I've been debating with myself which phone to get - I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person in this boat so I made this thread.
My situation:
Nexus IV: $360 here in Canada
Note II: $400 here in Canada, although with a 3 year commitment ($40 a month for unlimited nationwide calling, unlimited data, although they throttle after 5gb, and unlimited nationwide text).
I'd use the same data plan if I got the Nexus, although on the plus side, I have no contract. Not too sure how big of a plus that is, as I don't want to swap from Wind Mobile.
Strongly leaning in favor of the Note II right now.
Nexus IV Advantages: Overall this phone is very similar to the Optimus G; not unlike the Nexus S and the i9000s.
- The SOC appears to be faster
- No Touchwiz (IMO Stock > anything the manufacturers come up with)
I personally do not care about the Wireless "charging orb" and think it's a gimmick; of limited use in the real world where one can simply connect a micro-USB.
Perhaps the biggest advantage the Nexus IV has is well ... a Nexus phone. That means that the development community around it will be much bigger, faster updates, and a 100% chance of Cyanogenmod. I'm not sure what's the Cyanogenmod prospects on the T889, but there is a beta one working for the N7100 and considering how similar this phone is to the international version. I don't know how big the development community for the T889 is going to be.
Note II Advantages: More or less a blown up Galaxy S3.
- Audio quality appears superior (Wolfson DAC); important to me; I keep a rooted voodoo Galaxy S variant just for the audio as a PMP; I am unsure at this time of what DAC the Nexus IV comes with, but having listened to the Galaxy S3 and the Optimus G
- Speaker appears to be superior (not a big deal IMO)
- Bigger screen (good for browsing and movies)
- S Pen (and everything that comes with it; probably the only custom thing that any manufacturer has done that has added value; well maybe Sense before Froyo added value to Android)
- Expandable storage (Nexus IV probably not enough to import a serious FLAC collection)
- Battery life (based on reviews, it looks like the Note II has a better battery life)
I would discourage people from using a "points" system to evaluate the 2 phones.
Areas for debate:
- Size .... I personally prefer a larger phone, up to debate though
- Screen; well it comes down to IPS vs Amoled. Both have outstanding viewing angles, and the Amoled isn't pentile (although not the traditional RGB either it seems). Amoled has deeper blacks, but the white reproduction isn't the greatest. IPS has better brightness and is better out in sunlight.
- Neither the Nexus IV nor the Note II can claim to have a better camera for taking images
- I'm not sure how well these phones will last over time - the glass back on the Nexus might be an area for concern; the Note II seems to do well in the drop tests though
- Pentaband phone (the T889 is pentaband as is the Nexus); not planning on making any international trips, but this would come in handy if it did
LG also seems to have a bad reputation; not too sure as I personally have never owned LG phones for an extended period, but my Samsung experiences have been positive.
Your thoughts?
How much faster is the processor known to be on the Nexus 4?
I considered both, but definitely do not regret having gotten the Note II because I really care about the larger screen (the main reason I upgraded from a GS3, though I really wanted the quad-core exynos)
Also, there's a big difference in retail price, which is going to be a major factor in the comparison.
Nexus 4 is crap! Don't buy it or u will regret it!!!!!!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
jkxklutz said:
How much faster is the processor known to be on the Nexus 4?
I considered both, but definitely do not regret having gotten the Note II because I really care about the larger screen (the main reason I upgraded from a GS3, though I really wanted the quad-core exynos)
Also, there's a big difference in retail price, which is going to be a major factor in the comparison.
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In my case, price is very close, but yeah the screen is a big attractor.
honestly i don't think you can compare these 2. galaxy s3 versus nexus 4 is more of a fair comparison. Either you want the big screen or you don't, really what it comes down to. The pen is nice too although I seriously doubt how much i'll use it. I believe samsung cameras are superior as well. and i'm sure its gotten better, but frankly stock android sucked to me when i tried it on froyo and gingerbread.
Apples and IEDs
You're comparing Apples and ****ing IEDs; Note is HUGE, wicked fast, polished up with TouchWiz and has the surprisingly useful S-Pen. Nexus devices are wonderful, and I've owned every single one except the two just announced... But you can pry the Note II from my cold dead hands because it is hands down, the greatest device on Earth today.
Ya, I gotta agree, you are comparing two totally different products. While saying your movie collection will help you get over the fact that you will be stuck with 8 or 16 gb worth of space, over time, you will kick yourself for being stuck with 8 or 16 gb worth of space. 64gb microSD cards should be enough for you to stop making silly statements referencing your FLAC collection; it's a no brainer.
The S-Pen should be at the top of your list for a device that's centered around productivity. If you just want to watch movies, buy a tablet.
Long story short, CM10 and the rest of the ROMs are needed on devices... the Note 2 doesn't need them. Oh, and you forgot to compare battery sizes... probably something more important than any rom or even the microSD card slot. On the Note 2, it's glorious!
IMHO i need the sd slot by getting that phone i would have to revert back to ousting my iPod for music amongst the other things I've got on it.. can't do it... sides love the s pen.. this phone is awesome
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
I would personally never buy the nexus 4 simply because it is made by LG and Samsung is far superior when it comes to smart phones. I upgraded my SGS3 to the Note 2 for the larger screen and the extras like the s-pen. Only thing that sucks right now is there are very few accessories for the Note at the moment but Seidio and Otterbox are in the works.
brashmadcap said:
You're comparing Apples and ****ing IEDs; Note is HUGE, wicked fast, polished up with TouchWiz and has the surprisingly useful S-Pen. Nexus devices are wonderful, and I've owned every single one except the two just announced... But you can pry the Note II from my cold dead hands because it is hands down, the greatest device on Earth today.
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You are exactly right.. I honestly don't see how i can honestly go to soothe device after I've had the note 2 i had a guy at work offer me 300 bucks and his white s3 I was like no!! Put the s3 on Craig'slist and get your own...the next phone i buy wool obviously be a note 3... What can i say I'm hooked...
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
I have to agree. The t889 is the way to go. I look at the nexus4 and it is very similar to my t989 with a updated soc and very slightly different size screen. Along with the whole stock android thing. I didn't really feel the need to upgrade to the s3 from my s2 especially since I don't like hardware home buttons. But the note 2 has got me desperately wanting out of my contract so that I can get it. Bigger better screen, s pen, removable battery and sdcard slot. And I don't know about the statement that the qualcomm Soc is better then the exynos they are probably very very close but I'd take the Mali gpu over the adreno any day of the week. If you really want a nexus device just get a 199$ nexus 7. It seems like a better deal then the nexus 4. But you probably wouldn't even use the 7 incher if you had the t889.
I'm not sure what sort of crap people are talking on here and saying the Nexus 4 is crap, but that's an absolutely ridiculous statement. The SoC on the Nexus 4 is definitely faster than the Note II, but honestly Need for Speed Most Wanted is the only thing that doesn't run perfectly on the Note II (and even then we're talking a handful of frame drops that make no difference to gameplay). Most games aren't even close to being as taxing as NFS MW, so I wouldn't even worry about that. Games that usually slow phones down like Plight of the Zombie, and livewallpapers that do the same don't slow down the Note II at all. Everything runs perfectly on the phone.
As for features, it's really TouchWiz vs. stock Android. As nice as Android 4.2 is, the features in TouchWiz are unmatched, even though it can be extremely ugly. What's really nice about the Note II though is that there are already a lot of theming kitchens available, like this one, that make TouchWiz just a little less ugly by letting you customize icons and colors in the interface. Honestly after having the S-Pen features on the Note II, I'm not sure I could go back to any phone that doesn't have such features. It's one of the reasons I'll probably never run an AOSP based ROM on this phone. Of course AOSP has S-Pen gestures now, so there's no telling what the wizards here at XDA will do over time, but for now I bought the Note II for the S-Pen features primarily, and that keeps me from jumping ship from Samsung's stuff.
It's up to you. I'm getting my wife a Nexus 4 for Christmas because although she loves the Note II and the features, it's just a little too large for her. Plus I'd recommend a Nexus 4 over a Galaxy S III any day, but that's a whole 'nother thread. Get the Note II, you won't be sorry. It's by far the best phone I've EVER used.
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bookburner said:
I have to agree. The t889 is the way to go. I look at the nexus4 and it is very similar to my t989 with a updated soc and very slightly different size screen. Along with the whole stock android thing. I didn't really feel the need to upgrade to the s3 from my s2 especially since I don't like hardware home buttons. But the note 2 has got me desperately wanting out of my contract so that I can get it. Bigger better screen, s pen, removable battery and sdcard slot. And I don't know about the statement that the qualcomm Soc is better then the exynos they are probably very very close but I'd take the Mali gpu over the adreno any day of the week. If you really want a nexus device just get a 199$ nexus 7. It seems like a better deal then the nexus 4. But you probably wouldn't even use the 7 incher if you had the t889.
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The Nexus 4 has a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core and an Adreno 320. It's in a league of its own honestly. The only thing that truly competes with it is the SoC in the iPhone 5. Burns me that that's the case, but facts are facts unfortunately.
Gwanatu said:
I'm not sure what sort of crap people are talking on here and saying the Nexus 4 is crap, but that's an absolutely ridiculous statement. The SoC on the Nexus 4 is definitely faster than the Note II, but honestly Need for Speed Most Wanted is the only thing that doesn't run perfectly on the Note II (and even then we're talking a handful of frame drops that make no difference to gameplay). Most games aren't even close to being as taxing as NFS MW, so I wouldn't even worry about that. Games that usually slow phones down like Plight of the Zombie, and livewallpapers that do the same don't slow down the Note II at all. Everything runs perfectly on the phone.
As for features, it's really TouchWiz vs. stock Android. As nice as Android 4.2 is, the features in TouchWiz are unmatched, even though it can be extremely ugly. What's really nice about the Note II though is that there are already a lot of theming kitchens available, like this one, that make TouchWiz just a little less ugly by letting you customize icons and colors in the interface. Honestly after having the S-Pen features on the Note II, I'm not sure I could go back to any phone that doesn't have such features. It's one of the reasons I'll probably never run an AOSP based ROM on this phone. Of course AOSP has S-Pen gestures now, so there's no telling what the wizards here at XDA will do over time, but for now I bought the Note II for the S-Pen features primarily, and that keeps me from jumping ship from Samsung's stuff.
It's up to you. I'm getting my wife a Nexus 4 for Christmas because although she loves the Note II and the features, it's just a little too large for her. Plus I'd recommend a Nexus 4 over a Galaxy S III any day, but that's a whole 'nother thread. Get the Note II, you won't be sorry. It's by far the best phone I've EVER used.
---------- Post added at 08:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 AM ----------
The Nexus 4 has a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core and an Adreno 320. It's in a league of its own honestly. The only thing that truly competes with it is the SoC in the iPhone 5. Burns me that that's the case, but facts are facts unfortunately.
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Imagine a note 2 with a s4 pro
Sent from my SGH-T889 using XDA Premium HD app
I think these devices have really different use cases.
One major draw back for me about the nexus 4 is the battery and SD card. I've owned every nexus devicedevice and while they are amazing devices, there always seems to be some (major)drawback.
This could be said about any phone.
For the note2, the Major drawback is the size, something that I'm OK with. Which is whyi won't be switching to the n4.
brashmadcap said:
You're comparing Apples and ****ing IEDs
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mdt73 said:
Ya, I gotta agree, you are comparing two totally different products.
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I agree they're pretty different, but definitely not comparing apples and oranges (or IEDs). ..mainly because (for most), it's one or the other. They're going to serve the same purpose, even if in different ways.
I've been going crazy, back and forth btwn the two. I told myself I'd never get a non-nexus device again, but leaning more towards the NoteII now. The most important aspect for me now is the developer support. ParanoidAndroid has ruined my crackflashing escapades. I've never been on a ROM so long, and everything else seems weird now.
I hope PA comes soon. Aside from that, I worry about the N4's lack of storage/expandable storage which has seriously been a PITA on my Gnex. That BS from Duarte or another Googler about users not needing expandable memory is bs. And the cloud storage argument is ridiculous. Files commonly accessed get cached on the device anyway and take up space. (preaching to the choir). I'm less concerned about the LTE futureproofing, but it's definitely an issue as well.
dannydv said:
Nexus 4 is crap! Don't buy it or u will regret it!!!!!!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
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The nexus 4 isnt going to be crap. There are many negative points for me regarding the nexus 4 versus the note 2 but it will not be a bad phone.
On another note. I haven't done any reading or researching on the matter, is the snapdragon really THAT much faster than the exynos? I didnt know such a disparity existed.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
I got the Note II because it has much better battery life than the new Nexus. My last phone was the Galaxy Nexus, a great phone, but I was always carrying an external battery with me or charging it in the wall. Compared to the galaxy nexus (and probably the nexus 4 and most androids out there), my experience so far with the Note II is that the battery life is about twice as good. With the Note II I can leave the bluetooth on, gps on, screen bright, and it's all okay for the day. It also charges super fast at 2amp. It took me longer to charge my Galaxy Nexus even though the battery was much smaller.
Wifi calling, removable battery, larger screen, SD card are nice as well. It seems Google doesn't update their OS that often anymore anyways. I had the Galaxy Nexus for a year and only had very few updates that barely improved anything (where as my Nexus S and Nexus One seemed to have had more significant updates.)
The charging is pretty cool on the note 2. Ive never had a phone with such a huge battery that can chsrge so fast
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
Funny thing is when I had my S2 all I heard is how crappy the snapdragon was and how great he Exynos was, now that the nexus has one all of a sudden its the best. Smh
tigerz0202 said:
Funny thing is when I had my S2 all I heard is how crappy the snapdragon was and how great he Exynos was, now that the nexus has one all of a sudden its the best. Smh
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This exactly.
Sent from my JellyBean Galaxys3
Related
I am considering buying a note or a nexus what you think is the best at the moment? Or maybe other phones??
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Depends. What is more important to you and which phone will cater best to your needs.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
bjornj said:
I am considering buying a note or a nexus what you think is the best at the moment? Or maybe other phones??
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I never used the Note, but i just wen to its website and I would prefer the Galaxy Nexus (I own one) because f many factors: The note screen is 5.3 inches big, this is not a phone. Its a small tablet nd its to bif for me. The difference seems to be more software related. Software can work on any phone, some one only have to make it.
Also, they probably sell the stylus for 50 bucks.
I would consider the galaxy nexus over the note as well. IMO the note is too big for a comfortable size phone, and still too small to watch videos.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I would personally have gone with the note, but now have a gnex because i am on verizon and the radios dont work well together.
Gnex has been great though and I certainly dont regret it. ICS is great and I think that touchwiz is really annoying personally.
The reason I wanted a note was because the screen size since I have large hands, and because the battery life.
But Gnex actually has a better screen in my opinion, cause it has a higher pixel density 316 ppi vs. Gnote's 285.
To me it really majorly depends on what will feel most comfortable in your hands, and what carrier you are on.
Also if people say the note's processor is faster they are likely comparing it with quadrant, an app not optimized for ics
Always Nexus because of Google updates and huge dev community
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
They might have similar specs but for me they don't serve the same market. 5,3" is so much bigger than 4,65" that it's not "pocketable" anymore for many people.
Go into a store, pick up a Note and judge for yourself if this "phone" is something you want to carry around every day. For me that was all it took to pass on the Note and buy the Nexus.
I was convinced that I was going to get the Note. I do a lot of work in documents, terminal editor, and the browser and would have loved the extra screen space. Plus, the Note has a microSD slot. Then I found out that the radio does not currently support both T-Mobile US HSPA+ bands and I would be limited to EDGE. No way...
The other concern that I had was that this is sort of a niche device and I was concerned that the ROM support would not be there like it will be for the GNex. Coming from the N1, I have to feed my crack flashing addiction.
I still have some remorse over not getting the Note, but the GNex is truly a great phone. I've been cleaning out my N1 so that the kids can use it to play games and such on wifi (sometimes tethered to my GNex) and realized how SMALL it is and how clunky the gingerbread ROM feels now.
It's funny to me, when I first took my Galaxy Nexus out of the box when I first bought it, I thought that was a large phone (though I didn't think it was too large). Well once I took the Galaxy Note out the box, I no longer consider my GNex to be large. The screen of the Note is almost the size of the whole GNex. Depending on how you look at it, that's a good thing or a bad thing. All in all, after playing with both of them side by side for a while, I've come to the conclusion that the GNex is better due to it being faster in essential things like browsing and GPS. I just wish the GNex got as loud as the Note does.
Here's a link to my brief comparison:
http://thesmartphonechamp.com/smartphone-heavyweight-bout-galaxy-nexus-vs-att-galaxy-note/
I also have both and like both! I love the Gnex because of ics , 0 crapware installed pure google experience.
But i love the note because of the big screen, long battery life, and lte. The screen of the gnex looks a little better because it's smaller. The gnex might be better for you and the note might be good for someone else... It's all about taste!
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big samm said:
I also have both and like both! I love the Gnex because of ics , 0 crapware installed pure google experience.
But i love the note because of the big screen, long battery life, and lte. The screen of the gnex looks a little better because it's smaller. The gnex might be better for you and the note might be good for someone else... It's all about taste!
Sent from my iPad 3G
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You're right, it's definitely all about taste. I think the Galaxy Note is an awesome device. That screen is tremendous, but for me it is a little bit too big. I value one-handed operation, and I don't really think the Note is very well suited for one-handed operation. For a person that doesn't mind two-handed operation I think it's a fantastic device. For example, my uncle is geeked about that phone and intends to buy it. I took it over his house yesterday so he could see it and now he's in love with it lol. He likes two-handed operation, so yep it's like you said, it's a matter of preference. Just wish they had toned it down with all the bloatware (the phone has a massive amount of bloat). Also, the Gnex shines with ICS and the optimizations really show up in the browser, as it blows the Note away in browsing speed. It really isn't close. I'm curious to see how much improvement the Note's browser speed will see once it gets ICS. I just hate how they will "uglify" ICS with Touchwiz on the Note.
The international note is faster than the Gnex due to the Mali 400 GPU but on the AT&T version it has an adreno GPU which is probably the worst GPU series of all major ARM processor families
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Faster is relative to what function you are speaking.
cordell507 said:
The international note is faster than the Gnex due to the Mali 400 GPU but on the AT&T version it has an adreno GPU which is probably the worst GPU series of all major ARM processor families
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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I think too much is made about GPU's. None of the GPU's are incapable and run software and games just fine. They only matter in benchmarks...which really don't mean anything at all besides message board bragging rights. I think if there is fault to be found in the AT&T Galaxy Note's hardware it would be the processor. They went with the S3 Snapdragon which definitely isn't in the upper tier of dual core processors. The S3 has less than half the memory bandwidth of the OMAP 4460, A5, and Exynos 4210. Then don't forget it isn't even an A9 chip either. BTW the OMAP4 thus far (the S3 has already been counted out) is the only current gen chip that will be compatible with the upcoming wifi display feature that will be added in an update later this year. Heck the Tegra 3 isn't even compatible.
I'm curious how the battery life compares between a Nexus with the 2100mah battery and a Note with the 2500mah battery.
I wouldn't even look at a SGS3 if the Note had stock ICS and NFC. Otherwise it's worthless with TW barfed on it. The Note is a fantastic mobile otherwise. I do miss the notification light though.
(I'm talking about the international version. That 4 button abomination just released doesn't count.)
(I know I can flash it to whatever I want. I want stock ICS OOTB.)
bmstrong said:
I wouldn't even look at a SGS3 if the Note had stock ICS and NFC. Otherwise it's worthless with TW barfed on it. The Note is a fantastic mobile otherwise. I do miss the notification light though.
(I'm talking about the international version. That 4 button abomination just released doesn't count.)
(I know I can flash it to whatever I want. I want stock ICS OOTB.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you that Touchwiz is definitely not the greatest. I've seen the leaked ICS Rom and you can barely tell the difference between it and Gingerbread visually. As for the US version of the Note, I think it looks much better than the international version with its giant ugly PHYSICAL home button. Besides, that one home button is a little too iphone-ish for me.
I have yet to play with note but I have a feeling I will trade this guy for a white note.
It looks super nice and eventually they should have cm9 and that's close enough to aosp for me.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
"Eventually."
Let us not forget it is LTE. That ALWAYS makes for a fun time with new devices to aosp.
"Eventually" may be by the time of EOL of the LTE Note
True true... I wonder how many people left this device for it and are happy
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Well I just played with the Note at an ATT store last night, it was beautiful.
The case didn't feel as premium as nexus, but ahmigawd the screen!
I originally wanted a Note but it didn't support T-mo properly so didn't import it. No way in hell I'd get it for ATT or VZ (both can diaf).
However I don't feel you can really compare the Nexus to a Note, it's in its own category, the size will basically polarize people. The interesting thing about the Note is that, pretty much the only complaint about it is that it's "too big", reviewers list that as a con - which imo is just dumb, considering it was intended to be a big phone.
I'm going to hold out for the Note II
Is the note 2 for sure happening?
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claud_face said:
Is the note 2 for sure happening?
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We should know in a couple days, I would assume.
Had the Note (international) now have the GNEX. Don't fall for the Note. It's neat, but it's still a Touchwiz-y typical device. AOSP forever. I'm done with non Nexus devices. It's just not worth the agony of always feeling left behind on the software/functionality front.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
bmstrong said:
I wouldn't even look at a SGS3 if the Note had stock ICS and NFC. Otherwise it's worthless with TW barfed on it. The Note is a fantastic mobile otherwise. I do miss the notification light though.
(I'm talking about the international version. That 4 button abomination just released doesn't count.)
(I know I can flash it to whatever I want. I want stock ICS OOTB.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow at&t really went hard on disabling features. First i ear that you can't disable lte, and now you're saying nfc is also disabled?
I have a bell version unlocked here in Canada and non of these feature are disabled.
They are terrible!!
Sent from my SGH-I717M
claud_face said:
Is the note 2 for sure happening?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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of course there's nothing absolute.
But Note was a success, except that the release is akin to the disaster that was GSII.
There's no reason samsung won't make another Note.
claud_face said:
I have yet to play with note but I have a feeling I will trade this guy for a white note.
It looks super nice and eventually they should have cm9 and that's close enough to aosp for me.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
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You'll like the note. I loved mine. The 5.3 inch is huge at first, but warms up to you real quick. I just traded my international note for a gnex. But it wasn't because I was dissatisfied with the device, I just needed a phone that I can wear in a holster for work. Besides, no matter how much I like a device, I can't hang on to just one, I have to try em all . I haven't received my gnex yet, but lord knows how long I'm gonna be able to hang onto it once I get it.
I just played with the att note, brand new just arrived today. Its bigger than i thought! One thing i noticed is that thing is laggggy compared to my nexus. I did side by side comparisons in many major apps and the nexus spanked it in every instance. Lists just had low frame rates and stuttered a bit. But the nexus was silky smooth for example both scrolling the same search in the market, or youtube or a webpage. Must be due to lack of exynos? Thank goodness i love my nexus.
I have both in hand! Bam!
Maybe this will help someone choosing between them, maybe not. But I did an upgrade on my second line and now have both sitting in front of me.
Ok so Rogers Galaxy Note LTE vs Galaxy Nexus...(Random thoughts on both follows)
The Note's LTE speeds are freaking fast...faster then my wifi, its insane. Also battery life seems very nice. I was getting 2 days out of the GSM Nexus and about the same out of the Note.
Screen brightness is much better on the Note. Typing text messages on the Note seems funny as hell because the keyboard is huge and everything is comical big. The Note is a pain in the ass to hold but might not be an issue if you have bigger hands (I'm only 5'8. I'd imagine someone 6'+ would have an easier time)
The Galaxy Nexus supports atleast 10 points of touch. And its rock solid where the Galaxy Note only supports 7. Placing an 8th finger down kills all touch input. Also if you place 2 fingers down on the Note at the exact same time, one will cancel out. Not an issue on the Galaxy Nexus.
Phone quality seems about the same on both.
Pictures look better with the Notes camera. I honestly think video is better on the Galaxy Nexus. The Auto focus will focus much much closer on the Galaxy Nexus to a Macro level. I could not get the Note to focus nearly as close.
Even though the Note has a dark blue textured back plate it seems to get finger prints, the back of the Nexus does not.
The S-pen is fun as hell. If you are into drawing its really nice in Autodesk.
I don't know what to say really about a choice between the both of them. I have to sell one but I am trying to decide what one. They are both really nice.
Anyone interested in anything between the two of them just ask and I'll test. Quadrant scored the Note higher but I don't really trust it because the original Nexus S slaughters both. Fastest I've gotten with an original Nexus S was OC to 1.5 running Miui and I scored over 3000.
Anyways ask away.
Owned both and the GNEX is the clear winner. Glad I sold my International Note before the AT&T (worse) version launched.
IMO, the GNEX and an Android tablet is the best possible combo. My GNEX and Transformer work so much better in tandem than the Note by itself.
Agreed ^^^^^
Sent using axne1's
Beastly Galaxy Nexus Prime!
Two words: Gingerbread. Touchwiz. My Note was gone within the first hour I got it.
bmstrong said:
Two words: Gingerbread. Touchwiz. My Note was gone within the first hour I got it.
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Click to collapse
+1
I'm on my third Nexus and from the first one to now the 3rd, I fought with myself about which phone to chose. Every time I came back to the Nexus. Why? ICS with no stupid skinning. No way I can ever go back to touchwiz. Dunno how I'm gonna make out with the SGS 3.
True and we can't compare directly because of the OS. ICS is Windows 7 to Gingerbeads XP. There are more bells and whistles and GPU power set aside for UI components that are free in GB.
I agree that phone+tablet are great. Having 2 saved me several times when I'm traveling and one dies... I can rely on the other.
I used to have 2 cells on different carriers and a tablet.... somehow I'd still manage to kill 2 of the 3 during peak times.
EXT LTE Galaxy Nexus - 4.0.4
Asus Transformer - ICS
I also had both of them. The Nexus was the clear winner. I do miss the Note for playing games though, I was tempted to keep it around for gaming and surfing the web. I traded the Note for a 4S for my girlfriend
One of my colleagues got the Note. It's certainly a nice device, but it's not for me. I'm 6'4", but I still find the Note impractically large.
who would want to carry that piece of brick around? it is extremely big, you could kill someone with that
Just bought a Rogers Galaxy Note full price (and selling my GNEX). Didn't had the chance to play with the Note yet but I found myself using my GNex more like a small computer for internet browsing than as an actual phone.
It's gonna be my first Android that is not a Nexus, I'm certainly gonna miss lot of features (returning to 2.3 gonna be a pain) but in overall I think the Note gonna be better for my needs.
Still in a year I'll probably sell the note to get another the next Nexus!
CF - Bench on the NOTE with franco kernel? His kernel is also available for Note.
Greets!
I'm not a fake.
I prefer people to reply to me and give feedback instead of thanking me!
But thanking me does show if you apreciate my works.
Hi all,
i currently am using a galaxy nexus and wish to upgrade my phone. I am debating between the Galaxy note 2 and the nexus 4.
I'm a fan of the pure google experience but am intrigued by the galaxy note 2's stylus functionality. I would appreciate if note 2 owners can share their experience of using the phone. Is the S pen functionality actually useful day to day? Or is it more of a cool "show off" feature?
thanks!
Doubt your going to get an unbiased answer in here.... :laugh:
That said, I wasn't even considering the Note 2 at one stage, but in the end because I couldn't get a Nexus 4, it made me think again about what I wanted...
I had a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Nexus. I saw the Nexus 4 as just a very fast, more polished version of the Galaxy Nexus, otherwise the ownership experience was much the same IMHO. The Nexus 7 was superfluous and I didn't really use it to its potential. So I looked into the Note 2, as it addressed many things I didn't like about the Gnex, mainly, poor battery life, poor camera and lack of storage.
So I've got the Note 2.
No regrets. The camera appears to be better than the Nexus 4, battery life MUCH better (in fact, much better than any phone I've ever used before), and although the screen does not have 300+ PPI, its more "impressive" to look at. And it also fills in as a tablet.
Very happy with it. I do slightly miss Vanilla Android, but TBH you can still turn it into an object of desire with a little work.
As for the pen, for me, its a bit of a gimmick TBQH. Others may disagree.
netninja said:
Hi all,
i currently am using a galaxy nexus and wish to upgrade my phone. I am debating between the Galaxy note 2 and the nexus 4.
I'm a fan of the pure google experience but am intrigued by the galaxy note 2's stylus functionality. I would appreciate if note 2 owners can share their experience of using the phone. Is the S pen functionality actually useful day to day? Or is it more of a cool "show off" feature?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't speak for the rest, but I honestly bought the first note thinking that I'd NEVER use the SPen, but in reality it's REALLY useful.
When I am on a phone call, I whip out the pen and just start writing on the smemo pad that comes up... Numbers, words, dates, etc. Very handy.
It's also a very precise tool.
When it's cold outside, I can use the Spen instead of taking off my gloves. Saves me from frostbite LOL.
It's great for screen captures of a specific size, or even the whole page!
I also admit that I was thinking about buying the Nexus 4 in addition to my Note 2. But I thought to myself that Pure Google is great, but I'd miss A LOT of the added functionality that Samsung or any other company adds to their devices. Those little touches make the experience really nice. So does google! But the SPen, huge battery, expandable memory, added software, larger screen.... All are necessary for me now... I'm a Samsunger for the next year at least hehe.
I hope I've helped shed some light on my personal use and opinion.
zkyevolved said:
When I am on a phone call, I whip out the pen and just start writing on the smemo pad that comes up... Numbers, words, dates, etc. Very handy.
It's also a very precise tool.
When it's cold outside, I can use the Spen instead of taking off my gloves. Saves me from frostbite LOL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never realise it did that, interesting, thanks.
As for getting cold in Spain, give over!
Thanks for the replies guys. They were all very good descriptions.
I gotta make a decision and it ain't an easy one!
The S-Pen is the reason I bought the Note 2 and i use it for more things than I first intended. I love all the retouching tools that are available on Android not to mention apps like SketchBookPro which are pretty useless without the S-Pen.
The pen is also, as another wrote, very accurate and very useful on Web pages like this to quickly change to italic or bold without having to zoom in!
One feature I really thought was a gimmick was the smart stay feature. But I assure you it isn't. It is one my favourites. In good light I now never have the screen sleep on me whilst reading. It however sleeps 15 seconds after I turn my head away.
Hey all,
Just wanted to say thanks for the advice! I got my Galaxy Note II in titanium today very pleased so far.
netninja said:
Hey all,
Just wanted to say thanks for the advice! I got my Galaxy Note II in titanium today very pleased so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good desicion, this is without doubt the best phone I have owned, so smooth. When I get my wife's s3 it feels slow and tiny compared.
i was making the same choice as well
nexus 4 advantages
-pure google experience
-cheap
-qualcomm s4 pro
-higher pixel density
galaxy note 2 advantages
-android 4.1 with touchwiz customisations which gives it a lot more software features out of the box compared to nexus 4
-a bit more expensive but i managed to order mine for $529AU, which isnt too much more compared to $399AU price of the nexus 4
-exynos 4412 might not be as quick as the s4 at 1080p, but at 720p theyre more or less on par
-although pixel density is lower, the screen real estate is much higher when you factor in that the on screen keyboard of the nexus 4 reduces the usable screen area to around 4.4-.4.5inches
-camera has a lot of useful features that i'd use
-a lot more choices in terms of cases available at the moment
-monster battery
-s pen (this wasnt really a selling point for me though since i barely used it in my note 1)
so after evaluating it (and seeing a massive price drop), i forked out the money. it also helped that the note 2 was available whereas the nexus 4 is still unavailable.
Ability with my N7105 to swap out the (massive capacity) battery and provision of a microsd slot wins it for me The 16GB max of the Nexus 4 is a deal breaker for me. No way I'll buy any device lacking a card slot. Why does Google do this? I can't see the non swappable 2100mAH battery lasting long on a quad core device either.
mitchelln said:
Ability with my N7105 to swap out the (massive capacity) battery and provision of a microsd slot wins it for me The 16GB max of the Nexus 4 is a deal breaker for me. No way I'll buy any device lacking a card slot. Why does Google do this? I can't see the non swappable 2100mAH battery lasting long on a quad core device either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, without µSD card, you can't take your music, vidéos and game with you. My internal memory is almost full, Gameloft game consume up to 1Go per game. Other games and apps use more and more spaces, around 50Mo per apps, and you have only 10Go left on the 16Gb model.
The main problem about the note is that you can't move game data to the external µSD without beeing root and using something like DirectoryBind.
And if you take many HD videos, 16Gb is ridiculous.
netninja said:
Hey all,
Just wanted to say thanks for the advice! I got my Galaxy Note II in titanium today very pleased so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Enjoy mate I'm sure you will
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Galaxy Note 2. Nexus 4 is slow in comparison. Nothing special about it unless you like stock ROM from Google. No external memory slot. Absolute deal breaker for any phone for me.
I just traded away my 16gig n4 for the international Note 2 and wow is all i can say. This is the best phone ever, samsung really hit a home run with this thing.
Nickel Dime Bay said:
I just traded away my 16gig n4 for the international Note 2 and wow is all i can say. This is the best phone ever, samsung really hit a home run with this thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice. I'm curious what made you decide to switch the N4 for the GNOTE 2?
netninja said:
Nice. I'm curious what made you decide to switch the N4 for the GNOTE 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bigger screen (N4 was super nice and clear)
Colors on the N4 were a bit washed out. That could also have been my eyes just like AMOLED screens better.
SD card slot
LTE (getting the ATT one soon)
And battery life is INSANE!
Those are some of MY reasons for switching. Loved the Nexus, that phone is so smooth!! But the Note 2 is just better in my eyes.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
I really wanted the Nexus 4, had two in the cart but was never able to purchase them on the release date. Really was bummed about that.
However, since I had time to wait for them to restock, I started looking a bit harder at other phones, and came across the GT-N7100 Note 2. What sealed it for me was:
Bigger screen
Huge battery capacity
Replaceable battery
Back isn't made of glass
SD card slot (64Gb on the way!)
S Pen sounded like a really neat idea
International version avoided carrier bloatware
International version has hotspot enabled
Since I've got it:
Screen really is nice
Battery life really is good
S-pen holds definite promise
Runs so, so smooth
Big phone is big
Can't move apps to SD card, (why god, why?!) but this can be fixed with root
Doesn't have a dedicated car dock like my Epic 4G did
Finding a 2A car charger is damn near impossible, but easy if you are good with a soldering iron to mod an existing one
Belt cases are hard to find (yeah, i kick it old school)
Completely happy with my purchase. Google did me a favor by running out of stock so fast.
netninja said:
Thanks for the replies guys. They were all very good descriptions.
I gotta make a decision and it ain't an easy one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I moved on from the Note1 powered by CM10/AOSKP based Roms, to the Note 2 and never doubted between it and the N4.
Could not even consider a phone without a sd slot, replaceable battery and smaller screen, even for that price and being pure Google.
Not to mention the Note 2 got an amazing sound, due the Wolfson DAC, and an amazing GPS/GLONASS performance.
And talking about amazing, what an amazing battery performance!
Actually, if you don't care about the fact that the Note is manufactured by Samsung, and don't care about the pure Google experience (Nexus devices) and prices, I don't even understand why you still have doubts.
Specially after all the answers you got here
Did you post this same question on the N4 forum?
.
sleebus.jones said:
[*]Finding a 2A car charger is damn near impossible, but easy if you are good with a soldering iron to mod an existing one
[*]Belt cases are hard to find (yeah, i kick it old school)
[/LIST]
Completely happy with my purchase. Google did me a favor by running out of stock so fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
otterbox has a defender case with belt clip. some ebay cases have a belt clip too.
and as for the 2A charger, just go on the google play store and buy the 2A charger that they sell for the nexus 7. i've been using my nexus 7 2A charger to charge my note 2, charges quite rapidly.
I have the note 2....also getting the nexus 4...because its cheap...... will be useful to give it as a gift to my brother
scribbled from my note 2 (N7100)
I currently have the original Note running CM10. My phone is a work phone and I have the luxury of getting early upgrades from AT&T. They have offered me the phone at $199.00 if it want. You folks have been using your phones for a bit now, any original Note converts think it wasn't worth it and in hindsight don't see that much of an improvement?
Birdsfan said:
I currently have the original Note running CM10. My phone is a work phone and I have the luxury of getting early upgrades from AT&T. They have offered me the phone at $199.00 if it want. You folks have been using your phones for a bit now, any original Note converts think it wasn't worth it and in hindsight don't see that much of an improvement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely worth it, especially for the increase in battery life.
sold my note1 havent looked back (i was running cm10)
oh and i sold it for $350.
the GN2 is so smooth...:highfive:
kirkla79 said:
Definitely worth it, especially for the increase in battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for battery. last through the day note like the Note 1. smoother and better wise
I got lucky with a craiglist deal and got it earlier than I expected. I was going to wait for a coupke months. The biggest upgrade to me is the 2gb of ram.
If can wait for a better deal I would wait. Personally my excitement level wasnt as high as the original note. But all in all this is the best device on the market.
I owned a dna droid for about 2 weeks foe testing and htc in my opinion is still playing catchup and next to the note 2 its looks washed out specially if your a fan of amoled display.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
Sold my note1 for a nexus in july then sold my nexus for this. Best phone ever used.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda premium
By far the best phone ever made in my opinion. The note 1 doesn't even compare to this thing it really is far better in every way
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
I still have my original note (being used by my brother) and weve done some side by side tests the note 1 just doesn't compare to the note 2 not even in the same league
I had the note 1,and I'd have to say the note 2 was worth the upgrade.The note 2 just so much faster and more options than my note 1 by far.I would say get the note 2 definitely,or if you can wait there is talk of the note 3 coming maybe in jan,feb,with a bigger 6.3 screen.I'm kind of disappointment, if I new the note 3 was going to come so soon,I would of waited.
I sold my original note for 360. I got the note 2 for 199. So basically a free upgrade. No regrets at all and battery life is 3 times better than og note.
Sent from the TermiNOTEr 2!
Funny, saw a thread in the i-717 general discussion board the other day, and it was like a thread for people trying to convince themselves they weren't upset they couldn't upgrade to the Note II. Don't get me wrong, my original Note I was an amazing phone, but the Note II is definitely in another league as difficult as that seems. It's more portable, Jelly Bean/Project Butter/Nature UI makes a world of difference, better hardware internals, significantly better speakerphone, an actual multi-color LED notification light, better call quality, and a battery that is so vastly better there's no real metric to compare it to. Not to mention the better camera and list of extended photo-taking features the original Note doesn't have. And if you're someone who actually likes the S Pen, there's no comparison between the capabilities and build of the new S Pen, over the crappy one on the OG Note. All of this, and there's still a bucket of other enhanced features I've left out. I have no regrets making the upgrade, especially since it virtually cost me nothing.
The Note 2 is a huge upgrade. Battery life alone is the selling point. If you can get a deal GET IT!
I had my doubts upgrading from note but trust me. .. it feels like night and day and I had my note highly overclocked.
Do yourself a favor and waste no more time thinking about it and make the jump :thumbup:
Sent from the Mighty Note 2!
No regrets here...JB + quad-core + 2GB ram makes the device so smooth. Also no issues with blobs and such!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
The Note II is an entirely different league. The new S Pen itself is much easier to hold compared to the one included with the original Note, the battery lasts quite a bit longer, and the software actually takes full advantage of the S Pen instead of feeling like it's bolted on -- for example, features such as Quick Command, Air View, the new S Note app that replaced S Memo, etc.
Don't get me wrong, the original GALAXY Note was a great device, but at times it left things to be desired. With the Note II, the whole experience just feels better and more intuitive. It's definitely worthwhile upgrading in my opinion.
The other posters have said pretty much everything. I'm also a Note 1 to Note 2 convert. The Note 2 is a tremendous improvement over the original.
Prior to switching I wasn't keen on the form factor of the Note 2 (GSIII shape and home button vs the North American Note 1 w/o home button). What really attracted me to the Note 2 was what I had seen/heard/read of the speed, smoothness and battery life. All were true. What surprised me was how much better the Note 2 was in all of the above areas. What surprised me even more than that was how much I actually like the form factor, home button and all.
With my Note 1 I had two main complaints: speed/lag and battery life. I purchased a slightly higher capacity battery to address the first issue, but was waiting on the JellyBean update to see if that would improve the speed and smoothness (hopes weren't high on that one). I knew that the problem was with the number of things that I was running, but to me that was the point of having a 'superphone.' Battery life and speed were fine when the phone was used lightly, but if screen brightness was turned up, multiple pages full of widgets were set up, various Samsung enhancements were running, and LTE, WiFi and Bluetooth were on then performance was lackluster and the unit ate up the battery like there was no tomorrow.
I can use the Note 2 as advertised, without having to worry about turning off/disabling features in order to save the battery or eliminate lag. This phone spends its days with motion enhancements, Bluetooth, LTE, WiFi and sync (email, etc) on all the time and still gets me easily through the day. It's astonishing. It shouldn't be astonishing, but modern phones have us trained to think that it's not reasonable to expect a full day of 'full' use.
Long story short, the Note 2 is definitely worth the upgrade.
drop the $ and come on in...the water is fine! You'll never regret it!
zc1 said:
Prior to switching I wasn't keen on the form factor of the Note 2 (GSIII shape and home button vs the North American Note 1 w/o home button).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny that you mention that, because coming from both the GALAXY S II Skyrocket & the original GALAXY Note I thought the same thing about that "stupid little home button" (as I referred to it at the time). But after actually using the S III and the Note II, it's actually nice to have a physical button that you can press to return to the launcher, or even just turn the screen on really quick to glance at a notification (since capacitive buttons can act wonky sometimes.)
Note 2 no doubt. Most powerful phone out on the market with outstanding battery life. Feels great in hand, yet perfect aspect ratio. 64gb external storage. Quad core....
Holding off on the deal is just a loss of value on the 1. If you love the original, the only thing you will regret is that you didn't get the note 2 sooner.
Start tha new year off right.
I dont always talk online, but when I do I prefer xda premium.
Thank you all very much for taking the time to respond to my question. My XDA brothers have spoken and I read you loud and clear! I will be starting off the new year with a Note 2.