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Phones Galaxy Note 7

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The upcoming Note 7 has just shot to the top of my "must have" list of smartphones. The concern expressed over its curved display may very well be an overreaction.

Given how delightful my Galaxy S7 Edge is, I'm not the least bit concerned about the Note 7. Looking at Samsung's record, and my personal experiences with every new Note model since the original, I'm confident as I eagerly await it's release.
 
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I just don't know the best way to buy one. I am on AT&T Next and can trade in my iPhone 6S Plus but then I would get one filled with carrier bloat. But I guess I would also get updates and better service if I run into a problem with the device, right?

Meanwhile I'm reading about the unlocked S7's and S7 Edges at Best Buy and it's confusing. Some comments indicate the unlocked phones can't do Samsung Pay or wifi calling or get warranty service from Samsung. How do you get updates on an unlocked phone? I'm a bit confused about the best way to buy any Samsung smart phone.

I've gotten iPhones from either AT&T or Apple and never had to even think about bloatware, how to get warranty service, updates, availability of features, etc.

I'm going to assume the unlocked versions won't be out for another few months anyway.
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maxsix said:
The upcoming Note 7 has just shot to the top of my "must have" list of smartphones. The concern expressed over its curved display may very well be an overreaction.

Given how delightful my Galaxy S7 Edge is, I'm not the least bit concerned about the Note 7. Looking at Samsung's record, and my personal experiences with every new Note model since the original, I'm confident as I eagerly await it's release.
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Yeah I'm not worried about the edges, either. It's a huge draw for me, actually. It may be superficial of me, but I'm so danged sick of bezels. If I want bezels I'll stick to iPhone 7. I was just on an older Note tablet that also had honking huge bezels. I'll try the edges and by the time I'm sick of them and ready to pass along the Note7 to one of the kids or trade it, the iPhone 8 will be here.
 
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GrumpyMom said:
I just don't know the best way to buy one. I am on AT&T Next and can trade in my iPhone 6S Plus but then I would get one filled with carrier bloat. But I guess I would also get updates and better service if I run into a problem with the device, right?

Meanwhile I'm reading about the unlocked S7's and S7 Edges at Best Buy and it's confusing. Some comments indicate the unlocked phones can't do Samsung Pay or wifi calling or get warranty service from Samsung. How do you get updates on an unlocked phone? I'm a bit confused about the best way to buy any Samsung smart phone.

I've gotten iPhones from either AT&T or Apple and never had to even think about bloatware, how to get warranty service, updates, availability of features, etc.

I'm going to assume the unlocked versions won't be out for another few months anyway.
[doublepost=1469073930][/doublepost]
Yeah I'm not worried about the edges, either. It's a huge draw for me, actually. It may be superficial of me, but I'm so danged sick of bezels. If I want bezels I'll stick to iPhone 7. I was just on an older Note tablet that also had honking huge bezels. I'll try the edges and by the time I'm sick of them and ready to pass along the Note7 to one of the kids or trade it, the iPhone 8 will be here.
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In your particular case, I would stay with the iPhone or try an S7Edge first. Samsung phones are not for everyone, as the software UI and the delayed updates can be a real turnoff. Just something to consider.
 
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Lloydbm41 said:
In your particular case, I would stay with the iPhone or try an S7Edge first. Samsung phones are not for everyone, as the software UI and the delayed updates can be a real turnoff. Just something to consider.
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I'll still have the iPhone SE as my daily driver. The Samsung would fill the niche my 6S Plus is currently occupying as sort of a pocket planner and holder of various home and lifestyle apps I don't want to bog down the 64GB storage of my SE with. Why would the S7 Edge be a better choice for me than the Note7? Are Notes updated less frequently?
 
GrumpyMom said:
I'll still have the iPhone SE as my daily driver. The Samsung would fill the niche my 6S Plus is currently occupying as sort of a pocket planner and holder of various home and lifestyle apps I don't want to bog down the 64GB storage of my SE with. Why would the S7 Edge be a better choice for me than the Note7? Are Notes updated less frequently?
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If you do not use the stylus and if as we suspect it will share very similar internals (snapdragon 820 & 4gb ram) and likely carry a $800 off contract price, given the fact you can get an S7 Edge very easily second hand in mint condition for $400-500 it may certainly be a better value proposition overall.
 
MRU said:
If you do not use the stylus and if as we suspect it will share very similar internals (snapdragon 820 & 4gb ram) and likely carry a $800 off contract price, given the fact you can get an S7 Edge very easily second hand in mint condition for $400-500 it may certainly be a better value proposition overall.
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I'm having this dilemma myself. Im 98 % certain that I won't get the iPhone 7. My 6S plus will be fine for another year. In the past I've always prefered note devices to the S devices. However I've never really used the S- pen. Also this time round there isn't such a huge difference in screen size between the S7 edge and the note 7 and the internals are virtually the same. I've also gotten used to 5.5 inches with the iPhone 6/6S plus and I don't ever really find myself wanting more real estate.

However there are a few reasons why the note is looking to be better:

64GB onboard storage plus micro SD card slot

USB C? - whilst micro usb is more convenient usb c is more future proof, however it might go the way of the usb 3 port on my note 3 and S5.

MicroSD slot may accept new high speed microSD cards announced by Samsung.

Compatible with rumoured new gear VR

Rumoured new always on features

Reasons to get the S7 edge other than the fact that the note doesn't have vastly improved intervals:

It's available in pink
It's cheaper.
 
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MRU said:
If you do not use the stylus and if as we suspect it will share very similar internals (snapdragon 820 & 4gb ram) and likely carry a $800 off contract price, given the fact you can get an S7 Edge very easily second hand in mint condition for $400-500 it may certainly be a better value proposition overall.
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Well that's certainly something to think about, but how is service for a Samsung that's not purchased through a carrier? What of updates?

I'm using the stylus on the old Samsung tablet my husband has let me borrow. I like it a lot. I have adapted to it very well. And am inexplicably drawing a lot of mustaches with it. :confused: Oh well nobody ever said I was normal.

Anyway I've got a lot to think about. The bezels on the regular S7 aren't too hideous and it's a cute size so I'll leave that on the table for consideration, too.
 
GrumpyMom said:
Well that's certainly something to think about, but how is service for a Samsung that's not purchased through a carrier? What of updates?

I'm using the stylus on the old Samsung tablet my husband has let me borrow. I like it a lot. I have adapted to it very well. And am inexplicably drawing a lot of mustaches with it. :confused: Oh well nobody ever said I was normal.

Anyway I've got a lot to think about. The bezels on the regular S7 aren't too hideous and it's a cute size so I'll leave that on the table for consideration, too.
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Here unlocked / unbranded devices get updates 'sometimes' quicker however this is not always the case unfortunately. To be honest there is simply no strict rule of thumb with Samsung regardless of whether you purchase via a carrier or unbranded off contract despite what you may hear.

I have always bought Samsung products off contract and unbranded, and have experienced huge delays in getting updates and watched as carrier models receive the update quicker than the samsung direct model.

Now this isn't always the case and sometimes the unbranded version may get the update a little quicker, however the point is sadly the automatic assumption that if you do buy an off contract / unbranded / unlocked device from Samsung that this will guarantee you quicker update path is sadly very much mistaken.

Likewise the belief / assertion you will often read that it is carriers that slow down updates is also flawed based on my witnessing many carrier devices receiving big OS updates weeks and on a number of occasions months before Samsung roll out the update to my unlocked and unbranded device. It can be incredibly frustrating and often feels like a game of "update Russian roulette".

Now they have improved with the S7/S7e and we have seen quicker rollout of security patch updates, however the test really as ever ends to be major Android OS version updates and these still tend to be very much long winded painfully protracted affairs.

So it's just something to be aware of and as it is something you have zero control over - sadly there is no point trying to avoid the issue as you will at some point run into it regardless of whether you buy a T-Mobile or Verizon device over an unlocked unbranded model.
 
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Get an unlocked device. Always. Then you can easily flash any kind of official samsung software on your device, without triggering knox. For Note 4 I think Polish software was the one that received fastest updates, so my friends around me used that one.

Carrier bloatware together with samsung bloatware is something I would not buy. Ever. Especially for 800$+ :)
 
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Shanghaichica said:
I'm having this dilemma myself. Im 98 % certain that I won't get the iPhone 7. My 6S plus will be fine for another year. In the past I've always prefered note devices to the S devices. However I've never really used the S- pen. Also this time round there isn't such a huge difference in screen size between the S7 edge and the note 7 and the internals are virtually the same. I've also gotten used to 5.5 inches with the iPhone 6/6S plus and I don't ever really find myself wanting more real estate.

However there are a few reasons why the note is looking to be better:

64GB onboard storage plus micro SD card slot

USB C? - whilst micro usb is more convenient usb c is more future proof, however it might go the way of the usb 3 port on my note 3 and S5.

MicroSD slot may accept new high speed microSD cards announced by Samsung.

Compatible with rumoured new gear VR

Rumoured new always on features

Reasons to get the S7 edge other than the fact that the note doesn't have vastly improved intervals:

It's available in pink
It's cheaper.
Click to expand...


Yeah I'm pretty confident I'll be skipping the iPhone 7 this year unless in the reduction of thickness they have magically improved battery by 40% in the smaller model (seems very unlikely doesn't it) and therefore see little reason to buy a 7.

I would buy a Note 7 but want a flat device as I am barely using my S7e and have for a long time planned trading it in for a different device, but so far nothing has interested me.

The Nexus design : device leaks if real leave me cold likewise.

So I just don't see a phone on the horizon right now that has made me think 'buy me' and given I went through 14 phones 2014, 16 phones in 2015, to be in a position where everything is now making me go 'meh!!!!' Is quite a strange place to be for an impulsive little skamp like me.
 
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Shanghaichica said:
Ok. To be honest I have 14 days to return my S7 edge to o2 so I could get the edge and if I decide I want the note after the unpacked event I can return the edge and get the note.
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I imagine if they do release note 7 on August 2nd then I bet it will be up for carriers around same day
 
Anybody think the flat screen version could be more of an S7 Plus? I saw rumours earlier of a flat screen Note 7 Lite with similar specs to the S7. It would be a decent approach.
 
nj-morris said:
Anybody think the flat screen version could be more of an S7 Plus? I saw rumours earlier of a flat screen Note 7 Lite with similar specs to the S7. It would be a decent approach.
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from the sounds they had it as an idea but scrapped it. Samsung i think see the future for the big models with curved display with the normal S7 as the normal flat screen. Thats how i see it.
 
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While I certainly am not a fan of the curved edges of the display, I really don't like the high gloss on the front bezels either, especially on the black--makes the camera and sensors far too visible. IMO, the transition from display to bezel should be near seamless with a black front--one of make favorite elements of iPhone designs. Just my preference of course.
 
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