Database Develop

[Q] Is Galaxy Note Better than Galaxy S2 after 2-3 weeks usage?(India)

Hi Guys,
I am about to buy Galaxy Note.But from reviews from my friends,Galaxy S2 is much better than Galaxy Note.
Please Help me to choose Galaxy Note or S2.I know this thread might be repeated,but all those reviews where when the Galaxy Note was Just launched.
Hope you would share your views on both.
Thank You!

SGS2 has a pathetic battery, if you can deal with that, then go for SGS2. If you like the big screen and SPEN then the note is for you.
Also SGS2 has a strange greenish hue in the camera pictures, while pictures from the note is perfect.

I have both. I am going to sell my S II though. In my opinion:
1. In terms of OS optimizations S II is better. But it is quite normal as Note has just arrived. And with every firmware update Note is getting better.
2. Battery life on S II is not 'Pathetic'. With right setting and optimizations you can easily enjoy more than a day's service with a single full charging. However with similar usage you will get better battery life in Note.
3. Screen in note is wayyy better than S II (I bet you know that already!).
4. GPS on Note is better here in Bangladesh. I went India last month My note's GPS was very very good. SII was ok.
5. One hand operation in note is quite troublesome. But you can do things with this big screen which are impossible in S II.
6. Stock apps in Note and S II are pretty similar. However some apps have more features in Note.
7. In my experience camera in both devices are very similar. I did not have any problem with my SII camera.
Both are very good devices. You wont regret with any of these. If price is not a factor and if you feel comfortable with the size, go for the Note.
BTW, stick to Xda-Developer. Without the goodies you'll find in Xda no matter what android device you get, it is destined to suck.
Thank you.

Hackerboi sums it up quite well.
Mostly it is a matter of what you want your phone for:
1. Note: if you want to write/sketch, do business related work on a large screen, watch videos on large screen, read on a large screen
2. GSII: if you need a phone in your pocket with which to text, engage in social media, music, navigation and other general smartphone stuff.

Is Note not pocketable?

aalokraj said:
Is Note not pocketable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite pocketable. Not a problem for me at all. Check this video-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItUPm3xMUb4

Dude go for the note it's way better than anything in the current market in my opinion.
galaxy note is todays version of yesterdays galaxyS2...
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

I have both, the SII and the Note. I much prefer the Note. If you don't mind the size that is. It's not as optimized (OS wise) YET. and I really mean YET. My SGSII wasn't the greatest the first day either, it took a few updates. I haven't had any crashes or anything like that on my Note. Battery life is SUPERB. Last night (after a full day, mostly working, admitting I didn't use the screen a lot) I had 75% battery left when I went to bed. I woke up and still had 60% with wifi, 3g, bluetooth on, and actively syncing. So I know today, Saturday, I'll get through another day with the battery. I'm hydrating up now to go for a run (with the Note) and use Endomondo, which is a great app.
Screen is FANTASTIC on the Note. The screen is also good on the SII. They're both good devices, but they're also very different. GPS on the Note is REALLY good, SGSII is OK. It takes a little to get a lock. Screen size on the note is the best. S-pen helps me out a lot. I use it to jot down notes super fast. The screen size also helps with typing (a lot less guessing on behalf of the phone).
I'd go for the Note, but be warned, it's big and comfortable one handed use is out of the question. I can make a call, read emails and browse sites with one hand, but ANY form of real interaction is also out of the question.

zkyevolved said:
I have both, the SII and the Note. I much prefer the Note. If you don't mind the size that is. It's not as optimized (OS wise) YET. and I really mean YET. My SGSII wasn't the greatest the first day either, it took a few updates. I haven't had any crashes or anything like that on my Note. Battery life is SUPERB. Last night (after a full day, mostly working, admitting I didn't use the screen a lot) I had 75% battery left when I went to bed. I woke up and still had 60% with wifi, 3g, bluetooth on, and actively syncing. So I know today, Saturday, I'll get through another day with the battery. I'm hydrating up now to go for a run (with the Note) and use Endomondo, which is a great app.
Screen is FANTASTIC on the Note. The screen is also good on the SII. They're both good devices, but they're also very different. GPS on the Note is REALLY good, SGSII is OK. It takes a little to get a lock. Screen size on the note is the best. S-pen helps me out a lot. I use it to jot down notes super fast. The screen size also helps with typing (a lot less guessing on behalf of the phone).
I'd go for the Note, but be warned, it's big and comfortable one handed use is out of the question. I can make a call, read emails and browse sites with one hand, but ANY form of real interaction is also out of the question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you.But is it comfortable while making a Call?Many have said it looks so WEIRD!

aalokraj said:
Thank you.But is it comfortable while making a Call?Many have said it looks so WEIRD!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, which is why i use those hidden stereo wearable Bluetooth headsets

aalokraj said:
Thank you.But is it comfortable while making a Call?Many have said it looks so WEIRD!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see why it's uncomfortable. Well, since the phone is wider, you need to know where to place your ear, after a few phone calls you'll instinctively know where to put it. I guess it does look weird from the point of view of an iPhone user, or a Blackberry device. This phone is HUGE. Check out this link with some comparison pictures of other phones I have around the house.
Frankly, I'm comfortable with it. It doesn't bother me. The experience of the large screen is everything I could ever ask for in a mobile device:
Great battery life
Large Screen
Great camera
Easy typing experience with keyboards
I hope I've helped.

It can be a little awkward making a call using the note at first but trust me I had no issues at all in a couple of days. It seems like the perfect size for me now. Apart from the size factor the note beats the s2 in many ways. Go for it, you wont be disappointed.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

aalokraj said:
Thank you.But is it comfortable while making a Call?Many have said it looks so WEIRD!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The vast majority of people who say that haven't really used the phone for any signifigant period of time.
My guess would be, the 'getting used to it' hump is probably 1 week. After that, if you are still happy with the size of the phone, then the phone just gets better and better after that.
- Frank

Thinking of getting one of these. Glad to see the pocketability is good. Since I don;t buy cases this should not be an issue. I would imagine an Otterbox on this would put it it in "man purse" territory LOL
Just waiting for more optimization and lower used price points because I intend to keep the SGS II as a back up until I am sure the Note is better. Alos am concerned about losing my MediaNet UL data plan...Not sure I want to pay $220 more a year for 600MB of Carrier data I use over the 200MB plan.

tbong777 said:
I would imagine an Otterbox on this would put it it in "man purse" territory LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahahahah !! Man purse ... i once saw a guy yapping on a Galaxy Tab, it looked as if he was talking on a laptop.
Galaxy note still looks like a phone though

Where do you put the note when running?
What headset do u use?
P.s. One handed operation is somewhere between ****ty and impossible. But i can live with that. Get note, sgs2 cant compare if you need a mobile internet gadget. For calls and fast sms get s2
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

aalokraj said:
Thank you.But is it comfortable while making a Call?Many have said it looks so WEIRD!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it looks awesome The worst thing that people might think about you is that you are the geekiest geek in the place

Anyone try the Nexus 4?

I've had my Note since November 2011 (well a Note as I lost one and proceeded to buy another one). I still love the phone, the screen size is great and the white Note still gets a lot of attention over a year later (most people call it or actually think it's the mini ipad). Well I just successfully ordered a 16gb Nexus 4, now I am trying to decide if I will give it as a gift and keep the note or try something new. Does anyone have both and can tell me the pros and cons?
I like the Notes screen size, sd card slot, TW and honestly that it's still a unique device however I like the specs on the Nexus 4, NFC, wireless charging, and LED light. I feel the note is actually better looking than the Nexus and although I heard the Nexus has great build quality it will just got lost in the sea of black phones versus my white Note. I am not too concerned with the 16gb, I used to have a 16gb iphone and never ran out of space. I honestly am torn, I am not sure if some of the new features outweigh the screen size, uniqueness, and TW? Any other opinions? I realize they will be bias in the Note section.
Also any comparison on cameras, I love how great the pictures come out on my Note in the dark. My friends with iphone 4 and iphone 4s always want me to use my camera since it takes such better pictures than their phones when the flash is on, I wonder how the nexus 4 camera compares to the original Note camera?
BTW don't care about removeable battery or the spen, I barely ever use it.

I suffer from a severe upgradeitis, and since Nexus 4 is actually affordable (which couldn't be said about the GNex), I am jumping ship and getting myself one. I will probably suffer because of the smaller screen (I really got fond of Note's size), and I loathe the lack of microSD slot, but I love everything else about the N4.

I am with the N4...
You'll suffer for:
smaller screen
less vivid colors
lower quality of the camera
spen (if you use it frequently)
You'll like:
Google updates
smaller screen (will let you use it with one hand)
your wallet
led notifications
project butter full compliancy
impressive response
PolishDude said:
I've had my Note since November 2011 (well a Note as I lost one and proceeded to buy another one). I still love the phone, the screen size is great and the white Note still gets a lot of attention over a year later (most people call it or actually think it's the mini ipad). Well I just successfully ordered a 16gb Nexus 4, now I am trying to decide if I will give it as a gift and keep the note or try something new. Does anyone have both and can tell me the pros and cons?
I like the Notes screen size, sd card slot, TW and honestly that it's still a unique device however I like the specs on the Nexus 4, NFC, wireless charging, and LED light. I feel the note is actually better looking than the Nexus and although I heard the Nexus has great build quality it will just got lost in the sea of black phones versus my white Note. I am not too concerned with the 16gb, I used to have a 16gb iphone and never ran out of space. I honestly am torn, I am not sure if some of the new features outweigh the screen size, uniqueness, and TW? Any other opinions? I realize they will be bias in the Note section.
Also any comparison on cameras, I love how great the pictures come out on my Note in the dark. My friends with iphone 4 and iphone 4s always want me to use my camera since it takes such better pictures than their phones when the flash is on, I wonder how the nexus 4 camera compares to the original Note camera?
BTW don't care about removeable battery or the spen, I barely ever use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I was thinking about getting one, but i don't like the hardware. Smaller screen and it's actually thinner than the Note, but it looks like a damn brick. Most of you don't care about these things, but i do

My Nexus 4 arrives December 10th. For me, I'm going to miss the screen the most on the Note which I still think is one of the nicest to look at. My wife has the One X which everyone tells me is the best display on a phone, but we both prefer the colours and general impression of the Note, even if they are unnatural.
Biggest reason for the purchase is that I'm tired of Samsung's BS with software updates and closed-source platform. I want the latest version of Android when it's released, not months later. I use aosp anyway, have never liked TW.
Things I expect to like about the Nexus are the smaller size (I don't know why but after a year of having the Note I'm starting to find its size prohibitive more often than I used to) , LED notification, proper Butter, software updates and general speed.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

None of you is bothered by the lack of an SD card slot? To me, this is definitely a showstopper along with the non-removable battery (iPhone style for the lose).

My main concern about the Nexus 4 is that it is just generic Android. I don't like the bloat around the other implementations such as TouchWiz, but there's a couple of dealbreaker bugs in stock Android that Samsung, HTC etc have fixed. I don't know why Google haven't.
In particular the Email client can't work with Exchange when offline. Deleting emails on the device leaves them all on the server still, even after connection is established and sync run. Makes it pretty useless for managing emails on a commute. Samsung, HTC and even Motorola have fixed this problem, but it's still in the base Android and has been since at least ICS and possibly HC. Google don't seem interested.
It gets even worse with Imap, where it puts all the emails you've deleted back on the device once you sync. Again HTC and Motorola have fixed this, although Samsung has this problem.
Seems a basic issue, but means I won't recommend these devices for corporate use until it is fixed.
Nick

I don't care about non-removable battery, I only take out my battery if I need to access my SIM or SD card, so not a big deal for me.
Lack of SD slot and puny internal memory is a bummer for sure, but I've decided I can live with that. In return, I get stock android experience without the need of using custom ROMs (and let's face it - while CM10 for the Note is awesome, it has its issues), I'm always up to speed with new Android releases (instead of waiting for CM to catch up), awesome hjardware, and great looks. Fair tradeoff in my opinion. I will mourn the lack of SD slot and lack of FM Radio, but I'll deal with it. I got my Note last year only because it was carrier-subsided, and I couldn't afford to buy an unlocked GNex.

Got the phone in, so far I rooted it. I need to play around with it for a bit before I decide which phone I want to keep.

Yes I bought 3 nexus 4 mobile phones really amazing phones hyper fast feels good gonna rom it rip it root it to the max.... This baby will blast off!!!!
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

I too have the nexus 4
Sold my galaxy note
And yes there's a difference in size but you get use to it
It's amazingly fast and already with 4.2.1

I'm rented by the price but lack of micro sd ruins it. Out of the 16 gig you will be lucky to have access to 11gig, as with other phones. I love my music and have a lot of roms on board so 11g is nothing.
From the man in your attic...

Can I just ask around a question, real quick. What's all that speed for? (casual) gaming?

Nexus 4 for me is the Android version of an iPhone, and unfortunately I am not meaning it as a compliment. As someone already stated in this topic, no sd card, no removable battery just means that if you want to take lots of pictures, videos, get your off-line Navigation with the entire Europe Maps (about 3.7GB) on your device there is not much left for anything else. I have seen a review where they state that only 12,3GB are available for the end user. That might be OK for some people, but I am not one of them.
Another thing is that if you want to use it a gamers phone, with this storage and HD games now available you will be able to get 3, maybe 4 big games in it, which is not something I would call ground breaking.
Last but not least, the battery in the phone will loose its charge over time. I am not a type of person to carry with me extra batteries and swap them around, but after some time everyone notices that their battery is not what it used to be. Specially when you want to buy / sell a second hand phone, being able to change the battery for a new one and enjoy your phone as when it was unpacked is something that Nexus 4 users will not be able to experience without getting their hands dirty and probably voiding the warranty of the device.

Sound Problems?
Does anyone here suffer from the Earpiece Defect in Nexus 4 that got mentioned in Mashable?
http://mashable.com/2012/11/25/google-nexus-4-defect/

Kortxero said:
None of you is bothered by the lack of an SD card slot? To me, this is definitely a showstopper along with the non-removable battery (iPhone style for the lose).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know the OP doesn't care, but for me this is the showstopper (which would only change if a reasonably priced 64gb model came out). As others have said, this is the iPhone of Androids, and not in a good way. The lack of removable battery gets me as well as I use my phone so much that I need either two batteries or an extended battery.
But the pros are Butter, good updates etc. But personally ill stick with the Note until the Note 3 (or something better arrives), mainly through choice than cost.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

iyousif said:
Does anyone here suffer from the Earpiece Defect in Nexus 4 that got mentioned in Mashable?
http://mashable.com/2012/11/25/google-nexus-4-defect/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I have a the distortion going on. Like, for the quality of the speaker to be good and not have any type of audio artifact, I need to keep the volume at 30% at all times. Anything higher, and certain pitches starts distorting/cracking. I guess one "fix" for this would be to change the kernel code to restrict the volume range of the speaker so that the maximum would be much lower. It could be the case that the kernel is actually overdriving the speaker module which results in the distortion. Whatever it is, it is definitely annoying to hear the edges of a person's voice gets distorted.
It's like they opted to use the cheapest POS speaker module they could find with an extremely limited range. The speaker on the Galaxy Note is a world better.
I have both....the screen size is something to get used to without a doubt. It is so tiny, but it is bearable. The constant updates from Google makes this phone worth it seeing how Samsung is a POS when it comes to releasing sources.
I'm also seeing some banding on the screen. Not sure if it's because of the screen or due to the image used (low bit).
I have an RMA on the way soon and will compare how the newer unit fares.

As NickC42 pointed out, I don't like stock Google android for few of these nitpicking stuffs -
1. Does not support speed dial? Hello Google!!??
2. Email/Calendar clients are white background black text. Why can't they have optional reverse color?
3. Oh I didn't know about those Exchange Email annoyances - total dealbreaker.
Sent from GNote.

willstay said:
As NickC42 pointed out, I don't like stock Google android for few of these nitpicking stuffs -
1. Does not support speed dial? Hello Google!!??
2. Email/Calendar clients are white background black text. Why can't they have optional reverse color?
3. Oh I didn't know about those Exchange Email annoyances - total dealbreaker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.Install custom rom/mod
2.Install inverted gapps
3.No single issue with exchange.
All this can be solved in 10 mniutes. This is Android. Want everything out of the box? Buy iPhone.

My reasoning was why I do not like stock Android aka Nexus. If I have to install custom ROM, it defeats purpose of buying a Nexus device.
Edited: Ask yourself ahalford why do people buy Nexus device? Because they get update from God Google on day one. What is use of that update if it never fixes few of the basic things?
Edited 2: Maybe you have iPhone hidden inside your secret stash and know it enough to recommend to other people. How about giving us out of the box experience one gets from iPhone?
Sent from GNote.

Just got my Nexus 4, Not so sure about it

So got my Nexus 4 16GB during the week, its my first ever Nexus phone however have had a variety of Android phones from the HTC Desire right up to Galaxy S2, have to say I am not 100% sold on the Nexus.
I used to think skins where unnecessary but since getting the Nexus I have come to realise how much more user friendly they make things, simple things like pulling down the notification bar to put in aeroplane mode, orientation screen lock etc, or perhaps battery percentage up beside the battery?
My battery also seems to drain very fast, and I am not using the phone any differently than I did my galaxy S2, auto sync turned of and all the rest.
The camera while being 8mp acts like 5mp at best for some reason, Its not a patch on my SGS2, Ok I only take photos for instagram etc and its fine for that.
When you got your N4 did you instantly fall in love or did it take a while to grow on you? I'm not convinced yet.

But skins are so incredibly ugly and IMO they don't make the phone that much more user friendly (definitely not enough to justify their appearance and sluggishness). TouchWiz on the GS4 still looks like it's meant to run on Gingerbread and it causes random lag where no modern phone should have any trouble.
The quick settings in the notification bar are there, and I think it's just as good an implementation on stock because you can see more of your notifications at any one time. In TouchWiz they take up about half of the notification tray with quick settings, in stock a two fingered swipe or a tap in the top right corner will take you to them. You can edit them and make them easier to get to using a custom ROM, and while you may argue that you shouldn't have to do that it's ludicrously straightforward on a Nexus device.
A custom kernel should also fix your battery drain. I'm getting through a day without any issues and I'm perfectly happy with that. Currently my phone has had 1 day 1 hour of usage with 1 hr 30 minutes screen on time and 45% battery left. Note that the screen was on full brightness during this and Wifi and auto sync were left on.
When you say it acts like 5MP do you mean that the quality is crap or that it's literally taking photos at a 5MP size? If it's the first then that's true and there's really nothing that can be done. If it's the latter then open the camera, press anywhere on the screen to bring up the circle control, go to the settings option (the one that looks like a bunch of sliders) and change the picture size to 8MP.
Personally, I loved my N4 from the moment I got it. After calibration the screen was just about the best I'd seen (and I flashed it straight away, only used stock for a minute or two), it was the smoothest Android experience I had ever had and (unlike my HD2) everything just worked flawlessly for me.

Best phone I ever owned.
Flash a rom + kernel to get the features you're missing. If no likey, return and purchase other phone.
Tip: don't continue with praising skins of HTC or Samsung instead of aosp. Will only get you flamed..

Sounds about right. The best feature is being bland and featureless with the greatest potential to be customized. You are just at the most basic, boring, least impressive starting point. The rest is kind of up to you. Just my opinion.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

dweekie said:
Sounds about right. The best feature is being bland and featureless with the greatest potential to be customized. You are just at the most basic, boring, least impressive starting point. The rest is kind of up to you. Just my opinion.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd take this supposed 'blandness' any day over slow, sluggish and ugly OEM skins.

There are many things on this phone that make it great, such as the screen, silky smoothness and more. But first thing out of the box I was a bit disappointed as well because it has no battery percentage. It annoyed me because I can't tell how much battery life I have left unless I download a widget or pull down the bar. But, I ended up flashing the percentage mod, then flashing kernel, then a rom. Now I can't look back. Battery life got better, colors on my screen got even better and best of all I got a percentage on my battery.
If you compare the battery to something like GS3, this is better, so you might just have to let the phone settle in.

slugger09 said:
So got my Nexus 4 16GB during the week, its my first ever Nexus phone however have had a variety of Android phones from the HTC Desire right up to Galaxy S2, have to say I am not 100% sold on the Nexus.
I used to think skins where unnecessary but since getting the Nexus I have come to realise how much more user friendly they make things, simple things like pulling down the notification bar to put in aeroplane mode, orientation screen lock etc, or perhaps battery percentage up beside the battery?
My battery also seems to drain very fast, and I am not using the phone any differently than I did my galaxy S2, auto sync turned of and all the rest.
The camera while being 8mp acts like 5mp at best for some reason, Its not a patch on my SGS2, Ok I only take photos for instagram etc and its fine for that.
When you got your N4 did you instantly fall in love or did it take a while to grow on you? I'm not convinced yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Skins like Sense and TW only bloat the system. You will get use to the pure experience pretty quick and then you will grow to hate skins
I have always carried my devices naked (the device not me) and don't have any issues with the Nexus naked. It's a bit slippery but you will adjust to that quickly and hold the device a bit tighter.
The battery starts off horrid! It really takes several drain and recharge cycles for the battery to get up to par. Mine makes it through the day just fine now.
Mega pixels don't really mean much if you are not developing poster sized photos. Try using HDR mode and see if you like the photos better.
My .02

Did you not even do any research before getting this phone?? This is vanilla android and most people get this phone for that reason. If you are used to some added skins like Thouchwhiz, Sense, or Motoblur and like that, you should have stuck with one of those phones. Otherwise, root the phone and get to modding and theming or install a cost rom that is feature rich.

slugger09 said:
So got my Nexus 4 16GB during the week, its my first ever Nexus phone however have had a variety of Android phones from the HTC Desire right up to Galaxy S2, have to say I am not 100% sold on the Nexus.
I used to think skins where unnecessary but since getting the Nexus I have come to realise how much more user friendly they make things, simple things like pulling down the notification bar to put in aeroplane mode, orientation screen lock etc, or perhaps battery percentage up beside the battery?
My battery also seems to drain very fast, and I am not using the phone any differently than I did my galaxy S2, auto sync turned of and all the rest.
The camera while being 8mp acts like 5mp at best for some reason, Its not a patch on my SGS2, Ok I only take photos for instagram etc and its fine for that.
When you got your N4 did you instantly fall in love or did it take a while to grow on you? I'm not convinced yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
1. The airplane mode is there. Just swipe down the notification bar with TWO fingers. Then you get lots of toggle-settings including the airplane mode. The orientation screen lock is not there though. HOWEVER; installing custom ROMs will most likely ADD many more features in the toggles area (like orientation) and so forth.
2. For battery drain, try flashing a custom kernel, such as Franco.Kernel. Not only does it improve battery, but you may calibrate your screen (his app includes a preset for lovely colors + deep blacks), and much more. If you want you can undervolt/overclock as well. Note that you can have a custom kernel while still keeping the STOCK rom installed (default andoird 4.2.2 for example).
I personally enjoy stock android (so I haven't installed a ROM), but i felt francos kernel REALLY improved the device. The battery is improved (doesnt drain as much, nor does the phone heat up as much as before). Also the colors of the screen turned really wonderful aftering being calibrated to 2.2gamma.
Basicly, if you are unhappy, look into some ROMs and kernels. You can find almost anything you want :good:

Different strokes, different folks.. OP gave it a shot and gave an honest, un-smug opinion... It is what it is. Some people just like the gloss on top.. Nothing wrong with that.

slugger09 said:
So got my Nexus 4 16GB during the week, its my first ever Nexus phone however have had a variety of Android phones from the HTC Desire right up to Galaxy S2, have to say I am not 100% sold on the Nexus.
I used to think skins where unnecessary but since getting the Nexus I have come to realise how much more user friendly they make things, simple things like pulling down the notification bar to put in aeroplane mode, orientation screen lock etc, or perhaps battery percentage up beside the battery?
My battery also seems to drain very fast, and I am not using the phone any differently than I did my galaxy S2, auto sync turned of and all the rest.
The camera while being 8mp acts like 5mp at best for some reason, Its not a patch on my SGS2, Ok I only take photos for instagram etc and its fine for that.
When you got your N4 did you instantly fall in love or did it take a while to grow on you? I'm not convinced yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Instant love with the N4. Sold it away after a couple of months, went around owning other phones like the iPhone 5, Note 2, GS3, Xperia ZL. Have now come back to the N4. But then again, I knew what I was getting into coz I had the GNex before this.
The point of stock android, is not that it offers features other skins dont. What makes it attractive is that it offers a solid, no BS foundation to which you can add tweaks and functionality suited individually to YOU. You say you want Airplane mode in quick settings, maybe battery percentage next to the battery? Guess what there is a tweak for that and much more. But what happens when you are on TW and you dont want to look like an idiot waving you hands all over the screen in public? Sure you can disable that, but it doesnt mean its gone. Still cramping the software and taking up space. Again, this is just an example. As for battery drain, try kernels like Franco or Trinity. Install BBS and cull out the rogue apps.
You said its your first nexus. Stick around, read and you'll find out what a great piece of hardware this is in perfect sync with the software.

Definitely the best android phone I've owned, coming from a one x and one s and those were great devices as well. Only problem I see is the battery..I leave school with about 10-30% usually around 3 but other than that I love this phone
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

styckx said:
Different strokes, different folks.. OP gave it a shot and gave an honest, un-smug opinion... It is what it is. Some people just like the gloss on top.. Nothing wrong with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Btw if anyone thought my posts were meant to be insulting or rude they weren't, they're just my opinions on OEM skins.

OP should check out the Power Toggles app on the Play Store for notification bar toggles, works just like Sense type toggles with customizability.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc&hl=en

Yes I think it just needs a few tweaks here and there, not going to the extent of a custom ROM just a kernel etc, first need to work out how to unlock the bootloader and root

Nigeldg said:
Agreed. Btw if anyone thought my posts were meant to be insulting or rude they weren't, they're just my opinions on OEM skins.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah not at all. I posted my thoughts without even reading the rest of the replies. I'm just so used to people taking a licking for daring to not like a Nexus I just assumed maybe OP got a little heat. Apparently it was rather civil.. :good: :laugh::victory:

I love mine, came from a phone with htc sense, and sense was one of the things that killed "skins" for me. That being said yeah there's pluses and minuses to both. Stock Android is just as capable but your going to have to dig and get some apps from the market to get all the features oems put in their skins. I prefer it that way, I can pretty much make my phone perfect to me. I really feel like with an oem skin you don't get the full customizing experience, and that's why I like raw android. However it's not for everyone. Different strokes for different folks
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Phones should come with a 24 hour buyers remorse warranty. Just return it if you're not satisfied. Though, if you're willing to follow the rabbit down the rabbit hole, I'm sure you'll be in awe on how much you can do with Android, let alone the Nexus 4.

slugger09 said:
Yes I think it just needs a few tweaks here and there, not going to the extent of a custom ROM just a kernel etc, first need to work out how to unlock the bootloader and root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if u really want to unlock the bootloader, you should do it right away, and before actually using the phone, because unlocking it would erase all your personal data (like a phone reset). or you can back up ur phone.
rooting is super easy. 1st, install custom recovery, 2nd, flash supersu zip, and done.

I really love mine, picked it up over a month ago. I thought LTE would be my major gripe but my carrier supports the N4's DC-HSPA radio so in most areas I can get up to 22-23 mbps download speeds where the S3 was getting around 30 on LTE in the same areas (although much better upload speeds). I'm pretty happy with that considering my older HSPA phone was only getting 6-7 max.
I was strongly considering also owning an LTE phone too since I still haven't used my upgrade yet, but I've played with both the One and the S4 and I simply disliked the button layouts of both phones. I'm going to hold off until one of the OEM's releases a flagship that stays closer to the standard layout. The new Xperia phones do, but they're using basically the same hardware as the Nexus 4 anyway which would basically be a sidegrade+LTE and not a significant upgrade. Looks like my final hopes for owning two phones is going to rest with Motorola or Nexus 5 now. I'm very satisfied with this for now though.

Note 4 - Best Phone Ever (having dumped my iPhone)

Just got my not note yesterday. I've been playing and setting it all up today. All the scare tactics of people re: lagging, gaggape etc seem to have 0 merit.
It was fairly simple to transfer data from iTunes (not everything transferred smoothly but I didn't lose any photos etc). Amazingly easy to set up email etc.
I realised all this talk about Note Vs iPhone is BS. The Note is so much better than my iPhone 5 or my wife's 5S. It's incredible how good the screen and camera are. I tweaked it a little after watching some videos so its running even quicker than it was and I was very happy to begin with. There's 0 gap (Samsung must have fixed that issue it looks like they've filled the space with resin possibly? There's 0 lag.
I can't get my one-handed mode to work but everything else is running fine. Even the fingerprint scanner is working perfectly.
I haven't even begun to explore the business possibilities as a Jeweller the Spen is going to be very very handy during design consultations as I can use my note rather than my tablet now (as it's big enough).
Just thought I'd leave my thoughts.

Well surely it is better than last gen iPhones but calling it the best is kinda an overkill. I'm a hardcore samsung fan myself and I love my device but there are things to improve on hopefully Note 5.

Its the best for now even next year the note 4 will still hold its own right up till the n5

quadlt said:
Well surely it is better than last gen iPhones but calling it the best is kinda an overkill. I'm a hardcore samsung fan myself and I love my device but there are things to improve on hopefully Note 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The iPhone 6's are just bigger, faster versions of the 5. I've tried them. They don't have a stylus or a 2k screen or 16mp camera.
Sure, there's phones that have individual better features than the Note (ie the Sony Z3 Camera) but overall I think it's the best phone out right now. There's no phones out right now with better screens or more powerful processors.

The best way to get the most out of your Note is learning how to use its features in your day to day.
Samsung has a nice 'key feature' app you can get on galaxy app store.
Anyways the phone's only going to get better with the release of lollipop.

ciscostud said:
The best way to get the most out of your Note is learning how to use its features in your day to day.
Samsung has a nice 'key feature' app you can get on galaxy app store.
Anyways the phone's only going to get better with the release of lollipop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you recommend any in particular?
Do we have to redownload apps after the Lollipop update (sorry newbie question)?

No you don't have to redownload

I'm digging it. I traded in twice to get to where I am now, and went through customer service hell the last time I went into the Sprint store. So basically I paid $70 extra in restock fees to get this phone, but it's worth it. My LG G3 was suffering mild problems that I didn't want to deal with considering how much I spent on a brand new phone, and I didn't want to be locked into something I'm not perfectly satisfied with. The only thing I wish is that my phone is was black instead of white. They were out of black models, and said they didn't know when they were getting more in stock. Figured I'd suck it up and take it. I put the black flip case over it - it almost looks like an ice cream sandwich. I'm sure once I root it, I'll be in love with it. Still, I'm not sure how necessary it is for me to root it. I can remove or turn off almost all the bloat without rooting it, and there's really nothing much I feel like I'm missing out on.
The only thing is I'm not sure if I could ever actually use the S-Pen in real world situations to benefit me. I'd like to be able to take notes with it in school, but I'm just not sure how feasible it would be - and is it worth wasting the battery life instead of just using the good ol pen n paper? I tried playing some drawing multiplayer games, but they all seem desolate and empty as it takes forever to find any opponents who are actually trying to play the game. I'm not much of an artist, and I were, I'm not sure how often I'd find it practical to use the S-Pen instead of something else. I just installed the Lollipop keyboard - maybe if I try the new gesture typing with it, I'll dig typing with the pen.
Also, the screen is amazing. The difference between the G3 and Note 4 is night and day. It's great to see a 1440P phone screen not plagued by oversharpening. Games look amazing. The blacks are inky in their darkness. Screen goes 5x brighter than I'd ever need it to. The only thing I have to complain about is no cool 1440P videos preinstalled
ciscostud said:
The best way to get the most out of your Note is learning how to use its features in your day to day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have any real world examples of what you mean by this?

I got my Note 4 yesterday so here are a couple things i disagree with, 1- you dont have to buy the fast charging adapter in came with it. 2-using the s pen to write is faster that using the keyboard especially if you have fat fingers like me.

Glad you said this as I have a G3 I'm looking to upgrade to a note 4.
I'll be sure to copy the LG pre installed videos. Those look amazing on the G3. Can't imagine how they'll look on the note 4 ?
t1337dude said:
I'm digging it. I traded in twice to get to where I am now, and went through customer service hell the last time I went into the Sprint store. So basically I paid $70 extra in restock fees to get this phone, but it's worth it. My LG G3 was suffering mild problems that I didn't want to deal with considering how much I spent on a brand new phone, and I didn't want to be locked into something I'm not perfectly satisfied with. The only thing I wish is that my phone is was black instead of white. They were out of black models, and said they didn't know when they were getting more in stock. Figured I'd suck it up and take it. I put the black flip case over it - it almost looks like an ice cream sandwich. I'm sure once I root it, I'll be in love with it. Still, I'm not sure how necessary it is for me to root it. I can remove or turn off almost all the bloat without rooting it, and there's really nothing much I feel like I'm missing out on.
The only thing is I'm not sure if I could ever actually use the S-Pen in real world situations to benefit me. I'd like to be able to take notes with it in school, but I'm just not sure how feasible it would be - and is it worth wasting the battery life instead of just using the good ol pen n paper? I tried playing some drawing multiplayer games, but they all seem desolate and empty as it takes forever to find any opponents who are actually trying to play the game. I'm not much of an artist, and I were, I'm not sure how often I'd find it practical to use the S-Pen instead of something else. I just installed the Lollipop keyboard - maybe if I try the new gesture typing with it, I'll dig typing with the pen.
Also, the screen is amazing. The difference between the G3 and Note 4 is night and day. It's great to see a 1440P phone screen not plagued by oversharpening. Games look amazing. The blacks are inky in their darkness. Screen goes 5x brighter than I'd ever need it to. The only thing I have to complain about is no cool 1440P videos preinstalled
Have any real world examples of what you mean by this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

How I managed to reduce lag - for inexperienced users

The S6 is a fast and fluid phone by all means and doesn't lag often -but it does. And until Samsung (under AT&T's crippled control) comes forward with some firmware updates we can expect less than optimal software. These steps seemed to help keep performance smooth and lower the frequency of any stuttering for the time being.
Step 1
Disable Bloat
AT&T Bloat - AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Hot Spots, AT&T Live, AT&T Locker, AT&T Locker, AT&T Mail, AT&T Mobile Locate, AT&T Mobile Transfer. AT&T Navigator, Caller Name ID, Device Help, DriveMode, Milk, Milk Video , Smart Limits (Why is there so much!?!)
Samsung Bloat - S Voice, Keeper, Lookout, Hancom Office 2014,
Other Bloat - OneNote, Skype, Uber, YP, Hangouts, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon
You can disable more or disable less, but honestly the bulk of the bloat comes from AT&T.
Once you disable everything restart your phone. It is important to make sure all of the applications are not loaded in the RAM, and a reboot should guarantee this. Of course, if you root you can delete the applications instead of disabling them - it's your call.
Step 2
Disable Sensors You're not Using
NFC
Motion and Gestures - Direct call, Smart alert, Mute, Palm Swipe to capture
Bluetooth
Themes (These may not actually affect performance, only time will tell)
Account Sync
GPS
Wifi - Network notification, Always allow scanning
News Briefing
Step 3
Stay up to date
System updates
Google Play App updates
Galaxy App updates - new users may not know to check this application for system updates
That about does it for now. Time to wait for both ROMs (if the bootloader is ever unlocked) and firmware updates.

Hippoman13 said:
The S6 is a fast and fluid phone by all means and doesn't lag often -but it does. And until Samsung (under AT&T's crippled control) comes forward with some firmware updates we can expect less than optimal software. These steps seemed to help keep performance smooth and lower the frequency of any stuttering for the time being.
Step 1
Disable Bloat
AT&T Bloat - AT&T FamilyMap, AT&T Hot Spots, AT&T Live, AT&T Locker, AT&T Locker, AT&T Mail, AT&T Mobile Locate, AT&T Mobile Transfer. AT&T Navigator, Caller Name ID, Device Help, DriveMode, Milk, Milk Video , Smart Limits (Why is there so much!?!)
Samsung Bloat - S Voice, Keeper, Lookout, Hancom Office 2014,
Other Bloat - OneNote, Skype, Uber, YP, Hangouts, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon
You can disable more or disable less, but honestly the bulk of the bloat comes from AT&T.
Once you disable everything restart your phone. It is important to make sure all of the applications are not loaded in the RAM, and a reboot should guarantee this. Of course, if you root you can delete the applications instead of disabling them - it's your call.
Step 2
Disable Unnecessary Sensors
NFC
Motion and Gestures - Direct call, Smart alert, Mute, Palm Swipe to capture
Bluetooth
Themes (These may not actually affect performance, only time will tell)
Account Sync
GPS
Wifi - Network notification, Always allow scanning
News Briefing
Step 3
Stay up to date
System updates
Google Play App updates
Galaxy App updates
That about does it for now. Time to wait for both ROMs (if the bootloader is ever unlocked) and firmware updates. Samsung is known for laggy launch software and that is what we're dealing with, folks.
I would appreciate feedback and input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, this is almost laughable. You literally have everything on the device disabled? Turn off WiFi Bluetooth GPS??? Why don't you just run your phone in airplane mode since you're only one step away from it....
Even more laughable that you think its "laggy" and not the fastest phone on the market.....
Even MORE laughable that you're actually waiting for the bootloader to get unlocked.... check with the S5 people who bought their phones a year ago and see how that's going for them...
You should just delete Steps 2 and 3 from your list since step 2 is just rediculous, and step 3 is just common sense.

TechSavvy2 said:
Lol, this is almost laughable. You literally have everything on the device disabled? Turn off WiFi Bluetooth GPS??? Why don't you just run your phone in airplane mode since you're only one step away from it....
Even more laughable that you think its "laggy" and not the fastest phone on the market.....
Even MORE laughable that you're actually waiting for the bootloader to get unlocked.... check with the S5 people who bought their phones a year ago and see how that's going for them...
You should just delete Steps 2 and 3 from your list since step 2 is just rediculous, and step 3 is just common sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming to terms with lag is hard. Especially after you spend your hard earned money on a new Samsung® Phone. EVEN more so for someone who cries under a guide made for inexperienced users. You sound like you know what you're talking about - why are you here?
I don't have everything disabled. I said Disable Unnecessary Sensors(I changed it for you). If any of them are necessary to you, leave them on. Are you still confused?
The phone IS laggy. Every Android phone is to different degrees and your new, shiny Galaxy S6 is no different. ESPECIALLY the AT&T variant. I said the bulk of the bloat comes from AT&T, so other versions of the S6 are probably faster and what you read about. Not this one.
The bootloader might be unlocked, or maybe not. Assuming it definitely won't be is laughable.
There's no need to freak out on a guide for inexperienced users. A TON of people bought the S6 and don't know how it works. You certainly do, so don't waste your time.

This is a good guide and starting point, thank you for taking the time to post it here. As always, other users should take all guides as such; a starting point to customize "your" rig for what "you" use. Take what you like and leave the rest aside. :good:

S6 making more problems than S5
My S5 Goes better then the s6 Egde

I opted to get the iPhone 6+ a chance,,and I don't regret it. with the 8.3 update is just buttery smooth, I was going to get the S6, but will all that bloat and no root in the near future the decision was easy. Now just wait for the LG G4 to come out and see what it brings....
The M9 is just out of the equation since I really hated that bezel when I had the M8

eortizr said:
I opted to get the iPhone 6+ a chance,,and I don't regret it. with the 8.3 update is just buttery smooth, I was going to get the S6, but will all that bloat and no root in the near future the decision was easy. Now just wait for the LG G4 to come out and see what it brings....
The M9 is just out of the equation since I really hated that bezel when I had the M8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yay for you. Who cares?
Sent from my SM-P900 using Xparent Red Tapatalk 2

Well the M9 display and camera are quite poor compared to the S6 and iPhone. It's really unfortunate.
The new iPhone is only 5 months away, so enjoy your phone while it's relevant. I've played around with iOS 8.3 and it really is killer, I just don't like iPhones lol.

Hippoman13 said:
Coming to terms with lag is hard. Especially after you spend your hard earned money on a new Samsung® Phone. EVEN more so for someone who cries under a guide made for inexperienced users. You sound like you know what you're talking about - why are you here?
I don't have everything disabled. I said Disable Unnecessary Sensors(I changed it for you). If any of them are necessary to you, leave them on. Are you still confused?
The phone IS laggy. Every Android phone is to different degrees and your new, shiny Galaxy S6 is no different. ESPECIALLY the AT&T variant. I said the bulk of the bloat comes from AT&T, so other versions of the S6 are probably faster and what you read about. Not this one.
The bootloader might be unlocked, or maybe not. Assuming it definitely won't be is laughable.
There's no need to freak out on a guide for inexperienced users. A TON of people bought the S6 and don't know how it works. You certainly do, so don't waste your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do people always relate bloat to lag? Do you realize in reality it has almost nothing to do with lag, if at all?
It's like saying "my computer is slower because 70% of my hard drive is full instead of 50%" . It's pure rubbish and simply not true.
So please, I understand you are trying to help but please don't steer people in the wrong direction.
It's just a common XDA myth that everyone jumped on without doing their own research.

WizeGuyDezignz said:
Why do people always relate bloat to lag? Do you realize in reality it has almost nothing to do with lag, if at all?
It's like saying "my computer is slower because 70% of my hard drive is full instead of 50%" . It's pure rubbish and simply not true.
So please, I understand you are trying to help but please don't steer people in the wrong direction.
It's just a common XDA myth that everyone jumped on without doing their own research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're joking, right?
Many bloat apps run in the background and consume CPU and RAM. They don't just sit there dormant in the storage.

WizeGuyDezignz said:
Why do people always relate bloat to lag? Do you realize in reality it has almost nothing to do with lag, if at all?
It's like saying "my computer is slower because 70% of my hard drive is full instead of 50%" . It's pure rubbish and simply not true.
So please, I understand you are trying to help but please don't steer people in the wrong direction.
It's just a common XDA myth that everyone jumped on without doing their own research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are an idiot.... Because on physical disk drives (HDD's not SSD's) being fuller does mean slower. That is that the drive will take longer to seek data as the way that the disk writes/reads data it would have to move the heads back an forth much further/more often. as I drive gets fuller it also fragments data more often. his is why a SSD is superior at seek times as it does not have to seek data on a physical level, especially as they get closer to full utilization of capacity.
Beyond that, a HDD writes from outside edge of the disk inward. This is because at the same rpm, each revolution that the disk makes it is able to pull more data on the outside of the disk than the inside. Density of data is uniform so it simply passes more data. Think of a car that has a tiny (diameter) tire vs a large one (same car). At the same rpms in a given gear, the large diameter tire will be moving faster. Why? The outside edge has a higher velocity than the inside of the tire as it spins. The further a spinning object reaches from center, the faster it will be spinning at an outside edge vs inner.
I agree this guide is bs...Just as your understanding of computer storage architecture is.

There really isn't much lag. That may be b/c I disabled everything first thing after unboxing, but I disabled b/c I dont want all those apps downloading updates. Not b/c I noticed any lag. Touchwiz is definitely snappier than the GS5.
I'm running my HTC M8 GPE (just wiped it clean). The M8 is a tad bit quicker/responsive, but the S6 is very, very close. M8 GPE is still an awesome phone
The camera and added software features like multi-window, quick camera access, etc. make the S6 slightly better in my opinion (for me at least).
My main concern with the S6, and why I'm considering returning it and waiting for the Note, is the battery life. So far it just hasn't been good. Probably 3.5hrs of screen time. And I can't replace the battery, so after a year the battery life is going to be bad. It does charge fast, but I don't want to have to worry about that.

brushrop03 said:
There really isn't much lag. That may be b/c I disabled everything first thing after unboxing, but I disabled b/c I dont want all those apps downloading updates. Not b/c I noticed any lag. Touchwiz is definitely snappier than the GS5.
I'm running my HTC M8 GPE (just wiped it clean). The M8 is a tad bit quicker/responsive, but the S6 is very, very close. M8 GPE is still an awesome phone
The camera and added software features like multi-window, quick camera access, etc. make the S6 slightly better in my opinion (for me at least).
My main concern with the S6, and why I'm considering returning it and waiting for the Note, is the battery life. So far it just hasn't been good. Probably 3.5hrs of screen time. And I can't replace the battery, so after a year the battery life is going to be bad. It does charge fast, but I don't want to have to worry about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the battery has been a disappointment so far coming from the g3... but I only had the g3 for a month and had a nexus 5 for a year before that so I'm kinda used to it. Still a buzzkill tho

I feel like each and everyone of you shouldn't be surprised by any of this. It happened on S3, S4, S5 and the note devices why would the S6 be any different. Until we start putting our foot down(never going to happen) as consumers it's safe to assume that the S7 won't be any different.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using XDA Free mobile app

LeKtRiCzzz said:
I feel like each and everyone of you shouldn't be surprised by any of this. It happened on S3, S4, S5 and the note devices why would the S6 be any different. Until we start putting our foot down(never going to happen) as consumers it's safe to assume that the S7 won't be any different.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was by no means surprised. I saw the size of the battery before I bought it. I know it's a quality screen that will also impact it. I'm surprised it gets the same kind of battery life as the nexus 5 tbh

This is honestly so dumb. There is no lag...

DigitalUnderground said:
I was by no means surprised. I saw the size of the battery before I bought it. I know it's a quality screen that will also impact it. I'm surprised it gets the same kind of battery life as the nexus 5 tbh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm only disappointed in the fact that we finally get a Samsung battery efficient processor, but then they make the battery smaller than the S5 and seal it. I could see myself keeping this phone for 2 years, but I would need to replace the battery at some point.

brushrop03 said:
I'm only disappointed in the fact that we finally get a Samsung battery efficient processor, but then they make the battery smaller than the S5 and seal it. I could see myself keeping this phone for 2 years, but I would need to replace the battery at some point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand that... but remember the device's footprint is smaller and more compact than the s5. There's only so much room. Once you've owned a nexus 5, u learn to keep a charger at the office in case of emergency and a car charger in the center console outlet.

DigitalUnderground said:
I can understand that... but remember the device's footprint is smaller and more compact than the s5. There's only so much room. Once you've owned a nexus 5, u learn to keep a charger at the office in case of emergency and a car charger in the center console outlet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I have a 2A charger at work and in my car. So i'm usually not far away from a charger. But the more you charge, the faster you wear the battery life. If I could replace the battery, not a big problem. But they sealed it!!! arghh!! wth Samsung?!

brushrop03 said:
Yeah I have a 2A charger at work and in my car. So i'm usually not far away from a charger. But the more you charge, the faster you wear the battery life. If I could replace the battery, not a big problem. But they sealed it!!! arghh!! wth Samsung?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never replaced a battery in any phone I've had and I don't use microsd so I actually like the device being sealed. It adds to the build quality and the sturdiness. You couldn't have the glass back if it was removable