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Comment by jimmaswell | Hacker News Reader

Better how? I just got an S10+ a few weeks ago and as far as I'm aware it's close to top-of-the-line all around. There were some other candidates like Google's but I wanted real FM radio and a headphone jack among other things that were hard to find a combination of. Extremely satisfied so far.

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OnePlus is great, very close to Android stock. Samsung has so much crapware...

- when you search for an app and it's not on your phone, the first place it wants to take you to, before the Play Store, is the freaking Galaxy store (who uses that?!)

- the share panel contains a giant ad for some online storage service by Samsung

- the built-in system utility apps use a different version upgrade system than the play store, requiring you to approve some of them manually

Etc.

Feels like hardware is good but is used to peddle inferior services.

Not better objectively, Samsung is still the top of the line of android HW, but theres so many good phones that do all of the basics well, such as the Oneplus 7 Pro, Pixel 3A, Asus Zenphone and really quite a few even Huawei have excellent hardware and mostly caught up to the high bar set by samsung.

Samsung's only differentiation right now is their proprietary software, Samsung Pay, DeX, Linux on DeX and other toys they make for corporate clients and certain markets like USA

Samsung Pay is a toy? It was easier to set up from the Chase app than Google Pay and it works well.

I personally replaced my wallet with Samsung Pay but many people find it hard to use/explain to cashiers that don't understand it works everywhere. In countries outside of USA the bank support is also pretty bad/contactless payments are more widely supported.

I dont find it to be a toy but some people don't believe its important to have a good mobile wallet. Apple could have adopted LoopPay before samsung aquired them but now I'm kinda stuck buying samsung phones/watches just so I can use MST haha

Huawei seem to have better cameras than anyone else at the moment, so there's that. V.Happy with my P20 Pro

Not sure how's DeX on the phones, but my brother recently bought a new Samsung tablet and I'm thoroughly impressed by how DeX works. In fact, having no peripherals to connect it to, he still runs the tablet in DeX mode all the time - because that's how much it's better than regular Android experience.

I've been saying for years that Windows 10 is the only sane, productivity-oriented OS for tablets. DeX makes me want to reconsider Android in this role again.

DeX on phone presents the same interface but allows me to use a 27inch monitor which give me more room to use Premiere, Linux on DeX and other apps. I have completely replaced my macbook pro with this setup and like my tab s4 with DeX more than a surface pro.

Windows still has its upsides but I carry my damn computer in my pocket now. Can't beat my portable setup!

DeX allowed me to use android much more like a chromebook and less like an android phone, so liberating since all the mouse support and peripheral support is there. Enables me to be a very nimble and streamlined youtuber.

Tons of options for both recording and livestreaming games from DeX and editing footage in Premiere or Kinemaster is awesome. Can realistically film and edit just about anything with just my s10.

And having a 3.5mm jack, which only LG still does as well.

Yep! I run an LG V20, and I love the audio from it- it has a really nice DAC setup that's kept me from needing to buy expensive headphones / earbuds.

I'm quite fond of my Note 9 also. It has a Bixby button, but it's less annoying on this model, I guess; when I push it accidentally, I just get a little pop-up saying "To start Bixby, press and hold the Bixby key". Hasn't really gotten in my way.

This is my second Galaxy Note model; I've also had a Note 4. Pace Steve Jobs, I really do love having the stylus.

The screen is insanely good. The software has very little bloat. Like none. No always exposed front facing camera! It's a pop out, and so there's no way there's any software could be spying on you without you seeing the camera physically pop out. The hardware quality is superb, it handles and feels like an amazingly well built device, there's nothing cheap about it. It's less expensive than other flagship devices with similar specs. The camera app is very speedy and easy to use and the phone takes great pictures.

I recommend Marques Brownlee's review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVWLD3064Ng

Some drawbacks that he doesn't mention:

Getting used to no front facing camera takes getting used to. There's no autobrightness! The phone doesn't know when you put your ear up to it! I was able to get used to these things.

I have found the under the screen finger print reader taking some time to get used to. It was frustrating at first, but I eventually got it down. The key is to remember that the screen might be dirty if it fails to read your fingerprint.

> Getting used to no front facing camera takes getting used to. There's no autobrightness! The phone doesn't know when you put your ear up to it!

Technically, this is not because of the lack of front-facing camera; these things are handled by a separate front-facing sensors (that's why smartphones usually have more than one camera-like thingies on top). They could've retained those features while doing away with front-facing cam; I guess they wanted to go all in and stretch the screen all the way to the phone's top edge.

>There's no autobrightness!

Yes there is. The ambient light sensor is under the display.

>The phone doesn't know when you put your ear up to it!

Either yours is broken or you're 'holding it wrong', because mine works fine for both features...

It definitely doesn't work for me. I'll ask the store. Thanks.

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