My Issue with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2

ehabheikal.net 

About 2 months ago, I purchased a used Galaxy Note 2 from eBay with the intent of falling in love with the 5.5 inch Super AMOLED display and saying goodbye to the iPhone 5 forever.  I do love the Note 2 and I do not regret the purchase for a second, but I can not let go of my iPhone 5. Here's why:

Build Quality:

reviews.cnet.co.uk

Along with the HTC One, the iPhone 5 is one of the most beautifully crafted phones ever. The aluminium casing and the precision laser cut frame make this device a joy to hold.  The same cannot be said for the Galaxy Note 2. Although it feels very good in the hand, despite the all plastic design and the massive size, there is not a feeling of pleasure from handling the device.  The glossy 'hyper-glaze' coating is to blame. I'm not quite sure why Samsung includes this on almost every smartphone these days.  It makes the phone slippery and collects fingerprints like nothing I've ever seen before. But the feel of a phone is not quite enough to sell me one way or the other. The software is even more important.

Software:

techcrunch.com 

I have tried to fall madly in love with Android Jelly Bean. It does some things much better than iOS, such as multitasking, quick settings and widgets. But it's biggest fault is in Google Play.  I just don't see the same quality in the applications compared to what I find in the App Store.  It's no longer a matter of quantity, but it is a matter of quality.  In the struggle between freedom and regulation, Apple and Google fall on opposite ends of the spectrum. Google believes giving more freedom to app developers will bolster creativity and encourage radical new ideas that could be the beginnings of the next 'must-have' application. Apple, on the other hand, believes regulation and oversight lead to more professional, well-conceived apps.  After my experience with both platforms, I am leaning towards the philosophy of Apple.  Fragmentation across hundreds of different smartphones using Android certainly plays a role in translating applications from Google Play to individual devices.  That is the price Google pays to have such a wide reaching grasp on the smartphone market.

www.ibtimes.com 

What I really want is for Apple to introduce a larger iPhone! But the best estimation is 2014 based on Tim Cook's comments from recent interviews.  He publicly admitted that there would need to be a complete overhaul of applications to accommodate larger screen sizes.  I begrudgingly accept this concern, given that some apps designed for iPhone 4 and 4S are still waiting to be updated for iPhone 5.

But Apple really should put an emphasis on increasing screen size before Samsung, LG and Sony saturate the market with 5.5-6.5 inch displays.  Very soon, the lure of a larger screen will start drawing Apple fanatics away from the iPhone 5 and towards almost any other phone being released this year, the vast majority having larger than 4 inch displays with the most advanced Android software available.  iOS 7 may stem the tide for a bit, but I will not get another iPhone until they increase the screen size...and go with a quad-core processor....and Infared communication....and better low light pictures.....

Getting back to the Note 2....The next generation needs to be thinner with a 1080p full HD screen and a better camera (the Note 2 camera is great, but there is always room for improvement).  But most of all, I need to see Android mature to the reliability, smoothness and usability of iOS, particularly with the selection of applications. Many Google lovers will argue vehemently that Jelly Bean is far superior to iOS 6 and even iOS 7.  My personal opinion is that iOS 7 will address many of the shortcomings of past operating systems and push the iPhone to even greater levels of popularity.

Apple and iOS 7 are Back in the Game!

With a plethora of new features announced on June 11 at WWDC, Apple has began to tip the scales back in its favor, after a few months of incredible Android phones hitting the market. iOS 7 is basically EVERYTHING Apple needed to do in the ever-escalating battle against Android.  The next step would be a larger phone.....but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Here is what I really like about iOS 7....then one thing I could do without.

Control Center
THANK YOU! Finally, iPhone users can swipe up from the bottom of the screen and find quick access to 'Airplane Mode,' 'Do Not Disturb,' 'Bluetooth' and even a flashlight. Android users have had this functionality for quite a long time and it has been sorely missed by Apple fans.  Quick and easy access to settings you use everyday has always been important to me. I love the combined notifications and quick setting with Android Jelly Bean, but I am equally happy with separating them into two different gestures in iOS 7.

Multitasking
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Although iOS has technically had multitasking for a while now, it was a complete pain in the 'derriere' to close applications running in the background. Now, following Android's lead, iPhone users can see full page views of all applications currently running and easily close them with a swipe. This still requires double-tapping the home screen, which is not the most fluid gesture (and I become concerned with the home button's long term viability), but it certainly works.

Notification Center
This is a more subtle improvement, but extremely useful.  The Notification Center is now available on the lock screen. This is another example of taking a great idea and making it simpler and more intuitive.  You can also see notifications sorted by 'Today,' 'All,' or 'Missed.' As far as I know, Android doesn't support a sorting feature for your notifications (although I'm sure there's an app for that). For people who prefer a password to unlock their phone, being able to save the extra step to see notifications is time saving.

AirDrop
I was not expecting this, but it makes sense. Samsung Galaxy owners can tap their phones together to quickly transfer photos and information. Now, iPhone owners can do the same...without the touching. Now one friend in your group can take that great photo and everyone can get a copy without waiting for a Facebook upload. The service uses a special wireless signal to communicate between other iPhones in the area. This means you can actually discover friends nearby. You don't have to give them special access to share through AirDrop. It just works.

iTunes Radio
Everyone and their mother has been waiting for iTunes Radio. Nothing here is groundbreaking, but there are a couple of features that make the software stand out. First, it is built directly into the music app. You can listen to a station and quickly buy any song you like from iTunes. That will certainly make the music companies happy. Secondly, you can control how the stations develop. Any song you like can be tagged so that the station finds similar songs to play in the future. And any song you hate can be tagged to never be played again. There have been many times on Pandora where I found a song I never want to hear again. That alone will sway me to iTunes Radio. Finally, assuming iTunes Match (a service for backing up your music) remains the same price, iTunes Radio can be ad-free for $25 a year! That is the best deal in online radio.

Now, the problem
The one glaring issue which many people have brought to the surface is the color scheme of iOS 7. It is very...neon.  I'm just not confident my eyes won't be permanently damaged after staring at this screen for a few days (squinting really, the the 4 inch screen size).  Apple does has time to dim down the color palate. iOS 7 will not be offered to the masses until the fall.  I understand the idea was to make an iOS overhaul to adapt to ever changing consumer needs, but this particular color change will take some getting used to.