I have been coming to this forum for some time, wanting to learn what I can about Android phones. I've had the same Motorola flip phone for over nine years, so I'm not the type who needs the latest/greatest cutting edge phone. However, I do like technology and feel like I'm finally ready to take the leap from dumb to smart phone!
A little over a year ago I bought an inexpensive Android tablet so that I could experiment with it and see whether I would find the investment in a smartphone worthwhile (not just the initial cost, but the increased monthly fees). I also have tried a number of apps which have been useful on the tablet but would be even better on a phone that I would have with me all the time.
In principal, I like the idea of a plain vanilla android phone, but I keep coming back to the Note 3 for a number of reasons---(1) The bigger screen is a plus, as my vision is a bit impaired; (2) The SD card is another plus, as I'd like to put my music on the SD card and not worry about having enough room for everything. (3) The stylus is another reason I'm looking at the Note 3 rather than S5 or even S4. I don't really need the stylus for notes particularly, although I may use it occasionally; however, on my tablet I have a folio case with a capacitive stylus and I use it constantly, for navigating through screens and menus and choosing apps to open, as well as on the keyboard. If I could find a case for the S4 or S5 that included a loop to hold a stylus, those would both be in the running, too.
I have been gathering as much information as I can about the Note 3, but I still wonder whether it's overkill. With the price dropping, and perhaps dropping more with the release of the Note 4, it seems like a good deal. I am concerned about some of the bad things I've been hearing about problems after the Kit Kat update, but they seem to affect all phones. I do have a concern about phone reception. My little flip phone, even after going through three replacement batteries, has consistently provided better reception than others with smart phones have had. DH, who has an older iPhone, has on occasion borrowed my flip phone to make phone calls because his reception is poor. While I plan to make use of the Note 3 in all sorts of ways it is, still, first of all a phone.
So, what do you think? Is the Note 3 too much phone for this novice? What do you think I will like the most about it and what will be the likely challenges?
A little over a year ago I bought an inexpensive Android tablet so that I could experiment with it and see whether I would find the investment in a smartphone worthwhile (not just the initial cost, but the increased monthly fees). I also have tried a number of apps which have been useful on the tablet but would be even better on a phone that I would have with me all the time.
In principal, I like the idea of a plain vanilla android phone, but I keep coming back to the Note 3 for a number of reasons---(1) The bigger screen is a plus, as my vision is a bit impaired; (2) The SD card is another plus, as I'd like to put my music on the SD card and not worry about having enough room for everything. (3) The stylus is another reason I'm looking at the Note 3 rather than S5 or even S4. I don't really need the stylus for notes particularly, although I may use it occasionally; however, on my tablet I have a folio case with a capacitive stylus and I use it constantly, for navigating through screens and menus and choosing apps to open, as well as on the keyboard. If I could find a case for the S4 or S5 that included a loop to hold a stylus, those would both be in the running, too.
I have been gathering as much information as I can about the Note 3, but I still wonder whether it's overkill. With the price dropping, and perhaps dropping more with the release of the Note 4, it seems like a good deal. I am concerned about some of the bad things I've been hearing about problems after the Kit Kat update, but they seem to affect all phones. I do have a concern about phone reception. My little flip phone, even after going through three replacement batteries, has consistently provided better reception than others with smart phones have had. DH, who has an older iPhone, has on occasion borrowed my flip phone to make phone calls because his reception is poor. While I plan to make use of the Note 3 in all sorts of ways it is, still, first of all a phone.
So, what do you think? Is the Note 3 too much phone for this novice? What do you think I will like the most about it and what will be the likely challenges?