Database Info

Why did you pick the S4 over the HTC One, Note II, or Optimus G Pro?

Just wondering why everyone chose the S4 over the main competition, the HTC One, and the phablet Note II and Optimus G Pro.
Myself, i was happy with my GS3, and my folks wanted new phones (still rockin iPhone 3Gs) and made us a deal for our GS3's and we got GS4's (they are on our plan).
My reasons are perhaps a bit different than most... I work in TV/film, and have very good eyesight; i could easily see the PenTile fuzz effect on the GS3 screen, and it was VERY obvious on the Atrix 4G. I always opted for the highest PPI monitors for equipment, and while the GS3 was GOOD, it wasn't great.
1080P - Full HD, even if its on a tiny screen, is great as i can zoom in to show client/etc detail on 2k/4k i've shot.
Color Modes - i use 'Movie' exclusively as it is basically sRGB
sRGB - standard Rec.709 gamut/colorspace - again for showing clients what their/my content looks like very close as on a proper monitor
IR Blaster - I have remotes everywhere; for HDSLR's, reciever/amp/DAC's, Windows Media PC's, stereo's, TV's, etc; i LOVE the IR blaster.
Sensors - Hygrometer/Thermometer/Magnetometer/Barometer, i actually use these a lot for dumb things, but they work and its a plus
Battery - removable/replaceable
NFC - I use NFC tags a lot (car mode, play a playlist while im cooking/cleaning WITHOUT mucking up phone screen
Wireless charging - Had it in the S3 with NFC working, looking forwards to it with the GS4. Even wired one in the misc tray in my car and GF's SUV
Color - Waited for white to come out as almost everything i own is white. Im a mobile nudist
SD expansion - I usually have 2 or 3 64GB MicroSD cards in my wallet with other stuff on them; pics/demo reel, movies, music, etc. I like having my content stored LOCALLY.
Devs - Also figured it would have strongest support of all 4 i had considered
Reasons i didn't go with the HTC One
Sealed unit, no Ext SD, and i think its really ugly aesthetically.
Reasons i didn't go with the LG Optimus Pro
too big (i can JUST reach across the S4 screen one-handed)
Reasons i didn't go with the Note II
Low PPI screen (lower than GS3 and actually lower than the 960x540 QHD, 4" Atrix 4G)
No IR blaster
too big
What are your reasons? I do miss the Atrix 4G fingerprint sensor. A LOT. That thing was *****in, and accurate; no need to look or fumble, just press power and swipe. One thing i wish the GS4 had.

For me, it came down to the HTC One and the S4. I know all about HTC nice build materials, and shoddy quality and that played into my decision. More importantly, the screen size sealed my decision. The screen and bezels are perfectly done on the S4 while the screen looks a lot smaller than it is on the HTC.
Also, the home button on top annoys me.
It's an impressive device, though and may eventually get one.
Edit: after the purchase, I'm really liking the removable battery too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

My girlfriend has the HTC One, and I had it too but returned it for a 32GB S4.
Resons for the S4:
Colors: you can adjust the colors to whatever you want, and soon perseus will be out of 'beta' for the i9500 and we can have 100% color gamut replication, literally changing all the colors around if you want. I personally always like Standard, I don't know why maybe because it just pops out. But today im going to try movie and see if I stay with that as my monitor is calibrated at adobeRGB spec. We'll see.
Bezel: It's like... not there. I have a nice slim case that doesnt protrude at all but im too worried about it at this point to use it haha.
Buttons: Coming from an iPhone 5... home button is the best.
Development: It'll be popular for years. I mean look at the S2 forum.
Reasons I liked the HTC one:
Speakers: self explanatory.
Screen: No color bleeding and such but the blacks weren't as nice.
Build: Aluminium is piece of mind, albeit a thick phone IMO.
Optimus G Pro: Used it in store, amazing screen; LG sucks with updates so I was like hell no... Also camera is mediocre at best.

I'm getting the s4 tomorrow for the following reasons: external sd storage, removable battery, and the screen size. I'm not really into phablets because it would feel too big in my pocket. My nexus 7 is fine if i need a bigger screen. Coming from the HTC One xl and i literally have no space left with the 16gb. Have to keep my titanium back up and movies on a usb. Getting the 32gb version as well as putting in a 32 gb mirco sd in it. Sense vs touchwiz? I would choose touchwiz over sense coming from a poor experience i had with sense on the htc one xl. Definitely AOSP over those two though

jetlitheone said:
My girlfriend has the HTC One, and I had it too but returned it for a 32GB S4.
Resons for the S4:
Colors: you can adjust the colors to whatever you want, and soon perseus will be out of 'beta' for the i9500 and we can have 100% color gamut replication, literally changing all the colors around if you want. I personally always like Standard, I don't know why maybe because it just pops out. But today im going to try movie and see if I stay with that as my monitor is calibrated at adobeRGB spec. We'll see.
Bezel: It's like... not there. I have a nice slim case that doesnt protrude at all but im too worried about it at this point to use it haha.
Buttons: Coming from an iPhone 5... home button is the best.
Development: It'll be popular for years. I mean look at the S2 forum.
Reasons I liked the HTC one:
Speakers: self explanatory.
Screen: No color bleeding and such but the blacks weren't as nice.
Build: Aluminium is piece of mind, albeit a thick phone IMO.
Optimus G Pro: Used it in store, amazing screen; LG sucks with updates so I was like hell no... Also camera is mediocre at best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will love movie mode. It takes a couple days to get used to come from other modes, but now even the standard mode looks like crap compared to movie. P.s. Movie mode has been highly rated by a couple of professional display reviewers.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

I am a simple man. I chose the S4 because I had the S2, and because it had a removable battery and sd card slot.

I went with the s4 after seeing that commercial where the lady's phone is ringing and she turned it over to ignore the call. I was like wow, I want that.

Reasons why I chose the S4 over the HTC One? Simple, it's more practical and more ideal for productivity and long road trips.
- I like the 1080p AMOLED screen to the SLCD 3 on the HTC One. Richer colors or more realistic ones on the former [choices]
- Better battery life
- Removable battery for further life
- SD Card, more potential capacity [you can root and mesh your internal and external storage for applications/games]
- More pleasant aesthetics
- Preferred UI
- More software offerings [some gimmicks, some useful, but at least they're offered to the consumer]
- Bigger display on the same sized body as the HTC One
- Faster RAM [LDDR3 vs LDDR2]
- Capacitive touch screen works with gloves [great for the winter]
- Won't damage as badly as the metal chassie on the One over time from wear and tear

I used a HTC One for a week, I end up exchanging it for a Galaxy S4 because the 4MP Camera couldn't get enough details for my needs & the battery life wasn't as good as GS4..

As small as it may seem I needed a physical button. Lol.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

I kinda miss the soft buttons from my old lg.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I tried them all, and the S4 just feels better in the hand and I've just become accustomed to the perks of running with Samsung.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Two words...that screen. I came from owning nothing but Nexus devices the last two years. I had the chance to fall in love with the Super AMOLED screens on the Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, and the incredible PLS display on those Nexus 10. What do they all have in common? Samsung. The screen on the Nexus 4 is nice, but once you're used to Samsung's screens, nothing else quite compares.
After being on nothing but stock Android for two years, I have to say that Touchwiz has really impressed me as well. I feel like, I'm cheating on a girlfriend or something when I say that, but it's true. Touchwiz has a fair number of things that I wish Google would implement into the stock UI and UX.
Overall, I'm very happy with this phone. I just hope that AT&T actually allows Samsung to keep this phone up to date. AT&T and T-Mobile are both the worst when it comes to updates. With Verizon and Sprint, the updates may take time to go through approvals and testing, but they will eventually be released. AT&T and T-Mobile on the other hand are known to actually tell manufacturers that they're going to pass on an update made available to them. Cases in point:
1. T-Mobile passed on the Windows Phone 7.8 update for the Lumia 710 even though Nokia made it available.
2. T-Mobile passed on the Ice Cream Sandwich update for the LG G2X even though LG made it available.
3. AT&T still has not allowed Samsung to release Jelly Bean for the original Galaxy S2 I777 model, even though they allowed it for the Skyrocket.
4. AT&T still has not allowed Samsung to release the Galaxy S3 update that includes the premium suite of GS4 features. Now that Verizon approved the update this week, AT&T is the only major carrier left who hasn't allowed the update to happen.
5. AT&T's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is the only variant left worldwide (I believe) that has not received an update to Jelly Bean.
Don't even get me started on what AT&T did to block and hold off the Android 2.2 update for the Dell Streak 5. Anyway, you see my point. If Samsung keeps up their amazing sales momentum, you figure they will soon have enough clout to strongarm carriers into handling updates themselves like Apple does.
Pending update issues aside, this phone is simply amazing. For leaving stock Android for a skin, I couldn't be happier.

I had an HTC One, while I really enjoyed sense and everything the phone offered I could not help but feed my curiosity. I gave my wife the One and used her upgrade to get the 4. I would be lying if I said I got the 4 for anything other than running stock Android when the Galaxy S4 nexus edition comes out. So far I like the screen size and phone size more than the One, I cannot wait to see how this beast phone runs stock Android!!

Reasons NOT to upgrade to Galaxy Note 3

Thought I'd stay this thread because of all the threads supporting reasons TO upgrade to the new Note. I'll start with my reasons not to upgrade:
1. Doesn't seem like much of an improvement from my current phone GN2. In all of the videos I've seen (and I've seen a lot) the phone appears to perform at the same level as my phone. There are a few software additions but none seem too advanced for my hardware. Perhaps the hardware is much improved but are all improvement really warranted? I mean, I'm holding in my hand a QUAD-CORE device with 2gb of ram and I almost feel like this is a little overkill. I rarely notice lag, can run any app or game I throw at it, and have never noticed any pixilation.
2. Not big on unwarranted consumerism. Much of the reviews I've seen are reminiscent of the iPhone craze; products are always marketed as being Must-have items. And if you don't have the newest and shiniest item, you considered light years behind the masses... I just don't buy it. My last phone, the nexus s, was just barely starting to show its age with the jellybean update and for a few years now, most devices have far surpassed my old Nexus S.
Here is one of the only reviews that didn't insist that I run out and buy the Note. It was kinda refreshing to read after being completely inundated by what seemed to be a very aggressive marketing ploy:
http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/19803/20130906/samsung-galaxy-note-3-vs-2-buy.htm
Your thoughts please

If I had the Note 2, I would agree with you. I think skipping a generation is wise. If you have a 2 year contract, it won't cost much to upgrade at that point and you will see a much greater improvement in performance and features.
I am upgrading from the Note to the Note 3, I skipped the 2 for most of the reasons you cite, however, I did ROM my Note to get ICS then JB so I didn't have to wait for Samsung and my carrier to upgrade the OS.
For those on the fence, consider changing the ROM before upgrading.

I don't have a Note 2 but I know it's a great device. If I did own one it would be a tough decision to upgrade. I'll be coming from a GS2 which has served me well. If you plan on keeping a device for quite awhile, the Snapdragon 800 supports LTE Advanced but who knows when we will see that in the US. I would guess it will be within 2 years though

Ask yourself this. Is your note 2 rooted and rommed? if so it might run pretty good and i had one for several months and one of if not my favorite device to date. Now compare a rooted/rommed note 2 to a stock note 3. about the same you may say. Now imagine a rooted/rommed note 3? Blazing fast. I dont "NEED" the note 3 but i felt the note 2 is lacking when compared to the note 3 now. And the screen you can so see pixelation on the note 2 if you cant i just dont believe that. Note 3 with 4.3 out of the box, s800, 3 gb of ram, bigger screen with better ppi and resolution, better s pen. I could go on all night but i dont see a negative to the note 3 except maybe the price but its the same price point as note 2 was so not much to say there

haemaker said:
If I had the Note 2, I would agree with you. I think skipping a generation is wise. If you have a 2 year contract, it won't cost much to upgrade at that point and you will see a much greater improvement in performance and features.
I am upgrading from the Note to the Note 3, I skipped the 2 for most of the reasons you cite, however, I did ROM my Note to get ICS then JB so I didn't have to wait for Samsung and my carrier to upgrade the OS.
For those on the fence, consider changing the ROM before upgrading.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Skipping a generation does seem much more reasonable than going from one to the next. It just seems like hardware advancement may be outpacing the software. I remember being in complete awe over the first dual-core device. If it weren't for motherboard giving out in my core 2duo Thinkpad, I think I'd still be rocking that today. And now quad core....
DataHawg said:
I don't have a Note 2 but I know it's a great device. If I did own one it would be a tough decision to upgrade. I'll be coming from a GS2 which has served me well. If you plan on keeping a device for quite awhile, the Snapdragon 800 supports LTE Advanced but who knows when we will see that in the US. I would guess it will be within 2 years though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In two years time we'll likely have a new Note on the market. I'm still waiting for the NFC chip in my ancient Nexus S to gain widespread appeal.
oneandroidnut said:
Ask yourself this. Is your note 2 rooted and rommed? if so it might run pretty good and i had one for several months and one of if not my favorite device to date. Now compare a rooted/rommed note 2 to a stock note 3. about the same you may say. Now imagine a rooted/rommed note 3? Blazing fast. I dont "NEED" the note 3 but i felt the note 2 is lacking when compared to the note 3 now. And the screen you can so see pixelation on the note 2 if you cant i just dont believe that. Note 3 with 4.3 out of the box, s800, 3 gb of ram, bigger screen with better ppi and resolution, better s pen. I could go on all night but i dont see a negative to the note 3 except maybe the price but its the same price point as note 2 was so not much to say there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm rooted. "Blazing fast" you say? How much time can you shave off from .5 seconds? And how much money is each tenth of a second worth? There's no denying the hardware improvements. I'm simply not convinced that there's enough advancement in utility to justify spending the money Samsung is asking me to spend. And perhaps I don't notice pixilation because I'm looking at the screen from reading distance. If that's the case, I stand corrected.

While I do agree with your points, the main reason I am upgrading to the n3 from my n2 is the bigger storage defaulted at 32gb minimum (25gb actual usage) better resolution and better s-pen support. I understand not everyone has the money to spend on upgrades every year, but for those that do might as well have the latest n greatest!
Sent from my note 2 ya bish!

note 1 to note 2, vs note 1 to note 3
I have the Note1, when the 2 came out, I said that there wasn't much worth jumping, but the N1 to N3 jump
will be a better option. I agree, unless something "game changing" happens, it's usually better to skip a version.
Well, that is unless you are an iPhone drone...ANYTHING that comes out new, 3, 3S, 4, 4S, 5...heck it hasn't
changed, but the iSheep sure stand in line

Bruce lee roy said:
In all of the videos I've seen (and I've seen a lot) the phone appears to perform at the same level as my phone. There are a few software additions but none seem too advanced for my hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a N2 (which I love) but mine's surely different than yours if yours performs like the one in GSMArena's unboxing video. The amount of lag on the N2 pinch-zooming to display multiple home pages is obvious vs. what's shown on the N3. Same thing for using S Note and Action Memo (formerly Pop Up Note). Now if you're rooted and running a non-TW ROM that may be a different story. If you are, that’s great. But believe it or not people actually do buy the Note for its marketed productivity and creation features. And those features will perform significantly better on the N3 because of the advanced h/w and improved s/w.
Not big on unwarranted consumerism.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a valid point. Replacing my N2 with a N3 is a want not a need. I could spout some random commentary about "increased productivity" but I'm getting a N3 because the differences are sufficient enough to me to warrant the investment; even though it's purely discretionary. You and others may feel differently and that’s perfectly fine. There’s nothing wrong with the N2.
Here is one of the only reviews that didn't insist that I run out and buy the Note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't that in and of itself say something? Or are all the positive reviews (actually "hands on") just part of the conspiracy?
It was kinda refreshing to read after being completely inundated by what seemed to be a very aggressive marketing ploy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's kind of funny. So you think Samsung should say in their marketing “the N3 is a meh upgrade from the N2 that only people who are irresponsible with their finances or easily influenced should buy?" I'm in marketing and spend every business day figuring out how to separate people from their money. If you're looking for honesty, integrity, and conscience you're not going to find it in sales and marketing. At least not at a for-profit company.
Here are links to two different threads that detail some of the differences between the N2 and N3. Whether they are worthwhile or not is subjective and I wouldn't fault either camp (keep N2/upgrade to N3) for their decision. And theads like this are swell and "pro" threads are too; as long as people provide their opinions followed by "for/to me." I'm very pro and you're pretty down on the N3. Neither of us is right or wrong.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2438466
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2445774

I have a galaxy S 2. I'm loving this upcoming upgrade for myself.

I don't know what everyone's layout/plan is, but I have 2 smartphones and 2 feature phones (both of which don't use upgrades). So I can get an upgrade every year at subsidy pricing. So every year I upgrade and sell the old to neutralize the cost of it (some cases making money). Waiting would cause the old phone to depreciate too much and make upgrading more expensive. So I don't really upgrade based on features, more to continue advancing with little to no cost (or rebate).

Fact of the matter is if History repeats itself like it always does
People will buy it or upgrade to N3 anyways even the ones here saying skip it.
Its not the ram cam... or CPU its the ir blaster that's a big selling point I believe.
I think the lg g2 is more appealing as crazy and that sounds .
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

I have the note 2 and plan to get the N3 as long as the bootloader is not locked or if it is wait to see if it can be cracked.
Why would I buy it since I have the N2 (and an s3 & s4) you ask? Simple answer is because I can, and I dont say that in arrogant way..its just not a big deal to me to buy a few devices per year.i may pick up the nexus 5 as well..who knows lol.
The 2 things ( and they are minor) I dislike are cosmetic. The back cover is awful and I dont like how the spen just sticks out. On the note 2 its curved and blends in with the back...it looks sleek.
Other than that all good.
Sent from my SGH-I317M using xda premium

force70 said:
I have the note 2 and plan to get the N3 as long as the bootloader is not locked or if it is wait to see if it can be cracked.
Why would I buy it since I have the N2 (and an s3 & s4) you ask? Simple answer is because I can, and I dont say that in arrogant way..its just not a big deal to me to buy a few devices per year.i may pick up the nexus 5 as well..who knows lol.
The 2 things ( and they are minor) I dislike are cosmetic. The back cover is awful and I dont like how the spen just sticks out. On the note 2 its curved and blends in with the back...it looks sleek.
Other than that all good.
Sent from my SGH-I317M using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 to that.
I say that skipping a generation is a great and very economical idea, save your money plus really see the difference when you do upgrade.
However, If you have the money and do not need to justify the upgrade, then I'M right there with you. The Note series is just perfect for me, from music, movies, drawing, photoshoping, roms and games. There is no question that I will be getting the N3 and the N4 the N5....... and so on.
Thanks to the OP for posting. It is always nice to see both sides.

i also have a Gnote and i didn't get a Gnote2 because i reasoned the same as the OP ... not much of a difference.
now the Gnote to the Gnote3 will be a HUGE upgrade this phone looks sick :highfive:

Meh.. I have a 2 month old HTC one and will be selling it to get the note 3
Love my HTC one .. but
- i want the bigger screen
- I want the s pen
- I love the design of the note 3
- I get bored easily with phones
- I got my HTC one free cause I work for a carrier.
- Samsung phone hold there value better than HTC phones
- I fear support dropping off for HTC since they are struggling as a company
- I upgrade as often as possible so that my previous device hasn't depreciated much and it's cheaper to upgrade.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

I love my Note 2 but I upgrade every year. Before that I had a Verizon Nexus; 2 completely different devices so you really notice the improvement right away. But this year I don't feel as excited about going from a Note 2 to a Note 3 especially after buying a Note 10.1 a month ago. I picked up a LG G2 on Sunday and I find it very nice. Smaller but just as powerful as a Note 3. After carrying the Note 2 around since launch day going back to a smaller phone feels nice. And if you think about it there is only 0.1" difference between the 5.2" G2 vs the original Note 5.3" display. So your not giving up tons in screen size but it feels more comfortable. You do however give up the S-Pen.
I've only had 1 day with the G2 but there's not many options. Sure I can get the HTC One for $49 or the S4 for $100 but those phones are reaching their mid life crisis. The phone I really want is the Nexus 5 but not sure if I can give up my reliable service for prepaid.

Having owned several Exynos (fabbed by Samsung) based devices including the Note II I appreciate the stability where it's rare or non-existent to experience a random reboot, app suddenly exiting, etc. Can't say the same for my devices based on Qualcomm fabbed by TSMC. If Snapdragon is the only US option then I'll probably skip Note III, wait for Note IV and hope for return of Exynos. A fast unstable device is useless to me like the Snapdragon based Nexus 7 (2013) that I'm experiencing overheating instablity issues with.

clninja said:
Meh.. I have a 2 month old HTC one and will be selling it to get the note 3
Love my HTC one .. but
- i want the bigger screen
- I want the s pen
- I love the design of the note 3
- I get bored easily with phones
- I got my HTC one free cause I work for a carrier.
- Samsung phone hold there value better than HTC phones
- I fear support dropping off for HTC since they are struggling as a company
- I upgrade as often as possible so that my previous device hasn't depreciated much and it's cheaper to upgrade.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Going from an HTC One or even a S4 is understandable. It's the people that already have Note 2. Especially since the Note 2 has a unlocked bootloader right now. There should be customs roms based on the Note 3 ported over to the Note 2 pretty soon I'd imagine.

I have the original Note and reasoned that I'd skip a generation so the Note 3 is on my shopping list, but I don't think I'll go for it, at least not initially. I never buy with a plan, use only prepaid because I actually don't call people, I complement it with a surfing plan, but they don't offer those for LTE yet. Besides, my Note I bought outside Japan so there was only Samsung bloatware on it, Japanese operators load their phones with so much crap it is laughable, hence if you can't root and install a standard Samsung ROM, I happen to be happy with Touchwiz, then I'd be happier with what I have.
Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk 4

For me price could be one factor which will keep me away from note 3. I will buy it later on when price will drop.

The rise and fall of the K-Zoom

It's such a shame that the K Zoom never really took off. I owned one for about 6 months and loved it. I only changed it when the Note 4 was released. But during my time with the KZ I found the camera produced amazing photos with its 10X zoom and Xenon flash. The phone part was very capable too with a good sized high resolution screen, along with a decent amount of power. I also thought the price tag on this device was very reasonable too.
So why did it fail? Well I am guessing on a few theories. Firstly, maybe that it looked too much like the Galaxy S5 and although I personally don't think either the S5 or KZ look bad at all, a lot of people do. Samsung was getting a lot of criticism for their lack lustre designs and maybe it was released at the wrong time. Another theory would be that it was bulky. Though less so than its predecessor the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Maybe some weren't sure about a hybrid device, especially when cameras on phones in general were exceeding the quality of standalone cameras.
But I am a firm believer that one of the reasons these niche devices fail, is because Samsung just don't develop or support them once they are released. I mean development for their flagship phones doesn't exactly impress, so what chance does a less popular device get? Take the Galaxy Camera and the Galaxy Camera 2. Both great and revolutionary devices at the time but they just didn't get any proper updates. Both stuck on Jelly Bean and both having issues that a firmware upgrade could have cured. The K Zoom would have benefited from some firmware update love and an upgrade from KK 4.4.2 too was much needed.
I have always wanted to be able to afford to keep certain phones I buy in an archive. But due to the cost I tend to trade everything in to get the latest devices. If I had to choose which ones I would keep, then the K Zoom would be one of them. It is a great phone hybrid, it's a shame it didn't sell well and it's sad there is no successor in the pipeline.
So, why do you think the KZ didn't do so well?

I love the Kzoom - i will never be getting rid of it
I have a few fones , my main driver is zen2 4gb ram 64gb 64 bit SoC .
The kzoom is too luxurious to carry around , mainly for special events
The little development that has been, is enough for me -- its a special device and always will be in my eyes
The only fail is people just want the latest and thats not always the best !

Perhaps Samsung should consider aggressively supporting custom ROM development for the device?

I still use my KZ SM-C111 & take it everywhere I go, I think it's the best android smartphone ever. The only downside is no real support from Samsung.
I just wish anyone successfully make Lollipop Lite for KZ since it came with only 8GB capacity :crying:

it's big, it's heavy, it doesn't have enougth memory, the camera is not dust proof, the battery is too small, but I cannot find any other smartphone with a 10x zoom !

Hello, I really love my k zoom. The pictures are beautiful and the phone is absolutely not to heavy. Soon I can pick another phone but what about the motorola x style?

The fact its big and heavier than normal are exactly the reasons I was seriously considering getting one for my mum who has problems with her hands. The weight and size would be easier for her to hold, modern phones are too small and light that she would just drop them.
The fact its stuck on KitKat is a problem though as I worry about any security holes left in the OS due to no updates.

Love it!
:good:
I've got the K-Zoom from the time it just got out and love it.
The only thing that really suck is the way Samsung has been treating its customers with their crappy update policy but one cant blame the phone for that
The main reason the phone never really 'took off' is in my opinion:
Lack of publicity in Europe.
I havent met anyone in Europe who knew the phone. Everyone who sees it and whom I inform about its specs is interested. Especially in its camera's capability's. The huge lens that appears out of the phone amazes everyone as well as the quality of the pictures. Havent had any negative remarks about the looks or its weight. In fact I've had countless requests of people who wanted to buy it from me.
The name should have been S5 zoom to like the S4 zoom which was more of a camera that could make calls.
I only found out about the K-zoom after intensive search for a good camera phone. Most people don't take that time but after calling/messaging, making pictures/videos is the biggest thing on smartphones so the problem want lack of interest.
Sure there are better phones and better cameras but who wants to pack both all the time?

I love my K Zoom but I wish Samsung (or an XDA developer) would support Marshmallow on it and allow apps to be transferred to the SD card.

The K-Zoom is not dead...
It just has been copied:
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/08/31/first-look-hasselblad-camera-moto-mod/
ROTFL!

rin67630 said:
It just has been copied:
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/08/31/first-look-hasselblad-camera-moto-mod/
ROTFL!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
copied? its a moto mod not a phone unlike KZ.

I love my K Zoom
apprentice said:
It's such a shame that the K Zoom never really took off. I owned one for about 6 months and loved it. I only changed it when the Note 4 was released. But during my time with the KZ I found the camera produced amazing photos with its 10X zoom and Xenon flash. The phone part was very capable too with a good sized high resolution screen, along with a decent amount of power. I also thought the price tag on this device was very reasonable too.
So why did it fail? Well I am guessing on a few theories. Firstly, maybe that it looked too much like the Galaxy S5 and although I personally don't think either the S5 or KZ look bad at all, a lot of people do. Samsung was getting a lot of criticism for their lack lustre designs and maybe it was released at the wrong time. Another theory would be that it was bulky. Though less so than its predecessor the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Maybe some weren't sure about a hybrid device, especially when cameras on phones in general were exceeding the quality of standalone cameras.
But I am a firm believer that one of the reasons these niche devices fail, is because Samsung just don't develop or support them once they are released. I mean development for their flagship phones doesn't exactly impress, so what chance does a less popular device get? Take the Galaxy Camera and the Galaxy Camera 2. Both great and revolutionary devices at the time but they just didn't get any proper updates. Both stuck on Jelly Bean and both having issues that a firmware upgrade could have cured. The K Zoom would have benefited from some firmware update love and an upgrade from KK 4.4.2 too was much needed.
I have always wanted to be able to afford to keep certain phones I buy in an archive. But due to the cost I tend to trade everything in to get the latest devices. If I had to choose which ones I would keep, then the K Zoom would be one of them. It is a great phone hybrid, it's a shame it didn't sell well and it's sad there is no successor in the pipeline.
So, why do you think the KZ didn't do so well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love my K Zoom. Was definitely not advertised enough/properly. After I Rooted my phone (My first Rooted phone) I was able to transfer all apps to the external 64gb SD & I mean all (Games, applications, etc)
The only reason that I want to change my phone is its lack of Mirrorlink support that my new vehicle has.
Great camera, good battery life
I even have my LG Optimus 3D because of its 3D camera & glasses free 3D content.
Its for keeps...

[email protected] said:
I love my K Zoom. Was definitely not advertised enough/properly. After I Rooted my phone (My first Rooted phone) I was able to transfer all apps to the external 64gb SD & I mean all (Games, applications, etc)
The only reason that I want to change my phone is its lack of Mirrorlink support that my new vehicle has.
Great camera, good battery life
I even have my LG Optimus 3D because of its 3D camera & glasses free 3D content.
Its for keeps...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are lucky if you can afford to keep them. I had a HTC Evo 3D and I loved it. But 3D never took off sadly, the novelty factor was awesome but like most novelties they fall out of favour. This is another phone I would like to have kept in my little phone museum!

rin67630 said:
It just has been copied:
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/08/31/first-look-hasselblad-camera-moto-mod/
ROTFL!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. This is just a bolt on to a phone, it's not the true hybrid device of the K-Zoom or S4 Zoom. It looks like Samsung don't have plans to produce another phone like this (though you never know)

G33RT. said:
:good:
...
Lack of publicity in Europe.
I havent met anyone in Europe who knew the phone. Everyone who sees it and whom I inform about its specs is interested. Especially in its camera's capability's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here I am from Rome, I quote everything you say. Now I'm just waiting my other phone (P9) to come back from service due to a broken (insured) glass and I'll send there my KZoom to change and clean the lens. This is the only drawback of such a good phone and such an extraordinary camera (I took some wonderful night pictures in Pisa, couldn't believe my eyes). As soon as it will be back I will root it and try to swap memorys.

Salva con nome said:
Here I am from Rome, I quote everything you say. Now I'm just waiting my other phone (P9) to come back from service due to a broken (insured) glass and I'll send there my KZoom to change and clean the lens. This is the only drawback of such a good phone and such an extraordinary camera (I took some wonderful night pictures in Pisa, couldn't believe my eyes). As soon as it will be back I will root it and try to swap memorys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently damaged my screen with some water. Got me a S5 mini. These are rather cheap and are quite good actually as well as water resist
Its 8mp cam doesn't perform al that bad but it doesn't compare to the K-zoom which i'm definitely going to get fixed!
Our K-zooms are going to be collectors items since there have only been made and sold few of them i believe :good:

Samsung K Zoom was the king once
Bought this phone (CM 115) for my wife the other day since it was on special and she has always wanted one ever since it was released almost two years back. She absolutely loves her new K Zoom and it's so sad to see how such a powerful phone camera is being ignored by it's developer Samsung.
This phone is amazing with how smoothly it integrates with that camera on board. Just also hope that one day there might be a little bit of something coming from Samsung for this phone in terms of OS that might make this phone more current.

I too own the Galaxy K Zoom, it's a bit...damaged - but otherwise works fine
Got it super cheap due to the digitizer being cracked near the bottom, and thought it was the greatest thing ever with that massive camera!
Played around with it for a while and yeah, it's a great phone with reasonable specs, looks like an S5 (Which never bothered me), and was the perfect blend of a "Camera Phone".
For use as a phone - perfect. In your hands it feels just like that era of Samsung Devices, then go into Camera Mode and it becomes like one of Samsungs flagship cameras. It's amazing how that switch is so well thought out.
Hex-Core, 2GB RAM, 4G/LTE etc. At first I thought it has to be more powerful, logically than the S5 but I think I maybe wrong.
Probably due to being on 4.4.2 and my S5 being on 6.0.1, there's a noticeable difference in speed and all that. The S5 is snappy whereas the K Zoom is a bit laggy.
Camera - I used it a lot for some great photos of close ups of electronics, PCBs etc. Then I kind of got a little iffy with the battery draining quick when taking a decent amount of photos and with the whole phone getting pretty warm and went to my S5 again and was happy with it.
So for 6 months it's been in my DroidDraw, (I have a lot of unusual Android based phones in there) and this was hidden at the side along with my other camera based phones like my HTC Evo 3D and Sharp Aquos 3D Camera phone (SH16?), anyway, got the K Zoom out and really made me think why did this phone fail. It is a great phone but for consumers, being bulky, looking like a reused design, an old OS etc. I think it all attributed to it becoming just one of those fad phones.
Whatever, I appreciate it for what it is. Samsung need to do another phone mix up one day. They can do it. Just need the demands for it I suppose.

So nobody made Lolipop for this phone ? How come ?

Overall love

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

It is simply the MOST beautiful thing... Sometimes I find myself just staring at it.
I need a life.

Estetically astonishing, an amazing swansong for the pre "infinity display" desing language at Samsung. If it weren't for all that crappy bloatware. If only I were brave enough to root it. If only i could have one N935F just released in some asian markets like Malaysia.

Much love
The FE just became available here in Manila so i quickly pounced on one. I really liked the Note 7 when it came out and was sorely disappointed when it ended so badly
This phone is magnificent, I have the N8 as well but the FE fits in my hand better and is easier for me to handle. Sort of the difference between an S7 and an S8 overall but very happy to add to my collection. This one is a real keeper here as resale is nil and barely anyone know about it.
Also important for me it's a dual SIM version!

Definite love
Great phone! Dimension, FP reader position, battery life are all to my liking. Top notch phone! Accessories are much cheaper too! lol!
Price of phone could have been slightly lower though.
4.5/5 for me.

note fe is very good, similar to note 8, the price is also affordable, if we talk about the hardware also still able to survive at least 2 or 3 more years (I think)

I just love it too, seriously. Although not being able to root it (for now I hope!) makes me a bit frustrated.. Overall, I agree that the price could have been a bit lower but it's a Note so that's quite understandable...
I'll keep it and keep loving it until there's a really more appealing phone released which I think, won't be released soon as this Infinity-whatever trend of Samsung of the newest devices is just awful to me..
I highly prefer my capacitive navbar and the 16:9 ratio lol

I'm considering buying one. But with shipping and import...that'll be at least 600 EUR, probably more towards 650. The Note8 is already sold at 750, even Dual-Sim. Is it worth shelling out that much (I actually only hate the S8/Note8 because of the rear-mounted FP sensor).

treysis said:
I'm considering buying one. But with shipping and import...that'll be at least 600 EUR, probably more towards 650. The Note8 is already sold at 750, even Dual-Sim. Is it worth shelling out that much (I actually only hate the S8/Note8 because of the rear-mounted FP sensor).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note FE is the last of his kind, physical front home button, 16:9 ratio.
It's not a bad thing so I ordered one instead of the Note 8 even if price is almost the same.
This phone is made for the Fan only

Hm, I thought about ordering a few so as to minimize my costs. But looking at prices for Note8 on ebay, I doubt this will be a success, if you can buy a European dual-sim Note8 with local warranty for only 50-100 Euros more. Would really need someone who appreciates the front FP as much as I do.

i just traded my s7 with the fe. reasons:
1. i skipped s8 and newer ones because i really despise having to pickup the whole phone from table just to securely unlock it. i trust biometric as far more secure, accurate and convenient compared to password, pin or pattern. the fingerprint scanner must always in the front, ready on your command only by using 1 finger. i readily accept last year hardware performance for this, i really don't mind since they are already powerful enough
2. the design is simply gorgeous and i luv it for still giving my finger some space to grip it on landscape mode because i enjoy watching video on my phone quite a lot during travel/commute. newer phone designs barely give anything to grip
i really wish the design trend will reverse but if it doesn't i think this will be the last time i upgrade my phone. lol

The main issues for me are a) no AOSP/LOS/RR (can't stand Touchwiz or Samsung Experience), b) not much community/official/3rd party development/support, and c) I just can't find it anywhere near me or I would have bought it (despite the curvy edges and non-replaceable battery).

Bought the blue dual sim Note FE about 5 months ago. Always wanted a Note device but choosing this one over the newer models, is due to the consideration of the smaller size and the much more beautiful design (imo) the the front fingerprint sensor. Kinda disappointed that the custom scene is not big, but at this moment in time and considering how stable and good the phone has been so far, rooting it will be enough for me.
Reading though about losing some samsung apps is worrisome though. Apart from the samsung pay (don't care at all as I don't pay through the phone), knox, what else won't work after rooting? Is there a list somewhere?

Feregorn said:
Bought the blue dual sim Note FE about 5 months ago. Always wanted a Note device but choosing this one over the newer models, is due to the consideration of the smaller size and the much more beautiful design (imo) the the front fingerprint sensor. Kinda disappointed that the custom scene is not big, but at this moment in time and considering how stable and good the phone has been so far, rooting it will be enough for me.
Reading though about losing some samsung apps is worrisome though. Apart from the samsung pay (don't care at all as I don't pay through the phone), knox, what else won't work after rootinng? Is there a list somewhere?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi i was thinking the same as you till month ago . But believe me no need at all , first now we got Android 9 with all new look. Second you can install rootless substratum with andromeda , you will find many themes.
Third now there are many apps that will cover your needs instead of rooting . Just dig in xda
Finally Samsung firmware is very complicated. I used to root my note 3 . It was rootable . It works ok but with some bugs . But now i think that any custom rom will give you a hard time fixing bugs especially with latest version of samsung note .
And all custom rom will not be friendly with s pen features.

nesoor1230 said:
Hi i was thinking the same as you till month ago . But believe me no need at all , first now we got Android 9 with all new look. Second you can install rootless substratum with andromeda , you will find many themes.
Third now there are many apps that will cover your needs instead of rooting . Just dig in xda
Finally Samsung firmware is very complicated. I used to root my note 3 . It was rootable . It works ok but with some bugs . But now i think that any custom rom will give you a hard time fixing bugs especially with latest version of samsung note .
And all custom rom will not be friendly with s pen features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your response. The biggest reason that I want root is to install an ad blocker like adaway and ad-free YouTube as ads can be really annoying to me. But I will surely check the substratum that you mentioned.
Sent from my SM-N935F using Tapatalk

Should I buy one now

Hi All,
I was wondering what you guys think of the phone now 8 months down the line. I am getting this at a good price around £650 for a good condition used phone on ebay. I was wondering if you guys think most of its problems have been fixed by now.
Just to give you a background, I currently have a note 9 and frankly I am very happy with this phone but it is old now and I am itching to upgrade to something newer, primarily for the cameras and 120hz refresh rate. I did buy the S21 ultra on pre-order but was really disappointed with the camera performance as I found the images my exynos variant produced to be very soft and noisy and not as sharp/clear as my note 9 and overall the phone felt like a big compromise (no s-pen, no sd card, no headphone jack) after paying £1300, so I sent it back. The camera and screen are the primary reasons for me to upgrade and I expect at least decent battery life (maybe 6-7 hours SOT with youtube abd browsing). I do use the S-Pen every now and then and think it would be a good to have. I know the note 20 ultra doesnt support WQHD+ and 120hz at the same time but at the price im getting it at i think this is a compromise i am willing to make since i mostly use my phone at FHD+ anyway and I can barely tell the difference.
I know there was talk about the exynos variant being bad when compared to the SD 865+ version but frankly I am not a gamer and dont need my phone to be ultra powerful. But what i would like to know from you guys is whether the software updates over the past 8 months have fixed most of the issues with battery life and camera performance. Those of you coming from the s10 range or the note 10+ / Note 9 etc. How would you say the camera is on the Note 20 U? Do you guys think its a good buy now? Or should I just give it a miss and hang on to the note 9 till they stop the security patches? Any advise is appreciated.

I have a mate who upgraded from the Note 9 to the Note 20 Ultra. He was VERY impressed with the differences...
He has the Exynos variant but when there is no other phones to compare but what you already have he's happy...
It all comes down to you, go to a store, play with a demo version and make up your mind.

I've upgraded from S10e Exynos with 4,5 screen on time maximum and terrible idle battery drain to Note 20 Ultra Snapdragon. First week was thinking to give it back because it was too big for me and those rounded edges always made me typos. Then I've get used to it, set the keyboard paddings from edges and finally bought nice case (I never used any cases before) and now I'm totally happy with it. I as far as I've read it's almost impossible to get 7-8 screen on time on Exynos variant. I got around 7 on my Snapdragon version but never tested it with gaming so I can not tell yet how good the battery is. I can tell that Qualcomm modem is much better in sense of keeping good connection and speed and very good keeping battery in idle state. Considering the camera - it's much better that in my old S10e ofcourse but I don't use it often so can't say I care about it much. What I love about my new Note 20 ultra Snapdragon is I've rooted it to tweak some small things here and there and now totally feel it's mine. I've rooted my past phones around 5 years ago last time.
Not sure if anything I said will help you but if you have any questions I would be glad to answer.

Thanks guys really useful. As mentioned I don't really need a new phone as my current phone does pretty much what I need it to. But I am itching to upgrade and I don't want to end up being stuck with something that I feel is not as good as my current phone. I currently average 4-5 hours screen on time on my 2 year old note 9 which I think is good for an old phone so hoping to get more. The S21U was good battery wise I got 7 hours SOT with 10% remaining. But the cameras were a let down for the price. I might just wait a couple of months and pick one used if they fix the camera with software updates as the price difference doesn't seem that much like a barely used S21U is going for around 850 on ebay so might be worth the extra 200 vs the note 20 ultra. Especially because I heard a lot of bad things about the n20u battery in particular.

Hi, @eldrid
I upgraded (downgraded considering the cost/storage, lol) from the Note9 (512GB) to the Note20 Ultra (128GB) with Android 11/One UI 3.1.
Have you considered replacing the battery in your Note9? Maybe have the battery replaced and purchase the N20U?
I don't use the camera much, but hopefully one of the forum members will give you some feedback on the N9 vs N20U cameras.
I can hear the Note20 Ultra camera *rattle* but I think this is normal??
If you purchase the N20, you may not want to update the phone to Android 11 (scoped storage, bugs galore, etc...).
I enjoy using the N9 more than the N20U because of the OS and the apps function without issue.
I detest Android 11, ahem, and think it contributes to my attitude of the N20U. N9 is the Beast!

I haven't had note 9 earlier but for me the note 20 ultra is perfect.
We get 1080p with 120hz (sure only 1080p but battery friendly and do you even notice higher res on regular basis?)
Sdcard slot, perfect for pictures, movies, big files and so on, also very easy to swap. (cloud exist but what about vacation or if u got limited data)
Very good cameras, still one of the best out there.
Very good performance with snapdragon 865+, even the exynos one is good. Recent updates have made it better than release version.
S-pen in a slot, no ugly weird case and all functions works perfectly.
The design is also very modern and future proof, I mean the front is almost all display.
People even speculate that this could be the last note ever, so if I were u, I would really consider note 20u if u liked your note 9 and want something better.

I've had my Note 20 Ultra Exynos version since launch, and it's a lot better now than it was when it first came out in both battery life & performance, I also don't game on phone's so it's been more than fine for me.
The camera has also been on point for me as well I've not been disappointed with any pictures or videos I've taken with it.
For 650 quid i think it's well worth it for what you get.

Thanks a ton guys for the honest advice. I finally picked an almost new one for £650 on ebay. They offer a 30 day return so fingers crossed i hope it works out. I won't be selling my note 9 just yet so I will have some time to compare side by side and see what it's like. I am sure it's an upgrade in many regards. But the three key things for me are 1)screen and I'm sure that's great I don't use wqhd and will be perfectly happy with the adaptive 1080 120hz. 2)The cameras... This is one area I am not sure how it will be... This is a very subjective area but I like my images to be sharp and I noticed on the S21U the images were soft and fuzzy not crisp like on the note 9. And 3) is battery life... I still get around 5 hours from the note 9 which is great so I hope to get at least that much. Will keep you guys posted on how it goes over the next few days. I feel like @650 there won't be much to complain about. I was really upset with the s21 ultra as I had paid full price for it and it (£1300) and it felt like a downgrade. Seems like the more modern Samsung phones while powerful are compromising on the basics and are not what they used to be 2 years ago.

Finally got the note20u and frankly I am quite happy with it. I am getting pretty good SOT and plus i used Bluetooth headphones for at least an hour. Considering that I think the battery life is good. Also the camera software seems to be ironed out and the image sharpness is much better than the current image quality on the S21U 1st pic is from note 20u and 2nd from s21u. Overall I think it was a good buy. I would never recommend anyone buying a Samsung phone at launch as the software is very unpolished and you pay a huge amount for an unfinished product. Comparing the experience i have with this nearly new note 20u for 650 is great compared to the ****ty experience the s21u offers for £1200 plus no sd card support or charger in the box. Very good value overall at £650

I upgraded from my still pristine Note 9 and found it a very worthy successor. From the enhanced Dex and S-pen features to the improved cameras, the Note 20 Ultra has provided me with a great user experience. Given Samsung's quest for becoming more -like and shedding features left and right, the Note 20 Ultra is the closest to what the Note line once was: the no holds barred, everything but the kitchen sink, no compromises, Note. I don't know if there is a Note 21 Ultra in the works and if there is it will probably include less features than the Note 20 Ultra offers.

Medevac1 said:
I upgraded from my still pristine Note 9 and found it a very worthy successor. From the enhanced Dex and S-pen features to the improved cameras, the Note 20 Ultra has provided me with a great user experience. Given Samsung's quest for becoming more -like and shedding features left and right, the Note 20 Ultra is the closest to what the Note line once was: the no holds barred, everything but the kitchen sink, no compromises, Note. I don't know if there is a Note 21 Ultra in the works and if there is it will probably include less features than the Note 20 Ultra offers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely agree. Probably why i was finding it hard to part with my note 9 as well. What a great 0 compromise device. I really hate how Samsung were originally the anti apple and a premium alternative for those that didn't want to chain themselves to apple. But now they're becoming more like apple taking away our choice.
Rumours are that there will be a watered down fan edition only this year and that the s-pen toting phone is going to be the fold from now on. If its true its a poor farewell to the note. I say they should bring back the headphone jack, sd card and pack the box with goodies. Make the whole experience of buying a premium flagship feel premium again.

eldrid said:
Absolutely agree. Probably why i was finding it hard to part with my note 9 as well. What a great 0 compromise device. I really hate how Samsung were originally the anti apple and a premium alternative for those that didn't want to chain themselves to apple. But now they're becoming more like apple taking away our choice.
Rumours are that there will be a watered down fan edition only this year and that the s-pen toting phone is going to be the fold from now on. If its true its a poor farewell to the note. I say they should bring back the headphone jack, sd card and pack the box with goodies. Make the whole experience of buying a premium flagship premium again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 10+ was the last Note before Q. After Q things started going south and 11 is even worse.
Between Android and Samsung's "improvements" it's been a dismal year.
Everything's coming up psuedo Apples... and I mean that in the most derogatory way.
As for the Fold series it has been a self made disaster for Samsung. Overpriced and unreliable.
Samsung, you do know the definition of insanity don't you? Apparently not.

Late to the party here but I'm happy with my N20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon soc I imported from Hong Kong.
I wouldn't of been keen to buy a used phone from ebay due to the amount that get imei locked a few weeks / months after receiving it.

BandOfBrothers1 said:
I wouldn't of been keen to buy a used phone from ebay due to the amount that get imei locked a few weeks / months after receiving it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can you avoid that from happening 100%?
Is it that common?

blackhawk said:
How can you avoid that from happening 100%?
Is it that common?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's something I've come across way too often throughout the years on forums.
A person sells a phone on ebay and then fraudulently claims it lost or stolen.
Auction Sites need to tighten up and introduce even more protection for the buyer as well as the seller.

BandOfBrothers1 said:
It's something I've come across way too often throughout the years on forums.
A person sells a phone on ebay and then fraudulently claims it lost or stolen.
Auction Sites need to tighten up and introduce even more protection for the buyer as well as the seller.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doing that in the USA be incurring multiple federal felonies.

BandOfBrothers1 said:
Late to the party here but I'm happy with my N20 Ultra 5G Snapdragon soc I imported from Hong Kong.
I wouldn't of been keen to buy a used phone from ebay due to the amount that get imei locked a few weeks / months after receiving it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn didn't know that happens. I got mine from a business seller with 100% ratings so looks like hes been at it for a while with no issues. He claims the phones are customer returns from the official Samsung store and would barely have any usage if at all. And everything looked the part it seemed brand spanking new, scratchless and even no signs wear or dust in the usb c port. Also he had a whole batch of 7-8 to sell so everything sounded legit. Let's hope everything works out well.
On a separate note. I thought id use the phone without a screen protector for a few days while the tempered glass one I ordered arrives and so removed the factory one. After a day or so i have already noticed a couple of micro scratches on the screen visible at certain angles. This is with careful use at home. I feel like this whole gorilla glass thing is just market hype.

blackhawk said:
Doing that in the USA be incurring multiple federal felonies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't worry about it too much. The only reason someone would do that is to be malicious and most people are not. I doubt the seller has a personal vendetta against you. He got his money and will move on.
I have had the N20U since release and have no issues and at this point is a good as it gets functionally.