The first note I won't buy? (all discussion about lack of microSD and removable battery must go here)

[tadpoles]

Re: No removable battery, no SD card slot

No removable battery will just be an excuse for me to get a new phone (or 2) every year, not that I needed an excuse but now I have one.

 

[teejay69]

Re: Are you gonna buy the Galaxy Note 5?

I happy with my Note 4, and I'm still on contract. If I was out of contract I think I'd consider either the Note 5, or the S6+, but I'd have to get them in my hand first.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Wildo6882]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

The price differential between Note 5 and Moto X Pure is difficult for me to justify. The biggest differences I see between phones are the S Pen and wireless charging on the Note, but I'm hard pressed to justify a $200+ higher price point on that alone. I think I'm going to take a hard look at what Moto X has to offer when it releases in a few weeks.

There are a couple of other software differences, as well. Plus OIS in the camera (and Sammy is known for a much better camera and Moto's camera history is mediocre at best). But I definitely understand your point, I'll most likely be looking at it, too.

 

[chuckawd]

Re: No removable battery, no SD card slot

It's really not hard for me to plug my phone in each night before bed. Doing that twice in two days would be less effort that changing the battery once IMO.

It's not a matter of effort of simply plugging in my phone but rather it's a concern of a sense of reliability that I know I don't need to be glued to a charger all the time.

Being able to swap a fully charged battery and going for dead to 100% in 15 seconds is worth the effort of swapping a battery.

Let's say you're at a concert taking lots of pictures and video and then bam, dead battery....you cannot simply plug in but you can, as with the previous Notes, simply swap a fully charged battery and just keep on going. That's a luxury that you lose here and it outrages me.

 

[gtg465x]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

The price differential between Note 5 and Moto X Pure is difficult for me to justify. The biggest differences I see between phones are the S Pen and wireless charging on the Note, but I'm hard pressed to justify a $200+ higher price point on that alone. I think I'm going to take a hard look at what Moto X has to offer when it releases in a few weeks.

$200+? More like $300+, possibly more depending on your carrier.

I think the Note 5 may have a screen that wows people a little more, I'm sure it will have a camera that is slightly better, especially in low light, wireless charging, and of course the S-pen and fingerprint reader, but do those things really justify a $300+ price difference? It depends on the person I think and where their priorities and preferences lie. And let's not forget that the Moto X Pure will have a few things that the Note 5 doesn't have... a SD card slot, customizability, easier to grip back materials, and more optimized and better designed software. To me, the software experience is worth more than anything else, so I am willing to sacrifice a little display and camera quality for an end user experience that I ultimately enjoy more.

If the Moto X Pure and Note 5 were both $800, I don't think I would buy either. I would just stick with my Nexus 6. If the Moto X Pure and Note 5 were both $400, it would be a very tough decision for me and I would probably have to read a lot of reviews and list out pros and cons of each. But as it stands, with the Moto X Pure at $400 and the Note 5 at $800, it's a simple choice for me.

 

[Denis Bergeron]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

Look like what Note 5 should be minus the stylus.

 

[mavrrick]

Re: No removable battery, no SD card slot

I am actually very torn. One thing that comes to mind is the ability to use additional external battery packs. So in the case of running out of charge you simply attach the second battery to the USB port. Maybe not be as nice from a space savings perspective but more universal.

Also I think most people upset about this don't get the real convenience of wireless charging. If we as users invest in it we should almost never be without a full battery. Wireless is really not about charging from 0 to 100% but simply providing a convenient way to top off and maintain our device near full all the time. It doesn't take much effort to just place your device on a qi charger, and how hard are they to get. A few well placed wireless chargers means you could probably have a phone at 100% all the time unless actively using it.

The SD card situation. Is a bit sad I have one in my Note 3. It is great when you need it. But they are very dependent on your use case. I wonder if there was some sort of capatiability issue between SD cards and the new drive tech (UHS I think) the Note 5 is using.

If I get the note 5 my 128GB card will simply go to my Dell windows tablet.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[sfla99]

Re: Are you gonna buy the Galaxy Note 5?

Just got back from BB where I placed my preorder, they had the note 5 and edge plus on display, all I can say is wow! I have to,be honest I was very excited when I picked it up, they managed to get so much phone into such a small form factor, it feels very small. The edge though the same size feels even smaller,,it's amazing.

The sPen is really nice, I have never owned a note before but I am excited. The slight curve on the back of the phone makes it feel incredibly comfortable to hold and the screen to bezel ratio is amazing.

Performance seemed extremely snappy,, felt,the same as when in store demo on an s6, the screen is brilliant, that 5.7 screen is crazy good.

The fact it's that size I a dorm factor smaller the most 5.5 phone I was really wowed.

SPen feels really nice and the way it fits into the phone seems wonderful.

I got some steep discounts so for me I will end up paying out of pocket about 525.00 but man does it seem nice.

As for replaceable battery, I consider myself a heavy user and have the G4 now with an extra battery, I have yet to replace it once.

The build of the note with curves feels every bit as premium as they aimed to make. People can be mad, but there is no doubt a market for this phone.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Paul16251]

Re: Are you gonna buy the Galaxy Note 5?

Samsung missed the boat by not offering 128gb models. When they did away with the removable SD card, this was a MUST!!!

Either way, not a big deal. I'll wait until September, see what Apple comes up with in the 6S Plus, then decide. I just had my Galaxy S4 do a hard reset on its own and wipe both my phone and SD card, so I'm ready to switch to a more reliable platform than Samsung / Android.

 

[sfla99]

Re: Are you gonna buy the Galaxy Note 5?

If I am not mistaken they have announced 128g models. But I don't see myself using much more than 32-64g.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[El Platanero]

Re: Are you gonna buy the Galaxy Note 5?

I'm thinking I will. I'm not a fan of the smaller battery but with the way I use my phone I'm constantly charging anyway so when I put my phone down it can be on the wireless charging. The expandable memory was actually solved with Google photos. I have yet to use all of my 64 gigs on mine and even my note 4 isn't full. The irony is that this upgrade isn't one of those I'm excited for the next note feelings. It's more like this will do.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[MDMcAtee]

I have the s6 Active and can say that I won't be buying the n5 when it comes out. I owned the n1,n2,n3 and all where special. I thought about buying a n4 when the price bottoms out, but even that doesn't excite me.

I'll be done with my Next plan next year and decide then on which phone will be my daily driver. Hopefully someone has a ruggedized phone like this one with as good of a battery but with tons of storage space available for it. I've grown quite fond of the capabilities that this phone has in the outdoors.

You can keep all the easily scratched, dented,soiled phones covered up but if the reasoning is to enjoy looks over function to me is a worry not worth the effort and money but to each their own.

The s-pen is awesome and I always liked using them,so if you want one the Note is still the best choice right now, but given the lack of SD card and removable battery, with the G4 pro is on the horizon and with LG really stepping up their game,might be a worthy alternative .

If the memory leak hasn't been fixed and folks have to tweak the living daylights out of it to get decent amount of battery life with it, it is going to be a major blow to the company. They have to have this problem fixed, or sales will not be good.

I've made do with limited storage on this phone with a USB flash drive, but it isn't something that I prefer to go through again,but may have to to have one that is as capable as my Active is. A removable SD card is such a great thing to have, regardless of what those who don't truly understand their importance appreciate about them. Cloud storage is okay if you have a umlimited data plan,and a solid signal...but not everyone has this. I prefer having my music, movies, maps,photos, videos, on a removable media . It's always available and easily transferable same for any backups I have and can be accessed regardless of the cell service. I am not reliant on streaming what I need and the speed and responsiveness and reliability no longer a issue with today's better SD cards.

They should have at least put the battery size that have in the Active in the Note5. Even with the new Soc claimed better life, it would have gone far to eased the pain of it's other shortcomings .

Posted from my Samsung S6 Active

 

[TenshiNo]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

Does not have removable battery blah blah blah. Cannot add more memory blah blah blah. The fact is almost nobody carries around extra batteries. If it is so critical get an external quick charge extended battery. We are also moving away from needing everything local. With things like Google photos, carousel, spotify etc etc who cares.

Those few of you out there that like these features, you were never the primary audience of the note. The press so overlays your importance in the success or failure of this phone.

Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk

The primary audience of the Note series, historically, has been power users. For several years now, the Note series has been the "bleeding edge" device, while the S series has been the mainstream device. I don't carry around a battery with me, but on those rare occasions when I need to swap, say traveling or at an outside even all day, it's a lot more convenient that a battery pack tethered to my phone, or a case that means my phone will no longer fit in my holster. Not to mention that, because I'm hard on my devices, I have to replace the battery after about 12-14 months.

I'm not going to lie, the Note 5 look beautiful and I find myself speculating about getting one, but I don't think that I could ever really talk myself into being as happy with it as I am with my Note 3 (which just got a new battery, btw). Samsung doesn't seem to understand why people liked their phones in the first place: because they offered features that you couldn't get anywhere else. They're listening the blogosphere and naysayers, who would likely never buy a Samsung device regardless of what they made it out of, rather than their customers that have been buying their devices for years.

I'm not a form-over-function kind of person, and I don't think I would ever be truly satisfied with a phone that was.

 

[TenshiNo]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

This... When the iPhone 6 gets a new feature, all compatible prior models get it. When the note 5 gets a new feature, no past models get it, even if they could.

Posted via the Android Central App

Just to play devil's advocate here, but that's not entirely true. Apple may let devices up to 4 years old get the latest OS, but they frequently (arbitrarily) withhold features from older devices. Remember when Siri first came out, and the previous year's iPhone didn't get Siri when they updated? They've done the same with other features, but that's the first one I though of. Companies have a vested interest in making people want to purchase the latest version. No OEM is a saint.

 

[xs228]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung's strategy is to get rid of the Note line altogether and replace it with the Plus/Edge line. Most of the stuff they have been doing seems to be focus group driven. (Not many people use SD cards or IR blasters; wireless charging is cool. We like pretty phones). The dirty truth of the Note line is that not that many people who buy Notes use the SPen all that much. How long do you think it will be before that focus driven approach comes to the conclusion that they don't really need a Note line? Get ready to buy Galaxy S and Splusses in the future...or if you're in Europe...Now!!!

 

[JayWill]

Re: Are you gonna buy the Galaxy Note 5?

Plus the curved back was annoying when typing with the phone on the desk. It would rock back and forth.

After a few days with a G4 I have to admit, this bugs me too. The G4 made me realize how often I tap the screen with the phone lying flat on my desk or table.

In regards to the Note 5, it's a definite, resounding ... maybe for me. It's mostly going to boil down to how the battery performs on the device, and I'm having a hard time being optimistic.

I don't mind the lack of an SD card or removable battery (if it performs well enough). I'm not a huge S-Pen user but it's handy sometimes. Versus current alternatives, I like the wireless charging, fingerprint scanner, screen and build/design. Will it be enough to part with the premium cost? I don't know yet. I'll be in wait an see mode, and I may end up sticking with this G4 I received on an insurance replacement for my old G2 and see what's in store for 2016 instead.

 

[MazoMark]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

$200+? More like $300+, possibly more depending on your carrier.

I think the Note 5 may have a screen that wows people a little more, I'm sure it will have a camera that is slightly better, especially in low light, wireless charging, and of course the S-pen and fingerprint reader, but do those things really justify a $300+ price difference? It depends on the person I think and where their priorities and preferences lie. And let's not forget that the Moto X Pure will have a few things that the Note 5 doesn't have... a SD card slot, customizability, easier to grip back materials, and more optimized and better designed software. To me, the software experience is worth more than anything else, so I am willing to sacrifice a little display and camera quality for an end user experience that I ultimately enjoy more.

If the Moto X Pure and Note 5 were both $800, I don't think I would buy either. I would just stick with my Nexus 6. If the Moto X Pure and Note 5 were both $400, it would be a very tough decision for me and I would probably have to read a lot of reviews and list out pros and cons of each. But as it stands, with the Moto X Pure at $400 and the Note 5 at $800, it's a simple choice for me.

I agree - I was trying to not overstate the price difference. I'd bet a fully loaded Moto X with all customizations and 64 gb internal storage will top out at no more than $550. Top end Note 5 is nearly $1000.

I agree with points on camera on Note 5 probably being better than Moto. But if Moto can just improve their camera enough to be a good strong second place to Samsung and LG, then they have come a long way. A fully unlocked phone with superior software, a good screen, decent camera, and reasonable battery life priced at $400 is a compelling offer to me. I can't see spending $750 to $950 for the Note 5 today when there are strong alternatives like Moto X available.

 

[Mr-Guy]

Started with Samsung and the A940 and used it for years. Then the HTC Evo but their follow up devices disappointed me and got my first Note, the 2. Loved it and got the 3, and now have the 4 since December. Admittedly I never used a second battery but always put in a high gig SD card. I am going to hold off on the 5 and see what the 6 will bring since it appears to be an incremental improvement, and backwards in extra memory. Deal breaker for now unless I can be convinced it crushes the 4 in battery usage.

I should mention that I use the s-pen all the time.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[MazoMark]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

There are a couple of other software differences, as well. Plus OIS in the camera (and Sammy is known for a much better camera and Moto's camera history is mediocre at best). But I definitely understand your point, I'll most likely be looking at it, too.

Agree on camera and lack of OIS on Moto X is one of my biggest disappointments with it. I'm not expecting Moto camera to compete with Samsung offer, but hoping it can close the gap considerably to make Moto camera less frustrating to use.

 

[monsieurms]

Re: Are you gonna buy the Galaxy Note 5?

Y

SD card? Who uses SD cards these days? They slow phones down and its been proven in studies, not only that we have a thing called " the cloud " today. All these old people in this forum need it get used to it. If you lose your phone or it gets stolen, your [language removed] is gone forever! If you use the cloud that won't happen!
.....
Removable battery? We have an even faster qc 2.0 in the note 5... There is no need for a removable battery with this technology. Samsung is trying to craft a beautiful piece of hardware here. No need for some crappy plastic back piece. Htc one m9, s6, moto x, droid turbo, iphone.. None of these phones have a removable battery, I wonder why?? But you guys complaining about the removable battery know best right.
.

SD cards don't slow down the phone in any way I can observe if they are used for media storage, which is what most use them for these days. I can play MP3s all day long without any problem whatsoever. Apps go down to internal storage. In any event, it's my choice whether to be bothered by slow downs or not, or at least it was my choice.

As for who uses SD cards, you should check this thread:

http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...ll-note-5-have-removable-battery-storage.html
Not everyone uses devices the same way. As for batteries--yes, there are a lot of real world examples given there, too. But again--not everyone uses devices the same way. That seems to be a point many miss. If you're happy without them, great. Many of us gravitated to Samsung in the first place, however, because they did NOT do things like everyone else. Now, I guess they do.