Samsung Galaxy S2 over xperia aRc - Galaxy S II General

Hi guys,
Currently m using aRc, can u help me to know the pros n cons of SGS2..
I am planning to buy one!!
Thanks in advance.
sent from Xperia Arc

SGS II has:
faster processors
A LOT BIGGER rom space (ROM space of arc is just unacceptably small)
more RAM
arguably better screen
thinner & lighter

I've had both but sold my Arc.
SGS2 is much faster and smoother in day to day use.
Lack of Ram seems to cripple Arc a little.
Camera is at least as good on SGS but video recorder is much better than Arc.
Codec support on music and videos ostensibly once again better on SGS2.
Screen quality is much more subjective - i actually thought the Arc screen was really good.
Arc has the better design although it feels a bit long and thin compared to the SGS2. The SGS2 feels like it has a much bigger screen?
Build quality wasn't great on my Arc - felt even more plasticky than the Samsung and the battery panel creaked all the time on the Arc. SGS2 feels much more sold.
Hope that helps
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

gupta.anurag08 said:
Hi guys,
Currently m using aRc, can u help me to know the pros n cons of SGS2..
I am planning to buy one!!
Thanks in advance.
sent from Xperia Arc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's kind of amazing as to how can you buy say Arc,Desire S & all those single core superphones & than try to compare them with Atrix/Optimus 2x/SGS 2.
All these phones Arc/Desire S{single core is what i meant} are more than a very capable smartphones,can do most of the daily work.
But put them next to any of the dual cores & differences are there.
Why have you gone for Arc when SGS 2 launch was so near?

victorinoxs said:
SGS II has:
faster processors
A LOT BIGGER rom space (ROM space of arc is just unacceptably small)
more RAM
arguably better screen
thinner & lighter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are right except 1 point and that is the screen. The colors of the ARC is more realistic and the screen is the best screen for in direct sunlight. No other screen comes close to it.

android_master said:
It's kind of amazing as to how can you buy say Arc,Desire S & all those single core superphones & than try to compare them with Atrix/Optimus 2x/SGS 2.
All these phones Arc/Desire S{single core is what i meant} are more than a very capable smartphones,can do most of the daily work.
But put them next to any of the dual cores & differences are there.
Why have you gone for Arc when SGS 2 launch was so near?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dual core is not everything, before the SGS2 comes out. Those dual cores like the LG and Atrix does not prove to be faster. Actually the LG pretty sucks for a dual core phone. Single core phone is faster then the LG and that says alot.

More ram on S2, if you do a lot of browsing on the device like me, you will come to appreciate the extra ram, something that used to piss me right off about my S1!

hung77 said:
you are right except 1 point and that is the screen. The colors of the ARC is more realistic and the screen is the best screen for in direct sunlight. No other screen comes close to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Display
Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc comes packing a dazzling 4.2-inch scratch-resistant LED-backlit LCD display, capable of excellent colour reproduction, which is hugely responsive. When you add to that mix Sony's Bravia Mobile engine you end up with a truly noteworthy screen, capable of rivalling, or even surpassing, virtually anything on the market – everything, that is, apart from the Samsung Galaxy S II.
The Galaxy S II brings the latest in a long line of amazing Samsung screens to market, in the form of a cutting-edge 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, which not only renders colours faithfully, and offers unsurpassed sunlight legibility, but sucks up about 1/3 as much power as the LCD on the Xperia Arc.
Winner - Samsung Galaxy S II
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/comparisons/771128/samsung_galaxy_s_ii_vs_sony_ericsson_xperia_arc.html
In regards to the screen size, Galaxy S II offers a slightly bigger screen at 4.3 –inch compared to that of Xperia Arc (4.2-inch). Samsung Super AMOLED display provides excellent sunlight legibility and needs only 1/3 of the power amount used by Xperia’s LCD display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://techpp.com/2011/04/30/samsung-galaxy-s2-vs-sony-ericsson-xperia-arc-clash-of-the-titans/

please dont compare the phones as they are not even in the same level.
Arc is more of an Galaxy 1 line. the difference is they have HDMI support.
hell the galaxy 1 has 2 cameras " at least for us in europe and asia "
the only 2 phones that are close to SGS2 but " dont beat " the SGS2 in terms of performance is the Atrix and Optimus 2x.

I had the Arc, don't have my Galaxy S2 yet, so I can't compare, so take my words with a grain of salt:
The Arc is a very nice looking phone, with a great screen, and it was running very smooth out of the box. But the ROM size was a joke, RAM could have been bigger for a high-end phone released in 2011, and the position of the headphone jack and the camera/lock keys were extremely annoying.
I love the design, but I don't like the form-over-function approach. Furthermore, I didn't find a single unit (not the two I had, not on any picture on the net), that didn't have a raised upper left corner of the screen, what was visible to me even when looking from the front.
It's by no means a bad phone, but the S2 offers much more on paper, and it's the price is only a little higher where I live.
I'll keep an eye on Sony's Dual-Core phones (they'll come sooner or later) though. And as far as I know, Sony even produces AMOLEDs, it would be nice if they'd use it for their phones.

You'll get dual core phones from Sony Ericsson when everyone else have started to produce quad core devices.

gupta.anurag08 said:
Hi guys,
Currently m using aRc, can u help me to know the pros n cons of SGS2..
I am planning to buy one!!
Thanks in advance.
sent from Xperia Arc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used both and sold S II. The main reasons I sold S II:
1. AMOLED colors are not for me. Looks too fake/retro.
2. Felt too wide. With screens over 4" it's already a pain to reach to the top of the screen. With the width, it's tough on thumb for my medium size hands.
3. Hated Samsung color selection on UI. Or, it could be I liked SE more classy interface.
4. Phone design has no style and looks like a copycat of iPhone.
Good things about SG II
1. In my two days of use SG II seems to perform buttery smooth while Arc starts to lag once you start to install some apps and widgets. Could be related to these apps.
2. Phone ugly and cheap but it atleast feels solid unlike Arc whose battery cover squeaks somewhere in the middle. I had to put a small folded tape in there to fill the gap inside to stop the squeaky feel. What's funny is most of the SE phones always had problems with battery covers :-(
3. Front camera + all the killer specs
Why I kept Arc?
1. Screen colors
2. Gorgeous style (Misty Silver) and phone feels more ergonomic in my hand
3. Almost everyone I showed pick Arc over Samsung. Of course, once I told the specs, SG II started to get selected.
4. I like SE UI. Dialer looks absolutely stunning compared to any other dialer I saw. I wish it had smart dialing feature.
You should seriously give S II a try if you think you can easily sell it. I was fortunate to make over $60 profit on it after using it for couple of days as it's not available easily to buy. If you are happy with the S II design and AMOLED colors, it's an easy choice to make. SE flunked big time with the specs on Arc. It almost feels like X10 came in a different package and Gingerbread.

Intratech said:
You'll get dual core phones from Sony Ericsson when everyone else have started to produce quad core devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or if they come up with specs similar to others, they will come out with old OS

kitsVA said:
I used both and sold S II. The main reasons I sold S II:
1. AMOLED colors are not for me. Looks too fake/retro.
2. Felt too wide. With screens over 4" it's already a pain to reach to the top of the screen. With the width, it's tough on thumb for my medium size hands.
3. Hated Samsung color selection on UI. Or, it could be I liked SE more classy interface.
4. Phone design has no style and looks like a copycat of iPhone.
Good things about SG II
1. In my two days of use SG II seems to perform buttery smooth while Arc starts to lag once you start to install some apps and widgets. Could be related to these apps.
2. Phone ugly and cheap but it atleast feels solid unlike Arc whose battery cover squeaks somewhere in the middle. I had to put a small folded tape in there to fill the gap inside to stop the squeaky feel. What's funny is most of the SE phones always had problems with battery covers :-(
3. Front camera + all the killer specs
Why I kept Arc?
1. Screen colors
2. Gorgeous style (Misty Silver) and phone feels more ergonomic in my hand
3. Almost everyone I showed pick Arc over Samsung. Of course, once I told the specs, SG II started to get selected.
4. I like SE UI. Dialer looks absolutely stunning compared to any other dialer I saw. I wish it had smart dialing feature.
You should seriously give S II a try if you think you can easily sell it. I was fortunate to make over $60 profit on it after using it for couple of days as it's not available easily to buy. If you are happy with the S II design and AMOLED colors, it's an easy choice to make. SE flunked big time with the specs on Arc. It almost feels like X10 came in a different package and Gingerbread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to each has his own. as hardware design. i like the Arc. and so i did like the xperia. sony has a style in everything they do. thats sony. their user interface is always sleek and high class. i dare to put them in the same level as apple if not higher.
but thats as far as it goes. everything else fall apart. specs wise. the arc is really old generarion. its same level as galaxy 1. and we passed that since the beginning of new year when dual core started showing up . there is no excuse to what sony is doing. they are 6 months late at LEAST in terms of technology. they are not keeping up with other companies.
HTC dual core within this month or next.
LG already out with new core. first in the market
Motorolla since Feb .
Samsung since May with 1.2 dual core.
Apple with Ipad 2.
what are they exactly waiting for. i am not going to get fooled again and buy a device based on its look like how i did with the xperia x10. one is enough. as long as they dont keep up. iam not going to bother.
also. 4.27 is big when 4 is ok ? its .27, its pretty much nothing. plus the phone is super slim. so that makes it up.
and you dont like the colors of SG2 when everyone praised it ? hell ok. even if you didnt. you could have picked the option " Movie " in the backlight option and you would get narutal colors.
again. i am not judgnig you. i just find it odd that you sell the best phone in the market and keeping and old tech one. unless there is another reason like money etc.

ll_l_x_l_ll said:
and you dont like the colors of SG2 when everyone praised it ? hell ok. even if you didnt. you could have picked the option " Movie " in the backlight option and you would get narutal colors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the mode I used mostly as the colors look way too over saturated in the other two modes. But, like you said, "to each his own". I guess that is why there are so many phones. I happen to prefer Arc screen, style, and UI more than GSII.

All, thanks for ur comments..
To be very frank I never like samsumg phones. I knew that SG2 is just around the corner but still I gonne for aRc..
Arc has got class, it has best UI (other phones UI almost looks same n ugly)
I am Ok with single core atleast for a year, the only annoying thing is INTERNAL MEMORY...
I just wanted to buy one more phone, and from all comments recieved so far, i think I can give a try to SG2
sent from Xperia Arc

gupta.anurag08 said:
All, thanks for ur comments..
To be very frank I never like samsumg phones. I knew that SG2 is just around the corner but still I gonne for aRc..
Arc has got class, it has best UI (other phones UI almost looks same n ugly)
I am Ok with single core atleast for a year, the only annoying thing is INTERNAL MEMORY...
I just wanted to buy one more phone, and from all comments recieved so far, i think I can give a try to SG2
sent from Xperia Arc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Update us in Arc forum after you try SG2. I see SG2 as a Vegas Buffet. Arc as a fine dinner .

All, thanks for ur comments..
To be very frank I never like samsumg phones. I knew that SG2 is just around the corner but still I gonne for aRc..
Arc has got class, it has best UI (other phones UI almost looks same n ugly)
I am Ok with single core atleast for a year, the only annoying thing is INTERNAL MEMORY...
I just wanted to buy one more phone, and from all comments recieved so far, i think I can give a try to SG2
sent from Xperia Arc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Update us in Arc forum after you try SG2. I see SG2 as a Vegas Buffet. Arc as a fine dinner .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, sure..thats y I started this thread in SG2 forum to have an unbiased opinion
sent from Xperia Arc

Can't believe nobody's mentioned it here, but I originally chose the Arc for the camera and design. Come to find out the camera was a lot of hype and the design was pretty much ruined by the fact that it felt plasticky and I constantly had to clean it from finger prints.
Finally got fed up when the creaking back component showed up on mine. But the fingerprint issue is just awful on the Arc. Can't speak for the SGSII as I haven't got mine yet, but I returned the Arc within a week.

Quist said:
Can't believe nobody's mentioned it here, but I originally chose the Arc for the camera and design. Come to find out the camera was a lot of hype and the design was pretty much ruined by the fact that it felt plasticky and I constantly had to clean it from finger prints.
Finally got fed up when the creaking back component showed up on mine. But the fingerprint issue is just awful on the Arc. Can't speak for the SGSII as I haven't got mine yet, but I returned the Arc within a week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was not going to bring up the creaking and weird way it felt in the hands just so that we can come back and read the complaints when people buy it. I don't or did own an Arc but one of my friends did, went through 3 of them in fact. They all creaked and the battery cover was weird so he eventually give up and got a refund.

Related

[Q] Sony Xperia Arc Opinions

The Arc looks like a fantastic all around phone in that it has great clear/loud sound/with mega bass. I wonder if this phone is using the Wolfson chip.
Takes great pictures in low light/video is smooth/Hdmi mirroring. Very smooth UI and great colors on the screen.
It has a single core Qualcomm Scorpion MSM8255 processor. I realize its not a Dual Core phone but since they are just entering the market I would prefer to go with a single core 2nd generation phone.
I was thinking of getting the Samsung Galaxy S II but Samsung is still doing updates on the first Galaxy S and I don't trust them re updates.
Sony has stated that they did not handle updates for the X10 very well but promise to do a lot better with updates in regards to the Arc,I believe them.
Furthermore bigger isn;t always better.(Dual Core Vs Single Core)
In the end I want a phone that has clarity/volume in regards to phone calls/Great Camera/Good Video/can play games on it.
Would love to hear your opinions on the Arc Pro/Con.
how could you believe a thief when he tells you he won't steal anything anymore...
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
I'm looking for opinions on this phone not looking for stuff like you can never trust a thief.
Its not using wolfson chip.
The camera is about as good or maybe 5% better than the X10's. (check GSMArena photocompare)
The Bravia Engine works only with pictures or videos. Rest of the time its just like any other TFT LCD.
Internal memory is a measly 500 mb.
I personally don't think the Arc justifies its price tag, the Neo has everything the Arc has but at a much cheaper price.
Oh and like the X10, it will take months to crack the bootloader, so no custom ROMs.
SEFanX10i said:
Its not using wolfson chip.
The camera is about as good or maybe 5% better than the X10's. (check GSMArena photocompare)
The Bravia Engine works only with pictures or videos. Rest of the time its just like any other TFT LCD.
Internal memory is a measly 500 mb.
I personally don't think the Arc justifies its price tag, the Neo has everything the Arc has but at a much cheaper price.
Oh and like the X10, it will take months to crack the bootloader, so no custom ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
apparently this is not the case. The hard lockdown on devices in the past has made it hard even for SE to upgrade the phones. The new phones are said to have a more open bootloader to make it easier to update
+1 for the Neo (how could SE have stuffed up and not given their flagship model a front facing camera.. but given the cheaper model the same fancy new screen and camera chip and also given it a Front camera!) are they really that stupid?
I'm going buy an HTC or Samsung next..and if not them a motorola.. after those choices.. I might consider a Neo
Kiwi
And so here I am on a brand new Arc. Had it for a day or so and must say it's been very smooth so far. My latest phone was an X10i so this is not terribly different...
Anyway, first impressions are very good. Great screen. Native Exchange integration is perfect (except I can't sort contacts by other than first name, believe this is an Android quirk). WiFi tethering was very smooth. DLNA was hitch-free. In-call sound quality is very good, I'd say better than the other Xperias I've had (apparently it has a little mic that takes up background noice to cancel it out, though I think I'll need to fly with a head-set to experience this properly). Why they've switched the "menu" and "back" buttons around I can't understand for the love of me, but maybe there's a reason...
Overall, with my short experience it's been great, so far. Certainly a phone I would recommend to any non-X10 user and probably to those that have X10s, as well.
Cheers for now/M
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App
what a lucky person!!! i love the phone so much. you must be very close to SE. so can you please advise when it will be released. it think april is too late to wait. im keen to have the phone right away.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
A video review from a guy at ESATO forums:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlIiD5he1S8
My thoughts...very nice design, good screen and very good camera, the bad? it lags too much.
oh wow, I just actually clicked on the video LOL I know that person personally since he's in Thailand. Like both him/I said, wait for the final firmware. That unit he has is still a very early prototype, no where near the final. Some of the hardware isn't even implemented yet, you can tell which . Cheers
joplin48 said:
I'm looking for opinions on this phone not looking for stuff like you can never trust a thief.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
look,when you talking about you don't trust sgs which is only 3 months younger than x10 and got 2.2 update almost the same time as x10 got 2.1, and knowing that SE announced x10 would never receive 2.2 but samsung never claim they won't provide further version, but then you said you trust in SE?
i don't think you need any oppinion at all.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Got to play the arc, neo and play last night, and I also saw the arc at CES. Its certainly improved since then, and huggee fast first time round.
One thing I noticed is that the widget overview is now smooth, no lag like before.
As for neo vs arc, there are lots of similarities, but when you pick the phones up the arc feels better, special somehow. The neo feels normal... Also the display is better on the arc.
Sent from my C64 using a flux capacitor.
Does arc support 3g video call?
GN Multimedia - X10i
Nope. No front-view camera.
McHan said:
Nope. No front-view camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. So sad... really 3g video call feature.
GN Multimedia - X10i
Neo vs Arc..... I'll say Arc for the design, never used front cameras and don't see a reason to use it
Sent from my X10i using XDA Premium App
i am really happy eith it, is fast and has one of the most important thnigs to me... design, the galaxy brand look like crap and are based on iphone design
There are Differences on Arc and Neo not just the Looks
Arc
>Clear Black Panel(No Air Gap, Great Sunlight Legibility, 20% more Brighter than Neo)
>Lightweight(117g) vs (126g)
>Slim Arc Body(8.7mm~10.5mm) vs (13mm)
>Screen Size 4.2" vs 3.7"
Neo
>Front Facing Camera
>Better Hardware Positions(Camera Sensor, Shutter Key)

Galaxy S2, The Destroyer?

So the GS2 has been getting fantastic reviews and the specs are just monstorous! It pretty much kills anything on the market right now, how do you feel about this? Will the Arc be outdated quicky? These phones move WAY to fast for me...its not even funny...you buy a phone and theres already one that makes you feel inferior...
solidkevin said:
So the GS2 has been getting fantastic reviews and the specs are just monstorous! It pretty much kills anything on the market right now, how do you feel about this? Will the Arc be outdated quicky? These phones move WAY to fast for me...its not even funny...you buy a phone and theres already one that makes you feel inferior...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I think the GS2 has better technical specs than the SE, I think the overall design of the Arc is much more unique than that of the GS2. I also find that the Sammys tend to be more plasticy (if that is a word). Additionally, I don't think apps (and the OS) have been optimized for the dual core processor in the GS2.
What the GS2 has going for it, is a front facing camera (which should have in the Arc too) and an unlocked bootloader! Those two might tempt me to pick up a GS2 to play around with.
You should have waited for S2 instead of buying Arc What specifications S2 was going to have, was published on every mobile site since S2 was announced
I do think always to buy things per my own need not to what is the highest. I did care for design and decent performance. ARC was and is the solution for me. Does S2 devalue my arc? no! This is not a good example but I will try
You are driving an Audi RS4 and then Nissan GTR comes out with a performance car, do I care? no because I love my RS4 very much(BTW I don't have a RS4)
Nimche said:
I do think always to buy things per my own need not to what is the highest. I did care for design and decent performance. ARC was and is the solution for me. Does S2 devalue my arc? no! This is not a good example but I will try
You are driving an Audi RS4 and then Nissan GTR comes out with a performance car, do I care? no because I love my RS4 very much(BTW I don't have a RS4)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 well said..
SGS II is also ~150 USD more expensive than the Arc.
With the rapid growth of GPU and CPU for mobile, IMHO, spending your every pennies to get the top line of these hardwares every couple months is not worth it. It will get depreciated very quickly. And all the values left would be:
1. design and built quality
2. battery life
3. functionalities
Arc's beautiful design and 8MP camera + exmor r, however, will stay on top of the line for quite a while
(1) The Galaxy S2 is Fugly
(2) "Samsung" and "quality" are two words that wont be used in the same sentence.
I don't think the Arc is in anyway now going to be forgotten about.
I was initially going to wait on the S2, but it was going to cost me about £150 on the plan I'm on, where as the Arc was free. Not really bothered about the dual core CPU as it runs more than fast enough as it is. Front facing camera I don't care about as I'm never going to use it (don't think many iphone users do either as it only works on wifi). The feel and quality of the S2 is way way way below that of the Arc too.
So still well happy with my choice.
Dazza
solidkevin said:
So the GS2 has been getting fantastic reviews and the specs are just monstorous! It pretty much kills anything on the market right now, how do you feel about this? Will the Arc be outdated quicky? These phones move WAY to fast for me...its not even funny...you buy a phone and theres already one that makes you feel inferior...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just purchase Arc from Japan knowing it's long been outdated. Even several months old Atrix's has killer specs compared to Arc. I still went for Arc mainly because of it's styling.
I want to wait for GS2 but the styling doesn't appeal to me and not having LED notification kind of killed my desire for it.
With Android handsets, by the time the phone you desire hits the market, there is another killer one coming in a month. It's hard to keep waiting. But, I will move to GS2 if it looks better outside than it is in pictures. But, I doubt Samsung can make anything as attractive as SE phones . Just the SAMSUNG logo kills it for me
mtechfan said:
(2) "Samsung" and "quality" are two words that wont be used in the same sentence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could not agree more!!! Well said!
LOL I agree, it has monster specs but it is FUGLY! Arc and IP4 are MUCH better looking..
SGS2 is definately amazing phone specs wise. There's no denying that. I was going to get SGS2, but got Arc instead. I just wanted to get rid of my iPhone.
Arc looks amazing, works very well and is fast. SGS2 is faster and has better screen, but Arc actually does everything I need currently. I think Arc is enough for me the next 2 years. There will always be new stuff coming, but there is no real need to change every 6 months.
SGS2 will probably be the king until SGS3. But it doesn't make my Arc bad. Actually my Arc is excellent
A phone with better specs than the Arc has been released, so what?
It was bound to happen at some point.
What I really don't like about the galaxy phones is how they look and feel like previous versions of the iPhone. Seriously, the tipping point for getting the arc over the other phones is its unique style. Do you trade off specs and performance for style? Not really. But I don't see the need to pay extra when I can get something that I want and that pretty much caters to what I need.
If you want to be future-proof, get the SGS2 - it might be the HTC Desire of dual-cores with its potential long life. Give it a couple months more and a few more dual-core phones will come out. Will you be wanting every new phone with better specs?
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App
mtechfan said:
(1) The Galaxy S2 is Fugly
(2) "Samsung" and "quality" are two words that wont be used in the same sentence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on that
I think you guys are stuck with arc. And couldn't afford sgs2 so why bashing it? And quality on sgs2 is way better than arc. Only thing arc has is camera and Hdmi 2.3 and slim other than that same as x10. I don't see how and why people bought the arc
the_slasher said:
+1 on that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could afford to be choosy when opting for a phone I liked the arc so got the arc you can to through life upgrading everything tvs pcs cars houses phones but there is always something bigger and better round the corner so just enjoy what you have
Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk
well, i was on the fence between both phones but ended up with the arc, its just an awesome phone, super fast, even in the browser, which i was surprised.
the x10 was trash, but now that sony is giving it 2.3 it makes use of all of its hardware. so its actually a pretty good phone now. the arc of course is way better.
dual-core wouldnt really be as future proof as people are making it out to be....unless ofcourse your idea of future proof is about 6ish months long till the next big thing comes out....and didnt nvidia already map out quad-cores? which means the wait for 2.5+ would be needed since 2.4 will take advantage of the dual-cores.
coming from an atrix, the only real noticable difference in speed comes when you open certain apps, and even then...the difference is by about...1, maybe 2 seconds? so until android can utilize dual-cores, a single core phone done right is fantastic.
*personal preference here*i love sony's screen for movies and pics vs Samoled. cant comment on Samoled plus but the over-saturation and fake colours on the galaxy S phones drove me nuts :/
so those are some of my reasons for getting the arc over the Gs2.
the_slasher said:
+1 on that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on this.. lol..!!
Doesn't look like double cores have any real advantage right now, something really better for the user. Unless you're counting any second after app launching.
It's definitely the future but I wouldn't pee in my pants because of that right now.
SGSII is probably awesome. However has inferior design, inferior UI (for me of course) plus the fear of quality. And Samsung software doesn't seem polished ever. SGSI had issues AFAIK and just look at their WP7 problems story.

[Q] Should I buy?

I am wondring if I should buy the Xperia arc S now, or should I wait for the next generation in this price range.
What do you think?
Really. THERE LIKE 100 people making the exact threads everyday.
Can't you search for someone asking the same question???
It may be an old threads ...
Yes :-
1-Clear display
2-HDMI
3-Awesome speaker
4-sexy design
5-The Best camera phone. (not better than xperia s)
6-Will recive ICS update officially.
7-good battery life
8-noise cancelling mic
No:-
1- Became Old cause most of new android devices are dual core and quad.
2-Lags alot with ICS .
3-Not good for HD games even when using GB.
4-Overheat from the back when playing games or surfing the web using DATA.
5-when you speak the other side (who listing to you) will hear your voice repeated specially when using the speaker.
6-Less custom roms ( seriously that's why i started making my own roms) than Galaxy or htc users.
*So it depends on you whether you wants high performance device for gaming and fast picture shooting or not .
Don't do it.
It's too old
Sent from my iPad 2 using Tapatalk
I want to break some myths about the Xperia S. The screen is .1 inches bigger but the phone is massively bigger due to the screen bezel and the antenna design and does not feel good in hand. The material feels quite cheap for some reason. The Arc isnt a solid phone but feels more solid and is thinner and lighter. I have been using one form of ICS or another since December with Arc (not S) and its as stable and fast as it ever was with GB. The official ICS ROM will make for even better custom ROMs. The camera is marginally better on the S but is not the best by 2012 standards. I hate the feel of capacitive buttons on the S but I guess ICS on screen buttons would take care of that.
The Arc S is a good phone for its current price but I expect development to slow down in a few more months as more and more developers are upgrading hardware. The One X and the One S is definitely the bar right now. The screens, construction, processors and camera are all the best on the market. I have Sony everything so its hard for me to exit the brand so I'm keeping my Arc for one more year but for others, the One is the upgrade for 2012.
I have played with all of the phones above and Arc overclocked feels the same as S.
One S is better in almost every way vs Xperia S. The feel in hand to the performance. The construction is superb aircraft grade aluminum treated to a very nice finish. The only thing you'll miss is NFC but its still not mainstream with enough practical applications right now (it takes two hands to clap). The super AMOLED is not an issue coming from a lower resolution Arc and is a superb screen despite reviews.
One X is hands down the best phone I have ever played with. There are only two things inferior to the One S and thats battery and finish. Its still gorilla glassed front with ultra high impact-resisting polycarbonate, which is very strong and solid but something about that black aluminum magic is so sexy about the One S.
Either get one of the Ones or Arc S. I cant recommend the Xperia S to anyone.
hellocng said:
The Arc S is a good phone for its current price but I expect development to slow down in a few more months as more and more developers are upgrading hardware. The One X and the One S is definitely the bar right now. The screens, construction, processors and camera are all the best on the market. I have Sony everything so its hard for me to exit the brand so I'm keeping my Arc for one more year but for others, the One is the upgrade for 2012.
I have played with all of the phones above and Arc overclocked feels the same as S.
One S is better in almost every way vs Xperia S. The feel in hand to the performance. The construction is superb aircraft grade aluminum treated to a very nice finish. The only thing you'll miss is NFC but its still not mainstream with enough practical applications right now (it takes two hands to clap). The super AMOLED is not an issue coming from a lower resolution Arc and is a superb screen despite reviews.
One X is hands down the best phone I have ever played with. There are only two things inferior to the One S and thats battery and finish. Its still gorilla glassed front with ultra high impact-resisting polycarbonate, which is very strong and solid but something about that black aluminum magic is so sexy about the One S.
Either get one of the Ones or Arc S. I cant recommend the Xperia S to anyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't want to say get the (htc one x) so the people in this forum doesn't think that i support htc or whatever ... otherwise wait for galaxy s3
I recomend if you still want to buy an arc then get a used one ... so you don't lose too much when you replace it with another phone later .
hemo1001 said:
No:-
2-Lags alot with ICS .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I strongly disagree with this point. With the final update, it will be at least as smooth as GB if not faster. The ICS beta is laggy because of the incomplete/unoptimized 2D acceleration implementation.
hemo1001 said:
No:-
1- Became Old cause most of new android devices are dual core and quad.
2-Lags alot with ICS .
3-Not good for HD games even when using GB.
4-Overheat from the back when playing games or surfing the web using DATA.
5-when you speak the other side (who listing to you) will hear your voice repeated specially when using the speaker.
6-Less custom roms ( seriously that's why i started making my own roms) than Galaxy or htc users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I strongly disagree with most of your points.
1. It depends on what you really need and fit best your needs.
2. You can't even know because there is no official ICS yet.
3. Well it is good enough for HD games. Name one, which doesn't run smooth? I can play GTAIII and MC3 smooth (I don't need anymore ).
4. Every phone heats, you just feel it a little bit more because of the thinness. GS2 users whine about that too.
5. Surely not with normal mic, and for the speaker, I personally don't know any device, which has really good speakers.
6. Less custom ROMs? In Samsung and HTC forums there are only more ROMs, because 80% are stock-based. Do you really need that?
@OP: As I said it depends on what you really need. I am very happy with my Arc S.
BTW: Next time you could search and post your question in Q&A.
dp94 said:
@OP: As I said it depends on what you really need. I am very happy with my Arc S.
BTW: Next time you could search and post your question in Q&A.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- Agree maybe i should wait then judge the Arc s with the official ICS hoping it will become better .
2-GTAIII is playable but with few glitches ...
* I used to be happy with my arc but not after i saw the benchmarking of GSII ... And the face unlocking on ICS .
I'd say Arc S is one of the best phones in that price range. I admit the processor and GPU are kinda crappy, but it's still capable of running HD games(such as Asphalt 6, MC3, GTA3 etc.) without noticable lag!
Arc has a lot of custom roms. Phones like i9000 has more roms, but why do we need hundreds of different roms, because we all know that only some of them are good!
One thing I really love in my Arc is the screen! It's large enough(Frankly, I think larger would be too big), it has good resolution, and it hard to damage(it is more scratch-resistant than ie. Gorilla Glass).
And don't you say ICS is laggy! They haven't even released the final build! I believe Arc has a good potential of running ICS.
hemo1001 said:
1- Agree maybe i should wait then judge the Arc s with the official ICS hoping it will become better .
2-GTAIII is playable but with few glitches ...
* I used to be happy with my arc but not after i saw the benchmarking of GSII ... And the face unlocking on ICS .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I am sure Sony won't release some laggy ****. We should be way more happy with Sony for even releasing a alpha/beta version.
2. IMO, It depends on the ROM. I haven't had any on CM7 and stock based ROM like Arconium.
But still it hasn't enough RAM, apps need more and more RAM.
Sent from my LT15i using XDA Premium App
Motorola Atrix
if u wanna a phone, a good looking phone, with good call quality,camera and sound yes u should, but don't expect it to do any heavy lifting like crazy multitasking or graphic intence gaming..
well,i sold my HTC Evo 3D two days ago and iam using my old Arc For now.
coming from Evo i feel some lag in games but homescreen feels same.overall i dont see much difference in performance(i mean real life performance not benchmarks) but if you are a power user dont get this if you want a overall good smartphone with good camera Arc is pretty cheap now.go for it

Samsung Disappoints & HTC Steals The Show!

Hi friends. It's been a hot topic as you all know Samsung new flagship was announced yesterday. Frankly speaking, it was a overhyped phone and was the most anticipated one of the year. And unfortunately it disappoints me & many others.
Pentile Display in the flagship device is just the heck of a decision. A 4.8" HD Display should've had super amoled plus display rather than a pentile one. HTC ONE X has a true HD IPS SUPER LCD2 Display that feels a lot better.
The design is the major letdown for me. The shape isn't that good for a phone when I put this against One X. Yeah the phone is slim making a difference of 0.3mm but the entire shape didn't appeal to me much.
Made of polycarbonate same as One X but with hyperglaze that makes it more glossy and yes LET'S FACE IT; it looks cheap.
The battery isn't a difference to me. SIII houses a 2100 mAh battery and HTC ONE X has a penta-core chip making the phone to last long with a 1800 mAh battery.
SIII Camera app, S Voice are innovative and are as good as HTC ImageSense Chip and Beats Audio Integration in HTC One phones. (Camera may be a few steps ahead in One X)
New Touchwiz UI is like more of a gingerbread look rather than ICS. The true and real ICS UI would've been much better in SIII.
*Whatever the quadrant shows is not reliable. It may smack down One X but you've got to admire the build quality and UI and especially the shape and design of HTC ONE X.*
Important Note:
Buy the one you like. Admire the one you think is the best. At the end of the day the BEST phone is the one which is in your hand.
It's just a bit of comparison and talks we gonna do here. No offence whatsoever!
*I don't own any of these two devices. It was a gentle comparison and everyone has the right to have an opinion.*
Would love to listen from you people.
THANKS.
Htc one X has a poor design. Check Engadget were they are put side by side. One X looks plastic. S3 has that premium feel with the metallic surrounding. The UI is def superior to the one X too. The S3 is a sleek phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Following the very disappointing announcement of the S3 I gave up my S2 And bought a HTC one x. The only drawback is the battery life and major pro is the LCD2.
Very disappointing !!!
The S3 have sd-card and removable battery (possible to better battery in future), thats enough to buy it instead of One X
32gb on One X. Same as the s3. seriously people you telling me you are going to fill that storage up and use more with external sd cards? sd cards are so 2011 just messing. both great phones. cant we all just get along
but seriously guys. both phones have beautiful designs. but s3 looks like the child of the galaxy note and GNEX after getting together on a night out
I hope the "Next Nexus" has a non pentile display...
Im already dreaming of the specs... which kinda makes me sad because it will probably be a let down just like the S3.
RedBlueGreen said:
I hope the "Next Nexus" has a non pentile display...
Im already dreaming of the specs... which kinda makes me sad because it will probably be a let down just like the S3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i just do not get it! the pentile display on my GNote is amazing! what more do you want? i think these pentile issue is just a perception.
[email protected] said:
The S3 have sd-card and removable battery (possible to better battery in future), thats enough to buy it instead of One X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+ 1
enough said
I prefer the look of the s3 and once every one starts rooting the s3 is gonna be the top phone on performance anyhow isnt it.The battery and sd card are the winners for me and as for the screen isnt the screen on the hox having loads of problems with clipping and stuff?Maybe this is why samsung went with a older screen?
For me, the design of the SGS3 is better than the OneX
The screen is moot, its way beyond my ability to discern anyway.
Being able to take spare batteries/spare SD card on holiday to shoot video/watch movies etc... makes the SGS3 way better than the OneX
Finally, the sexy new staying on if you are with your device, or auto dialing if you lift it to your head after reading an sms, is logical, simple, but brilliant.
One horse race IMO... and NO custom roms to mess up the Samy apps for me!!
Mark.
a67543210 said:
Htc one X has a poor design. Check Engadget were they are put side by side. One X looks plastic. S3 has that premium feel with the metallic surrounding. The UI is def superior to the one X too. The S3 is a sleek phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't SGS3 all plastic like SGS2 ?
I will wait for the Sony or Iphone in the summer.
This is my personal view, it looked right downer to me, the Samsung Galaxy SIII smartphone is one big very ugly beast, it also cheap plastic again.
When Sony already launch a Sony Xperia with 12 meg pixels with launch smartphones in summer with 13 & 16 meg pixel. Samsung stuck with 8 meg pixel, this is massive surpried since this is 4.8 inch in size.
I will wait for Sony or Iphone or buy the Sony Xeperia S in the summer.
A massive disappointment.
Darkfunnyguy said:
This is my personal view, it looked right downer to me, the Samsung Galaxy SIII smartphone is one big very ugly beast, it also cheap plastic again.
When Sony already launch a Sony Xperia with 12 meg pixels with launch smartphones in summer with 13 & 16 meg pixel. Samsung stuck with 8 meg pixel, this is massive surpried since this is 4.8 inch in size.
I will wait for Sony or Iphone or buy the Sony Xeperia S in the summer.
A massive disappointment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Higher specs do not mean high quality product. Just think about it
Is there any confirmation that it has Gorilla Glass 2 ?
Darkfunnyguy said:
This is my personal view, it looked right downer to me, the Samsung Galaxy SIII smartphone is one big very ugly beast, it also cheap plastic again.
When Sony already launch a Sony Xperia with 12 meg pixels with launch smartphones in summer with 13 & 16 meg pixel. Samsung stuck with 8 meg pixel, this is massive surpried since this is 4.8 inch in size.
I will wait for Sony or Iphone or buy the Sony Xeperia S in the summer.
A massive disappointment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Xperia S has 2011's hardware except from the camera and the screen ( snapdragon S3/Adreno 220. WTF Sony? ). I don't think the GS3 is that ugly. It's just the ONE X is too beautiful and classy!
i think raw material of Samsung low quality when compare with Apple.
For me personally, the important thing about a sdcard slot isn't the total amount of memory, but the ability to wipe my "system partition" completely.
Like on my PC, I like to keep my photos, videos, music and other pers. data on a physically seperate "drive".
That's why HTC is no option for me, regardless of the other specs.
---------- Post added at 02:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:33 PM ----------
zest_th said:
i think raw material of Samsung low quality when compare with Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? What is so high quality about something that breaks when you drop it?
OP, you will get hell flak if you don't change the title
HTC steals the show, oh come on! Samsung are hardware manufacturers, they know the stuff!
And people debating over plastic and metallic finish, please throw your phone in the air and tell me which lives to tell the story? eh!
GSM Online PL just uploaded a video of the Galaxy S3 next to a HTC One X
You can see the diference in the build quality of the main body, i also noticed a the One X to be a little sluggish when moving through the menus, not as fluid at least.
Hearing other people's disappointment, i was disappointed too. However alot of the things people were complaining about I really don't see a problem.
Yea the htc one is a nice looking phone with a nice build. But so what's if the gs3 plastic? I remember numerous complaints about the gs2's plastic and how "cheap it felt". But look how light and thin it was. And check the drop test vs other phones as a result of this lightness. Now the design can be a little better i guess, but who cares it most likely is going to be in a case so it only matters how good the case looks.
The screen? I would rather a none pentile screen, but at 720 resolution I doubt I will be able to tell, and it being a super amoled screen i'm sure i'll love it.
Another benefit to this "dreaded plastic" to me is the removable cover. That is a big factor that would deter me from the htc one. I love being able to use a ext sd card and a removable battery is great too.
I'm not sure about the processor, but being a exynos I'm sure it will beat the tegra 3, in terms of performance and with a smaller architecture battery i bet too. Now me being in the States I'm sure we will unfortunately have a different processor than the international as the htc one does with the lte version. That to me is unfortunate.
And lastly, I'm sure that it will have a unlocked bootloader which alone would be reason enough for me to pick the gs3 over htc one.
If I still have the funds this year after getting a tablet, I'll most likely be getting the gs3. If funds don't materialize then there is always the next nexus or gs4.

Should you buy a Xperia Z or not?

Yes, if you can find a used one to a reasonable price, and no if youre renewing your contract or buying a brand new one.
Reason is that even though its great phone, the samsung s4 and htc one is right around the corner and they both come with full hd displays with nearly everything better in software terms, look at the rewies.
I bought mine used for around 350 pounds it had been used for 11 days. Reason, i didnt wait for the s4 (i dont like metal (htc one)) is that i didnt wanted to renew my contract, and i had a iphone 5 (just to small of a screen) which i sold and bought the Xperia Z.
Now the Xperia Z is a great phone, its a beautiful looking phone, it has a great full hd display, the launcher is nearly stock witch i prefer etc.
The "not so great" about the phone is the software side. The camera isnt the best, but its not bad!. There arent many feauteres in the settings app, its allmost stock, so for the people who like minimality its allright, but for people like me who likes a lot of features the software dissapoints. Even though a lot of the software (samsung series) is gimmicks its nice to have them. My big issue with this phone is the battery, im a heavy user and it isnt meant for heavy users. Even in stamina mode and brightness in auto mode i have to charge the phone at least 2 times a day. And the charge time is crazy, if you are using your phone while charging it just stands still. Bluetooth is dissapointing, it connect to my cars bluetooth but when trying to make a phone call it disconnects every time. On the lockscreen theres time, music and camera icons, if u have a missed call or a message it does not show, for me thats dissapointing, the software just needs big improvements.
Now this phone is big, so if you have small hands try it out in a store before you buy. I have small hands but i like to use two hands so its fine for me, but still it could have been nice if it were a bit smaller, like the zl. The rectangular shape isnt as comfortable to hold as a others. This phone definetely needs to be tried before bought.
To round up:
Good part. Its beautifull looking, great hardware, great full hd screen, good camera, little to no lag, good launcher, notifcation lights, waterproof,
Bad part. battery life, bluetooth, software, not comfortable to hold (small hands),
I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.
When you recontract (in my country), the HTC One is $528 vs the Xperia Z at $388, with the NFC speakers thrown in for free. Looking at the SGS4, it's going to be >$500 if the prices of the SGS3 were anything to go by (SGS4 drops on 27th April here). Kind of an easy choice
mahay_love said:
I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?
Nameless One said:
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
gm007 said:
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was a small video clip though
mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).
Nameless One said:
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe on the internet but I've seen no such negativity from the people who own it, and when I displayed it to my relatives they had a clearly good impression of the device. I think I'm just too particular about my devices.
@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium
With respect to the OP there is simply no answer to the question. Choice is there and all the debate in the world will not alter that.
Trying to compare the top three mobiles at present is fruitless. They all have weaknesses and strengths. It will come down to personal choice and thank heavens for that choice.
I have the blessing to have purchased what mobile I like to that end I am not biased in favour of one brand nor the other. I buy what pleases me and NOT what reviews write. 'Experts' only confuse the situations. The difference between the XZ, HTC One and the SGS4 will come down to style and aesthetics, as far as daily use goes we have reached a ceiling now where the speeds etc can make zero noticeable difference in user interaction between person and device. UI's differ as does materials used in construction. I went with the Sony on this occasion as my SGS3 is a spectacular mobile, for the cost the materials used (for me) are unacceptable, it just feels cheap and the SGS4 looks exactly like its predecessor even though Samsung are using different forms of plastic it still looks cheap.
The HTC One, I fear, living in a very hot climate, that the HTC One will allow body perspiration into the phone via those large frontal speakers ? The phone looks a million dollars but again I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend. The other point in choosing to try the Sony was signal strength.
You see I live in the middle of no where so signal strength is a vital part of my mobile ownership. Nokia, in the past, have been top notch in this area where HTC have proved abysmal and I have owned about 5 different HTC's. The Samsung Note was not too bad but the Galaxy S3 that I still have is not as strong as the Sony XZ.
I have found HTC and Nokia build quality to be very good, Samsung are, well they are plastic and look plastic!?
I am thankful for the choices. There is no best and to debate on such things is like trying to debate who the best singer is, the best song, the best brand of stereo speakers or HI-Fi separates. It is a personal choice.
What's the best fruit would be an equally pointless debate.
Best phone so far I find
The fact it's so close to stock android compared to everything else I find a real bonus as well
Feels like a nexus but with the Sony bonus features rather then a forced view of what they think android should be like e.g Samsung
Great camera
Good battery life I find
Best astetic design
Sent from my Xperia Z
swifteh said:
@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.
After spending two weeks with the iPhone 5, I am unable to agree that it has a better camera than the Xperia Z. I have got better pictures with the latter when manual settings.
I would also say that the selection between Xperia Z, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 (after seeing the ad in Times Square, the name is S 4 instead of S IV) is a matter of software preferences to a high degree. In my case, the Xperia Z won because of the following:
1. IP57 and the relaxation that the smartphone can be used even if the weather is less than perfect.
2. No TouchWiz or Sense and a very clean Android experience that is more of a "refined Nexus" than a traditional manufacturer modified one. The problem with Samsung is that they change a lot of things in their devices and that results in very heavy bloated ROMs. I also think that Sony has made a better job with their apps like dialer, contacts, messaging, Album and Walkman.
The new HTC Sense isn't too attractive to me either even if I have the opinion that HTC usually make more elegant apps (Gallery, contacts, dialer etc) than Samsung.
3. Because of 2, running clean ROMs are of interest to me in the case of Samsung and HTC. Unfortunately, neither Galaxy S 4 or HTC One are too developer friendly (locked bootloaders, a lack of sources etc) which is paired with a severe fragmentation (in the case of the S 4) where different markets has different CPUs etc. Sony has made a better job with standardizing Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 since both of them can use the same ROMs and kernels. It is also worth to mention that the CM10.1 development has been very rapid for the Xperia Z and everything like camera etc is working.
4. The performance of the Xperia Z is very high, it is the first time I don't feel that overclocking is necessary. The device is very smooth and fast on the stock frequency. It is better to undervolt in order to get better battery life and less heat (it made a big difference in my case).
The performance differences between the Snapdragon S4 Pro and the 600 can be reduced by overclocking. The light ROMs for the Xperia Z is facilitating smoothness, my experience is that Samsung and HTC needs heavy debloating in order to begin to perform at their best.
The most interesting product besides the Xperia Z when it comes to the CPU is the S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa. It is a great benefit that it is always quad core in both modes (performance and power saver A15/A7). Unfortunately, the Snapdragon 600-versions are what Samsung pushes hard since the production of the Exynos 5 Octa hasn't been ramped up yet.
The drawback with the Exynos is the unwillingness of Samsung to release proper sources, a problem that has affected CM and PA on their devices. Otherwise, it is a really interesting CPU.
The step between Snapdragon S4 Pro and 600 is too small in my opinion, the step to the 800 is much more interesting.
5. The screen of the Xperia Z is very good in my opinion with good color reproduction after calibration. The viewing angle "problem" doesn't disturb me the slightest since I usually don't use the device in off angles - and the screen is still legible in those cases. The "problem" is overrated IMHO.
I also prefer the colors compared to the extreme "color explosion" Samsung offers on their AMOLED screens (which can be changed by make the proper settings). I think the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One offers decent screens but I don't see that the difference between them and the Xperia Z is much of a concern. All three are good.
6. The audio quality of the Xperia Z when decent headphones are used is very good and that is with the PureXAudio mod flashed. I don't experience any kind of "inferior sound" compared to the Galaxy Note II. For further enhancements of the sound, Power AMP can be used.
HTC focuses too much on Beats Audio instead of good DACs etc which is a drawback. Personally, I would not buy anything with Beats (Crap Audio in my opinion). When it comes to the Galaxy S 4, I think the Snapdragon 600 versions are using the integrated DAC while the Exynos version should use the Wolfson one. I therefore expect the i9500 to offer higher audio quality than i9505 et al.
I would claim the Wolfson Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500 will be the best sounding with Xperia Z as the second while HTC with their Beats Audio will lag behind. Samsung usually manage to offer very good sound from their Wolfson equipped products.
7. The integrated battery on the Xperia Z is a drawback but can partly be explained by the water tightness. The HTC One has a completely disastrous battery placement, sandwiched between the mainboard and the screen. The 1 out of 10 in repairability that iFixit gave it would put me off completely.
The Galaxy S 4 is the winner since it offers both the user replaceable battery and a memory card slot. The Xperia Z comes in second and the HTC One suffers from a very big question mark about the internal layout.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the Xperia Z is the most "well rounded" device available today. The Galaxy S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa offers some benefits but suffers from very restricted availability. Many of the features Samsung puts in are more of "gimmicks" than useful things. HTC focuses also on a bit of bling bling with Beats Audio and Blinkfeed.
The Xperia Z on the other hand offers a clean experience that is easy to customize and gives a more "productive" feeling rather than "bling bling". On the other hand, everything comes down to what type of Android experience that is preferred. For those that are comfortable with TouchWiz and Sense, Samsung and HTC is good choices.
On the other hand, for those that prefer a cleaner experience but think the Nexus 4 is too limited (storage, screen etc) - the Xperia Z is a very good choice - especially now when CM10.1 is out and seem to work well in the latest build. It is possible to step straight onto "pure Android" right now, without the question marks that surrounds the other options.
Personally, I think the Xperia Z is the best option right now and can only see the Galaxy S 4 with Exynos Octa as the closest competitor - then there is interesting products from Huawei that can be worth a look. HTC One is uninteresting to me, especially because of the hopeless internal layout with the sandwiched battery that makes repairs extremely complicated.
What I don't like with the Galaxy S 4 is the insane fragmentation Samsung introduced. They use two different CPUs but it doesn't end there: then we have a couple of carrier versions with alterations that make ROMs incompatible. I can see atleast FIVE different S600 versions: i9505 for Europe and then different models for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
The Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 is the optimum in standardization in comparison.
HTC One seem to be more standardized too even if there are different carrier branded versions. According to available info, the AT&T version can use the EU ROMs without any alterations necessary and that is a big plus.
I think that the "worst" device of the three is the HTC One and that is purely because of the internal layout and the sandwiched battery. It is tough luck to have a problem with it. Even if it is integrated, it should be placed above the mainboard and not between it and the screen.
Galaxy S 4 is certainly a nice device in different aspects but TouchWiz and the severe fragmentation with different versions is something to keep in mind since it affects ROM development.
Xperia Z is a device that offers a very well rounded or balanced experience that is close to stock Android but with Sony refinements (that adds some value rather than just being bloat). I also think it gives an appearance of sophisticated elegance while the HTC One is a bit "bling bling" and the S 4 is a bit too much of an S III in style.
My last word is this: it is also worth to check out competitors like Huawei with their Ascend series. I think the rumored Ascend Mate II with 1080p screen will be an interesting alternative to a Note III for example.
There is also rumors about a Sony Xperia Cybershot later this year. I guess it will be powered by the Snapdragon 800.
I am very happy with the Xperia Z and don't miss Samsung the slightest.
Ryland Johnson said:
I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend.
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Click to collapse
Well maybe scratching is not as bad, looking at this short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWqPpYVE08
coios84 said:
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.
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Are you seriously trying to say that an 8mp camera is better than a 13 mp camera? i read lots of reviews and watched countless youtube reviews by top reviewers, yes i paid full price but im not fully flaming the phone, viewing angles dont bother me too much either, just pointing out one of the screens shortcomings.... im just hacked off at 50/50 gamble that you get a locked bootloader, which is why we buy android devices in the first place, to unlock, mod and set free, but i really needed a phone at the time so hey ho.
Quite agree with some but not all.
Battery I find it better, at least it was far better than my previous phone - Samsung Galaxy S III, and it also charging fast, at least it was faster than my previous Samsung Galaxy S III.
I don't find this phone that bad only deserved for 2nd hand value.
I do miss some useful function by Samsung especially on those sensor part, but.. it was not a must as it ain't really important.
Stability wise, I can only said this is my 1st Android that is stable out from the box. My experience with Samsung Galaxy S II - G version was the most terrible one, it hang often until I sold it after 2 months usage, actually before I sold the SII-G ROM already quit stable but it still hang maybe once a week. Then I get S III, the performance was smooth before you install anything, it drag down after install full of apps, I am not so satisfied with S III performance, I mean the international edition which only 1GB RAM, it will anytime restart the launcher once you touch the Google Chrome. Even the most simple task - opening Phone also need to wait, this is truly nightmare as older S II - G also don't have this issue, it open instant.
Then my sister buy Note II, and this is the 1st time Samsung did it pretty solid and stable. I am sure since this, they no doubt any issue on S4. But I still don't choose S4 due to bored on it similarity design.
HTC One - this is my choice before I pick Xperia Z as I had seen HTC Butterfly screen before, and it extremely impress me. But for design wise, I still pick Sony as I find it did the best in outer and inner (software part) design. Then, after seeing a lot reviews of HTC One camera, the Ultrapixel camera was quite let down, it too easier over expose in day light outdoor shoot due to it big aperture f/2.0, such aperture if not handle well is a nightmare. HTC One body is similar and even slightly bigger than S III, in such body, it was easier squeeze in 5" screen rather than current 4.7". Beside this, Xperia Z waterproof and solid build with capable of SD card was a plus.
Now talk on screen wise, I actually not please with Samsung over saturate AMOLED screen, it was just too vivid to be natural & preset color of Natural is not working, as it became too dull. Don't talk on S4, I know it came with Adobe RGB Professional profile, maybe this help, I can't justified now as I need to see in person. Xperia Z screen wise was nature but never lost it vividness and nice to look at, the only lose here is the viewing angle but it not really impact actual use.
Sound quality on Xperia Z stock not really impress me due to it too low volume loud speaker and not clear, also all the preset was too flat to listening, Clear Audio+ not flat but too high pitch. All this issue solved after with PureXAudio mod, it was really good and not worst than my S III after the mod.
Performance wise, no doubt S4 win here as it bundle with latest highest CPU and highest speed as well. But is this really matter, I doubt about it, now every flagship phone is fast enough, not really need getting the highest speed, in-fact future phone shall more look on RAM (probably is time equip with 3GB or 4GB) and battery. RAM always play important part in any IT electrical device. More RAM will eventually make everything much smoother and better.
Until now, the only thing I want Sony make it better was reduce the camera over post processing & jpeg compression, I know the output could be better if Sony reduce down the post processing especially the noise filtering, it was like a paint of wax sometimes the output.
It's a great device. At the end of the day is a flagship so it won't disappoint you but it all comes to personal preference sony xz, HTC one or Samsung s4 they are all awesome devices. Compare them and pick the one that ticks all the boxes for you.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.
biffsmash said:
I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Music: seriously check with the doctor, volume is high enough.
Perfirmance: laggy but very fast?? What app/game lags for you. Quad core 2gb ram and lags you are trolling here for sure.
Screen: that's totally bs, viewing angles are perfectly fine, right now I'm typing from my desk, I've seen videos in bed with my partner no problems at all.
Getting a bit tired of those HTC fan boys reviews.
What I suggest you to do is go to a shop try all of them and pick the one you like more. Because at the end of the day it's you who have to like it.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

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