Samsung Galaxy Note 8, 64GB, Midnight Black - Fully Unlocked (Renewed)

I had a Samsung Galaxy 5 for a number of years. I don't upgrade frequently, but I finally needed to upgrade to be able to use some newer apps. This Samsung Galaxy 8 Note has been a great upgrade in capability, features, and is compatible with apps that I wanted. I love the slightly larger size and upgrade of features that I used on the Galaxy 5, such as how the Gallery works now. Very pleased with quality and newer technology that comes with this phone. Using available tools, I had no problem transferring content from my older phone. I'm used to Android, so I was able to get apps via either play store or via installing APKs directly. Very happy that I finally upgraded!!!UNFORTUNATE UPDATE - IF PLANNING TO USE AT&TI purchased this phone less than a year ago and have loved it ever since. However, last week I found that I was no longer able to make or receive any phone calls. "Call Ended" would happen every time. After much investigation and trying all recommended suggestions (for a week now), it appears that the model that I have SM-N95OU1 is not compatible with the ATT 4G network, even though the listing for the phone when I bought it clearly says that it is "Cellular Technology 4G, 2G" compatible. I knew that 3G was planned to be phased out and would not have purchased a phone that was not compatible with 4G. My husband's Note 8 (same as mine or so I thought) is a model SM-N95OU (does not have the "1") and it is working with the 4G and making calls fine. The only advise that I have found at the ATT and Samsung support sites is to get another phone or switch carriers (such as T-Mobile). We have a bundled plan with ATT, so switching carriers will be a major change for our household. I am also very unhappy at the thought of having to buy another phone after less than a year - for which I saved a $100 gift card to purchase. I'm not sure what I will eventually decide to do at this point. Perhaps ATT will yet do something to remedy this as it appears to have affected a lot of ATT users. But just want to share this experience and let people know that they should verify which specific model of Note 8 they are getting or they may find that although the WiFi for internet and SMS (for texting) work just fine, they won't be able to make or receive any phone calls on the ATT network if they receive a model SM-N95OU1 - at least not as of today when I am adding this comment to my original review (3/10/2022). I don't know about the compatibility of the SM-N95OU1 model with other plans as of this time (I just saw some users saying that they had gone with T-Mobile as an alternative).FYI, I am not changing my rating for the phone itself. It has been a wonderful phone up until now and it appears (based on my research to date) that this is an issue with the carrier not having included this specific model in the carrier's 4G network (if I am understanding correctly what other users are saying). But the phone has been great, which makes this development ever so much more disappointing.

I must start this review by saying that I have wanted a Samsung Note 8 since they came out in 2017. I owned a Samsung Note 4 and loved it, until it starting overheating and the battery swelled up. It still works but not consistently now. I then had my sights set on the Samsung Note 7, but we all know what happened to those phones' batteries. So for a few years I have been trying out various phones (Motorola, LG, Blackberry) waiting for the best moment to purchase the phone that I've had my sights set on. Finally I came across the phone on Amazon by Hybrid IT. What a great price! Yet at the same time I was a bit nervous about a refurbished phone, although honestly I have owned several and have had mostly good experiences. I finally took the plunge and added the phone to my cart. It took a little longer to come in only due to the current pandemic. It was scheduled to arrive on 4/16/20 but actually surprised me on 4/15/20. I anxiously opened the package and was blown-away! It was in perfect condition! Not a scratch to be found on any part of the phone. It looked brand new. I set the phone up, which was a breeze, and made the decision to use it for a solid week before writing this review. After a week I can tell you that this phone was worth the wait! The battery lasts a solid day and that's with regular usage throughout the day. The colors are vibrant. The response time is as quick or quicker than the newer model Motorola that I was using. There are so many options on this phone, which makes it so much fun to use. The camera works very well and takes solid pictures; it also isn't as complicated as some camera set ups and I prefer that. I am very happy with this phone and hope to be able to use it for several years like I did the Note 4. Would I recommend it to you? Most definitely!

The refurbished phone is great. The refurbished s-pen ... not so much.The new s pen has multi-hardness sensitivity, which sounds great, but this one must be worn down or something because the thickness jumps from ─── to ████ randomly. Try to go lightly as to make the lines thin ─── and it only draws half the time, so if you try to draw a 5 point star, you'll just get a weird broken triangle. Pushing down hard to make it always thick ███ works, but who wants to do that all the time? I wonder if part of the reason was the stylus didn't actually fit inside the cardboard box it was crammed into with the phone.Now as far as the phone is concerned, it was in very good condition. No scratches or scuffs, nothing worn down (inside the phone anyway). And it runs just great. I don't think I ever ran anything on the Note 5 that was slow, so I can't really tell you if normal use is faster, but the VR doesn't shut down after 5 minutes from overheating like the Note 5 did. Glad I didn't bother making one of those DIY cooling units some Gear VR owners have. Also the bluetooth seems to work better because I no longer have to keep it in my right pocket to keep my headphones from dropping out. I'm saddened that they've done away with putting apps in a moveable window, a staple of the Note series. You can still go split screen, and the post-note-4 implementation of smart select still works great, but kiss windowed apps goodbye. The fancy "glitter scribble" feature seems annoying to me, but my Sailor Moon fangirl friends think it's amazing. The curved surface is idiotic, I don't know why they keep pushing it. It's just one more way to make you scream at your phone for accidentally doing something because part of your palm touched something. Also good luck finding a case that protects your phone if it falls on anything other than a completely flat surface. It uses USBC so no more trying to figure out which way the plug goes in. It still supports Qualcom QuickCharge 3, but no Power Delivery. I mean it recognizes it when it sees it, it just doesn't USE it. Considering this phone's ACTUAL predecessor, I think any sane person can understand why it won't accept more than 7 volts.Generally, the Note 8 is a welcome step up from the 5, and given that buying a new s pen from Samsung is only $25, it's still a better economic choice than paying 9 freaking hundred dollars for the thing.