Related
I thought I would create this post for others who might be considering moving to the Note 2.
I was previously using an Evo 4G. It was a decent phone after it was rooted, but battery life was still poor. After a lot of research and back-and-forth, I made the plunge and upgraded to the Note 2.
Here are my observations after having been using the Note 2 now for a week:
1. The size factor goes away quickly.
I was prepared to have a hard time adjusting to the size of the Note 2. The screen is larger than my entire Evo 4G! But after using it for a day, I was used to it and really liking it. Like I have read in so many other posts, I don't think I could ever go back to a small phone again. The size is really great.2. TouchWiz takes some getting used to.
TouchWiz is the layer Samsung puts on top of Android, like HTC uses Sense. Before blowing away my stock rom on the Evo, I had been using Sense, and thought it was decent. Then I upgraded my rom on the Evo to a Jellybean AOSP rom, and really liked that much better.
TouchWiz is similar to the AOSP, with some peculiarities that take some getting used to, but over all I think it is superior to HTC's Sense. I don't know how much of it is the software and how much of it is a beast of a phone, but there is very, very little lag or stutter ever on the Note 2. It's just a joy to use.
The homescreen clock, however, is atrocious and was quickly replaced. I'm currently running WPClock 2 live wallpaper and like it much better, but still not quite what I'm looking for.3. The camera is amazing
For either stills or video, for a phone camera this takes truly awesome photos. It's not up to the level of my Canon T2i, but for something that slides into my pocket, it comes pretty darn close. A whole 'nuther level from where the Evo 4G was. Not even in the same league. And the burst mode - just hold the button and it rattles off 6-frames-per-second. Again, not prosumer level, but for a phone it's pretty sweet.4. Speaker phone is great
I have found myself actually using the speaker phone, and the people I'm talking to can't believe that they are on speaker.5. Did I mention the screen is gorgeous?
Every time this past week I have needed to use the phone, it's made me smile. It's just a joy to look at. I know others will talk ppi and resolution and AMOLED etc, but from a sheer usability standpoint the display is just lovely. Bright, crisp, vibrant. It is just that good.There are other things I'm sure I'll think of once I close this post.
But if you are looking for a new phone and are considering the Note 2, stop it and go get one. I don't regret it for a minute.
Great observations. I'm shocked you didn't mention the battery life though!
Here are some tips and app suggestions for you:
S-Pen Toolbox - this lets you customise an app menu when you pull out the S-Pen
SwipePad + recent apps add-on - the best multi-tasking-app launching - app swithching program available
My script calculator - maths with pen and paper -sort of
Smart Screen Off - excellent if you have a flip cover or wallet style case
Now some tips:
The S-Pen is not only for taking notes, retouching photos and being artistic! It is veryeuseful when web browsing. The hover function works like "mouse over". It interacts with pull down menus on many web pages and enlarges thumnails!! Not many people know that!
As you seem to like photography I can also recommend:
PhotoshopTouch
PicsPlayPro
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Afterfocus
Pro HDR Camera - wipes the floor with the stock camera HDR
If you don't have a case, get one. If you want a screen protector avoid the syrupy soft plastic ones. They do not look very nice -fter a few days with the S-Pen. I use cheap hard plastic ones that you can pick up for between $5-$10 for two. I change these every two months or so.
Enjoy you Note
Great post! (both of you, actually).
I concur with #1, absolutely. I think thats the biggest "hesitation" for most folk. And after a few days of using it, it didn't feel ridiculously big, as I feared, or others had mentioned. Weirdly, I think it looks smaller with a case on it. *shrug*
And yes, for once, I have a battery that I NEVER have to worry about.
Dmwitz said:
Great observations. I'm shocked you didn't mention the battery life though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I'm still exploring the battery life. I was a little surprised that I didn't experience the kind of battery life that others reported, and am experimenting with the reasons. Map was eating my battery, which I couldn't figure out because GPS radio was turned off, and I had not used the map app. Turns out it is actually Google Services through map and it automatically tracks your location, so now that I have turned that off, my battery is lasting longer.
Dmwitz said:
Here are some tips and app suggestions for you:
S-Pen Toolbox - this lets you customise an app menu when you pull out the S-Pen
SwipePad + recent apps add-on - the best multi-tasking-app launching - app swithching program available
My script calculator - maths with pen and paper -sort of
Smart Screen Off - excellent if you have a flip cover or wallet style case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great recommendations! Thanks!
Dmwitz said:
Now some tips:
The S-Pen is not only for taking notes, retouching photos and being artistic! It is veryeuseful when web browsing. The hover function works like "mouse over". It interacts with pull down menus on many web pages and enlarges thumnails!! Not many people know that!
As you seem to like photography I can also recommend:
PhotoshopTouch
PicsPlayPro
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Afterfocus
Pro HDR Camera - wipes the floor with the stock camera HDR
If you don't have a case, get one. If you want a screen protector avoid the syrupy soft plastic ones. They do not look very nice -fter a few days with the S-Pen. I use cheap hard plastic ones that you can pick up for between $5-$10 for two. I change these every two months or so.
Enjoy you Note
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just picked up a flip cover from Samsung, so will be really interested to see how well Smart Screen Off app works with it. I have also ordered the Sena case leather pouch.
As for screen protectors, I prefer to not use one. I know some are worried about scratching their screen. I think like this. In my generation, (grew up in the 70's) a lot of grandparents put plastic set covers on the seats of their cars. They were cheap looking, uncomfortable, and squeeky. But the people who bought their car used had awesome seats! I would rather enjoy the screen as designed instead of covering it up. Just me.
Dmwitz said:
As you seem to like photography I can also recommend:
PhotoshopTouch
PicsPlayPro
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Afterfocus
Pro HDR Camera - wipes the floor with the stock camera HDR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing he didn't mention (and I agree with just about all of those suggestions) is Vignette. It is the only camera app I use, for actually taking pics. Its GUI isn't all happy-pretty-insta-filter-dumbed-down, but it hands-down takes some of the best pics I have ever seen on a phone.
Sorry!
kingdazy said:
One thing he didn't mention (and I agree about all of those suggestions) is Vignette. It is the only camera app I use, for actually taking pics. Its GUI isn't all happy-pretty-insta-filter-dumbed-down, but it hands-down takes some of the best pics I have ever seen on a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vignette was the first photo-filter-camera app I bought!! And I use it alot for the Illford black and white which is really incredible.
I have over 30 camera and retouching apps installed as I write so forgive me for missing that one.
Now after checking how many I have installed I need to mention:
Aviary - the best sharpness filter I have found and also allows you to rotate images for hand to get the horizon…well horizontal
Pixlr -
Paintersque
Little Photo
connman said:
I thought I would create this post for others who might be considering moving to the Note 2.
I was previously using an Evo 4G. It was a decent phone after it was rooted, but battery life was still poor. After a lot of research and back-and-forth, I made the plunge and upgraded to the Note 2.
Here are my observations after having been using the Note 2 now for a week:
1. The size factor goes away quickly.
I was prepared to have a hard time adjusting to the size of the Note 2. The screen is larger than my entire Evo 4G! But after using it for a day, I was used to it and really liking it. Like I have read in so many other posts, I don't think I could ever go back to a small phone again. The size is really great.2. TouchWiz takes some getting used to.
TouchWiz is the layer Samsung puts on top of Android, like HTC uses Sense. Before blowing away my stock rom on the Evo, I had been using Sense, and thought it was decent. Then I upgraded my rom on the Evo to a Jellybean AOSP rom, and really liked that much better.
TouchWiz is similar to the AOSP, with some peculiarities that take some getting used to, but over all I think it is superior to HTC's Sense. I don't know how much of it is the software and how much of it is a beast of a phone, but there is very, very little lag or stutter ever on the Note 2. It's just a joy to use.
The homescreen clock, however, is atrocious and was quickly replaced. I'm currently running WPClock 2 live wallpaper and like it much better, but still not quite what I'm looking for.3. The camera is amazing
For either stills or video, for a phone camera this takes truly awesome photos. It's not up to the level of my Canon T2i, but for something that slides into my pocket, it comes pretty darn close. A whole 'nuther level from where the Evo 4G was. Not even in the same league. And the burst mode - just hold the button and it rattles off 6-frames-per-second. Again, not prosumer level, but for a phone it's pretty sweet.4. Speaker phone is great
I have found myself actually using the speaker phone, and the people I'm talking to can't believe that they are on speaker.5. Did I mention the screen is gorgeous?
Every time this past week I have needed to use the phone, it's made me smile. It's just a joy to look at. I know others will talk ppi and resolution and AMOLED etc, but from a sheer usability standpoint the display is just lovely. Bright, crisp, vibrant. It is just that good.There are other things I'm sure I'll think of once I close this post.
But if you are looking for a new phone and are considering the Note 2, stop it and go get one. I don't regret it for a minute.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great summary of first impressions. Very to the point. I came over from an evo 3d and I can say that even tough I liked sense I have grown to like touchwiz even more. The biggest plus of course is the battery life. Although I don't get the same life as some on here say they get I can use my phone from 7am till about 5pm on regular days. On my 3d I could barely make it to 12pm. All I can imagine is how great the note 3 will be or even this one once we get more updates.
Sent from my Amazing Galaxy Note 2!
This device is a amazing Peace of Technology.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
I agree as of about 3 hours ago
It truly is incredible. I mean coming from the epic touch I knew I was getting an awesome upgrade but until you have it in your hands and are using it you really have no idea how good it's going to be.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
This device is amazing. I had gotten the iphone 5 three days ago and took it back today and exchanged it for the Note 2. Soo glad I did that. This screen is amazing....dont know what I was thinking picking the iPhone 5 over this AMAZING device.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
llfloyd79 said:
This device is amazing. I had gotten the iphone 5 three days ago and took it back today and exchanged it for the Note 2. Soo glad I did that. This screen is amazing....dont know what I was thinking picking the iPhone 5 over this AMAZING device.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know what you were thinking either but at least you came to your senses lol. Welcome home!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Thanks lol.
Sent from my Galaxy Note II
Impressions - Update
I'm now 2 weeks into my Note 2 upgrade, so thought I would give some additional observations.
Battery life is simply amazing.
After a couple of charge cycles, battery life with moderate usage easily lasts all day without giving it a thought. Depending on usage, might last 2 days. 2. Days. Incredible.The screen continues to "wow" me.
The size is fantastic. Years ago, I was the proud user of the very first PDA called "Newton." It was by Apple and was way ahead of it's time and had a very large screen. Over time PDA screens became smaller, and phones followed that trend. Finally, there is again a screen big enough to actually use for more than making calls without me having to take my glasses to see the tiny display.
Also, the color and resolution are just incredible. I still smile each time I go to answer a call or text.Camera continue to impress
Like I mentioned earlier, it's not fair to compare the camera on the phone to a stand-alone prosumer model, but for a phone I think it is about the best I have ever used. Controls are simple, autofocus is fast, color reproduction is accurate, and resolution is very nice.I'm still not using the S-pen often, but think that is just getting used to having it available.
Overall, the only thing that I would change is I wish I could have upgraded sooner. There is no comparison from where I was with an Evo 4G. I'm a Mac guy, and enjoy the ease of use the Mac OS offers. With that said, Android on this device has the feel Apple has built its reputation on. It's fast, beautiful, ease-of-use (while not totally a function of the phone) is tremendous, TouchWiz interface is perfect for this device, and over all it's just a joy to use.
Truly great design doesn't hinder usage, it makes it intuitive and easy to do complicated things. That's Android, TouchWiz and this device.
Agree with most of what's been said here, I've moved to Note 2 from an old Nokia, MUCH smaller, and now I've got used to making sure it's secure when I'm working, I have to admit to liking it a LOT.
The screen and camera are both excellent, and once I've got used to turning off things that are not needed, the battery life is OK.
there are a few app and android issues, it would be nice to be able to do things like have sounds selectable by time of day, so the alarm can be left active, but ringing and other notifications can be turned off, and I've just posted a Q re being able to run more than one Text to Speech app concurrently.
The only thing I'd change on the hardware side is the position of the On/Off switch, it's altogether too easy to catch it when holding the phone, especially if it's fitted with the flip cover, which mine is.
I've also found an "interesting" issue, but not investigated it yet, when running off a 2.1 A capable 12 V charger unit in the car, with GPS active and other apps in background, the charger appears to be unable to keep the battery charged, so over a longer journey, the battery is being significantly discharged. That may be down to a poor charger cable, but without an app to show battery current, I have no way to know if it's the phone that's eating power, or the lead that's not allowing full charge current to flow.
Have to admit, having resisted the move to a smartphone for some time, now I've bitten the bullet, I am very pleased indeed with the Note 2, and I'm still only just discovering what the thing is really capable of.
Irish Steve said:
Agree with most of what's been said here, I've moved to Note 2 from an old Nokia, MUCH smaller, and now I've got used to making sure it's secure when I'm working, I have to admit to liking it a LOT.
The screen and camera are both excellent, and once I've got used to turning off things that are not needed, the battery life is OK.
there are a few app and android issues, it would be nice to be able to do things like have sounds selectable by time of day, so the alarm can be left active, but ringing and other notifications can be turned off, and I've just posted a...
Have to admit, having resisted the move to a smartphone for some time, now I've bitten the bullet, I am very pleased indeed with the Note 2, and I'm still only just discovering what the thing is really capable of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boy, for your first smartphone, you've set the bar high. I'd be curious to see how your opinions change re: size and function over the next three years.
As far as your "time of day, and sounds" issue, you might want to look into an app called "Tasker", Very Powerful application, you might find it's daunting at first to wrap your head around, but it's exactly what you're looking for.
Sent from my calculator watch.
kingdazy said:
Boy, for your first smartphone, you've set the bar high. I'd be curious to see how your opinions change re: size and function over the next three years.
As far as your "time of day, and sounds" issue, you might want to look into an app called "Tasker", Very Powerful application, you might find it's daunting at first to wrap your head around, but it's exactly what you're looking for.
Sent from my calculator watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the one redeeming feature for me is over 40 years working with one sort or another of computer, so the learning curve isn't so steep. Tasker will indeed be worth reading up on, as it may well be the answer for some of the things I'm looking for, certainly on some of the sounds on or off issues.
have to admit, it's making me think seriously about the longer term upgrades that I will be doing, the old concept of a desktop or a laptop are starting to look very different in the light of the capabilities of the Note, and I have to say I like being able to look at "full size" web sites with the Note, as there is just so much real estate on the screen, and despite being the wrong side of 60, I can still (just about) read it without going looking for reading glasses, which does help, though some fonts are getting challenging.
I am also wondering about the viability of using Android on a PC or desktop, there are certain aspects of the way it works that appeal a lot more than Windows right now, but that might be me being biased
Thanks for the pointer, that's the good thing about fora like this, the knowledge gets spread around and helps everyone
Cheers
Steve
Loved reading this thread! I'm a very happy LTEvo user, but my wife's E4GT is starting to show its age (she's very rough on devices). I bought a Note 2 via Ebay a couple of days ago. The plan right now is for her to get my LTEvo and I get the note. I'm compelled by the pen. As a long time WinMo user, the only feature I miss from those days was the ability to take quick notes and drawings. I tried capacitive pens, but they generally suck for writing notes as even the finest resolution is still way too large and they're a separate item easy to forget/lose. Can't wait to start playing!
jph8tr said:
Loved reading this thread! I'm a very happy LTEvo user, but my wife's E4GT is starting to show its age (she's very rough on devices). I bought a Note 2 via Ebay a couple of days ago. The plan right now is for her to get my LTEvo and I get the note. I'm compelled by the pen. As a long time WinMo user, the only feature I miss from those days was the ability to take quick notes and drawings. I tried capacitive pens, but they generally suck for writing notes as even the finest resolution is still way too large and they're a separate item easy to forget/lose. Can't wait to start playing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're gonna love the device. It's incredible. I don't use the pen a whole lot but one awesome feature is you can have it set so when you pull it out a notepad pops up. Which is great if you're on a call and need to jot something down in a hurry. No need to look for a pen and paper anymore!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
I agree on all points, this phone really is the pinnacle of smart phones right now. Not a big fan of TWiz myself but there are some incredible ROMs on this site. I have soft bricked mine quite a few times and have been through probably 90% of the ROMs on this site with mine and it is just so easy to get it working again.
Review
Ok, so I got New Note 3 T-Mobile version SM-N900T which is the latest version of the note. As one of the forum moderators I have always been a pretty big fan of the Samsung phones owning the Galaxy Vibrant, the Nexus, S2, S3, S4, Note 1, Note 2 various tablets and now the Note 3. That said, this is just a 1st blush review for people who might find my views helpful.
The Note 3 compared to the Note 2 is close to an ounce lighter , it is 1/16 inch narrower @ 3-1/16" versus 3-1/8" Both are just under 5 inches. My Hands are big and I am used to the size, the fact that it is lighter really makes it way easier to manipulate
The 1st impression is its lighter weight does not give the impression of feeling cheap. Gotta say I kinda like the back texture. Didn't think that I actually would but it has a nice secure feel.
The screen is remarkable, booting up faster than the Note 2 the Color is much richer than anything else I have experienced shy of a BluRay on my computer (which is a top end setup). Some new stock adjustments allow you to set the standard screen color setting e.g. dynamic, movie...etc.. Also it has a USB 3 socket on the phone for higher transfer rates and of course, it works with a USB 2 as well.
There is a on phone a search feature that is kinda novel phone though I am not sure how useful it is provides features as search last week, last 30 days.... etc
The Camera that is stock does have some nice on-board custom shooting and editing features. The Still Camera is noticeably better than the S4 camera, and the Video like most of the latest phones is excellent. One improvement on the still camera is its Infinity camera shooting. Much Much Sharper now, which was one of my common gripes the phone cameras all seem to suffer from. So this a real plus ! Like All the latest phones the Video is excellent tracks movement pretty well. Better than my Canon in fact.
The phone is pretty responsive and the new software provides custom touch sensitivity and a host of other interactive adjustments that let you make just about every custom tweak you can think of......... Remember this is a stock Rom only rooted...........
Most of the other things on it are incremental improvements compared to the Note 2. FYI the Note became the longest phone I ever have owned and consistently used--- The Note 3 Blew it off the top spot without doubt ....
For those who care Antutu got a 30394 and Quadrant was a 22580.. one thing I did notice is the fps are very consistent @ 60-65 at all vdo benches.
The Things I found I do not like that much are NO Custom Roms ...YET ☺ Battery life is not as good as the note 2 but that was a custom Rom so really not a fair comparison.
The HTC does have the 2 speakers the Note... still 1 speaker. Music on speaker the quality is a bit thin and a bit on the 2 dimensional side, but, For speakerphone calls it is just fine. With the Head phones/buds or Bluetooth speakers it really excellent. That said, if you are a headbanger for over driven bass then use Beats or something like that with this thing that would allow you to over boost the bass in a way some ppl like. This phone is really something it really rocks !
In closing, I am really glad I got this new note 3 if you need a business phones there really is not anything better than this phone.
I have included some photos to show how it takes a shot that is a long distance focal point... This was a rainbow tonight Around 7:10 pm the trees are 45-55 feet away .....
Comments welcome........
How did/do you like the S4? I love the Note 2 on 4.1.2, it's smooth and basically lag free. However I found the S4 a bit clunky and laggy. Could you perhaps comment on how they did with the Note 3? Mainly I remember on the S4 there being some stutter in the UI, and lag in the gallery and Touchwiz browser.
Thanks for any thoughts!
lmemma16 said:
How did/do you like the S4? I love the Note 2 on 4.1.2, it's smooth and basically lag free. However I found the S4 a bit clunky and laggy. Could you perhaps comment on how they did with the Note 3? Mainly I remember on the S4 there being some stutter in the UI, and lag in the gallery and Touchwiz browser.
Thanks for any thoughts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 3 has enough CPU power and RAM to handle even all those additional features Samsung added to the TW without any delay or lag.
It's a super fast smartphone. :good:
ArborRes said:
Note 3 has enough CPU power and RAM to handle even all those additional features Samsung added to the TW without any delay or lag.
It's a super fast smartphone. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true, but that's what I thought about the S4, lol! Although the S4 has perhaps even more fluff and fancy features.
I'm glad to hear it runs well tho, thanks :thumbup:
oka1 said:
Gotta say I kinda like the back texture. Didn't think that I actually would but it has a nice secure feel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So many of the early hands-on reviews have spoken ill about the new textured plastic back saying that it "doesn't feel like real leather". I've failed to understand the point they were trying to make in that statement. I don't think Samsung intended to fool a single person into thinking that the back was made of leather. They went for a new unique aesthetic that had a functionality benefit as well. In that regard, I think they succeeded greatly.
After getting my hands on one of these in store, I can say that my initial impressions from pictures and videos was reaffirmed. Aesthetically, it's great. I like the looks of the textured back a lot. The feel, however, is far better than I imagined. I expected it would feel like a cheap plastic cover. It is a cheap plastic cover, but it has a unique feel to it. It doesn't feel like leather, and I never once expected it to. It does, however, feel unbelievably better than the previous galaxy line back covers.
lmemma16 said:
How did/do you like the S4? I love the Note 2 on 4.1.2, it's smooth and basically lag free. However I found the S4 a bit clunky and laggy. Could you perhaps comment on how they did with the Note 3? Mainly I remember on the S4 there being some stutter in the UI, and lag in the gallery and Touchwiz browser.
Thanks for any thoughts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S4 stock was not that good but the S4 with Carbon or any other custom was equal or better than the note 2 but not enough to want to change so I gave it to one of the other employees.... I am kinda lucky I buy all the phones for the company so I get to pick which one I want and try them all out.....
Like I said the Note 3 is such an awesome phone especially for business there is nothing else like it
oka1 said:
The S4 stock was not that good but the S4 with Carbon or any other custom was equal or better than the note 2 but not enough to want to change so I gave it to one of the other employees.... I am kinda lucky I buy all the phones for the company so I get to pick which one I want and try them all out.....
Like I said the Note 3 is such an awesome phone especially for business there is nothing else like it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I would have run Carbon or Slim on the S4 all day, except for some audio issues that I don't think they have ever solved (it worked but not as well as on TW)... in the end I couldn't get happy with the S4 lol(well I also like the biggest screens now).
The Note 2 I am still using, and still love, and am glad to hear they got the Note 3 running nice and smooth. Will probably pick it up once I figure out the logistics thanks
Just traded my Tmo S4 for a Tmo Note 3 and wow, this thing is a Beauty and the Beast. It's a bit larger than my S4 but after 10 mins of setting it up, it feels like the size of my S4 and not big at all. Doing some reading tonight on the Note 3 and playing w settings tomorrow. My movies look incredible on this phone. The only thing that I have issue with, is the tiny speaker and low volume at max.
Ian B
Sounds funny but when I pick up and use the Note 3 I handle it just like all my previous phones with one hand unless using the pen of course, only when I look at it do I say holy crap this is big lol. I have regular non gargantuan hands but no struggling to reach a button as on the Htc One or mistakenly hitting power trying to lower volume on the G2. I had an S4 as well and the first thing to go was the stock launcher in favor of Nova Prime, glad to say I haven't even thought of using it with the Note 3, its just so fast and no lag whatsoever. I've even played around opening windows of other apps inside some games I play, writing a document out with the S-pen while inside Total Conquest plundering a village is mighty cool to me.
Today I flashed Darthstalker not because anything in particular was bothering me but I like the little changes he implements and some tweaks plus removing bloat is always a good thing. About that back cover, I love the way it looks and imo this phone does not look cheap at all. I never saw it in black but the white is quite elegant, my daughter thinks its not manly enough but I love my first white phone. I really liked the grip and feel of the back cover, it doesn't feel like plastic, I feel bad hiding it in a case but a phone this size is easy to lose hold of during the hand to pocket transition if you get distracted.
Flashed Darthstalker as well
This did improve the sound, and of course got rid of the bloat..... lame tmo sounds etc......
After using it a day ... I noticed battery about the same, volume is more, and there are some custom screen functions that are cool.
This phone is sizing up to be a real Rock Star
Hi XDA,
I am considering getting the Note 10.1 2014 LTE version. However as a Student this is a very expensive Device to buy and there are some Questions i have to get answers to first before i can justify getting one. I hope some of you can help me find out what i need to get answers too.
I am studying computer science and i want to use it as a full replacement for pen and paper (Is that even realistically possible?). I have had some time with it in the store but some first hand everyday experience would be very much appreciated. I will try to categorize my questions.
Notetaking
Screen Protectors
Do they work with the Stylus and if so how well?
S-Note
In my short time with the device i noticed that S-Note does not support Portrait mode for the "virtual page" im writing on. Is that true and if so are there alternative apps that work with the S-Pen and allow for portrait notetaking?
Speed and Precision
I usually have to write down a LOT of Math stuff. Can you write fast enough on the note 10.1 to write during a lecture? Is it precise enough for small index numbers etc.?
Samsungs Software (and how i can get rid of their butt-ugly touchwiz crap?)
Lags and Stuff
During my shot time with the device i noticed a lot of lag and applications that were just pathetically slow compared to my Nexus 7 first gen with CM (this little Tab with CM is just so fast it's insane. Literally zero lag all around and insane performance even when HEAVILY Multitasking). Have the recent updates fixed this problem (well it's samsung so lets say made it less bad than before)?
Touchwizz
How much of the Touchwizz features i don't need can be deactivated? if deactived do they make it perform better?
Other Apps
Have you noticed any Problems with other Apps that usually work fine?
Custom Rom Stuff
General Support
I know this device is just on the market but comming from Nexus Devices i really don't want to stick with Samsungs Rom. How good/bad has the Rom Support for other Samsung Devices been in the past? What Problems will i face?
Rooting and Knox
WTF is Knox and why do i have to care when i root. I really don't get what that is and why it exists. Maybe someone can enlighten me
This is my Wishlist for a Custom Rom. Will that ever happen?
CyanogenMod/Stock Based Roms that are just as ridiculously fast as my N7
S-Pen Support for Notetaking (with anything other than S-Note)
Multiwindow Support (i suppose that is bound to touchwizz but have there been ROMs that integrated it into Stock-ish Android before?)
Hardware
Battery life
I have to get out of the house at 7 AM and im Back Home around 5-6PM. In this time this device will be used literally the entire time. I have Wireless Access most of the time so i don't have to rely on LTE completly. Can the Battery handle that? Will the Battery be able to handle this 2 years down the road?
Bigger Stylus
Well writing with the small S-Pen is a really ****ty experience. It's just too flimsy. Has anyone tried any Bigger Wacom Pens that work with the Note?
Smart Wake
Does the Note 10 Support waking up from standby like apples smartcover (and my N7)?
Cover
Talking about Smartcovers. How good are Samsungs Covers for the Note 10.1?
I know this is a very very long list and i am totally fine with any answers that just link to a site or something but i really hope that this device can do what it's named after.
Thanks for any answer i really appreciate them!
I'm studying computer science myself and found the tablet to be amazing for taking notes with. I've been using LectureNotes and its extremely flexible to suit whatever your note taking preference is. It does support portrait mode, but I would recommend using it in landscape (you can adjust the page size and just scroll down). As for writing with the s-pen it does get annoying after some time due to the size.
As for using a stylus there is this huge on going thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2484014
In short, no stylus works perfectly for our tablets aside from the s-pen it comes with. Most of the active styluses do "work" but have an offset of a few mm when writing at an angle (if you hold it straight up it aligns perfectly). For myself, I'm using a surface pro pen and compensated the offset on lecturenotes. I can hardly tell the difference at all.
Here is a screenshot of my notes from my algorithm class: http://i.imgur.com/NsPYFia.png
CircleSquare said:
I'm studying computer science myself and found the tablet to be amazing for taking notes with. I've been using LectureNotes and its extremely flexible to suit whatever your note taking preference is. It does support portrait mode, but I would recommend using it in landscape (you can adjust the page size and just scroll down). As for writing with the s-pen it does get annoying after some time due to the size.
As for using a stylus there is this huge on going thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2484014
In short, no stylus works perfectly for our tablets aside from the s-pen it comes with. Most of the active styluses do "work" but have an offset of a few mm when writing at an angle (if you hold it straight up it aligns perfectly). For myself, I'm using a surface pro pen and compensated the offset on lecturenotes. I can hardly tell the difference at all.
Here is a screenshot of my notes from my algorithm class: http://i.imgur.com/NsPYFia.png
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the Quick Reply. That does look very much like it will suit my needs. Would you say you can use it to completly replace pen and paper?
detrexer said:
Thanks for the Quick Reply. That does look very much like it will suit my needs. Would you say you can use it to completly replace pen and paper?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't used a pen and paper the entire term to take notes! It's actually a lot faster once you get used to it. Copy and pasting helps out a ton when the professor is explaining concepts on the same graph.
Screen Protectors
I don't use them, but have a fellow student that uses one and it seems to work well. Bare in mind it adds some friction if you get a mate screenprotector.
S-Note
Nope never used never tried and just got LectureNotes from the start. I also write in portrait mode. Most fellow students like to write in landscape. I have found that I can write extremely small and read it and don't like to scroll down all the time.
Speed and Precision
Yes it's fast enough. I write in my maths lecture. For me it's faster than paper. I use the plastic tip and there is hardly any friction so the pen moves very fast. Only thing that takes time is when you have to fiddle with menus or stuff like that.
Samsungs Software (and how i can get rid of their butt-ugly touchwiz crap?)
Lags and Stuff
I have had no problems with my device. Even at the beginning I didn't really notice much lag. But there are lots of people that have complained. Once you disable a bunch of touchwiz apps it flies.
Touchwizz
If you disable some touchwiz stuff it will perform a bit faster. I disabled everything but S-Note, Alarms, Action Note and the S-Pen SDK.
Other Apps
Due to the high pixel density some apps that aren't optimized (are badly coded) and perform lots of drawing might not perform as well. But other than that no real issues.
Custom Rom Stuff
General Support
The rom support has been bad. But this is the first device I bought in the launch week so it might pick up.
Rooting and Knox
If you root the know counter will be tripped and you allegedly lose warranty. It seems to be some corporate app allowing you to separate work and company data.
This is my Wishlist for a Custom Rom. Will that ever happen?
S-Pen Support for Notetaking (with anything other than S-Note)
There are native API for styluses as long as the drivers work the native API's should work too
Multiwindow Support (i suppose that is bound to touchwizz but have there been ROMs that integrated it into Stock-ish Android before?)
The multiwindow support on touchwiz is the best I have seen so far.
Hardware
Battery life
My battery lasts about 7 hours with screen on. If you need more battery life get an external battery. They are really cheap, in germany i can get one for 40 bucks with double the capacity as the internal battery.
Bigger Stylus
There seems to be one wacom stylus that works, there is a thread about it. I like the small pen, it's light and I don't get tired when writing with it.
Smart Wake
yes supports the smart wake
Cover
I have an ivso cover i got from amazon.de I'm happy with it
I got the Note about a month ago or so for university. I didn't really plan on replacing paper with that, but no I don't use paper at all anymore. I have found that I can keep stuff organized a lot better in a digital form. If I ever get a sheet of paper I will either run to the scanners scattered around our university and scan it or take a picture and annotate that instead of the actual paper . It really depends on the way of learning if you can "think digitally". A fellow student got the old model and returned it after a week because he found it too distracting. But for me the Note really fits into my way of thinking and doing stuff, but I'm a real techy person, who programs and sees a higher value in having information in a digital form.
To add about knox: If you get squaretrade warranty, someone in another thread said they don't care if you trip it or not and will still honor the warranty.
These are very uplifting answers for me. Heaving two people confirm that you can replace paper with it is almost enough to buy it. I ****ing hate paper... to much clutter...
I very much appreciate all the answers und Grüße aus Aachen an alle
I've replaced paper, not at school, but in office. All note taking in meetings, all "to do" lists are now done on the tablet (I made the conversion a year ago with the original Note 10.1, new one is even better).
detrexer said:
These are very uplifting answers for me. Heaving two people confirm that you can replace paper with it is almost enough to buy it. I ****ing hate paper... to much clutter...
I very much appreciate all the answers und Grüße aus Aachen an alle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my local Media Markt they have it for 500€, easier to return if something happens. Might want to check because only it's roughly the same price as online.
This is the case I have, there is pretty much only one case on amazon.de anyways.
Also look at the colors. I have choosen white because it reminds me of paper. Also the contrast between white on the screen and a black border is too harsh in my opinion.
{Diemex} said:
In my local Media Markt they have it for 500€, easier to return if something happens. Might want to check because only it's roughly the same price as online.
This is the case I have, there is pretty much only one case on amazon.de anyways.
Also look at the colors. I have choosen white because it reminds me of paper. Also the contrast between white on the screen and a black border is too harsh in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same case, it's perfect.
---------- Post added at 01:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:45 AM ----------
detrexer said:
Thanks for the Quick Reply. That does look very much like it will suit my needs. Would you say you can use it to completly replace pen and paper?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it has completely replaced paper for me. At work I need to draw on photos and diagrams etc to send to people. Before I got the Note, I had to print a photo, draw on it, and scan it back in, then attach it to an email.
Using LectureNotes I can just do everything on the tablet and email straight from it. My work notebook is up to about 300 pages now. LectureNotes enables you to email a single page or selection of pages as a pdf straight from the app.
I still like to have a paper notebook to flick through, so I print out my notebook as I go. Of course if I lose it, I can just print it again, unlike a paper notebook...
LectureNotes is complicated to set up initially, but well worth it - once it's set up right, it's amazingly powerful.
If you want a spare s-pen, you can buy one for the old Note 10.1 and trim the back of the nib slightly. This gets rid of any offset.
I did that, then put it into a pen case to make it like a real pen - photos here: http://flickr.com/gp/jackhenriques/d68460/
I've been using a Galaxy Tab 10.1 since June of 2011. It's a little long in the tooth in speed and version of Android. And, it has no SD card slot.
So, I went over to my Best Buy and bought a Note 12.2. There's a lot to love about the Note but there are some things I'm disappointed in.
Things I like...
- It's bigger. Nice to have a larger screen for some of the apps it's a godsend, for others it just more awkward white space.
- Battery life is better than the Tab 10.1 even though it has to drive more pixels.
- Micro-usb. The Tab had a 30 pin connector which was a pain in the butt.
- Camera is a lot better but who takes photos with a tablet? Only iPad nerds do that.
- Speed. It's very, very snappy compared to the Tab but with 8 cores, all of which are faster than the Tab's 2 cores, that's to be expected.
Things I don't like...
- The launcher. (not the Magazine UX part). It's no different than the Tab. In fact, there are no more icons on the screen, they're just larger. With all those pixels I was hoping to have icons at least as small as the Tab. And more of them on the screen. It looks like an interface built for the elderly. Kinda like those telephones with huge buttons. I know, I know, I can use another launcher but then I will lose the Magazine UX.
- Magazine UX. I was really looking forward to this. But, alas, it has so very few apps and widgets available that I find I never use it.
- The weight. It's only 4 ounces more than my Tab but it turns out that is a lot. I find my left thumb aching after a while while holding it. It's not really convenient.
- The Zagg case. I bought the Zagg case as I have a similar full keyboard case by Logitech for the Tab. It's nowhere near as nice as the Logitech case. It's hard to remove and feels very cheap and flimsy compared to the metal keyboard by Logitech. They key placement for special keys isn't very well designed either.
All in all I'd say I'm disappointed in the Note 12.2. I'm still within the 15 day return period for Best Buy and am on the fence about returning it. The problem is that the one I would replace it with is the Tab Pro 10.1 with 32 gig of memory. But, I can't find that anywhere. 16 gig yes, but 32 gig is no where to be found.
Help me out here. Are there features that are compelling that I haven't found? If so, push me into keeping this tablet.
You criticize Magazine UX + Launcher. Well, you´re completely right. But what does it matter ?
You criticize the weight. Yes, it´s "heavy". But hey, it´s the largest screen ever. Anything has its price.
And we should not forget: 750g are not too much. Just put your iPad Air in a regular leather case and you will be very close to 1000g.
The Zagg case .. well... that´s the case. But not the Tab...
Just get another launcher, another case ...
I would complain about other stuff:
- First the yellowish color at the cam-border.... Don´t know if this is just normal or I got a bad unit.
- The pixel density could be better . This is no "Retina" Display anymore since you can clearly see the dots.
- Performance issues ? WTH is this stuttering again and again ? Are 3GB + 8 cores still not enough ? iPad is running on 2 cores / 1GB RAM and is much smoother.
As you say the launcher is a disappointment, therefore I´ll try AWD, should solve it up.
Positive:
- Big, big display, wonderful for movies and especially comics
- No navigation bar at the bottom is great for apps not supporting immersive mode. (SmartQ-Reader!!!)
- Then pen is doing a good job.
Missing:
- Still not intensively tested her battery life and speakers.
Seems a though most of these things could have been seen on a review or playing with it in store before buying it.
You are both correct. I could have see much of this in advance. I really wanted the Tab Pro for $100 less. I have a Note 3 and, before that, a Note 2, and never take the stylus out. It's a non-starter. I believe that the Tab Pro will be out next month so I essentially paid $100 to get the larger Note Pro a month early.
I was running KitKat 4.4.2 on my original Tab 10.1 so immersion is nothing new. In fact, on the ROM I was running it was a toggle. I preferred it to be toggled off as it hid the status bar at the top.
I don't read comics and I watch movies on my 52" TV, not a 12" tablet so those things don't excite me. However, I do watch TV via Slingbox when my wife is watching something else on the large TV.
I'm using Apex as my launcher now, it's been my standard on my phones and tablets for years. I'm able to shrink the icons and fit more onto a screen. In effect I've turned the 12.2 Note Pro into just a larger version that runs smoother than my Tab 10.1. That's nice, don't get me wrong, but it's not a dramatic upgrade, just an incremental one.
I wish that it allowed all apps to be run in multi-window view. That's one thing the ROM on my Tab 10.1 made available. Yeah, some don't look right but then you learn which ones not to use in that mode.
I'm getting used to the Zagg case. I like the larger keyboard as I'm a touch typist. It also shuts off the screen when attached and turns on the screen when removed. Must be a magnet thing.
One thing I've found that I'm not fond of is the hard home button and back button in the center of the screen. I'm used to being able to put those anywhere on the bottom of the screen closer to one of my hands. Turns out that I miss that a lot from the Tab 10.1 maybe the most.
I have to say that the volume from the speakers is significantly better than the original Tab. Very loud and clear. I'm enjoying that quite a bit.
Battery life is very good. I can almost go two days.
It took a week or so for me to get used to the size of the Note 2 when I first got it. Once I got used to it, though, I'd never go back to a smaller screen. It appears that I'm getting accustomed to the 12.2 display also. I'm leaning more and more toward keeping it.
I just switched from the Note 4 and, man is this a beautiful phone. But with that said, I really miss the S-Pen features. I was actually hoping Samsung would sell a compatible S-Pen (like the Note 5's spen). Totally wishful thinking.
While I didn't foresee or expect to miss it, these are the things I'm longing for:
-Tap and press pen for screen cap or partial screen cap. I really hate the palm swipe to capture gesture. I do it successfully 1/10 times
- drawing on photos in Studio or Snapchat
- writing brief notes
- casual navigation
I'm curious to know your thoughts or if you know some future functionally that I don't.
I also switched from the note 4...i dont miss the s-pen at all..as amatter of fact i never used the s-pen . So when i saw that our phones had the exact same hardware as the note 5 and a 5.7 screen..well of course i jump on it.
decalex said:
I just switched from the Note 4 and, man is this a beautiful phone. But with that said, I really miss the S-Pen features. I was actually hoping Samsung would sell a compatible S-Pen (like the Note 5's spen). Totally wishful thinking.
While I didn't foresee or expect to miss it, these are the things I'm longing for:
-Tap and press pen for screen cap or partial screen cap. I really hate the palm swipe to capture gesture. I do it successfully 1/10 times
- drawing on photos in Studio or Snapchat
- writing brief notes
- casual navigation
I'm curious to know your thoughts or if you know some future functionally that I don't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find myself missing it only for those few instances where it would come in handy (like there ones you mentioned) which is like 1% of the total time. As far as screen shot with palm swipe, I gave up on it and just use the power button + home button combination to take screen shots. [emoji1]
Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk
I came from the Note 4, and I don't regret it.
I never really used the S-Pen and was always trying to give myself a reason too. This phone was definitely worth the upgrade.
Sent from my beautiful GS6 Edge+
I had all 4 Notes and never used the pen except to just try it out and play with it. I bought the Notes mainly for screen size and top notch hardware. I was happy when this phone was announced, I knew I was buying it. I
Not one bit! Came from the N4 and hardly ever used the s-pen. Loving the Edge+!! Absolutely no regrets!!
As far as screen capture just press the power button + home button. Much easier than palm swipe imo...
This phone is sexy kept my note 3 as mp3 player.
Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk
For those that miss the spen, you can buy an active stylus, (which is basically an spen}, to use on any device. Plenty to choose from, around $30. Google or search amazon.
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk 2
Traded in my note 4 and used the s-pen a few times when I first got it but after that never used it. I got the 64g black edge+ yesterday but really liked the look of the gold one.. They only had 1 black 64g in stock and no gold ones. I now wish I waited for a gold one. I guess I could take a $50 loss and return the black within 14 days for a gold phone.
Yeah I miss drawing on pics and screenshots. But I only did that maybe 10 times a year.