I've read a lot of mixed info about it, including severe overheating, massive battery drain, limited functionality, etc. But those reviews were all old and for the Pixel/XL.
Has anyone here tried it out with the Axon 7 that can give their opinion on it? I've been considering it, now that Nougat is finally available, but at $113 CAD (yay taxes) that's a steep price for what appears to be a piece of cloth with bluetooth mini remote. As far as I know all the sensors and processing hardware are in the phone itself, unlike Samsung's VR headsets.
Cyrus D. said:
I've read a lot of mixed info about it, including severe overheating, massive battery drain, limited functionality, etc. But those reviews were all old and for the Pixel/XL.
Has anyone here tried it out with the Axon 7 that can give their opinion on it? I've been considering it, now that Nougat is finally available, but at $113 CAD (yay taxes) that's a steep price for what appears to be a piece of cloth with bluetooth mini remote. As far as I know all the sensors and processing hardware are in the phone itself, unlike Samsung's VR headsets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a daydream view and have been playing with it for a few weeks now. At first, it was underwhelming. A lot of the apps available are really gimicky. But, after taking the time to find apps that would suit me, I have really enjoyed it. I got the headset for 49 dollars when they went on sale recently, and I still feel like that price is a stretch. You are right, it really is just a couple of pieces of glass, cloth, and a bluetooth remote. There is a workaround, where you can use another phone as the remote and just use google cardboard for the viewing device. I did that at first, but it was difficult to use the phone as a controller, since you don't have the tactile feel of the buttons. As far as the phone goes, it gets pretty warm, Once, I made it to 53 degrees celsius. But, it didn't shut the phone down and that was a one-time thing. It hasn't been super warm since. I don't know if that helps.
BJHiltbrand said:
I have a daydream view and have been playing with it for a few weeks now. At first, it was underwhelming. A lot of the apps available are really gimicky. But, after taking the time to find apps that would suit me, I have really enjoyed it. I got the headset for 49 dollars when they went on sale recently, and I still feel like that price is a stretch. You are right, it really is just a couple of pieces of glass, cloth, and a bluetooth remote. There is a workaround, where you can use another phone as the remote and just use google cardboard for the viewing device. I did that at first, but it was difficult to use the phone as a controller, since you don't have the tactile feel of the buttons. As far as the phone goes, it gets pretty warm, Once, I made it to 53 degrees celsius. But, it didn't shut the phone down and that was a one-time thing. It hasn't been super warm since. I don't know if that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does help, thanks. But I'm wondering, how long were you typical sessions, and what were you running?
Cyrus D. said:
It does help, thanks. But I'm wondering, how long were you typical sessions, and what were you running?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I usually use it for 45 minutes to an hour. I really have just been playing around with all sorts of apps. Most of those sessions were in the Netflix VR app and in a game called Archer E. Bowman. I have also used it for non-daydream apps like litchi for flying my phantom drone. Interestingly enough, the time that the phone got really hot, I had it plugged in and was using a non-daydream app (roller coaster VR).
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using XDA Free mobile app
BJHiltbrand said:
I usually use it for 45 minutes to an hour. I really have just been playing around with all sorts of apps. Most of those sessions were in the Netflix VR app and in a game called Archer E. Bowman. I have also used it for non-daydream apps like litchi for flying my phantom drone. Interestingly enough, the time that the phone got really hot, I had it plugged in and was using a non-daydream app (roller coaster VR).
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it's not surprising at all that your phone was overheating considering you had it plugged in while using an app, nearly any phone would become really hot if you do that. These fast charging methods all (aside from Oppo/OnePlus's Dash Charging) do the voltage conversion in the phone, it's mind boggling how stupid that is, and yet that's how they work. Another thing that's infuriating to even think about is the internal design if you know what it is. I've seen an A7 taken apart and... it uses the BATTERY as a heatsink, yes the battery, the thing that degrades and loses maximum charge due to heat. The heat pipe is set up in a way to basically pass the SoC's heat directly to the battery.
So overall I guess what you're saying is good news, 45-60 mins typical usage and only overheating while having it plugged in is far better than all the reports I've seen about the Pixel/XL while using VR. Thanks once again.
I watched a two hour movie in two sessions, one with the phone plugged into a battery pack. It got warm, but nothing out of the ordinary. I would suggest the Full-size VR app for web browsing and viewing movies on the SD card.
The headset is definitely worth the money but the phone's power button is placed in the worst position possible - something that's true just for holding in the right hand as well!
got ours yesterday. Pretty interesting. very much in its infancy tho but you can see the potential. I agree about power button placement is a slight issue.
phone does get very warm. phone gave a warning once. I removed the case and that seemed to help. NOt really a big deal
I got the headset a couple of days ago because of the Nougat update, I've used it for playing games like need for speed VR and watching videos with YouTube VR and Skybox, also hooked it up to my PC to stream VR Games with trinus VR and such.
As someone who only had the original cardboard and then a cheap plastic headset, I'm in love with daydream, it doesn't compare at all to any full size VR like the Oculus or PlayStation VR but the quality is pretty good for a $50 device, I think it's worth it at this price.
On the performance side I was also worried because I've read the reviews and issues with the pixels but I have to say I'm amazed with the axon, it does get hot after a while but never had performance decrease, just a notification about the battery being hot, 53c (127f) was the highest I've had and that was after more than an hour of continuous VR usage. I was surprised that the phone cools down very quickly after exiting VR, ZTE has some great thermal management in this CPU, battery lasts long enough for my sessions of VR I've been getting like %25 drain for almost an hour in VR, so enough to watch a movie if at half battery most likely, but with QC 3.0 this is a none issue for me. People forget your phone is blasting away at full brightness, rendering 3D scenes with 3D positional audio while tracking every sensor and keeping an active low latency Bluetooth connection, NFC, a Cellphone connection and an Internet connection . I think it's pretty amazing.
Well there's only a single company selling the thing on Amazon which I never heard of but I said screw it and ordered it because there was only 1 white one left and it's my last day of Amazon Prime. Hopefully it doesn't stain too easily... and Xposed arrives soon because I'm not upgrading to Nougat until it does.
adampdx said:
I watched a two hour movie in two sessions, one with the phone plugged into a battery pack. It got warm, but nothing out of the ordinary. I would suggest the Full-size VR app for web browsing and viewing movies on the SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say Full-size VR app, as I said I'm waiting on Xposed before upgrading to Nougat so I can't install Daydream apps yet.
BritSwedeGuy said:
The headset is definitely worth the money but the phone's power button is placed in the worst position possible - something that's true just for holding in the right hand as well!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
chamilun said:
got ours yesterday. Pretty interesting. very much in its infancy tho but you can see the potential. I agree about power button placement is a slight issue.
phone does get very warm. phone gave a warning once. I removed the case and that seemed to help. NOt really a big deal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't it just be placed in upside down so the strap doesn't press the power button?
rpsgrayfox said:
I got the headset a couple of days ago because of the Nougat update, I've used it for playing games like need for speed VR and watching videos with YouTube VR and Skybox, also hooked it up to my PC to stream VR Games with trinus VR and such.
As someone who only had the original cardboard and then a cheap plastic headset, I'm in love with daydream, it doesn't compare at all to any full size VR like the Oculus or PlayStation VR but the quality is pretty good for a $50 device, I think it's worth it at this price.
On the performance side I was also worried because I've read the reviews and issues with the pixels but I have to say I'm amazed with the axon, it does get hot after a while but never had performance decrease, just a notification about the battery being hot, 53c (127f) was the highest I've had and that was after more than an hour of continuous VR usage. I was surprised that the phone cools down very quickly after exiting VR, ZTE has some great thermal management in this CPU, battery lasts long enough for my sessions of VR I've been getting like %25 drain for almost an hour in VR, so enough to watch a movie if at half battery most likely, but with QC 3.0 this is a none issue for me. People forget your phone is blasting away at full brightness, rendering 3D scenes with 3D positional audio while tracking every sensor and keeping an active low latency Bluetooth connection, NFC, a Cellphone connection and an Internet connection . I think it's pretty amazing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the detailed info. 53C should be perfectly fine, funny that's exactly what the first person reported as well. It's really high for a mobile device, but it shouldn't be dangerous... at least I hope the battery isn't that sensitive, because as I said they use the battery as a heatsink.
Sorry, autocorrect. Fulldive app. I even changed that twice.
Well I received mine today and there's still no sign of Nougat Xposed so I just used it without Daydream and I have to say:
Cons:
- The lenses are tiny and not adjustable, I was really hoping for better lenses since that's basically the entire cost of this thing.
- It's not exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, the strap sucks, it really needed to a top strap.
- It's designed for some sort of giant Neanderthal nose, it has so much room it could fit 2 of my noses in it.
- Putting the phone in upside doesn't always work since it can hit the volume button that way instead of power button, that and not all apps flip upside down.
- The "Snow White"/light gray looks nothing like the pictures, it's straight up grey.
Neutral:
- No app works perfectly well for it that I've seen yet, I might be forced to wait for Nougat/Daydream apps (I tried installing the apk, won't install on 6.0.1).
- The remote does nothing on 6.0.1 aside from connect.
Pros:
- The lenses are clear enough especially compared to the garbage plastic lenses others use, and it works for my eyes despite not being adjustable.
- Despite the sucky strap the fact that it's lighter than plastic models makes up a lot in the comfort department. That tiny difference in weight makes the device usable with that subpar strap.
Tl;DR - For a $100 device I expected a lot better quality, but this might be the best that can be had for the Axon 7, I guess I'm stuck waiting on Nougat Xposed until I find out just how good this thing is.
adampdx said:
Sorry, autocorrect. Fulldive app. I even changed that twice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fulldive is awkward and doesn't work for me. When you hold one position to select something, it doesn't work for whatever reason when I have the phone inserted in the DD View, it just does the loop/circle then nothing happens. If I have the phone out of headset then it works. Either way it doesn't seem like an easy to use app.
Cyrus D. said:
Tl;DR - For a $100 device I expected a lot better quality, but this might be the best that can be had for the Axon 7, I guess I'm stuck waiting on Nougat Xposed until I find out just how good this thing is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry that you've had a poor experience. I paid $50 for mine and find it comfortable, easy to wear for long periods of time, and the Daydream app performs very well. Fulldive is awkward, but once I learned how to properly use it, it made a world of difference.
Hi, I'm really happy there is a discussion to the Daydream headset. I'm also sceptical on the quality (sure is better than cardboard...), but another thing is that besides the controller, I don't understand what's the hype about it? Seems pretty average, no top strap..
I'm also looking to get some VR for the Axon, however the ones that I've seen are really not optimal - all of them press either volume or in most cases the power button. I guess that the ZTE VR won't really be produced now with the Daydream support (or available to get in another way), so are there any feasible alternatives?
Hi. Does anybody have these problems with Daydream? Initial tiles doesn't load properly and install button on VR Play Store doesn't appear...
Please everyone interested in daydream on LOS vote for this bug https://jira.lineageos.org/projects/BUGBASH/issues/BUGBASH-284?filter=allopenissues
I have one, it's alright. No deal breakers, but it's not great either.
In terms of software, The apps are just not there yet. There are a ton of video portals, unfinished game demos, and apps that we already knew from Cardboard, and honestly not much else. I hear Samsung Gear VR has a much richer set of apps, so Daydream really needs to catch up. Add to that the Lineage OS issues (mentioned above), which exclude Daydream from working properly with LOS-based ROMs., and the software situation is not great. I think we need to give it some time.
In terms of hardware, it works but is quirky. Lack of a top strap is not great, leads to most people over-tightening the rear strap. The optics are okay, not great, with a 90 degree field of view - Better than most Cardboard clones, but well below dedicated headsets, or even Samsung Gear VR. Light can leak in from the back, but you can stuff a tissue or something between the side and the face pad to compensate. It's light and fairly comfortable, though, and gets the job done.
The remote works well, and the idea of putting a trackpad in your hand that can sense both taps and clicks, plus a pointer, gives you a lot to work with. It drifts, though, which means you'll be using that recenter function a lot.
Overall, while it may sound like I really don't like it, VR is really cool, and Daydream, for $50 (on sale), is a great way to jump into it. Just bear in mind that it feels like a promising beta more than a finished product.
To answer some of the questions and concerns in this thread:
The power button on the Axon 7 isn't really an issue. No, you usually can't put the phone in upside-down - Some apps will tell you to flip it when you try, others will have glitches like InMind 2 having upside down subtitles. Instead, just pull the latching band to the left a bit as you secure the phone, and it will clear the power button no problem. I believe the latest stock firmware disregards power button long-press when in Daydream mode, too, so there's that too.
Overheating is somewhat of an issue. If you use Daydream for gaming for an hour straight, yeah the phone gets hot - 63C or so is the highest I've seen, and I use the included case which may trap in more heat too. It hasn't been a problem affecting performance, and while the battery does drain fast, it's not really draining faster than you would with a more traditional game.
I'm actually surprised at how little battery is used considering the heat it puts out.
I like it. I think it works smooth. Mostly good for watching movies or shows. Not a lot of games available.
Note: It exacerbates the Do Not Disturb issue. It, just like the schedule, can turn it on but can't turn it off. Disable the access to prevent the issue.
BJHiltbrand said:
I usually use it for 45 minutes to an hour. I really have just been playing around with all sorts of apps. Most of those sessions were in the Netflix VR app and in a game called Archer E. Bowman. I have also used it for non-daydream apps like litchi for flying my phantom drone. Interestingly enough, the time that the phone got really hot, I had it plugged in and was using a non-daydream app (roller coaster VR).
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, were you able to fly your DJI drone in VR with the google daydream? I have looked everywhere on the web for answers but couldn't find anything!
Related
Post your user experiences here, what you liked, disliked etc.
I'll start:
Like:
The device feels really solid and well made and has a nice finish
The device is fast, and browsing the web is more comparable to a laptop than a phone (see screenshot). Games look great on it (like Cordy, Dungeon Defenders etc)
I managed to watch iPlayer videos on it via the site in flash, including the live streams - the HD ones don't play at a good framerate though.
Honeycomb is really slick and easy to use
Sound quality is excellent
The built in office suite is great
Gripes:
Absolute fingerprint magnet
Still a few bugs, a handful of FCs, Spanish text in one ASUS tool, Chinese in another!
The bevel when holding it is a bit too wide to make using keyboards like ThumbKeyboard comfortable. With a bit of tweaking it works fine, but its less than ideal.
The weather widget truncates my town name and it looks ugly (Leamington S) an option to tweak the font size would have been nice.
A couple of the default settings provided a less than optimal out-of-box experience, but nothing that can't be fixed by experimentation.
Hate:
Charging cable is ridiculously short and proprietary so you can't replace it! This is my major gripe. When I plug the device in at night to charge on my nightstand I can't use the device in bed - in fact I had to rearrange the stand just to get it long enough to actually let me put the device on top.
Thanks for this. I'm looking forward to picking this up when it launches in Canada. It looks like a really slick device. The price is great. A shame about the bezel, but it's probably something I'll get used to fairly quickly.
I love that all of your issues are either honeycomb related or just tablet related (except the cable, I suppose) everytime I read these good and bad's I recall my Xoom and how I felt the exact same way but I wouldn't consider any of them bad. I kept that screen spotless, even though it was a fingerprint magnet, the FC's and widget issues are normal because HC is new, and when I buy something I always mess around with all of the settings.
I dont think I've read a bad thing about this tablet. There has not been a single dealbreaker!
Thanks for your review As Prof said, I'm also suuuper excited for the Canadian release.
side note: didn't mean for anything I said to sound snappy, I am just overwhelmingly amped for this tablet.
Yeah, the device is great, I suppose my only major problem with this specific device is with the charger - and that will be fixed when the accessories start rolling out. With time greatness can be achieved!
It does seem like the charge/sync cable might be annoyingly short. Why not just use a USB extension though?
bedoig said:
It does seem like the charge/sync cable might be annoyingly short. Why not just use a USB extension though?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The cable has an extra pin in it which extension cables do not carry. If you try to use one it just doesn't charge...
icStatic said:
The cable has an extra pin in it which extension cables do not carry. If you try to use one it just doesn't charge...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, that is going to be quite annoying then. Thanks for the info.
icStatic said:
Post your user experiences here, what you liked, disliked etc.
I'll start:
Like:
The device feels really solid and well made and has a nice finish
The device is fast, and browsing the web is more comparable to a laptop than a phone (see screenshot). Games look great on it (like Cordy, Dungeon Defenders etc)
I managed to watch iPlayer videos on it via the site in flash, including the live streams - the HD ones don't play at a good framerate though.
Honeycomb is really slick and easy to use
Sound quality is excellent
The built in office suite is great
Gripes:
Absolute fingerprint magnet
Still a few bugs, a handful of FCs, Spanish text in one ASUS tool, Chinese in another!
The bevel when holding it is a bit too wide to make using keyboards like ThumbKeyboard comfortable. With a bit of tweaking it works fine, but its less than ideal.
The weather widget truncates my town name and it looks ugly (Leamington S) an option to tweak the font size would have been nice.
A couple of the default settings provided a less than optimal out-of-box experience, but nothing that can't be fixed by experimentation.
Hate:
Charging cable is ridiculously short and proprietary so you can't replace it! This is my major gripe. When I plug the device in at night to charge on my nightstand I can't use the device in bed - in fact I had to rearrange the stand just to get it long enough to actually let me put the device on top.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're not joking about the speed, it's faster then my dell inspiron 1300 with 1.6ghz and 1gb ram.
Move to Bath, you'll still have that bathing kudos in the title
The lead is short, it won't let me use a usb extention cable either, but i can cure this by buying another extention lead so it's not really a problem.
Will do this when i get keyboard dock.
love
- just the whole Google experience, my phone, desktop PC and tablet feel totally in harmony now. I add a bookmark on my tablet/PC and it's available on the other device. I star a destination on Google maps on the tablet and it's available on my phone when I get in the car
- certain apps optimsed for Honeycomb are awesome, especially Maps, Gmail, Newsr (Google Reader app), I also love some of the widgets, such as Gmail and Pure News.
- in terms of the device itself, find it light, nice colour (copper), excellent battery life, and great that Asus have enabled the micro SD slot. Also appreciate that they have included a screenshot function on the device.
- really like the system of notification, a touch of Android together with a touch of Windows but unobtrusive at the same time.
- overall, like the control I have with this tablet. With the Ipad I was constantly running up against problems as I tried to get pictures/files either on or off the device. With Honeycomb there are so many ways to get your stuff on and off (bluetooth, USB, dropbox, file transfer). I don't mind the steeper learning curve of the OS if it means I decide what I do with my content.
Dislikes
- while I love aspects of the browser, I also find it quite laggy in places. Certain websites seem to bring it to its knees, ironically the worst culprit for me is the homepage of Xda forums! Trying to scroll down that page is an exercise in frustration.
- some of the widgets are a bit flaky (eg Gmail), often failing to refresh and update.
- the tablet Market app is really poor. We don't seem to have the same version as the US, no special section for tablet optimsed apps, no Google books section; I also find that installing new apps can be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes I press 'install and often the process doesn't complete and I have to go back and do it again.
Overall though, the plusses outweigh the minusses and I've got to hand it to Asus for getting this tablet out quickly and at such a reasonable price. I would find it difficult to go back to the Ipad after a taste of what's possible with Honeycomb. Yes, it still is a bit unfinished, a bit buggy in places but it will only get better with updates and it feels like an OS for grown-ups. I know the Ipad is touted as the tablet that young kids and grandmas can pick up and use, but I belong to neither of those groups and I'm willing to put up with some mildly confusing UI elements if it means I have complete control over my content.
Thanks for the reviews guys!, keep em coming.
I am living the experience through you guys
Is it end of april yet?
Can you try this and let me know if it works?
-Try attaching two headphones/earphones in docked mode (1 in dock and 1 in tablet), do they both work simultaneously?
-Is the Mynet application seeing your DLNA device consistently
-Are you able to stream movies (esp. 720p/1080p) off your DLNA device onto your tablet?
-connect to tv via mini HDMI while in docked mode works right?
-pinch and zooming on dock's trackpad works?
-how much memory (not storage) is available to apps? I am reading on certain websites they list 1GB/512MB RAM, is only 512MB available for apps?
Thanks in advance,
KG
kgdg said:
Thanks for the reviews guys!, keep em coming.
I am living the experience through you guys
Is it end of april yet?
Can you try this and let me know if it works?
-Try attaching two headphones/earphones in docked mode (1 in dock and 1 in tablet), do they both work simultaneously?
-Is the Mynet application seeing your DLNA device consistently
-Are you able to stream movies (esp. 720p/1080p) off your DLNA device onto your tablet?
-connect to tv via mini HDMI while in docked mode works right?
-pinch and zooming on dock's trackpad works?
-how much memory (not storage) is available to apps? I am reading on certain websites they list 1GB/512MB RAM, is only 512MB available for apps?
Thanks in advance,
KG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately no one has the dock yet, it seems that Asus are having some supply issues and only the tablet is available to buy at the moment. So, can't really answer most of your questions, sorry.
The only one I can answer is about the apps. You can use all of the internal storage for apps, so in theory you have about 14GB free for apps..so plenty of space
dreadnought001 said:
Unfortunately no one has the dock yet, it seems that Asus are having some supply issues and only the tablet is available to buy at the moment. So, can't really answer most of your questions, sorry.
The only one I can answer is about the apps. You can use all of the internal storage for apps, so in theory you have about 14GB free for apps..so plenty of space
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, I keep forgetting the dock isn't out yet...
As for apps, I was asking about memory, not storage..
Some more questions, I read on modaco forums about these issues, did you guys run into these as well:
-It cannot handle an episode of Prison Break in 720p for example, without a lot of stutter and out of sync voice. And when I tried a lower resolution video file, it works but again its not smooth (480p). I tried RockPlayer, mVideoPlayer and QQPlayer (which was the best by far, but still not great). Im really waiting for a decent Video player app to come out, something which will take advantage of the processing power inside these new devices! Hopefully VLC will have it up and running soon smile.gif
-An app will not solve this.
Rockplayer, QQplayer uses the CPU to decode, it will _always_ be slow and jerky on HD content
-The Tegra 2 SOC is capable of playing main profile h.264 at 1080p (with caveats), high profile at 720p.
Froyo running on Tegra2 could handle 1080p in baseline profile under the older harmony drivers, It _seems_ like the Nvidia honeycomb binaries are even less capable and content that plays on my tegra2 Vega now stutters on my transformer. Hopefully this (1080p baseline) will be fixed with a firmware update (The harmony platform has been abandoned by Nvidia, the transformer is based on the newer Ventana platform)
Is the above really true? That kills the whole purpose of a tablet in my mind.
Also, another troubling issue:
-little bit worried about the HDMI out. It appears to only do 720p. Whereas the cheaper Vega did 1080p when playing video. The transformer seems to do 720p by "voiding" the bottom 80 pixels. On the screen they still make up the button bar, it just gets a little taller.
If this is true, it will be the final nail in the coffin, i will wait until Tegra3..
kgdg said:
If this is true, it will be the final nail in the coffin, i will wait until Tegra3..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apologize if this is thread-jacking but is there any word on when Tegra3 will be released? At this point the best approximation would probably be in terms of quarters, like Q4 2011. Not sure if I can wait that long.
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but.......
If the charging cable is that short, and you want to use it while charging in bed.......
What is the problem with using a short extension cord, say a 6 ft..??
I know this isn't optimal, or preferred, for that matter, but that doesn't seem to be THAT big of a deal......a little inconvenient maybe, but not horrible......
Now, I can see where this isn't the best length for being connected to a computer to transfer files, but workable......and from what I am reading, charging from the laptop isn't great to begin with......
Am I under the wrong impression..??
JoeJags said:
What is the problem with using a short extension cord, say a 6 ft..??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was wondering the same thing myself. As technology progresses, I fear that some folks forget about the simple things--like extending the reach of the AC adapter if one can't extend the reach of the charging cable itself.
Reminds me of a time when I was watching a friend eating cookies and milk. He was eating around the edges of the cookies very meticulously, and I asked him, "Why are you doing that?"
He said, "So that they fit in the glass and I can dip them in the milk."
I thought for a moment and then asked, "Why don't you just break them in half?"
Has anyone noticed that the speaker placement is a bit low on the frame and can be easily covered up with your hands? That is to say if you are gripping the tablet with both hands (tablet in landscape mode) on the bottom do your hands cover the speaker ports/grill? If this is the case, do you find it annoying or a down side?
JoeJags said:
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but.......
If the charging cable is that short, and you want to use it while charging in bed.......
What is the problem with using a short extension cord, say a 6 ft..??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The main problem is that the charging cable is barely long enough for me to put the device on top of the nightstand and have the extension cord just below out of sight. I could use the extension cord, but I would have to keep moving the extension cord so I don't trip over it etc.
At work I can't even reach the socket from my desk - all the plugs are either behind the monitors or under the desk and the charging cable will reach neither. All it needs is another 60cm or so really and both problems would be solved! What's really irritating is that it's such a simple thing...
While sorting out my keyboard dock I mentioned it to one of the ASUS reps, and my feedback on it has been fed back to the product manager.
Look at it this way, if the only thing I have to gripe about is the charging cable, consider it a good sign.
yoda715 said:
Has anyone noticed that the speaker placement is a bit low on the frame and can be easily covered up with your hands? That is to say if you are gripping the tablet with both hands (tablet in landscape mode) on the bottom do your hands cover the speaker ports/grill? If this is the case, do you find it annoying or a down side?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you are right, the grilles are exactly where your hands will go, but I don't really think it's a problem. If you grip really tightly around it you lose the high frequency treble a bit, but you'll only get this when you are typing. When you are just holding it I doubt you can tell the difference. And if you do, just flip the device 180 degrees and hold it upside down! (The screen auto rotates)
icStatic said:
Yes you are right, the grilles are exactly where your hands will go, but I don't really think it's a problem. If you grip really tightly around it you lose the high frequency treble a bit, but you'll only get this when you are typing. When you are just holding it I doubt you can tell the difference. And if you do, just flip the device 180 degrees and hold it upside down! (The screen auto rotates)
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True, I realized that the speaker placement may be a problem when I was playing SpeedX on my Xoom, since I play in landscape mode and hold the Xoom at the bottom with both hands.
How long does it take to get it fully charged?
The Yotaphone 2 is now established, no longer on the horizon, so I thought we should have a dedicated thread to it, reviews about it, thoughts etc.
right, yotaphone 2 review so far.
First of all I will say that the specifications of the phone are perfect for me. Yes I like flagship specs but after a few generations of going for the best there is and having tried all the roms and UIs around (miui, touchwiz, sonys one, cyanogen, htc sense, windows, the oppo one etc, it goes on) I decided that I was bored. I wanted something completely different. Considered the jolla but when the yota 2 was announced I was instantly infatuated. Liked the idea of the first model, the second one nails it for me. And to be fair to it – a snapdragon 800 is a very competent soc, does all I need it to do and does everything fast. Currently I don’t need a 64 bit octacore chip, this one handles basically all the things I can throw at it and I don't really play the huge games anyway. Other than an occasional test of a heavy game, its gba and ps1 emulators, casual rpgs and a couple of shooters for me. Also, I read somewhere that Yota’s reasoning was they needed time to get the soc figured out with their device. Yota say they’re using the 800 to keep the heat low, preventing damage to the e-ink screen.
UPDATE: I have since realised that the phone is actually using the snapdragon 801. When announced in February it was using the 800 but it seems they quietly upgraded it before release. The phone says it's the MSM8974pro-aa which can be either 800 or 801 but the gpu clock speed is higher at 578mhz which is exclusive to the 801, so that's a lovely discovery .
On the face of it (both of them) this is a wonderfully pretty phone. At least from my point of view the aesthetics are all spot on. Everything is presented beautifully. This includes the box it comes in and everything in it. Even the charger is lovely to look at. Wonderfully compact and has yotaphone written across the back that lights up when the phone is connected. On the point of the charger, it outputs 1.5A and charges the phone in a couple of hours or so (25% to full takes between 1.30 and 1.45 hours). This adds to the convenience of the phone and lack of battery worries that I will get into later. You also get a load of earphone buds, like, loads.
The front facing screen is an excellent screen. Super AMOLED (my preference, I love the deep blacks), 442ppi on a 5inch screen produces a brilliant, crisp and clear image and the touch responsiveness is excellent. There are a few niggles with using the keyboard (slight over sensitivity with using swype input) but you soon get used to this, once your fingers and thumbs adjust to the screen this goes away I find. It’s much like using someone else’s laptop and their mouse pad is much more sensitive that yours. EDIT: I will concede that the keyboard probably needs a patch sent through, swipe input is fine but normal typing you have to learn to be more accurate than usual. Doesn't take long but if someone borrows your phone... (to be fair, no one is borrowing my Yota. There are many like it but this one is MINE).
The second screen is just beautiful. The whole back panel is made from the same piece of curved gorilla glass so you don’t notice the screen is there, it hardly feels like one but it’s joyous to the touch, smooth (so smooth) and a nice matte black/dark gray. The sensitivity is obviously slower and there are slight delays waiting for the screen to change, but these are minor and you get used to them. I’m still just wildly impressed that yota have pulled this off so well. The backscreen is excellently implemented, the yota mirror feature works like a dream, anything you want on the back can and will be. The screenlock is done using the gyroscope as well, whichever side is facing up is the one that unlocks when pressing the button. Also, the possibility of leaving some vital information like a map or a plane ticket on the back while the rest of the phone is turned off or utterly dead is likely to not be used often, possibly even if ever by some, but the fact that it can be done is a lovely bit of life insurance.
The yotapanels (configurable pages of widgets made for the EPD) are very pretty indeed and very functional. The back screen has its own phone and messaging app. My only niggle with notifications on the back is that the email part of the notification widget is at this point set to the stock email app, not customizable. Only a minor niggle as I would use the front screen for sending emails anyway but it would be nice to choose to check gmail (hoping for an update to change this). The panel grid layout and widgets can be changed to your liking, within reason. I have 2 businessy type pages with clock, calendar, weather, most called people, battery etc a news page with rss reader, emails, important apps and appy geek and a leisure page with games, book and music widget). What surprised me was downloading appy geek then finding a variety of widgets from them I could use on the panels. This gives me hope that more and more third party back widgets will be added over the course of development.
UPDATE: The widgets are better than I thought - the back panel music player associates itself with whichever music app you were playing from last. Also there are some nice easter eggs that you find as certain things occur on the backscreen which give a great sense of Yota going the extra mile. e.g. get someone to text you with just the word cool and leave the EPD face up.
On the subject of development I have received 2 updates so far, optimizing the back screen touch responsiveness, heat output, battery life, yotaenergy mode etc. Also, eventually someone will find a way to root them and then more possibilities reveal themselves. Honestly though, other than being able to use trickster mod, root explorers, remove system apps and a couple of other things I don’t miss all the little features of custom roms. Even sweep to wake isn’t as essential as it used to be for me – yota placed the lock button slightly above the right side (so your thumb is on it when the phone is front facing). This to me begs the question why doesn’t everyone else do that, it’s so much more natural, convenient and keeps the one hand ability going. Yota have made some smart decisions.
UPDATE: The phone has been rooted, Kingo root can do it with drivers you find on the yota website or other drivers online (mine was a case of trial and error). So a root file explorer, wakelock detector, system app remover and a kernel control app installed. Very happy and now its pretty much exactly as I want it.
The phone is very well put together and feels solid. This all improves with the bumper, which adds to the aesthetic further and makes you feel safer. Gorilla glass 3 on both sides or no, this is a phone you worry about dropping, 2 screens = double the vulnerability and double the worry. The back screen is wonderful to the touch but also quite slippery. The bumper gives you a bit more grip and therefore confidence. Despite the worry I have no qualms, it’s a brilliant thing to hold and have around you.
I think my favourite thing so far is being able to keep your phone locked and face down and still see the time, incoming notifications, respond if needed, read, play games and a host of other things. A simple glance is all you need, so convenient and saves those little bits of time and battery that build up over the course of a day. I still gush with appreciation when I look down.
UPDATE: I still do.
On to the battery life – it’s damn good if you want it to be, otherwise it's still not bad. 2550mah compared to 3000 may seem annoying to those that love a top spec’d beast and now that 4000mah phones are starting to come out this paltry little number is in danger of being outdated. However, this phone saves battery in so many ways such as:
1. Having the e-ink display (no battery usage except when it refreshes). How this saves battery is down to you – use the panels properly, get into chess, Sudoku and the other supplied games, use it for reading etc. Get into the habit of using it and you’ll save hours and hours.
2. Having yotaenergy mode. This is not to be underestimated. You can select what you want it to limit or turn off, if you select everything (except wifi cos obviously you need wifi) then cpu is limited, nfc and gps are off, brightness on main screen is down to minimum, the list goes on. Now, most of these I would do myself on a rooted phone, but it’s nice to have a mode that incorporates all the things needed to save a bundle of energy and implements it so well. This has the potential to save you days if used in conjunction with the back display. I use this at work and I can still check emails, notifications, play games for a bit, read etc and a work day ( 7 and a half hours ) will cost me like 5-6% + or – a few depending on the day. Granted I mostly use the back for that stuff but still, damn good so far.
3. Having a vanilla android experience. Having stock android with hardly any additions, all of which you can disable if you want, keeps the minimal drain down.
Now I’m a man that likes a phone to have a battery life that does not concern me. My old one x would require underclocking, a new rom that would need to be reflashed on occasion, greenify etc to get it through the day comfortably with decent usage and screen time. Now this is childs play, it’s a substantial weight off my mind. No real figures yet, haven’t done proper tests as it’s only been a few days. What I can say is that it’ll do a full 24h with heavy usage, wifi and data on, at least 3 hours of games and youtube, all without using energy saving or the e-ink that much and still have well over 30%. That was the second day of owning it, it’ll get better.
I turned yotaenergy on at 92% today, the first 8% drained in a few hours due to a naughty app that is now uninstalled. Going to test how it lasts over the weekend and will report back afterwards.
The bloatware is limited, some is annoying (don’t have twitter so don’t want twitter etc) but to Yota’s credit their own stuff is minimal, and I wouldn’t want to remove any of their own additions. The games chosen function great on the back screen and I dare say look better on it than on the front. There is the occasional little glitch, but most of these can be avoided or solved with a quick screen refresh of changing of modes etc.
I will stop now, I apologise for the length and hope I covered what most people wanted to hear. Will get back soon with long term battery test results.
UPDATE: Battery anxiety is truly gone. Example - took phone off charge at about 1am, up at 6.30, went to work, bit of browsing and game play during day. Got home, played bit of games, read a bit. Went out that night, stayed at a friends, got up at 11am next day. All of that was with mobile data or wifi turned on throughout. By using yota energy in times of minimal usage and EPD for standard things I saved bundles I intentionally took energy mode off when gaming and when was doing things on phone to create a fair test. When I checked gsam battery monitor it reported I'd used 50% in 34 hours, that was with 2.5 hours screen time, with about as much time spent gaming as reading and a fair amount of browsing and app updating etc. For a phone with 2550mah I'd say that's pretty excellent going. Maybe there are phones that can match it but even if so, they're not as much fun to use as this one.
If anyone has any requests for battery tests (full screen on time, how long on battery saver and EPD etc just ask).
Much TL,DR –
Very pretty phone, great front screen, back screen surprisingly useful and nice to look at and touch. Software well implemented. Hopeful for long term development improvements. Very good performance, great battery. Occasional glitch but nothing that detracts from and limits experience.
UPDATE: glitches have lessened significantly over a short space of time, haven't had one for ages.
UPDATE: there is a recurring one - the back panels app shortcuts will occasionally default to the originals. This takes less than a minute to rectify but still, hoping for it to be fixed in an update. This is only glitch I still encounter, the rest seemed to be teething problems.
Overall, loving it. Expensive but very different and a joy to use. Definitely worth it if you get a discount. I managed to get mine with 10% off and 2 bumper cases (longish story), to me that makes it great value because I honestly already see myself getting the subsequent generations, it would already annoy me not having the back screen.
Worth checking their facebook page every now and again to see if they've got another 10-20% discount going again.
Thanks for the in depth review, it's clearly hit the sweet spot for you ☺
I have a question about notifications.....when in the yota panel or yota cover mode and it is on your desk EPD facing up, what happens if you get a notification from say whatsapp or xda developers I.e. one that doesn't have a specific widget on the yota panel, is there any indication on the EPD that a notification has been received and if so can you interact with it or does it just send you to the OLED side?
Secondly, if you have your home screen mirrored on the EPD and again it's laying on your desk, will the notifications appear in the notification shade and can you swipe down the shade to check and interact exactly with them as you would on the OLED display? I.e using whatsapp as an example again , get the new message notification in the shade, swipe it down, click on the message, whatsapp opens and you type in a reply and send it....All from the e ink side.
Battery drain leads to battery anxiety, I am hoping that the yota 2 works how I've described above as I spend a lot of time lighting up the OLED on my phone just checking and responding to notifications and it could be a game changer to be able to do that from the e ink side. Saving the OLED for the more intense stuff like games, videos web browsing etc.
Thanks in advance
Mike
Sent from my GT-N8010 using XDA Premium HD app
Not a problem, it very much has and also it was a slow day at work .
The notification widget on the panels and covers has 4 items, phone, text, email and general notifications. Phone and text can be interacted with, and lovely apps they are to use as well. A great example is that if someone sends you a text that just says cool (even with third party text apps) then the text will show up and atop it is a picture of a man adjusting his bowtie. Lovely little easter egg. The email sends you to the stock email client, hoping for a way to get that to associate with gmail to come out eventually. The fourth is for other notifications (whatsapp, xda and everything else). The email and notification icons will simply send you to the front screen. You can just mirror them straight back over though. And I suppose having the phone implement everything would be a bit tricky. You never know, development might add them later. Sorry I write too much. In short, you can't interact with 'other' notifications straight from the screen but have to mirror it back.
To answer your second question - yes. If your using mirror on the home screen it will appear just as the same homescreen and same android, just on the back screen. Anything that comes up you can interact with, including pulling down the notification shade, opening your apps (in this case whatsapp) and interacting with them as you would (replying straight from the app). The only difference is its slower obviously, but still very do-able. If your going for super battery saving then it doesn't strike as a problem if you have to take a bit longer. It's enjoyable and pretty anyway, and very easy on the eyes.
So to summarise, yes, you can use the EPD just as you would the amoled. Even if you have to turn over activate the notification from a panel you can just mirror it straight back over, avoiding amoled over use.
I'm the same, always hate having the battery life hanging over me. The yota has got rid of that for me. It came off charge at 6am friday morning, its now just before 5pm - gsam says 34 hours. Battery is on 35%, both data and wifi have been on and being used constantly, games being played a lot, internet and youtube have occurred here and there. I've been trying to push it through its paces when have had the time. Had a couple of cheeky battery draining apps for first half of Friday so got rid of them but still.. It's nice to have 35% and feel confident that I could probably get another full day out of it if needed. And all in such an interesting package.
So, 48 hours battery life without a struggle with normal usage is perfectly feasible and also the charger charges it in a very short time, super convenient.
Hope I helped, sorry for the length again.
Thanks that really helped ?
I really like the idea of a more than one day battery life for moderate to heavy use, I'm out of contract in a couple of months and have been considering an xperia Z3 which has a large battery and is being reported by users as achieving 2 days use, however this phone is intriguing, I can think of so many potential uses for the snap shot on the EPD and to be able to control music and audio books etc. But it's the battery life that is most tempting with this device your quoted figures are impressive, how much were you using it during that period?
Another question if you don't mind, in some reviews and videos I've seen views of yota panels than display what look like short cuts to regular apps such as chrome, youtube, currency converter, maps, whatsapp , can you configure the yota panels to show an icon of any app in the app draw? For instance I use audible a lot and the EPD would be perfect for using and controlling audible from a short cut on the Yota panel. Would this short cut direct you to flip the phone to the OLED then mirror it back as per the general notifications you described above?
Thanks
Mike
Sent from my GT-N8010 using XDA Premium HD app
It is a nice freedom to have to be sure, to not feel you have to charge it over night. If caught in those party situations, or when just away from charger its nice to know its fine. I read some z3 reviews and the z3 seems to do something similar with battery. The z3 would almost certainly beat the yota in a hands down typical battry test but for long term endurance with conservative usage (and lots of use of the EPD) then i'm certain that the yota could take it. And even if not, the EPD is amazing to have. Keep stumbling across more uses for it. (currently replying to your review on a laptop with your reply screenshotted onto back of my yota). I would say that other than when at work (minimal usage but still some games here and there) I was using it between normal and heavy usage depending on the time. Normal - moderate for most of the time with a few sessions of heavy usage. Data and wifi on the whole time, almost always downloading and updating apps too. More than I would usually use it basically and 2 days use was a breeze. In a few days I think i'll go for intentional conservative usage and see how long it goes for.
Not at all. The app shortcut widgets have different sizes available, 1, 3 and 6 apps. Each one of these widgets can be configured, you can choose any app. Clicking on the app from the EPD will open the app directly on the EPD, it'll basically activate mirror mode without having to switch over. A wonderful feature I think. So you would be able to open audible from the shortcut and control it straight from the EPD without the need to even activate the OLED at all.
The z3 is a good phone, better processor, better camera etc. It rivals the s5, the m8 etc in terms of features. For me though, the yota covers everything pretty well, even if it's using now slightly outdated specs - it does the job happily. And the EPD adds a whole new level of functionality and makes using a phone a very interesting practice again. It's a new way of using a phone and that's what's most attractive for me.
Thanks again for your reply, it seems that the yotaphone will do pretty much all I would want it to on the EPD, it has really got my interest up now! I'm seeing a yota panel with my most used apps that would not really suffer from being on the EPD, audible, fotmob, kobo, whatsapp, beyond pod maybe even words with friends!
I think along the same lines as you in wanting something a bit different and interesting, I've had two android phones now and before that an iPhone, to be honest another straight forward android seems a little samey now hence deciding that battery life would be my priority rather than screen size or the latest cpu etc.... If only that eye watering price would drop a little come March.....
Sent from my GT-N8010 using XDA Premium HD app
Yeah above all I wanted battery life with decent enough specs and something different. I finished my contract and began saving with the express aim of getting this phone, once got the money figured might as well as no other phone appeals to me enough. The modular smartphones coming up certainly piqued my interest but I can't wait for them, wanted a new phone now. For me the yota is worth it so far and I hold out hope for the duration of my ownership of it.
Good luck to you whether you decide to go for it or something else.
20% discount offer on facebook if your still wanting dude. £444 seems pretty reasonable.
zute333 said:
20% discount offer on facebook if your still wanting dude. £444 seems pretty reasonable.
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Oh that's so tempting, i don't have face book tho, where's the discount coming from,yotaphone themselves? I've been waiting for March to see what the HTC One M9 and Galaxy S6 looks like....trouble is android now looks the same on most handsets, so will a M9 be that much different from my M7 meh.
My kids have Facebook tho, how do you get access to the discount?
Thanks
Sent from my GT-N8010 using XDA Premium HD app
yotaphone themselves indeed, celebrating 120,000 fans. Seems a bit harsh on the rest of us but i'm not one to begrudge success on a company I would like to succeed.
They all look the same now. Samsung have never been that good on the aesthetic look of their phone's imo, the m7 is beautiful in the same way as the m8 and m9 and possibly so on. And yeah, launchers are pretty stripped down now, and I find having a launcher that you can theme, or using something like dodol or themer you can get a phone looking exactly how you want, which negates manufacturers launchers anyhow. The only real difference comes from the odd gimmick here and there or in the case of the note edge a part of a screen. That one I kind of get but I'm also of the opinion that a whole second screen beats a sliver of one on the side .
Sorry, what you actually want to see is this: https://www.facebook.com/YotaPhone/posts/439221752895395
I hope the link works and the discount is still active if you go for it.
Well Zute333 thanks for the heads up on the discount , my daughter pulled up the voucher code via her FB and I've bought one at £421.80 ☺????????
It feels genuinely exciting to have something different to use over the coming months. Btw Is it a mini or micro sim?
Thanks again for helping me decide
Mike
Sent from my GT-N8010 using XDA Premium HD app
Well I'm a bit gutted if i'm honest, got mine at £495-£555 (discount still pending, long story), with the bumper. But to be fair I've had a lovely few weeks and am getting the jolla tablet for hilariously cheap price so counting it a good overall load of deals lol. Still though, £421.80 is epic, congrats and I hope you enjoy it dude. Lollipop on the way at some point, can only improve things.
It's micro sim.
EDIT: nano-sim
No worries dude.
I'm even more gutted: it seems this is only valid in the UK, as I can't change the country field to any other. Website is partly in Dutch, though.
Sad for you dude. I think they made the post in other languages for other countries but can't find em and don't know if they did one for the Netherlands.
I don't really mind having paid full price, just happy to have it. You can always wait, another offer will surely arise, the standard price will also probably drop eventually.
By the way, a reseller here in Holland says in its specs the Yotaphone has nanosim. I assume they're wrong?
---------- Post added at 12:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:43 PM ----------
Also, I see different specs on radio: some say 3G, some say 4G.
bartveld said:
By the way, a reseller here in Holland says in its specs the Yotaphone has nanosim. I assume they're wrong?
---------- Post added at 12:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:43 PM ----------
Also, I see different specs on radio: some say 3G, some say 4G.
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Ah, no I was wrong, I got the names mixed - thought there was mini and micro, equating micro with nano. The yota 2 sim tray is a nano-sim tray.
Also it can do 4g.
Thanks.
Hi all, newbie here! i've just bought Yotaphone 2 couple days ago, can't say how happy i am with this phone so far. It's fast enough and the always-on screen is amazingly convenient. Can't say much about battery life yet as only charged it once so far.
The only couple of minor things to mention though - the back-panel is very, very slippery so can easily drop the phone out of your hands. The other thing - email notifications on the back-panel. It's configured to default email app (as mentioned in some previous posts) and looks like there's no way how i can change it to gmail which is my primary email. But am i right thinking that there should be an update to fix this?
smekla said:
Hi all, newbie here! i've just bought Yotaphone 2 couple days ago, can't say how happy i am with this phone so far. It's fast enough and the always-on screen is amazingly convenient. Can't say much about battery life yet as only charged it once so far.
The only couple of minor things to mention though - the back-panel is very, very slippery so can easily drop the phone out of your hands. The other thing - email notifications on the back-panel. It's configured to default email app (as mentioned in some previous posts) and looks like there's no way how i can change it to gmail which is my primary email. But am i right thinking that there should be an update to fix this?
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Hey dude. Lovely phone isn't it. Yeah the back is pretty slippy, the bumper solves that problem if you can manage to get one? As for the email notification on the back, I agree, it's annoying that you can't configure it but I think they'll probably address that in an update, maybe make they're own email client like with the back sms app or something. Only time will tell on that front I suppose.
By the way, get someone to text you the word 'cool' and leave phone EPD facing up. Lovely little easter egg type addition by Yota. Figuring out various other ones over time
I just bought the last Gear VR in Portland. While I expected it to be cool, nothing could prepare me for the actual experience. It is the single most immersive experience I've ever had, as it should be, it is truly mind blowing. If anyone has any questions about it, don't hesitate to ask.
Useful info/links-
Tried and tested bluetooth game controller, flawless operation with Gear VR- http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FB5RBJM
A great collection on indie games- https://vrjam.devpost.com/submissions
Unboxing video and first impressions, care of @AndyCr15- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=64510072
Video review, care of @AndyCr15- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6460134
How to view your own movies, 3D and 180 degree VR- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=64750751
To use non-Gear VR games and apps (ie. Google Cardboard)
Download Package Disabler Pro (Samsung) from the Play Store- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ospolice.packagedisablerpro
Open the three-dot menu and choose "Show System" and then find "Gear VR Service" and disable it. This will prevent the phone from detevting the headset and automatically opening the Oculus app. You can now use the non-Gear VR apps and games. Be sure to re-enable it before trying to use Gear VR apps.
I would only be interested in movies and TV shows. How does that work? I recommend you visit reddit gearvr subreddit. They have a ton of information.
Brava27 said:
I would only be interested in movies and TV shows. How does that work? I recommend you visit reddit gearvr subreddit. They have a ton of information.
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Movies are NUTS. It puts you into one of 5 or 6 theater settings where you legit feel like you are watching a movie at a cinema or home theater. You look around and there are seats and wall decor, it's CRAZY. There is also an option to do away with all the flash and just watch a movie which is what I prefer, and it is still amazing. That is the primary reason I bought it, for movies on the plane when I travel. Couldn't be happier so far.
The game Gunjack is seriously the most intense thing I think I've ever experienced. After about 5 minutes I am seriously THERE, and I can't begin to describe what this is like. It's breathtaking. Literally. I was legit out of breath when I took a break. And believe me, I NEEDED that break. Anybody with a modicum of imagination would get sucked into this thing and just be floored by it all. This is EASILY the best $100 I have ever spent in my entire life.
Yes specially insurgent high quality experience was awesome which available in MILK VR
Rather than make a new thread, I'll join yours, I hope you do't mind. I got mine a week back -
It really is an amazing experience. I guess what impresses me so much is how responsive it it. There's zero lag. None at all. I think this is key to the immersion, you really do feel like you're there. I watched a rapper on stage, from just at the front of the stage, for the first few seconds, I honestly expected people in the crowd around me to be looking at me, wondering what I was doing up there!
Gunjack is great, but for me a little simple. I'm looking forward to what games can be like within this thing.
Ocean Rift seems to be a favourite for showing the device off to relatives and friends over the Christmas period. I don't think anyone has failed to be blown away buy it.
The only problem I have is the lenses misting up for the first 5 minutes or so as they raise in temperature. Apparently some anti mist cleaner will help with this.
For me, I always have a top end phone, but have often wondered if I need various aspects -
High PPI count. Well yes, now I do. Even with the Note 5's high count, you can see pixels. I want higher!
Octa core CPU. Do I really need octacore in a phone?! Well yes, now I do, it keeps it lag free.
Fast charging. I used to charge overnight and not really need fast charging or wireless where I can drop the phone down and keep it topped up. Now I do. Watching an hour TV show can burn 25-30%. Being able to boost back up in a few minutes or keep it topped up through the day with wireless is really useful.
What phone model and firmware are you on? Just got my Gear VR and my phone is not compatible (N920G).
In what way isn't it compatible? I have a N920C myself.
When you connect the phone to the headset you should be prompted to install the Gear App. Mine doesn't. The "driver" for the Gear VR is bundled with the firmware. Mine is a 5.1..1 build from August N920GUBU1AOH6. Will you check your build number. It will not make a difference to me because you have a different model.
AndyCr15 said:
Rather than make a new thread, I'll join yours, I hope you do't mind. I got mine a week back -
It really is an amazing experience. I guess what impresses me so much is how responsive it it. There's zero lag. None at all. I think this is key to the immersion, you really do feel like you're there. I watched a rapper on stage, from just at the front of the stage, for the first few seconds, I honestly expected people in the crowd around me to be looking at me, wondering what I was doing up there!
Gunjack is great, but for me a little simple. I'm looking forward to what games can be like within this thing.
Ocean Rift seems to be a favourite for showing the device off to relatives and friends over the Christmas period. I don't think anyone has failed to be blown away buy it.
The only problem I have is the lenses misting up for the first 5 minutes or so as they raise in temperature. Apparently some anti mist cleaner will help with this.
For me, I always have a top end phone, but have often wondered if I need various aspects -
High PPI count. Well yes, now I do. Even with the Note 5's high count, you can see pixels. I want higher!
Octa core CPU. Do I really need octacore in a phone?! Well yes, now I do, it keeps it lag free.
Fast charging. I used to charge overnight and not really need fast charging or wireless where I can drop the phone down and keep it topped up. Now I do. Watching an hour TV show can burn 25-30%. Being able to boost back up in a few minutes or keep it topped up through the day with wireless is really useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I said the same thing to my buddy about the absolutely ZERO lag. The head tracking on this thing is phenomemal. I have been using it for the last 5 hours straight and I still can't believe what my freaking cell phone is capable of.
Agreed about the pixel density. I have a OnePlus 2 with a 1080p screen, I can't image how bad the screen door effect would be with that thing. I'm still going to buy a high end headset to use with it though so I can check out google cardboard stuff. With the Gear VR there's a really frustrating trade off- use an S6 and have a smaller screen but higher ppi, or the Note 5 with the larger screen but lower ppi. Thankfully the immersion is so effective that after a few minutes the screen door effect no longer bothers me.
Yeah Gunjack is simple, but I am an old school gamer and haven't played any current generation games, so simple works fairly well for me. I am obsessed with any media that has to do with space and space colonization, so orbiting a giant planet with a massive space station behind me while shooting down baddies is right up my alley. Ever here of Star Citizen? It looks amazing and has me wanting to buy a gaming rig and oculus headset so I can come close to living my dream lol.
Get yourself some Jaws Quick Spit. It's meant for scuba divers and supposedly does wonders for preventing fogging. I have some on order, haven't tried it yet. In the meantime, just use a little saliva. I'm an old diver so believe me when I tell you that spit is the #1 way to prevent fog. Yes, I did use my saliva in the Gear VR and it did not fog at all for the 5 hours I was using it. It did fog up near instantly before I spit in it so the spit definitely works.
pakalrtb said:
What phone model and firmware are you on? Just got my Gear VR and my phone is not compatible (N920G).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
N920A on latest. All variants are compatible so you must have something going on. Are you rooted/ROM'd? That might have something to do with it.
There's plenty discussion on reddit about incompatible firmwares.
https://m.reddit.com/r/GearVR/comments/3vlluu/gear_vr_not_working_with_note5_no_setup_wizard/
Just read about using Package Disabler to be able to use Google Cardboard games and apps with the Gear VR, and it worked beautifully. Too bad Cardboard is nowhere near as sophisticated as Gear VR. Every game or app I tried was incredibly jerky and laggy and I started to get dizzy after about two minutes. That's a testament to how amazing Gear VR is- 5 hours and no fatigue, dizziness, or headache. I had all three with Cardboard in less than five minutes. Man am I glad I bought the Note.
_MetalHead_ said:
Just read about using Package Disabler to be able to use Google Cardboard games and apps with the Gear VR, and it worked beautifully. Too bad Cardboard is nowhere near as sophisticated as Gear VR. Every game or app I tried was incredibly jerky and laggy and I started to get dizzy after about two minutes. That's a testament to how amazing Gear VR is- 5 hours and no fatigue, dizziness, or headache. I had all three with Cardboard in less than five minutes. Man am I glad I bought the Note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's correct. i never felt any lag nor headache while using gear vr even after using it for countless hours...
Success! I was finally able to flash a stock ROM that is supporting the Gear VR N920GUBU1AOJ4. Man this thing is awesome. These are my initial thoughts :
- agree with other users that with these headsets even 1080p seems basic. Bring on the 16K!
- reorientation only works on the horizontal axis. I would have liked to be able to adjust the vertical axis as well so to watch a movie laying down on a bed/sofa
- hardware wise I'd like the possibility to adjust the optics distance in order to have a perfect match with your eyes.
All in all this headset surpassed my expectations and I see it a very bright future for them.
pakalrtb said:
Success! I was finally able to flash a stock ROM that is supporting the Gear VR N920GUBU1AOJ4. Man this thing is awesome. These are my initial thoughts :
- agree with other users that with these headsets even 1080p seems basic. Bring on the 16K!
- reorientation only works on the horizontal axis. I would have liked to be able to adjust the vertical axis as well so to watch a movie laying down on a bed/sofa
- hardware wise I'd like the possibility to adjust the optics distance in order to have a perfect match with your eyes.
All in all this headset surpassed my expectations and I see it a very bright future for them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice, glad it was something simple. Yeah I have terrible eye sight, and one eye is far worse than the other. I'm also a stubborn bastard who refuses to wear glasses. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't individual lens adjustment but we gotta be realistic, this thing was $100 (I actually think the build quality leaves much to be desired). But that said, with the adjustment it does have I have no problems dialing in a nice, sharp image and weird enough, my bad eye can see the screen a LOT better than I expected, astigmatism notwithstanding.
I just picked one up today. Doesn't work with MOAR & skyhigh 3.0 (Sprint). Just flashed the factory OK3 firmware via odin & waiting on my phone to boot so I can get this thing working
Waiting on all these stupid ass samsung apps to finish downloading, gotta debloat this thing.....again
The Gear VR was very interesting to use, but I could not get over how pixelated it was.
ksantangelo23 said:
The Gear VR was very interesting to use, but I could not get over how pixelated it was.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, that stopped bothering me in under 3 minutes. Keep it in perspective- it's $99.
_MetalHead_ said:
Nice, glad it was something simple..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple?!! It took me 40 hours, endless web searches, infinite slow downloads, a couple soft bricks and 4 different firmware before iI was able to pull it off.
Glad I did it though.
Couole more thing : the implementation of vocal commands and a headphone plug would make the Gear VR a killer.
Coming from an LG G Flex 2 (hailed a failure amongst devs for the device, but mine ran stable and smoothly all the time just by following the stickies here; IMO original G Flex showed so much potential ). Running global 6.12.8, with some xposed tweaks. I haven't touched a thing since I got that setup. I run the device continuously, with no reboots, and its respectably stable at any given moment. Let me know I'm missing out on anything huge by letting the weeklies go by.
The screen size upgrade was much appreciated - I have big hands, I can Swype reasonably fast using the thumb of the hand I'm holding the phone with. Heft and size plus added reach make two hand usage more comfortable, nonetheless.
Screen itself is absolutely stunning (and tbh, I've never really qualitatively observed any quality problems with 1080p on mobile devices); colors are brilliant.
TLDR: The display is enjoyable to look at
No need for a stylus here. I once rocked an iPad mini as a full fledged phone using GV voice (when it was so simple), and had a stylus for that. Carried that for a while during undergrad. Never cared for styluses since.
Phone camera does what phone cameras do. I'm no expert in cameras (well kinda - Optics PhD student), so I choose not to count too much on the numbers/specs provided. I get good shots that contain all of the information necessary in a phone camera image.
I cheated a bit. I use Nova Launcher. Have settings locked down to a science since LG launcher fail in the original Flex.
No complaints. Everything is quick and fluid. I also have a neat trick that enables knock ON/OFF, so the phone behaves itself and gets locked (one way or another).
The softkeys and accessibility button provide more than enough shortcuts to do whatever you need to do is. Fingerprint sensor is right where it should be, and recognizes my fingers at any given time.
I have a Google voice number, so I switched my default dialer and incoming call receiver to Hangouts dialer. NO COMPLAINTS. I used the regular phone app to make calls plenty before I realized I wasn't actually dialing out through GV (MIUI issue, afaik). VOIP sounds better through the phone's screenspeaker than does a traditional voice call. My carrier tallies my data usage to a ridiculously low number every month, so I don't think VOIP phone causes trouble.
Battery life is a must for me. I'm OCD perfect with battery management of my devices, but I need to know I can take my phone to work every day a and use it for lots of real stuff and/or leisure. 8-9 hours of work a day sets me back to the realm of ~65% battery life. I could come home and play nintendo DS on 400% speed for hours on that kind of juice. 4400 mAh was a major selling point for me, and that's paid off.
Speaker quality is surprisingly good for what the speakers look like sitting there at the bottom.
Once you've rooted and used Lucky Patcher to block ads, you've got one smooth, slick, stone to carry around that will not fail you; cavemen would be very jealous.
Concerns:
Dropping. The case provided makes for a really nice grip. I have never once almost dropped the phone. It's slid out of my pocket once, but short fall = no damage.
Features I miss:
IR blaster. I love them. They make owning entertainment centers even lazier.
Not much else.
Thanks for your impressions. I ordered mine from Light in the Box two weeks ago, and am (im)patiently awaiting.
Quick question on MIUI; I started with Samsung phones, then had a Nexus 6, so full Android all the way. Do you feel like there's a learning curve, getting around MIUI? I love tech, but don't like change too much; I'd love to get this phone working as close to AOSP as possible.
jeromekobriger said:
Thanks for your impressions. I ordered mine from Light in the Box two weeks ago, and am (im)patiently awaiting.
Quick question on MIUI; I started with Samsung phones, then had a Nexus 6, so full Android all the way. Do you feel like there's a learning curve, getting around MIUI? I love tech, but don't like change too much; I'd love to get this phone working as close to AOSP as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kinda why I opted for a Launcher I was familiar with (it's MIUI themed though, so I get points for trying). I've never found there to be more of a different learning curve from one Android device to another. You figure out what your device can and can't do, you set up your shortcuts, gestures, other personal accessibility options, and then you use it. When you find something about it you don't like, you fix it.
I could give you an enormous list of XPosed tweaks and small things here and there that I've changed, but that might not do you any good because it's personalized to me.
Good to know, thanks. I haven't played around with MIUI yet, so wasn't sure just how different it might be. Xposed on the other hand; that was my bread and butter on my Note 3 and Nexus. That'll go a long ways.
Thanks!
No calls on Verizon.
I have date and text working, no voice calls going thru. Have updated the apn as per the site here. What am I missing. Would appreciate any help.
Thank you.
bigcc32 said:
Coming from an LG G Flex 2 (hailed a failure amongst devs for the device, but mine ran stable and smoothly all the time just by following the stickies here; IMO original G Flex showed so much potential ). Running global 6.12.8, with some xposed tweaks. I haven't touched a thing since I got that setup. I run the device continuously, with no reboots, and its respectably stable at any given moment. Let me know I'm missing out on anything huge by letting the weeklies go by.
The screen size upgrade was much appreciated - I have big hands, I can Swype reasonably fast using the thumb of the hand I'm holding the phone with. Heft and size plus added reach make two hand usage more comfortable, nonetheless.
Screen itself is absolutely stunning (and tbh, I've never really qualitatively observed any quality problems with 1080p on mobile devices); colors are brilliant.
TLDR: The display is enjoyable to look at
No need for a stylus here. I once rocked an iPad mini as a full fledged phone using GV voice (when it was so simple), and had a stylus for that. Carried that for a while during undergrad. Never cared for styluses since.
Phone camera does what phone cameras do. I'm no expert in cameras (well kinda - Optics PhD student), so I choose not to count too much on the numbers/specs provided. I get good shots that contain all of the information necessary in a phone camera image.
I cheated a bit. I use Nova Launcher. Have settings locked down to a science since LG launcher fail in the original Flex.
No complaints. Everything is quick and fluid. I also have a neat trick that enables knock ON/OFF, so the phone behaves itself and gets locked (one way or another).
The softkeys and accessibility button provide more than enough shortcuts to do whatever you need to do is. Fingerprint sensor is right where it should be, and recognizes my fingers at any given time.
I have a Google voice number, so I switched my default dialer and incoming call receiver to Hangouts dialer. NO COMPLAINTS. I used the regular phone app to make calls plenty before I realized I wasn't actually dialing out through GV (MIUI issue, afaik). VOIP sounds better through the phone's screenspeaker than does a traditional voice call. My carrier tallies my data usage to a ridiculously low number every month, so I don't think VOIP phone causes trouble.
Battery life is a must for me. I'm OCD perfect with battery management of my devices, but I need to know I can take my phone to work every day a and use it for lots of real stuff and/or leisure. 8-9 hours of work a day sets me back to the realm of ~65% battery life. I could come home and play nintendo DS on 400% speed for hours on that kind of juice. 4400 mAh was a major selling point for me, and that's paid off.
Speaker quality is surprisingly good for what the speakers look like sitting there at the bottom.
Once you've rooted and used Lucky Patcher to block ads, you've got one smooth, slick, stone to carry around that will not fail you; cavemen would be very jealous.
Concerns:
Dropping. The case provided makes for a really nice grip. I have never once almost dropped the phone. It's slid out of my pocket once, but short fall = no damage.
Features I miss:
IR blaster. I love them. They make owning entertainment centers even lazier.
Not much else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pointmanipo said:
I have date and text working, no voice calls going thru. Have updated the apn as per the site here. What am I missing. Would appreciate any help.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately I've never messed with CDMA networks (Verizon is still considered CDMA, right?); my cell service has always been GSM based.
I use Hangouts to handle all of my phone calls now, mainly because I did have a few issues getting Google Voice to play nice with MIUI, so I'm probably not the right person to ask. I'd suggest making a new thread - increasing your chances of getting the answer you're looking for (it is a legitimate issue, so it's worthy of a new thread).
bigcc32 said:
Unfortunately I've never messed with CDMA networks (Verizon is still considered CDMA, right?); my cell service has always been GSM based.
I use Hangouts to handle all of my phone calls now, mainly because I did have a few issues getting Google Voice to play nice with MIUI, so I'm probably not the right person to ask. I'd suggest making a new thread - increasing your chances of getting the answer you're looking for (it is a legitimate issue, so it's worthy of a new thread).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes thank you for your reply.
Love mine as a daily driver too, have had it since January or so. Got a transparent tpu case for grip and off i went. I have everything working data wise and software wise, even got my Samsung gear s2 to sync up and run well.
Nicolfa said:
Love mine as a daily driver too, have had it since January or so. Got a transparent tpu case for grip and off i went. I have everything working data wise and software wise, even got my Samsung gear s2 to sync up and run well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many have reported that due to the case, the piezoelectric speaker doesnt work as intended giving a very low volume during calls, could you comment on your experience while making or receiving calls with ur tpu case on? is it that low? or perhaps you dont notice cos use earphones or bluetooth earphones??
Please if you could be detailed it would be much appreciated.
Calls and volume have been fine as long as your holding the headset like a phone and not at odd angles or other methods I've seen people do when talking on the a cell phone.
mp3elv said:
Many have reported that due to the case, the piezoelectric speaker doesnt work as intended giving a very low volume during calls, could you comment on your experience while making or receiving calls with ur tpu case on? is it that low? or perhaps you dont notice cos use earphones or bluetooth earphones??
Please if you could be detailed it would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, I use hangouts for all my voice calls, and it seems as though Hangouts has a significant volume boost over the standard phone app.
bigcc32 said:
Again, I use hangouts for all my voice calls, and it seems as though Hangouts has a significant volume boost over the standard phone app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do u use a case on your phone? a tempered glass? or just naked, it seems these addons affect the sound from the piezoelectric device
mp3elv said:
Many have reported that due to the case, the piezoelectric speaker doesnt work as intended giving a very low volume during calls, could you comment on your experience while making or receiving calls with ur tpu case on? is it that low? or perhaps you dont notice cos use earphones or bluetooth earphones??
Please if you could be detailed it would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mp3elv said:
do u use a case on your phone? a tempered glass? or just naked, it seems these addons affect the sound from the piezoelectric device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a tempered glass screen protector on right now. I haven't noticed any degradation of call quality.
Had mine since november and absolutely LOVE it. I have treated it so carefully, and yet I managed to bring it out with me while partying saturday. Got drunk which I rarely do these days and smashed it in the pavement. I immediately ordered another one. It simply cannot get here soon enough.
I have been using my Mix as a daily driver for a month now running Epic ROM. Glass screen protector and case and no problem with quality of sound. Probably the best phone I have ever used(been using Nexus 6, OPO and OP2 before). When I will miss stock Android I will flash RR or Lineage OS. But for the time I like something different and EPIC Rom (MIUI ) is good for a change.
benziii said:
Had mine since november and absolutely LOVE it. I have treated it so carefully, and yet I managed to bring it out with me while partying saturday. Got drunk which I rarely do these days and smashed it in the pavement. I immediately ordered another one. It simply cannot get here soon enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear about that.
Are you getting a better price this time?
IDK what you paid previously,but, I'd imagine pricing is a little bit better than when it first became available.....
Sent from my Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 using XDA Labs
KOLIOSIS said:
Sorry to hear about that.
Are you getting a better price this time?
IDK what you paid previously,but, I'd imagine pricing is a little bit better than when it first became available.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Paid 780$ last time (4/128). This time around 620$ (6/256). Could probably look around for an even better offer, but I was still buzzed and freakin out hehe.
Got mine today (6/256);
I need to agree with 1 simple fact; pictures & videos are not able to do this device justice. I can safely say that this is THE most premium (excluding the likes of Vertu) device I held.
Amazing. (but slippery AF).
I just finished setting it up with my apps & will report usage after a while.
All in all, apps run super smooth.
The only issue I encountered till now, is the slow transfer speed via USB. I get 2x-3x higher speeds on the same PC with my other devices.
I need to isolate the issue - whether it's the cable, or the handset itself.
#EDIT 2017-05-05
- Still need to underline how slippery it is ;]
- call volume is quite low, even on the highest settings
- the USB cable is thin, so I am expecting needing to buy a replacement after a short time
It has rendered my laptop as useless, haven't turned it on since owning the mix just don't need it with this screen size.
I picked this device up as a impulse buy to replace my Note 8 and even though there was quite a lot of negative talk about this phone mostly for the software I have to say I don't regret my purchase in terms of why I bought it. I was considering the Z Fold 2, but couldn't justify wasting THAT much money for something I'd most likely break just using it (screen). Anyway, the Duo has been a great multitasking device so far. The only area I'm highly disappointed by is not so much the crappy potato camera, but the fact 1. it takes soooo long to deploy the camera ready to take one. 2. the gigantic f$%&ing delay when taking a picture vs when the camera shutter sound signifies it took a picture. I'm hoping that future updates resolve this phones issues although it sounds like there hasn't been much attention given other than this past January... At any rate, I've bought a few things to improve the usability of this phone. Magnetic usb-c cable for charging and data transfer (miss Qi charging...) and added screen protectors. Finally made some vinyl overlays for the outsides and used CF for grip although negated when the screens are folded open.
Looking forward to receiving mine next week to finally try dual screen. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Note 10 I've been using for the last year or so, particularly for battery life. Also heard it doesn't support ARCore which will be disappointing as was key to one of the main uses I wanted this phone for.
Pretty cool
A lot better build than any of the Folds...
wez_p said:
Looking forward to receiving mine next week to finally try dual screen. Will be interesting to see how it compares to the Note 10 I've been using for the last year or so, particularly for battery life. Also heard it doesn't support ARCore which will be disappointing as was key to one of the main uses I wanted this phone for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I think you'll be disappointed straight away. You'll have to forget most of what you expect a android phone, much less a phone to be and learn how to navigate Microsoft's version of Android and a duel screen (not all Microsoft's fault and the nature of duel screens). With that said if you get comfortable enough with how they want you to do things you may start to love it more than any single screen phone and not want to go back. While I feel pretty adjusted and comfortable with using it for what it is as I was intending. With that said I've run into a few situations where the Duo will just NOT replace a phone at least a flag ship like what I was used to with my Note 8. I don't know if this good or good enough, but I can take the Duo off the charger, go to work, have the bluetooth connected to my headset, playing video, screen at around 15% brightness, be browsing the net or social media at the same time the video is playing and after my 8 hr shift be at around 10-5% battery left. Or I can do a charge for about an hr and a half? and be at around 80 - 90%? Not sure what ARCore is. Let me know if you need any info or help, although in some ways still learning myself.
blackhawk said:
Pretty cool
A lot better build than any of the Folds...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I feel like I'd have wrecked the screen if I had a Fold. I'm not hard on devices, but I still expect it to hold up since I have to use touch so much to interact.
I've changed the outer protectors since this original post. Since I have the ability to make my own vinyl stuff I've been experimenting with a logo. The CF was too big and was peeling at the edges so I needed to adjust the size of the vinyl and cut a new one out. My laptop for comparison to cover the stock logo.
vipfreak said:
Thanks, I feel like I'd have wrecked the screen if I had a Fold. I'm not hard on devices, but I still expect it to hold up since I have to use touch so much to interact.
I've changed the outer protectors since this original post. Since I have the ability to make my own vinyl stuff I've been experimenting with a logo. The CF was too big and was peeling at the edges so I needed to adjust the size of the vinyl and cut a new one out. My laptop for comparison to cover the stock logo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, the Folds are designed to self destruct like a Mission Impossible tape... brute force not needed
This isn't intended as a phone per se but I really like the way it's hinged and its conservative but innovative solid design.
A sharp micro laptop... Gene Roddenberry would have loved it.
I'm very interested to hear what your experiences are like with it. It a cool hybrid
blackhawk said:
This isn't intended as a phone per se but I really like the way it's hinged and its conservative but innovative solid design.
A sharp micro laptop... Gene Roddenberry would have loved it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely agree. It's really nice hardware. Speaking of which I will watch re-runs of Star Trek TNG if it's on some times.
blackhawk said:
I'm very interested to hear what your experiences are like with it. It a cool hybrid
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My primary use case is in "Nintendo DS" view where I have a screen for video playback on top and then I'm browsing the net, social media, or games on the bottom screen. This is where I think it shines the most. My second use case is like regular phone with one screen mostly for ease of typing like replying to a text message. A cool use case that I haven't done all that much is book view where I have youtube open playing a video and doing whatever on the other screen. This view is primarily nice if I have music playing off of youtube because usually if you try to multi task and youtube will stop the music and close the app entirely. With the Duo I don't have to worry about youtube taking up the screen since I have a secondary one. Something a single screen can't do. Why don't I pay youtube? I'm cheap and part Chinese. lol...
Hi,
Well, given the massive price drop from Microsoft, I decided to go for one that I bought from the MS Store directly.
Openend the package and powered up the device. Well, first thing is you will probably have to wait for 30 minutes for the successive updates to apply... Not really nice on a device that still is 800€ after 50% rebate, but OK.
Once powered up and ready to go, the first impression is amazing. The build quality is about the best you can get. The displays despite what reviewers write, are splendid. And the "Duo" panels are just amazing. App are installed super fast (not sure what memory they used, but here is it indeed pretty fast) ; GPS is super accurate ; communnication areoud and clear and so that is all good
But unfortunately, that only last for some time... And then the problems arise :
- no Led or outter display : you don't have a watch. You'll have to grab the device and open it just to know what time it is. You got a notification ? Same thing just to see what arrived. Even worse : you get a phone call ? You have to grab your phone, open it, see who's calling... and half the times, you'll miss the call because you weren't fast enough !
- the hinges ? Superb piece of craftmanship. Honestly. They feel super solid. They have the exact balance between being stiff enough to allow the displays not to move by themselves but still not to be too difficult to operate and unfold. But once your device is open and if you display, say a webpage, in "full screen" (so on both displays) then you'll just have a gap and so some parts of the page won't be legible... I thought MS would have worked on a seamless displaying of the pages when in "full screen", but no. They went the easy route ;
- the way the dual display are working is totally confusing. When I launch an app, it sometimes will display on the left panel, sometimes the right one. Why ? No idea. But that is OKAY. A little more problematic : let's say that I am using my web browser in full screen (on both displays). I get a notification that I got an e-mail. I go to recents and check the mail, then go to recents again to go back to browser... it works, but will go back to single display, not "full screen", so I have to drag the slider again to have full screen. Maybe I would be able to live with that. But on my device, one of the displays randomly decides to power off. I have to close the Surface Duo and reopen it to get the second display back. That really doesn't fill me with confidence in durability :-(
- and then there is the battery. It's melting like snow in hot summer day. I am used to 5kAh batteries that last almost a week-end given my usage. I know MS wants to mimick some of Apple's features, but why taking the worst and choose the same battery power ? Here, playing a simple game like "Cody Cross" and I will be out of juice within 2h30...
I will not talk about other small glitches, like the MS launcher, which in the Surface Edition is simply a joke ; the fact that some apps will not work in the Surface ; the incredibly poor camera (I don't care, I don't use it but did they even gave a look at the smartphone reviews where the stupid reviewers can take away 1 full star out of 5 for a smartphone just because it's camera is not stellar ?) ; the lack of accessories (proof that it simply hasn't sold)... and some other details.
But the ones I described earlier will probably get me to send the Surface Duo back to MS.
Will wait until September 22 to do that.
Let's see what they'll release on Surface Duo 2...
Because I really would like to love it and justify spending 800€ on a smartphone !
Regards
I bought mine Amazon $419 just to play and get to know - it is a fun device - I couldn't justify the Fold 3 which I had been using contemplating. If I trade this in for a Duo 2 and get US $250+ it's all good.
It fast charges really quickly. It can get to 40C and yes it drains battery terribly.
Even SwiftKey seems buggy - whole thing is more prototype than a finished product - they should be paying us!
But I think I'll wait for Android 12 at this point. 11 is a great already a year old. Also the I like to wait 4-6 months anyway for the any issues.
Hi,
If the Surface Duo was sold in France for 400€, I'd keep it too
But best brand new price I've found here is 800€ (for 256GB model) unfortunately.
This is why keeping it is a question for me :-(