Develop Bugs

Whos's returning their Samsung Note 7?

After playing with the Note 7 for about a week, just came to the conclusion that it's not for me at the present time. Reasons below :
1: Size. I do not like the size. Was hoping it was a little bigger. At least the size on the Note 4 or Nexus SP.
2: Battery sucks for me. Constantly charging.
3: Speaker. Cannot hear it some time if I am in another room.
4: Still no IR Blaster
5: This should maybe be #1 PRICE POINT. $879.00 + high taxes just not worth it. No phone is perfect but "Them Prices way to high Samsung need to CUT IT"!
6: The screen scratches too easily. Fingerprints!
7: Fingerprint Sensor. You have to press the button. Plus, I have gotten use to it being on the back.
8: Touchwiz still lags.
Great phone in every other way. But the "wow" factor is missing for me at this price. The Note is really the best built phone out right now. This is a really hard decision. But with other phones coming out, I will take a wait and see attitude. By October when everything is out, if nothing better is out maybe I will revisit the NOTE 7.

Re: #6
Have you scratched yours?

lskeys said:
After playing with the Note 7 for about a week, just came to the conclusion that it's not for me at the present time. Reasons below :
1: Size. I do not like the size. Was hoping it was a little bigger. At least the size on the Note 4 or Nexus SP.
2: Battery sucks for me. Constantly charging.
3: Speaker. Cannot hear it some time if I am in another room.
4: Still no IR Blaster
5: This should maybe be #1 PRICE POINT. $879.00 + high taxes just not worth it. No phone is perfect but "Them Prices way to high Samsung need to CUT IT"!
6: The screen scratches too easily. Fingerprints!
7: Fingerprint Sensor. You have to press the button. Plus, I have gotten use to it being on the back.
8: Touchwiz still lags.
Great phone in every other way. But the "wow" factor is missing for me at this price. The Note is really the best built phone out right now. This is a really hard decision. But with other phones coming out, I will take a wait and see attitude. By October when everything is out, if nothing better is out maybe I will revisit the NOTE 7.
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Some valid points but some are just nonsense....
You purchased the phone knowing the price and that it has no IR blaster so why does it now affect your purchase?
The finger print sensor has nothing wrong with it. Due to your preferences and what you are used to, you are creating this problem.
Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

m00moo said:
You purchased the phone knowing the price and that it has no IR blaster so why does it now affect your purchase?
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in a way that when you pay almost 1000 EUR for a device, you expect much more.
and the test period has demonstrated that the device is not up to the expectations.
in other words, the device is overpriced; the price is grossly inflated.
that is evident to most users of previous Note models, even without purchasing it.

How bad is the speaker? Currently using nexus 6P but intend to pick one up soon.

djide01 said:
How bad is the speaker? Currently using nexus 6P but intend to pick one up soon.
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Click to collapse
Volume is very low.

lskeys said:
After playing with the Note 7 for about a week, just came to the conclusion that it's not for me at the present time. Reasons below :.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1: Size. I do not like the size. Was hoping it was a little bigger. At least the size on the Note 4 or Nexus SP.
- The screen is the same size so why would you want the body to be bigger? Doesn't make sense.
2: Battery sucks for me. Constantly charging.
- Depends on many many factors and there is always a bedding in period.
3: Speaker. Cannot hear it some time if I am in another room.
- It is down to the water proofing, but I read in many places it is still louder than some previous models.
4: Still no IR Blaster
- You knew this before you bought it.
5: This should maybe be #1 PRICE POINT. $879.00 + high taxes just not worth it. No phone is perfect but "Them Prices way to high Samsung need to CUT IT"!
-You knew this before you bought it.
6: The screen scratches too easily. Fingerprints!
- Glass = fingerprints, that's not unique to this phone. Put it in a premium case that still protects but still shows the look of the phone
7: Fingerprint Sensor. You have to press the button. Plus, I have gotten use to it being on the back.
- No you don't need to press it every time, just rest your finger on it when it asks for it.
8: Touchwiz still lags.
- Cannot be confirmed by everyone.
Then you went on to contradict yourself:
Great phone in every other way. But the "wow" factor is missing for me at this price. The Note is really the best built phone out right now. This is a really hard decision. But with other phones coming out, I will take a wait and see attitude. By October when everything is out, if nothing better is out maybe I will revisit the NOTE 7

lskeys said:
1: Size. I do not like the size. Was hoping it was a little bigger. At least the size on the Note 4 or Nexus SP.
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Click to collapse
Its screen has the same size and resolution as the Note 4 and Note 5.
3: Speaker. Cannot hear it some time if I am in another room.
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Click to collapse
The speaker works great for things like giving easily-heard directions while driving in a noisy car. I've never tried listening to a phone from another room. I find they're easy to take with me--fit right in my pocket! For music, I use BT headphones.
6: The screen scratches too easily.
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Click to collapse
Are you reporting that you've scratched it, or just repeating others' rumors?

apprentice said:
1: Size. I do not like the size. Was hoping it was a little bigger. At least the size on the Note 4 or Nexus SP.
- The screen is the same size so why would you want the body to be bigger? Doesn't make sense.
2: Battery sucks for me. Constantly charging.
- Depends on many many factors and there is always a bedding in period.
3: Speaker. Cannot hear it some time if I am in another room.
- It is down to the water proofing, but I read in many places it is still louder than some previous models.
4: Still no IR Blaster
- You knew this before you bought it.
5: This should maybe be #1 PRICE POINT. $879.00 + high taxes just not worth it. No phone is perfect but "Them Prices way to high Samsung need to CUT IT"!
-You knew this before you bought it.
6: The screen scratches too easily. Fingerprints!
- Glass = fingerprints, that's not unique to this phone. Put it in a premium case that still protects but still shows the look of the phone
7: Fingerprint Sensor. You have to press the button. Plus, I have gotten use to it being on the back.
- No you don't need to press it every time, just rest your finger on it when it asks for it.
8: Touchwiz still lags.
- Cannot be confirmed by everyone.
Then you went on to contradict yourself:
Great phone in every other way. But the "wow" factor is missing for me at this price. The Note is really the best built phone out right now. This is a really hard decision. But with other phones coming out, I will take a wait and see attitude. By October when everything is out, if nothing better is out maybe I will revisit the NOTE 7
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Click to collapse
I agree with the apprentice. This is exactly what I am saying about this thread as half of the things mentions are already known before purchasing or just common sense....it isn't a valid reason to then say the phone is a flop and you will be returning it.
Its fair enough to say that the battery is a let down or that the phone is scratching badly because we don't know this prior to having the handset. But to say that the glass gets fingerprints? I'm sure all glass gets finger prints unless it specifically says oleo-phobic and that its finger print proof then you don't have a case. Also to say the phone is expensive? yes it is we all know that but for some like myself i managed to get a very cheap sim only tariff and bought the phone outright. Over the course of 2 years it works out at around £35 per month which is the average for a decent handset and tariff.

It's just really number 5 - buyers remorse.
Nice burn apprentice.
Sent from my SM-N930P using Tapatalk

Why not? You can hand over $879 + tax expecting something more than you eventually got. Then the lack of IR for instance could be offset by other advantages.
Isn't the screen smaller due to 0,1" going AWOL at the edges? So you have 5,5" flat estate and the rest is in the curves? It makes the phone smaller, but there are many 5,5" flat phones out there.
Advising a case to hide your glorious new phone in, is bad imo. It is just Samsung chose one of the worst materials to build a phone. A fragile front is more than enough. Having a backside that is slippery and accident prone is another.

Señor Sjon said:
Why not? You can hand over $879 + tax expecting something more than you eventually got. Then the lack of IR for instance could be offset by other advantages.
Isn't the screen smaller due to 0,1" going AWOL at the edges? So you have 5,5" flat estate and the rest is in the curves? It makes the phone smaller, but there are many 5,5" flat phones out there.
Advising a case to hide your glorious new phone in, is bad imo. It is just Samsung chose one of the worst materials to build a phone. A fragile front is more than enough. Having a backside that is slippery and accident prone is another.
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I agree it would be nice to have 0.2" more of usable screen but that would make the phone much wider and harder to handle.
We all know full well that Samsung were pushed into making their phones better looking and innovative. Journalists, bloggers and even guys like us moaned like hell about plastic or faux leather materials and boring designs. They were losing market shares and they needed to act. So they introduce glass and aluminium, they slim down the whole phone and do an amazing and well received job of making the phone look very sexy, and very different to all the other flat slabs out there. We all say yes! Good job! Samsung is now back on the ball, they sell very well and everyone is happy.... But as is always the case of impossible to please everyone... we get those complaining that they lost the removable batteries and the phone is all slippery and fragile and "I will never buy Samsung again... yada yada" But curved screens, glass and aluminium are here to stay for now because they sell and that is what Samsung is in this game for.
If you want to buy into all that and a lot of us do, then yes, a case is pretty much necessary. And to be fair the cases that Samsung offer really do ensure the phone still looks amazing. And if you need to have better protection there are alternatives.

Im returning mine due to some pink spots on the right side of the screen but not for a refund but for 1 to 1 exchange

Returning mine because its much slower then my note 5. Installs literally take twice as long. It makes no sense.

apprentice said:
I agree it would be nice to have 0.2" more of usable screen but that would make the phone much wider and harder to handle.
We all know full well that Samsung were pushed into making their phones better looking and innovative. Journalists, bloggers and even guys like us moaned like hell about plastic or faux leather materials and boring designs. They were losing market shares and they needed to act. So they introduce glass and aluminium, they slim down the whole phone and do an amazing and well received job of making the phone look very sexy, and very different to all the other flat slabs out there. We all say yes! Good job! Samsung is now back on the ball, they sell very well and everyone is happy.... But as is always the case of impossible to please everyone... we get those complaining that they lost the removable batteries and the phone is all slippery and fragile and "I will never buy Samsung again... yada yada" But curved screens, glass and aluminium are here to stay for now because they sell and that is what Samsung is in this game for.
If you want to buy into all that and a lot of us do, then yes, a case is pretty much necessary. And to be fair the cases that Samsung offer really do ensure the phone still looks amazing. And if you need to have better protection there are alternatives.
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Oh, yes I do agree Samsung was led astray when all the reviewers were whining about plastic phones and the Hansaplast S5 wasn't the best design they could make. Yet plastic is one of the best materials for a phone. It is light, scratch resistant, doesn't block signals or wireless charging and can be made in all colors and shapes. They got it wrong with the yucky feeling S3/S4/Note 2. After the S4 slipped out of my hand again, I got the Note 3 almost as soon as it was available. The faux leather stitching on it is bad, but the back cover gets the job done. After almost three years of use it has zero scratches and it is very grippy. Same as the N4. It survives my wifes handbag for almost two years now, which is no small feat for a phone. I was waiting for the N5, but if I wanted it, it needed parallel importing. That was too much hassle for a slippery phone with no SD-card, small, non-replaceble battery and glass everywhere.
The N7 is better than the N5, but I'll need to think long and hard if and when I'm going to buy it.

I'm definitely returning mine
#1. no Root
#2. Fast charging is fake, not fast at all
#3. Advertized very long battery life, also fake, it drains just as fast as it did in the past phones when playing games, with WiFi On, GPS On, and Bluetooth On.
#4. I'm seeing a lot of scary cracked glass for normal day to day operations (pocket) that is why I never went with Apple phones
#5. The wireless charging doesn't work well with Generic off brand wireless chargers.
#6. SIM card / SD card slot requires pin to pop out, if you push to hard to eject the button breaks off, and you are stuck with the SIM / SD card inside.
This is a Major No No for me, I swap SD card regularly,
in older models it was as easy as 1, 2, 3. (Pop the real case open, eject SD card, insert SD card, done)
I'm not happy at all with the Note 7 mainly due the lack of root, I could have overlooked some of the transgression listed above, but not having root, makes the phone useless to me.

djide01 said:
How bad is the speaker? Currently using nexus 6P but intend to pick one up soon.
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Hi, Learn, if you listen to the naysayers on any forum you would never leave the house and certainly never make another purchase, not even have a hair cut. The Note 7 is a bloody good mobile. Buy it, experience it, if you don't like it you have 14 days to return it so someone else waiting for it can enjoy it. :highfive:
I have to say this Note 7 forum is getting silly. There are dedicated haters here who just post in nearly every thread criticising something they don't even own. Its turning to the point of hysteria on some threads. :silly:
Buy and enjoy.
Ryland

AllGamer said:
I'm definitely returning mine
#1. no Root
#2. Fast charging is fake, not fast at all
#3. Advertized very long battery life, also fake, it drains just as fast as it did in the past phones when playing games, with WiFi On, GPS On, and Bluetooth On.
#4. I'm seeing a lot of scary cracked glass for normal day to day operations (pocket) that is why I never went with Apple phones
#5. The wireless charging doesn't work well with Generic off brand wireless chargers.
#6. SIM card / SD card slot requires pin to pop out, if you push to hard to eject the button breaks off, and you are stuck with the SIM / SD card inside.
This is a Major No No for me, I swap SD card regularly,
in older models it was as easy as 1, 2, 3. (Pop the real case open, eject SD card, insert SD card, done)
I'm not happy at all with the Note 7 mainly due the lack of root, I could have overlooked some of the transgression listed above, but not having root, makes the phone useless to me.
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Click to collapse
I have to disagree with a lot of things you have listed here. Especially as you claim fast charging is fake! Even if it wasn't as fast as you liked you can't simply dismiss it as fake. Before buying the phone you must have known about the SD card slot - where else could it go and still retain good water resistance?
But the whole thing about rooting is premature. How many new high end devices are rootable in the first couple of weeks of release? We have hit dead ends before regarding rooting but then someone finds a way through. But if you want it rooted today then I guess that's your reason for dismissing this phone. It makes me wonder why you bought it before looking into this particular issue.

May seem strange to most of you guys but the lack of IR blaster kills it for me. I use it on my note 3 all day everyday. Air-conditioning at work and at home. My TV and set top box. My fan. It's such a small piece of tech with so much use. Kind of annoys me that they took it away.
Sent from my HUAWEI M2-801W using XDA-Developers mobile app

apprentice said:
I have to disagree with a lot of things you have listed here. Especially as you claim fast charging is fake! Even if it wasn't as fast as you liked you can't simply dismiss it as fake. Before buying the phone you must have known about the SD card slot - where else could it go and still retain good water resistance?
But the whole thing about rooting is premature. How many new high end devices are rootable in the first couple of weeks of release? We have hit dead ends before regarding rooting but then someone finds a way through. But if you want it rooted today then I guess that's your reason for dismissing this phone. It makes me wonder why you bought it before looking into this particular issue.
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I bought into the hype after watching the live unveil in New York.
I was actually checking out the Nexus 6p, as I wanted a new phone with Root.
in the past Samsung phones used to be a safe bet to get root, but seems like since the S7 the game has changed.
Fast charging is as you said not fast enough, 1 hour charge to only get 60% to 70% is not much improvement over the Note 3 / Note 4 charging, somehow the way I use my phones they can drain the battery faster than it can recharge itself.
So battery packs has always been my friend, as I keep several charged battery packs ready to swap in/out.
Reason why I skipped Note 5, due the lack of battery swap. I decided to give Note 7 a try thinking it should have improved, but nope it's just exactly as I guestimated it would perform, and the educated guess was spot on.
I was not really surprised by the charge speed lack of performance, just the Advertisements, and the Unveil event made it such a huge deal that is was like WOW... but in reality it does not really deliver as advertised.
The charge speed performance is no different than previous generation, phone batteries like Note 3 and Note 4, using a normal 2A charger and a battery charger, my batteries pack are full in about 2 hours aprox same time it takes for the Note 7 using the "fast charge" to reach 100%
The so called fast charge to 50% in 30 min is bogus, I was clocking it, it was more like 45min to an Hour depending if the phone was Off or On... which is pretty much the same rate why it takes aprox 2 hours for 100% charge.
The old Notes 3/4, charges at about the same rate as Note 7, so they are just advertising the same old as new, I don't really see any real improvement over previous model.
With the removal of the option to swap battery packs since Note 5, it makes it even less appealing knowing you'll be stuck without battery until you find a plug.
In Note 3 and Note 4, you simply pop out the drained battery and pop in the 100% charged battery, downtime 60 sec at most to open back cover swap the battery and replace the back cover.
The Note 5 and Note 7 downtime ranges until you find a plug, or you carry one of those external battery top up dongles, not very appealing. I know those are very common with Apple users, and I don't like carrying those bulky USB dongles with me.
Battery life If I'm being conservative and turn off GPS, turn off Bluetooth, and turn off WiFi, I can get aprox 3 hours with Note 7, which is again about the same time I get with previous Note 3 and Note 4.
So the claim for an improved battery life is also bogus advertisement.
I still have about 7 days to keep it, if nothing changes by then, it's going back to the store.
The only nice feature I like on the Note 7 is the Iris scanner, and the 4x MIMO, actually that's the only reason the Note 7 picked my interest, I wanted to see if the 4x MIMO would improve signal quality, in poor reception areas, and it did.
so, of all the hyped propagandas during the live unveil and Ads, only the Iris scanner and 4x mimo actually performs as advertised, everything else, not so much, like the "free" game pack that is not available to people in North America >.< ...like really, advertised live during a new york event, and then they said, or sorry that's not for you.

What was and was NOT needed?

Feel free to add your suggestions/preferences, I am certainly no Engineer, but from what we gather there was a problem with too much crammed into such a tiny package. As an Electronic Cigarette Vaper this much I do comprehend, that is Battery Cells NEED absolutely space for what is known as 'Venting' (Vape Cigarette Mods generally use 18650 Batteries, even the larger 26650's). Also there is a technicality such is Heat Sink. Please allow the Experts among you to add input here…
…My main focus is what was and was NOT necessary in the original Galaxy Note 7. What was there in way of Feature that was not at all necessary in such away to take away the fact the Note 7 "had it all".
1) Headphone Jack
I have never owned an iPhone by the way, only ever Samsung Galaxy S2, Note 2 and Note 4, but the Headphone Jack is Ancient Tech. For the past 3 years I have only ever used Bluetooth Headphones (Bluedio brand) with Power Amp and Neutron for 64Bit 'Audiophile' quality sound. These headphones are a fraction of the price of Dr. Dre Beats and yet don't entail a spaghetti junction type deal with long dangling cable wire.
Lose the Headphone Jack. Not necessary. Free up space.
2) IRIS Scanner.
No one asked for it to be implemented. Was it a gimmick/novelty or something more sinister. Regardless, it certainly was NOT needed on such a device, the Note 7 without blows away all competition bar none on it's own. Without IRIS Scanner.
3) Removable Battery - 'Water Resistant'
Again, something sinister, or genuinely a practical convenience?
I am OK either way, I dig water resistance, yet just feel less "Big Brother'ed" with the ability to remove, and if necessary, replace Battery.
Yet I DO love the all-glass design, and would be OK if Battery remained locked in (not sure how many glass panels would have broken if it was a removable plate?)
On a technical side, would Removable Battery actually be "safer"? Again, experts, please chime in.
Well that's it for now. A serious topic, yet fun, what do we "NEED", what do we want and what is not necessary yet still allowing the reputation of the Note 7 (in hindsight) being still "the best Phone available by far"
Thank you.

the Iris scanner was great, I picked up my phone looked at it and it was ready to use, so much faster and more reliable than the fingerprint scanner, in truth that is the feature I will miss most leaving the Note.
as for waterproofing, again it is a nice useful feature for the type of work I do (mostly outside) where the device is likely to get wet quite often.
as for the headphone jack they don't take up a lot of space in truth, Apple offing it is more of a gimmick than anything you listed here, as all it was designed to do was to get people to rebuy headsets, the same as every time they change the port on the phone making every docking/charging product obsolete, this is just a way to force people to go out and buy new accessories as if you let people use the same dock for loads of devices they will never pay again into the accessory market. so while they could have went to a USB-C headset in truth it would have made little difference as the Note was already smaller than the Iphone 7+ with the stylus taking up internal space.

OP, you are clueless. You honestly think you have any CLUE of what happened with these phones when Samsung themselves can't even figure it out? Get your head checked.
1. The headphone jack may be old, but it is not outdated nor ancient. Bluetooth audio quality pales in comparison to a true wired connection. There is also no "64 bit" audiophile quality bull**** you speak of.
2. The iris scanner is not a gimmick and a great feature.
3. Removable batteries are not necessary nor useful for the vast majority of users.

I don't care for the iris scanner, I didn't use it nor think I will. As for waterproofing, I'll take a replaceable battery over it anytime. As for the headphone jack, if they remove it, I'm removing myself from their brand as well, I use it far too often and pick wire over wireless (I'm surprised the OP doesn't do this, considering the conspiracy theories posted elsewhere). I didn't upgrade from the Note 4 to Note 5 for the very reason that they removed the ability to change a battery and removal of the SD card. I went with the Note 7, but did so hesitating, and only because they added the SD card back and because they offered a free 256 GB SD card along with it. If they remove the headphone jack, sorry, but it'll be the last straw.
Let's get real here. The glass design is nice, but how many of us are going completely naked? There's some, but surely the majority of people have a case of some sort and often also a screen protector. What's the point? If they need to remove anything, let it be the glass design in favor of a removable battery. Go back to what it used to be in terms of design, like the Note 4 or 5. I want functionality first, design second. Glass was nice, but a tad bit unnecessary.
Or, do both... like how there's two versions of the Edge. Get a glass, water proofed Note, and a more basic one with removable battery. For sure they will make a lot more people happy.

svache said:
I don't care for the iris scanner, I didn't use it nor think I will. As for waterproofing, I'll take a replaceable battery over it anytime. As for the headphone jack, if they remove it, I'm removing myself from their brand as well, I use it far too often and pick wire over wireless (I'm surprised the OP doesn't do this, considering the conspiracy theories posted elsewhere). I didn't upgrade from the Note 4 to Note 5 for the very reason that they removed the ability to change a battery and removal of the SD card. I went with the Note 7, but did so hesitating, and only because they added the SD card back and because they offered a free 256 GB SD card along with it. If they remove the headphone jack, sorry, but it'll be the last straw.
Let's get real here. The glass design is nice, but how many of us are going completely naked? There's some, but surely the majority of people have a case of some sort and often also a screen protector. What's the point? If they need to remove anything, let it be the glass design in favor of a removable battery. Go back to what it used to be in terms of design, like the Note 4 or 5. I want functionality first, design second. Glass was nice, but a tad bit unnecessary.
Or, do both... like how there's two versions of the Edge. Get a glass, water proofed Note, and a more basic one with removable battery. For sure they will make a lot more people happy.
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Click to collapse
I've went naked since the Z1, the curved screen was the thing they could lose for me as it stopped me getting a good quality glass screen protector letting me protect the screen while keeping the form of the phone intact but still protecting the screen without the peeling corners all note 7 protectors got, if I could have a note 7 with any one feature removed it would be the curved screen, even if it meant the phone would be slightly larger.

Nitemare3219 said:
OP, you are clueless. You honestly think you have any CLUE of what happened with these phones when Samsung themselves can't even figure it out? Get your head checked.
1. The headphone jack may be old, but it is not outdated nor ancient. Bluetooth audio quality pales in comparison to a true wired connection. There is also no "64 bit" audiophile quality bull**** you speak of.
2. The iris scanner is not a gimmick and a great feature.
3. Removable batteries are not necessary nor useful for the vast majority of users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed 100 percent! OP should go will Apple products if he really believes this. I stopped reading after OP stated headphone jack is not necessary, I for one and many others still use the headphone jack intensely as Bluetooth quality is piss poor compared to my Shure SE846, Westone 4, AKG 550, AudioTechnica ATH-M70X...etc

Hmmm. Interesting.

I think the note 7 is a formidable device, all its features made it stand out

What I don't need: headphone jack, curve screen, iris scanner
What I need: Stylus! Screen size and water resistance
What I want: Hologram projection (3D)from phone... lol
What is not neccesary:non removable battery (will only increase my cost if I need to change the battery. If I want more juice, I'll get another battery.

If the Note 7 successor won't be waterproof, I won't buy it. It is a must for me.

I don't need the Edge screen. If there actually was a Note 7 without the Edge screen, I'd have definitely gone for that.
Iris scanner was not necessary. But it's a great benchmark to know that it can be done.
Headphone jack is still a must. We still need time to adjust to a fully digital, or wireless audio entertainment. And this will take quite a long time.
Water resistance is fine, I don't need waterproof. Just enough to resist a quick splash or a dunk. Not for a swim or underwater photography.
When I had my original unit, the phone started bootlooping. I didn't mind too much because I was about to have it replaced by the exchange programme. But I had a seriously hard time shutting it off. Couple that with reports of batteries blowing up, I was very worried the phone would blow up with the infinite bootlooping. I had to wait for the damn thing to drain out its battery. So yes, having removable battery in case something like this happens will be a relief at times.
That's all the top off my head for now.

Question Help me decide. I have S21U. Should I get the Z Fold 3?

Amazon has a really great price on the unlocked US version and comes with the Buds as well for $1500! I currently have the S21 Ultra. The Ultra has bigger battery, better camera, and dust resistant.
If I were to buy the Fold I would keep my Ultra.
So is it worth switching? I'm a huge Note fan as well. Would it be wise to maybe wait until Feb and see if the s22 Ultra is basically the Note with built in Spen?
I was also toying with the idea of scoring a deal on a Tab S7 since I need a new tablet. Would it maybe just be best to stick with the S21 Ultra, buy my tablet and then get the S22 Ultra in Feb?
I'm also worried about the Fold 3 and screen cracking in the middle I'm seeing a lot on Reddit.

Just go for it. The fold 3 is better than any tablet. And the advantage of having the phone and the tablet with you really makes a difference.

I came from an S21 Ultra, and switched to Fold 3, I'm very pleased with the change, at the start, I did miss the S21 camera, but the Fold 3 camera is still fine for me.
The rest of the Fold 3 is fantastic, the for media consumption, is just brilliant using that center screen.
This is with me all the time, which a tablet wouldnt be.
Reliability wise, it feels very well built, and the screen doesn't feel fragile at all (I had the fold 2 before this, and never had any problems with the screen through my ownership)

Hold your horses if you want to root - its far better on the S21 for that right now - i can guarantee that lol

Ive seen enough videos side by side with the camera and IMO they look very similar, I'm sure the s21 zoom is amazing but for normal shots side by side its pretty hard to tell the difference.
You basically get a folding tablet in your pocket vs a typical phone thats what you get. Is it worth it? I think hell yes

I love the folds. this is my second after Fold 2 (for a year). Fold 3 hasnt been as reliable as fold 2 for me. Screen is already having issues after having sand in the hinge. I see so many screen failures in reddit group and samsung refuses to cover those under warranty even if it was not fault of your own. so be mindful of that.

taranfx said:
I love the folds. this is my second after Fold 2 (for a year). Fold 3 hasnt been as reliable as fold 2 for me. Screen is already having issues after having sand in the hinge. I see so many screen failures in reddit group and samsung refuses to cover those under warranty even if it was not fault of your own. so be mindful of that.
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Do you think it's better I buy the Tab s7+ and stick with the S21U and get the S22U instead?

Blues fan said:
Do you think it's better I buy the Tab s7+ and stick with the S21U and get the S22U instead?
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this is very personal. I cant live without a large screen in pocket. So personally I'll chose fold everytime.
S22 isnt going to be radically differnt from s21U. Minor improvements everywhere wont make it a replacement for fold 3.
I personally hate having to do anything productive or even researching a product on normal phones, Fold solves that problem very well. I've tab s7+ too which I use only for media consumption.

taranfx said:
this is very personal. I cant live without a large screen in pocket. So personally I'll chose fold everytime.
S22 isnt going to be radically differnt from s21U. Minor improvements everywhere wont make it a replacement for fold 3.
I personally hate having to do anything productive or even researching a product on normal phones, Fold solves that problem very well. I've tab s7+ too which I use only for media consumption.
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What about the camera downgrade and the fragile screen? A lot of people are having the Fold's main screen break, even after just a few days.

So, the main takeaway is will most be happy or disappointed switching from the S21U to the Fold?

Keep the s21. I think if you want a foldable the flip is the better buy. But it depends.
I got the fold 3 for about 1100 on swappa as soon as it was released in august. The device feels great. The hinge is satisfying the 120 hz on both screens are nice (albeit marginal improvements). Generally the ability to see more detailed content is wonderful.
But
The cell signal is bad, the battery is bad, the display is fragile (inner display), the outer display you can do very little on, and the list goes on (including the camera experience just not being comparable to the s21). I like the fold 3 as an experiment and it is a jack of all trades master of none in my eyes. Lots of work needs to be done.
If you want to beta test it be my guest. But there’s a ton of issues I have. And I’ll probably always reach for my iPhone first

You just simply have to ask yourself: what do you actually need?
In my case, I am not a photography enthusiast, but I had to carry my cellphone and my tablet every time I go.
Phone for communication (of course), and tablet to carry all my (more than 100GB) documents everywhere (to work on my papers, read some textbooks, ...)
I found it is much more convenient now to carry only one gadget that can serve as a phone and as a tablet at once.
It's rather bulky and heavy, I admit, as a phone. That is the price I have to pay, I guess.

I went from Fold2 to S21U ... after 3 months I went back to fold 2, now I have the Fold3
I understand what I need
Once you've used the Fold, it's hard to go back

Honestly, I am not a fan of these "help me decide" posts. If you need all of us to convince you that you want/need this phone, then you probably are not going to be convinced. There is only ONE person that can "convince" you and that is you.
Look at reviews, look at tests, look at everything and then decide. If you need to HOLD one, then ping a friend with one or go to a store and hold it. No amount of words are going to convince you if you are not already convinced.
Good luck on your search and hope you settle on something that makes you happy!

i just switched my s21u to fold. so far it's been a great experience. i traded and got the fold 3 for $516 including tax and got a free buds2.

zyxel04 said:
i just switched my s21u to fold. so far it's been a great experience. i traded and got the fold 3 for $516 including tax and got a free buds2.
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I got mine about 2 weeks ago but good thing is to keep it clean that will fix any issues from the folding screen even tho it's the 3rd gen it's still fragile I like it bc I had the z flip I loved it but I did miss the bigger screen of a tablet so I waited and got my z fold for 189 just 2 weeks ago but yeah just use air duster to keep the dust out don't take to really dusty places and make sure you don't put anything else in your pocket with the z fold 3 no debit cards no nothing and get you a rugged case with hinge protection there's like 3 or 4 cases that are not to bulky and when you clean the screens use lens cleaner

Question Galaxy z fold 3 worth it?

Hey this question mostly guess for the people that have had their phone since launch Has it been worth the money? I was wondering how do u like it? and Is the battery as terrible as every YouTuber makes it seem? I just ordered and I'm so excited

Yes it's worth it!
Biggest downer for me is no e-sim.
Battery life is fine.
And most importantly the camera is FAR better than youtube reviewers are saying.
Again in my experience.

I got it a few days before launch day and have loved it every day since. The big screen is totally worth it! I almost never use the outer screen, just occasionally for things like telling the med reminder app I took my med if my phone is already folded, or camera preview so I can take a more quality selfie with the back cameras (phone open), etc. Battery life is good for me. Speed and storage (larger version) are great, screen quality (on natural not vivid) is great, etc. The T-mobile connection issues suck and I hope they are fixed soon, but not all T-mobile customers have the issue (my friend in another state doesn't). But, the temporary fix helps - I just need them to fix it so it can roam so I'm not worried when traveling anywhere. Finding a good case isn't fun, though. I like the one I have now, but I don't think it would protect it very much from a drop/fall.

I've had it since launch..............believe it or not, I use the outer screen more than the inner one. I have taken it on vacation a couple of times. The most recent trip was to Hawaii back in December. Just before we left, I found a case that had a built-in kickstand and actually added more bulk to the phone than I realized..........well, that made the device cumbersome carrying it around on hikes and to the beach. Sometimes, depending on what shorts I was wearing, I would carry the phone in my left hand while walking around Waikiki just so it wouldn't "weigh" me down. I went back to the slimmer case after I got home. Phone has been out since August, and haven't seen anybody else with the same phone. I thought I would on vacation, but trips to busy airports, shopping malls, etc...........didn't see another person with the ZFold. I know it's expensive but you see big iphones everywhere and those aren't cheap either. I do miss the width of my Note-10+ instead of this slimmer one. Was tempted to do the trade-in for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but will probably wait to see if the ZFold4 is any better and might upgrade to that. Only problem is, the trade-in value of the ZFold3 will drop by then. I hear the next Fold will have the S-pen and a 5000mah battery, not sure if that is enough to upgrade. Currently, you can get $900 trade-in through Samsung, T-Mobile chat person said I can get $1000 through them..............but will probably hold on to mine for now. I don't do any multiple apps tasks, but probably should try to do more to maximize its use and justify why I got it. The 5G on it, for the most part, isn't great. I was getting the 5G UC symbol a couple of weeks ago and not anymore. There was a software update last week and I think it was a T-mobile update to get rid of that symbol, didn't include the Feb security patch. Currently with the Speedtest app, getting 20.9 download, and 6.57 upload. It was way better than that prior to the update.............thanks T-mobile!

ButterflyFlutterflyMyOhMy said:
I got it a few days before launch day and have loved it every day since. The big screen is totally worth it! I almost never use the outer screen, just occasionally for things like telling the med reminder app I took my med if my phone is already folded, or camera preview so I can take a more quality selfie with the back cameras (phone open), etc. Battery life is good for me. Speed and storage (larger version) are great, screen quality (on natural not vivid) is great, etc. The T-mobile connection issues suck and I hope they are fixed soon, but not all T-mobile customers have the issue (my friend in another state doesn't). But, the temporary fix helps - I just need them to fix it so it can roam so I'm not worried when traveling anywhere. Finding a good case isn't fun, though. I like the one I have now, but I don't think it would protect it very much from a drop/fall.
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I need to shut up, as I picked up my phone today and it jumped out of my hands. I tried to catch it, but couldn't quite get it as it bounced off my fingers and onto the hardwood floor inner screen face-down. I thought it was a goner when I picked it up and the touch sensors were not working on the inner screen (tried to get to the notification I needed to respond to as I took my med), but I turned the screen off and back on again and it was working fine again. Tested most of the diagnostics in the Samsung Members app and everything was fine. Phew!
The front screen side of the case did slide off a bit in the fall, but it didn't break and slid back on when I picked it up. I do use double-sided tape so it doesn't slide every time I open the phone (don't want to scratch the front screen), but it wasn't enough for the fall.

ButterflyFlutterflyMyOhMy said:
I need to shut up, as I picked up my phone today and it jumped out of my hands. I tried to catch it, but couldn't quite get it as it bounced off my fingers and onto the hardwood floor inner screen face-down. I thought it was a goner when I picked it up and the touch sensors were not working on the inner screen (tried to get to the notification I needed to respond to as I took my med), but I turned the screen off and back on again and it was working fine again. Tested most of the diagnostics in the Samsung Members app and everything was fine. Phew!
The front screen side of the case did slide off a bit in the fall, but it didn't break and slid back on when I picked it up. I do use double-sided tape so it doesn't slide every time I open the phone (don't want to scratch the front screen), but it wasn't enough for the fall.
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Nice to hear that it didn't break. I think I dropped mine (folded) about a month or two after I got it and nothing happened, case protected it.....seems to be very durable device.

For me personally. Its worthed it. I upgraded from my 1 year old iPhone 12 Pro Max. Now i can freely buy accessories without worrying that it wouldn't work(because not all accessories are MFI certified in Indonesia).
And not to forget that the Z Fold 3 when closed is not that wide, thus making it easier for 1 handed use.

Yes and no chance to change it!!!
I have it since the launch. I have also a Iphone 13 pro. I have tried meanwhile s21 and Pixel 6 and Mi11 Ultra. So now a couple of months of using I can only say: Once Fold and forever Fold. Yes it's heavy and bulky. But Yes is the only one TABLET that is good for one hand operation and phone calls and can you carry in pants pocket. And the camera is not super duper but is top, and the battery (SOC Snapdragon) is far better than any other Exynos on the market and on the planet.

ycats said:
Nice to hear that it didn't break. I think I dropped mine (folded) about a month or two after I got it and nothing happened, case protected it.....seems to be very durable device.
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So am I! I'll be paying for this phone for the next 2.5 years, so it needs to stay in one piece for a long time to come. My previous phone I had for 5-6 years, but of all it wasn't a folding phone. A friend of mine dropped his Fold 3 on tile and had to get a new front screen protector, but it otherwise survived the fall.

propov8 said:
Yes and no chance to change it!!!
I have it since the launch. I have also a Iphone 13 pro. I have tried meanwhile s21 and Pixel 6 and Mi11 Ultra. So now a couple of months of using I can only say: Once Fold and forever Fold. Yes it's heavy and bulky. But Yes is the only one TABLET that is good for one hand operation and phone calls and can you carry in pants pocket. And the camera is not super duper but is top, and the battery (SOC Snapdragon) is far better than any other Exynos on the market and on the planet.
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I actually like the bulk of the phone when closed because it makes it easier to hold and carry without dropping it (when I dropped it, it was open to the inner screen), and I'm saying this as a woman with small hands (medium glove size).

Took a look at the fold3 in an at&t store the other day. Looks like they have the first generation bugs squished. By the time I'm ready to buy a new one, I'll probably get the fold 4 or 5.

Love the phone. Love it so much I have a second as a backup in case this one breaks (truth!). I love the ability to use the front screen one handed. I love having that big inner screen when multitasking or reviewing/editing large documents. The only thing I also wish I had was a zoom/macro lens. It doesn't even have to be a nice one, just a passable one. But I don't take many pictures so I usually let that slide.

I've had mine since October 2021 and it's been one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had with a gadget. The display is amazing, it's fast, camera is decent enough, I love tablet mode, like really, really love it. I definitely can't wait for the next generation of foldables because it's just going to get better. It's definitely worth buying now however, if your still having doubts.

chetly968 said:
Love the phone. Love it so much I have a second as a backup in case this one breaks (truth!). I love the ability to use the front screen one handed. I love having that big inner screen when multitasking or reviewing/editing large documents. The only thing I also wish I had was a zoom/macro lens. It doesn't even have to be a nice one, just a passable one. But I don't take many pictures so I usually let that slide.
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I bought the Oppo Find N (foldable) as my backup. It's actually a really awesome phone, with features and design choices that I find better than my Z Fold 3. One thing is it's size, it's fantastic, definitely the better choice on Oppo's side to choose such a wide design. It's even better when you use it in tablet mode as it's aspect ratio is 16:9, which means more apps support it better.

for me i like having the 2 phone factor one big one small, so I am never really bored looking and using it. I find when I am home and chilled i use the big screen more but when i am out and about the small screen, If only they can cut away some of the weight it would be perfect.

It’s just an incredible experience. I have been a loyal Note fan since the first Note, but after owning the Fold 3 I can safely tell you that I won’t go back to a slab phone, even to a Note

ghassan haddad said:
It’s just an incredible experience. I have been a loyal Note fan since the first Note, but after owning the Fold 3 I can safely tell you that I won’t go back to a slab phone, even to a Note
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Same here !
I tried the S22 Ultra @ Bestbuy , it's really a nice phone , but .. it can't convert into a minitablet so .. nah !
Im going for the next generation (Fold4)

pvillasuso said:
Same here !
I tried the S22 Ultra @ Bestbuy , it's really a nice phone , but .. it can't convert into a minitablet so .. nah !
Im going for the next generation (Fold4)
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I've had a z Fold 3 since the 1st month it came out. Great phone but I ended up pre-ordering the S22 Ultra just to test the waters. Been a note fan since the early days. Just received the S22 ultra this week and it's also a great phone. The integrated s pen and bigger battery has definitely tipped the scales in favor of the S22 ultra so I'll be returning the Fold. I will miss that huge screen though!

Had the phone since february, dropped it once and although the front body dented a little bit, the phone is still working well. Been using the bigger screen for media and the smaller screen for calls and short messages. IDK why some doesn't have e-sim but mine does.

I've had the Fold 3 for around a month now, as I had to replace my Note 9 N960N. I can honestly say that it is the best purchase I have made this year. It is such a good device, I can use it for everything from gaming to media consumption for work. It is truly a very versatile device.
The fact that you can use it as a normal phone and open it up to a tablet for a more completely experience blows my mind every time I use it.

Question Should I buy?

Hi Guys,
Never owned a fold or flip before and am very on the fence about buying the fold 4. I still have an s10+ which I love but am itching to pull that new phone trigger!
My main concerns are battery life and the crease.
I saw one at the shop today and the crease was more than noticeable, because of the screen protector that I've read shouldn't be removed, it was more like a bubbly mountain range running down the whole phone.
Also I like to play games like diablo immortal and would like more than an hour or 2 of play before the battery dies.
Should I buy or hold off for the s23 ultra? Anyone with hands on experience of the device would be appreciated.

If you have to ask probably not. Previews are saying battery life is excellent and crease very minor to "unnoticeable". For me it's about the fact I'm a heavy tablet user and am tired of having to travel with laptop, phone, and tablet. It's way overpriced for features, but when you think of it as basically like three phone screens, 512G or more, and 5G the price is reasonable.

I use an S-pen for litterally every time I use my note 20 Ultra.
It warns you when you forget to put the pen inside.
That is the only reason that I hesitate.
I also travel a lot and it would be a great replacement of the combi phone and tablet.
I am an old guy and typing/swiping with the pen is important for me.

Philnicolls89 said:
Hi Guys,
Never owned a fold or flip before and am very on the fence about buying the fold 4. I still have an s10+ which I love but am itching to pull that new phone trigger!
My main concerns are battery life and the crease.
I saw one at the shop today and the crease was more than noticeable, because of the screen protector that I've read shouldn't be removed, it was more like a bubbly mountain range running down the whole phone.
Also I like to play games like diablo immortal and would like more than an hour or 2 of play before the battery dies.
Should I buy or hold off for the s23 ultra? Anyone with hands on experience of the device would be appreciated.
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Click to collapse
Do you live close to a store that has a demo unit? That won't answer your battery life question so much but you can at least handle the device and see how you feel in-person about the crease. Most have said the crease is easier to see in videos.
Gaming on most mobile devices is tough on battery life. Really software optimization dependent. There are a few youtube videos out there that talk about performance of different games.

herpi said:
I use an S-pen for litterally every time I use my note 20 Ultra.
It warns you when you forget to put the pen inside.
That is the only reason that I hesitate.
I also travel a lot and it would be a great replacement of the combi phone and tablet.
I am an old guy and typing/swiping with the pen is important for me.
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With my purchase I got the free standing case with the spen. Fold 4 IS spen ready.

ggrant3876 said:
With my purchase I got the free standing case with the spen. Fold 4 IS spen ready.
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Thx. But no warning if you leave the pen behind?

herpi said:
Thx. But no warning of you leave the pen behind?
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Not sure, don't have the phone yet. But my case from Samsung comes with an spen holder built in.

I do not think it will warn. Doesn't it double also as a stand, removing the pen holder?

herpi said:
I do not think it will warn. Doesn't it double also as a stand, removing the pen holder?
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Correct for the official Samsung case with S pen holder. You can swap the "part" depending on which one you want to use.

Yes, just for the Samsung dynamic lock screen wallpapers

NavySpark said:
Correct for the official Samsung case with S pen holder. You can swap the "part" depending on which one you want to use.
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Samsung has a S pen (dummy capacitance tip) and an S Pen PRO that is Bluetooth connected. While I wait like most of us to receive the phone, case and embedded S-Pen that comes with the case, I am 99% sure only the one with BT will have the warnings. Also, as annoying as it can be, the PRO pen may fit in the case, but will not charge in it (I think) and the charging case it comes with will not fit the Samsung case, as I do not see the sliding piece to allow it? Am I sure? Nope.. Did not get it yet, and did not order the PRO pen ($100 freaking bucks.. WTF?)

So, here is my impression from 48 hours with the phone, moving from an S20+. (first time on a FOLD)
Me in the first 3 hours: 'Oh boy, this was a stupid decision.. it is heavy, bulky , the pen sticks out (with the Samsung stand cover), It is too big to put in a car mount when open, the front cover screen is too small for my old eyes, I am an idiot falling for it'
Me on day 2 actually working with it: ' WOW best decision ever !' . I use the inner screen open where the pen case actually used as my stand, having the top at 45 degrees, and the bottom part as my handwriting area, I can handwrite (using Google keyboard) in several languages, it recognize my handwriting without training, It enhanced my productivity by 25% , it is not to hard to carry in the pocket when folded, I can mount it on my car both folded and open, It charges quicker than I expected wirelessly, and from my laptop when not at my desk, I don't need to open my laptop to review a document (7.6" are enough), I got used to the weight and the front cover is perfect to make calls and look at text messages.. I now leave the office without my laptop bag and do not need to carry a 20 LBS. one.. 263 grams are nothing !!!!!!! "
Does this answer the question if to buy or not?