Over six months ago, in angry desperation because Apple didn't bring out an iPhone that was even the size of the Galaxy S3, I bought an Samsung Note2. I have been unhappy with it from the beginning. I had hoped I would get used to it, but that just hasn't happened. About the only things I like about it are the large screen, the ability to use a micro SD card, and the ability to change batteries.
As a long-time user of iPhones, I knew there would be adjustment problems. I tried to cut the Note2 some slack as a result. I'm sure there are work arounds for some of my complaints, and I am certainly willing to learn if you have suggestions. Here is a litany of my complaints.
- Android. I don't much like android. I know most people do, and so I think this is a major adjustment on my part. But I haven't made it.
- For example, I was really used to iTunes. I loved being able to sync my iPhone to my computer in iTunes and receive the weekly EconTalk podcasts and the weekly audio versions of The Economist. With android, I haven't even figured out how to obtain Econtalk podcasts easily and conveniently, so I don't bother trying anymore.
- And the Android application for The Economist podcasts is horribly inconvenient (especially since it doesn't seem to mark where I've stopped listening and then continue on from there the next time I open it). So I've let my subscription to The Economist lapse.
- The Facebook app for android on this phone sucks. I use the Chrome browser to go on Facebook.
- I use gmail for contacts and my calendar as well as for my email. Wouldn't you think that android (another Google product) would synchronize those things between my computer and my Note2 fairly easily and conveniently? I sure haven't figured out how to set those things to automatically sync. It has come to the point that I'm reluctant to put anything on my Note2 for fear it won't transfer to Google on my laptop.
- Stanza. I loved the e-reader Stanza on my i-devices, and it isn't available in android. (But recent upgrades have made MoonReader+ an acceptable substitute).
- Maybe it's just Rogers (my cellular service provider), but geez this phone seems to be in "no service" areas a lot more often than my iPhones were (also with Rogers).
- But the technical things about this phone are probably even more annoying. One biggie: how do you turn off the ringer without turning on the phone to do it? If I'm in a situation where I do not want my phone to ring, with an iPhone, I just flip a switch on the side. On the Note2, I must first turn on the phone and then hold a button until the volume goes to zero. If that happens in the theatre or some place similar, then I must disturb others by turning on my phone to turn off the ringer.
- Turning the ringer on again requires me not only to turn on the phone and told down and volume button to get the volume back up, but then the phone beeps, alerting those around me that I have turned my phone on again.
- And why on earth won't this phone automagically connect to my home wifi whenever I turn it on here at home? It seems I have to turn the frickn wifi on everytime I turn the phone on. I'm sure there's a setting that needs changing, but I can't find it. And maybe it's not a Samsung setting but a setting in the battery-saving programme.
- I never butt-called (in my case, shirt-pocket-called) anyone from my iPhone, but it has happened with the Note2 :-(
- Notifications. I have googled this type of thing a bit and cannot find a solution that I can understand. It seems that, for the most part, the Note2 requires that all notifications must be on or off. What if I want only some notifications on. For example, I do want to receive notifications of text messages, but I do not want to receive notifications every time I leave an area covered by my server, I do not want to receive notifications every time I get into or out of our car (where we have blue tooth). These two "features" are so annoying that I just leave the volume turned off all the time and, as a result, miss some messages or phone calls if I don't feel the phone vibrating.
As you can tell, I sure hope Apple comes out with a larger iPhone soon. And if you know how to solve any of these issues, please PLEASE let me know. I'm probably googling the wrong things, but I can't find solutions to these problems.
Update: Many, many thanks to those here, on Facebook, and who sent me private messages to help with some of my problems. The sound on-off problem was one I should have seen the solution to, but I certainly appreciated the help. The wifi on-off problem may have been solved, but I'll believe it when I see it. And the sync problem has likely been solved, too (again, though, I'll believe it when I see it). The notifications issue and podcast problems are still outstanding. As one person suggested, possibly The Economist needs a better android app.
Everyone's help will certainly make using this phone more pleasant (until Apple comes out with a bigger phone), so thanks, everyone.