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First, I'd like to say that I'm not trying to hate on Sony or bash them, just pointing out that what they call "the best of Sony" isn't exactly great or better than the competition, though I really just want to point out about the display and camera. I moved on from the Note 3 to the Z1 (lost my Note 3, wanted a good phone with a good camera for a low price so I got an Xperia Z1), and here's what I've noticed.
Display:
Well, there's no other way to say it: for a flagship phone, the Z1's display isn't that great. Viewing angles are poor, and viewing it at even small angles puts a whitish hue over it that just doesn't look good. It might be good for privacy, but otherwise it's plain to see that they're using an inferior IPS tech than other manufacturers. The Note 3 or the Nexus 5's displays are clearly much better, and so is the one on the HTC One from early 2013. I've heard that the Z1 Compact finally has a great screen among Sony devices, so that's great, but I feel that many Sony fans are clearly ignorant of how much greener the grass in on the other side when it comes to displays.
Camera
To be honest, this is the biggest disappointment I've had with the Z1. I don't know if Sony was focusing purely on lossless zoom when adding the 20MP camera, but when it comes to resolved detail and visible noise, the Note 3's camera was better despite no fancy tech and standard sensor. Sure, it has a 13MP camera while the Z1 takes photos at 8MP after downsampling, but in general its photos are clearer and more detailed. I've tried taking 20MP pics, and they just do not come out as great as one would expect (if they focused on lossless zoom, even that hasn't worked out well in general outdoor photos), and Sony has basically squandered a nice opportunity.
But on the flip side, I love some things about the camera. It's fast to open (mainly thanks to the camera button), it's smooth, and is quick to change modes, which helped a lot on my weekend trip with my family.) I don't like that HDR isn't a dedicated mode and is simply a switch when you select 8MP photos in Manual, but other than that, it's pretty good overall. In fact, the quickness and the shutter button are what make me ignore the fact that in quality I've come down to a noticeably not-so-great-at-capturing-detail camera (the Note 3 took ages to select modes, open the camera app, and open pictures.)
That's something that's true in Sony's software overall: it's beautiful, sleek, and quick and responsive. I do miss some features from the Note 3 (Multi-Window, Smart Stay (extremely useful when you can't be bothered touching the screen to keep it awake), some camera modes, and the better multitasking (my Z1 is abysmal at holding apps in memory, and not because it's just 2GB of RAM.) It feels good to use, and that's a pretty good thing.
But again, the screen and camera have let me down considerably. Again, on the flip side, I love the phone's build (though it's a bit too bulky, but then it is waterproof), and things like the lanyard slot and camera button (conveniences manufacturers have forgotten in their quest to copy and follow Apple since the first iPhone arrived on the market).
So in the end it's clear that "the best of Sony" just isn't the right thing to say when your tech is behind the competition in some things and just isn't as great as owners of flagship devices of the competition have become used to. The pricing is great, though, but I kinda don't think I'd want to save a few bucks next time I want a phone, not unless Sony focuses on making the hardware more complete regarding awesomeness.
Sorry for the rant, and again, I wasn't bashing, overall I like my Z1, just don't love it (yet)!
P.S.: My Galaxy Gear is also now sitting idle, but I guess we can blame Samsung for making its watch incompatible with other devices. It's a useful watch, but not in use anymore. There is a hack to make it work with others, I tried it with the Z1, but most stuff just doesn't work. So I guess I'll buy Sony's smartwatch next. :silly:
P.P.S.: I hope KitKat comes soon. I like that Sony takes time to test its software, but with Samsung and HTC moving pretty quick with KitKat despite having heavy skins, and Samsung has even managed to not introduce any quirky bugs (they disabled third-party accessories, but an update over the weekend reversed that), I really want KitKat to come quick. I want wireless printing support (Samsung had this even before KitKat, one of the few reasons I appreciate Samsung's bloat sometimes, it has some useful features), and it might also solve the issue of lack of RAM on the Z1, even if only a little bit.
This is what you do on Sunday afternoon? We know Z1 is not best like expected.
eclyptos said:
This is what you do on Sunday afternoon? We know Z1 is not best like expected.
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It's Sunday night where I am, and I had to get my thoughts out there after using the Z1's camera extensively the last two days (I bought the phone on Thursday.)
addicted2088 said:
It's Sunday night where I am, and I had to get my thoughts out there after using the Z1's camera extensively the last two days (I bought the phone on Thursday.)
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Saturday Night? You should be in some club! ..ahah...just kidding...I know...I am really disappointed by the camera too....what I can surely said is that the problem of the camera quality is related to the Software, but I don't know if we will get better pictures. Many telling me that the Z1 make amazing pictures but mine is not fake and I still not get clear pictures like it should be. Full of Noise, and with Unlocked Bootloader get even worse.
I understand what you're saying, and you have valid points, but these type of complaints come up with every phone out there.
The HTC One has exactly the same Camera complaint that you do. The UltraPixel was a big disappointment for some. The thing about the Z1's camera is that it CAN be improved. The camera is actually extremely good if you use it in manual, and the pictures that come out are the best I've seen on an Android phone. Superior Auto is a bit of a mess though. That's a software problem, not hardware, so we hope kitKat can fix that.
The display is a valid complaint, but I feel head on it's better than the Note 3. The Z1 has one of the most color accurate screens out there, which I prefer over AMOLED oversaturation. The viewing angles personally for me isn't a problem but yes, it is a negative about this phone.
So in the end it's clear that "the best of Sony" just isn't the right thing to say when your tech is behind the competition in some things and just isn't as great as owners of flagship devices of the competition have become used to
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Well, the Z1 IS the best of Sony...not sure what you're trying to say. I still feel like the Z1 is one of the best phones out there. Although lacking in some parts, the overall package is hard to beat: Snapdragon 800 processor, great battery life, great camera (Yes the camera is still very very good, just not as good as advertised), and best of all premium feeling. There is really no other phone that has all that together in one package right now. The Note 3 is better in some respects but for me feels cheap, and that is a HUGE con for me that overshadows anything else. The Nexus 5 has meh battery life and camera. The HTC One has a meh camera and lower end specs. The Galaxy S4 is no longer talked about when discussing high-end phones.
The point is there's no 'perfect' phone, and I concede that the Z1 does have weaknesses, but so does every other electronic device out there
addicted2088 said:
First, I'd like to say that I'm not trying to hate on Sony or bash them, just pointing out that what they call "the best of Sony" isn't exactly great or better than the competition
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Uh huh.
My advice to you, since it appears you wrote this to practice the writing career you're hoping to have, is to consider other career options. You're not good at this.
learn to make the picture and you will find Z1 camera is great. all the comparatives with Note 3 and the other smartphones take Z1 on the top of Android world
display is very good. poor viewing angle are not a gap, but I can assume it is subjective.
when I watch photos and videos on Z1 display they are much nicer than on other displays.
kantk20111 said:
I understand what you're saying, and you have valid points, but these type of complaints come up with every phone out there.
The HTC One has exactly the same Camera complaint that you do. The UltraPixel was a big disappointment for some. The thing about the Z1's camera is that it CAN be improved. The camera is actually extremely good if you use it in manual, and the pictures that come out are the best I've seen on an Android phone. Superior Auto is a bit of a mess though. That's a software problem, not hardware, so we hope kitKat can fix that.
The display is a valid complaint, but I feel head on it's better than the Note 3. The Z1 has one of the most color accurate screens out there, which I prefer over AMOLED oversaturation. The viewing angles personally for me isn't a problem but yes, it is a negative about this phone.
Well, the Z1 IS the best of Sony...not sure what you're trying to say. I still feel like the Z1 is one of the best phones out there. Although lacking in some parts, the overall package is hard to beat: Snapdragon 800 processor, great battery life, great camera (Yes the camera is still very very good, just not as good as advertised), and best of all premium feeling. There is really no other phone that has all that together in one package right now. The Note 3 is better in some respects but for me feels cheap, and that is a HUGE con for me that overshadows anything else. The Nexus 5 has meh battery life and camera. The HTC One has a meh camera and lower end specs. The Galaxy S4 is no longer talked about when discussing high-end phones.
The point is there's no 'perfect' phone, and I concede that the Z1 does have weaknesses, but so does every other electronic device out there
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Not so sure about that ...
HTC has the best software updates ATM and fastest after Google.
It has the best low light camera + best smart flash with the 5 modes
Average daylight shots
best front cam with wide angle
The best mics hdr mics
The best speakers
The best headphones sound
It's the most quality phone
It has the best screen in overall
It has unmatched feel in the hand
Ir blaster
Ois
60 fps video + zoe + really working hdr video
BlinkFeed which is still unmatched with copies
Decent battery life
Great xda development
Most of these things aren't yet matched by the competition which is shame imo since htc one is 1 year old and it's still considered the best overall package phone even in 2014 and I doubt anything but HTC one 2 will surpass it which is only a month or two away.
A lot on that list are gimmicks and a few items there are disputable. If HTC were as ahead of everyone as you make them appear to be, then that's extremely incongruent to the terrible shape the company is in.
Another "OMG Sony why did you do this to me" thread.
Sony rules!!
Shan89 said:
Not so sure about that ...
HTC has the best software updates ATM and fastest after Google.
It has the best low light camera + best smart flash with the 5 modes
Average daylight shots
best front cam with wide angle
The best mics hdr mics
The best speakers
The best headphones sound
It's the most quality phone
It has the best screen in overall
It has unmatched feel in the hand
Ir blaster
Ois
60 fps video + zoe + really working hdr video
BlinkFeed which is still unmatched with copies
Decent battery life
Great xda development
Most of these things aren't yet matched by the competition which is shame imo since htc one is 1 year old and it's still considered the best overall package phone even in 2014 and I doubt anything but HTC one 2 will surpass it which is only a month or two away.
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I don't want to get in a fight about whose phone is better, but everyone's got different preferences in a phone. A lot of the points you mentioned are opinions, and really can't be said in a comparison.
The most 'quality' phone and 'ummatched feel' is extremely subjective.
The Z1 is no less in quality than the HTC One and has as premium materials.
The Moto X and Z1 compact both have better feel, just because they're smaller.
Z1's battery life has been much better for me than HTC One in my experience.
Headphone sound is exactly the same for me. Beats is a gimmick and just a equalizer preset which I can also set on my Z1.
I will admit the HTC One's speakers is miles ahead of the Z1's and the display is better.
Camera as well is a lot better in the Z1 in daylight, but I remember you're the guy who wrote that HTC One vs Z1 camera test and I don't want to get in a fight again about that, so I won't go there. HTC One's better in low light, but the Z1 isn't that bad either.
The Z1's camera has a ton more features as well that are pretty cool to play around with. Gimmicks? Sure, but they're still fun. Also the Z1's viewfinder is much smoother.
All front facing cameras suck equally and don't believe there's a 'best' front facing camera.
edit: Oh, also concerning updates: This is the first time HTC have actually done well with updates. We'll see a year from now how they treat HTC One users. One X and One X+ users are stuck with official 4.2 while the Xperia T, which came out around the same time+, just got updated to 4.3. Sony might be slower at giving updates but they support their phones longer.
See, I just refuted half of your points. Of course you will disagree with me, but that's what's great about Android: everyone has different preferences and different opinions on what's the best. The HTC One is a fantastic phone and is my number 2 after the Z1, but it's still not the best for me. Nothing wrong with that.
omnius1 said:
A lot on that list are gimmicks and a few items there are disputable. If HTC were as ahead of everyone as you make them appear to be, then that's extremely incongruent to the terrible shape the company is in.
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What exactly is gimmic ?
Ir blaster is very useful
Ois is very helpful in low light / movement or any other type of using the camera / 60 fps video is smooth as camera app on z1 and looks like you're looking thru the glass when watching an video / hdr video is awesome as well at low light , so is the zoe especially if you wanna take out some snaps after which are full sized , I forgot slow motion video as well which is fun tho.
Smart flash is very useful indeed and can take photos from 5cm in pitch black up to 10 meters , with the walls it can go even further
Stereo frontal speakers ...how is this a gimmic lol , anything you do on a phone sounds crazy good + loud + it hits you in the face.
Full metal body is always a good thing , it screams premium ...
Feel in the hand indeed is unmatched due metal + device shape
hdr mics pick up the sound you wouldn't believe that the phone is doing it.
I've forgot also talking via phone is unmatched as well , you get stereo sound + you can talk in super loud environment perfectly fine.
Headphones sound wouldn't be a gimmic as well lol ... Ppl just use that ...on daily bases ..
Software updates is definitely not an gimmic we all want fast and working updates ASAP ,which is not the case with the Sony , it's far from it.
Xda development for me personally is very important since I love to flash + the fact HTC one has about 9/10 times more development it's a must have for me.
The only gimmicky thing would be if you don't like the the BlinkFeed that'd be all which can be turned off.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
We have to open a thread " @@Shan89 VS @kantk20111 " ..hahah..
Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Shan89 from HTC Section VS kantk20111 from Sony section, Round 2.
FIGHT!
:laugh:
lol
I had Xperia z1 , camera sucked , phone was too hot and screen is utter **** , so I changed to HTC one for the same stuff you wrote here!
Honestly I am huge fan of HTC but actually I do not brought HTC One, which was cheaper, just because there is no micro SD Slot, and when Apps to SD will be available on Z1, or even Apk on internal and Data on SD on Custom Roms, I will not have regrets to have Z1.
eclyptos said:
We have to open a thread " @@Shan89 VS @kantk20111 " ..hahah..
Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Shan89 from HTC Section VS kantk20111 from Sony section, Round 2.
FIGHT!
:laugh:
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Nah mate it ain't fight Lol. I was just pointing that there are devices which are quite more complete. Of course I can't think of anything else besides z1 that comes equal to m7 pretty much all devices lack design and quality which both z1 and htc have.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
eclyptos said:
We have to open a thread " [MENTION=3721363 [user=4914682]@Shan89[/user][/MENTION] VS @kantk20111 " ..hahah..
Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Shan89 from HTC Section VS kantk20111 from Sony section, Round 2.
FIGHT!
:laugh:
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No more fighting lol, just 2 guys who really love their phones alot . For me the HTC One and Z1 will always be the top of Android, with Samsung, LG and the rest way below. Sony and HTC have style along with awesome hardware.
edit: @Shan89 beat me to it
Came from the GSIII and this phone blows it out of the water, so I'm happy.
Sent from my C6916 using xda app-developers app
I came from htc one to z1 for reasons like low battery camera quality purple tint issue and worst of all its easily breakable body which produced dents on a simple fall
Sent from my C6902 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Shan89 said:
HTC has the best software updates "ATM" and fastest after Google.
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Coming from a T-Mobile HTC One S and being left hangin' with no further updates from 4.1 Jellbean...I jumped off their bandwagon and upgraded to the Sony Xperia Z1S.
I'm glad that HTC is finally wiling to support their top tier products, but a bit too late for me...HTC lost in my book.
The clear winner (for me) is Sony! :good:
Please take a look at this review from Brent Rose from Wired and voice your opinion in the comments section of the article. I have never seen such a slanted/poor review and think he should be called out on it.
http://www.wired.com/2014/11/sony-xperia-z3/
what an unusual review
The speaker/camera comparison was somewhat accurate though it seems a little exaggerated, but the rest of the review was crap. The Z3 UI is better than stock where you can't even custom arrange the app drawer. My Z3 is rock stable, I even went through 3 of them for cosmetic defects (on my 4th now) and none ever crashed. If you look at the comment section you can see most of them pointing out that the review was bad.
Wow that review is so ridiculously invalid
That was such a horrible review. There are some cons to the phone, but over-exaggerating them at the level is so unprofessional.
This is very similar to my Z3C experience and in that regard all bias off I believe everything he wrote was correct...This is the reason Z3c went back and I was reluctant to even try Z3 since the internals are the same with bigger screen which would result in even worst battery than z3c
-Goran
The review wasn't that bad. I pretty much agree with everything said, except for the stability issues. Not once did I have to reboot the phone due to apps crashing.
Don't get me wrong, I like this phone a lot. There is not a single phone out right now that I'd choose over the Z3.
Love the phone but the first thing I did was switch to nova because of the rubbage skin.
Also the camera post processing on auto is garbage too.
mfpreach said:
Love the phone but the first thing I did was switch to nova because of the rubbage skin.
Also the camera post processing on auto is garbage too.
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Similarly, I've disabled many of Sony's stock apps, threw Nova on as the launcher, and have been plenty happy. I haven't had a single app crash, and I've gotten between 1d 16h and 2d 6h of battery. Sony says up to 2 days, so yeah, I'm good.
Besides, I can't remember the last time I trusted "Wired" for a review. Maybe they purposely did a negative review just to get a reaction for page views and ad impressions.
Absolutely agree with this review (except for the good points regarding the camera), its very accurate and the conclusion is spot on. Out of the box it is terrible, and not for Joe Public.
If it wasnt for the ps4 features, looks, waterproofing and memory card slot and me wanting to get away from Apple I would have something else. It could be much better. I've replaced or uninstalled all the pointlessly "Sony-ed" pre-installed apps, the Sony version of the calendar would constantly crash to desktop, the camera apps are horrible, the camera app is slow, clunky and terrible to navigate and all of it, really cheapens this phone. Coming from iPhone this was a very poor show.
Thankfully, after several hours of customising nova launcher, adding a new lock screen and notification handler its improved. Still lacking in many areas.
Still, I prefer this freedom over iOS so I can't complain too much! Well... apart from....
Excuse the rant here but this is the biggest issue I have with the Z3 (maybe android in general). There is one very glowing thing that the Z3/android still haven't really "got it down" on. The camera, I've noticed this on a few phones (S4, LG G2, HTC One M8, Z3, Nexus 5) too.
I'm an amatuer photographer in my spare time and without any bias I very quickly noticed that despite the extra megapixels, manual options in the software, upgraded lens etc etc the camera lags (lag the keyword) very much behind in the camera stakes to apple! The speed of opening the camera and taking a photo, the colours, the jpg processing profile, the autofocus speed and accuracy are all way way better even on an aging iPhone 4S in my mind. Its a phone, not an dslr, its designed to be there to take a "good" photo fast and I've not seen an android phone do this well. Especially in low light.
I was talking to an HTC One M8 owner who absolutely refuted this, so I asked a simple challenge, pull your phone out on 3 and take a photo of your bar snacks as quick as you can, he agrees... 3-2-1 bam, my old, slow iphone 4s (which I'm using while my broken z3 is awaiting repair) is out of my pocket at the same time but I'm done while his is trying to take focus (its as slow as my Sony as I tested this too) but not only that, his doesn't look great focus wise, colour wise etc, the iphone has sharp focus on the subject and a smooth defocused background, nice depth of field and really good colours, processing looks "interesting".
This is my general experience with a non iphone camera, in particular the Z3 and frankly the ONLY thing I miss :crying:
Lol I've been using the z3 for 3 days ago and I haven't had a single problem. Yes apps do crash but not the pre-installed apps.
Battery last me more than a day on heavy use. I still have about 32% after two days on normal use.
Camera has no washed out pictures like in the review.
The review is a load of bull.
Sent from my D6616 using XDA Free mobile app
batousan said:
Absolutely agree with this review (except for the good points regarding the camera), its very accurate and the conclusion is spot on. Out of the box it is terrible, and not for Joe Public.
If it wasnt for the ps4 features, looks, waterproofing and memory card slot and me wanting to get away from Apple I would have something else. It could be much better. I've replaced or uninstalled all the pointlessly "Sony-ed" pre-installed apps, the Sony version of the calendar would constantly crash to desktop, the camera apps are horrible, the camera app is slow, clunky and terrible to navigate and all of it, really cheapens this phone. Coming from iPhone this was a very poor show.
Thankfully, after several hours of customising nova launcher, adding a new lock screen and notification handler its improved. Still lacking in many areas.
Still, I prefer this freedom over iOS so I can't complain too much! Well... apart from....
Excuse the rant here but this is the biggest issue I have with the Z3 (maybe android in general). There is one very glowing thing that the Z3/android still haven't really "got it down" on. The camera, I've noticed this on a few phones (S4, LG G2, HTC One M8, Z3, Nexus 5) too.
I'm an amatuer photographer in my spare time and without any bias I very quickly noticed that despite the extra megapixels, manual options in the software, upgraded lens etc etc the camera lags (lag the keyword) very much behind in the camera stakes to apple! The speed of opening the camera and taking a photo, the colours, the jpg processing profile, the autofocus speed and accuracy are all way way better even on an aging iPhone 4S in my mind. Its a phone, not an dslr, its designed to be there to take a "good" photo fast and I've not seen an android phone do this well. Especially in low light.
I was talking to an HTC One M8 owner who absolutely refuted this, so I asked a simple challenge, pull your phone out on 3 and take a photo of your bar snacks as quick as you can, he agrees... 3-2-1 bam, my old, slow iphone 4s (which I'm using while my broken z3 is awaiting repair) is out of my pocket at the same time but I'm done while his is trying to take focus (its as slow as my Sony as I tested this too) but not only that, his doesn't look great focus wise, colour wise etc, the iphone has sharp focus on the subject and a smooth defocused background, nice depth of field and really good colours, processing looks "interesting".
This is my general experience with a non iphone camera, in particular the Z3 and frankly the ONLY thing I miss :crying:
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I have the HTC M8 right now and the pictures are realy bad. It's a hardware issue with the lens. Sounds from all the reviews that the Xperia camera is decent, but not great. Would you agree?
dspcap said:
I have the HTC M8 right now and the pictures are realy bad. It's a hardware issue with the lens. Sounds from all the reviews that the Xperia camera is decent, but not great. Would you agree?
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In my opinion m8 has one of the fastest cameras in the market. Definitely faster than old iPhone 4.
Z3 biggest problem is how slow the camera is.
CandyAndy said:
In my opinion m8 has one of the fastest cameras in the market. Definitely faster than old iPhone 4.
Z3 biggest problem is how slow the camera is.
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wth are you talking about? slow? with my Z3 I can take a picture from sleep, in less than 2 sec. .
rspy said:
wth are you talking about? slow? with my Z3 I can take a picture from sleep, in less than 2 sec. .
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So take a picture while you are moving and let's see how it looks.
It doesn't look good. M8 has faster camera and you can snap away while walking
I went through the review, and i am with him for most of the flaws except the STABILITY issues.
I had the Z3 for 15 days, and then i had to sell it off and back to Samsung S5 as it was not rootable.
The Camera definately is not as good, and even the phone body - especially the back glass, was too slippery for me, and i did drop it a few times, and its also a mega fingerprint magnet. I say the plastic back of S5 is way more superior.
Even the front speakers were just OK, yea, they were loud, and front facing, but thats it. the clarity isn't there and sounded very "tinny".
Otherwise, the performance, speed, os, battery were all brilliant!
I am now on the S5, and just a general comparision against the Z3, i like the size and finish of the S5 more better than the Z3. The S5 back (Especially the Black one) has a leather/slightly rubbery feel to it, which enhances the grip. The Camera in the S5 is excellent, capturing superb pictures! battery life is very good, though Z3 has better life. Performance wise, though the S5 has 2gb ram, never felt it under stress. Maybe it would be if i am playing some really heavy games, but as such never had a problem in regular usage.
CandyAndy said:
In my opinion m8 has one of the fastest cameras in the market. Definitely faster than old iPhone 4.
Z3 biggest problem is how slow the camera is.
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The issue here is the comparison is an iPhone 4 which was released in June 2010, there should be no excuse for any delay in camera boot 4 years on with much more powerful hardware.
batousan said:
The issue here is the comparison is an iPhone 4 which was released in June 2010, there should be no excuse for any delay in camera boot 4 years on with much more powerful hardware.
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Well I have allergy for Apple products so I cannot comment [emoji2]
CandyAndy said:
Well I have allergy for Apple products so I cannot comment [emoji2]
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That doesn't mean you should bury your head in the sand on something so fundamental, surely thats just as bad than blindly buying apple products year on year? :laugh:
batousan said:
That doesn't mean you should bury your head in the sand on something so fundamental, surely thats just as bad than buying blindly buying apple products year on year? [emoji23]
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Well I never compared z3 to iPhone.
In fact I am right now on my way to buy my second z3 since I can't stand this current note 4, buy which I originally made because z3 camera wasn't good enough. But now I realize that I can live with a bit worse camera if everything else is so fantastic.
I am shocked how quickly the battery drains with the note, and it is supposed to have quite a good battery also
Hi Boys and Girls!
It's been a while since I last posted on XDA, maybe since I have been very content of my Z2 which was ticking almost all of my requirements. This phone is ALMOST all I need - legendary battery life, good camera, waterproofness, stereo speakers and so much more.
I want to upgrade and S6 is one of the options - others being considered are Galaxy S6 Active, Xperia Z4 later this year.
I would like to hear opinions from those of you who made the switch and it would be great if you gave some comparison on the following:
- Camera quality,
- Screen quality (sun legibility),
- Speaker LOUDNESS,
- Battery life.
My biggest worry is battery life. I know that Z2 has almost 25% more battery capacity, but Samsung has more energy efficient elements so really curious how this looks from your personal experience.
Any feedback from you and examples (your usage Z2 vs usage on S6) would be really appreciated!
Do you regret and if yes/no - why?
Already have forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3043183
Moved to S6 from which device & why
Read forum rules and do use search..
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
That topic is garbage, not only opinions but much off topic.
I am targeting this to more specific user group so no, don't think I have violated any rules and I have done search...
valdigre said:
That topic is garbage, not only opinions but much off topic.
I am targeting this to more specific user group so no, don't think I have violated any rules and I have done search...
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Click to collapse
I agree.
I had a Z2 then went to a Z3 C and then to a OPO and then to a SGS 6.
I much prefer the SGS 6 over any of the other devices.
For the sake of this topic I will compare it directly to the Z3C.
- Camera quality
SGS 6 hands down kicks the arse off of the Z3 C.. I believe the sensor on the Z3 is capable of competing with the SGS 6 but the processing done on the SGS 6 is unbelievably gorgeous, plus the 1.9 aperture really REALLY helps it out a lot. Oh and the pink spot issue was ridiculously bad as well.
Best camera in a mobile device. Simply as that.
- Screen quality (sun legibility)
Never had any dramas with the Z3 C in this regard, but the SGS 6 is marvellous in sunlight.. The Super AMOLED screen simply cannot be beaten in any way shape or form.
- Speaker LOUDNESS
Plenty loud enough, when I first got it and copied some music across I started listening to it (couple slider notches from maximum) and it was heaps loud enough while sitting at my desk. My ringtone volume and message tone sits at 3 notches from maximum and I can easily hear it across the house. Even while using my electric shaver! Plus the sound quality is spectacular.. By far the best I have ever heard on a mobile. HTC can bite it.
- Battery life.
The only point of the SGS 6 that isn't spectacular.
Medium usage it will last a full day easily enough, in fact I'd say the only time you'd have trouble with the battery not lasting a full day is if you were heavily gaming all day.
It really is not bad at all. It will easily get you a full day and two days light usage and Coming from an OPO that is a pretty strong opinion.
To be honest, I've owned an arse load of devices and have used/tested so many I can't even remember half of them and this device blows them all out of the water, it has every good quality you could possibly want from a device. The lack of removable storage I don't care about (OTG EXISTS PEOPLE!! AND ITS FASTER AND CHEAPER THAN MICROSD!!!) the lack of battery I don't care about, it's plenty enough for me. Buy a portable battery pack if you're paranoid or need to be out of electric power point range for a week.
I went off Samsung because I didn't like the whole plastic casing design choice, and I am glad to say I am back on the bandwagon with this beautiful device
By the way.. The Xperia devices are significantly let down by the lack of hardware buttons. Really pisses me off having such a nice large screen and having a chunk of that taken away with terrible soft keys.
I currently have a Z2, and I am almost certainly going to jump to the S6. Probably solely for the camera. The Z2 never really seemed to fulfill it's potential camera-wise. It takes aaaaaages for the thing to focus - a toddler will only sit still for so long!. The video is also a bit disappointing on it - it's a bit too mushy (not sharp enough) even in good light. The software stabillisation really helps eliminate handshake for videos, but again, it adds to the mushyness of the image.
Although, really well made, it's also a bit too blocky. I think the S6 looks about the right size and shape.
I will miss the battery though, which is fantastic - I still can't believe sometimes how much juice is left at the end of the day.
le_lutin said:
I currently have a Z2, and I am almost certainly going to jump to the S6. Probably solely for the camera. The Z2 never really seemed to fulfill it's potential camera-wise. It takes aaaaaages for the thing to focus - a toddler will only sit still for so long!. The video is also a bit disappointing on it - it's a bit too mushy (not sharp enough) even in good light. The software stabillisation really helps eliminate handshake for videos, but again, it adds to the mushyness of the image.
Although, really well made, it's also a bit too blocky. I think the S6 looks about the right size and shape.
I will miss the battery though, which is fantastic - I still can't believe sometimes how much juice is left at the end of the day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha yeah the blockiness was absurd! Forgot about that!
It was like carrying a thin brick in your pocket.
Now this is what I am talking about!
Thanks people and keep it comming!
Batter life worries me. If you get a full day of medium usage and end up with <10% battery life then in the long term, this will not be good for the battery... This stops me from going for it... Still thinking
Stevles said:
Haha yeah the blockiness was absurd! Forgot about that!
It was like carrying a thin brick in your pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stevles,
Do you have any feel for how it captures images of people in less than ideal light? I'm thinking specifically about taking photos of my kids indoors.
I remember I had a G2 a while back and it was TERRIBLE at this. Because it had OIS, the camera would always keep the shutter open way too long to let more light in. The downside of this is of course that any movement resulted in a blurry mess. Z2 is better at this, but still not very good.
le_lutin said:
Stevles,
Do you have any feel for how it captures images of people in less than ideal light? I'm thinking specifically about taking photos of my kids indoors.
I remember I had a G2 a while back and it was TERRIBLE at this. Because it had OIS, the camera would always keep the shutter open way too long to let more light in. The downside of this is of course that any movement resulted in a blurry mess. Z2 is better at this, but still not very good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the shutter speed goes to around 1/10 in low-light. Highly recommended to switch to "pro" and manually adjust the shutter speed to around 1/30 - 1/50 while keeping the rest of the "pro" settings on auto to account for it automatically. It will result in slightly noisier pictures but at least they won't be fully blurry like auto mode provides in fast-pace low-light situations.
Ultimately, best bet would be to either a) use flash b) pro mode with manual shutter speed c) Sony A7S (current low-light king MILC costing around $2600AUD)
With the SGS6 it will let you either use tracking focus OR Optical image stabilization, not both at the same time. Although I'm pretty sure that only effects the video taking, not 100% sure.
I'm sure you'll work something out
I think anyone coming from a z3c will be massively spoiled by its battery life. Its a freak. My s6 battery is average tbh but it's super fast and the camera is awesome. Sammy cam and picture software is really on point here
Stevles said:
Yeah the shutter speed goes to around 1/10 in low-light. Highly recommended to switch to "pro" and manually adjust the shutter speed to around 1/30 - 1/50 while keeping the rest of the "pro" settings on auto to account for it automatically. It will result in slightly noisier pictures but at least they won't be fully blurry like auto mode provides in fast-pace low-light situations.
Ultimately, best bet would be to either a) use flash b) pro mode with manual shutter speed c) Sony A7S (current low-light king MILC costing around $2600AUD)
With the SGS6 it will let you either use tracking focus OR Optical image stabilization, not both at the same time. Although I'm pretty sure that only effects the video taking, not 100% sure.
I'm sure you'll work something out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The s6 has two types of stabilisation: OIS which is mechanical and you can't turn off. This used for photo and video. The second is EIS (electronic image stabilisation) which is software stabilisation and can be turned off. This is only for video. Both can be used together for video. EIS is type is the one that can't be used with tracking focus, but the camera is still using OIS (as it isn't something you can switch off).
Apologies if you knew all this already.
le_lutin said:
The s6 has two types of stabilisation: OIS which is mechanical and you can't turn off. This used for photo and video. The second is EIS (electronic image stabilisation) which is software stabilisation and can be turned off. This is only for video. Both can be used together for video. EIS is type is the one that can't be used with tracking focus, but the camera is still using OIS (as it isn't something you can switch off).
Apologies if you knew all this already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah that makes sense, thanks. Knew there was something a bit "this sounds wrong" about my post lol
I owned z3 since its release although sold it two moth ago and got s6 last week. I can say this, s6 is vastly superior in every aspect except the battery life. You can really tweak z3 setting and that battery would last two days easy.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I mostly agree with everything that was already said. Battery life is far from equivalent to the z3c. Also I should mention size and one hand usability in favor of the Sony. Also another missed function that Samsung just doesnt want to implement is Tap to unlock the screen. I dont really use the photos on the laptop screen, so from a small screen point of view I sometimes liked the photos of the z3c more that those of the S6. Colors combinations and the final result was more eye pleasant for me on the z3c (many times). Sure S6 has a great overall camera.
Lack of microsd is annoying, but I solved it with OTG.
I still have both because I cracked the screen on the Z3 and I won't sell it until I get it repaired. But my opinion pretty much reflects what everyone else said.
The S6 does pretty much everything better except for battery life.
I love the fingerprint scanner. Way easier than having to use lock pattern or password.
I tested the speaker with the same youtube video and the S6 was actually louder. But the Z3 sounds better when you're watching something that pans from left or right.
Interesting, z3 louder than S6?
My z2 seems very quiet in comparison to other phones. My gf's 2013 motto g seems louder on 50 percent than z2 on 90 percent... No comparison with z3, maybe they actually made it louder.
I am also really tempted to wait on z4 but I have this bad feeling that nothing will change in terms of camera software and screen... Also worried about overheating snapdragon.
I guess z4 will not beat s6 in those regards and as you said, s6 is better in everything but battery...
If I only knew when S6 active is released and will it have better battery and same screen and camera...
Was just going through some videos I took recently with my Z2 and remembered another issue: the autofocus during video capture is diabolical. It's either out of focus or constantly going in and out of focus. It really affects the watchability of the recorded videos.
le_lutin said:
Was just going through some videos I took recently with my Z2 and remembered another issue: the autofocus during video capture is diabolical. It's either out of focus or constantly going in and out of focus. It really affects the watchability of the recorded videos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. I noticed this as well, especially in worse lighting.
I've only owned my S6 for about 8 hours, but compared to my Z3,it blows it out the water. The only thing I preferred on the Z3 is the mostly stock Android UI, and the battery life. The camera on the s6 is crazy good. When you take a picture of say a cat or a dog, the amount of detail it picks up is amazing. My Z3 took some really nice pictures when the lighting was nice and sunny, but it was very inconsistent. The S6 is better in every condition by far. .
Display wise, the Z3 has a very bluish white balance, while the S6 is warmer. I haven't directly compared brightness yet but they both get bright enough in direct sunlight. The S6 kills it when it comes to resolution, and also them gorgeous deep blacks. The S6 display is easily the best display on any smartphone that I've ever seen. But that's not to say the Z3 has a bad display, it just isn't as good when directly compared.
Build quality, I would say they're both really nice, and I'm hesitant to give the win to either of them.
Ergonomics go to the S6. It's a smaller size, and just feels better in the hand as opposed to the square shape of the Z3. They're both quite slippery though.
Performance goes to the S6,but not by much. My Z3 was no slouch, and never lagged, but the S6 does seem faster by a little, and the animations are smoother more often.
Overall I would say the S6 is definitely the better phone. But if battery life is very important to you, and you really do prefer stock android to Touchwiz, then the Z3 is the better option. Honestly though, they're both awesome phones, and the only massive difference is the camera, and the S6 is noticeably better.
I came from an Xperia Z2 and the camera on this S6 is 1000x better. The focusing is fast and the pictures are sharp even in low light. The slow focusing speed on my Z2 drove me insane...
Hey all
Just got my Z5 Prem Chrome yesterday (unlocked and Unbranded, but on O2 UK) and I wanted to give my first impressions...
On set up I logged onto Wifi and downloaded MM 6.0 (build 163) so I cant comment on 511.
The screen is Gorgeous, I have it set round about 50 - 60% and in daylight.. I can see it fine, Sunlight.. well every phone struggles in bright Sunlight.
Music Player has an awesome and quite cool UI, sounds Great through the Speakers but can distort if set too loud.. but I used to own an M8 then an M9.. so Im a little bit spoiled by them... The speaker audio lacks the bass and fullness of the M9, but to me the Z5s sound sweeter and more musical than the M9s, but I reckon the Z5 issue maybe the weterproofing membrane they put on the Z5 speakers.. but theyre still good and a joy to listen too.
But where true quality lies is in the Headphones.. and man.. Is the sound amazing in headphones... and this is where you know you have a Walkman.. Wow.. blew my mind and blows away any phone or Ive ever used including the 24-bit G4 and M9. Ive tried both a set of LG Quadbeat 3s and Sennheiser 400s.
And now for the major question.. and thankfully.. Yes the Camera is good, in fact it can be truely awesome... coming from a G4,. I can see how the G4 over-sharpened and over-processed its images, but the Z5 has a fantastic colour reproduction and accurate white balance. Lack of OIS isnt a big issue Ive found.. the images arent over sharpened and do have a "realness" to them.. they arent as "sharp and crispy"" as the G4 or S6 but this is a good thing and the camera can turn out some beautiful shots.
One thing I will say about "Auto Mode", part of the reason for the softness, especially when zooming in is that the camera tends to set the ISO very low... even as low as 40, probably in order to combat noise... but this has an opposite effect as well.. in that it softens the image right down, this is something to be aware of as some people like crispy images and can give the impression of the camera under performing. In order to combat this.. Use Manual mode and set your ISO manually.
For everyday use 8Mpx is great and strangely enough... theres not that big a jump between 8 and 20mpx,, but the difference is there. One thing i did find with the camera is it can over-expose alot of the time.. but using Manual Mode and dropping the EV down half a stop (0 - 0.5) or even a full stop (0 - -1) fixes this.
Also, unlike the standard Z5, the Prem model, at least mine anyway, doesnt suffer from the poor camera quality alot of forum threads have mentioned.
Im still on my first battery charge after 24 hrs (Im a light to mod user), but as with all new phones.. the battery needs 1-2 full cycles to fully "wake up", but so far Im quite pleased with it.
So im very happy with my new Z5 premium, and its hard to pick out an exact fault, other than the extremely low ISO settings, but Its fast, its fluid.. no lag, but coming from a G4 or S6, the camera imaging is "different".. but in a good way, but not worse.. it doesnt have the harsh over-processing, Great Music player.. and contrary to some forum posts.. Ringtones and Notifications are plenty loud enough, even with Volume set at 80 - 90% and with "Increased Ringtone" toggle "OFF"
Wouldve also been nice to see SONY include a set of Noise Cancelling headphones in the Box as a Premium.. or Wireless QI charging as standard on the Premium model, but in truth I guess Ide rather have the bigger screen and unlike trhe vanilla Z5, the camera that works.
Hope this helps you make a desicion....
Have Fun
The camera is great... not as good as lumia 1020 but I am accepting the fact that lumia is dead... I am using snapspeed and it make the pic taken by z5 way better...
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
I bought me a pair of MDR-NC750 in-ear NC headphones.
WOW what a good combination that is, it is realy good in the airplane.
Much more comfortable than my MDR-1RNC over the ear NC headphone, which is also awesome.
I tested them both on two intercontinental flights. I cannot say which one is better.
The amount of cancelling from the MDR-1RNC is a bit better, but the MDR-NC750 is more comfortable when you want to sleep.
I can recommend anybody to go for MDR-NC750.
Just received my chrome beauty today!
I'm in love like the good ol' days of Sony Ericsson!
I'm really excited about the phone and, oh god, this thing is insanely smooth in every aspect!
The screen is gorgeous, the sound through headphones is superb, the construction is rock solid, the camera is very good, the signal is nice and there's a lot of things better than all the phones i've tested!
Finally back to Sony Xperia Family that i missed since Z3!
Oh! And the "heat" is on par with every flagship that i've tested! (S6, Note 5, G4, Meizu Pro 5)
Luhccas-X10 said:
Just received my chrome beauty today!
I'm in love like the good ol' days of Sony Ericsson!
I'm really excited about the phone and, oh god, this thing is insanely smooth in every aspect!
The screen is gorgeous, the sound through headphones is superb, the construction is rock solid, the camera is very good, the signal is nice and there's a lot of things better than all the phones i've tested!
Finally back to Sony Xperia Family that i missed since Z3!
Oh! And the "heat" is on par with every flagship that i've tested! (S6, Note 5, G4, Meizu Pro 5)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reading this made me a bit happy!
I also tried lots of phones in the past and I currently have a Note 4 and looking for a worthy upgrade.
I know the note 4 can beat the Z5 premium in many ways/areas especially productivity/spen!
But I'm seeking a different experience! I tried LG, tried oneplus (cm and near stock), I want to try now Sony and HTC.
Do you think the z5p is a wise upgrade for me?
Life Engineer said:
Reading this made me a bit happy!
I also tried lots of phones in the past and I currently have a Note 4 and looking for a worthy upgrade.
I know the note 4 can beat the Z5 premium in many ways/areas especially productivity/spen!
But I'm seeking a different experience! I tried LG, tried oneplus (cm and near stock), I want to try now Sony and HTC.
Do you think the z5p is a wise upgrade for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure! You'll not regret!
The only thing, in my opinion, that Note 4 overcome Z5P is the removable battery.
Even being a IPS display against the best calibrated AMOLED, you will enjoy every movie/video/picture on it. The image is crisp as crystal and contrast is on the right point as the color saturation.
So... The performance, the smoothness of interface, the multimedia experience, the feel in your hands and specially the look of this thing, will put you in some funny situations! You'll catch yourself looking for the device like a kid with a new toy! Like me! LOL
It's a nice way to refresh your taste for tec! Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is a "for sure" to buy it.
The dual speaker is a nice thing that i've missed from HTC M9 and Xperia Z3. It could be a lil bit louder but it's ok due to its position.
My question is, can I get some real reviews from real users, not the YouTube paid reviews. Some people should have it for about 2 weeks now, and I wanna hear what you think. I've read where the camera is horrible, and others say it's OK. I'm buying the phone this Thursday, or next Thursday and am looking for some honesty.
How I typically use my phone is all day, everyday. It's a bit of an ADD thing where I have to keep myself busy. Games, XDA, more games. I play VainGlory a lot, and it's pretty heavy on my phone. Does anyone else play this, and how does the 5 perform while playing?
Can anyone post some pictures they took of scenery, buildings, etc... I'll post some of mine taken from my Nexus 6P, edited in Snapseed. The camera is a big point for me.
Please and thank you!!
I currently own OP5 and previous phone was Pixel XL.
If a camera is a big point for you, there are better options for sure such as Pixel , iPhone and U11.
If gaming, then this phone will perform way better than 6p or any other phone. 835 CPU, GPU and 8 RAM means solid performance.
Camera is great in good lighting; mediocre in low light. 1080 Video good and 4K video average.
Battery life for me has been incredible! Fast charging is awesome too.
OP5 is a fantastic phone and I would recommend to anyone. I say this even though I plan on returning OP5 and going back to my Pixel XL. Why? Camera and smoother overall experience in Pixel. OP5 is faster for sure.
I hope this helps. It was not an easy decision for me.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
I don't take too many videos, but I definitely like having the option of taking a good one. Gaming is a big selling point for me as well. As for the camera... I'm kind of hoping that some sort of fix is released in an update for whatever the issue is.
It definitely helps though. The price is also a factor, as I'm thinking I'll be able to sell my 6p for 325-350, with all the cases I have and the pretty awesome condition I've kept it in.
I've also haven't had a *new* phone in years. Last one I had was S6 Edge and I ended up having to give it to my Now Ex-girlfriends mom since it was on her plan and we broke up. I had it for like 3 weeks. So, a new phone under warranty would be pretty sweet to have.
Im going to buy it, I made up my mind. If anything, and the camera is way worse than my 6p and they don't release an update I can just sell it, right? Yup.
Bye-bye Nexus.
I'll break up a short review into a few sections.
Design - 9/10
I really like the build quality. The phone looks very similar to a certain device, but I don't mind this. The matte black color looks great and the device, while a bit thin, is the perfect weight (although I am going to buy a case as soon as they become available.) Although I do wish the camera was in the center because when you lay the device down, the protruding camera lens is what your device lays on and makes the device not lay completely flat. The good news is the camera lends is made out of sapphire so durability is there.
Performance | Daily Tasks - 9/10
I have read all about the "Jello effect." This does appear on my device, but it's very minimal and I don't see it as a problem. I did recently watch a video where it was a lot worse in that video. People on social media tend to be hive-mind associated so a lot of negativity tends to spread like wildfire while the positive items are left out of the spotlight. I think the device is extremely snappy and I have noticed the phone doesn't even get warm while playing Pokemon Go for long spurts at a time. No sluggish performance at all.
Wireless Connectivity | WiFi | 4G - 8/10
Cellular Performance
This aspect is generally very important to me. When I compare it to my brother's GS8 on T-Mobile US, we both have a consistent experience in strong signal areas. The OP5 doesn't support 4x4 MIMO on the 4G/LTE side, but it does support 256QAM and 3xCA which is more than enough for the typical power user. Overall, my brother's S8 tends to get slightly less than 10% more speeds on LTE than I do (for comparison, I hit 115Mbps in a spot whereas the GS8 hit 125Mbps.) However, I will note that edge-of-signal, the S8 does win outright. In a few areas where LTE signal is weak (sub -120dBm RSRP), the OnePlus 5 will tend to drop to HSPA or even Edge whereas the S8 will maintain a usable signal. In other words, VoLTE'ers, you may experience more dropped calls when venturing about in weak LTE areas.
WiFi Performance
The OP5 supports 2x2 MIMO and wireless AC so 5Ghz networks is vastly improved over the OP3/OP3T in regards to WiFi coverage/performance. In comparison, I can pull up to 540mbps in a corner of my house on the OP5 whereas the OP3T will only be able to pull 32mbps on the same network. Oneplus has really went above and beyond in terms of WiFi antenna design and has consistently matched the GS8's WiFi performance (Note: I do not have Gigabit internet so I wan't able to test higher-end speeds.)
Battery - 9/10
I am coming from a Le Pro3 (which is one of the best devices for battery), and I'm not too concerned with what I'm getting on the OP5. I am consistently getting through the typical work-day with around 30-40% juice left after a few hours of screen time. If I need a quick charge, Dash charging is there. I will mention that I wish Dash Charging wasn't so proprietary. Because almost all of my current chargers are Qualcomm QC which aren't compatible with the Oneplus. Although it'll still charge the device, just not rapidly like Dash would.
Camera - 7/10
I am not a photographer by any means and a good camera doesn't necessarily sell me on a device by itself. I will say though that while the pictures are not as good as what you'd get on the GS8, they are pretty good shots and I honestly can't see people looking at your facebook pictures and thinking "wow, whatever camera took this picture sucks." I am quite content with the camera because it is better than a mid-range device, but worse than a flagship.
Software/Customization - 10/10
This is the main reason I went with the OnePlus device. Oxygen OS is so smooth and AOSP-like. The nearly bloatless experience and ability to change the theme/accents of your device are amazing. That, and I know the community will be behind some massive developments for this device so I can satisfy my flashing urges as they come up. It all just works.
Sound/Speakers - 9/10
I would have preferred stereo speaker setup, instead of mono speaker. Still, I would say I have been very impressed with the mono speaker on the bottom with the amount of quality and loud sounds that come from it. Music in the car over Bluetooth/Android Auto also works great and is very clear sounding. I actually flashed the Viper/Arise sound mod and disabled it shortly after because stock sounds that good (I don't play around with the Viper/Arise settings too much, so maybe I can improve it but to me there's not much left to be desired.) Voice Calls, people are loud and clear.
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend the product to a friend!
Man the phones on point. I went hard on my op5 & have yet to hit 34 °c I play the phone for long stretches so not worrying about my phone getting to hot is my favorite upgrade so far. The battery for sure last longer than the 3t but the 3t charges about 10 minutes faster
My phone was delivered on the Friday after the key note and have used this as my daily driver. My most recent phone was the Samsung s7e, but gave to my wife as I found it too slow (and I really wanted to try a one plus 5).
Initial impressions are similar to the (honest) reviews:
1. Damn this thing is quick
2. Damn the fingerprint reader is quick
3. Damn that charges quick
3. Oh, the camera isn't quite as good as it was hyped
I think it looks "fine" (i.e I couldn't care less what it looks like).
Battery life has been good, at least comparable to a 6 month old SGS7e (I bought that second hand) but not as good as my old Sony z3c.
The camera is good, don't get me wrong, and it can take better shots than the Samsung, but it's not as consistent. Low light isn't as good (but again, the Samsung is a very high bar). I'd say that 90% of my photos come out fine first time. It's very quick to take photos though (if Oneplus wanted a "speed" theme to come through in this device then they certainly succeeded)
1080p video is very good. Surprisingly good. Ok 4k recording lacks stabilisation, but hey, do people bother to record in this resolution? (I suppose that do, but I sure as hell don't). They've also said that 4k EIS will come in an update.
The screen is very good. Having had the S6 and S7e, I've experienced excellent screens (i.e. high resolution) but really don't see the point for 99% of the time (I played with vr for a couple of days about 12 months ago so I really do mean 99%). 1080p is absolutely great for a 5.5" screen.
My only complaints have been:
1. Jelly (yes, either I'm susceptible to seeing it or my device has it)
2. Camera not as good as hyped
3. Some vague software oddities which I'm sure will be sorted (notification issues with eBay)
I'll post up some photos...
Some photos #shotonaoneplus
The best thing about OnePlus 5 is support from this community. I ordered on the conference day and there was TWRP and root solution available before this phone even arrived to my home. Another great thing is overall performance, clean OS, no bloatware.
Time for bad things. It is always bad sign when the company behind any device lies to you. They lie about camera peformance, they lie about screen issues... I wonder what will be next. Had I waited few days and seen how OnePlus acts, I would not buy it again.
Still I have it, so let's talk about user experience. I am switching to OnePlus 5 from my 4 years old OPPO Find 7, so this is my point of reference.
Form factor. The phone is a bit slippery and uncomfortable to grip. It has some sort of additional sharp line on the edge, and I ordered a cover to make it feel better. Other than this, it looks great and sexy. Shame it is not original design, but it is still good if you don't care about such things (I personally don't).
Screen. Screen has great colors and real blacks. It doesn't have the best resolution but just looks better than 2K IPS of Find 7. Use some dark wallpaper and you will be in heaven. At the same time you have this jelly effect and before I got used to it, it felt wrong. If you are motion sick, you should stay away from this phone.
Camera. The only good thing I can say about camera is its tonal range. You get all the colors instead of washed whites when you shot something with high contrast. At the same time I have seen way more details on the Find 7, which is four years old than on the OnePlus 5. Maybe it is poor compression of images, maybe it is some de-noising algorithm... anyway when you zoom in, you will see only blur in the image. Also, the telephoto camera is almost never used indoors (easy to check - cover one lens and see yourself which lens your phone is using) and used outdoor only when light is perfect (hello sun). When you click this magical 2x zoom in your camera app you will newer know whether you are doing software zoom loosing even more details or actual optical zoom... which even in best case is software-processed.
OS. Is great. Clean, fast android. Easy to root, easy to mod.
Battery life. Mixed. It will give you a full day, easily, but also drops significantly when you don't use the phone. Still, you have the DaSH/VOOC fast charge, so that's not a big issue.
Summary - this phone is great when you love messing with your phone, you are going to try custom rooms, you need root and great community support. It should be your choice if you with to have hardware that has enough power to stay with you for years. If you are looking for "clearer photos" look somewhere else. This is outward lie, and camera peformance is just average. It is also not a device for you if you must have the latest technology in hand or a very decent screen.
It is also not a steal anymore. You pay a bit less than premium range and you get a bit less then premium quality. Consider what you are looking for, and if your boxes are matched go for it.
ab7casper said:
How I typically use my phone is all day, everyday. It's a bit of an ADD thing where I have to keep myself busy. Games, XDA, more games. I play VainGlory a lot, and it's pretty heavy on my phone. Does anyone else play this, and how does the 5 perform while playing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never played that game but I play some games (the Idolmaster rhythm games) that are pretty heavy and made my Nexus 6 very sad. They run very smoothly at highest settings on the 1+5, and thanks to the massive amounts of ram, I can switch between several games with no problem.
The one complaint I have is the placement of the speaker. If you are playing a game landscape orientation your hand will keep covering it. Big problem when playing rhythm games.
j0ff said:
Some photos #shotonaoneplus
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Those are more than acceptable pics for a smartphone. I don't expect DSLR quality, and it looks like it could be an improvement over my 6p.
I really appreciate everyone's responses. They all are very insightful, and definitely put my mind at ease about the purchase.
ab7casper said:
Those are more than acceptable pics for a smartphone. I don't expect DSLR quality, and it looks like it could be an improvement over my 6p.
I really appreciate everyone's responses. They all are very insightful, and definitely put my mind at ease about the purchase.
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You will be happy with it, I'm sure!
From the forums you might think it's nothing but problems, but overall it is still a really great phone. Keep in mind most of the folks who even know about this phone are the pickiest of the pickiest!
yubimusubi said:
You will be happy with it, I'm sure!
From the forums you might think it's nothing but problems, but overall it is still a really great phone. Keep in mind most of the folks who even know about this phone are the pickiest of the pickiest!
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Haha, true that. I might say that camera performance means a lot to me. But I have no actual "training" in being a photographer, or what is supposed to look like what. I just like taking pictures for myself, and I throw em up on Instagram. I use a lot of my pictures for wallpapers for my phone, mainly.
If anything, the better the phone is performing at games the better it would be for me, and this sounds like a beast. I'll be doubling my ram, and storage capacity so I'll be more than happy at that fact alone. Haha
Edit: I hope this post stays near the top for anyone on the fence about the purchase. I was just thinking about you're only hearing so many users complaining about the phone, but how many other users out there that are completely satisfied.
I bought it just an hour after the event, and I'm returning it tofay. I love taking pictures with my phone and I don't like op5 photos at all. I'm sending it back this week before the 14-day period is over, I'm moving to the S8 which I found at the same price...
I just hate how it deals with low-light and with colour, in particular in the details, which are just awful. I come from three and an half years with the Nexus 5, which had OIS and an awesome HDR. In this phone, HDR pics are way too noisy and sometimes colours look much worse than non-HDR photos.
Dual camera, horrible photos I'd say
I was really excited about this phone, so I'm very disappointed. I know they might fix it in the future, but I don't feel like trusting OnePlus seeing how they are dealing with the OP3 update and with the jelly effect
P.S. Sorry for bad English, I'm new to the forum world
giaesse said:
I bought it just an hour after the event, and I'm returning it tofay. I love taking pictures with my phone and I don't like op5 photos at all. I'm sending it back this week before the 14-day period is over, I'm moving to the S8 which I found at the same price...
I just hate how it deals with low-light and with colour, in particular in the details, which are just awful. I come from three and an half years with the Nexus 5, which had OIS and an awesome HDR. In this phone, HDR pics are way too noisy and sometimes colours look much worse than non-HDR photos.
Dual camera, horrible photos I'd say
I was really excited about this phone, so I'm very disappointed. I know they might fix it in the future, but I don't feel like trusting OnePlus seeing how they are dealing with the OP3 update and with the jelly effect
P.S. Sorry for bad English, I'm new to the forum world
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OK have fun in the s8 forums. deuces
I love it ?
Camera can't complain needs few extra features I think there's always pro mode but I'm not cam savvy so just use normal mode sure it will be improved in updates , ?
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
DoobyDroid said:
I love it ?
Camera can't complain needs few extra features I think there's always pro mode but I'm not cam savvy so just use normal mode sure it will be improved in updates , ?
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Nice pics
Here are some pics I couldn't update earlier. You can see how bad the camera works in some conditions (like in the tree in two of the photos, which looks very unreal). Also in low light HDR is too noisy and I had to take twice the photo in the square and still I couldn't get a sharp image. Also you can see some artifacts in the two road pics. This is what convinced me to send this phone back, I take lots of pics and my old Nexus 5 worked better in all of these conditions
Edit: I might sound crazy, but look at the details
DoobyDroid said:
I love it ?
Camera can't complain needs few extra features I think there's always pro mode but I'm not cam savvy so just use normal mode sure it will be improved in updates , ?
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I figured I would take one picture and edit in Snapseed to see how that pans out. I'm posting both the original and edited.
Honestly, I don't think I'll be upset at all for the quality. I like it. The pro mode will be fun as well to play with,
Had a great time in NY with it this past weekend.
I have to say that I love the phone. I have an s8+ too and I actually don't miss it at all. I bought the LG G6 last month an lasted 1 day with it and some would, well do argue that it's a better phone than the s8.
What I like: The performance. That phone is fast in every aspect. The best example I can give is the setup. I have 161 apps. It took 2 and a half hours to download on the s8+. Guess how fast it was on the OP5 25 minutes. I've never see that before.
The screen is fine, the camera is no prize winner but no slouch either. I'm sure SW updates can make it better. The sound is good.
What I don't like: So far it's that damn screen that flips to landscape for no reason.
I didn't think of returning the phone until I saw the thread with all the people whining about the most trivial things.
The way I see it is. If the camera really matters to you. S8+, Pixel XL, U11. If not, by all means. You cannot go wrong with this. 8gb of ram 128 GB of storage and this community. Your kids can use it 6 years from now it will still be a top contender.