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Considering the Nexus 4 - What are its major flaws?

I currently have a Nexus S which I have had for 2 years now. I'm considering the Nexus 4, was going for the S4 but this is half the price, and the iPhone 6 would be too far out and the iOS would not be to my liking.
I know I cannot really go wrong with the Nexus 4 - it's loved by every reviewer, and not because of its price - the price is only a bonus.
What are its major flaws? I have a few things I was curious about:
- Screen touch sensitivity/fluidity. When your finger touches/swipes on the screen, does it behave like an iPhone 5 or the Galaxy S3/4/Note II devices? I personally like the sensitivity to your finger from the iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy devices. I don't have this in my current Nexus S but definitely would like it in my next phone.
- Battery life. Can it last 14-16 hours, with let's say, 2-3 hours of screen time or so?
- Camera. I've seen some sample pictures, was not too impressed, but as long as it's decent I'm fine.
- Headphone output? I heard the headphone output is lower than other devices from a video. Not sure if significant.
That's all for now. :good:

Just wait for the Nexus 5. Only 3-4 months away.

Tbh I've considered that, but it'll be announced in October, released in December, and if I want it with my carrier it'll probably hit in perhaps March/April of 2014, unless I choose to buy it from the Play Store.
I also heard it packs in a lot, and I think Google's going to price it high this time around. Either way, my current carrier is offering the N4 16GB for only $300 outright. So its price seems lower than market value, and it for some reason is hard for me to wait.

I upgraded from by Galaxy S (Same as the Nexus S) in Feb.
- Screen touch sensitivity/fluidity. I would say the same, hard to notice the difference.
- Battery life. 5+ hrs on screen time with WiFi on (I dont have data so thats not in use). It was a definate improvement from Galaxy S.
- Camera. There is a mod floating around that allows you to get better quality pictures at the cost of a larger file size.
- Sound. NOTHING beat Galaxy S's sound chip. I was disappointed a bit here.
- Overall animation/fluidity/framerate. Stock android on N4, even the most overclocked Galaxy S with the most slimmed rom cannot come close to these speeds.
- Size. I like smaller phones that fit into my pocket easier. Galaxy S wins here but thats a personal choice. HD videos play exactly to scale on the N4, you just feel immersed.
- Physical features. You can't drop it, glass on both sides, bumpers/cases probably won't do anything. It's also heavier. No removable battery or SD card. I made the mistake of getting the 8GB, dont. Doesn't feel plasticky/cheap like the Galaxy S.
ROM support is very nice here, I think it's just as good as when Galaxy S was in it's prime.
You have to get it, try getting it through your provider ($300 in canada for the 16Gb via koodo whereas $366 shipped from goolge for the 8Gb)

OnlySkills said:
Tbh I've considered that, but it'll be announced in October, released in December, and if I want it with my carrier it'll probably hit in perhaps March/April of 2014, unless I choose to buy it from the Play Store.
I also heard it packs in a lot, and I think Google's going to price it high this time around. Either way, my current carrier is offering the N4 16GB for only $300 outright. So its price seems lower than market value, and it for some reason is hard for me to wait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buying from Play Store is better anyway, at least for T Mobile USA.
What can the Nexus 4 do that your Nexus S can't? The Nexus 5 will be even better than the Nexus 4 on all scales. It is rumored to be based off the LG G2 which will have stereo speakers, bigger screen, improved camera, and much more. Maybe even launched with Key Lime Pie(?)
Just wait for it.

1. Low earpiece/mic
2. Camera speed slower than GN, need to be very steady for HDR
3. Storage can be challenging to manage, we need 32/64 nexus...
4. MTP is slow in general, and touchscreen goes crazy when charging from my PC
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Ace42 said:
1. Low earpiece/mic
2. Camera speed slower than GN, need to be very steady for HDR
3. Storage can be challenging to manage, we need 32/64 nexus...
4. MTP is slow in general, and touchscreen goes crazy when charging from my PC
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My touchscreen never goes crazy when charging from a PC.

i had a nexus s for long time, loved that thing. yes, it does have great sound, especially with voodoo, but the nexus s is merely a childs toy compared to the nexus 4. heck, the galaxy nexus was a large step from the nexus s. you will love the nexus 4. coming from two samsung phones in a row(ns and gnex), i first thought that not having a plastic back was the nexus 4s' major flaw, but now i dont mind
oh, and some photos, all hdr mode..
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Touch sensitivity is quite good for an android device similar to the nexus s, but the nexus 4 has lower touch sensitivity than it is capable of because of the touchscreen drivers, this problem has supposedly been fixed in the upcoming android 4.3 update but honestly touch response is very good you won't have a problem.
As for battery expect 4-5 hours sot on WiFi and 3-4 hours on 3g.
Photos in good lighting conditions are quite good but in low light its another story so if you take pictures in good light you'll be okay.
I find the sound output to be fairly reasonable its quite loud I don't think you'll have a problem with it unless you need to drive something huge with a high impedance, for normal headphones/earphones its loud enough.

Roastmeat said:
I upgraded from by Galaxy S (Same as the Nexus S) in Feb.
- Screen touch sensitivity/fluidity. I would say the same, hard to notice the difference.
- Battery life. 5+ hrs on screen time with WiFi on (I dont have data so thats not in use). It was a definate improvement from Galaxy S.
- Camera. There is a mod floating around that allows you to get better quality pictures at the cost of a larger file size.
- Sound. NOTHING beat Galaxy S's sound chip. I was disappointed a bit here.
- Overall animation/fluidity/framerate. Stock android on N4, even the most overclocked Galaxy S with the most slimmed rom cannot come close to these speeds.
- Size. I like smaller phones that fit into my pocket easier. Galaxy S wins here but thats a personal choice. HD videos play exactly to scale on the N4, you just feel immersed.
- Physical features. You can't drop it, glass on both sides, bumpers/cases probably won't do anything. It's also heavier. No removable battery or SD card. I made the mistake of getting the 8GB, dont. Doesn't feel plasticky/cheap like the Galaxy S.
ROM support is very nice here, I think it's just as good as when Galaxy S was in it's prime.
You have to get it, try getting it through your provider ($300 in canada for the 16Gb via koodo whereas $366 shipped from goolge for the 8Gb)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can drop it with a bumper on and screen protectors. I dropped mine onto concrete and accidentally stepped on it. Lol its perfectly fine except for the scratch on my screen protector
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Gets extremely hot when gaming. I'm not sure whether this causes damage, but it makes me sweat on the device.
Both 3G and Wifi have connection issues. This may be fixed in software, but I'm not sure.
Speaker sound isn't as good as some other phones.
Being totally flat, it sits flush on a surface and the speaker is covered, muting notification sounds.
Being made of glass, there's twice as much breakable surface.

I upgraded my Nexus S for the N4 about the time it launched, so I know how slow it must be getting.
While its not perfect, I wouldn't trade it for anything on the market. It's a nexus device, which has the major benefit of being the first to be updated and having more stable ROMs, which you will miss from other devices.
The battery is not as good as I would have hoped for, but it will get me through the day as long as I'm not using it constantly. With mobile data on, I can get 2 hours of SOT (Screen on Time) if I wasn't playing games.
On the topic of the screen, I can tell you that the stock color calibration is extremely washed out. It's a good screen, they just botched the calibration. I remember looking at it for the first time and being really disappointed because of the faded look of colors like blue. This is something that is easily fixed by a non-stock kernel like Franco's Kernel, which is the one I use. The calibration I have right now looks amazing.
While the headphone output is quiet by the standards of most phones, I don't notice it unless I plug it into something like external speakers, or my car.
Also, it's probably worth noting that the 4.3 update that was leaked yesterday is supposed to drastically improve touch sensitivity.
and I would probably wait until at least the 24th of July on the off chance that Google announces lower pricing or a higher capacity version.

Touch Pretty darn smooth. Without a screen protector that is. But even with a sp you'll be able to swipe like no other. Response is top notch and definitely on par with new released phones. (Just my opinion)
Battery If you're a heavy user the battery might slack. If you're an addict, don't get this phone lol. But if you're able to balance data / running apps / screen time / etc. this phone will be perfect. (Choose the right rom & kernel, or just stay stock with a nice kernel)
Camera I don't use it that much but its alright, not the best out there. If you're some fancy photographer I doubt you'll be satisfied. But still takes pretty nice pictures as long as you take it right
Headphone I literally listen to music all day if I'm out of my house. No doubt the output is nice and clear, but it all depends on what type of headphones you're using.
This phone isn't a super computer. It lags when it needs to and produces slight flaws as you use it. But then again, what electronic doesn't
In the end, it all depends on the user's preferences. But if anything, I'd recommend waiting for the N5.

One of the most annoying things about the N4 is undoubtedly the fact that notifications etc cannot be heard when the phone lies flat with the screen up. Many calls have been missed due to this fact...

lazer155 said:
My touchscreen never goes crazy when charging from a PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I touch in one spot it reacts like I hit another location.

I have to say, it is SLIPPY. It slips off everthing, even when i think its a flat surface!

OnlySkills said:
I currently have a Nexus S which I have had for 2 years now. I'm considering the Nexus 4, was going for the S4 but this is half the price, and the iPhone 6 would be too far out and the iOS would not be to my liking.
I know I cannot really go wrong with the Nexus 4 - it's loved by every reviewer, and not because of its price - the price is only a bonus.
What are its major flaws? I have a few things I was curious about:
- Screen touch sensitivity/fluidity. When your finger touches/swipes on the screen, does it behave like an iPhone 5 or the Galaxy S3/4/Note II devices? I personally like the sensitivity to your finger from the iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy devices. I don't have this in my current Nexus S but definitely would like it in my next phone.
- Battery life. Can it last 14-16 hours, with let's say, 2-3 hours of screen time or so?
- Camera. I've seen some sample pictures, was not too impressed, but as long as it's decent I'm fine.
- Headphone output? I heard the headphone output is lower than other devices from a video. Not sure if significant.
That's all for now. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do u run custom Roms/kernels on the nexus s?
If you want the same experience x100 then the nexus 4 is for u.
I went from a nexus s to a nexus 4 and I'm more than happy. Android + iOS smoothness.
Flaws:
The touchscreen unresponsiveness is not major (very soft touches don't register sometimes) and it is remedied with either a custom kernel in 4.2.2 or with the upcoming 4.3 (new touchscreen driver).
Screen colors are a bit washed, but with the same solutions as above screen is beautiful.
The phone is made of glass, so it is not as resilient to falls as the nexus s.
Some people experience notification delays on specific WiFi routers. Never had such problem myself.
The phone tends to get hot when in mobile network or under heavy use (because its glass). Can be solved with custom kernels, undervolting/underclocking (this is the most tweakable phone ever).
No issues with audio.
Camera is good. Not the best, but acceptable quality.
Battery life is typically between 4 to 6 hours screen on time, on WiFi, which is pretty good in my opinion.
P.s. this phone offers the smoothest android experience from every other phone I put my hands on.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

urmothersluvr said:
You can drop it with a bumper on and screen protectors. I dropped mine onto concrete and accidentally stepped on it. Lol its perfectly fine except for the scratch on my screen protector
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dropped mine without bumper and just got a few scratches
btw is an awesome phone

I wouldn't wait for n5 as it's rumored to have a 5" screen which I feel is too large.
Here's a pic I took with the phone
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Overdose1986 said:
I dropped mine without bumper and just got a few scratches
btw is an awesome phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dropped my 4 times because it keeps slipping down the table only slight scratch on the back glass
only around 2-3 ft

My Note 3 is here (ask me anything)

First impressions:
1. The display is much more beautiful and improved (than the Note2)
2. I didn’t see the ugly effect of Pentile (grainy, bad text edges) that used to be in my Note1
3. It’s feel good in the hand (lighter than the Note2), although the corners are less rounded (a little bit less ergonomic, it thinness helps to compensate the effect)
4. It’s look good (front and back), better than what the photos shows
5. I can play 4K videos smoothly (I enjoyed the full 48 Minutes of TimeScapes without any issues)
6. It took me a while to locate the microSD slot (it’s stacked on top of the microSIM slot)
7. The front panel edges is raised a little above the display level, that makes any touch gestures from the edge a little bit less ergonomic (i still didn’t get used to it), although the raised edges may help better protect the display .
8. The new S Pen is good, writing and drawing with the pen much improved (more smooth)
9. The speaker is not loud enough as i like,the sound quility not the best in a smartphone (still good though), the speaker new postion (on the bottom) have it pros and cons.
10. The new MicroUSB 3.0 is not as ugly as it looks in the pictures, but still it’s weird looking and add level of complexity and difficulty when you want to plug your cable.
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+
BTW: Moga Pro+Note3= Awesome experiences

Nova?
Would you mind installing Nova Launcher or any other launcher and seeing what features no longer work?
I believe on the N2, TW widgets don't work, but I'm curious if any of the new or updated features are App based or TW based and if any functionality will be lost using another launcher. I haven't owned a Note before, so I'm not sure what features are App or TW when it comes to all the gestures, S-pen, and all the dragging and dropping of items from one window to another.
If by chance root doesn't come quickly or at all, I'm hoping at least with Nova, I could get the look I'd like, but don't want to lose many things that make the Note such a great device.

can you run like 5 apps and tell us how much available ram there is, and then switch between all the apps and tell us if any pages reload

supers2k said:
can you run like 5 apps and tell us how much available ram there is, and then switch between all the apps and tell us if any pages reload
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this! It's always annoying to "alt-tab" back to a page that you were looking at on Chrome and it reloads it

How are the radios?
AFAIK Samsung hasn't had any problems since the Nexus (which I had, and it sucked) but call quality is #1 for me.
Is it easier to hold and talk on than the N2?
When you say speaker not loud enough - the external speaker or the ear speaker?
TIA

For use as a phone
How is the phone for calls and signal strength?

How much internal memory does it have new? I know it's 32GB but when formatted with the stock software what is it? Thanks! I'm still waiting on my Note 3 from Verizon!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

I need to ask about the pentile display. I see that you said it is improved and cant see the grainy text but i have a question about horizontal areas. I got rid of my s3 in 2 days because I could actually see the blue pixels on any high contrast area that was horizontal, such as the image for the gmail app or play store. I am near sighted and I could see those pixels to the point where i gave up and upgraded to the note 2 (ended up being the best phone i ever used) but I was glad that they got rid of the pentile display on the note 2. Then the s4 and note 3 come out with a pentile display again. And once again I look at my girlfriends s4 and even though it has a great pixel density I can see the damn blue pixels on horizontal, high contrast areas. Please, oh please tell me if it is better on the note 3 because it would be a HUGE deal breaker to the point where I would cancel my pre-order.

Allein8 said:
Would you mind installing Nova Launcher or any other launcher and seeing what features no longer work?
I believe on the N2, TW widgets don't work, but I'm curious if any of the new or updated features are App based or TW based and if any functionality will be lost using another launcher. I haven't owned a Note before, so I'm not sure what features are App or TW when it comes to all the gestures, S-pen, and all the dragging and dropping of items from one window to another.
If by chance root doesn't come quickly or at all, I'm hoping at least with Nova, I could get the look I'd like, but don't want to lose many things that make the Note such a great device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using action launcher at the moment but have also set-up nova as well. I haven't noticed any problems other than not being able to use some of the Samsung widgets.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk 2

Allein8 said:
Would you mind installing Nova Launcher or any other launcher and seeing what features no longer work?
I believe on the N2, TW widgets don't work, but I'm curious if any of the new or updated features are App based or TW based and if any functionality will be lost using another launcher. I haven't owned a Note before, so I'm not sure what features are App or TW when it comes to all the gestures, S-pen, and all the dragging and dropping of items from one window to another.
If by chance root doesn't come quickly or at all, I'm hoping at least with Nova, I could get the look I'd like, but don't want to lose many things that make the Note such a great device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Apex and all widget works.
supers2k said:
can you run like 5 apps and tell us how much available ram there is, and then switch between all the apps and tell us if any pages reload
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(random 5 apps) 1.1 of 2.38GB , pages didn't reload when switch back to chrome
TrojanDroid said:
How are the radios?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
droidobsessed said:
How is the phone for calls and signal strength?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
5 bars and fast HSDPA+ (still didn't activated the 4G on my network), the same i get with the Note2
TrojanDroid said:
Is it easier to hold and talk on than the N2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Same
TrojanDroid said:
When you say speaker not loud enough - the external speaker or the ear speaker?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the external speaker
harosxcomp170 said:
How much internal memory does it have new? I know it's 32GB but when formatted with the stock software what is it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
about 25 GB if i recall correctly.
monkey10120 said:
I need to ask about the pentile display. I see that you said it is improved and cant see the grainy text but i have a question about horizontal areas. I got rid of my s3 in 2 days because I could actually see the blue pixels on any high contrast area that was horizontal, such as the image for the gmail app or play store. I am near sighted and I could see those pixels to the point where i gave up and upgraded to the note 2 (ended up being the best phone i ever used) but I was glad that they got rid of the pentile display on the note 2. Then the s4 and note 3 come out with a pentile display again. And once again I look at my girlfriends s4 and even though it has a great pixel density I can see the damn blue pixels on horizontal, high contrast areas. Please, oh please tell me if it is better on the note 3 because it would be a HUGE deal breaker to the point where I would cancel my pre-order.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't notice any issues with blue pixels horizontal, high contrast areas, your mileage may be different though

can i have it? LOL you said ask me anything

Hi. Please post some results of brightness comparison with S4 if possible. If not possible, then atleast please let us know how the screen holds up in direct sunlight, compared to your older note(s).
Also, please tell us about the flash light brightness and picutre difference due to flash light.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using xda app-developers app

Can we see how the sd and sim stack?

Hi, I was wondering if you could test to see if the Note 3 suffers from the same audio drop-out problem as the Note 1 does (described at the link below). Basically, if you listen to any audio at very low volume (3 or less) and the audio goes very quiet, then the audio just drops completely as if the device were muted. It's best to test this using headphones. Thanks!
Code:
https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=35861

Can I have it?

Hi, I was wondering about the "space" where you write text with the s-pen. is it possible to change the background from a white space to black? also what color is the keyboard? - black letters on white keys or white letters on black keys? my impaired vision make it difficult to see black text on bright white backgrounds. thanks.

Did you notice any lag while browsing, scrolling or using the phone? how's the battery with heavy usage?
and did you notice any frame rate drop?
last one, how's the screen responsiveness?
thnx..

blu ray rips, uncompressed?
Can you see if it will playback a 20+GB uncompressed bluray rip made using makemkv.com?
I have a thread here on the topic, but no confirmation:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2453368

Will it blend?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Could u see if you can use the internet while on a phone call on 3g? Thats my biggest pet peeve of the otherwise awesome note2
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app

Asus Zenfone 2 Review USA Spec 4gb/64gb version

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In this review i am looking at Asus’s flagship phone for 2015 the Zenfone 2 complete with 64gb of storage and 4gb ram (most in any phone to date). As a flagship it is going up against some stiff competition such as the Galaxy S 6, the LG G4, and the One M9. With the specs Asus’s top version of this phone boasts it fits well into that crowd but there are areas that they did need to “skimp” on in order to reach that magical $299 unlocked price. There is a lower spec’d version of the Zenfone 2 for $199 unlocked but it does come with a slightly slower processor and 2gb of ram. We shall be focusing on the higher end one here.
Look & Feel​
As you can see from the pictures i was able to grab the red version of the phone. i’m a huge fan of red so any phone released with a red option already gets a bit of an edge in my mind but i won’t let that come into my decision here. I do like that they left the front of the device all black so all you can see in the front is the small chrome speaker grill, chrome Asus logo and the hardware keys. I think it looks rather tastefully done and it does have the premium look that many seem to want these days.
The back of the phone is plastic but they do a good job hiding that a bit with a “metallic” finish with a bit of texture that help in keeping a grip on what is a large phone. It is not a fingerprint magnet by any means. In my opinion it feels even a little better in hand then last years LG G3 even is the Zenfone 2 is a bit taller thanks to those hardware keys. I personally am not a fan of these but many are...all comes down to your taste. Taking more design cues from LG the Zenfone 2 has its volume rocker is on the back. They did opt to put the power button in my opinion the worst spot on such a large phone... Dead center on the top of the device. Not only that... It's also quite "mushy" giving little to no tactical response to let you know you actually pressed it. The Zenfone 2 does have double tap to wake and sleep function as well but it did not work as intended to me all of the time.
The device’s dimensions are 152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9 mm (6.00 x 3.04 x 0.43 in) and weighs in at 170g (6.00 oz) It is a bit thick but the sides slim down to 3.5mm which make it much nicer to hold. What i will say is where the front glass on the phone meets the small “chin” below the hardware keys there is a very noticeable sharp lip. Not enough to hurt but enough to become annoying in my short time with the phone. Overall it’s a well designed phone and for the price.
Under the Hood​Under the back cover you will find a micro SD card slot for up to 128GB of expandable storage and 2...count them 2 sim card slots. This is a bit strange to have in a phone in north america but very common in other areas of the world. I did test this out and switching between phone numbers was easy enough but only sim slot 1 can handle 3g and LTE. The second slot is only for 2G and Phone calls. Inside you will also find a 3000mAh battery but this is not user removable which is a bit of a shame but that’s the way most phones seem to be going. Do note that this phone comes with Intel’s version of quick charge and the $299 version of the phone comes with a high amp quick charger. It does work with all chargers with Qualcomm’s Quickcharge 2.0 spec as well.
User Interface​The Zenfone 2 comes out of the box running Android 5.0 Lollipop which is nice to see. I did receive an OTA right after turning on the device but the version number stayed at 5.0. Everyone is now waiting on phones to get 5.1 but Asus am an interested to see how up to date they keep their not flagship. I will say that this phone as the most “bloatware” I have ever seen on an unlocked device. Even comes running Cleanmaster out of the box...classy. Asus is nice enough to let you uninstall much of it but for the review I wanted to keep most of it intact. I did uninstall Cleanmaster as it was just too annoying to deal with. I do however like that almost all of the phones apps live in the Play Store and can be updated without having to wait for a full firmware update. Nice moves.
Over all Asus stuck to the material design aspects of Lollipop with its revamped ZenUI. The menus are in list view and are easy to navigate. The notifications pulldown is close to stock with few differences but the quick toggles have been completely re-skinned and are customizable. I actually like the way this works and give you a quick brightness slider and access to some of the tools you may use most often on your device.
The only part of the UI i really have a problem with is the one you see most often...the launcher. To get into Google Now you must long press the home button then swipe up... not the most intuitive or the best implementation of this feature. There is also no google now hotword support built into the launcher. It took me about a day to install the Google Now Launcher and all is well.
Performance​ One word can describe the performance of this device...Fast! With 4gb of ram to work with i would expect nothing less. Couple that with the Intel Atom Z3580 clocked at 2.3GHz (Intel Atom Z3560 1.8 GHz in the 2gb version) and this thing is a screamer. I have had Zero slowdowns or stutters since i started playing with it and that is also after loading it up with all of my personal apps and having all of my accounts syncing all of the time. Pretty great!
On the graphics and video handling of this device it was again very good. Running the PowerVR G6430 (same as the iPhone 5s) it has no problems playing some of the most intense games. Its pushing a 1080P screen so not as many pixels as many of the other 2015 flagships. I do not run benchmarks on my phones but can tell you that you will not be disappointed.
Display​ The phone boasts a 72% screen to body ratio which is not too shabby. It comes with a 5.5 inch 1080p IPS display which come out to be 402ppi and to my eyes it is perfectly adequate. Images look sharp and its 3 built in screen modes. Comes set on the balance mode out of the box but has a Reading to cool things down and a Vivid mode which really makes colors pop like on the GS6, even a mode to let the user make their own settings. I left mine on balanced. Where the display does not do well is with readability outdoors. It does not get bright enough to overcome even an overcast day. At the same time does not get dark enough when trying to watch a video or read a website in pitch blackness...my eyes did feel strained. The display is just fine but it is clearly one of the areas that Asus had to give a little to keep the price down.
Camera​ In the press and at the US launch event this is the one area Asus spent the most time talking about. Asus is very proud of this camera and they should be...it is quite good. Lets start out front where the Zenfone 2 is rocking a 5 Mega-Pixel, Fix Focus, Wide View, camera with Asus’s PixelMaster tech. It takes decent selfies and has many modes to help you tweak them to your liking. Out back is a 13 Mega-Pixel camera with Asus’s PixelMaster tech. While the mega-pixel count may seem low for a flagship phone today it actually takes some good shots. In good lighting it did very well. It does not has the optical image stabilization of some of the more expensive phones but it even does well in dim to low light situations. Not the greatest camera but one the best i have seen at this price point for sure.
Battery Life​ One of the most important specs in any mobile device and I am happy to report that the Zenfone 2 delivers in the battery life department. I an not easy on my phones battery. I have all of my social media as well as 4 google accounts and 8 other email accounts constantly updating in the background. While testing i kept the phone on auto brightness. With its 3000mAh cell I was always able to through a whole day with some to spare. As mentioned before it does not have a removable battery but the quick charging is definitely a plus if you have really been hammering on it for a few hours.
In Conclusion​ Asus really wants to make it clear that they are coming to play. The Zenfone 2 delivers in many areas and ticks all the right boxes for what most would want out of a flagship level device. With that said even though Asus is comparing this phone to the likes of the GS6, I am much more comfortable comparing it to the 2014 flagship phones from all of its competitors. The GS5, the LG G3, the HTC One M9, let’s even throw the Oneplus One in there… all still cost more when purchased new and unlocked then the Zenfone 2 at $299 for the top model. I think that is the biggest win here for Asus. Lets not forget that it starts at just $199 unlocked! That is what most flagships smartphone cost for their lowest spec model on contract.

Just a couple notes --- you can reach Google now by holding down the home button for a moment and swiping up. Discovered this through serendipity [emoji14]
And it's odd how everyone talks about the screen being hard to see in sunlight, since I have absolutely no trouble seeing it in direct sunlight with my transition glasses. I must have weird eyes or something [emoji14]

jerflash said:
The only part of the UI i really have a problem with is the one you see most often...the launcher. With no swipe up from home to reach google now you are relegated to using Asus’s google search widget. There is also no google now hotword support built into the launcher. It took me about a day to install the Google Now Launcher and all is well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can pull up to Google Now from the home button. Press the capacitive home for a second and Google Now icon shows up. Just slide finger to it once it does. And from Google Now, you can set the 'OK Google' keyword to be used from any screen.

richard_rsp said:
You can pull up to Google Now from the home button. Press the capacitive home for a second and Google Now icon shows up. Just slide finger to it once it does. And from Google Now, you can set the 'OK Google' keyword to be used from any screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey thanks for the tip i did not come across that at all while using it. still not very intuitive or the best implimentation

TOT_tomdora said:
Just a couple notes --- you can reach Google now by holding down the home button for a moment and swiping up. Discovered this through serendipity [emoji14]
And it's odd how everyone talks about the screen being hard to see in sunlight, since I have absolutely no trouble seeing it in direct sunlight with my transition glasses. I must have weird eyes or something [emoji14]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are some special glasses lol

Interesting! I use transition lens myself and this is good news! Still waiting for my phone to arrive though. ?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Free mobile app

Quick review of my Galaxy S7 vs. my Nexus 6P

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Thought I'd give you guys my first initial impressions of my Onyx Black Galaxy S7 T-Mobile version vs. my Frost White Nexus 6P 128GB.
So I received my S7 today around 11AM this morning and been playing with it non stop for about 13 hours. Setup was a breeze, popped in my 128GB Sandisk MicroSD then had to update/install a bunch of apps while sitting on the charger and it only got "slightly" warm. Every other Android phone I've had doing the same thing and charging would get pretty toasty hot so this is a good first impression.
These are my initial thoughts comparing it to my Nexus 6P, which has been my all time favorite phone of all time. These are areas that are important to me.
Screen quality:
S7 screen gets much brighter, white looks a bit better and also more uniform. Looks to be a top quality AMOLED panel. The Nexus 6P (I've had 5) all had some sort of pinkish areas if you look hard for them, not completely uniform but still a good sharp panel. Doesn't quite match the S7 or even my Note 5 though. The S7 also doesn't seem to experience much AMOLED color shift when you tilt it at different angles, the Nexus 6P definitely shifts much more and sometimes goes from greenish to bluish to pinkish depending on your angle. Colors are also more saturated on the 6P, the factory setting on the S7 is a nice compromise between and is quite pleasing to my eyes.
Performance:
The Nexus 6P is an absolute beast when it comes to general UI interactions and navigating, it just flies and is the fastest Android experience I've ever had. Everything is pretty much butter and still is, seems to always run at 60fps. No other Android phone I've owned matches the Nexus 6P in overall smoothness, well..... except now the S7. Yep, the S7 matches the Nexus 6P in everything from navigating web pages, flipping through home screens, scrolling speed, and a big one...typing on the built in keyboard. NO LAG. I've always had some kind of lag with the factory Samsung keyboards, also present on my Note 5 and Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Not on the S7, it will register as fast as you can type. I haven't tested many games or CPU intensive apps yet but all common social media apps open slightly quicker on the S7, I'm sure games will fly with the S7. Apps also install much quicker on the S7 but I think it's the encryption on the 6P to be blamed.
Finger Print Scanner:
Nexus 6P seems to be more accurate and quicker, the scanner on the S7 seems to be similar to the S6 in function but now responds much quicker. Kinda like the speed difference between the iPhone 6 and 6S. It's definitely faster during setup also but obviously not as quick as the 6P which only requires you to tap your finger 4 or 5 times to finish registering. Definitely prefer the location on the 6P, much more convenient than on the home button of the S7 which sometimes require you to move your thumb akwardly to unlock it.
Battery Life:
Initial battery life on the S7 doesn't seem too impressive, I'll give it a couple days to pass judgment but it's definitely not as good as the 6P so far. Seems to be draining 5 percent in only an hour of doing nothing but resting, always on is off and it's connected to WiFi. Maybe it's still doing some background updates...who knows. The Nexus 6P definitely has great battery life and has never disappointed me. I'm thinking the extra 600mAh on the Edge would have really came in handy at this point.
Speaker:
Sound on the S7 definitely only comes out from the bottom speaker contrary to some rumors saying it also plays through the ear piece (which got me super excited btw). Sound is pretty good, above average for a single bottom firing speaker. It can also get pretty loud, on par with my Note 5 and S6, has more depth and sounds fuller than the front dual speakers of the 6P. Nexus 6P definitely gets louder but also sounds a bit tinny, always had though. Overall the speaker on the S7 does a good job, some cupping might still be necessary to get louder volume out of it. It's a great feat that Samsung kept the speaker quality decent while making this baby IP68 certified.
Build Quality and Feel:
My jaw dropped when I first took the S7 out of the box, although it looks like the S6 in the pictures, the pictures do not do this baby justice.. you guys need to handle it yourself. It has a real quality heft to it, it just feels fantastic in the hand. The S6 was also built beautifully but felt a bit toyish to me, the S7 in hand feels just so much more expensive. What a difference an extra few grams make huh? The in hand feel definitely matches the looks now. The Nexus 6P also has that expensive feel in the hand, it's a close call but the S7 just feels a lot more comfortable without the sharp edges of the 6P. I stuck my S7 into a Spigen case at the end of the night but tempted to run it naked because it just feels so nice. Samsung also up their game in box presentation, the box feels much more premium now compared to the cheap crap they used to be packed in. Reminds me of the box from my Huawei watch, oh and bonus, they also threw in an OTG USB adapter.
Camera:
Went out and snapped a few pictures outdoor and indoor, trying out various lighting scenes. Conclusion? S7 Camera is a beast, focus is instant and quality is razor sharp. In low light it pulls in more light than the 6P but the 6P picture looks better. It looks like the S7 uses too much post processing and everything becomes muddy, like an oil painting when zoomed in, although the pictures are brighter. Nexus 6P is still the king when it comes to low light photos without flash, they just look more natural and clear with minimal noise. It also seems like the 6P doesn't have a crazy amount of post processing to achieve a fine picture. Bright light is a draw in quality but the S7 really shines in speed and focus accuracy. I can confidently say you will get more usable pictures with the S7 in most conditions, but in low light with no flash the 6P is still the champ. Haven't taken any selfies yet so I can't comment on the front camera.
Subjective areas:
I find the button placement on the 6P to be near perfect with the power and volume buttons easily distinguishable with my thumb, I always find it a bit awkward with my Samsung phones. Sometimes I hold the phone to change the volume and my squeezing action will press the power button and turn it off. Also still no longer a fan of the physical home button, I guess I'm so used to onscreen buttons now. I'm in love with fingerprint scanner placement on the 6P, it just works and makes sense, still trying to get used to the home button finger print scanner on the S7. Touchwiz is definitely toning down with every iteration but still a bit childish looking to me, although I still prefer it over stock Android for the added functionality. Wished it worked like Touchwiz but looked like Stock Android or HTC Sense, make sense?
Conclusion:
I've heard people say the S7 should really be called an S6-S, and it's not worth the upgrade, I would have to disagree. When an iPhone comes out with the S designation, it's mostly just a faster CPU/GPU and camera updates. Everything else is pretty much the same down to the physical shape of the body. The S7 to me looks similar in pictures but in the hand, it feels like a completely new premium device. It had everything upgraded, completely overhauled inside and out making it better in every way. It just feels so much more quality in the hand and is 100 percent deserving of the new S7 model name. After using it the whole day today, it doesn't leave me wanting like my S6 or Note 5 did. It's really that good.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Nexus 6P, I was one of the first to get one and I jumped ship many times to try other different models/brands but ultimately I always go back to it. It pretty much checks everything I could want in a phone but now this new S7 does also with some extra perks on top to sway me away.. Expandable memory and waterproofing? Oh yeaaahhh.. It's too early to tell which one will stay and which one will end up on Swappa...So far this sexy new S7 is really, REALLY impressing me.:good:

Dude thanks for taking time to post it all here haha, awesome work

This 'canard cache' guy and now this guy. When did they let all the Nexus fanbois out of the asylum?

xxaarraa said:
This 'canard cache' guy and now this guy. When did they let all the Nexus fanbois out of the asylum?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry but i dont like at all the nexus series... i have never had one...
I have had all the samsung

Thanks for the (objective) impressions dude! It would be nice if you could test some games later and keep us posted. I think of San Andreas and other GPU intensive games here.

Keep us posted about the battery life and maybe some low light pics ?

Nice appreciate it.
But would be even better with camera samples comparing them especially low light, If you get a chance?

Nice review. Currently have a Nexus 6 and a Note 5 (Verizon) and have been eying the S7e. Now that (allegedly) T-Mobile works in my area of Minnesota I've been planning on jumping back to Tmo and scooping one up. Good bye Note 5.

Good quick review, thanks. I would like to see some photos at 9.1MP. Is that possible?

Dear friend nice review, thank you. What I want to ask is : is there any substantial difference on web loading compared to your Nexus 6P? Can you test them both of them to browse the same websites and see which one is faster and share your findings?

Why did you get the S7 and not the S7 Edge though? The Edge seems like the better phone to compare it to the 6P anyways since they are close in size and battery size.

Vandam500 said:
Why did you get the S7 and not the S7 Edge though? The Edge seems like the better phone to compare it to the 6P anyways since they are close in size and battery size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the S6 Edge before and I couldn't get used to the curved display, it was a bit distracting when watching movies and you will get "glare bars" on the top and bottom when holding it in landscape (Unless you're in a dark room with not much light source). Also when browsing, some of the texts are wrapped around the sides and you need to move the page around to read all the content. I also never used any of the software extras so to me it was just more added bloat.
The edge designs are beautiful though and the 600 extra mAh's are great, I think this time around though, the smaller S7 is a welcomed relief for my tired old hands which are used to handling 5.5"+ displays. I have no issues with the S7's smaller 5.1 which I think is a pretty good compromise in device size and screen real estate. Who knows though, I go through phones like people go through underwear so the S7 Edge might be added to the collection soon. I'll have to play with one in store first to see if I could live with it again.

Which soc did u have? Snapdragon or exynos? Thanks

King p1n said:
Nice appreciate it.
But would be even better with camera samples comparing them especially low light, If you get a chance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem, these are two shots taken in very low light with no flash @ 100 percent crop. As you can see the 6P gets more detail but it looks like the S7 image is a little brighter.
Galaxy S7
Nexus 6P

ponkz said:
Which soc did u have? Snapdragon or exynos? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm US T-Mobile so it's Snapdragon 820.

Have you noticed connectivity isn't as good? At my college I usually get 1-2 bars of LTE on my 6P whereas my S7 edge is struggling with one bar of edge.

Thanks for your review. Can I kindly ask you to read this post and give us your opinion regarding the possible delay to wake? Thanks!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7/help/galaxy-s7-slow-to-wake-t3326304

kinnesotan said:
Have you noticed connectivity isn't as good? At my college I usually get 1-2 bars of LTE on my 6P whereas my S7 edge is struggling with one bar of edge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I notice is the 6P's signal bar tends to be more generous than other phones I've had, it was the same compared with my Note 5. Same signal strength but the 6P always shows like it has more bars.
S7 signal strength seems to be on par with my wife's iPhone 6S+ and all my other phones in my house, haven't noticed any connectivity issues.

Chaleman said:
Thanks for your review. Can I kindly ask you to read this post and give us your opinion regarding the possible delay to wake? Thanks!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7/help/galaxy-s7-slow-to-wake-t3326304
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't seem to have any issues, I'm also running a SanDisk 128GB Micro SD card with fingerprint unlock set up. It wakes up almost as quickly as my 6P which is pretty fast. I'll report back if I notice any delay with more usage.

Ram management? Does it kill apps running in background?

What do you think of the new design?

Video is based on leaks
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I'm sad, that they did't opted for a symmetric front with two front-firing stereo speakers.

SGH-i200 said:
I'm sad, that they did't opted for a symmetric front with two front-firing stereo speakers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the quality probably wouldnt have been adequate and people would just complain. I wonder if Google will keep the plastic backing and just launch the phones at a price in the middle of pixel 3 and 3a. that would be sweet and you can still have wireless charging through plastic like the nexus 5

jalado said:
the quality probably wouldnt have been adequate and people would just complain. I wonder if Google will keep the plastic backing and just launch the phones at a price in the middle of pixel 3 and 3a. that would be sweet and you can still have wireless charging through plastic like the nexus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This phone will cost $700+. Google is tripping.

Jammol said:
This phone will cost $700+. Google is tripping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya, and the iPhone 11 is killing it right now. I don't think Google will be able to match them this year. that triple set up is a beast!

jalado said:
ya, and the iPhone 11 is killing it right now. I don't think Google will be able to match them this year. that triple set up is a beast!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Meh, incremental update for the iPhone 11. I don't know about "killing it right now." Apple will always sell a lot of iPhones. I just want the Pixel lineup to have it's crap together and for Google to stop chasing Apple customers by blatantly copying iPhones.

jalado said:
ya, and the iPhone 11 is killing it right now. I don't think Google will be able to match them this year. that triple set up is a beast!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Night Mode photos of the Pixel 3a won't have to hide compared to the photos taken by the new iPhone. The new GCam app of the Pixel 4 will beat the iPhone for sure!
"Night Mode: iPhone 11 Pro Max vs Pixel 3a XL!" -

If it's in fact true that the battery is the same or smaller than the pixel 3, I think Google has made it clear they don't want ME as a customer.
I love pixel but their battery performance is ****. I am loving my p30 pro but I want a smaller device, so I may just get an iPhone 11 pro if this turns out to be the case about the px4 batteries.

radlink14 said:
If it's in fact true that the battery is the same or smaller than the pixel 3, I think Google has made it clear they don't want ME as a customer.
I love pixel but their battery performance is ****. I am loving my p30 pro but I want a smaller device, so I may just get an iPhone 11 pro if this turns out to be the case about the px4 batteries.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I average around 6-7h sot on my pixel 3 in a full day and 4-5h over 2 days.... problem with Google is there are certain settings/features that drain battery, if you turn them off the battery is great!

What settings are those?
I average 3-4hrs sot on my px3

this was on pie... but I'm getting similar results on 10 especially after all the apps started updating for compatibility for Android 10. it all depends on how u use your phone too. this was mainly on Reddit and chrome.
aod off
NFC off
Bluetooth/scanning off (big battery killer)
wifi scanning off (big battery killer)
adaptive battery off (I saw a big difference after I turned this off)
adaptive display off
lift to check off
double tap to check on
location on
keyboard sounds off
all vibrate off even fingerprint sensor
also calibrate your battery after 1gb+ Android updates this will reset the battery stats

Nice I had most of those disabled but some not. Hopefully I can get some good sot like you.
Of course I know all experiences are based on usage, I work in IT so I am pretty observant of these things. I'm also spoiled worry p30 pro - don't need to disable/worry about anything and I can get 7+ sot haha.

radlink14 said:
Nice I had most of those disabled but some not. Hopefully I can get some good sot like you.
Of course I know all experiences are based on usage, I work in IT so I am pretty observant of these things. I'm also spoiled worry p30 pro - don't need to disable/worry about anything and I can get 7+ sot haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nice!

Some people are making a lot of judgements based on one prototype which is significantly gimped in firmware and software. As to the device I'm fine with it's design. I only use speaker for speakerphone and video chat, my phones always go in cases, I only get 3 or 4 hours with every phone because I like my toys and I'm not turning them off. I think the only thing that could kill it for me it's if it's ridiculously overpriced.

Does pixel 4 comes with the top bezel like the old pixel phones?

SGH-i200 said:
The Night Mode photos of the Pixel 3a won't have to hide compared to the photos taken by the new iPhone. The new GCam app of the Pixel 4 will beat the iPhone for sure!
"Night Mode: iPhone 11 Pro Max vs Pixel 3a XL!" -
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably even release of Google Camera 7 on Pixel 3 will beat these night sight images

This is subjective of course. But design in Pixel 2, 3 and 3a is the best
Then it comes Pixel 1.
I don't even like the design of the 4.
But I liked the glossy back of the Just Black
Nothing of importance because I'll install a Spigen Thinfit the first day.

I think it's an ugly phone if I'm being honest.
I was looking forward to it but after seeing it, I think it's a pretty solid pass.
Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk

apple destroyed them this year. do you notice that Google alternates dropping the battery capacity each year for the regular and xl? probably to cut back somewhere. they should of kept the wide angle selfie scrapped Soli and face unlock and kept the rear fingerprint and add wide angle to the back with a bigger battery or at least the same for the regular. the pixel 3 might be the new nexus 5

SGH-i200 said:
The Night Mode photos of the Pixel 3a won't have to hide compared to the photos taken by the new iPhone. The new GCam app of the Pixel 4 will beat the iPhone for sure!
"Night Mode: iPhone 11 Pro Max vs Pixel 3a XL!" -
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you look at DxOMark it's interesting that neither the Pixel nor iPhones are at the top of the ratings anymore (although they haven't reviewed the iPhone 11 yet, it seems). https://www.dxomark.com/category/smartphone-reviews/ It's Huawei, Samsung, and even OnePlus who are rating the highest. Maybe the days of Apple and Google being the cream of the crop are over. Although the Pixel 4 still tied for the best rating for video performance. And it scored very well, so the differences with the top phones may not be that important.
thesebastian said:
This is subjective of course. But design in Pixel 2, 3 and 3a is the best
Then it comes Pixel 1.
I don't even like the design of the 4.
But I liked the glossy back of the Just Black
Nothing of importance because I'll install a Spigen Thinfit the first day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still like the Pixel 1 the most. The feel of the chamfered edges on the all aluminum phone seems so much more high quality than the subsequent Pixel designs. I like the Pixel 2 second best. I really hate glass backs (going all the way back to the Nexus 4 and iPhone 4), so the Pixel 3 and 4 will always be inferior, design-wise, to me. Extra glass seems cheap and overly glitzy to me.