Little background
I am currently using a Huawei P8 Max and have been a fan of phablets (i.e screen size 6 inches or larger), so when I saw the Mi Mix, I definitely was intrigued. This sliver of sheer goodness fits the bill nicely. Though I still love my Huawei P8 Max (portable but massive huge screen), the only reason why I am going for the Mi Mix is the really amazing bezel-less look plus NFC (Android Pay and a few other FinTech apps that need it)
I bought the 6GB RAM, 256GB storage version. I also bought the 4GBRAM 128GB storage white version. Both from stores in Hong Kong. The latter is a gift to my significant other. They former costs HK$4780 and the latter cost $4300. The white version is much more limited in numbers and has the added benefit of hiding all your fingerprints, unlike the glossy black version, so you pay a premium for that despite the lower specs.
Notes before buying
It's good to check out the plethora of reviews (like this really good one) and videos on this phone to make sure it is right for you (do your research, duh!) Specs aside, ask yourself if these are absolute killers for you:
1) This is a Chinese phone meant to be sold in China ONLY. if you have anything against Chinese phones, MIUI (the manufacturer's overlay on the Android platform), software and interfaces, look elsewhere already.
2) Be prepared to pay a premium for this, since it's meant to be shipped to China, and not anywhere else (yet), it'll cost you a hefty penny as well as shipping unless you're getting it from Hong Kong.
3) If you are tinkerer and plan to root or mod your device, you need patience, though Xiaomi phones are known to be fairly straightforward to modify and root (if you are no tinkerer, you still get lots of customization options over the interface), you need to wait for them to grant you permission to unlock your bootloader (and there is no getting around it).
4) You need to put a case over this when you're on the go with it because this phone is slippery has heck, so if you like your devices nude but you're prone to dropping your phone (even from low heights like a meter from the ground), this might not be for you if you care about aesthetics. This phone looks great when it's without cover, but with one, it loses much of its outer appeal.
5) There is no external storage slot, thus the reason for the big allocation of internal storage even on the lower-end spec and you need to backup frequently if you don't want to lose data.
6) The camera is just average, especially the front camera. Don't expect it to compare with the higher-end shooters like those in Pixel, S7, and the like. It does an adequate job and takes really decent crisp pictures given enough light. In low-light settings, expect lots of noise and mediocre snaps. Also, if you're big on selfies, the front camera is located at the bottom of the screen, so you might need to keep tilting your phone upside down to take your usual selfie shot the way you're accustomed to.
7) The phone uses Type-C USB charger, so if you've been on micro-USB all along, be prepared to buy extra adapters/cables, good thing they come cheap, especially off Xiaomi's official site (if they ship to your country).
8) The phone does not have an in-built earpiece for projecting voice phone calls and instead uses some nifty technology called piezoelectric speaker, so if you use your phone regularly without headset and put the phone next to your ear(anywhere, even the back), you can hear the call. It works fine in my opinion, though some noted it's strong on bass and if too loud, it's audible to those in surroundings. So if you are constantly making private calls and hate headsets of any form, this is not the phone for you.
Look and feel
This is a jaw-droppingly beautiful phone, the fact that it's nearly bezel-less is going to turn heads. The black one has the advantage of making the screen look seamless towards the edge. The white one has the white ceramic trim surrounding it and this edge gives the false impression it's thicker than the black one merely for being prominent, though it's way less of a fingerprint magnet than its darker counterpart. If you are getting the black one, you would probably be wiping smudges and prints from your phone constantly.
The body is extremely slippery, if you place it on any slanted surface it will start sliding on its own. The case that comes in the box will tackle that problem, though it makes the phone significantly less pretty. Suggest you get a clear plastic one or a thin matte skin over it. The unit is definitely hefty to hold. For female users or those with smaller hands, you can easily wrap your hands around the unit, despite the large screen size. One-handed operation is also feasible by swiping the navigation bar at the bottom left or right (start from middle home button then the direction of your main hand).
The phone is known to be fragile although it's fairly understandable given the material it's built on. Unless you give it very thick protective gear, you need to keep reminding yourself to be careful with it and not to drop it. This scratch and bend test shows it's VERY resistant to scratches and bending so if you are still able to manage to scratch yours, I seriously don't think this is the right phone for you. For drops, however, that's where it's very vulnerable as you can see here. Repairs could cost an arm a leg just for the screen alone. So I don't think I need to reiterate that users must be careful handling this device!
What else is in the box
Besides the phone unit, the box comes with a matching case (black for the black version and pearly white for the white version) which is very lightweight but a tad thick. They provide ample protection for your phone. Then you get the 2-pronged adapter plus Type-C USB cable as the charging kit, and a very brief starter's guide next to a packet that contains the SIM card ejector pin/tool. That's it. There are no free earphones or anything else. I did purchase both the Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro and Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro HD and they're perfect for this phone, so try to get your hands on either pair.
Hardware, parts and insides of the phone
On top, you have 2 mics (tiny holes) and standard headphone jack. I tried different audio plugs to it and it fits securely and snugly with a satisfying soft click when it's inserted all the way. At the bottom, you get your charge/transfer port in USB-C format as well as two speaker grilles (one for the primary mic and the other is for the loudspeaker). USB-C type is, in my opinion, better than Micro-USB (they're not compatible, btw) so you do need to get extra cables if you plan on charging or transmitting files to PC in different locations. On the left is where your dual-SIM card slot is located, you can open it by pushing the ejector pin to the hole. To the right would be the power button and volume rocker.
The screen is beautiful and viewable outdoors on a sunny day even without the brightness dialled all the way to max. Compared to my Huawei P8 Max, things look crisper and colours are lusher. Though white seems more reddish (or my Huawei P8 Max's white is more blueish).
Screen, bluetooth, Wi-Fi & tethering, GPS, ultrasonic proximity sensors, NFC, and cameras all work without a hitch. I heard that hardware can sometimes fail when you're on a non-official ROM, another reason why I strongly advise against it.
This video dismantles the whole unit and shows you all the innards of the Mi Mix. You can probably tell that getting parts won't be easy, although it looks fairly uncomplicated to disassemble and reassemble.
Stock ROM
After powering on, the first thing you see after you're done going through the starter's guide of your phone is a cheesy-looking home page with HUGE icons and HUGE fonts for each application. This is MIUI, more on that later. Not too impressive or appealing at this stage, so it's good to go to Settings > About Phone to check which MIUI version / ROM you have. When I got mine, it was the Chinese Stable ROM (V8.2.2.0.MAHCNDL). This explains all the Chinese apps pre-installed. The great thing is, you can easily uninstall any of them that are not system apps.
I ran the system update to find there's one (V8.2.3.0.MAHCNDL), so I proceeded with it (I later realise it's somewhat of a mistake, new doesn't always mean better). If you have no Chinese apps and Google-related apps, commonly called gapps here (Google Installer, Play Store, Play Music, etc.), then you are likely on the Global Stable ROM. If you don't see the word "Stable" in your ROM or it's not recognisable as anything from the official site, then you're likely on a vendor or non-official ROM and it also means your bootloader is likely unlocked. This may spell trouble if you plan on using your phone's NFC for payments as most payment apps won't allow your phone to be on anything other than an official ROM and that your bootloader remains locked. Frankly, if you just need Google apps, you can still get them on either the Chinese or Global Stable ROM. I don't advise going for any other ROM if you're already on these. for security reasons. I also assume you're on MIUI going forward. I am on Global Stable ROM myself.
The difference between Chinese and Global ROM is that the former tends to be updated more frequently, have Chinese apps (meaning you need to run Google Installer APK to get all the Google goodies), and they have way more themes (though some at cost of Mi Credits) and the ability to change font (though only Chinese fonts which is not much use to the English-speaking world and everybody else). The Global ROM lags slightly behind in update frequency, but they have gapps and Xiaomi’s own Chinese bloatware removed (you can do this yourself in the Chinese ROM with basic uninstallation). However, they don’t have as many themes (but more than enough, and all of them are FREE), you also cannot download new ringtones or fonts.
If you have a very old version of a stable ROM pre-installed, simply run the system update to get the latest version. If you want to switch between China and Global ROM, try to follow this guide using recovery mode (you need the Chinese version of PC Suite for it to work (the English one doesn't unfortunately ). Do note that “V8.2.3.0.MAHCNDL” Stable China ROM was not recognised by Android Pay as an official ROM, so you need to downgrade it back. I explained in in this post. If anyone tries it and got it working then, please let me know and I’ll update this part.
MIUI 8
Xiaomi's phone is known for MIUI, their version of Android. In past iterations, I've never really heartened to MIUI. I felt it tried too hard to mimic iOS, at the cost of user-friendliness and simplicity that comes with stock Android. To my surprise, this has all changed.
The learning curve for MIUI has become much lower, and the interface is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing I've seen. I've used Samsung, LG, Sony, Asus, Motorola, and Huawei stock ROMs, and every time, I can't help but quickly install Apex Launcher to customise the interface and eventually finding my way to fully root the phone to tweak the way stuff on my status bar looks. Not anymore. MIUI 8 is just amazing. You click on the "Themes" app and you can see that there are plenty of really great designs out there. And if you only like parts of it and parts of others, you can actually customise your theme the way you want it directly in the "Theme" app (Theme > Settings > Customize Theme). Some theme icons are actually animated, for crying out loud!
There are still some quirks, though. For example, resizing of widgets is somewhat restrictive (not all widgets can be resized, unlike in Apex launcher). Also, it's very hard to preview widgets with the MIUI, but these aren't real biggies. With a big phone, you'd also expect more real estate but things are HUGE until you change your themes but this doesn't fix the UI scale issue entirely for apps (unless Xiaomi decides to upgrade the phone OS to Android 7.0 or Nougat where UI scale can be customised).
After downloading about 90+ themes and tweaking, here is what my lock screen and home screen looks like:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
You can also find a lot of great stuff with MIUI besides customization. You can create "second space”, allowing your phone to pretty much have 2 accounts. So what happens in space one remains in space one, and what happens in space two remains in space two. You can theme each space differently, you can log into the same apps but with different logins in both spaces. This is very neat as your phone can literally be 2 devices in one body. If you don’t actually need to have an entirelly different space but need to have dual accounts on your phone, e.g. Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., you can do so using their Dual Apps feature. There's also an inbuilt app lock, and what's special is that it hides the content of your messages in the notifications bar and locked screen notifications, but you still get the notification. All these features you can find and access by heading to the "Security" app on your phone.
Phonecalls and loudspeaker
I'm no audiophile, so let's get that out of the way first, so below is merely my impression of the phone's audio qualities.
Calls on the device are made via what Xiaomi calls "cantilever piezoelectric ceramic acoustic technology" and it works like a charm. In a nutshell, rather than a regular earpiece which would inevitably make your phone bezels much larger to accommodate it, Xiaomi's technology here converts electrical energy into mechanical energy and you capture sound through vibrations. Sounds are not muffled and if you pick up calls in a relatively quiet area, you can get audibility easily at low-to-middle volume with your ear against it. Because the technology doesn't localise sounds into the earpiece, sound transmissions vibrate throughout the phone, meaning you can listen to your call even on the back panel. In noisier environments, however, you would instinctively boost the call to higher or even max volumes, this is where your call can get loud and audible to those around you, you don't even need your ear next to the phone. The ultrasonic sensor is Xiaomi's solution for Mix's lack of the standard proximity sensor and it also works. You don't have to worry about your face mashing buttons while you're on a call. The loudspeaker is also quite good, compared to my Huawei P8 Max, music at max volumes produced less static noise or buzz on the Mix. I use Spotify, mind you, and I'm happy with it. Audiophiles might do everyone a favour by putting in their two cents so as to describe in better ways than I can how audio fares on the Mi Mix.
Camera
Here is where Mi Mix scores the lowest in most reviews. Some even think the camera is crap as it performs strikingly poor in low-light settings and does not have OIS (optical image stabiliser). Well, it's definitely not the best shooter around but it's really not as bad as people say it is, especially when there are apps that can make the camera much better such as Camera Zoom FX or Snap Camera HDR. Frankly, for those who diss on the phone mainly because of the camera, please do get yourself some other device. This is a truly well-rounded phone and I think the camera is not as bad as people say it is.
Gaming
The phone's RAM, snappy processor plus massive storage and screen size make it a good gaming device. I played Mortal Kombat X on it and it's smooth and graphics look amazing. However, the phone's body is slippery so if you are playing a game that requires you to have a good grip on the back, best to play with a case. The phone gets warm gradually where your fingerprint sensor and camera lies and above, but it cools off quickly once off the game.
Mi Account and Mi Cloud and MIUI Forum
You'd want to set up a Mi Account for phone support as well as Mi Cloud. Since my phone's storage is 256GB, I'd pay to get a backup so you don't lose everything in case your phone gets lost, stolen or bricked. I pay the HK$118/yr for extra 100GB of space on Mi Cloud which backups your contacts, messages, photos and videos, notes, recordings, and lets you find your device. You might want to get something else if you need to backup your apps.
You also can find lots of good tutorials, information and reviews in the official English MIUI forums.
You would need a Mi Account tied to your phone to unlock the bootloader in order to root or flash ROMs.
Rooting and flashing new ROMs
If you really and absolutely MUST root your phone, there are two really helpful guides here and here.
I didn't see the need to, but I applied for unlocking the bootloader. Do be warned that it's going to void warranties if you truly proceed to unlock. Online guides tell you to go here, it didn't work for me, so I had to do it via the Chinese site. After filling in the forms, all you can do is wait. I got access to it 2 days later after applying. Xiaomi will send you an SMS saying you've been granted the permission to unlock. Go back to the website here while logged into your Mi Account and click the "Unlock Now" button, and you should be able to download the unlock tool that lets you unlock your Mix's bootloader.
I'm happy with my MIX as-is without rooting it or flashing any custom ROMs on it. Would be glad to answer any questions regarding the MIX.
This thread looks like can get into Guinness, I definitely will read all of it day by day. Thanks [emoji38] [emoji106] I hope you've mentioned that how hard to find a nicely curved screen protector around.
Mi MIX
7.3.16 Epic
Thank you, i found really helpful this tread, I'm also coming from P8 max (great device by the way). I wont use the Mi mix yet. Mi mix was coming with global 8.0.8.0.0 (which I understand is not official (( ), and I really want to use the NFC Payment method, have you some advice ?
Also I hope to make a proper backup of my files, apps, passwords and settings from my P8 max. You know any reliable software for this ? or I have to do it manually?
Regards !
If I send you my phone, will you make my home and lock screen look like yours?
Konsstantine34 said:
I hope you've mentioned that how hard to find a nicely curved screen protector around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. My spouse got a screen protector but no matter how hard the vendor tried, it's hard to apply it perfectly as the screen's got some rounded edges. I didn't get any screen protector for mine as the screen's shown to be pretty scratch-resistant and there are no screen protectors that can protect your screen from cracking if you drop it or apply blunt trauma to it.
eliasmanu said:
Thank you, i found really helpful this tread, I'm also coming from P8 max (great device by the way). I wont use the Mi mix yet. Mi mix was coming with global 8.0.8.0.0 (which I understand is not official (( ), and I really want to use the NFC Payment method, have you some advice ?
Also I hope to make a proper backup of my files, apps, passwords and settings from my P8 max. You know any reliable software for this ? or I have to do it manually?
Regards !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great to know another P8 Max fan. Can't beat that screen and so far Huawei's been a really good phone, the only thing it lacks is NFC which is a real bummer! I'm waiting for Android watches with it, but then the Mi Mix came out first and I was sold.
I am able to use NFC payment (Android Pay) no problem but you might need to unlock the bootloader and use official tools to flash the official ROM, then relock the bootloader. I've tampered with the bootloader today by unlocking it and then relocking it, and as long as you didn't install TWRP or other boot images, you should be able to lock the bootloader just fine. Android Pay still works. Instructions on how to do it are here.
As for backup, I use MyBackup Pro which is worth every penny.
bricky23 said:
If I send you my phone, will you make my home and lock screen look like yours?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's really easy to do on your own IF you are on the latest global stable ROM, just try out all the different themes and you can probably get it to look exactly like mine. You might even make yours cooler than what I've got. If you've got other ROMs then afraid I can't be of much help.
wendyalison said:
Thanks for the reply. My spouse got a screen protector but no matter how hard the vendor tried, it's hard to apply it perfectly as the screen's got some rounded edges. I didn't get any screen protector for mine as the screen's shown to pretty scratch-resistant and there are no screen protectors that can protect your screen from cracking if you drop it apply blunt trauma to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, in it's first week on my hand; i've never put my device into my pocket with any other objects, nor put it anywhere like display could engage with any object. In theory it shouldn't be scratched but there were very very tiny scratches that you can see them under the sun light after clean it perfectly. I noticed it after my other 2 friends confirmed this situation [emoji106] I don't like using SP but now have to. Not even mentioning the crackz tho..
Mi MIX
7.3.16 Epic
Thanks for the nice review, I think it time for me to get one
What store in Hong Kong did you get yours from and were they in stock or did you have to wait?
I have a friend who lives there that can get me one and send it to me in Australia.
Tks
Frosty
frostywinter said:
Thanks for the nice review, I think it time for me to get one
What store in Hong Kong did you get yours from and were they in stock or did you have to wait?
I have a friend who lives there that can get me one and send it to me in Australia.
Tks
Frosty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Frosty,
You need to pre-order it with a store and then head there to get it, as they're not always stocked up on overseas phones (as close as HK is to China). I suggest you ask your friend (hopefully he/she can read Chinese) to help you go to this site find a seller that is selling it at a good price and then Whatsapp them to see if they can pre-order it for you.
I bought the black one in Mong Kok, and the white one in Sham Shui Po. These 2 places tend to have a good selection of foreign phone models. Let me know if you need further help.
Does anyone here know whether there has been an MIUI Global Stable update? I am currently on 8.2.1.0(MAHMIDL). Has 8.2.2.0 come out yet for the global stable?
---------- Post added at 10:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 PM ----------
wendyalison said:
Thanks for the reply. My spouse got a screen protector but no matter how hard the vendor tried, it's hard to apply it perfectly as the screen's got some rounded edges. I didn't get any screen protector for mine as the screen's shown to be pretty scratch-resistant and there are no screen protectors that can protect your screen from cracking if you drop it or apply blunt trauma to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a screen protector from: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162394844680
But it doesn't cover the whole screen :/
wendyalison said:
Hi Frosty,
You need to pre-order it with a store and then head there to get it, as they're not always stocked up on overseas phones (as close as HK is to China). I suggest you ask your friend (hopefully he/she can read Chinese) to help you go to this site find a seller that is selling it at a good price and then Whatsapp them to see if they can pre-order it for you.
I bought the black one in Mong Kok, and the white one in Sham Shui Po. These 2 places tend to have a good selection of foreign phone models. Let me know if you need further help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK great thanks for that info - will see how my friend goes.
Also what is that lovely clock weather widget you are using - is that the stock Xiaomi one? Would love to use it.
tks
Frosty
frostywinter said:
OK great thanks for that info - will see how my friend goes.
Also what is that lovely clock weather widget you are using - is that the stock Xiaomi one? Would love to use it.
tks
Frosty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the Transparent Weather and Clock widget, it's free unless you want a lot of additional features, my favorite widget yet!
rikstar555 said:
Does anyone here know whether there has been an MIUI Global Stable update? I am currently on 8.2.1.0(MAHMIDL). Has 8.2.2.0 come out yet for the global stable?
---------- Post added at 10:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 PM ----------
I bought a screen protector from: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162394844680
But it doesn't cover the whole screen :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the ROM question, you can always check Xiaomi's ROM download page specifically for MI Mix to see what the latest global stable ROM is. Usually, the China ROM leads it by 2 iterations, so those on global can only patiently wait. Any announcements of their ROM would be in their MIUI Mi Mix English forum.
As for screen protectors, yeah, hard to find one that fits over the whole screen unfortunately. I'll be trying to get mine via T-Mall or Taobao, the Chinese ebay. Hopefully will have more luck.
if u interested can get this full coverage one... no rainbow effect and it is the best so far after i ordered a few from other sellers.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/For...otector-Ultra-Thin-Explosion/32778591332.html
how it looks like applied
nakedtoes said:
if u interested can get this full coverage one... no rainbow effect and it is the best so far after i ordered a few from other sellers.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/For...otector-Ultra-Thin-Explosion/32778591332.html
how it looks like applied
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, it's same one which i bought(even $10). take a look:
Also I just saw this comment under your referred product:
Mi MIX
7.3.30 Épic
Konsstantine34 said:
Lol, it's same one which i bought(even $10). take a look:
View attachment 4097876View attachment 4097877
Also I just saw this comment under your referred product: View attachment 4097879
Mi MIX
7.3.30 Épic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i know i bought many times from the seller and the quality getting better .. i am extremely happy with the latest purchase..
nakedtoes said:
yeah i know i bought many times from the seller and the quality getting better .. i am extremely happy with the latest purchase..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, getting better. Sometimes the rainbow thing gets disappeared.
Mi MIX
7.3.30 Épic
Is it weird that my device came on the latest Official Global ROM but with an unlocked bootloader?
jinsoku3g said:
Is it weird that my device came on the latest Official Global ROM but with an unlocked bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's likely the vendor may have tampered with the ROM , the phone shouldn't have an unlocked bootloader factory-shipped. Might want to check with your vendor.
Related
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If you wish to help me, but can't do a donation and if you are going to buy on the same site as I, you can ask me per PM a referal link. When registering through that link, you help me get coupon codes on that site, so i can order accessories and complete this review )
1. Introduction
Since Google announced the Nexus4 (LG), the entire worlds speak and write about that Phone.
Unfortunately, the Nexus4 is a rare phone.
It may be in stock in some countries, but in my country (France) it is impossible to get it for a cheap Price.
During that time other “Chinese” devices make their apparition.
These devices may be even cheaper and more powerful than the Nexus4.
At the beginning, I was thinking to replace my Galaxy Nexus with a Nexus 4, but one post on Google+, that complains about the poor camera quality and the constant out of stock status for the French play store made me change my mind.
So I turn to the xiaomi MI2, a smartphone with nearby the same characteristics as the Nexus4, witch runs into MIUI.
For these not knowing what here are the main specs :
- 2GB of RAM
- a quad core CPU at 1.5Ghz
- a 2000mAh removable battery
- a powerful 3D chip capable of running all latest android games
- a 4.3” display, with even more PPI than the iPhone5 !
- no sd slot
- Normal simcard slot
This Chinese phone, made by xiaomi ( the same that created the MIUI Rom) is sold in China for 1999 Yuans (about 245€ )
Unfortunately, xiaomi does not sell worldwide, so you need to buy this phone at other place, where it will naturally cost a little more.
We can find the 16GB version for 300€.
Other website who make even more money with this device propose it for 350-400€.
I bought this device on one of the cheapest website I found: ibuygou
If you wish to buy it there, the best advise I can give you, is to buy it using PayPal.
First the euro change is better, and second, well PayPal is secure, you have 45 days to make a complaint (for example if it was lost or damage during the order, or if you don't get the product you ordered)
I bought the 32GB version, it cost me 369€ with DHL delivery (so the same price as a 16GB Nexus 4)
One interesting thing to know: the package is very resistant, you can also find videos where two people are standing on it, without breaking it content! I tried it (without the phone in ^^) and indeed the package did not break. So the phone is ready for a long transport, nothing can happen ^^.
Because this is an import, on some country you may need to pay Taxes (it was the case in France). This cost me 14€.
Warning: it may cost a lot more, if the customs checks the content of the package.
Indeed a lot of Chinese Website declares less than the real price. This way YOU pay less taxes, and the delivery man is not attempt to lost the package for his own business ^^
In some countries, if the package is a gift, the customs may not make you pay (I never saw this for my orders, but well I may be possible ^^ )
In France, even a gift with a love message on it, needs to pay taxes. At least at DHL ^^
When I saw the package I thought: holly crap, they scam me with style :/
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
But no, they didn’t, I really received an original MI2 with two gifts: a back cover and an OTG cable (that was really nice ^^ )
As you can see on the package, it is a 32GB Version (yes the phones says that too ^^ )
The phone is really protected, there is even a transparent paper with some Chinese advices on it. I guess it is for telling what the buttons does… well even without knowing Chinese I find this out ^^
Here are the charger (US/Chinese) and the USB Cable (also very well pack)
The free OTG cable gift
And here the blue back cover. I prefer the white one, but it is glossy, so you will see the fingerprints on it, and I hate that.. So in use the blue one
Here you see what it looks like from the side
The orange 2000mAh battery (you can choose the colour of replacement battery, but I don’t know why… you never see the battery of a phone ^^ )
One thing that surprised me: charging the phone, when it was turned off shows the battery percentage level. That’s cool
Don’t take care of the dust, it was only visible because of the flash from my camera. I never saw Dust on it with my eyes ^^
2 Possible weakness or strengths
a) good performances
The first owners of this phone made a lot of benchmarks. And MI2 is much better than the top selling android phone: the galaxy S3.
For info, I made a simple Antutu test, without any customisation, tweaks or overclocking. And I get more than 21 000 points
At normal use, it react really fast, there is no slowness
B) an amazing screen for a really simple usage
Some people may say that a 4.3” display is too small, I think it is the best size to be used with one hand, without needing giant hand or to do finger gymnastic
On my galaxy nexus, I could do everything with one hand, but in some cases I needed to change the phone position do everything with my thumb and in this other position, the phone is not firmly in hand, so this could be dangerous if you don’t stay focused
For the difference between 4.3 and 4.65” it is really MINIMAL. Indeed, the MI2 has all its content on 4.3”, whereas the Nexus has the soft keys in the 4.65”.
Until some rarely apps that run full screen, every app on the nexus will run on a 4.37” surface. So the Nexus has only a really small advantage of 0.07”.
Yet, the MI2 fit better in the hand, because it has less borders than the Nexus.
I went from a phone measuring 135.5x67mm to a phone that measure 125x63mm.
The MI2 is 1 cm less height and almost a half cm less wide. So some actions became easier.
The screen is also a lot better, because of the PPI value. The same image looks a lot sharper on the MI2.
C) a phone not so thin as other rivals
Another possible weakness is the thickness. Indeed the MI2 is not the thinnest of all phones. I was a bit afraid that it might be too big (it is almost as big as the bottom part of the galaxy nexus).
In the end this does not disturb me, the phone fit in the hand, and it does not looks like a BIG FAT phone. Sure with 1 or 2 mm less it would looks even more amazing, but this would be at the cost of a lower battery . Indeed the more a phone is thin, the less place is left for the battery. Less place for battery => less battery capacity.
D) MIUI
This phone is running Android, but not stock Android! It is running MIUI (a graphical change that may look a little more like iOS)
It has also a dual Boot (you need to choose it in the recovery)… So if you break you first boot, you can use the second one. I tried it, but it seams that I have some kind of conflict (maybe because system one is up to date French and system two is the default Chinese rom… maybe they both need to have the same language or version)
I admit that a always installed MIUI on my phones, so having one that came out with it was a good point for me. This phone is like a Nexus for MIUI ^^
But this is like everything, you like it or not… I can’t choose for you
Some people will say: MIUI = iOS on android, that is not true..
MIUI is a graphical evolution, with some nice features.
If you look at Android 4.2, you may noticed that Google introduced some icons in the notification bar for setting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and so on… Most ROMS increase the ability to toggle on click or go to the settings on long click… this kind of feature exists on MIUI since android 2.3 !
3 : Testing some stuffs
On internet there are a lot of review or test for the MI2, but most of them only test the performance and nothing else . So I’ll test some useful points :
The audio
The GPS
The Camera
I’m not a specialist in these domains, but I had a few android phones (every time high end models) and I must admit, that I was never 100% happy with them
If there is ONE phone that was a real peace of crap, it was the HTC Desire HD!
The audio level is like a buzzer. The music was awful. I had a lot of trouble hearing what my contacts told me, this was even worse if you were in your car or a noisy environment.
The GPS was REALLY the worse I ever had, the precision was bad, it jumps from street to street and needed a lot time for the fix. Telling me to turn left 30 meters AFTER I should turn…
Having a high end smartphone, that is not good in these 3 points, is really not a high end one!
A) The audio
I replaced my HTC Desire HD with a Galaxy Nexus, it was better, but yet not was I was searching for.
On Galaxy Nexus you need to install a mod or software to boost the volume because it is too low by default.
The MI2 is doing A LOT better at this point. You can play a movie with volume max and the full room will hear it The GPS vocal navigation is clearly audible even in a noisy car.
There are still phones that does even better (like the Sony Ericson neo my wife uses, but this one is really too loud ^^ )
The Dolby equaliser of the MI2 has nice effects and you direct hear the difference.
Calling sound is also super clear. Even with noise you hear your contact well.
The only little weakness could be the vibrate level. I think it is a little too low.
B) the Camera
The software part surprised me, (ok I was used of the stock camera, so it was not difficult to do something that looks better). Here everything is clear and on the right place, there are a lot of settings also.
The photo and video quality on low light is a lot better than my galaxy nexus. Indeed; the
Galaxy Nexus does good pictures, but only by daylight. If it is a little dark, or if the light is artificial, the quality decreases fast.
Here are two picture of my dog (click on picture to see the full size picture)
In normal mode:
In HDR mode:
Unfortunately it is raining so I can’t test good daylight picture. I May add them later if the sun will shine again ^^
The video is also excellent. You can save 1080p videos and you can also set 90images per seconds (useful when you film something that moves)
C) the GPS
As most of the latest high-end devices, the MI2 is also compatible with Glanoss (the Russian GPS). This should help having faster and better GPS performance (indeed the more sat your phone sees, the better it can know where you are)
Testing a GPS in a house is … useless
A GPS should find it position (the fix) but also guide you right (not too early and not too late), it should not jump from one street to the other or position you in the middle of nowhere.
People saying that a GPS is amazing because it fix in less than 10 seconds in there room are noobs ! (Yes a lot of people said that the Desire HD had an amazing GPS … whereas a blind could guide you better than this phone! )
So I did a quick ride with my car to test it
I went in my car, turned the GPS and run Cygic (my software)
Fix in less than 2 seconds (my nexus needed more than 1 min, sometimes I also needed to open the window and hand it out to boost the fix time)
But as said fix alone is useless, so I told my GPS to bring me to the nearest town.
It guided me well, not a single error, every order was given on the correct time (not too early or too late).
Then I run GPS Status and GPS Test to know the signal quality and the amount of satellites.
Unfortunately, I did not succeed to do a screenshot for GPS Test ( I was still in my car needing to drive when the fire turn green )
But it find me about 10 green sat that had values between 37 and 42.
For GPS Status I succeeded doing a screenshot: we see directly that it uses a LOT of satellites (so it uses both GPS and Glanoss)
It finds about 21 sats and used between 13-15 of them.
The error precision is 3-5m, whereas my Nexus had 5-10m
If the weather change, I may test it in the forest, but I don’t like going in the forest when it is wet…
D) the OTG Cable
For every tests here, I needed to connect the USB device to the OTG cable first, and then the OTG Cable to the smartphone, other way it did not works :/
Here are some tests I did :
- FAT32 USB stick => works (I may test NTFS and Ext4 in future)
- 2.5” self powered hard drive => did not works, the phone does not give enough power
- Nikon Coolpix S3300 Camera => did not work, maybe the same issue
- USB PS3 controller => it works (the game needs to be compatible)
- USB Keyboard => it works and you can configure the keyboard layout in the menu
- USB Mice => It works a cursor appears on screen
edit from January 11 :
The 6 januray i asked ibuygou if they can make this kind of test (Xperia) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F92CvRflk18
The support answered me than i can do this test, and if it break they will send me a new MI2.
Unfortunatly i declined the offer, i did not wish to wait for a new phone ore pay more taxes.
But to MY SURPRISE, ibuygou did this video (they also said my name in it ^^)
here is the video (warning : at the begining there is a screen protection on the phone so don't be afraid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=84z_BIrLlp4
So I hope you find these review useful.
If there is something specific you wish me to test, just ask me
ps: sorry if there are some errors in the text, i'm French and i tried my best to do an English review as good as i could. (if corrections are needed please feel free to pm me the correction so i'll edit this post)
i really like your review.
im hoping to receive my order next week.
can you share more information about battery life, built quality of the phone
Do you use any bumper/case? Its not even gorilla glass, so i kinda afraid about that point.
also, where you order the accessories from?
I want the dark blue panel, and external batt + charger.
the only option is alibaba. but i was looking for something geographically closer so it will arrive faster
and just last mark, to make sure, it uses regular sim card, correct? like in galaxy s2, not s3 (microsim) ?
edit: I just saw you wrote this as one of the points at the start of the post. thank you for clarifying
Testing the battery is something complicated, indeed you need a given procedure that you do on more than one device, so you can compare it.
If i told you i stay 2 days you'll be happy but i may not told you, that during these two days, i didn't use the phone, so only saying that the device stay X hours/days alone without any further information is useless.
the quality is amazing, people that saw the phone (by far) will think it is an iphone5 ^^ (same formfactor)
i'm not using any case or bumper (i may plan to buy one to be sure the phone is well protected)
I don't know if it is gorilla glass or not and i really don't wish to test it, i hope it is... to be sure i may buy a screen protector, but unfortunately, i did not found something cheap right now
the accessories i have, are gift i received from the site i bought it (i gave a link on first post)
the cover was included in their december deal. The OTG cable was a surprise gift
Yes the phone use regular sim (no micro or mini sim)
you're correct about battery life,
my intention was just if it rally feels as 2000mah, comparing to your galaxy nexus, for example
but nevermind
about screen protector, look for nillkin products, i heard they're good and they have both matte and clear screen protectors.
they also have lite & full version, wheres the full has also protection for camera lens
I like the blue cover. its some sort of matte feeling?
nice review
alain57 said:
Testing the battery is something complicated, indeed you need a given procedure that you do on more than one device, so you can compare it.
If i told you i stay 2 days you'll be happy but i may not told you, that during these two days, i didn't use the phone, so only saying that the device stay X hours/days alone without any further information is useless.
the quality is amazing, people that saw the phone (by far) will think it is an iphone5 ^^ (same formfactor)
i'm not using any case or bumper (i may plan to buy one to be sure the phone is well protected)
I don't know if it is gorilla glass or not and i really don't wish to test it, i hope it is... to be sure i may buy a screen protector, but unfortunately, i did not found something cheap right now
the accessories i have, are gift i received from the site i bought it (i gave a link on first post)
the cover was included in their december deal. The OTG cable was a surprise gift
Yes the phone use regular sim (no micro or mini sim)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i like your review a lot
in fact i don't know if a screen protector is needed
on chinese xiaomi forum ( http://bbs.xiaomi.cn/thread-4506805-1-1.html ) they said that the MI2 has dragontrail glass (something like gorilla glass, maybe even better)
and when you see how this guy tested his Xperia : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F92CvRflk18
unfortunately, i'm not going to do this kind of test on my phone ^^
but if someone send me a MI2, i would be happy to do this test
Thanks for the review alain.
Im going to get a Xiaomi MI-2 32GB from the same site. Hopefully they wont take too long to dispatch it.
so why does xiaomi doesnt say it in the specs?
is it for real?
a lot of company does not say it for gorilla glass too
i don't understand that, for me this is a kind of information, that is as important as the CPU spec
but maybe they don't say it, to prevent people beeing mad if they get a scratch ... after all, its a protection, but it does not protect against everything ...
Bilhouse said:
Thanks for the review alain.
Im going to get a Xiaomi MI-2 32GB from the same site. Hopefully they wont take too long to dispatch it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you order it through my referal link that is in my review, i can get some cashback. i'll use this cashback to buy other material like a 3100mAh, screen protector, hdmi cable or what ever (if they had it on stock).
Each material i get with the cashback, will be reviewed and tested like i did for this phone ^^. So if you guys order phones with my link, i'll get stuff for less price and i promise to make a review of each material I get that way.
Kudos again, just an excellent review. Thanks once more for sharing!
Swyped from my Android/iPhone Killer
I also find there are lots of xiaomi M2 from an english Taobao
I also find there are lots of xiaomi M2 from an english taobao: BuyChina.com as follow link:
w*w.buychina.com/products?keyword=xiaomi+m2&cid=
alain57 said:
if you order it through my referal link that is in my review, i can get some cashback. i'll use this cashback to buy other material like a 3100mAh, screen protector, hdmi cable or what ever (if they had it on stock).
Each material i get with the cashback, will be reviewed and tested like i did for this phone ^^. So if you guys order phones with my link, i'll get stuff for less price and i promise to make a review of each material I get that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The referal link was removed. This is not the place to place links to make money.
Good job~
Sadly the MI2 does not have gorilla glass. I found out the hard way - dropped mine and now have a couple of small scratches on the screen
The good news is the screen protector film made them invisible
Watch out where to order from third party Chinese online stores. Many fake MI-2's are sold.
rattlelv said:
Sadly the MI2 does not have gorilla glass. I found out the hard way - dropped mine and now have a couple of small scratches on the screen
The good news is the screen protector film made them invisible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Methinks Gorilla Glass would not have been impervious to the drop either. Supposedly the Mi2 uses Dragontail which is as good or better than Gorilla, and as evidenced by a youtube video circulating around demonstrating Dragontail on a Sony (Ericsson?) phone, I'd have to agree.
zelendel said:
The referal link was removed. This is not the place to place links to make money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it was not to make money, but to receive coupon codes to order MI2 accessories that would be in other review late :/
i don't get sites, that remove the link on real review... on spaming post i could unsterstand it, but on high quality reviews....
but well its true, its in the forum rules, so my mistake sorry for it
its funny that a lot of donation link are allowed, but not this kind of stuff ...
viviandress said:
I also find there are lots of xiaomi M2 from an english taobao: BuyChina.com as follow link:
w*w.buychina.com/products?keyword=xiaomi+m2&cid=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so few messages, but still nearly all of them for this site ... kind of strange for me...
on these kind of site, they are a lot fake phones sold... some people had the same problem with aliexpress ....
so people be aware
ps: xiaomi sells it 16GB phone 1999yuans thats 320$, so if people sells it less.... there is a HUGE chance that they are fakes !
rattlelv said:
Sadly the MI2 does not have gorilla glass. I found out the hard way - dropped mine and now have a couple of small scratches on the screen
The good news is the screen protector film made them invisible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because it breaks does NOT mean it does not have a protection !
All galaxy S series have gorilla glass ( http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/products-with-gorilla/samsung ) and my girlfriend dropped her galaxy S and it was totaly broken..... no way to make it invisible ...
There are still no announcement of next defy, so S750 - waterproof, quad core, 1gb ram, compact enough, have replaceble battery and already avaliable.
Your opinions, guys?
Hi, looking to buy the Lenovo S750 too....
It is also dualsim as added bonus. I've already an MTK6589 - 1G of ram phone (ZTE V987) and they work nicely, except slow GPS (you con fix it via software).
It looks nice but i've 2 doubts:
-1 battery 2000mah....will this be enough for 1 day of intensive usage? I think so, but... this is a doubt for me.
-2 will this be really water proof ? I won't bring it with me diving in the simming pool, but on the borders yes....will it really resist splashes etc. ? So they say, but as anyone got experiences with this device ?
I plan to buy it for bringing it with me when going to the sea or the mountains...If it really is IP76 then it's ok....no reviews yet....strange....not even on YT....nobody bought it ?
I have this phone, since two days. Unfortunatelly someone got it with a original chineese firmware. I managed to install google play store, but have a real pain in the ass with the GPS - it cannot get a fix. You mentioned a software solution - any more info about that?
For now, I cannot state the battery durability, thus I'm only testing it, so in very very extensive usage, it lasts one day. In the near future I'll see how much does it stand in normal usage.
As for waterproofing, I didn't do the tests yet, but it looks very fine made, so it should couse no problem with water.
Have ordered phone. Will got it in next few weeks.
About battery life - i always wear on me 1-2 extra batteryes [battery _must_ be replaceble, this is why i've skipped xperia phones], so i've ordered extra ones with external charger for this one also (search "bl197 charger", they're affordable).
Have checked specs - everything should be really fine with this phone except back cover issue - my siemens/samsung/motorolla waterproof phones have mechanically fixed back lid, but this one seems like not, so if it fell somewhere strong enough back lid fell of the phone.
About waterproof - lenovo declares ip67, so it's same as defy. You should able wash it in the sink. I do that with my defy.
btw, wookario, can you make review or tell your impression about the phone?
Let's call them "impressions review" in few simple points
1. The exterior is made very well. The used parts, have no loose places, all fits tightly, and gives no strange or unexcpeted sounds. The back cover lid is suited very tightly, even opening it, is troubling, thus you have to use some force, to release all of the clamps which hold them. The battery is secured buy a rubber seal, looks tight. Some doubts as to waterproof, give the exterior speaker cover - looks like it was not waterproof, but I have not tested it yet.
The USB port is covered well, with a very well fitted part, secured with a rubber seal. The whole phone, fits well in the hand, and if feels secure to hold.
The colors are interesting, and the body of the phone is made probabily of aluminium.
In total 9,5/10 for design and fitting the elements. Really nothing to complain about.
2. The interior - firmware. I bought the phone with an original chineese firmware. It wasn't my choice, but the guy I bought the phone from, just ordered it this way - due to his language abilities First look - SHIIIIIT!! Everything in chineese!! But fortunatelly I was able to change it into english. Then I installed Titanium Backup Pro (paid version), and to my shock, it came out, that original chineese rom is ROOTED )) Some chineese trees appeared, and titanium could do everything. So I started from removing all chinnese apps, that I didn't know the purporse (backing them up previously). Due to the fact, that chineese phones do not use google play store (Lenovo store instead installed) so then I installed google play store (I used a trick found in some forum to do that, couse using a .apk file crashed all the time). Now I have a google play store, but without all the unused google **** like street view, google maps and more, which usually stuff the internal memory of the phone.
The RAM is 1GB total - for me used like 45% of that amount, so enough left, not to worry if any app will have enough room to install. The internal phone storage is 2,6GB build in, so also enough for basic use. Also a place to fit a micro SD card, so in total you have really plenty of room, to fit apps, and other stuff.
The firmware is very stable, since saturday, it did not crash at all, it's very fast, and in my opinion the quad core works perectly with 4.2.1.
My score 8/10 lack of one point, for not a "standard modded firmware", would be much nicer, if in basic version, it would have a european firmware. One point also less for GPS problems - see below.
3. The display. To be honest the best part of the phone is the display. 4,5'' 960x540 is just enormous. The colors are really nice, and well saturated. The touch screen is very sensitive, and "user friendly". For me 10/10
4. The only problem I did not cope with, is the GPS. It just cannot fix on satelite. Tried many solutions found in internet, but none working. Maybe is the chineese firmware problem, or maybe it's just faulty. Will try to fix it, but I'm starting to doubt
In total I rate the phone 9/10, only GPS is the real problem, all else, including chineese firmware is to be accepted. I'm comparing it to AGM ROCK V5, which is running android 2.3. The difference in usage between theese two, is a milestone + for S750.
Since AGM ROCK V5 was virtually indestructable, mine one unfortunatelly broke the screen, by landing flat onto concrete So I would not try this with S750
For now I have not tested it's waterproof ability. But maybe I will not be the first one to do that
In any more questions, feel free to ask
EDIT - I've managed to run GPS, now works like charm
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=43159201#post43159201
Thanks. Is E-Compass exist on phone?
Btw platform is similar to lenovo a820, which came out earlyer than s750, so may be most of fixes/mods could be found in a820's discussions.
Yes E-Compass is built in - but I never believe theese devices
As to similarities it would be good to try, but first some modded firmware should come out, just in case something goes wrong, to be able to reflash it after
I don't really need e-compass, but it's cool to have as an option ability to use all features of apps like google skymap. And i've found that most of MTK phones lascks e-compass.
Did you order the phone with a modded etotalk rom?
Have ordered it on aliexpress. It'll have stock rom, I think.
If you needed help in rom civilising, (google apps, gps fix), just ask - i'm through with it already
wookario said:
If you needed help in rom civilising, (google apps, gps fix), just ask - i'm through with it already
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you show me that trick for installing google play? thx
because i install it with apk, but it turns out google play crach every time....
Is your phone rooted?
lefedor said:
Is your phone rooted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes it is rooted
squllliu said:
yes it is rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this:
Install "LuckyPatcher" app ( google or http://forum.67gadgets.com/showthread.php?tid=1&pid=1#pid1 ).
Start LuckyPatcher
Scroll bottom menu right to "Install modded GP" option, tap it.
Choose Google Market version you like.
Enjoy.
lefedor said:
Try this:
Install "LuckyPatcher" app ( google or forum.67gadgets.com/showthread.php?tid=1&pid=1#pid1[/url] ).
Start LuckyPatcher
Scroll bottom menu right to "Install modded GP" option, tap it.
Choose Google Market version you like.
Enjoy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
done, but still keeping fc
whats wrong with this phone
squllliu said:
done, but still keeping fc
whats wrong with this phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phone is OK. Try rest "vending" app data or maybe do full firmware rest (wipe).
Market should be in-the-box after wipe.
Mate look here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=43159201#post43159201 I've descrubed there all you need to know, about google play store fix
if anything ask there
wookario said:
Mate look here ## I've descrubed there all you need to know, about google play store fix
if anything ask there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
still fc at clicking google play, i think may be i flash the wrong ROM.
can you provide the right rom ?
thank you very much
Did you flash it? Where did you get the rom for that?
The only I have acces to is the original chineese one, if you're interested.
This is a relatively new model and still difficult to obtain, although availability is increasing and prices are dropping.
It is a standalone smartwatch, or watch phone as I call it. It could be compared to the Neptune Pine, but is not as bulky. It can be easily detached from its wristband and mounted into accessories like a bike handlebar mount or windshield mount. Thanks to the detachability, it is quite practical as a telephone (no Knight Rider poses or arm cramp required, just slide it from the wrist and it becomes a small handheld). Unfortunately it performs not too well as a handheld telephone due to mediocre sound quality from the microphone and subpar signal reception. A headset is recommended.
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This is made for the Chinese market, the manual and the website are in Chinese only. A factory reset sets the phone to Chinese. There seems to be a variation called “AbarGoo” that might have some extra features like limited 3G, NFC, and charging contacts on the back. However, nobody has been able to find one for sale, let alone buy one. It may only have been a prototype that was never put into production.
It looks a lot like the discontinued Motorola Motoactv. My guess is that they salvaged parts of the Motoactv manufacturing line and modified them. Aside from the scratch-resistant glass top and overall looks however, this has little in common with the Motoactv.
Specs:
Android 4.2.2
MT6572 1.2GHz Cortex A7 dual-core
1GB RAM
8GB NAND
550mAh battery (built-in). Of course the sales pages mention 700mAh, which means this one has a Chinese gullibility mAh tax of 27%.
5MPixel camera (which is actually true for once!)
GPS and compass
microUSB port, micro-SIM slot
3.5mm headset jack
light sensor & accelerometers
WiFi, Bluetooth, EDGE (no 3G though).
Despite being 100% Chinese (AFAIK), this is not the average cheap rubber-and-plastic Chinese watch phone that will fall apart after half a year of usage, at least not the watch body. The hardware is really good, which warrants its higher price tag. It looks water-resistant, but is not. I reckon it can withstand minor splashes of water or even a very short dunk, but water can get inside through a tiny gap around the display. It is possible to vastly improve water-resistance by sealing this gap.
The camera (t8ev5) is impressive: true 5MP with autofocus and macro up to 5cm (pixel-level details tend to get lost in aggressive noise reduction though). The screen is also very good, the first Chinese watch phone with perfect multi-touch that I have encountered. It is a far cry from the crappy screen on e.g. the ZGPAX S5.
Bluetooth keyboards work, which I consider a must have, especially on such small device. It is a rarity on these Chinese phones.
GPS is pretty good, better than one would expect from the typical integrated MediaTek hardware.
Overall, very nice hardware aside from lack of true water resistance, as well as not so great microphone performance during calls. If you want to be understood during calls, you either have to use a headset, or follow a specific ritual as described in my more extensive review.
The software is less impressive: it runs a rather crippled Android 4.2.2. No Play store, nerfed system settings, and a limited set of mostly custom apps. Even when set to English, there still is Chinese in many places. It has an annoying bug in its theme that causes white text on white backgrounds in many dialogs, especially important ones Other nuisances are huge fonts everywhere (makes sense, because Chinese characters require a larger font), and no clock in the status bar (hey, wasn't this supposed to be a watch?)
I made a more extensive review for those interested.
Custom ROM (a.k.a. FrankenROM)
I solved the problems with the stock ROM by basically replacing it for the most part with another ROM. I started from a custom TrueSmart ROM by Dees_Troy, and combined it with parts from the stock system. I also fixed the layout problems that were in the dialer, etc.
The ROM includes a TWRP recovery image as well, based on the one for the Omate TrueSmart.
I fixed the most annoying problems, I even managed to add permanent tweaks for the poor audio, which makes handheld phone calls quite feasible. Overall this is a huge improvement over the stock ROM. Next to fixing the bugs, it provides a working Play store, multiple languages, and the other goodies one would expect from a proper Android system.
Download the custom ROM or update package (version 4) (released 2015/03/14, update 06/18: repartitioning)
Users of version FR3 can download an update package to be flashed through TWRP.
The latest download (since June 18th) includes the possibility to choose between 1GB, 1.5GB, or 2GB internal space for installing apps (of course, user partition will shrink accordingly). Existing users can rely on TWRP to repartition without losing their apps. See the README for instructions.
The download includes instructions in a README file. The ROM must be flashed through SP Flash Tools, because the F80 is sold with different ROMs that have different layouts, so I cannot just distribute only a TWRP partition and a system partition like I did with version 2. (Users of FR2 can upgrade by only flashing the ANDROID partition, see the README for details.)
I reckon this ROM will also work fine with the ‘AbarGoo’ version of this phone if it exists at all, but 3G capability will most likely be lost when flashing this ROM. After opening up the F80 however and seeing empty soldering pads, it seems very likely that the F80 was originally intended to be the AbarGoo, but it was too ambitious and they had to omit the 3G parts because they did not work. I do not think we'll see the AbarGoo anytime soon.
Many thanks to Dees_Troy, Lokifish Marz, AdamOutler, toastcfh, and kuronosan, who worked directly or indirectly on the TrueSmart ROM that I used as a basis for this ‘FrankenROM’.
I love the way it's detachable from the strap but still looks good. Waiting for a clone to buy
WHAT!?!?!??!?! :0
This is almost the exact copy of motorola MOTOACTV!!!!
Wtf
hackerse7en said:
WHAT!?!?!??!?! :0
This is almost the exact copy of motorola MOTOACTV!!!!
Wtf
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Click to collapse
Yes indeed! The Chinese have done it again.
Only, this is different hardware with better specs all across the board. It is a bit bulkier (13mm thick instead of 9.6mm), but for that you get a 5MP camera and full standalone ability with a pretty good built-in speaker and mic. The only thing that seems identical is the glass top, which they probably took from the discontinued Motoactv manufacturing line. It is not a coincidence that this showed up not too long after the Motoactv was discontinued…
What is without any doubt worse though, is the software it ships with. Anyone looking for a finished ready-to-use product like the Motoactv should not buy this. But once it is flashed with a better ROM, it becomes a very capable tiny wearable smartwatch.
$299 dollars on aliexpress
all these chinese watches kinda suck....
edit: this one is also standalone and costs 1/10th
JarlSX said:
edit: this one is also standalone and costs 1/10th
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Funny that you picked that one, because it was the first watch phone I had… six years ago. People had no idea what it was back then and were pretty surprised when I told it was a telephone. Was actually pretty decent as a phone, but a thick lump when worn on the wrist, and had a prehistoric operating system.
Where did you buy it?
Where did you buy this?
KOAO said:
Where did you buy this?
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You can get this on Taobao, or try searching the keyword abardeen on Aliexpress, the price should be around $230 or $180 ( )
KOAO said:
Where did you buy this?
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Got this on AliExpress indeed, had to nag the reseller because availability seemed low at the moment. Availability seems better now. Try combinations of "F80", "watch", "abardeen", and "abargoo". There appear to be two variations, one with the "Abardeen" logo and one with "AbarGoo", the latter might have some extras like NFC, charging contacts at the rear, and limited 3G.
DrLex said:
Got this on AliExpress indeed, had to nag the reseller because availability seemed low at the moment. Availability seems better now. Try combinations of "F80", "watch", "abardeen", and "abargoo". There appear to be two variations, one with the "Abardeen" logo and one with "AbarGoo", the latter might have some extras like NFC, charging contacts at the rear, and limited 3G.
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Dr. Lex i find this watch in Aliexpress for 179.00. In description, says that this watch can be used like a companion watch. Its true in your watch?
Interesting, good review. I would like to see a comparison to a real sports watch, but that only makes sense when BTLE is supported, which requires Android 4.3 or later. KitKat is expected for MT6572 soon, maybe MediaTek has made a better job and maybe even releases sources?
Hopefully the MT watches can cooperate, as DrLex started here.
It has some extras like FM and wired headphone I could live without. My use case is as a sports watch replacing a Garmin. I miss vibration, IP67 (even if it seems decent) and a barometer, NFC (as in the AbarGoo) and ANT+ would be a big bonus too.
A Sport Watch must be possible to operate without the screen, this at least has 4 buttons. That works OK with IpBike and an adapted Xposed Additions module: I can get multi and combo actions. (A link in Omate TrueSmart thread)
I consider giving up on my Omate TrueSmart, GPS broken which is a key feature for me.
Hm, should I wait for something better or get a TomTom with barometer instead?
arovaris said:
Dr. Lex i find this watch in Aliexpress for 179.00. In description, says that this watch can be used like a companion watch. Its true in your watch?
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Click to collapse
With the right app like SWApp Link installed, it should work as companion (haven't tried it). In the stock ROM there is an app that is supposed to have link functionality, but it is something custom that requires an APK to be downloaded from a Chinese only website, and manually installed on the other phone. That's probably the meaning of the description on AliExpress…
DrLex said:
With the right app like SWApp Link installed, it should work as companion (haven't tried it). In the stock ROM there is an app that is supposed to have link functionality, but it is something custom that requires an APK to be downloaded from a Chinese only website, and manually installed on the other phone. That's probably the meaning of the description on AliExpress…
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Click to collapse
Please, can you make a YouTube review??
arovaris said:
Please, can you make a YouTube review??
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Click to collapse
If you can wait, I won't have the opportunity to do that the next three weeks…
arovaris said:
Please, can you make a YouTube review??
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Click to collapse
There are YouTube reviews or at least presentations of SWapp Link.
The weak point is not the app but the connection between the connected devices.
The Omate TS defualt ROM did not work for me at all, the BT ROM DrLex used for the F80 should work better.
DrLex said:
If you can wait, I won't have the opportunity to do that the next three weeks…
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Click to collapse
Sorry, I want a f80 YouTube review.
---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:03 PM ----------
Well, buyed one. Now wait...
gerhardo said:
Interesting, good review. I would like to see a comparison to a real sports watch, but that only makes sense when BTLE is supported, which requires Android 4.3 or later. KitKat is expected for MT6572 soon,
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Click to collapse
I believe the PLUM GATOR uses a Mediatek MT6572A chipset too
And it seems that it has been already upgraded to Android 4.4 (Download link to the ROM...)
Search "Upgrade/Update Plum Gator 4.4.2 KitKat"
(I would I liked to post the link but ALL new users prevented from posting outside links in their messages)
Looking forward to see that happening on the ABARDEEN F80 too.
Bad. I buyer from a aliexpress seller but bad description. pictures are "abargoo ", but watch is abardeen, without 3g. Order cancelled.
DrLex said:
This is a relatively new model and still difficult to obtain, although availability is increasing and prices are dropping.
It is a standalone smartwatch, or watch phone as I call it. It could be compared to the Neptune Pine, but is not as bulky. It can be easily detached from its wristband and mounted into accessories like a bike handlebar mount or windshield mount. Thanks to the detachability, it is quite practical as a telephone (no Knight Rider poses or arm cramp required, just slide it from the wrist and it becomes a small handheld).
View attachment 2893181
This is made for the Chinese market, the manual and the website are in Chinese only. A factory reset sets the phone to Chinese. There seems to be a variation called “AbarGoo” that might have some extra features like limited 3G, NFC, and charging contacts on the back.
It looks a lot like the discontinued Motorola Motoactv. My guess is that they salvaged parts of the Motoactv manufacturing line and modified them. Aside from the scratch-resistant glass top and overall looks however, this has little in common with the Motoactv.
Specs:
Android 4.2.2
MT6572 1.2GHz Cortex A7 dual-core
1GB RAM
8GB NAND
700mAh battery (built-in)
5MPixel camera
GPS and compass
microUSB port, micro-SIM slot
3.5mm headset jack
light sensor & accelerometers
WiFi, Bluetooth, EDGE (no 3G though).
Despite being 100% Chinese (AFAIK), this is not the average cheap rubber-and-plastic Chinese watch phone that will fall apart after half a year of usage. The hardware is really good, which warrants its higher price tag. It looks quite water-resistant. I reckon it could withstand a short dunk, although IP67 might be a stretch.
The camera (t8ev5) is impressive: true 5MP with autofocus and macro up to 5cm (pixel-level details tend to get lost in aggressive noise reduction though). The screen is also very good, the first Chinese watch phone with perfect multi-touch that I have encountered.
Bluetooth keyboards work, which I consider a must have, especially on such small device. It is a rarity on these Chinese phones though.
GPS is pretty good, better than one would expect from the typical integrated MediaTek hardware.
Overall, very nice hardware.
The software is less impressive: it runs a rather crippled Android 4.2.2. No Play store, nerfed system settings, and a limited set of mostly custom apps. It has an annoying bug in its theme that causes white text on white backgrounds in many dialogs, especially important ones Other nuisances are huge fonts everywhere (makes sense, because Chinese characters require a larger font), and no clock in the status bar (hey, wasn't this supposed to be a watch?)
I have not managed to get TWRP working yet. Recovery partition is only 6MB which complicates things (as does my lack of knowledge about it). Any help with this would be appreciated. For now, I resort to MtkDroidTools for backups, and a slow and bloated version of SP Flash Tool for flashing.
I made a more extensive review for those interested.
Custom ROM
I solved the problems with the stock ROM by basically replacing it for the most part with another ROM. I started from a custom TrueSmart ROM by Dees_Troy, and combined it with parts from the stock system. I also fixed the layout problems that were in the dialer etc. Some small problems are left, but overall this is a huge improvement over the stock ROM. Next to fixing the bugs, it provides a working Play store, multiple languages, and the other goodies one would expect from a decent Android system.
Download the custom ROM (version 1)
The download includes instructions. Due to lack of TWRP at the moment, it is a bit kludgy to install, but it is worth it
I reckon this ROM will also work fine with the ‘AbarGoo’ version of this phone, but I guarantee nothing.
Many thanks to Dees_Troy, Lokifish Marz, AdamOutler, toastcfh, and kuronosan, who worked directly or indirectly on the TrueSmart ROM that I used as a basis for this ‘FrankenROM’.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Send me your recovery image.
arovaris said:
Bad. I buyer from a aliexpress seller but bad description. pictures are "abargoo ", but watch is abardeen, without 3g. Order cancelled.
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Click to collapse
Can someone kindly provide links to the cheapest one, I found $236 on AliExpress.
its ¥ 1388.00 on their site
I'm looking for a cool, unique phone. I don't use my phone much, mostly for SMS, playing music on the way to/from work, Waze, Uber, and a lot of reading the Web and Reddit. No heavy games.
As some have mentioned, there are sites where it's about $200 CAD, which I'm assuming is them getting rid of stock.
Any thoughts? It's either the Yotaphone 2, something else, or wait until the bendy Galaxy S8
Hi Jonathan
As a very proud and happy Yotaphone 2 owner, I definitely recommend it.
First of all, I'm still in love with its second screen.
My main EPD panel shows clock & battery+ notifications + switch tools (mobile data, wifi...). Think that all these infos and options are always displayed and accessible with a double-tap, and that's perfect. When you discover that it's possible, you realize that should be mandatory for every device, in fact.
I think I use the EPD 80% of the time, it's perfect for all the messaging apps, for example. Twitter also works very well. Generally, I find activities like typing or reading very nice on the EPD, because you can take your time. It may not seem like an obvious edge, but I came to the conclusion that's soothing and good for mental health.
Aging? I think I'm not a smartphone power user, like you, and I don't play much. Yet, it still perfectly handles Internet navigation and apps (GMaps, Pokémon,...).
And, last but not least, the people around me love it. It draws attention, and for some, it's even viewed as some kind of magical device.
Beautiful, nice to handle, build quality, there's so much good to say about this device that I can't do it alone. For me, its bigger flaws were related to my extensive use of the EPD : no EPD backlight, the lack for more and more EPD apps, and their lack of features (compared to the not-EPD apps), but even that is improving with system updates (another big one rolled just yesterday, in Europe). It could also use SD card and second SIM slots, but it would be too close to perfection.
Thanks to the guys in Yota.
MonsieurSun said:
Hi Jonathan
As a very proud and happy Yotaphone 2 owner, I definitely recommend it.
First of all, I'm still in love with its second screen.
My main EPD panel shows clock & battery+ notifications + switch tools (mobile data, wifi...). Think that all these infos and options are always displayed and accessible with a double-tap, and that's perfect. When you discover that it's possible, you realize that should be mandatory for every device, in fact.
I think I use the EPD 80% of the time, it's perfect for all the messaging apps, for example. Twitter also works very well. Generally, I find activities like typing or reading very nice on the EPD, because you can take your time. It may not seem like an obvious edge, but I came to the conclusion that's soothing and good for mental health.
Aging? I think I'm not a smartphone power user, like you, and I don't play much. Yet, it still perfectly handles Internet navigation and apps (GMaps, Pokémon,...).
And, last but not least, the people around me love it. It draws attention, and for some, it's even viewed as some kind of magical device.
Beautiful, nice to handle, build quality, there's so much good to say about this device that I can't do it alone. For me, its bigger flaws were related to my extensive use of the EPD : no EPD backlight, the lack for more and more EPD apps, and their lack of features (compared to the not-EPD apps), but even that is improving with system updates (another big one rolled just yesterday, in Europe). It could also use SD card and second SIM slots, but it would be too close to perfection.
Thanks to the guys in Yota.
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Click to collapse
Hi MonsieurSun, thanks for your opinion.
I also interested in that device and this is one of the forums with more Info about it.
I have been reading and I have thought about buying a case tpu but do not know whether to buy also screen saver. I would like to know your opinion also on better version of firmware and the various extensions to the EPD screen I've seen on the forum. Thank you and sorry for my English.
Hello
You are asking about the accessories, right ?
I just bought a plain black bumper a while ago, and nothing else. It cost around 10€ and saves the phone from bad falls (it did for me twice) and protects both screens. My screens still look like pristine ones, one year after purchase.
The most recent firmware EU .124 I already mentioned contains a lot of nice improvements and fixes, though it also brought one new and annoying bug : the EPD screen randomly (haven't found any specific pattern yet) freezes when typing SMS. It can be de-frozen with a simple lock/unlock, but it happens often to me. This is the only drawback so far, the update is very, very useful, but it's pretty obvious and upsetting.
As for applications, I installed several EPD tools from the store or from the forum, mostly the ones adding switches, but I ended up disappointed. My wild guess is that most of them would need me to root the device to bypass some privileges to work well, and I don't plan to root it. Typically, I wanted a mobile data and GPS switch, but these just invoke the parameter page where you have to switch the... well, switch, yourself.
I also installed a Playstore clock app with more infos, but the clock does not refresh itself every second, and minutes can go by without displaying the right time. Pretty useless.
To sum it up, I think that most of these apps work fine if you use them on a rooted phone, unlike me.
The EPD apps delivered by Yota work fine, and there's a thread around here just about ideas for new EPD apps.
MonsieurSun said:
Hello
You are asking about the accessories, right ?
I just bought a plain black bumper a while ago, and nothing else. It cost around 10€ and saves the phone from bad falls (it did for me twice) and protects both screens. My screens still look like pristine ones, one year after purchase.
The most recent firmware EU .124 I already mentioned contains a lot of nice improvements and fixes, though it also brought one new and annoying bug : the EPD screen randomly (haven't found any specific pattern yet) freezes when typing SMS. It can be de-frozen with a simple lock/unlock, but it happens often to me. This is the only drawback so far, the update is very, very useful, but it's pretty obvious and upsetting.
As for applications, I installed several EPD tools from the store or from the forum, mostly the ones adding switches, but I ended up disappointed. My wild guess is that most of them would need me to root the device to bypass some privileges to work well, and I don't plan to root it. Typically, I wanted a mobile data and GPS switch, but these just invoke the parameter page where you have to switch the... well, switch, yourself.
I also installed a Playstore clock app with more infos, but the clock does not refresh itself every second, and minutes can go by without displaying the right time. Pretty useless.
To sum it up, I think that most of these apps work fine if you use them on a rooted phone, unlike me.
The EPD apps delivered by Yota work fine, and there's a thread around here just about ideas for new EPD apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is already on the way and a bumper too. Thanks for your help, I'll keep reading the forum.
>It could also use SD card and second SIM slots, but it would be too close to perfection.
Does it have a SD-Slot?
No, it does not have any extra slots. I still don't have any issue with its 32 Go storage, but I guess some will.
To me, the extra screen is a nicer bonus
And I should also mention something about its charger. It's a nice-looking one (lights up when charging), and it looks very fast compared to most ones I saw before and since. Full charge from zero is done in less than 2 hours. I saw some deep review about it somewhere in the forums...
the phone is already at home
Enviado desde mi kenzo mediante Tapatalk
ygrigory said:
the phone is already at home
Enviado desde mi kenzo mediante Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
mine too
I opened the boot loader and have installed the latest version Ru, but I can not root the phone or install the recoverys of YD201 (I have YD206)
Enviado desde mi kenzo mediante Tapatalk
Well, I don't know anything about rooting yet, sorry.
But is your yotafon working fine anyway ?
Yd206 or yd201?
Hi,
I'm thinking of buying a yotaphone 2.
But which one should I buy?
Hardware info about both is a bit fuzzy.
Am I correct that yd206 has Snapdragon 801 and yd201 has Snapdragon 800?
Im on European 4g T-Mobile network, so supported band might be an issue.
Please if someone has any info, respond here
Thanks.
The only chinese shop with the current low price (120-140€) that offers the international version with all 4G LTD bands is coolicool.
Check it there. I orderded there a couple weeks ago. Still waiting to receive it.
king conan said:
The only chinese shop with the current low price (120-140€) that offers the international version with all 4G LTD bands is coolicool.
Check it there. I orderded there a couple weeks ago. Still waiting to receive it.
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Click to collapse
Efox has it too for similar price (http://www.efox-shop.com/yotaphone-...moled-fhd-bildschirm-android-44-4g-l-g-297740). Efox has not-so-great user-experiences lately, so might hesitate to buy there..
I like to hear whether there are more differences between the two models (Snapdragon 800-801?)
For this price I also can buy the Xiaomi redmi Note 3 Pro or LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X620, which have double the Antutu score AND are supported above Android 5.0.
But they are less cool, without the E-Ink :-/
Quite in two minds here...
j0p3y said:
Efox has it too for similar price (http://www.efox-shop.com/yotaphone-...moled-fhd-bildschirm-android-44-4g-l-g-297740). Efox has not-so-great user-experiences lately, so might hesitate to buy there..
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Click to collapse
Antelife, tinydeal, coolicool, efox-shop, myefox ...aaand probably some more I don't remember a.t.m - it is all the same seller. AFAIK they even share the same PayPal account (AUKEY INTERNATIONAL LIMITED). So it doesn't really matter which one you'll choose - but I'd advise you to pay with PayPal and use their protection if sth. goes wrong.
I have ordered my YD201 @efox for 129€ + ~15€ taxfree shipping to EU, but with code YP15 you'll get 15€ off so it's like a free shipping.
j0p3y said:
I like to hear whether there are more differences between the two models (Snapdragon 800-801?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both models have snap 801 (there's a new review by s7yler on YT - he had YD201 and you can see on his video that cpu-z shows 801).
Only difference is in radios (and preinstalled OS).
j0p3y said:
For this price I also can buy the Xiaomi redmi Note 3 Pro or LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X620, which have double the Antutu score AND are supported above Android 5.0.
But they are less cool, without the E-Ink :-/
Quite in two minds here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that is up to you
I have BV6000, I easly get on it over 60hrs per charge with 10hrs SOT - but mostly I use it for reading stuff (web browsing, ebook, mail) so I want to give that yotaphone a try. If it won't fit my expectations I'll just resell it.
j0p3y said:
Efox has it too for similar price (http://www.efox-shop.com/yotaphone-...moled-fhd-bildschirm-android-44-4g-l-g-297740). Efox has not-so-great user-experiences lately, so might hesitate to buy there..
I like to hear whether there are more differences between the two models (Snapdragon 800-801?)
For this price I also can buy the Xiaomi redmi Note 3 Pro or LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X620, which have double the Antutu score AND are supported above Android 5.0.
But they are less cool, without the E-Ink :-/
Quite in two minds here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My previous phone was a XRN3Pro and it's a better phone that YP2 in all specs (great camera, batery, SOC, etc.) I buy a YP2 because I really interested in the epd screen and I read a lot in my phone.
For anyother use you may buy the XRN3Pro .
mc_gee said:
I have ordered my YD201 @efox for 129€ + ~15€ taxfree shipping to EU, but with code YP15 you'll get 15€ off so it's like a free shipping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the code!!
Both models have snap 801 (there's a new review by s7yler on YT - he had YD201 and you can see on his video that cpu-z shows 801).
Only difference is in radios (and preinstalled OS).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange that every seller says it has Snapdragon 800 inside. Well, maybe not so strange since you say Aukey is the main firm above them all. Once bad info is there, than it'll be everywhere down the branch
Well, that is up to you
I have BV6000, I easly get on it over 60hrs per charge with 10hrs SOT - but mostly I use it for reading stuff (web browsing, ebook, mail) so I want to give that yotaphone a try. If it won't fit my expectations I'll just resell it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I find it quite difficult deciding, since I first was only looking for this Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro device when all of a sudden these Yotaphones appeared everywhere, screaming 'pick me, pick me!'
j0p3y said:
Thanks for the code!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No prob
Strange that every seller says it has Snapdragon 800 inside. [...]
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Click to collapse
It states Snapdragon 800 over whole internet - great example of global copy-paste, where some info was repeated so many times that it became official :/
HERE is post from Yotaphone representative, where he states, that those devices has Snapdragon 801 (a part written with bold letters - it's in russian, but any translator will help U).
Well, I find it quite difficult deciding, since I first was only looking for this Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro device when all of a sudden these Yotaphones appeared everywhere, screaming 'pick me, pick me!'
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Click to collapse
I had 2/16 version of RMN3P - grreat device ...with medium screen and camera quality. As ygrigory wrote before - it is overall newer and better device (spec-wise ...but still midrange, so I'm not talking about build quality here). If you will have EPD as a fancy gadget, I guess that in a long run you'll regret buying YP2. But if you read a lot ...you need to answer yourself - do you really need a higher Antutu score?
mc_gee said:
No prob
It states Snapdragon 800 over whole internet - great example of global copy-paste, where some info was repeated so many times that it became official :/
HERE is post from Yotaphone representative, where he states, that those devices has Snapdragon 801 (a part written with bold letters - it's in russian, but any translator will help U).
I had 2/16 version of RMN3P - grreat device ...with medium screen and camera quality. As ygrigory wrote before - it is overall newer and better device (spec-wise ...but still midrange, so I'm not talking about build quality here). If you will have EPD as a fancy gadget, I guess that in a long run you'll regret buying YP2. But if you read a lot ...you need to answer yourself - do you really need a higher Antutu score?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Mc_Gee, any tips on how to get the YT15 code working?
I put the phone in shopping cart, enter YT15 code and on next page I select second shipping option, German express (zollfrei) for €13,00. This is just added to the phone price of 129,99. So coupon not working (yet).
Hope you can help. Greetz edit* doh, it's YP15... which doesn't work either
j0p3y said:
Hi Mc_Gee, any tips on how to get the YT15 code working?
I put the phone in shopping cart, enter YT15 code and on next page I select second shipping option, German express (zollfrei) for €13,00. This is just added to the phone price of 129,99. So coupon not working (yet).
Hope you can help. Greetz edit* doh, it's YP15... which doesn't work either
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try YPH10 YPT10 or YPS10 for 10% off.. maybe one of them still works.
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.
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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
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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 :-(