Z1 experience coming from Galaxy S3 - Xperia Z1 General

I recently changed to a Z1 from a Galaxy S3 primarily for the camera and secondarily for waterproofing.
No phone is perfect, so here are my own personal opinions on what I liked and didn't like about the Z1, in case it is useful for anyone else coming from a Samsung Galaxy as you might have a similar experience.
Take them for what they are, you may disagree and haven't thought of these as cons/pros, but this what my own experience has been.
First, the cons:
- The notification LED is useless, at least on my black. It is hidden inside the earpiece, so only appears at maximum brightness when you are looking at the Z1 from the right angle. Maximum brightness is also about 1/4 that on the S3 - I can't see it outside in broad daylight for example. This means I am often turning on the phone to check for messages.
- Sound is very quiet. I've been using Android for years - was an Xperia X10 fan boy back in the day - and this is one of the quietest phones I've used. The quality seems good, but for notifications, combined with the dull LED as above, means it's already frustrating missing messages.
- The usable area of the 5" screen is LESS than the 4.8" screen of the S3. This is because the soft-keys take a lot of room at the bottom. I have compared them side-by-side. The bezel area is also huge.
- I hit the soft-keys by mistake often and end up switching apps or bouncing to the home screen. I'm sure this is just a matter of getting used to it. But so far I miss the physical home button a lot. Even if asthetically it "looks better" without one, it's actually quite useful to have another button to wake up the phone.
- The screen is dull and has a very small colour gamut. It is disappointing. For reading text it is fine. The AMOLED of the S3 is streets ahead in gamut coverage. That's with the S3 set to the "Professional Photo" profile which is decently calibrated, rather than the over-saturated Standard setting it has out of the box. I would not use it to review my photos (stick with the iPad for better integration with Lightroom anyway).
- The phone is HUGE for less screen area than a S3.
- There is far less ROM customisation for Z1's than S3, no surprise as I remember having the same experience on the X10. Going to an S and then S2 afterwards blew my mind how much more customisation there was. Rooting the S3 took 10 minutes after I first opened the box having not read up in advance. I guess the Z1 can be done in the same time once you know what you're doing, but the information is vague, the forums have different information all over the place, and it feels like a lot of rooting or flashing is sort of hopeful that it works. Information seems in posts scattered around rather than helpful and up-to-date guides. There are many more people in the Z1 forums complaining of boot loops or stuck phones.
Now having said all those negatives, here are the pros, of which there are some really good ones:
- The camera IS fantastic. Having used the S3, S4 and various other smartphones this is truly a brilliant camera. Yes, there are cons, such as pixel peeping shows patterns from the software processing. And 20mp looks like about 10mp up-sampled. But the colours are great and the dynamic range is surprisingly good.
- I love the ability to hold the camera button to wake the Z1 and instantly open the camera. This is very useful.
- Waterproofing gives me lot of peace of mind when travelling. I was very nervous when using a previous phone in Europe last November during rain and trying to look up maps.
- The battery life is incredible compared to the S3. I don't have figures or stats but I think it's roughly twice as good. I'm very impressed with this, given how large the screen is in particular.
- The Xperia software seems to be more useful than the gimmicky stuff Samsung puts in their Galaxy range. For example, the auto-triggered Sleep pattern to turn off sync, Wifi when you plug in the charger after 10pm is really neat. (For anyone who hasn't used this, you can customise the trigger, time range and actions that occur).
- It feels like a higher quality device. Also more precious and delicate. Definitely more "premium" as I've heard it said.
- The wifi signal is slightly stronger on 802.11n.
I'm sure there are other pros and cons. These are the ones that mattered to me personally, your mileage may and is likely to completely differ

S3 to Z1
I went to the 4G (2GB Ram) version of the S3 and back whilst my Z1 was being replaced.
you forgot to mention one Massive crucial point,
the S3 felt like a Lag-Fest compared to the Z1 with it's S800 processor and Adreno 330 GPU.
Also much of the Screen issues can be resolved by calibrating the colour and white balance,
and theres no comparison between Quality of the Z1's 1080P panel with 441 PPI compared to a 720P panel with 306 PPI (with some Pixels noticeable)
regards

I too just upgraded from S3 to Z1
Lag fest, true that. Only thing that I miss is the AMOLED display.
S3- Lags (stock ROM, AOSP ROM's are somewhat fast)
Can be used as frying pan, 1080p video fps drops when scenes become too complex (like shooting ocean waves), Gallery sucks, samsung apps are resource hungry. Newer games lag a lot (sometimes quits )

halleyrokz said:
Lag fest, true that. Only thing that I miss is the AMOLED display.
S3- Lags (stock ROM, AOSP ROM's are somewhat fast)
Can be used as frying pan, 1080p video fps drops when scenes become too complex (like shooting ocean waves), Gallery sucks, samsung apps are resource hungry. Newer games lag a lot (sometimes quits )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto

Interested in buying this phone also, coming from the s2, tho I'm worrying about the sound quality of this phone, is it really that bad?

uchechris said:
Interested in buying this phone also, coming from the s2, tho I'm worrying about the sound quality of this phone, is it really that bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the speakerphone is better than the S2/S3,
you can always try it in the shops and hear for yourself, make sure you turn on ClearAudio+ and Dynamic Normaliser on,
If you want the Best speakerphone quality ... theres only one choice at the moment HTC One.
regards

raziel123 said:
the speakerphone is better than the S2/S3,
you can always try it in the shops and hear for yourself, make sure you turn on ClearAudio+ and Dynamic Normaliser on,
If you want the Best speakerphone quality ... theres only one choice at the moment HTC One.
regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol I see, never try sony phones before and I wanna give it a try....done with samsung since battery is an issue and overheating , i don't wanna do HTC due to its camera.....iphones is a no , so imma do sony , might get the Z1 international since the Z1s don't have 4.4 kitkat and has a locked boot loader :/

uchechris said:
Interested in buying this phone also, coming from the s2, tho I'm worrying about the sound quality of this phone, is it really that bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The loudspeaker is quieter and the earpiece is harder to hear people on call.
However I prefer listening to music with the same headphones plugged into this vs S2 or S3. The Z1 has a warmer sound to the music and I think captures the very low bass just slightly better than the S3. This is without the enhancements turned on. I find the enhancements a bit over the top, like applying HDR to every photo, it doesn't suit everything.
So I enjoy music more - but the loudspeaker is quieter which is annoying for conference calls at work.
I've heard it explained as quieter due to the waterproofing, which is understandable.

awojtas said:
The loudspeaker is quieter and the earpiece is harder to hear people on call.
However I prefer listening to music with the same headphones plugged into this vs S2 or S3. The Z1 has a warmer sound to the music and I think captures the very low bass just slightly better than the S3. This is without the enhancements turned on. I find the enhancements a bit over the top, like applying HDR to every photo, it doesn't suit everything.
So I enjoy music more - but the loudspeaker is quieter which is annoying for conference calls at work.
I've heard it explained as quieter due to the waterproofing, which is understandable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know I actually find the earpiece louder than most phones I used in the past. I thought it was quiet at first as well until I realized that I am holding up to my ear wrong. I find anyone that also used my phone kinda does the same thing. Most of the time the earpiece is usually in the middle of the bezel of the edge and the screen. But because the earpiece is the very top of the phone you have to remember to slide the phone down and make sure the speaker is right at the ear canal. I still do that sometimes but I find it very clear and loud once its position correctly.
Maybe its just me...

I also came from the S3 and agree regarding the notification LED and the soft-keys. The LED on the S3 was perfect (the Z, too), however the Z1's is definitely harder to see. I solved the soft-key issue by switching on pie controls in xposed/gravity box and deactivating the Android soft keys. I can easily use the phone single-handed, tapping the pie keys with the thumb.
I quickly got used to the less explosive colors (which imho are far too saturated on the S3/4) and enjoy the better handling in bright sunlight compared to the S3.
My biggest con is the phone's size. It's so large I don't want to put it into a flip-cover, which would make it even bigger. On the other hand the naked phone is a bit difficult to hold because it's quite slippery.

sumerland said:
I also came from the S3 and agree regarding the notification LED and the soft-keys. The LED on the S3 was perfect (the Z, too), however the Z1's is definitely harder to see. I solved the soft-key issue by switching on pie controls in xposed/gravity box and deactivating the Android soft keys. I can easily use the phone single-handed, tapping the pie keys with the thumb.
I quickly got used to the less explosive colors (which imho are far too saturated on the S3/4) and enjoy the better handling in bright sunlight compared to the S3.
My biggest con is the phone's size. It's so large I don't want to put it into a flip-cover, which would make it even bigger. On the other hand the naked phone is a bit difficult to hold because it's quite slippery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using this case,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Case-mate-B...F8&qid=1401215095&sr=1-3&keywords=casemate+z1
I've had the black one for months now, pretty good,
regards

Related

Things I like most about HTC One are... :)

Hello!
Most of the time >on forums like XDA< people are talking about their issues and troubleshooting, making us - readers - feel like the device only has problems and forget about the good things it offers.
There are no or close to no posts about what people like about the phone. I don't blame anyone because it actualy makes no sense of opening a thread like "I like its screen. K thanx bye."
So lets make a thread and write only about the good things it offers and what you like about HTC One and why would you suggest this phone to public.
Try to keep this thread without trolling and discouraging people of buying this phone or pointing out what problems it has. I would like to ask any MOD to delete negative comments in this thread to make it clean and ON TOPIC.
Let me begin:
When I attended HTC Launch in München I fisrt held the device in my hands. The feeling was awesome, incredible, I was speechless about the design (I didn't like it at first) and it really is an awesome device.
Sound quality is outstanding. I compared front speakers to my HTC One X and I couldn't even hear my One X ..it was like speakers weren't playing on One X. I like the Music app finding lyrics for you automaticly. Everything is easy and just works.
Zoe is amazing. I thought it was something I would never use at first (I am more like point and shoot - still images) but than I looked closely - amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R08se6Xc9j0
It works like charm. No problems or whatsoever.
The screen of HTC One compared to my ONE X is like night and day. I always liked HTC One X screen but compared at full brightness really makes a difference.
https://twitter.com/miHah1/status/306137264126316544/photo/1 - a note - battery savings are set to reduce CPU only, leaving brightness at full.
So I already ordered it and can't wait the day it arrives!
What do you like about HTC One the most?
Hello,
I've went to Vodafone Romania in weekend and I could put my hands on HTC ONE. The first thing that left me speechless was the DISPLAY. The display is AMAZING, STUNNING ...no words for it. Is so crisp and everything is looking incredible. (My actually phone is iPhone 4S, which has a great display, but the one on HTC is simply brilliant).
Another thing that I really like is how you feel the phone in your hand.
thanks!
I'm so hooked on this phone, something about it just gets me more interested than any other phone has for quite a while (all the others seemed to just be standard upgrades - RAM, CPU, the works)
Then I saw the One, and the dual speakers, new camera tech and general design made me hooked immediately (Also, the IR Blaster was a nice touch)
So yeah, anxiously waiting for my phone
Re: The thing I like about HTC One the most is...
Can't wait to get the phone!!
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
I really like my One because:
- fantastic music production, on headphones and using the speakers
- fast UI, especially the use of folders
- build quality, feels and looks expensive
- screen clarity makes me use this device moew than any other I have owned
- good value, in the UK it comes with free cases OR headphones OR media link etc
I don't have mine yet. But I'm sure the one thing I'm going to like most about it will be the updates to Sense 5. As far as hardware goes, the whole thing is a monster. Extreme internals along with a strong outer shell.
I love this phone, I haven't been so happy with a phone since my old Galaxy S2, which was actually my first android phone. The hardware is superb, with probably the best design of any phone so far. It is nicely weighted, and doesn't feel cheap, yet it doesn't feel like lead in my pockets. The screen is a nice size and the PPI is fantastic, with extremely sharp text. A way it is improved from my Nexus 4 is that while they are both 4.7", the HTC One screen is slightly taller and less wide, which means more can fit vertically on the screen. The touch buttons are responsive and the screen lacks the stupid wide bezel seen on the iPhone 5. The back is curved nicely and many people have commented on how thin the phone is due to the thinness of the sides, not realising that actually the phone is thicker than others out there at the back. The speakers on the HTC are amazingly loud and clear, and wipe the floor with any other phone I have put them against. When Beats mode is turned off, they deteriorate badly, and I think HTC has done this on purpose to advertise the Beats brand as offering superior sound. The camera seems really good to me, and easily beats my Nexus 4 in ANY situation, with especially fantastic low light performance, and the macro detail is second to none. Landscapes and buildings don't fare so well though and more detail can be found in other phones with more megapixels, which do make a difference at range.
I like how the notification LED is nestled invisibly inside the speaker grill, and it flashes fast enough to be spotted well. I have only seen it light up red and green and don't think it is multicoloured. The software on the phone is elegant and much simpler than previous versions of Sense which I have seen running on the One X. The animations are fast, which helps make the phone even quicker than it is. The shutter lag on the camera is non-existant and photos are taken as soon as the button is pressed. The music player is excellent, and automatically downloads album photos, as well as a nice visualiser with automatic stylised lyrics. I love HTC Zoe, and have entertained many people with some of its creations. Call quality is good. Battery life seems amazing for me so far, I get 0%-1% drain when I sleep at night, and currently my phone is on 90% after 6 hours off charge and 1 hour screen on time. The phone seems to get warm when the screen is on max brightness, although this doesn't affect anything and it may just be my device. Overall, I think this phone is amazing and would easily recommend it over the Galaxy S4 due to the amazing build quality (a few people actually asked me what phone I had when out and about taking photos) and useful software which doesn't seem bloated at all and actually contains features I actually use on a daily basis. I got this phone for £489.99 which I think is a fantastic price.
I like the screen and form factor, smaller than the Xperia Z, and with a better screen...
Makes me sad that I've got both the Z and the M7, I think the only thing the Z will be good for is ripping blu-rays onto it for my commute (that SD card slot is sorely missed on the M7)
Build quality. It's about time someone makes build quality better than Apple or even just on par with them..
I'm waiting for mine, so I don't have one yet, but this is what I fell for:
- The beautiful design, especially on the silvery one
- Blinkfeed (sure that I will love it)
- Sense 5 (like very much the look of it)
- The display (seems very clear)
- That it has a FM radio
- That it has good sound quality
- Zoe (it will be fun to try that)
the Thing I like most about HTC One is .... the waiting
pre-ordered on expansys on february 23 and still status says -19 days
seriously , for a phone's pathological sick like me the waiting is the best moment. even maybe HTC is extending my enjoyng a bit too much
Hi,
i like my htc one, cuz of this:
Sense 5 - fast and really nice
Sense Music Player - this lyric integration is awesome
speakers and microfon - great for music, videos and recording media
build quality and design - i've got an well made one
power - i can play every hd game i own lagfree :laugh:
What I like about the HTC One:
-The Screen quality
-The PPI
-The dual front facing stereo speakers (and their sound quality)
-The design
-The premium materials used (actually looks like the phone costs)
-The UI and it's smoothness (Sense 5)
-The wide angle front facing camera
-The video recording quality
-The low light picture quality
-The in-call quality
-The dual membrane microphones (audio recording quality)
-The IR LED
-The FM Radio
-Sequence shot
-Zoe
Personally though, I'll be waiting for the Nexus 5 despite how nice the S4 and HTC One are.
The main reasons I am going for the HTC One instead of the Z/S4 are:
- It's design and build quality especially
- The front facing, dual speakers (boomsound)
- 1080p SLCD3 display
- Perfect performance (S600 chipset)
- UltraPixel camera (yes, after everything I have read/seen, I am very curious to use it myself)
It's just a very, very nice overall package. The fantastic reviews also help. I have seen websites (like pocketnow and technobuffalo) give their highest scores ever to a smartphone. After listning to some podcasts from Pocketnow I also understand why. It's just a joy too use, and since I have seen multiple websites say this, I believe them.
On the other hand, my choice to go for the One is also made simpler by the alternatives. I had the Xperia Z: it looks good, but it's a pain to use ergonomicly. The GS4 looks like my GS3, so no "wow" looks, but ergonomicly it's nice. The One brings both good looks, fantastic build quality and an ergonomic design.
Then there are the "last year" - specs for the Z (S4 Pro chipset) and the pretty washed out screen. The GS4 has the best specs, but it's only a tiny bit better then the One. And the much better looking and feeling design of the One is worth so much more.
EDIT: I forgot to mention the small reasons I'm going for the One (copy/paste from the sir above me)
-The wide angle front facing camera
-The video recording quality
-The sound quality of your recorded video
-The low light picture quality
-The in-call quality
-The IR LED
-Sequence shot
-Zoe
-Highlight reels
What i like the most
Its gonne replace my galaxy s3(wich i love also) so what i like most about the htc one:
-Great design and built quality
-great sound from the front speakers
-great sound from the delivered headphones
-The best recording mic from all the phones out there
-great low light performance
-The ir blaster(remote control)
-the best screen out there...
-Zoe
-The in-call quality
-Sequence shot
-The wide angle front facing camera
-great recording cam
-Great movie and gaming experience because of the stereo speakers upfront..
So i cant wait any longer till it arrives.....
So, mine arrives tomorrow - I bought before ever seeing one in the flesh just on the design! (currently on Nexus4) but I played with my my sisters new HTC One today.
I have a Macbook Pro and Imac that I use for business and home. The One looks STUNNING alongside these products. It fits in better with my unibody mac more than an Iphone ever would! The build, design, in your hand is AMAZING before I even turned the screen on I was sold.
Turn the screen on... Sold again. WOW clarity, colours, its amazingly sharp.
Camera - Super fast, Super good.
General performance is super snappy, I was planning on rooting and putting stock straight on, now I wont.
Speakers - Best I have ever heard on a mobile device of its size and thickness.
My Beats Mixr headphones sound even better than through my Nexus4.
HTC One = WIN - very premium
Goodnight for all. What about charging time ? It take 3 hours on my one x. Some games(real racing 3, hungry shark evo..) drains battery too fast. I'll recharge my onex to play continue my games but it takes too long. Thanks.
I like my HTC One because:
Best speakers I have ever had on a phone
In-call sound quality very good too
Reliable and quick GPS
Speed and smoothness in transition across screens and in browsing
Sharp, bright screen - unrivalled ppi ratio
Blinkfeed integrated feed - quicker to access than Flipboard and includes calendar/agenda
Build quality is very good
Battery can last a day without issue (though my z10 and note 2 do a bit more)
USING: BB Z10, HTC ONE and GALAXY NOTE 2
uygar2580 said:
Goodnight for all. What about charging time ? It take 3 hours on my one x. Some games(real racing 3, hungry shark evo..) drains battery too fast. I'll recharge my onex to play continue my games but it takes too long. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pocketnow tested the charging time, because they thought the Snapdragon 600 chipset supported Quickcharge 2.0 (which would cut charging times up to 75%). They said it was an avarage 2 hours to go from 0 to 100% though. I did some research and I think only the S800 chipset will support this Quickcharge 2.0 technology.
Sadly.. it would have been great to go from 0 to 100% in 30-45 minutes
AW: Things I like most about HTC One are...
3 hours and via USB about 4h. Thats slow, but battery life is good enough.
Gesendet von meinem HTC One mit Tapatalk 2

HTC One vs. S4 - Video of Fire in Darkness

Which one comes out on top?
The s4 seems to produce a better image with more accurate color. It has a lot more shake. Its audio is louder and has a lot more noise from handling.
The One seems to have difficulty with overload from IR, its filter doesn't seem as heavy as the S4. It's more stable as if stabilized in hardware. (both phones used stock settings) The audio is lower and thus handles real life dynamic range more accurately. Both phones were handled the same way. The S4 picks up handling noises and gets pops which are annoying. You must grip it like iron man to stop that!
Here's a quick presentation I put up to show the differences.
http://youtu.be/f2J4TklxTCw
Neither one seems to come out on top but for sound quality the One wins for sure here.
Thread cleaned
Where's the use of posts like "in before the closing"?
This thread is valid as it compares the devices in one specific area (though personally, I can't see any use in that).
I see the pink/blue issue in this video recording from the One.
I'm really unhappy with the quality of the camera.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Interesting, I actually think the S4 came out a little better. Besides the occasional popping sound on the S4 (you probably have the I9505) sound also is louder on the S4.
jlevy73 said:
Interesting, I actually think the S4 came out a little better. Besides the occasional popping sound on the S4 (you probably have the I9505) sound also is louder on the S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sound is louder, but not with the same quality IMO.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
The S4 definitely wins
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
I don't see the point of threads like this. People's opinions often differ so much so that you'll have one person say the One wins and the next, the S4 ... So what exactly does anybody gain from this? ... Btw, I don't see how you can say it's a side by side comparison when it's actually just two clips, one after the other.
The S4 has better quality, but none of them are any good. Audio quality is a lot worse on the S4 though, as we already know.
From what I've seen and read, HTC One has a camera with worse image quality in terms of best possible image quality, but the camera is more useful since it can be used in any conditions (dark and noisy environments and better wide angle). I love it because no matter what situation I know the camera is usable. Right now mine is on repair due to a cracked glass and I'm using an Xperia P which has a good camera, but unless I turn all the lights on and back away all across the room I know I won't be able to get usable pictures. It's not even near the HTC One. And where any phone I've tried has produced inaudible sound the HTC One has been absolutely clear.
To be honest, that's just what I want from a mobile phone. The whole point with a mobile camera is that I always carry it so it's available in ANY situation. If it can't handle dim light or loud noise or narrow rooms it's completely useless. The quality is good enough for facebook and instagram and stuff so I don't care about that, as long as it's usable whenever I feel the need to use it.
Sound quality: The S4 is rather atrocious. Its AGC is way too heavy, some users may find this better for "getting in" the details but this is not how our hearing works naturally. For music and faithful reproduction it's quite bad. Actually it's awful. For recording a crowd where you want to hear everyone's comments, etc, it would actually be desirable. Again different tools for the job. The HTC easily wins on audio here.
Video it's a tossup. There are color artifacts present in the One's video and color itself is difficult to reproduce. The flames almost appear "electrical" in nature. There is less apparent camera shake with the HTC One. The S4's video looks better with its reproduction of the flames, less blooming and glares. The fire is very hot and has copious amounts infrared radiation. Most sensors will show a pinkish color to longer IR energy and this must be effectively filtered to reduce its affect on sensor output processing and clipping. It's a delicate balance here but the S4 seems to do a better job. Its smaller pixels probably help as well.
As far as SQ goes the processing appears to be globally applied as the similar use of AGC and frequency response is realized in voice recording applications on both devices as well. The recorded volume appears much lower on the HTC because little compression is used. This would be preferred for recording live events where dynamic range needs to be preferred. With voice users may desire to use post processing on a PC to add gain (RMS normalize, etc.).
Personally I prefer the sound of the HTC.
And as far as stills go the HTC is the better *shooter*. I put emphasis on shooting as you can capture good shots of things that happen in real life. There is little shutter lag and pictures turn out decent. The S4 is a very good camera but using both I find it easier to catch the action of life as it happens with the HTC. Too often pictures turn out blurry or out of frame on the S4, it's too slow. When taking pictures of scenery during the day, however, the S4 camera is spectacular!
Remember the best camera is the one you have within your reach!
The best of both worlds would be a higher MP camera in the S4 with the responsiveness of the One. Surely it will happen in the not so distant future. Look how P&S cameras have evolved.
LoL isnt this thread closed yet??
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Moving from Sony Xperia Z2/Z3 to Galaxy S6 - your feedback

Hi Boys and Girls!
It's been a while since I last posted on XDA, maybe since I have been very content of my Z2 which was ticking almost all of my requirements. This phone is ALMOST all I need - legendary battery life, good camera, waterproofness, stereo speakers and so much more.
I want to upgrade and S6 is one of the options - others being considered are Galaxy S6 Active, Xperia Z4 later this year.
I would like to hear opinions from those of you who made the switch and it would be great if you gave some comparison on the following:
- Camera quality,
- Screen quality (sun legibility),
- Speaker LOUDNESS,
- Battery life.
My biggest worry is battery life. I know that Z2 has almost 25% more battery capacity, but Samsung has more energy efficient elements so really curious how this looks from your personal experience.
Any feedback from you and examples (your usage Z2 vs usage on S6) would be really appreciated!
Do you regret and if yes/no - why?
Already have forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3043183
Moved to S6 from which device & why
Read forum rules and do use search..
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
That topic is garbage, not only opinions but much off topic.
I am targeting this to more specific user group so no, don't think I have violated any rules and I have done search...
valdigre said:
That topic is garbage, not only opinions but much off topic.
I am targeting this to more specific user group so no, don't think I have violated any rules and I have done search...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree.
I had a Z2 then went to a Z3 C and then to a OPO and then to a SGS 6.
I much prefer the SGS 6 over any of the other devices.
For the sake of this topic I will compare it directly to the Z3C.
- Camera quality
SGS 6 hands down kicks the arse off of the Z3 C.. I believe the sensor on the Z3 is capable of competing with the SGS 6 but the processing done on the SGS 6 is unbelievably gorgeous, plus the 1.9 aperture really REALLY helps it out a lot. Oh and the pink spot issue was ridiculously bad as well.
Best camera in a mobile device. Simply as that.
- Screen quality (sun legibility)
Never had any dramas with the Z3 C in this regard, but the SGS 6 is marvellous in sunlight.. The Super AMOLED screen simply cannot be beaten in any way shape or form.
- Speaker LOUDNESS
Plenty loud enough, when I first got it and copied some music across I started listening to it (couple slider notches from maximum) and it was heaps loud enough while sitting at my desk. My ringtone volume and message tone sits at 3 notches from maximum and I can easily hear it across the house. Even while using my electric shaver! Plus the sound quality is spectacular.. By far the best I have ever heard on a mobile. HTC can bite it.
- Battery life.
The only point of the SGS 6 that isn't spectacular.
Medium usage it will last a full day easily enough, in fact I'd say the only time you'd have trouble with the battery not lasting a full day is if you were heavily gaming all day.
It really is not bad at all. It will easily get you a full day and two days light usage and Coming from an OPO that is a pretty strong opinion.
To be honest, I've owned an arse load of devices and have used/tested so many I can't even remember half of them and this device blows them all out of the water, it has every good quality you could possibly want from a device. The lack of removable storage I don't care about (OTG EXISTS PEOPLE!! AND ITS FASTER AND CHEAPER THAN MICROSD!!!) the lack of battery I don't care about, it's plenty enough for me. Buy a portable battery pack if you're paranoid or need to be out of electric power point range for a week.
I went off Samsung because I didn't like the whole plastic casing design choice, and I am glad to say I am back on the bandwagon with this beautiful device
By the way.. The Xperia devices are significantly let down by the lack of hardware buttons. Really pisses me off having such a nice large screen and having a chunk of that taken away with terrible soft keys.
I currently have a Z2, and I am almost certainly going to jump to the S6. Probably solely for the camera. The Z2 never really seemed to fulfill it's potential camera-wise. It takes aaaaaages for the thing to focus - a toddler will only sit still for so long!. The video is also a bit disappointing on it - it's a bit too mushy (not sharp enough) even in good light. The software stabillisation really helps eliminate handshake for videos, but again, it adds to the mushyness of the image.
Although, really well made, it's also a bit too blocky. I think the S6 looks about the right size and shape.
I will miss the battery though, which is fantastic - I still can't believe sometimes how much juice is left at the end of the day.
le_lutin said:
I currently have a Z2, and I am almost certainly going to jump to the S6. Probably solely for the camera. The Z2 never really seemed to fulfill it's potential camera-wise. It takes aaaaaages for the thing to focus - a toddler will only sit still for so long!. The video is also a bit disappointing on it - it's a bit too mushy (not sharp enough) even in good light. The software stabillisation really helps eliminate handshake for videos, but again, it adds to the mushyness of the image.
Although, really well made, it's also a bit too blocky. I think the S6 looks about the right size and shape.
I will miss the battery though, which is fantastic - I still can't believe sometimes how much juice is left at the end of the day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha yeah the blockiness was absurd! Forgot about that!
It was like carrying a thin brick in your pocket.
Now this is what I am talking about!
Thanks people and keep it comming!
Batter life worries me. If you get a full day of medium usage and end up with <10% battery life then in the long term, this will not be good for the battery... This stops me from going for it... Still thinking
Stevles said:
Haha yeah the blockiness was absurd! Forgot about that!
It was like carrying a thin brick in your pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stevles,
Do you have any feel for how it captures images of people in less than ideal light? I'm thinking specifically about taking photos of my kids indoors.
I remember I had a G2 a while back and it was TERRIBLE at this. Because it had OIS, the camera would always keep the shutter open way too long to let more light in. The downside of this is of course that any movement resulted in a blurry mess. Z2 is better at this, but still not very good.
le_lutin said:
Stevles,
Do you have any feel for how it captures images of people in less than ideal light? I'm thinking specifically about taking photos of my kids indoors.
I remember I had a G2 a while back and it was TERRIBLE at this. Because it had OIS, the camera would always keep the shutter open way too long to let more light in. The downside of this is of course that any movement resulted in a blurry mess. Z2 is better at this, but still not very good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the shutter speed goes to around 1/10 in low-light. Highly recommended to switch to "pro" and manually adjust the shutter speed to around 1/30 - 1/50 while keeping the rest of the "pro" settings on auto to account for it automatically. It will result in slightly noisier pictures but at least they won't be fully blurry like auto mode provides in fast-pace low-light situations.
Ultimately, best bet would be to either a) use flash b) pro mode with manual shutter speed c) Sony A7S (current low-light king MILC costing around $2600AUD)
With the SGS6 it will let you either use tracking focus OR Optical image stabilization, not both at the same time. Although I'm pretty sure that only effects the video taking, not 100% sure.
I'm sure you'll work something out
I think anyone coming from a z3c will be massively spoiled by its battery life. Its a freak. My s6 battery is average tbh but it's super fast and the camera is awesome. Sammy cam and picture software is really on point here
Stevles said:
Yeah the shutter speed goes to around 1/10 in low-light. Highly recommended to switch to "pro" and manually adjust the shutter speed to around 1/30 - 1/50 while keeping the rest of the "pro" settings on auto to account for it automatically. It will result in slightly noisier pictures but at least they won't be fully blurry like auto mode provides in fast-pace low-light situations.
Ultimately, best bet would be to either a) use flash b) pro mode with manual shutter speed c) Sony A7S (current low-light king MILC costing around $2600AUD)
With the SGS6 it will let you either use tracking focus OR Optical image stabilization, not both at the same time. Although I'm pretty sure that only effects the video taking, not 100% sure.
I'm sure you'll work something out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The s6 has two types of stabilisation: OIS which is mechanical and you can't turn off. This used for photo and video. The second is EIS (electronic image stabilisation) which is software stabilisation and can be turned off. This is only for video. Both can be used together for video. EIS is type is the one that can't be used with tracking focus, but the camera is still using OIS (as it isn't something you can switch off).
Apologies if you knew all this already.
le_lutin said:
The s6 has two types of stabilisation: OIS which is mechanical and you can't turn off. This used for photo and video. The second is EIS (electronic image stabilisation) which is software stabilisation and can be turned off. This is only for video. Both can be used together for video. EIS is type is the one that can't be used with tracking focus, but the camera is still using OIS (as it isn't something you can switch off).
Apologies if you knew all this already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah that makes sense, thanks. Knew there was something a bit "this sounds wrong" about my post lol
I owned z3 since its release although sold it two moth ago and got s6 last week. I can say this, s6 is vastly superior in every aspect except the battery life. You can really tweak z3 setting and that battery would last two days easy.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I mostly agree with everything that was already said. Battery life is far from equivalent to the z3c. Also I should mention size and one hand usability in favor of the Sony. Also another missed function that Samsung just doesnt want to implement is Tap to unlock the screen. I dont really use the photos on the laptop screen, so from a small screen point of view I sometimes liked the photos of the z3c more that those of the S6. Colors combinations and the final result was more eye pleasant for me on the z3c (many times). Sure S6 has a great overall camera.
Lack of microsd is annoying, but I solved it with OTG.
I still have both because I cracked the screen on the Z3 and I won't sell it until I get it repaired. But my opinion pretty much reflects what everyone else said.
The S6 does pretty much everything better except for battery life.
I love the fingerprint scanner. Way easier than having to use lock pattern or password.
I tested the speaker with the same youtube video and the S6 was actually louder. But the Z3 sounds better when you're watching something that pans from left or right.
Interesting, z3 louder than S6?
My z2 seems very quiet in comparison to other phones. My gf's 2013 motto g seems louder on 50 percent than z2 on 90 percent... No comparison with z3, maybe they actually made it louder.
I am also really tempted to wait on z4 but I have this bad feeling that nothing will change in terms of camera software and screen... Also worried about overheating snapdragon.
I guess z4 will not beat s6 in those regards and as you said, s6 is better in everything but battery...
If I only knew when S6 active is released and will it have better battery and same screen and camera...
Was just going through some videos I took recently with my Z2 and remembered another issue: the autofocus during video capture is diabolical. It's either out of focus or constantly going in and out of focus. It really affects the watchability of the recorded videos.
le_lutin said:
Was just going through some videos I took recently with my Z2 and remembered another issue: the autofocus during video capture is diabolical. It's either out of focus or constantly going in and out of focus. It really affects the watchability of the recorded videos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. I noticed this as well, especially in worse lighting.
I've only owned my S6 for about 8 hours, but compared to my Z3,it blows it out the water. The only thing I preferred on the Z3 is the mostly stock Android UI, and the battery life. The camera on the s6 is crazy good. When you take a picture of say a cat or a dog, the amount of detail it picks up is amazing. My Z3 took some really nice pictures when the lighting was nice and sunny, but it was very inconsistent. The S6 is better in every condition by far. .
Display wise, the Z3 has a very bluish white balance, while the S6 is warmer. I haven't directly compared brightness yet but they both get bright enough in direct sunlight. The S6 kills it when it comes to resolution, and also them gorgeous deep blacks. The S6 display is easily the best display on any smartphone that I've ever seen. But that's not to say the Z3 has a bad display, it just isn't as good when directly compared.
Build quality, I would say they're both really nice, and I'm hesitant to give the win to either of them.
Ergonomics go to the S6. It's a smaller size, and just feels better in the hand as opposed to the square shape of the Z3. They're both quite slippery though.
Performance goes to the S6,but not by much. My Z3 was no slouch, and never lagged, but the S6 does seem faster by a little, and the animations are smoother more often.
Overall I would say the S6 is definitely the better phone. But if battery life is very important to you, and you really do prefer stock android to Touchwiz, then the Z3 is the better option. Honestly though, they're both awesome phones, and the only massive difference is the camera, and the S6 is noticeably better.
I came from an Xperia Z2 and the camera on this S6 is 1000x better. The focusing is fast and the pictures are sharp even in low light. The slow focusing speed on my Z2 drove me insane...

What are the main cons of this Axon 7 ???

Hey Everyone,
So Guys , I'm about to buy the Axon 7 A2017 the Chinese variant (Since I'm outside the US) with 4gb RAM and 128gb of storage as an upgrade of my old LG G4, that's why I'm asking you guys to answer me honestly what was your personal experience with this device ? what are the bad sides that have made you frustrated or made you regretting making this purchase ??
I've heard many downsides but I cannot really believe them since many reputable reviewers on Youtube have said the opposite ??
Some Cons I heard :
1-The sound output from Headphones are not really great same for the dual front facing speakers.(Which is a bit shocking as the main promoted feature of this smartphone was the audio capabilities ).
2-The Screen is not clearly visible at direct sunlight
3-The Camera is awful , in other words a piece of crap (I dont really care about Photography or low light stills , but I also hate a smartphone that cannot take some sharp stills at daylight ,such as portait of myself for social media)
4-The capacitive buttons are not back lit , but I think I could get used to them.
5-The UI is buggy and bloated , the phone doesn't have any support from devs and the Company didn't fix many issues and bugs.
6-The fingerprint is not that fast or accurate (I've heard from a review that it works 60-70% of time)
7-Multi tasking and app launching is not good either comparing to smartphones that have the same cpu/gpu like Oneplus 3 , LG G5 ,..
8-Gaming experience is worse , as the 1440p leads to fps drops.
9-Notification are not received , bad sync
10-bad signal reception , bad GPS reception , Wi-fi range ??
Yes I know this is so long because after reading many opinions and seeing many reviews that's what came out !!
I still hear that all this can be fixed by an update but till now (after 6 months of releasing) nothing to be confirmed.
I'm a casual user , I don't root my phones , or install custom roms I can bear the Stock Rom if it's doing well , no bugs or lags.
Guys Please be honest , I know that almost every opinion will be biased , I don't want to buy a whortless smartphone because I also consider buying Oneplus 3 since my brother got it and it's an amazing smartphone blazing fast , takes some good images at good light , charging really so quick , everything is good with it except the battery drain when playing heavy games , the standby drain , and some heat issues.
The reasons that pushes me to consider buying Axon 7 over OP3 is it's great 1440p screen VR ready and the front facing speakers even if the Oneplus 3 have a good display despite it's FHD only and also a decent loudspeakers .
Yeahhh this thing is damnn long, but You know I don't wanna spend 400$ for useless features !!
Best Regards , Youssef
1- Not true, the sound is great with both speakers and headphones, although you may have problems with some apps and compatibility.
2- I use the phone a lot outside and never had any problems reading the screen
3- the camera is awful in low light, but its a really good camera in good light. REALLY good.
4- Yes, this is a con, but you get use to it.
5- False and true. The ui is not bloated and it works really good. I actually like it more than pure stock. But regarding bugs and dev support, its really, really bad.
6- It could be faster.... and yes, you get a couple of misreads, but its not as bad as you make it sound.
7- Really don't know what are you referring to. Apps launch fast and multitasking work great (when the phone doesn't kill you app, though)
8- I don't do gaming on my phone, can't comment.
9- This is a mayor problem that should have been fix a long time ago. This is pretty much a killer point.
10- Except for some minor GPS issue indoors, my WIFI and phone receptions have been really great.
As I said in other threads, get the OnePlus 3T. Save yourself some headaches.
This phone is great in paper, and the hardware is excellent, but its pretty much dead. You are going to be really disappointed if you want to change ROMs or get community support.
yamils said:
1- Not true, the sound is great with both speakers and headphones, although you may have problems with some apps and compatibility.
2- I use the phone a lot outside and never had any problems reading the screen
3- the camera is awful in low light, but its a really good camera in good light. REALLY good.
4- Yes, this is a con, but you get use to it.
5- False and true. The ui is not bloated and it works really good. I actually like it more than pure stock. But regarding bugs and dev support, its really, really bad.
6- It could be faster.... and yes, you get a couple of misreads, but its not as bad as you make it sound.
7- Really don't know what are you referring to. Apps launch fast and multitasking work great (when the phone doesn't kill you app, though)
8- I don't do gaming on my phone, can't comment.
9- This is a mayor problem that should have been fix a long time ago. This is pretty much a killer point.
10- Except for some minor GPS issue indoors, my WIFI and phone receptions have been really great.
As I said in other threads, get the OnePlus 3T. Save yourself some headaches.
This phone is great in paper, and the hardware is excellent, but its pretty much dead. You are going to be really disappointed if you want to change ROMs or get community support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really appreciate your answer it's really helping , as I don't really care about updates or custom roms I think it's bearable since you said it's not bloated . I mean overall this smartphone is great !! But I'm afraid that what you said is only applicable for A2017U (US variant) and not the chinese variant A2017 becuz as I stated before I'm not from The US , so I need to import the device from China.
The only one I agree with is the unlit capacitive buttons. This phone is pretty solid otherwise.
Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk
I have EU variant A2017G
1- Havent heard anything better yet on mobile phones (havent tried LG V10 or V20, which I believe should have better headphone output)
2- No problems
3- Photos depend on situations actually, daylight are quite good. Software needs to be fixed, manual mode is not that much manual
4- Got used.
5- I use Nova on top of MiFavor and it's almost like anything else.
6- It's fast, reads fingerprint in any direction also, sure sometimes it doesnt get it, but works fine.
7- Dont have OP3 or G5 to compare to.
8- Tried some games, and except for heating and huge battery drain I didnt notice anything. Heats up to 40C, when usually it sits at ~30C.
9- This. Waiting for fix.
10- GPS seems to work good, WiFi good. Signal - not really. on 2G it's great, on 4G - it's there, but drains battery as it's always very low, and it seems that is a problem with A2017G's only, not all, but there is a problem for some people who reported it.
Why *****ing about the capacitive buttons not lit? I mean, it's not like you didn't know before you bought the Axon, right? It would be like complaining about the size of the display...
Youssefmans said:
Hey Everyone,
So Guys , I'm about to buy the Axon 7 A2017 the Chinese variant (Since I'm outside the US) with 4gb RAM and 128gb of storage as an upgrade of my old LG G4, that's why I'm asking you guys to answer me honestly what was your personal experience with this device ? what are the bad sides that have made you frustrated or made you regretting making this purchase ??
I've heard many downsides but I cannot really believe them since many reputable reviewers on Youtube have said the opposite ??
Some Cons I heard :
1-The sound output from Headphones are not really great same for the dual front facing speakers.(Which is a bit shocking as the main promoted feature of this smartphone was the audio capabilities ).
2-The Screen is not clearly visible at direct sunlight
3-The Camera is awful , in other words a piece of crap (I dont really care about Photography or low light stills , but I also hate a smartphone that cannot take some sharp stills at daylight ,such as portait of myself for social media)
4-The capacitive buttons are not back lit , but I think I could get used to them.
5-The UI is buggy and bloated , the phone doesn't have any support from devs and the Company didn't fix many issues and bugs.
6-The fingerprint is not that fast or accurate (I've heard from a review that it works 60-70% of time)
7-Multi tasking and app launching is not good either comparing to smartphones that have the same cpu/gpu like Oneplus 3 , LG G5 ,..
8-Gaming experience is worse , as the 1440p leads to fps drops.
9-Notification are not received , bad sync
10-bad signal reception , bad GPS reception , Wi-fi range ??
Yes I know this is so long because after reading many opinions and seeing many reviews that's what came out !!
I still hear that all this can be fixed by an update but till now (after 6 months of releasing) nothing to be confirmed.
I'm a casual user , I don't root my phones , or install custom roms I can bear the Stock Rom if it's doing well , no bugs or lags.
Guys Please be honest , I know that almost every opinion will be biased , I don't want to buy a whortless smartphone because I also consider buying Oneplus 3 since my brother got it and it's an amazing smartphone blazing fast , takes some good images at good light , charging really so quick , everything is good with it except the battery drain when playing heavy games , the standby drain , and some heat issues.
The reasons that pushes me to consider buying Axon 7 over OP3 is it's great 1440p screen VR ready and the front facing speakers even if the Oneplus 3 have a good display despite it's FHD only and also a decent loudspeakers .
Yeahhh this thing is damnn long, but You know I don't wanna spend 400$ for useless features !!
Best Regards , Youssef
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't had any issues whatsoever with this phone. I'm coming from A LG-G4 as well.
1) Sound is phenomenal! You'll have nothing to worry about.
2) It's not as bright as some other phones like the gs7 or IPhone 7, but it's better visibility than the G4 which is every you're coming from.
3) Camera is mediocre compared to today's phones, but it's similar to G4 performance. So it's slightly behind, but I don't take issue with it for such a good price. Daytime shots are really good, night time are meh, hdr makes them look pretty good but you have to stay really still. Manual mode is great if you know what you're doing.
4) Chinese variant uses on screen keys from my understanding. So the issue of non-backlit isn't relevant in your case.
5) UI is not stock Android, but waaaay closer & smoother than LG's UI. You'll have no issues with bloat coming from a G4 imo. Company has taken care of the major concerns like the notification bell on the lock screen and other things of the like. They was my biggest one, do I'm good now.
6) Fingerprint doesn't always get it perfect, but it's good like 85% of the time for me.
7) I haven't done any speed tests against any other phones, but from what I've seen on YouTube, it is slightly slower than competitors. For me, this isn't an issue cuz we're talking an incomprehensible real world difference. That's my opinion however. Its still faster than the G4.
8) No lag issues with gaming here. It on lagged on me once while I had Need for speed open in the background, a photo backup uploading my 32gb worth of photos going, while playing NBA live. It was only a slight stutter though. Other than that one incident, it's really smooth.
9) No issues with notifications or sync here. Could have been an early problem. I got the phone after they released the latest marshmallow build.
10) I get slightly worse reception than my G4. To me it was expected due to it being a metal phone vs a plastic one. I compared it to the G5 at a Tmo store and it wasn't to far off. Like 3dbm lower signal (higher number). Wifi is great though! Faster speeds, more stable signal, & prefers the 5ghz band when available. I always felt like the G4 sucked with wifi.
Overall, you cant go wrong with this purchase. One plus 3 is also a great option. I picked this phone over the OP3 because I'm a sucker for its design. I think it's sexier. I have been thrilled with my purchase so far and have no regrets. It's got all some quirks, but nothing that is a deal breaker for me. I also have the US variant so obviously this is my experience with that model and your mileage my vary if you are shooting for a Chinese unit. But there is my 2¢, hope it helps with your decision! Best of luck.
Thanks Guys I really appreciate your answers , I was about to switch to the OP3 , but I guess I may get The Axon 7 , cuz I'm a regular user and I'm not seeking for a fast responsive smartphone if this is doing the job well , I was also considering the Xiaomi Mi5s Plus 6gb ram version due to the better camera onfiguration and the latest snapdragon but Yeah , a 2k and Front facing speakers worth it !!
I've read cell reception is really bad and therefore I won't buy it.
Enviado desde mi SM-G920F mediante Tapatalk
Cell reception and how it does hotspot compared to my previous phones are pretty bad. But everything else is spot on.. Love the phone. My wife has the oneplus 3 and keeps it stock.. Both phones are awfully similar. I would get the axon if you keep it stock and the oneplus if you plan on installing custom stuff.
From my limited experience with the device (about 1 week, coming from a Galaxy S7 edge).
1) Sounds has been great for me. Both the speakers and headphone sound are louder and clearer that the S7 edge.
2) Screen is really, really good. Sunlight visibility may be a smidge less than the S7 edge, but I like the way the colours pop a lot more on the A7.
3) Not a big photog to be honest. S7 edge had the better camera, for sure. The A7 camera seems pretty good in good lightning, and pretty bad in low lighting.
4) Definitely not backlit, but I honestly have no issue with them. Your muscle memory kicks in pretty much straight away.
5) Definitely not bloated (especially if you come from Touchwiz). Haven't noticed any large scale bugs yet, but need more time.
6) It could be better. I'd say it's accurate about 80% of the time. It seems to work best with a double tap for me.
7) Can't really compare to those devices, but it's about on par with the S7 edge.
8) Gaming has been as good or better than the S7 edge for me (mine is the Exynos variant though).
9) Hard to say since I turn off most notifications. SMS and Slack are my primaries, and they seem to work fine.
10) WiFi has been fine. Haven't tested GPS much. LTE is definitely weak though. I seem to hover around 2-3 bars most of the time. My house, which for whatever reason is a weak spot for my carrier, poses a particular problem.
Youssefmans said:
1-The sound output from Headphones are not really great same for the dual front facing speakers.(Which is a bit shocking as the main promoted feature of this smartphone was the audio capabilities ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries here. Best speakers hands down. Only phones that come close are HTC M8 and Alcatel One Touch. Headphone output has been great for me, but I think it works best with high end headphones.
Youssefmans said:
2-The Screen is not clearly visible at direct sunlight
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More visible than most thanks to color saturation and low reflectance. Maximum brightness of 360cd/m² is not the highest but thanks to low reflectance and high color saturation sunlight contrast ratio is amongst the best, just below OP3T and S7 but better than iPhone 7.
Youssefmans said:
3-The Camera is awful , in other words a piece of crap (I dont really care about Photography or low light stills , but I also hate a smartphone that cannot take some sharp stills at daylight ,such as portait of myself for social media)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera has very good color accuracy and low light is actually pretty decent considering the small pixels size, you just need to be steady or it can become blurry. In bright daylight pictures are good but less sharp than on other 20MP devices (e.g. X play). Noise reduction is a bit too aggressive. I find the camera adequate but it is clearly the main weaker point of the Axon 7 (but I come from the x play which is exceptionally sharp and a very pleasing camera, so I may be a bit biased).
Youssefmans said:
4-The capacitive buttons are not back lit , but I think I could get used to them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got used to them very quickly but in the dark I occasionally miss them.
Youssefmans said:
5-The UI is buggy and bloated , the phone doesn't have any support from devs and the Company didn't fix many issues and bugs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
UI is great, only the launcher is not that good, but I replaced it with HTC blinkfeed launcher from xda, as I love their blinkfeed + theming and other aspects.
Youssefmans said:
6-The fingerprint is not that fast or accurate (I've heard from a review that it works 60-70% of time)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People who have this issue did not map their finger correctly, that is not from all possible angles. If you make sure you map your finger from every possible angle and position it works perfectly. It took me a couple of tries to get it right but after that no issues. If you activate ZTE Locker daily wallpaper feature it may reduce recognition times, so may prevent successful recognition if the finger is removed too fast. For me it's no big deal but I know some people prefer to deactivate daily wallpapers to speed up recognition.
Youssefmans said:
7-Multi tasking and app launching is not good either comparing to smartphones that have the same cpu/gpu like Oneplus 3 , LG G5 ,..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that may be true because of the use of a different file mapping system (I read something about this) however this may become default in Android nougat so may not be an issue going forward. I personally don't find app launching slow but other phones are slightly better.
I know that OP recently implemented this file system on their phone:
https://www.google.fr/amp/s/www.xda...fferences-and-f2fs/amp/?client=ms-android-zte
I think this can be replicated on any phone where the ROM build support this. It was replicated on the OP3, it should be positive to get it to work on custom ROMs for the Axon 7 if not done already.
Youssefmans said:
8-Gaming experience is worse , as the 1440p leads to fps drops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since the Axon 7's display has a pentile arrangement, it is not a true 1440p, this means the display actually has fewer pixels so the difference in performance is not that dramatic. That also explains why the Axon 7 can maintain good battery performance despite 1440p display.
Youssefmans said:
9-Notification are not received , bad sync
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never had this issue. However you need to know that as a default the phone kills apps that are in the background and does not let apps interrupt deep sleep, so you need to set up exceptions for each app to allow them to share notifications.
Youssefmans said:
10-bad signal reception , bad GPS reception , Wi-fi range ??
Youssef
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't confirm this, I actually found this phone to have better reception than OP1, OP1 and Moto X play. My house has thick walls and in spots where I usually had poor reception I now have good reception, access to 4G, etc. I compared db values and they were better than on my other phones.
1- The sound output from headphones is perfectly fine, as good as you can expect from a phone really. The speakers didn't come close to living up to the hype and reviews if you ask me. The only problem with sound is that you'd have to use their stock music app for the Hi-Fi DAC to work, and that app is beyond trash. Super laggy, super buggy, with less than bare-bones functionality. That and the phone apparently only outputs 16 bit sound despite having a 32 bit DAC.
2- Almost no phone is visible in direct sunlight, this phone's brightness is absolutely fine and very bright. Only phones like the Galaxy S7 with super contrast modes can be more visible.
3- The Camera is indeed utterly useless in low light, but in good lighting conditions is okay-ish. It's not in the same league as expensive flagship phone cameras, this is where they really cut costs (aside from the software).
4- Yes, they are not back lit, and yes it's easy to get used to, but super annoying in the dark.
5- The software is abysmal, by far the worst I've ever used. The empty promises and months of not delivering make me completely regret my purchase. If I was within the return period I'd refund the phone and get a OP3T.
6- The fingerprint sensor is very fast and works 95%+ of the time for me. Anyone who's having issues likely didn't register their finger prints from all angles as the phone explicitly tells you to do in its instructions.
7- There's nothing about multi-tasking that has annoyed me yet aside from the occasional bug where a program just closes, but I don't do side by side comparisons so I don't know if it's outperformed by other SD820 phones.
8- I haven't gamed all that much on it, but its gaming performance should be pretty much the same as any other SD820/1440p phone, or slightly better than some of the earlier SD820 phones. I've ran emulated PSP games at 1440p with all settings maxed out without frame drops. If you want a 1080p phone for better performance buy a OP3T.
9- I've had no issues with notifications aside from the lock screen being garbage (even if you disable the stupid bell, which took them forever to update to allow).
10- It's an aluminium unibody phone, of course it's not going to have the same reception as a glass or plastic phone. In my experience it's only slightly worse and hasn't affected me much.
Most your concerns are nothing to worry about, it's the software/non-existent support that would make me turn around, run away, and never look back.
puremind said:
Since the Axon 7's display has a pentile arrangement, it is not a true 1440p, this means the display actually has fewer pixels so the difference in performance is not that dramatic. That also explains why the Axon 7 can maintain good battery performance despite 1440p display. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, this is actually a major problem with pentile. The resolution has to be rendered as normal, they have no magical trick that renders based on subpixels, it's per "pixel", so all these pseudo-1440p phones actually are rendering the software at 1440p if set to full resolution.
1) it's pretty clear, better than any other phone that I have used. Might need an extra amp if you plan to use 70ohm+ cans. Anything else is driven really well if you use DVC within poweramp.
2)no problems for me, but reports have said it is only around 320~ nits which is just not true as I compared it to a Nexus 5 and 5X, and it was brighter than both of them. Even if it was dimmer it should be just fine anyway. I'd compare the level to be a iPhone on 90%.
3)pretty good camera front and back, I don't take selfies as I hate myself amongst other things. Good in normal sunlight and medium to low light (bedroom). I have no idea what the standard is these day and I frankly don't care as I don't use it that much. Good enough to not have your friends laugh at you.
4)I don't like back lit anyway since I normally turn them off and if you can't turn them off they stand out too much at night since the screen is AMOLED.
5) No bugs, just different, I'd say it's the best custom UI that I've used. Close to stock with more compact icons etc. Like a half arsed attempt at making android 7 UI on 6 which is actually pretty good if you look at other manufacturers like Samsung.
6)If you wet your fingers and touch it, lightning fast. I find that if I have really dry hands (half an hour bike ride) I might have to slide it around a bit more but it works. Just do what the setup tells you and keep moving your finger around that scanner. More you cover the better. If you unlock while taking out your pocket you have at least 3 attempts at the scanner at least unless your are Sherrif QuickDraw. If you are using the Chinese version you can even set certain fingers to use certain apps such as camera, very useful as you can add up to 5 fingers.
7)True, but it's marginal. You probably have seen those benchmark videos where they open up 20 apps all in one row and time it. Not a big deal if you consider that the time for each app is like half a second longer each. Doesn't bother me. Been using android since gingerbread, I've experienced full minute waits before.
8)It's 1440p like you said, if you root it you can do some xposed hacks and run it at 1080p shouldn't be that big of a deal anyway. Most games run just fine. I play asphalt 8 (yeah bit old but oh well) just fine.
9)Some ****ty power settings that are enabled by default, just look around in the settings for a bit and you should be fine.
10)It's on par or better than my S3. No dropped calls or missed texts but then again not a lot of people contact me:crying:.
Like you said, if you are a casual user, it shouldn't bother you. 70% of the phones on the market will be just fine. Phone have reached a level where if you don't go for the big names or just buy smart you can use them for 2+ years easy. Sister still rocking Nexus 5 just fine. Battery is crapping out but it was never that good to start with.
If you like games and media, get the Axon. Best portable device I have brought for years. Provides solid audio when paired with good IEMs. Games like Asphalt come to life with the front speakers. Also for a phone this size, it's very easy to hold. If you look at the phone next to a 5" one it's wider by not even 1cm.
If your bro has a OP3 I personally won't get one as well just to be different, also might get confusing. BUT it has:
-better software support (you said you were a normal user so doesn't matter really)
-tad faster with better general battery life due to smaller screen, less GPU load etc.
-more accessories, it's a more popular phone.
-get the 3T instead if you plan on getting this.
-notification slider thing, if you go to college this will be handy as you don't have to pull your phone out.
The Axon also has a few nit picks that I like to pick:
-the notification light is RG not RGB, Not that anyone actually uses that light, I just use it to see if my battery is full lol.
-didn't notice this but some guy on reddit also said that because the headphone jack and the charger is on different sides it lead to some weird holding positions which is true.
-the right speaker (button side) is not in the middle but at the bottom right of the phone due to the charging port. Didn't notice this until I saw a tear down video now when I watch youtube I try to listen out for it. Most of the time I can't but it's there.
Google VR Is also SOON^TM, some guy also said it didn't fit due to the bands touching the hardware buttons. But the ZTE headset is pretty cheap $50~ I think but it's china only.
[/COLOR]
Cyrus D. said:
No, this is actually a major problem with pentile. The resolution has to be rendered as normal, they have no magical trick that renders based on subpixels, it's per "pixel", so all these pseudo-1440p phones actually are rendering the software at 1440p if set to full resolution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it is accurate.
IPS 1440P screen has 11M lighting elements whereas
Pentile 1440p oled only has 7.3M lighting elements - only marginally more than the 6,220,800 Lighting Elements of 1080p IPS LCD display
I bought the phone just before B08 came out so I really wasn't troubled by the software at all, especially since I always install HTC Blinkfeed launcher from HTC, which replaces clock, weather and gallery.
I had no trouble using the HiFi DAC on other apps so far, which app didn't work for you?
puremind said:
I don't think it is accurate.
IPS 1440P screen has 11M lighting elements whereas
Pentile 1440p oled only has 7.3M lighting elements - only marginally more than the 6,220,800 Lighting Elements of 1080p IPS LCD display
I bought the phone just before B08 came out so I really wasn't troubled by the software at all, especially since I always install HTC Blinkfeed launcher from HTC, which replaces clock, weather and gallery.
I had no trouble using the HiFi DAC on other apps so far, which app didn't work for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's correct that pentile has 1/3rd less subpixels than a standard RGB array. "1080p" on an AMOLED would have the same number of subpixels as a real 720p panel. But that wouldn't matter for software, it's still coded per pseudo-pixel as far as I know. Resolution output isn't coded by subpixels.
As for the DAC, every program I've tried sounds different than the stock music player. That includes PowerAmp's latest alpha (called a beta in the app store). The difference is most apparent in instruments, they sound noticeably sharper on the stock music player. I don't know for sure if this is some sort of equalizer or software tricks in the stock player that can't be disabled (the stock player has squat for options) or if it's indeed due to the DAC.
As for the the claims it outputs only 16 bit sound, I haven't ever found out exactly what that means. Whether it's just the stock music app that is limiting it, or if it's coded in the ROM to work like that.
Cyrus D. said:
It's correct that pentile has 1/3rd less subpixels than a standard RGB array. "1080p" on an AMOLED would have the same number of subpixels as a real 720p panel. But that wouldn't matter for software, it's still coded per pseudo-pixel as far as I know. Resolution output isn't coded by subpixels.
As for the DAC, every program I've tried sounds different than the stock music player. That includes PowerAmp's latest alpha (called a beta in the app store). The difference is most apparent in instruments, they sound noticeably sharper on the stock music player. I don't know for sure if this is some sort of equalizer or software tricks in the stock player that can't be disabled (the stock player has squat for options) or if it's indeed due to the DAC.
As for the the claims it outputs only 16 bit sound, I haven't ever found out exactly what that means. Whether it's just the stock music app that is limiting it, or if it's coded in the ROM to work like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you try MX Player?
For pentile displays there is a formula that calculates the subpixel intensities for each subpixel based on the desired "theoretical" pixels, so there are fewer operations being computed. Those operations are only marginally more complex than on an RGB display so the added complexity is offset by the much lower number of operations being conducted. From experience with calculation engines, it is usually more efficient to reduce the number of operations than to reduce the complexity of computations in terms of processing time.
Camera is the only major con for me.
The buttons on the bottom of the screen are ****ty too. Cant see them at night but i can deal with that.
puremind said:
Could you try MX Player?
For pentile displays there is a formula that calculates the subpixel intensities for each subpixel based on the desired "theoretical" pixels, so there are fewer operations being computed. Those operations are only marginally more complex than on an RGB display so the added complexity is offset by the much lower number of operations being conducted. From experience with calculation engines, it is usually more efficient to reduce the number of operations than to reduce the complexity of computations in terms of processing time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I tried to use it and compare the same song side by side to PowerAmp and the stock music player and I couldn't do it because that software is rage inducing. It's not designed at all to be a music player, so even if it could use the Hi-Fi DAC I wouldn't use it.
And that's interesting, I've looked into it and never found any info or article about the resolution output being optimized for pentile displays. Would you happen to have a link so I can read more about it?
Cyrus D. said:
Well I tried to use it and compare the same song side by side to PowerAmp and the stock music player and I couldn't do it because that software is rage inducing. It's not designed at all to be a music player, so even if it could use the Hi-Fi DAC I wouldn't use it.
And that's interesting, I've looked into it and never found any info or article about the resolution output being optimized for pentile displays. Would you happen to have a link so I can read more about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried MX player? Did you find a difference? What is your go-to app? Which software version do you use? Have you made sure the dolby module was activated when comparing? It could be some apps somehow switch it off and you have to manually switch it on again.
If you don't compute values for each subpixel you have no means of producing the right colors on each theoretical pixel, this is true for both RGB and Pentile OLED. From a colorimetry standpoint there is no other way to control intensity and saturations, you have to drive each subpixel individuallly.

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Sony Xperia XZ2, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Sony Xperia XZ2 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
I've come from a Pixel 2 XL and I loved that phone, I'm in a fortunate position that through work I can change phones pretty much every few months.
Over time I've discovered that personally I'm a stock android person.
Having said that loving this phone the skin is pretty lightweight, and some of the Sony tweaks are generally pretty useful like the one handed mode.
Battery life is amazing I thought the pixel was good this is even better 2days moderate use no problem.
Camera is pretty good not Pixel 2 standard but not bad either.
Much nicer to hold, the shape is way better than the pixel 2 XL, will be a while before I change phones, don't think it's getting the positive reviews that it should, it does everything well, bit like the HTC U11 from last year very underrated...
If your thinking of buying one do it, you won't be disappointed...
Sent from my H8216 using Tapatalk
Agree, i dig this phone and couple of times i acidently switched to one handed mode and cannot repeat it what is the procedure or gesture to activate it, thanks!
Swipe along the nav keys [emoji16]
Sent from my H8216 using Tapatalk
I come from a Xiaomi Mi A1; i was getting bored of Android Stock and had an amazing offer through an Italian provider. I am basically paying 350€ for my XZ2 which is amazing. I was torn between this and the XZ premium which would've cost me the same, but I decided to go with the newer model, not sure I made the right choice.
However, I simply cannot express how much I love this phone. It has that Stock feeling whilst allowing users to tweak it and customize a little, albeit not as much as the EMUI. Battery life is pretty good, considering it's a 3180 and a powerhouse!
Camera could definitely use some software improvement but HDR does wonders more often than not.
It's incredibly elegant and the materials are definitely premium both to the sight and to the touch.
However, I would like to get some 18:9 gestures that would allow us to "get rid" of the navigation buttons and further highlight the beauty of the display.
my white one reminds me of BMO with that little face on the top bezel, how can you not love that
Came from Pixel 2 back to Sony.. This is hands down my favourite phone ever.. No regrest!
I'm in love with Sony again because of XZ2!
A rock solid device with a "Swiss clock" system, fast, smooth, awesome battery, superb display, superb sound, awesome camera and a lot of other things that simply work as it should on this device!
Great work, Sony!
miker71 said:
my white one reminds me of BMO with that little face on the top bezel, how can you not love that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great now every time I look at my deep green XZ2 I see BMO too. lol. Nah it's all good Adventure Time FTW!
I love this phone. Had several Xperias over the years - Ion, TL, Z1, Z3, an XZ Premium, a OnePlus 5T for a week, several shameful years of boring iPhones. 4 weeks with the XZ2 (H8296) it has become my favorite smartphone ever, hands down. I love everything about this phone and look forward to future phones from Sony.
What drive me nuts?
- No fingerprint sensor shortcuts (notification bar swipe down for example)
- No possibility for vibration pattern set or its strength
- No call recording or vibration when other side answers
- Something's wrong with wireless charging (only 20% per hour)
- Sometimes camera is stuck and can't open, need to reboot device
- No option to turn off blinking LED when device is below 15% (it irritates when you use phone)
- Can't skip tracks with volume buttons while listening music on headphones
- No info on phone if it's using quick charge or not (while charging)
- No face unlock
- No double tap to wake (screen)
Everything else is good, but that software is horrible. It's too Vanilla, it's too close to Android One.
Monolithus said:
What drive me nuts?
- No fingerprint sensor shortcuts (notification bar swipe down for example)
- No possibility for vibration pattern set or its strength
- No call recording or vibration when other side answers
- Something's wrong with wireless charging (only 20% per hour)
- Sometimes camera is stuck and can't open, need to reboot device
- No option to turn off blinking LED when device is below 15% (it irritates when you use phone)
- Can't skip tracks with volume buttons while listening music on headphones
- No info on phone if it's using quick charge or not (while charging)
- No face unlock
- No double tap to wake (screen)
Everything else is good, but that software is horrible. It's too Vanilla, it's too close to Android One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- you can download fingerprint shortcuts from google play
- You can use face unlock from smart lock
- Actually, you can do the double tap thing, just enable raise to wake. Not quite the double tap from older xperia phones, though.
AlvinZahran98 said:
- you can download fingerprint shortcuts from google play
- You can use face unlock from smart lock
- Actually, you can do the double tap thing, just enable raise to wake. Not quite the double tap from older xperia phones, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I know I can achieve almost all of that things using 3rd party apps, but problem with them is that they don't run as system functions so they'll consume a lot more battery than if they were built-in. Come on, it's a Sony flagship, I'm a little bit surprised.
I think I'll return my xz2 to my carrier. Touch screen is terrible. Settings app force closes to often and its had to many random reboots. Sony needs to up their game. Best phone they ever made was the X10.
I have been using P10, S8, OP5T and now XZ2. My review is based on the comparison with these phones and also the price I paid for it (USD526). Mine is a 6GB RAM HK set H8296 Rev.2. At the time of writing, it is running on .265 firmware and I've been using this phone for two weeks. Will edit this if future updates fix some of the issues.
Overall, the phone is worth the money for USD $526. But definitely not worth the MSRP $800! At the price I paid, it's one of the cheapest non-China brand with 845 out there.
Pros:
- Great overall speed. 845 + 6GB RAM + Sony lightweight skin = smooth experience. Subjectively, OP5T feels slightly smoother in scrolling performance. My Exynos S8 stuttered after I updated it to Oreo and 4GB doesn't cut it anymore.
- Feels comfortable in hand. I like the overall size. The main reason I switched from OP5T is the size. It was really stretching my limit. Otherwise, it's a very good phone and I find no reason to switch.
- The camera is A-. Not top grade (P20/S8/S9/Pixel 2) for low light.
- Lots of unique/proprietary features but not all of them are really useful:
- Useful:
- 1080p 960fps, PS4 DualShock controller support out of box, HDR BT.2020, aptX HD, dual front speakers, Triluminos display, X-reality engine, Hi-res Audio (not as good as top end though), DSEE HX, strong Dynamic Vibration System, dedicated physical camera button (I use it to trigger camera app)
Cons:
- Touchscreen issue. It had hold-and-drag sensitivity issue which is fixed in the .265 update. However, the touchscreen sensitivity goes haywire and I noticed I started to make a lot of typo on Gboard. I have to depend on autocorrect in almost all the letters I type!
- Fingerprint scanner and camera position. Very easy to mistaken these two.
- WiFi signal reception is bad/shorter distance vs my other phones Worse than even my Redmi 5A!
- Cellular signal reception seems to be weaker after the .265 update. Then again, I only had the phone for a week prior to .265 update.
- Whilst the skin is lightweight and quite bare, it looks dated and lacking ergonomics like OnePlus Oxygen OS.
- Does not support Camera 2 API. Means porting the gcam app is much harder.
- Not useful/hype proprietary features:
- Speakers clarity and volume is the biggest let down. It sounds thin without bass, and is nowhere as good as Samsung S9 and HTC Boomsound.
- S-Force is a hype. Can't hear the difference at all!
- Stamina mode makes the phone laggy. This feature had been great in the past Xperia. Not sure why it's badly tuned in the XZ2.
- Dynamic Vibration System is partially hype; while strong, the accuracy is questionable. When the audio has arrays of low frequencies sources, the vibration tends to feel random or off-timing.
- The physical camera button without OIS is not easy to use.
Yet to test: mic quality in terms of clarity and high decibel environment. Will update soon.
I came from a pixel 2xl and a p20 pro... Yep, tha p20 cam isnt that great.. to over sharpened...and the so-called 40mpx is actually 4 x 10mpx images merged... Plus EMUI, is too top heavy for me
I love my black xz2... Speakers sound amazing... and are better than my old pixel 2 xl, the 5.7" screen is fantastic... the bezels are a perfect size (i like a bit of bezel...offers the phone protection and strength).. fingerprint reader is a bit low down, but within a day or so of finger training.... no problems.. very fast and liquid smooth... No lockups, crashes or app issues... battery is awesome 2 - 3 days on light use..
My only niggle is the camera, while vastly improved over anything from the old Z range... and improved over the XZPrem... the xz2 cam can stll be a little quirky sometimes and images can range from stunning to a blurry mess for no reason, but thankfully on the xz2, these blurry images dont happen, ever Auto mode is pretty good in daylight... However, Sony phones do take some work and camera is good in Manual mode...so not for the Samsung and Apple "point and shoot" sheep.
Great phone Sony, and the xz2 camera is great, although camera software processing could use some work...
What's there to love?
Sorry but I've only thing for about a week now. I absolutely hate it the colors even in the vibrant mode are extremely oversaturated so much so that they blur the lines and make some games too dark to even see. And we won't mention the horizontal lines from pressing on the screen at all ever. Which is if you haven't encountered this you will. This phone is absolute garbage
Madgnarthebloody - just because your experiencing these issues, does not mean that everyone else is.
Perfect for me

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