7" Tab 2 hands on review - Galaxy Tab 2 General

Hey, I have a 3G 7" Tab 2 and I made a very short review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFvDtnzePhs
I need to add that I've got mine from Samsung, it's a prerelease model and it has beta software on it, so I had a few bugs, but nothing to scare the potential customer
When I say the Samsung logo is misleading, it's because you usually expect it to be on top and I often find myself holding the tablet upside down, searching for the lockscreen button on the wrong side.
And about the TouchWiz, there are two things: first of all the grids on the homescreen and the app drawer are not changeable and the icons are too big and second, as you can see when I'm flipping around the screens, you can only add icons to the square in the middle which leaves two strips of unused space on top and below.
I now see I forgot to mention that the back cover is perfect because it doesn't gather prints!
Other than that it's flawless in every point and the price tag makes it irresistible
I'm available for questions, feel free to ask and I can either answer or post a video at your request.

Related

Loose/misaligned home button?

Anyone else have a slightly loose home button? Mine is only very slightly loose but it regularly looks misaligned. I think the problem is the cut out for the button is actually a little bigger on one side so there is room for it to wiggle up and down. I can tell this because of the lines across the bezel. I don't think it is enough of a problem to return it on warranty so it will probably slowly drive me mad over the next few months. I'll take a picture later to try and show it.
cathain said:
Anyone else have a slightly loose home button? Mine is only very slightly loose but it regularly looks misaligned. I think the problem is the cut out for the button is actually a little bigger on one side so there is room for it to wiggle up and down. I can tell this because of the lines across the bezel. I don't think it is enough of a problem to return it on warranty so it will probably slowly drive me mad over the next few months. I'll take a picture later to try and show it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it isn't loose at all on my phone. You should try and change it - after all you payed a lot of money for this phone.
pedmond said:
Nope, it isn't loose at all on my phone. You should try and change it - after all you payed a lot of money for this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems to be the same problem the Note 3 had. From reading that it seems there might not be much point point sending it back as users who did got the phone back and it still had the issue. Might see about swapping it for a new unit with the retailer I bought from
Here is a couple of pics, it was really hard to get it to focus for some reason despite me having a good camera? But you can see it is crooked with the left side higher than the right, you can even see the small gap along the top of the button towards the right side in the pic where the screen is on.
Mine has a distinctive click sound when i press it and takes a bit more force over the note 2
re: loose button on note 4
Yeah mines slighly loose too. I checked out two other ones in seperate stores and they all seem to have minor play in their home buttons. I even compared it to the note 3 they also had on display and it felt identical. It looks to me like its a common "feature" for the note series. Looking at the disassembly videos on youtube shows that the button isnt really adheared to anythingand iis simply pinched between the frame and glass. With that knowledge, its easy to understand why the button has some play in it without worrying too much about it. Even if you swap it for another one, its gonna be the same with maybe a slight difference in tolerences but overal it will be loose sooner or later. Same story goes for the power and volume buttons.
As for me however, ive got this is issue with the oleophobic coating right under the home button which according to Videotron in Montreal Canada, Isn't covered by warranty even if the phone is only a week old!! For some reason the oleophobic coating is missing under my home button which leaves a bunch of fingerprints just under it. Its a pain to look at especially since its freaken brand new and shouldn't have this happening so early on. But so far Videotron has NOT honored any kind of replacement warranty to me and informed that so long as it doesn't hinder the usability of the device, its wont be covered. I think Thats the lamest after sale service Ive hade to date and can't believe that they don't stand behind their products.
colapticus0983 said:
Yeah mines slighly loose too. I checked out two other ones in seperate stores and they all seem to have minor play in their home buttons. I even compared it to the note 3 they also had on display and it felt identical. It looks to me like its a common "feature" for the note series. Looking at the disassembly videos on youtube shows that the button isnt really adheared to anythingand iis simply pinched between the frame and glass. With that knowledge, its easy to understand why the button has some play in it without worrying too much about it. Even if you swap it for another one, its gonna be the same with maybe a slight difference in tolerences but overal it will be loose sooner or later. Same story goes for the power and volume buttons.
As for me however, ive got this is issue with the oleophobic coating right under the home button which according to Videotron in Montreal Canada, Isn't covered by warranty even if the phone is only a week old!! For some reason the oleophobic coating is missing under my home button which leaves a bunch of fingerprints just under it. Its a pain to look at especially since its freaken brand new and shouldn't have this happening so early on. But so far Videotron has NOT honored any kind of replacement warranty to me and informed that so long as it doesn't hinder the usability of the device, its wont be covered. I think Thats the lamest after sale service Ive hade to date and can't believe that they don't stand behind their products.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I think you're right. The little bit of play I don't mind but it seems the resting position for the button on my phone is always slightly crooked. Nobody else even notices it until I point it out to them. I've emailed Samsung to see what they say but I think I'm just resigned to living with it.
Thats crap about you oleophobic coating, I find with new phones it wears off after a few months anyway so eventually the whole front will be a fingerprint magnet!
Here's some pics of the oleophobic coating defect I was describing from my previos post.
Exchanged my Note 4 for a new one and it is much better, hardly any play in the button. Maybe I'm overanalysing it but it still looks ever so slightly crooked, I can live with it though.
cathain said:
Exchanged my Note 4 for a new one and it is much better, hardly any play in the button. Maybe I'm overanalysing it but it still looks ever so slightly crooked, I can live with it though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I need to do this.. Mine has become a loud, creaky mess when it was originally just fine.
cathain said:
Exchanged my Note 4 for a new one and it is much better, hardly any play in the button. Maybe I'm overanalysing it but it still looks ever so slightly crooked, I can live with it though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how much play is there now, compared to before? my note edge has a similar "problem". not really a big deal for me personally,
but it's kind of annoying. it's not very noticeable though, i have to look real close to even see any crookedness.
i can barely notice that my home button ever so slightly moves if i push it with my fingernail, but it's not like it's loose or anything.
i guess this is just the way it's supposed to be. working as intended and all that.
still wish the home button would be like the one on my note II. not jiggly, and nearly no clicking sound.
Every Galaxy devices I've come across, whether in the stores or personally speaking, have a misaligned home button, looks more prominent on one side compared to the other. Unfortunately, shows Samsung's innovation. I've been through over a dozen Note 4's, the AT&T variants had an extremely loose feel, whereas the T-Mobile variant is just about right.
cathain said:
It seems to be the same problem the Note 3 had. From reading that it seems there might not be much point point sending it back as users who did got the phone back and it still had the issue. Might see about swapping it for a new unit with the retailer I bought from
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Judging by the pictures, looks normal to me, based on Samsung's manufacturing standards if you ask me.
cathain said:
Here is a couple of pics, it was really hard to get it to focus for some reason despite me having a good camera? But you can see it is crooked with the left side higher than the right, you can even see the small gap along the top of the button towards the right side in the pic where the screen is on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shouldn't require too much force. The click shouldn't be too loud and tacky, the sound be soft.
equlizer said:
Mine has a distinctive click sound when i press it and takes a bit more force over the note 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When going through the return and exchange process for the Note 4's, each home button had its distinctive feel, some felt squishy on the left side with a significant gap between the right side and display. One home button even had a noticeable scratch on the aluminium part of the button.
Regarding the Oleophobic coating, its advised to never clean the display with water or oily hands. Install a screen protector from day one. 70% isopropyl alcohol is the way to go.
colapticus0983 said:
Yeah mines slighly loose too. I checked out two other ones in seperate stores and they all seem to have minor play in their home buttons. I even compared it to the note 3 they also had on display and it felt identical. It looks to me like its a common "feature" for the note series. Looking at the disassembly videos on youtube shows that the button isnt really adheared to anythingand iis simply pinched between the frame and glass. With that knowledge, its easy to understand why the button has some play in it without worrying too much about it. Even if you swap it for another one, its gonna be the same with maybe a slight difference in tolerences but overal it will be loose sooner or later. Same story goes for the power and volume buttons.
As for me however, ive got this is issue with the oleophobic coating right under the home button which according to Videotron in Montreal Canada, Isn't covered by warranty even if the phone is only a week old!! For some reason the oleophobic coating is missing under my home button which leaves a bunch of fingerprints just under it. Its a pain to look at especially since its freaken brand new and shouldn't have this happening so early on. But so far Videotron has NOT honored any kind of replacement warranty to me and informed that so long as it doesn't hinder the usability of the device, its wont be covered. I think Thats the lamest after sale service Ive hade to date and can't believe that they don't stand behind their products.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you press hard enough you can actually re-position and resettle the button more to the right to fill that gap you were referring to. I've felt buttons in the which which felt like something protruding through the middle as I move my index finger from left to right (edge-to-edge) on the home button.
cathain said:
Yeah I think you're right. The little bit of play I don't mind but it seems the resting position for the button on my phone is always slightly crooked. Nobody else even notices it until I point it out to them. I've emailed Samsung to see what they say but I think I'm just resigned to living with it.
Thats crap about you oleophobic coating, I find with new phones it wears off after a few months anyway so eventually the whole front will be a fingerprint magnet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will look slightly crooked to you because Samsung never added adequate cushioning to keep the button centered. Overtime, the button will settle itself. Some Note 4's, even as seen in previous Galaxy phone, have light from the capacitative phones leaking between the gap of the home button and capacitative buttons; best seen in dark-room settings.
cathain said:
Exchanged my Note 4 for a new one and it is much better, hardly any play in the button. Maybe I'm overanalysing it but it still looks ever so slightly crooked, I can live with it though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Over time, the home button wears off a bit. Every Galaxy device I've owned, I've always added a piece of scotch tape on the home button to not mess up with the alignment, etc. Everytime it came to reselling the device, the home button would feel as new to the subsequent owner as it did to me.
ateld said:
I need to do this.. Mine has become a loud, creaky mess when it was originally just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 04:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 PM ----------
Its definitely the way its supposed to be. Some home buttons will even appear flushed / recessed whereas some will even looked elevated sticking out from the display. Samsung doesn't take this into account in their QC process, because they add the minimum adhesive to make the plastic home button work. If they had changed their materials and design a bit, would have made a dramatic difference; but they didn't since the Galaxy S2 days.
niqen said:
how much play is there now, compared to before? my note edge has a similar "problem". not really a big deal for me personally,
but it's kind of annoying. it's not very noticeable though, i have to look real close to even see any crookedness.
i can barely notice that my home button ever so slightly moves if i push it with my fingernail, but it's not like it's loose or anything.
i guess this is just the way it's supposed to be. working as intended and all that.
still wish the home button would be like the one on my note II. not jiggly, and nearly no clicking sound.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To say the issue doesn't exist, doesn't mean you're wrong, its just how far your eyes can see. The majority paid over $700 for a device which is suppose to compete with the inferior iPhone. Samsung had to make some compromise somewhere. Samsung believes and priorities in profits and margins, manufactures virtually everything in the IT Sector, and doesn't have the caliber to keep a quality control basis or invest in the amount of innovation compared to Apple; however the INTERNAL technology in Samsung's phones will always be superior, because they innovate and design them, from SoC's to Display technology ; Apples priorities their development based on innovation, patents, and EXTERNAL design more over their profits and margins, their most recent report is mere coincidence.
great answer there man, thanks :good:
just something we have to live with then
overall, i'm very satisfied with my note edge. but with such an expensive and high-end device it's easy to get
caught up in the details, such as this very very minor flaw found in the home button alignment.
like i stated earlier, mine isn't really that crooked, but it's just obvious enough to take note of it. about 0.5 mm difference between the right and
the left side of the button i would say. it's literally almost nothing at all, but for the "trained eye" it might cause some headache.
i suppose the only thing to do about this is to accept things the way they are.
hey, my home button works. that's the most important thing. it's not loose by any means.
i actually paid about 8000 norwegian krones for my phone (1000 us dollars) for this phone, off contract.
it's expensive. this is also probably why i'm very aware of any possible "defect" or "fault" to the device.
great phone though. no regrets :good::good: :cyclops:
I'll quote you, for the "trained eye" it might cause some headache.
There are other faults in the display as well, which we can blame AMOLED technology on.
Its not good to know too much. :silly:
I'm glad my ownership with this device is pretty much a lease with T-Mobile. Once I reach $375 in payments, I'll be off to the Galaxy S6 or Note 5, whichever suits me first.
niqen said:
great answer there man, thanks :good:
just something we have to live with then
overall, i'm very satisfied with my note edge. but with such an expensive and high-end device it's easy to get
caught up in the details, such as this very very minor flaw found in the home button alignment.
like i stated earlier, mine isn't really that crooked, but it's just obvious enough to take note of it. about 0.5 mm difference between the right and
the left side of the button i would say. it's literally almost nothing at all, but for the "trained eye" it might cause some headache.
i suppose the only thing to do about this is to accept things the way they are.
hey, my home button works. that's the most important thing. it's not loose by any means.
i actually paid about 8000 norwegian krones for my phone (1000 us dollars) for this phone, off contract.
it's expensive. this is also probably why i'm very aware of any possible "defect" or "fault" to the device.
great phone though. no regrets :good::good: :cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
arjun90 said:
I'll quote you, for the "trained eye" it might cause some headache.
There are other faults in the display as well, which we can blame AMOLED technology on.
Its not good to know too much. :silly:
I'm glad my ownership with this device is pretty much a lease with T-Mobile. Once I reach $375 in payments, I'll be off to the Galaxy S6 or Note 5, whichever suits me first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
don't know exactly what you are referring to when you say faults in the display, but as far as i know i haven't noticed
much to report, except for some weird and very light tendencies of "shadow artifacts" to the left of the app icons
on my edge display. this is only something i barely was able to see if i scrolled up and down through the edge display.
the app icons caused some darkened areas on the left side of the edge display, but this is hard to depict and
probably just me seeing things. if i covered the edge display with a piece of paper the effect was no longer to be seen.
if i removed the paper, the "shadows" were still there. (only covered the app icons, and by doing this the shadows disappeared while scrolling).
we could go on like this for ages though, there will always be something.. :laugh:
i'm also keen on getting my hands on either the note 5 / note edge II (?) or the S6. the note edge is by all means a fantastic device,
and i'll stick to it until i feel the urge to move on. S6 / S6 edge = just around the corner :good:
Yep, the display issues are less visible on the Note Edge thanks to the curved area which tends to mask the tint effect. The shadowing is as a result of the Pentile Matrix used on the display, not a true RGB panel. However, close-enough. Samsung is a funny company nowadays, sometimes releases phones with AMOLED sRGB panels and sometimes Pentile. The best display to date was on the Note 2. I don't know why I was so keen on selling that beast.
niqen said:
don't know exactly what you are referring to when you say faults in the display, but as far as i know i haven't noticed
much to report, except for some weird and very light tendencies of "shadow artifacts" to the left of the app icons
on my edge display. this is only something i barely was able to see if i scrolled up and down through the edge display.
the app icons caused some darkened areas on the left side of the edge display, but this is hard to depict and
probably just me seeing things. if i covered the edge display with a piece of paper the effect was no longer to be seen.
if i removed the paper, the "shadows" were still there. (only covered the app icons, and by doing this the shadows disappeared while scrolling).
we could go on like this for ages though, there will always be something.. :laugh:
i'm also keen on getting my hands on either the note 5 / note edge II (?) or the S6. the note edge is by all means a fantastic device,
and i'll stick to it until i feel the urge to move on. S6 / S6 edge = just around the corner :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
arjun90 said:
Yep, the display issues are less visible on the Note Edge thanks to the curved area which tends to mask the tint effect. The shadowing is as a result of the Pentile Matrix used on the display, not a true RGB panel. However, close-enough. Samsung is a funny company nowadays, sometimes releases phones with AMOLED sRGB panels and sometimes Pentile. The best display to date was on the Note 2. I don't know why I was so keen on selling that beast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hehe, i must agree with you there, note II has a great display. still got mine right here.
it will probably be sold on though, i'm a student and i can't really afford having multiple phones right now. :silly:
you seem to know your way around these phones, i'm more of a novice in terms of the technical stuff i'm afraid
are you familiar with the "shadowing" on the note edge? i've asked around, but so far people have told me i'm seeing things
that aren't there. quite a nut though, that these shadows seen to the left of my app icons disappear if i cover my edge display
while scrolling it. the shadows appear to the far right of my main display, right next to the edge. funny how i cannot see them
if i cover the edge display itself, but hey, i'm a novice.. and until today i thought my eyes were only playing tricks on me
i'll be quite interested to see what kind of display samsung will use on their coming flagship phones.
fingers crossed the home buttons will be a tad better, but let's not get too optimistic :laugh:
The shadow you are are talking about is an anomaly as a result of Samsung's manufacturing of the curved screen. Not all the screens are curved equally. In each and every screen has a slight variation as seen in the regular Note 4 as well. Samsung has gone to far. They can't maintain consistent quality control. There's a thread in the accessories section of the forum for the Note 4, and many are reporting how substandard the screens are in terms of equal curvature on both sides. I'm very sure the same principle applies to edge, where on Note Edge might have a greater degree of curvature compared to another Note Edge Unit. This is why I didn't purchase the Edge this time around. It always takes eons for Samsung to understand what we all are facing with their products. It took them four years to correct the black color in their AMOLED screens, 5 years to figure out a metal frame was more viable than plastic frame, and the list goes on. Sam-sung needs to start listening to their customers if they want to regain trust, business, and move beyond the competition.
niqen said:
hehe, i must agree with you there, note II has a great display. still got mine right here.
it will probably be sold on though, i'm a student and i can't really afford having multiple phones right now. :silly:
you seem to know your way around these phones, i'm more of a novice in terms of the technical stuff i'm afraid
are you familiar with the "shadowing" on the note edge? i've asked around, but so far people have told me i'm seeing things
that aren't there. quite a nut though, that these shadows seen to the left of my app icons disappear if i cover my edge display
while scrolling it. the shadows appear to the far right of my main display, right next to the edge. funny how i cannot see them
if i cover the edge display itself, but hey, i'm a novice.. and until today i thought my eyes were only playing tricks on me
i'll be quite interested to see what kind of display samsung will use on their coming flagship phones.
fingers crossed the home buttons will be a tad better, but let's not get too optimistic :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
arjun90 said:
The shadow you are are talking about is an anomaly as a result of Samsung's manufacturing of the curved screen. Not all the screens are curved equally. In each and every screen has a slight variation as seen in the regular Note 4 as well. Samsung has gone to far. They can't maintain consistent quality control. There's a thread in the accessories section of the forum for the Note 4, and many are reporting how substandard the screens are in terms of equal curvature on both sides. I'm very sure the same principle applies to edge, where on Note Edge might have a greater degree of curvature compared to another Note Edge Unit. This is why I didn't purchase the Edge this time around. It always takes eons for Samsung to understand what we all are facing with their products. It took them four years to correct the black color in their AMOLED screens, 5 years to figure out a metal frame was more viable than plastic frame, and the list goes on. Sam-sung needs to start listening to their customers if they want to regain trust, business, and move beyond the competition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very true my friend. and yes, the edge is a new concept, at least in this format. S6 will also be available with a curved screen they say.
quite interested in seeing what changes they've made, if any, and how the display acts accordingly.
all these minor issues is evidently a biproduct of innovation. truthfully i must admit i'm quite impressed samsung
has the balls to step up their game and try out new things, even though this edge concept might still be in its early stages
of development, and there are many things that could be improved. i hope they'll find a way to polish things correctly. if they do,
this might be a potential game changer. we'll find out, sooner or later :good:
despite the anomalies that may occur (or do occur) i find the edge to be very useful. it really adds the edge (quite literally) to the functionality of
the note, which has been superb thus far, at least in most cases. last note i had (and still have) is the note II though.. two generations apart, and
several differences big enough to make these phones very alike in their own ways. all respect to the note II though.. quite the champ!
I would have opted for the Note Edge had case manufacturers stepped up their game in manufacturing cases for this gem. Also, I was a bit disgruntled when Samsung chose to go with a plastic frame instead of metal for the Note Edge. Hopefully the S6 and subsequent generation of Galaxy phones will all be streamlined into one manufacturing standard.
niqen said:
very true my friend. and yes, the edge is a new concept, at least in this format. S6 will also be available with a curved screen they say.
quite interested in seeing what changes they've made, if any, and how the display acts accordingly.
all these minor issues is evidently a biproduct of innovation. truthfully i must admit i'm quite impressed samsung
has the balls to step up their game and try out new things, even though this edge concept might still be in its early stages
of development, and there are many things that could be improved. i hope they'll find a way to polish things correctly. if they do,
this might be a potential game changer. we'll find out, sooner or later :good:
despite the anomalies that may occur (or do occur) i find the edge to be very useful. it really adds the edge (quite literally) to the functionality of
the note, which has been superb thus far, at least in most cases. last note i had (and still have) is the note II though.. two generations apart, and
several differences big enough to make these phones very alike in their own ways. all respect to the note II though.. quite the champ!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

My Casual Galaxy Note 4 First Impressions - Specs Not Included ;)

Hey guys! Just made my first impressions video on the Galaxy Note 4! Went a different route and didn't get into the obvious since it's not a full review, and just went into how it felt using the device for a short time.
Video link:
The Galaxy Note 4 - My Casual First Impressions: http://youtu.be/-FPV6Vlu0qg
Written:
The first thing you’re going to notice with the Galaxy Note 4 is it’s excellent build quality, rivaled by only a few phones. Having owned a Note 3 and being satisfied with it’s fake metal banding, once you get a phone with this kind of build quality you really realize what you were missing out on. Holding it gives you a very premium feel in your hand which is awesome. Even with the chamfered edges, it’s still comfortable to hold. I’d say it feels better and more substantial in your hand than that of the LG G3 even with it being quite a bit larger.
------
The display on this is my favorite. Displaymate also says this is the most accurate display on the market today. One thing I missed from using phones with an LCD display, is when the background is black.. the pixels are still lit up. As we all know, this is not the case with samsung phones and the blacks are purely black and really make the images pop. Oh, and for all the people that complain and say the screen it too vibrant? You realize you basically have a TV in your pocket, right? Go to the settings and CHANGE it do a different mode. Cinema mode is what seems to be the most accurate.
------
The back, still being faux leather, still feels very nice in the hand and personally.. I like a plastic back. When I owned the HTC One I was way to scared to set that thing down without a case because I didn’t want to either, A, mess up the screen. Or B, mess up the nice metal backing. Not to mention in the winter it can get quite cold to the touch and just isn’t worth the trade-off to me.
------
Performance on this thing is just incredible. Now I don’t like stock launchers. Even with the Nexus 6 I will be putting Nova launcher on it. So all of that “touchwiz lag” people talk about, I’ve yet to see it no this phone while with my Note 3, the first day you could notice it right off that bat with certain things. Keep in mind, switching the launcher only changes your homescreen, touchwiz is still everywhere else. But.. it’s a lot better than it was.
------
One thing that I’ve noticed with this phone and that can get quite annoying is the feature to minimize whatever screen you’re on. It’s a really nice feature, but I find myself accidentally activating it all the time when trying to go to my notification tray. I like to swipe down from the corner, and now that is how you minimize the app. So, I now have to adjust a bit and make sure I’m not hitting the corner exactly.
------
One thing I didn't plan on mentioning with this phone was the whole "gapgate" issue. Because to me, while I could see very clearly in videos that there is some sort of gap, I figured it wouldn't effect anything on a day-to-day basis, if at all. That was until today.
I took my phone out of my pockets (it's the weekend, I'm wearing only sweats and casual clothes), and sure enough.. there was lint or something at the top of the display. So I had to actually take a receipt I had laying around to dig it out because sadly, my nails would not suffice.
------
Conclusion:
Other than the small gripe I have with the minimizing the window and the.. I'm not even sure if it should be a big deal to me or not, gap issue, this phone is absolutely incredible.
However, if you're ready for an upgrade, wait until the Nexus 6 is out officially before deciding on whether you should get this, the Nexus 6, or for you Verizon folk, the Droid Turbo.
nice video
appreciate your input, good video!
Turn off multi window if you don't use it and it won't minimize window
You can turn of the swipe to minimize gesture but still keep multi window on but you'll have to activate it by holding the back button

U8: Is it a clone or no?

I got one of these cheap smart watches in a goodie bag at a presentation I went to today and I am honestly not sure if it's the real deal or not.
I have done a decent bit of research on how to tell if it's legit or not and it really has a fair mix of qualities from both columns.
The aspects from the Fake side:
-The watch is white, but the bezel around the screen is black
-The watch band is not textured and has the seam appearance as those in the images including the raised edges and has a slight smell
-I cannot locate the About screen
-The wake/sleep/power button is plastic white and not silver
-It has Welcome/Boot and Byebye/shutdown with what appears to be the Nexus multi colored X instead of the plain background
The aspects from the legit side:
-The bezel of the glass is tight around the edges
-The colors of the apps appear to be similar and bright
-It has the alarm, stopwatch, and power saving mode
-It comes with a dozen or more languages built in instead of just Chinese and English
Here are some that are in the grey:
-Packaging comes with the analog watch face, but only says "Smart Watch Bluetooth Watchinternational" and a blank backing
-The back plate of the watch has no markings what so ever aside from a single dot that I conclude to be a speaker
What it's feeling like to me is that I might have a somewhat legit Frankenstein referb. But there's just enough janky elements of the UI to leave me suspicious. That and I am not sure if it's normal, but the touch responsiveness isn't really all that great. Ideally I'd like to get this guy flashed with something better. But I need to figure out what I am dealing with first.
Aside from the forum posts I'd read through, here are some references to the real/fake comparisons that I mention above.
http://www.radioddity.com/us/blog/u8/
http://image1.geekbuying.com/content_pic/201408/20140825150231327.jpg
Bump
U8 Clone or no
Sacrifusion said:
I got one of these cheap smart watches in a goodie bag at a presentation I went to today and I am honestly not sure if it's the real deal or not.
I have done a decent bit of research on how to tell if it's legit or not and it really has a fair mix of qualities from both columns.
The aspects from the Fake side:
-The watch is white, but the bezel around the screen is black
-The watch band is not textured and has the seam appearance as those in the images including the raised edges and has a slight smell
-I cannot locate the About screen
-The wake/sleep/power button is plastic white and not silver
-It has Welcome/Boot and Byebye/shutdown with what appears to be the Nexus multi colored X instead of the plain background
The aspects from the legit side:
-The bezel of the glass is tight around the edges
-The colors of the apps appear to be similar and bright
-It has the alarm, stopwatch, and power saving mode
-It comes with a dozen or more languages built in instead of just Chinese and English
Here are some that are in the grey:
-Packaging comes with the analog watch face, but only says "Smart Watch Bluetooth Watchinternational" and a blank backing
-The back plate of the watch has no markings what so ever aside from a single dot that I conclude to be a speaker
What it's feeling like to me is that I might have a somewhat legit Frankenstein referb. But there's just enough janky elements of the UI to leave me suspicious. That and I am not sure if it's normal, but the touch responsiveness isn't really all that great. Ideally I'd like to get this guy flashed with something better. But I need to figure out what I am dealing with first.
Aside from the forum posts I'd read through, here are some references to the real/fake comparisons that I mention above.
I am in the same boat as you except my touch seems to work fine. I am assuming I have a clone just by the fact mine has no writing on the back. I do have all the functions of the U8 (Four Screens and so on) and the quality seems good. The only reason I was looking to flash mine was some of the functions did not work with BT Notifications. I have now corrected this after looking through a very lengthy thread on upgrading the firmware and found this,
"Go to Play Store and search for Mediatek Smartdevice, install it and pair your phone to your U8 again. Now notification pushed to your U8 should have full message appear instead of telling you how many messages you have."
Now my watch even pushes information to Google fit on my phone. I have had this watch for over a year due to the BT Notification issues I stopped wearing it and now with the Mediatek app I am back to wearing it full time.
I hope this is of some use to you.
Have a great day !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Dotted pattern inside the screen anyone?

Hey guys,
purchased a s7 edge at a local t mobile store on 3/11 when the BOGO deal started and I was surprised to find something I can only describe as a dotted pattern inside the screen. At first I thought maybe it had something to do with the screen/glass technology, but the more I think about it, the less sense it makes. I can only see it on bright backgrounds, for example while surfing or at the standard, green/blue background. It looks like two really( like number 11 shaped), really small dots running diagonally up to the right. These two dots are all over the screen and it looks like they're almost forming a pattern. I literally have them everywhere, but make no mistake, this isn't scratches or just some random defect with the screen. It looks like they're meant to be there. I can only see these dots if I look put the phone up really close to my eyes and if I actually look for them. I've asked two others of my friends and both of them could see them easily after looking for a couple of seconds. Now, daily, this isn't an issue, but I was considering picking up the Gear VR for the S7and I cannot imagine it WON'T pose a problem once you get up close with the lenses the Gear VR provides.
Anyway, question time: Are there anyone out there that has noticed the same thing? Or are your S7Edge display flawless and free from a 2-dot pattern? :/ should I call for an exchange as its been for only 4 days. They have 14 days return policy. PLEASE Advise me. THANKS
Nope[emoji45]
Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Hi as the devices are out in the German speaking countries, some initial comments from my side. I am coming from different devices including Fold 1, N20U and the one with the i, just as a background. My main daily driver in the last 12 months was the Fold 1 which I absolutely loved, that's why I ordered the Fold 2 on the first day.
- Overall a real 2.0 version of a 1.0 product I loved. A lot of improvements
- The small screen is a lot better, I was using the small Fold 1 screen quite often and liked also typing on it, as I swype heavily, and the short distances make it really quick. That advantadge is still there, but smaller, on the other side typing of words which you can't swype like passwords is easier now due to the additional screen real estate.
- The quality of the small screen has significantly improved from my point of view in terms of brightness and clarity
- I hated the small screen for only being able to arrange three apps in the permanent row at the bottom, and it is 5 now! Big improvement
- Audio is incredible, I also had the Mi10 which was the king in that category from my point of view, Fold2 equal or better. Incredible loud. Don't forget to turn Atmos on.
- I treated the Fold 1 very carefully for a couple of weeks, until I found out that nothing happens - actually my 1 year old Fold 1 is in best condition although handled like any other phone. I am in the same phase now with the Fold 2 - I am worried
- I have the Aramid standing cover and I don't like it. It looks cheap and covers only a part of the device, additionally it is more instable on a desk than without it. I am planning to switch to the leather cover
- Training the face recognition is so incredibly fast (1-2 seconds) that I think this cannot be save....
- You have to switch the large display to tablet mode in order to get tabs in the browser or multi window in outlook, this setting is only visible if you have the display open. Took me time to find it. Only then the large inner display makes real sense
- I am a heavy user of the small display and mainly use the large one for media consumption, which results in something like 60/40 usage small/big. With this setup, the battery seems to be fantastic, although to early to provide any detail. The German magazine CHIP made exactly that test and came to incredible runtime with the small display.
- The haptic of the whole thing made a big step forward compared to fold 1, especially the hinge. Real great feeling.
- Not really a dealbreaker, but strange: The flashlight is the weakest I had on a phone for years
- I am everything but an expert for smartphone cameras, more the point and shoot average user. Photo quality seems great to me, but look for better experts to talk about that. The usability is great, fast and responsive
- Generally, same comment applies to N20U and S20U, I think the OneUI made big steps forward in the last two years. Especially looking at the whole eco system with watch and earbuds, the whole user experience is now really great and close to an other phone (can' remember the name, someting with an i as far as I remember)
This are my initial impressions. I am happy with my purchase up to now.
Digging the Samsung Notes app on the big screen. Obviously doesn't support S-Pen but finger writing works surprisingly well.
Sent from my SM-F916U using Tapatalk
So after 5 days, thoughts...
First of all, the delivery was surprisingly on time, (never bought directly from Samsung Germany before) so that was a good start with the experience.
I wasn't overly impressed with the unboxing though. But still, unwrapping the warnings of was a good feeling. Then closing the device for the first time was a "wooow" moment. Coming from the Fold, that hinge feels so sturdy and worthy. I guess I played around, opened , closed the device for a minute or 2 before booting up the device.
It's screen protector in and outside are perfectly fine for the moment. The inside feels a bit "rubbery" and cheapish if I may say so, but it does the job fine.
The big screen is bright enough and clear enough for the everyday use. Regarding the flex mode, I do not give much about it. It's not mature enough yet to use it fully IMHO.
The outer screen, geez I use it a lot. I already used it quit often on the original Fold, but this upgrade is an enlightening. One hand usage, swiping my messages away. A quick look at social media is lovely, reading quickly any article is OK.
The build in general is sturdy, mature and a joy. I have the Mystic Black version. No need to tell anyone it's a fingerprint magnet. It's slippery as well.
And that's what annoys me a bit. I don't care they didn't put any extras in it this time. I mean, you just spend 2000 euro/dollar on a device. Then 60 Euro shouldn't be that big of a problem either. But they should've had it available in shops, online etc to get a case, cause you want to protect it, and this Mystic Black version is slippery as an eel.
I need a case or skin for this version.
But the conclusion is, samsung nailed it, to give us a 2000 euro experience, that feels like a 2000 euro device.
Did I need they phone? No, do I wanted the phone? Yes. But can I go back to a "normal" phone after 2 generations of foldable phones? Probably, but difficult it'll be...
After heavily utilizing my Mystic Black Fold 2 for a weekend, here are some of my thoughts below. I'll try not to repeat common things that I've read here or seen in reviews, but overall, I'm loving this device and having a pocketable large screen!
- The narrower front screen is surprisingly easy to type on, even without swiping. I have nubs for thumbs and I was shocked that I wasn't producing typos left and right.
- The visibility outside for both screens is pretty good, though the inside screen suffers from high reflectivity when outside in the sun. It doesn't affect you as much if you're looking straight on and slightly closing the hinge to angle the display helps.
- This device is so slippery it continually falls out of my pocket when I get in my car or sit at an angle. Where are you Fold 2 cases?! So far no damage but there have been a couple close calls.
- I have tried to be extra careful with this device but the inside screen protector is scratched up. I only notice it at certain angles under bright light but it makes me sad. I'm tempted to remove the inside screen protector but I'm not sure the ultra thin glass would hold up any better.
- The power button is a bit awkwardly placed for my hands and I found that I was constantly swiping up/down on it by accident which opened/closed the notification shade so I turned off that gesture.
- Speaking of that power button, it's tough to feel the button when attempting to scan my fingerprint but that could be due to me being used to face unlock with my iPhone 11 Pro and Pixel 4XL. I'm sure this will become more natural over time and the fingerprint scanner is mighty quick.
- I haven't found many widgets I like as they're not yet optimized for the screens (this includes some of the Samsung apps which surprised me). Many take up a lot of room on my homepages but then have small/compressed text/images. Hope this improves over time.
- I love the ability to be able to have multiple apps open but I initially got confused (and frustrated) with the Android split screen multi-tasking. I hope to be able to take advantage of this more as I use the phone.
- Very minor gripe but I wish there were more stock live wallpapers like how Google provides with their Pixels.
- Not sure if anyone else is encountering this but when I open to the bigger screen, there's a click that happens if I press down on the hinge on a bit. I found that opening to the larger screen by applying more pressure with the tips of both thumbs prevents this.
- Sometimes I get "disoriented" over which screen orientation I'm on when using the larger screen (i.e. is it currently in portrait or landscape?).
- When I have the device open in landscape, I like to keep the speakers on top both to project the sound a bit better and b/c the back half with the camera is a bit more grippy compared with the front screen (I took off the front screen protector).
- Haven't had any issues using Samsung Pay with this device.
- This device is amazing when you're out shopping with a significant other and need to keep the kids entertained with the large screen and loud-ish speakers!
Needs a TOTAL makeover!
I love it yeahhh!
My absolutely favorite phone is ... Nokia e90 Comunicator. I had this 3 times ln the past. Still have one Nokia e7 in perfect condition. I had also Htc Z . My first Android. I love foldables because... I love it, just love this Wow effect and of course more functionality. Bar phones looking like soaps. Even bigger and bigger Soaps!
propov8 said:
I love it yeahhh!
My absolutely favorite phone is ... Nokia e90 Comunicator. I had this 3 times ln the past. Still have one Nokia e7 in perfect condition. I had also Htc Z . My first Android. I love foldables because... I love it, just love this Wow effect and of course more functionality. Bar phones looking like soaps. Even bigger and bigger Soaps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Love the Nokia Communicator. And even flashbacks to the Psion Organiser that I still have in a drawer somewhere.

Categories

Resources