A basic users review of the X coming from a Galaxy S7 Edge

[mikef07]

Thought I would give a review of a basic users experience with the X. I am not pro Apple or Pro Samsung. I simply want what works best for me. 99% of my experience revolves around Email, Camera, Social Media Apps, Integration with computers at home, Messaging, Video Chat, Managing Boarding Passes, Making Calls, Checking Messages, Calendar, Playing Music, Managing Content, and Watching Videos.

Here are my issues with the S7 Edge which is the worst phone I have ever owned by far:
1) Battery life is atrocious. Was great for about the first 6 months. I am not a power user. I use email, a few apps, internet, music (a little). I will be below 50% by noon. Unplugged my phone at 7AM today. Have spent maybe 30 minutes total on phone overall. 9:24AM I am at 70%.
2) Internet experience is horrible. Constantly on a few forums and espn and webpages are constantly choppy or missing buttons, or the button simply don't work. There are constant situations where you get the "wait or close option" because the page freezes.
3) Message app is garbage. If I send a video or picture it is downgraded in quality (almost unwatchable).
4) No facetime. Almost every person i would want to facetime with has an iphone but of course I can't do it.
5) Choppy , choppy, choppy. The whole experience is not smooth at all.
6) Many times when I get a phone call and try to swipe answer the swipe does not register. After swiping about the 8th time it finally works.
7) Search function. With apple I can swipe down and search for an app. Very simple.
8) Music app is garbage compared to ios. So much so I don't even use it very often.
9) Getting to visual voicemail is such a pain compared to ios when in the phone app. i.e. Get out of phone app, find the visual voicemail icon and select it compared to having the icon at the bottom of the actual phone app in ios
10) One thing I thought I would love is wireless charging. I have a case on and it works less than 50% of the time. Yes I realize this will be an issue with the X as well.
11) . Keyboard is terrible compared to the iphone keyboard. I rarely make mistakes on the iphone yet make tons of mistakes on the galaxy.
12) . Integration with mac doesn't come close to the experience with an iphone.
13) . Weather app is garbage on main screen. It does not update automatically. I have to refresh anytime I want to know weather.

To my feeling on the X:

1) . Battery life is great. I have not dropped below 50% using the phone as much as I did the Galaxy. 2 hours in I might be down to 95%.
2) Internet Experience is great. Webpages render perfectly, no missing buttons, no crashes.
3) Nice to be back to Imessage. It is weird to be able to send video files that are not down graded to the point of being unwatchable. Nice to not have to tell everyone to switch to a new message app which will not happen.
4) I can actually video chat again. Since 95% of people I would want to video chat with have iphones this was a no brainer when it came to this.
5) Smooth as butter. No hiccups or lag at all
6) No situations where swiping or hitting a button does not register
7) Much easier to search with a simple swipe down from middle of screen
8) Nice to be back to a decent default music app
9) Totally makes sense that no matter which call screen you are on visual voicemail is on the bottom right.
10) Don't know about wireless charging yet. Only have the Samsung wireless charging pad (EP-PG920A) and that does not work
11) Keyboard is so much better and so much less frustrating. Very few mistakes.
12) Much better integration to the point where I actually put more on it now because it is so much easier.
13) Simply like the weather app better on IOS.
14) Managing boarding passes is much better. In IOS there is a shortcut to the boarding pass on the lock screen. On the Samsung I have to be in the App itself.

Hope this helps people if they are thinking about comparing an Android experience to an IOS experience from a basic user who would not customize much no matter what phone I had.

Anything I like better about the S7 Edge:
1) I actually like the screen more- More vibrant. Doesn't mean I think the X is bad though.
2) I like the Edge. Pretty useful

 

[AppleRobert]

Why did you keep the Samsung? Color me confused.

 

[mikef07]

Why did you keep the Samsung? Color me confused.

I got it a year ago and tried it out for a year. When I found out the X was coming out I got decided I would keep Samsung until it was released. Samsung is gone now

 

[ultravegeta1981]

Not my experience with the S7 and now s8.

 

[DNichter]

Happy to have ya

 

[AppleRobert]

I got it a year ago and tried it out for a year. When I found out the X was coming out I got decided I would keep Samsung until it was released. Samsung is gone now

That is ok I suppose BUT if I felt the same as you did from what you stated in the op, it would have been long gone. I would not have lasted a year with it.

 

[840quadra]

Since you copied and pasted your gripes with Android and your note 7 in Multiple ( IIRC 3 separate) threads within the Alternatives to IOS section of the site, such as...

1) Battery life is atrocious. Was great for about the first 6 months. I am not a power user. I use email, a few apps, internet, music (a little). I will be below 50% by noon. Unplugged my phone at 7AM today. Have spent maybe 30 minutes total on phone overall. 9:24AM I am at 70%.
2) Internet experience is horrible. Constantly on a few forums and espn and webpages are constantly choppy or missing buttons, or the button simply don't work. There are constant situations where you get the "wait or close option" because the page freezes.
3) Message app is garbage. If I send a video or picture it is downgraded in quality (almost unwatchable).
4) No facetime. Almost every person i would want to facetime with has an iphone but of course I can't do it. Video chat that is available is worthless to me because anyone I would want to video chat with doesn't use it.
5) Choppy , choppy, choppy. The whole experience is not smooth at all.
6) Many times when I get a phone call and try to swipe answer the swipe does not register. After swiping about the 8th time it finally works.
7) Search function. With apple I can swipe down and search for an app. Very simple.
8) Music app is garbage compared to ios. So much so I don't even use it very often.
9) Getting to visual voicemail is such a pain compared to ios when in the phone app. i.e. Get out of phone app, find the visual voicemail icon and select it compared to having the icon at the bottom of the actual phone app in ios
10) One thing I thought I would love is wireless charging. I have a case on and it works less than 50% of the time. Yes I realize this will be an issue with the X as well.
11) . Keyboard is terrible compared to the iphone keyboard. I rarely make mistakes on the iphone yet make tons of mistakes on the galaxy.
12) . Integration with mac doesn't come close to the experience with an iphone.
13) . Weather app is garbage on main screen. It does not update automatically. I have to refresh anytime I want to know weather.

The one area where the S7 excels is the screen. I personally think the screen looks better than the X screen

BTW all my phones are free so whichever phone I decide to buy I don't pay for so I need no justification for whatever phone I use.

I will go ahead and paste one of my responses to those posts.

I don’t have a log to throw into this argument other than I think you didn’t fully grasp how to access / use some of the features on your phone, and secondly, I do agree with some of your gripes, though very few have to do with limitations Android or the devices you used. ((Continued outside of quote))

SMS
Reduction in video quality is a limit of SMS, your iPhone will do the same thing, it is not iMessage. Though, there are ways to share full videos on Android too.

Search
It is also built into Android, and works quite well.

Browsers
Not sure what you were running, but, I have run into pages not rendering properly here and now. It is no different than Safari when it chokes on a site or two. Having an alternative browser for those types of pages is good to do on either platform.

Music
Apple Music is available on Android, including iTunes Match. Works flawlessly and I have it on my Pixel 2 (Love it).

Keyboards
There are plenty out in the marketplace that function a lot like iOSs. I agree, the stock keyboard is trash, if you are used to the way iOS does things. A quick google search, or posting a question on a forum like this could yield some friendly advice on that subject.

Launcher / widget issues
Change them. You are not locked into a singular launcher like you are on iOS (Springboard is what runs on the home screen). With some advice from Android users, you could setup something like Nova Launcher to essentially run just like you are used to in iOS.

As a rule, I find iOS to be a bit more put together straight out of the box. But, with some tuning you can setup your Android device to work similar, if not a little better.

For the Record, I daily drive a Pixel 2 (previously Nexus 6P), and many iOS devices.

———

You later responded that you didn’t want to have to modify your Android phone, which I understand. However, much of your gripes would be resolved by changing settings, with different app selections, and choosing a different keyboard.

Regardless, I am happy to hear that you enjoy using the X. Clearly due to your contacts mostly being on iOS, it makes more sense to be in the same ecosystem.

 

[TheIgster]

Different strokes huh? I have an S7 Edge and so does my wife. I could list my experience as well, but it would be completely OPPOSITE to what you posted. Sounds to me like you just didn't know how to use the phone or change things to your liking, as you can with Android.

Certainly sounds like user error here quite frankly. Samsung would be out of business if people had the same experience with their flagship phones. I did have a good laugh reading it though, so thanks for that.

Enjoy your iPhone.

 

[Regime2008]

I have the feeling that OP doesn't know the basics of using an Android device (no offense) and an iPhone sounds like it would suit your learning curve. They aren't difficult to use, and are pretty basic for the most part, so you won't get lost in customization that you will not have on iOS.

 

[mikef07]

Different strokes huh? I have an S7 Edge and so does my wife. I could list my experience as well, but it would be completely OPPOSITE to what you posted. Sounds to me like you just didn't know how to use the phone or change things to your liking, as you can with Android.

Certainly sounds like user error here quite frankly. Samsung would be out of business if people had the same experience with their flagship phones. I did have a good laugh reading it though, so thanks for that.

Enjoy your iPhone.

Certain things you can change, like the keyboard,, swipe to answer not working some of the time you can't. The battery being atrocious a year later you can't. Integration with computer you can't.

Web pages not being able to function correctly is unacceptable. While a workaround is a compromise my expectations from a flagship product are that the browser supplied works. It didn't. So many times I get the wait or close option.
[doublepost=1510255195][/doublepost]

Certain things you can change, like the keyboard,, swipe to answer not working some of the time you can't. The battery being atrocious a year later you can't. Integration with computer you can't.

Web pages not being able to function correctly is unacceptable. While a workaround is a compromise my expectations from a flagship product are that the browser supplied works. It didn't. So many times I get the wait or close option.

I have the feeling that OP doesn't know the basics of using an Android device (no offense) and an iPhone sounds like it would suit your learning curve. They aren't difficult to use, and are pretty basic for the most part, so you won't get lost in customization that you will not have on iOS.

No doubt my needs are pretty basic, but many things I listed would be unacceptable on an iphone. Not being able to answer calls, cumbersome access to visual voicemail, handling of boarding passes, choppiness beyond belief, web pages not functioning like they should. Keyboard alternative would be acceptable. Searching on the phone was fine, but easier to do on an iphone. You telling me I did not spend a ton of time tweaking every little aspect is certainly true. With an iphone it just works. I can't think of one actual app in Android I prefer over the IOS counterpart whether it is Music, weather, phoen call, voicemail, internet browser, messages, video chat, calendar,etc. Actually I can maps. I prefer maps in Android as I use google maps and I think that is better.

As I posted I am a basic user as the majority of iphone users are which is why IMO the appeal of the iphone is greater than Android counterparts unless costs come into play. When the S7 edge came out many on this forum described an incredible experience and said give it a try. I did and it was crap.

 

[Puddled]

I feel like I'm stuck in a looping timewarp lol.

 

[840quadra]

Certain things you can change, like the keyboard,, swipe to answer not working some of the time you can't. The battery being atrocious a year later you can't. Integration with computer you can't.

Web pages not being able to function correctly is unacceptable. While a workaround is a compromise my expectations from a flagship product are that the browser supplied works. It didn't. So many times I get the wait or close option.

Actually many people gave you solutions to try and help in the 3 other threads, including one touch answering for calls, and other browsers. As I stated in that thread, not all pages load on Safari on iPhone either. What are you going to do when you run into that?

You argued that you shouldn’t have to fix anything. That’s fine, but Android is not iOS, you can’t expect it to work exactly the same and , there are also issues on this side of the fence too.

 

[Regime2008]

Certain things you can change, like the keyboard,, swipe to answer not working some of the time you can't. The battery being atrocious a year later you can't. Integration with computer you can't.

Web pages not being able to function correctly is unacceptable. While a workaround is a compromise my expectations from a flagship product are that the browser supplied works. It didn't. So many times I get the wait or close option.
[doublepost=1510255195][/doublepost]


No doubt my needs are pretty basic, but many things I listed would be unacceptable on an iphone. Not being able to answer calls, cumbersome access to visual voicemail, handling of boarding passes, choppiness beyond belief, web pages not functioning like they should. Keyboard alternative would be acceptable. Searching on the phone was fine, but easier to do on an iphone.

As I posted I am a basic user as the majority of iphone users are which is why IMO the appeal of the iphone is greater than Android counterparts unless costs come into play. When the S7 edge came out many on this forum described an incredible experience and said give it a try. I did and it was crap.

When it comes to Android, I'll only use Nexus/Pixel devices. They don't have choppiness, and they function similar to iPhone, as far as simplicity. In fact reviewers say Pixel devices are a bit smoother/faster than iPhones.

 

[mikef07]

When it comes to Android, I'll only use Nexus/Pixel devices. They don't have choppiness, and they function similar to iPhone, as far as simplicity. In fact reviewers say Pixel devices are a bit smoother/faster than iPhones.

That may be. I can't argue against that. Maybe that would have been a better experience for me.
[doublepost=1510255829][/doublepost]

Actually many people gave you solutions to try and help in the 3 other threads, including one touch answering for calls, and other browsers. As I stated in that thread, not all pages load on Safari on iPhone either. What are you going to do when you run into that?

You argued that you shouldn’t have to fix anything. That’s fine, but Android is not iOS, you can’t expect it to work exactly the same and , there are also issues on this side of the fence too.

No what they gave me were workarounds. A workaround where I can change answering calls by tapping a button still does not fix the problem of swiping not working sometimes. As I said to you before If I have a car that has volume control buttons on the steering wheel and the center console and I tell you my steering wheel buttons do not work you can absolutely tell me I can turn the volume down by using the middle console and you would be correct but the dealership telling me don't worry about the steering wheel buttons not working because I can adjust with center console knobs would not be acceptable. What I argued is I expect things to work as they should.

 

[840quadra]

That may be. I can't argue against that. Maybe that would have been a better experience for me.
[doublepost=1510255829][/doublepost]
No what they gave me were workarounds. A workaround where I can change answering calls by tapping a button still does not fix the problem of swiping not working sometimes. As I said to you before If I have a car that has volume control buttons on the steering wheel and the center console and I tell you my steering wheel buttons do not work you can absolutely tell me I can turn the volume down by using the middle console and you would be correct but the dealership telling me don't worry about the steering wheel buttons not working because I can adjust with center console knobs would not be acceptable. What I argued is I expect things to work as they should.

Actually I wasn’t part of that conversation, but I did remember reading your flawed car analogy back then too. You are replacing soft keys on a touchscreen device, not physical keys on an old hardware phone. You may as well compare a touchscreen phone to a Tile cutter, as that is an equally irrelevant comparison.

There are many solutions for your issues with Android devices, the great community here tried to help you, however you refused / rejected the advice, insisting Android is flawed.

 

[mikef07]

Actually I wasn’t part of that conversation, but I did remember reading your flawed car analogy back then too. You are replacing soft keys on a touchscreen device, not physical keys on an old hardware phone. You may as well compare a touchscreen phone to a Tile cutter, as that is an equally irrelevant comparison.

There are many solutions for your issues with Android devices, the great community here tried to help you, however you refused / rejected the advice, insisting Android is flawed.

In other words flaws for existing issues are acceptable because there are workarounds. You settle, I don't. I stand by what I wrote.

 

[840quadra]

In other words flaws for existing issues are acceptable because there are workarounds. You settle, I don't. I stand by what I wrote.

As others politely tried to explain, you didn’t fully understand your device, people tried to help you in 3 separate threads where you copied and pasted the same diatribe. They aren’t flaws in your old device, you just didn’t like how they worked, or, had unrealistic expectations.

Best example of unrealistic expectations was your complaint about MMS compressing videos. It is a known limit, and it exists on iOS as well. I am sorry you can’t accept technical limitations, but please don’t blame, or lash out at people who are trying to help you.

 

[mikef07]

As others politely tried to explain, you didn’t fully understand your device, people tried to help you in 3 separate threads where you copied and pasted the same diatribe. They aren’t flaws in your old device, you just didn’t like how they worked, or, had unrealistic expectations.

Best example of unrealistic expectations was your complaint about MMS compressing videos. It is a known limit, and it exists on iOS as well. I am sorry you can’t accept technical limitations, but please don’t blame, or lash out at people who are trying to help you.

Choppiness is a flaw.
Web pages not rendering correctly is a flaw.
Swipes not working on the touch screen is a flaw
Poor battery is a flaw.
Crashing web pages is a flaw.

Not liking their message system is not a flaw. It is a preference.
Not liking their music app is not a flaw. It is a preference.
Not liking how one accesses visual voicemail is not a flaw. it is a preference.
Not liking about compressing videos is a flaw of MMS (not of Samsung).

Liking the S7 Edge Screen more is not a flaw. It is a preference.

for you - Flaw Definition - a mark, fault, or other imperfection that mars a substance or object.

 

[Packers1958]

I had the S7 Edge and got rid of it when the 7 Plus came out. Like the OP, the 7 Edge got laggy and the battery drain got pretty bad. The Edge feature was a gimmick and turned that off after a few weeks. What was really annoying is not getting any os updates. Always had to wait for the carrier to send out an update, and with Verizon, that could be a year later. It was not a bad phone, but compared to the X, it was a toy.

 

[840quadra]

Choppiness is a flaw.
Web pages not rendering correctly is a flaw.
Swipes not working on the touch screen is a flaw
Poor battery is a flaw.
Crashing web pages is a flaw.

Not liking their message system is not a flaw. It is a preference.
Not liking their music app is not a flaw. It is a preference.
Not liking how one accesses visual voicemail is not a flaw. it is a preference.
Not liking about compressing videos is a flaw of MMS (not of Samsung).

Liking the S7 Edge Screen more is not a flaw. It is a preference.

Not going to rehash what was said in other threads, but suffice it to say, there are solutions for all of those, and advice on battery life as well. Again, you were not interested in resolving them based on advice given from active users in the community.

I am happy you enjoy your X. I am loving mine, as well as my Pixel 2. Hope you continue to enjoy yours, and don’t run into some of the same issues you did with your Samsung.

 

[mikef07]

Not going to rehash what was said in other threads, but suffice it to say, there are solutions for all of those, and advice on battery life as well. Again, you were not interested in resolving them based on advice given from active users in the community.

I am happy you enjoy your X. I am loving mine, as well as my Pixel 2. Hope you continue to enjoy yours, and don’t run into some of the same issues you did with your Samsung.

Actually I reset the phone back to factory default to send back out in about 7 days and there are still battery issues. Another poster had similar issues as he posted. I know. It is a conspiracy.

Again. Learn what flaws mean. Why would I fix flaws in a phone I am going to get rid of now?

 

[TheIgster]

Again. Learn what flaws mean. Why would I fix flaws in a phone I am going to get rid of now?

My wife and I, as I have mentioned, both have over year old S7 Edge's and we don't have these "flaws". Interesting. We do however know how to use our phone and utilize Android to its full extent. Well, my wife really doesn't, but she just uses the phone without issue actually. We also prefer having customization capabilities and control over our experience. Not what some company decides we should do or how we should use a phone.

You keep saying the phone was "flawed". It just doesn't seem that way. Maybe you got a bad one? There are lemons in every run. Many iPhone's have been returned due to issues as well.

 

[mikef07]

A few more flaws so to speak.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/new-iphone-user-from-8-years-of-android-wall-of-text.2086564/

[doublepost=1510261781][/doublepost]

My wife and I, as I have mentioned, both have over year old S7 Edge's and we don't have these "flaws". Interesting. We do however know how to use our phone and utilize Android to its full extent. Well, my wife really doesn't, but she just uses the phone without issue actually. We also prefer having customization capabilities and control over our experience. Not what some company decides we should do or how we should use a phone.

You keep saying the phone was "flawed". It just doesn't seem that way. Maybe you got a bad one? There are lemons in every run. Many iPhone's have been returned due to issues as well.

Like I said. My iphones have always just worked

 

[TheIgster]

Like I said. My iphones have always just worked

Well, I guess that's awesome for you. Expectations. If all iPhone's worked awesome, well, there wouldn't be so many threads about problems here, but carry on.

A good friend of mine had been using Android forever. He finally decided to get an iPhone. All he could do was b*tch and moan about this and that and finally went back to Android.

Expectations.

 

[mikef07]

Well, I guess that's awesome for you. Expectations. If all iPhone's worked awesome, well, there wouldn't be so many threads about problems here, but carry on.

A good friend of mine had been using Android forever. He finally decided to get an iPhone. All he could do was b*tch and moan about this and that and finally went back to Android.

Expectations.

It is why I titled my thread basic user.

That means I want to pick up an Android phone and expect the calling app to work.
That means I want to open default browser and be able to go to pages on ESPN and have them render correctly.
I expect the keyboard to work fairly well.
I expect the battery to last all day.
I expect no choppiness.

Again basic expectations. I see people here nitpick how Apple does notifications better or Android does them better. Both are fine to me. Both camera are fine to me. Both photo apps are fine to me. Almost all 3rd party apps are fine to me. Visual voicemail itself is fine to me. My expectations are lower than most I believe. It was a poor experience.