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I am trying to convince myself that I am wrong or somehow biased, but I don't think I am in this situation. I am a phone junkie and I bounce between devices quickly. In the last 6 months I have had the Axon 7, HTC 10 (still have, S-off'd with Unlocked GSM firmware/ software), Nexus 6P, HTC M9, s7 edge, s6 edge+, iphone 7 plus, Droid Turbo, and now the V20. I will say that over all, the V20 is built beautifully and performs well. The battery life is a bit weaker than I was hoping, just like the HTC 10, the quick charge 3.0 almost covers that short coming. The things that are making me disappointed though are as follows:
LG Skin / UI : Feels a little off, made up a bit by using Nova launcher, but everyone knows it won't remove it all...
Performance: I might be expecting a bit much, but I have had my device slow down (to unbearable lag / waiting on apps to switch/come up) more than a handful of times requiring a reboot
Battery Life: As stated above, the battery life is pretty week and I find myself having to top up a towards 6 pm, it does charge quickly, but find that a little sad.
Camera: This is where I am shocked. The camera overall doesn't live up to what I expected or how it was advertised. In ideal situations, it can take good photos, and I mean GOOD, not Great. If you don't switch to manual and tweak everything out, you will be sadly disappointed. Auto focus has a hard time locking in, can get a bit of grain / noise, and if there is movement or action, good luck. In video mode or if you flip into manual mode, you can get much better results, but in the heat of the moment, not everyone will be quick to get it ready in time to get that shot. In low light situations, it has been very disappointing. The lag time between the flash / focus and getting a picture off, I end up with a blurry out of focus picture most of the time. I am basing this off pictures I take of my young daughter. The camera on the HTC 10, Axon 7, iPhone 7 plus, S7 edge, and S6 edge+ all out perform in these situations. For a phone/device that is supposed to be built around photography and video, it has been a major disappointment. the Main camera/sensor is decent, but the zoom/cropped area is a bit small. The wide angle does cover a lot more at the cost of resolution. I am hoping that LG does something to address this in software/firmware updates, but as of now, it is a huge let down.
Audio: The single firing speaker does an admirable job for playing music, speaker phone on the other hand is a somewhat weak and sometimes hard to hear, even when driving in silent vehicle with the windows closed. The Quad DAC has also let me down. After the DAC in the Axon 7 and the HTC 10, I am not impressed. It does improve the audio, but not as well as the competition. With the DAC enabled and audio all the way up, the volume level is weak. With the same headphones that I used in the Axon 7 and the HTC 10, I have no problem hearing the outside noise. I also don't feel that it is nearly as tweakable / noticeable as the HTC 10. When I had the DAC on the HTC 10 on, I could immediately tell the difference and the Highs, Mids, and Lows were way easier to notice / spot changes on. Again, maybe software updates may resolve this, but definitely a let down for me.
Overall: The phone is beautiful. For a phone with removable battery, it honestly feels like a unibody device. I am a bit disappointed in all phone manufacturers currently going to this 2.5D curved glass for no good reason, making getting tempered glass protectors a joke majority of the time. The software overall is fairly smooth. The screen is above average and the secondary screen has become second nature to me. Being able to snap a wide angle shot when others can't definitely something that has lead to people asking me what phone I am using. Had I not gone through all the phones I have in the last 6 months, I may have been way more impressed. As a flagship device, I will say it comes close to delivering what was promised. Had the Note 7 not failed miserably with the exploding issue, I think the V20 would have easily been eclipsed. This phone gets so close in many departments, but doesn't quite nail them down. Considering there is nothing else in the market that draws my attention, I will try and see if it makes it through the initial growing pains that might be solved with software updates.
Before anyone wants to say I forgot about the Pixel, no, I didn't. After having the HTC 10 (which I still have and love as a backup device) and playing with the Pixel, I see absolutely no reason to waste the money on the sad excuse of a flagship device at the same taxing price as an apple product. How google basically took the HTC 10, made it ugly , went with onscreen buttons and a whole lot of bezel, and took away removable storage but is still succeeding with it is beyond me. Yes it has an "amazing camera", assistant (you can get with root on the v20 and nexus 6p), and can charge the battery super fast, but the price tag and lack of innovation is a deal breaker.
So, please, let me know if you agree or disagree. I have been trying to be unbiased and love this phone. Am I being unreasonable, or is it really just a device that got close to the finish line and just gave up?
I think it all depends on what your needs are. We know it doesn't have the best camera. It's very competitive, but not the best. Performance can be fixed with updates. I suspect that LG rushed the ROM to be the first to have Nougat, which was one of their selling points for this phone. Battery life depends on your usage. LG's Quantum displays are horribly inefficient, so the screen is your primary battery drain, but my understanding is that idle drain is very good. Then you have fast charging and one of the few phones that you can instantly go to 100% on by swapping batteries.
For me, this is the only phone that checks all of my requirements: Functional always-on-display, IR blaster, 5.7"+ screen, good camera, removable battery and SD card. So, I'm buying the complete package, not because it's the best at everything. Every single phone has shortcomings. You need to decide which ones you can live with and buy your next device based on that criteria.
I'm with you, I thought the camera was quite a disappointment when shooting in auto mode. I liked the phone a lot (coming from a Nexus 6p) and if the camera had been good it would have been a no-brainer for me, because as greyhulk says it checks most, if not all, the boxes. But I need a camera that shoots good pics in auto mode. Sent it back.
Also disappointed with the camera. Especially after coming from the Note 7..
Settings/Developer Options/ Tick on "Force GPU Rendering" should make your beast smoother/snappier. So any kind of lag should disappear!
If root available try L Speed/Entropy/fstrim apps found on Play Store!
LG V20 & LG G5 are snappy beasts and are well optimised with the Snapdragon 820 and is better than Samsung!
Battery is my main disappointment. Even with minimal use I have only made it an entire day once. Something keeps eating battery while the phone is idle and I have yet to track it down. I suspect it is an app that needs a Nougat update. Same usage and set of apps on the S7 Edge and Note 7 would usually leave me near 50% at the end of the day.
Have to say I disagree.
The Hi-Fi is plenty loud enough and noticeably changes on the go. I have noticed though, it depends on the headphones that you are using. I have used 4 different sets. And each pair gave different results.
The camera is great. Video is turning out to be exactly as expected. As for the camera, it doesn't grab the shot in the first try every time and its nothing a tap of the screen and refocus hasn't been able to fix. But than again I haven't had a camera phone that has been able to take the shot first time every time.
Battery, that's a user to user base question. The other day I was able to get 32 hours out of my battery. But than on the other hand with very heavy use I only got 6.5 hours.
Weird I get about the same battery life as I did with my note 7. When at work I use the phone about the same amount every day 12 hr shifts and I am between. 50 to 70 percent
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
I think your disappointment stems from using so many current generation phones, lets face it most years the hardware upgrades (specifically processors) match each other.
The HTC 10 runs the same hardware as the LG v20, so you've experienced it already. S7 has the same processor as well (assuming its the Qualcomm version) so it's not a big difference compared to someone coming from last generation phones.
Like for me I am coming from a v10 which had an outdated processor out the gate (others were using 810 while the v10 had the 808 due to overheating issues with the 810). The phone is literally over twice as fast as the v10 so I would certainly see a difference compared to you coming from the same generation of processors.
I don't own the phone yet but I will say it's a disappointment to see the camera being a letdown in reviews when you consider that the camera was the big feature of the v10.
Battery doesn't sound all that great either but it's got to be better than the v10. I am sure this will be remedied by 3rd party extended batteries that we will hopefully see. My v10 battery sucked until I upgraded to a 9000 mAh Zerolemon battery pack.
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Ali Mirza said:
Settings/Developer Options/ Tick on "Force GPU Rendering" should make your beast smoother/snappier. So any kind of lag should disappear!
If root available try L Speed/Entropy/fstrim apps found on Play Store!
LG V20 & LG G5 are snappy beasts and are well optimised with the Snapdragon 820 and is better than Samsung!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello! What specifically does the "Force GPU Rendering" option?
I think you will settle with the Porsche Design Mate 9. Just a feeling lol
Why's there no option for ambivalence or just predictable? Just look at the stats and you pretty much know what you're getting. I'm happy with this phone after the $200 off and assuming I get the ~$150 headphone offer. I would be unhappy for full list price without those promos. For the price w/promos there just isn't anything comparable.
The display is the worst part of this phone for me. AMOLED just beats LCD anyway you slice it, this phone looks badly washed out and the auto brightness does weird things. Also the viewing angles are wonky, I was used to being able to use my phone at extreme angles but now I find myself lifting the phone up more. If this phone had AMOLED it would be a solid 9.9/10 for me, of course I knew I wouldn't like the screen when I bought it I just couldn't find a solid AMOLED phone. I don't particularly like the fingerprint reader position, have to pick it up off a table to use it and I've found my finger accidentally turns the screen on sometimes when I put it in my pocket. The second screen is nice for changing tracks or seeing what track is playing (or seeing the time at night without going blind), but it sucks for notifications. I miss my notification LED and my Qi charging.
Other than that this phone is pretty solid. I'm getting almost identical battery life that my Note 7 got, namely about 2 days. The standby battery life is phenomenal, I usually lose 1-2% overnight even with the second screen on. I love the removable battery so I don't have to worry about the battery dying before I'm ready to get rid of the phone. I'm no audiophile, so to me this phone is the best audio experience I've ever had with a phone hands down. Even streaming at just 192kbps this phone really makes my Shure SE215's sing. The camera is noticeably worse than the Note 7 at low light but it's still the 2nd best camera on a phone I've seen. Close up pictures have lots of nice detail and that's the kind of pictures I usually take. It focuses quickly and locks focus down better than the Note 7 did. For the kinds of the pictures I take in fact this camera is better, unlike my Samsungs this phone's auto white balance mode works correctly. The whole phone feels quick and snappy, comparable to the Note. I'm getting slightly better signal than I've ever gotten, in fact the wifi is much stronger than either of my Note 7's were.
I like the look of the phone and it feels great in my hands, which although not as great as the all glass Note 7, it feels like I could drop it and have nothing to worry about. I don't find the UI intrusive or laggy, eventually I'll swap over to nova prime once I'm tired of stock. For me it ticks all the right boxes of keeping old features rather than heading the apple direction and removing everything. Removable battery, SD card, IR Blaster, headphone jack, USB C, etc For that reason alone I think it's worth supporting LG
I agree
Main reasons I am keeping it are the $200 off, switched to T-mobile from VZW, and they are paying off the ETF so saving that money and the headphones makes the phone ideally almost free to me. For the full retail, I would return it in a heartbeat. People have hit it on the head that it really might be the fact the the Snapdragon 820 and the 4 GB ram is now getting long in the tooth. The camera can produce some nice pictures in manual mode, so I try to jump to that right away, but just a bit of a hassle to be on the ball to take a simple pic. With moderate light and close up, it does perform well. I can't really control lighting at all times and try and get my daughter up close and still when a picture moment comes though, the s7 handled it much better. I am going to try some different headphones to see if it is just the main pair I use that is letting me down. For the money / hardware, I think the Axon is the better bang for the buck with the AMOLED screen and the all carrier support. The speakers on that are ridiculous and the DAC was solid. This phone over all falls somewhere in the 7.5-8 /10 for me. Between the V20 and the HTC 10 I'll be good til the next wave of Flagships hit. I just have the feeling that LG pushed it out in a hurry to capitalize on the Note 7 flop and they could've polished it up a lot more. I can see them making the camera more responsive in low light and possibly addressing the battery life / hifi-dac customization / volume in the updates. It does a lot right but overall I was expecting and hoping for more from LG when they have had the perfect shot to grab the market. So far I am seeing the responses that seem line up with my expectation. Thanks everyone for taking the time to read and respond!
bishmaster5000 said:
Why's there no option for ambivalence or just predictable? Just look at the stats and you pretty much know what you're getting. I'm happy with this phone after the $200 off and assuming I get the ~$150 headphone offer. I would be unhappy for full list price without those promos. For the price w/promos there just isn't anything comparable.
The display is the worst part of this phone for me. AMOLED just beats LCD anyway you slice it, this phone looks badly washed out and the auto brightness does weird things. Also the viewing angles are wonky, I was used to being able to use my phone at extreme angles but now I find myself lifting the phone up more. If this phone had AMOLED it would be a solid 9.9/10 for me, of course I knew I wouldn't like the screen when I bought it I just couldn't find a solid AMOLED phone. I don't particularly like the fingerprint reader position, have to pick it up off a table to use it and I've found my finger accidentally turns the screen on sometimes when I put it in my pocket. The second screen is nice for changing tracks or seeing what track is playing (or seeing the time at night without going blind), but it sucks for notifications. I miss my notification LED and my Qi charging.
Other than that this phone is pretty solid. I'm getting almost identical battery life that my Note 7 got, namely about 2 days. The standby battery life is phenomenal, I usually lose 1-2% overnight even with the second screen on. I love the removable battery so I don't have to worry about the battery dying before I'm ready to get rid of the phone. I'm no audiophile, so to me this phone is the best audio experience I've ever had with a phone hands down. Even streaming at just 192kbps this phone really makes my Shure SE215's sing. The camera is noticeably worse than the Note 7 at low light but it's still the 2nd best camera on a phone I've seen. Close up pictures have lots of nice detail and that's the kind of pictures I usually take. It focuses quickly and locks focus down better than the Note 7 did. For the kinds of the pictures I take in fact this camera is better, unlike my Samsungs this phone's auto white balance mode works correctly. The whole phone feels quick and snappy, comparable to the Note. I'm getting slightly better signal than I've ever gotten, in fact the wifi is much stronger than either of my Note 7's were.
I like the look of the phone and it feels great in my hands, which although not as great as the all glass Note 7, it feels like I could drop it and have nothing to worry about. I don't find the UI intrusive or laggy, eventually I'll swap over to nova prime once I'm tired of stock. For me it ticks all the right boxes of keeping old features rather than heading the apple direction and removing everything. Removable battery, SD card, IR Blaster, headphone jack, USB C, etc For that reason alone I think it's worth supporting LG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ali Mirza said:
Settings/Developer Options/ Tick on "Force GPU Rendering" should make your beast smoother/snappier. So any kind of lag should disappear!
If root available try L Speed/Entropy/fstrim apps found on Play Store!
LG V20 & LG G5 are snappy beasts and are well optimised with the Snapdragon 820 and is better than Samsung!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please stop posting this everywhere
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
You also forgot to mention the locked bootloader
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
I came from the LG Nexus 5x and I loved that phone. While it's only been a few days, I am more than happy with the V20.
I get a phone through work, but upgraded on my own last year to the 5x. So when I cracked my screen a few weeks ago, I went through work this time. Options were limited on AT&T and since I'm gonna be stuck with a phone for 2 years I wanted the newest phone I could get without "compromising" what I'd wanted in a phone. I also didn't want to settle for a year old phone or switch to the iPhone (Android since 2010 and likely forever).
Anyway, I say all that to say that the V20 was never on my radar, mostly because of the size, even though I'd previously had the Note 2, 3 and briefly 4. I'd been very happy with the size and feel of the 5x, but the battery life was horrendous. Basically anything would have been an upgrade, and the V20 does more than I need in the battery department. If I can get to my bed before needing a charge, I'm a happy man, since I'd be charging around lunch on a daily basis before.
I was already used to the fingerprint sensor and love the fact it's on the back on the V20 as well. I can deal with the volume buttons swapped and the power button moving to the fingerprint sensor. It was a little odd at first but I'm used to it already.
Again, the camera and screen on the 5x was mediocre so anything would be better. And again the V20 checks both of those boxes; huge, vibrant screen, and pictures that look beautiful to my eye. If you're going from newest flagship to newest flagship an argument can be made on those points, but if you're upgrading after a year + the hardware is always going to be better, even if you find some flaws, and IMO the V20 does great in both categories.
The removable battery does have its pros. A few years ago it was a 'must-have' for me, but nowadays I'd taker water/dust proofing over it. Not a deal breaker though. The SD card slot IS however a wonderful thing. Despite the 64 GB internal, I love being able to add and not worry about space. I've had my local music library backed up to an SD card for quite a while and it's so convenient to have that at my disposal locally (no network connection needed).
The software. Not much better than PURE Android and rooting has always been a priority for me. BUT, stability ultimately is the most important thing on a phone to me now. Being able to lower DPI via adb shell is huge. Really not having TiBu or the ability to remove some carrier apps is about the worst left we can't do. And to be honest, it's easily overlooked. Is it annoying AF we can't remove everything we don't want? Absolutely. But said apps can be hidden with certain launchers, and I've come to just ignore them in the app drawer, forgetting they're even there.
Add in the FM radio (so novel yet so great), Second Screen (which I actually could use some tips on getting the most out of) and I'm digging this phone. Is LG's UI a little clunky? Yea, but I'll live. And using something new is refreshing, honestly.
It's only been a few days but I'm happy with this device and have no regrets. The V20 may also get me back on the Phablet train, being unable to use something smaller as they feel like toys. I've not gone a full 2 years without upgrading in quite some time. This phone is going to be the test.
/ rant
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
I agree with what you say. I think my let down is from moving from flagship to flagship all into the same time frame. The coming from any device before the snapdragon 820 and a quad HD screen, this thing is a major upgrade. I agree that the fingerprint scanner is best on back... Loved it on the nexus 6p and the axon 7. I just sold my htc 10 so I'm committed to the v20. Holding out til something amazing comes this way...
bishmaster5000 said:
Why's there no option for ambivalence or just predictable? Just look at the stats and you pretty much know what you're getting. I'm happy with this phone after the $200 off and assuming I get the ~$150 headphone offer. I would be unhappy for full list price without those promos. For the price w/promos there just isn't anything comparable.
The display is the worst part of this phone for me. AMOLED just beats LCD anyway you slice it, this phone looks badly washed out and the auto brightness does weird things. Also the viewing angles are wonky, I was used to being able to use my phone at extreme angles but now I find myself lifting the phone up more. If this phone had AMOLED it would be a solid 9.9/10 for me, of course I knew I wouldn't like the screen when I bought it I just couldn't find a solid AMOLED phone. I don't particularly like the fingerprint reader position, have to pick it up off a table to use it and I've found my finger accidentally turns the screen on sometimes when I put it in my pocket. The second screen is nice for changing tracks or seeing what track is playing (or seeing the time at night without going blind), but it sucks for notifications. I miss my notification LED and my Qi charging.
Other than that this phone is pretty solid. I'm getting almost identical battery life that my Note 7 got, namely about 2 days. The standby battery life is phenomenal, I usually lose 1-2% overnight even with the second screen on. I love the removable battery so I don't have to worry about the battery dying before I'm ready to get rid of the phone. I'm no audiophile, so to me this phone is the best audio experience I've ever had with a phone hands down. Even streaming at just 192kbps this phone really makes my Shure SE215's sing. The camera is noticeably worse than the Note 7 at low light but it's still the 2nd best camera on a phone I've seen. Close up pictures have lots of nice detail and that's the kind of pictures I usually take. It focuses quickly and locks focus down better than the Note 7 did. For the kinds of the pictures I take in fact this camera is better, unlike my Samsungs this phone's auto white balance mode works correctly. The whole phone feels quick and snappy, comparable to the Note. I'm getting slightly better signal than I've ever gotten, in fact the wifi is much stronger than either of my Note 7's were.
I like the look of the phone and it feels great in my hands, which although not as great as the all glass Note 7, it feels like I could drop it and have nothing to worry about. I don't find the UI intrusive or laggy, eventually I'll swap over to nova prime once I'm tired of stock. For me it ticks all the right boxes of keeping old features rather than heading the apple direction and removing everything. Removable battery, SD card, IR Blaster, headphone jack, USB C, etc For that reason alone I think it's worth supporting LG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Top tier amoled should've been here. Probably would've improved the already great battery life another 20%ish. And notification LED would've been awesome. Yeah yeah. I know we have second screen, but I don't use it. Probably why I get 6h+SOT all the time. 8h 1m was my best and I had 3% left. I get 7h+ often. Standby time is incredible. Hasn't been consistent for me but probably lose 1% about every 5h average. Need to root and get adblocking. That will probably improve battery life even more. Hoping a custom kernel with only modification of voltage settings will help too. Tired of all these unstable kernels with features I don't use or care.about. haven't stuck with a custom kernel since...maybe note2. It has been awhile. Just roll with stock kernel since no dev wants to make a simple kernel with voltage adjustments. Not paying anymore devs on kernels until they deliver. I've paid upfront twice and font nothing in return. Scumbags.and I hope the fingerprint scanner has features. Features like being able to use as track pad or minimum that uses swipes for shortcuts like the pixel. That would be friggin' awesome. And aside from camera on auto not being consistent the phone otherwise is almost flawless. I've gotten accustomed to the camera on auto though. Multiple pictures and using focus at different spots has helped tremendously. I've been able to tweak my screen close to accurate by eyeballing it so pictures look like the scenery on screen now. Got to test video and bi def recording today at veterans day parade. Both exceeded my high expectations. Just need slmevody to find binning of chips which I made a dedicated thread for but nobody answered. I've looked everywhere. And one of first things I do when I root is customize the boot up screen. Boring. Very boring and.typical of T-Mobile. I've only had to reboot for sim or micro SD reasons though. Very very stable. Micro SD isn't up to par unless I have root. Nonetheless I've been able to work around it. Just had to take care out. And everybody keeps saying IR blaster. I think our IT is a transceiver. Supposedly it can learn but I haven't tried yet. R.I.P. remotes if it indeed can learn. LG did good. Seems rushed but this is truly a flagship phone in many ways. Swappable battery in 2016on a flagship. Say what? LG needs to step it up on the accessories. Ready to buy a 6 pack of batteries. I got in on the $51 deal for the BCK-5200 package on Amazon. Now just need a good sale on batteries.
Coming from a note 7 I have mixed feelings. It ticks a lot of the boxes but I miss waterproof, the great samsung screens and I knew about those when I bought. The camera really disappointed me though. I was expecting it to take way better pics than it does. Spoiled from the note 7 I suppose. I didn't realize before buying it that it had the IR blaster and I had really been missing that from my s5. Nice to not have to hunt for remotes anymore. Its not ideal, but for someone like me that over 5.7" screen is a requirement it really is the best second choice to my old note 7. The bootloader sucks too. I had gotten out of the habit of reroming phones since samsung pay and now that I am off samsung I thought it would be fun to start that again. But nope. I have a sprint one and it seems to be non rootable at the moment.
---------- Post added at 05:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:13 AM ----------
I do think a little bit of my dissapointment in the camera is not genuine. I am mainly comparing shots taken with this phones camera viewed on this phones screen to shots taken by the note 7 on the note 7's screen. The same photo would of course pop more on the amoled screen even if it was the same camera so thats part of the disappointment. But even still I think the note 7 took way better pics.
I love the phone other than no root, the camera I'm not really disappointed because I'm no photographer, the IR blaster is a must thank you LG, Samsung what are you thinking. The removable battery isn't a big deal since the battery does pretty good. If it was water proof that would top it off.
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
The S8 has tempted me for the last month.... I was in Best Buy this week, and they had a special (free wireless $50 charger and $100 gift card), plus AKG earbuds and an entertainment package with more earbuds and some other "entertainment" things ($170 deal)....So I did the deal (At&t next plan).
I almost immediately regretted it! But now, I'm stuck with the S8 (and paying for it), so I might as well use it and sell my Axon 7 to recoup some money I'll be spending the next 2 years.
Axon 7 Pros:
- Speakers.....This was an immediate miss!
- Less bloat, especially since my A7 was running custom ROMs
- Just as smooth and fast
- Newer version of Android, not that it makes that much difference in the end or performance
- Better battery
- Custom ROMs
- Feels more solidly built
- No SD card issues (S8 has SD card issues, it's a big issue)
- Did I mention I REALLY miss the speakers!
- Fingerprint scanner placement
Galaxy S8 pros:
- Screen is just amazing
- Camera is really, really, good
- Less bluetooth connection errors and stays connected from a longer distance
- The in-call sound of the other caller sounds like they are actually on the other side of the phone! I haven't heard a phone call this good, loud, and clear since my land-line
- More case selections
- Battery isn't as good as the A7, but still not bad. Even though it's not QC 3.0, it's still pretty darn fast at charging (I have not complaints). Went from 61% to 100% in less than 30 minutes in my car (while using bluetooth to stream music).
- Lighter, slightly narrower
- Microphone is better/more sensitive and speech to text is more accurate because of this - also captures live music (in videos) better.
If I would have tried the S8 for a few days first.... I would not have bought it and kept my A7...But now that I have, there are things I really like about the S8, but there are more things I miss about my A7.
I've disabled all I can in my S8 and some features I don't want to, even though they're gimmicky. I really like the always on display too and the pressure sensitive "home" button to turn on the screen.
I know some warned me...But it's not as bad as everyone said and no end-of-time catastrophic events happened because I sold out.
I'll miss this community and may be back someday with the A8 or A9.
Thanks for everything and from everyone that worked their tails off to get us custom ROMs!
How about the headphone audio, does S8 have noise like my S6 does?
themostunique said:
How about the headphone audio, does S8 have noise like my S6 does?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the delay in replying.... I didn't notice it at first, since I used bluetooth....So I plugged directly into the aux port...... So, if you are charging your phone and plug in directly into the aux input, it is very noisy. You can change a setting to get rid of that noise on the music, but it's till there when using Google Assistant or maps. But when connected via bluetooth, there is no noise.
Since you're using AT&T and seem to be post-paid with them, the call quality jump could be a switch to using VoLTE. The S8 would be supported by them since they currently only allow it on A&T branded devices (and soon on Cricket).
I jumped ship from the Axon 7 having previously had the s7 edge. I jumped from the s7e to the A7 to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4x and now the LG G6. I've also gone through the moto G4 at some point too.
The s7e was awesome but waay too fragile and after dropping it I just couldn't settle. I really liked the A7 but the camera just wasn't doing it for me so I bought the redmi note 4 as a stop gap. I have to say, for the money, the xiaomi was amazing. With a bit of patience even the camera was good. I held off on the LG G6 for the Oneplus 5 but caved when the price dropped and, I hate to say it, but I'm not thrilled by it. Is it three times as good as the Note 4x? No. I'm thinking of selling it on after just a few hours and waiting for the OnePlus 5 or going back to the Axon 7.
Question though, has the camera improved since January?
Sent from my LG-H870DS using XDA Premium HD app
jetsetwilly said:
I jumped ship from the Axon 7 having previously had the s7 edge. I jumped from the s7e to the A7 to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4x and now the LG G6. I've also gone through the moto G4 at some point too.
The s7e was awesome but waay too fragile and after dropping it I just couldn't settle. I really liked the A7 but the camera just wasn't doing it for me so I bought the redmi note 4 as a stop gap. I have to say, for the money, the xiaomi was amazing. With a bit of patience even the camera was good. I held off on the LG G6 for the Oneplus 5 but caved when the price dropped and, I hate to say it, but I'm not thrilled by it. Is it three times as good as the Note 4x? No. I'm thinking of selling it on after just a few hours and waiting for the OnePlus 5 or going back to the Axon 7.
Question though, has the camera improved since January?
Sent from my LG-H870DS using XDA Premium HD app
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Click to collapse
Hi Willy what software were you on before you got rid off the Axon 7? There are definite improvements in Nougat but whether there are enough for you, I'm not sure.
Sent from my P027 using Tapatalk
I think it was B13 when I left. I've looked over my pictures at the time and they weren't good.
Sent from my LG-H870DS using XDA Premium HD app
tele_jas said:
The S8 has tempted me for the last month.... I was in Best Buy this week, and they had a special (free wireless $50 charger and $100 gift card), plus AKG earbuds and an entertainment package with more earbuds and some other "entertainment" things ($170 deal)....So I did the deal (At&t next plan).
I almost immediately regretted it! But now, I'm stuck with the S8 (and paying for it), so I might as well use it and sell my Axon 7 to recoup some money I'll be spending the next 2 years.
Axon 7 Pros:
- Speakers.....This was an immediate miss!
- Less bloat, especially since my A7 was running custom ROMs
- Just as smooth and fast
- Newer version of Android, not that it makes that much difference in the end or performance
- Better battery
- Custom ROMs
- Feels more solidly built
- No SD card issues (S8 has SD card issues, it's a big issue)
- Did I mention I REALLY miss the speakers!
- Fingerprint scanner placement
Galaxy S8 pros:
- Screen is just amazing
- Camera is really, really, good
- Less bluetooth connection errors and stays connected from a longer distance
- The in-call sound of the other caller sounds like they are actually on the other side of the phone! I haven't heard a phone call this good, loud, and clear since my land-line
- More case selections
- Battery isn't as good as the A7, but still not bad. Even though it's not QC 3.0, it's still pretty darn fast at charging (I have not complaints). Went from 61% to 100% in less than 30 minutes in my car (while using bluetooth to stream music).
- Lighter, slightly narrower
- Microphone is better/more sensitive and speech to text is more accurate because of this - also captures live music (in videos) better.
If I would have tried the S8 for a few days first.... I would not have bought it and kept my A7...But now that I have, there are things I really like about the S8, but there are more things I miss about my A7.
I've disabled all I can in my S8 and some features I don't want to, even though they're gimmicky. I really like the always on display too and the pressure sensitive "home" button to turn on the screen.
I know some warned me...But it's not as bad as everyone said and no end-of-time catastrophic events happened because I sold out.
I'll miss this community and may be back someday with the A8 or A9.
Thanks for everything and from everyone that worked their tails off to get us custom ROMs!
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Click to collapse
Me too jump first to s8 for 2 weeks and now to s8 plus witch I'm keeping.
With majority of the observation I agree 100%.
My only disagreement is that battery life it's identical between S8 and Axon 7(I was getting 4.5-5 hours SOT per day) with extensive use.
In more light use I was getting with both phones 1.5-2 days battery life.
As for the S8 plus that I'm having it for 1 week now I'm getting 1 hour more SOT with intensive use of much easily reaching 2 full days with light to medium use.
As for the SD issue for S8/S8 plus their being addressed with latest May firmware upgrade.
One thing missing from Axon 7 is double tap to wake screen but with AOD on I can wake up the screen at s8 by double tap the home button witch is cool and nice.
I'm planning to keep both phone at first period and then will see what gone happen.
Honestly I'd take an S8 plus over my Axon 7, if it where not for the headphone audio output. Samsung hasn't really cared to compete in that department.
Maybe the Note 8 will tempt me, but I'd keep the Axon 7 for audio as I use two phones anyway. Or maybe it will be the LG V30 that will be my next phone. Time will tell
What's your opinion of this phone now that it's been out for more than six months?
Build quality, development, etc.
Compared to previous phones or compared to whatever your expectations might have been.
Me?
I'm sorry to say that I wish I never left my Moto X Pure with BrokenOS' MarshMallow ROM.
Pixel is great though, in many ways.
It was a much needed update from my aging Nexus 6.
Was briefly contemplating iPhone, but stuck with the Pixel.
Overall, I love the camera, the battery is a champ, and so far I feel no need or want to modify the device.
I think google did well with this one.
Let's hope LG doesn't botch the next one.
LoopLoopLoopLoop
CZ Eddie said:
What's your opinion of this phone now that it's been out for more than six months?
Build quality, development, etc.
Compared to previous phones or compared to whatever your expectations might have been.
Me?
I'm sorry to say that I wish I never left my Moto X Pure with BrokenOS' MarshMallow ROM.
Pixel is great though, in many ways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the cherry ? bomb. Like all my Google phones.
Unprecedented battery life.
Fast as Lightning (Especially w/sdcardfs)
No cracks or damage.
Best reception I have ever had.
Extremely challenging to hack. Very easy once you have the slots and Google stops playing games. Lol
Speaker sucks. But I can live with it.
Never have and never will buy anything but a Google phone.
I can go on and on.....
BTW Moto Rocks!
I came from an S5 so anything would have been an upgrade for me. So this thing is screaming fast to me
I bought the phone after I had to send my Note 7 back. I liked it, but didn't keep it long. I've been through a few different phones in the meantime, but finally came back. It's faster than any phone I've used, and still feels really solid, and good in the hand
I came from a N6 as well. I miss the stereo speakers and the bigger screen size of the N6.
The positives of Pixel are the speed, battery life and the general smoothness of the phone.
The cons are pathetic speakers (What was google thinking?), huge bezels (which I find hard to digest coming from a lesser bezel N6) and the lack of development. On my N6 I had flashed almost 10 custom ROMs at different times.
There is hardly much choice for Pixel XL other than a handful ROMs. Perhaps the high price of the phone and the slot rigmarole turns off developers here.
I'm happy with the Pixel , but it was close to $900 and I just feel that I did not get my money's worth. That said, I can't deal with non-Google phones. Was thinking about a One Plus 5, but that's about it. Hopefully Google does something nicer with Pixel XL2.
I love stock Android and EAS is the best thing to happen to Android but..
Just can't justify the price for what you get. I'm a big Audio guy and the speaker is worst I've heard along with 3.5mm jack just sounds awful..
have to run an External DAC to make up for the poor quality
Video recording seems a bit meh blury/grainy no matter what I can't take a clear video unless it's in direct sunlight and then have to deal with the *Lense Flare* another pain in the ass
Rest of the phone is good
Development it's pretty much none existent seems like if you want roms/kernel's either stick with a 6P or OnePlus/Other China device
But I feel like it should of been priced at same as the 6P $440 we only got minor improvements nothing "WOW" to make up for the $300 extra..
I guess we paid for that "Made By Google" bs marketing. Also was never in stock anywhere + the hardware issues drove people away lets hope HTC isn't making again so we can have a great launch and hopefully bring people back :good:
liam_davenport said:
I love stock Android and EAS is the best thing to happen to Android but..
Just can't justify the price for what you get. I'm a big Audio guy and the speaker is worst I've heard along with 3.5mm jack just sounds awful..
have to run an External DAC to make up for the poor quality
Video recording seems a bit meh blury/grainy no matter what I can't take a clear video unless it's in direct sunlight and then have to deal with the *Lense Flare* another pain in the ass
Rest of the phone is good
Development it's pretty much none existent seems like if you want roms/kernel's either stick with a 6P or OnePlus/Other China device
But I feel like it should of been priced at same as the 6P $440 we only got minor improvements nothing "WOW" to make up for the $300 extra..
I guess we paid for that "Made By Google" bs marketing. Also was never in stock anywhere + the hardware issues drove people away lets hope HTC isn't making again so we can have a great launch and hopefully bring people back :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do miss the value days of the Nexus program. Minus Shamu of course. That was expensive. When I bought those Nexus, I felt like I was getting an incredible value for a smartphone.
Here is something I truly value and want everyone to think about.
How much is it worth to us for,
Monthly security updates
Major OS upgrades for two years
Bugfixes along the way
I'll tell you by saying what I've chosen as my daily driver and where my SIM card is and what's in my pocket right now. I've had marlin since Nov '16 and iPhone 7 plus since Jan '17. The marlin is in my pocket right now. The iPhone 7 plus is a great device (iMessages, waterproof) but the reason I love android is the ability to modify (stock or ROM-root-kernel) and access to that SD Card. Otherwise the 2 are pretty much equal as to camera, battery, speed, smoothness, response to touches, etc. at least in my perception. So, obviously I'm very pleased with marlin since I prefer it to a very popular alternative. Had a Samsung Galaxy S7 in early 2016 but sold it after 2 months, Pixel much better device to me.
iamjimmy said:
I came from a N6 as well. I miss the stereo speakers and the bigger screen size of the N6.
The positives of Pixel are the speed, battery life and the general smoothness of the phone.
The cons are pathetic speakers (What was google thinking?), huge bezels (which I find hard to digest coming from a lesser bezel N6) and the lack of development. On my N6 I had flashed almost 10 custom ROMs at different times.
There is hardly much choice for Pixel XL other than a handful ROMs. Perhaps the high price of the phone and the slot rigmarole turns off developers here.
I'm happy with the Pixel , but it was close to $900 and I just feel that I did not get my money's worth. That said, I can't deal with non-Google phones. Was thinking about a One Plus 5, but that's about it. Hopefully Google does something nicer with Pixel XL2.
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Click to collapse
Agreed 100%. Thats why i skipped this one looking forward to the next one. For the price it must have stereo speaker, better audio, water resist, better design and quality. Oh and wireless charging. Then i will jump right in.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Six month user here. And my main complaint for the Pixel remains exactly same as it was back when I bought it. The sudden freezing problem. Just out of nowhere the screen freezes for a second or two, if I am playing a game, then its done, simply over, have to restart, and I can't express how much I hate that. Of course its most noticeable/affecting while gaming, but it happens basically everywhere too, but just less frustrating in other places.
I was advised to format the phone, not root it and blah blah but exact same happened there too, without installing any apps at all! Ridiculous problem and IMHO the most annoying issue Pixels have.
Other than this, I don't know, sometimes the low light photos come with a really weird greenish cast, completely off coloured and way too much noise (yeah with HDR+ On, that's the only one I use anyway) etc.
But other than these two, I have no complaints. Tremendous call quality, more than acceptable display (though still no Apple!), excellent GPS (though Google Maps says to calibrate compass every now and then), buttery smooth interface all around most times, at max volume the loudspeaker is excellent (though at half volume it can't be heard and equally ****e!), really low SAR value etc., I am contemplating the U11 now, just for the sound and camera, but if I don't go that route I am gonna keep this phone for at least two years, and the maximum I have ever used a mobile phone was for 15 months, the Galaxy S2 back in the days, should suffice what I think about this phone.
I also have the OnePlus 3 in office, and I know some people compare it and I can say its basically Guava vs Apples comparison.
PS: Sorry didn't comment about development, but I honestly don't care much about it at all. I bought the Pixel so that I won't be needing the optimise it, let Google optimise it for me, and they did a fairly decent job, but after using Franco kernel I can say Google could have done a much better job. So that's all I need, a custom kernel.
coming from Samsung and LG devices, this phone has been a breath of fresh air even with this new partition scheme. Phone does well, battery life holds up for two days. I just have an issue with bluetooth not consistently sending music info to my radio. Some days it works, other days it's like what music info...
It's great and definitely a worthy upgrade from my Nexus 6. The only thing I miss is the front facing speakers but I didn't use them much anyways, well that and I guess it's way more slippery than my Nexus 6 because I don't use cases at all.
Couldn't be happier. Presently have a 7 Plus and the XL that I swap my sim between. IPhone is great in many ways but I just keep coming back to the Pixel XL....something about the experience I get using it that I really enjoy.
As for the other characteristics of the device others have already commented. I purchased mine at launch and received it later October.
I currently have the Nexus 6P. Damn that is a nice phone! I'm seriously doubting anything will "crush" this phones performance. But I decided I wanted to move up to the Pixel XL. I'm a decent Android gamer, so the updated GPU was nice. Plus, the camera is supposedly just that much better. Among other things, like 4GB RAM instead of the 6P's 3GB.
I don't receive the Pixel XL until Monday, so I'm wearing a path through my foyer, pacing back and forth, waiting for it to arrive.
I've spent at LEAST 30 hours this week doing research on the Pixel, its partition layout, how to get root to work, TWRP limitations, etc. This is certainly more complicated than the 6P.
Part of the reason I decided to plop down for the Pixel, was because I didn't see a lot of development going for it, as there is for the 6P. And since people seem to like my ROMs, I figured I'd toss something out there that I made, and see what kind of life it can breathe into the Pixel.
I think I'll like it. Tried it out in-hand at BestBuy yesterday. Solid device, great screen, color accuracy is actually better than the 6P, and for the first time, I kind of like the phone WITHOUT a case! Never though I'd say that.
I've used iPhones since the 3GS up until the 6S Plus (all jailbroken). I decided to try out the Nexus 6P (first ever Android phone) and fell in love with it! Custom ROMs, kernels, tweaks, Xposed, etc. were all new to me and I loved every bit of it!
However, for some reason, I decided to sell it and pick up an iPhone 7 Plus when it released. As iOS matured, security got tighter, and jailbreaking became more difficult. I got tired of waiting for a jailbreak to release and realized how locked down the OS is (when not jailbroken) compared to Android.
I sold my 7 Plus and bought this Pixel XL. I wasn't a huge fan at first, just because of the confusion with the slots and the lack of development​ compared to the 6P.
Now that there is more development and that I understand the slots better, I'm really enjoying this phone!
Overall, if I had the choice, I would still probably pick the 6P over this; that thing was just a beauty in basically every aspect, and it was the phone that first introduced me into the Android world.
Not a huge fan of the single downfiring speaker or the bottom chin, but otherwise it's a great phone, especially the camera!
I'm going to see what the OnePlus 5 has to offer, and may switch to that - but I'll definitely keep this XL around until the 2nd gen Pixels release. I'll be purchasing the second gen Pixels only if Google allows them to be development friendly like how the Nexus line was. If not, I may make a permanent switch over to the OnePlus line.
CZ Eddie said:
What's your opinion of this phone now that it's been out for more than six months?
Build quality, development, etc.
Compared to previous phones or compared to whatever your expectations might have been.
Me?
I'm sorry to say that I wish I never left my Moto X Pure with BrokenOS' MarshMallow ROM.
Pixel is great though, in many ways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I had the LG G6, S8+, and I sent the G6 back and sold the S8+. The pixel was snappier than both, better camera than both which is a great feature having and outstanding camera, and more reliable than both. I like stock Android, clean, fast, stable. I like being able to unlock and do what I want with my phone when I want and still have the same snappiness, camera quality, and reliability on custom ROMs. Most times you sacrifice things to go custom. Not with Google devices, Nexus, Pixel, etc. I still have it since released and can't see getting rid of it any time soon. Ya, maybe people thinking of OnePlus 5, but I also had the 3 and 3T and one thing I hated about that is when using anything custom, the camera was horrible, BT for me had issues, and other little nags. All in all, this is definitely my go to device and I've had many.
I give it a C+
After having the Pixel XL since I returned the Note 7 (Best phone I've ever owned IMO), There are issues with it that really bug me.
- For one, Youtube stutters and desyncs the audio from the video almost every video I watch, and I watch a lot of YT.
- Second, the bluetooth does not sync right in my Audi, and every 15 minutes it sounds like a modem for like 20 seconds and reconnects. It also doesn't know what to do on voice calls and frequently bounce back and forth between car speakers, and phone speaker mode, so I just turn it off for voice or Hangouts/Meet calls in the car.
- Third, the battery life has been dwindling over time, so I charge twice a day now. Yes, I'm a power user and need at least 6-8 hours of screen on time per day. That being said the phone charging speed is ridiculously fast. I can charge at least 50% in 30 minutes.
- The speakers are crap, and the audio jack doesn't give me enough volume. The setting between say 60-65% volume is way too loud, so the volume curve is not good.
-As a pro, the Camera is excellent, even in low light if you know what you're doing. The video, if you use the auto stability is crap so just don't use it.
The phone does stutter, and take a while sometimes. I am using the stock ROM, and have made no modifications to the file system or home screen at all. As is, this phone is average, so for the price, not worth it. I do have the Verizon version, and not sure if that makes a difference. Can't wait for the Note 8 to come out.
I've had mine since November and still love it. I came from the G7 edge which I was quite fond of as well. The following are the good things that keep me on the Pixel.
- Camera, for stills easily the best available. Wish the EIS didn't cause the jello effect when panning while video recording, but nonetheless I've been quite pleased with the camcorder as well.
- Software, clean, simple, fluid and robust. I am on stock unrooted. I reboot my phone once a month for updates and the phone never lags, gets janky or develops issues requiring a reboot. Additionally, the speed of updates means I'm always up to date with the most secure version​ of Android available.
I've had my Pixel XL 128gb since launch. I came from a Note 7, so was very challenging to get used to having a very lean software base which didn't offer many features in comparison to the Samsung series. I missed many software features from the Note 7.
The thing that gets me the most, is that I was already bored of the device 6 months in. I usually hold onto a phone for 12-24 months. The Note 4 I held onto for the longest time (24months). I enjoyed it as there were both android OS updates, and touchwiz updates, so it constantly got a new lease to life looking fresh or having new features. 8 months on and the Pixel looks exactly the same, with no updates.
I also feel that the design looked dated when I bought it, but it now is really showing it's age with the HUGE bezels. I have also struggled to find any good screen protectors (I've tried them all) as they don't sit properly. The phone is huge with a smaller screen than most phones this price/size.
It's got the worst bluetooth of any phone I have every owned, partly down to Android but also to the Pixel.
Had a lot more ROM options for Samsung, being that you can go Note 4 roms, Note 5 roms, Note 7 roms, AOSP builds, CM, MIUI. I feel like the Pixel has AOSP, stock. That's it really. They are all the same with very minor changes.
Otherwise it's mostly buttery smooth - although i'm constantly keeping my eye out for a new phone, so could be the shortest period I have owned a phone for.
Im really thinking about the Essental, its pretty much down to this or G Pixel 2 XL, , but the price point and features of the essential are way better, it looks better too, specwise they are very similiar.
I love Project Fi though , i pay only what use , so if my plan is $60 bucks but i only use $20, i pay $20, thats the thing about the Pixel, but at over a $1000 bucks it looks like the Essential with $60/ unlimited by Sprint is a better deal
Anyone else coming from 6P, ive been a Nitrogen rom guy since day one , i love the 6 p , but once you get the battery bug "25%" , the hardware fails quivkly and its time to move on , this is my second 6P ,
Also switching betweeen Sprint/tmobile/uscellular is really cool, however the best service abd what im on 99% of the time is Sprint anyway, its looking like the Essential is tge one
Im coming from.Nexus 6p, OnePlus One , Moto X developers, Note 2, S2 , Note and a few HTCs before that
Well camera is better in 6P and Pixel 2. More features in these phones, there are really no special things at all in essential. Don't get me wrong, i like that. Software is not mature enough, but the Oreo-beta seems Essential are going the right way. Lineage 14.1 is availible and its great. Lineage 15 on the way too. The size of the phone, and the overall quality of it is the best i've ever had! It's a great phone for the price and if price matters, this is a great alternative to pixel 2.
Get the essential phone. No regrats, YOLO swagin here on Oreo and magisk.
Don't get no ca ca lg made phone ?
I upgraded from the original ones one lineage and this phone is very similar in terms of software but very different, upgraded hardware.
Do you want something that already looks dated (pixel 2 or xl2) or do you want that flashy iPhone X look and save $500+ cash?
It's no brainer when you think about how fash technologies advance. Not worth the price and on top of that the stupid little issues they are having.
If I'm paying $1100+ for a phone it better be damn perfect and have the best build quality out there...the new pixels are not...get the essential
I moved from 6P to Essentials over a week ago originally due to the battery bug problem. I was tired of carrying around a battery pack and random phone shutdown at 35% battery. Disclosure, I'm not a techy or an enthusiast so my feedback from just a regular user's perspective. Overall, I'm very happy with the quality and price I paid ($450). I was looking at Pixel 2xl, LG V30 but the design/build with the attractive price point of Essential sealed the deal. The camera is pretty decent. I have no complaints about it. I sideloaded Google camera app and used both Essential and Google apps. I don't find much difference between the two. The pictures from Google app seem to be brighter but Essential app seem quicker to me. Battery is excellent but that's sort of a low bar coming from 6P with battery issue. Software-wise, I'm ok with not being on Oreo it didn't impact my daily use much and overall the softwares on the phones are ok. I think to me this is the best-looking android phones I have ever seen. The build with premium materials and the design look great and feel great in your hands. With the hardware spec not much different from Pixel 2 or LG V30 and the right pricing, I'm willing to compromise somewhat and I was extremely happy with it. Hope this helps.
AndroidDC said:
I moved from 6P to Essentials over a week ago originally due to the battery bug problem. I was tired of carrying around a battery pack and random phone shutdown at 35% battery. Disclosure, I'm not a techy or an enthusiast so my feedback from just a regular user's perspective. Overall, I'm very happy with the quality and price I paid ($450). I was looking at Pixel 2xl, LG V30 but the design/build with the attractive price point of Essential sealed the deal. The camera is pretty decent. I have no complaints about it. I sideloaded Google camera app and used both Essential and Google apps. I don't find much difference between the two. The pictures from Google app seem to be brighter but Essential app seem quicker to me. Battery is excellent but that's sort of a low bar coming from 6P with battery issue. Software-wise, I'm ok with not being on Oreo it didn't impact my daily use much and overall the softwares on the phones are ok. I think to me this is the best-looking android phones I have ever seen. The build with premium materials and the design look great and feel great in your hands. With the hardware spec not much different from Pixel 2 or LG V30 and the right pricing, I'm willing to compromise somewhat and I was extremely happy with it. Hope this helps.
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Click to collapse
Same here. Came from a 6P. Did not get the first Pixel because the screen was 5.5 and that was too small for me. Got one of the first essential phones that came out. Had some bugs and they fixed it. Looked into the Pixel XL. Like the larger screen but the price is absurd when you get basically the same with the Essential. Running Oreo beta. No other kids, root or such. Phone works well for me. Camera is adequate for my needs.
Also came from 6P & I freaking love the Essential phone. The build quality is phenomenal and I can get by with the camera. Google didn't do it right to many issues with pixel 2. Go with Essential you won't regret it.
Came from a 6p as my battery was dying at 40% and I bought my phone from best buy instead of google so google could care less that their phone failed me. got the $160 deal on the phone from sprint and liking it so far way better battery camera is decent with the google app and is pretty snappy. the bugs can be annoying but i think it will be good once oreo is out of beta I Hope. really just happy I don't have to carry around my batter pack anymore.
DAC.IT said:
Im really thinking about the Essental, its pretty much down to this or G Pixel 2 XL, , but the price point and features of the essential are way better, it looks better too, specwise they are very similiar.
I love Project Fi though , i pay only what use , so if my plan is $60 bucks but i only use $20, i pay $20, thats the thing about the Pixel, but at over a $1000 bucks it looks like the Essential with $60/ unlimited by Sprint is a better deal
Anyone else coming from 6P, ive been a Nitrogen rom guy since day one , i love the 6 p , but once you get the battery bug "25%" , the hardware fails quivkly and its time to move on , this is my second 6P ,
Also switching betweeen Sprint/tmobile/uscellular is really cool, however the best service abd what im on 99% of the time is Sprint anyway, its looking like the Essential is tge one
Im coming from.Nexus 6p, OnePlus One , Moto X developers, Note 2, S2 , Note and a few HTCs before that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from a 6P to and Essential PH-1.
I sent mine back but I was in the first wave of phones with the high price and all the issues.
I have a LG G6 but I'd trade the LG G6 to get a PH-1 again since most of the issues are resolved and accessories are available.
Also at $500 it's the phone bargain of the year.
The feel and form factor are great.
The Quality feels every bit as good as the iPhone X.
Also the XL is bigger and doesn't feel as good. YMMV
Also the XL costs almost double.
Unless the camera is your thing go for the PH-1.
I went 6p to Axon7(great device by the way) to Essential. All were good upgrades over the other. My Essential camera is just as good and really has taken some better pics than either of the devices before it using Gcam. Only thing I miss is the accessories as I'm a case and protector whore.
Go For It
Two 6P's and a Moto X developer phone also. Essential phone is now my daily driver with absolutely no regrets. I'm using Verizon's networkdue to location. Only reasons not to get this would be if you have to have Fi, or have to have headsets. Super quality build, camera on 6P is slightly better, screen is worse on the 6P. For size, imagine that just the screen on the 6P is the size of the whole phone. Battery is so much better. Underwhelmed by the overpriced new Pixels.
Sprint has you sign up never telling you they dont have the goddamn device in stock, they wait til you order it , then send an email that says were sorry its back ordered tough **** asshole , wont have any til christmas, but we are still charging you fees and the overnight shipping and anything else, thats piss poor
I canceled and gave my opinion of the way Sprint is f ucking people , they never mention anywhere that they dont have the phone instock and encourage you to use overnight shipping if you do it before 2 pm for $10 bucks, once you sign up, they send an email and blame the manufacturers of not having enough devices, if this was a first run fone id say ok , this fone came out in august, uts your fwult Sprint and lying to public is bull****
i have some experience of what you have so let me give my 2 cents.
i came from HTC M9 and Moto X Pure on Sprint. i still have my SERO-P Plan but instead i dont lease phones (because they make me switch my plan). I bought the Essential phone in the end of Oct. at best buy and im quite happy with it compared to the other two. At first, i had to return it because it would not activate on sprint and we couldnt figure out why. so i returned it and got another one. the other one turns out though was slippery like glass and overheated so i returned it... then after reading the XDA forums i noticed there is a heavier weight on the new ones so we weighed it before i took it. the new one is actually much more grippy than the last even with dry hands.
what i love about it:
first... the battery life. easily the best in battery life. i get 5 to 6 hours on a normal day of on screen time
fast android updates. the newest updates you have to take out your sprint sim, put a gsm sim and from there it will take the updates
the size, beauty, and weight
internet speed is pretty good too, thought gigabit speed is a hard time of getting actual confirmation from them. ive received on a few occasions 70+ mbps in my small town where ive gotten 30 last time with m9 and x pure.
the look is amazing and pure android is the icing on the cake.
bad things are:
camera is been improved since ive gotten it but still needs work. the issue ive experienced is the graininess.
sometimes i miss calls and texts (not sure if its sprint or the phone itself) but what i noticed is its pretty good compared to the m9 as far as bars go. the x pure was better in signal but it never got the speeds i got from this phone.
usb-c dongle but there is a 3.5mm mod coming for the phone soon from what i heard
response could be improved a bit
overall i will say go for it. despite the negative review... i still give it a 4.5 out of 5 because its andy rubin who knows how to tweak android anyway he feels like it and so far they did alot of improvement with just software updates. do a speed test with your 6p and essential and see for yourself. post a video if you can
Well im still up in the air , im not gonna use Sprint , i dont like being lied to, you dont start a relationship with a lie it never ends well, that being said, i dig the Essential and it is unkocked, just wish Fi would accept it, im also looking at the Pixel 2 XL and the Razer , seen another flagship killer called the Blackview S8 and id jusmp for a samsung S8+ , if the bl.was unlocked , i wont ever buy a locked boot loader unless it can be unlocked , thanks for the review that was what i wanted
I came for the 6P as well and I have no regrets. I do miss the camera on the 6P but I tend to still carry it around for the camera and mess with the os with new roms.
With the gcam port the essential takes some good shots.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
gman2pi said:
Two 6P's and a Moto X developer phone also. Essential phone is now my daily driver with absolutely no regrets. I'm using Verizon's networkdue to location. Only reasons not to get this would be if you have to have Fi, or have to have headsets. Super quality build, camera on 6P is slightly better, screen is worse on the 6P. For size, imagine that just the screen on the 6P is the size of the whole phone. Battery is so much better. Underwhelmed by the overpriced new Pixels.
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Click to collapse
@gman2pi or anyone on Verizon's network. how is the data speed and connectivity? My 6P has been having the shutdown issue at 50% and i missed emergency calls text today.
Was so frustrated that I ordered a battery tried to replace it and broke the damn phone and need one ASAP.
My concern has been the thread with the connectivity issues that the phone is having and slow data speeds.
qnc said:
@gman2pi or anyone on Verizon's network. how is the data speed and connectivity? My 6P has been having the shutdown issue at 50% and i missed emergency calls text today.
Was so frustrated that I ordered a battery tried to replace it and broke the damn phone and need one ASAP.
My concern has been the thread with the connectivity issues that the phone is having and slow data speeds.
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Click to collapse
I've had no issues and get the same bar strength and performance as my 6P in my usual locations. I only use phone, text, and primarily e-mail and some downloads on their network. I don't stream much on cellular and don't use Verizon visual voicemail or their other "special features" so can't comment on that.
Thanks, button presses.
Now I'm kind of salty because i got an email from best buy where i could have gotten one with the camera for $500 and i did not pull the trigger.
Came from og pixel, earpiece speaker blew, then went back to my nexus 6.. then this.. battery life is insane..on verizon signal seems great though i have missed some calls.. not sure why.. but great build quality.. no regrets
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
Currently have a 6P that I replaced the battery on. I am ordering the pixel 2 xl. It's a lot more money, but the video stabilization is so bad on the essential I couldn't buy it.
Hi all! I currently have a nexus 6p as my daily driver and came from a nexus 6. I am running into some issues with the 6p and got to looking at other phones. My criteria is:
32gb storage minimum
usb-c charging or qi if micro-usb
good battery life
nfc
good camera (photos and videos)
no/minimal bloat ware (stock launcher also, no TouchWiz)
can be bought around $250 (used is ok)
fingerprint scanner is a plus
It looks like the ph1 meets all my requirements. I have found one slightly used for under $250. I really like the 128gb storage as I do YouTube videos using my phone sometimes and the extra space comes in handy. So my question is this: should the ph1 be a good device for me? I have been using nexus phones since the galaxy nexus and own them all except the 5x. I'm on AT&T. If there is a better phone that meets the requirements I'm all game to look at it. If I can't find a replacement phone soon I'm going back to my n6. This n6p is driving me crazy with the crap battery life, missed notifications, and phonecall black screen bug.
Thanks in advance for the input.
*edit* just found a pixel 128gb model certified refurb for same price. Which one would you get?
I've had my ph1 for only a couple of weeks now but I am loving this device. I rooted it but still running the stock operating system. I use Nova launcher just because I like the options in it but the stock launcher is pretty smooth as well. The camera takes great pictures especially compared to my htc 10 I came from. I go back and forth between the stock camera app and a modded Google camera app. Both seem to work great. Battery life is amazing for me. Easy lasts all day with 3-4 hours of screen on time. I had to charge my 10 a minimum of twice a day. I don't put this on charge until the very end of my day after I've been running the hotspot for a couple of hours. I'm not sure how it would compared to the pixel though. Security and software updates come pretty frequently. I've been getting the May security patch update for a few days now but since I'm rooted I can't except the OTA. Not sure if this will help your decision but that is my take on the ph1 so far.
I won't be a lot of help as I only picked up my PH-1 last night and have been playing with it at the office this morning. That said, I owned a 32GB Pixel XL prior to my current S8 and loved that thing. The main thing I felt it lacked was the always on display, which the PH-1 also lacks. When I got my S8 I decided to give wireless charging a try, don't know how I lived without it. The PH-1 doesn't have that either, although neither does the Pixel line.
The 32GB became an issue as I think only about 23GB was actually usable on my XL. Local carriers ran a deal last Nov and I picked up the S8. It's a solid phone, but I miss stock Android so I started looking at 128GB XL's. A deal came up on a PH-1, I was curious, so I pulled the trigger. It seems nice so far but if I'm being honest, I'd take a 128GB XL over it for the same price. The camera on it was amazing, better than the PH-1 stock camera for sure. I haven't sideloaded the Google camera app, so can't comment on that.
Hope this was a little helpful.
kameleon25 said:
Hi all! I currently have a nexus 6p as my daily driver and came from a nexus 6. I am running into some issues with the 6p and got to looking at other phones. My criteria is:
32gb storage minimum
usb-c charging or qi if micro-usb
good battery life
nfc
good camera (photos and videos)
no/minimal bloat ware (stock launcher also, no TouchWiz)
can be bought around $250 (used is ok)
fingerprint scanner is a plus
It looks like the ph1 meets all my requirements. I have found one slightly used for under $250. I really like the 128gb storage as I do YouTube videos using my phone sometimes and the extra space comes in handy. So my question is this: should the ph1 be a good device for me? I have been using nexus phones since the galaxy nexus and own them all except the 5x. I'm on AT&T. If there is a better phone that meets the requirements I'm all game to look at it. If I can't find a replacement phone soon I'm going back to my n6. This n6p is driving me crazy with the crap battery life, missed notifications, and phonecall black screen bug.
Thanks in advance for the input.
*edit* just found a pixel 128gb model certified refurb for same price. Which one would you get?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PH-1
kameleon25 said:
Hi all! I currently have a nexus 6p as my daily driver and came from a nexus 6. I am running into some issues with the 6p and got to looking at other phones. My criteria is:
32gb storage minimum
usb-c charging or qi if micro-usb
good battery life
nfc
good camera (photos and videos)
no/minimal bloat ware (stock launcher also, no TouchWiz)
can be bought around $250 (used is ok)
fingerprint scanner is a plus
It looks like the ph1 meets all my requirements. I have found one slightly used for under $250. I really like the 128gb storage as I do YouTube videos using my phone sometimes and the extra space comes in handy. So my question is this: should the ph1 be a good device for me? I have been using nexus phones since the galaxy nexus and own them all except the 5x. I'm on AT&T. If there is a better phone that meets the requirements I'm all game to look at it. If I can't find a replacement phone soon I'm going back to my n6. This n6p is driving me crazy with the crap battery life, missed notifications, and phonecall black screen bug.
Thanks in advance for the input.
*edit* just found a pixel 128gb model certified refurb for same price. Which one would you get?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're talking about the first gen of Pixel phones, then definitely get the Essential PH-1, it's more up to date in terms of processing power, feels rock solid (doesn't bend), uses ceramic back, which holds up well (according to various YouTube drop tests) as opposed to glass found on the Pixel, uses titanium rather than aluminum, so doesn't dent or scratch as easily.
Probably one of the best Android devices to own if you want consistent monthly security patch and os updates, definitely up there with the Pixel quality of os update support (I'm also hearing Razer phone is good for that as well). With Essential you also get a very elegant design, no ugly chins or huge bezels. Excellent cameras, just get a Google camera app if you find the stock essential one a bit lacking. Battery life is very good, can't say how it compares to a pixel, but I'd imagine it's not too different. I've installed Resurrection remix on the PH-1, and use it as a daily driver, this ROM really unlocks this device's full potential. Third party development is definitely there and growing. I'll say this much, if you enjoyed your Nexus devices, which I'm sure you did, you will love the Essential PH-1, it's not a generic copycat phone, but rather one of those devices that excite. With a pixel, well you get a very iPhonesque design and pretty much the same stuff as Essential plus more Google stuff I'm sure, don't know, never got one. My last two phones were the Nexus 6 and Nextbit Robin, both were and still are excellent phones to this day, but after checking out the Essential in person, I just couldn't not buy it. It definitely has that Nexus vibe to it
I just made the jump from a Nexus 6P to a PH1 a few weeks ago when bestbuy and amazon had them on sale for $400 and am on AT&T.
Overall the phone is solid though you can tell that it's not popular as your options for accessories such as screen protectors and cases are very limited.
Battery life is great, all day at work connected to my watch via bluetooth and I drain maybe 15-20%, my 6P would have drained 70% in that same time frame with the same usage. It's not an AMOLED screen which I do miss but it is a very bright LCD and seems to be fine in the car so overall I don't mind.
Haven't had any issues with AT&T other than a certain deadspot near the mall which was also an issue on the 6P so that's more AT&T's problem.
Bootloader unlock was smooth and rooting with Magisk was easy too so if you are coming from a Nexus device and want something simple to deal with this should fit the bill.
This phone has gotten so much better in the time I've owned it, the support is incredible. It is my favorite phone all around I've ever owned I think. My only issue is the camera, and with gcam it is half decent. Overall a great phone!