Replace Galaxy Note 5 with...err....Galaxy Note 5?

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bllr

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#240358 4-Sep-2018 08:20

I'm over paying enormous sums for the latest and greatest. I'm a notetaker so I've used the Galaxy Note ever since v.3. My old Galaxy Note 5 still works fine but the screen is delaminating. Replacement? Actually, the Note 5 does everything I need, including running my sea charts when I'm out fishing, when I run it with a solar powerbank. And TradeMe has plenty of refurbished units at good prices - I'm told, mainly ex-USA units. My current Note 5, purchased from Spark, is updated to Android 7.0 (it came with 6.0). Does anyone happen to know whether a refurbished, ex-US, unlocked Note 5 - that is, *not* supplied by Spark - will update via Spark to Android 7? In theory, I don't see any reason why not but, knowing Spark...? Anyone able to help? Thanks in advance.

xpd

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#2083563 4-Sep-2018 09:21

Cant you just replace the screen ? Or the cost of doing that not worth it now ?

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jonb

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#2083832 4-Sep-2018 13:52

Look at something like a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4x or Nokia 6 for a similar sized phone with a more up to date version of Android for security etc.

nakedmolerat

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#2083849 4-Sep-2018 14:20

@bllr you know what you must do...

i see no point "fixing" the phone if it is >2 years old!

note9 is now available....

networkn

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#2083866 4-Sep-2018 15:19

Or you can buy my note 8 :)

bllr

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#2083870 4-Sep-2018 15:28

Thanks xpd, jonb and nakedmolerat. Not worth fixing the screen on this particular unit. It's the pen on the Galaxy Note series that makes them invaluable to people like me (as I said, I'm a notetaker), so it's the only type of phone I use. But the price of the new Note 9, even though it has some outstanding features and despite the fact I'm sorely tempted, is OTT. I'm increasingly into sustainability and 'appropriate technology'. A recycled Note 5 will do me fine for another 2-3 years and cost me only about $400 - but I just want to be sure any US-sourced, unlocked unit I purchase locally for use on Spark will upgrade to Android 7. (And, yes, I know I could root it but I need it to be stable and reliable and there's no guarantee going down that path...). So I anyone happens to know about that, I'd be pleased to hear from you...

bllr

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#2083876 4-Sep-2018 15:38

Haha! networkn, I'd think about that, except that the prices being asked on TradeMe for a Note 8 are such I'd want to beat you down (severely) on price - and I wouldn't want to do that to another geekzone member... :-)

networkn

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#2083883 4-Sep-2018 15:43

bllr:

Haha! networkn, I'd think about that, except that the prices being asked on TradeMe for a Note 8 are such I'd want to beat you down (severely) on price - and I wouldn't want to do that to another geekzone member... :-)

Fair enough.

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#2083944 4-Sep-2018 16:27

As tempting as it may be, do yourself a favour and don't buy US-market Samsung devices, they are not good times in NZ.

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bllr

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#2083953 4-Sep-2018 16:51

NikT, many thanks for that comment - given that PBTech is the firm I buy all my computing gear from, I'll take your advice as worthwhile. Out of interest, is there a particular problem with them; e.g. incompatibilities in the electronics?