Database Users

Note 3 vs LG G2?

My main phone is currently the Nexus 4 and my work phone is the iPhone 4S with ios7, which I'm looking forward to retiring, iOS does nothing for me on mobile any more - plus the wifey wants the 4s as she doesn't like her 5, I do like it on the (aging) iPad 3rd gen for garageband and infinity blade, but that's by the by, I really want to replace it with the Nexus as my work phone and a new phone for my main phone and stop using iOS on mobile completely - the way I see it, there are 2 options, as I would LOVE to go for a windows phone, but even the best of them the Lumia 1020 is old news in terms of hardware, though the system has potential.
The two contenders for best non-vanilla Android phone of the year (it is fair to assume that nothing better will come out this year, excluding the potential Nexus 5) are the Note 3 and the LG G2 (IMO).
The LG kills it in terms of having a very useful feature-packed but still light UI based on the TW roms but it looks to be lag-free and not junked up with too much purely-gimmicky stuff. I like the simple yet innovative move of the unlock/vol/camera button to the back of the phone and the fact that you can customise the main button bar on stock as standard.
The Note 3 goes balls-out blazing with the all-new 3gig ram compared to the 2, massive phablet screen and extra storage, as well as the S-Pen and all of the TW gimmicks, extras and cool features you'd expect. It will have at-least the same snapdragon 800 processor, if not clocked higher, a better battery life and potentially better camera, and there could also be a second octa-core version, also it has a minimum of 32GB storage and an expandable slot (i forget if the LG has a slot) which makes it a perfect media device to boot.
Which will win the battle of the 2013 titans and which would you choose for yourself, and which would you recommend for others (we all know that sometimes we would choose something different as nerds than what we would recommend for others xD)?
So far, I'm leaning towards the Note 3 depending on what price I can get it on a contract with a decent LTE package on, but I'm open to being swayed by the G2.
What are your thoughts?

dodgebizkit said:
My main phone is currently the Nexus 4 and my work phone is the iPhone 4S with ios7, which I'm looking forward to retiring, iOS does nothing for me on mobile any more - plus the wifey wants the 4s as she doesn't like her 5, I do like it on the (aging) iPad 3rd gen for garageband and infinity blade, but that's by the by, I really want to replace it with the Nexus as my work phone and a new phone for my main phone and stop using iOS on mobile completely - the way I see it, there are 2 options, as I would LOVE to go for a windows phone, but even the best of them the Lumia 1020 is old news in terms of hardware, though the system has potential.
The two contenders for best non-vanilla Android phone of the year (it is fair to assume that nothing better will come out this year, excluding the potential Nexus 5) are the Note 3 and the LG G2 (IMO).
The LG kills it in terms of having a very useful feature-packed but still light UI based on the TW roms but it looks to be lag-free and not junked up with too much purely-gimmicky stuff. I like the simple yet innovative move of the unlock/vol/camera button to the back of the phone and the fact that you can customise the main button bar on stock as standard.
The Note 3 goes balls-out blazing with the all-new 3gig ram compared to the 2, massive phablet screen and extra storage, as well as the S-Pen and all of the TW gimmicks, extras and cool features you'd expect. It will have at-least the same snapdragon 800 processor, if not clocked higher, a better battery life and potentially better camera, and there could also be a second octa-core version, also it has a minimum of 32GB storage and an expandable slot (i forget if the LG has a slot) which makes it a perfect media device to boot.
Which will win the battle of the 2013 titans and which would you choose for yourself, and which would you recommend for others (we all know that sometimes we would choose something different as nerds than what we would recommend for others xD)?
So far, I'm leaning towards the Note 3 depending on what price I can get it on a contract with a decent LTE package on, but I'm open to being swayed by the G2.
What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If those 2 are your choices I'd say note 3 all day. The only significant feature g2 has over note is the Optical Image Stabilization in my opinion. Don't forget custom roms should equalize any differences in software features between the phones.
You mentioned the lumia 1020, If you actually like Windows Phone 8 and you like taking pictures then get the lumia 1020. You said the hardware is outdated but the thing is, on WP8 hardware is almost never outdated, that os is so damn friendly to the processor/screen/ram. It will probably be a while till 1020 is overthrown in terms of camera quality. (look how long the 808 held its throne). Still that operating system leaves a lot to be desired, maybe the new update will bring more functionality to it. It is beautiful though, no doubt about that...

For all the comparison I see about the hardware, how similar they are and aren't, and the talk of TW vs whatever LG is using, I think it comes down to something altogether simpler: Do you want a phone or a phablet?
I do understand comparing the other stuff though, and if LG makes a G2 Pro then it'll be pretty relevant. I don't think the hardware difference is that notable. I'm pretty disappointed with the GS4's TW though, and the G2's UI actually seems pretty useful. I will give TW on the Note 3 a fair chance before judging it though. But if it lags and feels as bloated as the GS4's does, it'll probably really irritate me. I'm personally stuck with Verizon, so I'm operating on the assumption of using it completely stock given the trend of them locking things down to hell.

DHM078 said:
For all the comparison I see about the hardware, how similar they are and aren't, and the talk of TW vs whatever LG is using, I think it comes down to something altogether simpler: Do you want a phone or a phablet?
I do understand comparing the other stuff though, and if LG makes a G2 Pro then it'll be pretty relevant. I don't think the hardware difference is that notable. I'm pretty disappointed with the GS4's TW though, and the G2's UI actually seems pretty useful. I will give TW on the Note 3 a fair chance before judging it though. But if it lags and feels as bloated as the GS4's does, it'll probably really irritate me. I'm personally stuck with Verizon, so I'm operating on the assumption of using it completely stock given the trend of them locking things down to hell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DHM, I don't see how that matters though seeing as how custom development always alleviates any software woes... I hear the note 3 may be challenging to develop for initially but i doubt that people will have to wait long given how incredibly popular this phone is.
I'm sorry i'm assuming that everyone is comfortable customizing their phones with roms. Given that someone would not deviate from a stock experience then i see how the launcher may affect someones purchasing decision. I guess after using custom roms for the past 5 years i just take that for granted.

I'm getting a Note 3 only because the G2 doesn't have expandable sd slot or removable battery. Plus I've never owned a Note device so I'm curious to have one. The GPro is awesome and I plan on keeping it as my personal phone. Note 3 will be for work!

systoxity said:
DHM, I don't see how that matters though seeing as how custom development always alleviates any software woes... I hear the note 3 may be challenging to develop for initially but i doubt that people will have to wait long given how incredibly popular this phone is.
I'm sorry i'm assuming that everyone is comfortable customizing their phones with roms. Given that someone would not deviate from a stock experience then i see how the launcher may affect someones purchasing decision. I guess after using custom roms for the past 5 years i just take that for granted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am perfectly comfortable modifying my phones. I've been using custom software pretty much exclusively basically since I started with smartphones. That's not my point. I have a lot of faith in the developers here, they've accomplished amazing things and have defeated the manufacturers time and time again. But I'm trying not to take it for granted. With how freaking locked up Verizon phones specifically have been as of late, I am not going to buy a phone on the assumption that I'll just be able to toss out the stock stuff. I tend to be pretty optimistic about things getting cracked, but I also think that it will very likely take a while. So I will consider the stock firmware when purchasing a phone as there's a pretty damn good chance I'll be stuck on it for quite some time before it gets cracked.

A good amount of caution is always wise. Guess everyone just has to weigh what features matter to them most and then try to make an informed decision when selecting between phones.

systoxity said:
If those 2 are your choices I'd say note 3 all day. The only significant feature g2 has over note is the Optical Image Stabilization in my opinion. Don't forget custom roms should equalize any differences in software features between the phones.
You mentioned the lumia 1020, If you actually like Windows Phone 8 and you like taking pictures then get the lumia 1020. You said the hardware is outdated but the thing is, on WP8 hardware is almost never outdated, that os is so damn friendly to the processor/screen/ram. It will probably be a while till 1020 is overthrown in terms of camera quality. (look how long the 808 held its throne). Still that operating system leaves a lot to be desired, maybe the new update will bring more functionality to it. It is beautiful though, no doubt about that...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure the note 3 has smart stabilization as well. samsung's take on ois. correct?
and g2 doesnt have sdcard, no removable battery and no stylus throws it out for me.

oneandroidnut said:
Pretty sure the note 3 has smart stabilization as well. samsung's take on ois. correct?
and g2 doesnt have sdcard, no removable battery and no stylus throws it out for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its got digital which according to the internet is trash compared to optical (almost all phones use digital stabilization). Digital apparently is good for reducing shake during videos but does nothing to fight blur from taking pictures in low light. Low light photography involves dropping the shutter speed allowing more light in, any tremors in the shooters hands can then cause blur in the picture, effectively "smearing" the image over the sensor. Optical Stabilization involves physically moving the lens to compensate for movement while the shutter is open.
I'm going to google the subject some more and see if i can get some comparison shots... I have no idea just how much of a difference optical makes so i'm left with only what i've read and we all know how accurate the internet can be some times...
Update* Well.... according to the internet the answer is.. A lot. Take that with a grain of salt though lmao. here's some comparison shots: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/ISComparison.png/240px-ISComparison.png and http://www.digicamhelp.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/is-on-off_large.jpg

systoxity said:
Its got digital which according to the internet is trash compared to optical (almost all phones use digital stabilization). Digital apparently is good for reducing shake during videos but does nothing to fight blur from taking pictures in low light. Low light photography involves dropping the shutter speed allowing more light in, any tremors in the shooters hands can then cause blur in the picture, effectively "smearing" the image over the sensor. Optical Stabilization involves physically moving the lens to compensate for movement while the shutter is open.
I'm going to google the subject some more and see if i can get some comparison shots... I have no idea just how much of a difference optical makes so i'm left with only what i've read and we all know how accurate the internet can be some times...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there was a video of the g2 showing off the ois and it looked like a joke. let me see if i can find it. friend sent to me in a facebook message. but wasnt impressive to me. and true it may not be true optical but im not that concerned with it. And what you mean the internet is always true!?!?! haha

Rofl yeah the T.V. too. I'd be interested to see that video you saw. i'll check back here for updates. I updated my post with supposed pictures of OIS on vs off.

systoxity said:
Rofl yeah the T.V. too. I'd be interested to see that video you saw. i'll check back here for updates. I updated my post with supposed pictures of OIS on vs off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think this is it.......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjcqtCo-bq4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

You know the LG G2 and Note 3 are in two different product categories right? There is a big size difference between the two. You have been using sub 5" phones. Have you tried out a phablet at the store? Borrow one to try out and pocket? The LG G2 is no bigger than last year's Galaxy S3 and packs a 5.2" whereas the Note 3 is still very much a phablet and bigger than the Optimus G Pro.
They use two different screen technologies. Do you want Super AMOLED or IPS LCD? It makes a big difference for some people. Check it out at the store.
Do you want removable battery and microSD? The LG G2 has none of these, but that makes the phone unibody and more durable, no annoying seams and creaks. The Note 3 has both, but you have to deal with a flimsy back cover. I've owned nothing but Samsung phones for the past few years. I really hate the creaky back covers that eventually get loose and aren't flush anymore.
Do you want a stylus? Have you tried using it? I've owned the Note 1 and 2 and beyond playing with the stylus for a couple hours, never pulled it out again. Some surveys out there say 90% of Note owners don't even use the stylus at all. The stylus is way too small to hold for me and the button impossible to push. It's slippery and unnatural when writing on the screen. No friction. The accuracy isn't much better than a finger either, so don't expect to be able to scribble really small text or fit more than a few words per line, or do anything more than doodling. I'm not a big writing or doodling person, and you might find it useful, but I'd rather type out something on a keyboard, or quickly finger a note (the LG G2 has quick note taking apps as well) than have to pull out the stylus and clutch the thin stylus.
The reviews of the LG G2 have shown some pretty great battery life. Lg has G-RAM, which saves battery on a static screen, and also packs 3000mah in a 5.2" phone. LG's ROM doesn't seem as bloated as Touchwiz either. The Note 3, which is a whopping 0.5" bigger, only upped the battery by 100mah to 3200mah from the Note 2, and doesn't have G-RAM. a Full RGB AMOLED panel at 5.7" is gonna suck a lot of battery, especially when at max brightness. All signs point to the LG G2 having the better battery life.
Both have 13MP Exmor RS cameras made by Sony with optical image stabilization. They are about as good as the OIS in the HTC One, basically not very good. It is no where near the kind of smoothness the Lumia 920/925/1020 can achieve. It is because they aren't willing to go the extra mile and make the camera module bigger for better OIS. The pictures are roughly the same, since they are they same sensor after all. It's down to which type of post-processing you like more. The LG G2 has a nasty autofocusing issue in video that makes the image bounce around like a diaphragm. It may be fixed by release time (or not).
Do you like side buttons or buttons on the back? You'll have to try the LG G2 out in person to see if you like the back buttons. Do you like on-screen buttons or Samsung style shoved to the bottom buttons? I'm not a fan of onscreen buttons, but LG's ability to customize them, as well as the infinitely useful double tap to turn on, are turning me around. I honestly hate the home button and the shoved down to the corner capacitive buttons on Galaxy phones. How many times have I backed out of the camera or screwed something else because of accidental button presses? And going from soft taps to a hard push for the home button is still jarring. It's not a quick or reassuring process. Apple makes way better home buttons than Samsung.

This is my dilemma as well. I already have a Note 2 but was thinking about getting something smaller/different. But when you add up everything the Note 3 comes out on top.
Note 3 pro's when compared to the G2
Removable battery
SD card
More Ram
32gig off the bat (I still don't know if the Verizon G2 is 16gig or 32gig)
S-Pen
I like the look off touchwiz better than LG
USB 3
Universal accessories
More popular
Don't know about LG update track record
4.3 out the box
Love the blacks and colors on the screen but not the brightness
LG G2 pro's when compared to the Note 3.
Smaller
$100 less expensive (If at 32gig)
Different phone from the Note series
Double tap to wake out the box
Like the idea of having the buttons on the back
Brighter screen
Better camera with optical image stabilization

katamari201 said:
You know the LG G2 and Note 3 are in two different product categories right? There is a big size difference between the two. You have been using sub 5" phones. Have you tried out a phablet at the store? Borrow one to try out and pocket? The LG G2 is no bigger than last year's Galaxy S3 and packs a 5.2" whereas the Note 3 is still very much a phablet and bigger than the Optimus G Pro.
I had the Note 2 and loved it. Size is no issue for me. I 6'4" and have big hands. Can reach all parts of note 2 no problem. This shows you that i want a bigger phone. S4 is too small for my taste. Wish Note 3 was 6 inches!
They use two different screen technologies. Do you want Super AMOLED or IPS LCD? It makes a big difference for some people. Check it out at the store.
Wish the note 3 or G2 looked as good as the HTC One but i can live with either one of them not a huge deal both of their ppi and resolution are fine.
Do you want removable battery and microSD? The LG G2 has none of these, but that makes the phone unibody and more durable, no annoying seams and creaks. The Note 3 has both, but you have to deal with a flimsy back cover. I've owned nothing but Samsung phones for the past few years. I really hate the creaky back covers that eventually get loose and aren't flush anymore.
Yes i want a removable back and microSD card. Love being able to charge a spare battery with the sammy charger and slapping in phone and not having to worry about plugging in my phone. And unibody has been perfected by the HTC One. I have had the S3, Note 2 and S4 and not had creaking or gaps/loose etc. Im going to put a spigen case on it anyways.
Do you want a stylus? Have you tried using it? I've owned the Note 1 and 2 and beyond playing with the stylus for a couple hours, never pulled it out again. Some surveys out there say 90% of Note owners don't even use the stylus at all. The stylus is way too small to hold for me and the button impossible to push. It's slippery and unnatural when writing on the screen. No friction. The accuracy isn't much better than a finger either, so don't expect to be able to scribble really small text or fit more than a few words per line, or do anything more than doodling. I'm not a big writing or doodling person, and you might find it useful, but I'd rather type out something on a keyboard, or quickly finger a note (the LG G2 has quick note taking apps as well) than have to pull out the stylus and clutch the thin stylus.
Comes from the Note 2 as i have stated before i dont use on a daily basis but plenty of times do i like having out its just easier to do some things with and some things it isnt. And i could write 10x more accurately with s pen then my finger.
The reviews of the LG G2 have shown some pretty great battery life. Lg has G-RAM, which saves battery on a static screen, and also packs 3000mah in a 5.2" phone. LG's ROM doesn't seem as bloated as Touchwiz either. The Note 3, which is a whopping 0.5" bigger, only upped the battery by 100mah to 3200mah from the Note 2, and doesn't have G-RAM. a Full RGB AMOLED panel at 5.7" is gonna suck a lot of battery, especially when at max brightness. All signs point to the LG G2 having the better battery life.
If i remember correctly back to my Note 2 the battery life was very impressive and this phone has a snapdragon 800 and 3 GB of ram and 100 mah bigger and everything i have seen is that the snapdragon 800 conserves power so both phones should be beasts at battery.
Both have 13MP Exmor RS cameras made by Sony with optical image stabilization. They are about as good as the OIS in the HTC One, basically not very good. It is no where near the kind of smoothness the Lumia 920/925/1020 can achieve. It is because they aren't willing to go the extra mile and make the camera module bigger for better OIS. The pictures are roughly the same, since they are they same sensor after all. It's down to which type of post-processing you like more. The LG G2 has a nasty autofocusing issue in video that makes the image bounce around like a diaphragm. It may be fixed by release time (or not).
Camera isnt a big deal breaker the S4 camera was fine for my liking so getting the same on the note 3 isnt a huge deal breaker but would have liked to see some improvements and upwards of 20 mp.
Do you like side buttons or buttons on the back? You'll have to try the LG G2 out in person to see if you like the back buttons. Do you like on-screen buttons or Samsung style shoved to the bottom buttons? I'm not a fan of onscreen buttons, but LG's ability to customize them, as well as the infinitely useful double tap to turn on, are turning me around. I honestly hate the home button and the shoved down to the corner capacitive buttons on Galaxy phones. How many times have I backed out of the camera or screwed something else because of accidental button presses? And going from soft taps to a hard push for the home button is still jarring. It's not a quick or reassuring process. Apple makes way better home buttons than Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I havent played with a G2 yet but i dont like the idea of back buttons. awkward hump on the back and tough to get to i think when in hand. And i agree i hate on screen buttons. Samsung buttons at the bottom are just fine with me. I cant remember a time where i accidental closed an app or process due to a button press. I love being able to wake the screen with just a press of the home button. Just as easy as the G2 double tap. Swipe to wake and swipe to sleep would be better like i have on my nexus 7. And Apple does NOTHING YES NOTHING better then android!

katamari201 said:
The reviews of the LG G2 have shown some pretty great battery life. Lg has G-RAM, which saves battery on a static screen, and also packs 3000mah in a 5.2" phone. LG's ROM doesn't seem as bloated as Touchwiz either. The Note 3, which is a whopping 0.5" bigger, only upped the battery by 100mah to 3200mah from the Note 2, and doesn't have G-RAM. a Full RGB AMOLED panel at 5.7" is gonna suck a lot of battery, especially when at max brightness. All signs point to the LG G2 having the better battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Panel Self Refresh (PSR) is what LG terms as G-RAM. It has been in Exynos 5250 for a year now.
To maximize power efficiencies at the system level, the Exynos 5250 has an embedded DisplayPort (eDP) interface that is compliant with panel self-refresh technology (PSR) applied to the timing controller (T-CON). The embedded PSR technology enables static images to be refreshed directly from the frame buffer memory incorporated in the T-CON, resolving the need for regular display refresh instructions to be made by the application processor in cases such as reading static web pages or e-books.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, it has Envelope Tracking tech from Qualcomm, actually the first of it's kind.
Looking at the benchmarks, I think we are looking at higher binned AB version of 800 SOC.
It already has the latest 3GB memory module from Samsung.
I am just waiting to check if they are using the new eMMC 5.0 in GN3.
Motorola has made use of Samsung's F2FS file system in Moto X. It has been very well reviewed by Anandtech. I think Samsung will also start using their F2FS in their products, afterall they designed it.
These are some of the techinical aspects of GN3 I am interested in. I don't think in anyway it's going to have a bad batterylife. Infact Samsung already mentioned in their keynote that they expect 3-4 hours more video playback as compared to GN2. GN2 already had a monster batterylife. This will be even better.

FinancialWar said:
I would get the iPhone 5s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope that you are kidding me.:laugh:

Hi.
That are the right questions!
According to the Snapdragon artice on Wikipedia, it has not the faster AB Version of the S800 SoC.
But according to this Benchmark Comparison on GSMarea, I think there is the newer eMMC 5.0 3GB RAM in the Note 3.

Overall Note 3, but G2 for cyanogen-development-support.
Sent from my GT-I9205 using xda premium

xSCHITaX said:
Hi.
That are the right questions!
According to the Snapdragon artice on Wikipedia, it has not the faster AB Version of the S800 SoC.
But according to this Benchmark Comparison on GSMarea, I think there is the newer eMMC 5.0 3GB RAM in the Note 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wikipedia is not really a good source of information specially when the product is just announced. The GN3 benchmark numbers are very close to MDP results. Samsung never mentions SOC details in their announcement.
Lets wait and see..

Samsung deleted my review

I posted a review at Samsung.ca for the Tab Pro 8.4.
And of course Samsung deleted it...
The irony was, I gave it 4/5 stars and praised its features. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned any of the minor issues with it.
When manufacturer's provide a space for the public to post a review and then delete those they don't like (and mine was pretty positive), what exactly is the point?

RobilarOCN said:
I posted a review at Samsung.ca for the Tab Pro 8.4.
And of course Samsung deleted it...
The irony was, I gave it 4/5 stars and praised its features. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned any of the minor issues with it.
When manufacturer's provide a space for the public to post a review and then delete those they don't like (and mine was pretty positive), what exactly is the point?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They only want super positive?
Why did you knock a star btw?
This is the first Sammy that I would rate 5 stars to.

Goes to show how dishonest Samsung can be. The reviews are not real and are rigged. To me Amazon has the best review system. You have to own and bought the product from their website and they don't filter the negative feedback except profanity.

scrosler said:
They only want super positive?
Why did you knock a star btw?
This is the first Sammy that I would rate 5 stars to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only decked it a point for a couple of reasons.
Price. To me it's not overpriced but realistically it should be a $300 - $350 range tablet. With the N7 sitting at $250, the LG G Pad sitting at $250 and the Mini Retina sitting at $400, it should have been somewhere in the middle. Don't get me wrong, I have the Mini Retina and much prefer the Samsung but for those who know nothing about tablets (my mother for example), it is very hard to sell against the Mini retina at the same price point. I showed it to my mother and she was asking why it was the same price as the Mini (which I bought her, sigh) was so much nicer...
Also I mentioned battery life compared to the Mini (that's what probably got the review deleted). Battery life is pretty good for an Android tablet (Better for sure than my G Pad) but compared to the Apple tablets, it's about 5 hours short. That's a big delta.
I also mentioned that the black version was not available in Canada. Why would they launch both colors in the US but only give Canada the god awful ugly white version? I hate white tablets and I'm stuck with one.
I also suggested that for the price point, the Tab Pro should have mini HDMI out. There are plenty of much cheaper tablets (like the Dell) that have this feature. This is being touted as a "Pro" device. Why do I have to hunt around for an MHL HDMI adapter (I've already bought and returned 2 that do not work) so that I can connect this device to a display? It would be great for powerpoint decks at clients (which I currently do with a Surface Pro). For $400, this feature should be a no brainer.
Despite the above, they are all minor concerns as I emphasized that it was the best Android tablet I have owned.
I guess I provided too much accurate info...

I think it's pretty obvious why they deleted your review, you mentioned your a Canadian
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app in Toronto

I think I'd probably go with a 3.5 for as it comes out of the box, pre loaded with lots of uninstallable crap, iffy/average build quality and poor battery life.
Once the bloat is removed, its a different beast, but then you have no warranty, so 3.5 stars is fair I reckon.
If they did a google play version, on the other hand, it'd be a 4.5 :good:

RobilarOCN said:
Despite the above, they are all minor concerns as I emphasized that it was the best Android tablet I have owned.
I guess I provided too much accurate info...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough! I agree with your statements!

Monkey Chops said:
I think I'd probably go with a 3.5 for as it comes out of the box, pre loaded with lots of uninstallable crap, iffy/average build quality and poor battery life.
Once the bloat is removed, its a different beast, but then you have no warranty, so 3.5 stars is fair I reckon.
If they did a google play version, on the other hand, it'd be a 4.5 :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A google play version, black 32GB, would be an instant buy for me (despite already having one).
It's a fantastic tablet, just a few minor things keep it from being perfect.
I also own a Mini Retina 128GB and the battery between the two isn't even close. That is one area that would make a big difference.

If I wrote a review it'd probably never going to be published on Samsung's website so I will do a review here.
I got the 12.2" and used it out for a week now, I would give it a 2.5. The only thing I like about it is the large screen and the clarity of the display. Other then that I too think it's overpriced compared to hundreds of other Android devices out there.
It's heavy and holding it with 2 hands for 30 min my wrist starts to feel uncomfortable. The bloatware is annoying and some of them you can't even be disabled. Of course I could do the root it and delete method it but that would void my warranty. That's a risk I'm not going to take cause I'm not sure if I'm keeping this. There should be a law like in Korea that a user should have the option to remove bloatware easily as they wish.
For a 9500 mAH battery, it sucked bad. Samsung claim you can watch 8 hours of continues movies but the most I've gotten is 3.5 hours. The sound and speaker is horrid because half the video I played has cracking and popping noises in the background. Also some 1080p videos I tested jitters and motion lags at times. For clarification, these videos I tested have no problem playing on my 6 years old MacBook at all. Magazine UI looks cool back in January when they demoed it but once you get to it, it feels incomplete and it is an awful experience. Couldn't remove it either.
Also I got the Black version and it came with an odd white usb cable and charger. Little missed details like that could annoy owners.
The next tablet I'm going to try is the Sony Xperia Z2. In the mean time, this isn't a winner for me so I'm probably going to return it soon. I really tried hard to like this tablet and was anxious when Samsung announce it but it is big let down for me.

NixxonExxo said:
If I wrote a review it'd probably never going to be published on Samsung's website so I will do a review here.
I got the 12.2" and used it out for a week now, I would give it a 2.5. The only thing I like about it is the large screen and the clarity of the display. Other then that I too think it's overpriced compared to hundreds of other Android devices out there.
It's heavy and holding it with 2 hands for 30 min my wrist starts to feel uncomfortable. The bloatware is annoying and some of them you can't even be disabled. Of course I could do the root it and delete method it but that would void my warranty. That's a risk I'm not going to take cause I'm not sure if I'm keeping this. There should be a law like in Korea that a user should have the option to remove bloatware easily as they wish.
For a 9500 mAH battery, it sucked bad. Samsung claim you can watch 8 hours of continues movies but the most I've gotten is 3.5 hours. The sound and speaker is horrid because half the video I played has cracking and popping noises in the background. Also some 1080p videos I tested jitters and motion lags at times. For clarification, these videos I tested have no problem playing on my 6 years old MacBook at all. Magazine UI looks cool back in January when they demoed it but once you get to it, it feels incomplete and it is an awful experience. Couldn't remove it either.
Also I got the Black version and it came with an odd white usb cable and charger. Little missed details like that could annoy owners.
The next tablet I'm going to try is the Sony Xperia Z2. In the mean time, this isn't a winner for me so I'm probably going to return it soon. I really tried hard to like this tablet and was anxious when Samsung announce it but it is big let down for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You raise some good points.However, you can't really complain about the size and weight. It is thinner and lighter than anything else in its size class. If it's too heavy, you should have bought a smaller tablet. I mean, how can you complain about the weight when you chose that size? The 10.1 Pro weighs almost 300 grams less.
I am surprised at your battery results. The 8.4 is good for about 7 hours of video (I've tested it several times on flights). I expected the bigger versions to be better given the higher rated battery.

RobilarOCN said:
You raise some good points.However, you can't really complain about the size and weight. It is thinner and lighter than anything else in its size class. If it's too heavy, you should have bought a smaller tablet. I mean, how can you complain about the weight when you chose that size? The 10.1 Pro weighs almost 300 grams less.
I am surprised at your battery results. The 8.4 is good for about 7 hours of video (I've tested it several times on flights). I expected the bigger versions to be better given the higher rated battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not complaining about size, it's perfect and I enjoy the large screen estate. I'm complaining about the weight. It feels super light when you carry it around but supporting it long term with your wrists are two different things. Maybe I will wait for the 2nd or 3rd generation to see if Samsung improves the weight and hopefully to be under 1 pound is ideal.
My battery result is what it is. I have it on auto brightness and it's not even that bright at all. The videos I played are standard avi, 720p and 1080p.

RobilarOCN said:
You raise some good points.However, you can't really complain about the size and weight. It is thinner and lighter than anything else in its size class. If it's too heavy, you should have bought a smaller tablet. I mean, how can you complain about the weight when you chose that size? The 10.1 Pro weighs almost 300 grams less.
I am surprised at your battery results. The 8.4 is good for about 7 hours of video (I've tested it several times on flights). I expected the bigger versions to be better given the higher rated battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bigger screen easily offsets the bigger battery compares to 8.4, because (in normal cases) the screen is always the biggest consumer of battery, the size of the screen is huge on 12.2, so I'm not surprised by the poor battery life it has.

RobilarOCN said:
You raise some good points.However, you can't really complain about the size and weight. It is thinner and lighter than anything else in its size class. If it's too heavy, you should have bought a smaller tablet. I mean, how can you complain about the weight when you chose that size? The 10.1 Pro weighs almost 300 grams less.
I am surprised at your battery results. The 8.4 is good for about 7 hours of video (I've tested it several times on flights). I expected the bigger versions to be better given the higher rated battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree 100% with everything nixxon said about the 12.2, I got it a few days ago and will be returning it soon.
The screen is gorgeous but it sucks battery like crazy even on low brightness, also the weight becomes uncomfortable quickly when you rest it on your chest (ie reading in bed).
The weight issue is tricky because I have laptops which are heavier but still comfortable to use in bed, what makes the 12.2 so uncomfortable is that all its weight gets exerted on a small area of your body vs a laptop where it's more spread out.
CPU bound tasks seem very quick but graphics intensive tasks feel sluggish compared to my note 10.1, I'm sure that could be improved with an optimized kernel/rom.
Still on the fence over whether to trade for a note pro 10.1 or wait for something else

sefstrat said:
Still on the fence over whether to trade for a note pro 10.1 or wait for something else
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh boy, when it comes to Samsung software, waiting is the most traitorous thing ever. They have a very poor track record of OS and in house apps update ever. Take for example, the Note 10.1 2014 edition has been out since October, has the exact same identical internal spec as the Note pro 12.2 and it hasn't gotten the latest KitKat upgrade yet. They could have easily and inexpensively take the Note Pro 12.2 software and tweak it to work on the Note 10.1 but they still haven't done so.
Samsung doesn't take care of their customers after. They just want to make a quick buck on the hardware moving forward. They don't look back on supporting older devices because it's not profitable.

Haw dare you impede on Samsung's marketing scheme! Shame on you. Aren't you aware their devices are immaculate and faultless in every way?
Those looking at 10 inch you might want to wait for the SM T800.

Anyone coming from Samsung flagships?

Hi all, I'm currently using the Galaxy S5 and looking to upgrade to the G4. Anyone has switched to the G4 from Samsung's high end phones like the S6 or the Note 4? Can you give some impressions and comparisons (Camera (most important), screen, performance)? Thanks a lot!

From Note 4.... The G4 should crush the S5 except water resistance

I did it after one month with s6 edge, battery in s6 edge is so bad, other things are ok and almost identical, no lags on both phones. Camera is identical.

I came from the S5 to the G4 and haven't even had a second thought on going back
Camera is amazing. UX 4.0 beats Touchwiz (in my opinion better than S6 as well, my wife has that). Just takes some getting used to the no "hard" home buttons and the power/volume buttons on the back rather than the side but once you do it's actually more convenient knowing a case can protect them even more and are less susceptible to being damaged

I came from galaxy s3. Well, it's obvious that the g4 performs wayyyy much better

Note 4 to G4 here. So far, seems better in all aspects. Only one it might not beat the Note 4 in is battery, but I haven't had for long enough to really see how it averages. Camera is better. UI seems cleaner and easier to use. Love double tap on, as I was used to it with the HTC M8 and missed it on the Note 4. Only weird thing I had to get used to was in the cam app, the 3 software buttons don't show up (have to hit the back button in the camera view).
LG really did well with this phone

Thanks all , would love to hear more from Note 4 and S6 users too!

toughthrone said:
I came from galaxy s3. Well, it's obvious that the g4 performs wayyyy much better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I made same switch. And yeah, the G4 does seem to have just slightly better performance.

Master619 said:
Thanks all , would love to hear more from Note 4 and S6 users too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll post more as I get to use phone more. Just got yesterday. So far, it's really nice. I had almost written LG off after the Optimus G. Glad I didn't. So far:
PROs for G4 vs Note 4
Lighter. Also noticeably smaller despite screen being almost same size.
Better Camera
UI - UX 4.0 really is nice and light
No Keyboard FCs! Man that was annoying in Lollipop Note 4...keyboard FC but stayed on screen, had to reboot to get rid of
Double tap on and Knock unlock code
Themes
Settings app broken down into proper sections (Note 4 Settings scrolls all day with all settings on a single scrolling list)
Can get a real Glass Screen Protector without the dreaded Halo effect around all edges (Note 4 curved edge to screen caused this no matter which glass protector I used (tried 6).
64 bit processor
Faster in real world use
Cool offers of free stuff from LG
About $200 cheaper
PROs for Note 4
Stylus (I only used a handful of times....was more of a gimmick to me)
Better battery life?
Fingerprint scanner and heartrate monitor (I hardly used either, as the fingerprint scanner required an odd hand placement for such a large phone)
Physical Home button
Just different between the 2:
Home button and volume button placements (I prefer LG after using for a little bit)
Both have IR blaster, large beautiful screens, expandable storage, 3GB RAM, excellent wireless radios.

Switched over from a Samsung Galaxy S4...I traded it in for $100 to At&T so my G4 only cost me $99 + tax on my upgrade option. Loving it so far, praying for root to get rid of the bloatware. :fingers-crossed:

I did. I have the S6e at home and I intend to switch back and fourth. The G4 feels so much bigger. The camera quality is NOT the same and I have tested them both in the same scenarios. The s6 is brighter and crisper than the G4. Stock launchers is far better and faster than TW. TW began to lag on my S6, so I installed Nova Prime and it was super fast again. Battery on the G4 is 10 times better than the S6. I got 36 hrs on my G4 and still had 25% left.

I came from a rooted Note 3. First non-phone-specific: I REALLY REALLY miss root. The ability to block ads is missed and I have to wait to restore all of my titanium backups that I have sitting till the G4 is rooted.
As far as performance goes, my Note 3 was pretty snappy. I haven't noticed very many differences in performance yet. But I've been waiting for the battery to get a few cycles before I really start pushing performance with games and stuff.
Other than that, I don;t really miss my Note 3. The G4 is smaller, looks nicer has a better (but only slightly smaller) screen. I kind of miss AMOLED screen tech for battery and contrast, but everything else makes up for it. Do not regret it.:good:

EVOme said:
I did. I have the S6e at home and I intend to switch back and fourth. The G4 feels so much bigger. The camera quality is NOT the same and I have tested them both in the same scenarios. The s6 is brighter and crisper than the G4. Stock launchers is far better and faster than TW. TW began to lag on my S6, so I installed Nova Prime and it was super fast again. Battery on the G4 is 10 times better than the S6. I got 36 hrs on my G4 and still had 25% left.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an S6e as well and agree with you. I had a Note 4 before the S6e and now the G4 and it feels downright massive compared to the S6e. The Note 4 felt smaller to me because it was thinner but it was a big device as well. I got rid of my Note 4 because of it's size, I ride motorcycles almost daily and the damned thing was never comfortable in my pocket, it was just too big and rectangle and flat. The S6e is perfect size for me in that regard but I really miss having a larger display (had a Nexus 6 before the Note). Because of the slight curvature of the back of the G4 it makes just enough of a difference in my jeans that it doesn't dig the corners of the phone into my leg when I squeeze the tank in turns, etc.
Cameras between S6e and G4 seem pretty similar to me but there is a difference but I attribute that to Samsung doing a better job of processing the jpg file that's output than LG with the G4 having the ace in the hole of giving you the raw file you can subsequently edit yourself. I know that's not what most people want to do (myself included for phone snaps), but I think the LG camera is better for that reason alone as you can certainly make a better image in the end. All that said, I believe the S6e will do the same once it gets official 5.1.1 and then a proper camera comparo can be done, though in all honesty it's still a phone camera and they are both outstanding for what they are.
Same thoughts on launchers too, the iteration of TW on the S6e is much better than anything they've done before but it still suffers from the same old problems of lag ultimately. I too use Nova (on both phones) and it solves the issue. If forced to use stock, I would probably pick the LG but I do hate the DPI of 640 and everything is so damned big and there's so much wasted screen real estate. The S6e out of the box with it's adjustable grid sizes and what not better utilizes the screen.
Agree on battery life also. On the stock ROM I could make it through a day (I work 18-20h shifts at times) on a single charge but I would cut it close some days. The built in Qi charging is really nice and I have a charger at work and I can just drop the phone on it when I can make it to my office and the quick charge via the INCLUDED wall charger is awesome. So even though the battery life wasn't great, it's quite easy to top it off. I did run the leaked TMo 5.1.1 software for a week or so and the battery life on it is a completely different animal. I could make it nearly 48 hours without a top off, so again, with 5.1.1 I think the S6e will be a lot better device than it currently is. The battery life on my G4 seems great so far. I've run it down to 10% twice now and it was at about 40h off charger each time. The phone itself supports quick charge 2.0 but the included wall charger doesn't. The wall charger charges it incredibly slow so I've been using my S6e charger which charges it in about 1/3 the time. I ordered a proper quick charge 2.0 certified charger that should be here tomorrow along with a Qi sticker for the stock back. All things considered, the G4 battery is certainly longer lasting but more of a pain in the ass to recharge for now (until my free spare battery from the promo shows up lol!) and for the way/scenarios I use my phone I prefer the S6e here. My Note 4 easily crushed them both in this category, it could go just over 3 days before dying.

Coming from S5 (Verizon) to the G4 (Verizon) ...
The S6 with no SD support was a no-go for me.
Battery life seems a little shorter than the S5. I suspect it is due to the beefier processor on the G4 even though the G4 has a bigger battery. The battery on the G4 seems to drop a LOT less when unused however.
I am kinda missing my fingerprint scanner on the S5, but the knock code and "locked files" in gallery help me keep certain pictures away from prying eyes.
Speaking of pictures, this camera is awesome. Period. Check out the "My LG G4 Photography" thread by alexfoxy. The front camera is pretty good too. A lady friend took a few selfies with my phone and said "damn, your phone makes me look good!"
I don't really notice the difference in the screen (size or resolution). S5 looked good and a the size is right for my big hands. G4 is the same.
This is the first phone that I didn't immediately wish for a ROM. I am missing my ad-blocking that requires root, but the default ROM is clean and fast (maybe kudos the the processor). I did have to change home back to Apex, tho.
All in all, very happy with the upgrade.

I'm coming from the Note 4 and I'm pretty sure the G4 is here to stay with me.
I can basically echo what others are saying;
- the ui is cleaner and smoother
- overall phone seems a lot smoother/quicker I haven't had much stuttering. The Note had its moments where it'd freeze or stutter really badly, even on a custom rom
- maybe it's just me but the pictures from the camera seem sharper.
- It feels better in hand aswell.
- The double tap on screen to unlock is nice to have
- the clip tray being an option when I long press where I would usually paste is nice to see as with the Note, the clipboard only showed up in select places
It just seems nicer overall. I do hope root comes soon as I'd want to disable some stuff.
In terms of battery, I feel like the Note might of done better but then again I had certain crap apps disabled *cough* tmo my account *cough*
I can't exactly judge though since my service at work sucks so whatever phone I use drains quickly. For some reason when I had the OnePlus it did a ton better in the poor coverage areas (in terms of battery drain) but it didn't have WiFi calling which is a big deal to me.
I didn't use the spen as much as I initially thought I would. When it came to taking notes I always went back to typing them rather than writing with the stylus. Although it did come in handy for selecting certain parts of a pic online and whatnot and quickly sharing it to something like hangouts.
Fingerprint and shealth I never cared for.
I haven't "missed" my Note 4 yet. I like having new devices and I'm sure I don't use them to their potential as some others do here but for my purposes the phone is great

Even though I have the HTC One M9 Dev Edition, I consider myself coming from the T-Mobile S5 to the T-Mobile G4. The dealmaker for me were the replaceable battery and removable storage. I'm still keeping my S5 of course. I still need a root-capable device.

To ex-note 4 users
What made you switch ?

One Twelve said:
What made you switch ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regarding the Note 4I got irritated with it to the point where I paid off half the phone's price to get rid of it. Lollipop was an absolute mess. First, we waited forever. Then when we get it, it really messed up the phone. Issues I had:
1) Constant keyboard FC (where keyboard stays on screen permanent until reboot)...this would happen about once an hour, but only when using special characters ( . , * $ etc).
2) Upon unlocking, I would go to a black screen occasionally, requiring me to press the power button to shut off phone, then turn back on.
3) Trying to open an e-mail from notifications would take me to e-mail APP, but to a blank page with a back button.
4) Sometimes, cellular radio would choose to ignore wireless data altogether despite being in a strong LTE area.
5) Wifi calling would hardly connect, and was as likely to drop mid-call as it was to stay connected
6) Battery life went from 2 days with my usage to about 18 hours.
On top of those Lolli issues, the settings menu was a mess...scroll all day to find the menu I wanted. Missed double tap to wake too.
While I LOVED the look of the M9 and I love HTC in general, I eliminated HTC M9 due to 2 reasons:
1) The camera wasn't a contender with the current flagships and I use it as my primary camera to take pics of my kids.
2) No dual apps on same screen. It's a feature I used on the Note 4, and M9 didn't have it.
The S6 got eliminated due to 3 main reasons:
1) Looks too much like IPhone...sorry, just not my style
2) Touchwiz...granted my opinion is based on the Note 4, but I found it to be overly heavy and loaded with things I don't really use.
3) No expandable storage. I read their point of using high speed EMMC and wanting to keep system fast. What I read in that was "Blah blah blah we want you to pay MORE to get more storage". Again, goes back to too much like IPhone.
I'm not saying the G4 is perfect...I'd love it to have an 8 core processor, but it's really powerful enough as is. It's not overloaded with apps I won't really used or features I don't use. I'm sure I'll find things I don't LOVE as I use it more, but nothing is jumping out at me so far, and considering this has only been out for what...2 weeks, it's still early release, so bugs could be expected somewhat even though I've had none thusfar. I also liked the promotions LG was putting with it considering it's the least expensive of all the flagships out there (at least for us T-Mobile customers...it's $50 less than the M9, $80 less than S6, $180 less than S6E, hell, it's even cheaper than a 16GB IPhone 6).
Sorry so long

One Twelve said:
What made you switch ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im a phone whore ......... i wanted a new toy till the note 5 comes out. I pray they dont ruin it like they did the galaxy series

fatboypup said:
im a phone whore ......... i wanted a new toy till the note 5 comes out. I pray they dont ruin it like they did the galaxy series
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hah, once their sales figures come in they will not make that same mistake with the s7 is my hunch. g2-g3, m7-m8
Talk about scoring an own goal against LG
g2 vs s4 and g4 vs s6 (!)
At the time if g2 intl version was like g2 korean version i think i would have bought it.
---------- Post added at 02:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:35 AM ----------
Th3Bill said:
Sorry so long
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could continue if you want
i'm not one of those TL;DR types.

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 Tab S4, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

Overall this tablet is incredible. The speakers are great, the screen is crisp and not to mention huge. An incredible device priced just a little too high

Not worth the money. I am very disappointed with the rams. My note 9 has 8 GB ram but this tab only comes with 4 GB and no option to increase the ram like the note 9.
This tablet should have had 6 GB then it would have been worth the money.
Right now I got 600mb rams free and if I startup the DeX then I don't know how it will work.
Just haven't had the chance to try DeX yet as I am working non stop for 14 days on 14 hour shifts but after 14 day I'll report back.

SyCoREAPER said:
Overall this tablet is incredible. The speakers are great, the screen is crisp and not to mention huge. An incredible device priced just a little too high
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've found the speakers very disappointed. Zero bass and not much depth

Zionator said:
Not worth the money. I am very disappointed with the rams. My note 9 has 8 GB ram but this tab only comes with 4 GB and no option to increase the ram like the note 9.
This tablet should have had 6 GB then it would have been worth the money.
Right now I got 600mb rams free and if I startup the DeX then I don't know how it will work.
Just haven't had the chance to try DeX yet as I am working non stop for 14 days on 14 hour shifts but after 14 day I'll report back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you doing that you need more than 4GB of RAM?

Reuben_skelz92 said:
I've found the speakers very disappointed. Zero bass and not much depth
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont mind the speakers. They are loud enough but you're right, they wont win any sound awards.
SyCoREAPER said:
Overall this tablet is incredible. The speakers are great, the screen is crisp and not to mention huge. An incredible device priced just a little too high
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And a little too heavy. Looks like I will be keeping my Tab S 8.4 for reading

Had mine for a week now and have been using it pretty much non-stop. Screen is superb for video. Have the keyboard cover too and it has been useful for doing some work emails and stuff. Used Dex for a few days until the novelty wore off. Having said that will use it occasionally when docked to a bigger screen. Yes it's heavy and yes it's expensive.....but I still love it.

I do love it overall. Big and beautiful as a tablet, while cute and compact as a partial laptop. But i am also disappointed like many people that it did not have more ram. I had apps crashed and hanged on DeX before

kane274 said:
And a little too heavy. Looks like I will be keeping my Tab S 8.4 for reading
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do love my S4 and S 8.4 which I was planning to sell or gift. Decided to keep it for reading and quick browsing. Phone 6.2", two sizes of tablets 8.4" and 10.5" and laptop 13.3"=device for every occasion :victory:

Too51oll said:
I do love my S4 and S 8.4 which I was planning to sell or gift. Decided to keep it for reading and quick browsing. Phone 6.2", two sizes of tablets 8.4" and 10.5" and laptop 13.3"=device for every occasion :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
apart from size, how clear is text on S4 compared to S 8.4"? I have a S 8.4" and use it 95% of the time for reading kindle and google books, and wonder whether that with 25% fewer pixels per inch, clarity of text might be reduced on the S4 compared to the S 8.4".

antskip said:
apart from size, how clear is text on S4 compared to S 8.4"? I have a S 8.4" and use it 95% of the time for reading kindle and google books, and wonder whether that with 25% fewer pixels per inch, clarity of text might be reduced on the S4 compared to the S 8.4".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even though the screen has lower ppi it's still an awesome display. At first I was noticing lower ppi here and there. I guess I was looking for it as I don't notice it any more. Text is really nice and sharp, you shouldn't be disappointed. The reason I've kept S 8.4 is it's size, it's an easy one hand device unlike S4.

S4 is awesome!
Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk

I think it is a mixed bag. I moved from an S2 to an S4, and there are multiple things I miss
Pros: processor, internal memory, video resolution, pie, battery life, speakers at all corners
Cons: Screen aspect ratio (too tall for books in portrait mode) , not enough ram for dex, no thumbprint sensor, no wireless dex, mirroring sucks
Yeah, the aspect ratio is better for movies, but I mostly cast video. Likewise the speaker location is much better, but I mostly cast or use head phones.
I won't be going back to the S2, but I miss it sometimes.

XDA_RealLifeReview said:
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 Tab S4, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you on that!
Just got my S4. Unicorn edition straight from Samsung South Korea!
6GB RAM / 256GB Storage / LTE / FULLY UNLOCKED! It works as a phone, with the phone and sms apps enabled. ZERO restrictions on this!
Pics up on instagram @RDA1074 will post some videos too!
I'm going without a physical PC for a week to check this out! I'm putting down my XPS 13 QHD i7 2-in-1 (9365) so....let see!

I needed something to replace my Tab E so purchased the Tab S4. I don't think they gave us value for the cost it was to buy it.

RDA3440 said:
I'm with you on that!
Just got my S4. Unicorn edition straight from Samsung South Korea!
6GB RAM / 256GB Storage / LTE / FULLY UNLOCKED! It works as a phone, with the phone and sms apps enabled. ZERO restrictions on this!
Pics up on instagram @RDA1074 will post some videos too!
I'm going without a physical PC for a week to check this out! I'm putting down my XPS 13 QHD i7 2-in-1 (9365) so....let see!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does one look into getting one of these and is there a wifi only version? Thanks!

I am very pleased with it. A family member of mine recently bought a 6th gen iPad and the Tab S4 is way more capable! (but also quite a bit more expensive. I use Dex alot in combination with the Samsung keyboard case. The S Pen is useful, but is too light for my liking.

The verry best of my owneds devices, only one bad point, i'v still no succes on rooting it.

I had both ipad pro (1st gen) 9.7 and 12.9 versions, sold them both and got a used S4 tab. So far really liking it. I used ot have a Note 9 so I'm used to the software. My phone is a P30 pro which is superb but the software sucks ass. Samsung software is on a different level from Huawei, it's not even comparable. I think atm Samsung software is better than apple products. The battery drain is a bit fast for me, but since I live in Korea I can always get the battery replaced at the Samsung service center for around $17 usd.

Comparing Tab S6 and Tab S4:
- S4 has slightly better display, with less backbleeding
- both tablets cannot be authenticated in a modern way, fp / iris / facelock are almost unusable
a) S6 fingerprint is a classic samsung joke since they moved fp reader under display
b) S4 intelligent scan is unsafe as it takes whatever authentication gets processed first.. iris OR face
c) S4 iris or faceunlock don't work in dark, and are in fact much worse than S6 fingerprint
d) S4 won't provide biometrics to apps... you simply enter the era of entering passwords by hand.. this is huuge disappointment
e) so there's another option: Direction Lock. this is a less secure pattern lock unfortunately it's first tier auth (it can't register on top of password), the best model would be strong base auth (password) + medium to strong comfy auth (iris AND faceunlock) but no luck here.. and again, it's not registered as biometrics. i don't know why Android recognizes only fingerprint as biometrics - bad
- both are slow, S4 feels like 10year device with its lags update: got much better when disabled proca why this is not disabled in kernel
- S4 can be rooted much better, no combination of keys needed to boot.. full safe setup twrp, kernel, xposed+xprivacy+xedge, encryption, no boot keys needed
- both have HDR playback, even if brightness is not enough..
- human control is painful:
a) you can't touch buttons when pen is accidentally close to the screen..oh my god..so many mistakes with this
b) the hardware keyboard is withough backlight so it's almost invisible, and the screen brightness won't help.. very painful keyboard.. i threw it away already
c) when using hardware keyboard, there will be accidental touches to screen..dialogs will be cancelled.. really annoying
d) i hate when i cannot dismiss notification menu by touching around it
e) pen doesn't slide on the screen easily.. it's not the same feeling like Note9.. it's almost difficult to move it around (new tip..a Lenovo pen would slide easily)
f) the expensive keyboard cover attracts fingerprint dirt like nothing else. crazy how it gets more dirty than glass!
- wifi reception is poor
- sound is fantastic... i despise all 3D, Vipers and modifications, but 4 speakers with Atmos sound so good in movies.. clear dialogs and atmospheric background sounds go beyond ears
the S4 tablet is good for media, games. Both are nowhere near producitivy and speed of modern mobile phones. Since i hate the keyboard and even stylus, the Samsung benefits are partially gone. I wish it was easier to control, snappier.
(updates)

Why I am returning my S20 Ultra within 24 hours of receiving!

Let me preface this by saying I am picky about my phones and this is one of the worst I have seen in years! If you have an old phone I can understand some of the upgrade but here are my thoughts coming well staying with a Note 10+. Never bought and returned a phone this quick. Returning before it is even released on Friday!!
Let's start with the good, well somewhat......
Screen: Once again Samsung delivers a world class screen. Best in brightness, color accuracy, etc etc everything like normal that they always produce in their flagships. Now for the downsize, the infamous 120hz screen refresh rate. Not worth it here. Smoother scrolling, sure but barely. I honestly don't even mind the 1080p and 120 hz just the need for the 120hz on a phone is overkill. Was gaming smoother sure, do I game much on my phone, no not really. The 240 touch response I can tell more of a difference and a worthy difference then the 120 hz refresh
Processing power: Phone is fast, minus animations. Photo processing, night mode shots are a big difference. Much faster in that aspect. Wish we saw little more ram and more storage though at this price
Battery: 5000 mah in this device makes it a little thicker but in my short one day of use it stood up pretty well to transferring apps and everything over and hard use for a few hours last night. Couldn't kill it
and now the bad
Camera: throw all the numbers at it and it will be great.... well not so fast. Main shooter in 12 or 108 mp mode cannot focus on anything. Piece of paper on desk in front of you, good luck. Zoom a few feet away from you, also good luck. 5x/10x/30x zoom is better then Note 10+ of course but how often are you going to use this? Everyday? Once a week? Once a month? Still not great quality (usable) at 10x or 30x really so no point in my book. 5x is crisp but falls off too much after that for me to use. Wide angle is same as note so no real improvement here. Camera also seems to make everything more saturated then I like as well almost to the point of unrealistic. The one and only thing the iPhone can do well and the note seems to be closer to that realistic representation then the Ultra.
Design: not that the design is bad but feels a tad on the chunkier side. Rounder edges do help but does not feel as sleek as nice to hold as note or even s10. Thicker as well to house that battery and camera module. Also worried about how scratched the module bump will become after months of abuse.
UI: Let me first say I hate Android 10/Samsung UI 2.0, I am still using 9 and the Ultra reminded me why. App animations are slow (yes can fix in dev options but still), quick replying to text or message in status bar is not instant like prior android generations. Don't know if this is an android 10 or Samsung UI 2.0 problem but seems like it should be an upgrade not a downgrade
Price: $1400 is a lot even for 2020. That is also only for 128 gb and 12 gb ram model. So no upgrade to ram compared to Note and a loss of half the storage compared to entry level note. Plan was to trade in note 10+ and pay $800 and it isn't worth that tp be honest. Not even close. Only foreseeable upgrades are little brighter screen and zoom lens. The rest is a downgrade to me or the same.
I will continue to use note 10+ until Note 20 maybe? Needs to have something better for the money it is going to cost though
View attachment 4964859

That's a fair assessment. From testing out an S20 Ultra, I wasn't impressed enough to upgrade from the Note 10+. While many of the upgrades are nice to have, there are no earth shattering changes. To be fair, phone technology has plateaued and it's going to take more than camera, screen and battery upgrades to get people spending $1000+, let alone $1400-1500. The Note 20 is going to need an under display front camera, an even bigger battery, more futuristic design or something to get people to upgrade.
Now I have friends who upgraded from S8/ Note 8 models and they're blown away by the improvement. It's become more practical to upgrade every 2+ years versus luxury upgrades every cycle.

I am returning mine because mainly because I cannot justify the difference between the 128 GB of the Ultra vs the S20+. The main difference between the two are the battery and camera. For me, the Ultra is simply TOO BIG, it's taller, wider and substantially heavier than what I am used to - coming from the S10+. S20+ is the ideal fit, especially since I really do not care for the camera specs honestly.

I got mine yesterday and have been testing the camera against my Pixel 3XL. I was hoping for a similar experience as the Pixel, but so far the results have been wildly inconsistent. Some of the photos are marginally better than the Pixel, but many are much worse, especially when it comes to white balance in low light and extremely over done color saturation in others.
Similar to OP, I love the screen, processor and battery. It's a shame the camera is dragging it down for me. I'll probably take a look at it again in a few months and see if any updates have made significant improvements to the camera.
Oh, I also tried out one of the GCam ports and saw little to no improvement over the stock camera.

My only gripe which I can agree with you on is the camera's autofocus. There is a firmware update inbound which is supposed to fix this. This should not be a launch issue.
As for the UI, I disagree. I think it's perfectly responsive. It may be the update to 2.1 for you. I've only ever had 2.x on my Samsung devices so I can't comment from that respect.
Those are of course your impressions and opinion and as such I'm not saying your wrong just that it's not that way in my point of view.

In the past I've returned things less than a day of ownership because of burning issues. I've learned, however, to use the 15 days they provide. It's not like a pro rated fee or rental where there's a fiscal benefit to a quick return. Slow down, use it for those two weeks.

Guyinlaca said:
That's a fair assessment. From testing out an S20 Ultra, I wasn't impressed enough to upgrade from the Note 10+. While many of the upgrades are nice to have, there are no earth shattering changes. To be fair, phone technology has plateaued and it's going to take more than camera, screen and battery upgrades to get people spending $1000+, let alone $1400-1500. The Note 20 is going to need an under display front camera, an even bigger battery, more futuristic design or something to get people to upgrade.
Now I have friends who upgraded from S8/ Note 8 models and they're blown away by the improvement. It's become more practical to upgrade every 2+ years versus luxury upgrades every cycle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, I buy/try every one when it is brand new and this one just disappointed me overall. Note 20 better have under display camera and a better fingerprint sensor in display. Or just go back to old style
BETA. said:
I am returning mine because mainly because I cannot justify the difference between the 128 GB of the Ultra vs the S20+. The main difference between the two are the battery and camera. For me, the Ultra is simply TOO BIG, it's taller, wider and substantially heavier than what I am used to - coming from the S10+. S20+ is the ideal fit, especially since I really do not care for the camera specs honestly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup not worth it! Ultra is actually narrower then note 10 plus believe it or not. I don't mind the bulk just nothing to gain from it
Zargon335 said:
I got mine yesterday and have been testing the camera against my Pixel 3XL. I was hoping for a similar experience as the Pixel, but so far the results have been wildly inconsistent. Some of the photos are marginally better than the Pixel, but many are much worse, especially when it comes to white balance in low light and extremely over done color saturation in others.
Similar to OP, I love the screen, processor and battery. It's a shame the camera is dragging it down for me. I'll probably take a look at it again in a few months and see if any updates have made significant improvements to the camera.
Oh, I also tried out one of the GCam ports and saw little to no improvement over the stock camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the pixel is always a beast in the camera dept. The night mode on the ultra seemed too bright like I still want my night shots to look dark just with detail if that makes sense
SyCoREAPER said:
My only gripe which I can agree with you on is the camera's autofocus. There is a firmware update inbound which is supposed to fix this. This should not be a launch issue.
As for the UI, I disagree. I think it's perfectly responsive. It may be the update to 2.1 for you. I've only ever had 2.x on my Samsung devices so I can't comment from that respect.
Those are of course your impressions and opinion and as such I'm not saying your wrong just that it's not that way in my point of view.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the UI like messages and you hit reply and then send and it kinda sticks there. On old one ui it was instant. You would have to have both side by side honestly to be able to tell like I did. I replied to a few facebook messages on ultra and was like that felt odd. Then did on note and was like wow it is faster
cpufrost said:
In the past I've returned things less than a day of ownership because of burning issues. I've learned, however, to use the 15 days they provide. It's not like a pro rated fee or rental where there's a fiscal benefit to a quick return. Slow down, use it for those two weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope already gone. Boxed up by 8 am and ready to roll. I will spend my money elsewhere

I upgraded from the S9+ and the camera from the S10+ blew me away, hence why I got the S20 Ultra, also 2 year cycle

Jomari29 said:
I upgraded from the S9+ and the camera from the S10+ blew me away, hence why I got the S20 Ultra, also 2 year cycle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But did the ultra camera blow you away like going from S9 to S10?

oneandroidnut said:
But did the ultra camera blow you away like going from S9 to S10?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tbh no, I get what you mean, I didn't have the same feel like how it was upgrading from s7 to s9,

cpufrost said:
In the past I've returned things less than a day of ownership because of burning issues. I've learned, however, to use the 15 days they provide. It's not like a pro rated fee or rental where there's a fiscal benefit to a quick return. Slow down, use it for those two weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But how long are you going to wait for a patch that "maybe" fixes things? 14 days = maybe if we're lucky one software update.

Jomari29 said:
Tbh no, I get what you mean, I didn't have the same feel like how it was upgrading from s7 to s9,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah exactly. Honestly I don't tell a big difference anymore when you upgrade to every flagship but from s10+ to note 10+ it felt like an improvement and gained some things. Now it feels like I am losing more things then I am gaining from note 10+ to Ultra

catnapped said:
But how long are you going to wait for a patch that "maybe" fixes things? 14 days = maybe if we're lucky one software update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, mine is gone already. Not playing that waiting game. My note 10+ on android pie is butter to me right now and will be sticking around for at least a few more months until Ultra is fixed or new note is out

People are whining about the price when the iphone 11 pro is $1449 and nobody bats an eye.

deathshead said:
People are whining about the price when the iphone 11 pro is $1449 and nobody bats an eye.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
11 Pro Max 512GB is $1449.
512GB Ultra is $1599.
Both are very expensive!
IMHO, for the price of $1599 there should be a slim case in the box, 45W charger, 1TB storage and ceramic back! I get it, 5G is adding to the cost and for a lot of us is like paying for tits on a bull!
Wait until the iPhone 12 with 5G comes out. Figure on adding $200-300 EXTRA.

deathshead said:
People are whining about the price when the iphone 11 pro is $1449 and nobody bats an eye.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not 5G though, wait until this year. Bet it is $1400+ for the base
cpufrost said:
11 Pro Max 512GB is $1449.
512GB Ultra is $1599.
Both are very expensive!
IMHO, for the price of $1599 there should be a slim case in the box, 45W charger, 1TB storage and ceramic back! I get it, 5G is adding to the cost and for a lot of us is like paying for tits on a bull!
Wait until the iPhone 12 with 5G comes out. Figure on adding $200-300 EXTRA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Ceramic is needed at this price point and a 1tb option for sure!!!

I got my ultra two days ago and have to say i am very disappointed in the camera system. With how much physical size it takes up you'd think it was going to be something of quality, but largely it is not. The autofocus issues are not being overstated - sitting at my computer desk it refuses to focus on the keyboard three feet in front of me. My s10+ on the other hand has no issues getting focus rapidly.
The screen is amazing but I am underwhelmed by the 120hz. The way people talk about it, you'd think it was the best thing since sliced bread. While it is noticable during very slow scrolling, normal scrolling looks basically the same as on my s10. The one noticeable difference is with the responsiveness to touch which i gather is from the 240 sampling rate.
The fingerprint scanner is identical in performance to s10.
The increased weight and size of the phone actually helps it to feel more premium and it's not difficult to handle. The screen is considerably more narrow than note 10+ which I do like - the wide-ness of the n10+ was cumbersome.
I love how the screen edges are nearly flat, gives it more usable space.
I have already contacted samsung and made it clear that if an update isn't imminent that fixes the camera performance, I will have no choice but to return..it just doesn't make sense to trade in my still-perfect s10+ and spend nearly $900 on an unfinished product...which is how the ultra feels at this point.

Swimguy14 said:
I got my ultra two days ago and have to say i am very disappointed in the camera system. With how much physical size it takes up you'd think it was going to be something of quality, but largely it is not. The autofocus issues are not being overstated - sitting at my computer desk it refuses to focus on the keyboard three feet in front of me. My s10+ on the other hand has no issues getting focus rapidly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mmmhmm, goes in and out of focus. Even if you tap to focus you have to practically do a shot right then or it's back to in and out again.
And I just did a 108MP photo of my cat in so-so light. Not really impressed. The only thing decent I'll say is the 5x & 10x zoom. Doesn't make up for the other issues though.

Swimguy14 said:
I got my ultra two days ago and have to say i am very disappointed in the camera system. With how much physical size it takes up you'd think it was going to be something of quality, but largely it is not. The autofocus issues are not being overstated - sitting at my computer desk it refuses to focus on the keyboard three feet in front of me. My s10+ on the other hand has no issues getting focus rapidly.
The screen is amazing but I am underwhelmed by the 120hz. The way people talk about it, you'd think it was the best thing since sliced bread. While it is noticable during very slow scrolling, normal scrolling looks basically the same as on my s10. The one noticeable difference is with the responsiveness to touch which i gather is from the 240 sampling rate.
The fingerprint scanner is identical in performance to s10.
The increased weight and size of the phone actually helps it to feel more premium and it's not difficult to handle. The screen is considerably more narrow than note 10+ which I do like - the wide-ness of the n10+ was cumbersome.
I love how the screen edges are nearly flat, gives it more usable space.
I have already contacted samsung and made it clear that if an update isn't imminent that fixes the camera performance, I will have no choice but to return..it just doesn't make sense to trade in my still-perfect s10+ and spend nearly $900 on an unfinished product...which is how the ultra feels at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed on all points except I prefer the wider note 10+ screen but yes everything else is spot on

catnapped said:
Mmmhmm, goes in and out of focus. Even if you tap to focus you have to practically do a shot right then or it's back to in and out again.
And I just did a 108MP photo of my cat in so-so light. Not really impressed. The only thing decent I'll say is the 5x & 10x zoom. Doesn't make up for the other issues though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly is that worth $800-1400 over your current device?