In my past, I've had stints as an Apple hater, an Apple fan boy, and an "I'm so bored of my iPhone" guy.
I work on a Lenovo PC, my home computer is a 2009 Macbook Pro 13.3'', and I've owned an iPhone 3gs and an iPhone 4. I've also used my wife's iPhone 4s extensively.
I finally decided to switch from my three year love-affair with iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (after months of research, finally deciding on the Nexus 4, the Nexus 4 selling out, and absolutely loving the Galaxy Note 2 at the AT&T store.)
In order to review my transition and the Galaxy Note 2, I will be comparing the Galaxy Note 2 to the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s.
Let's get to it.
Size & Weight
Handling the Phone
This is really the first big issue, with a massive 5.5'' screen, the Note 2 is imposing. The size difference between the 4s and the Note 2 is incredible. I showed the Note 2 to my boss the day I purchased it and he just started laughing. A friend asked me if I planned to avoid jeans for the next two years.
The phone fits easily into my dress-pants pocket, and has no problem slipping in my non-skinny jeans pocket. I like to store the phone in my dress-shirt pocket as well (which is stupid) and the top of the phone pokes out by about an inch.
I have average-sized hands: with my hand fully extended the distance from the end of my thumb to the end of my pinky finger is just about 9 inches, and the distance from the end of my thumb to the end of my index finger is about 7.5 inches.
I was annoyed by the phone dimensions at first. The keyboard pops up too far from the email send button for my thumb to reach both without shifting my hand, and texting with one hand provides a "i'm going to drop this thing" sensation.
That said, I adjusted to the size in about 24 hours. The phone is so thin, and the design makes it easy to hold. I can easily grasp the phone to read articles without getting worn out (like when you hold the corner of an iPad for too long). I estimate I can easily do 85% of my normal activities without needing the second hand.
That said, think it is important to buy a case for this thing. I've treated it like a newborn baby, and I'm in constant fear of dropping it onto its massive face. My case should arrive in a couple days.
Viewing the Display
The size of the display is amazing for daily use. I was afraid it wouldn't be big enough to use like a tablet, and that the size would be cumbersome for a phone. I was wrong. In landscape mode, I can see a list of emails with a preview window (like on outlook or gmail) I can open two applications at the same time, reading a webpage while typing information into a note or email. I can comfortably view full webpages without resorting to the web version, and movies and TV look amazing. The Note 2 is by no means a TV replacement (some prefer to watch movies on their close-to-face iPads over smallish TVs), but it's big enough to function as a "second screen" to interact with TV programming.
The iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 have beautiful displays (more on that next) and I think the 3.5 and 4 inch screens are ideal for email, texting, and facebooking. But the Note 2 clearly dominates in web browsing, viewing pinterest and twitter, and using apps like Pulse News, the calendar, and task lists.
The size isn't for everyone, but I use my phone as a tablet 85% of the time and as a phone 15%. For me, this is a no brainer. (I also have a huge head, so it doesn't look as ridiculous when I make calls on it. You small-headed people should really consider this, as you will look foolish).
Advantage: Note 2
Screen Quality
After purchasing the note 2, I viewed the display as I walked out to my car. I've read hundreds of reviews on AMOLED and LCD phone screens, and many of them argue that the iPhone (LCD) is much brighter, better in the sun, and has truer color reproduction. These arguments are absolutely right.
If you plan on reading outdoors a lot, the Note 2 pales in comparison to the iPhone 5. The Note 2's screen isn't terribly reflective, but it just isn't that bright, and the whites are more gray. Both the iPhone and the Note 2 have great black levels, but the Note 2 AMOLED has hyper-real coloring. (This improves when you select "movie" mode). The pixel density of the Note 2 is substantially lower than the iPhone and Galaxy S3 (and pretty much every other new phone) because it's so huge. This is noticeable, but it isn't a big issue especially if you hold the phone further from your face.
Text and graphics look sharp on the Note 2, and I have no concerns with the pixel density on most things, but it's clearly not as sharp as the iPhone. ( the "netflix" on the netflix app icon is kind of blurred).
While I see this as a big advantage for the iPhone, the Note 2's screen is still fantastic. Most people after an hour or so of use will not have any concerns about it.
Large Advantage: iPhone 5 (and 4s and 4, but the Note 2 decimates the 3gs)
Build Quality
Going in, I had some major concerns about the "plasticky" feel of the Note 2 and S 3. However, I've been pleasantly surprised. The phone is solid in my hand, and I can hold any corner without feeling any cracking or settling, even though the pack of the phone is very flexible. The screen is made out of the high quality Corning Gorilla Glass 2, and the border of the phone is solid. However, some may have concerns with the plastic feel of the back plate, and others may worry that the massive surface area is prone to breaking. I won't be drop testing this phone, but it is obvious the iPhone wins in build quality. The 4s could kill a burglar, and the iPhone 5 seems super light and super strong.
Still, I don't think this will matter to most people. The main issue in the feel of the phone is the size, not the build quality. If you can get use to the size, you won't have concerns about quality.
Advantage: iPhone 5
Operating System
As a convert to Android, I could go on and on about this. I absolutely love Jellybean 4.1. There are many features that I love, and iOS 6 seems very old fashioned. Of course, some differences and glitches really bother me, but perhaps I'll have another post on this.
I think the availability of widgets is overplayed by some google fanboys, but the ability to have one screen dedicated to my email is HUGE for me, as emailing is the primary reason I have a smart phone. I love the endless options for phone settings, and the huge amount of control I have.
This really comes down to preference, but I personally see many limitations in iOS that I don't see in Android 4.1. Also, Android makes it so easy to set your cursor when you are typing, something that is incredibly frustrating in iOS. So far, the Note 2 has been able to accomplish every task I want it to accomplish, and each and every App I've grown to love is available through the google store.
A surprising development is how all of my favorite apps look better on Android. I'm flabbergasted to be honest. Pulse news, Netflix, email, calendar, all the google apps, pinterest, facebook, twitter, stumble upon and more are all more accessible and beautiful on Android. It's hard for me to separate the screen size from the app quality, as it does make a difference, but all things being equal, I think the android designs are superior.
The internet browser on Android decimates mobile Safari. But that's just my opinion.
I will note that the responsiveness of the touch screen is better in iOS, but the Note 2 is very good, and a huge improvement over android phones from 2 years ago.
Advantage: Note 2
Speed
Both phones are fast... really fast. The Note 2 is freaky. As long as my internet connection can keep up, stumble upon response almost instantaneously. Switching between apps is faster than my new office computer. There have been a few hiccups here and there, but the Note 2's quad core processor is amazing.
The Note 2. does run a little hot when you watch netflix, but I've found this to be the case with most phones and computers.
Advantage: Tie
Battery Life
All I can say in this category is that I worked the Note 2 very hard on the second day. The battery in this thing is huge (3100) which is good, since the screen is huge. A full hour playing a graphics intense game (for testing, of course) a full episode of Breaking Bad on netflix, web browsing much of the day, emailing all day, even some draw something (that app sucks battery like crazy), and the note 2 made it from 7:00 AM to Midnight (5% battery left). I haven't used it as intensely today, but it is at 94% after being unplugged for 6 hours.
This clearly beats my wife's iPhone 4s, but most benchmarks show it having similar performance to the iPhone 4.
Advantage: This is probably a tie for most people and it will change depending on your use. Both phones tend to make it a full day with no problem.
Speakers
The back speaker on the Note 2 has better volume and sound than the iPhone 4s. I haven't used the iPhone 5 enough to know how it compares.
It is a phone speaker, of course, so it isn't a bose sound system, but the volume and quality were good even when I turned the volume up on Netflix.
Advantage: Probably the Note 2, as iPhones don't have great speakers in their tiny compact bodies. But I don't know for sure.
Calling
This is an area that clearly dominates the iPhone. The sound quality of the Note 2 took me back to my old home-phone days. the iPhone is really a terrible phone (but a fantastic device). The Note 2 call quality was as good as I'd ever need, but I'm sure there are better performing phones out there.
Advantage: Note 2
Other Features
The Note 2 has S Pen and a stylus. I'm still not sure how much I'll use this, but it is very cool. It follows my handwriting well with little to no lag, and playing draw something is a blast. The text recognition is very good, but I have trouble getting spaces in the right place. I think this is a luxury that most people won't really care about, but it is cool and the stylus fits snugly in the phone. I almost don't notice it.
Siri vs. S Voice: I don't really use these features, but I think S Voice is a passable competitor. I don't think this should go into your decision making. Both are equally awesome and equally crappy.
Miscellaneous Hardware
I'm not a hardware expert, but it's hard to beat this Note 2 in terms of guts. The Quad Core processor and 2GB of Ram future-proof this device for a while.
The Note 2 is limited by the 16GB of internal storage, which is more like 11GB after all the samsung and att crap is loaded.
The iPhone has more options with internal memory, but you can pick up a 64GB SD card for the Note 2 for around 50 bucks. That's a ton more storage with little trouble. I don't think I'll really need it, but it's nice.
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE II
Pros:
The big screen is really a huge benefit and relatively easy to get used to
Incredibly fast
Great features in Android 4.1
Great Battery Life
Expandable storage
Cons:
Screen isn't that bright
Touch screen is less responsive than iPhone
It might be too large for some one-handed use
It's $299 with a contract.
