Last months theme wasn't much of a success, but as the creator of the idea I didn't do much to promote it with any drawings early on, but am hoping to change that this month (portraits are a preffered subject of mine).
Can be any style. Head only, full body, you in your environment, what ever. Help us put a face to a name...
As you know, this is a very busy time for me. Moving house and also product sourcing materials to expand my range. Had some sketches I lost when I had to wipe my tablet, but apart from that haven't had any time to do anything except play for a few minutes here and there. Would love to get involved with this, but can't make any firm promises at this point.
Sent from my GT-N5100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Portrait
Heres mine! I sat a few hours yesterday using dropbox and floating browser as my "mirror" in Ps touch. Please note that i am 14 years old with no previous experience of art school or thr like and just bought my note 8 because i like to draw (to justify my summer-working money on it i said i would use it for notes in school.). Constructive criticismare very welcome as ive seen that virtually everyonr here is a lot better than me at drawing and I will gladly listen to any advice you have. For the glasses and the head being smaller there, that is what you get when you are nearsighted and have 3.50 on both eyes.
Never had lessons in digital drawing eh? You are on the right track. Great shading and use of colors and depth. It may not be realistic looking, but you have a talent that many (including myself ) wish they had.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
My self-portrait contribution. Auryn Ink app. You can't damn save or underlay a reference picture, and the worst - erases the entire what you are working on if you rotate or press the back button. Though the closest to replicating watercolor behavior.
I didn't mean to make it as a formal portrait. I've be done lots of those for other people. Quick sketch. Unfinished drawing. I'm happy with the way it is.
rooted stock Galaxy Note 8 GT-N5100
InfiniteDroid said:
Heres mine! I sat a few hours yesterday using dropbox and floating browser as my "mirror" in Ps touch. Please note that i am 14 years old with no previous experience of art school or thr like and just bought my note 8 because i like to draw (to justify my summer-working money on it i said i would use it for notes in school.). Constructive criticismare very welcome as ive seen that virtually everyonr here is a lot better than me at drawing and I will gladly listen to any advice you have. For the glasses and the head being smaller there, that is what you get when you are nearsighted and have 3.50 on both eyes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks good to me. I'm still getting used to drawing on a tablet and the main thing I have learned is not to be affraid of layers and as a general rule build up a drawing from back to front. I'll try and get something up this week. looking to do my rough sketch and outline work this week. I'll end up with quite a few layers on mine. Rough outline. sketch. ink. then varous shading layers. 1 for back ground. 1 for skin. 1 for hair and 1 for details and a colour layer.
Looks like you have the patience and thats the hardest thing to learn (something I'm still struggling with). Keep up the good work.
Spent 20-30 minutes starting my initial sketch. layerpaint. first layer was rough outline and general shapes (done in pencil. 100%. red). then i added a new layer to start my sketch proper. pencil. 60%. black.
I'll continue my sketch to get more detail in it then move it to a different app to shade. I'm thinking clover paint, as it can import PSD files and unlike sketchbook pro, has a smudge/ blend tool but I haven't confirmed that it does all that I want it to yet so have not purchased it as of this moment.
I may do some more tonight, but my girlfriend is getting on at me to finish editing our photos from our weekend in brighton 2 weeks ago so she can make one of them her profile picture. More to follow...
Imported into clover paint and coloured. Shading still to do. Need to practice hair.
hertsjoatmon said:
Imported into clover paint and coloured. Shading still to do. Need to practice hair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good!
I've been doing portraits since my secondary school. The biggest thing i learned about after 2 decades of of on and off doing portraits is just being lose. Going with the flow. Yours is such.
A lot of people consider portraits to be the hardest to do. Not really so. All drawings have the same principles of edge, angles & proportions, shape, and shades & shadows.
All you need is the 50% light - 50% dark formula for contrasting.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD app
I finished this on Wednesday but forgot to up load it. Felt I learnt a lot in the process. Gonna do a few fun pieces now, but may do another portrait before the end of the month:beer:
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk 4
Very nice!
I think it's a very nice drawing hertsjoatmon, I like how you've made the eyes look so natural, thats the part where I always fail. When I draw eyes i either fail completely while drawing the left one, or i get the proprtions totally wrong
Related
Guys,
Have any of you come across a 'decent' Art & Drawing application?
I know there are quite a few but I'm looking for one that has realistic brushes/palette and tools.
It 'must' have an ability to use 'smear' where I can smear many colours or do a graduated colour spread.
Another nice to have would be 'pressure sensitivity' ~ whereby applying various forms of pressure gives off varying brush thickness.
Thanks in advance.
Beards
Bother..... Just realized I've posted this in the wrong section. Should have gone in the Themes and Apps section....
Staff, please relocate, my apologies.
Beards
I've been looking for one to, but they all seem to be just very basic finger paint programs.
INeedYourHelp said:
I've been looking for one to, but they all seem to be just very basic finger paint programs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the trouble which I have found as well.
Besides my profession I have a passion with photography and drawing.
I would handsomely pay quite a lot of there were an Art package available that you could use properly for sketch and watercolour.
Again, if anyone has any ideas please do let us know.
Not found anything that is pressure sensitive, not sure if that's even possible. I found a simple sketch app that simulates the effect based on the speed of your finger.
There might be a opportunity here for someone. I used to write art packages, but now that I work in computer graphics, I'm not sure I have the same enthusiasm for doing it in my spare time.
TravUK said:
Not found anything that is pressure sensitive, not sure if that's even possible. I found a simple sketch app that simulates the effect based on the speed of your finger.
There might be a opportunity here for someone. I used to write art packages, but now that I work in computer graphics, I'm not sure I have the same enthusiasm for doing it in my spare time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pressure sensitivity is possible Mark, well on Windows Mobile that is...
There's a title named DynaInk which supports pressure sensitivity and has very basic smudging effect built in.
What was the name of the title you found and did it support 'smudge/smear'?
With all the titles available one would like to believe there must be an App available that can mimic an artists drawing/painting board.
It was Sketcher, it doesnt support the features you're looking for Mike, but with the Sketchy brush selected did allow you to get several colours on top of one another in an air-brush type fashion.
TravUK said:
It was Sketcher, it doesnt support the features you're looking for Mike, but with the Sketchy brush selected did allow you to get several colours on top of one another in an air-brush type fashion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Mark found it..... I like the idea but you are right, it's not my cup of tea.
Did find one of interest ~ Magic Doodle Lite
It only has the single brush in the Lite version but it does allow you to graduate your colour if you use a specific brush fill pattern.
The Pro version has 35 real artist brushes (not 8 as the Market mentions), prismacolour, acrylic, hue & saturation, pencil colour, van gogh oil, rembrandt watercolour, skin tone, cool colours, weak saturation, grey saturation, 3 greys sacle, victorian, nocturne.
More drawing & painting tools.
Eyedropper to select colours fro your paintings.
Extra zooming from 50% to 1000%
Colour bucket to quickly fill closed forms and shapes.
Smudge tool.
Symmetrical drawing tool.
Premium also has search for painting ideas.
65 modern style patterns for more inspirations.
24 colourful ethnic art models for training.
Pro version costs E1.39 (USD 1.96)
Have not installed or tried, but Picsay might be worth tying.
I have not tried this
So not sure if this is what you looking for
DoodleDroid
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-littlesunsoftware-doodledroid-tDq.aspx
MarvinTheAndroid said:
Have not installed or tried, but Picsay might be worth tying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Picsay is more a Photo Editor than a dedicated drawing program.
There's little to no art tools.
ironman666 said:
I have not tried this
So not sure if this is what you looking for
DoodleDroid
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-littlesunsoftware-doodledroid-tDq.aspx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DoodleDroid again works with Photo's.
Basically I need to work from a blank canvass just as you would if putting chalk, pastel, paint, etc on paper.
Thanks guys.
Not what I am seeking but I do appreciate the feedback.
So has anyone found anything better yet? I haven't had much luck in finding anything good.
INeedYourHelp said:
So has anyone found anything better yet? I haven't had much luck in finding anything good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The nearest I have found is Magic Doodle.
The Lite version only has the single brush whereas the full has quite a lot more.
I've given myself to looking until the end of July. If I can't find anything further to my needs then I'll pay for the full version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kddUiIn250o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s3YvQO0hcI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQbD5Lbsdho
not necessarily in that order i do think the note addresses allot of issues with current smartphone. Then takes the best of a 5.3 " screen and adds some nice features plus they make it very pocketable given the extra screen estate and battery life gained from the note. Love it. I would have however asked for the screen to be amoled plus as its slightly sharper and the s pens button should be a textured kind and an additional button further up making it easier to find when needed. Just like a normal pen with soft rubber textured grip.
Any thoughts opinions or questions just ask. Also sorry if the lightings really that bad but it was 3 in the morning with energy saving dark bulbs since they certainly don't light much.
Cheers Kenny
Great vids! many thanks. If I hadn't of seen you at the start of one of the clips, I would of sworn it was Alan Hansen doing the commentary!
Kenneth131 said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kddUiIn250o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s3YvQO0hcI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQbD5Lbsdho
not necessarily in that order i do think the note addresses allot of issues with current smartphone. Then takes the best of a 5.3 " screen and adds some nice features plus they make it very pocketable given the extra screen estate and battery life gained from the note. Love it. I would have however asked for the screen to be amoled plus as its slightly sharper and the s pens button should be a textured kind and an additional button further up making it easier to find when needed. Just like a normal pen with soft rubber textured grip.
Any thoughts opinions or questions just ask. Also sorry if the lightings really that bad but it was 3 in the morning with energy saving dark bulbs since they certainly don't light much.
Cheers Kenny
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for taking the trouble to produce such informative clips of the Note which highlight the many brilliant features. You show how the Note can become the one device to replace a phone and tablet which is what I am going to do.
Thanks guys appreciate the feedback. If there's anything else you want to see or know let me know
Nice job indeedy! Much appreciated!
Kenneth131 said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kddUiIn250o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s3YvQO0hcI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQbD5Lbsdho
not necessarily in that order i do think the note addresses allot of issues with current smartphone. Then takes the best of a 5.3 " screen and adds some nice features plus they make it very pocketable given the extra screen estate and battery life gained from the note. Love it. I would have however asked for the screen to be amoled plus as its slightly sharper and the s pens button should be a textured kind and an additional button further up making it easier to find when needed. Just like a normal pen with soft rubber textured grip.
Any thoughts opinions or questions just ask. Also sorry if the lightings really that bad but it was 3 in the morning with energy saving dark bulbs since they certainly don't light much.
Cheers Kenny
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Kenny I just checking the videos now they are great
Bloody good videos lad!
Thanks again guys appreciate it. Just think xda has done so much for me over my android life time, i am more than happy to help where i can. I love android and i love xda
cheese Kenny
Nice one Kenny.... you deserve a vote of Thanks for your efforts.
Tick... added
Great videos, and a nice collection you've got there! Thanks for taking the time out.
I agree! I was doubtful whether this would really replace my notebook and pen but your videos seem to indicate that it will. I've just ordered one so if it doesn't work out I'll be sending you the bill.
Just adding some high resolution pics.
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The headset has volume rocker button... Was not there in SGSII
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Hell i take it all back lol but thanks for the coming sleepless nights awaiting your review ilovemyjasjar im pretty sure you will love it and not having to carry my netbook and tab about for tethering is great since im with giffgaff woohoo.
Thanks drgopoos for the pics those are fantastic. Always good when you want to see everything about this device.
One thing i was asked over at phandroid was if this will get scratched up like the shinny plastic on the s2 hopefully from the high res pics you will see there is no shinny plastic on this whixb is lovely also the metal plastic bezel on the side goes from front to back so the battery cover sits against it and it finishes just before the screen starts so the device feels quality
and the speaker has a little bump in the plastic that covers it so its not completely flat when on a table which is nice if you use speakerphone or listen to music
Ok this is the camera test since i was asked how the cam was on the note.
these are pics taken in complete darkness as was the 1080p vid just to show how good this thing is even in pitch black conditions
Il try get some outdoors ones at some point as well. The led is very bright on this phone and works brilliantly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17cmnjvAEkM
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dQb_VwhAwkMWkGN0V8Q5GQ?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/58ULU9XGRMMUfxW4PpGxGQ?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/y-rLsnreVjzAPCMjcoYpPQ?feat=directlink
Thank you! The darkness video is amazing!
..but there is a problem with pics. I can't open them
Pere said:
Thank you! The darkness video is amazing!
..but there is a problem with pics. I can't open them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me neither
I want the Note so bad...
I hate the US delay in release dates. It's only because Apple starts throwing patent suits at everyone if the devices don't get screened...
Apple starts claiming that they created all smartphones and anyone else is 'copying'. Freaken US
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
xAnimal5 said:
I want the Note so bad...
I hate the US delay in release dates. It's only because Apple starts throwing patent suits at everyone if the devices don't get screened...
Apple starts claiming that they created all smartphones and anyone else is 'copying'. Freaken US
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude just buy it overseas and have it shipped!
Thanks for posting the video and photos Kenny, like other forum members ,I can't open the photos.
will you pls test the below link if it shows square boxes or real fonts ..Thanks .
aztagdaily.com
I have my Galaxy Note for 10 weeks and after using it always with 100% brightness there are aging effects.
Specially at blue backgrounds, but also at white and gray I can see the home screen icons, the clock and some buttons from jelly defense (I played jelly defense 3 weeks daily 2 hours) shining darker. (you can see it on the photo)
Now my Galaxy Note is in service for screen changing.
But what can I do in the future to avoid this aging effects? 80% brightness, 90% brightness?
Samsung didn't know this problems (I'll not believe it).
Has anyone practical experience with this problem?
Typically Blue pixels age the fastest. So pick a warm/red background. Avoid 100% brightness. Use auto if possible. Avoid leave screen on for prolonged period. Avoid static text or icon on the screen for too long. Basically the same care you would do to a Plasma TV except even the plasma TV screen(around 80,000 to 100,000 hrs) lasts 10 times longer than the AMOLED screen (estimated around 10,000 to 20,000 hrs).
Looks like you've discovered amoleds dirty little secret. I avoid pixel burnout by using launchers that auto hide the notification bar as well as browsers that allow you to hide the navigation bar such as opera. Opera let's you browse in fill screen mode.
I often refrain from using apps that show static images for long periods of time. I try to use the browser for everything that can be done through the regular Web portal of a site.
There is no way of getting around static images in apps unless the Dev accounts for it. Some devs are aware of amoled burn out and have options to hide navigation bars.
Ultimately you have to be mindful of static images and make sure to either avoid them on your screen for prolonged periods of time or remember to rotate your screen.
This is why I'm not looking forward to virtual buttons on ICS. It will destroy amoled screens for sure. Hopefully Samsung will retain physical button(s)
10 weeks is a pretty short life time, My friend's Nexus One (1yr++) does not have the very slightest hint of screen aging why my the galaxy S2 that I used for just 2 months already had the AM/PM burned in.
Its normal for OLED screens to age but it should not be this fast, this is probably why apple is not looking into OLED screens as the quality and or lifespan could be problematic.
There are some manufacturing defects. Some screens are just fade faster than others. But in general, if you know how to take good care of your screen, it will last a long time. My old Galaxy S lasted over a year without any noticeable burn-in. My new Galaxy S2 has been 4 months w/o any problem.
foxbat121 said:
There are some manufacturing defects. Some screens are just fade faster than others. But in general, if you know how to take good care of your screen, it will last a long time. My old Galaxy S lasted over a year without any noticeable burn-in. My new Galaxy S2 has been 4 months w/o any problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
like the part where you say "noticeable"
no matter how much you try to take care of it. It will happen. Its already there. (Depends to which degree)
My advice apart those ones about hiding the element that are always present.
Do not look for a screen burn in. Or do not look at the ****ty quality of the AMOLED. When you would look on for example on grey/ brown background easiest to spot when going to the marker you would notice the differences between the different parts of the screen. Its not perfectly even from the time its build. The color is displayed in different shades usually presenting itself in "lines".
Had my Note for 1 hour and I noticed it. Brand new.
But then again I know what to look for (proud owner of Galaxy S) and where to look for it.
I bought this device for the resolution and power. Not for the screen build quality
When I say 'noticeable', I meant to use screen test patterns. Last time I did that with my Galaxy S, I don't see any burn in with the test patterns at all. But I agree one should not purposfully sort after the burn in. It will always be there. But I also don't need live in panic. The great contrast of the screen (or infinite black) outweights any shortcomings it has. Side by side with an iPhone 4/4s, I simply can't stand the foggy looking screen of the LCD on iPhones. Every iPhone owners I encounter liked my SAMOLE screen better.
PAGOT said:
But then again I know what to look for (proud owner of Galaxy S) and where to look for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello fellow Galaxy S owner, This is the phone that brought up my standards and expectation for a SAMOLED device. I never saw any lines/uneven screen brightness and other garbage on my Galaxy S, even on greys. So this has brought up my expectation for a very high level which was crushed by the Galaxy Note's screen.
PAGOT said:
I bought this device for the resolution and power. Not for the screen build quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good for you, I bought the device as a while package with the top concern about screen build quality and as an HD playback device which it does not meet the purpose
Just a quick tip I picked up from someone else on this site (I forget now who it was, sorry). Change your clock from 12 to 24 hour every now and then (and visa versa), it shifts all the icons along a little
This is both an interesting and depressing post to find. I was so excited to order my International Note soon, but now I'm super paranoid about screen aging. I've read so much conflicting information about it online, I don't even know what to believe anymore.
Featherbeard said:
This is both an interesting and depressing post to find. I was so excited to order my International Note soon, but now I'm super paranoid about screen aging. I've read so much conflicting information about it online, I don't even know what to believe anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In terms of lifespan, LCDs still trump amoleds. That's a fact you'll have to live with.
No screen technology is perfect. SAMOLED for the moment has the problem that pixels decrease in brightness with ussage. So try to minimize the amount of light you get off the screen. That will also give you more battery life.
Try to use black backgrounds, and white text on black background if the application allows it. Of course if you spend 3 hours a day on a game with static icons and menus, that will wear some pixels more than others and you'll end up with something like the OP.
If you go looking for small variations of color, you're going to find them. But the superior brightness and contrast of a SAMOLED screen wins me over. Even when I know its effemeral and will degrade with time. But anyway, who keeps a phone more than 2 years?
Yeah, but I just found this information for the first time today, which is why I'm so depressed. I'm a digital artist so having a nice little on-the-go sketchpad has me super excited, but also worried because of the screen. Expansys tells me there's a 2 year warranty, but I don't know how that would work on an international phone if the screen goes bad...
---------- Post added at 02:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 PM ----------
vcespon : Yeah, I normally keep the brightness on my Atrix down quite low anyways. The max brightness setting is *blindingly* bright. As for the 'who keeps a phone more then 2 years", I had my iphone 3gs for quite awhile thank you very much. That and if I spend 600-700 bucks on this baby I want it to last! If I get at the very least a year to a year and a half out of the screen I'll be somewhat happy, though closer to 2 would be better obviously. I wonder what the long-term outlook is for the life of these screens anyways. Does anyone know the mean-time-before-failure for them?
I would also try using black backgrounds or dark themes on as many apps as possible also. Like tapatalk or k9 for instance.
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
Featherbeard said:
I wonder what the long-term outlook is for the life of these screens anyways. Does anyone know the mean-time-before-failure for them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think there are some references how long the pixels "live". You should google. Even though Samsung said that they used new materials to build the displays.
I can tell you one thing you get used to the inferior screen in time.(Few rants not and then) So I wouldn't worry about that. If it really fails you. Meaning someone else will notice something wrong on the screen no just you. Claim warranty
Also to pointing out. There is shor-term memory effect as well. I think I already posted some bad quality pics here about that from my SGS. > http://goo.gl/URYzm I do not remember if this is a burn it or just the memory effect. I think its the memory bla bla. Second pic is best.
Thanks for the information! I think I remembered someone saying that the short-term memory effect gets better over time as well. I'm mostly worried about the screen quality as I plan on doing a lot of sketching on it, which kind of sucks because it'll most likely be using a light-colored background then. :\ I wonder if the AT&T version will have the exact same screens or if they'll be a slightly updated version. I guess not considering AMOLED is still AMOLED.
PAGOT said:
I think there are some references how long the pixels "live". You should google. Even though Samsung said that they used new materials to build the displays.
I can tell you one thing you get used to the inferior screen in time.(Few rants not and then) So I wouldn't worry about that. If it really fails you. Meaning someone else will notice something wrong on the screen no just you. Claim warranty
Also to pointing out. There is shor-term memory effect as well. I think I already posted some bad quality pics here about that from my SGS. > http://goo.gl/URYzm I do not remember if this is a burn it or just the memory effect. I think its the memory bla bla. Second pic is best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Featherbeard said:
Thanks for the information! I think I remembered someone saying that the short-term memory effect gets better over time as well. I'm mostly worried about the screen quality as I plan on doing a lot of sketching on it, which kind of sucks because it'll most likely be using a light-colored background then. :\ I wonder if the AT&T version will have the exact same screens or if they'll be a slightly updated version. I guess not considering AMOLED is still AMOLED.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You worry too much. And you do not even have that phone yet.
First of all not sure how its in your country, but here you can return in if you dont like it in a week I think.
Also if it becomes really apparent you really can go to a service center. I do not remember someone saying that samsung refused to change the screen.
Also I was ranting here already a year ago about the Galaxy S. I hate SAMOLED soo much since I got the SGS (18 months ago). I own an iPhone 4 and love retina and SLCD. And yet bought the Galaxy Note as well (despite the fact I knew how faulty it will be and how I will hate it )
Hey, I'm paranoid! I *really* get upset when I get a device that either isn't stable or has something wrong or defective about it. (Especially something that costs this much!) I'm in the US and am debating ordering through Expansys (USA), and I've heard they have I believe it was a 2 year warranty, but I have a feeling I'd have to send it to Expansys and have them take care of it if something went wrong. I can't see Samsung handling an international phone's repair in the US?
Aren't we strange with how we buy our gadgets? We know we will hate something and yet still buy it.
Featherbeard said:
Hey, I'm paranoid! I *really* get upset when I get a device that either isn't stable or has something wrong or defective about it. (Especially something that costs this much!) I'm in the US and am debating ordering through Expansys (USA), and I've heard they have I believe it was a 2 year warranty, but I have a feeling I'd have to send it to Expansys and have them take care of it if something went wrong. I can't see Samsung handling an international phone's repair in the US?
Aren't we strange with how we buy our gadgets? We know we will hate something and yet still buy it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All oled displays suffer from amoled burn out. Not much you can do.
vcespon said:
Try to use black backgrounds, and white text on black background if the application allows it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you can see my homescreen. There is already white text on black background.
But I can see the shadows of the big clock and all icons. The shadows are the white parts of the homescreen; for example the "S" of my S-Banking-App is very visible as a black shadow in all other apps with lighter background (Internet-Browser, ebook-Reader etc..).
And the homescreen is visible only for a few minutes, because when I want to use an app I directly start the app. I don't look so much time to the homescreen and my Galaxy Note goes after one minute in standby mode.
That means only 10 minutes/day homescreen with 100% brightness is enough to damage the screen visible after 10 weeks?
Okay, playing Jelly Defense 2 hours a day at 100% brightness is not so good, but the problem is not the time, because a few minutes looking to the homescreen has nearly the same aging effect.
I don't bother doing reviews normally, but have now just posted this over on the Carphone Warehouse product page since they hassled me via email to do one (may not show up for a couple of days though).
Anyway, thought I'd cross-post it here in case anyone finds it interesting. Cheers.
For a couple of years now, since the big Android manufacturers decided we all wanted big 4.7+ inch slabs as premium phones, the "minority" of us who were calling out for a high-end device that can be operated one-handed were ignored. Until now...
Sony say with the Z1 Compact they have "invented our own market segment", but really it is re-inventing the market segment that existed 24 months ago. Either way, somebody finally listened and we now have a device that is a good size to hold in addition to being around the fastest and most capable on the market.
In short, Sony took the larger Z1 and shrunk it down to a 4.3" screen, reducing only the screen resolution (to 720p, which is higher PPI than the human eye can discern) and the battery capacity (but not the battery life, as the smaller screen draws less power). You can easily get a day and a half out of this device even with 4 or so hours screen on time. As a bonus, they also upgraded the screen to a lovely IPS display with better viewing angles than the Z1.
This phone feels very premium in the hand and in operation, and being my first Sony device I am stunned by its elegance every time I pick the thing up. Having used it in the rain a few times this week already I'm also wondering what I ever did without a waterproof phone before! Why do all manufacturers not do this? It would save a lot of phones that seem to get dropped in toilets (seriously, how do people manage this?!), and also the futile wastage of rice afterwards.
Software-wise, it comes with Android 4.3 but 4.4 should be out for it in a month or so. I would say Sony are probably among the best for not annoying you with over-the-top customisation of Android or bloatware so I don't immediately feel the need to root it and start tinkering. This is a very good thing. They do use their own apps for phone, SMS, etc etc of course but they all tend to do their job nicely without getting in your way.
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Now that I've done the glowing sale pitch - and I do mean every word of it as it is a fantastic phone - I do need to point out some flaws that are quite frankly unforgivable in my opinion:
(*) Poor software backing up the magnificent camera. The "Superior Auto" mode is very ironically named as it completely ruins especially low-light photos by cranking the ISO up far too high and then trying to correct the noise in a very ham-fisted way. The solution until Sony (hopefully) fix it in an update is to use Manual mode instead.
(*) Flash bleeding into the camera. While this doesn't happen for me so much, others have noticed the flash reflecting in the back cover it is supposed to shine through and hitting the edge of the camera lens, making some dark pictures have a coloured fog effect. It is less marked in Manual mode again.
(*) Why, oh why Sony, do you still insist on putting a scratch-prone "anti-shatter film" over the top of perfectly good scratch resistant glass?!? Customers have been complaining about this since at least the Xperia Z but they are being very pig-headed about it. I have no idea why they decide they need to be the only manufacturer to put it on top of the glass instead of the underside of it like everybody else does. It can be removed but then you risk the screen warranty if you do so. Still, I will probably remove the ASF from mine at some point as glass feels more premium to me and I HATE scratches.
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But don't let the negative points I have made dissuade you from this phone as they absolutely do not outweigh the positives by a long shot. I would give 5-stars to all categories except reliability due to the camera and scratch-prone ASF.
This is a magnificent technological achievement Sony have pulled off meaning I have a device that I am very proud to own and show off to big slab owners and iPhone users alike!
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Nice review
Sent from a mobile Gadget...
Great review mate
Plus 1 from me on all that was said.
ASF?
Great review man!
But since you hate scratches, much like I do, could you take a closer look at the back panel? There's no ASF, at least on my Z1c. And there's a potentially huge scandal evolving in forums about back panel being actually made of polycarbonate, not glass. Sony claims glass on both panels, but people say back panel gets scratched just by looking at it hard enough
I have my phone for 2 days and already got 2 deep scratches on the back. I haven't been able to scratch my iPhone 4s so badly in 2 years of use...
Well, if true then that would be another negative point definitely. Especially since they seem to have gone out of their way to hide it and appear happy for everyone to assume glass on the back.
Sent from my Xperia Z1 PerfectSize, I mean "Compact"
withoutwings said:
Well, if true then that would be another negative point definitely. Especially since they seem to have gone out of their way to hide it and appear happy for everyone to assume glass on the back.
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There is no "if" any more, the original whitepaper has been amended in the meantime - albeit without changing the version number.
original Sony whitepaper said:
Both the front and back are made of durable tempered glass
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revised Sony whitepaper said:
The front side of the phone is made of durable tempered glass
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I don't know how long the original version will remain on Sony's servers so I downloaded a copy just in case - looks as if someone tries to erase all traces of what I would call a false adverstising campaign....
yea i really hope they fix the camera software up a bit. for some reason some of my photos are coming out yellow-ish. this only happens inside when the lights are on. it can be fixed by editing the photo in pixlr express by dragging the hue bar to the left a bit, but its a bit of effort to be doing that for multiple photos. the photos seem very noisy/grainy as well.
i really wasnt expecting any of this since all the reviews about the camera were saying its the best on android atm. although plenty of sites mentioned it didnt do that well in low light, but some photos are coming out noisy even in shots that i would consider low light. seems to me that almost anything inside is out of the question.
anyway, its a really great phone apart from that. i probably shouldnt have checked the camera first because it put me off a bit!
EDIT: another thing that is frustrating me but probably isnt a problem for everybody is sony's naming convention for photos. instead of having a counter (or just adding the date and time like every other phone) it looks up the number of the last photo taken, dsc_005 for example, and then calls the next photo dsc_006. i would be ok with that but i have foldersync set up to move any photo that is taken or edited to the DCIM folder (so photos from snapseed, pixlr, different camera apps etc all end up in one single folder) but this set up doesnt work with sony's photos since the folder it saves to will empty each time. it keeps naming the photo dsc_001 and then foldersync keeps overwriting the same photo.
people have been asking them to change this for years now but it seems they want to be different. its just strange coming from a camera company like sony?
aaanyway, apart from those 3 things. great phone lol
Hey guys! Just made my first impressions video on the Galaxy Note 4! Went a different route and didn't get into the obvious since it's not a full review, and just went into how it felt using the device for a short time.
Video link:
The Galaxy Note 4 - My Casual First Impressions: http://youtu.be/-FPV6Vlu0qg
Written:
The first thing you’re going to notice with the Galaxy Note 4 is it’s excellent build quality, rivaled by only a few phones. Having owned a Note 3 and being satisfied with it’s fake metal banding, once you get a phone with this kind of build quality you really realize what you were missing out on. Holding it gives you a very premium feel in your hand which is awesome. Even with the chamfered edges, it’s still comfortable to hold. I’d say it feels better and more substantial in your hand than that of the LG G3 even with it being quite a bit larger.
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The display on this is my favorite. Displaymate also says this is the most accurate display on the market today. One thing I missed from using phones with an LCD display, is when the background is black.. the pixels are still lit up. As we all know, this is not the case with samsung phones and the blacks are purely black and really make the images pop. Oh, and for all the people that complain and say the screen it too vibrant? You realize you basically have a TV in your pocket, right? Go to the settings and CHANGE it do a different mode. Cinema mode is what seems to be the most accurate.
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The back, still being faux leather, still feels very nice in the hand and personally.. I like a plastic back. When I owned the HTC One I was way to scared to set that thing down without a case because I didn’t want to either, A, mess up the screen. Or B, mess up the nice metal backing. Not to mention in the winter it can get quite cold to the touch and just isn’t worth the trade-off to me.
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Performance on this thing is just incredible. Now I don’t like stock launchers. Even with the Nexus 6 I will be putting Nova launcher on it. So all of that “touchwiz lag” people talk about, I’ve yet to see it no this phone while with my Note 3, the first day you could notice it right off that bat with certain things. Keep in mind, switching the launcher only changes your homescreen, touchwiz is still everywhere else. But.. it’s a lot better than it was.
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One thing that I’ve noticed with this phone and that can get quite annoying is the feature to minimize whatever screen you’re on. It’s a really nice feature, but I find myself accidentally activating it all the time when trying to go to my notification tray. I like to swipe down from the corner, and now that is how you minimize the app. So, I now have to adjust a bit and make sure I’m not hitting the corner exactly.
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One thing I didn't plan on mentioning with this phone was the whole "gapgate" issue. Because to me, while I could see very clearly in videos that there is some sort of gap, I figured it wouldn't effect anything on a day-to-day basis, if at all. That was until today.
I took my phone out of my pockets (it's the weekend, I'm wearing only sweats and casual clothes), and sure enough.. there was lint or something at the top of the display. So I had to actually take a receipt I had laying around to dig it out because sadly, my nails would not suffice.
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Conclusion:
Other than the small gripe I have with the minimizing the window and the.. I'm not even sure if it should be a big deal to me or not, gap issue, this phone is absolutely incredible.
However, if you're ready for an upgrade, wait until the Nexus 6 is out officially before deciding on whether you should get this, the Nexus 6, or for you Verizon folk, the Droid Turbo.
nice video
appreciate your input, good video!
Turn off multi window if you don't use it and it won't minimize window
You can turn of the swipe to minimize gesture but still keep multi window on but you'll have to activate it by holding the back button