Questions about the iPhone 5 VS Note 2

[Dave Felix]

Good evening MacRumors!

Okay, where do I start? I've been on the forums for almost two years now. I used to own an 16GB iPhone 4 from AT&T. My upgrade was last week and I went home with the Note 2. Before you call me a traitor or anything, I wanted to research and see what the hype was about. AT&T offers a two week trial with equipment and can replace it for about $35 and get your money back. So I exercised my options.

Right now I'd give the note 2 an 8/10 (Im very confused on how to operate it and texting is TERRIBLE, NO AUTOCORRECT and doesnt register letters like the iPhone/iPad does but Im not here to talk about that phone/tablet. I wanted to asked some questions and wanted answers from REAL APPLE USERS AND NOT ANDROID LOVERS.

1. How would you rate the iPhone 5?
2. Do you really consider it an upgrade if you're coming from an iPhone 4?
3. Does it support FaceTime over 4G/LTE with AT&T?
4. Does the A6 chip have dual core or quad?
5. What was YOUR reason to continue with Apple's iPhones?
6. Will I feel outdated if Im stuck on a 20 month contract?

For Samsung Note 2/Android 4.1.2 - Very nice but it just seemed like the OS was unstable and unreliable. 2GB of RAM but the basic OS used about 1.1GB. Notifications center was poor! No badges or numbers on apps with notifications. Certain apps like Credit Karma weren't available. Yeah its a huge screen and beautiful widgets. Apple doesnt plan to release a big screen because they know loyal fans will buy the iPad. The only thing I would want from Apple are a few widgets. Something to make the phone come alive.

Truly I think I was made for but wanted to explore why.

[Dave Felix]

1000 views no response?

[laudern]

It seems you have answered your own question.

You have an iPhone 4. So you know the Eco-system. You know what to expect. Doesn't really matter what hardware the iPhone 5 has, it's the fastest apple offer and it's the only option if you want the best apple can offer

[phositadc]

FYI you can get notification badges on android. Try nova launcher.

[Dave Felix]

Originally Posted by phositadc

FYI you can get notification badges on android. Try nova launcher.

I feel like it had the best notification system a few years ago and then Apple found a way to provide a better notification system that didnt require third party apps.


And no I actually didnt answer my own question..

[nizmoz]

I have the iPhone 5 and now a note 2 and sorry the note 2 blows the iPhone away. You can customize everything you just said and fix it. You just sound like you don't know how to use it and need to learn.

[vastoholic]

Originally Posted by Dave Felix

1. How would you rate the iPhone 5?
2. Do you really consider it an upgrade if you're coming from an iPhone 4?
3. Does it support FaceTime over 4G/LTE with AT&T?
4. Does the A6 chip have dual core or quad?
5. What was YOUR reason to continue with Apple's iPhones?
6. Will I feel outdated if Im stuck on a 20 month contract?

You know I think I'm feeling the same as you right now. I know I love iOS and it works for me very well but I'm just curious about what else is out there and the Note 2 has been on my radar for a bit. So as someone who has done yearly upgrades I'll give you my opinion.

1. I'd rate it a 9/10. Based on what? I just really can't find anything to complain about it, but I hate to give anything a perfect score.

2. I do consider it an upgrade from the 4. Now the 4s is a little different story. I was very happy with the 4s and almost thought about not upgrading, but the bug caught me and I preordered one. The front facing camera is a huge improvement. Speakers quality blows away previous models. Screen color saturation and gamut are way better in my opinion than any previous iPhone. Games run like a charm on it, no matter how graphics intensive. I'm very happy with it.

3. It does support it if you're on a shared or tiered data plan. Some (very few) unlimited users have been able to get it to work.

4. As far as I know it's a dual core chip.

5. I guess my reason was just because I've always loved the iPhone and iOS. Never was interested in anything else until recently. Basically I had no reason to leave it. It wasn't broke for me, so I didn't try to fix it.

6. If you upgrade yearly, then yes you may feel outdated. But if you're not that type, then you should have no problem. The iPhone 5 is on par with quad core phones out right now.

[Dave Felix]

Originally Posted by nizmoz

I have the iPhone 5 and now a note 2 and sorry the note 2 blows the iPhone away. You can customize everything you just said and fix it. You just sound like you don't know how to use it and need to learn.

Yeah I thought so too.. but I had the device for about a week trying it out and the 2GB of RAM always ran up. I felt I had to constantly clear the RAM MANUALLY. It was as high as 1.54/1.74GB at times.

Leaving applications going to the home screen sometimes lagged.

The texting was the main reason I brought it back..you have to purchased third party apps for autocorrect. A simple sentence can take twice as long on the Note 2 if you have to choose every word after writing it manually.(Only Note II users know what Im talking about.)

It shouldn't lag at all with a quad core, not in the first couple days of use. I feel like they made a great device but I don't know if after 12 months it would hold up. I did need to learn the phone but maybe it was too much for my needs. The size definitely didn't bother me unless I was making a call without headphones lol but web browsing at home or at LTE speeds was amazing!

Top things I liked about it were widgets and live wallpapers. The live weather in the background was terrific! It recently snowed a few days in my area and constantly showed snow on my wallpaper. Battery life was ridiculous, but of course it was big as hell. It legit lasts the full day and then half the next.

But if it works for you Im happy for you, regardless of what people say. Note 2 or SGIII is truly a comparable phone to the iPhone 5. It really has come a long way. Competition is good.

Originally Posted by vastoholic

You know I think I'm feeling the same as you right now. I know I love iOS and it works for me very well but I'm just curious about what else is out there and the Note 2 has been on my radar for a bit. So as someone who has done yearly upgrades I'll give you my opinion.

1. I'd rate it a 9/10. Based on what? I just really can't find anything to complain about it, but I hate to give anything a perfect score.

2. I do consider it an upgrade from the 4. Now the 4s is a little different story. I was very happy with the 4s and almost thought about not upgrading, but the bug caught me and I preordered one. The front facing camera is a huge improvement. Speakers quality blows away previous models. Screen color saturation and gamut are way better in my opinion than any previous iPhone. Games run like a charm on it, no matter how graphics intensive. I'm very happy with it.

3. It does support it if you're on a shared or tiered data plan. Some (very few) unlimited users have been able to get it to work.

4. As far as I know it's a dual core chip.

5. I guess my reason was just because I've always loved the iPhone and iOS. Never was interested in anything else until recently. Basically I had no reason to leave it. It wasn't broke for me, so I didn't try to fix it.

6. If you upgrade yearly, then yes you may feel outdated. But if you're not that type, then you should have no problem. The iPhone 5 is on par with quad core phones out right now.

This is the kind of post I was looking for! An honest post that didn't say 11/10 because its an iPhone. I definitely recommend trying a new device especially if you can return it for a small fee. How do you get yearly upgrades? Long relationships with your carrier?? I upgraded almost every two years.

[kis]

Originally Posted by Dave Felix

1. How would you rate the iPhone 5?
2. Do you really consider it an upgrade if you're coming from an iPhone 4?
3. Does it support FaceTime over 4G/LTE with AT&T?
4. Does the A6 chip have dual core or quad?
5. What was YOUR reason to continue with Apple's iPhones?
6. Will I feel outdated if Im stuck on a 20 month contract?

1. 7/10 - for my taste (and I do realize that there are people who think otherwise - I can respect that), the screen's still too small. Battery life is just ok. The phone doesn't have NFC (which is taking off here in Switzerland ATM) and 4G doesn't work here because Apple allegedly has to test it first (WTF? LTE has been around for years now).

2. No. I initially upgraded from a 4S and the differences are minimal. The screen size is only minimally bigger and the elongated screen makes the phone awkward to hold.

3. No idea, I don't live in the US.

4. AFAIK it's a dual-core

5. As I said, I had a 4S. I then bought a Lumia 920 - which would be a great phone if it didn't have so many issues (tethering doesn't work with Macbook Pros due to some unidentifiable WiFi issue, the phone discharges within 90 minutes while using Nokia Drive, although it's connected to a 2.1A car charger, reboots after calls, lousy battery life etc.). I then got a Nexus 4, which is an awesome phone and which I still have. I love that one. I ended up getting an iPhone 5 because my contract was up for renewal and I simply didn't know what else to get (the contract rolls over anyway, no matter whether I get a free phone or not). I like the iPhone 5 as it's a bit more "cheery" (for lack of better words) than Android, but it sure isn't better anymore. The Nexus 4 has a significantly more pleasant screen (mainly du to its bigger size), has slightly better battery life, a comparable camera and NFC. While I use a whole lot of Apple products (Retina MBP, iPad, iPhone, several Airport components, Apple TV), I have zero loyalty left for the company. I used to adore those guys, but for me now, Apple is just another large, anonymous blob with dubious business practices, so-so leadership and a device line-up that's losing its appeal very quickly.

6. Probably - Apple will likely release the next version sooner rather than later because the iPhone doesn't have NFC and lacks some of the essential European LTE frequencies.

[nizmoz]

I have no lag issues. You also have to remember to close down your apps after you use the phone so it doesn't drain the battery or fill up the memory. Remember this phone multitasks in real time not like the iphone which doesn't really multitask. So you must close the APPs down.

Battery life is insane. I am at 80% right now, and it's still going since 6:30am this morning. Lots of text, and long phone call today, email and messing with the phone.

[l0gikb0mb]

Originally Posted by Dave Felix

The texting was the main reason I brought it back..you have to purchased third party apps for autocorrect. A simple sentence can take twice as long on the Note 2 if you have to choose every word after writing it manually.

You made an awful mistake then. I too got a note 2 and came from an iPhone, and experienced the lack of autocorrect. No third party keyboard needed... just download the stock jelly bean keyboard. Set auto correct to aggressive and you have the best keyboard on a mobile device. It even has Swype.

Felt right at home with the autocorrect on the jellybean stock keyboard.

[nizmoz]

Originally Posted by l0gikb0mb

You made an awful mistake then. I too got a note 2 and came from an iPhone, and experienced the lack of autocorrect. No third party keyboard needed... just download the stock jelly bean keyboard. Set auto correct to aggressive and you have the best keyboard on a mobile device. It even has Swype.

Felt right at home with the autocorrect on the jellybean stock keyboard.

Thanks for the suggestion of that keyboard. That made it much easier to type like my iphones did. And now I make less mistakes!

[Dave Felix]

Originally Posted by kis

1. 7/10 - for my taste (and I do realize that there are people who think otherwise - I can respect that), the screen's still too small. Battery life is just ok. The phone doesn't have NFC (which is taking off here in Switzerland ATM) and 4G doesn't work here because Apple allegedly has to test it first (WTF? LTE has been around for years now).

2. No. I initially upgraded from a 4S and the differences are minimal. The screen size is only minimally bigger and the elongated screen makes the phone awkward to hold.

3. No idea, I don't live in the US.

4. AFAIK it's a dual-core

5. As I said, I had a 4S. I then bought a Lumia 920 - which would be a great phone if it didn't have so many issues (tethering doesn't work with Macbook Pros due to some unidentifiable WiFi issue, the phone discharges within 90 minutes while using Nokia Drive, although it's connected to a 2.1A car charger, reboots after calls, lousy battery life etc.). I then got a Nexus 4, which is an awesome phone and which I still have. I love that one. I ended up getting an iPhone 5 because my contract was up for renewal and I simply didn't know what else to get (the contract rolls over anyway, no matter whether I get a free phone or not). I like the iPhone 5 as it's a bit more "cheery" (for lack of better words) than Android, but it sure isn't better anymore. The Nexus 4 has a significantly more pleasant screen (mainly du to its bigger size), has slightly better battery life, a comparable camera and NFC. While I use a whole lot of Apple products (Retina MBP, iPad, iPhone, several Airport components, Apple TV), I have zero loyalty left for the company. I used to adore those guys, but for me now, Apple is just another large, anonymous blob with dubious business practices, so-so leadership and a device line-up that's losing its appeal very quickly.

6. Probably - Apple will likely release the next version sooner rather than later because the iPhone doesn't have NFC and lacks some of the essential European LTE frequencies.

Yeah exactly this is how I feel, I'll probably just take my girlfriend's upgrade in June and give her my IP5. Thanks.

Originally Posted by nizmoz

I have no lag issues. You also have to remember to close down your apps after you use the phone so it doesn't drain the battery or fill up the memory. Remember this phone multitasks in real time not like the iphone which doesn't really multitask. So you must close the APPs down.

Battery life is insane. I am at 80% right now, and it's still going since 6:30am this morning. Lots of text, and long phone call today, email and messing with the phone.

Yeah the battery life is unreal on it..Its just a monster. I wish I could turn off multitasking because I would forget to shut down the apps. Thats why my memory was always up. Apple spoiled me.

Originally Posted by l0gikb0mb

You made an awful mistake then. I too got a note 2 and came from an iPhone, and experienced the lack of autocorrect. No third party keyboard needed... just download the stock jelly bean keyboard. Set auto correct to aggressive and you have the best keyboard on a mobile device. It even has Swype.

Felt right at home with the autocorrect on the jellybean stock keyboard.

I wish you would have answered these questions BEFORE i went back to AT&T!

[txa1265]

Personally I couldn't STAND the Note 2 ... and I really love the Galaxy S3. The Note 2 has worse usability in terms of holding, general operation, and keyboard. The S3 is usable in hand and fits in a pocket. The Note 2 is too big for a phone, too small for a tablet. I would rather have a smaller phone and a iPad Mini / Kindle Fire HD / Nexus 7.

Also, TouchWiz is a horrific interface that totally ruins all of the great stuff Google has done with Android since Gingerbread. In fact, it is pretty much like running Gingerbread with glimpses of more modern possibilities. Also, Samsung stuffs so much crapware in the S3 and Note it makes the carrier add-ons look like nothing. And *nothing* they put on there is worth using, with the possibility of the Note software (I like PhatPad better).

As noted, you *might* expect to have to micromanage apps to avoid slow-downs and battery drain, but to be honest I did a test where I totally reset the S3 and only loaded 'essentials' and had no major issues with it - but Android allows for misbehaving apps to run rampant (which is why it is the malware king!)

I also recently got my first iPhone (Verizon iP5) after only having Android phones since 2009. I have had iOS devices since first iPod Touch and first iPad, so I am no stranger to iOS. I have found it immediately extremely useful and productive, and while I was concerned about the screen size after the Droid 4, Galaxy S3 and Note 2 ... I find it works perfectly for me. I game but don't seriously watch video on the phone (that is what my tablet and laptop are for!).

For me the biggie was the keyboard. I have been using portable devices reguarly since 1989 and the HP 95LX, and have always preferred a physical keyboard ... and had one right up through the Droid 4 (screen broke on a fall during a trail run in the mountains of Utah on a trip). I have never liked the Android keyboard much, but when using the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 I *really* hated their keyboards. Predictive typing is inadequate, the swype overlay is annoying, and so on. Sure I can customize, replace, and so on ... but the default is crap. From day 1 with the iPhone 5 I have had great success with the keyboard.

Finally, if you are set on Samsung, really consider the Galaxy S3 - my last reason is the antenna ... surprisingly it is considerably more powerful than the Note 2. I spent a bunch of time in low-signal areas fighting low cell and WiFi, and the SGS3 did great while the Note 2 often wouldn't even connect.

[Dave Felix]

Originally Posted by txa1265

Personally I couldn't STAND the Note 2 ... and I really love the Galaxy S3. The Note 2 has worse usability in terms of holding, general operation, and keyboard. The S3 is usable in hand and fits in a pocket. The Note 2 is too big for a phone, too small for a tablet. I would rather have a smaller phone and a iPad Mini / Kindle Fire HD / Nexus 7.

Also, TouchWiz is a horrific interface that totally ruins all of the great stuff Google has done with Android since Gingerbread. In fact, it is pretty much like running Gingerbread with glimpses of more modern possibilities. Also, Samsung stuffs so much crapware in the S3 and Note it makes the carrier add-ons look like nothing. And *nothing* they put on there is worth using, with the possibility of the Note software (I like PhatPad better).

As noted, you *might* expect to have to micromanage apps to avoid slow-downs and battery drain, but to be honest I did a test where I totally reset the S3 and only loaded 'essentials' and had no major issues with it - but Android allows for misbehaving apps to run rampant (which is why it is the malware king!)

I also recently got my first iPhone (Verizon iP5) after only having Android phones since 2009. I have had iOS devices since first iPod Touch and first iPad, so I am no stranger to iOS. I have found it immediately extremely useful and productive, and while I was concerned about the screen size after the Droid 4, Galaxy S3 and Note 2 ... I find it works perfectly for me. I game but don't seriously watch video on the phone (that is what my tablet and laptop are for!).

For me the biggie was the keyboard. I have been using portable devices reguarly since 1989 and the HP 95LX, and have always preferred a physical keyboard ... and had one right up through the Droid 4 (screen broke on a fall during a trail run in the mountains of Utah on a trip). I have never liked the Android keyboard much, but when using the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 I *really* hated their keyboards. Predictive typing is inadequate, the swype overlay is annoying, and so on. Sure I can customize, replace, and so on ... but the default is crap. From day 1 with the iPhone 5 I have had great success with the keyboard.

Finally, if you are set on Samsung, really consider the Galaxy S3 - my last reason is the antenna ... surprisingly it is considerably more powerful than the Note 2. I spent a bunch of time in low-signal areas fighting low cell and WiFi, and the SGS3 did great while the Note 2 often wouldn't even connect.

This is all true. Managing the phone was a little too much for me at the moment. I think I will just get an iPad mini with 3G/4G coverage and call it a day. I felt the S3 would just be in the middle and I either want it all or nothing. 4.8 display to a 5.5 with a stylus was a good thought. About that stylus, can you fill out documents on the Note 2 and return them via email? I thought that would save tons of paper and time. I sometimes get forms to fill out and wondered instead of waiting to print, fill it out, and mail it back or scan would that be easier.

[nizmoz]

Originally Posted by txa1265

Personally I couldn't STAND the Note 2 ... and I really love the Galaxy S3. The Note 2 has worse usability in terms of holding, general operation, and keyboard. The S3 is usable in hand and fits in a pocket. The Note 2 is too big for a phone, too small for a tablet. I would rather have a smaller phone and a iPad Mini / Kindle Fire HD / Nexus 7.

Also, TouchWiz is a horrific interface that totally ruins all of the great stuff Google has done with Android since Gingerbread. In fact, it is pretty much like running Gingerbread with glimpses of more modern possibilities. Also, Samsung stuffs so much crapware in the S3 and Note it makes the carrier add-ons look like nothing. And *nothing* they put on there is worth using, with the possibility of the Note software (I like PhatPad better).

As noted, you *might* expect to have to micromanage apps to avoid slow-downs and battery drain, but to be honest I did a test where I totally reset the S3 and only loaded 'essentials' and had no major issues with it - but Android allows for misbehaving apps to run rampant (which is why it is the malware king!)

I also recently got my first iPhone (Verizon iP5) after only having Android phones since 2009. I have had iOS devices since first iPod Touch and first iPad, so I am no stranger to iOS. I have found it immediately extremely useful and productive, and while I was concerned about the screen size after the Droid 4, Galaxy S3 and Note 2 ... I find it works perfectly for me. I game but don't seriously watch video on the phone (that is what my tablet and laptop are for!).

For me the biggie was the keyboard. I have been using portable devices reguarly since 1989 and the HP 95LX, and have always preferred a physical keyboard ... and had one right up through the Droid 4 (screen broke on a fall during a trail run in the mountains of Utah on a trip). I have never liked the Android keyboard much, but when using the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 I *really* hated their keyboards. Predictive typing is inadequate, the swype overlay is annoying, and so on. Sure I can customize, replace, and so on ... but the default is crap. From day 1 with the iPhone 5 I have had great success with the keyboard.

Finally, if you are set on Samsung, really consider the Galaxy S3 - my last reason is the antenna ... surprisingly it is considerably more powerful than the Note 2. I spent a bunch of time in low-signal areas fighting low cell and WiFi, and the SGS3 did great while the Note 2 often wouldn't even connect.

I actually owned a S3, and I like the Note 2 better.