Database Users

My opinion of Galaxy Note

I've owned the Note for about one and a half day now, and thought I'd share my opinions which can be useful for those looking to get this phone. Feel free to ask me any questions, and if you want me to try some game(paid or free) I'll give it a shot as long as the game is worth it. I love buying games, bought like 5 new ones today .
I gotta say, I knew this was gonna be big but it turned out to be bigger than I ever imagined. It really cannot be used with a single hand without the risk of dropping it, but it feels great using it with two hands. I love it's big screen and it has a good amount of real estate for all kinds of app needs. It definitely fits comfortably in my pocket. The screen quality is great, the pixel density is enough for me to not notice any pixels and the color reproduction is great.
I was kind of disappointing with the build quality of Galaxy S, but this feels quite better. The metal casing on the edges and the rubbery back case feels really good and solid in hands, the weight is about right as well.
The S-Pen is a nice addition and it's quite accurate. Even the handwriting recognition is actually useful, it's able to recognize my handwriting fairly accurately with enough speed to be a suitable alternative for typing in. The quick memo and gestures make for a nice addition, I suck at drawing but my sister could draw a decent scenery out of it. So it's a fun addition. Other S Choice apps use the pen quite nicely and the ability to draw on screenshots and pictures is a very fun and useful addition.
I gotta say, it's not all lagless. But the lag isn't that annoying, most of the time it's during transitions. Browser is smooth on most of the websites but does redraw quite frequently on big websites, although it redraws quick. I feel that this is due to not taking advantage of the hardware properly and mostly due to software, the case which is with most Samsung's phones until they release fixes for it so I'm not too worried about that.
The hardware is amazing, it sports one of the(if not the) fastest SoC in Android world and it shows when gaming. Not only did any game I threw at it ran fine, even Tegra HD games running through Chainfire 3D looked and ran buttery smooth. Games like Shadowgun, Dungeon Defenders, Galaxy On Fire 2 THD, Samurai 2 THD had no problems.
The camera seems quite great, it is more or less like the SGS2, the video recording is quite good as well. For anyone who's curious, 1080p at superfine records at 18mbps. GPS seems good as well although I haven't tried it while driving, it did fix awfully fast(I had a fix before Maps completed the transition and was opened).
I'll keep updating this thread with new findings/experiences. I still have to try GPS properly, office use, continuous high end gaming, observe battery life, and other stuff I'm missing.
UPDATE :
Game's MSAA with Chainfire 3D comparison
Okay, you can find pictures of Shadowgun and Samurai II : Vengeance(Both THD) in my flickr set here. As the filename suggests, auto is set to automatic MSAA, 4x is 4xMSAA and 16x is 16xMSAA. I can't really see noticible improvement in both the games as the PPI is quite a lot, but I guess on tablets it can make a good difference. While 4xMSAA was not being taxing, 16xMSAA made Shadowgun and Samurai II lag quite a lot. Let me know if you guys want any more game's comparisons.
My take on Note's Audio
I tested audio with 320kbps MP3s and a pair of decent ~80$ earbuds, I'm no audiophile but I love an occasional song or so. I'd say that Note can be a decent daily MP3 player, but it's nothing out of the ordinary, the Galaxy S sounds a bit better in my opinion with same MP3 and earbuds but it's nothing earth shattering. All in all, it's a fairly nice package and unless you're very serious about top notch audio it shouldn't cause any problems.
Some S-Note demos
Thought these can be beneficial for those who are looking to buy Note for it's notemaking capabilities. Sorry for my absolutely crappy handwriting, plus I'm not very used to writing on the note.
You can view it here

I'm big on games to, how does the extra resolution look compared to the older galaxy?

Quite great, it feels much better. Plus Note is able to handle some very high end games that don't work properly on Galaxy S. Presuming the games scale well, I had some that didn't and that kinda sucked.

Could you download Zynga Poker from the market & trill me off all buttons look normal....screen scaling. I used to own a Dell Streak & some apps didn't work will with the big screen.

I'm quite interested in this device, however there are 2 major points for me, which will make me pass on this one.
1. How is that useful as a real note taking. I know I can draw stuff with it but let's say I've got to copy a half of A4 page containing text and some schematics.
Now I know it would be impossible to fit it on one s-memo page, so is there anything to create additional page and link/organize it? I don't want to look for the necessary contents longer than necessary.
2. Is it enough to serve as a MP3 player despite having infamous Yamaha DAC? I'm not audiophile and I don't want to be one, however I like to listen to music from time to time.

ronj1986 said:
Could you download Zynga Poker from the market & trill me off all buttons look normal....screen scaling. I used to own a Dell Streak & some apps didn't work will with the big screen.
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Works quite well.

Niuseek said:
I'm quite interested in this device, however there are 2 major points for me, which will make me pass on this one.
1. How is that useful as a real note taking. I know I can draw stuff with it but let's say I've got to copy a half of A4 page containing text and some schematics.
Now I know it would be impossible to fit it on one s-memo page, so is there anything to create additional page and link/organize it? I don't want to look for the necessary contents longer than necessary.
2. Is it enough to serve as a MP3 player despite having infamous Yamaha DAC? I'm not audiophile and I don't want to be one, however I like to listen to music from time to time.
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1. It takes some getting used to, there is a bit of delay when the software actually recognizes your stroke which can be a bit annoying plus it takes a bit of practice to avoid hitting the back button. But it's accurate enough to serve as a real notepad. You can create additional pages from within the memo and it groups them together as a pile. Although they are not organizable from what I could tell. Evernote comes free with this(I think) and it may have more advanced note making capabilities.
2. From what I could tell, it's sound quality is good enough even in the loudspeaker. I'm no audiophile and I can't be one but it sounded decent enough for everyday usage.

The sound quality with the earbuds,how do you think is it?there is a thread here on this forum which doesnt seem to like it.Thats the only thing which is stoping me from getting it.
I should mention that my Galaxy tab 10.1 has a great sound quality so I dont know why shouldnt this as well.

hagba said:
The sound quality with the earbuds,how do you think is it?there is a thread here on this forum which doesnt seem to like it.Thats the only thing which is stoping me from getting it.
I should mention that my Galaxy tab 10.1 has a great sound quality so I dont know why shouldnt this as well.
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Honestly I haven't tried the sound via earbuds yet, I'll try it tomorrow and get back to you guys.

Dragooon123 said:
2. From what I could tell, it's sound quality is good enough even in the loudspeaker. I'm no audiophile and I can't be one but it sounded decent enough for everyday usage.
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Sorry, I've forgot to mention that I'm interested in headphones audio quality (If you've got any). I'm looking for anything that you wouldn't expect from an average phone.

Niuseek said:
Sorry, I've forgot to mention that I'm interested in headphones audio quality (If you've got any). I'm looking for anything that you wouldn't expect from an average phone.
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I''ll let you know soon.

Are you rooted? does 4xMSAA or 16xMSAA work on Chainfire 3d?

Yes I'm rooted and it seems to work.

Would u be so kind to post screenshots of gaming with normal, 4xMSAA, and 16xMSAA.. Like so http://www.jayceooi.com/tag/opengl/

Okay, I'll try to do that tomorrow.

I would like to ask u few questions if u dont mind : p and im sorry if some of them been asked before but im just a skeptic guy haha
1// Hows the Sound of the phone? is it Loud? Clear? Crispy/No Noise? and how bout using the headphones? u could say im an audiophile and music is a big part of my life so it matters alot to me
2// Hows The Camera? is it Better than S2 ? or at least like S2? hows the video too? The Voice Recorder? and does that lag happen alot? did it bother u for any moment? Oh and Hows the Wifi signal/ Workin on it?
Thanks!

and what about battery life?, is it true what engadget writes of 9 hours playing video??????? (http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/28/samsung-galaxy-note-review/)

Dragooon123 said:
I've owned the Note for about one and a half day now, and thought I'd share my opinions which can be useful for those looking to get this phone. Feel free to ask me any questions, and if you want me to try some game(paid or free) I'll give it a shot as long as the game is worth it. I love buying games, bought like 5 new ones today .
I gotta say, I knew this was gonna be big but it turned out to be bigger than I ever imagined. It really cannot be used with a single hand without the risk of dropping it, but it feels great using it with two hands. I love it's big screen and it has a good amount of real estate for all kinds of app needs. It definitely fits comfortably in my pocket. The screen quality is great, the pixel density is enough for me to not notice any pixels and the color reproduction is great.
I was kind of disappointing with the build quality of Galaxy S, but this feels quite better. The metal casing on the edges and the rubbery back case feels really good and solid in hands, the weight is about right as well.
The S-Pen is a nice addition and it's quite accurate. Even the handwriting recognition is actually useful, it's able to recognize my handwriting fairly accurately with enough speed to be a suitable alternative for typing in. The quick memo and gestures make for a nice addition, I suck at drawing but my sister could draw a decent scenery out of it. So it's a fun addition. Other S Choice apps use the pen quite nicely and the ability to draw on screenshots and pictures is a very fun and useful addition.
I gotta say, it's not all lagless. But the lag isn't that annoying, most of the time it's during transitions. Browser is smooth on most of the websites but does redraw quite frequently on big websites, although it redraws quick. I feel that this is due to not taking advantage of the hardware properly and mostly due to software, the case which is with most Samsung's phones until they release fixes for it so I'm not too worried about that.
The hardware is amazing, it sports one of the(if not the) fastest SoC in Android world and it shows when gaming. Not only did any game I threw at it ran fine, even Tegra HD games running through Chainfire 3D looked and ran buttery smooth. Games like Shadowgun, Dungeon Defenders, Galaxy On Fire 2 THD, Samurai 2 THD had no problems.
The camera seems quite great, it is more or less like the SGS2, the video recording is quite good as well. For anyone who's curious, 1080p at superfine records at 18mbps. GPS seems good as well although I haven't tried it while driving, it did fix awfully fast(I had a fix before Maps completed the transition and was opened).
I'll keep updating this thread with new findings/experiences. I still have to try GPS properly, office use, continuous high end gaming, observe battery life, and other stuff I'm missing.
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could you please tell me how and where you got the games you mentioned in your post. According to android market they are not compatible with galaxy note. I happened to be a proud owner of galaxy note as well. I want this games. Thanks in advance.

anney said:
could you please tell me how and where you got the games you mentioned in your post. According to android market they are not compatible with galaxy note. I happened to be a proud owner of galaxy note as well. I want this games. Thanks in advance.
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You have to root your phone first, then install chainfire 3d on your phone. If you need more information look it up on google.
Disclaimer! Rooting your phone will void your warranty.

Note got the same sound hardware like a SGSII.
So the sound is perfect....but all Samsungs got bad headphones! !!!! U need to change it for sure...
I got senheiser cx55 and it gives me perfect sound.
Best regards.

My Review of the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition)

I purchased the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) from amazon two weeks ago with overnight shipping. I received it the next day and was impressed by the build quality, except, the right side speaker is slightly loose. I did not notice it was loose until I read another post here saying they had a loose speaker and many others started to find out that theirs was too. Other than that, everyone was perfectly constructed.
When I turned it on for the first time everything was fast and fluid, even with Samsung's TouchWiz and all the other bloaty widgets and apps they come with. I have to say, Samsung can really make a polished piece of hardware, but that is where they should stop, unless they are going to invest a much larger amount of energy in to developing their software platforms. I have the Galaxy S4 as my phone, and now the Galaxy Note 10.1 Tablet, and I always love everything about the Samsung products except for almost 100% of the software they develop... but I will get in to that a little later.
One of the big reasons that I chose this over other Samsung tablets to be my first tablet since I got an Archos Internet Tablet (in 2008 or 9 ), well besides the obviously beastly processor and RAM, was because it had the physical button on the frame and a software digital button. I know a lot of users here and elsewhere hate the physical button, but I don't understand why when you are just wasting space on your screen when the frame of your device would have been actual wasted space without the button. I've used the Galaxy Tab 2 10inch and one of my biggest annoyances was the on-screen buttons because I use the app Splashtop to remotely control my PC, and those damn software navigation buttons always got in the way.
Anyways, on to other things, this thing is fast and powerful. 20-25 apps running in the background and no slow down of any noticeable amount. After a few days though, TouchWiz started lagging tremendously whether there were any apps running or not. Now I've replaced the stock TouchWiz with Nova Launcher Prime, and the Lock Screen with WidgetLocker, and never have I seen any lag on this device since. Plays large, HD quality games like FIFA 14 perfectly.
The S-Pen is actually really cool and I'm a fanatic about productivity and some of the features related to the S-Pen are really great when trying to be productive. It has a feature that lets you scrap book any video, image, text, area of the screen, etc. that I use often to research certain topics and bring them together. Action memo allows me to write down an address that someone is telling me over the phone, then circle it with S-Pen and it will pull up gMaps to direct me there automatically. It was a little strange getting used to writing on a tablet though but now it feels as fluid as if I were writing with a real pen.
I have to say something about the graphical quality of the screen though. It is beautiful, and I have not seen a better quality screen for such a device ever before. The resolution is higher than my Desktop PCs and it definitely shows. It is definitely better than even the iPad Air that I went to check out a couple days ago. Apparently this factor alone is the reason that this Dual-Quad-Core tablet requires that much processor, but that's fine with me.
The Note came with a host of perks such as a $25 Google Play gift card, a $50 Samsung Hub credit, Hulu+, Newsweek, premium "wifi hotspot" membership for 18 months and more that I won't every use. This brings me back to my biggest downfall with Samsung though. They give me $50 to spend on the Samsung Hub (Their version of the Play Store) and when I go there, everything is either junk, already pre-installed on my device, or just something I'm not interested in. I really wanted to use the Samsung Credit to buy some Tech E-Books through their book store and use the Play Store credit for apps/games, but their store only has about 25 tech-related books! So when I decide I won't be buying any books there and try to get some apps and games, half of the decent games worth buying take me directly to the Play Store instead. I feel like I may have this Samsung Credit for a while..
But getting less free stuff than I wanted is not going to detract even 1 star from this bad ass hog. Overall the thing is more powerful than any tablet in its price range, has the highest quality video capabilities, comes with a unique S-Pen that other tablets just don't have, and is a Droid!
:good: 4.5/5 is what my rating would have to be, because they have created a great tablet, and could have got a full 5/5 if they just polished and worked on their software platforms until completion.
Hopin to get KitKat Soon, came stock with 4.3. Thanks for reading.

Great Review
Awesome post mate.

Nice to read something positive.

Nice review
I must agree too , this is Samsungs most polished Tablet to date ..

ryancstl23 said:
I feel like I may have this Samsung Credit for a while..
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Nice review.
Unlike Google $25, Samsung $50 expires after 90 days. I myself haven't found a book or app worth spending this credit on.

There are some good documentaries in movies
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

my opinion
.I'm using my note for 1 week now...
I've got the 16g wi fi version.
I ve got the 16 bec ause that was the only one available at the store and since there wo n't be any model available in my country soon and I was travelling in the US I, ve decided to buy this on with a 32g sd card.
So far everything is fine, stock configuration and beginning to do some customizations.
My previous tablet was the asus tf300 wich was stolen.
My first concearn was about the 16g of storage....Yes it's small but since I'm moving all available apps and files to sd card everything is working ok. Can't notice any difference between sd or internal apps running.
The s pen is awesome. the kind of thing that you just know you need it only after you get it. Much easier and accurate navigation through the tablet with it.
The multi screen function is also awesome. no need to exit one browser to see other one again....
The only thing that bothers me , and that's not a only Samsung fault, is the amout of pre installed apps.
I was waiting for the tf701 and the new nexus 10.....wich won't be available here either. ... Since both weren't available I've decided for the Samsung.
I'm a regular user, the main use is for reading aircraft manuals and articles and using some life easing and time saving apps...and so far I'm happy with my choice.the tablet is doing its job.
I read lots of reviews and comparisons and my conclusion is that when premium tablet is the concearn. ..regular every day users like me , any pick is a good pick.....Is pretty much like buying a premium sports car.... some will prefer Ferrari some lamborgini and others Porches but either one will be a great choice.

@luizfpg Nice review and also sounds like your a fellow Aircraft Engineer :good:

Geordie Affy said:
@luizfpg Nice review and also sounds like your a fellow Aircraft Engineer :good:
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Pilot actually cheers. ...

luizfpg said:
Pilot actually cheers. ...
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Oh go away then

How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?

nit3hawk said:
How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?
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That's a point where I'm not very satisfied. I think that me battery drains faster than it shoud. I use the device basically with wi fi on all the time right now my battery is low but latter after charging I'll reply with time time availability shown with 100%.

I think the battery is one of the few areas of honest disappointment. I don't like Android devices that make you do a lot of discovery to find battery drain culprits, or hold a charge quite as well as you'd expect. That's one area where I blame the TouchWiz skin on this tablet.
You were right to highlight the screen, it's absolutely phenomenal. It's far better than my Nexus 10 which was something. It outclasses my iPad as well, it's not just clear it has beautiful color reproduction. It's a bit heavier than I expected after reviews, and my home button is sticky. Besides that it's well made.
It's funny though, I can't say without a doubt I'd recommend it to people if it weren't for the S-Pen usage. The SPen on this is incredible, it works better than you'd think if you have no experience with it. No lag, good software tied in with it, it's the real deal as far as having a virtual notebook. That's why I bought it and why I love it so far. Take that away and the TouchWiz skin seems so unnecessary in so many ways. As someone who uses a Note 3 everyday, this clearly isn't as fast or slick, but it has the real estate. Interesting device.

nit3hawk said:
How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?
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I don't have an precise answer for that but I followed some of the advices from the battery saving thread and the battery is actually lasting longer.

luizfpg said:
I don't have an precise answer for that but I followed some of the advices from the battery saving thread and the battery is actually lasting longer.
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I have had mine for only a couple of days, and it's great except for the battery life. I also followed the advise on the battery saving thread, and seems to help.

nit3hawk said:
How long does the device last between charge? Can you share some lights on your usage too?
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Battery life about 10 hours medium usage with full-brightness. I drain the battery pretty quick though playing games on it and watching hulu..
I feel like my friends older Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 gets better battery life, but then again he always has the brightness to a minimum. I always max the brightness because its just too good looking.
By the way another thing I love about this tablet vs the Galaxy Tabs is that it uses the standard android MicroUSB charger instead of a fat proprietary looking one that doesn't charge any of my other devices.

ddavtian said:
Nice review.
Unlike Google $25, Samsung $50 expires after 90 days. I myself haven't found a book or app worth spending this credit on.
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I believe it can also be used on movies and music.

S2 watch or Gear VR if don't see 3D really well?

Does the Gear VR work like 3D movies? I have a hard time seeing 3d since I'm legally blind in my left eye(I can see, just not fine detail.), but I've gotten to where I can see it some. Will this be an issue with the VR? I'm trying to decide on which one. if the watch had built in gps I would probably get it hands down, but I'm undecided now.

Yes it works the same way, it wont work for you if you are blind in one eye unfortunately.
I have the Gear S and Gear S2 the Gear S has inbuilt GPS but the Gear S2 uses you phone for GPS.

regnighc said:
Yes it works the same way, it wont work for you if you are blind in one eye unfortunately.
I have the Gear S and Gear S2 the Gear S has inbuilt GPS but the Gear S2 uses you phone for GPS.
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3D movies can come in a few different varieties. The Gear VR does in fact rely on having two eyes. But the OP could still experience part of the experience. Consider that if he is legally blind in one eye - his perception of the REGULAR real world is also through one eye. The Gear VR tries to imitate this by simulating two "eyes" - so yes if I as a normal vision person close on eye it might suck...but for somebody who is used to one eye vision it might be fine.
The 3D movies at IMAX theaters with the goggles are not for example the same technology. I'm not sure you can outright say that it won't work for him. Plus, just having a Gear VR can block out outside vision hence giving the illusion that you are in the VR environment. It might just not "pop" like it would for others.

WeatherTech said:
3D movies can come in a few different varieties. The Gear VR does in fact rely on having two eyes. But the OP could still experience part of the experience. Consider that if he is legally blind in one eye - his perception of the REGULAR real world is also through one eye. The Gear VR tries to imitate this by simulating two "eyes" - so yes if I as a normal vision person close on eye it might suck...but for somebody who is used to one eye vision it might be fine.
The 3D movies at IMAX theaters with the goggles are not for example the same technology. I'm not sure you can outright say that it won't work for him. Plus, just having a Gear VR can block out outside vision hence giving the illusion that you are in the VR environment. It might just not "pop" like it would for others.
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Very true but I don't think it would permit a depth of field effect would it?

I'm having a hard time deciding on which to get. So I'm thinking just get the watch and maybe buy the vr since it's much cheaper?
Also, to give more info, my left eye is considered a lazy eye, but it doesn't wonder around.

regnighc said:
Very true but I don't think it would permit a depth of field effect would it?
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I'm totally in agreement with you that the OP probably wouldn't get as much enjoyment out of the VR as you or I might. But I'd definitely lean towards the one eye blind thing being not as big of an issue since he's used to one eye vision in regular world.

interesting question.
From what I undestand of Oculus tech you are getting two continuous and simultaneous visual streams per eye, just one specific to each eye. Both probably at 30 or 60 fps.
The 3d movie tech varies a bit but the biggest difference I can see is the lower frame rate as the movie can still only project at a single fps (say 24 standard film, maybe 30 or 60 for digital projection - I don't know), so in the cinema the 3d viewing is (probably) at half frame rate (e.t. 15 or 30 fps) which strangely enough the human visual processing is probably very sensitive to.
Maybe OP could try it out somewhere before buying?

Get the watch, eBay it, take your $200 income and buy Gear VR for $100 (or less). Take $100 profit and give it to me.

C0derbear said:
interesting question.
From what I undestand of Oculus tech you are getting two continuous and simultaneous visual streams per eye, just one specific to each eye. Both probably at 30 or 60 fps.
The 3d movie tech varies a bit but the biggest difference I can see is the lower frame rate as the movie can still only project at a single fps (say 24 standard film, maybe 30 or 60 for digital projection - I don't know), so in the cinema the 3d viewing is (probably) at half frame rate (e.t. 15 or 30 fps) which strangely enough the human visual processing is probably very sensitive to.
Maybe OP could try it out somewhere before buying?
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Not quite the same but OP could also try out a Google Cardboard unit too - doesn't have the software enhancements obviously - but would give an idea if it would be worth it.

jagrave said:
I'm having a hard time deciding on which to get. So I'm thinking just get the watch and maybe buy the vr since it's much cheaper?
Also, to give more info, my left eye is considered a lazy eye, but it doesn't wonder around.
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Hey OP, I did a little test and just wanted to feedback to you.
I decided to use my Gear VR with one eye closed and I was very surprised and how good it still looked, I suppose the biggest thing about VR is the immersion that comes from head tracking. I really suggest that you get a Gear VR I dont think you will have a drastically diminished experience.

just get the Gear s2 sell it for profit, buy VR for 100

VR headsets use the same biological principles as 3D movies at a theater, but they are different in the tech used to achieve the 3D effect. If you can see in 3D with both of your eyes in the reall world, it will work just the same with VR headsets.

regnighc said:
Hey OP, I did a little test and just wanted to feedback to you.
I decided to use my Gear VR with one eye closed and I was very surprised and how good it still looked, I suppose the biggest thing about VR is the immersion that comes from head tracking. I really suggest that you get a Gear VR I dont think you will have a drastically diminished experience.
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Thank you! I did go with the S5 watch, but I think I might buy the VR at a later time. It sounds really interesting and my son might have some fun with it too. He's 4, so idk if there is kid friendly games or not, but I'm sure I can find something. Even if it's just something on Netflix for him.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

And thank you everyone for replying and giving your feedback
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Alternating exotropia
Hey OP
I have a condition called alternating exotropia, and a lazy eye. I wear contacts/glasses.
Alternating exotropia means that I can only see out of one eye at a time, but i can choos3 which eye i want to look through and change from eye to eye at my whim the optometrist at the VA said she's never seen someone with as much control over it as I do but, control or no control, i can only see out of one eye at a time.
It explains why i SUCKED at sports, and was knocked out cold by a baseball thrown at me in little league. No true depth perception. No true 3D
My point is, I have a Gear VR, and it works just fine for me, if im not wearing my glasses or contacts i have to adjust the focus when i switch from one eye to the other, but thats the only bad thing.
It is absolutely no different from how I view the real world, and once I went to a 3D movie at IMAX. It was spiderman 2 or 3. It was also the cause of a major migraine.
But the Gear VR doesnt blur on me like that movie did. It can be used easily and still produce an amazed reaction even with someone who has a glass eye.

Has Anyone Here Tried Google's Daydream View With the A7 Yet?

I've read a lot of mixed info about it, including severe overheating, massive battery drain, limited functionality, etc. But those reviews were all old and for the Pixel/XL.
Has anyone here tried it out with the Axon 7 that can give their opinion on it? I've been considering it, now that Nougat is finally available, but at $113 CAD (yay taxes) that's a steep price for what appears to be a piece of cloth with bluetooth mini remote. As far as I know all the sensors and processing hardware are in the phone itself, unlike Samsung's VR headsets.

Cyrus D. said:
I've read a lot of mixed info about it, including severe overheating, massive battery drain, limited functionality, etc. But those reviews were all old and for the Pixel/XL.
Has anyone here tried it out with the Axon 7 that can give their opinion on it? I've been considering it, now that Nougat is finally available, but at $113 CAD (yay taxes) that's a steep price for what appears to be a piece of cloth with bluetooth mini remote. As far as I know all the sensors and processing hardware are in the phone itself, unlike Samsung's VR headsets.
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I have a daydream view and have been playing with it for a few weeks now. At first, it was underwhelming. A lot of the apps available are really gimicky. But, after taking the time to find apps that would suit me, I have really enjoyed it. I got the headset for 49 dollars when they went on sale recently, and I still feel like that price is a stretch. You are right, it really is just a couple of pieces of glass, cloth, and a bluetooth remote. There is a workaround, where you can use another phone as the remote and just use google cardboard for the viewing device. I did that at first, but it was difficult to use the phone as a controller, since you don't have the tactile feel of the buttons. As far as the phone goes, it gets pretty warm, Once, I made it to 53 degrees celsius. But, it didn't shut the phone down and that was a one-time thing. It hasn't been super warm since. I don't know if that helps.

BJHiltbrand said:
I have a daydream view and have been playing with it for a few weeks now. At first, it was underwhelming. A lot of the apps available are really gimicky. But, after taking the time to find apps that would suit me, I have really enjoyed it. I got the headset for 49 dollars when they went on sale recently, and I still feel like that price is a stretch. You are right, it really is just a couple of pieces of glass, cloth, and a bluetooth remote. There is a workaround, where you can use another phone as the remote and just use google cardboard for the viewing device. I did that at first, but it was difficult to use the phone as a controller, since you don't have the tactile feel of the buttons. As far as the phone goes, it gets pretty warm, Once, I made it to 53 degrees celsius. But, it didn't shut the phone down and that was a one-time thing. It hasn't been super warm since. I don't know if that helps.
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It does help, thanks. But I'm wondering, how long were you typical sessions, and what were you running?

Cyrus D. said:
It does help, thanks. But I'm wondering, how long were you typical sessions, and what were you running?
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I usually use it for 45 minutes to an hour. I really have just been playing around with all sorts of apps. Most of those sessions were in the Netflix VR app and in a game called Archer E. Bowman. I have also used it for non-daydream apps like litchi for flying my phantom drone. Interestingly enough, the time that the phone got really hot, I had it plugged in and was using a non-daydream app (roller coaster VR).
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using XDA Free mobile app

BJHiltbrand said:
I usually use it for 45 minutes to an hour. I really have just been playing around with all sorts of apps. Most of those sessions were in the Netflix VR app and in a game called Archer E. Bowman. I have also used it for non-daydream apps like litchi for flying my phantom drone. Interestingly enough, the time that the phone got really hot, I had it plugged in and was using a non-daydream app (roller coaster VR).
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using XDA Free mobile app
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Well it's not surprising at all that your phone was overheating considering you had it plugged in while using an app, nearly any phone would become really hot if you do that. These fast charging methods all (aside from Oppo/OnePlus's Dash Charging) do the voltage conversion in the phone, it's mind boggling how stupid that is, and yet that's how they work. Another thing that's infuriating to even think about is the internal design if you know what it is. I've seen an A7 taken apart and... it uses the BATTERY as a heatsink, yes the battery, the thing that degrades and loses maximum charge due to heat. The heat pipe is set up in a way to basically pass the SoC's heat directly to the battery.
So overall I guess what you're saying is good news, 45-60 mins typical usage and only overheating while having it plugged in is far better than all the reports I've seen about the Pixel/XL while using VR. Thanks once again.

I watched a two hour movie in two sessions, one with the phone plugged into a battery pack. It got warm, but nothing out of the ordinary. I would suggest the Full-size VR app for web browsing and viewing movies on the SD card.

The headset is definitely worth the money but the phone's power button is placed in the worst position possible - something that's true just for holding in the right hand as well!

got ours yesterday. Pretty interesting. very much in its infancy tho but you can see the potential. I agree about power button placement is a slight issue.
phone does get very warm. phone gave a warning once. I removed the case and that seemed to help. NOt really a big deal

I got the headset a couple of days ago because of the Nougat update, I've used it for playing games like need for speed VR and watching videos with YouTube VR and Skybox, also hooked it up to my PC to stream VR Games with trinus VR and such.
As someone who only had the original cardboard and then a cheap plastic headset, I'm in love with daydream, it doesn't compare at all to any full size VR like the Oculus or PlayStation VR but the quality is pretty good for a $50 device, I think it's worth it at this price.
On the performance side I was also worried because I've read the reviews and issues with the pixels but I have to say I'm amazed with the axon, it does get hot after a while but never had performance decrease, just a notification about the battery being hot, 53c (127f) was the highest I've had and that was after more than an hour of continuous VR usage. I was surprised that the phone cools down very quickly after exiting VR, ZTE has some great thermal management in this CPU, battery lasts long enough for my sessions of VR I've been getting like %25 drain for almost an hour in VR, so enough to watch a movie if at half battery most likely, but with QC 3.0 this is a none issue for me. People forget your phone is blasting away at full brightness, rendering 3D scenes with 3D positional audio while tracking every sensor and keeping an active low latency Bluetooth connection, NFC, a Cellphone connection and an Internet connection . I think it's pretty amazing.

Well there's only a single company selling the thing on Amazon which I never heard of but I said screw it and ordered it because there was only 1 white one left and it's my last day of Amazon Prime. Hopefully it doesn't stain too easily... and Xposed arrives soon because I'm not upgrading to Nougat until it does.
adampdx said:
I watched a two hour movie in two sessions, one with the phone plugged into a battery pack. It got warm, but nothing out of the ordinary. I would suggest the Full-size VR app for web browsing and viewing movies on the SD card.
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Sorry I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say Full-size VR app, as I said I'm waiting on Xposed before upgrading to Nougat so I can't install Daydream apps yet.
BritSwedeGuy said:
The headset is definitely worth the money but the phone's power button is placed in the worst position possible - something that's true just for holding in the right hand as well!
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chamilun said:
got ours yesterday. Pretty interesting. very much in its infancy tho but you can see the potential. I agree about power button placement is a slight issue.
phone does get very warm. phone gave a warning once. I removed the case and that seemed to help. NOt really a big deal
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Can't it just be placed in upside down so the strap doesn't press the power button?
rpsgrayfox said:
I got the headset a couple of days ago because of the Nougat update, I've used it for playing games like need for speed VR and watching videos with YouTube VR and Skybox, also hooked it up to my PC to stream VR Games with trinus VR and such.
As someone who only had the original cardboard and then a cheap plastic headset, I'm in love with daydream, it doesn't compare at all to any full size VR like the Oculus or PlayStation VR but the quality is pretty good for a $50 device, I think it's worth it at this price.
On the performance side I was also worried because I've read the reviews and issues with the pixels but I have to say I'm amazed with the axon, it does get hot after a while but never had performance decrease, just a notification about the battery being hot, 53c (127f) was the highest I've had and that was after more than an hour of continuous VR usage. I was surprised that the phone cools down very quickly after exiting VR, ZTE has some great thermal management in this CPU, battery lasts long enough for my sessions of VR I've been getting like %25 drain for almost an hour in VR, so enough to watch a movie if at half battery most likely, but with QC 3.0 this is a none issue for me. People forget your phone is blasting away at full brightness, rendering 3D scenes with 3D positional audio while tracking every sensor and keeping an active low latency Bluetooth connection, NFC, a Cellphone connection and an Internet connection . I think it's pretty amazing.
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Thanks for the detailed info. 53C should be perfectly fine, funny that's exactly what the first person reported as well. It's really high for a mobile device, but it shouldn't be dangerous... at least I hope the battery isn't that sensitive, because as I said they use the battery as a heatsink.

Sorry, autocorrect. Fulldive app. I even changed that twice.

Well I received mine today and there's still no sign of Nougat Xposed so I just used it without Daydream and I have to say:
Cons:
- The lenses are tiny and not adjustable, I was really hoping for better lenses since that's basically the entire cost of this thing.
- It's not exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, the strap sucks, it really needed to a top strap.
- It's designed for some sort of giant Neanderthal nose, it has so much room it could fit 2 of my noses in it.
- Putting the phone in upside doesn't always work since it can hit the volume button that way instead of power button, that and not all apps flip upside down.
- The "Snow White"/light gray looks nothing like the pictures, it's straight up grey.
Neutral:
- No app works perfectly well for it that I've seen yet, I might be forced to wait for Nougat/Daydream apps (I tried installing the apk, won't install on 6.0.1).
- The remote does nothing on 6.0.1 aside from connect.
Pros:
- The lenses are clear enough especially compared to the garbage plastic lenses others use, and it works for my eyes despite not being adjustable.
- Despite the sucky strap the fact that it's lighter than plastic models makes up a lot in the comfort department. That tiny difference in weight makes the device usable with that subpar strap.
Tl;DR - For a $100 device I expected a lot better quality, but this might be the best that can be had for the Axon 7, I guess I'm stuck waiting on Nougat Xposed until I find out just how good this thing is.
adampdx said:
Sorry, autocorrect. Fulldive app. I even changed that twice.
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Fulldive is awkward and doesn't work for me. When you hold one position to select something, it doesn't work for whatever reason when I have the phone inserted in the DD View, it just does the loop/circle then nothing happens. If I have the phone out of headset then it works. Either way it doesn't seem like an easy to use app.

Cyrus D. said:
Tl;DR - For a $100 device I expected a lot better quality, but this might be the best that can be had for the Axon 7, I guess I'm stuck waiting on Nougat Xposed until I find out just how good this thing is.
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I'm sorry that you've had a poor experience. I paid $50 for mine and find it comfortable, easy to wear for long periods of time, and the Daydream app performs very well. Fulldive is awkward, but once I learned how to properly use it, it made a world of difference.

Hi, I'm really happy there is a discussion to the Daydream headset. I'm also sceptical on the quality (sure is better than cardboard...), but another thing is that besides the controller, I don't understand what's the hype about it? Seems pretty average, no top strap..
I'm also looking to get some VR for the Axon, however the ones that I've seen are really not optimal - all of them press either volume or in most cases the power button. I guess that the ZTE VR won't really be produced now with the Daydream support (or available to get in another way), so are there any feasible alternatives?

Hi. Does anybody have these problems with Daydream? Initial tiles doesn't load properly and install button on VR Play Store doesn't appear...

Please everyone interested in daydream on LOS vote for this bug https://jira.lineageos.org/projects/BUGBASH/issues/BUGBASH-284?filter=allopenissues

I have one, it's alright. No deal breakers, but it's not great either.
In terms of software, The apps are just not there yet. There are a ton of video portals, unfinished game demos, and apps that we already knew from Cardboard, and honestly not much else. I hear Samsung Gear VR has a much richer set of apps, so Daydream really needs to catch up. Add to that the Lineage OS issues (mentioned above), which exclude Daydream from working properly with LOS-based ROMs., and the software situation is not great. I think we need to give it some time.
In terms of hardware, it works but is quirky. Lack of a top strap is not great, leads to most people over-tightening the rear strap. The optics are okay, not great, with a 90 degree field of view - Better than most Cardboard clones, but well below dedicated headsets, or even Samsung Gear VR. Light can leak in from the back, but you can stuff a tissue or something between the side and the face pad to compensate. It's light and fairly comfortable, though, and gets the job done.
The remote works well, and the idea of putting a trackpad in your hand that can sense both taps and clicks, plus a pointer, gives you a lot to work with. It drifts, though, which means you'll be using that recenter function a lot.
Overall, while it may sound like I really don't like it, VR is really cool, and Daydream, for $50 (on sale), is a great way to jump into it. Just bear in mind that it feels like a promising beta more than a finished product.
To answer some of the questions and concerns in this thread:
The power button on the Axon 7 isn't really an issue. No, you usually can't put the phone in upside-down - Some apps will tell you to flip it when you try, others will have glitches like InMind 2 having upside down subtitles. Instead, just pull the latching band to the left a bit as you secure the phone, and it will clear the power button no problem. I believe the latest stock firmware disregards power button long-press when in Daydream mode, too, so there's that too.
Overheating is somewhat of an issue. If you use Daydream for gaming for an hour straight, yeah the phone gets hot - 63C or so is the highest I've seen, and I use the included case which may trap in more heat too. It hasn't been a problem affecting performance, and while the battery does drain fast, it's not really draining faster than you would with a more traditional game.

I'm actually surprised at how little battery is used considering the heat it puts out.

I like it. I think it works smooth. Mostly good for watching movies or shows. Not a lot of games available.
Note: It exacerbates the Do Not Disturb issue. It, just like the schedule, can turn it on but can't turn it off. Disable the access to prevent the issue.

BJHiltbrand said:
I usually use it for 45 minutes to an hour. I really have just been playing around with all sorts of apps. Most of those sessions were in the Netflix VR app and in a game called Archer E. Bowman. I have also used it for non-daydream apps like litchi for flying my phantom drone. Interestingly enough, the time that the phone got really hot, I had it plugged in and was using a non-daydream app (roller coaster VR).
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using XDA Free mobile app
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Hi, were you able to fly your DJI drone in VR with the google daydream? I have looked everywhere on the web for answers but couldn't find anything!

Impulse buy

I picked this device up as a impulse buy to replace my Note 8 and even though there was quite a lot of negative talk about this phone mostly for the software I have to say I don't regret my purchase in terms of why I bought it. I was considering the Z Fold 2, but couldn't justify wasting THAT much money for something I'd most likely break just using it (screen). Anyway, the Duo has been a great multitasking device so far. The only area I'm highly disappointed by is not so much the crappy potato camera, but the fact 1. it takes soooo long to deploy the camera ready to take one. 2. the gigantic f$%&ing delay when taking a picture vs when the camera shutter sound signifies it took a picture. I'm hoping that future updates resolve this phones issues although it sounds like there hasn't been much attention given other than this past January... At any rate, I've bought a few things to improve the usability of this phone. Magnetic usb-c cable for charging and data transfer (miss Qi charging...) and added screen protectors. Finally made some vinyl overlays for the outsides and used CF for grip although negated when the screens are folded open.

Looking forward to receiving mine next week to finally try dual screen. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Note 10 I've been using for the last year or so, particularly for battery life. Also heard it doesn't support ARCore which will be disappointing as was key to one of the main uses I wanted this phone for.

Pretty cool
A lot better build than any of the Folds...

wez_p said:
Looking forward to receiving mine next week to finally try dual screen. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Note 10 I've been using for the last year or so, particularly for battery life. Also heard it doesn't support ARCore which will be disappointing as was key to one of the main uses I wanted this phone for.
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Honestly, I think you'll be disappointed straight away. You'll have to forget most of what you expect a android phone, much less a phone to be and learn how to navigate Microsoft's version of Android and a duel screen (not all Microsoft's fault and the nature of duel screens). With that said if you get comfortable enough with how they want you to do things you may start to love it more than any single screen phone and not want to go back. While I feel pretty adjusted and comfortable with using it for what it is as I was intending. With that said I've run into a few situations where the Duo will just NOT replace a phone at least a flag ship like what I was used to with my Note 8. I don't know if this good or good enough, but I can take the Duo off the charger, go to work, have the bluetooth connected to my headset, playing video, screen at around 15% brightness, be browsing the net or social media at the same time the video is playing and after my 8 hr shift be at around 10-5% battery left. Or I can do a charge for about an hr and a half? and be at around 80 - 90%? Not sure what ARCore is. Let me know if you need any info or help, although in some ways still learning myself.

blackhawk said:
Pretty cool
A lot better build than any of the Folds...
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Thanks, I feel like I'd have wrecked the screen if I had a Fold. I'm not hard on devices, but I still expect it to hold up since I have to use touch so much to interact.
I've changed the outer protectors since this original post. Since I have the ability to make my own vinyl stuff I've been experimenting with a logo. The CF was too big and was peeling at the edges so I needed to adjust the size of the vinyl and cut a new one out. My laptop for comparison to cover the stock logo.

vipfreak said:
Thanks, I feel like I'd have wrecked the screen if I had a Fold. I'm not hard on devices, but I still expect it to hold up since I have to use touch so much to interact.
I've changed the outer protectors since this original post. Since I have the ability to make my own vinyl stuff I've been experimenting with a logo. The CF was too big and was peeling at the edges so I needed to adjust the size of the vinyl and cut a new one out. My laptop for comparison to cover the stock logo.
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Lol, the Folds are designed to self destruct like a Mission Impossible tape... brute force not needed
This isn't intended as a phone per se but I really like the way it's hinged and its conservative but innovative solid design.
A sharp micro laptop... Gene Roddenberry would have loved it.
I'm very interested to hear what your experiences are like with it. It a cool hybrid

blackhawk said:
This isn't intended as a phone per se but I really like the way it's hinged and its conservative but innovative solid design.
A sharp micro laptop... Gene Roddenberry would have loved it.
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Definitely agree. It's really nice hardware. Speaking of which I will watch re-runs of Star Trek TNG if it's on some times.
blackhawk said:
I'm very interested to hear what your experiences are like with it. It a cool hybrid
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My primary use case is in "Nintendo DS" view where I have a screen for video playback on top and then I'm browsing the net, social media, or games on the bottom screen. This is where I think it shines the most. My second use case is like regular phone with one screen mostly for ease of typing like replying to a text message. A cool use case that I haven't done all that much is book view where I have youtube open playing a video and doing whatever on the other screen. This view is primarily nice if I have music playing off of youtube because usually if you try to multi task and youtube will stop the music and close the app entirely. With the Duo I don't have to worry about youtube taking up the screen since I have a secondary one. Something a single screen can't do. Why don't I pay youtube? I'm cheap and part Chinese. lol...

Hi,
Well, given the massive price drop from Microsoft, I decided to go for one that I bought from the MS Store directly.
Openend the package and powered up the device. Well, first thing is you will probably have to wait for 30 minutes for the successive updates to apply... Not really nice on a device that still is 800€ after 50% rebate, but OK.
Once powered up and ready to go, the first impression is amazing. The build quality is about the best you can get. The displays despite what reviewers write, are splendid. And the "Duo" panels are just amazing. App are installed super fast (not sure what memory they used, but here is it indeed pretty fast) ; GPS is super accurate ; communnication areoud and clear and so that is all good
But unfortunately, that only last for some time... And then the problems arise :
- no Led or outter display : you don't have a watch. You'll have to grab the device and open it just to know what time it is. You got a notification ? Same thing just to see what arrived. Even worse : you get a phone call ? You have to grab your phone, open it, see who's calling... and half the times, you'll miss the call because you weren't fast enough !
- the hinges ? Superb piece of craftmanship. Honestly. They feel super solid. They have the exact balance between being stiff enough to allow the displays not to move by themselves but still not to be too difficult to operate and unfold. But once your device is open and if you display, say a webpage, in "full screen" (so on both displays) then you'll just have a gap and so some parts of the page won't be legible... I thought MS would have worked on a seamless displaying of the pages when in "full screen", but no. They went the easy route ;
- the way the dual display are working is totally confusing. When I launch an app, it sometimes will display on the left panel, sometimes the right one. Why ? No idea. But that is OKAY. A little more problematic : let's say that I am using my web browser in full screen (on both displays). I get a notification that I got an e-mail. I go to recents and check the mail, then go to recents again to go back to browser... it works, but will go back to single display, not "full screen", so I have to drag the slider again to have full screen. Maybe I would be able to live with that. But on my device, one of the displays randomly decides to power off. I have to close the Surface Duo and reopen it to get the second display back. That really doesn't fill me with confidence in durability :-(
- and then there is the battery. It's melting like snow in hot summer day. I am used to 5kAh batteries that last almost a week-end given my usage. I know MS wants to mimick some of Apple's features, but why taking the worst and choose the same battery power ? Here, playing a simple game like "Cody Cross" and I will be out of juice within 2h30...
I will not talk about other small glitches, like the MS launcher, which in the Surface Edition is simply a joke ; the fact that some apps will not work in the Surface ; the incredibly poor camera (I don't care, I don't use it but did they even gave a look at the smartphone reviews where the stupid reviewers can take away 1 full star out of 5 for a smartphone just because it's camera is not stellar ?) ; the lack of accessories (proof that it simply hasn't sold)... and some other details.
But the ones I described earlier will probably get me to send the Surface Duo back to MS.
Will wait until September 22 to do that.
Let's see what they'll release on Surface Duo 2...
Because I really would like to love it and justify spending 800€ on a smartphone !
Regards

I bought mine Amazon $419 just to play and get to know - it is a fun device - I couldn't justify the Fold 3 which I had been using contemplating. If I trade this in for a Duo 2 and get US $250+ it's all good.
It fast charges really quickly. It can get to 40C and yes it drains battery terribly.
Even SwiftKey seems buggy - whole thing is more prototype than a finished product - they should be paying us!
But I think I'll wait for Android 12 at this point. 11 is a great already a year old. Also the I like to wait 4-6 months anyway for the any issues.

Hi,
If the Surface Duo was sold in France for 400€, I'd keep it too
But best brand new price I've found here is 800€ (for 256GB model) unfortunately.
This is why keeping it is a question for me :-(