Thats what i've been seeing in response to my post here dodong27 and lol how true is that about the iphone lol.. Good come back 
Greetings...I Have Never Owned An Android And Have A Couple of Questions
- Thread starter ajm91484
- Start date
Thanks BeRich I love playing around with the camera and making pictures extra amazing, so good to know about that app. Thank you again.
Once you get a good Android phone, there is no turning back! I've been a diehard Apple user since my first Mac in 2005, and have since owned various Macs, iPhones, every generation of iPad, Apple TV etc...But moving to Android was just a no brainer really. The hardest part for me was leaving Apples ecosystem(There's really no comparison, but Android is close). I had close to 150 apps, and re downloading some of them was rough. Breaking the iCloud link was also rough, but I got over it. In the end, the hardware, and customization is what got me to switch. I ultimately wanted to try something different, and felt Android was mature enough. You will use the back, and menu buttons A LOT, and there's a home button just like the iPhone. Once you get your device, fire away with the questions, that's the only way you will learn. Good luck!
I think I'll have a hard time as well leaving the apple ecosystem, it's nice having everything sync together like that but I'm sure there are many new features and options that I will love on Android. And thank you again XChrisX.
You should know that for the first week you'll miss the simplicity of Apple and may second guess your decision due to the unknown. For the second week you'll arrive at a level of comfort that you 'understand' Android. For the third week and forever thereafter you'll never go back to Apple. Once you experience the freedom of Android you'll just never go back.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
Of course after I posted the last message I saw this post immediately preceeding mine.
+1 this is exactly what I was trying to say.
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power5
Well-known member
- Jan 2, 2013
- 265
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And you wont have to worry about itunes restrictions. Most of my movies are in mkv so they are useless with my friends appleTVs and such. Have to connect my phone to their TV and then its all good using my phone to play the movies.
I am also going to the N3 coming from the WP7.8 HTC Titan. I cannot wait. I had wanted a droid when they first came out, but its infancy was much worse than the 3G I got. So I went with iOS. That only lasted 3 years and then I had to get something else. WP was new and interesting compared to android which was more similar than WP so I went with WP. Regret that but at least the phone was only a penny on sale.
Cant wait to get my Note 3
I am also going to the N3 coming from the WP7.8 HTC Titan. I cannot wait. I had wanted a droid when they first came out, but its infancy was much worse than the 3G I got. So I went with iOS. That only lasted 3 years and then I had to get something else. WP was new and interesting compared to android which was more similar than WP so I went with WP. Regret that but at least the phone was only a penny on sale.
Cant wait to get my Note 3
AJ, You would love a Note 3! I always had smart phones, never paid any attention to anything other than internet icon and the phone. I had MUCH to learn when I started exploring the original Note. The Note forums on here were my go-to places to learn from. Now the S-pen apps are integrated in just about everything I do. lol Not only are folks on the forums extremely helpful, but if you go back to the list of forums on here, there is a "General Help and How To" forum very close to the top. That forum was great to scan through things, I learned things I didn't even know to ask about. I still have the original Note and Note 10.1. And I'm anxiously watching for my pre-ordered Note 3! BTW, I use the AVG anti virus, it's free.
Thank you all for the awesome answers and helpful hints. I'm excited and anxious to play and learn.
I was just like you with an iphone since the 3GS to a 4S then they lost me with rumors of no real improvement to this latest set of phones. I bought an HTC One three weeks ago and love it. It has almost as good build quality as an iphone (it doesn't feel plasticy) and the big beautiful screen! I can finally read stuff comfortably! I have rooted it (jailbroken in iOS speak) and installed different operating systems to see what they are like and because I like to mess around with my new toys. I went back to the HTC Sense version of Android that came with the phone since it works so well.
- Dec 4, 2012
- 35,641
- 630
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Welcome to the Android forums.
Hopefully, you have some of the answers to your questions.
To answer your question about the difference between TouchWiz and stock Android (aka Vanilla Android) is to easily compare 2 phones. Take any Samsung device in a carrier store. Play with it a bit, and then play with the Moto X. The Motorola X is the first phone released since Google acquired Moto. That phone is very close to Vanilla, and should be a good visual aide for the differences.
TouchWiz is a skinned version of the Android OS. Sense is a skinned version for HTC. Best thing to do is go in and play with devices, which is my favorite part of an upgrade!! Lol..
If you aren't due for an upgrade just yet, the next Nexus device should be released soon, and should be available on AT&T, TMo, and rumor has it Sprint. If you truly want to see Android and Apple go toe to toe, a Nexus device is the way to do it. The OS updates happen quickly, as opposed to something like the S4 or the HTC One, the update has to go through the maker of the phone, and then the carrier, thus slowing down the update.
By all means, if you still aren't clear on something, ask away!
Hope to see you in the forums more with an Android device!!
Hi &
Great Decision!
- I made the switch a long time ago -from 3GS and 4 (not S) to Android. It seems you've decided on the note. That is a really really nice phone.
- The specs for the newest note are tremendous. Once you get used to the size, you will love using it. (Unfortunately, I "only" have the S4 and that is a very nice phone as well).
- As to your specific points:
1. Bloatware - others already mentioned it. The "extra" software that the carrier adds and which you won't use ever, but it takes up space. Sort of like the fixed Apple apps that we used to park in one folder on the iPhone and never bother with. OThers have mentioned that you can delete most of it and use the applications manager (System then More) to turn off more of them. There are other techniques to deal with bloatware, but that won't be a real problem -even if you do nothing, bloatware won't ruin you phone's performance or get in the way of what you want to do.
2. Maleware exists but is generally rare. If you get apps from the Google Play store you are 98% OK, and if you side load apps (download from other places) you generally are still ok. You mentioned this in connection with ringtones. It is WAY EASIER to add ringtones in Android -and there are many ringtone apps to let you convert and use any song you can touch into a ringtone.
4. Rooted is the Android equivalent of jailbreak in Apple. It's a bit harder in Android -not the one-click process that some versions of IOS have/had. Your Note will be exploited by the developer talents at XDA, and there will be a way to root it for sure. Rooting is marvelous and provides so many more options and flexibility.
That said, your Note will have so many things on it that you may take half a year before you get bored or frustrated enough to consider rooting. When you do, please please please read through the rooting techniques for Note3 very carefully -because if you make a mistake doing a rooting procedure, you will spend a lot of time trying to get your phone working again. Not to scare you off -I have rooted every android phone I had (4 and one "temp") all different & all rooted by different procedures. I messed up several rooting processes too! but always was able to recover and get it rooted /working well, but careful reading and understanding what is going on EARLY saves frustration later.
5. Note3: I have used Motorola, HTC and Samsung phones. All are different have nice enjoyable models. Lately I am inclined to use Samsung because of the features and the flexible way I can root and use other roms. The Samsungs are popular, perhaps more popular than the others, so there is more development for them. For non-rooted users Samsung high end phones have a bazillion features which you will take a long time to explore -and the Note has more than any other Samsung. Some -like adjusting the earphone sound for hearing loss, or the function to keep the screen on whenever you are looking at it, in spite of the time out settings are great. That pen and the apps for it are very interesting. All this comes with a learning curve, and after three months I am still discovering features (like slomo replay, and a separate slomo video taking function and others). Once you get over the size, Note will be really amazing. It is premier class in Android phones.
5. Camera 5s/5c v Note: I don't own any of these, my wife still has the iPhone5 and I have the S4. But here is the trend -when I had a Samsung Galaxy S2, the iPhone5 pictures were always better. But after getting the Galaxy S4, now I am stuck taking the photos -or letting my wife use my camera to take the photos. Both phones take very nice pix, btw, so this is win win. I have read latest reviews on the 5S v. S4 and they are both nice -the S4 may have a color advantage in day shots, but the 5S seems to be nicer in low-light. All this is subjective and the source of many, many arguments and discussions here and in other sites. You won't be disappointed with the Note's camera -and it will be easier to see the pix on that nice, big screen!
6. My Own Comment:
- One advantage that I really enjoy in Android is screen customization. It felt weird for a week or so to switch from IOS to Android -kind of like "how is this stuff organized"? and "why do I have hunt around for things"? But I soon learned to love the display since it provided more information -and info that was useful to me.
- Also I kind of liked customizing it. My phone felt more like MY phone. Samsung uses a screen organization system called "Touch Wiz" or TW. (HTC uses one called "Sense" and Motorola uses "Motoblur" or something like that (it's been a while). They all have different flavors of how to show the screen --and you will like and dislike some aspects of each of them. The (very) good news is that you can completely change how your screen looks and customize it about 99.999% exactly like YOU want it (all of the 5 or 10 screens you can have) to look.
- The phone screen application (program) interface is called a LAUNCHER, since it launches different apps for you (or since it launches YOU into the phone experience ;-). YOU CAN CHANGE LAUNCHERS AT ANYTIME TO CUSTOMIZE YOU PHONE LOOK AND FEEL. You don't even have to be rooted, or do anything that would change your phone or violate your service contract! Just download a different "LAUNCHER" application and follow it's instructions to configure it the way you want. If you don't like it -you can easily go back tothe "Stock" TW.
- I use NOVA prime and it shows exactly what I want and how I want it. Others may use Apex, or Go, or ADB launchers to do the same thing. All launchers have a free version. They also have a paid version that simply adds more customization. Launchers are really great! (later when you root your phone, you can use the custom launcher to restore your desktop after switching roms --the default launchers won't do that (Anyway, they might gone after the rom customization!).
- Oh! Samsung comes with two versions of the stock TW launcher: one is the "standard" TW, and the other is a more clean, SIMPLE, easy-access version that is wonderful. IF you think the TW interface is getting in your way, then simply go to the phone menu for SETTINGS and look for the MY DEVICE tab and then select the EASY MODE (not the standard mode). This Easy Mode version of TW is still a very full-featured launcher that makes all key functions accessible and easy to understand. Use that for a day or two and you will soon grasp the logic of android launcher api and be customizing the TW standard in no time. (OR moving on to NOVA
So, don't let yourself feel frustrated with the interface --heck, you could even go the Google Play store and get an Android launcher that simulates IOS6 for running all apps and the like!
Good Luck and be patient. These premier Android phones offer a lot, but do take a while to get the most out of. Don't get trapped thinking "how did I do this in IOS"? since that will usually only slow you down --a better question is "where the heck is the function for what I want to do buried in these darn menus"? That work(s) for me
Great Decision!
- I made the switch a long time ago -from 3GS and 4 (not S) to Android. It seems you've decided on the note. That is a really really nice phone.
- The specs for the newest note are tremendous. Once you get used to the size, you will love using it. (Unfortunately, I "only" have the S4 and that is a very nice phone as well).
- As to your specific points:
1. Bloatware - others already mentioned it. The "extra" software that the carrier adds and which you won't use ever, but it takes up space. Sort of like the fixed Apple apps that we used to park in one folder on the iPhone and never bother with. OThers have mentioned that you can delete most of it and use the applications manager (System then More) to turn off more of them. There are other techniques to deal with bloatware, but that won't be a real problem -even if you do nothing, bloatware won't ruin you phone's performance or get in the way of what you want to do.
2. Maleware exists but is generally rare. If you get apps from the Google Play store you are 98% OK, and if you side load apps (download from other places) you generally are still ok. You mentioned this in connection with ringtones. It is WAY EASIER to add ringtones in Android -and there are many ringtone apps to let you convert and use any song you can touch into a ringtone.
4. Rooted is the Android equivalent of jailbreak in Apple. It's a bit harder in Android -not the one-click process that some versions of IOS have/had. Your Note will be exploited by the developer talents at XDA, and there will be a way to root it for sure. Rooting is marvelous and provides so many more options and flexibility.
That said, your Note will have so many things on it that you may take half a year before you get bored or frustrated enough to consider rooting. When you do, please please please read through the rooting techniques for Note3 very carefully -because if you make a mistake doing a rooting procedure, you will spend a lot of time trying to get your phone working again. Not to scare you off -I have rooted every android phone I had (4 and one "temp") all different & all rooted by different procedures. I messed up several rooting processes too! but always was able to recover and get it rooted /working well, but careful reading and understanding what is going on EARLY saves frustration later.
5. Note3: I have used Motorola, HTC and Samsung phones. All are different have nice enjoyable models. Lately I am inclined to use Samsung because of the features and the flexible way I can root and use other roms. The Samsungs are popular, perhaps more popular than the others, so there is more development for them. For non-rooted users Samsung high end phones have a bazillion features which you will take a long time to explore -and the Note has more than any other Samsung. Some -like adjusting the earphone sound for hearing loss, or the function to keep the screen on whenever you are looking at it, in spite of the time out settings are great. That pen and the apps for it are very interesting. All this comes with a learning curve, and after three months I am still discovering features (like slomo replay, and a separate slomo video taking function and others). Once you get over the size, Note will be really amazing. It is premier class in Android phones.
5. Camera 5s/5c v Note: I don't own any of these, my wife still has the iPhone5 and I have the S4. But here is the trend -when I had a Samsung Galaxy S2, the iPhone5 pictures were always better. But after getting the Galaxy S4, now I am stuck taking the photos -or letting my wife use my camera to take the photos. Both phones take very nice pix, btw, so this is win win. I have read latest reviews on the 5S v. S4 and they are both nice -the S4 may have a color advantage in day shots, but the 5S seems to be nicer in low-light. All this is subjective and the source of many, many arguments and discussions here and in other sites. You won't be disappointed with the Note's camera -and it will be easier to see the pix on that nice, big screen!
6. My Own Comment:
- One advantage that I really enjoy in Android is screen customization. It felt weird for a week or so to switch from IOS to Android -kind of like "how is this stuff organized"? and "why do I have hunt around for things"? But I soon learned to love the display since it provided more information -and info that was useful to me.
- Also I kind of liked customizing it. My phone felt more like MY phone. Samsung uses a screen organization system called "Touch Wiz" or TW. (HTC uses one called "Sense" and Motorola uses "Motoblur" or something like that (it's been a while). They all have different flavors of how to show the screen --and you will like and dislike some aspects of each of them. The (very) good news is that you can completely change how your screen looks and customize it about 99.999% exactly like YOU want it (all of the 5 or 10 screens you can have) to look.
- The phone screen application (program) interface is called a LAUNCHER, since it launches different apps for you (or since it launches YOU into the phone experience ;-). YOU CAN CHANGE LAUNCHERS AT ANYTIME TO CUSTOMIZE YOU PHONE LOOK AND FEEL. You don't even have to be rooted, or do anything that would change your phone or violate your service contract! Just download a different "LAUNCHER" application and follow it's instructions to configure it the way you want. If you don't like it -you can easily go back tothe "Stock" TW.
- I use NOVA prime and it shows exactly what I want and how I want it. Others may use Apex, or Go, or ADB launchers to do the same thing. All launchers have a free version. They also have a paid version that simply adds more customization. Launchers are really great! (later when you root your phone, you can use the custom launcher to restore your desktop after switching roms --the default launchers won't do that (Anyway, they might gone after the rom customization!).
- Oh! Samsung comes with two versions of the stock TW launcher: one is the "standard" TW, and the other is a more clean, SIMPLE, easy-access version that is wonderful. IF you think the TW interface is getting in your way, then simply go to the phone menu for SETTINGS and look for the MY DEVICE tab and then select the EASY MODE (not the standard mode). This Easy Mode version of TW is still a very full-featured launcher that makes all key functions accessible and easy to understand. Use that for a day or two and you will soon grasp the logic of android launcher api and be customizing the TW standard in no time. (OR moving on to NOVA
So, don't let yourself feel frustrated with the interface --heck, you could even go the Google Play store and get an Android launcher that simulates IOS6 for running all apps and the like!
Good Luck and be patient. These premier Android phones offer a lot, but do take a while to get the most out of. Don't get trapped thinking "how did I do this in IOS"? since that will usually only slow you down --a better question is "where the heck is the function for what I want to do buried in these darn menus"? That work(s) for me
Thank you so much for telling me the difference, I wasn't sure. I"ve been eligible for an upgrade for awhile and didn't even know anything about the Nexus. I will have to check that out! I like the idea of the updates happening quickly, that's always something I find annoying is having to wait and wait and wait. So again thank you for the information.
Thank you so much markbc for all the awesome information. I saved the information into a document so I can remember all of these awesome things. I think for me the hardest part will be getting used to a huge screen and the how everything is so different looking etc. I feel almost guilty for switching after this whole ios 7 update, apple has that effect on you after being a long time user. One of the most important things for me to have with a phone is the capability to take awesome photos, so I'm really happy to read what you said about your phone, it might be different but from all the other posts i've been reading, it sounds like the camera on this big guy will be amazing!!! I didn't even know there were 10 screens, so much i'm going to have to learn and now I will have the ability to customize everything. That's going to be a lot of days/nights playing around with everything. I'm really thankful for all the helpful info from everyone and I truly feel welcomed with open arms and it's a good feeling to feel.
- Dec 4, 2012
- 35,641
- 630
- 113
It's a lot to sift through, but I think once you see what we are all talking about, it will make much more sense.
Sent from a Slim 4.3 S3
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