So I got myself a Galaxy S7 (SM-G930F) to replace my almost 2 year old Galaxy S5. After a few days of usage, here is what I think.
What I like on S7 compared to S5:
- much more responsive interface and overall experience, UI feels silk-smooth, the phone is properly fast
- all glassy (front and back) and beautiful, feels expensive (judging from posts on this forum, a very important feature for some users ;])
But that's about all to like. And this is what I dislike about it:
- While glass back of S7 looks very nice, it is much more slippery than plastic back of Galaxy S5. It is so slippery, that sometimes it is scary just to take it out of the pocket. So while I never needed a case with my S5, I may need it with S7
- No IR blaster. No idea why Samsung ditched such useful feature (LG G5 has it). It is very small and exists in waterproof S5, so space and waterproof-ness should not be a problem. And it is really useful, because you can skip renting remotes for TV and airco units in the hotels, if you already have IR blaster on your phone. So, Samsung, why to remove a useful feature which is also fun and helps to save money?
- No removable battery. This is not a very big issue for me, since I rarely needed extra battery on my S5, but some people (especially those traveling) are relying on it. Definitely nice to have in a phone. However, it may be that having non-removable battery helped to achieve IP68 dust/water-proof rating compared to IP67 on S5.
- Only 32 GB version at launch. Keeping in mind that Samsung gives away Samsung Gear VR virtual reality headset with all S7 pre-orders (and VR demos/games take lots of space), 32GB suddenly does not seem quite a lot.
- Finally (and this annoys me most, since I am living in a place where winter is something that happens every year), for some unfathomable reason Samsung removed "Touch Sensivity" option from the ROM, which allows to operate the phone with the gloves on. This is just a software feature (since the touchscreens are crazy sensitive these days anyway) and it doesn't cost anything for Samsung to keep it in the phone. Nevertheless, on a new Galaxy S7 it is nowhere to be found. Samsung, are you listening - what the hell??? Now we can only hope someone (maybe even from XDA developers) will add this feature back as a standalone program/xposed framework module/etc.
There is one more problem - there is still no root for SM-G930F, at least not yet, but hopefully Chainfire will soon get his hands on it. So overall, even if the phone is faster and smoother, compared to Galaxy S5, it feels more like downgrade than the upgrade...
Best,
satanxda
One of the primary reasons as for why Samsung went for the complete glass redesign on the S6 (and later the S7) were the lackluster sales of the S5 as compared to the S4, the best selling android phone of all time. According to a list on wikipedia the S5 sold approximately 11 million units, while it's predecessor landed at an impressive 80 million. This probably wasn't the only reason for the design change though, as Samsung have been going after Apple's marketshare aggresively in the past two releases.
The removable battery and IR blaster were most likely removed because there were too few people using them.
I agree completely on the last two points though. It's odd if they removed the touch sensitivity thing, but there might be a technical reason behind it.
i just upgraded from the s5 to the s7 as well. I agree the back s5 felt a lot better in hands. I hate using a case, it defeats the purpose of making the phone so thin. I also didnt realize that there is no IR blaster until i read your post. whats move fun than getting drunk in bar and changing the tv channels or turning up or down the music
So the better camera, bigger battery, higher res screen, no ugly waterproof flaps you don't like? You're right it really is a downgrade, but only in your eyes.
Lol
Last year "No expandable storage! Screw you Samsung"
gives expandable storage
This year "Only 32GB's? Screw you Samsung!"
samsung cry cry
peachpuff said:
So the better camera, bigger battery, higher res screen, no ugly waterproof flaps you don't like? You're right it really is a downgrade, but only in your eyes.
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Click to collapse
Don't get it wrong - this post is not about the inevitable progress in CPU, screen and camera areas. It is about Samsung killing useful features for no reason.
P. S. You loose 4 Megapixels for camera as well with S7, so it may not be a camera upgrade in all ways ;] And the bigger battery only compensates for more pixels on the screen.
satanxda said:
Don't get it wrong - this post is not about the inevitable progress in CPU, screen and camera areas. It is about Samsung killing useful features for no reason.
P. S. You loose 4 Megapixels for camera as well with S7, so it may not be a camera upgrade in all ways ;] And the bigger battery only compensates for more pixels on the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhh no. Megapixels do not make a quality camera. That's like saying your S5 would be an "upgrade" over some DSLRs. The reason some of the features were removed is just that they aren't practical. Sure, the IR blaster is cool, but I played with it once and never used it again. I'd imagine that's how 95% of the people who buy the phone are.
32gb internal memory is not a problem when you have 200gb expandable storage.
Removable battery is a non issue when you have both QC2.0 wired charging and fast wireless charging. If you're that concerned, buy a $20 power bank and charge your phone 3+ times on a single charge.
I went from an S5 to the S7 too. Expandable storage is a must. Hands down it's an upgrade. Yeah, I was bummed there was no IR blaster but then after setting it up on my S4 and S5 later I found I never used it. Wireless charging is built in and on the S5 you had to add it on and if you wanted a case after going wireless charging on the S5 you were limited. Wife heard the S7 didn't have that flap on the USB port and immediately said order me one. Granted root is not available yet but how soon after the S5 came out did it get root? Themes built in........ I can go on and on and on.
Things I don't like compared to my S4:
No removable battery - this I think I can live with without much angst, although I'd prefer removable
Glass back - slippery and fragile, might force me to use a case, which adds bulk that I do not like and have never needed with any phone. I really don't care at all what it looks like
Size and weight - about same width and thickness, but it's unnecessarily tall, and it's substantially heavier, which is a negative and will be an even bigger negative if I have to use a case
Otherwise, it's a pretty sizable upgrade in every other way. 32GB - hopefully there will be a 64GB or 128GB variant that will fully work on T-Mobile (WiFi calling is still an important feature to me), although it is a step up from the 16GB that I'm used to, and I can plunk in my 128GB SD.
I'm going to wait for prices to drop a bit, for Samsung to push out an update or two, and see how root/ROMs shake out.
satanxda said:
Don't get it wrong - this post is not about the inevitable progress in CPU, screen and camera areas. It is about Samsung killing useful features for no reason.
P. S. You loose 4 Megapixels for camera as well with S7, so it may not be a camera upgrade in all ways ;] And the bigger battery only compensates for more pixels on the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On paper, the Galaxy S7 camera has lower specs: 12 MP on the back (compared with the S6 16 MP) and 5 MP on the front. While the new camera may produce a lower number of pixels, it makes up for this with dual-pixel technology; a feature that promises an increase in image clarity despite the lower pixel numbers.
The S7's camera focuses up to four times faster than the S6's. The camera's aperture is also lower, at f / 1.7, which means better low-light performance. Together, these enhancements mean that the Galaxy S7 focuses up to four times faster in low-light conditions and twice as fast in daylight.
TonyStark said:
On paper, the Galaxy S7 camera has lower specs: 12 MP on the back (compared with the S6 16 MP) and 5 MP on the front. While the new camera may produce a lower number of pixels, it makes up for this with dual-pixel technology; a feature that promises an increase in image clarity despite the lower pixel numbers.
The S7's camera focuses up to four times faster than the S6's. The camera's aperture is also lower, at f / 1.7, which means better low-light performance. Together, these enhancements mean that the Galaxy S7 focuses up to four times faster in low-light conditions and twice as fast in daylight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you said it - faster focus in exchange for a loss of 4 Megapixels. Less megapixels is not necessary a bad thing if the pixels are bigger (this way you get less noise), but it is still 4 Megapixels less ;] (which matters since there is no optical zoom in the phone, so zooming digitally means cropping your photo)
satanxda said:
Samsung removed "Touch Sensivity" option from the ROM, which allows to operate the phone with the gloves on. This is just a software feature (since the touchscreens are crazy sensitive these days anyway) and it doesn't cost anything for Samsung to keep it in the phone. Nevertheless, on a new Galaxy S7 it is nowhere to be found. Samsung, are you listening - what the hell???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for sharing this deal breaking piece of information, looks like I'm stuck with my S5. It's frustrating that Samsung never really "gets it". They can't compete with Apple on design aesthetics, they can't compete with Nexus on Android integration. We buy Samsung phones because they have features that other manufacturers overlook. I love my S5 because it's better than my S2. I would love the S7 if it was better than the S5, but it's not. Removing valuable features keeps people from upgrading. If you're correct about this being a software feature, there is hope, but I'm guessing it's hardware.
32 GB Memory with no 64 GB Option = Unforgivable
Loss Of IR Blaster = Not a deal breaker for me, but I understand why this will piss a lot of people off.
Loss Of FM Radio = Could care less.
Loss Of Removable battery = Get over it, fast charging and portable chargers are perfectly acceptable solutions for me.
No Root = I used to care about this, but it bothers me less and less with each new version of Android. I just don't have the time to invest in the complications of rooting anymore. Being on Verizon just makes this worse.
No USB 3 = Bummer, doesn't make sense to remove it.
I'm headed to the Verizon store with my motorcycle gloves to see what happens. If there's a complete loss of touchscreen functionality, I'll probably just keep going with my S5.
i bought the same phone today and it shows signal without putting the sim on.//
how to remove this??
LKS007 said:
i bought the same phone today and it shows signal without putting the sim on.//
how to remove this??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you can remove it - it's for emergency calls
The S7 camera kicks butt, that's coming from someone who use the Canon 5D3 regularly with 35L II, 85L II, 100L 2.8 IS macro, and 70-200L 2.8 IS II lens. I would gladly take lower aperture and give up few megapixel, hell...if S7 came with f/1.4 lens I wouldn't even mind going down to 6~8MP. You shouldn't use your phone to make poster or big prints to hang on your wall so anything more than 8MP on a phone camera is just gimmicky. LOL
ben805 said:
The S7 camera kicks butt, that's coming from someone who use the Canon 5D3 regularly with 35L II, 85L II, 100L 2.8 IS macro, and 70-200L 2.8 IS II lens. I would gladly take lower aperture and give up few megapixel, hell...if S7 came with f/1.4 lens I wouldn't even mind going down to 6~8MP. You shouldn't use your phone to make poster or big prints to hang on your wall so anything more than 8MP on a phone camera is just gimmicky. LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I have my self a Canon 6D with high end lenses. The S7 photo quality is really impressive for such a small piece of hardware. Even with less Mpx, the sharpness is way better than with the S6, and the low light photos are impressives. And you can get the Raw. Photographers that opened the RAW files in lightroom are generally impressed by the overall quality of this phone. Hell, I'm finally happy to be able not to bring my DSLR for every situation I might take a photo.
I compared my old S4, my wife S6, and my workplace iphone 6S, believe me, the S7 is the only one that can actually be compared to compact camera
So the s7 camera is a beast? Im an android fan and i admit that in the past apple had the best mobile cameras. The note 3 and 4 had great cameras as well. I think android surpassed apple in the mobile camera area.
I upgraded from S5 also and only feature i really miss is IR.
Ok so the only feature I miss is an unlocked bootloader. I miss my root
Related
Hello,
I just want to write a small review of the phone coming from the Galaxy S5 Plus (G901F).
Design: Just beautiful, miles ahead of the plastic used on the S5. The display bezels are much thiner than on the S5. I have the 64GB version so no SD Card slot is not necessarily a drawback. Non removable battery is not a drawback right now for my usage but if I keep it long enough (which I doubt, considering my track record), it will. IP certification is nice to have on the S5, but I usually keep my electronic devices away from water, so not a big loss here.
Display: The higher resolution makes no difference for me. The colours seem to be less saturated or less punchy. The "infinite" display effect is nice but the reflections on it can be disturbing while watching a video/movie, scrolling horizontally is beautiful though.
Battery: Just worse than on the S5 Plus. Not terrible, but just a small downgrade. The standby time is very good though, at least on MM. Both charge blazing fast.
Performance: Strangely, I feel the UI was a little more responsive on the S5 Plus. Otherwise no problems, I dont play games on the phone, nor do any high demanding tasks. I find the camera app particularly fast to launch. Opening the Task Manager is faster now, on the S5 it was painfully slow.
Camera: I was expecting more from the camera to be honest. Both the S5 Plus and S6 Edge share the same sensor, but I thought the OIS and the brighter lens would make a bigger difference. Not necessarily the case here, I must say. Low light shots are nothing to write home about, they are still pretty unusable, the Nexus 5X seems to do a much better job here I feel. The speed of low light shots has definitely improved, the S5 would always take a second or two to take a low light shot (not considering the focusing), on the S6 they are instantaneous.
The focusing speed feels a hair faster, great when there is enough light, not that great on dimmer lighting conditions. To be able to shoot raw and change the exposure time at will is a big plus though, leaves a lot of room to play. Stabilization is definitely improved.
Fingerprint Sensor: I was expecting a big jump coming from the S5, but I must say in my case, the fingerprint sensor found on the S5 was more effective! Maybe I am holding the phone wrong*, but I have to try so many times my fingerprint to be recognized, that I locked the phone several times on the first couple of days. I have even registered the same finger several times to check if that helps, it doesnt.
Overall: I think the feel in the hand and the looks are the biggest differences, otherwise I find both phones pretty comparable.
K,Bye
We have a thread for this already:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s6-edge/general/post-personal-s6e-reviews-t3066964
Hi everyone ,
I thought of getting the s7 edge but the 10 was pretty impressive. Which should I go for ? I flash Roms a lot and will definitely root it. I will be getting it unlocked for sure.
I had the HTC ONE M8. My contract was up this year. I went for the S7 EDGE and aside from missing the IR blaster, I don't regret it. However the lack of decent tempered glass screen protectors for the S7E is irritating.
That said, if the Edge model did not exist and the choice was between regular S7 and HTC 10, I would have stuck with HTC. The Edge uniqueness pipped it for me. I actually use the Edge UI quite a bit.
FYI some more background, I left Samsung years ago and switched to HTC for two reasons 1) fed up with TouchWiz and bloat ware 2) plastic materials. Something I felt HTC were addressing with their Sense and metal materials. I've gone full circle again. TouchWiz is less bloated now and actually enjoyable to use. And the hardware feels premium.
Sent from my SM-G935F using XDA-Developers mobile app
Are you getting the international S7? Because AFAIK, The US models don't support unlocking/root... so that's a big negative. Also, I never had a good experience using an international Note 5 on T-Mobile USA's network (if you're US based).
Each phone has pro's and cons. The S7 is certainly more polished right now, but HTC has been pushing updates daily to fix issues. Performance should ideally be faster on the HTC just because it is less bloated. I really appreciate HTC embracing stock Android as much as possible. I'll give you a quick rundown of my opinion on the devices... I'm having such a hard time deciding, I actually just ordered both and plan on using them back and forth to hopefully decide which I will use until the next Nexus or Note 6.
S7E:
+Insanely fast autofocus... camera is reliable right now. Better manual controls
+Great sunlight brightness
+Waterproof
+OLED screen
+Unique design
+Larger screen
+Huge battery
+Better slow motion video, and 60 FPS video
+Wireless charging
+UFS storage speeds
-micro-USB, v2.0
-TouchWiz
-No root capability for US models yet?
-Fingerprint reader is slower and must press power button
-Curved edges can distort colors (turn blue/green) on white browsing screens
HTC 10:
+Brighter screen in manual brightness
+High fidelity speakers and headphone jack, DAC/amps. High-res audio recording
+Lighter OS
+Better looking display whites
+Type C USB, v3.1
+Unlocked bootloader
+Better front and rear camera hardware (bigger pixels, OIS on front - software needs more polishing)
+$599 after discount code
-eMMC storage speeds
-Smaller display
-Only splash resilient
-Small battery for thickness
-No sunlight brightness boost mode
-LCD contrast (very good, but still nowhere near OLED)
If the 10 were OLED and 5.5", it would have been the perfect phone...
I love HTC, but now, i would pick the S7 edge.
Htc 10 is a good device. The S7Edge is a great device. You pretty much get the best components on the market. Htc 10 asks way too high of a price for what it offers, using emmc storage, bad optics for the camera, OIS not so good either, display is not that good unless you get a specific brand (basically a lottery), it gets too hot too fast ( search htc 10 forums)
The only reason you might wanna consider the 10 is maybe audio, not that its that much better than the S7Edge exynos. Samsung pretty much created the best device money can get to date.
FalconFX said:
Htc 10 is a good device. The S7Edge is a great device. You pretty much get the best components on the market. Htc 10 asks way too high of a price for what it offers, using emmc storage, bad optics for the camera, OIS not so good either, display is not that good unless you get a specific brand (basically a lottery), it gets too hot too fast ( search htc 10 forums)
The only reason you might wanna consider the 10 is maybe audio, not that its that much better than the S7Edge exynos. Samsung pretty much created the best device money can get to date.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're down talking the phone way more than it deserves. Have you even used it yet to back up those claims?
The latest eMMC is not THAT much worse than UFS. Most people are likely to not even notice a difference because once things are loaded in the RAM, it's moot.
How does it have bad optics? LOL. It uses the same sensor as the 6P which BEATS the S7E in plenty of low light tests due to superior HDR processing. The HTC with a bigger aperture AND OIS is a recipe for perfection if HTC can get the camera software right, which so far has gotten better, but is not where it needs to be. And how is the OIS bad?
I haven't seen much complaining about the panels. Apparently the more rare Sharp panels don't have an issue in landscape with polarized sunglasses and may have less visible tinting at extreme angles. But from what I saw in a YouTube video, after 2 weeks, the pink tint was practically gone at extreme angles hinting to it being an adhesive issue in the LCD which will clear up after a little bit of use.
Don't know anything about the heat actually being an issue. Apparently people feel the heat easily - it is an aluminum phone, so maybe it's just better at dissipating it, but I would bet that the S7E is less prone to thermal throttling with its vapor heat pipe. Not an issue for me because I never game on my phone.
Nitemare3219 said:
You're down talking the phone way more than it deserves. Have you even used it yet to back up those claims?
The latest eMMC is not THAT much worse than UFS. Most people are likely to not even notice a difference because once things are loaded in the RAM, it's moot.
How does it have bad optics? LOL. It uses the same sensor as the 6P which BEATS the S7E in plenty of low light tests due to superior HDR processing. The HTC with a bigger aperture AND OIS is a recipe for perfection if HTC can get the camera software right, which so far has gotten better, but is not where it needs to be. And how is the OIS bad?
I haven't seen much complaining about the panels. Apparently the more rare Sharp panels don't have an issue in landscape with polarized sunglasses and may have less visible tinting at extreme angles. But from what I saw in a YouTube video, after 2 weeks, the pink tint was practically gone at extreme angles hinting to it being an adhesive issue in the LCD which will clear up after a little bit of use.
Don't know anything about the heat actually being an issue. Apparently people feel the heat easily - it is an aluminum phone, so maybe it's just better at dissipating it, but I would bet that the S7E is less prone to thermal throttling with its vapor heat pipe. Not an issue for me because I never game on my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just the fact that you said that HTC has bigger aperture means you know s***t about cameras, The smaller the number the wider the aperture, 1.7 is better than 1.8. here is a comparison :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFww3-Ne3Fk
When i said optics i meant the lenses, not the sensor, but considering how you dont know which aperture size is better, there is no reason to waste my time on photography 101.
The S7 is the fastest device of the year (exynos), in day to day usage & in heavy tasks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvytFwkI8BA
As i said, the 10 is a good device, but not a great one, for the price they are asking for it, they are delivering the basic things, which every device this year does very well, and arguably the S7 excels not only at the basics, but goes beyond that with extras, (Wireless charging, heat pipe, IP68, etc).
FalconFX said:
Just the fact that you said that HTC has bigger aperture means you know s***t about cameras, The smaller the number the wider the aperture, 1.7 is better than 1.8. here is a comparison :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFww3-Ne3Fk
When i said optics i meant the lenses, not the sensor, but considering how you dont know which aperture size is better, there is no reason to waste my time on photography 101.
The S7 is the fastest device of the year (exynos), in day to day usage & in heavy tasks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvytFwkI8BA
As i said, the 10 is a good device, but not a great one, for the price they are asking for it, they are delivering the basic things, which every device this year does very well, and arguably the S7 excels not only at the basics, but goes beyond that with extras, (Wireless charging, heat pipe, IP68, etc).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My comment of having a bigger aperture was directed towards it being larger than the 6P, not the S7E. I am well aware that the S7E has a larger aperture, but the 10 has larger pixels. I'm not sure which would equate to taking in more light, but considering the 6P has been capable of producing better shots than the S7E in many scenarios at night, the 10 should be even more capable with its larger aperture (than the 6P).
Exynos is not available here in the US unless you get the international version, which is not worth it considering the issues that may arise trying to use it on US carriers based on my experience with an international Note5 on T-Mobile USA's network. If OP is outside of the US, then that is cetainly something to consider.
The S7 has its additional features, as does the 10. The heat pipe is only relevant if you heavily use the device. IP68 is cool for sure, but I don't know how well I'm warming up to the idea of getting the phone wet regularly. Wireless charging is pointless because it is a lot slower than wired, and you can't really use the phone easily when it's charging like that. The 10 has FAR superior audio (at least vs the SD 820 variant), has a larger aperture for the front camera along with OIS, more refined speaker audio, higher manual brightness, USB Type C v3.1, is less bloated, and - this is a big one for me - doesn't require you to hit a home button for fingerprint unlock OR to go home. I don't know why, but I hate pushing down on a button, especially to unlock the device.
I'm not arguing that the S7 isn't a great device. That's why I have ordered them both to see which suits me best. I'm just saying that calling the 10 only a "good" phone is a bit unwarranted at this point. HTC put a lot of effort in the right places and left it unlocked from the start, and has pushed updates daily since it launched. Samsung hasn't really innovated much like they could have. Last year's Note5 was a huge showcase of that... nothing new other than the updated design.
HTC 10 I liked best the camera.
Nitemare3219 said:
My comment of having a bigger aperture was directed towards it being larger than the 6P, not the S7E. I am well aware that the S7E has a larger aperture, but the 10 has larger pixels. I'm not sure which would equate to taking in more light, but considering the 6P has been capable of producing better shots than the S7E in many scenarios at night, the 10 should be even more capable with its larger aperture (than the 6P).
Exynos is not available here in the US unless you get the international version, which is not worth it considering the issues that may arise trying to use it on US carriers based on my experience with an international Note5 on T-Mobile USA's network. If OP is outside of the US, then that is cetainly something to consider.
The S7 has its additional features, as does the 10. The heat pipe is only relevant if you heavily use the device. IP68 is cool for sure, but I don't know how well I'm warming up to the idea of getting the phone wet regularly. Wireless charging is pointless because it is a lot slower than wired, and you can't really use the phone easily when it's charging like that. The 10 has FAR superior audio (at least vs the SD 820 variant), has a larger aperture for the front camera along with OIS, more refined speaker audio, higher manual brightness, USB Type C v3.1, is less bloated, and - this is a big one for me - doesn't require you to hit a home button for fingerprint unlock OR to go home. I don't know why, but I hate pushing down on a button, especially to unlock the device.
I'm not arguing that the S7 isn't a great device. That's why I have ordered them both to see which suits me best. I'm just saying that calling the 10 only a "good" phone is a bit unwarranted at this point. HTC put a lot of effort in the right places and left it unlocked from the start, and has pushed updates daily since it launched. Samsung hasn't really innovated much like they could have. Last year's Note5 was a huge showcase of that... nothing new other than the updated design.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know whats so amazing about higher manual brightness being higher, i keep mine on auto, and outdoors i can see the screen no problem, the 10 has way worst outdoor visibility.
Phones are getting stagnant. The S7Edge is the farthest a device can get as a whole package. Next year is where innovation should be made. Any device that you buy this year will have no problem bolding up beyond 2 yrs. I feel like sammy did the right thing with the s7, its improved in every possible aspect. As i said, the htc 10 is a good device compared to this year's flagships, but its the a great upgrade from the M9 and M8.
The htc 10 would be a great phone if priced well. 500$ is the best price for it. It doesnt offer much from the 6p, so it should be priced against it.
I have one more T-Mobile jump until it resets in June. Then I get 3 more upgrades for the year. I'm going to look at the HTC 10 but I don't know if I'll take the leap. Battery life is most important to me and I don't think the 10 will come close to the 8 hours SOT I'm getting with my S7E.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Nitemare3219 said:
Are you getting the international S7? Because AFAIK, The US models don't support unlocking/root... so that's a big negative. Also, I never had a good experience using an international Note 5 on T-Mobile USA's network (if you're US based).
Each phone has pro's and cons. The S7 is certainly more polished right now, but HTC has been pushing updates daily to fix issues. Performance should ideally be faster on the HTC just because it is less bloated. I really appreciate HTC embracing stock Android as much as possible. I'll give you a quick rundown of my opinion on the devices... I'm having such a hard time deciding, I actually just ordered both and plan on using them back and forth to hopefully decide which I will use until the next Nexus or Note 6.
S7E:
+Insanely fast autofocus... camera is reliable right now. Better manual controls
+Great sunlight brightness
+Waterproof
+OLED screen
+Unique design
+Larger screen
+Huge battery
+Better slow motion video, and 60 FPS video
+Wireless charging
+UFS storage speeds
-micro-USB, v2.0
-TouchWiz
-No root capability for US models yet?
-Fingerprint reader is slower and must press power button
-Curved edges can distort colors (turn blue/green) on white browsing screens
HTC 10:
+Brighter screen in manual brightness
+High fidelity speakers and headphone jack, DAC/amps. High-res audio recording
+Lighter OS
+Better looking display whites
+Type C USB, v3.1
+Unlocked bootloader
+Better front and rear camera hardware (bigger pixels, OIS on front - software needs more polishing)
+$599 after discount code
-eMMC storage speeds
-Smaller display
-Only splash resilient
-Small battery for thickness
-No sunlight brightness boost mode
-LCD contrast (very good, but still nowhere near OLED)
If the 10 were OLED and 5.5", it would have been the perfect phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the comparison. It's really helpful. I'll just get the S7 and the 10 at a go. I'll return either one. BTW I live outside the States.
And thanks, everyone for your thoughts.
Nitemare3219 said:
Are you getting the international S7? Because AFAIK, The US models don't support unlocking/root... so that's a big negative. Also, I never had a good experience using an international Note 5 on T-Mobile USA's network (if you're US based).
Each phone has pro's and cons. The S7 is certainly more polished right now, but HTC has been pushing updates daily to fix issues. Performance should ideally be faster on the HTC just because it is less bloated. I really appreciate HTC embracing stock Android as much as possible. I'll give you a quick rundown of my opinion on the devices... I'm having such a hard time deciding, I actually just ordered both and plan on using them back and forth to hopefully decide which I will use until the next Nexus or Note 6.
S7E:
+Insanely fast autofocus... camera is reliable right now. Better manual controls
+Great sunlight brightness
+Waterproof
+OLED screen
+Unique design
+Larger screen
+Huge battery
+Better slow motion video, and 60 FPS video
+Wireless charging
+UFS storage speeds
-micro-USB, v2.0
-TouchWiz
-No root capability for US models yet?
-Fingerprint reader is slower and must press power button
-Curved edges can distort colors (turn blue/green) on white browsing screens.
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100% incorrect. When the phone is in sleep you simply need to press the home button down with a finger/thumb that's been setup and the phone will unlock. The physical pressing of the home button wakes the device then the fingerprint is immediately read. You don't even need to release the button. The power button on the side at no point needs to be touched.
Beefheart said:
100% incorrect. When the phone is in sleep you simply need to press the home button down with a finger/thumb that's been setup and the phone will unlock. The physical pressing of the home button wakes the device then the fingerprint is immediately read. You don't even need to release the button. The power button on the side at no point needs to be touched.
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Sorry I used the wrong wording. I know you don't have to hit the power button - what I implied was you must hit the home button, physically push it down to wake the device for your fingerprint to be read. If Samsung would have found a way to avoid that requirement, the fingerprint sensor would be a lot more appreciable to me. I dislike the physical home button all together truthfully. I strongly prefer the 10's home button.
I've been using the S7E for a few days now. The 10 has been sitting at home, and will likely be getting returned. It's a good phone in a lot of ways. Maybe even a great phone. But every other phone out there is the best at something. The 10 is best at almost nothing, but good/great at everything. Problem is, most of those phones that are the best at something are also good/great at everything else too.
My biggest complaint with the 10 is the display. It just sucks compared to OLED. It has crazy motion blur, low brightness below 75%, a pink tint to the entire screen even viewed straight on, and has lesser contrast (but very good contrast for LCD). That combined with the display being SMALL, makes it a loss for me. I just don't want to use it as much as I do the S7E or the 6P.
I was really excited about the audio. I was really excited about the camera. I was really excited about the build. It gets all of those things right. But so do the other two phones I mentioned for the most part (headphone audio isn't that good on the S7E, but it's not bad enough to make me not want to use it). With a 5.5" OLED display, the 10 would've been phone of the year in my book, no questions asked.
It's been troubling my mind for a while, so I'll say it here. S7 feels kind of disappointing. Why kind of? Because it's a great phone, but with a lot of nuisances.
I upgraded (or moved) from LG G4 after hardware failure and my first impressions are rather luke warm. Let's split it into categories:
Design:
This is where S7 absolutely smashes G4 to pieces. S7 is really beautiful (although M7 is still my favourite) and G4 is, well, it tries, but is still ugly.
Ergonomy:
I love the smaller display, but the phone itself doesnt seem as ergonomic as G4. The rear buttons on G4 are great. Once I got used to them, I really miss them even after a month with S7. Also typing while lying is uncomfortable, which is something I never experienced with G4, but I really like having hardware buttons on S7.
Performance:
This one is a little sketchy. Although the phone doesnt freeze and switches apps really fast, the whole experience is not that excellent. Sometimes the display doesnt seem as responsive as it should (especially compared to Apple's exagerrated sensitivity) and the Briefing thing is just garbage. It lags and stutters every time you swipe from home screen to Briefing. This is not acceptable on any flagship in 2016. HTC had similar thing called BlinkFeed and it never, and I really mean it, never lagged. The whole phone just seemed more responsive. Even compared to G4.
Other than that, this phone is really fast.
Camera:
The camera is a mixed bag as well. On one hand, you get the amazing autofocus and almost instant camera launch, but on the other hand you get only 12 MPx and aggressive software sharpening. Don't get me wrong, 12MPx is plenty enough unless you want to zoom and see the details, plus shots in low light seem not that great. It just somehow feel like the camera isn't even an upgrade over G4, especially in low light. Haven't tried RAW capture, though. The pictures are usually great, but the upgrade over G4 seems very minor if there's some. Of course, this is all subjective and if I had G4 with me now, the S7 would probably win 3 out of 4 shots.
Front camera is worse though. The camera cannot focus on the whole picture and the edges are usually blurry, despite having subjects that are in the same distance from the lens as the subject in focus. Plus G4 had 8MPx, while S7 has only 5. Yeah, I know, there are more important things than resolution, but G4's front camera just felt better.
Overall quality:
Samsung should really work on quality control. Even if we say that Note's faulty batteries are not directly Samsung's fault, design of S7 is. I had mine 2 days. I repeat, 2 days, when it got stuck at boot. What was the problem? Motherboard. On a brand new phone that's never been dropped. And I was not alone, according to people on the Internet. The thing that bothers me is, if you cannot compete with Apple's build quality and customer care, don't compete so close to their price level. Yeah, I know. Samsung offers much more in terms of hardware at lower price than Apple, but in real life, you scarcely know the difference and the quality is just not there yet.
Other thing is wifi signal strength. With my plastic G4, I had good enough wifi signal in my bed, with S7 I can't usually even see the network. Same goes for other parts of house. G4 could connect everywhere, while I can only wish for that in S7.
Okay, to be fair. I really like this phone, but I was disappointed that it didn't feel like an upgrade over older and much cheaper phone.
What are your opinions on this? Anyone feels similarly, or did I just expect too much?
rs70 said:
It's been troubling my mind for a while, so I'll say it here. S7 feels kind of disappointing. Why kind of? Because it's a great phone, but with a lot of nuisances.
I upgraded (or moved) from LG G4 after hardware failure and my first impressions are rather luke warm. Let's split it into categories:
(....................)
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I did the same switch a couple of weeks ago and it feels like a whole different world! The G4 wasn’t bad, and I had no bootloop problems like many others but the speed of the S7 is amazing! I can’t detect a SINGLE stutter and the gaming speed is out of this world, like always buttery smooth. The Snapdragon 808 of the G4 was no speed monster!
The display is really the biggest reason for the switch as I see it. There is no way I am going back to lcd now that I know that black can really be BLACK with amoled and not gray as with lcd. The white has a better clean look to it also. Over all it’s just like candy for your eyes!
The camera on the G4 is on the other hand in some ways better than the S7, mostly in low light situations. But the speed of the S7 camera, both start and focus, beats the G4 by miles. I think that the daylight photos in most cases looks better with the S7 to.
Here in Sweden the performance of the S7 with mobile network both LTE and WCDMA is just as good as the G4 if not better. I have the exact same coverage with my WiFi connections as I had with the G4.
And it’s the Exynos version as I live in Europe.
gerhard_wa said:
I did the same switch a couple of weeks ago and it feels like a whole different world! The G4 wasn’t bad, and I had no bootloop problems like many others but the speed of the S7 is amazing! I can’t detect a SINGLE stutter and the gaming speed is out of this world, like always buttery smooth. The Snapdragon 808 of the G4 was no speed monster!
The display is really the biggest reason for the switch as I see it. There is no way I am going back to lcd now that I know that black can really be BLACK with amoled and not gray as with lcd. The white has a better clean look to it also. Over all it’s just like candy for your eyes!
The camera on the G4 is on the other hand in some ways better than the S7, mostly in low light situations. But the speed of the S7 camera, both start and focus, beats the G4 by miles. I think that the daylight photos in most cases looks better with the S7 to.
Here in Sweden the performance of the S7 with mobile network both LTE and WCDMA is just as good as the G4 if not better. I have the exact same coverage with my WiFi connections as I had with the G4.
And it’s the Exynos version as I live in Europe.
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Click to collapse
The stutters and delay are most obvious on homescreen when you try to swipe to the Briefing screen. I'm not saying the phone is not fast, but it just doesn't feel as smooth as, let's say an iPhone. Plus the delay when you press home button is a little annoying (if you disable double press for camera launch, it reacts immediately, but it's not worth the convenience of quick camera launch). Yeah, that's true that 808 wasn't the fastest processor out there, but G4 was at least as smooth as S7, though not as fast.
But I can only agree with you on the display, especially the part with black color. The other thing I just noticed is the low resolution of icons, both on homescreen and in app drawer. The icons are a bit blurry, while the text underneath those and widgets are perfectly sharp. I'm still not sure if I like TouchWiz, or whatever it is called today.
rs70 said:
The stutters and delay are most obvious on homescreen when you try to swipe to the Briefing screen. I'm not saying the phone is not fast, but it just doesn't feel as smooth as, let's say an iPhone. Plus the delay when you press home button is a little annoying (if you disable double press for camera launch, it reacts immediately, but it's not worth the convenience of quick camera launch). Yeah, that's true that 808 wasn't the fastest processor out there, but G4 was at least as smooth as S7, though not as fast.
But I can only agree with you on the display, especially the part with black color. The other thing I just noticed is the low resolution of icons, both on homescreen and in app drawer. The icons are a bit blurry, while the text underneath those and widgets are perfectly sharp. I'm still not sure if I like TouchWiz, or whatever it is called today.
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Most people install a decent launcher like Nova Launcher to replace the TouchWiz homescreen
I have double press home to open camera, and get no delay pressing home once
I never use the homepages supplied by the phone makers that force feed me with crap! Thats the first thing I remove, as with the HTCs blinkfeed. The next step is to buy Nova launcher Prime or Google launcher.
Try it, you will like it!
I switched from the G4 Dual (the only one disponible here in my country), and I feel like I was using a toy phone with the G4, leather all scratched out, the screen had pink marks (reflections of already used things, it appeared without any reason) and the motherboard gone, well i had all the G series but the G4 was a big let down for me (especially the dual sim one) the S7 smashes the G4 all the way to valhalla.
I also had a g4, still in my family now. It is complete garbage compared to s7. I don't have any stutter on the s7, it's not perfect but much better than the LG. And this coming from a Samsung hater, I dislike almost all their products. The camera is overhyped on both, g4 has better details but the app is garbage, very slow and 7 out of 10 photos on auto mode are crap. The s7 camera lacks detail but it's faster and consistent. Not to talk about the display and battery life where the s7 is much much better.
I still miss the soft android buttons and the fast updates on my old nexus 5... the only reason I don't have a nexus now is the manufacturer -lg- with crap hardware and materials (not interested in the phablets)
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
I never used G4 but i heard about poor battery so did not went for it. I bought Lg G5 but then sold it because camera was average though wide lense was awesome but pictures were lacking details as you zoom in....probably worse than what you see with s7. Lg G5 also had poor brightness ...I personally found nexus 6p/5X as best camera for still photography ..I kept changing phones from last few months from nexus 5x to lg g5 and then G5 to S7 and now waiting to try Huawei p9
The s7 is superior in every way, since it costs more and is newer than the G4. The only thing that the G4 beats the s7 in is the developer friendliness.
While I love and miss the LG G4 I had earlier this year, I now have a Galaxy S7 Active and from the moment I first took a picture with it I was disappointed in comparison to the G4. For me personally, from the first image I took with the G4 I knew there was something special about that camera (meaning the lens and sensor) in that smartphone and even now when I don't have one anymore that device produced the best quality image data I've yet worked with from such devices.
I know the GS7A has the same camera setup the GS7 has but even so, I just find that the G4 produced better images when all was said and done, even when using plain old Auto mode let alone really getting some fantastic images done with the Manual mode.
I like the GS7A, I really do, it has some great aspects to it and I'm happy to have a relatively "rugged" phone once again - I owned the GS4A when it first came out years ago and loved it till I sold it, was an amazing device for its time. But I'm practically itching to find someone to trade a G4 for this GS7A (and maybe a few bucks thrown in on the deal considering the GS7A sells for $794 at AT&T and I could get a G4 practically new for ~$200 these days).
I miss the G4, I really do, and I miss what I could do with that camera on the G4 even more - if I could get one of the new ones that (apparently) has finally resolved the bootloop issue (think they're marked as 603 or something meaning March 2016 build date) I might actually do a trade with someone.
opps. nevermind.
I also upgraded from my LG G4 after it died, to the S7. I've only had it for a short while but so far I think it's a worthy upgrade. The only things I'm missing are the FM radio and IR blaster, but I can live without these.
Maybe Samsung will bring back the FM radio like they did the microSD card slot.
Used a G4 for a year, the S7 since last spring.
I can say that I got equally good camera shots in all conditions as far as I can tell. I know what the reviews show, but picture quality is negligent for me. Camera is much faster on the S7.
I miss the back buttons and the tap to turn on the screen in the G4. I also miss the larger screen.
With the S7, I love the amoled, and outside viewing is much much better. I found the automatic brightness of the G4 to be terrible, and in the S7 it works great.
Battery life on the S7 has been better for me, but it's hard for me to compare fairly as I have a few wireless chargers that I pop the S7 on throughout the day, so I am topping up without thinking about it much.
Water resistance has been brilliant for me too. While I have not dropped my phone in water, I use it in the rain regularly.
Sent from my SM-G930W8 using XDA-Developers mobile app
My LG G4 also broke last week due to bootlop of death; not under warranty because of unlocked bootloader.
I would like to buy a new one (can be found in stores for about 310 EUR) but I'm afraid that bootlop could happen again, so decided to leave LG (V20 will not arrive in Europe) and to go for a plain S7.
I loved my G4, buttons on the back were great to use.
Camera was impressive; many friends with "better" handphones were stunned seeing pictures taken at night (manual mode).
Main concern is downgrading from 5.5' to 5.1'; when I got the G4 the screen seemed huge, but after some time you ged used to it and quality was also ok for my tastes.
Let's see how the S7 will perform; my old S3 was a good phone after all...
Can you plese tell if the battery is removeable or not ? I have read different opinions about. My concern is that in certain occasions (flashing...) the software reset (Pwr+VolDwn) could not work and lead to a mess. Removing the battery is often the best thing that helps...
Regards
S
@sandrinopi The s7 has no removable battery. It's built in. However,pressing the power button for some seconds results also to a restart.
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sloany84 said:
I also upgraded from my LG G4 after it died, to the S7. I've only had it for a short while but so far I think it's a worthy upgrade. The only things I'm missing are the FM radio and IR blaster, but I can live without these.
Maybe Samsung will bring back the FM radio like they did the microSD card slot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S7 does have fm
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Dri94 said:
S7 does have fm
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Not on European versions, where FM radio is not factory installed.
If I correctly understood a couple of articles I read, the unique attempt that one can do is to install an FM radio app from Play store and cross fingers.
Rgds
S
TheSproker said:
The s7 is superior in every way, since it costs more and is newer than the G4. The only thing that the G4 beats the s7 in is the developer friendliness.
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Marketers dream of customers who define superiority by highest cost. There are many of us who think developer friendless is the single most important factor. I think the S7 is a horrible phone and a very poor value. I'm glad my teenage son enjoys the one I purchased because I would have sold it within days of buying it if it were my phone.
Hi guys, I just went from S7 on OnePlus 5 recently and had it for two days but I hate camera in OnePlus so I'm selling it. My next chooses are S8, HTC U11 or LG G6.
What will be the best choose for me considering that:
- what's the most important for me is video stabilization (even in 1080p) and nice camera app
- I hate fingerprints scanners on the back like in S8 and LG G6
- I love the screen in S8
- I had S4, S5, S6 and S7 before but never had any HTC or LG in my life
- these bezels in U11 aren't a big thing for me. I can accept it. They are like in OP5
Or....I can always make a switch back to the S7 and buy it again haha I just loved that phone and S7 had everything I wished for but I just get bored of Samsungs to be honest.
But on this moment I would choose on HTC, what's your opinion?
Let me know guys, thanks a lot <3
i have the s8, its pretty nice yaeh. switched from the oneplus 3, that phone was faster, but that was about all it had on the s8
@timrock7 - How about that back fingerprint sensor? If Is it great to use? I can't imagine using that on S8 ;/ but I really like to use that feature on other phones with front fingerprint sensor.
Man, if not that sensor on the back I would buy it immidiately ;/
KamilKiri said:
@timrock7 - How about that back fingerprint sensor? If Is it great to use? I can't imagine using that on S8 ;/ but I really like to use that feature on other phones with front fingerprint sensor.
Man, if not that sensor on the back I would buy it immidiately ;/
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always had a phone with a fingerprint on the front, didnt have to many issues with switching to the back. The only downside is when the phone is lying on the table
In my opinion paying premium for a flagship with last year's CPU is pointless, which leads me to thinnk you shouldn't go for LG G6. Both HTC U11 and S8 are wise choice. U11 has Snapdragon so it will likely have better custom ROM support eventually cause S8 Exynos will never offer fully functional AOSP and US Snapdragon is locked afaik
What about camera comparision between U11 and S8? Which one is better? I saw youtube comparisions but one is on the S8 side and one on U11. Can't really choose a winner here. I saw that photos on S8 have a lot better colors. But Samsung incrases it a lot trough their software.
KamilKiri said:
What about camera comparision between U11 and S8? Which one is better? I saw youtube comparisions but one is on the S8 side and one on U11. Can't really choose a winner here. I saw that photos on S8 have a lot better colors. But Samsung incrases it a lot trough their software.
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it really depends on how much you care about the camera and the UI
samsung likely has the best camera. probably more features as well
HTC likely has the better/faster UI
I had OP 3 , then T.
Tried G6, pixel XL and S8.
Have in house Honor8, S7 and some Apple nonsense.
G6 felt sluggish and for a phone sold on its camera, it did not impress.
Pixel XL is pretty good. Great camera , great software. Looks very dated.
S8 just edged it on the camera front.
But as a complete device, it is way out front.
Everything else feels and looks like it is from 2013. FPS on rear has not caused me one single problem.
I'm in the same boat as the OP. Hardware wise the S8 is near perfect, but I really hate all the Samsung bloat. Custom ROMs would help, but I'd lose the camera software optimization provided by the OEM.
The U11 has less bloat and is nearly as good in every respect, but other than software and sound its always #2.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00A using Tapatalk
I've tried the OP5 and the Xperia XZ Premium before coming to the S8. I owned the S7E and I swore I wouldn't get the S8 and try something else but after being disappointed by both these 2 and reading review after review I was like **** it gotta try the S8 and if I still don't want it change again. This is were my downfall and love for the S8 came lol, everything about it is quite amazing. The feel of it, the design, camera, graphics, it all just seems they have done it right and its clicked together perfect. I know you can get S8 ports etc for the S7E which i had but the S8 feels so much more than that. The finger print scanner was my main issue of disliking the S8 tbh but it actually works and i mean it works as in placement so easy to use ofc the odd time you move your finger over the camera lense lol but not as often as you would think when you get used to it. Both OP5 and the Xperia had bezels which I didn't mind *until I got this* this screen is beautiful full size and being able to hide the navbar also so nice. As for bloat *what bloat* lol I have it rooted with Reno Ice and NOTORIOUS kernel = all bloat gone and couldn't be happier :good: FYI I'm not a Samsung fanboy in any way trying to promote lol this is my honest opinion to which I explained I swore never to get one :laugh:
Yeah I too had this decision to make, and considering I'm a photographer, the camera was always going to be one of the key deciding factors. My choices (at the time) were, LG G6, Pixel XL and the S8. After going back and forth over specs and testing different devices I decided on the S8 primarily because it was GORGEOUS and in regard to hardware it covered most (if not all) the bases (good camera, expandable storage, water resistance etc). Always had it in mind that if I didn't like it (as I've never been a Samsung fan - AT ALL) I could sell it and get something else.
That was 2 months ago and within that time this device has made me fall in love with technology all over again. Irrespective of what all the reviews say about the FPS location, its really not a problem, like REALLY. And as for everything else....this device just handles stuff like a boss. The camera is excellent, and yes in certain conditions there may be devices that do a slightly better job, but overall and all round, the S8 IS an outstanding piece of kit. Even with the notorious Samsung bloatware, this device is a pleasure to use, and actually feels like how I envisaged mobile devices would look and feel in the future. My advice, get an S8 (you don't even need to go for the plus, the screen size is awesome), if you end up not liking it, at least it will hold its value so you can purchase something else........but somehow, I don't think you will.
(Disclaimer, 100% not a Samsung fan, in fact have been a HTC stalwart since 2003....but this device is just too good!!!!!!)
I had been using the S8 for a week (and U11 for two days) and the s8 fingerprint scanner is very finicky, so I opt to use iris, facial, or pattern to unlock. U11 fingerprint scanner is much better. Also, the audio on the U11 earbuds are full and more detailed (USB C) compared to the included earbuds in the S8, but do prefer having the 3.5mm jack.
Are some minor camera differences. Both good in daylight, but at night the U11 bumbs up the ISO (on Auto) too high causing a lot of grain.
But overall, I like the S8 more. To me, it has more features, AMOLED Display (the U11 display looks good for lcd but I did have 1 pixel that was stuck on red), and I got the S8 for $450 after the $200 trade, while the U11 is $680 with tax. So not worth the price difference. I actually found the U11 a bit boaring.
filterxg said:
I'm in the same boat as the OP. Hardware wise the S8 is near perfect, but I really hate all the Samsung bloat. Custom ROMs would help, but I'd lose the camera software optimization provided by the OEM.
The U11 has less bloat and is nearly as good in every respect, but other than software and sound its always #2.
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Unless if the rom is still stock based and edited, you still have the same camera. Also, there's even camera add-ons for the S8.
Bloatware is not a problem at all. We can remove almost everything manually so yea...I'm only afraid of that fingerprint sensor on S8, don't know what to think about it. I need to drive to the nearest phone store and test both S8 and U11.
Love this phone but after seeing low light comparisons with an ancient Galaxy s5 I was massively disappointed with the low light photographs, which is important to me (as well as overall camera quality). I've familiarized myself with the custom settings and they still don't provide the desired quality.
Considering a 1st gen Google Pixel or Samsung S7 (leaning to the pixel). What phones, including older phones, in a similar price range would be a good trade off?
I don't care about your complaining. Would it help that you compares G5 Plus to 4 years old phone? It makes you feel better? Don't do off topic and just compare phones in the right topic. It's annoying.
maruchandd said:
Love this phone but after seeing low light comparisons with an ancient Galaxy s5 I was massively disappointed with the low light photographs, which is important to me (as well as overall camera quality). I've familiarized myself with the custom settings and they still don't provide the desired quality.
Considering a 1st gen Google Pixel or Samsung S7 (leaning to the pixel). What phones, including older phones, in a similar price range would be a good trade off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Moto G5plus and I compared the shots to 3 other phones I have access to (not all mine). These are all $200 something.
1. iPhone SE - Out of all budget phones, this makes the best pictures in this price range , the reason I won't get it is because the screen size is just a no-go for me. But camera wise, it's top dog, maybe the Note 5 and the S7 would be beating on it (in $200 range)
2. Honor 7X (I owned this for 2 days and returned it, because it had some defects and I chose not to get another one) This makes great pictures IMO, makes better pics than any moto phone although still not as good as the iphone.
3. Moto ZPlay (1st gen) - Don't get this for camera, actually the G5Plus makes better pictures, the only reason it would look better, because of the AMOLED screen it has, but look at it on a PC or another phone and compare the pics, you'd realize that the G5plus made sharper pictures. The Zplay was a mid-ranger in 2016, don't know how the Z2Play is, but as far as I know it has the same exact camera as the G5plus. Moto uses good cameras, but they just can't get their software processing right.
4. Blackberry Priv. - Despite all the other shortcomings (heats up, not so great battery life) this makes really good pictures, has a curved, hres screen too.
5. iPhone 6S- Same camera as the SE. Again, the reason I don't consider it, is because I had it and I got spoiled by my Note 5 (which I broke and gone now) which was way better and the large screen made me hate my iphone screen.
6. Used Galaxy S7 (or edge, but it's $100 more) this has to be the best shooter if you can find one for $200 as a refurb or used. Same thing with the Galaxy Note 4 or 5. Unless of course you hate touchwiz.
7. If you can find a first gen Pixel, you gonna have a good camera. also LG G6 are going dirt cheap on ebay and it's a 2017 flagship. It has an awesome camera with secondary wide angle shot. As of right now I'm getting an LG G6 soon to replace my G5 Plus.
8. Sony experia - I don't know much about it, although people claiming to make as good or even better pics as the S7. Sony seem to be the primary maker of the best cams on most of smartphones so they won't wimp out on putting a really good one on their own smartphones.
maruchandd said:
Love this phone but after seeing low light comparisons with an ancient Galaxy s5 I was massively disappointed with the low light photographs, which is important to me (as well as overall camera quality). I've familiarized myself with the custom settings and they still don't provide the desired quality.
Considering a 1st gen Google Pixel or Samsung S7 (leaning to the pixel). What phones, including older phones, in a similar price range would be a good trade off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, this has the same imaging sensor as the S7 and Pixel, but it was held back by crappy (but fixable) software. There's no way in heck an S5 can compare once you've turned on Camera2 and run the Gcam HDR+ exposure. Out of camera the shots hang on my wall next to ones taken with my $3000+ pro DSLR, and editing the RAW images blows me away every time I try tweaking them in lightroom.
I call shenanigans. I want to see the examples the OP is talking about, or I lay claim that he is only comparing the crippled stock camera app.