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Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

The phone feels really good in the hand. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the worry I have with the scratches.

I love my Note 7 so much! The build quality is exceptional and the display is truly stunning. its just so immersive.
Made a little quick look video about it

Alright, alright. I had to create an account after reading several critiques and complaints on this forum. I'm sure a lot of people that are considering buying the phone will be popping in and reading the very same complaints while considering their purchase. The purpose of this thread is to clear up said complaints, from my own personal experience.
First of all, I'd like to ensure you all who haven't bought the phone yet that you absolutely have to buy it and experience it for yourself before making any decision. After all, you usually have 14 days to return it. I say this because, while the phone is not "perfect" as many here on this forum have pointed out, it is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing phones I've ever laid eyes on, and feels incredibly comfortable in the hand. Pictures DO NOT do this phone justice, and the overflowing screen, combined with the size and weight of the phone, gives an overwhelming feeling of vibrancy when holding/viewing.
(Cost) The phone is expensive, yes, but there's a reason for that: it's a top tier smartphone. If you haven't gotten used to a hefty price tag yet, then you must not have been in the market for long. If you can't afford it, get a OnePlus 3, but I can guarantee you it wont be as fine an experience. Most cell phone companies offer financing, anyway. Meaning, you make a small monthly payment for the phone itself over the course of the 1-2 years you'll be using it anyway, and if you decide to, you simply cancel service and pay the phone off. Most companies will then give you an unlock code, and the phone is then yours to do what you please with it, or bring it to another service provider. Either way, every dime you pay while financing brings you closer to owning it, if you decide not to buy it outright. I personally will probably just pay mine off when the price tag gets down to about $400 dollars.
(Delicacy or Lack Thereof) As I stated in the introduction, the phone is thin, comfortable, feels great in the hand, but the overflowing screen gives it a very large & vibrant appearance even though it doesn't FEEL that large in the hand. Does this mean it feels delicate and fragile? Not at all. Now that's not to say you wouldn't WANT to drop it, but for the most part, it's easy to handle, has the perfect weight to it, and doesn't feel fragile by any means. This phone is NOT going to scratch/break in your pocket, unless you're mashing your legs into the sharp edges of tables or falling onto it, or for whatever reason like to keep sharp objects in the same pocket as your phone. It's NOT going to scratch by simply setting it down on a table, or having it slide in between the seats of your car.
This brings me down to a point I've emphasized before: If you're going to buy a $900 phone? DO... not... drop it! I mean, honestly, lets be real here guys: accidents DO happen. However, it's those of us who are incredibly careful, who are capable of owning phones like these. If you're someone who is very clumsy, careless, active, etc., perhaps NO phone of this design type is meant for you. That is not the fault of the manufacturers. There are many phone manufacturers who build phones designed for DURABILITY. My last Galaxy, which wasn't exactly designed for durability, lasted me 2 FULL YEARS however, and has never been dropped once, nor does it have a single scratch. This phone IS durable though- it's durable for a phone of THIS make, this design, and trust me... this is a stylish designer phone, it simply is not an ACTIVE phone. If you want to turn it INTO an ACTIVE phone? Buy a damn Otterbox Defender. When you're hiking/rock climbing/playing basketball, whatever- you're going to have an ACTIVE Note 7 phone. Then when you're doing some casual driving, sitting at a desk, sitting anywhere at home really, at dinner with friends, or pretty much doing anything that's non-active, pop it out of it's case. You'll then, once again, have the nicest phone that anyone's ever laid eyes on.
To summarize the above, be a responsible phone owner, and you'll be fine. If you can't handle the responsibility of owning such an expensive product that was designed to be durable while keeping a fantastic overall appearance, don't buy it. You can't fault manufacturers for your lack of care.
(Battery Life) I've owned this phone for a little while now, and I've charged it approximately one and a half times (by a half, I mean plugged it in at 40-50% before leaving the house) per day. I keep High Accuracy GPS on, I keep brightness at 85-95%, I keep a multicolor 'Always On' display up, I have the "screen off" time set to 3 minutes, I have HD quality wallpapers for home & lock screens, and I keep WiFi on. I have yet to use any of the battery saver modes or capabilities. During the first few days of owning this phone, I would install back to back programs, take 15+ pictures while playing around with the different camera & video settings, record videos of my screen, experiment with the S pen, experiment with different mobile games, set up setting after setting, security feature after security feature, experiment with high quality video, stream YouTube & Netflix movies, the list goes on and on and I'm sure anyone who's ever owned a new phone knows exactly what I'm talking about.
During these times, my battery would last approximately 9 hours before falling to 20% or below. That's EXTREME HEAVY use, with battery draining functions, brightness, and high resolution screens, and no power saving whatsoever giving me 9 hours of use without even falling into critical battery levels. When I get down to around 20%, I plug it in and it takes about 40-50 minutes to charge back to 100%. If my battery is at 30% or higher, I simply plug it in and it's charged in 30-40 minutes or less. I have ONCE allowed my phone to fall below 10%, and it took no longer than one hour to charge to 100%. So yes, the battery is EXTREMELY good, and it charges extremely fast.
(Fingerprints) This phone will have fingerprints on it within just a few minutes of use, however, they are hardly noticeable unless you're actually looking for them. Once it gets marked up really heavily, which only takes about two hours of use to happen, it becomes a little more noticeable at a glance, but still, you have to be UP CLOSE to the phone to even notice. Now, I have EXTREME OCD, so this should bother me a lot more, right? No, it doesn't. What I do is keep 2 microfiber towels- one on my desk(where I spend a lot of my time) and one in my car. Whenever I pick up my phone after an extended period of non-use, I simply wipe it with the dry towel(takes 15 seconds) and viola- it looks like it JUST came out of the box again... brand new. When going somewhere, I do a quick wipe of the phone before exiting my vehicle- and viola. Brand new looking phone sitting in my pocket wherever I'm going. The gorgeous material of this phone is a worthy sacrifice for some barely noticeable fingerprints that can easily be rectified. Oh, by the way. BECAUSE of the material the phone is made of, it is MUCH EASIER to clean with said microfiber towels than the older plastic models, such as the S4. That one took at lot more scrubbing and hitting specific areas, and would also get smudge marks from the fingerprints being "wiped in" by the cloth, that were almost impossible to get rid of.
(The "oh so" Awful Speaker) This is one of the biggest critiques the phone has received, by both people on this forum, and review videos/articles/websites all across the interwebz. And I? I just don't see it. The speaker, to me, is LOUD. Now, it's not booming, bass boosted music cube quality, however... it is loud enough to where I could easily hear it ringing(depending on the ringtone) from across the house in another room. It's also loud enough to where I could play a video, turn the volume to max, set it about 50 feet away, and still hear it vividly. Also, I love the quality of the sound. It doesn't sound cheap, or poor at all to me. Non-speaker voice sound is crystal clear through this during calls. Sometimes if you hold the phone a certain way, you can block off the speaker since it's on the bottom, muffling the sound. However, muscle memory allowed me to quickly get used to preventing this after the very first time it happened. I never have a problem with the speaker being on the bottom, outside of the fact that I slightly prefer the headphone jack being on the top.
(Performance) Mentions of slow loading, TouchWiz lag, etc on this thread, I have yet to experience once. TouchWiz also has a much better interface now, especially after downloading a free theme that I liked. TouchWiz does not lag at all for me. Nothing on this phone loads "slowly" for me. I did a screen-record video of myself navigating different apps, games, etc on my phone, and literally sh** was opening within milliseconds of each tap, minus games, which, depending on the size/type of game, would take just a few seconds. I see no "slowness" in this phone whatsoever. There's literally not even delays between navigating pages on Facebook, switching from Facebook to YouTube and then from YouTube to Gmail and then from Gmail to a video on my phone. If I were to do all these app switches and loads in order of what I just listed, it would take no more than the time it takes me to open the Edge screen and tap the different apps. Game-play on games such as Mage and Minions is fluid, without noticeable frame drops, and without lag.
(Fingerprint & Iris Scanners) Fingerprint scanner works perfectly if you actually use it right, i.e., gently place your *entire* fingertip over the button. The iris scanner is not perfect, but it works 95% of the time and is FAST... VERY FAST when it does work. If you're looking for a "more secure" method of locking your phone- that's what it's for. It is supposed to be much more secure than the fingerprint scanner, and it's very fast as long as you do it right. Like, I'm talking, sometimes I don't even have time to see the "eye circles" appear on the screen. It just unlocks in a millisecond, as I'm already holding the phone in the correct position upon swiping up. Now, if you wear glasses or contacts, just skip the iris scanner. It is not 100% necessity, by any means, and your phone can be secured with simply the fingerprint scanner or a complex password. Not the end of the world.
Now, I do not consider myself to be a "Samsung fanboy," nor a "Galaxy fanboy." I do not dislike Apple Products outside of the fact that I think they're just a tad highly priced in comparison to Samsung(I know, the difference is becoming very slight, but even still). My wife has the 6s Plus, and it's a great phone. I do not work for Samsung, I do not work for any cell phone company at all, I am not paid to write any of the above. This was simply my unbiased response/personal review of the Note 7, that I was inclined to write after seeing so many negative comments on this thread in addition to a lot of misinformation. I WANT others to get the same experience I'm getting with my Note 7, and frankly, not be discouraged by others. So there you go.

Ace Ryan said:
If you haven't gotten used to a hefty price tag yet, then you must not have been in the market for long. If you can't afford it, get a OnePlus 3, but I can guarantee you it wont be as fine an experience.
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i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.

i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??

radioraheem2 said:
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
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Click to collapse
Eh, I'm not attempting to justify it so much as I am saying "it is what it is, and that there are affordable options for those who can't just buy the phone outright. For everyone else, and for those who do not care for the added specs, then there are a wide range of options out there. No doubt, the OnePlus 3 is a great phone for the price, and a good alternative for those who don't want to shell out the extra expenses. It is very much comparable in many ways, but as you said yourself, the Note 7 is better. I am, however, questioning the legitimacy of your statement that you own both phones after you stated your doubt as to people being able to tell the difference between 1080p and the display of the Note. Almost so much so, that I'd be willing to bet you're just a OnePlus3 owner. Maybe I just have good eyesight, but the HUGE difference between the phenomenal display of the Note 7 and the OnePlus 3 when put side to side was what made me go with the Note 7. Also, I can't speak for everyone, but I've owned this phone for a while now and have not experienced a single blip of lag. Then again, I don't use search functions for apps or settings due to the fact that I have a custom layout that has everything very easily accessible with a swipe and a click.
In terms of camera quality, yes, the OnePlus 3 barely falls behind. However, speed of focus, dark lighting, things like that, the Note 7 camera wins hands down.

Ace Ryan said:
I am, however, questioning the legitimacy of your statement that you own both phones after you stated your doubt as to people being able to tell the difference between 1080p and the display of the Note. Almost so much so, that I'd be willing to bet you're just a OnePlus3 owner.
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Wow, Ryan, you're straight out calling me a liar on here when I typed a pretty reasonable response? How old are you, 14? anyway, i'd advice you stop making so many bad bets, cause you'd go broke.

radioraheem2 said:
Wow, Ryan, you're straight out calling me a liar on here when I typed a pretty reasonable response? How old are you, 14? anyway, i'd advice you stop making so many bad bets, cause you'd go broke.
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I is that the p9 plus?
This phone is the best in 2016. Full of useful options and performance is awesome with a fantastic build quality

vodovodo said:
I is that the p9 plus?
This phone is the best in 2016. Full of useful options and performance is awesome with a fantastic build quality
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Click to collapse
Hi voodoo, yes that is a p9 plus. I like it a lot too, though, the note 7's rounded corners feels so much more comfy in my hands than the square edges of p9 plus.

I love mine! Completely happy with it. I feel like I got one of the better built ones? No light leaks, call quality is amazing compared to my iPhone 6, Note 4 N910W8, LG G4 and S5. Battery life a astonishing! Was out for 14 hours yesterday and had the screen on auto brightness 80-90% most of the time and an hour of Pokemon Go (brought my power bank in case never got to use it) at the end of the day it was still at 62%! Lol! I dont know if thats normal but I'm happy.
Edit:
Just finish Antutu 3D and got a 133565 score which is not bad for me. maybe its because I came from a note 4 my expectations are way low lol.

Love
Sent from my Galaxy Note7 using XDA Labs

radioraheem2 said:
Hi voodoo, yes that is a p9 plus. I like it a lot too, though, the note 7's rounded corners feels so much more comfy in my hands than the square edges of p9 plus.
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I own a p9 plus also at moment and I love it, nevertheless the Note 7 is interesting for me.
Can you comment more on the differences?
I tried many devices and as I live in an area with poor reception one of the best things is that the p9 has absolutely unparalleled reception quality - also compared to the S7 Edge ...
Gesendet von meinem VIE-L09 mit Tapatalk

OnkelAlbert said:
I own a p9 plus also at moment and I love it, nevertheless the Note 7 is interesting for me.
Can you comment more on the differences?
I tried many devices and as I live in an area with poor reception one of the best things is that the p9 has absolutely unparalleled reception quality - also compared to the S7 Edge ...
Gesendet von meinem VIE-L09 mit Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Hi,
The biggest difference is that the Note 7 feels a bit more comfortable in the hand, due to its rounded sides compared to the P9 plus' square-ish sides. The software is, obviously, quite different too if used as is. but i use nova launcher on both so they behave closer now.
otherwise, there isn't that big a difference. again, i really don't see a difference between 1080p and quad HD display (i really tried putting the phones side by side and looking at various photos and apps and videos), and the Note 7 camera -- while probably the best overall -- isn't that much better than other cameras out there. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). in fact, i love the P9's gimmick camera features like light trails and night shot, which create really stylish photos that the Note 7 cannot.
as for speed, the P9, like the OnePlus 3, is actually a bit smoother than the Note 7. the Note 7 isn't bad at all, it's just slightly laggy/buggy because of TouchWiz.
overall i would still say the Note 7 is the better phone, BUT i can't stress enough that the difference between the note 7 and a Chinese flagship isn't that big ... not enough to justify the extra $300 or $400 to the average consumer.
i'd recommend the Note 7 for the following types of people:
1: people who don't think US$400 is a lot of money
2: people who really need features like waterproofing and stylus (say, if you are a lifeguard, or if you need to anecdote documents regularly, etc)
3: tech geeks who like to collect gadgets and own the latest/most buzzworthy thing (i am one of these).
4: loyal samsung fans who just want to stick with the company's products
that's about it. otherwise, to the average person -- someone who just buys a phone and uses one phone only for a year or two -- it's very, very hard to justify paying US$850 for the note 7 when the OnePlus 3 costs US$400 or the Huawei P9 Plus costs US$500.

Note 7 is underrated by these standards
radioraheem2 said:
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
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Click to collapse
In performance, OnePlus seems amazing. However the reason I got the Note 7 as a expensive price was, Water Resistance/Proof for 1M 30 Minutes, Curved Screen and Design, Micro SD up to 256gb, Pen for drawing, Iris Scanner (For Wearing Gloves or wet fingerprint), 2K screen, (DPI doesn't matter but for VR, 2K+ definitively needed) Dual Camera and Powerful "Water-Proof" speaker. So far, I have used all these features and found them to be lacking in other phones. I did get Note 7 for Samsung Pay MST however Aussie support sucks so, just rooted and tripped knox.
The Screen is beautiful and curved that makes it appear bigger that it actually is without major size difference. The Water sealing without external ports is so easily to deal with and when i'm in the shower/bath the S-Pen actually helps. I kinda of just got this phone for the easy convenience features. Waterproof is a huge deal, specifically without external ports, it's a major design for people to get the phone. I hear sales people always advertising it and customers wanting it.
I don't own a OnePlus but I'm just saying despite this overpriced phone with it's security restrictions (Hate that) no other phone has all this. Not LG, not Nexus, not OnePlus, not Sony. I do like OnePlus open OEM policy, so no hate. Just hardware and general phone wise, Note 7 is worth twice the price.

BotoxGod said:
In performance, OnePlus seems amazing. However the reason I got the Note 7 as a expensive price was, Water Resistance/Proof for 1M 30 Minutes, Curved Screen and Design, Micro SD up to 256gb, Pen for drawing, Iris Scanner (For Wearing Gloves or wet fingerprint), 2K screen, (DPI doesn't matter but for VR, 2K+ definitively needed) Dual Camera and Powerful "Water-Proof" speaker. So far, I have used all these features and found them to be lacking in other phones. I did get Note 7 for Samsung Pay MST however Aussie support sucks so, just rooted and tripped knox.
The Screen is beautiful and curved that makes it appear bigger that it actually is without major size difference. The Water sealing without external ports is so easily to deal with and when i'm in the shower/bath the S-Pen actually helps. I kinda of just got this phone for the easy convenience features. Waterproof is a huge deal, specifically without external ports, it's a major design for people to get the phone. I hear sales people always advertising it and customers wanting it.
I don't own a OnePlus but I'm just saying despite this overpriced phone with it's security restrictions (Hate that) no other phone has all this. Not LG, not Nexus, not OnePlus, not Sony. I do like OnePlus open OEM policy, so no hate. Just hardware and general phone wise, Note 7 is worth twice the price.
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you make fair points. thanks for responding in a civil manner, unlike that dude AceRyan, who just accused me of being a liar.

vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you really did not see the mentioned flaws or defects when you bought the phone? I always check the things I buy before paying

As far as the phone, It's gorgeous. Minor things I don't like, but more or less, it's 5 stars.

vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@vodovodo- thanks for posting and making the video....was wondering, do you think the lack of build quality is because it is a non-US variant?

vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure that is not light leak but rather light refraction?

Is it really worth the price

Hi,
My friend is planning to get a 5t along with his note 8. Few questions-
1. How is this phones screen as compared to note 8's screen, comparing them at max settings?
2. How smooth is the OS? He is skeptical about it since he is switching from stock android and touchwiz.
Any other down sides of this phone? I hope the screen is really an infinity display like the s8.

I really like the curved edges of the S8. I prefer the S8 in terms of the display it is curve display which makes the screen to body ratio very low.
In terms of OS. I would prefer the OP5T.

billubakra said:
Hi,
My friend is planning to get a 5t along with his note 8. Few questions-
1. How is this phones screen as compared to note 8's screen, comparing them at max settings?
2. How smooth is the OS? He is skeptical about it since he is switching from stock android and touchwiz.
Any other down sides of this phone? I hope the screen is really an infinity display like the s8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had and regularly use a lot of phones due to my work. One of them being the Note 8.
The Note 8 comes out of the box set at 1080p, but does have the edge in the display department (no pun intended) if you set it to QHD. However unless I'm purposefully staring at it looking for pixels I can't really tell a difference in practical day to day use. The 5T has a gorgeous display and on mine at least, the colors are more accurate. The display is made by Samsung for OnePlus so it's honestly top notch in terms of quality and the "jelly scrolling" issue that was present on the OnePlus 5 for some is gone now with the 5T. So, is the Note 8 better in terms of display? Yes. As it should be, the starting price is about twice that of the 5T. Is it worth twice the asking price? Absolutely not.
The OS kills Samsung's flavor. Touchwiz is a hot mess, and it's even worse when you've had it for a few weeks and Touchwiz starts to really lag. It's much better on the Note 8 than the S8+ due to the RAM upgrade, but it's still there and really irritating. It's been an issue with Samsung phones for years. Oxygen OS is smoother than Touchwiz and frankly, smoother than stock Android on a Pixel in my experience. But that's likely due to the specs of the 5T (I have the 8GB RAM/128GB model). OnePlus changes very little about stock android, they only add a few things that make it a little more convenient and slightly more customizable. It's not a skin as you'd find on a Samsung, LG or Huawei among others. The OnePlus destroys Samsung in terms of smoothness of the OS and multitasking/general use.
One downside people talk about is the camera. Camera is a mixed bag. Honestly that side of marketing with smartphones is ridiculous. The Samsung has the edge, but that's all it is. There's not a smartphone out that can replace a DSLR and there's not a single one out that doesn't have noise or other issues in low light or when pixel peeping. Auto mode for auto mode in the same circumstances there's not enough of a difference to warrant the price hike either. Is it better on the Samsung devices? Yep. But only marginally in the real world. I can't count how many times I've shown people shots taken in identical conditions of identical subjects on all the phones I have and no one can get it right as to which took what shot. There's no clear winner and there's very little difference between them. People tend to just pick a bandwagon and hop on it. The differences come when you really play with pro mode and work to shoot with each phone's strength, but that's not real world use and that's entirely invalid for comparisons or determining which phone to buy. In real life people don't schedule shoots or wait for ideal lighting and conditions for their phone to pull it out and take a photo. That's what professionals do, and professionals don't use smartphones which are the equivalent of drug store disposable point and shoots. People in real life buy a phone they like and they pull it out in a split second on auto mode and snap a shot of the kids, the dogs or what have you.
Down sides depend what you are interested in though. For example yes, the 5T doesn't have an edge display. It also doesn't have the nasty glare or slippery feel that comes with the newer Samsungs. Also if a person relies heavily on the Samsung gimmicks incorporated into Touchwiz, you'll find the 5T very bland and lacking. Personally I never use the "advanced features" on Samsung phones and the only thing I use on my Note 8 is the S pen. And I do love that thing. If you don't like those things and want a more stock experience or a faster phone with at least twice the battery life (my 5T gets 9-10 hours SOT every time I test it, the Note 8 does great to get 3, sometimes almost 4 if I really gimp it for battery life) then the Samsung is the one with the downsides.
Different phones designed for different folks. With the OnePlus 5T you get what you pay for. However they absolutely cannot raise the price again without adding certain things such as a higher resolution display, an IP rating and what have you. With the current $1,000 flagships, you don't get anywhere near what you pay for. They're priced way too god damned high and don't offer enough over phones like the 5T to warrant twice the price. But if you can get them for $600 or less, they're the better buy unless you really care about battery life and specs.

Symphony0fLife said:
I've had and regularly use a lot of phones due to my work. One of them being the Note 8.
The Note 8 comes out of the box set at 1080p, but does have the edge in the display department (no pun intended) if you set it to QHD. However unless I'm purposefully staring at it looking for pixels I can't really tell a difference in practical day to day use. The 5T has a gorgeous display and on mine at least, the colors are more accurate. The display is made by Samsung for OnePlus so it's honestly top notch in terms of quality and the "jelly scrolling" issue that was present on the OnePlus 5 for some is gone now with the 5T. So, is the Note 8 better in terms of display? Yes. As it should be, the starting price is about twice that of the 5T. Is it worth twice the asking price? Absolutely not.
The OS kills Samsung's flavor. Touchwiz is a hot mess, and it's even worse when you've had it for a few weeks and Touchwiz starts to really lag. It's much better on the Note 8 than the S8+ due to the RAM upgrade, but it's still there and really irritating. It's been an issue with Samsung phones for years. Oxygen OS is smoother than Touchwiz and frankly, smoother than stock Android on a Pixel in my experience. But that's likely due to the specs of the 5T (I have the 8GB RAM/128GB model). OnePlus changes very little about stock android, they only add a few things that make it a little more convenient and slightly more customizable. It's not a skin as you'd find on a Samsung, LG or Huawei among others. The OnePlus destroys Samsung in terms of smoothness of the OS and multitasking/general use.
One downside people talk about is the camera. Camera is a mixed bag. Honestly that side of marketing with smartphones is ridiculous. The Samsung has the edge, but that's all it is. There's not a smartphone out that can replace a DSLR and there's not a single one out that doesn't have noise or other issues in low light or when pixel peeping. Auto mode for auto mode in the same circumstances there's not enough of a difference to warrant the price hike either. Is it better on the Samsung devices? Yep. But only marginally in the real world. I can't count how many times I've shown people shots taken in identical conditions of identical subjects on all the phones I have and no one can get it right as to which took what shot. There's no clear winner and there's very little difference between them. People tend to just pick a bandwagon and hop on it. The differences come when you really play with pro mode and work to shoot with each phone's strength, but that's not real world use and that's entirely invalid for comparisons or determining which phone to buy. In real life people don't schedule shoots or wait for ideal lighting and conditions for their phone to pull it out and take a photo. That's what professionals do, and professionals don't use smartphones which are the equivalent of drug store disposable point and shoots. People in real life buy a phone they like and they pull it out in a split second on auto mode and snap a shot of the kids, the dogs or what have you.
Down sides depend what you are interested in though. For example yes, the 5T doesn't have an edge display. It also doesn't have the nasty glare or slippery feel that comes with the newer Samsungs. Also if a person relies heavily on the Samsung gimmicks incorporated into Touchwiz, you'll find the 5T very bland and lacking. Personally I never use the "advanced features" on Samsung phones and the only thing I use on my Note 8 is the S pen. And I do love that thing. If you don't like those things and want a more stock experience or a faster phone with at least twice the battery life (my 5T gets 9-10 hours SOT every time I test it, the Note 8 does great to get 3, sometimes almost 4 if I really gimp it for battery life) then the Samsung is the one with the downsides.
Different phones designed for different folks. With the OnePlus 5T you get what you pay for. However they absolutely cannot raise the price again without adding certain things such as a higher resolution display, an IP rating and what have you. With the current $1,000 flagships, you don't get anywhere near what you pay for. They're priced way too god damned high and don't offer enough over phones like the 5T to warrant twice the price. But if you can get them for $600 or less, they're the better buy unless you really care about battery life and specs.
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Thank you so much for such a detailed review. Is the infinity display on 5T really worth it without the edge display or the side edges/curves? We don't have a opo showroom in our state so can't really check the phone physically. 5T is not water proof, flash is also not good, no vr compatibility, audio speaker is just fine. Any other points that we need to keep in mind? Are they still cheating with benchmark tests?

billubakra said:
Thank you so much for such a detailed review. Is the infinity display on 5T really worth it without the edge display or the side edges/curves? We don't have a opo showroom in our state so can't really check the phone physically. 5T is not water proof, flash is also not good, no vr compatibility, audio speaker is just fine. Any other points that we need to keep in mind? Are they still cheating with benchmark tests?
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Glad to help!
I've never heard OnePlus call it an infinity display. And it's just a term Samsung uses. Yes, on Samsungs you have the display spilling over the edges. Some people like it, others don't. I don't. It has a horrible glare and it alters the picture on screen for the worse, not better. The edge display makes things look really weird on the Samsung phones. So I prefer the flat edges like the 5T has and that Samsung had on the S7 and below, with the Edge display being optional. The bezels on the OnePlus are slightly larger than on the Note 8 and the S8 but not by much and not enough to hinder the experience. It's still a 2:1 ration (or 18:9, however you like to say it). It's not quad HD, so right, no VR, but is the same ratio and looks gorgeous. It's hard to explain. Yes the resolution is lower, but it's not noticeable unless you really pixel peep. Quad HD isn't enabled by default on the S8, S8+ or Note 8 and you don't notice much difference when you enable it to be honest. Most people use their Samsungs on 1080p and don't even realize it. Most aren't tech freaks like us and don't even know you can turn it on.
Flash, I'm not sure what you mean about it not being as good? I already addressed photos above, the flash is fine and not noticeably different in every day use. 5T is not water resistant (even the Samsungs are not water PROOF) but OnePlus has stated it will stand up to splashes just fine. Unless you need to swim or shower with your phone, the 5T should be ok. Audio speaker is mono like the Samsung, but is louder than Samsung and sounds slightly better, though the Samsung has the edge if you use headphones. Headphone sound quality is slightly better with the Samsung. Speaker is better on the 5T.
Benchmarks, I don't know. But they don't mean anything real world either. Like the cameras, it's largely a marketing gimmick. Whatever single or multi core score it gets doesn't mean a thing when translated to actual use. But yeah, it kicks everything else's ass. But it should, being that it has the best specs in the industry for this year. So I don't know if they still fluff numbers, but whether they do or not they still win in the spec pissing contest.
Edit: Simplified, if you can get a 2017 flagship for less money than a 5T costs, or within $100 of the 5T for the Note, the S8+, the V30 or the Pixel 2/2XL, it's worth it to get the flagships. If it costs any more than that, they're not better "enough" to warrant spending the money and I'd go with the 5T. Because the only areas they're better are either gimmicks or they are only marginally better, not several hundred dollars better.

Symphony0fLife said:
Glad to help!
I've never heard OnePlus call it an infinity display. And it's just a term Samsung uses. Yes, on Samsungs you have the display spilling over the edges. Some people like it, others don't. I don't. It has a horrible glare and it alters the picture on screen for the worse, not better. The edge display makes things look really weird on the Samsung phones. So I prefer the flat edges like the 5T has and that Samsung had on the S7 and below, with the Edge display being optional. The bezels on the OnePlus are slightly larger than on the Note 8 and the S8 but not by much and not enough to hinder the experience. It's still a 2:1 ration (or 18:9, however you like to say it). It's not quad HD, so right, no VR, but is the same ratio and looks gorgeous. It's hard to explain. Yes the resolution is lower, but it's not noticeable unless you really pixel peep. Quad HD isn't enabled by default on the S8, S8+ or Note 8 and you don't notice much difference when you enable it to be honest. Most people use their Samsungs on 1080p and don't even realize it. Most aren't tech freaks like us and don't even know you can turn it on.
Flash, I'm not sure what you mean about it not being as good? I already addressed photos above, the flash is fine and not noticeably different in every day use. 5T is not water resistant (even the Samsungs are not water PROOF) but OnePlus has stated it will stand up to splashes just fine. Unless you need to swim or shower with your phone, the 5T should be ok. Audio speaker is mono like the Samsung, but is louder than Samsung and sounds slightly better, though the Samsung has the edge if you use headphones. Headphone sound quality is slightly better with the Samsung. Speaker is better on the 5T.
Benchmarks, I don't know. But they don't mean anything real world either. Like the cameras, it's largely a marketing gimmick. Whatever single or multi core score it gets doesn't mean a thing when translated to actual use. But yeah, it kicks everything else's ass. But it should, being that it has the best specs in the industry for this year. So I don't know if they still fluff numbers, but whether they do or not they still win in the spec pissing contest.
Edit: Simplified, if you can get a 2017 flagship for less money than a 5T costs, or within $100 of the 5T for the Note, the S8+, the V30 or the Pixel 2/2XL, it's worth it to get the flagships. If it costs any more than that, they're not better "enough" to warrant spending the money and I'd go with the 5T. Because the only areas they're better are either gimmicks or they are only marginally better, not several hundred dollars better.
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Once again thank you so much. Last 2 queries can you please post a photo of the edges and a pic which shows all the bezels? I have a S7 and I get your point but it will be hard to explain to him. Second I was talking about the benchmark cheat in which opo was involved in, some senior members made a detailed thread about it, Google one plus one benchmark cheat XDA. Has anyone tested the 5t to find out the real benchmarks?

He just messaged me to ask you this, he will be getting a Gadgetshieldz protector for his 5t which is installed by soaking the protector in water mixed with detergent or some other chemical, since the phone is water resistant will there be any issues with the screen or any other component if the liquid goes inside the phone? Lastly is oneplus one guaranteeing software updates till 2 years?

Hey dude, let me give my 2 cents since I owned the note 8 and the 5T.
1. The 5T display is REALLY good. I'm the type of person that barely notice a difference between QHD and Full HD. As a matter of fact I'm using my note 8 on 1080 p cause I cannot tell the difference. Of course there is one but i barely see it. The point is the 5T display is excellent.
2. The 5T is insanely fast. OnePlus is known to have zippy software and it's very consistent throughout the UI. That is the last thing to worry about on the 5T, performance. It's absolutely stellar and it is amongst the fastest phone out there period. Whether it's an iPhone or pixel or whatever else, the 5T is top 3 hands down.
Now your friend has a note AND is getting a 5T as well? That is the absolute best combo to have besides having the note and an iPhone X. He is gonna love it and will be able to switch back and forth. Tell him to pull the trigger, the 5T is totally worth it.
I forgot to answer your questions about downsides of the phone. Well it doesn't have any IP ratings, it doesn't have wireless charging and the camera isn't the best. It's ok/good but definitely not great. The hardware is there but the software still needs some work (camera).
Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
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billubakra said:
He just messaged me to ask you this, he will be getting a Gadgetshieldz protector for his 5t which is installed by soaking the protector in water mixed with detergent or some other chemical, since the phone is water resistant will there be any issues with the screen or any other component if the liquid goes inside the phone? Lastly is oneplus one guaranteeing software updates till 2 years?
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I wouldn't worry about those screen protectors that you soak in water and apply on phones, it's made to be that way. Of course if you go crazy and purposely pour water in the headphone jack or USB x port then you'll have issues. But splashes here and there will be no issues. As far as updates, who knows. We know for sure Oreo is coming and most likely Android P but beyond that I haven't heard anything personally.
Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk

billubakra said:
Once again thank you so much. Last 2 queries can you please post a photo of the edges and a pic which shows all the bezels? I have a S7 and I get your point but it will be hard to explain to him. Second I was talking about the benchmark cheat in which opo was involved in, some senior members made a detailed thread about it, Google one plus one benchmark cheat XDA. Has anyone tested the 5t to find out the real benchmarks?
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The moment I get home and have both phones handy I will post some photos, sure. And again, the benchmark thing doesn't mean anything. It doesn't matter if it scores 15,000 in Geekbench or whatever. What counts is real world use. For example, the iPhone scores spectacularly well in benchmarks and is a train wreck in day to day use. I sold my iPhone X already, but it was a jittery mess. Scores are high, but real world doesn't reflect that. Samsung scores pretty well too but again, real world it's a mess. Stutters and lags abound in Touchwiz. My Sony scored lower than my others and it is the smoothest performance hands down next to the 5T. If you're into benchmarks I'm sure you can find answers on here but I'm telling you, they're just for folks to "nerd out" on. They don't mean anything in the real world. But yes, OnePlus was caught fudging the numbers (why, I don't know since they are the king of specs anyway) but I am not sure if they still do.
As to the screen protector, as long as he doesn't submerge the phone he should be fine. But keep in mind - the Samsung is not water proof. It's water resistant. So water CAN damage it. The OnePlus is not rated as water resistant, but OnePlus says it's fine with things like splashes or rain drops. He's not going to hurt it using a wet application screen protector.
Updates - Who knows. Manufacturers always over promise on updates these days. They claim it'll be updated for a long time and they'll roll them out fast. OnePlus and Essential so far are hands down the best in terms of fast besides Google themselves, but OnePlus has dropped the ball on long term before. The 3 and 3T are getting Oreo, I'd imagine the 5 and 5T will get Oreo and the next major update at a minimum. Beyond that you'd have to ask them. I imagine many don't bother since people tend to upgrade every year or two but if you plan to use it for 2+ years you'd be best served to ask them. Though Samsung definitely won't be updating theirs fast and I doubt they'll get anything beyond what the 5T does either. Manufacturers want to sell phones. Not keep old phones running for years and years. 2 years is the outside for most manufacturers. Where you have a win on the OnePlus is the developer community. The bootloader is unlockable and you can install any ROM you want. With the specs it has the phone will be supported in some way for years and years, just potentially not by OnePlus themselves.

barondebxl said:
Hey dude, let me give my 2 cents since I owned the note 8 and the 5T.
1. The 5T display is REALLY good. I'm the type of person that barely notice a difference between QHD and Full HD. As a matter of fact I'm using my note 8 on 1080 p cause I cannot tell the difference. Of course there is one but i barely see it. The point is the 5T display is excellent.
2. The 5T is insanely fast. OnePlus is known to have zippy software and it's very consistent throughout the UI. That is the last thing to worry about on the 5T, performance. It's absolutely stellar and it is amongst the fastest phone out there period. Whether it's an iPhone or pixel or whatever else, the 5T is top 3 hands down.
Now your friend has a note AND is getting a 5T as well? That is the absolute best combo to have besides having the note and an iPhone X. He is gonna love it and will be able to switch back and forth. Tell him to pull the trigger, the 5T is totally worth it.
I forgot to answer your questions about downsides of the phone. Well it doesn't have any IP ratings, it doesn't have wireless charging and the camera isn't the best. It's ok/good but definitely not great. The hardware is there but the software still needs some work (camera).
Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 02:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:11 PM ----------
I wouldn't worry about those screen protectors that you soak in water and apply on phones, it's made to be that way. Of course if you go crazy and purposely pour water in the headphone jack or USB x port then you'll have issues. But splashes here and there will be no issues. As far as updates, who knows. We know for sure Oreo is coming and most likely Android P but beyond that I haven't heard anything personally.
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Thank you to you too. Can you please post a photo is the screen sleeting the bezels? Are you using the 8gb variant?

Symphony0fLife said:
The moment I get home and have both phones handy I will post some photos, sure. And again, the benchmark thing doesn't mean anything. It doesn't matter if it scores 15,000 in Geekbench or whatever. What counts is real world use. For example, the iPhone scores spectacularly well in benchmarks and is a train wreck in day to day use. I sold my iPhone X already, but it was a jittery mess. Scores are high, but real world doesn't reflect that. Samsung scores pretty well too but again, real world it's a mess. Stutters and lags abound in Touchwiz. My Sony scored lower than my others and it is the smoothest performance hands down next to the 5T. If you're into benchmarks I'm sure you can find answers on here but I'm telling you, they're just for folks to "nerd out" on. They don't mean anything in the real world. But yes, OnePlus was caught fudging the numbers (why, I don't know since they are the king of specs anyway) but I am not sure if they still do.
As to the screen protector, as long as he doesn't submerge the phone he should be fine. But keep in mind - the Samsung is not water proof. It's water resistant. So water CAN damage it. The OnePlus is not rated as water resistant, but OnePlus says it's fine with things like splashes or rain drops. He's not going to hurt it using a wet application screen protector.
Updates - Who knows. Manufacturers always over promise on updates. The 3 and 3T are getting Oreo, I'd imagine the 5 and 5T will get Oreo and the next major update at a minimum. Beyond that you'd have to ask them.
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Thanks a lot. Will wait for the photos.

billubakra said:
Thank you to you too. Can you please post a photo is the screen sleeting the bezels? Are you using the 8gb variant?
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I no longer have the 5T. Someone offered to trade me a note 8 factory unlocked brand new and I had to do it lol. The resale value is why and ultimately the note is the superior phone.
Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk

barondebxl said:
I no longer have the 5T. Someone offered to trade me a note 8 factory unlocked brand new and I had to do it lol. The resale value is why and ultimately the note is the superior phone.
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Lol I would have done the same ...probably sell the note and get another one plus 5t or a a pixel....profit

Any good?
I have heard the One plus is the best phone, is it true? What about a comparison to the Iphone X?

Symphony0fLife said:
The moment I get home and have both phones handy I will post some photos, sure. And again, the benchmark thing doesn't mean anything. It doesn't matter if it scores 15,000 in Geekbench or whatever. What counts is real world use. For example, the iPhone scores spectacularly well in benchmarks and is a train wreck in day to day use. I sold my iPhone X already, but it was a jittery mess. Scores are high, but real world doesn't reflect that. Samsung scores pretty well too but again, real world it's a mess. Stutters and lags abound in Touchwiz. My Sony scored lower than my others and it is the smoothest performance hands down next to the 5T. If you're into benchmarks I'm sure you can find answers on here but I'm telling you, they're just for folks to "nerd out" on. They don't mean anything in the real world. But yes, OnePlus was caught fudging the numbers (why, I don't know since they are the king of specs anyway) but I am not sure if they still do.
As to the screen protector, as long as he doesn't submerge the phone he should be fine. But keep in mind - the Samsung is not water proof. It's water resistant. So water CAN damage it. The OnePlus is not rated as water resistant, but OnePlus says it's fine with things like splashes or rain drops. He's not going to hurt it using a wet application screen protector.
Updates - Who knows. Manufacturers always over promise on updates these days. They claim it'll be updated for a long time and they'll roll them out fast. OnePlus and Essential so far are hands down the best in terms of fast besides Google themselves, but OnePlus has dropped the ball on long term before. The 3 and 3T are getting Oreo, I'd imagine the 5 and 5T will get Oreo and the next major update at a minimum. Beyond that you'd have to ask them. I imagine many don't bother since people tend to upgrade every year or two but if you plan to use it for 2+ years you'd be best served to ask them. Though Samsung definitely won't be updating theirs fast and I doubt they'll get anything beyond what the 5T does either. Manufacturers want to sell phones. Not keep old phones running for years and years. 2 years is the outside for most manufacturers. Where you have a win on the OnePlus is the developer community. The bootloader is unlockable and you can install any ROM you want. With the specs it has the phone will be supported in some way for years and years, just potentially not by OnePlus themselves.
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Waiting for the photos my dear. Is the warranty of opo taken care by oppo's service centers?

Just for a giggle, my last THREE phones cost less than my 5t. I bought all of them direct from China and they all exceeded my expectations. I kept the last one - a Xiaomi Redmi Note 2- for two years (unheard of for me!) and the only reason I've given up on it is because the power button is failing. To my amazement, in a side by side comparison, it holds up to the 5t pretty well, in particular having a screen with much more accurate colour saturation. Compared to that, is a 5t worth £499 Vs the £117 the Redmi Note 2 cost? Heck no! Do I like the 5t? Yep! Would I buy another if I dropped it tomorrow? Nope, I'd buy another cheap phone from China because they offer fantastic value for money

I talked my wife into buying the OnePlus 5T after months of listening to her complain about her Moto X Pure Edition and me having to constantly factory reset it (probably at least once a month to keep her happy). No idea what she was doing to the thing as i didn't have nearly as many problems with my MXPE, but regardless i finally talked her into buying a new phone. I hoped at the very least to alleviate myself from having to constantly listen to complaining about how slow it was, how it couldn't take a good picture to save its life (the pictures i can agree with, they were pretty horrible), and having to spend a couple hours backing up data, factory resetting, and restoring her photos and whatnot every month. She's really picky with phones and had her heart set on a Note 8 (especially after i picked up the GS8+ about a month or so ago for myself) but she was really turned off by the $900 price tag of the Note 8. She thinks that it's completely ridiculous to spend that much on a phone, which i agree with fully.
Thankfully she ended up listening to me and ordering the OP 5T. After she received her OP 5T and got it all set up, she fell in love with it. I i have messed with the phone quite a bit and first thing that hit me was that I immediately enjoyed the user experience. I had previously run custom ROMs on my MXPE and this phone is truly in a whole other league. The speed of it is incredible. It even makes my GS8+ seem like a slug at times. The software experience is really refreshing. Minimal changes to stock Android with the tweaks that are implemented done very seamlessly and with a purpose in mind. The screen, although it's "only" 1080p and not 1440p, is incredibly crisp in my opinion. I had it side by side with my GS8+ and honestly preferred the OP 5T's screen over my S8+'s. I'll also admit i do not like the curved screen on the S8+ at all so that may have something to do with my opinion on the OP 5T's screen quality. The cameras aren't quite on the same level as Samsung phones, or the pixel line for that matter, but they're by no means bad cameras. I've seen numerous reports that the cameras are terrible or that they simply don't take good pictures. I had my wife take a pretty good amount of photos over the last few days so that i could see the quality for myself and they honestly aren't anywhere close to being bad. They blow her previous phone out of the water (not that it's really difficult to do). All in all this phone IMO truly is a flagship caliber phone without the flagship price attached to it.
The only downsides that i have found so far -
1- It doesn't properly/fully support Verizon (i'm on StraightTalk but i use the Verizon towers/4G SIM) which means that i won't be switching to it
2- This is probably more of an Android problem honestly, but SmartLock doesn't work well/consistently on the OP 5T. There's a workaround floating around the internet to disable trusted agents in the fingerprint/security settings and that does work, but only temporarily. After a reboot it just stops working and sometimes even after using the workaround it stops working for seemingly no reason. Pretty frustrating for my wife when my GS8+ utilizes SmartLock perfectly. We're both hoping that this is addressed in a future software update
All in all though, this phone is a no brainer for $500. If you're on a service provider that utilizes GSM you just cant beat the price to performance ratio that this thing has. And that software experience, lawd have mercy is it good.

Symphony0fLife said:
One downside people talk about is the camera. Camera is a mixed bag. Honestly that side of marketing with smartphones is ridiculous. The Samsung has the edge, but that's all it is. There's not a smartphone out that can replace a DSLR and there's not a single one out that doesn't have noise or other issues in low light or when pixel peeping. Auto mode for auto mode in the same circumstances there's not enough of a difference to warrant the price hike either. Is it better on the Samsung devices? Yep. But only marginally in the real world. I can't count how many times I've shown people shots taken in identical conditions of identical subjects on all the phones I have and no one can get it right as to which took what shot. There's no clear winner and there's very little difference between them. People tend to just pick a bandwagon and hop on it. The differences come when you really play with pro mode and work to shoot with each phone's strength, but that's not real world use and that's entirely invalid for comparisons or determining which phone to buy. In real life people don't schedule shoots or wait for ideal lighting and conditions for their phone to pull it out and take a photo. That's what professionals do, and professionals don't use smartphones which are the equivalent of drug store disposable point and shoots. People in real life buy a phone they like and they pull it out in a split second on auto mode and snap a shot of the kids, the dogs or what have you.
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While I don't think any phone on the market claims to have a camera comparable to a DSLR, there is something to be said for having a capable camera and there are pretty significant differences in photo quality between a 5t and phones like the Note 8/Pixel 2/iPhone X when attempting to capture difficult shots, e.g. low-light, moving objects, etc. I was considering a 5t in addition to my Pixel 2 XL to fill my interest in modding, tweaking, flashing, etc since my Pixel 2 XL is locked. I played with my friend's 5t for a bit to specifically test out the camera and found it just can't keep up for my needs, and didn't leave me with a lot of confidence. When a camera performs poorly in specific situations, I'm less likely to use it. If most of my shots were of non-moving objects in broad daylight, the 5t would suffice. However, most of my shots are of my kids, who are very active and often in low light and indoor situations in addition to being outdoors in broad daylight. The best camera is the one you have on you and for capturing moments in my family's life, I wouldn't want that camera to be the one on the 5t.

billubakra said:
Hi,
My friend is planning to get a 5t along with his note 8. Few questions-
1. How is this phones screen as compared to note 8's screen, comparing them at max settings?
2. How smooth is the OS? He is skeptical about it since he is switching from stock android and touchwiz.
Any other down sides of this phone? I hope the screen is really an infinity display like the s8.
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Its worth the price. You can see comparisons on youtube... Its the best phone since they released op 3 period

sh4ne said:
The only downsides that i have found so far -
1- It doesn't properly/fully support Verizon (i'm on StraightTalk but i use the Verizon towers/4G SIM) which means that i won't be switching to it
2- This is probably more of an Android problem honestly, but SmartLock doesn't work well/consistently on the OP 5T. There's a workaround floating around the internet to disable trusted agents in the fingerprint/security settings and that does work, but only temporarily. After a reboot it just stops working and sometimes even after using the workaround it stops working for seemingly no reason. Pretty frustrating for my wife when my GS8+ utilizes SmartLock perfectly. We're both hoping that this is addressed in a future software update
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1. I was so glad to switch off Verizon earlier last year when I got my Pixel XL, to goto T-Mobile. I'm saving money, am on a network with the same speeds, and have the luxury of buying non-carrier phones.
2. I had this issue with SmartLock on OxygenOS as well. it was annoying, and they need to fix it. I switched to 8.1 AOSP firmware and all my problems went away. Oxygen was okay, but AOSP custome firmware always manages to be superior to stock firmwares.
---------- Post added at 09:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 PM ----------
mlin said:
While I don't think any phone on the market claims to have a camera comparable to a DSLR, there is something to be said for having a capable camera and there are pretty significant differences in photo quality between a 5t and phones like the Note 8/Pixel 2/iPhone X when attempting to capture difficult shots, e.g. low-light, moving objects, etc. I was considering a 5t in addition to my Pixel 2 XL to fill my interest in modding, tweaking, flashing, etc since my Pixel 2 XL is locked. I played with my friend's 5t for a bit to specifically test out the camera and found it just can't keep up for my needs, and didn't leave me with a lot of confidence. When a camera performs poorly in specific situations, I'm less likely to use it. If most of my shots were of non-moving objects in broad daylight, the 5t would suffice. However, most of my shots are of my kids, who are very active and often in low light and indoor situations in addition to being outdoors in broad daylight. The best camera is the one you have on you and for capturing moments in my family's life, I wouldn't want that camera to be the one on the 5t.
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I'm the same as you, but with the screen and not the camera. I went to a Pixel 2 XL from a Pixel XL and found that I just couldn't use a phone with a poor screen. I had to dump it in favor of a good screen that wasn't curved and had an unlockable bootloader. The 5T fit the bill nicely and the camera is average, but then again I don't have kids.

Question S21 Ultra to ZF3 : Would love to hear your thoughts!

Of course the big main screen is the #1 positive.
If anything is going to break this deal its
#1 the small cover screen first and foremost.
#2 it's the cameras but I've been surprisingly OK with the ZF3 shots lately.
How Bout you?

i shifted to all apple last year and im so in love with my iphone 12 pro max, i love the eco system
but i still want to buy Samsung as i love the extra customization and its like tab and phone
my main concerns
are there any cases from rhinoshield or any well known brands? my phone falls to much from my hands
my last s20 ultra have so much focus issues that never wanted to go back to samsung, maybe i got a defective unit 12 pro max cam is awesome
the inside screen quality, i watched a durability test and the nails still damage the inner screen

I went the opposite way. I just returned my z-fold 3 because of the battery life and the cameras. The s-pen flip case was absolutely horrid. I just feel for a $1,900 phone, it was underwhelming. I'm hoping on the z-fold 4, they put the s-pen solo in the phone. It just wasn't the note replacement I hoped it would be. I ordered an s21 ultra 512 GB but I won't be here till the end of the month so I'm looking forward to that now.

I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.

I went from S21 Ultra to Fold 3, I certainly won't be going back to to a candy bar phone again. The cameras do a good enough job for me, the S21 camera array would have been nice, but I do wonder how much it would bump the price up.
I don't mind the outside screen either, certainly easier to type 1 handed, where the S21 U was quite wide to use like that.
I found this video the other day, regarding the cameras

bs3pro said:
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
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Don't tell people to "stop the bull****". It's not your role to police who says what. All opinions are good to go.

bs3pro said:
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
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Maybe in your opinion but I have my own. The cameras are basically up to par with my Note 20 5G. Maybe you are willing to sacrifice to have a folding screen but I am not. Cellular reception also was worse and I have a feeling that is what was killing the battery. By all means enjoy your F3 and I'll enjoy my S21. Like I said, I am looking forward to the Fold 4.

I love my fold3. The battery life isn't great, but try turning off your 5G. That should help out quite a bit. Plus you won't be able to tell the difference with the speeds unless you're using ultra wideband.

S21U to F3...
Cameras ... Nasi e downgrade
Everything else ... Z Fold 3 is *THE* device to own in 2021

S21U to ZF3. I've gotten settled into the Fold 3 after a few days - I had to swap out my email app of choice (Nine) for Outlook to help with the battery (Nine has always been a bit of a hog, but it tips the scales to "not a full day" whereas Outlook plays nicer). I'm now getting a full business day (12hrs) but not much more.
I've got a little stand and BT keyboard taking its place as an iPad Mini Pro as welll...
I will miss the S21U cameras (I still have it...not giving it up so quickly!) so it's def form vs. function.

My biggest gripe with the Fold isn't the phone itself. To have a good solid case on it that lays flat means having big edges around the front screen. It's a bit awkward, but I'm sure I'll cope with time.
As for battery life, I do a lot of reading. I used to use a tablet + S21. With their mixed usage, either device would last a couple days without any real issue. Now, I have to top off during the day. I knew at some level this would be the case, but didn't QUITE expect it to be as heavy as it is. I have a charger at my work desk, home desk, and nightstand so it isn't a problem in my day to day life. Reading is also something I can avoid doing, and usually would anyway, if I'm going to be out and about all day.

xenx said:
My biggest gripe with the Fold isn't the phone itself. To have a good solid case on it that lays flat means having big edges around the front screen. It's a bit awkward, but I'm sure I'll cope with time.
As for battery life, I do a lot of reading. I used to use a tablet + S21. With their mixed usage, either device would last a couple days without any real issue. Now, I have to top off during the day. I knew at some level this would be the case, but didn't QUITE expect it to be as heavy as it is. I have a charger at my work desk, home desk, and nightstand so it isn't a problem in my day to day life. Reading is also something I can avoid doing, and usually would anyway, if I'm going to be out and about all day.
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Yep. You were in essence carrying two batteries, one in the S21 and one in the Tablet. You can't get away with just having 1 battery and expecting it to last as long as 2. The answer is to have an external battery along for the ride (which I always have in my bag anyway!)

mickliq said:
Yep. You were in essence carrying two batteries, one in the S21 and one in the Tablet. You can't get away with just having 1 battery and expecting it to last as long as 2. The answer is to have an external battery along for the ride (which I always have in my bag anyway!)
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Well, didn't usually carry the tablet with me as much as use it around the house. That said, yes. Not only is the tablet a second battery, it's a larger second battery. I expected higher usage, I just didn't expect as much as I should have. I do have the ability to bring a battery if needed, I just don't need to in most cases.

Totally get it. It's just helpful to think about the loss of the large 2nd battery

dezborders said:
S21U to F3...
Cameras ... Nasi e downgrade
Everything else ... Z Fold 3 is *THE* device to own in 2021
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rockky said:
Don't tell people to "stop the bull****". It's not your role to police who says what. All opinions are good to go.
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I took the ZF3 and S21U out together today and did camera tests on my own and was amazed how well the ZF3 matched the S21U. (cept for zoom and macro)

Honestly if you have a SGS21 Ultra. There is no point in upgrading to the Z Fold 3 as the performance is the exact same as they are running on the same hardware.

iceepyon said:
Honestly if you have a SGS21 Ultra. There is no point in upgrading to the Z Fold 3 as the performance is the exact same as they are running on the same hardware.
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S21u outside of USA and SK has the "inferior" Exynos chip which has different performance and heat management (and also different ISP for processing images taken with cameras)
It's a difficult question ... Upgrade from S21u to F3?
Personally I'd say if you want to try foldable phones the F3 is the one to go for
If camera is most important to you stick with the S21U

bs3pro said:
I don't understand the issue with cameras. Other than the less zoom on the f3, it takes pics just as good as the s21ultra. Yes I have both. Sure, batt life is not as good, but WTF did anyone expect with 2 screens. But it does last a full day. So stop the Bllsht.
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My 'problem' with the F3 cameras is that for £1599 ($1799) the absolure flagship product from Samsung I expect the S21 Ultra camera module to be included. However, Samsung reduced F3 price by £200 over last years F2 so we cant have everything (but we still want it!)
The Fold3 camera sensors are the same as those in the Fold2, which were same as Fold1, which were same as the S10+ cameras.
If we wanted 3 year old camera sensors in our smartphones we would buy an Apple iPhone. lol

dezborders said:
My 'problem' with the F3 cameras is that for £1599 ($1799) the absolure flagship product from Samsung I expect the S21 Ultra camera module to be included. However, Samsung reduced F3 price by £200 over last years F2 so we cant have everything (but we still want it!)
The Fold3 camera sensors are the same as those in the Fold2, which were same as Fold1, which were same as the S10+ cameras.
If we wanted 3 year old camera sensors in our smartphones we would buy an Apple iPhone. lol
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So, did you end up buying an IPhone?
If not, and you bought the F3, you'll know that the pictures it takes are very good, to the extent that some YouTube comparisons show that it holds up to, and sometimes beats the IPhone in terms of picture quality.
If you didn't buy the F3, you're just trolling, for how would you know how good or bad the camera is in reality. LOL

kxdaorbit said:
So, did you end up buying an IPhone?
If not, and you bought the F3, you'll know that the pictures it takes are very good, to the extent that some YouTube comparisons show that it holds up to, and sometimes beats the IPhone in terms of picture quality.
If you didn't buy the F3, you're just trolling, for how would you know how good or bad the camera is in reality. LOL
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As a phone enthusiast (read addict), I have owned in the last 12 months.... Note 20 Ultra, iPhone 12 Pro Max, Xiaomi Mi 11 5g, S21 ultra and now the Z Fold3.
The Fold 3 is 1000s times more advanced and exciting to use than any of the other devices mentioned above... however the Z range cameras are stuck at 12mp from 2019 S10 era.
I agree pictures taken with a Z Fold3 are good or even excellent in most cases....
however, if you claim 2.0 optical zoom in F3 is technically as good as 10x optical zoom in S21U , or thar 108MP with Laser autofocus on S21u is not "better" than basic 12mp main lens on the Z Fold, you are mistaken my friend
(and lets not even begin to discuss the 4 FOUR! megapixel under-screen-camera lol )
To clarify .... I ABSOLUTELTY LOVE my Z Fold3!
I just think Samsung has missed the opportunity to release the ULTIMATE "UNBEATABLE" smartphone by not including 2021 spec camera module from the S21 Ultra. (The Note range always matched or exceeded the cameras in the S range from 6 months previous so why not do the same with the Z range?).

Question Green pixel on screen.

Just spotted a green pixel on my main fold3 screen. Currently running Dead Pixels Test and Fix, hoping this will sort it but no luck so far. Anyone else has issues? First time Ive ever had this on a phone, and Ive been using smarphones since the original XDA. Screen hasn't been damaged, pixel got stuck when using it - noticed switching between aps.

Sounds like a blown driver... display failure.
The drivers are integrated into display matrix, tens of thousands of them. Still sound like a good idea to fold that?

Usual manafacturer policy (for monitors atleast) is that 1-3 dead or stuck pixels is considered within production error margin. I don't know what Samsung's policy for this is on their phones, but if it really bothers you you could try applying the device for RMA either way. Atleast that's what i would do.

arnodude53 said:
Usual manafacturer policy (for monitors atleast) is that 1-3 dead or stuck pixels is considered within production error margin. I don't know what Samsung's policy for this is on their phones, but if it really bothers you you could try applying the device for RMA either way. Atleast that's what i would do.
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A monitor is a different animal and a lot more real estate. This is a premium device with a premium price tag!
Even at close to 2 years old my 10+ has zero dead, stuck or degraded pixels as it should.
If within the return period, do so...

blackhawk said:
A monitor is a different animal and a lot more real estate. This is a premium device with a premium price tag!
Even at close to 2 years old my 10+ has zero dead, stuck or degraded pixels as it should.
If within the return period, do so...
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I agree.
If you'd ask me I'd say that any dead/stuck pixel(s) are unacceptable if it they appear within the products warranty period. No matter if it's a TV, laptop, phone or any other product. Not only can they ruin the viewing experience depending on the location and "vividness" of the stuck/dead pixel(s), but they also make your device suddenly a lot less worth if you were to sell it second-hand, no matter how new it is. All while the user has 0 fault in this.
I often wonder about the legality of such manafacturer policies, and if they would actually hold up if someone or a group of people were to escalate such matter to court.

arnodude53 said:
I agree.
If you'd ask me I'd say that any dead/stuck pixel(s) are unacceptable if it they appear within the products warranty period. No matter if it's a TV, laptop, phone or any other product. Not only can they ruin the viewing experience depending on the location and "vividness" of the stuck/dead pixel(s), but they also make your device suddenly a lot less worth if you were to sell it second-hand, no matter how new it is. All while the user has 0 fault in this.
I often wonder about the legality of such manafacturer policies, and if they would actually hold up if someone or a group of people were to escalate such matter to court.
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Worse, green is the most visible color spectrum to the human eye. It sticks out like a sore thumb.
No doubt one of the reasons for the high cost of this phone are the cost of the rejected displays during the manufacturing process.
There's no way to repair them so they are scraped. These aren't a high volume product and the development costs are enormous.
What is Samsung thinking?
Samsung been far more profitable by sticking with using those funds to develope the Note series further instead. It have yielded far more bang for the buck for Samsung.
Silly SK gambling... it's a cultural thing and Samsung tradition. This time the snake eyes are glowing, perfect.
Rather than go with a sure thing, Samsung bet long again with predictable results. What's the definition of insanity Sammy?

blackhawk said:
Worse, green is the most visible color spectrum to the human eye. It sticks out like a sore thumb.
No doubt one of the reasons for the high cost of this phone are the cost of the rejected displays during the manufacturing process.
There's no way to repair them so they are scraped. These aren't a high volume product and the development costs are enormous.
What is Samsung thinking?
Samsung been far more profitable by sticking with using those funds to develope the Note series further instead. It have yielded far more bang for the buck for Samsung.
Silly SK gambling... it's a cultural thing and Samsung tradition. This time the snake eyes are glowing, perfect.
Rather than go with a sure thing, Samsung bet long again with predictable results. What's the definition of insanity Sammy?
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Yes that's right - its small but very bright so obvious. Still there so on phone to O2 to get a replacement

Did you have any luck getting Samsung to fix your screen? I have a Z Fold 2 that I have had since June, and it also has damaged pixels along the fold. It looks like a red one and 3 green, with a little section of black too - about the length of a flea. I read some's experience of Samsung telling them there were tiny puncture holes so it was user damage and not covered!!!

Question Worth back to Fold 4 from S23U or wait to Fold 5?

Hi everyone.
I am still user Fold 2 from 2 years, before was N9>N20U. Previous year I bought S22U which from 7 months now my girlfriend have and I back to my Fold 2.
I was happy with him but want try again back to Note sereis with S23U.
This is great device, excellent battery life, cameras but from 7 days back to F2 for fun (still good power with S865+ and not bad battery life for me) and back again to S23U is hard. Foldable screen is great feature which I use with pleasure.
S pen use from time to time. I know about s pen and case for it to F4 but I don't have experience with convenience this solution - especially carry in jeans pocket this brick.
Now I don't know what will can do... Wait to 2024 after Fold 5 for good come on the market?
It's hard to me sell only 2 months old S23U.
Or maybe don't tired with s23u and replace it for F4?
F2 cover screen is narrow but F4 have little wider and easy use with one hand.
Maybe is here user above both devices and can advice me?

Wait, just in case.

Depends on your local price? I got the Fold4 three weeks ago. Not because I think it is the better device, but because I got it at 50% the price and I highly doubt the new stuff in Fold5 will make it worth double.

sbcdk said:
Depends on your local price? I got the Fold4 three weeks ago. Not because I think it is the better device, but because I got it at 50% the price and I highly doubt the new stuff in Fold5 will make it worth double.
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In guarantee shops still almost 3/4 start price for new and 2/3 for outlet so still high in my country like Poland.
My fold 2 2 years ago bought for 55% start price for new.
So thanks for advice. Maybe when I found discount similar to situation with F2, then worth buy it but if not, so easy wait for coming to market F5

Yeah. And perhaps even check out the pixel fold being presented on wednesday? The wider front screen seems nice

sbcdk said:
Yeah. And perhaps even check out the pixel fold being presented on wednesday? The wider front screen seems nice
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Yes, good proposal. Unfortunately Pixel fold mybe is intersting but it's not for me because this is first fold from pixel and like usually will be a lot of bugs in for example construction or software.
I need device for work so need rely in my device in every situation.
Moreover I very like samsung Ui, which is for me very intuitive. I had Pixel 4XL and after almost 2 years I don't get used clean android. My last clean was Nexus 4 (but I liked this) and next only Galaxy Note series for today.
In pixel fold front screen looks nice but interal have very thick frames and not look good.
And what most important in Poland pixel series isn't official accessible so are issues with purchase and respect guarantee.

We had issues with Nexus/Pixels not being here in Denmark officially too, for a very long time.
I have used iPhone since 2008, but have had Samsung mobiles at the same time too, ever since Note 1 was released. Didnt enjoy the tiny 3.5” of the iPhones and that is about the same reason I have a Fold now. Apple is just doing everything they can to save money, by selling antiquated hardware…
At some point Samsung decided that Denmark didnt need the Note series anymore, so I more or less stopped buying from them.
My number one issue with Fold4 is the narrow front screen, and that it for that reason unfolds to a square, instead of landscape. But very nice device, besides from that. And yes, I actually think they made the right choice with the cam underneeth the inner screen. Neither screen nor cam is perfect, but a good compromise.
Think you could be right, that first gen folding from Google could have issues. Good point.

I'll be honest. I had the zfold 4 and then tried out the S23U for a couple months. Only two things I loved were the camera setup and the screen size (quite different than the ZF4 outer screen), but overall, I went back to the ZF4 as it provides a better work tool I got quite used to the form factor and the inside display is a treat to use once you learn all the tricks

Thanks for replies. I like S23U, this is great device but overall is booring.
Fold series give me more fun and look difference compare to other devices.
Now I looking for good pricing F4 and still wait for F5.
I need for daily use 2 simcard and sometimes swap my private simcard to old F2 which still have.
I consider buy F3 because is for good price in my country but shapes, especially front screen are very similar to my F2. Only difference is S Pen support and this is too little

I have a F4. Im with Fold since F2. Meanwhile I have tried a couple of ..Pro and ...Ultra devices but like you said all they become boring to me for a couple of days in use. And more important - super uncomfortable because I carry my phone always in the pants pocket. For me the comfort of use is more important than all. Fold is a Transformer. Stage 1 - one hand super friendly. Stage 2 - mutimedia and multitasking beast like no other. I think I cant go back to a bar phone. I have tried with the bests on the market but no chance.

I have both the ZF4 and S23U. The S23U is totally boring next to the ZF4 other than the cameras (which is the only reason I have/keep the S23U). Also, the S23U is super wide and not comfortable to hold (if you have "normal" hands). Even though the S23U has the SD 8 Gen 2, you don't really notice the difference in day to day use. So, ZF4 remains my daily driver, I'm not planning to get the ZF5. If you can swing it, you'll probably be able to trade the S23U for a ZF5 at a great value. Otherwise, get a deeply discounted ZF4 and sell your S23U.