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Note 4 or Galaxy S6 or avoid Samsung at all?

Note 4 or Galaxy S6

  • Note 4

    Votes: 8 100.0%

  • Galaxy S6

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    8
sid.16

sid.16

Newbie
I have spent almost 2 and a half years on my Galaxy S3 and as my phone is becoming increasingly difficult to use, I am looking for an upgrade. I am not at all an apple fan (I actually regret buying a MacBook Pro, as this has severely limited my computer's versatility and at the same time I have less number of apps/softwares available to use). Still, just with the thought that buying the iPhone 6/Plus will help my phone couple with my laptop, I have seen at-least 20-30 review videos and have learnt that though both devices are not 100% flawless, I would perhaps enjoy using the Note 4 more than I would like the Apple product (I am a utility person and as I have gathered, you cannot do much on your iPhone other than make calls and run a few apps and games and the basic stuff which even the cheapest smartphones can do albeit they won't have the apple logo!).

Now, as I have decided to move back to Android, I have a few questions.

1. My experience with TouchWiz was not great. I started having problems with my S3 from the very first day I bought it (international version, 1 gig of RAM) and a factory reset did help. I admit that this might be a device problem with my particular device and I should have rather got it changed.
http://androidforums.com/threads/unfortunately-touchwiz-home-has-stopped.604825/#post-4974313
Is the TouchWiz UI better on the Note 4?

2. Samsung phones in general tend to develop a noticeable lag as they age. I don't know what if this is true for other flagship devices but I have seen this on several of S3's and other low end smartphones.

3. The battery: My experience with the battery on S3 wasn't great as well. It started off weakly with me sometimes having to charge the phone twice daily and now is in a situation where I cannot even get 6 hours standby time with my screen off 90% of the time (and wifi on the background) and I replaced my battery with an original samsung one just 2 months ago!

4. One big question on my mind is whether to go for the Note 4 or wait for the Galaxy S6. I would like to get the stylus experience with the Note 4 but am also tempted to see what Samsung has in store (and if possibly they are getting rid of TouchWiz).

5. Is there any chance of the Samsung rolling out Note 4 with Android 5.0 out of the box in the near future? Does Android updates tend to slow your phone down? I have experienced something similar with my S3.

Since the Note 4 is comparatively new now, haven't really heard of any performance issues yet. The reviewers rate the performance and battery life very highly, but it would be good to get some hands on review from people using the phone!
 
I am with Samsung for the long haul. I started off with HTC for my first two Android phones, but switched to Samsung with the S3. This was mainly because HTC started down the path of non-removable batteries and lack of SD card slot.

I vote with my wallet, and it seems others do too. HTC is offering SD slots again due to a drop in sales. I don't plan on getting one, I'll stick with Samsung for now.

A cautionary warning...once you go Note, it's hard to go back. Holding the wife's S5 feels funny to me. It's so small to me now, and a couple of years ago, I thought the Note was too big.

My how times change...

Well, now you know one reason I stick with Samsung, removable things (battery and memory). Others may offer similar options, but nothing has compelled me to even look past Samsung. Perhaps when I'm due an upgrade, I'll look at other options.
 
True. The removable battery and micro sd slot were the main reasons I chose S3 over HTC One. But I am still concerned about the performance of TouchWiz and the battery in the long run.
When you say that it's hard to go back from Note once you start using it, it is actually comforting. With the added features of the S-Pen, the Note 4 is probably the most powerful device in the 'phone' category right now.
 
Research this sub group. Some people love touch wiz others dont. I have no issues with it. And if you have an issue switch to nova prime
 
Yeah Nova looks good to me but I am still not convinced it can replace TouchWiz. However, it could just be me having some bad experience with mine but I still have much faith on Samsung. But the question remains.. would you buy a Note 4 now or rather wait 3-4 months to see what the S6 is like? I mean both these are not too different if you don't take into account the S-Pen and the larger screen
 
If you don't need to upgrade, wait. There's always something better around the corner.
Just keep in mind that there's "always something better around the corner" so you could start to wonder...what about the Note 5 once the S6 is released.

You'll be chasing the Dragon if you're not careful. HTC will announce something, then the Nexus 6 will have a price drop, then LG will have the G4, and you'll be right back on the forums asking if you should wait.

Are you under contract? Do you own the S3? Are you paying more than you should since you own the phone, but your plan is still priced like you're subsidizing? If you're not on a plan that treats service different from hardware, then it's always I your best interest to upgrade asap. If you're on a newer plan where hardware and service are two different line items, then no harm in waiting it out.
 
man you are really over thinking it. It's a phone, you use it to make call and use the apps to extend the functionality of the phone. Why wait? If you are in the market, just pick a phone and enjoy and stop worrying about what is coming.There is always something coming, the real question is will you be around for it? The note 4 is a huge leap from the GS3 I know because I made the jump. Im happy with my phone and if they made a phone that can teleport me i wouldn't go for it because im satisfied with what i got instead of what I don't have. Stop the madness, select a phone and move on with your life my friend. No phone is perfect but a perfect phone for your needs does exist.
 
You don't have to be tied to touchwhiz.....
Nova Prime, Apex, or even the Google Now launcher are great alternatives..
I can't stand touchwhiz at all, but I know some who love it.
 
Palmetto Fellow said:
If you don't need to upgrade, wait. There's always something better around the corner.
Just keep in mind that there's "always something better around the corner" so you could start to wonder...what about the Note 5 once the S6 is released.

You'll be chasing the Dragon if you're not careful. HTC will announce something, then the Nexus 6 will have a price drop, then LG will have the G4, and you'll be right back on the forums asking if you should wait.

Are you under contract? Do you own the S3? Are you paying more than you should since you own the phone, but your plan is still priced like you're subsidizing? If you're not on a plan that treats service different from hardware, then it's always I your best interest to upgrade asap. If you're on a newer plan where hardware and service are two different line items, then no harm in waiting it out.
Click to expand...

Some nice lines here :)
Yes, what you say makes sense. "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush!" :)
I am currently on AT&T postpaid plan (no contract) and yes, I own the S3. Although I do not understand what you mean by the lines about the hardware and service, but I believe I get your point! :)
And yeah, one thing is undoubted, The Note 4 is one of the best devices out there at the moment and will perhaps remain at the pinnacle for sometime.
 
mbrazil05 said:
man you are really over thinking it. It's a phone, you use it to make call and use the apps to extend the functionality of the phone. Why wait? If you are in the market, just pick a phone and enjoy and stop worrying about what is coming.There is always something coming, the real question is will you be around for it? The note 4 is a huge leap from the GS3 I know because I made the jump. Im happy with my phone and if they made a phone that can teleport me i wouldn't go for it because im satisfied with what i got instead of what I don't have. Stop the madness, select a phone and move on with your life my friend. No phone is perfect but a perfect phone for your needs does exist.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. So, on a more personal note, how is your overall feel after making the jump from S3?
(I know this is a stupid question, upgrades are meant to feel better but how has been your experience thus far?)
 
sid.16 said:
Some nice lines here :)
Yes, what you say makes sense. "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush!" :)
I am currently on AT&T postpaid plan (no contract) and yes, I own the S3. Although I do not understand what you mean by the lines about the hardware and service, but I believe I get your point! :)
And yeah, one thing is undoubted, The Note 4 is one of the best devices out there at the moment and will perhaps remain at the pinnacle for sometime.
Click to expand...

T-Mobile kinda started this where they charge you for the plan only. You can bring your phone with you if you want, or finance one. When you've paid off the phone, your bill drops to just the service.

Compare this with traditional plans where you end up paying for the phone with your service, but after 2 years, when the phone has been paid, your bill didn't drop. You kept paying a lot per month as if you were paying for a phone.

On these plans, after 2 years, you really needed to upgrade, or you were throwing away money.

With, these newer plans, there's usually no contract. You can leave whenever you want, you just have to pay off your phone.

So you pay $60/mo for unlimited whatever, and if you own a phone, that's all you pay. If you need to finance a phone, then you end up paying an extra $25/mo but only until it's paid off. With a traditional plan, you may have paid the same amount ($85/mo), but after 2 years, your bill DIDN'T drop to $60.
 
Palmetto Fellow said:
T-Mobile kinda started this where they charge you for the plan only. You can bring your phone with you if you want, or finance one. When you've paid off the phone, your bill drops to just the service.

Compare this with traditional plans where you end up paying for the phone with your service, but after 2 years, when the phone has been paid, your bill didn't drop. You kept paying a lot per month as if you were paying for a phone.

On these plans, after 2 years, you really needed to upgrade, or you were throwing away money.

With, these newer plans, there's usually no contract. You can leave whenever you want, you just have to pay off your phone.

So you pay $60/mo for unlimited whatever, and if you own a phone, that's all you pay. If you need to finance a phone, then you end up paying an extra $25/mo but only until it's paid off. With a traditional plan, you may have paid the same amount ($85/mo), but after 2 years, your bill DIDN'T drop to $60.
Click to expand...

Yes that is true, but where I live, T-Mobile has a horrible service and AT&T is the only sensible GSM option. However, AT&T also does have a similar plan, its called AT&T Next.
You just finance your phone and your plan remains the same. So, after you have paid off for the phone, you can choose to upgrade if you wish else you pay just for your plan. And they are flexible in the plan you choose, so if you want to be eligible for upgrade in 12, 18 or 24 months, you can choose different installments for your phone and it doesn't affect the plan.
 
And actually I can use some words of wisdom here before I actually go and buy the phone. Apparently, different people have different opinions, some say the Li-ion batteries have the 'memory effect', some say they don't.
And I am really panicky about the battery, people using Galaxy S3 would understand.
So, the point is, what is the best way to:
1. First charge your battery as you unbox the phone?
The scenario here is you bought the phone, it is (suppose) at 50% battery level, so do you put it on charge right away or wait till it drains to say 15 or maybe 10% and then charge or let it get down to zero. Also, how long should be the first charge. I know manufacturers say the first charge should be around 8-10 hours (so that means you leave your phone plugged in even when it is fully charged) and does the first charge needs to be done with the phone switched off or it doesn't matter?

2. Maximize the battery life for standard usage?
I have read in some forums that you need to drain out your battery maybe once a month for a longer life but some people have different opinions.

3. And yes I have heard that keeping your phone plugged in when its fully charged has no negative effect on the battery (as the current to the battery is cut off), but is it advisable?

And last but not the least, is there any app (or rather any built in feature) which allows you to keep a track of the 'battery cycles'. I can understand that if there is no such built in feature, then installing such an app before your first charge will make sense. (something which I have heard iPhones have, I know my macbook has such a feature where you can check the battery cycles).
 
If you ask 5 people about battery optimizing, you'll get 5 different answers.

I myself used the phone initially from the Verizon store at like half charge. When it was like 1%, I charged it, and repeated this for the first week. After that, normally don't let it get below 10-15%.

I rarely top it off. For me, plugging the charger in and out many times is probably more detrimental to the usb port than it is to the battery. I am considering wireless charging, but need more cases to choose from.

Keep in mind that you have a replaceable battery, so it's not critical that you squeeze 2 sold years of excellent performance from it. Replace it after a year to 18 months if you notice its life decreasing.

I find my battery life to be more than sufficient.
 
They are basically the same phones, with the note having a bigger screen and s-pen. I prefer the larger as screen so yes. Note2 is a big S3, Note 3 is a big S4, Note 4 is a big S5. Get it
 
scrubguy said:
They are basically the same phones, with the note having a bigger screen and s-pen. I prefer the larger as screen so yes. Note2 is a big S3, Note 3 is a big S4, Note 4 is a big S5. Get it
Click to expand...
Yeah thats about it, and add to it a better battery in the Note series (which to some extent is to support the larger display).
 
Know what, I came across a Note 4 today, and surprise, I could see the old lag of TouchWiz into action! It was a display piece at a bestbuy store, so I am not making any assumptions. Perhaps the piece weathers a storm everyday :D
 
sid.16 said:
Know what, I came across a Note 4 today, and surprise, I could see the old lag of TouchWiz into action! It was a display piece at a bestbuy store, so I am not making any assumptions. Perhaps the piece weathers a storm everyday :D
Click to expand...

In the developer settings, you can turn down the animations to reduce most of the scroll lag. Not sure what other lag you saw, but that's something you can tweak. I don't use TW as a launcher, but still have TW running things behind the scenes. I've switched to Nova...which I absolutely adore. The main drawback for me is that the Action Memos cannot be tacked directly to the desktop with Nova like they can with TW. Also, the 4X4 Calendar widget that comes standard on the phone doesn't work with Nova. A pity, as the stock calendar gives a little weather icon for each day up to a week...a nice touch.

The google calendars widgets that I can use don't interest me, but I found a nice semi-transparent 4X4 widget that I like and am using that. I'd rather it have weather updates integrated, but whatever...the other benefits of Nova outweigh the negatives. Going with a 5X4 grid and being able to scroll infinitely through homescreens is worth it.
 
Palmetto Fellow said:
In the developer settings, you can turn down the animations to reduce most of the scroll lag. Not sure what other lag you saw, but that's something you can tweak. I don't use TW as a launcher, but still have TW running things behind the scenes. I've switched to Nova...which I absolutely adore. The main drawback for me is that the Action Memos cannot be tacked directly to the desktop with Nova like they can with TW. Also, the 4X4 Calendar widget that comes standard on the phone doesn't work with Nova. A pity, as the stock calendar gives a little weather icon for each day up to a week...a nice touch.

The google calendars widgets that I can use don't interest me, but I found a nice semi-transparent 4X4 widget that I like and am using that. I'd rather it have weather updates integrated, but whatever...the other benefits of Nova outweigh the negatives. Going with a 5X4 grid and being able to scroll infinitely through homescreens is worth it.
Click to expand...

Yes I know that, and that is one thing I could do to cut some of the lag on my S3 although that is too little.
Action memo not working with Nova is a pity considering it is one of the main features of the Note 4, perhaps time to look to start using TW (unless its too heavy)?
I have heard from other people too that TW on Note 4 is much better and improved but can one do with it without using Nova!?
 
sid.16 said:
Yes I know that, and that is one thing I could do to cut some of the lag on my S3 although that is too little.
Action memo not working with Nova is a pity considering it is one of the main features of the Note 4, perhaps time to look to start using TW (unless its too heavy)?
I have heard from other people too that TW on Note 4 is much better and improved but can one do with it without using Nova!?
Click to expand...

Action Memo works fine on Nova. The only thing you can't do is tack the action memo as a widget to the homescreen. You can make all the Action Memos you want, and they are available in the S-note widget. Without TW, however, you can't put an individual action memo onto your homescreen like this.

galaxy-note-4-review-76.jpg
 
I had an S4 but used a different launcher because I didn't really like the TW skin. TW on the N4 is much nicer, I've been using it since the day after Verizon release and still haven't felt the need to use a different launcher.
 
I don't stick with any manufacture based on loyally and judge every phone individually based on the specs.

I advice you do you same, which means you need to wait and see what they release like the rest of us that don't have a crystal ball.

But there is nothing wrong with the Note 4, it's best of the current generation of Android devices.
 
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