So I have the original Nexus 7. Love it! But I'm about 99% sure I'll get a Nexus 5. I do love the 7" form factor, but in your honest opinion (and I'm asking those of you who have owned 4.5 - 5 inch smartphones) will the size of the N5 be good enough to justify getting rid of my tablet? They both run basically the same software. I like to read a lot and play some games.
I'll probably hang on to both until I'm sure, but wondered if anyone had an opinion or owned multiple devices and your thoughts. Thanks!!
ezzkmo said:
So I have the original Nexus 7. Love it! But I'm about 99% sure I'll get a Nexus 5. I do love the 7" form factor, but in your honest opinion (and I'm asking those of you who have owned 4.5 - 5 inch smartphones) will the size of the N5 be good enough to justify getting rid of my tablet? They both run basically the same software. I like to read a lot and play some games.
I'll probably hang on to both until I'm sure, but wondered if anyone had an opinion or owned multiple devices and your thoughts. Thanks!!
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Your question seems a bit vague to receive a solid answer. I can say personally, I use my wifi only Nexus 7 for reading books, watching youtube, browsing sites, research, etc., etc. when I know I won't be near a computer and don't feel like draining my phone battery. I use my Gnex as a phone, sms messenger, and all of the above items mentioned for N7. The N7 can't do what my phone does, and my phone isn't large scale enough for extended times spent doing all the things mentioned.
It really boils down to what you're using each for. Some people just don't need a phone but get big use out of a tablet, others don't have the lifestyle for a tablet and need a slightly larger phone.
As the owner of a Nexus 4, and 7, I have to say that I love having both. I like to be able to surf the web on my tablet in the morning and at night on the couch, and it's a lot easier to use than a 4-5" smartphone. A smartphone is alright when I'm out shopping, at work, etc, but in the comfort of my own home the Nexus 7 makes a lot more sense the way I use it. The bigger screen on the Nexus 7 makes web surfing a lot more enjoyable primarily. I can access a lot of desktop websites more comfortably since they fit the screen ratio of a tilted Nexus 7 better. No need to zoom in either since text is usually large enough to comfortably read.
Watcher07 said:
Your question seems a bit vague to receive a solid answer. I can say personally, I use my wifi only Nexus 7 for reading books, watching youtube, browsing sites, research, etc., etc. when I know I won't be near a computer and don't feel like draining my phone battery. I use my Gnex as a phone, sms messenger, and all of the above items mentioned for N7. The N7 can't do what my phone does, and my phone isn't large scale enough for extended times spent doing all the things mentioned.
It really boils down to what you're using each for. Some people just don't need a phone but get big use out of a tablet, others don't have the lifestyle for a tablet and need a slightly larger phone.
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That is helpful! I'm basically just wondering if someone who bought a smartphone let their tablet collect dust (since a phone does everything and more now). But you just said you still use your larger screen tablet for doing other things. Which is good to know. I'll probably keep both but man, I really need a phone and the Nexus 5 is looking great, just have to justify keeping my tablet which is only 2 inches bigger, but with lower specs and can't talk/text on it. Seriously, if phones start to become 6+ inches (like the Note) there is almost no reason to keep a 7 inch tablet too!
And thank you also Rarscaryfrosty! Very good advice! (N7 has crazy good battery life too).
I have a galaxy nexus and a Nexus 7 (2013). No they are not redundant. The Nexus 7 is much better for extended web browsing and reading ebooks than even a 5" phone would be (I suspect). And conversely it is nice to pull out your phone when you need to access info quickly or want to be less conspicuous about it. I bring both the Nexus 7 and GNex with me everyday and use both everyday. I will say that since my GNex is getting old it is kind of nice to have a back up device that has a longer battery. Back when I only had the GNex I would try to do all my mobile browsing on it (like 4hrs per day of straight browsing) and the battery barely held up. Now I do major browsing sessions on the Nexus 7 and I don't have battery life issues with either device because they share the burden.
I have an N4, my wife has an HTC One and we bought my son an N7. He is a little to young to play with it by himself so it is basically there for whenever we want to use it. I personally find no need for it and my wife never picks it up either.
We carry our phones with us in our house and that is our go to device. If you are into reading or watching movies then a tablet might be your thing and maybe even some games but for the things we do on a daily basis I always turn to my phone. If I need a good browser on a bring screen I just use my laptop in my home which is still a better browsing experience then a tablet.
If I did not have a child to buy the N7 for, I would not have purchased it for myself.
Not redundant at all. The n7 is a the best ereader there is. The n5 is a phone. Neither does the other's primary job well.
Caelrie said:
Not redundant at all. The n7 is a the best ereader there is. The n5 is a phone. Neither does the other's primary job well.
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I agree with this statement. A tablet is a great device to read books with. Otherwise I really don't see a need for it.
[email protected] said:
I agree with this statement. A tablet is a great device to read books with. Otherwise I really don't see a need for it.
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Yah, if I didn't read e-books, I wouldn't like my 7 as much as I do. It's good for gaming but my 10 is better. Same for Web surfing. It can be a phone but my phone is better. Reading ebooks, though... Nothing even comes close to a 7 for that and I read a LOT.
I have and s3, s4, note 2 note 3 and just ordered the N5.plus I have two laptops and several tablets of different screen sizes floating around lol.
Theres times for various reasons you may want or need to use a device with a certain size screen..nice to have options.
So speaking as someone who has a few devices lying around..keep them both
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So I got my captivate a few months ago, coming from the iPhone 3G & 3Gs(both great phones) and although I dragged my feet making the transition, I can honestly say I'm happy with my decision to get the Captivate as apposed to the iPhone 4. Here's why:
The iPhone is a great phone. Nobody can argue that. It has the best music player, best web browser, smoothest UI, best design, etc.
IMHO no other phone will be as good as the iPhone out of the box.
But when it comes to phones and technology, put simply, I'm a tweaker. I like to **** with things, experiment, add personal touches, etc,. In short, the iPhone doesn't really let you do that. The iPhone is the iPhone and the Captivate is more like a mini computer.
The iPhone "just works", there's nothing to **** with, and to me that takes all the fun out of it
I'd rather have a phone that "I" make work the way I want it to, rather than a phone that "Apple" makes work the way THEY want it to.
When it comes down to it I think it just depends on what kind of tech junky you are and what your use of the phone is going to entail.
For me, I'm gonna enjoy tweaking out on my phone for the next 2 years
K rant is done, that is all.
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I look at it like this: iPhone is like James Bond, the best there is at doing exactly what he specializes in. Android is like MacGyver, a little rough around the edges, but given the right tools he can do anything.
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Dungeon47 said:
I look at it like this: iPhone is like James Bond, the best there is at doing exactly what he specializes in. Android is like MacGyver, a little rough around the edges, but given the right tools he can do anything.
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That's a good way to look at it lol
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Dungeon47 said:
I look at it like this: iPhone is like James Bond, the best there is at doing exactly what he specializes in. Android is like MacGyver, a little rough around the edges, but given the right tools he can do anything.
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+1
Couldn't agree more
i actually considered selling my captivate and going to a 3gs or I4 largely due to the GPS issues with the device (wifes i4 GPS works flawlessly with mapquest).
I had also considered it because i recently sold my ipod classic and had considered getting a touch but if i could do a 32gb i4 and have one device cover my phone and mp3 needs why not. (captivate isn't horrible as an mp3 player but i would miss the ability to 1. control through car stereo via ipod dedicated input 2. The enhanced sound quality of using such input.
Fortunately with my wife having one everytime i had the notion i could play with hers
mp3 playing great.......games great........web device great
But the biggest missing component from IOS is a competent notification system (lack of notifcation bar, would definitely miss the convenience of the dropdown notification bar as well as being able to place information, widgets & shortcuts on the lockscreen, and lack of mobile AP (i think the latter can be remedied via jailbreak).
As much as i like to tinker and customize i could honestly live with the app grid and lack of widgets if the iphone had a more competent and convenient notification system for managing missed calls, texts, emails etc. (I don't know if anyone has played with one but the screen that comes up when multi-tasking seems like it would have been ideal for delivery and management of such notifications. When you go into multi-task/app switching in IOS (via push the button twice quickly it then displays running apps and recent apps in the very bottom row of screen. The top 95% of screen is unused and imo wasted potential to house the notifications.
i returned my captivate cuz of battery life and gps issues and picked up the iphone 4 which i currently have now. while the gps is flawless, the battery is about the same or worse while in use. On the other hand battery lasts considerably longer when the iphones screen is off compared to the captivates battery with the screen off. (good for listening to music and audio books).
The stock ios is garbage compared to android. i had to jailbreak it and then work for hours searching for repositories and tutorials on what i can do to personalize and force the phone to have some cool features. You really take silly things like moving icons where you want them and having widgets for granted while you are on android. I miss how easy it was to access information etc. it is possible on the jailbroken ios, but the pickings are extremely thin and the few available are glitchy and leave alot to be desired.
The shoddy multitasking combined with one hard button is another pain in the ass. Multitasking in ios usually means actually closing the program and then having a quick link available to u when you want to open it again.
I am pleased that there are more high quality apps available on this iphone 4. Android is not that far behind though and i can tell that app dev for the ip has slowed. Considering the sheer mass of apps available for the ios i would expect more apps designed for the ip4 to be available. Only a very small fraction of the apps utilize the ip4's retina display. Also, when i check the jailbroken repo's for new homebrew apps, development seems to be stagnating.
I've only written about the things that are important to me. Some of my complaints about the iphone can be explained away as i'm sure some people will try to do. However, my opinions stand, there is much left to be desired.
My suggestion is to find an android phone with working gps and decent battery. Or test out a new windows mobile phone. I can't say i'd recommend the iphone to someone. If you need to replace your captivate soon, i'd suggest asking for your money back because they cant deliver on gps promises, ask for a full refund. Save you're upgrade and wait for a new wave of android phones to hit att.
I had poor battery performance and abysmal GPS at first. After conditioning the battery properly by running from full to 10% a couple of times, the performance improves significantly, and now it blows my old iPhone 3GS away in battery performance. Also, the GPS issue for me has been resolved by using Assonance ROM. I get a solid lock within about 10 seconds outside, and about 30 inside, and it holds even while I drive.
All that aside, if you just want to pick it up and have it work, but don't care to 'make it your own' then iPhone is right for you. The bottom line is whether you are happy with what you have.
My experience has been that most of my friends with iPhones that absolutely love them did not own a smartphone previously and the few that did aren't as pleased with their iPhones as they thought they'd be. Then there are the ones that just refuse to admit that an Apple product isn't as good as they want you to believe.
Miami_Son said:
My experience has been that most of my friends with iPhones that absolutely love them did not own a smartphone previously and the few that did aren't as pleased with their iPhones as they thought they'd be. Then there are the ones that just refuse to admit that an Apple product isn't as good as they want you to believe.
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i have to believe this. idk who would deem most of this stuff as godly unless they havn't tried android at all.
as for what the other guy said about conditioning and gps fix, i did everything known to man to make that battery last, but i still am not satisfied with battery life in the captivate or the iphone 4. battery technology needs to catch up. Gps wise, i was really looking for a gps that could track my run's and give me distances etc. i tried roms and all the gps fix suggestions from xda but it still rarely gave me accuracy close than 10-20 meters and bounced from house to house while i was goin through my neighborhood. at least the iphone4 got one thing right.
The shoddy multitasking combined with one hard button is another pain in the ass. Multitasking in ios usually means actually closing the program and then having a quick link available to u when you want to open it again.
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good call. I guess it would get easier with more use but i also don't like the 1 button method either. The multiple buttons on the captivate makes web browsing and multi-tasking a better experience imo
Dungeon47 said:
I look at it like this: iPhone is like James Bond, the best there is at doing exactly what he specializes in. Android is like MacGyver, a little rough around the edges, but given the right tools he can do anything.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Perfect +1
Ive had both. The reason i dont want the iphone anymore is the ridiculous cost to replace.I picked up both of my captivates for cheap. Overall i love my captivate...the only reason i will get rid of it soon is the gps. I also have a htc aria. If it had a bigger screen i would prefer it over my captivate. Its very fast and the gps is dead on.
I have had both also. It took several months for me to get used to the captivate. I use yahoo email and the iphone is better for yahoo email than android. This was almost a game stopper until I learned how to use gmail to basically look just like my yahoo box after forwarding my emails to gmail. The gps is still an issue but not as much since I carry a blackberry bold 9700 for work and the gps locks to 3 meters in about 20 seconds.
Once rooted and lag fixed, the captivate is pretty awesome! The screen is to hard to give up on. I think 4 inches is the sweet spot for phone screens. When I look at the screen on the iphone it looks so much smaller than before.
Hey All--I'm considering getting a Xoom off craigslist at a decent price, but I was hoping for some advice first:
What I really care about is having a device that runs well, that the screen is pretty good on, and that has great developer support.
I will most likely run AOKP on whatever I get (it's what I run on my galaxy nexus).
Is this the tablet for me? What are the benefits, and perhaps more importantly, what are the drawbacks that you see to the xoom?
Thanks!
I really hate the screen on this Xoom, my Samsung fascinates screen at half dim is easier to see out side than my Xoom at 100.
I got mine cheap online also and wish I would have just saved a bit more and got a galaxy tab. Prob will be upgrading to galaxy tab 2.
Before I go, I would like to add that this tablet is a pain to hold, I would prefer a screen that is a bit closer to square such as gal tab or ipad, this Xoom is like widescreen, it's also kinda heavy, I do like a bit of weight but without a case on it, the shell on this thing is very slippery.
Id go hold some different devices to make up your mind on if it's worth saving 100-200 bucks on something you intend to enjoy and use often for some time to come.
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My only real complaint is battery life. I get about 8 -10 hours out of it continous use. Other complaint would be the backlight. If you plan on keeping it stock, there are better options. If you plan on rooting and roming it, there is allot of developmental support that will completely transform it. Add in hdmi port and expandable storage via external sd card slot(xoom can accept the sandisk 64gb micro.)
It really matters, what you will be doing with it, and where will you will be using it.. If out doors during day hours allot, check out other options before getting the xoom. Its glare can be bad and the backlight will barely make up for it... out in the sun, just about forget about it. If it will be indoors allot overcast days or in the shade, and/or very media oriented, the xoom is excellent. Someone else will have to comment on gaming.
If you like to use allot of apps, or a windows like experience of multiple apps or screens at once, there is the cornerstone rom(there is a youtube video.)
I personally am very happy with my xoom, I like music and love movies, price aside(xoom verizon lte, no contract) Resolution is good, tegra2 does everything I ask, on the eos nightly rom there are great customizing options. I have no reason at all to look for some thing else.... if i get sick with what I got, I just switch a rom, the only thing that stays the same is the case.
As for weight, yeah its a little heavier and thicker than most, do a couple pushups once in a while, you'll be fine
Hey Guys,
I'm seriously getting into dev work now for a living and therefore I need a tablet - my next app is going to be a tablet only news reader app (think Flipboard, Feedly etc combined and optimized for a tablet).
Was going to go for the Nexus 7 but I find it just too damn small and ugly. Nexus 10 is sold out and expensive and I can get a Note 10 brand new for about £250. Only things I'm worried about is the screen resolution and performance. Read a couple of reports about lag so just wanted people's opinions. Considering the price I can get it for as well would it be a good choice?
And if anyone can point me in the direction of some news apps they use on their Note would be appreciated
I do not feel any problem with resolution, It's enough even for watching movies. Reading is more than a good on this devices. Laging in multiscreen is solved upgrading from ICS to JB so it's not necessary to worry about it. You should not see any lags during reading of course.
I'm satisfied with this devices, but there is a lot of another cheaper solution of course. I can recommend SGN10.1 without doubts.
Well forget the resolution for a minute and go watch HD movie on the note and then tell me how the screen is
Honestly, screen resolution is fine unless you've read stuff / browsed on a nexus 10 or iPad 3/4. As for lag, I have come to the conclusion that certain builds released by samsung have lag while others don't. I personally don't and I'm on Build IMM76D.N8010XWALG4 which is android 4.0.4 (there are other 4.0.4 builds floating around as well).
Either that or you just can't satisfy some people...
Honestly with 2gb of ram I have never experienced lag except when I have a few things open, am downloading and installing apps and want to watch a movie.... What do you expect, even the PC slows down when you have a large amount of processing happening and ram being exhausted...
The resolution should not bother you unless you are one of the people who hovers about 5 inches from the display..
Other than that, the real concern for possible buyers would be the plastic casing. Are you fine with that, or do you really need that aluminium "premium" feel? Having played with various tablets (including the Infinity), I can say I honestly don't care because I'd put it in a case anyway, but if it bothers you, you probably won't be happy with this tablet.
Finally, while this tablet is really good, I think in terms of price and specs, you'd be better off with a Nexus 10 if you don't care about the stylus. You're guaranteed updates more quickly and for longer than if you got this tablet. Really, the biggest strength of this tablet is the stylus and its stylus-based application so if that's not even on your list.. I don't think you really want to get this.. (Although how much cheaper is the Nexus 10 for you? JW)
About the plastic case - From reading posts, most people seem to put their note into a case anyway... Whether its a folder style case, jell case, leather or silicone you'll find that the note is lighter than if you had the metal case....
As for the HD screen, I find the note screen is excellant to watch media on, as was stated previuosly, unless you sit with your face pressed up against the screen you won't really notice the difference. I like that Samsung really got the best out of what they gave and it isn't too bad..
crazyfool_1 said:
Hey Guys,
I'm seriously getting into dev work now for a living and therefore I need a tablet - my next app is going to be a tablet only news reader app (think Flipboard, Feedly etc combined and optimized for a tablet).
Was going to go for the Nexus 7 but I find it just too damn small and ugly. Nexus 10 is sold out and expensive and I can get a Note 10 brand new for about £250. Only things I'm worried about is the screen resolution and performance. Read a couple of reports about lag so just wanted people's opinions. Considering the price I can get it for as well would it be a good choice?
And if anyone can point me in the direction of some news apps they use on their Note would be appreciated
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Off topic. From which uk shop.
sent from my muffin
Hello
Has anyone defected from note 2? I am really eager to pull the trigger myself. Getting tired of flashing roms just want pure google stock experience. I am having a tough time letting go of this insane battery life tho as well as the 5.5 screen. How is the camera compared to note 2? Thanks for info!
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I did but I'm kinda regretting activating my nexus right away because I've lost hotspot now. The speaker Note2 seems louder than the N5. I was having second thoughts about going to a smaller screen but I find it easier to read text on N5. At first the N5 seemed small but they did a good job squeezing a 5in screen in.
I did. Only reason I did though is because my Note 2 screen has been acting up every since I had the glass replaced. I also had the spare battery cradle/charger with the note 2, so going from literally never having to charge my phone (only swap batteries every other day) is going to be pretty rough. Overall I was with you though, tired of flashing roms to get latest android. It is smaller, but definitely not terribly small like some other phones out there. Camera differences are negligible, but I only did a side by side in my room with the light on, so take that for what it's worth.
I'll probably be selling the note 2 on ebay/craigslist once I finally get it fixed. Nexus 5 seems like a solid device, already got some goodies coming for it, including a wireless charging pad.
I'm jumping ship. I'm just tired of having insane specs on a phone just to run TouchWiz. I've tried some AOSP ROMs but seems like there's always a small issue or two that keeps from being a great daily driver. I'm currently on CM 10.1 but still run into issues with GPS and camera.
I'm going to Nexus to run pure Android. I don't need s-pens and cameras watching me watching my phone. My only concern switching is related to Sprint, not N5. Sprint has an awesome visual voicemail feature which doesn't seem to be working well with Hangouts on the Note 2. I'll have to see how voicemail is handled on the N5 since Sprint is hands off.
I am jumping from the Note 2 as well. Just time for something new. I would have gone with the Note 3, but the lack of access to Sprint Spark network was a deal breaker. The size reduction will be welcome, though. Even though I like the Note 2 size well enough, it does get in the way at times.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk 4
I'm jumping ship as well. Don't get me wrong, I love my Galaxy Note 2, but as others have said, I value having the latest version of Android without the bloatware. I also find that when I'm going somewhere where I know I will be heavily surfing the net or otherwise needing a large screen, I take my Nexus 7 or Chromebook Pixel. The need for a phablet, while novel at first, has really just become cumbersome to carry around. I also rarely use the S-Pen. The AMOLED screen always annoyed me too -- way over-saturated (great blacks, though). I look forward to OIS on the N5, as a sharp picture on the Note2 is as rare as hen's teeth. The only things I will really miss are the microSD card, removable battery, and OEM flip cover (with built in back cover).
Wow i didnt expect so many replies in such short time. I agree with most of your comments. The battery might not be that big of an issue. I can buy a spare charger and keep it in my office as well as one in the car and i am covered all the way. Not having to wait for samsung to update the software will be a blessing. Besides 4.3 isnt even out and kit kat will be the last update and it might not even come around till early 2015 the way they are going. They have already decided not to port over all of the note 3 features on the 2. All these years i have been flashing and dealing with bugs and annoyances. Time to get something that works out of the box and gets timely updates.
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vseslija said:
Wow i didnt expect so many replies in such short time. I agree with most of your comments. The battery might not be that big of an issue. I can buy a spare charger and keep it in my office as well as one in the car and i am covered all the way. Not having to wait for samsung to update the software will be a blessing. Besides 4.3 isnt even out and kit kat will be the last update and it might not even come around till early 2015 the way they are going. They have already decided not to port over all of the note 3 features on the 2. All these years i have been flashing and dealing with bugs and annoyances. Time to get something that works out of the box and gets timely updates.
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i was debating between a note 3, g2, and the n5. and it's posts like these that make me glad I waited and am getting the n5. my only other android device is the N4, so bloatware, delayed updates, and bugs with custom roms is something that I thought about, but never put too much weight behind them until i see posts like this
I have a gnii and should get my nexus 5 tomorrow. I am hesitant to goto a smaller screen...I love the gigantic glowing blob of a phone. I have the r950 us cellular note 2...so dev. Is limited. I can wait for the plethora of roms and kernels. The s-pen is cool and all...although i havent ran a stock rom for ages. So i dont think I will miss using it to draw dicks on the snapchats all that much.
have high hopes for the nexus, enough to pay my etf and ditch the contract life. USCC sucks so much. That is another huge reason I'm counting on this new nexus.
PearcePowers said:
I'm jumping ship as well. Don't get me wrong, I love my Galaxy Note 2, but as others have said, I value having the latest version of Android without the bloatware. I also find that when I'm going somewhere where I know I will be heavily surfing the net or otherwise needing a large screen, I take my Nexus 7 or Chromebook Pixel. The need for a phablet, while novel at first, has really just become cumbersome to carry around. I also rarely use the S-Pen. The AMOLED screen always annoyed me too -- way over-saturated (great blacks, though). I look forward to OIS on the N5, as a sharp picture on the Note2 is as rare as hen's teeth. The only things I will really miss are the microSD card, removable battery, and OEM flip cover (with built in back cover).
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QFT. I really liked having a phablet when I didn't have a good small form tablet to turn to. Also, I found that actually writing/drawing on the Note 2 was difficult. I now have a Note 8, which is the perfect size for that kind of functionality. Now I can return to a smaller form factor for my phone.
I, too, will miss the HUGE, removable battery. But those are the breaks. I'm hoping that battery performance for me is at least good enough to approximate my Note 2 use. May be picking up a battery pack at some point, too.
My contract is coming up for renewal in late February and I'm thinking of replacing my phone with a new Android device. I realize this might be the wrong forum section to post in, but who better to ask than my fellow Shield lovers.
I had a Galaxy Note (original) and a Galaxy S2 prior, and they weren't bad. For the time Touchwiz, and a poor email client really put me off of Android as a phone primarily for me is a communication device, but I still like to have fun with it.
I ended up going back to Blackberry and have been rocking a Z10 for a long time. But won an iphone 5s through work and have been using that for about the past year. I bought a Z30 recently as it was being sold at a stupidly low price new in box from factory and I am sick and tired of the small screens and piss poor battery life of the iphone.
I also have a first gen Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, and I've been complaining about it for the past 6-10 months because of it's size and weight and now that apps are being optimized for newer OS versions it's getting really slow. So my wife bought me a Shield for Christmas and I absoltuley love it!
I love how the UI is on this tablet and now know what all the fuss is about for Andorid. Touchwiz ruins the experience in my opinion. So I'm thinking for my new phone I'm going to get a Lollipop device for sure...the question is which one?
I don't want a Nexus as I don't like the idea of non-expandable memory and my 64gb card in my Sheild is getting pretty full, no way I could survive with a device that isn't at least 64gb (my iphone is 64gb and is usually between 50-60gb loaded up with music and media.)
So which device has a UI that is as close to the Shield as possible with expandable memory and isn't the size of a house. 5" is about my max screen size. There is no need to go larger as I already have the Sheild, and I want it to be pocketable. I got rid of my Note because I just kept leaving it on my desk. I would also love to get a 16-20 hour day with heavy use. FWIW my iphone 5s is completley dead by the time 2:00pm rolls around when it comes off the charger at 5:30am. I'm usually not near a charger again until 6:30-7:00pm on average. It's going to be a lot to ask but a 5:30am to 10:00pm battery life would be fantastic...
If you want a stock OS look and MicroSD, get the HTC M8 Google Play Edition. Stock Android, front speakers, and MicroSD support just like the ST.
Not going to be a popular opinion around here but the iPhone 6 gets much much better battery life than the older ones, if you are already invested into iTunes that may be a valid option for you. For me I have the 6 plus and it is cool because I get awesome battery life and then I get completely different games then the ones that are available on my shield tab so I have pretty much the best of both worlds.
Also my reason for going to the iPhone is because I have ATT and needed a carrier subsidized phone, tried the Nexus 6 it is utter crap build quality and the Note 4 is not even rootable, there is not much else that is really modern on ATT.
As far as gaming ready devices, all Qualcomm Snapdragon devices fall into a mediocre range. None of them are really "smooth" at gaming and all of them work hard to provide perpetual fluidity. Bad video drivers and non-existent high clock efficiency mean those devices scale vey poorly, and gaming takes a monstrous drain on the battery for even simple 2D games. If you are looking for a device which can handle gaming in a manner similar to the shield (and aren't too concerned with what you might lose) then tegra phones and iPhones are your best option objectively. It's impossible to recommend a Qualcomm device as better for gaming. If you are just looking for a simple phone with light gaming, then something like the upcoming HTC M9 or a likewise lollipop based device would be fine. But if gaming is your concern (which you don't seem to mention) then my above statements hold very true.
All "stock" suggestions should definitely fly with "but shall include excessive Google bloatware that wouldn't be accepted from Samsung or any other OEM." That much said, crap like Drive Earth Docs Sheets Slides Newsstand Books Music Movies Plus Fit Now Wallet Keyboard Chrome and the ever constant location stalker CAN be disabled quite easily.
Preliminary reports say the S5 is shaping up to perform amazingly on Lollipop. A simple comparison of this tablet and the Nexus 7 and the iPad-Mini-esque Nexus 9, has shown me that it's all about the implementation of lollipop, not comparing who has the biggest version number, that is essential in determining which device is best.
Google Play Edition phones like HTC One M8 or Galaxy S4.
The Moto G and X phones also offer nearly stock OS.
Gaming is not a concern for me with a phone, thats what the Tablet is for. a Pretty stock non-bloated with manufacture crud OS is whats most important I think. Touchwiz was just annoying when I was test driving a Note 3 and on my S2 when I had it. Just didn't enjoy it. I also don't like how big the S5 and such has gotten.
I'll take a closer look at the Google Play edition phones. I wanted to get something direct from carrier to get the subsidy and save some cash... I'm on Rogers in Canada... No Moto X is avaialble, and it doesn't appear to have a micro SD. However the Sony Z3 seems to have a pretty stock version of Android... what are peoples opinions on that device?
Well I wouldn't say it's stock by any means. It's actually fairly heavy on skinning, but it does look nice. Updates will be very slow for Sony phones. But the battery life is fantastic, and the overall hardware is nice. Sony phones can be problematic, but since it's a carrier device you can always yell at Rogers.
Nintonito said:
Well I wouldn't say it's stock by any means. It's actually fairly heavy on skinning, but it does look nice. Updates will be very slow for Sony phones. But the battery life is fantastic, and the overall hardware is nice. Sony phones can be problematic, but since it's a carrier device you can always yell at Rogers.
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Yea, I'm reading more on the Z3 forums and seeing stuff I'm not overly happy with.
One thing that is ever important to me is the speed and quality of the camera, something I'm addicted to on my iphone. I'm a part-time professional photographer along with my day job. So I got a camera for manual control and taking beautiful shot. I love my iphone for the quick burst that I can do within a couple of seconds on the fly (and thats about it that I've found as a pro over Android). I don't know if there is an Android phone out there that can compete, which is very unfortunate. When I was test driving the Note 3, one of the few major reasons I returned it was due to the crappy camera speed/AF. (The others were size and touchwiz)
Moto X, Moto G, Nexus 5, Nexus 6 or the Google Play Edition phones from the play store. Thats about it. I guess the OnePlus One fits the bill also.
I can't recommend the Moto X enough. Mine is absolutely amazing and I've owned QUITE a few different phones over the past few years including Samsung, HTC, Sony, Nexus, ZTE. The Motorola lineup of the past year or so has been nothing short of phenomenal.
I disagree on the basis that the battery life is pretty bad. Like iPhone levels of battery life frankly. I'm surprised people just glaze over that. 2300mah battery with lollipop+amoled is battery hell.
Nintonito said:
I disagree on the basis that the battery life is pretty bad. Like iPhone levels of battery life frankly. I'm surprised people just glaze over that. 2300mah battery with lollipop+amoled is battery hell.
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Do you own one? Because I do. And I routinely hit 18-19 hours with 2.5-3 hours of screen time. Everyone I see complaining about battery life doesn't own one, and are just parroting FUD.
Nintonito said:
I disagree on the basis that the battery life is pretty bad. Like iPhone levels of battery life frankly. I'm surprised people just glaze over that. 2300mah battery with lollipop+amoled is battery hell.
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icase81 said:
Do you own one? Because I do. And I routinely hit 18-19 hours with 2.5-3 hours of screen time. Everyone I see complaining about battery life doesn't own one, and are just parroting FUD.
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I'd also have to agree. I was hesitant about the phone when it was first announced because of the battery and held off buying one until the Cyber Monday coupon deal. Since then, I've added a wireless charging module (thread in the accessories sub-forum for the phone) and I couldn't be happier. Not saying you need a wireless mod, I just missed that from the Nexus 5. But even so, the battery has been above and beyond what I expected, the phone's performance is top notch, Active Display or whatever its called has no second best and Motorola's adherence to near stock Android is the cherry on top.
Like icase said, unless you have one and have something to back up your comment, you're just blowing FUD. My go to devices today are my 2014 Moto X and my Nvidia Shield Tablet.
wired335 said:
My contract is coming up for renewal in late February and I'm thinking of replacing my phone with a new Android device. I realize this might be the wrong forum section to post in, but who better to ask than my fellow Shield lovers.
I had a Galaxy Note (original) and a Galaxy S2 prior, and they weren't bad. For the time Touchwiz, and a poor email client really put me off of Android as a phone primarily for me is a communication device, but I still like to have fun with it.
I ended up going back to Blackberry and have been rocking a Z10 for a long time. But won an iphone 5s through work and have been using that for about the past year. I bought a Z30 recently as it was being sold at a stupidly low price new in box from factory and I am sick and tired of the small screens and piss poor battery life of the iphone.
I also have a first gen Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, and I've been complaining about it for the past 6-10 months because of it's size and weight and now that apps are being optimized for newer OS versions it's getting really slow. So my wife bought me a Shield for Christmas and I absoltuley love it!
I love how the UI is on this tablet and now know what all the fuss is about for Andorid. Touchwiz ruins the experience in my opinion. So I'm thinking for my new phone I'm going to get a Lollipop device for sure...the question is which one?
I don't want a Nexus as I don't like the idea of non-expandable memory and my 64gb card in my Sheild is getting pretty full, no way I could survive with a device that isn't at least 64gb (my iphone is 64gb and is usually between 50-60gb loaded up with music and media.)
So which device has a UI that is as close to the Shield as possible with expandable memory and isn't the size of a house. 5" is about my max screen size. There is no need to go larger as I already have the Sheild, and I want it to be pocketable. I got rid of my Note because I just kept leaving it on my desk. I would also love to get a 16-20 hour day with heavy use. FWIW my iphone 5s is completley dead by the time 2:00pm rolls around when it comes off the charger at 5:30am. I'm usually not near a charger again until 6:30-7:00pm on average. It's going to be a lot to ask but a 5:30am to 10:00pm battery life would be fantastic...
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Hi, just my two cents, IMHO the Nvidia Shield is a great tablet but to play PC games you have to stream to Nvidia, so if I want to recommend to you a similar device, the closest phone you can get is the Sony Experia Z3, Android 5 Lollipop, battery levels are very good, beautiful design and you can connect it to a playstation and play the games wireless on your phone with the PS controller. You even get the sound from your controller by connecting the headphones to it.
I have a couple of ideas.
If you can wait, the HTC Hima promises to be a beast. A Snapdragon 810 with a 1080p screen means that it will probably crush every other phone in terms of performace, thanks to every other phone jumping on the pointless 4K train. Look it up. It looks pretty nice. *drool*
If you need something now, then....I know you want a smaller phone, but....I can't recommend the Oneplus One enough.
-It is actually thinner than and not as wide as the Note, dispite its slightly larger screen.
-Even though it has no expandable storage, 64 gigs of internal storage has actually proven more useful to me. I never have to worry about limited storage for application data.
-The battery life on this thing is nuts. I'm a heavy user and I only need to charge it every other day.
-1080p screen. This is a plus because it it uses less resources than a 4k display. And honestly, most, if not all people, cannot tell the difference.
-Snapdragon 801 with 3 gigs of RAM. This thing flies, and multitasks like a champ. I remember a time not too long ago when more than 2gb RAM was considered excessive for most DESKTOP computers. I think its more than the specs that make this thing fly, though. Something in the hardware implementation must be special, because people have been reporting some pretty unbelievable benchmarks. Oh, and Sonic Adventure 2 runs smoothly in Reicast.
-The XDA scene is HUGE for this device. Its the most popular device on the forums. There are, like, 73 billion ROMs for it and maybe 2.5 billion kernels. I've never owned such a popular device. This is my favorite feature.
Its also the one of the only devices I have right now that isn't defective in some way. I tend to have horrible luck when purchasing electronics.
I hope I've helped you reach some sort of conclusion. Good luck. :good:
thanks guys,
I went into my Rogers store and manhandled what they had on display as well as a few open box units. I also took at look at Telus, but they can't meet me on my plan so no point in switching over. But the Moto X seemed like the best device.
I found the Z3 to be the best value for me right now. As I originally mentioned I'm not looking at the phone for gaming, but to be a workhorse and get me through a very heavy use work day. Not having Touch-Wiz was a huge plus for me, and I really enjoyed some of the things they changed in the skin. The camera performed a lot better than the other phones I tried in store. the HTC M8 was a very close contender, but the camera just sucks so horribly it got kicked out of the running faster than I could blink. I honestly think that Nokia/Windows Phone has the best camera interface after playing around with phones the past week, but the Z3 does a pretty good job.
For me it was the battery power, the UI, and the pretty impressive spec sheet that (hopefuly) will not force me to upgrade in the next 18 months that caused me to go with the Z3 overall. Rogers has a pretty limited offering right now which is annoying. I almost went with the Samsung S5, but remembered how much Touch-Wiz pozioned me the first time.
If they had a Nexus 5 32gb in stock I would have probably gone with that instead...and dealt with the size limitiation...but none left for corporate customers.
So my Black Z3 is in the mail and I'm really looking forward to it. Especially since my time frame for getting a new device really escallated with an unexpected smashy smashy of my iphone (dropped it and ran it over with a stroller by complete accident. One of the only times it wasn't cased!) now I need a case for my Z3