Would someone explain this, please?

[zorak950]

Samsung has mostly stuck with removable batteries, but they're rare from the other major manufacturers in the US.

 

[Old Stoneface]

Raddichio, you might want to take a look at the Motorola Moto G LTE. $200 at Amazon. I've had mine for a week and am so far thoroughly satisfied with it.

Read the reviews. The Moto G should probably cost twice what it does.

 

[radicchio]

Raddichio, you might want to take a look at the Motorola Moto G LTE. $200 at Amazon. I've had mine for a week and am so far thoroughly satisfied with it.

Read the reviews. The Moto G should probably cost twice what it does.

I have been quite impressed by the Motorola phones, as it sounds like they are built well and are actually decent PHONES, which is a concern of mine about the Note 3. However, I'm afraid I would have to be pulling out my reading glasses to use it. I am at the point where, if the light is good, I don't need to rely on the reading glasses; but at other times they are a necessity. I was thinking it would be much more convenient to have a larger screen that I could read under all conditions.

But, mostly, given my concern about keeping the phone for a while, I keep coming back to the issue of removable battery. Unlike so many here, I don't always want to be stepping up to the next, better phone. It's not just a matter of economics, but also convenience. Once I get a device, whether it be my laptop or desktop computer, music player, etc., set up the way I like it, I like to keep it around for as long as it's working for me. I just don't want to be bothered to set up a new device and, especially, don't like it when the new design forces me to set it up in a way that is not as convenient for me. I understand I won't get the same longevity with a smartphone that I have with the old "dumb" phones, but I would like to get maximum use before I move on to the next model. So I figure I'd likely have to replace the battery at some point.

 

[JeffDenver]

Honestly that kind of stinks because a removable battery is really nice and handy

Well, modern smartphones have much better batteries nowadays. My Nexus 5 gets about twice the battery life of the Galaxy S3. If battery life is an issue for you, you will want a larger phone.

There is no phone that is the best at everything. You will be making compromises no matter what phone you get. You just have to decide the top 3 or 4 things you care about most.

 

[JeffDenver]

I have been quite impressed by the Motorola phones, as it sounds like they are built well and are actually decent PHONES, which is a concern of mine about the Note 3. However, I'm afraid I would have to be pulling out my reading glasses to use it.

You will probably be doing that anyway...the difference between them is less than an inch of actual screen size. PPI and brightness and contrast will matter a lot more for reading legibility. And all modern Android phones have better-than-retina display quality now. Even cheap ones do.

 

[Kalvin Kerns]

The last part of your reply is compelling. The whole reason I decided to go with an Android phone is the desire to customize it as I want. I really resent all the unnecessary stuff that is loaded on my phone that I cannot remove. I know that makes my choice of a Samsung phone a little odd, but I like the features of the phone itself and hope that by installing a launcher (Nova) and disabling the apps that I can it will mitigate that problem somewhat. So do the carriers add a lot of bloatware, as well? Specifically, my carrier will be AT&T. If it is significant enough, it might be worth paying more---but that's quite a price differential---and I am very frugal.

Hi Raddichio,

I did exactly what you discuss above. I bought a Note 3 on AT&T and am running Nova Prime. It loses none of its Touchwiz capabilities (assuming you like them...), but with Nova on top it's highly customizable.

However, there are a TON of Samsung and AT&T crapware apps I'll never use. As much as I like this Note 3 (after Nova/customizing) I won't be buying another one again simply due to all the bloat you just can't get rid of. Well that and the fact that it's a bit too big IMO. I'll probably look at something like the Moto X (2014) for simplicity and less bloatiness.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[radicchio]

Kalvin, Thanks for giving me information about the phone I'm most seriously considering. I, too, hate the idea of a lot of bloatware. With my Windows computers, I have always uninstalled the extra stuff they pre-load on the computer. In fact, I always used to totally wipe the hard drive, then reinstall Windows and whatever programs I wanted. So it's maddening that the only way to do that with an Android phone is with rooting the phone, which I definitely would not attempt while still under warranty and I'm not sure I'm up to trying even later.

I have several friends with Samsung Galaxy phones (S3 & S4), and they all report that they love them---no one with a Note series, though. Is it mostly the size that is making you want to get a different phone? Is it just the IDEA of the extra bloatware that you dislike, or are you noticing some functional problems that you can directly relate to the bloatware? Because the removable battery is important to me, I have come to the conclusion that I will just accept that a certain portion of my phones storage has been annexed by Samsung (and AT&T) for the apps they decided to put there---but only if it doesn't significantly impact the general functioning of the phone. So if you see problems with the device that stem from the extra bloatware, could you specify exactly what those problems are and to what extent they affect you in your day-to-day use of the Note 3? Thanks!

 

[JeffDenver]

ave several friends with Samsung Galaxy phones (S3 & S4), and they all report that they love them---no one with a Note series, though.

My sister had a note 2 and has a note 3 and loves it.

In the past the not series was known for being really good at some things but mediocre at others. The Note 4 looks like it will break this trend, as it is expected to have an awesome camera and the best display seen on any phone so far. We'll see if it lives up to the hype, but the GS5 did for the most part. So I expect the Note 4 to be the best smartphone on the market hardware-wise.

Is it mostly the size that is making you want to get a different phone? Is it just the IDEA of the extra bloatware that you dislike, or are you noticing some functional problems that you can directly relate to the bloatware? Because the removable battery is important to me, I have come to the conclusion that I will just accept that a certain portion of my phones storage has been annexed by Samsung (and AT&T) for the apps they decided to put there

Thats not the thing that makes them bad...the UI will also be slowed down. You will not get the buttery-smooth iPhone-like interface the Nexus and Moto have. Touchwiz is directly responsible for that and you cannot remove it.

 

[radicchio]

My sister had a note 2 and has a note 3 and loves it.

In the past the not series was known for being really good at some things but mediocre at others. The Note 4 looks like it will break this trend, as it is expected to have an awesome camera and the best display seen on any phone so far. We'll see if it lives up to the hype, but the GS5 did for the most part. So I expect the Note 4 to be the best smartphone on the market hardware-wise.


Thats not the thing that makes them bad...the UI will also be slowed down. You will not get the buttery-smooth iPhone-like interface the Nexus and Moto have. Touchwiz is directly responsible for that and you cannot remove it.

I've tried putting a Note 3 through its paces at the store, but it's kind of hard for me to give it a good test. I didn't notice anything objectionable at that time, but it's certainly not a true world test. Does it seem to be choppy when you're using it, or just not as responsive ("buttery-smooth")? I think I may be like your sister, who would be happy with the Note 3 as is, even if it's not the fastest kid on the block---especially since it has the removable battery. I'm looking for stable and reliable ahead of flash, although I certainly appreciate some flash, as well. DH has an iPhone 3 which is quite small and clearly showing its age, so the Note 3 looks pretty good in comparison.

 

[JeffDenver]

I've tried putting a Note 3 through its paces at the store, but it's kind of hard for me to give it a good test. I didn't notice anything objectionable at that time, but it's certainly not a true world test. Does it seem to be choppy when you're using it, or just not as responsive ("buttery-smooth")?

To me it feels choppy. But all non-nexus products do. Except maybe Moto X's. It's something I might not notice if I had not already used a Nexus.

I think I may be like your sister, who would be happy with the Note 3 as is, even if it's not the fastest kid on the block

Has nothing to do with Speed. The Note 3 is a faster phone than the Nexus. The Nexus has a faster UI because it does not have Touchwiz slowing it down. UI speed is not tied to the hardware anymore...even low end hardware can be smooth on Android if there is no skin getting in the way.

 

[Old Stoneface]

UI speed is not tied to the hardware anymore...even low end hardware can be smooth on Android if there is no skin getting in the way.

I noticed that on my Moto G this morning. I mean: I've noticed it, before, but this morning it rose to the forefront of my consciousness: How responsive and buttery smooth is the UI. I touch an icon or control and it just does it. No more am I left wondering "Did it miss the touch or is it just thinking about it?" Caused me to stop a moment and swipe the home screens around a few times, just to watch it do it so smoothly.

Raddichio: My eyesight is not so great, any more, either. I have reading glasses stashed everywhere. I'm not going to lie: Web pages on this phone can be a challenge. But, otherwise, it hasn't given me any problem, so far.

IIRC: My Sensation 4G used to give me trouble in some apps. This screen is only 0.2" bigger, but it's much more readable. Probably the higher resolution. The new Moto G (same pricing) has a 5" screen. But there's no LTE version, yet, and it sacrificed some runtime for that larger display.

 

[radicchio]

So are you telling me that on a heavily skinned smartphone (like the Samsung) there is enough lag that you can press on an icon and have a few seconds wondering whether it registered or not? I honestly don't think I'd care if my phone took a couple extra seconds to open a website, but noticeable delays on each step along the way might be disconcerting. Is the lag significant enough that you would notice it if it was your first smartphone and you had nothing to compare it to?

My only other hands-on Android experience is with budget tablet (Hisense Sero 7 Pro) with pretty decent specs for the time. I have installed Nova Launcher, Swapps, Notifications Toggle, as well as other widgets, and have 3 home screens set up. I have been very happy with it and have felt it is as responsive as I would want. Now I'm second-guessing myself about the Note 3. I thought I could disable the bloatware and then all the resources of the Note 3 would be devoted to the remaining apps I'd actually be using.

 

[ultravisitor]

I thought I could disable the bloatware and then all the resources of the Note 3 would be devoted to the remaining apps I'd actually be using.

That's why so many of us like Motorola and Nexus phones. Very little--if any--bloat, so they perform well.

 

[radicchio]

So do any of you with the Motorola or Nexus phones keep them for longer than a couple years? What about the battery life if someone wants to keep their phone going longer? Do you miss the SD card? The SD card and removable/replaceable battery are the two of the main reasons I've favored the Note 3 so far. Yet the simplicity of the Nexus is tempting ...

 

[ultravisitor]

I've had a Galaxy Nexus and now a Moto X. Battery life on the Moto X has not been an issue. The Galaxy Nexus had terrible battery life, but most early LTE phones did (it's almost three generations old now), and the battery on that phone was replaceable.

I've never missed having an SD card.

 

[zorak950]

The Nexus 4 and 5 have pretty bad battery life; enough to get through a day with modest use, but that's about it. Battery is the main thing I keep saying Google has to improve on their next Nexus phone. I've never really missed having a SD card, but that's going to be more of a personal preference issue.

 

[radicchio]

While I am, of course, interested in how long the battery lasts on a charge, my last post was actually asking about how long before the battery is no longer functional and needs to be replaced. I would like to keep the phone I next buy for at least several years, so I am concerned about a phone with a non-removable battery having to be replaced because the battery died.

 

[zorak950]

It depends how you use them, but any good battery should last at least two years. If you're the type to keep a device for three years or more, though, there's always the possibility that you'll want to replace the battery. Devices with integrated batteries can generally have them swapped out, but it's obviously a more involved process than with removable batteries.