Samsung build quality

[Big Ry]

I know the issue of Samsung's build quality has come up countless times. I'm really just hoping to get some honest feedback from those who have had the galaxy nexus and moved on to a note 2 or gs3/gs4. I'm considering the note 3, but I definitely cannot deal with another device like my gnex. The biggest complaints I've had were about reception, heat, and battery life. The reception of the gnex is known to not be very good (never mind the whole reception display issue), but mine slowly deteriorated over the 1.5 years I've had it until I almost never had 4g anymore and 3g rarely worked. Heat was also a big issue. Perhaps it's the TI processor and/or the amoled screen, but this thing really cooks sometimes, even with very light use... Probably part of the reason everything went to crap. And then there's the battery. Started off mediocre, now it's horrendous. I tried every ROM and kernel under the sun and even went back to stock. Now I'm on a CLNR gnex which is a bit better, but still not great. I should also mention that I've had issues with speakerphone not working, and Wi-Fi hanging. So my question is... Have any of you switched to other Samsung devices and seen similar issues? I love the note 3, but I can't deal with all this BS again. I just need a reliable phone. Moto is generally reliable in my Experience, but their cameras are such garbage that it totally turns me off to them.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

 

[dezymond]

I upgraded to the s4 from the Nexus and I can say the s4 is pretty good quality.

-Signal is far better on the s4 than the Nexus
-The materials used seem like a bit of a step back, but it looks more premium than the Nexus does. I personally use a custom battery cover now, but the OEM one got quite slippery and is a fingerprint magnet if you get the black one. Like the Nexus it's a good looking phone all around.
-Heat, it definitely doesn't get as hot as the Nexus did. I mean any phone will get hot with extended use, but it doesn't get warm as quickly and the phone stays relatively cool.
-Battery life trumps the Nexus too. You can easily make it through the day with moderate to little heavy use.

The s4 trumps the Nexus in every way and it would be a great choice for an upgrade. I had the Nexus for a good 18mo and I really loved the phone, but this outperforms it in every single way, no competition (ok not counting ROMs available). It's a significant upgrade and a phone you should be able to stick with for 2yrs no problem. I've been using it for almost 2mo now and it's never froze on me, restarted on me, or anything, it's a powerhouse of a phone. I even get signal in areas that I never had before with my Nexus so that is a huge huge plus.

 

[bkdodger]

Note2 here from a Nexus...hands down better all the way around...I'm in NYC so reception was not an issue with the Nexus for me ...But it has been stated plenty across the forums I frequent that the radios on the Note 2 are solid... Everything else is not even close compared to the Nexus ...Always cool...great great battery...Now I don't know what the Note 3 will have it should be improved for sure BUT like anything not out yet we won't know for sure until in those hands of the peeps that use it...I'm excited with the direction Samsung has gone with this Note series.. I expect nothing but improvements on future builds...Nexus was a fun device ...These new phones are exceptional so I hope you get one and makes the negatives resolved...

 

[pool_shark]

I too came from the Nexus to the Note II. I had no signal issues in my Nexus and never changed the radio.

The Note II is by far my favorite of all of the phones I've had.
It can run hot but so has every other phone I've owned when in use, including flip phones.
I don't concern myself with battery life, I just charge it when I want.

 

[NOVICE]

Went from Galaxy Nexus to S3 to Note 2. Have had various others phones as well.

Note 2 my best experience with a phone my a hugh margin. Nothing I don't like about the phone. The radios are impeccable and only downgrade to a g3 signal when I'm in a basement or rural area.

The Galaxy Nexus was inferior in each and every department. The worst radios, grainy screen, and terrible battery life. And I paid what at the time was the highest subsidized price ever offered by Verizon. Miserable experience.

Regarding build quality and plastic versus metal. I personally prefer the feel of the plastic over metal. And with a light case enclosing the phone, it doesn't feel "cheap" to me.

Had intended on getting the Note 3 at first availability, but I am so satisfied with the Note 2 that I don't feel the need to stand in line for a new phone.

 

[Big Ry]

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like overall the other Samsung devices fair a bit better than the gnex.

I live in downtown Baltimore, so no 4g and piss poor 3g is completely unacceptable. And it always drive me insane how I could never keep the screen brightness up. The amoled screen on my gnex is so bright and vibrant, but setting it even at 25% sucks the life out of my battery and make the phone get hot. When I first got my gnex, I set the screen to 100% brightness. I think I got like 3 hours on a full charge that day... With the screen using like 90% of the battery. I want to have a nice bright screen without having to worry about killing my battery. Is that too much to ask?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

 

[pool_shark]

To me, smartphones are pocket computers. They have large bright screens, multitasking, multiple core processors, internet connected, and of course they are phones.

I don't expect my laptop to last all day with heavy usage on a single charge, so I don't expect it of today's smartphones.

 

[Big Ry]

Well a phone is well... a phone. It's for calls and texts, which a computer is not. When I'm out and about, I need my phone to have enough charge to make it until I get back.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

 

[kunzy]

I've gone from nexus to note 2 and I'm in a rural area where my nexus struggled like everybody else the note 2 was great till the update to 4.1.2 I've stayed stock but that update started draining battery and signal went to ****... at work I use to never charge my battery on my note 2 now by 2pm I'm down to 30/40 percent and I work 12 hour shifts...I still love the phone but get frustrated that the 2 primary places I use my phone are work and home and I get no signal what so ever...

 

[MNTNBKR]

I went from a Gnex to a GS3 and then back to my Gnex before finally kicking Samsung to the curb for good. The nexus was bad for all of the reasons that you listed in the OP. The GS3 was bad because they failed to fix so many of the things that made the nexus so bad. My biggest issue with the GS3 though was the fact that with two different GS3's I almost NEVER was able to make a phone call... I ended up spiking the phone onto my kitchen floor and destroying it, hence my return to the Galaxy Nexus. I have since abandoned Samsung altogether, and quite likely forever. I even went so far as to buy a Droid Maxx off contract for my wife to upgrade her from her original Droid X instead of sticking her with my Gnex.

I upgraded to the HTC One and couldn't be happier so far.

 

[mountainbikermark]

Well a phone is well... a phone. It's for calls and texts, which a computer is not. When I'm out and about, I need my phone to have enough charge to make it until I get back.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

One thing about amoled is the more brighter colors the more battery usage, there darker the colors the less. While waiting the release of the Note 3 you may see a significant increase in battery life, due to screen usage, if you change to darker wallpapers and dark/night themes in apps. Lcd lights pixels basically evenly regardless of color but amoled uses most power for white pixels,0 power for black and varies in between depending on the pixels color.
Anyway,I know several people who went from gnex to s4 or Note 2 and they rave about how much better reception and battery life are on both, not to mention better performance, camera, etc
Hope that helps

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[bkdodger]

Note2 = FTW ....Battery,reception,Battery, and it can even make plenty of calls too !! I average over 2000 text a month...1500/1900 minutes calls per month...Everything I throw at this phone responds back effortlessly....

 

[Big Ry]

Those are some impressive numbers Lol. I used to be a salesman at AT&T. I once had a girl come in that used over 3000 texts in a month. The most I've ever seen though, was my best friend who hit 5000!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

 

[bkdodger]

HAHA..I've hit the 3000 mark a few times...I'm at 2089 now with 9 days to go on my contract...slow month for data only 7GB + only because I've used my laptop mostly this month...

5000 that's really too much ...LOL

 

[mountainbikermark]

My daughters do a lot more than that. They use basically 0 minutes but around 15k texts on average per month and no not while driving or in school. They can throw out a dozen "lol, yup,k, etc "in only a couple of minutes.
Anyway,I upgraded from a Rezound to Note2 and an living the battery life. I chose the Rezound over the gnex because I had a feeling it was going to be an experiment that was going to fail on Verizon

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