Waiting for my Nexus 6p to arrive - Nexus 6P Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Waiting for my Nexus 6p to arrive - Nexus 6P Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have always loved the Note Series from Samsung. At the beginning of the year I was using the Note 4, eagerly anticipating the release of the Note 5. I was disappointed with the removal of the SD card & removable battery, but to my surprise, the battery life on it was one of the longest I've used on a smart phone. Bought the Note 5 during the promotion they had at BestBuy where you would get a $200.00 gift card for buying a Note 5. Long story shorty, i traded my 32gb Note 5 for a 64gb S6 Edge+ (which i regretted almost immediately). From there, i sold my S6E+ and bought a Nexus 5X. I wanted to like the phone so bad, but was disappointed in the performace. I mean, I guess I took for granted the sheer processing power that the Note 5 & S6E+ had, cause I've got some serious lag on my Nexus 5x. Running certain apps definitely slows down the 5x big time, whereas the S6E+ didn't even blink an eye. Originally, I wanted to go with the Nexus 6p, but it was WAY more expensive on Amazon (for the free financing - it was around 600 for 32gb, where the 5x was on sale for $329.00), but did not due to it almost doubling the price of the 5x.
My question for you guys that have owned the high-end Samsung phones and/or 5x, is how is the performance in comparision to the 6p. The last Nexus phone I had was the Nexus 5, and even though I know the 5x is a better spec'd phone, for some reason, even though it's been over a year since i've had the original Nexus 5, the 5 was more appealing to me than my current 5x.
I miss the features from Samsung phones such as split screen, sidesync and other features that touchwiz offered. Are you guys happy with the switch from Samsung?
The one thing i truly love about my 5x, though is the awesome camera. Even tough a lot of tech blogs rate the Note/Edge phones as top performers as far as camera quality goes, I feel as though the 5x produces a sharper picture with less noise.
What are you pros/cons going from Samsung Phone to the Nexus 6p? I just hope I am not disappointed with the 6p as I am the 5x

The 5x is not a high end phone the 6P is.
I've owned multiple flagship phone including Samgung, LG and Motorola.
I like this phone the best. Premium build, etc....
Most of all, I like no carrier bloat and an unlocked bootloader.

I have both the 6p and Note 5 in my posession right now. I've had the Note 5 since launch and the 6p for a week. The 6p is going back.
Between the two phones there is a lot to do with personal preference. First of all I love the multi window function and can't live without it, but others may not use it at all. I personally use it for two very important things. When I'm watching lengthy videos on Youtube I can have the phone in portrait with the video playing on the top half of the screen while I use chrome on the bottom half to research what I am watching. Again, some people may have no need for this. Also, I play a couple games a lot and it is a REAL pain having to exit a game just to reply to a text. Google messenger has quick reply, but only in portrait mode and it's not the same as a floating window that you can minimize at anytime which gives you full access to the app. Also something that others may not care about, but important to me. The pen I like as well and surprisingly use it for all kinds of stuff. My real estate agent sends me electronic documents to sign all the time and its a breeze using the pen rather than my stupid finger.
As far as performance goes, the 6p scored higher overall on 3dmark, but the Note 5 won in certain areas. In real world testing however the Note 5 seemed to launch apps a bit faster and there seems to be slightly less lag in gaming. I will point out that I have a rooted Note 5 with a custom kernel and the Nexus is on a custom rom with kernel as well, so take these results with a grain of salt.
Now heres the good part. The Nexus 6p is flawed out of the box (the Note 5 isn't perfect either). The Nexus has audio imbalance from the top and bottom speaker, which is annoying when watching videos in landscape. I corrected this with a custom kernel and adjusted the gain between the two to balance it out. I then noticed it wasn't bright enough in direct sunlight, so I also corrected that using my custom kernel and enabling "high brightness mode". This got the screen even brighter than the Note 5 is capable surprisingly. It sucks that I have to manually toggle it when I go outside rather than it automatically do it like the Note 5 does. I can live with these annoyances, because I can fix them.
Heres what I can't fix and why the phone is going back. The auto brightness on this phone does not work in low light conditions. I have removed the stock autobrightness of the phone and took it over with Lux, and it still did not resolve the problem. If I am sitting in a dark room the brightness of the screen will constantly adjust from darker to brighter. Sometimes it doesn't do it at all, sometimes its random, and others it just sits there flashing back and forth from dark to bright. I can't stand it and shouldn't have to disable auto brightness to fix it.
Go with whatever phone fits your needs, but I would take these points into consideration.
---------- Post added at 01:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 PM ----------
Just tested again and the Note 5 actually gets brighter. I was missing the light sensor with my LED flashlight. So yet another point to consider.

I had a Verizon Note 4 prior to purchasing the 6P. I do not use either to the degree SEH6183 uses his and at this time do not have the need for split screen feature. For the life of me I can't see a screen in bright sun and always have to shade them (one of the benefits of getting old). There are a few reasons I made the switch, the first one was all the Verizon bloat on the Note4 and not being able to do anything with it except disable it. Probably the biggest reason is that the 6P can be rooted and have custom ROM's loaded on it (along with the kernels that can be customized). I really enjoy the freedom that this brings and having the ability to have what programs I want on my phone, not being forced to have programs I don't want or like and not being able to do anything about them. The Note 5 is a great phone with some excellent hardware under the hood, but its pretty much what you see is what you get (until it is rooted if it ever is). The 6P is honestly the best phone I have ever owned and am extremely happy.

Olddog828 said:
I had a Verizon Note 4 prior to purchasing the 6P. I do not use either to the degree SEH6183 uses his and at this time do not have the need for split screen feature. For the life of me I can't see a screen in bright sun and always have to shade them (one of the benefits of getting old). There are a few reasons I made the switch, the first one was all the Verizon bloat on the Note4 and not being able to do anything with it except disable it. Probably the biggest reason is that the 6P can be rooted and have custom ROM's loaded on it (along with the kernels that can be customized). I really enjoy the freedom that this brings and having the ability to have what programs I want on my phone, not being forced to have programs I don't want or like and not being able to do anything about them. The Note 5 is a great phone with some excellent hardware under the hood, but its pretty much what you see is what you get (until it is rooted if it ever is). The 6P is honestly the best phone I have ever owned and am extremely happy.
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Click to collapse
Only the Verizon and AT&T Note's are unable to be rooted. All other variants on earth can be rooted. However this voids your warranty which SUCKS.

seh6183 said:
I have both the 6p and Note 5 in my posession right now. I've had the Note 5 since launch and the 6p for a week. The 6p is going back.
Between the two phones there is a lot to do with personal preference. First of all I love the multi window function and can't live without it, but others may not use it at all. I personally use it for two very important things. When I'm watching lengthy videos on Youtube I can have the phone in portrait with the video playing on the top half of the screen while I use chrome on the bottom half to research what I am watching. Again, some people may have no need for this. Also, I play a couple games a lot and it is a REAL pain having to exit a game just to reply to a text. Google messenger has quick reply, but only in portrait mode and it's not the same as a floating window that you can minimize at anytime which gives you full access to the app. Also something that others may not care about, but important to me. The pen I like as well and surprisingly use it for all kinds of stuff. My real estate agent sends me electronic documents to sign all the time and its a breeze using the pen rather than my stupid finger.
As far as performance goes, the 6p scored higher overall on 3dmark, but the Note 5 won in certain areas. In real world testing however the Note 5 seemed to launch apps a bit faster and there seems to be slightly less lag in gaming. I will point out that I have a rooted Note 5 with a custom kernel and the Nexus is on a custom rom with kernel as well, so take these results with a grain of salt.
Now heres the good part. The Nexus 6p is flawed out of the box (the Note 5 isn't perfect either). The Nexus has audio imbalance from the top and bottom speaker, which is annoying when watching videos in landscape. I corrected this with a custom kernel and adjusted the gain between the two to balance it out. I then noticed it wasn't bright enough in direct sunlight, so I also corrected that using my custom kernel and enabling "high brightness mode". This got the screen even brighter than the Note 5 is capable surprisingly. It sucks that I have to manually toggle it when I go outside rather than it automatically do it like the Note 5 does. I can live with these annoyances, because I can fix them.
Heres what I can't fix and why the phone is going back. The auto brightness on this phone does not work in low light conditions. I have removed the stock autobrightness of the phone and took it over with Lux, and it still did not resolve the problem. If I am sitting in a dark room the brightness of the screen will constantly adjust from darker to brighter. Sometimes it doesn't do it at all, sometimes its random, and others it just sits there flashing back and forth from dark to bright. I can't stand it and shouldn't have to disable auto brightness to fix it.
Go with whatever phone fits your needs, but I would take these points into consideration.
---------- Post added at 01:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 PM ----------
Just tested again and the Note 5 actually gets brighter. I was missing the light sensor with my LED flashlight. So yet another point to consider.
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Thank you for this. I am keeping my 6p, but I'll elaborate why I appreciate your comment.
I too, have had quite a few high end phones from various manufactures. Nexus 5, Note 4, G3, Note 5, S6E+, Nexus 5x, and now the 6p. I hear about about bloatware, and laggyUI'sel.. Folks, this is 2015, not 2012. All that jazz about the stuff I just mentioned is Nexus fanboy gripes. Don't get me wrong, I've always been partial to Nexus phones for the ROM community and have always loved it's line of phones. But what people need to realize is that the improvements in processing power in this year's high end phones have made their phones just as far as Nexus phones are. I'll use the Samsung Note 5 as a comparison example. Yea, proper mighty not like the appearance of Touchwiz, but it's just as speedy as 6p. The Note 5 has so many useful features such as split view, S-pen, sidesync, etc.
Each device has its own features to offer, I really do miss the Note 5 there most of all three phones I've had, but that doesn't mean I don't like my 6p cuz I love it. For me I like the simplicity of the UI and how it plays with my Chromecast and Nexus player more smoothly than three other phones I've had. Plus I look forward to rooting and ROM'ing my phone. I'm truly impressed with the camera as part Nexus devices have been horrid, but there 6p bucked that trend.
If you guys have questions about the devices I listed and have actually owned, just ask me and I'll give you an unbiased opinion.

Related

N6 isn't the perfect Nexus ..

After a week of testing my N6 i can clearly say that N5 was a long way better in his time ..
I'll explain myself.
With the bug that make the sound going from low to loud. (And don't say it's feature because it's not ! Exemple : when you reboot your phone for exemple, unlock it and go to one game like clash of clan very quickly for exemple, you'll clearly hear the sound making weird things like there's low volume then going up by itself ..)
The performance issues.. (Many games stuttering, Facebook app that lags like hell, Here Maps too, Shazam stuttering animation.. Well in other word many app that doesn't act like it should with the power of our N6)
The battery isn't as great as Note 4 or at least comparable.. it's very inconsistant .. well it's still better than N5 but it's just "OK"
The purple tint when very low brightness (amoled issue but again Note 4 don't have a issue like that)
The camera is more than OK but it's still not like something WOW and taking a picture take much time if you compare to other flagship..
I don't own a Note 4 but after all YouTube Videos and even a friend Note 4 that's why i'm comparing these two..
But i own a N5 and back in december 2013 when i receive my N5 i can clearly say that it wasn't the perfect phone but more close to perfect phone than our N6 is.
I really hope that Google update will solve at least the performance issue and the "inconsistant sound" issue cause it's clearly software issue and make our battery a bit better.. Then i'll say that N6 will be more close to the perfect "phablet" I love my n6 beside all these issues, the material used, the 6" screen, the speakers (when they go well) and lollipop feature are awesome !

I gave up on the nexus and got a g3. I'm very happy. Its running lollipop and I have no complaints.

Some devs were talking about bad coding and lazy game devs being the cause of the stuttering since they haven't optimized them for lollipop; the same can be said for lag in apps.
The tint at low brightness is because the Nexus goes below 0 if you compare adaptive vs regular when both are at 0. You will notice the same thing if you use Lux brightness app on the Note 4.
The speaker bug will be fixed so that's not a big deal
My battery life is great, but YMMV.
The camera takes excellent pictures its more user error most of the time. Check our the Nexus pictures OP if you want some good examples of what it can do in good hands.

I'm with you on the poor game performance. Whatever the reason it's unacceptable and I'm going to give this several months to hopefully get ironed out.

Personally for me I loved the Nexus 4. If it had better LTE support I'd still rock one. I'd liked to have seen the new Droid as a Nexus. To me that would have been a better idea.
That said for my dreams, the N4 body with a 4.95in AMOLD dispaly and N5 hardware would have KILLED it for me.

Pilz said:
Some devs were talking about bad coding and lazy game devs being the cause of the stuttering since they haven't optimized them for lollipop; the same can be said for lag in apps.
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Well how come that N5 with stock lollipop doesn't have any performance issue if it come from game aren't optimized for lollipop ?
I think it comes from the N6 software ..
I hope for sounds are going to be fixed ..
And for other issue as i said, it's like that and i know but well it could be better

I haven't noticed any game performance issues or sound issues. I am running Lean Kernel and have my GPU slightly OC'd though.
I have owned every Galaxy device there is (except Note 4) and the performance of my Nexus 6 is leaps and bounds over anything I've owned in the past. Its kind of like a race car.....you just have to know how to tune it right.

Pilz said:
The speaker bug will be fixed so that's not a big deal
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Click to collapse
Will it? Because I'm hearing a lot of "It's a feature," the first step is admitting there's a problem.

I own the Note 4 but keep coming back to the Nexus 6. It is about preference. I'm on CleanRom + franco kernel and it is rocking in performance. This phone will only get better with software updates.
As for pictures, I learned something new by owning both phones. Yes, the Note 4 takes great pictures that look great on the phone but when comparing on a large screen I was surprised the pictures looked better from Nexus 6. I couldn't believe it.

tlf55 said:
Well how come that N5 with stock lollipop doesn't have any performance issue if it come from game aren't optimized for lollipop ?
I think it comes from the N6 software ..
I hope for sounds are going to be fixed ..
And for other issue as i said, it's like that and i know but well it could be better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just going off of what was said. I read it in the kernel OP for LK or Franco if I recall correctly. It could also be the GPU using older coding trees which aren't as optimized(it was mentioned in the same place as the above)
The sound should be fixed, soon hopefully I 5.03 or whatever the end update is called. Its rumored that 5.1 is coming out in February.
I'm much happier with this phone over my G3 I can consistently get 6 hours SOT so that's fine with me and the development is crazy compared to other phones.
---------- Post added at 08:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:06 PM ----------
StephenP85 said:
Will it? Because I'm hearing a lot of "It's a feature," the first step is admitting there's a problem.
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Click to collapse
I don't think it is because my Nexus 9 doesn't exhibit this. It's hopefully going to get fixed here soon.

How quickly we forget... the 5's camera was utter horse crap when it was released. Go back and read those initial reviews.... it's not pretty. It took two updates to fix. My wife still has her 5 and my 6 focuses much quicker and takes far better photos in every condition we've come across.... and hers still can't focus worth a damn most of the time. Most everything written about the 6's shooter starts with some dig on the Nexus 5's camera.
And as poor as you say the battery is, I still get closer to twice the screen time on my 6.
And then there is better radios, much better speakers. And the screen... yes, the overblown red screen tint that only kicks in with ambient display and in a dark room and it's turned down...But let's ignore the lightbleed and poor contrast ratio of the 5's screen that makes blacks more like slightly uneven dark gray.
'course, the 6 doesn't fart rainbows and puke unicorns like the 5.
The 6 is a superior phone the 5 in pretty much every way and a much better match to the current competition.
But they don't make then like they used to, right? Revisionist history. I really liked my 5, but I'm not so blinded to not see reality.

Personally I love the device and couldn't care less what you did with it or why you don't like it
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

I don't know what perfect would be, but this phone is pretty dang good.

Am I one of the few who thinks the Nexus 6 is a perfect phone? I have zero issues with it.

I've been content with the N6 thus far and now a 5" screen feels like a flip phone to me. I gave my mom my N5 since she has a iPhone 4S and when I tinker on it I can't believe how small it is .
I've noticed the noise issue pretty much with only system sounds.
I've been getting a lot of complements on the photo quality using the HDR+. I noticed the N5 took better pics with the HDR+ before I got my N6. I've even had iPhone users at work ask me to take photos at our Christmas party LOL.

I'm bailing out soon as the next flagship phone comes out . Disappointed

I haven't met THE perfect phone yet. But the entire Nexus line is pretty close to what i want. The Nexus 6 has actually turned me off to smaller phones now. I am a big guy with huge hands, and now the Nexus 5 feels like a Snickers bar in my hand. Does the Nexus 6 have its faults? Absolutely. Every device has its own faults. But for my needs, and how it performs for me, the faults are miniscule.

OP please list the specs of what you'd consider your perfect phone and why. For MY needs personally, the N6 is perfect. Glad I was an early adopter.

pyrogoggles said:
Am I one of the few who thinks the Nexus 6 is a perfect phone? I have zero issues with it.
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Same here.
---------- Post added at 10:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:36 PM ----------
tlf55 said:
Well how come that N5 with stock lollipop doesn't have any performance issue if it come from game aren't optimized for lollipop ?
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Click to collapse
This has been discussed at length in the performance thread. The fault lies with game developers who are known to put out crap code and do a terrible job supporting games.
As for faceplant...it has been a battery vampire and performance hog for a long while.

I understand your frustration.
tlf55 said:
After a week of testing my N6 i can clearly say that N5 was a long way better in his time ..
I'll explain myself.
With the bug that make the sound going from low to loud. (And don't say it's feature because it's not ! Exemple : when you reboot your phone for exemple, unlock it and go to one game like clash of clan very quickly for exemple, you'll clearly hear the sound making weird things like there's low volume then going up by itself ..)
The performance issues.. (Many games stuttering, Facebook app that lags like hell, Here Maps too, Shazam stuttering animation.. Well in other word many app that doesn't act like it should with the power of our N6)
The battery isn't as great as Note 4 or at least comparable.. it's very inconsistant .. well it's still better than N5 but it's just "OK"
The purple tint when very low brightness (amoled issue but again Note 4 don't have a issue like that)
The camera is more than OK but it's still not like something WOW and taking a picture take much time if you compare to other flagship..
I don't own a Note 4 but after all YouTube Videos and even a friend Note 4 that's why i'm comparing these two..
But i own a N5 and back in december 2013 when i receive my N5 i can clearly say that it wasn't the perfect phone but more close to perfect phone than our N6 is.
I really hope that Google update will solve at least the performance issue and the "inconsistant sound" issue cause it's clearly software issue and make our battery a bit better.. Then i'll say that N6 will be more close to the perfect "phablet" I love my n6 beside all these issues, the material used, the 6" screen, the speakers (when they go well) and lollipop feature are awesome !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my first Nexus device. As for other phones, like the LG G3, which I traded for my N6, what development does it really need with the exposed framework and G3 toolbox? Pretty much let you add any feature you wanted, so not much need for development at all, except for radios and such.
I have the Note 4 and it's a great phone, got to admit the Sammy did a great job with their overlay.
That being said, the N6 does seem to be a little subpar in the software department; but no doubt it will get sorted out, probably by developers here. I think that Google did not want to miss the Holiday rush and pushed the phone out with no real and varied test user input. So the few shortcomings of the phone were probably not addressed. In the end it's about what you want the phone to do. If you're a gamer, there may be a few titles you'll have to pass on, and I doubt they'll ever get looked at because not everyone uses the Nexus nor are there many available.
However, if you use the phone for the basics like phone calls and messaging, I think it will suit you just fine. Admittedly it could use some help in the design of the lollipop messaging. Very plain and not intuitive. But there are plenty of third party messaging apps to take it's place, shame though.
Sound is usually pretty good after the phone wakes all the way up, and battery life is comparable to many smartphones out there now a days. The hardware of the phone is outstanding and should still be in play a year from now, even competitive.
The size of the phone is nothing new to me since I prefer "phablets!" The built in wireless charging is a plus and something I hope to see common place in the future on all devices, time will tell.
Lollipop 5.0 and 5.o.1 need some help, and I think if you like to tinker with your phone a lot, XDA will develop what you need. However, If you're like me and don't have the time you use to, it might be a wise choice to move on to something else. I'm holding out until the next big update to see what issues are actually addressed and what development is made to move us in the right direction. I appreciate not having all the bloat that other phones get, but I don't feel pure android is up to snuff with enough user options to keep me interested very long. Got spoiled by sammy and LG tweakbox. I feel that should be the norm and it's pretty easy after attaining root on either of these to freeze or delete the bloat so there you go. If you are an avid flasher, this is the phone for you, but if you have other hobbies and interest, plan to move on to greener pastures.

Anyone feeling a bit let down? V20 review

I am trying to convince myself that I am wrong or somehow biased, but I don't think I am in this situation. I am a phone junkie and I bounce between devices quickly. In the last 6 months I have had the Axon 7, HTC 10 (still have, S-off'd with Unlocked GSM firmware/ software), Nexus 6P, HTC M9, s7 edge, s6 edge+, iphone 7 plus, Droid Turbo, and now the V20. I will say that over all, the V20 is built beautifully and performs well. The battery life is a bit weaker than I was hoping, just like the HTC 10, the quick charge 3.0 almost covers that short coming. The things that are making me disappointed though are as follows:
LG Skin / UI : Feels a little off, made up a bit by using Nova launcher, but everyone knows it won't remove it all...
Performance: I might be expecting a bit much, but I have had my device slow down (to unbearable lag / waiting on apps to switch/come up) more than a handful of times requiring a reboot
Battery Life: As stated above, the battery life is pretty week and I find myself having to top up a towards 6 pm, it does charge quickly, but find that a little sad.
Camera: This is where I am shocked. The camera overall doesn't live up to what I expected or how it was advertised. In ideal situations, it can take good photos, and I mean GOOD, not Great. If you don't switch to manual and tweak everything out, you will be sadly disappointed. Auto focus has a hard time locking in, can get a bit of grain / noise, and if there is movement or action, good luck. In video mode or if you flip into manual mode, you can get much better results, but in the heat of the moment, not everyone will be quick to get it ready in time to get that shot. In low light situations, it has been very disappointing. The lag time between the flash / focus and getting a picture off, I end up with a blurry out of focus picture most of the time. I am basing this off pictures I take of my young daughter. The camera on the HTC 10, Axon 7, iPhone 7 plus, S7 edge, and S6 edge+ all out perform in these situations. For a phone/device that is supposed to be built around photography and video, it has been a major disappointment. the Main camera/sensor is decent, but the zoom/cropped area is a bit small. The wide angle does cover a lot more at the cost of resolution. I am hoping that LG does something to address this in software/firmware updates, but as of now, it is a huge let down.
Audio: The single firing speaker does an admirable job for playing music, speaker phone on the other hand is a somewhat weak and sometimes hard to hear, even when driving in silent vehicle with the windows closed. The Quad DAC has also let me down. After the DAC in the Axon 7 and the HTC 10, I am not impressed. It does improve the audio, but not as well as the competition. With the DAC enabled and audio all the way up, the volume level is weak. With the same headphones that I used in the Axon 7 and the HTC 10, I have no problem hearing the outside noise. I also don't feel that it is nearly as tweakable / noticeable as the HTC 10. When I had the DAC on the HTC 10 on, I could immediately tell the difference and the Highs, Mids, and Lows were way easier to notice / spot changes on. Again, maybe software updates may resolve this, but definitely a let down for me.
Overall: The phone is beautiful. For a phone with removable battery, it honestly feels like a unibody device. I am a bit disappointed in all phone manufacturers currently going to this 2.5D curved glass for no good reason, making getting tempered glass protectors a joke majority of the time. The software overall is fairly smooth. The screen is above average and the secondary screen has become second nature to me. Being able to snap a wide angle shot when others can't definitely something that has lead to people asking me what phone I am using. Had I not gone through all the phones I have in the last 6 months, I may have been way more impressed. As a flagship device, I will say it comes close to delivering what was promised. Had the Note 7 not failed miserably with the exploding issue, I think the V20 would have easily been eclipsed. This phone gets so close in many departments, but doesn't quite nail them down. Considering there is nothing else in the market that draws my attention, I will try and see if it makes it through the initial growing pains that might be solved with software updates.
Before anyone wants to say I forgot about the Pixel, no, I didn't. After having the HTC 10 (which I still have and love as a backup device) and playing with the Pixel, I see absolutely no reason to waste the money on the sad excuse of a flagship device at the same taxing price as an apple product. How google basically took the HTC 10, made it ugly , went with onscreen buttons and a whole lot of bezel, and took away removable storage but is still succeeding with it is beyond me. Yes it has an "amazing camera", assistant (you can get with root on the v20 and nexus 6p), and can charge the battery super fast, but the price tag and lack of innovation is a deal breaker.
So, please, let me know if you agree or disagree. I have been trying to be unbiased and love this phone. Am I being unreasonable, or is it really just a device that got close to the finish line and just gave up?

I think it all depends on what your needs are. We know it doesn't have the best camera. It's very competitive, but not the best. Performance can be fixed with updates. I suspect that LG rushed the ROM to be the first to have Nougat, which was one of their selling points for this phone. Battery life depends on your usage. LG's Quantum displays are horribly inefficient, so the screen is your primary battery drain, but my understanding is that idle drain is very good. Then you have fast charging and one of the few phones that you can instantly go to 100% on by swapping batteries.
For me, this is the only phone that checks all of my requirements: Functional always-on-display, IR blaster, 5.7"+ screen, good camera, removable battery and SD card. So, I'm buying the complete package, not because it's the best at everything. Every single phone has shortcomings. You need to decide which ones you can live with and buy your next device based on that criteria.

I'm with you, I thought the camera was quite a disappointment when shooting in auto mode. I liked the phone a lot (coming from a Nexus 6p) and if the camera had been good it would have been a no-brainer for me, because as greyhulk says it checks most, if not all, the boxes. But I need a camera that shoots good pics in auto mode. Sent it back.

Also disappointed with the camera. Especially after coming from the Note 7..

Settings/Developer Options/ Tick on "Force GPU Rendering" should make your beast smoother/snappier. So any kind of lag should disappear!
If root available try L Speed/Entropy/fstrim apps found on Play Store!
LG V20 & LG G5 are snappy beasts and are well optimised with the Snapdragon 820 and is better than Samsung!

Battery is my main disappointment. Even with minimal use I have only made it an entire day once. Something keeps eating battery while the phone is idle and I have yet to track it down. I suspect it is an app that needs a Nougat update. Same usage and set of apps on the S7 Edge and Note 7 would usually leave me near 50% at the end of the day.

Have to say I disagree.
The Hi-Fi is plenty loud enough and noticeably changes on the go. I have noticed though, it depends on the headphones that you are using. I have used 4 different sets. And each pair gave different results.
The camera is great. Video is turning out to be exactly as expected. As for the camera, it doesn't grab the shot in the first try every time and its nothing a tap of the screen and refocus hasn't been able to fix. But than again I haven't had a camera phone that has been able to take the shot first time every time.
Battery, that's a user to user base question. The other day I was able to get 32 hours out of my battery. But than on the other hand with very heavy use I only got 6.5 hours.

Weird I get about the same battery life as I did with my note 7. When at work I use the phone about the same amount every day 12 hr shifts and I am between. 50 to 70 percent
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

I think your disappointment stems from using so many current generation phones, lets face it most years the hardware upgrades (specifically processors) match each other.
The HTC 10 runs the same hardware as the LG v20, so you've experienced it already. S7 has the same processor as well (assuming its the Qualcomm version) so it's not a big difference compared to someone coming from last generation phones.
Like for me I am coming from a v10 which had an outdated processor out the gate (others were using 810 while the v10 had the 808 due to overheating issues with the 810). The phone is literally over twice as fast as the v10 so I would certainly see a difference compared to you coming from the same generation of processors.
I don't own the phone yet but I will say it's a disappointment to see the camera being a letdown in reviews when you consider that the camera was the big feature of the v10.
Battery doesn't sound all that great either but it's got to be better than the v10. I am sure this will be remedied by 3rd party extended batteries that we will hopefully see. My v10 battery sucked until I upgraded to a 9000 mAh Zerolemon battery pack.
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA-Developers mobile app

Ali Mirza said:
Settings/Developer Options/ Tick on "Force GPU Rendering" should make your beast smoother/snappier. So any kind of lag should disappear!
If root available try L Speed/Entropy/fstrim apps found on Play Store!
LG V20 & LG G5 are snappy beasts and are well optimised with the Snapdragon 820 and is better than Samsung!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello! What specifically does the "Force GPU Rendering" option?

I think you will settle with the Porsche Design Mate 9. Just a feeling lol

Why's there no option for ambivalence or just predictable? Just look at the stats and you pretty much know what you're getting. I'm happy with this phone after the $200 off and assuming I get the ~$150 headphone offer. I would be unhappy for full list price without those promos. For the price w/promos there just isn't anything comparable.
The display is the worst part of this phone for me. AMOLED just beats LCD anyway you slice it, this phone looks badly washed out and the auto brightness does weird things. Also the viewing angles are wonky, I was used to being able to use my phone at extreme angles but now I find myself lifting the phone up more. If this phone had AMOLED it would be a solid 9.9/10 for me, of course I knew I wouldn't like the screen when I bought it I just couldn't find a solid AMOLED phone. I don't particularly like the fingerprint reader position, have to pick it up off a table to use it and I've found my finger accidentally turns the screen on sometimes when I put it in my pocket. The second screen is nice for changing tracks or seeing what track is playing (or seeing the time at night without going blind), but it sucks for notifications. I miss my notification LED and my Qi charging.
Other than that this phone is pretty solid. I'm getting almost identical battery life that my Note 7 got, namely about 2 days. The standby battery life is phenomenal, I usually lose 1-2% overnight even with the second screen on. I love the removable battery so I don't have to worry about the battery dying before I'm ready to get rid of the phone. I'm no audiophile, so to me this phone is the best audio experience I've ever had with a phone hands down. Even streaming at just 192kbps this phone really makes my Shure SE215's sing. The camera is noticeably worse than the Note 7 at low light but it's still the 2nd best camera on a phone I've seen. Close up pictures have lots of nice detail and that's the kind of pictures I usually take. It focuses quickly and locks focus down better than the Note 7 did. For the kinds of the pictures I take in fact this camera is better, unlike my Samsungs this phone's auto white balance mode works correctly. The whole phone feels quick and snappy, comparable to the Note. I'm getting slightly better signal than I've ever gotten, in fact the wifi is much stronger than either of my Note 7's were.
I like the look of the phone and it feels great in my hands, which although not as great as the all glass Note 7, it feels like I could drop it and have nothing to worry about. I don't find the UI intrusive or laggy, eventually I'll swap over to nova prime once I'm tired of stock. For me it ticks all the right boxes of keeping old features rather than heading the apple direction and removing everything. Removable battery, SD card, IR Blaster, headphone jack, USB C, etc For that reason alone I think it's worth supporting LG

I agree
Main reasons I am keeping it are the $200 off, switched to T-mobile from VZW, and they are paying off the ETF so saving that money and the headphones makes the phone ideally almost free to me. For the full retail, I would return it in a heartbeat. People have hit it on the head that it really might be the fact the the Snapdragon 820 and the 4 GB ram is now getting long in the tooth. The camera can produce some nice pictures in manual mode, so I try to jump to that right away, but just a bit of a hassle to be on the ball to take a simple pic. With moderate light and close up, it does perform well. I can't really control lighting at all times and try and get my daughter up close and still when a picture moment comes though, the s7 handled it much better. I am going to try some different headphones to see if it is just the main pair I use that is letting me down. For the money / hardware, I think the Axon is the better bang for the buck with the AMOLED screen and the all carrier support. The speakers on that are ridiculous and the DAC was solid. This phone over all falls somewhere in the 7.5-8 /10 for me. Between the V20 and the HTC 10 I'll be good til the next wave of Flagships hit. I just have the feeling that LG pushed it out in a hurry to capitalize on the Note 7 flop and they could've polished it up a lot more. I can see them making the camera more responsive in low light and possibly addressing the battery life / hifi-dac customization / volume in the updates. It does a lot right but overall I was expecting and hoping for more from LG when they have had the perfect shot to grab the market. So far I am seeing the responses that seem line up with my expectation. Thanks everyone for taking the time to read and respond!
bishmaster5000 said:
Why's there no option for ambivalence or just predictable? Just look at the stats and you pretty much know what you're getting. I'm happy with this phone after the $200 off and assuming I get the ~$150 headphone offer. I would be unhappy for full list price without those promos. For the price w/promos there just isn't anything comparable.
The display is the worst part of this phone for me. AMOLED just beats LCD anyway you slice it, this phone looks badly washed out and the auto brightness does weird things. Also the viewing angles are wonky, I was used to being able to use my phone at extreme angles but now I find myself lifting the phone up more. If this phone had AMOLED it would be a solid 9.9/10 for me, of course I knew I wouldn't like the screen when I bought it I just couldn't find a solid AMOLED phone. I don't particularly like the fingerprint reader position, have to pick it up off a table to use it and I've found my finger accidentally turns the screen on sometimes when I put it in my pocket. The second screen is nice for changing tracks or seeing what track is playing (or seeing the time at night without going blind), but it sucks for notifications. I miss my notification LED and my Qi charging.
Other than that this phone is pretty solid. I'm getting almost identical battery life that my Note 7 got, namely about 2 days. The standby battery life is phenomenal, I usually lose 1-2% overnight even with the second screen on. I love the removable battery so I don't have to worry about the battery dying before I'm ready to get rid of the phone. I'm no audiophile, so to me this phone is the best audio experience I've ever had with a phone hands down. Even streaming at just 192kbps this phone really makes my Shure SE215's sing. The camera is noticeably worse than the Note 7 at low light but it's still the 2nd best camera on a phone I've seen. Close up pictures have lots of nice detail and that's the kind of pictures I usually take. It focuses quickly and locks focus down better than the Note 7 did. For the kinds of the pictures I take in fact this camera is better, unlike my Samsungs this phone's auto white balance mode works correctly. The whole phone feels quick and snappy, comparable to the Note. I'm getting slightly better signal than I've ever gotten, in fact the wifi is much stronger than either of my Note 7's were.
I like the look of the phone and it feels great in my hands, which although not as great as the all glass Note 7, it feels like I could drop it and have nothing to worry about. I don't find the UI intrusive or laggy, eventually I'll swap over to nova prime once I'm tired of stock. For me it ticks all the right boxes of keeping old features rather than heading the apple direction and removing everything. Removable battery, SD card, IR Blaster, headphone jack, USB C, etc For that reason alone I think it's worth supporting LG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Ali Mirza said:
Settings/Developer Options/ Tick on "Force GPU Rendering" should make your beast smoother/snappier. So any kind of lag should disappear!
If root available try L Speed/Entropy/fstrim apps found on Play Store!
LG V20 & LG G5 are snappy beasts and are well optimised with the Snapdragon 820 and is better than Samsung!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please stop posting this everywhere
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

You also forgot to mention the locked bootloader
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

I came from the LG Nexus 5x and I loved that phone. While it's only been a few days, I am more than happy with the V20.
I get a phone through work, but upgraded on my own last year to the 5x. So when I cracked my screen a few weeks ago, I went through work this time. Options were limited on AT&T and since I'm gonna be stuck with a phone for 2 years I wanted the newest phone I could get without "compromising" what I'd wanted in a phone. I also didn't want to settle for a year old phone or switch to the iPhone (Android since 2010 and likely forever).
Anyway, I say all that to say that the V20 was never on my radar, mostly because of the size, even though I'd previously had the Note 2, 3 and briefly 4. I'd been very happy with the size and feel of the 5x, but the battery life was horrendous. Basically anything would have been an upgrade, and the V20 does more than I need in the battery department. If I can get to my bed before needing a charge, I'm a happy man, since I'd be charging around lunch on a daily basis before.
I was already used to the fingerprint sensor and love the fact it's on the back on the V20 as well. I can deal with the volume buttons swapped and the power button moving to the fingerprint sensor. It was a little odd at first but I'm used to it already.
Again, the camera and screen on the 5x was mediocre so anything would be better. And again the V20 checks both of those boxes; huge, vibrant screen, and pictures that look beautiful to my eye. If you're going from newest flagship to newest flagship an argument can be made on those points, but if you're upgrading after a year + the hardware is always going to be better, even if you find some flaws, and IMO the V20 does great in both categories.
The removable battery does have its pros. A few years ago it was a 'must-have' for me, but nowadays I'd taker water/dust proofing over it. Not a deal breaker though. The SD card slot IS however a wonderful thing. Despite the 64 GB internal, I love being able to add and not worry about space. I've had my local music library backed up to an SD card for quite a while and it's so convenient to have that at my disposal locally (no network connection needed).
The software. Not much better than PURE Android and rooting has always been a priority for me. BUT, stability ultimately is the most important thing on a phone to me now. Being able to lower DPI via adb shell is huge. Really not having TiBu or the ability to remove some carrier apps is about the worst left we can't do. And to be honest, it's easily overlooked. Is it annoying AF we can't remove everything we don't want? Absolutely. But said apps can be hidden with certain launchers, and I've come to just ignore them in the app drawer, forgetting they're even there.
Add in the FM radio (so novel yet so great), Second Screen (which I actually could use some tips on getting the most out of) and I'm digging this phone. Is LG's UI a little clunky? Yea, but I'll live. And using something new is refreshing, honestly.
It's only been a few days but I'm happy with this device and have no regrets. The V20 may also get me back on the Phablet train, being unable to use something smaller as they feel like toys. I've not gone a full 2 years without upgrading in quite some time. This phone is going to be the test.
/ rant
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

I agree with what you say. I think my let down is from moving from flagship to flagship all into the same time frame. The coming from any device before the snapdragon 820 and a quad HD screen, this thing is a major upgrade. I agree that the fingerprint scanner is best on back... Loved it on the nexus 6p and the axon 7. I just sold my htc 10 so I'm committed to the v20. Holding out til something amazing comes this way...

bishmaster5000 said:
Why's there no option for ambivalence or just predictable? Just look at the stats and you pretty much know what you're getting. I'm happy with this phone after the $200 off and assuming I get the ~$150 headphone offer. I would be unhappy for full list price without those promos. For the price w/promos there just isn't anything comparable.
The display is the worst part of this phone for me. AMOLED just beats LCD anyway you slice it, this phone looks badly washed out and the auto brightness does weird things. Also the viewing angles are wonky, I was used to being able to use my phone at extreme angles but now I find myself lifting the phone up more. If this phone had AMOLED it would be a solid 9.9/10 for me, of course I knew I wouldn't like the screen when I bought it I just couldn't find a solid AMOLED phone. I don't particularly like the fingerprint reader position, have to pick it up off a table to use it and I've found my finger accidentally turns the screen on sometimes when I put it in my pocket. The second screen is nice for changing tracks or seeing what track is playing (or seeing the time at night without going blind), but it sucks for notifications. I miss my notification LED and my Qi charging.
Other than that this phone is pretty solid. I'm getting almost identical battery life that my Note 7 got, namely about 2 days. The standby battery life is phenomenal, I usually lose 1-2% overnight even with the second screen on. I love the removable battery so I don't have to worry about the battery dying before I'm ready to get rid of the phone. I'm no audiophile, so to me this phone is the best audio experience I've ever had with a phone hands down. Even streaming at just 192kbps this phone really makes my Shure SE215's sing. The camera is noticeably worse than the Note 7 at low light but it's still the 2nd best camera on a phone I've seen. Close up pictures have lots of nice detail and that's the kind of pictures I usually take. It focuses quickly and locks focus down better than the Note 7 did. For the kinds of the pictures I take in fact this camera is better, unlike my Samsungs this phone's auto white balance mode works correctly. The whole phone feels quick and snappy, comparable to the Note. I'm getting slightly better signal than I've ever gotten, in fact the wifi is much stronger than either of my Note 7's were.
I like the look of the phone and it feels great in my hands, which although not as great as the all glass Note 7, it feels like I could drop it and have nothing to worry about. I don't find the UI intrusive or laggy, eventually I'll swap over to nova prime once I'm tired of stock. For me it ticks all the right boxes of keeping old features rather than heading the apple direction and removing everything. Removable battery, SD card, IR Blaster, headphone jack, USB C, etc For that reason alone I think it's worth supporting LG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Top tier amoled should've been here. Probably would've improved the already great battery life another 20%ish. And notification LED would've been awesome. Yeah yeah. I know we have second screen, but I don't use it. Probably why I get 6h+SOT all the time. 8h 1m was my best and I had 3% left. I get 7h+ often. Standby time is incredible. Hasn't been consistent for me but probably lose 1% about every 5h average. Need to root and get adblocking. That will probably improve battery life even more. Hoping a custom kernel with only modification of voltage settings will help too. Tired of all these unstable kernels with features I don't use or care.about. haven't stuck with a custom kernel since...maybe note2. It has been awhile. Just roll with stock kernel since no dev wants to make a simple kernel with voltage adjustments. Not paying anymore devs on kernels until they deliver. I've paid upfront twice and font nothing in return. Scumbags.and I hope the fingerprint scanner has features. Features like being able to use as track pad or minimum that uses swipes for shortcuts like the pixel. That would be friggin' awesome. And aside from camera on auto not being consistent the phone otherwise is almost flawless. I've gotten accustomed to the camera on auto though. Multiple pictures and using focus at different spots has helped tremendously. I've been able to tweak my screen close to accurate by eyeballing it so pictures look like the scenery on screen now. Got to test video and bi def recording today at veterans day parade. Both exceeded my high expectations. Just need slmevody to find binning of chips which I made a dedicated thread for but nobody answered. I've looked everywhere. And one of first things I do when I root is customize the boot up screen. Boring. Very boring and.typical of T-Mobile. I've only had to reboot for sim or micro SD reasons though. Very very stable. Micro SD isn't up to par unless I have root. Nonetheless I've been able to work around it. Just had to take care out. And everybody keeps saying IR blaster. I think our IT is a transceiver. Supposedly it can learn but I haven't tried yet. R.I.P. remotes if it indeed can learn. LG did good. Seems rushed but this is truly a flagship phone in many ways. Swappable battery in 2016on a flagship. Say what? LG needs to step it up on the accessories. Ready to buy a 6 pack of batteries. I got in on the $51 deal for the BCK-5200 package on Amazon. Now just need a good sale on batteries.

Coming from a note 7 I have mixed feelings. It ticks a lot of the boxes but I miss waterproof, the great samsung screens and I knew about those when I bought. The camera really disappointed me though. I was expecting it to take way better pics than it does. Spoiled from the note 7 I suppose. I didn't realize before buying it that it had the IR blaster and I had really been missing that from my s5. Nice to not have to hunt for remotes anymore. Its not ideal, but for someone like me that over 5.7" screen is a requirement it really is the best second choice to my old note 7. The bootloader sucks too. I had gotten out of the habit of reroming phones since samsung pay and now that I am off samsung I thought it would be fun to start that again. But nope. I have a sprint one and it seems to be non rootable at the moment.
---------- Post added at 05:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:13 AM ----------
I do think a little bit of my dissapointment in the camera is not genuine. I am mainly comparing shots taken with this phones camera viewed on this phones screen to shots taken by the note 7 on the note 7's screen. The same photo would of course pop more on the amoled screen even if it was the same camera so thats part of the disappointment. But even still I think the note 7 took way better pics.

I love the phone other than no root, the camera I'm not really disappointed because I'm no photographer, the IR blaster is a must thank you LG, Samsung what are you thinking. The removable battery isn't a big deal since the battery does pretty good. If it was water proof that would top it off.
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

Advice wanted from experienced LG V20 users

Hi folks. I've been on a T-mobile Note 4 for a long time now, and love it- no problems yet and an 8000 maH battery keeping me quite happy.
Thinking forward to buying a new phone soon. Lots of new stuff coming out soon, but the V20 still looks attractive to me (being able to get a 10,000 maH zerolemon battery is a BIG factor). IR blaster and SD card availability is big to me too.
Couple of questions:
1) Thinking about what's coming out, and having lived with the V20, would you wait for what's coming out this spring, or even sit back until the "V30"?
2) I love taking pictures with the Note 4, and they turn out well. Low light, well, not so much. Flowers on a sunny day are great. Are you happy with the main and selfie cameras, or do you find yourself wanting "just a bit more" (for the average user... I'm not a full time amateur photographer).
Your comments would be much appreciated. I just retired, so I have more time to play with things these days- so I'm sure I'll be using the next beast I buy extensively especially for reading, nice photos, and the ir remote (oh, I got a great e-z chair for tv time ).
Thanks much!
Steven.RN

I like my V20 but unfortunately I do not "love" it like I did with my OG Motorola Nexus 6.
The stock battery is utter crap and I am on my 2nd LG battery after having to recall the 1st one. The 2nd one greatly improved but not by much. Rooting this phone has saved me from returning it. If it wasn't for Root I would of returned the phone.
1. Other than the G6 or the S8 coming out - what other phones are coming out (T-Mobile Wise)? Nothing right now seems to give me that "wow" factor like the Pure Android experience from the Nexus 6 did (yes, as you can tell, I loved that phone) The Pixel phones are a complete joke to me...horrible design....
2. The camera is okay for an average user. I do find myself liking the fact I have two lenses to choose from. Wide angle and normal angle. Very helpful in the Security field that I am in. But be warned the pictures are not amazing like Samsung devices.
If I were you, kinda wish I was right now. I would wait for the Note 8!
But other than that the 2nd Screen is incredibly helpful, to me. The removable battery and SD card is a great addition. The IR Blaster is cool but I do not use it at all. I have enough "Universal" remotes. LG's UI is pretty neat I like it a lot better than Samsungs ugly TouchWiz UI.
To each their own, I suppose.

I think the phone is awesome, the smart phone market has peaked advancements aren't going to be as neat as they used to be.
The snapdragon 820 is about 3 times faster than the 805 in your note 4 (assuming you've got the snapdragon variant).
The camera is snappier than the note 4 and takes pretty good photos (better than the note 4).
If you like the stylus though I'd wait it out 6 months for the note 8.
It's a worthy upgrade and it'll probably be a phone that would carry you through two years if not longer.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

Absolutely the best phone I've ever had.
Very well built, great reception, zero lag, large screen....and I have to disagree about the battery. I've had nothing but FANTASTIC life, and this is with two different batteries, one just for backup just in case. Fast charging works great...volume is perfect, removable battery, rootable and TWRP-able...honestly, I wouldn't even think about "upgrading" from this phone right now. Samsung who?

I came from the note 4 also. This phone is much faster (no Lag). I didn't think there was any lag with my note until I got this phone. With that said, I am rooted with a custom rom and that did speed things up a little. My note was also rooted with a very nice custom rom.
When the note 7 came out, the were a lot of people on XDA saying they wished there was a flat screen version, i.e. not the curved screen. You can bet the note 8 will have a curved screen which makes finding quality screen protection tough. The v20 does have slight curving at the top and bottom, but people here have found tempered glass solutions that work.
You can also bet the note 8 won't have a removable back, so replacing the back plate with a bigger battery and cover won't be an option.
The camera takes very good pictures and if you understand the options in manual, you can really optimize it. Is it as good as the note 8 will be? No.
Sammy screens are also the best looking. The V20 screen while it has the specs, just doesn't look as good as a sammy. If you use a kernel with kcal support, you can get close.
Good luck.

I also came from a Note 4.
I personally never used the stylus for anything except taking screen grabs. I fount it easier than remembering the button combo for a screenshot.
My gps stopped working due to a known defect in the note 4. I broke the display trying to take it apart to fix it.
I love my V20 so much more than my note 3 or 4 or 7 even.
I won't buy note 8 as like all Samsungs -
1. The sound will most likely be horrible.
2. You probably will never be able to root it.
3. As nice as the amoled looks - everyone I've owned as well as my wifes, bil's, sisters all suffer bad screen burn in.
4. If they force that curved edge screen again. I hated that on the Note 7.

I'm done with Sammy. LG V20 is the best I've ever had so far

I also came from the Note 4. I got the s7 edge which i gave to my wife. The buttons(or lack of) take a little getting used to, but the ability to root determined my buying the V20 and I think it is on par with my note feature wise(minus stylus\plus FM radio) just faster and maybe a bit lighter. If Note 8 is rootable, i might jump but i doubt it. I could keep this phone for awhile.

Love it
But dont love the front cam is really bad
And rear cam
My old nexus 6p was better
But performance is great and second screen is great
Battary is ****
Charge is 3 times at day
Hi dac is fantastic
Screen is good but not great
---------- Post added at 01:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:21 AM ----------
For me
Camera
At day light 10/10
At night 9/10
Indoors craaap 2/10

Another perk with LG is that the amount of garbage software that it comes with is minimal when compared to Samsung. I know the note 3 and note 4 were filled with Samsung garbage apps.
The other consideration is there is no know so warranty shouldn't be a issue since there is no knox switch that gets flipped when you root it, you can (in most cases) reverse the rooting without any problems.
Of course I turned in my v10 rooted and they didn't even care (T-Mobile) so I am not sure if this is a real issue with warranty or not.
I say go for it, its going to beat the note 4 in just about everything. The only perk for the note 4 is the amoled display which saves quite a bit of battery. Of course you can always get aftermarket battery packs to off set it with the LG v20.
The v20 battery life is much improved over the v10, I typically have about 30 percent battery by the end of the day (this is with spotify and Bluetooth running during the work day).
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

I really do like it a lot, although it had to grow on me a little bit. In term of pictures, I think it takes rather nice pictures (at least for me). The wide angle lens is pretty cool too. My note 5 broke so this is why I have this phone. The second screen is really useful and I like that it doesn't have a notification light. The screen is nice and big for reading also. I don't use the IR blaster at all so i can't really tell you what its like.
I hope this helps!

The v20 is OK but my note 7 was far superior. Better camera, screen, battery life, only thing the v20 had over the note 7 was the DAC. Personally I would wait until newer phones comes out. I'm looking FWD to the note 8.
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

As someone who have had a wide variety of samsungs and LG .... I believe i will be keeping this phone for at least 4 years easily. There are just not way too many cons and there are way to many pros. The battery can sometime be a pain but that's just like any other phone since nothing last forever. But hey, the dozen mode!!! OUTSTANDING! my V20 consumes 1% of battery in 8 hours with screen off and 2nd screen on. so, it might not last more than 5:30-50's+ hours with screen on, full brightness, wifi on, gps on, and a video in 1440p. But,,,, as far as dozen mode goes.... It is outstanding! And if the promotion stills on, you can get the phone for 600+ instead of the 800+ by exchanging any 4g crap phone ($19 dollars at walmart should do lol). Im happy with the phone (sometimes pictures if zoomed in can look like waterpaint style but it doesnt happen that often (At least to me)). And as far as waiting for the V30 or note 8 ... Well, that is truly up to you. However, if you are hoping for root , there is just not guarantee given the fact that they are truly patching up every door from nougat 7.0 and up. So... you could wait for the V30 or note 8 but if you wish for root or developments.... i dont recommend to buy them before someone finds the way to root it.

I was one of the ones that was coming from an S6 edge instead of something newer, so obviously it's a bigger upgrade for me than it was for most others. I am pretty happy with the camera. I miss having the double-tap home button from the Samsung for the camera launch, but that's about it. I took it with me to Colorado and took some quite lovely pictures in the sunshine. Most people will concede that the low light performance leaves some to be desired, but I usually don't take any in conditions that are that bad, where that I would complain afterwards. I kind of figure that in sub-optimal conditions, I'll have sub-optimal results.
My battery seems to be quite fine, BUT, I'm also rooted and running a debloated ROM (the US996 stock deodexed, on my 995 Verizon model). The battery under whatever kernel it's running, is quite fine, and it is removable for people needing more length. I wish it had wireless charging, but that's just how it is. But for example, 8 hours on standby, and I was still at well over 75% today at work. And I can usually get through a good 3 hours of straight video playback at least. But the way people use their phones varies so much, it's hard to say. I do get better life rooted than when it was stock.
It also is plenty snappy, and I've had no issues, no overheating, no weird battery drain, no lag, or the like. I would say that coming from what you have now, it might be a step up but you might feel it won't be a big enough one yet. But the LG G6 being rumored out might be worth holding out, assuming you aren't looking to root. That might get tricky as Nougat (mentioned above) starts getting locked down. I have faith in the community - after all, it didn't take long for the V20 to get opened up, though there are some that worry that it'll continue to get harder as exploits get patched.
For what it's worth, I love mine. I miss a couple weird tricks from other phones, but on the whole, I am very satisfied with my decision.

CharlzO_2000 said:
I was one of the ones that was coming from an S6 edge instead of something newer, so obviously it's a bigger upgrade for me than it was for most others. I am pretty happy with the camera. I miss having the double-tap home button from the Samsung for the camera launch, but that's about it. I took it with me to Colorado and took some quite lovely pictures in the sunshine. Most people will concede that the low light performance leaves some to be desired, but I usually don't take any in conditions that are that bad, where that I would complain afterwards. I kind of figure that in sub-optimal conditions, I'll have sub-optimal results.
My battery seems to be quite fine, BUT, I'm also rooted and running a debloated ROM (the US996 stock deodexed, on my 995 Verizon model). The battery under whatever kernel it's running, is quite fine, and it is removable for people needing more length. I wish it had wireless charging, but that's just how it is. But for example, 8 hours on standby, and I was still at well over 75% today at work. And I can usually get through a good 3 hours of straight video playback at least. But the way people use their phones varies so much, it's hard to say. I do get better life rooted than when it was stock.
It also is plenty snappy, and I've had no issues, no overheating, no weird battery drain, no lag, or the like. I would say that coming from what you have now, it might be a step up but you might feel it won't be a big enough one yet. But the LG G6 being rumored out might be worth holding out, assuming you aren't looking to root. That might get tricky as Nougat (mentioned above) starts getting locked down. I have faith in the community - after all, it didn't take long for the V20 to get opened up, though there are some that worry that it'll continue to get harder as exploits get patched.
For what it's worth, I love mine. I miss a couple weird tricks from other phones, but on the whole, I am very satisfied with my decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Random FYI... Double press down volume when screen is off opens camera. (options in settings to open and immediately take pic or just open)
I figure you already know and just miss the convenience of the home button location but... Just in case...

planetbeen said:
Random FYI... Double press down volume when screen is off opens camera. (options in settings to open and immediately take pic or just open)
I figure you already know and just miss the convenience of the home button location but... Just in case...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, there is that one. But it's also a little more awkward that way. It's just as easy to double-tap the screen and swipe into the camera app. The home key on the Samsung was perfect, because I could bring the phone to landscape orientation, double tap, and bam, ready to go. It's rare that I need to get a picture THAT fast that I need to, but it was really convenient.

I love almost everything about it, but If this thing had a brighter or amoled screen I would never get another phone.

slayerh4x said:
I love almost everything about it, but If this thing had a brighter or amoled screen I would never get another phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do not bring AMOLED INTO IPS!!! Every single phone i had with AMOLED screen (10 to be precise), all of them developed burn in image. LOL I will never buy another phone with AMOLED screen. Unless..... They A) fix the issue with the burn in image, and B) they manage to make it last at its full potential for at least 5 years and then after 5 years the pixels can start dying. Not to mention that many of the AMOLED screens from nowadays have removed soooooooo many important features in a phone such as removable battery and sd card slots. That alone makes me move within an instant to LG G or V series (AKA Large Giraffe as some people call it LOL)

jinkerz9430 said:
Do not bring AMOLED INTO IPS!!! Every single phone i had with AMOLED screen (10 to be precise), all of them developed burn in image. LOL I will never buy another phone with AMOLED screen. Unless..... They A) fix the issue with the burn in image, and B) they manage to make it last at its full potential for at least 5 years and then after 5 years the pixels can start dying. Not to mention that many of the AMOLED screens from nowadays have removed soooooooo many important features in a phone such as removable battery and sd card slots. That alone makes me move within an instant to LG G or V series (AKA Large Giraffe as some people call it LOL)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha Yeah it would have to be a revised version of that hardware. I just find that the screen is way too dim outside. I even used that adaptive display mod which does help, but washes out the colors.

I literally just went from a note 4 to v20 and its amazing. The phone is so much more intuitive . tap screen to wake .fingerprint scanner unlocks phone faster than I can swipe. So much more. All around it just works better. I feel like all Samsung phones are the same. Bc I've had only Sammy past 8 years. I love this v20
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

Long term Pixel opinion?

What's your opinion of this phone now that it's been out for more than six months?
Build quality, development, etc.
Compared to previous phones or compared to whatever your expectations might have been.
Me?
I'm sorry to say that I wish I never left my Moto X Pure with BrokenOS' MarshMallow ROM.
Pixel is great though, in many ways.

It was a much needed update from my aging Nexus 6.
Was briefly contemplating iPhone, but stuck with the Pixel.
Overall, I love the camera, the battery is a champ, and so far I feel no need or want to modify the device.
I think google did well with this one.
Let's hope LG doesn't botch the next one.
LoopLoopLoopLoop

CZ Eddie said:
What's your opinion of this phone now that it's been out for more than six months?
Build quality, development, etc.
Compared to previous phones or compared to whatever your expectations might have been.
Me?
I'm sorry to say that I wish I never left my Moto X Pure with BrokenOS' MarshMallow ROM.
Pixel is great though, in many ways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the cherry ? bomb. Like all my Google phones.
Unprecedented battery life.
Fast as Lightning (Especially w/sdcardfs)
No cracks or damage.
Best reception I have ever had.
Extremely challenging to hack. Very easy once you have the slots and Google stops playing games. Lol
Speaker sucks. But I can live with it.
Never have and never will buy anything but a Google phone.
I can go on and on.....
BTW Moto Rocks!

I came from an S5 so anything would have been an upgrade for me. So this thing is screaming fast to me

I bought the phone after I had to send my Note 7 back. I liked it, but didn't keep it long. I've been through a few different phones in the meantime, but finally came back. It's faster than any phone I've used, and still feels really solid, and good in the hand

I came from a N6 as well. I miss the stereo speakers and the bigger screen size of the N6.
The positives of Pixel are the speed, battery life and the general smoothness of the phone.
The cons are pathetic speakers (What was google thinking?), huge bezels (which I find hard to digest coming from a lesser bezel N6) and the lack of development. On my N6 I had flashed almost 10 custom ROMs at different times.
There is hardly much choice for Pixel XL other than a handful ROMs. Perhaps the high price of the phone and the slot rigmarole turns off developers here.
I'm happy with the Pixel , but it was close to $900 and I just feel that I did not get my money's worth. That said, I can't deal with non-Google phones. Was thinking about a One Plus 5, but that's about it. Hopefully Google does something nicer with Pixel XL2.

I love stock Android and EAS is the best thing to happen to Android but..
Just can't justify the price for what you get. I'm a big Audio guy and the speaker is worst I've heard along with 3.5mm jack just sounds awful..
have to run an External DAC to make up for the poor quality
Video recording seems a bit meh blury/grainy no matter what I can't take a clear video unless it's in direct sunlight and then have to deal with the *Lense Flare* another pain in the ass
Rest of the phone is good
Development it's pretty much none existent seems like if you want roms/kernel's either stick with a 6P or OnePlus/Other China device
But I feel like it should of been priced at same as the 6P $440 we only got minor improvements nothing "WOW" to make up for the $300 extra..
I guess we paid for that "Made By Google" bs marketing. Also was never in stock anywhere + the hardware issues drove people away lets hope HTC isn't making again so we can have a great launch and hopefully bring people back :good:

liam_davenport said:
I love stock Android and EAS is the best thing to happen to Android but..
Just can't justify the price for what you get. I'm a big Audio guy and the speaker is worst I've heard along with 3.5mm jack just sounds awful..
have to run an External DAC to make up for the poor quality
Video recording seems a bit meh blury/grainy no matter what I can't take a clear video unless it's in direct sunlight and then have to deal with the *Lense Flare* another pain in the ass
Rest of the phone is good
Development it's pretty much none existent seems like if you want roms/kernel's either stick with a 6P or OnePlus/Other China device
But I feel like it should of been priced at same as the 6P $440 we only got minor improvements nothing "WOW" to make up for the $300 extra..
I guess we paid for that "Made By Google" bs marketing. Also was never in stock anywhere + the hardware issues drove people away lets hope HTC isn't making again so we can have a great launch and hopefully bring people back :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do miss the value days of the Nexus program. Minus Shamu of course. That was expensive. When I bought those Nexus, I felt like I was getting an incredible value for a smartphone.
Here is something I truly value and want everyone to think about.
How much is it worth to us for,
Monthly security updates
Major OS upgrades for two years
Bugfixes along the way

I'll tell you by saying what I've chosen as my daily driver and where my SIM card is and what's in my pocket right now. I've had marlin since Nov '16 and iPhone 7 plus since Jan '17. The marlin is in my pocket right now. The iPhone 7 plus is a great device (iMessages, waterproof) but the reason I love android is the ability to modify (stock or ROM-root-kernel) and access to that SD Card. Otherwise the 2 are pretty much equal as to camera, battery, speed, smoothness, response to touches, etc. at least in my perception. So, obviously I'm very pleased with marlin since I prefer it to a very popular alternative. Had a Samsung Galaxy S7 in early 2016 but sold it after 2 months, Pixel much better device to me.

iamjimmy said:
I came from a N6 as well. I miss the stereo speakers and the bigger screen size of the N6.
The positives of Pixel are the speed, battery life and the general smoothness of the phone.
The cons are pathetic speakers (What was google thinking?), huge bezels (which I find hard to digest coming from a lesser bezel N6) and the lack of development. On my N6 I had flashed almost 10 custom ROMs at different times.
There is hardly much choice for Pixel XL other than a handful ROMs. Perhaps the high price of the phone and the slot rigmarole turns off developers here.
I'm happy with the Pixel , but it was close to $900 and I just feel that I did not get my money's worth. That said, I can't deal with non-Google phones. Was thinking about a One Plus 5, but that's about it. Hopefully Google does something nicer with Pixel XL2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed 100%. Thats why i skipped this one looking forward to the next one. For the price it must have stereo speaker, better audio, water resist, better design and quality. Oh and wireless charging. Then i will jump right in.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Six month user here. And my main complaint for the Pixel remains exactly same as it was back when I bought it. The sudden freezing problem. Just out of nowhere the screen freezes for a second or two, if I am playing a game, then its done, simply over, have to restart, and I can't express how much I hate that. Of course its most noticeable/affecting while gaming, but it happens basically everywhere too, but just less frustrating in other places.
I was advised to format the phone, not root it and blah blah but exact same happened there too, without installing any apps at all! Ridiculous problem and IMHO the most annoying issue Pixels have.
Other than this, I don't know, sometimes the low light photos come with a really weird greenish cast, completely off coloured and way too much noise (yeah with HDR+ On, that's the only one I use anyway) etc.
But other than these two, I have no complaints. Tremendous call quality, more than acceptable display (though still no Apple!), excellent GPS (though Google Maps says to calibrate compass every now and then), buttery smooth interface all around most times, at max volume the loudspeaker is excellent (though at half volume it can't be heard and equally ****e!), really low SAR value etc., I am contemplating the U11 now, just for the sound and camera, but if I don't go that route I am gonna keep this phone for at least two years, and the maximum I have ever used a mobile phone was for 15 months, the Galaxy S2 back in the days, should suffice what I think about this phone.
I also have the OnePlus 3 in office, and I know some people compare it and I can say its basically Guava vs Apples comparison.
PS: Sorry didn't comment about development, but I honestly don't care much about it at all. I bought the Pixel so that I won't be needing the optimise it, let Google optimise it for me, and they did a fairly decent job, but after using Franco kernel I can say Google could have done a much better job. So that's all I need, a custom kernel.

coming from Samsung and LG devices, this phone has been a breath of fresh air even with this new partition scheme. Phone does well, battery life holds up for two days. I just have an issue with bluetooth not consistently sending music info to my radio. Some days it works, other days it's like what music info...

It's great and definitely a worthy upgrade from my Nexus 6. The only thing I miss is the front facing speakers but I didn't use them much anyways, well that and I guess it's way more slippery than my Nexus 6 because I don't use cases at all.

Couldn't be happier. Presently have a 7 Plus and the XL that I swap my sim between. IPhone is great in many ways but I just keep coming back to the Pixel XL....something about the experience I get using it that I really enjoy.
As for the other characteristics of the device others have already commented. I purchased mine at launch and received it later October.

I currently have the Nexus 6P. Damn that is a nice phone! I'm seriously doubting anything will "crush" this phones performance. But I decided I wanted to move up to the Pixel XL. I'm a decent Android gamer, so the updated GPU was nice. Plus, the camera is supposedly just that much better. Among other things, like 4GB RAM instead of the 6P's 3GB.
I don't receive the Pixel XL until Monday, so I'm wearing a path through my foyer, pacing back and forth, waiting for it to arrive.
I've spent at LEAST 30 hours this week doing research on the Pixel, its partition layout, how to get root to work, TWRP limitations, etc. This is certainly more complicated than the 6P.
Part of the reason I decided to plop down for the Pixel, was because I didn't see a lot of development going for it, as there is for the 6P. And since people seem to like my ROMs, I figured I'd toss something out there that I made, and see what kind of life it can breathe into the Pixel.
I think I'll like it. Tried it out in-hand at BestBuy yesterday. Solid device, great screen, color accuracy is actually better than the 6P, and for the first time, I kind of like the phone WITHOUT a case! Never though I'd say that.

I've used iPhones since the 3GS up until the 6S Plus (all jailbroken). I decided to try out the Nexus 6P (first ever Android phone) and fell in love with it! Custom ROMs, kernels, tweaks, Xposed, etc. were all new to me and I loved every bit of it!
However, for some reason, I decided to sell it and pick up an iPhone 7 Plus when it released. As iOS matured, security got tighter, and jailbreaking became more difficult. I got tired of waiting for a jailbreak to release and realized how locked down the OS is (when not jailbroken) compared to Android.
I sold my 7 Plus and bought this Pixel XL. I wasn't a huge fan at first, just because of the confusion with the slots and the lack of development compared to the 6P.
Now that there is more development and that I understand the slots better, I'm really enjoying this phone!
Overall, if I had the choice, I would still probably pick the 6P over this; that thing was just a beauty in basically every aspect, and it was the phone that first introduced me into the Android world.
Not a huge fan of the single downfiring speaker or the bottom chin, but otherwise it's a great phone, especially the camera!
I'm going to see what the OnePlus 5 has to offer, and may switch to that - but I'll definitely keep this XL around until the 2nd gen Pixels release. I'll be purchasing the second gen Pixels only if Google allows them to be development friendly like how the Nexus line was. If not, I may make a permanent switch over to the OnePlus line.

CZ Eddie said:
What's your opinion of this phone now that it's been out for more than six months?
Build quality, development, etc.
Compared to previous phones or compared to whatever your expectations might have been.
Me?
I'm sorry to say that I wish I never left my Moto X Pure with BrokenOS' MarshMallow ROM.
Pixel is great though, in many ways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I had the LG G6, S8+, and I sent the G6 back and sold the S8+. The pixel was snappier than both, better camera than both which is a great feature having and outstanding camera, and more reliable than both. I like stock Android, clean, fast, stable. I like being able to unlock and do what I want with my phone when I want and still have the same snappiness, camera quality, and reliability on custom ROMs. Most times you sacrifice things to go custom. Not with Google devices, Nexus, Pixel, etc. I still have it since released and can't see getting rid of it any time soon. Ya, maybe people thinking of OnePlus 5, but I also had the 3 and 3T and one thing I hated about that is when using anything custom, the camera was horrible, BT for me had issues, and other little nags. All in all, this is definitely my go to device and I've had many.

I give it a C+
After having the Pixel XL since I returned the Note 7 (Best phone I've ever owned IMO), There are issues with it that really bug me.
- For one, Youtube stutters and desyncs the audio from the video almost every video I watch, and I watch a lot of YT.
- Second, the bluetooth does not sync right in my Audi, and every 15 minutes it sounds like a modem for like 20 seconds and reconnects. It also doesn't know what to do on voice calls and frequently bounce back and forth between car speakers, and phone speaker mode, so I just turn it off for voice or Hangouts/Meet calls in the car.
- Third, the battery life has been dwindling over time, so I charge twice a day now. Yes, I'm a power user and need at least 6-8 hours of screen on time per day. That being said the phone charging speed is ridiculously fast. I can charge at least 50% in 30 minutes.
- The speakers are crap, and the audio jack doesn't give me enough volume. The setting between say 60-65% volume is way too loud, so the volume curve is not good.
-As a pro, the Camera is excellent, even in low light if you know what you're doing. The video, if you use the auto stability is crap so just don't use it.
The phone does stutter, and take a while sometimes. I am using the stock ROM, and have made no modifications to the file system or home screen at all. As is, this phone is average, so for the price, not worth it. I do have the Verizon version, and not sure if that makes a difference. Can't wait for the Note 8 to come out.

I've had mine since November and still love it. I came from the G7 edge which I was quite fond of as well. The following are the good things that keep me on the Pixel.
- Camera, for stills easily the best available. Wish the EIS didn't cause the jello effect when panning while video recording, but nonetheless I've been quite pleased with the camcorder as well.
- Software, clean, simple, fluid and robust. I am on stock unrooted. I reboot my phone once a month for updates and the phone never lags, gets janky or develops issues requiring a reboot. Additionally, the speed of updates means I'm always up to date with the most secure version of Android available.

I've had my Pixel XL 128gb since launch. I came from a Note 7, so was very challenging to get used to having a very lean software base which didn't offer many features in comparison to the Samsung series. I missed many software features from the Note 7.
The thing that gets me the most, is that I was already bored of the device 6 months in. I usually hold onto a phone for 12-24 months. The Note 4 I held onto for the longest time (24months). I enjoyed it as there were both android OS updates, and touchwiz updates, so it constantly got a new lease to life looking fresh or having new features. 8 months on and the Pixel looks exactly the same, with no updates.
I also feel that the design looked dated when I bought it, but it now is really showing it's age with the HUGE bezels. I have also struggled to find any good screen protectors (I've tried them all) as they don't sit properly. The phone is huge with a smaller screen than most phones this price/size.
It's got the worst bluetooth of any phone I have every owned, partly down to Android but also to the Pixel.
Had a lot more ROM options for Samsung, being that you can go Note 4 roms, Note 5 roms, Note 7 roms, AOSP builds, CM, MIUI. I feel like the Pixel has AOSP, stock. That's it really. They are all the same with very minor changes.
Otherwise it's mostly buttery smooth - although i'm constantly keeping my eye out for a new phone, so could be the shortest period I have owned a phone for.

Thinking of upgrading from a Sprint Galaxy Note 4. Camera quality comparisons?

I've had my Galaxy Note 4 for four years now, and it's time for an upgrade. The only two phones I've been eyeing are the Pixel 3 XL and the Oneplus 6T. There are some other good phones out there, but the others I've looked at are unrootable. I love the camera on my GN4, and was wondering if anyone here has previously owned a GN4 and can give me a picture/video comparison with the Oneplus 6T? I've seen the reviews between the Oneplus 6T and Pixel 3, and the Pixel 3 wins easily. Sad thing about the Pixel 3 is that it's so expensive and has smaller battery, but I do love the camera results! I just have no frame of reference to compare my aging phone with the newer ones.
Thanks!

MrSickle said:
I've had my Galaxy Note 4 for four years now, and it's time for an upgrade. The only two phones I've been eyeing are the Pixel 3 XL and the Oneplus 6T. There are some other good phones out there, but the others I've looked at are unrootable. I love the camera on my GN4, and was wondering if anyone here has previously owned a GN4 and can give me a picture/video comparison with the Oneplus 6T? I've seen the reviews between the Oneplus 6T and Pixel 3, and the Pixel 3 wins easily. Sad thing about the Pixel 3 is that it's so expensive and has smaller battery, but I do love the camera results! I just have no frame of reference to compare my aging phone with the newer ones.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly,if you're pleased w/all things in general with the Note 4,you're giving up a lot of features not found on newer devices.
I definitely recommend keeping the Note 4 before switching to another phone (unless you have a trade-in allowance).
If you're not going to miss an SD Card Slot/3.5 mm audio jack/I-R Blaster/LED Notifications/No Notch, then,you have the gains of more RAM & a newer phone w/better battery life/overall performance.
The OP6T is a nice phone,but,honestly,I think an OP5 or OP5T is a better choice,the former if you prefer the navigation similar to that of the Note4.
(might wanna Google search a camera comparison of the Note 4 to either/both)
Full disclosure:
This advice is coming from a serial phone switcher in recovery/remission ........................ :laugh:

KOLIOSIS said:
Honestly,if you're pleased w/all things in general with the Note 4,you're giving up a lot of features not found on newer devices.
I definitely recommend keeping the Note 4 before switching to another phone (unless you have a trade-in allowance).
If you're not going to miss an SD Card Slot/3.5 mm audio jack/I-R Blaster/LED Notifications/No Notch, then,you have the gains of more RAM & a newer phone w/better battery life/overall performance.
The OP6T is a nice phone,but,honestly,I think an OP5 or OP5T is a better choice,the former if you prefer the navigation similar to that of the Note4.
(might wanna Google search a camera comparison of the Note 4 to either/both)
Full disclosure:
This advice is coming from a serial phone switcher in recovery/remission ........................ :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not even a comparison... get it

Logix said:
not even a comparison... get it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do have an OP6T, perhaps you wanted to quote the OP?
Comparing phones is subjective at best,just hitting on the features he'd be leaving behind in "upgrading" to either phone.
To some,those features are antiquated,others no so much.
Given the OP has held on to the phone for as long as he has gives me reason to believe the latter....
Too bad the prevailing trend seems to be getting less for more $$$, it's definitely a trade-off.

I've definitely compared what I would be giving up to what I would be gaining. My Sprint GN4 has been unlocked to work with domestic GSM (I have Cricket wireless now) and I have no LTE, and probably missing a few of the used frequencies (although I have never really checked). I love the screen and the camera on the GN4, but I'm stuck on Marshmallow and no security updates. I've tried Lineage OS both Nougat and Oreo, and both have so many bugs, it's not worth the headache. Not to mention it's getting harder to find batteries for it. Most I find now are "new" but end up being used. The GN4 never really did have that great of battery life, so that's one of the things that makes me want to switch to something else. Not that I'm a heavy user, but when you start using the video and taking lots of pics on the GN4, the battery tends to drain quickly. And I was hoping I would get Android Auto to work without having to plug and unplug it several times for it to connect (It's done it on Marshmallow and Lineage OS). It's almost as if it's not loading the applications fast enough for the handshake with the head unit.
I would miss my SD Card slot, that's why I was looking at the 256GB Oneplus 6T model.
KOLIOSIS said:
Honestly,if you're pleased w/all things in general with the Note 4,you're giving up a lot of features not found on newer devices.
I definitely recommend keeping the Note 4 before switching to another phone (unless you have a trade-in allowance).
If you're not going to miss an SD Card Slot/3.5 mm audio jack/I-R Blaster/LED Notifications/No Notch, then,you have the gains of more RAM & a newer phone w/better battery life/overall performance.
The OP6T is a nice phone,but,honestly,I think an OP5 or OP5T is a better choice,the former if you prefer the navigation similar to that of the Note4.
(might wanna Google search a camera comparison of the Note 4 to either/both)
Full disclosure:
This advice is coming from a serial phone switcher in recovery/remission ........................ :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

MrSickle said:
I've definitely compared what I would be giving up to what I would be gaining. My Sprint GN4 has been unlocked to work with domestic GSM (I have Cricket wireless now) and I have no LTE, and probably missing a few of the used frequencies (although I have never really checked).
I would miss my SD Card slot, that's why I was looking at the 256GB Oneplus 6T model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're definitely in the right place for root/ROMs,OnePlus phones get a good variety of development.
One other feature I failed to address (the elephant in the room, LOL) :
Is the S-Pen something you're using a lot of on the Note4?
If not, then this is the place to be.
Guessing you're aware of the current state of things with the newer US Notes & the pros & cons of importing either version (Snapdragon or Exynos).
If nothing else, most T-Mobile US stores have working demos of the OP6T to test drive, see if it's for you. ?
Sent from my SM-N960U using XDA Labs

I was in your same situation. I had GN4 for 4 years and now i bought the OP6t. Honestly i didn't use the camera of smartphone so much and i cant tell you the difference right now but i will do a comparison tomorrow and post the results here
But regarding all other things, the OP6t is the winner. Better display, great battery life, fingerprint sensor is fast enough (never used on note 4 because it was unconfortable for me), there is also the face unlock and it is very fast; you will not see the lockscreen most of times.
The phone is very very fast and well optimized, no lag and didn't heat neither after an heavy usage.
Feel free to ask anything for the comparision
P.s. sorry for my bad english

The pixel 3 if you care about taking pics, rest of the hardware and value go for the 6t.

I think in the 4 years I've had the Note 4, I may have used the S-Pen maybe 10 times. It can be handy sometimes, but not really a show stopper for me.
I had looked at the International versions of the Samsung devices (GN9, GS9+) and sadly, I would be missing some frequency bands on those devices too
KOLIOSIS said:
You're definitely in the right place for root/ROMs,OnePlus phones get a good variety of development.
One other feature I failed to address (the elephant in the room, LOL) :
Is the S-Pen something you're using a lot of on the Note4?
If not, then this is the place to be.
Guessing you're aware of the current state of things with the newer US Notes & the pros & cons of importing either version (Snapdragon or Exynos).
If nothing else, most T-Mobile US stores have working demos of the OP6T to test drive, see if it's for you.
Sent from my SM-N960U using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

A good camera is important for me. Although I'm not a professional photographer, it has been one of my hobbies for a while. I've managed to capture some really good shots with my Note 4, hence my particular interest in the OP6T as a cheaper alternative to the Pixel 3 XL. I managed to get a look at a Pixel 3 XL in person today and the notch was like a slap in the face. Although, I do know it can be masked out. I don't have any T-mobile stores around that I know of, so I can't check out the OP6T in person. I'm starting to feel like Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory" where he tries to decide between an Xbox One and PS4
Zekol said:
I was in your same situation. I had GN4 for 4 years and now i bought the OP6t. Honestly i didn't use the camera of smartphone so much and i cant tell you the difference right now but i will do a comparison tomorrow and post the results here
But regarding all other things, the OP6t is the winner. Better display, great battery life, fingerprint sensor is fast enough (never used on note 4 because it was unconfortable for me), there is also the face unlock and it is very fast; you will not see the lockscreen most of times.
The phone is very very fast and well optimized, no lag and didn't heat neither after an heavy usage.
Feel free to ask anything for the comparision
P.s. sorry for my bad english
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

There are some pics of both
Note 4:
https://ibb.co/hvEMh0
https://ibb.co/emM4kL
https://ibb.co/dLD0QL
https://ibb.co/byczKf
https://ibb.co/bVjqQL
https://ibb.co/iqz75L
https://ibb.co/iwidC0
https://ibb.co/mQ4ks0
https://ibb.co/fO69Kf
https://ibb.co/hXzbX0
https://ibb.co/hOZRX0
https://ibb.co/hVbUkL
https://ibb.co/gSGjKf
https://ibb.co/jFNukL
https://ibb.co/j0R4kL
https://ibb.co/cOgn5L
https://ibb.co/nnffQL
https://ibb.co/kOBtef
https://ibb.co/nhpzkL
https://ibb.co/cMU4Kf
https://ibb.co/hOmvQL
https://ibb.co/fMnwX0
https://ibb.co/f1kfQL
OnePlus 6T:
https://ibb.co/mtgJef
https://ibb.co/gGPzkL
https://ibb.co/h2Qdef
https://ibb.co/cO5N5L
https://ibb.co/jwhukL
https://ibb.co/jGSGzf
https://ibb.co/jZNGzf
https://ibb.co/bOLmzf
https://ibb.co/ffPJC0
https://ibb.co/dUjqQL
https://ibb.co/cmG9Kf
https://ibb.co/nyTZkL
https://ibb.co/iKBgX0
https://ibb.co/dT44Kf
https://ibb.co/ipo3C0
https://ibb.co/jZmjKf
https://ibb.co/kKD3C0
https://ibb.co/dYDs5L
https://ibb.co/nwkBzf
https://ibb.co/cbn25L
https://ibb.co/i9nAQL
https://ibb.co/js4PkL
https://ibb.co/dXL8C0
As i said, i didn't use the camera of smartphone so much so probably these shots sucks :silly:
I used the auto mode on both as Note 4 doesn't have the pro mode and also i don't know how to use it on OnePlus 6T.
Well, there is also a port of the google camera for OP6t, I have to try it too, maybe i could take some better shots with it.
Hope this evening i can take some shots with low light and even try the night mode, i will update here if i can

Zekol, I can't thank you enough for those pics! Those were exactly the type of comparisons I needed! The camera's are very close in quality, except the OP6T tends to over sharpen the images just a bit, which may be able to be changed in the app or by use of another camera app. If you do happen to take some night shots, just take a few, no need to work yourself to death
Zekol said:
There are some pics of both
Note 4:
https://ibb.co/hvEMh0
https://ibb.co/emM4kL
https://ibb.co/dLD0QL
https://ibb.co/byczKf
https://ibb.co/bVjqQL
https://ibb.co/iqz75L
https://ibb.co/iwidC0
https://ibb.co/mQ4ks0
https://ibb.co/fO69Kf
https://ibb.co/hXzbX0
https://ibb.co/hOZRX0
https://ibb.co/hVbUkL
https://ibb.co/gSGjKf
https://ibb.co/jFNukL
https://ibb.co/j0R4kL
https://ibb.co/cOgn5L
https://ibb.co/nnffQL
https://ibb.co/kOBtef
https://ibb.co/nhpzkL
https://ibb.co/cMU4Kf
https://ibb.co/hOmvQL
https://ibb.co/fMnwX0
https://ibb.co/f1kfQL
OnePlus 6T:
https://ibb.co/mtgJef
https://ibb.co/gGPzkL
https://ibb.co/h2Qdef
https://ibb.co/cO5N5L
https://ibb.co/jwhukL
https://ibb.co/jGSGzf
https://ibb.co/jZNGzf
https://ibb.co/bOLmzf
https://ibb.co/ffPJC0
https://ibb.co/dUjqQL
https://ibb.co/cmG9Kf
https://ibb.co/nyTZkL
https://ibb.co/iKBgX0
https://ibb.co/dT44Kf
https://ibb.co/ipo3C0
https://ibb.co/jZmjKf
https://ibb.co/kKD3C0
https://ibb.co/dYDs5L
https://ibb.co/nwkBzf
https://ibb.co/cbn25L
https://ibb.co/i9nAQL
https://ibb.co/js4PkL
https://ibb.co/dXL8C0
As i said, i didn't use the camera of smartphone so much so probably these shots sucks :silly:
I used the auto mode on both as Note 4 doesn't have the pro mode and also i don't know how to use it on OnePlus 6T.
Well, there is also a port of the google camera for OP6t, I have to try it too, maybe i could take some better shots with it.
Hope this evening i can take some shots with low light and even try the night mode, i will update here if i can
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

My Friend, you are driving a Model A, it's cool to look back on but this is a modern Corvette, AKA, a performance value able to whoop phones costing twice as much even if it is missing a few Gucci features. I type that having sent the Pixel 3 XL back and buying this phone instead.
The Note 4 was a little before Samsung really started getting good with their cameras, I'm not saying it was bad, I had one and in the day it was great but they got quite a bit more serious a couple iterations later and it shows; their stuff is top notch now. The 6T on the other hand is not top notch now, it's a second tier camera and you can really see this at night where the 6T camera is a fair bit more noise. In the day it's not bad at all though outside of pushing too much contrast outdoors in HDR; the picture will almost invariably turn out with a bright sunny sky looking darker than the reality. Overall though I doubt you will find the camera a downgrade. Portrait mode is actually useful for more than portraits, for example it can make a picture of something like a statue at a museum pop out of the background and it's a nice effect for such photos.
Performance wise this phone is going to be a whole new world of slick, no rom can make up for vastly more computing power elsewhere and you're going to feel it every time you pick up the phone and manipulate the GUI. You're also going to appreciate the little things that OnePlus has injected into the mostly stockish experience. You'll find that OnePlus tends to be an enjoyable ownership experience stock, they are the type of phone that grows on you. Dont want stock you can run dead reliable stockish roms, alternatively, greatly altered AOSP runs which may or may not be , ahem, dead reliable. But that's all part of the fun.
One thing you're going to notice is that the aspect ratio is comparatively sucktacular. The tall thin thing is great for girls but I would much rather have the older aspect ratios. It's annoying as hell when you're surfing the internet in landscape and the website header scrolls down as you scroll down because it can block as much as half the screen and with these thinner aspect ratios that doesn't leave much wihch sometimes making surfing a pain. I'd totally jump on a browser which blocked that behavior, also a phone that went back to the older aspect ratio but I'm digressing. You may not be pleased with the change, all I'm saying.
Minutia... Duel sim is an interesting capability allowing you to ditch a separate work phone, buy data from one carrier, voice and text from another, etc. I think more people would take advantage of it if they gave it a try. You'll be shedding your unholy attachment to chargers and day by day the anxiety you feel when getting too far from a power source is going to go diminish. How much you miss the S-pen will depend on how much you used it. You indicate that was seldom so it shouldln't be a problem. While you may be stepping away from many features I think like most you probably only used a small percentage of Samsung bloat and you're not actually giving up something you never used anyways. The feature thing is not so big as some make out.
All in all I think you're being silly. I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean you've clearly become much attached to what is an ancient device in cell phone terms and your attachment is clouding your judgement. New phones are substantially better in almost every way, I would be surprised if you aren't very impressed with whatever new device you decide to buy.

MrSickle said:
I've definitely compared what I would be giving up to what I would be gaining. My Sprint GN4 has been unlocked to work with domestic GSM (I have Cricket wireless now) and I have no LTE, and probably missing a few of the used frequencies (although I have never really checked). I love the screen and the camera on the GN4, but I'm stuck on Marshmallow and no security updates. I've tried Lineage OS both Nougat and Oreo, and both have so many bugs, it's not worth the headache. Not to mention it's getting harder to find batteries for it. Most I find now are "new" but end up being used. The GN4 never really did have that great of battery life, so that's one of the things that makes me want to switch to something else. Not that I'm a heavy user, but when you start using the video and taking lots of pics on the GN4, the battery tends to drain quickly. And I was hoping I would get Android Auto to work without having to plug and unplug it several times for it to connect (It's done it on Marshmallow and Lineage OS). It's almost as if it's not loading the applications fast enough for the handshake with the head unit.
I would miss my SD Card slot, that's why I was looking at the 256GB Oneplus 6T model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved my Note5 but having passed on the $500 trade in on the T-Mo Note 9 promo (still too expensive), I figured the $300 back on it for the 6T was too good to pass up. But I had many of the same concerns as you - I absolutely loved the screen on the Note5 and the picture taking quality, along with things like the headphone jack and wireless charging. But I bit the bullet because no more security updates for the Note5, no band 71, and I did notice that *maybe* Google apps were running a bit slower than they used to (figured maybe they were starting to be optimized for newer processors). But the phone was still buttery smooth otherwise.
I'm glad I did it though. It just seems so much faster, and that's saying something because I felt my Note5 was generally pretty fast.
The battery life is freaking phenomenal. That's the only reason I haven't missed the wireless charging. The screen is as good as my Note5, but the auto-brightness is not as "perfect" as it was on the Note. I read there is a tweak coming for that, but it hasn't hit the T-Mo version yet.
@krabman has it so so right with the aspect ratio. Sucktacular is a perfect way of stating it. It makes one-handed use very difficult because of how tall it is. But you get used to that part of it. Landscape is definitely less effective.
As for the pictures, I think it's kind of hit or miss. The low light is definitely better, and bright daylight is great, but I'm not convinced photos in moderate lighting is as good. I would still bite on the phone though. The prices they're getting for Samsung flagships these days are ridiculous. If you have other questions, let me know. Cheers.

Hi, I have the same dilemma and read the post, did you upgrade to op6t and have a better experience with it?

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