Exodus? - Samsung Galaxy S8+ Questions & Answers

Just wondering, now that the Note 8 has been unveiled and we know for sure it's specs etc, are you inclined to jump ship from the S8+?
For me the differences are so minor. I wouldn't use the pen for instance, 0.1 inches bigger, big wow, 2 cameras, big deal, £100 dearer, not doing it for me.
My eyes are set on the LG V30, what about you?
[UPDATE]
After all the above, I'm actually writing this on a N8.
Blame the wife, her Z5 gave up the ghost and she loved the S8+ so much. What's a dutiful husband to do? Didn't make sense having 2 S8+'s, the rest is history.

Between what we already have on the new S series and all the Note 8 leaks we've been pretty aware of what we'll be doing after release for some time now. Maybe yesterday's reveal might have changed some minds of those on the fence but for the most part if you've been a Note user for a while you'll likely want to go back which is what I'll be doing eventually. Just not within the next month.
I prefer to wait at least a month just to monitor how the release has been going and see if there's any hardware issues. This caution on my part served me well last year when that whole Note 7 fiasco occurred. I was getting ready to jump on the new Note back then because my Note 5 was getting long in the tooth and I was dearly missing Micro SD support and the prospect of having a Note with a strong IP was just too tempting to pass up on. Luckily I held my ground after launch and realized what was going on with the batteries. I actually was going to pull the trigger right before the second recall happened. It wasn't meant to be. Hoping everything will be fine this time around with the Note 8 and I can finally, finally have both Micro SD and IP rating on my Note device. Finally.
This S8 Plus is sick but it's difficult to be without that S-Pen. If the Note series was only an S device with an S-Pen that would do it for me. The extra bump in specs that the Note series usually brings along with is just the cherry on top for me. I could take it or leave it but give me the S-Pen.

roaduardo said:
Between what we already have on the new S series and all the Note 8 leaks we've been pretty aware of what we'll be doing after release for some time now. Maybe yesterday's reveal might have changed some minds of those on the fence but for the most part if you've been a Note user for a while you'll likely want to go back which is what I'll be doing eventually. Just not within the next month.
I prefer to wait at least a month just to monitor how the release has been going and see if there's any hardware issues. This caution on my part served me well last year when that whole Note 7 fiasco occurred. I was getting ready to jump on the new Note back then because my Note 5 was getting long in the tooth and I was dearly missing Micro SD support and the prospect of having a Note with a strong IP was just too tempting to pass up on. Luckily I held my ground after launch and realized what was going on with the batteries. I actually was going to pull the trigger right before the second recall happened. It wasn't meant to be. Hoping everything will be fine this time around with the Note 8 and I can finally, finally have both Micro SD and IP rating on my Note device. Finally.
This S8 Plus is sick but it's difficult to be without that S-Pen. If the Note series was only an S device with an S-Pen that would do it for me. The extra bump in specs that the Note series usually brings along with is just the cherry on top for me. I could take it or leave it but give me the S-Pen.
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I get you, but bar some minor tweaking the Note 8 is just an S8+ with a £100 pencil stuck to the side, lol.

kxdaorbit said:
I get you, but bar some minor tweaking the Note 8 is just an S8+ with a pencil stuck to the side, lol.
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Which is exactly why I want it. That pencil is a game-changer for me, lol!

roaduardo said:
Which is exactly why I want it. That pencil is a game-changer for me, lol!
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Click to collapse
Seriously, I'm just joking. I realise that for some folks productivity requirements, this is an essential piece of kit. Just that for me it's not an 'enterprise' or productivity tool, so I'd never use it. I just like messing with phones and the differences here would probably only satisfy my fix for a day or so.

kxdaorbit said:
Seriously, I'm just joking. I realise that for some folks productivity requirements, this is an essential piece of kit. Just that for me it's not an 'enterprise' or productivity tool, so I'd never use it. I just like messing with phones and the differences here would probably only satisfy my fix for a day or so.
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Click to collapse
I've actually never even used any of my Note devices as an enterprise or productivity tool like their ads would suggest. I just prefer to enjoy interacting with my phone's display using that S-Pen. The built-in digitizer performs much, much, much better than any third party stylus can and the added tools built into the S-Pen makes things that much more easier to do various stuff.

Had the Note 7 and realized the pencil is just useless for me. Will stick to my S8+ and see what the Pixel XL 2 will bring.

Note 8 looks awesome its a beefed up version of the S8+ I’m deffo jumping ship i haven’t even used my S8+ it still got the factory stickers on mine i should have waited but with the NOTE 7 Fiasco i thought SAMSUNG wouldn’t release a new note till next year. but 6 gig ram and dual camera and dual sim roll on 24 September.

I'm definitely not jumping ship for one. I had a note 4 and I had so many performance & battery issues it wasn't funny. Plus the upgrades between the s8+ and note are so minute, the ram and the spen were the only thing holding me back. I just can't justify paying an extra few hundred dollars for it. I do miss my spen though...

For me, yes probably in a couple of months. I think my S8+ looks better and most lightly is better in hand as well but the S pen is what will make the difference for me.

Looks good, but not a fan of tbe spen and the minor changes. Dual cams and 6gb of ram is not worth the extra money. How much faster is 6gb of ram when multitasking?

ssgunner20 said:
Looks good, but not a fan of tbe spen and the minor changes. Dual cams and 6gb of ram is not worth the extra money. How much faster is 6gb of ram when multitasking?
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Almost imperceptible.... from what I read it will be most useful to post process photos because of the dual camera.
I'm bypass the note 8.
Enviado do meu SM-G955F através de Tapatalk

Related

Galaxy S6 or Galaxy Note 5

I am really loving the design language Samsung is using with the new Galaxy S6/ Edge. It looks real premium. My question to you is would you buy the Galaxy S6/ Edge or wait for the Note 5? I should mention i am currently a Note 3 user.
Note 5.....absolutely. ....I'm on note 2. regards
Ketan Rom
I think the question comes down to screen size and s-pen. If you want a larger screen and/or S-Pen, stick with the Note series. If you prefer a 5" screen and aren't interested in S-Pen features, then the S6 might be the better device.
Tough to say what the Note 5 will bring. If it continues to to have things like a micro SD card or removable battery, that may also factor in as well but nobody knows yet.
Well, like every year the Note 5 will have the better overall specs. Question is whether you want to wait 6 months for it or not?
Vandam500 said:
Well, like every year the Note 5 will have the better overall specs. Question is whether you want to wait 6 months for it or not?
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I'd say go for the S6 if you are on a last gen phone from 2014 (so anything earlier than Note 4). Otherwise I'd suggest waiting for the Note 5. The S6 is shaping up to be pretty darn good, and I can assure you the VR capabilities are going to be great (just like they are on the Note 4).
Besides the lack of sd slot and removable battery id take the note just cause the s6 screen is so tiny lol
sent from Canada via my Note 4, 3, 2 or S3
Seeing the gorgeous job they've done with materials here, I'm sticking with the Note 5 and looking for design sans the changes to Card and Battery. Size and stylus win.
Fingers crossed.
Sent from my SM-N910H using XDA Premium HD app
kolembo said:
Seeing the gorgeous job they've done with materials here, I'm sticking with the Note 5 and looking for design sans the changes to Card and Battery. Size and stylus win.
Fingers crossed.
Sent from my SM-N910H using XDA Premium HD app
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Click to collapse
Yeah I'm hoping the great design transfers over to the Note 5
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Free mobile app
S6.
I hate tablets, phablets, and other things generally ending with "ablet" haha.
Depends on what you want? Personally I absolutely adore my Note 4 it's a productivity beast. So no doubt in my mind that the Note 5 will be one too.
If you value:
- s pen functionality (it's like a small mouse)
- top of the top specs
- removable batteries
- expendable storage
And maybe the first 4k display I'd say wait for the Note. Also I hope Samsung's new philosophy doesn't make it to the Note series because a closed down device isn't a productivity one.
If you want a smaller form factor with limited storage space, questionable development support but top specs try the s6 and see if you like it.
Hopefully Samsung doesn't follow suit with the S6 and downgrade the Note 5. I'm still rockin' my Note 2 at the moment, but if the Note 5 downgrades to 1990's technology with no expandable storage, I'll seek a more appropriate brand.
Two different phones targeting two different demographics. Besides which, I don't know how many people "upgrade" their phones twice a year. Go with the consideration of screen size + S-pen usage as others have suggested. The two are not very comparable in my opinion.
lopri said:
Two different phones targeting two different demographics. Besides which, I don't know how many people "upgrade" their phones twice a year. Go with the consideration of screen size + S-pen usage as others have suggested. The two are not very comparable in my opinion.
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But Samsung seems to have run out of steam and have opted to downgrade their phones and no longer pursue technological advancements. I fear the Note 5 may end up losing the stylus, drop down to a 3" non-touchscreen running a fancy Android iOS.
Note 5 brings 8 MP front camera.. already samsung started of its mass production..
---------- Post added at 11:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:01 AM ----------
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sams...OCELL-sensor-for-front-facing-cameras_id66787
ThaiM said:
But Samsung seems to have run out of steam and have opted to downgrade their phones and no longer pursue technological advancements. I fear the Note 5 may end up losing the stylus, drop down to a 3" non-touchscreen running a fancy Android iOS.
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If you consider the S6 a downgrade over the S5, then you might want to reevaluate your expectations. Being overly dramatic doesn't really add to the discussion.
das boot said:
If you consider the S6 a downgrade over the S5, then you might want to reevaluate your expectations. Being overly dramatic doesn't really add to the discussion.
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It's a serious downgrade in functionality. Samsung for some reason has become blazingly desperate to be just like Apple now. It's too bad that they feel that if they can't beat the competition, then to join them.
ThaiM said:
It's a serious downgrade in functionality. Samsung for some reason has become blazingly desperate to be just like Apple now. It's too bad that they feel that if they can't beat the competition, then to join them.
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I would agree with them pushing to be more apple like...taking away 2 key features on a device and jacking up the price to boot is totally apple lol.
Offer less...charge more. And the masses are so stupid they wont think anything of it sadly.apples doesn't have great sales because the public is intelligent.
sent from Canada via my Note 4, 3, 2 or S3
force70 said:
I would agree with them pushing to be more apple like...taking away 2 key features on a device and jacking up the price to boot is totally apple lol.
Offer less...charge more. And the masses are so stupid they wont think anything of it sadly.apples doesn't have great sales because the public is intelligent.
sent from Canada via my Note 4, 3, 2 or S3
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Click to collapse
It sounds like everyone should take a couple of deep breaths and calm down!
As I recall, laptops don't come with cd roms anymore, not only that, but someone told me, hold on to your seats, desktops no longer come with 3.5 inch floppy drives! No kidding, I'm totally serious!
So much for progress!
Calm down everyone, it's called innovation.
aldread said:
It sounds like everyone should take a couple of deep breaths and calm down!
As I recall, laptops don't come with cd roms anymore, not only that, but someone told me, hold on to your seats, desktops no longer come with 3.5 inch floppy drives! No kidding, I'm totally serious!
So much for progress!
Calm down everyone, it's called innovation.
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Click to collapse
Your references to laptops and PC's doesn't make any sense. Those references are removing obsolete storage mediums and replaced with new high capacity ones. And PCs and laptops are fully expandable. A more suitable comparison would be if Nasa were to replace launch rockets with a paper airplane. That's what Samsung has done.
ThaiM said:
Your references to laptops and PC's doesn't make any sense. Those references are removing obsolete storage mediums and replaced with new high capacity ones. And PCs and laptops are fully expandable. A more suitable comparison would be if Nasa were to replace launch rockets with a paper airplane. That's what Samsung has done.
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I think I can fix that for you! You almost understand, removing obsolete storage mediums and replaced with new high SPEED ones! There you've got it! In addition to slow, SD cards are a huge security issue, and somewhat incompatible with Android. I always bought Samsung SD cards before for my phone, I'll be happy to pay (extra) for sweet, high speed, internal, DDR4 RAM!!
SD cards are obsolete for these phones!

Too Much Missing

I have had my Verizon Note 5 for 9 days now. I really want to love it. Like a wayward child I want to hold it and tell it everything will be ok. I want to look at its beautiful face and ignore the behavioral issues.
But I just can't.
I have had every note since Note 2 (and Note 2 with unlocked BL is STILL my daily driver.)
But with the note 5 i just cant get over everything that makes it a non note
I have been told that USB-otg works, but I mainly used the Samsung multimedia doc (from note 2) that allowed keyboard and mouse, charging and HDMI out.
The LG v10 seems like a step in the right direction... if only it weren't so blasted ugly!
Those of you who have had the phone longer... help me get out of my funk! cus as of right now this thing is getting returned in 3 days.
If you don't like it, return it. No one here needs to convince you of anything.
The is no right or wrong. To me the stylus makes it a Note, and I'm ok with the features. If you're not, that's ok - return the phone.
It is a lot of money if you aren't happy with it.
For me the V10 was too darn big. But that's me, you might be fine with it.
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
The note 5 is a damn good phone. I've had mines since it came out. If u what a unlocked boot loader then return ur note 5 and buy one from Samsung. Yes I would love to have a unlocked boot loader but we all know how vzw is.The s-pen makes it a note not the boot loader being unlocked. The size makes it a note as well. There is to much good that out weigh the bad. Love my note 5 for now.
Sent from my Dope Note 5 using Tapatalk
Telemachus said:
I have had my Verizon Note 5 for 9 days now. I really want to love it. Like a wayward child I want to hold it and tell it everything will be ok. I want to look at its beautiful face and ignore the behavioral issues.
But I just can't.
I have had every note since Note 2 (and Note 2 with unlocked BL is STILL my daily driver.)
But with the note 5 i just cant get over everything that makes it a non note
I have been told that USB-otg works, but I mainly used the Samsung multimedia doc (from note 2) that allowed keyboard and mouse, charging and HDMI out.
The LG v10 seems like a step in the right direction... if only it weren't so blasted ugly!
Those of you who have had the phone longer... help me get out of my funk! cus as of right now this thing is getting returned in 3 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I have had my Note 5 since launch day and minus a few issues (on Verizon's end, NOT Samsung's), I love it. It does everything I need it to do plus more. I really love the S-Pen and the rapid charging. Battery life is fine with me (if you honestly don't have an external battery charger, wall charger, or car charger then you shouldn't have a high end device). The picture quality is unbelievable, etc. Honestly, to me, the Note 5 is on top of the food chain but this is your preference and your decision. If you're note happy with it, then return it and get another phone that you're happy with (that's the beauty of a 15 day return policy, haha). Don't spend a ton of money and settle for a phone that isn't meeting your needs. There's no right or wrong answer on purchasing a device.
I'm a longtime HTC fanboy (I just dig the aesthetic of Sense and HTC's general skinning) and have always hated TouchWiz. However, now that you can do some base themeing, it's a better experience.
At the end of the day, Samsung Pay is pretty damned awesome. That alone will keep me on the N5 for a long while.
This was my feedback to samsung on the note 5. Not that they'll consider it, but nonetheless, I feel the same way.
I previously had a note 3, and absolutely loved it. It was the perfect phone for a power user. But time passed and it was time to upgrade and I figured I'd try the note 5. I'm regretting that decision more by the day. Honestly, if I could replace the battery, root it, and it had an ir blaster, it would be my new perfect phone. Nevermind it didn't get the spec bump this year - it's fast enough really. The phone is pretty, but a phone is a functional device first and accessory second.
I thought I could handle not having a replaceable battery - I was wrong. I'm on the road a lot and being able to replace the battery is invaluable. 3000 mah isn't cutting it.
I need to be able to modify the software if I want. I don't feel like I own my phone, and I resent it more the longer I think about it. I realize there are other options but, honestly, I really do like samsung phones. And I want to like this one.
I loved being able to control my entire htpc from my phone. I'm probably still a bit of a niche user in this regard, but why remove the ir blaster?
Bottom line, I'm going to have to sell this phone and get a Note 4, and hope you guys get it right next time. This one was a total miss for me. I wanted a newer note - you gave me a blown up S6 with a stylus.
Snow02 said:
This was my feedback to samsung on the note 5. Not that they'll consider it, but nonetheless, I feel the same way.
I previously had a note 3, and absolutely loved it. It was the perfect phone for a power user. But time passed and it was time to upgrade and I figured I'd try the note 5. I'm regretting that decision more by the day. Honestly, if I could replace the battery, root it, and it had an ir blaster, it would be my new perfect phone. Nevermind it didn't get the spec bump this year - it's fast enough really. The phone is pretty, but a phone is a functional device first and accessory second.
I thought I could handle not having a replaceable battery - I was wrong. I'm on the road a lot and being able to replace the battery is invaluable. 3000 mah isn't cutting it.
I need to be able to modify the software if I want. I don't feel like I own my phone, and I resent it more the longer I think about it. I realize there are other options but, honestly, I really do like samsung phones. And I want to like this one.
I loved being able to control my entire htpc from my phone. I'm probably still a bit of a niche user in this regard, but why remove the ir blaster?
Bottom line, I'm going to have to sell this phone and get a Note 4, and hope you guys get it right next time. This one was a total miss for me. I wanted a newer note - you gave me a blown up S6 with a stylus.
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Click to collapse
Thais is exactly how I feel about the Note 5. I've upgraded, heck, pre-ordered two Note 3 and two Note 4, but I didn't upgrade to the Note 5. I just felt so under whelmed, plus the fact that it can't be rooted just sucks. It's a huge let down considering I have a Note 4 Developer Edition.
Ultimately I went with the Nexus 6P. I'm really liking it so far, and the more I use it, the more I can't justify the $200 price premium of the Note 5.
monkeyhandler said:
Thais is exactly how I feel about the Note 5. I've upgraded, heck, pre-ordered two Note 3 and two Note 4, but I didn't upgrade to the Note 5. I just felt so under whelmed, plus the fact that it can't be rooted just sucks. It's a huge let down considering I have a Note 4 Developer Edition.
Ultimately I went with the Nexus 6P. I'm really liking it so far, and the more I use it, the more I can't justify the $200 price premium of the Note 5.
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Click to collapse
How attached are you to that note 4 dev edition?
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
I've had many phones over the past year and settled with the Note 5. Although it's locked and unrootable I still chose it because I can do everything I liked to do on a rooted phone and more. No I can't physically remove unwanted system apps but I can hide and disable them with package disabler or the debloat tool. Removing them matters little because you can't make the system partition smaller to use the space anyways. The size is fixed. As for the IR blaster I never used it much and always ended up disabling it. The s-pen works the best out of all the note series I have used going back to the Note 3. If anyone is thinking about purchasing this phone or any other I suggest that you do your research before doing so. I had the S6 before this and loved it but always wished it was a bit larger and had the s-pen. So when the Note 5 came out I jumped on it and have been happy since day one. Yes root and a unlocked bootloader would be nice but I'm not about to switch to a inferior phone or carrier for that. It's just not worth it to me.
My Note 5 performs flawlessly
Just got the hotspot working. Started a VPN connection, then fired up foxfi free edition. Foxfi uses it's own vpn, so it disconnected mine. When foxfi timed out, hotspot stayed up. Not sure why, but it's working through the native tether. No VPN is connected now (full speed connection).
I like it, somewhat. I waited until I could find the right price. $400 on Craigslist. All set up and good to go. I don't like the size, it's too narrow for my hands. It is snappy and responsive. The camera is nice. I do groan a lot, missing things like the IR blaster and removable SD card. It's a nightmare to load everything on here and I dread the impending factory resets. But it's good enough, I guess.
I could have been more impressed though. Samsung set the bar way too high with the Note4 and Edge advancements they made when they released them. They have done no such thing on the Note5 though.
I don't really have complaints, so to speak. But it really could have been more innovative, as past Notes have been. It is still great. I do like it. But my expectations have not been exceeded as they always have been in the past with Samsung.
sbrownla said:
I like it, somewhat. I waited until I could find the right price. $400 on Craigslist. All set up and good to go. I don't like the size, it's too narrow for my hands. It is snappy and responsive. The camera is nice. I do groan a lot, missing things like the IR blaster and removable SD card. It's a nightmare to load everything on here and I dread the impending factory resets. But it's good enough, I guess.
I could have been more impressed though. Samsung set the bar way too high with the Note4 and Edge advancements they made when they released them. They have done no such thing on the Note5 though.
I don't really have complaints, so to speak. But it really could have been more innovative, as past Notes have been. It is still great. I do like it. But my expectations have not been exceeded as they always have been in the past with Samsung.
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Click to collapse
Agree. If it wasn't for Samsung pay I would've actually ditched this phone and went another route.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Misterxtc said:
I've had many phones over the past year and settled with the Note 5. Although it's locked and unrootable I still chose it because I can do everything I liked to do on a rooted phone and more. No I can't physically remove unwanted system apps but I can hide and disable them with package disabler or the debloat tool. Removing them matters little because you can't make the system partition smaller to use the space anyways. The size is fixed. As for the IR blaster I never used it much and always ended up disabling it. The s-pen works the best out of all the note series I have used going back to the Note 3. If anyone is thinking about purchasing this phone or any other I suggest that you do your research before doing so. I had the S6 before this and loved it but always wished it was a bit larger and had the s-pen. So when the Note 5 came out I jumped on it and have been happy since day one. Yes root and a unlocked bootloader would be nice but I'm not about to switch to a inferior phone or carrier for that. It's just not worth it to me.
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Click to collapse
I couldn't have said it better. I had the S6 decided to jump to this. Love it!
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
It's been over 2 weeks, and I'm still not fully in love with this phone. But, I'm loving the really nice screen and camera. Cause I vid chat with my girlfriend, play retro snes games and watched alot of HD tv shows from my DVR.
Would be nice if the note had the same curved edges as the edge plus. But then again, I prefer the curved back more because its easier to hold. Im sure they could have pulled off both if they really wanted to. However that would be one less change they can make make for the note 6 next year.
Sent from my VK700 using Tapatalk
toskabab said:
Would be nice if the note had the same curved edges as the edge plus. But then again, I prefer the curved back more because its easier to hold. Im sure they could have pulled off both if they really wanted to. However that would be one less change they can make make for the note 6 next year.
Sent from my VK700 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe a note edge 2 for next year?
godfirst said:
Agree. If it wasn't for Samsung pay I would've actually ditched this phone and went another route.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Samsung Pay, but haven't used it because I'm a bit paranoid because of the breach with T-Mobile. How has it been for you?
alhadee12 said:
I have Samsung Pay, but haven't used it because I'm a bit paranoid because of the breach with T-Mobile. How has it been for you?
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Click to collapse
Awesome. I barely pull out my wallet. It's just convient. Will see how long it takes for more supported banks, but by first quarter next year I'd things haven't picked up, I'll probably ditch my note.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
godfirst said:
Awesome. I barely pull out my wallet. It's just convient. Will see how long it takes for more supported banks, but by first quarter next year I'd things haven't picked up, I'll probably ditch my note.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are looking to get rid of your Note?
Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk

Do I like it or not?

Hate to say it because of all the hype surrounding the release of the Note 7 but this phone is not impressing me so far. Sure the waterproofing and edge screen is pretty nice but besides that what do we have above and beyond the Note 5 or even the Note 4? The 7 seems a bit heavier, the edge screen is much easier to damage in the event of a screen down drop, battery life is terrible compared to the Note 4 I'm coming from, Bluetooth connections are not reliable at all with any player I have, speaker sound is not the greatest, and I find the touch screen to be not sensitive enough to the point I have to double and sometimes triple press the screen to select something. Really trying to like it but I don't know?
On the other hand, my wife got the S7 Edge and side by side there's not a huge difference in screen size. Also, her phone is much more responsive to touch input, no Bluetooth issues, bigger battery, and at the moment $150 cheaper than the Note 7 (2 year deal @ Best Buy). I'm contemplating a return to get the S7 Edge and put some cash in my pocket or returning it to wait for the new iphone 7 coming out in a few weeks? Or better yet reactivating my Note 4 which felt pretty good in my hand today when I fished it out of the drawer.
Just felt the need to post my concerns with this new wonder phone and see if anyone else is having second thoughts about their purchase?
I agree. The screen sensitivity is a real issue. Always accidentally selecting stuff when swiping and other times it's hard to select things.
dvdslw said:
Hate to say it because of all the hype surrounding the release of the Note 7 but this phone is not impressing me so far. Sure the waterproofing and edge screen is pretty nice but besides that what do we have above and beyond the Note 5 or even the Note 4? The 7 seems a bit heavier, the edge screen is much easier to damage in the event of a screen down drop, battery life is terrible compared to the Note 4 I'm coming from, Bluetooth connections are not reliable at all with any player I have, speaker sound is not the greatest, and I find the touch screen to be not sensitive enough to the point I have to double and sometimes triple press the screen to select something. Really trying to like it but I don't know?
On the other hand, my wife got the S7 Edge and side by side there's not a huge difference in screen size. Also, her phone is much more responsive to touch input, no Bluetooth issues, bigger battery, and at the moment $150 cheaper than the Note 7 (2 year deal @ Best Buy). I'm contemplating a return to get the S7 Edge and put some cash in my pocket or returning it to wait for the new iphone 7 coming out in a few weeks? Or better yet reactivating my Note 4 which felt pretty good in my hand today when I fished it out of the drawer.
Just felt the need to post my concerns with this new wonder phone and see if anyone else is having second thoughts about their purchase?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree 100%
The blutooth issue is my biggest dislike with the phone. I'm giving Samsung/Sprint 14 days to hopefully push out an update to fix some of these problems otherwise it's gonna be the Galaxy S7 Edge for me.
LouRock said:
I agree 100%
The blutooth issue is my biggest dislike with the phone. I'm giving Samsung/Sprint 14 days to hopefully push out an update to fix some of these problems otherwise it's gonna be the Galaxy S7 Edge for me.
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Click to collapse
I just returned from Best Buy with my old Note 4 re-activated and I seem happier now. It was tough not getting the S7 edge with the $199.00 deal BB has right now along with free gear watch or sd card but I'm going to hold out for the new iphone 7 and see what apple brings to the table before I decide.
dvdslw said:
I just returned from Best Buy with my old Note 4 re-activated and I seem happier now. It was tough not getting the S7 edge with the $199.00 deal BB has right now along with free gear watch or sd card but I'm going to hold out for the new iphone 7 and see what apple brings to the table before I decide.
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Click to collapse
Each person has his/her own experience. At launch, it is tough to say what issues will last and what won't. The note7 has been great for me, and I'm not experiencing any of the lag, touch screen, bluetooth, or battery issues I've heard others complain of. If you can be happier with a cheaper phone, though, I always say, go for it!
mhill1986 said:
Each person has his/her own experience. At launch, it is tough to say what issues will last and what won't. The note7 has been great for me, and I'm not experiencing any of the lag, touch screen, bluetooth, or battery issues I've heard others complain of. If you can be happier with a cheaper phone, though, I always say, go for it!
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Click to collapse
Same for me, its been fine for the most part. I didnt like the keyboard so downloaded google keyboard and that fixed typing problems. BT I've only used my headphones with no issue. Battery has been better that my note 4.
I use Nova launcher, package disabler, google keyboard and SD maid to keep it clean. So far its been good. I put animations at .5 from 1 and turned on force 2D GPU.
For me, battery life has been great and I've had no issues with bluetooth after 5 days of use (so far I've only connected my LG Tone to bluetooth). I'm coming from a Note 3, as opposed to most of you probably coming from a Note 4. I normally would've upgraded to the Note 5 following a 2 year pattern, but didn't for many reasons. It was an internal struggle for me to pull the trigger on the Note 7, but ultimately I couldn't resist. If my current phone was a Note 4 I probably would've waited for the Note 8 2017. At least Micro SD is back with the Note 7. And I'm surprisingly impressed with battery life, although I'm still very skeptical about it's longevity. I would've easily paid the same amount for the phone if they just put in a removable battery. The Edges do nothing for me except make me worry more about dropping my phone. I don't like the fact that it's narrower in width. I realize Samsung is trying to sell more units and suck in as many people as it can, but the Note was made to be a specialty powerhouse device. I personally feel that the regular S series phone should be the main flagship, the S series Edge should be the 2nd fall flagship that battles the Iphone, and the Note series should be geared toward the power users who truly appreciate the phone for it's function and not for it's gimmicks and style. I'm keeping the Note 7 for now, but I'll probably pick up a Note 4 just in case. Do I like it or not? It's still too early to tell, but the cons seem to outweigh the pros. FYI, if you're unhappy with the direction the Note series has been going the last 2 years, let Samsung know about it. I've been sending them suggestions since before the Note 5 was released, requesting a Note Classic version. It would build on from the Note 4 with the highest quality current hardware and software, completely unlocked, etc...

Returning Home? Back to Sammy?

Haven't had a Note since I sold my note 5 to get a Nexus 6p.. I always loved that phone, the specs, and then pen, but really coveted a vanilla Android experience for a while there. After being torn between nexus, pixel, and OnePlus phones for the last three or four years I've been really considering the 20 ultra..
Verizon is offering me 550 for trade in on the pixel 4 XL and some other incentives if I agree to a 2-year $22 a month payment type thing period sounds like an incredible deal especially including the trade-in value for that 4xl, knowing that even the unlocked 128 gig version and mint condition is probably not going to go much more than 450 if that....
They are requiring me to sign up my family for unlimited, I think I can live with that. Does this seem like a good deal or are there other avenues? I figured out the payments and it was a little under $500 plus the value of my pixel 4 XL..
Definitely have missed the note series something fierce over the years. Any tips? Anybody going caseless? I'm a pretty minimal phone guy, tend to enjoy the spigen thin case for the d brand grip.. definitely enjoy minimalist things but definitely want to increase the grip.. am I dumb for considering this switch or is it a no-brainer?
kickenwing13 said:
Haven't had a Note since I sold my note 5 to get a Nexus 6p.. I always loved that phone, the specs, and then pen, but really coveted a vanilla Android experience for a while there. After being torn between nexus, pixel, and OnePlus phones for the last three or four years I've been really considering the 20 ultra..
Verizon is offering me 550 for trade in on the pixel 4 XL and some other incentives if I agree to a 2-year $22 a month payment type thing period sounds like an incredible deal especially including the trade-in value for that 4xl, knowing that even the unlocked 128 gig version and mint condition is probably not going to go much more than 450 if that....
They are requiring me to sign up my family for unlimited, I think I can live with that. Does this seem like a good deal or are there other avenues? I figured out the payments and it was a little under $500 plus the value of my pixel 4 XL..
Definitely have missed the note series something fierce over the years. Any tips? Anybody going caseless? I'm a pretty minimal phone guy, tend to enjoy the spigen thin case for the d brand grip.. definitely enjoy minimalist things but definitely want to increase the grip.. am I dumb for considering this switch or is it a no-brainer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correction, today's random Verizon chat guy is telling me that doesn't qualify for me even though we just spent two hours going over the unlimited plan based on what last night's rep told me.
The 10+ is still a powerful Note if you can get a good deal and don't mind the fixed refresh rate and slightly slower processor/memory. Go with the 512 gb version and 5G if you need it. I would leave it running on Pie as it's a stable, fast platform with no scoop storage to waste cpu cycles and battery.
Both Notes lack the latest bt chipset and can never support AptX-HD. The most advanced HQ codecs they will ever support is LDAC and SSC. A major Samsung audio upgrade fail. Using the bottom mounted C port for HQ audio is cumbersome at best.
I've been considering upgrading to the 20U. However the price tag, issues with protecting its huge square cam hump,the same bt lackluster audio as the 10+, display complaints and the fact it's running on Q dampen my enthusiasm. My 10+ still is a fast, fun machine that's now fully optimized... so Sammy is that all you got?
Do Not use either without a good case; the only thing they love to do more than corner hit is faceplant. With an almost nonexistent bezel these heavy phones can be easily damaged by a drop onto a hard surface. I recommend the Bolt case. Easy to hold, use and takes a beating like Ali.
A screen protector is highly recommended after the factory installed one (if present) wears out. It saved my screen more than once from marring.
The curved screen on both phones makes finding a screen protector/case much more difficult.
However I make good use of the curved portions with the app One Handed Operation plus... so I've come to really like it.
Both are fun, big, capable machines with drop dead gorgeous displays that are positively addictive to use.
As for deal breaking, tell that reject wannabe used car salesman to go pound sand... AT&T is the next best bet as far as coverage in the US in rural areas.
blackhawk said:
The 10+ is still a powerful Note if you can get a good deal and don't mind the fixed refresh rate and slightly slower processor/memory. Go with the 512 gb version and 5G if you need it. I would leave it running on Pie as it's a stable, fast platform with no scoop storage to waste cpu cycles and battery.
Both Notes lack the latest bt chipset and can never support AptX-HD. The most advanced HQ codecs they will ever support is LDAC and SSC. A major Samsung audio upgrade fail. Using the bottom mounted C port for HQ audio is cumbersome at best.
I've been considering upgrading to the 20U. However the price tag, issues with protecting its huge square cam hump,the same bt lackluster audio as the 10+, display complaints and the fact it's running on Q dampen my enthusiasm. My 10+ still is a fast, fun machine that's now fully optimized... so Sammy is that all you got?
Do Not use either without a good case; the only thing they love to do more than corner hit is faceplant. With an almost nonexistent bezel these heavy phones can be easily damaged by a drop onto a hard surface. I recommend the Bolt case. Easy to hold, use and takes a beating like Ali.
A screen protector is highly recommended after the factory installed one (if present) wears out. It saved my screen more than once from marring.
The curved screen on both phones makes finding a screen protector/case much more difficult.
However I make good use of the curved portions with the app One Handed Operation plus... so I've come to really like it.
Both are fun, big, capable machines with drop dead gorgeous displays that are positively addictive to use.
As for deal breaking, tell that reject wannabe used car salesman to go pound sand... AT&T is the next best bet as far as coverage in the US in rural areas.
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Click to collapse
Unfortunately I live in one of those counties where AT&t literally doesn't work in my hometown, a small village on a main highway. Family has just been on Verizon so long. Good deal, it would be nice if there was enough competition too go back and forth always taking the best deal like people started doing with TV providers. Thank you for the in-depth breakdown, that certainly slowed down my upgrade train. Been sitting there going back and forth in and out of Samsung website considering ordering since I left the Verizon store.
Currently on the pixel 4 xl. Love it. Just getting frustrated with the face unlock. Being that at work I'm always in a mask. Considered waiting for a Black Friday OnePlus 8 pro deal, still miss my seven pro sometimes just because it ran like a dream and the 12 GB variant
kickenwing13 said:
Unfortunately I live in one of those counties where AT&t literally doesn't work in my hometown, a small village on a main highway. Family has just been on Verizon so long. Good deal, it would be nice if there was enough competition too go back and forth always taking the best deal like people started doing with TV providers. Thank you for the in-depth breakdown, that certainly slowed down my upgrade train. Been sitting there going back and forth in and out of Samsung website considering ordering since I left the Verizon store.
Currently on the pixel 4 xl. Love it. Just getting frustrated with the face unlock. Being that at work I'm always in a mask. Considered waiting for a Black Friday OnePlus 8 pro deal, still miss my seven pro sometimes just because it ran like a dream and the 12 GB variant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just can't imagine going to a Hertz refresh rate screen after being on 90 Hertz for the last year and a half or so
kickenwing13 said:
Unfortunately I live in one of those counties where AT&t literally doesn't work in my hometown, a small village on a main highway. Family has just been on Verizon so long. Good deal, it would be nice if there was enough competition too go back and forth always taking the best deal like people started doing with TV providers. Thank you for the in-depth breakdown, that certainly slowed down my upgrade train. Been sitting there going back and forth in and out of Samsung website considering ordering since I left the Verizon store.
Currently on the pixel 4 xl. Love it. Just getting frustrated with the face unlock. Being that at work I'm always in a mask. Considered waiting for a Black Friday OnePlus 8 pro deal, still miss my seven pro sometimes just because it ran like a dream and the 12 GB variant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T is a pain too.... as they are partnered with Samsung in ways which seldom serves the customer well. In the US they are Verizon's leading competitor with almost as good coverage.
If you can wait, I would for the next generation or even longer.
If not go with the 10+ or 20U whichever you like more. The 10+ will come loaded with Pie hopefully, if so stay on it. I still don't consider Q an upgrade. Pie has been stable and secure for me for over a year.
If you have an account with Verizon talk to their retention dept or whatever they call it. They can offer deals that sales can't many times. Keep beating at them... as long and as many calls as it takes. Time is on your side if you use it.
One of Samsung's greatest charms is customization and no other Android matches it. It's a very desirable smartphone especially if you want to make look it and act like you want it to.
No 3rd party launchers or rooting needed.
Do get PD MDM package blocker to kill the bloatware, block updates you don't want and more.
The way I get around the unlock trash is by not using it; 2 taps the 10+ is on, 2 taps it's off.
Saves resources, time and frustration.
Can we confirm the unlocked version works fine on verizon? I was hoping to get Wi-Fi calling but I do have a network extender so I'm sure there are workarounds like Google voice to do some Wi-Fi calling if I really needed it. Everything I read says it has the technical capabilities but Verizon is making it hard. Can anyone confirm?
blackhawk said:
AT&T is a pain too.... as they are partnered with Samsung in ways which seldom serves the customer well. In the US they are Verizon's leading competitor with almost as good coverage.
If you can wait, I would for the next generation or even longer.
If not go with the 10+ or 20U whichever you like more. The 10+ will come loaded with Pie hopefully, if so stay on it. I still don't consider Q an upgrade. Pie has been stable and secure for me for over a year.
If you have an account with Verizon talk to their retention dept or whatever they call it. They can offer deals that sales can't many times. Keep beating at them... as long and as many calls as it takes. Time is on your side if you use it.
One of Samsung's greatest charms is customization and no other Android matches it. It's a very desirable smartphone especially if you want to make look it and act like you want it to.
No 3rd party launchers or rooting needed.
Do get PD MDM package blocker to kill the bloatware, block updates you don't want and more.
The way I get around the unlock trash is by not using it; 2 taps the 10+ is on, 2 taps it's off.
Saves resources, time and frustration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considered the note 10 plus .. going to start seeing a lot more of them but I guess I'm just worried about that screen. I really have enjoyed 90 hertz. Just having a hard time convincing myself that going back to 60 hertz for anything would be an upgrade no matter how much I would enjoy the pen and Samsung pay and some of the other things that I haven't had a chance to play around with
kickenwing13 said:
Unfortunately I live in one of those counties where AT&t literally doesn't work in my hometown, a small village on a main highway. Family has just been on Verizon so long. Good deal, it would be nice if there was enough competition too go back and forth always taking the best deal like people started doing with TV providers. Thank you for the in-depth breakdown, that certainly slowed down my upgrade train. Been sitting there going back and forth in and out of Samsung website considering ordering since I left the Verizon store.
Currently on the pixel 4 xl. Love it. Just getting frustrated with the face unlock. Being that at work I'm always in a mask. Considered waiting for a Black Friday OnePlus 8 pro deal, still miss my seven pro sometimes just because it ran like a dream and the 12 GB variant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kickenwing13 said:
Considered the note 10 plus .. going to start seeing a lot more of them but I guess I'm just worried about that screen. I really have enjoyed 90 hertz. Just having a hard time convincing myself that going back to 60 hertz for anything would be an upgrade no matter how much I would enjoy the pen and Samsung pay and some of the other things that I haven't had a chance to play around with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't say myself as I never had a refresh rate faster than 60hz. Smoother scrolling be nice...
The 10+ has zero display issues though and may be brighter than the 20U. The fact that the 10+ 512 gb is holding its price well is telling.
Since I have the 10+ running on Pie, the OS is a prime consideration for myself. I have it optimized now, it's a fast, stable, efficient platform as are the apks I'm using. Add to that there's more online support for 10+ (including older Notes) and Pie. Frequently that's what I use to help solve many issues. The cost and learning curve to go to the 20U simply aren't worth it.
Samsung didn't provide enough incentive.
Will you have 5G in the foreseeable future? The 5G variants add more sauce to the goose for trouble.
Q definitely does mean trouble especially after Playstore requires scope storage for all apps. My office app which is free would fail and no equalilant alternatives exist. Some of my favorite apks that use overlays be killed as well.
Google made another mess... I don't have to play in it.
Keep researching the different lines.
No rush though as it will be a buyer's market for quit some time
Do what serves you best and pick which features you want the most.
Either model will be fun or simply wait for a better one to come out.
Here are some current screen shots making use of Good Lock apps, stock Samsung launcher/theme/icon packs with Color Wallpaper apk providing the wallpaper.
blackhawk said:
Can't say myself as I never had a refresh rate faster than 60hz. Smoother scrolling be nice...
The 10+ has zero display issues though and may be brighter than the 20U. The fact that the 10+ 512 gb is holding its price well is telling.
Since I have the 10+ running on Pie, the OS is a prime consideration for myself. I have it optimized now, it's a fast, stable, efficient platform as are the apks I'm using. Add to that there's more online support for 10+ (including older Notes) and Pie. Frequently that's what I use to help solve many issues. The cost and learning curve to go to the 20U simply aren't worth it.
Samsung didn't provide enough incentive.
Will you have 5G in the foreseeable future? The 5G variants add more sauce to the goose for trouble.
Q definitely does mean trouble especially after Playstore requires scope storage for all apps. My office app which is free would fail and no equalilant alternatives exist. Some of my favorite apks that use overlays be killed as well.
Google made another mess... I don't have to play in it.
Keep researching the different lines.
No rush though as it will be a buyer's market for quit some time
Do what serves you best and pick which features you want the most.
Either model will be fun or simply wait for a better one to come out.
Here are some current screen shots making use of Good Lock apps, stock Samsung launcher/theme/icon packs with Color Wallpaper apk providing the wallpaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks dude period pretty sold right now but at least talked into waiting till Black Friday and seeing if they sweeten the pot a little.. if not I may just make a sideways move and go with the pixel five, get the rear fingerprint sensor back which I think is my most missed feature
You are welcome kickwing13.
Major weakness with the P5 is storage.
Even 250 gb isn't enough for me. Currently I have roughly 1 tb of storage, 220 gb alone are used for .wav files.
The P5's blue tooth supports AptX-HD but not LDAC?
That may not matter but it limits your bt audio options.
Samsung on the other hand has their propiatory SSC and LDAC as well but sadly no AptX-HD (or higher) hardware support. The weak bt chipsets in the new Sammy's really ticked me off.
Good wishes making the choice that best suits your needs.
Even with these new big bad phones it you still need to make compromises
blackhawk said:
Can't say myself as I never had a refresh rate faster than 60hz. Smoother scrolling be nice...
The 10+ has zero display issues though and may be brighter than the 20U. The fact that the 10+ 512 gb is holding its price well is telling.
Since I have the 10+ running on Pie, the OS is a prime consideration for myself. I have it optimized now, it's a fast, stable, efficient platform as are the apks I'm using. Add to that there's more online support for 10+ (including older Notes) and Pie. Frequently that's what I use to help solve many issues. The cost and learning curve to go to the 20U simply aren't worth it.
Samsung didn't provide enough incentive.
Will you have 5G in the foreseeable future? The 5G variants add more sauce to the goose for trouble.
Q definitely does mean trouble especially after Playstore requires scope storage for all apps. My office app which is free would fail and no equalilant alternatives exist. Some of my favorite apks that use overlays be killed as well.
Google made another mess... I don't have to play in it.
Keep researching the different lines.
No rush though as it will be a buyer's market for quit some time
Do what serves you best and pick which features you want the most.
Either model will be fun or simply wait for a better one to come out.
Here are some current screen shots making use of Good Lock apps, stock Samsung launcher/theme/icon packs with Color Wallpaper apk providing the wallpaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How's the under the screen ear piece speaker working out?
Limeybastard said:
How's the under the screen ear piece speaker working out?
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Click to collapse
Works fine on calls. Ok for vids but if you want anything the sounds good you need put the Buds in.
For music it's dreadful... not really a surprise*.
Any improvement on the 20U?
*this is on the 10+
blackhawk said:
Works fine on calls. Ok for vids but if you want anything the sounds good you need put the Buds in.
For music it's dreadful... not really a surprise*.
Any improvement on the 20U?
*this is on the 10+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never owned a note 10 plus to compare with to be honest. I'm wondering if it didn't work out well hence the n20u didn't implement this type of ear piece. The note 10 plus has the pen on the correct side though? ?
Limeybastard said:
I never owned a note 10 plus to compare with to be honest. I'm wondering if it didn't work out well hence the n20u didn't implement this type of ear piece. The note 10 plus has the pen on the correct side though?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first Note, it's on the right side.
Lol, the power button isn't though and they forgot the 3 5 mm jack they use to raze Apple for removing. Maybe the next Note will have the spen going through the middle of the screen... for convenience.
blackhawk said:
My first Note, it's on the right side.
Lol, the power button isn't though and they forgot the 3 5 mm jack they use to raze Apple for removing. Maybe the next Note will have the spen going through the middle of the screen... for convenience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd hazard a guess they'll put it back to the right side.
Limeybastard said:
I'd hazard a guess they'll put it back to the right side.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You never know what that box of rabid gerbils will brain storm next... maybe all the buttons will be on the right side.
The button thing doesn't really bother me but the 3.5 mm jack does.
No jack makes audio diagnostics harder too. Lol, that cost Samsung an open box special from me... suck it up Sammy.
Took advantage of 300 of through Best Buy. Probably could have held off until Thanksgiving but was happy with 300 off
kickenwing13 said:
Took advantage of 300 of through Best Buy. Probably could have held off until Thanksgiving but was happy with 300 off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best buy has the unlocked with no activation available currently for 1099 plus tax. According to their black friday flier they'll have 450 off with activation later for black friday probably off the original msrp of 1299.. But by the time you pay for a months of service and stop service etc get unlocked blah blah that savings figure will shrink.
In any case I personally wouldn't even consider a single sim device, especially at this price point.
Limeybastard said:
Best buy has the unlocked with no activation available currently for 1099 plus tax. According to their black friday flier they'll have 450 off with activation later for black friday probably off the original msrp of 1299.. But by the time you pay for a months of service and stop service etc get unlocked blah blah that savings figure will shrink.
In any case I personally wouldn't even consider a single sim device, especially at this price point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understandable for sure. I'm sure something better will pop up closer to Thanksgiving and I'll kick myself a little bit. But still excited, this is as future proof as any device I could get in 2020 for my needs and it keeps me from having to use my 2012 Galaxy note 10.1 anytime I want to mess around with an s pen.

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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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