[Q] Galaxy Note 2 Still Worth Buying? - Galaxy Note II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

In a sticky situation right now. My phone just died on Verizon and I need a new phone. Unfortunately I'm still under contract for another 9 months so I have to pay full price for a new phone or I can jump to Tmobile and have them pay my ETF but then I have to buy a phone from them. I don't want to spend more then $350 on something and I want to be able to unlock it and use it with AT&T at some point.
I can pick up the Note 2 as a refurb for $344 or I can get a Nexus 4 for $324. I guess what I'm wondering is whether or not the Note 2 is worth spending that much on?? Should I just ride out my contract for 9 months and get my old phone fixed (Razr Maxx HD $200 to fix)? Is there another phone I should consider?
Any thoughts appreciated.

Nexus 4 for $342?? I can't even sell my brand new Nexus 4 for $180 AUD.
I would not get a refurb Note II for $344, it's not worth it. You can get brand new for a bit more online.

kuromusha38 said:
Nexus 4 for $342?? I can't even sell my brand new Nexus 4 for $180 AUD.
I would not get a refurb Note II for $344, it's not worth it. You can get brand new for a bit more online.
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If I pay $200 to get out of my contract with Verizon I can get anything. I'm looking at jumping to Tmobile since they'll cover the ETF cost. Only catch is I have to buy a phone from them. So whats a good Tmobile phone that will work on ATT under $350? I'm trying to do this as cheap as possible. Otherwise I would just cancel for $200 and get a nexus 5 for $400.

Hi there,
YES it is still worth buying the Note 2. I had both phones, Nexus 4 and Note 2 and the Nexus 4, compared to the Note 2, was garbage. Nexus 4s battery is small (mAh), display colors were washed out, the speaker was completely crap when listening to music, etc. That's just my experience.
Better get the Note 2

I moved on to the Galaxy S5 and maaaan, do I miss my Note 2. That's all I need to say LOL

Okay so price of the note 2 refurb'd w/tax and shipping is about $330. I know I can buy brand new on Amazon for roughly $60 more but I have to buy from Tmobile if I want my ETF covered and they only sell a refurb'd note 2.
I'll probably go this route then unless there are any other suggestions. Thanks!

Absolutely! Its still fast as hell, even on KitKat and Im sure will remain to be so for the near future.

Note 2 still kick ass and I love it. But I think u should get a newer phone.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Free mobile app

naeem86 said:
Note 2 still kick ass and I love it. But I think u should get a newer phone.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Free mobile app
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If you can find it around $350 , I would say yes

I bought note 2 over s4 and i am perfectly satisfied

mubeenshahid said:
I bought note 2 over s4 and i am perfectly satisfied
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I'd take Note 2 over S4 (even S5) any time!

Allow me give you my opinion on this. I strongly believe the Note 2 is a remarkable device for the following reasons and I would still chose it over any other phones.
- It still has one of the best battery life of Samsung devices. I know... the Note 3 has 100mah more but that doesn't suffice, having a 1080p screen, more pixels means more drainage. Also, it has a more powerful octa-core processor (a nice pro) but again with great power comes even greater battery drainage, remember that.... lol The Knox app components which constantly guards the phone from illegal privileged access is also a resource hog (RAM) and hiders the phone even more (coming from 4.3 I have that experience). Take a look at the Huawei Ascend Mate 2, they are doing it correctly... keeping 720p resolution (which is dense enough imo) and a gigantic 4050mah, make it the longest running phone (not tablet) on the market at the time of this writing.
- The screen is 720p, as I discussed already has its benefits on battery, furthermore, it is the only flagship device by Samsung that isn't pentile. This means full RGB sub-pixel for every single pixel. It is a true-HD display. While its not as dense as other phones, it still can hold its ground very well. I am scared for the note 4, Samsung will make it a 2k display, instead of focusing on what really matters. 2k on screens below 7inches is a waste of technology. 10-12 inch tablet with 2k displays and larger batteries, now you are talking.
- It is made polycarbonate plastic, as with all Samsung phones, can be regarded as a pro. As CPUs get faster it generates more heat. Metals heat very quickly and can make you feel uncomfortable when holding while running CPU-intensive tasks. I think even though metals can dissipate heat well, if run too long it, exposes the internals to heat and wear the internals faster. But one definite pro of polycarbonate is improved reception, I assure you, along with other benefits, naturally scratch resistant, lighter, and more durable. When I look at a phone, I don't care for "premium feel", I care for quality of operation.
- Lastly, camera. Sadly, I must admit the Note 2 doesn't have the top optics, as it improves rapidly with technology. But after lots and lots of reading and comparing, I found that the Galaxy S4 has produces the best quality/sharpness/color IHMO, bar NONE (not even Lumia 1020 which captures more detail, but fails at color reproduction). The Note 2 does inherit the S4's color reproduction traits, so that's good. But the best all-rounder (ie. in low light, good light, night mode etc) I have to give it to Iphone 5s. Well done Apple, even if you do not belong here. lol
Video strangely doesn't fall into the same category as photo, as the S4 gives murky, blurry 1080p videos. For the best video I nominate the S5 at 4k, clear even when zoomed in at the slightest detail, thanks to 16MP camera. This is improvement from what used to be the best, Note 3, which is blurred when zoomed in. No, optical image stabilization sadly, but that comes later. Even so the Note 2, doesn't slouch and gives its best in both categories. It also produces the loudest audio, and all devices after the S4 has poor speaker sound quality.
So, there you have it, my long explanation of why I would still choose the Note 2 over S4, Note 3, or S5, even if it breaks now. Samsung really hit the nail on the head when it made the S3/Note 2 generation, and I hope they will again someday. Was the very best, make history, and set a good example for generations to follow.

Thanks everyone! Definitely helped make this decision much easier than I thought it would be. My note 2 arrives today and then I'll active it with T-mobile. I plan on unlocking it after the 40 day wait period is up with T-mobile and bringing it over to AT&T. From my research that shouldn't be an issue as T-mobile and AT&T share all the same bands outside of one that AT&T uses for 4G LTE. Curious to know if anyone has done this previously?
On another note (no pun intended :laugh, I've been looking into installing a custom ROM once I get it. I love cyanogenmod but curious if there are other recommendations I should consider? This may need to be in another thread so I can move it if needed.

I bought my Note 2 about 450$ in Samsung brand shop at April 2014, it worth because my work need 3G always on to check email or contact with boss (my country not have 4G LTE)

eknee1417 said:
On another note (no pun intended :laugh, I've been looking into installing a custom ROM once I get it. I love cyanogenmod but curious if there are other recommendations I should consider? This may need to be in another thread so I can move it if needed.
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In my opinion, CyanogenMod isn't a good idea for this phone. It has some annoying bugs and you lose ALL the SPen features. I'd recommend you to install any TouchWiz based Rom.

Note 2 screen is outdated though.

onagric places
Yeah, original Note screen is better

I had a Note 2 and bought a Nexus 4 as backup when my Note 2 was being repaired. I was thinking that I might switch to Nexus as android is a big interest of mine and it would be wonderful to get all the new features quick.
It was a big relief to get my Note 2 back from the shop. The Nexus 4 doesn't last a whole day (with my usage pattern). The external speaker volume is to low. And its very slippery! (had to buy the LG bumper).
Recently upgraded to a Sony Z2 and it feels like a smaller upgrade than I expected, coming from the Note 2. Its was/is an awesome phone.

Related

T889 vs Nexus 4?

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

Looking for your opinion from original Note users...

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?
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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.
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+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).
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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.

[Q] Is the Note 8 worth the money now?

So, basically, I'm in the process of quitting smoking. As a "congratulations" type gift, my parents are purchasing me a tablet. I'm stuck choosing between the Nexus 7 (2013) and the Galaxy Note 8.0 right now. I already know the Nexus is worth the money, but I like the features and such on the Note.
If you saw my other thread asking about ROMs for a Note, that was part of trying to make my decision. Now that I've seen that I can keep the functionality, gain some more, and improve performance, I have to decide if it's going to be it or the Nexus.
At $330, is the Galaxy Note 8.0 worth the money at this point in its life cycle? Please try to avoid just straight yes or no answers, I would love you to elaborate. I know it also depends what I'm using it for, so just assume that I like to draw, am not fantastic at it but it's a fun hobby, and I would make use of the office suite included.
I had the Note 8.0 and the Nexus 7 2013. The Note 8.0 has much ore functionality and a MicroSD slot. The Nexus has the better screen. They are similar speed wise. Best Buy has the Note 8.0 for $299 right now. I assume because the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 launched last week. I like Multiwindow of the Note also.
nrage23 said:
I had the Note 8.0 and the Nexus 7 2013. The Note 8.0 has much ore functionality and a MicroSD slot. The Nexus has the better screen. They are similar speed wise. Best Buy has the Note 8.0 for $299 right now. I assume because the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 launched last week. I like Multiwindow of the Note also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for your input. At Best Buy here, the Note 8.0 is $330, but I'm Canadian so that's just the crappy exchange rate.
I've done extensive reading on both of these tablets, and that's something that really stood out, just how much more functionality the Note has over the Nexus. The SD card slot is a huge thing, too. Being able to spend $40 and slap a 64gb class 10 MicroSD card in it would be nice. Speed wise, I heard TouchWiz can be laggy, get hung up here and there, but that custom ROMs fix that with improved performance, removing some bloatware, etc.
As it stands, I'm still slightly on the fence between the two, but I'm leaning toward the Note. I figure I don't need to make this thread in the Nexus forums, because I already know the Nexus is worth the money (minus that there's no SD card slot) and it's got its own advantages. I'm glad the Note 8.0 community is willing to give me some insight
Amazon has refurbished models for $250US.
IMHO, the only reason to chose a Note 8.0 over a Nexus 7 is the stylus/handwriting recognition. it's what makes the Note truly unique the 7-8" tablet range. If pen computing is 'nice, but not essential', then go with the Nexus 7. It's cheaper, a better screen, just as powerful, and slightly better battery life. The speakers suck compared to the Note, but then most people use headphones or powered speakers than listen to the tablet 'naked'.
Spookymonster said:
Amazon has refurbished models for $250US.
IMHO, the only reason to chose a Note 8.0 over a Nexus 7 is the stylus/handwriting recognition. it's what makes the Note truly unique the 7-8" tablet range. If pen computing is 'nice, but not essential', then go with the Nexus 7. It's cheaper, a better screen, just as powerful, and slightly better battery life. The speakers suck compared to the Note, but then most people use headphones or powered speakers than listen to the tablet 'naked'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks muchly for your input! From what I've heard, the speakers on the Note 8.0 are pretty crap, very tinny. That's not much of a concern though because, as you said, headphones or external speakers are what I'd be using when I'm using it for movies or music.
For me, the advantages from the stylus are that I can use it to draw, to learn to draw because kindergarten kids probably do better work lol, and various small functions like improved web browsing and such. I've also got a thing for teaching myself random things because... well... I'm a nerd lol, so the S pen will be good for general stylus uses in that regard as well, like highlighting, etc.
Now, one thing I've noticed is people talk so much about how the Nexus 7 has a much better display and that text is hard to read on the Note 8.0. However... if you look at reviews from before the Nexus 7 or iPad Mini Retina came out, you see everybody saying how nice the display looks and how easy it is to read all sizes of text. To me, that says that focusing on the resolution and the PPI is more a marketing scheme than anything. Don't get me wrong, the Nexus 7 and iPad Mini Retina DO have sharper screens, the numbers don't lie, but the people talking about those numbers tend to exaggerate just how much a difference it is.
I have the note and my wife has the nexus. I much prefer my note over hers. The extra inch of screen males a huge difference. I also use the pen a lot at work highlighting material, writing logs but mostly writing on pictures.
The resolution on the nexus is better but the functionality of the pen makes this the tablet to have IMHO.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk
Well I paid half price before Christmas for a new boxed 5110 and in January half price for a new boxed SGH-i467. Could not touch those deals with any other product that is like the Note 8.0. Though there is not many like it to choose from.
Well, it's decided! You've all helped me solidify my thoughts about the Note 8.0, I'm not just crazy and making myself think it's good. That's what I'm getting then! I'll just have to figure out how to get updates manually, since in Canada we don't seem to get them very fast. From what I've heard, we don't even have 4.2.2 available for OTA updates here.
If I were buying a tablet now, I'd highly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, which was just released in the US yesterday for $399.
It looks to be everything the Note 8 is, except with a much nicer screen and an updated processor; but no pen. Although personally, I found I don't even use the pen on the N8.
The N8 is a great tablet, and I use it every day, sometimes for hours. But its getting close to last gen specs, having been released April 2013. And I typically don't recommend buying last gen technology.
redpoint73 said:
If I were buying a tablet now, I'd highly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, which was just released in the US yesterday for $399.
It looks to be everything the Note 8 is, except with a much nicer screen and an updated processor; but no pen. Although personally, I found I don't even use the pen on the N8.
The N8 is a great tablet, and I use it every day, sometimes for hours. But its getting close to last gen specs, having been released April 2013. And I typically don't recommend buying last gen technology.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would certainly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, but my problem is price. I'm stuck with a firm $350 price limit (tax not included), and it's unfortunate because an extra $50 would open up my options immensely, but beggars can't be choosers right?
ArobeeTV said:
I would certainly consider the Tab Pro 8.4, but my problem is price. I'm stuck with a firm $350 price limit (tax not included), and it's unfortunate because an extra $50 would open up my options immensely, but beggars can't be choosers right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should have quit smoking earlier, then you would have plenty of money (those things are expensive!!!).
But seriously, I realize everyone has different budget requirements (one of the main reasons your question "is the N8 worth the money" is ultimately a decision only you can make). But to me, an extra $100 to get the new generation hardware (versus something almost a year old), is a bargain. Although if you think you will use the pen, that is obviously a consideration as well.
redpoint73 said:
You should have quit smoking earlier, then you would have plenty of money (those things are expensive!!!).
But seriously, I realize everyone has different budget requirements (one of the main reasons your question "is the N8 worth the money" is ultimately a decision only you can make). But to me, an extra $100 to get the new generation hardware (versus something almost a year old), is a bargain. Although if you think you will use the pen, that is obviously a consideration as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair point. I appreciate the input!
Like nrage, I had both at the holidays. First I had the new Nexus 7 lte, and I was wondering what I might be missing with the note 8, so I bought one of them and compared. I kept the Note 8 simply due to the larger screen, and the sd card slot. I figured, I can always tether for data, and I didn't see much difference in the screens side by side, or the audio side by side.
Also, the Note 8 will be getting kitkat 4.4.
sashusmom said:
Like nrage, I had both at the holidays. First I had the new Nexus 7 lte, and I was wondering what I might be missing with the note 8, so I bought one of them and compared. I kept the Note 8 simply due to the larger screen, and the sd card slot. I figured, I can always tether for data, and I didn't see much difference in the screens side by side, or the audio side by side.
Also, the Note 8 will be getting kitkat 4.4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was kind of having the same thoughts. I recently saw a Note 8.0 and a Nexus 7 in a local computer store, and the screens aren't that different in quality. In fact, I liked the Note screen better, because it was bigger and more accurate with colors, and still very clear. The SD card slot is a big thing too, that's for sure. As for the Note 8.0 getting KitKat, that's a good thing I suppose. I don't know that it'll improve it much, or how long it'll take before we get it in Canada (we still don't have 4.2.2 on Note 8.0 here, I believe), but one can hope.
I wish you woud have posted this back in August. I bought my note 8 from staples for $240 with tax and be honest the note 8 is going to updated to kitkat soon.
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evolishesh said:
I wish you woud have posted this back in August. I bought my note 8 from staples for $240 with tax and be honest the note 8 is going to updated to kitkat soon.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$240? I wish. For some reason, everybody appears to have RAISED their price on it today. From a business standpoint, that doesn't make sense.
ArobeeTV said:
$240? I wish. For some reason, everybody appears to have RAISED their price on it today. From a business standpoint, that doesn't make sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me. They had it for $299-75 dollars coupon, plus taxes. It all came out to $240.
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For someone who just bought this note yesterday l will say it is worth the money as there are no other Comparable tablet you can find and left for a hander the handwriting recognition is superb.
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biggiebro said:
For someone who just bought this note yesterday l will say it is worth the money as there are no other Comparable tablet you can find and left for a hander the handwriting recognition is superb.
Sent from my GT-N5100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks muchly for the input! I've been wondering about that handwriting recognition thing, even though I probably won't use it that much. In case I do end up using that feature, it's good to know it works well!
@ ArobeeTV- I forgot!!!!! A huge :highfive: and congratulations on quitting smoking. You won't be sorry:victory: Since your parents are buying your tablet, I will assume you are young enough to be able to heal all your lung tissue and have a healthy life!
My mom smoked her whole life. I fought with her to quit since I was 16. She died of a heart attack. Lung cancer doesn't always get you. For her it was periph. artery disease- she couldn't walk more than 20 feet at once, and emphysema, and a clogged heart that got her in the end. Very poor quality of life for her last 10 years. :crying: I am a nurse and witnessed an autopsy of a smoker with lung cancer. Very ugly.
OK. I'm done with my speech!
Please keep up the good work and be healthy while you use your shiny new tablet!! Whatever one you choose.

Note 4 or Note Edge

Hi everyone. I just wanted to make a thread and see how many people were jumping ship to the newer devices. And why?
Note 4? - Is it really worth the upgrade right now?
Note Edge? - Is the new curved edge display gonna be functional enough being that it is completely new tech?
I'd like this to be a spot where we can debate differences, pros, and cons. Really just looking for other people's input because I'm really torn between the Note 4 and Note Edge.
Also my Note 2 is still in perfect condition, runs great, and does everything I need it to still. So I'm also deciding if I really need to upgrade or not. Decisions, decisions ?????
Sorry if this is in the wrong spot.
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I am making the jump. I think the edge will end up like the Mega forgotten about shortly after its release.
ProFresh4 said:
I am making the jump. I think the edge will end up like the Mega forgotten about shortly after its release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your input ?
Right now the only selling point for me with the Edge is just that WOW factor when someone does see you have it they'll probably be like "woah what phone is that", because of the edge screen.
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Yea it has the wow factor. But they displayed the phone a year ago when they talked about the galaxy round which never made it to the U.S
I can't help myself...
I want a new phone every year. I know that some need to change even more often, but I get trapped into thinking I "need" the better screen, camera, etc. I love the Note product line. I've had all three. I have to say that the Note II was by far the best upgrade, so far. In fact, to be honest, going from the Note II to the Note 3 had as many downsides as upsides in my opinion. From my personal experience, the camera was not better - it had more features (mostly useless), but the autofocus did not function as well as the Note II. I had more blurry pictures on my Note 3 than ever on my Note II. You start to realize that once you get a good camera, the upgrade to higher MP isn't as important as having a good camera that just works.That was one of the letdowns I had with the Note 3. The other is battery life. First of all, the orignal Note had a horrible battery life and I thought that was just going to be the price of having for an enormous phone with a great screen. but the Note II solved that issue in spades! The upgrade to the Note II was worth it just for the battery life alone. The Note 3 on the other hand was a pretty serious downgrade in battery performance... at least from my experience. Which brings me to the topic of this thread (finally)...
I'm very concerned that the battery life will take a step backwards from the Note 3 to the Note 4. The screen on the Note 4 is unbelievable, but there is a price to pay in the battery. I find it crazy that the battery size was not bumped up to accomodate. I know they stated in their intro that it was something like 7% more battery efficient than the Note 3, but I don't think THEY even believed that, because it was just thrown in at the end. Instead they spent time talking about how they made it faster charging. I don't know about you, but I don't want to plug my phone in during the day, every day; even if it is only for 30 minutes for a quick charge. Battery life is just too important to me, as I learned from the original Note and I don't want to go backwards AGAIN. the Note Edge has an even slightly smaller battery and the extra screen that seems to have an "always-on" feature. I'm even more worried about that one.
Hmmm. Maybe I'll sell my Note 3 and buy a Note II and pretend that is my annual upgrade. HA!
FYI, last weekend, i saw the edge at best buy's on display on friday in san francisco. i went back on monday to see it again and it was removed.
Just setting up my edge right now, coming from n1, n2 and n3. Loved my n2 the best. Just got it a couple hours ago, but it's cool. Was going to get a n4 but they were out of stock.
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I plan on getting the nexus 6 in a few months. I like the shape of it. Dual front facing speakers. Pure stock. I don't use the s-pen often. I have had the original note now the 2. I use straight talk prepaid AT&T Sim so the international 6 will be a perfect fit. And by February I may find one a llittle cheaper. I like the note series but the nexus 6 has the bigger screen and less crap and no TW. And I dont have to root it to have a pure stock android experience. I like the note 4 but I just like the N6 better.

What Phone do I get Now??

Ok, let's say there is something to this New Note 7 problem.
What phone would you get?
Has to be Android...
HTC 10?
Maybe LG V20?
Pixel?
S7 egde?
I know.... Questions, questions, questions!!!
Has to be a flagship phone and have an S-pen type feature, so none of the current offerings. Have already reactivated my Nexus 6P and will wait a while to see what shakes out.
Wait for S8E... But it will be a pain because I still own a S4
If there is another recall. I hope they just replace it with s7e
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I'll just stick with my Note4 and wait for the Note8, might go the route and flash a Note7 ROM
Since there's no other phone that I absolutely like right now, I will probably just revert back to my Note 4 and be contract free for some time, hoping something better comes along. I had the S7 Edge for a few weeks, and I found it was unresponsive and lagging at times, so there's really no alternative for me.
No idea. In my case in the US I switched carriers so my old device has already been sold and I would have to get something else immediately or terminate my contract with them. I would say Pixel XL if it was sold though AT&T.
i wish they sold the moto z force in the netherlands, no brainer!
perfect specs, almost stock android, shattershield glass (better than gorilla glass 5) waterproof etc etc.
https://www.motorola.com/us/products/moto-z-force-droid-edition
I'm giving my note 4 to my daughter.. So I need a new phone.
I'm choosing between
1. Google pixel
2. LG v20
3. Sony xz
Hopefully such thing is not happening as Note 7 satisfies almost all my criteria for a good phone... If it does and since none of the current offerings by other OEM able to fulfill what I want, I will just have to go back to my Note 1 (chose it because it has the biggest screen at that time + a stylus)...
koppee1 said:
I'm giving my note 4 to my daughter.. So I need a new phone.
I'm choosing between
1. Google pixel
2. LG v20
3. Sony xz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give your daughter a new phone and keep the N4, it has no competition out there.
But at the original starter: there is no other high-end phone out there with a stylus, bar the Note series. If you want a stylus, you'll need to get a Note 4 or 5. The Note 4 is only available second hand and the Note 5 only via grey import. I've made a shortlist myself:
Note 4: only secondhand, SW support has been stopped after MM.
Note 5: no SD, 128 GB version expensive. No European version.
LG V20: not available until at least early 2017, no hardware buttons on the front, no OLED.
Google Pixel XL: way to expensive, no hardware buttons, the big chin is ridiculous
Nexus 6P: again no HW buttons. not a fan of the design (back look likes the white droid from Wall-E)
Axon7: new brand to me. What about support? Their market launch was scrappy.
Moto Z Force Droid: only available on 1 US carrier.
Huawei Mate 9: should be introduced shortly. Big screen, but no HW buttons. Presumably a LCD screen.
S7E: bloody edges... go away! I strongly dislike the glass allround design. It is slippery as hell and gives me back the nightmares I had with my S4 which handled like a wet bar of soap as well.
1+3: delivery times galore. But seems like the best bet for now, especially for the price.
iPhone 7+: Yes, I said it. I would almost consider an iPhone. Especially with the ridiculous price fro the Pixel XL with 128 GB. It should net a good resale price for the S8 Stylus to arrive.
If you want a flagship phone with a 6" flat screen, the choices are dire to non-excistent.
I feel yea, if I have to turn in the Note 7 (which is looking increasingly likely), there isn't really another phone that covers it all.
S7 Edge gives the curved edge, water resistance, camera, SD card, and next-in-class screen.
Note 5 gives me the Stylus.
Mean I'm probably looking at the S7 Edge. *sigh* I just don't like the look of it as much as the Note 7. it's TOO rounded, not just the glass, but the body as well.
Edit...The more I think about it, the more I lean towards the note 5. Camera isn't as good, but the screen is still solid, and I'm really liking the stylus now. SD card...well, most of my music is in the cloud, photos auto back up to the cloud, so end of day, I'm really just losing on water resistance and the AOD, and curved edge. (which I like, because...bezel less on the sides now!)
Guess I'm leaning toward the pixel XL.
I would get none. Not giving competition more reasons to gloat.
I just talked to Best Buy mobile 10 minutes ago. They told me I need to bring my replacement Note7 in immediately. "a Second recall is coming very soon" I can exchange it for any phone however since I was leasing the Note7 I only have leasing options for a Samsung S7E, LG or Iphone. Any other phone would need to be purchased outright. I asked about the Pixel XL and they told me that I would have to purchase the unlocked $829 phone outright from Google to bring to Sprint. so this Note7 issues goes from bad to worse for users.
notefreak said:
I would get none. Not giving competition more reasons to gloat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may not have a choice unless you want to use a Gimped phone.
If they do a 2nd recall and cripple the Battery.
notefreak said:
I would get none. Not giving competition more reasons to gloat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ohhh and Samsung has screwed the Pooch but good here.
I've had every Note and this is problem for me...
There is always a choice. Previous phone, no phone at all, 80% phone...
Same boat here. My note 3 was awesome, still works and runs like new ( on MM currently). Still plenty fast. The only dilemma is I gave it to my son already.
I've been using this s7 edge for a few weeks now waiting on the new batch of note 7's. It's very close performance and spec wise. I just refuse to pay full price for this phone though since it's NOT what I wanted. They had me return / refund my note 7 and buy this in its place. They then said I could return it regardless of how long it took to get a new note 7.... but I think that was just the manager of the store looking out for me. What if I keep this and he gets transferred during the wait, as it looks like this will take a while.
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