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How good is Note 3?
- Thread starter ivanbin
- Start date
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
i love my Note 3 <3 (but hate the hideous all-white KitKat icons. want my organic greens back.)
some things i like about it over the 2:
1. fingerprint proof faux leather back
2. more S-pen fun (action memo, anyone? pen window?)
3. the screen is much nicer than the Note 2's
4. the thing is a beast!. zero lag
What i don't get is why the older Note 2 goes for $799 off contract while the 3 goes for $699.
some things i like about it over the 2:
1. fingerprint proof faux leather back
2. more S-pen fun (action memo, anyone? pen window?)
3. the screen is much nicer than the Note 2's
4. the thing is a beast!. zero lag
What i don't get is why the older Note 2 goes for $799 off contract while the 3 goes for $699.
I agree with most everything you've said except "zero lag". The camera lags for sure when opening and closing as well as the phone app when first opening the app itself and then opening logs
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
lag means a bit different for me than you my apologies. by 'lag' i mean microstutter or choppy animations or scrolling, or having freezeups followed by 'app is not responding, do you want to close it' dialogs.
not short delays when launching apps. however, i don't use Google Play and disabled all of it, and that always increased performance ten-fold for me.
not short delays when launching apps. however, i don't use Google Play and disabled all of it, and that always increased performance ten-fold for me.
AnonGuy
Android Enthusiast
@Risley:
That's not lag, that's the app loading.
Lag also != Stutter, which is something completely different.
Lag is when you go to swipe to the next screen and it does it after you did it (bad touchscreen sensitivity can lead to input lag, for example). That's what the word means.
Stutter is when it's scrolling and then it stops for a very short amount of time and then continues. It still goes at the intended speed, but instead of smoothly transitioning/animating it sort of jumps to keep up.
A lot of these "issues" aren't new info as they have been happening on other devices with much stronger hardware for decades now...
1. Issues with Microsoft Outlook performing badly because they have humongous IMAP mailboxes in the app are well known, even on top notch hardware that would blow this phone away. Other mail clients often have similar issues. In those cases (Large Logs, Contact Database) the performance of the app isn't solely dependent on the executable code in the app, but on the size of the database and the speed of Storage I/O.
TIP: Phone and Contacts have to read those databases so that they can actually show you the Call Logs, Contacts, etc. That isn't free, and how well performing the app is doesn't necessarily mean the speed at which they access and pull that data from the device storage will improve by much.
2. Even on a PC with much better hardware, the camera app has a noticeable delay because it has to get the Web Cam initialized and booted up. In that case, the app executable code isn't the bottleneck, it's the actual hardware booting up and getting initialized. No matter how great the camera software is, it cannot force the Camera to Initialize and boot up faster.
TIP: TouchWiz has almost nothing to do with how quickly the Camera Initializes and Becomes available for use. The same way Google Maps has nothing to do with how long the phone's GPS takes to lock onto satellites.
3. Starting an app on a PC isn't instantaneous, so expecting to go from Window 8.1's People App to the Skype App instantaneously is a bit ridiculous. How great one or the other performs is a non-factor because it won't make it an instant transfer, since they aren't even the same app. The PC still needs to load and run the other one unless the code has already been cached in RAM (which most OSes tend to do for recently run apps).
TIP: Samsung's Phone and Contacts apps are actually separate apps, not one app. The tabbed interface is deceiving, but it has been this way since TouchWiz Nature UX launched on the Galaxy S3. On the Galaxy S2/TouchWiz 4.0, it was all one app. Splitting them off makes memory management better, since one or the other can be purged from RAM when RAM is needed, without purging the other. If you hardly ever make phone calls but you still use the Contact App to find contacts and then Swipe to SMS/MMS them, the phone can throw the Phone App out of the Cache and keep the Contacts app in there, saving RAM and improving overall performance of the device.
Happy to help!
That's not lag, that's the app loading.
Lag also != Stutter, which is something completely different.
Lag is when you go to swipe to the next screen and it does it after you did it (bad touchscreen sensitivity can lead to input lag, for example). That's what the word means.
Stutter is when it's scrolling and then it stops for a very short amount of time and then continues. It still goes at the intended speed, but instead of smoothly transitioning/animating it sort of jumps to keep up.
A lot of these "issues" aren't new info as they have been happening on other devices with much stronger hardware for decades now...
1. Issues with Microsoft Outlook performing badly because they have humongous IMAP mailboxes in the app are well known, even on top notch hardware that would blow this phone away. Other mail clients often have similar issues. In those cases (Large Logs, Contact Database) the performance of the app isn't solely dependent on the executable code in the app, but on the size of the database and the speed of Storage I/O.
TIP: Phone and Contacts have to read those databases so that they can actually show you the Call Logs, Contacts, etc. That isn't free, and how well performing the app is doesn't necessarily mean the speed at which they access and pull that data from the device storage will improve by much.
2. Even on a PC with much better hardware, the camera app has a noticeable delay because it has to get the Web Cam initialized and booted up. In that case, the app executable code isn't the bottleneck, it's the actual hardware booting up and getting initialized. No matter how great the camera software is, it cannot force the Camera to Initialize and boot up faster.
TIP: TouchWiz has almost nothing to do with how quickly the Camera Initializes and Becomes available for use. The same way Google Maps has nothing to do with how long the phone's GPS takes to lock onto satellites.
3. Starting an app on a PC isn't instantaneous, so expecting to go from Window 8.1's People App to the Skype App instantaneously is a bit ridiculous. How great one or the other performs is a non-factor because it won't make it an instant transfer, since they aren't even the same app. The PC still needs to load and run the other one unless the code has already been cached in RAM (which most OSes tend to do for recently run apps).
TIP: Samsung's Phone and Contacts apps are actually separate apps, not one app. The tabbed interface is deceiving, but it has been this way since TouchWiz Nature UX launched on the Galaxy S3. On the Galaxy S2/TouchWiz 4.0, it was all one app. Splitting them off makes memory management better, since one or the other can be purged from RAM when RAM is needed, without purging the other. If you hardly ever make phone calls but you still use the Contact App to find contacts and then Swipe to SMS/MMS them, the phone can throw the Phone App out of the Cache and keep the Contacts app in there, saving RAM and improving overall performance of the device.
Happy to help!
I don't regret my Note 3 purchase but probably won't buy Samsung again.
I love the big screen.
I thought I would love the stylus but I've used it maybe 10 times after the first month I bought it.
Samsung bloatware is way worse than HTC (the only other manufacturer I have experience with), both in terms of quantity and invasiveness.
The Bluetooth stack sucks. Sometimes the phone routes media audio to my headset just fine. Other times, the "routing" process hangs and Bluetooth winds up in a semi-hung state (though phone calls will still route over the headset). Shutting down Bluetooth and the headset is the only way to clear this condition, and sometimes I have to do it 2 or 3 times. I've had this problem pre and post KitKat. Bluetooth has been around for years now; why are manufacturers still screwing it up?
The GPS drifts badly. This sucks for me because I play Ingress. A 3m drift can mean the difference between getting to access a portal and not.
I'm not sure if this is my network or my phone, but sometimes data gets screwy. I experience this almost daily. I'll be in 4G mode, and I'll try to use the internet and the phone futilely flashes the data "up arrow", but nothing happens. It can get stuck like this for minutes. It doesn't degrade down to EDGE or GPRS unless I'm out in rural areas (so at least the request will go through maybe), it just sits there. Again, this is a major pain in the ass when Ingressing. When this condition clears the phone is still in 4G; it's as if the data radio was hung for a while.
Again, I'm not sure this next issue is the phone or the network, but sometimes (3-5 times a week, and I don't call people all that often) I will dial a number and the phone goes dead quiet with the screen saying "Dialing...". No ringing tone, no vibration indicating that it's dialing, just dead silence. People tell me that their phone rings and they answer it but hear nothing, even when I anticipate the situation and just start saying "I think my phone is screwed up, if you can hear me, I'll call you back in a second". People have been making cell phone calls for decades; why are manufacturers still screwing this use case up?
For all their popularity, Samsung just doesn't seem as polished of a phone developer as HTC. Unfortunately, Samsung seems to be the only Android manufacturer that still allows for SD cards. This, plus the big ass screen, was what led me to choose the Note 3. Like I said, I don't regret buying this phone but I won't be buying another Samsung.
I love the big screen.
I thought I would love the stylus but I've used it maybe 10 times after the first month I bought it.
Samsung bloatware is way worse than HTC (the only other manufacturer I have experience with), both in terms of quantity and invasiveness.
The Bluetooth stack sucks. Sometimes the phone routes media audio to my headset just fine. Other times, the "routing" process hangs and Bluetooth winds up in a semi-hung state (though phone calls will still route over the headset). Shutting down Bluetooth and the headset is the only way to clear this condition, and sometimes I have to do it 2 or 3 times. I've had this problem pre and post KitKat. Bluetooth has been around for years now; why are manufacturers still screwing it up?
The GPS drifts badly. This sucks for me because I play Ingress. A 3m drift can mean the difference between getting to access a portal and not.
I'm not sure if this is my network or my phone, but sometimes data gets screwy. I experience this almost daily. I'll be in 4G mode, and I'll try to use the internet and the phone futilely flashes the data "up arrow", but nothing happens. It can get stuck like this for minutes. It doesn't degrade down to EDGE or GPRS unless I'm out in rural areas (so at least the request will go through maybe), it just sits there. Again, this is a major pain in the ass when Ingressing. When this condition clears the phone is still in 4G; it's as if the data radio was hung for a while.
Again, I'm not sure this next issue is the phone or the network, but sometimes (3-5 times a week, and I don't call people all that often) I will dial a number and the phone goes dead quiet with the screen saying "Dialing...". No ringing tone, no vibration indicating that it's dialing, just dead silence. People tell me that their phone rings and they answer it but hear nothing, even when I anticipate the situation and just start saying "I think my phone is screwed up, if you can hear me, I'll call you back in a second". People have been making cell phone calls for decades; why are manufacturers still screwing this use case up?
For all their popularity, Samsung just doesn't seem as polished of a phone developer as HTC. Unfortunately, Samsung seems to be the only Android manufacturer that still allows for SD cards. This, plus the big ass screen, was what led me to choose the Note 3. Like I said, I don't regret buying this phone but I won't be buying another Samsung.
No0byPete
Newbie
I've never had a Note 2 before, but I can tell you that Note 3 is better in every way! I had the Samsung Galaxy S4 and upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and I am loving it! I absolutely recommend the Note 3!
Kairosgrammy
Member
You can load other launchers that are way better than touch whiz. I use go laucher prime which does cost I think 4 or 5 bucks but it is an awesome laucher. There are other good ones, i.e. adw, nova that are a tad less but I have to say, my phone flies on go launcher. I like next launcher which is an off shoot of go launcher but it's, to me, a bit buggier at times.
Kairosgrammy
Member
Have you looked at the LG G3 that is coming out. It's supposed to be pretty smooth, has a removable battery and allows an sd card (I think)
These problem existed with the original Note. The other problem I had were with:
1. Freezups, or at least very long hangs (30 sec - 2 min).
2. Voicetalk popping up constantly.
3. S-pen would ink 2.5cm above the display.
I finally flashed it with a clean hacked image from the internet. The image lacked all the bloatware, and pretty much cleared up most the problems. I had broke the stupid S-pen in half during my frustration. That was the end of it, so I never tried it with the new flash.
My wife wanted a note 3. I paid cash for one. It crashed, and had to be restarted during the setup. It has been sitting on her nightstand since.
I guess i will have to locate a good flash image for it. Will Samsung ever learn?
Kairosgrammy
Member
Really, it crashed during set up and you still took it home? Really? You look at the salesperson and say, get me the one that was manufactured on a Friday or a Monday. If you ordered it off line from ebay or amazon, you send it back and get your money back. You must be rich because there is no way I can spend that much money and not use it. Oh and you can buy a stylus on ebay to replace the one you broke in frustration.
I had a Note 2 and paid full price for the Note 3 when it was released. It is not a "bad" phone, but after using both phones for nearly a year each I would not have paid for the upgrade. The camera is a little better (as far as clarity/color of pictures taken but it does not take pictures nearly as fast as the note 2) and the phone is a little faster but not enough to compensate for the premium paid.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you will get many more positive responses than negative on a Note 3 forum. As soon as there is an S-Pen equivalent I'm done with Samsung.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you will get many more positive responses than negative on a Note 3 forum. As soon as there is an S-Pen equivalent I'm done with Samsung.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
hey i like TouchWiz. especially Nature UX being a nature lover and vegan myself. it was the perfect UI and combo of features that made me ditch Apple for keeps! cannot hate a UI for that!
needless to say, Kitkat killed the screen mirroring feature if you try playing 'pinned' videos in the Google Play Movies app. it forces you to unpin and require an internet connection in order to mirror movies/TV you bought with it.
so far ChromeCast is the only workaround. it still requires internet access but it does play and mirror Pinned stuff and doesnt require a super fast internet connection which i wont have out here anyway. for some reason however ChromeCast is useless over a 3G hotspot. it needs 4G LTE or it refuses to connect.
needless to say, Kitkat killed the screen mirroring feature if you try playing 'pinned' videos in the Google Play Movies app. it forces you to unpin and require an internet connection in order to mirror movies/TV you bought with it.
so far ChromeCast is the only workaround. it still requires internet access but it does play and mirror Pinned stuff and doesnt require a super fast internet connection which i wont have out here anyway. for some reason however ChromeCast is useless over a 3G hotspot. it needs 4G LTE or it refuses to connect.
clitrenta
Android Enthusiast
I can't really say as compared to the Note 2 but I CAN say that this is the first phone in FOREVER that I can actually see me hanging onto it for more than 6 months (I'm a smart phone junkie). One thing I will say for you is that the ability to use the S Pen more is a HUGE thing to me. I know some people probably don't use it much but I make a special point of trying to use it because that is the Note's biggest draw. If you aren't going to use the Pen, then you have your choice of a number of BIG screened phones. It's the Pen and its associated apps that set it way above the competition.
drexappeal
Extreme Android User
Coming from the Note 2, the biggest factor for me was having the extra internal storage, which has proven to be so helpful for my needs. Many people feel it's not necessary, but I have yet to get a "insufficient memory" warning, since having the Note 3.
That said, the Note 4 1Q away and the rumors are picking up steam. Since your Note 2 is broken, obviously that puts you in a situation where you won't be able to wait, so I'd actually look into purchasing a pre-owned Note 3, rather than buying a brand new one. It should tide you over enough and still hold enough selling value, by the time the Note 4 is announced and you're looking to move to that device.
clitrenta
Android Enthusiast
I don't know. I don't think the Note 4 will be out til at least October. That's a good 4 months away. If you can find a pre-owned one, that's fine but I definitely wouldn't wait. With AT&T's Next plan, I don't usually have to wait to long to get one regardless.
drexappeal
Extreme Android User
I know. That is why I had mentioned looking into getting a pre-owned Note 3,especially considering the circumstances for the OP. But purchasing a brand new Note 3, with the rumors on the Note 4 picking up, would be a quicker drop in value. 3-4 months is not that long a time nowadays. The G3 was just announced, but the G2 was barely released before the Note 3, so that's much less than a year.
Best value buy would be to pick up a pre-owned Note 3 in excellent condition. That way, if the Note 4 doesn't live up to expectations, the Note 3 will still be very capable and the OP would not have spent as much as a new one.
The phone has every hardware spec that I want in a phone, but it definitely isn't perfect. Reception was a good bit better for me on the note 2 (that thing was a beat when it came to putting signal,) and the ui on the n3 isn't very fluid at all. Not only do many of tree native apps take a few seconds to load, but there are pretty consistent stutters, frame rate drops etc.. The worst example of it is probably the constant screen wake lag that can take up to 5 seconds.
I still love the phone and will still continue to use it as my daily driver since it gives me everything I need, but whenever I pick up my droid DNA I can't help but notice that it feels like the more powerful phone
I still love the phone and will still continue to use it as my daily driver since it gives me everything I need, but whenever I pick up my droid DNA I can't help but notice that it feels like the more powerful phone