*** The Official Samsung Galaxy Note II Thread ***

[trentlad]

You're welcome mate. You'll love the screen size, it's phenomenal and reading web pages or watching video is an absolute treat. Oh and getting over 30 Mbps on LTE was rather incredible too. I was quite happy for a good three months but then the issues I had above just kept piling up.

I think it hit me when I flew back to UK, I popped my UK sim into the unlocked iPhone 4 and just realised how much of a different experience it was and how much I'd missed certain apps that I just couldn't replace.

I research things to the nth degree but if you look at the issues I pointed out it's quite hard to find comments about them and even if you go to a store or play with a friends you aren't going to pick up on those problems.

You're doing it right though, if you're going to try out a new OS it's best not to lock yourself into a 2 year contract with it. At least you can sell yours and get over to another phone if you don't end up liking it.

 

[miniyazz]

It's not an easy transition from iOS to Android I'll tell you that.

The Note 2 back is too smooth and you battle with it sliding out of your hands 90% of the time. Comfortable one handed operation is simply not an option, but you don't realise how often one handed operation is vital until the honeymoon period ends.

You can't pop a case on these things either, it's already huge and the slippery design is what allows you to slip it in and out of the pocket with ease. I tried a clear body glove from skinomi and it's certainly helped but your hands need to be a little moist and stylus use is hindered.

Most of my gripes are environmental. Now that I live in a sunny climate, it's too heavy in the pockets when wearing shorts. When I used to drive all the time it was fine but being on a bus, you can't touch it if you're standing. I'm out walking around a lot now too so it's just not a comfortable experience.

If you drive everywhere and mainly stay indoors then it's fine... which is why I've ripped out the SIM card and use mine like a home tablet these days.

I have massive issues with the software side too.

It's great being able to flash new ROMs but each one comes with such massive caveats.

Then you have to deal with fundamental issues with Android itself:

1.) Photos management is in such a poor state with Android, you'll have a million folders based on what app downloaded/made/tweaked the image. I had album art in a few music folders and couldnt even delete them from the album. So good luck finding a new downloaded photo. Some HDR photos don't even appear in the library until a few good minutes after being shot. The single photo folder in iOS dominates.

2.) Group SMS messaging is so excruciatingly buggy in Android, if you're coming from iOS there's no doubt you'll be in group messages with other iPhone users and Android just haven't incorporated a feature that lets you group text without it working one second and messing up the next.

3.) Policed apps in iOS have a massive advantage, apps not only work better than the main website but operate fluidly, very intuitive and to top are aesthetically incredible. Then you look at the Google PlayStore and find a list of awful junk that Joey the 12 year old next door uploaded. Not only that but so many apps are jammed with ads galore and some are even dangerous to your privacy, one actually sent my phone number to an ad firm and they kept calling for three days non stop. What a joke. The key point to take away; people on iOS pay for decent apps so it encourages developers to release A-grade material and the common iPhone hardware makes it that much easier to optimize apps then earn a return when selling it.

4.) The cool tech comes to iOS first. My UP band wasn't supported by Android till two years later, Flipbook was on iOS, Figure, WAZE, Vine, Über, Mint, Teamviewer...

5.) In-app search and download of "free trial" apps, you don't have to prat about with torrents or file transfers.

6.) Games! Goodness me the games!! So many incredible games on iOS that actually make sense on a phone. Android seems to be carried away with a console calibre that look gorgeous but on a mobile platform leaves you with games that just doesn't get played.

I'm fine with putting in a bit of work to get things functional when you pay less for a device but this thing wasn't cheaper it actually cost a lot more than the new iPhone.

Yeah this was definitely a bad choice in my circumstance and I get to regret it for a whole two years till my contract expires.

Have to say I disagree with you on a lot of these things.

1) Too big for onehanded use - nope, was using it one-handed when reading my emails today and spotted your reply , as long as your hands aren't tiny and you're comfortable occasionally shuffling it around in your hand to reach the notification bar you're fine.
Note back too smooth - no comment here, I've used a case with it (without difficulty) basically since I bought it (October 2012). Which leads us onto 2

2) No problems with a case here, can still get it in and out of pockets w/o difficulty?

3) No problems with removing from pockets while standing? Sitting is more difficult tbh, if the pocket's smallish it can be hard to put it back in. Certainly no problems standing though..

4) Have to disagree on portability, I use it all over, went skiing with it, etc. Horses for courses?

5) Software side: difference between android and iOS is that you can take more responsibility for what you download and allow to access things. See an app that asks for your phone number for no reason? Don't download it.
Alternatively the Xposed framework will allow you to disable permissions.
Anyway I gotta dash, hope that summarises my views..

 

[Cryfreeman]

I see an official 4.4.2 is out, just installed and the phone is running really great, phone is still holding my interest enough to stop me buying one of the new phones, trying to hold off until the 805 chipset phones are released(note 4)

 

[Columbo]

I see an official 4.4.2 is out, just installed and the phone is running really great, phone is still holding my interest enough to stop me buying one of the new phones, trying to hold off until the 805 chipset phones are released(note 4)

Installed last night on mine, not really got an opinion as of yet but everything seems fine. It took 3.5 hours to download though from those crappy file sharing sites.

If anyone wants it quicker I've stuck it in my Google Drive, just ask and I'll post the link.

 

[Darryl_1983]

I've been using SlimKat stable release rom now for about 3 weeks. Doesn't have any of the samsung apps and the stylus doesn't work as it would with the samsung software, but i don't use any of that stuff anyway and prefer the slimmed down rom and standard android interface.

Also still happy with the phone though, my 2 year contract will be up in the next month or so i believe. But nothing else interest me at the minute. Up until this phone i think i changed every 9-12 months. Only issue i have is that the silver edging as started to flake off and i bought the white version as the grey wasn't in stock anywhere at the time.

 

[Columbo]

I've been using SlimKat stable release rom now for about 3 weeks. Doesn't have any of the samsung apps and the stylus doesn't work as it would with the samsung software, but i don't use any of that stuff anyway and prefer the slimmed down rom and standard android interface.

Also still happy with the phone though, my 2 year contract will be up in the next month or so i believe. But nothing else interest me at the minute. Up until this phone i think i changed every 9-12 months. Only issue i have is that the silver edging as started to flake off and i bought the white version as the grey wasn't in stock anywhere at the time.

I went down the whole custom rom route a while ago and while some of them were fine, I missed Samsung's email client & the camera interface which are both far superior to stock Android.

I use the S-Pen quite a bit as well so stock is just fine for me and rooting gives me nothing I'd find useful.

I've still not encountered any issues upto yet with this build and the battery life seems at least on a par with the previous 4.3 firmware but its still early days yet.

 

[Meatball]

For anyone interested the first official 4.4.2 rom (Nordic) has just appeared on Sammobile for the 4G GT-N7105. My Korean GT-N7105 was previously flashed with Nordic 4.3 and I had the software update pop-up when I woke up this morning .

 

[Amraam]

What's the current favourite ROM? Still on standard 4.3 with Nova Launcher, but really want a standard android experience - touchwiz is horrid. Not fussed about multiwindow or advanced SPen, but would like the spen to be recognised at least

Also, I see 4.4 is out but requires a flash via ODIN (http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/n7100xxufn...ficial-update-available-galaxy-note-2-1446096). Should I do this to see what 4.4 is like first, or just go straight to a 4.4 custom ROM? Something like this AOSP ROM? http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/install-android-4-4-2-kitkat-aosb-rom-galaxy-note-2-n7100-guide-1437829

 

[brummie]

CM11 4.4.2 is now on this phone and much better supported over other AOSP roms

http://download.cyanogenmod.org/?device=n7100

 

[Participant]

Anyone happen to know when Vodafone are releasing 4.4 for the Note II?

 

[robgmun]

Just ordered the Note II - the price on amazon at the minute was just too good to pass up.

I'm coming from an iPhone 4S and this will be my first Android device. I'm a bit apprehensive about the size and the whole new OS.

Any tips / tricks for me? Thanks.

Also, how's the battery life? I'm hoping it will be better than my 4S.

I'm a bit surprised, if you were going to spend £320 on a note 2 i would have stretched another £80 and get a Note 3, which is a heck of a lot better, in my eyes it what the Note 2 should have been. The Note 2 is still a great phone but the Note 3 is better bang for your buck