Just switched from Note8 to X

[UKapple]

After a very long time of trying to decide whether or not to try out the X I finally took the plunge and took delivery of my space grey 256gb X today!

First impressions, phone is silky smooth as opposed to one of the demo units I played with in-store which clearly had lag/stutter issues. The size is spot on, after previously having a S8+ and N8 it's really nice to have a 'normal' size phone! The overall size of the N8 was really starting to be a pain at times just because it isn't always practical to carry around. The overall build quality is exceptional, nice feel when in hand.

One thing that slightly concerned me with the X is when I decided to watch a few sample HDR videos on YouTube. Running both the X and N8 side by side watching the same HDR video the N8 blows X out of the water. This was until I realised YouTube doesn't support the HDR coding that the X uses, which is really disappointing and something I hope they will fix soon.

I'm looking forward to getting back to grips with iOS since it's been a while since I last had a iPhone (iPhone 5 was my last one and had a S5, S6 edge, S7, S8+ and N8 since). I'm keen to get the integration of my iPad and ATV up and running again.

Now there are plenty of arguments to say the N8 is the better phone and they maybe right but after having so many androids I just fancied a change as I believe if you stay in either OS you can become bored. There is no doubt the N8 hard way more features but to be honest I hardly use any nor do I customize my phone. I can only liken it to having a super duper all terrain vehicle that could take you to the artic and sahara and back but only using it for trips to the local shop...total overkill. That's not to say I'm not happy with the N8, I am but at the same time I want to freshen things up a bit.

With a return period now extended until the 8th January I also have time to change my mind!

 

[nrvna76]

N8 looks like a great device. Did you use the S-pen often, and do you miss it with the X?

 

[44267547]

N8 looks like a great device. Did you use the S-pen often, and do you miss it with the X?

Truthfully, I'm not an android user, but I really do like the S-Pen with the Note 8 and I find that one feature that I would use with a device that large. The display on the Note 8 is rather long.

 

[nrvna76]

Truthfully, I'm not an android user, but I really do like the S-Pen with the Note 8 and I find that one feature that I would use with a device that large. The display on the Note 8 is rather long.

Every year I consider the Note and never pull the trigger. I think it’s just a grass is greener thing but I can’t see me using the pen in everyday use.

 

[44267547]

Every year I consider the Note and never pull the trigger. I think it’s just a grass is greener thing but I can’t see me using the pen in everyday use.

There are just a lot of times I prefer to use a stylus versus my finger. And I have always been somebody that's liked the stylus, contrary to Steve Jobs never preferring one. The S-Pen actually has quite a few capabilities and it's intuitive little tool built into the Note 8.

 

[UKapple]

N8 looks like a great device. Did you use the S-pen often, and do you miss it with the X?

I used the s pen more than I thought I would. Some features such as the colouring in app are a bit gimmicky but other features are useful. For me it's nice to have and use but not a deal breaker.

The long screen isn't too much of an issue when using the device at home but when out with friends etc the size thing can be an issue, especially when keeping it in your pocket.

I'm tempted to even keep the N8 as a back up in case further down the line I get itchy feet!

 

[sean000]

There are just a lot of times I prefer to use a stylus versus my finger. And I have always been somebody that's liked the stylus, contrary to Steve Jobs never preferring one. The S-Pen actually has quite a few capabilities and it's intuitive little tool built into the Note 8.

I thought the S-Pen was pretty cool when I played with one as well. I was a PalmOS user for many years before smartphones existed. On the one hand a stylus strikes me as a bit of a retro throwback since you had to have one for PalmOS and other PDA's. On the other hand they offer precision you just can't get from a fingertip, and I like the way Samsung provides a quick action menu when you pull out the S-Pen. It's a bit of a bummer (and a surprise) that you can't associate the "Create Note" action item with Google Keep though. One thing I bet it's much better at is selecting text. If there is anything on iOS that frustrates me, it's making lengthy text selections.

As neat as I think a stylus could be for a number of things (drawing/painting, selective photo adjustments, selecting text, etc.) one thing I would never use one for is writing notes by hand. My penmanship has always been slow and awful to look at. I can type notes much faster than I can write them. Besides, if I write text with a stylus I'm afraid muscle memory will kick-in and all my letters will be in PalmOS "Graffiti." I've had an iPad Pro for quite some time now, and I still don't have the Apple Pencil. I meant to get one, but quickly forgot about it. Maybe if I tried one for an extended period I would find it indispensable.

 

[tonybarnaby]

I used the s pen more than I thought I would. Some features such as the colouring in app are a bit gimmicky but other features are useful. For me it's nice to have and use but not a deal breaker.

The long screen isn't too much of an issue when using the device at home but when out with friends etc the size thing can be an issue, especially when keeping it in your pocket.

I'm tempted to even keep the N8 as a back up in case further down the line I get itchy feet!

Samsung and the various phone retailers have offered so many deals this year that most phones resale value has tanked. I sold my s8+ in mint condition for $500 yesterday, and that included a battery case and a 128gb sd card. If you’re gonna sell it, I’d list it on swappa soon.