Although I'm not the biggest contributor on these forums, I have been following the development and release of the S4 over the past few months, mainly because I'm ready to switch from my iPhone 4. That being said, like you all, I have been following all the rumors and tracking the different variants, processors, speeds, etc.... and I believe that I'm up to date on everything thus far.
That being said, I've decided that most likely (90% Chance) I will be buying the AT&T S4 when it comes out. Originally I was planning on buying an international or Korean version S4 but here's what I've realized. Before I post my reasoning, I am a business man with his own business (age 27) and spend a lot of time browsing web, doing emails, and being on the phone. Games are not so much a priority for me as much as stability, call quality, internet speed, and battery life are. So why am I choosing the US S4?
1) Guaranteed Carrier support
2) US manufacturers warranty
3) Lower price
4) Guaranteed stability in my region and network
5) Most likely Higher dev support
6) Most likely higher compatibility with US based products, applications, accessories, etc...
That being said, I consider myself a huge techy and deep down it hurts me that there are better variants of the phone out there, but bottom line is that we really don't know the full extent of carrier support in the US for international variants, and although the speed of a phone is a HUGE factor for me, what's more important is that the phone does what I need it to do within the environment that it is in. It's clear that the other variants are better, but at what cost will the increase in performance be? Spotty service? No guarantee for email and app support? Tough Manufacturer warranty issues? Lack of dev? No guarantee of LTE support? I don't know about you guys, but a 20% speed increase and maybe better audio codecs are a high price to pay for what could result in a daily headache..... just my 2 cents.
97prelude said:
Although I'm not the biggest contributor on these forums, I have been following the development and release of the S4 over the past few months, mainly because I'm ready to switch from my iPhone 4. That being said, like you all, I have been following all the rumors and tracking the different variants, processors, speeds, etc.... and I believe that I'm up to date on everything thus far.
That being said, I've decided that most likely (90% Chance) I will be buying the AT&T S4 when it comes out. Originally I was planning on buying an international or Korean version S4 but here's what I've realized. Before I post my reasoning, I am a business man with his own business (age 27) and spend a lot of time browsing web, doing emails, and being on the phone. Games are not so much a priority for me as much as stability, call quality, internet speed, and battery life are. So why am I choosing the US S4?
1) Guaranteed Carrier support
2) US manufacturers warranty
3) Lower price
4) Guaranteed stability in my region and network
5) Most likely Higher dev support
6) Most likely higher compatibility with US based products, applications, accessories, etc...
That being said, I consider myself a huge techy and deep down it hurts me that there are better variants of the phone out there, but bottom line is that we really don't know the full extent of carrier support in the US for international variants, and although the speed of a phone is a HUGE factor for me, what's more important is that the phone does what I need it to do within the environment that it is in. It's clear that the other variants are better, but at what cost will the increase in performance be? Spotty service? No guarantee for email and app support? Tough Manufacturer warranty issues? Lack of dev? No guarantee of LTE support? I don't know about you guys, but a 20% speed increase and maybe better audio codecs are a high price to pay for what could result in a daily headache..... just my 2 cents.
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Click to collapse
I don't know what the exynos is getting you right now that the SD600 won't. As I've seen recently, the SD600 is running games smoother.
The spec differences between the Exynos and the Snapdragon, at least from what I've seen, aren't too big of a deal. When we're talking about the difference between two smartphones which are already the best in terms of hardware, and much of that hardware won't ever be used to its fullest potential, it's negligible. What interested me most was it appeared that the Exynos with Wolfson will do a fair bit better in audio. Still, I'd rather have LTE compatibility, for the reasons you listed and more.
Sarcron said:
The spec differences between the Exynos and the Snapdragon, at least from what I've seen, aren't too big of a deal. When we're talking about the difference between two smartphones which are already the best in terms of hardware, and much of that hardware won't ever be used to its fullest potential, it's negligible. What interested me most was it appeared that the Exynos with Wolfson will do a fair bit better in audio. Still, I'd rather have LTE compatibility, for the reasons you listed and more.
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Do we actually have proof though? GSM Arena said that the DAC for the SGS4 is pretty close to the HTC One which in turn had the best DAC they ever tested of an Android device.
SlimJ87D said:
Do we actually have proof though? GSM Arena said that the DAC for the SGS4 is pretty close to the HTC One which in turn had the best DAC they ever tested of an Android device.
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Click to collapse
I don't know. I've seen benchmarks going up on a couple different threads in which people said the Exynos had clear results with better audio, then others have said "x" tests were outdated. It would be great if there was concrete confirmation with both devices tested side by side with the latest firmware.
SlimJ87D said:
Do we actually have proof though? GSM Arena said that the DAC for the SGS4 is pretty close to the HTC One which in turn had the best DAC they ever tested of an Android device.
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Click to collapse
Except their results show that the S4 output is better.
none of the audio tests ever test recording at a concert... none of the qualcomm chips I have tested have been able to get a useable recording. only the wolfson in my i9000 with tweaking
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
Laughed at carrier support..who the heck calls those useless carriers? 99% of the time they are clueless.
kirdroid said:
Laughed at carrier support..who the heck calls those useless carriers? 99% of the time they are clueless.
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I laughed at your laughing, because it seems as if you have an Apple iPhone. With the exception of Apple, other manufacturers don't have retails stores for you to have your phone replaced if something happens to it. Enter "carrier support", where carriers will replace your phone in their retail store if it breaks and is under manufacturer's warranty.
I think you guys are missing the main point of my post, which is simply begging the question:
Is the ~20% increase in speed and what I consider other minor improvements worth the potential ongoing headache of stateside incompatibility and support?
97prelude said:
I think you guys are missing the main point of my post, which is simply begging the question:
Is the ~20% increase in speed and what I consider other minor improvements worth the potential ongoing headache of stateside incompatibility and support?
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Click to collapse
Agreed.
I bought the Intl version of Note 1 back then, thru Amazon Prime. The phone went dead on day 29th. Thank god for Amazon Prime I was able to return.
However, I was phoneless for 1 week while waiting for the new phone to arrive from AT&T.
It may not see much but it was one of the worst week for me because I rely on my phone for everything.
SlimJ87D said:
Do we actually have proof though? GSM Arena said that the DAC for the SGS4 is pretty close to the HTC One which in turn had the best DAC they ever tested of an Android device.
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Click to collapse
They S4 US version should be using same qualcomm dac as HTC One.
The only thing different as far as I know is that HTC One has external amp and stereo speakers. And beats audio is basically software mod for increased treble and bass. But HTC also did some in-house mod as well to improve the sound.
The exynos version will definitely use wolfson (wolfson is now primary partner for galaxy line) . In comparing the two, Wolfsons is considered to be best for neutral detailed dynamic sound but then it's your personal choice what is most enjoyable for you.
Also, the models tested in gsmarena weren't the final release models, so keep that in mind.
SlimJ87D said:
Do we actually have proof though? GSM Arena said that the DAC for the SGS4 is pretty close to the HTC One which in turn had the best DAC they ever tested of an Android device.
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Click to collapse
We know that the Exynos models are using a Wolfson DAC; I'd presume that the LTE versions are all using Qualcomm's inbuilt DAC.
Also, why are there "carrier models" again? I thought the i9505 was the be-all-end-all for GSM-based band support, whereas we're seeing differentiation (i.e. ATT and Canada's i337)? It's understandable for CDMA carriers, but for GSM?
And that "20%" increase in speed will not be noticed in day to day tasks. Where you will notice it is in games and highly cpu intensive tasks not associated with email or web browsing or anything the average user would run. Unless you are using a app that is really intense you will only notice a very very small difference in speed. Honestly nothing you would even notice side by side. The tests used to show that "20%" speed difference is not real world at all or even close.
Side note...
Not sure who is relying on their phone to record audio at a concert. But being a recording nut its pretty clear that phones are a horrible source for audio recording for music. And lets not get into the problems that surround being in the crowd and recording. Grab a good Shure or Akg or Neumann microphone and try the same thing and you will have issues. So don't base your purchase on audio recording at a concert. lol
Even if you used the HTC One to record at a concert unless you get one of the early models with the NOKIA mic's you will still get bad quality.
And don't forget, The Korean version that has the Exynos and LTE suport will not work on US LTE. And with Sprint putting up LTE towers EVERYWHERE its only going to get better. I'm in Michigan and almost everywhere I go I have 4G LTE on my S3. I live in rural area and I have LTE. The amount of towers that are LTE now is amazing. They might not be official or even turned on over 25% of the range capable but its still growing fast.
mr_sock said:
They S4 US version should be using same qualcomm dac as HTC One.
The only thing different as far as I know is that HTC One has external amp and stereo speakers. And beats audio is basically software mod for increased treble and bass. But HTC also did some in-house mod as well to improve the sound.
The exynos version will definitely use wolfson (wolfson is now primary partner for galaxy line) . In comparing the two, Wolfsons is considered to be best for neutral detailed dynamic sound but then it's your personal choice what is most enjoyable for you.
Also, the models tested in gsmarena weren't the final release models, so keep that in mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TemporaryTester said:
We know that the Exynos models are using a Wolfson DAC; I'd presume that the LTE versions are all using Qualcomm's inbuilt DAC.
Also, why are there "carrier models" again? I thought the i9505 was the be-all-end-all for GSM-based band support, whereas we're seeing differentiation (i.e. ATT and Canada's i337)? It's understandable for CDMA carriers, but for GSM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to let everyone know, GSM Arena got a final production unit that was better in everything. Benchmarks, Sound quality test (and they did the sound quality test wrong) and other things.
The final production version of the SGS4 did better than it did last time which it did well in. This is the i9505.
So the DAC sounds like it's good enough. Wolfson is probably still better for audio mixing abilities and the right kernel.
If given the option between the 9505 or the AT&T model, which is the best route? I do quite a bit of international traveling, but am based on the east coast of the US. I have AT&T, however am giving serious consideration to the 9505 which seems the most "international" model for use across Europe and Japan GSM carriers. Thoughts? Suggestions? Help!? lol
Can't live without LTE now I'm getting speeds of 45-50Mbps everywhere here in Canada
97prelude said:
I think you guys are missing the main point of my post, which is simply begging the question:
Is the ~20% increase in speed and what I consider other minor improvements worth the potential ongoing headache of stateside incompatibility and support?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same kind of question as you. I did a little research and I am not sure that it is really worth it in your case. but it depends how much you like the phone and if you use it a lot too
jerzyboy2421 said:
If given the option between the 9505 or the AT&T model, which is the best route? I do quite a bit of international traveling, but am based on the east coast of the US. I have AT&T, however am giving serious consideration to the 9505 which seems the most "international" model for use across Europe and Japan GSM carriers. Thoughts? Suggestions? Help!? lol
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Click to collapse
If you're going to pay full price, get the T-Mobile M919. All the bands of the AT&T, but no bootloader lock and a lot less crapware. You can also get LTE on *some* European carriers (the ones using the 2600 band).
It's not worth giving up LTE at home just to get it while traveling, IMO. AT&T in US cities is just too congested not to want both radios as fallback.
s44 said:
If you're going to pay full price, get the T-Mobile M919. All the bands of the AT&T, but no bootloader lock and a lot less crapware. You can also get LTE on *some* European carriers (the ones using the 2600 band).
It's not worth giving up LTE at home just to get it while traveling, IMO. AT&T in US cities is just too congested not to want both radios as fallback.
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Click to collapse
I think you've convinced me to go with T-Mobile ... against my better judgement. I hadn't done any research into that model up until yesterday. But you're absolutely correct.
unlocked bootloader
SIM unlocked
capable of working on AT&T network out of the box
I've never tested or tried T-Mobile's 4G/LTE network in my area though. However, according to data and maps I've looked at, I should have decent service in my area. PLUS the lure of unlimited 4G.
So off I go to the T-Mobile store today ... here we go, hopefully this will be the best option for me
Related
http://www.talkandroid.com/65267-fu...xy-nexus-revealed-verizon-exclusive-and-more/
Huge screen. Small battery capacity. I'm sure it feels good in hand.
Edit: please delete if already posted.
Sent from my Google Nexus S 4G via XDA Premium
Battery life is probably gonna suck. But what's up with it being a Verizon exclusive? If that's true, that's terrible. It should be unlocked for GSM like the other two nexus phones. Disappointing
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I just don't get the data caps. Seems to me, and I'm no genius, if carriers increase capacity, they could charge for unlimited data. A friend with an iPhone(att) is asking me about Sprint and is this || close to switching to the Nexus S 4G. He told me that he doesnt like that he cant use his device the way its meant to be used because of the 2GB cap. Caps just seem so...2005.
But I digress, I'm anxious to see real world performance on this thing.
malikadnanm said:
Battery life is probably gonna suck. But what's up with it being a Verizon exclusive? If that's true, that's terrible. It should be unlocked for GSM like the other two nexus phones. Disappointing
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
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Click to collapse
There almost undoubtedly will be a GSM version. Do you really think Samsung is going to make a device like this and exclude the rest of the world - when both previous Nexus devices shipped as world phones?
Toss in the "confirmed" specs listing LTE/HSPA depending on carrier and you have your confirmation a GSM version will be produced. How or when it's sold within the US is another question. Verizon may have a launch exclusive, but you will see a GSM version. It's possible it may not be carrier subsidized in the US (I doubt that) or that it may merely be delayed to a later release date.
sprint also seems to be the new tmobile, adopting everything google. i cant imagine the prime not coming to sprint. i may pick up a epic touch to hold me off for a while. that is unless we get a leak of ics. that will hold me off till the prime.
krohnjw said:
There almost undoubtedly will be a GSM version. Do you really think Samsung is going to make a device like this and exclude the rest of the world - when both previous Nexus devices shipped as world phones?
Toss in the "confirmed" specs listing LTE/HSPA depending on carrier and you have your confirmation a GSM version will be produced. How or when it's sold within the US is another question. Verizon may have a launch exclusive, but you will see a GSM version. It's possible it may not be carrier subsidized in the US (I doubt that) or that it may merely be delayed to a later release date.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And its rocking the PowerVR SGX540. Frankly, I wanted the OMAP4470 for the SGX544 and the Dual-channel LPDDR2 memory.
I'm going to be disappointed if the phone is that big.... or maybe its a 4 inch phone like the Nexus S but with a bigger screen to accommodate for having no touch sensitive keys..... I hope that's the case... I don't want a tablet, I want a smartphone.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Actually, there's also another rumour for the specs of this phone
- dual-core 1.5GHz Exynos
- dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2
- 8 megapixels camera
- 2,050mAh battery
http://www.gsmarena.com/source_close_to_google_reveals_real_nexus_prime_specs-news-3239.php
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/06/samsung-galaxy-nexus-specs-leak-headed-to-verizon-as-an-exclusi/
The legendary Exynos (formerly Orion) we all read so much about a year and a half ago has been on store shelves for quite some time now. While SAMSUNG continues to develop the Exynos architecture - I don't see it catching on to other phones.
Plenty of phones sold by SAMSUNG don't even use the Exynos. It was even stripped from the T-Mobile version of the GS2...
So, is it a complete failure? Should we expect SAMSUNG to just stop development after the GS3 is released worldwide?
whitecrane said:
The legendary Exynos (formerly Orion) we all read so much about a year and a half ago has been on store shelves for quite some time now. While SAMSUNG continues to develop the Exynos architecture - I don't see it catching on to other phones.
Plenty of phones sold by SAMSUNG don't even use the Exynos. It was even stripped from the T-Mobile version of the GS2...
So, is it a complete failure? Should we expect SAMSUNG to just stop development after the GS3 is released worldwide?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umm, how about no?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
I hope Samsung will continue to develop their architecture because from what I have seen, it is quite powerful. So do I think it was a complete failure? No.
The thing these days is that it is probably easier and cheaper for companies to just use each other's technology, like the Tegra or TI series, than invest in their own R&D. The majority of phone users are not power users and do not care about specs. If it works well then that is good enough. It is not about pushing boundaries for some.
Exynos is actually one of the best SoC's a phone can have (subject to debate). Samsung doesn't put Exynos in every phone because it's a high-end SoC, so they use it in high-end devices such as the Galaxy S line and the Galaxy Note. Apple's Ax processors are even based on Exynos.
The T-Mobile Galaxy S II, as well as all US Galaxy S III's, have Snapdragons because Exynos does not support LTE nor T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 and 84 Mbps technology, which US carriers strive to make available to customers. Samsung is working on supporting LTE in future Exynos chips though!
As for other manufacturers not implementing Exynos, I'm just going to make an assumption that Samsung's competitors (Motorola, HTC, etc.) would rather use Nvidia, TI, or Qualcomm's chips instead since they don't sell phones.
So no, Exynos isn't a complete failure at all if you ask me!
But didn't anyone else think that they would be more common by now?
What does the wireless band have to do with SOC? Can't this SOC run any algorithms we want it to?
To me, that's like telling someone they need an AMD CPU to use DSL, and an Intel CPU if they want FiOS. Isn't it just a matter of writing a program to do something?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
whitecrane said:
But didn't anyone else think that they would be more common by now?
What does the wireless band have to do with SOC? Can't this SOC run any algorithms we want it to?
To me, that's like telling someone they need an AMD CPU to use DSL, and an Intel CPU if they want FiOS. Isn't it just a matter of writing a program to do something?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Radio hardware consists of physical transistors. We're not quite at software-defined radio yet.
You DO need different hardware to run DSL vs fios. If Intel built DSL hardware onto its CPU, then you're starting to understand what a SoC is.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app
ferrocene said:
Radio hardware consists of physical transistors. We're not quite at software-defined radio yet.
You DO need different hardware to run DSL vs fios. If Intel built DSL hardware onto its CPU, then you're starting to understand what a SoC is.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right. Computers aren't built with DSL/FIOS/VDSL/etc. modems in them. That's why we use a DSL modem box and connect to it via ethernet. However, the Exynos SoC has a modem integrated on to it that supports certain bands and technologies. The Snapdragon SoC found in the GS2 and US GS3s does not contain an integrated modem, so there is a modem chip separate on the motherboard that supports the carrier's bands and technologies.
There's a bit of a gray area with this though. Sprint's GS2 has a WiMax modem built onto it even though it still has an Exynos chip. Why we don't do that for LTE and T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42/84 is something I'd like to know lol.
whitecrane said:
The legendary Exynos (formerly Orion) we all read so much about a year and a half ago has been on store shelves for quite some time now. While SAMSUNG continues to develop the Exynos architecture - I don't see it catching on to other phones.
Plenty of phones sold by SAMSUNG don't even use the Exynos. It was even stripped from the T-Mobile version of the GS2...
So, is it a complete failure? Should we expect SAMSUNG to just stop development after the GS3 is released worldwide?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. Short-sighted/simple-minded enough? :silly:
1) Exynos is not a failure. It's been shipped in literally millions of phones. In-house consumption alone probably makes it one of the most popular SoC's on the market right now.
2) Samsung is the world's largest manufacturer of phones. I doubt they even have the fabrication facilities to make enough Exynos chips to put in all the phones they make. Also remember that although Samsung Semiconductor and Samsung Mobile are both owned by Samsung Electronics, they don't always have completely overlapping goals or business interests. And Samsung Semiconductor is also busy making many other things... like the SoC for the iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S. Or say the vast share of the world's NAND chips.
3) Samsung has a vested stake in not relying totally on another SoC manufacturer for all their phones. It allows them better leverage with other SoC companies, and prevents them from being "blackmailed" by any one company as a source of mobile CPUs. Even if they only shipped the Exynos in 5% of their devices, it would be enough to help leverage Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, etc.
4) While many of the U.S. variants of Samsung phones don't have the Exynos chip, that's mostly for technical reasons (lack of LTE support in the currently released chips), and probably also partially to increase total yield of produced phones. That's just the U.S. market. There is in fact a world outside the United States, with people, and people who buy phones.
So... long story short: The Exynos is not a failure. And I very much doubt Samsung will be dropping development anytime soon.
Moving this to a correct board (nothing to do with the AT&T SII)...
marcocore said:
Sprint's GS2 has a WiMax modem built onto it even though it still has an Exynos chip. Why we don't do that for LTE and T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42/84 is something I'd like to know lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly what I was talking about. When something is missing you simply add it on, as with anything else in computing. I just hope this doesn't go the way of Glide from 3dfx.
Anyway, I'm more "put at ease" with the responses here. Thanks xda.
whitecrane said:
But didn't anyone else think that they would be more common by now?
What does the wireless band have to do with SOC? Can't this SOC run any algorithms we want it to?
To me, that's like telling someone they need an AMD CPU to use DSL, and an Intel CPU if they want FiOS. Isn't it just a matter of writing a program to do something?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK here's my understanding. First all quad core processors are having issues with lte. Second SoC stands for system on a chip. Its how cell phones are so small and thin. But for some reason they are not playing nice to gether. Now Samsung was able to release a variant of sgsiii with its quad core and lte in korea because they kept them separate. But because of this the phone is a little bit thicker then usual.
So they did treat it like a PC and added it like a pci card for desktops. If that helps you understand.
The overall goal is to get it all on one chip. That way it eats up less power and slims down your phone but it is not yet possible. It is being looked into.
Sent from my DROID X2 using XDA
marcocore said:
Exynos is actually one of the best SoC's a phone can have (subject to debate). Samsung doesn't put Exynos in every phone because it's a high-end SoC, so they use it in high-end devices such as the Galaxy S line and the Galaxy Note. Apple's Ax processors are even based on Exynos.
The T-Mobile Galaxy S II, as well as all US Galaxy S III's, have Snapdragons because Exynos does not support LTE nor T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 and 84 Mbps technology, which US carriers strive to make available to customers. Samsung is working on supporting LTE in future Exynos chips though!
As for other manufacturers not implementing Exynos, I'm just going to make an assumption that Samsung's competitors (Motorola, HTC, etc.) would rather use Nvidia, TI, or Qualcomm's chips instead since they don't sell phones.
So no, Exynos isn't a complete failure at all if you ask me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not true any more seeing as the Korean GSIII will have a quad core Exynos and LTE.
tbaker077 said:
That's not true any more seeing as the Korean GSIII will have a quad core Exynos and LTE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was true until Samsung produced their new chip within the past month. A quad core exynos with LTE capabilities.
So, his statement as to why t-mobile didn't use the exynos in the GSII and GSIII is 100% correct.
As I understand more, I have more concerns. Let me just say, I know what a SOC is. I'm not that much of a newbie.
I must wonder why the Exynos couldn't handle the T-Mobile HSPA+ network... It's just not that special. It's just 3G on steroids, and from what I see in the real world benchmarks, it is only a hair faster than AT&T's inferior on paper HSPA+ network. I realize it is a technical limitation (by design?), but wonder why SAMSUNG wasn't able (willing?) to design the Exynos SOC to accept it without a magic modem.
I also wonder how serious SAMSUNG is about Exynos if they're ignoring T-Mobile (shipping their flagship phone with an inferior SOC), and completley ignoring LTE up to only recently in one device that will only sell in one market. If SAMSUNG is serious about Exynos, I would think they woulod at least make it available in every market, accepting every type of radio. Traditional 3G, Wimax (we still have a huge Wimax network in the states that isn't going anywhere soon), LTE, and HSPA+. Does any other SOC standard have radio limitations?
I do not expect SAMSUNG to bundle a seperate modem outside the SOC in every market. In fact, I would think they would only do that in Korea and Japan, where they will likely sell more Exynos devices.
I have one more huge concern then. The GS2 i777 was phased out of most AT&T stores (corporate and otherwise) within 2 months of its release in favor of the GS2 "Skyrocket" with its far inferior SOC. Didn't that thing ship with a SOC based on the Cortex A8? Not even an A9?
It almost seems like my carrier did not want me to have a Galaxy S2 (with an Exynos, anyway). I bought mine on clearance at Best Buy... for $50. Within a month of its release, best buy was selling it for just $50 with a contract renewal - down from $200 just a month sooner? I think they wanted to get ride of the GS2 asap so they could order more Skyrockets.
I just don't think companies are taking Exynos seriously in the USA. Ignoring T-Mobile, ignoring Verizon. The only thing they have done right?? Sprint. Adding the Wimax modem without adding bulk to the phone was a brilliant move. That's how they're gonna sell this thing.
whitecrane said:
I have one more huge concern then. The GS2 i777 was phased out of most AT&T stores (corporate and otherwise) within 2 months of its release in favor of the GS2 "Skyrocket" with its far inferior SOC. Didn't that thing ship with a SOC based on the Cortex A8? Not even an A9?
It almost seems like my carrier did not want me to have a Galaxy S2. I bought mine on clearance at Best Buy... for $50. Within a month of its release, best buy was selling it for just $50 with a contract renewal - down from $200 just a month sooner? I think they wanted to get ride of the GS2 asap so they could order more Skyrockets.
I just don't think companies are taking Exynos seriously in the USA. I'm just glad I own one.
Does anyone know if OMAP's are cheaper to produce? It seems to me that there are far more OMAP devices than anything else out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When it comes to the carrier they don't care about the hardware, because 99% of the consumers have no clue what exynos, snapdragon or tegra mean. What the normal consumer can comprehend is "Hey, this skyrocket has faster internet". So, LTE has become the selling factor.
lowandbehold said:
When it comes to the carrier they don't care about the hardware, because 99% of the consumers have no clue what exynos, snapdragon or tegra mean. What the normal consumer can comprehend is "Hey, this skyrocket has faster internet". So, LTE has become the selling factor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough, I agree with you. But why clearance the GS2? My market has no LTE, and probably won't for years to come.
My post above this has been edited quite a bit... in case you want to give it a second read... it's entirely related to the subject matter here.
whitecrane said:
Fair enough, I agree with you. But why clearance the GS2? My market has no LTE, and probably won't for years to come.
My post above this has been edited quite a bit... in case you want to give it a second read... it's entirely related to the subject matter here.
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Yup, but the previous generation exynos processors were not compatible with the AWS frequencies which T-mobile uses. That is why there has never been a T-mobile phone with an exynos. The Skyrocket and the T-mobile GS2 were in production at the same time, so it just seemed right to make 2 of the same exact phone (radios can be flashed on both to work on either network) to save money. Then, AT&T (through the eyes of the average consumer) had a GSII that gets slow internet, and a GSII that gets fast internet. They had to phase one out...it just happened to be the I777. It really makes sense from a business stand point, considering chips are so good these days that one can hardly tell a difference between a snapdragon or an exynos, or even quad core from dual core.
Hi - several months ago I read a lot about choosing between Exynos (intnl through Best Buy) and Snapdragon/AT&T.
It seemed there were a few tradeoffs to consider.
First and foremost people said the Exynos performance and battery life were better, but then once the Exynos phones received a software update around May they started exhibiting the battery drain issue that seemed to be plaguing Snapdragon phones. So much so that numerous people were recommending flashing back to a previous update version to avoid the battery drain bug. Reading through the forums I havent been able to figure out whether these problems have been sorted out and corrected on either phone?
I also recall that the international version did not have ability to use Samsung Pay in the US? I cant understand based on the threads I have read whether this is now in fact possible?
I Have also read varying things on the data performance on AT&T networks of the international version. It seems people have concluded that certain functions may not work but that generally 4G LTE speeds and network reception should be the same.
Is this a good summary? I would love any thoughts or advice on deciding between these two models.
Thanks.
Exynos International all the way, faster phone, unlockable bootloader with a couple of settings changes, more development support
I own that phone and there is no battery drain running the latest firmware
Thanks for the quick feedback. Do you run that phone on AT&T with no issues?
Is Samsung Pay usable yet on that phone?
I was in the same position and went with the AT&T version. International version (G930F/G930FD) does not have full band support for AT&T (no 29 or 30), no Samsung Pay, and no Wifi Calling/VoLTE.
I had an international S6 and would lose connection at times. The lack of Samsung Pay was also annoying. The lack of bloatware was nice but you can uninstall/disable most of them.
lirong said:
Thanks for the quick feedback. Do you run that phone on AT&T with no issues?
Is Samsung Pay usable yet on that phone?
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No, I'm in the UK, sorry didn't realise you wanted to use it on AT&T, just wondering between the two different models
If you can get full support for AT&T's services, the Exynos would be the best option
I understand Exynos doesn't work with US CDMA and that is why the Qualcom versions exist. Is Samsung intentionally crippling it's own CPU to keep things the even? Verizon is EOL on their CDMA network next year really only leaving Sprint. Sprint is the 4th carrier now and only has a 12% market share. Canada is already sunsetting their CDMA too. Sprint has 12% (52 million) market share. Samsung has a 25% of that. At most that's 12 million people and much less since Samsung sales low end phones too.
Kind of silly to have to produce two models to cater to that especially with licensing and the fact that it is their chip.
I ask because I saw a thread suggesting that the camera could shoot much higher speeds on the Exynos, but was software limited.
I just want the best I can get!
Has anyone verified NextRadio and the FM antennae yet?
I'd say there are skeptical things with Qualcomm. They must have some impact on this to sell their chips in the US
ls3mach said:
Has anyone verified NextRadio and the FM antennae yet?
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On Snapdragon versions, yes. Exynos versions no (I believe).
Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
Exynos 9810 has no modem built in, and CDMA compatibility has nothing to do with why the U. S. market gets the Snapdragon. Luckily Snapdragon 845 is a better SOC than the Exynos 9810 and you can rest assured you are not screwed.
This really ticks me off to hear if it is true. I am from Canada and purchased the international version this time because I read so much that bragged the Exynos version was so much faster than the Snapdragon version. Paid a pretty penny for it too! I do like my phone but my ANTUTU scores don't seem to be as good as those running SD SOC's.
Samsung apparently has a marketing agreement with Qualcomm to not sell phones with Exynos in the U.S. Otherwise, Samsung could certainly build Exynos based phones with CDMA support if they wanted to.
Guys,
Enjoy your phones, they are both more or less equal with Exynos being very slightly faster in CPU intensive tasks and Snapdragon being slightly faster in GPU (gaming) related tasks. In real world, this difference is almost unnoticeable. (0.5 to 1 second faster game launch on SD).
The good thing is that Exynos is only going to get better due to unlocked bootloader and open source development that will follow.
meyerweb said:
Samsung apparently has a marketing agreement with Qualcomm to not sell phones with Exynos in the U.S. Otherwise, Samsung could certainly build Exynos based phones with CDMA support if they wanted to.
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How long is that in place?
I was pretty sure samsung would not nerf their own processor but now I'm sure they did. We can all claim it is for battery reasons or something, but I believe that it is so that it can be neck and neck with the snapdragon.
These screenshots were taken a few minutes ago, after I flashed a custom kernel and unrestricted the 4 big cores so they are able to hit 2.9ghz and the little ones 2.0ghz. I believe that 2.7ghz is what was running for most of the benchmarks, but it hits 2.9ghz on the CPU scaling Log.
Exynos is, in fact the second best processor on a smartphone right after the A11 and would most likely match it on geekbench (surpasses it on antutu even stock) if I could lock the frequency at 2.9ghz but minimum can only be set to 2.0ghz and so it goes up and down and there is only the stock governor to choose from and that is utter crap.
Any doubts I'll help as best as I can.
ls3mach said:
How long is that in place?
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No idea, I'm afraid.
Hi Guys,
I have a possibility to buy an Unlocked version of Note 20 Ultra 5G from the US and ask a friend to bring it to the UK with them.
Apart from Snapdragon advantage, it will be even a little cheaper than buying in the UK.
I am, however, a bit worried about 5G support in the UK. I spent many hours torturing different Samsung US Live Chat Agents and BestBuy Live Chat Agents with the same questions and they all advised that the phone is fully unlocked and 5G will work in the UK. They also said there is no Region Lock so I can directly insert a UK sim card to it.
However, I am taking it with a grain of salt as the agents seem to care about sales only. Also, I couldn't find official band specifications for Note 20 Ultra on Samsung's website (correct me, if I am wrong, please).
Does anyone know if the 5G will work in the UK? Will VoLTE work? I know Samsung Pay won't work but I don't care at all - I always use Google Pay instead.
Also, will I get a Samsung firmware if I buy it from BestBuy, for firmware updates?
I really want to import it but don't want to end up getting a phone that will not have 5G or any other significant feature.
Can you please shed some light on this? Thanks.
You need to check the actual 5G bands on the device are compatible with your cellular provider.
ekerbuddyeker said:
You need to check the actual 5G bands on the device are compatible with your cellular provider.
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Thanks, this is what I was thinking about too but I couldn't find any band specs on Samsung's website apart from generic 5G thing.
Any idea where can I find them? Thanks.
VirtualWaver said:
Thanks, this is what I was thinking about too but I couldn't find any band specs on Samsung's website apart from generic 5G thing.
Any idea where can I find them? Thanks.
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Click to collapse
https://www.phonearena.com/phones/S...he Note 20 Ultra is,a starting price of $1300.
https://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=6280
Thanks a lot for the info.
Surprisingly, neither Samsung Chat nor their Facebook support do not know the specs, saying they are not published on the website which is strange.
According to the phonescoop site it doesn't support n78 which is the UK spec, but what is really surprising that it doesn't even list all 4G bands that are supported in the UK but I remember people were saying S20 Ultra was working fine with UK 4G... I am trying to call their e-commerce department to get a confirmation from them directly.
Man, the Samsung really messed the things up with their rubbish processor policy. To be honest I was not bothering until the point when then started to sell Snapdragon in their home country which really speaks loud on how good it is in comparison with Exynos.
This is also a dilemma I am facing as well. I can choose between a US Unlock or an International Unlock. The question I am wondering is whether I can get Samsung Pay to work. I currently live in Japan. I had a Note 8 unlocked international , connected to a US vpn, that I was able to register my US credit cards on Samsung Pay and it worked flawless here. I was able to use Samsung Pay out in town with no problems. Yet ever since the Note 9 I have not been able to get it to work again. My thinking was to instead of buying an international unlocked version, was to get a US unlocked version and try to activate/register Samsung Pay via US vpn to see if it would work. Do you guys think that is doable? Or should I just go for the international Note 20 Ultra and call it a day?
cezeff said:
This is also a dilemma I am facing as well. I can choose between a US Unlock or an International Unlock. The question I am wondering is whether I can get Samsung Pay to work. I currently live in Japan. I had a Note 8 unlocked international , connected to a US vpn, that I was able to register my US credit cards on Samsung Pay and it worked flawless here. I was able to use Samsung Pay out in town with no problems. Yet ever since the Note 9 I have not been able to get it to work again. My thinking was to instead of buying an international unlocked version, was to get a US unlocked version and try to activate/register Samsung Pay via US vpn to see if it would work. Do you guys think that is doable? Or should I just go for the international Note 20 Ultra and call it a day?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was reading in many places that Samsung Pay is region locked so it won't work properly. But it might be different in case of Japan.
I personally don't use Samsung Pay at all so can't say but hopefully someone else would advise.
So I spent another 30 minutes on the phone with Samsung and am, honestly, shocked to say the least.
Not only they had not idea about 5G and 4G frequencies of their own product, they were just repeating something like "well it says it support mmwave and we googled and saw the UK also supports mmwave so it should work" which is complete nonsense (the UK doesn't even support mmwave yet, its a US thing!). The UK is using band 78 which is 3..5Ghz so all I wanted from them is to confirm if the US version has 3.5Ghz or not. Another disappointment on Samsung....
So I am currently stuck, this is, really, a gamble, not sure if the risk worth it or not. Something tells me the 5G won't work in the UK and this doesn't' worth it.
How come Samsung doesn't know what frequencies their own product supports? Is it that hard for them to get? Its rubbish!
Us Note 20 doesn't work with 5G band in UK. If you want a working snapdragon 5G note 20 or note 20 ultra you have to by N986N model from South Korea, which is one sim only but it has 256gb internal storage....
manager77 said:
Us Note 20 doesn't work with 5G band in UK. If you want a working snapdragon 5G note 20 or note 20 ultra you have to by N986N model from South Korea, which is one sim only but it has 256gb internal storage....
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Yes, it seems to. I will try my luck with Wondamobile and order the HK version once available. Don't want to buy the Exynos...
Thanks for your help!
It seems like a lot of hassle just to get a snapdragon version. You may gain performance (that's probably not even noticeable in normal every day tasks) and a possible gain in battery life... but gain hassles with the UK network bands, import duty, warranty issues and resale value.
There are meant to be tweaks on the Exynos 990 in the Note20 version, so why not wait and see a reasonable handful of reviews on this subject first?
.
apprentice said:
It seems like a lot of hassle just to get a snapdragon version. You may gain performance (that's probably not even noticeable in normal every day tasks) and a possible gain in battery life... but gain hassles with the UK network bands, import duty, warranty issues and resale value.
There are meant to be tweaks on the Exynos 990 in the Note20 version, so why not wait and see a reasonable handful of reviews on this subject first?
.
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This is also true, especially the resale value part (Wondamobile covers all import duties, etc so no probs from that side).
I am also waiting for the reviews, even though Ice Universe advised the rumors about tweaked Exynos are not legit. Still, hope dies last
Decisions, decisions
apprentice said:
It seems like a lot of hassle just to get a snapdragon version. You may gain performance (that's probably not even noticeable in normal every day tasks) and a possible gain in battery life... but gain hassles with the UK network bands, import duty, warranty issues and resale value.
There are meant to be tweaks on the Exynos 990 in the Note20 version, so why not wait and see a reasonable handful of reviews on this subject first?
.
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Interesting...I know you said wait for the reviews, yet if you had the choice which version would you get or which version do you normally get? I'm looking at making a decision between the snapdragon or the exynos... I'm pretty sure I've always had exynos, yet this maybe the last year I'm able to afford upgrading to the latest and greatest... I want to ensure I'm getting the best bang for the buck... I'm thinking the Korean unlocked snapdragon maybe the best bet.
cezeff said:
Interesting...I know you said wait for the reviews, yet if you had the choice which version would you get or which version do you normally get? I'm looking at making a decision between the snapdragon or the exynos... I'm pretty sure I've always had exynos, yet this maybe the last year I'm able to afford upgrading to the latest and greatest... I want to ensure I'm getting the best bang for the buck... I'm thinking the Korean unlocked snapdragon maybe the best bet.
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Depending on where you live though, if in Europe than HK would be a better choice as it has a better network compatibility with European 5g and GSM standards than Korean version. I was also reading that Koren version comes with specific Korean settings and bloatware that cannot be removed, hence, it is cheaper than HK version.
I was reading today that one guy on Twitter apparently tested Note 20 Ultra Exynos and said it is more optimised and faster than the same processor in S20 Ultra, but still not on par with Snapdragon.
I will probably try my luck with Wondamobile once they will have the HK version available.
cezeff said:
Interesting...I know you said wait for the reviews, yet if you had the choice which version would you get or which version do you normally get? I'm looking at making a decision between the snapdragon or the exynos... I'm pretty sure I've always had exynos, yet this maybe the last year I'm able to afford upgrading to the latest and greatest... I want to ensure I'm getting the best bang for the buck... I'm thinking the Korean unlocked snapdragon maybe the best bet.
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I see you are in the US, so you will automatically get the Snapdragon version. This is technically a better chipset for both performance and battery life, but the evidence seems to point to about a 6% performance boost (on the Galaxy S20) and about 1hr more battery power. But these figures are only relevant if you are pushing the phone to absolute limits. As with all benchmarking, results are clinical and most likely aren't noticeable in every day usage and the majority of people really don't care much.
However what we do care about (here in non US markets) is that we are paying the same amount (often more) for something that technically has an inferior chipset. But Samsung seemed to have addressed this with the Exynos version having a bigger (256Gb) base storage.
There are rumours banding about that the Exynos 990 has been much improved/ramped up, also addressing the overheating issues on previous devices. So it remains to be seen if this holds true. But the crux of my input here is that is it really worth the OP going to the trouble of importing a phone from the US or S.Korea to the UK, based on all the above? Especially if something goes wrong you most likely don't have a warranty. At the price of a Note 20 Ultra that's a lot of money to lose if you get a fault.
apprentice said:
I see you are in the US, so you will automatically get the Snapdragon version. This is technically a better chipset for both performance and battery life, but the evidence seems to point to about a 6% performance boost (on the Galaxy S20) and about 1hr more battery power. But these figures are only relevant if you are pushing the phone to absolute limits. As with all benchmarking, results are clinical and most likely aren't noticeable in every day usage and the majority of people really don't care much.
However what we do care about (here in non US markets) is that we are paying the same amount (often more) for something that technically has an inferior chipset. But Samsung seemed to have addressed this with the Exynos version having a bigger (256Gb) base storage.
There are rumours banding about that the Exynos 990 has been much improved/ramped up, also addressing the overheating issues on previous devices. So it remains to be seen if this holds true. But the crux of my input here is that is it really worth the OP going to the trouble of importing a phone from the US or S.Korea to the UK, based on all the above? Especially if something goes wrong you most likely don't have a warranty. At the price of a Note 20 Ultra that's a lot of money to lose if you get a fault.
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Well I live in Japan .. Shipping and importing is not really an issue for me... Even with the improvements to exynos, it still seems the snapdragon is the better chipset (?).. I can source an unlocked 256 snapdragon from Korea, yet now am concerned about the bloatware on the phone... wouldn't the Hong Kong version also include some form of bloatware?
---------- Post added at 06:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:35 PM ----------
VirtualWaver said:
Depending on where you live though, if in Europe than HK would be a better choice as it has a better network compatibility with European 5g and GSM standards than Korean version. I was also reading that Koren version comes with specific Korean settings and bloatware that cannot be removed, hence, it is cheaper than HK version.
I was reading today that one guy on Twitter apparently tested Note 20 Ultra Exynos and said it is more optimised and faster than the same processor in S20 Ultra, but still not on par with Snapdragon.
I will probably try my luck with Wondamobile once they will have the HK version available.
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Click to collapse
Wouldn't the HK version include bloatware as well?
cezeff said:
Well I live in Japan .. Shipping and importing is not really an issue for me... Even with the improvements to exynos, it still seems the snapdragon is the better chipset (?).. I can source an unlocked 256 snapdragon from Korea, yet now am concerned about the bloatware on the phone... wouldn't the Hong Kong version also include some form of bloatware?
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Click to collapse
Ah sorry, I was just going by the country flag on your profile.
I don't know if the HK version will be full of bloatware. However, I think Samsung have toned down their bloatware over the past 2-3 years anyway (certainly in the UK versions), instead opting to provide links to downloads of their apps that might interest you. I actually really like the Samsung Browser for example but it's no longer installed by default, so I had to install it from the Galaxy Store.
apprentice said:
Ah sorry, I was just going by the country flag on your profile.
I don't know if the HK version will be full of bloatware. However, I think Samsung have toned down their bloatware over the past 2-3 years anyway (certainly in the UK versions), instead opting to provide links to downloads of their apps that might interest you. I actually really like the Samsung Browser for example but it's no longer installed by default, so I had to install it from the Galaxy Store.
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I will second the Samsung Browser - absolutely the best and works super fast. My to go browser, in fact.
I am not sure about bloatware content but there was a deal on HotUKDeals website where Wonda was selling S20 from Korea and it was cheaper and people was saying the comments that the reason is that it has many pre-configured Korean bloat that cannot be removed even with package managers.
It looks like (from my research on the web) that HK version doesn't have these.
apprentice said:
Ah sorry, I was just going by the country flag on your profile.
I don't know if the HK version will be full of bloatware. However, I think Samsung have toned down their bloatware over the past 2-3 years anyway (certainly in the UK versions), instead opting to provide links to downloads of their apps that might interest you. I actually really like the Samsung Browser for example but it's no longer installed by default, so I had to install it from the Galaxy Store.
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Click to collapse
No problem. I do agree that Samsung has toned it down. I think I'll go ahead and pre-order the Korean snapdragon with 256gb in mystic white... mystic bronze looks great, yet I can't do much with it, even putting on a skin the frame would stick out like a sore thumb... If anything I can disable bloatware via ADB shell without root... One of the reasons I buy unlocked phones is because the bloatware on Japanese locked phones are absolutely crazy... The system is also proprietary, losing much of the customization other regions have, along with super long delayed updates...
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VirtualWaver said:
I will second the Samsung Browser - absolutely the best and works super fast. My to go browser, in fact.
I am not sure about bloatware content but there was a deal on HotUKDeals website where Wonda was selling S20 from Korea and it was cheaper and people was saying the comments that the reason is that it has many pre-configured Korean bloat that cannot be removed even with package managers.
It looks like (from my research on the web) that HK version doesn't have these.
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Click to collapse
I'll roll with the Korean version for now.. If there is any excessive bloated I'll ADB shell it and if anything else maybe flash a universal ROM later down the road... Thanks for you guys input
cezeff said:
No problem. I do agree that Samsung has toned it down. I think I'll go ahead and pre-order the Korean snapdragon with 256gb in mystic white... mystic bronze looks great, yet I can't do much with it, even putting on a skin the frame would stick out like a sore thumb... If anything I can disable bloatware via ADB shell without root... One of the reasons I buy unlocked phones is because the bloatware on Japanese locked phones are absolutely crazy... The system is also proprietary, losing much of the customization other regions have, along with super long delayed updates...
---------- Post added at 07:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:01 PM ----------
I'll roll with the Korean version for now.. If there is any excessive bloated I'll ADB shell it and if anything else maybe flash a universal ROM later down the road... Thanks for you guys input
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Click to collapse
Please let us know how once you get it
I will also hold on and wait for Exynos review. Hope it will be available soon.
I am not a gamer at all, but am a power user and do appreciate when the phone heats less and consumes less battery. Also, apparently, Snapdragon's reception is better. So will wait for reviews before getting. For now, I cancelled my Samsung order from the UK.