Related
This isn't so much for the people who have the phone, but I know a lot of people looking to buy the phone will read the reviews and visit general forum, so here it is:
What I love about it:
Touchless Control -- definitely put those iPhone 5s users in their place when they show off their fingerprint unlock. "Hey Google Now" gets recognized instantly, anywhere, and at almost any volume. I was explain it to someone about this feature in a noisy hallway with him holding my phone, and I was not even loud, and my phone woke up and started listening. Now I whisper it just to see it can hear me, and get super giddy and freaked out at the same time when it does...
Active Notification -- yeah yeah, I know you can download an app for it, but moto X's implementation is by far the best. It knows what you are doing. In the pocket? No problem. Out of the pocket, wake up right away. I don't even bother using the power button anymore. I just nudge the phone a bit when it's sitting on my desk, and the screen comes on. It's a beautiful thing, especially after switching from HTC One, and the One Mini, when the power button was so damn awkward to reach. Or you know, you can just wake it up by talking to it... Just say: open Gmail! and BOOM. It's there.
Assist -- again, Motorola got it right. This is how to make a rom. Assist has completely made my tasker useless... I was using tasker to silence my phone during appointments, at night, and play music and reply messages when I'm driving, now Moto X does all this, with minimal setup. I just let it do its thing, and it has gotten it right almost all the time. It also read your text messages when you are driving, which is pretty awesome.
What I dislike:
My biggest gripe... What is up with the vibration? It feels so mechanical and clunky, as if there is a robot squirrel in the phone grinding two titanium nuts together in its mouth to make the vibration. The long duration vibration is almost unbearable. C'mon Motorola, why would you skimp on something so important and basic?
The screen -- it's a decent screen, but after using the One, I would have to say it is nowhere near top notch. If a beautiful screen is a MUST for you, skip this phone. It's usable, but hardly from beautiful. When it's dim, I could almost see a hue of purple on everything. Pentile displays, I'm telling yah. The screen looks like my old GNex. I eventually liked my GNex because of the custom kernal could make the screen almost really really good, but on the Moto X, which leads to my last gripe...
The bootloader -- all you TMo and Rogers people are damn lucky. I really don't mind the bootloader so much, but I just want to root my phone. I know another root method will eventually come along, but man, Verizon and AT&T are making it difficult. Why do I want to root my phone? Well I happen to enjoy the Xposed framework and have been using it on almost all my other phones. It has completely replaced Rom flashing for me. I want my screen rotation in the quick setting menu damn it, is that too much to ask?
Well that's it. If you don't like to mess around your phone and can live with a robot squirrel and mediocre screen, this phone is for you...
For the owners of Moto X.. How are you feeling about the vibration and the screen? Any cool app or anything that doesn't require root to make the moto X experience better?
personally I like the vibration because it's easy for me to feel it on vibrate while I'm at work. And the screen looks just the same as the S4 I had to me, but some notice screens more than me. I agree with active notifications and all, and I love the twist motion to launch the camera. Only thing I don't like is how locked down it is. (Verizon). And the camera isn't great, so far I don't find the update to have helped too much
I feel like I either have absolutely no high expectations for vibration, or I have the only Moto X that vibrates normally. I haven't noticed any rattling on mine, and it's a really strong vibration. I like it.
holyevilcow said:
This isn't so much for the people who have the phone, but I know a lot of people looking to buy the phone will read the reviews and visit general forum, so here it is:
What I love about it:
Touchless Control -- definitely put those iPhone 5s users in their place when they show off their fingerprint unlock. "Hey Google Now" gets recognized instantly, anywhere, and at almost any volume. I was explain it to someone about this feature in a noisy hallway with him holding my phone, and I was not even loud, and my phone woke up and started listening. Now I whisper it just to see it can hear me, and get super giddy and freaked out at the same time when it does...
Active Notification -- yeah yeah, I know you can download an app for it, but moto X's implementation is by far the best. It knows what you are doing. In the pocket? No problem. Out of the pocket, wake up right away. I don't even bother using the power button anymore. I just nudge the phone a bit when it's sitting on my desk, and the screen comes on. It's a beautiful thing, especially after switching from HTC One, and the One Mini, when the power button was so damn awkward to reach. Or you know, you can just wake it up by talking to it... Just say: open Gmail! and BOOM. It's there.
Assist -- again, Motorola got it right. This is how to make a rom. Assist has completely made my tasker useless... I was using tasker to silence my phone during appointments, at night, and play music and reply messages when I'm driving, now Moto X does all this, with minimal setup. I just let it do its thing, and it has gotten it right almost all the time. It also read your text messages when you are driving, which is pretty awesome.
What I dislike:
My biggest gripe... What is up with the vibration? It feels so mechanical and clunky, as if there is a robot squirrel in the phone grinding two titanium nuts together in its mouth to make the vibration. The long duration vibration is almost unbearable. C'mon Motorola, why would you skimp on something so important and basic?
The screen -- it's a decent screen, but after using the One, I would have to say it is nowhere near top notch. If a beautiful screen is a MUST for you, skip this phone. It's usable, but hardly from beautiful. When it's dim, I could almost see a hue of purple on everything. Pentile displays, I'm telling yah. The screen looks like my old GNex. I eventually liked my GNex because of the custom kernal could make the screen almost really really good, but on the Moto X, which leads to my last gripe...
The bootloader -- all you TMo and Rogers people are damn lucky. I really don't mind the bootloader so much, but I just want to root my phone. I know another root method will eventually come along, but man, Verizon and AT&T are making it difficult. Why do I want to root my phone? Well I happen to enjoy the Xposed framework and have been using it on almost all my other phones. It has completely replaced Rom flashing for me. I want my screen rotation in the quick setting menu damn it, is that too much to ask?
Well that's it. If you don't like to mess around your phone and can live with a robot squirrel and mediocre screen, this phone is for you...
For the owners of Moto X.. How are you feeling about the vibration and the screen? Any cool app or anything that doesn't require root to make the moto X experience better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just so we remain accurate, the screen on the Moto X is not PenTile, but uses the same array as the Galaxy Note 2 from Samsung. Infact, Samsung is the one that makes the screen on the Moto X.
http://anandtech.com/show/7235/moto-x-review/5
samarth1 said:
Just so we remain accurate, the screen on the Moto X is not PenTile, but uses the same array as the Galaxy Note 2 from Samsung. Infact, Samsung is the one that makes the screen on the Moto X.
http://anandtech.com/show/7235/moto-x-review/5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nice one .
freak4dell said:
I feel like I either have absolutely no high expectations for vibration, or I have the only Moto X that vibrates normally. I haven't noticed any rattling on mine, and it's a really strong vibration. I like it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had three different xs and they all vibrate slightly different
Sent from my XT1058 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
eallan said:
I've had three different xs and they all vibrate slightly different
Sent from my XT1058 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i'm on my third, too. the first two had minor issues besides the vibration. the vibration was different on all 3, and seemed to get worse as i went along. looking back, i should have not nitpicked and just kept the first because it was nice and tight--none of this loud and rattley/loose nonsense that i have on the latest one, but hindsight is 20/20 i guess. 2 gsm dev editions and then an at&t that i have now, in case anyone's wondering. i saved over $300 getting a used at&t on this latest one.. at least that's how i'm justifying the imperfections this go-around.
So surprised you dont like the screen in comparison with the HTC One. I have both (got a Moto X after the One - which I was besotted with), the Moto X has darker blacks and deeper colours, I easily prefer it over the One. The one looks washed out in comparison - which I was really surprised about as I love the One screen.
Irky things
I have the VZW DEV edition. For the most part everything works great. I have issues where Music from Google Play over my blue tooth head set gets choppy when I'm active (walking, or moving about). My dialer quit suggest contact names when I'm dialing a number and telling me who's calling on incoming calls from contacts. It doesn't recognize my Motorola docks and if I have daydreamer mode set to run when connected to a charger or dock, it doesn't. I'm pretty disappointed with my $650 phone since my Bionic worked great in all these areas.
ranlil said:
I have the VZW DEV edition. For the most part everything works great. I have issues where Music from Google Play over my blue tooth head set gets choppy when I'm active (walking, or moving about). My dialer quit suggest contact names when I'm dialing a number and telling me who's calling on incoming calls from contacts. It doesn't recognize my Motorola docks and if I have daydreamer mode set to run when connected to a charger or dock, it doesn't. I'm pretty disappointed with my $650 phone since my Bionic worked great in all these areas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it doesn't sound like it, but if you think these are manufacturing issues with your particular phone, i've found that motorola customer service has no problem issuing a RMA for you.. i think you could do this anyway as long as it's within the window. their customer service people are a joke with trying to evaluate and fix the issue but they did refund my two GSM dev editions (one with bootloader unlocked). you could always try another one, and even return that and get back on the bionic until something else pops up. why they won't do straight up exchanges i have no idea. they lost my money when i bought a used AT&T the third time around.
however, for all its issues, this is probably my favorite phone ever.
To me the MotoX would be my only option if I went Android.
Main reasons:
- I really appreciate one-handed operation : The MotoX is just a little bit bigger than an iPhone 5 while having a much bigger screen. That makes it easy to reach both the top and bottom of the screen without having to shift my hand around every time to do so.
- The MotoX brought about a new, long-term, game changing feature (Always On Assistant) : It's not easy to bring about a Star Trek like feature which is actually really useful without killing the battery life. Motorola was the only phone to be able to accomplish this. Before the MotoX everyone thought that an always listening voice assistant would kill the battery life. This feature (along with TouchID on the 5s) are not given enough credit for their long term impact on the smartphone realm.
- Motorola was finally the first Android manufacturer to stop being whores to the spec war games : So many times I see android manufacturers cram in whatever specs they can to cater to the stat geeks, without any real thought as to what is actually needed. Motorola was finally the first to stop and ask "Hey, is a 1080p screen really needed over a 720p screen when the non-ocd consumer can't tell the difference anyways? All it really does is kill battery life!"
- I love the fact that the MotoX is assembled in the U.S. : The fact that Motorola took the profit hit to bring assembling jobs to America is a huge plus in my opinion. They could have simply lined their pockets further by having it assembled in China or wherever but they didn't. By doing this they also ensured that American customers would get a quick delivery when ordering online. A company that is willing to forgo extra profits in order to help the U.S. economy gets an A+ in my book.
- Near stock version of android : The skins that LG, HTC, and Samsung throw on their phones are cluttered and disgusting IMO. Not only that but having a manufacturers skin cluttered all over your handset makes it that much harder for them to put it on newer versions of android that come in the future. With the MotoX having a near stock version of android you know that the phone you are getting is clean but will also get future updates much quicker than other skinned handsets would.
- Active notifications look awesome : Instead of a random blinking LED (which is not always present on other handsets anyways) you get active notifications which only come up when the phone senses you are looking at it. Why doesn't everyone have this?
Other, more minor reasons:
- I like that Motorola gives the consumer choices : Even though I would get an all black version (with the back being woven), I still appreciate that Motorola would be the first android manufacturer to give the customer a real choice on colors.
- I really like Moto Skip : Being able to skip past my lock screen is a really convenient time saving feature when you have a long, secure password which I also really appreciate on the 5s with touch ID.
Sounds like a decent chunk of you guys had an HTC one before the x.... Why did you make the jump? Im contemplating that very move (currently have a one)
Moto X only looks like pure android. I'm willing to bet that they have made tons of changes under the hood. This is why this phone may never get advice development. Good thing it's heavily optimized. Makes me wonder if it will be a 2 year phone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
eallan said:
I've had three different xs and they all vibrate slightly different
Sent from my XT1058 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
indeed. whatever happened to 'building the x in the usa means fixing production issues much quicker.'
I only miss root for two things:
1) center clock
2) greenify
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
DertyDOH said:
personally I like the vibration because it's easy for me to feel it on vibrate while I'm at work. And the screen looks just the same as the S4 I had to me, but some notice screens more than me. I agree with active notifications and all, and I love the twist motion to launch the camera. Only thing I don't like is how locked down it is. (Verizon). And the camera isn't great, so far I don't find the update to have helped too much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you actually use the twist-motion for the camera often? Or do you find it too clunky, like what people were saying in comments when the feature was announced?
meant2live218 said:
Do you actually use the twist-motion for the camera often? Or do you find it too clunky, like what people were saying in comments when the feature was announced?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually use it every time I launch the camera. Also I take a lot of pics while driving (bad habit yes), but I go past a classic car lot frequently and take pics sometimes of a new 60's muscle car they might have. I would hate going back to anything else
meant2live218 said:
Do you actually use the twist-motion for the camera often? Or do you find it too clunky, like what people were saying in comments when the feature was announced?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only use it to show it off. Every time I have had to snap a pic I forget it's there.....
Sent from my Moto X
droe411 said:
I only use it to show it off. Every time I have had to snap a pic I forget it's there.....
Sent from my Moto X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm the complete opposite. I even use the twist gesture as a quick way to get into my camera gallery.
I've had a problem that's made me lose some great pics of my daughter. Sometimes when I activate using the twist motion, snap a pic, then go to look at it later, it's not in gallery. I've replicated it a few times. Stock and newest update. Not sure what the deal is there.
All in all: amazing phone. Love it.
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
And how are you adapting?
Is the lock bootloader bothering you?, and how about the size of the phone?
is the development what you thought it would be?
And what made you jump ship?
thanks for the feed back!
chefb said:
And how are you adapting?
Is the lock bootloader bothering you?, and how about the size of the phone?
is the development what you thought it would be?
And what made you jump ship?
thanks for the feed back!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i came from the nexus and yes I am a bit sad that i cant flash whatever I want. But i am thankful at least we can flash roms.
Honestly, i bought the note 3 without doing any research, it wasnt until a few days after I found out that the bootloader was locked...which took me by surprise.
I dont regret it at all. To me, the galaxy nexus on verizon was probably one of the worst phones ever built. I am so glad to be done with it you have no idea. Living day to day with the nexus was painful. No amount of tweaks could save that crap phone. I am in heaven with the note 3 and its battery. Its actually kind of nice not having to flash something everyday in hope of improving my phone so its usable.
I also had the Galaxy Nexus, and while in general I liked it a lot, the battery life was pretty poor, and 4g/3g reception wasn't nearly as good as my wife's S4.
I debated upgrading for a while, but over Black Friday week-end, found a deal I couldn't refuse: Verizon lowered the price to $199, Comcast had a promotion giving a $200 PrePaid VISA card with the purchase of a new Verizon phone/Upgrade, and then I sold my Galaxy Nexus for $105 through Craigs List. Even with the upgrade fee and taxes, I netted $60 in the deal (assuming the $200 card comes in 4 weeks).
I never had the need to root/flash ROM's, etc., so my experience might be different from yours. But the GN3 is much, much smoother/quicker over all. The browsing experience is night and day better. Chrome works fine, and is incredibly quick. Battery Life is much better as well.
The screen size is much nicer for me, and yes the overall phone size is big, but not problematic. I use the basic TPU Case/Holster, and just put on the JLG Nano screen protector yesterday. Adds minimal size/weight, and keeps it protected and easily portable.
Radio reception remains to be determined as I haven't traveled much since getting it. Where I have been, it's been fine. Just took the OTA update yesterday, so can't yet evaluate what impact that had.
Bottom line - I am extremely pleased with this phone vs the GN I had - no regrets whatsoever (would feel the same even if I had to pay for it!).
I'm coming from the g-nex, and the N3 is far and away an incredibly, insanely superior device. Speed of the device, in general, is easily 3-4x faster, and with 3x the RAM, there's no comparison when it comes to multitasking. Features like multi-window and pen window put this phone light years ahead. Not to mention, the s pen features and technology are just amazing. This is the first time I've ever updated a device and felt like I've actually advanced 4 years in tech instead of 2.
Reception and the radios are vastly better - I haven't missed a single call yet whereas I'd miss calls pretty frequently with my gnex, and the 4G speeds are much better...but by far, most importantly, battery life is almost triple of what I could ever achieve on the gnex. I've regularly gotten 2-3 days of uptime on my N3 and can easily get 6-8 hours of screen on time. Insanity.
As for ROMs, the only reason why I installed ROMs on the nexus was to mod the nav keys, make the nav key background transparent, and a few other mods. With my N3 I feel absolutely no need to even install a ROM. Every single mod I ever wanted I've installed though xposed.
And I really though I'd hate not having nav keys (soft keys) after having them for two years, but now I actually much prefer NOT having them! The extra screen real estate is very nice, allowing full use of this huge display, and with xposed you can mod the capacitive keys, so my back key is now also my menu key when long pressed...no need for soft keys at all. Not only that, I have it so the keys are never lit so it's a very streamlined look, almost all display.
Hopefully on the Note 4, Samsung will finally ditch the physical home button and make it, too, capacitive. Then the device will look even that much more slick.
TL ; DR version: The N3 is light years ahead of the gnex in every imaginable aspect. A no-brainer; even at $300 it's WELL worth it coming from ANY previous-gen device.
All interesting. ...keep Em coming!
chefb said:
All interesting. ...keep Em coming!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bumpity bump
I too came from a Verizon G'nex, and I pretty much agree with everything that's been said so far. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Gnex...still do, as a matter of fact, but this phone is just superior in so many ways. I used to have to use 2 batteries just to get through a single day. Nowadays, I still have two batteries, but I've gone for entire days without ever having to switch them.
As far as development goes...I bought the phone, in large part, because of its stylus, and the various apps that come with it. Seeing as flashing anything based on AOSP would mean the loss of pen window, action memo, screen write etc, I would be unlikely to flash anything other than a Touchwiz-based rom in the first place, so SafeStrap is acceptable. Ideologically, of course, I hate the idea of a locked bootloader, but in practice it's not really that bad. I've flashed Beans' rom, and it looks like that's where I'll probably stay for a good long while. It's certainly nice, though, that the only reason I wanted to flash a new rom in the first place was to remove bloatware and take care of a few aesthetic concerns...flashing roms on the G'nex was more of a survival strategy to keep the phone working than a luxury. I felt like I was changing roms every two or three weeks on the G'nex due to some sort of performance or radio issue, and there's none of that with the Note 3.
Overall...it's a lovely, lovely phone, and an improvement over the G'nex in every possible way except for, perhaps, the locked bootloader. Some may gripe with its size, but I watch a lot of videos on my phone, and the screen is amazing for media viewing. The processor is good enough to handle literally anything you throw at it, with any codec, up to 1080p. I've come to expect that MX Player with the custom codec pack will play nearly anything, but I was sore amazed to find that the native video app can play most (not all, but most) MKV files, which allows you to do cool things like floating video. I've never had the phone slow down or stutter, even with multiple parallel app downloads going (which used to KILL the G'nex), and almost everything I didn't like initially can be patched with a few quick Xposed tweaks. So yeah...if you're hesitating about switching to this phone from a G'nex...don't. You'll love it and never want to look back.
there is a sticky for this discussion here ... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2466108
Hey everyone,
So, I've acquired my Z3 from Tmo on Oct 29th, the day it was released. Thus far, I've pretty happy with it. The battery is amazing, although I know it will last me over a day, or more, I'm stuck in my old habits of charging...which I am attempting to get used to better battery life. Anywho, here's my cons with this phone:
-I was using a Samsung Galaxy S3 (T999). The touch screen worked great. This phone though, I've had delays or my touches not being noticed. More so when I first turn the phone on to the lockscreen. If I give it about 10 seconds, it will respond to all touches.
-Along the same lines as the lockscreen not acknowledging all my touches, this also happens during various games or apps. Playing Arcane Legends, for instance, when I attempt to move, sometimes it doesn't. If I retry two or three times, it will then start working.
-I also get crackling sounds during calls, not all the time, but it is often enough. Also, when I have the touch sounds enabled and speakers plugged into it, it often also makes crackling sounds.
-Had many more settings to choose from when I was using Cyanogenmod 11 on my SGS3. I would figure this to be the case, but I do miss some settings, especially some Security-based ones. Maybe there are secret menus?
-I also wished that the LED was brighter... in my opinion it is really dim.
With all that being said, and knowing that Android L is on the way in a few months, I'm more than willing to wait to see is these issues are resolved. If not, I'll be getting a hold of Sony support to resolve these issues.
I'm curious if any of you have had these issues and if you've found workarounds.
As far as the pros, they outweigh the cons noted above. Battery is awesome, responsiveness if awesome, the overall experience is awesome. Works well with anything that I throw at it and its still goes beyond that.
Thanks,
Johnathan
Hey I haven't experienced any touch screen problems what so ever and I'm a heavy long time android user. Call quality is great as well. Not sure what's going on with yours
Sent from my D6616 using XDA Free mobile app
pezlomd said:
Hey I haven't experienced any touch screen problems what so ever and I'm a heavy long time android user. Call quality is great as well. Not sure what's going on with yours
Sent from my D6616 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pezlomd,
Thanks for the reply. Out of curiousity, what are your OS details:
-Android: 4.4.4
-Baseband version: 8974-AAAAANAZQ-00009-06
-Kernel version: 3.4.0-perf-g0ab9f9a (Fri Sep 5 07:22.38 2014
-Build number: 23.0.D.1.123:
Thanks,
Johnathan
Return it, sounds like you got a defective phone.
Elysian893 said:
Return it, sounds like you got a defective phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ugh... and after I got it the way I want it.
johnathanamber said:
Hey everyone,
So, I've acquired my Z3 from Tmo on Oct 29th, the day it was released. Thus far, I've pretty happy with it. The battery is amazing, although I know it will last me over a day, or more, I'm stuck in my old habits of charging...which I am attempting to get used to better battery life. Anywho, here's my cons with this phone:
-I was using a Samsung Galaxy S3 (T999). The touch screen worked great. This phone though, I've had delays or my touches not being noticed. More so when I first turn the phone on to the lockscreen. If I give it about 10 seconds, it will respond to all touches.
-Along the same lines as the lockscreen not acknowledging all my touches, this also happens during various games or apps. Playing Arcane Legends, for instance, when I attempt to move, sometimes it doesn't. If I retry two or three times, it will then start working.
-I also get crackling sounds during calls, not all the time, but it is often enough. Also, when I have the touch sounds enabled and speakers plugged into it, it often also makes crackling sounds.
-Had many more settings to choose from when I was using Cyanogenmod 11 on my SGS3. I would figure this to be the case, but I do miss some settings, especially some Security-based ones. Maybe there are secret menus?
-I also wished that the LED was brighter... in my opinion it is really dim.
With all that being said, and knowing that Android L is on the way in a few months, I'm more than willing to wait to see is these issues are resolved. If not, I'll be getting a hold of Sony support to resolve these issues.
I'm curious if any of you have had these issues and if you've found workarounds.
As far as the pros, they outweigh the cons noted above. Battery is awesome, responsiveness if awesome, the overall experience is awesome. Works well with anything that I throw at it and its still goes beyond that.
Thanks,
Johnathan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like to also add, that as far as functionality of the phone itself, the rotating flaps for the exposed ports seems to be a little flimsy and can easily break. This worries me a bit that if they are accidentally snapped off due to slight mishandling... you'll lose your waterproofing.
Also, I don't like that the volume options when using the volume up and down buttons isn't more granular. For instance, when I wanted to increase the SMS notification volume, I had to go through Setting instead of having more volume options when the buttons are pressed. Did I miss a setting?
Considering getting it replaced to see if that's the issue with the touchness delay or crackling sounds.
Thanks,
Johnathan
johnathanamber said:
I'd like to also add, that as far as functionality of the phone itself, the rotating flaps for the exposed ports seems to be a little flimsy and can easily break. This worries me a bit that if they are accidentally snapped off due to slight mishandling... you'll lose your waterproofing.
Also, I don't like that the volume options when using the volume up and down buttons isn't more granular. For instance, when I wanted to increase the SMS notification volume, I had to go through Setting instead of having more volume options when the buttons are pressed. Did I miss a setting?
Considering getting it replaced to see if that's the issue with the touchness delay or crackling sounds.
Thanks,
Johnathan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone comes with an extra USB cover, won't lose anything. MicroSD/Sim shouldn't come off very often. I don't think you need be concerned.
Elysian893 said:
The phone comes with an extra USB cover, won't lose anything. MicroSD/Sim shouldn't come off very often. I don't think you need be concerned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Elysian893,
I am not concerned for my own experience, however I can see where this can be an issue.
Waiting for my DK48 magnetic dock to arrive, which will alleviate my concern.
Thanks,
Johnathan
Johnathan,
I've experienced some crackling/popping when on a call without using my headset. After a reboot though, it seems to have gone away. The last 2 days, my battery began lasting no more than 5-6 hours. I thought that it might have something to do with an app, so I began experimenting and found that the Sony Photo upload service was hanging, and also Lookout was scanning everything constantly. I uninstalled Lookout and disabled the Sony uploads and things seem to have returned to normal, although I will need another day or so to evaluate.
FWIW, here is my review I posted over the weekend:
___________________________________________
Never owned a Sony phone but now I "have a Sony for my Owny" (older folks will get this line)! I must say - I am in love with one caveat - that being a locked bootloader. Pretty disappointed in that however I was happy to read a page or 2 back that I will likely still be able to root which is really all I care about. That said, the bloatware on the D6616 is minimal, so aside from liking to try out new ROM's and removing ads, I guess I can live with that one "caveat".
The phone itself is gorgeous - in fact, I told my wife that it's almost as sexy as she is (yeah - I take my phone's pretty seriously )! I love its size - I had a OnePlus One which I was pretty happy with, but being an average size guy (that's being generous), I found it really difficult to use it with one hand. The Z3 has a slightly smaller screen size vs the OPO, but the overall build size is proportionally smaller as well, making it even more attractive size-wise. Of course, the other side of that coin is that the OPO has a non-slip back in the 64gb version which was really nice, however I see that wearing out over time. The Z3 is slippery meaning I will likely cover the beautiful beast with a case - but we'll see if I end up keeping a case on it. I've always been one to believe that if you have insurance and a beautiful device, covering that device with a case is counter-intuitive. I'm torn on the case thing - time will tell.
The phone is incredibly smooth and responsive, the speaker is pretty loud and sounds good, and the camera is arguably the best available on a phone. Not sure I like all the options the camera offers - many or pretty hokey - but the picture quality is just brilliant. Overall, this phone may last me more than a year which would beat my last two phones. You see, I have "NewPhone-itus" and it's a serious case!
If anyone has any questions - fire away and I will do my best to answer!
I'm surprised at the z3 hate on xda. With all the complaints about the camera, build quality, software issues, etc, I find myself getting paranoid looking for problems with the phone. The truth is that it's a pretty great phone so far. Great battery, great camera, fast and responsive, and yes, as sexy as shermcraigs wife ?. A week in and I'm happy with my trade from my m8.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
devarshi said:
I'm surprised at the z3 hate on xda. With all the complaints about the camera, build quality, software issues, etc, I find myself getting paranoid looking for problems with the phone. The truth is that it's a pretty great phone so far. Great battery, great camera, fast and responsive, and yes, as sexy as shermcraigs wife ?. A week in and I'm happy with my trade from my m8.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not that the phone itself is bad per say, its the lack of consistency/quality control. I am on my 4th one here due to various issues from indented frame to bad camera to light bleed to massive screen gaps. Thanks to T-Mobile 14 day policy I was able to through so many phones. A rep had to open 5-6 phones to give me a good one when I got my third only to find it has a massive ligh tleak on on side. The one I got today thank god is finally issueless so far at least. My local T-Mobile store is sending many back to Sony, they are actively opening boxes, checking for defects and returning before even giving to customers.
I have owned phones from practically every company, this is the first time I have had to return a phone, let alone 3. All companies have issues with initial batches but this was just too widespread. I am sure future batches will be rectified, its one of the down sides of immediately adopting a new model as soon as release.
abhinav.tella said:
Its not that the phone itself is bad per say, its the lack of consistency/quality control. I am on my 4th one here due to various issues from indented frame to bad camera to light bleed to massive screen gaps. Thanks to T-Mobile 14 day policy I was able to through so many phones. A rep had to open 5-6 phones to give me a good one when I got my third only to find it has a massive ligh tleak on on side. The one I got today thank god is finally issueless so far at least. My local T-Mobile store is sending many back to Sony, they are actively opening boxes, checking for defects and returning before even giving to customers.
I have owned phones from practically every company, this is the first time I have had to return a phone, let alone 3. All companies have issues with initial batches but this was just too widespread. I am sure future batches will be rectified, its one of the down sides of immediately adopting a new model as soon as release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you have to pay for restocking fee of $50?
ShermCraig said:
Johnathan,
I've experienced some crackling/popping when on a call without using my headset. After a reboot though, it seems to have gone away. The last 2 days, my battery began lasting no more than 5-6 hours. I thought that it might have something to do with an app, so I began experimenting and found that the Sony Photo upload service was hanging, and also Lookout was scanning everything constantly. I uninstalled Lookout and disabled the Sony uploads and things seem to have returned to normal, although I will need another day or so to evaluate.
FWIW, here is my review I posted over the weekend:
___________________________________________
Never owned a Sony phone but now I "have a Sony for my Owny" (older folks will get this line)! I must say - I am in love with one caveat - that being a locked bootloader. Pretty disappointed in that however I was happy to read a page or 2 back that I will likely still be able to root which is really all I care about. That said, the bloatware on the D6616 is minimal, so aside from liking to try out new ROM's and removing ads, I guess I can live with that one "caveat".
The phone itself is gorgeous - in fact, I told my wife that it's almost as sexy as she is (yeah - I take my phone's pretty seriously )! I love its size - I had a OnePlus One which I was pretty happy with, but being an average size guy (that's being generous), I found it really difficult to use it with one hand. The Z3 has a slightly smaller screen size vs the OPO, but the overall build size is proportionally smaller as well, making it even more attractive size-wise. Of course, the other side of that coin is that the OPO has a non-slip back in the 64gb version which was really nice, however I see that wearing out over time. The Z3 is slippery meaning I will likely cover the beautiful beast with a case - but we'll see if I end up keeping a case on it. I've always been one to believe that if you have insurance and a beautiful device, covering that device with a case is counter-intuitive. I'm torn on the case thing - time will tell.
The phone is incredibly smooth and responsive, the speaker is pretty loud and sounds good, and the camera is arguably the best available on a phone. Not sure I like all the options the camera offers - many or pretty hokey - but the picture quality is just brilliant. Overall, this phone may last me more than a year which would beat my last two phones. You see, I have "NewPhone-itus" and it's a serious case!
If anyone has any questions - fire away and I will do my best to answer!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would seriously doubt it - he was exchanging a bad unit,
not returning. Big difference.
jhun80 said:
But you have to pay for restocking fee of $50?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my D6616 using Tapatalk
jhun80 said:
But you have to pay for restocking fee of $50?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No fees, because its a defect and you are asking for the same model. Fee is only if you switch models.
abhinav.tella said:
No fees, because its a defect and you are asking for the same model. Fee is only if you switch models.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
really? because i used to have a black s4, and switch to white version but they charged me $50
jhun80 said:
really? because i used to have a black s4, and switch to white version but they charged me $50
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you do it within the first 14 days?
Maybe color change constitutes the equivalent of model change.
abhinav.tella said:
Did you do it within the first 14 days?
Maybe color change constitutes the equivalent of model change.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup within 14days
I haven't experienced any lag with the touch screen, but I've experienced slow screen rotation.
jhun80 said:
yup within 14days
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My sister exchanged her white GS4 for another white one due to yellowish tint on top, they did it for free. I think because you just wanted a color change and there was no defect they charged you.
I have T-Mobile.
My only gripe is that there is no Group MMS built in. It really, really sucks. And it is causing me to return this phone in a few days. I can use Textra (or Google Hangouts) for Group MMS, but it will not send them out when WiFi Calling is enabled. I know there is a "WiFI Calling fix" option specifically for T-Mobile phones when using Textra, but all that does is disable WiFi when sending/receiving MMS messages and then re-enables it. That completely defeats the purpose of WiFI Calling if you're not going to have service in a certain area.
Group MMS is extremely important to me. For whatever reason, only stock messaging apps have the capability of utilizing T-Mobile's WiFi Calling to send/receive MMS. (SMS works fine).
My HTC One m7 had the ability to do it with its stock messaging app. So, for now, I have no choice but to return my phone, fight the $50 restocking fee, and go back to my paid off HTC One. I am speechless that this phone does not support it.
** This is just my personal thoughts and musing on my experience with my first Android phone. I doubt it's very interesting but I thought I'd share anyway and welcome others to comment and share their experiences. If you're not interested just don't read it, please don't pick holes and post snarky comments. **
Boring introduction
I've had an iPhone since the 3G went on sale and upgraded over the years to the 4 and then the 5. Apple always made beautiful hardware and software with flawless usability but at 3 years old my iPhone 5 was looking like a poor relation compared to the latest flagships and the recently launched, palm filling iPhone 6.
I had gone SIM ONLY after my iPhone 5 contract had finished and I was paying around half the amount for pretty much unlimited everything. I certainly didn't want to start another contract with hefty bills each month but there was no way I was going to shell out over £600 for a new one.
I was also getting frustrated with the limitations of the iPhone devices. Everything works perfectly but why do I need a Stocks app if I don't have any stocks? Why do I need an Apple Watch app, the new U2 album or be restricted to using iTunes for my music? (Other music apps are available but don't integrate as well into the functions of the os)
So about 12 months ago I picked up an Android magazine during a long wait in Gatwick Airport and thought I'd see what the other side was offering. I've been an amateur Linux hacker/enthusiast for a number of years so I knew from experience that the trade off in flexibility from a largely open source platform was potentially a more buggy, ugly and inconsistent user experience.
The magazine featured a review of the ZTE Blade S6. It looked just like a very cheap iPhone 6 knockoff (I now have one at work, it's cheap but it does the job) but my mind started mulling over the specs and I began to put a wishlist together in my head. Good camera, expandable storage (a massive drawback on Apple devices), large screen (so I could do away with my crappy tablet), long battery life and good looking (I didn't want a super glossy, plasticy, Samsung Galaxy or iPhone clone).
My investigations lead me to news of the LG G4 launch and a beta testing programme. The phone looked amazing, it was leather for a start, how crazy. I applied for the trial but didn't get selected. The G4 was going to set me back £500 unlocked so after reading the reviews of the G3 and finding it online for just over £200, I bought my first Android phone.
First thoughts
The package arrived and as I opened it I saw a gold and brown box (the kind of colours you expect to see on the wallpaper in an Indian restaurant). I panicked - I had ordered the white phone, I didn't want gold. Metallic plastic looks nasty (no offence if you have the gold one). Luckily it was white inside.
The pearlescent white was OK, not amazing, in fact kind of cheap looking and the logo strip on the front looked like the design had been lifted off of a 90s microwave but overall it was pleasant to hold, slim and if you didn't look too closely it looked quite sleek and modern.
I charged it up (the accessories were actually more stylish than the phone. They should promote the team who made the charger) and booted it.
WTF!!! The icons! Who thought that square icons in grubby shades of the dullest colours was remotely a good idea? The oversized status and soft key bar icons looked uncomfortable and Smart Bulletin was about as much use as a pocket on a sock.
Customisation
I lived with it for a few weeks. The weather effects were fun, I was getting used to the blinking LED and having a file manager was a whole new freedom that meant I could actually work on my phone. I installed an icon pack but still couldn't make peace with that clunky and aesthetically unpleasing UI. Time to root and sign up to XDA.
The first ROM I tried was Resurrection Remix. It had been recommended to me and it was amazing. Customisation that I dreamed of. But for some reason the phone would randomly shutdown in the middle of the night and could only be turned back on by removing the battery. I couldn't risk it. I use my phone as an alarm so I needed it to be reliable.
I discovered Cloudy and combined with XPosed I was able to get a UI that was a compromise between LG and what I wanted, although apps such as the dialer, calculator and the settings interface still bugged me.
I know they are only small things and shouldn't really bother me but your phone becomes an extension of yourself. In fact I interact more with my phone on a daily basis than I do with a lot of people, so it needs to be an enjoyable experience.
When MM was released I went back to stock and thought I could just live with the ugliness. Cloudy had shut up shop, Fulmics wasn't there just yet and I wanted MM! It was a massive trade off. For full camera functions and stability, I sacrificed my hard work fine tuning my ROM, but I got impatient fast. In fact Marshmallow has been announced months ago and no sooner had 6.0 been given to us like a late Christmas present, 6.0.1 was out for other devices.
CyanogenMod 13.0
Then I discovered the tread about CM13. I knew about CM already and knew it was the base for many of the custom ROMs I'd tried in the past but I thought installing this would give me an almost pure Android experience with regular updates and I can live without slo-mo video or the other LG features.
Initially there were bugs that meant my first attempt was short-lived and I ended up going back to stock within a few hours. I have a Xiaomi Mi Band and CM couldn't recognise BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) devices.
Soon the bug was fixed and CM13 was reinstalled. In general my CM experience has been pretty good although it's evident the software wasn't intended for your device. It's not a perfect fit with fewer features in the camera and some niggly bugs (it's only in beta).
The ROOT of all evil
Tiring of my epic quest for the perfect ROM and settling with CM13 was a short lived moment of harmony. I had come to terms with my banking app not working and even the camera but then the rumour leaks - UK to get Android Pay by the end of March.
It's nearly the end of March and no sign yet but it got me thinking about the future of mobile technology and more importantly what I want from a device (it's rarely used as a phone).
It's obvious they are worming their way into more and more areas of our lives and will continue to do so. Android Pay doesn't currently work with CM or rooted devices and it's a cat and mouse game to cloak, hide and workaround these barriers. What I need is a device that fits my wish list and I can run without root.
Hello Moto
So last night I decided to take the plunge and treat myself to a new device. A purer Android experience with a snazzy look, regular updates and a low price tag. My Moto X Style should arrive tomorrow and I'm hoping our relationship will not be as turbulent as it was with the G3.
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
"The course of true love never did run smooth". Android isn't an OS for everyone and im glad you took the plunge into the android world after so many years with an iPhone. Hope you enjoy your Moto X and also hope your time with that phone would last for a long time.
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
Shifters123 said:
"The course of true love never did run smooth". Android isn't an OS for everyone and im glad you took the plunge into the android world after so many years with an iPhone. Hope you enjoy your Moto X and also hope your time with that phone would last for a long time.
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I do love Android. I love the freedom.
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
Thanks for your honest opinions , give lightning launcher a try with minimal work it can give you a totally different looking type of interface
markthomson1404 said:
Thanks for your honest opinions , give lightning launcher a try with minimal work it can give you a totally different looking type of interface
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'm on Google Launcher at the moment. I really like Microsoft Arrow launcher in a way but it needs more customisation options.
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
Hi, although I don't hate my phone, I'm totally agree with you.
The shutdown issue... terrible thing of CM12.1 (and of stock firmware too, but less frequently).
Then you criticized the limitations of LG system, like any other. Sadly many trademarks choose to promote banal and heavy customatizations which make phone like a "closed box"... like iPhone & Family!
Personally, when I want to buy or suggest a phone, I look only for hardware specifications.
The stock firmware will be replaced asap.
I really would appreciate a Nexus with both external SD and removable battery support: the stock Android experience and an easier modding experience, without too many bootloader complications.
It's the same with me, but I'm stuck with a contract.. Have fun with your Moto!
Simone98RC said:
Hi, although I don't hate my phone, I'm totally agree with you.
The shutdown issue... terrible thing of CM12.1 (and of stock firmware too, but less frequently).
Then you criticized the limitations of LG system, like any other. Sadly many trademarks choose to promote banal and heavy customatizations which make phone like a "closed box"... like iPhone & Family!
Personally, when I want to buy or suggest a phone, I look only for hardware specifications.
The stock firmware will be replaced asap.
I really would appreciate a Nexus with both external SD and removable battery support: the stock Android experience and an easier modding experience, without too many bootloader complications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the hardware is important camp and just wipe the software but with Android Pay launching and requiring you to be unrooted, I need the software to be as perfect as possible stock.
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
RapHaeL_4_4_4_ said:
It's the same with me, but I'm stuck with a contract.. Have fun with your Moto!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Amazon should hopefully deliver it in a few hours so I'll report back later
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
that's sad. did you try the official marshmallow stock rom?? for me its the most perfect and smoothest rom ever used in my G3. btw moto is awesome too. good luck!
superawesomeme said:
** This is just my personal thoughts and musing on my experience with my first Android phone. I doubt it's very interesting but I thought I'd share anyway and welcome others to comment and share their experiences. If you're not interested just don't read it, please don't pick holes and post snarky comments. **
Boring introduction
I've had an iPhone since the 3G went on sale and upgraded over the years to the 4 and then the 5. Apple always made beautiful hardware and software with flawless usability but at 3 years old my iPhone 5 was looking like a poor relation compared to the latest flagships and the recently launched, palm filling iPhone 6.
I had gone SIM ONLY after my iPhone 5 contract had finished and I was paying around half the amount for pretty much unlimited everything. I certainly didn't want to start another contract with hefty bills each month but there was no way I was going to shell out over £600 for a new one.
I was also getting frustrated with the limitations of the iPhone devices. Everything works perfectly but why do I need a Stocks app if I don't have any stocks? Why do I need an Apple Watch app, the new U2 album or be restricted to using iTunes for my music? (Other music apps are available but don't integrate as well into the functions of the os)
So about 12 months ago I picked up an Android magazine during a long wait in Gatwick Airport and thought I'd see what the other side was offering. I've been an amateur Linux hacker/enthusiast for a number of years so I knew from experience that the trade off in flexibility from a largely open source platform was potentially a more buggy, ugly and inconsistent user experience.
The magazine featured a review of the ZTE Blade S6. It looked just like a very cheap iPhone 6 knockoff (I now have one at work, it's cheap but it does the job) but my mind started mulling over the specs and I began to put a wishlist together in my head. Good camera, expandable storage (a massive drawback on Apple devices), large screen (so I could do away with my crappy tablet), long battery life and good looking (I didn't want a super glossy, plasticy, Samsung Galaxy or iPhone clone).
My investigations lead me to news of the LG G4 launch and a beta testing programme. The phone looked amazing, it was leather for a start, how crazy. I applied for the trial but didn't get selected. The G4 was going to set me back £500 unlocked so after reading the reviews of the G3 and finding it online for just over £200, I bought my first Android phone.
First thoughts
The package arrived and as I opened it I saw a gold and brown box (the kind of colours you expect to see on the wallpaper in an Indian restaurant). I panicked - I had ordered the white phone, I didn't want gold. Metallic plastic looks nasty (no offence if you have the gold one). Luckily it was white inside.
The pearlescent white was OK, not amazing, in fact kind of cheap looking and the logo strip on the front looked like the design had been lifted off of a 90s microwave but overall it was pleasant to hold, slim and if you didn't look too closely it looked quite sleek and modern.
I charged it up (the accessories were actually more stylish than the phone. They should promote the team who made the charger) and booted it.
WTF!!! The icons! Who thought that square icons in grubby shades of the dullest colours was remotely a good idea? The oversized status and soft key bar icons looked uncomfortable and Smart Bulletin was about as much use as a pocket on a sock.
Customisation
I lived with it for a few weeks. The weather effects were fun, I was getting used to the blinking LED and having a file manager was a whole new freedom that meant I could actually work on my phone. I installed an icon pack but still couldn't make peace with that clunky and aesthetically unpleasing UI. Time to root and sign up to XDA.
The first ROM I tried was Resurrection Remix. It had been recommended to me and it was amazing. Customisation that I dreamed of. But for some reason the phone would randomly shutdown in the middle of the night and could only be turned back on by removing the battery. I couldn't risk it. I use my phone as an alarm so I needed it to be reliable.
I discovered Cloudy and combined with XPosed I was able to get a UI that was a compromise between LG and what I wanted, although apps such as the dialer, calculator and the settings interface still bugged me.
I know they are only small things and shouldn't really bother me but your phone becomes an extension of yourself. In fact I interact more with my phone on a daily basis than I do with a lot of people, so it needs to be an enjoyable experience.
When MM was released I went back to stock and thought I could just live with the ugliness. Cloudy had shut up shop, Fulmics wasn't there just yet and I wanted MM! It was a massive trade off. For full camera functions and stability, I sacrificed my hard work fine tuning my ROM, but I got impatient fast. In fact Marshmallow has been announced months ago and no sooner had 6.0 been given to us like a late Christmas present, 6.0.1 was out for other devices.
CyanogenMod 13.0
Then I discovered the tread about CM13. I knew about CM already and knew it was the base for many of the custom ROMs I'd tried in the past but I thought installing this would give me an almost pure Android experience with regular updates and I can live without slo-mo video or the other LG features.
Initially there were bugs that meant my first attempt was short-lived and I ended up going back to stock within a few hours. I have a Xiaomi Mi Band and CM couldn't recognise BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) devices.
Soon the bug was fixed and CM13 was reinstalled. In general my CM experience has been pretty good although it's evident the software wasn't intended for your device. It's not a perfect fit with fewer features in the camera and some niggly bugs (it's only in beta).
The ROOT of all evil
Tiring of my epic quest for the perfect ROM and settling with CM13 was a short lived moment of harmony. I had come to terms with my banking app not working and even the camera but then the rumour leaks - UK to get Android Pay by the end of March.
It's nearly the end of March and no sign yet but it got me thinking about the future of mobile technology and more importantly what I want from a device (it's rarely used as a phone).
It's obvious they are worming their way into more and more areas of our lives and will continue to do so. Android Pay doesn't currently work with CM or rooted devices and it's a cat and mouse game to cloak, hide and workaround these barriers. What I need is a device that fits my wish list and I can run without root.
Hello Moto
So last night I decided to take the plunge and treat myself to a new device. A purer Android experience with a snazzy look, regular updates and a low price tag. My Moto X Style should arrive tomorrow and I'm hoping our relationship will not be as turbulent as it was with the G3.
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that totally sucks! I want iPhone users to see what's so great with Androids. I would actually recommend the G3 to any iPhone user trying to switch to Android. It blows you didn't have a good experience as I love the phone so much I won't upgrade because this phone is a beast. With fulmics 4.2 MM, xposed and G3 tweaksbox your phone would have been a better experience. I myself want to try an iPhone but I just can't let this phone go lol. Well I hope this bad experience didn't want to make you go back as the new G5 might change your mind :fingers-crossed:
GTRanushka said:
that's sad. did you try the official marshmallow stock rom?? for me its the most perfect and smoothest rom ever used in my G3. btw moto is awesome too. good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried official Marshmallow for a few weeks, the battery life was incredible and it was so smooth. I think that's what I find so frustrating, LG make some amazing tech, the specs are top notch and they don't age/slowdown as fast as others but there are so many proprietary modifications to the OS that it's put me off LG.
It's obviously just a personal preference but I just find their design aesthetic unpleasing, like a hybrid of Kit Kat (the dull colours and oversized status/nav icons) and Lollipop (material design, but poorly executed in this case).
The heavy skinning was the reason I avoided Samsung too. Again incredible hardware. These companies seem to take the same half-assed approach to UI design as Microsoft. A jumble of different styles, moving forwards with good ideas but poorly executed with remnants of the past hanging about.
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
RapHaeL_4_4_4_ said:
It's the same with me, but I'm stuck with a contract.. Have fun with your Moto!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Omg it's amazing. I few things I miss from the LG...
- Power button position (I'll get used to it)
- Double tap to wake
- Wireless charging
Other than that it's practically perfect (so far)...
- The display is incredible. I'm on about 15-20% brightness and it's so vivid and clear. I had to have the LG between 50-60%.
- Snapchat video filters work, inc slow-mo, fast, reverse (these didn't work on LG)
- Moto display for alerts, you just wave your hand over the front for a power friendly notification screen.
- Pure Android experience so no ugly status bar.
- Super fast burst mode on camera (plus improved low light mode)
- Front flash
- Beautiful shape and rear texture
- Gestures such as double twist for camera mode, karate chop for flashlight, etc
This is the droid I was looking for!
Sent from my XT1572 using Tapatalk
So after all this time those of you who own the nothing phone 1, tell me your thoughts about it, about the OS, and your experience with the company customer service or responsiveness (if any).
I'm hoping if it did really well that a US carrier will pick it up next time they release
Heres my view on it, been using it for just under 2 weeks and im considering handing it back, purely because i have the option to do so but most issues are carrier related and not the actual phone.
So I had rooted all my phones for many years then got a P30 which i really liked and had most of the things i usually installed so left it stock, it always worked without any issues, a true workhorse then I saw the nothing 1 and loved it and as i want another rooted device to remove the bloatware so i got the 12gb black version - beautiful looking phone but the rear cover could have been a bit thicker imo tho as it sounds too plasticy when tapped.
The phone has been running fine with no lag and everything is nice and smooth, going into the UI, Personally i don't like the look and feel of certain sections of the layout and menus. everything is very basic and simple, i have been using EMUI 12 so it could definitely be that as they have nice detail on the stopwatch and timers and themes but its small details like that i miss the most. but love the font on the lock screen, its nice.
Camera is good and will get better as the updates come out but im really missing the auto mode to Macro/portrait/QR etc, as when your in a tight situation trying to get a part number off a small control unit and you need to change the camera setting and start over aint cool.
Wifi has been causing me a few problems also, I had to lower the encryption level on the router in order to connect to 2.4ghz, using WPA3 it wouldn't connect. I tried various other levels and settings but no joy.
5ghz was fine but couldn't quite hit the dead spots as good so had to set router down to wpa2-psk, quite shocked i had to do that as most smart equipment connect without any issues, i don't think anyone has had connection issues like that in here and its been untouched for 4 years or so, strange but working now.
The only other thing is the amount of screenshots i have, unsure if its a combination of good working buttons or too flexible a cover or how i handle the phone but im 94% sure when i press the power button to lock or unlock the screen it takes a screenshot on random occasions.
But my biggest gripe is...... I bought Nothing expecting to get Nothing, that was true for most part the other part where i was expecting Nothing I got Google, it is very geared at using all the google services and even basic functionality like email, music, video and gallery app have been removed in favour of google or is that how the android world has evolved.
I get its new but i feel the ui and android version have been let down when you base it on how good the actual phone looks, I think most of its success will rely on the community of devs rather than Nothing - maybe that is the plan, who knows, i remember all the one plus phones had great support from nearly all the groups of devs, maybe the devs will have android 13 on it before Nothing roll it out.
In an ideal would, I would of liked to have saw a more polished basic working minimal stock rom (nothing) and the icing on the cake would have been a setup process to install the level of gapps depending on how deep you want to go into google.
Hope some of that is useful but i needed to vent to people that may understand what im talking about.
I like the phone. I like the fact that there is no "Nothing" bloatware on it. It feels a bit more like a competitor to a Pixel a series phone.
Feels like a Pixel Phone but better camera and 5g in my country, and Android Auto troubles gone too.
First time in years i cannot find a bug on a phone!
The easter egg with the music visualiser os really nice.
Been using it every day since the end of July and I really like it, using it more than my S22 atm.
It feels a bit bare on features (Nothing Launcher is just not good for me as I like my gestures on icons to open apps and other little things) but obviously more stuff is gonna get added, the battery life and how it runs is stable so I'm glad for that from a new company and I don't feel the need to constantly check my battery like the S22 haha.
Not had any major glitches apart from the notification panel glitch in the first few weeks where the buttons went blank but that seems to have been fixed but yeah on the whole a pretty positive experience so far. Good to see regular updates for the phone and I hope they keep that up.
Had it now for about four weeks. Really like it, to the point of true love. No big problems with hardware or software, it all runs smoothly and swiftly. Really like the stock Android experience, feels mature and stable and everything i need is there. It is also the most beautiful phone i have ever had, with its even bezels all around. The Glyph gimmick is just a gimmick but it doesn't bother me since it is on the back of the phone and i rarely see it. I'm still happy!