Database Users

Debating on buying a Galaxy Nexus

Guys I need your help. I'm not sure what I should do but the galaxy nexus looks really good to me. Now I know the Galaxy s 2 that we have is pure BEAST, in fact as far as the internal go it's better than the galaxy nexus. But i do like the 720p screen on the nexus, the no capacitive buttons and the bigger screen and of course Ice Cream Sandwich bare naked. So should I get the nexus or should I wait for ICS on the S2 and get the s3 later?

Wait for those A15 cores.
$1 gets you a reply

The 720p screen is Pentile. While it has a lesser effect at higher pixel densities (I have seen the Galaxy Note and it's way better than my friend's SGS1), it's still noticeable. Like the guy above said, wait for the A15-equipped phones.

I would love to buy a pure Google phone but they always seem to be six months behind Samsung's Touchwiz devices. It seems that in order to stay bleeding edge you have to make do with Touchwiz. The Galaxy Nexus isn't of BAD spec; but the pentile screen tech and camera and lack of expandable memory makes it a no-go for me. The Galaxy S3 will completely destroy it. I just hope for a more solid construction that doesn't scuff and scratch so easily and that Touchwiz is redesigned to be more sexy than it currently is. I want Samsung to move away from their current garish design ethos and make something a bit more smart.

leoni1980 said:
I would love to buy a pure Google phone but they always seem to be six months behind Samsung's Touchwiz devices. It seems that in order to stay bleeding edge you have to make do with Touchwiz. The Galaxy Nexus isn't of BAD spec; but the pentile screen tech and camera and lack of expandable memory makes it a no-go for me. The Galaxy S3 will completely destroy it. I just hope for a more solid construction that doesn't scuff and scratch so easily and that Touchwiz is redesigned to be more sexy than it currently is. I want Samsung to move away from their current garish design ethos and make something a bit more smart.
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What I'll like to see from SGS3:
Non-Pentile 720P SuperAMOLED
Camera with 1080p 60fps recording
Dual or quad core A15
Fully open source. That includes driver so that Team Hacksung can work their magic.

I just sold my GS2 and my Nexus is on its way. I did my research, I know that the GS2 has slightly better internals, but the Nexus phones were never about having bleeding edge hardware. The Nexus phones are about bleeding edge software... and when it comes down to it, you can have all the hardware in the world, but stay stuck with crappy software.
The only thing, IMO, that keeps the S2 going is Cyanogenmod. I have immense respect for their work, but when the developers have to hack around closed-source, ****ty code from Samsung, things mostly work. Emphasis on mostly. I'm sick and tired of being constrained by Samsung's unwillingness to cater to the Android dev community, and I decided to break free from their chains.
Is the Galaxy S2's GPU slightly better? Yes. Is the S2's camera slightly better? Yes. Does the S2 have a SD Card slot? Yes. But the GPU in the Nexus is better than the GPU in the iPhone 4, and that thing is super smooth & capable. The camera in the Nexus does what its supposed to - take good quality photos for Facebook, G+ etc. I've always had SD cards in my phones, and have never used them.
Go look at the Nexus's development forum... its like a beehive in there, and the honey looks crazy sweet
So yes, the S3 will probably destroy the Nexus in terms of hardware... but its simply not what counts - look at all the N1 users who are only upgrading now, because only now their phone feels like it needs upgrading. Software is where its at.

ppl should get a nexus and compare. I got both at the moment.
Hands down a better experience.
like soulcro said, the development there is amazing!!
doubt me, check these - all this over 2 weeks.
http://www.evernote.com/shard/s18/s...12690192d279/402eb97e626011c2b2a8d828ab90144c
http://www.evernote.com/shard/s18/s...24b19efbe36e/8aac1540cbe655c3c4199885ea92b509
http://www.evernote.com/shard/s18/s...470f65bbda91/b9945d9911d7c3934950bbd34776d1d4
ALL OPEN SOURCE! WINZIP KANG WARRIORS GETS SHUT DOWN IN < 8 HOURS

Does the Galaxy Nexus have a MicroSD card slot? No
'nuff said.

Ok
Gs2 has muuuch better GPU not only slightly, try 1080p on Nexus...
Nexus has no MicroSD slot, which means constantly moving files from ur phone to pc to free up space ( unless you dont make oics and videos at all, or dont watch any movies on it)
On Nexus u cant even watch 720p on youtube it's lagging like hell!!!! (Talking about flash from any browser)
Cant transfer bluetooth files TO Nexus! The only way is to ZIP them and then send them ( not rly convenient. Has no problems from Nexus to any device
The camera...oh god, pics not bad with lots of light, but indoors in low light, noisy as hell!!! Video recording is not even close to the quality of GS2!!!
Nexus doesnt have DLNA app u have to download thirdparty one, the best is Skifta,but on ICS it drains the battery like hell!
Nexus doesnt have wifi direct, it's just API for developers
Battery is the same, but Nexus manages the processes better. No wakelock etc. no tweaks are needed to get good battery life )
Nexus has pathetic speaker!!! Almost unusable on loudspeaker unless it's really quiet around you!
Nexus is sooo much more expensive than GS2!
a good point is the Screen of Nexus it's really good!! Cant even tell it's pentile. it is so much easier to read anything with HD screen
Those observation are from about 1 month testing
I think I have said enough to make ones mind into bying any of the two hope it helps
Guess which One I'm gonna keep, but still everyone has different needs
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

I ran out of memory on both my internal and external card (8gb) so had to buy a 32gb which is now half full. Nexus is useless to me.
Anyway, this question is a bit like asking on a BMW forum whether I should buy a Mercedes.
Why not go ask on the Nexus forum??
Sent from my GT-I9100

I think i would be better to wait for the sgs3...
Samsung made a really great job with the original sgs and the sgs2...

sxi200 said:
I ran out of memory on both my internal and external card (8gb) so had to buy a 32gb which is now half full. Nexus is useless to me.
Anyway, this question is a bit like asking on a BMW forum whether I should buy a Mercedes.
Why not go ask on the Nexus forum??
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Click to collapse
It helps to judge it properly by having both devices. Don't think I will ever buy a non-nexus again.

s2d4 said:
It helps to judge it properly by having both devices. Don't think I will ever buy a non-nexus again.
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Click to collapse
True. But where do I fit the more than 20gb of data I already have on my S2.
Like I said, its useless to me. A bit like buying a fantastic 2 seater car for a family of 5. Doesn't serve the buyers purpose.
Sent from my GT-I9100

not worth it
i was at the same situation and stay'd with my SGS2.
the Gnex not offering real upgrade over the SGS2
* CPU - the TI OMAP 4460 CPU is good for lower Power consumption but is no match for the sammy's 4120.
* GPU - the Gnex GPU is SGX540 clocked at 400mhz while the SGS2 GPU is the MALI-400
an old GPU but much stronger then the SGX540\400mhz.
* Screen - the Gnex 720p screen is real blessing but the Pentile matrix ruin's it
i dont know if anyone saw it before but it looks a bit blurry compare to the SGS2
"SAP" screen.
* Software - its very important to keep the phone updated but to be honest
no one actually stay's with the original rom for long.
with ICS our SGS2 will be even faster then the Gnex in every parameter.
so software OTA is irrelevant.
* Camera - the SGS2 camera is amazing 28mm 2.4 that takes really great shots
no Camera-phone is nighttime capable (yet!)
stay with the SGS2 and get the SGS3 when it comes out.

My only reasons to get Nexus is that, it's LED Notification (Although overcome by BLN in S2) and of course, Nexus's AMOLED HD (Although I've yet to get it hands on, so, I'm not sure how good it is).
Lastly, my fear is that, Custom ROMs & Kernels developers would shift to other devices within my two years of contract with my carrier for S2 although Nexus is my dream.

Infra said:
There was no attitude in that message But it was already stated couple of posts ago that b19 fixes the wrong alignment of the navbar buttons.
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fair point, different purpose.
I stream practically all my media so SD card is a mute point for me.
Anyways, i am happy with the sentiments. That should fetch me a good price for the gs2 then.
OT: I will never buy a sports car with fitting a family as a requirement.

I played with a GNex a few minutes in-store and I must say CM9 on sgs2 is 3 times faster. Nexus even lags when switching screens slightly and especially when entering appdrawer. Screen is nice, but it's nowhere near Retina-quality is should've been. I'd say it's VERY slightly clearer. Performance on SGS2 is just crazy fast. Not to mention a lot better camera and SD card slot.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

NoOneCanHelpMe said:
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GUARDIANBD said:
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Everyone uses their phone differently. I've never, ever had a use for DLNA/Bluetooth File Transfer/Wifi Direct/MicroSD. The flash is reportedly working fine when you upgrade to 4.0.3. The camera does exactly what its supposed to - pictures for usage by Facebook, etc... I hope you're not taking your wedding pictures with your S2
The speaker problem is easily fixed with Volume+, although I've seen users saying the stock volume works for them.
Regarding software - yes, developers can and will port AOSP ICS to the S2. But I've been using Cyanogenmod (only worthwhile AOSP in my experience) on my previous three phones - HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy, and Samsung Galaxy S2. In all cases, the CM developers had to work around propriety code/drivers, and the end user always had to sacrifice one or more features in order to get AOSP on his device. On the Nexus line of phones, everything is wide open - meaning developers don't have to jump through hoops to get things working.
No more "petition Samsung to release XYZ!!!", no more "XYZ doesn't work because we don't have the source for XYZ", etc etc. I used to think owning a Nexus wasn't worth it due to the developers, but its simply not the case.
And I think we can agree the TouchWiz, or any manufacturer skin for that matter, just kinda sucks.

GUARDIANBD said:
* CPU - the TI OMAP 4460 CPU is good for lower Power consumption but is no match for the sammy's 4120.
* GPU - the Gnex GPU is SGX540 clocked at 400mhz while the SGS2 GPU is the MALI-400
an old GPU but much stronger then the SGX540\400mhz.
* Screen - the Gnex 720p screen is real blessing but the Pentile matrix ruin's it
i dont know if anyone saw it before but it looks a bit blurry compare to the SGS2
"SAP" screen.
* Software - its very important to keep the phone updated but to be honest
no one actually stay's with the original rom for long.
with ICS our SGS2 will be even faster then the Gnex in every parameter.
so software OTA is irrelevant.
* Camera - the SGS2 camera is amazing 28mm 2.4 that takes really great shots
no Camera-phone is nighttime capable (yet!)
stay with the SGS2 and get the SGS3 when it comes out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CPU, agreed. However with hardware acceleration in ICS. less load is on CPU, even max 700MHz is fine for a lag free experience.
GPU, agreed. Maybe I don't play enough games, however Modern Combat 3 on the GNEX dispay is amazing
Screen, this is where one would need both phones in comparison, gs2 is not even close on this one even though the gnex has pentile.
Software, with pure AOSP. Sort of, not with closed source though. It took Jkay awhile to get to where its at, the same thing happens on the nexus in 2 days. Check my previous posts with links to screenshots.
with how samsung is making it like gingerbread, not so much.
Camera, agreed. Not for low light conditions, iphones are better yet. The gs2 has better camera, however not highly noticeable so far between the two for me.
Hmm, it looks like I don't need the gs2 anymore, any buyers?
---------- Post added at 05:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 PM ----------
freemini said:
I played with a GNex a few minutes in-store and I must say CM9 on sgs2 is 3 times faster. Nexus even lags when switching screens slightly and especially when entering appdrawer. Screen is nice, but it's nowhere near Retina-quality is should've been. I'd say it's VERY slightly clearer. Performance on SGS2 is just crazy fast. Not to mention a lot better camera and SD card slot.
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Is that a proper google phone or a carrier version?
Like CM9 is non stock firmware, put a good rom and kernel with vm tweaks on the gnex, it is silky smooth even at 700MHz.
VERY slighly clearer? I wear glasses and I can tell it's a better screen. put the GNEX on 240DPI and see the diff.
Retina quality is awesome for the small display, but the screen resolution and the resultant ppl, even my gf on the iphone 4s likes the GNEX screen better.
---------- Post added at 05:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:21 PM ----------
soulicro said:
Regarding software - yes, developers can and will port AOSP ICS to the S2. But I've been using Cyanogenmod (only worthwhile AOSP in my experience) on my previous three phones - HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy, and Samsung Galaxy S2. In all cases, the CM developers had to work around propriety code/drivers, and the end user always had to sacrifice one or more features in order to get AOSP on his device. On the Nexus line of phones, everything is wide open - meaning developers don't have to jump through hoops to get things working.
No more "petition Samsung to release XYZ!!!", no more "XYZ doesn't work because we don't have the source for XYZ", etc etc. I used to think owning a Nexus wasn't worth it due to the developers, but its simply not the case.
And I think we can agree the TouchWiz, or any manufacturer skin for that matter, just kinda sucks.
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Agreed.
I think the main point here may be people defending their purchase, or just being fanboys without actually using the GNEX.
I've paid the same price for both phones due to being a fairly early adopter.
I have no such need to justify purchases and can definitely compare both in my hands to have an objective view.
btw, a sound comparison between the two by plugging them into a stereo system clearly ensures the gnex as the better device. Sorry I checked coz I had been asked to check before.

I came to the GS2 from the RAZR. The siren call of the GNex and it’s big screen is sweet but in the end I couldn’t stand not having a decent camera in it. The pictures I take with my cell camera when I don’t have my regular digital camera will play an important part of recording my kid’s as they grow up. I feel that the GS2 has one of the top 3 cameras in android at this point.
Ask yourself this: if the GNex wasn’t first to market with ICS, would it really have been THAT much of a big thing?
The GS3 should be a world beater with great camera, OS AND HD screen.

I have just abandon One X and back to HD2!!

IMO, Disappointing "upgrade" to one X.. HD2 Still the king! So, I sold it off and is back to my trusty Good Quality Phone.
If there is anyone that is interested to know why, let me know. will be glad to post the experience here.

why oh why oh why
i was just dreaming of the 1X

We had an X1 on demo, our outcome was buying 20 new Andida cells for current HD2 fleet & aiming at another 12 month+ service life as nothing to offer but a IT hassle changing over to something with no heavy benefits & a big price tag. HTC handsets really need to implement better inovation & some clever reworking of Android ...

You are crazy man.... really.... HD2 is great but one X is the greatest ever....

Personally, I am not big fan of sense unless in the older times of wm6.5. I just favour HTC for their build quality and dev support for custom roms unlike some plasticky builds like ahem*..S*M***G
Honestly I must be blind not to read properly that OneX is polycarbonate.. As far as I remember, their higher end model have excellent built. Sadly, not this one though..
To go deeper..
I am only mentioning stuffs that I would be considered as an "upgrade" over the HD2 . All comments are imo. U may say I am bias but these are my true feelings and experience. My HD2 are usually switching between GB Nand roms in general.
Built quality- Polycarbonate=Plastic most of the reviews and even those in store are the white version which looked better.. but i am true to HTC, which usually produce industrial designs so, white will never be for me.. all my phone are black or dark colour.. I am truly shocked at the quality of the material used.
Screenwise- Honestly, I imagine the screen will be a huge reason for upgrade. 720p, SLCD2, gorilla glass, 4.7in screen etc. BUT, its really does not feel much bigger as the screen ratio makes it taller. I mostly use the phone in landscape so compared to hd2, it really only a few mm wider. abt 3mm at most. I have a HTC Titan as well, absolutely love the screen size and ratio. The only time I love the One X screen is when I am watching a movie on it.. any ****ty grainy video quality looks gorgeous on it!
Processor- Yeah.. so it have a 4+1 core processor, 1GB ram.. HD2 1ghz single core, 512mb ram. Day to day usage, its does feel faster BUT, Just by a few millisecs.. I can live with that.. Free ram for ONE X is pathetic.. 300+mb left after running sense. HD2, 200+ to close to 300mb without sense. (I mentioned b4, I hate sense on android). theres no way a phone can replace a computer for work. Its mostly for adhoc. So, its there really need for such a processor on a phone??
Battery life- Theres no need to comment further.. sucks. People will say that this is normal for a superphone. But imo, if HD2 can do similar function though millisec slower, HD2 is the superphone.
Camera- The biggest letdown imo. Stupid Autofocusing works half the time so what if it have zero lag...
Wifi/3G connection- For some reason, after the phone screen off, the data on both Wifi and 3g sleeps as well. Coz very often, when I wake the phone there will be a error message smthing like this " no network, pls check connection". This means I will be missing emails, whatsapp messages etc that works via data.
Minor irritating things- Super cheap quality headset for Flagship model is a joke.. at least include a in-ear type..pls.. Most of the time, I cant find the volume rocker.. It too darn small.
There are many more that I cant remember...
If I have so many complains, why did I buy this? Because my contract is up and I trust HTC blindly. And the dimmly lit shop doesnt help much either.
I am just glad this overhyped phone is no longer with me.
I am not a troll.. I am just pissed..

Interresting report !
Sent from my HTC HD2 using xda premium

scpion said:
Personally, I am not big fan of sense unless in the older times of wm6.5. I just favour HTC for their build quality and dev support for custom roms unlike some plasticky builds like ahem*..S*M***G
Honestly I must be blind not to read properly that OneX is polycarbonate.. As far as I remember, their higher end model have excellent built. Sadly, not this one though..
To go deeper..
I am only mentioning stuffs that I would be considered as an "upgrade" over the HD2 . All comments are imo. U may say I am bias but these are my true feelings and experience. My HD2 are usually switching between GB Nand roms in general.
Built quality- Polycarbonate=Plastic most of the reviews and even those in store are the white version which looked better.. but i am true to HTC, which usually produce industrial designs so, white will never be for me.. all my phone are black or dark colour.. I am truly shocked at the quality of the material used.
Screenwise- Honestly, I imagine the screen will be a huge reason for upgrade. 720p, SLCD2, gorilla glass, 4.7in screen etc. BUT, its really does not feel much bigger as the screen ratio makes it taller. I mostly use the phone in landscape so compared to hd2, it really only a few mm wider. abt 3mm at most. I have a HTC Titan as well, absolutely love the screen size and ratio. The only time I love the One X screen is when I am watching a movie on it.. any ****ty grainy video quality looks gorgeous on it!
Processor- Yeah.. so it have a 4+1 core processor, 1GB ram.. HD2 1ghz single core, 512mb ram. Day to day usage, its does feel faster BUT, Just by a few millisecs.. I can live with that.. Free ram for ONE X is pathetic.. 300+mb left after running sense. HD2, 200+ to close to 300mb without sense. (I mentioned b4, I hate sense on android). theres no way a phone can replace a computer for work. Its mostly for adhoc. So, its there really need for such a processor on a phone??
Battery life- Theres no need to comment further.. sucks. People will say that this is normal for a superphone. But imo, if HD2 can do similar function though millisec slower, HD2 is the superphone.
Camera- The biggest letdown imo. Stupid Autofocusing works half the time so what if it have zero lag...
Wifi/3G connection- For some reason, after the phone screen off, the data on both Wifi and 3g sleeps as well. Coz very often, when I wake the phone there will be a error message smthing like this " no network, pls check connection". This means I will be missing emails, whatsapp messages etc that works via data.
Minor irritating things- Super cheap quality headset for Flagship model is a joke.. at least include a in-ear type..pls.. Most of the time, I cant find the volume rocker.. It too darn small.
There are many more that I cant remember...
If I have so many complains, why did I buy this? Because my contract is up and I trust HTC blindly. And the dimmly lit shop doesnt help much either.
I am just glad this overhyped phone is no longer with me.
I am not a troll.. I am just pissed..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
according to you weird logic, old CRT TVs are better then HDTVs
guys go the One X forum and check the tons of user reviews, so many of us are in awe with the One X, there are only the issues of build defects in early batches, everything else its an uber, brisk, super sexy device
HTC at its best
and the camera, well i don't need to argue check the pictures thread and you wills see for yourselves http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1585398 easy as hell to take gorgeous photos
our friend scpion in here is missing the whole point lol
here is a better quick review http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25468262&postcount=3544

Well.. That thread is all abt the best shots that users have taken with the one x camera. Naturally, all the shots will look good.. Mine does not have any hardware related issue and in direct comparison to the HD2, OneX is without doubt better. My point is that, is the One X that great a upgrade from the hd2 ? IMHO, call me strange or fussy, my answer is still no. Neither is it worth all the hype. Its just another phone with better or even great specs but in real life, the performance is subpar.. Entirely imo. Maybe I have too high expectations for it.

Mate,
One X is a great phone! You must've been smoking something special. Comparing the awfull camera of HD2 (mine is already 2 years old) with OX is absolutely ridiculous....

Check this out..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEFWshNQ3ac
I can't believe hTc still have crap software in their new phone. I recall vividly with HD2 the bugs ohhhh the bugs...
Have a Galaxy S now and that is superb...

xlr8me said:
Check this out..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEFWshNQ3ac
I can't believe hTc still have crap software in their new phone. I recall vividly with HD2 the bugs ohhhh the bugs...
Have a Galaxy S now and that is superb...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all the crazy bugs/glitches have been sorted by firmware 1.29, took them less than a month to clear them out
we still have only one issue which is backlight flickering when the phone overheats, seems related to Tegra 3's power saving feature called PRISM, which controls back-light dynamically to save power, HTC said its software and promised an update soon
so please spare me, the fastest and most generous Android updates provider is HTC, most of their end of 2010 devices are receiving the ICS upgrade too

I would have to admit the Note was better liked than he One X when had them on Demo ...
Samsungs efforts on Android seemed better than HTC for most practical phone use.
Sound quality on HTC still is very poor & the build quility & design of the current polycarbonate plastic handsets is not that good, no wonder 2012 sales are down ...

Yeah. With a history of sexy metal outfits on higher end device, I am deeply disappointed. I dun care if its polycarbonate. If its plastic, it just feels plastic.

scpion said:
Built quality- Polycarbonate=Plastic most of the reviews and even those in store are the white version which looked better.. but i am true to HTC, which usually produce industrial designs so, white will never be for me.. all my phone are black or dark colour.. I am truly shocked at the quality of the material used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love the material, very strong and very light in weight. You might prefer a bakelite phone, but technology has moved on.
Screenwise- Honestly, I imagine the screen will be a huge reason for upgrade. 720p, SLCD2, gorilla glass, 4.7in screen etc. BUT, its really does not feel much bigger as the screen ratio makes it taller. I mostly use the phone in landscape so compared to hd2, it really only a few mm wider. abt 3mm at most. I have a HTC Titan as well, absolutely love the screen size and ratio. The only time I love the One X screen is when I am watching a movie on it.. any ****ty grainy video quality looks gorgeous on it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want a bigger phone, get the galaxy note.
Processor- Yeah.. so it have a 4+1 core processor, 1GB ram.. HD2 1ghz single core, 512mb ram. Day to day usage, its does feel faster BUT, Just by a few millisecs.. I can live with that.. Free ram for ONE X is pathetic.. 300+mb left after running sense. HD2, 200+ to close to 300mb without sense. (I mentioned b4, I hate sense on android). theres no way a phone can replace a computer for work. Its mostly for adhoc. So, its there really need for such a processor on a phone??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You only need the speed for games. For the rest, when using an OS/UI a few millisecs make a lot of difference. But if you don't care for that, the HD2 will do just fine. I wonder why you are even considering an upgrade.
Battery life- Theres no need to comment further.. sucks. People will say that this is normal for a superphone. But imo, if HD2 can do similar function though millisec slower, HD2 is the superphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It lasts longer then the HD2, so i don't know what your complaint is. if you want better batterylife, get a Droid RAZR Maxx.
Camera- The biggest letdown imo. Stupid Autofocusing works half the time so what if it have zero lag...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, its alot better than the HD2, and on par with most smartphones.
Wifi/3G connection- For some reason, after the phone screen off, the data on both Wifi and 3g sleeps as well. Coz very often, when I wake the phone there will be a error message smthing like this " no network, pls check connection". This means I will be missing emails, whatsapp messages etc that works via data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably just a setting, i don't have that problem.
Minor irritating things- Super cheap quality headset for Flagship model is a joke.. at least include a in-ear type..pls.. Most of the time, I cant find the volume rocker.. It too darn small.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, its a **** headpiece.
If I have so many complains, why did I buy this? Because my contract is up and I trust HTC blindly. And the dimmly lit shop doesnt help much either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder this too, just keep your HD2, 2012 technology just isn't for you.

I agree on Sense thing.
I just don't get why all those manufactuers are trying to make the user 'happier'.
Android is really customizable (unlike iOS ) so one can set his/her system according to personal preferences.
Pr0 users are going to root and install something like CM/AOKP anyway...
So... Why the hell manufactuers can't just release phones with stock unlocked bootloaders + plain, AOSP compiled Android, and whole vendor/build/kernel related stuff?!

I came from an HD2 too.
I take some of these points - but the One X is a evolution of the HD2, not a revolutionary device.
If I had paid NZ$900 for the phone to upgrade from the HD2 I wouldn't be that happy - I agree it probably isn''t worth it. But I took a 'free' upgrade.
But the bottom line is, it is the best Android phone you can buy.
Once the AOSP roms come, i think you will really see the One X pull ahead.

Still awaiting update to OP's blog.What exactly were you expecting from the phone? Holographic video calling? Concierge Service? a BJ whenever you felt randy lol?

I just had to post a reply to this post...
My personal choice was between three hadsets:
HTC One X
Galaxy S3
LG 4X HD
All have basically the same spec with minor variances.
I Pre-Ordered and recieved the One X upon release to great delight...
However, there were a couple of things i didn't like which were:
the 1800mAh battery
the lack of an SD slot
the unibody shell
More power is needed to run a quad-core handset & 4.3" screen comfortably for a day. Although it had 32gb, i currently have a 16gb in my HD2 and it's loaded. I like to be able to change my battery if i needed rather than having to send it of for a repair or smple change...as well as getting easier access to it.
Outside of these gripes, it is a great phone but it didn't hit me as oustanding as the HD2 when it was released.
My Galaxy S3 is also on Pre-order, but that wll come with a 2100mAh battery...which s also accessable. It has an SD slot whch can accomodate 32gb on top of the 16-32or 64gb on the phone.
These alone sell this phone to me and not the Samsung name or the screen which is on par with the One X apart from size...i was hoping HTC had something just a bit better than the One X.
Lastly there's the LG 4X HD not due till approx June...so a long wait.
I can't say owt apart from released specs, and they look good...it's a pity the phone is an ugly bugger.
To conclude, i wouldn't knock the One X comparing it to the HD2 they're a world apart. Although a great phone, the HD2 is outclassed in every way by the new crop of handsets...maybe not with build tho'.
However, in saying that...it's only now that i'm prepared to replace it. this says heaps about the longevity of the HD2. Long may it continue to show how it's done.

you have to be very carful when comparing different OSs across different hardware, several generations apart.
on paper the one x is better in everyway, I don't have one so cant comment on build quality, but I can say the HD2 has issues with the buttons and the digitiser.
however the real question is do you need it?
as you pointed out the 3 YEAR old HD2 runs absolutely fine, running WP in my opinion is as fast as you can get, the limiting factor in the UI is me, I cant move any quicker so having a better CPU or GPU wont make any difference.
So, does a quad core SoC make any difference? nope, not one iota when comparing it to an HD2 with WP and running day to day "phone" tasks
Will it (one x) run games better, of course it will, we have a S1 snapdragon in the HD2, with a very old A200 GPU, but that's irrelevant if you don't play games.
So I guess the question is, is the one x a worthwhile upgrade... for me no its not, will it be worth it for some people, yeah, if games are your thing.
Ive been debating about upgrading my HD2 to a real WP device and I simply cant justify it, and I think that's the point the OP is making, despite 3 years of "progress" there really hasn't been anything worthwhile if games aren't your thing.
Of Course we are talking about Android here, and if you compare android on the two devices then you have a different situation, I don't want to get in to an which OS is better debate but I think we can all agree that Android needs more horsepower to get it running well, if that's progress for an phone OS in your mind then so be it, but, that is that fact of the matter

Ah.. That's the word. " justify". It simply not justifiable to blow $800 to get a new hardware that does things a little faster or better. Theres no wow factor to this phone at all other than the specs. Maybe its not optimised yet, but the first impression is disappointing enough. I have to admit i am quite a htc fanboy but this device does not cut as a flagship. Camera is in a way better but the interface really screw up. Its simply a great challenge to get it to focus on something especially in macro. If u still have to get it done manually, I think this camera has failed. Android and sense combo is simply not a great combo looking at how One X runs on it. It still lags or daydream at times. mind u, hd2 hardware is 3 years old and day to day usage, its still performs well or on par. Screen resolution, colour, brightness on One x is way way better. I am just saying the ratio is wrong imo. If i want a bigger screen than the HD2, i would expect it to be bigger in all directions. And not just taller. i have to admit for HD2, when i am outdoor, i struggles to see the screen, which i really hate. My point is, as another poster has said. OneX is just like a evolution of the HD2. Not a revolution. I would love to one a One X again. But not at this kind of price tag and definitely at at this current stage of development.
To Reckless- i would want a phone to function as a phone. HD2 does just as well with 3 or 4 cores lesser. unfortunately, it doesn't do a bj. If i ever need one, i will pm U.

Looking to trade Sony Xperia Z for HTC One

I have had my Sony Xperia z for over a week now. I have been so impressed with the phone, it's speed, interface etc. The sound could be better but overall it's hard to complain. Defiantly the best phone I've owned.
Vodafone have kindly aloud me to trade my Xperia for the new HTC ONE at no cost or anything, straight swap. I know of HTC's recent poor history. My friends and family have had old HTC's (2/3 year old models) and they have been extremely poor in terms of reliability.
Just looking some opinions on the phones. I have read and watched many reviews on both phones and the HTC almost always comes out on top on each categorie (design, speed etc)
Considering it's a straight swap is it worth it and why. I'm a heavy phone user and I understand that phones with specs as close as these two are to each other that the differences is down to opinion. But would like some more expect (better knowledge or HTC ONE user help)
Thanks in advance
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

I am seriously considering htc one over s4 as I am not one to follow the crowd and love something different
Custom Stock Rom 4.1 Eternity
Brilliantly Stock

My super technology literate friend recommended the S4 but gee will be keeping the Sony due to it pushing all his buttons. I can't wait a month (S4 release date) and won't be able to have a straight swap by then. The HTC reliability is his biggest concern.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

virtualyoda said:
I have had my Sony Xperia z for over a week now. I have been so impressed with the phone, it's speed, interface etc. The sound could be better but overall it's hard to complain. Defiantly the best phone I've owned.
Vodafone have kindly aloud me to trade my Xperia for the new HTC ONE at no cost or anything, straight swap. I know of HTC's recent poor history. My friends and family have had old HTC's (2/3 year old models) and they have been extremely poor in terms of reliability.
Just looking some opinions on the phones. I have read and watched many reviews on both phones and the HTC almost always comes out on top on each categorie (design, speed etc)
Considering it's a straight swap is it worth it and why. I'm a heavy phone user and I understand that phones with specs as close as these two are to each other that the differences is down to opinion. But would like some more expect (better knowledge or HTC ONE user help)
Thanks in advance
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny, my opinion might be of value to you.
In February I made my choice: the Xperia Z. I got it at the end of February and owned it for about 4-5 days. Then I send it back, cancelled my order. Yes, I was very happy my carrier accepted it. Why did I do it? First of all, what I didn't like about the XZ:
• Ergonomics: the phone may not be much larger on paper then my S3, but in my hand it felt much less comfortable. Ergnomic wise, the XZ is bad: it's all look but not so much feel. Because of the shape it was just not comfortable for me to use, mostly one handed. Note: I do have small hands.
• The One: On the other hand, the HTC One is a pleasure to use. Just looking at it's curved back and sides, you already can conclude it's nice in the hand. My feeling has been confirmed by all the fantastic reviews about the One. And besides ergonomics, it's seen as the most beautiful/premium looking phone out now.
• The screen: while the XZ's screen was super sharp, there are some problems with it. I have owned my Galaxy S3 for a year, seen the HTC One X a ton of times, but the XZ's screen just seems "washed out" compared to these 2012 flagship's. You really see it when looking from a side (angle) at the XZ's screen: it just seems "washed out". While you can still see what the screen is displaying, this does give the feeling of a "non-premium" product. It bothered me.
• The One: The One's screen is considered one of the best, if not the best, screen out now at the moment. It's the sharpest screen (it won't be a huge difference with the XZ in this aspect), but it also has fantastic viewing angles and contrast. The screen just looks much better, no doubt. While it's 4.7" and smaller then the XZ's 5" screen, you actually see more content 90% of the time on the One. The XZ has onscreen buttons, which the One doesn't. So when webbrowsing, chatting, using your homescreen, etc, you will actually see more on the One then on the XZ. Overall: the One wins with a supperior screen.
These are the 2 main reasons I send back the XZ and waited for something else. Now I can go on by saying that the One has much better speakers, also better audio quality overall (check GSMArena, audio wise the One is fantastic). The One also comes with at least 32GB of storage, though the XZ has microsd card support. For me, the One's camera is also (probably) better because of the excellent low light performance (most picture I take are at party's when going out..).
I would say to you: do the ergonomics and the screen of the XZ bother you? If yes, go for the One!
ps: I'm not really scared about HTC. I owned an HTC HD2 and HTC Desire, before my Galaxy S2 and S3. Both HTC devices were great, expect that the HD2 ran Windows Mobile 6.5 and microsoft announched WP7 3 months after I bought the HD2 If I hadn't send back my XZ and I would be offered what you are being offered, I would go for it no doubt.
ps2: I'm not going for the S4 for several reasons. First of all, I have owned the S2 and S3 the past 2 years. I would really like something new. Second, expect a sharper screen, I won't notice I have a new mobile if I upgrade from the S3 -> S4. Further more, I don't like touchwiz and I am running Cyanogenmod on my S3. The CM team is not happy at all about the S4 and I don't see a CM-build for it anytime soon. So for me going from the S3 to the S4 would almost be a downgrade.. I know, it sounds stupid but it really feels that way.

-
virtualyoda said:
My super technology literate friend recommended the S4 but gee will be keeping the Sony due to it pushing all his buttons. I can't wait a month (S4 release date) and won't be able to have a straight swap by then. The HTC reliability is his biggest concern.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bad experiences?
ive owned
desire
desire hd
htc one s
htc one x
now the one.
the only one i ever found issue on was the one x,with the wifi. The desire and dhd were amazing phones.
ive got a weird issue with the htc one ive got,i think its a first batch? still regardless im getting another one. The s4..is the s4.you either like it or you dont. I still say the htc blows it out of the water. for sense alone comparable to touchwiz.
id say do the trade,although the xperia z is supposed to be a great phone. Probably down to which one you like the look of more than actual specifications. Although shelf life wise id say the htc one. Sony are already gearing up there next flagship which is weird considering the xperia z hasnt been out long.
i say do the trade.i was tempted with the z..but never had one of the newer generation smartphones..so decided against it.
best bet try the htc one in a shop

Thanks very much for your input. Very detailed and exceptionally helpful. Defiantly going for the trade. Super excited
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

virtualyoda said:
Thanks very much for your input. Very detailed and exceptionally helpful. Defiantly going for the trade. Super excited
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was initially in the market for the xperia z until feb 19th..... htc one announcement and it only took me three minutes to test out the camera/video and audio on the htc one and cancel my pre order of xperia z.
since then I have played with both side by side and I think the main things of the phone are better on the One
camera (imo)
video/video audio
audio quality and volume
battery life is great on the one (havent heard good news from my friend who has the z (and is now going to change it for the htc one) and other people who have the z)
call quality and volume
speed
UI(imo)
look and feel (imo)
loud speakers

I've used both but had to choose one to keep. I kept the XZ.
The HTC had a better screen and much better speakers and that's something I was very impressed by. Even Sense and the optional flash player were an advantage.
However, I was not convinced by it's reliability when it came to the basics. By that I am specifically referring to the signal reception. In LTE it just does not hold well to the signal in poor reception areas as the XZ and the Nokia 920. I'm on EE so this could be different when Voda launch 4g as I believe they are on the 800 Mhz band.
The HTC is one of the best smartphones but once again HTC fail on mastering the basics. They have a beautifully engineered phone yet the wireless components are always questionable.
These 2 videos show what I mean by signal instability and fluctuations. Watch the 2 phones on the same network and the variance in signal strength. I've had such a poor experience with LTE on this phone and it dropped so many calls that has not happened once on the XZ which I am enjoying high speed and stability even on one bar of LTE. (also better battery).
It's a shame about the HTC but it may be fixed with a software update.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kzW7G07WFc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQO9VPu1FpM

I've owned several Sony, Samsung and htc products over the years and all have their shortcomings no doubt. None of created the "perfect" phone and nor will they ever.
Sony phone screen's always look washed out and ui sluggish and unfortunaletly Z is no different especially when comparing to S3, Note 2 and Htc One. That's been the biggest issue with Sony phones. I was tempted to get the Xperia Z because 5" 1080p, sd card, white colour but after playing with it I wasn't impressed, it reminded me of my Xperia T experience, which wasn't pleasant. Primarily sluggish, crashing and washed out colours.
HTC One on the other hand is a pleasure to use.
No lagging issues.
No crashing issues.
Sound is amazing, LOUD and clear.
Ui is brilliant and very different.
Camera is very good.
Screen is gorgeous, vibrant, bright and very sharp. Second to none far superior then Z.
Better reception, certainly better then S3, Note 2 and Sony T.
But what convinced me in getting HTC One, other the above mentioned points, rather then wait for S4 or Z was the premuim build, SLCD3 screen.
So good move mate you won't regret it.

Without a doubt trade it in and get the HTC One, myself and a mate (we're both technical geeks) found the screen on the Z lacking and the pinch and zoom gestures where hit and miss to say the least but let me push out a few points to you for why the one is for you ..
1. fast fluid and zero lag no matter how many apps are open
2. amazing screen with very good viewing angles
3. stunning audio (coming from a guy who doesn't really care about phone audio)
4. very clear call quality
5. camera can give very surprising results if used properly
6. 4 to 7 hours of screen on time
Bad points.
1. can get hot to the touch
2. can be slippy when holding it due to the metal back

daleski75 said:
Without a doubt trade it in and get the HTC One, myself and a mate (we're both technical geeks) found the screen on the Z lacking and the pinch and zoom gestures where hit and miss to say the least but let me push out a few points to you for why the one is for you ..
1. fast fluid and zero lag no matter how many apps are open
2. amazing screen with very good viewing angles
3. stunning audio (coming from a guy who doesn't really care about phone audio)
4. very clear call quality
5. camera can give very surprising results if used properly
6. 4 to 7 hours of screen on time
Bad points.
1. can get hot to the touch
2. can be slippy when holding it due to the metal back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How hot are we talking.
And no lag even with heavy apps and low battery?

cronus101 said:
How hot are we talking.
And no lag even with heavy apps and low battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not hot enough that it is uncomfortable but it does get warm to the touch and not noticed any lag even with the battery almost flat.

daleski75 said:
Not hot enough that it is uncomfortable but it does get warm to the touch and not noticed any lag even with the battery almost flat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The heat is under what circunstances? Playing games? Charging? Or it gets heat just by browsing, FB, etc?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

ksarius said:
The heat is under what circunstances? Playing games? Charging? Or it gets heat just by browsing, FB, etc?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heaving gaming and every now and again from charging. The highest temp I measured was 40 degrees celcius

ksarius said:
The heat is under what circunstances? Playing games? Charging? Or it gets heat just by browsing, FB, etc?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From charging the phone as I don't play games on it or from constant use but too be honest it's barely noticeable.

Thank you all for your super detailed and honest device. My HTC One comes tomorrow and i'm more than excited for it. I think I could have a mental problem when it comes to buying, selling and trading new things. I get bored easily and usually change my phone, console or whatever I can every 4-6months.
I cannot fault the XZ. When I get the One tomorrow im not going to be biased if it never faults me and say that the Sony XZ is a poor phone or anything like that. Im not one to use a camera that often, I prefer performance and sound and I feel the One has that.
I wouldn't be trading these phones if it came to any cost to me, don't think it would be worth the trade if it cost me £. There was also an update out today from HTC improve there One's camera in high-light. Glad to see issues being addressed quickly by HTC.
I have always been an iPhone fan but have seen the light and will be staying with android with this trade, and gladly so. Apple iOS is outdated and I couldnt believe the much 'jailbreaking' could be done with an android phone. Look forward to learning more by using ROM's etc to get the most out of my HTC One, I would aim to have the best possible battery endurance and processor speed etc.
If anyone has any knowledge of a current ROM or up coming ROM that is in development that they could recommend for the perks I have mentioned I'd be very grateful for those recommendations.
Thanks again, and I will be sure to give uses all a update on my opinions of the HTC One compared to the Sony XZ

Should you buy a Xperia Z or not?

Yes, if you can find a used one to a reasonable price, and no if youre renewing your contract or buying a brand new one.
Reason is that even though its great phone, the samsung s4 and htc one is right around the corner and they both come with full hd displays with nearly everything better in software terms, look at the rewies.
I bought mine used for around 350 pounds it had been used for 11 days. Reason, i didnt wait for the s4 (i dont like metal (htc one)) is that i didnt wanted to renew my contract, and i had a iphone 5 (just to small of a screen) which i sold and bought the Xperia Z.
Now the Xperia Z is a great phone, its a beautiful looking phone, it has a great full hd display, the launcher is nearly stock witch i prefer etc.
The "not so great" about the phone is the software side. The camera isnt the best, but its not bad!. There arent many feauteres in the settings app, its allmost stock, so for the people who like minimality its allright, but for people like me who likes a lot of features the software dissapoints. Even though a lot of the software (samsung series) is gimmicks its nice to have them. My big issue with this phone is the battery, im a heavy user and it isnt meant for heavy users. Even in stamina mode and brightness in auto mode i have to charge the phone at least 2 times a day. And the charge time is crazy, if you are using your phone while charging it just stands still. Bluetooth is dissapointing, it connect to my cars bluetooth but when trying to make a phone call it disconnects every time. On the lockscreen theres time, music and camera icons, if u have a missed call or a message it does not show, for me thats dissapointing, the software just needs big improvements.
Now this phone is big, so if you have small hands try it out in a store before you buy. I have small hands but i like to use two hands so its fine for me, but still it could have been nice if it were a bit smaller, like the zl. The rectangular shape isnt as comfortable to hold as a others. This phone definetely needs to be tried before bought.
To round up:
Good part. Its beautifull looking, great hardware, great full hd screen, good camera, little to no lag, good launcher, notifcation lights, waterproof,
Bad part. battery life, bluetooth, software, not comfortable to hold (small hands),

I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.

When you recontract (in my country), the HTC One is $528 vs the Xperia Z at $388, with the NFC speakers thrown in for free. Looking at the SGS4, it's going to be >$500 if the prices of the SGS3 were anything to go by (SGS4 drops on 27th April here). Kind of an easy choice

mahay_love said:
I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?

Nameless One said:
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.

mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

gm007 said:
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was a small video clip though

mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).

Nameless One said:
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe on the internet but I've seen no such negativity from the people who own it, and when I displayed it to my relatives they had a clearly good impression of the device. I think I'm just too particular about my devices.

@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium

With respect to the OP there is simply no answer to the question. Choice is there and all the debate in the world will not alter that.
Trying to compare the top three mobiles at present is fruitless. They all have weaknesses and strengths. It will come down to personal choice and thank heavens for that choice.
I have the blessing to have purchased what mobile I like to that end I am not biased in favour of one brand nor the other. I buy what pleases me and NOT what reviews write. 'Experts' only confuse the situations. The difference between the XZ, HTC One and the SGS4 will come down to style and aesthetics, as far as daily use goes we have reached a ceiling now where the speeds etc can make zero noticeable difference in user interaction between person and device. UI's differ as does materials used in construction. I went with the Sony on this occasion as my SGS3 is a spectacular mobile, for the cost the materials used (for me) are unacceptable, it just feels cheap and the SGS4 looks exactly like its predecessor even though Samsung are using different forms of plastic it still looks cheap.
The HTC One, I fear, living in a very hot climate, that the HTC One will allow body perspiration into the phone via those large frontal speakers ? The phone looks a million dollars but again I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend. The other point in choosing to try the Sony was signal strength.
You see I live in the middle of no where so signal strength is a vital part of my mobile ownership. Nokia, in the past, have been top notch in this area where HTC have proved abysmal and I have owned about 5 different HTC's. The Samsung Note was not too bad but the Galaxy S3 that I still have is not as strong as the Sony XZ.
I have found HTC and Nokia build quality to be very good, Samsung are, well they are plastic and look plastic!?
I am thankful for the choices. There is no best and to debate on such things is like trying to debate who the best singer is, the best song, the best brand of stereo speakers or HI-Fi separates. It is a personal choice.
What's the best fruit would be an equally pointless debate.

Best phone so far I find
The fact it's so close to stock android compared to everything else I find a real bonus as well
Feels like a nexus but with the Sony bonus features rather then a forced view of what they think android should be like e.g Samsung
Great camera
Good battery life I find
Best astetic design
Sent from my Xperia Z

swifteh said:
@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.

After spending two weeks with the iPhone 5, I am unable to agree that it has a better camera than the Xperia Z. I have got better pictures with the latter when manual settings.
I would also say that the selection between Xperia Z, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 (after seeing the ad in Times Square, the name is S 4 instead of S IV) is a matter of software preferences to a high degree. In my case, the Xperia Z won because of the following:
1. IP57 and the relaxation that the smartphone can be used even if the weather is less than perfect.
2. No TouchWiz or Sense and a very clean Android experience that is more of a "refined Nexus" than a traditional manufacturer modified one. The problem with Samsung is that they change a lot of things in their devices and that results in very heavy bloated ROMs. I also think that Sony has made a better job with their apps like dialer, contacts, messaging, Album and Walkman.
The new HTC Sense isn't too attractive to me either even if I have the opinion that HTC usually make more elegant apps (Gallery, contacts, dialer etc) than Samsung.
3. Because of 2, running clean ROMs are of interest to me in the case of Samsung and HTC. Unfortunately, neither Galaxy S 4 or HTC One are too developer friendly (locked bootloaders, a lack of sources etc) which is paired with a severe fragmentation (in the case of the S 4) where different markets has different CPUs etc. Sony has made a better job with standardizing Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 since both of them can use the same ROMs and kernels. It is also worth to mention that the CM10.1 development has been very rapid for the Xperia Z and everything like camera etc is working.
4. The performance of the Xperia Z is very high, it is the first time I don't feel that overclocking is necessary. The device is very smooth and fast on the stock frequency. It is better to undervolt in order to get better battery life and less heat (it made a big difference in my case).
The performance differences between the Snapdragon S4 Pro and the 600 can be reduced by overclocking. The light ROMs for the Xperia Z is facilitating smoothness, my experience is that Samsung and HTC needs heavy debloating in order to begin to perform at their best.
The most interesting product besides the Xperia Z when it comes to the CPU is the S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa. It is a great benefit that it is always quad core in both modes (performance and power saver A15/A7). Unfortunately, the Snapdragon 600-versions are what Samsung pushes hard since the production of the Exynos 5 Octa hasn't been ramped up yet.
The drawback with the Exynos is the unwillingness of Samsung to release proper sources, a problem that has affected CM and PA on their devices. Otherwise, it is a really interesting CPU.
The step between Snapdragon S4 Pro and 600 is too small in my opinion, the step to the 800 is much more interesting.
5. The screen of the Xperia Z is very good in my opinion with good color reproduction after calibration. The viewing angle "problem" doesn't disturb me the slightest since I usually don't use the device in off angles - and the screen is still legible in those cases. The "problem" is overrated IMHO.
I also prefer the colors compared to the extreme "color explosion" Samsung offers on their AMOLED screens (which can be changed by make the proper settings). I think the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One offers decent screens but I don't see that the difference between them and the Xperia Z is much of a concern. All three are good.
6. The audio quality of the Xperia Z when decent headphones are used is very good and that is with the PureXAudio mod flashed. I don't experience any kind of "inferior sound" compared to the Galaxy Note II. For further enhancements of the sound, Power AMP can be used.
HTC focuses too much on Beats Audio instead of good DACs etc which is a drawback. Personally, I would not buy anything with Beats (Crap Audio in my opinion). When it comes to the Galaxy S 4, I think the Snapdragon 600 versions are using the integrated DAC while the Exynos version should use the Wolfson one. I therefore expect the i9500 to offer higher audio quality than i9505 et al.
I would claim the Wolfson Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500 will be the best sounding with Xperia Z as the second while HTC with their Beats Audio will lag behind. Samsung usually manage to offer very good sound from their Wolfson equipped products.
7. The integrated battery on the Xperia Z is a drawback but can partly be explained by the water tightness. The HTC One has a completely disastrous battery placement, sandwiched between the mainboard and the screen. The 1 out of 10 in repairability that iFixit gave it would put me off completely.
The Galaxy S 4 is the winner since it offers both the user replaceable battery and a memory card slot. The Xperia Z comes in second and the HTC One suffers from a very big question mark about the internal layout.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the Xperia Z is the most "well rounded" device available today. The Galaxy S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa offers some benefits but suffers from very restricted availability. Many of the features Samsung puts in are more of "gimmicks" than useful things. HTC focuses also on a bit of bling bling with Beats Audio and Blinkfeed.
The Xperia Z on the other hand offers a clean experience that is easy to customize and gives a more "productive" feeling rather than "bling bling". On the other hand, everything comes down to what type of Android experience that is preferred. For those that are comfortable with TouchWiz and Sense, Samsung and HTC is good choices.
On the other hand, for those that prefer a cleaner experience but think the Nexus 4 is too limited (storage, screen etc) - the Xperia Z is a very good choice - especially now when CM10.1 is out and seem to work well in the latest build. It is possible to step straight onto "pure Android" right now, without the question marks that surrounds the other options.
Personally, I think the Xperia Z is the best option right now and can only see the Galaxy S 4 with Exynos Octa as the closest competitor - then there is interesting products from Huawei that can be worth a look. HTC One is uninteresting to me, especially because of the hopeless internal layout with the sandwiched battery that makes repairs extremely complicated.
What I don't like with the Galaxy S 4 is the insane fragmentation Samsung introduced. They use two different CPUs but it doesn't end there: then we have a couple of carrier versions with alterations that make ROMs incompatible. I can see atleast FIVE different S600 versions: i9505 for Europe and then different models for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
The Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 is the optimum in standardization in comparison.
HTC One seem to be more standardized too even if there are different carrier branded versions. According to available info, the AT&T version can use the EU ROMs without any alterations necessary and that is a big plus.
I think that the "worst" device of the three is the HTC One and that is purely because of the internal layout and the sandwiched battery. It is tough luck to have a problem with it. Even if it is integrated, it should be placed above the mainboard and not between it and the screen.
Galaxy S 4 is certainly a nice device in different aspects but TouchWiz and the severe fragmentation with different versions is something to keep in mind since it affects ROM development.
Xperia Z is a device that offers a very well rounded or balanced experience that is close to stock Android but with Sony refinements (that adds some value rather than just being bloat). I also think it gives an appearance of sophisticated elegance while the HTC One is a bit "bling bling" and the S 4 is a bit too much of an S III in style.
My last word is this: it is also worth to check out competitors like Huawei with their Ascend series. I think the rumored Ascend Mate II with 1080p screen will be an interesting alternative to a Note III for example.
There is also rumors about a Sony Xperia Cybershot later this year. I guess it will be powered by the Snapdragon 800.
I am very happy with the Xperia Z and don't miss Samsung the slightest.

Ryland Johnson said:
I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well maybe scratching is not as bad, looking at this short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWqPpYVE08

coios84 said:
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.
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Click to collapse
Are you seriously trying to say that an 8mp camera is better than a 13 mp camera? i read lots of reviews and watched countless youtube reviews by top reviewers, yes i paid full price but im not fully flaming the phone, viewing angles dont bother me too much either, just pointing out one of the screens shortcomings.... im just hacked off at 50/50 gamble that you get a locked bootloader, which is why we buy android devices in the first place, to unlock, mod and set free, but i really needed a phone at the time so hey ho.

Quite agree with some but not all.
Battery I find it better, at least it was far better than my previous phone - Samsung Galaxy S III, and it also charging fast, at least it was faster than my previous Samsung Galaxy S III.
I don't find this phone that bad only deserved for 2nd hand value.
I do miss some useful function by Samsung especially on those sensor part, but.. it was not a must as it ain't really important.
Stability wise, I can only said this is my 1st Android that is stable out from the box. My experience with Samsung Galaxy S II - G version was the most terrible one, it hang often until I sold it after 2 months usage, actually before I sold the SII-G ROM already quit stable but it still hang maybe once a week. Then I get S III, the performance was smooth before you install anything, it drag down after install full of apps, I am not so satisfied with S III performance, I mean the international edition which only 1GB RAM, it will anytime restart the launcher once you touch the Google Chrome. Even the most simple task - opening Phone also need to wait, this is truly nightmare as older S II - G also don't have this issue, it open instant.
Then my sister buy Note II, and this is the 1st time Samsung did it pretty solid and stable. I am sure since this, they no doubt any issue on S4. But I still don't choose S4 due to bored on it similarity design.
HTC One - this is my choice before I pick Xperia Z as I had seen HTC Butterfly screen before, and it extremely impress me. But for design wise, I still pick Sony as I find it did the best in outer and inner (software part) design. Then, after seeing a lot reviews of HTC One camera, the Ultrapixel camera was quite let down, it too easier over expose in day light outdoor shoot due to it big aperture f/2.0, such aperture if not handle well is a nightmare. HTC One body is similar and even slightly bigger than S III, in such body, it was easier squeeze in 5" screen rather than current 4.7". Beside this, Xperia Z waterproof and solid build with capable of SD card was a plus.
Now talk on screen wise, I actually not please with Samsung over saturate AMOLED screen, it was just too vivid to be natural & preset color of Natural is not working, as it became too dull. Don't talk on S4, I know it came with Adobe RGB Professional profile, maybe this help, I can't justified now as I need to see in person. Xperia Z screen wise was nature but never lost it vividness and nice to look at, the only lose here is the viewing angle but it not really impact actual use.
Sound quality on Xperia Z stock not really impress me due to it too low volume loud speaker and not clear, also all the preset was too flat to listening, Clear Audio+ not flat but too high pitch. All this issue solved after with PureXAudio mod, it was really good and not worst than my S III after the mod.
Performance wise, no doubt S4 win here as it bundle with latest highest CPU and highest speed as well. But is this really matter, I doubt about it, now every flagship phone is fast enough, not really need getting the highest speed, in-fact future phone shall more look on RAM (probably is time equip with 3GB or 4GB) and battery. RAM always play important part in any IT electrical device. More RAM will eventually make everything much smoother and better.
Until now, the only thing I want Sony make it better was reduce the camera over post processing & jpeg compression, I know the output could be better if Sony reduce down the post processing especially the noise filtering, it was like a paint of wax sometimes the output.

It's a great device. At the end of the day is a flagship so it won't disappoint you but it all comes to personal preference sony xz, HTC one or Samsung s4 they are all awesome devices. Compare them and pick the one that ticks all the boxes for you.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.

biffsmash said:
I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Music: seriously check with the doctor, volume is high enough.
Perfirmance: laggy but very fast?? What app/game lags for you. Quad core 2gb ram and lags you are trolling here for sure.
Screen: that's totally bs, viewing angles are perfectly fine, right now I'm typing from my desk, I've seen videos in bed with my partner no problems at all.
Getting a bit tired of those HTC fan boys reviews.
What I suggest you to do is go to a shop try all of them and pick the one you like more. Because at the end of the day it's you who have to like it.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

Why did you opt for the M9?

So with the most incredible & ultimate mobile phone you'll ever ever experience (Galaxy S6 & Edge) according to most reviews why did you opt for the M9?
Mine stems from the M8 and the experience I had with it, it was for a large part very positive, from the stunning design & build to the Audio and speedy and great looking ui.
So I now have the M9 a very solid device and yes it resembles the M8 but with that nice and subtle twist. I opted for the M9 because I knew I would continue to get the same joyful experience with some added benefits. I was right and despite the optics not being quite on par they still produce fine shots.
Sense 7 is nice and the theme manager us fantastic.
I just much prefer the HTC audio experience and having the SD card expansion. The build and feel in hand is fantastic. If you look at the M8 development it continues strongly with ROMs .
Yea there are negatives like any other device but for me it was the better choice.

Duncan1982 said:
So with the most incredible & ultimate mobile phone you'll ever ever experience (Galaxy S6 & Edge) according to most reviews why did you opt for the M9?
Mine stems from the M8 and the experience I had with it, it was for a large part very positive, from the stunning design & build to the Audio and speedy and great looking ui.
So I now have the M9 a very solid device and yes it resembles the M8 but with that nice and subtle twist. I opted for the M9 because I knew I would continue to get the same joyful experience with some added benefits. I was right and despite the optics not being quite on par they still produce fine shots.
Sense 7 is nice and the theme manager us fantastic.
I just much prefer the HTC audio experience and having the SD card expansion. The build and feel in hand is fantastic. If you look at the M8 development it continues strongly with ROMs .
Yea there are negatives like any other device but for me it was the better choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
90% of my phones have been HTC's from the 6700,6800, touch pro, touch pro 2, Evo/3D/LTE and M7 then i decided to jumpship to t mobile and get a Nexus 5 after a year with my nexus i just missed the HTC Build and software, yes i am one of the few the prefer Sense over Vanilla. i could've haved gotten the M8 for cheaper but unlike most people i preferred to focus on the internal upgrades rather then the external design. Also the M9 will have more support then the M8 (the whole 18 month support thing). only thing that let me down was the main camera but after tweaking it a bit thanks to XDA im satisfied once again.

PhyscoAssassinx said:
90% of my phones have been HTC's from the 6700,6800, touch pro, touch pro 2, Evo/3D/LTE and M7 then i decided to jumpship to t mobile and get a Nexus 5 after a year with my nexus i just missed the HTC Build and software, yes i am one of the few the prefer Sense over Vanilla. i could've haved gotten the M8 for cheaper but unlike most people i preferred to focus on the internal upgrades rather then the external design. Also the M9 will have more support then the M8 (the whole 18 month support thing). only thing that let me down was the main camera but after tweaking it a bit thanks to XDA im satisfied once again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's quite the HTC Collection I have had many devices from Samsung, Sony, Lg, Apple, Now HTC so a broad range.
So the build & Ui is what drew you back?
This is understandable and one of the best skins for android and I had the Nexus 5 because at the time a song and dance was made for vanilla and I thought I would give it a shot. I liked it quite a lot as it transpires but sense has that same zip and retains some nice features.
Thanks for your input & yea with some tweaks the camera is really not that bad (just perhaps not as good as yes the S6 and it should of been better) but for everything that the M9 offers I'm happy

1. Love sense 7
2. Love the m9's design and build
3. Love boomsound
4. Will never get a samsung/iphone ever!!!

Duncan1982 said:
That's quite the HTC Collection I have had many devices from Samsung, Sony, Lg, Apple, Now HTC so a broad range.
So the build & Ui is what drew you back?
This is understandable and one of the best skins for android and I had the Nexus 5 because at the time a song and dance was made for vanilla and I thought I would give it a shot. I liked it quite a lot as it transpires but sense has that same zip and retains some nice features.
Thanks for your input & yea with some tweaks the camera is really not that bad (just perhaps not as good as yes the S6 and it should of been better) but for everything that the M9 offers I'm happy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i mean ive always loved the metal feel of the phone (LTE/M7), and a dark confession ill make is that i actually flashed blinkfeed onto my Nexus because i missed the UI lol

nazrin313 said:
1. Love sense 7
2. Love the m9's design and build
3. Love boomsound
4. Will never get a samsung/iphone ever!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand your probable reasons for not wanting a Samsung. However what they have done with the S6 & Edge is great and best that has been produced by Samsung.
However so you take into account its glass & metal trim. I have to mention Sony here for credit as they also use Glass with metal frame, to be fair here if you look at it...
The Z2 is a early 2013 device and has even to date great specs and makes better use of that build being adopted by Samsung. The Z2 has water resistance, retains the SD card, larger battery, but thicker (not a big deal) and front firing speakers.
This is why I can see that reviews are so so good because its Samsung's first ever solid offering.
The M9 is perhaps being evolutionary in approach but what a design it is, and its been refined to a nice level.
I tend to think about the complete picture and yes sacrifices I may have to make in some area's.
But with some reading and experience with the M8 I have to only see that things are early and will get better for the M9 and its flaws. 1 year on and ROM development is strong for the M8 which I'm sure will carry over to the M9, its started already.
So I look at everything and for me, as great as the S6 & Edge are the better choice was the M9.

If you dare living with the best 2015 handheld - get m9 hima and enjoy d'TIME.. again if you're hard-coded by your karma for ****y experience you're departing to any other brand of your choice counter to accomplish what can't be avoided..
Reviews and words are of no avail.. 8)

Honestly thou, I do love the s6 edge design..its best offering from Samsung yet.
Even with the glowing reviews of the s6 and s6 edge, real world usage from actual users differ..3h SOT? Lags and stutters? Not for me

jauhien said:
If you dare living with the best 2015 handheld - get m9 hima and enjoy d'TIME.. again if you're hard-coded by your karma for ****y experience you're departing to any other brand of your choice counter to accomplish what can't be avoided..
Reviews and words are of no avail.. 8)
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Click to collapse
It seems like many are to scared to say that the M9 is a very solid device and tbh a fantastic device.
Believe me as I mentioned I have had many phones and this has by far brought me the greatest joy.
there hasn't been one stutter not even a hiccup.
I believe you mentioned about HTC and comparing the difference between it and the smartphone (which it is) but I get what you mean in differentiating between the rest.

Well been with HTC since the TYTN II, Diamond, Sensation, One S and One Mini..
Tho i was thinking hard about another brand this time, but i couldn't be without Sense. Reason why i was thinking for others is that HTC still kinda disappoints me with every phone they bring out, no logic behind some decisions.. Even tho they ask (on elevate) some things, i think they can use the advantage of having direct contact with fanbase like that into better usage.. Which they don't..
Anyway, still went with the M9 since I just couldn't think being without Sense, i'm so used to it that i cannot go with other launchers.. Plus the phones just feel so solid in the hands.. every HTC phone so far i've had, didn't feel cheap in my hands.. Plus with the extra service i can get through elevate this was basically a no-brainer in the end.
Since i've got it now for a week, i can honestly say that thus far, i haven't regret my purchase. :good:

Been needing to vent my thoughts on this phone and choosing to do it here. Maybe a little harsh, but I think objective. My feelings may change if I keep the device long enough.
Why did I opt for the M8.5?
Only reason over M8- Side power button (nothing a good volume wake mod wouldn't solve). I don't see any clear lead the M9 has over the M8 at this time. And the M8 has GPE roms, a plus for me.
Only reason over S6- Dev friendliness- able to unlock bootloader (even an ATT device) at htcdev and I want to support the company's decision to be dev friendly. Also HTC flagships always have a very popular dev community here at xda. We'll see if they're able to hack the S6 bootloader, if so the development community is sure to follow. That will surely get my attention.
Oh and a 3rd reason- I'm a sucker for new tech and I pay for it. I could head to swappa, sell M9/buy M8 and pocket around $200. Thinking about doing it but I've only had the phone for a few days and i'm going to give it at least a week before I make my decision.
Unimpressed with both camera and battery. 810 cpu doesn't feel any faster than 801 (which I've had on 2 devices), but certainly is warmer. All in all, not sure this phone was even an incremental update, but possibly even lateral.

Chronzy said:
Been needing to vent my thoughts on this phone and choosing to do it here. Maybe a little harsh, but I think objective. My feelings may change if I keep the device long enough.
Why did I opt for the M8.5?
Only reason over M8- Side power button (nothing a good volume wake mod wouldn't solve). I don't see any clear lead the M9 has over the M8 at this time. And the M8 has GPE roms, a plus for me.
Only reason over S6- Dev friendliness- able to unlock bootloader (even an ATT device) at htcdev and I want to support the company's decision to be dev friendly. Also HTC flagships always have a very popular dev community here at xda. We'll see if they're able to hack the S6 bootloader, if so the development community is sure to follow. That will surely get my attention.
Oh and a 3rd reason- I'm a sucker for new tech and I pay for it. I could head to swappa, sell M9/buy M8 and pocket around $200. Thinking about doing it but I've only had the phone for a few days and i'm going to give it at least a week before I make my decision.
Unimpressed with both camera and battery. 810 cpu doesn't feel any faster than 801 (which I've had on 2 devices), but certainly is warmer. All in all, not sure this phone was even an incremental update, but possibly even lateral.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its cool all views welcome matey and every user will inevitably have a different spin or take on a particular product.
I don't however see it as you do though, HTC improved the camera and agree or disagree but it's far better than that of the M8 (this is just my in my experience, and my own opinion) secondly well Moore's law dictates that processors will double in speed every 18 months, this doesn't mean that with a press of a button you phone will fly you to the moon
Then there is the build and the more time I have spent the more I actually see the difference and the in hand feel is totally different.
The M9 comes now with 3 GB of ram and I have yet to see a stutter or hiccup, the battery life has been on the better side of average for me at least. As for overheating I haven't came across this (perhaps as I have mentioned in other threads, because I don't game) but I do watch a lot of video and the m9 has been fine.
This is just my honest experience, no the camera is perhaps not on par with the S6 for example and should have been better, but I haven't yet taken a photo that has the mentioned heavy grain/ noise or blur. But I no doubt will, like I have done with my Note 4 lol.
Give it time and if your still not happy then best of luck with whatever device you end up with buddy

sausje85 said:
Well been with HTC since the TYTN II, Diamond, Sensation, One S and One Mini..
Tho i was thinking hard about another brand this time, but i couldn't be without Sense. Reason why i was thinking for others is that HTC still kinda disappoints me with every phone they bring out, no logic behind some decisions.. Even tho they ask (on elevate) some things, i think they can use the advantage of having direct contact with fanbase like that into better usage.. Which they don't..
Anyway, still went with the M9 since I just couldn't think being without Sense, i'm so used to it that i cannot go with other launchers.. Plus the phones just feel so solid in the hands.. every HTC phone so far i've had, didn't feel cheap in my hands.. Plus with the extra service i can get through elevate this was basically a no-brainer in the end.
Since i've got it now for a week, i can honestly say that thus far, i haven't regret my purchase. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unrelated.
What "extra service" do you get from being a member of Elevate?
Sent from my HTCONE using XDA Free mobile app

zaaye said:
Unrelated.
What "extra service" do you get from being a member of Elevate?
Sent from my HTCONE using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have giveaways. I got a free case for my m7. I also get to test software builds before the public does.
Sent from my HTC One m8

I'm a member too. Just don't know how to get in on the good stuff. How did you get to test the software. Inbox
Sent from my HTCONE using XDA Free mobile app

Duncan1982 said:
Its cool all views welcome matey and every user will inevitably have a different spin or take on a particular product.
I don't however see it as you do though, HTC improved the camera and agree or disagree but it's far better than that of the M8 (this is just my in my experience, and my own opinion) secondly well Moore's law dictates that processors will double in speed every 18 months, this doesn't mean that with a press of a button you phone will fly you to the moon
Then there is the build and the more time I have spent the more I actually see the difference and the in hand feel is totally different.
The M9 comes now with 3 GB of ram and I have yet to see a stutter or hiccup, the battery life has been on the better side of average for me at least. As for overheating I haven't came across this (perhaps as I have mentioned in other threads, because I don't game) but I do watch a lot of video and the m9 has been fine.
This is just my honest experience, no the camera is perhaps not on par with the S6 for example and should have been better, but I haven't yet taken a photo that has the mentioned heavy grain/ noise or blur. But I no doubt will, like I have done with my Note 4 lol.
Give it time and if your still not happy then best of luck with whatever device you end up with buddy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like your enthusiasm. I'm sure HTC would appreciate your viewpoint through those rose colored glasses as well.
We've definitely had different experiences with the camera. I'm a bit of a shutterbug and if i'm going to take pictures it's probably gonna be with my Canon 6D or Gopro anyway so not really worried about it.
I'm surprised you've owned an M8. Your review seems to come from someone upgrading from an S4 or M7 (and for those of you, this is a worthy upgrade- don't get me wrong). Judged on its own merits the M9 is a great phone. But for anyone that's actually owned an M8 it surprises me that they would see this phone as a worthy successor. I think that's my main point. That's what I want to share with any M8 owners thinking about pulling the trigger on this phone- you're good where your at. Repeat, grass is not greener lol. Don't let the numbers game get you , ie 810 vs 801... 3GB vs 2GB... the user experience is about the same with certain drawbacks I and many others have mentioned.
In defense of HTC, the M7 and M8 were both huge leaps forward vs the previous model so I guess we were due an incremental update. But considering they were struggling to stay afloat not too long ago I'd say their next flagship probably shouldn't be so incremental.
But I appreciate your thoughts Duncan.. I especially have to give you credit for pulling off this statement lol:
Duncan1982 said:
HTC improved the camera and agree or disagree but it's far better than that of the M8 (this is just my in my experience, and my own opinion)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I fell in love with the M7 and but had it stolen halfway through my contract. My contract ended last week. It was a toss-up between this and the S6 but ultimately I had to have another HTC and despite its flaws, I'm loving it so far. Just hoping HTC pull their fingers out and update the firmware to fix the battery and heat issues.

Chronzy said:
I like your enthusiasm. I'm sure HTC would appreciate your viewpoint through those rose colored glasses as well.
We've definitely had different experiences with the camera. I'm a bit of a shutterbug and if i'm going to take pictures it's probably gonna be with my Canon 6D or Gopro anyway so not really worried about it.
I'm surprised you've owned an M8. Your review seems to come from someone upgrading from an S4 or M7 (and for those of you, this is a worthy upgrade- don't get me wrong). Judged on its own merits the M9 is a great phone. But for anyone that's actually owned an M8 it surprises me that they would see this phone as a worthy successor. I think that's my main point. That's what I want to share with any M8 owners thinking about pulling the trigger on this phone- you're good where your at. Repeat, grass is not greener lol. Don't let the numbers game get you , ie 810 vs 801... 3GB vs 2GB... the user experience is about the same with certain drawbacks I and many others have mentioned.
In defense of HTC, the M7 and M8 were both huge leaps forward vs the previous model so I guess we were due an incremental update. But considering they were struggling to stay afloat not too long ago I'd say their next flagship probably shouldn't be so incremental.
But I appreciate your thoughts Duncan.. I especially have to give you credit for pulling off this statement lol:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a nice retort like it dude and your views are both welcome & appreciated however ultimately we are all humans with varying views and opinions.
Not in reference to you but we are now in a world dominated by sheep and a case of nod and agree seems to be to the liking of many but that kind of political so will move it back on topic.
No your right its not as huge as say the the S5-S6 for example. However Samsung had to make huge sacrifices to produce such.
The Z2 is the better option and please don't have a pop at that shooter (yes it has it flaws to) however its a 2013 device and boy oh boy have I got some amazing shots with it, and it makes better use of its all glass build.
So to the M9 should one upgrade? which the device is meant to be over the M8?
Well its a matter of each individual and their own opinion. For me the M9 is subtle in many ways like the build. I have compared the camera's and the m9 is miles ahead but behind the S6. I am no photography expert though so even someone with a basic grasp will see the M9's camera as extremely flawed. However for my eyes every picture I have taken is clear and without blur or noise.
The latter is obvious to anyone so this is my take so far. I will no doubt see this noise/distortion as I progress with the camera perhaps, like I did with the Note 4 which had amazing reviews, but I after time still got some grainy pics with that one, depends on many factors, the M9's shooter will no doubt need tweaks but for me its better than the M8's but perhaps I need to test further.
Overall I'm content with the M9 and if no one shares my views or opinions of it, you know that is perfectly fine, I under no circumstances wish or need or even want anyone to nod their head and agree with me.
All that matters is it a worthy upgrade for me, yea it is, it has a base storage of 32gb, build is refined to my liking, the camera is fine for me, audio is fantastic, sense 7 and the theme manager, its fast & fluid.
The recently announced M9+ should of perhaps been the the M9 as it has many upgrade additions like the 5.2" qhd, fingerprint scanner etc.

You would have to be a die-hard HTC fan to buy it ahead of S6 and the impending G4 and Z4.

Sachinfan said:
You would have to be a die-hard HTC fan to buy it ahead of S6 and the impending G4 and Z4.
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Why should we all be like sheep though? Let's all buy the S6 or Z4 or the G4.
Can people not accept that your neither a fanboy or die hard HTC fan.
The S6 is not without compromise nor will the G4 be or the Z4.
We all like what we like and I happen to enjoy the M9 (Its far from perfect and it has its flaws that's for sure).
But can buy what we want without a label being attached, that's what makes the human race diverse "we have our own minds and therefore opinions" and able to make decisions based on these.
And if we are happy with those Decisions and freedom of choices then that's all that matters.