Database Develop

[Q] Should I get a Note 4?

Thinking about picking this up this week. You guys liking it so far?
Vote the poll up top

Best phone ever but if you want to root and rom only T-mobile or Sprint are available.

I love mine.

johntuck77 said:
Best phone ever but if you want to root and rom only T-mobile or Sprint are available.
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Yea I am on T-Mo. I never seen a Att phone thread so empty before.

They think they are protecting their phones when in reality it only drives customers away because most people that root their phones actually know what they are doing and it rarely causes problems. Let's see what happens to them with such an attitude towards customers

johntuck77 said:
They think they are protecting their phones when in reality it only drives customers away because most people that root their phones actually know what they are doing and it rarely causes problems. Let's see what happens to them with such an attitude towards customers
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I assume most Att customer that wants a Note 4 will just buy a unlocked Tmo version.

I've never had/seen a better phone.

I have a GN4 on TMO. Have been experiencing download lags on the 4G network. Not sure if it's the phone or the network. Anyone else having similar issues ?

I bought 2 for myself. My gf has one, too.
My sister has one, as well.

I love mine. My main gripes are the 2.5D glass and how the design on the front covers up the capacitive buttons/LED notification light.

At this point, I think you're late to the game (expecting response, lol). Might as well pick up the Galaxy S6 in the meantime until the Note 5 produces tears in our eyes.

I wouldn't say, "late to the game." Seems like things are just getting good. We just got official cm nightlies, and have a ton of roms.

arjun90 said:
At this point, I think you're late to the game (expecting response, lol). Might as well pick up the Galaxy S6 in the meantime until the Note 5 produces tears in our eyes.
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i considered waiting for S6 or even M9, but both will not be offering replaceable battery. They wont cost that much less than a note 4 either.

+1

That's a smart speculation based on the recent pictures leaked.
Does this mean the Note 4 is the last of Samsung's "Smart" Phones? :crying:
AngryDinosaur said:
i considered waiting for S6 or even M9, but both will not be offering replaceable battery. They wont cost that much less than a note 4 either.
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Hands down the best phone I've ever owned! Runs flawless stock.

Tried S6, thinking of returning it for Nexus 6

Good morning all,
I purchased my next new device over the weekend- white 32gb Galaxy S6. I absolutely love the phone. It is beautiful on the outside, and MOST of what is inside it, I love as well. My issue is with battery life. Now I know there have already been tons of reports of bad battery life leading up to the actual release. I had written these off as people who didn't know how to properly manage battery life. I knew battery life wouldn't be as good as what I am used to, but I never thought it would be as bad as it is. I am having to leave all the usuals turned of (wifi, bluetooth, location, ect.). No biggie. I am also having to go as far as using the app that turns off pixels in the display to conserve battery life. Even with this, I am getting less than 4 hours of screen on time. Just browsing the net, I can watch my percentage drop rather quickly.
This brings me to the reason for my post. I had originally wanted the Nexus 6. I had been waiting for it to drop on Big Red, so I didn't have to shave down a SIM card, or go through the hassle of explaining to Verizon, "Yes you will allow me to use this device on your network, even though you do not currently offer it." Well right around the time I was ready to make the N6 purchase, I found myself in Best Buy and saw they had a display of the new S6. I went over to check it out, fully thinking I am going to think this device is a joke. Well it wasn't a joke, and that is how I ended up with it.
All this being said, should I go ahead and pick up the N6, or wait for the next flagship to launch? The main thing that has me unsure at the moment is the outdated 32 bit Snapdragon 805 chipset. Now I know this is still a very capable chip, but am I being dumb for blowing $650 on a phone that is already one generation behind in the processor world? I always buy my phone at full retail to avoid losing my unlimited data with Big Red.
Am I making a mistake or should I get it and never look back, while enjoying the pure Android bliss?

How do you figure that 805 is "outdated" or "one generation behind"? 805 is the CURRENT STATE OF THE ART and won't be passed until you start to see the 820 come to market. No, 810 is not a new generation, its just a stopgap to satisfy everybody too dumb to realize that 64bit doesn't do anything useful for a cellphone. Its actually a crappy chip that sucks up way too much power.
The 820 is *actually* the next generation of mobile chip, which improves performance and power consumption compared to the 805.

jonmike13 said:
Good morning all,
I purchased my next new device over the weekend- white 32gb Galaxy S6. I absolutely love the phone. It is beautiful on the outside, and MOST of what is inside it, I love as well. My issue is with battery life. Now I know there have already been tons of reports of bad battery life leading up to the actual release. I had written these off as people who didn't know how to properly manage battery life. I knew battery life wouldn't be as good as what I am used to, but I never thought it would be as bad as it is. I am having to leave all the usuals turned of (wifi, bluetooth, location, ect.). No biggie. I am also having to go as far as using the app that turns off pixels in the display to conserve battery life. Even with this, I am getting less than 4 hours of screen on time. Just browsing the net, I can watch my percentage drop rather quickly.
This brings me to the reason for my post. I had originally wanted the Nexus 6. I had been waiting for it to drop on Big Red, so I didn't have to shave down a SIM card, or go through the hassle of explaining to Verizon, "Yes you will allow me to use this device on your network, even though you do not currently offer it." Well right around the time I was ready to make the N6 purchase, I found myself in Best Buy and saw they had a display of the new S6. I went over to check it out, fully thinking I am going to think this device is a joke. Well it wasn't a joke, and that is how I ended up with it.
All this being said, should I go ahead and pick up the N6, or wait for the next flagship to launch? The main thing that has me unsure at the moment is the outdated 32 bit Snapdragon 805 chipset. Now I know this is still a very capable chip, but am I being dumb for blowing $650 on a phone that is already one generation behind in the processor world? I always buy my phone at full retail to avoid losing my unlimited data with Big Red.
Am I making a mistake or should I get it and never look back, while enjoying the pure Android bliss?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both are very good phones but very different. The Galaxy has the best screen and a good cpu and the Nexus has better speakers and no bloatware. If you like to tinker the nexus is the one for you and if you don`t the S6 is your phone. Mind that KNOX registers the rooting process and it may void warranty dependent on where you live.
The Nexus is overall a great phone with good batterylife (user dependable) a good screen, good speakers and its very snappy and fluid. You can`t go wrong with either phones but it all depends on how you use the phone and what you want to do with it.

gee2012 said:
Both are very good phones but very different. The Galaxy has the best screen and a good cpu and the Nexus has better speakers and no bloatware. If you like to tinker the nexus is the one for you and if you don`t the S6 is your phone. Mind that KNOX registers the rooting process and it may void warranty dependent on where you live.
The Nexus is overall a great phone with a good screen, good speakers and its very snappy and fluid. You can`t go wrong with either phones but it all depends on how you use the phone and what you want to do with it.
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This. You can't go wrong with most phones these days it just depends on what you want. Other than the camera, ignore the specs and ask yourself do you want a larger phone with pure android? Or do you want a smaller one with TouchWiz? Also, considering you're on Verizon, the S6 bootloader most likely won't be unlocked and root will be a challenge.
With that being said, I switched from the Note 4 to the Nexus 6. The Note screen and camera were much better than the Nexus 6, but I prefer stock Android and being able to unlock the bootloader and root. After waiting months hoping for someone to obtain root I finally gave up and switched and don't plan on going back.

I appreciate all the responses guys. I am coming from a Note 3 and I have always liked the larger phones, and in turn I am used to bigger batteries and longer battery life. I did not know that the Snapdragon 810 wasn't a new generation chip. I appreciate the clarification on that. I definitely prefer what the Nexus 6 has to offer, but I guess I was worried it would be outdated much quicker than the S6. I was lured into the S6 by their in-house chipset that seems to be crushing everything it is put up against in benchmark testing, and the fact that the build quality and design seems to be on par with an iPhone. I kind of thought of it as an iPhone running android because of how much the design has changed over the previous S5.

im sort of in the same boat.. im coming from a GS4 so anything will be an upgrade for me. my phone is pissing me off and im dealing with a stuck power button issue so the phone randomly shuts off and wont turn back on. was debating GS6 vs N6 but knowing on verizon i cant root or unlock the bootloader i think im going N6

jonmike13 said:
I appreciate all the responses guys. I am coming from a Note 3 and I have always liked the larger phones, and in turn I am used to bigger batteries and longer battery life. I did not know that the Snapdragon 810 wasn't a new generation chip. I appreciate the clarification on that. I definitely prefer what the Nexus 6 has to offer, but I guess I was worried it would be outdated much quicker than the S6. I was lured into the S6 by their in-house chipset that seems to be crushing everything it is put up against in benchmark testing, and the fact that the build quality and design seems to be on par with an iPhone. I kind of thought of it as an iPhone running android because of how much the design has changed over the previous S5.
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One thing of note is that most oems are aware when a benchmark is being run and have background processes (for lack of a proper term) kick in to falsely boost the results. If you google the idea, you will find tons of results from Samsung, HTC, and I'm sure many others.
Cant really go off benchmarks, even though I still run them on any new phone I am considering purchasing lol

pokedroid said:
One thing of note is that most oems are aware when a benchmark is being run and have background processes (for lack of a proper term) kick in to falsely boost the results. If you google the idea, you will find tons of results from Samsung, HTC, and I'm sure many others.
Cant really go off benchmarks, even though I still run them on any new phone I am considering purchasing lol
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Good bit of information to keep in mind. I did not know that.

dansan382 said:
im sort of in the same boat.. im coming from a GS4 so anything will be an upgrade for me. my phone is pissing me off and im dealing with a stuck power button issue so the phone randomly shuts off and wont turn back on. was debating GS6 vs N6 but knowing on verizon i cant root or unlock the bootloader i think im going N6
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Click to collapse
I am not sure how your current battery life is, but this S6 has been far from what I expected. I am using that app to disable pixels, which causes the screen to look bad. This makes me think, what is the point in buying this awesome phone if you have to disable most of its great features in order to get it to last all day. Since you are on Verizon, you will be happy to know that they have the Nexus 6 for $599 as opposed to $649 through the Google Play store. That is if you are okay with having the blue color, since Verizon does not offer the white one.

jonmike13 said:
I am not sure how your current battery life is, but this S6 has been far from what I expected. I am using that app to disable pixels, which causes the screen to look bad. This makes me think, what is the point in buying this awesome phone if you have to disable most of its great features in order to get it to last all day. Since you are on Verizon, you will be happy to know that they have the Nexus 6 for $599 as opposed to $649 through the Google Play store. That is if you are okay with having the blue color, since Verizon does not offer the white one.
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my battery life on my GS4 is not great at all, actually its pretty bad. Im running cm11 roms and this stuff is buggy as heck so thats not helping either. I wasn't impressed with the GS6 when I played with it in the verizon store, just didnt blow me away. plus i hate touchwiz.
I will be buying my nexus 6 from motorola, as I want white. I just really dont like that blue/purpleish tint to the MB version. I really wish they offered black but sadly that isn't happening. I'll probably just get a cool dbrand wrap as well.
for those who have ordered from motorola, from the time you placed the order how long did it take to arrive at your door? Im debating if I should mail it to my house or my job as I know they will need a signature and nobody will be home.

I've always had galaxy devices but looked to nexus this time. The only thing that i dislike the phone is no ext sdcard. Once i got over that. I love the n6 and will not go to a galaxy device again. The knox thing made my life hell with the s4. The s5 was a bit easier to deal with roit and all but tw lag was unbearable especially compared to my friends n5. Battery is great on the n6 granted it's bigger than the previous phones i had. Took me awhile to get used to the bigger phone. On 5.1 stock rooted encrypted and the performance is more than satisfying
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

slicknsxy said:
I've always had galaxy devices but looked to nexus this time. The only thing that i dislike the phone is no ext sdcard. Once i got over that. I love the n6 and will not go to a galaxy device again. The knox thing made my life hell with the s4. The s5 was a bit easier to deal with roit and all but tw lag was unbearable especially compared to my friends n5. Battery is great on the n6 granted it's bigger than the previous phones i had. Took me awhile to get used to the bigger phone. On 5.1 stock rooted encrypted and the performance is more than satisfying
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
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thanks for your feedback. ive had this GS4 since launch date and thankfully I was able to unlock the bootloader before they plugged that hole up. I dont mind not having an SD card as I had a Galaxy Nexus before the GS4. I also have never swapped batteries so i dont mind losing the removable battery especially since the nexus battery is huge. Also turbo charger and wireless charging is a nice thing to have. I'd probably use it just like you have, root it and unlock the bootloader. I just want stock android without having to use custom roms.

dansan382 said:
thanks for your feedback. ive had this GS4 since launch date and thankfully I was able to unlock the bootloader before they plugged that hole up. I dont mind not having an SD card as I had a Galaxy Nexus before the GS4. I also have never swapped batteries so i dont mind losing the removable battery especially since the nexus battery is huge. Also turbo charger and wireless charging is a nice thing to have. I'd probably use it just like you have, root it and unlock the bootloader. I just want stock android without having to use custom roms.
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The turbo charger is great. I only use it once in awhile most of the time I'm wireless charging. With my galaxy phones i ended up making it look and run like a nexus device as much as i could. My friend convinced me that i should just get the n6 and try it. So much nicer and easier when it comes to updates too. Definitely don't regret the n6. And I'm very pleased with 5.1
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Just to chime in, I also came from the Note 3. I was in a real pickle as I didn't want to have a phone without a sd card but root was more important as it's beginning to look you'll catch a unicorn before anything Samsung gets rooted on Verizon...:silly: Anyway, rooting this device was the easiest I've ever done and I just bought a Meenova adapter and still use my sd card with that when I need it. I look at it as you have to give to get, if you want root on Big Red you may have to give up something and what I gave up wasn't all that bad in the end for the freedom I now have. Just some thoughts from me.
P.S. - Plus I don't want to have to give up my signature....

Curious if anyone has gone the other way switching from N6 to S6. I am considering it, but I don't want to rush into it. I know the pros and cons of each, but I'm just wondering if anyone switched from N6 to S6 and has a good experience.

theycallmerayj said:
Curious if anyone has gone the other way switching from N6 to S6. I am considering it, but I don't want to rush into it. I know the pros and cons of each, but I'm just wondering if anyone switched from N6 to S6 and has a good experience.
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Obviously I cannot help with going from the N6 to the S6, but I will try to report back once I get the N6 and let you know how the two devices compare and if there was anything I preferred on the S6.

All I can say is, an an att retail employee, I still think the N6 is the best overall phone right now. Camera isn't terribly important to me, screen quality, screen size, battery life, and customization is what I look for and N6 wins in all 4 categories. The N6 still has a QHD screen and the size is great for gaming or netflix/YouTube. Just my two cents, I'm either going to get the m9 (half off purchase program for wireless employees with free upgrade every year... No contract) due to bootloader situation, purchase a N6 for my personal device or wait for one-plus-two. S6 is nice, but mostly hype, IMHO.

theycallmerayj said:
Curious if anyone has gone the other way switching from N6 to S6. I am considering it, but I don't want to rush into it. I know the pros and cons of each, but I'm just wondering if anyone switched from N6 to S6 and has a good experience.
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I did for one week then went back to my N6. The S6 is very nice. The N6 is a much better software experience IF you favor stock android. That's what it came down to for me.

Thanks for this thread you guys! Exactly why I love xda! Currently have the Nexus 5 after owning the Galaxy S1, S2 and S4. Couldn't be more happy with the Nexus 5 but battery life is pretty terrible for me on that device. I sneak around the Nexus 6 as I would like the bigger screen, better battery and better speaker but after seeing the Galaxy S6 I was also torn towards that a bit. This thread is really helpful for me and so far I think Nexus 6 is the way to go.

adl said:
Thanks for this thread you guys! Exactly why I love xda! Currently have the Nexus 5 after owning the Galaxy S1, S2 and S4. Couldn't be more happy with the Nexus 5 but battery life is pretty terrible for me on that device. I sneak around the Nexus 6 as I would like the bigger screen, better battery and better speaker but after seeing the Galaxy S6 I was also torn towards that a bit. This thread is really helpful for me and so far I think Nexus 6 is the way to go.
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Go for it and don't look back! Now I am stuck paying a $35 restock fee on this S6, but I think it will be worth it.

Nexus to S6

Hello,
I've order the 64Gb S6 deal from T-Mobile. I've been a lifetime Nexus user from the Nexus One. I've always stuck to pure Android and the phone I currently have is the Nexus 5. I've purchase every generation of Nexus phone except for the Nexus 6 because I didn't like the size. The S6 seems like a winner and I'm already use to a non-removable battery and no SD card. I'm not sure how I'll deal with TW(heard it's been toned down) vs stock Android. That really is my biggest worry and I've been researching a way to uninstall all the bloatware(T-Mobile) without rooting(Though I might do that with PingPong and deal with manual updates). I really wish they would have released a Google Play Edition. I am pretty excited about the class leading hardware, especially the camera. Others who have switched from stock Android to the S6, how do you feel? Loving it? Ready to switch back to a Nexus device? Let me know! Thanks!
Also I'm a avid Google Now, Ok Google user.

My last couple phones were stock android (one plus one, nexus, moto x) and I'll tell you, I don't miss them. The s6 is that good. Battery could be better, but I'm hoping rooting helps (I'm on day one of a custom ROM so we'll see). I also use the "OK google" phrase a lot, so you'll be disappointed to know it doesn't work on the s6 for some reason unless you're using google now or google launcher.

I was in the same boat as you. I went from a 32gb Nexus 5 on AT&T to 64gb Galaxy S6 T-Mo. I'm not a big save my entire music collection on my phone guy, I prefer streaming services. 32gb Nexus was fine for me and battery life sucked. I love the GS6, super fast, I find the battery life more than acceptable, I'm rooted via Ping Pong and actually don't mind Touchwiz this time around. Hated it on my GS2 Skyrocket and GS4. I just rooted and plan to update with Flashfire to keep Knox intact

I was worried about keeping KNOX intact too. I used to install custom ROMs back in the day but as Android has gotten better I haven't done it on recent phones. I just wanted to be able to uninstall bloatware so that's why I'm thinking about rooting. I love the fact that the T-Mobile version has no carrier branding and now I can't wait till this thing gets here. Other than software do you know how different the T-Mo version is from the international version?

N6 64GB to S6 64GB. No remorse whatsoever. Especially with a Tab S also, having things like SideSync is great.

wicked11 said:
I was worried about keeping KNOX intact too. I used to install custom ROMs back in the day but as Android has gotten better I haven't done it on recent phones. I just wanted to be able to uninstall bloatware so that's why I'm thinking about rooting. I love the fact that the T-Mobile version has no carrier branding and now I can't wait till this thing gets here. Other than software do you know how different the T-Mo version is from the international version?
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Click to collapse
Not any major differences. If anything T-Mo variant has a few extra features like voLTE and WiFi Calling enabled by default. I went with the JUMP option when I switched to T-Mo so I only have to pay off half the device to upgrade. I see no reason to get international version over T-Mo variant. If it were AT&T or International I'd go international all day. My girlfriend has the AT&T variant as she is still on a family plan with big corporate discount. With Flashfire the locked AT&T bootloader isn't crippling but more of an inconvenience

I went from the Nexus 5 to OnePlus One (CM12) and now to the S6. I love the S6. I use the Google Now launcher instead of TW and it doesn't feel all the much different to me. I like the added gestures TW brings (such as palm swipe for a screenshot).
For the bloatware, I simply disable it in the applications menu. When you disable them, the app also disappears from the app drawer.

I was Team Nexus for a while and had a GNex, Nexus 4, 5, and 6. I switched to the S6 because the N6 was too big for my taste and the S6 hardware was just so damn nice (body, camera).
Do I miss stock Android? Hell yes. There's very little (if anything) that TW does better. However, after a few hours of research and tweaking, I've got my S6 looking and feeling as close to a Nexus as possible. I recommend Nova Launcher, Moonshine icon pack, and Hifont to help with that. Also I rooted (before PingPong was available, unfortunately) and used TiBu to freeze all the bloatware I don't need. I'm pretty happy, but I'd be even happier if someone could get this Material Design theme ported to the T-Mobile variant!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-galaxy-s6/themes-apps/wip-material-design-theme-s6e-t3108155
For what it's worth, my S6 (with no mods other than frozen bloatware) is as snappy as my Nexus 6 running stock 5.1 with Faux kernel.

ping pong root. You basically root the stock rom, knox is NOT tripped. So its good as long as yuou only want to make small changes to your rom (like getting rid of bloat completely and not just disabling it).
Thats what i did and it worked AMAZINGLY well.

frettfreak said:
ping pong root. You basically root the stock rom, knox is NOT tripped. So its good as long as yuou only want to make small changes to your rom (like getting rid of bloat completely and not just disabling it).
Thats what i did and it worked AMAZINGLY well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I think that's my plan. From all the review of current TW I don't think I'll mind so much. I just want to be rid of all the bloat I won't use. The phone feels amazing and I'm waiting for a glass screen protect now before I start using it. How do you guys feel about the recent new of possibly 2 new nexus phones coming out?

wicked11 said:
Yeah, I think that's my plan. From all the review of current TW I don't think I'll mind so much. I just want to be rid of all the bloat I won't use. The phone feels amazing and I'm waiting for a glass screen protect now before I start using it. How do you guys feel about the recent new of possibly 2 new nexus phones coming out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really TW isnt that bad on the s6 now. I can deal with it. and honestly until this phone i have been a "gotta get a glass screen protector before i buy the phone" kinda guy. i have had this one without one and i havent scratch the screen once (have had it in my pocket with screws and nail on accident too a few times). I may end up ordering one, but i HATE the fact that the screen is curved on the sides and the protector doesnt go to the edge. IMO, just looks janky.
the 2 nexus phones is super interesting. I am REALLY hoping that the smaller LG made nexus is real cause i MIGHT be all over that. I had the g3 before this and really liked it. I did what they did with the g4, and as long as the new nexus takes the camera from the g4, that might be my next jump upgrade when it comes out. lol Not interested in a phone bigger than 5.5" anymore. After having the g3 for 6 months, and now going back to the smaller s6, i think this screen size is my sweet spot for sure.

id10terrordfw said:
N6 64GB to S6 64GB. No remorse whatsoever. Especially with a Tab S also, having things like SideSync is great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same experience for moving from a Nexus 6 to a S6.
Your making the right move op. I am not missing the stock experience at all as we already have Root / twrp / (tw for now, 920 T/F) ROM's / kernels / themes here. I've been busy flashing and finding largely positive results; devs are cool / smart peeps here. Much more stable options here imo.
Even just rooting and casually dialing back touchwiz to your liking is easy with titanium.
Moreover, the S6 hardware is largely unmatched to date. Backing up a 4.3gb .zip in twrp took 192/secs; octa 64bit rocks even on little stuff like that. Its not perfect, but its arguably THE superior android flagship right now.

S7 Edge

Am I the only one considering upgrading to the s7 edge? Only cons for me are going to a smaller screen (I think) and no micro usb c. The main reason I want it is the 3600 mah battery and snapdragon 820. The Nexus 6 has been great and I've had it for over a yr which isn't common for me heh. What are your opinions on the S7 edge?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Don't think I can go back to a much smaller screen. I'd rather keep using the N6 as daily driver and wait for the 2016 Nexus or Moto X Pure.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

The screen size isn't as much an issue here as dealing with, in order of severity, locked bootloaders, Touchwiz, Knox, and bloatware. Not a good trade, and waiting for the next Nexus is the better option.

It has bloatware (Nova Launcher can hide this)
Locked bootloader, I have not rooted anything in ages.
My biggest pet peeve is that March next year you will be wondering when will you see Android N.
The next biggest pet peeve is the small screen.
Me I can wait 6 or 7 months and see what Nexus 2016 is like, hopefully they bring back Qi Charging.

Yeah 1 can only hope for it getting root, seeing as I have Verizon on top of that. I think it'll be nice not tinkering with my phone everyday. I'll more than likely get bored with it and go crazy not flashing anything. I could just get the S7E and if the new Nexus is worth it and just sell the Edge and pay the difference.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Hi there!
I've had a Nexus 6 for the past few months. In-between I ran a S6 Edge for a few weeks. Here's a few points to look our for on the S7 Edge during my experiences on the S6 Edge.
1. Read up on how the battery lasts. The S6 Edge has (arguably) the most beautiful screen ever put onto a phone. The battery life was awful though, so to get through a day on minimal use I had to have adaptive brightness on down at the 20% mark. It really annoyed me that I had this glorious screen I couldn't use in case my battery was all used before I even made it to work in the morning!
2. Check to see if the Edge apps functionality has improved. I had Lollipop on it when I first purchased it. The Edge apps were completely redundant. I could add callers and extra apps (nothing that a 3rd party browser couldn't add to the home screen), and also there was a swipe function to check weather etc that worked 50% of the time. I joined the beta programme for Marshmallow and the Edge apps hadn't really improved.
3. The lack of an unlocked bootloader, and the squeeze this had on development on the likes of XDA drove me a bit crazy. I use to be a bit of a flash addict, but have now settled down, but I still like to try new things every now and again even though I revert back to my favourites.
4. I missed the N6 screen size.
5. Touchwiz is vastly improved, but considering the spec differences I felt no speed differences between the S6 Edge and N6. (I don't play games on my phone so wouldn't know the difference between the 2 in more demanding tasks.)
6. The camera on the S6 Edge is stunning, and I can imagine will be better on the S7.
To summarise, I can imagine the S7 and S7 Edge being good phones. My advice if you were to choose one would be to go with the S7, as unless the software and functionality is massively improved, the S7 Edge won't justify the extra price.
And I much prefer my N6 over the S6 Edge...

Going to be a great phone. But the snails pace of updates, especially the security updates is a deal killer for me. I could live without mods and root but updates are an issue for me.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Labs

S7 isn't even an option, screen size would be way too small. And it only has a 3000 mah battery vs the 3600 in the S7E.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

AstroDigital said:
It has bloatware (Nova Launcher can hide this)
Locked bootloader, I have not rooted anything in ages.
My biggest pet peeve is that March next year you will be wondering when will you see Android N.
The next biggest pet peeve is the small screen.
Me I can wait 6 or 7 months and see what Nexus 2016 is like, hopefully they bring back Qi Charging.
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I just read your response .... What do you gain from xda if you aren't rooting your phones and have your purchases guided by the disaster of all disasters --- a locked bootloader !! ???

I....actually wouldn't mind going to a smaller screen. While I greatly, and I mean, greatly enjoy the size of my N6, there are times where I wish that it was a tad smaller. As real life is consuming so much more of my spare time, I spend less time watching videos, rooting, and tinkering, and more time handling stuff for work or home. Specifically, using the camera to take pics of my children will be easier to quickly take out and handle a smaller phone.
However, as far as the S7 goes, it is coming to look like a beast, and I will be getting one for my wife...not me. TouchWiz is my Achilles' Heel. Always has been. I'm waiting for HTC's next iteration to see whether or not I want to take the plunge into a Samsung device for myself, or another Nexus. LG is out of the question. Their UI is just not my style.

Well, depending on your carrier, you likely are not going to be able to do much if you have Verizon or AT&T given that they both lock their bootloaders. I'll fully admit, last fall I WAS going to buy a Note 4, but it was sold out so I got the Nexus 6 instead. Turned out to be the best thing that ever happened. I remember having to chase down my specific build for my make and carrier, it wasn't just "Shamu" for everyone. Seems like every "non-Nexus" phone is one-misstep from "bricking" the device. No thanks. From accidentally downgrading the bootloader, to flashing the wrong firmware, etc, etc...............
Good experience and less headache with the Nexus. I'll never buy a non-Nexus phone again.

I might consider S7 Edge as well, looks to be perfect piece of hardware. I know i would get late updates with samsung but who cares, i don't remember a single update that brought better daily functions to my nexus 6 from google. For example, they didn't even bring slow motion video capture, no led light, no double tap to wake. There's nothing useful for daily usage in a nexus but instant empty updates. I don't care much if i am patched to february security in day one like if any hackers targeted me.

How long before a Verizon S7 edge gets rooted? Never????

ronaldheld said:
How long before a Verizon S7 edge gets rooted? Never????
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It took forever for the Verizon S5 to get rooted, the Verizon S6 Edge will probably never get rooted and same for the S7 Edge.
KNOX just keeps getting tougher.

All the more reason to avoid Samsung if you want to develop.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-verizon/general/bounty-verizon-note-4-root-whos-t2916685
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-att/general/bounty-att-note-4-root-knox-list-pledges-t2946770
AT&T/Verizon Note 4 from early 2014 is still waiting for permanent root. Take a look at the bounties on post #1.
.......have fun

mikeprius said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-verizon/general/bounty-verizon-note-4-root-whos-t2916685
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-att/general/bounty-att-note-4-root-knox-list-pledges-t2946770
AT&T/Verizon Note 4 from early 2014 is still waiting for permanent root. Take a look at the bounties on post #1.
.......have fun
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Good thing I sold mine to move to the Nexus.

I figure if I do get it, Verizon has a trade in promo where I can get 100 for trading in my old bionic. I'll put 300 down on the phone so the payments will be $20. Then I can sell my nexus for $200-300 and sell the free gear s2 for another $200-300. The phones pretty much paid off then. And I can sell my s7 edge need be if the new Nexus it worth it. Decisions decisions
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I would love a 6 edge, I love the design of the galaxy series since the s6 (minus useless home button) I especially love the silver. Now that it has a snapdragon 820 we might get some custom ROMs. Only real drawback is the price and having to increase my phone bill by $30+

Its not really that knox has gotten better but because those that have the knowledge on being able to bypass the locks hae sworn off of ever working on Samsung devices again.

S5 vs. S7. Which one should I get?

I am switching from Verizon to AT&T so I need to get a new phone. Since AT&T doesn't offer Motorola smartphones, I have narrowed my choices down to the S7 and S5 (or maybe the S5 active). I have looked at the specs for both and they seem pretty close. I am not a heavy phone user, mostly just Facebook, email, Pandora, and a few games here and there. Also need a decent camera. Trying to decide if the S7 is worth the extra money over the S5. What is everyone's thoughts? Thank you.
P.S. I am not looking at the S6 due to lack of a SD card slot.

Well the S5 is 2 years old, going on 3. When I updated my wife's phone, they didn't offer the S5. I love my S5 Active, however, there will be more support for the S7, while the S5 is nearing its end of life. Also, I heard a S7 Active was right around the corner.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

My first smartphone was Samsung Galaxy S (captivate), then got S3, and now I am on S5. This probably will be my last Samsung phone combined with AT&T service.
If you have an individual plan, instead of moving to AT&T with S5 or S7, I would recommend just going to Project Fi with Nexus. When I did the math, I realized that I would actually end up saving even though my current monthly AT&T plan includes a 22% corporate discount. At the end of the day at a lower price point you will get refund on unused data, free tethering, more frequent software updates, free international service (with limits), and overall the service tends to use much less data since it better auto connects to free wifi hotspots that Google knows about. You can go with the Nexus 6P or go with the $200 Nexus 5 and do an upgrade when Nexus 7 or whatever comes out since you can pay off the phone sooner with the savings benefits.

boy_welder2000 said:
I am switching from Verizon to AT&T so I need to get a new phone. Since AT&T doesn't offer Motorola smartphones, I have narrowed my choices down to the S7 and S5 (or maybe the S5 active). I have looked at the specs for both and they seem pretty close. I am not a heavy phone user, mostly just Facebook, email, Pandora, and a few games here and there. Also need a decent camera. Trying to decide if the S7 is worth the extra money over the S5. What is everyone's thoughts? Thank you.
P.S. I am not looking at the S6 due to lack of a SD card slot.
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the s5 active has a 16mp camera, sdcard and can be had new for 185 from amazon. I love mine and will keep it until at least s9 are out and I can get an s7 edge for cheap

sullytrny said:
the s5 active has a 16mp camera, sdcard and can be had new for 185 from amazon. I love mine and will keep it until at least s9 are out and I can get an s7 edge for cheap
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I too love my active, however, no root means lack of roms. So marshmallow will most likely be the last update we get, unless att decides to unlock our bootloader. A better option would be to get an international s5 or s7 to unlock. I do believe they even have the active as an international model.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

YasharF said:
When I did the math, I realized that I would actually end up saving even though my current monthly AT&T plan includes a 22% corporate discount.
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That is the biggest reason I am switching. It costs me over $100 on Verizon per month. That is even with line splitting with one other person. AT&T will cost me roughly $30 per month due to line splitting with two other people.
sullytrny said:
the s5 active has a 16mp camera, sdcard and can be had new for 185 from amazon. I love mine and will keep it until at least s9 are out and I can get an s7 edge for cheap
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are there any major differences in the S5 vs. S5 active?
stew1411 said:
I too love my active, however, no root means lack of roms. So marshmallow will most likely be the last update we get, unless att decides to unlock our bootloader. A better option would be to get an international s5 or s7 to unlock. I do believe they even have the active as an international model.
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Click to collapse
I have never rooted a phone. Not even sure what that means. I am on my second smart phone now. I started with Android 2.2 and currently using 5.1

boy_welder2000 said:
Are there any major differences in the S5 vs. S5 active?
I have never rooted a phone. Not even sure what that means. I am on my second smart phone now. I started with Android 2.2 and currently using 5.1
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Click to collapse
The s5 and s5 active have identical specs. The only difference is the active is a little more rugged. As for rooting, it's the same thing as jailbreaking an iPhone. It gives you administrative access to all parts of your phone, not just limited access. It's mainly for power users.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

boy_welder2000 said:
That is the biggest reason I am switching. It costs me over $100 on Verizon per month. That is even with line splitting with one other person. AT&T will cost me roughly $30 per month due to line splitting with two other people.
Are there any major differences in the S5 vs. S5 active?
I have never rooted a phone. Not even sure what that means. I am on my second smart phone now. I started with Android 2.2 and currently using 5.1
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Click to collapse
If you're into Health the active has a heartbeat monitor. And it's a little more rugged. And it has a dedicated camera key
---------- Post added at 09:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------

I'm a huge Samsung fan. All of my consumer products have become Samsung as all of my hosting / webTech is HP.
As I do wish they would quit dropping the ball and put out that 1 "here's for you world" dev phone with it all, i dont honeatly foresee it. (S5 lacks sufficient ram, S6 not even gonna start, S7 locked bootloader, seemingly salvation S7 international dropped NFC).
Now onto the discussion, of all of the options available, i see no question. Forward moving with forward support points to the S7 Edge. Personally, im grabbing the international exynos version as my NFC only gets used to tinker with tags here and there. I have to play with and mod everything. Example: today i bought a 5 Bay Sata NAS enclosure. First things first, all screws out. Nice heatsink, hmm, no chipset fan.....this simply will not do. 45 minutes later and she's purring cool awaiting my infinite search requests for classic endless terms like root, rom, hashcode and it's favorite ".zip".
I'm curious if my S7 will overtake my collection of warranty voided and in some cases paperweightes S5's. All in all, if you're a remotely busy person on your phone, the S7 ram is more than worth it. But......if you watch a lot of TV, go S5 - Samsung felt the IR blaster was too passe for a flagship device.
Sent from my SM-N920C using XDA-Developers mobile app
---------- Post added at 03:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:06 AM ----------
I hadn't noticed this rom has my T-Mo S5 Device ID as a,.... is that Note5? Ha, love it.
Sent from my SM-N920C using XDA-Developers mobile app

Thank you for all the input. I am going to try to go and check out phones after work today. Now I know what to look at.

stew1411 said:
I too love my active, however, no root means lack of roms. So marshmallow will most likely be the last update we get, unless att decides to unlock our bootloader. A better option would be to get an international s5 or s7 to unlock. I do believe they even have the active as an international model.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
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But then all the wallet app"s will not work

sullytrny said:
But then all the wallet app"s will not work
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Click to collapse
Well, yes, that's a trade-off. I would rather have root over NFC.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

sullytrny said:
But then all the wallet app"s will not work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stew1411 said:
Well, yes, that's a trade-off. I would rather have root over NFC.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I agree. I dont need the wallet as in my small town in rural Tennessee, there are only 3 retailers that take it. everything else is swipe and go. I am about due for an upgrade. 2 years on my s5 and it is well.. old. been a great device. I personally will be very hesitant to grab the S7. Since work pays for it, I may look at a non samsung device. maybe even HTC or a Nexus. Root to me is essential because of the ability to truly customize and debloat.

pickupman66 said:
I agree. I dont need the wallet as in my small town in rural Tennessee, there are only 3 retailers that take it. everything else is swipe and go. I am about due for an upgrade. 2 years on my s5 and it is well.. old. been a great device. I personally will be very hesitant to grab the S7. Since work pays for it, I may look at a non samsung device. maybe even HTC or a Nexus. Root to me is essential because of the ability to truly customize and debloat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In rural Oklahoma it's the same. In the city I work 30 minutes away takes more NFC. Even then I still find myself using my card. Man you're lucky with work paying for the phone. My job gets me 22% of my AT&T bill.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

I think on S7, the Samsung Pay feature is different than the NFC wallet and works with any point of sale credit card reader even in small towns. From my understanding S7 has some specialty hardware that mimics electromagnetic signature of credit card's magnetic strip when held next to ordinary traditional credit card swipe readers. http://www.samsung.com/us/samsung-pay The specialty hardware was as result of acqusition of LoopPay by Samsung. http://blogs.wsj.com/personal-techn...samsungs-looppay-mobile-payment-system-works/