Anyone have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3? (1 Viewer)

[Otis]

I've been a loyal iPhone guy for years, but I carry two iPhone 5's right now and have slowly been drifting from the Apple ecosystem (that's a company on the decline imo), and I'm seriously thinking moving over to a Samsung phone for one of my phones.

I was reading about the Galaxy S4, but it sounds like it really isn't all that much better than the S3. Then I started looking at the Note, and I just love the idea of having a giant screen.

Anyone have one of these? Impressions? Is the screen size TOO big to tote around regularly? Seems like it still fits in the front pocket or jacket pocket just fine? The other complaint I read about it is that it is "plasticky" feeling compared to the iPhone. Does that drive you bananas?

TIA

 

[Abraham]

Why do you carry two iPhones?

Oh, nexus 5 FTw.

 

[Mario Kart]

I'm about done but too lazy to go get a different phone. I have a iPhone 4 and the OS uodate makes this phone slow as hell. No reason why either. A note would be nice but seem a little too big for me. But, who knows?

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

Got my wife a Note2 a few months back. It rules.

My next phone will be a Note3 (I'm about 14 months into a Galaxy S3)

 

[skol asylum]

Have the s3 and leaning towards the note3 next summer as well. Should be cheap by then too.

 

[the moops]

That thing is way too big. Even for a dude like you who has giant hands. It's just too damn big.

 

[Otis]

That thing is way too big. Even for a dude like you who has giant hands. It's just too damn big.

But why? That added screen real estate could make using it a joy.

 

[Otis]

Why do you carry two iPhones?

Oh, nexus 5 FTw.

One is work issued. I like to keep my personal cell separate.

Samsung is a big client and I'd like to show some loyalty. The last time I met with folks from Korea with my Air and two iPhones, it wasn't a good thing.

 

[cstu]

I have the Note 2 and other than the brighter screen it doesn't seem like much of an improvement. However, if you are looking to move from the iPhone then I'd highly recommend the Note 3.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Everyone who doesn't own a Note says it's too big. Extremely few people that actually have one feel the same.

 

[cstu]

That thing is way too big. Even for a dude like you who has giant hands. It's just too damn big.

 

[UniAlias]

Currently have an S3 and thinking about getting the Note 3 over an S4. I'm just worried that due to the size I'll find myself carrying it more, rather than putting it in my pocket. Will probably drop it within a week of owning it.

 

[Das Boot]

Everyone who doesn't own a Note says it's too big. Extremely few people that actually have one feel the same.

This. You get used to the extra size in about a day. After that you wouldn't give it up.

Currently have an S3 and thinking about getting the Note 3 over an S4. I'm just worried that due to the size I'll find myself carrying it more, rather than putting it in my pocket. Will probably drop it within a week of owning it.

I carry mine in my pocket, no problems there either.

 

[SouthJersey]

I think it depends on what you'd use the phone for. If 95% of your usage is watching videos/surfing the net during your commute to work it's probably pretty sweet. But when you see people talking on the phone holding a mini-iPad to their face they look like a boner.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

I think it depends on what you'd use the phone for. If 95% of your usage is watching videos/surfing the net during your commute to work it's probably pretty sweet. But when you see people talking on the phone holding a mini-iPad to their face they look like a boner.

probably less than 10% of my talking time am I actually holding a phone up to my face. Regular plugin jack headphones at my desk, and bluetooth in the car.

 

[Otis]

I think it depends on what you'd use the phone for. If 95% of your usage is watching videos/surfing the net during your commute to work it's probably pretty sweet. But when you see people talking on the phone holding a mini-iPad to their face they look like a boner.

Yeah, truthfully, I don't use my phone much as an actual phone anymore. 90% of my use is e-mail and web browsing and music during my train commute both ways. When I'm in the car, it's hooked up via bluetooth. On the rare occasion outside of that, I'm a fat middle-aged dad -- I'm pretty much guaranteed to look like a boner. (Plus I have my work iphone5 with me most of the time, and can always use that).

I actually stopped into the Verizon store in town. Even though the Verizon Wireless website said I would get $350 on a trade for my iphone5 64GB, they could do at most like $260 and said I do it through the website. I checked out the Galaxy Note 3 while I was there. Screen is awesome. It didn't feel too big, though it does look gigantic compared to other phones. It will take me some time to get used to the OS and all that, I couldn't figure out a damn thing. Still, I'm very close to pulling the trigger on this, maybe later today...

 

[cstu]

I think it depends on what you'd use the phone for. If 95% of your usage is watching videos/surfing the net during your commute to work it's probably pretty sweet. But when you see people talking on the phone holding a mini-iPad to their face they look like a boner.

probably less than 10% of my talking time am I actually holding a phone up to my face. Regular plugin jack headphones at my desk, and bluetooth in the car.

It's dumb reasoning considering the Note is smaller than most cordless phones.

 

[Jim11]

That thing is way too big. Even for a dude like you who has giant hands. It's just too damn big.

Not really. I like the bigger screen.

 

[Otis]

Just pulled the trigger on this, should be here in a couple days. I'll post a review once I have some time with it.

 

[Brady Marino]

Note2 is my favorite phone of all time, and I've owned a few iPhones and Androids.

 

[John Bender]

Have it; love it. Best phone I've ever owned.

 

[belljr]

i am up in january.... I know someone with the original Note and that wasn't bad so this has to be better

 

[Meecrob]

Have the Note 3. First Samsung phone ive owned. Ive been on the Iphone train until now. Will never go back. The note 3 is amazing. Much better OS, the screen is amazing and its actually big enough that I can watch movies or tv while travelling without feeling like im watching on a phone. It also has a feature that lets you use it as a remote control for your TV and cable box, program favortie channels for one touch changing etc. Drives my wife nuts when she has the remote and I can change the channel with my phone. I told her I was using the force for 2 weeks before I told her about the phone feature.

I also got the Gear watch to go with it which is a cool add on. Never was a watch guy but gave this a try as it came in a pkg with the phone. I use it alot while driving and and i want to take a call. It also has a 'creeper' cam feature on it where you can take pic from your watch and forward them to your phone or e-mail. Can only imagine the application of this in various scenarios such as juggy co-worker, bars, etc for a whole new level of creeper mode. In hindsight ill probably be arrested/divorced soon because of this.

ETA: the first time you answer or make a call on your watch in front of a group of people they will go nuts and assume that you are some sort of secret agent, been having a blast with that the last couple of weeks.

 

[Otis]

Have the Note 3. First Samsung phone ive owned. Ive been on the Iphone train until now. Will never go back. The note 3 is amazing. Much better OS, the screen is amazing and its actually big enough that I can watch movies or tv while travelling without feeling like im watching on a phone. It also has a feature that lets you use it as a remote control for your TV and cable box, program favortie channels for one touch changing etc. Drives my wife nuts when she has the remote and I can change the channel with my phone. I told her I was using the force for 2 weeks before I told her about the phone feature.

I also got the Gear watch to go with it which is a cool add on. Never was a watch guy but gave this a try as it came in a pkg with the phone. I use it alot while driving and and i want to take a call. It also has a 'creeper' cam feature on it where you can take pic from your watch and forward them to your phone or e-mail. Can only imagine the application of this in various scenarios such as juggy co-worker, bars, etc for a whole new level of creeper mode. In hindsight ill probably be arrested/divorced soon because of this.

ETA: the first time you answer or make a call on your watch in front of a group of people they will go nuts and assume that you are some sort of secret agent, been having a blast with that the last couple of weeks.

I have the Pebble watch, but might seriously consider going for Galaxy Gear and selling off the Pebble. Seems like cool integration.

 

[Otis]

Wow, pretty glowing reviews in here.

Pretty excited to make the switch. As a lifelong iPhone guy moving to my first droid phone, what will the transition from one OS to the other be like?

 

[Meecrob]

Once you get the hang of it; its much better, I have 5S as a work phone and now that OS just feels 'Cartoony' when I have to use it.

Seriosly; get the Gear watch, you will not regret this...

 

[Otis]

Once you get the hang of it; its much better, I have 5S as a work phone and now that OS just feels 'Cartoony' when I have to use it.

Seriosly; get the Gear watch, you will not regret this...

Jesus, the watch is $300+?

 

[eaganwildcats]

Wow, pretty glowing reviews in here.

Pretty excited to make the switch. As a lifelong iPhone guy moving to my first droid phone, what will the transition from one OS to the other be like?

I had one for about two weeks. One of the few people, it appears, that thought it was just too big. Even with my relatively large jeans, it was just still too bulky in the pocket for my tastes. Also found myself messing around with the OS constantly. Decided to just simplify and go with the iPhone 5.

Fiance has the Note 2 though and loves it. Really is nice if you can just throw it in a purse.

 

[Meecrob]

Once you get the hang of it; its much better, I have 5S as a work phone and now that OS just feels 'Cartoony' when I have to use it.

Seriosly; get the Gear watch, you will not regret this...

Jesus, the watch is $300+?

I dont know... Mine was gifted and was in a set with the phone...but now that I have it id easily pay 300+

 

[Mario Kart]

I was just checking AT&T out and was looking at the Nokia 1020 during the summer. Nokia just came out with a new phone, the 1520. Might be the one I hold out for.

For my purposes:

1. iOS

2. Windows

3. Android

 

[Abraham]

If you don't want your pebble anymore let me know. Id like to have one...

 

[Otis]

If you don't want your pebble anymore let me know. Id like to have one...

Half price to you GB ... I'll probably unload it now and get the Samsung version....

 

[Abraham]

If you don't want your pebble anymore let me know. Id like to have one...

Half price to you GB ... I'll probably unload it now and get the Samsung version....

Ok, cool. Maybe give me a week to come up with the scratch? Just had to make a credit card payment so I'm a little low at the moment.Thanks.

 

[hxperson]

I am currently running with a work iPhone 5 as well and a Galaxy Note 2 as my personal phone. I think these two phones are perfect compliments for each other.

The iPhone is perfect for when I want to run light but still need to be reachable - it fits so nicely in any pocket and is great as a music player when going to the gym, etc. given how light it is. Its also a more reliable device when it comes to data and communicating than my Note and has solid battery life.

The Note on the other hand is a fantastic all-in-one entertainment device for when you are commuting or travelling. I have a work bag and headset so the size isn't usually an issue, and with the removable SD card and swappable battery you can literally watch movies non-stop anywhere in the world for days. I also run ArkMC Media Server on it so my wife can tether to my phone and watch all of the TV shows and movies I dump on my SD card on her iPhone as well.

 

[Otis]

I am currently running with a work iPhone 5 as well and a Galaxy Note 2 as my personal phone. I think these two phones are perfect compliments for each other.

The iPhone is perfect for when I want to run light but still need to be reachable - it fits so nicely in any pocket and is great as a music player when going to the gym, etc. given how light it is. Its also a more reliable device when it comes to data and communicating than my Note and has solid battery life.

The Note on the other hand is a fantastic all-in-one entertainment device for when you are commuting or travelling. I have a work bag and headset so the size isn't usually an issue, and with the removable SD card and swappable battery you can literally watch movies non-stop anywhere in the world for days. I also run ArkMC Media Server on it so my wife can tether to my phone and watch all of the TV shows and movies I dump on my SD card on her iPhone as well.

The bolded concerns me. What problems are you experiencing in terms of communication reliability?

Also, the battery life on my iPhone 5 since the upgrade has been both bad and deceptive. So many times in recent months I stare down at my phone, see 20% battery left, and 30 seconds later (literally) it shuts off. Awful. At least give me time to get to a charge somewhere...

Good point on the workout device. I currently use my personal iPhone for music and timer apps for circuit workouts -- since I'm transitioning that, I'll just have to install the same apps on my work iphone and use that one for this purpose. Not a major deal, but I hadn't thought about the problem of trying to run or workout with the bigger one. We'll see...

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

What is the point of Gear if you still need your phone with you for it to work?

 

[Otis]

What is the point of Gear if you still need your phone with you for it to work?

Phone would stay in your bag or jacket and you can still get notifications, info, control music, etc. etc. without having to take it out. It's a lazy man's gadget for sure, but I've used the Pebble for some of those tasks and it works pretty well. (Imagine how many times your phone buzzes, you rush to get it out of your coat pocket or bag (and of course it's always in the last pocket you check), and after all that effort it's a stupid text from an idiot friend, which you don't need to bother responding to -- this avoids all that ).

 

[Quez]

You are making an excellent decision going with a Samsung. I have had iphone, HTC, and am now on the Note 2 & it is a great device. Yeah, it's a little akward in your pocket sometimes, but it's not a big deal. After owning it for a few weeks it will make your iPhone feel & seem like a toy. I don't even have a need for a tablet as I can do almost everything on the Note. I even watch Sunday ticket on it with no problem.

I messed around with my buddies Note 3 and it has some new bells and whistles, but nothing that I got to have. The hard part is remembering to use all of the little gestures. The S-pen is really a great feature. It's awesome to be able to take a screen cap, highlight / circle a few things then email it.

I have had a few screen breaks. One time it shattered when it was wrapped in a towel on a table someone picked up. The other fell out of my gym shorts flat on it's face and got a few hair line cracks that I just live with. The first time it cracked with a screen protector, but now I don't even bother. I don't like the feel of them on the glass. However, my buddy had a screen cover on his Note3 that was glass. I'm not sure the name but it was just like he didn't even have a screen protector.

Another issue is the screen brightness. Even on it's lowest setting it's bright in the dark. (I'm on my phone in bed sometimes when wife is sleeping.) There is an app called "Screen Adjuster" that let's you go way darker.

 

[Quez]

I am also interested in the Galaxy Gear, but for $300 I will pass for now. That is also something where I think it may be better off waiting for a few versions to come out. I feel the same way about Google Glass. Maybe one day, but I don't want to be an early adopter.

 

[Quez]

I am currently running with a work iPhone 5 as well and a Galaxy Note 2 as my personal phone. I think these two phones are perfect compliments for each other.

The iPhone is perfect for when I want to run light but still need to be reachable - it fits so nicely in any pocket and is great as a music player when going to the gym, etc. given how light it is. Its also a more reliable device when it comes to data and communicating than my Note and has solid battery life.

The bolded concerns me. What problems are you experiencing in terms of communication reliability?

Also, the battery life on my iPhone 5 since the upgrade has been both bad and deceptive. So many times in recent months I stare down at my phone, see 20% battery left, and 30 seconds later (literally) it shuts off. Awful. At least give me time to get to a charge somewhere...

I wouldn't worry about battery life. I have no problem getting a day out of the battery as long as I am not watching Sunday ticket or a movie. Twitter, email, music won't drain it too bad. I am sure the Note 3 is even better than the Note 2 I have.

 

[Marauder]

I am currently running with a work iPhone 5 as well and a Galaxy Note 2 as my personal phone. I think these two phones are perfect compliments for each other.

The iPhone is perfect for when I want to run light but still need to be reachable - it fits so nicely in any pocket and is great as a music player when going to the gym, etc. given how light it is. Its also a more reliable device when it comes to data and communicating than my Note and has solid battery life.

The Note on the other hand is a fantastic all-in-one entertainment device for when you are commuting or travelling. I have a work bag and headset so the size isn't usually an issue, and with the removable SD card and swappable battery you can literally watch movies non-stop anywhere in the world for days. I also run ArkMC Media Server on it so my wife can tether to my phone and watch all of the TV shows and movies I dump on my SD card on her iPhone as well.

The bolded concerns me. What problems are you experiencing in terms of communication reliability?

Also, the battery life on my iPhone 5 since the upgrade has been both bad and deceptive. So many times in recent months I stare down at my phone, see 20% battery left, and 30 seconds later (literally) it shuts off. Awful. At least give me time to get to a charge somewhere...

Good point on the workout device. I currently use my personal iPhone for music and timer apps for circuit workouts -- since I'm transitioning that, I'll just have to install the same apps on my work iphone and use that one for this purpose. Not a major deal, but I hadn't thought about the problem of trying to run or workout with the bigger one. We'll see...

I made the switch from iPhone to the Note 2 about 10 months ago and I couldn't be happier. I'm interested in hearing what communication issues hxperson is experiencing because I haven't noticed any. The battery life on the Note is much better than it was on my iPhone (more than twice as long with the same usage).

The size doesn't bother me at all. It fits very comfortably in the front pocket of every pair of pants I own.

 

[Otis]

The other reason I'm psyched about this -- I recently started using the NFL Mobile app for my commutes home on the train on Thursday and Monday nights if I'm stuck late. Lord does the train ride go faster when I can watch live games, and it will be even better with this big screen. I may start intentionally making Monday and Thursday my designated late nights in the office just for this reason alone...

 

[Otis]

Re: size, my wife is like literally half my size, and so if she can use an iphone just fine, isn't it all proportional, and can't I get away using a device double the size?

 

[Quez]

The syncing with the newer smart tvs is pretty cool as well. While playing a video you captured on your phone just press a button and it plays on your tv. You can do this for youtube as well.

Have fun getting out of the Apple Eco System. That was the main reason I switched to an HTC several years back. Having all my stuff in iTunes was terrible. Apple fanboys always tout "Android fragmentation" as a negative. The reason there is fragmentation is because 3 year old hardware can't smoothly run the newer software. Apple on the other hand just jams the new software into their old phones and makes them suck. Phone is slow, battery drains faster, etc. The novice phone user ends up thinking they need a new phone, and usually stick with Apple since they have invested so much in their products & ecosystem.

 

[hxperson]

I am currently running with a work iPhone 5 as well and a Galaxy Note 2 as my personal phone. I think these two phones are perfect compliments for each other.

The iPhone is perfect for when I want to run light but still need to be reachable - it fits so nicely in any pocket and is great as a music player when going to the gym, etc. given how light it is. Its also a more reliable device when it comes to data and communicating than my Note and has solid battery life.

The Note on the other hand is a fantastic all-in-one entertainment device for when you are commuting or travelling. I have a work bag and headset so the size isn't usually an issue, and with the removable SD card and swappable battery you can literally watch movies non-stop anywhere in the world for days. I also run ArkMC Media Server on it so my wife can tether to my phone and watch all of the TV shows and movies I dump on my SD card on her iPhone as well.

The bolded concerns me. What problems are you experiencing in terms of communication reliability?

Also, the battery life on my iPhone 5 since the upgrade has been both bad and deceptive. So many times in recent months I stare down at my phone, see 20% battery left, and 30 seconds later (literally) it shuts off. Awful. At least give me time to get to a charge somewhere...

Good point on the workout device. I currently use my personal iPhone for music and timer apps for circuit workouts -- since I'm transitioning that, I'll just have to install the same apps on my work iphone and use that one for this purpose. Not a major deal, but I hadn't thought about the problem of trying to run or workout with the bigger one. We'll see...

I made the switch from iPhone to the Note 2 about 10 months ago and I couldn't be happier. I'm interested in hearing what communication issues hxperson is experiencing because I haven't noticed any. The battery life on the Note is much better than it was on my iPhone (more than twice as long with the same usage).

The size doesn't bother me at all. It fits very comfortably in the front pocket of every pair of pants I own.

I probably should have specified that I run a custom rom (Beanstalk) on my Note 2. Its great and much smoother than Touchwiz, but prone to the occaisional hang up or stutter that you don't get with stock TW or the Iphone 5 (although the Iphone has more stutters now with iOS7 than before). With Beanstalk - I sometimes have issues where the screen is unresponsive or my data is unresponsive and I have to restart the phone, although those times are rare.

I agree with you and Quez that the battery life on the Notes are beastly and much better than iPhone.

 

[Otis]

The syncing with the newer smart tvs is pretty cool as well. While playing a video you captured on your phone just press a button and it plays on your tv. You can do this for youtube as well.

Have fun getting out of the Apple Eco System. That was the main reason I switched to an HTC several years back. Having all my stuff in iTunes was terrible. Apple fanboys always tout "Android fragmentation" as a negative. The reason there is fragmentation is because 3 year old hardware can't smoothly run the newer software. Apple on the other hand just jams the new software into their old phones and makes them suck. Phone is slow, battery drains faster, etc. The novice phone user ends up thinking they need a new phone, and usually stick with Apple since they have invested so much in their products & ecosystem.

I've already primed myself to get out of the Apple ecosystem. I switched to Spotify for music a long while ago -- I got so tired of having to port TBs of songs from hard drive to hard drive to computer to computer over the years. Spotify is SO much better. Google Docs is also a better alternative to storing other miscellaneous crap locally; Gmail and Google Calendar are all great. Now when I get a new device I just hook up to Google and Spotify and I don't have to worry about porting or copying over anything. So, so much easier.

 

[Otis]

I guess the one problem will be all my pictures in iPhoto -- I'll have to make sure I sync my iPhone before I return it to Verizon, and then figure out how to get all those photos from iPhoto to some safe place.

 

[bshell27]

I switched from apple to the Note 3. Fantastic phone. Being an attorney it works better with your calendar and is easier to access documents. Only knock is the size, but I think that it is a positive. Since you have big mitts, you won't regret it. There is a learning curve, but not bad.

 

[Quez]

I guess the one problem will be all my pictures in iPhoto -- I'll have to make sure I sync my iPhone before I return it to Verizon, and then figure out how to get all those photos from iPhoto to some safe place.

I just started using Google for all of this. I am not quite sure where they are all going, but I know they are associated with my google account somewhere. Before it was Picassa, then when Google+ came Google Photos, and I think it may be backed up in Docs? It's kind of confusing... I still backup on an external, and just use the Google Photos to automatically upload when on wifi. I wouldn't want to risk losing some priceless pics if something happens to my phone.

 

[arrow1]

I think it depends on what you'd use the phone for. If 95% of your usage is watching videos/surfing the net during your commute to work it's probably pretty sweet. But when you see people talking on the phone holding a mini-iPad to their face they look like a boner.