Time for a New Smartphone

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Jim Miller

Jim Miller

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My Verizon LG Revolution is still doing OK, but I'm eligible for an upgrade. Mostly, I make phone calls and I use the calendar a lot. I seldom text. I use a few apps on occasion, but never play games and most of the fancy apps are not appealing to this old man. Did I say I use the calendar a lot? And by the way, the calendar is something I use a lot. I want convenient, easy-to-use calendar, convenient reminders, and dependable backups of scheduled events.

I'm considering a Samsung Note II. Any comments pro/con about this model?
 
Jim Miller said:
My Verizon LG Revolution is still doing OK, but I'm eligible for an upgrade. Mostly, I make phone calls and I use the calendar a lot. I seldom text. I use a few apps on occasion, but never play games and most of the fancy apps are not appealing to this old man. Did I say I use the calendar a lot? And by the way, the calendar is something I use a lot. I want convenient, easy-to-use calendar, convenient reminders, and dependable backups of scheduled events.

I'm considering a Samsung Note II. Any comments pro/con about this model?
Click to expand...

I have had the Note II since the day (literally) it cane out at Verizon. I absolutely love it. It might be a bit large for some but for me it's perfect. The last thing I use my phone for is talk since I am hard of hearing. I use it mostly as a portable PC for browsing, email, financials, store apps ( I love the Home Depot app - enter your item and it tells you what aisle it is in) and many others.

The Kindle App is great as the phone is large enough to make reading a pleasure.

And I use Google Calendar which will sync so I can use it in a browser, the phone or Thunderbird.

As we speak, I have dinner in the oven and am using a timer app to let me know when it's ready - handy because I wouldn't hear a timer in the kitchen as I am at the computer in another room.

If you aren't in a hurry, you might want to check out the Samsung S4 which is coming out in the next month or so depending on carrier.
 
Good thing you didn't mention the Samsung Galaxy S3. Had you, I would have come down and had a long talk.

Weak calendar, crummy alarm, and a really poor phone.
 
Don't believe a word of what you hear.

1. The calendar: read the reviews. The alarm is nearly impossible to hear. Way worse than my iPhone 3. If you want to miss an appointment, get an S3.
2. Using the phone: I use an old Samsung clamshell for phone calls. I can flip it open, dial, redial, anything, faster and more easily than the S3.
3. the keypad: the intuitive feature is so laughable I shut it off. Typing is not easy.

Jim: keep up the search - ask for advice, try them all, read the reviews. I've found that the CNet reviews are a bit superficial. Don't do what I did. I was so ticked at Apple's phony lawsuits I went for the S3. My wife waited for the iPhone 5. She wins. And she never misses an appointment.
 
That's the one Andy is going to get in 3 weeks, when we are eligible for our upgrades. I'm going for the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Are you using the native calendar (google), or something else? I use google calendar, and have the calendar widget on my desktop, that shows the next several upcoming events.

Check it out first at the Verizon store, to see if you are ok with the larger size. It's kind of a cross between a phone and a tablet. (a "phablet") It does get great ratings, as does the Galaxy S3 (which will be cheap, when the S4 comes out soon)

Mike

Jim Miller said:
My Verizon LG Revolution is still doing OK, but I'm eligible for an upgrade. Mostly, I make phone calls and I use the calendar a lot. I seldom text. I use a few apps on occasion, but never play games and most of the fancy apps are not appealing to this old man. Did I say I use the calendar a lot? And by the way, the calendar is something I use a lot. I want convenient, easy-to-use calendar, convenient reminders, and dependable backups of scheduled events.

I'm considering a Samsung Note II. Any comments pro/con about this model?
Click to expand...
 
tedh said:
Good thing you didn't mention the Samsung Galaxy S3. Had you, I would have come down and had a long talk.

Weak calendar, crummy alarm, and a really poor phone.
Click to expand...

It's also the #1 selling Android phone, and for some months last year it was the best selling phone of all brands and operating systems :)

Mike

PS: There are several volume levels for various different things, including notifications. (much like a sound mixer, with sliders) It's possible that you can make that a lot louder by going into the section which has the individual volume controls.
 
There are criticisms: the Notes app has been replaced with a better one, as has the Calendar. The Bell GPS on the Canadian model has been replaced. The e-mail screen design is clumsy. The overall ergonomics are not well thought-out, compared to the iPhone. I've had the screen freeze. Try using the phone - multiple steps, compared to my simple flip phone. The model sold in Canada by Bell is missing features found in other ones - there are multiple user manuals, and we've been shorted. When it's in my pocket, the darn thing turns on. I've even had the flashlight turn on in my pocket, and that's a real leg warmer! Battery life sucks. There are positives, of course - the screen size and clarity, some of the native apps, but overall I'd prefer a cross between the iPhone's ergonomics and the S3's size.

But this thread is about Jim's search. My advice is to talk to as many users as possible, to hear all sides. The internet reviews are not enough.
 
Love, love, love the iPhone calendar when used with iCloud synced with Outlook. Did I mention it's awesome? And, you can share calendars, so you don't have to remind your SO that tonight is boyz night - when you don't come home, she can check her calendar and see where you are. Plus, the calendar works great.

Lastly, it's an iPhone - you may find yourself using it for things other than calling and calendaring because it's so intuitive. Oh, and the calendar is pretty cool too.
 
I just wanted to jump in on the Samsung Galaxy S3... I carry an iPhone 4 and my son has had the Galaxy S3. I love his Galaxy S3. So much so, that I have been thinking about stepping away from the iPhone all together. My only point is that everything is relative to you and your purposes, and everything here is just opinion. The screen, processor, and everything about the S3 is crisp and quick. I've carried a smart phone since the first Blackberry entry. I've seen and used a lot of different phones over the years. I flat out do not understand the one man crusade against the Galaxy S3, but that's just another opinion...
 
Me neither. I love my Galaxy S3.
 
FrameUSA said:
I flat out do not understand the one man crusade against the Galaxy S3, but that's just another opinion...
Click to expand...

David Waldman hit the nail etc: he calls it intuitiveness, I call it ergonomics. My personal preference is Apple, because Steve Jobs drilled into his designers "better human engineering" - not having to look up user manuals to operate a smart phone. And I dislike Apple, but their human interface is superior. Maybe because I'm seriously ADD and like ease of use. Three years of an iPhone 3, and seven months of an S3.

Jim: try before you buy. Look into the ease of use, and how much time you may save with good design.
 
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