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Samsung S6 VR2

The announcement this morning looks like they have fixed the screen door effect on the new Gear VR2 for Samsung S6. Some of the other new features are outlined below such as comfort and ability to charge while using the VR! The new inprovements look great but it kinda makes me feel like us original Note 4 users are gonna get left behind with all new improvements created for the new S6. What is everyone's thoughts on this? Worth upgrading from the Note 4 for this or do you think the screen door effect will still exist?
Samsung Expands its Unrivaled Mobile Virtual Reality Experience with Gear VR Innovator Edition for Galaxy S6 and S6 edge
Samsung and Oculus refine Gear VR to provide a better, enhanced overall user experience while delivering a fully immersive content
Barcelona, Spain, March 1, 2015 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. continues its leadership in wearable technology and mobile virtual reality with its latest Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, fully optimized and compatible with Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, its next generation smartphone.
The Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition for Galaxy S6, powered by Oculus, gives more users the opportunity to enjoy Samsung's unrivaled, fully immersive and cinematic virtual reality experience, with improved viewing as well as a more comfortable design.
Extraordinary Entertainment: Optimized for both the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, and its 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display, Gear VR Innovator Edition lets users engage with high resolution movies, TV shows, VOD services and photos like never before. With reduced pixilation and a wide field-of-view, users receive a better virtual reality experience with longer lasting usage time.
-Improved Comfort: The 15% reduction in size makes Samsung Gear VR a more comfortable to wear. Ergonomically redesigned straps give better weight balance, while mechanical ventilation supports an extended VR experience.
-High Quality Performance: Greater computing power and improved graphics quality enable users to explore the best virtual reality adventures.
-USB Compatibility: The Gear VR can now be powered with its USB port for extended usage time.
-Robust Ecosystem: Gear VR content is available for download via the Oculus Store. Users have an extensive selection of optimized, localized virtual reality content from top-tier creators including thrilling VR games and 360 degree including a new performance from Cirque du Soleil, Kurios.
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They should get one working properly before releasing another. These cash grabs by manufacturers is getting out of hand. Apple and Samsung are becoming the same.

Haze69 said:
The announcement this morning looks like they have fixed the screen door effect on the new Gear VR2 for Samsung S6. Some of the other new features are outlined below such as comfort and ability to charge while using the VR! The new inprovements look great but it kinda makes me feel like us original Note 4 users are gonna get left behind with all new improvements created for the new S6. What is everyone's thoughts on this? Worth upgrading from the Note 4 for this or do you think the screen door effect will still exist?
Samsung Expands its Unrivaled Mobile Virtual Reality Experience with Gear VR Innovator Edition for Galaxy S6 and S6 edge
Samsung and Oculus refine Gear VR to provide a better, enhanced overall user experience while delivering a fully immersive content
Barcelona, Spain, March 1, 2015 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. continues its leadership in wearable technology and mobile virtual reality with its latest Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, fully optimized and compatible with Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, its next generation smartphone.
The Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition for Galaxy S6, powered by Oculus, gives more users the opportunity to enjoy Samsung's unrivaled, fully immersive and cinematic virtual reality experience, with improved viewing as well as a more comfortable design.
Extraordinary Entertainment: Optimized for both the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, and its 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display, Gear VR Innovator Edition lets users engage with high resolution movies, TV shows, VOD services and photos like never before. With reduced pixilation and a wide field-of-view, users receive a better virtual reality experience with longer lasting usage time.
-Improved Comfort: The 15% reduction in size makes Samsung Gear VR a more comfortable to wear. Ergonomically redesigned straps give better weight balance, while mechanical ventilation supports an extended VR experience.
-High Quality Performance: Greater computing power and improved graphics quality enable users to explore the best virtual reality adventures.
-USB Compatibility: The Gear VR can now be powered with its USB port for extended usage time.
-Robust Ecosystem: Gear VR content is available for download via the Oculus Store. Users have an extensive selection of optimized, localized virtual reality content from top-tier creators including thrilling VR games and 360 degree including a new performance from Cirque du Soleil, Kurios.
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"With reduced pixelation" - this is just marketing bs unless they reduced the size of the VR screen and FOV. Same VR size + same resolution = same experience regardless of pixel density. The new SoC of the S6 would have been nice though, but this just means more development for the Gear in general (and hopefully better support for the exynos)!
---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 PM ----------
shollywood said:
They should get one working properly before releasing another. These cash grabs by manufacturers is getting out of hand. Apple and Samsung are becoming the same.
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How is the first one not working properly and why would the release of another model change the support for the first? I'd argue that we'll see even better support now that the userbase is going to increase for the Gear VR! :good:

In principle both units are probably the same except usb charging ( Note 4 has bigger battery ). I think reduced screen door effect comes from higher pixel density and smaller pixels. I hope that now with 3 phones: Note 4, S6, S6 Edge we'll start see more development in VR area.
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darekz said:
In principle both units are probably the same except usb charging ( Note 4 has bigger battery ). I think reduced screen door effect comes from higher pixel density and smaller pixels. I hope that now with 3 phones: Note 4, S6, S6 Edge we'll start see more development in VR area.
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Reduction of pixel size does not matter if the size of the virtual screen is the same unless the resolution is also higher. Imagine a 1080 projector screen filling up 50% of your field of vision at 5 meters away from the screen, now imagine walking closer with the screen shrinking keeping that same 50% fov - the visibility of the pixels won't change.

If the overheating is truly solved on the S6 and they give us the ability to charge while using the VR, this is a great advancement for Gear VR. I only dislike the fact they've decided to create a whole different headset for a new phone but not give that option of the improvements to existing owners. Samsung hasn't even released a fix for the overheating problem on the Note 4.. At MWC today they showed a side by side image of Note 4 VR vs S6 VR and clearly showed the Note 4 image with screen door effect while the S6 had none.. I guess only time will tell as reviews come out if this is truly solved.
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Charging port equals being able to wire from your PC? That means PC gaming streamed to the GVR2 without wifi lag which would be huge. Unfortunately I am thinking this will be some propriety magnetic solution so no one strangles themselves and that could mean no data pass through. Who knows?
SDE will remain unchanged since in order to achieve the same FOV as the much larger N4, they will have to move the user's eyes closer to the screen.

Yet someone posts, how is the first one not working properly?
The whole Xynos chip vs. snapdragon has been a huge mess and some still don't even have lollipop yet.
---------- Post added at 09:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 PM ----------
Toss3 said:
"With reduced pixelation" - this is just marketing bs unless they reduced the size of the VR screen and FOV. Same VR size + same resolution = same experience regardless of pixel density. The new SoC of the S6 would have been nice though, but this just means more development for the Gear in general (and hopefully better support for the exynos)!
---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:37 PM ----------
How is the first one not working properly and why would the release of another model change the support for the first? I'd argue that we'll see even better support now that the userbase is going to increase for the Gear VR! :good:
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Are you serious? Lol wow

Not that they'll pay any attention to me, but I emailed Samsung and BEGGED them to make the Note 5 Gear VR-compatible. With a rumored UHD resolution, one could only hope that the additional pixel density would solve the screen door effect. That and flaws in the internal lens are my #1 gripe about the GVR.
Well, that and content, content, content...
EDIT: Samsung apparently touts a whopping 11% improvement in resolution over OUR Gear VR. Hardly enough to make me run out and buy an S6 and GVR2.

The-Chief said:
Not that they'll pay any attention to me, but I emailed Samsung and BEGGED them to make the Note 5 Gear VR-compatible. With a rumored UHD resolution, one could only hope that the additional pixel density would solve the screen door effect. That and flaws in the internal lens are my #1 gripe about the GVR.
Well, that and content, content, content...
EDIT: Samsung apparently touts a whopping 11% improvement in resolution over OUR Gear VR. Hardly enough to make me run out and buy an S6 and GVR2.
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I'm confused. On a 5.1'" screen you will have to be significantly closer to the screen to achieve the same 96% FOV. This means the added pixel density from a smaller screen will be completely lost leaving us with the same SDE as the GVR. Just because the PPI is higher will have no benefit because of the need for closer proximity.

Are you confusing my statement about the Note 5 with the Galaxy S6? I was referring to the Note 5 being (hopefully) compatible with our GVR, and its rumored 5.9" 4K UHD resolution. I was not in the least considering a Galaxy S6 for this device.

The-Chief said:
Are you confusing my statement about the Note 5 with the Galaxy S6? I was referring to the Note 5 being (hopefully) compatible with our GVR, and its rumored 5.9" 4K UHD resolution. I was not in the least considering a Galaxy S6 for this device.
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I want to say I wish it was compatible as we shouldn't have to pay another 200 dollars but then we wouldn't get the charging feature or "extra comfort" that they added to the new vr (I'm sure additional features will be added for the N5 version). I hope they add some kind of gear vr trade in eventually as I would hate to have to purchase a new Gear vr full price every year.
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Haze69 said:
I hope they add some kind of gear vr trade in eventually as I would hate to have to purchase a new Gear vr full price every year.
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I bought the Gear VR fully expecting it to be obsolete in 6 to 12 months. Samsung usually offers some sort of trade-in, but I think they will give you a $50 discount for handing in your $200 device. I really don't care ... I'll give my old one to my brother and get the latest and greatest

I fully understand and agree. I doubt very seriously that SAMSUNG will offer a free (or even reduced price) upgrade to the VR2 or 3. Once the Note 5 comes out - hopefully with a Developer Edition - I will likely buy its companion VR and sell this one. It's a great first effort, but with lots of flaws.
I am having a helluva time trying to find a 360 Grand Canyon helicopter tour, download it and put it where I can see it on the VR. If anyone here has found one and can list the steps, I would be grateful

mitchellvii said:
I'm confused. On a 5.1'" screen you will have to be significantly closer to the screen to achieve the same 96% FOV. This means the added pixel density from a smaller screen will be completely lost leaving us with the same SDE as the GVR. Just because the PPI is higher will have no benefit because of the need for closer proximity.
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Don't you try to bring reason into an argument about magic! The marketing peeps over at Samsung really have no concept of simple physics (or math).
EDIT: I think we'll have to wait for UHD screens in order to really get what one could define as a truly great VR experience; the S6 provides, just like the Note 4, 1 843 200 pixels per eye, while the DK2 provides only 1 036 800. The newly announced Vive VR from HTC/Valve only provides each eye with 1 296 000 pixels so that's no good either. An UHD panel (guessing 3840x2160 instead of 4096x2160) would provide each eye with over double the amount of pixels the Note 4/S6 does at a staggering 4 147 200 pixels per eye. Just to put that into perspective - that is more than the 3 686 400 pixels the whole screen of the Note 4 provides.

Toss3 said:
Don't you try to bring reason into an argument about magic! The marketing peeps over at Samsung really have no concept of simple physics (or math).
EDIT: I think we'll have to wait for UHD screens in order to really get what one could define as a truly great VR experience; the S6 provides, just like the Note 4, 1 843 200 pixels per eye, while the DK2 provides only 1 036 800. The newly announced Vive VR from HTC/Valve only provides each eye with 1 296 000 pixels so that's no good either. An UHD panel (guessing 3840x2160 instead of 4096x2160) would provide each eye with over double the amount of pixels the Note 4/S6 does at a staggering 4 147 200 pixels per eye. Just to put that into perspective - that is more than the 3 686 400 pixels the whole screen of the Note 4 provides.
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double the pixels ... my Note 4 already has performance issues with some stuff (notably 4K video) ... going to need to be a LOT faster to push all those pixels. Which will likely cause more overheating, etc etc. More pixels is just part of what we need for better VR.

Toss3 said:
Don't you try to bring reason into an argument about magic! The marketing peeps over at Samsung really have no concept of simple physics (or math).
EDIT: I think we'll have to wait for UHD screens in order to really get what one could define as a truly great VR experience; the S6 provides, just like the Note 4, 1 843 200 pixels per eye, while the DK2 provides only 1 036 800. The newly announced Vive VR from HTC/Valve only provides each eye with 1 296 000 pixels so that's no good either. An UHD panel (guessing 3840x2160 instead of 4096x2160) would provide each eye with over double the amount of pixels the Note 4/S6 does at a staggering 4 147 200 pixels per eye. Just to put that into perspective - that is more than the 3 686 400 pixels the whole screen of the Note 4 provides.
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Click to collapse
I've got it! A dual phone headset! Buy one phone, get one free and use one phone for each eye. Imagine the FOV! They'd obviously need to change the lenses for this to work. This would be a headset monstrosity worthy of Lady Gaga.
Or how about this for full immersion. Screw the whole phone idea and just create a headset with wraparound blank screen and 3 tiny laser projectors inside using a stitching algorithm to create a seamless picture. Easiest way to achieve high pixel density without having to create a battery sucking massive curved heavy OLED screen. With some wizardly you could probably smooth the image out to completely remove SDE. Actually, because you are using projection, you could actually move the screen further from the subject which in itself would greatly reduce SDE.

axewater said:
double the pixels ... my Note 4 already has performance issues with some stuff (notably 4K video) ... going to need to be a LOT faster to push all those pixels. Which will likely cause more overheating, etc etc. More pixels is just part of what we need for better VR.
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Well better cooling and better GPU performance is also going to be needed, but the biggest problem right now is the SDE imho. You can do custom cooling and undervolting if you don't want the phone to overheat, and I'm guessing the 14nm 7420 in the S6 would definitely be enough for pushing 4K pixels (maybe we'll have something even better by that time).
The increase in resolution actually got me thinking: how much would it actually help in reducing the SDE (if you increased the resolution in both the horizontal and vertical axis by 50%)? See the results below.
This is representative of what we have now:
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This is what we would have after increasing the resolution by 50% in both the horizontal vertical axis:
This is the overlay (just to get an idea of how much the SDE would improve):
So to be completely honest I don't think even UHD is going to solve the problem - we'd need something along the lines of 8K displays to actually make the pixels small enough not to bother us anymore.

mitchellvii said:
I've got it! A dual phone headset! Buy one phone, get one free and use one phone for each eye. Imagine the FOV! They'd obviously need to change the lenses for this to work. This would be a headset monstrosity worthy of Lady Gaga.
Or how about this for full immersion. Screw the whole phone idea and just create a headset with wraparound blank screen and 3 tiny laser projectors inside using a stitching algorithm to create a seamless picture. Easiest way to achieve high pixel density without having to create a battery sucking massive curved heavy OLED screen. With some wizardly you could probably smooth the image out to completely remove SDE. Actually, because you are using projection, you could actually move the screen further from the subject which in itself would greatly reduce SDE.
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Click to collapse
The problem with the projector-idea is that it doesn't provide the same immersion as an amoled or LCD screen does, and by that I mean that it doesn't provide the user with the experience of seeing say a huge 120" screen in front of them, instead it would look more like a small screen farther away (based on the reports on the Avegant Glyph).
EDIT: This got me thinking - how small would the pixels really need to be in order for them to become "invisible" to the eye (I mean how do we measure how big the pixels appear to the user right now)?
EDIT2: Found this interview with Palmer Luckey saying that we'd need about 8K pixels for each eye (and we all know that isn't going to happen in 10 years) in order for them to become completely invisible. So we need better lenses or just plain bigger screens (a VR headset with a 12" parabole-shaped flexible amoled display would be kind of cool and at 577ppi I'd say we'd be good to go already (we just don't have the hardware to drive such a thing yet)).

Toss3 said:
The problem with the projector-idea is that it doesn't provide the same immersion as an amoled or LCD screen does, and by that I mean that it doesn't provide the user with the experience of seeing say a huge 120" screen in front of them, instead it would look more like a small screen farther away (based on the reports on the Avegant Glyph).
EDIT: This got me thinking - how small would the pixels really need to be in order for them to become "invisible" to the eye (I mean how do we measure how big the pixels appear to the user right now)?
EDIT2: Found this interview with Palmer Luckey saying that we'd need about 8K pixels for each eye (and we all know that isn't going to happen in 10 years) in order for them to become completely invisible. So we need better lenses or just plain bigger screens (a VR headset with a 12" parabole-shaped flexible amoled display would be kind of cool and at 577ppi I'd say we'd be good to go already (we just don't have the hardware to drive such a thing yet)).
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You misinterpret my projection idea. . I'm not talking about corneal projection as with the Glyph. . I'm talking about creating a mini home theater inside a wrap around bonnet which would use 3 tiny laser projectors to project a fully immersive image onto a screen probably 2 inches from your eyes. The 3 separate images would be stitched together using an algorithm which already exists for high end home theaters using triple projectors. By projecting a larger image further away a UHD picture would probably not be required to lose SDE completely. SDE isn't a screen issue, its a proximity issue.
This idea would achieve full immersion with less weight, heat, eye strain and SDE. The device would resemble a fighter helmet.

versus S5

I just upgraded my S5 for an S6 (not edge) and so far... I'm not really impressed. Everything seems about the same, graphics look better, feels zippy just as when I factory reset my S5, battery life still drains quickly for my use, I still get dropped calls.
It feels like an S5 with a tweaked UI to feel zippier. I've read a lot of reviews & endorsements but now wondering if they were Samsung's doing or something?
What are y'all noticing better about the S6 compared to an S5? I'm wondering if there's a reason for me to keep the S6 instead of going back to a now cheaper S5?
Thoughts from your personal experiences as well as facts about the phone I might be entirely missing?

jeffreylin_ said:
What did you expect? I found that the fingerprint scanner doesn't require you to swipe anymore, it works similar to that of an iPhone now. It probably feels zippier because of slightly better specs and a more optimized TouchWiz. Honestly, there's probably not much of a difference between this one and the S5 except this one doesn't have the USB 3.0 port and might be less water resistant.
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With all the hype, I expected more. I feel I bought an over-priced S5 with a more optimized UI coding to feel zippier. I thought it should feel like going from the S3 to the S5, a lot of major differences, not just some tweaks and refinements.
And why I was hoping others could chime in on S5 versus S6 major differences, hardware facts or their observations.

KCSamerica said:
With all the hype, I expected more. I feel I bought an over-priced S5 with a more optimized UI coding to feel zippier. I thought it should feel like going from the S3 to the S5, a lot of major differences, not just some tweaks and refinements.
And why I was hoping others could chime in on S5 versus S6 major differences, hardware facts or their observations.
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Frankly these flagship phones are way over powered. You wont notice a big difference year to year, you almost need to wait 3 years if you want that. One of the biggest difference between the phones is how many cores the processor has and unless you do a lot of multitasking it doesn't matter at all.

ThePagel said:
Frankly these flagship phones are way over powered. You wont notice a big difference year to year, you almost need to wait 3 years if you want that. One of the biggest difference between the phones is how many cores the processor has and unless you do a lot of multitasking it doesn't matter at all.
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That's what I always heard, give it a couple generations or more to find a considerable difference. I do like the speed of the camera launching, but I'm finding it hard to justify spending a couple hundred more on the S6 just for that.
Transferring my phone info again but now to newly purchased TMo S5 as well as making sure I get reimbursed for the S6 in the "remorse" period is going to be challenging...

KCSamerica said:
That's what I always heard, give it a couple generations or more to find a considerable difference. I do like the speed of the camera launching, but I'm finding it hard to justify spending a couple hundred more on the S6 just for that.
Transferring my phone info again but now to newly purchased TMo S5 as well as making sure I get reimbursed for the S6 in the "remorse" period is going to be challenging...
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Click to collapse
I hear you on that, I skipped the s5 in favor of the g3 and I regretted it about 6 months later. In the end it will work out for me because I like the idea of touch fingerprint vs swipe but would have stuck with the s5 for atleast another year if I had that.

Should I upgrade form the Galaxy S6?

Thoughts on upgrading from the S6.
I have been an iPhone user since the first iPhone but started using the Galaxy S6 soon after its release. I had wanted to use android for sometime but I was always disappointed by the cameras — until the S6. To me the S6 camera was so good that it has been hard to justify switching back. However, the battery life of the S6 was/is just below my tolerance level and I was hoping for a slightly larger screen (I was using an iPhone 6+). I was getting about 3:15 screen on time and in general 20 hrs max of total charge time regardless of anything I tried. I figured the slight increase of the Note 5 was enough to move to the other side of my tolerance point and so I ordered one from AT&T. I've noticed a number of subtle improvements that were noticeable and important to me so I figured I would share these in case one of you is considering an upgrade. So here are some random thoughts/observations:
Cruft: I was concerned enough about the AT&T junk on the S6 I had moved to an unlocked version, but that led to a hit in battery life (slight). I ordered the AT&T note 5 so I could get it sooner and hit the right radios (or whatever). On the AT&T S6 there was a lot of stuff I could not even disable, which pissed me off. After rooting I could disable this crap, but I knew I would not be able to root the Note 5 (at least not for now). Fortunately, the vast majority of the bloatware can easily be disabled. The only thing I could not disable is AT&T remote support. Overall this was an improvement.
Battery life: I have had the note for a few days. I saw some outlandish battery life on an early reddit post (7 hrs SOT). I have seen the battery life go from ~20 hrs total charge time w/ 3:15 max screen on time, on the S6, to ~24 hrs total charge time w/4:40 max screen on time. I would say this is a tad higher than just added capacity, but certainly in that range. Overall, this is about what I had hoped for when making the switch so I am happy, but I have not noticed what some people have experienced.
Details: I use the Google keyboard and on the S6 there was this constant switch input method icon that would pop up in the upper left part of the status bar. And while I could not prove it I swore this was causing some jank lag when starting up chrome. The reason I felt this way is that when I removed all keyboards but the Google one that lag went away. Regardless, on the Note 5 this alert isn't there. I can use my Google keyboard in peace. Also, I do not notice lag starting up Chrome.
When I shot video with the S6 I was getting some pretty bad OIS wobble, but that is MUCH improved here. This could just be a batch thing, but I noticed it on both of my previous S6s. I still think it is a batch thing however.
Both of my previous S6s had the iscocell camera sensor. My Note 5 has a sony.
The screen is the same but blown up. However, I notice that I get a wider range of viewing angles before the screen goes noticeably green. Overall I like using the screen on the Note 5 better, even though it is the same panel I imagine. Another thing is that I think the resolution of the screen makes more of a difference at this size.
I was worried that the phone would be too big. However, it feels great in the hand. I really like the size and I think the form factor helps the usability a great deal. The only thing I plan to do is add a dbrand skin (when the Note 5 versions come out) to the back to make it less slippery.
I actually find the S-Pen useful, especially the screen off write feature.
RAM/Lag: RAM usage has been pretty consistent as far as what is earmarked for system/apps/free and the amount cached. I am getting (in GB) ~1.6 reserved for system, ~0.47 for apps and ~1.6 ‘free.’ When you factor in cached things that has been (in GB) ~2 system, 0.88 apps and 0.73 free. The total RAM is actually 3.663 GB not 4, but this isn’t too surprising and consistent with the S6.
Overall I noticed random lags all the time on the S6, even with early usage of the phone. Everything so far on the Note 5 for me has been super smooth. I am even using a theme from the store. I am very happy with whatever improvements Samsung has made to their 5.1.1 build.
Audio: There is a new UHQ upscalling feature. Using decent headphones (akg 545) I notice a pretty dramatic improvement in audio quality. Specifically, separation and soundstage improves. This is a nice and unexpected feature.
I would say if you were on the fence in wanting to upgrade to the Note 5 from the S6 you will be very happy you did. However, I wouldn’t if you are happy with your S6. For me it came down to the fact that I was just slightly too frustrated with the battery life and lag and was hopping to get a bigger screen. In the end I am very happy with the jump.

I'm upgrading from an S6 Edge to the Note 5. I think the S Pen offers more functionality and value than the Edge features. I'll be getting my phone in the mail today so the things you mentioned makes me very happy. Thank you
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so ram issue seems to be fixed? i am frustrated with my s6. i play spotify over bluetooth and launch maps and the phone just crawls

Lockeskidney said:
so ram issue seems to be fixed? i am frustrated with my s6. i play spotify over bluetooth and launch maps and the phone just crawls
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So far so good, but I am three days in. On my s6 I was always very low on ram, specifically when you examined cached processes and I was getting apps closing all the time. It didn't matter if I used a debloated rom or not. I still have yet to think about rebooting the phone. I don't know how much of the 'fix' is software optimizations and how much is throwing an extra GB of RAM at the prob, but I am happy. You might consider trying the note5 rom port floating around on your s6. If it is true Samsung optimizations that should help.

If you want to use S Pen Stylus than you can upgrade but if S Pen stylus is not the major preference, I suggest you don't and stay on S6 as there is no major difference!

I already upgraded s6 edge to note 5 and I am very happy with it..

sigma24 said:
If you want to use S Pen Stylus than you can upgrade but if S Pen stylus is not the major preference, I suggest you don't and stay on S6 as there is no major difference!
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Sigma, you are certainly right that most people don't need to upgrade. However, there are other clear demonstrable changes to the Note5 that might be of interest to some S6 users beyond the pen. For instance displaymate documents quite clearly that the Note5 screen is different than the S6 in some ways that will appeal to people like me who are overly anal about screens:
http://www.displaymate.com/Galaxy_Note5_ShootOut_1.htm
Further, there are some minor software improvements like better RAM management etc. Again, this may only be of interest to a few, but it is overly trivializing to say there is no difference beyond a pen.

S8+ vs Note 8 ... Is it worth it to upgrade?

Curious if anyone made the jump from a S8+ to a Note 8? Was there enough difference to make it worth the upgrade?

I have the AT&T version which I'll return once the unlocked version I ordered comes in. I'm glad I made the switch but for me it's the slight change in shape that makes it for me. I like the S pen but could live without, battery has been about as good, still new so it needs to settle in but otherwise I'm happy.

Right now (in my country) used S8+ goes for about 720$ and new S8+ is like 830$, and new Note8 goes for 1190$. I'm waiting for N8 price drop - suspecting that next month it will be about 1050$, and then I'll definitly switch

It depends on what kind of user you are. The big difference is the sPen, obviously. If that's something you see yourself using then yes, it's worth the upgrade. Otherwise, I'd say no. The screen bump isn't monumental, the extra RAM is only useful if you're an extreme multitasker, and performance is largely the same.

IMO yes. Im note user and lover
The phone shape to me is better.
Been missing my spen for a while. The fingerprint sensor is in a better loctaction. The camera takes better photo.
The extra ram makes it a bit faster/smoother.
So to me worth the upgrade.

Yes it was worth it for me. Adding to the reasons already mentioned.
S8+: Only allows 7 apps in memory.
Note8: 29 apps are kept in memory at once.
Now I am not sure if the # of apps is hard coded, or its based on how much ram the consume, but its a huge difference. I play a game (Star Wars: Galaxy of Heros) and on the S8 every time I was out of the game for an hour or more it would normally need to reload. On the Note8 I have come back to the game the next day and its still loaded. Its great!
You can see the proof here:

My cousin has the S8+ and my Note feels a hell of lot more high end than his. I think it's worth the switch just because of looks and feel. Then you get the S Pen that I use every day. It's so nice to go through your phone with the S Pen.

I own both, but the S8 Plus has better battery life, even tho the Note8 battery life is excellent!
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note8 using XDA Labs

Venom0642 said:
I own both, but the S8 Plus has better battery life, even tho the Note8 battery life is excellent!
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note8 using XDA Labs
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Click to collapse
Absolutely agree with this 110%.
I enjoy the dual camera setup, the additional width, and the less muted screen edges.
I don't miss my S8+.

Note 8 is all about s-pen and it's the only one, if you don't care about the pen, personally I don't see compelling reason to upgrade and since you're asking, probably there isn't one.

Araltd said:
Curious if anyone made the jump from a S8+ to a Note 8? Was there enough difference to make it worth the upgrade?
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Click to collapse
The Note 8 is NOT an upgrade, its not designed to be.
The 8 series of Samsung mobile phone consist's of three models, the S8, S8+ and the Note 8. All three models are similar and are there to fit an individual choice. One is a smallish mobile the other a phablet and the Note fills a small niche market and caters for those who use the S-pen and its software.
Most people don't want the S-pen that is why the S8+ is there but some don't want a phablet that is why the S8 exists.
I own the S8+ and regret deeply buying it as I wanted the Note but me being me I had to go and spend silly money four months ago to then go and spend even more silly money for the mobile I have wanted since owning my two Note 7's. I now own the mobile I am content with and man does that take some doing. I have owned around five phones this year alone. There won't be anymore until maybe the Note 9. Read that maybe as a certainty (help!!!)
It serves zero purpose to compare the three models they are as different as the Mercedes E class in salon, convertible and coupe, all have identical major parts but vary in some area of style, size and usage etc.
Ryland

Well Worth investment.
It's worth the upgrade if you're looking to multitask heavier, As with Note 8 you can get the ability to use sPen plus there is dual camera included along with the legandary S8+ camera. Battery life is about the same but on some occasions, you may experience shorter battery life compared to S8+.

I have both S8+ and note 8. Huge difference to me in terms of fluidity and speed. Not only that, the extra 2gb of ram works wonders.
The S8+ I had constantly closing apps having to reload almost everything.
The note 8 I have not had any apps reload.
I also like the square shape more as well as less curved edges.
Very happy with the note 8 over S8

illitirit said:
I have both S8+ and note 8. Huge difference to me in terms of fluidity and speed. Not only that, the extra 2gb of ram works wonders.
The S8+ I had constantly closing apps having to reload almost everything.
The note 8 I have not had any apps reload.
I also like the square shape more as well as less curved edges.
Very happy with the note 8 over S8
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Click to collapse
I suggest you not to mention the "Huge difference to me in terms of fluidity and speed", You'll experience stuttering and lag within six months of usage. You were too quick to make judgements, The Galaxy S8 Plus 128GB with 6GB RAM is already experiencing stuttering in the grouped notification.

Pops_G said:
Yes it was worth it for me. Adding to the reasons already mentioned.
S8+: Only allows 7 apps in memory.
Note8: 29 apps are kept in memory at once.
Now I am not sure if the # of apps is hard coded, or its based on how much ram the consume, but its a huge difference. I play a game (Star Wars: Galaxy of Heros) and on the S8 every time I was out of the game for an hour or more it would normally need to reload. On the Note8 I have come back to the game the next day and its still loaded. Its great!
You can see the proof here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nls6AiPkJsc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree with this reason alone. The s8+ feels sluggish compared to how the note 8 performs. Not regretting the move.

Note 8 for me is worth it. 1st device I have owned that I dont care to root. Its amazing the way it is..7hrs screen time average.. even pulled 8hrs.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

$-MONARCH-$ said:
I suggest you not to mention the "Huge difference to me in terms of fluidity and speed", You'll experience stuttering and lag within six months of usage. You were too quick to make judgements, The Galaxy S8 Plus 128GB with 6GB RAM is already experiencing stuttering in the grouped notification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what your saying since we are talking samsung device here. But i never understood why people say "itll lag within 6 months" , then why not just factory reset every 6 months? If in fact this note 8 slows to a crawl after 6 months, taking 20 minutes out of my day to do a factory reset is not an issue. Its not like its even painful anymore, now all the apps install and sync by themselves, keep app data and logins.
I've had the S8+ for 5 months and while its not slow, its janky UI lag has been present since day 1 of owning the device. Note 8 is way better in this regard.

It's all about the s-pen. Well worth it if you use the pen on a regular basis. The shape also feels better to me. I use mine alot for work, I keep spreadsheets and PDF files on here alot and take pictures and draw notes on top with s-pen , and that makes it irreplaceable to me. My recent stint with the s7edge made me really miss the note series and I ended up using the note 5 alot until the note 8 came out. I have had all the notes since the note 2.
Hope this helps
Sent from my Galaxy Note8 using XDA Labs

illitirit said:
I understand what your saying since we are talking samsung device here. But i never understood why people say "itll lag within 6 months" , then why not just factory reset every 6 months? If in fact this note 8 slows to a crawl after 6 months, taking 20 minutes out of my day to do a factory reset is not an issue. Its not like its even painful anymore, now all the apps install and sync by themselves, keep app data and logins.
I've had the S8+ for 5 months and while its not slow, its janky UI lag has been present since day 1 of owning the device. Note 8 is way better in this regard.
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Click to collapse
The Note 8 has a greater IQ than some of its owners. What you write is common sense and unfortunately passes over some owners heads. :crying: I often feel sorry for the Note 8 and not its owner.
Rather inflammatory post! Must have got out the wrong side of the bed this morning. Stuff it.
Ryland

butchieboy said:
Note 8 for me is worth it. 1st device I have owned that I dont care to root. Its amazing the way it is..7hrs screen time average.. even pulled 8hrs.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
^^This.^^
My first Android phone was a Droid Incredible. There were definitely advantages to rooting which outweighed the random restarts and occasional bootloops. The more advanced the phones become, the less I see a need to root. I wasn't even inspired to root the LG V20.
I've seen zero lag in this phone especially after boosting the animations to .5. I'm not much of a themer, but Substratum seems to have that base covered. It seems that a creative mix of Tasker and AutoTools can do wonders to a phone without rooting. In short, the last custom ROM I ran was for the Note 7. There was no advantage to me. Your mileage may vary.
Back to the Note 8/S8 discussion... the Note 8 has the cameras the S8 doesn't have. It has more memory than the S8. The screen is bigger... nominally... than the S8+, and there's the S-pen. If that's important to ya... or if having the latest and greatest is, buy the Note 8.

iPhoneX vs Note9 benchmarks...iPhoneX wins?

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/galaxy-note-9-benchmarks,news-27773.html
I wonder about these tests although it's really comparing apples to oranges with different CPU and OS but some things can't lie, and the tests are designed to be platform independent.
I gotta say I'm slightly disappointed the snapdragon 845 performs poorer in comparison... And supposedly the Exynos version this year performs worse than the snapdragon, which is a first.

Ask me if I care??

Do you care?

nah lol

They specifically only showed the benchmarks where iPhone X beats the note. There are also many where it's the other way around and by a large margin. And anyways the note 8 still beats almost everything for everyday usage if you look at some of the real life speed test comparisons on Youtube, and also it's still the best at memory management.

herandy said:
They specifically only showed the benchmarks where iPhone X beats the note. There are also many where it's the other way around and by a large margin. And anyways the note 8 still beats almost everything for everyday usage if you look at some of the real life speed test comparisons on Youtube, and also it's still the best at memory management.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey if you want subway surfers to launch in 2.453 seconds the I phone X is for you. If you can spare the extra 1.123 seconds the note9 does everything else better. ?
Sent from my HUAWEI CLT-L29 using XDA Labs

IPhone x is better only at the first test, when the benchmark test is run by 4 times in a row to mimick gaming, it is on of the worst devices and gets hot while the note only loses like 4-5% of performance, note 8 lost 10% or so. Don't know where I read it but someone tested it out

Benchmarks isn't the end all be all. Basically if you want a phone that scores high benchmarks then the iPhone is for you.

I'm going to use the Note 9 for the features that it has. For the customization that I can do it. The multitasking/multiple apps I can have open.
I have iDevices, you can do some multitasking, but ios doesn't compare to Android for my needs.

I will leave this here.

Speed tests are irrelevant now. Most phones these days, even budget android phones, are way faster than they have been ever before. You get what you are paying for and millisecond differences in App opening doesn't mean anything at all in real world usage. But functionality, features, and style on the other hand, is what sets Samsung phones apart from apple.

AnTuTu makes the iPhoneX look like a joke next to the Note9. Geek Bench is one of the ONLY ones that the iPhone X wins on.

funkydude101 said:
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/galaxy-note-9-benchmarks,news-27773.html
I wonder about these tests although it's really comparing apples to oranges with different CPU and OS but some things can't lie, and the tests are designed to be platform independent.
I gotta say I'm slightly disappointed the snapdragon 845 performs poorer in comparison... And supposedly the Exynos version this year performs worse than the snapdragon, which is a first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung really messed things up with the Exynos 9810 chipset. In an effort to match iPhone's Single Core speed they ended up with a processor that runs hot and abnormally high battery drain. Hopefully the new water-carbon cooling system will overcome these deficiencies. You're lucky to have ended up with the Snapdragon variant, it eclipses the Exynos and iPhone A11 in a majority of benchmark tests.

Only the uneducated will get their panties in a twist with these tests that are rather stupid. Yeah, you might be comparing one phone to another by using one score type, but how you get to the score is different for each phone. Almost ALL benchmark tests run different algorithms between iPhones and Androids. It is actually not possible to statistically compare them together. It sure makes for a great headline grabber though.
I always go bouncing between Apple and Samsung phones(mostly Note series). Not because I can't choose one over the other, but because I just like phones in general and I'm a tech geek.
These tests are stupid, because Apple said it themselves...it's not speed that makes a great phone, it's how you use it. And to me, the complete experience that Samsung has brought to me personally, in the form of the Note series, simply can't be matched by Apple right now! Geekbench scores can show an iPhone scoring 5 times as high as my Note 9, and I would still by my Note 9 because of my user experience.
People get so caught up with the useless numbers.
---------- Post added at 05:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:21 PM ----------
Only the uneducated will get their panties in a twist with these tests that are rather stupid. Yeah, you might be comparing one phone to another by using one score type, but how you get to the score is different for each phone. Almost ALL benchmark tests run different algorithms between iPhones and Androids. It is actually not possible to statistically compare them together. It sure makes for a great headline grabber though.
I always go bouncing between Apple and Samsung phones(mostly Note series). Not because I can't choose one over the other, but because I just like phones in general and I'm a tech geek.
These tests are stupid, because Apple said it themselves...it's not speed that makes a great phone, it's how you use it. And to me, the complete experience that Samsung has brought to me personally, in the form of the Note series, simply can't be matched by Apple right now! Geekbench scores can show an iPhone scoring 5 times as high as my Note 9, and I would still by my Note 9 because of my user experience.
People get so caught up with the useless numbers.

I used to own an iphone 8 plus. Mobile phones are built to be useful for life of a person. Okay, iphone a11 chip is a beast but what can you do EXCLUSIVELY, NOT AVAIBLE FOR OTHER ANDROID PHONES in iphone? NOTHING.
But i can do these on my NOTE 9:
1) Take notes easily, draw for fun without any lag and sharing is smooth. No crushes..
2) Access every every details of settings. I can easily disable GPS with one tap.
3) Google services are naturally more integrigated.
4) I can see all the details of my photos. I can shoot raw, i can shoot manually.
5) Thanks to edge screen, my favourite apps are one tap away.
6) Charging is way faster, charging cable and adapter is included.
7) AKG and ICONX earbuds came for free with Note 9 pre-sale.
8) VPN connection is faster. Doesnt drop. I can see diagnosis of inbound speed.
9) 128 gb + Samsung cloud (15gb) + Dropbox + Google Drive. Cloud services are all integrated.
10) 960 fps mode, ultra ultra slow.
11) Take selfies with the cool s-pen.
12) Translate words with the cool s-pen.
13) I know that SAMSUNG will not slow my phone without warning.
etc etc...
Believe me or not, i used both iphone and note 9, i feel EXACTLY NO DIFFERENT in terms of speed. They are both fast. Benchmarks are no important for me. I chose the free life with no worries. I am in love with Note 9.

Another reason is because Geekbench algorithm for iPhone uses Vulcan whereas it hasn't been updated for Android phones that use the Vulcan graphic processing.