I was wrong about the Note 3

I don't believe the Note 3 was meant to be used one handed but that's why we have choice. Good luck with whatever you choose in the future but my advice would be to give it more than a day, especially when coming from a different OS altogether.

Really sounds like you'd be happier with the HTC One than the Note based on your complaints. Maybe give that a try or wait for the Nexus 5? You can't judge Android based solely on Touchwiz on Amoled, and the device size may have just been too big a jump.

Give it time. I hated the iPhone when I switched from droid.

Even though your qualms about Touchwiz may be not unfounded. Sites like Androidpolice HATE TW and so do a lot of 'droid purists.

I never had a problem with it.

I love iOS but android is cool too. You have to give it time though.

It's definitely not for everyone. At least you tried it. A lot of the complaints are fixable though if you gave it more then a days use before returning it.

wongster41 said:

Man was I wrong, I thought I would like it, I really did. I was fed up with Apple this year for not releasing a bigger screen iPhone I decided to check out the note 3. I got the note 3 with T-mobile and returned it the next day and paid the $50 restocking fee. The screen is huge and it's great, but good luck using the device with onei hand, and I have pretty long fingers.

It was my first time using android, and although there are more features, more customization, it is one ugly OS compared to IOS. The default icons and settings UI looks horrible. I'm not a big fan of the amoled screen either, everythings got a warm blue temp feel to it and not a warm temp like the iPhone screen (which I perfer). It came loaded with bloatware from Tmobile and Samsung, which I didn't like. I know I only had it for a day and I should have given it more time, but I just couldn't see myself with that thing for a year. Guess in the meantime I'll be using iPhone 5 and wait for apple to release a larger screen.

Click to expand...

So let me get this straight, you hate the small iPhone screen, so you go after a phablet and are surprised to find out the obvious, you need 2 hands. And then, rather than go to a smaller screen like a 5 inch screen, you decide to go back to the small iPhone screen you hate. Lol. Yeah sure you bought a Note 3. Haha, good stuff.

You can swap it for a HTC One. HTC's skin is pretty sublime as opposed to TouchWiz.

Plus the HTC One should be more wieldy but sill larger than an iPhone.

Back in May I made it into the 3rd day with an HTC One before returning it and firing my old iPhone 4. I loved the hardware but HATED the Andriod OS. Now I've got a new 64gb iPhone 5s and couldn't be happier.

If you'd spent time with it, using Nova launcher + custom themes and icons give it a completely different style. I think going from a tiny fake 4" screen to a proper 6 would be off putting though. And no, I don't understand why you thought it would be a one handed affair.

I'm the opposite, got an S4 this weekend, spent the last couple of days learning it, re skinning it and it is a far better experience to the iPhone and iOS 7. I love it, listing my iPhone on eBay tonight and possibly following with iPad. Different strokes and all that, but androids fresh feel, limitless customisation and cheap expandable storage is doing it for me right now.

The problem I had when swapping from iPhones previously was that I always still had the iPhone. It was always to easy, when something didn't work the way it did in ios, to go back to the iPhone. Last year, underwhelmed by the iPhone 5, I decided to sell my 4s and buy an S3, it took a few days but decided that I liked Android, but was tempted by the bigger screen of the Note. Waited a couple of months and bought the Note 2 , which I still have, and am struggling with finding a worthy replacement. I just don't think I could give up the screen size.

wongster41 said:

Man was I wrong, I thought I would like it, I really did. I was fed up with Apple this year for not releasing a bigger screen iPhone I decided to check out the note 3. I got the note 3 with T-mobile and returned it the next day and paid the $50 restocking fee. The screen is huge and it's great, but good luck using the device with one hand, and I have pretty long fingers.

It was my first time using android, and although there are more features, more customization, it is one ugly OS compared to IOS. The default icons and settings UI looks horrible. I'm not a big fan of the amoled screen either, everythings got a warm blue temp feel to it and not a warm temp like the iPhone screen (which I perfer). It came loaded with bloatware from Tmobile and Samsung, which I didn't like. I know I only had it for a day and I should have given it more time, but I just couldn't see myself with that thing for a year. Guess in the meantime I'll be using iPhone 5 and wait for apple to release a larger screen.

Click to expand...

The N3 is a huge device, you have to specifically want something like that. I wanted a larger device than the ip5, but the N2/N3 was embarrassingly large. I went with a LG G2 which is huge, but still phone sized and can be used one handed. Android is MUCH prettier and more functional than the atrocity that is iOS7, but iOS is still smoother. I'm amazed to still find lag and odd issues like the proximity sensor not working properly, etc etc in Android, given the hardware I'm using and the maturation of Android.

Who the hell buys a phone without actually TOUCHING the device first, let alone handling it?

A dummy

I am said dummy as well.

Bought the Note 3 without touching or anything when I pre-ordered but I came from a S3 and had messed with the Note 2 before.

Glad I did as its a great device.

chrisrosemusic1 said:

If you'd spent time with it, using Nova launcher + custom themes and icons give it a completely different style. I think going from a tiny fake 4" screen to a proper 6 would be off putting though. And no, I don't understand why you thought it would be a one handed affair.

I'm the opposite, got an S4 this weekend, spent the last couple of days learning it, re skinning it and it is a far better experience to the iPhone and iOS 7. I love it, listing my iPhone on eBay tonight and possibly following with iPad. Different strokes and all that, but androids fresh feel, limitless customisation and cheap expandable storage is doing it for me right now.

Click to expand...

The iPhone is a lot of things, but i do believe they use a real 4" screen on the iPhone.

If I bought the Note 3 and didn't really like it, I would still have it longer than one day just to play around with all the features.

wongster41 said:

Man was I wrong, I thought I would like it, I really did. I was fed up with Apple this year for not releasing a bigger screen iPhone I decided to check out the note 3. I got the note 3 with T-mobile and returned it the next day and paid the $50 restocking fee. The screen is huge and it's great, but good luck using the device with one hand, and I have pretty long fingers.

It was my first time using android, and although there are more features, more customization, it is one ugly OS compared to IOS. The default icons and settings UI looks horrible. I'm not a big fan of the amoled screen either, everythings got a warm blue temp feel to it and not a warm temp like the iPhone screen (which I perfer). It came loaded with bloatware from Tmobile and Samsung, which I didn't like. I know I only had it for a day and I should have given it more time, but I just couldn't see myself with that thing for a year. Guess in the meantime I'll be using iPhone 5 and wait for apple to release a larger screen.

Click to expand...

You realize how ridiculous this sounds? Here, this is what it would sound like in reverse.

Got tired of Android, so I decided on the iPhone 5S (in gold of course, cause I'm a baller.) Never bothered to check one out personally and it was the first time I ever used iOS. Well, the OS is crap. You can't do anything with it. Why can't I move the icons where I want? Why is there 10 steps just to change a setting? Why is there light bleed all over the IPS screen? Very annoying at night!
This UI looks horrible; like a pink unicorn puked all over it! It came loaded with this Apple crapware, that is impossible to delete. Why can't I delete these stupid icons for newstand, calculator, game center, etc? It forces me to put them in one folder, but then have to place that folder within the grid of icons! WTF? Why does this stupid screen have so much movement from the wallpaper? Makes me want to puke on the unicorn puke screen!

I returned it after one day. A completely unusable experience and I'll be using an Android phone that I can actually use.

Sound as ridiculous as your post? Seriously, who buys a phone out of the blue without at least looking at it in the store, making sure it feels comfortable, looks good on screen and so on?

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Fernandez21 said:

The iPhone is a lot of things, but i do believe they use a real 4" screen on the iPhone.

Click to expand...

Problem is, it doesn't even reach 4". It still falls in the 3" category, as it is 3.99" diagonally. So no, it isn't a real 4" screen.

Wow, bravo!

lol

LIVEFRMNYC said:

If I bought the Note 3 and didn't really like it, I would still have it longer than one day just to play around with all the features.

Click to expand...

Very good chance the OP didn't buy the Note 3 at all and this is just a troll thread.

I'm using my note 3 with one hand right now.... Not hard to...

Note 3 or...

Besides my iPhone, I'm ready to buy an Android to use as my second phone.

I've studied them and have it narrowed down to three choices.

1) Note 3
2) SGS 4
3) Nexus 5

Obviously the Note 3 is much larger, but that's of no concern.
I'm very open minded & would appreciate any & all ideas, suggestions & feedback

Thanks

Fernandez21 said:

The iPhone is a lot of things, but i do believe they use a real 4" screen on the iPhone.

Click to expand...

Didn't mean its not a screen, is just only 4" vertically, not diagonally

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macred said:

Besides my iPhone, I'm ready to buy an Android to use as my second phone.

I've studied them and have it narrowed down to three choices.

1) Note 3
2) SGS 4
3) Nexus 5

Obviously the Note 3 is much larger, but that's of no concern.
I'm very open minded & would appreciate any & all ideas, suggestions & feedback

Thanks

Click to expand...

S4 is avaliable at a great price now, and is a brilliant piece of kit

macred said:

Besides my iPhone, I'm ready to buy an Android to use as my second phone.

I've studied them and have it narrowed down to three choices.

1) Note 3
2) SGS 4
3) Nexus 5

Obviously the Note 3 is much larger, but that's of no concern.
I'm very open minded & would appreciate any & all ideas, suggestions & feedback

Thanks

Click to expand...

I would wait for the official announcement of the Nexus 5 since that's one of your choices. Between the S4 and Note 3 I would go with the Note 3 if you can deal with the extra size.

nba1341 said:

I'm using my note 3 with one hand right now.... Not hard to...

Click to expand...

In my own experience the Note 3 has same issues as S4 and HTC One despite having much larger screen.

In fact I actually find it more comfortable to hold and switch on, and launch a phone call or text someone with the Note 3 than I did on those other two devices.

However it just feels better to hold it in one hand and type or activate with other, you certainly can't use the s-pen and hold the screen in just one hand.

I'm also surprised that as a phone for calls because its longer it doesn't feel as weird against the ear as I thought it might. In fact I find it better positioned for the earpiece than smaller devices, something I thought would be an issue was reverse to my preconception.