Galaxy Note 5

[Tsepz]

Yeah I was thinking if I need it at Auto + 5 in daylight in Ireland - you had to have it as bright in jburg

I must try running my edge for a day on around 35% and see the difference. But generally I'm too lazy to manually adjust brightness other than at night hence leave it set on auto + 5 all the time.

You must also consider that the Note Edge has a battery that is 220mAh less than the Note 4, with the display being only being a tiny bit smaller, so our SOT is bound to differ a bit.

Do you know what I do if I know I am going to have a truly long day in meetings and presentations? I go to Power Saving -Restrict Performance and Tick on CPU Only, that can drive up SOT to well over 8hours and performance is not affected unless you play a heavy game.

 

[Michael Goff]

In fairness it didn't lose 200maH of size over the previous note (Note 3) it gained 20maH, so there is a difference in that argument albeit not a huge one.

On the upside, TouchWiz is likely lighter on the Note 5 than the 4.

 

[akuma13]

People seem to be getting decent battery life, on par with the Note 4 in XDA. I might Jump! to this on Tmobile and try it out for a couple of months before getting the iphone 6S+

 

[BlueGoldAce]

People seem to be getting decent battery life, on par with the Note 4 in XDA. I might Jump! to this on Tmobile and try it out for a couple of months before getting the iphone 6S+

Same here...but I think I might end up keeping the note and skipping the 6s+

 

[Fernandez21]

On the upside, TouchWiz is likely lighter on the Note 5 than the 4.

Touchwiz is actually looking pretty good. The animations were nice, it was fast and smooth (though probably more to due to the soc than optimizations), and the design was actually really nice not to mention all the added features. The samsung apps were well designed too. The only bad thing I can say is the colors are still horrible and icons aren't my taste, but those are both remedied by applying a material theme. Dare I say that the new touchwiz with material design theme is probably my favorite version android? Nah, that would be crazy.....or is it?

 

[jamezr]

Doesn't surprise me. The same complainers popped up before the Note 4 release saying the Note 4 would have worse battery life, but it ended up having better battery life on most benchmarks. One thing about Samsung is they know how to optimize the battery life, and also add things like fast charging and power saving modes.

What's up with the dark theme in that reddit post? Can you enable a dark theme in the new TW now? That would be awesome.

There are so many here that just can't help themselves with their negativity. Even though they claim otherwise....they interject something negative in every post. But then other OEMs get a pass from them for the exact same issues.

 

[jamezr]

On the upside, TouchWiz is likely lighter on the Note 5 than the 4.

I think you're right. I think they are trimming it down or a least optimizing it version after new version.

 

[Tsepz]

So the Note5 will only arrive in November here in South Africa, while the S6 Edge+ has an exact date: 4th September. Major contrast to last year, where my network Vodacom (Vodafone ZA) got the Note 4 earlier than the US and UK and sold it to us "loyal" customers 2-3days before international launch. I had my Note 4 that Tuesday... when it was launching that Friday globally.

So I won't even be able to play with a Note5 until November/December. Truly sucks.
We pay upwards of $1000USD for Samsungs down here, and I see a lot of Note 3s and Note 4s, but I guess its not enough, we are a small market after all.

Ah well.

Looking forward to all your feedback guys.

MRU
I made a mistake, just checked using Video Player, my Brightness is 30% not 35. Its not a big difference though, I must have reduced it when in bed sometime ago as 35 can be a bit much in the dark.

 

[jamezr]

Check out the battery life thread at XDA
This guy says he is getting better SOT with the Note 5 than his Note 4



http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=62344750&postcount=15

 

[spinedoc77]

They've realized that very few people use the pen and they can save money by simply releasing a larger phone without the Stylus. Not launching the N5 in Europe is clearly a test run; If removing the pen doesn't harm sales, why continue to license the Wacom digitizer tech? It also likely prevents that dumb curved screen thing b/c the Wacom digitizer needs some "dead" digitizer space in the bezels to operate properly at the edge of the screen.

Really disappointing for me and the apparently 5 other people who actually seriously used the pen. Of course it's possible that even if things go this way there could still be a Note line for enterprise, but it won't be a flagship consumer line anymore if the numbers agree with the hypothesis.

Hmm, that could be a possibility. I used to think I needed the pen, but now note taking apps have evolved and I can get almost as much done with my finger or a capacitive stylus. Not fine detail work of course, but jotting quick notes and measurements. Don't get me wrong, I want a stylus, but feel like I've sacrificed just to have a stylus for too long.

 

[billy the fish]

Yeah that's why you can't multi screen on a 1gb Apple device. Apple doesn't make products beyond pure specs, rather they 1) make whatever the market will bear, ie what consumers will pay for and 2) have to tailor (dumb down) their OS to match the weak hardware specs. That 2nd point is where apple loyalists will jump in and say that they are providing something beyond specs. iOS from day one was an OS designed around hardware limitations, and that glaringly shows today with other mobile OS' out there.

Samsung has indeed been about cheap ugly plastic, I'll add to that I think Samsung hardware is junk. I've had so many hardware issues over the years with Samsung, but with Apple I have very very few hardware issues. Software is also a sore point, touchwiz can run like crap, even on something as insanely specced as the Note 4. iOS runs great on the iPhone, not perfect, but great, with the caveat of things like low RAM and reloading web pages and apps not really multi tasking but being frozen in the background.

About SD cards, I disagree. What happens when you want to record video in 4k and don't have a wireless connection? Lets see how long your 128gb lasts you with the OS, apps and consumables installed.

Android is the poor man's OS because Apple has positioned itself as a luxury brand, and consumers have eaten it up. Although fashion is like that, a shirt that costs 50 cents to make in China sells for a hundred bucks here because of the name on the tag. Samsung is trying to position itself as a luxury brand, but it's too little too late. I'm also not seeing anyone match Apple's hardware, quality, fit and finish, nobody. Add to that Apple's customer service, just thje ability to walk into an APple store and get help versus sending your Samsung phone to Texas and waiting a month before maybe having it fixed is insanely powerful.

You like the word insanely don't you..

 

[apolloa]

I do hate Samsung, really do, because the Note 5 if nothing else is one sexy design. And smaller then the Note 4. Grumble.
Great to hear the battery life is good.

Oh well it'll be a couple of months ish before I have the redies for a new phone, so let's see what happens, I doubt the Note 5 will make it to the UK for a while yet, but the new LG Nexus.. I found out it has been based on an unreleased LG prototype, interesting. That camera though. Hmm new Nexus or Note 4..

Apple is certainly going to have to work hard to gain news sales this year I think, I mean people jumping ship to Apple for the first time.

 

[Tsepz]

I do hate Samsung, really do, because the Note 5 if nothing else is one sexy design. And smaller then the Note 4. Grumble.
Great to hear the battery life is good.

Oh well it'll be a couple of months ish before I have the redies for a new phone, so let's see what happens, I doubt the Note 5 will make it to the UK for a while yet, but the new LG Nexus.. I found out it has been based on an unreleased LG prototype, interesting. That camera though. Hmm new Nexus or Note 4..

Apple is certainly going to have to work hard to gain news sales this year I think, I mean people jumping ship to Apple for the first time.

So here's the thing, I absolutely enjoy using my Note 4, I rate it above 99% of the 2015 flagships, BUT with it being almost a year old, the software updates which were already slow may get fewer and even slower to be released, so keep that in mind. It is a lovely phone along with the Note Edge, they offer more than most phones, but software update wise? There are much better alternatives.

Samsung seem to be adamant on focussing on the S6 Edge+, so I suspect the Note 4 and Note Edge may get shafted.

 

[Michael Goff]

So here's the thing, I absolutely enjoy using my Note 4, I rate it above 99% of the 2015 flagships, BUT with it being almost a year old, the software updates which were already slow may get fewer and even slower to be released, so keep that in mind. It is a lovely phone along with the Note Edge, they offer more than most phones, but software update wise? There are much better alternatives.

Samsung seem to be adamant on focussing on the S6 Edge+, so I suspect the Note 4 and Note Edge may get shafted.

On the upside, you can always throw Cyanogenmod on the Note 4.

 

[jamezr]

On the upside, you can always throw Cyanogenmod on the Note 4.

Only on the intentional versions. The US carriers have locked bootloaders

 

[Michael Goff]

Only on the intentional versions. The US carriers have locked bootloaders

Well, that sucks.

 

[apolloa]

So here's the thing, I absolutely enjoy using my Note 4, I rate it above 99% of the 2015 flagships, BUT with it being almost a year old, the software updates which were already slow may get fewer and even slower to be released, so keep that in mind. It is a lovely phone along with the Note Edge, they offer more than most phones, but software update wise? There are much better alternatives.

Samsung seem to be adamant on focussing on the S6 Edge+, so I suspect the Note 4 and Note Edge may get shafted.

Yes that is on my mind, having a Nexus 5 now it gets updates when Google make them. Sony have been good with my Z3 Tablet too but they have messed up the 5.1.1 a bit, in the lock screen for instance it shows no cellular signal, I have the WiFi only tablet version! Battery life is also worst.

Anyway as I said by the time I have the money all the new devices should be out.

I do like the new Pen interface on the Note 5 too.

 

[Tsepz]

Yes that is on my mind, having a Nexus 5 now it gets updates when Google make them. Sony have been good with my Z3 Tablet too but they have messed up the 5.1.1 a bit, in the lock screen for instance it shows no cellular signal, I have the WiFi only tablet version! Battery life is also worst.

Anyway as I said by the time I have the money all the new devices should be out.

I do like the new Pen interface on the Note 5 too.

That interface is ***** sexy! My jaw dropped when I saw it and how smooth it was, makes the one on my Note 4 look archaic.

 

[apolloa]

That interface is ***** sexy! My jaw dropped when I saw it and how smooth it was, makes the one on my Note 4 look archaic.

I like this colour too:

 

[Tsepz]

I like this colour too:

That is the colour I'd go with to. The dark with the silver metal rim, looks classy and sleek.

If Samsung SA bring those Dual Sim with MicroSD Note 5s, I may just jump on it in that colour to.

 

[akuma13]

I'm impressed with how well touchwiz runs on the Note 5. Love the s-pen interface too. Will it eventually experience lag, like on the S6 and Edge? it has the same innards right?

 

[Michael Goff]

Now time to wait for the TW improvements to go downstream.

 

[Fernandez21]

Now time to wait for the TW improvements to go downstream.

Yeah, don't hold your breath. Worst thing about Samsung is updates, specifically updating touchwiz.

 

[Tig Bitties]

Went to Best Buy to check out the Note 5 ( currently have a Nexus 6, I'm very happy with ).


- Build quality and design is really top notch. Very good looking phone. And felt surprisingly light in the hand, looking at it all metal design, looks heavy, but pick it up and it's lightweight, in a good way.

- Screen / Display was jaw dropping good. I'm a fan of AMOLED and the Note 5's display is wicked awesome, just the best. Makes my Nexus 6 AMOLED look sad and with dirty whites, and less punch.

- I hate Touchwizz, but this version doesn't seem as bad as I thought. My last Galaxy phone I owned was an S4, and I loathed Touchwiz on that phone, but there also wasn't root on that one, so was stuck on a stock phone . My fav Samsung phone I owned, was my old ATT Note 2 that was rooted with Custom TW ROM, and I was very happy with Touchwizz then, but the ROM's made it much better.

- I walked away more impressed with the Note 5 than expected. But I could only buy one that could be rooted and allow custom ROM's. Which sadly seems ATT stopped allowing that starting back with the S4.

- Also interested in reading true real users opinion on battery life. If its doing at least 6h Screen On time, I may consider it. But if it's less, no way.

 

[Michael Goff]

Went to Best Buy to check out the Note 5 ( currently have a Nexus 6, I'm very happy with ).


- Build quality and design is really top notch. Very good looking phone. And felt surprisingly light in the hand, looking at it all metal design, looks heavy, but pick it up and it's lightweight, in a good way.

- Screen / Display was jaw dropping good. I'm a fan of AMOLED and the Note 5's display is wicked awesome, just the best. Makes my Nexus 6 AMOLED look sad and with dirty whites, and less punch.

- I hate Touchwizz, but this version doesn't seem as bad as I thought. My last Galaxy phone I owned was an S4, and I loathed Touchwiz on that phone, but there also wasn't root on that one, so was stuck on a stock phone . My fav Samsung phone I owned, was my old ATT Note 2 that was rooted with Custom TW ROM, and I was very happy with Touchwizz then, but the ROM's made it much better.

- I walked away more impressed with the Note 5 than expected. But I could only buy one that could be rooted and allow custom ROM's. Which sadly seems ATT stopped allowing that starting back with the S4.

- Also interested in reading true real users opinion on battery life. If its doing at least 6h Screen On time, I may consider it. But if it's less, no way.

Rooting has a point, but custom ROMs are kind of pointless on the Exynos 7420. Seriously, it is.