• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

N7000 Note vs AT&T S3

R

RaLeX

Well-Known Member
What do you guys think? Is it worth it to sell my International Note and fork over another $100-$200 for the U.S. version of the S3 or are they pretty comparable?

As you know, the S3 and the Sony Xperia Ion just came out and the Ion is what I had originally planned on getting as my first Android phone (coming from iPhone) but after it disappeared following CES, I decided to try the AT&T Note i717 for my 30 day free trial and I fell in love. So I returned it and bought the n7000. Now I'm seeing that the Ion is available, as well as the new Samsung flagship and I'm getting all tech happy. However, I feel like the International Note is a step above the Sony Ion and very close to the U.S. S3... Am I wrong?
 
Sony makes very sleek good looking phones but in my opinion the hardware is far behind.. I would stick with the Note or try the S3. I would love the Note but that screen is just TOO big to be using as a cell phone lol.
 
Chicago281 said:
Sony makes very sleek good looking phones but in my opinion the hardware is far behind.. I would stick with the Note or try the S3. I would love the Note but that screen is just TOO big to be using as a cell phone lol.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I feel like the reviews put the Ion pretty far behind now that it took so long to be released. However, as you mentioned, it really is a sexy looking and more elegant feeling phone. Also, the dedicated 12mp ExmorR camera button that takes a picture from sleep is pretty damn cool. I was also surprised at how snappy the UI was, even though it's running a 1.5 Snapdragon S3, It was smoother than the AT&T Note and on par with the n7000 Note. It also seems to be a bit "cleaner" than the TouchWiz covered Samsung's... And if size is the argument, the 4.6" screen felt pretty comfortable using one-handed, whereas the Note is impossible to use one-handed without some crafty balance / hand movement.
I'm okay with the Ion having GB, as ICS has somewhat negatively effected my experience with the Note. I'm missing more from GB than I gained from ICS.

As for the U.S. version of the S3, I haven't found it at a store to play with, so it's hard for me to compare it. My biggest question is how it feels in the hand. One thing I've gotten used to, but also tend to dislike a little, is the difficulty in one-handed use. At 4.8", I wonder if the S3 is almost just as difficult to use as the 5.3" Note. Especially that far and away "back" button for someone who feels most comfortable using the phone with their left hand. With the Ion, it's a tad smaller AND the back button is a little closer to the middle (like the i717 Note).

Speaking of the back button on the Ion, I've read about the lack of accuracy on the capacitive buttons... is this a human accuracy thing (getting used to tapping above the light) or a phone response issue i wonder? That could be a HUGE deal breaker. That would turn off even the most novice user. In the short time I spent with the Ion, I didn't notice any problems, however I was privy to the location of the target (slightly above) .
 
Chicago281 said:
Sony Xperia Ion review: an Android handset with a split personality -- Engadget

Just an interesting read on the Ion you like. I've had my S3 for a few days now and aside from having some troubles with S-Voice I am in love. The phone is smoking fast, the screen looks amazing, it's comfortable to hold, lightweight, etc..

In my opinion you can't go wrong but everyone is different!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link, I had previously read the article, and like many others it leans heavily on the argument that it does not have ICS. Which I personally couldn't care less about. My current phone, the n7000, was upgraded to ICS and I wouldn't hesitate to go back to Gingerbread if I could.

The lack of touch focus on the camera and the shoddy video quality is a bit discerning, and the brief mention of poor call quality turns me off as well. But, as I mentioned previously, the smoothness of the UI (thanks to being very minimal) and the size/build quality are what I took notice of when handling the phone.

This brings me back to the S3... My main question is whether or not the AT&T S3 is a worthy upgrade to the International/Unlocked Note. The Sony was mentioned because of the smaller form factor, previously desired traits, and price. I'm well aware that the S3 is a better overall phone. I just wonder if it's much better than my current phone. Is 4.8" much easier in one hand than 5.3"? It's hard to tell with the sensor's and wires that retail stores have on their phones.
Is said form factor (4.8" vs 5.3"), camera (8mp vs 8mp (is there a sensor difference?)), UI (I use GO Launcher anyways), processor (1.4 snapdragon s4 vs. 1.4 cortex a9) worth the effort of selling the Note and dropping the extra bills and possibly a 2 year commitment?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom