Database Users

My X10 review after 2 months of usage

This is a reposting of my full review (with images) @ my blog. There are photos there if you want to see.
Introduction and History
Eighteen months ago, I began my transition from feature phone (Sony Ericsson W910i) to Smartphone Sony Xperia X1i. As a shameless fan of Sony Ericsson, I opted for the Xperia X1i based on wanting to better understand the Windows Mobile ecosystem and because the promised feature set was supposed to be game changing.
It wasn’t.
To be fair, it wasn’t as bad as you may think and my first Smartphone experience was mostly positive. As an active Microsoft Outlook user with my own hosted Exchange account, the Windows Mobile platform was actually a really great fit for keeping my email, calendar, and tasks synchronized. In fact, the Xperia X1 was an essential gadget for the planning and follow-through of my wedding and honeymoon.
So, what was missing?
As I started to use more features of the phone there were some glaring issues that became apparent to me.
First of all, the inability to take advantage of the 3G speed of the phone eventually became a handicap. Initially, it wasn’t an issue since T-Mobile had no 3G in my area. However, as T-Mobile USA’s AWS 3G network was built out, I was forced to live with EDGE speeds.
Secondly, the one thing that bothered me was that despite all the abilities of the phone, I always felt it was a step behind me. One way I would describe it is that it simply felt “slow” and despite being able to multitask, I found myself waiting for the phone to get things done.
Thirdly, the platform was not very exciting. One of the benefits of the Windows Mobile platform, a diversity of hardware selection and legacy support, is also its Achilles heel. Because there are so many variations of operating system, hardware form factors, and screen resolutions, there are less compelling applications available.
Lastly, the Xperia X1 had capable hardware and some unique features but Sony really did their customers a disservice by never helping the device fully reach its potential. The early firmware was buggy and seemingly half-baked; the device only really became very useful after using custom ROMs available from XDA Developers (which became a practice I did frequently).
With this in mind, I started looking late last year for a replacement. Coincidentally, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 was announced in November and it seemingly met my needs…on paper. The announcement created a lot of buzz in the blogosphere and it piqued my interest since it was the most powerful Android device announced at the time.
The only problem was it took them more than 5 months to actually ship the product and a crop of device launched with competitive features in addition to newer version of the Android OS. Even with this knowledge, I decided to give Sony Ericsson a chance and give in to the siren call of the Xperia X10. Would I be burned as an early adopter again? After two months of real world usage, it’s time to share my story but first, let’s see what attracted me to the phone in the first place.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mobile Phone
Marketed as Sony Ericsson’s flagship Android device, Sony Ericsson describes the product as the following:
· Sony Ericsson XPERIA™ X10 introduces an open and integrated world of social media, communication and entertainment.
· XPERIA™ X10 is the flagship phone in a family of phones coming to market during the first half of 2010. The XPERIA™ X10 will be available in Q1 2010.
· New UX (user experience) platform lets consumers organise everything and discover more with the most open, human and intuitive user experience yet.
Source
Those are pretty bold statements. To backup these expectations, Sony Ericsson has equipped the Xperia X10 with some pretty powerful hardware.
Specifications
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1GHz CPU
- 384MB of System RAM
- 1GB NAND Flash
- 8GB (or 16GB) Class 2 microSD included. The device supports up to 32GB.
- Android OS 1.6 “Donut” with custom UX (User Experience)
- 4” 854x480 pixel (FWVGA) TFT Touchscreen capable of 24-bit (16 million) color
- 1500 mAh Lithium Polymer Battery (BST-41)
- 8.1 MP camera with auto focus, face recognition, geo-tagging, image and video stabilization, smile detection and touch focus
- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE - 850/900/1800/1900Mhz
- Tri-Band UMTS HSPA 900/1700/2100Mhz (international model) or UMTS HSPA 800/850/1900/2100Mhz (Americas/Australia model)
- Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, 802.11b/g wireless internet, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack, microUSB port
- Dimensions: 119 x 63 x 13mm @ 135g (4.8 oz)
The hardware alone is not differentiating feature of the Xperia X10. Instead, Sony Ericsson has introduced a new UX (User Experience) platform to run on top of the standard Android interface. This initial version of the platform focuses on multimedia and social integration with new features and capabilities being added over time. Now, let’s look at the actual device.
First Impressions
I’ve always felt that higher-end Sony Ericsson devices to be of high quality. There’s almost always a certain level of fit and finish and the Xperia X10 is no exception. The body, a combination of plastic, glass and metal, is beautiful to behold and carries an air of stylish elegance. While some people may automatically equate the use of plastic with cheapness, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised with how the device feels in hand especially with its curved back. Weighing in at 135g (4.8 oz), the device feels solid when held with the right amount of heft for the size.
This combination of the materials doesn’t seem to affect the strength of the chassis and the Xperia X10 easily stands up to my pressure test. I applied a decent amount of force (squeezing the device hard) all over the device and listen for a “creaking” noise and to my delight there was none.
I also appreciate the lanyard loop hole. A lot of phones don’t have these anymore and I think they’re more important now than ever since these devices get used all the time and the cost of replacement is not cheap.
Screen
The Xperia X10 has a scratch resistant mineral glass screen. To my surprise, my unit also came with a screen protector pre-applied. I don’t know if this is standard across all regions or markets but I found this to be a nice touch.
Speaking of the TFT screen, it’s absolutely gorgeous and crazy bright. At 4 inches in size, it’s very comfortable to read and it’s really the first size where I feel comfortable watching visual media on it. Despite the current 16-bit color (65,536 colors) limitation due to Android 1.6, the colors are surprisingly vibrant. The screen can produce 24-bit color (16 million colors) and will do so when the phone is upgraded to Android 2.x. I typically leave the device on automatic brightness settings since it does a good job of setting the appropriate brightness even when I’m outside.
There’s no AMOLED here and for now, I think it’s a great decision. While I’m a huge fan of OLED technology, the technology doesn’t work that well outside in bright daylight or overcast conditions. I find the Xperia X10 to be very readable compared to other touchscreen devices I have like my ZuneHD.
The capacitive touchscreen itself is pretty responsive and behaves as you would expect. I consider the iPhone’s touchscreen to be the best-in-class and in comparison, I’d say the Xperia X10 holds it’s own but it’s definitely not better. In fact, it’s pretty good considering the screen is not multi-touch capable.
Onscreen Keyboard
The Sony Ericsson supplied soft-keyboard is HORRIBLE. It really is. On the plus side, the layout and the convenient arrow buttons are nice; however, the responsiveness is very poor and some keys (on the outer edges) don’t register with any consistency. I don’t know how this slipped past the usability or quality assurance groups at Sony Ericsson. At first I thought it might be the touchscreen but it’s not. It’s the software. I have installed other 3rd party keyboards and they all work very well. My current favorites are SWYPE and the HTC keyboards.
Ports
There’s not too much to discuss since the device doesn’t have many. The 3.5” audio jack is standard and accepts regular stereo headphones as well as microphone-enabled headphones. I like how the micro USB connector is covered in terms of the aesthetics but I’m concerned about the long-term durability since I’m charging the device at least once per day.
Battery
One really interesting thing about the 1500 mAh battery is that it’s exactly the same model (BST-41) used in the Xperia X1 and Xperia X2. There are a couple of benefits here. First of all, it’s readily available and there are lots of accessories/replacements available. Secondly, it’s a good capacity battery and one of the better capacities on the market.
In terms of actual usage, I’ve found the battery essentially lasts one full day with my typical usage. This is acceptable. I’m always surprised by people who complain about this. It’s my opinion that anyone using a Smartphone nowadays should be used to charging their phone constantly. The more features your phone has, the more often you’re going to use it and battery life is going to suffer. If you really need to conserve battery then switching to the 2D EDGE connection can give you a better battery life. Wi-Fi and GPS usage can also drastically affect battery life so your mileage may differ.
User Experience
Sony, and Sony Ericsson by association, is never content with offering a plain, vanilla experience and is always looking to create its own interfaces. Like the Xperia X1’s Panel Interface, Sony has created some value- add software as a means of product differentiation. The centerpiece of the experience revolves around their Timescape and Mediascape applications.
Timescape is a communications aggregation tool which offers the user a means of quickly viewing feeds of their email, text messages, Twitter, Facebook, voice calls, and photos. The essence of Timescape is the concept of the spline. All forms of information are available on the spline and splines can be viewed per information type. It’s a fun way to visualize your communications; however, sometimes it’s not very useful since you can be easily inundated by the amount of information and each item on the spline only displays a little information. So, it’s great for a quick glance but you’ll end up having to open up the corresponding application if you want the full message.
Mediascape works similarly to Timescape by bringing photos, videos and music files together into a single interface. When you first launch it, you’re presented with a thumbnail view of recently used and recently added along with other lists. I found the interface to be usable but I feel like some interface elements are too small and could use larger tap targets. The playback of media is pretty flawless so my complaints are minor.
Other Software
I mentioned earlier that I’m an Exchange/Outlook user and while Android 1.6 doesn’t natively support Exchange, Sony Ericsson has kindly included a full copy Moxier Mail (regularly $24.99 USD) for full Exchange ActiveSync abilities. It syncs mail, contacts, calendar and tasks all over the air so that I’m always in sync with my laptop and desktop. Minimal fuss and I like it.
Camera
In my experience, the Xperia X10 has the best camera I’ve ever used on a mobile phone so far. It’s the first one that actually feels like a regular, if basic digital camera. Will it replace a dedicated digital camera? Not likely.
One thing you should know is that the Xperia X10 doesn’t have flash. Rather, it has a photo light. The difference is that you have to manually turn on the light via the advanced menu. This means you can use the light while framing your subject and while filming video. The only problem is that the light is somewhat anemic so you’re subject will have to be fairly close for it to be effective.
As with most phone cameras, you get the best results during the daytime. My only complaint is that the startup time is a little slow and there is a slight lag when you switch from portrait to landscape shooting since the interface re-adjusts to the orientation.
The video camera feature allows you to capture WVGA (840x480), VGA (640x480), QVGA (320x240), MMS (160x120) and Youtube. Unlike my Xperia X1, I found that the device was able to record and playback any of the allowed resolutions flawlessly. The audio portion is recorded mono. The day after I received the Xperia X10, I was able to test the device at an MC Hammer (Yes, THAT MC HAMMER) concert.
Multimedia
Multimedia duties are handled by Sony Ericsson’s custom Mediascape application which handles videos, photos, and music. My only gripe with the software is that the main interface only works in portrait mode except when you’re playing media (except for audio files). Other than that, Mediascape offers a pretty friendly experience and the standard codec support is decent.
Video playback performance is phenomenal. Codec support is limited to MPEG4, H.263, H.264, and WMV standards. If a lot of your content happens to be in H.264 or WMV format and then Xperia X10 does not disappoint. Not only can it playback DVD-quality (480p) content but also 720p HD content as well! I converted an AVCHD clip from my digital camera and got the resulting H.264 MP4 (1280x720 @ 30 fps ~ 3Mbps) file to play smoothly. Impressive!
I tested audio with two sets of headphones: the included headphones and my reference headphones (Etymotic ER6i noise isolating headphones). The Etymotic ER6i’s provide a flat response and provide a clear, less “biased” sound of the actual device. In general, audio playback is very good and clean. Bass can be a bit punchy at times but the treble is always clear and bright. The included headphone set is actually surprisingly good and they emphasize the bass a little bit more. They’re not the most comfortable headphones, but they don’t sound cheap either.
The audio player portion of Mediascape looks pretty nice and only plays in portrait mode. The homescreen shows you various different quick lists of your music and you can drilldown further to sort through your music. On the player screen itself, in addition to your standard playback buttons, you can do all the usual things like repeat, shuffle, favorite, send, and find other related songs from the interface. Calling up the contextual menu allows you to delete, set as ringtone, get more information, or download album art.
The photo player is also straightforward. You can view photos you’ve taken as well as integrate with Picasa Web Albums and Facebook Albums. This section works in either orientation so you can view images comfortably.
Sony Ericsson provides MediaGo software for free which provides media synchronization. It’s better than their previous software and it works. You can also use DoubleTwist for synchronization.
Connectivity
Xperia X10 offers Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, and 2G/3G cellular connections.
The Bluetooth simply works. I’ve been able to pair the phone to three computers, two phones, various Bluetooth headsets, and hands-free car kits. I like the fact that when I send files to and from my laptop, the files are placed in the appropriate folders (e.g. videos, photos, music) without my intervention. Love it.
Wi-Fi also just works and I’ve had no trouble to connecting to open and secure networks.
Luckily for me, the international Xperia X10i model supports T-Mobile’s AWS 3G network in the United States and allows me to take advantage of the 3G speeds. On average, my ping times are 100ms and I get around 3.35Mbps down and 1.3Mbps up. In some areas, I’ve seen the download peak at 4.46Mbps which is not too shabby! I can finally watch Youtube videos in high quality.
Things I Would Change
Camera: I’d like to see Sony Ericsson take the lead and start implementing a wider angle lens on the camera. A lot of use cases involve close quarter shooting (e.g. taking self-shots of shots of friends, etc) and a wider angle would help take more dynamic shots. A forward facing camera would be nice too. My last three Sony Ericsson phone had this so it’s weird to not have it.
Flash: The flash needs to be addressed in future products. There should be the ability to act like a regular flash and also just be a video light but I know this is OS related. I wouldn’t mind an upgrade to Xenon LED or dual LED setup.
OS: I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Sony Ericsson needs to keep up with the OS updates a lot faster. I understand the value proposition of creating a unique experience, but Sony Ericsson’s flagship device should have the latest and greatest. Sony Ericsson’s insistence on creating their own value-added features and interfaces, while noble, always gets them in trouble since they have an awful track record (i.e. Panels on the Xperia X1) in the execution and timely release of their products. Their value-add software has NO value if a new OS update comes out with a equivalent feature in addition to better performance and even more features.
Multi-touch: I only mention this because I found it odd that Sony Ericsson would ship a device without it since most devices in this class have it on their feature checklist.
microUSB: I love the standardization of the port; however, it would be nice if it was located on the bottom or side so there could be a charging stand for the device.
Who This Product Is For
I won’t lie. The Xperia X10 is NOT for everyone. Technology savvy or cutting edge enthusiasts will likely want to stay away since this product is not currently running the latest Android OS (currently 2.2) and there are a lot of alternatives available if you need to be on the bleeding edge. Also, other than the camera and the design (maybe), the Xperia X10 doesn’t offer anything the competition doesn’t already have. While the Xperia X10 will eventually be upgraded later in September, chances are that it will always be a step behind the latest release due to its custom user experience layer.
Does that mean it’s not worth getting? Absolutely not.
If you ignore the operating system aspect then the Xperia X10 stands out as well designed product that offers a different Android experience that centers around social integration and providing a “better” Android multimedia experience with a big bright screen. If those things interest you then you might like this phone. The upside is that it can only get better once they release the next major update.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the Xperia X10 especially when you consider where I was coming from before. Out of the box, the phone has some shortcomings but luckily, nearly all of them can be addressed using third party software available on the Android Marketplace or from Sony Ericsson.
My last two months using it has been great. It does what I need and I never have to “think” about it. It does what I want and it “just works”. Of course, I don’t live in a bubble and I know Android 2.2 exists and what it offers but I have yet to feel like I’m missing out or I’m unable to use my phone. I think that’s a great sign this is a good product fit for me.
The lack of multi-touch may be an issue for some people but I don’t mind it at all. I didn’t have it before on my old phone so it’s not like I’m really missing out on any thing. Most of the applications I use don’t require it or have other workarounds that are equally effective. Will this change in the future? Maybe, but for what I need to do now, it’s a non-issue. Also, since the phone is unlocked and my plan is month-to-month, I have the freedom to move onto something else whenever I want.
I will be updating the review once future updates come out and will note what has changed. Until then feel free to comment or email me if you have future questions.

Great review Thanks for sharing with us

Thanks very much for the very informative review. Getting my new X10 tomorrow & can't wait to play.........

thank you so much for the great review, ok i have HTC Hero and i wanna change it now
would you recommend the Nexux one or the X10
desire and legend are out of the pic, my friends already bought them ^^
so i want something different.
thanx

Actually what SE giving us via X10 is kinda like
"This is what I've got, I know I am outdated I know I am lack of support, take it or leave it"
to me

oaz63 said:
thank you so much for the great review, ok i have HTC Hero and i wanna change it now
would you recommend the Nexux one or the X10
desire and legend are out of the pic, my friends already bought them ^^
so i want something different.
thanx
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That's a tough call. It really depends on what you want and where your priorities lie. My coworker just got a Nexus One and it's a wonderful device with a beautiful deep contrast screen. She wanted to always have the most latest OS first and foremost and didn't want too large of a device (although the Evo 4G tempted her). She wasn't as concerned about the camera or video capabilities so it was the best fit for her.
I prefer the camera quality on my phone to the Nexus One and that was an important point for me since I'm often trying to bring less devices with me when I'm out and about. The Xperia X10 fulfills that need for me. Also, the multimedia capabilities are important to me and the X10 works really well. In fact, it plays video files that my friends EVO 4Gs can't play (we're still trying to figure out why). I ripped my Avatar DVD and converted it to H.264 MP4. Looks awesome on my device and this is with the Android 1.6 limitation!
So, I'd make a list of stuff you actually want to (and will) do with the phone and match that up with the device. If it's the same as your friend then so be it. You can always dress it up with a custom case and OS tweaks.

The screen is not very scratch resistant.
I removed the pre applied protector an have now got 2 scratches.
I have now installed a protector again.

Thanks for the review! You seem to have pretty much the same experience & impressions as me, and I'm sure there are plenty of others who feel the same. I'm not 100% happy with the lack of updates (and not having root), but at the same time I can't really complain about it either.
At the end of the day, if you want polish and a seamless user experience then you have to go for a heavily-controlled and censored platform (ie: iPhone), whereas the Android ecosystem does things differently (and thank whoever for that).

brodos123 said:
The screen is not very scratch resistant.
I removed the pre applied protector an have now got 2 scratches.
I have now installed a protector again.
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That's why it comes with a pre-applied protector, it should not be removed

AMAZING review. Really top notch.

You forgot to mention the
-POOR IN-EAR SPEAKER quality
-POOR IN-EAR SPEAKER VOLUME
My X1 is made of steel so it has min. scratches after 2 year hard using and a few "falling downs" to floors. My X10 felt only 1 time down to the floor and the plastic is broken Why they changed back to plastic???? Also my old SE phones was made from magnesium (GH337/868...)
-I miss a DPAD or something similar. To navigate is horrible, as the SE KB is useless (the Android KB even more) I use the HTC from Jonas. Without this the X10 is even more poor as it is at least because there is
-NO SMART DIALING. Because of that i dont use my X10 anymore ( need my phone for CALLING!) I bought a HTC instead. The smart Dialing is not good as it was on X1 but i can hardly live with that.
-TS and MS are actually useless. To complicated for fast use and TO SLOW! ( Why i can not set a standard view in TS? Why i cant set a default directory in MS for Photos, Videos and Music and browse within them? )
-X10 is even to slow at all. F.e to open a contact from the phonebook needs at least 1-2 sec.
In fact the only thing i love on X10 is the Hardware and software design. This is the only phone in the last 15 years (all from SE!!) that is disapointing me. I start to hate this phone, because it sucks me! Especially because to make it perfect would not be a problem if the SE engineers would count on 2 and start thinking about of USING a phone, not looking on it while it lays on the table. If they would do a NEW X1 everything would be perfect. I mean take all the things that X1 can do and make this better and add features, not delete them! Of course erverything could be fixed (instead of the steel body and DPAD) with an update but i think SE is to blind (and stupid) actually. Forget TS and MS, update the X10 to 2.2, add Smart Dialing WITH ARROW KEYS, an UI that is useable from the screen (like iphone), not with the hardware buttons (why a back button? Add a "cancel" tab EVERYWHERE would help a lot! At least in the contextmenues!) a KB like HTC WITH ARROW KEYS, a screen lock like S2U2, an easy and fast zooming, a perfect email client with a central email inbox, a perfect SMS client, make the phone fast, delete all the bugs AND THEN its MAYBE ready for dayly using.

oaz63 said:
would you recommend the Nexux one or the X10
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THE NEXUS ONE!!! Because there is a trackball and NO PUSHABLE KEYS! Google made a good job with the soft keys! EVERY Android phone should have them! because this makes the phone 100% easier to use. I am really thinking to switch from Legend to Wildfire because of that
AND what is also important: the Trackball/mouse is UNDER the 4 keys! this makes the phone handy. Take a N1 and a Desire in your hand and try to use the Trackball/mouse and the keys! You´ll know then what i mean....

Great review.I just got my x10 2 days back and I am really happy with it.I see a lot of people have complaints with it,but knew as much as I did some reading of this forum and the like.I am upgrading from my once beloved htc hero, a good phone with a good set of specs at the time.I spent sooooo long hearing about a 2.1 update on that phone that never arrived.So the talk of a q4 update in 2010 for my new x10 is not too big of a stretch.
Sorry bout the rambling

StripLV said:
(why a back button? Add a "cancel" tab EVERYWHERE would help a lot! At least in the contextmenues!)
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You apparently have never heard of the mobile phone operating system called "Android" made by the Google Corporation.

The Perfect Phone

Lets start a list of all the things we want to change on the DHD then we will mail it to HTC and they will change it. Right?
Here's what I want to change
1. I want the 12mp Camera with xenon flash and Carl Z. lens from the Nokia N8
2. HDMI port

Why would you want > MP?
This is a phone, not a camera. NOT the other way around.
You might eventually want > optical zoom.
Why would you want HDMI when you have DLNA?

As begin, I thought Desire is an Awesome Phone. but still got some concern.
1. I would reckon a dedicated button, for camera or another specific apps.
2. No face detection on the camera apps. even Galaxy S does.
3. havent seen the voice command feature on the specification.
4. no front cam and cannot make video call. It's really SAD for a high end mobile phone.

adwinp said:
Why would you want HDMI when you have DLNA?
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Maybe his TV doesn't support DLNA?
I think streaming with DLNA is much more comfortable, because there is no cable between tv and smartphone. Think about a 1m HDMI calbe to your 52" tv...

arpaul said:
As begin, I thought Desire is an Awesome Phone. but still got some concern.
4. no front cam and cannot make video call. It's really SAD for a high end mobile phone.
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Didnt realize people actually used that... Had it on my four previous phones and never used it once...
But something i would like if i had to change something would have to be a bigger battery and a mini USB instead of a micro USB... But thats about it!

Relistic and changes optical ball better camera

You don't want more MP you want a bigger sensor. This is all the fault of the big camera makers touting MP as the be all and end all to sell cameras.
My SLR is only 10MP and takes phenomenal images because the sensor is much much bigger than any phone on the market.

DarrenT said:
You don't want more MP you want a bigger sensor. This is all the fault of the big camera makers touting MP as the be all and end all to sell cameras.
My SLR is only 10MP and takes phenomenal images because the sensor is much much bigger than any phone on the market.
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+1...even 5MPx is enought but with bigger sensor and faster chip...

Id have the audio jack at the top rather than the bottom. Thats about it.
I would say HDMI but the amout of times id acctualy use it is slim to non lol
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

To add to the camera improvements the camera is all about its ability to gather light so id want :-
--Larger scensor sizw
--Better optics (a camera is only as good as its optics
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Only one..
The phone to be in flippin hand!!

Have dual core processor, maybe a tegra 2 or 3...
Have USB 3.0
Have HDMI, yes HDMI!!!, my tv and receiver have loads of them, and it's better to send things over HDMI than over DNLA... consume less battery, it's much faster, doesn't lag (only if your phone lags itself)
Better optics (don't need more Mpx, 5 or 6mpx is enough!!) and maybe optical zoom (digital zoom sucks!!!)
More internal storage (32GB at least!!!)
Maybe support for SDXC
Front Camera, yes we need 3G video calls (not that crap from Apple or ip video calls!!). I don't use it, but we never know when we may need it, in some case of emergency like a theft, kidnapping, natural disaster, etc... it can be very useful in those cases, you never know...

Im not really worried about camera quality... so for me:
- HDMI port (saves money, wouldnt have to buy DLNA adapter for telly)
- AMOLED screen (I no its 'over saturated' but it still looks good )
- To get an official gingerbread update (but then again, the devs here on xda will sort out a ROM for it anyway )

The smartphone makers will never release a phone that has verything, they wouldn`t have anything to release after a few months
For me, i would be happy with a phone that has:
- Se X10i battery (Li-Po, lasts even 4 days with moderate usage)
- SGS Screen (ya! SAMOLED with Gorilla Glass=nice! )
- DHD body (looks nice, no glossy plastic that atracts finger prints like magnet, as my SGS does)
- N8 camera (not because of MPs, but for the large sensor and for the audio quality of videos, i know, the sound is not from the camera )
- iphone 4 audio performance (i don`t believe i said iphone but i got to say it, it has a great sound quality)
That`s about it from what I can think of now.

willk22 said:
- To get an official gingerbread update (but then again, the devs here on xda will sort out a ROM for it anyway )
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who said it wont get 3.0 (gingerbread) ?
Im almost 100% shure HTC will give this device that update :-D

Personally, I'd want:
- A battery that lasts at least 2 days without charge
- Gorilla Glass!
- HDMI
adwinp said:
Why would you want > MP?
This is a phone, not a camera. NOT the other way around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people want the best of both worlds (even though personally I think 8MP is perfectly adequate) !
adwinp said:
Why would you want HDMI when you have DLNA?
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Click to collapse
How many TVs actually use DLNA? I'd never heard of it until the Desire HD was released. I can't recall seeing any TV with DLNA, only HDMI.

Apache14 said:
who said it wont get 3.0 (gingerbread) ?
Im almost 100% shure HTC will give this device that update :-D
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Well yer your write it never was said that it wouldn't get gingerbread (which might not be 3.0...)
But then again, HTC haven't always been consistent with updates (*cough* HD2 *cough)

I prefer Android OS than Apple IOS, but HTC also prefer sells another Android phone than offering OS upgrade to the sold device. HTC like any company will not pay too much effort to upgrade Android OS to existing sold phone unless Google directly pull out any Android upgrade throughout the air and user has to leave any "SENSE addin" by rooting the HTC phone.

azreil24 said:
- DHD body (looks nice, no glossy plastic that atracts finger prints like magnet, as my SGS does)
- iphone 4 audio performance (i don`t believe i said iphone but i got to say it, it has a great sound quality)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The body looks decent, but I wonder why the camera protrudes so much. It will look like a mini-condom if I end up putting it in my back pocket. That's not good for my ego.
The iPhone audio performance part of your list may be addressed in the DHD. I tried using some of the new audio settings in the new sense on my Desire, but none of them changed anything. I tested this using both UE SuperFi 5vi and Bose Bose in-ear headsets. No change at all so it may be something that's tied to the hardware.
So here's what I would add (btw I agree with most of what other posters have already listed):
Internal *fast* storage. This phone does record and play HD content after all. Having 32G fast internal storage *could* help to reduce a lot of the lag I experience when I start the Music app (as an example) and would help reduce the need to go out and purchase class 6 or better sd cards.
Stock software improvements which reliably use volume + and - as well as ff and rw in the wired headsets.

angler said:
I prefer Android OS than Apple IOS, but HTC also prefer sells another Android phone than offering OS upgrade to the sold device. HTC like any company will not pay too much effort to upgrade Android OS to existing sold phone unless Google directly pull out any Android upgrade throughout the air and user has to leave any "SENSE addin" by rooting the HTC phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure I follow. Do you mean that HTC doesn't provide updates to their phones or something else? I have a mix-bag experience with HTC on this. My Desire has been updated to 2.2, yet my Wildfire is still 2.1 (it's possible I missed an update, I only use that phone when I go out drinking because I won't care nearly as much about losing it).
I can't tell if you'e complaining about lack of updates in general or if it's the lag in your specific area or with your carrier.

Feedback on Samsung BADA OS and Wave Mobiles

Hi Am looking for Samsung BADA OS and wave series mobile feedback..
Thanks,
Vijay

I have a Wave since few monthes now and I'm quite happy with it.
The screen is just the best phone screen I ever had and even my Iphone user friends likes my Wave.
I'm not a hardcore user but I can do what I have to do with a smartphone:
Pros:
Good internet browser (I, personaly, like Dolphin very much).
I can check my emails quickly
The camera is really good for a phone
There are many free apps, I mean enough for me (some fun ones, some good 3d games)
And the phone has a clear sound and the interface is convenient.
The use of social networks is also nice.
The sound is also superb (I listen to some .wav files with a good Sennheiser HD25 headphone and it's really clear, without background electric or electronical noises)
Cons:
I'd like to have the firmware somewhat hacked to install some emulators on it
Fast typing fast is difficult when the phone is vertical (not bad but not perfect), once you flip the phone horizontally it's really OK.
Sometimes the interface is a bit laggy, but all the phones I had before were really worst than my Wave.
Cheers

It's easy, pleasant and fast to use.
Samsung Apps lacks a lot of apps were iOS and Android are much better.
The audio call volume and quality is good enough, but not at the level of a Nokia N82 for example. The reception is better than N82. (N82 was my previous phone)
The photo aren't so good: it's easy to get a blurred photo if the light isn't perfect.
The web browser is UNUSABLE: it's good but the Wave has a big problems that remember my old HTC Diamond: it get always out of memory!!!
If you are on xda I think you need something you can "play with" so if it'so the Wave isn't a good device now. Maybe in the next future. (I'm waiting since june 2010 for this )
IMHO it's a sour device. I regret my old Nokia N82.

Pros:
- great display (SAmoled)
- good cam (use it for HD-video recording), pictures are acceptable but not perfect
- good speaker
- bada is easy to use and quite good for such a "young" OS
Cons:
- Samsung Apps is not very fast to use
- Internet browser Dolphin 2.2 -> adress bar apears when you touch the screen or when you scroll
- few apps
- some errors: not "enough memory available" or "page is too big" -> that sucks
All in all I'm happy with my first Samsung smartphone and I would buy it again.

i have samsung wave 8500 and i like bada firmware, easy and fast with few bugs...
porting android?? for what??? bugs??? bahhhhhh
start hacking samsung apps that are paid like apptracker for iphone
that will be great

any user experience on Wave 525 ? coz I'm gonna buy one in near future

diovan said:
any user experience on Wave 525 ? coz I'm gonna buy one in near future
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a honds-on review of the Wave 525...
Pros-
Sleek And Slim
Pocket-fit Style
Bada 1.2 (Upgradable to 2.0)
Pretty Fast bluetooth 3.0
Dolphin Browser 2.0 rocks the internet!
The music player is superb with SRS sound and a 5.1 surround sound suppourt
Good talktime with the 1200 mAh battery
Image Editing Capabilities! I <3 it!
Cons-
A 3.0 MP camera did not satisfy me.
The video playback in not upto the mark
The Plasctic body is a finger-print attractor
Lacks DiVX support
No app for gallery as such
Low screen resolution
No AMOLED screen

Both fantastic and Fun-tastic
I got this wave 8500 secondhand becaue si dont believe in paying laptop prices for smartphones.
What I liked:
1) Great AMOLED Screen
Colors are crisp, Blacks are blacks, Videos Look great
Even Iphone 4 users take a second look at the screen
because the colors just jump out and the viewing angles
are so good. Just wish it was 3.5 not 3.3 inches
2) Great Camera Better as a VidCam
The still camera is good but the 720P Video Cam function
is outstanding. Ive already abandoned my digicam
coz of this, since the wave 8500 is easier to pocket.
3) Aluminum Body
4) Really Loud especially when i tweaked the hidden audio settings.
5) Excellent Audio Quality
6) 720P MKV playback without need for third party apps.
When I played Glee episodes on it People at this party were
really distracted by the smooth and vividly colorful playback.
7) Almost Forgot the LED Flash doubles as a torch
(needed a free 3rd party app)
Dislikes:
1) As a phone im wondering why it has 550mb dedicated for
message storage yet it only allows 1300 text messages maximum.
In the tech support world i get thousands of texts in a month
so 1300 text message limit is also very limiting on what i can
do on the phone and for my purposes.
2) As a smartphone im wondering why it limits itself to only
10 pages of apps maximum. Why?
Even if i wanted to buy more apps the phone runs out of menus
to display them which is a problem of the OS and not my 32gb
memory card or the hardware.
3) Only 2000 contacts max.
4) Even the old Windows Mobile 5 and 6 and windows Smartphone
OS (not wp7) ancient by todays standards allowed unlimited
contacts, and text message storage. Why couldnt BADA
have this from the start?
5) Browser refuses to download file formats it doesn't know.
6) Browser has limited flash support
Even Bada 2 only has Flash lite 4.
7) Wish samsung gave the wave a 3.5 inch screen and not the 3.3
There is ample space on the body for a 3.5 inch screen
(bezel near the center button and pushing the samsung logo
and front camera upwards couldve fitted a longer screen)

1) As a phone im wondering why it has 550mb dedicated for
message storage yet it only allows 1300 text messages maximum.
In the tech support world i get thousands of texts in a month
so 1300 text message limit is also very limiting on what i can
do on the phone and for my ....
The limit is going to be removed I. The official bad 2.0 fw

10 pages of apps maximum. Why?
Even if i wanted to buy more apps the phone runs out of menus
to display them which is a problem of the OS and not my 32gb
memory card or the hardware.
A- Bada 2.0 has TWlauncher 4.0 which gives you unlimited pages for apps...unless you store them on teh External_SD Card...

My wife and I we have wave 2.....
There is nothnig to complain about the phone...
We are waiting for the BADA 2 update...
Wave 3 specs are very good and I think sammy wants to keep the price competitive against others and try to spread BADA as much as possible..
When they see a great potential of BADA they will release dual cores immediately..But the apps store..??????????????????...
But, anyway, I will buy the wave 3 when the crazy prices goes down a bit...
For bada 2
I would like to have SEGA and NINTENDO emulator to be able to play the games I miss...Everyone has a child inside you know... may be the ability to connect a game pad will be nice...It will sell a lot..

I can only speak about my wave model, the S8500.
For me, the biggest pros are:
- great display: superamoled... cant get any better than this (great black level/brightness/colors) and the touch is very responsive (feels smooth, no lag)
- great sound quality (couple this with the ability to play flac files and use big capacity SD cards, and you get an almost unrivaled music player)
trust me on this, with a good pair of earphones, it sounds VERY good
- great battery efficience: with moderate use i can easily get it to last 4 days until i have to recharge
- good body quality: all metal and glass, looks and feels very sturdy, altough being liteweight
- the T9 trace keyboard is just awesome: i've never typed so fast in my life
now im used to it, typing in oldschool keyboards feels like returning to the stone age for me
- the user interface in bada is very intuitive and well organized/laid out, especially in the phone/contacts functions
- the camera flash is VERY powerful (i use it as lantern sometimes)
- the phone/screen size is just perfect for me: not too small and not too big; fits comfortably in any pocket (for me the iphone 4 already feels too big)
- HD player with subtitles (sweet )
- quality for the price: i only payed 200 Eur for mine (new and unlocked); unbeatable deal for such hardware
What isn't bad but could be better:
- internet browsing experience (im pretty sure this will be fixed in future firmwares or with new browsers)
- some bugs in apps that sometimes make the system go berserk and need a restart (this happens rarely though)
- sometimes the phone back gets a little too hot (when running games especially)
The cons:
- the GPS experience: mine never worked decently (too long boot times especially)
- the bada appstore: i know its still growing but when compared to android or ios....
- the KIES PC software: what a rubbish tool ! always buggy, doesnt have proper backup functionality (i want the ability to backup EVERYTHING in my phone, including tasks... cant do that..at least in my version), and other annoyances
Would i buy it again? For 200 Eur ... Hell yeah!

If you like games go to android, if you are happy with a full feature sized os than bada is your only sollution.
if you dont want install a packet data counter as an app as example

i wouldnt say that if he likes games go to android
i even think the gaming department is where we can find more good apps in badastore
and i dont even mean the big and spectacular graphics games (like some first person shooters and some racing games)
im always playing amazing "simple" games like '"cut'em all" and "mr.dork"
and now ScummVM is almost ready to be released in bada.. when that comes up.. ppl will have loads of great adventure games to play in wave phones
IMO business and navigation department are still the poorer in the badastore
thats what i would like to evolve

my diamond's touch screen started not to work anymore.. and i though maybe its the rom or something..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...............huh?

So you bought your Galaxy Note. Are you missing anything from iPhone?

I consider myself a heavy user of all iDevices (iPod, iPhone, iPad, Macs, Apple TV), Blackberry phones and I could not resist myself the moment I saw the Galaxy Note. I ended up owning one and I really fell in love with that device the moment I held it my hands.
My experience with Note is just 1 week old and I wonder if there are any features that I am already / will be missing from iPhone/iPad world going forward. This is not a review and it is just my observation, opinion of what I feel
Here you go!
Hardware:
The galaxy note IMO is far more superior in the hardware specification than the iPhone 4s right the processor speed, performance, resolution, screen technology, feel.
OS:
Is it better than iOS? Well, can't say! iOS always had a clean interface. No cribs on Android either. Highly customizable, looks great and ICS looks promising (can't wait for it though)
Too many options are good
Battery
Note's battery lasts for nearly 16 hrs on moderate use and is definitely better than iPhone.
Display
One word! Gorgeous! Black is truly black and I believer that there are just too many posts complaining about patchy surface beneath the screen. I guess that is by design and I am not worried. The performance is flawless! Show stealer and all my friends who saw the demo could not close their mouth ;-)
Gestures:
I am not missing anything here! Supports all the gestures!
Apps:
I almost find all the apps in the Android market place that I used to use daily on my iPhone / iPad except a few (Love ArtRage on my iPad). I am sure the developers must be working on it. Only crib is that I need to buy them again. I wish there is a platform independent licensing mechanism.
iCloud
Yes, I am missing the iCloud backup / Restore across all my devices. But, at the end of the day I own only 1 Android phone and I believe the backup is happening here on either Google/Samsung. Experts?
Airplay
Yes, I miss it and I am not quite happy with AllShare (DLNA) as the videos don't play. This only plays Audio, Photos on DLNA certified systems and not what I watch on youtube etc.
In Apple world, the AirPlay is just awesome and helped us watch things directly on the TV using Apple TV.
PC Indepent
Truly it is. Till date iOS always depended on a machine and this dependency is removed only with iOS5. In the past one week, I have not connect my Note to any of my machines even once and fully operational within minutes of the purchase!
Audio / Call quality
Not missing anything here. Had too many confusions after reading user reviews and finally i wanted to give it a try and compromise even if the SQ is not that great. I am glad that I did it.
To my ears, the sound is equally good between iPhone and Note. But I found that the music quality is much better with the stock player than using 3rd party EQ/Amps. Somehow, the PowerAmp kills the quality. Not using it any more.
Missing iTunes? I don't think so. I copy my songs the microSD and job is done. Genius playlists? Never use them. No cribs!
iTunes Music Match? Wont work in my country!!
Oh, Did I say the FM quality is good?
Similarly no complaints on call quality either. crystal clear and I am using all default settings while placing the call. I am not disabling noise canceling as some users do.
Car friendliness:
Well, not too much happy as holding it on one hand is an issue while driving. Connects seamlessly with my Parrot BT hooked up to my Alpine and hence no major issues!
However, iPhone is equally bad and not superior. '
I guess it is more to do with lock screens and touch screens as I am more used to using my Blackberry Bold for business purposes to engage in conference calls (Dial a bridge and key in a 6-10 digit PIN code). Just imagine typing the PIN using one hand in Note. Really a struggle and it is too dangerous! On BB, I can feel the keys and type, while I watch the road.
Voice Recognition
Frankly I am not a big fan of this and hence not considering Siri too here. I don't think we can mimic US accent, how much ever we try and hence giving up on that!
Tamil eBooks
My tamil collection worked nicely on iBooks and on Note, I had to struggle a bit for Android. Finally I ended up Moon Reader and Cool Reader for tamil language support. I like Moon+Reader better than the Aldiko!
Timer control to make the phone sleep is missing in Note.
Mails / Messages
Both seamlessly connect to Exchange 2010 and IMO, Android uses advanced features (integrating the SMS) with Exchange better than iOS.
iPod Docking
In my car I am used to connecting my iPhone using the provided dock and connect to Parrot BT using bluetooth.
I know my Alpine suppers hard disks, USB disks etc. Need to buy the accessory to mount my phone so that I can play the songs! Will update once i get it!
Some of the above are just OS related and really not device related though!!
My 2 cents!

onlt thing i miss from iphone is android market is not selling items to my country so making tricks to get paid apps is not a good thing. iphone doesnt have this kşnd of issues.

I came from a IP3,3gs&4.
I miss bubble notifications, i know u can get them on launchers/themes but they don't cover a lot of apps like whatapp, work email etc.
Also on a jail broken ip4 the lock screen app vis on cydia is great. All my emails,SMS,whatapp / notifcations at the lockscreen. Didn't have to unlock to read first few lines of a notification.
So its just software hopefully ill get what i need when someone devs it
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

I will never sell my iphone
iphone apps>>>>>>>>>>>android

So the sole reason you're keeping your iDevices is apps? I know the i ones tend to be more polished UI wise but that will come in time on Android, and seriously, how many apps exist on the i ecosystem that you can't substitute with an Android app, or come close?
Just wondering...

Games apps etc are all better on iphone more fluid and look better

Tamil eBooks
My tamil collection worked nicely on iBooks and on Note, I had to struggle a bit for Android. Finally I ended up Moon Reader and Cool Reader for tamil language support. I like Moon+Reader better than the Aldiko!
If your files are epub try Go Books it looks nice I used to use Moon+reader but switched up

oh.... let's see.... I missed the fact that my thumb can reach edge to edge of the screen on any of the iPhones. I also missed the slow evolution of the iDevices but they made sure we didn't feel cheap about it by selling them at a higher price than similar devices.
Gosh... there are so many paid apps that are so polished that the Androids will never catch up to.....
iFanbois, please get a life.

darkmax1974 said:
oh.... let's see.... I missed the fact that my thumb can reach edge to edge of the screen on any of the iPhones. I also missed the slow evolution of the iDevices but they made sure we didn't feel cheap about it by selling them at a higher price than similar devices.
Gosh... there are so many paid apps that are so polished that the Androids will never catch up to.....
iFanbois, please get a life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The irony

In 2 weeks I miss the app store, the ease of use, the polished ios5 and most importantly the sync. Android sync is absolute garbage!
The rest of the stuff the note wins hands down, I'll bear with it till the iphone 5 comes out and see what that looks like, may even go back to windows if I dont ever manage to sync this thing properly

From 3GS to 4 to Note..
I miss activator from Cydia to features from status bar.
No yet enuf reading, is it activator or something similiar exist?
Like to activate/click on status bar from running app to return to home screen without clickinf on the physical button.(To minimize using of the button that frequently faulty.on my iphone)
TapaTalking on Note

vprabu said:
I consider myself a heavy user ,,,,,
iCloud
Yes, I am missing the iCloud backup / Restore across all my devices. But, at the end of the day I own only 1 Android phone and I believe the backup is happening here on either Google/Samsung. Experts?
.......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you try Dropbox? 2GB Free. By the way, if you use this link: http://db.tt/bO7rycn we both will win + 250 Free MB

I would say the apps are better on iOS. More of them, and better quality.
I had that great periodic table app, not on Android. Also there many more star map apps on iOS. Google Sky sux.
Android is very popular, maybe not as much as Apple devices but for how popular Android is I am surprised that more of the polished apps haven't been ported.
The thing I DON'T miss is iTunes. God i hate that app and the fact that you MUST use it to do anything on iOS.

I miss how easy it was to copy and paste, going back to a letter in word for correcting mistakes, and tiny wings
I don't miss the small screen, no flash, and no custom ROMS
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

darkmax1974 said:
iFanbois, please get a life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We don't need those post's here. If you don't agree with him, discuss the topic, stay away from fanboy talk. The best way to let it die is to deny it exist's, lets keep it real.
I'm planning on buying a Note and keeping my iPhone 4(jailbroken) at first at least. I want to see where my needs are met or lost first. I'd like to be able to have the Note replace both my iPhone 4 and my HTC Flyer, but as it stands both devices are very nice singularly. I love my iPhone, and I love my Flyer. Both Android and iOS bring a lot to the table, Thanks for your incite on this thread!

From my personal experience
Hardware - android ++++++
Software - ios ++++++

I'm an android user but have been playing with several friends' iphones. I was always impressed with how polished the iOS in terms of smoothness and design. The sheer number of apps and how good some of them were also made me jealous. But in the end I can't imagine living a day-to-day life with a device so limited by one man's vision. These things are to be used the way somebody wants me to use them (including the way I grip the phone ;P). I'm aware that it really depends on personal preference but I'm a power user and being told how to use my device is simply an insult to me (and a painful limitation of course). On android I feel free.

Pere said:
Why don't you try Dropbox? 2GB Free. By the way, if you use this link: http://db.tt/bO7rycn we both will win + 250 Free MB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do use Dropbox. But what I meant is that the devices synching our data (including apps) effortlessly.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

drgopoos said:
From my personal experience
Hardware - android ++++++
Software - ios ++++++
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I partly agree. To me softwares / apps are still 3rd party stuff and they still do a good job when they support both the platforms. However the developers who are not familiar with UI/UX and when they create apps only on android, the UI is a bit lousy.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

I miss the way Music Player in iOS creating playlist. I find it more convenient as I always like to create playlists each day going out.
And honestly, the way iOS manage apps is better, I dont have to worry if I leave anything running in the background that killing the phone battery.
Anyway, I'm in love with my Note now

Note 2 Research - I come in Peace

Note 2 Research - I come in Peace
________________________________________
Hey guys I'm doing research about the Galaxy Note 2 and iPhone 5 and have compiled a list of each devices advantages. Please I don't want no fan-boyish or trolling comments. Just want to do some peaceful research for a project im doing about the pros of both devices. If I have made some errors or forgotten something plz let me know. There must be something I have left out for the Iphone 5 ? Thanks
Galaxy Note 2
OS
Real multitasking ( (IOS tends to hang up apps in the background while android keeps them running,http://www.extremetech.com/computing...ndroid-and-iosAlso the actual multitasking menu is much more intuitive, with thumbnails ect)
advanced notification system (can expand messages, emails, reply, call back, acces screen brightness, wi fi, GPS, Bluetooth, Vibrate,screen rotation, short cuts, screen shots)
Open system-More freedom
More free apps
More sharing options
Better google integration (YouTube, Maps,Gmail)
Samsung intergration (TV, Printers)
Launchers
Lock screens
Live wallpapers
Keyboard apps
More Control Over the hardware ( GPS, Wi Fi, blutooth, toggles)
Easier adding Multimedia (no syncing required)
More built in Camera features
Built in Battery life analysis
Offline Dictation
Smart Alert (vibrates when being pick-up if you have missed call/msg)
Smart rotation (reads the orientation of your face, screen will always line up properly with the way you are holding the device.
Smart Dial (searches names and numbers simultaneously in the dialler with also a pic of the contact)
Direct Call (calls by placing hte phone near your head)
Pop up play
Buddy photo share (phone regonzies your freinds on photos for easer acces to them)
Multi burst
Advanced text prediction
Multi Window
Advanced built in photo gallery (GSMarena)
Most advanced built in video player ever (GSMarena)
More Intuitive Search bar ( Search bar widget, google predicition built in)
50 GB drop box
built-in reject list
Swipe to screen capture
Faster voice assistant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grmixtB9dZM
Widgets
Torch
Email
Msg
facebook/ wtitter
Hardware toggles
Weather
News widgets
Music widgets
clock widgets
calender
notepad widget
Shortucts
Specs
Better audio quality (GSMarena)
Barometer sensor
LED indicator
RGB sensor
True blacks
Offline maps support
1.9 megapixel front camera
NFC
Dedicated digital back and multitasking buttons
microUSB 2.0 support
Vivid colors
FM radio
Removable battery
Faster upload
DLNA
Wi fi direct
Bluetooth Enhanced data rate/ low energy
USB storage
720 HD screen
Battery life
louder loudspeaker (GSMarena)
Wacom digitizer 1024 different levels of pressure sensitivity
More Durable
Bigger screen
Gaming
Reading ebooks
Reading Documents
Less scrolling
GPS Viewing
Photo Viewing
Web Browsing
Reading email
Video
Large apps ( flip board ect)
S Pen
Launch apps with gestures
Editing photos
Note taking
Creating sketches
Air View - preview , emails and text, preview videos
Easy Clip - crop and share
Enhanced calendar editing
Handwriting in messages
Built into the web browser like a mouse
More functionality with some apps (fruit ninja ect)
Create and share notes while talking on the phone
iPhone 5
Much easier one handed use
Much lighter
Higher PPi
Natural Whites
Better Contrast ratio (GSMarena)
Brighter (GSMarena)
Faster download
Better Low light camera
Premium feel (aluminium, Glass)
louder speakers (GSMarena)
Thinner
Headphone volume control
More accessories
OS
Voice assistant has more personality ( Jokes ect)
Better Apple integration (apple tv, Macs, Itunes ect)
less ad-ware on AppStore
Better exclusive apps
Cloud Backup
Better landscape typing
Direct Updates
Native Auto mobile Integration
Apps launch slightly faster

Don't expect this thread to stay civilized for long. (sadly).
My random comments:
Regarding the Samsung side:
Neither OS is a true multitasking OS by desktop standards.
what is 'samsung integration'? being able to connect directly to samsung printers/tvs?
You should be more specific about 'more control over (apps/hardware) if you're doing a paper.
why is it a better search bar?
include: better integrated map system
I don't believe the audio is better than the iphone.
'offline maps support' should not be in specs.
Both phones are 16:9.
what's a multitasking button? the home key?
'faster upload'? Is that true?
I don't know about 'more durable' than the iphone 5.
S-pen doesn't give fruit ninja any more functionality. It's just an alternate input device.
It is nice that it doesn't block your view as much though.
Regarding the iphone 5 side:
faster download? What does that mean?
Do apps really launch faster than on the Note 2?
Why does the iphone have better landscape typing?
You never see appstore comparisons android vs iOS anymore. They both have hundreds of thousands of apps, good and bad.

I'm not a fanboy, I enjoy all technology and I think Apple make some wonderful devices. I don't own either phone but here's my own way of looking at them...
Size: the main way these two phones differ is size. Do you use your phone more as a phone (texting/calling) or computer tasks like browsing the internet, emailing or playing games? I would say the iPhone is superior as a phone simply because its smaller, better for one handed usage. The Note 2 is better due to the multi-tasking, larger screen and expandable storage as a computation device.
OS: I consider iOs as well polished, but a bit out of date. It doesn't offer widget support and you can't even install different launchers. Android has the customisation.

Hey thanks for the reply
Neither OS is a true multitasking OS by desktop standards.
True compared to desktop but android does handle multitasking better as IOS tends to hang up apps in the background while android keeps them running
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/112013-how-multitasking-works-on-android-and-ios
Also the actuall multitasking menu is much better
what is 'samsung integration'? being able to connect directly to samsung printers/tvs?
Yes
why is it a better search bar?
Well its allot more flexible as its a widget you can place it anyway for easier access and I believe it has Google predictive text built in
include: better integrated map system
hmm maybe better Google integration already covers that? (Google maps)
I don't believe the audio is better than the iphone.
"Note II produced one of the cleanest outputs we have seen from a mobile device and that includes the recently tested Apple iPhone 5" (GSMarena)
what's a multitasking button? the home key?
ah I think I meant the menu button
'faster upload'? Is that true?
Yea well all the speed tests have the Iphone winning in Downloads and the Note winning in Uploads
I don't know about 'more durable' than the iphone 5.
All the drop tests have the Note 2 winning
Why does the iphone have better landscape typing?
The note 2 becomes too wide when holding it in landscape
hmm so you dont think Having less low quality apps is a positive because there too many apps anyway?

Hey guys I also posted this on the Iphone forums as well and he says that 50% of the positives for the Note 2 are wrong but he wont clarify what?

cyprusx said:
Hey guys I'm doing research about the Galaxy Note 2 and iPhone 5 and have compiled a list of each devices advantages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cyprusx said:
include: better integrated map system
hmm maybe better Google integration already covers that? (Google maps)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Navigation is not just maps.
It is way better than Tomtom and Copilot and is completey free and updated frequently(almost daily).
It includes satelite view maps and many other highly advanced features.
Galaxy Note 2
Specs
HDMI full HD video out.
USB storage OTG
SD card(and hot swappable)
Removable battery
cyprusx said:
louder loudspeaker (GSMarena)
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Also a higher SN ratio, though not as high as others.
Bigger screen
Blacker blacks and lower battery usage due to amoLED's.
S Pen
It is way faster to input with the s-pen and swype compared to tapping a keyboard with fingers.
Asian language speakers can use character recognition.
There is a function to tap and drag which makes selecting ranges easier within the calendar.
This may have been removed from Note 2.
The s-pen is a very accurate input device unlike a finger.
iPhone 5
cyprusx said:
Much easier one handed use
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The Note and Note 2 have a setting where keyboards can be downsized and moved left or right.
This makes one handed use the same as on any small screened phone.
This voids the claim that iphone is somehow more sensible for having such as small screen.
Really, apple have no shame and will stoop to anything i their ads.
cyprusx said:
Higher PPi
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The retina sceen is a hoax.
Viewing distance is critical with resolution, e.g. ppi on apple's larger "retina" screens drops to 260ppi as they are made for viewing further away.
The eye cannot distinguish resolution above 300ppi anyway and having a small screen means you would have to hold it very close to notice even slight differences to an amoled screen.
In the real world, people don't do this with their phone, so what is the point of Retina?
It is just an apple marketing wank.
Buyer beware.
cyprusx said:
Better Contrast ratio (GSMarena)
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But milkier blacks
cyprusx said:
Premium feel (aluminium, Glass)
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Once you put a phone in a case, it has the feel of the case.
cyprusx said:
louder speakers (GSMarena)
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and noisier.
OS
cyprusx said:
Better Apple integration (apple tv, Macs, Itunes ect)
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This is only a plus if you are living behind the walled garden.
Once you break free, you will find out how the rest of the world lives, with cooperation and compatibility between technologies. I have experienced both(macuser 15 years ago) and will always choose freedom over patronising appletalk.
Be frank, many people I know complain bitterly about itunes.
The imcompatibilty with other technologies is offensive to others like myself and a burden to apple users.
cyprusx said:
Better landscape typing
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Not for me. I have big fingers and hands.
And when using swype, the larger keyboard is better.
cyprusx said:
Direct Updates
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And the difference is?
cyprusx said:
Native Auto mobile Integration
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Not with Hondas.
My Note integrates brilliantly with my Honda's blutooth for calls and music.
Do you know how much it irks me as an adroid user to see ads for iphone integration in cars and bank apps etc?
Especially now that Android users actually outnumber ios.
About the fanboy thing.
Apple's got it coming.
Their arrogance and dishonesty are being met by quiet but resolute competition from Android and others.
I'm just not a fan of apple.

Xaddict said:
The Note and Note 2 have a setting where keyboards can be downsized and moved left or right.
This makes one handed use the same as on any small screened phone.
In the real world, people don't do this with their phone, so what is the point of Retina?
It is just an apple marketing wank
Once you put a phone in a case, it has the feel of the case.
And when using swype, the larger keyboard is better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one handed keyboard setting is only of use if you use the stock keyboard/dialer/etc. I don't. Smaler screens win for one handed use. Period.
Higher Ppi is an apple advantage if you are being honest. How significant that advantage is is up to debate. As you said it depends on how close you hold your phone and how good your eyes are.
We are comparing phones not cases. Apple wins that one hands down.
Aaron from phone dog commented that his swype slowed down because there is more ground to cover. There are pros and cons.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD app
---------- Post added at 04:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:34 AM ----------
cyprusx said:
hmm so you dont think Having less low quality apps is a positive because there too many apps anyway?
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Yeah, it's kind of irrelevant. If you have so many apps that it is impossible to look at them all, then the only thing that is relevant is whether you can find apps that do what you want.
I think ios still retains the advantage in terms of getting newest programs first since there are less compatibility issues.
And in response to your other post - if they won't be specific about what the don't consider an advantage then they might just be trolling.
Keep in mind that certain features could be both advantages and disadvantages depending on the what you want to do.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD app

ChodTheWacko said:
Neither OS is a true multitasking OS by desktop standards.
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That's because they are not desktops. But the note 2 offers great multitasking on a mobile device, people are never really happy but I love the multi window feature, in my opinion that is awesome multitasking.

cyprusx said:
Why does the iphone have better landscape typing?
The note 2 becomes too wide when holding it in landscape
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This is subjective.
For me and likely many others, the larger screen provides a more comfortable landscape typing experience because the hands are less cramped together.

cyprusx said:
Why does the iphone have better landscape typing?
The note 2 becomes too wide when holding it in landscape
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Given that Android allows you to have multiple installed keyboards which you can easily switch between, I cannot see how the iPhone can win here.
That being said, I have average side hands and have no problems with the stock keyboard in landscape anyway, but I do use a split keyboard on my Nexus 7.
Regards,
Dave
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

I am also confused between two.Note 2 has notification led too.I love them.But note 2 is too big for me .(why its bigger than note,which fell off and broke ,so I bought iphone4s 7 months back.

So can anyone think of any benefits to the iphone 5 ????

Obviously the iphone 5 makes you look really cool .
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

cyprusx said:
So can anyone think of any benefits to the iphone 5 ????
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Sure. The iphone is smaller, more portable, and a simpler device. If my parents wanted a smartphone, God forbid, I would probably get them an iphone.
There is no denying that what the iphone does, it does very very well. (till they screwed up maps). Comparing the note 2 took the iphone is a little weird. The iphone is like a cute BMW 2 seat convertible. The note 2 is more like an lexus SUV. They're just different markets.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD app

If you listen to music the IPhone has a lot of benefits, especially in the ease with which you can construct and sync play lists and generally manage music files.
One huge problem with the Note and indeed all Android 4.1.1 phones is that there is no way to adjust the volume via headphone controls any more, as Google has reserved the long button press for Google voice search. You actually have to take the phone out of your pocket to adjust volume.
I actually went up and played with an IPhone 5 yesterday as these issues with my Note 2 are a PITA, but I found that the sound quality was roughly the same or perhaps even better on the Note 2. I've ordered some simcard adapters and when they arrive I may try to live with both phones until the bugs in the Note 2 are ironed out.

ChodTheWacko said:
Sure. The iphone is smaller, more portable, and a simpler device. If my parents wanted a smartphone, God forbid, I would probably get them an iphone.
There is no denying that what the iphone does, it does very very well. (till they screwed up maps). Comparing the note 2 took the iphone is a little weird. The iphone is like a cute BMW 2 seat convertible. The note 2 is more like an lexus SUV. They're just different markets.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
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exactamondo!

does anyone hear have much experience with IOS6, its just my final list has sooo much more Note 2 advantages, there has to be something on Ios6 that's better or exclusive, anything big or small????

cyprusx said:
does anyone hear have much experience with IOS6, its just my final list has sooo much more Note 2 advantages, there has to be something on Ios6 that's better or exclusive, anything big or small????
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You're best off asking this in an iphone forum.

First of I want to clarify, I own both an iOS( New iPad ) and Android ( Galaxy R and getting the Note 2 soon ) device. So I am giving you a fair and unbiased review.
To tell you honestly your iPhone experience will vary according to the country you live in. So the OP has to specify where he lives.
Now I live in India, there is no iTunes Online Store available here except for the App Store. So we don't really have a way have a way in which we can download Music, Movies, TV Shows on the phone. We have to go through iTunes each time to get simple stuff as Music on the phone. Which is annoying. Now if we had the iTunes Store things would have been a bit different. Plus there is no Bluetooth file transfer on the iPhone which is a bummer because it has no file system support. Their cloud back up solution ( iCloud ) is great for App data, for me otherwise its quite useless for people in India. If you live in the few countries where iTunes Store is available you have an excellent way of enjoying your phone with never having to plug into iTunes thanks to iCloud.
Next iOS 6 Maps app is useless in India. It has absolutely no functionality here. If you are living in one those countries where the Maps is enabled well, its a different issue. You might love it or hate it. There was a recent leak where a developer got his hands on an alpha build of Google Maps for iPhone. Now if Apple approves it, this issue will be reduntant in a few months. If you can wait and hope Apple approves it, then be my guest. I really hope they do. Besides I really think Google Maps is way way better with Street View and Voice Navigation, the latter of which has been enabled in India. It will take Apple atleast a few years before they catch up to the functionality of Google Maps.
Next is app quality, there is no denying iOS is hands down the winner here. There developer support is incredible. Lots of exclusive apps, games etc. Even the native Facebook app has come on iOS first. People might get pissed at me for saying this but a lot of apps on Play Store are crap, baring a few exceptional ones. For example Safari. One annoying thing I find on Android is that no website gives HTML 5 video out of the box. They assume you have flash, which is stupid. Even Chrome can't handle it well. For me Safari trumps in functionality but in terms of features Chrome wins. I hope Google has fixed this in Jelly Bean, because Flash is no longer supported.
Next Customization, there is absolutely nothing you can do on iOS besides changing the wallpaper and making folders, unless of course you Jailbreak then you can tweak a bit more, but that to is very limited. I use NCSettings to get a simple thing as toggles for Wi-Fi and other stuff in Notification Centre on iOS. Android wins here fair and square. Most of the stuff for which you would jailbreak your iPhone for will come out of the box in any Android Phone. Don't get me started on the ton of stuff you can do once you Root your Android phone. Widgets, New Launchers etc are another plus.
Now I haven't tried Jelly Bean yet, but I find iOS the most smooth, well polished and stable operating system out there. The iPhone is dual core not quad core ( this is very subjective it actually depends on the architecture of the processor but still ) the speed at which it launches apps and switches between them is butter smooth. It has always been since its first iteration in 2007. With Jelly Bean I have heard its pretty much the same now, Android has finally caught up and I believe exceeded iOS in terms of functionality and getting stuff done.
No expandable storage on iPhone might be a bummer to most. Galaxy Note 2 has expandable storage.
My conclusion is, if you are fine living in Apple's wall garden, you will have an Amazing experience with the iPhone. Like Steve Jobs said, "It just works". Otherwise you will pretty much hate it. Besides iOS really going stale, its getting out dated. If you go from iPhone 4 to iPhone 5, the software hasn't changed much. It looks the same. If you love tweaking, customizing and do what you want with your phone go Android. And for where I live here in India, iPhone pretty much is really cumbersome, to having through iTunes each time makes me cringe, no Maps support is another bummer. I love the way in which Android allows me to do what I want,sure I really miss the app quality of iOS, I have my iPad to take care of that, but I would pick functionality and sacrifice a little bit of quality any day.
I hope this helped you make a decision.
Sent from my GT-I9103 using xda app-developers app

This might be a plus for iPhone.
You know what to expect. When you grab your friend or family members phone to make a call on or whatever it looks like most other iPhones you have picked up. If you like this type of thing then the predictability is good.
The apple eco system is not all bad. Younger brother has all apple products and they work great together. Just stay in their eco system and it's mostly all good if you like cookie cutter devices.
I personally think the iPhone 5 feels very nice in my hand.
This might not be the best wording but iOS is almost idiot proof. Nothing I have ever done to my phone (ip4) left it completely unusable. First time really playing with droid I was not so lucky.