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Explain the reasons for buying this phone

Serious, explain your motivations for deciding to purchase the Note 5. Currently, i have the Tmobile note 4. i want to buy a note 5 but no removable battery, no SD card slot, no Samsung pay if you are rooted, who here is not gonna root their phone? to me this is just an iphone with a better everything, tell me how you think. am i the only one who thinks this is the one of the worse Samsung phone releases?

proman505 said:
Serious, explain your motivations for deciding to purchase the Note 5. Currently, i have the Tmobile note 4. i want to buy a note 5 but no removable battery, no SD card slot, no Samsung pay if you are rooted, who here is not gonna root their phone? to me this is just an iphone with a better everything, tell me how you think. am i the only one who thinks this is the one of the worse Samsung phone releases?
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Your opinion of it being "worse" is subjective, more in favor of it being not true for most users. This is not like a better iPhone, rather an iPhone is trying to be like it. Don't forget who created / invented the phablet category. It's Samsung, not Apple.
Regardless, the Note 5 is from a hardware stand point an upgrade. That's not a perception nor is it minor. You can't argue the CPU. The SnapDragon 805 in the Note 4 isn't a slouch, but it is at the same time no where in the same league as the Exynos Octa Core. Not even in the same conversation. 1GB of extra RAM may not seem like much, but it's still an upgrade. The Note 3 had 3GB and guess what so does the Note 4. Overall build quality is undeniably better. The Note 5 has better hardware period. = It's an upgrade.
There is no need to justify anything hardware wise by choosing to think that they're minor upgrades when they are not. The Exynos Octa Core CPU alone is worthy of praise to call the Note 5 an upgrade just from that alone. Even if it only came with 3GB and same "everything" else. The issue here is obviously the software and for most on here the inability to remove the battery or having a SD card slot is the culprit. Not the core hardware.
The price tag is also subjective, because for some ~$1000 or not, it's not an issue. Most people pay monthly with a JUMP upgrade from TM, not all up front. Zero down. Zero Interest.
What kills the Note 5 for me is purely the software as LP is becoming more and more locked down with each version.
Storage Solution?
128GB would be plenty + Unlimited Cloud. Airplane? Boonies? Micro USB to USB 3.0 OTG cable for about $1.50 with my 256GB Flash stick. I can't justify the idea of not being able to fit all the movies that I could possibly watch on the 128GB for my usual 5.5-6 hour flight? Even if you were flying from L.A. to London, you'd be able to watch only 6-8 movies and I don't think 128GB (less what the system eats up) is too small for that. That goes for music too....ACC, FLAC or not....if it can go on a microSD it can fit on a regular USB. 3.0 Flash Stick. The point is I think we're making it out to be a bigger issue than it really is. Plugging in an OTG adapter is much faster and easier than taking a case off (for those with cases), popping off the cover, and replacing a microSD. For the nit pickers, yes, wear and tear too. (Which I don't even think about....)
Battery?
My 12,000mAh portable battery bank. Although it's 3000mAh, you also have to factor in efficiency. Bigger is not always better. But then again, this all depends on the software.... The whole time I've had my Note 4, I've never had to swap batteries...it's not really an issue, especially if the software allows for it to be more efficient.
Software?
You're SOL. Sorry. You can thank google for that one. The builds are getting worse and worse.

iunlock said:
Your opinion of it being "worse" is subjective, more in favor of it being not true for most users. This is not like a better iPhone, rather an iPhone is trying to be like it. Don't forget who created / invented the phablet category. It's Samsung, not Apple.
Regardless, the Note 5 is from a hardware stand point an upgrade. That's not a perception nor is it minor. You can't argue the CPU. The SnapDragon 805 in the Note 4 isn't a slouch, but it is at the same time no where in the same league as the Exynos Octa Core. Not even in the same conversation. 1GB of extra RAM may not seem like much, but it's still an upgrade. The Note 3 had 3GB and guess what so does the Note 4. Overall build quality is undeniably better. The Note 5 has better hardware period. = It's an upgrade.
There is no need to justify anything hardware wise by choosing to think that they're minor upgrades when they are not. The Exynos Octa Core CPU alone is worthy of praise to call the Note 5 an upgrade just from that alone. Even if it only came with 3GB and same "everything" else. The issue here is obviously the software and for most on here the inability to remove the battery or having a SD card slot is the culprit. Not the core hardware.
The price tag is also subjective, because for some ~$1000 or not, it's not an issue. Most people pay monthly with a JUMP upgrade from TM, not all up front. Zero down. Zero Interest.
What kills the Note 5 for me is purely the software as LP is becoming more and more locked down with each version.
Storage Solution?
128GB would be plenty + Unlimited Cloud. Airplane? Boonies? Micro USB to USB 3.0 OTG cable for about $1.50 with my 256GB Flash stick. I can't justify the idea of not being able to fit all the movies that I could possibly watch on the 128GB for my usual 5.5-6 hour flight? Even if you were flying from L.A. to London, you'd be able to watch only 6-8 movies and I don't think 128GB (less what the system eats up) is too small for that. That goes for music too....ACC, FLAC or not....if it can go on a microSD it can fit on a regular USB. 3.0 Flash Stick. The point is I think we're making it out to be a bigger issue than it really is. Plugging in an OTG adapter is much faster and easier than taking a case off (for those with cases), popping off the cover, and replacing a microSD. For the nit pickers, yes, wear and tear too. (Which I don't even think about....)
Battery?
My 12,000mAh portable battery bank. Although it's 3000mAh, you also have to factor in efficiency. Bigger is not always better. But then again, this all depends on the software.... The whole time I've had my Note 4, I've never had to swap batteries...it's not really an issue, especially if the software allows for it to be more efficient.
Software?
You're SOL. Sorry. You can thank google for that one. The builds are getting worse and worse.
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great points, i am not saying that the note 4 is better than the note 5. in my opinion i think the note 4 is better for me, ill wait until i test the note 5 maybe i will change my mind, but to be honest right now from what i seen of the note 5 will not work for me. the battery life is a big problem with my note 4, most people will just look at the smaller battery and say the battery life is worse than the note 4, but thats false because of the new CPU.

proman505 said:
great points, i am not saying that the note 4 is better than the note 5. in my opinion i think the note 4 is better for me, ill wait until i test the note 5 maybe i will change my mind, but to be honest right now from what i seen of the note 5 will not work for me. the battery life is a big problem with my note 4, most people will just look at the smaller battery and say the battery life is worse than the note 4, but thats false because of the new CPU.
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Indeed. The Note 5 feels very premium and it is noticeably lighter in the hands. I personally like the ergonomics of it much better with the curved glass back. Some of the things that I've noticed right away from an outside perspective is that the speaker is much better too. It has much more integrity than the Note 4 and seems to be able to handle higher volumes without sounding tinny or metallic.
The screen, although the same resolution as our Note 4, is much crisper and brighter. It has more of a cool tone (kelvin temp) whereas our Note 4 is a lot warmer and is more yellowish. I prefer the Note 5 screen for sure.
We'll have to wait and see for how well the battery holds up! But then again...it's all in the software so LP just might ruin it for what it could due with a much better custom ROM.

Tried to order the 64gb version but T-Mobile somehow screwed up my account. The only thing I could jump to are some cheesy tablets! Hope they fix this soon!

Here are some pics that I've taken with my Note 4 of the Note 5. Notice how strongly they are pushing the hardware LOL.....which is undeniably better, but lets just hope Lollipop doesn't screw it up.
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jutaejrtouch said:
Tried to order the 64gb version but T-Mobile somehow screwed up my account. The only thing I could jump to are some cheesy tablets! Hope they fix this soon!
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Strange...I've noticed that too...hmmm...

jutaejrtouch said:
Tried to order the 64gb version but T-Mobile somehow screwed up my account. The only thing I could jump to are some cheesy tablets! Hope they fix this soon!
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I thought that I was the only one with that problem. I click upgrade device I get taken to page with tablets, wifi hotspots and the
Gear S (which I already have ironically). Sometimes the upgrade option takes me to a page with phones but if I try to add one the page errors out with "our systems are currently unavailable please try again".

Strange...I've noticed that too...hmmm...[/QUOTE]
nice, lets hope Android M is better. i dont really know much about but seems like that lollipop was all for looks

I agree. M is our only hope. If Google doesn't get their act together, a lot of the phone companies might go elsewhere. Samsung's own OS (Tizen) looks promising. Open source too.

iunlock said:
Indeed. The Note 5 feels very premium and it is noticeably lighter in the hands. I personally like the ergonomics of it much better with the curved glass back. Some of the things that I've noticed right away from an outside perspective is that the speaker is much better too. It has much more integrity than the Note 4 and seems to be able to handle higher volumes without sounding tinny or metallic.
The screen, although the same resolution as our Note 4, is much crisper and brighter. It has more of a cool tone (kelvin temp) whereas our Note 4 is a lot warmer and is more yellowish. I prefer the Note 5 screen for sure.
We'll have to wait and see for how well the battery holds up! But then again...it's all in the software so LP just might ruin it for what it could due with a much better custom ROM.
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i cant really use anything but touchwiz because i bought the Gear 2
P.S. not a very good idea. its an amazing watch but i cant use it with CM witch is way better than touchwiz.
P.P.S my S4 has better battery life with the more usage and screen on time. my note 4 doesnt even last till 1 pm, i go to work at 7 am. thats really sad, but you know note 4 has a bigger screen and other stuff that will use more battery but it also has a bigger battery so there is not excuse.

iunlock said:
I agree. M is our only hope. If Google doesn't get their act together, a lot of the phone companies might go elsewhere. Samsung's own OS (Tizen) looks promising. Open source too.
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Tizen is open source? huh i didnt know that, that makes it 10x better in my eyes. i will have to do more research on M but google is very secretive of everything they do

I get 5 hours of screen time on average with my Note 4. It's your software buddy. You should look into the ROM I'm using. PM me if you need help. (See my signature for some info.)
But I hear ya. ..I personally like TW and it works as well if not better than CM with the ROM I'm on.

iunlock said:
I get 5 hours of screen time on average with my Note 4. It's your software buddy. You should look into the ROM I'm using. PM me if you need help. (See my signature for some info.)
But I hear ya. ..I personally like TW and it works as well if not better than CM with the ROM I'm on.
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i'll happily try it because with the battery life im getting right now (like 2-3 hours screen on time) i dont mind going back to kitkat for better battery life.
im having problems with random reboots and bootloops for awhile, even though it worked perfectly fine
i think its the battery, im gonna order a battery from amazon and see ill just use my S4 for now

I have been playing with android M, even though smoother, it is nothing to do jumping jacks for...Android Marshmellow is what Lollipop should have been and should have been the final milestone for lollipop. Lollipop 5.2 maybe?
You will sadly...be disappointed if you are hoping for a big kapow to blow lollipop out of the water.

speedy1979 said:
I thought that I was the only one with that problem. I click upgrade device I get taken to page with tablets, wifi hotspots and the
Gear S (which I already have ironically). Sometimes the upgrade option takes me to a page with phones but if I try to add one the page errors out with "our systems are currently unavailable please try again".
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Dude my coworkers are mad at me because they had to deal with my disappointment lol. Glad to know it wasn't just me.....hang in there I talked to like 3 T-Mobile supervisors and they are working on it. One asked how can we make you a happy T-Mobile customer? My reply, "give it to me free"! Hahahaha!

proman505 said:
Tizen is open source? huh i didnt know that, that makes it 10x better in my eyes. i will have to do more research on M but google is very secretive of everything they do
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Yup. There is a very bright future for Tizen. We shall see soon as it might show up as early as next year in selected devices.

I bought it because I'm attracted to shiny objects. I'm pretty happy with my year-old LG G3, but when I saw the Note 5 in the store, the display simply dazzled me! Also wanted a phone with a great fingerprint sensor, because I'm sick of my phone waking up in my pocket and doing sh!t by itself, but I hate having to do some kind of unlock dance.
I'm a bit irked by not being able to replace the battery, but honestly haven't had to use a second battery since my Galaxy Nexus, several phones ago.

I'm getting it because it feels so much better in the hand than the Note 4, and the performance improvements in hardware are nothing to ignore. I've never really cared all that much about a replaceable battery. The MicroSD situation does irk me a bit, but you have to adapt to the times. I think someday there will be no phones with the slot, and I think I'm OK with that. Between the available storage on board (I'm getting 64GB) and the cloud, it's not really as much of an issue as it used to be.
Also, as I age, I find I'm caring less about root. I do less and less with it every year, and now that I don't even really use TiBu anymore, there's really no point. I just want a fast phone that works with my apps. Note5 fits the bill, and it's sexier than my Note4.

Simple Answers ......... I have had Every Samsung Galaxy and Note devices. The Note 4 is a very nice device.
The Note 5 is 20% faster CPU
Better Software
Better Battery life
Better Camera, Same as the S6 .... The S6 Camera is the 1st decent performing camera on a Samsung devices. So, Those are the Plus's
....... I do not use Pay on my phone so I really do not care about that
The "no sd card" is a bit of a drag but I have a external Memory mini flash that I can use so not such an issue
The Closed battery........ Yeah that bothers me more, but the worst is the glass back.......... looks awesome but is way more vulnerable to breaking, that concerns me
Should have released with 64 gig standard and 128 option, then it would be more palatable...... definitely worth getting
But, either way, Getting mine tomorrow night..........

Im a hard user of phablet, been since note 3, now using note 4. To be honest, all the "issues" pointed here are not such a big deal, a friend of mine, who's Apple hard core user, says that Samsung at last are doing what Apple been doing for years, having one memory internally will make the data transfer faster instead of trying to find it on both, internal and external, it will make the phone faster and finally the OS will work with no lag.
Design on note 5 is beautiful, very premium, internal hardware is a big plus with octacore and 4gb of ram, awesome camera, better software.
Since I have been using smart phones, I have never ever replaced the battery, never care, didn't actually thought about it, I have always had the access to charge it and carry my charges wherever I go, now, the note 5 with fast wireless charger, is a big plus, I was in new york a week ago and I saw in all the Starbucks the wireless charger on the tables, I hope they can have it all over the place, Im pretty sure soon all Starbucks will have it.
Honestly, external memory and battery are not big issues for me, I record bunch of videos and I use the phone for tethering, games, videos more than a regular person and note 5 will be a great upgrade. I have a 32gb note 4 and 16gb external, my internal memory is not even half full, external have a couple of movies.
By the way, sorry for english!
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app

Question worth the "upgrade"?

I currently have an S9+, and aside from the battery dying much quicker than it used to, it still runs fine. I was looking at trading in for the S21+ since T-Mobile has a decent offer, but I'm having trouble deciding if it's worth it. The specs don't look to be that huge of a leap above what I have now, slightly faster processor and slightly more memory, and the screen resolution is actually a downgrade. Plus, no SD card.
The Ultra looks like it would be, but I don't want to spend quite that much. I'm not seeing enough to convince me on the 21+ Am I missing something or is it really not worth upgrading?

BradHP said:
I currently have an S9+, and aside from the battery dying much quicker than it used to, it still runs fine. I was looking at trading in for the S21+ since T-Mobile has a decent offer, but I'm having trouble deciding if it's worth it. The specs don't look to be that huge of a leap above what I have now, slightly faster processor and slightly more memory, and the screen resolution is actually a downgrade. Plus, no SD card.
The Ultra looks like it would be, but I don't want to spend quite that much. I'm not seeing enough to convince me on the 21+ Am I missing something or is it really not worth upgrading?
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Jump on the hype train my dude ! Look at funny camera holes, not good 4 trypophobia lul
Spoiler: Me ranting about the design
No seriously, I think the upgrade is more on the look and feel side than anything else, and my personal tastes don't really hate the new design but don't love it either. It's like they tried to be revolutionary, then someone on twitter told them the first design was offensive to the [insert random common point, physical trait, interests and tastes] group of people, so they sanatized it so everyone would not feel it's awful. Well it worked, I don't think it awful but damn that's booooooorrriiiiiiiiiinnng.
in short I think you're fine with what you have, and i may even say try to look elsewhere a little, you might find your true love (in phone of course) in another brand
Have a nice day.

Raiz said:
Jump on the hype train my dude ! Look at funny camera holes, not good 4 trypophobia lul
Spoiler: Me ranting about the design
No seriously, I think the upgrade is more on the look and feel side than anything else, and my personal tastes don't really hate the new design but don't love it either. It's like they tried to be revolutionary, then someone on twitter told them the first design was offensive to the [insert random common point, physical trait, interests and tastes] group of people, so they sanatized it so everyone would not feel it's awful. Well it worked, I don't think it awful but damn that's booooooorrriiiiiiiiiinnng.
in short I think you're fine with what you have, and i may even say try to look elsewhere a little, you might find your true love (in phone of course) in another brand
Have a nice day.
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Thanks, I'm already leaning towards not getting the S21. I don't understand how it's barely an upgrade (and in some ways a downgrade) from the phone I've had for 3 years. Looking into the OnePlus 8T right now.

BradHP said:
Thanks, I'm already leaning towards not getting the S21. I don't understand how it's barely an upgrade (and in some ways a downgrade) from the phone I've had for 3 years. Looking into the OnePlus 8T right now.
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I have a OP8. OnePlus is. A good brand, but if you prefer smaller phones (which I doubt since you had samsung phones lol), check Google Pixels

Yeah, I like the biggest screen I can afford. Watch a lot of Netflix/Prime/Youtube on the go. I already went ahead and ordered that OnePlus 8T after reading more reviews and the forums here. Can't beat the price of free when I trade in the S9.

I decided to upgrade from my Note 9 to the 21+. Why? Because I felt like it and got a great deal from AT&T on my trade in. My Note was running fine, but it is getting a little long in the tooth since It's been 2+ years.
I chose the Plus because I wanted the bigger screen and bigger battery. The glass vs plastic wasn't an issue for me, I'd have been fine with either. I also didn't want to spend the $$$ for the Ultra since I'm not a big photo person, just a casual photographer for personal purposes. The plus was just in that nice sweet spot for me, and I knew this would be the last flagship that I'd get the big $800 credit from AT&T for a trade-in, so I figured I might as well take advantage while I could.

How much the battery on your S9+ last?
With the S21+ you will have twice the battery time. The 1080+ screen actually increases battery time by about 20-30% over the unncecessarily high (IMO) QHD+ resolution
And apart from battery is far better in processor power of course, and an upgrade in genearl in many ways... On screen fingerprint reader, much faster one, far better cameras, better audio, and so on

Definitely worth it. My last phone is exynos s9+ and definitely s21+ (exynos) double performance and double the battery life

I came from a VZW Pixel 3aXl....to a Unlocked phone... seems like an upgrade to me, plus I got 200 bucks tradein

BradHP said:
I currently have an S9+, and aside from the battery dying much quicker than it used to, it still runs fine. I was looking at trading in for the S21+ since T-Mobile has a decent offer, but I'm having trouble deciding if it's worth it. The specs don't look to be that huge of a leap above what I have now, slightly faster processor and slightly more memory, and the screen resolution is actually a downgrade. Plus, no SD card.
The Ultra looks like it would be, but I don't want to spend quite that much. I'm not seeing enough to convince me on the 21+ Am I missing something or is it really not worth upgrading?
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The s21 Plus looks great but honestly I went from Samsung to Sony to Huawei to Xiaomi and I find Xiaomi to be the best, decent custom ROM support and good hardware, a lot cheaper than Samsung devices too. Maybe take a look at the Mi 10 Ultra? Not sure about where you are from though, afaik you have to import them into the UK. If you don't mind flashing a new ROM to your phone and tinkering around with it, I'd go for a Xiaomi. Big fan of Sony's though, the hardware is awesome and they're pretty much bloat free out of the box

I moved from S10+ to S21+ and I'm happy with the change because S21's screen is flat, the battery life improved, the camera improved a lot, the fingerprint scanner is way much better than s10+, I like the screen to be setup to 96Khz for example, still it has the crappy amoled with terrible PWM like most of the phones... If you have the S9+ that has much worse battery than s10+, the s21+ could be a good choice in all senses.
Take in consideration that Android 11 is still not very good in general and we need to wait 6 month till we will see an improvement.
I never been interested in the ultra because its curved screen, is not practical.

Like everyone else whether a device is an "upgrade" comes down to preferences, useful features which make a difference. Price is a consideration but not an issue if the device stacks up. Trade-in promotional pricing doesn't motivate me for a number of reasons. First off, I don't want to deal with carrier bloatware. Secondly, I don't care to enter into a muli-year commitment with any Service Provider. Lastly, all US Galaxy variants are bootloader locked.
My daily driver is an SM-G9750, S10 Plus, Hong Kong variant. I would enjoy Snapdragon's latest SoC found on the S21 but that's not saying the S10 Plus is slow, it's not. A larger battery is also appealing but I'm pretty sure I'll still need to charge the battery once a day. The cameras on the S21 Plus are the same as the S20 Plus and the only difference from the S10 Plus is a bit larger appiture. 5G is in it's infancy but at this time many of the useful iOT it will enable aren't yet available. Additionally, many 5G users state it's not much faster if any, than a good 4G pipe but at this time for device manufacturers and service providers 5G is a goldmine, the greatest marketing scheme since light beer. Based on my preferences these are issues I have with the S21 Plus.
1) No MicroSD. Sorry but I have zero faith in Cloud Storage, not only for data security but privacy as well. Samsung has also reduced internal storage capacity. 256 GB isn't enough, I have to close double that amount on my MicroSD already and adding more every week. It also saves time when you need to transfer data to a new device.
2) Camera Housing. The S21 camera module is an improvement over the S20 which is awful. It blends into the frame a bit better but it still doesn't lay flat and will snag coming in and out of pant pockets. It also degrades the device's symmetry. Samsung has like many of their competitors have gone overboard with multiple lenses. I'm certain if you had a photo from an S10 and another from an S21 side by side, you wouldn't be able to tell which device created the snaps. That's the trend in mobile phones but if you want really great photos, use a camera not your phone.
3) 3.5mm Jack. Wired audio is the gold standard, Bluetooth doesn't compare and who wants the hassle with charging buds? Yes, I can buy new earphones with a USB connector if I don't want to use a dongle but then I can't charge my device while listening to audio files, which I do often. Plus I really like my earphones, they sound great!
3) Flat Display. I like the look of Immersive Displays. I do a lot of gaming and watch a ton of movies or videos. A curved display doesn't bother me at all.
4) Size. The s21 Plus and Ultra aren't pocket phones. They're huge, closing in on tablet size, just too big! I prefer a device I can easily slip in and out of my front pocket. If I went with an S21 it would fit well but sacrifice a number of features.
5) Screen Resolution. Not sure in most instances if I could tell the difference between 1080 X 2400 and 1440 X 3040 Pixels but why downgrade on an "upgrade"?
6) No Earphones or Charger. Not my biggest issues but then again isn't the S21 Plus supposed to be an "upgrade" over my current device?

samsung offered me a crazy good deal. traded in my note 20 which sucked anyway. gave me a huge trade in credit. only 199 which they jacked to 260 something with bogus shipping fee and tax. free galaxy buds plus. 200 dollar credit towards accessories. it was a crazy good pre order deal. its always the cheapskates who ask questions like this. of course your old phone battery is ****. thats gonna happen. is it worth it? if the phone has better features [except for losing MST] and costs next to nothing in trade hell yes it is. samsung gives me great offers and has since 2 years ago when I traded my S8+ in for an S10+.

I just bought it and upgraded from S8+
Apart from battery I can barely see any notable improvement so I imagine that from the S9 the improvement is even smaller.
I thought my phone was dead so I bought a new one. I then starting playing with the OS and "Odin"ed the **** out of it and now I have 2 almost identical phones.
Still worth for me as my old S8+ is not working properly with the camera and GPS but if the hardware would have been ok, I probably wouldn't have upgraded.

For me: Worth it 100x over. My previous phone was an lg g7 thinq.
That thing took a beating and was quite the loyal device.
However, it was my carrier that ultimately decided I jump ship and upgrade. After their recent merger, I began to roam in my upstairs office. Started to miss calls and texts. Bad bad bad.
So, as I said I jumped ship; to a carrier affiliated with my internet provider *cough*.
I looked over their offerings, and the S21+ jumped out as being the "best bang for the buck".
Never had a Samsung device before, but so far I'm loving it! My wife got one too, and she feels the same.
Got the 256GB variant, and that gave me some relief, as the lg was starting to act funky as I had to move a lot of apps to an sd card so I wouldn't run out of space.
Again, for me, totally worth it. Feels like I went from a buick to a lamborghini!

Am I late to jump on the bandwagon? Anyway, I just received mine a week ago and here are my thoughts why this should be worth or doesn't worth to be upgrade.
I came from Huawei P20 Pro. IMHO if you're holding last year models such as P40 Pro or Galaxy S20, you shouldn't upgrade to this one unless you're offered with a crazy trade-in deal.
So, if your phone is older than last year models? Like S9, S10, Huawei P20 Pro, or iPhoneX etc, the specs worth an upgrade, but the price is still arguable. You shouldn't get this one on MSRP. Only do it if there is some sweet deals. For example, in Brazil, they added a SF charger for free. That's the least deal you should go for. For me, in SG, I've received Galaxy Buds Pro and a Samsung 10k mAh Wireless Charging Power Bank, and a Samsung Clear Case. That deal is a can't miss one.
Storage-wise, on my previous P20 Pro, which is 128 gb, it barely hit to 80 gb after 2 years of photos and video recording. Have a few gb of songs downloaded but nothing else. I didn't install big-ass games. So, for this one, 256 Gb should last long enough for me. In case if the storage run out, I'll simply backup the large files to my PC and carry on. No big issue on the storage.
No audio jack is a bummer. My P20 Pro also doesn't come with a round hole, but at least, they throw a cheap USB to 3.5mm adapter in the box. Samsung even doesn't bother with it. So unless if you get a pair of Buds Pro like me, you should get some Bluetooth headphones, or if you still prefer your wire earphones, get those kind of adapters that you can plug-in your charger and 3.5mm audio jack at the same time.
For display, I didn't buy any of the previous Galaxy phones because of that waterfall edge display. Didn't fancy a curve edge especially because it's very hard to get a good screen protector. This flat screen is perfect for me. The issue comes where I have to decide between FHD 120Hz and UHD 60Hz display. I used to use UHD display on my LG V20, and if someone said the pixels are not noticeable, I'd surely give him a pair of glasses. They're very noticeable, but 120Hz wins over the 60Hz, so, I have to pick-up the FHD again.
For an Asian, I got a pretty big hands, so size of this phone is not a problem, especially it is even slimmer than some other smaller screen phones. But when your screen is 6.7" and FHD, the pixel density goes below 400 dpi (398 dpi to be exact). If you've got an OCD for this, get an S21, because it has got higher dpi than the S21 Plus.
To wrap things up, the deciding factor for me to choose this phone over other contenders such as OnePlus 8T, Mi 11 etc are as follows.
- Not Chinese Brand (currently, we're boycotting as much Chinese brands as possible)
- Excellent camera setup. (Easy win over OP 8T)
- larger battery
- sweet deals (to receive $300 worth of freebies for a $1000 phone is undeniable).

replace screen and frame

has anyone replaced both the screen and frame? Any tips?
Can't find a video for both, only screen.

That's a lot of damage. Do you know if the mobo is still good? Don't go throwing much money at it otherwise especially if it hit on the mobo side.
I recommend observing ESD protocols when working on it. Out circuit the mobo and display are suspectable to ESD damage. A earth grounded ESD mat and wrist strap are best. At least raise the humidity of the room to 50% and wear cotton clothing.

it's a phone I've been using since I dropped it, but the touchscreen is intermittently intermittent.
I need to change the USB charge port and batt. I have a back phone, jic.
I have a wrist strap but no mat.

metropical said:
it's a phone I've been using since I dropped it, but the touchscreen is intermittently intermittent.
I need to change the USB charge port and batt. I have a back phone, jic.
I have a wrist strap but no mat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like major surgery doctor.
Good, earth ground the strape and use a bare wood surface.
Get some...

it'll either suck or work. Time will tell.

metropical said:
it'll either suck or work. Time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it doesn't break the bank, go for it.
At the worst you'll have a parts queen, which is fine if your intentions are to keep using this model.
The smartphone releases this year have been nothing but disappointment. Android 11 and 12 are DOA. Next year looks bad for both as well.
I can see why you want to stick with a model/OS version you like. I'm doing the same myself.

I'll buy a Pixel 4a if the patient doesn't survive. HTC, unfortunately, has bit the dust for phones .
In US Android, there seems to be only Samsmug and Pixel left. At least the Pixel have some lineage to HTC.
One plus has not been around long enough to trust.
But I'm not buying another glass backed phone.

metropical said:
I'll buy a Pixel 4a if the patient doesn't survive. HTC, unfortunately, has bit the dust for phones .
In US Android, there seems to be only Samsmug and Pixel left. At least the Pixel have some lineage to HTC.
One plus has not been around long enough to trust.
But I'm not buying another glass backed phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using the Note 10+'s Snapdragon variant. However no 3.5 mm jack which you likely hate not having. I use the Buds+ which sound pretty good using the proprietary SSC bt codec.
The 10+ was the last great flagship release from Samsung. Fast, stable, a drop dead gorgeous display, reliable, a solid workhorse if running on Android 9 or 10... 11 not so much so.
My oldest 10+ is 2 years old, one battery replacement, it looks and runs like new after heavy usage. The glass back has been no issue and is cheap to replace. Use care though when replacing the battery removing the rear panel.
The other nice thing is the Samsung UI and its customization. Its fast, friendly and extremely customizable with hundreds of free themes, icon packs and UI apps like the Good Lock family from the Galaxy store. It doesn't look or act like a Pixel... thank god.
Always use a good case. I use the Zizo Bolt case. Without it my 10+ be a wreck. Over half a dozen 2-4 foot drops onto concrete, zero damage. However after a couplre hard corner hits I replace the case out of concerns of material fatigue. The only visible case damage is a shiny appearance at the hit corner indicating fatigue.

No headphone jack doesn't bother me. Have a Shure BT w/535. Sounds quite good.
Funny thing, never dropped a phone til the 1st month I had this. Bummer. Case too late.
But it's 3 yrs on now. Which is why I'm willing to chance the repair or replace.
What do you not like about the Pixel? To me Android is Android. The UI doesn't change much that I've seen, except for the awful LG interface that I had for a couple years before I gave up on it. This is my 3rd HTC in 10 years. They've all been good, but HTC had missed the boat a long while back when they released the 10. Many issues. The U11 has been very good even through the damaging drop.
Prior to the N10 I'd never have even thought about the Sam

I'm watching Pixel and not impressed.
No SD card slot. Android 11 and 12 are dogs.
Scoped storage isn't needed and makes it a pain to use.
Samsung has always been hit or miss. But when they're hot, they're hot. So far in my estimation the 10+/Snapdragon is their best Note overall.
I rejected the N20U because of display, 5G, battery and Android 11 issues. The 10+ isn't the best stat wise now, but it's a solid dependable workhorse that's a snappy fast, stable platform. It does everything well. A 1.25 to 1.5tb dual drive handheld PC is no joke.
At this point it be hard to give up the Samsung IU. It's nothing like a "pure" Android such as Pixel, thank god. Samsung has dozens of little system apks to take the edge off of Android 10 and make it more usable. You can mold the IU to fit your needs rather than the other way around.
My Q version Note can be made to look and behave like my Pie version. Even retaining the screen button navigation rather than being force to swipe navigate. I already use swipe control anyway with One Handed Operation + as well as Samsung Edge.
The native spen's Smart Select and bt remote shutter release are great when you need them.
My stock 10+'s are heavily optimized though. I use a package disabler and Karma Firewall. That was a steep learning curve and one of the reasons they run so well. The tools are available for anyone who wants to use them to modify the device without rooting.
It's just a fun device to use and play with... after 2 years it's still fun.
For $800 you can still get a new one and much less for a used one however as with all internet vendors you need to be careful. A lot of scamming going on right now.

I bought this U11 used off Swappa. Been very good. Don't think I'd go anywhere else. I think they have their rules in place.
After all the crappy mSD cards I've had from both Samsung and SanDisk, I think I'd rather just built in storage next time.
I just use it for music. If I seldom want to watch something, I stream from my Emby at home.
Not a gamer. Almost entirely email, text, calls, and some interwebbing.
This one is rooted as have the last couple. But the OS has become efficient enough that I don't think I'd bother.
The ads are more annoying than any other issue.
Never heard of package disabler or Karma. I'll have to look into that. Toying is fun now and then.

Package Disabler is more a Samsung targeted thing but there's a version for other devices. No clue if/how that variant works.
Karma Firewall is a freeware VPN based one with logging features if running on Pie or under. Very low battery consumption.
No issues with my latest Lexar .5tb card. It's important to format it in the phone and best to leave it there. I have over 200gb of wav and hdcd files alone so... yeah I use it.
One of the benefits of using a SD card is for backups. All critical data goes here, only the loaded apps, DCIM and download folders go on internal memory. I keep installable copies of all my apps. I can do a complete reload from the data drive. I redundantly backup the SD card to hdds as well. A may lose a little data but never all. Every PC I set up is as a dual drive even laptops. It saves pain and suffering

I already have protonVPN, not free, but available to me on all my electronic contraptions.
Package disable would be redundant .

metropical said:
I already have protonVPN, not free, but available to me on all my electronic contraptions.
Package disable would be redundant .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're already rooted, it be a downgrade from what's available for a rooted phone.
If you wanted to run a stock Samsung though, it applies.

When buying a SD card review its full specs.
Some are rated to work at -13F others only 32F, wtf? Likewise view rated storage temps.
I'll probably go with a Sandisk Extreme even though it's $25 more. It has wider temperature operating parameters indicating better design and production standards.
Get a V30 rated card as well. Always stick to major name brands and avoid buying on ebay, etc.
If it doesn't format in the phone, return it as it will likely never perform properly even if you zero fill it and get it to format. I use Lexar and Sandisk flash memory, zero failures thus far in over 15 years of using them in different form factors.
I around a dozen or so.

just bought a Pixel 5 off Swappa and will retire the U11 as a back up.
So far, very nice phone.
Though the difference from AOS 9 to 13 are lots.

Is it worth buying a 3a these days?

I'm looking at getting a "new" phone to replace my Moto G5. I absolutely don't use the phone enough to justify paying big $$ for any totl model and I personally can't stand that every new phone is the size of a license plate (TBH, I hate using smart phones period, but they have just enough usefulness to make it worth having one)
The G5 biggest drawbacks are it's slow and laggy with most modern software (I'm running LOS 14.1 just to keep things as light as possible) and it doesn't have a compass either (I completely overlooked this when I purchased in the first place)
So, a refurb 3a is looking to be the best option so far - I would consider a 4a except the prices on those are ridiculous, even for a refurb. It all depends on whether the hardware can still cut it (btw the first thing I'll do is flash another rom, so the fact Google is dropping update support doesn't matter much)
Thoughts? (I also wouldn't mind alternative choices either)

If you're going to root and load a custom rom I go for the phones with the best hardware for the price. Older highly rated flagships be ideal. A SD card slot be useful.
Keep it simple: A 60hz refresh rate Amoled display with a high color rendering index.
That support 4G VoLTE.
Who's bootloaders compatible with firmware you want to load.
You have a lot of options, take your time and buy from a reliable vendor, whatever you chose.

Why do you want to change anyway? The Moto G5 still has official Lineage support. And technically it offers everything you need with a perfect small size. If you want a new one, you can't go wrong with a Pixel. I currently have a Pixel 1 and am very satisfied. Great quality and perfect custom rom support.

trisolaris said:
Why do you want to change anyway? The Moto G5 still has official Lineage support. And technically it offers everything you need with a perfect small size. If you want a new one, you can't go wrong with a Pixel. I currently have a Pixel 1 and am very satisfied. Great quality and perfect custom rom support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried out Lineage18, the g5 was an absolute slug. Probably because it only has 2gb of RAM. Way better sticking with Nougat/Oreo vintage roms. Even on LOS14 I find the odd time I do use it for typical smartphone crap (web browsing, etc) it still is pretty ponderous. I also keep kicking myself in the ass for not noticing there was no compass either. Based on that alone I would've bought something else.
The Pixels do seem to check all of the boxes, feature wise, and I keep reading recommendations about buying older flagship models. I just haven't done much digging into the Pixel lineup until now and have no idea how much older is a safe bet.
I also have looked at some of the older Oneplus models, but it seems like they're prone to screen issues - most of the ones I've seen for sale mention screen burn

Horrible Username said:
I tried out Lineage18, the g5 was an absolute slug. Probably because it only has 2gb of RAM. Way better sticking with Nougat/Oreo vintage roms. Even on LOS14 I find the odd time I do use it for typical smartphone crap (web browsing, etc) it still is pretty ponderous. I also keep kicking myself in the ass for not noticing there was no compass either. Based on that alone I would've bought something else.
The Pixels do seem to check all of the boxes, feature wise, and I keep reading recommendations about buying older flagship models. I just haven't done much digging into the Pixel lineup until now and have no idea how much older is a safe bet.
I also have looked at some of the older Oneplus models, but it seems like they're prone to screen issues - most of the ones I've seen for sale mention screen burn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All AMOLED displays have a finite lifespan. The higher energy blue pixels tend to go first, reds last. How high the brightness and for how long has a direct bearing on lifespan.
This N10+ has been heavily used for 2.5 years and has gone through one battery, soon the second one as well. Yet the display is still perfect.
I almost never use in direct sunlight and rarely go above 50% brightness, I manual brightness only except very rarely. I also use dark mode and wallpapers. Minimized red icon pack.
Problem is with used devices all you can do is use ScreenTest to look for damage or age related wear. This should be done even with new displays. One of the first things I test. For a higher price unsold older factory sealed new phones from 2020 can be had. My second N10+ was one of these. The benefits are obvious but they are almost double the price of a used one.
Regardless always buy from a trusted vendor, best to talk with them first. There's a lot of scamming going on... always use a Visa or MC to buy it with so you can do a charge back if needed.

blackhawk said:
All AMOLED displays have a finite lifespan. The higher energy blue pixels tend to go first, reds last. How high the brightness and for how long has a direct bearing on lifespan.
This N10+ has been heavily used for 2.5 years and has gone through one battery, soon the second one as well. Yet the display is still perfect.
I almost never use in direct sunlight and rarely go above 50% brightness, I manual brightness only except very rarely. I also use dark mode and wallpapers. Minimized red icon pack.
Problem is with used devices all you can do is use ScreenTest to look for damage or age related wear. This should be done even with new displays. One of the first things I test. For a higher price unsold older factory sealed new phones from 2020 can be had. My second N10+ was one of these. The benefits are obvious but they are almost double the price of a used one.
Regardless always buy from a trusted vendor, best to talk with them first. There's a lot of scamming going on... always use a Visa or MC to buy it with so you can do a charge back if needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good advice. Most likely I'd end up buying through Amazon.ca. They seem to have a decent refurb. policy, and of course are great for returns.
I'd totally buy a NiB or open box except the prices for those units are absurd here in Canada - basically original MSRP for a 3yr. old phone when it comes to the Pixel models

Horrible Username said:
Good advice. Most likely I'd end up buying through Amazon.ca. They seem to have a decent refurb. policy, and of course are great for returns.
I'd totally buy a NiB or open box except the prices for those units are absurd here in Canada - basically original MSRP for a 3yr. old phone when it comes to the Pixel models
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not pleased with what Samsung or Google Android have released since the Note 10+ and Android 9 respectively. So I run my N10+'s and just don't care... or update.
Probably be 2-4 years until I buy another phone.

Maybe a Sony device could be a solution. Sony have a very good developer support. You can find very good refurb devices at a good price.

Horrible Username said:
I'm looking at getting a "new" phone to replace my Moto G5. I absolutely don't use the phone enough to justify paying big $$ for any totl model and I personally can't stand that every new phone is the size of a license plate (TBH, I hate using smart phones period, but they have just enough usefulness to make it worth having one)
The G5 biggest drawbacks are it's slow and laggy with most modern software (I'm running LOS 14.1 just to keep things as light as possible) and it doesn't have a compass either (I completely overlooked this when I purchased in the first place)
So, a refurb 3a is looking to be the best option so far - I would consider a 4a except the prices on those are ridiculous, even for a refurb. It all depends on whether the hardware can still cut it (btw the first thing I'll do is flash another rom, so the fact Google is dropping update support doesn't matter much)
Thoughts? (I also wouldn't mind alternative choices either)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought my pixel 3A a couple months ago, it's japan version. and i think this device still can be use as my primary device till a year ahead, i have nothing to complaint about this phone.

With 4G a SD card slot be useful.
12gb of ram be very useful.
The N10+* is a big (but thin) phone so you're probably hating that
However the Beast is just a joy to use. The spen is irreplaceable when needed for Smart Capture or as a bt remote camera shutter release. Build Q is impeccable as is its reliability... but it's huge... great for vids
The earlier S models from 2019 are smaller but lack the spen and the almost nonexistent bezel of the N10+, the N10 is smaller but so is the battery/SOT. The S series can be had with everything else though including a great AMOLED display. Stay away from all of the Folds.
I would make sure whatever you get has no higher than Android 10 on it. Because of the age of the phones you're targeting use the experiences of users as far as how they hold up and known faults for that model.
Samsung's especially the flagships are very customizable stock. The Galaxy store has hundreds of free icon packs, themes, plus the Good Lock family of customization apps.This is the Beast dark moded out, all stock running on Pie.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
*Note, most of the Samsung Snapdragon variants are notoriously hard to root including the N10+.
Unfortunately that generation of Samsung's is where you see a big leap in performance especially in ones with 12gb of ram. The Exynos variants are easily rooted but depending on the model may have poorer performance than the Snapdragon's. Read newer user reviews to see if this is an issue.

Horrible Username said:
I'm looking at getting a "new" phone to replace my Moto G5. I absolutely don't use the phone enough to justify paying big $$ for any totl model and I personally can't stand that every new phone is the size of a license plate (TBH, I hate using smart phones period, but they have just enough usefulness to make it worth having one)
The G5 biggest drawbacks are it's slow and laggy with most modern software (I'm running LOS 14.1 just to keep things as light as possible) and it doesn't have a compass either (I completely overlooked this when I purchased in the first place)
So, a refurb 3a is looking to be the best option so far - I would consider a 4a except the prices on those are ridiculous, even for a refurb. It all depends on whether the hardware can still cut it (btw the first thing I'll do is flash another rom, so the fact Google is dropping update support doesn't matter much)
Thoughts? (I also wouldn't mind alternative choices either)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the same boat. Looking for Pixel 3a as they suppose to have a good camera and a smaller size. It's going to replace Oneplus X which still works fine but there is no Lineage support anymore and /e/OS has some software issues and no updates.
Did you get it or choose something else in the end? How much did you pay?
Thanks.

Fostel said:
I am in the same boat. Looking for Pixel 3a as they suppose to have a good camera and a smaller size. It's going to replace Oneplus X which still works fine but there is no Lineage support anymore and /e/OS has some software issues and no updates.
Did you get it or choose something else in the end? How much did you pay?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still haven't made up my mind yet, but It's looking more likely that I'll get either a 3 or a 4a. The price diff. between refurbed 3 and 3a on Amazon isn't enough to not get the better specced phone. The 4a are quite a bit more $$ here in Canada, but probably are more "future proof" with the 6gb of RAM. I doubt I'd bother with the 5G 4a however

Personally, I'd stay away from the Pixel 3 due to disappointing battery life and overheating issues. The 4a is a bit better. The best value IMO is the 5a. Same SoC as the 4a5g and 5, with a larger screen and battery.
Unless your credit is terrible, you'll likely qualify for the interest free financing. Look for a sale on the 5a when the 6a launches. I picked the 5a up for my wife for $349 when the 6/6Pro launched.

V0latyle said:
Personally, I'd stay away from the Pixel 3 due to disappointing battery life and overheating issues. The 4a is a bit better. The best value IMO is the 5a. Same SoC as the 4a5g and 5, with a larger screen and battery.
Unless your credit is terrible, you'll likely qualify for the interest free financing. Look for a sale on the 5a when the 6a launches. I picked the 5a up for my wife for $349 when the 6/6Pro launched.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably good advice, but I hate smartphones enough that there's no way I'd pay +$500 CAD just to get a refurb (TBH, for what and how much I use my phone, ~$200/250 is plenty). Plus, I would prefer to keep my screen size under 6"

I ordered Pixel 3A yesterday, based on the hype of the great camera and a good screen. Then I found that SO MANY users broke the screens just by a small 1 feet drop.
And yes, they had expensive screen protectors, cases and still, the screen shattered. As could be expected, Google is making the phone purposely weak as screen damage voids their warranty and cost a lot to replace.
Tons of Reddit and Google support posts evidencing this.
Why so many companies are advertising Pixel 3A screen replacement?
It's really simple - supply and demand!
Google is no different from Apple and other brands. They make those phones in China for a few bucks and sell them to you for a few hundred.
I will be returning this one and will look for a proper phone. I have Oneplus One (2014 model), Oneplus X (2015), and Oneplus 5T (2017). All of them were dropped multiple times, from more than one foot, sometimes on concrete.
They are still fully working. OP1 and OP5T just received the Android 12 update. Even the original batteries are still going strong. The Gorilla glass seems to be way better than the one they used on those 3A's.
The 3A is prone to screen crack. It's a weak phone with an inferior glass.
Hard to deny that after spending some time on research.

Fostel said:
I ordered Pixel 3A yesterday, based on the hype of the great camera and a good screen. Then I found that SO MANY users broke the screens just by a small 1 feet drop.
And yes, they had expensive screen protectors, cases and still, the screen shattered. As could be expected, Google is making the phone purposely weak as screen damage voids their warranty and cost a lot to replace.
Tons of Reddit and Google support posts evidencing this.
Why so many companies are advertising Pixel 3A screen replacement?
It's really simple - supply and demand!
Google is no different from Apple and other brands. They make those phones in China for a few bucks and sell them to you for a few hundred.
I will be returning this one and will look for a proper phone. I have Oneplus One (2014 model), Oneplus X (2015), and Oneplus 5T (2017). All of them were dropped multiple times, from more than one foot, sometimes on concrete.
They are still fully working. OP1 and OP5T just received the Android 12 update. Even the original batteries are still going strong. The Gorilla glass seems to be way better than the one they used on those 3A's.
The 3A is prone to screen crack. It's a weak phone with an inferior glass.
Hard to deny that after spending some time on research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More good info. Considering I have a longstanding feud with gravity, maybe a 3a isn't a good choice for me.
Maybe I'll just say screw it and keep my Moto Potato until it complete packs it in

I can't vouch for the 3a, but the Pixel 2 is a similar form factor and power. I loved it, though it had overheating issues and some apparent software flaws with LineageOS. I'm here now because after cracking it, I dropped it again and the screen is finally dead. No case.
A year ago when I bought the Pixel 2, it was neck and neck with the 3a. I happened to get a deal on the 2 so that's what I went with. If you want a cheap Android phone it makes sense to get a popular old phone like a Pixel series. The good camera requires Google apps, and on the Pixel 2 it didn't always work. But that was a hacked APK to get night sight.

My Pixel 2 was very expensive (new from Google), and both of them developed bulged batteries, both the original and its warranty replacement. In contrast, my Pixel 3a started out cheaper, and has been trouble free ever since.
About a month ago, I noticed that there was a wide selection of used Pixel 3a's on Ebay for around $55 - $70! I bought several (all from vendor "wise-deals"; no affiliation) for my kids to use as Minecraft tablets, for which they're excellent. No complaints; battery life seems ok, and even the "fair" graded phone looks great. I like the simple clear Spigen Liquid Crystal case, $9 or $10 from Amazon. Currently it looks like the selection of used Pixels is down, but you can still get an unlocked 3a XL for $75 or so. A used Pixel 4a 5G also seems like a good deal at around $175, but of course that's more than twice the price.
The only downside I see to these used 3a's (or the 3a XL) is that Google is stopping all further software updates. They just pushed a June security update to my 3a, and there might be one more coming, but that's it. Definitely nothing past their current Android 12 for these released-in-2019 phones. If you ever want to install non-stock software, be sure to get the "unlocked" 3a 2020G model. It works on any (American) cellular network, and it's easy to unlock its bootloader and install a different Android ROM, just follow the instructions. The Verizon-only G020E model is usually slightly cheaper, but regardless of whether it is SIM locked or unlocked, it has a PERMANENTLY locked bootloader; you can NEVER install your own version of Android on it.

blackhawk said:
If you're going to root and load a custom rom I go for the phones with the best hardware for the price. Older highly rated flagships be ideal. A SD card slot be useful.
Keep it simple: A 60hz refresh rate Amoled display with a high color rendering index.
That support 4G VoLTE.
Who's bootloaders compatible with firmware you want to load.
You have a lot of options, take your time and buy from a reliable vendor, whatever you chose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you recommend me a replacement for my P3A? the headphone jack is dead and I tried to open it thinking it was like the Nexus5/X but apparently it is glued on.. basically I ruined the entire edge of the phone trying to just replace the jack port. So I think I'll just get a new phone.
I use LineageOS, I'd like to keep using that, pref 64gb minimum 32gb, must have a headphone jack on the top of the phone, and able to load custom roms(lineage etc), kernels, root it, install something like TWRP backup permanently because it's so awkward on this phone I never once made a nandroid backup and I'd like to be able to do that again.
I'll be getting something used on ebay, it doesn't have to be powerful just at least a bit better than the P3a.
Could you ping me with a couple suggestions I can check out please?
Thanks in advance.

paradoxiumwind said:
Can you recommend me a replacement for my P3A? the headphone jack is dead and I tried to open it thinking it was like the Nexus5/X but apparently it is glued on.. basically I ruined the entire edge of the phone trying to just replace the jack port. So I think I'll just get a new phone.
I use LineageOS, I'd like to keep using that, pref 64gb minimum 32gb, must have a headphone jack on the top of the phone, and able to load custom roms(lineage etc), kernels, root it, install something like TWRP backup permanently because it's so awkward on this phone I never once made a nandroid backup and I'd like to be able to do that again.
I'll be getting something used on ebay, it doesn't have to be powerful just at least a bit better than the P3a.
Could you ping me with a couple suggestions I can check out please?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I run stock Samsung N10+'s. They are Snapdragon's that are notoriously hard to root with no 3.5mm jack. Not a good rooting candidate... but a superb workhorse.
You want expandable storage if possible. The upper midrange Samsung's have both. Like the S10. I'm not well enough versed to give you a good opinion on this.
For your purposes there may be better choices from other manufacturers like LG, HTC, etc.
This is a known good vendor that sells new, factory sealed Google and Samsung's, many were bought up as overstock. A good choice if you want a new unit. WYSIWYG...

Question I want to love the S22 Ultra

I desperately want to love this new phone that I recently upgraded to from a Note 10+, but I'm having a hard time convincing myself that it's any better. Is there anyone out there that went from a Note 10+ to a S22 Ultra that doesn't second guess the decision? I like the camera and the oem silicon case that I got looks super sleek next to my Note 10+ with a partially torn case, but outside of 1 or 2 features, I prefer my Note 10+. Am I in the minority with this opinion? I pulled the trigger after reading an article online about how much better the S22 was than the 10+, but after using the phone for just over a week now, I have a feeling they are getting manufacturer kickbacks or have some mental impairment. I also miss the Star Wars firmware that I flashed to my Note 10+ that makes my S-pen sound like a lightsaber coming out of the phone. Anyhoo, I just got my return authorization from Samsung and before I box it back up, I thought I'd toss it to you guys for an opinion.

I came from a Note 10+ and I am very happy with my S22 Ultra.
I have mine set up with the light saber sounds when I pull out the S Pen.
I have the 12GB/512GB SD version.

ssamboy said:
I desperately want to love this new phone that I recently upgraded to from a Note 10+, but I'm having a hard time convincing myself that it's any better. Is there anyone out there that went from a Note 10+ to a S22 Ultra that doesn't second guess the decision? I like the camera and the oem silicon case that I got looks super sleek next to my Note 10+ with a partially torn case, but outside of 1 or 2 features, I prefer my Note 10+. Am I in the minority with this opinion? I pulled the trigger after reading an article online about how much better the S22 was than the 10+, but after using the phone for just over a week now, I have a feeling they are getting manufacturer kickbacks or have some mental impairment. I also miss the Star Wars firmware that I flashed to my Note 10+ that makes my S-pen sound like a lightsaber coming out of the phone. Anyhoo, I just got my return authorization from Samsung and before I box it back up, I thought I'd toss it to you guys for an opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're just as attached or even more so to the Note 10+ that's an easy decision. Return the S22 Ultra and pocket hundreds of dollars! I've have an S10+ and S21 Ultra, I find myself using the Ultra less and less. Many of the new features and "improvements" in recent releases don't come into play or make much difference in day to day usage. So next year Samsung will add another camera, like 5 aren't enough.

i came from Oneplus9 Pro and I am very happy with my S22 Ultra.
pfffff....same but bigger size

You can always return it if you're not happy with it.

gernerttl said:
I came from a Note 10+ and I am very happy with my S22 Ultra.
I have mine set up with the light saber sounds when I pull out the S Pen.
I have the 12GB/512GB SD version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you like more about the S22?

ssamboy said:
What do you like more about the S22?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are several things.
I have the S22 Ultra 12GB/512GB Snap Dragon (Verizon) version. The camera is really good. I like how I can use the S Pen as a camera remote. Link to Windows works really well. Screen size for me is just right. I have plenty of space. I thought I would miss the microSD card reader, but I'm not really missing it. I have 1TB of OneDrive storage so space is not an issue. I like how Samsung Gallery syncs my photos and videos. to OneDrive.
Performance wise it is smooth and responsive. Full disclosure: I enabled Developer options and set animation to .5x, which makes it more responsive. Because I am a Microsoft 365 subscriber, I don't use OneUI. I use Microsoft Launcher instead; which integrates well with my desktop PC and Surface Pro 6. It also integrates well with my Galaxy Tab S7.
My wife has the S22+ 256GB Snap Dragon (Verizon) and my daughter has the S22 256GB Snap Dragon (US Unlocked).
Updates are consistent. My wife and I just got the July update via OTA from Verizon. My daughter, because hers is the unlocked version gets them a little later than we do.
Battery life is pretty good for all three versions. My wife and daughter are heavier users than I am. They both stream videos and music and they get good battery life. None of us are far from a charger so battery life is not a major concern for us.
All in all, we are happy with them. They work well and do what we need them to do.

You have my condolences OP.
Ditch that dog, better get while the getting's good.
The Beast was Samsung's last great flagship. I run 2 of them because Samsung didn't give me anything better to buy in over 2 years.
3 generations of duds; the lefty humpback, the Note with no name and finally the mighty Thermal Runaway. The Folds? They all suck too.
New factory sealed N975U1's/Android 10 are still available... I got one about 10 months ago. Expected service life, 2+ years including the oldest one which will be 3 yo in October. Zero display degradation, it looks and runs like new.
One replacement battery coming up on 2. Current load is over 2 yo, still fast and stable.
The Beast is a 1.5tb dual drive handheld PC that can get 10+hr SOT. It has probably the best display out there in terms of color rendering index and gamma index. 30 gms lighter than the S22U too with a much better form factor.
Snappy fast with no cpu cycle sucking scoped storage and you can easily use it in 95.5F ambient temperatures with no cooling.
See?
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blackhawk said:
You have my condolences OP.
Ditch that dog, better get while the getting's good.
The Beast was Samsung's last great flagship. I run 2 of them because Samsung didn't give me anything better to buy in over 2 years.
3 generations of duds; the lefty humpback, the Note with no name and finally the mighty Thermal Runaway. The Folds? They all suck too.
New factory sealed N975U1's/Android 10 are still available... I got one about 10 months ago. Expected service life, 2+ years including the oldest one which will be 3 yo in October. Zero display degradation, it looks and runs like new.
One replacement battery coming up on 2. Current load is over 2 yo, still fast and stable.
The Beast is a 1.5tb dual drive handheld PC that can get 10+hr SOT. It has probably the best display out there in terms of color rendering index and gamma index. 30 gms lighter than the S22U too with a much better form factor.
Snappy fast with no cpu cycle sucking scoped storage and you can easily use it in 95.5F ambient temperatures with no cooling.
See?
View attachment 5655819View attachment 5655817View attachment 5655815
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder how many times you have tried to pitch the N10+, just liek a broken record - just really curious

Griffin7296 said:
I wonder how many times you have tried to pitch the N10+, just liek a broken record - just really curious
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lots. Blame Samsung not me. If they had built a better flagship since the N10+ it would be in my hands. Some S22U (N20U, S21U as well) users have already ditched it and gone back to the N10+. In daily use the S22U is barely faster and chomps down current like a wolf. No expandable storage... a single drive, a step backwards.
Is the S22U usable at ambient temperatures of >95F to stream vids for more then a few minutes? I can browse as long as I please with no cooling even at 97F. Be testing it at 100+F in a day or two. My cut off temp is when the battery hits 102F in order to lengthen its lifespan.
The N10+ hassn't suffer from thermal shutdowns for over 2 years since I optimized it. It runs cool.
The S22U has almost the same thermal dissipative surface area but a much higher thermal load. What could go wrong?
This was predictable. Been nice if the S22U had the same capacity battery as the N10+ and better SOT. Ha! not.

blackhawk said:
Lots. Blame Samsung not me. If they had built a better flagship since the N10+ it would be in my hands. Some S22U (N20U, S21U as well) users have already ditched it and gone back to the N10+. In daily use the S22U is barely faster and chomps down current like a wolf. No expandable storage... a single drive, a step backwards.
Is the S22U usable at ambient temperatures of >95F to stream vids for more then a few minutes? I can browse as long as I please with no cooling even at 97F. Be testing it at 100+F in a day or two. My cut off temp is when the battery hits 102F in order to lengthen its lifespan.
The N10+ hassn't suffer from thermal shutdowns for over 2 years since I optimized it. It runs cool.
The S22U has almost the same thermal dissipative surface area but a much higher thermal load. What could go wrong?
This was predictable. Been nice if the S22U had the same capacity battery as the N10+ and better SOT. Ha! not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, different strokes for different folks. Seems the majority of users is satisfied-me included (with exceptions to the rule).
I hope that all your energy you put in repeating yourself over and over (and I am not saying you dont make some good points) will find someone at Samsung to "listen and potentially act on"
Happy Sunday!

blackhawk said:
Lots. Blame Samsung not me. If they had built a better flagship since the N10+ it would be in my hands. Some S22U (N20U, S21U as well) users have already ditched it and gone back to the N10+. In daily use the S22U is barely faster and chomps down current like a wolf. No expandable storage... a single drive, a step backwards.
Is the S22U usable at ambient temperatures of >95F to stream vids for more then a few minutes? I can browse as long as I please with no cooling even at 97F. Be testing it at 100+F in a day or two. My cut off temp is when the battery hits 102F in order to lengthen its lifespan.
The N10+ hassn't suffer from thermal shutdowns for over 2 years since I optimized it. It runs cool.
The S22U has almost the same thermal dissipative surface area but a much higher thermal load. What could go wrong?
This was predictable. Been nice if the S22U had the same capacity battery as the N10+ and better SOT. Ha! not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't, and haven't even ever owned the phone have you?

gernerttl said:
There are several things.
I have the S22 Ultra 12GB/512GB Snap Dragon (Verizon) version. The camera is really good. I like how I can use the S Pen as a camera remote. Link to Windows works really well. Screen size for me is just right. I have plenty of space. I thought I would miss the microSD card reader, but I'm not really missing it. I have 1TB of OneDrive storage so space is not an issue. I like how Samsung Gallery syncs my photos and videos. to OneDrive.
Performance wise it is smooth and responsive. Full disclosure: I enabled Developer options and set animation to .5x, which makes it more responsive. Because I am a Microsoft 365 subscriber, I don't use OneUI. I use Microsoft Launcher instead; which integrates well with my desktop PC and Surface Pro 6. It also integrates well with my Galaxy Tab S7.
My wife has the S22+ 256GB Snap Dragon (Verizon) and my daughter has the S22 256GB Snap Dragon (US Unlocked).
Updates are consistent. My wife and I just got the July update via OTA from Verizon. My daughter, because hers is the unlocked version gets them a little later than we do.
Battery life is pretty good for all three versions. My wife and daughter are heavier users than I am. They both stream videos and music and they get good battery life. None of us are far from a charger so battery life is not a major concern for us.
All in all, we are happy with them. They work well and do what we need them to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Deleted...

Rubby1025 said:
So you said that you like how you can sync pictures and videos to Onedrive however you still miss the SD card slot. Is there other data that you are not syncing that causes you to still yearn for the SD card? ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where does he say he misses the SD card slot?

Rubby1025 said:
So you said that you like how you can sync pictures and videos to Onedrive however you still miss the SD card slot. Is there other data that you are not syncing that causes you to still yearn for the SD card? ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should read what I said again.
"I thought I would miss the microSD card reader, but I'm not really missing it."

ssamboy said:
I desperately want to love this new phone that I recently upgraded to from a Note 10+, but I'm having a hard time convincing myself that it's any better. Is there anyone out there that went from a Note 10+ to a S22 Ultra that doesn't second guess the decision? I like the camera and the oem silicon case that I got looks super sleek next to my Note 10+ with a partially torn case, but outside of 1 or 2 features, I prefer my Note 10+. Am I in the minority with this opinion? I pulled the trigger after reading an article online about how much better the S22 was than the 10+, but after using the phone for just over a week now, I have a feeling they are getting manufacturer kickbacks or have some mental impairment. I also miss the Star Wars firmware that I flashed to my Note 10+ that makes my S-pen sound like a lightsaber coming out of the phone. Anyhoo, I just got my return authorization from Samsung and before I box it back up, I thought I'd toss it to you guys for an opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worst best phone I've ever owned.
1. Hate the curved display.
2. Hate the scrolling stutter/lag issues with social media apps.
Love the camera, and love everything else about it. But considering when I do use the phone these days, I mostly use it for Twitter and Reddit, and I also hate the curved display and colour shift on the edges. My impression with it, and it's not easy saying this, it is the worst phone I have ever owned in terms of first impressions. I've had it since April and still feel the same, so much so I am considering switching to iPhone for the first time since the iPhone 4.

Blackfyre said:
Worst best phone I've ever owned.
1. Hate the curved display.
2. Hate the scrolling stutter/lag issues with social media apps.
Love the camera, and love everything else about it. But considering when I do use the phone these days, I mostly use it for Twitter and Reddit, and I also hate the curved display and colour shift on the edges. My impression with it, and it's not easy saying this, it is the worst phone I have ever owned in terms of first impressions. I've had it since April and still feel the same, so much so I am considering switching to iPhone for the first time since the iPhone 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Why would you choose a phone that's not estatically pleasing to you? I guess you hoped that performance trumps looks
2) Social media apps are the worst apps to measure a phone's performance-and they tend to be battery hogs

crixley said:
You don't, and haven't even ever owned the phone have you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did my homework, or do you prefer to learn the hard way? In the shade how long can you use the browser, or streaming a vid in 100°F ambient* temperatures with no cooling? 7nm vs 5nm
#blackhawkthermalchallenge
*in case, a Zizo Bolt... bare phones that's cheating and you do want it to last a few years.
30 gm more kinetic energy to deal in drops.

blackhawk said:
Lots. Blame Samsung not me. If they had built a better flagship since the N10+ it would be in my hands. Some S22U (N20U, S21U as well) users have already ditched it and gone back to the N10+. In daily use the S22U is barely faster and chomps down current like a wolf. No expandable storage... a single drive, a step backwards.
Is the S22U usable at ambient temperatures of >95F to stream vids for more then a few minutes? I can browse as long as I please with no cooling even at 97F. Be testing it at 100+F in a day or two. My cut off temp is when the battery hits 102F in order to lengthen its lifespan.
The N10+ hassn't suffer from thermal shutdowns for over 2 years since I optimized it. It runs cool.
The S22U has almost the same thermal dissipative surface area but a much higher thermal load. What could go wrong?
This was predictable. Been nice if the S22U had the same capacity battery as the N10+ and better SOT. Ha! not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Some users". The S22U, has out performed the N10 in sales.
I find it hard to believe, many people would prefer a N10 vs SS's latest offerings. If that was true, both the user base and sales of the N10 would be high enough to demand a sequel.
I'm in the rural California desert, I often use my phone for long periods above 100°f.
It hasn't told me in any way that it doesn't like the heat. I don't care about battery health, because I intend to trade it in next year.

kewlzter said:
"Some users". The S22U, has out performed the N10 in sales.
I find it hard to believe, many people would prefer a N10 vs SS's latest offerings. If that was true, both the user base and sales of the N10 would be high enough to demand a sequel.
I'm in the rural California desert, I often use my phone for long periods above 100°f.
It hasn't told me in any way that it doesn't like the heat. I don't care about battery health, because I intend to trade it in next year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source? Sorry but that sounds more a Samsung CEO wet dream. Samsung is tight lipped about model sale numbers.
N10+
S22U
Average mAh power consumption? 500? More?
Yes, it can and will thermal shutdown at the risk of chipset and display damage.
500+ mAh hours is not sustainable in temperatures approaching 100F without additional cooling. At an average 700mAh even with no case you will have a thermal runaway at 100F or less.
Some S22U user are averaging close to 1000 mAh usage.
Samsung, hype and swipe...