Note 8 and Alternatives !

Choosing the best smartphone at the end of 2017 is a daunting task. Or is it?
No regrets for choosing Note 8 whatsoever!! There are no alternatives. Read along to know why.
BTW I live in India

I was on the mobile hunt to replace my aging Samsung galaxy S5. I watched most of the reviews on youtube(a big Hi to Erica griffin )and read many more reviews to know which was the best smartphone as of December 2017. Then I visited several showrooms to experience many leading brands personally.
So here is the decision making process as to  how and why I zeroed in on Note 8. Note that below mentioned points are before the purchase of Note 8.

On my watch list were Pixel 2 , Pixel 2 XL, iPhone 8+, Note 8, Galaxy S8+ and one plus 5T. Between October and December 2017 all these models were launched along with iPhone 8+ and iPhone X.

So here's how I decided on Note 8. This is purely my perspective, obviously !!Duh...

1. Pixel 2 XL:
Why I Got excited:

1. Pure Android experience.
2. Camera.
3. All day battery.
4. Size.

Why I Dropped it:

1. Screen issues.
2. Too expensive for a sub standard product(Note 8=67K INR and P2XL=82K INR).
3. Too many bugs form reviews.
4. Afraid of google service in India because of just 2nd generation product line.
5. Made by LG.
6. No headphone jack.
7. No wireless charging.
8. Was reading only bad news every week about the Pixel 2XL.

2. Pixel 2:

Why I Got excited:

1. Dropped P2XL.
2. Pure Android experience.
3. Camera.
4. Good battery.
5. Size-Convinced myself that I may not require a big phone.

Why I Dropped it:

1. Too expensive for a small phone.
2. Thick bezels.
3. No head phone jack.
4. Felt like a compromise.

3. iPhone X: 

Why I Got excited:

1. It was the latest and newest design from Apple.
2. it was the iPhone X.
3. Heard there is no lag in iPhones.
4. Camera.
5. Build Quality.
6. 4K Slow motion video.
7. it was THE iPhone X.

Why I Dropped it:

1. Super expensive.
2. Notch -How can anyone ignore it??.
3. Weird gesture UI. There was apparently no reason to change the UI.
4. Lack of touch ID.
5. No headphone jack.
6. Small size.
7. Animoji.
8.  Face ID- its slow and weird compared to touch ID.

4. iPhone 8+:

Why I Got excited:

1. It has touch id.
2. The screen was rectangular without notch.
3. Heard there is no lag in iPhones.
4. Bezels were tolerable.
5. Great processor, same old dependable and intuitive UI.
6. Apple mobile devices ages gracefully.
7. Great user experience.
8. Great Camera.
9. Ideal Screen size.
10. Good Battery back up.

Why I Dropped it:

1. 256 GB model was expensive and 64 GB was insufficient. Face palm, apple...:(
2. Started hating bezels after seeing what i'm getting with Note 8.
3. Screen was pale when compared to Note- 8.
4. After seeing note -8 , I felt iPhone 8 Plus design is too old.
5. No headphone jack.
6. Had no My Files option like in the Android.
7. Was not invested in Apple ecosystem. Just have an iPad 4 and am happy with it.

5. Galaxy S8+: 

Chose Note 8 over S8+ because S8+ was released earlier in the beginning of 2017 and Note 8 had the Dual camera setup and a bigger battery.

6. One Plus 5T: 

I hated One plus 5T because it was a Chinese brand and I read in the news that they were collecting personal information through their phones. So I didn't even consider 5T.

7.  NOTE 8 : 
So finally it was Note 8 which ticked all the boxes:

Why I Decided on Note 8:

1. Less expensive than all the above options but with better features and options
2. Long list of features
3. Build quality
4. Great Camera
5. Ultimate screen-Almost no bezels.
6. No lag, Improved TouchWiz
7. S-Pen
8. SD Card
9. Familiar Android UI for a person coming from S5
10. Headphone Jack-AKG head phones included
11. Serviceability 
12. Bixby and Google assistant- Best of both worlds.

But was against:

1. Fingerprint reader placement
2. Thought the screen might be too big even for my big hands
3. May not use S-pen after honeymoon phase.
4. I thought it is too delicate.

All of my above conclusions were from online reviews and my limited experience by visiting showrooms before the purchase. So below is the post purchase feelings and conclusions. 

All the positives as on Day 1:

1. The Screen: Just for a moment ignore everything and this screen of Note 8....drool......this screen..drool..... is drop dead gorgeous !! How do you even make this Samsung ??!! This is some alien tech for a person coming from S5. This is totally worth every Rupee/paisa(penny). Its like "I just bought Note 8 just to appreciate and admire and stare at this piece of art. It is super high resolution. Ignore the numbers(can check GSM Arena for specs). Very smooth. Just don't read any further. Just go and buy Note 8 if you are on the fence like me  and you will not regret your decision.
2. UI/Lag/ stutters: Don't believe the reviews about lag and stutters in Note 8. There is no such thing. It is absolutely smooth as butter.Don't worry about any speed test or benchmark tests. Just go for Note 8 and experience the silky smooth screen for your fingers to ice-skate.
3. Cost : Less expensive than all the above mentioned options.
4. Camera is superb !! and responsive when launched and switched between gallery!!
5. Got a fast wireless charger too ! 
6. for 68K INR(Approx 1000USD) with EMI and 4K cash back. !!
7.  and a trade in for my S5 !! 
8. and AKG head phones !! 
9. and an SD card slot !! 
10. and a clear Case !! 
11. and a head phone jack
12. It is pocket friendly
13. This Note 8 has far exceeded my expectation beyond imagination !! This blows away the competition and above mentioned models. Just buy it and you won't regret it. 
14. Pretty excited about Bixby too ....you know, to control the phone.
15. "ok google" works fast !
16. S-Pen experience is as real as it gets and very real to the real thing-pen and paper.
17. Samsung pay- it works and quite popular.

Negatives:

1. Fingerprint reader placement is really bad. Not natural at all. Even Samsung makes mistakes but this is really stupid.
2. I thought the length of the phone can be reduced by say 15 mm.
3. Slippery- I always have the feeling that I may drop my phone. I have clear hard case now.
4. Will update if I find any cons in future. 

As you can see its a no-brainer. If you are on the bench, go for Note 8 and you'll enjoy it.