Galaxy Note 2, whose getting one?

Medion said:
If you're referring to Sprint, I wouldn't even count on them getting a Nexus this time. Google seems to be happy selling them unlocked and in small numbers. Sprint seemed ok to stay out of Google's way with the Nexus S, but with the Galaxy Nexus Sprint essentially acted like Verizon. Google has gone on record saying they're not happy with the CDMA Nexus phones.

In my pure speculation, Sprint and Verizon won't see another Nexus until they're able and willing to allow unlocked LTE handsets on their networks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's pretty much my feelings about the CDMA Nexus phones too. I'm still glad Verizon got the Gnex though, because there's no way I would own an Android phone without rooting/ROMing it anyways, so I still pretty much stayed just as current on my Verizon Gnex as the GSM Nexus did.

I was surprised that Verizon got the Gnex in the first place though, considering they want every phone on their carrier to have a signed/encrypted bootloader. The Gnex was the first phone on Verizon that had an unlockable bootloader out of the box since the OG Droid. Sprint has still been doing better than Verizon at keeping their Gnex up to date. They shipped/launched their Gnex with 4.0.4 about a month before the Verizon Gnex got the OTA for it. I think they beat the Verizon Gnex to 4.1 too by at least a few weeks.

To be fair though, the Verizon Gnex is still getting updates way before any other phone, even if there is a 1-2 month lag. That's probably 4-5 months before any other phone will get updated.
 
T4rd said:
To be fair though, the Verizon Gnex is still getting updates way before any other phone, even if there is a 1-2 month lag. That's probably 4-5 months before any other phone will get updated.
Click to expand...

There were several phones that received 4.1 prior to the Verizon GNex, but yes, it is the fastest phone to get updates on Verizon. It's almost as fast as unlocked 3rd party handsets.
 
Sprint does not get decent phones. Sure they typically get a high end android, but that is it. What is 1 or 2 high end androids when other people have nice windows phones, and iphones which sprint only recently got, as well as variety which includes nice phones with keyboards, sprint just got their first high end phone with a keyboard in since the epic 4g, then you have the large phones like the galazy note which just about everyone had and sprint did not.

At any point in the smart phone race you could walk into verizon and get something decent, with sprint you were almost always forced down to 1 or 2 choices.
 
Medion said:
There were several phones that received 4.1 prior to the Verizon GNex, but yes, it is the fastest phone to get updates on Verizon. It's almost as fast as unlocked 3rd party handsets.
Click to expand...

Wut..? What non-Nexus phones are officially on 4.1 right now besides the International S3 and the Galaxy Note 2 (which isn't out in the US yet)? Are you counting some no-name Chinese knock-offs or something?

rudy said:
Sprint does not get decent phones. Sure they typically get a high end android, but that is it. What is 1 or 2 high end androids when other people have nice windows phones, and iphones which sprint only recently got, as well as variety which includes nice phones with keyboards, sprint just got their first high end phone with a keyboard in since the epic 4g, then you have the large phones like the galazy note which just about everyone had and sprint did not.

At any point in the smart phone race you could walk into verizon and get something decent, with sprint you were almost always forced down to 1 or 2 choices.
Click to expand...

Eh, I've always thought it was comparable to Verizon. They both only have one Windows phones so far, but Sprint got a Windows Phone (Arrive) several months before Verizon did (Trophy). Verizon got the iPhone 4 early last year, but the 4S came out on both Sprint and Verizon in Q4 last year. As far as Android phones, they pretty much leapfrog each other (as all carriers seem to do, but AT&T seems to be getting the best variety nowadays). Sprint got the Evo 3D last summer, HTC didn't release anything comparable until the Rezound until that November and it was only somewhat better because of the 720p display and being clocked 300 MHz faster on the same SoC. They got the Photon 4G around the same time that the Bionic came out, they were comparable phones and the Bionic wasn't much different than the Razr (which was just clocked 200 MHz faster and had a prettier/thinner form factor). The Maxx didn't come out until 4-5 months after the Razr, at which point the Evo LTE was out soon thereafter, which has better than average battery life due to the SoC upgrade.
 
Last edited:
T4rd said:
Wut..? What non-Nexus phones are officially on 4.1 right now besides the International S3 and the Galaxy Note 2 (which isn't out in the US yet)? Are you counting some no-name Chinese knock-offs or something?
Click to expand...

The US isn't the whole world. Yes, we've been trained to think that updates from the carrier when they deem it worthy. However, outside of the US, most updates come direct from the OEM.

-Samsung had updated the SGS3 in several countries to 4.1 prior to the Verizon Nexus getting it.

-HTC One X + debuted with 4.1

-As you mentioned, the Note II debuted with it.

-Who cares if some Chinese made phone got it? China is allowed to make phones too.

I stated "several," not "a butt-load." My point was that a "Nexus" phone on Verizon didn't get 4.1 until several 3rd party phones got it. That should not have happened and is a testament to just how badly Verizon interferes with these updates.
 
Tmo is asking $369 with the 2 year contract versus $649 outright. I'm on VZW and if they match this pricing that will easily justify me paying the extra $280 upfront and then keeping my unlimited data.
 
From what it does sound like is that the 5" 1080p screen is going to be on the Galaxy S4. And I'll take the S4 Pro or the next Exynos over this year's model any day. I am looking forward to the "new HTC Hero" or the Nokia counter-part!
 
Medion said:
The US isn't the whole world. Yes, we've been trained to think that updates from the carrier when they deem it worthy. However, outside of the US, most updates come direct from the OEM.

-Samsung had updated the SGS3 in several countries to 4.1 prior to the Verizon Nexus getting it.

-HTC One X + debuted with 4.1

-As you mentioned, the Note II debuted with it.

-Who cares if some Chinese made phone got it? China is allowed to make phones too.

I stated "several," not "a butt-load." My point was that a "Nexus" phone on Verizon didn't get 4.1 until several 3rd party phones got it. That should not have happened and is a testament to just how badly Verizon interferes with these updates.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I should have clarified in the US. But even otherwise you're wrong about other phones getting 4.1 before the Verizon Gnex. The Note 2 is just now coming out across the world and on T-Mobile in the US and the One X+ isn't even out yet anywhere (due out Oct. 30 in the UK). The Verizon Gnex got 4.1.1 OTA on Sept. 21st., right at almost 2 months after JB was released for the GSM Gnex. Yeah, that's still a pretty pathetic delay for a Nexus phone and it should hardly be classified as a Nexus, but that still beats the One X+ and Note 2 by a month at least and you can't list any other phones that got 4.1 before the Verizon Gnex, let alone "several". Chinese knock-offs are excluded because they're garbage phones anyways (hardware is usually a few generations old to keep cost down and build quality is pretty abysmal), effectively negating the benefit of having JB.

Your point still stands though; a Verizon Nexus isn't really a Nexus because Verizon dictates when it gets updated, not Google. But you didn't need to exaggerate or make that up in order to make that point.
 
I'll be getting one. I'm still on the Galaxy S, and I was planning on getting the S3, but then I heard about the Note 2 coming out, and the remarkable handwriting recognition. I'm also very interested to see if the screen is big enough to replace my transformer prime for reading on my kindle. The screen on my TF201 makes my eyes tired after reading for an hour or so.

I'll be getting the Note 2 tomorrow morning as soon as the sprint store opens :D
 
Medion said:
If you're referring to Sprint, I wouldn't even count on them getting a Nexus this time. Google seems to be happy selling them unlocked and in small numbers. Sprint seemed ok to stay out of Google's way with the Nexus S, but with the Galaxy Nexus Sprint essentially acted like Verizon. Google has gone on record saying they're not happy with the CDMA Nexus phones.

In my pure speculation, Sprint and Verizon won't see another Nexus until they're able and willing to allow unlocked LTE handsets on their networks.
Click to expand...

I am sure Sprint will not be getting a CDMA version if the Nexus. Google stopped supporting CDMA versions of their vanilla phones.
 
I saw one at the T-Mobile store, really do want one. I currently have a Blackberry 9780 which I love for the keyboard but pretty much sucks.
 
Damn it Note2 coming to Sprint...and just as I was waiting for the GS3 to drop in price used.
 
When would an unlocked U.S. version of the GN2 be available (if ever)? I'm in the NW burbs of Chicago, so AT&T LTE is in the area, although its coverage may be spotty out this far.

Edit: I think a carrier unlock service might work on an AT&T GN2. Hmm...
 
Last edited:
Webhead said:
When would an unlocked U.S. version of the GN2 be available (if ever)? I'm in the NW burbs of Chicago, so AT&T LTE is in the area, although its coverage may be spotty out this far.

Edit: I think a carrier unlock service might work on an AT&T GN2. Hmm...
Click to expand...

What carrier do you plan to use? Just get one from att. I would rather an unlocked too, but we'll see
 
INFRNL said:
What carrier do you plan to use? Just get one from att. I would rather an unlocked too, but we'll see
Click to expand...

My work-issued iPhone is AT&T, so I figured that I'd just move the SIM over. I just wasn't sure if there would be any carrier unlocked ones for the US being sold at some point for less than what AT&T would probably be selling them for without contract.
 
Guys, just FYI: the T-Mobile version includes all the band support for AT&T; only thing you would need to do is unlock the phone to have it work on AT&T networks. It even has LTE capability, but it doesn't work yet (it's just software locked).

This is according to Anandtech's review and a lot of info I've been reading on Engadget.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6386/samsung-galaxy-note-2-review-t-mobile-/9

If this is indeed true, and Samsung releases the full source for the hardware, I'm buying it. Don't care if I have to pay full price.
 
Webhead said:
My work-issued iPhone is AT&T, so I figured that I'd just move the SIM over. I just wasn't sure if there would be any carrier unlocked ones for the US being sold at some point for less than what AT&T would probably be selling them for without contract.
Click to expand...

I think they will eventually release one. It should be the n7105. Maybe they will release it after all the carriers have theirs out.
I take it your not due for an upgrade yet which is why you want to find the best price on an unlocked version? I imagine amazon and others will have the us version soon enough for a bit cheaper. I'm also guessing that we will not be able to buy direct from Samsung.
 
INFRNL said:
I think they will eventually release one. It should be the n7105. Maybe they will release it after all the carriers have theirs out.
I take it your not due for an upgrade yet which is why you want to find the best price on an unlocked version? I imagine amazon and others will have the us version soon enough for a bit cheaper. I'm also guessing that we will not be able to buy direct from Samsung.
Click to expand...

Right, I'm not due for another year, I think. Plus, the last time work told me to "pick any phone", they really didn't mean "any phone" and limited me to either iPhone or Blackberry. So, I figure I may get my own phone and use the SIM that work pays for.

The possibility of unlocking the TMo GN2 as the Anand article that ajm786 linked is tempting. I just don't want to be the first guinea pig. Know what I mean? ;)
 
I got mine first thing this morning. After playing with it for an hour, all I can say is Woohooo! :D
 
Showbiz said:
I got mine first thing this morning. After playing with it for an hour, all I can say is Woohooo! :D
Click to expand...

How awful is the stock ROM and bloatware?

////genuinely curious, given brand new device with no rooting/ROMs yet/////
 
Skripka said:
How awful is the stock ROM and bloatware?

////genuinely curious, given brand new device with no rooting/ROMs yet/////
Click to expand...

Honest answer is that I'm probably not the best person to ask. This is only my second smart phone, coming from the original Galaxy S. The only other equivalent comparison is my TF201. Also, I've never really thought that the Sprint Roms were really ever all that "Awful"

It actually does feel very snappy and responsive, even better than my Tegra3 TF201. It doesn't really feel like it's being held back at all. The Rom seems very equivalent to my TF201, the only additional "bloatware" would be the Sprint Zone app, and the sprint worldwide app. Neither of which are integrated into the shell.

Also, I'm not sure if the Google apps that come with it are considered bloatware. I don't use them (except for maps) but I do count them as standard fare bloatware. But they are the same exact ones came on my TF201.

The default stylus app is a little cumbersome, but it's probably because I'm still learning how to use it. I am however on the prowl for a note taking app that might be a little simpler. I don't need all the templates, really I just want something to replace post it notes.
 
I can upgrade, but was going to get an iPhone 5 for my wife. The Sprint rep I talked to said if I 'upgrade' my line to the iPhone5, that it has to stay with my line. He said I can not activate it on any other line because of some bug. I told my wife I'll just get her an S3, then come December when she can upgrade to an iPhone 5 I'll just take back the S3. I'm up in the air now because I'm tempted to get her a Note 2 so I can have it in December, lol. She already is saying the S3 has a huge screen, so it's probably going to shock her more when a Note 2 comes in the mail, lol. She'll only have to put up with it for 2 months, so she'll get over it.

Lucky Sprint gave me $100 loyalty credit, so if I go with the Note 2 over the S3 it'll only come out to $199 for the Note 2.
 
After playing with the Note 2 for about 10 seconds I knew it was just fine and that size would not be an issue. I have average size hands and was able to one hand everything. Will some things be two handed yes but that is the case for me already with my Galaxy S1, It actually felt lighter in my hand than my S1 with 1800mah battery which adds weight to the stock original.
Since I'm on VZW I'm still waiting the month till it drops but hopefully I will have seen the HTC by then and can get the one which I like better on its respective launch day. Bottom line Note 2 is impressive
 
Tried to buy one out of contract from T-mobile today and they said they can't sell me one without a contract yet.

Sadface
 
Good review;
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/1...eview-samsung-finally-finds-their-killer-app/

The exterior is still made from the cheapest material Samsung could find. While some companies choose their materials for a premium or a pleasant feel, Samsung's only goal seems to be "put something between the electronics and the user so they don't get electrocuted." It's like they view the exterior as nothing other than a parts bucket.
 
Smashed Ixnay said:
I can upgrade, but was going to get an iPhone 5 for my wife. The Sprint rep I talked to said if I 'upgrade' my line to the iPhone5, that it has to stay with my line. He said I can not activate it on any other line because of some bug. I told my wife I'll just get her an S3, then come December when she can upgrade to an iPhone 5 I'll just take back the S3. I'm up in the air now because I'm tempted to get her a Note 2 so I can have it in December, lol. She already is saying the S3 has a huge screen, so it's probably going to shock her more when a Note 2 comes in the mail, lol. She'll only have to put up with it for 2 months, so she'll get over it.

Lucky Sprint gave me $100 loyalty credit, so if I go with the Note 2 over the S3 it'll only come out to $199 for the Note 2.
Click to expand...

I have switched phones many times, I do not believe your rep unless it is another one of the silly special cases for iPhones that no other phone has to put up with.
 
I've been very happy with my International Note that I purchased unlocked about a year ago. Unless Google has something up their sleeves that we don't already know about to debut on the 29th, I am strongly thinking of getting the Note II on contract at ATT.
 
I went to another t-mobile store after my first failed attempt of "we cant sell them out of contract for a week" and managed to get one.

Just awesome. I have big hands and am writing this all one handed. I already took it onsite to a late night job and it is just so practical for reading and taking notes.
 
soulesschild said:
Ugh I have to wait so long for the VZW model....:(
Click to expand...

I feel your pain, I wish they wouldn't even do Pre-orders, just amke it available in store and online on November 21st or whatever day it will actually ship. Pre-Orders suck @$$.

I am going to just wait until I can walk into a corporate VZW store and try it out in hand just to double check the size. I will let the commotion die down about the release and go in after Thanksgiving.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top