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

[anon(10010578)]

I am a long time iPhone guy - going to this platform due to the screen, and a couple of network tools that are on this platform that weren't on my iPhone. I am still weighing the options, but prefer the iPhone for what it does, and what it does well. For enterprise level things, the iPhone is just better. The speed of which it handles email (default app to default app). I can swipe to delete "fast" on the iPhone right out of the box. I can swipe and delete SMS messages, right out of the box. The sound level when I take it to low, it remains low. On (1) on the android, it's just too loud. (Google it, it's a big issue). One of which I half cured with an app, but you should not have to. The increments in which the sound moves up/down is large.

I will be replacing my third phone tonight at Tmobile due to an issue with notifications coming in and the sound relating it self, over and over again unless you hit the power button. I have a bit of lag, but not anywhere what some people are getting. Not sure if it's because I store most everything on the SD card or not. I have apps that just "stop working". SMS messages, games, apps, email.. all stock apps (except the two games). Nothing else has been put on the phone either.

I have gone through all of the steps on these phones that I have had. Best buy Samsung Rep doing the inlace software restore. Master resets. Keeping "apps off the phone" which defeats the purpose..

Some other cons are the fragile nature of the phone. Scratches... which all phones get. But for sporting a "new glass" that is supposed to be this and that, it's not any better than the iPhone's gorilla glass. The EDGE is a pain in the butt sometimes. If you're holding the phone in your hand firmly and depressing the phone to keep it secure in your hand, sometimes it triggers actions on the side of the glass. It still accepts on the side of the edge, as it does on the top of the screen... It's more of an annoyance than anything.

Also reception issues. Some people claim they have none. Others have a lot of issues. This does seem to be carrier specific however... As ATT and Verizon owners in some places were able to get in place upgrades out of the box. Where as TMO has not...

There are other quirks too... but you get the idea.

The s-pen is pretty cool.. and a necessity for some things. Especially with the edge design.

IT's a good looking phone... But as of now to answer your question that you asked

 

[anon(10010578)]

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

Don't quote me on this, but I believe TMO will allow you a 15 day trial. Of course you still have to be approved for the service etc... but would be a good way to get a feel for the device and try it out.

 

[Bertolus]

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

I was where you are now, when the first iPhone 6 came out. I've been enjoying iOS very much since Before I had been using Android for years spending hours and hours of tweaking the system flashing ROMs etc. With iOS I started enjoying simply using apps and not tweaking the system all the time. Everything works very reliable out of the box. Also iOS 10 beta just flies on my 6S. I admit, I'm a bit bored after 3 years with iOS but that had been the same thing with Android. So I am tempted by the Note 7 now, but I can't overlook the amazing and stable performance IOS 10 delivers. Sometimes the iPhone gets boring because everything works just so well. I honestly can't remember the last time, I had to reboot the 6S.

 

[clg82]

Well after having my note7 for the past 24 hours I can safely say I couldn't be happier. I haven't experienced any of the lag issues that people are complaining about....that was my biggest worry coming from the iPhone6S Plus.....it works flawlessly and I don't foresee myself going back to iOS anytime soon....I don't know what took me so long to make the switch but I'm happy!

 

[zeuswsu]

I was where you are now, when the first iPhone 6 came out. I've been enjoying iOS very much since Before I had been using Android for years spending hours and hours of tweaking the system flashing ROMs etc. With iOS I started enjoying simply using apps and not tweaking the system all the time. Everything works very reliable out of the box. Also iOS 10 beta just flies on my 6S. I admit, I'm a bit bored after 3 years with iOS but that had been the same thing with Android. So I am tempted by the Note 7 now, but I can't overlook the amazing and stable performance IOS 10 delivers. Sometimes the iPhone gets boring because everything works just so well. I honestly can't remember the last time, I had to reboot the 6S.

To be fair, the same can be said of my note 5. I've had it for a year and only rebooted it a handful of times. Android has become more reliable as the years have gone on, I would imagine the note 7 is just as reliable despite what you read on some of the forums.

Yeah I was into the ROMs and all that too. As features have been added to Android I've found less and less of a need for all that tinkering. I'm to the point where I've basically stopped customizing besides nova launcher and a clock I always use on all my phones. I basically use my phone like an iPhone, just a bunch of icons besides my one clock widget.

When/if I do go with an iPhone I know I'll miss the spen and themes though...and the color note app. I probably have books worth of notes saved in that app.

 

[dstrauss]

I was an iPhone user from day one 2007 until last week. I traded up to the GN7, and one week later sold my iPhone 6s Plus on eBay. I think that speaks volumes about the GN7. Here are my observations:

1. Performance is subjectively as fast as the iP6s+. I say subjectively because I know there is a firestorm out there based upon XDA Developers and others benchmarking and claiming it severely under performs. I don't game, so for me it is a perfect productivity device.

2. It is narrower, shorter, and vastly easier to operate in hand than the iP6s+. It just feels more comfortable.

3. The S-Pen is to die for - nearly as good as the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro, and on par with the N-Trig on my Surface Pro 4.

4. Expandable memory - enough said.

5. Exceptional screen quality - vastly superior to my iP6s+.

6. Operating System - muscle memory is a real PITA, and it takes a lot to get used to where stuff is and screen elements should be, but that is not an indictment of Android. It's just like relearning where the close menu is between OS X and Windows 10.

7. On that same point, you are going to find that Android vs iOS is nearly identical to Windows vs. OS X. It's almost uncanny the similarity in the different OS approaches.

8. Wireless charging is a whole new ballgame for user convenience.

9. Not sure I'm sold on glass front and back - just seems more fragile.

10. Concerned at moment about scratch-gate, screen gap-gate, and battery-gate and can't yet tell if this all amounts to a long-term flawed system that will not hold resale/trade value.

11. Beware: tribal warfare (between Samsung owners vs all other Android devices) is nearly as vicious as Fandroids vs iSheep. It's almost as brutal of Samsung hatred as we saw from iPhone land.

12. Customization is exhilarating and frustrating at the same time, which is to be expected. That walled garden locked us in but protected us from ourselves at times.

13. Third party apps are pretty much equivalent, but sometimes with weird quirks. For example, Outlook for Android refused to properly sync my contacts, unlike Outlook for iOS. And then there is Scrabble - what moron wrote the Android version so it brings up a full page ad between every word choice you play - with no option to even buy your way out of pop-up ad h***?

14. Lastly, I am sick and tired of the whining about the price. I get ALL of the benefits and improvements mentioned above for the same price as a 64gb iP6s+; how in any stretch of the imagination could that be considered over-priced?

Overall., it has been an excellent first week, and I love the form factor and configuration of the GN7 - I just wish I weren't watching the 14-day clock due to the possible recall decision by Samsung. If recalled, it would probably make a lot more sense to just do a return with AT&T and wait out the storm a bit. The clock is ticking...

 

[Joshua Luther2]

I still miss my Note 5.

One year ago, I upgraded from the iPhone 5s to the Note 5. I didn't really have reasonable expectations for the Note 5. I expected the same stellar standby battery life of ios. That was the first thing I noticed.

After only four days, I found myself back in Best Buy returning it for the 6plus. I used that for 5 months before I grew bored with ios. I sold it and bought an LG G4. While I love the G4, it's nowhere near as good as the Note 5 was. I do love the camera and expandable storage on the G4 but the performance and screen quality isn't as good.

I find myself not even using an extra battery to swap in and out. It seems like too much of a hassle. So I charge the phone when I can throughout the day. Quick chargers are a life saver.

For the future, I've resolved to pay this phone off over the course of the next 12 months and buy a mid range unlocked android phone next year. They are getting better and better. Especially with all of the problems being reported by Note 7 users. The battery exploding being one of them. That is unacceptable in a $900 Samsung.

 

[dstrauss]

...I was an iPhone user from day one 2007 until last week. I traded up to the GN7, and one week later sold my iPhone 6s Plus on eBay. I think that speaks volumes about the GN7. Here are my observations:...

Overall., it has been an excellent first week, and I love the form factor and configuration of the GN7 - I just wish I weren't watching the 14-day clock due to the possible recall decision by Samsung. If recalled, it would probably make a lot more sense to just do a return with AT&T and wait out the storm a bit. The clock is ticking...

Amazing what a good night's rest and seeing the actual recall statement does for one's rationality and perspective:

I'm sticking with the Galaxy Note 7. It is the best smartphone I have ever owned and running great. Years of experience, since the Treo 300 (including all the iPhones), leads me to say that even after only 10 days of ownership. Too many corporations play the percentages game, figure their maximum losses, and leave consumers hanging. Samsung owned up and is replacing all of the phones.

SUGGESTION TO SAMSUNG - when you issue the replacement phones, offer a free or reduced cost 2 year extended care (subject to the usual $99 deductibles for accidental damage). That's another $129 lost revenue per warranty, but not much "out of pocket" if the phones are truly as solid as I believe they are.

 

[rosenr9286t]

I've had every Note from the first one through the 4. I currently have the 3 and the 4. About two months ago I picked up an iPhone 6S+, and I notice that I switch back and forth (I was also switching back and forth to my Windows Phone, which remains my favorite mobile OS, but lack of some critical apps finally had my leave my 1520 and 830 in the drawer). I was trying to crystalize my thoughts on the differences in functionality between the Note 4 and the 6S+, and then went on vacation with just the 6S+ and an older iPad Mini, and it became a little clearer to me. The biggest difference for a business user is the lack of a file structure on the iOS. Somewhat less critical is the back button and the mult-window button on the note. Those functions can be duplicated on the 6S+, but a bit easier on the Note. I do notice that the battery life is way better on the 6S+. On the Note, I carry extra batteries, specially on long flights.

I use a tablet with inking capabilities in my work projects (observing workflow and interviewing staff at medical practices), and I've found full Windows tablets like the Surface line very frustrating to use simply because of the lack of instant-on. I also like the dockable stylus, so a Wacom digitizer is my preferred tool. I have both a Galaxy Note 8.0 and a Note 10.1 2014 Edition for use in my work. Both the ability to write in OneNote for Android, and an accessible file structure make those devices perfect for my business use (the Note phones are too small for heavy-duty note-taking). Both of my larger Note devices are sim-card enabled, so I can access files via 4G networks when I am away from WiFi. I considered the iPad Pro 9.7 with stylus, but it is almost identical in size to the Note 10.1, has no accessible file structure, and no dockable pen, as well as being expensive, and those factors ultimately disqualified that device for me.

So, finally, swinging back to the topic of this thread, will I pick up a Note 7 and continue my pathological device switching? Probably will (assuming they solve the exploding battery issues). For those times when I am travelling either locally or longer distances with only one device, and the ability to jot notes on the fly, the Note phones are ideal.

I much prefer iOS over Android, but both systems work for me (and yes, I do like the "just works" characteristics of the 6S+). I think that ultimately it comes down to personal preference and usage needs. The large installed base of each OS suggests that both systems are workable solutions, and similarly, the millions of Note phones and iOS devices out in the wild suggest that both hardware platforms are capable for fulfilling their missions.

Ron

 

[spasell]

You know what I realized in all of this? The reason I like the Note 7 better than my iPhone 6s+ is because unlike my Note 7, I really didn't want to pick up the iPhone and mess with it so much despite having it for just a few weeks when I first got it.

There was nothing remarkable about it. I downloaded my apps and used it a lot for a few days. Then the novelty wore off and while it was reliable for the most part with great battery life, I used it for email and texts. The normal stuff. I was more into using my Mac which is older than anything else.

I've had this phone for two weeks and I'm still tweaking it and using it, discovering new things all the time.

It's a better phone to hold and use for me. That's the biggest test for me. Which one makes me want to use it more.

Note 7 is the one.

 

[dstrauss]

Re: Curiosity: iPhone transplants a week later

Do you have Always On Display active?

Turns out it was a screen auto lock issue. Since I had auto lock for 10 minutes, it confused me on the effect of touching the home button - AT&T told me to turn off 10 minute delay and now it acts like my iPhone did - touch the home button and it unlocks and opens.

 

[anon(10000748)]

Re: Curiosity: iPhone transplants a week later

Actually the sd card retails for $249

 

[anon(10000748)]

I tried the note 7 out for a week. I really liked the s pen and the screen. Ultimately the battery life killed it for me so I took it back. A week later they recalled the phones for faulty batteries. My phone was getting warm and I chalked it out to wireless charging and use. I really feel like I may or may not have dodged a bullet. In switched back to the iPhone and have no regrets other than losing the s pen and the screen!

 

[Pippinsky]

Re: Curiosity: iPhone transplants a week later

I love the phone

 

[From A Buick 8]

I made the switch from iPhone 6+, this is my first Android phone so far i love it. The note7 is a beautiful phone, and the performance has been stellar. I opted for the GearFit 2 as the promo gift and it is a nice little piece of tech. I am really enjoying android, there is a lot to learn and to tweak but so far i like it.

The rest of my house is apple, so i am still trying to find a good work around for some things (AirPlay is a big one) but over all i am happy i made the move.

 

[geraldem]

I am in the same boat....coming over from APPL after many years. My whole family is still on APPL so biggest issue for me is iMessage. Have you worked around that?

I made the switch from iPhone 6+, this is my first Android phone so far i love it. The note7 is a beautiful phone, and the performance has been stellar. I opted for the GearFit 2 as the promo gift and it is a nice little piece of tech. I am really enjoying android, there is a lot to learn and to tweak but so far i like it.

The rest of my house is apple, so i am still trying to find a good work around for some things (AirPlay is a big one) but over all i am happy i made the move.

 

[Brian Holliday]

I will be honest, I switched from my iPhone 6 to the note 7 and its the best thing I done in a while. my wife and daughter still have the 6+ but are always checking out my note. The photos are amazing on this phone. The screen blows all iPhone's including the new 7+ away. I was an early android adopter and wasn't impressed so I have been with an iPhone for the last 4 years. I got this crazy idea that it was time to jump ship back to Samsung and I'm satisfied. don't get me wrong apple still makes great products just don't care for the vanilla feel of the operating system.

 

[From A Buick 8]

I am in the same boat....coming over from APPL after many years. My whole family is still on APPL so biggest issue for me is iMessage. Have you worked around that?

all of the folks that i used "iMessage" with have phone numbers, so i will just use the stock sms app.

 

[dstrauss]

all of the folks that i used "iMessage" with have phone numbers, so i will just use the stock sms app.

That still doesn't solve it for me - group messages are a nightmare because it treats everything as sepafate messages to each person in the group, and I never know what is circulating with everyone. Also, since iMessage permits sharing photos and videos at higer resolutions, all I get or send are low quality compressed versions - kinda yuck for grandchildren moments.

 

[BlackZeppelin]

I hear you on the fingerprint scanner convenience with iPhone. Developers weren't able to utilize the fingerprint scanner on Android until version 6 (marshmallow) which is now getting on more phones as of the last few months. So now apps like my Chase Bank, PayPal and my Work email app now utilize it with more apps to come.

I hear you on that one. I was surprised by the fingerprint integration on Lastpass. So convenient not having to log out and in everytime but rather just swipe with the fingerprint to go straight into the app. Look forward to more apps doing this.