Exynos v Snapdragon for light UK-based user - Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Questions & Answers

Hi team,
Want to get a few opinions on which version I should get. I'm on O2 and the choice is between the Exynos Global version or the N986n Korea version based on reports here that it has the highest chance of getting 5G.
I am quite a light user. I listen to music during commutes. Browse the Internet throughout the day, check banking, reddit, watch a few YouTube videos and regularly check social media. I DON'T do any gaming or workloads that are considered heavy. I do, however, love taking photos.
Currently rocking a S20 FE 5G and usually have around 40% battery at the end of the day on 120hz.
I don't use a second sim and have no need for native call recording. I am a tinkerer and happy to change CSCs, flash new roms etc but I don't plan on rooting and intend to keep Knox intact.
Let's pretend price is not a factor in this decision making process.
The lesser performance of the Exynos will likely be unnoticed by me. As long as the battery gets me comfortably through the day I'm happy. From what I have seen there is minimal difference in camera quality between the two models.
Is the Exynos model for me or is the Snapdragon still the way to go?

Do you need the S-pen? If not, or even if you do, can you wait to see what the S21 brings, possibly in only a few weeks?
Price and performance aside, are you bothered about warranty and/or local support?
Here are some thoughts based on my experience with the Hong Kong N9860....
5G does not work for me on EE, but it does on Three and probably Vodafone. Nobody seems to be able to comment on 5G on O2. I'm not that bothered about 5G in all honesty. Technology and bands are still in flux and the future will probably not be met by current models. Rollout is thin on the ground and I've seen speeds locally of 200Mbps using 4G+, which is ample. I have to go out of my way to find a 5G signal, so lack of support is moot for me.
Nonetheless, I have tried contacting both EE support and Samsung support about the absent 5G and nobody wants to know. As an imported device they really couldn't care.
Firmware updates are slow. I am still on November security updates, despite a new firmware released in December. UK models have the December update already and, I believe, were included in the beta program, unlike my phone. I don't think the HK N20U is receiving the attention customers would like and there is nowhere to turn for resolution. If the phone actually goes wrong it's a return to HK. How long and how much cost involved? Who knows?
Basically, the phone meets my needs, has the superior processor and I saved a bundle on price, but support in the UK for this model kinda sucks. That's the gamble. Would I import again? Not sure. I think I'd rather wait until the UK versions (of whichever phone) are shipped with a non-inferior processor. With hindsight maybe I would have been happier with the S20FE5G - except the cameras. Arrrrrggggghhhhh!!!
I have no idea how function and support would be for the Korean version. Maybe it would just work and no support required, but....... ?

p.s. Supposedly firmware optimisations have improved the Exynos Note. No idea if true, but if you're happy to tinker you can always debloat and hopefully save some juice that way.

I did the same thing with the S20 plus, 5G did not work (not a huge issue right now) and updates were slow.
Other than performance I was also hoping for a decent functioning gcam but had no luck with that, plenty of apks but never found a config and ultimately the stock camera was better.
I would not import again. Currently have the exynos N20U

Snapdragon battery rocks. Have never charged mine more than 80% and end a heavy use day with around 20% left. Everything works but Samsung Pay and 5G on EE. Samsung S20FE is a great deal though, everything but the S- pen, why change?

Related

S7 worth buying in Feb 2018

Hi everyone
Is the S7 [exynos] worth buying now? I can get it for around ₹22k(330$), brand new with warranty. Or should I go for newer ones like oneplus 5T [~500$]. I'm not planning to root it & use stock rom. Hardware seems good, my other considerations being battery life, software & camera. Any suggestions are welcome..
I have just bought mine, cause now the price is good. I bought a golden S7 and I´m very happy. It´s worth buying. My previous phone was a 2y old S6. These phones rock! 4gb Ram, this back camera, ip68, this processor... u can´t go wrong!
I just got my S7 from Bestbuy At&t for $12.66/mo. love it. Good battery life, great screen, wireless charge. Not easy finding a good screen protector though.
If you plan on staying on stock, then you should focus on both device's specs:
https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=7821&idPhone2=8912
As you can see both devices, even if they are one year apart(launching date wise) they are almost similar.
In this case, I think you are better off going for the S7. I'll always go for a Samsung first.
fast96 said:
I just got my S7 from Bestbuy At&t for $12.66/mo. love it. Good battery life, great screen, wireless charge. Not easy finding a good screen protector though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Skinomi protectors, I've used them in various phone and they really good.
I purchased it on 7th Feb 2018
I just bought mine yesterday from Flipkart!
got it for Rs 23,000.
The only good options were (according to price range of Rs. 25,000)
Moto x4 , Honor 8 pro, Moto z1, Galaxy s7
I choose this because of
1. Super Amoled 2k display
2. Camera (having dual pixel technology)
3. Guaranteed update to oreo by April 2018
As you know It has all the ingredients of a everyday smartphone, i.e 4GB ram , top of line processing power, 32gb storage, Hybrid sim slot.
For me the screen and camera are the main reasons
I have installed google camera app v4 and it has significant improvement over the photos clicked.
Hope this helps
Super_Commando said:
Hi everyone
Is the S7 [exynos] worth buying now? I can get it for around ₹22k(330$), brand new with warranty. Or should I go for newer ones like oneplus 5T [~500$]. I'm not planning to root it & use stock rom. Hardware seems good, my other considerations being battery life, software & camera. Any suggestions are welcome..
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Click to collapse
Definitely no. This device is now 2 years old. Just wait a few months, there would be tons of better devices in this price range.
ZeroCGTI said:
Definitely no. This device is now 2 years old. Just wait a few months, there would be tons of better devices in this price range.
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There's always going to be a better phone coming out in a "few months" and you'll end up waiting forever. I initially thought about waiting as well, but I ran out of patience and got mine at a great price. And I have no issues whatsoever. Innovation on mobile has plateaued so there's no point waiting. My only complaint is that we might not get Android P or even 8.1.
ZeroCGTI said:
Definitely no. This device is now 2 years old. Just wait a few months, there would be tons of better devices in this price range.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any suggestions for upcoming better devices..
Sent from my Moto MAXX using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Still the only phone out there that's "small" and has wireless charging, ip68, enough ram, large battery, microsd, amoled, and no curved edge. Not a single other phone! if mine broke I would have to buy another S7
buy it after s9 is announced this month end, should see another price drop on the s7.
Is it worth buying is not the question; the question is more WHERE is it worth buying. As a US S7 (Snapdragon) owner with an MVNO, the answer is equivocal for two reasons:
1. An Exnyos-based S7 has no warranty support in the US; technically, it's a "gray market" phone (only Snapdragon-based S7s are permissible (per Samsung USA). If you want US warranty support, stick with Snapdragon-based S7 series. While you lose out on the wider support of the AOSP and TWRP features with a Snapdragon-based S7, S7+, or S7edge, you are not dead in the water - there ARE fusion firmwares available (stang5litre running an MM fusion firmwarew, and Project L - a Nougat-based fusion firmware). I am running L myself, and it's not any harder to install than an AOSP ROM is on phones that permit them (I came from AOSP on the Galaxy Nexus - which is now my alternate). I'm with Tracfone, the largest MVNO in the US, and can choose between Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile under normal circumstances (I went with T-Mobile, because my IMEI is blacklisted on VZW due to the phone's previous owner)
2. Naturally, outside of the US, your situation is different - which I get. However, all the S7 models will get Oreo; the weird part is that it was announced for older model phones (S6 series) first - which has resulted in much scratchage of heads and chins. The issue therefore is patience (ours).
i would wait till the s9 comes so that the s8 gets cheaper... i like the s8 more due to the battery having more output after a year. on the s7 you will get like 70% battery after a year use and with the s8 you will get around 95%
i bought it as it was the cheapest phone for max price of 300 USD.The Honor 8 was on the fritz plus its getting oreo.Could not beat that price
I purchased a s7 from flipkart yesterday, i paid 23k for it n i am very happy with it, i preferred s7 over moto x4, z2play and iphone se because of these reasons:
1) S7 is a flagship product from 2016, and its worth buying a flagship product over some mid range phone, it gives u a premium feeling.
2) S7 has THE best smartphone screen, its 2k and an insane 577ppi, which is in fact more than that of iphone x,note 8 and s8
3)Out of the box, it has android 6.0 but its upgradable to 7 and 8 as well, but we have to wait till April.
4)This Phone rocks a 4gb ram, it has a sd card slot, ip68 water resistance,12 mp camera and even ois,octa core cpu, fast charge,otg,heart rate sensor and so on
In short we can never call s7 an obsolete device, it meets all the standards of 2018 mobiles and in most cases it surpasses them, it still gives a tough challenge to todays flagships like iphone x, note 8, s8, nokia 8, one plus 5t and so on. So if ur budget howers around 20-23k i would highly recommend buying this beast, u will never regret ur purchase
Absolutely it is worth buying. I have a s8 (exynos) with a s7 (exynos) as a backup. If the s8 didn't exist or I didn't want to spend s8 money on a phone, the only phones on the market in Feb 2018 I would consider would be the S7 and XZ1 Compact. The S7 has the highest DPI screen on the market (STILL) and the smallest body (excluding the XZ1 Compact) with a high end processor. It has a high screen/body ratio for a 16:9 phone, made better by hardware buttons. It has strong development support for custom roms including the ability to run both S8 and N8 roms. It has a camera only slightly worse than the S8.
Go for the S7. You will not regret it. I have been the owener of one S7 for almost one year, and I dont regret it. This phone is the best in his price range.
The S7 is better than any budget/mid phone of 2017-2018 and even some current flagships,it's the best phone i've ever had, got mine on late september 2017, fast, amazing screen, great camera,4gb of RAM,ip68,sd card slot and so on. This phone is a beast, one small detail is that battery life could have been a "little bit better" but no big deal it gets me trought the day with 50% left sometimes more, for me the S7 is still worth in 2018 and even 2019, it's one of the best devices ever made if you ask me, reminds me of the days i had the LG G2 it was my favourite device, now it's the S7 i just love it.
Having owned most of the Samsung S-line phones since day one (missing only S6 and S8) many would probably call me a fanboy. And since you asked this in the S7 section, odds are that most of the other replies are from fans as well.
I really like the S7. Yes, battery life could have been better but that's almost the only beef I have with it. However, for a new buyer, particularly one interested in camera performance and unwilling to install custom roms, I'd give this warning:
The S7 is nearing the end of its support cycle. We will get android 8 and maybe 8.1 if we're lucky, but after that odds are we'll not get any android updates and I have my doubts as to how long Samsung will keep supplying security updates (maybe 2 more years, but could be less). I know many people do not consider this particularly important, but anybody should ask themselves, how much sensitive information they have stored on or have access to through their phones. As soon as those updates stop, you quickly become easy prey for an attack. Despite the awesome hardware of the phone, I would consider buying something else, even at a premium, to avoid this risk.
---------- Post added at 04:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:26 PM ----------
Having owned most of the Samsung S-line phones since day one (missing only S6 and S8) many would probably call me a fanboy. And since you asked this in the S7 section, odds are that most of the other replies are from fans as well.
I really like the S7. Yes, battery life could have been better but that's almost the only beef I have with it. However, for a new buyer, particularly one interested in camera performance and unwilling to install custom roms, I'd give this warning:
The S7 is nearing the end of its support cycle. We will get android 8 and maybe 8.1 if we're lucky, but after that odds are we'll not get any android updates and I have my doubts as to how long Samsung will keep supplying security updates (maybe 2 more years, but could be less). I know many people do not consider this particularly important, but anybody should ask themselves, how much sensitive information they have stored on or have access to through their phones. As soon as those updates stop, you quickly become easy prey for an attack. Despite the awesome hardware of the phone, I would consider buying something else, even at a premium, to avoid this risk.
Best phone in cheap price range. I think phones perfect. It's as good/better than the iPhone 7. Basically a small/one hand use phone and quite powerful.

Is the v10 a great phone with Support

I've recently discovered the v10 and have to say I'm impressed with the phones specs, price, and overall look. On paper it looks like a great package, but I'm no fool. To buy a phone based solely on specs is idiotic. The phone also has to have great software/support to make it a great investment.
I've been doing my research because I really want to buy this phone. Seems like people(mainly in India because different update stream) are facing a lot of bugs mainly with battery discharge and fast charge. The honor community forum is full of complaints and the only responses to user posts are scripted from honor with useless information to divert the issue.
Im looking to buy the uk 6/128 variant of the v10. Does Honor support their phones well in the UK with fairly frequent updates for bugs and features.Im coming from Oneplus where updates are compatible globally.
If I buy this phone. Do you think It will perform well for two years. Will Honor stick to their commitment of support for 24 months.
Thanks
I have the uk variant, specs are good currently having issue with audio codes and zero eis, which angers me I'm looking for an op5t to replace currently
sutty86 said:
I have the uk variant, specs are good currently having issue with audio codes and zero eis, which angers me I'm looking for an op5t to replace currently
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I think it maight be worth waiting for the op6 before making any decisions.Ive had the op3 for two years now,great phone but would like a change.
Been hearing a lot about the shaky camera on the v10.They may never fix that because they dont want to give the v10 everything the mate 10 has.
I will probably hold out another few months to see what firmware ipdates come to the v10.Otherwise I will go either op6 or mi mix 2s
Same here, no update since January. This is my first and last Honor. Love this phone, but with updates, I have some issues with camera, I will change.
Depends where you live.
I got a View 10 wich is a great phone for it's value, but still sec update last is November.
Bu German,French and Spanish users are up to date. Phones phones bought in Germany do have the latest security updates straight out of the box.
I was told even UK has updates. I live in Holland and Honor has no precence atm so support goes thru Huawei and they mainly support ( although poorly too) there own brand.
So while the phone is good, supporet might be lacking depending on where you live.
I live in the Uk and am this close from purchasing a honor view 10, are UK phones updates as regularly as other European countries?
I've been stung by motorola once.
Also regarding EIS is it available on 1080p videos? I read somewhere it's just 4k recording which is lacking.
p.s.
what camera issues are you facing?

Pixel 3a XL models

G020A : Verizon (USA)
CDMA EVDO Rev A: BC0/BC1/BC10
LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/20/25/26/28/32/38/40/41/66
G020C : USA, Canada
CDMA EVDO Rev A: BC0/BC1/BC10
LTE: Bands B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/40/41/66/71
eSIM10
G020B : UK, Europe, APAC (International version)
CDMA EVDO Rev A: BC0/BC1/BC10
LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/20/25/26/28/32/38/40/41/66
eSIM10
G020D : Japan
UMTS/HSPA+/HSDPA: All global bands and 6/19
LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/8/12/13/17/18/19/21/26/28/38/41
FeliCa
The scary part about the G020C (the unlocked for-every-carrier model) is, in fact, the wide availability. Even though the closest Best Buy is out of Just Black, Amazon is not - and due to faster shipping being a thing, they are actually a solid alternative to Best Buy (at least for me). Even better, the price is the same - literally.
And what about G020G? This is the one in hands here ?
ylapas said:
And what about G020G? This is the one in hands here
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Wrong forum, G020G is Pixel 3a, not 3a XL.
It's 'simple', Google made 4 models of each version (8 models) of the Pixel 3a and 3 XL (the G020x):
There is the A/B/C/D for 3a XL and E/F/G/H for the 3a.
There is one model for:
- The world (International standard version)
- USA (because, you know... 'Merica!)
- Verizon (because, you know... 'MERICAAA!)
- Japan (because, you know... Japan!)
USA doesn't really like standards (Netwroks, Celsius vs. Fahrenheit, Metric vs. Imperial, DD/MM/YY, MPH vs. KMH ...), so there is often a specific version for them and a 'standard worldwide' version for others countries with standards. So there not really 'different models' but one wordwide model + specific model(s) for specific country who want his own stuff instead of complying with standards
Oh, yes, my bad ? XDA Labs by mistake moved me to this as it though I have 3a XL
smartuser8 said:
Wrong forum, G020G is Pixel 3a, not 3a XL.
It's 'simple', Google made 4 models of each version (8 models) of the Pixel 3a and 3 XL (the G020x):
There is the A/B/C/D for 3a XL and E/F/G/H for the 3a.
There is one model for:
- The world (International standard version)
- USA (because, you know... 'Merica!)
- Verizon (because, you know... 'MERICAAA!)
- Japan (because, you know... Japan!)
USA doesn't really like standards (Netwroks, Celsius vs. Fahrenheit, Metric vs. Imperial, DD/MM/YY, MPH vs. KMH ...), so there is often a specific version for them and a 'standard worldwide' version for others countries with standards. So there not really 'different models' but one wordwide model + specific model(s) for specific country who want his own stuff instead of complying with standards
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Click to collapse
Stuff that is "global" is like Mexican soccer - it comes here and gets killed. (And I'm not kidding - and the comment about Mexican soccer came from the Mexican Soccer Federation - which has *never* won in Columbus, OH. While the US has only one win in Azteca Stadium, we *have* actually won there. The one Interstate highway that was signed according to standards (I-19, to be precise) was forced to go back to the American signage standards - by maintenance and repair crews - not users.) We Americans are actually *proud* our our nation - we aren't taught that "nationalism is a sin" - unlike most of the rest of the world - which is, in fact, taught exactly that.
Delete
I'm not talking about politic but about standards in tech, networks and science in general.
Entitlement is a peculiarly American trait which we hold dear, it's right up there with ignorance and self interest. As a proud US citizen II didn't want anyone to think it was just an inability to divide by 10 that separates us from the rest of the world.
It's not a good thing to always think worldwide, but we are on XDA, we speak about technology, dev, networks, ... So yes, tech, Internet, science, ... Are worldwide, standards are important. I just tried to explain someone why there is a ''US model'' and ''worldwide model'' of a phone. It's because US are not in tech and networks standards enough for having the worldwide model.
It is as simple as: The US requires more bands due to a far more varied and complex cellular network topology. It has little to do with standards or politics and far more to do with the size and spread of the country and the fact that it was "built" by multiple different institutions.
Size isn't really a factor, Russia is bigger for example but the wireless is far more uniform You're right about development though, multiple institutions didn't help and they started their build-out well ahead of the curve compared to most countries and at a time where standards were still a fast moving target. There was also less incentive to try and make wireless service broadly compatible, there are only two neighbors to consider unlike Europe where many smaller countries close together gave them a lot more incentive to mine some ching in the surrounding nations. In the US on the other hand keeping customers locked in was a better way to keep the champagne flowing on the corporate transport. Despite how we got here things are not exactly unworkable in terms of standards. I use my same phone all over the world without any problem at all. That isn't so bad if you ask me
PhoenixPath said:
It is as simple as: The US requires more bands due to a far more varied and complex cellular network topology. It has little to do with standards or politics and far more to do with the size and spread of the country and the fact that it was "built" by multiple different institutions.
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Size? Because you think the outside of the US is smaller than the US? The 'worldwide model' cover almost the rest of the world and trust me, it's way bigger than US.
smartuser8 said:
Size? Because you think the outside of the US is smaller than the US? The 'worldwide model' cover almost the rest of the world and trust me, it's way bigger than US.
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Yeah; go ahead and draw yourself the absolute dumbest possible conclusion you can from what I posted and reply with that. Ignore the majority of the post and focus on one word. That's awesome.
Building a network in Japan, or Austria, or Great Britain, is just tiny bit easier and less complex than building one in the US. Having more than one entity trying to "build it better" certainly doesn't help.
The rest of the world is big. Wow. Thanks for the insight.
so... what do i take from this? which model is better on the play store, the international or the american? i mean, i don't plan on traveling the world, but is there some hardware performance boost? also when i look for the 3a on the Google Store (or i guess the XL as well) it shows 3 options, Verizon, Unlocked, and Google Fi. i want the 3a version, not the XL, and was wondering which one i should choose??? just bear in mind i don't want it boot-loader locked, and IDK, does that automatically toss Verizon out? i don't know how the google store does this stuff, and do not want to be stuck with a boot-loader locked Verizon phone, if they would just send me over to a Verizon branded phone that is locked all to hell, and do not as well want to miss out on any possible hardware upgrades that an international based set of radios might bring, if any.
Wiebenor said:
so... what do i take from this? which model is better on the play store, the international or the american? i mean, i don't plan on traveling the world, but is there some hardware performance boost? also when i look for the 3a on the Google Store...
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I wouldn't risk a Verizon phone. They are lockdown fascists & it's not worth taking a chance.
If you have a best buy near you you can pick up an unlocked 3a or 3aXl for the same price as ordering from Google & you won't have to wait to have it delivered. That's what I did anyway(& they had a promotion at the time for a free Google home mini...which I promptly gave away, but it's always nice to get an extra bonus :good.
I can't help you on the international question though. I'd search specs and see what bands are supported or not.
I have a best buy within an hour or so away, so I'll try looking at one there, if they have one available... Does anyone know how it compares to phones with higher CPU clock speeds??? I've been looking online, and just about everything I've seen has it being the same as most other newer phones, with the exception of lower clock speeds, and a longer battery life than those others, except for the S10, which has 8GB RAM and a longer battery life... Haven't really checked out the S9 yet, but the pixel 3a is way cheaper than most Samsung S model phones from 2016 on, and amazingly has similar specs to my old waterlogged Galaxy S6 budget phone indeed?? although back then it would have been a flagship device
Wiebenor said:
I have a best buy within an hour or so away, so I'll try looking at one there, if they have one available... Does anyone know how it compares to phones with higher CPU clock speeds??? I've been looking online, and just about everything I've seen has it being the same as most other newer phones, with the exception of lower clock speeds, and a longer battery life than those others, except for the S10, which has 8GB RAM and a longer battery life... Haven't really checked out the S9 yet, but the pixel 3a is way cheaper than most Samsung S model phones from 2016 on, and amazingly has similar specs to my old waterlogged Galaxy S6 budget phone indeed although back then it would have been a flagship device
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Click to collapse
I have had a lot of phones... more than I or my wallet care to think about... I can tell you the clock speed of this device does not matter for the normal, or even enthusiast level, user.
Is it slower than other "flagship" devices that cost 2-4 times it's price? Yes.
Does that slower performance have any real effect on day to day usage? Nope.
Although I am sure benchmarks and side by side comparisons will show a difference, the real world difference is a few extra fractions of a second to open or do something, and unless you are directly comparing to something significantly more powerful you can't really notice the difference in normal use... with one exception, and that is photography. It doesn't really take longer for the camera to open or to snap a picture, but in the post-processing piece which is why Pixel cameras are so good. If you snap a pic and immediately jump over to look at it, it will take a second or two or three before the image sharpens and you can see it clearly as the post processing is done in the CPU and not in a special chipset dedicated to that function like other Pixel devices.
I have owned devices that cost half of this device, and devices that cost more than double the price... So far, this is my favorite device of all of them and will by my daily driver for the foreseeable future.
Not quite true, there are redraws, apps opening up from scratch that should be in memory, lag going into the main menu, that you don't get with (for example) a OnePlus device and these things are easy to notice even for a pathetic old man like me. There is also the post processing with photos which may not seem like much of an issue but it can be more irritating than might be expected. I travel a lot and want to know if I got the shot or not without the wait. It's one of those things which is no big deal on paper and yet annoying to an unexpected extent in reality. Going back to the start having to open apps up from scratch is also quite irritating to me when I know the exact same app loadout and usage will produce no such thing on other devices.
IMO opinion this phone is an excellent value, you get a top notch camera despite it's slow processing, timely security updates, performance isn't terrible even if it does have performance issues that I notice in actual use every day. I don't mind this because it wasn't marketed as a flagship device and I didn't pay flagship prices but I cant pretend the issues don't exist.With a flagship device I can carry all my music, my books, and still use the phone as a portable storage device at need, with this one I cant do that because the storage simply isn't there. With a flagship device I don't get apps that I already opened once reopening again from scratch. I can open the main menu without lag. The UI wont redraw after being in the main menu.
I like this device and I said up front when it was released that it was a bit of an experiment for me. I have to say that I'm going to go back to the flagship treadmill for a few more iterations. The mid range is getting pretty darn good but not quite up to satisfying me just yet.

Question about Wonda version

So I've seen most people order from Wonda mobile to get the snapdragon version.
My question is how has your overall experience been with the phone and have you come across any issues?
vidic17 said:
So I've seen most people order from Wonda mobile to get the snapdragon version.
My question is how has your overall experience been with the phone and have you come across any issues?
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I was one of the first members of this forum who got the phone from Wonda.
I made a pre-order, the phone launched somewhere at the end of the August and I got it around 5th of September (don't remember the exact date but it was less than a week). I did have an issue with my local postal service (they delivered the package to a wrong place) but this has nothing to do with Wonda.
The phone itself was brand new and factory sealed so no one ever opened it. The package was securely packed.
I've got headphones, charger, phone case and manuals in the box. Also, there was a pre-installed screen protector as well as preinstalled protectors on the back, top and bottom of the phone, all preinstalled ideally and by Samsung. This is a huge plus for me as I didn't need to buy any screen protector and the phone was protected from all sides. I always use Spiegen cases and the phone fitted in perfectly.
I removed the bottom protector recently as it peeled off a little and was annoying but all other protectors are still installed. Also the main screen protector developed a small bubble recently. Not a big deal but a bit annoying.
All worked flawlessly, out of the box - I popped in my UK sim card and it just worked.
Pretty much every feature works: 5G, VoLTE, WiFi calling, Samsung Pay (it does have Chinese promos though), Hiyya spam call filter. No bloatware installed.
The only thing that I didn't like is that stock Samsung Keyboard is different from Exynos version and much less comfortable as it is adapted to Chinese layout. So I had to install a 3rd party keyboard for the first time in 6 years.
Everything else works as expected, no Chinese symbols in any app, menus, etc. All is in English.
Also, no green tint or camera fog issue. No dead pixels.
I am not a gamer so can't tell anything about gaming but the phone itself works really well, no heating issues or micro lags. All just works and benchmark scores also match other Snapdragon Notes.
If you go with this device, bear in mind it has slower updates than Exynos version. Also, the camera seems to be a little better on Exynos as some people reported. For me, the camera is great, especially 5x optical zoom and 10x hybrid zoom in videos and photos. Its a killer feature.
I was a bit disappointed that there is no 2x-4x optical zoom. I thought everything up to 5x is optical but this is not correct - only 5x is optical, everything below and above is digital. Also bear in mind optical zoom and ultra wide mode don't work in 60fps video mode and 104mpx photo mode, only in 12mpx/30fps mode. I couldn't find a difference between 104mpx and 12mpx though, moreover, 12mpx looks better for me.
All in all I can't fault this device and definitely recommend it. Its a great phone and Wonda's service was really good.
vidic17 said:
So I've seen most people order from Wonda mobile to get the snapdragon version.
My question is how has your overall experience been with the phone and have you come across any issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my N20 Ultra Snapdragon from WondaMobile for a few months now as I sent the Exynos version back to Samsung UK due to issues.
I can tell it's a more powerful version and am very happy with the phone on all levels. It optimises much better than the Exynos version.
The only issue if you can call it that is the language was Chinese out of the box which is changed by the press of a button.
I removed the pre installed plastic screen protector as I prefer the Whitestone Dome Glass Screen Protector.
I don't use Samsung Pay as I prefer Google Pay.
I'm using an o2 sim card which is payg do I can't comment on 5G as I can't get it on my payg account.
It is dual sim.
WondaMobile apply a 12 month warranty.
Samsung Uk may not offer support to an imported Samsung phone as per their manufacturing warranty which to be honest is lame. It's about time they offered Snapdragon versions in the UK as a choice.
My phone is also covered by my Home Contents insurance.
It's good to see they've started this with the Samsung s20 fe albiet at £100 more than the Exynos version. I know it has 5G too but still !
Samsung know how to capitalise on people wanting the Snapdragon version !
WondaMobile are a reputable company and kept me informed along the way and delivered within a week.
The box is retail and was sealed and had all the accessories including the original eu i.e 3 pin Samsung Charger Brick inside. And a tpu case is inside which you don't get with the UK version. Winner winner.
Very happy.
Thanks so much for answering my questions. I'll probably order it when I get home. I know the new S21 ultra is out in January but I have no interest in it to be honest. I loved my note 4 and 8
vidic17 said:
Thanks so much for answering my questions. I'll probably order it when I get home. I know the new S21 ultra is out in January but I have no interest in it to be honest. I loved my note 4 and 8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worth looking into the 5g issues. I have the 9860, and like plenty of other people it will not connect to 5g.
vidic17 said:
So I've seen most people order from Wonda mobile to get the snapdragon version.
My question is how has your overall experience been with the phone and have you come across any issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True but right now 5G doesn't bring enough for me to be a deal breaker.
Faster downloads with 5G isn't a biggie.
VirtualWaver said:
I was one of the first members of this forum who got the phone from Wonda.
I made a pre-order, the phone launched somewhere at the end of the August and I got it around 5th of September (don't remember the exact date but it was less than a week). I did have an issue with my local postal service (they delivered the package to a wrong place) but this has nothing to do with Wonda.
The phone itself was brand new and factory sealed so no one ever opened it. The package was securely packed.
I've got headphones, charger, phone case and manuals in the box. Also, there was a pre-installed screen protector as well as preinstalled protectors on the back, top and bottom of the phone, all preinstalled ideally and by Samsung. This is a huge plus for me as I didn't need to buy any screen protector and the phone was protected from all sides. I always use Spiegen cases and the phone fitted in perfectly.
I removed the bottom protector recently as it peeled off a little and was annoying but all other protectors are still installed. Also the main screen protector developed a small bubble recently. Not a big deal but a bit annoying.
All worked flawlessly, out of the box - I popped in my UK sim card and it just worked.
Pretty much every feature works: 5G, VoLTE, WiFi calling, Samsung Pay (it does have Chinese promos though), Hiyya spam call filter. No bloatware installed.
The only thing that I didn't like is that stock Samsung Keyboard is different from Exynos version and much less comfortable as it is adapted to Chinese layout. So I had to install a 3rd party keyboard for the first time in 6 years.
Everything else works as expected, no Chinese symbols in any app, menus, etc. All is in English.
Also, no green tint or camera fog issue. No dead pixels.
I am not a gamer so can't tell anything about gaming but the phone itself works really well, no heating issues or micro lags. All just works and benchmark scores also match other Snapdragon Notes.
If you go with this device, bear in mind it has slower updates than Exynos version. Also, the camera seems to be a little better on Exynos as some people reported. For me, the camera is great, especially 5x optical zoom and 10x hybrid zoom in videos and photos. Its a killer feature.
I was a bit disappointed that there is no 2x-4x optical zoom. I thought everything up to 5x is optical but this is not correct - only 5x is optical, everything below and above is digital. Also bear in mind optical zoom and ultra wide mode don't work in 60fps video mode and 104mpx photo mode, only in 12mpx/30fps mode. I couldn't find a difference between 104mpx and 12mpx though, moreover, 12mpx looks better for me.
All in all I can't fault this device and definitely recommend it. Its a great phone and Wonda's service was really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What sim card are you using.
How did you get 5G, VoLTE, WiFi calling, all to work?
FWIW I bought my N9860 from T-Dimension in the UK. Price is lower than Wonda and delivery took nine days, but otherwise the experience is as above. I can't test for 5G service with my SIMs as none support 5G. Word is that Vodafone should be OK, but EE 5G is not working. There is a separate thread on this topic.
Members app was Hong Kong oriented on arrival, but is now behaving more like UK. No beta sign-up possible though.
Hows the battery life how long does it last between charges
pro4ever said:
Hows the battery life how long does it last between charges
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I typically charge my phone up while powered down overnight every night but with my set up and preferences I'd easily get two days usage.

General Samsung S22 Ultra the phone that disappointed me the most.

Hi All
Two years ago I bought a phone, from a slightly lower end than Samsung - that's what I thought at the time, until I started using the Samsung S22 Ultra 512GB a month ago.
That phone was the Oppo Find X2 Pro 512GB. In two years I never did a hard reset! The phone works perfectly, fast, smooth as butter. However, the power button started to fail, so I started thinking about something higher end, more expensive, twice the price, I thought I would get a phone at least twice as good for that price.
Unfortunately, the Samsung is not better, it is several times slower in daily use. It's possible that in tests, the GPU is faster, but in everyday use the Samsung S22 Ultra next to the Oppo Pro X2 Pro looks like a tortoise (Samsung) next to a rabbit (Oppo).
When using the Samsung, I feel like I'm using a Samsung S7? Even my S9 was faster and ran without stuttering. On the Oppo I have more apps, yet it runs faster even when some of the apps, have cached for two years....
I don't know if Samsung can improve something with updates to make the Exynos 2200 run at least as fast as the Snapdragon 865. If not, I will fix the power button on the Oppo in a month or two and sell the Samsung.
An example of why? Google maps - Oppo any route generates without any delay, Samsung sometimes takes a few seconds or so before the route appears. Aliexpress when I browse product photos added by people, Oppo one swipe appears the next photo, no matter how fast I swipe, photo after photo; Samsung - sometimes I have to swipe 2-3 times before the next photo appears, I am not ready for a complete lack of response when I swipe my finger. Youtube - Oppo no problems, Samsung sound shifted in relation to the picture, by the way on fb videos sound is also out of sync with the picture, I guess phones worth $200 do not have such problems.
Examples could be multiplied. For the first time in two years, I overslept for work because Samsung decided not to turn on the alarm clock and it is completely random. It can't be like that!
I never write posts like this, however the Samsung S22 Ultra is the phone that has let me down the most in the last 20 years, I have never been able to buy, the latest phone, from the "top end" that is much slower than the previous more budget phone that is now two years old.
Samsung - shame... I am very disappointed.
Can someone knowledgeable answer: can they somehow improve this phone by changing the software? Because if not then I'm selling this piece of junk.
Kind regards,
I know what you mean...a phone for over 1300 should be as good as passable... hope Samsung fixes the problems with the exynos... it cant be true
Not sure if it can be completely "fixed".
Android 12 is no gem to start with. GOS fixes are on the way. ADB edits can also be used to tone it down. Not sure if Package Disabler is functional on this model though. It, like it's predecessors definitely needs something like this.
Compared to the Note 10+ the S22U sucks; much poorer form factor, no SD card slot*, that 108mp cam sensor has hype gimmick written all over it. The N10+ gets better SOT with a much smaller battery.
I'm not impressed and rejected the S22U and for that matter the N20U and S21 because of multiple deficiencies and/or issues in spite of a "better" hardware packages. Drop the ball Samsung... and by the way Sammy right handed people hold this huge phone in their left hand.
What were you thinking?
*with no .5-1tb V30 SD card these new phones are a god awful terrors to use and backup. Even when using a SD card as a data drive, backing it up can be a tedious business. Having the redundancy of the 512gb internal memory to make temporarily a backup folder helps prevent backup mishaps in conjunction with the SD card.
That's fresh in my mind because I just did it; you can never have too much SD card memory or "scratch" memory to play with. $hit happens, one corrupted file is all it takes If I had to use the PC to do what I just did it would've taken at least twice as long. No SD card slot, No sale!!!
The N10+ with 1+tb of storage still rocks it...
The issue is there are problems on number of exynos s22 ultras with humber of user complaining about the same things you are mentioning, I to was going to get the Samsung s22 ultra but my oppo find x2 pro also runs fast without no issues and just had the android 12 update on it a few days ago.
Instead I ordered a oppo find x5 pro which at the moment comes with over £350 worth of extras and thought if I don't like it, I can always return it but oppos have a better build quality in my opinon and coupled with a 2 year international warranty as standard and great customer service eg they reply to my Facebook messages, email messages and other social media platforms with any questions I have.
I truely believe the exynos chipset with the amd gpu was not ready for mainstream give it a few more releases before the fix the bugs, also a good indicator is that even south korea (home of samsung) does not use the exynos chipset which is saying something.
It can also do with a bad batch as there are also users who have said they don't have any issues at all, maybe built in two different factories, I think the ones I have seen come from Vietnam here in the UK.
a5ian300zx said:
The issue is there are problems on number of exynos s22 ultras with humber of user complaining about the same things you are mentioning, I to was going to get the Samsung s22 ultra but my oppo find x2 pro also runs fast without no issues and just had the android 12 update on it a few days ago.
Instead I ordered a oppo find x5 pro which at the moment comes with over £350 worth of extras and thought if I don't like it, I can always return it but oppos have a better build quality in my opinon and coupled with a 2 year international warranty as standard and great customer service eg they reply to my Facebook messages, email messages and other social media platforms with any questions I have.
I truely believe the exynos chipset with the amd gpu was not ready for mainstream give it a few more releases before the fix the bugs, also a good indicator is that even south korea (home of samsung) does not use the exynos chipset which is saying something.
It can also do with a bad batch as there are also users who have said they don't have any issues at all, maybe built in two different factories, I think the ones I have seen come from Vietnam here in the UK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung is known to substitute smaller chipsets and components as needed during a production run. Sometimes the firmware doesn't properly interface with these changes. Guess what happens?
Until Samsung learns of the issue by customers sending them in to be physically examined, no firmware updates addressing them can be written. This may or may not be the case here.
Most times Samsung's just need to be optimized, no firmware updates needed. Unfortunately many times Samsung phone tech support is pretty useless (I'm being kind).
BaGRoS said:
Hi All
Two years ago I bought a phone, from a slightly lower end than Samsung - that's what I thought at the time, until I started using the Samsung S22 Ultra 512GB a month ago.
That phone was the Oppo Find X2 Pro 512GB. In two years I never did a hard reset! The phone works perfectly, fast, smooth as butter. However, the power button started to fail, so I started thinking about something higher end, more expensive, twice the price, I thought I would get a phone at least twice as good for that price.
Unfortunately, the Samsung is not better, it is several times slower in daily use. It's possible that in tests, the GPU is faster, but in everyday use the Samsung S22 Ultra next to the Oppo Pro X2 Pro looks like a tortoise (Samsung) next to a rabbit (Oppo).
When using the Samsung, I feel like I'm using a Samsung S7? Even my S9 was faster and ran without stuttering. On the Oppo I have more apps, yet it runs faster even when some of the apps, have cached for two years....
I don't know if Samsung can improve something with updates to make the Exynos 2200 run at least as fast as the Snapdragon 865. If not, I will fix the power button on the Oppo in a month or two and sell the Samsung.
An example of why? Google maps - Oppo any route generates without any delay, Samsung sometimes takes a few seconds or so before the route appears. Aliexpress when I browse product photos added by people, Oppo one swipe appears the next photo, no matter how fast I swipe, photo after photo; Samsung - sometimes I have to swipe 2-3 times before the next photo appears, I am not ready for a complete lack of response when I swipe my finger. Youtube - Oppo no problems, Samsung sound shifted in relation to the picture, by the way on fb videos sound is also out of sync with the picture, I guess phones worth $200 do not have such problems.
Examples could be multiplied. For the first time in two years, I overslept for work because Samsung decided not to turn on the alarm clock and it is completely random. It can't be like that!
I never write posts like this, however the Samsung S22 Ultra is the phone that has let me down the most in the last 20 years, I have never been able to buy, the latest phone, from the "top end" that is much slower than the previous more budget phone that is now two years old.
Samsung - shame... I am very disappointed.
Can someone knowledgeable answer: can they somehow improve this phone by changing the software? Because if not then I'm selling this piece of junk.
Kind regards,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you still in the remorse period? Can't you return the S22?
Is this primarily an issue with the exynos version? How about the snapdragon version?
Day 3 with mine and coming from an S20+ I'm not experiencing any performance, lag, overheating or battery issues.
Did a mild de-bloat with ADP App Control and good to go.
It's sad to hear the exonys is giving so much issues out of the box. Here in South Africa we used to get only the exonys, but for some reason they changed it to the sd. On my sd I don't have any issues as mentioned here or any of the other posts complaining about the exonys. I'm glad that they decided to change it to the sd. There is this other post that "fine tunes" the phone, perhaps try it and see....My carrier only has the entry oppo phones available...I know I can import, but I'm happy with my s22u
[DISCONTINUED] Samsung Galaxy One UI - Optimization Guide
THIS IS A SUGGESTED CONFIGURATION FOR SAMSUNG DEVICES OUT OF SUPPORT/CLOSED I - RECOMMENDED SETTINGS To Start With - Factory Reset before starting optimisations - Factory Reset after every Major update (One UI/Android) - Remove SIM before first...
forum.xda-developers.com
craznazn said:
Are you still in the remorse period? Can't you return the S22?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Came in here to say this. Sorry bro.
Tbf I really don't understand what you guys are talking about, nobody complained about S22 speeds either Snapdragon or Exynos, it seems like an issue from your side and I would recommend you exchange your phone or see that with Samsung support
jojos38 said:
Tbf I really don't understand what you guys are talking about, nobody complained about S22 speeds either Snapdragon or Exynos, it seems like an issue from your side and I would recommend you exchange your phone or see that with Samsung support
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are sure? Nobody complained?
S22 Ultra Very Laggy and slow
I got my new S22 Ultra this monday and I have been having quite a lot of problems with it. The battery life is terrible, only around 2-3 hours of lite use. Snapchat is near unusable because it is terribly slow and laggy to use and the viewport...
forum.xda-developers.com
BaGRoS said:
You are sure? Nobody complained?
S22 Ultra Very Laggy and slow
I got my new S22 Ultra this monday and I have been having quite a lot of problems with it. The battery life is terrible, only around 2-3 hours of lite use. Snapchat is near unusable because it is terribly slow and laggy to use and the viewport...
forum.xda-developers.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Nobody" is obviously an exaggeration to point out that very few people complained. Of course some people complained but it's minority
This thread is 34 pages of the same people discussing, I don't know if we can see how many people participated to the thread and among those how many actually participated to complain about this specific issue (speed) but it's probably low
Another user complaining here: almost ready to go back to Xiaomi 12 Pro
After those Updates, the debloating and rooting it seemed to work pretty good on Exynos.
However I also sold it now, because it was too big for the pocket or to make photos comfortable.
Happy I did.. waiting for an Alternative.. like an S22 Ultra Mini now (if something like this will appear soon hopefully)
||||| said:
..like an S22 Ultra Mini now (if something like this will appear soon hopefully)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds so tasty, yet it will not exist anytime soon.
I returned mine to Telus before my 30 day window.
S22 SD version on Telus. I don't have it anymore so wjatever model is Canada version.
Camera issues:
- Camera preview looks completely different from shot photos.
- Camera shots look very noisy compared to my Galaxy Note 10's Camera.
- Dark photos when HDR should be enabled. - Note 10 somehow manages to take photos but every photo on the S22 is extremely underexposed and when settings are changed it looks very grainy? Like the heck? Especially if trying to see a sleeping puppy -- a 2 year newer phone can't manage?? Not using digital zoom either.
______
GPS completely knackered. I have tracking apps so people can safely check me, but my phone wouldn't register as active even with battery saver off. At all.
-- location jumping on Google Maps. It doesn't seem to know where I'm at. Worse than Note 10. Same goes for Transit App.
_____
Phone not registering SMS messages, group messages, or chat features.
____
And lastly, phone alarms that would show "missed alarm" even though the phone wasn't silenced and alarm volume + vibrate enabled and at a decently loud volume. Since when the hell did an alarm (something phones have had since 2003), ever stop functioning?
Exynos version has some lags especially in apps. But what other device with same or better characteristics should we bye;
I have the Galaxy S21 5G Plus .
Compared with the the S22 or an OPPO, is is slower or faster or same fast?
German Kraut said:
I have the Galaxy S21 5G Plus .
Compared with the the S22 or an OPPO, is is slower or faster or same fast?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not the right thread for this (off topic) but I'll bite. If you have the s21, don't even bother.
Upgrading every year is stupid and why manufacturers get away with the crap they do.

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