Recommended Posts

Android may not be as polished as iOS and the app store may not be as fancy, but it catching up and it is catching up fast. You can't beat the hardware in an Android. My Note 2 hardware blows the iPhone 5 out of the water. Hell, the Galaxy S3 is faster than the iPhone 5. Tests after tests have proven that.

The iPhone is only slower because the CPU is down-clocked. The Note is obviously faster in that department because it has a quad-core. Memory performance of the iPhone destroys that of the S3. Plus the S3 has a crap screen and crap build quality. The Note 2 has an even lower ppi than the S3, so I'd have to imagine it looks even worse. Android phones are definitely catching up in terms of OS quality, but they still have strides to go to improve on all the little things that Apple constantly beats them on.

The iPhone is only slower because the CPU is down-clocked. The Note is obviously faster in that department because it has a quad-core. Memory performance of the iPhone destroys that of the S3. Plus the S3 has a crap screen and crap build quality. The Note 2 has an even lower ppi than the S3, so I'd have to imagine it looks even worse. Android phones are definitely catching up in terms of OS quality, but they still have strides to go to improve on all the little things that Apple constantly beats them on.

"Memory performance of the iPhone destroys that of the S3"

iOS, like OSX, requires much less memory than Android or Windows. It is a simpler OS and doesn't have nearly as many features and services to run as Android or Windows. That is why Android and WIndows phones require more power.

"Plus the S3 has a crap screen and crap build quality."

I don't know what S3 screen you have been looking at, but the S3 screen is not crap. Sorry, I had an iPhone 4S, and the S3 may not be a Retina display, but is not crap. It looks amazing. The colors are simply beautiful. As far as the build quality of the phone, I won't argue with you on that one. Yes, Samsung loves their plastic and yes, the Samsung phones build quality is not as solid as the iPhone, but they are still good phones. Samsung must have a reason to use plastic. Maybe to prevent the phone from over heating too much? Maybe it's cost-effective to the customer? Their reasons they have.

"The Note 2 has an even lower ppi than the S3, so I'd have to imagine it looks even worse."

Are you kidding me? I get the feeling you have never had a Note 2 or S3 screen in front of you. The Note 2 screen is super beautiful. There is nothing wrong with it. Again, it may not be Retina, but its very close. It's Super AMOLED+ and unless you have bionic eyes equipped with 5000x Zoom, I don't see how you can tell the difference. I have 20/15 vision and I can't see any quality difference between the S3 screen and the Note 2.

  • Like 2

Obviously Scorbing has no clue what "memory performance" actually means.

Memory performance is pretty generic. But you're maybe talking about memory bandwidth? Then you or Astra should've specified it.

Also, memory bandwidth is not that important regarding the micro level of smartphone's apps and games. 2GB RAM on the Note does make much more difference on real-world performance.

Are you kidding me? I get the feeling you have never had a Note 2 or S3 screen in front of you. The Note 2 screen is super beautiful. There is nothing wrong with it. Again, it may not be Retina, but its very close. It's Super AMOLED+ and unless you have bionic eyes equipped with 5000x Zoom, I don't see how you can tell the difference. I have 20/15 vision and I can't see any quality difference between the S3 screen and the Note 2.

I have an S3 sitting on my desk at home and the screen is pixilated and slightly over-saturated. It's big and bright, but the quality is nowhere near that of the iPhone. Personally what I care about most on a phone is the build quality and the screen quality. The Galaxy phones are simply not good in both those departments. I was extremely impressed with how smooth Android ran on the S3, but I couldn't look past the physical shortcomings.

To me, there really is only one difference between the S3 and the iPhone 5, and that really comes down to iOS vs Android. The Android platform of course has more variety over the screen size and aesthetics.

The hardware differences between them are negligible in flagship devices.

The upside of the Android OS is the freedom that application developers have to use the full range of features, just as a desktop device has plus Google Maps. The upside of iOS is that it's simpler, more polished and applications tend to be cleaner around the UI. You trade complexity for ease of use (for the average user I would still recommend an iOS device over Android).

I wouldn't get hung up over the technical details and focus more on what you need it for and are you bothered about the above.

For reference, I have just purchased an S3 btw. (from an iPhone 3GS).

I have an S3 sitting on my desk at home and the screen is pixilated and slightly over-saturated. It's big and bright, but the quality is nowhere near that of the iPhone. Personally what I care about most on a phone is the build quality and the screen quality. The Galaxy phones are simply not good in both those departments. I was extremely impressed with how smooth Android ran on the S3, but I couldn't look past the physical shortcomings.

If anyone wants to boast a good Android screen, it should obviously be HTC One X. Other than that, Android devices are mostly pentile, over-saturated, wink to the idiot masses who have no idea what color accuracy is and think "poppy" colors are cool. :rolleyes:

  • Like 1

Meh, this whole argument is so stale right now it isn't really worth having. These are devices that we email, text, phone call, surf the web and run some apps on. They all have that functionality. Do we really need to belittle each other of which phone has the best email client or what have you?

Any platform is going to have its strengths and weaknesses. Everyone can argue until they are blue in the face about which platform they like more and why. So long as folks realize that just because someone made a different choice doesn't make them stupid or unable to handle complexity.

  • Like 2

If anyone wants to boast a good Android screen, it should obviously be HTC One X. Other than that, Android devices are mostly pentile, over-saturated, wink to the idiot masses who have no idea what color accuracy is and think "poppy" colors are cool. :rolleyes:

Yeah because you really need a professional IPS 99% colour reproduction screen on your freaking phone.

  • Like 3

My point was that you are unlikely to be doing any professional photo editing or graphic design that would necessitate a screen other than S-LCD or Super AMOLED, thus keeping the cost down, it has nothing to do with "idiots" who buy it just for the popping colours.

If anyone wants to boast a good Android screen, it should obviously be HTC One X. Other than that, Android devices are mostly pentile, over-saturated, wink to the idiot masses who have no idea what color accuracy is and think "poppy" colors are cool. :rolleyes:

Did you know that you can choose between four profiles that decrease saturation? Did you know that to really see any pentile difference you have to be told to look for it? Did you also know that only idiots are strictly tied to specs?

Also, I love poppy colors on my phone, but not on my monitor to work with footage and effects (I'm a professional).

wife has iPhone and I got the android ... always getting confused when using the iPhone. the os is more polished (kindof) but to me navigating the OS is very hard - fiding settings are in odd places under alot of menus - again it could be just me

ideally each mobile OS is going to be loved by some and hated by others that is why these options have been created to the masses (oh and the BBos - not sure about that one)

My point was that you are unlikely to be doing any professional photo editing or graphic design that would necessitate a screen other than S-LCD or Super AMOLED, thus keeping the cost down, it has nothing to do with "idiots" who buy it just for the popping colours.

Has nothing to do with professional photo editing. Looking at photos is enough of a reason to demand more quality of the screens. Not like they can't make them if the wanted. If HTC can, and LG can, and Apple through Samsun can make good panels, everyone can.

Did you know that you can choose between four profiles that decrease saturation? Did you know that to really see any pentile difference you have to be told to look for it? Did you also know that only idiots are strictly tied to specs?

Also, I love poppy colors on my phone, but not on my monitor to work with footage and effects (I'm a professional).

Nothing to do with "profiles". This is how the hardware panel was calibrated. Using these "profiles" makes quality even worse.

Has nothing to do with professional photo editing. Looking at photos is enough of a reason to demand more quality of the screens. Not like they can't make them if the wanted. If HTC can, and LG can, and Apple through Samsun can make good panels, everyone can.

Nothing to do with "profiles". This is how the hardware panel was calibrated. Using these "profiles" makes quality even worse.

Tell that to consumers...

wife has iPhone and I got the android ... always getting confused when using the iPhone. the os is more polished (kindof) but to me navigating the OS is very hard - fiding settings are in odd places under alot of menus - again it could be just me

ideally each mobile OS is going to be loved by some and hated by others that is why these options have been created to the masses (oh and the BBos - not sure about that one)

It is just whatever you are use to. I was new to Android, and found most things that I was looking for easy to find. The exception being that dang vibrate key tap effect being under Languages or something...I found that kind of odd but there were other keyboard settings there so whatever.

For iOS, I would have to agree. I think the "where do I find settings for this app" question is tricky because sometimes it is in "Settings" in the app list and other times it is actually inside the app itself. Sometimes it is in both places and sometimes there will be some settings inside the app and other settings outside the app. I think it makes the most sense to have any app settings inside the app.

Settings should have a place for app permissions which is an area I think iOS and Android could be improved on. There should be system level settings to control the permission of an app to do just about anything on your mobile device: access contact or calendar data, use cellular data for the app, location data, filesystem access, etc. Apps should not have any access to things outside of what the user wants to give them access to.

I have an S3 sitting on my desk at home and the screen is pixilated and slightly over-saturated. It's big and bright, but the quality is nowhere near that of the iPhone. Personally what I care about most on a phone is the build quality and the screen quality. The Galaxy phones are simply not good in both those departments. I was extremely impressed with how smooth Android ran on the S3, but I couldn't look past the physical shortcomings.

You must have a bad screen. My GF has an S3 and I have the Note 2 and I don't see pixelation or over-saturation of an kind on them. This whole "iPhone has a better screen then the Samsung phones" thing is very simple:

Not everyone sees things the same way. What may be beautiful to me, might be ugly to you and vice versa. No human being can see colors the exact same way as others. We all see colors and light differently. You find the iPhone screen better looking? Then good for you. You like the way it looks. It makes you happy...Good.

I like the Samsung screen. I find it bright, colorful and fine. My eyes are happy with it. You are happy with your Retina display and I am happy with my Super AMOLED+ screen. It's all about preference and how your eyes sees things.

End of story.

Has nothing to do with professional photo editing. Looking at photos is enough of a reason to demand more quality of the screens. Not like they can't make them if the wanted. If HTC can, and LG can, and Apple through Samsun can make good panels, everyone can.

Which brings me back to, why?

You aren't going to notice much difference on a 4" screen unless you have a better quality phone side by side. Phone cameras are pretty mediocre so why people are using mobile phones as a primary means to look at high quality images I do not know.

I'd rather have a cheaper phone with a good screen than an expensive phone with a great one.

Tell that to consumers...

People decide what they like and what they will live with (generally) before they purchase the phone. I bet that the vast majority of people don't really care what the color quality is on their display. Those that do will shop for what they want, and there is nothing wrong with that. But I don't think any OEM is trying to trick users into buying a crappy product. It may be overpriced...however...

Which brings me back to, why?

You aren't going to notice much difference on a 4" screen unless you have a better quality phone side by side. Phone cameras are pretty mediocre so why people are using mobile phones as a primary means to look at high quality images I do not know.

I'd rather have a cheaper phone with a good screen than an expensive phone with a great one.

I rarely use the phone camera. But I do transfer my Nikon DSLR library to the iPad and iPhone. Out in the sun, I agree, it doesn't matter. But indoors, there is no comparison. Samsung devices are not cheap at all, so there is no excuse using such crappy panels.

The iPad in particular is really great for looking at photos, because of its very high density display and very accurate colors. And iPhone 5 has almost as good display as iPad.

You must have a bad screen. My GF has an S3 and I have the Note 2 and I don't see pixelation or over-saturation of an kind on them. This whole "iPhone has a better screen then the Samsung phones" thing is very simple:

Not everyone sees things the same way. What may be beautiful to me, might be ugly to you and vice versa. No human being can see colors the exact same way as others. We all see colors and light differently. You find the iPhone screen better looking? Then good for you. You like the way it looks. It makes you happy...Good.

I like the Samsung screen. I find it bright, colorful and fine. My eyes are happy with it. You are happy with your Retina display and I am happy with my Super AMOLED+ screen. It's all about preference and how your eyes sees things.

End of story.

No, the screen isn't bad. It's a universal problem with that type of display.

The S3 has a pentile display which is inferior to an RGB display in terms of quality, so that's what causes the pixelation. I don't think the Note 2 has a pentile display, so it may not have those problems.

By posting here, what do you think I am doing? Also, f`ck if I care what Hurrdurr Joe thinks? Popularity means zero when assessing quality.

The point is, it is not working. We have the devices you're referring to and we're not any Joe. Although we disagree with your technical reviews based on BS other websites say. We're actually USING the product.

Good for you. For your information, I work in mobile development, so I have access to these devices. I could care less what other websites, or you, the "actually USING" Joes, have to say.

I'm sure that the CERN scientists are much better than you. How can you live with that, Joe? I bet you also don't care. :p

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • You still can, its just under the Transform flyout for WordArt now
    • Likely nothing will be done in corporate America, there have been countless Tesla self-driving incidents. Then again, there have also been countless human operated incidents. It's literally daily news here in Canada, to the extent that it's now odd if we get a day where a collision doesn't get announced on the radio throughout the day...
    • SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500 hands on by Steven Parker I was offered the chance to test out the SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500, and full disclosure, they let me keep it regardless of my findings. Anyway, I jumped at the chance due to my long hours sitting at my desk, mousing around. Apologies for the knife cut across the top of the box; that was my doing, being a bit too heavy-handed with opening up the outer packaging. First up, what's in the box: SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500 1x Type-C charging cable User Manual 1-Year Warranty (card) In short, everything you need to get started. According to the official Amazon listing, here are the key features: Full-Hand Air Compression: OS500 wraps your fingers, palm, and wrist with multi-chamber air compression for a complete hand relaxation experience. The extended massage chamber helps cover more of the hand and wrist area than standard palm-only hand massagers Palm Kneading with 6 Modes & 6 Intensities: Built-in palm kneading rollers add a hands-on massage feel, while 6 preset modes and 6 pressure levels let you choose the comfort level that fits your day—from gentle relaxation to a firmer full-hand massage 3 Heat Levels with Cooling Fan: Choose from 104°F, 113°F or 122°F warmth to suit different seasons and comfort preferences. The built-in cooling fan helps reduce stuffiness during heated sessions, keeping your hand feeling fresh and comfortable Easy Visual Display & Smart Timer: The digital image display clearly shows massage area, mode, intensity, heat level, and remaining time at a glance. Select 10, 15, or 20-minute sessions for quick office breaks, evening relaxation, or everyday hand care Rechargeable, Cordless & Comfortable: A 3000mAh battery supports over 90 minutes of full-function use on a full charge, with convenient USB-C charging. The soft inner lining, smooth ABS/PU finish, and premium black-gold design make OS500 ideal for home, office, or gifting With all that out of the way, here are my own findings. I gave it a try on both left and right hands, and as you can maybe see from the above YouTube Short, (sorry for the shaky video), my whole hand fits in, but my wrist barely enters the Hand Massager. I was able to push through a bit more with my fingertips extending out the other end to get a bit of massaging on the start of my wrist. Usage For some reason, there is a strap that is very difficult to fasten to my wrist with one hand. I am not sure what function it has, and it isn't mentioned in the user manual. The only thing I could find was in the product images that claimed "wrist precision". Unlike the Bob and Brad Hand Massager, this device does not massage the wrist anyway, even though a "wrist mode" is mentioned, which must be for smaller hands than I have, as it is mainly intended for the hand and fingers. In addition, for its steeper price, there are no disposable gloves provided in the box, which is a bit of an issue considering the internal cover (which appears to be elasticated nylon) cannot be removed for washing; so you are left with only one choice: always thoroughly wash your hands before using it. I can imagine this thing getting a bit grimy after a period of use, and that is a bit of a shame. With that said, the buttons on the device, from left to right, do the following: Heat button: 3-level heat control at 104°F, 113°F, or 122°F Mode button: Auto mode Circular mode Soothing mode Relax mode Palm and fingers mode Palm and wrist mode Intensity button: from (First-time users) 15Ka, 25Ka, 35Ka, 45Ka, 55Ka, 60Ka (Intensive relief) Knead button: on or off (6 pressure levels) Power button: Long-press to turn on or off Cooling button: turn on or off the cooling fan Also, in the product imagery, it states there are 36 "custom modes," but nowhere is it listed what these modes are. I can only imagine that they mean a combination of all of the above settings in different intensity levels. The device itself seems to rely on a single "kneading" mechanism located at the palm area of the hand, which spins when in use, and the other massage features are mainly utilized through the air sacs, increasing and decreasing at various levels on the hand and fingers. I am not sure it offered too much relief for someone who is typing and operating a mouse for hours at a time; further testing may be required. It does feel nice, though. Finally, you may be wondering how this fits into the scope of a tech website? Well, let me tell you something: sometimes I sit for up to 15 hours working on Neowin, and although I take breaks in between, it takes a toll on my body. I think in the immediate absence of a partner to apply relief, a good massager like this Hand Massager can shed the strains of the day in just a couple of 15-minute bursts. On the official website, this has an MSRP of $99.99, but luckily for our readers, it is selling at $10 off for just $89.99 right now on Amazon. SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500 for $89.99 (with $10 off coupon), $99.99 MSRP For me, this gets a thumbs hands(?) down. However, it could be improved by making it so that the protective covering could be removed and thrown into the washing machine, or get yourself some disposable gloves to use with it. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Thanks for the info, but I'm still not sure if I need this....
    • We check out the SKG PS700 Neck Massager by Steven Parker I was offered the chance to test out the SKG PS700 Neck Massager, and full disclosure, they let me keep it regardless of my findings. Anyway, I jumped at the chance due to my long hours sitting at my desk; I figured it could offer some neck pain relief. What's in the box: SKG PS700-2 Neck Massager Rechargeable Battery (inside massager) Type-C USB cable User Manual Quick Start guide 1-Year Warranty In short, everything you need to get started. According to the official listing, here are the key features: Biomimetic Kneading & High Torque Motor: Designed with innovative biomimetic kneading heads that perfectly simulate the touch of human hands. Powered by a high-torque motor, this massager delivers powerful and precise deep tissue relief to effectively target stiff neck muscles and release built-up tension Soothing Heat & Integrated Sound Relaxation: Experience the ultimate Relaxationation with our dual-action approach. The soothing heat function gently warms your neck, while the built-in sound Relaxation provides calming audio tracks, helping you achieve a state of mindfulness and mental tranquility during your physical massage Cordless Convenience & Travel-Ready & Father's Day Gifts: Crafted for maximum portability and ease of use. Its lightweight, cordless design allows you to enjoy a premium massage anywhere without the hassle of tangled wires-whether you're taking a quick break at your desk or winding down at home Versatile Relief for Home & Office: An essential wellness companion for office workers, gamers, frequent travelers, or anyone looking to integrate mindfulness into their daily routine. It seamlessly fits into your lifestyle, providing instant neck relief whenever and wherever you need it Safe & Premium Materials: Manufactured with high-quality, skin-friendly materials to ensure a safe and comfortable experience without irritation. SKG backs this device with dedicated customer service, making it a thoughtful tech-health gift for family and friends App & Bluetooth Music Control: Connect via Bluetooth to control your massage settings through the dedicated app and enjoy your favorite music during your massage session for a fully customizable and immersive relaxation experience Red Light Warmth Technology: Features advanced red light warmth technology that penetrates deep into neck muscles to enhance blood circulation and provide soothing comfort while relieving muscle tension and stiffness Design With all that out of the way, here are my own findings. SKG does not say what materials are used to make the neck massager. However, on the product website, it mentions "soft-touch silicone" with what looks like PU leather cushioning, with the rest being mostly made up of plastics. On the inside of the massager, there are two "biomimetic kneading heads" that are motorized for the different styles of massage, which are not actually listed at all in the paper user manual, but the standard included modes are: De-stress mode, Mediation mode, Relax mode, Shiatsu mode. The massager looks quite premium and is actually very comfortable to wear. This massager is small and light enough to go anywhere, as it doesn't get in the way of anything, so I was able to use it in the chair while writing this review. Unlike the back massager, SKG does not warn in the user guide not to use it for more than 30 minutes a day (or two 15-minute sessions). However, there is a long laundry list of important safeguards to consider before and during the use of the device, and it is warned that the neck massager is not waterproof. It also includes a 1,400mAh battery with a rated power of 14W and input of 5V, which is the standard for up to USB 3.0 power (although the Amperage is not mentioned at all). SKG does not say how long it takes to charge, but a quick calculation at 2A (if that is what it is) would mean it would take roughly 1.5 hrs to charge from empty. In any case, the light around the button changes from orange to green on a full charge. In addition, it is not possible to use the device while it is charging. On the right of the neck massager is the On/Off and modes button, which also acts as a joystick. You can operate all the modes directly from the power button, as well as the app, which I'll get into a bit later: Push up: Short press to adjust Heat levels On/Off button: long press Mode Switching: Short press (while in operation) ➕ Push left: increase Music volume ➖ push right: decrease Music volume Push down: Short-press to turn Music on or off The massager defaults to De-stress mode, and it is not stated anywhere if the neck massager has overheat protection. This time around, regarding heat, the only detail I could find is that it has "triple action soothing heat." The temperature stages are not listed anywhere in the paper manual, Amazon listing, or official website. The heat levels can be adjusted through the app or directly on the device using the joystick button. Usage There's also the SKG Health app, which makes using the massager far easier than feeling around for the button on the side of your neck. If the app is stopped, you are required to log in with a verification code over email, which I am not too pleased with, as this means it will only work that way for however long SKG decides to support it through said app. However, I was not able to get the app to connect to the OS500, which I have reported back to my contact. Bluetooth appeared to be working on the neck massager as it became available to pair with my phone, but the SKG app failed to discover it. Before I forget, there's also a switch next to the USB charging port to deactivate and activate the Voice Prompt, which, when enabled, audibly tells the user when switching intensities, modes, or connecting to the app and informs when the massages start and are completed. That said, on to my likes and dislikes, which are listed below. What I didn't like Unable to connect the Neck Massager to the app Use through the mobile app relies on continued support from SKG What I liked Can be used without the app Cordless use Light and comfortable to wear Heat is also quite comfortable Where to buy: According to the official website, this has an MSRP of $249.99, but is currently $50 (on Amazon). To sweeten the deal a bit more, there's also an in-page coupon that knocks a further $20 off the price. SKG PS700-2 Neck Massager for $179.99 on Amazon (was $199.99) Apply the in-page $20 off coupon for the final price of $179.99 Just like the back massager, this gets a confused thumbs up (due to the cost). However, I cannot rate it through app usage as it failed to connect. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Dedicated
      Almohandis earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Dedicated
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • First Post
      DrWankel earned a badge
      First Post
    • Reacting Well
      DrWankel earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      Supreme Spray LV earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      505
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      184
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      86
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      78
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      76
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!