samsung [Updated] Samsung Galaxy Note8 launched, priced $930 unlocked in the US

[Guest]

Just now, hey_yo_ said:

To be honest the only thing that prevents me from using an Android phone as a daily driver is the painfully slow release of software updates. If I pay premium on something, I want a premium experience nonetheless and majority of Android phones simply can't keep up unlike the iPhone which has an astounding record for keeping their devices up to date. Hopefully when Samsung decided to release Android Oreo update to the Galaxy Note8 in a few months, updates then would be faster thanks to project Treble.

Yeah that true, but arent iPhone updates always something so minor that they keep having more bugs than Android phones have xP? I know i read that somewhere once.

 

I thought Treble helped with the release of monthly security updates and not exactly major iterations of Android, but nonetheless it will never make all manufacturers become Google Nexus/Pixel like distributors and beta programs wont be available to anyone other than Google phones either.

 

Im pretty sure whoever gets the Note 8 knows what they want and they will enjoy what they have, i personally also enjoy a steady and on point update cycle over random updates that come out somewhere in the world and takes months to get to another country and i have seen that happening many times with Samsung where people got Nougat weeks or months before in the US over Europe.

[captain_to_fire]

Just now, DocSwag said:

With quick charge it will get worse quicker though. I would only use quick charge if you actually need it.

Every battery degrades nonetheless. Someone correct me on this but I think what Quick Charge does is that it's not the phone's battery that's getting hot while charging but the power brick instead to keep the heat away from the battery.

[DocSwag]

4 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

To be honest the only thing that prevents me from using an Android phone as a daily driver is the painfully slow release of software updates. If I pay premium on something, I want a premium experience nonetheless and majority of Android phones simply can't keep up unlike the iPhone which has an astounding record for keeping their devices up to date. Hopefully when Samsung decided to release Android Oreo update to the Galaxy Note8 in a few months, updates then would be faster thanks to project Treble.

I recall someone telling me the reason that all devices stop at 2 years of software updates is because the SoC makers stop giving drivers and stuff for the socs after 2 years (presumably to force users to upgrade and so they get more sales). Which is why project treble is so interesting to me, since it could mean more than 2 years of software updates in the future on android phones.

[TidaLWaveZ]

15 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

I would be interested to see a study if the quckcharge standards diminish battery life over the life span of a phone faster than normal 2A charging...

Low key want to get a wireless charging pad for my phone though Not gonna lie

 

6 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

With quick charge it will get worse quicker though. I would only use quick charge if you actually need it.

 

I'd be willing to bet that the difference is present, but not prevalent enough to warrant not using the feature. I've read around and the general consensus without serious study is that in theory it will diminish quicker, but not really in practice.

 

Can't be nearly as bad as letting your battery drain completely or constantly overcharging, honestly overheating is a much bigger concern and I can guarantee that mine will not be down and out due to battery after two years.

[captain_to_fire]

1 minute ago, Goku-sama said:

Yeah that true, but arent iPhone updates always something so minor that they keep having more bugs than Android phones have xP? I know i read that somewhere once.

But if Apple botched an update, they can easily deliver an update to fix that. No other Android OEM (except Google) can do that. How long is it for Android OEMs to deliver a security patch to a critical vulnerability? It can take months or years or worse, none at all. Not to mention, Android users in the US has to endure crappier update process because wireless carriers like Verizon has to delay it. Wireless carriers in the US are notorious for crappy software update release schedules.

 

5 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

I recall someone telling me the reason that all devices stop at 2 years of software updates is because the SoC makers stop giving drivers and stuff for the socs after 2 years (presumably to force users to upgrade and so they get more sales). Which is why project treble is so interesting to me, since it could mean more than 2 years of software updates in the future on android phones.

I hope so. Good thing I don't live in the US where notorious wireless carriers have to delay software updates and bundle a lot of their crapware upon purchase. I mean, who uses Verizon Navigator?

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

I recall someone telling me the reason that all devices stop at 2 years of software updates is because the SoC makers stop giving drivers and stuff for the socs after 2 years (presumably to force users to upgrade and so they get more sales). Which is why project treble is so interesting to me, since it could mean more than 2 years of software updates in the future on android phones.

Man that is so evil, i swear they cant even let go 5% of their money in order to make costumers more satisfied . Better to stop than brick the device tough...

 

By the way, this is quite funny . LG is certainly trying to pick up a fight with Samsung.

 

 

[Ryujin2003]

Ok... Great,it's got USB C..... But is the damn thing USB 3.0 capable? Because if not, type C interface is garbage. I miss my S5. Much faster transfer of photos.

[DocSwag]

11 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

Every battery degrades nonetheless. Someone correct me on this but I think what Quick Charge does is that it's not the phone's battery that's getting hot while charging but the power brick instead to keep the heat away from the battery.

Regardless charging faster does have an impact on it. So I personally wouldn't fast charge except when needed.

 

9 minutes ago, TidaLWaveZ said:

I'd be willing to bet that the difference is present, but not prevalent enough to warrant not using the feature. I've read around and the general consensus without serious study is that in theory it will diminish quicker, but not really in practice.

 

Can't be nearly as bad as letting your battery drain completely or constantly overcharging, honestly overheating is a much bigger concern and I can guarantee that mine will not be down and out due to battery after two years.

I'm honestly not sure  since there isn't much info on it. I would rather just play it safe though  

5 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

I hope so. Good thing I don't live in the US where notorious wireless carriers have to delay software updates and bundle a lot of their crapware upon purchase. I mean, who uses Verizon Navigator?

And dats why my policy is now always get the phone unlocked  

 

[captain_to_fire]

1 minute ago, Goku-sama said:

Man that is so evil, i swear they cant even let go 5% of their money in order to make costumers more satisfied . Better to stop than brick the device tough...

 

By the way, this is quite funny . LG is certainly trying to pick up a fight with Samsung.

 

 

If there's one thing LG phones are good at is doing an eternal boot loop. I experienced it with my LG G3.

[TidaLWaveZ]

3 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

I'm honestly not sure  since there isn't much info on it. I would rather just play it safe though

 

No Risk, No Reward!

[captain_to_fire]

1 minute ago, DocSwag said:

And dats why my policy is now always get the phone unlocked  

I don't think most Americans can buy their phones at full price for unlocked phones. But then, it has it's advantages since unlocked Android phones can use sim cards overseas and they tend to have more supported network bands than carrier subsidized Android phones in the US.

[mynameisjuan]

8 minutes ago, Ryujin2003 said:

Ok... Great,it's got USB C..... But is the damn thing USB 3.0 capable? Because if not, type C interface is garbage. I miss my S5. Much faster transfer of photos.

Why did you doubt it having type-c? Every phone in the past 2 years has had it.

 

But you statement is the reason why I hate type-c so much. I love the interface but there is no standards behind what it supports. My S8+ transfer speeds are quite good but I never officially looked at what protocol it is.

[DocSwag]

3 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

I don't think most Americans can buy their phones at full price for unlocked phones. But then, it has it's advantages since unlocked Android phones can use sim cards overseas and they tend to have more supported network bands than carrier subsidized Android phones in the US.

I use t mobile who doesn't do contracts. If you buy it from them you can either pay full price or basically pay it in small payments each month for I think 24 months. So I don't get those contract things so it doesn't even matter to me.

 

Plus if you do the math the amount I save by going t mobile instead of at&t or Verizon is more than what I would've gotten back from buying a phone on contract.

 

A lot of Americans don't actually do the math and just see "oooo phone is $500 cheaper on contract" and go straight for it without comparing it to other things.

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

If there's one thing LG phones are good at is doing an eternal boot loop. I experienced it with my LG G3.

Dont worry, Android Oreo has the mighty Oreo rescue party to prevent your phone from going into a bootloop. It either rescues the phone and forces it to restart or formats in a last effort of survival .

[Drak3]

51 minutes ago, Railgun said:

Pretty sure it won't be using TouchWiz. The S8 didn't have TouchWiz so I don't know why the Note would.

Samsung renamed touchwiz. Inly for the fact that everyone thinks it was still the same laggy experience that it was with phones like the S2.

 

30 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

To be honest the only thing that prevents me from using an Android phone as a daily driver is the painfully slow release of software updates.

That's the primary reason I still use Android. Fuck unnecessary updates that are forced OTA. At least with Windows I can roll back without fragging everything.

[captain_to_fire]

1 minute ago, DocSwag said:

Plus if you do the math the amount I save by going t mobile instead of at&t or Verizon is more than what I would've gotten back from buying a phone on contract.

I think @wcreek will beg to differ. T-Mobile coverage sucks in Minnesota as it turns out. 

[Mr.Meerkat]

Just now, hey_yo_ said:

I think that battery is small

Tell me about it, 3300mAh really is tinsy for a 6.3" phone, yes I understand its a semi-UW display however if the LG G6 can fit a 3300mAh battery in a 5.7" while also being a tad slimmer, that is also semi-UW (come on, the difference is 0.5:9, 18:9 vs 18.5:9), maybe Samsung could have fitted a larger battery  

 

Ah well, its not like I'd ever buy it for a simple reason, IPS>OLED  (my opinion, move on). 

 

[handymanshandle]

2 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

I think @wcreek will beg to differ. T-Mobile coverage sucks in Minnesota as it turns out. 

Well in the Midwest. Right as I was getting into Iowa I lost service because I was too far away from the Twin Cities.

 

Now here are somethings to point out @DocSwag I was using a Moto G2 and Family Mobile from Walmart which uses the TMobile towers.

 

But if you look at their coverage map you'll see there's a lot more holes in it than there are in the Verizon coverage map. Sure you might be saving money but if their infrastructure outside more densely populated areas is crap then what's the point? The only time I lost coverage while I was going through the mountains in Montana and Idaho was largely right in the Gallatin National Forest/Montana's portion of the Yellowstone National Park.

I had coverage mostly through the eastern parts of Oregon and Washington and the entire state of Idaho seemingly because on the return we hooked up north to Spokane, WA from Walla Walla, WA which got us back on I-90 to get back out east for the same stop in North Dakota that we took on the way out. I-90 took us through Northern Idaho. And I had service for a large majority of the trip out and trip back. 

Also Montana is such a big state that it almost took a day to go from one end to the other. Minnesota from one end to the other probably wouldn't be as bad. (North to South would be not too fun but whatever)

[handymanshandle]

1 minute ago, huilun02 said:

3300mAh internal battery and design to shatter on the first drop is exactly what I'm not looking for in a $1000++ device...

Maybe the 3300mAh makes it not explosive /s

It's interesting the S8+ has a slightly larger battery though. Honestly though, it would've been neat to see them have a 4000mAh battery in it. Maybe it's them not trying to cannibalize S8+ sales?

[handymanshandle]

Just now, wcreek said:

Maybe the 3300mAh makes it not explosive /s

It's interesting the S8+ has a slightly larger battery though. Honestly though, it would've been neat to see them have a 4000mAh battery in it. Maybe it's them not trying to cannibalize S8+ sales?

But technically the S8+ and Note 8 are in different spaces honestly.

[mynameisjuan]

9 minutes ago, Mr.Meerkat said:

3300mAh really is tinsy for a 6.3" phone

People were freaking out about 3000 and 3500 being on the S8 and plus. But a new panel and the 835 makes the battery on both amazing. 3300 will easily get you 5+ SOT. Also screen size does not equal phone size. My S8+ with a 6.2" screen is smaller than most 5.5" screen phones.

[captain_to_fire]

2 minutes ago, mynameisjuan said:

People were freaking out about 3000 and 3500 being on the S8 and plus. But a new panel and the 835 makes the battery on both amazing. 3300 will easily get you 5+ SOT

5+ hours of screen on time? I'll believe it when the reviews come in. I'm not confident that the Snapdragon 835 SoC will be enough for an entire day of usage given how huge the screen is. 

[Trixanity]

15 minutes ago, Mr.Meerkat said:

Tell me about it, 3300mAh really is tinsy for a 6.3" phone, yes I understand its a semi-UW display however if the LG G6 can fit a 3300mAh battery in a 5.7" while also being a tad slimmer, that is also semi-UW (come on, the difference is 0.5:9, 18:9 vs 18.5:9), maybe Samsung could have fitted a larger battery  

 

Ah well, its not like I'd ever buy it for a simple reason, IPS>OLED  (my opinion, move on). 

 

One word: pen.

It takes up a lot of space. Otherwise it'd have the same size battery as S8+. Since batteries need a certain structure, the pen takes up a lot of real estate that the battery could otherwise fill up. You can't just fill every tiny gap with some battery.

25 minutes ago, mynameisjuan said:

Why did you doubt it having type-c? Every phone in the past 2 years has had it.

 

But you statement is the reason why I hate type-c so much. I love the interface but there is no standards behind what it supports. My S8+ transfer speeds are quite good but I never officially looked at what protocol it is.

It's not really any different than USB-A in that regard. It's just a connector. It doesn't equate the protocol/internal wiring/specifications of the USB port. So your real complaint is that OEMs don't list the USB version they use.

 

20 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

Samsung renamed touchwiz. Inly for the fact that everyone thinks it was still the same laggy experience that it was with phones like the S2.

Well, their Samsung Experience/Grace UX is pretty much still Touchwiz with an updated UI. As far as I know it's still pretty much Touchwiz under the hood (lipstick on a pig essentially) with all the spaghetti programming, shoddy practices and performance bottlenecks that entails. 

[mynameisjuan]

1 minute ago, hey_yo_ said:

5+ hours of screen on time? I'll believe it when the reviews come in. I'm not confident that the Snapdragon 835 SoC will be enough for an entire day of usage given how huge the screen is. 

My S8+ and even S8's can easily can get that. 

 

People need to realize how little impact AMOLED screens affect battery life.

[mynameisjuan]

Just now, Trixanity said:

It's not really any different than USB-A in that regard. It's just a connector. It doesn't equate the protocol/internal wiring/specifications of the USB port. So your real complaint is that OEMs don't list the USB version they use

Thats not what I am talking about. I love the interface, I already said that. The problem is there is no standards for what protocols it supports...is its USB3.0, 2.0, does it support displays, does it support thunderbolt...etc...Thats what I hate type-c other than the connector.