Galaxy Note Tips & Tricks

Galaxy Note News

Top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ you should try

by Leave a Comment

Top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+Although Galaxy Note 10 received a mixed reception, there are many new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ you may enjoy.

In this post, I will summarize the top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+, which are quite impressive and exciting. They include Samsung DeX for PC, updated video editor, native screen recorder, the new S Pen, 25w/45W Superfast charging, 3D scanner (Galaxy Note 10+ only, not released yet), wireless Powershare, AR doodle, zoom-in mic, and the night camera mode.

The missing features of Galaxy Note 10 can be found here. An overview review of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ was posted here.

In this guide, Galaxy Note 10 refers to both Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ unless the special features are on Galaxy Note 10+ only. If this is the case, we will use Note 10+ explicitly. The differences between Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ are discussed in this post.

#1. Samsung DeX for PC: the best new feature of Galaxy Note 10

Samsung DeX, which was introduced in Galaxy S8 and later available on Galaxy Note 8, Note 9, S9,  S10, and now Note 10,  is probably the most useful innovation bringing Android to a bigger screen, It transforms your phone into an Android desktop when connected to a large screen.

For Galaxy S8 and Note 8, you need to use the DeX station to connect the phone to the external monitor.  The slimmer DeX Pad was introduced with Galaxy S9 and can be used on Galaxy S8 and Note 8 as well. Galaxy Note 9 introduced the DeX cable, and you only need a USB-C to HDMI cable to use DeX with Note 9. This feature was ported to Galaxy S9 after the Android Pie update.  Currently,  Galaxy Note 9,  Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy S10 can use any of them (DeX cable, Dex Station, or DeX Pad) to switch to the DeX mode. Galaxy S8 still needs a DeX Station or a DeX Pad to launch Samsung …

Read the full post


Top 10 missing features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ you should know before buying

by 4 Comments

Top 10 missing features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ you should know before buying

When you decide to upgrade or switch to Galaxy Note 10, you need to know these 10 missing features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+. You may check this page for the top 10 new features of Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+.

For the first time, Samsung announced two models of Galaxy Note line-up: Galaxy Note 10+ and Galaxy Note 10. Galaxy Note 1o+ is a successor of Galaxy Note 9, and Galaxy Note 10 is a stripdown (budget? but still too expensive) version of Galaxy Note 10+.

As pointed in this Galaxy Note 10 review, both Galaxy Note 10 and Note 1o+ are targeted at the mainstream users (mass market), instead of the hardcore Galaxy Note users (niche market). The comparison of Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ was discussed here.

After playing around Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+, we summarized the top 10 missing features that matter for traditional Galaxy Note owners.

#1.  Notification LED light: the most annoying missing feature of Galaxy Note 10

When Samsung switched to the punch-hole design on Galaxy S10, they removed the notification LED light.

Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ followed this design and removed the notification LED light. This is the first Galaxy Note device without the notification LED light.

It is obvious Samsung is willing to sacrifice any features and functions if they impact the “look” of the phone.

Do we buy a phone to look or to use in 2019?

Such small convenience features in old Galaxy phones actually are a magnet for many buyers.  Sadly, Samsung will eventually evolve their smartphones into a beautiful brick without any functions.

For example, you now have to check the phone screen to see whether the battery is fully charged or not when charging the Galaxy Note 10 battery.

#2. Capacitive fingerprint reader

Both Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ use an in-display fingerprint reader introduced in Galaxy S10 and S10+.

It sounds great. And of course, it “looks” great (see Galaxy Note 10 layout).

But in reality, it is a step …

Read the full post


Galaxy Note 10 review: the death of Galaxy Note

Samsung is destroying Galaxy Note with Galaxy Note 10

by 3 Comments

Galaxy Note 10 review: the death of Galaxy NoteWith the official announcement of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+), many long-term Galaxy Note owners are disappointed, although there are many BS articles claiming how innovative and how exciting Galaxy Note 10 is. This is a no BS Galaxy Note 10 review from a long-term Galaxy Note owners who owned every Galaxy Note devices.

This Galaxy Note 10 review is an overall review about Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ (the difference between Note 10 and Note 10+ can be found here). The detailed review of the new features of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+) is posted here. And the detailed review of the missing features of Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+) can be found here.

When the first Galaxy Note was announced in 2011, many are not convinced. They were correct, and they are still correct.

Galaxy Note is for a niche market where owners use two hands (instead of one) and like to use the S Pen to “write” (instead of touch). So, it is not for the mainstream phone users.  The screen size of the 5.3″ Galaxy Note is more than twice (actually 2.23 times, 81.4  vs. 36.5 cm²) of that on the 3.5″ inch mainstream phone (iPhone 4) in 2011.

The growing user community who enjoys the bigger screen helped Samsung lead the industry in adopting a bigger screen in the mainstream phones. Today, most smartphones have a screen larger than 5″.

But the success of Galaxy Note is not just the big screen.

The success of Galaxy Note is due to 1) Big screen, and 2) S Note

The early adopters of Galaxy Note consisted of two groups of buyers:

  1. People who prefer a big screen to read books/website, to play games or videos on the phone.
  2. People who like to write on the big screen with the S Pen.

For the first group owners, they have got more and more choices over the years because all smartphone manufacturers gradually increased the screen size of their flagship smartphones. So, they are …

Read the full post


Top 9 new features of Galaxy Note 9

Should you upgrade to Galaxy Note 9? Is Galaxy Note 9 a right phone for you?

by Leave a Comment

Top 9 new features of Galaxy Note 9Samsung unveiled Galaxy Note 9, the 8th generation of Galaxy Note devices, on August 9 (press release).  You will be able to get one in retail stores on August 24.

As the latest generation of Galaxy Note devices, you should expect some new features of Galaxy Note 9 in this phablet.

This guide will explore the top nine new features of Galaxy Note 9 (compared to Galaxy Note 8) to help you understand the differences and enhancements in Galaxy Note 9.

You may check and download the official Samsung Galaxy Note 9 user manual in your local language to try these features.

#1. Top 9 new features of Galaxy Note 9: Bluetooth-enabled S Pen

S Pen is one of the signature accessories for all Galaxy Note devices although a few Samsung tablets (e.g., Galaxy Tab S4 and Tab A) started to get S Pen bundled.

But S Pen in Galaxy Note 9 got a significant update: the S Pen is now Bluetooth enabled.

In addition to all existing S Pen features, you can now use the S Pen as a remote control for Galaxy  Note 9: a remote shutter for Galaxy Note 9 camera, a remote control of media player, a presenter for your presentation with Galaxy Note 9, a remote launcher of some apps. You may check this guide on how to use S Pen remote control on Galaxy Note 9.

You do not need to worry about the battery life and charging the battery in the new S Pen. You put the S Pen in the S Pen slot in Galaxy Note 9 for 1 minute; the S Pen will be ready for use up to 30 minutes.

The secret lies on the supercapacitor, not a regular battery, which powers the S Pen. The lifespan of a supercapacitor is also far longer than a standard lithium battery, and therefore you should never need to replace the supercapacitor even if you use Galaxy Note 9 for the next 10 years.

Please check this page on how to use and charge the new Galaxy Note 9 …

Read the full post


Top 8 new features of Galaxy Note 8

by 3 Comments

Top 8 new features of Galaxy Note 8As the successor of the defunct Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy Note 8 (Samsung officially named it as Note8) brings many new features and improvements. These new features of Galaxy Note 8 differentiate Galaxy Note 8 from previous generations of Galaxy Note devices, and also from other Android phones you can buy.

Even compared to this year’s flagship Galaxy S8 which was launched less than 6 months ago, Galaxy Note 8 offers considerable upgrade and new features.

This post summarizes the most notable new features in Galaxy Note 8 you should try. These top 8 new features of Galaxy Note 8 are also the important factors that may help you decide whether Galaxy Note 8 is the right phone for you.

You may also check the official Galaxy Note 8 user guide in your own language to know the phone better.

Dual rear cameras

Dual rear camera is not new. Many other Android phone manufacturers like LG and HTC offered dual cameras in their flagship phones for one or two years already. Even some iPhones (for example iPhone 7 Plus) have dual rear cameras.

Samsung added a few useful features to Galaxy Note 8’s dual camera:

  • Optical image stabilization (OIS) for both of the rear cameras. All other vendors offer OIS only in one of the rear cameras.
  • 2x optical zoom, in addition to digital zoom. This is the first Galaxy phones with optical zoom.
  • Live focus. You can blur the background and focus on specific object. Photos taken with live focus can be modified by adjusting the  level of background blur in the future.
  • Dual capture.  When live focus is on, you can take 2 pictures individually with the two cameras.

Dual camera probably is one of the most useful and attractive new features of Galaxy Note 8.

6.3 inch screen

The infinity display may be not the cake for some Note users. But the bigger display is definitely an exciting feature of Galaxy Note 8.

Most Galaxy Note users prefer bigger screen: when the mainstream of the screen was 3.5 inch, we …

Read the full post


Top 12 new features in Galaxy Note 5 Android Nougat udpate

Android Nougat update for Galaxy Note 5 brings you some useful new features including Grace UI, device maintenance, new multi window, screen zoom, screen resolution adjustment, new camera app, performance mode, data saver mode and many more....

by 16 Comments

Top 12 new features in Galaxy Note 5 Android Nougat udpateGalaxy Note 5 Android Nougat udpate is the last major update for Galaxy Note 5 in most regions. You may check the the Official Samsung Galaxy Note 5 user manuals with Android Nougat update here.

Just like other major Android updates, there are many new features and improvements in  Galaxy Note 5 Android Nougat update.  Some of these new features and improvements are from Android Nougat 7.0; and others are customized by Samsung for their Galaxy devices.

This post will summarize the top 12 new features and improvements in Galaxy Note 5 Android Nougat udpate to help you get the most from the new firmware in your Galaxy Note 5.

New UI in Galaxy Note 5 Android Nougat udpate

Samsung finally ditched the old blue/green UI and moved to new Grace UI , which was first spotted in the defunct Galaxy Note 7.

Actually, the new Grace UI is now standard in all Samsung devices with Android Nougat.

With the new UI, Galaxy Note 5 looks like a modern device. The old UI is really old-fashioned (arguable).

Of course, some Galaxy Note 5 may not like the white color based theme in the Galaxy Note 5 Android Nougat udpate. They can easily find many dark themes for Galaxy Note 5.

New device maintenance entry in Galaxy Note 5 settings

In Galaxy Note 5 Android Nougat udpate, you can find a new entry named device maintenance.

Device maintenance offers one-button optimization including:

  • Checking background apps;
  • Freeing up storage;
  • Detecting abnormal battery usage;
  • Detecting app crashes;
  • Detecting malware apps.

In addition, in device maintenance,  you can also:

  • check battery usage and enable battery saving modes;
  • choose and customize 4 different performance modes;
  • manage storage;
  • check memory usage and clean memory;
  • enable /disable Intel Security Anti-malware (actually it is re-branded McAfee VirusScan). It is NOT recommended if you get apps from reliable sources.

So, device maintenance in Galaxy Note 5 Android Nougat udpate is just a combination of various device management and optimization tools.

New Calendar app replaces S Planner

Do not confuse the new Calendar …

Read the full post


How to check whether you have a safe Galaxy Note 7 battery?

How to know whether your Galaxy Note 7 battery is safe or not? This guide shows you 3 different methods to check whether you get a safe Galaxy Note 7 battery: IMEI number, battery icon in status bar and always-on display, and power button options.

by 1 Comment

Following the global Galaxy Note 7 recall, in the market, there are two types of Galaxy Note 7 devices: Galaxy Note 7 to be returned (but the owners have not done so) and the safe Galaxy Note 7 devices (with a safe Galaxy Note 7 battery).

For your own safety, you should make sure your Galaxy Note 7 now has a safe battery inside. If the battery is not safe, you should return the phone to local Samsung office.

Do not risk your safety.

This guide shows you various methods to check whether you have a safe Galaxy Note 7 battery in your Note7.

Method 1: use IMEI number to check whether you have a safe Galaxy Note 7 battery

You can use the IMEI number (which is unique for each mobile device) of your Galaxy Note 7 to check whether the Galaxy Note 7 battery is safe or not.

For dual SIM models, there are two IMEI number. Normally, you just use the IMEI number for SIM card slot 1.

You can find out your Galaxy Note 7’s IMEI number in any of the following 4 ways:

  • Outside Galaxy Note 7 box.  Outside of the box, the IMEI number usually is usually printed in a white label.
  • Inside Galaxy Note 7 box. Inside the Galaxy Note 7 box, there are some sticks. Some of them are for IMEI numbers.
  • Back of Galaxy Note 7 device.  IMEI number is always printed in the back of your Galaxy Note 7 near the main antenna area.  You can find the tiny characters under CE0168 or something similar. Anyway, the characters are always small! The IMEI number is sectioned by “/”. You need the whole string, then remove the “/”.
  • In Galaxy Note 7. In your Galaxy Note 7, you can find IMEI number in Settings — About device — Status — IMEI information.

You can use any of the above-mentioned 4 methods to get the Galaxy Note 7 IMEI number. If you are not sure, you can always visit local Samsung service center or carrier’s store to get the …

Read the full post


Questions and Answers on Galaxy Note 7 Recall

Everything you need to know about Galaxy Note 7 recall due to potential battery quality issues.

by Leave a Comment

Questions and Answers on Galaxy Note 7 RecallNote: I compiled the following info for our Galaxy Note device community.  If you need official answers on Galaxy Note 7 recall, please check local Samsung service center.

Today (September 2, 2016), Samsung announced globally (excluding China) voluntary recall for Galaxy Note 7 due to possible battery quality issues in some phones.

The official statement can be found here and quoted below.

Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue.

To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7.

For customers who already have Galaxy Note7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks. Instructions on the replacement process will be shared next week.

We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.

Why Samsung recall Galaxy Note 7 globally?

The Galaxy Note 7 recall is due to reported battery issues.

According to Samsung, there are 35 cases reported till September 1 (among about 1 million sold Galaxy Note 7 devices).

Up to now, nobody is injured. The damage is limited to Galaxy Note 7 devices only.

Because Samsung cannot identify the batch of batteries with potential quality issues from one of its two battery cell suppliers, as a preventive measure, they decided to recall all Galaxy Note 7 voluntarily.

What does voluntary recall mean?

A product can be recalled due to demands of local authorities, or court coders. These are compulsory product recalls…

Read the full post


Galaxy Note 7 New Features

Top 7 Galaxy Note 7 features: iris scanner, water resistant, SD card support, bigger battery, new S Pen tricks, USB Type-C and curved screen.

by 2 Comments

Galaxy Note 7 New FeaturesLike it or not, Galaxy Note 7 will be one of the best selling smartphones in 2016.

Although Galaxy Note 7 have almost identical hardware specs as Galaxy S7 edge (except S Pen and iris scanner), Galaxy Note 7 is a major udpate for Galaxy Note 5.

As explained in Galaxy Note 7 specs post, Galaxy Note 7 is a major update for Galaxy Note 5, not for Galaxy S7 (or S7 edge).

In this post, let’s explore top 7  Galaxy Note 7 new features .

These top 7 new features in Galaxy Note 7 makes the phone apart from previous generations of  Galaxy Note devices, mainly, Galaxy Note 5 or Galaxy Note 4.

1. Iris scanner:  the most noteworthy Galaxy Note 7 new feature, but is it just a fad?

Before Galaxy Note 7 was announced, Samsung deliberately leaked the iris scanner as one of the top Galaxy Note 7 new features.

But many long-time Samsung customers (you should NEVER trust experts…..) had thought the new feature would not work well until 2 or 3 generations later.

If you can remember the awkward (and inaccurate) fingerprint scanner in Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4, you would think iris scanner probably would be an usable feature in Galaxy Note 8 or Galaxy S9!

It seems most of us are wrong.

Iris scanner in Galaxy Note 7 works surprisingly well: both fast and accurate.

But the question is whether this new feature makes any sense.

Currently, iris scanner in Galaxy Note 7 can be used:

  • to unlock the phone. It is not as natural or easy as using fingerprint.  You also have to wake up the screen to use Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner. Of course, iris may be more secure. But do we need such a security for the lock screen?
  • to use secure folder. This is simply a folder secured by your eyes. Technically, it is similar to use password to encrypt a folder.
  • to authenticate your Samsung account, or to use in Samsung Pay.

Anyway, the good thing on Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner …

Read the full post


Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Specifications

Hardware and software specifications of Galaxy Note 7. Official infographic of Galaxy Note 7 specifications vs Galaxy Note 5.

by 6 Comments

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Specifications

Update 1: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 user manuals in more than 40 languages are available for download.

Update 2: Galaxy Note 7 guides page is alive. You can check detailed Galaxy Note 7 how-to guides here.

On August 2,2016, Samsung announced the 6th generation of Galaxy Note phones: Galaxy Note 7 (they skipped Galaxy Note 6 to match generation numbers of Galaxy S series).

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Specifications indicate this is an update for Galaxy Note 5. It is NOT targeted for Galaxy S7 0r S7 edge users because essentially Galaxy Note 7 is Galaxy S7 edge with a S Pen.

This post will focus on hardware and software  aspects of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Specifications. Discussions, comments, and guides on Galaxy Note 7 will be available in other posts/pages.

Galaxy Note 7 Specifications: hardware design

Galaxy Note 7 is water and dust resistant  with a IP68 rating. This is the first Galaxy Note devices that are waterproof.

Another hardware design change from Galaxy Note 5 is curved screen, in addition to the curved back. In other words, the curved screen is similar to that on Galaxy S7 edge.

Galaxy Note 7 is also the first smartphone with Gorilla Glass 5 for both front and back panel.

Galaxy Note 7 Specifications: CPU

Galaxy Note 7 has two variants in CPU configuration.

For US and other north American markets, Snapdragon 820, not the latest Snapdragon 821, will be used. This means Galaxy Note 7 has identical CPU as Galaxy S7, which is almost half-year old.

For other markets, Galaxy Note 7 will get  Exynos 8890, which is identical to that in Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in these markets.

Again, Galaxy Note 7 is an update for Galaxy Note 5, not for Galaxy S7 edge.

Galaxy Note 7 Specifications: RAM

Galaxy Note 7 has 4GB RAM, same as Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S7.

Nothing to complain. 4GB should be good enough for 99.99% users for today’s apps. 6GB probably will be a waste for 99.999% users, at least in 2016 and 2017.

Galaxy Note

…

Read the full post


Top 5 defects of Galaxy Note 5

Galaxy Note 5 vs Galaxy Note 4: what are the missing features? No Micro SD card support, non-removable battery, no IR blaster, smaller battery, and missing Lollipop features.

by 12 Comments

Top_5_defects_of_Galaxy_Note_5Update 1: Galaxy Note 5 S Pen is another design defect.  If you accidentally insert the Galaxy Note 5 S Pen in wrong direction, Galaxy Note 5 will not be able to detect whether the S Pen is in the slot or not. There are no solutions except visiting service center. Please rad this page for details.

As detailed in this post, Galaxy Note 5 comes with some new or improved features, for example, new design with curved glass back, fast wireless charging, improved S pen features, improved camera, more RAM, faster CPU, better fingerprint sensor.

You will surely enjoy these features and the new Galaxy Note 5.

However, it seems Samsung  failed to get some user feedback of the defects or design flaws of Galaxy S6  and Galaxy S6 edge.  Galaxy Note 5 share some similar defects.

This post will try to summarize the top 5 defects in Galaxy Note 5.

Top 5 defects of Galaxy Note 5:  1. No micro SD card support

All previous generations of Galaxy Note devices, including Galaxy Note tablets (Galaxy Note 8.0, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition and Galaxy Note Pro), have a micro SD card slot for you to expand the storage or to transfer files.

But Galaxy Note 5 stops this trend. Galaxy Note 5 does not support micro SD card. There is no micro SD card slot.

As micro SD card has similar size to SIM card,  micro SD card slot does not necessarily reside inside the phone.

If you have a SIM card slot, then technically, there is no problem to put a micro SD card slot.

One of the excuses of missing SD card slot is that Galaxy Note 5 is using UFS 2.0 storage, which is 3 times faster than eMMC storage. The micro SD card is too slow to match the performance of UFS 2.0 storage.

The truth is in your PC, you very likely have a very fast SSD drive, together with traditional, slower mechanical hard disk. It does not make sense you should throw away your …

Read the full post


Top 5 new features of Galaxy Note 5 you will like

Galaxy Note 5 vs Galaxy Note 4: what's new and exciting? New design, fast wireless charging, improved S pen features, improved camera, more RAM, faster CPU, better fingerprint sensor.....

by Leave a Comment

galaxy_note_5_vs_galaxy_note_4_top_5_featuresUpdate 1: Official Samsung Galaxy Note 5 user manuals are available now. You can download and read them in your language from this page.

Update 2: Galaxy Note 5 how-to guides page is available now. You can get detailed guides on how to use Galaxy Note 5.

On August 13 2015, Samsung announced the 5th generation of Galaxy Note phone: Galaxy Note 5 (together with Galaxy S6 edge+). In Asia, Galaxy  Note 5 has been available 2 days later (August 15). In US and North America, the release date is August 21.

If you are a long term Galaxy Note device user, you will notice Galaxy Note 5 was announced 2-3 weeks earlier than its predecessors.

All previous generations of Galaxy Note phones were announced in IFA Berlin (International radio exhibition Berlin, Berlin Radio Show).  The event usually starts from last week of August or first week of September. Galaxy Note (Note 1)  was announced in IFA Berlin 2011, Galaxy Note II in IFA Berlin 2012 (August 29, 2012), Galaxy Note 3 in IFA Berlin 2013 (September 4, 2013) and Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge in IFA Berlin 2014 (September 3, 2014).

But this year, Samsung desperately rolls out Galaxy Note 5 earlier due to competition of the 5.5″ iPhone 6 plus, and the upcoming S version of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus next month.

So, Samsung not only announced Galaxy Note 5 three weeks earlier than IFA Berlin 2015, but also released it immediately. It used to take Samsung 1-2 months to release Galaxy Note devices after the device was announced.

many Galaxy note users may wonder what the new features of Galaxy Note 5 are, and whether you should get this new Galaxy Note device.

To help you understand Galaxy Note 5 better, two posts are prepared. This post shows you the new and cool features in Galaxy Note 5. The other one will focus on flaws of Galaxy Note 5.

A new design, full metal-glass construction and curved glass back

Galaxy Note 5 looks fundamentally different from Galaxy Note 4 and …

Read the full post


Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update problems and solutions, questions and answers

Everything about Android Lollipop update for Galaxy Note 4: top new features, how to solve slowness problems and battery problems after Lollipop update

by 9 Comments

Samsung_Galaxy_Note_4_Android_Lollipop_updateSamsung started to rolled out the Android Lollipop update for Galaxy Note 4 in last February.  Now, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update is being available in more and more regions.

Just like any other Android update, some owners enjoy the improvement and new features in Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update; some hate the update.

Android Lollipop is a major update. There are many new features and improvements in Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update. Of course, there are a few new bugs…..

This post is trying to answer your questions on Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update. It also applies to Android Lollipop update for Galaxy Note 3.

Please let us know your question in the comment section if your questions or problems are not covered in this post.

1.  Top 4 new features in Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update?

First, Samsung did not implement all new Lollipop features in Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update.  This happens to Galaxy S5 Android Lollipop update, and even in Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge.

Also, in different regions, Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update may have slightly different base version. Most are at Android 5.0.1. Some are at 5.0.2.

I. Material design, floating action buttons, Android Lollipop inside

Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update brings a refreshed (not overhauled) TouchWiz user interface. The new interface is only partially following Google material design guidelines. However, the bolder color arrangements (e.g., different main colors for different apps),and  fluid animation effects,  should (arguably) delight some Galaxy Note 4 owners.

Floating action button was added in various Samsung applications so that it is easier to perform a specific action, e.g., adding a new event,  or composing a new message.

Of course, Android Lollipop 5.0 (sorry not the latest 5.1) powers the Galaxy Note 4 Android Lollipop update. It is arguably faster than KitKat for almost all apps due to the new ART runtime, not the old Dalvik. It should also give longer (arguable!) battery life because it is more efficient in many tasks.

II. Smart lock

You …

Read the full post


Top 5 Galaxy Note 4 Defects

by 21 Comments

Samsung-Galaxy-Note-4-defectsGalaxy Note 4 is one of the best smartphones in 2014. There are still no no real rivals for the unique and promising S Pen (stylus) in the smartphone market.  iPhone 6 Plus can only compete in size and bulkiness.

However, after using Galaxy Note 4 a few days, I realized several obvious Galaxy Note 4 defects.  Most of them actually should have not been presented  in such a successful product of its 4th generation.

These defects  reflect the confusion and lack of confidence in the positioning of Galaxy Note devices.

Galaxy Note 4 Defect  #1:  downgrading the support from USB 3.0 to USB 2.0

Samsung showed its leading position in Android market by introducing USB 3.o support in Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S5.

USB 3.0 is not a new technology. You can find the blue USB ports in most PC and laptops today.  Most of external drives are also using USB 3.0.

USB 3.0 provides not only faster file transfer speed (theoretically 5 Gbit/s compared to 480Mbit/s for USB 2.0), but also the stability.   Although most devices cannot reach the theoretical transfer rate, the file transfer is always faster with USB 3.0 than that with USB 2.0.

Another issue many smartphone users may experience is the “not responding” message when you try to  transfer a large quantity of photos from your phone to the PC through a USB cable. With USB 3.0, this should seldom happen.

Galaxy Note 3 probably is the first Android phone with USB 3.0 support.  File transfer with PC is really fast if you choose USB 3.0 option.

Galaxy S5 also supports USB 3.0. But interestingly, in the package, Samsung gives a USB 2.0 cable. As USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0, you can use the USB 2.0 cable (utilizing the larger half of the USB 3.0 port) on Galaxy S5 to enjoy USB 2.0. Of course, if you want to get the benefits of USB 3.o, you have to get a USB 3.0 cable.

This puzzled a lot of people. However, the reason is very simple: to save cost. USB 3.0 …

Read the full post


Galaxy Note 4 vs Galaxy Note 3, What’s new in Galaxy Note 4?

by 8 Comments

galaxy_note_4_vs_galaxy_note_3Galaxy Note 4 was finally announced on September 3, 2014.  Samsung will very likely start to ship Galaxy Note 4 as early as the 4th week this September in selected regions, although in the event, October was confirmed for global release of Note 4. In most other regions, you will be able to get Galaxy Note 4 in October.

So, before deciding whether you should get the Galaxy Note 4, let’s compare Galaxy Note 3 vs Galaxy Note 4 to find out what the new features/improvements are.

Update: Galaxy Note 4 User Guide is available here.

1.  Galaxy Note 4 vs Galaxy Note 3:  Quad HD  display

Rumors always are trustworthy in tech world. As stated in the  Galaxy note 4 specification rumors post, Galaxy Note 4 comes with QHD (Quad HD,  2560*1240). This is a major upgrade from Galaxy Note 3’s full HD (1920*1080) display.

The size of the screen is almost identical to Galaxy Note 3: about 5.7″.   So, the resolution of 2560* 1440 display gives you  a whopping 515 ppi.

Of course, the screen is super AMOLED, the standard display in Samsung flagship phones. This is same as Galaxy Note 3.  But Samsung got one year time to further improve and polish the technology, especially in color accuracy.

2.  Galaxy Note 4 vs Galaxy Note 3:  New S Pen has 2048 pressure levels

If you don’t use S Pen, you are wasting half of your Galaxy  Note devices. Plain and simple.

The new S Pen in Galaxy Note 4 now has 2048 pressure levels, which are sufficient t for 99% artistic jobs. As a comparison, Galaxy Note 3 got a 1024 pressure-level S Pen, which is decent for most designer jobs.

3. Galaxy Note 4 vs Galaxy Note 3:  Smart Select with S Pen

Samsung introduced so many “smart” features in the past and most of them are useless or half-baked. In recent release of Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S5, Samsung learned the lessons  and tried to  polish the features when releasing them.

One of the two smart features in Galaxy Note …

Read the full post


Galaxy Note 4 specifications (and rumors) and release date

by Leave a Comment

samsung-galaxy-note-4-specificationsThere is no doubt  Samsung will announce the Galaxy Note 4  on September 3, 2 days before IFA 2014.

This is the tradition of announcing Galaxy Note phones. Galaxy Note was announced in IFA 2011, Galaxy Note 2 in IFA 2012, Galaxy Note 3 in IFA 2013.

But what are the specifications of Galaxy Note 4 and when will you get it?

Galaxy Note 4 Release date

Smartphone usually is announced or launched (it is usually demoed as well in the event) before the release date. So, on September 3, you may have the chance to “see” Galaxy Note 4, but you surely cannot buy it.

Because many of us  may be eager to know when we can get the device (so does the competitors),  Galaxy Note 4 release date is another top secret of Samsung.

Based on Samsung’s track record, most Galaxy S and Galaxy Note smartphones are released about one month after they are announced.

Because Apple will announce its iPhone 6 on September 9, the release date for iPhone 6 will be very likely within 3  weeks from September 9. Samsung may try to release the Galaxy Note 4 in the similar period to gain the momentum.

So,  Galaxy Note 4 release date will be very likely in late September/early October.

Galaxy Note 4 specifications

Specification is not everything. But specification is still the most talked topic for any smartphones.

Galaxy Note 4 has some awesome specifications if the rumor and early leak can be trusted. In tech world, yes, the rumors usually turn out to be the truth.

Let’s tear down the Galaxy Note 4 specifications based on early leaks and rumors.

Galaxy Note 4 specifications: CPU – Snapdragon 801 or Snapdragon 805?

Snapdragon 805 is currently the most powerful processor or smartphone and tablet.  This processor currently can only be found in Galaxy S5 LTE-A and LG G3 LTE-A for Korea market.  So, very likely, Galaxy Note 4 will be the first mobile device equipped with this processor outside of Korea.

So far, almost all benchmarks shown the impressive performance of Snapdragon …

Read the full post