Related
Verizon contract is up in a couple weeks so I'm jumping to T-Mobile (costs less) and getting the Nexus 6. I just have a few questions.
Are there any weird quirks with the phone? Anything I won't find out by playing with the phone in store for 10 minutes? Is the phone as powerful as the specs say it is?
I saw some of the older battery life charts in the other thread and they aren't terrible. Is battery life still decent? I'm looking for 4-5+ hours of screen-on time ideally.
Does the "quick charger" that comes with it work well?
Tl;dr Do you recommend the phone?
It's a loaded post, which is why a lot of views, but nary a reply.
However ....
Your title to me is better than jumping on a N6, which could be disastrous to the phone.
If you have looked over the threads, you'll get varying opinions, and mostly IMO it depends on two things:
What they had/came from
What they expect out of the N6.
I will only speak for myself; I came from a VZ GNex I hung onto for 3 years - anything I may have gone to would be a worthy HW upgrade, however I want to tweak my phone when I'm ready to, and that means a Nexus.
I love the phone, it was a bit of a letdown, as I was already running 5.0 on my GNex, so the experience was to a larger, faster smoother phone than what I had. Other than that, I'm loving every minute of having it, plain and simple.
I have one other person who transitioned to one, and he loves it as well.
I'm not going to tell you to get it, you have to go play with it and decide for yourself.
To your specific questions:
quirks - no more so than any other phone, I haven't found any yet myself - most who post I think have to do with not knowing what they set in Lollipop, I've already had it for a bit, so I'm used to it.
Yup, its fast and powerful, whether or not you decide to go unencrypted is up to you, which goes to what you had and what you expect - are you going to unlock root, mod? You can enjoy this phone for quite a bit of time before maybe even needing a reason to go mod it.
Personally, I haven't yet, nor have a lot of members here (check the what rom are you running on VZ thread) because again, I haven't (other than wanting to change my softkeys) had a good reason (to me) to invest the time to do it.
I'm sure it will happen, but not right now. right now I'm just enjoying the hell out of having it.
Batt time is always subjective, whether or not we care to admit it. No two devices are going to run the same, have the same app load outs, some have different memory it appears, and some may actually (gasp) have a bad batt on arrival.
Mine has ran terrific (remember again - what I had and what I expect), and the QC runs great to recharge if need be. I can say that I love not worrying about the batt right now on it daily, but that's for me and my usage.
Battery is fine and its quick. The fast charger works well. I'm not really a fan of them but its what it comes with. I came from a m8 which was a nice device but I like this one better.
Raikalo said:
Tl;dr Do you recommend the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My wife and I jumped from Sprint to T-Mobile, handing off our Evo 4G's when the Nexus 6 was released, and wouldn't look back. The Nexus 6 has been nothing short of awesome... the camera, speed, screen, everything - is awesome. We keep ours in thick iBlason "Armorbox" cases, and still enjoy our QI charging (I'm unsure how QI isn't a requirement in modern phones these days!). A lot of friends complained about the size, but those that got it anyway, ended up "getting over it" and now won't go back to the smaller screens, heh! It still fits nicely in my (male) jean pockets -- with the large case -- but you'd be hard-pressed to get it safely in female pockets (sorry ladies... you're not allowed to put stuff in the pockets!).
Quirks: one big thing jumped out at me, but isn't a big deal for most. The phone does have built-in RGB LEDs that sit underneath the top speaker, yet, they chose to block access to this functionality. I guess they reused the underlying board but didn't want the LEDs, but nonetheless, they are invaluable to me: I enjoy knowing if I have something waiting for me *without* having to look at the screen - whether while in bed, sitting on the desk, riding the bike, etc.! The plus, you can get at these LEDs if you're rooted. So... if that's possibly desirable to you, I'd recommend unlocking the phone as soon as you get it, so you can avoid the data wipe down the road. The Lightflow app can handle them quite well (though I believe it requires the "Pro" version, for a couple bucks). ...and as of now, the LEDs are "on or off" - no flashing... but hey, I'll take what I can get!
Oh, and not really related to the phone itself, but a Google-Nexus 6 quirk -- quite annoying at the time, for me -- Google's "My Tracks" app was broken for awhile (unable to acquire the GPS signal). There are a gazillion alternatives out there, but I'd been a long-time daily user of the app, and Google broke it!...for months. It was disappointing that they would break core app functionality on their *current* flagship device, for their own app, and choose to ignore it for such a long time. I think the 5.1 update fixed whatever problem they had, but that was a pet peeve.. On the plus side, I've enjoyed the feature-rich alternatives that I was forced to explore, ha!
We haven't messed with de-crypting ourselves, as the phones are super-duper-fast as-is, but we love them. These are our introduction to the Nexus world, and we love the fact that they no-bars-hold permit unlocking, and that the updates are, of course, front line.
Tl;dr I highly recommend the phone! Phone size is the only recurring complaint among friends.
Thank you everyone for the replies. Yes, battery life is subjective ...so long as most of the reviews say the battery is good enough, that's all I care about. First-hand reviews from users are always the best because I know everyone isn't just trying to sell me a phone . As far as the LEDs being unusable when not rooted, that isn't a big deal for me. My current phone (Razr Maxx HD, xt926 verizon) has the LEDs and fantastic battery life through various mods, but is simply not cutting it anymore for what I need. I've never heard of the My Tracks app, so I guess it's a good thing since I didn't know it was broken lol.
This will be my first Nexus phone... I have the Nexus 7 (2012) tablet that is currently running CM12 nightlies, so I'm familiar with the "Nexus experience" and Lollipop already. I like it quite a bit, but it did take a little getting used to. I was very much planning on unlocking and rooting the N6 immediately, but I'll play with it a bit and enjoy the stock experience first.
@vormund Do you like T-Mobile, now that you switched from Sprint?
@RW-1 Can you explain the encryption you're talking about a little more? This is the first I've heard of it.
Again, thanks everyone for the replies. I'm pretty much sold on the phone at this point.
Raikalo said:
Thank you everyone for the replies. Yes, battery life is subjective ...so long as most of the reviews say the battery is good enough, that's all I care about. First-hand reviews from users are always the best because I know everyone isn't just trying to sell me a phone . As far as the LEDs being unusable when not rooted, that isn't a big deal for me. My current phone (Razr Maxx HD, xt926 verizon) has the LEDs and fantastic battery life through various mods, but is simply not cutting it anymore for what I need. I've never heard of the My Tracks app, so I guess it's a good thing since I didn't know it was broken lol.
This will be my first Nexus phone... I have the Nexus 7 (2012) tablet that is currently running CM12 nightlies, so I'm familiar with the "Nexus experience" and Lollipop already. I like it quite a bit, but it did take a little getting used to. I was very much planning on unlocking and rooting the N6 immediately, but I'll play with it a bit and enjoy the stock experience first.
@vormund Do you like T-Mobile, now that you switched from Sprint?
@RW-1 Can you explain the encryption you're talking about a little more? This is the first I've heard of it.
Again, thanks everyone for the replies. I'm pretty much sold on the phone at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently using MeanPop 2.11 on my Nexus 6 and it has a blinking LED light for notifications, a blinking red light for while your phone is charging and a green light for when the device is fully charged. I had the phone a couple of hours tops before I rooted it, so I can't really provide an opinion on the device out of the box. My brother is using a non-rooted Nexus 6 and he loves it as well. We both came from the Note Edge, but enjoy the Nexus 6 more than any device we have used up to this point. Out of the box, the device is encrypted (which some people have stated that their performance suffered compared to being unencrypted). You can easily unlock the phone and decrypt it. There is a solid guide for this in the development section. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or ask them here and I'll assist where I can.
slimc84 said:
I am currently using MeanPop 2.11 on my Nexus 6 and it has a blinking LED light for notifications, a blinking red light for while your phone is charging and a green light for when the device is fully charged. I had the phone a couple of hours tops before I rooted it, so I can't really provide an opinion on the device out of the box. My brother is using a non-rooted Nexus 6 and he loves it as well. We both came from the Note Edge, but enjoy the Nexus 6 more than any device we have used up to this point. Out of the box, the device is encrypted (which some people have stated that their performance suffered compared to being unencrypted). You can easily unlock the phone and decrypt it. There is a solid guide for this in the development section. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or ask them here and I'll assist where I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That solves the LED issue. I will probably decrypt the device since I don't know why I would need it encrypted. Thank you. I will definitely message you with any questions, but I won't have the phone until closer to the end of April (24th or so), so it will be a bit yet. I'm just glad the phone is shaping up to be as great as I am expecting it to be.
Out of curiosity, what are the benefits of leaving the phone encrypted?
Raikalo said:
@vormund Do you like T-Mobile, now that you switched from Sprint?
@RW-1 Can you explain the encryption you're talking about a little more? This is the first I've heard of it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile has been equal-to-or-better than Sprint in Tucson, AZ... their customer service is dreadful (store reps are absolutely useless), but if you're persistent, you usually come out alright - which I'm happy to do with the difference in cost (+$10 to join my sister's plan versus $30+ for Sprint's split... among the other (contract, discount, etc.) considerations! Data is hit-or-miss on the outskirts of the city, but so is Sprint (and ATT)...Verizon seems to have solid service out there, though...(then again, you pay for it!)...
Data speeds are almost always slower when compared to Verizon (a friend with Verizon did some speed tests with me...we're both usually LTE, but he'd consistently get 3-4x faster speeds...this probably varies greatly by locale and their networks), but it's sufficient for me. If you're one to watch Netflix or download a ton, it'll probably be quite the downgrade.. but me - I'm on wireless for any big data usage, so network-wise, I'm just mapping, a little music streaming, geo tracking and such.
Encryption: For the extra paranoid or those with ultra-sensitive information on their phones, perhaps?
I suspect it would make things a little more difficult for law enforcement, too... depending on backdoors and such? Actually, yeah, that looks to be the case!
After seeing the speed comparisons, I'd definitely switch over now, even though the phone is fast-as-can-be as it is, ha. One of these days maybe... but for now, it's a few more minutes in a already-crazy day.
slimc84 said:
I am currently using MeanPop 2.11 on my Nexus 6 and it has a blinking LED light for notifications...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks great to know, thanks for the info! +1 for a custom ROM. I think the reason Lightflow can't do it directly - with rooted stock - as it'd have to keep the phone awake. There well may be ways around that by now... I just wish they'd enable direct access without (there's just no good reason to take away a hardware feature... disabled by default, but come on! ).
vormund said:
T-Mobile has been equal-to-or-better than Sprint in Tucson, AZ... their customer service is dreadful (store reps are absolutely useless), but if you're persistent, you usually come out alright - which I'm happy to do with the difference in cost (+$10 to join my sister's plan versus $30+ for Sprint's split... among the other (contract, discount, etc.) considerations! Data is hit-or-miss on the outskirts of the city, but so is Sprint (and ATT)...Verizon seems to have solid service out there, though...(then again, you pay for it!)...
Data speeds are almost always slower when compared to Verizon (a friend with Verizon did some speed tests with me...we're both usually LTE, but he'd consistently get 3-4x faster speeds...this probably varies greatly by locale and their networks), but it's sufficient for me. If you're one to watch Netflix or download a ton, it'll probably be quite the downgrade.. but me - I'm on wireless for any big data usage, so network-wise, I'm just mapping, a little music streaming, geo tracking and such.
Encryption: For the extra paranoid or those with ultra-sensitive information on their phones, perhaps?
I suspect it would make things a little more difficult for law enforcement, too... depending on backdoors and such? Actually, yeah, that looks to be the case!
After seeing the speed comparisons, I'd definitely switch over now, even though the phone is fast-as-can-be as it is, ha. One of these days maybe... but for now, it's a few more minutes in a already-crazy day.
Thanks great to know, thanks for the info! +1 for a custom ROM. I think the reason Lightflow can't do it directly - with rooted stock - as it'd have to keep the phone awake. There well may be ways around that by now... I just wish they'd enable direct access without (there's just no good reason to take away a hardware feature... disabled by default, but come on! ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A wakelock is triggered with the flashing LED even in the custom Rom (burns 1-2% per hour that the LED is flashing). It's definitely worth having though. The ROM is solid and I haven't had a single issue with it yet.
After reading the benchmarking for encryption vs decryption, I'm definitely decrypting the phone when I get it. I'm not overly worried about the LEDs (does seem weird though that it's not like all of the other android phones I've had, where they just work, regardless of ROM). I'm in the middle of the East Coast where (according to coverage maps) 4G is more available, so I'll definitely run some speed tests and see how T-mobile's data speeds stack up on this side of the country. I really just need a fast browser with good, stable internet speeds. I won't complain if it's faster than 3G.
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
I currently have an S4 on Sprint. The screen cracked a couple weeks ago and I'm ready for my upgrade. I would like to stay on Sprint and I don't mind using my upgrade eligibility to get a big discount (which rules out a phone like the Moto Pure).
I want a bigger phone, ideally 5.7. I want something with an improved battery life (shouldn't be hard my s4 has a SOT of like 3 hours at most). I don't care about not being able to swap the battery or expandable storage. I want a better camera. I want something that will eventually be able to flash custom roms (seems like the note5 is getting close to this).
Why shouldn't I get one in about a week? What phones are better? Again - whatever phone I buy is going to come from the carrier, so something like a used note4 is not an option. Thanks!
The note 5 will work well for most of your needs. But I'm not sure about custom roms though. I'm not sure about the future but right now, development is slow. There is one custom rom at the moment it looks like for sprint. Something like the moto x or the next nexus may be better if development is important to you since they should work across all carriers. The exynos processor and multiple carrier versions will hurt development. But camera and battery life have been amazing (for me at least, some may disagree).
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 07:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:14 AM ----------
The new z5 premium also looks nice (will it work on Sprint?)
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
I won't talk you out of buying a Note 5, simply because this is the best phone I have ever owned.
The camera, the hardware, the speed, the customization, the sound coming through headphones, the call quality, the battery life, and dat S PEN! Well worth my upgrade and money.
Sent from my SM-N920V using XDA Free mobile app
The new note afaik has an issue with the pen, which when inserted backwards makes it stuck. There are ways to carefully extract it, but you can easily break the S-pen sensor.
zags14 said:
I currently have an S4 on Sprint. The screen cracked a couple weeks ago and I'm ready for my upgrade. I would like to stay on Sprint and I don't mind using my upgrade eligibility to get a big discount (which rules out a phone like the Moto Pure).
I want a bigger phone, ideally 5.7. I want something with an improved battery life (shouldn't be hard my s4 has a SOT of like 3 hours at most). I don't care about not being able to swap the battery or expandable storage. I want a better camera. I want something that will eventually be able to flash custom roms (seems like the note5 is getting close to this).
Why shouldn't I get one in about a week? What phones are better? Again - whatever phone I buy is going to come from the carrier, so something like a used note4 is not an option. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get a note 4..... If you can find one
dikidera said:
The new note afaik has an issue with the pen, which when inserted backwards makes it stuck. There are ways to carefully extract it, but you can easily break the S-pen sensor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That issue is 100% user error. I'm not worried about that
ryanalan82 said:
Get a note 4..... If you can find one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, I want to take advantage of my upgrade discount so I can't get a note 4. I could find one, but I would be paying 400$+ as opposed to the 250$ i can get the note5 from Sprint for.
oy yes TW, lag and very few custom roms.
My old phone was also a Galaxy S4. I used my upgrade to get the Note 5 and couldn't be happier. To be honest on Sprint the Note 5 is probably the best phone you can get
well...something to consider before buying..the AT&T and verizon variants come with locked bootloaders...
if you have small hands...this is not for you....one hand text sucks big time! Speaker isnt that loud as far as notification goes, unless you root your phone and modify some values. Battery is Decent, you get about 4-5 hours SOT. Dev is so-so on tmobile and international version. I think thats about it. This is my first Note series, all the past note are way too big for me, even this one is big for me, but I can work around it.
Chord_Hugo87 said:
if you have small hands...this is not for you....one hand text sucks big time! Speaker isnt that loud as far as notification goes, unless you root your phone and modify some values. Battery is Decent, you get about 4-5 hours SOT. Dev is so-so on tmobile and international version. I think thats about it. This is my first Note series, all the past note are way too big for me, even this one is big for me, but I can work around it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is actually a feature on the device that lets you slide a keyboard to the side for smaller hands. They were thinking of you and people who text and drive
I had it all...all s series and note series and i was a litle sceptic about removing sd and battery but now I have note 5 in my hands and I have to say it is the BEST phone I had and I had it all and I am from EUROPE
I swore myself off TouchWiz after I owned my S4, it was my least favorite android phone. But after I had a really bad experience with the LG G4, I returned it and swapped it for a Note 5. Absolutely loving this phone. Never have had a phone this snappy even after loading it up with all my apps etc. I always notice that out of the box phones are great, and invariably after a week of use they bog down... Not this thing. Software is way toned down as far as TouchWiz is concerned. The S Pen is a pretty great touch. After having it, I realize if you're going to have a large device, might as well maximize functionality and have a stylus and some decent software to go along with it. I give this phone a solid 9/10, 9 because of the no expandable memory but really is a moot point with cloud storage being so good these days, and free. Also, if you're looking to flash custom stuff, consider that Knox will trip and you'll lose out on Samsung pay and other features requiring intact security flag. Definitely cruise over to the Note 5 sprint development page to see what's available before making a jump.
Really I don't think you can go wrong with this device. It's very well done, and has a very premium feel for a device, a first for Samsung... Finally I feel like I'm getting what I pay for
Love the hardware, hate the software. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to the hardware, it's really fantastic. But I can't get over how much this phone lags for me and how quickly the battery dies so I will be switching back to an iPhone once the 6s Plus is released. On my old 6 Plus I could end the day with 50% battery, on my Note 5 I have to charge around 5 PM, extremely disappointed. But if you can deal with Android the Note 5 seriously is probably the best out right now.
IAmPears said:
Love the hardware, hate the software. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to the hardware, it's really fantastic. But I can't get over how much this phone lags for me and how quickly the battery dies so I will be switching back to an iPhone once the 6s Plus is released. On my old 6 Plus I could end the day with 50% battery, on my Note 5 I have to charge around 5 PM, extremely disappointed. But if you can deal with Android the Note 5 seriously is probably the best out right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been surfing this forum and am shocked seeing how many people are complaining about bad battery life. I honestly think it is certain carriers. Which model and carrier do you have?
Because I have AT&T and my battery life is exceptional. It is to the point where I don't even worry about battery life anymore.
WizeGuyDezignz said:
I've been surfing this forum and am shocked seeing how many people are complaining about bad battery life. I honestly think it is certain carriers. Which model and carrier do you have?
Because I have AT&T and my battery life is exceptional. It is to the point where I don't even worry about battery life anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Verizon, I've even gone and used Package Disabler Pro to turn most of the bloat off and have full strength signal the whole day. I've gone from not having to worry at all about battery to seeing it drop to 75% after 3 hours of barely any use.
IAmPears said:
I have Verizon, I've even gone and used Package Disabler Pro to turn most of the bloat off and have full strength signal the whole day. I've gone from not having to worry at all about battery to seeing it drop to 75% after 3 hours of barely any use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro, something is wrong. It's either verizon royally screwed something up in their software or you have a defective phone. No joke.
My Note 5 sips battery and all I did was disable all the AT&T bloatware, I didn't even use that app. I am consistently getting 20-25 hours off the charger and 5-8 hours of screen on time. I'm not over exaggerating either.
Losing 75% in 3 hours of not doing much is definitely a problem. I would see if other verizon users are experiencing the same. If not, I would exchange it for a new one unless you are already hell bent on getting the iPhone.
Good luck!
I purchased the Package Disabler Pro app a few hours ago, I'll let you know how it goes on my end. Im on a Verizon Note 5
hunsinger89 said:
There is actually a feature on the device that lets you slide a keyboard to the side for smaller hands. They were thinking of you and people who text and drive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha damn got caught.
Forgive me members for I have sinned... It's been far too long since I popped a SIM in my OnePlus One
I've been using my iPhone 6+ exclusively for months now for a few reasons I'm hoping to have answered here by real-world users. I'm no stranger to Android, but I have fallen in a bad groove with iOS and just settling :/
I use the camera a lot. Not for anything super special, but I'm able to take FAST photos when I need it. Hit the button, and it's saved and done in under a second. Sharp, accurate... but tiny at 8mp on a 1080p screen. I've looked at samples of the Note 5 camera, and the quality is good, but how is the speed of the stock camera app? I don't want to have to wait 2-4 seconds before I can regain use of the camera again, nor have to wait 2 seconds for it to take a photo.
Is the built-in email worth using? I have gmail for my personal email, but my company is stuck on a 2003 exchange server and I'm forced to use a generic "email" client on phones I switch to. I need to be able to set priority on outgoing, and flag/star emails. (Everything else I need should be baked into any email client at this point... BCC, attachments, custom sig) Not a huge deal if it's not good... I can use CloudMagic if needed.
It's been a while since I even gave a Samsung phone a glance, but last time I did, screen-burning was a big issue... Is this still a problem anymore with the newer screens? I'm a fan of auto-brightness, but I input text a lot, and rarely change keyboards. I don't want to find out in a year that my screen has been burned beyond repair
Any help with these would be greatly appreciated. If I like what i'm hearing, I'll be going to T-Mobile this weekend to pick this up!
Thanks all
Hers is a camera speed and quality comparison between the 6s plus and the Note 5, I would say the camera is fast, probably not that fast as iphone but you will get better quality photos with the Note 5
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Apple-iPhone-6s-Plus-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-Note5_id4095/page/3
As for emails, you can use the built in email client or download any other from the play store that will do more than you want.
I'm not sure about the screen burning but my guess is that it was more of a concern with the unrealistic and inaccurate Amoled popping colors in the previous generations. The first thing I do is that I switch screen mode to basic as it provides accurate colors and I guess will reduce the probability of screen burning.
Hope it helps.
Liskrig said:
Forgive me members for I have sinned... It's been far too long since I popped a SIM in my OnePlus One
I've been using my iPhone 6+ exclusively for months now for a few reasons I'm hoping to have answered here by real-world users. I'm no stranger to Android, but I have fallen in a bad groove with iOS and just settling :/
I use the camera a lot. Not for anything super special, but I'm able to take FAST photos when I need it. Hit the button, and it's saved and done in under a second. Sharp, accurate... but tiny at 8mp on a 1080p screen. I've looked at samples of the Note 5 camera, and the quality is good, but how is the speed of the stock camera app? I don't want to have to wait 2-4 seconds before I can regain use of the camera again, nor have to wait 2 seconds for it to take a photo.
Is the built-in email worth using? I have gmail for my personal email, but my company is stuck on a 2003 exchange server and I'm forced to use a generic "email" client on phones I switch to. I need to be able to set priority on outgoing, and flag/star emails. (Everything else I need should be baked into any email client at this point... BCC, attachments, custom sig) Not a huge deal if it's not good... I can use CloudMagic if needed.
It's been a while since I even gave a Samsung phone a glance, but last time I did, screen-burning was a big issue... Is this still a problem anymore with the newer screens? I'm a fan of auto-brightness, but I input text a lot, and rarely change keyboards. I don't want to find out in a year that my screen has been burned beyond repair
Any help with these would be greatly appreciated. If I like what i'm hearing, I'll be going to T-Mobile this weekend to pick this up!
Thanks all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll be happy with a Note 5 honestly. In terms of the camera, I take rapid photos with mine all the time without issues. There's also a double tap home button function that takes maybe 1.5 seconds to pull the camera up and focus from any screen, even when the screen is turned off. My wife loves using my Note 5 for pictures over her LG G4.
Screen burn in hasn't been a thing for quite some time now. There is however, still the issue of shading that occurs on all AMOLED displays when on dark images, or scrolling a dark Web page. I think the Note 5 and S6 do the best to avoid that issue, but it does happen slightly. It's just not as visible.
Auto brightness is awesome on the Note 5 as well. There's an "over bright" function that kicks in automatically when the sun shines directly on the screen, or when you're in a very bright area (outside). It's awesome, and to me, can be a little overkill even in direct sunlight. Lol. It's a great feature though.
No SD like iPhone, but that's not an issue as we have cloud storage for dayz! Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox.....it goes on.
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Jammol said:
You'll be happy with a Note 5 honestly. In terms of the camera, I take rapid photos with mine all the time without issues. There's also a double tap home button function that takes maybe 1.5 seconds to pull the camera up and focus from any screen, even when the screen is turned off. My wife loves using my Note 5 for pictures over her LG G4.
Screen burn in hasn't been a thing for quite some time now. There is however, still the issue of shading that occurs on all AMOLED displays when on dark images, or scrolling a dark Web page. I think the Note 5 and S6 do the best to avoid that issue, but it does happen slightly. It's just not as visible.
Auto brightness is awesome on the Note 5 as well. There's an "over bright" function that kicks in automatically when the sun shines directly on the screen, or when you're in a very bright area (outside). It's awesome, and to me, can be a little overkill even in direct sunlight. Lol. It's a great feature though.
No SD like iPhone, but that's not an issue as we have cloud storage for dayz! Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox.....it goes on.
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the detailed reply! As you can see from my phones I currently have, I personally don't care about SD storage, and I haven't had a phone with a removable battery since the Galaxy Nexus so I've learned to deal. I checked out the link that @samitro provided, and the difference of 1.93 to 2.1 seconds is all the change I will be experiencing... So basically, it will be the same as far as I am used to
Liskrig said:
I appreciate the detailed reply! As you can see from my phones I currently have, I personally don't care about SD storage, and I haven't had a phone with a removable battery since the Galaxy Nexus so I've learned to deal. I checked out the link that @samitro provided, and the difference of 1.93 to 2.1 seconds is all the change I will be experiencing... So basically, it will be the same as far as I am used to
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to hear. Glad we were able to help. Will you be rooting it and such when you get one?
Jammol said:
Good to hear. Glad we were able to help. Will you be rooting it and such when you get one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends... I'm jumping to T-Mobile when I get it, but I have a weird process when I root a phone.
Usually I will go 100% lock & stock UNTIL I find something that I just can't stand (bloat, battery, audio) but if I do root, I look for a stock ROM (or just keep the stock one) and modify it on the phone to remedy the issues I find. I haven't owned a Samsung since the Galaxy Nexus (not really a Samsung phone) and what I am reading about KNOX kinda scares me lol. T-Mobile doesn't really have too much junk on their carrier phones, but it is still there, and it still bugs me. I'm kinda worried about battery life, but I have read a lot here about how to save it sans root access.
Liskrig said:
Depends... I'm jumping to T-Mobile when I get it, but I have a weird process when I root a phone.
Usually I will go 100% lock & stock UNTIL I find something that I just can't stand (bloat, battery, audio) but if I do root, I look for a stock ROM (or just keep the stock one) and modify it on the phone to remedy the issues I find. I haven't owned a Samsung since the Galaxy Nexus (not really a Samsung phone) and what I am reading about KNOX kinda scares me lol. T-Mobile doesn't really have too much junk on their carrier phones, but it is still there, and it still bugs me. I'm kinda worried about battery life, but I have read a lot here about how to save it sans root access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like your system. That's the one I use personally as well. I will say that the one thing that will be annoying really quickly is the T-Mobile system app/process adapt.app. It's what they use to root checking or any kind of custom modification of the device. Even when you're not modified though, it'll sit there and pull root access and constantly scan your device, sucking up battery. It's more invasive now on the newest LP build, and on the MM beta that was leaked.
Don't worry about battery on the Note 5. It is surprisingly really good what they were able to pull off on only 3000mAh. You can pretty much freeze most bloat even without root. There's also a thread here for debloating without root using a script that goes undetected.
As far as knox is concerned. Don't root if you plan on using Samsung Pay. Once you modify the kernel, or root the device, the efuse is blown and your knox counter will forever be tripped. Even though you can go back to pure stock, knox will still be tripped and Samsung Pay will never work. There is NO work around.
I love the Note 5. I was skeptical about it because I had a Note 4, but I am glad I got it. It is an upgrade for me over the Note 4. I'll say the one thing I don't like about the Note 5, is that it's not very hand friendly at night when you're on the phone laying in bed, lol.
Awesome camera, fast, no lag... But, full of bloat, unknown battery drain, less settings about some properties!
worth to upgrade?
From Note 2 - No
From Note 3 - Buy a note 2!
From note 4 - Wait for note 6!
From iphone- At least i can flash custom rom and kernel! but it is not an upgrade huh??!
umudeus said:
Awesome camera, fast, no lag... But, full of bloat, unknown battery drain, less settings about some properties!
worth to upgrade?
From Note 2 - No
From Note 3 - Buy a note 2!
From note 4 - Wait for note 6!
From iphone- At least i can flash custom rom and kernel! but it is not an upgrade huh??!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the reply, but I don't think I could go back to a 2012 phone for my needs I'm glad you found a device that is working for you though
Liskrig said:
I appreciate the reply, but I don't think I could go back to a 2012 phone for my needs I'm glad you found a device that is working for you though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually i have a note 5 and i am a tired user who wait for marshmallow update. Hi five samsung!!!
Sent from my SM-N920G using Tapatalk
umudeus said:
Actually i have a note 5 and i am a tired user who wait for marshmallow update. Hi five samsung!!!
Sent from my SM-N920G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Marshmallow is nice. I got the OTA from Google for my Nexus 5 and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully Samsung will be open to using a lot of the features already present instead of baking them out.
I'm still rocking an old Note 4 on what seems to be the last possible rom ever released for it (pie) but my hand is forced and i must be moving on to a new device, with T-mobile killing off Sprint's old CDMA services
after some research, it seems Tmo's note 9 is the next best fit for my needs and desires but i dont want to jump in blind.... it looks like the phone modding community is significantly hindered in modern times, compared to 3 to 6 years ago and requirements to root looks to be much more conditional / strict
#1
i am not interested in picking up a device with a halfcocked recovery that is not capable of very important functions, or that can be nullified / wiped / reverted in ways other than directly re-flashing a recovery (or rom) i have seen several recoveries that were subject to such situations over the years..... does recovery enjoy a permanent status on the USA variants?
this is in no way bashing any kind of dev or phone or project, rather trying to identify the "rootability"
#2
from what i see, USA variants are snapdragon / qualcomm, correct?
#3
bootloader details... i experienced with both of my last phone choices that bootloader lockdown has increased with updates... and i seen in another thread here on the Note 9 section that specific bootloader versions are "recommended" so is this a situation of only the older Note 9's being compatible? is this "OEM Unlock" situation involving an exploit or genuinely unlocked as easy as 1 2 3
#4
anything else i should be watching for with the Note 9 such as common types of failure? the ability to root the thing holds my attention to buying this device much more than failures could possibly turn me away, but would like to know what i'm working with
How are you going to verify the battery health on a device thats this old now? Asking for a friend
by using my fingernail to pop off the battery door, removing the old battery and putting in a new one, and pop the door back on
one of the best features to ever exist on a phone, but the world seems to disagree with this notion.
Sterist said:
by using my fingernail to pop off the battery door, removing the old battery and putting in a new one, and pop the door back on
one of the best features to ever exist on a phone, but the world seems to disagree with this notion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then the backcase wont have a fancy material like alu or glass like now.
and one of the most important reasons is that they want to to buy new phone when your old one get worse battery life, not just a new battery pack.
yaibakt said:
then the backcase wont have a fancy material like alu or glass like now.
and one of the most important reasons is that they want to to buy new phone when your old one get worse battery life, not just a new battery pack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then with aluminum or glass back cover, if i put the phone on my lap, the phone slides right off and hits the floor
but they do this because they want you to buy a new screen every year rather than look at a burned yellow tint, right? lol..... no no no... they do it because everyone is supposed to have their phone in a case....
wrooong again, this is the internet, where no answer is correct
Sterist said:
by using my fingernail to pop off the battery door, removing the old battery and putting in a new one, and pop the door back on
one of the best features to ever exist on a phone, but the world seems to disagree with this notion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck using the nail method with the Note 9. You mentioned that's what you were looking at buying a note 9 and my response was how are you going to check its battery health. Remember?
This is a funny thread.
USA variants are Snapdragon, a better processor, however there is the N9600 with dual sim and Exynos, if you must find a Note9 that is easier to root.
Also, battery will last a few years IF YOU TAKE CARE OF IT!! ...by not deep cycling it often and slow charging it.
(you can do lots of things to help with battery time, like not cranking up screen brightness, or leaving radios off when not in use).
If you are coming from a Note4 and you like a phone to last 6+ years, then you should look for a phone with replaceable battery and fully unlocked. Thought about a Motorola? (LOL, I might be kidding)
My answer.... Don't buy a USA Note9 if you want unlocked bootloader or "rootability"
Also, don't buy a Samsung. They are not cool anymore.