Who is tempted to buy a Note 9 today?

[nrvna76]

I'll eat my S-Pen if Apple actually gives the XS+ any features that brings it close to Note terriotory when it comes to productivity. Can't see it happening. Expecting just a bigger X with landscape functionality and maybe split-screen apps. That's it.

And don't think for a second they were waiting on features that weren't ready yet. They were waiting to capitalize on a market of X owners who would want a bigger version the following year.

If they come out with a stylus that fits into the iPhone XS plus or whatever I may slightly regret my Note purchase. I don’t expect any regret.

 

[Grimham]

If they come out with a stylus that fits into the iPhone XS plus or whatever I may slightly regret my Note purchase. I don’t expect any regret.

Yeah, but Apple will never do that because from the beginning, Steve Jobs said that is why humans have a finger. They don't need a stylus. Either way, Apple said back then they would never make a phone with a stylus of any type.

 

[Srbell67]

Been out of town, but received my Note 9 on the 24th, the day before I left town. Love it to death. Long battery life, great screen, it kills my iPhone X in every way possible.

How do you like the Galaxy Watch?

 

[Txguy82]

I'd grab one in an instant - small stylus iPhone X Plus. I'm done with Samsung though always curious what there doing, what S10+ and maybe Note 10.

Maybe apple had something on the drawing board but needed more time to solve it to be ready this year.

I had Note 8, don't care for that huge Apple Pencil, and Microsoft keeps trying but they fall short.

I think an Apple stylus is a possibility.

Why are u done with Sammy?

 

[Sackofnickels]

So I had a chance to look at the device in person at best buy and while I found it smooth despite having a load of apps in memory I was underwhelmed and found myself thinking "why should I get this"?

Yeah it was nice looking. Very slippery and bloated down, I counted 3 camera apps already on the thing. Microsoft wares.

How many different accounts would I need to take full advantage of the device?

My s7 edge I updated recently and it sucks, I get messages saying enhanced messaging features have been enable, every reboot. Samsung dm service checks device status at least once a day when I catch it. Lookout I finally force stopped after the recent update because the icon wouldn't clear my notification and the app was running in the background.

Then the system started to complain lookout was using battery. The system complains about everything almost.

Do I need an account or a log in to use the useless forced bloatware I don't want to use?

So yeah this pretty much turned me off of Samsung devices.

And this leaves me with a big question what to do next.

I too went to Best Buy and looked at the Note 9. I saw a beautiful design, very nice screen, lots of different apps and features. Very customizable. I really liked the phone, watch, and charging stand combo. Very slick.

I could totally see that combo on my nightstand.

 

[csurfr]

Been out of town, but received my Note 9 on the 24th, the day before I left town. Love it to death. Long battery life, great screen, it kills my iPhone X in every way possible.

Dome Glass protector? How was it to put on? I've seen videos that made it look easy, and some that made the experience look horrible. My concern would be getting it off should you need to.

 

[Srbell67]

I too went to Best Buy and looked at the Note 9. I saw a beautiful design, very nice screen, lots of different apps and features. Very customizable. I really liked the phone, watch, and charging stand combo. Very slick.

I could totally see that combo on my nightstand.

Me too, but can’t become a green bubble!

 

[Srbell67]

I too went to Best Buy and looked at the Note 9. I saw a beautiful design, very nice screen, lots of different apps and features. Very customizable. I really liked the phone, watch, and charging stand combo. Very slick.

I could totally see that combo on my nightstand.

I bought the Note 9 and Galaxy Watch from Best Buy. Have a week to return. I can’t leave the Apple ecosystem. It really is hard.

 

[nrvna76]

Yeah, but Apple will never do that because from the beginning, Steve Jobs said that is why humans have a finger. They don't need a stylus. Either way, Apple said back then they would never make a phone with a stylus of any type.

While I do agree that they will never come out with a small stylus that stores inside the phone, that quote from Jobs is not the reason. They already have the Apple Pencil. Apple knows the pace of tech, can’t stand still based on what you stated years ago. If they saw a market for it they would make it.

 

[michael9891]

It really makes me laugh when I see people talking about devices that they really love but end up returning them because 'they can't leave the ecosystem'.

 

[Grimham]

How do you like the Galaxy Watch?

So far it's been great. At my conference in Vegas last week, I even went swimming with it on. I was hesitate, but Samsung said it was designed for it. No issues. I like having a round screen.

Dome Glass protector? How was it to put on? I've seen videos that made it look easy, and some that made the experience look horrible. My concern would be getting it off should you need to.

It was a little tedious to put on. I watched this video, and followed it exactly, and had no issues. Had a little bit of excess glue which I just finished using Goo-gone to remove. No issues taking it off. I already lifted it a hair on one corner putting on a case by accident, so it can easily be lifted off. Just use goo-gone to remove the residue.

 

[slitherjef]

It really makes me laugh when I see people talking about devices that they really love but end up returning them because 'they can't leave the ecosystem'.

I think many of those who do this have no intent of keeping the device at all. I feel this way while watching certain YouTubers as well. Could be why I've backed away from many of the "reviews"

 

[Grimham]

Dome Glass protector? How was it to put on? I've seen videos that made it look easy, and some that made the experience look horrible. My concern would be getting it off should you need to.

Just added the video to my post above, I forgot to add it before.

 

[Sackofnickels]

Me too, but can’t become a green bubble!

The green bubble means nothing to me. I don't care which platform someone texts me in. I use my phone for business as well as personal use. I get emails, texts, and calls from all kinds of phones and devices. The eco system is important to me only because of handoff, but it's not a deal breaker. I find I like Outlook for contacts, calendars, and email more than Apple's offerings. The only thing that is an issue is FaceTime. My family is out of state and all use iPhones. So they will have to get another app to video conference me.

 

[nrvna76]

It really makes me laugh when I see people talking about devices that they really love but end up returning them because 'they can't leave the ecosystem'.

Not saying it’s right but I understand where they are coming from. I’ve decided to give the Note 9 a full year to see how I feel about it, but that is not without anxiety. Especially knowing my wife will give me the ‘I told you so’ look every time I have any kind of learning curve to do something.

 

[bgro]

I'll eat my S-Pen if Apple actually gives the XS+ any features that brings it close to Note terriotory when it comes to productivity. Can't see it happening. Expecting just a bigger X with landscape functionality and maybe split-screen apps. That's it.

And don't think for a second they were waiting on features that weren't ready yet. They were waiting to capitalize on a market of X owners who would want a bigger version the following year.

Having split screen apps would be a huge feature imo. Hope this makes it in

 

[Sevanw]

Not saying it’s right but I understand where they are coming from. I’ve decided to give the Note 9 a full year to see how I feel about it, but that is not without anxiety. Especially knowing my wife will give me the ‘I told you so’ look every time I have any kind of learning curve to do something.

I've always said, people going from one OS to another should never pretend to make an effort to do so unless they're willing to give it a year. If you indeed give it a year, your decision will hold way more weight than anyone else that says they gave it a few weeks or even a few months. That's a complete joke. You can't undo years and years of learning and being accustomed to one OS in just a few weeks or months. And you can't give a phone with another OS a try, and expect to do things the same as your old device. You need to be willing to learn and expect do things very differently, and that only comes with time. Giving it one year is the only way. Doing it anyway else is a waste of time and pointless. With a two week trial, you're only going through the paces so you can say, "look, I'm objective, I had the phone for two weeks. I gave it a try." Why waste time doing this? It's so pointless, especially when it's the same people posting the same reason year after year, "I can't leave the ecosystem." Every time I hear this, I think of Einstein's definition of insanity. Smh.

 

[Sackofnickels]

It really makes me laugh when I see people talking about devices that they really love but end up returning them because 'they can't leave the ecosystem'.

I think that's part of the reason why these devices cost so much. Too many are brought back and then resold at a discount. I think it's abusing the system.

The "eco system" is just a convenience. If someone were to truly buy a product for a better camera, better screen, more storage, ease of use, faster processing, etc., the "eco system" would mean nothing. It's all about status (Brand recognition). I read it here al the time.

 

[torana355]

I've always said, people going from one OS to another should never pretend to make an effort to do so unless they're willing to give it a year. If you indeed give it a year, your decision will hold way more weight than anyone else that says they gave it a few weeks or even a few months. That's a complete joke. You can't undo years and years of learning and being accustomed to one OS in just a few weeks or months. And you can't give a phone with another OS a try, and expect to do things the same as your old device. You need to be willing to learn and expect do things very differently, and that only comes with time. Giving it one year is the only way. Doing it anyway else is a waste of time and pointless. With a two week trial, you're only going through the paces so you can say, "look, I'm objective, I had the phone for two weeks. I gave it a try." Why waste time doing this? It's so pointless, especially when it's the same people posting the same reason year after year, "I can't leave the ecosystem." Every time I hear this, I think of Einstein's definition of insanity. Smh.

A very good point! We have the exact same issue in my industry when a new workflow or program/machine is introduced, at first everyone finds it slower and complains but after 6 months people slowly start to adapt and realise the new system is in fact faster and more flexible. When i first switched from iOS to Android it took me a while to find workarounds for Apples ecosystem integration but after many years on Android I've got it very well sorted and find it works just as well as Apples ecosystem and is much more flexible.

 

[The Game 161]

I think that's part of the reason why these devices cost so much. Too many are brought back and then resold at a discount. I think it's abusing the system.

The "eco system" is just a convenience. If someone were to truly buy a product for a better camera, better screen, more storage, ease of use, faster processing, etc., the "eco system" would mean nothing. It's all about status (Brand recognition). I read it here al the time.

No it's more about how those people's products work together. A lot use more than one device. Android is a great obvious for those who have mainly just a phone as their daily driver and those who are on IOS find it tough to move to android when they depend on multiple devices.

Those people wouldn't be in such an ecosystem if it didn't work so damn well.

 

[circatee]

LOL the look your missus will give. Yep, mine won't give a look per se', merely hum to herself

Not saying it’s right but I understand where they are coming from. I’ve decided to give the Note 9 a full year to see how I feel about it, but that is not without anxiety. Especially knowing my wife will give me the ‘I told you so’ look every time I have any kind of learning curve to do something.

[doublepost=1535940753][/doublepost]Some very valid points...

I've always said, people going from one OS to another should never pretend to make an effort to do so unless they're willing to give it a year. If you indeed give it a year, your decision will hold way more weight than anyone else that says they gave it a few weeks or even a few months. That's a complete joke. You can't undo years and years of learning and being accustomed to one OS in just a few weeks or months. And you can't give a phone with another OS a try, and expect to do things the same as your old device. You need to be willing to learn and expect do things very differently, and that only comes with time. Giving it one year is the only way. Doing it anyway else is a waste of time and pointless. With a two week trial, you're only going through the paces so you can say, "look, I'm objective, I had the phone for two weeks. I gave it a try." Why waste time doing this? It's so pointless, especially when it's the same people posting the same reason year after year, "I can't leave the ecosystem." Every time I hear this, I think of Einstein's definition of insanity. Smh.

 

[Sackofnickels]

No it's more about how those people's products work together. A lot use more than one device. Android is a great obvious for those who have mainly just a phone as their daily driver and those who are on IOS find it tough to move to android when they depend on multiple devices.

Those people wouldn't be in such an ecosystem if it didn't work so damn well.

My main comment was more about people buying and taking back products all the time. I think with as many people who do it, profits have to be taking a hit.

Creating a closed system is one thing, and I agree it works, but there is so much more out there nowadays. Eventually people will venture past the walled garden, and Apple will have to adjust. Or not. Who knows. I probably won't wait to find out.

For me it is more about what current products do I want to buy. I have accumulated a lot of Apple stuff, and they work together fine, but much of what has been released recently is not impressing me and the cost of enjoying the eco-system is getting out of hand. For me and my needs, I feel the cost of Apple products are too high. Why would I look for a last years model, or buy a refurb to save money just to keep buying Apple? There is so much more out there nowadays.

I can already see it happening to me. Apple stopped making and supporting routers, so I bought an ASUS that is so much better than any of the Apple offerings, AND it supports Time Machine. I went with a Garmin Fenix 3 watch instead of an iWatch. Works great for me and a charge lasts two weeks. I am learning there are other, and often times better products out there if I stop making excuses and trying to convince myself to stay in the "eco-system".
[doublepost=1535945908][/doublepost]

Not saying it’s right but I understand where they are coming from. I’ve decided to give the Note 9 a full year to see how I feel about it, but that is not without anxiety. Especially knowing my wife will give me the ‘I told you so’ look every time I have any kind of learning curve to do something.

I don't have to worry about my wife giving me the "I told you so speech". She pretty much respects my decisions, but what I am dealing with is if I go with a Note 9 what do we use instead of FaceTime? I know there are various alternatives, but which one are you using? Are there any issues sending texts to each other? Do you share photos or music? I'd be curious to know what you two are doing for work arounds. My wife has no intention of leaving Apple and I do not want to try and convince her. She is happy with Apple and her needs are basic. That's what makes Apple so great. The grandkids, family who are out of state, etc. all use FaceTime. She is not going to give that up. Ever.

 

[csurfr]

My main comment was more about people buying and taking back products all the time. I think with as many people who do it, profits have to be taking a hit.

Creating a closed system is one thing, and I agree it works, but there is so much more out there nowadays. Eventually people will venture past the walled garden, and Apple will have to adjust. Or not. Who knows. I probably won't wait to find out.

For me it is more about what current products do I want to buy. I have accumulated a lot of Apple stuff, and they work together fine, but much of what has been released recently is not impressing me and the cost of enjoying the eco-system is getting out of hand. For me and my needs, I feel the cost of Apple products are too high. Why would I look for a last years model, or buy a refurb to save money just to keep buying Apple? There is so much more out there nowadays.

I can already see it happening to me. Apple stopped making and supporting routers, so I bought an ASUS that is so much better than any of the Apple offerings, AND it supports Time Machine. I went with a Garmin Fenix 3 watch instead of an iWatch. Works great for me and a charge lasts two weeks. I am learning there are other, and often times better products out there if I stop making excuses and trying to convince myself to stay in the "eco-system".
[doublepost=1535945908][/doublepost]

I don't have to worry about my wife giving me the "I told you so speech". She pretty much respects my decisions, but what I am dealing with is if I go with a Note 9 what do we use instead of FaceTime? I know there are various alternatives, but which one are you using? Are there any issues sending texts to each other? Do you share photos or music? I'd be curious to know what you two are doing for work arounds. My wife has no intention of leaving Apple and I do not want to try and convince her. She is happy with Apple and her needs are basic. That's what makes Apple so great. The grandkids, family who are out of state, etc. all use FaceTime. She is not going to give that up. Ever.

Well for photos you can use Google Photos, and I would think that Google Duo is available on both devices as well. That would solve the FaceTime issue .

I just cancelled Apple Music in favor of Spotify and realized my two HomePods are essentially going to be paperweights at the end of the month . Guess I'll sell them and get a pair of Play: Ones or a pair of Google Home Max .

 

[Sackofnickels]

Well for photos you can use Google Photos, and I would think that Google Duo is available on both devices as well. That would solve the FaceTime issue .

I just cancelled Apple Music in favor of Spotify and realized my two HomePods are essentially going to be paperweights at the end of the month . Guess I'll sell them and get a pair of Play: Ones or a pair of Google Home Max .

You mean you cant use any other music services with HomePods? I use a Sonos One. Sounds great, works with a variety of services... Like a product should.

Edit: I went to Apple's website, and it shows Spotify as an available streaming service on HomePods.

Pandora

Spotify

iHeartRadio

Amazon Music
iBooks

NPR One

Audible

MLB At Bat

Stream audio from more sources with AirPlay.

With AirPlay, you can play music from different streaming services, and audio from movie, video, news, sports, and audiobook sources.

 

[nrvna76]

My main comment was more about people buying and taking back products all the time. I think with as many people who do it, profits have to be taking a hit.

Creating a closed system is one thing, and I agree it works, but there is so much more out there nowadays. Eventually people will venture past the walled garden, and Apple will have to adjust. Or not. Who knows. I probably won't wait to find out.

For me it is more about what current products do I want to buy. I have accumulated a lot of Apple stuff, and they work together fine, but much of what has been released recently is not impressing me and the cost of enjoying the eco-system is getting out of hand. For me and my needs, I feel the cost of Apple products are too high. Why would I look for a last years model, or buy a refurb to save money just to keep buying Apple? There is so much more out there nowadays.

I can already see it happening to me. Apple stopped making and supporting routers, so I bought an ASUS that is so much better than any of the Apple offerings, AND it supports Time Machine. I went with a Garmin Fenix 3 watch instead of an iWatch. Works great for me and a charge lasts two weeks. I am learning there are other, and often times better products out there if I stop making excuses and trying to convince myself to stay in the "eco-system".
[doublepost=1535945908][/doublepost]

I don't have to worry about my wife giving me the "I told you so speech". She pretty much respects my decisions, but what I am dealing with is if I go with a Note 9 what do we use instead of FaceTime? I know there are various alternatives, but which one are you using? Are there any issues sending texts to each other? Do you share photos or music? I'd be curious to know what you two are doing for work arounds. My wife has no intention of leaving Apple and I do not want to try and convince her. She is happy with Apple and her needs are basic. That's what makes Apple so great. The grandkids, family who are out of state, etc. all use FaceTime. She is not going to give that up. Ever.

Great post! Echos a lot of my thoughts. I have no problem with Apple, in fact I think most of their products are great, but other companies make great products as well.

I don’t have my Note yet so I don’t exactly have answers for your questions. I created a post recently about a cross device household. Some advice in there. Personally I think some combination of FB messenger (even though I don’t have FB) Samsung/google photos links, Smoothsync, and Skype/Duo will cover my bases, but will see how it goes in practice. Just picked up a Fitbit Versa today to test it against my Apple Watch.
[doublepost=1535948311][/doublepost]

You mean you cant use any other music services with HomePods? I use a Sonos One. Sounds great, works with a variety of services... Like a product should.

Edit: I went to Apple's website, and it shows Spotify as an available streaming service on HomePods.

Pandora

Spotify

iHeartRadio

Amazon Music
iBooks

NPR One

Audible

MLB At Bat

Stream audio from more sources with AirPlay.

With AirPlay, you can play music from different streaming services, and audio from movie, video, news, sports, and audiobook sources.

It’ll all work through AirPlay but you can’t say “Hey Siri, play music from Spotify” you can only do that with Apple Music. Kind of makes the HomePod pretty expensive if you can’t even do that.