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I have been deciding against a S4 or an HTC One. Right now, I have an epic 4g Touch, rooted stock. While I enjoy this phone it definitely hasn't let me down, I would like NFC support, LTE, and a better camera. I have a couple questions for people that can use this day to day, versus an in-store demo model.
1) Does anyone know if this phone will or can support Tri-band LTE? It seems the HTC one is unable to do so.
2) Normal usage (Listening to music, texting, checking e-mail, facebook on the web, web browsing, youtube, etc) how long does your battery life last? If you don't mind could you also indicate whether you live in a strong signal area (consistently full bars) or a low signal area (less then three).
3) Is the phone really plasticy feeling?
4) How is the camera on the phone? From what I have read, the S4 camera excels well all around, however the HTC One is better in low-light, but has terrible photo quality due to algorithms for noise and such.
5) Is wireless charging a possibility for this phone?
6) Does this phone only support tectiles or can you get away with other NFC tags?
7) Does sprint only have a 16GB model? Is that model still plagued by the rather low internal storage issue? Note, I understand that can be resolved with a microSD card, but, I just wondered.
8) Does this phone have a sim card slot behind the battery cover? I was surprised to see the HTC One had one, but, I couldn't check with the store model since well, the back cover has the alarm stuff on it and they wouldn't let me see it.
9) Is this phone similar to rooting/flashing kernels like the Epic 4G Touch? No HTC Dev trickery and such?
10) For anyone that has used the "S" features (airview, air gesture, etc) do they actually work well or is it just bogus gimmicky crap?
ROM Specific/Other questions
1) Does anyone know of any applications that can mimic the zoe like features of the HTC one on the S4?
2) Does anyone know if the Google Experience ROM will make use of the home button so that it instantly goes to Google Now, versus going to a task manager? I don't know if there is an option to do this on the normal sprint rom, but when I was messing with the floor model, I couldn't find a way to do this.
3) Does the IR Blaster work on any of the Google Experience ROM's, or any other AOSP ROM?
Final question, to anyone that has used both phones, is there any recommendation or opinion that you can give after using both (possibly those that bought one and then switched it out half way through)
I am having a real hard time deciding one way or another for the phones, and while yes, I understand most of the people at this point say if you flash a GE Rom, the only two remaining selling points are "Removable battery and sd card" or not, it is hard to base the decision off of that, especially if you take into account the other properties of the phone.
I would really appreciate any feedback Thanks
1. No. There are no phones available in the US that support it right now, probably by the end of the year there will be some. Probably Note 3 and LG G2.
2.Battery life is great, I'm in a terrible area for service, as most of the Sprint Network is a bad area for service.
3. I like the way it feels other than the back is a little too slick, but doesn't matter with a case.
4. S4 has the best camera for a phone on the market right now and has a lot of awesome features built in. Htc One takes better low light photos but not by a huge margin and overall is a lower quality camera IMO.
5. Yes. http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones-accessories/EP-P100IJWUSTA
6. Not sure.
7. Yep 16GB is the only option for Sprint currently, but that might change soon.
8. Yes it has a SIM. But you can't use the GSM capabilities unless it is unlocked and you are out of the USA.
9. This phone is too easy to Root and flash ROMs on. I had the E4GT and remember the issues with it when flashing ROMs. All that changed with the S3 and beyond.
10. S features work great. I don't use them always but they work.
1. IDK
2. The GE ROM has different assigned apps to the buttons but I'm not sure what they are, just that they are the same as the other Google Edition phone.
3.AOSP= on one that I know of but that will change anytime. The GE ROM can.
You ask a lot of questions. You a cop? Lol. I have used both and my sister in law has the HTC One. I went back and forth contimplating which to get also and I chose the S4 and haven't regretted it at all. I like the simplicity of the HTC One and it is freaking smooth as can be with the software. But IDK I still like the S4. I don't think you will be disappointed with either one so whatever you decide enjoy.
Thanks, and yes I completely understand the differences between GSM and CDMA. I did see autoprime's post, however I do completely understand the differences.
As far as battery life goes, you said it was great, on average, how many hours is "great" cause that is huge perspective issue.
As far as the storage issue changing soon, is there any ETA or is that just rumors at this point? My upgrade is in three weeks, and I highly doubt that any change would happen this fast.
My biggest concern with the S4 is any form of laggy feeling. As I get that feeling a lot on the S2/E4GT, and it is really annoying.
Plus, since they are both super phones, it is pretty difficult choosing between the two.
GH0 said:
Thanks, and yes I completely understand the differences between GSM and CDMA. I did see autoprime's post, however I do completely understand the differences.
As far as battery life goes, you said it was great, on average, how many hours is "great" cause that is huge perspective issue.
As far as the storage issue changing soon, is there any ETA or is that just rumors at this point? My upgrade is in three weeks, and I highly doubt that any change would happen this fast.
My biggest concern with the S4 is any form of laggy feeling. As I get that feeling a lot on the S2/E4GT, and it is really annoying.
Plus, since they are both super phones, it is pretty difficult choosing between the two.
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Click to collapse
I've never gotten under at least 10 hours or usage. Even heavy. I get about medium to light usage at work and I have full LTE bars there. And still have anywhere from 30-60 when I go home. I've never experienced lag on this phone. But some have, but those people say the new update solved it as well. As well as added apps to sd an option. So storage won't be a thing you'll have to worry about per say.
For me, in a good signal area, I normally achieve a bit over 5 hours of screen time on autobrightness on a total time of 16 hours unplugged.
As for the feel, I like it. The phone doesn't feel cheap and it feels very solid. I don't find it slippery either. The back gently sticks on to your fingers, which prevent slippage and accidental dropping. Coming from the E4GT, I find the feel and grip better.
The camera, of course, is much better and has many cool features.
As for rooting and flashing stuff, I find doing this stuff much easier and more logical than the E4GT.
The S4 is a great phone and I think you'll be really happy with it. If you want a phone with tri-band support, you should probably wait a bit to see which new models Sprint will be announcing. There is a rumor that a new, updated S4 might be released with the Snapdragon S800 and tri-band support, although I doubt it.
Starting to look less Sony Z'ish (version1), and more Sammy/Nexus'ish:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/yotaphone-2-review
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2014/12/03/yotaphone-2-dual-screen-eink-android-smartphone/
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/1...date-december-for-europe-worldwide-next-year/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2855112/seven-things-to-know-about-the-dualscreen-yotaphone-2.html
http://www.androidauthority.com/yotaphone-2-announced-571851/
http://www.engadget.com/2014/12/03/yotaphone-2-review/?ncid=rss_truncated
Its out and its beautiful. What are people's general thoughts on the yotaphone 2? I really really really want one but prefereably not until its less than £500
I have the phone, and i like it, here are some photos, sry for the quality, photos are taken with HTC Desire 816.
Antutu 37451 points
Quadrant 20879
3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited 15086
PCMark 3753
my quick review
i have one,
ink display can be a little sluggish, and takes a little but to set up - can only use prefixed screens which can be slightly customized ... not like traditional hone screen where you can add a lot of widgets and apps!!!
case is slippy like most phones but overall pleased.
.but think price is a bit ott
not too much clutter ie inbuilt apps but no memory card slot
battery not lasting much longer at moment but playing a lot with it so hoping for better when novelty has worn off
customer care appears ok.... had to chase up delivery but it was carrier problem
I have also one. It is fast and slim. It feels realy nice and the ink display is working fine.
Missing all the options I have on S4 with custom roms xD
However, I'm trying to get root on the phone and so far I only found a way via Kingo Root. My problem is however that there is no driver for win7. If I enable USB-debug Kingo root can not find the device....
Nice thing is that you can charge it via EasyCHEE® T900: Qi for example.
I hope that I will find a way in the future to root the device p,p
It could do with a memory card slot and waterproofing. Hopefully in the next version
I actually preferred the Xperia Z'ish look but it might be just me.
Would you say that this phone was worth using as a dev unit or is it just a good phone to have in general?
just took the plunge and spent hundreds upon hundreds of pounds on a YotaPhone 2 (used YOLO as an excuse )
It will arrive next week so will be able to give some feedback if anyone will be interested
waiting for mine as well, hoping for it to come next week. will get back with first impressions sooooon
Would be really interested to hear how the battery life is if only the e-ink display is used. I only ever use my phone for reading webpages, text and phoning so if there was a big enough increase in life I'd switch.
G0dly said:
Would be really interested to hear how the battery life is if only the e-ink display is used. I only ever use my phone for reading webpages, text and phoning so if there was a big enough increase in life I'd switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using the yotaenergy mode but still allowing full data and background account sync I have managed to run 24hours with only 15% battery used, so I could push if to go for a whole week without charging.
In reality I make a bit more use of the phone and am typically getting 2-3 days use out of it between charges with about 30% battery left.
First report - it is utterly beautiful and the bumper adds to the aesthetic imo. E ink screen is great, feels lovely, panels are pretty configurable. All the yota apps are working pretty well for me and being able to switch over is a great feeling. Still slightly disconcerting when putting hand in pocket and feeling screen on either side but its class being able to just take out phone and look at clock, notifications and whatever else without unlocking and using negligible battery. It hasn't had a full charge yet, it had a small one and then had a heavy night of downloading and updating apps and playing with. At work now, will give it a full charge when I get back and then can do a proper battery test (don't have gsam on him yet either). I'm impressed so far though, seems to be holding out well considering there were a fair few solid hours of heavy usage.
Full report to follow soon.
It's name is Yakov - after one of my favourite crazy Russians; Yakov Pavlov. (for those interested in a good story or two - http://listverse.com/2012/09/17/top-10-facts-about-the-battle-of-stalingrad/ has good summaries)
anyone tried rooting yet?
Framaroot not working, will try Kingo next
Kingo worked on the first yotaphone, fingers crossed.
Just stumbled across the fact that there is a YotaPhone 2. I had waited for the first one for quite some months before going for a Nexus 5 (well, it was over half a year after YotaPhone was announced and before Nexus 5 came out, you do the math)
Now, even after it was finally released, it was certainly not set up for success. But they seem to have done everything right with the secnd incarnation (almost, that is. Bit weak on the processor and battery, and what's this Qi-charging which cannot be done with E-Ink facing up?)
The phone is about 520 Euros in Russia and I'm getting really tempted, especially reading initial reactions on here. But at this point I'm not sure I could live without my custom Android tweaks. Do you guys think there will be any development on this device? Maybe Yota would be smart to actually release their code...
Cheers,
rien
TLDR version of my review that I stuck on a yota 2 review thread - Very pretty phone, great front screen, back screen surprisingly useful and nice to look at and touch. Software well implemented. Hopeful for long term development improvements. Very good performance, great battery. Occasional glitch but nothing that detracts from and limits experience.
Overall, loving it. Expensive but very different and a joy to use.
I admit I'm very tempted, but yes, will there be any development? The novelty of the double screen will wear off and then I will certainly miss the tweakability of a rooted phone.
YotaPhone 2 successfully rooted
Achieved root on YotaPhone 2 on 4.4.3, build KTU84L.4.4.3-S01-003-EU1.0.3.56a using Kingo Root on a Windows 8 device.
Used the original YotaPhone ADB drivers downloaded from yotaphone.com
Hope that helps
Nice one dude, thanks very much for the info. Happy tinkering / modding.
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Note5, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Note5 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
I used nexus 6 before, everything was normal until the day I dropped my nexus 6 in the water and they couldn't fix my phone so I move to another new phone SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 5, really before I never liked Samsung cause it is made from plastic, but when the note 5 was launched I like it a lot and I want to buy it and I did, I love it, I love the screen, the camera and the finger print LOL.
Having used note 1,2,4, this is the best note ive ever Used. Its freaking fast and gorgeous. Screen，battery，pen，build quality and on and on.
Thanks for inviting me @svetius
So my first impressions of the phone was "WOW!!!" This was my first Note series phone and Samsung device since I had a Galaxy S4 for a short amount of time. I've always wanted a Note phone since the Note 2 but never made the jump to it because I figured it was just a fad or it had to be for someone that needed it's uses, such as the S-Pen, for their job maybe. I stuck with my Galaxy S2 which I used to ROM the hell out of! I never got board of it due to me changing ROMs every 5 seconds.
I really do love this phone! I purchased a case for it,https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VN6NIQI/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1, and I am ALWAYS tempted to remove it just cause how the phone looks and feels without it. I purchases a new case,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010R8CFG6/ref=ya_st_dp_summary, which arrives later today because I just want to feel like I'm holding the phone itself. It's not cause I feel like the phone is too big or anything like that, I actually like the bulk my current case adds. It's kind of a love-hate thing. Love the case, but want something where it feels like I do think have a case. I might even consider just opting to go for a skin from either Dbrand or SlickWraps.
Am I sad that there isn't an SD card slot, a little, but that's why I opted for the 64GB version. I feel it more than enough space for me. Removable battery? Not sad at all. I didn't care for them as much as some others do. Now about the S-Pen, I found that I actually do use it, much more than I thought I would. I use it to play drawing games, organize my files, and take screenshots and draw on them. I'm a visual person so sometimes it's easier for me to explain something by drawing it out. I've read that others don't actually even touch the S-Pen. I thought I was going to be one of those guys.
This phone is just awesome! Is it perfect? No, but no phone will ever be perfect. This just comes close to it.
Love this phone and I'm not even sure if I'll go back to a smaller phone ever. Might stick with the Note series or other phablets.
Thanks for reading. I almost turned it into a big review, had other things to say, but I gotta keep it short.
leo9891 said:
Thanks for inviting me @svetius
So my first impressions of the phone was "WOW!!!" This was my first Note series phone and Samsung device since I had a Galaxy S4 for a short amount of time. I've always wanted a Note phone since the Note 2 but never made the jump to it because I figured it was just a fad or it had to be for someone that needed it's uses, such as the S-Pen, for their job maybe. I stuck with my Galaxy S2 which I used to ROM the hell out of! I never got board of it due to me changing ROMs every 5 seconds.
I really do love this phone! I purchased a case for it,https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VN6NIQI/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1, and I am ALWAYS tempted to remove it just cause how the phone looks and feels without it. I purchases a new case,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010R8CFG6/ref=ya_st_dp_summary, which arrives later today because I just want to feel like I'm holding the phone itself. It's not cause I feel like the phone is too big or anything like that, I actually like the bulk my current case adds. It's kind of a love-hate thing. Love the case, but want something where it feels like I do think have a case. I might even consider just opting to go for a skin from either Dbrand or SlickWraps.
Am I sad that there isn't an SD card slot, a little, but that's why I opted for the 64GB version. I feel it more than enough space for me. Removable battery? Not sad at all. I didn't care for them as much as some others do. Now about the S-Pen, I found that I actually do use it, much more than I thought I would. I use it to play drawing games, organize my files, and take screenshots and draw on them. I'm a visual person so sometimes it's easier for me to explain something by drawing it out. I've read that others don't actually even touch the S-Pen. I thought I was going to be one of those guys.
This phone is just awesome! Is it perfect? No, but no phone will ever be perfect. This just comes close to it.
Love this phone and I'm not even sure if I'll go back to a smaller phone ever. Might stick with the Note series or other phablets.
Thanks for reading. I almost turned it into a big review, had other things to say, but I gotta keep it short.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That first Verus case you posted a link to is that plastic or metal? Hoping it's plastic
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
bkeaver said:
That first Verus case you posted a link to is that plastic or metal? Hoping it's plastic
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's plastic. The case looks good with the White Note 5, which is the one I have. If you have the Blue Sapphire one, I would definitely go for the Black TPU over the transparent one.
I am pretty pleased with the Verus case, it reminds me of the Spigen Neo Hybrid, but I opted for this one cause it was slightly cheaper and it came in clear with a bumper that looks very similar to the metal banding on the Note 5. It's pretty thin, but not as thin as the case in that second link I posted.
No micro SD, no removable battery, fingerprint grease ball, multi-tasking like its 2009... 1 step forward, 4 steps back.
Karly Johnston said:
No micro SD, no removable battery, fingerprint grease ball, multi-tasking like its 2009... 1 step forward, 4 steps back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, and add to that no IR blaster and no MHL support. Mine arrived yesterday and it is going back. Literally at least 4 steps backward.
robroy90 said:
Yep, and add to that no IR blaster and no MHL support. Mine arrived yesterday and it is going back. Literally at least 4 steps backward.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't count how many times I used the IR Blaster and MHL.
IR Blaster was great to change channels at the bar. MHL was replaced by chromecast and smart TVs (all have miracast now)...
The phone is amazingly fast due to lack of micro sd. This would not be a problem if it had a 128Version.. I bought a microsd pendrive... at least photos and movies I'll keep with my keys and is easier to show on TV and share with friends PCs.
but battery.. that's my worst complain.. one day of medium usage... I'm getting a power case...
could be a great evolution, but it's a revolution not all for best... but its fast.. yes it is
I went from a Note 4 (SD) to an S6 and then to a Note4 (Exynos) ultimately to end my quest with the Note 5 (white N9208 duosim).
Always in search for the best combination in terms of looks, speed, screen quality, cam quality, features....I really think I have found my match (well...so far at least). The S6 was too small and the Note 4 just a bit too slow (in comparison with the S6).
Looks : the Note 5 is just the most beautiful phone I have ever seen...period. :good:
Screen quality : simply incredible! Remember I already has the S6 and Note 4...but the Note 5 even tops those.
Speed : it possitively flies! The additional 1GB RAM helps with multitasking (TW still isn't perfect though).
Cam quality : we already know how good the camera of the S6 is...this is just more of the same...in all departments it shines!
Features : it's a Note...enough said! :laugh:
Do I shed a tear for the non-removable battery and non-expandable storage space? Nah...not really. The IR blaster would have been nice to have, but also no biggie imo.
Just an awesome beast of a phone!!!
I have used the whole note series from 1 to edge and now the note 5, its just amazing. Great looks awesome design,speed, performance.
Just love it
I was dead against Samsung phones before this one. I have a close friend here at work that let me use his for a couple days when my last phone (OPO) was out of commission from a bad flash. He let me restore it and make it mine for the entire 3 days I had it. Once I put the google now launcher on it and removed all the bloat it was an amazing phone. I went out the last night I had his and got my own. I love it, truly the best Android device to date.
Acill said:
I was dead against Samsung phones before this one. I have a close friend here at work that let me use his for a couple days when my last phone (OPO) was out of commission from a bad flash. He let me restore it and make it mine for the entire 3 days I had it. Once I put the google now launcher on it and removed all the bloat it was an amazing phone. I went out the last night I had his and got my own. I love it, truly the best Android device to date.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish i have your friend.... so i can enjoy note 5 for 3 days... i cant buy one at this moment cause its to expensive. maybe ill wait 6 months and check if i can afford by then.
I've switched from jb'd iPhone 5S to the Note 5, and I'm completely happy. I've had prior rooted devices, and slow Android devices as well, so I know about memory management (which the Note handles just fine with what I do) so I have nothing to complain about yet. Well except for when my iPhone friends send me videos they come in compressed/crappy looking. Not sure why...
Awesome Phone! had the Oppo FIND 7 before and this one beats it by far! in every aspect.
Even after having it for a week now I still love it. I have found a couple things that bother me, though I am learning to live with them. The one that stands out most is the duplicate apps Samsung uses and wont allow you to disable. Calendar stands out most. Google's version is FAR better in every way. Samsung version looks like the one from early Android. If you try to turn it off it will turn ALL calendar apps off. If your force disable it, it messes with calendar event syncing. For now I just ignore it. Does anyone have advice on this?
Acill said:
Even after having it for a week now I still love it. I have found a couple things that bother me, though I am learning to live with them. The one that stands out most is the duplicate apps Samsung uses and wont allow you to disable. Calendar stands out most. Google's version is FAR better in every way. Samsung version looks like the one from early Android. If you try to turn it off it will turn ALL calendar apps off. If your force disable it, it messes with calendar event syncing. For now I just ignore it. Does anyone have advice on this?
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Click to collapse
For debloating your Note 5 check this thread :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/general/guide-bloating-touchwizzing-note-5-t3184563
You can practially disable everything with the package disabler app. It's great!
daffie said:
For debloating your Note 5 check this thread :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/general/guide-bloating-touchwizzing-note-5-t3184563
You can practially disable everything with the package disabler app. It's great!
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Click to collapse
Using it, only did it to a few of the service though. It makes me nervous with some of the stuff that basic xml file has listed. I dont want to lose some of the functionality or risk stability. I did move to this because of being tired of the constant flashing and updating my past phones, lol.
Acill said:
Using it, only did it to a few of the service though. It makes me nervous with some of the stuff that basic xml file has listed. I dont want to lose some of the functionality or risk stability. I did move to this because of being tired of the constant flashing and updating my past phones, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the Basic list and even added some of my own to block. So far everything is still working great and I have had no problems whatsever. So you may try the Basic list if you like. I think it's a rather save list to start of with.
I'm still awaiting a safe root option for my N9208 because I would like to use adblock, titanium backup and have the option to edit build.prop (for better multitasking).
Looking forward to custom roms, but somehow I have a feeling there won't be many available (esp. for my duosim version).
Came from iPhone, s3, Note 2, Note 3, LG G4 and now the Note 5. IMO, it has the best screen, best camera of any phone regardless of platform. Super snappy. In the few months I've owned the phone had only one app force close itself. With my Note 3 after 18 months it was frustrating to use. I couldn't go a day without the phone freezing up, app force closing etc.
I'm optimistic my GNote5 will last me a year and stay fast until my next upgrade.
Very very satisfied.
HI
I would like to know your opinion. I really want to upgrade my phone. As most of you know Nexus 5 battery and camera are not great and after 2 years I own it battery is getting bad. We have 2 new Nexuses out but for some reason I`m not a big fan of them. I already studied threads on XDA and it seems N5X isn`t a big upgrade for N5. Ofc camera is better but the rest is a bit disappoiting. N6p is too expensive for me as I live in Europe. Paying 649 euro for 32 GB is too much for me. Also there is a lot of concerns about the build quality.
So I came up with idea to give a chance to OPT. I already got an invitiation but still can`t make the decision wheater to buy it or not. Specs looks amazing so the build quality. Camera is fine and battery seems to be a lot better than my N5. The only concerns are the finger print sensor that is not as accurate and fails sometimes to read the print and software that comes with it. I read that a lot of apps crashes, some of them like Google Maps only works in horizontal mode etc. Is it really that bad ? Should I avoid coming from Nexus device to chinese brand ? I also heard that Oneplus support is really poor. Waiting for weeks to get the answer through the ticket system.
I would like you to share your opinion about that matter please. Still have 24h before invitation expires. Thank you !!
Hey,
I had a similar problem. I changed the N5 on the OPT and my impressions are these:
+ Battery is much better.
+ Fingerprint reader works well.
+/- Dual sim is an advantage, but to automatically identify, with the sim card I want to call and write text messages are annoying and every 1-2 days I have to re-adjust to manual selection (I use a personal phone number and buisness phone number).
+/- Camera takes good photos, but there are problems with slow autofocus.
+/- In everyday use I do not see much difference in performance between the OPT and N5 (everything running smoothly).
- Lack of NFC and QI charge (although I admit that in N5 did not use these features).
- I suggest you immediately buy a case or backcover, because the back of the phone has an unpleasant structure of sandpaper.
I'll hope I helped you. I apologize in advance for grammar
Coming from a nexus 5 myself. I love the OPT. I have no complaints about the phone itself.
My only concern is development, hopefully that will change once the phone is released to the masses, dropping the invite system.
With the OPX now released I wonder will many people who were going to buy the OPT now purchase the X instead... Will have to wait and see.
For me everything except the heating of device because of SD 810 and bugs in OxygenOs here and there works nice. If you don't care about heating issue this will be a good buy.
ralph78 said:
HI
I would like to know your opinion. I really want to upgrade my phone. As most of you know Nexus 5 battery and camera are not great and after 2 years I own it battery is getting bad. We have 2 new Nexuses out but for some reason I`m not a big fan of them. I already studied threads on XDA and it seems N5X isn`t a big upgrade for N5. Ofc camera is better but the rest is a bit disappoiting. N6p is too expensive for me as I live in Europe. Paying 649 euro for 32 GB is too much for me. Also there is a lot of concerns about the build quality.
So I came up with idea to give a chance to OPT. I already got an invitiation but still can`t make the decision wheater to buy it or not. Specs looks amazing so the build quality. Camera is fine and battery seems to be a lot better than my N5. The only concerns are the finger print sensor that is not as accurate and fails sometimes to read the print and software that comes with it. I read that a lot of apps crashes, some of them like Google Maps only works in horizontal mode etc. Is it really that bad ? Should I avoid coming from Nexus device to chinese brand ? I also heard that Oneplus support is really poor. Waiting for weeks to get the answer through the ticket system.
I would like you to share your opinion about that matter please. Still have 24h before invitation expires. Thank you !!
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I came from a nexus 4 then had a oneplus one and now a OPT. The phone is great. Oxygen OS sucks but I'm running hydrogen OS with trebuchet launcher. Fastest phone I've ever used and the camera is great. I never have issues with the fingerprint reader. The only issue is there is no quick charge so it takes 2+hours to fully charge but the battery lasts me all day so that's not an issue.
I did the same cange and the OPT with oxygen OS is way slower than N5 with marshmallow, and it is sometimes buggy, sometimes the camera is super slow... The battery is waaay better and the camera takes much better pictures on the OPT. The screen and the audio is also much better on the OPT. The speed problem is a software problem, with cyanogenmod it is super fast. I am happy, but for not flashers you need to trust oneplus and Oxygen updates if you want this phone.
I also came from the Nexus 5. The N5 was my all-time favorite device. I did my research, gave it some thought, weighed my options and decided to take a chance with the OPT.
I have no regrets, at all now.
Reading of other OPT owner experiences, I was reluctant and at first regretted my decision, but that passed once I got my hands on it.
I have rooted my OPT and have tried all the available roms and kernels for it. While the OPT doesn't yet have as many roms available, it has enough to satisfy my mod addiction for now. I'm confident that developers will put out more and more over the next while.
Currently I'm back to using OxygenOS (2.1.1) and the Beoffla kernel. I also use coolify and disable the "keep awake" permission on pretty much everything. In the kernel settings I use the Impulse governor and the row scheduler.
I don't have a screenshot available, but I generally get around 4.5 hours SOT, unless I was playing games or something intensive. Sure charging takes a couple of hours, but I stay on top of it and it never becomes a problem for me.
Is OxygenOS perfect? Nah, but no rom is "perfect". It is stable enough to use as a daily driver and has enough options to tweak things a bit. People often complain that OxygenOS isn't stable or doesn't offer enough built in mods. I think that's horse****. It's a matter of knowing what you're doing. I use Tasker for nearly anything that isn't built in to the OS. No worries.
The camera on the OPT is pretty decent. Again, you will read complaints about speed and whatnot, but I really don't think it's that slow. I mean, I'm rarely shooting something that requires super high speed reaction. Know what I mean? See the attached picture of my cat. That's not bad in my opinion.
That was just a quick shot, no set up, just point and shoot.
Besides, a good photographer can take a good picture with a crappy camera. There's far more to taking a picture than resolution and speed of software.
The only time my OPT feels hot is when I'm flashing roms. Even then its not abnormally hot or anything. During normal useage even while playing games the temp never gets unusually hot. Of course it's going to feel hot if you plug it in and play Need for Speed for an hour. Any phone would get hot.
The only roms currently which allow you to use the fingerprint sensor are OxygenOS and HydrogenOS. I think it works very well. The only time it doesn't respond is when I don't put my finger on the sensor properly. It works every time i do it right.
I love the notification slider. It's convenient.
I bought an official OPT flip cover. I think it looks and feels great.
The speaker works sufficiently well for a small speaker. Again, I don't have much need for using the external speaker. I prefer headphones, however, on the occasions I've used the speaker, it was loud and clear. That's all I need.
Dual sim... I only need/use one sim. Using one works properly as expected. The sim I used in my N5 was of course a micro sim, but the OPT uses nano sims, so I just trimmed my micro sim to fit the nano slot. Never had any problems.
So, overall, I'm very happy with the OPT.
My single real complaint is that I like to use an OTG cable and flash drive. The generic USB c OTG does not work on the OPT. You have to use the USB c to microsd adapter. I mean it's not the end of the world, its just an inconvenience.
Get the OPT. You won't regret it.
I was set on a OnePlus 3T but this is one sale right now and I LOVE the audio capabilities of this thing. I have a rooted OP1 and have run CM for a couple years. It sounds like this phone isn't as far along as the OP3 when it comes to Roms etc... Correct? Any good Roms with everything working? One with theme customization would be nice too. Being used to perfectly working CM etc. would I regret getting this or should I go for it? Are there good Rom alternatives? I used to be one who would tinker with my phone a lot but these days I want a ROM thati like and just works and don't have to worry about it.
One other thing. It has been a long time since I've had a phone with an SD card slot. Can that storage be used as internal storage? On my Shield TV I can make one huge pool of storage with all the external storages plugged in.
effluent said:
I was set on a OnePlus 3T but this is one sale right now and I LOVE the audio capabilities of this thing. I have a rooted OP1 and have run CM for a couple years. It sounds like this phone isn't as far along as the OP3 when it comes to Roms etc... Correct? Any good Roms with everything working? One with theme customization would be nice too. Being used to perfectly working CM etc. would I regret getting this or should I go for it? Are there good Rom alternatives? I used to be one who would tinker with my phone a lot but these days I want a ROM thati like and just works and don't have to worry about it.
One other thing. It has been a long time since I've had a phone with an SD card slot. Can that storage be used as internal storage? On my Shield TV I can make one huge pool of storage with all the external storages plugged in.
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You could have just looked at the ROM section of the forum to find your answer. We currently have one CM ROM, and it's not "perfectly working". It's a WIP.
You should buy the OnePlus 3T. The dev community for the Axon7 won't ever be as big as OP, and it seems that's what you care about.
Hola
I was interested in this A7 since it was announced earlier this year due to the amazing hardware and audio capabilities.
Fast forward 3 months or so since I have it, I can say that it delivers on the hardware in most aspects. The issues with this phone in my experience:
1. Camera ain't the best but just ok. Don't consider this phone if camera is important to you.
2. The hardware capacitive buttons are too close together and up to now it is tough to use the back and recents. This can somewhat be managed by using on screen navigation buttons which is available from one of our kind Devs who added it to a stock firmware based ROM.
3. There is no minute vibration controls. It is either on or off. On simply provides a hard, and relatively long vibration, annoying when typing. Yes you can turn it off on your keyboard but I still prefer it on regardless.
4. The single biggest issue for me is the lack of stable third party ROMs like RR, Pure Nexus, multiROM, DU, and the like. Also no full kernel is available yet - I see a Dev was able to provide 1 kernel but it is a work in progress and for that we are most grateful to the Dev. Another Dev, Unjustified Dev, took the time and effort to provide us an instance of CM13.1 but it has major issues with audio and mic. We know that Unjustified Dev has put a lot of time into trying to get the audio working better but due to the proprietary drivers related to audio it is also a work in progress. A few others have been trying to also help but mic is still iffy at this point. So if third party ROMs are your thing then this ain't a phone worthy of your money.
5. So frustrated I was with the initial lack of stable third party ROMs that I went ahead and purchased the OnePlus 3T, man that brand can attract Devs. I used the OnePlus for a few weeks but because I missed the dual front facing speakers of the A7, I went back. By this time another Dev was able to provide a very stable stock firmware based ROM with a few additional tweaks while keeping the audio features intact. I now use the A7 with Xposed and it is now OK. I am still hoping that our brilliant Devs will be able to get us a stable CM instance and I know they are still sacrificing time and effort into trying to provide us something.
6. I go back occasionally to my 3T to play with the latest iterations of some custom ROMs, but audio is the missing feature on the 3T.
Hope this helps you. I can't really pronounce on the other items you raised.
Get the A7 ... Great hardware & software improves (literally) daily!
OP3(T) has poor carrier support in the US. US model of Axon 7 is better tailored to US networks.
The Axon 7 is due to get an upgrade to Nougat in January 2017. I'm sure there will be many fixes to known problems that come with it.
QAM said:
Hola
I was interested in this A7 since it was announced earlier this year due to the amazing hardware and audio capabilities.
Fast forward 3 months or so since I have it, I can say that it delivers on the hardware in most aspects. The issues with this phone in my experience:
1. Camera ain't the best but just ok. Don't consider this phone if camera is important to you.
2. The hardware capacitive buttons are too close together and up to now it is tough to use the back and recents. This can somewhat be managed by using on screen navigation buttons which is available from one of our kind Devs who added it to a stock firmware based ROM.
3. There is no minute vibration controls. It is either on or off. On simply provides a hard, and relatively long vibration, annoying when typing. Yes you can turn it off on your keyboard but I still prefer it on regardless.
4. The single biggest issue for me is the lack of stable third party ROMs like RR, Pure Nexus, multiROM, DU, and the like. Also no full kernel is available yet - I see a Dev was able to provide 1 kernel but it is a work in progress and for that we are most grateful to the Dev. Another Dev, Unjustified Dev, took the time and effort to provide us an instance of CM13.1 but it has major issues with audio and mic. We know that Unjustified Dev has put a lot of time into trying to get the audio working better but due to the proprietary drivers related to audio it is also a work in progress. A few others have been trying to also help but mic is still iffy at this point. So if third party ROMs are your thing then this ain't a phone worthy of your money.
5. So frustrated I was with the initial lack of stable third party ROMs that I went ahead and purchased the OnePlus 3T, man that brand can attract Devs. I used the OnePlus for a few weeks but because I missed the dual front facing speakers of the A7, I went back. By this time another Dev was able to provide a very stable stock firmware based ROM with a few additional tweaks while keeping the audio features intact. I now use the A7 with Xposed and it is now OK. I am still hoping that our brilliant Devs will be able to get us a stable CM instance and I know they are still sacrificing time and effort into trying to provide us something.
6. I go back occasionally to my 3T to play with the latest iterations of some custom ROMs, but audio is the missing feature on the 3T.
Hope this helps you. I can't really pronounce on the other items you raised.
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Thanks. Fortunately I don't care much about camera quality. With dev stuff really I can get by as long as I can root it and have at least a stockish rom that completely works.
One thing I do like now is the ability to customize the notification LED to change colors based on different things. Would this be possible with this device?
It really infuriates me that almost all devices come out with one mono speaker. It seems like stereo speakers of any kind at least should be standard at this point. Then again I'm one who wishes these phones had physical keyboards because After seven or whatever years I still can't type worth a crap on a screen.
ZTE is a ****ty company with crap software. And the community development for this device is almost non existent (except for a few guys that are doing their best with what they have).
But you get front facing speaker and great audio (with awful support, though).
ZTE is so bad as a company that they dont even let us discuss about the Nougat update. You'd think they learn something after the last update that broke the power managment of the device and couldn't fix anything since launch , but no... 3 months now since the last update and we dont get a proper fix.
So, back to topic. Go with the OP3T, you get a better device, with better support and more resell value.
yamils said:
ZTE is a ****ty company with crap software. And the community development for this device is almost non existent (except for a few guys that are doing their best with what they have).
But you get front facing speaker and great audio (with awful support, though).
ZTE is so bad as a company that they dont even let us discuss about the Nougat update. You'd think they learn something after the last update that broke the power managment of the device and couldn't fix anything since launch , but no... 3 months now since the last update and we dont get a proper fix.
So, back to topic. Go with the OP3T, you get a better device, with better support and more resell value.
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Not sure what to believe. I have also heard that OP has the worst support and ZTE's is better. I've never had any problem with any phone or needed any support really outside of me messing stuff up with rooting etc.
I saw one review from August talking about the A7's great power management. Are you saying that no longer works?
yamils said:
ZTE is a ****ty company with crap software. And the community development for this device is almost non existent (except for a few guys that are doing their best with what they have).
But you get front facing speaker and great audio (with awful support, though).
ZTE is so bad as a company that they dont even let us discuss about the Nougat update. You'd think they learn something after the last update that broke the power managment of the device and couldn't fix anything since launch , but no... 3 months now since the last update and we dont get a proper fix.
So, back to topic. Go with the OP3T, you get a better device, with better support and more resell value.
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The Axon 7 has a 2 year warranty vs. 1 for the OP3T so the support argument is not clear-cut.
flamingspartan3 said:
The Axon 7 has a 2 year warranty vs. 1 for the OP3T so the support argument is not clear-cut.
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We are clearly talking about a different type of support.
Anyways, in my country I dont have neither OnePlus nor ZTE support so I really dont care about warranty.
effluent said:
I was set on a OnePlus 3T but this is one sale right now and I LOVE the audio capabilities of this thing. I have a rooted OP1 and have run CM for a couple years. It sounds like this phone isn't as far along as the OP3 when it comes to Roms etc... Correct? Any good Roms with everything working? One with theme customization would be nice too. Being used to perfectly working CM etc. would I regret getting this or should I go for it? Are there good Rom alternatives? I used to be one who would tinker with my phone a lot but these days I want a ROM thati like and just works and don't have to worry about it.
One other thing. It has been a long time since I've had a phone with an SD card slot. Can that storage be used as internal storage? On my Shield TV I can make one huge pool of storage with all the external storages plugged in.
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I am the same as you. Personally I don't think CM adds much compared to stock providing you already use a different launcher. I personally use blinkfeed launcher from HTC on all my phones (and it has custom theming) and I can tell you that with that I don't need any other ROM as I feel the settings menu on the Axon 7 is great. Initially the software had some mild annoyances but with the latest update I am perfectly happy (and nougat update should fix the last remaining issues in January based on what ZTE said).
I think the OP3T is also a strong device, but you would be trading off gorgeous QHD display and amazing sound with slightly better battery life, which I personally don't use, since the Axon 7 charges in 70 min.
Personally I don't feel it makes sense to buy a full HD device going into 2017, as I want to be able to use good quality VR. Also on AMOLED displays which have a pentile screen arrangement 1080p is more like 900p in terms of sharpness. QHD look more like 1200p.
The only case where I would recommend the OP3T is if you are a non VR hard-core gamer and need extra performance as 1080p display can help squeeze more performance, but in most games the difference won't be that noticeable.
yamils said:
ZTE is a ****ty company with crap software. And the community development for this device is almost non existent (except for a few guys that are doing their best with what they have).
But you get front facing speaker and great audio (with awful support, though).
ZTE is so bad as a company that they dont even let us discuss about the Nougat update. You'd think they learn something after the last update that broke the power managment of the device and couldn't fix anything since launch , but no... 3 months now since the last update and we dont get a proper fix.
So, back to topic. Go with the OP3T, you get a better device, with better support and more resell value.
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I completely agree with this guy. I'm blown away by how poorly ZTE have managed things, and their support is borderline non-existent. If the 1080p screen of the OP3/T wasn't a borderline deal breaker for me (VR) I would have attempted to return this phone. If I had to pick a phone right now I'd buy a OP3T, and that's even considering that the DAC on the A7 is a big deal for me which leads me to my next point...
You say the DAC is a big deal for you, well I should let you know that the Hi-Fi DAC it doesn't seem to work in anything but ZTE's default app which is absolute trash with less than bare-bones functionality and it's very buggy.
Edit: I forgot to clarify one point; why "1080p" is so pixelated for VR. It's because AMOLED panels are advertised as false resolutions due to a legal loophole; there isn't legal standard. They use a pentile pattern meaning they have 1/3rd less subpixels, and as much as Samsung's engineers will tell you that it effectively looks the same to the human eye, it absolutely does not, even at extreme density such as "1080p" on a 5.1" display, or even "1440p" on this 5.5" display. On flat colours I can see the pentile pattern.
yamils said:
We are clearly talking about a different type of support.
Anyways, in my country I dont have neither OnePlus nor ZTE support so I really dont care about warranty.
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For me warranty is a decision factor. The fact that ZTE offer 2 year warranty even for unlocked devices is a plus, even if I don't feel a need to unlock right now. The fact that Nougat update will be very fast coming already in January is also a plus.
Only if you are in the US, consider the Axon 7. Anywhere else, including the US, OnePlus is a reliable option.
People complain about the ZTE software. I love it. Had it for 3 days and no complaints. I live outside the US and it works fine on our 4G networks in Trinidad.
The screen and the speakers are two things the Axon 7 trumps over the OP3T. And a visual and listening experience to me is reason enough to get this phone over any other. amoled 1440p and front facing stereo speakers PLUS memory card support and a great battery? Its a no brainer, get this phone
^ I've never really had much of an issue with the cosmetics of skins. The Honor 5x I am replacing is about as heavy a skin as you can get these days and I didn't mind it. People always hate on it because it rips off Apple (ZTE does a bit of that too). Of course I found Google Now launcher, and have since move on to Action launcher, which is just awesome.
It was between the One Plus 3T and the Axon 7. The price is what ultimately did it for me. I got the A7 for $325 shipped on Jet.com, when I called to ask a question and the woman gave me a $15 off code. That's over a $100 difference in price with very comparable specs (even without the code it was going to be $340 shipped). I care about roms, but only after ZTE will EOL the phone. And with prices coming down, and value like this at around the $200-300 price point, I might not even keep it that long.
ZTE needs to make an impression on the US market. Or at least they want to. They did the hardware right this time. Now they just need to do the update dance. Honor (Huawei) committed to two years. These two brands appear very similar in software thinking and other areas. Given the Azon 7's two year warranty, I think the are probably going to also commit to two years of updates, stated or not. It only makes sense. And it also makes sense to announce that. Or anything. Maybe I missed it.
This phone is highway robbery at $325. I might have considered the $100 more if the 3T were waterproof.
Avantiel said:
People complain about the ZTE software. I love it. Had it for 3 days and no complaints. I live outside the US and it works fine on our 4G networks in Trinidad.
The screen and the speakers are two things the Axon 7 trumps over the OP3T. And a visual and listening experience to me is reason enough to get this phone over any other. amoled 1440p and front facing stereo speakers PLUS memory card support and a great battery? Its a no brainer, get this phone
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Yeah, I was happy the firts couple of weeks too.
Let us know when you start to get annoyed with the bugs.
If you want good Dev, ROM support., go with 3t. That is my biggest disappointment with the A7. This could change in the near future but it may not. Don't get me wrong, the A7 is a really good phone but if I had to choose again, I would sacrifice resolution and SD card for more Dev support.
azpatterson3 said:
If you want good Dev, ROM support., go with 3t. That is my biggest disappointment with the A7. This could change in the near future but it may not. Don't get me wrong, the A7 is a really good phone but if I had to choose again, I would sacrifice resolution and SD card for more Dev support.
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I don't see much changing as far as dev support goes for the Axon. With the death of CM it becomes even more unlikely that devs are gonna pick it up for development. It's about 6 months since release now and there is barely anything for the Axon so we'll have to be really optimistic to see anything change now. The main difference here is not aftermarket support, but the support from the in house devs of OnePlus and ZTE. And OnePlus is way more mature in that aspect. Mifavour is not half as bad but it will eventually wear you down.