Initial Impressions

[techgeek32#WN]

I think it's A-TIV.
Gratz on the new phone.

Actually it is ATIV SE.

 

[techgeek32#WN]

I have the ATIV SE as well. I also had the ICON. I shipped the ICON back yesterday. There were more features and options that appeal to me on the ATIV. Nokia makes an excellent device but no removable battery or storage expansion made my decision easy. Also, I find the ATIV display to be brighter and whiter than the Icon which had a pink hue on white screens. The camera on the ATIV is also very passable and I found outside shots in auto mode to look better than the Icon. I have S4 accessories that work and used my wireless charging insert to give me that feature as well. The feejl in hand is excellent and being able to turn on the phone with the Windows button is great. Speaker volume and speaker phone works great, no worse than the Icon.

 

[el_mono70]

Woke up this morning and LTE indicator was still present. Went to work in Long Beach and I'm back to H/H+. No complaints, just didn't expect it. By the way, I reside in the Torrance area. As far as Icon vs SE. Their both fantasitc phones, that much nicer with 8.1 installed. I enjoy the light weight of the SE and the fact that the volume switch is on the opposite side. The user replaceable battery and microSD support are both really appreciated as well. The screen is also a little bit better on the SE. I have the pinkish tint on the bottom of my Icon's screen. Maybe Samsung keeps the "better batch" of Amoled's for themselves(kind of kidding about that).
el mono
P.S. As I mentioned in first post I'm on AT&T.

 

[brau0303]

el_mono70, I am in the same situation and am very much liking the SE (Even had the Icon) the SE has some features like the SD expansion that are a must for me. One question, have you been able to get MMS working correctly on AT&T? I have searched and tried many things and not had success with that one thing.

Cheers,
BR

 

[el_mono70]

Hey brau0303. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it as much as I am. I'm even pleased to say that battery life looks to be pretty good post 8.1 update. I haven't had an opportunity to try out mms. I just assumed it wouldn't work. I'll update when I get a chance to try it out. At work until late this evening.
As an aside: went home last night - lte back on. Back to work and I'm back to h/h+. It really doesn't bother me either way. It is just that I didn't think it would support any on AT&T's bands.
el mono

 

[JoeRollerfan]

-This is a big one. I had a WiQiQi charging pad for an S4. It goes inside the battery cover, attaching to two terminals and covering most of the battery, but it works with the factory back cover. Guess what? Works like a champ with the ATIV SE. So, for me at least, wireless charging is handled with no added expense (I think the cost when I bought it was $50 with the adapter and the pad). Cool... the cases for the S4 don't work, but this nifty wireless charging thing did...

Whoa, I didn't even know you could add wireless charging to those phones. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Tomad9#AC]

How is the camera compared to the Nokia Icon?
Thanks

 

[dabeast622]

Guys ... Are you having any issues with this phone and v8.1 ... my phone gets stuck on the lock screen, and I can't do anything but soft reset the phone with VOL UP and Power. It has also happened to me immediately after hanging up from a phone call ... it's almost like the touchscreen just completely stops working for some reason. Just did a Hard reset ... hopefully that fixes it.

 

[A895]

How is the camera compared to the Nokia Icon?
Thanks

From reports here on WPCentral, it`s good but the Icon has better Low light shots. It depends on whether you take more low light shots or not. For everyday shooting, it`s good.

 

[ret18057]

The camera on the Icon is better. No doubt. The difference between these phones may come down to, do you want a camera that can make phone calls, or a phone that can take decent pictures?

 

[admorris#AC]

The camera on the Icon is better. No doubt. The difference between these phones may come down to, do you want a camera that can make phone calls, or a phone that can take decent pictures?

There are a lot more difference than that. The feel of the phones are totally different. I went to Verizon yesterday not sure of which of the two I was going to walk out with. I sincerely had not decided as I entered the store. I played with both for a good half hour or more...taking pictures, sending texts etc, and I walked out with the Ativ with absolutely 0 regrets. The phone just felt much better in hand than the Icon. The pictures looked as good if not a little better on the Ativ, and I didn't have to worry about using a different app to get full exposure etc. The addition of a removable battery, a larger battery, and an SD card just made it a no brainer for me. I guess if you're huge in to pictures and post processing on a computer, maybe the Icon has the edge, but that is such a small advantage for all of the Ativ advantages, that I just couldn't go Nokia.





Sent from my SM-W750V using Tapatalk

 

[Tomad9#AC]

The camera on the Icon is better. No doubt. The difference between these phones may come down to, do you want a camera that can make phone calls, or a phone that can take decent pictures?

I have the 928 now and it takes very good pics. The reason I would upgrade is battery life and speed, but I would not want to give up camera. I use my phone mostly as a phone, 2 - 3 hours of phone talk daily if not more. The 2nd most important feature is the camera. With kids I always find myself grabbing my phone to take a picture. I have a great P&S and a pocket camera which I always leave at home. Always have phone on me though. So I hear about the Icon and most say the camera is a nice improvement over Icon, but I would not like to take a step back with Samsung. Problem is there is no-one I personally know with an Icon or ATIV to see 1st hand. Store just doesn't do it. Appreciate all the details you give. Thanks

 

[ret18057]

So, some other thoughts, it was subtle, but I noticed today that the vibrate on the ATIV is "better" (more noticable? more powerful?) than the Icon. So, for me, that was a good thing.

Also, I don't know if this is an ATIV or an 8.1 issue, but it seems I "activate" Cortana accidentally very often...any contact with the search button, and I mean any contact, activates it. For example, I use BodBot for my workouts (highly recommend, they update the WP app more than any other developer I deal with), and when I place the phone in my pocket between reps, it almost always wakes up Cortana. The pressure from the phone against my leg, through my shorts. I'll have to play with it and see if there is a way to increase the press and hold time to activate it, if not, MS, get on that...

 

[12Danny123]

Glad you guys like the ATIV SE. I sure love my Samsung ATIV S . Love the removable battery and micro SD Slot

PS: ugh I looooove the physical Windows Key on Samsung WPs

 

[ret18057]

Just for giggles, it's not a pound for pound comparison, but here are two shots, first from the ATIV, second from the Icon...

 

[mary beth hale]

**UPDATE:**

So, after a week, I "think" the ATIV will be my device. I like the slimmer profile, and the camera is good enough for me. The wireless charging (with adapter) and SD card makes it an easier choice.

I'll tell you this, I don't see this phone drawing away any Android users. For the same money, you get an S5 with all the latest bells and whistles, and full app support. There will have to be a watershed moment where WP gets that app support, or something to generate buzz, to attract more people. As it stands, folks like me that just want out of the Google ecosystem are the only ones who are going to convert. This phone is a great "gateway" for someone coming over, but WP isn't there yet to ENTICE people to move over. The Icon was ALMOST there, but the lack of SD and Glance, and the two picture thing, made it less appealing to a generalized end user like me. Nokia has it's fan base, but so far that yields them less than 4% of the market.

Oh, FWIW, the single press of the Windows key lights up the screen, no fumbling for the power button. +Samsung.
...

I am not a huge app user, but for anyone I've spoken to about switching to windows phone, this is the #1 concern. The OS itself runs beautifully and (for me) is a pleasure to use. unfortunately the app issue is a vicious circle. devs, retailers,banks etc, aren't likely to invest in app development for an OS that has a small market share but that same OS has problems gaining a larger market share without having a solid, robust app library. Damn.
By the way, I love having that physical home button on my Ativ S as well. Thanks for all the info

 

[el_mono70]

Mary Beth it is a vicious cycle. I contacted Lexicomp support (arguably the best drug database) about wp8 and the response was complete indifference. A few years ago (wp7) era and at least they expressed some interest. The complete lack of quality med apps really hurts the platform(imho).
Ret18057, I also seem to activate Cortana half the time I open the action center.
Nevertheless, I love this phone. As an aside, mms doesn't seem to work with AT&T as I expected.
el mono

 

[hawaiilumia]

badly need calendar to be integrated in the action center, the default calendar tile don't give that much of details

 

[brau0303]

Hey el_mono70, thanks for confirming the mms thing (I figured as much but wanted to see if you had found a way). I would have to say that picture taking is about on par with the S4/Note3 (I have both). As to the thought about the SE being a repurposed S4..(chassis is the only thing I am comparing with the S4) I feel that chassis wise there is much more in common with the S4 Active than the regular S4 but the SE is a tad thinner. FYI my S4 Active case fit very well except for the difference in thickness most of the main function & sensor locations line up the same. I hope Samsung does well with the SE and adds more carriers to the SE family.

Cheers
BR

 

[mary beth hale]

badly need calendar to be integrated in the action center, the default calendar tile don't give that much of details

Try Chronos Calendar