Coming from a Nexus 6P - Samsung Galaxy S8 Questions and Answers

Hey guys,
Coming from a nexus 6P who's battery issues finally forced me to jump ship. Really wanted the Pixel 2 but I buy phones unlocked and that's breaking the bank. Not a novice here but not a coder... noticing a dealbreaker in this Galaxy S8 though: video quality on Netflix and Hulu. (Amazon Video and YouTube seem to fare better)
Read the forums, saw some of the issues, and so far the only thing I read is that the app has to be recoded every update, manually? The quality difference in video between my Nexus 6P is night and day. I just can't accept the washed out colors and basic detail.
I've tried tweaking the display settings. Hoped there would be more options to enhance saturation but nothing. Any recommendations? Is there a forum where a current, usable APK lives? I'm even cool with one of the old ones if it still works but I had trouble installing it. Not even sure if an APK sideload is in order since most of the video apps just look washed out.
I thought I checked everything when deciding on the Galaxy S8 but I've been a bit disappointed in my 2 hours playing with it. Hope I'm just doing something wrong.

are you taking about HDR10 or 4K, HD?

Related

Poor Video Quality?

So I have defiantly noticed poor video quality I've tried a 720p video h.264 lord of the rings encode quality looks decent but gets so pixilatee all the time no matter what video player I use, also tried normal 480p no lag or pixilation, but quality looks sorta poor. And the grid touch is very noticiable.
Am I the only one? Or are there others seeing this... I love this tablet so much over other android and for the price its awesome. But no ips display messes with me lol.
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
I have noticed the quality isn't as good as say my Iphone 3GS, Macbook Pro ( non ips screen).Apparantly it uses an AUO panel which aren't too bad; they're used in some Samsung panels but aren't as good as the one sony/samsung make.
Maybe someone with some technical knowledge here could answer it better.I am just agreeing with you. The a500 is a 6bit panel, bit disappointed in that, I was expecting 8bit.
The screen is the only disappointment I have
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
I have to agree with the screen issues. Video looks completely washed out. I tested streaming through my wife's iPad and my Acer. Needless to say, for $450, it's not worth it.
I've done the whole "the screen is not so bad" thing with the gTablet but that was a much cheaper investment. This thing is $50 from the Samsung 10.1, the Toshiba Regaza 10.1 inch, and an iPad 2.
I abhor the Apple iOS but I'm hoping they open things up a bit in June. I think I'll take this Acer back next week and just wait until then all these new June tablets are released. I don't think Acer can release an update to improve the quality of the screen ala Toshiba's Resolution + tech in their tablet.
Word of advice...take micro and SD cards with video on them to the store with you so you can test these things out. Maybe a flash drive too. I spent hours looking at videos and researching to make sure this tablet would be a nice purchase. Even after owning the tablet a full day, I was happy...until I played some video with it. I'm not talking high def content. I tried watching wrestling and some soccer videos on there but the quality saddens me. Why not stick a better screen on and charge me more?
Although I see what you do when I look at mine... the pictures I look at are almost as good as my Epic SuperAMOLED phone and I thought my phone was great... so, if the pictures are great/really good and the video not so much... I think tweaking will be done to deliver better quality... this thing was rushed out and so was honeycomb... I'll give it time because I know it can only get better... besides if all you're doing is video then maybe you just need a dvd player or an archos 70 250gig I heard those screens are nice... good luck.
I wish it was that easy. I blog on my tablet which is why I was leaning towards the Asus. I game on there and that's a mixed bag on here. I do like the cameras and the flash on here.
I'd just like a tablet to do everything well. Perhaps they can fix the video quality. I'm just wondering if we'll ever get that. I've heard from 3 people on this forum that Acer's customer support sucks. They've tried to charge them each time they've called.
Hopefully we'll get some answers soon. I'm trying to hold onto it until after Google's I/O conference next week which could shed some light on any problems Honeycomb may be causing.
Just glad I kept my receipt had for about 1 week and few days but will wait and see, hopefully they will shed some light.
Sent from my A500 using XDA Premium App
The main reason I bought a tablet in the first place was because I'm a producer and I wanted something I could easily tote around as a digital portfolio for pitches -MacBook Pro isn't quite as sexy in a meeting now that the tabs are on the market. The iPad has been extremely popular with commercial agencies, but I wanted something with an HDMI output w/o having to purchase an adapter (an additional $39) and a full size USB port w/o having to purchase a camera "kit" (an additional $29) -yep, I'm cheap like that.
Anyway, imagine how upset I was when I tried to play an mp4 on the A500 and got an error message stating that the video could not be played on "this device".
Here's what I found (search via google -can't post links yet):
"3 Surprising Things About Video On Android Tablets"
And from the Android Developer's site:
"Android Supported Media Formats"
What worked for me:
• Download the latest version of 'Handbrake'
• Go to 'Preferences'>'General' and under 'Output files:' uncheck 'Use iPod /iTunes friendly (.m4v) file extension for MP4'. Close the preferences window.
• Output Settings: Normal (Default) this is the 'Baseline Profile'
• Format: MP4 file this is the container
• Video Codec: H.264 (x264)
• Under 'Quality:', 'Constant quality:' should be selected with an RF Value of 19-20 for SD and 21-22 for HD
• Go to the 'Advanced' tab and under 'Encoding'/'Maximum B-Frames:' select '0' from the dropdown menu
• Leave all other settings as they are (incl. Audio; AAC is fine) for your first attempt
Feel free to play around with the settings as you will, but don't expect a whole lot of freedom.
Hope that helps!
goalweiser said:
I wish it was that easy. I blog on my tablet which is why I was leaning towards the Asus. I game on there and that's a mixed bag on here. I do like the cameras and the flash on here.
I'd just like a tablet to do everything well. Perhaps they can fix the video quality. I'm just wondering if we'll ever get that. I've heard from 3 people on this forum that Acer's customer support sucks. They've tried to charge them each time they've called.
Hopefully we'll get some answers soon. I'm trying to hold onto it until after Google's I/O conference next week which could shed some light on any problems Honeycomb may be causing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say just take it back now. If things improve you can always buy it again as it's actually in stock.
Here's what I wrote on the whirlpool forums
So anyway, I've been testing out the screen, comparing it with my macbook pro(non ips screen) with the exact same video.I found that my macbook featured better blacks and less pixelation.One thing I noticed is the blacks on the iconia were too bright.So I checked in settings and I had the brightness on auto.
I turned it all the way down ( turned off auto brightness in settings) and tried the videos again, playing both in sync and let me say there was a huge difference now.Blacks appeared much better, and all that pixelation ( which was highlighted more with the brightness on higher) was gone! It is on par with my macbook!
The image is still fairly bright as well, it doesn't look all dark now that the brightness is turned down which is great!.
Give it a ago.

Washed out colors only during video playback

Hi all,
I posted this on reddit but wanted to post it here as well to see if anyone could help/replicate.
Before I start, I just want to say that I'm not using the sRGB mode. I'm using the regular more saturated settings.
I noticed on Saturday that after recording and playing back a test video I shot, the colors looked very washed out compared to how the viewfinder looked during recording.
Today, I was streaming youtube, and also noticed a similar trend. The colors looked very washed out and lacked contrast. It almost feels like there's a film overlaying the video. This is ONLY during video playback. Whenever I just scroll through apps, or view pictures the screen looks great.
http://imgur.com/a/ECui5
Above is an album with pictures I took of my Note 4's and 6P's screen when viewing the same content. I tried to match the brightness as best as possible. Also, resolution was the same for videos on both screens. The first picture is the most apparent. I was watching John Oliver's latest episode and the top is the 6P where it looks completely washed out. The second picture is showing that when just viewing the homescreen, they look very similar and the colors pop on the 6P just like on the Note 4.
If anyone can please try to replicate this, I would really appreciate it. If this is just how the 6P plays videos, then I will deal with it. But if this is not normal I will try to RMA as videos really don't look that great.
TL;DR: Colors look great when viewing anything but videos. When viewing videos colors look very washed out. Album compares 6P and Note 4.
Bump
I tried this on my Nexus 7 2013 and it also looked a bit washed out. This could be a software thing. However, would someone please try to replicate this? I really want to make sure it's not just my device. Thanks!
PsychDrummer said:
Hi all,
I posted this on reddit but wanted to post it here as well to see if anyone could help/replicate.
Before I start, I just want to say that I'm not using the sRGB mode. I'm using the regular more saturated settings.
I noticed on Saturday that after recording and playing back a test video I shot, the colors looked very washed out compared to how the viewfinder looked during recording.
Today, I was streaming youtube, and also noticed a similar trend. The colors looked very washed out and lacked contrast. It almost feels like there's a film overlaying the video. This is ONLY during video playback. Whenever I just scroll through apps, or view pictures the screen looks great.
http://imgur.com/a/ECui5
Above is an album with pictures I took of my Note 4's and 6P's screen when viewing the same content. I tried to match the brightness as best as possible. Also, resolution was the same for videos on both screens. The first picture is the most apparent. I was watching John Oliver's latest episode and the top is the 6P where it looks completely washed out. The second picture is showing that when just viewing the homescreen, they look very similar and the colors pop on the 6P just like on the Note 4.
If anyone can please try to replicate this, I would really appreciate it. If this is just how the 6P plays videos, then I will deal with it. But if this is not normal I will try to RMA as videos really don't look that great.
TL;DR: Colors look great when viewing anything but videos. When viewing videos colors look very washed out. Album compares 6P and Note 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Big thread on reddit about this, which points to this bug (which was closed) and referred to this Nexus forum thread (no Google response yet).
Someone found this commit, which looks highly suspicious:
https://android.googlesource.com/kernel/msm/+/android-msm-angler-3.10-marshmallow-dr^!/
Going to ask in the original development forum if someone can build w/that commit reverted to see if the problem persists.
I've got this issue also !! Thought I was going crazy had the 6p a week or so and I'm sure it wasn't happening when I first used it. Only when playing YouTube videos the colours look watched out more noticeable on black's that look light black for want of a better description. When looking at apps (sky news etc) the black's are very black but not in YouTube vids. I've got a nesus 6 played the statwars trailer side by side against the 6p and you can really tell theres an issue. Gonna hit Google with this will call them tommorow and post back. Fault with the handset might swap my 6p for another see if its still the same .
Bttfhed said:
I've got this issue also !! Thought I was going crazy had the 6p a week or so and I'm sure it wasn't happening when I first used it. Only when playing YouTube videos the colours look watched out more noticeable on black's that look light black for want of a better description. When looking at apps (sky news etc) the black's are very black but not in YouTube vids. I've got a nesus 6 played the statwars trailer side by side against the 6p and you can really tell theres an issue. Gonna hit Google with this will call them tommorow and post back. Fault with the handset might swap my 6p for another see if its still the same .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a software problem, please +1 the forum post here:
https://groups.google.com/a/[email protected]
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Same issue
Same issue here! Compared it side by on my previous Samsung S6 each watching the same YouTube video. Saw that the Nexus 6 P's video was washed out, especially the blacks looked more gray. Looks like there is an Instagram filter on the video of the 6p.
Same issue here. Google has acknowledged it and has a team on it. The speculation is it is a video colour space bug that was introduced in one of the early updates put out.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
This affects a bunch of devices, including the Nexus 5X and Nexus Player. I made a thread in the Nexus 5X forum with a bunch of relevant links.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-5x/help/kernel-bug-causing-videos-to-appear-t3253555
civuck01 said:
Same issue here. Google has acknowledged it and has a team on it. The speculation is it is a video colour space bug that was introduced in one of the early updates put out.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The commit is LITERALLY linked in the forum thread. It's asinine that it is taking this long for Google to do a git revert. I hope it's rolled into the next monthly security latches. But I'm not getting my hopes up. I took things into my own hands and flashed a kernel with that commit reverted.
Anyone check to see if 6.0.1 fixes this? I know Google acknowledged the issue about a week ago and said a fix would be in a future maintenance release. Wondering if it made it into 6.0.1. Probably not, but one can hope.
gtg465x said:
Anyone check to see if 6.0.1 fixes this? I know Google acknowledged the issue about a week ago and said a fix would be in a future maintenance release. Wondering if it made it into 6.0.1. Probably not, but one can hope.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think someone reported on the Nexus forum thread that 6.0.1 does fix it. I returned my 6P so I can't confirm.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
It's fixed in 6.0.1
It's fixed in 6.0.1, lot of users are reporting it on reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nexus6P/comments/3vu3dx/psa_the_601_update_mbb29m_fixes_the_washed_out/
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Yep, seems fixed on my 5X as well.
nevermind I had sRGB on turned off all is well

S7 Video Recording FUBAR: Samsung's Biggest Mistake?

When I first picked up my Galaxy s7 Edge on Sprint, I wrote a post about poor quality, lack of stability, and a lot of people told me I was imagining it, or put it down to YouTube. Now watch this...
https://youtu.be/gF_PRYBFS84
That is a video I took in FHD60 (i.e. 1080p and 60 frames per second) - skip forward to 8 seconds. Unacceptable isn't the word. I should add, most of the time it's not as bad as this - usually just a really jarring stutter, but it's done this a few times,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnRAHEE-nB4
This one is 4K. Not as bad on the face of it, but the weird motion blurring and blockiness present is ...well, it doesn't feel very 4K. I also experience some skips/frame drops when filming in this mode.
I took approx 130 10-30 second videos over the weekend and skipping is present in most of them. I've even got to the point where I try and film everything twice (panning across a landscape) so i can hopefully minimize the likelihood of skipping.
This is my second S7 edge, after the first one developed a dead pixel within the first 2 weeks. I've updated the firmware to G935PVPU2APD3.
From what I've read online in forums, one user claimed that on a live chat , Samsung are refusing to admit it publicly, but there is nothing they can do to improve it. I believe this is a problem mainly with the US Snapdragon 820 chip - but I dunno, it could be an issue with the International version too - either way, I'm not happy but it looks like we have to put up with it.
CTIGUK said:
When I first picked up my Galaxy s7 Edge on Sprint, I wrote a post about poor quality, lack of stability, and a lot of people told me I was imagining it, or put it down to YouTube. Now watch this...
https://youtu.be/gF_PRYBFS84
That is a video I took in FHD60 (i.e. 1080p and 60 frames per second) - skip forward to 8 seconds. Unacceptable isn't the word. I should add, most of the time it's not as bad as this - usually just a really jarring stutter, but it's done this a few times,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnRAHEE-nB4
This one is 4K. Not as bad on the face of it, but the weird motion blurring and blockiness present is ...well, it doesn't feel very 4K. I also experience some skips/frame drops when filming in this mode.
I took approx 130 10-30 second videos over the weekend and skipping is present in most of them. I've even got to the point where I try and film everything twice (panning across a landscape) so i can hopefully minimize the likelihood of skipping.
This is my second S7 edge, after the first one developed a dead pixel within the first 2 weeks. I've updated the firmware to G935PVPU2APD3.
From what I've read online in forums, one user claimed that on a live chat , Samsung are refusing to admit it publicly, but there is nothing they can do to improve it. I believe this is a problem mainly with the US Snapdragon 820 chip - but I dunno, it could be an issue with the International version too - either way, I'm not happy but it looks like we have to put up with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is your Camera Chip?
Mine is: SLSI_S5K2L1_FIMC_IS
Exynos Version
To find out, download Aida64, go to Devices and see Rear-Facing Camera Section
dave7802 said:
What is your Camera Chip?
Mine is: SLSI_S5K2L1_FIMC_IS
Exynos Version
To find out, download Aida64, go to Devices and see Rear-Facing Camera Section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Dave,
I have the Snapdragon 820 processor and camera is SONY_IMX260
I've seen pieces online that say the Snapdragon fares worse than the Exynos in terms of performance, so it could be only really noticeable on those phones
Indeed, am no pro snapper so I cannot comment.
But the picture quality has been perfect on my device.
Am going to try this recording on the way home in the car now though (something i have yet to do)
I'll upload to YouTube for you to view if you like.
Any specific settings you used?
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
dave7802 said:
Indeed, am no pro snapper so I cannot comment.
But the picture quality has been perfect on my device.
Am going to try this recording on the way home in the car now though (something i have yet to do)
I'll upload to YouTube for you to view if you like.
Any specific settings you used?
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It happens with FHD60 most commonly. Panning the camera makes it most notable... that's pretty much it!
Just a question.. you are recording internally or on sdcard?
I don't think there's any way that is a hardware issue. Seems like something is going way wrong with the video recording on the software level - I'd be money it is digital stabilization going haywire. Was that turned off? If so, maybe it's broken.

Honest review coming from Nexus 6p to pixel XL

Before i begin i want to point out that I have never reviewed a device before and to be honest I'm not that great at typing but the nexus is going through a phase it has never been through before. The nexus line is at and end and the most recent nexus devices aren't even getting the full features of its predecessor as they normally would for years to come. With that said the pixel has made me feel as though it is worth sharing my thoughts with people who may be sat on the bench or wondering about the new pixel devices that are replacing our beloved nexus phones and whether or not they should make the pricey jump over. I also would like to know how you guys that have purchased a pixel are finding the new google devices.
I have been a massive fan of the nexus line since the birth back at the nexus one and have owned every nexus phone released, and have had most nexus tablets apart from the 2nd gen nexus 7, so i really love the pure android experience. Having used the nexus line for so long and spending a short amount of time now with the pixel XL i wanted to give my honest opinion and feelings about the new line coming from the nexus 6p...
There are sacrifices and gains to be made when upgrading from the 6p. First of all the front facing speakers are gone which is quite a big downer for me. Perhaps I've been spoilt with having front facing speakers on the 6p and nexus 9 that i use, but it feels like a step backwards here. The speaker on the pixel XL is OK dont get me wrong and can be quite loud and full sounding but its nothing like having front facing stereo speakers.
I want to talk about the software/google photos backup/assistant. My nexus was on 7.1.1 preview when i sold it so I had some time with that to compare.
The google photo backup feels like a marketing scam to me in a way. They advertise unlimited storage in full resolution forever with the pixel phones. Now you already get that to the most extent. It backs up pictures in an unaltered quality up to 16 mega pixels. The pixel phones have a 12.3mp camera same as the 6p and a lot of other devices so nothing changes there. The 6p and other devices also get full resolution video backup for 1080p so the only real gain is the 4k resolution videos.
The assistant again is being played up big time by google. Now lets be honest most people don't stand there talking to their phones or at least not people that i know. I tried both google now and assistant and to me assistant is the same as google now. They have just given it a new voice with some jokes and put it into a conversation card format. Google now worked pretty much the same and did a good job. This isn't something new that google have released that hasn't been seen before. It's simply a revision of google now that we have had for a while.
The software is beautiful on the pixel XL. I know it has better internals that will be helping a lot but the user interface is so smooth and fluid. Even 3rd party apps seem to behave better and don't have no where near as much micro stutters. Everything just feels fluid and very very snappy. This is where the pixel for me really excels over the 6p. The new launcher is also very nice. I was on the bench when i first saw it but once you use it, it makes perfect sense. The swipe up motion for the app drawer frees up a dock position for an additional app. The new search button top left frees up more screen real estate instead of having the full length bar spanning the width of the screen.
The display is very slightly smaller on the XL, however i don't really notice this at all to be perfectly honest. The display on the pixel XL is definitely better than the 6p. Its much much brighter and the white point is much better... At least for my taste. I prefer a cooler white than the more yellow hue of the nexus 6p. I held the two phones side by side in the store and i cant stress enough how much more improved the new pixel phones display is. This is a gorgeous display that honestly rivals my wife's S7 edge.
The pixel XL is noticeably thicker than the 6p when held out of a case. I'm not too sure how i feel about this one personally. The pixel XL is easier to hold and doesn't feel like it will slip from your hands when using one handed but then again it has the same battery as the 6p and is a similar size shell. It doesn't have anything extra that would warrant the thickness so again this feels like a step back to me in a way. I don't understand the need for the extra thickness given the internals. I know they may have thickened it slightly to remove the camera bump but the pixel phone still actually thickens up as at the top end of the phone compared to the bottom.
The chin is a talking point for a lot of people. I have come to accept this now for the simple reason of the bottom facing speaker. On the larger bezels you have more room to hold the phone without covering the speaker with your palm. I have gone for the black version of the phone which somehow hides this a bit better than the white and doesn't look as obvious.
The camera is simply great on the pixel. Even though it has exact same spec camera as the 6p the end product after the image has been processed is awesome. For simple point and shoot the camera is amazing and there is 0 lag with the HDR+ like there is on the nexus 6p. I often missed a chance to snap my kids doing something with the 6p because it took forever to actually take the picture after pushing the button. This issue is gone with the pixel and photos are snapped almost instantly.
The price is still definitely a big question mark for me. The phone feels great and overall is does make the nexus lines feel like beta's to what the pixel is and how it performs. However... No wireless charging... No water and dust proofing... No dual front facing speaker... There are other phones out there with these things that don't cost as much. The price being charged for this leaves a bad taste in my mouth, especially with it being the first pixel phone which a lot of average consumers wont understand the history behind and how it came to be. The phone isn't a house hold known name like the galaxy line or the iphones so people may be scared away by the price for this new unknown brand of phone.
Overall summary for me is that the pixel XL phone is definately an upgrade from the 6p, and using the phone feels night and day better but the price point is a huge question mark. The pixel phone somehow has a polish and unification to the whole google branding that i just cant put my finger on but i can honestly say this is by far the greatest android experience i have ever experienced. The smoothness of moving around the ui is unrivalled by any other device i have ever used including windows phones and iphones (I've never owned an iphone but my brother is an avid apple fan so we dont see eye to eye, however I do play with his iphone to compare speed etc).
So how are you guys finding the pixel XL phone? which device did you come from and how does it compare?
The iphone 6s was a success and the Pixel XL is gonna Excel ????
Google i see what u did there, playa!
Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk
Nice review. Some very interesting points. Thank you.
Oddly enough, a lesser price would = lesser product to the uneducated consumer.
Google's going for mass production it would seem.
They *had* to put it in the same price point as other premium phones in order to attract that particular consumer.
It's backwards reasoning, I know. But there you have it.
Nice review, thanks.
nice review. i will wait for Google Pixel version 2 coming out next year October 2017. i wanted to see waterproof at least. so i will wait for next year for now.
Google assistant is like Google Now version 2. or Google Now (Assistant) on steroids
Btw with the high quality unlimited backup option with Google photos on other phones you don't get unaltered backups under 16MP. While they do keep the resolution they do indeed compress the photos further.
So it is a selling point that the Pixel you actual get your original photos backed up with unlimited storage.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Slicktune said:
The iphone 6s was a success and the Pixel XL is gonna Excel
Google i see what u did there, playa!
Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the 6S stood for Sucks A**...:laugh::laugh:
seezar said:
Btw with the high quality unlimited backup option with Google photos on other phones you don't get unaltered backups under 16MP. While they do keep the resolution they do indeed compress the photos further.
So it is a selling point that the Pixel you actual get your original photos backed up with unlimited storage.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wanted to point this out as well. A lot of people seem to be misinformed about that particular detail.
The Pixel (and XL) are the only devices that allow for unlimited storage where you data does not get compressed. Meaning you'll lose quality when you upload from a different device, say the 6p.
Also the reviewer pointed out that the camera on the pixel is the same as the 6p. This is also false. The only have the resolution and pixel size in common.
First of all, good write up even with some slight corrections as others have pointed out! I now have had my Pixel XL for almost 24 hours. It is sitting right next to my Nexus 6P with the 7.1.1 Preview.
First let's address the elephant in the room: Pricing. Yes, it is high compared to 6P but I understand the marketing and reason for the Pixel price, though I don't necessarily agree. Still very much on the fence about that.
Now, let's talk about quality and features. Pixel is very comparable to 6P but with faster processor and more RAM which I like. I like the unlimited Google Photos storage. I like the speed and fluidity of the Pixel. I do like the screen and prefer the cooler white vs the yellow hued 6P ( I returned my 6P 4 times before I found a suitable one!). Camera is slightly better but then the 6P with the latest camera update, performs far better than its original software. The Pixel design is OK, despite the front looking like an Iphone and the huge bezels. I am neutral on the two tone back (I have the black): don't hate it but don't love it. Screen size is acceptable but as I get older, I prefer the larger screen on 6P, but again, am fine with Pixel size.
What I am disappointed in is the lack of a 64 Gb size (I have the 32 and though it should be enough for me, I can possibly foresee getting squeezed much later on down the road but I don't play games or DL movies but I can use an OTG usb), lack of stereo speakers (though I usually always use good headphones for 90% music, streaming listening, etc., the sound was kinda nice when just listening from phone those rare times and for phone calls, though far from high quality on 6P, etc.), lack of waterproofing (I am careful btw and have never dropped a phone in any water, etc., but it was kinda nice having another layer of protection after Note 7 and true, the 6P lacks it).
Google Assistant is just a revamped Google Now as indicated.
So, I am truly on the fence as to whether this is worth keeping as an upgrade to the 6P as it was not a giant leap forward and the 6P is almost half the price.
I am not hating on the phone but am not overwhelmingly in love with it as when I first purchased the 6P and Note 7, but its overall value is questionable for me. Will see. Typically, by Thanksgiving and Xmas, Google lowers pricing, so I may return and wait till then.
Again, in a quandary.
Not even 24 hours in and I am far more impressed with the Pixel XL than the 6P. Literally the only thing I miss are the speakers. The setup was absolutely impressive vs any phone I've ever used, especially the 6P. I was able to set the whole phone up while it was downloading and installing apps and do all it's initial syncing without one single hiccup. On phones prior to the 6P lags and such would happen because the power and memory just was not there. On the 6P it would be even more disappointing as the power and memory was there but eventually throttling would occur slowing things down. I've done several factory resets and flashed several factory images in the past year to know how the 6P handles setup. It's easier to handle as well and I don't really notice the shrink in screen size except for where it counts(being able to reach anywhere on the screen). I'm also getting LTE in areas where I was not even getting signal on my 6P. The Pixel literally has fixed every issue I had with my 6P. RIP stereo sounds.
@AndrasLOHF: Good points! I agree. But I did notice when I wiped my 6P to install 7.1.1 (I did a fresh install), no lag whatsoever occurred and the downloading and installing of apps and it's initial syncing didn't have one single hiccup as you suggest as par for the course with the 6P. Maybe some slight throttling but it was seamless. Go figure. I will test the LTE as I travel about but one good indicator is work and its surrounding area (a major airport): VZW LTE is practically useless for most employees as it generally falls back to 3G, or just loses any signal. Right now, I "seem" to have a marginally better connection with the Pixel, although I do see LTE flashing on and off, but at least "seems" to be in the on position for longer periods. Speeds are slower, but still a connection. I will keep monitoring the LTE aspect.
Thanks for the feedback.
Coming from a Nexus 6 so the upgrade to the PIxel XL was a much easier decision (compared to 6P to Pixel).
The cost comes up a lot and to me it is a diminishing returns scenario. Do a pair of $3000 speakers sound twice as good as $1500 speakers. Likely not. When you start stepping up from good to very good, there is almost always diminishing returns. For me, the Pixel is that way. It is sooooo darn smooth. I never complained about the N6 being laggy, but going from the N6 to the Pixel you see how incredibly smooth the Pixel is.
Positives
Love how smooth it is. It is fantastic.
Love the 128GB option. I would have bought a 128GB to 256GB uSD card for a phone with expandable storage, but expandable storage would not have been nearly as fast.
Love the camera. N5 and N6 could take good pictures with lots of light. Go low light or lots of motion and the pictures were poor. I have been very impressed by the Pixel camera. I watch people argue about if the S7, V20, Pixel, or iPhone have the best pictures. They are all in great company and take great pictures. Go with what you like.
Like the notification LED on the Pixel. N6 had one that could be used with root and LIghtflow. I use Lightflow with the Pixel LED to setup all kinds of different colors and flash rates to show me status of things.
Love the fingerprint scanner on the back. Very intuitive to use and works great. It has taken me almost a week to remember to use that instead of the power button.
Like the display. Very clear, nice colors, can see outdoors (could always be brighter of course) much brighter than the N6 and the whites are pleasantly white instead of yellow.
Like the feel in hand. Much smoother sides compared to the N6 and of course smaller makes it more comfortable too.
Love USB-C and bidirectional plugging in. It is the little things.
Like the signal strength of LTE on the Pixel. There is one area I drive through where if I start a new stream in that area I get buffering. Did that with the Pixel yesterday and the streaming started right up without buffering.
Negatives
Don't like the narrow side bevels. They are so narrow that sometimes my fat hands squish over the sides and do a long press (bringing up the option for widgets and wallpapers)
Don't like connectivity on the Bluetooth. Connected fine to two BT headsets, but has problems with my Android car head unit. I can turn off phone audio and keep media audio to keep the BT connected for now. My N6 connected just fine to the same head unit. There are several BT threads going so I am sure this will get patched.
Also came from the 6P which I have loved hands down.
I too miss the speakers.
The latest beta on the 6P is great too.
Camera on 6P is still amazing.
I have large hands so I'm adjusting to the pixel XL. I actually prefer a case on it, which I never prefer cases.
Screen is definitely better on Pixel.
Although 6P isn't slow... The Pixel is noticeably faster.
Price isn't a factor. I have no issues with a premium flagship being priced like one.
I am wondering if it's worth upgrading to Pixel if my main goal it to avoid buying a point and shoot camera. I have 6p and like it for the most part, but looking for better camera to take on vacations etc. Last time I didn't like my G15 and 6p combo, ended up using both and both were not what I wanted, not to mention that I had to charge and carry both devices
I've just upgraded to a Pixel XL from the 6P as I was getting sick of my battery not making it through the day! I must say I loved my 6P and thought it to be an extremely zippy phone but wow! After 2 days of using the pixel I thought I'd try to use my 6P again, the difference in speed and smoothness is unreal. The 6P is no slouch but after using the Pixel for a couple of days it made the 6P seem slow and laggy. The Pixel XL really is an amazing device. I am yet to try daydream out but that was also one of the other reasons I wanted to move from the 6P as the troublesome 810 destroyed all chances of it being able to stay cool during a VR session. I think the 821 is enough reason alone to upgrade, the performance increase over the 810 is staggering.
Great write-up. Thanks for putting it together.
Coming from my 6P, and having had the pixel XL for almost a month, here's my take:
Cons:
Speakers, speakers, speakers
$$ price (Almost $1K for my 128 XL!)
Pros:
Literally everything else
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Great review and some interesting points. I'm also coming from the Nexus 6P and since most things have been addressed, I'll just note some of my experiences.
What I like about the Pixel over the 6P:
- Speed and fluidity is not comparable in my opinion
- Battery life is noticeably superior than the 6P; I was struggling to get 2 - 3 hours of screen on time based on my usage whereas I get 4+ hours with the Pixel XL
- Photos backup is awesome without losing quality; Also, this is not for a trial period of 2 years which is amazing
- Build quality (I get that design is meh) is so much better and it's so apparent when held in hand. 6P looked and felt nice but definitely didn't feel sturdy
- Camera quality isn't dramatically better, but the speed of the camera is just so much better than the 6P (this was what convinced me to switch). Overall, it just takes better pictures on average than the 6p on the first attempt
- Size is perfect, the 6P seemed a bit too big to yield at times
- Screen quality is much better than the 6P
- This doesn't get mentioned much, but the Pixel runs MUCH cooler than the 6P
- Call quality and bluetooth radios (more reliable)
What I miss:
- Speakers, although the Pixel's speaker isn't bad by any means
I really liked the Nexus 6P but I do feel the Pixel was an upgrade in almost every way for me. Not having sufficient water resistance compared to other phones of this price was disappointing, but at the end of the day it wasn't a big selling point for me (I do think it should have been a no-brainer at this price point). The overall experience with the phone is just more enjoyable with the Pixel XL than the 6P (again, this is just my experience) to the point that the price point wasn't a huge issue (it helped that I was able to sell my 6P at $400).

Reviews of the OnePlus 5 from Real Users

My question is, can I get some real reviews from real users, not the YouTube paid reviews. Some people should have it for about 2 weeks now, and I wanna hear what you think. I've read where the camera is horrible, and others say it's OK. I'm buying the phone this Thursday, or next Thursday and am looking for some honesty.
How I typically use my phone is all day, everyday. It's a bit of an ADD thing where I have to keep myself busy. Games, XDA, more games. I play VainGlory a lot, and it's pretty heavy on my phone. Does anyone else play this, and how does the 5 perform while playing?
Can anyone post some pictures they took of scenery, buildings, etc... I'll post some of mine taken from my Nexus 6P, edited in Snapseed. The camera is a big point for me.
Please and thank you!!
I currently own OP5 and previous phone was Pixel XL.
If a camera is a big point for you, there are better options for sure such as Pixel , iPhone and U11.
If gaming, then this phone will perform way better than 6p or any other phone. 835 CPU, GPU and 8 RAM means solid performance.
Camera is great in good lighting; mediocre in low light. 1080 Video good and 4K video average.
Battery life for me has been incredible! Fast charging is awesome too.
OP5 is a fantastic phone and I would recommend to anyone. I say this even though I plan on returning OP5 and going back to my Pixel XL. Why? Camera and smoother overall experience in Pixel. OP5 is faster for sure.
I hope this helps. It was not an easy decision for me.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
I don't take too many videos, but I definitely like having the option of taking a good one. Gaming is a big selling point for me as well. As for the camera... I'm kind of hoping that some sort of fix is released in an update for whatever the issue is.
It definitely helps though. The price is also a factor, as I'm thinking I'll be able to sell my 6p for 325-350, with all the cases I have and the pretty awesome condition I've kept it in.
I've also haven't had a *new* phone in years. Last one I had was S6 Edge and I ended up having to give it to my Now Ex-girlfriends mom since it was on her plan and we broke up. I had it for like 3 weeks. So, a new phone under warranty would be pretty sweet to have.
Im going to buy it, I made up my mind. If anything, and the camera is way worse than my 6p and they don't release an update I can just sell it, right? Yup.
Bye-bye Nexus.
I'll break up a short review into a few sections.
Design - 9/10
I really like the build quality. The phone looks very similar to a certain device, but I don't mind this. The matte black color looks great and the device, while a bit thin, is the perfect weight (although I am going to buy a case as soon as they become available.) Although I do wish the camera was in the center because when you lay the device down, the protruding camera lens is what your device lays on and makes the device not lay completely flat. The good news is the camera lends is made out of sapphire so durability is there.
Performance | Daily Tasks - 9/10
I have read all about the "Jello effect." This does appear on my device, but it's very minimal and I don't see it as a problem. I did recently watch a video where it was a lot worse in that video. People on social media tend to be hive-mind associated so a lot of negativity tends to spread like wildfire while the positive items are left out of the spotlight. I think the device is extremely snappy and I have noticed the phone doesn't even get warm while playing Pokemon Go for long spurts at a time. No sluggish performance at all.
Wireless Connectivity | WiFi | 4G - 8/10
Cellular Performance
This aspect is generally very important to me. When I compare it to my brother's GS8 on T-Mobile US, we both have a consistent experience in strong signal areas. The OP5 doesn't support 4x4 MIMO on the 4G/LTE side, but it does support 256QAM and 3xCA which is more than enough for the typical power user. Overall, my brother's S8 tends to get slightly less than 10% more speeds on LTE than I do (for comparison, I hit 115Mbps in a spot whereas the GS8 hit 125Mbps.) However, I will note that edge-of-signal, the S8 does win outright. In a few areas where LTE signal is weak (sub -120dBm RSRP), the OnePlus 5 will tend to drop to HSPA or even Edge whereas the S8 will maintain a usable signal. In other words, VoLTE'ers, you may experience more dropped calls when venturing about in weak LTE areas.
WiFi Performance
The OP5 supports 2x2 MIMO and wireless AC so 5Ghz networks is vastly improved over the OP3/OP3T in regards to WiFi coverage/performance. In comparison, I can pull up to 540mbps in a corner of my house on the OP5 whereas the OP3T will only be able to pull 32mbps on the same network. Oneplus has really went above and beyond in terms of WiFi antenna design and has consistently matched the GS8's WiFi performance (Note: I do not have Gigabit internet so I wan't able to test higher-end speeds.)
Battery - 9/10
I am coming from a Le Pro3 (which is one of the best devices for battery), and I'm not too concerned with what I'm getting on the OP5. I am consistently getting through the typical work-day with around 30-40% juice left after a few hours of screen time. If I need a quick charge, Dash charging is there. I will mention that I wish Dash Charging wasn't so proprietary. Because almost all of my current chargers are Qualcomm QC which aren't compatible with the Oneplus. Although it'll still charge the device, just not rapidly like Dash would.
Camera - 7/10
I am not a photographer by any means and a good camera doesn't necessarily sell me on a device by itself. I will say though that while the pictures are not as good as what you'd get on the GS8, they are pretty good shots and I honestly can't see people looking at your facebook pictures and thinking "wow, whatever camera took this picture sucks." I am quite content with the camera because it is better than a mid-range device, but worse than a flagship.
Software/Customization - 10/10
This is the main reason I went with the OnePlus device. Oxygen OS is so smooth and AOSP-like. The nearly bloatless experience and ability to change the theme/accents of your device are amazing. That, and I know the community will be behind some massive developments for this device so I can satisfy my flashing urges as they come up. It all just works.
Sound/Speakers - 9/10
I would have preferred stereo speaker setup, instead of mono speaker. Still, I would say I have been very impressed with the mono speaker on the bottom with the amount of quality and loud sounds that come from it. Music in the car over Bluetooth/Android Auto also works great and is very clear sounding. I actually flashed the Viper/Arise sound mod and disabled it shortly after because stock sounds that good (I don't play around with the Viper/Arise settings too much, so maybe I can improve it but to me there's not much left to be desired.) Voice Calls, people are loud and clear.
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend the product to a friend!
Man the phones on point. I went hard on my op5 & have yet to hit 34 °c I play the phone for long stretches so not worrying about my phone getting to hot is my favorite upgrade so far. The battery for sure last longer than the 3t but the 3t charges about 10 minutes faster
My phone was delivered on the Friday after the key note and have used this as my daily driver. My most recent phone was the Samsung s7e, but gave to my wife as I found it too slow (and I really wanted to try a one plus 5).
Initial impressions are similar to the (honest) reviews:
1. Damn this thing is quick
2. Damn the fingerprint reader is quick
3. Damn that charges quick
3. Oh, the camera isn't quite as good as it was hyped
I think it looks "fine" (i.e I couldn't care less what it looks like).
Battery life has been good, at least comparable to a 6 month old SGS7e (I bought that second hand) but not as good as my old Sony z3c.
The camera is good, don't get me wrong, and it can take better shots than the Samsung, but it's not as consistent. Low light isn't as good (but again, the Samsung is a very high bar). I'd say that 90% of my photos come out fine first time. It's very quick to take photos though (if Oneplus wanted a "speed" theme to come through in this device then they certainly succeeded)
1080p video is very good. Surprisingly good. Ok 4k recording lacks stabilisation, but hey, do people bother to record in this resolution? (I suppose that do, but I sure as hell don't). They've also said that 4k EIS will come in an update.
The screen is very good. Having had the S6 and S7e, I've experienced excellent screens (i.e. high resolution) but really don't see the point for 99% of the time (I played with vr for a couple of days about 12 months ago so I really do mean 99%). 1080p is absolutely great for a 5.5" screen.
My only complaints have been:
1. Jelly (yes, either I'm susceptible to seeing it or my device has it)
2. Camera not as good as hyped
3. Some vague software oddities which I'm sure will be sorted (notification issues with eBay)
I'll post up some photos...
Some photos #shotonaoneplus
The best thing about OnePlus 5 is support from this community. I ordered on the conference day and there was TWRP and root solution available before this phone even arrived to my home. Another great thing is overall performance, clean OS, no bloatware.
Time for bad things. It is always bad sign when the company behind any device lies to you. They lie about camera peformance, they lie about screen issues... I wonder what will be next. Had I waited few days and seen how OnePlus acts, I would not buy it again.
Still I have it, so let's talk about user experience. I am switching to OnePlus 5 from my 4 years old OPPO Find 7, so this is my point of reference.
Form factor. The phone is a bit slippery and uncomfortable to grip. It has some sort of additional sharp line on the edge, and I ordered a cover to make it feel better. Other than this, it looks great and sexy. Shame it is not original design, but it is still good if you don't care about such things (I personally don't).
Screen. Screen has great colors and real blacks. It doesn't have the best resolution but just looks better than 2K IPS of Find 7. Use some dark wallpaper and you will be in heaven. At the same time you have this jelly effect and before I got used to it, it felt wrong. If you are motion sick, you should stay away from this phone.
Camera. The only good thing I can say about camera is its tonal range. You get all the colors instead of washed whites when you shot something with high contrast. At the same time I have seen way more details on the Find 7, which is four years old than on the OnePlus 5. Maybe it is poor compression of images, maybe it is some de-noising algorithm... anyway when you zoom in, you will see only blur in the image. Also, the telephoto camera is almost never used indoors (easy to check - cover one lens and see yourself which lens your phone is using) and used outdoor only when light is perfect (hello sun). When you click this magical 2x zoom in your camera app you will newer know whether you are doing software zoom loosing even more details or actual optical zoom... which even in best case is software-processed.
OS. Is great. Clean, fast android. Easy to root, easy to mod.
Battery life. Mixed. It will give you a full day, easily, but also drops significantly when you don't use the phone. Still, you have the DaSH/VOOC fast charge, so that's not a big issue.
Summary - this phone is great when you love messing with your phone, you are going to try custom rooms, you need root and great community support. It should be your choice if you with to have hardware that has enough power to stay with you for years. If you are looking for "clearer photos" look somewhere else. This is outward lie, and camera peformance is just average. It is also not a device for you if you must have the latest technology in hand or a very decent screen.
It is also not a steal anymore. You pay a bit less than premium range and you get a bit less then premium quality. Consider what you are looking for, and if your boxes are matched go for it.
ab7casper said:
How I typically use my phone is all day, everyday. It's a bit of an ADD thing where I have to keep myself busy. Games, XDA, more games. I play VainGlory a lot, and it's pretty heavy on my phone. Does anyone else play this, and how does the 5 perform while playing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never played that game but I play some games (the Idolmaster rhythm games) that are pretty heavy and made my Nexus 6 very sad. They run very smoothly at highest settings on the 1+5, and thanks to the massive amounts of ram, I can switch between several games with no problem.
The one complaint I have is the placement of the speaker. If you are playing a game landscape orientation your hand will keep covering it. Big problem when playing rhythm games.
j0ff said:
Some photos #shotonaoneplus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are more than acceptable pics for a smartphone. I don't expect DSLR quality, and it looks like it could be an improvement over my 6p.
I really appreciate everyone's responses. They all are very insightful, and definitely put my mind at ease about the purchase.
ab7casper said:
Those are more than acceptable pics for a smartphone. I don't expect DSLR quality, and it looks like it could be an improvement over my 6p.
I really appreciate everyone's responses. They all are very insightful, and definitely put my mind at ease about the purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will be happy with it, I'm sure!
From the forums you might think it's nothing but problems, but overall it is still a really​ great phone. Keep in mind most of the folks who even know about this phone are the pickiest of the pickiest!
yubimusubi said:
You will be happy with it, I'm sure!
From the forums you might think it's nothing but problems, but overall it is still a really​ great phone. Keep in mind most of the folks who even know about this phone are the pickiest of the pickiest!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, true that. I might say that camera performance means a lot to me. But I have no actual "training" in being a photographer, or what is supposed to look like what. I just like taking pictures for myself, and I throw em up on Instagram. I use a lot of my pictures for wallpapers for my phone, mainly.
If anything, the better the phone is performing at games the better it would be for me, and this sounds like a beast. I'll be doubling my ram, and storage capacity so I'll be more than happy at that fact alone. Haha
Edit: I hope this post stays near the top for anyone on the fence about the purchase. I was just thinking about you're only hearing so many users complaining about the phone, but how many other users out there that are completely satisfied.
I bought it just an hour after the event, and I'm returning it tofay. I love taking pictures with my phone and I don't like op5 photos at all. I'm sending it back this week before the 14-day period is over, I'm moving to the S8 which I found at the same price...
I just hate how it deals with low-light and with colour, in particular in the details, which are just awful. I come from three and an half years with the Nexus 5, which had OIS and an awesome HDR. In this phone, HDR pics are way too noisy and sometimes colours look much worse than non-HDR photos.
Dual camera, horrible photos I'd say
I was really excited about this phone, so I'm very disappointed. I know they might fix it in the future, but I don't feel like trusting OnePlus seeing how they are dealing with the OP3 update and with the jelly effect
P.S. Sorry for bad English, I'm new to the forum world
giaesse said:
I bought it just an hour after the event, and I'm returning it tofay. I love taking pictures with my phone and I don't like op5 photos at all. I'm sending it back this week before the 14-day period is over, I'm moving to the S8 which I found at the same price...
I just hate how it deals with low-light and with colour, in particular in the details, which are just awful. I come from three and an half years with the Nexus 5, which had OIS and an awesome HDR. In this phone, HDR pics are way too noisy and sometimes colours look much worse than non-HDR photos.
Dual camera, horrible photos I'd say
I was really excited about this phone, so I'm very disappointed. I know they might fix it in the future, but I don't feel like trusting OnePlus seeing how they are dealing with the OP3 update and with the jelly effect
P.S. Sorry for bad English, I'm new to the forum world
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK have fun in the s8 forums. deuces
I love it ?
Camera can't complain needs few extra features I think there's always pro mode but I'm not cam savvy so just use normal mode sure it will be improved in updates , ?
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
DoobyDroid said:
I love it ?
Camera can't complain needs few extra features I think there's always pro mode but I'm not cam savvy so just use normal mode sure it will be improved in updates , ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice pics
Here are some pics I couldn't update earlier. You can see how bad the camera works in some conditions (like in the tree in two of the photos, which looks very unreal). Also in low light HDR is too noisy and I had to take twice the photo in the square and still I couldn't get a sharp image. Also you can see some artifacts in the two road pics. This is what convinced me to send this phone back, I take lots of pics and my old Nexus 5 worked better in all of these conditions
Edit: I might sound crazy, but look at the details
DoobyDroid said:
I love it ?
Camera can't complain needs few extra features I think there's always pro mode but I'm not cam savvy so just use normal mode sure it will be improved in updates , ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured I would take one picture and edit in Snapseed to see how that pans out. I'm posting both the original and edited.
Honestly, I don't think I'll be upset at all for the quality. I like it. The pro mode will be fun as well to play with,
Had a great time in NY with it this past weekend.
I have to say that I love the phone. I have an s8+ too and I actually don't miss it at all. I bought the LG G6 last month an lasted 1 day with it and some would, well do argue that it's a better phone than the s8.
What I like: The performance. That phone is fast in every aspect. The best example I can give is the setup. I have 161 apps. It took 2 and a half hours to download on the s8+. Guess how fast it was on the OP5 25 minutes. I've never see that before.
The screen is fine, the camera is no prize winner but no slouch either. I'm sure SW updates can make it better. The sound is good.
What I don't like: So far it's that damn screen that flips to landscape for no reason.
I didn't think of returning the phone until I saw the thread with all the people whining about the most trivial things.
The way I see it is. If the camera really matters to you. S8+, Pixel XL, U11. If not, by all means. You cannot go wrong with this. 8gb of ram 128 GB of storage and this community. Your kids can use it 6 years from now it will still be a top contender.

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