Observations after almost four weeks with the Note 8

[convergent]

I went basically the same route and agree with most of the OP's points. I came from iPhone 6S+ and Apple Watch that I've had for 2 years exactly, to Note 8 and Gear S3 Frontier. I love both. Honestly, the thing that I was most delighted about that surprised me was the watch. I had played with a Gear in the store a while back and was kind of "meh" about it. But after using it for about a day, and especially going to the gym, it is so much better. The UI is way more intuitive, it looks worlds better like a real watch (purely subjective), and the rotating dial is much easier to deal with while running with sweaty hands vs. the crown and screen swipes.

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.

I agree that the Note 8 speakers are not great, but I've had good quality sound through earbuds and my truck. I also have an F150, but I have a Pioneer deck that supports Android Auto / CarPlay. I listen to Spotify without issues. Are you using the factory deck? What year is your F150?

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.

Samsung Pay and Apple Pay use different technologies. Apple Pay uses NFC, but Samsung Pay adds MST which will work with older terminals by "magically" creating a magnetic field that appears like a magnetic card swipe to the terminal. Europe moved to Chip and PIN a long time ago, so this is a bigger benefit in the US. http://money.cnn.com/infographic/technology/mobile-payment-comparison/index.html

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.

You might want to try it again. I ventured away from the iPhone about 3 years ago with a Galaxy S5. I stuck with it for about 6 months and hated it. The software was wonky. The phone would at times get really hot for no reason and drain the battery down quickly. I would come out of a store and realize the music had started playing in my pocket for no reason. I often had to pull the battery. It was a very frustrating experience.

The Note 8 has been a completely different experience. Its fast, gorgeous, and things work. It is still more complex than iOS to learn to use, but as the OP stated... a few hours of YouTube videos and I'm very comfortable with it. None of the bad stuff I experienced a couple of years ago.

I don't care for the iPhone X from what I've seen of it, and I was also a bit bored with the idea of getting an iPhone 8+ which once in the case would be mostly the same as what I already had.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I went basically the same route and agree with most of the OP's points. I came from iPhone 6S+ and Apple Watch that I've had for 2 years exactly, to Note 8 and Gear S3 Frontier. I love both. Honestly, the thing that I was most delighted about that surprised me was the watch. I had played with a Gear in the store a while back and was kind of "meh" about it. But after using it for about a day, and especially going to the gym, it is so much better. The UI is way more intuitive, it looks worlds better like a real watch (purely subjective), and the rotating dial is much easier to deal with while running with sweaty hands vs. the crown and screen swipes.



I agree that the Note 8 speakers are not great, but I've had good quality sound through earbuds and my truck. I also have an F150, but I have a Pioneer deck that supports Android Auto / CarPlay. I listen to Spotify without issues. Are you using the factory deck? What year is your F150?



Samsung Pay and Apple Pay use different technologies. Apple Pay uses NFC, but Samsung Pay adds MST which will work with older terminals by "magically" creating a magnetic field that appears like a magnetic card swipe to the terminal. Europe moved to Chip and PIN a long time ago, so this is a bigger benefit in the US. http://money.cnn.com/infographic/technology/mobile-payment-comparison/index.html



You might want to try it again. I ventured away from the iPhone about 3 years ago with a Galaxy S5. I stuck with it for about 6 months and hated it. The software was wonky. The phone would at times get really hot for no reason and drain the battery down quickly. I would come out of a store and realize the music had started playing in my pocket for no reason. I often had to pull the battery. It was a very frustrating experience.

The Note 8 has been a completely different experience. Its fast, gorgeous, and things work. It is still more complex than iOS to learn to use, but as the OP stated... a few hours of YouTube videos and cI'm very comfortable with it. None of the bad stuff I experienced a couple of years ago.

I don't care for the iPhone X from what I've seen of it, and I was also a bit bored with the idea of getting an iPhone 8+ which once in the case would be mostly the same as what I already had.

We don’t have magnetic strip terminals in the UK anymore. We use chip and pin so the only relevant technology here is contactless which both Apple and Samsung pay Work with.

 

[convergent]

We don’t have magnetic strip terminals in the UK anymore. We use chip and pin so the only relevant technology here is contactless which both Apple and Samsung pay Work with.

Right... so I think Samsung Pay has no advantage in Europe. Us Americans are in the dark ages when it comes to payment systems. And even where they have implemented Chip, its Chip and Signature instead of Chip and PIN. Kind of dumb since it isn't a lot more secure given that I can't remember the last time a merchant checked my signature. I just scribble a curvy line.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Right... so I think Samsung Pay has no advantage in Europe. Us Americans are in the dark ages when it comes to payment systems. And even where they have implemented Chip, its Chip and Signature instead of Chip and PIN. Kind of dumb since it isn't a lot more secure given that I can't remember the last time a merchant checked my signature. I just scribble a curvy line.

I guess that’s good if you use Samsung pay because you can use it in so many places in the US. Over here we can only use android/Apple/Samsung pay where contactless is accepted. However having said that contactless terminals are getting more and more popular everyday.

 

[Wrathwitch]

I am always learning new things about this phone. Just found out the other day that I can pinch zoom my Messages text!

 

[Fernandez21]

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.

Yeah, I got the same thing before, in fact they refused to let me use Samsung pay because they were I afraid I was going to hack their system. It sucked because that day I forgot my wallet and had to go elsewhere.

 

[convergent]

Yeah, I got the same thing before, in fact they refused to let me use Samsung pay because they were I afraid I was going to hack their system. It sucked because that day I forgot my wallet and had to go elsewhere.

Just out of curiosity, how would they prevent you from using it. I use my Gear S3, and by the time they realize what I'm doing, its done. If the charge has already gone through they can't very well prevent you from doing it at that point, right? At that point, if they refused to give me what I had purchase, and refused to give me a refund, then I'd ask to speak to the manager, and if they refused, I'd probably call the police. You can bring up Samsung Pay on your device with your credit card info and show the transaction has gone through.

 

[Fernandez21]

Just out of curiosity, how would they prevent you from using it. I use my Gear S3, and by the time they realize what I'm doing, its done. If the charge has already gone through they can't very well prevent you from doing it at that point, right? At that point, if they refused to give me what I had purchase, and refused to give me a refund, then I'd ask to speak to the manager, and if they refused, I'd probably call the police. You can bring up Samsung Pay on your device with your credit card info and show the transaction has gone through.

It was one of those registers where the scanner was built into the screen. So the way it normally works is that you hand your card to the cashier, they then press some buttons on the screen and scan your card. So I told the cashier to just press the buttons as though it's was a debit card and then hold my phone up to the scanner. That's when she got confused, called her manager and they refused saying I could be hacking their system.

 

[jamezr]

It was one of those registers where the scanner was built into the screen. So the way it normally works is that you hand your card to the cashier, they then press some buttons on the screen and scan your card. So I told the cashier to just press the buttons as though it's was a debit card and then hold my phone up to the scanner. That's when she got confused, called her manager and they refused saying I could be hacking their system.

Priceless!

 

[Johns12]

I have had the same experience as the op. Love my Note 8 after at least 5 Iphones. The screen is great, and no problems with Android. I need to spend more time learning uses for the S Pen. Battery life has also been fantastic.

 

[convergent]

It was one of those registers where the scanner was built into the screen. So the way it normally works is that you hand your card to the cashier, they then press some buttons on the screen and scan your card. So I told the cashier to just press the buttons as though it's was a debit card and then hold my phone up to the scanner. That's when she got confused, called her manager and they refused saying I could be hacking their system.

Yeh, well I would never try to use it if they were doing the swipe behind the counter. One confusing thing to me is the Riteaid drive thru window has Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay logos on the window. How would that work? You'd have to start it and then pass it through the window to them? Can't believe that would work and I'd never do it.

 

[Fernandez21]

Yeh, well I would never try to use it if they were doing the swipe behind the counter. One confusing thing to me is the Riteaid drive thru window has Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay logos on the window. How would that work? You'd have to start it and then pass it through the window to them? Can't believe that would work and I'd never do it.

It wasn't behind counter, it was on top of the screen facing the cashier, so I'm facing the back of the screen. I just had to hold it up to the back of the monitor, but first the cashier would have to select debit card to activate the swiper, and that's why I had to ask. I've done it at other locations and it worked fine, but at this one store they freaked.

 

[kdarling]

Yeh, well I would never try to use it if they were doing the swipe behind the counter. One confusing thing to me is the Riteaid drive thru window has Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay logos on the window. How would that work? You'd have to start it and then pass it through the window to them? Can't believe that would work and I'd never do it.

Places with drive through windows normally have a card reader on a coiled cable that they hold out for you to tap with your phone. (Assuming they don't have a contactless reader right there outside under the window.)

 

[convergent]

Places with drive through windows normally have a card reader on a coiled cable that they hold out for you to tap with your phone. (Assuming they don't have a contactless reader right there outside under the window.)

This place has a bank teller style window. There is no passing. The slide out drawer closes when they pull it in so there is never a time of an open window to the clerk.