There are Samsung Stores here in Dubai, and are pretty spectacular. A real gadget haven.
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iPhone 7 or the Note 7?
- Thread starter Megan Boyce
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What a difference four months can make. I preferred S7 edge in silver. Now I prefer black on the Note7 when they practically look the same. I also loathe the shoddy gold when it was my favorite color on the S6 edge last year. That's how fickle I can be. Don't like that blue coral that much anymore. So my preferred color options now are...
Note7
1. Black
2. Silver
3. Gold
4. Blue
Black onyx just matches better with all colors especially with OLED and that new Gear VR.
The UK flagship samsung store in Westfield was a bit of heaven I agree. However it closed down a few years ago.
The one in Oxford street which is my new local store even though it's now over an hour away pales in comparison. The old one was massive and on 2 floors. This one is basically a carphone warehouse that has been converted to a Samsung store. It's so small.
The one where is the size of a normal Vodafone type size shop. Haven't been in there hardly ever but will just to see a hands on with the note 7.
A couple of Samsung Stores around me are pretty big, been open years too, very nice experience inside. I know of others in near by cities too.
My apologies I'm referring to my market then, the US. How many actual Samsung stores are in the us then? And I'm sorry a fake experience store in a bb doesn't count.
How many Apple stores are there vs Samsung stores? Do Samsung stores provide support for every product they make, along with troubleshooting all the software they support too? And why if I buy an international Galaxy s7 will Samsung not support it here in the us?
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If there's one thing Apple will hold dominion over everyone else (including Google, Samsung, Sony... whoever), it's their brick and mortar stores. No one is touching them on that front for many years, if ever. Anybody who argues otherwise is arguing a losing battle.
I see Samsung pushing the envelope more than many. The most obvious example of this is the screen to body ratio. Having a larger screen in a smaller phone means a big deal to me. Compared to what, the 6s plus? The 6s plus is a JOKE in terms of screen to body ratio.
I do see other companies pushing the envelope. I applaud LG and Motorola for modular addons, they may flop but I appreciate their introduction of new ideas. But Apple? No they aren't necessarily behind in most things such as camera and horsepower, but in other things they are woefully behind such as wireless charging, screen to body ratio, etc. Just the fact that they bank on you staying in the ecosystem is a hindrance.
But in essence I don't disagree with you. The Note 7 isn't that much of an upgrade over the Note 5, unless you need those new features. For me ip68, memory card, much better spen, always on screen are worthy upgrades and things the iPhone won't have. What's the iPhone getting? New antenna lines, the dual camera will be nice, maybe 1gb more ram? I feel bad for Apple users, spending $1000 for so little.
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Yeah but you can get service at your carrier in the US. The last time I had an issue with my Note 5 I just went by a carrier store and they replaced it. I've had issues with Apple in the past, I remember one time they said my water mark was red and too bad, buh bye. After looking myself and finding a white water sticker I called their corporate, and they did replace it no questions asked, but I was annoyed and wasn't sure why an Apple rep would just lie like that to a customer. Didn't Apple lose a lawsuit or had some kind of settlement fairly recently where they lied about the water marks to deny warranty service? I'm not sure, but I remember reading something about that a year or 2 ago.
Now one place that had the chance to beat out Apple's physical locations is Microsoft, but of course they massively fumbled the mobile market and it's non-existent for them. It's too bad because I find going to the MS store great and they have always taken care of any issues I've had.
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To be completely honest, every Apple store Genius appointment I've had to make for my Macs have all been pretty lousy experiences. Long waits (they NEVER make the appointed time) and often unhelpful.
I once went into a Best Buy to show them my Thunderbolt display wasn't working, and they straight up replaced it. I was in and out with a new $1000 display!
I've luckily never had to deal with CS for my smartphones. But yes, if I did have to, I'd go to Tmobile. My local Tmobile store knows me and they are extremely friendly and helpful.
This just falls into that same conversation that I've been having about stepping out of Apple's walled garden ecosystem. Just like switching out of iMessage, or dealing with updates, or whatever... even losing the Apple store for iPhone related problems isn't something I miss. I can just go to my carrier, as you've pointed out.
But people like convenience and security. Can't blame 'em. It'd still be great if Samsung or Google or anyone else could come close to offering what Apple does in their brick and mortar stores, whether it's for CS related stuff or just to give people hands-on experiences with new devices.
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Depends on what you're looking for. If you want a jumbo iPod experience and be a beta tester for iOS 10 public release go with the iPhone 7. On the other hand, if you prefer a device designed from the ground up as a productivity device and refined over six years then go with the Note 7 which is also an ideal replacement for iPhone and iPad Pro combo if you prefer carrying just one pocketable device.
I agree with absolutely everything both of you have said here. I've had an iPhone 6s Plus since December, which is a record for me in the last couple of years. Probably only bested by the Nexus 5. But I just can't do it anymore. I feel like Apple is really behind in everything but ecosystem, which is really not that big of a deal anymore. And I've done my best to stay out of the Apple ecosystem while using an iPhone. I've had the iOS 10 Beta on my phone for the last month, and it has left me INCREDIBLY underwhelmed. It's the same thing it's always been. Except now it has raise to wake, huge notifications, and huge emojis. Seriously? That's it? Combine this with the implementation of third party keyboards (or lack thereof), utter lack of customization, forcing 3D Touch to do just about anything which is such an unnatural movement, and combine these with pretty solid rumors of the third year of the same phone has just pushed me over the edge back to Android.
One thing that many people here in the US tend to forget is that there isn't an Apple store in every town. But there are pretty much carrier stores or Best Buys a whole heckuva lot closer. The only time I've been to an Apple store is when I'm visiting a larger area/city. The closest one to me is roughly 120 miles away. Anyone around here typically goes to their carrier or Best Buy for Apple products. Everyone that touts how great Apple stores are to your experience are forgetting that some of us aren't anywhere near one.
When I've had to have an iPhone fixed I either have to drive over two hours away or I have to deal with sending in for fixes or advanced replacements (which put a huge hold on my credit card). I had to have an iPhone 5 replaced three times that way. It was a HUGE pain. The people were nice enough, but it was a hassle. It wasn't convenient for me. And I was without a working phone for basically a month.
Samsung's innovation:
Better screen (AMOLED, curved), water proof, wireless charging, expandable storage, better camera, etc?
Apple's innovation:
Removing headphone jack.
I have had iPhones since the original one. But arguably, these days Samsung makes better hardware. I still have an iPhone 5s, and if rumors about the iPhone 7 are correct, I will not upgrade. Perhaps I will wait for the iPhone 8, but if that doesn't beat Samsung, I will consider switching. It's tough, since my remaining hardware is Apple: Macs and iPads.
iPhones are Apple's cash cow. What are they thinking of?
Better screen (AMOLED, curved), water proof, wireless charging, expandable storage, better camera, etc?
Apple's innovation:
Removing headphone jack.
I have had iPhones since the original one. But arguably, these days Samsung makes better hardware. I still have an iPhone 5s, and if rumors about the iPhone 7 are correct, I will not upgrade. Perhaps I will wait for the iPhone 8, but if that doesn't beat Samsung, I will consider switching. It's tough, since my remaining hardware is Apple: Macs and iPads.
iPhones are Apple's cash cow. What are they thinking of?
I think the root of it is simply Apple used to be unquestionably better, and now the competition has caught up and it's more a matter of preference. Apple still does things extraordinarily well, the design of the a9 processor is fantastic they get a lot of performance per core, the software is well optimized that 2gb of ram is fine, is very efficient that 2,750 mah battery gets amazing battery life, the screen quality and lamination is top notch that it's one of the better screens available on a phone, and the nano coating of the electronics provides nice protection if you accidentally get the phone wet. All in all, it's a great package and among the best phones out.
But, imagine that Apple had doubled the cores of the amazing a9, imagine the multitasking if the ram was doubled, imagine battery life if that efficiency was powered with a 3,600 mah battery, imagine how good that screen would be if everything else was the same but the resolution was increased, and if on top of that nano coating it also has gaskets and water proof ports? Imagine ios exactly as it is, but with the ability to use icloud drive as the file manager for the phone, themes for the homescreen, the ability to put icons anywhere, and widgets too?
Now, instead of talking about the iphone as being among the best, it would unquestionably be the best phone again, and that's what we want, we want all these great features coming out on android to also be available on the iphone, we want the best of both worlds and apple is really the only one that can do that.
Speaking from experience I'm not sold on the Note 7. As a S7, Nexus 6, 6S and SE owner I still feel that iOS offers the smoothest real world feel out of those phones. My S7 just does not have that smoothness I'm looking for. If the phone is not fast for how I use it everything else falls apart. While my Nexus 6 runs fast on Android N it's too big and the screen does not pop in direct sunlight.
So given my experience with a boat load of phones this past year I would pick the iPhone 7 Plus. I don't like the fact that the design is relatively unchanged from the leaks but I know I can count on the reliability and speed. But Apple must lose points for not making the Plus model more manageable in the hand. Samsung is clearly winning in the design department.
So given my experience with a boat load of phones this past year I would pick the iPhone 7 Plus. I don't like the fact that the design is relatively unchanged from the leaks but I know I can count on the reliability and speed. But Apple must lose points for not making the Plus model more manageable in the hand. Samsung is clearly winning in the design department.
What Apple lacks is ingenuity, which is really weird to be saying about them. I won't diatribe the usual "When Jobs was there", because he isn't and we all have to move on. But the ingenuity during those years was unparalleled. The iPhone, the ipad, the MacBook Air, the ipod, so many things which were just completely thinking outside the box, yet solving all the issues keeping those categories from growing. It's that ingenuity I'm seeing in Samsung, although I think that the Jobs era Apple still had much more ingenuity than anyone else. But I still see companies trying. Phablet too big? Lets curve the edges to make it narrower and not lose screen size. Need a projector with your phone? Motorola says let's do it. Need 1gb more RAM and different antenna lines, Apple is there for you.
I would like to see the next big thing, that something that makes me pull out my wallet without hesitation. I'm not saying that Samsung succeeded in this either, but at least they are trying.
I think a lot of those things are spec sheet grabbers that don't necessarily offer the user a vastly better experience versus the cost associated. Remember - Apple is in the business of making money as well. They balance their profits with the technology they put out. I'm not naive, and I'm not pretending it isn't this way.
Apple balances the best optimization and engineering with hardware that is top notch but not bleeding edge. It's always been that way. And in many ways, a larger battery capacity isn't bleeding edge or revolutionary....its necessary (or was more so in the past) for many Android devices. Higher display resolutions go past the point of diminishing returns. Its basically a notch on a spec sheet - not something driving the customer experience.
If an iPhone came out with a 4k display, a 4000 mAh battery and 6 GB of RAM with a quad core processor what would that mean? Would that mean its the best phone on the market? Perhaps....but not necessarily.
I agree with you - its all about preference at this point. I'm not arguing that Samsung doesn't make great products - they have come a LONG way and have focused on efficiency and paring down their lineup a bit. The Note 7 software tweaks even from the S7 Edge look much nicer (icons are more uniform, menus look cleaner) and I fully expect it to be a great phone. That's why I'm buying one (by the way, I had asked this earlier when a poster used the 64gb Base model as an argument Samsung is "ahead" of Apple - that 64GB Note 7 costs $879 on my carrier. A 6S Plus 64gb? $849.)
My argument with many here is their blind dismissal of anything Apple does as marketing speak or not worthwhile. Look above at the last poster who responded to me - expandable storage, IP 68 rating, "a better spen", and always on display are more than enough for him to upgrade. (preface, these are rumors) Yet a dual camera system, potential water resistance in an iPhone, a better bluetooth chip, and a move away from an old port to a newer one which gives much better audio quality are dismissed.....I'm sorry, but thats absurd.
Apple doesn't focus on a spec sheet. That's the disconnect here - folks who care about those things are never going to understand why others buy iPhones and love them so much. It just won't happen because Apple thinks differently (forgive the reference) than Samsung or Google and those companies' fans. And make no mistake - this forum is full of folks who defend Samsung just like they bash me and others for doing with Apple.
That being said - Note 7 is only a few days away....it'll be replacing a OnePlus 3 for me, which I have had a great time with. Really impressed with the Note 7 design as when I heard it would be curved I assumed it would be like the edge or previous Samsung curved models and I am not a fan of those at all. I love the symmetrical design and it feels great in the hand. The curve is more about aesthetics than functionality - it seems Samsung finally figured that out, though they leave the function there for folks who use it. Along with the software tweaks I mentioned earlier it might end up being an Android device I keep for more than a few months. Certainly don't plan on upgrading to anything other than a Note from Samsung in the future - S4, Note 5, S6, S7 Edge....the Note is the best.
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It's these types of tired, lazy comments I'm talking about....come on man. You and I and everyone knows that's not anywhere near the top of the list when it comes to what will be different about the 7.....
But I will also say I expect this to be one of the more modest updates in recent memory. The 6 to 6S was easily the biggest S model upgrade Apple has ever done which will make the change from 6S to 7 look that much worse.
But still.....new bluetooth chip, lightning audio, water resistance, better cameras including dual camera system....those are all pretty great things and much more than what you're making it sound like.
When youre talking about "speed" do you mean opening app-speed, scrolling in settings-speed, internet browsing-speed or what?
Likely just overall smoothness and response to input - scrolling, app opening, anything. I know I have the same feeling he does and I know I can't quantify it. I'm also ready to admit it might just be that I'm so used to iOS, but I definitely notice a difference when using my Android devices in just the overall response to my finger on the display. It's just "tighter" on iOS I guess?
I agree with you to a point. Specs, often time are looked at as a numbers game, how many cores, how many gbs, how many pixels. But specs are complex and in the end what matters is the performance, that why I mention the even with some of the same "specs" (Such as core count, ram, and battery capacity) the iphone would just pass every phone out. I realize Apple is out to make money, trust me I've given them a lot, but so is Samsung and they managed to do a lot of those things in their phones and sell them for roughly the same price, while also doing promotions such as giving free gear fits and memory cards. They also did those things in a smaller package and without removing the headphone jack. I know you don't like the port, but it's removal isn't needed for you to enjoy using lightning or Bluetooth headphones.
I hope all the things you mentioned are in the iphone 7, but from the rumors I've seen though it looks like a small bump. We shall see, but if the rumors are true this might be the first iPhone I don't pick up at launch since the 3GS.
I agree about people just blindly dismissing what Apple has done, I generally ignore those comment unless they're blatantly lying or unknowing, then I just correct the poster.
It has do to with animation and frame rates, or at least it does for me. The animation on the iphone is just smoother and at consistent speed. I notice at times on android either frames drop and things look choppy, or the animations run slightly faster or slower.
At least that's what I've noticed.
What? What is different about the 7 exactly? What did I miss? I mentioned the dual camera, better innards such as cpu, 1gb more RAM, I didn't mention the water resistance. I'll throw that LAZY and TIRED comment back to YOU for not fully reading what I said in this thread. Once again these are just rumors, we won't know for sure until September when its official.
As for the reasons I find the Note 7 as a worthy upgrade, sorry but last time I checked I didn't have to run my opinion by you in order to validate it. Those are worthy upgrades FOR ME, if they aren't for you then woohoo congrats. That's the 2nd LAZY and TIRED commentary from you.
As for the spec sheet, I partially agree. Apple is smart about making money. If they could package a turd with a shiny apple logo and make money on it, I have no doubt they would instantly do just that. Some of the stuff I wish for the iPhone is definitely pie in the sky and there is no reason for Apple to push the limit if they are already making money. They are a smart company and recognize this and I have no doubt the iPhone 8 will reinvigorate them, right at the point where consumers start to turn away Apple will recapture them all.
Apple has almost 100% of smartphone profits I believe....Samsung eeks out a small profit and everyone else loses money. Remember I'm talking profits, not revenue. I realize a customer doesn't and shouldn't care about profits, but its essential to understand when talking about why a phone doesn't have a 4k display or the other spec questions.
I think if Apple wanted to do it, they'd do it (play the spec game). I chalk up the reasoning to cost and the thinking being its not necessary to maximize profits and performance/experience. Also to the culture Jobs instilled early on. He was never about that war - the spec sheet war. Everything was done based on customer experience and often things he and Apple obsess over are things a lot of people don't really notice or think about. But thats the point.
The whole bezel argument is an ok one - I mean we use words like ginormous and huge to describe millimeters and despite the overall size differences I tend to have a much easier time handling my iPhone 6S Plus than the One Plus 3, Note 5 or S7 Edge (I can't tell you how much I hated that phone). I also agree that Apple needs to do something there - some people don't care about symmetrical design but Apple's design team does and folks like me do. There are rumors from very well respected sources like the WSJ that say Apple's plan is a smartphone with NO bezels. And I'm not talking that phone that came out a while ago....we're talking literally all screen - a glass slab essentially. Instead of building up to it, they're waiting to unveil it to the world next year. Maybe that leads to complaining and disappointment now but we'll see how things unfold.
I do think there's so much Apple is working on that either goes unseen or isn't quite ready for primetime in their eyes. This isn't new - Apple has always waited until a technology was mature and the kinks were worked out before moving to it.
The hardware is nice, but I stay for the software. And I'm looking forward to what the 7 Plus has for me, all while keeping a very interested eye on the 10th Anniversary iPhone coming next year.