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Had to return the S4 Active

Since I was an original proponent of the S4 Active's camera, I wanted to publicly admit that I was wrong. The camera on the S4 Active is, indeed, a deal breaker (at least for me).
It's not that it dropped from 13mp to 8mp...that, in and of itself, has no bearing on the performance, but the images produced by this camera are muddy and not pleasing at all. It is miles behind the original S4 or HTC One in the image department.
I went back to the original S4 which is fine, but I really miss the screen of the Active. It's just a choice each individual will have to decide for themselves, but I just can't understand why Samsung downgraded the camera so dramatically on the Active. It's a shame because, to me, everything else about the Active is awesome, most notably, the screen.

cardinalryan said:
Since I was an original proponent of the S4 Active's camera, I wanted to publicly admit that I was wrong. The camera on the S4 Active is, indeed, a deal breaker (at least for me).
It's not that it dropped from 13mp to 8mp...that, in and of itself, has no bearing on the performance, but the images produced by this camera are muddy and not pleasing at all. It is miles behind the original S4 or HTC One in the image department.
I went back to the original S4 which is fine, but I really miss the screen of the Active. It's just a choice each individual will have to decide for themselves, but I just can't understand why Samsung downgraded the camera so dramatically on the Active. It's a shame because, to me, everything else about the Active is awesome, most notably, the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sad to see you go but IMO Screen > Camera
I think the camera will be fixed with an update or mods, screen you are stuck with forever. I know the camera on this thing can be better, just wait for them to get the bugs worked out. Enjoy the S4, it DOES have a great camera
My disclaimer is I rarely take photos with my phone. My wife does a good job snapping great photos I just use it to capture something funny or cool when I am not around family.

I liked the screen too but a lot of original gs4 features were calling me (including customization of the physical phone with cases and replacement parts and internal software)
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

Camera seems great for me, a bit better than my Note 2. IMO a waterproof phone, better looking, better display, and more rugged is better than a slightly better camera on the regular S4.

I noticed a green tent sometimes. It must be a software issue.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using xda app-developers app

geoff5093 said:
Camera seems great for me, a bit better than my Note 2. IMO a waterproof phone, better looking, better display, and more rugged is better than a slightly better camera on the regular S4.
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Click to collapse
That is certainly a fair comment. For me though, the camera was just too weak...but holy crap the Active screen is exponentially better than the SAMOLED S4 screen...not even close.

mattpayne92 said:
I liked the screen too but a lot of original gs4 features were calling me (including customization of the physical phone with cases and replacement parts and internal software)
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cases will not show up if people don't let the companies know that they are wanted

cardinalryan said:
Since I was an original proponent of the S4 Active's camera, I wanted to publicly admit that I was wrong. The camera on the S4 Active is, indeed, a deal breaker (at least for me).
It's not that it dropped from 13mp to 8mp...that, in and of itself, has no bearing on the performance, but the images produced by this camera are muddy and not pleasing at all. It is miles behind the original S4 or HTC One in the image department.
I went back to the original S4 which is fine, but I really miss the screen of the Active. It's just a choice each individual will have to decide for themselves, but I just can't understand why Samsung downgraded the camera so dramatically on the Active. It's a shame because, to me, everything else about the Active is awesome, most notably, the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wait to get the OBEX or Lifeproof case for your S4...as I will do...when I had both (The the S4A for a week before returning) I thought the screens were comparable with an edge to the S4.

planoman said:
Just wait to get the OBEX or Lifeproof case for your S4...as I will do...when I had both (The the S4A for a week before returning) I thought the screens were comparable with an edge to the S4.
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Click to collapse
Depends on the person
Some people like their screens over saturated with deep blacks, some people like their screens natural with normal whites.

joshuadjohnson22 said:
Depends on the person
Some people like their screens over saturated with deep blacks, some people like their screens natural with normal whites.
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Click to collapse
So true. I personally was sold on the S4A screen over the S4 screen when I was compairing them side by side, and it was ultimatly the reason I went with the S4A over the S4.

Kyuta Syuko said:
So true. I personally was sold on the S4A screen over the S4 screen when I was compairing them side by side, and it was ultimatly the reason I went with the S4A over the S4.
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Click to collapse
the s4 active has a more 'natural' screen but its tft and the color reproduction is horrible. At least in movie mode the regular S4 can seem much more accurate and not bland

To each their own. I purchased the Active because I get wet and my Note 2 was on borrowed time. The better camera and screen on the active are a bonus.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537

I feel like most of the people prefer the actives screen. I compared both side by side and I actually prefer the bolder colors. Its all personal opinion
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

Yeah I love the active screen but hate the angles and just hate tft. The active is better from the start but the amoled on the normal s4 has more potential. A wide color gamut. Movie mode Is almost perfect. And this is coming from professional display reviewers. And if we get perseus kernel onto the 9505 variant it'll be even better.
But to be honest I have it on auto screen mode for some reason I love the colors too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

jetlitheone said:
Yeah I love the active screen but hate the angles and just hate tft. The active is better from the start but the amoled on the normal s4 has more potential. A wide color gamut. Movie mode Is almost perfect. And this is coming from professional display reviewers. And if we get perseus kernel onto the 9505 variant it'll be even better.
But to be honest I have it on auto screen mode for some reason I love the colors too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I agree the SAMOLED screen has more potential and if the S4 ever got a mod like Voodoo Color the user could probably get the screen looking just as good or maybe even better than the S4A screen.

TwoStroker37 said:
To each their own. I purchased the Active because I get wet and my Note 2 was on borrowed time. The better camera and screen on the active are a bonus.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537
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Click to collapse
In no way does the Active have a better camera than the original S4. I would venture to say that the camera on the Active is among the worst on a high end smartphone. It is plumb terrible.

cardinalryan said:
In no way does the Active have a better camera than the original S4. I would venture to say that the camera on the Active is among the worst on a high end smartphone. It is plumb terrible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine has taken great photos and mine has taken horrible photos.
The truth is they do need to update the camera to fix the bugs... after that I think it will be great... Of course not as good as the S4 but close

cardinalryan said:
Since I was an original proponent of the S4 Active's camera, I wanted to publicly admit that I was wrong. The camera on the S4 Active is, indeed, a deal breaker (at least for me).
It's not that it dropped from 13mp to 8mp...that, in and of itself, has no bearing on the performance, but the images produced by this camera are muddy and not pleasing at all. It is miles behind the original S4 or HTC One in the image department.
I went back to the original S4 which is fine, but I really miss the screen of the Active. It's just a choice each individual will have to decide for themselves, but I just can't understand why Samsung downgraded the camera so dramatically on the Active. It's a shame because, to me, everything else about the Active is awesome, most notably, the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used the S4 Active in store and the display seems to be a lot more accurate than the S4 (since it uses the TFT display). How was it's outdoor visibility?

Southernboyj said:
I used the S4 Active in store and the display seems to be a lot more accurate than the S4 (since it uses the TFT display). How was it's outdoor visibility?
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Click to collapse
The display isn't more accurate its just not exaggerated colors. But you can fix that in the regular s4
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

jetlitheone said:
Yeah I love the active screen but hate the angles and just hate tft. The active is better from the start but the amoled on the normal s4 has more potential. A wide color gamut. Movie mode Is almost perfect. And this is coming from professional display reviewers. And if we get perseus kernel onto the 9505 variant it'll be even better.
But to be honest I have it on auto screen mode for some reason I love the colors too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its about 97% accurate to sRGB (which is industry standard) in Movie mode, versus 91% on iPhone 5, 83% on S4 Active, and 85% on HTC One. The AMOLED screen actually has a wider gamut than sRGB but it is not calibrated correctly. At its most vivid, it is capable of about 102% sRGB gamut, though it does suffer from some slight gamma issues as well due to AMOLED being totally off when displaying 'true' blacks.
I tested them all with a friend and his colorimetry gear with some standard calibration images, with Pantone, sRGB, and Rec709 standard materials as well as gray plates and focusing scales (attached). Feel free to compare to your HDTV/monitor of choice.
However, a 3% variation is negligible at best; most males (60-something percent) are partially colorblind anyways and really cant see the difference until its about 18% off. Women its closer to 1% have color issues, and with females comprising the majority of the population and about 1/3 of the S4 buyers, that means that roughly 75% of you could not tell the difference between a perfectly calibrates S4 and one that is 3%, 5%, or even 10% off.
That said, i have some 10 bit Marshall, JVC, and Sony calibrated field monitors that are closer to 78% sRGB, and i used them every day for work (we use scopes to verify anyways; cant trust your eyes), and even a VERY VERY nice, VERY expensive calibrated 10 bit IPS LED LCD field monitor that costs as much as some new cars that is only 94% accurate.
I rely on my eyes at work every day; i have incredibly sharp and perceptive vision, and i can comfortably say that 'Movie' mode is BETTER than most other screens you would watch movies/tv on, yes including your $1,000 HDTV or $300 PC monitor. I can easily see the pixels on the smaller, 720P GS3 screen, and make them out decently on the S4 as well, even 18" away from my face. The HTC one as well, but its closer to 14" away maximum. That is incredible for me.
TFT has bad viewing angles, very bad backlight passthrough transmission, and is based on old tech. IPS LED would have been a MUCH better choice, but Samsung doesnt do much in that field; TFT they have the tech and fab for. It was a poor choice IMO.
The HTC One screen or iPhone 5 screen is way better than that of the Active for viewing angles, and also much more saturated (One is oversaturated, iPhone 5 only slightly). But for contrast and viewing angles alone, Samsung SHOULD have gone IPS.
KEEP IN MIND...
Brightness, viewing angles, saturation, gamut, and contrast are quantifiable. These are what i base my statements on; what ive measured and what ive seen.
PERCEIVED color is not; thats your brain, mostly. Your eyes only collect raw data. I could show you correctly calibrated images under different lighting and you would swear the peoples faces were purple, green, etc, when in fact they are absolutely correct, and its your brain compensating.
As far as the S4A camera, i had read Samsung had a problem with supply on the 13MP units, and opted for the same part as the S III camera as it was available, and part numbers stack up (pinouts do not). The software camera app on the S4A may not be up to snuff in that case; the S III takes great shots for a camera phone; and if you look at S III, S4A, and S4 shots side by side with the same settings of the same objects under same lighting and other conditions, the S4A and S III are pretty damn close to identical if you check out scopes or histograms; the S4 with the 13MP camera has a slight edge.
I cant see the Perseus kernel doing much better; most of the issue with the S4 screen is gamma shift based off the PenTile display architecture; yes the S4 screen is RGBG, which is an RGB variant, but in practice calibrating it is WILDLY different from an RGB screen. If anyone gets a chance, take a look at the exact same picture (both the one i attached and also one of people) on a Motorola Atrix 4G with the RGBW (red green blue white) pixel layout; the Atrix has THE WORST COLORS I HAVE EVER SEEN, period. BUT, you could see that thing perfectly in the glare of the sun at any angle.

Just received my N9005

I received my Note 3 N9005 (LTE Qualcomm version) this morning and so far it's blown me away. I had an S4 (also Qualcomm LTE quad core) for a few weeks before ditching it and going back to my Note 2 due to the lag and various performance and heat issues, but I'm glad to say they're gone completely on the new Note 3. Under heavy load the back does get warm obviously, it's a fast processor and high-end GPU after all, but it stays cooler than the S4 and takes longer to heat up in general. Everything in the UI is utterly smooth and lag free, launching the camera app and taking a snap is near instant compared to the ~2 second lag on the S4 between pressing the shutter button and an image being captured. [email protected] videos look stunning, I was seriously impressed at the phone's ability to keep up and maintain the frame rate, and when in this mode the screen updates at 60fps as well so you get a good preview. [email protected] is likewise excellent, although just be sure to select 1/4 speed rather than the default 1/8 speed, as this still captures at 120fps (1/4 speed), but encodes and plays it back at 15fps (1/8 speed) which is not smooth at all. The display is absolutely beautiful, coming from the Note 2 the step up in resolution and colour presentation are immediately obvious, and even outdoors it still looks great. This is the nicest phone display I've ever laid eyes upon, and I've had a good look at most of 'em. Gone is the black crush effect, the purple redraw artefacts and the grittiness of the S4's panel, and being sAMOLED contrast is exceptional. In the hand it feels light compared to the Note 2, but at the same time sturdier, better built and there is zero flex or creaking unlike it's predecessor. USB 3.0 file transfers are noticeably quicker than USB 2, except of course if you're writing to the external MicroSD card as it's write speed is the bottleneck there. The faux-leather effect back still feels like plastic, but there's better grip and being matte, no fingerprints.
So far it feels like it justifies the high price (£604.96 from www.unlocked-mobiles.com including shipping), and time will tell on the battery life. Despite the bump in resolution I'm expecting good things there, the more efficient SOC and slightly larger capacity cell should hopefully offset the draw of running all 2,073,600 of those tiny little LEDs. So yeah, so far I love it and can easily recommend the upgrade from the Note 2, and especially the S4. If anyone wants more details, just ask

Nice little review.. what you think about the speakers? any better than the note 2? the note 2 speakers were better than s4 or any other samsung phone previously so maybe this one is a tad bit better? coming from the htc one, I know im going to miss those speakers but hopefully i dont cringe in pain from the experience on the note 3 (speaker wise) lol ..no one seems to do a review of the speakers on youtube and when i get the phone, thats the first thing i will do for people

As far as the speakers are concerned I just want them to be louder. I hate it when it is so quiet you can barely hear anything.
So can you give us an update on the loudness for the speakers please.

Don't worry about the battery life, it's pretty decent. I have posted detailed battery usage on my thread if you're interested. And the charging speed is around 48%/hour so you can topple it up pretty quickly compared to other phones.
stepinmyworld said:
Nice little review.. what you think about the speakers? any better than the note 2? the note 2 speakers were better than s4 or any other samsung phone previously so maybe this one is a tad bit better? coming from the htc one, I know im going to miss those speakers but hopefully i dont cringe in pain from the experience on the note 3 (speaker wise) lol ..no one seems to do a review of the speakers on youtube and when i get the phone, thats the first thing i will do for people
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Click to collapse
The sound is louder than Note2's I think. I sold my note2 already so can't compare them side by side.
This video shows the audio compared to the new Sony Z1 ... hope it helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5Ov4zcJE0

stepinmyworld said:
Nice little review.. what you think about the speakers? any better than the note 2? the note 2 speakers were better than s4 or any other samsung phone previously so maybe this one is a tad bit better? coming from the htc one, I know im going to miss those speakers but hopefully i dont cringe in pain from the experience on the note 3 (speaker wise) lol ..no one seems to do a review of the speakers on youtube and when i get the phone, thats the first thing i will do for people
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The loud speaker is definitely an improvement on the Note 2, and being positioned on the bottom edge doesn't get obscured merely by putting the phone down on a soft surface such as the arm of my sofa. In terms of volume it's clearly louder and has less distortion than the Note 2 and S4, but it won't match the experience of the HTC One with it's dual front-facing speakers. Quality wise, it's still a tiny phone speaker so you won't be doing any serious listening with it, but it's loud and clear enough to be heard in noisy environments within limits, not in a club or near a runway obviously, but it's acceptable in the car and walking around the city. The headphone output however is I think my favourite improvement. Audio output via a decent set of headphones is simply incredible. Not just incredible for a phone, but bona fide excellent. I'm not claiming it'll best a Linn reference set up, but I've heard poorer audio from home setups and dedicated headphone amps costing many times the price of this phone. PowerAmp seems to downsample anything above 48khz, but the stock player renders 192KHz 24-bit flac files beautifully.

MohJee said:
Don't worry about the battery life, it's pretty decent. I have posted detailed battery usage on my thread if you're interested. And the charging speed is around 48%/hour so you can topple it up pretty quickly compared to other phones.
The sound is louder than Note2's I think. I sold my note2 already so can't compare them side by side.
This video shows the audio compared to the new Sony Z1 ... hope it helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5Ov4zcJE0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you type the name of the video here? I'm unable to click the link at work lol... but i can search the video via youtube..
---------- Post added at 09:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------
MohJee said:
Don't worry about the battery life, it's pretty decent. I have posted detailed battery usage on my thread if you're interested. And the charging speed is around 48%/hour so you can topple it up pretty quickly compared to other phones.
The sound is louder than Note2's I think. I sold my note2 already so can't compare them side by side.
This video shows the audio compared to the new Sony Z1 ... hope it helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5Ov4zcJE0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vanButton said:
The loud speaker is definitely an improvement on the Note 2, and being positioned on the bottom edge doesn't get obscured merely by putting the phone down on a soft surface such as the arm of my sofa. In terms of volume it's clearly louder and has less distortion than the Note 2 and S4, but it won't match the experience of the HTC One with it's dual front-facing speakers. Quality wise, it's still a tiny phone speaker so you won't be doing any serious listening with it, but it's loud and clear enough to be heard in noisy environments within limits, not in a club or near a runway obviously, but it's acceptable in the car and walking around the city. The headphone output however is I think my favourite improvement. Audio output via a decent set of headphones is simply incredible. Not just incredible for a phone, but bona fide excellent. I'm not claiming it'll best a Linn reference set up, but I've heard poorer audio from home setups and dedicated headphone amps costing many times the price of this phone. PowerAmp seems to downsample anything above 48khz, but the stock player renders 192KHz 24-bit flac files beautifully.
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well that sounds promising... from the tones of the notifications, it sounds strong

stepinmyworld said:
can you type the name of the video here? I'm unable to click the link at work lol... but i can search the video via youtube..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ePrice - Xperia Z1 與 Note 3 |擴音喇叭表現比較
It's in chinese The channel name is ePrice HK

MohJee said:
ePrice - Xperia Z1 與 Note 3 |擴音喇叭表現比較
It's in chinese The channel name is ePrice HK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
o wow! i like how much louder it is than the z1 i hear a tiny bit of base coming through the note 3 lollll
thanks a lot for posting the video name

How does the screen look under direct sun light? Thanks.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 4

Got mine today loving it what a nice phone

testrider said:
How does the screen look under direct sun light? Thanks.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in Scotland, I don't know what anything looks like under direct sunlight :laugh: It's fairly bright outside just now but overcast, and the screen remains clearly legible and bright. Indoors under LED bulbs it looks great too, and reflection is not as much of an issue as it was on the Note 2.

Thanks! I'm in SoCal and it's sunny almost everyday of the year so that's a concern
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 4

How come my screen gets very warm quite quickly?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app

Quick/stupid question. The sticker on the site of the box that states what region sim you can use. Does it state North America and the Caribbean?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Xshinobi said:
Quick/stupid question. The sticker on the site of the box that states what region sim you can use. Does it state North America and the Caribbean?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine's the European version, so it doesn't mention either of them.

vanButton said:
... slightly larger capacity cell should hopefully offset the draw of running all 2,073,600 of those tiny little LEDs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shouldn't that be 4,147,200 LEDs?

dscline said:
Shouldn't that be 4,147,200 LEDs?
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Click to collapse
Indeed it should :silly: I realised my mistake after posting. 4,147,204 if you wanna count the notification RGB and the IR blaster

Is there any difference hardware wise between this model and the AT&T version?
Sent from my LG-D800 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

vince2398 said:
Is there any difference hardware wise between this model and the AT&T version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only difference I can see is the ATT version comes with a slightly different back cover, which features a rather tacky (in my opinion) stylised "Galaxy Note 3" in silver near the bottom.

vanButton said:
The only difference I can see is the ATT version comes with a slightly different back cover, which features a rather tacky (in my opinion) stylised "Galaxy Note 3" in silver near the bottom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And AT&T version comes with the bands to support their LTE.

Confused in choosing right phone.. Note 3 or Lg g2 or S4 ???

I used s4 i had problem speaker cracking issue..
Right now I m using a cheap android phone.. Want again to go good smart phone..
I am really confused choosing a right phone for me..
Note 3 or lg g 2 or s4 again...
I don't use spen I dont have requirement of it..
My requirements are.. I want a smooth phone.. Lag free.. Without hardware issues or any.. Don't want to borr.. Software features(to show to my friends lol) is lg g2 have true black LCD??
Any stuck pixel issue there??
And I was happy with s4.. I sell it because of scratch xD
I know I have so many question.. But that's why confusion lol..
Please suggest me..
Thanks in advance.. To brothers and girls..
Sent from my Micromax A74 using xda app-developers app

Mandeep148 said:
I used s4 i had problem speaker cracking issue..
Right now I m using a cheap android phone.. Want again to go good smart phone..
I am really confused choosing a right phone for me..
Note 3 or lg g 2 or s4 again...
I don't use spen I dont have requirement of it..
My requirements are.. I want a smooth phone.. Lag free.. Without hardware issues or any.. Don't want to borr.. Software features(to show to my friends lol) is lg g2 have true black LCD??
Any stuck pixel issue there??
And I was happy with s4.. I sell it because of scratch xD
I know I have so many question.. But that's why confusion lol..
Please suggest me..
Thanks in advance.. To brothers and girls..
Sent from my Micromax A74 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both the Note 3 and the G2 should be lag free considering the powerful S800 SOC in them (The HTC One with the S600 is smooth already), the LG G2 has an IPS LCD while the blacks are good they are not "true black", and stuck/dead pixels can happen in any device with an LCD and to some extent could happen to an AMOLED too.

Hmmm. Kill lg g2.. I m fan of true black lol..
S4 or note 3 there is so much price difference BTWeen that phones..
S4 is for 34k and note 3 is for 45k in Indian rupees.. Which so much difference.. Would u suggest me s4 ? Or note 3 ? If note 3 have not much feature for its so much high price..
Sent from my Micromax A74 using xda app-developers app

Mandeep148 said:
Hmmm. Kill lg g2.. I m fan of true black lol..
S4 or note 3 there is so much price difference BTWeen that phones..
S4 is for 34k and note 3 is for 45k in Indian rupees.. Which so much difference.. Would u suggest me s4 ? Or note 3 ? If note 3 have not much feature for its so much high price..
Sent from my Micromax A74 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find the Note 3 the much better phone than the S4, much bigger screen (5,7" vs 5"), faster processor and GPU (S800 2.3 GHz with Adreno 330 vs S600 1.9 GHz with Adreno 320), more RAM (3GB vs 2GB), a better camera (4K recording (2160p) vs Full HD recording (1080p)) and a bigger battery (3200 mAh vs 2600 mAh) and it has a WACOM digitizer and the S-Pen which the S4 doesn't support. As for the price the Note 3 was just released while the S4 is on the market for a while thats why the big difference in prices.

G2 D802 VS NOTE 3 N9005
I hope and I believe this post might be useful for someone who is deciding between G2 (D802 UK Model) and Note 3 (N9005 UK model).I have been following this thread for a long time and read all opinions in these forums, but never wrote any opinions. Short Version for the answer is, I have picked Note 3 over G2 after using both for 2 weeks. I have also used S4, S3, Note 1,Note 2, Htc One and S2 quite a lot so am aware of the pitfalls of Samsung devices.
Long Version and my reasons are below and these are only my opinions.
LG G2 Pros (G2 over Note 3)
1) Screen whites are clear white and LCD screen is very good. Especially reading books and web you will see clear whites.
2) Knock on feature to lock and unlock is the most used feature and once you start using it , you will start thinking how good it is and may
be all android devices copy this feature. I actually started knocking other devices now and trying to mimic this feature on note 3 with some 3rd party apps and as you all know they are not the same and don't work that well.
3) Bluetooth sound on my planatronics voyager hd is better for some reason on G2. More clear and high volume.
4) Wifi and mobile signal is really good , more than note 3. I guess its atleast one bar more on G2. Call quality is also very good.
5) Single hand usage is really good and its almost a perfect device. (Almost perfect !!! -- reason in cons.)
6) Lots of customisation options like multi wallpaper, zooming in for sms windows and themes in G2 stock rom. I actually
give more marks to G2 stock launcher. G2 Keyboard is also good.
7) Battery life is really good. I use mobile devices to watch atleast 2 hours of video in a day and not a single day its completely finished.
8) Camera pics are really good in day light and good in night time when there is sufficient light.
9) Back buttons are also nice , some might prefer and some might not.
G2 Cons:
1) G2 looks beautiful from front, but back is ugly , plasticky , cheap and damn slippery. Reason almost perfect is because if they made the
back more textured or grippable , they would have sold may be more devices. I actually find handling note 3 easier sometimes as note 3
device textured back is really useful. People call samsung plastic, but note 3 build quality is really really good. LG back sometimes make a
creaking sound and if you drop I can guarantee that G2 will break rather than note 3 due to edge screen on G2. Actually I feel that I will
drop G2 more quickly than Note 3.
2) Inside the house the low light pics are horrible and full of noise. This surprised me and I am disappointed with camera on low light
pictures. One more thing I have noticed the G2 camera pictures sometimes have blue hue to the picture.
3) Video recording ,,,,, oh my dog ! Am not sure what to say about it, its bad, it keeps auto focusing every 2 seconds to a point where it
gets really annoying. Am note sure how this has gone through QA testing from the company. I was really looking forward for camera, but
my kids videos all have come really bad.
4) To my surprise even though the screen is crisp and clear and good for reading, I did not enjoy watching movies on LG G2 screen. I
guess am used to Amoled pure blacks while watching movies. And also if you just view the screen even with a little angle of 20 degrees ,
the viewing on screen becomes real bad.
5) Outdoor viewing is OK but not great.Screen is really shiny outdoors and am actually a bit surprised that outdoor visibility is not great
compared to HTC One or Note 3. (Note 3 really surprised me outdoors)
6) No sdcard and battery, I know its not a con for some people but after using lot of galaxy phone am kind of used to have all my books
and movies on sdcard. Convenience can sometimes be a con for people like me.
7) On screen buttons look ugly while playing some games. Some people prefer this but I dont.
8) G2 somehow feels heavy and its around 140 grams approximately.
9) I have been waiting for an OTA update for so long , but with past history of LG not doing software updates quick enough, I really have
some reservations about their record.
NOTE 3 over LG G2 (Note 3 Pros)
1) Oh my God ! Screen is really beautiful and crisp, its like a small LED tv on your hand. Absolutely brilliant, not sure why I prefer this over G2 I
prefer actually reading news on Note 3.
2) Textured back and lightweight make it really really useful and this is only 24 or 28 grams more than G2. To my surprise I really liked
the leather textured plastic back which make note 3 easier to grip as well. Build quality is really good and no creaking noise anywhere.
3) Amoled screen, Watching hd movies on this screen is really great. Colour saturation can be a bit more on standard setting, but if you
choose professional mode you will see a lot of difference. May be am biased here but once you watch movies on Amoled screen, its difficult
to go back to LCD. I think the best display quality is HTC One, but htc one has got too many other headaches which am not going to
mention here.
4) Outdoor visibility really is nice now and I dont have to worry , its clear and actually better than G2.
5) S-Pen is really more useful now than before and the handwriting recognition improved quite a lot. This is really a very productive feature
if you really use Citrix xenapp and remote desktop to check office work extra. For me this is where S-Pen is really useful. Air view touch is
also nice.
6) Video recording quality is really very good when compared to G2, No auto focus issues and I have taken 4k recording and slow motion
videos and they are really good.
7) Camera picture quality for indoors is better than G2.
8) I have already got 3 OTA updates in a week and I guess this is where Samsung scores high marks and software updates are really quick
from Samsung compared to G2.
9) Speakers are good and better than G2.
10) Once you are used to Sdcard and the option of extra battery, its really hard to go back to the closed world. Old habits die hard.
Note 3 cons:
1) It feels big and is big. Sometimes my hands get tired if I try to use too long. I really wish width was a little lesser. But am negating this
issue by using gestures via 3rd party apps. But definitely feels bigger than G2.
2) If you are like me and use the phone on commuting in undergrounds, using with single hand can be difficult. This is where G2 scores
high.(G2 is also slippery but fits in hand)
3) Camera is OK in low light conditions, but not great. Not that impressed here. Default settings are changed in video mode and camera mode and its really annoying as I had to go through lot of settings to get it right.
4) They have removed some features like Popup browser, Eye Scrolling and Air view on browsers compared to Note 2. I don't use these
features other than popup browser but these features can be useful for others.
5) Bluetooth sound is low compared to G2.
6) Wifi quality and signal quality are always one bar lesser than G2.
Conclusion: After using both for a solid 2 weeks I have decided to go for NOTE 3. Ultimately the features for productivity, convenience of
sdcard and battery, display quality , and the timely software updates won me over the G2. And this is all for 50 pounds more.
Hope this might be helpful for some.
VJTechie

Well, if for you region locking is no problem, get what you like,
else dont buy a samsung device. Wait for custom roms. Knox security is an easy way to lose warranty if you flash any rom aswell.

I would go for note 3
Sent from my X10i using xda app-developers app

Considering returning my Note 8 for a galaxy s8 plus

I posted in the note forums i thought i would see what replies i get here as well
I loved my note 7 (nice rounded edges samsung oem screen protector etc) This phone just feels ...well HUGE... in pocket as well as in hand... I am realizing im not using the spen at all really (other than to send sparkly messages to my wife) since i got my ipad pro and pencil for sketching. For some reason this thing feels immense in my front pocket and heavy.I read at night and holding this phone can be cumbersome at best.. I love the screen and playing games on it but for pretty much everything else its not what i expected. I went to best buy and held both phones at the same time and the s8+ feels so much better in hand with only a .1 in screen difference (i cannot even notice) Am i crazy for exchanging it for a S8+?
ps i like the dual camera live focus thing but for me personally its not that important. 99% of my phone pics are point and shoot and share to a friend or social media..
I had a s7 edge up until 2 weeks ago when i picked up the note 8 and it just feel gigantic.. I wanted a bigger screen because i wear reading glasses but the ergos are not nearly as nice as my old s7edge or the newer s8 and s8 plus.

Do you want to trade? Is your phone unlocked and what carrier are you on? My phone is unlocked by T-Mobile due to military status and it is in new condition! Message me I'm serious.

furfmonkey said:
I am realizing im not using the spen at all really
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there's your answer. and you'll get a bit better battery life with the S8+

I'm sure a lot of people will trade their s8+ for your note 8. Just ask them to add some cash for the difference.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

S8+ is the same size, with no SPen and a single camera, and 2 gigs less RAM. The battery is marginally bigger, though. If you want a smaller device with the same basic experience, go with a regular S8.

Just a quick follow up i got my s8 plus and I'm in love!!!! It's so much lighter and more comfortable in hand and pocket.. I'm so glad i switched ?

RazoE said:
S8+ is the same size, with no SPen and a single camera, and 2 gigs less RAM. The battery is marginally bigger, though. If you want a smaller device with the same basic experience, go with a regular S8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not mine ... I have 6gb 128 version. .
I have always since s3 had the notes Note 3 etc... Can't see myself swapping from s8+ this time. Less battery life on the note? Nah - pass.

I agree with your assessment of the two. I did the same Best Buy comparison last week and wound up buying the S8+. However, I will likely trade it in for dual cameras on the S9+. For now, I just wanted the step up from Note 4 and it fits the bill. S9+ will likely be it for a while unless Note reclaims their ergonomics for all. I'm a small person and not going to start carrying a bag around just to tote a phone. Meanwhile S8 was too small and odd feeling compared to Note 4. S8+ is just right.

Personally I hate the aspect ratios they have started using. 16:9 is the ideal ratio and happens to match widescreen video formats exactly. all this 18.5:9 crap just means you have a long skinny screen with less actual space on it. It's amazing how the screen on my old S5 just seems bigger simply because it doesnt have this silly long and skinny aspect ratio. In reality these screens are not actually 6.2" due to this, they are closer to an equivalent 5.5 and really ARE about 5.5 if you want to watch any 16:9 video without cropping it. Using the same logic they have started using for these screen sizes, by continuing to measure diagnonals despite not having a 16:9 ratio, you could make a screen 10" long and 1" wide and call it a 10.5" screen.....but it isn't is it.
That's my only problem with my S8+ (other than the fingerprint scanner placement) and it irritates me constantly. If it was 16:9 (which would also allow a much bigger battery) then it would be perfect. But I haven't exactly seen people commenting on it so i guess nobody else cares.

ewokuk said:
Personally I hate the aspect ratios they have started using. 16:9 is the ideal ratio and happens to match widescreen video formats exactly. all this 18.5:9 crap just means you have a long skinny screen with less actual space on it. It's amazing how the screen on my old S5 just seems bigger simply because it doesnt have this silly long and skinny aspect ratio. In reality these screens are not actually 6.2" due to this, they are closer to an equivalent 5.5 and really ARE about 5.5 if you want to watch any 16:9 video without cropping it. Using the same logic they have started using for these screen sizes, by continuing to measure diagnonals despite not having a 16:9 ratio, you could make a screen 10" long and 1" wide and call it a 10.5" screen.....but it isn't is it.
That's my only problem with my S8+ (other than the fingerprint scanner placement) and it irritates me constantly. If it was 16:9 (which would also allow a much bigger battery) then it would be perfect. But I haven't exactly seen people commenting on it so i guess nobody else cares.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no I agree with you. once i find a 6" phone with a less stretched aspect ratio AND stereo speakers.. i'd gladly trade my S8+. I'm not a fan of playing games/watching videos with a narrower width but longer horizontals. i wish Google would make the Nexus 6 again with modern hardware.

I actually like the new aspect ratio. It simply sees more stuff then 16:9
Had an s7e before s8+ and to me it's like switching from 4:3 monitor to 16:9 wide FHD monitor.
Only thing I don't like is iris not being as fast on daylight unlocking the phone and fingerprint feels useless here.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

I ended up going back to the note 8 !! Even with a case on the s8 plus i was getting false registers on the sides and corners with my big meaty hands... Is will be here Monday. Also in gaming grip or watching movies there note is far superior.. i feel dumb returning it but hey, it was a learning experience and at least i ended up with the better phone in the end

All those guys who say the Note 8 is heaps bigger than the S8+, I own both. a side by side comparison is about 5mm taller and almost exactly same width...
Battery life is pretty mch comparable with both .
I have the Exynos version of both so that may make a difference.

ultramag69 said:
All those guys who say the Note 8 is heaps bigger than the S8+, I own both. a side by side comparison is about 5mm taller and almost exactly same width...
Battery life is pretty mch comparable with both .
I have the Exynos version of both so that may make a difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I certainly wouldn't call it "heaps" bigger. The angles are simply awkward for some hands and some situations. As for the weight, a hundred pound person may find it heavier versus a 150 to 200 pound person. Note 4 and Note 5 felt very comfortable. 8 is different. Not bad, just different. Without a doubt, the Note is the better phone. Thank goodness for choice.

Green Tint Screen: Are you affected?

Apparently there are reports that the green-tint issue is manifested on the Snapdragon version as well as the Tab S7 and S7+.
Reported here:
Reddit
SamMobile
Are you affected?

BlinkThinks said:
Apparently there are reports that the green-tint issue is manifested on the Snapdragon version as well as the Tab S7 and S7+.
Reported here:
Reddit
SamMobile
Are you affected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine and my wife's doesn't have this issue..

Nope, don't want it either!

No green on mine.

I did. Luckily I got it replaced the very next day even if I *did* have to waste maybe 4 hours on the whole replacement process.
It was so bad that even on normal brightness you could see the green tinge on everything that was supposed to be black, or very dark grey.
BlinkThinks said:
Apparently there are reports that the green-tint issue is manifested on the Snapdragon version as well as the Tab S7 and S7+.
Reported here:
Reddit
SamMobile
Are you affected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Just green tint? Mine was being a little yellowish so i reduced the color temperature then there was green tint and finally today i decided to compare my note 8 and the screen is not even as sharp as my 3 year old note 8. I am on support chat in the process to return it. This one is 512 GB U1 Variant.

The smaller chipsets and components Samsung will substitute as availability/demand dictates.
This can cause one or more to be out spec and/or the firmware and/or updates to behave unpredictably.
Worse it seems the only way Sambert knows which part was actually used sometimes is to physically inspect the device. So if it's a firmware bug Samsung still can't remotely remedy it... perfect.
Using multiple main chipsets and firmware versions in the same model only adds to this confusion.
A lot of room for error... in a box full of rabid gerbils, what could go wrong?

None here.

warriorvibhu said:
Just green tint? Mine was being a little yellowish so i reduced the color temperature then there was green tint and finally today i decided to compare my note 8 and the screen is not even as sharp as my 3 year old note 8. I am on support chat in the process to return it. This one is 512 GB U1 Variant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch display (496 ppi) when you have the resolution at WQHD+.
Note 8 has a 6.3-inch display (521 ppi) when you have the resolution at WQHD+.
Shouldn't be able to see any difference at that PPI level.
Did you have both phones on the same resolution when you were comparing?

roryh86 said:
Note 20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch display (496 ppi) when you have the resolution at WQHD+.
Note 8 has a 6.3-inch display (521 ppi) when you have the resolution at WQHD+.
Shouldn't be able to see any difference at that PPI level.
Did you have both phones on the same resolution when you were comparing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i did, i was thinking about the PPI, probably that is making the difference in sharpness but i am not sure about the contrast difference.

warriorvibhu said:
Yes i did, i was thinking about the PPI, probably that is making the difference in sharpness but i am not sure about the contrast difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm. It looks pretty sharp to me in FHD+ from holding distance, WQHD+ is razor sharp. Maybe don't put the Note 8 next to it

gearth
is very good

roryh86 said:
Hmm. It looks pretty sharp to me in FHD+ from holding distance, WQHD+ is razor sharp. Maybe don't put the Note 8 next to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me i didnt for a whole month but then when you pay 1500+ no discounts nothing and then you see your 3 year old phone holding its own, you want to question things, dont you. BTW just for fun sake here is a shot taken at exact same moment from Note 8 and Note 20 for side by side comparison.
Spot the difference 3 Year old phone vs latest 2020 flagship
Edit- For some reason for the fs sake i am not able to rotate the other image LOL

warriorvibhu said:
Trust me i didnt for a whole month but then when you pay 1500+ no discounts nothing and then you see your 3 year old phone holding its own, you want to question things, dont you. BTW just for fun sake here is a shot taken at exact same moment from Note 8 and Note 20 for side by side comparison.
Spot the difference 3 Year old phone vs latest 2020 flagship
Edit- For some reason for the fs sake i am not able to rotate the other image LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cute dog! haha.
Yeah of course, you don't want to be disappointed in anything with a new phone costing 1000 pounds. I think the differences year to year are going to become smaller and smaller, and a 2 or 3 year old flagship is still going to be amazing. Photos can only become so good at a point.
I think the resolution comment though, the PPI is negligible and not worth bumping the PPI to match Note 8, that would bring the resolution over 3K and probably lead to even more battery drain. But it could be a software difference as well and things are smoother on the Note 20U.
Back when I used to flash custom roms i remember some roms would appear sharper than others, so software can have an effect.
Anyway, yeah the photos look very similar. Fur is bit sharper on the N20U. Was that night mode?

roryh86 said:
Cute dog! haha.
Yeah of course, you don't want to be disappointed in anything with a new phone costing 1000 pounds. I think the differences year to year are going to become smaller and smaller, and a 2 or 3 year old flagship is still going to be amazing. Photos can only become so good at a point.
I think the resolution comment though, the PPI is negligible and not worth bumping the PPI to match Note 8, that would bring the resolution over 3K and probably lead to even more battery drain. But it could be a software difference as well and things are smoother on the Note 20U.
Back when I used to flash custom roms i remember some roms would appear sharper than others, so software can have an effect.
Anyway, yeah the photos look very similar. Fur is bit sharper on the N20U. Was that night mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The dog really appreciated the Cute dog comment and says thanks. The picture from N20U1 definitely looks sharper, no it wasnt night mode just took a quick one on auto settings. Night mode is really good and even better on the gcam (Trust me the software processing on goggle cam night mode is amazing). I will take a comparison shot tonight when i go out and post something tomorrow, where i am there is still 8 hours until i go out for that night shot.

Here's what you do if you really want to spot the difference. Activate chrome and YouTube dark mode on both the note 20 ultra and note 8. You'll see that the blacks are deeper on the note 8. The black on the note 20 ultra looks a bit yellowish in comparison. But funny enough, It only looks yellowish if you compare. If you don't compare, it'll seem just fine. That's why I've been saying it's not bad, but it's definitely not as contrasty and punchy as previous notes. But by no means is it horrible...and it's true, cute dog lol

Mrplennium said:
Here's what you do if you really want to spot the difference. Activate chrome and YouTube dark mode on both the note 20 ultra and note 8. You'll see that the blacks are deeper on the note 8. The black on the note 20 ultra looks a bit yellowish in comparison. But funny enough, It only looks yellowish if you compare. If you don't compare, it'll seem just fine. That's why I've been saying it's not bad, but it's definitely not as contrasty and punchy as previous notes. But by no means is it horrible...and it's true, cute dog lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True mine was a little greenish i fixed those by going to Display>>Screen Mode>> Advanced Settings>> and turned the green all the way down . Also thanks from the pooch.

warriorvibhu said:
The dog really appreciated the Cute dog comment and says thanks. The picture from N20U1 definitely looks sharper, no it wasnt night mode just took a quick one on auto settings. Night mode is really good and even better on the gcam (Trust me the software processing on goggle cam night mode is amazing). I will take a comparison shot tonight when i go out and post something tomorrow, where i am there is still 8 hours until i go out for that night shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
warriorvibhu said:
True mine was a little greenish i fixed those by going to Display>>Screen Mode>> Advanced Settings>> and turned the green all the way down . Also thanks from the pooch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol the pooch is welcome! :laugh: But I did the same thing as well too. Turned the green and red all the way down and the blue all the way up. It really does make a difference, but you can still see the the note 8, 9, s10 plus..etc has a deeper black. You can compare and see. Maybe Samsung needs to adjust the sRGB mode or something. Hopefully the next software may soothe this a little. Again, not a huge deal. It almost looks like blue filter on at an extremely low rate.

I have uneven brightness, specially at the bottom and right side of the screen, and banding when brightness is set to really low. Just look at it.
I've already asked for a replacement.
Sent from my SM-N985F using Tapatalk

What background app are you viewing that on? Mine doesn't look like that. I use dead pixel to look at how even the Whites and grays are displayed. When I turn the brightness all the way down and open an empty page in chrome's dark mode, I do notice coloration, but it's more leaning towards being even. Let us know how the return unit fairs. I've looked at 3 different models with the yellowish overtone.