Observations after almost four weeks with the Note 8

[MarkB786]

Here are a few observations so far regarding my experiment (going on four weeks) of moving to a Note 8 and Gear 3 after 10 yrs with an iPhone and having NEVER touched Android or a Samsung product before:

- The learning curve entailed watching about three hours of tutorials on YouTube and reading many blogs to catch tips and hints.
- The Note 8 / Android beats iOS hands down for functionality and ease of customization for my work flow (exec at an engineering consulting firm). The S-Pen on the Note is an amazing tool that use all the time.
- Sound quality (speakers, headphones, Bluetooth) is very noticeably better on the iPhone. I do miss the sound quality, but productivity trumps that for me since I love music but am not an audiophile.
- Bluetooth reliability seems a bit better on the Note. On my iPhone 7p, I was frequently having to re-pair my Bose headset. Have not had to do that at all on the Note (yet).
- Cameras are very close to being the same. I mean, unless you are a professional, how much better can cameras get?
- The Note 8 screen is better for me. The extra length and real estate means I reach for my iPad a little less frequently. Both have scheduled blue light filters, both have adaptive displays, and both are very clear.
- I have managed to work myself out of the Apple ecosystem with little pain.
- Bixby (Samsung's Siri) is just a touch better at answering questions appropriately. But I still feel Siri and Bixby have a very long way to go before they are not just novelties that work once in a while.
- Samsung Pay works more places and works very well. But it does require a swipe to activate, unlike Apple Pay which works without the user having to prompt it.
- Unlocking the Note 8 has been less of a pain than with the iPhone 7p. I use the proximity functionality a lot. I do not miss having to re-do my fingerprint every week or two on the iPhone.
- Most apps I use have an equivalent, quality app on Android. The exception to this is Things and the quality Readdle apps, which seem to have no equal in Droid.
- Overall, flow of the app screens, responsiveness to touch, etc. are just as good (if not a little better) on the Note 8.
- The Gear 3 watch is easier to use and looks nicer, IMHO. I have not yet missed my Apple Watch. LTE calls are clear and the watch fun & intuitive to use.
- I still have my iPad, but when I go back to it, I feel more constrained; almost like it is simply an app repository with little functionality of its own. Not sure if that makes sense?

My conclusion so far: The iPhone is gorgeous, but less functional. It wins, no contest, on sound quality. But the Note 8 wins big time for me for flexibility, customization, and just general usefulness during my hectic work day.

 

[sdwaltz]

I will be curious to see if you feel the same way in 6 months. Android phones work well out of the box, but then the issues start down the road.

 

[MarkB786]

I will be curious to see if you feel the same way in 6 months. Android phones work well out of the box, but then the issues start down the road.

Yes, we'll see! I honestly had the same degradation issue with my iPhone and MacBook Pro.

 

[Diorama]

Where do you live that Samsung pay is more accepted than Apple Pay? Just curious as in the UK I’m sure it’s the other way round.

Also can’t relate to your TouchID experience, I’m up to 20 months on mine. Maybe you have chameleonic prints. Have you considered a life in crime?

Nice to read a well thought out comparison though. I get display envy every time I see that Note.

 

[5105973]

Here are a few observations so far regarding my experiment (going on four weeks) of moving to a Note 8 and Gear 3 after 10 yrs with an iPhone and having NEVER touched Android or a Samsung product before:


- Sound quality (speakers, headphones, Bluetooth) is very noticeably better on the iPhone. I do miss the sound quality, but productivity trumps that for me since I love music but am not an audiophile.
- Most apps I use have an equivalent, quality app on Android. The exception to this is Things and the quality Readdle apps, which seem to have no equal in Droid.
.

Have you tried adjusting your equalizer settings (when using compatible headphones) to tailor the sound to your preferences?

And have you run across a lot of apps that allowed you to use fingerprint authentication in iOS, but not in Android? This was an annoyance for my husband when he tried to use his various financial services apps. He got sick of entering his many passwords.

 

[jamesrick80]

Here are a few observations so far regarding my experiment (going on four weeks) of moving to a Note 8 and Gear 3 after 10 yrs with an iPhone and having NEVER touched Android or a Samsung product before:

- The learning curve entailed watching about three hours of tutorials on YouTube and reading many blogs to catch tips and hints.
- The Note 8 / Android beats iOS hands down for functionality and ease of customization for my work flow (exec at an engineering consulting firm). The S-Pen on the Note is an amazing tool that use all the time.
- Sound quality (speakers, headphones, Bluetooth) is very noticeably better on the iPhone. I do miss the sound quality, but productivity trumps that for me since I love music but am not an audiophile.
- Bluetooth reliability seems a bit better on the Note. On my iPhone 7p, I was frequently having to re-pair my Bose headset. Have not had to do that at all on the Note (yet).
- Cameras are very close to being the same. I mean, unless you are a professional, how much better can cameras get?
- The Note 8 screen is better for me. The extra length and real estate means I reach for my iPad a little less frequently. Both have scheduled blue light filters, both have adaptive displays, and both are very clear.
- I have managed to work myself out of the Apple ecosystem with little pain.
- Bixby (Samsung's Siri) is just a touch better at answering questions appropriately. But I still feel Siri and Bixby have a very long way to go before they are not just novelties that work once in a while.
- Samsung Pay works more places and works very well. But it does require a swipe to activate, unlike Apple Pay which works without the user having to prompt it.
- Unlocking the Note 8 has been less of a pain than with the iPhone 7p. I use the proximity functionality a lot. I do not miss having to re-do my fingerprint every week or two on the iPhone.
- Most apps I use have an equivalent, quality app on Android. The exception to this is Things and the quality Readdle apps, which seem to have no equal in Droid.
- Overall, flow of the app screens, responsiveness to touch, etc. are just as good (if not a little better) on the Note 8.
- The Gear 3 watch is easier to use and looks nicer, IMHO. I have not yet missed my Apple Watch. LTE calls are clear and the watch fun & intuitive to use.
- I still have my iPad, but when I go back to it, I feel more constrained; almost like it is simply an app repository with little functionality of its own. Not sure if that makes sense?

My conclusion so far: The iPhone is gorgeous, but less functional. It wins, no contest, on sound quality. But the Note 8 wins big time for me for flexibility, customization, and just general usefulness during my hectic work day.

Glad you are enjoying it. Replace all of your Readdle apps by using Google Apps. They have a google pdf replacement, document scanner replacement, calendar, productivity apps (docs,sheets,slides, google Keep), etc. all by Google. Make sure you use google drive as well because all of this can be centralized when you save files etc. to your google drive. Its a better lifelong replacement than readdle apps in my opinion. Google apps are future proof.

 

[ray6712]

Yes I’ve owned every iPhone since the 5s and I’ve only reentered my Touch ID fingerprint twice, been butter every since.

 

[deany]

Here are a few observations so far regarding my experiment (going on four weeks) of moving to a Note 8 and Gear 3 after 10 yrs with an iPhone and having NEVER touched Android or a Samsung product before:

- The learning curve entailed watching about three hours of tutorials on YouTube and reading many blogs to catch tips and hints.
- The Note 8 / Android beats iOS hands down for functionality and ease of customization for my work flow (exec at an engineering consulting firm). The S-Pen on the Note is an amazing tool that use all the time.
- Sound quality (speakers, headphones, Bluetooth) is very noticeably better on the iPhone. I do miss the sound quality, but productivity trumps that for me since I love music but am not an audiophile.
- Bluetooth reliability seems a bit better on the Note. On my iPhone 7p, I was frequently having to re-pair my Bose headset. Have not had to do that at all on the Note (yet).
- Cameras are very close to being the same. I mean, unless you are a professional, how much better can cameras get?
- The Note 8 screen is better for me. The extra length and real estate means I reach for my iPad a little less frequently. Both have scheduled blue light filters, both have adaptive displays, and both are very clear.
- I have managed to work myself out of the Apple ecosystem with little pain.
- Bixby (Samsung's Siri) is just a touch better at answering questions appropriately. But I still feel Siri and Bixby have a very long way to go before they are not just novelties that work once in a while.
- Samsung Pay works more places and works very well. But it does require a swipe to activate, unlike Apple Pay which works without the user having to prompt it.
- Unlocking the Note 8 has been less of a pain than with the iPhone 7p. I use the proximity functionality a lot. I do not miss having to re-do my fingerprint every week or two on the iPhone.
- Most apps I use have an equivalent, quality app on Android. The exception to this is Things and the quality Readdle apps, which seem to have no equal in Droid.
- Overall, flow of the app screens, responsiveness to touch, etc. are just as good (if not a little better) on the Note 8.
- The Gear 3 watch is easier to use and looks nicer, IMHO. I have not yet missed my Apple Watch. LTE calls are clear and the watch fun & intuitive to use.
- I still have my iPad, but when I go back to it, I feel more constrained; almost like it is simply an app repository with little functionality of its own. Not sure if that makes sense?

My conclusion so far: The iPhone is gorgeous, but less functional. It wins, no contest, on sound quality. But the Note 8 wins big time for me for flexibility, customization, and just general usefulness during my hectic work day.

Thanks for sharing and kudos to you after iPhone for 10 years.

Could you possibly post links to the approx 3 hours of youtube videos.

thanks

 

[Puddled]

Have you tried adjusting your equalizer settings (when using compatible headphones) to tailor the sound to your preferences?

And have you run across a lot of apps that allowed you to use fingerprint authentication in iOS, but not in Android? This was an annoyance for my husband when he tried to use his various financial services apps. He got sick of entering his many passwords.

Samsungs Pass app is fantastic

 

[rocknblogger]

Here are a few observations so far regarding my experiment (going on four weeks) of moving to a Note 8 and Gear 3 after 10 yrs with an iPhone and having NEVER touched Android or a Samsung product before:

- The learning curve entailed watching about three hours of tutorials on YouTube and reading many blogs to catch tips and hints.
- The Note 8 / Android beats iOS hands down for functionality and ease of customization for my work flow (exec at an engineering consulting firm). The S-Pen on the Note is an amazing tool that use all the time.
- Sound quality (speakers, headphones, Bluetooth) is very noticeably better on the iPhone. I do miss the sound quality, but productivity trumps that for me since I love music but am not an audiophile.
- Bluetooth reliability seems a bit better on the Note. On my iPhone 7p, I was frequently having to re-pair my Bose headset. Have not had to do that at all on the Note (yet).
- Cameras are very close to being the same. I mean, unless you are a professional, how much better can cameras get?
- The Note 8 screen is better for me. The extra length and real estate means I reach for my iPad a little less frequently. Both have scheduled blue light filters, both have adaptive displays, and both are very clear.
- I have managed to work myself out of the Apple ecosystem with little pain.
- Bixby (Samsung's Siri) is just a touch better at answering questions appropriately. But I still feel Siri and Bixby have a very long way to go before they are not just novelties that work once in a while.
- Samsung Pay works more places and works very well. But it does require a swipe to activate, unlike Apple Pay which works without the user having to prompt it.
- Unlocking the Note 8 has been less of a pain than with the iPhone 7p. I use the proximity functionality a lot. I do not miss having to re-do my fingerprint every week or two on the iPhone.
- Most apps I use have an equivalent, quality app on Android. The exception to this is Things and the quality Readdle apps, which seem to have no equal in Droid.
- Overall, flow of the app screens, responsiveness to touch, etc. are just as good (if not a little better) on the Note 8.
- The Gear 3 watch is easier to use and looks nicer, IMHO. I have not yet missed my Apple Watch. LTE calls are clear and the watch fun & intuitive to use.
- I still have my iPad, but when I go back to it, I feel more constrained; almost like it is simply an app repository with little functionality of its own. Not sure if that makes sense?

My conclusion so far: The iPhone is gorgeous, but less functional. It wins, no contest, on sound quality. But the Note 8 wins big time for me for flexibility, customization, and just general usefulness during my hectic work day.

My experience pretty much to a tee. I went from an iPhone 7 Plus to the Note 8 and I can honestly say that in my opinion this is the best phone I’ve ever owned. The screen is so gorgeous I almost can’t stop looking at it. And I’m no kid I’m 55 and I use my devices as part of my workflow with the occasional game and video streaming. This screen makes all my other Apple devices look a bit dingy.

I too am not reaching for my iPad as much as I used to. I find the freedom of Android refreshing. Granted, next year I might miss iOS enough to go back but right now I’m enjoying my experience quite a bit.

A couple things I miss is tap at top to scroll to top, although the software button in the Samsung browser at the bottom of the screen accomplishes the same thing. As a matter of fact after trying a few different browsers I think the default Samsung browser is the best of the lot. And as you mentioned I miss the speakers of the iPhone however I find that my AirPods work exactly as the did on my Apple devices so that’s a wash since I mostly use them during the day.

Lastly in my opinion the physical design of the Note 8/S8/S8 Plus is phenomenal. Fit and finish are perfect and it feels great in hand. Oh yeah and the S Pen is genius. This is the first device I’ve ever owned and used a stylus with that I can actually create legible notes on.

I can really go on and on. This is one heck of a device.

 

[JackieInCo]

I loved Samsung Pay the few times that I've tried it in the 1.5 years that I owned a S7 Edge. I haven't used it on my Note 8. Last time I used it at King Soopers, the clerk watched me like I was trying to break into their store safe so I just haven't used it anywhere since and it's been about a year.

As far as Google apps, I use whatever apps Samsung has provided such as Gallery, messages and the phone app.

Anyways, I love my Note 8, however in the car, I still prefer using my iPhone for music via BT.

 

[Dodgeman]

Route I’m thinking of going.
Haven’t finalized it yet simply because Apple is just so e z to use! Although they Note 8 looks amazing and has a ton of features that the iPhone 8 doesn’t have.
The x seems overrated.

 

[pdqgp]

Sound quality (speakers, headphones, Bluetooth) is very noticeably better on the iPhone. I do miss the sound quality, but productivity trumps that for me since I love music but am not an audiophile.

download PowerAmp and set it up so the EQ is tuned for your various devices. 1000% better than stock and together will blow away the iPhone. Go deeper into your Android OS settings to set up the custom sounds too.
[doublepost=1507605960][/doublepost]

I will be curious to see if you feel the same way in 6 months. Android phones work well out of the box, but then the issues start down the road.

Meh....IMO most are related to users ***** up their systems or something. I've never had an Android get funky as the stories state.

 

[hemon]

I cannot understand how you can say that the iPhone has a better sound quality via headphones: My S8 (EU version) is noticeably better than the iPhone 6(s)-8 and iPad Pro 10.5 and the Note 8 has the same DAC.

 

[MarkB786]

I cannot understand how you can say that the iPhone has a better sound quality via headphones: My S8 (EU version) is noticeably better than the iPhone 6(s)-8 and iPad Pro 10.5 and the Note 8 has the same DAC.

Sounds like I need to play with some settings. It's very noticeable for me. Also, I just discovered that when I try to play Spotify in my Fors F150 via the USB cord, I get an error about a music license from my Ford receiver. Not sure what is going on there.

 

[rocknblogger]

I cannot understand how you can say that the iPhone has a better sound quality via headphones: My S8 (EU version) is noticeably better than the iPhone 6(s)-8 and iPad Pro 10.5 and the Note 8 has the same DAC.

Not sure if you're referring to me but my only problem was that the iPhone had a better sounding speakers. As far as headphones I agree with you that the Note 8 sounds excellent.

 

[MarkB786]

Where do you live that Samsung pay is more accepted than Apple Pay? Just curious as in the UK I’m sure it’s the other way round.

Also can’t relate to your TouchID experience, I’m up to 20 months on mine. Maybe you have chameleonic prints. Have you considered a life in crime?

Nice to read a well thought out comparison though. I get display envy every time I see that Note.

Not sure on the fingerprint. I live in a very dry climate, so maybe that has something tomdo with it.
[doublepost=1507612777][/doublepost]

Thanks for sharing and kudos to you after iPhone for 10 years.

Could you possibly post links to the approx 3 hours of youtube videos.

thanks

I simply searched 'Note 8' and 's pen' tutorials and ran through several. Really helped the learning curve a lot.

 

[hemon]

Sounds like I need to play with some settings. It's very noticeable for me. Also, I just discovered that when I try to play Spotify in my Fors F150 via the USB cord, I get an error about a music license from my Ford receiver. Not sure what is going on there.

Have you tried to activate the audio modus in the developer menu? I use the dragonfly red and it works well - just with the problem of low volume which requires a work around ...

 

[torana355]

I cannot understand how you can say that the iPhone has a better sound quality via headphones: My S8 (EU version) is noticeably better than the iPhone 6(s)-8 and iPad Pro 10.5 and the Note 8 has the same DAC.

The reviews i've read have the headphone quality on the Note 8 being quite good. Also my S8 plus sound quality is great without being brilliant. Only some LG phones have better headphone audio quality imo.

 

[JackieInCo]

Not sure on the fingerprint. I live in a very dry climate, so maybe that has something tomdo with it.
[doublepost=1507612777][/doublepost]

I simply searched 'Note 8' and 's pen' tutorials and ran through several. Really helped the learning curve a lot.

I did the same thing. Everyone should do this with every new Note that comes out because of all the new added features.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Where do you live that Samsung pay is more accepted than Apple Pay? Just curious as in the UK I’m sure it’s the other way round.

Also can’t relate to your TouchID experience, I’m up to 20 months on mine. Maybe you have chameleonic prints. Have you considered a life in crime?

Nice to read a well thought out comparison though. I get display envy every time I see that Note.

I would have thought that Apple Pay and Samsung pay would be equally accepted in the UK? As both can be used with any contactless terminal. I live in the UK. I use Apple Pay all the time but I’ve never used Samsung pay but I would expect that I could use it in all the same places.

 

[JackieInCo]

I would have thought that Apple Pay and Samsung pay would be equally accepted in the UK? As both can be used with any contactless terminal. I live in the UK. I use Apple Pay all the time but I’ve never used Samsung pay but I would expect that I could use it in all the same places.

I've used Samsung Pay but have never used Apple Pay. I've only seen one store near me that even had an Apple logo on their checkout and that was at a hardware store. I didn't have my phone so I just paid cash.

I don't even use use Samsung Pay anymore because the last time I used it, the clerk looked at me like I was hacking their system or something and that was about a year ago. I like using cash or my debit or credit cards.

 

[Voodoochild346]

Sounds like I need to play with some settings. It's very noticeable for me. Also, I just discovered that when I try to play Spotify in my Fors F150 via the USB cord, I get an error about a music license from my Ford receiver. Not sure what is going on there.

Go into the settings and setup sound personalization. It's a must if you care about sound quality.

 

[Dodgeman]

I did the same thing. Everyone should do this with every new Note that comes out because of all the new added features.

Yeah I played with an old Note vs. new note and there’s a difference in the s pen functions.

 

[kapolani]

Contemplated briefly, on getting the Note 8.

I jumped the IOS ship once years ago.

It was fine until I had to start pulling my battery to 'reset' the phone when it would lock up. I also got tired of apps randomly crashing on me. I also hated the weird battery life - without changing anything some days I would have 60% battery left and other days phone would be completely dead.

I'm going to wait for the iPhone X and see how that goes.