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

[yourphonemyphone]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

Wow. You really were a loyal Samsung customer.

I actually have a phone with no removable battery and no SD card slot (HTC One M7). This was pretty much my experience.

I don't think Samsung give a rat's [rear end] about my loyalty. My friends/co-workers usually refer me to me as a Samsung fanboy when we are talking about phones. With the introduction of the S6 and Note 5, I officially resign as a Samsung fanboy.

It's quite clear that Samsung want to become Apple fanboys themselves. Perhaps I'll become one as well. Without MicroSD card slots and removable batteries, there is nothing from Samsung that I can buy.... then again, the competition offers nothing either. Perhaps I'll just buy iPhones.(no joke, I'm 70% sure I'll buy the upcomign iPHone when it comes out in September... Apple has Samsung to thank.

 

[Aquila]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

I don't think Samsung give a rat's [rear end] about my loyalty. My friends/co-workers usually refer me to me as a Samsung fanboy when we are talking about phones. With the introduction of the S6 and Note 5, I officially resign as a Samsung fanboy.

It's quite clear that Samsung want to become Apple fanboys themselves. Perhaps I'll become one as well. Without MicroSD card slots and removable batteries, there is nothing from Samsung that I can buy.... then again, the competition offers nothing either. Perhaps I'll just buy iPhones.(no joke, I'm 70% sure I'll buy the upcomign iPHone when it comes out in September... Apple has Samsung to thank.

The LG G4 doesn't meet your needs?

 

[Aquila]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

I actually have a phone with no removable battery and no SD card slot (HTC One M7). This was pretty much my experience.

16GB phone? I have a 16GB tablet and occasionally have to clean it up. That's not cool. I'd really really like to see the 128 GB option and I'd also be in favor of the 512MB option.

 

[yourphonemyphone]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

The LG G4 doesn't meet your needs?

At my local Verizon corporate store, they put the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, LG G4 and iPhone 6 Plus within 5 feet of each other. The Note 4 had a great screen(duh, I own one) and the iPhone 6 Plus was also great(except for the low resolution 1080p). The G4's screen just looked awful to me.(only when compared directly to the other two)

 

[Aquila]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

At my local Verizon corporate store, they put the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, LG G4 and iPhone 6 Plus within 5 feet of each other. The Note 4 had a great screen(duh, I own one) and the iPhone 6 Plus was also great(except for the low resolution 1080p). The G4's screen just looked awful to me.(only when compared directly to the other two)

Android is in need of a new "FLAGSHIP". Not an OEM's new best device, but a new device that sets the bar for what devices can be. Fantastic screen, fantastic camera, giant battery that lasts many days for most users (I'm thinking 5k mAh or better), 512GB ssd in it, near stock software - and go ahead and put a huge price tag on that. I'll pay for it. That'd be a device worth keeping for a year or two.

Of course Sammy & LG both think that they released that this year. So sorry to report that this is incorrect.

 

[robertopod1968]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

Wow. You really were a loyal Samsung customer.

I actually have a phone with no removable battery and no SD card slot (HTC One M7). This was pretty much my experience.

And not enough memory.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

16GB phone? I have a 16GB tablet and occasionally have to clean it up. That's not cool. I'd really really like to see the 128 GB option and I'd also be in favor of the 512MB option.

32GB

Clearly, 64GB or higher is suitable for me. XD

 

[G_The_One]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

I have a more modest line-up: Note 2, Note 3, Note 4 and Note Pro 12.2.

I will definitely NOT be "upgrading" to the Note 5. There have been features in successive Note releases which compelled me to upgrade such as the display improvements, Camera resolution (and quality), s pen enhancements and the like. I do not see anything compelling from Note 4 to the Note 5. All I see is a fragile phone (glass back?!), restricted options to expand memory, questionable (and non-removable) battery... So no, not for me this time around. The Note 4 is still an awesome device!

 

[bigglyguy]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

The fact is almost nobody carries around extra batteries. If it is so critical get an external quick charge extended battery

to me that's not the issue, the issue is that after awhile batteries don't hold a decent charge, making the phone useless BECAUSE YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE BATTERY!

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

to me that's not the issue, the issue is that after awhile batteries don't hold a decent charge, making the phone useless BECAUSE YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE BATTERY!

AFAIK, a store can change the battery of the S6 in around 20 minutes.

Obviously not as quick or as convenient as a user replaceable battery, but it's nowhere near the difficulty others state.

FYI, I have an extra battery for my G4.

 

[FrogVomit]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

Up until the day I ordered this thing (yesterday) I told myself I would never buy a phone that I couldn't swap the battery. And then I fondled it in the store, and changed my mind. It occurred to me that I haven't had to change the battery in a phone since my Galaxy Nexus, and the battery in my G3 is still fine after a year.

Also told myself I'd never buy a phone with a stupid glass back. And then I realized that I've had phones with glass fronts for years, and have never broken or significantly scratched one (and I never use cases or screen protectors!).

 

[CehowardNote7]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

I might be the oldest here at 75, and no Note 5 for me either. I am not the ordinary grandpa!

I got about 70 gbs of flac music files, picture, movies and personal vids on my Note 4, with its 128gb sd card. In addition, I ALWAYS carry a spare battery, on trips I carry two. Without a spare battery, only speaking for myself, I feel naked! If I am not playing music, I am looking at vids, live tv, and I using big time.
I can thank Samsung for allowing me to keep $750 to $800+ I was going to chunk out for the Note 5..My trusty Note 4 is in like new condition, it is carried in 2 cases, with temp glass.

IMO, Samsung should notice nobody is breaking a leg trying to get the Note 5, like they were on the previous Notes..

 

[dcstuntman]

Why haven't you been able to use tap-to-pay?

First it was my Galaxy S3 on Verizon - apparently carrier restrictions got in the way as they were blocking it in favor of their own competing system - which took a long time to come about and only supported a couple card companies that I didn't use. Switched to T-Mobile when I got the Note3. The Note3 - I believe was also due to carrier restriction (not 100% sure on all this, so don't skewer me if I get some facts wrong here on out...) but part way through Google made some changes to the SD card and how it was used --- and from what I understood, this SHOULD have opened the door to all devices on current OS to be able to use Wallet tap to pay. Well, except the Note3... because Samsung apparently used some non standard NFC chip or controller that Android OS didn't have support for. That was all supposed to change with Lollipop... needed drivers would be included - or so it was rumored. Nope still no tap to pay

I shouldn't say I've NEVER been able to use it. Shortly after it was available, I used it at McDonalds a couple times with my 2012 Nexus7... got REALLY strange looks. For one, they hadn't seen ANYBODY EVER use tap to pay... second, I'm waving my tablet up at their terminal. Wasn't really practical with the Nexus7... but it worked - and I tried it everytime I had the tablet with me. That is until Google changed the way transactions are handled... and apparently the Nexus7 no longer had the 'right hardware' to do it anymore... leaving me again with no device tap to pay worked with.

Been burnt by it so many times from Carriers - to Google - to Samsung that I'm sick of it. Samsung Pay seems interesting... but curious if they'll roll it out for my Note3... and secondly for newer devices like the 4 or 5... will they somehow have a new way of blocking Google Wallet in favor of this? I haven't heard definitively... but at this point, I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

That's why I'm a bit bitter that my wife walks up with her iPhone -looks at me and smiles- and taps her phone to pay. I was doing this years ago (with a tablet mind you) yet I haven't been able to for several years now with supposed "Flagship devices." The whole system has been a mess, and of course Google has promised to revamp it with their Google Pay initiative. Though I can't help thinking its SO LATE and SLOW in coming and that I'm sure somebody is going to find some way to break it. Google's announcements seem nice until you realize that either your chosen device manufacturer or carrier has done something to remove/disable or simply not add the said feature. (Camera 2.0 api, multi-user, etc.) Or wondering if your < 2year old device will be graced with an update at all. Sure I could chose a Nexus device... but then be sacrificing some other key feature/ability/quality.

<rant almost over>

At least with NFC on Android it can be used for other things. I've got a tag on my keychain that toggles my hotspot (that was until that ability got broken in one of the Lollipop updates, I believe.) I had another that would toggle my phone to silent and back to previous state using Tasker... but the new volume scheme in Lollipop caused that to be unreliable to the point I haven't even reinstalled Tasker since my last device reset a few months ago.

I keep trying to find uses for NFC, but somebody always keeps taking them away. My Fitbit Flex allowed me to tap my device to it and it would launch the fitbit app on my phone. Unfortunately, Fitbit didn't put NFC in the newer tracker that I upgraded to. So now my primary NFC use is my Sony camera... I can simply tap my phone to the camera to transfer the current picture or to launch the remote camera control app. At least this is something that Apple's NFC can't do. But I don't know that many iOS users who would have kept trying 'fruitlessly' after being shot down over and over and over again for the past 4 years.

Sorry it went on so long... but you asked!!!

I won't spell out everything, but these are the types of things I've put up with on Android for over 6 years now. And honestly I was fine with that because of other customization, choice in screen size, ability to store media to sd card, easily swap battery, have a quality pen like Samsung's... and more.

But if, as people are claiming, several of these things are going to disappear - the platforms unique abilities - and the inherent benefits of being an Android user - keep getting diminished; these other factors make me question if I want to keep putting up with this... seems I'm eternally hopeful things will be fixed... yet the reply around here seems to be - suck it up; or buy something else that's inferior in some other way. Maybe I will... maybe I'll buy an iPhone <s> <kinda>.

It's not a big step for Apple to expand their NFC capabilities - though I'm not holding my breath. But someone else commented in another thread that what would be pure comedy is if Apple waited a year or so when almost nobody has SD any more - and they quietly added one to their SIM tray. How quickly would people be backtracking. I don't think they're that brilliant or gutsy... but it would be fun to watch.

 

[Bob Hanuman]

Don't bash it before you've actually used it for a few days. It is the best Android phone to date. SD card and removable batteries are going the way of the dinosaurs like it or not.

Just like 2 year contacts on devices all these options will enentually disappear from devices. Battery life will be doubled in the not too distant future and everyone wants you to keep everything in the cloud for better or worse.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

Yeah, right,*

*sarcasm

"Our friends at iFixit say all you really have to do is eject the SIM tray, heat up the battery door, draw off the battery door with a suction cup, then separate the door with a case-opening tool, then undo 13 screws, heat up the LCD assembly, pry open the charging chip flex ribbons, pull off the front-facing camera connector, battery connector, ear speaker connector, remove the entire motherboard, then pry off the battery with a spudger tool."

And that will of course all go entirely smoothly, using the readily-available batteries that... cannot be found next year when you need them. Not least because companies like Mugen Power won't bother making replacements for a phone that users don't want to even try to replace their batteries, as it's been made so difficult.

In other words, the new Samsung phones are disposable jokes.

I don't see how it's so difficult to just drop your phone at the repair store to have the battery changed. Of course, they do all the hard work, but I assume that they done them many times before, so it's not really a biggie.

Of course, I still prefer swapping the battery myself, but really, the option to swap the battery is there on the S6, if you're willing to spend 20 minutes without a phone.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Don't bash it before you've actually used it for a few days. It is the best Android phone to date. SD card and removable batteries are going the way of the dinosaurs like it or not.

Just like 2 year contacts on devices all these options will enentually disappear from devices. Battery life will be doubled in the not too distant future and everyone wants you to keep everything in the cloud for better or worse.

Removable battery, maybe when AIO chips arrive.

SD card? Highly doubt it. Though they're a niche, people still use them, especially people who use their phones as primary cameras and as a portable media device.

 

[cybertec69]

Don't bash it before you've actually used it for a few days. It is the best Android phone to date. SD card and removable batteries are going the way of the dinosaurs like it or not.

Just like 2 year contacts on devices all these options will enentually disappear from devices. Battery life will be doubled in the not too distant future and everyone wants you to keep everything in the cloud for better or worse.

Speak for yourself.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[cybertec69]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

Yeah, right,*

*sarcasm

"Our friends at iFixit say all you really have to do is eject the SIM tray, heat up the battery door, draw off the battery door with a suction cup, then separate the door with a case-opening tool, then undo 13 screws, heat up the LCD assembly, pry open the charging chip flex ribbons, pull off the front-facing camera connector, battery connector, ear speaker connector, remove the entire motherboard, then pry off the battery with a spudger tool."

And that will of course all go entirely smoothly, using the readily-available batteries that... cannot be found next year when you need them. Not least because companies like Mugen Power won't bother making replacements for a phone that users don't want to even try to replace their batteries, as it's been made so difficult.

In other words, the new Samsung phones are disposable jokes.

Why stress, the original adopters will live and learn.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Fnord]

Re: Are you gonna buy the Galaxy Note 5?

I love Samsung, BUT WTF...WTF
SAME SIZE SCREEN, SMALL BATTERY, NO SD CARD AND AND...WTF.THIS TIME THEY GET WRONG BIG TIME. IT'S NOT UPGRADE IT'S downgrade, i am staying with Note 4 or moving to Nexus 6 JUST ON THE PRINCIPLE REASON. ...NOTE WAS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN ANY OTHER PHONE AND NOW IT'S JUST :
"ANY OTHER PHONE "

I respectfully beg to differ.

While the battery capacity is smaller than the Note 4, the processor has been refined so that the Note 5 produces a longer battery life - I can confirm that 1st hand. While I didn't have much issue with my Note 4 lagging until the lollipop upgrade, the Note 5 is screaming fast - even with 15+ apps open. Screen is the same (side by side I prefer the Note 5 - they must have done some tweaking in the software). Not sure what improvements you were expecting here, it's the best screen on the market, and anything larger/more dense would just suck more battery life without adding benefit (IMO). Camera is better hands down. Same as the GS6 if you've used it, but with some added "Pro" features (RAW support is killer). Form factor is night and day, physically smaller and the reverse 'edge' (curve on the underside) makes it much more comfortable to hold. Am a little concerned over the glass on both sides (as I was with the GS6), but going with the "just don't drop it" approach. Lack of SD card was an initial bummer for me, as I have all my pics that I like to just swap over when I get a new device, but it does come with a large amount of free One Drive (I got 130GB) which I'm trying out. Music would have been an issue for me in the past, but a few months ago I deleted all files anyway as I found I was streaming 99% of the time. I won't even get into the upgrades on the Spen as has been talked about to death already - one thing I will say is that on my Note 4 I used to hit the Spen button all the time while writing which would pop open the menu (used to get super frustrated over that). With the new design that is not longer a problem for me.

Say what you will comparing the two on paper, once you spend some time with the Note 5 you quickly realize that it's far superior in just about every way, and for me worth the upgrade.

 

[Gunny94]

Re: The first note I won't buy?

Main reason I don't buy the Note 5 is simply because it's not available in Europe.

I'm fine with no SD Card, I have huge clouds ready to take in 4k videos just like I've been doing with my Note 4 and Lumia 1520.

I'm okay with removable battery if the benchmarks are at least 8 hours full use. Plus, i have a power bank.