To Note4, or not to Note4, that is the question...

[bimbert84]

I'm currently using a Verizon Droid Razr Maxx HD running KitKat and am looking to upgrade to a Note 4, but there's one (and only one) thing that gives me pause: Lollipop.

The number of problem reports with this OS is staggering. My #1 and #2 priorities are stability and full-day battery life, both of which are awesome on my Razr. But the other priorities are worth something, too -- I just don't want to give up #1 and #2 to get them. Unfortunately, it sounds like Lollipop will do exactly that. But I'm wondering if the problems are related only to OTA updates, or are new devices preloaded with 5.0.1 also affected? If they are, can those devices be rolled back to KitKat?

As a (conscientious) software engineer by trade, I have little-to-no patience for bad software. I'm trying to decide if I should take a leap of faith by buying a new-in-May-2015 Lollipop Note 4 and hoping it won't be plagued by problems, or just stick with what I have until these companies can make their software work like released software should.

-- Rob

 

[Trees]

I've had no issues with my Note 4. Got it right before the Lollipop update released on Verizon, and then did the OTA upgrade to 5.0.1.

Can easily get a full day (off charger at 0600, back on charger at 10pm or later).

Sure, does an app occasionally crash or misbehave? I've had a few, with Weather Underground most recently crashing when refreshing the radar loop. I don't attribute that to the Note 4 or 5.0.1. No phone/TouchWiz or 5.0.1 related problems that I have noticed or am aware of.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

I'm currently using a Verizon Droid Razr Maxx HD running KitKat and am looking to upgrade to a Note 4, but there's one (and only one) thing that gives me pause: Lollipop.

The number of problem reports with this OS is staggering. My #1 and #2 priorities are stability and full-day battery life, both of which are awesome on my Razr. But the other priorities are worth something, too -- I just don't want to give up #1 and #2 to get them. Unfortunately, it sounds like Lollipop will do exactly that. But I'm wondering if the problems are related only to OTA updates, or are new devices preloaded with 5.0.1 also affected? If they are, can those devices be rolled back to KitKat?

As a (conscientious) software engineer by trade, I have little-to-no patience for bad software. I'm trying to decide if I should take a leap of faith by buying a new-in-May-2015 Lollipop Note 4 and hoping it won't be plagued by problems, or just stick with what I have until these companies can make their software work like released software should.

-- Rob

Actually the issues with Lollipop and the Note 4 are not huge. You read about the problems here because people just don't make threads and say it is all great.

People that have the phone that I actually know, I know of no one with issues of Lollipop on the Note 4, myself included. "My Samsung Guy" at Best Buy, he never sees Lollipop issues that aren't user issues, on the Note 4.

 

[anon8126715]

Lollipop is too buggy on the Note 4 for me. The Note 4 doesn't seem to be as fluid to me as my Note 3 was even when it had only Kit Kat. The price also hasn't dropped yet. Unless you're getting a great deal on the phone, I wouldn't make the jump, especially considering that we're only a few months away from a refresh on many phones that should bring the price down of phones introduced last year (Aug-Oct).

 

[beh]

I also have had no real issues. The Lollipop memory leak relayed to me by Flipboard tech support (only app I have used with this crash issue, but otherwise it is an excellent OS for me on the Note 4. The Flipboard issue I corrected by using a different news accumulator app. I did do both a Cache clear and a Factory Reset right after the OTA to Lollipop. This is pretty much SOP with an Android upgrade as I am sure you know.
I would also suggest that many of the complaints with Lollipop as an upgrade has more to do with switches and setting screens being changed than the OS failing.
IMO not getting a much superior phone to what you have now over the "sky is falling" syndrome (although this syndrome does not come from Helsinki :-! ) is being overly cautious.

 

[cwbcpa]

No problems here. I have had the Note 4 a little over a month. I upgraded to 5.0.1 as soon as I got the phone. My battery life is great and no lagging with day to day use. You will find lag in some areas, but I have found that on any phone I have had including the iPhone. There will always be problems with any phone. If you go on any of these boards you will find people having issues. That is one of the main uses of the boards. We try to help each other out when there are problems. You also have a certain amount of people that will nit pick any phone to death. No phone is perfect and I could complain amount a few things on the Note 4, but not one of those things takes away from the over all experience. Good luck to you.

 

[bimbert84]

IMO not getting a much superior phone to what you have now over the "sky is falling" syndrome (although this syndrome does not come from Helsinki :-! ) is being overly cautious.

The comments here are alleviating my concerns somewhat, but each of us has different priorities, so the definition of "much superior phone" is probably the real point of discussion here. I'm looking for a tool as opposed to a toy, and the Note 4 seems like it will fit that need rather well. The occasional app crashing doesn't bother me, nor does recharging every night, but any phone that can't get through a day of heavy use without recharging or rebooting, no matter how awesome in other ways, is not a superior phone by my definition. I'm just trying to gauge how happy or unhappy I'd be based on that criteria.

-- Rob

 

[Tsepz_GP]

Haven't had any major issues with my Note 4 and I have had mine since launch day. Yes, Lollipop has its downs and trust me no matter what phone you get, if it has Lollipop it will have similar issues.

Battery life and stability are both top notch, I can easily get a full day. Take off charge at 7:30am, and by the time I get back home at around 18:00 I still have around 75% battery left, and when I go to bed at 23:00 I am still at around 35-40%. The phone never crashes.

 

[Jude526]

I still love my Note 4. Upgraded in May. I have had the complete Note series. I am sorry though, I am not happy with Lollipop. Issues I do have were not a problem until the update. I live with it and hope there is a patch released soon. It hasn't affected battery life. Its still great. But it will freeze up. It will crash when I am in the process of doing something. I am rather techy and have done steps trying to correct the problem. But it is the update. Verizon admits it as well specificto the Note 4

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Alex Wetzel]

Lollipop is too buggy on the Note 4 for me. The Note 4 doesn't seem to be as fluid to me as my Note 3 was even when it had only Kit Kat. The price also hasn't dropped yet. Unless you're getting a great deal on the phone, I wouldn't make the jump, especially considering that we're only a few months away from a refresh on many phones that should bring the price down of phones introduced last year (Aug-Oct).

There still at least 7 months before the note 5 comes out.

 

[anon8126715]

There still at least 7 months before the note 5 comes out.

Sure, 7 months for the Note 5, but once some of the other phones start coming out (iPhone, HTC's offering, etc) the price of the Note 4 should go down. I personally don't like the idea of paying full retail for something that will most likely go on sale in a few months. If memory serves, the Note 3 went on sale around June/July 2014 after the Note 4 was released.

 

[bluemoongreg]

Haven't had any stability or battery issues on Lollipop with my device (Verizon). Battery life doesn't seem to have changed a bit from Kit Kat. No random rebooting or other shenanigans, & can't remember the last time I had an app crash, lock up or force close. Thinking back, I'm pretty sure it hasn't happened at all since Lollipop. Don't have as many apps as most do though (no games or social media at all). Might be worth noting that I did a factory reset immediately after installing 5.0.1.

Doesn't necessarily mean I'm a fan of Lollipop. The notification banners annoy me, & the color schemes scream... "Playskool". These are just opinions of course; I suspect for every user that shares mine there is one that loves those features.

 

[SteelGator]

I came to the Note 4 from the Droid Maxx, a phone I really loved. While it took me a little bit to get used to, I really love the phone. The battery life has been the same to better with Lollipop, especially after a FDR.

All in all, I would say jump in. Lollipop issues are overblown on boards like this.

 

[ronpfid]

I don't think their overblown, It's just each persons apps and work flow that are affected differently along with some of the native problems.
With how my phone WAS on Kitkat compared to Lollipop now, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't have 'noted 4'ed.

Lollipop did these nice things for me....

• Nova Launcher crashes all the time
• I can't use widget locker and have NILS individual notifications on my lockscreen anymore, can't find a good alternative so stuck with stock lockscreen and having to tap to expand everytime instead of just looking at the phone and seeing while I'm driving
• Some of my favorite widgets now crash
• Even had touchwiz launcher crashed a few times, requiring a battery pull-restart.

Hoping app updates will fix a lot, if you look up a lot of the launchers on googleplay, all have the same complaint of crashing constantly now. (themer, nova, buzzlauncher, etc.) I'm sure that is more than just on the Note though. It's half baked annoying lollipop.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Sure, 7 months for the Note 5, but once some of the other phones start coming out (iPhone, HTC's offering, etc) the price of the Note 4 should go down. I personally don't like the idea of paying full retail for something that will most likely go on sale in a few months. If memory serves, the Note 3 went on sale around June/July 2014 after the Note 4 was released.

Note 4 won't go down until the Note 5 come out. You will find sales here and there, that already happens now.

 

[Kelly Kearns]

I don't think their overblown, It's just each persons apps and work flow that are affected differently along with some of the native problems.
With how my phone WAS on Kitkat compared to Lollipop now, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't have 'noted 4'ed.

Lollipop did these nice things for me....

• Nova Launcher crashes all the time
• I can't use widget locker and have NILS individual notifications on my lockscreen anymore, can't find a good alternative so stuck with stock lockscreen and having to tap to expand everytime instead of just looking at the phone and seeing while I'm driving
• Some of my favorite widgets now crash
• Even had touchwiz launcher crash a few times, requiring a battery pull-restart.

Have you done a cache wipe or reset?

 

[ronpfid]

Have you done a cache wipe or reset?

Yes, no help on the crashing. Even uninstalled, and resinstalled offending apps/widgets.
And of course, nothing can help the new (de)improved lockscreen, bleh

 

[Kelly Kearns]

Yes, no help on the crashing. Even uninstalled, and resinstalled offending apps/widgets.
And of course, nothing can help the new (de)improved lockscreen, bleh

Which one did you do?

I have no crashing issues, nor does anyone I actually know.

Did you reset from recovery? Are you sure you don't have a downloaded app causing the issue?

 

[eshropshire]

I just upgraded to a Note 4 on Verizon last week. My S4's charging port died just after returning from a trip. Not really sure what happened. I did a insurance replacement, but while I was waiting I started using my old Rezound. Verizon then let me do an Edge upgrade from my Rezound to the Note 4. I was having a hard time deciding between the LG G4 and the Note and finally decided on the Note. I have a Note tablet and I really like the SPen. I also figured if I did not like the Note 4 I could return it for the LG.

I have had no problems with Lollipop. I upgraded the phone right after activating the phone. I also use Nova Launcher Prime on all my Samsung devices (I don't know how people use Touchwiz). I have not had the phone crash once in the last week. I was having a few weird issues on my S4 after the Lollipop upgrade, but so far the Note 4 has been perfect. Great battery life. I love the fast charging, can't believe how fast this phone can charge.

No real issues with the phone. I do find it a bit big, but I am sure I will get use to the size. I have no plans to exchange for the LG. One thing I did like about the G4 was that it shipped with 5.1. Who knows when Samsung and Verizon might ever get around to 5.1 for the Note.

I hope all those who are having problems with the update can find a resolution soon. Strange that factory reset has not resolved the problems. I always hate having to do a complete reset on my Android devices for every update, but now I just plan on it as a necessary pain. I was getting ready to do a factory reset on my S4 when the charging port gave out.

 

[ronpfid]

Tried it all, I gave up