Long-time iOS users...what is your real opinion of the Note 7 having made the switch?

[youchew]

I love the phone, and the os, but samsungs quality control and customer service really suck.. especially compared to apple. It kind of puts me off purchasing from them in the future. That being said, I love the phone, but I don't like AMOLED screens and all its' trade-offs compared to LCD's. I'm learning to live with it, though.

I keep trying to use gestures in every app, out of habit, forgetting that I have a back button. Scrolling doesn't feel as fluid (the note isn't laggy at all, iOS is just really fluid). I'm coming from a 6 Plus, not a 6S/Plus, so for me apps open up a lot quicker than they would have on my previous phone, it's nice. I also love having a notification light, it makes me happy

Also, snapchat/twitter/reddit for android sucks, I'm probably gonna find an alternative to the official app for twitter. I don't like having the tabs at the top.

It seems like I hate the phone but I really love it LOL

 

[w7sg]

Having been a long time iPhone user, I am nonetheless interested in the Note 7 simply because, no matter how polished & reliable it is...iOS has become a bit stale and in need of a makeover, and it looks like Samsung has finally upped their game as far as hardware and design is concerned.

That said, I've "tried" the Verizon versions of the BlackBerry Priv, Samsung Note 5 & the Galaxy S6...to see if I was the right "fit" for Android. I came away feeling that Android was more than a bit "busy" and less intuitive than I have found iOS to be overall, or maybe that I was just not enough of t techie to maneuver my way through it. Still I'm curious. And I'm willing to give Android another try...and maybe allow it more time than I have previously, with the Note 7.

I would really love to hear from some people who have been long-time iOS users like me, and who have passed the honeymoon stage with the Note 7...and will honestly say what is great, mediocre, and what is poor on this phone vs. the iPhone they were using for ages before.

Please...no iPhone haters, or comments about iSheep and the like. I really want some non-fanboy new Android conversions to speak candidly to help me make a decision.

Thanks in advance!

It's a Horse of of a different wheelbase. Each has it's pluses and minuses. Definately not boring, which is my opinion of iOS. Of course, you can't find an iOS with a Pen or expandable memory.

 

[Highrisedrifter]

Also, another thing, and i've said it before, Android is a, "see how the sausage is made" kinda phone, while iPhone is a, "just bring me the sausage" kinda phone.

At first, you might be the latter and be like, "WOW! I never knew sausage (Android) is sooooooo interesting to see all that goes into it & what all "different dishes" i can make with it, but after awhile you might be like, "experimenting with all that sausage is too time consuming & frustrating... Just bring me my dang sausage (iPhone) and let me get back to my life..." lol[/COLOR]

That is a really good analogy and perfectly sums up where I was with my iPhone and Android experience. I miss a lot of things from Android but this was marred with a really poor user experience from my Note 3 over the nine months I had it (them, I had more than one due to faulty returns). Still, I can't wait to make the switch and try again.

 

[Joshua Luther2]

I love the phone, and the os, but samsungs quality control and customer service really suck.. especially compared to apple. It kind of puts me off purchasing from them in the future. That being said, I love the phone, but I don't like AMOLED screens and all its' trade-offs compared to LCD's. I'm learning to live with it, though.

I keep trying to use gestures in every app, out of habit, forgetting that I have a back button. Scrolling doesn't feel as fluid (the note isn't laggy at all, iOS is just really fluid). I'm coming from a 6 Plus, not a 6S/Plus, so for me apps open up a lot quicker than they would have on my previous phone, it's nice. I also love having a notification light, it makes me happy

Also, snapchat/twitter/reddit for android sucks, I'm probably gonna find an alternative to the official app for twitter. I don't like having the tabs at the top.

It seems like I hate the phone but I really love it LOL

For twitter you should definitely use Fenix. I've been using it for a while and love it. It has a material design with a slide out menu to the left. It's a few dollars but more than worth it. For reddit you can try Relay. The free version is more than enough for me.

 

[1213 1213]

I love the phone, and the os, but samsungs quality control and customer service really suck.. especially compared to apple. It kind of puts me off purchasing from them in the future. That being said, I love the phone, but I don't like AMOLED screens and all its' trade-offs compared to LCD's. I'm learning to live with it, though.

I keep trying to use gestures in every app, out of habit, forgetting that I have a back button. Scrolling doesn't feel as fluid (the note isn't laggy at all, iOS is just really fluid). I'm coming from a 6 Plus, not a 6S/Plus, so for me apps open up a lot quicker than they would have on my previous phone, it's nice. I also love having a notification light, it makes me happy

Also, snapchat/twitter/reddit for android sucks, I'm probably gonna find an alternative to the official app for twitter. I don't like having the tabs at the top.

It seems like I hate the phone but I really love it LOL

If you go into display settings you can switch the display mode. The default one is a bit more saturated while the 'standard mode' one is technically the most accurate sRGB display, iirc.

 

[MDsmartphone]

Love this device. My one real issue is something I hope I can get my car dealer to fix. My 2013 X3 won't stay connected to my Note 7. It finds it pairs nicely and then connects and disconnects over and over. After about 6-7 repairs on its own, the BMW itself just removed the phone from memory and my Note 7 still shows it.

I need to pair it again. And the same thing continues to happen. Endlessly.

My iPhone works perfectly with it. No issues at all. This really sucks because I travel a lot for work and put about 2500 miles on my car each month so I am constantly on the phone with customers and then using it to listen to music and audible.

This one thing is such a huge deal for me.

Do you know if this is confined to the 2013 model or across all beamers?

 

[AhemThisGuy]

I only bought it for the design. And needed a new phone. The new IPhone wasn't coming out soon enough. So i jumped ship. Maybe I'll go back to IPhone next year.

 

[youchew]

If you go into display settings you can switch the display mode. The default one is a bit more saturated while the 'standard mode' one is technically the most accurate sRGB display, iirc.

I know, I have it on basic because it's the nicest. The default was way too saturated for my taste, I just don't like AMOLED compared to IPS, I have really picky eyes that seem to notice even the slightest bit of a defect/amoled qualities (tinting/lines/banding)

 

[MikezDroid]

I personally don't find iOS all that boring, but I guess their point is if they get bored they know they can recustomize in different ways to make it feel new again.

No. It's not themes. That gets boring too. It's the design and how you interact. It is like a comfortable shoe from 3 seasons ago.

 

[hnrykw]

The samsung emojis suck.

 

[BOSSY TEXAS CHICK]

That is a really good analogy and perfectly sums up where I was with my iPhone and Android experience. I miss a lot of things from Android but this was marred with a really poor user experience from my Note 3 over the nine months I had it (them, I had more than one due to faulty returns). Still, I can't wait to make the switch and try again.

Android has come mucccch further than the Note 3 days so i think maybe THIS time you'll be like, "i can HAVE my sausage, and EAT it too!" lol

BTC

 

[DX9]

It's been a week now going from the 6S Plus and I'm enjoying every minute of it. Thought I would miss iMessage more but that was gone after 2 days. Pics are nice and clear getting them from friends etc. Videos are the downfall obviously.

The pros are just outweighing the cons if any. I get .eml attachments on a reg basis and Everytime I would try and open them in the iOS mail app the app would crash and go back to the home screen. Been like that forever and would have to go to a desktop to look. With my Note 7 not a problem. Using the Spen and creating invoices for clients on the go is amazing. It's so quick and no need for my laptop. I'm just so much more productive with the Note. It does so much more.

Another reason I stuck with iPhone so much is Wifi Calling. I spend a lot of time in my office in the basement in the evening and no reception down there. Wifi Calling was pretty important for me. My carrier only supported the iPhones for wifi calling but now have recently made some Androids enabled. Now the Note 7 has wifi calling for my carrier so I'm very happy about that.

Getting good battery life
Amazing screen
Apps are a little smoother on iOS but not night and day difference.

Honestly don't know what to really say. There are way too many things I love about the Note 7. It's an amazing device. I couldn't be happier switching.

 

[badMojo69]

iOS is boring now however the Os is the most solid out there and the most stable with timely updates.

The note 7 is shiney and new and curvatios.. it's pretty. The one thing that is worth it is the display. It's awesome! Galaxy Battery life is less, Performance is less with out work tweeking it.

Windows 8.1 is the most solid phone OS out there...there just aren't...any...apps....I'm just going to go sit down over ------------------------>

 

[Lance321]

The performance is horrible! Apps reload, the phone feels laggy and battery life is bad for a phone with such a large capacity. I actually regret purchasing it because the galaxy S7 edge had a smooth UI and fast performance from what I have seen. Very disappointed in the note 7 so far. Sure, the design is great and I like the blue color a lot, but the software needs to be further optimized.

 

[msm0511]

The performance is horrible! Apps reload, the phone feels laggy and battery life is bad for a phone with such a large capacity. I actually regret purchasing it because the galaxy S7 edge had a smooth UI and fast performance from what I have seen. Very disappointed in the note 7 so far. Sure, the design is great and I like the blue color a lot, but the software needs to be further optimized.

If you used Smart Switch or restore when you set it up I might try a factory reset, then set up as new. Others have said it helps with performance

 

[Highrisedrifter]

This is a great thread. A lot of people have hit the nail on the head and echo my own sentiments that iOS is getting boring. Honestly, unless the new iPhone 7 is utterly out-of-this-world amazing, i'm gone. Also, the headphone jack removal is a big deal for me too.

My Note 3 suffered from the worst battery life imaginable. At one stage, I got three hours on a singe charge. Not three hours screen on, three hours total! I swapped that one out after factory reset after factory reset didn't resolve anything. I took it into my carrier and we both watched as the battery percentage literally fell in front of our eyes.

The next Note 3 suffered a failure that cost me over 1500GBP of work, when it turned itself off without my knowledge and wouldn't turn on. Not useful when driving. I had to find somewhere to pull over, remove the case, remove the back, pull the battery and let it stand for a few minutes before putting it all back together. By which time I had missed seven calls and four text messages, as well as countless emails from my agent regarding my availability for a job. I swore at that point that wild horses wouldn't drag me back to Samsung.

Yet here I am, eating my words (happily I might add).

I don't have the Note 7 yet as my current contract is due to expire on the 14th of September but I do have a few reservations that I would love to get cleared up by you knowledgeable folks please.

1. Are battery draining 'rogue apps' on the Play Store still a major issue?
2. Is the OS experience of Touchwiz better than it used to be? I put Nova Prime on my Note 3 as TW was just godawful in my opinion.
3. Is the phone region locked again? The Note 3 was region locked and as I spend a lot of my time here in the USA and back home in the UK, I need a phone where I can swap out the SIM when I go back home.
4. How is the user experience in comparison to iOS? I don't mean specifically on certain apps, just the overall frustration level and gut feeling after swapping. I want to avoid the 'grass is greener' feeling when I swap.

I'm sure I have other questions but will put those in the appropriate threads.

 

[cwbcpa]

This is a great thread. A lot of people have hit the nail on the head and echo my own sentiments that iOS is getting boring. Honestly, unless the new iPhone 7 is utterly out-of-this-world amazing, i'm gone. Also, the headphone jack removal is a big deal for me too.

My Note 3 suffered from the worst battery life imaginable. At one stage, I got three hours on a singe charge. Not three hours screen on, three hours total! I swapped that one out after factory reset after factory reset didn't resolve anything. I took it into my carrier and we both watched as the battery percentage literally fell in front of our eyes.

The next Note 3 suffered a failure that cost me over 1500GBP of work, when it turned itself off without my knowledge and wouldn't turn on. Not useful when driving. I had to find somewhere to pull over, remove the case, remove the back, pull the battery and let it stand for a few minutes before putting it all back together. By which time I had missed seven calls and four text messages, as well as countless emails from my agent regarding my availability for a job. I swore at that point that wild horses wouldn't drag me back to Samsung.

Yet here I am, eating my words (happily I might add).

I don't have the Note 7 yet as my current contract is due to expire on the 14th of September but I do have a few reservations that I would love to get cleared up by you knowledgeable folks please.

1. Are battery draining 'rogue apps' on the Play Store still a major issue?
2. Is the OS experience of Touchwiz better than it used to be? I put Nova Prime on my Note 3 as TW was just godawful in my opinion.
3. Is the phone region locked again? The Note 3 was region locked and as I spend a lot of my time here in the USA and back home in the UK, I need a phone where I can swap out the SIM when I go back home.
4. How is the user experience in comparison to iOS? I don't mean specifically on certain apps, just the overall frustration level and gut feeling after swapping. I want to avoid the 'grass is greener' feeling when I swap.

I'm sure I have other questions but will put those in the appropriate threads.

1) I have never really had an issue with "rogue apps". I don't download anything too far fetched and stick with the tried and true apps so maybe that is why. My Note 7 lasts me all day without a problem, but that is going to vary from person to person depending on how you use the phone.

2) Touchwiz is way better than it used to be. It is still the heaviest skin out there, but it's better. I still use Nova, but that is because I like some things that just are not in most stock skins. I used it on the Nexus 6P as well.

3) Not sure about the region locked. Hopefully someone has an answer for you.

4) I think the user experience is great. I have not had any of the issues that others have had. I use both Android and iOS so I can compare fairly. Is the Note 7 as smooth as the iPhone 6S? For me, most of the time it is. I prefer to do most things on the Note over the 6S. They are both great phones, but my personal preference right now is the Note. Not necessarily android, but the Note in particular. I use the S-Pen and I like the features that the Note brings so I will deal with some lag here and there. The iPhone certainly isn't perfect in the lag department despite what people like to say.

So at the end of the day, it is really a personal choice. If you are coming to the Note and looking for iOS, then don't bother. You will only be frustrated and end up on here telling everyone how much this phone sucks. LOL. I kid...sorta....but I see that a lot on here. I hope you are able to give it a fair try and not come in looking for an iOS experience. If you do, you might just like it and stay around.

 

[Highrisedrifter]

So at the end of the day, it is really a personal choice. If you are coming to the Note and looking for iOS, then don't bother. You will only be frustrated and end up on here telling everyone how much this phone sucks. LOL. I kid...sorta....but I see that a lot on here. I hope you are able to give it a fair try and not come in looking for an iOS experience. If you do, you might just like it and stay around.

Thanks for that. I like this last paragraph a lot. I really am a 'grass is greener' kinda guy, to my chagrin, which has always got me into problems before. My Galaxy S2 was rooted with Cyanogenmod and still bullet proof. My stock HTC One M7 was similarly robust. My S3 was awful and both of my Note 3s were equally as bad.

I've had ups and downs with Android and yes I have to say that my iOS experience has been pretty fluid and robust over the years. I'm just getting insanely bored of their OS now. I miss a lot of functions from my Android days that are locked down in iOS, like Geofencing, NFC tags, more effective spam call screening and blocking plus many more. I feel like the same apps are usually different between OSes, with iOS apps being more well put together for the most part. Saying that, I haven't had an Android phone at all for nearly three years now, back on 4.2.2 I think, so things may have changed. I wish I could take a Note 7 for a drive for a couple of weeks before I change my current contract and upgrade though.

 

[cwbcpa]

Thanks for that. I like this last paragraph a lot. I really am a 'grass is greener' kinda guy, to my chagrin, which has always got me into problems before. My Galaxy S2 was rooted with Cyanogenmod and still bullet proof. My stock HTC One M7 was similarly robust. My S3 was awful and both of my Note 3s were equally as bad.

I've had ups and downs with Android and yes I have to say that my iOS experience has been pretty fluid and robust over the years. I'm just getting insanely bored of their OS now. I miss a lot of functions from my Android days that are locked down in iOS, like Geofencing, NFC tags, more effective spam call screening and blocking plus many more. I feel like the same apps are usually different between OSes, with iOS apps being more well put together for the most part. Saying that, I haven't had an Android phone at all for nearly three years now, back on 4.2.2 I think, so things may have changed. I wish I could take a Note 7 for a drive for a couple of weeks before I change my current contract and upgrade though.

Android and TouchWiz has matured a lot since 4.2.2. While I do agree that iOS apps look more polished at times, I will take function over polish. Now that doesn't mean that some iOS apps don't have more function, but in general I have more flexibility with those same apps on the android side.

I think you just have to know what you are getting with Android as much as someone moving from Android to iOS would have to have the same attitude. You get a lot more with Android. You get more options and more features (some more useful than others). Those things do come at a sacrifice though. It is a sacrifice that Apple isn't willing to make. It has been my experience that those sacrifices are getting less and less each year. Like I said before though. I have not had any issues with a phone from either side in the last 3 years or so, including my Note 3. I guess I am just really lucky.

 

[zeuswsu]

I've had ups and downs with Android and yes I have to say that my iOS experience has been pretty fluid and robust over the years. I'm just getting insanely bored of their OS now. I miss a lot of functions from my Android days that are locked down in iOS, like Geofencing, NFC tags, more effective spam call screening and blocking plus many more. I feel like the same apps are usually different between OSes, with iOS apps being more well put together for the most part. Saying that, I haven't had an Android phone at all for nearly three years now, back on 4.2.2 I think, so things may have changed. I wish I could take a Note 7 for a drive for a couple of weeks before I change my current contract and upgrade though.

You always hear about iOS being the same and stale, but that's actually how I'm starting to feel about android. I've now had only android phones and tablets for the last 6-7 years and am ready for something different. I'm probably going to buy the iPhone 7 and experience what everyone considers lame. To me it will be a new and different experience.

Like you mention, I wish I could test drive for a couple weeks before I make a big contractual agreement in case iOS does turn out to be as stale as everyone says