I was to going to pre-order a Note 4 from T-Mobile. While I think $750.00 is too much for a smartphone, Samsung was offering a $200 trade-in for any working smartphone. However, as is true of many "good deals," there was a catch: the trade-in must be made through a participating retailer and must have a minimum trade-in value of $10.00. I was able to find an old Samsung Epic 4G which had a trade-in value of only $6.00 through T-Mobile. I checked the trade-in value of some other older phones and most were in the $6 to $8 range.
Since I didn't have a suitable trade-in and wasn't willing to pay $750, I decided to look at alternatives. I'm 75 with poor eyesight and clumsy fingers, so I need at least a 5.5" display, and it must be an Android phone. I decided to get an LG G3 after reading a lot of reviews, good and bad, and trying out the phone in the local T-Mobile store. I've had a Samsung Note 2 for the past couple of years and the one feature I think I'll miss is the S-pen. I got the Note 2 for the large screen and didn't think I'd ever use the S-pen but I've been surprised at the number of times I've pulled out the S-pen to make a quick note.
Once I've had the LG G3 for a few weeks I'll let you know if I made a good choice.
UPDATE, 10/08/2014
The LG G3 is a very good phone but, unfortunately, it's not the right phone for me. It cost me a $50 T-Mobile restocking fee to try the G3 but, if I hadn't tried, I would always wonder.
The G3 is well built, innovative, and operates quickly and smoothly. I like the knock feature and the G3 launcher is the best stock launcher I've seen. Contrary to some reviews I read, I encountered no stuttering (although I was using Apex instead of the stock launcher) and the colors did not appear washed out, unless you place it next to a Samsung device with saturated colors. The camera is amazing, battery life seems good, and the G3 functions well as a phone.
I should probably explain why I used the Apex launcher instead of the stock G3 launcher. The G3 launcher is easy to customize with lots of options but, unfortunately, it lacks the ability to lock the desktop, and that feature is one of the main reasons I prefer the Apex launcher to the Nova launcher. The ability to lock the desktop may not be important to most people, but when our grandchildren ride in the car they like to play games on my phone, and one of the most popular games is move the icons around and try to hide them from Grandpa.
After all that praise, why did I return the G3? As I mentioned, I'm 75 with poor eyesight and clumsy fingers, and I need a little larger phone. I also realized that Samsung's S-pen is important for me, not just for note taking but because it's a real aid for older folks with clumsy fingers. Therefore, in spite of the many qualities of the G3 and the relatively high cost of the Note 4, I returned the G3 and pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
Since I didn't have a suitable trade-in and wasn't willing to pay $750, I decided to look at alternatives. I'm 75 with poor eyesight and clumsy fingers, so I need at least a 5.5" display, and it must be an Android phone. I decided to get an LG G3 after reading a lot of reviews, good and bad, and trying out the phone in the local T-Mobile store. I've had a Samsung Note 2 for the past couple of years and the one feature I think I'll miss is the S-pen. I got the Note 2 for the large screen and didn't think I'd ever use the S-pen but I've been surprised at the number of times I've pulled out the S-pen to make a quick note.
Once I've had the LG G3 for a few weeks I'll let you know if I made a good choice.
UPDATE, 10/08/2014
The LG G3 is a very good phone but, unfortunately, it's not the right phone for me. It cost me a $50 T-Mobile restocking fee to try the G3 but, if I hadn't tried, I would always wonder.
The G3 is well built, innovative, and operates quickly and smoothly. I like the knock feature and the G3 launcher is the best stock launcher I've seen. Contrary to some reviews I read, I encountered no stuttering (although I was using Apex instead of the stock launcher) and the colors did not appear washed out, unless you place it next to a Samsung device with saturated colors. The camera is amazing, battery life seems good, and the G3 functions well as a phone.
I should probably explain why I used the Apex launcher instead of the stock G3 launcher. The G3 launcher is easy to customize with lots of options but, unfortunately, it lacks the ability to lock the desktop, and that feature is one of the main reasons I prefer the Apex launcher to the Nova launcher. The ability to lock the desktop may not be important to most people, but when our grandchildren ride in the car they like to play games on my phone, and one of the most popular games is move the icons around and try to hide them from Grandpa.
After all that praise, why did I return the G3? As I mentioned, I'm 75 with poor eyesight and clumsy fingers, and I need a little larger phone. I also realized that Samsung's S-pen is important for me, not just for note taking but because it's a real aid for older folks with clumsy fingers. Therefore, in spite of the many qualities of the G3 and the relatively high cost of the Note 4, I returned the G3 and pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
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