I was undecided which carrier to stick with but I think you just made my decision easier. I still have my doubts because of coverage and unlimited data with ATT but I've been getting decent speeds with TMO.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Galaxy Note 5
- Thread starter The Game 161
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I really enjoy T-Mobile.
On top of that, jump on demand is great for someone who goes though phones quickly. It's no different then any other lease program, only you can upgrade 3 times a year, following your first lease ( so 4 timee the first year). Yes you have to return the phone, but same with any other lease program. Just like any other lease, you can always sale the phone and pay off the lease, and pocket the profit. You can also pay the lease and keep the phone. The biggest advantage beyond the numerous upgrades,are the promotions they run on the brand new popular phone. For example, the note 5 has a 5 dollar, or so, credit per month. So you actually end up paying less.
2 years ago T-Mobile was the worst provider in my town. Now it's the fastest and just as consistent and Verizon. They also seem to have blanketed the majority of Indiana and Michigan.
On top of that, jump on demand is great for someone who goes though phones quickly. It's no different then any other lease program, only you can upgrade 3 times a year, following your first lease ( so 4 timee the first year). Yes you have to return the phone, but same with any other lease program. Just like any other lease, you can always sale the phone and pay off the lease, and pocket the profit. You can also pay the lease and keep the phone. The biggest advantage beyond the numerous upgrades,are the promotions they run on the brand new popular phone. For example, the note 5 has a 5 dollar, or so, credit per month. So you actually end up paying less.
2 years ago T-Mobile was the worst provider in my town. Now it's the fastest and just as consistent and Verizon. They also seem to have blanketed the majority of Indiana and Michigan.
I'm a little lost with these leasing plans; can I keep the phone if I pay it off? I thought it was like that but I keep reading conflicting reports.
So I've had this phone over a week now and am loving it, it's currently my favorite phone and one I can actually see keeping for a year. Just recently started using my 6 plus again. Will post review next week.
Disclaimer: I don't work for t-mobile, but I have read all the fine print. Also, my buddy works there, and I have checked with him.
You have three options when getting a phone through them. You can buy it out right, Jump!, or Jump! On Demand.
The phones can be carrier unlocked after the following is met: You have used the device on T-Mobile for 40 days, and you have paid off any remaining balance you owe on the device.
Jump! is just like any other leasing program, but it cost $10 extra a month. This $10 includes premium phone protection (accidental, left, loss, etc) and lookout premium (never would use this) their is a downpayment if you have to file an insurance claim, just like any other carrier insurance. You can upgrade once you have paid off half the device. Essentially this is a typical carrier installment plan, which forces you to go with carrier insurance. IMO its the worst deal.
Jump! ON Demand is their best deal, AND DOES NOT COST EXTRA A MONTH, and thus DOES NOT include insurance (you have to pay for that separate, $8 a month). It is available on "select smart phones" which essentially means the new popular ones. You can expect the flagship apple, samsung, htc, lg, moto, etc devices to be on this, as well as the nexus phone. It works like this: You go get an eligible phone (note 5, for example) and pay zero down4 unless you want a higher storage variant (note 5 64 gb is $100 down, but slightly cheaper each month as a result, than the 32gb...like .75 cents). You are now leasing the device for its full cost, and maybe the sales tax (you will see below this is not the case with the note 5). The monthly cost varies for each phone, and there are promotions at times. For example the note 5 32 gb is 747.39 from T-mobile. T-mobile is running a $4 credit per month, to your account, if you get the note 5 before Sept 29 or something. According to my bill, my monthly payment for the note 5 is $29 for 18 months, and then a one time fee of $177.99 if I want to own the device at the end of 18 months. Which adds up to exactly 699.99, BUT i am getting the $4 a month credit for those 18 months. Thus, if I were to keep the phone and pay the final payment of $177.99, I would end up paying 627.99. So in this case, the note 5 would be cheaper than the full price. So depending on the phone you get, you will end up paying the full cost, or less if there is a promotion, IF decide to keep the phone and pay off the lease. The BIG ADVANTAGE HERE, beyond the credit, is that once you get a phone on Jump! ON Demand, such as the note 5, you are free to upgrade whenever. You get 3 upgrades, and once you perform your first upgrade/jump, you have 2 more you can use within 1 calendar year from the first upgrade (so in this case, the phone you get after the note 5). After the full calendar year is up, you have 3 more Jumps. The only catch is you have to give them back the phone. As long as the phone isn't cracked or severly damaged, you trade in the phone and go on your marry way with the new phone.
For example, I got the note 5 32 gb currently as my first Jump! On demand upgrade from the iPhone 6+. I now have two jumps left one calendar year from when I got the note 5. I plan on using the first of those 2 upgrades next week, and jump to the note 5 64 gb (I am doing this, rather than returning the device, so that I don't have $50 restock fee). I will then have one upgrade left for the year. I can either keep the note (probably), or upgrade again one more time.
Say I keep the note 5 for one year, until the note 6 is release. At that point I will have paid $300 on the note 5, and still owe 327.99. At this point I have essentially paid for less than half the cost of the phone, kind of like if I had got the phone on contract (which would be $250-300). So with that in mind, its a pretty good deal.
Here is where it gets interesting. At this point, (assuming I want the note 6), I could Jump to the note 6, and give them back the note 5. I am out $300, which is fair for a year with a phone. Some people used to pay more than that for a higher storage variant of an iphone on a two year contract.
Alternatively, I could look at swappa and see what the note 5 is selling for. If it is selling for $500, then I could sale it, pay the paypal fee and pay off the lease, and make about $100 bucks. I will then have essentially paid $200 for one year with the note 5. If the note 5 is selling for $400...its provably note worth the hassle, and Ill just trade in the phone and jump.
On At&t you pay more a month and don't have the option for mutliple upgrades.
If you keep the phone for a full year, Jump! ON Demand is only a better deal, than At&T for example, if there is a promotion running (like the note 5, or the current iPhones on T-mobile).
If you like to upgrade a lot, you will have the option to upgrade 3 times a year, or every 4 months. This is were Jump On Demand makes the most sense. At the least it saves you the hassle and risk of selling your phone every so many months, and at best it saves you money (if your phone isn't selling for enough compared to what you paid).
I personally used to go through phones like crazy, so in theory this plan is a great deal for someone like me. I blame Samsung for making a phone that I very well may keep a full year!
I hope this made sense. I didn't proof read, and it was long winded.
So, JUMP on Demand seems to make more sense.. I currently I have the device on JUMP but I'm not sure if its 'on Demand.'
How long have you had the device?
I would move to Jump! On Demand if possible.
You can tell by looking in your t-mobile account under billing. If its listed as an EIP, its Jump. If it is listed as a lease, then its Jump! On Demand
Sortof. I've been using a regular 6 as my work line, but am sending that in next week to Gazelle so I can get the check before they release the 6S, so in the meantime I'm using the 6 plus. It's also been a awhile since I used it, so I thought it would be interesting to compare them.
I'm not, two different OSes.
I don't see myself getting the 6s though, I dumped coin on the 6 Plus and the Note 5 and I don't know what more the 6s would buy me that I really need. I have an iPad Air 2 as well.
I'm almost in the same boat, the main reason I'm upgrading is because I have the white 6 and prefer the black model, plus since it looks like at&t may be dropping 2 year contracts (every other carrier already has), this might be the last upgrades I get and need them to last longer, and with 2gb ram the 6S should last for a while.
Agreed. Dollar for dollar, I don't see what the 6s+ will over over the Note 5.
Honestly, this might be the last year or so, that I am willing to pay this much for a smartphone.
Look at the one plus two, moto x style, lg g4 (t-mobile), etc. There are some really good phone that are coming in much cheaper. I believe that the Note 5 is/will be superior to the moto x style...but $300-400 superior? Thats a tough sale.
Android is in a race to the bottom, price wise. Apple and Samsung will have to play along one day. Their names and marketing may save them for a while, but with the death of the contract...it will be a tougher sale. If someone walks into a carrier store (theoretically) and hold a premium android that cost ~$400, with a nice big screen, good camera, user experience, etc for $16-19 a month...and then compares that to the iPhone that can run $30-40 a month...that is a lot more to pay. Same goes for the galaxy series.
It might not deter the older generation that are set in their ways and ecosystems, but it will have a strong effect on college age students paying for their phone bill for the first time. If an entire generation of young adults get used to Android (which is a damn good operating system), due to the price if nothing else, then Apple might have a problem.
iOS is great, and so is Android. I have decided to stick with android this generation, and will revisit this decision the next generation. But ecosystem are not that hard to mesh, and in the future, can one justify paying an excess amount just for a iphone or galaxy, when there are equally good or better devices for cheaper?
The one plus 2, moto x style (I assume), etc have their problems. But they get better, and better each year; getting closer and closer to matching or surpassing Apple and Samsung. When that happens, what justifies the price?
Quick comparison between the Note 5 and iPhone 6+
1. The iPhone still feels better with the all aluminum back, the Note has a small ridge where the metal rim sticks out further than the glass. While this will help protect the glass back, it's not as comfortable as the iphones.
2. Ahhh, so that's white. Honestly the whites on the Note look fine, but side by side you can tell it's slightly yellow, however as soon as you remove the iPhone from the equation you can't tell anymore.
3. The metal rim on the Note feels much tougher than the metal on the iphone. In fact the metal rim on the notes feels just as tough as the stainless steel metal rim on the iPhone 4.
4. The Note is both shorter and narrower than the iPhone while sporting a bigger screen. This is a major feat and actually makes the Note easier to handle.
5. Both are easily viewed in sunlight.
6. So in the past everytime I get a new Android phone, I used mostly exclusively for a bit and hardly touch my iphone. During this time I actually get used to the lower framerates and slight stutters, to the point it almost feels smooth, until I pick up my iPhone again and am reminded what a true buttery smooth interface feels like. This time? Feels the same, there was no sudden realization that the Note was stutter, nope they both felt the same.
7. Really samsung, would it have killed you to actually use true black instead dark blue? I don't remember the last Samsung actually released a black handset, they always have some kind of pattern.
8. Wow, material design looks more modern than ios9, to be fair though the actually os design is close, I'm mostly talking about apps using material design compared to apps designed for ios.
That's it for now, but really Samsung nailed the phablet with the Note 5, I don't see any other phone coming along soon that I'll enjoy more.
Edit: one note on the screen. In the light, both screens look about the same, the viewing angles, sharpness, brightness, and colors all look great. In the dark is where the Note shines though, blacks look black instead of grey and you can set the brightness lower.
1. The iPhone still feels better with the all aluminum back, the Note has a small ridge where the metal rim sticks out further than the glass. While this will help protect the glass back, it's not as comfortable as the iphones.
2. Ahhh, so that's white. Honestly the whites on the Note look fine, but side by side you can tell it's slightly yellow, however as soon as you remove the iPhone from the equation you can't tell anymore.
3. The metal rim on the Note feels much tougher than the metal on the iphone. In fact the metal rim on the notes feels just as tough as the stainless steel metal rim on the iPhone 4.
4. The Note is both shorter and narrower than the iPhone while sporting a bigger screen. This is a major feat and actually makes the Note easier to handle.
5. Both are easily viewed in sunlight.
6. So in the past everytime I get a new Android phone, I used mostly exclusively for a bit and hardly touch my iphone. During this time I actually get used to the lower framerates and slight stutters, to the point it almost feels smooth, until I pick up my iPhone again and am reminded what a true buttery smooth interface feels like. This time? Feels the same, there was no sudden realization that the Note was stutter, nope they both felt the same.
7. Really samsung, would it have killed you to actually use true black instead dark blue? I don't remember the last Samsung actually released a black handset, they always have some kind of pattern.
8. Wow, material design looks more modern than ios9, to be fair though the actually os design is close, I'm mostly talking about apps using material design compared to apps designed for ios.
That's it for now, but really Samsung nailed the phablet with the Note 5, I don't see any other phone coming along soon that I'll enjoy more.
Edit: one note on the screen. In the light, both screens look about the same, the viewing angles, sharpness, brightness, and colors all look great. In the dark is where the Note shines though, blacks look black instead of grey and you can set the brightness lower.
Last edited:
Spec-wise, I won't disagree. The difference likely come down to OS preference for a great many people
In the future, if this trend continues, this could certainly be true. The problem is right now, devices that fit this profile like the Moto X Pure/Style or One Plus Two are not easy to come by--the X will only be sold directly from Motorola and the One Plus Two...well, we all know about the issues getting your hands on one of those.
Most people won't go through the hassle and choose their device from what's available at retail shops and carrier stores. May certainly change though.I think this will affect Samsung far earlier than Apple--actually I think it already has. Apple is somewhat insulated as their customers in many cases know that the iPhone is going to cost more and are willing to pay that premium. And TBH, I think the new carrier programs actually make it easier for customer's to choose and iPhone that might not have in the past. On contracts, yes, $199 or $299 is cheaper than $650 or $750 for full retail, but being able to put nothing down and pay $20-$25/month may seem an even better deal. And if they actually put a little thought into it, they'll realize that these installment programs actually cost less over 2 years.
And it's not like there haven't been cheaper options for people to chose from before now. All the carriers are chock full of cheaper Android smartphones right now. As I mentioned, you cannot get the Moto X or OnePlus at a carrier right now. Hell, part of the reason they're so much cheaper is they're cutting the carriers out of the equation. People accustomed to getting their phone through the carriers aren't seeing anything different that they haven't seen for years. Like you, I hope it changes but I think it's going to be a while longer.
Have you seen what young adults are using nowadays? I look around and more often than not, I see teenagers holding iPhones. Their first taste of smartphones is an iPhone and I'd wager what one starts with and becomes accustomed to early greatly impacts their choices going forward. Let's face it, the avg income of iPhone customers is higher than the avg Android consumer. An extra $10/mo probably isn't enough to sway many of them.
Again, for a lot of people I think it comes down to OS preference. And if you want iOS, you only have one choice. If you prefer Android, your choices are boundless. And that's part of the reason I think Samsung continues to struggle a bit, even when offering the best smartphone I think they've ever made.
I see your point on a lot of this.Spec-wise, I won't disagree. The difference likely come down to OS preference for a great many people
In the future, if this trend continues, this could certainly be true. The problem is right now, devices that fit this profile like the Moto X Pure/Style or One Plus Two are not easy to come by--the X will only be sold directly from Motorola and the One Plus Two...well, we all know about the issues getting your hands on one of those.
I think this will affect Samsung far earlier than Apple--actually I think it already has. Apple is somewhat insulated as their customers in many cases know that the iPhone is going to cost more and are willing to pay that premium. And TBH, I think the new carrier programs actually make it easier for customer's to choose and iPhone that might not have in the past. On contracts, yes, $199 or $299 is cheaper than $650 or $750 for full retail, but being able to put nothing down and pay $20-$25/month may seem an even better deal. And if they actually put a little thought into it, they'll realize that these installment programs actually cost less over 2 years.
And it's not like there haven't been cheaper options for people to chose from before now. All the carriers are chock full of cheaper Android smartphones right now. As I mentioned, you cannot get the Moto X or OnePlus at a carrier right now. Hell, part of the reason they're so much cheaper is they're cutting the carriers out of the equation. People accustomed to getting their phone through the carriers aren't seeing anything different that they haven't seen for years. I hope it changes like you but I think it's going to be a while longer.
Have you seen what young adults are using nowadays? I look around and more often than not, I see teenagers holding iPhones. They're first taste of smartphones is an iPhone and I'd wager what one starts with and becomes accustomed to early greatly impacts their choices going forward. Let's face it, the avg income of iPhone customers is higher than the avg Android consumer. An extra $10/mo probably isn't enough to sway many of them.
Again, for a lot of people I think it comes down to OS preference. And if you want iOS, you only have one choice. If you prefer Android, your choices are boundless. And that's part of the reason I think Samsung continues to struggle a bit, even when offering the best smartphone I think they've ever made.
My younger brother just started college last week. When he was at his high school (a large high school in one of the larger cities in Indiana) they did a random survey for the yearbook. Galaxies out number the iPhone by about 20%, with "misc phones" (most likely Android) coming in third.
He also works at best buy mobile for the summer, and noted that he could almost predict what phone a person would get, based on the age.
Iphobes were more popular with the older crowd.
That being said, I teach at a prestigious university, and notice a trend towards the iPhone. But that trend has lessened over the last year or so.
It is interesting, if nothing else.
I really hope devices like the Moto X, G, and OnePlus do have some impact on the market and force the 'traditional' flagship prices to come down, especially the iPhone. I'm just not holding my breath...yet.
Through Settings .... BackUp and Reset ....do a full erase.
After all my apps are set up, I boot in to Recovery and wipe the cache just once.
I noticed this too with the Samsung devices since the Note 4 (seems to be when they jumped to QHD) that their white point has been adjusted.
It's even more noticeable if you switch display mode to 'basic' or 'photo' modes. Like you say in isolation it's not super noticeable but side by side it is.
It's why I use adaptive display now on my Samsung devices over my previous preference 'basic' mode because I really don't like the yellow cast to the whites.
Not sure why they adjusted it to this balance - but I'm not a fan and wish they would revert.
I have a Note 5 as part of the 'Samsung Ultimate Test Drive'.
Android has come a long way in 3 years, but not far enough. The Note 5 is pretty speedy, but it has HORRIBLE color banding, yuck!
(and yes, I see it across multiple apps, I see zero banding on the iPhone, Tapatalk is compressing the image, but the Note really looks like this).
iPhone 6
Note 5
Android has come a long way in 3 years, but not far enough. The Note 5 is pretty speedy, but it has HORRIBLE color banding, yuck!
(and yes, I see it across multiple apps, I see zero banding on the iPhone, Tapatalk is compressing the image, but the Note really looks like this).
iPhone 6
Note 5
Last edited:
I can't see what your talking about.I have a Note 5 as part of the 'Samsung Ultimate Test Drive'.
Android has come a long way in 3 years, but not far enough. The Note 5 is pretty speedy, but it has HORRIBLE color banding, yuck!
(and yes, I see it across multiple apps, I see zero banding on the iPhone, Tapatalk is compressing the image, but the Note really looks like this).
iPhone 6
Note 5
If color banding is a real issue....wouldn't it be noted by reviewers? The display is currently regarded as the best in the mobile industry.
If you look at the pictures, on the iphone the colors of the background blend seamlessly, where as on the other picture you see a clear line where one color changes into another. It really has nothing to do with the display and more to do with how the app is coded. I haven't noticed this at all with my apps, but I'll keep an eye out.
I see. Thanks for pointing that out.
Yeah that would be an app coding thing. I haven't noticed it elsewhere.
Yeah that would be an app coding thing. I haven't noticed it elsewhere.
If it was a system wide thing the first image posted would have the banding on the Note 5 display too when looking at this thread through it - if it doesn't then yep its simply a specific app issue - perhaps the app is using a lower 16bit rather than 24-32bit colour profile.