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Hey Everyone,
I was asked today by a friend what my thoughts were on the Evo after two weeks of ownership, and was inspired to write up a first-hand review which I want to share with you.
What are your thoughts of the Evo after your first two weeks, what do you find to be it's strengths and weaknesses...and how would you compare it to other smart phones like the iPhone 4, Droid Incredible, and upcoming Droid X. Anyone with buyer's remorse?
Please try to keep fanboy/fangirl-ism to a minimum, if possible...as I'm really looking for unbiased feedback.
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Friend's question: So how's that new phone treating you?
My thoughts:
Very good, but until it has "Froyo" 2.2 I have to bite my tongue on a final judgement.
On paper and in RL, the hardware specs are impressive.
Build quality is good (but not great) mostly due to issues I've read about with users experiencing a "glass separation" and grounding woes (resolved? as of the latest HTC firmware)... or maybe just plain separation anxiety from my G1 and a tactile keyboard...ok, bad joke. I haven't had any of the issues reported, but will say there is some minor light-leaking on the lower bezel of the phone, where the glass meets the plastic casing. Other than that, it'srock solid. No random crashes, no overheating, no dead pixels, no battery charging problems, no issues with mounting the phone to a PC or swapping the microSD card. Everything just works, as expected (which if you're shelling out 300 bucks for a phone, that's the minimum expectation). I also like the fact that there's a warranty option available for the purchase, unlike the iPhone.
The updated HTC Rosie/Sense UI is beautiful nearly flawless. Navigation is straight-forward, but I fear for a slightly older generation of users (e.g. anyone born before the 80s) it may seem too "busy" and overwhelming. HTC has done a lot to outperform Android's stock UI. Integrated multitouch (limited) for the home screen along with the Live Wallpapers integration (which are both fun and cheesy) is a pleasure to use. HTC's widgets are great (but not the best for application specific platforms like Twitter - use Seesmic instead, blows Twidroid out of the water). The HTC keyboard also blows the stock Android keyboard away.. I just wish the bloody thing integrated multi-touch interface (mostly for copy-pasting and capitalizing).
Sprint's network is impressive, but their 3G speeds seem a bit slower than my experience with T-Mobile. Until we have 4G here in FL, the jury's still out. In contrast, I also haven't had random network outages or call dropping as I was prone to with my G1 on T-Mobile. Over WiFi, YouTube and even embedded Flash videos (yes, I got the 2.1 flash pre-release) FLY like the wind and look stunning in HD. I'll also add....thanks to some savvy bargaining, my Sprint bill is 13% less than what I was paying T-Mobile. As a business, their customer service has been excellent, but it would help their sales if their sales associates had more tech knowledge. AT&T wins on that point, as their reps tend to know the iPhones inside-out, or at least talk the talk of "power users".
Camera takes great daytime photos and the recording in HD is impressive (albeit slight under-performance on frame rate capping, thanks to HTC...of course there's a hack to change that). Nighttime camera-work leaves some things to be desired (i.e. its grainy), but the built-in flash is decent and doubly effective for applications that use it as a LED flashlight.
Battery life, on the other hand, totally sucks. I'm a power user, so I frequently mass kill background apps to make phone resources available, but I still have to say there's no easy way to manage power for Android phones. I blame this on the Dalvik compiler, and I'm hoping 2.2 changes energy management....or at least gives app builders a better way to scale resource use for their applications (both background and foreground services).
Apps are still a major point of contention for me and Android...mostly because they're just not there (and are the ultimate deal breaker or maker for most Smartphone buyers). I initially blamed JAVA; but now I'm going to raise the bar and blame the often fragmented (and frustrating) Android framework and lack of developer marketing by Google AND the various carriers (which I think is just about all of 'em) selling Android-powered phones, save Verizon. You have to be a real cowboy to want to develop for Android mostly because it requires a cavalier attitude, since the code source requires a LOT of research. Apple has done a lot to enforce product standard for the iPhone apps out there, and I think it's time Google's marketplace stepped up to expect the same level of product quality. There's nothing more frustrating than downloading what one would expect to be a polished app (or even a clone for something iPhoney like Doodle jump) to find it bug ridden, unpolished or simply feel like a BETA release. This isn't to say that they all suck...but most unfortunately do. Again, hopefully the new VM will change this.
Oh, I forgot to mention Google Voice and integrated search/speech-to-text capabilities - they're amazing.
your review reads well. in the battery section, you should specify what you've tried to remedy the problem... there are tons of people, myself included, who make it through a day on heavy usage.
i have gmail push, always on data, calendar sync, and gps enabled. turned off gchat service, removed people widget, friend stream widget.
when my phone is idle i usually lost 1% every 90minute to 2 hours. and I can get 4-5 hours of heavy usage in before bar hits red.
Pardon me?!?!
"Navigation is straight-forward, but I fear for a slightly older generation of users (e.g. anyone born before the 80s) it may seem too "busy" and overwhelming."
Pre-70's here buddy... I have been playing with my 4hr old phone quite a bit already. So there.
muncheroo said:
your review reads well. in the battery section, you should specify what you've tried to remedy the problem... there are tons of people, myself included, who make it through a day on heavy usage.
i have gmail push, always on data, calendar sync, and gps enabled. turned off gchat service, removed people widget, friend stream widget.
when my phone is idle i usually lost 1% every 90minute to 2 hours. and I can get 4-5 hours of heavy usage in before bar hits red.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly muncheroo, I haven't done much by way of battery optimization but will start working out on it once I have a relative mental benchmark for battery life as of the latest update (which by the way has amped up my phone's lifespan quite a bit).
sablesurfer said:
Pardon me?!?!
"Navigation is straight-forward, but I fear for a slightly older generation of users (e.g. anyone born before the 80s) it may seem too "busy" and overwhelming."
Pre-70's here buddy... I have been playing with my 4hr old phone quite a bit already. So there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry sablesurfer, no offense meant!! I actually used that anecdote after showing off my Evo to my mom and a few mature coworkers. I got the same response from everyone - "It's beautiful but has so much going on, how do you keep track of everything!?"
The irony I think, is most of the widgets are all about improving efficiency and multitasking capabilities. :]
Good write up..
I would really love to see what people define as heavy usage. I'm sorry but I'm not buying the full day on one battery with heavy usage crap.
Sent from my EVO via Tapatalk
1) Google Glass: possibilities of advertisement; basing adverstisement of what you see and geographically enable, taking advantage of streetview and visually as to what the user is seeing on the UI. For example, if a user walks by and views a McDonalds, a Google Goggles application will identify the image and instantly rely an advertisement to you.
Mel Salas
Follow my thoughts.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/106893142706073706302/posts
New render of the future.
https://plus.google.com/photos/106893142706073706302/albums/posts/5759630835259475650
I see where you are coming from and i agree. It would also be great for museums and what not to give you the information on the artwork without having to read a tile and what not.
It's a neat product for sure.
More thoughts are welcome. Discussion and relative views are encouraged!
I think it'll be used for those reality TV shows a lot.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2
Oh my, OP, Google isnt just all about ads, They do other stuff too.
2) I think most people don't realize this yet. There are some very neat things that can be done with Google Glass for the visually impaired. It could be used as a tool that will assist by using a combination of Google Goggles, and GPS to guide the visually impaired in ways that nothing else has really done...
glass
i think this tech is great...but i'm afraid it will kill our social life..i watch from youtube about project glass advertisement..that person a wearing glass make a date without her girlfreind and at the book store he is looking for ?? section..he didn't ask from a lady at counter..its look like a film WALL-E..just sit at chair..everything in front your eye and you are not noticed who are between of you.. this is only my 2cent opinion..sorry for my bad english..
saifulsaijue said:
i think this tech is great...but i'm afraid it will kill our social life..i watch from youtube about project glass advertisement..that person a wearing glass make a date without her girlfreind and at the book store he is looking for ?? section..he didn't ask from a lady at counter..its look like a film WALL-E..just sit at chair..everything in front your eye and you are not noticed who are between of you.. this is only my 2cent opinion..sorry for my bad english..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. We've already reached some of that. As in people looking down at their smartphone most of the time rather than socializing.
I don't know how you're supposed to be driving and wearing this thing at the same time. Will the DOT allow this on public roads? I mean... Imagine you're driving down I-95 S while wearing it and something pops up on the ride of the glasses. At the same time, a truck is trying to merge into your lane from the right. You didn't see it coming because your glasses prevented you from seeing that truck in your right-side mirror...
Imagine they make real time translation lang to lang in text or voice mod...
I hope thant when i walk or drive, I haven't my eyes full of advertising!!! Or i collise with other people or wall xD
Random thoughts
The idea is not new, but being a big and supposedly not evil company behind it may success.
- The official video can create a lot of hype. But. You won't be able to perform most things they do there. It is expensive.
Will this eventually get better? Who knows. I guess this is an experiment, it may success or not.
- Btw, does exist already any kind indoor GPS like in the video?
- Could this eventually kill the phone as we know it (with the help of tablets)?
- Is it only for one eye? and no way to remove reality background? Not good for watching movies then.
- Input interfaces: I don't think voice commands can work when surround by crowd in the street. As someone said, work by blinking eyes? by moving head? by moving eyes? have a couple of buttons?
- Presbyopia. When we get older we have trouble watching our small phone screens. These glasses will naturally overcome this.
- Casual public social networking: See what radom people around you is thinking realtime (like Google Plus' "near you" but better), see their avatars. Have your GPS on 24/7 and drain your battery too, or use NFC if it helps. May a new p2p GPS network emerge, or ground GPS, who knows.
- Easy and fast NFC sharing is required, as you cannot just show your screen to your friend like you can do with phones.
I tried to say a few things as I thought them, probably all of the have been worked out already elsewhere.
Well, i believe and Google also says it at some places that it'll cause accidents.
Definitely you won't be using it while driving a car or walking across the street therefore it won't be local mostly professionals will be using it like sky divers, astronauts etc ..
LatinSuD said:
The idea is not new, but being a big and supposedly not evil company behind it may success.
- The official video can create a lot of hype. But. You won't be able to perform most things they do there. It is expensive.
Will this eventually get better? Who knows. I guess this is an experiment, it may success or not.
- Btw, does exist already any kind indoor GPS like in the video?
- Could this eventually kill the phone as we know it (with the help of tablets)?
- Is it only for one eye? and no way to remove reality background? Not good for watching movies then.
- Input interfaces: I don't think voice commands can work when surround by crowd in the street. As someone said, work by blinking eyes? by moving head? by moving eyes? have a couple of buttons?
- Presbyopia. When we get older we have trouble watching our small phone screens. These glasses will naturally overcome this.
- Casual public social networking: See what radom people around you is thinking realtime (like Google Plus' "near you" but better), see their avatars. Have your GPS on 24/7 and drain your battery too, or use NFC if it helps. May a new p2p GPS network emerge, or ground GPS, who knows.
- Easy and fast NFC sharing is required, as you cannot just show your screen to your friend like you can do with phones.
I tried to say a few things as I thought them, probably all of the have been worked out already elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome points made there. This really makes you think.
Sounds Cool!
I happen to use a lot of coupons. Normally I'll look up the coupons at home for businesses I'll be around during the next day.
It would be fairly handy if eventually an app could be made for google glass that would pop up coupons/sales for places as I travel past them.
Luckily you'll be able to get a driverless car so that you don't crash while using your glasses
please everything except advertising, i wont wanna pay $1500 for adverts to be directly beamed into my face:silly:
Google will release their project glass...then get sued by Apple because apple just patented Google's invention. :banghead:
Adsense for Google Glass.. that's funny!
I started out loving this device, but am increasingly so disappointed in it. At this point I would certainly not recommend it to anyone who wants to use it as a media device.
First there is the volume issue, which I have found inexcusable. If you want to use this to watch Google Play Movies when traveling, its basically useless. The volume through headsets is so low that I cant follow the dialogue of a movie when I am sitting on an airplane, and thats WITH good quality noise cancelling headphones.
I have basically been able to address this problem by buying an external amplifier for my headphone that gets me to an acceptable volume, but in my opinion its ridiculous that you would need to do this in order to get to a basic level of usability in that scenario. Certainly not an issue with iPads (not that I own one!).
Now the KitKat update. Ever since then the video playback is poor. It stutters frequently, and while its still consumable, its not a very good experience. Ive also had two crashes while watching videos over the last few days It noticeably stutters and jumps - I think this has been reported on and it seems it has not yet been fixed. I am looking for a way to downgrade back to JellyBean in the meantime.
Has anyone done this yet?
Thanks. Sorry for the rant, but Im so disillusioned in what I initially thought was such a great device.
That's odd, because I'm not experiencing any of those issues. I use a Bluetooth headset (Plantronics), and the volumes are great - I can't turn it up all the way without it hurting. I stream to ChromeCast with my 7 and there are zero issues with Google Movies, NetFlix, YouTube, etc. Sorry to hear you're having problems, but maybe it's a hardware issue?
jimbobtexas said:
That's odd, because I'm not experiencing any of those issues. I use a Bluetooth headset (Plantronics), and the volumes are great - I can't turn it up all the way without it hurting. I stream to ChromeCast with my 7 and there are zero issues with Google Movies, NetFlix, YouTube, etc. Sorry to hear you're having problems, but maybe it's a hardware issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too - no issues from my side. Really does sound like the hardware is at fault.
andrew.golby said:
Me too - no issues from my side. Really does sound like the hardware is at fault.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the replies guys. Im glad to hear you arent having those issues...however they are pretty well documented.
If you google something like "nexus 7 movie playback volume low" you will see many, many people with this issue. So I dont know if its a hardware issue thats somewhat widespread, or maybe you have better hearing and are less affected...but for me and those other users, if you try to watch a Google Play Movie through headsets and there is any ambient noise, the volume is not usable.
For a while people were fixing this with volume booster apps, but those dont work on recent updates to the OS...
The video playback issue has also been very well documented since the KitKat upgrade.
lirong said:
Thanks for the replies guys. Im glad to hear you arent having those issues...however they are pretty well documented.
If you google something like "nexus 7 movie playback volume low" you will see many, many people with this issue. So I dont know if its a hardware issue thats somewhat widespread, or maybe you have better hearing and are less affected...but for me and those other users, if you try to watch a Google Play Movie through headsets and there is any ambient noise, the volume is not usable.
For a while people were fixing this with volume booster apps, but those dont work on recent updates to the OS...
The video playback issue has also been very well documented since the KitKat upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just get little pixelations on the screen mostly when changing the orientation.
What about the volume through other media apps? Crackle is free if you dont have netflix or HULU.
An issue I have is that the screen never rotates, but when it magically does it gets stuck in whichever orientation it landed in. I also notice graphical glitches but only during the boot sequence just before the animation.
Sent from the dark side of the moon.
Want to know how to boost your devices performance and battery life? See my thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2495269
lirong said:
I started out loving this device, but am increasingly so disappointed in it. At this point I would certainly not recommend it to anyone who wants to use it as a media device.
First there is the volume issue, which I have found inexcusable. If you want to use this to watch Google Play Movies when traveling, its basically useless. The volume through headsets is so low that I cant follow the dialogue of a movie when I am sitting on an airplane, and thats WITH good quality noise cancelling headphones.
I have basically been able to address this problem by buying an external amplifier for my headphone that gets me to an acceptable volume, but in my opinion its ridiculous that you would need to do this in order to get to a basic level of usability in that scenario. Certainly not an issue with iPads (not that I own one!).
Now the KitKat update. Ever since then the video playback is poor. It stutters frequently, and while its still consumable, its not a very good experience. Ive also had two crashes while watching videos over the last few days It noticeably stutters and jumps - I think this has been reported on and it seems it has not yet been fixed. I am looking for a way to downgrade back to JellyBean in the meantime.
Has anyone done this yet?
Thanks. Sorry for the rant, but Im so disillusioned in what I initially thought was such a great device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be sure you plug in headphones very firmly. Took me a week to figure out they went in further. Known issue.
lirong said:
I started out loving this device, but am increasingly so disappointed in it. At this point I would certainly not recommend it to anyone who wants to use it as a media device.
First there is the volume issue, which I have found inexcusable. If you want to use this to watch Google Play Movies when traveling, its basically useless. The volume through headsets is so low that I cant follow the dialogue of a movie when I am sitting on an airplane, and thats WITH good quality noise cancelling headphones.
I have basically been able to address this problem by buying an external amplifier for my headphone that gets me to an acceptable volume, but in my opinion its ridiculous that you would need to do this in order to get to a basic level of usability in that scenario. Certainly not an issue with iPads (not that I own one!).
Now the KitKat update. Ever since then the video playback is poor. It stutters frequently, and while its still consumable, its not a very good experience. Ive also had two crashes while watching videos over the last few days It noticeably stutters and jumps - I think this has been reported on and it seems it has not yet been fixed. I am looking for a way to downgrade back to JellyBean in the meantime.
Has anyone done this yet?
Thanks. Sorry for the rant, but Im so disillusioned in what I initially thought was such a great device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried viper4android sound mod??....Iklutz post a link to it on his thread...THE best sound mod out there. Coupled with a good headset. Win! However, N7 must be rooted to apply settings.
Go and search for Volume Control+ on Google Market. This will give you full control on your volume settings, as some apps change the volume to a low level and you'll not be able to restore it to the full level with the device's hardware buttons.
And when you are busy at Google's Market Place, don't forget to search for an alternate video player like VLC player or MX player. Forget about the preinstalled players, it's crap in my opinion.
The volume seems OK to me although to be honest I haven't experienced it in an environment such as a plane. Have you tried another set of headphones as a test?
The issues I have noticed myself are quite minor is the glitch in the boot animation, which had been mentioned and also when hitting back to come out of an app it will go back to another app and then to the desktop rather than straight to the desktop. I think this is multi tasking related but it isn't as if I am opening a link from one app to another which can happen normally sometimes.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
nakedtruthishere said:
Go and search for Volume Control+ on Google Market. This will give you full control on your volume settings, as some apps change the volume to a low level and you'll not be able to restore it to the full level with the device's hardware buttons.
And when you are busy at Google's Market Place, don't forget to search for an alternate video player like VLC player or MX player. Forget about the preinstalled players, it's crap in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe that apps like Volume Control+ no longer work with the new versions of Android (not just KitKat, even the last 4.2.2 version).
Regarding alternative video players...they cant play movies I download from Google Play can they?
lirong said:
I believe that apps like Volume Control+ no longer work with the new versions of Android (not just KitKat, even the last 4.2.2 version).
Regarding alternative video players...they cant play movies I download from Google Play can they?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Volume Control+ Pro does work very well with Kitkat and the previous Android versions installed on my N7.
Google Play Videos? I don't know, frankly spoken, cause I never ever downloaded one. Give it a try and you'll see, VLC is for free.
nakedtruthishere said:
Volume Control+ Pro does work very well with Kitkat and the previous Android versions installed on my N7.
Google Play Videos? I don't know, frankly spoken, cause I never ever downloaded one. Give it a try and you'll see, VLC is for free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I will try it.
I am most interested in something that can boost the volume through headsets when I watch downloaded videos from Play store on Google Play Video. Its currently atrocious and my understanding is that the volume booster apps arent effective for this.
I Know there are some mods I can make if I root and install custom kernel...sadly I dont have the time to start mucking about there!
nakedtruthishere said:
Volume Control+ Pro does work very well with Kitkat and the previous Android versions installed on my N7.
Google Play Videos? I don't know, frankly spoken, cause I never ever downloaded one. Give it a try and you'll see, VLC is for free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Am I trying the correct app? I tried Volume Control + by Coffeebreak Apps (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cb.volumePlus).
This doesnt seem to be a volume booster app at all, just a way to control the volume settings of your device without using the hard buttons, and setting default profiles when you do something like plug in a headset.
Am I missing something? It doesnt seem like ti will increase the volume beyond the highest level I can manually set it to with the buttons.
lirong said:
Am I trying the correct app? I tried Volume Control + by Coffeebreak Apps (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cb.volumePlus).
This doesnt seem to be a volume booster app at all, just a way to control the volume settings of your device without using the hard buttons, and setting default profiles when you do something like plug in a headset.
Am I missing something? It doesnt seem like ti will increase the volume beyond the highest level I can manually set it to with the buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the correct App. It´s not a booster, but gives you control of the settings, another app may have left on a lower volume level.
Check out every app running on your device, especially those having "equalizer" settings. Try to turn them off and see what happens.
If the problem still persists, this may be a general issue of either the volume of Google´s videos, of your earphones or even your ears. Have you been trying other earphones, resp. in-earphones before? I assure, the volume level is ear-splitting high on my device.
Some apps like MX-Player and VLC will ask you, if it shall boost volume above the recommended level. Did you see this prompt? Did you deny or agree?
lirong said:
Thanks I will try it.
I am most interested in something that can boost the volume through headsets when I watch downloaded videos from Play store on Google Play Video. Its currently atrocious and my understanding is that the volume booster apps arent effective for this.
I Know there are some mods I can make if I root and install custom kernel...sadly I dont have the time to start mucking about there!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok first I just want to say that this little rant that I'm about to have is not meant to slap you or anything, so try not to take too much offense if possible.. Seriously though I just hate to see someone talk about how a device is disappointing and that they wouldn't recommend it, when really what they should be saying is that the factory software for the device is disappointing. I know you said that you don't have time to "muck" around with rooting and such, and in my opinion the problems you are having are basically "what you get" whenever you just settle for what is handed to you. It's almost like taking the "free" phone because you don't want to spend the money to get a better one, and then getting upset because it can't play the newest games or run the newest apps. I definitely understand that when you buy something it should basically work, but with Android you're dealing with one operating system and thousands of different devices. So because of that if you go into it expecting perfection right out of the gate, more than likely you're probably going to be disappointed. The trade off however (which unfortunately is the part that you don't have time to mess with), is that you're most certainly not "stuck" with what you are handed. You can make this thing so loud that you can't stand it if you wanted to, and because of that the fact that it doesn't just come that way out of the box is technically irrelevant imo. I'd be willing to bet the time it would take you to get the basics down so you can have full control over your device, would actually be less than the time you spend being frustrated because it's not working the way you expect it to. Anyway that's just my two cents because I think you are missing out on the very best part of Android.. which is that it can be whatever you want it to be.
jeep447 said:
Ok first I just want to say that this little rant that I'm about to have is not meant to slap you or anything, so try not to take too much offense if possible.. Seriously though I just hate to see someone talk about how a device is disappointing and that they wouldn't recommend it, when really what they should be saying is that the factory software for the device is disappointing. I know you said that you don't have time to "muck" around with rooting and such, and in my opinion the problems you are having are basically "what you get" whenever you just settle for what is handed to you. It's almost like taking the "free" phone because you don't want to spend the money to get a better one, and then getting upset because it can't play the newest games or run the newest apps. I definitely understand that when you buy something it should basically work, but with Android you're dealing with one operating system and thousands of different devices. So because of that if you go into it expecting perfection right out of the gate, more than likely you're probably going to be disappointed. The trade off however (which unfortunately is the part that you don't have time to mess with), is that you're most certainly not "stuck" with what you are handed. You can make this thing so loud that you can't stand it if you wanted to, and because of that the fact that it doesn't just come that way out of the box is technically irrelevant imo. I'd be willing to bet the time it would take you to get the basics down so you can have full control over your device, would actually be less than the time you spend being frustrated because it's not working the way you expect it to. Anyway that's just my two cents because I think you are missing out on the very best part of Android.. which is that it can be whatever you want it to be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont take offense, however I also dont agree with a couple of your assertions.
First of all, clearly with any device (especially Android) a lot of it is what you do with your device after unpacking it. That said, certain basic use cases should be functional out of the box. Using this device as a media player while on the road is CLEARLY a primary anticipated use case. And the fact that there are volume challenges here is not isolated. It may be the case that not everyone has this issue, but certainly a quick google search reveals that many, many people are having issues with being able to hear Google Play movies when in a travel environment with any ambient noise. You can point out that someone who wants to root and mod their device can solve this problem...nevertheless, this is a product flaw. Period.
Second, I dont agree with your point of view on rooting and modding the device. Yes you can apply yourself to it and accomplish things. I have rooted all of my devices and have put custom ROMs on some of them. And the community here is very helpful in making this accessible and supporting people through the process. However, its not a straightforward thing to do. I have yet to install a custom ROM that hasnt had some "side effects" that then take a lot of time trying to diagnose. For every improvement, even when you get everything technically right (and there is a time consuming learning curve), there are quirky behaviors that are hard to diagnose, even for the experts on this site, as every phone is different.
So yes you can achieve some really cool things and its part of the allure of Android. But it comes with real costs, and those costs (in my opinion) may be worthwhile in some instances, but are not something you should have to bear just to get basic, minimally acceptable functionality for a primary use case of the device.
Anyway...
lirong said:
I dont take offense, however I also dont agree with a couple of your assertions.
First of all, clearly with any device (especially Android) a lot of it is what you do with your device after unpacking it. That said, certain basic use cases should be functional out of the box. Using this device as a media player while on the road is CLEARLY a primary anticipated use case. And the fact that there are volume challenges here is not isolated. It may be the case that not everyone has this issue, but certainly a quick google search reveals that many, many people are having issues with being able to hear Google Play movies when in a travel environment with any ambient noise. You can point out that someone who wants to root and mod their device can solve this problem...nevertheless, this is a product flaw. Period.
Second, I dont agree with your point of view on rooting and modding the device. Yes you can apply yourself to it and accomplish things. I have rooted all of my devices and have put custom ROMs on some of them. And the community here is very helpful in making this accessible and supporting people through the process. However, its not a straightforward thing to do. I have yet to install a custom ROM that hasnt had some "side effects" that then take a lot of time trying to diagnose. For every improvement, even when you get everything technically right (and there is a time consuming learning curve), there are quirky behaviors that are hard to diagnose, even for the experts on this site, as every phone is different.
So yes you can achieve some really cool things and its part of the allure of Android. But it comes with real costs, and those costs (in my opinion) may be worthwhile in some instances, but are not something you should have to bear just to get basic, minimally acceptable functionality for a primary use case of the device.
Anyway...
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I respect that you're entitled to your own opinion, but I still think it's ridiculous to say it's a product flaw "period" (as if you are holding your breath and stomping your feet while you say it lol) when it's caused by nothing more than software, so I guess you're just missing my point. Imo going into anything and expecting it to be perfect is pretty silly especially when you have complete control over the device, but it's just that.. my opinion. If you have yet to install a custom rom and or kernel "that hasn't had some kind of side effects", I would venture to say that you haven't done very many. I just find it funny that the "very cool things" you say can be achieved are actually things like fixing all of the problems you are having, so I'll just never understand how that's a product failure, but again though, that's just me. Clearly we're different considering you download movies from Google Play, because that's something (as someone else also mentioned) you'd never catch me doing. That combined with the fact that you're expecting some sort of cookie cutter, straight forward solution when it comes to having complete control over your device, tells me you're a wildly different consumer that I am. Carriers and manufacturers actually want people to have that exact "cookie cutter" experience, because it allows them to stear people into spending more money. Ultimately it's your device yet somehow they feel as if they have the right to tell you what you can and cannot do with it, and frankly it surprises me how many people don't even get that. What's funny about that though is that I can guarantee if they tried doing the exact same thing except with people's cars, there would probably be a riot in the streets. Imagine if you bought a car outright from a dealer for cash and then decide to put an aftermarket stereo in it, only to find out they put a lock on the factory radio so it cannot be removed unless you pay extra for it. If it sounds pretty ridiculous then why can they do the exact same thing with the cell phones that people own, yet hardly anyone seems to be bothered by it? Imo (again) it's because a lot of people expect that same "cookie cutter experience" where they don't have to "muck" around with anything, so as far as I'm concerned they deserve what they (you) get, especially when they're willing to just let it happen. This also isn't meant to be a slap (even though I honestly believe it's designed for a certain type of person), but maybe you should consider looking into getting an iPhone. The reason I say that is because that software has been designed for literally one device instead of thousands, and since you seem more concerned about how something runs out of the box rather than how it could run, it might just be a better "cookie cutter experience" for you (I don't know why but I just like saying "cookie cutter" a lot today! Blahaha). Anyway like I said that's just my opinion though and maybe I'm just not as critical about things when it comes to my devices, but that could also be because I have them set up exactly they way I want them.. Which is exactly why I'm such a fan of Android to begin with!
Sent from a modified ColecoVision
jeep447 said:
I respect that you're entitled to your own opinion, but I still think it's ridiculous to say it's a product flaw "period" (as if you are holding your breath and stomping your feet while you say it lol) when it's caused by nothing more than software, so I guess you're just missing my point. Imo going into anything and expecting it to be perfect is pretty silly especially when you have complete control over the device, but it's just that.. my opinion. If you have yet to install a custom rom and or kernel "that hasn't had some kind of side effects", I would venture to say that you haven't done very many. I just find it funny that the "very cool things" you say can be achieved are actually things like fixing all of the problems you are having, so I'll just never understand how that's a product failure, but again though, that's just me. Clearly we're different considering you download movies from Google Play, because that's something (as someone else also mentioned) you'd never catch me doing. That combined with the fact that you're expecting some sort of cookie cutter, straight forward solution when it comes to having complete control over your device, tells me you're a wildly different consumer that I am. Carriers and manufacturers actually want people to have that exact "cookie cutter" experience, because it allows them to stear people into spending more money. Ultimately it's your device yet somehow they feel as if they have the right to tell you what you can and cannot do with it, and frankly it surprises me how many people don't even get that. What's funny about that though is that I can guarantee if they tried doing the exact same thing except with people's cars, there would probably be a riot in the streets. Imagine if you bought a car outright from a dealer for cash and then decide to put an aftermarket stereo in it, only to find out they put a lock on the factory radio so it cannot be removed unless you pay extra for it. If it sounds pretty ridiculous then why can they do the exact same thing with the cell phones that people own, yet hardly anyone seems to be bothered by it? Imo (again) it's because a lot of people expect that same "cookie cutter experience" where they don't have to "muck" around with anything, so as far as I'm concerned they deserve what they (you) get, especially when they're willing to just let it happen. This also isn't meant to be a slap (even though I honestly believe it's designed for a certain type of person), but maybe you should consider looking into getting an iPhone. The reason I say that is because that software has been designed for literally one device instead of thousands, and since you seem more concerned about how something runs out of the box rather than how it could run, it might just be a better "cookie cutter experience" for you (I don't know why but I just like saying "cookie cutter" a lot today! Blahaha). Anyway like I said that's just my opinion though and maybe I'm just not as critical about things when it comes to my devices, but that could also be because I have them set up exactly they way I want them.. Which is exactly why I'm such a fan of Android to begin with!
Sent from a modified ColecoVision
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The N7 was heavily marketed as a media consumption device and a solid gamer (including a game(s) designed specifically to showcase the Tegra 3's 4 (and 1/2) cores and GPU horsepower... On a chip made by Nvidia... which implies an enhanced level of credibility and expectation from a company that is synonymous with Graphics.
You should not have to root a device with four 1.3Ghz cores, nor be concerned about obsolescence for playback of local or steamed video on a 7-inch screen @ 1280x800 max resolution. I root every device I own, but it shouldn't be a requirement for the primary use-cases for which the device is designed and marketed. Additionally, over-clocking the CPU as high as 1.7Ghz doesn't yield improvement, nor does GPU OC, different governors, etc... As a bonus, performance craters with age due to the cheap NAND. I can under clock my 1080p LG e980 to 1Ghz, disable two-cores and it still runs laps around my N7...
For the price, the N7 was a good value. However, it falls short of the marketed high-performance (which, BTW, didn't include any disclaimer(s) that device must be rooted and running an unofficial AOSPA kang/kennel combo). It's one thing to suggest root/ROM/kernel solutions for problems which require such a solution, but there's no need to condescend to someone for not voiding their warranty to solve a problem that shouldn't exist.
P.S. Netflix doesn't stream aka mirror to Chromecast- The N7 just informs the Chromecast of the workload it's handing off.
I wrote some remarks regarding this device in various places so ill condense them here for any users perusing the forums before making a choice.
My once sentence review: dont bother unless you want to watch video.
1. Design
Its great, though im not convinced by the buttons, both being on the back surface and being recessed - this clear design flaw is a mistake made by people who dont actually use tablets of this type, but do talk about them a lot in boardrooms. The lines and build are great, no creaks, no cracks, solid.
2. Firmware
Horrible unless youre a Prime user. The os was built for making maximum use of amazons services. As a result you get none of the nice things about android, but lots of nice pictures of your books. No wallpapers, adverts in the lockscreen (the ads cant be disabled outside the us, and the lockscreen itself cant be disabled anywhere).
No root means your browsing experience is going to be much affected by ads. For me a deal breaker. One of the few reasons to have root on a big screen tablet is getting rid of ads in your browser.
For amazon customers its a boon of course, as all their prime videos can be easily streamed on a very nice screen. But i have no need of that. Doesnt help much that prime video is not available at all outside the us, so unless your only travelling locally and watching these movies on the bus, its a waste of money.
3. Display
The display is gorgeous. Mine has excellent viewing angles, good colors and very little gradation. With the backlight at minimum, a slight shift to grey is noticeable along the portrait vertical. The backlight is weak however, partly because of the pixel density and the display technology (the crystals seem to absorb more light than usual in white mode) i find myself browsing indoors at around 65%.
The video processing is excellent, with sharp rendering of lower-than-native 1080p video playing perfectly at arms length or less. The display is one of the best ive seen. Certainly on a cheap device like this.
4. Battery
The battery life is generally good (on my wifi 8.9 device). Im getting 4 to 5 days use listening to 1 hour of podcasts, doing 1 hour of browsing (65% brightness) and 2 hours reading (20%) per day. Not bad for a large LCD display.
5. XDAness
There is currently no root method and its not likely one will come. Amazons bootloader is locked down, and at the moment of this writing there is no (realistic) way of preventing automatic updates, even with root. Device sales are low, judging by the recent price cuts and general availability, meaning that few are interested in taking up development. What happens remains to be seen, but personally im not optimistic.
Love my 8.9", it's quite responsive and functional. Have a Nexus 10 as well, which I think has a higher build quality, but the lightness of the Kindle Fire HDX is great, makes it much more comfortable for extended use.
The glossy bezel on the rear (where the speaker ports, camera, etc, reside) is my only complaint, as my fingers tend to find where the edge of the glossy bezel meets the rest of the tablet (most noticeable on the edge of the tablet just above the power button), which irks me.
The recessed buttons work fine for me, as they seem intended for someone holding the tablet for reading or watching, for which the recessed buttons are perfect.
I'm a US customer, so the Prime service is available and works great. The ability to store Prime videos offline for later viewing is nice. I also installed VUDU, Plex, Netflix, Hulu, of which I use Plex the most (esp w/ offline media sync), all work great. Excellent devices for media playback. Speakers are of surprising quality for a tablet, and have a good loudness without distortion.
I bought the 64gb variant, so it doesn't strike me as an inexpensive tablet for that reason, but still it was well worth the $$. Do wish we had root on the latest updates though. I don't care to change the interface, but I do want to get Play Store and other Google services installed (without errors) so I can make use of my standard Android application purchases...
I'm sick of Amazon-made gadgets. With absolute zero ability but only a large desire to match up Apple and to maintain a closed-eco system in an open android system. I call them crazy. Wish these things move away from any reach of sight asap. I believe they are the best company to sell a paper book and anything more to expect from them should not be deem realistic. Remember their boss is a book seller.
Kindle Fire HDX 7" Review
hewweii said:
I'm sick of Amazon-made gadgets. With absolute zero ability but only a large desire to match up Apple and to maintain a closed-eco system in an open android system. I call them crazy. Wish these things move away from any reach of sight asap. I believe they are the best company to sell a paper book and anything more to expect from them should not be deem realistic. Remember their boss is a book seller.
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Kindle Fire HDX is perfect for work or play, with the fastest processor on a 7" tablet, the latest graphics engine, world-class Dolby audio, and a highly portable form factor.
ali770 said:
Kindle Fire HDX is perfect for work or play, with the fastest processor on a 7" tablet, the latest graphics engine, world-class Dolby audio, and a highly portable form factor.
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Lol what are you a 1-post amazon bot? That sounds like you copied it right out of the press release...
Lol was thinking the same thing
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk
murso74 said:
Lol was thinking the same thing
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk[/QUOTE
Good point. The hardware is awesome. Fire os is tolerable but I want options, which we currently don't have. Someone will find a root soon
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rootcid said:
Lol what are you a 1-post amazon bot? That sounds like you copied it right out of the press release...
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Yes, I copied that. What's wrong here?
A1) The edge buttons necessitates some sort of trim and flimsy buttons. I have phones like that... lost the trim pieces. I rather like the idea of back buttons. They are not always convenient, but why keep back a blank slate?
A2) There are no Amazon ads in browsing... Unless you're talking about AdBlocker / AdAway? Different problem. You can load Xposed module to block ads, you know.
And yes, there is root. There's just locked bootloader, and latest firmware had not been rooted, but previous version can be flashed... If you get it to ADB. And plenty of folks have contributed to create a dual use... I run BOTH Amazon and Google Play together.
A3) Display is lovely, yes.
A4) Battery life is okay. Just remember to close the cover / shut down the screen as games can prevent the game from timing out.
A5) Don't be so pessimistic.
kschang said:
A1) The edge buttons necessitates some sort of trim and flimsy buttons. I have phones like that... lost the trim pieces. I rather like the idea of back buttons. They are not always convenient, but why keep back a blank slate?
A2) There are no Amazon ads in browsing... Unless you're talking about AdBlocker / AdAway? Different problem. You can load Xposed module to block ads, you know.
And yes, there is root. There's just locked bootloader, and latest firmware had not been rooted, but previous version can be flashed... If you get it to ADB. And plenty of folks have contributed to create a dual use... I run BOTH Amazon and Google Play together.
A3) Display is lovely, yes.
A4) Battery life is okay. Just remember to close the cover / shut down the screen as games can prevent the game from timing out.
A5) Don't be so pessimistic.
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Re the buttons - its just because people actually use tablets lying on tables a lot. Simply prevents the convenience of not picking it up. The unorthodox lack of a 1 min display timeout feature is also typical of boardroom discussions. Possibly in some sort of attempt at shaping content use? Or just for kicks?
Another thing thats become incredibly annoying is the lockscreen ads for mens products and other useless junk, opn a huge display i have to manually unlock. I never really noticed it till i had to reset my kidle and lose the old wallpaper add disabling by freeze of files. Its much worse than my original comments would indicate lol.
I don't know what you bought that brought ads for men's products. I only get ads about TV shows and movies.
kschang said:
I don't know what you bought that brought ads for men's products. I only get ads about TV shows and movies.
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I got the cheap wifi version abroad. I dont have a us address, so im not eligible for the free ad removal service when residing abroad.
Amusingly only us residents, are allowed to remove ads from their kindles when abroad because, of course, people who bought their kindles without a us billing address are likely to buy us products available wherever they are).
Much as i respect the kindle path, i revile the legalism. Books at market price and ads? No way to pay $20 to get rid of them? There are millions all over the world who dont want to steal. Who buy the books. Sometimes more than once because they have three or more devices. And they must open their kindles as they lie in bed... to luxurious toilet paper with their night cap? No thanks. And imagine buying one of these for your kid outside the us, where theres no targeted ads.
A while back i used the help feature and tried to get it done. There was hassle with the management. They seemed to find it amusing. They seemed very nice about it. BTW - they can see your screen, so when you type in your password using most keyboards they will know what it is. Hmm, change it afterwards.
This is why i will never buy another android kindle. Screw them for screwing with me. Ive spent thousands of dollars on amazon. My account is like 10 years old. And ill keep my books. But ill stick to the app.
rootcid said:
I got the cheap wifi version abroad. I dont have a us address, so im not eligible for the free ad removal service when residing abroad.
Amusingly only us residents, are allowed to remove ads from their kindles when abroad because, of course, people who bought their kindles without a us billing address are likely to buy us products available wherever they are).
Much as i respect the kindle path, i revile the legalism. Books at market price and ads? No way to pay $20 to get rid of them? There are millions all over the world who dont want to steal. Who buy the books. Sometimes more than once because they have three or more devices. And they must open their kindles as they lie in bed... to luxurious toilet paper with their night cap? No thanks. And imagine buying one of these for your kid outside the us, where theres no targeted ads.
A while back i used the help feature and tried to get it done. There was hassle with the management. They seemed to find it amusing. They seemed very nice about it. BTW - they can see your screen, so when you type in your password using most keyboards they will know what it is. Hmm, change it afterwards.
This is why i will never buy another android kindle. Screw them for screwing with me. Ive spent thousands of dollars on amazon. My account is like 10 years old. And ill keep my books. But ill stick to the app.
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I know you mentioned using the help feature to try and get it done, but I remember reading someone here who posted about living outside the US and having Amazon remove the ads by just calling them up. Maybe the help feature (I'm assuming you are referring to Mayday) is more tech support whereas the ads could be considered "Sales Support"? Try giving them a call if you haven't already done so. Since you have no option to pay for the removal, they may do it just by asking. Worth a shot.
icedtrip said:
I know you mentioned using the help feature to try and get it done, but I remember reading someone here who posted about living outside the US and having Amazon remove the ads by just calling them up. Maybe the help feature (I'm assuming you are referring to Mayday) is more tech support whereas the ads could be considered "Sales Support"? Try giving them a call if you haven't already done so. Since you have no option to pay for the removal, they may do it just by asking. Worth a shot.
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I guess ill give it a shot, you might be right. But i was surprised when the mayday girl seemed to have no idea why she couldnt see the option to remove them.
Well, I knew exactly what the Kindles HDX was when I bought the 64Gb 8.9" version. I also PAID to have the ads removed, because that was clearly explained on the Amazon website I ordered it from & I have no desire or need to try & rob them of the $15 dollars I agreed was okay when deciding to purchase the device.
Granted, my device is rooted with the latest 2.3.2 framework & apps from the recent OTA (sorry, not releasing anything, no time for troubleshooting or fixing any more bricks right now), but even if it was not rooted, I'd still be okay with it. I am a prime member & Amazon services is EXACTLY what I purchased the thing for.
Frankly, I am nearly 100% certain the device is rootable & while people have lost root, this can be avoided without blocking anything or without sacrificing your data or wifi connection. Why isn't it rooted? Time & numbers. There are so many devices out there & the devs like jcase & beaups are going to spend their time focusing on the devices that generate the most requests, which is clearly not the Kindle family.
As for the build, it is not perfect, but it is preferential to the Nexus 10 for me. I hated the Nexus 10, it's horrible SoC & the terrible GPU. The HDX 8.9 just runs circles around the N10. I like the button placement, which is perfect for most people that use it for reading & watching videos while traveling. I do not ever watch anything with it laying flat on a table, nor does anyone else I know. The only thing that I think was a bit under-thought was the Oragami case, which will not work for volume or power with the device raised into the viewing position, where the speakers are elevated above the case, but that is why Amazon added a volume control to the AVOD app I guess.
One thing to consider is that the era of easy root for every Android device is over. For whatever reason, carriers and manufacturers think it's in their best interest to keep things locked down. It's still possible to root almost every device, but the effort required makes only the most popular devices worthwhile.
I bought my HDX knowing it's limitations but feeling that the hardware was so desirable that it would soon be rooted, and it was. I was one who thought I had updates blocked, but got my root access removed. After a while the limitations started bothering me. So I bought a Nexus 7 to compare. The only things I can't do on the Nexus that I can on the HDX is download videos for later viewing and the Kindle Lending Library. While nice to have, these aren't deal breakers.
The HDX hardware is clearly nicer than the Nexus, the screen, the form factor, even the button placement, but the usability for me is more important. I have since gifted my HDX to someone who loves the heck out of it and uses it as Amazon intended. I keep checking in here every once and a while to see the progress, and when root is achieved and I can easily put GAPPS on, along with some other functions, I will probably buy another one.
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 Huawei P40 Pro, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Huawei P40 Pro is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Very happy with my P40 Pro so far. I'll try to keep this short & honest.
First of all, one of the most important things: battery life. It's very good IMO. I keep my phone on FHD+ with 90hz refresh rate. Honestly I expected sub-par battery life from this device with 90hz, and I thought I was gonna switch to 60hz for sure, but I was pleasantly surprised. Like I said, battery life is not an issue on this phone. Not insanely great, but still, very solid. :good:
The camera? Oh, boy. Just look at the samples posted on the internet, or watch camera reviews on Youtube. It's just phenomenal. Low light is also incredibly good, although from my testing, some shots come out better in "photo mode" than they do in "night mode". Sometimes the opposite.
The display is also great. No QHD resolution, but FHD+ is more than enough for me. I think QHD on phones is a gimmick, but that's just my opinion.
The only thing I don't really like that comes to mind is the weight of this phone - it's kinda heavy, especially compared to my previous phone.
About the Google services issue... To me it's not really an issue. I don't NEED GMS on my phone. I can live without them. Yes I installed them, but it was more out of the urge to tinker with my phone, than the necessity of having them. Here's what I have to say about my personal usage.
My banking app is in the Huawei App Gallery. Google Calendar, I don't really use. Maps? The "Maps.me" app and Here WeGo seem like good alternatives to Google Maps. As for gmail, you can easily use AquaMail or Bluemail and add your gmail account there. The interface is a bit different though. I kinda miss Google Photos as I did have some photos saved there, but it's not that big of a deal. Out of curiosity, I just installed the Google Photos app moments ago and it seems to work fine on my P40 Pro. It detected the photos on my device and I can see everything that I backed up in the past.
I still would not recommend the P40/P40 Pro to people who are very dependent on Google apps, as I can't guarantee whether Huawei will patch this GMS installation method, or not. There's just no way of knowing that.
So, in summary, if you heavily depend on Google apps and services - DON'T buy it. If you think you can live without them, then you can give it a try. In my country Huawei lets you "try" the device for 15 days, so if you don't like it you can send it back and get a refund.
Huawei P40 Pro gets a solid 4.5/5 from me.
Review based on a European living in UK, other regions might be completely different.
You don't use any apps that use GMS:
If majority of the apps you use on a daily basis are available in Huawei store, then this phone is for you and you can stop reading, this review assumes you use GMS (Google Mobile Sevices) in some direct or indirect form.
For the rest:
Amazing piece of hardware but the third party software at this moment in time (constantly progressing) is pretty useless. Don't buy this phone if:
You want everything to just work
You are not tech savvy enough to know what adb is and have enough experience to figure out which sideloaded apps are clearly unsafe
You need an actual smartphone and rely on it for critical tasks that cannot fail using third party apps that might rely on GMS
If you are a tinkerer like myself and like messing with devices and fixing issues the manufacturer wont, don't buy this phone (locked bootloader).
Google Situation
Think of how many times a day you use third party apps on your phone. Majority of those apps (in Europe atleast) use Google Mobile Services in some form. If you are one these people, I would recommend you buy yourself a cheaper smartphone with a separate point and shoot camera, honestly you would get a more reliable and possibly pleasant experience that way. Unfortunately I rely on other, non-google apps way too much such as Slack, Delivero, Uber, DJI Pilot app, Blizzard Authenticator, Unified Remote Control etc... If you decide to side load the apps missing from its store (using Petal Search or Aurora store), be prepared that those apps will probably be broken in some shape or form. Most apps rely on Google services such as Firebase for notifications, Google location services for location and etc.
You might be able to get the side-loaded app installed and mostly functioning, but something, somewhere might be broken and you wont know until it bites you. For example Slack is installable and definitely usable, but you wont get any notifications. Apps that use google location all seem to be half broken even if you install Google services; you will open Delivero/Uber once and everything will work, and next time you open it there will be no location. You order from Delivero one day and you will get the notification that the driver is outside so you think sweet, the app fully works, but the next time you order the driver would have tried contacting you 4 times before he drives away with you undelivered food. Apparently this is fixable with an always on display and tuning the power saving of the phone. I did contact a few app developers asking if they plan to support HMS, and got mixed replies.
Other than the Google situation, here are some points:
Build quality and materials are generally amazing
Centre of gravity is slightly offset from centre, its towards the top left corner of the phone. Also the phone is PHAT, its definitely bigger than my S8 and thicker, but its the weight that's most noticeable. Not a huge deal but was a minor annoyance.
Face-ID and fingerprint scanner both work flawlessly and super fast.
Camera is superb
"Wide" camera is an insult to the term. The sensor is great but the wideness is just a smidge more than normal lens. Honestly I would call it misleading advertising and it should be called "Not-So-Wide" camera
General performance is great, no complaints. Also compared to my S8, the phone stays colder for much longer
Battery life seemed great, spent a whole day on it installing google and only drained like 60%.
The stock experience is OK, apart from any AI features. AI is in pre-alpha phase. For example the voice assistant cannot set a timer, it can only open the timer app. Oh and if you don't speak the exact accent Huawei expects you to, good luck getting it to recognise anything. You could side-load Alexa, but you cannot change the default assistant, so the 1sec press of power button will always bring Celia.
There is some weirdness in apps, for example the default keyboard (SwiftKey) gives you the option to login using your google account even though its definitely broken in stock.
The gestures work really well in most cases. The same gestures do get very annoying in some apps where you keep accidentally pressing back instead of bringing up side menus or switch drawer.
Banking is mostly broken for stock Huawei. Managed to get Natwest banking app working after a lot of work though. Contactless payment is 100% broken and will be for a long time!
Permissions: Pretty much every single Huawei app wants to have access to your calls and messaging history. Maybe nothing malicious but certainly makes you question why they need it
NM cards are more than double the price of MicroSD
Comes with loads of bloatware, but most is easily removed
The pill cutout is not bad, just wish they shoved it more in the corner of the phone more
Uncertainty if your phone will break after an update if you have google services installed
Installing Google services is not easy and seems to be a constantly evolving battle where methods change frequently
Internet forums/ youtube is filled with post from either bots or one can only assume are Huawei influencers. Also the phone is so talked about online that trying to use search to find answers to your problems usually just brings up a Forbes news story.
Locked bootloader
I admit, I made a mistake of not checking the news before buying the phone (saw a dirt cheap one on eBay). Fully expected to unlock the bootloader and install some custom ROM with GApps, but since 2018 Huawei locked their bootloaders for "security". Even so, I tried the phone for couple of days, spend a day installing google services, aurora store, icebox and the whole lot and honestly was super disappointed. Sold the phone couple days later and if you check eBay you can see dozens of people doing the same thing every day.
I stopped reading at "Software at this moment in time is pretty useless".
ZedeN said:
Review based on a European living in UK, other regions might be completely different.
Amazing piece of hardware but that's it! Software at this moment in time is pretty useless. Don't buy this phone if you need an actual smartphone. I would recommend you buy yourself a cheapo smartphone with a separate point and shoot camera, honestly you would get way better experience that way. If you are a tinkerer like myself and like messing with devices and fixing issues the manufacturer wont, don't buy this phone (locked bootloader).
If you stick with the pure Huawei experience and don't need any apps that are not in Huawei store, I am sure you would have a great time, unfortunately I rely on other, non-google apps way too much such as Slack, Delivero, Uber, DJI Pilot app, Blizzard Authenticator, Unified Remote Control etc... If you decide to side load the apps missing from it's store (using Petal Search or Aurora store), be prepared that those apps will probably be broken in some shape or form. Most apps rely on Google services such as Firebase for notifications, Google location services for location and etc.
You might be able to get the side-loaded app installed and mostly functioning, but something some where might be broken and you wont know until it bites you. For example Slack is installable and definitely usable, but you wont get any notifications. Apps that use google location all seem to be half broken even if you install Google services; you will open Delivero/Uber once and everything will work, and next time you open it there will be no location. You order from Delivero one day and you will get the notification that the driver is outside so you think sweet, the app fully works, but the next time you order the driver would have tried contacting you 4 times before he drives away with you undelivered food. Apparently this is fixable with an always on display and tuning the power saving of the phone. I did contact a few app developers asking if they plan to support HMS, and got mixed replies.
Other than the Google situation, here are some points:
Build quality and materials are generally amazing
Centre of gravity is slightly offset from centre, its towards the top left corner of the phone. Also the phone is PHAT, its definitely bigger than my S8 and thicker, but its the weight that's most noticeable. Not a huge deal but was a minor annoyance.
Face-ID and fingerprint scanner both work flawlessly and super fast.
Camera is superb
"Wide" camera is an insult to the term. The sensor is great but the wideness is just a smidge more than normal lens. Honestly I would call it misleading advertising and it should be called "Not-So-Wide" camera
General performance is great, no complaints. Also compared to my S8, the phone stays colder for much longer
Battery life seemed great, spent a whole day on it installing google and only drained like 60%.
The stock experience is OK, apart from any AI features. AI is in pre-alpha phase. For example the voice assistant cannot set a timer, it can only open the timer app. Oh and if you don't speak the exact accent Huawei expects you to, good luck getting it to recognise anything. You could side-load Alexa, but you cannot change the default assistant, so the 1sec press of power button will always bring Celia
The gestures work really well in most cases. The same gestures do get very annoying in some apps where you keep accidentally pressing back instead of bringing up side menus or switch drawer.
Banking is mostly broken for stock Huawei. Managed to get Natwest banking app working after a lot of work though. Contactless payment is 100% broken and will be for a long time!
Permisions: Pretty much every single Huawei app wants to have access to your calls and messaging history. Maybe nothing malicious but certainly makes you question why they need it
NM cards are more than double the price of MicroSD
Comes with loads of bloatware, but most is easily removed
The pill cutout is not bad, just wish they shoved it more in the corner of the phone more
Uncertainty if your phone will break after an update if you have google services installed
Installing Google services is not easy and seems to be a constantly evolving battle where methods change frequently
Internet forums/ youtube is filled with post from either bots or one can only assume are Huawei influencers. Also the phone is so talked about online that trying to use search to find answers to your problems usually just brings up a Forbes news story.
Locked bootloader
I admit, I made a mistake of not checking the news before buying the phone (saw a dirt cheap one on eBay). Fully expected to unlock the bootloader and install some custom ROM with GApps, but since 2018 Huawei locked their bootloaders for "security". Even so, I tried the phone for couple of days, spend a day installing google services, aurora store, icebox and the whole lot and honestly was super disappointed. Sold the phone couple days later and if you check eBay you can see dozens of people doing the same thing every day.
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Really? I'm using my phone as the way it was intended to be used with no Google services side-loaded and this phone does everything that my other Android phones does besides have a dedicated YouTube app. Perhaps you just don't know how to use a phone properly
ushoda said:
I stopped reading at "Software at this moment in time is pretty useless".
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Fair point, I changed the phrasing of the review.
Khonsu_ said:
Really? I'm using my phone as the way it was intended to be used with no Google services side-loaded and this phone does everything that my other Android phones does besides have a dedicated YouTube app. Perhaps you just don't know how to use a phone properly
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Maybe you live in another region where app developers don't use GMS as default, for example China? But clearly your use case doesn't depend on GMS, in that case, this phone is perfect for you. Also YouTube is the least of my problems, I have been using YouTube Vanced for years and even it is a pain to install on P40 Pro. You first have to either download "dirty" micro-g or modify the micro-g settings to stop it from using GMS otherwise you get stuck in login loop.
And thank you, I will go ahead and start learning to use my phone straight away sir, maybe Huawei should include that on the packaging as well.
Quite an emotional topic, hmm?
My 2,5 cents: I used my smartphones primarily for audio books, photos, WhatsApp, mobile navigation, YouTube and common internet applications.
The P40 Pro does all that just perfectly, better than all smartphones I owned before. With just one single exception.
I like Google Maps, I like the Play Store, I like YouTube. Sure, there are alternative applications, but I still prefer the "originals".
So I spent about half an hour and went through installing the Google services according to instructions I got from a YouTube video. Some effort, but it paid.
I now got the perfect smartphone, running all and everything I need - and doing that better than ever before. With just one exception, no, with two exceptions.
1) Still not possible to use "Hey Google" or "Okay Google" on the lock screen.
2) Fixed battery, the usual *****iness all smartphone manufacturers abuse for forcing you to discard your smartphone after about two years, or earlier if you charged your battery often to 100 % or let the battery get too warm (easy in summer in a car).
And that's it. I instantly fell in love with the P40 Pro after installing the "missing" Google services.
Two things I don't understand at all:
1) Why the heck doesn't Huawei provide unlock codes for the bootloader? Would solve that Google problem immediately. I just don't understand why they ignore that simple but effective move.
2) Why does all the world blame the Google problem on the USA, especially on Trump? It's not the USA, it's not Trump - it's Apple. Huawei sent Apple back to the lower places on the podium. The pride of the capitalism got declassified by the communists. So the rotting fruit applied pressure on the government - and there we are. It's not because of espionage (if there was any proof, they would have presented it with utmost happiness), it's to "make Apple great again" using all impure means available.
Klosterbruder said:
I like Google Maps,
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Google Maps works for me without login.
Waze is actually better.
HereWeGo is not bad either.
Klosterbruder said:
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Two things I don't understand at all:
1) Why the heck doesn't Huawei provide unlock codes for the bootloader? Would solve that Google problem immediately. I just don't understand why they ignore that simple but effective move.
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Maybe they do send data to Chinese government. ?
ZedeN said:
Fair point, I changed the phrasing of the review.
Maybe you live in another region where app developers don't use GMS as default, for example China? But clearly your use case doesn't depend on GMS, in that case, this phone is perfect for you. Also YouTube is the least of my problems, I have been using YouTube Vanced for years and even it is a pain to install on P40 Pro. You first have to either download "dirty" micro-g or modify the micro-g settings to stop it from using GMS otherwise you get stuck in login loop.
And thank you, I will go ahead and start learning to use my phone straight away sir, maybe Huawei should include that on the packaging as well.
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Hey how to modify micro g settings as mine is getting stuck in Google registration too (I already have gms loaded)