Consumer Reports Weighs In (By Inference) - Galaxy Note 4 General

Consumer Reports yesterday posted its reviews of the iPhone 6 and 6+. By comparing those reviews to CR's reviews of existing Samsung phones, and assuming (as seems safe from initial reviews of the Note 4), we may have some idea of how CR will view the Note 4.
1. The S5 continues to top the CR list at 79 (out of a possible 100 points), which CR characterizes as very good.
2. LG3: 79 (very good)
3. iPhone 6: 78 (very good)
4. S4: 77 (very good)
5. LG2: 76 (very good)
6. HTC One (M8): 75 (very good)
7. Note3: 74 (very good)
8. iPhone 6+: 73 (very good)
Looking at the individual items that CR rates (as excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor), and limiting myself to the Samsung and Apple products, some of the ratings, including key differences are:
Battery life: The S5 and Note 4 are excellent; the S4, 6 and 6+ are very good.
Camera image quality: All are very good.
Camera video quality: All are very good, except for the S4 which is good.
Display quality: All are excellent.
Ease of use: The three smaller phones are excellent; the Note 3 and 6+ are very good. Perhaps CR downgraded for the impact of size on one-handed use.
Phoning: The S4 was excellent; the S5 and 6 are very good; the Note 3 and 6+ were good. From the brief written reports, I can't tell why.
Portability: All three smaller phones were excellent; the Note 3 and 6+ were very good.
Assuming that CR regards the Note 4 as an improvement on the Note 3, which already outranks the 6+, we may infer--the less charitable might say speculate--that the Note 4 will do even better, perhaps equaling or even surpassing the 6. If I'm right, however, about CR downgrading phablets because of their size, it seems likely that the S5 will remain No. 1. (Perhaps, however, CR also should tell us what the phablet scores would have been, if size-related issues were disregarded. We can much more easily judge the importance and impact of size for ourselves.)
Time will tell.

do you really care what Consumer Reports thinks about this phone?????
boy, the long wait for the note 4 really makes people desperate for any "news" about it..
Since it doesnt bend, or rip your hair out when you use it, isn't it the perfect phone?

Technically yes and no. CR is one of the top tech news reports that hundreds possibly even thousands visit daily. Positive news and review of a phone will boost the company's rating, production and income.

Yes, I do care. Consumer Reports provides disinterested evaluations of a variety of products. It tends to look for the steak, not the sizzle. As I consider whether to pre-order the Note 4, I want that kind of information. YMMV
wase4711 said:
do you really care what Consumer Reports thinks about this phone?????
boy, the long wait for the note 4 really makes people desperate for any "news" about it..
Since it doesnt bend, or rip your hair out when you use it, isn't it the perfect phone?
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Click to collapse

To each their own, CR is one of the last places I would consider for a review of a phone.
Having used the iPhone 6 and 6+ myself, the fact that the S4 (completely garbage phone that I sold a month after using it) scored higher tells you that overall experience is very subjective between the phones they review.
Without sounding like a fan boy, the fact that the S4 also scored higher than the M8 is also surprising as that was an amazing phone I had for 3 months.

an_xda said:
To each their own, CR is one of the last places I would consider for a review of a phone.
Having used the iPhone 6 and 6+ myself, the fact that the S4 (completely garbage phone that I sold a month after using it) scored higher tells you that overall experience is very subjective between the phones they review.
Without sounding like a fan boy, the fact that the S4 also scored higher than the M8 is also surprising as that was an amazing phone I had for 3 months.
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agree 100%; frankly, I couldnt care less what ANY review site thinks about any phone I am interested in buying..I have my own brain, and ability to decide what I want, and that is based on MY observations, not any review site..

Related

iPhone 6 Plus vs Note 4 vs Nexus 6: Specs Comparison

Came across this comparison, Note 4 crushes the competition.
Note 4 was found to have superior:
Display
Battery
Camera
Storage
RAM
I really think with the 16MP Camera, Samsung has finally created the best smartphone camera.
Check it out.
Source
Display.- Yes, definitely.
Battery.- I have heard the iphone 6+ has better SOT from most reviews. Not sure, though.
Camera.- iPhone has better low light shots, Samsung has better day light shots.
Storage.- Well... you can get a 128GB iphone, but that will depend on what you want to waste, for the same price, yes, you get more space with the note
RAM.- Android uses more ram than iOS, I'd say that iphone performs smoother due to optimization.
I've only looked into half a dozen reviews, and I'm not going to deny that the iPhone 6+ has some strengths (battery life). These phones are both excellent so I don't really see a clear-cut victor. Maybe that will change over time with new software.
I've been using the camera non-stop all week because I've been at a wedding in Sonoma. I'm not a photographer by a long shot and have used the camera on "auto" with HDR "on." I took this one this morning at a vinyard. They asked me to e-mail it to then to use on their website.
Ultra low light is nothing to write home about. Low light can be impressive.
Here's another good pic...
The Note 4's camera is good. And as a point-and-shoot which is the way 90% of people will use it. If I can get shots like this, anyone can.
At the end of the day, we have amazing choices of phones right now especially if you consider the Droid Turbo (I know it's Verizon only, but rumored variants coming to other carriers).
The differences between them have definitely narrowed and it comes down to what's most important to the customer. MAC/iOS people gonna iPhone, Android fanatics gonna Nexus... and the rest are up for grabs.
The Note 4 is definitely an amazing phone. Built in multi-window, floating apps, and the stylus are freaking amazing for a power user like myself. I can't believe I waited this long to jump on board.
The iPhone's better low light photos and marginally better battery life (if that's the case) is irrelevant to the features exclusive to the Note 4 line. (Apple isn't even an option for me even so.)
You just can't really go wrong if you're getting a top of the line phone for what you want. Sure there are some sacrifices to weigh, but there's never going to be a perfect phone for everyone.
To borrow from Nintendo, NOW WE'RE PLAYING WITH POWER!
Note 4 has the advantage of the external battery. You can buy Samsung battery pack with the charger and stop worrying about battery life. Now about ram ios doesn't require the same as Android to run smoothly but if you want to have over 3-4 tabs on safari without refreshing then you have a problem. Look at the new Ipad air with 2gb ram
Sent from my Note 4
Just remembered, Note 4 also has the MicroSD card slot. That's a huge difference in them.
I just switched to a Note 4 from an iPhone 6 Plus after 2.5 months. Here's my feedback:
Display - Note 4 is definitely better.
Battery - My iPhone lasted much longer than Note 4 but that may be because I have been installing apps/widgets left and right. We'll see once things settle.
Camera - Note 4 is slightly better for low-light pictures.
Storage - I had a 64GB iPhone and that was good for me. With Note 4, I will need to buy a card.
RAM - Note 4 may have 3GB of RAM (vs. 1GB on iPhone) but my iPhone ran much smoother than Note 4. I get occasional freeze and lag with Note 4.
I have booth Note 4, iPhone 6 plus and a Nexus 5.
Camera. Slighty better but much slower than the iPhone. On the other hand is speed essensial for my kind of usage.
Smoothness. Note 4 ain't close to Nexus and iPhone. I was a bit shocked when I noticed that not very much had happened since the S5, my chinese MX4 is butter compared if you counting all small lags. I flashed latest firmware two days ago and it feels a little bit better.
Storage. Has 64 on the iPhone and it's more than I need right now.
Display. Really good but I haven't used it outdoor on a sunny beach yet
Battery. Not as good as I hoped for. I have exactly the same apps and usage on all androids and it's very ok but not stunning. So far LG G2 and OnePlus roles my SOT with hours. I have a feeling the iPhone is slightly better. You can't really count on tests like GSM arena, they don't have my 84 apps installed.
Im using both for 2.5 months now.
Screen=note 4 is better but both great
Camera= i dont see any speed difference. Daylight note 4 better. In low light 6 plus abit better. Both very close.
Video=quality for note 4 Ois performance better on 6 plus.
Performance: note 4 is faster on pretty much every 3rd party app. 6 plus faster on system apps(gallery, phone etc)
Smoothness is pretty much same for me i dont realy see big difference. Only recents app has 0.5 delay on note 4(happens sometimes)
6 plus definetly needs 2gb ram safari is headache with 1gb. 2-3 tabs then reload is suck. Multitasking is better on note 4 too. But both good.
Battery in my usage note 4 is better.
From the design iPhone 6 plus loses to the Note 4. Apple did absolutely nothing for the iPhone 6 Plus other than stretching the iPhone 6. (or shrinking the iPad Air, depending on how you look at it) The phone is so slippery and uncomfortable even for occasional one-handed operation. I know people will augment the grips with cases, but that still does not help with its underlying design incompetence. Some of these iSheep would argue how inferior plastic is compared to aluminum used for soda cans, and would insist that cases should not be a consideration when discussing phone designs. How the times have changed.. I totally share Erica Griffin's experience with iPhone 6 Plus' ergonomics. (minus the girl jeans part, lol) Compare that with the Note 4, it looks abundantly clear who has more knowledge and experience in manufacturing phablets.
The rest of stuff is more about iOS v. Android to me, and I know which way I roll. There is just no competition. Though it does help to make a decision that iPhone 6 Plus lags and Safari refreshes tabs more than ever before thanks to the puny 1 GB of RAM Apple deliberately put in for planned obsolescence.
Note 4 has very good screen and battery life for me, but regarding smoothness Samsung is miles behind my Nexus 5 or even 4. Storage is impressive with SD card, but then again I didn't have problems with space on Nexus either. It is very good hardware with very bad soft. Things changed drastically with CM12 tough, now it is far smoother than Nexus 5.
I do not understand all the fuss with photos, none of the phones has good enough camera to replace proper camera. You can take a photo when needed.
If u don't mind rooting, Note 4 is great piece of hardware. If you prefer not to do it you might be better off with Nexus 6.
The best camera in the world should be the one you carrying around daily
I think and hope that the Lollipop for the Note is going to give it a bit less bumpy road. Some people care for it and some don't, same as with everything else in the world. If the Note can give me 50-60 fps and less hiccup I'd love the ride.
Sent from a 6 Plus.

OnePlus 5 Appreciation Thread

With all this hate around OnePlus 5 (jelly-gate (mine has none altough jelly-boys say I am scrolling it wrong ->here's my video -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdmDZm-8K8E&t=1s), wifi drops, faked benchmarks, iphone clone, no ois..) I wanted to post my own thoughts and findings regarding OnePlus 5 and why I find it currently to be best phone for the money. I have been a “phone-whore”* ever since Galaxy S6 and I have finally found the one I like the most, taking into account that every phone, OS has its flaws and there’s no perfect phone.
I certainly qualify as a phone whore since in last 3-4 years I’ve had 8 different phones – Nexus 6P, Sony Xperia Z3, Galaxy S6, Xiaomi Mi5, Iphone 7 plus, OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, Galaxy S8 (2-3 week testing period, therefore I don’t count it as part of “8”) and now OnePlus 5. Here's the list of things I find to be the most crucial for me when deciding on a new phone/ or whether I should stay on the one I have -> 1. Fluid performance, which includes bloatware free OS with actually useful features like Gestures, which the OOS has), 2. Lightweight with screen size of ~5.5", 3. DT2W, 4. Dedicated Capacitive buttons (back and recents), 5. Above avg battery life, 6. Support.
So here are my main takeaways considering its price and place in the market:
1. Cheapest Snapdragon 835 equipped phone in the market;
2. Decent camera which has its flaws but is still very capable of taking awesome shots;
3. Equipped with probably lightest android based OS – OOS, which is full of neat features such as DT2W, DT2S, gestures, button customizations and so on;
4. Great support with timely updates – I haven’t had a android phone which is updated almost as fast as google based phones (Pixel, Nexus);
5. Dash charging is best in the market;
6. Great fluid performance throughout with no lag;
7. Very comfortable for 5.5" phone (only flaw that its super-slippery!) and although the back cover is copy-pasted iPhone 7 plus, I find it much more comfortable to hold and operate in one hand. iPhone 7 plus is a bulky as hell and impossible to operate in one hand even if you have MKBHD type of hands;
8. Lightest 5.5 inch phone in the market at just 153gramms <- this one is actually very crucial for me, since I wear a suit 5/7 days a week and larger phones like iPhone 7 plus, because of its bulk and weight, changes the complexion of the suit jacket and how it sits on you, so to say .. it might sound funny, but its true With OP5 I don’t feel like I am carrying ½ ipad in my jackets pocket;
9. Great battery life for 5.5” screen (~5-6hours of SOT on stock kernel in mixed usage (whatsapp, youtube, chrome, Spotify, bt and sync always ON and location ON with waze), mainly because they are sticking to 1080p, which is more than enough for such screen size.
10. True Premium feel - its a rare feature. I would say that of all phone I have had only few that actually had premium feel - problably all iphones, xperia z3 and none of the galaxies which all feel plastic to me.
With all that said, in my honest opinion, I find OP5 to be the best phone to spend 499 EUR – 559 EUR on, but it ain't perfect.
Agreed with most of it, but not sure of 'smooth' performance. While it seems smooth in almost all tasks, turning on GPU profiling from Developer options do show lots of frame drops all over. Check my other thread on this issue.
The Xiaomi Mi6 is probably the cheapest Snapdragon 835 phone on the market. For the rest I agree with you
1. Cheapest Snapdragon 835 equipped phone in the market; Mi 6 for example say hi, aside others but with offers.
6. Great fluid performance throughout with no lag:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-5/how-to/frame-drops-hell-t3631942
Good to see that, at least, there are some happy customers .
John Woot said:
1. Cheapest Snapdragon 835 equipped phone in the market; Mi 6 for example say hi, aside others but with offers.
6. Great fluid performance throughout with no lag:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-5/how-to/frame-drops-hell-t3631942
Good to see that, at least, there are some happy customers .
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For me, its the cheapest sd 835 based phone, since I cant get mi6 for the retail price because of local VAT being added when imported into LV + custom tax is being applied. Cant comment on the gpu/frame drop issue..
Addded one more point that I find crucial..
10. True Premium feel - its a rare feature. I would say that of all phones I have had only few actually had premium feel - problably all iphones (especially before No 6), xperia z3, 6P and none of the galaxies which all feel plastic to me.
jemeljsh said:
For me, its the cheapest sd 835 based phone, since I cant get mi6 for the retail price because of local VAT being added when imported into LV + custom tax is being applied. Cant comment on the gpu/frame drop issue..
Addded one more takeaway that I find crucial..
10. True Premium feel - its a rare feature. I would say that of all phones I have had only few actually had premium feel - problably all iphones (especially before No 6), xperia z3, 6P and none of the galaxies which all feel plastic to me.
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Hi, if you are from Latvia you can find stock of Mi 6 in Europe without customs, the VAT being inside Europe doesn't matter. Look at https://www.kimovil.com Search for Mi 6, 418 € 64 Gb, 487 € 128 Gb continental stock. For example the unlocked S8 dual sim now cost 570 € in Europe continental stock in global central, etc.
John Woot said:
Hi, if you are from Latvia you can find stock of Mi 6 in Europe without customs, the VAT being inside Europe doesn't matter. Look at https://www.kimovil.com Search for Mi 6, 418 € 64 Gb, 487 € 128 Gb continental stock. For example the unlocked S8 dual sim now cost 570 € in Europe continental stock in global central, etc.
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To be honest I am ever going to buy xiaomi phone. When I bought mi5 (with all taxes and shipping I paid about 500eur for it) I was quitte dissapointed when I actually got it - i felt a bit cheated since the build quality was one of the worse I have expierienced (maybe the ceramic one was better) - very plastic and easy to get scratches all over the place. Actually I thought this would be my last true china phone, but oneplus 3 made me a believer again - i was stunned actually that a phone (op3) so cheap felt so premium in hand build quality wise and OP5 continues in the same direction and although its super-slippery I have decided to use it without a case just because I love how it feels in hand and I dont want to hide this beast in a case. IMO, they shaved, if i can say so, OP3T design and made it rounder/slimmer although in mm the difference is not that huge.
And so what if its an iphone clone..iphone is in a league of its own in respect of design and if someone like OP takes their design and improves on it (takes away the bulk, the weight and makes it (5.5" size phone) very usable in one hand) I say take my money my chinese brothaaas
The oneplus 5 is my 24th or 25th phone in the past 3 years and I have to agree with the OP on this one. All things considered bang for buck. It doesn't get any better on this side of the pond. ?
Only thing i didn't like is that I can't use any 3d party camera app to take raw pictures as they all comes back with a pink tint.
Other then this, I'm pretty happy with the phone.
what i was feeling to share about 1+5 is beautifully shared by you my friend...i purchased first one plus mobile just waiting for dual camera launch by one plus earlier i was fan of Mi product whatever launched in INDIA but recently they decided for mid and lower price launch in indian market so i said bye to them but still i am fan of MIUI interface....
mrnovanova said:
The oneplus 5 is my 24th or 25th phone in the past 3 years and I have to agree with the OP on this one. All things considered bang for buck. It doesn't get any better on this side of the pond. ?
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really? how is that possible?!
and I though I was the ultimate-phone-whore chaning switching to a different phone every 3 months..OP3T was the first one to pass 6month trial
jemeljsh said:
really? how is that possible?!
and I though I was the ultimate-phone-whore chaning switching to a different phone every 3 months..OP3T was the first one to pass 6month trial
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Lol. I usually have 2 phones simultaneously and I have a phew repeats. The s7 edge (thanks to the note 7) the pixel and pixel xl, the iPhone 6s/plus, 7 /+, the note 5 {32gb/64gb) the note 7 while we're at it. My iron man is my 2nd s7 edge for four months and my minute man is the LG G6 which lasted two days. Coming up next are the essential, the note 8,the iPhone 8 and the Pixel 2. Yeah man I'm a phone junky for real. ?
mrnovanova said:
Lol. I usually have 2 phones simultaneously and I have a phew repeats. The s7 edge (thanks to the note 7) the pixel and pixel xl, the iPhone 6s/plus, 7 /+, the note 5 {32gb/64gb) the note 7 while we're at it. My iron man is my 2nd s7 edge for four months and my minute man is the LG G6 which lasted two days. Coming up next are the essential, the note 8,the iPhone 8 and the Pixel 2. Yeah man I'm a phone junky for real.
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Click to collapse
Same here. I am always eager to test out new phones, so if I stick with something its gotta be close to perfect and it started with OP3T (the "max 3 month and the get a newever one" spell was broken . :laugh. I don't think I'll ever go back to an iphone though unless its something uber-revolutionary, since no matter what they do I find iOS to be very limiting and only good on iPads where all you do is watch movies and browse mail/internet. I need those dedicated capacitive buttons for recents and back, I need that freedom with customisation, attachments, transfers and so on, and that one button thing no matter the overall somewhat smooth operation seems like a slowed down expierence no matter how used to it I eventually get. I quite easily ditched my iPhone 7 plus because of its weight and bulk..
jemeljsh said:
Same here. I am always eager to test out new phones, so if I stick with something its gotta be close to perfect and it started with OP3T (the "max 3 month and the get a newever one" spell was broken . :laugh. I don't think I'll ever go back to an iphone though unless its something uber-revolutionary, since no matter what they do I find iOS to be very limiting and only good on iPads where all you do is watch movies and browse mail/internet. I need those dedicated capacitive buttons for recents and back, I need that freedom with customisation, attachments, transfers and so on, and that one button thing no matter the overall somewhat smooth operation seems like a slowed down expierence no matter how used to it I eventually get. I quite easily ditched my iPhone 7 plus because of its weight and bulk..
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You're preaching to the quire brother. My longest stint with the iPhone since I left iOS and my iPhone 4 behind, was 10 days with the iPhone 7 plus and shortest was 2 days with the iPhone 7, the LG G6 beat it out by like half a day. Lol. I just buy whatever is new and premium regardless of iOS and Android. I don't particularly like iOS but I'm not one to talk out the side of my mouth so I have to be able to tell the fan boys/girls at work why their iPhone sucks ??
---------- Post added at 01:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:50 PM ----------
To stay on topic though, I love the one plus. It made me notice the subtle lag in my s8 plus as I go back and forth. Oneplus 5 is my week phone paired with my Huawei watch and I rock my s8+ and gear s3 on the weekend. When I take more pictures. Which is just about the only thing that the s8 has got on the OP5.
jemeljsh said:
Same here. I am always eager to test out new phones, so if I stick with something its gotta be close to perfect and it started with OP3T (the "max 3 month and the get a newever one" spell was broken . :laugh. I don't think I'll ever go back to an iphone though unless its something uber-revolutionary, since no matter what they do I find iOS to be very limiting and only good on iPads where all you do is watch movies and browse mail/internet. I need those dedicated capacitive buttons for recents and back, I need that freedom with customisation, attachments, transfers and so on, and that one button thing no matter the overall somewhat smooth operation seems like a slowed down expierence no matter how used to it I eventually get. I quite easily ditched my iPhone 7 plus because of its weight and bulk..
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I think you guys are rich :laugh:..how do you manager buying phones every 3 months? Do you sell them on Swappa after 3 months?
ram4ufriends said:
I think you guys are rich :laugh:..how do you manager buying phones every 3 months? Do you sell them on Swappa after 3 months?
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You keep your phone pristine, and you save some money & so when your sell your phone & your 200 saved and your upgrading. You can save 200 in 6 months right?
Ok, so after a couple of weeks of using OP5 not much has changed. I stand by the points I have made and have grown accustomed using this phone even without a case. I simply like its design and premium feel too much for it to be cased although my back-ordered Karbon protective case came 1 week after I got the phone. I will cope with the consequences if it do falls, but as I said already – IMO, the copy paste design (back) is made so awesomely (thinner and lighter) that it simply must be displayed around Although sometimes camera shots need to be retaken to get that perfect shot, I find portrait mode to be at better state than it was on my iPhone 7 plus at the launch. There's room to improve but I already like what I get out of the camera a lot.
My OP5 has been running great on FreedomOS 1.X [7.1.1][OOS][[STABLE][SAFETYNET ✓] with default kernel (avg. SOT 6h-8h more hours is in those sessions where there’s a lot of youtube playback..usage pattern -> chrome, whatsapp, gmail, bt audio (spotify through bt to bt headphones), waze with Sync, BT Always ON and Location only when using Waze)). I find FreedomOS to be the best custom rom as it’s the closest to stock, but then again it (1) allows you debloat as much as you wish, (2) it has built in Viper4Arise and (3) AdAway. Must have for me is also [v4.1] Ozone - A substratum module for OOS for center clock and other neat visual details.
I purchased a OnePlus 5 on swappa. Almost didn't because of what some were saying about it. Glad I did. But still have a Galaxy S8. Have to sell one, but can't decide which one. The op5 has better Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular, signal. But I work outside, and the S8 gets brighter, and has water resistant. Didn't expect the decision to be so hard. There are things that I really like about both. Maybe list them both, and see which sells 1st. ?
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
jemeljsh said:
Ok, so after a couple of weeks of using OP5 not much has changed. I stand by the points I have made and have grown accustomed using this phone even without a case. I simply like its design and premium feel too much for it to be cased although my back-ordered Karbon protective case came 1 week after I got the phone. I will cope with the consequences if it do falls, but as I said already – IMO, the copy paste design (back) is made so awesomely (thinner and lighter) that it simply must be displayed around Although sometimes camera shots need to be retaken to get that perfect shot, I find portrait mode to be at better state than it was on my iPhone 7 plus at the launch. There's room to improve but I already like what I get out of the camera a lot.
My OP5 has been running great on FreedomOS 1.X [7.1.1][OOS][[STABLE][SAFETYNET ✓] with default kernel (avg. SOT 6h-8h more hours is in those sessions where there’s a lot of youtube playback..usage pattern -> chrome, whatsapp, gmail, bt audio (spotify through bt to bt headphones), waze with Sync, BT Always ON and Location only when using Waze)). I find FreedomOS to be the best custom rom as it’s the closest to stock, but then again it (1) allows you debloat as much as you wish, (2) it has built in Viper4Arise and (3) AdAway. Must have for me is also [v4.1] Ozone - A substratum module for OOS for center clock and other neat visual details.
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Not to degrade Freedom OS in anyway...but you may want to try xXx also..wonderful ROM and Dev just like Freedom OS
jemeljsh said:
taking into account that every phone, OS has its flaws and there’s no perfect phone
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+1
Complex devices with multiple feature sets (phone, camera, computer, GPS, physical, low cost, etc.) necessarily have inherent compromises. Add to that the diverse set of needs and priorities from a potentially massive customer base. The result is a product that can't possibly be perfect for all users and all uses, no matter the price point. I'm quite happy with the choices, tradeoffs and compromises that OnePlus made.
About the only feature I miss on the OP5 is the rubbery back surface on the Nexus 5 that it's replacing. The OP5's back, while it may look nice, is almost as slippery as an eel. If I believed in conspiracy theories I'd speculate that they did it intentionally to maximize the number of new OP5 phones they can sell to replace dropped ones

Why is this phone getting crapped on so hard?

Every forum or YouTube videos I watch, all I see is people hating on this phone. I am actually pretty surprised, but how much negativity there is for the Pixel 4 line.
Android police poll, is heavily in the "hell no not buying" as #1
Two big tech forums I belong too, it's like 70% saying no way.
What's the deal?
I have a 64GB Clearly White 4XL on order. I go back to owning, the Nexus-One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Motorola Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Pixel 2 XL, and Pixel 3 XL. And yes I agree, the Pixel 4 XL could have been better, for the price at least do better than OnePlus, give us 8GB RAM, a larger battery of at least 4,000mAh, a brighter display for outdoor use, go easy n the large forehead bezel, like have the thickness if possible. But saying that, I buy the Nexus Pixel line for the software and monthly security updates.
I am interested in seeing the full blown real reviews this week.
For a few reasons:
1. Not priced like a Nexus / 3a
2. No fingerprint sensor
3. Lack of Ultrawide 3rd camera
4. Small battery
5. Removal of Ultrawide front facing camera
6. Removal of front facing speakers
7. Big top bezel for Soli
8. Soli gimmick
9. Removal of unlimited original photo upload
10. No big leap in camera hardware
11. No surprises since it was leaked all over the place
12. Only 6 GB of RAM (finally)
13. Only Snapdragon 855 instead of 855+ processor
Having said all that, I still have one on preorder.
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Kusanagi Fire said:
For a few reasons:
1. Not priced like a Nexus / 3a
2. No fingerprint sensor
3. Lack of Ultrawide 3rd camera
4. Small battery
5. Removal of Ultrawide front facing camera
6. Removal of front facing speakers
7. Big top bezel for Soli
8. Soli gimmick
9. Removal of unlimited original photo upload
10. No big leap in camera hardware
11. No surprises since it was leaked all over the place
12. Only 6 GB of RAM (finally)
13. Only Snapdragon 855 instead of 855+ processor
Having said all that, I still have one on preorder.
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
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3,9, and 12 are the disappointment for me. But that price thooooo, they could have gotten more attention if only they priced it right.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
Kusanagi Fire said:
For a few reasons:
1. Not priced like a Nexus / 3a
2. No fingerprint sensor
3. Lack of Ultrawide 3rd camera
4. Small battery
5. Removal of Ultrawide front facing camera
6. Removal of front facing speakers
7. Big top bezel for Soli
8. Soli gimmick
9. Removal of unlimited original photo upload
10. No big leap in camera hardware
11. No surprises since it was leaked all over the place
12. Only 6 GB of RAM (finally)
13. Only Snapdragon 855 instead of 855+ processor
Having said all that, I still have one on preorder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4 may be an issue for me but everyone's usage is different so I'll wait to see my personal results before I make a final judgement.
6 is a big one for me. Before the 4XL was officially announced, I was aiming to switch from my OnePlus 7 Pro so I could get front facing speakers. I always end up blocking the bottom speaker when watching stuff in landscape mode.
10 could be a reason for me but not too much since I know it's going to be better than my current OnePlus 7 Pro.
12 is similar to my point for reason 4 (wait until I can test myself). Users say Android 10 is RAM hungry so hopefully that 6 GB is enough.
13, Even though it's a slight upgrade, it would have been nice to get the + variant of the processor.
All other reasons I don't mind too much.
But yeah I do think the phone is getting a bit too much hate.
Honestly, just the fact that last year's Pixel 3 got discounted on Black Friday combined with the fact that the 4 isn't a massive leap in hardware / doesn't check some of the minimal requirements like 8 GB RAM, 855+, and Ultrawide camera (granted, there's not much more ground to cover these days) is reason enough for this phone to get tons of hate.
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Today Flossy admitted that he's been using the 3XL all along. He complained about that one much the way he will complain about this one in the full review. He'll says it's too expensive and many other things. Despite that he'll probably end up making it his work phone just as he did the previous Pixels. I wrote about this elsewhere but a search on Youtube will probably be able to find the dude from Unbox Therapy doing a pertinent video. He was in a suite in Vegas with a bunch of other young millionaires, Brownlee for example. The whole video was what is everyone carrying in their pocket, what was the phone they chose to use. The Pixel tied the iphone with few other phones mixed in. Brownlee had both. It wasn't because they were reviewing it, that was well past review time. It was the phone that millionaires who have tried everything and can afford anything decided they wanted in their pockets. There's a message there.
I do get it, the phone is too expensive for the specs, only a mother could love the looks, it's missing feature X and Y. But I'm sure that I'll enjoy using it in the day to day more than any other phone I could buy. It's always been that way. I couldn't make friends with the 3XL, the notch just killed it for me so I got a 6T. Nothing wrong with that phone but the next thing I knew I was picking up a 3AXL, should have been a downgrade, it was by the numbers. Wasn't long before I realized I wasn't going to use the 6T anymore and gave it to one of my grand kids. I've been using the 3A since.
Let the haters hate and enjoy your purchase. Flossy begin his quick look with talk of giving it a fair trial before he hung it, 5 minutes later he was giggling like a schoolgirl. The Pixel does that...
I agree with most here, the Pixel 4 XL could and should have been better;
- 8GB RAM
- 4,300mAh battery ( like the Note 10+ )
- Brighter display on par with the Galaxy S10 line
- Reduce the forehead bezel, to like half the size if possible, or actually do the Note 10 hole punch, and forget the faceID stuff, and keep the fingerprint scanner.
But it's funny, recent phones that I kept the longest last few years has been the Nexus or Pixel. Yeah I'd get bored with them, then I pick up the latest Samsung Galaxy whatever, and within in a few weeks already regret not having the Pixel. One time I went for the iPhone 7 Plus, when it was the hot new phone, and I was bored with my Nexus 6P, wow what a bad decision, not even a month later ran back to the Nexus, mainly because iOS is a Fischer Price kids OS, and totally blows, feels like a decade old operating system. Or I got the Note 5 at launch, was so happy to have that badass phone, but then I tried to turn it into a Nexus, deleting all the Samsung stuff, and downloading every Google app and setting defaults, and tried to make the Note 5 a Nexus Note LOL, where the phone I traded in for the Note 5 was the Motorola Nexus 6, and that thing was just so smooth, so cool, I regretted getting the Note
Point, the Nexus or Pixel phones, may be ugly, and not have the wham bam cool features, but using it day in day out, I just find them most comfortable and a joy. They are simple, they are minimalist, but they just work, and have a special thing about them.
Unfortunately, Google will never win because nothing is ever good enough for people and they will always complain about something.
techrider6262 said:
Unfortunately, Google will never win because nothing is ever good enough for people and they will always complain about something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This!
6GB RAM - My 3xl has 4 and I have ZERO problems running whatever. People need to learn that it's not necessarily about big specs, it's more about optimization. The 4's will run very smoothly with 6. Just because the S10 has 8, and the note has an option of 12 doesn't mean that does anything to speed up the phone.
128GB storage - This option is the same price as the s10 with that same storage. Maybe Google should add a third option with 256? Would that make some of you happy? It would be even more expensive though. But, again, same price as the s10.
Battery - My 3xl has a smaller battery and I get no less than 20+ hours with heavy use. Typically, I'll get 24+ hours on it. With the 90 Hz display being an as needed, I doubt the battery will last less than my 3xl.
Ultrawide camera - I DO have to agree here that it should have that. I know Google's camera's are amazing and this one will definitely be as good as the iPhone or Sammy's, but the ultrawide addition to camera shots would have been nice.
Removal of free original size photo backups - Sooo, Apple NOR Samsung, NOR any other OEM that I'm aware of ever offered this. I'm a system engineer and cloud architect. I'm here to tell you that the amount of storage and bandwidth required for unlimited originals for millions of users is INSANE. You have any idea how much this costs Google? There was no way that would ever last. It's $1.99 and $2.99 per month for the extra storage to keep original backups, plus you get other benefits. Also, grab Google Surveys app and you'll make more than the cost here by far every month. Get over it.
The front facing speakers - Definitely not happy about this. They could have fit the bottom speaker I bet. At least there's still stereo.
Anyway, anyone who wants to hate, please save us all from it and go elsewhere. This phone will be amazing and I'd put it up against ANY other smartphone. It'll be smoother and has release day updates and OS's.
Every year there are people trolling the new pixel (even the Samsung S7 edge though) threads for a couple months after release. It's incredibly stupid. If you don't like the phone, why are you here?
I haven't had time to watch the all reviews yet, but is the 4 XL battery life at least on par with the 3 XL's, or please don't tell me it's actually worse?
My Pixel 3 XL battery life is mediocre, not great, not horrible, I would like better, but certainly not worse, but could makedo with the same battery life. If the 4 XL has worse and less battery life than the Pixel 3 XL, then I need to cancel my preorder.
Zorachus said:
I haven't had time to watch the all reviews yet, but is the 4 XL battery life at least on par with the 3 XL's, or please don't tell me it's actually worse?
My Pixel 3 XL battery life is mediocre, not great, not horrible, I would like better, but certainly not worse, but could makedo with the same battery life. If the 4 XL has worse and less battery life than the Pixel 3 XL, then I need to cancel my preorder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trading in my 3xl for the 4xl and I believe the battery life will be the same or better.
It has a larger battery so even the smooth display shouldn't hurt it too much.
The reviews so far today have trashed the 4 but pretty much everyone agreed that the 4xl should be fine.
I'm excited even if the changes are not dramatic from 3xl.
Zorachus said:
I haven't had time to watch the all reviews yet, but is the 4 XL battery life at least on par with the 3 XL's, or please don't tell me it's actually worse?
My Pixel 3 XL battery life is mediocre, not great, not horrible, I would like better, but certainly not worse, but could makedo with the same battery life. If the 4 XL has worse and less battery life than the Pixel 3 XL, then I need to cancel my preorder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From The limited reviews and tweets that I have seen, it seems to be holding its own. Averaging between 4 and 6 hours of sot, from the initial reviews. But I'm sure that that will get better, over time, as it learns your usage. Definitely getting through a whole day though, and that's all that's important
I suppose a rooted 4 XL with the Franco kernel and his app Naptime, would extend battery life too?
Zorachus said:
I suppose a rooted 4 XL with the Franco kernel and his app Naptime, would extend battery life too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, these days the only reason I root is for custom kernels, and adaway
If the battery optimization time is the same as the 3XL then none of the reviewers have attained their final screen on time yet.
First reviews are out and they say battery life is horrendous, especially on the 4. I'll pass. Too expensive for too many compromises.
I have Android 10 running on my OG Pixel XL and have zero problems with it on an older chipset and 4 GBs, but I'm sure the extra 2 GBs will be beneficial/noticeable regardless.
I suppose the people complaining the loudest fall into 1 of the following 2 categories: trolls/iphone fanbois or people who don't feel the upgrade from the 3 (or any of the last gen phones) -> 4 is worthwhile. While that's a valid concern, it's worth noting that in recent years the yearly revision has become less substantial in recent years. I've held off for 3 years so going from the OG XL to 4 XL will be a massive improvement and something I'm greatly looking forward to.
msaitta said:
I have Android 10 running on my OG Pixel XL and have zero problems with it on an older chipset and 4 GBs, but I'm sure the extra 2 GBs will be beneficial/noticeable regardless.
I suppose the people complaining the loudest fall into 1 of the following 2 categories: trolls/iphone fanbois or people who don't feel the upgrade from the 3 (or any of the last gen phones) -> 4 is worthwhile. While that's a valid concern, it's worth noting that in recent years the yearly revision has become less substantial in recent years. I've held off for 3 years so going from the OG XL to 4 XL will be a massive improvement and something I'm greatly looking forward to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every phone I've pre-ordered, it always starts the same way. Everyone has something to complain about before they even have the phone in their own hands. After awhile, the complaining, for the most part, dies down, and people realize they love the device. What boggles my mind is, why come to the forum to complain? Nobody forces an individual to buy the phone, let alone pre-order it. Instead of focusing on the negative, focus on the positives.
I'm going to vent a little bit...
I'm an older guy (48) and I've been doing tech and gadgets for over 20 years now. I love this site and have participated on and off for many years. There is a problem growing online and it is only going to get worse. The system here isn't equipped to counter a growing troll problem, so we all fall prey to the effects. Every aspect of the online consumer space is being manipulated by "troll farms" and it is obliterating the signal-to-noise ratio in everything from entertainment to personal devices. Across the board, every device is eventually portrayed to have some fatal flaw rendering it inferior. When in actuality, it can adequately perform the primary task and may only fall short in a single aspect depending on a very specific need that varies individually by consumer.
I used to participate here rather frequently, then I began to only stop by during a device's release to gauge anticipations and thoughts. Every year the noise has increased. Not just here though, almost every forum beyond a certain size has the same issue. Online sources and articles are not immune and are populated with extremely vocal "detractors" in the comment sections, they rally with a frequency and voracity that no ordinary working person could maintain. The methods used by professional trolls is complex, and unfortunately, PROFITABLE.
Without giving too much personal information, my wife WAS a partner in one of the largest PR firms in the U.S., and I can tell you that troll farms and bogus self-cross-referring review sources are real. Her firm never participated, but they could see it coming and now there's an entire "dark" branch of marketing and PR that has arisen (some would say re-emerged) that essentially has the ethics model of the old cigarette industry with the agility of a modern digital campaign.
So if you're wrestling with specs, don't kill yourself searching for the ultimate device. You can do three things and I promise you'll be as happy as you can be.
If you really care about what you're going to buy ,to the point that it may cause a devastating case of buyer's remorse you should:
- First, make lists. Make a list of what's important, make a list of what specs make your tech-feels tingle, make a list of devices and start prioritizing and crossing off.
- Second, do a one afternoon search (not one second longer) of trusted reviews and ignore very tilted reviews.
- Third, and this is crazy... Go to a store, look at the physical functioning device and play with it.
This should be an extra separate step, but whatever, I'm not going back to edit...
- Buy what you want and be prepared to return it within 30 days and pay a restocking fee. Don't like the fee? Too bad, that's life... If you don't like something you may have to pay to return it, it's the world we live in.
This should be one more step too. Damn, I really messed up.
- Unless you are doing ongoing development NEVER revisit the topic of purchasing and specs. Go and enjoy your device and every once and a while keep up with updates and new features. There's a whole life to live out there, so don't waste your energy spec-gazing or griping with trolls.
Online communities are becoming less valuable to me every day because of the noise, it's unfortunate.
Dusty Rhodes said:
I'm going to vent a little bit...
I'm an older guy (48) and I've been doing tech and gadgets for over 20 years now. I love this site and have participated on and off for many years. There is a problem growing online and it is only going to get worse. The system here isn't equipped to counter a growing troll problem, so we all fall prey to the effects. Every aspect of the online consumer space is being manipulated by "troll farms" and it is obliterating the signal-to-noise ratio in everything from entertainment to personal devices. Across the board, every device is eventually portrayed to have some fatal flaw rendering it inferior. When in actuality, it can adequately perform the primary task and may only fall short in a single aspect depending on a very specific need that varies individually by consumer.
I used to participate here rather frequently, then I began to only stop by during a device's release to gauge anticipations and thoughts. Every year the noise has increased. Not just here though, almost every forum beyond a certain size has the same issue. Online sources and articles are not immune and are populated with extremely vocal "detractors" in the comment sections, they rally with a frequency and voracity that no ordinary working person could maintain. The methods used by professional trolls is complex, and unfortunately, PROFITABLE.
Without giving too much personal information, my wife WAS a partner in one of the largest PR firms in the U.S., and I can tell you that troll farms and bogus self-cross-referring review sources are real. Her firm never participated, but they could see it coming and now there's an entire "dark" branch of marketing and PR that has arisen (some would say re-emerged) that essentially has the ethics model of the old cigarette industry with the agility of a modern digital campaign.
So if you're wrestling with specs, don't kill yourself searching for the ultimate device. You can do three things and I promise you'll be as happy as you can be.
If you really care about what you're going to buy ,to the point that it may cause a devastating case of buyer's remorse you should:
- First, make lists. Make a list of what's important, make a list of what specs make your tech-feels tingle, make a list of devices and start prioritizing and crossing off.
- Second, do a one afternoon search (not one second longer) of trusted reviews and ignore very tilted reviews.
- Third, and this is crazy... Go to a store, look at the physical functioning device and play with it.
This should be an extra separate step, but whatever, I'm not going back to edit...
- Buy what you want and be prepared to return it within 30 days and pay a restocking fee. Don't like the fee? Too bad, that's life... If you don't like something you may have to pay to return it, it's the world we live in.
This should be one more step too. Damn, I really messed up.
- Unless you are doing ongoing development NEVER revisit the topic of purchasing and specs. Go and enjoy your device and every once and a while keep up with updates and new features. There's a whole life to live out there, so don't waste your energy spec-gazing or griping with trolls.
Online communities are becoming less valuable to me every day because of the noise, it's unfortunate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely this. It's pretty darn clear that some people in the crowd are trying to spike the punch. Don't obsess over the minutiae, don't allow yourself to be herded just because it seems like sentiment is tilted one way. Figure out what you want out of a phone (is an ultra-wide camera REALLY make/break for you, or are you only thinking that because XYZ said to?). Put your hands on the device by visiting a Best Buy or carrier store. And lastly, recognize that software learns your habits (battery life after a few days won't tell you what long-term battery life means) and also gets updated (features get added, functionality becomes improved).
Be aware of the echo chamber effect and do your best to make up your own mind about the worthiness of a phone.

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Samsung galaxy note 20 ultra
Yes this is great phone i already using it great company
So far I have to say this phone is on its way to becoming the New GOAT. Build quality is stellar, i don't mind the camera bump, small sacrifice for a better shooter. Plus I always rest my finger against it. But that being said, it's pretty much the perfect phone IMO.
The display, the smoothness, the cameras. If I can get 6h + SOT on top of that it'll definitely become my GOAT Samsung phone. Dethroning the Note 7 who dethroned the Galaxy S4 Google play edition but I digress.
I don't see myself moving to another phone any time soon.
Sent from my SM-N986W using XDA Labs
Initial thoughts after final setup:
Going from a A20 ultra to a Note 20 ultra, I think this phone just looks and might even perform better. The feel in the hand, the fingerprint reader, everything seems to run smoother. I'm loving it so far.
My main concern is the battery life with heavy use. I've tweaked the settings a bit, so I guess I will have a better idea after a few days of use. But so far so good! :good:
I just received and configured my Note 20 Ultra. It's so similiar to Note 10+ but faster. Software looks almost the same. I already have 1 software update with security patch from 1st of August
edit: what is annoying is that pen is from the other side it's inconviniet if you are using right hand to operate and hold your phon in your left hand
It's an incredible phone. So much smaller than my first mobile phone 35 years ago. How far we have come since Palm first put a PDA and mobile into the same unit. Luv, Luv, Luv.
PS. The Beans are wonderful. So nice to not have a bud sticking into my ear canal.
PPS. Now I have to wait all over again for my Tab S7+.
advocate2 said:
It's an incredible phone. So much smaller than my first mobile phone 35 years ago. How far we have come since Palm first put a PDA and mobile into the same unit. Luv, Luv, Luv.
PS. The Beans are wonderful. So nice to not have a bud sticking into my ear canal.
PPS. Now I have to wait all over again for my Tab S7+.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, I remember those. My first phone was a brick phone with a battery that lasted an hour if you were lucky, and a hand calculator sized screen. Times have changed indeed. It's amazing.
a Lefty's dream!
duchian said:
I just received and configured my Note 20 Ultra. It's so similiar to Note 10+ but faster. Software looks almost the same. I already have 1 software update with security patch from 1st of August
edit: what is annoying is that pen is from the other side it's inconviniet if you are using right hand to operate and hold your phon in your left hand
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have waited on the Note series for a while. What finally took my commitment was finding out the s pen is on the left. As a lefty, this is the most convenient placement I can imagine.
Anticipate that the placement will change back to the right in the next iteration after feedback from rightys.
If the s-pen was on the right, it would be perfect. Fingerprint scanner is brilliant now, screen is unreal, battery life is phenomenal, speed is beyond belief... Perfection. Good luck topping this, Samsung
Love this phone! It's definitely my favorite phone ever. It just barely beats my love for the OnePlus 8 Pro. I like the form factor of this phone better with less display curves. Plus all the tons of software features. However the colors and brightness on the OnePlus 8 Pro are better.
AndroidPurity said:
Love this phone! It's definitely my favorite phone ever. It just barely beats my love for the OnePlus 8 Pro. I like the form factor of this phone better with less display curves. Plus all the tons of software features. However the colors and brightness on the OnePlus 8 Pro are better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you elaborate further on the brightness? Everything I've read says the Note 20 Ultra has a brighter screen than the OnePlus 8 Pro, and the rated nits value is quite a bit higher. It might only go up to highest brightness in adaptive mode and being outside? IDK, but you're the first person I've seen say this.
Roland Deschain said:
Can you elaborate further on the brightness? Everything I've read says the Note 20 Ultra has a brighter screen than the OnePlus 8 Pro, and the rated nits value is quite a bit higher. It might only go up to highest brightness in adaptive mode and being outside? IDK, but you're the first person I've seen say this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
==========================
This is the best way I have of describing my N20U screen brightness.
On a no cloud sunny day, I can take my phone out and see the screen perfectly. No more having to turn to use my body for shade and my hand to see the screen.
I am 69 with mild Adult onset Macular Degeneration. This phone is fantastic for me with auto brightness enabled.
I hope that helps.
duchian said:
edit: what is annoying is that pen is from the other side it's inconviniet if you are using right hand to operate and hold your phon in your left hand
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't agree more. After owning note 2,3,4,7,8, and 9 with the pen on the right it will take some getting used to.
Battery life is also a bit meh coming from a Poco F2 Pro but it's good enough to get me to the end of the day so I can live with it.
Apart from those two factors I love this thing. Even at 60hz the screen is very bright and vibrant. It's very responsive, plenty quick enough for day to day tasks, and I've got the inferior Exynos model since that's all my country gets.
Camera is also beast. Low light isn't quite as good as my P30 Pro but it's still pretty impressive compared to a lot of smart phones out there. One thing it does have over the p30 is that it's much faster to grab focus so much better for quick snaps.
great phone, super screen, great that the diagonal has become larger, very convenient !!!
I bought note 20 ultra it is most bs phone i ever use it
No complaint in the overall experience
I've had Note 1, Note 3, S7, S10+ and now N20U from HK with Snapdragon. I've only had it two days, but I'm very happy with the phone. Big £ savings vs UK Exynos are icing and a cherry on top of the cake.
Having pre ordered the phone and having used Notes 3,4,7, 8 and now the 20 Utra 5G with 512gb internal storage; I wanted to wait to make a judgement call but I can say while there are things I like about the phone, I don't think it is what I expected and I am done with Samsung products.
I mean they have tried un-successfully to get rid of the micro sd card slot so then they go after the head phone jack. They skimp on the 120Hz display at full resolution. I mean there are a number of things for a flag ship $1549 phone that just say crap. I was interested in a watch and a tab s7 also. but that isn't going to happen.
I've owned a number of Samsung devices in the past, including Notes 8 and 9 as well as an S10e provided by my company. The Note 9 is, to me, an icon and the last no holds barred, everything but the kitchen sink, no compromises, Note. I do a lot of mobile photography and have always gravitated toward devices that had impressive camera/audio/video capabilities as well as feature-filled in other areas. I wanted to get my hands on the Note 20 Ultra but wasn't willing to relinquish my still pristine Note 9 for the pre-order trade in discount. So I waited for the software problems to get sorted out and the prices to come down. I regularly scanned the Offer Up and Swappa websites until I was able to a factory unlocked 512GB model from a good seller at a great price. This device is a juggernaut of power, form, function, features and fun. I found it not to be too much larger than my Note 9 which fits oh so nicely in hand in its Caseoloy Paraxell case. The camera and video set up is a mobile photographer's dream. I've utilized Google Pixel software apks (GCam) on all of my devices going back to my LG V20 and the stock cameras work so well that I have found no need to port one this time out. This is just overall a top notch piece of tech that does so many things and does them well. It is a quality, powerful, feature-filled piece of technology that will fulfill your needs, whether it's mobile photography, work productivity or content consumption/creation and everything in between. I'm glad I added it to my lineup.
Hardware is great ! With a few greed related exceptions, ( Like Non-Removable Battery, No Audio Port,etc... ) Scamsung's Locked Bluetooth codec really burns my ars !
It could Do/Be so much more/better if they would just fix the Hardware/Firmware lockdown BS.
Coming from a Rooted Note3, this is a really bad experience trying to do anything with this thing, Nothing works without agreeing to some sort of sketchy user agreement. No one is making any usable apps any more, Most of the Best Developers have quit bothering with Android. Even simple widgets don't even work anymore
I DO NOT OWN this over priced phone, They Do ! And they do/steal what ever they want to/from it !
They forced Assdroid 11 in the middle of the night with a corrupt image, I was forced to send it back to them to get it re-flashed. Now None of the apps I was using on version 10 will work on ver. 11.
I will NEVER buy another assdroid, scamsung again. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone either.
Sad that almost all the hardware/software makers are using these creepy/greedy tactics to spy,steal & dictate what you should do. No other choices out there any more ...
Soon you will have to log in just to wipe your ass ! & they Will be counting your turds.

Buy a Pixel 5 now or wait for Pixel 6?

Hey guys,
I wanted your opinion regarding the Pixel 5. How happy are you with the aesthetics of the device? How does it feel on hand and how does it feel in the pocket?
This year I've tried a bunch of phones and I want to switch to something smaller and that has good camera and good battery life. Currently I have a s21 Ultra which is a good overall phone but this thing feels like a brick, it's heavy when you carry it and if you have a good case the phone is even bigger and heavier. Tried a regular S21 but that again was a bit bulky and heavy when used with a good thick case.
I've been reading about the Pixel 6 (all rumors at this point) but it seems like they are going to increase the size in the 6 series. The smallest upcoming Pixel 6 you can get will be 6.3~6.4 inches and even though it will have upgraded cameras and better specs I think I would just avoid buying it because of the size.
What do you recommend? Should I just buy the Pixel 5 now or maybe wait until the 6 series are released and then make a decision ?
Absolutely NOTHING wrong with the Pixel 5. I LOVE mine.
That being said, no XL version. I didn't like that. I came from P2XL. I like bigger screens. I'll probably get the 6XL
xunholyx said:
Absolutely NOTHING wrong with the Pixel 5. I LOVE mine.
That being said, no XL version. I didn't like that. I came from P2XL. I like bigger screens. I'll probably get the 6XL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im trying to stay at a maximum screen size of 6". And I want the weight to be reasonable. Another phone that's getting my attention is the asus zenfone 8. Seems like the ergonomic king of all androids powered phones right now. But it's a tough call between the regular supported software of pixel vs Asus.
paul_cherma said:
Hey guys,
I wanted your opinion regarding the Pixel 5. How happy are you with the aesthetics of the device? How does it feel on hand and how does it feel in the pocket?
This year I've tried a bunch of phones and I want to switch to something smaller and that has good camera and good battery life. Currently I have a s21 Ultra which is a good overall phone but this thing feels like a brick, it's heavy when you carry it and if you have a good case the phone is even bigger and heavier. Tried a regular S21 but that again was a bit bulky and heavy when used with a good thick case.
I've been reading about the Pixel 6 (all rumors at this point) but it seems like they are going to increase the size in the 6 series. The smallest upcoming Pixel 6 you can get will be 6.3~6.4 inches and even though it will have upgraded cameras and better specs I think I would just avoid buying it because of the size.
What do you recommend? Should I just buy the Pixel 5 now or maybe wait until the 6 series are released and then make a decision ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I'm someone who shares somewhat similar views / opinions. Just changed from an lg v40 to a pixel 3, very happy with a smaller screen and less weight.
It absolutely is an individual thing, of course. Some constantly use their device, gaming, video's etc etc, and a bigger screen (read heavy) outweighs (punny) other aspects.
But if yer like me, really only use the device as a phone, take good pics occasionally, facebook a little, etc... AND carry it in your pocket always, then size and weight become prominent in the choice.
Seeing as google is going the 'bigger is better' route, I'd say a 3, 4 or 5 is where I'll be for years to come (thanks!! Lineage!). Basically, I just don't do enough screen / face time to justify a larger heavier phone.
But a 5 now? Naaah, it won't be long, with 5a and 6 becoming available, the price will drop. buy then.
cheers
paul_cherma said:
Im trying to stay at a maximum screen size of 6". And I want the weight to be reasonable. Another phone that's getting my attention is the asus zenfone 8. Seems like the ergonomic king of all androids powered phones right now. But it's a tough call between the regular supported software of pixel vs Asus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you will more than happy with the Pixel 5. It's a great device
AsItLies said:
So I'm someone who shares somewhat similar views / opinions. Just changed from an lg v40 to a pixel 3, very happy with a smaller screen and less weight.
It absolutely is an individual thing, of course. Some constantly use their device, gaming, video's etc etc, and a bigger screen (read heavy) outweighs (punny) other aspects.
But if yer like me, really only use the device as a phone, take good pics occasionally, facebook a little, etc... AND carry it in your pocket always, then size and weight become prominent in the choice.
Seeing as google is going the 'bigger is better' route, I'd say a 3, 4 or 5 is where I'll be for years to come (thanks!! Lineage!). Basically, I just don't do enough screen / face time to justify a larger heavier phone.
But a 5 now? Naaah, it won't be long, with 5a and 6 becoming available, the price will drop. buy then.
cheers
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The idea of switching to a smaller phone came to me after I was hiking and traveling with some friends for about 3 weeks and most of them had bought the Iphone Mini. I was surprised by how a tiny phone like that was pretty much on par with my s21U and some other top of the line expensive android phones that some other friends were using. It took good pictures, battery life was good, and even though I had a beast on me (the S21U) when we compared pics, battery life, browsing, app switching, etc, I saw very minimal differences. The damn thing feels like a toy when you hold it but it is such a good device. Now I can not use an Iphone as my daily driver, I don't hate their products, they're just not for me. The main criteria for me has always been
1. it has to be android OS,
2. must be root friendly
3. good battery and good pictures
Carrying the S21U around is kind of a pain in the butt lol. I can certainly use it with one hand as a tall person with big hands but it's so uncomfortable just carrying it around. And for the specs it has I was expecting more out of it... so far it has simply been a good device. I can't say I am impressed or wow-ed by it.
I think I'll wait for the 5a be announced and see it in person before making a decision but I am already 60% against buying it as it seems like they will up the screen size to 6.2 inches. The camera and processor will stay the same pretty much as the pixel 5 -> but it will be cheaper than a Pixel 5 so I'm not sure if that'll be enough for me to consider it. I'm definitely not waiting for the 6 series to be released though, at this point it seems "confirmed" that all the 6 series will be at the 6.3-6.4 screen size and up.
paul_cherma said:
The idea of switching to a smaller phone came to me after I was hiking and traveling with some friends for about 3 weeks and most of them had bought the Iphone Mini. I was surprised by how a tiny phone like that was pretty much on par with my s21U and some other top of the line expensive android phones that some other friends were using. It took good pictures, battery life was good, and even though I had a beast on me (the S21U) when we compared pics, battery life, browsing, app switching, etc, I saw very minimal differences. The damn thing feels like a toy when you hold it but it is such a good device. Now I can not use an Iphone as my daily driver, I don't hate their products, they're just not for me. The main criteria for me has always been
1. it has to be android OS,
2. must be root friendly
3. good battery and good pictures
Carrying the S21U around is kind of a pain in the butt lol. I can certainly use it with one hand as a tall person with big hands but it's so uncomfortable just carrying it around. And for the specs it has I was expecting more out of it... so far it has simply been a good device. I can't say I am impressed or wow-ed by it.
I think I'll wait for the 5a be announced and see it in person before making a decision but I am already 60% against buying it as it seems like they will up the screen size to 6.2 inches. The camera and processor will stay the same pretty much as the pixel 5 -> but it will be cheaper than a Pixel 5 so I'm not sure if that'll be enough for me to consider it. I'm definitely not waiting for the 6 series to be released though, at this point it seems "confirmed" that all the 6 series will be at the 6.3-6.4 screen size and up.
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I can relate, for sure. Have never tried an iPhone but sincerely doubt it would work for me either. I hate the proprietary 'you're forced to do it this way, whether you like it or not'.
Agree, the 5a and 6's are going to be too big. Only reason I'd wait for them to come out is then, the p5 will drop in price. Then I'd get the p5
I really enjoy my pixel 5. Perfect size. I did really like the S20, however, I didn't want to give up root. Also, at the time it said that on Verizon I wouldn't get 5g with the Intl version, but I do believe that I would of gotten it (not that I've seen 5g even once in my area on the Pixel 5... but that's another discussion) As for battery/pictures, I haven't owned a Samsung in recent years, and this being my first Pixel, I am really impressed with the camera. And Battery for me is wonderful. I am not a heavy user, very minimal, not many apps, no social media, no gaming, etc. so my baseline wont be the same as yours, but the Pixel 5 fairs well considering its specs.
I can't imagine using a phone too much larger than the S21. My brother recently upgraded his S20. It's so, darn, heavy. I'd get used to it with time, but going from my P5 with a slim case, to playing with his S21 is difficult. I am considering the Pixel 6/S21/S22/others/ here soon, but if I am content with the P5, I'll be on it for as long as I can make it last..
I agree to wait for the 5a to be released, even the 6 if you can wait it out, as then the deals for a new one, or someone letting go of a lightly used one should be for a good price.
I usually get the latest phone each year but if the P6 is a millimeter over 6" I might have to skip it. The P5 at 5.7" is really the largest I'd like but 6 is max. It just won't fit in my running shorts or my saddle bag and would probably fall out of my pocket in the car. They really need to rethink the larger size or just go the standard/XL route so everyone is happy.
AsItLies said:
I can relate, for sure. Have never tried an iPhone but sincerely doubt it would work for me either. I hate the proprietary 'you're forced to do it this way, whether you like it or not'.
Agree, the 5a and 6's are going to be too big. Only reason I'd wait for them to come out is then, the p5 will drop in price. Then I'd get the p5
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how much does google discount the older phone when they release new ones usually? I've never shopped for Pixel phones so I'm not familiar with their strategy. Right now Pixel 5 sells for $699 on their website
paul_cherma said:
how much does google discount the older phone when they release new ones usually? I've never shopped for Pixel phones so I'm not familiar with their strategy. Right now Pixel 5 sells for $699 on their website
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Not positive but it should be discounted 100 to maybe 150, initially. So think about the cycle of the pixel 4, and where it is now. It was originally 799, but it's at 400 now and a 4a is 350.
Those are much more reasonable prices for the phone, imho. I have a pixel 3 and with lineage available, more than happy to use it until the price drops.
cheers
Pixel 6 is going to be a major jump in terms of design and camera hardware. I would totally wait for it.
svetius said:
Pixel 6 is going to be a major jump in terms of design and camera hardware. I would totally wait for it.
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And, playing devils advocate here, some would say the 'major jump' in design is a major jump backwards (they will be too big). Camera hardware is changing, that's a good thing always. But it's worth asking yourself; are u unhappy with the pics you get now? I mean, if you're not taking photos professionally, is this a difference (assuming there is one) that would matter to you?
cheers
svetius said:
Pixel 6 is going to be a major jump in terms of design and camera hardware. I would totally wait for it.
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I'd agree with the specs and design improvements, however, the OP didn't really seem that concerned with better this or that. He was concerned about the size and bulkiness of the device, which I am in the same boat. At 5.7" the P5 is simply the right size for a lot of folks. In the 9 months I've had it I've been totally satisfied with everything about it including battery life. Looking at 6.3 is a big difference. Now if they can keep the weight down and perhaps max it at 6.1 well that's a different story. And then there's the price. One caveat is the $699 price now of the P5. That needs to go on sale for $599. Then it's a buy without waiting imo. The next couple of months should be interesting as leaks are released.
It would have been nice if they kept the screen size for one of the 6 series phones to 6.1" maximum. Looks like they are upping that to 6.4". The big screen size alone is keeping me away from wanting to get one. Also Wonder if there will be a huge difference for point and shoot or daytime pictures between the 5 and 6... we'll see when they do the comparisons.
paul_cherma said:
It would have been nice if they kept the screen size for one of the 6 series phones to 6.1" maximum. Looks like they are upping that to 6.4". The big screen size alone is keeping me away from wanting to get one. Also Wonder if there will be a huge difference for point and shoot or daytime pictures between the 5 and 6... we'll see when they do the comparisons.
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And just like that I get an alert on my news feed that the P5 is out of stock across the board. I wonder what's going on. I'm hoping that there is a P6 and a P6 XL.
bobby janow said:
I'd agree with the specs and design improvements, however, the OP didn't really seem that concerned with better this or that. He was concerned about the size and bulkiness of the device, which I am in the same boat. At 5.7" the P5 is simply the right size for a lot of folks. In the 9 months I've had it I've been totally satisfied with everything about it including battery life. Looking at 6.3 is a big difference. Now if they can keep the weight down and perhaps max it at 6.1 well that's a different story. And then there's the price. One caveat is the $699 price now of the P5. That needs to go on sale for $599. Then it's a buy without waiting imo. The next couple of months should be interesting as leaks are released.
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I'm really hoping that they keep the screen size to a maximum of 6.1. From the leaks so far it seems that they are going for the big screen though. I'm using a s21U now, I like the camera, not exceptional but it's better than good imo. I really like the zoom capabilities of it also, they come in handy if you want to zoom to far away objects. But I'm getting tired of these big screen and heavy phones. It's sad that there's not many Android operated devices that have a good size and good specs and are root friendly.
paul_cherma said:
It would have been nice if they kept the screen size for one of the 6 series phones to 6.1" maximum. Looks like they are upping that to 6.4". The big screen size alone is keeping me away from wanting to get one. Also Wonder if there will be a huge difference for point and shoot or daytime pictures between the 5 and 6... we'll see when they do the comparisons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree. Google will no doubt make improvements to the camera ability. Believe I've read the high res zoom will go from 2x to 6x. Great of course. But the closer you zoom in, the steadier you have to be, thus the exposure has to be quick, meaning the ISO has to be high (grain). During a bright sunny day it will probably work well.
Me personally though, I'll stick with my 40x zoom Canon pocket camera, if I'm going out to shoot birds or something. While sure, it would be nice to have a phone with more zoom power... do you need it? how often u gonna use that?
realistically speaking, it's a 'nice to have', but certainly not something I've ever thought I needed.
cheers
An alternative suggestion - get a 4a super cheap for now and see how the 5a and 6 pan out.
I have owned 4a and 5, moving to them from the S20. Both are excellent and while the differences between 4a and 5 might look significant on paper, they are barely noticeable in use. The 4a is quite the bargain.
What I liked:
-Size. Though I personally prefer a 6.2" screen (the OP6 was perfect), having it smaller was actually really nice instead of the giant bricks most phones have become.
-Camera. Even though the hardware isn't the greatest, the software makes the Pixel 5 take some damn fine photos for the price.
-Root!!!
There's some downsides to the Pixel 5 in my opinion.
-Under glass speaker (who in engineering thought this was okay?) This is insanely annoying and I can't fathom how anyone could deal with this, and is the main reason I returned mine.
-Piss poor hardware (it's slow, and noticably so).
-God awful Haptics.
-On mine, sometimes it would actually butt-dial people even though I had a finger print set up. Or it wouldn't answer calls even if I got answer 50 times (this doesn't mean this happens to every one, I firmly believe mine was possessed)
Your mileage may vary, and you may be okay with my gripes, but if it were me, I'd wait for the 6.

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