there.
But at the original starter: there is no other high-end phone out there with a stylus, bar the Note series. If you want a stylus, you'll need to get a Note 4 or 5. The Note 4 is only available second hand and the Note 5 only via grey import. I've made a shortlist myself:
Note 4: only secondhand, SW support has been stopped after MM.
Note 5: no SD, 128 GB version expensive. No European version.
LG V20: not available until at least early 2017, no hardware buttons on the front, no OLED.
Google Pixel XL: way to expensive, no hardware buttons, the big chin is ridiculous
Nexus 6P: again no HW buttons. not a fan of the design (back look likes the white droid from Wall-E)
Axon7: new brand to me. What about support? Their market launch was scrappy.
Moto Z Force Droid: only available on 1 US carrier.
Huawei Mate 9: should be introduced shortly. Big screen, but no HW buttons. Presumably a LCD screen.
S7E: bloody edges... go away! I strongly dislike the glass allround design. It is slippery as hell and gives me back the nightmares I had with my S4 which handled like a wet bar of soap as well.
1+3: delivery times galore. But seems like the best bet for now, especially for the price.
iPhone 7+: Yes, I said it. I would almost consider an iPhone. Especially with the ridiculous price fro the Pixel XL with 128 GB. It should net a good resale price for the S8 Stylus to arrive.
If you want a flagship phone with a 6" flat screen, the choices are dire to non-excistent.

I feel yea, if I have to turn in the Note 7 (which is looking increasingly likely), there isn't really another phone that covers it all.
S7 Edge gives the curved edge, water resistance, camera, SD card, and next-in-class screen.
Note 5 gives me the Stylus.
Mean I'm probably looking at the S7 Edge. *sigh* I just don't like the look of it as much as the Note 7. it's TOO rounded, not just the glass, but the body as well.
Edit...The more I think about it, the more I lean towards the note 5. Camera isn't as good, but the screen is still solid, and I'm really liking the stylus now. SD card...well, most of my music is in the cloud, photos auto back up to the cloud, so end of day, I'm really just losing on water resistance and the AOD, and curved edge. (which I like, because...bezel less on the sides now!)

Guess I'm leaning toward the pixel XL.

I would get none. Not giving competition more reasons to gloat.

I just talked to Best Buy mobile 10 minutes ago. They told me I need to bring my replacement Note7 in immediately. "a Second recall is coming very soon" I can exchange it for any phone however since I was leasing the Note7 I only have leasing options for a Samsung S7E, LG or Iphone. Any other phone would need to be purchased outright. I asked about the Pixel XL and they told me that I would have to purchase the unlocked $829 phone outright from Google to bring to Sprint. so this Note7 issues goes from bad to worse for users.

notefreak said:
I would get none. Not giving competition more reasons to gloat.
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Click to collapse
You may not have a choice unless you want to use a Gimped phone.
If they do a 2nd recall and cripple the Battery.

notefreak said:
I would get none. Not giving competition more reasons to gloat.
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Click to collapse
Ohhh and Samsung has screwed the Pooch but good here.
I've had every Note and this is problem for me...

There is always a choice. Previous phone, no phone at all, 80% phone...

Same boat here. My note 3 was awesome, still works and runs like new ( on MM currently). Still plenty fast. The only dilemma is I gave it to my son already.
I've been using this s7 edge for a few weeks now waiting on the new batch of note 7's. It's very close performance and spec wise. I just refuse to pay full price for this phone though since it's NOT what I wanted. They had me return / refund my note 7 and buy this in its place. They then said I could return it regardless of how long it took to get a new note 7.... but I think that was just the manager of the store looking out for me. What if I keep this and he gets transferred during the wait, as it looks like this will take a while.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

Note 10+ or Samsung Fold

I am currently using Samsung Galaxy S10 plus. Should I go ahead and buy Note 10 + or wait for Samsung fold?

Depends. Do you want the Fold, or do you want the N10+?

I want to upgrade my phone. Only Samsung Note 10 + is available in market which is better than my phone. Samsung fold is a new tech so is it worth waiting for fold price drop or purchase note 10+?

I always advice others this:
The note series is REALLY satisfactory for those who like an apreciate the features the S Pen provides, if the S Pen is not the MOST important feature for you to have, simply get something else , as you put it, the the S10+ or the fold would be good for you

That's like asking "should I get SUV or should I get 2 seater sports car" LOL. Fold won't be available until around 9/27 and should cost around $1800. Note 10+ is available now for around $1100. I already made the decision (as probably a lot of other people here) to buy N10+, because Fold won't have s-pen, which I use all the time and it's a new tech which already showed to be troublesome in the past. I'll wait to see if all problems are fixed and if much larger screen is compelling reason enough. Also hope for price to come down a little. At home and work I have computers, which I prefer to use over the phone no matter screen size and on the go where I use the phone the most (like driving for map guidance/traffic) larger screen may actually be too cumbersome. I can always sell N10+ and buy fold in the future and couple hundred resulting loss shouldn't be major concern, when you're spending $1800 on the phone.
BTW I agree with Winol, if you don't use s-pen much, there are so many other good phones to choose from, it's mind boggling.

Jmakhdoom said:
I want to upgrade my phone. Only Samsung Note 10 + is available in market which is better than my phone. Samsung fold is a new tech so is it worth waiting for fold price drop or purchase note 10+?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is, you're asking us what you should buy, and none of know what features are important to you. Only you know if it's worth it to you.
It's an impossible question to answer anyway since none of us have a Galaxy Fold.
Do some research, watch some YouTube videos, and decide which one interests you the most.

I think you should actually look at the other foldable phones. Huawei's version is actually a lot better in my opinion. Of course I'm not yet considering all their troubles with the US Gov't. But when I compared the 2, I really felt Samsung dropped the ball there.
With regards to new tech, and given the problems the first fold encountered recently, I would actually warn people from buying the Samsung fold. I previously bought the Note 7 which was recalled 2x. And it was such a hassle. I had to set up my phone 2x only to have it recalled. I sold my old phone too so I ended up without a phone. I had to settle with an LG phone at the time and replaced it when the Note 8 came out.

I would not buy first-gen new tech. Foldable devices will be crap the first few go-arounds most likely. Would not want to be a first adopter. The Note line is 9 years old now definitely very mature while the first Fold literally folded so badly they nixed it and are trying again 6 months later. Go with the Note 10+ or a similar device that is not first gen tech.

for me, first generation tech is always a BIG NO.
The 15 year old is dying for the 2000$+ new tech, but i controlled the sucker and got the Note 10+ and satisfied since i have tab s6 for the heavy stuff. best of both words (phones and tablets) and cost less than the fold

winol said:
I always advice others this:
The note series is REALLY satisfactory for those who like an apreciate the features the S Pen provides, if the S Pen is not the MOST important feature for you to have, simply get something else , as you put it, the the S10+ or the fold would be good for you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not so fast my friend!
The S-Pen is a big factor to consider. But there are others that you should take into consideration....
The 12GB of RAM is a huge upgrade. If you think the S10+ is fast, the Note10+ is that much faster with 50% more RAM!!!
Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

skinnytoo2 said:
Not so fast my friend!
The S-Pen is a big factor to consider. But there are others that you should take into consideration....
The 12GB of RAM is a huge upgrade. If you think the S10+ is fast, the Note10+ is that much faster with 50% more RAM!!!
Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
My S10+ had the same 12 gb of ram as my Note 10 does
Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

AeroSatan said:
My S10+ had the same 12 gb of ram as my Note 10 does
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Most people don't though. That was only on the 1TB model, right?

Question Keep iPhone 12 pro max or F3?

I jumped to iPhones several years ago. However I could not pass up buying this phone. As I can only afford to keep one, what advice would you give me?

How do you like the fold 3?

I was using iPhones since first model been released. I had Fold 1 and that was awesome phone for me but had no IPX* and I have to sell it.
Now fold is certified with IPX8 and I just got it for over a week. Probably never go back to iPhone.

Personal opinion?
I have the 12 pro max (13 pro max getting delivered on friday) and a fold 3.
Having said that, I still reach for my iphone 12 pro max. There's fundamental reasons for that as I have mostly all apple devices (macbook pro, apple watch, apple tv, ipad pro, air tags, home pod, airpods pro, airpods max) and the synergy between the devices can't be beat on android. Samsung makes an attempt nowadays, but there's some problems in that department.
The Galaxy fold 3 is probably the best ereader I've ever had though on the large screen. But the main issues I have with the device are ones due to android - I can't fault Samsung for enforcing adoption of their screen resolution/user experience to all developers. It's not going to happen.
The front display, while decent, you can't get much work done. It's frustrating to use.
I guess YMMV - if I didn't buy it for a steal I would've returned it. But I'm happy with keeping it. Maybe the pixel fold will be more my speed. Who knows

Linux23 said:
How do you like the fold 3?
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Click to collapse
I see it as having pluses and minuses. Not certain the mibisrs outweigh the pluses.

imo if the fold doesn't immediately jump out at you as "the phone", especially after using it, i wouldn't go for it. its expensive and has its quirks. i got 1000 off by trading in my old phone, i don't think its worth it full price. i was going to wait for used ones but got lucky. personally i've wanted a folding phone since the first fold, and once they added the spen support and an under display camera, i was sold. i used a oneplus one for 5 years, then a oneplus 7 pro for 2, i'm hoping to stick with the fold 3 for at least 4 years.

Don't be hard on yourself use them both like I do (pro 13 is underway)

I can afford too my keep one.

Considering how long i've been on these forums, i never thought that i'd be saying this...but the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the best phone that i've ever owned.

I've been using my F3 for 3 days; Coming from the Note 10+ I still miss my old dead phone.
I needed a Samsung flagship device that supports dual physical SIMs and a Snapdragon cpu.
I was a Sony Xperia fan long time ago before they stopped selling the brand in my region.
Decided to give it a try after all the hype and so far my experience has been okay. I'm not in love yet but I see it coming.
Will I recommend it to a friend? probably not as I don't think the fold 3 is a daily driver phone yet.
It's big and heavy not to mention the S-pen case that adds additional bulkiness... The front screen is ultra narrow and yes the internal screen is awesome but it's does have major flaws like the very annoying crease in daylight ( at least to me ) and the unusual aspect ratio that makes most of the apps display less but bigger content. I works great for browsing and mailing but not much for most of the other stuff.
I will keep my phone and enjoy the exclusive experience it offers but if you're looking for a phone that does everything easily without complexity look somewhere else.

Question Anything I should know before I click the Buy button for Fold Z4?

Hello!
Anything I should know before I click the Buy button for Fold Z4?
Good, bad or ugly?
Thanks!

If you can wait till fall, the leaks for the Fold 5, if true, might make it quite better.

just my 2 cents. i'm having a blast with my fold 4 but i do have an eye for the fold 5 (assuming the leaks come true). regardless, perception of using a slab phone totally changed after switching to the fold. before getting it, i was justifying the use of a tablet if i wanted a bigger screen. but after using the fold, i don't think i'll ever go back to using a slab.

Dood. If your phone doesnt fold yet, pull the trigger.
I had the FlipZ3 8 months ago, backed it within 2 weeks, battery was too lite. Waited on 4.
Bougt the Flip 4 about 4 months back.....fkn love it. I shall never own another phone that doesnt fold, apart from my Oneplus7T that is running kali nethunter...but thats just a backpack companion...
Im an IT engineer and I can tell you it serves. Great torch, sits on video chats, can slightly bend and watch it landscape,....its the nutz.
Enjoy

mobilos said:
Hello!
Anything I should know before I click the Buy button for Fold Z4?
Good, bad or ugly?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go for it, you'll be surprised. and for those saying wait until the fall for the 5, you can always do trade in when the time comes

Go for it! Fold 4 is awesome! Ditched my s22u for the fold and I have the 14 promax too. Good combo for me. Fold 5 is far ahead so decide later and go for the fold 4. Buy it

I'm disappointed that the Z Fold 4 doesn't support the Android 13 KVM feature that was in the news last year during the A13 beta cycle (even with the device rooted) as I wanted the Z Fold 4 specifically to be able to run full desktop operating systems in a virtual machine on the large internal display. Without that, there is not much it offers that makes it worth buying for the price.

You ask the question on a Fold 5hrwad. Everyone will tell you to go for it. Actually, I would have too, but let's be honest. This phone is not for everyone. I am using it as my daily phone and a great replacement to my tablet when on the go. It does not replace my laptop but allows my to have higher productivity traveling. Sometimes I hate its thickness and bulkiness. So depends what your needs are..

I've named mine (ZF4) "The Brick". I love that it's a thinner/narrower width, but that does come with increased depth/thickness. Nevertheless it's a really interesting phone, fast, great great visuals on the front (outer) screen, and it's fun to when needed flip that thing open and get this great expanse of screen.
Not to be a downer, but I'm not sure how much $$ you'd get on a trade in , but I think the ZF4 is a fun phone with many upsides. And, if nothing else, it makes a great self-defense tool if you're out at night and someone says "Gimme all your dough!". WHAP! Instant ZFold4 Justice, baby!

Man I had one since was announced in August. I have tried meanwhile S22 Ultra, Xperia 1.4, Pixel 7Pro, Iphone 14 Pro and and...Im now back to Fold4 and no more questions for me. It is enough compact in hand and in pocket. It is enough big when you need it. Man must try to beleive how good is.