Anonymous, 24 Feb 2018Since it's an Android device, after 16-18 months it will start lagging now and then. By the en... moreI'm sure google would monitor us on any phone if they wanted (hint, they make the operating system so a manufacturer having a different camera won't save you) but onto the real subject anyway, I have a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, this is essentially just an S7 Edge / S8 + equivalent but I've had it over 2 years now and it's not a laggy mess like you claim it should be, the note is a faster and more capable phone with newer updates (as you point out, largely done by google but usually just some OEM tweaks) but I don't see how the note would be any worse off than my phone. They'd both be android and Samsung phones but mine is working perfect after 2 years so I'm just sticking to sim only for a short while, I've played games on it, had apps, do regular calls and other bits and the only time I ever experience lag is when I try and share news from the buzzfeed, as it initially loads up the share options. Other than that you're lying.
The S Pen has tilt input - ability to replicate the tilt shading of pencil. Now I find this to be a very compelling compact drawing tool, and the fact Sketchbook Pro has been updated to accommodate up to 10,000 by 10,000 pixel resolution for drawing!
http://flic.kr/p/DdKXvJ
Drawing with the Note8 is smooth, with the tiniest point on the S Pen with 4096 levels of pressure input can let me produce detailed drawings. The 6 GB RAM helps. A definite plus why I'm always getting the Galaxy Note series instead of any "normal" pen-less smartphone.
Since it's an Android device, after 16-18 months it will start lagging now and then. By the end of the 24th month, the lag will become annoying. Two and a half years later, the phone will be a lagfest.
First year, it will receive updates 3-4 months after a major Android update is released. During the second year, major updates will come with a 6 months delay. After the second year has passed, major updates will take 7-8 months to be released, or will not be released at all - except for minor bug fixes and such.
Isn't it nice to know that if your device is not using stock Android, it will bevulnerable to security threats the day you buy it? And if you get a stock Android phone, you will have all of Google's "services" (*cough* spyware *cough*) installed on your device.
Ah, the beauty of choice. You either let Google monitor you, or you open up the doors for all the malware on the web while being stuck with an old version of Android.
MrElectrifyer, 24 Feb 2018I really don't know why, but every time I see a full picture of the Note 8, I just really love... moreI definitely know what you mean. It's just that beautiful!
MrElectrifyer, 24 Feb 2018Regarding your gripes about duplicate apps, I'm very glad that they keep offering alternatives... moreYeah Samsung doesn't come with any spyware, according to this company operating procedures in Korea everyone must trust it.
Regarding your gripes about duplicate apps, I'm very glad that they keep offering alternatives to scroogle's services. I don't need nor want google eaves-dropping on all my personal content and using it for ads. With Samsung and other OEMs providing their own apps for e-mail, calendar, notes, messaging, music, photos, videos, camera, internet browsing, etc, I can disable/ditch google's spyware services and still get those tasks done, sometimes in even better ways (e.g. google play music sucks ass IMO, let me know if you want further details). All of that, without having to go searching for alternatives on the Play Store; not that that is difficult, just not as convenient and integrated as what OEMs like Samsung offer.
If I were like you who doesn't seem to give a crap about privacy, then I too would have almost no reason to use third party apps. But alas, I do care about privacy and that was part of the reason I never used an Android phone until 2014, in which Privacy Guard came with the OnePlus One. Would still be using jailbroken iPhones till today if the OnePlus One never showed up.
In the end, I think it's best they keep providing their alternate services to google's spyware services. Live the choice of which to use and which to disable to the consumer, that's the beauty of Android; options. If consumers didn't care about their great alternate services, they'd get a stock Android device, which IMO, is a pitifully-limited and boring experience, almost as bad as stock iOS.
I really don't know why, but every time I see a full picture of the Note 8, I just really love it even though it's sitting right here next to me...such a gorgeous and extremely versatile hardware.
Imperator Neubaticus, 23 Feb 2018I've used the ir blaster as i had a note 4 for 3 years. Not a feature i miss in the slightest.... moreSo what else can do it, like one IR device for most appliances and its part of the phone too ?
I am using this phone since half October and no complains about the phone. Only about Samsung, being so slow with updates. Come on, Oreo, Samsung?
Anonymous, 23 Feb 2018The S7 edge gives no reason to upgrade because it's still an amazing phone.This.
The S7 Edge is still a fantastic phone.
kakouille, 23 Feb 2018According to displaymate about the color accuracy of the note 8, YOURE WRONG. The Galaxy Note... moreI think he is talking about the camera, not the display and they viewed it on both Note 8 and iPhone.
jtrogr, 23 Feb 2018The what you call features turnes into lag after some time. Better go with stock android or at... moreIf you say that about S8 maybe but Note 8 is a different class on it's own. If you use apps that require pin-point touch accuracy, no way your fat finger is able to do it properly and as someone said, the fraction of a speed sacrificed (which is nothing to sacrifice at all) is not worth giving up the features of Note 8 for.
AnonD-739779, 23 Feb 2018I want to mention one thing; while note 8's camera takes lovely photos to look at, its not col... moreAccording to displaymate about the color accuracy of the note 8, YOURE WRONG.
The Galaxy Note8 has 4 user selectable Screen Modes. The AMOLED Cinema screen mode is an accurate match to the DCI-P3 Standard Gamut that is used for the new 4K UHD TV content. The Basic screen mode is an accurate match to the sRGB / Rec.709 Standard Gamut that is used to produce most current consumer content. The AMOLED Photo screen mode is an accurate match to the Adobe RGB Standard Gamut that is used with high-end digital cameras and advanced imaging applications. The Adaptive Display screen mode has the Widest Color Gamut and is intentionally Vivid.
Oh come on! Those comments about the fingerprint sensor again...Well better get used to it, is not actually that bad... But yeah you have to have something to write about over and over again
I would like to take a moment , and thank the entire GSMArena team for coming up with this great review.
As an avid reader of your website, I would strongly encourage you to continue this series and include mid range phones like Xiaomi Mi A1 and Moto G5S Plus !
Anonymous, 23 Feb 2018The S7 edge gives no reason to upgrade because it's still an amazing phone.Not really - the S7 is old tech by now.
AnonD-739779, 23 Feb 2018I want to mention one thing; while note 8's camera takes lovely photos to look at, its not col... moreI do believe this is to do with the screen. if you view the photos each device took on a different screen you would have a better idea. samsung over saturates colour on its amoled displays.
I want to mention one thing; while note 8's camera takes lovely photos to look at, its not color accurate even a little bit. For example I make violins, since handmade violins have special varnish consist of several colored layes, generally its very difficult to photograph them at true color even with dslrs.
I did a side by side test, a note 8 of my students, and my iphone 6s plus. Before that I was in awe of note 8's indoor photos, but when we tried to take photos of a violin, the iphone took a photo with perfectly accurate color rendition, same color what I was seeing with my own eyes, while photo from note 8 was overly saturated and orangish. We send photos to each others to minimize the screen differences, it was same, his photo was overly saturated and not true in my phone's screen, while iphones photo still looked %100 accurate on his phones screen. I tried to play with different photo settings of note 8, took several more photos to get better results but no luck, no matter I tried it couldn't gave me a true color accuracy.
While for regular daily life it gives superbly fun looking photos which would be liked by almost anybody, I think iphone is still king when it comes to in-device photo software and color accuracy. I know most of you'll say "if you need that accurate photos, rather than a phone use a dslr", and yes Im already loving my pentax, but for practicality, iphone's editing is great for special purposes like this.
AnonD-739721, 23 Feb 2018Actually what you call bloatware i call featuresThe Samsung seem want to grow up their own ecosystem then they give the user choose between androids and Samsungs in one phone, that's a waste of space and storage, that's one of the reason I leaving it.
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