FOR THOSE VISITING THIS FORUM THE FIRST TIME: This forum closes topics once the post counts hits about 2500 posts. A new version is opened to continue the discussion.
Welcome to V19 of official LYN thread for the Galaxy Note II
LINK:LYN Forum Rules: "The official language of Lowyat.NET is the English language. All threads and posts must be in English, with the exception of specific, designated threads in the Kopitiam, and limited use to convey a specific expression or interjection."
NO NEED FOR "Congrats" posts. Such posts are counted as spam by the Mods and will be warned.
With the kind permission of XeactorZ, the TS of S3 thread, I reproduce some content which is relevant for us as well since both the Note 2 and S3 share a lot of similarities. 1. Strictly no discussions on warez/cracks or pirated apps. Please keep the thread CLEAN from such illegal stuff 2. Do NOT ask for links to such apps or links to get free apps which need to be paid for 3. Do NOT post links or references to such sites that promote downloads of pirated, cracked, warez apps 4. Any requests or demands for apps specified under points 1 to 3 will be outright ignored and will attract warning and suspensions from the mods. The community will help in the policing. 5. Please be civil and polite in your posts. Saying "Please" goes a long way. 6. Posts / assistance given in this thread are on a voluntary basis by the members and please respect that. 7. Readers are advised to try out any suggestions at their own risk. 8. Learn to use "Search Topic" at bottom left of each page before asking. Do not blame others if you don't know how to form a search term. 9. Read the first page if you have a question. Then read for 10 pages, AND the last 10 pages of a thread BEFORE YOU ASK ANYTHING. 10. READ UP THE BASICS BEFORE YOU START ASKING HERE!! BASIC QUESTIONS WILL BE POLITELY DIRECTED TO PAGE 1, or not so politely directed elsewhere...
*However, if, after reading Page 1, the first and last 10 pages, or simply lurking, has helped you solve your problem, it will be appreciated if you can post a "Thank you" in the forum since we do not have a "Like" button or "Thanks" button*
Mini Directory Post 01: General overview, key features, telco plans (this post) Post 02: Owners' lists (SME/AP/LTE), Review/Testimonies by Owners, Confessions, SCAM Alerts Post 03: Additional information related to Note 2 basic operation and common issues Post 04: Introduction to Rooting and some intermediate level operations - Part 1 Post 05: Introduction to Rooting and some intermediate level operations - Part 2 Post 06: Resources for Advanced topics (ROMS, Mods, TriangleAway etc) Post 07: Useful Applications Post 08: Resident Experts and Records (Battery Life) Post 09: Peripheral stuff (Accessories, Cases, Homescreens, Themes etc) Post 10: Miscellaneous Tips and Tricks Post 11: Previous Thread Versions (with statistics) Post 12: CHANGELOG for page 1 - easier to track what's been updated. *CHECK HERE* first !!
This is a VERY QUICK GUIDE if you need to ask for help. PLEASE FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES: If you need to see a doctor, you will describe your symptoms to aid diagnosis. Likewise please provide us with information to help you.
Please provide the following minimum information:
Rooted or non-rooted (optionally odexed or deodexed)
Stock or custom ROM + version
Stock or custom kernel + version
Stock or custom recovery + version
Baseband (or Radio) version (if required)
Any mods or frameworks added
Where can you get these values? Go to Settings > Scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN and click "About device". You will get a screen like from the link below. Device Details Screen
Android Version shows the major Android version. Current latest version for Note 2 is 4.1.2 (Feb 2013) Baseband version is your "Radio" version. It controls settings related to mobile network connection. (item 5 above) Kernel version is for the kernel (item 3 above) Build number is your ROM version (item 2 above)
Launched in Malaysia 11th October, 2012. In stores from 19th October,2012
Malaysia has the N7100 model by Samsung Malaysia. The N7105 LTE model may be obtained from other importers but LTE coverage is very limited as of now (Q1 2013). There is also a dual-sim model (N7102) available in selected markets.
Latest firmware for Malaysia: N7100XXDMB4 Android 4.1.2, Week 3, Feb 2013.
You may also get an "Access to the software update service..." message like in the pic link below. This just means that the Samsung update server is full. Try again at another time. Patience is virtue. Access to the software update service screenshot
Samsung does not provide any meaningful changelogs. SO NOBODY KNOWS WHAT HAS CHANGED COMPARED TO THE LAST VERSION(s).
For those who already know how to flash: Download official firmware from http://www.sammobile.com/firmware/ - login first. You will download a zip file. Unzip it for the tar file to be used for flashing
Specifications
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Memory 16/32/64GB User memory + 2GB (RAM) microSD slot (supports exFAT - the standard supports up to 2TB)
S Pen Optimized Features S Pen Experience - S Note, S Planner, Email with hand-writing integration - S Pen Keeper - Quick Command, Easy Clip, Photo Note, Paper Artist - Shape Match, Formula Match
1 Step tasking / Multitasking features Air View Popup Note, Popup Play Page Buddy / Tag Buddy / Word Buddy
Connectivity / Sharing Features Bluetooth® v 4.0 (Apt-X Codec support) LE USB 2.0 Host WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi HT40 Wi-Fi Direct NFC S Beam Samsung AllShare Play & Control Samsung AllShare Cast (WiFi Display) - Mirroring & Extension Samsung AllShare Framework
Other Samsung TouchWiz / Samsung L!ve Panel Samsung Kies / Samsung Kies Air Samsung ChatOn mobile communication service Smart Stay, Direct claa, Screen Recorder, Quick Glance Samsung ChatOn mobile communication service Samsung S Suggest
Camera Main (Rear) : 8 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash, BSI Sub (Front) : 1.9 Megapixel VT Camera, BSI Best Photo, Best Group Pose, Low light shot
Audio Codec: MP3, OGG, WMA, AAC, ACC+, eAAC+, AMR(NB,WB), MIDI, WAV, AC-3, Flac Music Player with SoundAlive 3.5mm Ear Jack
Content / Services Samsung Apps Samsung Hub - Game Hub - Media Hub (US only) - Learning Hub / Music Hub / Video Hub ※ The availability of each Samsung Hub may differ by country
Sensors Accelerometer, RGB Light, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer
GPS A-GPS Glonass
Enterprise Solutions On Device Encryption (H/W) Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync VPN(F5, Cisco, Juniper) MDM(Sybase Afaria, MobileIron, SOTI, Good) CCX Mware MVP
General Info,Reviews
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Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 2 - 2013-03-15 I posted this as a comparison between 2 very recent Samsung models of different processor generations ( A15 vs A9 ) and most of the comments actually come out in the Note 2's favour.
Some of the comments:
QUOTE
brendan soliwoda • I much as I am digging this new phone, I am perfectly content with my Note II and will not be switching anytime soon.
Chirag Thakkar • if i m gonna change my note 2 the only device replacing it will be note 3.
Ben Barren • i would love the 441 ppi and thinner is better but smaller screen and no S-pen i'll still take Note 2 until Note 3 tho i'd love JB 4.2.2
Mathilda • I can't let go my samsung note 2, because i always need the S pen for my study and write down my note. Note 2 just like my notebook combine with my laptop. Samsung SIV is good, but for student, the features in Note 2 is the reason i can't let go note 2.
Romeo Bucur • I already made my choice 3 days ago. Just bought a note 2 and i don't regret it for a second.. the s pen and the large display make browsing the web a very nice experience.. and about the "ppi" war.. note 2 has a beautiful display.. certenly more than the averege user will ever need... can' wait for note 3...
k brooks • Ive had my note 2 since September and I still love it and it's still makes the I phone 5 look like a kiddies toy. The screen on the note 2 is still superb (even tho its not full hd) and very bright. I've got 118 apps installed , and it is still as fast as it was when I first got it (which surprises alot of people). The battery life is another great bonus. I'll upgrade , but only to the note 3. I'm sure the S4 will sell very well though and is great for people who can't handle the extra size of the note 2
Aliff Alfiry • Nope, I won't change my Note II for S4. As you can see by now, Note is in it's own league, and the only true successor to Note II is the Note III, not S4. Both cater for different market. S4 for mainstream market, Note for niche market. Alas, I'm sure most of Note II users will wait till Note III comes out and then decide to buy it or not, because going to S4 feels like downgrading no matter how great the performance and screen quality are
A review by ZDNet on 2013-02-03 Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Big enough to be worth the trouble - James Kendrick Excerpt: Conclusion: the best phone I have ever used This article has only touched on some of the features that make the Note 2 so useful. Useful is a good description for the Note 2 as it is easily the best phone I have ever used. It's certainly not for everyone, which is true for any smartphone, but for those looking for an innovative phone in the crowded Android space the Note 2 is worth a look.
A review of the Note 2 about 3 months after launch (in December 2012) and still shows up favorably against newer phones. Galaxy Note II - After The Buzz - post-hype review 2012-12-06 - contributed by klmc
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QUOTE(benny888 @ Mar 11 2013, 09:02 AM)
TS (christina1, NOT joytest) is already using a note2 n considering change to Xperia z. I suggest she consider the butterfly instead. I have used all these 3 phones n seriously Xperia z n butterfly cannot be compared to note2 due its much bigger display n spen features. Butterfly n Xperia Z quite similar in performance but butterfly thrumps the Xperia Z in display quality n very obvious audio quality. Camera wise both quite similar but Xperia z camera launching is dreadfully miserably slow. Slowest I have seen to date. Xperia Z advantages is waterproof n dustproof
I am not dissing the other phone. I am just quoting what others have replied when asked which phone should one choose when given a choice between Note 2 and something else.
I am of the opinion that to date, there is nothing out there that can yet compare with the Note 2 simply due to the inclusion of the active digitizer and pocketability.
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What's in the sales package (applies only to SME sets)
A sealed box with the blue Samsung sticker and an e-Warranty sticker.
The serial number and IMEI stickers are at the side.
In the box you will find the phone, battery, a WHITE 3-pin charger rated at 2A, a WHITE micro-usb cable, a pair of WHITE headphones and a short manual which also describes e-warranty.
NOTE: If you are getting an AP set, the charger will have the pin configuration of the region it came from (eg 2 round pins for Europe sets) NOTE: If you get a set with a BLACK charger and BLACK cable, you may not be getting a Note II and it is likely a knockoff.
How to check your phone
Check your IMEI by dialing *#06# and compare it with the one on the sticker on the box. It has to be the same. There could be an extra "/01" which you can ignore.
Check all your phone's features by dialing *#0*#. You will get a full screen of clickable boxes. Click each one to ensure that those respective features are tested and working fine. Hit the back button to exit the test you are in.
Remove the battery and confirm that there is a SIRIM sticker (applicable only to SME sets). Then compare the serial number, ensure it matches with the one on the box sticker.
Go to Settings>Storage and ensure that it is showing 10.36Gb total space (if you have a 16Gb device) This is the correct amount of free storage after the default software is loaded.
LINK:Difference between LTE and Non-LTE versions of the Note 2 Due to some technical differences between N7100 and N7105, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU FLASH ROMS !!! Most roms/kernels on XDA are meant for the N7100. Please ensure that your rom/kernel can be used on the N7105 before you flash.
Video Reviews of ALL Features of the Note 2 (this includes hardware and software)
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Hello everyone!!! Here is probably -- pretentiously the most in-depth review on the Note II that you will ever see... LOL Enjoy, relax, stay a while, and pick a topic. OR watch the whole thing!!!
1. Intro (00:14) 2. Form Factor (1:15) 3. 4 device pile up (2:39) 4. Build Quality (3:30) 5. Durability - my dad dropped it!!! (5:26) 6. Out Door / Direct Sunlight Readability (7:09) 7. Pocket test (7:46) 8. Operating System *Start* (9:25) 9. Sensors and Motion (10:47) 10. Voice Recognition - S Voice and Google Now (15:35) 11. How to get Flash on Jelly Bean!!! (19:31) 12. S Pen Features *Start* (20:11) 13. Pen commands *menu, back, quick command, ETC (20:24) 14. USING S NOTE is a BLAST (23:08) 15. Pen and Photo Editing Wizardry (25:06) 16. Don't forget these Pen Tools! (27:16) 17. Pop Up BROWSER (28:12) 18. Multi-window (28:51) 19. Galaxy Note II Processors and Power *vs Note and SIII* (29:21) 20. CPU Browser speed test Note II vs SIII (30:58) 21. GPU and Game Play Power!!!! (32:21) 22. RAM Power 2GB buttery smoothness (34:29) 23. THE DISPLAY *START* (35:32) 24. Up close of Note Original and Note II Pixels (36:39) 25. Burn in??? (38:27) 26. Gorgeous MEDIA EXPERIENCE & NO black clipping!!!! (38:59) 27. NO Black Clipping demonstration (41:06) 28. Display IMPERFECTIONS (42:45) 29. Battery Life (45:58) 30. Antennas and Phone Versions (47:47) 31. The Cameras and Demonstrations (48:41) 32. Outside Video Tests and Photos (52:08) 33. THE END! Thank You for watching!!! (54:12)
ColdFustion Why The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Is Better Than Your Phone *If you don't have one* - 2012-10-24 - 18:43
jimmyispromo Best Tips and Tricks of Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (1 of 2) - 2012-10-24 - 11:51
Best Tips and Tricks of Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (2 of 2) - 2012-10-24 - 11:54
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (II) Settings Guide by TheAndroidizen - 2012-10-18 - 10:55
A FULL TEARDOWN of all components with good descriptions
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placeholder - contributors requested AllShare allows you to mirror your phone's screen on an AllShare equipped display device (TV, dongle) via the AllShare cast function on your phone.
The Battery
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My 2 cents about battery use: Firstly, ALL USERS here on this forum report usages >12hours ie 1 whole day out, with at least 3hours AND MORE of "Screen On Time" or what we term "SOT". Typical battery life tends to be 4+hours SOT with 18+hours total use. This is a SMARTPHONE and should be enjoyed for all its wonderful features of large screen for movies/browsing/reading, powerful CPU for gaming, data connectivity for surfing etc. If you can get 1 whole day's use out of a full charge, I don't see why there is a need to complain. Charge when you are sleeping. Read the link about batteries, and you won't kill your battery from overnight charging.
IF you are getting less than 3hours SOT, and/or less than 12 hours of total use, then the most likely cause is some badly behaved app or apps that won't go to sleep and keeps your CPU running high. See Advanced Topics for Wakelocks and what to do about them.
See Post 8 for some of our forumer's Battery Life Records.
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placeholder - contributors requested
Camera firmware versions: Check your camera firmware by dialing *#34971539# ZKFI07, GKF103
Reported on 2013-03-08 by emy_xvidia GKFH93 - this version seems to have over aggressive low light "optimisation"
In the meantime, search through the threads for posts from Aspire2oo6. He is the resident photography expert and has posted some amazing shots, or: Aspire2oo6's Flickr Gallery
The site below is a well recognised site for Camera reviews. Now they have a subsection for Mobile Phone Cameras. It contains reviews for all the phones they have access to, and not just Note/Note 2 specific. LINK:RSS Feed for DPReview Mobile Camera reviews
The CPU (Exynos 4 Quad 4412)
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Cost to replace a cracked screen - PrinceCaspien The Note 2 screen has a Wacom digitizer, and this is bonded to the glass during assembly. When you replace the screen at the service center, both will get replaced as a single assembly.
If you are adventurous, you can try to do it yourself. See Advanced section.
The MicroSD card slot
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The Note 2 has a microSD card slot. MicroSD (or sometimes abbreviated "usd/uSD" card since "u" looks like the Greek letter "mu") is the physical format of the card. The logical format (ie how the computer/phone sees it) can be FAT16, FAT32, exFAT or even NTFS.
FAT32 officially supports up to 32Gb. Cards greater than 32Gb will default to 64Gb and be in exFAT format. Only Windows 7 and above support exFAT natively. Vista and Windows XP need additional drivers.
Nominally the exFAT standard supports up to 2Tb (terabytes) of storage.
NFC related discussion in V15 <= click on the link and search for the term "NFC" to see the discussion
Notification LED placeholder - contributors requested
S-Pen (usage and settings)
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The S-Pen in the Galaxy Note 2 works in conjunction with the Wacom digitizer bonded to the screen. The digitizer creates an electromagnetic field that detects the S-Pen up to 12mm away. Jointly, this also allows for more precise content manipulation and rendering. The Air View feature, for example, uses the digitizer to preview content based on the proximity of the S-Pen to the display.
The S-Pen in the Galaxy Note 2 is longer, thicker, and more ergonomically designed compared to the one in the original Galaxy Note. The S-Pen allows for some of the Note family's (the original Note, Note 10.1, Note 8.0, Note II) most innovative features, including Easy Clip, which allows quick cropping of images by simply pressing the S-Pen button; Quick Command, which activates frequently used apps just by swiping up on the display; and Air View, which allows previewing of content when the S-Pen is placed near the display.
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct™ is a certification mark for devices supporting a game-changing new technology enabling Wi-Fi devices to connect directly, making it simple and convenient to do things like print, share, synch and display. Products bearing the Wi-Fi Direct certification mark can connect to one another without joining a traditional home, office or hotspot network.
Mobile phones, cameras, printers, PCs, and gaming devices can now connect to each other directly to transfer content and share applications quickly and easily. Devices can make a one-to-one connection, or a group of several devices can connect simultaneously. Connecting Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices is easy and simple, in many cases only requiring the push of a button. Moreover, all Wi-Fi Direct connections are protected by WPA2™, the latest Wi-Fi security technology. With Wi-Fi Direct, you do not need an access point or internet connection – your personal Wi-Fi network goes with you wherever you go.
Wi-Fi Direct device connections can happen anywhere, anytime - even when you don't have access to a Wi-Fi network. Your Wi-Fi Direct device will signal to other devices in the area that it can make a connection. You can view available devices and ask them to connect, or you might receive an invitation to connect to another Wi-Fi Direct device. When two or more Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices connect directly, they have formed a Wi-Fi Direct Group, using Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ and the latest Wi-Fi security. Now you can get started doing all the exciting things that Wi-Fi Direct enables!
Maxis 4G Smartphone Plan available Maxis is bundling Nokia and HTC models right now (2013/02/09) for the 2600MHz band. Users with N7105 should be able to use 4G now, but locations will be limited.
please PM me if there are changes to telco plans More information will be added as it is announced or please feel free to highlight to me via PM what I may have missed.
None of us is as smart as all of us
Errare humanum est perseverare diabolicum
Have fun everyone
This post has been edited by joytest: Apr 7 2013, 02:20 PM
> Owners' List spreadsheet < - full list of owners here. Previous owners prior to 2013-03-22 have also been imported.
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This spoiler contains the original list, which has already been replicated onto the Google Spreadsheet. Maintained purely as a historical view. It was started from V1 thru V19, up till 2013-03-22.
This list will no longer be added to.
Please use the self service form from now on (2013-03-23)
I must acknowledge the TS of Nexus 4 thread for using a Google Form, seeing which gave me the idea to use a form as well.
I will also acknowledge yweising from the Ninetology i9400 thread who asked me to try to create a tracking graph, and sklchan and alloyion who helped with guidance and testing.
AP (most are 16GB, some have taken the 32GB) 1. nicregi white 16GB x 2 2. zahirr 3. waveweaver white 16GB 4. tmnta white 16GB 5. shahiryusoff white 16GB 6. gouken white 16GB 7. ccgenius grey 16GB 8. crazyissac 9. bulibulizaimon white 16GB 10. ShinichixZ grey 16GB 11. ladygagafanz white 16GB 12. blurboy84 grey 16GB 13. aaronlim18 white 16GB 14. Ozone9 grey 16GB 15. tarm white 32GB 16. safiqyunus 16GB 17. Cyclone1 grey 16GB 18. freak grey 16GB 19. H3LLKEEPER white 16GB 20. arslow white 16GB 21. zenpower41 grey 16GB 22. linkinstreet grey 16GB 23. eddydo grey 16GB 24. naz_way white 16GB 25. fik92 grey 26. benny888 grey 16GB 27. fierdrop white 16GB 28. mysai grey 16GB 29. tlaw8155 30. prominen white 16GB 31. alcali 32. one81 grey 16GB 33. SSD4EVER grey 16GB 34. XeactorZ grey 16GB 35. MRSamurai grey 16GB 36. teq hrey 16GB 37. gbsaint grey 16GB 38. myhemay grey 16GB 39. SwarmTroll grey 16GB 40. arrie grey 16GB 41. nyunyu grey 16GB 42. onester grey 16GB 43. harmonie white 16GB 44. serewen grey 16GB 45. ronaldlee007 grey 16GB 46. usheruff93 grey 16GB 47. iXora.ix grey 16GB 48. skylinelover white 16GB 49. arslow white 16GB 50. gin&tonic grey 16gb 51. Blackthorn grey 32gb 52. disasternero grey 16gb 53. cayrule88 grey 16gb 54. neuromancerx
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Quick background: I'm probably what most would consider an average smartphone user. I use my phone for fairly common things: email, text, weather, YouTube, browse the web, Google Reader (RIP). Nothing too heavy. I’ve owned an iPhone 3G, a Samsung Captivate (OG Galaxy), Atrix 2, and a HTC One X.
I recently upgraded to a Note II (refurbished for $0.99 from AT&T, woot woot) and it's completely changed the way I use my phone, but not for the reasons you might imagine.
Yes, the large screen is nice and has changed the way I browse the web. I can open up the desktop version of a website and read all of the text without having to zoom in, at all. But the real thing that has changed how I use my phone? Battery life. And this isn't even bespoke to the Note II. The Razr Maxx (HD) gets great battery life. But I wanted to post this to let people who are in the market for a new phone know that battery life really will change how you use your phone.
From the moment I leave for school in the morning until the moment I go to sleep at night, I never, ever, even think about my Note II’s battery. No matter what I'm doing. Watching 20 minutes of YouTube? Don't even think about it. Using Maps with GPS turned on? Don't think about it. Streaming music during my 45 minute commute? Nope, don’t think about my battery. In the past, all of these things would have had me frantically checking my phones battery. It wasn’t until I got the Note II that I realized just how much I had been worrying about my phone's battery. I used to constantly check it because below about 50%, all the phones I mentioned above would plummet.
I just upgraded from the VZW G-Nex up to the Note 2. Like OP said, it really has changed the way I use my phone. With my Nexus, I kept a dock in my office, one in my home office, and chargers plugged in the living room and bedroom as well. Playing a game on an emulator with a USB controller plugged in would drain my battery from full to shutdown in 90 minutes. Even just GPS and Pandora on my 30 minute commute would knock the battery down to 75%.
With the Note 2, even with the gigantic screen, I have not yet gotten a battery warning, ever. For a week I still carried my SIM-less Nexus, figuring I could use it for music and games and "save my precious phone battery." Honestly though, even using the Note for music, games, social networking and office apps throughout the day, the battery has held up like a champ. I presume heavy data usage over the mobile data rather than wifi will eventually beat up the battery, like it does on any phone, but honestly overall I'm just completely blown away by the user experience of this phone. ===== theklinksGalaxy Note II, Stock 9 points 19 hours ago
I went through the same upgrade -- VZW Gnex to Note 2 -- and actually got frustrated when I couldn't drain the Note 2's battery in one day. Now that I'm used to it, I freaking love it. I can use the hell out of the Note 2 and not worry that I'll be dead in the water on the commute home. ===== ToiletNinjasGalaxy Nexus 4.1.1, Galaxy Tab 10.1 Stock, Archos 70 6 points 19 hours ago
One random luxury I've noticed - Splashtop is a DREAM on this phone. Obviously gaming lags insanely and is a poor idea, but it is really nice for viewing content on my desktop, starting up a download to be waiting for me when I get home, or monitoring my system. Even the Nexus' decent sized screen felt a little small, and the curve made it awkward, but the Note 2 really feels like a little "desktop remote". ===== DrDerpbergNexus S, Nexus 4 61 points 17 hours ago
I can see it now: a commercial where you get wrapped up in whatever you're watching on your Note II at breakfast. You ignore your food, leaning in focusing on the screen. Time skips a bit and the shadows in your room are different, but you're still staring at the screen with your food in front of you. Time skips again, to the evening. And again, to the middle of the night, with you passed out in your eggs and bacon but still just barely holding your Note II up, chugging happily along.
The tag might be something along the lines of "This phone has more energy than you do", but I'm no marketing guru. ===== vincredibleGalaxy Nexus (VZW) 43 points 20 hours ago
I agree completely. I had a Galaxy Nexus before I switched to my Note II (both on Verizon) and I had to be so careful with my time spent using the phone. It got decent battery life with the screen off, but even at the lowest brightness, just leaving the screen on for a few texts or a brief bout on Reddit would drain significant percentages of the battery. Don't even get me started on what 5 minutes of YouTube would do to it.
I felt the exact same way when I switched to the Note II. For the first few weeks, I was so giddy over the battery life, I was watching it like a hawk, mainly because I wanted to benchmark how awesome it was (and it was pretty awesome), but once I got past the honeymoon phase, it just became this thing I never thought about again.
Until I read this thread, I probably hadn't actually looked at my battery meter in days. I charge it at night but I never know how low it is when I plug it in - it's certainly not low enough to be of concern. I do whatever the hell I want on this phone. An hour of YouTube, 6 hours of streaming music at work, calls, texts, Reddit, downloading, uploading, games, GPS. None of it matters. I don't have to worry about whether my WiFi/BT/GPS is on or off and potentially hurting my battery life. The thing just chugs along and never ever gets low. It just works the way I need it to work.
Excellent write-up concering what is easily my favorite aspect of the Note II!
by Charles Chambers Used to be a diehard iPhone fan since 07. Switched to android in 11 and I love it. The difference between android and iOS: iOS is like living in a nice hotel. You don't have a lot of choice but it looks nice and easy to use. Android is like buying your own home. Buy an really nice home (android device) and you will probably love it. You can change and customize it however you want. It's yours! You can also buy cheap.
Did that company with the fruit logo ever invent anything? I'm posting this here to dispel the myths that the company with the fruit logo invented every smartphone technology. NO THEY DID NOT. All they did was to combine existing technologies into a sleek package. Credit to Noobi3
XDA site for Galaxy Note II (N7100 and N7105) Samsung Galaxy Note II - N7100 and N7105 XDA has 2 threads for Development (ie ROMs, kernels etc) discussions. The one called Android Development deals with ROMs/kernels/tweaks etc that are "cooked" ie modified from STOCK. The one called Android Original Development deals with ROMS/kernels/tweaks etc that are built from scratch (AOSP/AOKP) or are entirely original in their approach. Note that AOSP/AOKP does not fully support all Exynos features as Samsung has sadly not released the full details of the Exynos processor to the dev community.
XDA sites for other variants of the Galaxy Note II (not N7100 or N7105) - applicable for sets from US Telcos AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon
This is the best way of detecting incoming charge current for your Galaxy Note 2 (also works on the S3). It does not seem to work on other devices. It reads a file here /sys/class/power_supply/battery/current_avg This provides an objective method to compare charging variances, and will help to narrow down slow charging issues. Very often it is the cable, or a combination of a lousy charger with the cable. The Note needs a charger that outputs at least 1.5A (with GCC readings of 1400 and above) for good charging speeds.
After extensive testing by forumers, and most notably brotan, good chargers output 1500 and above. brotan has a supply of DUAL USB, DUAL 2A output chargers that have been tested working by several forumers. He also has original cables that can carry 2A current properly.
Phone Droppers Hall of Fame This section highlights some damaged phones, and hopefully imparts some wisdom to owners who should protect their RM2000+/- device.
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My personal opinion is that naked phones are just accidents waiting to happen, and also that so-called "cases" that leave the top and bottom bezels exposed do not deserve the term "case". IMHO, a real case covers the entire bezel, the back and also a rim lip on the front face of the device. To each his/her own.
Dropped from shirt pocket while bending over (approx 1m height) - 2013-01-01 Here is a youtube video where the nice lady says she dropped it out of her shirt pocket when she bent over. Then, she amazingly goes on and keeps saying what a wonderful device the Note 2 is and proceeds to give her own review of some key features she likes. Well that's respect
AndroidRoot drop test indoors on a wooden floor - 2012-10-03
AndroidAuthority drop test - 2012-10-01
This post has been edited by joytest: Mar 26 2013, 08:12 PM
Since we're actually going to discuss rooting, here is an article for you to understand why your phone is not supplied rooted out of the box: Why Doesn’t Android Come Rooted? - 2013-03-12
So now let us begin.
A very very brief description of phone architecture: portions of writeup credits to antt00 for clarification
The table shows components of the architecture from bottom to top. At the lowest level you have the physical hardware, then upwards you have the firmware and the rest. The userland is where the User (you) interact with the hardware using the programs/apps you installed.
I'm writing this because you are holding a portable COMPUTER that has phone capabilities. So you should treat your device like a COMPUTER first, and a phone and/or camera second. See this:LINK:Smartphones are the PCs of the future
A "ROM" typically contains a kernel, a radio (some have several you can choose from) and the userland. Some ROMs do not contain a kernel or you can elect not to install its default kernel and use the one you currently have. I provide a link further down this writeup to the Cyanogenmod wiki for a further explanation.
The Baseband or Radio contains settings to connect to the transmission towers, while the CSC contains settings specific to your mobile operator in the APN list (eg Maxis 3G, Maxis Streaming, Celcom 3G/2G etc)
Component
Changeable?
Description
Rest of ROM (userland)
Y
eg monx, Alliance, Phoenix (usually "ROMS" include the kernel and radio as well)
Kernel
Y
The Kernel is a low level component that handles management of the hardware. It exists in all Operating Systems like Linux, Windows, OSX etc. Android is based on Linux, and Google has been cooperating with the Linux community to merge kernel development effort. eg Abyss, Perseus, Redpill
CSC (Carrier/Country Specific Code
Y
CSC settings include the APN (Access Point Names) list for your region's telco settings. It provides some parameters for your specific telco (eg Maxis 3G, Celcom 3G, Maxis Streaming etc). Some ROMs contain multiple CSCs for more region support. You typically do not mess with this otherwise you will not be able to access the data network.
Baseband (also known as Radio)
Y
The radio handles your phone's hardware communications with the telco network. It simply allows your device to fulfill its phone function. eg DLK5, DLK7. Some apps allow you to change the network parameters used. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS unless you REALLY KNOW what you are doing!
Recovery
Y
The Recovery allows you to perform some functions like flashing mods and ROMs. It is the lowest level component that the user can interact with. eg CWM, Philztouch, TWRP
Firmware begins:Bootloader
Y
This starts the phone booting process when you press the power button. It is also the location of flash counter. Triangle Away changes values here. The bootloader is UNLOCKED. However, there are no custom bootloaders yet for the Note 2.
Hardware (components)
N
Screen, Battery, the stuff you can touch
Of course someone like AdamOutler (on XDA) can mod the HARDWARE. That guy is a real guru.
You CAN mix and match components marked "Y" from different countries, kernel, ROMs etc. It's fine, although some Radio versions may give you reduced signal performance.
A note about CPU, RAM, ROM and "Storage" Think about you sitting at a desk with drawers. You are the CPU. The RAM is like your desk space. The larger your RAM or desk space, the more stuff you can work on at a time. But then of course, the more you work on, the more "you" is needed ie multi-core CPUs. Storage is like your drawers. The larger your drawers (storage) the more stuff you can store (your mp3s, mp4s, pdfs etc).
ROM, in this case, is technically "Read Only Memory". It is like the master plate used in printing, or perhaps a DVD. You can deface, tear or crumple your printout but you can always get a fresh printout by stamping from the master plate. So the ROM is actually a master plate or clean slate you can revert to if you have problems with FCs (forced closes) or random problems with your phone. You get the clean slate by performing a Factory Reset.
In your phone, the ROM resides on an area of Storage that is accessible by the Recovery. In the early days, a ROM was a physical chip that you replaced or re-flashed with special hardware. Nowadays everything is highly integrated.
Some additional clarification from Cyanogenmod if you're still not satisfied with the writeup here.
Now you can begin.
Rooting for Beginners - some general explanations and understanding
The simple, non-sexy, non-flashy, techie answer: root gives you administrator (ie God) access to your device. Root DOES NOT change your phone in any other way. No speed-ups, no slowdowns, no other changes or magic. But it OPENS THE DOOR to magic
Other answers using different metaphors:
Easiest Explanation EVER To Explain Root Vs Jailbreak Think of it like the Matrix: Jailbreaking is comparable to what Morpheus could do. He could bend the rules of the system to overcome certain restrictions, but was still bound to its rules. Rooting is what Neo could do. Not only could he bend the rules, he could completely break them
LINK:Difference between ios Jailbreaking and Android Rooting an excerpt: Now while IOS users might consider jailbreaking their iPhone the same thing as Android users rooting their Android phones, there is a HUGE difference. In fact, you can't even compare jailbreaking to rooting, and here's why. Android out of the box allows users to install 3rd party apps (also known as sideloading), already allows you to install themes, and even allows you to install applications directly from your SD card or internal memory of your device. Everything that IOS users hope to accomplish with jailbreaking their device is already included as basic functionality within Android.
Does Rooting Void warranty? For Samsung phones, it's a yes and no answer. From the terms and conditions, rooting/flashing will void your warranty, but Samsung Malaysia is not strict about this. So far there have not been cases of Samsung rejecting rooted phones, but please be prudent and perform a Triangle Away counter reset and flash stock firmware before turning in your phone for warranty.
If you live in the USA, rooting (of phones only) is legal as proclaimed by the Librarian of Congress, so you shouldn't have any issues with warranty. The US legal system has not clearly defined what a "tablet" is, so you can't root tablets. We don't know the case for "phablets"
Can rooting damage your phone? It is a one in a million chance. If you are afraid of this slim chance, don't root. This usually happens due to PEBKAC issues. Therefore, if you are prone to PEBKAC, do not proceed. Please google PEBKAC for your OWN UNDERSTANDING AND PROTECTION. If you do not suffer from PEBKAC, then please ensure 1 very important thing: your download is NOT corrupt. For Windows, use this tool: HashTab by implbits Make sure that your file MD5 matches the one from the host site. If the MD5 matches, your download is clean, and you may proceed.
There may be cases where you will not have the MD5 from the host site. If that is the case, use this tool: http://www.7-zip.org/ Install it. Select default options, and then run "Test archive" from the right click menu. Passing the test will give you a good indication your download is not corrupt.
What is the Flash Counter and Triangle Away? There is a counter in the phone that checks for flashing of custom ROMs. If you have flashed a custom kernel or ROM, the counter will increase. When you get into Download mode, it will show that the counter has increased. This tells Samsung that you have modified with your phone. You can reset this counter by using Triangle Away.
What is this about "locked bootloaders" ? As you have seen from the writeup above, the bootloader starts your device. In Samsung, it also contains some checking code to determine whether you have a modified recovery and/or kernel. However, Samsung did not lock down the bootloader. A locked down bootloader means you can't root, can't change recovery, kernel or ROM. We all fervently hope Samsung continues in this fine tradition.
Now, other manufacturers practice bootloader locking as a so-called "security measure" to protect, ostensibly, the user. See link above about why your phone is not rooted out of the box. Here is a link to a post by an XDA forumer about bootloaders for Samsung, HTC and Sony.
Also see this post (2013-03-08) by DooMLoRD, a recognized XDA developer, on his steps for unlocking the Sony bootloader. Warnings quoted from his post :
QUOTE
Quote: For Xperia™ devices released 2013 or later (for example Xperia™ Z and Xperia™ ZL), the SD card of your device will be formatted and you will lose all content (for example photos, music, videos) when you unlock the boot loader. DRM keys WILL be lost forever
Quote: Originally Posted by schaggo View Post I'd add what losing DRM keys means, e.g. no more Music ID/Gracenote within the Walkman app plus probably most importantly, as asked all the time and all over the place in the T/mint forums: loss of Bravia Engine.
So we should thank Samsung for being more mod-friendly than the other manufacturers.
NOTE: If you feel there are any errors or omissions in this post, please let me know and I will be happy to correct them.
See Part 2.
This post has been edited by joytest: Mar 16 2013, 06:45 PM
I know this questions must be asked for the hundredth time, but may I know which is the best rom to use in terms of flexibility in changing the UI + battery performance + smooth + stock apps (snote, svoice) ...
ANSWER
QUOTE(benny888 @ Feb 25 2013, 07:24 PM)
There is NO best rom n will never be any. If there is the whole developer community will shutdown Read the respective xda thread and see what appeals to you n read too user comments There is no quick answer Test yourself Choose which rom you want to test n ask for opinions here is better
Mod's response: Closing this thread as there is no better Rom than others. They are all different and one Rom that fits someone needs might not be suitable to another user.
Some advice on flashing ROMs from different frameworks This section contains posts from forumers providing advice and solutions on flashing. Due to the nature of threaded conversations and link posting, I provide links in reverse chronological order (newest first). 2013-03-01 11:10 2013-03-01 11:06 2013-03-01 11:01 2013-03-01 10:48
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If you are an advanced user and familiar with flashing etc from any other Android phone, the link here will point you to all such topics related to the Note 2. Samsung Galaxy Note II - N7100, N7105 - for other variants (eg AT&T etc), please search for those models on XDA as they are in a different forum.
If you are a noob/newbie to all this stuff, please read the link to the NOOB Guide FIRST before asking how to flash ROMS and so forth.
Having said that, if you do not wish to take the first plunge to root and flash your phone, that is perfectly fine as well. All users here have report immense satisfaction with the stock rom and across the web the general consensus is also that Samsung has done very well with the stock rom of the Note 2, barring any Touchwiz haters.
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Courtesy S3 thread / Waveweaver
Kies is well known for its un-reliable.(sic) Titanium backup - for your apps and data. Nandroid backup - for complete whole things (app + data + phone system..etc..). You do Nandroid before flashing custom roms. If anything bad happen during flashing you can restore back to your previous set up by using your Nandroid.
Wakelocks and How to Deal with Them
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XDA - [GUIDE] The Total Newb's Guide to Wakelocks - T.J. Bender If you're trying to maximize your battery life, you know this already. Some wakelocks are happy, friendly things, but many are silent leeches, sucking away your battery life while you remain blissfully unaware of what's happening. The goal of this guide is to list some of the more common wakelocks you'll encounter and how to wipe them off of your system.
Courtesy nehalem176 LINK:This list is for Samsung Galaxy S2 but since all the Samsungs are using Touchwiz, these *should* apply similarly to the Note2, as well the S3.
One piece of advice. PLEASE CHECK APP PERMISSIONS BEFORE INSTALLING. An app should not have permissions beyond what its stated functionality should be. For example, a Wallpaper app should have NO PERMISSIONS. A Launcher will naturally have access to permissions for Calling and SMS and Phone Hardware (vibrate settings etc).
If you install MyHotSexyGirlLiveWallpaper with access to Calls, Network Status and SMS, then ....
You may share your findings of new toys in the thread. I will add worthwhile app links here. The apps below can usually be found on Google Play store. Some have separate versions on XDA or other places where the dev either provides a free version or free with ads version. These are listed with clickable links.
Big Sista fruitie - our highly involved and very active LYN staffer and Trade Enforcer
Esteemed Gadget Freak and Guru benny888 - Guru and Uncle No. 1 for all of us
Photography aspire2oo6 - tripods for hands, amazing shots
ROMs, Rooting, Flashing alexng2208 - flashoholic antt00 - can advise most aspects of Android usage, including OS, apps, features fruitie - flashoholic Noobi3 - flashoholic sacremento - flashoholic tot31 - general rooting, flashing and battery life tweaks *definition of flashoholic and ORD
Special Mention sklchan - our *world famous* modding guru from the Nokia N8 community
For Battery Life records, please provide details as per the spoiler.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: If less than 2d Summary, then at least 4.5h SOT If more than 2d Summary, then at least 3d Summary AND at least 3.5h SOT IF you are using an EXTENDED BATTERY, YOU MUST SPECIFY THIS and specify the brand and rating
The tables will be separated by the qualifications above.
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*I posted a battery life link from XDA for the sake of comparison Here is the link to the XDA Note 2 Battery Life Forum: XDA:Note 2-Post Your Battery Stats
Table 2: More than 72h Summary, then at least 3.5h SOT
Miscellaneous Tips and Tricks This section is for anything that doesn't really fit into the categorisation of the first 9 posts. It can include stuff for LYN, favourite mamak place etc
LYN Forum related items To flag someone's attention ("tagging")
CODE
[@username]
This tag will cause your post to show up on the tagged person's "Replies to Me (BETA)" at the top right corner of the forum. NOTE: You can only tag a maximum of 5 people per post
Setting to increase posts viewable per page to 40. The default is 20. Go My Controls > Board Settings (on lower left frame) > the Number of Posts to show for each topic page set to 40.
Forum maximum file size upload - 2 megabytes (2,048kb)
Articles, Posts and other interesting stuff not directly related to Note 2 but worth a good read (or laugh) The articles are provided in no particular categorisation, but I try to post it in reverse chronological order.
Previous thread versions This post will not be reflected in the Changelog unless the change is noteworthy
I have a thing for statistics, so I've made this table for my own viewing pleasure. Others may also find it useful, educational or entertaining.
Legend: Version is self explanatory. Started is the Start date of the thread, and Ended is the day the thread was closed. All formats are YYYY-MM-DD. Total Days counts the total number of days between the start and end days of a thread, inclusive of the start date. Total Posts is self explanatory. Total Views is an incremental number tracked by LYN whenever someone views a thread, so even though the thread is closed, if someone views it, the number will still increment. Hence the Statistic Last Updated column shows when the Total Views number was logged.
My phone is prompting me to restart every 10 mins or so. No sim card inserted / no valid sim bla2. But it works for 10 mins then it suddenly force me to restart again. Weird
My phone is prompting me to restart every 10 mins or so. No sim card inserted / no valid sim bla2. But it works for 10 mins then it suddenly force me to restart again. Weird