[Q] Note 3 user heavily considering Z Ultra

dimex · Jan 15, 2014

Hey guys,

I was an iPhone user for years and jumped ship to android in 2012; best mobile decision I ever made. I began with the S3, then moved to Note 2, then Note 3. So my android experience has strictly been with Samsung. I like their phones and actually don't mind TouchWiz, but I keep looking at the Z Ultra. I love the size (main reason I'm considering it) and think I would really enjoy the phone. In my eyes it would truly be a 2 in 1 device. If I get it, I will sell the Nexus 7 I installed in my truck as a head unit and rig up a mount to slide the Z Ultra in to. That way I won't have to tether everytime which seems to be spotty at best (a lot of the times everything's connected with full signal but the internet doesn't work), and I can simply have one device.

Enough rambling, I have a few questions for all you Z Ultra owners:

Have any of you swithced from a Note 2/Note 3 to a Z Ultra?
What do you think is better about the Z Ultra than Note 3 (other than size)?
If I should keep the Note 3, why do you think that?

I'm a T12/L1 paraplegic from a skydiving accident resulting in a Spinal Cord Injury, so I roll around in a wheelchair all day. The Z Ultra will store nicely in a little pocket on the front of my cushion, so I don't think I'll have to deal with the typical "pocket" issues. Only thing I'll miss is the removable battery, but I could get over it. I always have two spare Note 3 batteries charged so I can swap out a dead one on the fly.

Thanks everyone!

JackHanAnLG · Jan 15, 2014

I got my z ultra two days ago, best decision ive ever made

Its more fluid and smoother then my 2013 nexus 7 and I get asked about it all the time

I also get up to 15mbps on 3G but with my s3 I got 4 so I dont know if it made it faster

You can get one where I did at www.tiptopelectronics.Co.UK or. Com

£309 free delivery and 1year warranty

Sent from my C6833 using xda app-developers app

hansip87 · Jan 15, 2014

1. I am Sony user basically (just a one timer with Motorola) so no

2. Well:

The Screen estate is bigger (1080p with 320dpi, compared with 1080p with 480dpi in Note 3), Yeah the icon is smaller but you got a lot more room.
really slim and sexy compared to Note 3
no TouchWiz ugly UI (but that's just me )
NFC connectivity feature is a lot more pronounced and all the Sony NFC enabled accessories are the bomb too
waterproof of course (The cleanest of device i have ever used because when it's dirty, just wash it on the drain)
able to use any pencil as an input device (even if you don't have one, soaked wooden chopstick is perfect for XZU)

3. Note 3 is good because:

S-Pen (if you're an artist though)
Not really as ugly as the predecessor (more boxy i guess so more love i give)
Removable Battery (Not that XZU is bad in battery life but might be a niggling problem for some, but those Sony slim powerbank is the solution)
Camera (13MP + Flash + Samsung algorithm)
More dev support @ XDA

Well i'd say you'd better wait for the Xperia Z2 Ultra, because that Note 3 is quite sufficient for you imho and you won't gain too much with XZU (plus if you ever want to have a big screen, that N7 is probably enough for now). But if you really want to save some space right now, then XZU is the perfect answer bro..

stopa10 · Jan 15, 2014

If your goal is to replace your 7" tablet and your phone by a single device, then the Ultra is definitely your choice. I come from a Note+ Tablet combination, and haven't regretted one single day my new Z Ultra

Only limitation imho is the camera in poor light conditions. For the rest, the phone rocks.

Sent from my C6833 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

shaolin95 · Jan 15, 2014

Enough rambling, I have a few questions for all you Z Ultra owners:

Have any of you swithced from a Note 2/Note 3 to a Z Ultra?

What do you think is better about the Z Ultra than Note 3 (other than size)?

If I should keep the Note 3, why do you think that?

#1 Yes came from a long line of Samsung phones, including Note 1, Note 2 and a test of Note 3 which made me skip it as I was still upset with Samsung about changing from the rumored 6" display to a whopping .18" increase :/

#2 Well, I was afraid of changing from Samsung where I knew pretty much everything..to a new system...but today, I can say....it is the BEST change I have done. As much as I enjoyed my Note 2, the Ultra is just another thing!
Smooth as butter...this stock ROM is just amazingly fast, clean and the fact that it is customized to actually use the bigger screen and fit more stuff in it, that is just sweet!

So what I like more than Note 2 is the way it is designed with the bigger size in mind and how smooth it is. Fast like crazy and just the screen size makes it an awesome experience.
Another thing I love is how easy it connects to a PS3 controller if that matters to you. Basically if yuo have bluetooth one, press the button on your PS3 controller and that is it...ready to rock.
It even tells you what charge level your controller has and lets you turn it off from the phone too. :good:
Another thing I love..the display quality..yes it does not have the deep blacks of the Notes but the colors look much more accurate..I do photo editing so finally I dont feel like having to tweak the "Punky Brewster like" Note 2 and 3 colors

#3 well if drawing on the phone is important to you, the Note 3 clearly has the advantage there. Yes the Ultra works with pretty much anything to draw but the precision of the Note 3 is clearly on a different level.

The Camera on the Note 3 is also better (not that phone cameras really matter to me) but one trick on the Ultra is to manually set your ISO then the quality looks a LOT better.

Overall, I would go with the Ultra...I just love mine! :good:

SpyderTracks · Jan 15, 2014

Another Samsung ex-user here. I came from note1, got fed up with touchwizz and poor batteries. I know they've improved on that, but even so, despite a few niggles with Sony roms, I much prefer the interface, much more stock android. No bells and whistles that you find in touchwizz but you can find an alternative app for pretty much anything.

Media wise it really is awesome, the screen is wonderbra. Obviously I'm biased, but get one and update to 290 for best results.

Sent from my C6833 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

chefdave12118 · Jan 15, 2014

I have own both the note 3, xperia z ultra and the Google play edition z ullra. My only complaint is the camera is absolutely garbage and no led flash to boot, so low lit area camera shots are especially horrible. Other than that the z ultra is a better phone in EVERY way.

Sent from my LG-V510 using Tapatalk 2

venorme · Jan 15, 2014

Also switched from Note 3. Note 3 has way more features packed in. But, well, I find myself not using any of them.
What I do miss are flashlight and TV remote.
Z Ultra is a beast - no, even BEAST. It`s fast and smooth, has great battery life (with stamina mod It uses 1% over night for me)
Also you have to understand that this phone is people magnet - everyone starts looking on you and asking questions. Also you will have to take it out of the pocket each time you sit down. So you will get alot of attention even if it will just lay on the table
Another minus I have noticed - Z Ultra has somewhat low sound volume. Sound quality is great but I often find myself missing a call while phone is in my pocket (never happened with my s3 or Note 3 with same soundtrack)

LordManhattan · Jan 15, 2014

venorme said:
Also switched from Note 3. Note 3 has way more features packed in. But, well, I find myself not using any of them.
What I do miss are flashlight and TV remote.
Z Ultra is a beast - no, even BEAST. It`s fast and smooth, has great battery life (with stamina mod It uses 1% over night for me)
Also you have to understand that this phone is people magnet - everyone starts looking on you and asking questions. Also you will have to take it out of the pocket each time you sit down. So you will get alot of attention even if it will just lay on the table
Another minus I have noticed - Z Ultra has somewhat low sound volume. Sound quality is great but I often find myself missing a call while phone is in my pocket (never happened with my s3 or Note 3 with same soundtrack)

Enable "xLOUD" if you haven't already.

venorme · Jan 15, 2014

LordManhattan said:
Enable "xLOUD" if you haven't already.

It requires Root and I am not willing to unlock bootloader (290) - will wait for 4.4.

LordManhattan · Jan 15, 2014

venorme said:
It requires Root and I am not willing to unlock bootloader (290) - will wait for 4.4.

No it doesn't. xLOUD is a stock feature. Just open the equalizer.

Sent from my C6833_GPe using Tapatalk

venorme · Jan 15, 2014

Thank you - haven`t noticed these.

Mi|enko · Jan 15, 2014

I have a N3 and a ZU (GPe). I use my ZU as a portable tablet. My Z tablet, I only use for flights and I find my Nexus 7 a little too big to carry around for every day use. For me, the ZU and Nexus 5 combo are great for various tasks throughout the day.

shaolin95 · Jan 15, 2014

chefdave12118 said:
I have own both the note 3, xperia z ultra and the Google play edition z ullra. My only complaint is the camera is absolutely garbage and no led flash to boot, so low lit area camera shots are especially horrible. Other than that the z ultra is a better phone in EVERY way.

Sent from my LG-V510 using Tapatalk 2

As I said, change it to manual ISO 50 or 100 and it looks a LOT cleaner.
If we are going to say garbage then I can say that from pretty much any camera phone compared to my real cameras so its all in the eye of the beholder

chefdave12118 · Jan 15, 2014

shaolin95 said:
As I said, change it to manual ISO 50 or 100 and it looks a LOT cleaner.
If we are going to say garbage then I can say that from pretty much any camera phone compared to my real cameras so its all in the eye of the beholder

You can play with the settings all you'd like, but in low light situations picture results are less than to be desired (garbage may have been a little harsh

). I would have kept the Z Ultra Google Play Edition, but having kids and owning a restaurant, having a better camera than the Z Ultra was a must for me. Z Ultra is my all time favorite phone, but that camera made me mental. If taking pictures isn't a priority for you the the Z Ultra is pure win. If you count on good pics or an LED flash daily then you're S.O.L with the Ultra. Just saying.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

shaolin95 · Jan 15, 2014

chefdave12118 said:
You can play with the settings all you'd like, but in low light situations picture results are less than to be desired (garbage may have been a little harsh ). I would have kept the Z Ultra Google Play Edition, but having kids and owning a restaurant, having a better camera than the Z Ultra was a must for me. Z Ultra is my all time favorite phone, but that camera made me mental. If taking pictures isn't a priority for you the the Z Ultra is pure win. If you count on good pics or an LED flash daily then you're S.O.L with the Ultra. Just saying.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

Problem is to me, if taking picture is a priority then you get a REAL camera..so for me picture taking priority and phone camera are not terms that go together.

Also, a tiny flash for low light photography is for me as crappy as a grainy low quality image. Both suck big time..that why we have real cameras with big sensors if photography is really that important.
Just my 2 cents
And like I said, test them..I did MANY times with many apps...manual ISO on .290 roms is a LOT cleaner. But yeah neither can touch a real camera as should be expected.
Regards

chefdave12118 · Jan 15, 2014

shaolin95 said:
Problem is to me, if taking picture is a priority then you get a REAL camera..so for me picture taking priority and phone camera are not terms that go together.
Also, a tiny flash for low light photography is for me as crappy as a grainy low quality image. Both suck big time..that why we have real cameras with big sensors if photography is really that important.
Just my 2 cents
And like I said, test them..I did MANY times with many apps...manual ISO on .290 roms is a LOT cleaner. But yeah neither can touch a real camera as should be expected.
Regards

Maybe I'll get a galaxy zoom lol. Idk. The Note 3 and LG G2 take really nice pics. I don't need professional quality, but decent pics to share and what not. Now stop arguing with me lol j/k

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

shaolin95 · Jan 15, 2014

chefdave12118 said:
Maybe I'll get a galaxy zoom lol. Idk. The Note 3 and LG G2 take really nice pics. I don't need professional quality, but decent pics to share and what not. Now stop arguing with me lol j/k

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

Okok I get carried away when it comes to photography

Sent from the Mighty Xperia Z Ultra using XDA Premium HD app.

chefdave12118 · Jan 15, 2014

shaolin95 said:
Okok I get carried away when it comes to photography

Sent from the Mighty Xperia Z Ultra using XDA Premium HD app.

Lmao

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

LordManhattan · Jan 16, 2014

shaolin95 said:
Okok I get carried away when it comes to photography

Sent from the Mighty Xperia Z Ultra using XDA Premium HD app.

[Q] Note 3 user heavily considering Z Ultra

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