Database Users

HTC Desire, HD, Z series vs. Samsung Galaxy S series

Never had an Android phone before but plenty of WM ons, (see sig) but feel time is right to jump OS. Desire and Galaxy S seem to be the best 2 around for uk users.
Looking at the specs nearly everything about this phone seems better than the Desire
Pros:
Bigger screen
Super Amoled
Faster CPU
Better GPU (has Desire got one?)
TV-out
8GB Internal memory
720p recording
Good camera (even without the flash it seems to take pretty impressive photos/videos)
Cons:
Froyo update (officially yes, but when? Samsung past record doesn't inspire confidence)
Likelyhood of further Android OS updates (such as gingerbread)
Could people who have experience of both please comment on the general speed of the 2 devices. Is the Galaxy faster in real life doing most things,
especially web browsing (including flash video) and playing videos from MicroSD card.
I would be running these apps if I get an android phone:
Slingplayer
Skyfire
Opera mini
myPlayer
Are there any apps/ anything else which isn't working on the Galaxy which runs o.k. on the Desire.
Thanks in advance.

I have both the phones & a Dell Streak up until yesterday. All those apps you listed work fine on both devices except Slingplayer which I don't know about as I don't use it.
I'm having problems with the web brower of the Galaxy in that when I click on a link the web browser shuts down & returns to the home screen. Also I can change the UA string to set the browser to show desktop version but it won't stay. I've already exchanged one unit & the second one still does it.
I use a well known porn site (ahem, testing purposes only :wink) to test the flash & have to say the Galaxy plays the clips without a hitch (though not super smooth) but the Desire just plays the sound, no video.
On specs alone the Galaxy pisses all over the Desire but in actual use there's not much in it. For sure the Galaxy screen is better & the speaker is much louder & better sounding than the Desire but the Desire feels better quality & I prefer the physical buttons.
The Galaxy will be returned for refund tomorrow because my 7 days are up, but I would probably choose it over the Desire if not for the web browser issues.

Thanks for that Zen123.
Probably sensible to wait till Froyo is officially out on Desire and more info about when it will be on the Galaxy but it won't be easy.

I have both.
Galaxy S pros:
Much better at graphics intensive tasks
Better sound quality, output volume
Better music player with EQ
DivX etc out of the box
TV Out (cable + DLNA)
WiFi tether
1.8GB of storage for app installation
More storage with inbuilt storage
Better screen - not only size and display characteristics but also touch and multitouch (most important for gaming, but not entirely irrelevant elsewhere)
Better loudspeaker
Better battery life
Desire pros:
General operation speed is better
GameBoid works
Widget selection is much, much, better
Hardware keys
Better build quality
Browser is better in terms of function, but the extra 0.3inches of the Galaxy negate that advantage for me
HTC music player works with LastFM, Galaxy's doesn't
Off the top of my head those would be the main things.

NZtechfreak, interesting you mention Desire is quicker generally. The difference in browser functionality? Don't they have the same browser?

Got both:
And like the other say both phones are realy nice, but if i had to chose one i would go for the Galaxy. Why?
Galaxy:
Better screen, colors and most off all i can see it better in sunlight.
Ok, it had a small bit off lagg for me when i did open DialPad, but after i got a task killer no more lagg there. Other then that i have not notice lagg in apps/programs like some other have been notice.
Battery last longer on Galaxy then on desire, and that is importent for one like myself.
And like some say they like the build Quality on desire more, i cant say that is wrong But i quite like Galaxy even i guess some should say it is litle "plastic", feeling on it, it is damn light in the pocket.
And if we talk "Root" if both both device use custom roms and the the right chefs make them, Galaxy will be a monster with a custom rom made for it
the other standard things i did see they had already write in other posts here

I had the desire first, returned it and went with the SGS. Why?
-The screen is obviously better, bigger while not too big (in my opinion ofc) and properly registers multitouch (desire has problems when you cross axis with 2 fingers, not a problem in normal usage but very annoying when you try to play a game with 'joysticks' on screen).
Edit: The S-amoled also seems to solve some of the pentile problems I found using my desire, like pink colours where gray shoud be.
-Camera quality is slightly better, however the lack of flash sucks, I enjoyed using the flash as a flashlight.
-The media player is just amazing. Goodbye converters, hello divx playback . Seriously though, it allows me to save 10's of GB on my desktop's harddrive, space I had to use to store those converted files before.
-Audio quality is top-notch, way better than the desire. It also simulates 5.1 playback and plays very HQ music (my flac library sounds better than ever).
-The GPU. You can actually play a game like asphalt on this, while on the Desire the game hangs constantly.
-Storage (this is only for android 2.1 ofc, but this might still be very important during the next couple of months). If you want to keep a few good games on the Desire at the same time, you will need to root/a2sd. Otherwise you WILL run out of storage. On the SGS, you have more than 10 times the app space.
Now with that said, the Desire has it's perks as well, like the sense ui (it's a lot more elegant than touchwiz), tweaked browser with flash Lite and the overall better experience (I feel the Galaxy S has a tendency to slow down over time, while I didn't have this experience on the Desire, might be that I play more games on the SGS tho).
However, I do feel samsung is putting a lot of effort in this phone and I really believe that we're gonna see some good firmware tweaks very soon. The fact that they are offering some quality apps with the phone, like the tweaked layar version, and the "samsung app store" which offers free stuff like the full asphalt game (which costs 5€ in the gameloft store).

Assuming that the Galaxy S is released on T-Mobile UK, this is going to have to be a decision I make as well. I was going to go for the Desire, but since hearing about the Galaxy S I've all but decided to go for that instead. Just a pity the build quality isn't so good, it has a PenTile screen and it doesn't have a flash (though that's a minor complaint) - pity that there isn't a high-end Android phone available without any real drawbacks!
A bit puzzling that it would seem slower than the Desire when the hardware should be as good or better - that must be software, and software's fixable, hopefully.

TMobile UK seem to have confirmed that its coming next month

I'm currently using HTC Hero, but thinking of getting the SGS.
The GUI is a big turn off for me. But like on the Hero, i'm using Launcherpro from the Market. And i'm hoping this would also work on this phone.
Have anyone testet if it works on SGS?
See no reason why it shouldnt
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-fede-launcher-Ezxp.aspx

Running launcherpro here on the SGS, works fine. You can still use the samsung notification bar functions like enabling wifi/bluetooth and setting ringer volume and brightness while using it. Combined with the fancy widget, it looks very nice.

Cooki3s said:
Running launcherpro here on the SGS, works fine. You can still use the samsung notification bar functions like enabling wifi/bluetooth and setting ringer volume and brightness while using it. Combined with the fancy widget, it looks very nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Came in buckets. thnx is what i want to hear
Phone is now purchased online

The Desire and Galaxy S have the same amount of RAM, though I believe, not 100%, that the Galaxy S kernel is lacking High Mem support, which if it's anything like the Nexus prior to gaining the support, means it only has access to around 190MB of RAM. The HTC kernel has High Mem support iirc, which bumps accessable ram to 390MB or so.
The fact that the Galaxy S comes out of the box with flac support and wifi tether negates my major reasons for really needing root...but having root and switching between roms more times than I shower is all part of the fun!

LadFromWales85 said:
The Desire and Galaxy S have the same amount of RAM, though I believe, not 100%, that the Galaxy S kernel is lacking High Mem support, which if it's anything like the Nexus prior to gaining the support, means it only has access to around 190MB of RAM. The HTC kernel has High Mem support iirc, which bumps accessible ram to 390MB or so.
The fact that the Galaxy S comes out of the box with flac support and wifi tether negates my major reasons for really needing root...but having root and switching between roms more times than I shower is all part of the fun!
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Click to collapse
meaning? where is the rest of the RAM being used at (if your claim is right)?

So the verdict is the SGS is better than the HTC Desire, basically..

Hi
I own both phones and the conclusion is ready. Galaxy I9000 is much better than nexus or desire. Very fast, sped, screen, games, internal storage, sound.. Is my point of view as developer for android

Flash question
I am slightly confused about the flash support for the 2 phones. If you read GSM arena review, they say Galaxy S doesn't have any, other than the youtube videos through a dedicated youtube player. HTC's own website says the Desire comes with flash support. They are both running Android 2.1.
What exactly does the stock Desire have in terms of flash, some version of flash lite? If so can't the Galaxy S be upgraded to the same level through installing an application?

Interested in Galaxy...or Desire
Currently running an iPhone 3GS . Was tempted(briefly) by the iPhone 4 , but not enough of an upgrade as far as Im concerned.
I must admit to loving my 3GS.OK the UI may be boring,but it does what its meant to do good enough.
Had never read anything about the Galaxy s until last night.I didnt even know Samsung made an Android phone!It does look really nice though.The screen looks great.
I have owned Samsung phones in the past, few years back now.And was always disappointed with volume.Is the Galaxy loud?If I leave the phone in my coat pocket downstairs am I going to struggle to hear it ring?(Not talking miles away here).
Also, the 3GS does feel like a quality bit of kit in the hand.Looks as good now as it did when I bought it 12 months ago.The build quality of the Samsung worries me slightly(from what I have read about it)

J-Hop2o6 said:
meaning? where is the rest of the RAM being used at (if your claim is right)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always thought this was something comparable to 64bit OSes, you just can't go above a certain amount (around 3.5gb, but for android 256mb) since the os doesnt support it. I guess it's a bit different with linux, but the comparison remains the same.
There was a line in the 2.2 features description on developer.android.com before, saying "HIMEM support, enabling access to more than 256mb of ram on devices", but I can't seem to be able to find it now.
Edit: http: //developer.android.com/sdk/android-2.2-highlights.html see platform highlights
billu said:
What exactly does the stock Desire have in terms of flash, some version of flash lite? If so can't the Galaxy S be upgraded to the same level through installing an application?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Desire has Flash lite 4, it's good enough to see some movies and some content like banners, but things like games and high quality/bandwidth movies are very sluggish.
Dunno if it can be ported that easily to the SGS, I think the browser needs to support it aswell, but not sure there.

camera photos comparison
can anyone post a photo(s) taken by these handsets (same object if possible)? will be upgrading tomorrow, and i feel these 2 handsets are pretty even for what i am after, the camera (photo & video) will be the deciding factor.... can anyone post pleeaaasssssseee??? i have less than 24 hours to decide!

[DISCUSS] Is this the best phone ever or what? (with mini review)

Seriously, I love this phone. I got it 2 days ago and i can't take my hands off it.
I'm 32 years old (yea yea getting old now), and was brought up on computer games. This phone makes me remember just how good the old megadrive/genesis/snes games were compared to the (mostly) crappy indie games that we see these days. I've fondly been playing Sonic, Mario, Super Star Wars, Streets of Rage and a whole host of others flawlessly on this little beauty. It's an emulation dream come true.
The N64 emulator lags a little bit for me, but mostly it's just occasional sound skipping, it is certainly still more than playable, although the control mapping could be a little bit easier. I'm hoping a MAME emulator will be released that supports all the old mame games and not just the capcom games. (Anyone can tell me if there is one already or one coming out?)
Some fears i had for the phone before i purchased were these -
- Worried it would be too bulky
- Worried about the screen auto dim feature and not being able to turn it off
- Worried about the battery life
- Worried about the hardware being outdated before it even hit the shelves
- Well, the phone is bulkier than alot of other phones, but it is still slim enough to easily slip in and out your pocket. I didn't look at the phone before i ordered it, i just jumped in and ordered it off the net and hope it was what i wanted (or i could send it back within 7 days to get a refund). Overall i am very happy with the size of the phone. I certainly don't feel like an idiot getting it out my pocket, it looks very cool.
- The auto brightness on the screen is not all that bad. I got annoyed at first, not being able to turn the phone on max brightness, but after a few minutes my eyes got used to it and i hardly notice it anymore. It must serve a good purpose because the battery lasts a long time. I think that an official patch is definately needed though, not giving people an option to turn off auto brightness is disastrous. Saying that, more than likely i would leave auto brightness turned on, it does save battery and it is implemented excellently imho.
- Battery life is amazing. I got through 12-14 hours of gaming, browsing, and general usage + a full night withought charge on standby and when i woke up it had 7% battery life left. You can not go through 2 days with this phone though, so still you will have to charge it every night, but you can guarantee a full, proper day usage out of it without too much worries about the battery dieing.
- Hardware is a bit meh. On one hand the phone runs super smooth. And FPSE plays PS1 games super smooth, no slowdown at all. The N64 as i mentioned has a few sound skips. So the hardware does exaclty what it was designed to do. This is where it stops though. There will be no PS2 emulation, no dreamcast emulation, no xbox1 emulation. Not until the next handset gets released. This is the limits of this phones power.
Overall i think this is the best phone made to date. I don't care it hasn't got 1080p recording, i don't care the camera is only 5 megapixel. This phone owns and is easily the best phone i have ever owned to date.
Roll on the Xperia Play 2. I am now a branded fan.
edit - Just thought i would say that my phone came with a 16gb Micro SD card, 2 screen protectors (1 of them already put on flawlessly, no air bubbles or dust underneath at all, 1 spare). I have heard people only getting 8gb cards and no screen protectors, but this did not happen with my order.

i mostly agree with you, this is the best phone i have had and i have owned a G1, motorola dext, motorola milestone and a HTC HD2, i would only recommend the HD2 out of these and even then, only after installing android (unless your into windows)
the thing is, i no some people dont value proper gaming as much as me or others so they think this device is not needed but im glad we dont all feel the same way
what im really hoping for this device is, for it to be popular enough so that other manufacturers (or even sony) make a similar device, hopefully with dual or even quad core in mind, add 1GB ram and dreamcast/PS2 emulation is a possibility
but for right now? the play is excellent considering its the first of its kind

agree with most of what you say. but yes hardware is a bit meh.
could have done with better implementation on shoulder buttons and i still think they coud've stuck in an L2/R2 somewhere
overall, the best android phone i ever had was hands down the galaxy S. ****ing beatiful, screen, performance (with custom rom and lagfix!), etc.
but as a gaming phone, this is THE best, despite it's lackluster hardware, it has hardware controls, which, IMO, makes up for all its shortcomings!

L2 and R2 buttons.....
Yeah, i guess they could be put next to each other so that it doesn't increase the thickness of the phone.
So it would look like this -
_______________________________
(L1....L2..............................R2....R1)
_______________________________
Still, FPSE allows you to put L2 and R2 at the bottom left and right of the screen. They are easy enough to get to with your thumbs, so it's no big deal tbh.

usually not a big deal, but when you have to use simultaneous button presses, i.e. press R2 and X together, can become tricky.

Sony * Rule * Got mine Today
Hi peeps,
Got mine today, excellent phone love the Ginerbread.
a few issues so far but no problem.
Love this phone, looks so stylish and plays excellent.
TapperOUT!

Im in the same camp as you mate, same age and gaming experience and I agree 100%

I'm 29 and one of the biggest retro gaming fans in the retro gaming scene.
if any of you have ever heard about the pandora (600mhz ARM TI OMAP 3530) based device. If not, more information is here www.openpandora.org
but I have both devices and I pitted them up agianst each other and gave a lenghy review/comparison of each. It's a good read if you're into that sorta thing.
http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php?/topic/2746-xperia-play-vs-pandora/
Spoiler
TLDR; this is the best mobile gaming handheld in terms of power and available software you can currently buy that satisfies the console emulators hobbyists needs.
not the absolute best when it comes to hardware and features, but makes up for it in interface and available software and raw power.

johnsongrantr said:
I'm 29 and one of the biggest retro gaming fans in the retro gaming scene.
if any of you have ever heard about the pandora (600mhz ARM TI OMAP 3530) based device. If not, more information is here www.openpandora.org
but I have both devices and I pitted them up agianst each other and gave a lenghy review/comparison of each. It's a good read if you're into that sorta thing.
http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php?/topic/2746-xperia-play-vs-pandora/
Spoiler
TLDR; this is the best mobile gaming handheld in terms of power and available software you can currently buy that satisfies the console emulators hobbyists needs.
not the absolute best when it comes to hardware and features, but makes up for it in interface and available software and raw power.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i just wanted to say i read your review and it was pretty good, i was interested in pandora at first but because of how long it took to release i completely forgot about it, although looking at it now, i totally envy the keyboard except the D pad and triggers, having gaming controls AND a qwerty keyboard is just excellent, sony should consider this with the xperia play 2 or what ever manufacturer decides to make a PS certified phone, if extra bulk was needed i could certainly live with it
that said, the keyboard is the only thing i would take from pandora, in my opinion the play beats it in every other area except screen size but then thats balanced with capacitive vs resistive
EDIT - forgot to check the pandora website to see how much it costs.....wow, 440 euro is alot, i was expecting a little over half that, just for comparisons sake i bought my play , sim free for £400 a few days after release, considering the play has more useful features (in my opinion) 3G, android OS and its market, phone functions etc....im surprised it cost so much

I agree here !
I am 27 and also brought up with retro games it's so nice able to play my games again from my childhood.
The device lays good in your hand indeed the as for the brightness well it's fine although my xperia x10 with lowest brightness on is still readable and not with my xperia play but even cranked up at highest brightness the battery still remains exellent thought it would drain like hell like my x10 does but it doesn't !
Glad I got rid of my omnia with win mobile and now have 2 nice xperia devices !
Android is the OS I am currently hooked on never was to happy with my omnia due winmobile but the phone was hyped in my country and it was the biggest mistake I made.
Hardware wise yea there are already dualcore devices and tegra2 gpu powered
as for the emulators of xbox , ps2 , dreamcast & gamecube
I don't think we will see them in the next year or so
but then again there is a developer working to get a dreamcast emu working and progress is already nice I think it's a matter of time we will see
as for my order I recieved a stock screenprotector already on screen , extra screen protector ( they are very scratch resistant my x10 didn't have such a good screenprotector had to take the factory applied on off and apply a newly bought screen protector ) Wall charger , car charger , leather poach & 8gb SD card which I recently upgraded to 32gb

I think in point of view it is the best phone for me but can be better if they added more memory/better screen/ and a PSP Emulator

baaa3 said:
I think in point of view it is the best phone for me but can be better if they added more memory/better screen/ and a PSP Emulator
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Click to collapse
fair point but like someone told me, this is the first generation of this particular device, yes, sony could have gone all out but that would just mean the xperia play 2 would only have minor updated features
think of it like the first iphone, it probably should have had 3G, better ram etc but it just meant that the jump from iphone 2g to 3g was that much greater
although saying all that, im pretty sure HTC, motorola, samsung or LG will bring a play competitor before the years end with atl east dual core onboard

silvacrest said:
fair point but like someone told me, this is the first generation of this particular device, yes, sony could have gone all out but that would just mean the xperia play 2 would only have minor updated features
think of it like the first iphone, it probably should have had 3G, better ram etc but it just meant that the jump from iphone 2g to 3g was that much greater
although saying all that, im pretty sure HTC, motorola, samsung or LG will bring a play competitor before the years end with atl east dual core onboard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anyone know how the sales are going in Europe of this device?
If sales were crazy, like on the iphone, then probably we will have more joypad versions, if not, then this will be like the Nokia Ngage... how many years have passed from that phone to this one? i dont remember well, but at least 6 o 7...
So basically, we will have to wait until the phone gets released worldwide and see how the numbers go to SE.
Probably on the next version i will expect an exclusive suite and not an android suite that all phones can play with. Because if we have something exclusive, then we will have a game that will be made for this controls. (from what i heard, the PS Suite will be available on android market for all high end devices)

my only annoyance with the device is the power button should have been on the screen section not controller, I occasionally press it when im playing something that uses the L shoulder a lot e.g. street fighter

FrAsErTaG said:
my only annoyance with the device is the power button should have been on the screen section not controller, I occasionally press it when im playing something that uses the L shoulder a lot e.g. street fighter
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Click to collapse
How do you manage to do that?
My power button is actually indented. I can't turn it off with my 'L' finger even if i try to do it on purpose.

dsswoosh said:
How do you manage to do that?
My power button is actually indented. I can't turn it off with my 'L' finger even if i try to do it on purpose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
other people testing my phone have done it too, so we are not different you are...

FrAsErTaG said:
other people testing my phone have done it too, so we are not different you are...
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Click to collapse
Actually, to me it also seems nearly impossible to turn the device off while gaming

must agree, has never happened to me also

Maybe me and my friends just have more manly fingers?
I still strand by original comment power button should be on screen half, would also help to see the notification light
Sent from my R800i using XDA App

FrAsErTaG said:
Maybe me and my friends just have more manly fingers?
I still strand by original comment power button should be on screen half, would also help to see the notification light
Sent from my R800i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
or maybe you guys just have chubby sausage fingers?

[Q] Is the Xperia Play worth Getting?

I am very hesitant in getting that phone, I've heard alot of good things and alot of bad things
I've seen specs and I've seen reviews, but I want to know people's personal opinion as they have the phone for full everyday use and not just reviewing it.
Is it worth it?

My advice do not go for it,you have better options for the same price.even if you are into gaming do not go for it...you can wait for NGP later and get dual core mobile now like galaxy s2/sensation/optimus 2x

I say go for it 4 sure. If you're like me who loves Zelda OOT, buy it! There is nothing like sitting on the subway while kids are playing their angry birds on their iphone while you sit there with your play and play Zelda or tekken 2 It's totally worth it!
everyday phone? Oh yeah! It works great!
Don't listen to that guy talking about dual core. You don't need it on a phone!! seriously, WHY would you need dual core? Everything i've tried on my play works like a charm!

jassired said:
My advice do not go for it,you have better options for the same price.even if you are into gaming do not go for it...you can wait for NGP later and get dual core mobile now like galaxy s2/sensation/optimus 2x
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Click to collapse
Yeah, get a dual core mobile now so you can play the exact same games you can play on the Xperia Play, only with worse controls and worse battery life.
Then get an NGP later so you can carry around two devices for ultimate portability!

hairdewx said:
Yeah, get a dual core mobile now so you can play the exact same games you can play on the Xperia Play, only with worse controls and worse battery life.
Then get an NGP later so you can carry around two devices for ultimate portability!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that was exactly what i meant haaha +1

^^^ I'm being sarcastic in my last post, in case the OP didn't catch that.
I'm very happy with my Play as a gaming phone and everyday phone. My wife has a Droid 3, and there isn't much difference at all, if any, in app performance and daily phone use. I have much better battery life as well. She has a better camera Maybe eventually apps will start taking advantage of multiple cores, but it's going to be a while.
You can't play this game on a touch screen very well...

Yourmama said:
I am very hesitant in getting that phone, I've heard alot of good things and alot of bad things
I've seen specs and I've seen reviews, but I want to know people's personal opinion as they have the phone for full everyday use and not just reviewing it.
Is it worth it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is very simple. How much do you value playing both Android-native and emulated games against the rest of features in a phone? If you really want to play games in a phone, this is your device.
If you don't value playing games over dual core CPUs, slick designs, gorgeous screens and feature-rich cameras, you're not the target for this device. It has a very specific niche, which Sony Ericsson has spent millions in digging out. It's a love-it-or-hate-it product, with little middle ground.
Oh, and it has an astonishingly precise GPS.

There are bad points about this phone but show me a perfect phone.
The best 2 things about this phone are obviously the control pad for 1 and the battery life, which has amazed me so far.
The only thing that I find annoying is the lack of decent games taking advantage of what is a great phone.
But I have to say I have started using emulators and they are quality, n64oid and fpse especially.
So to sum up its a great mix up between a gaming device and a smart phone. It is let down on the development side.
It all just depends on what you want if you like gaming I dont think you will be let down in purchasing this phone
Thats my two pennies anyway
Sent from my R800i using XDA App

I have an xperia play and a few of my mates have dual core phones (SGS2, Optimus x2 e.t.c). I would not swap the Xplay for any of them.
As hairdewx has shown if you plan on playing anything with FPSE or emulators it is pointless on anything other than an xplay. The emulators alones let you play thousands of games with proper controls (makes it a 1000x better)
The speakers are the best on any phone. And the battery life is amazing to say this is a gaming device. Just using it as a normal phone it is as good as the rest.
I would recommend you get this phone. I think it will be hard for me to upgrade to a newer phone @ the end of my contract, unless it has proper gaming controls . (Xplay 2 hopefully)

Thanks guys I don't know I just might get it the only setback was the lack of an HD screen and the core issue but seems that the people who have the phone are enjoying it, I will see

Just wanted to give a perspective from someone who just bought the phone yesterday.
Waiting in the Verizon store I got the chance to mess with a few other phones. I actually played a couple games on some as well and just took an overall look. So to start lets forget the coolness of the control pad, and also that IMO playing games with motion/touch controls aside from something designed for it like Angry Birds absolutely sucks. Its why I seriously have not been into mobile gaming until now and I'm a big gamer. Just can't stand those controls.
Most of these new 4G dual core phones are huge. Seriously I was playing with one of the new 4G phones and the damn thing was like a doormat it was so big. Meanwhile the Xperia Play dimensionally is almost identical to my OG Droid, but space wise is designed better so that the 4" screen pushes to almost the edges of the device which uses space very well. Fits in my pocket WAY better than those 4G devices with a screen thats only 0.3" smaller.
Next up is speed. The OS is just as responsive on the Play as any of the 4G devices, I'm honestly not sure how much a dual core processor can help on a cellphone especially for normal every day tasks, with an OS that while multitasking, is not like a PC where you can physically have 2+ windows on screen at once. The way Android prioritizes memory, if you are using multiple apps at once, I just don't see there being a possibility of an everyday advantage. Needless to say, touch them side by side, there is NO difference in speed. Which brings me to games. I played a couple on the newer devices, they looked and played the same as on the Play, no faster, no better graphics, no nothing.
Finally would be features, ok so the camera is ok but not as good, 4G where available, is REALLY fast so thats nice as well and if you're in an area its common, and you have a need for that kind of speed, well then its something you should consider. And HDMI out, not on the Play. I personally have no use for it but if you do then theres another loss. So this comes to opinion - IMO the camera is good enough, it does the job, its a cell phone not a Canon. 4G? I live in the NY metro area basically where 4G service should be mostly available but its spotty, meanwhile WiFi is everywhere, and everywhere I'd sit and use it I have WiFi (my home, my folks house, my firehouse etc), when I travel I book hotels that have free WiFi, also my ISP provides open WiFi in many areas. Also I have no shame I use peoples open WiFi signals if I have to, so honestly I don't miss the speed there. 3G really isn't THAT bad either, however its a compromise, and I'm sure outside of this area it could be a problem for some. Then HDMI out, I bet I'd try it out for a novelty but I'd probably never use it. I have a PS3, I watch movies on my big screen from that or my PC with HDMI out.
And 2 things I've said above become an advantage for the Play, no 4G and no Dual core = better battery life.
So all in all I don't for a second regret the purchase, you get 95% of the performance of a 4G phone, with the advantage of better battery life, and the completely awesome built in control pad. If you want to game, its a no brainer.

When I saw the title of the thread I opened it to give my opinion about this phone. But when I read the previous answers, all that I wanted to say had already been said, so I gave up writing a big text because I don't have anything new to say!
Then I'll only say that it's an awesome phone, buy it without any fear, you won't regret it.

_terror_ said:
If you're like me who loves Zelda OOT, buy it! There is nothing like sitting on the subway while kids are playing their angry birds on their iphone while you sit there with your play and play Zelda or tekken 2 It's totally worth it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WTF! did you get a stable enough N64 emu (not to mention enough ram to run the rom) I have a GBA SNES NES GameGear and Genesis, but i cant find a good (preferably free at least till applanets back up) 64emu anywhere....and how are you running tekken two though all the psx emus crash cause of sony releasing this phone....oh and as long as you plan to plug the thing in everynight for like 8 hours (although 2.3.3 update fixes that a small amount if you dont game or browse or call or well pretty much emulate any sort of energy from it) than dont buy this phone really takes a commitment, i hate that i bought it then found out motorolla is releasing the droid 3(name changes between SP's) with HDMI out 1Ghz process 8mp cam rear and ii believie dont quote 3.2 front (might have been 2.3 or somewhere goin on memory of specs) THAT IS THE PHONE YOU WANT IF YOU ARE STILL LOOKING but release does depend on SP Bell got it first! havent folllowed up on it much just pisses me off that i bought a damn sony product over a 3ds.......oh and sorry if i repeated anyfacts

It is my favorite device. I just put in 2 hours of Beyond the Beyond without any awful on screen controls or bluetooth shenanigans.
Sound quality is spectacular too, as is the battery life.
The only thing that could use some improvement is the camera.
If you enjoy games more than just casually and really enjoy emulation, there is no other real option IMHO.
Sent from my R800at using Tapatalk

KronikonE said:
WTF! did you get a stable enough N64 emu (not to mention enough ram to run the rom) I have a GBA SNES NES GameGear and Genesis, but i cant find a good (preferably free at least till applanets back up) 64emu anywhere....and how are you running tekken two though all the psx emus crash cause of sony releasing this phone....oh and as long as you plan to plug the thing in everynight for like 8 hours (although 2.3.3 update fixes that a small amount if you dont game or browse or call or well pretty much emulate any sort of energy from it) than dont buy this phone really takes a commitment, i hate that i bought it then found out motorolla is releasing the droid 3(name changes between SP's) with HDMI out 1Ghz process 8mp cam rear and ii believie dont quote 3.2 front (might have been 2.3 or somewhere goin on memory of specs) THAT IS THE PHONE YOU WANT IF YOU ARE STILL LOOKING but release does depend on SP Bell got it first! havent folllowed up on it much just pisses me off that i bought a damn sony product over a 3ds.......oh and sorry if i repeated anyfacts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
N64oid v2 runs alot of roms pretty perfect now, and fpse eats tekken alive, infact i havent found one ps1 rom it dosent run pefectly

jdsemler said:
Sound quality is spectacular too, as is the battery life.
The only thing that could use some improvement is the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
K Sound Agreed, Battery however i would like to know what miracle device you are using to keep it powered cause even with the 2.3.3 update which i wont le improved battery life significantly, i dont find its able to keep up with the demand especially noticable when streaming data i.e. skyFM or TuneInRadio(awsome app by the way for a phone with no FM reciever any radio station you could imagine....from all 7 contenent...yes there is a sat radio station based in antarctica for the 12 people that are ever there at one time, sheesh im Canadian and i say no thanks to that lol sorry off topic tired and ranting), and camera is decent quality 5.0mp front is only1.2 so self portraits are a little grainy i find, but none the less i have to agreee it could use more features to the actual cam its self

AndroHero said:
N64oid v2 runs alot of roms pretty perfect now, and fpse eats tekken alive, infact i havent found one ps1 rom it dosent run pefectly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
didnt know N64oid v2 was out thanks!, and as for the ps one emu i think i might just steal whatever games they release seeing as i pretty much bought a psone in a phone seems a little redundant to download a program on top of that....just cant wait to see if they find a way to release FFVII and VIII to the phone

Just get an android phone you like
to the guy who started this thread truely you just want an android phone PERIOD with it dominating over 50% of the smart phone generation other companies are trying to figure a way to eat a piece of googles pie....ie rumors which are now apparently confimed (which i havent seen first hand knowledge) but the iPhone 5(BOOO) is set to release with BBM installed, and we all know android with get it first probably for free with some sort if ad support....its like comparing a PS3 to Xbox360 its just not necessary 360 wins in every department like android.(minus blueray but you can obvi get a cheap one of those now to make up for it)

Anyone interested
found a decent site on app creation for android....vogella.de/articles/Android/article.html
sorry bout not making it a link apparently i havent posted enough for our Naziesq forum rules

KronikonE said:
to the guy who started this thread truely you just want an android phone PERIOD with it dominating over 50% of the smart phone generation other companies are trying to figure a way to eat a piece of googles pie....ie rumors which are now apparently confimed (which i havent seen first hand knowledge) but the iPhone 5(BOOO) is set to release with BBM installed, and we all know android with get it first probably for free with some sort if ad support....its like comparing a PS3 to Xbox360 its just not necessary 360 wins in every department like android.(minus blueray but you can obvi get a cheap one of those now to make up for it)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't you pissed on this guy's thread enough? Then you come into a forum with people who are obvious playstation and Sony fans and say the Xbox360 "wins in every department" which is so untrue its not even funny but I'm not getting into that flame war here.
You don't seem to like the phone much, and you don't seem to like PS much, door is to the left, go buy another phone then.

This performance is all we can get? Really?

First, let me tell you, I really love Google and Android. I would never buy an iDevice because - well - I don't love Apple.
After watching all YouTube videos and reading all rare tests, I was very excited about the Galaxy Tab 7.7. Nice specs, super speedy, great display, etc...
Today I got it - more or less by accident - and with full of expectations I turned it on to show it to my colleagues. In the videos I saw every device jerking and stuttering and I thought: ok, all these widgets and live wallpaper - I will remove them and then this thing will fly!
Fly? Pfff.... "Smooth" is a foreign word for this device. Even with NO widgets on the screen and only some icons on one page the old Transformer TF101 is faster and a lot smoother! Hell, even my 2 years old single core HTC Desire is a rocket compared to it! I can't believe, that Samsung is not able to get a halfway smooth experience with a dualcore, 1.4Ghz CPU!
As I told you, I don't love Apple, but they get a super smooth experience on a 600 to 800 Mhz, 4 years old device while I NEVER saw this on ANY Android device. If you are honest and compare these 2 systems, Apple has done just a better job performance wise.
I don't think the hardware is not able to render menus, zooms and lists smoothly. Google has to improve it. Samsung did its job by adding the ugly touchwiz, which brought the performance down to zero.
A guy wrote on his blog, that Android will never be smooth, because of its system. It just can't be. Never. Google has to rewrite the code to get it smooth.
It's just awkward if you present your iColleagues the "new best device" on the market just to be laughed at when everything stutters. Pfff... I really hope that Google makes performance the number 1 priority in future Android versions so no iDiots can laugh at one. That's really awkward and I'm really disappointed...
Maybe I exaggerate now, and to be honest there are more important things in life. But it's just sad, that after years Google is not able to make it smooth like Apple had it from the beginning. Apple has done nothing than taking existing things, put them together and make them smooth with an eye for the detail. This I'm missing in Android. An eye for the detail.

hudl said:
Fly? Pfff.... "Smooth" is a foreign word for this device. Even with NO widgets on the screen and only some icons on one page the old Transformer TF101 is faster and a lot smoother! Hell, even my 2 years old single core HTC Desire is a rocket compared to it! I can't believe, that Samsung is not able to get a halfway smooth experience with a dualcore, 1.4Ghz CPU!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you might have received a defective unit. I have a TF101 and the new Tab 7.7 sitting in front of me right now, and when the TF101 is set to it's stock max clock of 1ghz I can notice a slightly faster response from the Tab 7.7.
It's not a big difference, but it's there. Perhaps you were comparing your stock clocked Tab 7.7 @ 1.4GHZ to a 1.6GHZ overclocked TF101?
If you really want to wow your friends, search for 1080p in youtube (or download from Nvidia) and play the Nvidia PureVideo HD 1080p Test on multiple devices at the same time. It is mind boggling how much better the colors look/pop on the Tab 7.7's AMOLED display. (Yes, I know that the screen is only 1280x800 and therefore scaling)
Oh, and that blog post you are talking about. It's from a bygone Google intern.

I did some benchmarking:
Quadrant: 4088
Smartbench 2012: Productivity: 2692, Gaming: 1719
CF-Bench: 12622,2470,6530
Linpack: Single: ~53, Multi: ~85
So, these results are great and I don't think my Tab is defect (my TF101 was stock btw.). But what I mean is user experience. Videos are great looking and video performance is also impressive, but I rarely watch videos (I use my 12"Lenovo x201 Tablet for this) and benchmarks don't count for real world usage. I always get micro stutters and REALLY bad is the performance when adding widgets (I mean really bad!) or going into the app drawer. There is nothing to hide. I don't think that the hardware is the cause for that. It's just software.
And you are right, the blog I was talking about was from an Ex-Google guy. But if we are honest, he is right - Goolge has to improve user experience to compete with others (WP7 is also smoother with less CPU power for example). I don't mind if that means breaking things - if everyone is excited and buys devices, the devs will surely rewrite the apps. Or make a (slow) compatibility mode or something like this. For now Android grew because of its price - it would be fine, if it would grow because of user experience imho...
I hope ICS will improve it. A lot...

hudl said:
I did some benchmarking:
Quadrant: 4088
Smartbench 2012: Productivity: 2692, Gaming: 1719
CF-Bench: 12622,2470,6530
Linpack: Single: ~53, Multi: ~85
So, these results are great and I don't think my Tab is defect (my TF101 was stock btw.). But what I mean is user experience. Videos are great looking and video performance is also impressive, but I rarely watch videos (I use my 12"Lenovo x201 Tablet for this) and benchmarks don't count for real world usage. I always get micro stutters and REALLY bad is the performance when adding widgets (I mean really bad!) or going into the app drawer. There is nothing to hide. I don't think that the hardware is the cause for that. It's just software.
And you are right, the blog I was talking about was from an Ex-Google guy. But if we are honest, he is right - Goolge has to improve user experience to compete with others (WP7 is also smoother with less CPU power for example). I don't mind if that means breaking things - if everyone is excited and buys devices, the devs will surely rewrite the apps. Or make a (slow) compatibility mode or something like this. For now Android grew because of its price - it would be fine, if it would grow because of user experience imho...
I hope ICS will improve it. A lot...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried adding a widget to my screen and I did notice stuttering the first time, however every time I added a widget after that was very smooth. I haven't noticed any stuttering while going into the app drawer.
When you talk about Google competing with others like WP7, what do you mean? Android's only real competition at this point is iOS:
http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/09/ios-marketshare-up-from-26-in-q3-to-43-in-octnov-2011/
Also, your comment about Android growing because of it's price is a rather simplified view. If price were truly the reason for it's growth then why do the majority of people (in the UK at least) choose to purchase one of the most expensive variants of Android hardware?
http://www.mobileburn.com/16862/news/samsung-galaxy-s-ii-is-top-selling-android-smartphone-in-uk
I want to see Android grow just as much as you do, but I don't seem to have the same disdain that you do for its current iteration.

I would agree with you to some extent. I was slightly disappointed too when I first turned it on. I was thinking why in hell such a great hardware is so logy? I think TW and HC but specifically TW makes the whole experience awkward. So as with my other Samsung android devices, I got rid of TW and installed AWD launcher. The experience is totally different. 7.7 is now smooth and fast and just works great.

Just give me a larger font, so I can read!!
+1. I have had absolutely no worries with response time, lag, videos, hang ups, stutters, app drawer response, etc. My only problem is I can read my 5.3" Note a heck of a lot easier than my 7.7" Tab. Now if ICS fixes that, I am good to go. I am very critical, and yes, Android does need to consolidate and be sure when they release updates, etc., they function as well as the iGuys do (don't like i) I don't use TW at all, never have, beyond the first 30 minutes, currently using ADWLauncher EX, extremely fast, reliable........
Everyone has their opinion, and I respect all, just I have found the 7.7 to be everything as advertised, only if I could read the text on the bloody thing!!
Please, no suggestions to increase font, anyway or anyhow, I have tried all and if you do this, you affect that, not worthy of discussion. ICS may resolve, at least, I am hopeful.

nascar24usa said:
Everyone has their opinion, and I respect all, just I have found the 7.7 to be everything as advertised, only if I could read the text on the bloody thing!!
Please, no suggestions to increase font, anyway or anyhow, I have tried all and if you do this, you affect that, not worthy of discussion. ICS may resolve, at least, I am hopeful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, the application name font in particular is quite small. Thankfully this should be fixed in ICS.
"For improved readability, you can also increase the default font size used across the system." - http://www.android.com/about/ice-cream-sandwich/

Perfect
Thanks for the specific quote:
"For improved readability, you can also increase the default font size used across the system."
Now, when will we get ICS, so we all can standardize our experience to each of our needs.
Thanks.

I'm looking to replace my 10.1 with one of these tabs. I will say that after running CM9 on my 10.1, anyone who is annoyed with performance the stock ROM has will love the difference should someone maintain CM9 for this device.
Performance is night and day on CM9. There are couple things keeping me from buying this right now and that's the fact that 32gb+ versions aren't available and that I question CM9 support for this tab. I think CM support will come eventually, so that's not the biggest factor holding me back of the two.
I'm positive once people are free from stock they can see just how well this tab will perform.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Honestly, this is kind of tiresome. Why bother with calling people iPeople and making it some kind of battle? You didn't invent anything so why act like it's somehow your technology versus theirs? People like their iPads and that's fine.
But I think you maybe should've at least checked the performance of the video you were going to display prior to show & tell time so this embarrassing scene didn't have to happen.

I just posted up a video that is slightly in response to this topic. Have a look! And while you're at it, check out my other vids!

hudl
I'm sympathetic to what you are saying. (See earlier discussion in thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1464192; Jade Eye Wolf's long reply has been quite helpful to me.)
Couple of questions:
1. Does using a different launcher make any difference to the subjective experience? (E.g., using ADW EX or GO Launcher EX instead of Touchwiz.) My own experience is definitely much better with ADW and GO (I settled eventually on this) than with Touchwiz, widgets and all.
2. What are the properties of the video you were playing. Could it be that it was encoded at an overly high rate? How does the same video play on the Asus? Could there be some codec issue?

Jade Eyed Wolf said:
I just posted up a video that is slightly in response to this topic. Have a look! And while you're at it, check out my other vids!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For those who aren't interested in the hma5000 "slimstick" bluetooth handset, here is a link to the clip of his video that talks specifically about the Tab 7.7's performance, or you can skip to 3:30 manually.
http://youtu.be/8OHZbPv1Tsc?t=3m30s
Thanks for the video Jade Eyed Wolf, adwex looks to be very very fast on this device.
---------- Post added at 07:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:14 PM ----------
nascar24usa said:
Thanks for the specific quote:
"For improved readability, you can also increase the default font size used across the system."
Now, when will we get ICS, so we all can standardize our experience to each of our needs.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome.

hudl said:
I did some benchmarking:
Quadrant: 4088
Smartbench 2012: Productivity: 2692, Gaming: 1719
CF-Bench: 12622,2470,6530
Linpack: Single: ~53, Multi: ~85
So, these results are great and I don't think my Tab is defect (my TF101 was stock btw.). But what I mean is user experience. Videos are great looking and video performance is also impressive, but I rarely watch videos (I use my 12"Lenovo x201 Tablet for this) and benchmarks don't count for real world usage. I always get micro stutters and REALLY bad is the performance when adding widgets (I mean really bad!) or going into the app drawer. There is nothing to hide. I don't think that the hardware is the cause for that. It's just software.
And you are right, the blog I was talking about was from an Ex-Google guy. But if we are honest, he is right - Goolge has to improve user experience to compete with others (WP7 is also smoother with less CPU power for example). I don't mind if that means breaking things - if everyone is excited and buys devices, the devs will surely rewrite the apps. Or make a (slow) compatibility mode or something like this. For now Android grew because of its price - it would be fine, if it would grow because of user experience imho...
I hope ICS will improve it. A lot...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just change your launcher... Yes TW launcher sucks, whatever the HW. And yes Samsung is to blame for this
The article you mention, even though quite interesting is from an ex Google INTERN... Not exactly a top gun either... even if he may be a very smart person
Anyway I can tell you: I have an original Tab, ie rather old HW and under BOCA ROM with Launcher Pro I don't get any stutter, even with many widgets (Oh and my Quadrant score after overclock is pretty close to yours ehehe. 3900ish)
Hopefully upcoming firmwares will fix your issue. But then again just changing your launcher should do the trick

TouchWiz is THE SUCK and absolutely evil! Honestly my Nook Color with its single core CPU felt faster with its optimized CM7 build.. I have used a Prime and there is no comparison. Everything is slower on the Tab but I think changing the launcher will help.
An obvious indication of the slow response is when you press the power button to wake the Tab up from sleep, the screen doesn't come on instantaneously. I mean WTF is up with THAT?
Sent from another Galaxy (Tab 7.7 via Tapatalk)

HoneyComb + touchwiz are SLOW!!!
Tried all sort of different launchers, seems like they are working better then stock... which REALLY REALLY SUCKS!!!
Anyhow, waiting for a proper ICS release, maybe that one will have a better launcher and will work better...
Have a nice day,
SK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rha2jJXCy8M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUaurAFNrrA
It is also explained and showed on this unboxing and walk through video.. Im not really sure if its TW or Andriod causing the lag but im hoping its just TW.
EDIT:
After watching JadeEye's post its now conclusive that its just TW.

Excellent
nascar24usa said:
Thanks for the specific quote:
"For improved readability, you can also increase the default font size used across the system."
Now, when will we get ICS, so we all can standardize our experience to each of our needs.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My eyes like a slightly bigger dpi settings, I would like 380 or something.
I can read my Note fine, but for the Galaxy 7.7, which I still need to find
a dealer for, I'd like to know if higher DPI is possible..
THat is.. until we get some icream and I can just size the font

lucid said:
My eyes like a slightly bigger dpi settings, I would like 380 or something.
I can read my Note fine, but for the Galaxy 7.7, which I still need to find
a dealer for, I'd like to know if higher DPI is possible..
THat is.. until we get some icream and I can just size the font
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that would require you to either shrink the screen or increase the resolution 4 times.
none possible at the moment

I just need text to be bigger throughout the whole operating system and applications.
Up close my eyes are 80%, which I think sucks. So i always bought the biggest
screen that comes with a phone. So after enjoying the note for a month, i heared about the 7.7 and now want/need that/.

Back to XP guys

I haven't been posting on these forums for a few months now as I got my Xperia Z and JXD S7300 so they were meeting my android needs. My XP had its original battery installed and was resigned to the drawer under my bed since then.
I have however, become bored with my Z and the battery life on it is shocking. Also, if the battery dies it takes ages to get it to come back on for some reason, some sort of hardware fault by Sony.
Anyway, long story short, I gave the Z to my missus (as she had a crappy Nokia Lumia WinMo phone) and have dug out my XP again. I installed my 3600mAh battery again and it is currently charging. It's on Atomic rom at the mo but tomorrow I will be installing the latest NXT rom, repartitioning my spare 32gb sd for link2sd and getting back to gaming heaven on the Play.
Basically I missed the ease of use with the Play. I'll still be using my JXD as 1080p gaming on my plasma tv is great but the Mali gpu is a funny one. On paper it should be faster than Adreno but games like Most wanted and RR3 are significantly laggier than they are on the Play. Jet Set Radio runs at full speed though!
Also, with devs like Catfishblues still highlighting "Xperia Play Optimized" (I just bought Hyperwave ) the Play isn't dead yet!!
Long live the Xperia Play :victory:

BensJammin said:
I haven't been posting on these forums for a few months now as I got my Xperia Z and JXD S7300 so they were meeting my android needs. My XP had its original battery installed and was resigned to the drawer under my bed since then.
I have however, become bored with my Z and the battery life on it is shocking. Also, if the battery dies it takes ages to get it to come back on for some reason, some sort of hardware fault by Sony.
Anyway, long story short, I gave the Z to my missus (as she had a crappy Nokia Lumia WinMo phone) and have dug out my XP again. I installed my 3600mAh battery again and it is currently charging. It's on Atomic rom at the mo but tomorrow I will be installing the latest NXT rom, repartitioning my spare 32gb sd for link2sd and getting back to gaming heaven on the Play.
Basically I missed the ease of use with the Play. I'll still be using my JXD as 1080p gaming on my plasma tv is great but the Mali gpu is a funny one. On paper it should be faster than Adreno but games like Most wanted and RR3 are significantly laggier than they are on the Play. Jet Set Radio runs at full speed though!
Also, with devs like Catfishblues still highlighting "Xperia Play Optimized" (I just bought Hyperwave ) the Play isn't dead yet!!
Long live the Xperia Play :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've also just gone back to my Play after wrestling between my GS3 and iPhone 5. Just can't beat the integrated physical controls and customization of Android.
Sent from my R800i using xda app-developers app

I did exactly the same thing, but people called me crazy then.
Was using the Z along with a moga controller but the battery life was to much of a drain.
Also I had a couple of moments I did have battery life to play, but my moga ran out of battery...
Not to forget that the quad core CPU @ 1.5 Ghz did not let me emulate anything new or better.
So Iam back with the play.
Kind regards, Stefan.

I've finally ditched my Play as my daily phone, as the internal storage and general slowness when multitasking was just too much for an everyday phone. I went from the Play, to the One X, to now the One. I still pop in my sim card when I go on road trips or vacation though.. nothing beats it for emulator gaming.

dassub said:
I've finally ditched my Play as my daily phone, as the internal storage and general slowness when multitasking was just too much for an everyday phone. I went from the Play, to the One X, to now the One. I still pop in my sim card when I go on road trips or vacation though.. nothing beats it for emulator gaming.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Internal storage on mine is not an issue with Link2Sd. I have a large collection of games installed like Asphalt 6+7, After Burner (a known memory eater), MC3, Nova 3, Most Wanted etc and I still have 220mb internal storage. Speed wise my phone is overclocked to 1.8ghz and using the interactivex governer so it hits 1.8 immediately if I try to do something. Flicking between screens, opening apps etc are pretty much exactly the same as the Xperia Z. Im not convinced by this whole "quad core is faster" business at the mo. Its like in the PC world. More cores are great for benchmarking, but if an app is only coded to use one core then the rest are redundant, meaning clock speed becomes priority. Snapdragon is pretty damn fast on its own so whereby it may be old, it still can compete.
And this isn't me going by speculation. I have an Xperia Z sitting in front of me right now and I can say that with everyday usage there is hardly a discernable difference in speed between the 2 phones. On Atomic Rom I had the homescreens etc looking exactly the same and the thing I noticed the most was how washed out the Z screen actually is, whether it has something to do with the waterproofing I dont know, but the contrast is far better on the Play.
Just my 2 pence

BensJammin said:
Internal storage on mine is not an issue with Link2Sd. I have a large collection of games installed like Asphalt 6+7, After Burner (a known memory eater), MC3, Nova 3, Most Wanted etc and I still have 220mb internal storage. Speed wise my phone is overclocked to 1.8ghz and using the interactivex governer so it hits 1.8 immediately if I try to do something. Flicking between screens, opening apps etc are pretty much exactly the same as the Xperia Z. Im not convinced by this whole "quad core is faster" business at the mo. Its like in the PC world. More cores are great for benchmarking, but if an app is only coded to use one core then the rest are redundant, meaning clock speed becomes priority. Snapdragon is pretty damn fast on its own so whereby it may be old, it still can compete.
And this isn't me going by speculation. I have an Xperia Z sitting in front of me right now and I can say that with everyday usage there is hardly a discernable difference in speed between the 2 phones. On Atomic Rom I had the homescreens etc looking exactly the same and the thing I noticed the most was how washed out the Z screen actually is, whether it has something to do with the waterproofing I dont know, but the contrast is far better on the Play.
Just my 2 pence
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Link2Sd sounds intriguing for my issues, I have a 32GB micro sd card (class 10). But don't kid yourself, the phone is super slow in daily use compared to my HTC One (and even my One X). Just taking a picture there's a half second lag, or opening the web browser. Everything on the One is instant, but Play not so much (and my Play is rooted with all bloatware removed).

dassub said:
Link2Sd sounds intriguing for my issues, I have a 32GB micro sd card (class 10). But don't kid yourself, the phone is super slow in daily use compared to my HTC One (and even my One X). Just taking a picture there's a half second lag, or opening the web browser. Everything on the One is instant, but Play not so much (and my Play is rooted with all bloatware removed).
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Honestly, overclock the crap out of the play. Makes such a difference. Had mine at 1.8ghz for ages and no issues whatsoever. If I click on the camera icon it opens in less than half a second and the only slowness taking the photo is the autofocus. My Xperia z was meant to be up there with the fastest phones and it definitely is not £300 worth faster (or whatever it costs now).
However I can fully appreciate why people are moving on from it. Im just saying that my experiences with 'better' phones have ended fruitless!
Sent from my R800i using Tapatalk 2

I've got a Galaxy S3 as my main phone, but I still keep my XP around for mobile gaming. I just installed Cola 6, which not only speeds things up, but it does things like booting into airplane mode. The XP is still one of the best emulator devices out there, by far.

hehe
Yes, xperia play is not dead