Database Users

HTC 10 or S7

Hi everyone ,
I thought of getting the s7 edge but the 10 was pretty impressive. Which should I go for ? I flash Roms a lot and will definitely root it. I will be getting it unlocked for sure.

I had the HTC ONE M8. My contract was up this year. I went for the S7 EDGE and aside from missing the IR blaster, I don't regret it. However the lack of decent tempered glass screen protectors for the S7E is irritating.
That said, if the Edge model did not exist and the choice was between regular S7 and HTC 10, I would have stuck with HTC. The Edge uniqueness pipped it for me. I actually use the Edge UI quite a bit.
FYI some more background, I left Samsung years ago and switched to HTC for two reasons 1) fed up with TouchWiz and bloat ware 2) plastic materials. Something I felt HTC were addressing with their Sense and metal materials. I've gone full circle again. TouchWiz is less bloated now and actually enjoyable to use. And the hardware feels premium.
Sent from my SM-G935F using XDA-Developers mobile app

Are you getting the international S7? Because AFAIK, The US models don't support unlocking/root... so that's a big negative. Also, I never had a good experience using an international Note 5 on T-Mobile USA's network (if you're US based).
Each phone has pro's and cons. The S7 is certainly more polished right now, but HTC has been pushing updates daily to fix issues. Performance should ideally be faster on the HTC just because it is less bloated. I really appreciate HTC embracing stock Android as much as possible. I'll give you a quick rundown of my opinion on the devices... I'm having such a hard time deciding, I actually just ordered both and plan on using them back and forth to hopefully decide which I will use until the next Nexus or Note 6.
S7E:
+Insanely fast autofocus... camera is reliable right now. Better manual controls
+Great sunlight brightness
+Waterproof
+OLED screen
+Unique design
+Larger screen
+Huge battery
+Better slow motion video, and 60 FPS video
+Wireless charging
+UFS storage speeds
-micro-USB, v2.0
-TouchWiz
-No root capability for US models yet?
-Fingerprint reader is slower and must press power button
-Curved edges can distort colors (turn blue/green) on white browsing screens
HTC 10:
+Brighter screen in manual brightness
+High fidelity speakers and headphone jack, DAC/amps. High-res audio recording
+Lighter OS
+Better looking display whites
+Type C USB, v3.1
+Unlocked bootloader
+Better front and rear camera hardware (bigger pixels, OIS on front - software needs more polishing)
+$599 after discount code
-eMMC storage speeds
-Smaller display
-Only splash resilient
-Small battery for thickness
-No sunlight brightness boost mode
-LCD contrast (very good, but still nowhere near OLED)
If the 10 were OLED and 5.5", it would have been the perfect phone...

I love HTC, but now, i would pick the S7 edge.

Htc 10 is a good device. The S7Edge is a great device. You pretty much get the best components on the market. Htc 10 asks way too high of a price for what it offers, using emmc storage, bad optics for the camera, OIS not so good either, display is not that good unless you get a specific brand (basically a lottery), it gets too hot too fast ( search htc 10 forums)
The only reason you might wanna consider the 10 is maybe audio, not that its that much better than the S7Edge exynos. Samsung pretty much created the best device money can get to date.

FalconFX said:
Htc 10 is a good device. The S7Edge is a great device. You pretty much get the best components on the market. Htc 10 asks way too high of a price for what it offers, using emmc storage, bad optics for the camera, OIS not so good either, display is not that good unless you get a specific brand (basically a lottery), it gets too hot too fast ( search htc 10 forums)
The only reason you might wanna consider the 10 is maybe audio, not that its that much better than the S7Edge exynos. Samsung pretty much created the best device money can get to date.
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You're down talking the phone way more than it deserves. Have you even used it yet to back up those claims?
The latest eMMC is not THAT much worse than UFS. Most people are likely to not even notice a difference because once things are loaded in the RAM, it's moot.
How does it have bad optics? LOL. It uses the same sensor as the 6P which BEATS the S7E in plenty of low light tests due to superior HDR processing. The HTC with a bigger aperture AND OIS is a recipe for perfection if HTC can get the camera software right, which so far has gotten better, but is not where it needs to be. And how is the OIS bad?
I haven't seen much complaining about the panels. Apparently the more rare Sharp panels don't have an issue in landscape with polarized sunglasses and may have less visible tinting at extreme angles. But from what I saw in a YouTube video, after 2 weeks, the pink tint was practically gone at extreme angles hinting to it being an adhesive issue in the LCD which will clear up after a little bit of use.
Don't know anything about the heat actually being an issue. Apparently people feel the heat easily - it is an aluminum phone, so maybe it's just better at dissipating it, but I would bet that the S7E is less prone to thermal throttling with its vapor heat pipe. Not an issue for me because I never game on my phone.

Nitemare3219 said:
You're down talking the phone way more than it deserves. Have you even used it yet to back up those claims?
The latest eMMC is not THAT much worse than UFS. Most people are likely to not even notice a difference because once things are loaded in the RAM, it's moot.
How does it have bad optics? LOL. It uses the same sensor as the 6P which BEATS the S7E in plenty of low light tests due to superior HDR processing. The HTC with a bigger aperture AND OIS is a recipe for perfection if HTC can get the camera software right, which so far has gotten better, but is not where it needs to be. And how is the OIS bad?
I haven't seen much complaining about the panels. Apparently the more rare Sharp panels don't have an issue in landscape with polarized sunglasses and may have less visible tinting at extreme angles. But from what I saw in a YouTube video, after 2 weeks, the pink tint was practically gone at extreme angles hinting to it being an adhesive issue in the LCD which will clear up after a little bit of use.
Don't know anything about the heat actually being an issue. Apparently people feel the heat easily - it is an aluminum phone, so maybe it's just better at dissipating it, but I would bet that the S7E is less prone to thermal throttling with its vapor heat pipe. Not an issue for me because I never game on my phone.
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Click to collapse
Just the fact that you said that HTC has bigger aperture means you know s***t about cameras, The smaller the number the wider the aperture, 1.7 is better than 1.8. here is a comparison :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFww3-Ne3Fk
When i said optics i meant the lenses, not the sensor, but considering how you dont know which aperture size is better, there is no reason to waste my time on photography 101.
The S7 is the fastest device of the year (exynos), in day to day usage & in heavy tasks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvytFwkI8BA
As i said, the 10 is a good device, but not a great one, for the price they are asking for it, they are delivering the basic things, which every device this year does very well, and arguably the S7 excels not only at the basics, but goes beyond that with extras, (Wireless charging, heat pipe, IP68, etc).

FalconFX said:
Just the fact that you said that HTC has bigger aperture means you know s***t about cameras, The smaller the number the wider the aperture, 1.7 is better than 1.8. here is a comparison :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFww3-Ne3Fk
When i said optics i meant the lenses, not the sensor, but considering how you dont know which aperture size is better, there is no reason to waste my time on photography 101.
The S7 is the fastest device of the year (exynos), in day to day usage & in heavy tasks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvytFwkI8BA
As i said, the 10 is a good device, but not a great one, for the price they are asking for it, they are delivering the basic things, which every device this year does very well, and arguably the S7 excels not only at the basics, but goes beyond that with extras, (Wireless charging, heat pipe, IP68, etc).
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Click to collapse
My comment of having a bigger aperture was directed towards it being larger than the 6P, not the S7E. I am well aware that the S7E has a larger aperture, but the 10 has larger pixels. I'm not sure which would equate to taking in more light, but considering the 6P has been capable of producing better shots than the S7E in many scenarios at night, the 10 should be even more capable with its larger aperture (than the 6P).
Exynos is not available here in the US unless you get the international version, which is not worth it considering the issues that may arise trying to use it on US carriers based on my experience with an international Note5 on T-Mobile USA's network. If OP is outside of the US, then that is cetainly something to consider.
The S7 has its additional features, as does the 10. The heat pipe is only relevant if you heavily use the device. IP68 is cool for sure, but I don't know how well I'm warming up to the idea of getting the phone wet regularly. Wireless charging is pointless because it is a lot slower than wired, and you can't really use the phone easily when it's charging like that. The 10 has FAR superior audio (at least vs the SD 820 variant), has a larger aperture for the front camera along with OIS, more refined speaker audio, higher manual brightness, USB Type C v3.1, is less bloated, and - this is a big one for me - doesn't require you to hit a home button for fingerprint unlock OR to go home. I don't know why, but I hate pushing down on a button, especially to unlock the device.
I'm not arguing that the S7 isn't a great device. That's why I have ordered them both to see which suits me best. I'm just saying that calling the 10 only a "good" phone is a bit unwarranted at this point. HTC put a lot of effort in the right places and left it unlocked from the start, and has pushed updates daily since it launched. Samsung hasn't really innovated much like they could have. Last year's Note5 was a huge showcase of that... nothing new other than the updated design.

HTC 10 I liked best the camera.

Nitemare3219 said:
My comment of having a bigger aperture was directed towards it being larger than the 6P, not the S7E. I am well aware that the S7E has a larger aperture, but the 10 has larger pixels. I'm not sure which would equate to taking in more light, but considering the 6P has been capable of producing better shots than the S7E in many scenarios at night, the 10 should be even more capable with its larger aperture (than the 6P).
Exynos is not available here in the US unless you get the international version, which is not worth it considering the issues that may arise trying to use it on US carriers based on my experience with an international Note5 on T-Mobile USA's network. If OP is outside of the US, then that is cetainly something to consider.
The S7 has its additional features, as does the 10. The heat pipe is only relevant if you heavily use the device. IP68 is cool for sure, but I don't know how well I'm warming up to the idea of getting the phone wet regularly. Wireless charging is pointless because it is a lot slower than wired, and you can't really use the phone easily when it's charging like that. The 10 has FAR superior audio (at least vs the SD 820 variant), has a larger aperture for the front camera along with OIS, more refined speaker audio, higher manual brightness, USB Type C v3.1, is less bloated, and - this is a big one for me - doesn't require you to hit a home button for fingerprint unlock OR to go home. I don't know why, but I hate pushing down on a button, especially to unlock the device.
I'm not arguing that the S7 isn't a great device. That's why I have ordered them both to see which suits me best. I'm just saying that calling the 10 only a "good" phone is a bit unwarranted at this point. HTC put a lot of effort in the right places and left it unlocked from the start, and has pushed updates daily since it launched. Samsung hasn't really innovated much like they could have. Last year's Note5 was a huge showcase of that... nothing new other than the updated design.
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I dont know whats so amazing about higher manual brightness being higher, i keep mine on auto, and outdoors i can see the screen no problem, the 10 has way worst outdoor visibility.
Phones are getting stagnant. The S7Edge is the farthest a device can get as a whole package. Next year is where innovation should be made. Any device that you buy this year will have no problem bolding up beyond 2 yrs. I feel like sammy did the right thing with the s7, its improved in every possible aspect. As i said, the htc 10 is a good device compared to this year's flagships, but its the a great upgrade from the M9 and M8.
The htc 10 would be a great phone if priced well. 500$ is the best price for it. It doesnt offer much from the 6p, so it should be priced against it.

I have one more T-Mobile jump until it resets in June. Then I get 3 more upgrades for the year. I'm going to look at the HTC 10 but I don't know if I'll take the leap. Battery life is most important to me and I don't think the 10 will come close to the 8 hours SOT I'm getting with my S7E.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

Nitemare3219 said:
Are you getting the international S7? Because AFAIK, The US models don't support unlocking/root... so that's a big negative. Also, I never had a good experience using an international Note 5 on T-Mobile USA's network (if you're US based).
Each phone has pro's and cons. The S7 is certainly more polished right now, but HTC has been pushing updates daily to fix issues. Performance should ideally be faster on the HTC just because it is less bloated. I really appreciate HTC embracing stock Android as much as possible. I'll give you a quick rundown of my opinion on the devices... I'm having such a hard time deciding, I actually just ordered both and plan on using them back and forth to hopefully decide which I will use until the next Nexus or Note 6.
S7E:
+Insanely fast autofocus... camera is reliable right now. Better manual controls
+Great sunlight brightness
+Waterproof
+OLED screen
+Unique design
+Larger screen
+Huge battery
+Better slow motion video, and 60 FPS video
+Wireless charging
+UFS storage speeds
-micro-USB, v2.0
-TouchWiz
-No root capability for US models yet?
-Fingerprint reader is slower and must press power button
-Curved edges can distort colors (turn blue/green) on white browsing screens
HTC 10:
+Brighter screen in manual brightness
+High fidelity speakers and headphone jack, DAC/amps. High-res audio recording
+Lighter OS
+Better looking display whites
+Type C USB, v3.1
+Unlocked bootloader
+Better front and rear camera hardware (bigger pixels, OIS on front - software needs more polishing)
+$599 after discount code
-eMMC storage speeds
-Smaller display
-Only splash resilient
-Small battery for thickness
-No sunlight brightness boost mode
-LCD contrast (very good, but still nowhere near OLED)
If the 10 were OLED and 5.5", it would have been the perfect phone...
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Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the comparison. It's really helpful. I'll just get the S7 and the 10 at a go. I'll return either one. BTW I live outside the States.
And thanks, everyone for your thoughts.

Nitemare3219 said:
Are you getting the international S7? Because AFAIK, The US models don't support unlocking/root... so that's a big negative. Also, I never had a good experience using an international Note 5 on T-Mobile USA's network (if you're US based).
Each phone has pro's and cons. The S7 is certainly more polished right now, but HTC has been pushing updates daily to fix issues. Performance should ideally be faster on the HTC just because it is less bloated. I really appreciate HTC embracing stock Android as much as possible. I'll give you a quick rundown of my opinion on the devices... I'm having such a hard time deciding, I actually just ordered both and plan on using them back and forth to hopefully decide which I will use until the next Nexus or Note 6.
S7E:
+Insanely fast autofocus... camera is reliable right now. Better manual controls
+Great sunlight brightness
+Waterproof
+OLED screen
+Unique design
+Larger screen
+Huge battery
+Better slow motion video, and 60 FPS video
+Wireless charging
+UFS storage speeds
-micro-USB, v2.0
-TouchWiz
-No root capability for US models yet?
-Fingerprint reader is slower and must press power button
-Curved edges can distort colors (turn blue/green) on white browsing screens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% incorrect. When the phone is in sleep you simply need to press the home button down with a finger/thumb that's been setup and the phone will unlock. The physical pressing of the home button wakes the device then the fingerprint is immediately read. You don't even need to release the button. The power button on the side at no point needs to be touched.

Beefheart said:
100% incorrect. When the phone is in sleep you simply need to press the home button down with a finger/thumb that's been setup and the phone will unlock. The physical pressing of the home button wakes the device then the fingerprint is immediately read. You don't even need to release the button. The power button on the side at no point needs to be touched.
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Click to collapse
Sorry I used the wrong wording. I know you don't have to hit the power button - what I implied was you must hit the home button, physically push it down to wake the device for your fingerprint to be read. If Samsung would have found a way to avoid that requirement, the fingerprint sensor would be a lot more appreciable to me. I dislike the physical home button all together truthfully. I strongly prefer the 10's home button.
I've been using the S7E for a few days now. The 10 has been sitting at home, and will likely be getting returned. It's a good phone in a lot of ways. Maybe even a great phone. But every other phone out there is the best at something. The 10 is best at almost nothing, but good/great at everything. Problem is, most of those phones that are the best at something are also good/great at everything else too.
My biggest complaint with the 10 is the display. It just sucks compared to OLED. It has crazy motion blur, low brightness below 75%, a pink tint to the entire screen even viewed straight on, and has lesser contrast (but very good contrast for LCD). That combined with the display being SMALL, makes it a loss for me. I just don't want to use it as much as I do the S7E or the 6P.
I was really excited about the audio. I was really excited about the camera. I was really excited about the build. It gets all of those things right. But so do the other two phones I mentioned for the most part (headphone audio isn't that good on the S7E, but it's not bad enough to make me not want to use it). With a 5.5" OLED display, the 10 would've been phone of the year in my book, no questions asked.

S7 vs G4

It's been troubling my mind for a while, so I'll say it here. S7 feels kind of disappointing. Why kind of? Because it's a great phone, but with a lot of nuisances.
I upgraded (or moved) from LG G4 after hardware failure and my first impressions are rather luke warm. Let's split it into categories:
Design:
This is where S7 absolutely smashes G4 to pieces. S7 is really beautiful (although M7 is still my favourite) and G4 is, well, it tries, but is still ugly.
Ergonomy:
I love the smaller display, but the phone itself doesnt seem as ergonomic as G4. The rear buttons on G4 are great. Once I got used to them, I really miss them even after a month with S7. Also typing while lying is uncomfortable, which is something I never experienced with G4, but I really like having hardware buttons on S7.
Performance:
This one is a little sketchy. Although the phone doesnt freeze and switches apps really fast, the whole experience is not that excellent. Sometimes the display doesnt seem as responsive as it should (especially compared to Apple's exagerrated sensitivity) and the Briefing thing is just garbage. It lags and stutters every time you swipe from home screen to Briefing. This is not acceptable on any flagship in 2016. HTC had similar thing called BlinkFeed and it never, and I really mean it, never lagged. The whole phone just seemed more responsive. Even compared to G4.
Other than that, this phone is really fast.
Camera:
The camera is a mixed bag as well. On one hand, you get the amazing autofocus and almost instant camera launch, but on the other hand you get only 12 MPx and aggressive software sharpening. Don't get me wrong, 12MPx is plenty enough unless you want to zoom and see the details, plus shots in low light seem not that great. It just somehow feel like the camera isn't even an upgrade over G4, especially in low light. Haven't tried RAW capture, though. The pictures are usually great, but the upgrade over G4 seems very minor if there's some. Of course, this is all subjective and if I had G4 with me now, the S7 would probably win 3 out of 4 shots.
Front camera is worse though. The camera cannot focus on the whole picture and the edges are usually blurry, despite having subjects that are in the same distance from the lens as the subject in focus. Plus G4 had 8MPx, while S7 has only 5. Yeah, I know, there are more important things than resolution, but G4's front camera just felt better.
Overall quality:
Samsung should really work on quality control. Even if we say that Note's faulty batteries are not directly Samsung's fault, design of S7 is. I had mine 2 days. I repeat, 2 days, when it got stuck at boot. What was the problem? Motherboard. On a brand new phone that's never been dropped. And I was not alone, according to people on the Internet. The thing that bothers me is, if you cannot compete with Apple's build quality and customer care, don't compete so close to their price level. Yeah, I know. Samsung offers much more in terms of hardware at lower price than Apple, but in real life, you scarcely know the difference and the quality is just not there yet.
Other thing is wifi signal strength. With my plastic G4, I had good enough wifi signal in my bed, with S7 I can't usually even see the network. Same goes for other parts of house. G4 could connect everywhere, while I can only wish for that in S7.
Okay, to be fair. I really like this phone, but I was disappointed that it didn't feel like an upgrade over older and much cheaper phone.
What are your opinions on this? Anyone feels similarly, or did I just expect too much?

rs70 said:
It's been troubling my mind for a while, so I'll say it here. S7 feels kind of disappointing. Why kind of? Because it's a great phone, but with a lot of nuisances.
I upgraded (or moved) from LG G4 after hardware failure and my first impressions are rather luke warm. Let's split it into categories:
(....................)
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Click to collapse
I did the same switch a couple of weeks ago and it feels like a whole different world! The G4 wasn’t bad, and I had no bootloop problems like many others but the speed of the S7 is amazing! I can’t detect a SINGLE stutter and the gaming speed is out of this world, like always buttery smooth. The Snapdragon 808 of the G4 was no speed monster!
The display is really the biggest reason for the switch as I see it. There is no way I am going back to lcd now that I know that black can really be BLACK with amoled and not gray as with lcd. The white has a better clean look to it also. Over all it’s just like candy for your eyes!
The camera on the G4 is on the other hand in some ways better than the S7, mostly in low light situations. But the speed of the S7 camera, both start and focus, beats the G4 by miles. I think that the daylight photos in most cases looks better with the S7 to.
Here in Sweden the performance of the S7 with mobile network both LTE and WCDMA is just as good as the G4 if not better. I have the exact same coverage with my WiFi connections as I had with the G4.
And it’s the Exynos version as I live in Europe.

gerhard_wa said:
I did the same switch a couple of weeks ago and it feels like a whole different world! The G4 wasn’t bad, and I had no bootloop problems like many others but the speed of the S7 is amazing! I can’t detect a SINGLE stutter and the gaming speed is out of this world, like always buttery smooth. The Snapdragon 808 of the G4 was no speed monster!
The display is really the biggest reason for the switch as I see it. There is no way I am going back to lcd now that I know that black can really be BLACK with amoled and not gray as with lcd. The white has a better clean look to it also. Over all it’s just like candy for your eyes!
The camera on the G4 is on the other hand in some ways better than the S7, mostly in low light situations. But the speed of the S7 camera, both start and focus, beats the G4 by miles. I think that the daylight photos in most cases looks better with the S7 to.
Here in Sweden the performance of the S7 with mobile network both LTE and WCDMA is just as good as the G4 if not better. I have the exact same coverage with my WiFi connections as I had with the G4.
And it’s the Exynos version as I live in Europe.
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The stutters and delay are most obvious on homescreen when you try to swipe to the Briefing screen. I'm not saying the phone is not fast, but it just doesn't feel as smooth as, let's say an iPhone. Plus the delay when you press home button is a little annoying (if you disable double press for camera launch, it reacts immediately, but it's not worth the convenience of quick camera launch). Yeah, that's true that 808 wasn't the fastest processor out there, but G4 was at least as smooth as S7, though not as fast.
But I can only agree with you on the display, especially the part with black color. The other thing I just noticed is the low resolution of icons, both on homescreen and in app drawer. The icons are a bit blurry, while the text underneath those and widgets are perfectly sharp. I'm still not sure if I like TouchWiz, or whatever it is called today.

rs70 said:
The stutters and delay are most obvious on homescreen when you try to swipe to the Briefing screen. I'm not saying the phone is not fast, but it just doesn't feel as smooth as, let's say an iPhone. Plus the delay when you press home button is a little annoying (if you disable double press for camera launch, it reacts immediately, but it's not worth the convenience of quick camera launch). Yeah, that's true that 808 wasn't the fastest processor out there, but G4 was at least as smooth as S7, though not as fast.
But I can only agree with you on the display, especially the part with black color. The other thing I just noticed is the low resolution of icons, both on homescreen and in app drawer. The icons are a bit blurry, while the text underneath those and widgets are perfectly sharp. I'm still not sure if I like TouchWiz, or whatever it is called today.
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Most people install a decent launcher like Nova Launcher to replace the TouchWiz homescreen
I have double press home to open camera, and get no delay pressing home once

I never use the homepages supplied by the phone makers that force feed me with crap! Thats the first thing I remove, as with the HTCs blinkfeed. The next step is to buy Nova launcher Prime or Google launcher.
Try it, you will like it!

I switched from the G4 Dual (the only one disponible here in my country), and I feel like I was using a toy phone with the G4, leather all scratched out, the screen had pink marks (reflections of already used things, it appeared without any reason) and the motherboard gone, well i had all the G series but the G4 was a big let down for me (especially the dual sim one) the S7 smashes the G4 all the way to valhalla.

I also had a g4, still in my family now. It is complete garbage compared to s7. I don't have any stutter on the s7, it's not perfect but much better than the LG. And this coming from a Samsung hater, I dislike almost all their products. The camera is overhyped on both, g4 has better details but the app is garbage, very slow and 7 out of 10 photos on auto mode are crap. The s7 camera lacks detail but it's faster and consistent. Not to talk about the display and battery life where the s7 is much much better.
I still miss the soft android buttons and the fast updates on my old nexus 5... the only reason I don't have a nexus now is the manufacturer -lg- with crap hardware and materials (not interested in the phablets)
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I never used G4 but i heard about poor battery so did not went for it. I bought Lg G5 but then sold it because camera was average though wide lense was awesome but pictures were lacking details as you zoom in....probably worse than what you see with s7. Lg G5 also had poor brightness ...I personally found nexus 6p/5X as best camera for still photography ..I kept changing phones from last few months from nexus 5x to lg g5 and then G5 to S7 and now waiting to try Huawei p9

The s7 is superior in every way, since it costs more and is newer than the G4. The only thing that the G4 beats the s7 in is the developer friendliness.

While I love and miss the LG G4 I had earlier this year, I now have a Galaxy S7 Active and from the moment I first took a picture with it I was disappointed in comparison to the G4. For me personally, from the first image I took with the G4 I knew there was something special about that camera (meaning the lens and sensor) in that smartphone and even now when I don't have one anymore that device produced the best quality image data I've yet worked with from such devices.
I know the GS7A has the same camera setup the GS7 has but even so, I just find that the G4 produced better images when all was said and done, even when using plain old Auto mode let alone really getting some fantastic images done with the Manual mode.
I like the GS7A, I really do, it has some great aspects to it and I'm happy to have a relatively "rugged" phone once again - I owned the GS4A when it first came out years ago and loved it till I sold it, was an amazing device for its time. But I'm practically itching to find someone to trade a G4 for this GS7A (and maybe a few bucks thrown in on the deal considering the GS7A sells for $794 at AT&T and I could get a G4 practically new for ~$200 these days).
I miss the G4, I really do, and I miss what I could do with that camera on the G4 even more - if I could get one of the new ones that (apparently) has finally resolved the bootloop issue (think they're marked as 603 or something meaning March 2016 build date) I might actually do a trade with someone.

opps. nevermind.

I also upgraded from my LG G4 after it died, to the S7. I've only had it for a short while but so far I think it's a worthy upgrade. The only things I'm missing are the FM radio and IR blaster, but I can live without these.
Maybe Samsung will bring back the FM radio like they did the microSD card slot.

Used a G4 for a year, the S7 since last spring.
I can say that I got equally good camera shots in all conditions as far as I can tell. I know what the reviews show, but picture quality is negligent for me. Camera is much faster on the S7.
I miss the back buttons and the tap to turn on the screen in the G4. I also miss the larger screen.
With the S7, I love the amoled, and outside viewing is much much better. I found the automatic brightness of the G4 to be terrible, and in the S7 it works great.
Battery life on the S7 has been better for me, but it's hard for me to compare fairly as I have a few wireless chargers that I pop the S7 on throughout the day, so I am topping up without thinking about it much.
Water resistance has been brilliant for me too. While I have not dropped my phone in water, I use it in the rain regularly.
Sent from my SM-G930W8 using XDA-Developers mobile app

My LG G4 also broke last week due to bootlop of death; not under warranty because of unlocked bootloader.
I would like to buy a new one (can be found in stores for about 310 EUR) but I'm afraid that bootlop could happen again, so decided to leave LG (V20 will not arrive in Europe) and to go for a plain S7.
I loved my G4, buttons on the back were great to use.
Camera was impressive; many friends with "better" handphones were stunned seeing pictures taken at night (manual mode).
Main concern is downgrading from 5.5' to 5.1'; when I got the G4 the screen seemed huge, but after some time you ged used to it and quality was also ok for my tastes.
Let's see how the S7 will perform; my old S3 was a good phone after all...
Can you plese tell if the battery is removeable or not ? I have read different opinions about. My concern is that in certain occasions (flashing...) the software reset (Pwr+VolDwn) could not work and lead to a mess. Removing the battery is often the best thing that helps...
Regards
S

@sandrinopi The s7 has no removable battery. It's built in. However,pressing the power button for some seconds results also to a restart.
Στάλθηκε από το SM-G930F μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk

sloany84 said:
I also upgraded from my LG G4 after it died, to the S7. I've only had it for a short while but so far I think it's a worthy upgrade. The only things I'm missing are the FM radio and IR blaster, but I can live without these.
Maybe Samsung will bring back the FM radio like they did the microSD card slot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S7 does have fm
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Dri94 said:
S7 does have fm
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not on European versions, where FM radio is not factory installed.
If I correctly understood a couple of articles I read, the unique attempt that one can do is to install an FM radio app from Play store and cross fingers.
Rgds
S

TheSproker said:
The s7 is superior in every way, since it costs more and is newer than the G4. The only thing that the G4 beats the s7 in is the developer friendliness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Marketers dream of customers who define superiority by highest cost. There are many of us who think developer friendless is the single most important factor. I think the S7 is a horrible phone and a very poor value. I'm glad my teenage son enjoys the one I purchased because I would have sold it within days of buying it if it were my phone.

Moto G5 Plus vs Xperia XA1 fight

Hi. I'm on the hunt for my a new phone to replace my ageing Galaxy S5 Neo. I chose these two phones as they are within my budget and on the same price range.
Read that the Snapdragon 625 is slightly worse than the Helio P20 in terms of battery life and performance?
The speakers on the G5 Plus seem large but is sufficient enough on a London bus or a partly crowded high street than the XA1?
Is it true the G5 Plus' camera is similar to that of the Galaxy S7? Photo sample I have seen so far suggest a bland/low contrasty photo (Auto mode) and no video stabilisation?
And would you guys (still) think Sony is better in terms of pushing updates especially monthly security updates, bug fixes, etc.? Lenovo has been remise and negligent in updating the Moto lineup since acquisition. True?
Would the G5 Plus struggle with location apps such as Google Maps or City Mapper coz it has no compass or magnetometer?
"Splash resistant" body meaning is the phone safe when exposed to light rain or a drop of a glass of water?
Would love to hear your thoughts & advice please.

Short answer: I'd ask you to go with the Moto G5+ instead of the XA1.
Elaborate answer based on your queries:
1. SD 625 is the best processor currently available in the market with an excellent balance between battery and performance. I'm a daily user of G5+, i use it for Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Music, Gaming daily and not one day has passed when i had to charge it twice. Average SOT ranges between 6 and 7 hours, never below it. No stutters in day to day tasks, heats up only while charging, coming from SD801, this is a very surprising SoC, it performs as well in gaming, better in heat management and battery, and as good in performance if not better.
2. Don't know about XA1's speakers, but the speakers on G5+ are a bit disappointment. They are not loud enough for me, coming from a OnePlus One, however their front placement is a plus though don't expect to hear it in a very crowded setting.
3. Camera doesn't compare to S7 in ANY respect. If you expect this to perform as well as S7 please don't get this phone. It's nowhere near to it. However for the price, i don't think you'll find a better camera. It's great for social media needs, very good for good lighting conditions, average for low lighting. Video has EIS, so they are less shaky however lack of OIS hurts.
4. Regarding updates, Sony pushes out fast updates to its flagships, not that fast to midrangers. Moto on the other hand pushes out major updates fairly quickly though not as fast as they used to be, they are still comparable to other brands. Yes, Lenovo acquisition has made ​the software scene worse, but i guess it still is better than Sony's.
5. Regarding navigation, its top notch and lack of compass hurts only if you have no data or network signal. Otherwise it performs as well as any other phone, if you have decent data connection.
6. Yes, splash resistant means slight water exposure is fine. Just don't take it swimming with you.
Hope this helped

Many thanks the reply. But I would like to make some statements too.
According to http://www.specout.com/ the SD625 (of the G5 Plus) has a lower performing CPU than the XA1's Helio P20; the fact that the latter is newer and built on a newer 18nm process makes it better for battery life and a balanced performance. Agree or not?
You mentioned no stutters but you did not mentioned that with "only" 3GB of RAM (the only option here in the UK) the apps would load instantly using the multitasking pane? (Videos I have seen suggests apps in the background load up slowly. I could be wrong)
Re the speakers would you say they are better if not the same as last year's model?
Re the camera 9 out of 10 the video review I've seen so far makes the photos (& videos) looks dull, bland & lacking colour/contrast. Average low light doesn't sound encouraging to me. I don't know if it is because how the video was uploaded onto YT but so far it paints a not-so rosy picture. And you also mentioned the camera has EIS but only at 1080p at 30fps? True?
Is the storage based off eMMC or UFS standard?
I made a quick survey on Twitter and all who voted said Sony is faster in updates. But would you say Moto is still faster overall? Having no monthly security updates doesn't sound fast to me. And sometimes updates can be slightly faster in one region, slower in others. So, what is it really?
I still think having a compass would make a difference albeit incremental when using location services such as Google Maps, Weather or City Mapper or looking for an ATM or restaurant in a foreign city. A good network reception is not a guarantee (even here in London though most of the times it is very good) and having that extra piece of hardware will be a big bonus.
Re the nano coating if say i accidentally spill a glass of water or soda or dropped it into the sink for a few seconds or using my phone calling someone whilst it is raining would you say my phone won't get water damaged? (I always believe this nano coating is a half-hearted / money saving exercise as ports such the mic, USB charging port, headphone jack, speakers are prone to water. And when the water indicators have shown it Moto won't replace your device. That's how i see it.

From what I'm reading, you want the Xperia.
Go for it.

Sony is good with updates while Moto has been lazy lately. If you are concerned about updates and security, then Sony would be better but all depends on your requirements
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

matrixzone said:
Sony is good with updates while Moto has been lazy lately. If you are concerned about updates and security, then Sony would be better but all depends on your requirements
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both phones suit my requirements in one way or the other. But as a "precaution" it would be nice if a phone has a compass or magnetometer (which the G5 Plus doesn't have) , Cat-6 4G LTE (which both the XA1 and G5 Plus have) and nano coating for protection against minor water spills (which G5 Plus offers).
The XA1 is considered a mid-range phone which I heard Sony is quite slow in updating (apart from their higher mid-range or flagship models) whilst the Moto G5 Plus is also a mid-range phone but Lenovo has been slow to update lately.
So....which one?

Hi OP, which one did you get buying? I'm facing the same dilemma..

nub11 said:
Hi OP, which one did you get buying? I'm facing the same dilemma..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not bought either phone. I am selling my Xperia XZ and trying to determine which one phone will meet my needs.

Gino76ph said:
I have not bought either phone. I am selling my Xperia XZ and trying to determine which one phone will meet my needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am also facing the same issue. But i am favouring the G5 plus.

Go for the xa1 plus instead. Humongous battery, fingerprint sensor, louder speakers, fantastic camera, slightly lower performance than flagships. Only drwaback is it's plastic though but still it's a 10 out of 10 appreance wise

Is the G6 worth buying ? How's the performance,thermals,battery life ?

Hey guys i'm looking to buy a new phone (currently using the nexus 5x) and i've got my sights on the G6 or S7 Edge . The phones will be european versions so H870 and G935F . I would like to know if the G6 has any issues like bootlooping or overheating , how is the overall performance , battery life in general information of the device what you like in it and what you dislike . My personal points for upgrading are battery life coz i get a max of 3hrs sot with lets say an hour of gaming listening to music and messenger and the performance because the 5x throttles hard . Does the H870 come with anything like amp or wireless charging ?

Great hardware, ok software, very late updates

If you want screen on time I would look at Lenovo P2. 12-13 SOT, SD625 SOC, 5100Mah battery and amoled screen and over 4 days on standby for approx £225. Ok the camera is pants but everything else is great. G6 looks great but battery standby performance is rubbish. Either root it or gamble that Oreo will sort this out. S7 good phone but those bezels are sooo big and the edge is a bit of a gimmick. Have you considered Honor 9? Specs look good. I chose G6 H870DS over S7 but now wish I had bought a Lenovo P2. Good luck.

Percy247 said:
If you want screen on time I would look at Lenovo P2. 12-13 SOT, SD625 SOC, 5100Mah battery and amoled screen and over 4 days on standby for approx £225. Ok the camera is pants but everything else is great. G6 looks great but battery standby performance is rubbish. Either root it or gamble that Oreo will sort this out. S7 good phone but those bezels are sooo big and the edge is a bit of a gimmick. Have you considered Honor 9? Specs look good. I chose G6 H870DS over S7 but now wish I had bought a Lenovo P2. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From Huawei i looked up to the P10 but i see on the xda threat that it has minor custom rom,kernel,apps community but its a viable option . Im looking for good screen on time not the best but good enough for lets say 5 hours sot that will get me easily through the day also im looking for good performance in games and the wide angle lens seems sweet.

I make 5 h SOT easy , and i had the huawei p10 plus and i can say , LG G6 has better gaming performance than the p10 plus , i run pes2018 with no problem , the huawei had very lag so i couldn't play it
The camera is desapointing , the p10 is much better ( my opinion , dont judge me )
The p10 also looks faster in everyday use , opening apps , switching apps etc...

Interesting, I own a S7 Edge (Snapdragon) and a G6, but not the models you've listed running stock. I'll point out the main stuff first for the G6 that you wanted to know:
Bootloop: Not yet, but afraid of. I bought the G6 because it was ~ 250usd!
Overheat: No overheat for my G6.
Performance: My G6 is smooth... I don't think the Exynos is better than that.
Battery: The G6 has an odd idle battery drain, heavy use is fine. I get 5~7 SOT with heavy use, but seems like no one else gets 7 hours.
Wireless Charging: Seems like only US/Canada and G6+ come with that. S7 Edge has it.
Amp: Do you mean for audio output? The G6 without quad-dac is for low impedance headphones, like very low... the Exynos S7 Edge doesn't have the same internal DAC as I have so I can't comment on that.
I think you'll get used to the G6 faster than the S7 from the Nexus 5x. The navbar, the fingerprint sensor, closer to stock android than Touchwiz... but you may want something different .
For extra stuff, read below
LG G6:
Wide-angle (but check the 2.09 vs 2.01mm lens : https://www.reddit.com/r/lgg6/comments/7gqln4/lg_g6_is_produced_with_2_versions_of_wide_angle/)
Different aspect-ratio, may see black bars for 16:9 picture/videos
FM Radio
Navigation bar
IPS Display -> Screen retention only (no nav buttons/status bar burn-in)
Power button is at the back (odd if new to LG G series)
Fingerprint at the back like the 5x
S7 Edge:
Better front and back camera
Wireless charging
Vivid screen colors and deep blacks
Screen burn-in
Custom roms from xda? it seems to have great support for your model
Rumored 3rd year of update as the rumored Oreo update for the S6
Hardware buttons, my home button has a weird click noise now.
Curved screen, this is gorgeous but I don't like to watch videos on it, especially the subtitles that goes with the curve and it is hard to get and apply a screen protector that covers the entire thing!
Anyways, hope it helps

The G6 is in my opinion a good all round phone and does most things very well. It will easily get you through the day with 5 hours SOT but will need recharging every night. I have never had any issues with the phone overheating, lagging or crashing. The phone is very well built and it’s quality is in a different league to the G5. Personally this is the best smartphone camera I have used and the wide angle lens is a useful addition. The screen and the lack of bezels are what attracted me this phone along with the fact that it cost me half the original price 3 months after its launch.
What annoys me most is the fact that LG are very slow to update with security patches and more importantly android updates. There is a well known problem with poor standby battery drain in Nougat that some other manufacturers have addressed. Losing 15-20% of battery overnight is rubbish and we are hoping Oreo might improve this. LG sell a lot less phones than Samsung or Apple and have less resources/staff to develop products and update firmware. So whilst they are sorting Oreo for th V30 and developing the G7 we might have to wait well into 2018 for a G6 Oreo update. I so hope I am wrong!

TFutoMaki said:
Interesting, I own a S7 Edge (Snapdragon) and a G6, but not the models you've listed running stock. I'll point out the main stuff first for the G6 that you wanted to know:
Bootloop: Not yet, but afraid of. I bought the G6 because it was ~ 250usd!
Overheat: No overheat for my G6.
Performance: My G6 is smooth... I don't think the Exynos is better than that.
Battery: The G6 has an odd idle battery drain, heavy use is fine. I get 5~7 SOT with heavy use, but seems like no one else gets 7 hours.
Wireless Charging: Seems like only US/Canada and G6+ come with that. S7 Edge has it.
Amp: Do you mean for audio output? The G6 without quad-dac is for low impedance headphones, like very low... the Exynos S7 Edge doesn't have the same internal DAC as I have so I can't comment on that.
I think you'll get used to the G6 faster than the S7 from the Nexus 5x. The navbar, the fingerprint sensor, closer to stock android than Touchwiz... but you may want something different .
For extra stuff, read below
LG G6:
Wide-angle (but check the 2.09 vs 2.01mm lens : https://www.reddit.com/r/lgg6/comments/7gqln4/lg_g6_is_produced_with_2_versions_of_wide_angle/)
Different aspect-ratio, may see black bars for 16:9 picture/videos
FM Radio
Navigation bar
IPS Display -> Screen retention only (no nav buttons/status bar burn-in)
Power button is at the back (odd if new to LG G series)
Fingerprint at the back like the 5x
S7 Edge:
Better front and back camera
Wireless charging
Vivid screen colors and deep blacks
Screen burn-in
Custom roms from xda? it seems to have great support for your model
Rumored 3rd year of update as the rumored Oreo update for the S6
Hardware buttons, my home button has a weird click noise now.
Curved screen, this is gorgeous but I don't like to watch videos on it, especially the subtitles that goes with the curve and it is hard to get and apply a screen protector that covers the entire thing!
Anyways, hope it helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very useful information ! I looked at the G6 because the S7 Edge is getting 2 years old in about 3 month and the G6 is basically on par with the S7 Edge for specs and i see it as ''more future proof'' than the S7 Edge because of the design and dual camera setup . My only concern is the bootloop and that i saw reviews of the G6 having inconsistent performance and getting pretty hot , also because a friend of mine has the G5 idk if the G6 is even comparable to the G5 but he had a world of trouble with it 6 months into owning it he had to sent it in for a screen replacement then a battery replacement also it fragmented his data once. All I want is a better phone than the 5x with better battery and some kind of "future proof".

Ringanar said:
Very useful information ! I looked at the G6 because the S7 Edge is getting 2 years old in about 3 month and the G6 is basically on par with the S7 Edge for specs and i see it as ''more future proof'' than the S7 Edge because of the design and dual camera setup . My only concern is the bootloop and that i saw reviews of the G6 having inconsistent performance and getting pretty hot , also because a friend of mine has the G5 idk if the G6 is even comparable to the G5 but he had a world of trouble with it 6 months into owning it he had to sent it in for a screen replacement then a battery replacement also it fragmented his data once. All I want is a better phone than the 5x with better battery and some kind of "future proof".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree that the G6 looks more future proof with the design.
For the bootloop I'm not sure because I'm new to LG, I made sure to buy somewhere that LG would offer a warranty.
Your friend's case seems to be an immense trouble hahaha, he probably hates LG by now lol
Anyways, better phone overall is subjective so I can't decide for you with that , even if the 5x is from 2015.
Edit: And the batteries from both should in general be better than the 5x

TFutoMaki said:
Yeah I agree that the G6 looks more future proof with the design.
For the bootloop I'm not sure because I'm new to LG, I made sure to buy somewhere that LG would offer a warranty.
Your friend's case seems to be an immense trouble hahaha, he probably hates LG by now lol
Anyways, better phone overall is subjective so I can't decide for you with that , even if the 5x is from 2015.
Edit: And the batteries from both should in general be better than the 5x
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have both of them S7 and G6 what do you think about the display quality ? Brightness and colors ?

Ringanar said:
You have both of them S7 and G6 what do you think about the display quality ? Brightness and colors ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really not sure what to tell you about that...
Both have high resolution displays (QHD and QHD+), but I think the G6 has crisper images without looking at the ppi thing. Make sure to turn on QHD (1440p) for the S7 Edge! It is FHD (1080p) by default on Nougat. Just go to Display -> Screen Resolution.
Brightness I don't know, they both seem bright enough... for anything?
The S7 Edge has a little green tint near the 2 edges (left and right). With adaptive display on, the white is more white than the LG, the black is always more black, greater contrast, The colors are saturated. You can change the settings if you find it too vibrant by going to Display -> Screen mode.
The G6 has a cold display (blue tint everywhere). Colors are less vibrant compared to the S7 Edge. If you want, you can try going to accessibility -> vision -> screen color ajustment, tap on manual and slide a bit down the circle for higher contrast. It supports HDR, but seems to be useless for me as I don't use it at all.
The red on the G6 is like the red from a regular ballpoint pen that I was not used to. On the S7 Edge the red is a little bit orange which seems to be normal? The blue and green are similar, only that the S7 Edge's color is always more vibrant/popping to my eyes.
My opinion: I really don't mind which one I use, I have seen way worse screens.
Other issues that I have seen in real life (not on mine)
S7 Edge: Pink vertical line, Burn-in on the status bar
G6 : White bleed
In the end, I think the best thing to do if you have time, is go to a shop that has the S7 Edge and the G6 as a demo, take some time to compare those 2 if you are still focused on those 2, experience with those, and then choose the one you like .
Feel free to ask more questions if you want
Side note:
Are you planning to use emulators (NDS, PSP) on your device? I find the LG's display size better for those, more space for the controls. Also, I don't feel comfortable using an OLED because the controls may damage the display...

I'm waiting for my G6 to be delivered.
I did have a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus....which was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC on every level...battery life, performance etc....definitely beats the G6 in every way possible.
BUT, I cracked the screen on my S8...so sold it on Ebay and advertised it with the cracked screen and I had 51 bids and it soled for £400.00 !! AMAZING!
So I Bought a brand new LG G6 on Ebay for £260....lol can't fault the bargain!
Last LG I owned was the G3..which was awesome, even though the G6 screen is small compared to S8 Plkus...i'm hoping its gonna be a good phone anyway.
Matt

TFutoMaki said:
Really not sure what to tell you about that...
Both have high resolution displays (QHD and QHD+), but I think the G6 has crisper images without looking at the ppi thing. Make sure to turn on QHD (1440p) for the S7 Edge! It is FHD (1080p) by default on Nougat. Just go to Display -> Screen Resolution.
Brightness I don't know, they both seem bright enough... for anything?
The S7 Edge has a little green tint near the 2 edges (left and right). With adaptive display on, the white is more white than the LG, the black is always more black, greater contrast, The colors are saturated. You can change the settings if you find it too vibrant by going to Display -> Screen mode.
The G6 has a cold display (blue tint everywhere). Colors are less vibrant compared to the S7 Edge. If you want, you can try going to accessibility -> vision -> screen color ajustment, tap on manual and slide a bit down the circle for higher contrast. It supports HDR, but seems to be useless for me as I don't use it at all.
The red on the G6 is like the red from a regular ballpoint pen that I was not used to. On the S7 Edge the red is a little bit orange which seems to be normal? The blue and green are similar, only that the S7 Edge's color is always more vibrant/popping to my eyes.
My opinion: I really don't mind which one I use, I have seen way worse screens.
Other issues that I have seen in real life (not on mine)
S7 Edge: Pink vertical line, Burn-in on the status bar
G6 : White bleed
In the end, I think the best thing to do if you have time, is go to a shop that has the S7 Edge and the G6 as a demo, take some time to compare those 2 if you are still focused on those 2, experience with those, and then choose the one you like .
Feel free to ask more questions if you want
Side note:
Are you planning to use emulators (NDS, PSP) on your device? I find the LG's display size better for those, more space for the controls. Also, I don't feel comfortable using an OLED because the controls may damage the display...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the information and yes i do use a bit of emulator for psp games also i tried playing ps2 games but my 5x doesen't have the power to play them .

Ringanar said:
Thank you for the information and yes i do use a bit of emulator for psp games also i tried playing ps2 games but my 5x doesen't have the power to play them .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem.
Where did you find the PS2 emulator ? I tried the Nintendo Gamecube one and it wasn't great for both of my devices. PPSSPP with vulkan support works very nicely and Drastic for NDS is always good, even for lower end devices

TFutoMaki said:
No problem.
Where did you find the PS2 emulator ? I tried the Nintendo Gamecube one and it wasn't great for both of my devices. PPSSPP with vulkan support works very nicely and Drastic for NDS is always good, even for lower end devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The PS2 emulator that i found is called !Play .
Also i just watched some reviews is the dual pixel technology on the S7 Edge noticeably better than the G6's Auto focus ?

Ringanar said:
The PS2 emulator that i found is called !Play .
Also i just watched some reviews is the dual pixel technology on the S7 Edge noticeably better than the G6's Auto focus ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I may check that emulator out!
Better autofocus I don't know, they both focus on the right thing but what I've notice is that the S7 edge is faster at focusing. By the way, something that I forgot to mention is that the S7 can have a sony or a samsung sensor. I have the sony one.

Should I get the LG G6 in 2018?

I previously owned a G4 which I had to sell due to the bootloop issues. Then I went on to Huawei Honor 8 (my current phone) which has the poorest official update, root, twrp, cROM support I've ever seen in my life.
My needs are: Good camera, good performance, decent battery life.
My questions are:
Does the G6 have good XDA support?
Does it have good custom ROMs?
How hard is unlocking,rooting,flashing twrp?
How hard is the unbricking process? (Asking this bcz despite all the ****s of my Honor 8, it had a good unbricking process which made taking risks easier)
Note: My budget is limited, the only other options within my budget are: Pixel, OP3t, S7 (all of which are very old).

SirDarknight said:
I previously owned a G4 which I had to sell due to the bootloop issues. Then I went on to Huawei Honor 8 (my current phone) which has the poorest official update, root, twrp, cROM support I've ever seen in my life.
My needs are: Good camera, good performance, decent battery life.
My questions are:
Does the G6 have good XDA support?
Does it have good custom ROMs?
How hard is unlocking,rooting,flashing twrp?
How hard is the unbricking process? (Asking this bcz despite all the ****s of my Honor 8, it had a good unbricking process which made taking risks easier)
Note: My budget is limited, the only other options within my budget are: Pixel, OP3t, S7 (all of which are very old).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, G6 is the most underated phone of the last year, even this year can beat some called "high ends" but to answer your questions:
* Yes, the support for this phone is normal, not huge, not big but you have some development for this phone, some ROM's and Kernels.
* Already answered.
*You need to visit LG Bootloader Unlock page to see what variants of G6 can be unlock, not everyone can be so, be aware first.
*Unbrick is the same as previous models (G4, G5, V10, V20 etc) most needed is Uppercut or LG Bridge to solve the most common issues with this device, wich if you dont mess a lot then you wont have any problem.

You find all Answers in the Forum, when you already open your Eyes in the G6 Forum, LOL.
But for Customisation (root, unblock ...) its pretty hard, only less Variants of the G6 you can unblock and fill with a Custom Rom.
But the Phone itself has a good Battery and Performance

sun_is_shinning said:
Well, G6 is the most underated phone of the last year, even this year can beat some called "high ends" but to answer your questions:
* Yes, the support for this phone is normal, not huge, not big but you have some development for this phone, some ROM's and Kernels.
* Already answered.
*You need to visit LG Bootloader Unlock page to see what variants of G6 can be unlock, not everyone can be so, be aware first.
*Unbrick is the same as previous models (G4, G5, V10, V20 etc) most needed is Uppercut or LG Bridge to solve the most common issues with this device, wich if you dont mess a lot then you wont have any problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tnx for the answer. Which variant would you suggest me to get? In my experience, every phone has a variant that's more common and popular than the others.

SirDarknight said:
Tnx for the answer. Which variant would you suggest me to get? In my experience, every phone has a variant that's more common and popular than the others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont know what country you live but if you are from Europe you should get the H870 (not DS wich are Dual Sim, that model dont allow Bootloader Unlock). If you are from US you should buy a US997.
I dont know more variants who can be unlocked at the moment.

Dont opt for the G6. H870DS model has 64GB storage, quad DAC and wireless charging. Some models don't come with all these features. Instead, go for a Nokia or a Xiaomi smartphone instead. Nokia 7 Plus seems to be making a lot of ripples. Or wait for the Nokia X6 instead.
From personal experience, I can tell you this for a fact that LG G6 is a good phone with great performance capabilities, but in order to get that level of performance, you'll need to dive into all the options (gimmicks), like switching off the game battery saver and the LDB from the hidden service menu.
The company software support is a total zombie apocalypse!
Don't fall into the bandwagon, go through the benchmark scores of the phone enticing you and compare it with some competition to know better and make the right call.

It is a best value for money smartphone. You have just to compare its characteristics to others, in order to realize it. Its a flagship smartphone, built in with quality micro devices. Its price has fallen unpredictable and it's good time to buy it. LG service (in Europe) is excellent and immediate. I have tried it. I own a LG G6 (H870).

The dev support for this phone exists, but is very very minimal, since only two versions of this phone are bootloader unlockable.
Custom ROMs are available also, but any AOSP rom isn't going to be able to use the stock camera capabilities. This is a problem with most LG phones I believe, and was the same on my G3.
I'm using stock because the custom roms I've seen aren't 100% functional. Also you're not going to have many apps to customize stock like we did with G3 Tweaksbox for example.
For my US997, Unlock and Root was very straightforward, similar to my Nexus 6P, except you have to get an unlock file from LG's website. (as others have said, you must buy the correct model G6)
I bought this phone because it's a quality phone with a great camera, can root, unlock bootloader, headphone jack, perfect size and has an SD card slot which was important to me. But coming from the Nexus 6P and even the G3 before that, the lack of dev support for this phone is very frustrating.
This phone's stock roms won't let you encrypt data while it's rooted, which means if I lose my phone, anyone who knows how to boot into TWRP can access all of my data.
Because we don't have apps like G3 Tweaksbox or anything similar, you can't do basic stuff like disable the loud volume warning with your headphones on. (This is possible btw, but without a guide idk how to do it)
Overall I'm happy with this phone but if I broke it or lost it right now, I'm not sure I'd buy another one.

I love my G6, H870, rooted and xposed. I can change all I want using Gravity box for Oreo, that is listed as not compatible but it works good. Only thing I miss is dev support...
But....
If I have to buy a phone today looking for tomorrow...
I'll choose xiaomi and 845 chipset.... And treble support... Like a mi mix 2s, or if I can't afford it, a mix 2, about 300 euro..
Just my opinion

siggey said:
I love my G6, H870, rooted and xposed. I can change all I want using Gravity box for Oreo, that is listed as not compatible but it works good. Only thing I miss is dev support...
But....
If I have to buy a phone today looking for tomorrow...
I'll choose xiaomi and 845 chipset.... And treble support... Like a mi mix 2s, or if I can't afford it, a mix 2, about 300 euro..
Just my opinion
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Siggey, do you have a recommendation for a phone that works on all 4 carriers (G6 US997 doesn't support Sprint calling), has memory slot and can be rooted with some dev support

gergev said:
Siggey, do you have a recommendation for a phone that works on all 4 carriers (G6 US997 doesn't support Sprint calling), has memory slot and can be rooted with some dev support
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with Sprint you have to have an approved IMEI in order to pair the phone with the SIM ICCID and MIN...so even though the Mi Mix 2 should support Sprint, Sprint won’t allow you to use it unless they whitelist it in the store...which is tough to get I hear. Sprint is different from Verizon...Verizon doesn’t block unapproved phones (except during SIM activation) but Sprint in effect does so.
But I'm in europe and I don't know anything about the usa carriers, so I'm sorry I can't help you.

siggey said:
with Sprint you have to have an approved IMEI in order to pair the phone with the SIM ICCID and MIN...so even though the Mi Mix 2 should support Sprint, Sprint won’t allow you to use it unless they whitelist it in the store...which is tough to get I hear. Sprint is different from Verizon...Verizon doesn’t block unapproved phones (except during SIM activation) but Sprint in effect does so.
But I'm in europe and I don't know anything about the usa carriers, so I'm sorry I can't help you.
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That all makes sense. Thank you for your reply.

SirDarknight said:
My needs are: Good camera, good performance, decent battery life.
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Does the G6 have a good camera? Sort of. Front-facing camera is a little bit disappointing, but it's not an issue if you don't take selfies. The two cameras at the back are alright, but you're gonna have to use a custom build of GCam for better results.
Good performance? Overall, yeah. Not much I can say here. The built-in gaming settings allow you to change the resolution of games to favor either performance or graphics, if that's your cup of tea.
In terms of battery life, I can get 4-5 hours SoT using instagram a lot and LTE for the majority of the day with music playing in the background. Good enough for me.
Those other options you said you could afford are probably better, though.

I wouldn't recommend it really. LG's quality control is terrible (the fingerprint scanner keeps failing), and their software is always nearly a year late and pretty unstable, aesthetically not to my taste, and doesn't fully support substratum.
Performance, especially in graphics, seems far weaker and unreliable in real world usage than other flagships that have the same chipset. For example, the Google Pixel 2016 can run real racing 3 at default graphics reasonably fluently. G6 on the other hand is almost unplayable at default settings, even at 1080p resolution.
The display however is gorgeous. Blacks look like from an Amoled display, it's reasonably bright and quite saturated. I just wish it was 1080p by design, for performance, brightness and battery gains. I don't notice a drop in visual quality when I use the adb command to change it to 1080p, and that's taking pixel interpolation into account. 1440p is really not necessary, and VR doesn't count because the IPS LCD technology introduces high motion blur in a VR situation compared to amoled.
I continue to love the design of the phone as well, and it's super tough. Drop onto concrete from shoulder height unprotected (oops) gave it no more than a scuff or two. Personally I would have made the top bezel as wide as the bottom bezel but whatever. Just means that 16:9 games and videos are offset to the side which is distracting for me.
TLDR: Don't let that screen to body ratio lure you in. It makes no difference. There are better options for the price these days.

MDW 100 said:
I wouldn't recommend it really. LG's quality control is terrible (the fingerprint scanner keeps failing), and their software is always nearly a year late and pretty unstable, aesthetically not to my taste, and doesn't fully support substratum.
Performance, especially in graphics, seems far weaker and unreliable in real world usage than other flagships that have the same chipset. For example, the Google Pixel 2016 can run real racing 3 at default graphics reasonably fluently. G6 on the other hand is almost unplayable at default settings, even at 1080p resolution.
The display however is gorgeous. Blacks look like from an Amoled display, it's reasonably bright and quite saturated. I just wish it was 1080p by design, for performance, brightness and battery gains. I don't notice a drop in visual quality when I use the adb command to change it to 1080p, and that's taking pixel interpolation into account. 1440p is really not necessary, and VR doesn't count because the IPS LCD technology introduces high motion blur in a VR situation compared to amoled.
I continue to love the design of the phone as well, and it's super tough. Drop onto concrete from shoulder height unprotected (oops) gave it no more than a scuff or two. Personally I would have made the top bezel as wide as the bottom bezel but whatever. Just means that 16:9 games and videos are offset to the side which is distracting for me.
TLDR: Don't let that screen to body ratio lure you in. It makes no difference. There are better options for the price these days.
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If buying used (in very good condition), would you still say it is mediocre value for money? Assuming it is at least 25-35% cheaper than retail. And I would be coming from a G2 (running 7.1.2 and running it well).

4everAnoob said:
If buying used (in very good condition), would you still say it is mediocre value for money? Assuming it is at least 25-35% cheaper than retail. And I would be coming from a G2 (running 7.1.2 and running it well).
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My opinion of the phone has improved slightly since I wrote this, a factory reset improved its performance and fluidity a fair bit. Personally, right now I would get a Xiaomi mi A2 for $250 which is about how much you can get a used G6 for, just due to that clean software. However, the G6 is not bad for that price. Just make sure you factory reset it after installing all the available updates including oreo. And be prepared for graphics performance significantly weaker than other 821 phones, don't know why.

If you intend on playing anything that's more graphically-intense than Minecraft, I suggest you steer away from this phone. Game performance is so sloppy that Cytus II - a 2D game, mind you - can't even run at full speed.
Selfie camera makes you look like a painting. Back cameras are decent from my experience.
Battery life is alright, but you're gonna have to do a lot of weird stuff to make it last a day. Also, my iPhone 5s, which I had laying around since it was released in 2013, can last longer on standby, which says a lot.
In terms of custom rom support, I can't tell you a thing because my variant can't be bootloader unlocked.
I do not recommend this phone. Having had this phone for a year now, I have legitimate grounds to give my opinion on it. Get anything else.
TL;DR: Phone can't play graphically-intense games. Selfie camera sucks. Battery sucks. Don't buy.

Cameras suck? Tell me yer kidding plz...
MAIN CAMERA Dual 13 MP, f/1.8, 30mm, 1/3", 1.12µm, 3-axis OIS, PDAF
13 MP, f/2.4, 12mm, no AF
Features Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video [email protected], [email protected]/60fps, HDR, 24-bit/192kHz stereo sound rec.
SELFIE CAMERA Single 5 MP, f/2.2, 18mm
Video [email protected]
The rear has dual cameras, one of them being wide angle 12mm. That's so wide it has a slight fish eye effect. The single front camera is wide angle 18mm, very wide for a front camera. They both take great shots, especially with the GCam ports.
Both cameras on the rear are flat, there is no camera 'bump'. Read any of the original reviews, they rave about the cameras. Shocking to see negative comments about the cameras. For the money, especially today prices, probably one of the best camera setups available.

AsItLies said:
Cameras suck? Tell me yer kidding plz...
MAIN CAMERA Dual 13 MP, f/1.8, 30mm, 1/3", 1.12µm, 3-axis OIS, PDAF
13 MP, f/2.4, 12mm, no AF
Features Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video [email protected], [email protected]/60fps, HDR, 24-bit/192kHz stereo sound rec.
SELFIE CAMERA Single 5 MP, f/2.2, 18mm
Video [email protected]
The rear has dual cameras, one of them being wide angle 12mm. That's so wide it has a slight fish eye effect. The single front camera is wide angle 18mm, very wide for a front camera. They both take great shots, especially with the GCam ports.
Both cameras on the rear are flat, there is no camera 'bump'. Read any of the original reviews, they rave about the cameras. Shocking to see negative comments about the cameras. For the money, especially today prices, probably one of the best camera setups available.
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Who said the cameras suck? They're awesome!

AsItLies said:
Cameras suck? Tell me yer kidding plz...
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I am not kidding. I never was, never will be. You can have your opinion, and I'll have mine. Was something lost in translation? If it's me you're referring to, I only said the selfie camera sucks. In my post I said, "The back cameras are decent from my experience."
The selfie camera is not good. At least mine isn't. I don't know if there are any differences between models in different countries. Even in the best of lighting, it still pales in comparison to the G4, which I had before this device.