Note 4 now or wait for the S6 in 8 months? **UPDATE: Got the Note 4**

[gotsmack]

I have 8 more months left on my ATT contract and I have the unlimited plan, so I don't want to switch.

Right now I can get the Note 4 for $300 + $250 early upgrade fee - $200 Samsung rebate promo for trading in the phone I had before my current phone.

So it basically costs $50 to advance my contract 8 months and I end up buying a phone that is $100 more expensive than what I would normally get and pushing the envelope on what would fit in my pocket comfortably (I tested the Note 4 in the pocket of my jeans today). The phone is so tall, it peaks out of the top of my front pants pocket.

So help me decide if it is worth it to upgrade now or wait until the contract is up.

Normally this wouldn't be a question, but the $200 rebate from Samsung is making me reevaluate my options.

****UPDATE*** Went with the Note 4 preorder.

 

[fstime]

The Note series is on the extreme end of the spectrum for smartphones.

For people who are constantly looking at their phone all day using it as a pseudo-tablet, be it watching movies, playing video games, viewing spreadsheets, whatever, the phone works perfectly for them.

For the average user, the Galaxy S series is usually the better choice as it sounds like in your case.

 

[Lyfer]

The S7 is where its at.

 

[rcpratt]

The Note series is on the extreme end of the spectrum for smartphones.

For people who are constantly looking at their phone all day using it as a pseudo-tablet, be it watching movies, playing video games, viewing spreadsheets, whatever, the phone works perfectly for them.

For the average user, the Galaxy S series is usually the better choice as it sounds like in your case.

Right...*watches 6 million lemmings purchase the similarly-sized iPhone 6+*...

 

[tsupersonic]

If you trade in, wouldn't you lose your unlimited? What phone do you have now?

 

[gotsmack]

If you trade in, wouldn't you lose your unlimited? What phone do you have now?

no, I have ATT not Verizon. I have the blackberry Q10. Great phone, better than android, but lack of apps are killing me. and I don;t want to download banking apps from Amazon signed by someone else other than the bank.

 

[poofyhairguy]

The Note 4 is a superphone. Given how 64 bit is basically going to trash the Android SoC market next year (due to poor planning) I don't see the S6 having way more power than the Note 4 (hell the Note 3 is still competitive). I think it will be LATE 2015 or early 2016 before we see 64 bit SoC's worth having.

So I think a Note is a fair choice if it works for you. The question is if it is too big.

 

[shabby]

So help me decide if it is worth it to upgrade now or wait until the contract is up.

 

[gotsmack]

The Note 4 is a superphone. Given how 64 bit is basically going to trash the Android SoC market next year (due to poor planning) I don't see the S6 having way more power than the Note 4 (hell the Note 3 is still competitive). I think it will be LATE 2015 or early 2016 before we see 64 bit SoC's worth having.

So I think a Note is a fair choice if it works for you. The question is if it is too big.

Thanks, that helped. I pulled the trigger and pre ordered.

 

[jpeyton]

Note 4.

8 months is a long time.

 

[isekii]

Pretty much getting a latest android device(n4) for the price of a S5 is a no brainer.

 

[TreVader]

So are they going to release and LTE-A version with S810 later?


Qualcomm seems to have a new SoC every few weeks

 

[ImDonly1]

So are they going to release and LTE-A version with S810 later?


Qualcomm seems to have a new SoC every few weeks

Maybe in Korea. Don't think anyone in the US has LTE-A or will anytime soon.

 

[Roland00Address]

So are they going to release and LTE-A version with S810 later?


Qualcomm seems to have a new SoC every few weeks

More like every 6 months more or less. Just doing 28nm on this list. I may list a phone that is using it but this is not saying when the phone came out but instead the product sampling date to oems. Sometimes they get the phone out that quarter but often retail available is 3 to 6 months later.

q1 2012-MSM8960-Snapdragon S4 Dual Core (american s3)
q3 2012-APQ8064-Snapdragon S4 Pro Quad Core (nexus 4)
q1 2013-APQ8064T-Snapdragon 600 (htc one m7, the american s4 had the AB which came a month or two later but was higher ghz)
q2 2013-8974-AA-Snapdragon 800 (nexus 5), note most phones were q3
q1 2014-8974-AC-Snapdragon 801 (american s5)
q1 2014-APQ8084-Snapdragon 805 note even though it was sampling earlier it is now 6+ months later we see this part

sometime in h1 of 2015 we are supposed to see the 64 bit A57 Snapdragon 810

Qualcomm is the intel of the mobile world for they have the technology (lte modems) like Intel has x86 and better fabs, and the fact that Qualcomm is reliable with their schedule and thus OEMs come back for more for they are consistent.

 

[dawheat]

Nice choice OP - I'm slightly annoyed that my T-mobile pre-order got bumped due to my credit card blocking the auth charge. Got it straightened out, but I *should* have been in the first group of shipments that T-mobile customers are receiving today.