Phones Off the Fence!!

[Radon87000]

Note 8 buyers, get back to this thread in six months, tell me how Samsung's Lagwiz is doing for you ?

Nothing beats stock Android Nexus / Pixel phones for pure smoothness and being almost lag free. Plus updates immediately not having to wait till April, 2018 to get Android 8.0 Oreo that was released in August, 2017 for the stock Google phones.

I'm no iPhone fan, but admit Apple does it right with updates, even old phones like the iPhone 5S are still officially getting updates.

And I also still know people happily using their old iPhone 5S or 6 and still satisfied and content with it. But I don't know anyone happily using a Galaxy S4 or LG G2 still, and good luck getting your carrier to update that age of a phone in 2017, whereas Apple will and does.

To me it's the iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X or Pixel 2 XL phones only to choose from in 2017. No other phones should even be considered.

The older Galaxies suffered from lack of RAM. The Note 8 doesn't so I doubt it will slow down.

 

[convergent]

XDA Developers has what I think is a pretty good objective assessment of Note 8 performance - https://www.xda-developers.com/note-8-real-world-performance-analysis/

It touches on what several of you have said about performance over time, bloat in the past, etc.. The writer is not new to the Note series and believes that Samsung turned a corner with the Note 8. They reserve judgement on if things slow down over time, but see the Note 8 as very different from past Samsung flagship devices.

I'm not in the tank for any company, so I'll be the first to fess up if it becomes laggy and slow over time. But it will have to get awful for me to want to give up the benefits of the Note 8 / Gear S3 combo in my daily use.

While I am hearing in this thread about all the people happily running old iPhones, there are way more people in the countless threads complaining about their older device performance being killed by an iOS update. I have experienced that myself. So lets not try to be blinded by the fact that new software on old hardware from any company can often lead to performance issues. Its rare an update improves performance on old gear.

 

[Voodoochild346]

Note 8 buyers, get back to this thread in six months, tell me how Samsung's Lagwiz is doing for you ? ( I had the Galaxy S8+ back in Spring, and yes the micro stutters, slight hiccups, and quarter second lag is still there. Yes it's way smoother and better than the S4 days, but lag is not gone on the S8+ as you'd expect. I mean my Nexus 6P is two years old, and feels light years ahead on smoothness and just buttery lag free compared to the S8+ )

Nothing beats stock Android Nexus / Pixel phones for pure smoothness and being almost lag free. Plus updates immediately not having to wait till April, 2018 to get Android 8.0 Oreo that was released in August, 2017 for the stock Google phones.

I'm no iPhone fan, but admit Apple does it right with updates, even old phones like the iPhone 5S are still officially getting updates.

And I also still know people happily using their old iPhone 5S or 6 and still satisfied and content with it. But I don't know anyone happily using a Galaxy S4 or LG G2 still, and good luck getting your carrier to update that age of a Android phone in 2017, whereas Apple will and does.

To me it's the iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X or Pixel 2 XL phones only to choose from in 2017. Those 3 phones are my only recommendation for this year, and I'll throw in the OnePlus 5 recommendation too for a great stock Android like experience on a budget. So only 4 phones are worth buying this year. No other phones should even be considered.

Trust me I will. But as far as the quick updates are concerned, they'll come when they come. We get security updates every month regardless and sometimes 2 or 3 times. Diehard stock Android fans like yourself NEED those updates because you look forward to the same features Samsung has already had for months and sometimes years prior to Google finally adding them. I'm not seeing much of a difference in Android O compared to what I have so it's not a big deal.

 

[dallas112678]

All I'll say right now is, my Note 8 is MUCH smoother than my 7+ with iOS 11. It's not close either. For all of the complaining about taking time to get updates, I'd rather wait a few months with a smooth phone, than have my iPhone update immediately and turn into a stutter machine while praying that eventually it's fixed. That's what iOS has become.

Samsung has made strides with their software. Even the Note 8 is much smoother than the S8 with the latest version of touchwiz (which the s8 does not have).

 

[deany]

Man was I tempted to buy the new upcoming iPhone X. I REALLY wanted it solely for the new cellular iWatch tbh.

I waffled over the less than impressive specs that the new iPhones (8 series), realizing that Apple really does well with their software/hardware and app balance. I wasn't too willing to wait to the possible next spring if the demand for the X is really going to be that constrained so I really researched the poop out of the 8+ to see if I would be willing to settle for the lack of customization and the stale design (my opinion).

What tipped me over to my Note 8 which I picked up this weekend was this (in bullet form):

1) In Canada at least, Bell and Telus have improved their network speeds to aprx 750mbps (striving for Gigabit LTE). At least in the major cities at this time.

2) Apple deals with both Qualcomm and Intel for their modem chipset. Intel chips do not have the capacity for GB LTE. The closest they can reach is 600 mbps. (already 150 mbps less than the existing carrier upgrade). Some iPhones have Qualcomm chips which have the ABILITY to work and achieve GB LTE speeds if your carrier can manage it.

3) Apple has crippled the features on the Qualcomm chip to match that of the Intel chip (currently a lawsuit going on regarding this). So when they release the phones next year (Intel has a GB LTE chip in the works but not ready for release at this time). Your new phone, should you have bought one, will be unable to achieve the carrier max speed should it exceed 600 mbps!

4) Apple would not activate these chips because the uproar between the carriers that carry the Qualcomm chips vs the Intel chips would be insane!

5) after researching the chipsets sold on the 8 and 8 Plus in Canada for the Bell and Telus Carriers (basically CDMA not supported which is one of the requirements on the chipset to make the GB LTE work), as well as specific antenna types) are NOT the Qualcomm chips.

6) S8, S8+, and Note 8 support GB LTE out of the gate.

For myself I could NOT justify spending that much money on a phone that is crippled, for a watch that may or may not have connectivity issues (hardware or software yet undetermined), as well as what I feel is a risk that the design of the current iPX is merely a beta product for Apple, I couldn't do it...

I know some people don't really care about reaching max download speeds with their device as long as it is fast enough for them, and no biggie, but for me, it is like buying already obsolete tech for an INSANE price! ($1778.00 in Canada for the 256.

That being said, I am LOVING this phone it is a BEAST and I am a customization addict!

The Garmin Vivoactive 3 looks amazing and while not as elegant and bells and whistles as iWatch, I think it will serve my fitness needs!

Good luck to everyone and may the odds ever be in your favour!

Look forward to your reviews. Thanks for sharing!

 

[spriter]

Few thoughts from a since-gen-1-Note-user and someone who’s had the S6/7/8 at various points:

Picked up the Note8 for my wife a few days ago. As usual, spent a few days playing with it whilst setting it up for her. Tested using my usual setup/suite of apps.

This past year, I’ve switched from Note 5 and S7 to iPhone 7 Plus, Pixel XL and OP3T. I appreciate smooth UI and am sensitive to micro jitter and rough scrolling. I can also relate to Samsungs bogging down over time.

Yes, the S7 and Note5 were fine but I could tell they weren’t in the stock android league for UI smoothness. Flipping on GPU overlays in dev options and scrolling confirmed this. Load 10 apps and bounce between them and there were delays here and there. Not major, but noticeable.

I can honestly say this is the first Note that flies out of the box. This time, the extra RAM, software optimisations, and maybe Exynos (?), have done the trick. It’s a great package that most people would appreciate.

 

[Tig Bitties]

But the U.S. gets the SD835 so the lag and micro stutters might come quicker on the American Note 8 ?

I agree the Exynos + 6GB RAM seems to be what a lag free Galaxy phone needs. But how will your Note 8's be several months from now ?

My long standing issue with Galaxy phones, isn't fresh brand new out of the box, they always perform like champs brand new. Super fast and smooth when new. It's 4 to 6 months down the road after longer time Lagwiz starts to creep in, and the slight stutters come up more often.

The Galaxy S8+ is doing that. Read forums on the S8 lately, lag is coming up more often after months being mostly smooth

 

[torana355]

But the U.S. gets the SD835 so the lag and micro stutters might come quicker on the American Note 8 ?

I agree the Exynos + 6GB RAM seems to be what a lag free Galaxy phone needs. But how will your Note 8's be several months from now ?

My long standing issue with Galaxy phones, isn't fresh brand new out of the box, they always perform like champs brand new. Super fast and smooth when new. It's 4 to 6 months down the road after longer time Lagwiz starts to creep in, and the slight stutters come up more often.

The Galaxy S8+ is doing that. Read forums on the S8 lately, lag is coming up more often after months being mostly smooth

Ive had my S8 plus since launch (Exynos model) and it has gotten smoother over time, each update makes it a little bit better. No signs of lag wiz yet. Even if you do get slowdown after 6 months you can just wipe the phone and setup from scratch for a new phone experience.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Ive had my S8 plus since launch (Exynos model) and it has gotten smoother over time, each update makes it a little bit better. No signs of lag wiz yet. Even if you do get slowdown after 6 months you can just wipe the phone and setup from scratch for a new phone experience.

I really think the key difference is the Exynos, vs the SD835, I hear more and more say their Galaxy phone is smooth not a Lagwiz phone that have the Exynos, but people with the SD835 say otherwise. Sucks for us here in the States stuck with the Snapdragon phone.

 

[torana355]

I really think the key difference is the Exynos, vs the SD835, I hear more and more say their Galaxy phone is smooth not a Lagwiz phone that have the Exynos, but people with the SD835 say otherwise. Sucks for us here in the States stuck with the Snapdragon phone.

I wish Samsung would ditch the Snapdragon processors and just stick with their own SOC's. That being said my S7 had the Exynos and it lagged after a few months so I think Samsung are improving on the software side as well.

 

[Yankee512]

But the U.S. gets the SD835 so the lag and micro stutters might come quicker on the American Note 8 ?

I agree the Exynos + 6GB RAM seems to be what a lag free Galaxy phone needs. But how will your Note 8's be several months from now ?

My long standing issue with Galaxy phones, isn't fresh brand new out of the box, they always perform like champs brand new. Super fast and smooth when new. It's 4 to 6 months down the road after longer time Lagwiz starts to creep in, and the slight stutters come up more often.

The Galaxy S8+ is doing that. Read forums on the S8 lately, lag is coming up more often after months being mostly smooth

One month in with my Note 8, still no lag. And it has the SD835.

 

[Tig Bitties]

One month in with my Note 8, still no lag. And it has the SD835.

That's good to hear, but in my experience with all the Galaxy phones I've had over the years, the lag wouldn't start to show up until a few months in. So the first month or two they always ran smooth, but like by month four the lag starts creeoping in

 

[convergent]

That's good to hear, but in my experience with all the Galaxy phones I've had over the years, the lag wouldn't start to show up until a few months in. So the first month or two they always ran smooth, but like by month four the lag starts creeoping in

So IF that happens, whats wrong with doing a factory reset and reloading? If you like the device, seems to be a minimal step to perform a couple times a year.

 

[Tig Bitties]

So IF that happens, whats wrong with doing a factory reset and reloading? If you like the device, seems to be a minimal step to perform a couple times a year.

Yeah that's an option too.

 

[Yankee512]

Like any computer, after a year of Windows being installed, it usually slows down. That is why it's recommended to perform maintenance on them. Most users won't know what to do, they will just blame it on the phone slowing down and lag. LOL.

 

[Wrathwitch]

I will put in a review a bit later but so far colour me surprised that I haven't felt the need to use a different launcher! Loving this phone and screen!

 

[Wrathwitch]

I would really encourage you to try the Gear S3 - I have the Frontier, if you are coming from an AW. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Alas I have wrists almost the same size as a sledge hammer handle...All of the smartwatches excepting apple and maybe the new vivoactive 3 (which is the max my wrist can take without looking like a house arrest bracelet). So my choices are limited.....

Don't forget the frustration that will occur when Google releases Android P and Samsung doesn't get it out to their devices for several months. There are people who waited 6 months for their S7s to get Nougat for crying out loud.

It happens every year with the people who go with Samsungs, LGs, and whatever else: they bitch and moan about how long it takes to get the latest version of Android for their devices.
[doublepost=1507304814][/doublepost]
I think I've heard people saying that same thing about every Samsung flagship upon its release over the past few years, but lo and behold, look what happens a few months later...

Different perspective. When I buy a smartphone (knowing it will get late updates) I ensure that I enjoy the experience out of the box, therefore the wait is not an issue. One thing I can say from having the S3, S4, and just til recently the Note 4 is that unlike the latest iOS updates, they haven't bricked my phone, killed my battery and if it for some reason did, I could flash back to the old OS.

And iPhone owners bitch and moan about new iOS releases making their older model iPhones run like crap.... particularly shortly after they are released. Choose your poison. I'm right now blocking the iOS update on all my families' iPhones including my own, because of all the reports of issues. Heck, I know two people with brand new iPhone 8s and they are both experiencing bugs in the first day.

How do you block it? I would love to know so I can apply it to my Mom and Dad's device, hubbys as well.

No. Because I don't want to be part of the Samsung software ecosystem. I have literally zero use for it when so much of it duplicates what I have in other ecosystems, and for crying out loud, why would I want to split my Android experience into Samsung experience vs everything else? And some of it adds crap that I don't want.

Oh, right. I can change how it looks...kind of. Changing launchers and getting icon packs will do a bit to change the aesthetics, but that does not work across the entire system. And really, I just see it like putting a band-aid over a stab wound.

And you're right, I don't have to use any of Samsung's crap. But that doesn't change the fact that so much of it is coded into the system. I don't want it to be there at all in the system. I mean, you're talking to someone who deleted iTunes from his iPhone. The only way for me to get rid of the Samsung additions would be to install a ROM, and I'm really not interested in going down that road again.

In that sense, all of Samsung's crap is, to me, bloat. If Samsung offered a phone with the Pixel software experience and their own hardware, I might possibly be interested in that.

And as I've said elsewhere, many people claim upon a new Samsung flagship's release that "wow no lag, this is totally great yeah". Six months or so down the line, though, they're not singing that tune anymore. That's not just a problem with Samsung, either; that's a problem with a lot of skinned Android. The experiences on iPhones, Pixels, and Nexus phones typically do not degrade the same way over time.

Very hostile and angry posts. Almost reads like Samsung snuck in and did your significant other and you caught them in the act and have been bitter since?

Note 8 buyers, get back to this thread in six months, tell me how Samsung's Lagwiz is doing for you ? ( I had the Galaxy S8+ back in Spring, and yes the micro stutters, slight hiccups, and quarter second lag is still there. Yes it's way smoother and better than the S4 days, but lag is not gone on the S8+ as you'd expect. I mean my Nexus 6P is two years old, and feels light years ahead on smoothness and just buttery lag free compared to the S8+ )

Nothing beats stock Android Nexus / Pixel phones for pure smoothness and being almost lag free. Plus updates immediately not having to wait till April, 2018 to get Android 8.0 Oreo that was released in August, 2017 for the stock Google phones.

I'm no iPhone fan, but admit Apple does it right with updates, even old phones like the iPhone 5S are still officially getting updates.

And I also still know people happily using their old iPhone 5S or 6 and still satisfied and content with it. But I don't know anyone happily using a Galaxy S4 or LG G2 still, and good luck getting your carrier to update that age of a Android phone in 2017, whereas Apple will and does.

d.

I agree that the Google phones get min lag, fast updates etc but I also personally know at least 3 people who had to buy new phones/iPads because the update that you mentioned which was available SHOULD NOT have been for that particular device. Coworker's 5s went to crap because he updated the software on it, and slowed it so bad he felt the need to buy a new one. My hubby lost his original iPad due to the iPad2 OS, which for running 1GB RAM processes should NEVER have been offered to a 500mb RAM machine. Apple's reply: sorry you will just have to buy a new device. And now my mom telling me her iPad is lagging and getting rough to use all because of these amazing updates require more system resources than the older devices are capable of running smoothly.

I would rather wait a year for an update (not security) rather than have back to back updates to fix what the original iOS update broke. At least I know when I get the update that my carrier has tested it and found it to be stable enough to release.

Also, running the Note4 til last month I had only one time where it got laggy (opening default messenger) so I factory reset it and it's running as smoothly as ever....not everything in the world is as you see it.

 

[convergent]

How do you block it? I would love to know so I can apply it to my Mom and Dad's device, hubbys as well.

I don't think there is a way. It will keep nagging you with a warning to install it. You can tell it no, and it will keep coming back. My wife unfortunately installed it and now is nagging her about setting up 2 factor authentication. Anything happening on her phone that changes anything is a pain in the butt for me because she doesn't understand or want to understand technology.

My opinion is the security updates should just install unless you go into some deep advanced setting and turn them off. Anything else should be configurable to whether you want it automatic or not, and if you say you want to do it manual it should not bug the heck out of you until you do.

 

[Suckfest 9001]

As a Canadian, it's adorable that you think they'll be able to get anywhere near these theoretical max speeds within 5 years. Keep on waiting buddy

 

[convergent]

As a Canadian, it's adorable that you think they'll be able to get anywhere near these theoretical max speeds within 5 years. Keep on waiting buddy

Your reply doesn't seem to make sense with the recent posts in this thread. What are you referring to?

 

[Suckfest 9001]

Your reply doesn't seem to make sense with the recent posts in this thread. What are you referring to?

... the original post..?

 

[convergent]

... the original post..?

Ah, so LTE speeds. Yeh, the theoretical is never reached, but it's all relative so I'd prefer an un-gimped version.

 

[Wrathwitch]

Post deleted due to misunderstanding something

 

[Rum_Becker]

As a Canadian, it's adorable that you think they'll be able to get anywhere near these theoretical max speeds within 5 years. Keep on waiting buddy

Whats even more adorable is the $85 for 1GB of BYOD plan from Rogers.

 

[Suckfest 9001]

Whats even more adorable is the $85 for 1GB of BYOD plan from Rogers.

That's just disgusting. I'm getting 6GB right now for 70 dollars a month. Like yeah, that's better than most of Canada (due to being in Manitoba) but still terrible compared to like anywhere else in the modern world. Every time somebody in the US whinges about having to pay 35 dollars for unlimited data, but oh no they throttle at 15gb... part of my soul is lost due to excessive triggering