Still Worth it A Year Later? - LG V20 Questions & Answers

Hey guys, I'm just wondering what your thoughts are on if this phone is still worth it? Especially for right around $300. Or am I better off saving some more money and buying a Pixel/Pixel XL or waiting for the Pixel 2s?

succumbtothegreater said:
Hey guys, I'm just wondering what your thoughts are on if this phone is still worth it? Especially for right around $300. Or am I better off saving some more money and buying a Pixel/Pixel XL or waiting for the Pixel 2s?
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It's depend what you need overall I am happy with the v20. It's still great phone plus the killer audio if you don't need the new and greatest device. The good are good screen, audio, good for contents consumption, removeable battery. The not so good LG stock ui a little laggy for me sometime, size is not so compact and not much dev support for this phone. For $300 its steal. New phones not much new really they just try to make money from us after few weeks it get old like other phones.

I think so, of course, I just bought one last week...
With the price drops, it's a very good device for the money. Specs haven't been increasing as fast as years past, so devices are quite usable for longer times than before. We can still unlock/root and AOSP based ROMs are getting good. Updates will never be as fast as Google devices like the Pixel, but it's not bad and you don't lose as much waiting it out like we used to. Even Oreo doesn't add that much that I care about for features. The very latest flagships are maybe 20% faster. They also cost 2-3x as much. Value isn't there for me. Maybe it is for you, that's your decision to make.
I'm not interested in Pixel or most new devices right now. I came from a Nexus 6 with a dieing battery. I can replace it, and probably will, but it's annoying to do and runs a risk of destroying the device for a known maintenance part that we know will die. It's a bit like welding the oil plug on a car so you can't change the oil. Eventually it will die, it's a matter of time.
My requirements were: large screen (5.5"+), root, removable battery, SD, headphone jack, TMobile compatibility, value. I would have liked front facing speaker/speakers, but I can live without them. There's nothing out there in this year's devices that interests me. There's nothing wrong with options, but I do wish I had a couple to choose from as well. V20 was pretty much it. On the plus side for it though, tempered glass screen protectors are available that work well. And extended batteries. With the Zero Lemon 10k battery, I have what amounts to unlimited battery life. I'd probably fall asleep before running out. I also really hate the design trend with the camera sticking out from the back, and prefer thicker phones anyway, so it works for me.
If I were to drop removable battery, Axon 7 and OnePlus get more interesting. Though OnePlus doesn't have SD either, putting them lower on the list.
If root is important to you, make sure you know what software version you are getting and check to make sure it can be rooted. Some of the newer ones can't be yet. TMobile 10p, for example, can not.

I've had mine since launch and I still enjoy it. Granted the development support has stagnated lately. But I would completely recommend it. Especially if you get an extended battery.

I've had my v20 for three or four months. Solid phone, can't see any reason to upgrade.
I could buy three of these for the price of a galaxy note 8! Or one of these and a halfway decent laptop!

After this 10p update i'd have to say no. better off getting a v30 when it comes out.

zeruth said:
After this 10p update i'd have to say no. better off getting a v30 when it comes out.
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Any particular reason why? Wasn't that just security patches?

cathain said:
Any particular reason why? Wasn't that just security patches?
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Yes, that killed of DirtyCow, that killed off root for the foreseeable future.
If LG hadn't deleted all fastboot commands i'd say yeah get the V20. but now it will be unrootable and uncustomizable for quite some time.

I used the twrp zip 10p bootloader and modem... It completely refreshed my performance.
Getting 70+mbs down and 16 up... Compared to 10k modem I was getting 16 down and 3 up if lucky.
I also still have root (non OTA update).
So if you install update through twrp you still keep root.
I wouldn't ever really upgrade phones unless it's a new device that supports the new 600mhz band and 700mhz.
Had mine for a year.... It's amazing. Once you get it right, camera is good (Lazer focus and resolution replaced dslr), audio with DAC/HiFi/viper is amazing.
Screen and battery is great, sd card is a must for me.
If you can get a pristine/new one for $2-300 it's well worth it.
Only gripe, wish there was water proof case.
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the answers guys! But I ended up getting the Pixel XL for the sheer performance and rootability and I'm happy with the decision.

Related

Would you still buy one today?

I'm on AT&T because I still get a hefty discount through my work, so I usually get devices on the Next plan. Right now, I have a fully paid-off HTC One M8 that is still working fine, but it's definitely showing its age in terms of battery life. I could probably make it another year on the M8, but I'm worried that if I don't upgrade soon, I'll miss the window on a rootable flagship that I can pay off as part of my phone plan. I've been looking at new devices through AT&T, but I demand at a minimum root on my devices, and AT&T has kicked HTC to the curb.
So, I'm on the fence right now. The Galaxy S7 Edge looks to still be competitive (what with HTC and LG both sticking with SD821 SoCs), has a stable root solution that doesn't trip Knox, and has a significantly larger battery. I'm still not sure about the curved screen at all, but I suspect I could work around that. It also still uses the older USB standard and has a headphone jack (both of which I use a lot, since my car's head unit doesn't do blue tooth) I shouldn't be this torn on the matter, since it is a much better device and meets my needs, but it is still a $700 phone at the moment.
Which leads me to the question. Do you guys still think this is a good phone today?
No it's not
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using XDA-Developers Legacy app
It does not have a stable root solution. It is very laggy. I've told my wife when my GS7E and her Note 5 are paid off, we are going with off contract phones. You can now get phones from Sony, Huawei, and others that rival the performance of flagships, for around $300. And they usually have root.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
No - it's been my least favorite phone.
::sigh::
I wish I had seen this before I stopped back in at the local AT&T store. I went ahead and opted to try out the S7 Edge, and I have to say, I haven't been terribly impressed so far. The edge, in particular, feels more like a hindrance than a help - especially with the keyboard. I manage to miss all the keys along the edges pretty reliably.
I was also surprised by how much lag there is in the stock "as it came from the factory" ROM. I had read that Samsung had managed to dramatically reduce the lag in TouchWiz, and my Galaxy Tab S2 didn't seem all that bad. Given it has a technically slower SoC (the SD652 vs the SD820), I was a bit shocked at some of the things I saw - like the Play store taking 10s of seconds to populate, app lists seeming to take forever to populate, etc.
My hope is that it's still settling, so I'm going to resist the urge to take it back tomorrow and see how it does by Monday. However, at the moment, I'm not nearly as thrilled with this device as I was when I got my M8 back in 2014.
Take it back. Root is piss poor on this device. If you drop it, even off the couch, it'll more than likely crack one of the 2 glass screens (front and back) and for that kind of money, you'd expect better quality
I have had root on every phone except this one. Once I disabled most Samsung stuff and replaced the launcher, the pho e is quite snappy. However, I could have paid half and got the same experience plus root. The only positive going for this phone is the build quality, it is a premium feeling phone. Hopefully this new root method that is supposedly being developed and tested pans out.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
I get the feeling most of the issues here are with the bloat. I sometimes forget that I haven't run a carrier branded ROM in ages. I ran stripped down stock on my Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, and the US Developer Edition on my HTC One M8 - so I almost never see the death star on my devices. Even my Galaxy Tab S2 had some issues when I first got it that were entirely solved by disabling a lot of the bloat on it. Now it actually runs quite well compared to when I bought it, which is what tempted me to try the S7.
I would go with the unbranded stock ROM, but unfortunately, the U version on this device means giving up a lot - VoLTE, HD calling, and WiFi calling - as well as visual voicemail, but that's pretty easy to live without. It's still tempting, but I have to admit, this is the roughest transition I have ever had to a new device.
The SGS2 was brain-dead easy to alter, and I had CWM and SuperSU on there fast. The HTC One M8 was S-off and running US developer the same day. It goes without saying that the Nexus 7 was trivial to root/mod. What amazes me the most, though, is that my 2.5 year old M8 running MM feels less janky than this phone at times, despite it's SD801 SoC vs the SD820 in the S7E . It's just amazing - but I blame the AT&T crap for most of that.
I will say this. I took the Nougat OTA and did a full factory reset, and it is noticeably less laggy/janky now. I am running Nova launcher, and I've disabled as much as I can, but there are still times when it feels like the phone is stuttering a bit.
Part of me still feels like I have made a huge mistake, though. I'm just trying to decide if it's a mistake I can live with, or whether I should just eat the $45 restocking fee and try to repair my M8's battery.
The s7 edge is on sale everwhere, if you can get a great deal on the international version and you don't mind to have last year's tech than the s7 is total worth it, root and development is great on the international version, I even got volte working I have no complaints, I use to have the att version and I wish I switched to international version sooner
jshamlet said:
I'm on AT&T because I still get a hefty discount through my work, so I usually get devices on the Next plan. Right now, I have a fully paid-off HTC One M8 that is still working fine, but it's definitely showing its age in terms of battery life. I could probably make it another year on the M8, but I'm worried that if I don't upgrade soon, I'll miss the window on a rootable flagship that I can pay off as part of my phone plan. I've been looking at new devices through AT&T, but I demand at a minimum root on my devices, and AT&T has kicked HTC to the curb.
So, I'm on the fence right now. The Galaxy S7 Edge looks to still beu competitive (what with HTC and LG both sticking with SD821 SoCs), has a stable root solution that doesn't trip Knox, and has a significantly larger battery. I'm still not sure about the curved screen at all, but I suspect I could work around that. It also still uses the older USB standard and has a headphone jack (both of which I usue a lot, since my car's head unit doesn't do blue tooth) I shouldn't be this torn on the matter, since it is a much better device and meets my needs, but it is still a $700 phone at the moment.
Which leads me to the question. Do you guys still think this is a good phone today?
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It's a good phone but I certainly would not root it. This is from personal experience because mine is rooted and stuck in bootloop which I am currently lookingfor a solution to.
I'm going to go in the other direction than some others on the thread. I think this has been one of the better devices around. Since the Nougat update, it's become a even better device, my battery life has gotten way better too. If I were looking now ( and not needing a device right NOW), I would be waiting for the S8 Edge (since it should be dropping within the next month or 2)
As far as root goes, I've not rooted my device and honestly haven't seen any need for root for a couple of years now.
To answer your last question, it's a GREAT device and if the S8 wasn't coming soon and I needed a device now, I would choose it again over ANY of the current devices out there
---------- Post added at 10:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:50 AM ----------
jshamlet said:
I will say this. I took the Nougat OTA and did a full factory reset, and it is noticeably less laggy/janky now. I am running Nova launcher, and I've disabled as much as I can, but there are still times when it feels like the phone is stuttering a bit.
Part of me still feels like I have made a huge mistake, though. I'm just trying to decide if it's a mistake I can live with, or whether I should just eat the $45 restocking fee and try to repair my M8's battery.
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I have ZERO issues with mine, I might take the plunge and do a factory reset and take a look at disabling some of the AT&T bloat as well.
I actually got the S7 when the S8 was announced to get the price break, because I have heard rumor that the S8 does away with the fingerprint reader on the front (it's on the back now, which I don't like), it will be USB-C, which means keeping up with another cable type (I already have lightning cables for the iDevices and micro-USB cables for the Androids), and possibly no headphone jack. Short of a USB-C to 3.5" dongle, that wasn't going to fly.
I am hoping the S7 will fly, because it has great hardware. The pictures I have taken with it are amazing. Yet, even unrooted stock felt janky at times. Root made it worse, but I noticed it even before I loaded the engineering kernel. I figure it must be the AT&T crap in the background.
jshamlet said:
I actually got the S7 when the S8 was announced to get the price break, because I have heard rumor that the S8 does away with the fingerprint reader on the front (it's on the back now, which I don't like), it will be USB-C, which means keeping up with another cable type (I already have lightning cables for the iDevices and micro-USB cables for the Androids), and possibly no headphone jack. Short of a USB-C to 3.5" dongle, that wasn't going to fly.
I am hoping the S7 will fly, because it has great hardware. The pictures I have taken with it are amazing. Yet, even unrooted stock felt janky at times. Root made it worse, but I noticed it even before I loaded the engineering kernel. I figure it must be the AT&T crap in the background.
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Yeah, the camera is pretty awesome. I'd consider a factory reset, it can be a bit of work, but I think it could help.
jshamlet said:
I'm on AT&T because I still get a hefty discount through my work, so I usually get devices on the Next plan. Right now, I have a fully paid-off HTC One M8 that is still working fine, but it's definitely showing its age in terms of battery life. I could probably make it another year on the M8, but I'm worried that if I don't upgrade soon, I'll miss the window on a rootable flagship that I can pay off as part of my phone plan. I've been looking at new devices through AT&T, but I demand at a minimum root on my devices, and AT&T has kicked HTC to the curb.
So, I'm on the fence right now. The Galaxy S7 Edge looks to still be competitive (what with HTC and LG both sticking with SD821 SoCs), has a stable root solution that doesn't trip Knox, and has a significantly larger battery. I'm still not sure about the curved screen at all, but I suspect I could work around that. It also still uses the older USB standard and has a headphone jack (both of which I use a lot, since my car's head unit doesn't do blue tooth) I shouldn't be this torn on the matter, since it is a much better device and meets my needs, but it is still a $700 phone at the moment.
Which leads me to the question. Do you guys still think this is a good phone today?
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Click to collapse
The root for this is trash, no fault of the root. I had a T-Mobile variant and I was resetting it every 3 or 4 weeks due to lock ups and crashes. Same with AT&T. I got fed up with the root on it, and got Disabler Pro and eliminated so much junk, it's been a great phone ever since. The only thing I miss in root is the ability to change the icons in the notifications bar and the adblockers that were a lot better, but other than that, the phone is more stable, doesn't have the bloatware, and doesn't frighten me to reboot it while driving home and the phone crashing on boot. I'd still get it, but I'd probably opt at this point to get the Indian variant with 128GB and pearl black for what my pay off would be for this 32GB.

Need To Move On

Battery on my Release Day N6 is dying. Only charges on the Turbo Charge and drains way to fast.
I can move on and the Pixel XL looks like my best option, (I'm not in love wit the Pixel) because the Moto Z Force will never have root and that's a great phone.
OR
My buddy does phone repair and has the heat gun, tools etc and I can swap batteries with another N6 I have that the screen is shattered on. But It'd be a week before I can get to his house :/
Truth is, I'm ready for a new phone. What do YOU guys think, is there one I'm missing that I can love as much as the N6, or just fix mine and hope VZW gets the Zenfone AR if it ever gets released?
I just got oneplus 3t just for the time being. Honestly, it is one of the best phone for the price. Had honor 8 briefly, but I'm not a fan of EMUI 5.0. plus honor U.S.A is pretty slow rolling out the software update.
Oneplus is pretty fast on updating their software. I mean at the end of the day, Its kinda ridiculous to spend $650 and up for a smartphone nowadays.
Oh and I still have my nexus 6 as my back up, the phone is still getting the job done for my usage.
fnudaniel83 said:
I just got oneplus 3t just for the time being. Honestly, it is one of the best phone for the price. Had honor 8 briefly, but I'm not a fan of EMUI 5.0. plus honor U.S.A is pretty slow rolling out the software update.
Oneplus is pretty fast on updating their software. I mean at the end of the day, Its kinda ridiculous to spend $650 and up for a smartphone nowadays.
Oh and I still have my nexus 6 as my back up, the phone is still getting the job done for my usage.
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OnePlus is not an option on Verizon
Nexus 6 batteries are between $12 & $20 on Amazon. That's pretty cheap. I think it's worth the trouble. There's some YouTube videos on changing that battery and it doesn't look too difficult. Plus you have an extra Nexus 6 to practice on if I'm reading the OP correctly.
bigbaluka said:
Nexus 6 batteries are between $12 & $20 on Amazon. That's pretty cheap. I think it's worth the trouble. There's some YouTube videos on changing that battery and it doesn't look too difficult. Plus you have an extra Nexus 6 to practice on if I'm reading the OP correctly.
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That's the way I'm gonna go. I really don't want a Pixel, unless someone finds root for the Droid Z Force or that Asus comes to Verizon
Nexus 6p or buy another Nexus 6
HipKat said:
That's the way I'm gonna go. I really don't want a Pixel, unless someone finds root for the Droid Z Force or that Asus comes to Verizon
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I still love my shamu 64GB I plan on changing my battery whenever it stops holding a charge. All rechargeable batteries have a finite number of times they can be charged before they start acting the way yours is now. Once your battery is replaced with a quality replacement you'll likely be good for a couple of years and shamu is still an awesome device in my opinion. I'm a little apprehensive about changing my own Nexus 6 battery but when the time comes I'm gonna give it a try. Let us know how it goes.
@HipKat don't go for Nexus 5x or 6p as both suffers from some hardware related bootloop issue. Just go to their respective forums and anyone can have a look at the Q&A section. Not worth the trouble as the phone is bound to randomly die at some point.
If those are your only option and you won't change carrier to get a OnePlus 3T, then I would go for one of the Pixels as they at least has good custom ROM support. If you don't care about custom ROM support then it's up to your preference.
Arju said:
@HipKat don't go for Nexus 5x or 6p as both suffers from some hardware related bootloop issue. Just go to their respective forums and anyone can have a look at the Q&A section. Not worth the trouble as the phone is bound to randomly die at some point.
If those are your only option and you won't change carrier to get a OnePlus 3T, then I would go for one of the Pixels as they at least has good custom ROM support. If you don't care about custom ROM support then it's up to your preference.
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Believe me, custom development is a HUGE factor and I wouldn't go for an old phone.
@bigbaluka I watched a few vids and it seems decent. Like I posted, my buddy has all the tools. We work for Dish Network and he's one of the guys that does screen repair and battery replacement for iPhone and Samsung devices. (Don'tr ask me WHY Dish is doing this....)
HipKat said:
Believe me, custom development is a HUGE factor and I wouldn't go for an old phone.
@bigbaluka I watched a few vids and it seems decent. Like I posted, my buddy has all the tools. We work for Dish Network and he's one of the guys that does screen repair and battery replacement for iPhone and Samsung devices. (Don'tr ask me WHY Dish is doing this....)
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I'm not sure I'd replace the 6 for a 6p or a 5X. I got a 5X and it was more for the size, but I can't say it overperforms the 6 plus there are the potential bootloop issues. The Pixel is OK, but you'll be paying up big time and esp if you are not really keen about it, it's a decent chunk of money to drop down. Sounds like you like your 6, I'd just try and replace the battery since it sounds like that's the only issue. It were different if it was a broken screen or something else, but battery I'd just do that.
mikeprius said:
I'm not sure I'd replace the 6 for a 6p or a 5X. I got a 5X and it was more for the size, but I can't say it overperforms the 6 plus there are the potential bootloop issues. The Pixel is OK, but you'll be paying up big time and esp if you are not really keen about it, it's a decent chunk of money to drop down. Sounds like you like your 6, I'd just try and replace the battery since it sounds like that's the only issue. It were different if it was a broken screen or something else, but battery I'd just do that.
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Yeah, agreed. I did 2 things, found a different USB cable, which looks like it solved the charging problem and switched to Dark Rom which seems to have amazing battery life. I think it'll still drain faster until I get the battery switched, so I must have had a few problems going on; bad cable, deteriorating ROM and battery that doesn't hold a charge like It used to
While my N6 isn't quick as old as yours, I have definitely noticed a lag of late. Taking pictures especially.
And while it might be nowhere near the same class as the N6, I think the Moto G5 Plus might be a good replacement. Sure, the screen size is considerably smaller, it lacks dual front-facing speakers, NFC, etc. but that price! I like the design, and as the kernel source code has already been released, my hope is that the dev community will build some nice roms for this little guy.
We'll see what Motorola does with the true Moto X replacement (not the "Is it a Moto X or is it a Moto E" we are seeing). But that Moto G5 Plus price is hard to ignore.
I just think the Pixel is too expensive. They might solve all of the issues with the release of the Pixel 2, but who wants to spend $1k on a phone?
@Fvolfrine and others:
Lag when starting the camera is a feature of Android from around KitKat or so. The ram that the camera needs is made available for other use, and then the camera has to wait for it to be released.
It makes other apps faster, but the start of the camera significantly shower. You may agree or disagree with that trade-off, but as far as I know, it's the same on all recent phones. Though of course, it matters less if the phone has a lot of ram.
From what I read, the Moto G5 plus has hardware that is approximately as powerful as the N6. So the only way it can have less lag is if its rom is better optimized - and while that may be the case for the stock roms, the N6 has a large community of devs that provide greatly optimized roms.
@runekock - my lag isn't so much when starting the camera as it is when taking a picture. Even with HDR+ turned off, it takes 4-5 seconds for the picture to take. I've had this same experience on stock, and now on PureNexus, which I flashed about five days ago.
Fvolfrine said:
@runekock - my lag isn't so much when starting the camera as it is when taking a picture. Even with HDR+ turned off, it takes 4-5 seconds for the picture to take. I've had this same experience on stock, and now on PureNexus, which I flashed about five days ago.
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There is no lag when using a custom kernel. Try using a kernel different from stock.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Few weeks ago I wasn't able to turn on wifi any more. After factory reset and cache wipe I got it to turn on few times then it died again. I'm suspecting a hw problem. Now that Dark Rom is available for our phone, I might try my luck with that, but I'm not very optimistic.
I really liked this phone a lot. Now I have the option of getting new motherboard for 50€ or new phone (looking at iPhone 6s Plus or 7 Plus cause of that mega battery and brightness, but that price tho.. Was also looking at Pixel but I read it has too many problems + warranty outside my country).
Is Nexus 6 worth fixing (for 50€ + risk of messing something up during repair)?
For 50€ i would take the risk.
Used Nexus 6s still went for over US$100 last time I looked at ebay. If fixing one is $20, that seems a decent investment to me. My battery is about worn out so I will be doing just that soon.
If there are ever charging issues or USB cords falling out, check for lint in the USB port. My first N6 had that issue.
I started having charging issues with my 2 year old shamu a few months ago, getting a new oem charger fixed the problem for me and it's still going strong. I've got a 5x as well, but it doesn't get used much, shamu is a better device.
gonna add my own experience to the mix hoping it would be helpful to some, My N6's battery also started showing signs of a problem few month back after maybe more than a year of usage and it got worse over time. the problem is i cannot get my hand on a new battery anytime soon and i cannot use my N6 as a daily driver as it just dies randomly so i thought i go for the Galaxy S7 since the price was dropped prior to S8 launch and i did, but oh my, going from a heavily developed phone like N6 to S7 is really boring and no fun, might have just got an iphone and it would be just as dull.
so, if you gonna give up your N6 i suggest replace it with another nexus/pixel phone. but if you gonna keep it as a second phone (for whatever reason) then its up to you and your desires and needs, and ofc you cannot forget about the price tag.

Advice whether to still buy the Axon 7 in 2018

I have been looking to buy a new mobile phone since my LG G3 bit the dust a few months ago. The one that piqued my interest is the Axon 7 due to the audio hardware (dual DAC and stereo front speakers) which is the one thing I use my mobile for above everything else. I have been looking at the LG G6 with its quad DAC also but the cost difference is hard to ignore especially if the Axon can give me what I am looking for.
I realise that ZTE have discontinued the manufacturing of the Axon 7 but they are still available from some vendors and rumours have arisen about its successor appearing soon. ZTE is allegedly also releasing Oreo to the 7 in April.
So due to an eventual show of the 8, do you think I would be better waiting through January for the Axon 8 or just pulling the trigger on an Axon 7 right now?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
What's your budget? If you're willing to go higher than $400, I'd say get one of the OnePlus phones. Released this year. They have an exceptional dev community (not that ours is bad but theirs is just incredible), and the phones are remarkably solid, especially given the price.
If you're on a budget, then yeah, get the Axon 7 or one of the older OP devices (OP3/3T). You wouldn't have the amazing audio you get with the Axon, but the phones are really, really good.
The Axon 7 is still getting dev support, which is great, but I don't think we'll get to see Android P on our device. Many devs are already losing interest and some people in the community are driving the ones that are left away.
Another option to consider is a used LG V20, which had amazing audio as well.
I am a poweruser so I tend to root my devices almost straightaway usually with magisk so I can use V4A.
I was tempted by the OnePlus 5T and it probably wouldn't be out of my budget, it looks like a really solid phone but with the reports of poor sound quality, lack of DAC and no SD card slot it just didn't fit the bill for me.
I did check out the LG v30 and the specs are an absolute beast on that but alas...so is the price being new on the market lol. The Samsung S8...ERM no...I vouched after they started the bit locking fiasco on the S4 I would never buy another Samsung.
The LG G6 is good for audio but even LG have started regionalizing features now.
These are partly the reason I decided mid to low tear was enough for me as they are easily obtainable from China sim free without ties to contracts and they have a habit of producing good value devices which compete with stupid money flagships.
I am trying to avoid going down the root of second hand devices as I am a big believer in you usually buy someone else's problems especially with manufacturer obsolescence being on the tongues of every techy these days. Its bad enough with the non replaceable batteries in devices!
Bang for buck the Axon 7 is still very desirable...its just the audio I can't ignore and for the price. Bit of a shame that the dev community is losing interest in the axon 7 though, seems a really solid device.
@Gases hope you don't think I am a whining my friend, just me obsessing about my next device lol
So do you think its worth waiting for the Axon 7's successor?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
My view from a value consious type is that the A7 is great hardware for the money and importantly, it still runs fast. Getting O may help keep a little development on it but stock is good anyway. I personally wouldn't buy an LG phone, too many successive devices with serious problems like bootloop which never seems to be fixed. LG don't want their phones to last long.
If you're not the sort of person who must have the latest, then for the price the Axon 7 is still a compelling buy.
If you only choose a phone from the list of Daydream certified devices you ensure a well rounded performance and decent sensors etc. It really comes down to how much you want to spend and nothing much can touch the A7 for value versus it's real world performance. Forget benchmarks and all that junk, it's all numbers and running an Axon keeps reliable performance unlike say, a Samsung which will get the stutters sooner or later. I'm keen to see the O update being closer to stock Android on my Axon, but even on B09N it is still smooth and responsive leaving no reason to even consider buying anything else.
All that being posted, I would like to see the next flagship Axon but like all brands, ZTE will try to grow their price tag as public perception improves. Just look at Huawei as an example. Got too expensive and now put themselves beyond my price level. Wouldn't consider Samsung, HTC and all the others keeping prices double what they should be.
beastobadness said:
I am a poweruser so I tend to root my devices almost straightaway usually with magisk so I can use V4A.
I was tempted by the OnePlus 5T and it probably wouldn't be out of my budget, it looks like a really solid phone but with the reports of poor sound quality, lack of DAC and no SD card slot it just didn't fit the bill for me.
I did check out the LG v30 and the specs are an absolute beast on that but alas...so is the price being new on the market lol. The Samsung S8...ERM no...I vouched after they started the bit locking fiasco on the S4 I would never buy another Samsung.
The LG G6 is good for audio but even LG have started regionalizing features now.
These are partly the reason I decided mid to low tear was enough for me as they are easily obtainable from China sim free without ties to contracts and they have a habit of producing good value devices which compete with stupid money flagships.
I am trying to avoid going down the root of second hand devices as I am a big believer in you usually buy someone else's problems especially with manufacturer obsolescence being on the tongues of every techy these days. Its bad enough with the non replaceable batteries in devices!
Bang for buck the Axon 7 is still very desirable...its just the audio I can't ignore and for the price. Bit of a shame that the dev community is losing interest in the axon 7 though, seems a really solid device.
@Gases hope you don't think I am a whining my friend, just me obsessing about my next device lol
So do you think its worth waiting for the Axon 7's successor?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say that you use your phone for music, what do you really mean? Hi-res, or just FLACs? With V4A or stock?
The AK4490EN is capable of like 768 kHz/32 bit, but ZTE limited to a hideous 96 kHz/16 bit...
Still it sounds much, MUCH better than a standard Snapdragon DAC. Even on custom ROMs. And even more so on custom ROMs with V4A, if you're using MP3s.
I think you have to completely avoid midrange devices. The best choice is to get a high-end CPU even if it's one generation old. The SD6xx series are a world apart in terms of performance.
Also, why do you say that the dev community is losing interest? We lost 1 or 2 devs this year. It was always rather weak, but we're a cozy community and seemingly managed to push enough to get ZTE to get a working Camera2 API and some other stuff (time will tell).
RobboW said:
My view from a value consious type is that the A7 is great hardware for the money and importantly, it still runs fast. Getting O may help keep a little development on it but stock is good anyway. I personally wouldn't buy an LG phone, too many successive devices with serious problems like bootloop which never seems to be fixed. LG don't want their phones to last long.
If you're not the sort of person who must have the latest, then for the price the Axon 7 is still a compelling buy.
If you only choose a phone from the list of Daydream certified devices you ensure a well rounded performance and decent sensors etc. It really comes down to how much you want to spend and nothing much can touch the A7 for value versus it's real world performance. Forget benchmarks and all that junk, it's all numbers and running an Axon keeps reliable performance unlike say, a Samsung which will get the stutters sooner or later. I'm keen to see the O update being closer to stock Android on my Axon, but even on B09N it is still smooth and responsive leaving no reason to even consider buying anything else.
All that being posted, I would like to see the next flagship Axon but like all brands, ZTE will try to grow their price tag as public perception improves. Just look at Huawei as an example. Got too expensive and now put themselves beyond my price level. Wouldn't consider Samsung, HTC and all the others keeping prices double what they should be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree on the LG thing, the G3 was a solid item on the outside but its internals were a different story...like I said manufactured obsolescence! Baking the motherboard on mine was its final death cry lol
Choose an username... said:
When you say that you use your phone for music, what do you really mean? Hi-res, or just FLACs? With V4A or stock?
The AK4490EN is capable of like 768 kHz/32 bit, but ZTE limited to a hideous 96 kHz/16 bit...
Still it sounds much, MUCH better than a standard Snapdragon DAC. Even on custom ROMs. And even more so on custom ROMs with V4A, if you're using MP3s.
I think you have to completely avoid midrange devices. The best choice is to get a high-end CPU even if it's one generation old. The SD6xx series are a world apart in terms of performance.
Also, why do you say that the dev community is losing interest? We lost 1 or 2 devs this year. It was always rather weak, but we're a cozy community and seemingly managed to push enough to get ZTE to get a working Camera2 API and some other stuff (time will tell).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I should have made myself clear when I said mid to low tear phone, I was talking about price not internal specs. Totally agree the SD 820/821 chips might not be the latest and greatest but they are far from obsolete and still perform great... would be nice to have say an 835 but I am not in it for the numbers anyway.
As for my audio format, its a bit of a mix...minimum 320 Kbps to lossless, it really depends on where I got the files from. The max impedance on my best cans are 40 ohms so no studio level stuff.
As for the dev community losing interest...no offence intended, was only expressing my feelings on what I was told by Gases. Cosy is a good thing, its a powerful tool, means there is a passion for the product and if ZTE are listening...even better.
BTW happy new year!
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
beastobadness said:
Totally agree on the LG thing, the G3 was a solid item on the outside but its internals were a different story...like I said manufactured obsolescence! Baking the motherboard on mine was its final death cry lol
Sorry I should have made myself clear when I said mid to low tear phone, I was talking about price not internal specs. Totally agree the SD 820/821 chips might not be the latest and greatest but they are far from obsolete and still perform great... would be nice to have say an 835 but I am not in it for the numbers anyway.
As for my audio format, its a bit of a mix...minimum 320 Kbps to lossless, it really depends on where I got the files from. The max impedance on my best cans are 40 ohms so no studio level stuff.
As for the dev community losing interest...no offence intended, was only expressing my feelings on what I was told by Gases. Cosy is a good thing, its a powerful tool, means there is a passion for the product and if ZTE are listening...even better.
BTW happy new year!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll be OK with the Axon 7's DAC -its soundstage is clearly better and it has a lower noise level. The community is nowhere near dying out since most devs maintain only a few devices. And the SD820 still works good.
I don't believe the Axon 9 (I think they'll skip 8, like 2019) will be released before at least May or June. They said absolutely nothing aside from 'there will be a successor to the axon 7'.
Happy new year
I would say yes, I bought mine in Nov last year and it was delivered in Dec. I am loving it every minute with zero issues that I am unhappy with. I bought it to replace a buggy Zenfone 3 (midrange) and I am totally pleased with it.
Cost is a major factor as I had already spent a load of money on the ZF3; it cost the same as a current midrange device (Xiaomi A1) and yet performance is twice of current midrange devices (double benchmark and QHD screen). Yes, it is nearly a 2 years old flagship, but the question is do I need that much firepower from a current flagship? My answer is not really, yours maybe different.
I do not root my phones, had a really bad experience when I hard bricked a device due to faulty instructions and then I got laugh at by the "community". So I only update my devices officially.
I also do not update my devices to the "last" update as I had bad experiences where a device became crap with the final update (likely due to it not able to handle the load?). So I update them once out of the box, and that it. My Axon 7 was updated from B11 to B09 when I got it and it is likely to stay on B09 until the day it dies, unless the feedback on future updates are very positive here. Again, you may use yours differently.
If you disregard all the numbers and technicalities and just want a good sounding phone to play your MP3 library off, you can't go wrong with the Axon 7.
I mostly use bluetooth but do plug in still.
I did this afternoon in the car. Feeding music to the car hifi by wire sounds awesome, for sure it's better than bluetooth and louder too. I just use MP3 and can still clearly hear a difference.
You don't need to be swallowing up 50Mb a song with hi res FLAC files to justify owning the phone.
I've got my Axon7 last month to replace dying Meizu MX4Pro. Few thoughts on the buy.
A7 is fantastic mid-range phone, I've managed to get it quite cheap in almost new condition (~€230).
Performance wise it is brilliant, no hiccups or anything (bear in mind I was coming from Android 5.0 2014 phone )
Now, the sound. I have mixed feelings on this. I'll tell you why.
The speakers are great, but when I say sound quality I mean the headphone out. I didn't have much time to compare it to MX4Pro and my DAP (Cayin N3 - same DAC chip as A7) but I still feel that A7 is lacking a bit. Defo less power than my old phone (or the DAP), I need to crank up the volume to get the detail and dynamics level I want. I'll be trying it with my old C&C amp to see if it will improve.
Don't get me wrong, sound quality is very good, I think it is just the power. But again, my only reference is DAP which has lot more power and one of the most musical phones that was manufactured to date (MX4 Pro has ESS9018 DAC and OPA1612 as an amp).
To sum up - lovely phone with good sound, sound is definitely better than 99% phones out there. If you can get it cheap(-ish) and don't mind 2 year old hardware go for it.
Well it is done...Axon 7 EU version is on it's way! Oooo new shiny's lol and the wait begins
And I put a sneaky order in for the BOBOVR Z5 daydream headset just to test the water with VR and daydream.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
docentore said:
I've got my Axon7 last month to replace dying Meizu MX4Pro. Few thoughts on the buy.
A7 is fantastic mid-range phone, I've managed to get it quite cheap in almost new condition (~€230).
Performance wise it is brilliant, no hiccups or anything (bear in mind I was coming from Android 5.0 2014 phone )
Now, the sound. I have mixed feelings on this. I'll tell you why.
The speakers are great, but when I say sound quality I mean the headphone out. I didn't have much time to compare it to MX4Pro and my DAP (Cayin N3 - same DAC chip as A7) but I still feel that A7 is lacking a bit. Defo less power than my old phone (or the DAP), I need to crank up the volume to get the detail and dynamics level I want. I'll be trying it with my old C&C amp to see if it will improve.
Don't get me wrong, sound quality is very good, I think it is just the power. But again, my only reference is DAP which has lot more power and one of the most musical phones that was manufactured to date (MX4 Pro has ESS9018 DAC and OPA1612 as an amp).
To sum up - lovely phone with good sound, sound is definitely better than 99% phones out there. If you can get it cheap(-ish) and don't mind 2 year old hardware go for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What version of the A7 did you get? Is it on Nougat OS? If it's A2017G on Marshmallow it should improve on stock Nougat.
beastobadness said:
Well it is done...Axon 7 EU version is on it's way! Oooo new shiny's lol and the wait begins
And I put a sneaky order in for the BOBOVR Z5 daydream headset just to test the water with VR and daydream.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got mine yesterday in the post from gearbest as a reluctant replacement for my Nexus 6 .
Reluctant, as I wanted to 'upgrade' so had to be amoled, stereo speakers, qhd etc to at least match the beast of a Nexus 6.
Just been using today and smaller screen size takes a bit of getting used to, but sound via speakers is on par with Nexus 6 I'd say not yet tried plug in headphones. Screen is much better and the build quality too.
Very pleased so far.
This weekend may see me attempt boot loader unlock, TWRP, Magisk and Lineage install; although I must say the ZTE implementation isn't half bad, and thats on Marshmellow.
May I ask where you found it for sale? Seems most places out of stock now, and felt quite lucky to snap one up.
8eaker said:
Got mine yesterday in the post from gearbest as a reluctant replacement for my Nexus 6 .
Reluctant, as I wanted to 'upgrade' so had to be amoled, stereo speakers, qhd etc to at least match the beast of a Nexus 6.
Just been using today and smaller screen size takes a bit of getting used to, but sound via speakers is on par with Nexus 6 I'd say not yet tried plug in headphones. Screen is much better and the build quality too.
Very pleased so far.
This weekend may see me attempt boot loader unlock, TWRP, Magisk and Lineage install; although I must say the ZTE implementation isn't half bad, and thats on Marshmellow.
May I ask where you found it for sale? Seems most places out of stock now, and felt quite lucky to snap one up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fasttech had it listed...missed all the holiday discounts though and I think the fact that every other company have sold out has driven the price up on FT slightly but I am not really bothered...I am now hoping it slips past the folks at customs discreetly lol.
I need this to get here asap as my 5 yr old S4 is on its last legs...I think it must have caught something off my deceased LG G3 haha!
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
I've had mine 2 weeks, and absolutely love it. It replaced a Sony Xperia Z4 (with the 810 which allowed the phone to double as a hot plate, foot warmer or small space heater.) The sound is everything I expected from the Sony and never got. The screen is beautiful. Battery life is amazing. The Z4 had a max of 3 hours life, and this Axon 7 has seen me through 10 hour days listening to bluetooth most of the day, with 35% batttery left. I found mine on Amazon for $317, the box was scuffed up, but everything inside was pristine and untouched. I'm rooted with WRP, Substratum and Xposed. I have not felt the need to leave stock 7.1.1 as of yet.
Stock Nougat is quite good. I find that here a lot of people are way too trigger happy on the flash custom ROM scene. I only do it if the phone needs it. Custom ROMs usually have issues.
ZTE will release an official and reasonably light Oreo for it this year too.
I think after that, good custom ROMs will follow as they released O sources to a well known dev. I personally wouldn't be bothered with any current Nougat customs seeing as O is coming.
I will probably upgrade and run the axon 7 stock for a few months same as I did with my G3.
ZTE have certainly extended the axon 7's presence in the market though bringing Oreo to it, all the major brands would have EOL'ed support to a device by now especially with it starting on Marshmallow.
Has anyone had the need to swap the battery out yet?
I know there are a couple of good teardown vids on YT and it doesn't look too bad.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
RobboW said:
What version of the A7 did you get? Is it on Nougat OS? If it's A2017G on Marshmallow it should improve on stock Nougat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its A2017G on Nougat, it starts to grow on me. I've sold my DAP already because I like the sound so much.
RobboW said:
Stock Nougat is quite good. I find that here a lot of people are way too trigger happy on the flash custom ROM scene. I only do it if the phone needs it. Custom ROMs usually have issues.
ZTE will release an official and reasonably light Oreo for it this year too.
I think after that, good custom ROMs will follow as they released O sources to a well known dev. I personally wouldn't be bothered with any current Nougat customs seeing as O is coming.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With my previous (pre MX4Pro) Android phones I was first to flash custom ROMs. But with A7 I'm happy so far with stock Nougat. Miss the root for few things, but I have too much stuff on the phone and too little time to bother with unlocking bootloader and rooting it as I understand I will loose all present data.
Now, when the Oreo comes, that might change

Is the V20 still worth buying for <$200 USD

Hi, long time XDA user here. I'm currently using a OnePlus X. I was considering springing for the new OnePlus 6, but I really shouldn't spend that much money right now. I saw that the V20s (a phone I was interested in previously) are very affordable now and I imaging for 200 bucks I can push my upgrade down the road for a bit, maybe until the OP6+ comes out. I've had an LG phone before and liked it , but it's been quite a few years.(Windows Mobile fellas, not even Windows Phone)
1. Is the V20 still viable, does it run well with current apps and networks?
2. How is the ROM support doing nowadays, and is the rooting process in general still possible from the firmware that currently ships on the phone? (I'm not sure what LGs stance on bootloader locking is)
3. Do custom roms make use of the secondary screen at all?
4. What are the phone's weakest points or biggest annoyances today? As in, what hasn't really stood the test of time?
Thanks for any info you can provide me.
Kevin1a said:
Hi, long time XDA user here. I'm currently using a OnePlus X. I was considering springing for the new OnePlus 6, but I really shouldn't spend that much money right now. I saw that the V20s (a phone I was interested in previously) are very affordable now and I imaging for 200 bucks I can push my upgrade down the road for a bit, maybe until the OP6+ comes out. I've had an LG phone before and liked it , but it's been quite a few years.(Windows Mobile fellas, not even Windows Phone)
1. Is the V20 still viable, does it run well with current apps and networks?
2. How is the ROM support doing nowadays, and is the rooting process in general still possible from the firmware that currently ships on the phone? (I'm not sure what LGs stance on bootloader locking is)
3. Do custom roms make use of the secondary screen at all?
4. What are the phone's weakest points or biggest annoyances today? As in, what hasn't really stood the test of time?
Thanks for any info you can provide me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The v20 is basically end of life, bootloader unlocking and root, is dicey depending on the variant you buy, development slowed down to a trickle for some time, common issues include, poor cell reception, screen retention, bad mics, the v20 is still waiting for Oreo and the phone was released over two years ago and probably will never see another os upgrade after that. Currently second screen only works on stock based roms.
Sent from my LG-H910 using XDA Labs
cnjax said:
The v20 is basically end of life, bootloader unlocking and root, is dicey depending on the variant you buy, development slowed down to a trickle for some time, common issues include, poor cell reception, screen retention, bad mics, the v20 is still waiting for Oreo and the phone was released over two years ago and probably will never see another os upgrade after that. Currently second screen only works on stock based roms.
Sent from my LG-H910 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. This is exactly what I was looking for.
cnjax said:
The v20 is basically end of life, bootloader unlocking and root, is dicey depending on the variant you buy, development slowed down to a trickle for some time, common issues include, poor cell reception, screen retention, bad mics, the v20 is still waiting for Oreo and the phone was released over two years ago and probably will never see another os upgrade after that. Currently second screen only works on stock based roms.
Sent from my LG-H910 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't say that with the active development of Lineage OS and Any Kernel.
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
cnjax said:
The v20 is basically end of life, bootloader unlocking and root, is dicey depending on the variant you buy, development slowed down to a trickle for some time, common issues include, poor cell reception, screen retention, bad mics, the v20 is still waiting for Oreo and the phone was released over two years ago and probably will never see another os upgrade after that. Currently second screen only works on stock based roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This sums it up. Seems the v20 is dead. Maybe oreo will bring more development but I doubt it since a lot of people have moved on
WhiteWidows said:
I wouldn't say that with the active development of Lineage OS and Any Kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah lineage that half baked os that's unofficial and you lose main features of the phone and have to flash constant updates or use work arounds to have basic functionality, yeah that's development right there.
Sent from my LG-H910 using XDA Labs
LG V20 Still A good Phone
Well maybe you would like a different perspective. I fist laid eyes on the LG V20 in a Verizon store about a month ago but they would not sell it to me because it is not made anymore. So I just purchased an unlocked version from B&H in New York. My first attraction to this phone is the second screen which i think is extremely useful. Then i noticed that the LG V20 has a removable back panel so you can replace the battery. I have been looking for that ever since my NOTE 4 bricked two years ago. in the interim I had a Motorola Pure X which took a look for me to part with. SO that was all I needed to make the choice to buy it. now i do not have to carry a battery brick or make sure i am near a charger all day. i can carry a spare battery in my pocket. Next fringe benefit was finding out that this phone has 3 cameras, 1 front facing and 2 rear, one of them being a wide angle lens. But the love keeps getting better... add to that a removable SD card up to 256 GB or more when they come out with one, fingerprint censor, 64 GB phone and you have a pretty serious contender. I love this phone. I love it so much i but another one. Actually at the moment i have 3. Oh and yes, probably one of the only phones left that has both a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a type C charging port. The Audio and DAC units in this phone is better than most high end audio gear that you would find in a music studio, and i am a musician. I have heard of complaints about the camera quality, but to that i say if you want pictures with that kind of quality, go out and buy a Nikon! Also i have heard that manufactures are moving away form 3.5 mm jacks and removable batteries because they want to make the phones more water proof. Bull Hockey!! Are people so obsessed with phones that they cannot leave the thing alone for a 10 minute swim. The real reason is because the manufacturer doesn't want you keeping a phone more than 2 years so they make the batteries last only that long and if you cannot replace the battery, you need a new phone. (or you can go the route of trying to put a new battery in your phone and butcher it to death).
Long story to say do not count the LG V20 out yet. it is a superb phone, has many features that a lot of other phones just do not have. I am very pleased with both of mine and i love the second screen.
The only bad experience i have had is that in order to get Verizon's Visual Voice mail, i had to purchase a Verizon version, and the front camera crapped out after a week. It was supposed to be new, but the box looks like it has been ridden around the world, so i doubt it was new. SO i am sending that back but still have both of my unlocked US996's.
cnjax said:
The v20 is basically end of life, bootloader unlocking and root, is dicey depending on the variant you buy, development slowed down to a trickle for some time, common issues include, poor cell reception, screen retention, bad mics, the v20 is still waiting for Oreo and the phone was released over two years ago and probably will never see another os upgrade after that. Currently second screen only works on stock based roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like, how is December 2016 is more that 2 years ago? Kid, are you sane? More so, Shap 820 even didn't existed more than 2 years ago, it is still actual chip not legacy like some 810, and 835 is pretty much == 820 rebranded and repainted
---------- Post added at 06:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:09 PM ----------
Kevin1a said:
1. Is the V20 still viable, does it run well with current apps and networks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, because it's powered by SD820, not Snap 430 or 600 or something
Kevin1a said:
4. What are the phone's weakest points or biggest annoyances today? As in, what hasn't really stood the test of time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The weakest point is battery somewhat degraded over time, I could have like 7hrs SOT on Wifi on the start but now after cold winters it shows its age and gives me around 4.5...5 SOT on same router. but battery is exchangeable easily and I hope to buy more fresh one
Some people claim they got screen retention, it's more visible the more southern country you live and more brighter you must set you screen to
I still am keeping it as a backup phone but I am using a different DD. I did take it on a trip though with the 10800 ma battery I have for it. I'm running a stock 918H and it still fairly fast. The SD card and headphone jack are nice too. Still a good buy at $150 or so
I love the second screen and the DAC but being forced to run the stock ROM is a PITA as it's very sluggish. I have a Mi A1 that runs circles around the V20 in terms of performance, which is sad. Meanwhile, if you try to solve the lag, running Lineage OS defeats the purpose and outweighs the benefits of the phone as you won't have the DAC, second screen nor full camera functionality.
Absolutely it is worth it. You can pick up a V30 with a slightly faster processor, and slightly better camera (and that is debatable) for $250. However, you will lose the replaceable battery, the second screen, the IR blaster.
The people that say they are having performance problems have hardware issues. Even stock non-rooted, runs plenty fast, but if you use Alpha ROM, and debloat all the carrier bullsh** then it runs like a beast.
-- Brian
runningnak3d said:
Absolutely it is worth it. You can pick up a V30 with a slightly faster processor, and slightly better camera (and that is debatable) for $250. However, you will lose the replaceable battery, the second screen, the IR blaster.
The people that say they are having performance problems have hardware issues. Even stock non-rooted, runs plenty fast, but if you use Alpha ROM, and debloat all the carrier bullsh** then it runs like a beast.
-- Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have hardware issues. The stock ROM (de-bloated or not) is well known to be sluggish. As I stated in my post, the phone is completely different if running Lineage at the cost of the unique functionality. Aside from many people complaining of the performance under stock as being sluggish, this guy describes it perfectly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZl2GpxekrQ&t=3s
So I have a slow phone? Holy crap! I had no idea!
Stop spreading FUD, and learn how to do things like disable rctd, ccmd, logging, CPU throttling...
-- Brian
runningnak3d said:
Absolutely it is worth it. You can pick up a V30 with a slightly faster processor, and slightly better camera (and that is debatable) for $250. However, you will lose the replaceable battery, the second screen, the IR blaster.
The people that say they are having performance problems have hardware issues. Even stock non-rooted, runs plenty fast, but if you use Alpha ROM, and debloat all the carrier bullsh** then it runs like a beast.
-- Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
runningnak3d said:
So I have a slow phone? Holy crap! I had no idea!
Stop spreading FUD, and learn how to do things like disable rctd, ccmd, logging, CPU throttling...
-- Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your sarcasm isn't appreciated and I'm not spreading fud - this is fact. I've done lots of tweaking and no amount of it will fix what LG did to the stock ROM. You're acting as if I'm the only person who has pointed out the shortcomings of the V20. The fact is, it is a fantastic phone with bad execution of the OS by LG. To be clear, I still use mine but it will soon be retired to secondary usage as my Mi A1 is way better as a DD.
No, I am sure there are plenty of others out there complaining as well -- that also don't know the first thing about how to get the most out of their phone.
Is the V20 the end-all / be-all? Nope, but it is the last great flagship phone that was released. Everything since is just a waste of money.
-- Brian
We just bought our T-mobile V20's this year. Great phones for about $150 in excellent used (hard to tell they were used) condition. Great photos and DAC, among other things. We couldn't find anything comparable for that price, new or used.
Mine is still great. Stock, unrooted, H990DS with a zerolemon 10000mAh extended battery. The image retention doesn't bother me - it's not permanent. I use the widescreen camera a lot, and charge the device once every 3-4 days. The IR transmitter sees plenty of use too, as does the DAC and the dual SIM.
There's nothing else that fits my needs. Dreading when it dies.
I just got me V20 H918 in excellent condition with 3 batteries and 4 cases for $185 shipped. I've come from G4 which started to have GPS lock issues, sometimes. My LG G3 GPS is no longer working at all. lol. Not sure what's up with that. Was this fixed in v20 or is this just tear and wear on GPS chip or something?
My main attraction point is camera manual controls and i mean white balance K numbers and mic for loud concert recording as well as removable battery and i prefer bigger screens and 5.7 upgrade from 5.5 on G4 is welcomed too. Oh and DAC was other feature that attracted me as well. What's weird that G4 concert recording was terrible but G3 was fantastic. Never distorted. Hoping V20 has great mic like G3 did. Let me know your thoughts.
I will NOT buy a phone if it doesn't have removable battery as i refuse to spend $800 on phone every few years and be forced by manufacturers due to profit.
Don't know any other manufacturer that lets you do white balance in K values. I wish aperture would be f=1.6 or f1.5 but had no complains with 1.8 on G4. Kinda sucks wide angle is f2.4, as it should be 1.8 or lower. It seems ppl use that camera more often. I guess night shots in standard angle is to use.
Thought about pixel but don't have manual control like LG does. If you guys have any suggestions on used phone <$250 that blows V20 out of water please let me know. I use to be Samsung Galaxy lover but since LG introduced manual controls i switched. There was pro photographer article on G4 camera so ppl that think iphone or samsung has better camera u should read that article. But let me know if there is something better.
P.S
In process of rooting it as i need it for kernel auditor for screen colors profiles (Vomer DeepRich) and kernel i/o scheduler control and kin screen and lux too, among few more other apps. Came with 10u so downgraded to 10p, bootloader unlocked already. Next will be laf exploid root method.
I just reflashed the excellent Alpha ROM on my V20 and managed to rid myself of a significant portion of the sluggishness I mentioned by getting rid of Magisk. I'm not sure what was going on but Magisk was definitely slowing everything down on my V20. Recommend if you buy this phone to stay away from Magisk or at least keep this is mind if you intend to root.
im on Mi A1 right now and im planning also to switch to V20.

Anyone considering moving to the 6T from the 6?

With the fingerprint sensor under the glass, potentially even better camera's and the bigger battery I am seriously temped to sell my 6 and get the 6T when it comes out.
Anyone thinking the same as me or am I just being an idiot lol
This is XDA. We are phone people. Phone people like phones; especially shiny new phones that are currently not in their pocket. Common sense isn't really an integral part of passion. The real question is simply can you afford to buy a new phone which will be at most an incremental improvement and is thus nothing more than a new toy?
krabman said:
This is XDA. We are phone people. Phone people like phones; especially shiny new phones that are currently not in their pocket. Common sense isn't really an integral part of passion. The real question is simply can you afford to buy a new phone which will be at most an incremental improvement and is thus nothing more than a new toy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Affording it isn't a problem but it does depend on the resale value if I go for it i.e if the price gap is too big to warrant the extra features.
I'm absolutely getting the 6T. I'll keep my 6 for backup and modding.
The 6T looks brilliant. The 7? We'll see. I skipped the 5 and 5T from the 3T.
Never Settle right?
if there will be no headphone jack 3.5, wireless charging, bigger battery, waterproof ip68 and many more, than I wish oneplus will get bankruptcy.
galaxy s10 is the way to go, even it will definitely has retarded curved display, one of the worst intentions.
honestly, I regret that I didn't wait for note9 but at this point already having oneplus6, I can wait till galaxy s10.
this retarded stupid notch on oneplus drives me crazy everyday.
absolutely hate it.
maybe I even should sell this trash oneplus6 phone, however it works well so far.
x111 said:
if there will be no headphone jack 3.5, wireless charging, bigger battery, waterproof ip68 and many more, than I wish oneplus will get bankruptcy.
galaxy s10 is the way to go, even it will definitely has retarded curved display, one of the worst intentions.
honestly, I regret that I didn't wait for note9 but at this point already having oneplus6, I can wait till galaxy s10.
this retarded stupid notch on oneplus drives me crazy everyday.
absolutely hate it.
maybe I even should sell this trash oneplus6 phone, however it works well so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S10 will have all of Samsung's bloatware preinstalled and the difference in price would be hard to justify frankly and the difference in camera quality is not as great as the price differential would make it seem.
The headphone jack for me is a non-issue I cannot remember the last time I used it however a bigger battery, under the glass fingerprint scanner, smaller notch are all good upgrades even if the cpu is the same.
Why is your OnePlus6 suddenly trash?
daleski75 said:
The S10 will have all of Samsung's bloatware preinstalled and the difference in price would be hard to justify frankly and the difference in camera quality is not as great as the price differential would make it seem.
The headphone jack for me is a non-issue I cannot remember the last time I used it however a bigger battery, under the glass fingerprint scanner, smaller notch are all good upgrades even if the cpu is the same.
Why is your OnePlus6 suddenly trash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung as well as oneplus has a shi...tty trash software, anyway I need AOSP.
oneplus6 cost me nearly $1000 with proper 256gb storage and galaxy s10 will be even better with 512gb, perfect size.
is going to just a bit more expensive with nearly zero compromises, I need every single possible feature on my phone, especially those features that already on my current phone MUST be on my new phone.
Retarded oneplus seo cannot get it.
I wish them bankruptcy for not delivering a proper product for already high price.
I bought the Huawei P20 Pro and am already considering selling it on eBay for the OnePlus 6T primarily though this is because i dislike the EMUI interface and missed the Bootloader unlocking train with them stopping the service. should still get £400 for it so possibly £70 out of pocket but worth it IMO. I had the OnePlus 3 and i loved that phone just not been overly impressed with the other releases of late.
krabman said:
This is XDA. We are phone people. Phone people like phones; especially shiny new phones that are currently not in their pocket. Common sense isn't really an integral part of passion. The real question is simply can you afford to buy a new phone which will be at most an incremental improvement and is thus nothing more than a new toy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nicely stated...
I'm considering, however from OnePlus 3. I reckon that would be an awesome upgrade.
Also considering, but from the Pixel XL 2...
Money prepared already. From OP2 to OP6T.
jukyO said:
Money prepared already. From OP2 to OP6T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's going to be one hell of a jump
ralph78 said:
I'm considering, however from OnePlus 3. I reckon that would be an awesome upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OP3T user here
why i am not tempted to buy this phone thou i badly need to upgrade since my OP3T shuts down randomly coz of heat issues.
1) no triple camera, all those rumors are false.camera will be a let down with a dual setup visav the other flagships - Honor 10 / Samsung s9 / Note 9 and pixel 3/xl
2) it is no longer a Value for money phone and flagship killer. that tag has been taken over by Poco F1
3) The price has been increasing with every new model thou the justification with 3T was a new processor. 6T will have same SD845 which is in OP6
4) I dont think an inscreen fingerprint scanner is worth the price they r going to charge.for this phone.
5) Removing 3.5mm jack is a big let down and very unlike them when they and the others made fun of iphone when it removed the 3.5mm jack.
.
I shall be getting it shortly after release :good:
Development will be good and hopefully sources will be released shortly after launch just like the previous devices.
I look forward to the release
Funk Wizard said:
I shall be getting it shortly after release :good:
Development will be good and hopefully sources will be released shortly after launch just like the previous devices.
I look forward to the release
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You going to keep the 6 or trade it in?
daleski75 said:
You going to keep the 6 or trade it in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I shall do a trade off locally :good: I plan to get both XL & the T, lets see how XL turns up on the launch.
Funk Wizard said:
I shall do a trade off locally :good: I plan to get both XL & the T, lets see how XL turns up on the launch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The XL looks good but man the size of that notch will take some getting used to.
daleski75 said:
The XL looks good but man the size of that notch will take some getting used to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if you've use to the six its just a pinch bigger than that :laugh:
Haven't made friends with the notch trend and at this point I'm not going to, that one is so huge as to be a deal breaker up front. The only reason I'm looking at this phone is because the notch is minimal and there is nothing out there I could otherwise buy. I don't want to move to a smaller screen which takes the vanilla Pixel out of the running. The Find X was interesting but it would seem a true international variant with working bootloader unlock and root may never be available. Samsung burned me with their idiotic bootloader shenanigans with the Note 8 and it will be a long time before they see any of my money again. Gets pretty thin after that. Heavy sigh...

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