iPhone5 + mini iPad vs Samsung Galaxy Note II

[BoxerGT2.5]

Originally Posted by raptorstv

For those who've bought ipad mini... R u guys happy with ur decision?

I was given a mini as a gift. If I had to buy it myself I would pass.

[flounder21]

Selling both ip5 and iPad 3 for note 2. This is the CHANGE I can live with.

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by rmhop81

I haven't decided either but have same thoughts as you. I like one device deal. Lost interest in iPhone due to lack of supply. Will probably get GN2 and skip iPhone.

GN2 makes the iPhone + tablet irrelevant. Studies reveal the majority of SmartPhone users regardless of platform, use the phone sparingly. Therefore the larger size with it's obvious benefits when doing everything else, is a primary reason the Galaxy Note models so popular.

For those who prefer iOS, the obvious choice is dump the iPhone & use an iPad mini. For calls an inexpensive, compact, feature phone would be ideal. No data plan & no need for an expensive smartphone.

[bembol]

I finally got my Note II, no White (again) so I had to settle for Grey which at the end was the better choice.

Anyways, it's amazing especially now that it has Jelly Bean. I love that they made it Taller at 5.5". The improvements at great and well worth the upgrade. This may set a record and keep a Super Phone for more than 6 months! LOL

I had both the iPhone 5 & Mini for a short time and wasn't impressed. Design was bland and iOS didn't deliver. My favorite new feature, Passbook running TWO apps!?!?! The Mini, I really can't get over that fact that Apple won't give us Video playlist. I'm done with the iPad.

IMO go with Note II & iPod nano or touch. I'm still deciding which to go with.

[raptorstv]

What video playlist?

----------

The only time i can see myself using Mini is probably when im at home just browsing things

[nick_elt]

Originally Posted by zbarvian

Portable phone + tablet

OR

Non-portable phone

Personally I think the Apple duo would be the better choice. Just my two cents.

You obviously haven't tried it for any extensive period because it's size is not a factor. It fits into pockets just fine.

[nick_elt]

Originally Posted by PDFierro

I think that all depends on what you would do with the iPad mini. Can those things be accomplished on the Galaxy Note?

You will probably find that you could do more with the note 2 than the ipad

[theluggage]

Originally Posted by zbarvian

Portable phone + tablet OR Non-portable phone

Bottom line: the Galaxy Note II will fit in most shirt or trouser pockets, the iPad Mini won't, so you're more likely to have the Note with you when you need it. If you primarily use your smartphone for web, email and text then the big screen and large onscreen keyboard are a huge advantage, but it is still perfectly usable as a phone.

I think the sensible configurations might be:

really small dumbphone + iPad (Mini or 10")

or:

iPhone + 10" WiFi iPad ...the full-sized iPad is big enough to start acting as a laptop-substitute, the iPhone will do when the iPad is in the bag and you can use tethering if you need to use the iPad away from WiFi.

or:

phablet - big enough to be a decent 'internet terminal', small enough to still be useful as a phone.

Personally, I've never seen the point of 7" tablets - less screen real-estate than a 10" tablet but still too big to be pocket-sized. Apple obviously thinks there has been a demand. However, I wonder how much the current popularity of 7" is down to the decision by the likes of Google and Amazon to go with 7" tablets? The Nexus 7 may have been successful because it was the first non-Apple tablet to offer significantly more bang-per-buck than the iPad - it will be interesting how it plays out now that Apple have a 7-incher and Google have a 10-incher.

[Twixt]

Originally Posted by tadad1

Currently still on the iPhone 4 because neither the 4s nor the 5 gave me the desire to update but the Note II did, should get it early next week.

Still with my 3GS and same lack of appeal from apple products so far...
I intend to buy Note2 but 16 GB is just not enough :/

[3bs]

Originally Posted by Twixt

Still with my 3GS and same lack of appeal from apple products so far...
I intend to buy Note2 but 16 GB is just not enough :/

Well that's why there's an SD card slot

[cynics]

I find any 7" tab to be too big to be portable ALL THE TIME and too small to enjoy at home. So if a large screen was a must in my daily travels the note would be the perfect option. Would be much less expensive too and lower operating cost since you won't need a tethering plan. I also prefer to keep everything on one device but iDevices do integrate very well.

As a side note I would have waited for a better quality 7" tab even if it was just the next mini. The screen looks like my now sold iPad 2 and Xoom on the mini.

[cynics]

Originally Posted by 3bs

Well that's why there's an SD card slot

A lot of people don't get how useful an SD card can be. On my tablet I keep all my movies, game emulator apk's and all their roms, music etc. Basically anything that I need to load from my computer. Then I can do whatever to the devices and doesn't require me to load anything back on.

When I restored my iPhone is took FOREVER (it worked well though) I can restore my tablet in 20 minutes if I had too.

[Dmunjal]

I currently have a S3 and a iPad 2. I was going to get either the Mini or the iPad 4 but now am considering just getting the Note 2 and going with one device.

How does the Note 2 compared to the S3 or iPad in terms of web-browsing?

[OSMac]

Just got a Note II a couple days ago...
without a doubt the more impressive device I've purchased for a while.

I had expected it to have the usual Android lag but the browser is better than the iPhones now.

IMO its not even close, with the text size options etc in Android.

Same with the Camera, excellent quality, burst mode and so many options to control it.

I'd rather use the Note II than the mini,
the screen is far easier to read on the Note due to the text sizing options Jelly bean offers.

[spinedoc77]

Loved my ipads over the years, but honestly I just got sick of carrying them around. At the same time my iphone 4s was painful to do anything on it was so small, mostly internet browsing was just not enjoyable. So I got the Note 2 to kind of combine everything and have it all in my pocket. I still have a Windows 8 Pro tablet though for plane trips or if I know I'll be sitting for a while, but it's nice to not have to carry around a tablet anymore.

I also kept my iphone 4s for those times when I really want a small phone, like a party or something.

[theluggage]

Originally Posted by Dmunjal

How does the Note 2 compared to the S3 or iPad in terms of web-browsing?

The 10" screen on an iPad 3 is nicer for web browsing than the 5.5" screen on the note (well, duh!)

On the other hand, the Note 2 in your shirt pocket is 100% better for web browsing than the iPad that you didn't bring because you didn't want to carry a bag.

[thinkinblue613]

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and iPad mini

Why is this not a choice? You get the best of both worlds.

[F123D]

Loving my Note II due to the portability but I wouldn't mind having an iPad at home for just sitting around on the couch or whatever when I'm not at my desktop. I would however, never buy an iPad mini. To big to be portable and just a little to small for house use (I'd rather just buy a full size iPad).

[Random 995K]

I have heard that the note 2 is wayyy to big for phone calls and you can't use with one hand. It's also no where near big enough for using a tablet for media to productivity. If you can't afford an ipad and an iPhone go for the note but beware you are getting a product that's barely decent at being a tablet or a phone.

[IO01]

Originally Posted by Twixt

Still with my 3GS and same lack of appeal from apple products so far...
I intend to buy Note2 but 16 GB is just not enough :/

Originally Posted by 3bs

Well that's why there's an SD card slot

The idea of 96 or 128gb of storage (32/64 internal + 64 microSD) is very appealing to me. Unfortunately, the 32/64gb variants of the Note II are still not available (besides in Korea).

OT: Does anyone remember, when the Galaxy S IIIs were released, if there was a delay before the 32gb variant came out, if both the 16gb and 32gb were released at the same time?

[spinedoc77]

Originally Posted by Random 995K

I have heard that the note 2 is wayyy to big for phone calls and you can't use with one hand. It's also no where near big enough for using a tablet for media to productivity. If you can't afford an ipad and an iPhone go for the note but beware you are getting a product that's barely decent at being a tablet or a phone.

It's not too big for phone calls functionally, I had no issues using it one handed. It was more embarrassment of having such a large device next to my head. As for a tablet, it was ok, very nice for web browsing but I found the stylus and notes were less than I expected on a screen that small compared to tablets.

It's definitely a compromise both ways. I thought I could replace my phone AND ipad, but for my needs at least it didn't happen. Experiment # 2 will be a nexus 7 and keeping my iphone, my ipad is just too much of a pita to carry around with me.

[Zwhaler]

Originally Posted by Random 995K

I have heard that the note 2 is wayyy to big for phone calls and you can't use with one hand. It's also no where near big enough for using a tablet for media to productivity. If you can't afford an ipad and an iPhone go for the note but beware you are getting a product that's barely decent at being a tablet or a phone.

I don't think its too big for phone calls by any means. It has a higher resolution than the iPad mini, so why can't it be used as a tablet? Sure it's not the same, but everyone knows its a phone/tablet. There is compromise but its definitely NOT too big for a phone and too small for a tablet.

[Dmunjal]

I really enjoy the browsing and app experience on my S3. The iPad is nice when I need a bigger screen but I miss the Android experience that's why I'm looking for a single device like the Note 2.

Why isn't there a decent Android tablet with LTE? Just saw that ATT is offering the Tab 2 10.1 with LTE for $499. But it doesn't have JB, has an older CPU and only 1G RAM.

[Random 995K]

Originally Posted by Zwhaler

I don't think its too big for phone calls by any means. It has a higher resolution than the iPad mini, so why can't it be used as a tablet? Sure it's not the same, but everyone knows its a phone/tablet. There is compromise but its definitely NOT too big for a phone and too small for a tablet.

Totally disagree. Despite the fact they you look ridiculous when calling. You cannot use the S3 with one hand let alone this. What i mean by that is you cant use your thumb to control the whole display. Therefore imo it is not a good phone. As to the tablet part its quite simple. Its WAY to small of a screen. the mini is 8 inches and is the smallest you can go to do anything "tablet like".

An ipad is for many people is a replacement for a laptop/macbook. You are high if you think a 5.5 inch screen can replace a 13 inch one. Thats my thoughts at least.

[mib1800]

Originally Posted by Random 995K

Totally disagree. Despite the fact they you look ridiculous when calling. You cannot use the S3 with one hand let alone this. What i mean by that is you cant use your thumb to control the whole display.

I find using my S3 easier than ip4s one-handed.

Reason: You never need to constantly stretch your thumb to reach top-left like iOS (to tap back /nav buttons). On Android, "back" button is easily reached at where your resting thumb position is. Same with menu/commands. I can also create a shortcut at the bottom of the screen to drop down the notification panel easily. Can you with iphone?

For Note 2, there is an option to set to "one-handed use". The position of some elements are adjusted so you can use it one-handed without problem.