Current Events > Any Samsung Note users on here? Could use advice in terms of upgrading

(+) Yeah! (+)

I current have the note5, which I love, but it doesn't consistently charge anymore and the back is cracked, so I've got a few options for replacing it:
--get a refurbished Note5 and wait for the note9 (released in a month or two) to go down in price next year
--Get a note8 on amazon for $650 right now and hope the note9 doesn't blow me away (especially with the bluetooth stylus)
--Do what I can to force my current phone to hold out for a few more months and get the 9 at full price

I generally only get a phone every 2-3 years, so I'm really trying to avoid medium-term solutions, but I also don't generally get the "newest thing out there" because of the price. I'm a huge fan of the wacom stylus and I hear that the 9 is going to be a big step up, but the note5 stylus is already almost "good enough" for everything I use it for. Other than the stylus, I'm not really pushing my note5 in terms of performance, but the rumored 4,000mAh battery in the note9 would be a huge boon since my current phone dies by early evening with regular use.

Thoughts from other Note users out there?
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Samsung have gotten to the point where they're just "Apple, but our phones run Android OS instead of a proprietary one". They've got the overpricing, low build quality, etc.

I suggest looking into more-obscure (but nonetheless established) brands such as Xiaomi or Meizu. :) Blackview seem promising too, but no experience with their phones and don't know anyone who has one yet so don't want to say too much about them in case they're not so great. (I'm getting one of their phones in the next week or so, so I can let you know after that.)
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DarkTransient posted...

Samsung have gotten to the point where they're just "Apple, but our phones run Android OS instead of a proprietary one". They've got the overpricing, low build quality, etc.

I suggest looking into more-obscure (but nonetheless established) brands such as Xiaomi or Meizu. :)

My problem is the pressure sensitive stylus makes digital sketching on the go extremely easy. Wacom holds the patents to all the good tech to begin with, but they also have an exclusive partnership with Samsung, so the only phone line that's good for sketching/drawing is the Note series (that I'm aware of).
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Note 9 is just around the corner. I would just wait.
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