Came across this comparison, Note 4 crushes the competition.
Note 4 was found to have superior:
Display
Battery
Camera
Storage
RAM
I really think with the 16MP Camera, Samsung has finally created the best smartphone camera.
Check it out.
Source
Display.- Yes, definitely.
Battery.- I have heard the iphone 6+ has better SOT from most reviews. Not sure, though.
Camera.- iPhone has better low light shots, Samsung has better day light shots.
Storage.- Well... you can get a 128GB iphone, but that will depend on what you want to waste, for the same price, yes, you get more space with the note
RAM.- Android uses more ram than iOS, I'd say that iphone performs smoother due to optimization.
I've only looked into half a dozen reviews, and I'm not going to deny that the iPhone 6+ has some strengths (battery life). These phones are both excellent so I don't really see a clear-cut victor. Maybe that will change over time with new software.
I've been using the camera non-stop all week because I've been at a wedding in Sonoma. I'm not a photographer by a long shot and have used the camera on "auto" with HDR "on." I took this one this morning at a vinyard. They asked me to e-mail it to then to use on their website.
Ultra low light is nothing to write home about. Low light can be impressive.
Here's another good pic...
The Note 4's camera is good. And as a point-and-shoot which is the way 90% of people will use it. If I can get shots like this, anyone can.
At the end of the day, we have amazing choices of phones right now especially if you consider the Droid Turbo (I know it's Verizon only, but rumored variants coming to other carriers).
The differences between them have definitely narrowed and it comes down to what's most important to the customer. MAC/iOS people gonna iPhone, Android fanatics gonna Nexus... and the rest are up for grabs.
The Note 4 is definitely an amazing phone. Built in multi-window, floating apps, and the stylus are freaking amazing for a power user like myself. I can't believe I waited this long to jump on board.
The iPhone's better low light photos and marginally better battery life (if that's the case) is irrelevant to the features exclusive to the Note 4 line. (Apple isn't even an option for me even so.)
You just can't really go wrong if you're getting a top of the line phone for what you want. Sure there are some sacrifices to weigh, but there's never going to be a perfect phone for everyone.
To borrow from Nintendo, NOW WE'RE PLAYING WITH POWER!
Note 4 has the advantage of the external battery. You can buy Samsung battery pack with the charger and stop worrying about battery life. Now about ram ios doesn't require the same as Android to run smoothly but if you want to have over 3-4 tabs on safari without refreshing then you have a problem. Look at the new Ipad air with 2gb ram
Sent from my Note 4
Just remembered, Note 4 also has the MicroSD card slot. That's a huge difference in them.
I just switched to a Note 4 from an iPhone 6 Plus after 2.5 months. Here's my feedback:
Display - Note 4 is definitely better.
Battery - My iPhone lasted much longer than Note 4 but that may be because I have been installing apps/widgets left and right. We'll see once things settle.
Camera - Note 4 is slightly better for low-light pictures.
Storage - I had a 64GB iPhone and that was good for me. With Note 4, I will need to buy a card.
RAM - Note 4 may have 3GB of RAM (vs. 1GB on iPhone) but my iPhone ran much smoother than Note 4. I get occasional freeze and lag with Note 4.
I have booth Note 4, iPhone 6 plus and a Nexus 5.
Camera. Slighty better but much slower than the iPhone. On the other hand is speed essensial for my kind of usage.
Smoothness. Note 4 ain't close to Nexus and iPhone. I was a bit shocked when I noticed that not very much had happened since the S5, my chinese MX4 is butter compared if you counting all small lags. I flashed latest firmware two days ago and it feels a little bit better.
Storage. Has 64 on the iPhone and it's more than I need right now.
Display. Really good but I haven't used it outdoor on a sunny beach yet
Battery. Not as good as I hoped for. I have exactly the same apps and usage on all androids and it's very ok but not stunning. So far LG G2 and OnePlus roles my SOT with hours. I have a feeling the iPhone is slightly better. You can't really count on tests like GSM arena, they don't have my 84 apps installed.
Im using both for 2.5 months now.
Screen=note 4 is better but both great
Camera= i dont see any speed difference. Daylight note 4 better. In low light 6 plus abit better. Both very close.
Video=quality for note 4 Ois performance better on 6 plus.
Performance: note 4 is faster on pretty much every 3rd party app. 6 plus faster on system apps(gallery, phone etc)
Smoothness is pretty much same for me i dont realy see big difference. Only recents app has 0.5 delay on note 4(happens sometimes)
6 plus definetly needs 2gb ram safari is headache with 1gb. 2-3 tabs then reload is suck. Multitasking is better on note 4 too. But both good.
Battery in my usage note 4 is better.
From the design iPhone 6 plus loses to the Note 4. Apple did absolutely nothing for the iPhone 6 Plus other than stretching the iPhone 6. (or shrinking the iPad Air, depending on how you look at it) The phone is so slippery and uncomfortable even for occasional one-handed operation. I know people will augment the grips with cases, but that still does not help with its underlying design incompetence. Some of these iSheep would argue how inferior plastic is compared to aluminum used for soda cans, and would insist that cases should not be a consideration when discussing phone designs. How the times have changed.. I totally share Erica Griffin's experience with iPhone 6 Plus' ergonomics. (minus the girl jeans part, lol) Compare that with the Note 4, it looks abundantly clear who has more knowledge and experience in manufacturing phablets.
The rest of stuff is more about iOS v. Android to me, and I know which way I roll. There is just no competition. Though it does help to make a decision that iPhone 6 Plus lags and Safari refreshes tabs more than ever before thanks to the puny 1 GB of RAM Apple deliberately put in for planned obsolescence.
Note 4 has very good screen and battery life for me, but regarding smoothness Samsung is miles behind my Nexus 5 or even 4. Storage is impressive with SD card, but then again I didn't have problems with space on Nexus either. It is very good hardware with very bad soft. Things changed drastically with CM12 tough, now it is far smoother than Nexus 5.
I do not understand all the fuss with photos, none of the phones has good enough camera to replace proper camera. You can take a photo when needed.
If u don't mind rooting, Note 4 is great piece of hardware. If you prefer not to do it you might be better off with Nexus 6.
The best camera in the world should be the one you carrying around daily
I think and hope that the Lollipop for the Note is going to give it a bit less bumpy road. Some people care for it and some don't, same as with everything else in the world. If the Note can give me 50-60 fps and less hiccup I'd love the ride.
Sent from a 6 Plus.
Hi all, i m currently using oneplus 6t and i was planning on upgrading to 7 pro, because of the bad speakers, bad haptics and the screen is not crispy, it looks faded... But the 7 pro screen is curved which is not something i like and the rog 2 looks like a really good phone.
But i have some concerns:
- System: how is the experience, smoothness, responsiveness and will it receive updates/custom roms ?
- screen: is it good in colors and crispiness ?
- size: how do you feel about the size? Does it fit your jeans pocket and easy to handle ?
Thank you!
Shady282 said:
Hi all, i m currently using oneplus 6t and i was planning on upgrading to 7 pro, because of the bad speakers, bad haptics and the screen is not crispy, it looks faded... But the 7 pro screen is curved which is not something i like and the rog 2 looks like a really good phone.
But i have some concerns:
- System: how is the experience, smoothness, responsiveness and will it receive updates/custom roms ?
- screen: is it good in colors and crispiness ?
- size: how do you feel about the size? Does it fit your jeans pocket and easy to handle ?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the 6T as well. Have watched every review available for this device and IMO, it blows the 7 pro away. I have had the last 3 T variants of OP and I can say that they are going downhill, from a customer service standpoint. The 6T is the last OP device I will buy, simply because of how bad they fukd us on the 6T. Fool me once, but not twice. The ROG has everything I require from a device and then some. OP just has gimmicks. Not to mention the OP community is toxic AF. Hoping ASUS will re-instill my love of Android, cuz OP killed it for me
Shady282 said:
Hi all, i m currently using oneplus 6t and i was planning on upgrading to 7 pro, because of the bad speakers, bad haptics and the screen is not crispy, it looks faded... But the 7 pro screen is curved which is not something i like and the rog 2 looks like a really good phone.
But i have some concerns:
- System: how is the experience, smoothness, responsiveness and will it receive updates/custom roms ?
- screen: is it good in colors and crispiness ?
- size: how do you feel about the size? Does it fit your jeans pocket and easy to handle ?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is great especially the speakers And haptick feedback.
The screen colors and clarity is all great but brightness is average compared to the ROG phone I hope it gets better in a future update.
In terms of updates you are looking at every 3 months security updates and hopefully 2 major updates. The 1st generation ROG which I still have didn't get an update to Pie yet till now and it's already almost 1 year old but I think I will be getting it soon. In terms of rom support I think the ROG 2 will be getting much love from developers than the ROG phone (Didn't even get 1 single custom rom) mainly because the first was expensive, didn't launch in many markets and wasn't marketed that much but it's not the same case for the ROG 2 I hope fingers crossed :fingers-crossed:.
I think it will depend on your pocket size personally I have no issues with it but the phone is tall, in terms of weight not as heavy as people make it seem to be. So no issues in terms of that.
Good luck, I for sure recommend buying it especially the base model because it's the best in terms of value for bucks. Good luck!
Rashad83 said:
The phone is great especially the speakers And haptick feedback.
The screen colors and clarity is all great but brightness is average compared to the ROG phone I hope it gets better in a future update.
In terms of updates you are looking at every 3 months security updates and hopefully 2 major updates. The 1st generation ROG which I still have didn't get an update to Pie yet till now and it's already almost 1 years old but I think I will be getting it soon. In terms of rom support I think the ROG 2 will be getting much love from developers than the ROG phone mainly because the first was expensive, didn't launch in many markets and wasn't marketed that much but it's not the same case for the ROG 2.
I think it will depend on your pocket size personally I have no issues with it but the phone is tall in terms of weight not as heavy as people make it seem to be. So no issues in terms of that.
Good luck, I for sure recommend buying it especially the base model because it's the best in terms of value for bucks. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Initially I was a little bit upset that it wasn't going to be globally available all at once. But at the same time, it's kind of nice being able to hear reviews from people who actually own the device, making my decision that much easier.
I am also on the 6t. I'm looking at the rog2 for the same reasons. Like the specs, 3.5 Jack, led, huge battery. I have missed the 5t since I went to the 6t
Hoping the Asus gets the developers nod!
Every forum or YouTube videos I watch, all I see is people hating on this phone. I am actually pretty surprised, but how much negativity there is for the Pixel 4 line.
Android police poll, is heavily in the "hell no not buying" as #1
Two big tech forums I belong too, it's like 70% saying no way.
What's the deal?
I have a 64GB Clearly White 4XL on order. I go back to owning, the Nexus-One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Motorola Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Pixel 2 XL, and Pixel 3 XL. And yes I agree, the Pixel 4 XL could have been better, for the price at least do better than OnePlus, give us 8GB RAM, a larger battery of at least 4,000mAh, a brighter display for outdoor use, go easy n the large forehead bezel, like have the thickness if possible. But saying that, I buy the Nexus Pixel line for the software and monthly security updates.
I am interested in seeing the full blown real reviews this week.
For a few reasons:
1. Not priced like a Nexus / 3a
2. No fingerprint sensor
3. Lack of Ultrawide 3rd camera
4. Small battery
5. Removal of Ultrawide front facing camera
6. Removal of front facing speakers
7. Big top bezel for Soli
8. Soli gimmick
9. Removal of unlimited original photo upload
10. No big leap in camera hardware
11. No surprises since it was leaked all over the place
12. Only 6 GB of RAM (finally)
13. Only Snapdragon 855 instead of 855+ processor
Having said all that, I still have one on preorder.
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Kusanagi Fire said:
For a few reasons:
1. Not priced like a Nexus / 3a
2. No fingerprint sensor
3. Lack of Ultrawide 3rd camera
4. Small battery
5. Removal of Ultrawide front facing camera
6. Removal of front facing speakers
7. Big top bezel for Soli
8. Soli gimmick
9. Removal of unlimited original photo upload
10. No big leap in camera hardware
11. No surprises since it was leaked all over the place
12. Only 6 GB of RAM (finally)
13. Only Snapdragon 855 instead of 855+ processor
Having said all that, I still have one on preorder.
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
3,9, and 12 are the disappointment for me. But that price thooooo, they could have gotten more attention if only they priced it right.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
Kusanagi Fire said:
For a few reasons:
1. Not priced like a Nexus / 3a
2. No fingerprint sensor
3. Lack of Ultrawide 3rd camera
4. Small battery
5. Removal of Ultrawide front facing camera
6. Removal of front facing speakers
7. Big top bezel for Soli
8. Soli gimmick
9. Removal of unlimited original photo upload
10. No big leap in camera hardware
11. No surprises since it was leaked all over the place
12. Only 6 GB of RAM (finally)
13. Only Snapdragon 855 instead of 855+ processor
Having said all that, I still have one on preorder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4 may be an issue for me but everyone's usage is different so I'll wait to see my personal results before I make a final judgement.
6 is a big one for me. Before the 4XL was officially announced, I was aiming to switch from my OnePlus 7 Pro so I could get front facing speakers. I always end up blocking the bottom speaker when watching stuff in landscape mode.
10 could be a reason for me but not too much since I know it's going to be better than my current OnePlus 7 Pro.
12 is similar to my point for reason 4 (wait until I can test myself). Users say Android 10 is RAM hungry so hopefully that 6 GB is enough.
13, Even though it's a slight upgrade, it would have been nice to get the + variant of the processor.
All other reasons I don't mind too much.
But yeah I do think the phone is getting a bit too much hate.
Honestly, just the fact that last year's Pixel 3 got discounted on Black Friday combined with the fact that the 4 isn't a massive leap in hardware / doesn't check some of the minimal requirements like 8 GB RAM, 855+, and Ultrawide camera (granted, there's not much more ground to cover these days) is reason enough for this phone to get tons of hate.
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
Today Flossy admitted that he's been using the 3XL all along. He complained about that one much the way he will complain about this one in the full review. He'll says it's too expensive and many other things. Despite that he'll probably end up making it his work phone just as he did the previous Pixels. I wrote about this elsewhere but a search on Youtube will probably be able to find the dude from Unbox Therapy doing a pertinent video. He was in a suite in Vegas with a bunch of other young millionaires, Brownlee for example. The whole video was what is everyone carrying in their pocket, what was the phone they chose to use. The Pixel tied the iphone with few other phones mixed in. Brownlee had both. It wasn't because they were reviewing it, that was well past review time. It was the phone that millionaires who have tried everything and can afford anything decided they wanted in their pockets. There's a message there.
I do get it, the phone is too expensive for the specs, only a mother could love the looks, it's missing feature X and Y. But I'm sure that I'll enjoy using it in the day to day more than any other phone I could buy. It's always been that way. I couldn't make friends with the 3XL, the notch just killed it for me so I got a 6T. Nothing wrong with that phone but the next thing I knew I was picking up a 3AXL, should have been a downgrade, it was by the numbers. Wasn't long before I realized I wasn't going to use the 6T anymore and gave it to one of my grand kids. I've been using the 3A since.
Let the haters hate and enjoy your purchase. Flossy begin his quick look with talk of giving it a fair trial before he hung it, 5 minutes later he was giggling like a schoolgirl. The Pixel does that...
I agree with most here, the Pixel 4 XL could and should have been better;
- 8GB RAM
- 4,300mAh battery ( like the Note 10+ )
- Brighter display on par with the Galaxy S10 line
- Reduce the forehead bezel, to like half the size if possible, or actually do the Note 10 hole punch, and forget the faceID stuff, and keep the fingerprint scanner.
But it's funny, recent phones that I kept the longest last few years has been the Nexus or Pixel. Yeah I'd get bored with them, then I pick up the latest Samsung Galaxy whatever, and within in a few weeks already regret not having the Pixel. One time I went for the iPhone 7 Plus, when it was the hot new phone, and I was bored with my Nexus 6P, wow what a bad decision, not even a month later ran back to the Nexus, mainly because iOS is a Fischer Price kids OS, and totally blows, feels like a decade old operating system. Or I got the Note 5 at launch, was so happy to have that badass phone, but then I tried to turn it into a Nexus, deleting all the Samsung stuff, and downloading every Google app and setting defaults, and tried to make the Note 5 a Nexus Note LOL, where the phone I traded in for the Note 5 was the Motorola Nexus 6, and that thing was just so smooth, so cool, I regretted getting the Note
Point, the Nexus or Pixel phones, may be ugly, and not have the wham bam cool features, but using it day in day out, I just find them most comfortable and a joy. They are simple, they are minimalist, but they just work, and have a special thing about them.
Unfortunately, Google will never win because nothing is ever good enough for people and they will always complain about something.
techrider6262 said:
Unfortunately, Google will never win because nothing is ever good enough for people and they will always complain about something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This!
6GB RAM - My 3xl has 4 and I have ZERO problems running whatever. People need to learn that it's not necessarily about big specs, it's more about optimization. The 4's will run very smoothly with 6. Just because the S10 has 8, and the note has an option of 12 doesn't mean that does anything to speed up the phone.
128GB storage - This option is the same price as the s10 with that same storage. Maybe Google should add a third option with 256? Would that make some of you happy? It would be even more expensive though. But, again, same price as the s10.
Battery - My 3xl has a smaller battery and I get no less than 20+ hours with heavy use. Typically, I'll get 24+ hours on it. With the 90 Hz display being an as needed, I doubt the battery will last less than my 3xl.
Ultrawide camera - I DO have to agree here that it should have that. I know Google's camera's are amazing and this one will definitely be as good as the iPhone or Sammy's, but the ultrawide addition to camera shots would have been nice.
Removal of free original size photo backups - Sooo, Apple NOR Samsung, NOR any other OEM that I'm aware of ever offered this. I'm a system engineer and cloud architect. I'm here to tell you that the amount of storage and bandwidth required for unlimited originals for millions of users is INSANE. You have any idea how much this costs Google? There was no way that would ever last. It's $1.99 and $2.99 per month for the extra storage to keep original backups, plus you get other benefits. Also, grab Google Surveys app and you'll make more than the cost here by far every month. Get over it.
The front facing speakers - Definitely not happy about this. They could have fit the bottom speaker I bet. At least there's still stereo.
Anyway, anyone who wants to hate, please save us all from it and go elsewhere. This phone will be amazing and I'd put it up against ANY other smartphone. It'll be smoother and has release day updates and OS's.
Every year there are people trolling the new pixel (even the Samsung S7 edge though) threads for a couple months after release. It's incredibly stupid. If you don't like the phone, why are you here?
I haven't had time to watch the all reviews yet, but is the 4 XL battery life at least on par with the 3 XL's, or please don't tell me it's actually worse?
My Pixel 3 XL battery life is mediocre, not great, not horrible, I would like better, but certainly not worse, but could makedo with the same battery life. If the 4 XL has worse and less battery life than the Pixel 3 XL, then I need to cancel my preorder.
Zorachus said:
I haven't had time to watch the all reviews yet, but is the 4 XL battery life at least on par with the 3 XL's, or please don't tell me it's actually worse?
My Pixel 3 XL battery life is mediocre, not great, not horrible, I would like better, but certainly not worse, but could makedo with the same battery life. If the 4 XL has worse and less battery life than the Pixel 3 XL, then I need to cancel my preorder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trading in my 3xl for the 4xl and I believe the battery life will be the same or better.
It has a larger battery so even the smooth display shouldn't hurt it too much.
The reviews so far today have trashed the 4 but pretty much everyone agreed that the 4xl should be fine.
I'm excited even if the changes are not dramatic from 3xl.
Zorachus said:
I haven't had time to watch the all reviews yet, but is the 4 XL battery life at least on par with the 3 XL's, or please don't tell me it's actually worse?
My Pixel 3 XL battery life is mediocre, not great, not horrible, I would like better, but certainly not worse, but could makedo with the same battery life. If the 4 XL has worse and less battery life than the Pixel 3 XL, then I need to cancel my preorder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From The limited reviews and tweets that I have seen, it seems to be holding its own. Averaging between 4 and 6 hours of sot, from the initial reviews. But I'm sure that that will get better, over time, as it learns your usage. Definitely getting through a whole day though, and that's all that's important
I suppose a rooted 4 XL with the Franco kernel and his app Naptime, would extend battery life too?
Zorachus said:
I suppose a rooted 4 XL with the Franco kernel and his app Naptime, would extend battery life too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, these days the only reason I root is for custom kernels, and adaway
If the battery optimization time is the same as the 3XL then none of the reviewers have attained their final screen on time yet.
First reviews are out and they say battery life is horrendous, especially on the 4. I'll pass. Too expensive for too many compromises.
I have Android 10 running on my OG Pixel XL and have zero problems with it on an older chipset and 4 GBs, but I'm sure the extra 2 GBs will be beneficial/noticeable regardless.
I suppose the people complaining the loudest fall into 1 of the following 2 categories: trolls/iphone fanbois or people who don't feel the upgrade from the 3 (or any of the last gen phones) -> 4 is worthwhile. While that's a valid concern, it's worth noting that in recent years the yearly revision has become less substantial in recent years. I've held off for 3 years so going from the OG XL to 4 XL will be a massive improvement and something I'm greatly looking forward to.
msaitta said:
I have Android 10 running on my OG Pixel XL and have zero problems with it on an older chipset and 4 GBs, but I'm sure the extra 2 GBs will be beneficial/noticeable regardless.
I suppose the people complaining the loudest fall into 1 of the following 2 categories: trolls/iphone fanbois or people who don't feel the upgrade from the 3 (or any of the last gen phones) -> 4 is worthwhile. While that's a valid concern, it's worth noting that in recent years the yearly revision has become less substantial in recent years. I've held off for 3 years so going from the OG XL to 4 XL will be a massive improvement and something I'm greatly looking forward to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every phone I've pre-ordered, it always starts the same way. Everyone has something to complain about before they even have the phone in their own hands. After awhile, the complaining, for the most part, dies down, and people realize they love the device. What boggles my mind is, why come to the forum to complain? Nobody forces an individual to buy the phone, let alone pre-order it. Instead of focusing on the negative, focus on the positives.
I'm going to vent a little bit...
I'm an older guy (48) and I've been doing tech and gadgets for over 20 years now. I love this site and have participated on and off for many years. There is a problem growing online and it is only going to get worse. The system here isn't equipped to counter a growing troll problem, so we all fall prey to the effects. Every aspect of the online consumer space is being manipulated by "troll farms" and it is obliterating the signal-to-noise ratio in everything from entertainment to personal devices. Across the board, every device is eventually portrayed to have some fatal flaw rendering it inferior. When in actuality, it can adequately perform the primary task and may only fall short in a single aspect depending on a very specific need that varies individually by consumer.
I used to participate here rather frequently, then I began to only stop by during a device's release to gauge anticipations and thoughts. Every year the noise has increased. Not just here though, almost every forum beyond a certain size has the same issue. Online sources and articles are not immune and are populated with extremely vocal "detractors" in the comment sections, they rally with a frequency and voracity that no ordinary working person could maintain. The methods used by professional trolls is complex, and unfortunately, PROFITABLE.
Without giving too much personal information, my wife WAS a partner in one of the largest PR firms in the U.S., and I can tell you that troll farms and bogus self-cross-referring review sources are real. Her firm never participated, but they could see it coming and now there's an entire "dark" branch of marketing and PR that has arisen (some would say re-emerged) that essentially has the ethics model of the old cigarette industry with the agility of a modern digital campaign.
So if you're wrestling with specs, don't kill yourself searching for the ultimate device. You can do three things and I promise you'll be as happy as you can be.
If you really care about what you're going to buy ,to the point that it may cause a devastating case of buyer's remorse you should:
- First, make lists. Make a list of what's important, make a list of what specs make your tech-feels tingle, make a list of devices and start prioritizing and crossing off.
- Second, do a one afternoon search (not one second longer) of trusted reviews and ignore very tilted reviews.
- Third, and this is crazy... Go to a store, look at the physical functioning device and play with it.
This should be an extra separate step, but whatever, I'm not going back to edit...
- Buy what you want and be prepared to return it within 30 days and pay a restocking fee. Don't like the fee? Too bad, that's life... If you don't like something you may have to pay to return it, it's the world we live in.
This should be one more step too. Damn, I really messed up.
- Unless you are doing ongoing development NEVER revisit the topic of purchasing and specs. Go and enjoy your device and every once and a while keep up with updates and new features. There's a whole life to live out there, so don't waste your energy spec-gazing or griping with trolls.
Online communities are becoming less valuable to me every day because of the noise, it's unfortunate.
Dusty Rhodes said:
I'm going to vent a little bit...
I'm an older guy (48) and I've been doing tech and gadgets for over 20 years now. I love this site and have participated on and off for many years. There is a problem growing online and it is only going to get worse. The system here isn't equipped to counter a growing troll problem, so we all fall prey to the effects. Every aspect of the online consumer space is being manipulated by "troll farms" and it is obliterating the signal-to-noise ratio in everything from entertainment to personal devices. Across the board, every device is eventually portrayed to have some fatal flaw rendering it inferior. When in actuality, it can adequately perform the primary task and may only fall short in a single aspect depending on a very specific need that varies individually by consumer.
I used to participate here rather frequently, then I began to only stop by during a device's release to gauge anticipations and thoughts. Every year the noise has increased. Not just here though, almost every forum beyond a certain size has the same issue. Online sources and articles are not immune and are populated with extremely vocal "detractors" in the comment sections, they rally with a frequency and voracity that no ordinary working person could maintain. The methods used by professional trolls is complex, and unfortunately, PROFITABLE.
Without giving too much personal information, my wife WAS a partner in one of the largest PR firms in the U.S., and I can tell you that troll farms and bogus self-cross-referring review sources are real. Her firm never participated, but they could see it coming and now there's an entire "dark" branch of marketing and PR that has arisen (some would say re-emerged) that essentially has the ethics model of the old cigarette industry with the agility of a modern digital campaign.
So if you're wrestling with specs, don't kill yourself searching for the ultimate device. You can do three things and I promise you'll be as happy as you can be.
If you really care about what you're going to buy ,to the point that it may cause a devastating case of buyer's remorse you should:
- First, make lists. Make a list of what's important, make a list of what specs make your tech-feels tingle, make a list of devices and start prioritizing and crossing off.
- Second, do a one afternoon search (not one second longer) of trusted reviews and ignore very tilted reviews.
- Third, and this is crazy... Go to a store, look at the physical functioning device and play with it.
This should be an extra separate step, but whatever, I'm not going back to edit...
- Buy what you want and be prepared to return it within 30 days and pay a restocking fee. Don't like the fee? Too bad, that's life... If you don't like something you may have to pay to return it, it's the world we live in.
This should be one more step too. Damn, I really messed up.
- Unless you are doing ongoing development NEVER revisit the topic of purchasing and specs. Go and enjoy your device and every once and a while keep up with updates and new features. There's a whole life to live out there, so don't waste your energy spec-gazing or griping with trolls.
Online communities are becoming less valuable to me every day because of the noise, it's unfortunate.
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Absolutely this. It's pretty darn clear that some people in the crowd are trying to spike the punch. Don't obsess over the minutiae, don't allow yourself to be herded just because it seems like sentiment is tilted one way. Figure out what you want out of a phone (is an ultra-wide camera REALLY make/break for you, or are you only thinking that because XYZ said to?). Put your hands on the device by visiting a Best Buy or carrier store. And lastly, recognize that software learns your habits (battery life after a few days won't tell you what long-term battery life means) and also gets updated (features get added, functionality becomes improved).
Be aware of the echo chamber effect and do your best to make up your own mind about the worthiness of a phone.