[vi-android] Re: Samsung Note 3 vs. Galaxy S4 Google Edition Questions

  • From: Quentin Christensen <quentin.christensen@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: vi-android@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 22:05:32 +1100

Hi Rajiv,
Nope, the Note 3 works with your finger or any of the other stylus's (stylii?) you can buy just like most other phones, but Samsung include a special one which actually has a much finer point (looks a bit more like a pen than a chopstick) and is supposed to be good for fine drawing and stuff. Actually one thing it does well is give you a more unobstructed view of the screen than if you have your big fat finger in the way (not insinuating anyone's fingers, other than mine, are big and fat ;)
It's handy, but even with it tucked right in the phone, I still rarely pull it out - personal choice - if you like a stylus, it's certainly handy having it housed right there with you.
Re getting the stock Android, you pretty much can't (well you probably can if you root the phone and get the right ROM - and in all honesty if you're not sure what all that means, you probably shouldn't be trying to do it as it is a bit complex and can potentially render the whole phone useless).
But what you can do is you can disable some of the built in apps although not all, and you can replace the launcher that comes with the phone with a new one. If you want one that looks fairly standard and works well with Talkback, Nova and Apex both work pretty well (I think someone mentioned they had found a couple of things in Apex which weren't labelled? And I found that you can't easily delete pages in Nova without sight), or if you want a launcher which has large print, Big Launcher is a great place to start, or EqualEyes. 

On 20/11/2013 9:19 PM, Rajiv Shah wrote:

Hello,
Does this mean that the S-pen has to be used for tapping rather than your finger for operating the device?
Lastly, if I get the Note 3 and decide I'd like stock Android instead of the Samsung pre-installed stuff, how easy is this to achieve? 

Thank you again for your help.

Regards,

Rajiv

On 11/19/2013 7:27 PM, Aaron wrote:
quentin The note 3 capasitive buttons will work with the S pen on the note 3. 
Thanks,
Aaron Linson
Producer of The Cast Podcast <http://www.blindpodcaster.com>
On Nov 19, 2013, at 7:23 PM, Quentin Christensen <quentin.christensen@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:quentin.christensen@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote: 


Hi Rajiv,
Both phones are quite good options. I don't mind the Touchwiz interface, it does have some nice additions, like the quick access to toggle features (like WiFi and 3G data) from the notification bar, and various other enhancements on the standard Android interface - by contrast if you don't want those extra features it comes with (and the S-apps with the Note devices) they can feel like bloatware, but the good news is that either way, Samsung is one of the better ones in terms of accessibility and most of their offerings and their touchwiz interface work quite well with Talkback..
In terms of choosing between the two devices, probably the most obvious difference from a low vision point of view, is that the Note 3 has a bigger screen (5.7" compared to 5.0" from memory) so if you use large print or magnification, that slightly bigger screen will help just that little bit more. Alternatively if you don't use the screen and rely entirely on Talkback, then the more compact S4 is probably a better choice in terms of easily slipping into your pocket or bag.
Number 3 I haven't looked at - I've got the Galaxy Note II (the previous model to the one you are looking at) and I actually haven't used a belt clip with it myself so am really no help in that area I'm afraid!
Oh one thing I have found with the Note II which I'm not sure whether they've addressed with the note 3 (but I'd be interested to find out if you end up going that way) - the Note models come with a built in stylus, which can be handy, but one thing that always throws me when I go to use it, is that while it works fine on the screen, it doesn't work on the soft touch 'menu' and 'back' buttons down the bottom either side of the home key. - If the Note 3 still has a physical home key then that may still be an issue, but if it has gone (and off the top of my head I can't recall) to solely on screen buttons then the stylus may well work on those. 

Regards

Quentin.
On 20 November 2013 01:52, Rajiv Shah <rmshah@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:rmshah@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote: 

       All:

    I am considering either the Samsung Note 3 or the Galaxy S4
    (GooglePlay edition) as my next device.

    Since I am very new to using Android fulltime, I have some
    questions:
    (1) I am heavily leaning towards the Samsung Note 3 because it
    gives you a better performing device for about the same money as
    the Google version. Are there any strong reasons why I ought to
    get the Google version instead?
    (2) Are there any Note 3 users on this list and what have your
    experiences been with the TouchWiz, etc.?
    (3) What belt case would you recommend for the note 3?

    Thank you for all your insight.

    Regards,

    Rajiv

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