I've seen a lot of threads about going from the iPhone 4s to the Note, so I thought I'd share the reasons why I went the other way in picking the iPhone 4s over the Note. Perhaps this may help others in their decision making process.
First off some background. I've been using iPhones since the 3GS. Prior to that, I used both the Samsung Blackjack and Blackjack II. Needless to say the move from the Blackjack II to the iPhone was like switching from a air balloon to a jet; simply no comparison in user experience.
Due to a warranty issue I received a new 3GS as the iPhone 4 was launching, so I promptly sold it on Craigslist and picked up the 4. With the better screen resolution and camera, I was pretty satisfied. I should also note (no pun intended) when my pc bit the dust last summer, I made the switch to a Macbook Pro, further entrenching me in the Apple ecosystem. Besides iTunes, I use Pages, Numbers, and Keynote extensively with my small business.
Last fall I eagerly awaited the announcement of the iPhone 5, but, like a lot of people, wasn't thoroughly convinced it warranted the upgrade. I knew some of the features would come in handy, especially the voice-to-text feature, but ultimately decided to wait.
Since I have a general interest in tech I've been following the Note since it was released in Europe. Like a lot of others, I've read all the blog reviews and watched all the YouTube videos, and was glad to see it finally arrive here in the US in February. Although a turn-off to some, the screen real estate looked pretty awesome, and since I don't own a tablet, I thought the Note would be a healthy compromise enabling me to add some further work utility along with the obvious benefits of better media consumption.
Still though, I found myself in the dilemma many tech savvy face: buying a device when you know the "next best thing" is just around the corner. In my case, I wanted to wait and see what the new iPad was all about. Also, for better or worse, I realized I was so deep in the Apple ecosystem that switching to android wouldn't be as easy as just swapping sim cards.
Unfortunately circumstance dictated I make a decision sooner rather than later. 3 weeks ago (and 2 weeks before the new iPad launch) my iPhone was stolen. Since I didn't have theft insurance, I was forced into stepping up my research and (unfortunately) cashing in my early upgrade. I probably visited Best Buy and AT&T 5 separate times to play with the Note. Also, I used the "switching-over" guide on this site to investigate the process. I went ahead and created a gmail account, and moved over contacts and calendar. Moving over media files was looking to be a bit more of a process, but didn't seem anything too impossible.
Ultimately though, as the title of this post states, I didn't pick the Note. Here is why:
1) I use spreadsheets for work. Nothing fancy, but I need to be able to easily input data. Since I created a Google account, I went ahead and created a simple spreadsheet in Google docs, and then tested ease of input on both the Note and 4s. Unfortunately I was left disappointed with the Note. I just couldn't get accurate input. For example it kept wanting to open the cell above the cell I was touching. Even if I magnified the screen maximally, I couldn't get the intended cell to open. It was actually quite frustrating.
2) Another feature I was excited about with the Note prior to using it was the S-pen. In practice, though, I couldn't get it to read my handwriting with much accuracy. I know some may claim that my fingers must be too big per the previous example or my handwriting is poor, but neither is the case. I'm no giant at 5'11" 160lbs and have received compliments on my print writing skills (one time art major in college).
3) The voice-to-text feature was less accurate and much slower than the iPhone 4s. As with the spreadsheet test, I compared these side-by-side. I receive a lot of text messages from clients that require quick responses. As mentioned before, having the ability to answer quickly via voice was a feature I was really looking forward to having. Unfortunately the Note was too slow for my tastes. Any sort of voice feature won't be 100% accurate, but you want it to at least process quickly so you can make changes quickly, if necessary. The Note just didn't compare to the 4S in my tests. For that matter, my girlfriend's EVO 4g is similarly slow and less accurate.
There were a few more things I didn't like, such as accidentally hitting the capacitive buttons while testing the spreadsheet, etc, but the previous reasons were enough for me to abandon the idea of making the switch. For me, user experience, especially as it relates to work, is the most important consideration. Although I didn't want to use my upgrade on the 4S, especially with the next iPhone out within the next 3 -6 or 7 months, I felt it was the best option for me.
Now after using it for the last 5 days, I can say the 4s has been an awesome upgrade coming from the 4. As mentioned the speech-to-text is quick and works as well as expected, as does Siri. I've read about people not actually using Siri that much, but I wonder why. I've used it to set and delete alarm clocks, schedule appointments, and find "the closest Radio Shack." As long as you annunciate well, have a good connection, and have reasonable expectations, it works great.
Now having said all that, I'm definitely missing out on some great features of the Note. Besides the obviously better screen size, I was able to watch my favorite European sport on Eurovision thanks to the flash-enabled Note. This was a major draw for me, but ultimately I had to go with what I felt was the better work solution.
Obviously, this is just my personal experience. If you don't text as much as I do, then maybe voice-to-text won't be as important. I think they are both great devices, and the decision should ultimately come down to how you intend to use the device.
First off some background. I've been using iPhones since the 3GS. Prior to that, I used both the Samsung Blackjack and Blackjack II. Needless to say the move from the Blackjack II to the iPhone was like switching from a air balloon to a jet; simply no comparison in user experience.
Due to a warranty issue I received a new 3GS as the iPhone 4 was launching, so I promptly sold it on Craigslist and picked up the 4. With the better screen resolution and camera, I was pretty satisfied. I should also note (no pun intended) when my pc bit the dust last summer, I made the switch to a Macbook Pro, further entrenching me in the Apple ecosystem. Besides iTunes, I use Pages, Numbers, and Keynote extensively with my small business.
Last fall I eagerly awaited the announcement of the iPhone 5, but, like a lot of people, wasn't thoroughly convinced it warranted the upgrade. I knew some of the features would come in handy, especially the voice-to-text feature, but ultimately decided to wait.
Since I have a general interest in tech I've been following the Note since it was released in Europe. Like a lot of others, I've read all the blog reviews and watched all the YouTube videos, and was glad to see it finally arrive here in the US in February. Although a turn-off to some, the screen real estate looked pretty awesome, and since I don't own a tablet, I thought the Note would be a healthy compromise enabling me to add some further work utility along with the obvious benefits of better media consumption.
Still though, I found myself in the dilemma many tech savvy face: buying a device when you know the "next best thing" is just around the corner. In my case, I wanted to wait and see what the new iPad was all about. Also, for better or worse, I realized I was so deep in the Apple ecosystem that switching to android wouldn't be as easy as just swapping sim cards.
Unfortunately circumstance dictated I make a decision sooner rather than later. 3 weeks ago (and 2 weeks before the new iPad launch) my iPhone was stolen. Since I didn't have theft insurance, I was forced into stepping up my research and (unfortunately) cashing in my early upgrade. I probably visited Best Buy and AT&T 5 separate times to play with the Note. Also, I used the "switching-over" guide on this site to investigate the process. I went ahead and created a gmail account, and moved over contacts and calendar. Moving over media files was looking to be a bit more of a process, but didn't seem anything too impossible.
Ultimately though, as the title of this post states, I didn't pick the Note. Here is why:
1) I use spreadsheets for work. Nothing fancy, but I need to be able to easily input data. Since I created a Google account, I went ahead and created a simple spreadsheet in Google docs, and then tested ease of input on both the Note and 4s. Unfortunately I was left disappointed with the Note. I just couldn't get accurate input. For example it kept wanting to open the cell above the cell I was touching. Even if I magnified the screen maximally, I couldn't get the intended cell to open. It was actually quite frustrating.
2) Another feature I was excited about with the Note prior to using it was the S-pen. In practice, though, I couldn't get it to read my handwriting with much accuracy. I know some may claim that my fingers must be too big per the previous example or my handwriting is poor, but neither is the case. I'm no giant at 5'11" 160lbs and have received compliments on my print writing skills (one time art major in college).
3) The voice-to-text feature was less accurate and much slower than the iPhone 4s. As with the spreadsheet test, I compared these side-by-side. I receive a lot of text messages from clients that require quick responses. As mentioned before, having the ability to answer quickly via voice was a feature I was really looking forward to having. Unfortunately the Note was too slow for my tastes. Any sort of voice feature won't be 100% accurate, but you want it to at least process quickly so you can make changes quickly, if necessary. The Note just didn't compare to the 4S in my tests. For that matter, my girlfriend's EVO 4g is similarly slow and less accurate.
There were a few more things I didn't like, such as accidentally hitting the capacitive buttons while testing the spreadsheet, etc, but the previous reasons were enough for me to abandon the idea of making the switch. For me, user experience, especially as it relates to work, is the most important consideration. Although I didn't want to use my upgrade on the 4S, especially with the next iPhone out within the next 3 -6 or 7 months, I felt it was the best option for me.
Now after using it for the last 5 days, I can say the 4s has been an awesome upgrade coming from the 4. As mentioned the speech-to-text is quick and works as well as expected, as does Siri. I've read about people not actually using Siri that much, but I wonder why. I've used it to set and delete alarm clocks, schedule appointments, and find "the closest Radio Shack." As long as you annunciate well, have a good connection, and have reasonable expectations, it works great.
Now having said all that, I'm definitely missing out on some great features of the Note. Besides the obviously better screen size, I was able to watch my favorite European sport on Eurovision thanks to the flash-enabled Note. This was a major draw for me, but ultimately I had to go with what I felt was the better work solution.
Obviously, this is just my personal experience. If you don't text as much as I do, then maybe voice-to-text won't be as important. I think they are both great devices, and the decision should ultimately come down to how you intend to use the device.
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