So after a frustrating first day, I’m giving the Note 3 another chance. I’ve reinstalled all my apps nearly, but will have to go through the painful process of setting each and every app up.
Samsung seem to have included a crazy amount of bloat ware apps. Totally unnecessary. By trying to flog their apps and services they part ruin the device. Within the Samsung Apps/Hub was a Winter Wonderland offer app with a free gift every day. I installed it to find the offers were no longer running. There was also 5 free albums on offer. I got the redemption code from the Samsung Music app only to find the same thing. Then Samsung Music Premium shows as stopping at end of Jan 2014. Then some of the apps for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 within Samsung’s App Store were just bloat ware again. Totally unacceptable.
So, I was setting up the Note 3 again from scratch installing all my apps without a sim installed as I had moved it back to another phone temporarily late last night. So after everything was installed from an app point of view, I powered off and put my sim back in the Note 3. Therein after it just kept rebooting with no end in sight. Don’t you love this phone! This was cured by removing the battery and powering up without the memory card installed and just the SIM card. Then I added the memory card whilst phone was powered on. Finally. And the memory card has to be removed every time you turn the phone on.
Right let’s put some balance back in the Note 3. Despite everything so far I really like this phone. Side by side with my iPhone 5S it looks like a bad boy and the 5S a kiddies toy, despite my 5S being the shiny gold version. So as you guys may realise I have a number of accessories that work with phones from my Sony QX10/100 lenses, Moga Pro Game Controller, WeMo internet plug and my new Sphero Robotic Ball. And with every single one of these the Note 3 flies above anything other phone using these hardware accessories. Let’s take each accessory in turn.
WeMo – nothing special here just a much larger screen to operate all my WeMo’s from Belkin
Sony QX10/100 lenses – using the Note 3 NFC these work from start far quicker than the iPhone. The clamp doesn’t really fit, so a tripod or flat surface is needed to use these. But the processor power of the Note 3 provides a seamless integration.
Moga Pro Controller – OMG – this controller was awesome when I got it, but compared to the iPhone version which I have, android Moga compatible games are on a different level. Air Attack HD and Need For Speed Most Wanted are now Moga A compatible. Asphalt 7 and 8 too. Playing on the gorgeous screen is breathtaking. The Note 3 fits fine in the Moga clamp. There is no way in a million years I can go back to the iPhone 5S after playing games with the Moga and the better screen. On Android there are over 200 games that work on this game controller versus 60 on iOS.
Sphero Robotic Ball – works perfectly as expected. But having a bigger screen to operate the on screen controls just provides a much better experience.
It’s all about the screen so far. The Note 3 first impressions is flawed but you must give it a chance. It doesn’t have the slickness of software and hardware integration of iOS 7, nothing does. BUT it does have its own magic.
In the next part I will cover more and more of the phone.
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Bad timing as most ov the offers ended in 2013. How could Samsung predict when you were going to buy your device? Two days early and most offers would have applied. 2 weeks early and you would have had a free rental every day, some people would have enjoyed that. I actually got two free albums but didn’t fancy the free rentals but get a free film to keep.
I have used all the bloat ware so far. Which specific app do you think no one would ever use?
My Note 3 has had three different sim cards and never never had any reboot issues. In fact it is the most reliable device as I leave it running for weeks and interfaced with two different wearables. An average consumer would have returned the Note 3 by now based on your experience. The sales figures suggest otherwise. As mentioned before the restore issue is not unique to the Note 3. Discovered that my Z Ultra has a very comprehensive back up facility.
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It’s relating to the micro sd card. I cannot power on with the micro sd card inserted. After phone is on I have to slide back in. Happens every time. It doesn’t happen weirdly if there is no SIM card inserted.
I still have the issue of the Google Play Music not streaming music properly.
Samsung should delete all their store apps and associated Services connected to the stores. The S Pen apps are ok. Within their App Store offerings is even more bloat ware.
With regards to the offers had I not had all the issues I might have found the offers earlier. But unlike when you buy a Sony device with an offer, Sony include a leaflet telling you of the offers via their single Privilege app. Samsung made no reference to this , so by the time I had sorted my phone out I had also missed them.
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I think as Samsung place all their “bloat ware” in folders they can be ignored. Overall Android devices have more free apps and consumers see this as additional value. You will be aware that IOS consumers spend more on apps.
I think you may have a hardware issue as the Sim card and SD card slots are stacked together.
Also I assume you have the 32 GB version and for £40 you can buy a 64 GB sd card. How much would a 64 GB 5S cost?
When reviewing android devices it is difficult to be clear what is device specific and what is a general feature or disadvantage.
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Interesting thought re the sim and card slots. I may start an exchange with Amazon then. I thought it might have been a software issue but thinking about it perhaps not.
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When you see so many devices (I know you buy many 🙂 ) you quickly grasp which come across slicker etc….
Samsung could have tried to make the Note 3 even better, but with 7 software updates from taking it out of the box, I do wonder how rushed to market it was?
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I have discovered this is a problem affecting many many Note 3 owners with the reboot problem.
I will reveal the simple fix tomorrow.
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Well as usual I am lucky! I have never had a bad device that I can remember – no hardware problems at all. I have been using the Jolla for a week now and that was rushed to market. I had two firmware upgrades within a week. The Note 3 has had about 3 patches to the firmware from what I can remember over 3 months. But I have not suffered excessive Samsung app updates – unless I did not notice as these were spread over 3 months. Were the 7 updates to Samsung only apps or to general Android apps? I will have a look at XDA Developers to see what the re-boot issue is about as it is not one that was discussed in my first month of Note 3 ownership.
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Jah – link to one of several threads regarding the reboot issue http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2467005&highlight=memory+card+reboot
From start up the Note 3 did 7 firmware updates one after another. That took 2.5 hours to complete. Then if that wasn’t enough “every” Samsung app/service had to be updated when you opened it for the first time, saying an update was available before you could use this app.
Then Samsung pushes some updates via the Google Play store, installing apps not already on the device. If I hadn’t checked first I would have thought some virus had just been installed. The apps that didn’t exist but got downloaded were “ANT Radio Service” and “Beaming Service for Beep’n’Go”. There was no explanation about these, and Samsung Knox was trying to stop them from being installed. And Knox is something else for another day.
I am sorry Jah but the explanations and literature from Samsung is poor. They focus on magic wand stuff when some proper clear and concise explanations would be useful. I can honestly see thousands of people with one of these phones using it just for the big screen and not much else.
Me and you have a decent level of technical understanding but not everyone else does.
I am not knocking the N3 to the floor, just be candid. I like it despite everything .
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Wow 7 firmware updates, probably patches. I must have had these as well but spread over 3 months. You would have thought Samsung would have added the updates as they manufactured newer devices. Very poor indeed.
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