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Remember these pros&cons are figured on stock Phone we got from Samsung, as well as no extra tweaks considered
This is not a review of the phone. The Idea behind this topic is that it has been 10 Months of time SII launched and as usual every cellphone has its own Pros. & Cons.
What you found good and what you think this phone is missing.
From hardware to software, build quality, its Camera, Display, and software update support from Samsung Mobile, Everything, feel free to input your Experience here!!
My Input, Cons.
• Gorilla Glass ?- There are so many Youtube videos to be amazed about the Power of unbreakable and unsearchable Gorilla glass – But many Samsung Galaxy S2 users complaining got scratches!
• The swiping screen lock , that opens the phone is waste of time, as there is a hardware unlock key already.
• Battery Life – Battery life is about Max 14 Hrs and Minimum 10 Hrs on a heavy use after a overnight full charge .
This is standard usage without any tweak .
• No hardware key for camera – It really sucks, If I want to use camera I have to go through the software menu, no hot hardware key to start the camera!
• Plastic Uni body feels cheap in the Hands
• I am missing one touch call answering function like, Iphone or Htc! Swyping from one end to onother is a hassle
My Input, Pros.
• Screens display Quality is superb – bright with vibrant real colors
• The 4.3" Screen size is good enough for games and watching movies, It makes hassle free handling.
• Love the camera’s features like touch focus and pinch to zoom.
• Light weight(119 g)- You don’t feel like carrying it !
• Call quality is good
• Love the video ([email protected] ) quality and the image quality (8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash)
• Phone is running in top speed as it has dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM, experience extremely fast operations all the time.
• Software update: all ready 6-7 leaks of ICS
This is what I experienced with Galaxy SII, now guys your turn
Until now its been a great ride.
Way better than my HTC.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
kachrukamble said:
I am missing one touch call answering function like, Iphone or Htc! Swyping from one end to onother is a hassle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Settings --> Call --> Answering key "Accept incoming calls by pressing the home key".
I presume from your post you've had your phone for nearly 10 months and not found this option.
Let's see what else there was:
Gorilla Glass isn't scratch proof.
Swiping screen unlock prevents phone unlocking itself in your pocket.
Battery life rant, I wouldn't touch your comments on this with a barge pole.
No hardware key for camera - mod exists.
Plastic feel - Get a case
oinkylicious said:
Settings --> Call --> Answering key "Accept incoming calls by pressing the home key".
I presume from your post you've had your phone for nearly 10 months and not found this option.
Let's see what else there was:
Gorilla Glass isn't scratch proof.
Swiping screen unlock prevents phone unlocking itself in your pocket.
Battery life rant, I wouldn't touch your comments on this with a barge pole.
No hardware key for camera - mod exists.
Plastic feel - Get a case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I told it for soft touch key not hard press key
Sent from my HTC EVO 3D X515m using Tapatalk
I've been using it for around 8 months now. I've been able to find solutions to many of my initial complaints. The only disappointment that I can't get over is the wake-up lag. I'm just jealous of friends with HTC phones whose phones turn on instantly. This may seem like a small issue to some people, but I turn on the screen around 200 times a day. 600 ms lost on each one makes it 2 minutes a day lost just waiting for the phone to wake up. In 8 months, I've lost a total of 480 minutes, which makes 8 hours of my life lost just because of this "feature".
The only thing i don't like is: Y S2 NO HAVE TEGRA2 GPU...
1. I have a screen protecter on mine, just to be on the save side.
2. I use widget locker, and made my own lockscreen
3. I got the the 2000mah originale samsung batteri, right now its been running over 19hours, 4h 12min screen on, and I still have 27% on battery.
4. Yeah feels a bit plasticy
5. Try another dialer?
Ive had my SGS2 for over 6months now, all n all im very happy with it.
kachrukamble said:
My Input, Cons.
• Gorilla Glass ?- There are so many Youtube videos to be amazed about the Power of unbreakable and unsearchable Gorilla glass – But many Samsung Galaxy S2 users complaining got scratches!
• The swiping screen lock , that opens the phone is waste of time, as there is a hardware unlock key already.
• Battery Life – Battery life is about Max 14 Hrs and Minimum 10 Hrs on a heavy use after a overnight full charge . This is standard usage without any tweak .
• No hardware key for camera – It really sucks, If I want to use camera I have to go through the software menu, no hot hardware key to start the camera!
• Plastic Uni body feels cheap in the Hands
• I am missing one touch call answering function like, Iphone or Htc! Swyping from one end to onother is a hassle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gorilla glass is not scratch proof, its scratch resistant so its possible to get scratches. Also this is xda so some of your complaints has been worked/fixed on custom roms. I last around 19 hours with wifi on, streaming some vids, some games, a lot of txt message and a few phone calls. Also tons of music. Some roms do have a hardware button for camera. There also is a lockscreen that opens by touch, cant remember the name or where I saw it though. The plastic body is much better than pure glass like the iphone that can break a hell lot more easily than the SGS2.
biohazardious said:
The only thing i don't like is: Y S2 NO HAVE TEGRA2 GPU...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
May be Samsung pushing their own creation
Sent from my HTC EVO 3D X515m using Tapatalk
biohazardious said:
The only thing i don't like is: Y S2 NO HAVE TEGRA2 GPU...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because tegra 2 GPU sucks compared to Mali GPU.
Sent from my GT-I9100
In May I will have owned the S II for a year. My opinion (AFTER I bought the 2000mAh battery and started using superb roms/kernels):
• Awesome phone.
• Really have no complaints at all.
• Battery lasts me enough to get trough each day perfectly fine.
• It's fast
• Easy to hold and fits very good in your pocket
• good camera..
•Great screen, though resolution is not as awesome and future proof. Many phone's with HD res are coming out.
The only small problem is I'm starting to get bored a little bit. But as soon as the ICS madness starts (ROMs, kernels) it will be fun again
My main complaints:
1) I can't type as fast as I used in Nokia qwerty phones I have. Will I ever type as fast as I used to?!
2) Battery life...Uh will I ever get one day with full use?!
3) Notification of Message Delivery is the same as SMS and it confuses me. i wish I could change
4) GPS location sucks!!!
All the rest is simply incredible!
albsat said:
My main complaints:
1) I can't type as fast as I used in Nokia qwerty phones I have. Will I ever type as fast as I used to?!
2) Battery life...Uh will I ever get one day with full use?!
3) Notification of Message Delivery is the same as SMS and it confuses me. i wish I could change
4) GPS location sucks!!!
All the rest is simply incredible!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You will probably never type faster on a touch screen than on a physical keyboard. You can try different keyboards on the market though, and find out what works the best
2. True at that. But every smartphone has this problem..
3. Message delivery? I don't use that, why do you even want it?
4. Might be just me, but I think the GPS location is pretty damn accurate and fast.
My complains:
1. Market works kinda slow with the standard firmware (don't know why, but when I use CM or another mod, the market is like 3x faster).
2. Camera focus!!! worst thing on this phone. It's bugged. When you click to zoom, it will focus and then turn back blurry and show a red square.
3. Kies. Nothing more to say.
4. Couple things in Touch Wizz (app drawer, boring lock screen). It's just too out dated when ICS will be realeased with Touch Wizz, so I'll be forced to use a costum ROM to get the full experience of ICS...
I don't see the plastic phone as a bad thing. In fact, I love it. I laugh at people who accidentaly drop their iPhone and it breaks so quickly. I dropped it several times on a hard floor, nothing happened
+ it makes the phone very light and slim. love it.
I've had mine since June 2011, it replaced a Desire HD, which repaced a Desire..
I LOVE my SII, the batter life is a revelation after the Desire, and especially the Desire HD..
NEVER used a screen protector, only a £2 ebay case, and the screen is totally as new, even though I take it to work as a kitchen fitter every day...
Lanyard facility is a lifesaver for me, has prevented many a drop to the floor, and the only thing I've done FW wise, is to debrand and install stock 2.3.5, although I am REALLY itching to go foe ICS now...
Had the chance to have a play with a friends Sensation a few months back - God it was heavy... Also another friend has the new Nexus running ICS, but again, I prefer the feel and look of the SII..
Mike
Complaints:
1. Although battery life is still dependent upon your usage, still, 1650MAH is a big joke. It should be around 2200-2500MAH.
2. Camera really sucks with low light. The flash light makes it even worse.
3. Echo problem while I am on call. It is really annoying
Other than that, everything is fine. I only moved from SGS to SGS2 for faster lag free performance. I am happy I got what I wanted to have.
Rubbish sound quality
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
SGS2, the best phone there is. I switched it to a WP7 phone which was horrible. Now Im using my Huawei Ideos X5, and now I cry every night after my darling. I just wanted some perspective.
NO HD VIDEO, NO FIRMWARE TO FIX IT
camera useless at low light
pink spot
poor sound
several screen quality issues
yes, I am disappontied, it should be the best phone out there.
well i overall am truly pleased but for a few things..
i had gs2...spent 2 months with an iphone 4s and then returned to gs2...
things that truly are lacking on our device is mostly sound quality and battery life..and the iphone is in both respects, about 3 times better, or maybe more..
sq is pathetic and battery life is a heart attack race..but other than that, its all i ever wanted in a phone.
camera, pink spot shouldnt be there
white should be white, i like to take pictures to books really ruins it.
other than i wish it had xenon flash, i guess nokia really spoil me. too bad i am never touching a nokia phone again.
For those of you that now have this phone, what are your thoughts? I'm liking this phone more and more but do I need it, well, not really. I'm perfectly happy with my Nexus 4 running PA but there's something about this that has me wanting it. I think part of it is the fact that it's kind of the underdog. It will be exciting to see what the dev's come up with, ROM wise. Anyway, my brain is just spinning as usual, haha.
davela72 said:
For those of you that now have this phone, what are your thoughts? I'm liking this phone more and more but do I need it, well, not really. I'm perfectly happy with my Nexus 4 running PA but there's something about this that has me wanting it. I think part of it is the fact that it's kind of the underdog. It will be exciting to see what the dev's come up with, ROM wise. Anyway, my brain is just spinning as usual, haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm coming from a sony X10 but the oppo find 5 is working good, I had no dead pixels everything worked out of the box.
I have some problems with contact syncing and gmail updates. Photographs are beautiful, but HDR is not really good on dark spots. (lots of noise because of ISO value's)
I did not wanted the nexus 4 because of the glass back. But I think I would also be happy with the nexus 4. But it is overpriced in the Netherlands, my oppo is cheaper then the nexus 4.
It is super fast compared to my X10. No idea how fast the nexus 4 is.
I think you can better donate some money to charity instead of buying yet another high-end phone
nice
previous phone: HTC Sensation
+ Display: WOW! youtube trailer in HD and people start peeping their eyes out!
+ Sound: I never heard a phone playing it sounds like this
+ Speed: I changed the default (ugly) launcher to APEX, this give's the phone a better feel
+ Camera: Although my previous phone was already 2 year old hence i cannot compare it to recent in-phone-camera's it looks great
+ Desgin: It is sharp but not too sharp edged, it's light and thin. the phone is big in size but because its slim dimensions you will not notice it in your jeans (unless you wear skinny jeans i guess, but who does that )
- Temperature when under load, i feel the device is getting pretty warm, your hands start being sweatty.
- Stock UI
Display
Simply Amazing. Bright & Crisp.
However, the screen responsiveness to your touch isn't very good. I find myself having to tap many things twice or three times to get it registered.Battery
Terrible. It seems to be draining even while sleeping.
My usual morning routine, I unplugged the phone from the charger. It's charged to 100% over night. I do a few light tasks like replying to text messages, flipping through Flipboard, see one 30 sec YouTube video, brightness setting at 50%.
After 20 minutes of usage, my battery gotten down from 100% to 78%.Speaker
Nice and loud. Best, I have ever heard. But, when you lay it on its back, the speaker will be completely muffled.Camera
Sucks. 13MP only in spirit. Colors are over saturated. And, the balance isn't there. Lots of graininess in images, even in ample light. Also, don't use the LED flash. Your pictures will be almost all blown white. Absolutely no setting like macro, scene mode, white balance, panaroma, etc.. Just point and shoot and hope for the best...and often times, it isn't.
My 8MP Nexus and 5MP iPad Mini can take picture and video much better.Stock Launcher
The widgets are fugly. Period.Build Quality
Strong like my unibody Macbook Pro. However, the power and volume rockers shifts around. The micro USB port is weak. I feel like I'm gonna break that port anytime soon.Software
Random reboots at least twice or three times a day. No idea why. I feel like I'm using Windows 95 all over again. Oh, and Gmail doesn't open up. Yeah, seriously, Gmail DOES NOT work on this phone. I have to use the other mail app instead. Latest firmware & Gmail update.
Software is actually 4.1, not 4.2. Coming from Nexus 4, that was a let down. I miss the swype style keyboard on 4.2.ROM
Currently, as of late March, no ROMsSide Note
USB wall charger & headphones look EXACTLY like the ones for iPhones. Apple will be calling them soon, if not already.
Conclusion
Beauty & the Beast.......okay, maybe just the Beauty and not much else.
Interesting perspective, thanks for sharing. Hopefully a lot of these things can be fixed with future updates. What's the deal with the Gmail not working and is this something that OPPO is aware of?
I really am happy with the phone. Looks great and stands out in the crowd. Screen is fabulous. It's a new kid on the block, so there are a few things that are not quite there yet. But it seems Oppo are really working hard to make a proper go at this. So far weekly updates and regular fixes. I attached a simple benchmark to give you an idea of the spec. I'm sure there are better performers out there, but it seems to hold it's own!
It seems that my take is a lot different than other peoples on the board, or maybe I got really lucky and got the perfect unit, My Droid DNA is in my drawer and my Oppo Find 5 is sitting on my coffee table right now. All I have to say is wow I am really quite surprised with the device, and I have a Droid DNA now, and my previous device was HTC One X International Version. So I have saw some very nice displays lately, and the Oppo Find 5 is right up there with the best of them, it handles its own. The only fault was that I got my Oppo Find 5 with 1 stuck pixel, you don't even notice it only if you look for it when it’s on the black part while its booting up, once the screen comes on you can’t even see it.
+ Display is really NICE! 1 pixel stuck, on par with Droid DNA SLCD3 and just as bright so you don't have to turn it up that far and waste battery.
+ Build Quality I can’t say enough about this, this thing feels like I could Drop it off the roof and it would last.
+ The All black front display looks so good just as nice or better than the One X, and it has that nice curve in the glass that makes it nice to use.
+ I haven't tried the stock ear buds, but with my Sony ear buds, this thing sounds great, no distortion at all, with bass high, all amps sound good.
+ The stock speaker is also a pleasant surprise, it sounds really good at high volume levels also, when set right, no distortion and it gets loud
+ I stuck with the default launcher to give it a try and it is pretty smooth, has a really nice settings layout. I may switch, it reminds me of MIUI
+ The camera is just as good as my HTC DNA, I don't remember which review said it was about like about like an 8MP LG, It shots fine pictures.
+ The white matte finish does not leave any fingerprints and the screen must have that stuff to keep fingerprints off it also, it barley gets fingerprints
+ I have ran plenty of benchmarks and my unit did not get hot at all as someone said, maybe I wasn't holding it where it was getting hot at on their device?
+ The complete design is what really shines on this phone on the outside, it looks so sleek, and I have already caught people glancing and looking at it, and I have only owned it for one day, if that says anything at all?
+ or - Don't know enough about battery life yet but so far mine seems to be holding up better today, now that it is on its second charge, With a full HD Display you have got to know how to manage your battery, turn things off that you are not using at the time, it worked on my One X and that thing was a nightmare. On my One X I also disabled all my apps that I didn't ever use. At least until we get Roms that will take out all the bloat junk. Today my battery is doing really well almost 2 hours screen time and 76% left.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- I would have to say that the launcher would have been better stock, but I like trying new things out. I really hope Paranoid Android comes to this phone that will be my rom of choice. I already know CM and MIUI are coming soon.
-- The Ugly widgets, Oppo have so many better widgets on their other phones (Oppo Finder, Oppo Way, Oppo 3?) all those widgets look better IMO. I wish I could replace them somehow by switching APKs; maybe someone knows how and could let me know?
-- Contrast I like the over saturated look we have a developer that is working on a kernel or app to set your display just how you like it, at least I think so anyway?- hopefully we can get this fixed soon I know it’s being worked on by paperweistage and his kernel hopefully he gets it figures out, but if you want to help he is looking for some help in his kernel thread, He is looking for JDI Display white-sheets. So help out if you can
And support our developer, that’s how we eventually get more custom Kernel Roms and Apps. Donate to them a couple dollars for a cold one or a coffee.
-- or + It is a little bit on the heavy side but look how it’s made! Some could call this a negative but I left it neutral because it is well balanced and with a full metal frame inside around it, I don't really mind it weighing 20 extra grams, at least hopefully my phone won’t shatter into a thousand pieces if it falls on the ground.
Add more later after I use it awhile longer.
Stock Find 5 Score
[/IMG]
BELOW MY DROID DNA with a custom kernel, once we get a custom kernel for the Find 5, I think it will do better than the DNA I couldn't get the scores I'm getting with the Find 5 with my DNA when it was stock maybe 18900 or 19500.
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
drvsbsm, awesome review! I was checking the OPPO forums earlier and was really getting mixed thoughts on the phone. I know this phone is new and things are just getting started and I think that is some of what's driving me to it. I remember when the Nokia N9 came out with it's Hartmann/Meego OS, I fell in love with that thing and it was pretty much a dead platform when released. It looks like OPPO is keeping up with bug fixes and putting out updates so that's a good sign. Most of all though, I think the thing is SEXY, a beautiful device.
I'm guessing the vendor on Amazon is the place to get it from, the one located in HK?
Thanks again guys!
Very , very good rewiew !
knite75 said:
Display
Simply AmazingBattery
Terrible. It seems to be draining even while sleepingSpeaker
Nice and loud.Camera
Sucks. My 8MP Nexus and 5MP iPad Mini can take picture and video much better. Absolutely no setting like scene mode, white balance, panaroma, etc in stock camera appStock Launcher
The widgets are fugly. Period.Build Quality
Strong like my unibody Macbook Pro. However, the power and volume rockers shifts around. The micro USB port is weak. I feel like I'm gonna break that port anytime soon.Software
Random reboots at least twice or three times a day. No idea why. I feel like I'm using Windows 95 all over again. Oh, and Gmail doesn't open up. Yeah, seriously, Gmail DOES NOT work on this phone. I have to use the other mail app instead.ROM
Currently, as of late March, no ROMsSide Note
USB wall charger & headphones look EXACTLY like the ones for iPhones. Apple will be calling them soon, if not already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1...... The good think is that the almost everything can be repaired (soft related )
Video camera isn't that very good.
Video is okay if the subject stands still. However, when subject runs or any fast moments, then video gets blurry or ghosting.
For example, here's a video of my daughter at her Taekwondo practice. Notice how she gets blurry when she starts running?
http://youtu.be/ln_2YvN6f78
knite75 said:
Video camera isn't that very good.
Video is okay if the subject stands still. However, when subject runs or any fast moments, then video gets blurry or ghosting.
For example, here's a video of my daughter at her Taekwondo practice. Notice how she gets blurry when she starts running?
http://youtu.be/ln_2YvN6f78
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully this will be addressed as OPPO is releasing an update within a few days for camera related issues.
I have a question about the screen durability. I read somewhere, maybe GSMArena, that the screen rippled very easily and was a bit flexible. That sounds very concerning. I've also heard a few things about poor touchscreen response. This may also be hardware only problem that can't be fixed with any updates.
A lot of these smaller phone makers can just buy off the shelf parts (figuratively) and bulid their own phone. They don't need to develop their own hardware components, just how everything fits together and the overall design. The camera is an Exmor RS from Sony, and the screen is probably a 1080p panel from Sharp. Of course the processor is Qualcomm.
The biggest problem these small relatively no name companies face is the software. It's the brains that makes the smartphone smart, and having a small and inexperienced team, especially while trying to make your own skin, can lead to many shortcomings, from bugs to performance issues to compatibility to poor hardware utilization and battery life. A lot of this stuff even the big boys have trouble with and they have far bigger teams with far more experience. Oppo should go the route that BLU is taking in the future. BLU has a really horrible skin, allegedly, and unstable and buggy phones, but they are supposedly putting stock Android on their new Life series line of phones.
From what I've gathered, the screen is made by JDI?
katamari201 said:
I have a question about the screen durability. I read somewhere, maybe GSMArena, that the screen rippled very easily and was a bit flexible. That sounds very concerning. I've also heard a few things about poor touchscreen response. This may also be hardware only problem that can't be fixed with any updates.
A lot of these smaller phone makers can just buy off the shelf parts (figuratively) and bulid their own phone. They don't need to develop their own hardware components, just how everything fits together and the overall design. The camera is an Exmor RS from Sony, and the screen is probably a 1080p panel from Sharp. Of course the processor is Qualcomm.
The biggest problem these small relatively no name companies face is the software. It's the brains that makes the smartphone smart, and having a small and inexperienced team, especially while trying to make your own skin, can lead to many shortcomings, from bugs to performance issues to compatibility to poor hardware utilization and battery life. A lot of this stuff even the big boys have trouble with and they have far bigger teams with far more experience. Oppo should go the route that BLU is taking in the future. BLU has a really horrible skin, allegedly, and unstable and buggy phones, but they are supposedly putting stock Android on their new Life series line of phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen is from JDI. seems pretty sturdy to me. They seem to be keeping on top of things. But they have a very good reputation in the high end Av community. It's also not their 1st phone. Just their first soiree in the international market.
I have had my Find 5 for more than a week now sans screen protector. Unfortunately, there are lots of micro scratches already. And, I'm very conscious about where I put and use my phone.
Same practice, my Nexus 4 fair much better even after six months of usage.
All in all, have screen protector or don't have too long of finger nails.
katamari201 said:
I have a question about the screen durability. I read somewhere, maybe GSMArena, that the screen rippled very easily and was a bit flexible. That sounds very concerning. I've also heard a few things about poor touchscreen response. This may also be hardware only problem that can't be fixed with any updates.
A lot of these smaller phone makers can just buy off the shelf parts (figuratively) and bulid their own phone. They don't need to develop their own hardware components, just how everything fits together and the overall design. The camera is an Exmor RS from Sony, and the screen is probably a 1080p panel from Sharp. Of course the processor is Qualcomm.
The biggest problem these small relatively no name companies face is the software. It's the brains that makes the smartphone smart, and having a small and inexperienced team, especially while trying to make your own skin, can lead to many shortcomings, from bugs to performance issues to compatibility to poor hardware utilization and battery life. A lot of this stuff even the big boys have trouble with and they have far bigger teams with far more experience. Oppo should go the route that BLU is taking in the future. BLU has a really horrible skin, allegedly, and unstable and buggy phones, but they are supposedly putting stock Android on their new Life series line of phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New firmware 328,it has camera fixes...
No marked improvement or fixes to camera with latest firmware.
Just new feature: panorama.
Oppo should focus on fixing all the basic camera problems, rather than, adding gimmick useless feature.
knite75 said:
No marked improvement or fixes to camera with latest firmware.
Just new feature: panorama.
Oppo should focus on fixing all the basic camera problems, rather than, adding gimmick useless feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow knite please get back to your iphone.
They tweaked a bit around with the iso settings. But not something really spectaculair.
At least they did something. Most companies will be like :"DEAL WITH IT!"
Haas8 said:
Wow knite please get back to your iphone.
They tweaked a bit around with the iso settings. But not something really spectaculair.
At least they did something. Most companies will be like :"DEAL WITH IT!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most company would release software when it's ready and in decent condition for general public consumption... Not beta....or alpha in this case.
Check the camera... Aside from poor image quality.... Do see any basic features like:
Macro
White Balance
Scene Mode
As a matter of fact, on Oppo forums, lots of threads and discussion on how poor the pictures and video are turning out... Oppo just ignore them...basically, saying "DEAL WITH IT!"
Instead, they spent their finite limited development resources in adding useless Panorama feature. When is the last time you took a panorama picture, aside from just wanting to see how it works?
I took a panorama earlier at dinner actually. I did the update out of the box and didn't know it added that so that's cool lol.
Sent from my X909 using xda premium
My main phone is currently the Nexus 4 and my work phone is the iPhone 4S with ios7, which I'm looking forward to retiring, iOS does nothing for me on mobile any more - plus the wifey wants the 4s as she doesn't like her 5, I do like it on the (aging) iPad 3rd gen for garageband and infinity blade, but that's by the by, I really want to replace it with the Nexus as my work phone and a new phone for my main phone and stop using iOS on mobile completely - the way I see it, there are 2 options, as I would LOVE to go for a windows phone, but even the best of them the Lumia 1020 is old news in terms of hardware, though the system has potential.
The two contenders for best non-vanilla Android phone of the year (it is fair to assume that nothing better will come out this year, excluding the potential Nexus 5) are the Note 3 and the LG G2 (IMO).
The LG kills it in terms of having a very useful feature-packed but still light UI based on the TW roms but it looks to be lag-free and not junked up with too much purely-gimmicky stuff. I like the simple yet innovative move of the unlock/vol/camera button to the back of the phone and the fact that you can customise the main button bar on stock as standard.
The Note 3 goes balls-out blazing with the all-new 3gig ram compared to the 2, massive phablet screen and extra storage, as well as the S-Pen and all of the TW gimmicks, extras and cool features you'd expect. It will have at-least the same snapdragon 800 processor, if not clocked higher, a better battery life and potentially better camera, and there could also be a second octa-core version, also it has a minimum of 32GB storage and an expandable slot (i forget if the LG has a slot) which makes it a perfect media device to boot.
Which will win the battle of the 2013 titans and which would you choose for yourself, and which would you recommend for others (we all know that sometimes we would choose something different as nerds than what we would recommend for others xD)?
So far, I'm leaning towards the Note 3 depending on what price I can get it on a contract with a decent LTE package on, but I'm open to being swayed by the G2.
What are your thoughts?
dodgebizkit said:
My main phone is currently the Nexus 4 and my work phone is the iPhone 4S with ios7, which I'm looking forward to retiring, iOS does nothing for me on mobile any more - plus the wifey wants the 4s as she doesn't like her 5, I do like it on the (aging) iPad 3rd gen for garageband and infinity blade, but that's by the by, I really want to replace it with the Nexus as my work phone and a new phone for my main phone and stop using iOS on mobile completely - the way I see it, there are 2 options, as I would LOVE to go for a windows phone, but even the best of them the Lumia 1020 is old news in terms of hardware, though the system has potential.
The two contenders for best non-vanilla Android phone of the year (it is fair to assume that nothing better will come out this year, excluding the potential Nexus 5) are the Note 3 and the LG G2 (IMO).
The LG kills it in terms of having a very useful feature-packed but still light UI based on the TW roms but it looks to be lag-free and not junked up with too much purely-gimmicky stuff. I like the simple yet innovative move of the unlock/vol/camera button to the back of the phone and the fact that you can customise the main button bar on stock as standard.
The Note 3 goes balls-out blazing with the all-new 3gig ram compared to the 2, massive phablet screen and extra storage, as well as the S-Pen and all of the TW gimmicks, extras and cool features you'd expect. It will have at-least the same snapdragon 800 processor, if not clocked higher, a better battery life and potentially better camera, and there could also be a second octa-core version, also it has a minimum of 32GB storage and an expandable slot (i forget if the LG has a slot) which makes it a perfect media device to boot.
Which will win the battle of the 2013 titans and which would you choose for yourself, and which would you recommend for others (we all know that sometimes we would choose something different as nerds than what we would recommend for others xD)?
So far, I'm leaning towards the Note 3 depending on what price I can get it on a contract with a decent LTE package on, but I'm open to being swayed by the G2.
What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If those 2 are your choices I'd say note 3 all day. The only significant feature g2 has over note is the Optical Image Stabilization in my opinion. Don't forget custom roms should equalize any differences in software features between the phones.
You mentioned the lumia 1020, If you actually like Windows Phone 8 and you like taking pictures then get the lumia 1020. You said the hardware is outdated but the thing is, on WP8 hardware is almost never outdated, that os is so damn friendly to the processor/screen/ram. It will probably be a while till 1020 is overthrown in terms of camera quality. (look how long the 808 held its throne). Still that operating system leaves a lot to be desired, maybe the new update will bring more functionality to it. It is beautiful though, no doubt about that...
For all the comparison I see about the hardware, how similar they are and aren't, and the talk of TW vs whatever LG is using, I think it comes down to something altogether simpler: Do you want a phone or a phablet?
I do understand comparing the other stuff though, and if LG makes a G2 Pro then it'll be pretty relevant. I don't think the hardware difference is that notable. I'm pretty disappointed with the GS4's TW though, and the G2's UI actually seems pretty useful. I will give TW on the Note 3 a fair chance before judging it though. But if it lags and feels as bloated as the GS4's does, it'll probably really irritate me. I'm personally stuck with Verizon, so I'm operating on the assumption of using it completely stock given the trend of them locking things down to hell.
DHM078 said:
For all the comparison I see about the hardware, how similar they are and aren't, and the talk of TW vs whatever LG is using, I think it comes down to something altogether simpler: Do you want a phone or a phablet?
I do understand comparing the other stuff though, and if LG makes a G2 Pro then it'll be pretty relevant. I don't think the hardware difference is that notable. I'm pretty disappointed with the GS4's TW though, and the G2's UI actually seems pretty useful. I will give TW on the Note 3 a fair chance before judging it though. But if it lags and feels as bloated as the GS4's does, it'll probably really irritate me. I'm personally stuck with Verizon, so I'm operating on the assumption of using it completely stock given the trend of them locking things down to hell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DHM, I don't see how that matters though seeing as how custom development always alleviates any software woes... I hear the note 3 may be challenging to develop for initially but i doubt that people will have to wait long given how incredibly popular this phone is.
I'm sorry i'm assuming that everyone is comfortable customizing their phones with roms. Given that someone would not deviate from a stock experience then i see how the launcher may affect someones purchasing decision. I guess after using custom roms for the past 5 years i just take that for granted.
I'm getting a Note 3 only because the G2 doesn't have expandable sd slot or removable battery. Plus I've never owned a Note device so I'm curious to have one. The GPro is awesome and I plan on keeping it as my personal phone. Note 3 will be for work!
systoxity said:
DHM, I don't see how that matters though seeing as how custom development always alleviates any software woes... I hear the note 3 may be challenging to develop for initially but i doubt that people will have to wait long given how incredibly popular this phone is.
I'm sorry i'm assuming that everyone is comfortable customizing their phones with roms. Given that someone would not deviate from a stock experience then i see how the launcher may affect someones purchasing decision. I guess after using custom roms for the past 5 years i just take that for granted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am perfectly comfortable modifying my phones. I've been using custom software pretty much exclusively basically since I started with smartphones. That's not my point. I have a lot of faith in the developers here, they've accomplished amazing things and have defeated the manufacturers time and time again. But I'm trying not to take it for granted. With how freaking locked up Verizon phones specifically have been as of late, I am not going to buy a phone on the assumption that I'll just be able to toss out the stock stuff. I tend to be pretty optimistic about things getting cracked, but I also think that it will very likely take a while. So I will consider the stock firmware when purchasing a phone as there's a pretty damn good chance I'll be stuck on it for quite some time before it gets cracked.
A good amount of caution is always wise. Guess everyone just has to weigh what features matter to them most and then try to make an informed decision when selecting between phones.
systoxity said:
If those 2 are your choices I'd say note 3 all day. The only significant feature g2 has over note is the Optical Image Stabilization in my opinion. Don't forget custom roms should equalize any differences in software features between the phones.
You mentioned the lumia 1020, If you actually like Windows Phone 8 and you like taking pictures then get the lumia 1020. You said the hardware is outdated but the thing is, on WP8 hardware is almost never outdated, that os is so damn friendly to the processor/screen/ram. It will probably be a while till 1020 is overthrown in terms of camera quality. (look how long the 808 held its throne). Still that operating system leaves a lot to be desired, maybe the new update will bring more functionality to it. It is beautiful though, no doubt about that...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure the note 3 has smart stabilization as well. samsung's take on ois. correct?
and g2 doesnt have sdcard, no removable battery and no stylus throws it out for me.
oneandroidnut said:
Pretty sure the note 3 has smart stabilization as well. samsung's take on ois. correct?
and g2 doesnt have sdcard, no removable battery and no stylus throws it out for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its got digital which according to the internet is trash compared to optical (almost all phones use digital stabilization). Digital apparently is good for reducing shake during videos but does nothing to fight blur from taking pictures in low light. Low light photography involves dropping the shutter speed allowing more light in, any tremors in the shooters hands can then cause blur in the picture, effectively "smearing" the image over the sensor. Optical Stabilization involves physically moving the lens to compensate for movement while the shutter is open.
I'm going to google the subject some more and see if i can get some comparison shots... I have no idea just how much of a difference optical makes so i'm left with only what i've read and we all know how accurate the internet can be some times...
Update* Well.... according to the internet the answer is.. A lot. Take that with a grain of salt though lmao. here's some comparison shots: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/ISComparison.png/240px-ISComparison.png and http://www.digicamhelp.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/is-on-off_large.jpg
systoxity said:
Its got digital which according to the internet is trash compared to optical (almost all phones use digital stabilization). Digital apparently is good for reducing shake during videos but does nothing to fight blur from taking pictures in low light. Low light photography involves dropping the shutter speed allowing more light in, any tremors in the shooters hands can then cause blur in the picture, effectively "smearing" the image over the sensor. Optical Stabilization involves physically moving the lens to compensate for movement while the shutter is open.
I'm going to google the subject some more and see if i can get some comparison shots... I have no idea just how much of a difference optical makes so i'm left with only what i've read and we all know how accurate the internet can be some times...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there was a video of the g2 showing off the ois and it looked like a joke. let me see if i can find it. friend sent to me in a facebook message. but wasnt impressive to me. and true it may not be true optical but im not that concerned with it. And what you mean the internet is always true!?!?! haha
Rofl yeah the T.V. too. I'd be interested to see that video you saw. i'll check back here for updates. I updated my post with supposed pictures of OIS on vs off.
systoxity said:
Rofl yeah the T.V. too. I'd be interested to see that video you saw. i'll check back here for updates. I updated my post with supposed pictures of OIS on vs off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think this is it.......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjcqtCo-bq4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
You know the LG G2 and Note 3 are in two different product categories right? There is a big size difference between the two. You have been using sub 5" phones. Have you tried out a phablet at the store? Borrow one to try out and pocket? The LG G2 is no bigger than last year's Galaxy S3 and packs a 5.2" whereas the Note 3 is still very much a phablet and bigger than the Optimus G Pro.
They use two different screen technologies. Do you want Super AMOLED or IPS LCD? It makes a big difference for some people. Check it out at the store.
Do you want removable battery and microSD? The LG G2 has none of these, but that makes the phone unibody and more durable, no annoying seams and creaks. The Note 3 has both, but you have to deal with a flimsy back cover. I've owned nothing but Samsung phones for the past few years. I really hate the creaky back covers that eventually get loose and aren't flush anymore.
Do you want a stylus? Have you tried using it? I've owned the Note 1 and 2 and beyond playing with the stylus for a couple hours, never pulled it out again. Some surveys out there say 90% of Note owners don't even use the stylus at all. The stylus is way too small to hold for me and the button impossible to push. It's slippery and unnatural when writing on the screen. No friction. The accuracy isn't much better than a finger either, so don't expect to be able to scribble really small text or fit more than a few words per line, or do anything more than doodling. I'm not a big writing or doodling person, and you might find it useful, but I'd rather type out something on a keyboard, or quickly finger a note (the LG G2 has quick note taking apps as well) than have to pull out the stylus and clutch the thin stylus.
The reviews of the LG G2 have shown some pretty great battery life. Lg has G-RAM, which saves battery on a static screen, and also packs 3000mah in a 5.2" phone. LG's ROM doesn't seem as bloated as Touchwiz either. The Note 3, which is a whopping 0.5" bigger, only upped the battery by 100mah to 3200mah from the Note 2, and doesn't have G-RAM. a Full RGB AMOLED panel at 5.7" is gonna suck a lot of battery, especially when at max brightness. All signs point to the LG G2 having the better battery life.
Both have 13MP Exmor RS cameras made by Sony with optical image stabilization. They are about as good as the OIS in the HTC One, basically not very good. It is no where near the kind of smoothness the Lumia 920/925/1020 can achieve. It is because they aren't willing to go the extra mile and make the camera module bigger for better OIS. The pictures are roughly the same, since they are they same sensor after all. It's down to which type of post-processing you like more. The LG G2 has a nasty autofocusing issue in video that makes the image bounce around like a diaphragm. It may be fixed by release time (or not).
Do you like side buttons or buttons on the back? You'll have to try the LG G2 out in person to see if you like the back buttons. Do you like on-screen buttons or Samsung style shoved to the bottom buttons? I'm not a fan of onscreen buttons, but LG's ability to customize them, as well as the infinitely useful double tap to turn on, are turning me around. I honestly hate the home button and the shoved down to the corner capacitive buttons on Galaxy phones. How many times have I backed out of the camera or screwed something else because of accidental button presses? And going from soft taps to a hard push for the home button is still jarring. It's not a quick or reassuring process. Apple makes way better home buttons than Samsung.
This is my dilemma as well. I already have a Note 2 but was thinking about getting something smaller/different. But when you add up everything the Note 3 comes out on top.
Note 3 pro's when compared to the G2
Removable battery
SD card
More Ram
32gig off the bat (I still don't know if the Verizon G2 is 16gig or 32gig)
S-Pen
I like the look off touchwiz better than LG
USB 3
Universal accessories
More popular
Don't know about LG update track record
4.3 out the box
Love the blacks and colors on the screen but not the brightness
LG G2 pro's when compared to the Note 3.
Smaller
$100 less expensive (If at 32gig)
Different phone from the Note series
Double tap to wake out the box
Like the idea of having the buttons on the back
Brighter screen
Better camera with optical image stabilization
katamari201 said:
You know the LG G2 and Note 3 are in two different product categories right? There is a big size difference between the two. You have been using sub 5" phones. Have you tried out a phablet at the store? Borrow one to try out and pocket? The LG G2 is no bigger than last year's Galaxy S3 and packs a 5.2" whereas the Note 3 is still very much a phablet and bigger than the Optimus G Pro.
I had the Note 2 and loved it. Size is no issue for me. I 6'4" and have big hands. Can reach all parts of note 2 no problem. This shows you that i want a bigger phone. S4 is too small for my taste. Wish Note 3 was 6 inches!
They use two different screen technologies. Do you want Super AMOLED or IPS LCD? It makes a big difference for some people. Check it out at the store.
Wish the note 3 or G2 looked as good as the HTC One but i can live with either one of them not a huge deal both of their ppi and resolution are fine.
Do you want removable battery and microSD? The LG G2 has none of these, but that makes the phone unibody and more durable, no annoying seams and creaks. The Note 3 has both, but you have to deal with a flimsy back cover. I've owned nothing but Samsung phones for the past few years. I really hate the creaky back covers that eventually get loose and aren't flush anymore.
Yes i want a removable back and microSD card. Love being able to charge a spare battery with the sammy charger and slapping in phone and not having to worry about plugging in my phone. And unibody has been perfected by the HTC One. I have had the S3, Note 2 and S4 and not had creaking or gaps/loose etc. Im going to put a spigen case on it anyways.
Do you want a stylus? Have you tried using it? I've owned the Note 1 and 2 and beyond playing with the stylus for a couple hours, never pulled it out again. Some surveys out there say 90% of Note owners don't even use the stylus at all. The stylus is way too small to hold for me and the button impossible to push. It's slippery and unnatural when writing on the screen. No friction. The accuracy isn't much better than a finger either, so don't expect to be able to scribble really small text or fit more than a few words per line, or do anything more than doodling. I'm not a big writing or doodling person, and you might find it useful, but I'd rather type out something on a keyboard, or quickly finger a note (the LG G2 has quick note taking apps as well) than have to pull out the stylus and clutch the thin stylus.
Comes from the Note 2 as i have stated before i dont use on a daily basis but plenty of times do i like having out its just easier to do some things with and some things it isnt. And i could write 10x more accurately with s pen then my finger.
The reviews of the LG G2 have shown some pretty great battery life. Lg has G-RAM, which saves battery on a static screen, and also packs 3000mah in a 5.2" phone. LG's ROM doesn't seem as bloated as Touchwiz either. The Note 3, which is a whopping 0.5" bigger, only upped the battery by 100mah to 3200mah from the Note 2, and doesn't have G-RAM. a Full RGB AMOLED panel at 5.7" is gonna suck a lot of battery, especially when at max brightness. All signs point to the LG G2 having the better battery life.
If i remember correctly back to my Note 2 the battery life was very impressive and this phone has a snapdragon 800 and 3 GB of ram and 100 mah bigger and everything i have seen is that the snapdragon 800 conserves power so both phones should be beasts at battery.
Both have 13MP Exmor RS cameras made by Sony with optical image stabilization. They are about as good as the OIS in the HTC One, basically not very good. It is no where near the kind of smoothness the Lumia 920/925/1020 can achieve. It is because they aren't willing to go the extra mile and make the camera module bigger for better OIS. The pictures are roughly the same, since they are they same sensor after all. It's down to which type of post-processing you like more. The LG G2 has a nasty autofocusing issue in video that makes the image bounce around like a diaphragm. It may be fixed by release time (or not).
Camera isnt a big deal breaker the S4 camera was fine for my liking so getting the same on the note 3 isnt a huge deal breaker but would have liked to see some improvements and upwards of 20 mp.
Do you like side buttons or buttons on the back? You'll have to try the LG G2 out in person to see if you like the back buttons. Do you like on-screen buttons or Samsung style shoved to the bottom buttons? I'm not a fan of onscreen buttons, but LG's ability to customize them, as well as the infinitely useful double tap to turn on, are turning me around. I honestly hate the home button and the shoved down to the corner capacitive buttons on Galaxy phones. How many times have I backed out of the camera or screwed something else because of accidental button presses? And going from soft taps to a hard push for the home button is still jarring. It's not a quick or reassuring process. Apple makes way better home buttons than Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I havent played with a G2 yet but i dont like the idea of back buttons. awkward hump on the back and tough to get to i think when in hand. And i agree i hate on screen buttons. Samsung buttons at the bottom are just fine with me. I cant remember a time where i accidental closed an app or process due to a button press. I love being able to wake the screen with just a press of the home button. Just as easy as the G2 double tap. Swipe to wake and swipe to sleep would be better like i have on my nexus 7. And Apple does NOTHING YES NOTHING better then android!
katamari201 said:
The reviews of the LG G2 have shown some pretty great battery life. Lg has G-RAM, which saves battery on a static screen, and also packs 3000mah in a 5.2" phone. LG's ROM doesn't seem as bloated as Touchwiz either. The Note 3, which is a whopping 0.5" bigger, only upped the battery by 100mah to 3200mah from the Note 2, and doesn't have G-RAM. a Full RGB AMOLED panel at 5.7" is gonna suck a lot of battery, especially when at max brightness. All signs point to the LG G2 having the better battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Panel Self Refresh (PSR) is what LG terms as G-RAM. It has been in Exynos 5250 for a year now.
To maximize power efficiencies at the system level, the Exynos 5250 has an embedded DisplayPort (eDP) interface that is compliant with panel self-refresh technology (PSR) applied to the timing controller (T-CON). The embedded PSR technology enables static images to be refreshed directly from the frame buffer memory incorporated in the T-CON, resolving the need for regular display refresh instructions to be made by the application processor in cases such as reading static web pages or e-books.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, it has Envelope Tracking tech from Qualcomm, actually the first of it's kind.
Looking at the benchmarks, I think we are looking at higher binned AB version of 800 SOC.
It already has the latest 3GB memory module from Samsung.
I am just waiting to check if they are using the new eMMC 5.0 in GN3.
Motorola has made use of Samsung's F2FS file system in Moto X. It has been very well reviewed by Anandtech. I think Samsung will also start using their F2FS in their products, afterall they designed it.
These are some of the techinical aspects of GN3 I am interested in. I don't think in anyway it's going to have a bad batterylife. Infact Samsung already mentioned in their keynote that they expect 3-4 hours more video playback as compared to GN2. GN2 already had a monster batterylife. This will be even better.
FinancialWar said:
I would get the iPhone 5s.
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Click to collapse
I hope that you are kidding me.:laugh:
Hi.
That are the right questions!
According to the Snapdragon artice on Wikipedia, it has not the faster AB Version of the S800 SoC.
But according to this Benchmark Comparison on GSMarea, I think there is the newer eMMC 5.0 3GB RAM in the Note 3.
Overall Note 3, but G2 for cyanogen-development-support.
Sent from my GT-I9205 using xda premium
xSCHITaX said:
Hi.
That are the right questions!
According to the Snapdragon artice on Wikipedia, it has not the faster AB Version of the S800 SoC.
But according to this Benchmark Comparison on GSMarea, I think there is the newer eMMC 5.0 3GB RAM in the Note 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wikipedia is not really a good source of information specially when the product is just announced. The GN3 benchmark numbers are very close to MDP results. Samsung never mentions SOC details in their announcement.
Lets wait and see..
[Central] Moto G reviewsThis thread is a collection of reviews, tests and more about MotoG :
Here is a summary :
Written review (first sight) about our device by @lavafire
Full length review by gsmarena
Unboxing, Head to head with n5, Speed review, and video sample by @AndyCr15
Review and How to change back cover by @AndyCr15
Review by Android Central
Unboxing and Build Quality, Short Review, Display Quality and Video Playback, Speaker Test, LED Test, Benchmarks, Gaming Performance, Water-repellent Coating Tes, Sample 720p Video, Sample Slow Motion 720p Video, Autofocus Test by @jonmorris@shem2409
Review by @jonmorris
Review by @mobiletechReview
Scratch and drop test
Hard core testing
Feel free to share any link that should be here
Thanks. I have others if they're useful?
Unboxing
Head to Head
Speed Review
Video Sample
Fantastic phone!!!!
good morning! I just ordering in amazon.es (http://www.amazon.es/Motorola-Moto-...uad-Core/dp/B00GOYN5TE/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b)'m from Spain, but I still need to wait a while to make it available for sale this terminal.
is this acceptable terminal requirements for today?
reggards from spain! and see you guys
PD: I've subscribe to this channel http://www.youtube.com/user/androidandyuk
Android central
Moto G review
http://www.androidcentral.com/moto-g-review
The Moto G easily the best cheap Android phone you can buy right now. (And probably the only Android phone at this price point that delivers a user experience of this quality.) Every criticism of the Moto G has to be framed against its ludicrously low price. It’s frankly amazing that a manufacturer is able to put together a device like the Moto G for £135 and make money selling it.
Nuthin' but a 'Moto G' thang
Great phone, but it doesn't have sdcard slot
Had Moto G for about 24 hours now, I am so impressed with this phone. I really want to let everyone know about it I have compared this phone a lot with Samsung S4, not because I hate it, instead it was my last phone and I have used it for months, so have a good idea of what I am on about
Screen
Some may consider the resolution on this phone being too low, compared to the high end flagship phones this is about 100 ppi less. But does this mean the screen is bad? No. In fact, I am loving it more than the AMOLED on Samsung s4. First of all, I am just going to say that above 300ppi I can't tell the difference. To me, 400+ ppi = higher battery drain + requires more CPU + requires more GPU. Just why? Maybe there are some untold benifit of higher ppi screens, but to me I just don't see any advantage what so ever. Apart from the fact you could say to your mate "my phone's ppi is higher than yours...". So this to me is a big thumb up!
Speed
Before we talk about anything else, I want to mention speed of this phone. My S4 was running stock android 4.3 means I should see a massive different when I switch to this phone. But the reality is not the case, it really doesn't appear to be that much of a difference. There may be 1/5 of a speed difference when opening apps, but that is like 0.2 seconds? Even for inpatient person like me, it is more than acceptable. At the end of the day, it make you think what Samsung is doing with their snapdragon 600, when moto g can keep up using a snapdragon 400... This is on stock android, don't even mention touch wiz... But seriously find a review video or go to a shop and see it for yourselves.
Software/ROM
Well not much to say here, it is running basically stock Android 4.3 with a few minor tweaks e.g. camera.
Storage
8gb or 16gb, it is always the question. Previously i'd say get 16gb, more future proof, however I choose 8gb this time. Not because of the 50gb gdrive storage (pointless if you have no internet connection), instead you could get OTG so if you really want to watch films on trips you can do that. Otherwise, 5.5gb is enough for general app installs. For photos, turn on auto google+ photo back up (or dropbox backup whichever fits u better) then delete the photos on your phone once they are uploaded.
Camera
Haven't really tested it, but at least ok from what I can see and don't expect it to match DSLR
Hardware/Ergonomics
+ Curved back, easy to hold. I especially like the dented "M" logo, it gives more grip, helps when I need to touch the top of the screen.
- Phone is a bit heavy, for people like reading lying down for a long time might be a bit of a pain.
+ Back cover is removable, awesome! In fact, there a lot of covers coming out soon.
- Although, back cover is hard to remove and a bit slippery, not so awesome.
+ Volume key & power key on the same side.
- Clean design, coming from HTC and Samsung, I really enjoy this kind of simple design. I don't like the HTC/Samsung logo on the most obvious place on your phone kinda ruins the look of the phone.
+ No physical keyboard (some may consider this to be a minus instead of a plus), I am just glad don't need to worry about menu wearing out over time
- Speaker on the back side of the phone
+ Due to curved back, no speaker sound is actually trapped when you place it on the back
+ Both headphone port and micro-usb port are located middle of top and bottom side of the phone respectively, again just simple and nice to look at
- No 4G connectivity. Not a problem for me, as I don't even get 3G where I live, a lot of people living in cities might find this some what a deal breaker.
- No removable battery
- No expandable storage
Battery Life
All i am going to say is 4.5 hours screen on time, 60% left. :good: I am not convinced the stats is accurate, so testing it right now to see if it is really that good.
Update: second time, 4hours22min screen on time, 8 and half hours on battery, 43% remaining.
FM Radio
I was never a radio fan, always thought it was kinda out-of-date technology. Then I moved to an area where there are hardly any 3g/2g coverage at all on the way to work, karma i guess... You might say just download music from google music/sportify, but I don't change my songs frequent enough and it just gets old. Conclusion: always better to have a phone that has FM radio than a phone that doesn't.
Notification light
It is plain silly to me why some OEM would even consider not include a notification light on their phone. *cough* iphone. *cough* windows phone. It make things so much easier, when all you need to do is glance at it rather than turn on the screen, then turn it off again just to check if your missing anything important. There is no more needs saying, it is just playing annoying without one, so another plus.
Value for money
For most of the people, money is a key factor when buying a new phone. Even if the price is not a burden, you might still get the same feeling as me, thinking it cost quite a lot and make the promise to use it for 2 years or more. Well, with this phone you won't get that. In fact, I brought mine thinking I will use it as a back up phone since no other phone has its spec in its price range. But after I started using it, I couldn't put it down. Now I am not even considering getting nexus 5 which was going to be my main phone.
What I look forward to
Hell this is XDA, obviously I want lots and lots of ROMs XD. But I also can't wait for 4.4 to come out and ART to be stable. I imagine it would make this phone even faster. Saw some comparisons between Dalvik and ART, have to say ART wins hands down especially considering it is still in development stage.
Final thoughts
So happy with this phone, and mostly happy about Motorola stepping up and giving us this product. This is important in the sense, they are fighting a price battle for us, the consumers. We should show some support to let the other OEMs know it is not about how much they spend money on advertising, it is giving us a great product with a reasonable price instead of throw in some latest chips and mark it £599 rubbish which is basically what is happening right now.
Tips
I would recommend everyone get this phone, and get the 8gb version. Since it cost so little, no one could moan at you when you get a new phone next year
lavafire said:
Had Moto G for about 24 hours now, I am so impressed with this phone I really want to let everyone know about it I have compared this phone a lot with Samsung S4, not cos I hate it, but simply because it was my last phone and I have used it for months. So have a good idea of what I am on about
Screen
Some may consider the resolution on this phone is too low, compared to the high end flagship phones it is about 100 ppi less. But does this mean the screen is bad? No. In fact, I am loving it more than the AMOLED on Samsung s4. First of all, I am just going to say that above 300ppi I can't tell the difference. To me, 400+ ppi = higher battery drain + requires more CPU + requires more GPU. Just why? Maybe there are some untold benifit of higher ppi screens, but to me I just don't see any advantage what so every apart from the fact you could say to your mate "my phone's ppi is higher than your...". So this to me is a big thumb up!
Speed
Before we talk about anything else, I want to mention speed of this phone. My last phone being Samsung S4 running stock android 4.3 means I should see a massive different when I switch to this phone. But the reality is different, it really doesn't make that much of a difference. There may be 1/5 of a speed difference when opening apps, but that is like 0.2 seconds? Even for inpatient person like me, it is more than acceptable. At the end of the day, it make you think what Samsung is doing with their snapdragon 600, when moto g can keep up using a snapdragon 400... This is on stock android, don't even mention touch wiz... But seriously find a review video or go to a shop and see it for yourselves.
Software/ROM
Well not much to say here, it is running basically stock Android 4.3 with a few minor tweaks e.g. camera.
Storage
8gb or 16gb, it is always the question. Previously i'd say get 16gb, more future proof, however I choose 8gb this time. not because of the 50gb gdrive storage (pointless if you have no internet connection), instead you have OTG so if you really want to watch films on trips you can do that. Otherwise, 5.5gb is enough for general app installs. For photos, turn on auto google+ photo back up (or dropbox backup whichever fits u better) then delete the photos on your phone once they are uploaded.
Camera
Haven't really tested it, but at least ok from what I can see and don't expect it to match DSLR
Hardware/Ergonomics
+ Curved back, easy to hold. I especially like the dented "M" logo, it gives more grip, helps when I need to touch the top of the screen.
- Phone is a bit heavy, for people like reading lying down might be a bit of a pain.
+ Back cover is removable, awesome! In fact, there a lot of covers coming out soon.
- Although, it is hard to remove and a bit slippery, not so awesome.
+ Volume key & power key on the same side.
- Clean design, coming from HTC and Samsung, I really enjoy this kind of simple design. I don't like the HTC/Samsung logo on the most obvious place on your phone kinda ruins the look of the phone.
+ No physical keyboard (some may consider this to be a minus instead of a plug), don't need to worry about menu wearing out over time
- Speaker on the bottom of the phone
+ Due to curved back, no speaker sound is actually trapped when you place it on the back
+ Both headphone port and micro-usb port are in the middle of top and bottom side of the phone respectively, again just simple but nice to look at
- No 4G connectivity. Not a problem for me, as I don't even get 3G where I live, a lot of people living in cities might find this some what a deal breaker.
- No removable battery
- No expandable storage
Battery Life
All i am going to say is 4.5 hours screen on time, 60% left. :good: I am not convinced by the stats, so testing it right now to see if it is really that good.
FM Radio
I was never a radio fan, always thought it was kinda out-of-date technology. Then I moved to an area where there are hardly any 3g/2g coverage at all on the way to work, karma i guess... You might say just download music from google music/sportify, but I don't change my songs frequent enough and it just gets old. Conclusion: always better to have a phone that has FM radio than a phone that doesn't.
Notification light
It is plain silly to me why some OEM would even consider not include a notification light on their phone. *cough* iphone. *cough* windows phone. Makes thing so much easier, when all you need to do is glance at it rather than turn on the screen, then turn it off again just to check if your missing anything important. There is no more needs saying, it is just playing annoying without one, so another plus.
Value for money
For most of the people, money is a key factor when buying a new phone. Even if the price is not a burden, you might still get the same feeling as me, thinking it cost quite a lot and make the promise to use it for 2 years or more. Well, with this phone you won't get that. In fact, I brought mine thinking I will use it as a back up phone since no other phone has its spec in its price range. But after I started using it, I couldn't put it down. Now I am not even considering getting nexus 5 which was going to be my main phone.
What I look forward to
Hell this is XDA, obviously I want lots and lots of ROMs XD. But I also can't wait for 4.4 to come out and ART to be stable. I imagine it would make this phone even faster. Saw some comparisons between Dalvik and ART, have to say ART wins hands down especially considering it is still in development stage.
Final thoughts
So happy with this phone, and mostly happy about Motorola stepping up and giving us this product. This is important in the sense, they are fighting a price battle for us, the consumers. We should show some support to let the other OEMs know it is not about how much they spend money on advertising, it is giving us a great product with a reasonable price instead of throw in some latest chips and mark it £599 rubbish which is basically what is happening right now. Basically
Tips
I would recommend everyone get this phone, and get the 8gb version. Since it cost so little, no one could moan at you when you get a new phone next year
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Impressive review! thanks mate.. I would get this for Christmas soon.. till it reach our region soon.. anyway, If you could make a full video out of this review, I would love to watch it.. thanks
Stop full quoting! Argh...
@lavafire Thanks, this describes the Moto perfectly, good for people who are considering yet.
Not a full review (I'll be posting that next week) but here's my blog entry about it: http://jmcomms.wordpress.com/2013/1...of-success-to-date-lies-in-the-budget-moto-g/
Battery life looks too good to be true and I hope everyone gets as gooder results as you
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
shure2 said:
Battery life looks too good to be true and I hope everyone gets as gooder results as you
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As mentioned in my video review, I got some of the best battery life I've ever seen from my Moto G.
SHEM's Moto G Videos
Here are my Motorola MOTO G Videos:
Unboxing and Build Quality:
Short Review:
Display Quality and Video Playback:
Speaker Test:
LED Test
Benchmarks:
Gaming Performance:
Water-repellent Coating Test:
Sample 720p Video:
Sample Slow Motion 720p Video
Autofocus Test
Sample Slow Motion 720p Video 2
jonmorris said:
Not a full review (I'll be posting that next week) but here's my blog entry about it: http://jmcomms.wordpress.com/2013/1...of-success-to-date-lies-in-the-budget-moto-g/
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Please comapre Nexus 4 and MotoG interms of
Camera, performanceand other relevent fields.To
me some of the specifications seem similar.
i guess only the experienced users can actually advice
which one to buy.
Regards
Shikhar
AndyCr15 said:
As mentioned in my video review, I got some of the best battery life I've ever seen from my Moto G.
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In trying to figure out how this works because 2000mAh isn't even that big for a 4.5" screen.
For instance my Galaxy Note has a 5.2" screen which is roughly 10% bigger but has a 2500mAh battery which is 20% bigger. At best I've been able to get 5h SOT which is everything low or off, usually I get 3-4 which I consider decent because the nexus 5 gets around 3-5h SOT and has a similar size screen and battery.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
shure2 said:
In trying to figure out how this works because 2000mAh isn't even that big for a 4.5" screen.
For instance my Galaxy Note has a 5.2" screen which is roughly 10% bigger but has a 2500mAh battery which is 20% bigger. At best I've been able to get 5h SOT which is everything low or off, usually I get 3-4 which I consider decent because the nexus 5 gets around 3-5h SOT and has a similar size screen and battery.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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The Note had a 5.3" screen.. That makes screen 38% bigger.
Also, the software makes a difference. And maybe the Snapdragon 400 is more efficient than the Exynos used by Samsung
I was going to say, your maths is a bit off there at 10%. You need to look at the area, not the diagonal length.
If you think back to when 4.5" screens where the norm on top end devices, most batteries were less than 1600mAh. The Desire HD for example had about 1300mAh I think.
http://thediplomat.com/2013/11/the-motorola-moto-g-an-impressive-addition/
....software optimization can go a long way, Motorola has compared the Moto G’s performance with the Samsung Galaxy S4, when performing minor tasks. Despite Moto G’s mid-range SoC, lower amount of RAM and less powerful graphics chip, the handset apparently manages to make a call 1.1 seconds faster than the Galaxy S4, it answers a call 1.2 seconds faster, returns home 0.5 seconds faster and boots up 5.3s quicker too....
:silly:
shure2 said:
In trying to figure out how this works because 2000mAh isn't even that big for a 4.5" screen.
For instance my Galaxy Note has a 5.2" screen which is roughly 10% bigger but has a 2500mAh battery which is 20% bigger. At best I've been able to get 5h SOT which is everything low or off, usually I get 3-4 which I consider decent because the nexus 5 gets around 3-5h SOT and has a similar size screen and battery.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Let's look at the numbers,
The Galaxy Note has a 1280x800 @5.3 inch screen -> 4.49" × 2.81" = 12.62in²
The Moto G has a 1280x720 @4.5 inch screen -> 3.92" × 2.21" = 8.65in²
-> The Galaxy Note has a screen 45.9% larger than the Moto G
-> The Galaxy Note also features a battery 25% larger than the Moto G
Remember, that the 4.5 and 5.3 numbers are the diagonal size and do not linearly represent relative screen sizes
The Moto G has a better (battery:screen size) ratio than the Galaxy Note.
How have you found the vibration motor on it? - to anyone who has one in hand yet.
The one in my Skate seems to make more noise than movement :laugh:
Obviously relative to the time I loved my 3210 and 3310 but you cannot say they're better phones than what we have today. I thought I wasn't going to buy this because of the screen protector thing, however I needed a new phone because I sold my Windows Phone as that OS is just plain bad. I ended up going for this phone in the end because I hate big phones and it finally felt like Android got its iPhone... a normal sized flagship. I've avoided the mini versions in the past as they're always the poor peoples phone, for some reason OEMs see smaller phones as this? However this phone really makes no compromises.
I love the size, love the speed, love the fact Sony don't do a Touchwiz, the construction is so solid and nice, the camera is great, the screen is great etc. It is such an amazing phone to fit in this size, which next to my iPhone 5c it is barely any bigger. What has amazed me though is I'm getting 4 days on a single charge, I'm not a heavy user, I used to get 2 days on my HTC One, but my Windows Phone only lasted a day and this one is thrashing them all. I'm currently on 70% at 1 day 19 hours, those battery saver things built in really work.
I have to wonder if wanting higher and higher resolution screens is worthwhile, I don't miss the 1080p screen of my HTC One, I didn't miss it with my Windows Phone which was 720p, I don't miss it with this one either. I use my iPhone (which I own because IOS has the best games) and that is even lower res and I just don't care it looks good enough. I don't miss not having 460ppi or whatever the HTC One was, I cannot see a pixel on the screen of this phone or my iPhone, I don't look at my phone with a magnifying glass.
My only gripe is I wish they used the bottom bit for capacitative touch buttons.
Really great phone I'd recommend it to any one, maybe people can pick faults with it, I dunno I can pick faults with every phone I've ever used, at some point you just have to accept there is no perfect phone. The HTC One went on about the front stereo speakers, only they weren't great quality, weren't loud after the updates that toned them down because they would crackle at high volumes, the camera sucked, it was impossible to repair. The 1020, the camera was over rated, it would take 4 seconds between shots, have lots of noise, the battery would barely last a day, Windows Phone sucked. I could go on and on but I think so far the Z1 Compact is the best all rounder I've owned and definitely the best normal sized phoned that you can actually fit in your pocket comfortably.
I have to agree, love this phone so far. Before buying the phone, I was a little apprehensive due to various complaints on this forum about touchscreen, slow to wake, etc. But after 9 days without a reboot, I have yet to experience any bugs. Performance is lightning fast, Sony 4.3 ROM is very stable, and the size is almost perfect (would prefer even smaller, but I don't expect anything smaller with similar performance anytime soon).
Venekor said:
My only gripe is I wish they used the bottom bit for capacitative touch buttons..
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^^^^ THIS! There is plenty of room on the bottom bezel for the buttons, and that would get more usable screen area back. But that's a minor complaint for an otherwise superb phone.
I've not got bugs on 4.3, I just don't get why people want to be on the latest version all the time, I've been on Kitkat with my HTC One and never noticed a difference...
I like the apps that keep the on screen buttons but make them opaque and get rid of the black bar, it means you don't really notice them and you feel like you're getting the whole screen. I still don't get why there is a big unused Bezel there, maybe that didn't have the space and it is a tight fit in there?
The other thing I don't get is you can easily remove the back cover and it is a bit like a Galaxy phone in there, the internals are covered by plastic, you can get the battery out quite easily and it is easy to repair. They should have just made it into a battery cover instead of giving them impression the battery cannot be replaced.
Still it is nice that you can open it up so easily.
I agree...best phone I ve ever used
Sure is best!. I have 4.4.2 rom now and it rox
Send from my Z1C using tapatalk
First of all sorry on my english
Bezel on the end of phone is probably place where you holding hands when you play games or watching movies
a title?
sorry for my poor English
I like its size and the appearance and no shrinkage to Z1.
Im worry that few people choose this phone here(they often appreciate big ones)and it appears few roms. My last phone was Moto me525 defy, it could use dozens of roms.
Finally I would complain that the forum here is not so friendly as in my country.
11 numbers! are needed, I was used none or 6 numbers when you submit frequently.
Love the dimensions and specs of this phone as well.
But I am still not a fan of Android coming from Nokia's Meego Harmattan.
If the Sailfish OS port ever comes (bug free), this would be my perfect phone.
I completely agree. I came from a Find 5, which is nice in its own right, and this phone is just ridiculously good. I left it stock for about 5 minutes before rooting and unlocking, and have not looked back. I have had no issues thus far with KK (the slightly modded version from munjeni), and the performance / battery and build quality is superb. I haven't messed with BT or camera much yet, but getting a few little things like the softkeys out of the way is about all I needed to make this my perfect phone.
:good:
Venekor said:
I've not got bugs on 4.3, I just don't get why people want to be on the latest version all the time, I've been on Kitkat with my HTC One and never noticed a difference...
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Google does not leave an update/work for nothing uh... If you do not see the differences, is that your usage is too basic to see (e.g., UI improvements...).
Btw, I always used Xperia smartphones and this is the best phone I've ever owned too!
couldn't agree anymore with you! this is my favorite phone too, and i just love it! all other "mini" smartphones either need a large batteri or have little internal memory or something else. this phone is a beast and have it all!
I agree 100% that this is the best phone I have to date. For a compact phone, the specs alone was a winner and has proven to be in it's performance. It's by no means a mini when it comes to resources. Superb processing and battery power and proprietary Sony battery usage software which I don't even have to use, lol.
I appreciate that Sony doesn't have to be out there marketing wise like Samsung and elegantly meet and surpass their performance. Water proof, dust proof, no biggie full LTE support no limitations except maybe finger print reader (like they even use it). I have owned Samsung s2 to s4, even their minis. Ironically I loved the s2
I am soo happy I have jumped ship and look forward to continued Sony development.
sllik said:
Love the dimensions and specs of this phone as well.
But I am still not a fan of Android coming from Nokia's Meego Harmattan.
If the Sailfish OS port ever comes (bug free), this would be my perfect phone.
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yes sailfish os on the z1c would it make perfect.