Best smartphone for under $200 in 2020 - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi XDA!
Please excuse me if I haven't chosen the optimal forum to post this question on XDA. I'm happy for an admin to move it if there is a better place for it.
I'm wondering what the best smartphone is for under $200 in 2020? My requirements are:
* Decent camera
* MicroSD slot
* Headphone jack
* Unlockable bootloader
* Min 4 GB RAM
I would prefer a smaller phone but it seems phones under 6" are rare these days. It'd also ideally have a removable battery but I realise that is another feature missing from nearly all modern phones.
The best phone I've found so far for my budget that meets my requirements is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8. Might there be something better out there at a similar price point?

I post on other forums including phone forums and everyone who has bought a Xiaomi love them
HTH

R1ffR4ff said:
I post on other forums including phone forums and everyone who has bought a Xiaomi love them
HTH
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I've spent 2 days looking now and I haven't found anything to seriously compete with the Redmi Note8 on features vs price. The nearest seems to be the Moto G8 plus but it costs ~50% more.

pfmdan said:
I've spent 2 days looking now and I haven't found anything to seriously compete with the Redmi Note8 on features vs price. The nearest seems to be the Moto G8 plus but it costs ~50% more.
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I'm almost certain my next phone with be a Xiaomi

I've edited my first posts requirements list to say I want at least 4 GB RAM.
The only thing I'm not seen keen on with the note 8 is the notch. Why do phone manufacturers have to copy everything Apple does? At least it has a headphone jack and MicroSD slot so its not full-on Apple cloning.

pfmdan said:
I've edited my first posts requirements list to say I want at least 4 GB RAM.
The only thing I'm not seen keen on with the note 8 is the notch. Why do phone manufacturers have to copy everything Apple does? At least it has a headphone jack and MicroSD slot so its not full-on Apple cloning.
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I never use Stock launchers so that's not shouldn't be an issue. A lot of people like Nova Launcher but I still use my old Holo Launcher on Android Pie and Android 10(Q).
:good:

It looks like it might be worth spending the extra £50 to get the Redmi Note 8 Pro for the extra 2 GB RAM.

I Am Looking for Same under $500. like Samsung will fine for me.

Smartphone below $200
Check out Infinix Note 7, releasing soon, you get decent specs for your money. 6.95 inch screen, 64GB 4GB RAM, Quad cameras, microSDXC slot, headphone jack, Fingerprint sensor, 5000mAh battery.

Related

Want to buy V10 or Nexus 6P?

I want to buy a phone, but don't know which one. Can you guys help me with this.
Send with the App Tapatalk
Ultimately it's up to you. Everyone uses their phones differently and there are differing wants and needs for each person. No amount of convincing will help you. Just look at the pros and cons of both devices and make your best judgment.
the 6p is a much better phone if you enjoy pure android
that said, if you prefer an SD card and top shelf hardware, and don't mind the LG UI overlay, it's a very nice option as well
The big problem, imo, is there is no place currently in a store where you can compare Nexus 6P and LG V10. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Both devices are pretty awesome. Both cameras are pretty awesome. Both have fingerprint security. Both have pretty awesome screens, but it's really up to you whether you like Samsung AMOLED screens or LGs LCD.
Nexus has Octa-core Snapdragon 810 version 2 with Adreno 430.
LG has hexacore Snapdragon 808 with Adreno 418 ( which is half speed of Adreno 420 found in Snapdragon 805. Reason for this is Unknown to me)
LG has base 64GB memory, Nexus is 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB. You pay a premium for the increase.
LG has microsd slot and if you get it before November 15 you get a free 200GB microsd card if you live in one of the participating countries.
Nexus has no expandable storage.
And if course, Nexus will get Google system OS updates d soon as they are released.
LG has to go through carrier approval _ if you bought it on Carrier _ before OS updates are released.
Great comparison above.
I have both and actually really enjoy the V10. The 6P is kind of like "eh" to me. I love the fingerprint sensor on the 6P over the V10
V10: microSD slot, removable battery, awesome camera (and app for taking pics). The 2nd screen is weird, but can be useful sometimes. 32-bit DAC if you are big into audio. You can double tap to wake and sleep the display. You can do split screen apps or make some apps small windows (including the entire display to make everything reachable).
6P: pure Android so faster updates, front facing speakers, very nice fingerprint sensor (I get many "retry" on the V10 as it's not as perfectly located as the 6P is for me). USB Type-C (new but nice to not worry about which way it needs to face to plug in). Marshmellow is nice.
This guy has a comparison (but language isn't work safe if you play it at work) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-NvGWQjJRY
If you listen to a lot of your own music and have nice headphones then V10 is a no brainer. It has an ESS Dac/Amp that sounds amazing and can power some very hungry headphones. The consumer reviews of the headphone audio on the 6p in some other forums is absolutely abysmal. Not only does it have very low volume output but the sound is sub-par.
That's the question I'm going to be working on answering for myself over the next 10 days
¿porqué no los dos?
Bootup said:
That's the question I'm going to be working on answering for myself over the next 10 days
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Lucky dog!
From a quality/durability standpoint? LG V10
There are a lot of great points here. The pros for the V10 are obvious as stated. Removable microSD card, battery, 64GB Internal, 4GB RAM, 2nd Display etc....
However, a point to consider as well is the build quality. IMO I would much prefer a device made in S.Korea over china any day. Again, if those of you that don't know what IMO means = In My Opinion. For me I find it important to buy something you don't have to worry about possibly/easily breaking. That would be a waste and not practical.
This is why I wouldn't buy a cheap chinese made phone. It's not all about the looks....there's no innovation or decent engineering at all. Just pure copies with an enticing exterior and hardware slapped together to make it look appealing. Keep in mind that they can get away with cheap knock off type of products over there because they have their market along with India's who will buy it. Now that they are trying to dance in the US market, guess what? There's something called rules, ethics, integrity, patents, copyright laws etc... So what huawei along with other cheap chinese knock off companies did was to basically make their devices, "just good enough," to meet the regulations in order to enter the US market. It's no secret and it's just how it is with their style of business.
From a structural and quality stand point in addition to all the great points being made....
I'll leave it at that....
Buy the LG V10.
Bootup said:
That's the question I'm going to be working on answering for myself over the next 10 days
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Lol same here.
cliffr39 said:
Lol same here.
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Aaaaand count me in. 128GB Nexus 6P Graphite arriving today. I have 12 days to decide.
cliffr39 said:
Great comparison above.
I have both and actually really enjoy the V10. The 6P is kind of like "eh" to me. I love the fingerprint sensor on the 6P over the V10
V10: microSD slot, removable battery, awesome camera (and app for taking pics). The 2nd screen is weird, but can be useful sometimes. 32-bit DAC if you are big into audio. You can double tap to wake and sleep the display. You can do split screen apps or make some apps small windows (including the entire display to make everything reachable).
6P: pure Android so faster updates, front facing speakers, very nice fingerprint sensor (I get many "retry" on the V10 as it's not as perfectly located as the 6P is for me). USB Type-C (new but nice to not worry about which way it needs to face to plug in). Marshmellow is nice.
This guy has a comparison (but language isn't work safe if you play it at work) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-NvGWQjJRY
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How would u compare battery life between the 2? All the reviewers are saying the battery life is horrible on the V10, the promo has me pulling for the V10 tho.
siraltus said:
Aaaaand count me in. 128GB Nexus 6P Graphite arriving today. I have 12 days to decide.
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Keep us posted! I was considering the 6p also but the removable battery won me over.
I'm still eyeballing that keyboard on the BlackBerry priv though...been missing my keyboard since I went to note 2 from HTC g2.
Sent from my pretty nifty brand new LG V10
Early simplistic rankings of the 3 (MXPE, 6P, V10)
Display:V10,MXPE,6P
Camera (Pictures, no videos yet): V10, 6P (barely ahead of MXPE), MXPE
Sound (External): MXPE,6P,V10
Sound (Internal): MXPE, V10, 6P (most surprising)
Feel in hand:6P,MXPE, V10
Fingerprint:6P, V10.....
Notifications:MXPE,6P,V10
Battery:6P,V10,MXPE
Charging:Tie with V10/MXPE..the Moto charger works with V10 very well, 6P
Visual appeal: MXPE (Ash Charcoal Wood back is sexy), V10, 6P
Speed Opening Apps: 6P, V10, MXPE
Lag (Lack of): 6P/V10 tie, MXPE
Told my wife I will probably keep all 3 (Moto is out of return window but other 2 are returnable)
BUT if i had to keep one.....V10, with MXPE a close 2nd and 6P a veryvery close 3rd. In other words, you can't go wrong with either of them.
BTW, if MXPE could shoot raw or had camera2api and a fingerprint scanner, it would be my choice easily. Thats all its missing really from being the perfect phone for me (I know some will say wireless charge and maybe longer battery but turbo charging is beautiful)
sledgie said:
The big problem, imo, is there is no place currently in a store where you can compare Nexus 6P and LG V10. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Both devices are pretty awesome. Both cameras are pretty awesome. Both have fingerprint security. Both have pretty awesome screens, but it's really up to you whether you like Samsung AMOLED screens or LGs LCD.
Nexus has Octa-core Snapdragon 810 version 2 with Adreno 430.
LG has hexacore Snapdragon 808 with Adreno 418 ( which is half speed of Adreno 420 found in Snapdragon 805. Reason for this is Unknown to me)
LG has base 64GB memory, Nexus is 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB. You pay a premium for the increase.
LG has microsd slot and if you get it before November 15 you get a free 200GB microsd card if you live in one of the participating countries.
Nexus has no expandable storage.
And if course, Nexus will get Google system OS updates d soon as they are released.
LG has to go through carrier approval _ if you bought it on Carrier _ before OS updates are released.
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Click to collapse
cliffr39 said:
Great comparison above.
I have both and actually really enjoy the V10. The 6P is kind of like "eh" to me. I love the fingerprint sensor on the 6P over the V10
V10: microSD slot, removable battery, awesome camera (and app for taking pics). The 2nd screen is weird, but can be useful sometimes. 32-bit DAC if you are big into audio. You can double tap to wake and sleep the display. You can do split screen apps or make some apps small windows (including the entire display to make everything reachable).
6P: pure Android so faster updates, front facing speakers, very nice fingerprint sensor (I get many "retry" on the V10 as it's not as perfectly located as the 6P is for me). USB Type-C (new but nice to not worry about which way it needs to face to plug in). Marshmellow is nice.
This guy has a comparison (but language isn't work safe if you play it at work) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-NvGWQjJRY
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Click to collapse
Bootup said:
That's the question I'm going to be working on answering for myself over the next 10 days
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iunlock said:
There are a lot of great points here. The pros for the V10 are obvious as stated. Removable microSD card, battery, 64GB Internal, 4GB RAM, 2nd Display etc....
However, a point to consider as well is the build quality. IMO I would much prefer a device made in S.Korea over china any day. Again, if those of you that don't know what IMO means = In My Opinion. For me I find it important to buy something you don't have to worry about possibly/easily breaking. That would be a waste and not practical.
This is why I wouldn't buy a cheap chinese made phone. It's not all about the looks....there's no innovation or decent engineering at all. Just pure copies with an enticing exterior and hardware slapped together to make it look appealing. Keep in mind that they can get away with cheap knock off type of products over there because they have their market along with India's who will buy it. Now that they are trying to dance in the US market, guess what? There's something called rules, ethics, integrity, patents, copyright laws etc... So what huawei along with other cheap chinese knock off companies did was to basically make their devices, "just good enough," to meet the regulations in order to enter the US market. It's no secret and it's just how it is with their style of business.
From a structural and quality stand point in addition to all the great points being made....
I'll leave it at that....
Buy the LG V10.
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Click to collapse
siraltus said:
Aaaaand count me in. 128GB Nexus 6P Graphite arriving today. I have 12 days to decide.
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Hmmmm and tell me how is the 6p you bought in 10 days to return?
I really like the clean OS just like the 6P. But I hear allot from others that the 6p doesn't have any macro closeup option.. Soo my question how is the Closeup photos? How is the focus on closeup?
Send with the App Tapatalk
aygul12345 said:
Hmmmm and tell me how is the 6p you bought in 10 days to return?
Send with the App Tapatalk
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Are you asking me? 10 days before my return window of the V10 is up. So 10 days of being able to use them side by side
Depends on what is most important to you. SD card & removable battery are top priority for me. I usually keep my phones 2 years and you will need a new battery in that time I used to be all about Vanilla Android, but on my Note just rooted, Uninstalled bloatware & installed the root apps I required. I ran Rooted Stock. On T Mobile, I think the bootloader is unlocked and you can root. As long as the phone is rootable, you can always get updates.
I wanted a 6P, my decision was made for me by the lack of availability any time soon if a 6P, removable battery, and finally an SD card.
INCREMENTAL said:
How would u compare battery life between the 2? All the reviewers are saying the battery life is horrible on the V10, the promo has me pulling for the V10 tho.
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Battery life is actually quite good on the v10 stock. I'm getting over 5hrs of sot from stock. One of the best on stock I've used
Sent from my non-Mega loved (yet) v10

thinking of upgrading from redmi note 3 pro

can anyone offer opinions or advice?
im reading there is no sd card option, does the dual sim tray not support it?
42o247 said:
can anyone offer opinions or advice?
im reading there is no sd card option, does the dual sim tray not support it?
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No SD card but the phone is very very good for this price
venezolano69 said:
No SD card but the phone is very very good for this price
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thanks
42o247 said:
can anyone offer opinions or advice?
im reading there is no sd card option, does the dual sim tray not support it?
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I did not use reminders note 3 pro but what do u you lack on this phone. Le 2 max has nut 3.5 mm audio jack, no SD card slot. In my opinion it would be only cpu upgrade.
If I help you please express it.
42o247 said:
thanks
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The Le Max 2 has more RAM, a much faster SoC, better camera, better display. For $250 it's a no brainer, and it's gonna be a massive upgrade over the Redmi Note 3 Pro.
n3g4t1v3 said:
The Le Max 2 has more RAM, a much faster SoC, better camera, better display. For $250 it's a no brainer, and it's gonna be a massive upgrade over the Redmi Note 3 Pro.
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Plus quickcharge 3.0, faster UFS2.0 storage and faster DDR4 RAM. Arguably better build too.
im think about getting the 6gb model when it drops below $$300
42o247 said:
im think about getting the 6gb model when it drops below $$300
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Honestly don't think the extra RAM will make any difference. Never come close to not having enough RAM with 4GB. But it's worth the extra spend just to get 64GB storage instead of 32GB.
People keep talking about the lack of 3.5 mm. The phone comes with a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter and it outputs great sound, so what is the issue?
kanagawaben said:
Honestly don't think the extra RAM will make any difference. Never come close to not having enough RAM with 4GB. But it's worth the extra spend just to get 64GB storage instead of 32GB.
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Fully agreed. 4GB will be enough even after 1 year from now, but 32GB will not be if you store videos/music on the phone. 4GB/64GB is the best option in my opinion, regardless of brand/phone.
And if you are willing to wait enough, maybe you can get Pro3 for this amount. The 0.2" for the smaller screen make it much easier to handle (I've had 1s before Le Max2), the build quality seems better as per the reviews and the gold (closer to true gold) color is easier to get, same as the rose gold for the Le Max2. When I bought it (a month after release), the grey option was quite hard to find, and a few months later, the price dropped to ~250$ while I've paid 400$ for it.
I upgraded from Redmi Note 3 Pro to Le Max 2. I agree with most of what others wrote.
Le Max 2 is such a high quality device. Got 4Gb Ram version and am so happy with my decision. Using CN stock rom and it works so good that I don't have any intention to flash custom Roms or enabling root access. It's that good of a device for my needs. In all aspects and functions I use daily.
Hope I helped. Cheers
I would not swap. Simply because of software. I am really angry at myself for jumping the gun on this phone really early without knowing how the software will be like. the official firmware lacks and all custom firmware doesnt support all of the nice hardware the phone has.
If I could decide today, I would not buy it again.
Would like to know what the issues are that people have with the eui software. Almost every reviewer seems to slate it without giving any concrete examples of what they find so wrong with it other than "There's no app drawer" or "It has a useless live TV button" or "The quick settings have been moved to the multitasking tray at the bottom". Well, the first two are just related to the stock launcher. If you don't like that, it takes about three seconds to install a launcher more to your liking. Not an issue worth complaining about. As for the quick settings being in a different place, frankly who gives a damn. It takes a day or two to get used to and then you can get on with using it pretty much exactly the same as ever.
I also don't understand why people complain. The software is mature an everything works stable every day of use 24/7.
I respect those that prefer different ROMs and yet coming from other phones - Nubia z7 mini, Redmi Note 3 Pro - I got tired of flashing, modding and meddling with my phone.
As it is right now - LeMax 2 is the best phone for the money. All those worldwide working band frequencies, amazing display, ultra fast storage, memory and CPU/GPU, stellar sound quality and two satisfactory cameras.
If you want to throw money for a device that will perform mostly the same functions for more money - then go away and do it. This is a Smartphone and its primary function is to perform phonecalls so every other function you get should be considered a bonus.
Buy more expensive brands and pay for their marketing campaigns included in the price. All top brand phones cost around 160 USD to mass produce. Why pay more for a thing that will become "old" in 6 months or less?
I bought it to do phonecalls and the hardware and software performance is excellent. No letdowns whatsoever.
Need a camera - buy a dedicated one, need better software - build your own ROM etc.
OP asked if this would be a good trade from a lower tier device and it definitely would be a step up in every way.
I know as I sold RMN3 Pro to get Le X2.

Census - got one, had one, want one?

There don't appear to be many of these devices around, and I am curious to try and find out how many.
I love the hardware. If it was just about the specs, I'd have bought one already!
But I'm undecided.
If the bootloader was unlockable, with custom recoveries and custom ROMs, I'd have bought one. However, with Asus not cooperating, and I think too few devices around, I am not sure this will achieve the critical mass to get the attention it deserves.
Sadly, the lack of international availability, and, well, Asus being Asus, means that if this was an experiment to judge the demand for super-sized phablets, then I think it failed. I don't think we'll see another from Asus.
I have one, and will be keeping it for now. However it is not my daily driver, and until AT&T fixes their HSPA+ network in my area, or root becomes available so I can unlock bands, this device will stay just a play around device.
Hi,
I have one since about 2 months and I love its big screen, reviews said that there was no lag, no freezes etc... False, the proc is not that good and I'm really desapointed but that's not why I will change.
I'll change because I cannot accept that an android phone cannot have root or unlockable bootloader, for me it's not an android...
If I wanted an extremly locked phone, I'd choose an iPhone... lol
Oh and... still no Nougat update for other versions than ZF3 5.2 and 5.5 (Stopped because euh... well, because what in fact?)
So, for a 750€ smartphone...
Asus? Never again.
wow, only six people bought one? and one of those is going to sell it. doesn't look too good.
edit: updated the count
Yea I have it and im using it on T-Mobile which is OK with hspa+ but the bootloader unlock not coming out is killing my joy with the phone. Awesome device but I find myself using my OnePlus 3t more because of Asus stupid choices with the bootloader.
Have one & will keep it. The only really irritating thing so far is having both speakers on one side, when you keep the phone in landscape mode; but I'm getting used to tolerate it and can use the headphones anyway.
ptae2000e said:
Have one & will keep it. The only really irritating thing so far is having both speakers on one side, when you keep the phone in landscape mode; but I'm getting used to tolerate it and can use the headphones anyway.
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the iphone7 has a dummy speaker, one set of grilles are just blind holes!
so I guess even having genuine dual speakers is a win, but yes, would have been better to have them top and bottom, or even on the long edge.
the availability of an official boot loader unlock tool has swung me back to considering this phone again.
I have had my Z3Ultra for a number of months now after I purchased it to replace my nice but also annoying Huawei P8 Max. I totally love this phone. Can't complain with the exception of the lack of Root, which as I write this message, the developer community is working on bringing it to our device. Apart from this, I am looking to keep it until a new device is released with much better spec but at least the same size possibly even a 7.9" (YES it can be as like the Huawei P8 Max, this phone has a lot of wasted space and overall size can still be kept to current size- check Xiaomi Mi Mix) with ultra thin bezels and curved display, stylus pen, keyboard attachment, better cpu, 128GB or 256GB ROM, 6GB+ RAM, dual sim + independent sd slot and finally quad speakers (top, bottom, left, right side with similar quality to the ones already on it (they are awesome, I mean it). Anyway, enough dreaming from me, lets hope someone from Asus is reading my expectations of the next version.
I have one and will keep it, i am coming from a sony z ultra that I've been using for almost 2 years and sony z3 tablet compact 4g 3 months before that and a sony z1 before that, i have only had the asus zenfone 3 ultra for 1 week but have wanted this device since may last year, i bought this for £420 from eglobal and only bought this because my cousin wanted a better device than the Samsung s4 but he wanted to buy the sony z5 because he knew i enjoyed my sony devices but never asked why i didn't have a updated version like the z2 or z3, i sent him the information about the zenfone 3 series and the asus launch videos, he finally bought the deluxe 820 version after 3 months from the same seller but wanted this as soon as i showed these devices to him, i also bought my dad a sony z2 for work and recently upgraded his device to the asus zenfone 3 5.2 inch version. My cousin now wants the ultra version and im going to also buy his deluxe version to use for work. This is the best decision ive made but would buy a xiaomi mi max for less than 200 if i don't get the deluxe from him and stay with my ultra device too. I drive for work and have always had large screen devices for 3-4 years. Lets see what asus has to offer other than the AR version as this is only a small version or normal size lol. I've been recently looking around for root and unlocking bootloader and will wait for asus to release this to all.
Xiaomi Mi Mix? specs? quat speakers?
AWFRONT said:
I have had my Z3Ultra for a number of months now after I purchased it to replace my nice but also annoying Huawei P8 Max. I totally love this phone. Can't complain with the exception of the lack of Root, which as I write this message, the developer community is working on bringing it to our device. Apart from this, I am looking to keep it until a new device is released with much better spec but at least the same size possibly even a 7.9" (YES it can be as like the Huawei P8 Max, this phone has a lot of wasted space and overall size can still be kept to current size- check Xiaomi Mi Mix) with ultra thin bezels and curved display, stylus pen, keyboard attachment, better cpu, 128GB or 256GB ROM, 6GB+ RAM, dual sim + independent sd slot and finally quad speakers (top, bottom, left, right side with similar quality to the ones already on it (they are awesome, I mean it). Anyway, enough dreaming from me, lets hope someone from Asus is reading my expectations of the next version.
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Where did you get this Xiaomi Mi Mix specs? quad speakers? stylus pen? curved display? keyboard attachment? sd slot? Man, what are you smocking, cause I want some!!!
berbecaru said:
Where did you get this Xiaomi Mi Mix specs? quad speakers? stylus pen? curved display? keyboard attachment? sd slot? Man, what are you smocking, cause I want some!!!
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It is nice to dream and imagine good things in life and the spec posted (as stated in my original post) is what I want to see in an ideal device of this size. Oh No. I am definitely not smoking anything. Just dreaming the possibility of a perfect phablet (A mix between ZF3U, Samsung Galaxy S7/S8 type edge display and mi mix type bezelless front with the extras as cherry on top).
BTW. As I discovered very recently ASUS Customer Service for the ZenFone series is rubbish to say the least but more like non-existent. God help us when we need care for our precious ZF3U.
AWFRONT said:
It is nice to dream and imagine good things in life and the spec posted (as stated in my original post) is what I want to see in an ideal device of this size. Oh No. I am definitely not smoking anything. Just dreaming the possibility of a perfect phablet (A mix between ZF3U, Samsung Galaxy S7/S8 type edge display and mi mix type bezelless front with the extras as cherry on top).
BTW. As I discovered very recently ASUS Customer Service for the ZenFone series is rubbish to say the least but more like non-existent. God help us when we need care for our precious ZF3U.
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You are wright buddy, this is what I want too but no body makes it. :laugh::laugh:
My wife had 1. She dropped it face first on a concrete with flip cover that came with the phone. The screen still shattered. The flip cover is coming covering the screen but still didn't protect it from the impact. I guess that's the gamble when you have a very large screen.
Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
Love it so far
speculatrix said:
wow, only six people bought one? and one of those is going to sell it. doesn't look too good.
edit: updated the count
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I have one and love it, despite the stuff that is installed there out of the box. Its fast, bright and really useful. One thing that slightly upsets me - need to reboot it every second day to keep at the top of its abilities.
Overall - I'd never hesitate to recommend it.:good:
I had one, then gave it to my daughter while i used other smaller screen phone... Then i realize i got hooked on big screen, so i bought another one for me
speculatrix said:
wow, only six people bought one? and one of those is going to sell it. doesn't look too good.
edit: updated the count
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Mainly, you CAN'T assume that just because folks don't report stuff here on XDA, that no one has it. Next, many users are Chinese, or from Taiwan. They won't necessarily speak English. Third, since the LTE bands are NOT available in the U.S.A., that kills more of the market. Lastly, the going rate is around $500 USD, if someone here DID want to buy one. Ours is black screen bricked right now, so we're trying to get help with the (WW) international version unbricking.
I should have been more clear, what I was interested in was how many XDA forum members have bought this, so as to gauge the level of interest and likelihood of hackers and developers doing interesting things with it. I don't know enough about custom Asus ROMS in this respect to actually do the work, but would have been willing to help test rooting and custom recoveries, only I ended up buying an LG V20 because it had all the features I wanted and the AZf3U didn't, and also my concerns about Asus's upgrade longevity set in.
hillg001 said:
Mainly, you CAN'T assume that just because folks don't report stuff here on XDA, that no one has it. Next, many users are Chinese, or from Taiwan. They won't necessarily speak English. Third, since the LTE bands are NOT available in the U.S.A., that kills more of the market. Lastly, the going rate is around $500 USD, if someone here DID want to buy one. Ours is black screen bricked right now, so we're trying to get help with the (WW) international version unbricking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was planning to get zf3 ultra but with almost no rom support, I might get the mi max 2 instead.
I don't think the mi mix is a good idea since it has a fragile ceramic body. I prefer metal body...
*Edit: I gave away my mi max (helium ver) and back to using my 5 years old coolpad 9976a

Galaxy 9s+ now or wait for Note 9??

Using an old note 4.
2 new batteries and it still just conks out when it feels like it. Does the reboot loop until i plug it in...desided to give up the ghost and get a new phone.
I know the New note 9 will be available around end of Aug..but i wondered if i just bought a 9s+ would i see much of a difference?? Will there likely be a big jump in processing power and Ram...and would i actually notice? Thing is 9S+ is here now..plenty cases and extras out there etc...tempting..any suggestions?? Thxs
Note 9 is rumoured to have a 4000mah battery. I am not fully satisfied with the battery life of my s9+. The processing speed should be similar as they will use the same SOC. I suggest you to wait till note 9 announcement and then decide.
thepubguy said:
Using an old note 4.
2 new batteries and it still just conks out when it feels like it. Does the reboot loop until i plug it in...desided to give up the ghost and get a new phone.
I know the New note 9 will be available around end of Aug..but i wondered if i just bought a 9s+ would i see much of a difference?? Will there likely be a big jump in processing power and Ram...and would i actually notice? Thing is 9S+ is here now..plenty cases and extras out there etc...tempting..any suggestions?? Thxs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is the real question, would you rather have an S Series or a Note Series?
If you prefer the S Series then get the s9+ now. If you prefer the Note series I would wait.
I used to be a big Note fan but when they started making the S Series with curved glass I have stuck with them and skipped the note series.
AS the guy above me said, Memory and CPU / GPU are going to be the same ones as in the S9+ so you will not loose anything there.
So yeah, I was in the same dilemma recently and choose the S9+. The Note has a lot of features that I will never use them. Starting with the S-Pen.
I'd wait even if you decide on the s9+, the S9+ may drop in price once the Note9 comes out and the s9/s9+ isn't the "latest and greatest" anymore.
I bought note 8 and it is too big for me and too heavy. The battery was too small but the pen was fantastic. I decided to sell it for buy s9+ and I'm very happy. The battery isn't fantastic but allows you to get to the end of the day. I recommend you s9 + now, you save money and you have a great phone
thepubguy said:
Using an old note 4.
2 new batteries and it still just conks out when it feels like it. Does the reboot loop until i plug it in...desided to give up the ghost and get a new phone.
I know the New note 9 will be available around end of Aug..but i wondered if i just bought a 9s+ would i see much of a difference?? Will there likely be a big jump in processing power and Ram...and would i actually notice? Thing is 9S+ is here now..plenty cases and extras out there etc...tempting..any suggestions?? Thxs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As @vishnu8058 mentioned, Im too not so happy with the batterylife . Though its acceptable , i've experienced superior batterylife in several other flagships in recent times. Keeping that in mind alone, I would simply wait till August end if I were you.
..
There will be no big jump in processor or such as it would come with the same SD845/Exynos 9810 SoC, but an 8 GB RAM/512 GB storage- region specific Note 9 may show up that may not interest you. Rest deciding factor should be the size, S-pen usability, weight , your taste on samsung environment and ofcourse the price :fingers-crossed:
I did a similar jump but from Note 4 to S8+ last year, contemplating the same dilemma as to whether to wait for Note 8 or not. In the end, I had the Note 3 and Note 4 and with either I almost never used the pen, which is really the main selling point over the S series, so I went with the S8+ (with the S8+ and later the physical screen size difference is much less than it used to be between the S and Note series).
Heres the thing...
I lost my pen from the note 4 soon after i got it...and desided i wasnt going to replace it as i didnt need it. Thats how i feel about note 9. Im not interested about the pen. All im interested in is:
(Not in any order)
Storage
Ram
Chip speed/ gpu
Battery
Screen quality/size
Sound
This is really why i posted...perhaps i should have started out with this email...apologies for the waffle..lol
thepubguy said:
Using an old note 4.
2 new batteries and it still just conks out when it feels like it. Does the reboot loop until i plug it in...desided to give up the ghost and get a new phone.
I know the New note 9 will be available around end of Aug..but i wondered if i just bought a 9s+ would i see much of a difference?? Will there likely be a big jump in processing power and Ram...and would i actually notice? Thing is 9S+ is here now..plenty cases and extras out there etc...tempting..any suggestions?? Thxs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thepubguy said:
Heres the thing...
I lost my pen from the note 4 soon after i got it...and desided i wasnt going to replace it as i didnt need it. Thats how i feel about note 9. Im not interested about the pen. All im interested in is:
(Not in any order)
Storage
Ram
Chip speed/ gpu
Battery
Screen quality/size
Sound
This is really why i posted...perhaps i should have started out with this email...apologies for the waffle..lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's clear that you don't need a Note device, BUT still the jump in battery is something that I think many people would appreciate, BUT we need to remember what happened last time Samsung tried to put a decent battery size in a Note phone.
Size is another to keep in mind, because Note series are usually bigger, and trust me when I say that the S9+ is already a big phone; yes, is still manageable, but for me S9+ is in the limits of what you can handle or you can carry in your pocket without problems.
Price will also be another factor, because you will be paying a huge difference (~30%) just for an upgrade in battery, because you won't be using all those features that justify the price of the Note 9, and currently you can grab sweet deals with the S9+, and when the Note 9 comes out, price will slightly decrease as well.
Overall S9+ is a really nice phone and as long as you spend time setting it, you would get enough juice for a day.
thepubguy said:
Heres the thing...
I lost my pen from the note 4 soon after i got it...and desided i wasnt going to replace it as i didnt need it. Thats how i feel about note 9. Im not interested about the pen. All im interested in is:
(Not in any order)
Storage
Ram
Chip speed/ gpu
Battery
Screen quality/size
Sound
This is really why i posted...perhaps i should have started out with this email...apologies for the waffle..lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All checked. Bruh if high batterytime matters to you thn it's not the GS9+.GN8 is the one I went back from s9+ aftr quite smtime <pen rarely useful to me> but I'm OK with it and excited to upgrade to GN9
Im genuinly tempted to go for the g9s+.
Reasons..
1. Its out now
2. Plenty reviews..seems pretty solid.
3. Been out long enough..plenty good cases / access.
4. Getting cheaper/better deals
5. Gs series seems to now be the flagship phone. Note series just fills in the gaps between iphone/competitors hardware release.
Wot else should be on this list?
Also do u think the upgraded hardware on the n9 with outperform the 9s+?? Is it a new chip or the same..as there will be an upgrade in ram to 8gb..surely thats going to make a huge difference??
thepubguy said:
Also do u think the upgraded hardware on the n9 with outperform the 9s+?? Is it a new chip or the same..as there will be an upgrade in ram to 8gb..surely thats going to make a huge difference??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the performance is going to be very similar, if not identical. There almost certainly won't be a hardware upgrade for the Note 9 (excepting the reported RAM increase), the chipset is likely to be the same as the S9 and S9+ (like the Note 8 vs S8/S8+ last year). It seems to be confirmed now that the design of Note 9 won't change much since the Note 8, just like the S9 and S9+ this year, so they should also all look almost the same.
The Galaxy S series have always been Samsung's flagship phone -- the Note series have been considered 'phablets' due to the size of the device, although the line got a little blurred with the 'plus' editions of the S series - S6 Edge+ (Note 5 was the same size), S7 Edge (the Note 7 was 0.2" larger), S8+ (the Note 8 was 0.1" larger) and S9+ (seems like the Note 9 will be 0.2" larger).
I think you need to decide between the following criteria (you've stated the pen isn't important to you so, so that's not on the list):
Price (S9+ will be cheaper, probably by quite a bit, than the Note 9 at launch and for some time after). This is probably going to be the single biggest difference between the two.
Battery (Note 9 is suggested to have a 4000mAh battery vs the 3500mAh on the S9+).
RAM (I don't think the 8GB is going to make a any noticeable difference over 6GB in normal day-to-day use, and bear in mind more RAM means a little bit more power usage - haven't got any hard numbers about that, mind, so I don't know actual practicalities on it).
Storage (It seems the Note 9 may have a 512GB version on top of the others, though it will be pricey).
I am perhaps biased given I have the S9+, but personally I would've gone for the S9+ and gotten the phone now rather than wait - but that's me
Either will be a great choice, and neither will be a mistake - particularly coming from a Note 4.
Any advantage to buying an international sim free compared to a locked phone say with o2 or voda?
thepubguy said:
Any advantage to buying an international sim free compared to a locked phone say with o2 or voda?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not in terms of specs or anything. All comes down to the deal, and buying an operator-locked phone obviously requires you to unlock if you want to switch operator (something they are obliged to do by law on request, so it's not an issue, just a consideration to make). Usually you end up paying more for the phone over the term of the contract under which you purchase it, but obviously the upside is you pay monthly until the end of the contract and don't have to splurge out the money up front.
I got the galaxy s9+ from samsung store 4 days back and I am absolutely loving it. Got a total discount of 14k INR which is good in my opinion. The battery is hit or miss but aparat from that I am loving every bit of it.
I feel the Note is too large to carry around and with bigger screen size + additional note functions its going to suck the 4000mah battery at same rate as galaxy s9+
Incarniac said:
and bear in mind more RAM means a little bit more power usage - haven't got any hard numbers about that, mind, so I don't know actual practicalities on it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fun fact : For the same type of RAM, more RAM consumes more power negligibly in comparison to less RAM of the same type. In fact , more RAM variant of the phone takes overall less power than a lesser RAM variant of the same phone if the user is quite a multitasker as more RAM helps in multitasking by keeping more apps & tasks opened giving less stress to the CPU as it doesn't have to work on re-opening them. :fingers-crossed:

Anyone else jumping?

Decided to sell my S9+ and buy the Note 9 with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. T-Mobile has a trade in promotion where I'll give them a Galaxy S7 in exchange for $500 in bill credits and also selling my S9+ should come up with another decent chunk of money to pay off the Note 9. I agree it's not a HUGE upgrade over the S9+ but I'll enjoy the larger battery, larger screen, more RAM and Bluetooth S-Pen.
Anyone else decide to jump?
Not all of us can afford the note 9, like I barely bought my S9+ man
Nah, not worth it. Its about the user experience not the specsheet. The only upgrade I see is the Spen
Duplicate
xDreDz said:
Nah, not worth it. Its about the user experience not the specsheet. The only upgrade I see is the Spen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you. With T-Mobile having such a good promotion the way I'm seeing it is I'm getting an 8GB of RAM Note with half a terabyte of built-in store, with Specs like that I don't know why I would ever need to upgrade again so it's an investment.
Plus there's reports that this is the last of the Note series and next time around they're just going to put the S Pen in the + series.
xbmoyx said:
I hear you. With T-Mobile having such a good promotion the way I'm seeing it is I'm getting an 8GB of RAM Note with half a terabyte of built-in store, with Specs like that I don't know why I would ever need to upgrade again so it's an investment.
Plus there's reports that this is the last of the Note series and next time around they're just going to put the S Pen in the + series.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I prefer using SD cards because I always wipe my phone, try different custom roms, It is where my titanium backup is etc etc.
And when I jump to another phone Ill just root then restore everything from the backup like no hassle ( Internet is SHT here thats why )
About the ram.. read somewhere that 4gb is already too much and wont be used 100% and in my experience I dont notice any difference.
The way it looks from behind kinda looks sucky for me, I prefer the S9+'s camera placement
And I wish they included an ultra wide camera on the note 9 tho like the ones on LG phones, hope it comes on the S10
Well don't think the S pen will be used to much by me and have the 256gb 6ram S9 plus and to be fair won't be seeing difference on software once this goes to 8.1
pomy65 said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lmao true true. I barely can myself, if there wasnt this great T-Mobile promotion I would just keep my S9+.
Promotion doesn't include the S9 or s9+... even so I don't think I'll be giving up my S9 Plus for $500
Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
shook187 said:
Promotion doesn't include the S9 or s9+... even so I don't think I'll be giving up my S9 Plus for $500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope I wouldn't either. They are going for $600+ on Swappa.
I actually pre ordered a Note 9 but cancelled it. I then ordered a gorgeous coral blue S9 plus 256gb Duos for half the price, see the problem? Same processor and ram that most people will order. The same powerful phone basically. Early speed tests indicate the S9 has the edge too probably because more packed features and the pen and an old processor.
Micky 22 said:
I actually pre ordered a Note 9 but cancelled it. I then ordered a gorgeous coral blue S9 plus 256gb Duos for half the price, see the problem? Same processor and ram that most people will order. The same powerful phone basically. Early speed tests indicate the S9 has the edge too probably because more packed features and the pen and an old processor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but I'm going for the 8GB RAM/512GB memory version. I wouldn't waste my time with the 6GB RAM version of the Note 9 when it's basically the same thing as my S9+.
xbmoyx said:
Yeah but I'm going for the 8GB RAM/512GB memory version. I wouldn't waste my time with the 6GB RAM version of the Note 9 when it's basically the same thing as my S9+.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was the dilema i was in, i preordered the 8gb version. If you have the cash go fo it it's the only one to go for. Most people will get the 6gb one though. I have an existing S9+ 128gb single sim that's going to my girlfriend once i get the new S9+ 256gb Duos. I have been using it the last 2 months and with 6GB it's quite a snappy phone and i have experienced no lag. It's actually quicker opening apps that i mostly use than my iPhone X, Youtube, KIK etc. I then thought 8GB is really over kill so i cancelled, i'm waiting for the S10.
Micky 22 said:
This was the dilema i was in, i preordered the 8gb version. If you have the cash go fo it it's the only one to go for. Most people will get the 6gb one though. I have an existing S9+ 128gb single sim that's going to my girlfriend once i get the new S9+ 256gb Duos. I have been using it the last 2 months and with 6GB it's quite a snappy phone and i have experienced no lag. It's actually quicker opening apps that i mostly use than my iPhone X, Youtube, KIK etc. I then thought 8GB is really over kill so i cancelled, i'm waiting for the S10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the S9+ is very snappy, probably the fast Samsung I've ever used and that's with 6GB of RAM and Snapdragon 845, just imagine how blazing fast the 8GB of RAM with the Snapdragon 845 is going to be. It looks like the main hype over the S10 is the in-display finger print scanner, and I'm perfectly cool with it being on the back of the device.
xbmoyx said:
Decided to sell my S9+ and buy the Note 9 with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. T-Mobile has a trade in promotion where I'll give them a Galaxy S7 in exchange for $500 in bill credits and also selling my S9+ should come up with another decent chunk of money to pay off the Note 9. I agree it's not a HUGE upgrade over the S9+ but I'll enjoy the larger battery, larger screen, more RAM and Bluetooth S-Pen.
Anyone else decide to jump?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trading in the S7 puts you around $350 ahead. The rest is on you in cash and value of the S9 Plus you're going to sell. So at $1,249 for the Note 9 plus tax, your expense is around $1,000. Plus you're locked into a 24 month term with T-Mobile. For a bigger battery, .2 inch larger display, 2 more Gb RAM and an S Pen. You seem to be excited over the extra 2 Gb of RAM. I'm pretty sure the difference will be negligible if any at all. There's also an AI component in the camera which isn't on the S9 Plus but I doubt most users can tell the difference in photo quality. You'll also have higher memory capacity but the S9 Plus I have is at 656 Gb, more than enough. I don't see the $1,000 value in those upgrades and wouldn't consider a term contract with any service provider since I've been on monthly prepaid service for the last few years. What happens if you fall out of favor with the Note in a few months? You're screwed!
varcor said:
Trading in the S7 puts you around $350 ahead. The rest is on you in cash and value of the S9 Plus you're going to sell. So at $1,249 for the Note 9 plus tax, your expense is around $1,000. Plus you're locked into a 24 month term with T-Mobile. For a bigger battery, .2 inch larger display, 2 more Gb RAM and an S Pen. You seem to be excited over the extra 2 Gb of RAM. I'm pretty sure the difference will be negligible if any at all. There's also an AI component in the camera which isn't on the S9 Plus but I doubt most users can tell the difference in photo quality. You'll also have higher memory capacity but the S9 Plus I have is at 656 Gb, more than enough. I don't see the $1,000 value in those upgrades and wouldn't consider a term contract with any service provider since I've been on monthly prepaid service for the last few years. What happens if you fall out of favor with the Note in a few months? You're screwed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great points, always good to play devils advocate. The way I see it is this is a 6.4" Super AMOLED, with 8GB of RAM, half a terabyte of built-in storage and a 4,000 mAh battery. With spec's like that I don't see why I would need another device for some time. And IF Samsung (or anyone else) comes out with a better Spec'd device and I absolutely need to have, which seems very doubtful at this moment in time, I will just work some OT and pay off the remaining Balance and sell the phone. Like the youngins say these days....YOLO.
I like my Tmobile S9+ but since there isn't going to be any root I'm about to switch to another phone. I hate stock crap. I like flashing. I'm a flashaholic and no flashing is very boring . I wonder what phone would be the best to get right now that can be rooted that has the most devs working on roms and such ??
xbmoyx said:
I hear you. With T-Mobile having such a good promotion the way I'm seeing it is I'm getting an 8GB of RAM Note with half a terabyte of built-in store, with Specs like that I don't know why I would ever need to upgrade again so it's an investment.
Plus there's reports that this is the last of the Note series and next time around they're just going to put the S Pen in the + series.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No phone that will be obsolete in 6 months is ever an investment. You will pay $1000 for it today, and then sell it for $275 next year.
And while the specs are impressive, all that RAM and storage doesn't actually DO much for you unless you just like carrying your life's digital contents on your phone with you.
I have the S9+ and put a 128 MicroSD card in there and it has like 110gb free. Google Photos has all my pics and videos... I probably threw 600 or so MP3's on there as I use my phone for music in my bluetooth helmet when I ride and often hit areas with no cell coverage up in the Mtns...
I don't know that I have ever used more than 30-40gb of storage on a phone... I mean, if you want to take a ton of 4k video, maybe then it would come in handy, but I can always toss a 400gb SD card in mine if that becomes a need.
---------- Post added at 02:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:17 PM ----------
Going from 6gb to 8gb of RAM will have little to no impact on performance.
This what we call "bench racing" in the car or motorcycle world... claiming this spec and that stat and pretending it in some way correlates to "winning" a race in the real world...
---------- Post added at 02:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 PM ----------
xbmoyx said:
Yes the S9+ is very snappy, probably the fast Samsung I've ever used and that's with 6GB of RAM and Snapdragon 845, just imagine how blazing fast the 8GB of RAM with the Snapdragon 845 is going to be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably not any faster. Numbers sell.
What's faster around a racetrack, a 485hp Dodge Challenger, or my 157hp Panigale?
I mean, the Dodge has a higher number, right?
Or is that number less important than how it is used? While the Dodge has triple the horsepower, it also weighs 2 tons. My 157hp, weighs 430lbs. Rider/driver skill being equal, the Dodge doesn't stand a chance.
This is a little like the phone thing... I mean, if you run some app that NEEDS more than 6GB, then the 8GB model should be a little faster... but the list of apps you will run that need that much RAM? I can't think of a single app.
The 8GB has more to do with marketing, than real world performance, that's the point I am getting at.
SquireSCA said:
No phone that will be obsolete in 6 months is ever an investment. You will pay $1000 for it today, and then sell it for $275 next year.
And while the specs are impressive, all that RAM and storage doesn't actually DO much for you unless you just like carrying your life's digital contents on your phone with you.
I have the S9+ and put a 128 MicroSD card in there and it has like 110gb free. Google Photos has all my pics and videos... I probably threw 600 or so MP3's on there as I use my phone for music in my bluetooth helmet when I ride and often hit areas with no cell coverage up in the Mtns...
I don't know that I have ever used more than 30-40gb of storage on a phone... I mean, if you want to take a ton of 4k video, maybe then it would come in handy, but I can always toss a 400gb SD card in mine if that becomes a need.
---------- Post added at 02:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:17 PM ----------
Going from 6gb to 8gb of RAM will have little to no impact on performance.
This what we call "bench racing" in the car or motorcycle world... claiming this spec and that stat and pretending it in some way correlates to "winning" a race in the real world...
---------- Post added at 02:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 PM ----------
Probably not any faster. Numbers sell.
What's faster around a racetrack, a 485hp Dodge Challenger, or my 157hp Panigale?
I mean, the Dodge has a higher number, right?
Or is that number less important than how it is used? While the Dodge has triple the horsepower, it also weighs 2 tons. My 157hp, weighs 430lbs. Rider/driver skill being equal, the Dodge doesn't stand a chance.
This is a little like the phone thing... I mean, if you run some app that NEEDS more than 6GB, then the 8GB model should be a little faster... but the list of apps you will run that need that much RAM? I can't think of a single app.
The 8GB has more to do with marketing, than real world performance, that's the point I am getting at.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look buddy, I'll buy you one since you're so Jelly :laugh:
xbmoyx said:
Look buddy, I'll buy you one since you're so Jelly :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL. $1000, is literally 2 days worth of pay for me. If I wanted one, I would have it, trust me.
I was simply correcting your comments that having 2GB of extra RAM was somehow gonna turbo charge the same processor that we already have. It won't, and just shows that you don't really know how things work.
---------- Post added at 04:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 PM ----------
Ironically, the Galaxy 9+ was roughly the same cost as the Note. Both are basically $1000 phones. So not sure where the word "Jelly" comes into play.
I have had notes. I ever once used the pen. If you don't need the pen, then there is really no advantage to the note. if you do, then the Note is an awesome phone for you.

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