Staying with my Note4

fatyank

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I took a stroll down to my local Verizon store here in Chandler, AZ today. I wanted to have a look at the Note5 for myself. It is a very nice looking device but I was underwhelmed by it. Screen was bright and sharp, response was very quick. There are some visual changes in calendar and contacts and probably some other apps I didn't get a chance to check out.
There seems to be more on a screen than on my Note4 but it doesn't look crowded. Design wise it looks very similar to my Note4 except for the back. Overall very nice.
The biggest problem was price. I won't go into my personal numbers but suffice it to say it was not worth the cost of upgrading to get these subtle changes. If you are currently using something other than a Note4 I would take a serious look at the Note5.
They talk about SideSync 4.0 but I have that on my Note4 and GNP 12.2 tablet now. I guess since I'm still fine tuning my device, I can't justify the cost of upgrading. Don't want to upgrade just for the sake of upgrading.
Everybody will have their own thoughts on this. Try one out wherever you can before you just order one.

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Rometheus

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I took a stroll down to my local Verizon store here in Chandler, AZ today. I wanted to have a look at the Note5 for myself. It is a very nice looking device but I was underwhelmed by it. Screen was bright and sharp, response was very quick. There are some visual changes in calendar and contacts and probably some other apps I didn't get a chance to check out.
There seems to be more on a screen than on my Note4 but it doesn't look crowded. Design wise it looks very similar to my Note4 except for the back. Overall very nice.
The biggest problem was price. I won't go into my personal numbers but suffice it to say it was not worth the cost of upgrading to get these subtle changes. If you are currently using something other than a Note4 I would take a serious look at the Note5.
They talk about SideSync 4.0 but I have that on my Note4 and GNP 12.2 tablet now. I guess since I'm still fine tuning my device, I can't justify the cost of upgrading. Don't want to upgrade just for the sake of upgrading.
Everybody will have their own thoughts on this. Try one out wherever you can before you just order one.

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Makes me feel that much better about me getting my Note 4 back in July over waiting for the Note 5.

~Blessed From My Note 4~
 

exdrinker

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Boy, I really want one bad. I always upgrade with each new Note but the price on Verizon is holding me back. My mom and brother upgraded on Sprint and pretty much got theirs for free. I did travel this week on Monday and Friday and had to swap batteries in my Note 4 on both days so that option would be gone. I do not usually swap batteries more than once a month but it sure is nice that I can. I did a factory reset and my 4 is flying again but cannot come close to keeping up with that Note 5. If it were more reasonably priced I would likely get one but giving up some functionality and some big dollars just doesn't seem right. I am torn.

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cwbcpa

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Thanks for sharing. I absolutely can't justify the cost for a few improvements and giving up some function. It's a great looking device and I'm sure it's much faster but that isn't enough for me to drop that kind of cash.

Sent from my Note 4
 

Douglas Yarnold

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I like having a spare battery. The fact that Note 5 has a fixed battery is a deal breaker for me. I have a Note 4, and when its time has come and gone, Ill be looking at another manufacturer.
 

nahoku

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Besides the battery, SD card, and IR Blaster, I've been trying to track other changes Samsung made on the Note 5 verses what was on the Note 4. One thing I noticed is that every darn Note 5 reviewer never mentioned what was taken away and made the Note 5 look like a great "upgrade". To me it's a downgrade in terms of functionality (compared to what was on the Note 4). I was even thinking to myself that even the Note 3 users that skipped the Note 4 and bought the Note 5, lost out!

1) On the Note 4, it gives you the "just once/always" option, and will continue to give you this option until you select always? There is no "just once" on the Note 5... you are given one choice to choose the default app. You can clear the choice on both Notes
2) On the Note 4, you can disable fast charging, it can't be disabled on the Note 5
3) Samsung did away with the "Side key" panel on the Note 5. This alone, (well, not just this!!!), would make me never upgrade to the Note 5. I use this ALL THE TIME!
4) "My Interests" wallpapers on the lockscreen is no longer a choice on the Note 5
5) According to some threads I've read, the speaker on the Note 5 is softer than the Note 4
6) I believe Smart Dock capability is also not present with a Note 5
7) "Smart detect", where the phone can detect text from a photo and convert it to text, is no longer present on the Note 5
8) Note 5's don't light up with notifications
9) Samsung's HDMI MHL adapter doesn't fit on a Note 5
10) You can't adjust the delay, or turn off the "touch key" lights on the Note 5 edited: may be carrier specific
11) Can no longer capture frame by frame stills from video

There are also reports of screen problems in bright sunlight. Supposedly due to the thinness on the Note 5, and all S6's. Also there is this "pink Amoled" thing going on with these 2015 phones. I wonder if they changed manufactures, or design of the screen? To be honest, I didn't search to see if the pink Amoled problem exists on the Note 4's. Mine or my brother's phone don't show this pink discoloration (seen mostly on white background).

There also reports of over-agressive mulittasking ram management where open apps have to reload. This means a reload from the recent apps. Samsung might be fooling people with the capabilities of their smaller battery... rather, they're stopping apps to save power. However, it was discovered quite quickly! Bad Sammy, bad!

Information was gathered on AC, XDA, and around the web.

I'm sure some Note 5 owner might think I'm just jumping on their phone, but that's not the case. I'm more or less disappointed in Samsung for continually removing features from previous models. I was thinking of buying a Note 5 for my sister, but that's not going to happen now that I've investigated some stuff.

EDITED: Forgot to renumber. Some Note 5 users confirmed that some of the issues I brought up in another thread were just moved or were caused by LP 5.x. Numbering corrected.
 
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toenail_flicker

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I was even thinking to myself that even the Note 3 users that skipped the Note 4 and bought the Note 5, lost out!
Oh, yeah. Coming from a Note 3, there was zero way I was going to do a Note 5. All that money for a lesser (IMO) device. Got the Note 4 and I am very happy.
 

Ambivalencetech

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Note 5 is a great phone and slightly better than the note 4 in a few ways at the cost of 3 features (IR, battery and SD) . For me those 3 are too great to sacrifice for any phone replacing my note 4. But I think folks like us are actually in the minority which is sad because Samsung may adopt this going forward. Other users would be struggling to fill up the 32/64gb and we're never power users to mourn the non replaceable battery.
 

Alex Wetzel

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I like having a spare battery. The fact that Note 5 has a fixed battery is a deal breaker for me. I have a Note 4, and when its time has come and gone, Ill be looking at another manufacturer.

Me too the pros don't outweigh the cons IMO. I'm looking at switching to either Motorola or HTC for my next phone.
 

exdrinker

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I am very happy with my Note 4. I am hoping Samsung will alternate design over functionality every other Note phone and go with functionality over design the other year. I will save money by only buying a phone every other year and get what I want in the end anyway. I may be hoping for too much though. :(

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toenail_flicker

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I thought HTC was in trouble? A lot of articles on the web. Google hits.
Even if they weren't I would never go back to HTC. My first Evo was primo and I wanted to throw the second one at my windshield on a daily basis. Thought it might be cheaper and more effective at the time to move to the Note 3. Wow. What a freakin' difference. Never looked back. Still have the Evos, but would never reactivate unless I broke or lost both of my Notes.
 

fatyank

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Nahoku thank you for noting all the changes I didn't see. I was limited on time so only got a general look at the Note5 plus the cost to upgrade made it very easy to decide. I'm actually glad it was going to be too expensive at this point to upgrade. You actually mentioned a couple things I didn't know the Note4 did. Always learning.
I'm not bashing the Note5. For some it may be a great upgrade but I don't see it for me. Maybe I'll look seriously at the Note7 or 8!!!!!!!!

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bobxxz

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Note 5 is a great phone and slightly better than the note 4 in a few ways at the cost of 3 features (IR, battery and SD) . For me those 3 are too great to sacrifice for any phone replacing my note 4. But I think folks like us are actually in the minority which is sad because Samsung may adopt this going forward. Other users would be struggling to fill up the 32/64gb and we're never power users to mourn the non replaceable battery.

Most likely for my next phone is going to be either LG (if they keep the removeable battery) or trying out Apple again. But for now I will keep my Note 4 for another year at least. See only reason Samsung went this route is to be like Apple.

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nahoku

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Nahoku thank you for noting all the changes I didn't see.
When I looked at the Note 5 in Costco, I didn't see them either... because I wasn't looking. However, I knew it would take a few weeks for good/bad things to show up in forums... and they did! More to come, actually!

Maybe I'll look seriously at the Note7 or 8!!!!!!!!
I might wait that long too. Sad to say, I NEED the S Pen, so if any other manufacture comes out with one (LG?), then I'll seriously be looking at their phone.
 

WalkingHorse

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I wish the Note 4 and Edge 6+ got together and made a rugged (water resistant) baby. That would be my ideal phone. Would pay $$$$ for it too. :)
 

shaleem

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As I've said in another thread, the Note 5 doesn't appear to be a major step up from the Note 4. Of course, I did not think the Note 4 was a major step up from the Note 3 either, but I bought one anyway. LOL! I'm happy with my Note 4. I'm going to wait and see what comes into being later.

Posted via the Android Central App on my Samsung Galaxy Note 4
 

BOSSY TEXAS CHICK

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Besides the battery, SD card, and IR Blaster, I've been trying to track other changes Samsung made on the Note 5 verses what was on the Note 4. One thing I noticed is that every darn Note 5 reviewer never mentioned what was taken away and made the Note 5 look like a great "upgrade". To me it's a downgrade in terms of functionality (compared to what was on the Note 4). I was even thinking to myself that even the Note 3 users that skipped the Note 4 and bought the Note 5, lost out!

1) On the Note 4, it gives you the "just once/always" option, and will continue to give you this option until you select always? There is no "just once" on the Note 5... you are given one choice to choose the default app. You can clear the choice on both Notes
2) On the Note 4, you can disable fast charging, it can't be disabled on the Note 5
3) Samsung did away with the "Side key" panel on the Note 5. This alone, (well, not just this!!!), would make me never upgrade to the Note 5. I use this ALL THE TIME!
4) "My Interests" wallpapers on the lockscreen is no longer a choice on the Note 5
5) According to some threads I've read, the speaker on the Note 5 is softer than the Note 4
6) I believe Smart Dock capability is also not present with a Note 5
7) "Smart detect", where the phone can detect text from a photo and convert it to text, is no longer present on the Note 5
8) Note 5's don't light up with notifications
9) Samsung's HDMI MHL adapter doesn't fit on a Note 5
10) You can't adjust the delay, or turn off the "touch key" lights on the Note 5
11) Can no longer capture frame by frame stills from video

There are also reports of screen problems in bright sunlight. .....



You make some great points and I think you even left out a few! I believe Sammy stripped a bunch more features than most ppl noticed, but me being a diehard Sammy fan, I think the "dummed down" version of Touchwiz is awful. I can't remember offhand a lot of them, but when I was playing with the Note 5 in the store, I did a search under "Settings" for several features, & they were "GONE"... I even took out my Note 4 and searched, making sure I had the names right...

And personally, tho the Note 5 might be a tad easier to hold than Note 4 (tho I couldn't attest to that due to Best Buy's thigamajiggey on it) I love that u can set the dang thing down without worrying about the glass back, and the cool metal chamfered edges continue to be my favoritest design change from Sammy. I don't even agree that coming from Note 3 you might be happier choosing Note 5 over Note 4... If u are a diehard Note User, giving up battery & sd as long as a handful of other functionalities, Note 5 might be a disappointment for you. I suggest going with the Note 4 (while its still available) as it is a HUGE upgrade from Note 3, and cheaper than 5 and is more feature packed.

Now, if ur coming from the S6,and already accustomed to the lighter, gentler TWiz & are in love with the glass form factor THEN (and only then, IMHO) is the N5 the ONLY way to go & quite frankly, going to Note 4 from S6 would seem to be going "backward".......Every year the Note series appeared to be "leaps & bounds" ahead of its predecessor, this time, not so much....

BTC (no haters please, remember it is the Lord's day! : )
 

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