Phones Note 3 and I5s -- can't decide

[mustafu]

I have a Atrix HD on at&t that's long past its prime. The battery is degraded so much as to barely last 2 hours with moderate usage, and I feel I need to upgrade now before I go crazy constantly being tethered to a charger. I've narrowed it down to the Note 3 and i5s. I've rooted my Atrix, have an unlocked bootloader and run CM11 nightlies on it, and that's well and good, I've also formerly owned an i5 which I wasn't particularly dissatisfied with.

My priorities in my next phone are: good battery life, "just works" usage (tired of flashing ROM's, each with their various quirks and caveats), and something that's fairly future proof. The i5s will obviously get iOS 8, and probably whatever comes after as well, I could reasonably assume? The iPhone seems to be the obvious choice, but I feel as if I'd be passing on the more next-gen hardware on the Note 3, granted it's married to that abomination Touchwiz skin.

Any insight from anyone that's ever pondered the same much appreciated

 

[Lloydbm41]

I have a Atrix HD on at&t that's long past its prime. The battery is degraded so much as to barely last 2 hours with moderate usage, and I feel I need to upgrade now before I go crazy constantly being tethered to a charger. I've narrowed it down to the Note 3 and i5s. I've rooted my Atrix, have an unlocked bootloader and run CM11 nightlies on it, and that's well and good, I've also formerly owned an i5 which I wasn't particularly dissatisfied with.

My priorities in my next phone are: good battery life, "just works" usage (tired of flashing ROM's, each with their various quirks and caveats), and something that's fairly future proof. The i5s will obviously get iOS 8, and probably whatever comes after as well, I could reasonably assume? The iPhone seems to be the obvious choice, but I feel as if I'd be passing on the more next-gen hardware on the Note 3, granted it's married to that abomination Touchwiz skin.

Any insight from anyone that's ever pondered the same much appreciated

There are only a few phones that I can feel safe in saying that they "just work" out of the box, requiring no modification to software.

1. iPhone
2. Moto X
3. Nexus 5

And all 3 of those have new hardware updates coming out within the next couple of months, that I would wait to see reviews on all of them before making a decision. Additionally, Nexus devices are like iPhones in that they don't need carriers to update their software. You can get the latest and greatest as soon as Google or Apple release the updates. The Moto X has been that way, but with Lenovo taking over, the Moto X may be a crapshoot.

 

[mustafu]

There are only a few phones that I can feel safe in saying that they "just work" out of the box, requiring no modification to software.

1. iPhone
2. Moto X
3. Nexus 5

And all 3 of those have new hardware updates coming out within the next couple of months, that I would wait to see reviews on all of them before making a decision. Additionally, Nexus devices are like iPhones in that they don't need carriers to update their software. You can get the latest and greatest as soon as Google or Apple release the updates. The Moto X has been that way, but with Lenovo taking over, the Moto X may be a crapshoot.

Thanks. It's interesting that with the i6 around the corner, all I can read far as the eye can see is complaints about the 4 inchers on the i5 screens. Are they that bad and small? I don't remember it being that bad myself.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Thanks. It's interesting that with the i6 around the corner, all I can read far as the eye can see is complaints about the 4 inchers on the i5 screens. Are they that bad and small? I don't remember it being that bad myself.

It isn't bad if you don't know any different. Take a look at a large 1080p, vibrant screen like the LG G3 or Lumia 930, then look at the iPhone 5S (or prior models) and you see why Apple finally relented into making a bigger 1080p phone.

 

[bobenhaus]

I have a Atrix HD on at&t that's long past its prime. The battery is degraded so much as to barely last 2 hours with moderate usage, and I feel I need to upgrade now before I go crazy constantly being tethered to a charger. I've narrowed it down to the Note 3 and i5s. I've rooted my Atrix, have an unlocked bootloader and run CM11 nightlies on it, and that's well and good, I've also formerly owned an i5 which I wasn't particularly dissatisfied with.

My priorities in my next phone are: good battery life, "just works" usage (tired of flashing ROM's, each with their various quirks and caveats), and something that's fairly future proof. The i5s will obviously get iOS 8, and probably whatever comes after as well, I could reasonably assume? The iPhone seems to be the obvious choice, but I feel as if I'd be passing on the more next-gen hardware on the Note 3, granted it's married to that abomination Touchwiz skin.

Any insight from anyone that's ever pondered the same much appreciated

Note 3 hands down.

 

[JoEw]

I have a Atrix HD on at&t that's long past its prime. The battery is degraded so much as to barely last 2 hours with moderate usage, and I feel I need to upgrade now before I go crazy constantly being tethered to a charger. I've narrowed it down to the Note 3 and i5s. I've rooted my Atrix, have an unlocked bootloader and run CM11 nightlies on it, and that's well and good, I've also formerly owned an i5 which I wasn't particularly dissatisfied with.

My priorities in my next phone are: good battery life, "just works" usage (tired of flashing ROM's, each with their various quirks and caveats), and something that's fairly future proof. The i5s will obviously get iOS 8, and probably whatever comes after as well, I could reasonably assume? The iPhone seems to be the obvious choice, but I feel as if I'd be passing on the more next-gen hardware on the Note 3, granted it's married to that abomination Touchwiz skin.

Any insight from anyone that's ever pondered the same much appreciated

Personally I would try to wait until the 6 comes around in September and see if the new hardware is to your liking, the 5s is about to be outdated I don't think it would be wise to buy it right now with an a better one around the corner for the same price. Also expect many android updates to compete with it around that timeframe as well.

As for the Note 3, I can't comment on why a screen that huge would be desired but if you are considering android grab a Nexus or go for a Moto, stock android only.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I would wait until the note 4 and iPhone 6 comes out as we aren't that far away now. If you are getting it now I'd pick the note 3 every time. I've owned both phones and I just feel like the note 3 has so much more to offer in terms of features, screen real estate and quality etc.

 

[The Game 161]

Note 4 is out next month so if you still want note 3 it will be cheaper by then.

Note 3 is the best experience I've had with any phone and I've had most iPhones.

 

[maflynn]

Both the note 3 and the iphone 5s are due to be replaced in the very near future. Why not wait until you see the newer models and then decide.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Neither. Wait for the N4 / iP6 and decide then. There is no point in getting either of the current models now, some 1.5 month before the new models hitting the stores.

 

[jamezr]

Neither. Wait for the N4 / iP6 and decide then. There is no point in getting either of the current models now, some 1.5 month before the new models hitting the stores.

Great advice.......if you do not NEED to replace your phone now. I would wait another month for either the Note 4 or the iPhone6. This way you have more options to choose from and will get the latest models.

 

[mustafu]

Thank you all. I did give in to instant gratification and picked up a gold 5s yesterday. It does not leave me wanting anything, but I understand the latest model is right around the corner. Will likely return it and just pay the restocking fee while I wait for the newer models. Can pick up one of those portable batteries or something to recharge my old Android while I wait.

 

[jamezr]

Thank you all. I did give in to instant gratification and picked up a gold 5s yesterday. It does not leave me wanting anything, but I understand the latest model is right around the corner. Will likely return it and just pay the restocking fee while I wait for the newer models. Can pick up one of those portable batteries or something to recharge my old Android while I wait.

Good luck Mustafu.....Enjoy your new phone!

 

[mustafu]

Thank you. The compact size doesn't bother me, I actually prefer it. And it does everything faster than I can even think of stuff to do

 

[LSUtigers03]

If the decision is between two phones and one is a Samsung phone then the right choice is always the phone that isn't made by Samsung.

 

[Badrottie]

Note 4 is for you that is all I can say right now. I can't explain why.

 

[cnotes2019]

Get the m8 windows phone

 

[Zwhaler]

If the decision is between two phones and one is a Samsung phone then the right choice is always the phone that isn't made by Samsung.

Meh, opinions are opinions.

 

[flybub]

I'm really intrigued by what Apple is going to do with the iphone6. I've been with Android since 2009 and I'm about ready for a change. Android has gotten better with each release but I get tired of ironing out the Google bugs. Something as simple as Google cloud print has been a complete nightmare to set up and I still don't have it right yet. I was a root and custom rom addict for a couple years but that is long passed now. 3 kids a full time job and a few other business interests has cut down on my time to tinker. I've had hands on with the note 3 and is not for me. Too big and the s pen is something I would never take out of my phone. I have a note 10.1 2014 edition that hasn't seen the stylus out unless my kids use it. It's funny how many people kick touchwiz and how horrible it is on the s4 and s5 but praise how good the note 3 is?? I must have missed something because I thought touchwiz is touchwiz. I've had an s4 which was my first ever Samsung phone... and will be the last Samsung phone I buy. I have a moto x now which is a great device but again it comes back to Google. Every company is going to have its issues but the customer support seems to be better on the Apple side, not only with the apple stores and hardware, but also with software updates for their devices.

 

[OceanView]

If you can wait for the new phone announcements then wait.
If you can't wait and need a phone now, get the Note 3.
It's still one of the best phones on the market today.

 

[mustafu]

I ended up swapping the 5s for a Galaxy S5 active. Very nice, rugged, SD and removable battery.

 

[Mechayoshi]

I ended up swapping the 5s for a Galaxy S5 active. Very nice, rugged, SD and removable battery.

Glad u like it. Are u into rooting?

 

[rrl]

Which one has the built-in stylus and the ability to add your own developed software for free?

 

[mustafu]

Glad u like it. Are u into rooting?

Yeah. I had an unlocked bootloader and CM11 on my Atrix HD.

Which one has the built-in stylus and the ability to add your own developed software for free?

Note series?

 

[masood11]

Note 3 is the best .. check Why

Compare Display, Storage, Camera, Connectivity, Communication, Software, Battery, full specifications of both phones and find that galaxy note 3 is the best option with great display screen size and features...

note 3 price in Dubai