Anything compare to the Note line?

[TheMTtakeover]

I am looking at getting a "phablet" this year and switching from iOS. I'll probabaly be waiting for the new Note as there isn't really anything wrong with my ip5 currently. Are there any other large screen devices coming out this year that you guys think will be a compelling choice instead of the Galaxy Note?

 

[bgro]

I don't think there are any other phones that come close to the experience the note provides. Sure there are large screen phones like the 6+ and Nexus 6 but those are more of phones with bif screens rather than a phablet imo.

 

[pickaxe]

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, to be released in a month or so (NOT "Mi Note", which is a slightly more budget-oriented device that runs Kitkat).

Comes with Lollipop, EXTREMELY good-looking hardware with relatively tiny bezel, with a great price tag (even after importing it from China).

Still very little promotional material on it (and it often gets mixed with the non-pro version that is already available to purchase), I can't even find the one official Xiaomi video that shows it.

 

[spinedoc77]

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, to be released in a month or so (NOT "Mi Note", which is a slightly more budget-oriented device that runs Kitkat).

Comes with Lollipop, EXTREMELY good-looking hardware with relatively tiny bezel, with a great price tag (even after importing it from China).

Still very little promotional material on it (and it often gets mixed with the non-pro version that is already available to purchase), I can't even find the one official Xiaomi video that shows it.

Which bands does it run? Will it run on ATT and/or Tmobile (assuming it has GSM) and will it run LTE.

Other than that one, if it indeed runs in the US (for my needs) I just don't see any other phablet even remotely competing with the Note series.

Edit: WOW, that note pro looks insane. It's GSM with LTE, although I'm still researching which bands it has and if those are compatible to us in the states. Another factor is what software it will have, touchwiz is pretty awesome and I couldn't see myself settling for vanilla lollipop, ughh. I still think the differentiator will be 1) software versus touchwiz and 2) Does it have a stylus/pen silo.

Edit 2: Does the note pro even have a digitizer? I can't seem to f ind any information on it, but I couldn't see them naming it "note" if it didn't have a digitizer/stylus capability.

 

[pickaxe]

It's not vanilla Lollipop (which is great! what are you on? ), it's MIUI, which is a really nice, very complete "classic iOS"-inspired ROM that's been popular with modders for years. Xiaomi is the developer of that ROM.

 

[spinedoc77]

It's not vanilla Lollipop (which is great! what are you on? ), it's MIUI, which is a really nice, very complete "classic iOS"-inspired ROM that's been popular with modders for years. Xiaomi is the developer of that ROM.

Very nice, I'll have to research MIUI. I don't think it compares to the Galaxy Note though without note taking capabilities, it's just another large screen phone like the iPhone. A VERY nice one though, but still not a competitor to something like the Note.

 

[spriter]

Mi Note Pro could be decent if Xiaomi do something with the software.

I think 2015 it's the biggest opportunity and most important year for a while for software. Device makers need to take advantage of the bigger screens many people are now toting around instead of just making hardware changes.

iOS 9 clearly needs to do more for the iPhone 6 Plus, as does stock Android on the Nexus 6. Same goes for all these Note-inspired 5.5+ sized devices with near-same software from their smaller siblings.

Stock Android on the Nexus 6 feels like a real mismatch to me. Same with the 6 Plus and iOS8. People seem to be doing way more on 'phones' these days and tasks once done on computers have migrated there.

The real challenge is to retain some simplicity in a mobile OS whilst pushing the boundaries a bit more to fully utilise the hardware.

Not sure if Xiaomi are the one to do that given their tight margins approach (not much reserved for R&D let alone software R&D).

 

[Tsepz]

In terms of Phablets? The Note 4 is the best you can get, it has features that are unique to it and it only. You can go for the Xiaomi, its hardware seems promising but the SW doesn't seem to be there.

 

[JackieInCo]

I bought a Note 4 last week and I honestly feel that it is the best phone I have ever owned. I like it so much that I ordered a Note Edge also and I got it delivered on Saturday. Excellent phones.

 

[pickaxe]

You can go for the Xiaomi, its hardware seems promising but the SW doesn't seem to be there.

What are you and Spriter basing those bad software claims on? The device isn't even out yet.

 

[Esoom]

The Note 4 is really the best phablet on the market, best screen, best software...

Just got a Gear VR for the Note 4, it's impressive.

 

[spriter]

What are you and Spriter basing those bad software claims on? The device isn't even out yet.

Huh? The first flash sale was almost two weeks ago. Keep up.

 

[Savor]

I saw a really good deal online with the Huawei Ascend Mate 2 for under $140 and the seller is selling it BRAND NEW. The phone is over a year old now but that price is a steal as it still goes for $300 in most other places.

Only Snapdragon 400 but 3900 mAh while pushing only a 720p screen! Pixel density is only around 240 but not really much of a difference if holding further away. Rave reviews on battery life. I would sacrifice speed for longer battery life. I honestly would trade my HTC One M7 for it simply because I can't stand M7's weaker battery life, camera, and weak range on Wi-Fi where I get only download speeds of 3-4 Mbps while my Xiaomi can still maintain 10-14 Mbps from the same distance from the router. I swear I may NEVER go back to HTC no matter how pretty their phones are!

If you want better - OnePlus One and Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The former is still the best bargain for the level of specs and the latter is arguably the best phablet/smartphone out there. LG G3 Stylus is up for consideration but nothing compared to the Notes' more refined software features.