Database Users

So I had a z3 for a week z2 vs z3 differences. Almost none! Except for design

Well. The z3 looks very nice is thinner than the z2 and also lighter. That's the major difference. Design. Software and camera is almost identical as performance too. Display on the z3 I think is slightly better but not 100% sure. The z2 display is good too. Camera is the same thing. With a two or three new features mostly the downloadable apps for the camera. Battery it is better on the z3 the z2 is not bad. So I decided to sell it. I might get the z3 compact I don't think is worth it unless u love the design and the ps4 feature. Which is not out yet. Grrrr I couldn't test that.
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

ajftl said:
Well. The z3 looks very nice is thinker than three z2 and also lighter. That's the major difference. Design. Software and camera is almost identical as performance too. Display on the z3 I think is slightly better but not 100% sure. The z2 display is good too. Camera is the same thing. With a two or three new features mostly the downloadable apps for the camera. Battery it is better on the z3 the z2 is not bad. So I decided to sell it. I might get the z3 compact I don't think is worth it unless u love the design and the ps4 feature. Which is not out yet. Grrrr I couldn't test that.
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
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Agree! Small update over Z2. With 4.4.4 Z2's battery performace will be as good as Z3.

And if Z2 gets good update to 4.4.4 (at it definitely will), differences will be even harder to see
But, as we said few times already - Z3 isn't here for Z2 users.
It's aiming to Z and Z1 users...

The fact that both devices are mirror images of themselves was known the day the specs of the z3 got confirmed.
Most of the differences are software based and that will narrow significantly once the z2 gets updated.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app

Good thing I went with the Z2 three weeks ago, I saved 150 euro ?
Sent from my Xperia Z2

Jiyeon90 said:
Good thing I went with the Z2 three weeks ago, I saved 150 euro ?
Sent from my Xperia Z2
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I wouldn't really say dats a good thing. Z2 price will drop. If I was going to buy a phone right now, I will be getting the Z3. But as I have the Z2 now, NO!

stanley08 said:
I wouldn't really say dats a good thing. Z2 price will drop. If I was going to buy a phone right now, I will be getting the Z3. But as I have the Z2 now, NO!
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What he was trying to say is that he prefers the z2 at €150 less. Makes perfect sense to me. Who wouldn't?
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zodiac100 said:
What he was trying to say is that he prefers the z2 at €150 less. Makes perfect sense to me. Who wouldn't?
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Yh. Is quite a margin i must confess. Tempting really. But here in West Africa, when a newer device comes the older one gets a HUGE price drop and resale value is almost nothing. Well. Speaking from my own point of view. I resell my devices. But anyways, i was never gonna upgrade to the Z3 anyways.. Even Z4 not sure, i want to see what M9 looks like. I think i prefer my devices stay a flagship for a whole year
P.S: You said 'He' but i think it's a lady. Lol.

stanley08 said:
Yh. Is quite a margin i must confess. Tempting really. But here in West Africa, when a newer device comes the older one gets a HUGE price drop and resale value is almost nothing. Well. Speaking from my own point of view. I resell my devices. But anyways, i was never gonna upgrade to the Z3 anyways.. Even Z4 not sure, i want to see what M9 looks like. I think i prefer my devices stay a flagship for a whole year
P.S: You said 'He' but i think it's a lady. Lol.
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I'll second that. I'm no fan of Sony's 6 month nonsense either. It's got me thinking of trying the s6 next year. Don't trust htc on the camera front. Their phones have never had good cameras and that's even before ultrapixels bull****
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zodiac100 said:
I'll second that. I'm no fan of Sony's 6 month nonsense either. It's got me thinking of trying the s6 next year. Don't trust htc on the camera front. Their phones have never had good cameras and that's even before ultrapixels bull****
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Lol. Exactly why I want to see what they have to offer really... But Z4 might be good tho. Oh well... Only time will tell

stanley08 said:
I wouldn't really say dats a good thing. Z2 price will drop. If I was going to buy a phone right now, I will be getting the Z3. But as I have the Z2 now, NO!
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Funny you should say that. I've just bought a new Z2, primarily because the phones were so similar and the Z2 was cheaper. I didn't see any reason to go for the Z3 other than better battery life.
The Z3 has remote play and such like, but that WILL come to the Z2, either by Sony themselves or by some talented individual on these very forums.
I also like the styling of the Z2 better. The Z3 looks too much like the new iphone for my tastes.
Battery life isn't an issue for me because my phone is plugged in every night anyway.
And anyway, it's only six months wait till the Z4.....
Quick Edit - I see by your signature that you have unlocked your bootloader. Have you seen any difference in the Camera or other DRM protected apps since you did it? Also, I take it you backed up your TA? Was it easy to do?

ianrobbie said:
Funny you should say that. I've just bought a new Z2, primarily because the phones were so similar and the Z2 was cheaper. I didn't see any reason to go for the Z3 other than better battery life.
The Z3 has remote play and such like, but that WILL come to the Z2, either by Sony themselves or by some talented individual on these very forums.
I also like the styling of the Z2 better. The Z3 looks too much like the new iphone for my tastes.
Battery life isn't an issue for me because my phone is plugged in every night anyway.
And anyway, it's only six months wait till the Z4.....
Quick Edit - I see by your signature that you have unlocked your bootloader. Have you seen any difference in the Camera or other DRM protected apps since you did it? Also, I take it you backed up your TA? Was it easy to do?
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Unlcoked bootloader, didn't backup TA. Camera is better than HTC M8, I'm not a photographer. So I'm living Happily ever after.

hehehe saved my pocket too! Will stay on Z2 until Z5 which most probably will be a copy of Z4

ianrobbie said:
Funny you should say that. I've just bought a new Z2, primarily because the phones were so similar and the Z2 was cheaper. I didn't see any reason to go for the Z3 other than better battery life.
The Z3 has remote play and such like, but that WILL come to the Z2, either by Sony themselves or by some talented individual on these very forums.
I also like the styling of the Z2 better. The Z3 looks too much like the new iphone for my tastes.
Battery life isn't an issue for me because my phone is plugged in every night anyway.
And anyway, it's only six months wait till the Z4.....
Quick Edit - I see by your signature that you have unlocked your bootloader. Have you seen any difference in the Camera or other DRM protected apps since you did it? Also, I take it you backed up your TA? Was it easy to do?
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There is definitely a difference in picture quality, especially in low light pictures. Backing up the Ta partition is easy though. You just need to root first. Can restore at any time.

I was scared to get the z2 in July not knowing what the z3/next version would be like. I'm glad to hear I didn't make a totally horrible decision.

Does it really give you 2 days battery life?

ajftl said:
Well. The z3 looks very nice is thinner than the z2 and also lighter. That's the major difference. Design. Software and camera is almost identical as performance too. Display on the z3 I think is slightly better but not 100% sure. The z2 display is good too. Camera is the same thing. With a two or three new features mostly the downloadable apps for the camera. Battery it is better on the z3 the z2 is not bad. So I decided to sell it. I might get the z3 compact I don't think is worth it unless u love the design and the ps4 feature. Which is not out yet. Grrrr I couldn't test that.
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
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Hmm, i disagree. The differences are noticeable, but not enough to get envious of Z3 owners. Source: Wife has one and I set it up for her.
4.4.4 will address the differences in the software. Flashlight on quick settings, many more headphones listed in audio, etc
The screen is brighter and whiter, with precisely the same Nova settings on wife's z3 and my z2, hers is noticeably quicker and responsive - I'd say 10% quicker.
I have to say, I am jealous of the build quality - the covers on the side are recessed a little, so removing the phone from a pouch doesn't dislodge them occasionally.
Once 4.4.4 comes along, I'll be very happy. I bought some STH30 earphones and was disappointed that my z2 doesn't list them. Wife's z3 audio is much clearer than mine with the same headphones. Software no doubt, but she has the STH30 phones listed and it makes the difference somewhere.
The phones are different. In a lot of ways.

MichaelWT said:
Hmm, i disagree. The differences are noticeable, but not enough to get envious of Z3 owners. Source: Wife has one and I set it up for her.
4.4.4 will address the differences in the software. Flashlight on quick settings, many more headphones listed in audio, etc
The screen is brighter and whiter, with precisely the same Nova settings on wife's z3 and my z2, hers is noticeably quicker and responsive - I'd say 10% quicker.
I have to say, I am jealous of the build quality - the covers on the side are recessed a little, so removing the phone from a pouch doesn't dislodge them occasionally.
Once 4.4.4 comes along, I'll be very happy. I bought some STH30 earphones and was disappointed that my z2 doesn't list them. Wife's z3 audio is much clearer than mine with the same headphones. Software no doubt, but she has the STH30 phones listed and it makes the difference somewhere.
The phones are different. In a lot of ways.
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how about the battery performance? is it noticeably better on the z3?

rotsloeh said:
how about the battery performance? is it noticeably better on the z3?
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Z2 and Z3 battery is different too. We both always get 7hrs screen on time, but wife plays *a lot* of games.
Last time we both compared, I was impressed with my 8hrs screen on time (6% batt left) and she was 10% battery up and at 8hrs46 screen on time. Not sure what she did with it those 2 days uptime though, but gaming in there no doubt.
Hope we get the z3 battery algorithms in 4.4.4!

I can't get 8 hours screen on time because if my screen is on, I'm transmitting data. I use my phone only for phone calls or chatting (sending pictures, videos, taking pictures and sharing them, etc). I get about 5-6 hours of screen on time which is just FANTASTIC in my opinion! I'm on the Z2 by the way.

[Feel time] New Sony phones? I aint even amazed.

Not sure if it's just me but does anyone feels that sony phones were much more fancy in 2012? New design everytime, new cool feaures, special signature stuff for every single phone, even for the lower end ones like the illumination bar of Xperia U.
New sony phones cant surprise me anymore. For example Z2 is a small upgrade from Z1 only dual speakers is worth to be mentioned and Z3 only add better music effects. In fact sony must have enough technology to build a better phone. Pretty much of us know that the Z1 was supposed to be legendary but it comes out just CPU and camera upgrade. Not much different to the XZ for the rest. And if u hear the music quality of Z1 u will know it really sucks especially for early firmwares, surely worse than the xz all the way by bad hardware the Z1 gave. There were even rumour that the Z1 would provide S-Master amplifier back then? Sony seems to cut it to keep the sale of walkman. Maybe the hardware were supposed to be enforced by S-Master but end up the chip was cut, that makes the audio quality sucks? They didnt even managed to fix that problem before they sell the phone. As I thought the music quality would be OK becoz its still a sony, I ended up dissapointed by the noises. Heard that the problem wasnt solved on Z2 either, not sure about Z3.
Heard that Z3 has 2 dac chip that make it capable to play the hi-res music, well no s-master anyway to ensure people still buy walkman? Or they plan to release it with Z4? No idea and I wont be surprised to see nothing special in the Z4.
What's more laughable is their "upgrade" on CPU.
Everyone else run s800 in 2.3Ghz, sony run it 2.2Ghz
Everyone else run s801 in 2.5Ghz, sony run it 2.3Ghz in Z2
(makes me feels strange, they have no confidence with the cpu, lower the freq so it can be more stable?? well ok i aint mad with that)
Z3 realeased, still using s801 but in 2.5Ghz now!!
"WOW what a great upgrade from Z2 that's so awesome!!" <- are we supposed to be like that??
nerf the older phone by software settings to keep the newer one "better", that's what i see sony is doing all the time.
They dont even change the design now. Why keep using the boring omni-balance every single time? I mean it's looking ok but this has been used for every high-end xperias since the z and it makes people bored after so many times. I dont even feel that sony designers and engineers even have the heart to build a smartphone that will WOW us now.

One other reason for running a phone processor under the designed clock speed is improvement in power consumption.
I'd rather have an extra few hours battery life than an extra 5% or 10% top end performance from a processor that is more than capable of handling the majority of tasks.
Sony are not much different to most other phone manufacturers. Many take the safe option of a minor bump in spec rather than a radical redesign every 6 - 12 months. The HTC One M7/8/9 don't look much different to the casual observer. Apple are masters of the minor spec bump, only they could release the same phone with a cheaper casing and still get people to buy it in droves (5 to 5C). Yes I really do know people that 'upgraded' from the 5 to the 5C because they saw the 5C as newer.
The Z3 and Z3C are fantastic phones and the Z4 will be better. The Z4 will come out later this year with an appropriate bump in spec but I don't expect it to come with any new ground breaking features.
When I say ground breaking features I really mean gimmicks. I like the Sony Xperia range of phones because they are gimmick free. Other manufacturer love gimmicks, Samsung and LG phones have been full of them. It's interesting that with the launch of the S6 Samsung have removed a lot of the gimmicks that came with the S5. They realised that people get bored with gimmicks very quickly and rather than have a laser attachment to remove stones from horses hooves they'd prefer to have a stylish phone built from solid materials that has great battery life.
If a stylish phone built from solid materials with great battery life sounds familiar, it is. It's the Xperia Zxx phone you've already got.

As i see Z2 has 3200mAh battery while Z3 has 3100mAh only. The only significant reason that Z3 has great battery life might just be the ultra stamina mode (actually just disable everything except the phone function itself, nerf performance and everything)
The reason i pick sony before was it looks ultra cool all the time and it's different. For example if i use an Xperia S today u will still think it looks amazing and spectacular but if i take a Galaxy S3 u might think "puff, that boring look again". I just hate sony learnt what other manufactures are doing and has loes it best values. Why creating phones that no one will buy like E series and C series? even older high end sony models, ususally and Xperia Z could still beat them all. Instead of wasting money on phones that no one will buy, why dont they just make a completely new look instead? The reason why samsung didnt get so much success in S4 with gimmick stuff is becoz its just always stealing features of old sony phones and iphones and samsung isnt creative itself. Dont care about iPhones at all as it's 80-90% same (except cpu perf) everytime. Honestly i still cant understand what makes people crazy with the iPhone 6. I'm not saying the new Xperia sucks. I just hope sony can collect an enough of goodies, then release it without cutting this and that and really be an amazing phone that i would like to use for long. And seriously, make a new look. Sony was doing it the best back then why stop it now? HTC didnt make a big difference in m8 and m9 but at least they didnt release a high end after every few month, and i heard m9 would have a 20mp camera and i feel more hopeful in HTC now.
Well people are still asking when will Z4 come all the time. I just think: do u want it just becoz it has a new name, or u still dont know the style of sony?"

The great battery life of the Z3 isn't down to UltraStamina mode.
UltraStamina mode is an emergency mode that is designed to preserve the last 10% or 15% of your battery so that you can still make and receive calls/texts.

MobileBritain said:
The great battery life of the Z3 isn't down to UltraStamina mode.
UltraStamina mode is an emergency mode that is designed to preserve the last 10% or 15% of your battery so that you can still make and receive calls/texts.
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But I remember Z3 turned on the ultra stamina mode to win those battery life competition?

KWOKSFUNG said:
But I remember Z3 turned on the ultra stamina mode to win those battery life competition?
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Sony may well have done but it's not something you'd use in real life unless you are unable to recharge your phone.
It turns off just about every feature of the phone, no data, no GPS, no Bluetooth or ANT+ radio, no NFC etc. It dims the display and I'm guessing ramps down the clock speed of the processor.
The battery life without UltraStamina mode is still amazing compared to a lot of phones.

MobileBritain said:
Sony may well have done but it's not something you'd use in real life unless you are unable to recharge your phone.
It turns off just about every feature of the phone, no data, no GPS, no Bluetooth or ANT+ radio, no NFC etc. It dims the display and I'm guessing ramps down the clock speed of the processor.
The battery life without UltraStamina mode is still amazing compared to a lot of phones.
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I actually wonder for a fair match of Z2 and Z3, since 80% same hardware but 100more mAh

KWOKSFUNG said:
I actually wonder for a fair match of Z2 and Z3, since 80% same hardware but 100more mAh
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The screen may be one of the biggest differences. As that is usually the greatest source of battery use for any smart phone.
The Z2 is the only one of the Z phones I've not used so can't comment on it from experience.

I think they make the same design is becoz they wanna make a signature of Sony's phone...you said that 2012 they make radical design everytime...well ypur right...but that's another name from sony's..the S...what we using now is Z and that's Z signiture design...if they change the design radically, they will have to change the name to....the omnibalance will always be there but flat candibare design will always be used....because Z is successful today, they will make it until 5 or 6 more like Samsung....well thats my opinion...

@KWOKSFUN, if you dislike what Sony is doing now so much, why don't you just switch to another brand that you do like? Also, you seem to say "I have heard" a LOT. Maybe at least do some research so you can form your own opinion on facts, and not on things you "have heard". Doing so you will probably find answers to some of your questions.

martin132014 said:
I think they make the same design is becoz they wanna make a signature of Sony's phone...you said that 2012 they make radical design everytime...well ypur right...but that's another name from sony's..the S...what we using now is Z and that's Z signiture design...if they change the design radically, they will have to change the name to....the omnibalance will always be there but flat candibare design will always be used....because Z is successful today, they will make it until 5 or 6 more like Samsung....well thats my opinion...
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Constantly creating new design is what i used to like most from sony. I just hate samsung by its lack of design and bad material. Yeah sony is still much much better in picking good material.

aquaboy11 said:
@KWOKSFUN, if you dislike what Sony is doing now so much, why don't you just switch to another brand that you do like? Also, you seem to say "I have heard" a LOT. Maybe at least do some research so you can form your own opinion on facts, and not on things you "have heard". Doing so you will probably find answers to some of your questions.
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Dont mind me saying the word "heard" all the time, these are info i obtained by other users experience or some rumour that i'm not sure if it's confirmed. Take a note that I'm not rich enough to buy every single devices

Z3 compact VS S6 Edge

So I have a Samsung S6 Edge from Tmo. I like the phone but do not like all the bloatware that carriers put in it. I'm thinking of returning it and getting an unlocked Z3 compact.
I've read about it and I like the style and other things about it.
My question for those with the phone. How do you like it? Is the phone fast and snappy enough for you? Was rooting straightforward? Hows real world camera quality and speed?
Theres many things I like about the s6 edge but I wouldnt mind returning it and spending less for a phone that still seems really good on paper

bad_HABIT said:
So I have a Samsung S6 Edge from Tmo. I like the phone but do not like all the bloatware that carriers put in it. I'm thinking of returning it and getting an unlocked Z3 compact.
I've read about it and I like the style and other things about it.
My question for those with the phone. How do you like it? Is the phone fast and snappy enough for you? Was rooting straightforward? Hows real world camera quality and speed?
Theres many things I like about the s6 edge but I wouldnt mind returning it and spending less for a phone that still seems really good on paper
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Love mine.
Its the same hardware as the Z3 but is only driving a 720p screen rather than 1080, so its nippy
Rooting was a breeze and and debloated lollipop firmware available.
Not that sony fimrware is bloated as its not really compared to some.

What's important for you?
The Z3C camera isn't that good as I thought it would be... you can find one or two threads with people complaining about it... if you are not so much into photos, maybe you won't notice otherwise you will be a little disappointed. I mean, it's Sony! Others companies use their sensor and give much better images.
What I love about my Z3C is the size and the battery life. It's fast enough, not blazing fast.
Root may be a little complicated, but nothing impossible. I came from a Note II which rooting process was a piece of cake. But following the tutorials you will have it rooted with no issues.

scoobydu said:
Love mine.
Its the same hardware as the Z3 but is only driving a 720p screen rather than 1080, so its nippy
...
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The Samsung does not have the same hardware as the Z3C. It has an Exynos processor and an AMOLED screen. Also, it feels faster in every way.
I like my Z3C and won't switch because of the Z3C's size and battery life. The Samsung does not come close in battery life.
Sony includes almost as much bloatware as Samsung.

scottjb said:
The Samsung does not have the same hardware as the Z3C. It has an Exynos processor and an AMOLED screen. Also, it feels faster in every way.
I like my Z3C and won't switch because of the Z3C's size and battery life. The Samsung does not come close in battery life.
Sony includes almost as much bloatware as Samsung.
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He is comparing the Z3 to Z3 Compact, that only have of diference the screen (720p and 1080p) and RAM (2GB and 3GB).

iFlasher said:
He is comparing the Z3 to Z3 Compact, that only have of diference the screen (720p and 1080p) and RAM (2GB and 3GB).
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Oops, my mistake. [emoji5]

I tried the S6 Edge for about a week. The S6 Edge is better in almost every way. It's slightly faster (and I mean very slightly), has better speakers, better build quality, better display, and the camera outclasses the Z3 Compact's. The Z3 Compact has waterproofing and much better battery life. Ultimately, I returned the S6 Edge and kept my Compact. The battery life on the S6 is awful IMO (even worse than my Z Ultra with its massive display) and that pretty much negates all the other positives.

love my z3c running my debloated FW, very fast and battery friendly
using it with root and xposed, didn't unlock the bootloader yet. root was very easy for me.
love the size and the battery life. didn't use the camera for long, but seems decent to me so far btw.
btw, bloatware that comes with the phone is a lot for me (I'd say the same I've always seen in samsung phones, maybe just a little less) so you'll have to debloat it if you don't like bloatware as I do, but that's what I always do immediately everytime I get a new phone and stay with stock FW for some time, so nothing new for me
would never buy a s6 edge especially for the screen.. how can you guys like those edges? just a waste of screen and visible area for me! :laugh:

Love my Z3C, camera is bit disappointing but still above average. The phone is very fast but somehow other phones with snapdragon 800/801 feel snappier (HTC one m8 and nexus 5). Still, no problems with speed whatsoever.
I prefer the Sony ui over Samsungs. Samsung interface looks cheap and it's the opposite of clean. Sony has a calm nice to use interface.
The killer feature of this phone however is the batterylife. I get an easy 2 days and I'm a pretty heavy user. I still laugh at people with their.iPhone 6/Galaxy S5 taking their charger everywhere while I'm just sitting here with 62% at the end of the day (3 hours SOT)
Also the water proofness is a nice addition. Still wash my phone every morning after a party (beer is sticky). It's a small plus but I would love to have it jn my next phone.
I have never rooted this phone but stock firmware works flawlessly for me (yes 5.0 also)
I would still recommend this phone to everybody who wants a practical phone(Size) without having to worry about anything(battery, memory,speed).
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app

I love everything about the Z3 Compact except the camera. It is flaring all over and I have 2 of them. Overall PQ particularly contrast is so bad compared to Samsung or iPhone 6.

FiWi said:
I tried the S6 Edge for about a week. The S6 Edge is better in almost every way. It's slightly faster (and I mean very slightly), has better speakers, better build quality, better display, and the camera outclasses the Z3 Compact's. The Z3 Compact has waterproofing and much better battery life. Ultimately, I returned the S6 Edge and kept my Compact. The battery life on the S6 is awful IMO (even worse than my Z Ultra with its massive display) and that pretty much negates all the other positives.
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yep same experience. makes the z3c a better phone for me, but when you think about it sony wouldnt have much to do to have made the z3c an excellent phone.. slightly annoying that they havent
that said.. you can get my days of battery life from the z3c off my dead cold fingers - its the main single reason for keeping it, until competition gets as good.

Z3 works great overall except its camera, but it won't be problem for you if you are not too serious about photos.

nobody mention the sound enhancement? it is great, clearly better than s6.

The S6 and Z3c are entirely different beasts so I'm puzzled why the OP is not considering the regular Z3 (or Z3+), which is at least a similar size. But anyhoo... the Z3c is fast enough for me with Lollipop, but the camera is mediocre at best. You can get good results with it, but that usually involves too much faffing around with manual settings. For quick snaps on the fly, Samsung cameras are a lot better IMO.
The biggest selling points of the Z3c, however, are size and battery life. They are the only reasons I (and probably many others) bought this phone.

bad_HABIT said:
So I have a Samsung S6 Edge from Tmo. I like the phone but do not like all the bloatware that carriers put in it. I'm thinking of returning it and getting an unlocked Z3 compact.
I've read about it and I like the style and other things about it.
My question for those with the phone. How do you like it? Is the phone fast and snappy enough for you? Was rooting straightforward? Hows real world camera quality and speed?
Theres many things I like about the s6 edge but I wouldnt mind returning it and spending less for a phone that still seems really good on paper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hold in hand and form factor is good..
performance is adequate.. you can root easily and install a debloated lollipop rom.. Battery life is great.. Thats about it..
Coming from a edge to this is such a downgrade display (huge), camera(huge).. Display is the worst on z3 compact..very bad viewing angles.. If you dont mind display and camera then welcome..

sravanz said:
hold in hand and form factor is good..
performance is adequate.. you can root easily and install a debloated lollipop rom.. Battery life is great.. Thats about it..
Coming from a edge to this is such a downgrade display (huge), camera(huge).. Display is the worst on z3 compact..very bad viewing angles.. If you dont mind display and camera then welcome..
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Although you're technically correct, I've never understood why anyone cats about viewing angles on a phone. Whenever you use it, it's going to be one foot directly in front of your face. I just don't see the point in comparing viewing angles on a 4 inch display.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact

PuffDaddy_d said:
Although you're technically correct, I've never understood why anyone cats about viewing angles on a phone. Whenever you use it, it's going to be one foot directly in front of your face. I just don't see the point in comparing viewing angles on a 4 inch display.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
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You are correct for the most part. However, I often put the phone down on a table or counter top while I eat and use it to read or browse sites like this. This creates an angle that can make it difficult to read even though it's only a foot and a half from my face.

PuffDaddy_d said:
Although you're technically correct, I've never understood why anyone cats about viewing angles on a phone. Whenever you use it, it's going to be one foot directly in front of your face. I just don't see the point in comparing viewing angles on a 4 inch display.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
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Click to collapse
I care about it.. Most of the times my phone is on my desk while working.. I will just tap on it to wake to see any notifications.. at that time i dont hold my phone.. its still on table.. And from side.. black becomes gray/white and its terrible.. Even when you are showing pictures to some one you wont be viewing it straight.. Also some times while watching a video on bed.. There are many cases which bother me.. i wrote my experience.. if it bothers you or not depends on your use case.. Not all people use the phone same

I never rly understood the viewing angle issue. I type this at 70degres and i see fine. I must be crazy ?

bilboa1 said:
I never rly understood the viewing angle issue. I type this at 70degres and i see fine. I must be crazy ?
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Agree with u but not at thatextreme angle

Stick with Xperia Z3 or move to Nexus 6P?

Everything is in the title, really!
I've been toying with the idea of keeping my Z3 and getting a tablet, before realising that I'd never actually USE a tablet. As a result, I've come to the conclusion that I should just get a slightly bigger phone and meet my demands half way.
I've always liked the Nexus phones, previously had a Nexus 5 that I loved, despite the not-so-great battery life. I went for the Z3 after my wife got the Z1 compact, just because of the battery life, and I've not been disappointed. I always get two days battery life in normal use, and around six hours screen time consistently.
However, the Nexus 6P has definitely caught my attention. The screen size is pretty much what I'm looking for, the battery size appears to be pretty much the same, and of course it looks lovely!
So, my question, Nexus 6P owners, is it worth changing, based on my needs, or do I stick to what I have? I've heard the battery life isn't quite as good as what I'm used to!
Sent from my Xperia Z3

Why not get a Z5 Premium? You would most likely get better battery life, camera and build quality all in a package that you are already used to with a bigger screen. Seems like a win-win to me.

I had a Z3 (which I do miss). The Nexus 6P is better in terms of updates, camera, speed, speakers, fingerprint scanner and ROMs/development if you're into that. Also, I get better cell reception with the 6P too, which could be due to band 12. The battery on the Z3 is better, but I have no problems getting through the day with my 6P, plus you have quick charging, so that's a plus.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Ulver said:
I had a Z3 (which I do miss). The Nexus 6P is better in terms of updates, camera, speed, speakers, fingerprint scanner and ROMs/development if you're into that. Also, I get better cell reception with the 6P too, which could be due to band 12. The battery on the Z3 is better, but I have no problems getting through the day with my 6P, plus you have quick charging, so that's a plus.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I have to ask, if everything is better on the 6P, why do you miss the Z3?
Sent from my Xperia Z3

WizeGuyDezignz said:
Why not get a Z5 Premium? You would most likely get better battery life, camera and build quality all in a package that you are already used to with a bigger screen. Seems like a win-win to me.
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Click to collapse
Weirdly, from what I've read on a few different sites now, the only thing that seems to be premium about the Z5 Premium is the price!
Sent from my Xperia Z3

I just miss the size sometimes, the overall feel, waterproof, dedicated camera button, and how bright the screen gets. The software on the Z3 isn't bad at all either.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Ulver said:
I just miss the size sometimes, the overall feel, waterproof, dedicated camera button, and how bright the screen gets. The software on the Z3 isn't bad at all either.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
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It definitely is a nice phone. I really do find it interesting that despite the 6P being pretty superior in most regards, you still miss little things about the Z3!
I know the gold 6P is currently on sale in the UK, but I don't know if I could honestly drop the battery life in favour of the other things, despite the differences being fairly substantial!
Sent from my Xperia Z3

FlamingAngel82 said:
It definitely is a nice phone. I really do find it interesting that despite the 6P being pretty superior in most regards, you still miss little things about the Z3!
I know the gold 6P is currently on sale in the UK, but I don't know if I could honestly drop the battery life in favour of the other things, despite the differences being fairly substantial!
Sent from my Xperia Z3
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Click to collapse
I would wait and see what the Marshmallow update brings to the Z3.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I had the T Mobile Z3, which was better than the others but lagged with updates. The 6p is a better phone in many ways, but I miss the size, water resistance, battery life, and noise canceling of the Z3. I'd probably still have the Z3 if it was getting updates.

I have heard good things about the Marshmallow concept, so perhaps as you've both said, its worth hanging on until the update is released to see if I want to stick with it.
Thanks for the opinions and thoughts though, guys. Much appreciated.
Sent from my Xperia Z3

FlamingAngel82 said:
Everything is in the title, really!
I've been toying with the idea of keeping my Z3 and getting a tablet, before realising that I'd never actually USE a tablet. As a result, I've come to the conclusion that I should just get a slightly bigger phone and meet my demands half way.
I've always liked the Nexus phones, previously had a Nexus 5 that I loved, despite the not-so-great battery life. I went for the Z3 after my wife got the Z1 compact, just because of the battery life, and I've not been disappointed. I always get two days battery life in normal use, and around six hours screen time consistently.
However, the Nexus 6P has definitely caught my attention. The screen size is pretty much what I'm looking for, the battery size appears to be pretty much the same, and of course it looks lovely!
So, my question, Nexus 6P owners, is it worth changing, based on my needs, or do I stick to what I have? I've heard the battery life isn't quite as good as what I'm used to!
Sent from my Xperia Z3
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Click to collapse
At this point in time, I would wait. Then get the HTC M10. I really wish I'd waited, I had the understanding that it was going to be a mediatek chipset. How wrong was I, big battery, water proof, sd820, 32GB with ext SD, decent camera (hopefully) and those boom sound speakers.
This is kind of make or break for HTC , I think its going to be a beast. Development will be superb too as it always is with flagship HTC devices.
Absolutely nothing wrong with the 6P its a stellar device but I'd have waited for the M10 If I'd have known.
Have had a few Sony devices and I find them a bit boring. On paper they're great but they're just not for me. My mate has the Z5 which he loves but its exactly the same as the older devices going back to the z1.
I like their tablets though
PS: my apologies, the size might not be what you need. Unless they release a plus version?
Tablets are a funny sort, you don't think you'll use them but then do once you have one. Everything looks great on a tablet, HD games (made for tablet) movies, web browsing.. Coupled with a fold away keyboard you'd be forgiven for thinking you werent using a laptop.
I use citrix with work and on my prime with keyboard and touchpad it looks amazing.
Your choice mate.

dladz said:
At this point in time, I would wait. Then get the HTC M10. I really wish I'd waited, I had the understanding that it was going to be a mediatek chipset. How wrong was I, big battery, water proof, sd820, 32GB with ext SD, decent camera (hopefully) and those boom sound speakers.
This is kind of make or break for HTC , I think its going to be a beast. Development will be superb too as it always is with flagship HTC devices.
Absolutely nothing wrong with the 6P its a stellar device but I'd have waited for the M10 If I'd have known.
Have had a few Sony devices and I find them a bit boring. On paper they're great but they're just not for me. My mate has the Z5 which he loves but its exactly the same as the older devices going back to the z1.
I like their tablets though
PS: my apologies, the size might not be what you need. Unless they release a plus version?
Tablets are a funny sort, you don't think you'll use them but then do once you have one. Everything looks great on a tablet, HD games (made for tablet) movies, web browsing.. Coupled with a fold away keyboard you'd be forgiven for thinking you werent using a laptop.
I use citrix with work and on my prime with keyboard and touchpad it looks amazing.
Your choice mate.
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Click to collapse
I do like HTC phones, the last one I had was the One X, and apart from the (quite frankly) terrible battery, it was a really nice phone! I know a couple of people with the M9, and it is a nice phone. I do prefer Android more stock though, Sense is quite heavily modified compared to some other manufacturers.
I had a Samsung S3 too, that was also nice, but I really hate Touchwiz.
There's something really nice about stock!
Thanks for that though, I'll have a look at the M10 when that's released. I'm sure I'll find the sweet spot sooner or later. I did have a tablet (Microsoft Surface), but just never turned it on. Didn't see the point when I had a phone that did the same but on a smaller screen!
Sent from my Xperia Z3

FlamingAngel82 said:
I do like HTC phones, the last one I had was the One X, and apart from the (quite frankly) terrible battery, it was a really nice phone! I know a couple of people with the M9, and it is a nice phone. I do prefer Android more stock though, Sense is quite heavily modified compared to some other manufacturers.
I had a Samsung S3 too, that was also nice, but I really hate Touchwiz.
There's something really nice about stock!
Thanks for that though, I'll have a look at the M10 when that's released. I'm sure I'll find the sweet spot sooner or later. I did have a tablet (Microsoft Surface), but just never turned it on. Didn't see the point when I had a phone that did the same but on a smaller screen!
Sent from my Xperia Z3
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Click to collapse
Why not just get the HTC nexus tablet then?
Also with OEM launchers / interfaces, sense for me is the best, its very well made and vanilla android always comes to HTC devices (I like to have the choice or I get bored)
Good luck all the same

dladz said:
Why not just get the HTC nexus tablet then?
Also with OEM launchers / interfaces, sense for me is the best, its very well made and vanilla android always comes to HTC devices (I like to have the choice or I get bored)
Good luck all the same
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Click to collapse
I nearly did when they were on sale over Christmas... I can't seem to find one anywhere now! :/
Never mind, thanks for your input, and you're right, certainly as far as skins over Android go, Sense is definitely one of the nicest looking ones!
Sent from my Xperia Z3

FlamingAngel82 said:
I nearly did when they were on sale over Christmas... I can't seem to find one anywhere now! :/
Never mind, thanks for your input, and you're right, certainly as far as skins over Android go, Sense is definitely one of the nicest looking ones!
Sent from my Xperia Z3
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Click to collapse
Online and or the samsung shop in brent cross London had one the other week.
I'm sure other places have them.
Good luck mate

G2 still relevant and, if not, what are the alternatives?

Not sure if this fits the forum but I don't know where else to post this question.
I like my G2 for the big screen on a compact size but it is getting old. Battery isn't what it use to be although it still has great battery life. I'm getting a bit of lag and sometimes stuff won't work for some reason... alarm failed on me a couple of times and I can't replicate the issue, not sure if it was user error but I suspect it wasn't. It's an AT&T G2 running Android 5.0.2
So was thinking that maybe it was time for a new one but here comes my problem... all the good phones I get recommended are huuuuge!! The G2 is very slightly over my size limit already, making it usable with a single hand but sometimes I already have a tough time using it that way, I'll have to move it on my hand a different way to reach something on the very edge of the screen. New phones like the G4 also seem to have worst battery life, having bigger screens with higher resolutions but the same MAH capacity.
I've just seen there are newer Android versions for this phone, including Marshmallow via CyanogenMod. So, is there a phone with similar size, screen and battery life as the G2 or should I try to hang on to it a bit longer? Or just forget about this and get a newer one and get used to it? Maybe a Nexus 6p, seems like a good battery life phone and going pure Android would be nice after spending this much time with a US carrier phone that isn't supported here in Portugal...
Thanks!

S6 got exactly same size(even more slim) with G2 with better cpu, camera, design and screen. However, battery probably won't be as good.

TheEndHK said:
S6 got exactly same size(even more slim) with G2 with better cpu, camera, design and screen. However, battery probably won't be as good.
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Click to collapse
Yes, I thought about that one. Would mean a different sort of use because I know that the battery life is pretty bad comparing it to the G2 but I believe it has fast charge, so....

Kutusov said:
Yes, I thought about that one. Would mean a different sort of use because I know that the battery life is pretty bad comparing it to the G2 but I believe it has fast charge, so....
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Click to collapse
To be honest, all octa-core cpu isn't battery friendly as SD800/SD801 and Exynos 7420 is already better than SD810/808 and MTK x10 in terms of battery life. S7 got 450mAh more battery but according to leaked info it also a bit bigger than S6 in size.

TheEndHK said:
To be honest, all octa-core cpu isn't battery friendly as SD800/SD801 and Exynos 7420 is already better than SD810/808 and MTK x10 in terms of battery life. S7 got 450mAh more battery but according to leaked info it also a bit bigger than S6 in size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had to Google Exynos as I think my tech stuff knowledge stopped at around the Galaxy S1 or S2. Bought a new PC on xmas and had to ask for a straight out recommendation on the store, like "So, from all of these PCs, which one is the best?" (suprise, suprise, the answer was the more expensive one... )
I don't know... I think I'll try flashing something like CyanogenMod and try dragging it a bit more. Maybe what I'm looking for on a phone is now buried in some midtier lineup, I don't know. I bought this one from a friend in an emergency after drowning my HTC OneX in the ocean and I still love it. Liked HTC's Sense a lot more than this LG UI but bigger screen on a similar size phone and tons more of battery life trumps it all.
Uhm, now that I wrote that, "biggest battery life android phone" is a good place for me to start googling. I really don't care about a ton of features or ultra quick cpus if you end up needing to have it always plugged to the wall.

Check out gsmarena they have a good battery checker page for most phones.
The G2 compares well to a lot of the newer more expensive phones.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

Treboeth said:
Check out gsmarena they have a good battery checker page for most phones.
The G2 compares well to a lot of the newer more expensive phones.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
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Thanks for that, knew the site but never had seen that tool! Very helpful! Galaxy S6 Active is always mentioned as one of the best ones but it came up with a Xiaomi Redmi 3 also, which I never heard about and assume it's some Chinese brand. 4200mah battery if specs are to be trusted and a quad-core 616, which should save on juice as TheEndHK was saying.
Right, at least now I have some pointers from where to look around. Thanks guys!

Kutusov said:
Thanks for that, knew the site but never had seen that tool! Very helpful! Galaxy S6 Active is always mentioned as one of the best ones but it came up with a Xiaomi Redmi 3 also, which I never heard about and assume it's some Chinese brand. 4200mah battery if specs are to be trusted and a quad-core 616, which should save on juice as TheEndHK was saying.
Right, at least now I have some pointers from where to look around. Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regular single sim model of S6 got CM12.1 on xda board, not sure about S6 Active though. Redmi3 is only 720P screen and I've just played around with SD615 last week on other phone, the speed is real low compared to SD800 or 7420. SD615/616 is just a slightly faster clocked of SD410. There is no real alternative other than S6 as of now.

TheEndHK said:
Regular single sim model of S6 got CM12.1 on xda board, not sure about S6 Active though. Redmi3 is only 720P screen and I've just played around with SD615 last week on other phone, the speed is real low compared to SD800 or 7420. SD615/616 is just a slightly faster clocked of SD410. There is no real alternative other than S6 as of now.
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Click to collapse
Well, the S6 is not an option for me, battery life is way too short and I find myself away from a wall plug too often to be comfortable with such a device. But that sort of answers my question... Yes, the G2 is still very relevant, at least until flagship phones start coming out in normal person's sizes
I'll just flash CyanogenMod13 when a stable version becomes available and see what else comes out. I find it hard to believe that it will take long before one company figures out that it's all very well to come up with big, impressive screen flagship phone but a lot of people don't want to cart around a phablet. Something to compete directly with the one hand handling of an Iphone 6s (or whatever the smaller and latest iphone name is).

You better start flashing as we already have a few MM ROMs for our G2
CM13,AICP,Bliss,Crdroid, ResurrectionRemix all are IMO daily drivers.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

Treboeth said:
You better start flashing as we already have a few MM ROMs for our G2
CM13,AICP,Bliss,Crdroid, ResurrectionRemix all are IMO daily drivers.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
I saw the Bliss one and seemed like stable enough. CM13 is still a Nightly release, so I'm a bit scared to try that one yet. I'm not all that into highly customized or customizable roms, I prefer reliability and the closest to stock and simplicity. Oh, and solid support and OTA supports would be nice... any ROM in particular I should look into, giving these preferences? (...long time since I flashed a phone, I glanced through the development threads and it was pretty much gibberish to me )

Well CM13 is the base for them all and if you only flash builds from 2 or 3 days before( flash the 20160207 for example) you have the most recent without being on the edge.
I like AICP(I like customising my ROM)and CM13 as well.
I find it fairly easy to flash different ROMs so hop between them
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

Kutusov said:
Well, the S6 is not an option for me, battery life is way too short and I find myself away from a wall plug too often to be comfortable with such a device. But that sort of answers my question... Yes, the G2 is still very relevant, at least until flagship phones start coming out in normal person's sizes
I'll just flash CyanogenMod13 when a stable version becomes available and see what else comes out. I find it hard to believe that it will take long before one company figures out that it's all very well to come up with big, impressive screen flagship phone but a lot of people don't want to cart around a phablet. Something to compete directly with the one hand handling of an Iphone 6s (or whatever the smaller and latest iphone name is).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life isn't such worst in my case. I've got S6 and Z5c dual flagships now (considering to sell out either one indeed), their battery is just identical. The real problem on S6 got poor memory management and during heavy multi-tasking the apps at background will keep reloading to waste extra battery, light to medium user like me should be fine. The battery and memory management been fixed on 6.01 and international model of 920F/925F just started to roll out Marshmallow today in Poland.
However, if your G2 is in good condition and still satisfied with the camera and don't care about Marshmallow. I don't see much points to leave G2.

TheEndHK said:
However, if your G2 is in good condition and still satisfied with the camera and don't care about Marshmallow. I don't see much points to leave G2.
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Click to collapse
I hear Marshmallow should greatly improve battery life on any phone, so I do care about that. I think the problems you mentioned for the S6 also happen to certain extent on the G2, I know I used to have battery for significantly longer when I had it on Jelly Bean. But could also be the case of a fresher battery or a lighter usage, I do use it more nowadays.
Camera was always pretty bad IMO. Hardware might be good but the how it encodes the picture just messes everything in most situations. I would like it to do a better job but it's not something that will determine me letting go of a phone. I would never own an Iphone unless I went full Apple but I'm yet to see an Android doing a better job with pictures than an Iphone. And it's not the lens, I'm pretty sure it's the IOS...
But yes, I think I'll stick with this G2 for a little longer. Somethings are starting to give in but maybe I can drag it enough until I come across a phone that gives me some confidence. Besides, I really got used to those buttons on the back Thought they were nonsense the first day I used it but now I would hate to go back to Samsung or HTC way of doing things!

Credit to LG - I also have the G2 and have given up finding a replacement for it. Will wait till it dies then find something less satisfactory. Samsung are bloated and have major battery issues so I wouldn't buy one.

jasminder said:
Credit to LG - I also have the G2 and have given up finding a replacement for it. Will wait till it dies then find something less satisfactory. Samsung are bloated and have major battery issues so I wouldn't buy one.
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Click to collapse
I ended up getting an S7 and I'm very pleased with it. UI has been greatly de-bloated, battery life is great. The other phone I considered at the time I bought it was the just released Huawei P9. Got a P9 Lite for my father the other day and, after playing with it, even the Lite is a fantastic phone.
LG hasn't been great... the G2 was a beast at the time but every other one was a big fail. G4 had a manufacturing problem on the motherboard that affected something like 90% of the phones and most would die within 6 months. Took them forever to admit and fix the problem,

jasminder said:
Credit to LG - I also have the G2 and have given up finding a replacement for it. Will wait till it dies then find something less satisfactory. Samsung are bloated and have major battery issues so I wouldn't buy one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went from G2 to G3.
When the screen went bad on the G3, I got a warranty replacement and sold that.
Now I have an Octa Core version Note 4 and another G2 as a backup.
The Note 4 Octa core is a huge upgrade from the G2 and is coming down price wise vs. newer Samsung's yet delivers similar performance removable battery and Micro SD card.
I'd look at that or the new One Plus 3T which is also good too

tiguy99 said:
I'd look at that or the new One Plus 3T which is also good too
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Click to collapse
I would also seriously consider that one too if I was in the market for a new phone. Sounds a bit like Apple with their "S" versions, they seem to have improved and fixed the negatives on that one.

G2 works really well and smooth for me except I have an occasional reboot out of nowhere. IDK what's causing it, it's stock rooted ROM.
If you're looking for a new phone recommendation you have to take price into consideration cause otherwise just go with Galaxy S7 (5.1 inch).

srtjko said:
G2 works really well and smooth for me except I have an occasional reboot out of nowhere. IDK what's causing it, it's stock rooted ROM.
If you're looking for a new phone recommendation you have to take price into consideration cause otherwise just go with Galaxy S7 (5.1 inch).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd, never happened with mine... maybe a factory reset if it starts to bother you that much, at least you would be able to tell if it's software or hardware related.
I did end up getting an S7 but it was pretty much out of frustration, other phones all had some small thing that was a no-no for me (mainly battery life). Touchwiz is miles away from what it used to be, I don't like a pure Android feel and it ends up being just about the right amount of UI skin. Huawei P9 is a really nice one for a lot less money and I bet the next P10 (if they call it that) will be on par with Samsung from a normal user point of view.