Two years later, our device has a contender - Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact General

So, Asus just revealed a new dual-SIM 9.7 inch tablet,and it's the first tablet I've seen since the XZ3TC that both looks good and has great specs. It is super duper iCopied in terms of design, that sucks.
Almost twice the battery capacity, as it is a 7800mAh Li-Po and it has 4GB internal memory. I've linked the comparison from Gsmarena below.
I don't know Asus that well in terms of dev friendliness or build quality, anybody have any experience from other devices?
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8543&idPhone2=6633
https://www.asus.com/Tablets/ASUS-ZenPad-3S-10-Z500KL/
Here's hoping Sony will get excited and release a new compact tablet

nice.i think the only real contender is Nvidia Shield...

As nice as the new Asus tablet is, I still like my Z3TC. Waterproofing and the battery still has been nice enough to last me a week's usage before charging it.

Related

Will XOOM be best in class in 6 months?

Thoughts on the hardware and capabilities vs. the Honeycomb experience.
Wanted to see what you all thought. XOOM is the first out the gate so everyone after has an opportunity to pick it apart and do better. We all know the XOOM is crippled right now but when all is said and done. Hardware wise, do we think the XOOM will be best in class?
No one is psychic, so this is just discussion. Here are my thoughts:
- It very well could be. Motorola makes SOLID devices. The issues are mostly software based for now.
- Samsung will have best display, possibly best camera quality video and still
- There will be thinner, lighter tablets but with less features
- 3 core things will sway the onlookers to other tabs: more bright/vivid display, USB charging, price.
Surely not.
(but it is today!!)
it definately won't be.
Look back 6 months ago... The Galaxy S series was introduced. My GF didn't even get a year with her phone before it became outdated.
The same is true with the Xoom.
It will definitely still be the "****" though
I think it will be like the original Droid. I still have mine, sure it's outdated now and there are better things out there but it still does everything I need it to do and still runs current software. Shelf life on electronics is 6 months at best IMHO. How long has the iPad been out? A year and we already have an iPad 2. It's the normal course for technology.
RadDudeTommy said:
It will definitely still be the "****" though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously. My HTC Incredible is nowhere near to best in class today. Matter of fact, although it was billed so, probably wasn't back then either... but I digress.
My Inc is still snappy and works awesomely and I have a hard time thinking that it is like the PC universe where your stuff starts to not be able to keep up with software.
Hoping the same for the XOOM. Where it's pretty damn fast now and even in 2 years for the available software, it will still be pretty damn fast.
BUT, maybe what I meant to ask was, vs. other Tegra2 pads, will it be best in class. Tegra 2 class. Quad cores don't count. I would call it another class. Of the parade of Tegra2's coming out, will Motorola have made the best?
The product life cycle of a typical mobile device is 12mos.
In those terms, 6mos is a LOOOONG TIME.
Tablet devices are still new, but I wouldn't be surprised to see similar product life cycles, esp this early in the game. All these tablets including the iPad have a long ways to go before they can replace my laptop.
I think the term 'best' is always in the eye of the beholder; if you play a lot of high-end games then you'll find yourself in need of new hardware at latest every 12 months. If you don't really care about high-end performance but are happy with what you have now then I don't see why the Xoom should not be the best tablet for you! I can only reiterate that the biggest flaw for me is the display but that's still no reason not to love the Xoom!
Verizon devices are almost always copycat items that came out 6 months ago for another carrier (drives me bloody nuts), so your statement about the Inc is pretty much dead on lol. I have not even looked at the specs, but I bet the Thunderbolt is pretty damned close to the Desire HD that has been out for a bit now.
In this case however, They are sporting the early adopter advantage, as well as it being an AOSP device.
I would not count the Xoom out anytime soon.
It most definitely won't be the best 10 inch Android tablet in 6 months. Look at the smartphones have been introduced in the last 6 months! The Android market is booming and there's no reason to think it'll slow down now, especially since NVIDIA have said they'll have quad cores in devices by the end of the year.
However, my wife's HTC Hero is still a decent phone (rooted and custom ROM of course) and she's had it about 20 months. It still does a job.
Technologically, no, it won't be the best, but personally, yes, it could be. It depends on the person. I still think my HTC EVO is hands down the best smartphone on the market. It does everything I want it to do and then some.
Something will come out with a better screen, or take 3D images, or have more RAM, who knows. It will be classified as the "best." However, I think the Xoom beats other tablets in the fact that it's the first one with Honeycomb, it's set the standard for which Google will be updating, so it will likely always be running the latest Android OS. Honeycomb is what sets this device apart from everything else out there, not the hardware in my opinion.
If Google updates the Xoom in 2 weeks, and in 4 weeks a new tablet is released, it will likely already be behind the version of Honeycomb on the Xoom.
Best in class or not 6 months from now, Im hoping for a similar experience that I've had with the Evo. 9 months since I bought it and not once have I had the urge to switch out for something else. Sure, theres better gear out there, but not so much so that it detracts from my purchase.
This question is pointless as very few things are best in class after 6 months. The question is will they be behind in performance. Will the XOOM still do everything Honeycomb can do in 6 months, in a year. I say yes it will. In 6 months to a year though there will probably be at least one tablet with a quad core kal-el tegra 3.
Hopefully that processor brings with it the irrelevant but nice ability to play 1080p high profile video. Between that and adobe hopefully bringing adequate hardware acceleration to flash, our tablets can start doing everything we need.
6 months from now is when nVidia anticipates Tegra 3 in tablets, so no, I don't think the Xoom will make it that long. I think, however, it will remain amongst the best until Tegra 3 launches.
The whole no usb charging thing just puts me off. whatever tablet will charge via usb will get my consideration the most.
Gotta admit, that sucks for me too. But it is what it is. I'll live. Shoulda did what the Nook did. Special USB jack. Allows for high voltage charging.
lockheedload said:
The whole no usb charging thing just puts me off. whatever tablet will charge via usb will get my consideration the most.
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Click to collapse
I dont Think any tablet will. Sucks but probably True. Unless Computers can output higher Voltage.
You must understand that USB charging is simply not a viable option. It would take FOREVER.
The point of USB charging is not always that it charges, but that you can consume less
DatterBoy said:
Gotta admit, that sucks for me too. But it is what it is. I'll live. Shoulda did what the Nook did. Special USB jack. Allows for high voltage charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then people have a charger around the house that could be potentially dangerous to other devices. Even apple recommends not using the ipad charger with anything else.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
DatterBoy said:
Thoughts on the hardware and capabilities vs. the Honeycomb experience.
Wanted to see what you all thought. XOOM is the first out the gate so everyone after has an opportunity to pick it apart and do better. We all know the XOOM is crippled right now but when all is said and done. Hardware wise, do we think the XOOM will be best in class?
No one is psychic, so this is just discussion. Here are my thoughts:
- It very well could be. Motorola makes SOLID devices. The issues are mostly software based for now.
- Samsung will have best display, possibly best camera quality video and still
- There will be thinner, lighter tablets but with less features
- 3 core things will sway the onlookers to other tabs: more bright/vivid display, USB charging, price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"- It very well could be. Motorola makes SOLID devices. The issues are mostly software based for now." - Having been an Android user since day 1 of the G1, I can tell you this is par for the course. I cant wait for that first OTA. Android 1.1 was so much better than Android 1.0.
"- Samsung will have best display, possibly best camera quality video and still" - My concerns with Samsung is that they are not very friendly to the aftermarket. My wife has an Epic 4g and I have a Galaxy Tab, they are very cumbersome to mod. I like that the Xoom is a Google Experience device and has an unlocked bootloader.
"- There will be thinner, lighter tablets but with less features" - We cant control whats coming down the pike. There will be better devices but those could be a year away.
"- 3 core things will sway the onlookers to other tabs: more bright/vivid display, USB charging, price." - I agree with display. USB charging maybe. Price is the biggest factor and the main reason I got my Xoom at Costco.

HTC One vs Note II

So, I have the Note II (Awesome device) But now the HTC One is out and on paper in specs its sort of common with the Note II but not as much.Lets go over with the specs shall we?
The note II features a 1.6 ghz Quadcore Exynos 4 CPU - The One has a Snap dragon 600 Quad core 1.7 Ghz processor. Now the 600 is quite new of a processor meaning not many phones have it (Only the Optimus G+ and now the One,as far as im aware) So in the processor im gonna leave it as is just because we still have yet to see the 600 in action.
Both of these devices feature 2 GB RAM - Draw.
The screen is quite different however, On the note II you got a 5.5 Inch Super amoled panel with a resolution of 1280x720 giving a dpi of 267- HTC One has a 4.7 Inch display with a Super LCD 3 panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 which results in a whopping resolution of 469ppi. Many say the 1080p screen is overkill but unless you experience it for real you will see a difference..i have to give this to the One.
In battery not much tests have been made for the One here but my bet the Note II will have a better battery. The Note II has a 3100 MAH battery which is just awesome. The One has a battery of 2300 MAH . Keep in mind that the Note II's battery is removable but the One is not!.This one goes for the Note II
The One comes in 2 models of 32 and 64 gigs of storage with no expandable SD Card. The note II comes in 16 gigs of internal storage and can support an SD card of up to 64 GB. Note II wins this one.
The Camera on the One is the "Ultra pixel" one which no one really is sure what it is or how its better so..im going to leave the camera because no one really can judge.
Software wise , Both the Note II and the One come with Android JELLY BEAN 4.1.2. (Both will be upgradable to 4.2.2)
One thing i wanted to note(no pun intended) is that the Note II has an S-Pen! Im not going to go in the features of it because they are alot..But let me tell you this,Its just awesome..you can take notes with it, Very productive. ( ONE ALSO has Beats audio and 2 front speakers , note 2 doesnt have that)
Ending this..Both of these phones are great..But for me I can upgrade and ditch the Note II to get the One (Got the money) But im going to stay with the Note II because its the phone i want , i dont want to go back to 4.7 inch screen. So thats just my take on it..Its your choice and your money Both of them are great..But ive had HTC in the past..i wont have one again.
I'm curious about the camera in One, they promised a good low light performance. The sceen also may be interesting, but until i see it in real life, I cannot talk about it. The battery, I guess, will be at most 3/4 of ours (a wild guess).
My final verdict: not worth upgrade (if this is really an upgrade?), I'm waiting for S4 and even 5S (these are the phones to set new trends )
Even though htc one has a better specification, better screen, and faster processor. The battery itself will keep me and some people sticking to note 2 for the time being. If you want gaming, the HTC sure will provide better gaming performance (12,000 in quadrant! ) but from my experience of owning HTC one x and one x+, both have terrible battery, especially compared to note 2.
Htc also have quite lame software in my opinion. But HTC Sense looks better, much better than TouchWiz. Note 2 in my book is still the best smartphone to date with s-pen, split screen and other various productivity tools. Great phone for working. The battery will last a full day with heavy usage.
if u prefer raw performance and good camera go for htc one but if u prefer more usablity with spen and storage stay with note 2 and wait for note 3 launch at end q3.
htc one is the king of android phone with optimus g pro but both phone doesnt support digitizer so it lack the usability and precision of note 2.
about battery life, nowadays u can buy an external charger or use in-car charger if u are moving around so battery is not an issue actually unless u go to a very rural place for a week with no charger around but any phone also cant last that long.
anyway its up to user individual.
update - S4 wil also be launching in march so about the king of android is still a puzzle.
htc one has the better built quality it seems with metal construction and injection moulding which is somehow, more solid than plastic (or polycarbonate) on N2
OK there is NO Doubt that the phone is a new top tier phone! But I don't know... HTC has great build quality, but their software is meh. Their updates are slow, because they have to test that REALLY heavy skin over Android, so they are never really on time with updates, and if they are, it's only for the first few months. I don't know, I think HTC has a GREAT design team, and engineers, but I don't really like their software development team because their mentality is build a great device and sell as many as possible and then push out the next one. Samsung, for the moment, is doing a great job. The ORIGINAL Note got updates, and so did the S2. That's just my opinion based on my experience. It could vary. haha. Oh, but battery life is FOR SURE going to be worse on the HTC unless they did something revolutionary with their software and hardware. mAh is mAh! There's no way around that.
I own both devices(Note 2 and One X). In comparison for both devices(stock), I like the the Note 2 the most - no lags, while on the One X - lag is everywhere. The SenseUI is terrible when it comes to response. The only noticeable difference between both devices is when the user wants to access the phone's memory, Kies really suck while on the OneX it's just toggle-transfer-safely remove the device.
Let's be total honest here, One is WAY better than Note 2, in terms of performance, build quality and design. But I won't switch to it, why? Because I don't want to spend extra money for it as my Note 2 is just 4 months old and I still like OLED than LCD.
Agreed on the whole "I had an HTC before and will never have one again". Seriously, their phones always had an issue whether it was software related or hardware. But that's just my experience. I'm never going back. Regardless of how fast it is or how much better. I'm satisfied with the note performance and battery life and especially that it has official cm10.1 support. Awaiting key lime pie and future updates on this beast! :thumbup:
plskillme said:
I own both devices(Note 2 and One X). In comparison for both devices(stock), I like the the Note 2 the most - no lags, while on the One X - lag is everywhere. The SenseUI is terrible when it comes to response. The only noticeable difference between both devices is when the user wants to access the phone's memory, Kies really suck while on the OneX it's just toggle-transfer-safely remove the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this topic is about the all new "One" not the "One X"
One is newer device, of course it will be faster than Note 2.
Would I go for One? No!
Why?
No MMC slot, embedded battery, less battery capacity.
I was the ultimate HTC fanboi up until the original Note came along. It was then I realised Samsung were King when it came to innovation and superior software. I bought the S3 then the Note 2, the Galaxy Camera and the Note 10.1 tablet. I have become a Samsung fanboi without doubt!
However...
I am suddenly taking an interest in both the Sony Xperia Z and now the HTC One. Why? Well purely on a design basis. The Galaxy range is becoming a bit boring in the looks department. I understand that plastic is good for making my devices lightweight and durable but they don't ooze premium like the HTC ONE and the Sony Z (and dare I say the iphone 5 - yes that's quite an admission for an anti apple guy!)
My conclusion is for now I am waiting on what the Samsung Galaxy S4 brings to the table and more importantly the Galaxy Note 3, before I consider jumping ship again. For the time being I am a Samsung fan and I love the Note II but it's about time we had higher resolution AMOLED screens, twin speakers and aluminium chassis for what are ultra premium products.
Sv: HTC One vs Note II
The HTC One has a LOT more pixels to move around wich means that the extra 100mhz CPU power can't even begin to make up with it = laggy? (unless it has an awesome GPU). Also the screen 4'7 is too small for my taste.
This also means more power required from a much smaller battery in the One. Two things I really love about the Note II is the awsome battery life and the ability to simply switch battery if needed.
The One's design looks great however putting the rear speaker in the front looks retatded I think, and to put a "Beats Audio" logo on the back of that beautiful phone is also retarded
In autumn 2013 the Note III will be out and I can honestly say, I will keep my Note II till then!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
All positive and negative aspects aside has anyone noticed how ugly HTC phones have become? Especially the back.
mm79k said:
this topic is about the all new "One" not the "One X"
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Click to collapse
Oh I'm sorry, I thought this was about One X because I've read someone comment about it. Thanks for mentioning it.
galaxy358 said:
Even though htc one has a better specification, better screen, and faster processor. The battery itself will keep me and some people sticking to note 2 for the time being. If you want gaming, the HTC sure will provide better gaming performance (12,000 in quadrant! ) but from my experience of owning HTC one x and one x+, both have terrible battery, especially compared to note 2.
Htc also have quite lame software in my opinion. But HTC Sense looks better, much better than TouchWiz. Note 2 in my book is still the best smartphone to date with s-pen, split screen and other various productivity tools. Great phone for working. The battery will last a full day with heavy usage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
plskillme said:
I own both devices(Note 2 and One X). In comparison for both devices(stock), I like the the Note 2 the most - no lags, while on the One X - lag is everywhere. The SenseUI is terrible when it comes to response. The only noticeable difference between both devices is when the user wants to access the phone's memory, Kies really suck while on the OneX it's just toggle-transfer-safely remove the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't it easier to put it this way without much of explanation.
Cpu = Htc one , it's 40% faster then the one in note and 40% more powerfull, battery consumption is less for around 50%
Display = Htc one , much better sharper crisper , brighter , viewing angles, much more usable on daylight and colors are more accurate then on amoled.
Battery = this one is unknown , but considering it has less power hungry chip smaller screen SLCD3 more power hungry display then amoled and full HD we can expect around 8 hours screen on time. Possibly more still unknown.
Design and build quality = Htc one no doubt about it.
Features = kinda hard call , HTc one comes with plenty of new things while note holds of it's own.
Camera = reported to be currently the best one on the market especially in the dark ( 300% more light then on other devices )
About one X since you mentioned it , you really didn't know how to use HoX no offense still don't ( tho you're right when you compare stock vs stock ) , hox is on a different level now, runs games full effects no laggs ( that can't even s3 & note 2 do ) Battery life has literally doubled , check in my signature screen shoots you'll see almost 7hours screen on time with heavy usage and high brightness at some point.
Anyone final words: Htc one is great but i think us who have quad cores should skip it and wait to see what will sammy bring us in note 3, s4 and what will snapdragon 800 do , it's twice faster then s600. Just my 2 cents.
Shan89 said:
About one X since you mentioned it , you really didn't know how to use HoX no offense still don't ( tho you're right when you compare stock vs stock ) , hox is on a different level now, runs games full effects no laggs ( that can't even s3 & note 2 do ) Battery life has literally doubled , check in my signature screen shoots you'll see almost 7hours screen on time with heavy usage and high brightness at some point.
Anyone final words: Htc one is great but i think us who have quad cores should skip it and wait to see what will sammy bring us in note 3, s4 and what will snapdragon 800 do , it's twice faster then s600. Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did a mere comparison of the two devices, the One X & Note 2 stock devices because that would be the first noticeable differences for prospective buyers. Is it a norm nowadays where you go to an electronics shop where customers would ask clerks of how their phones behave/function while running on custom ROMs? The answer is a no. First they compare the physical aspects of the phone literally head to head and next is what's under the hood.
@TOPIC - sorry for going off-topic.
plskillme said:
I did a mere comparison of the two devices, the One X & Note 2 stock devices because that would be the first noticeable differences for prospective buyers. Is it a norm nowadays where you go to an electronics shop where customers would ask clerks of how their phones behave/function while running on custom ROMs? The answer is a no. First they compare the physical aspects of the phone literally head to head and next is what's under the hood.
@TOPIC - sorry for going off-topic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed about that one :highfive:, but we're *XDA geeks are we not * and all we do is flash more or less and on the way learn few things here and there :good: Anyway we're way off topic lol , excuse us guys.
You should wait and make a comparison between S4 and One.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100 using xda app
HTC One
cpu win
Note II
dispaly size win
3100mAh battery win
replaceable battery win
s pan win
4g win
sd card support:crying: win
note2 win

Samsung deleted my review

I posted a review at Samsung.ca for the Tab Pro 8.4.
And of course Samsung deleted it...
The irony was, I gave it 4/5 stars and praised its features. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned any of the minor issues with it.
When manufacturer's provide a space for the public to post a review and then delete those they don't like (and mine was pretty positive), what exactly is the point?
RobilarOCN said:
I posted a review at Samsung.ca for the Tab Pro 8.4.
And of course Samsung deleted it...
The irony was, I gave it 4/5 stars and praised its features. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned any of the minor issues with it.
When manufacturer's provide a space for the public to post a review and then delete those they don't like (and mine was pretty positive), what exactly is the point?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They only want super positive?
Why did you knock a star btw?
This is the first Sammy that I would rate 5 stars to.
Goes to show how dishonest Samsung can be. The reviews are not real and are rigged. To me Amazon has the best review system. You have to own and bought the product from their website and they don't filter the negative feedback except profanity.
scrosler said:
They only want super positive?
Why did you knock a star btw?
This is the first Sammy that I would rate 5 stars to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only decked it a point for a couple of reasons.
Price. To me it's not overpriced but realistically it should be a $300 - $350 range tablet. With the N7 sitting at $250, the LG G Pad sitting at $250 and the Mini Retina sitting at $400, it should have been somewhere in the middle. Don't get me wrong, I have the Mini Retina and much prefer the Samsung but for those who know nothing about tablets (my mother for example), it is very hard to sell against the Mini retina at the same price point. I showed it to my mother and she was asking why it was the same price as the Mini (which I bought her, sigh) was so much nicer...
Also I mentioned battery life compared to the Mini (that's what probably got the review deleted). Battery life is pretty good for an Android tablet (Better for sure than my G Pad) but compared to the Apple tablets, it's about 5 hours short. That's a big delta.
I also mentioned that the black version was not available in Canada. Why would they launch both colors in the US but only give Canada the god awful ugly white version? I hate white tablets and I'm stuck with one.
I also suggested that for the price point, the Tab Pro should have mini HDMI out. There are plenty of much cheaper tablets (like the Dell) that have this feature. This is being touted as a "Pro" device. Why do I have to hunt around for an MHL HDMI adapter (I've already bought and returned 2 that do not work) so that I can connect this device to a display? It would be great for powerpoint decks at clients (which I currently do with a Surface Pro). For $400, this feature should be a no brainer.
Despite the above, they are all minor concerns as I emphasized that it was the best Android tablet I have owned.
I guess I provided too much accurate info...
I think it's pretty obvious why they deleted your review, you mentioned your a Canadian
Sent from my Nexus 10 using XDA Premium HD app in Toronto
I think I'd probably go with a 3.5 for as it comes out of the box, pre loaded with lots of uninstallable crap, iffy/average build quality and poor battery life.
Once the bloat is removed, its a different beast, but then you have no warranty, so 3.5 stars is fair I reckon.
If they did a google play version, on the other hand, it'd be a 4.5 :good:
RobilarOCN said:
Despite the above, they are all minor concerns as I emphasized that it was the best Android tablet I have owned.
I guess I provided too much accurate info...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough! I agree with your statements!
Monkey Chops said:
I think I'd probably go with a 3.5 for as it comes out of the box, pre loaded with lots of uninstallable crap, iffy/average build quality and poor battery life.
Once the bloat is removed, its a different beast, but then you have no warranty, so 3.5 stars is fair I reckon.
If they did a google play version, on the other hand, it'd be a 4.5 :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A google play version, black 32GB, would be an instant buy for me (despite already having one).
It's a fantastic tablet, just a few minor things keep it from being perfect.
I also own a Mini Retina 128GB and the battery between the two isn't even close. That is one area that would make a big difference.
If I wrote a review it'd probably never going to be published on Samsung's website so I will do a review here.
I got the 12.2" and used it out for a week now, I would give it a 2.5. The only thing I like about it is the large screen and the clarity of the display. Other then that I too think it's overpriced compared to hundreds of other Android devices out there.
It's heavy and holding it with 2 hands for 30 min my wrist starts to feel uncomfortable. The bloatware is annoying and some of them you can't even be disabled. Of course I could do the root it and delete method it but that would void my warranty. That's a risk I'm not going to take cause I'm not sure if I'm keeping this. There should be a law like in Korea that a user should have the option to remove bloatware easily as they wish.
For a 9500 mAH battery, it sucked bad. Samsung claim you can watch 8 hours of continues movies but the most I've gotten is 3.5 hours. The sound and speaker is horrid because half the video I played has cracking and popping noises in the background. Also some 1080p videos I tested jitters and motion lags at times. For clarification, these videos I tested have no problem playing on my 6 years old MacBook at all. Magazine UI looks cool back in January when they demoed it but once you get to it, it feels incomplete and it is an awful experience. Couldn't remove it either.
Also I got the Black version and it came with an odd white usb cable and charger. Little missed details like that could annoy owners.
The next tablet I'm going to try is the Sony Xperia Z2. In the mean time, this isn't a winner for me so I'm probably going to return it soon. I really tried hard to like this tablet and was anxious when Samsung announce it but it is big let down for me.
NixxonExxo said:
If I wrote a review it'd probably never going to be published on Samsung's website so I will do a review here.
I got the 12.2" and used it out for a week now, I would give it a 2.5. The only thing I like about it is the large screen and the clarity of the display. Other then that I too think it's overpriced compared to hundreds of other Android devices out there.
It's heavy and holding it with 2 hands for 30 min my wrist starts to feel uncomfortable. The bloatware is annoying and some of them you can't even be disabled. Of course I could do the root it and delete method it but that would void my warranty. That's a risk I'm not going to take cause I'm not sure if I'm keeping this. There should be a law like in Korea that a user should have the option to remove bloatware easily as they wish.
For a 9500 mAH battery, it sucked bad. Samsung claim you can watch 8 hours of continues movies but the most I've gotten is 3.5 hours. The sound and speaker is horrid because half the video I played has cracking and popping noises in the background. Also some 1080p videos I tested jitters and motion lags at times. For clarification, these videos I tested have no problem playing on my 6 years old MacBook at all. Magazine UI looks cool back in January when they demoed it but once you get to it, it feels incomplete and it is an awful experience. Couldn't remove it either.
Also I got the Black version and it came with an odd white usb cable and charger. Little missed details like that could annoy owners.
The next tablet I'm going to try is the Sony Xperia Z2. In the mean time, this isn't a winner for me so I'm probably going to return it soon. I really tried hard to like this tablet and was anxious when Samsung announce it but it is big let down for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You raise some good points.However, you can't really complain about the size and weight. It is thinner and lighter than anything else in its size class. If it's too heavy, you should have bought a smaller tablet. I mean, how can you complain about the weight when you chose that size? The 10.1 Pro weighs almost 300 grams less.
I am surprised at your battery results. The 8.4 is good for about 7 hours of video (I've tested it several times on flights). I expected the bigger versions to be better given the higher rated battery.
RobilarOCN said:
You raise some good points.However, you can't really complain about the size and weight. It is thinner and lighter than anything else in its size class. If it's too heavy, you should have bought a smaller tablet. I mean, how can you complain about the weight when you chose that size? The 10.1 Pro weighs almost 300 grams less.
I am surprised at your battery results. The 8.4 is good for about 7 hours of video (I've tested it several times on flights). I expected the bigger versions to be better given the higher rated battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not complaining about size, it's perfect and I enjoy the large screen estate. I'm complaining about the weight. It feels super light when you carry it around but supporting it long term with your wrists are two different things. Maybe I will wait for the 2nd or 3rd generation to see if Samsung improves the weight and hopefully to be under 1 pound is ideal.
My battery result is what it is. I have it on auto brightness and it's not even that bright at all. The videos I played are standard avi, 720p and 1080p.
RobilarOCN said:
You raise some good points.However, you can't really complain about the size and weight. It is thinner and lighter than anything else in its size class. If it's too heavy, you should have bought a smaller tablet. I mean, how can you complain about the weight when you chose that size? The 10.1 Pro weighs almost 300 grams less.
I am surprised at your battery results. The 8.4 is good for about 7 hours of video (I've tested it several times on flights). I expected the bigger versions to be better given the higher rated battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bigger screen easily offsets the bigger battery compares to 8.4, because (in normal cases) the screen is always the biggest consumer of battery, the size of the screen is huge on 12.2, so I'm not surprised by the poor battery life it has.
RobilarOCN said:
You raise some good points.However, you can't really complain about the size and weight. It is thinner and lighter than anything else in its size class. If it's too heavy, you should have bought a smaller tablet. I mean, how can you complain about the weight when you chose that size? The 10.1 Pro weighs almost 300 grams less.
I am surprised at your battery results. The 8.4 is good for about 7 hours of video (I've tested it several times on flights). I expected the bigger versions to be better given the higher rated battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree 100% with everything nixxon said about the 12.2, I got it a few days ago and will be returning it soon.
The screen is gorgeous but it sucks battery like crazy even on low brightness, also the weight becomes uncomfortable quickly when you rest it on your chest (ie reading in bed).
The weight issue is tricky because I have laptops which are heavier but still comfortable to use in bed, what makes the 12.2 so uncomfortable is that all its weight gets exerted on a small area of your body vs a laptop where it's more spread out.
CPU bound tasks seem very quick but graphics intensive tasks feel sluggish compared to my note 10.1, I'm sure that could be improved with an optimized kernel/rom.
Still on the fence over whether to trade for a note pro 10.1 or wait for something else
sefstrat said:
Still on the fence over whether to trade for a note pro 10.1 or wait for something else
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh boy, when it comes to Samsung software, waiting is the most traitorous thing ever. They have a very poor track record of OS and in house apps update ever. Take for example, the Note 10.1 2014 edition has been out since October, has the exact same identical internal spec as the Note pro 12.2 and it hasn't gotten the latest KitKat upgrade yet. They could have easily and inexpensively take the Note Pro 12.2 software and tweak it to work on the Note 10.1 but they still haven't done so.
Samsung doesn't take care of their customers after. They just want to make a quick buck on the hardware moving forward. They don't look back on supporting older devices because it's not profitable.
Haw dare you impede on Samsung's marketing scheme! Shame on you. Aren't you aware their devices are immaculate and faultless in every way?
Those looking at 10 inch you might want to wait for the SM T800.

[Q] anyone have ZGPAX S6?!

Please i want to buy this one, but i can't find any reviews on it at all..
I hope anyone can help me to make right decision..
Thanks in advance
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
From what I can find it's an MT6577. The MT6577 is a two year old chip that if you look at the S5, EC-309 and other threads, is known for issues when it comes to smartwatches. MediaTek also has a habit of packaging half finished firmware with security holes and BT issues.
Money vs overall device, you would be better off looking at a MT6572 or MT6582 based standalone smartwatch. And if all the MediaTek based smartwatch devs can get together then I expect a number of issues to go away.
Ok thank you loki for this deep knowledge information...
So can you recommend me a standalone one with this price range has better specs or at least with more recent chip?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
the zgpax s5 has a thread and it seems to be a good watch. I dont think that the company producing this watch would make the s6 worse than the s5, if anything it should be better than the s5. I plan on buying this in a few weeks.
m34n1ng said:
the zgpax s5 has a thread and it seems to be a good watch. I dont think that the company producing this watch would make the s6 worse than the s5, if anything it should be better than the s5. I plan on buying this in a few weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure how good the S6 is, but I was very interested. My only issue with all current Android 3G phone watches is that they seem to have the same specifications, which based on an earlier response, is a dated technology, and I wonder if it really is worth $130+ USD, when you can get smartphone with much better specs for less money.
What intrigues me with the s6 is that it seems to have the look I will be expecting from the rumored Samsung Galaxy Solo due out later this year.
I for one am opting for a Kickstarter phone watch (the XS-4) that seems to be a quantum leap in technology (MTK6592 octo-core processor, Android 4.4, waterproof and LTE among other neat specs.). Granted it sells for over $250 USD and it a Kickstarter campaign.
I gave up on the XS-4 and I have bought myself the CL-W211, which is another branding of the Zgpax S6. I will review it once I get it in a few weeks.
probstc said:
I am not sure how good the S6 is, but I was very interested. My only issue with all current Android 3G phone watches is that they seem to have the same specifications, which based on an earlier response, is a dated technology, and I wonder if it really is worth $130+ USD, when you can get smartphone with much better specs for less money.
What intrigues me with the s6 is that it seems to have the look I will be expecting from the rumored Samsung Galaxy Solo due out later this year.
I for one am opting for a Kickstarter phone watch (the XS-4) that seems to be a quantum leap in technology (MTK6592 octo-core processor, Android 4.4, waterproof and LTE among other neat specs.). Granted it sells for over $250 USD and it a Kickstarter campaign.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing to look for when buying a android watch phone, is that you don't necessarily look for the newest / fastest but rather to acknowledge there WILL be compromises between price, battery life, performance due to the size of the watch.
things you want:
1. battery life
2. waterproof/resistance
3. at least dual core
4. at least 512mb ram
5. at least Android 4.0
things you DONT want
1. LTE or even 3g
2. octo-core
3. short battery life
4. single-touch capacitive display
The xs-4 failed aboved also its kickstarter... if you ever get it it'll be 2 years from now and it'll still be old tech and bad battery life.
s5/6 is an okay product however its battery life is problmatic..
like the other guy said, much better to look for a mtk6572 device which should cost ~$200 online.
beggerking said:
The thing to look for when buying a android watch phone, is that you don't necessarily look for the newest / fastest but rather to acknowledge there WILL be compromises between price, battery life, performance due to the size of the watch.
things you want:
1. battery life
2. waterproof/resistance
3. at least dual core
4. at least 512mb ram
5. at least Android 4.0
things you DONT want
1. LTE or even 3g
2. octo-core
3. short battery life
4. single-touch capacitive display
The xs-4 failed aboved also its kickstarter... if you ever get it it'll be 2 years from now and it'll still be old tech and bad battery life.
s5/6 is an okay product however its battery life is problmatic..
like the other guy said, much better to look for a mtk6572 device which should cost ~$200 online.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice, and BTW, because it was "too good to be true" and failed other Crowd Funding efforts, I have abandoned the pledge for the XS-4. With just over 44 pledges and two days left on Kickstarter, I think that there is too much risk with this product. I also have memories from my previous pledge for the Neptune Pine, which has turned into a fiasco - Fortunately I took there offer for a full refund when they failed to meet their first delivery dates.
In the meantime, I did order the CL-W211 (exactly the same watch as the Zgpax S6), and when I receive it, I will add a review.
Review of the Zgpax S6
needo said:
Please i want to buy this one, but i can't find any reviews on it at all..
I hope anyone can help me to make right decision..
Thanks in advance
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is a review of the ZGPAX S6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_-1Nfp3gCo
19mm thick
probstc said:
Here is a review of the ZGPAX S6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_-1Nfp3gCo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For $129, i can live with the low screen resolution and the 2MP cam, but it's19mm thick, shame, far too thick for me.
Other then that, i would have purchased it, cuz all seems good for the price. :good:
needo said:
Please i want to buy this one, but i can't find any reviews on it at all..
I hope anyone can help me to make right decision..
Thanks in advance
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just received my ZGPAX S6 today (labelled CL-W211), and here are my first impressions:
Pros:
- Bloatware free, full Android 4.04
- Screen is bright, easy to read and responsive
- Device has decent performance for such modest specifications
- So far all the features tested have work. I still have to test the GPS.
- Speaker quality is excellent
Cons:
- Battery life is terrible, especially if you use many of the phones features at once
- WiFi reception is very weak
- Build quality is not the best and makes you wonder about durability
- Chinese instructions and power plug were useless and a bit of a joke considering where the device was being shipped to
I think this watch phone has potential, and will serve me well as a proof of concept until more sophisticated models are released.
The zgpax s5 or sy have both not 2 finger multitouch?
Sometimes in videos it looks like it has.
Updated review on the ZGPAX S6
After having my S6 for the past 8 months, I am sad to report that my original concerns about quality build were justified, as the camera is no longer functional, and the original batter no longer holds a charge (I had to buy a spare one). What is most infuriating is the fact that ZGPAX has released an updated S6, using the MTK6572 processor, and therefore able to run Android 4.4, whereas the original S6 is limited to Android 4.04.
I even think the whole concept of a smartphone on a watch was flawed, as the ZGPAX failed in usability: It is difficult to have a device that when not used can last a reasonable amount of time, but the moment you do anything on it, the battery drains almost instantaneously. Also, while I love compact devices, a 1.54 inch screen is too small even for those with the best eyesight. Having a smart watch paired with a smartphone is still a decent option, but forget an all-in-one solution!
I have moved on (technologically), but to me this was the last straw in buying cheap Chinese tech, especially when the manufacturer abandons the product. For those who read this and are considering buying the ZGPAX S6, you have been warned.
Thanks for this post. But one has to really point out that for the price for such a watch and the fact that it is a "no name" brand. ie unbranded really. One would expect around 8 months to 12 months usage. It is not bad that your lasted for 8 months. It can now serve as a AP-tettering point connected to a small powerbank since it is still functional even with a very weak or non-functional battery. If you buy a branded product at 2.5 times the price, then expect that to last 2 years or around that. I expect most would switch after a year. It is no different from a phone where yearly switching seems to be the norm for many and a phone is clearly 3 to 4 times to price of the watch. My S8 is going on 7 months and I will replace it or add another in 6 months or so when the Android Wear software really comes of ago with funtionality and battery life. I really need a GPS-track on watch to last a full 12 hours on one charge. For now the Garmin Vivoactive looks like the closest match, but I will hold off for the next iteration. The screen is lower resolution as I expect 320X320 at the very least.

Honest opinions please; tell me about your experience!

Hey friends in the sub $300 range!
I'm shopping around for a new device. Currently I'm using an Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 5.5" -- it has served me well (very well) since November 2015. Unfortunately the battery seems to be failing, so it seems the time has come for me to replace my precious. I'm actually in the sub $250 range, trying VERY HARD to not go over (which is why I'm considering the Axon 7 Mini and not the full-featured Axon 7).
I've been looking at all different phones for a couple days now and I'm stuck. I'm really drawn toward the Axon 7 Mini but from the reviews I've been reading the word is that it's just not that great for a $299 phone. Is it great for a $199 phone? Should I pay the extra $50 and get the Honor 6X (which I'm shying away from because of its overall durability -- yes, yes, I know to put a screen protector and case on it but it's the what ifs that get me), or do you think I'll be satisfied with the Axon 7 Mini? Normally I wouldn't hesitate to get a phone like this because I'm no stranger to the world of root and custom ROMs, and I know the dev community is stellar in making a stuttery device smooth like butter, but I see there hasn't been much luck with this one. I feel like my Idol (and Galaxy SIII before it) have spoiled me. Both devices just WORKED. They do and did what I needed them to do with minimal fuss and absolutely no worry about installing a custom ROM. Is the 7 Mini one of those phones that you just keep saying to yourself "I know CM would vastly improve my experience with this phone"?
Or should I give up on both phones and hope my Idol lasts a bit longer to see if I can get a really fantastic deal on the full featured Axon 7?
Probably should clarify: I am not by any means a heavy user. I may have a couple apps open at the same time, but I'm not running demanding games or social media apps (unless you count Snapchat as demanding; the Idol cannot handle Snapchat for some reason and it drives me nuts).
the word is that it's just not that great for a $299 phone. Is it great for a $199 phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on what you are looking for. The main reason why the reviews have been complaining is the somewhat weak CPU.
As someone who does not play 3D games on a phone, the performance has been absolutely fine for me.
Just going by the rest of the specs, it is hard to find anything that compares (without heavy compromises) at a $199 price point.
Should I pay the extra $50 and get the Honor 6X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hard to tell for me honestly. Just comparing the specs, the Axon has an AMOLED screen and better sound, while the Honor should have better battery life.
I'd go by what features you prefer. (more on that further down)
Is the 7 Mini one of those phones that you just keep saying to yourself "I know CM would vastly improve my experience with this phone"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vastly improved? Not really. Somewhat improved? Definitely yes.
The stock system is not bad, but it has some quirks going against it. (somewhat questionable power management, bad stock UI)
If the Android N update goes well, I don't see that much need for a custom rom. It would of course be great to have, but it's not a deal breaker for me.
Overall pros/cons:
pro:
- beautiful display
- outstanding sound (both speakers and headphones)
- quick charge works very well
subjective pros:
- metal case
- usb type c
- overall great hardware design
meh:
- mediocre battery life (will get you through the day just fine, don't expect anything beyond)
- mediocre performance (will perform everyday tasks just fine, you won't be happy if you want to play demanding games though)
- mediocre camera (I don't really use it, but the pictures are unimpressive)
- updates happen every once in a blue moon, but they do happen
cons:
- no root
- no custom roms
- battery can't be swapped
- bad default UI (just using a different launcher will vastly improve your experience with the phone)
d3cay said:
Aight! Summed up nicely, the screen is actually very qualitative although the UI is a bit messy.. Right, nova or evie launcher change this to the good, honestly this is the phone I'm the most satisfacted with, didn't expect a timeless piece like this, woah! The Nubia Z17 Mini is also very nice!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=is.shortcut
http://www.nubia.com/en/presscenter.php?a=showArticleDetail&id=14
http://m.gsmarena.com/zte_nubia_z17_mini-8615.php
Check these links, nubia 17, better photography (although dslr is the queen) idk yet about the audio chip, will share it if you like. Although on 28nm, 652/653 is a nice improvement!
Screen looks great quality too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came to the mini 7 from a broken Galaxy S6 ($300 to repair it so I figured I'd look at a newer phone). Now that I've got the performance improved (via a soft reset), I'm generally happy with the phone. Admittedly, my S6 was starting to get slow too, it probably also need a reset or cache cleared.
I bought the mini for $199. I think for that price it's a pretty decent phone.
Robnw
The Mini is easy to get for $199, most Best Buy stores stock both colors for that price (they are quite plentiful in the Minneapolis area at least)... For $199 if you don't need Verizon or other CDMA support, it's a pretty solid device.
- The display is beautiful and the sound is something you don't expect for a phone under $500.
- Performance is good for everything but heavy gaming.
- Battery is decent, pretty easy to get a full day with 4.5-5 hours SOT average in mixed LTE/WiFi
- Camera is pretty good and quick, I'll take it over my Moto X Pure edition's 21MP camera any day
- It is a very "premium" feeling phone
- The fingerprint reader is sometimes questionable (my son quite using it because it was so inconsistent, but last few updates it's better)
- MiFavor, the UI, is really disappointing and tries to be too Applish with no app drawer. And there is no usable battery stats in settings?!?!
The custom ROM and root thing is less and less important all the time, personally I don't think it will effect my next decision to get a phone at all. I'm with the previous poster CM might make it a little better, but the stock ROM isn't bad all and it wouldn't make it "amazing" or anything like that.
Add Nova Launcher and GSAM as your first installed apps and it's a good buy at $199, but if it's at $250-$300 I would skip it and get a Moto G5 Plus.
As far as the Honor phones go, I can't stand EMUI... the software ruins what would be an otherwise decent phone. Honor devices are solid hardware, but the software ruins it especially it actively prevents you replacing the launcher or using some other customizations, it's unfortunate they didn't stay with a more simple UI or even stockish Android, they would be a real consideration then.
d3cay said:
meh:
- mediocre camera (I don't really use it, but the pictures are unimpressive)
·
·
·
·
Actually the camera is very good! Check my instagram @zteaxon7mini and get impressed by its results
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
acejavelin said:
As far as the Honor phones go, I can't stand EMUI... the software ruins what would be an otherwise decent phone. Honor devices are solid hardware, but the software ruins it especially it actively prevents you replacing the launcher or using some other customizations, it's unfortunate they didn't stay with a more simple UI or even stockish Android, they would be a real consideration then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to say that with EMUi 5.0, their skin has gotten a lot better. And the Honor 6X is getting it in Q2 this year. Also they don't make it difficult to replace the launcher or anything like that. Got an Honor phone for my Mom and girlfriend and I easily got them on Nova Launcher, Android Messages, Gmail, and even the Google phone app (an older version).
In regards to OP, the Honor 6X does seem like an all around better phone, if you can stand their skin. The performance seems to be better (going by reviews), battery life seems to be better, screen quality seems to be similar. I know the Axon is AMOLED and the Honor is IPS LCD, but all of the reviews (and my in person opinion) state that it is a very capable screen, especially for the price. The Axon does have great audio quality, but the Honor seems to have better performance and battery life. The design of the two is quite similar in that it's mostly aluminum with some glass. Also the Honor is currently on a flash sale for the next few days at $220 on Honor's website. So I definitely think it's up to you, but there's another opinion for ya!

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