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Hi guys,
I've recently received my Galaxy S5 and I'm currently looking for a smartwatch to act as a compagnon.
First of all, I am not looking for a smartwatch that acts as "second" phone (stand-alone-phone), I'd like to connect my smartphone to the watch and keep it on the same line, if you know what I mean.
If it happens to be the best smartwatch that does have a simslot, I wouldn't mind, as long as it doesn't have disadvantages.
Now I have the following question: I am looking for a smart watch that offers as much functionality as possible for the lowest price, but with a good price-quality ratio.
I've seen the Following smart watches:
IKWEAR IK8
ZGPAX S5 & S6
K2 W100 (Samsung Gear imitation)
Sony SmartWatch 2
After reading and watching a lot of reviews, I have become increasingly uncertain about my choice. As one reviewer hates the watch, the other has something good to say.
To give you a good impression of what I'll expect of the smartwatch:
Prize: very important. I am willing to pay €125 max. ($160 - £100)
[*]Bluetooth: very important. Since I want to connect my SW to my smartphone.
[*]Quality: important. I do not prefer that the SW will fall apart after some days of usage.
[*]Functionality: important. A device that works well does have my preference. E.g. the touchscreen that works well etc.
[*]GPS: preferred. As I would like to use this watch as my navigator from time to time.
[*]Microphone & speakers: convenient. Handy to have for calls, listening to music, watching videos, etc.
[*](Google) PlayStore: convenient. This would be a good thing to have, but I can root afterall.
[*]Camera: optional. If I can buy a smartwatch doesn't have a camera, but seems to be the best overall, I don't mind not having a camera build in.
[*]Sim Lock & mobile network functionality: not important. Since I want a smartwatch that I will not use as a "second" phone, I do not see this as a necessity.
I might have forgotten to include the other features.
I hope I gave you an impression of what I'm looking for. If you have anymore questions, please let me know!
I wanted to thank you by taking time and reading this!
Cheers,
Jay.
I am in the same shoes, went with K2 W100
First off, your requirements constitute a full fledged sim based SmartWatch. Your not going to get GPS, cams and G-play in most companions.... Unless your comfortable with rooting/flashing ROMs.
After owning, using, testing and writing reviews for the Pebble, Gear, Gear 2, SW1, SW2, Z-Watch, Omate TS, Neptune Pine, and Meta I've seen the best and worst these have to offer.
Overall, each watch has their pluses and minuses. However, one thing sticks out among the myriad of watches I've had... The Samsung devices work best inside their own ecosystem (of course).
From your requirements above, i would go with a Gear. Lately, I've been seeing those go for ~$100-125 on eBay barely used and in like new condition. Since you have an S5, these will be the most headache-free choices
Not sure if you're going to miss things like the GPS and camera... Hard to get and work with these features on a watch.
I agree with the others, go the the Gear Clone or even the Sony SW2 (assuming it works with your Galaxy S5).
The Omate Clones would give you lots of features too, but slightly less battery life and maybe more bugs, the the Z15 comes with Play store, but not sure about the notifications app.
Alright guys, thanks for the replies.
I just got an offer to buy the Gear 2 (used) for only €150. (which is more than my limit, I know)
But I've decided to pick it up this eve. Any reasons not to?
Jay.
This might help people eyeing the Z4 Tablet, but are unsure of what positives and negatives there are. Of course, this is highly subjective, but this is my list. It's influenced by my personal competing choices which were the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and the Google Pixel C. I'm happy I chose the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet.
Pros:
Fast SoC (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810)
This is Qualcomm's 2015 flagship SoC and from what I've experienced it's really fast. Android flies. It also runs 64-bit, which it should anyway, but for example Samsung's Tab S2 doesn't. I don't know about the graphical performance as I don't really play games.
'Compatible' SoC (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810)
This opens up the way for optimized-for-specific-SoC apps (like RSBrowser, which is Snapdragon-optimized and significantly faster than stock Chrome/Chromium) and CyanogenMod support, that need documentation/drivers. For example, Samsung's (faster) Exynos SoC's are a black box for developers, which makes things like this very hard and has the result of devs abandoning it.
Big internal storage (32GB)
32GB is plenty of storage for apps and a reasonable amount of media. But that can be stored on the microSD.
microSD capability (up to 128GB)
This is a major benefit for a media consumption device like this, which many devices don't have.
Good multitasking
I could have mentioned 3GB RAM, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Multitasking on the Z4 is pretty darn good. It swtiches quickly and is generally very snappy. My Samsung Galaxy S6 with 3GB RAM has pretty bad RAM management in comparison. I'm still trying to find a custom kernel for it that keeps the phone snappy after 2 days.
Huge screen solution, high ppi on a big screen
2560x1600, 299ppi. On a big 10.1 inch screen. This is wonderful.
16:10 aspect ratio screen
Which is good for widescreen content like movies and dSLR photo's. 16:10 also beats 16:9 for me because of the added screen height.
Screen has natural, accurate colors
Very subjective, but compared to several other screens I've found this one to be superior.
Front facing stereo speakers
A rare thing among Android devices. Good design choice.
Lightweight (~390gr), thin
It's pleasantly light to hold.
NFC, notification LED, GPS, vibration motor
These features are often overlooked, but are important to me. I use NFC for LastPass, the (multicolor!) LED with LightFlow to see what exactly is asking my attention when in standby, vibration to still be notified when I want the tablet to be silent and GPS for the occasional navigation need or social app check-in.
Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0
Another nice bonus, which isn't mentioned much. Quick Charge makes a major difference to charging speed. Needs a compatible charger though.
Big battery (6000mAh)
Can't yet say battery life is amazing, because I'm using it a lot and crank the screen brightness up quite high so don't know what to expect. Reviewers seem to agree it's great though.
Bootloader can be unlocked (so the road is open for rooting)
No waiting for an exploit if you're OK with going this route. Just follow Sony's instructions and you'll have root in no time.
Marshmallow announced
Should come January '16 I heard, but these things always get delayed :| At least it's coming.
AOSP commitment by Sony
Sony's Open Device Program is nice and all, but their sources are a bit troublesome and don't seem to produce functional ROMs. Still, Sony's stance on it might bode well for future things.
Water-/dustproof
I don't care much myself, but it's a nice bonus. At least it takes some worries away (dropping liquids on it, no fear for dust particles between the screen and the glass).
Keyboard dock option
Nice for when you want to use a physical keyboard that is fully compatible and is also attachable. I use a 3rd party BT keyboard, but I'm constantly fighting with fixing incompatible button mapping stuff.
Important root-specific things that work
These things are not guaranteed to work or be available on any rooted device, and are pretty major in adding possibilities, so I consider them pros to be working on the Z4T:
Xposed Framework
For most people anyway (Some are having issues). This is a thing to be happy about, because if it didn't, chances are it wouldn't be fixed anytime soon because of the small user/dev base. Xposed opens up many possibilities which really enhance a device. To me it's a selling point.
Native KCAL support
Another Qualcomm exclusive. I believe this is actually fully present on the stock ROM, but not fully controllable (limited to RGB in the Settings menu). KCAL support enables you to tweak various image parameters, like RGB, saturation and contrast with a tool like Color Control or Kernel Adiutor. It's pretty great and you don't see it often.
Cons:
SoC might overheat in extreme circumstances
Haven't had any problems myself, and I stress the tablet pretty hard, but I've read some reports about issues. At least of a guy bringing the tablet to the beach. It's mostly just people saying it's fine, even with heavy usage.
Speakers are lacking in bass
No surprise, but it's still a letdown.
Bad low-light camera performance, no flash
Picture quality in low light is disturbingly bad. Having no flash makes this unusable in those situations. Not a big deal for me personally, I don't take pics with a tablet.
Screen isn't that bright
Compared to several others, the screen isn't that bright and needs to be cranked up pretty much, even indoors. Outdoors, this is a problem. The big screen reflectiveness doesn't help either. Indoors it fine, it just that the needed high brightness level eats battery.
Screen lacks deep blacks
This is compared to (S)AMOLED, specifically. Those screen blacks are amazing and darker colors are also good for battery on those screens. IPS screens just don't have that. Using dark themes won't help battery life on the Z4T, it may even be worse with them.
Stock charger isn't Quick Charge 2.0
Come on, Sony.
No hardware navigation buttons
This is a real PITA for me because this requires Android's soft keys / navigation bar which take up valuable screen space. This is especially problematic in landscape mode on this 16:10 ratio in which you'll want every screen height you can get. Fortunately, this can be overcome by tools like GMD Full Screen Immersive Mode (with full screen keyboard typing restrictions so you'll have to switch back to type :S) combined with All in One Gestures, both of which don't reqquire root. Better yet is a build.prop edit that declares to Android the tablet has hardware buttons, removing the soft keys entirely, while keeping the ability to type anywhere. I navigate using All in One Gestures, because GMD GestureControl sometimes stops working. Which isn't very nice when you don't have navigation keys
No user-land root exploit (yet)
Because of this, you'll need to unlock the bootloader to gain root access. Which will destroy your TA partition, which will in turn remove Sony-proprietary functions. Which I personally don't use and don't see much use for anyway. Also, unlocked bootloader can't be undone without Sony noticing, so as a non-EU citizen you'll possibly have warranty issues.
Small user/dev community
Not many people own a Z4 Tablet (bad availability in the US and it's expensive) and because of this, there's next to no development for it. Luckily, we have @AndroPlus who's made a custom kernel and ported TWRP (which unfortunately has a bug that keeps us from restoring the system partition from a backup). @DHGE worked on root, which made it possible in the end I think. Still, custom ROMs would be nice. Also, if you run into device-specific problems, there's not many others that can help, because you're either the only one or one of very few who have that problem.
It's expensive
The price is very high and a bit hard to justify.
What I miss:
Wireless charging
This is sooo convenient. It also spares the precious MicroUSB port, which is used for charging, data-transfer, USB-OTG and adb/fastboot. If it breaks, you're done.
Removable battery
Batteries do not have eternal life, so eventually it will be completely dead. Which will render the tablet dead as well.
Any thoughts, questions, additions or critique is welcome.
jelbo said:
[*]Small user/dev community
Not many people own a Z4 Tablet (bad availability in the US and it's expensive) and because of this, there's next to no development for it. Luckily, we have @AndroPlus who's made a custom kernel and ported TWRP (which unfortunately had a bug that keeps us from restoring the system partition from a backup). @DHGE worked on root, which made it possible in the end I think. Still, custom ROMs would be nice. Also, if you run into device-specific problems, there's not many others that can help, because you're either the only one or one of very few that have that problem.
.
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Hello jelbo. Let's discuss about it. First of all, our tablet is not alone with some sort of problem. z3+ and z5 devices are the same story. I don't really understand how can we have aosp sources but not to have its rom. So what the problem, some building problem, or is it true that aosp roms works without working sensors? People give different feedback. Did you try some aosp rom? I just want to cook aosp rom in ubuntu.
alex009988 said:
Hello jelbo. Let's discuss about it. First of all, our tablet is not alone with some sort of problem. z3+ and z5 devices are the same story.
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Click to collapse
Yes, they're similar. Which actually makes me think about a positive point as development for those devices can also benefit Z4T owners. For example @[NUT]'s efforts may eventually reach us, or when an Xperia user-land exploit is found, it will likely be shared among different devices.
I don't really understand how can we have aosp sources but not to have its rom. So what the problem, some building problem, or is it true that aosp roms works without working sensors? People give different feedback. Did you try some aosp rom? I just want to cook aosp rom in ubuntu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not too sure about the reasons, but what I've seen is that 1) the Sony sources are/have been a bit buggy/messy 2) not many people compile ROMs from it (I've only seen 2 XDA users and the FXP Team).
I haven't yet dared to flash any AOSP build because I've been too busy on getting stock rooted to my liking and troubleshooting my Xposed issues and I don't want to interrupt that. It seems to be quite easy to flash ROMs though, it's either a TWRP flashable .zip, Flashtool flashable .tft or fastboot flashable .bin files.
I'm also curious about the mixed reports about 'sensor stuff not working' and 'everything works fine' on Sony-sourced AOSP builds, but so far no-one has answered my or your questions about it. Seems we'll have too find out ourselves at some point Best leave that part of questions and discussion in their respective threads to keep things organized.
Nice summary, thanks for the effort; its clear and concise.
jelbo said:
it's either a TWRP flashable .zip,
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I think free xperia team jeer at us cause twrp has a serious bug and it can't flash any roms for the time being whereas we can see exactly .zips at their site.
Interesting, had they even tested themselves what they uploaded
jelbo said:
Yes, they're similar. Which actually makes me think about a positive point as development for those devices can also benefit Z4T owners. For example @[NUT]'s efforts may eventually reach us, or when an Xperia user-land exploit is found, it will likely be shared among different devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've put XZDualRecovery on 'feature freeze' for 2.8 well over a year ago, because it needs some work to keep it working on the ever changing Android eco-system. As a consequence, I also stopped adding devices to the supported devices list. For XZDR 2.9 things will change and I will start adding devices again, remember that I am just on my own, from time to time I have a helper but they generally drop out after a while and I'm on my own again after that... I have a busy real life and a very busy job, which consumes most of my energy, leaving only little amounts of it for use on the XZDR development unfortunately... and I have big plans with it which I'd rather deploy sooner then later.
As security features increase, so do the difficulties to keep XZDR working properly... For the Z3+/Z4/Z5/M4 Aqua it is dm-verity, which throws a tantrum once the system partition is modified, which in turn causes a reboot (and with that a bootloop). This behavior has hampered the Stock Based custom ROM development and made it generally impossible to root the device...
A backup-ta with a built-in root exploit (similar to the XZDR installer) to allow a backup of the TA partition would kick-start the development for these models. People don't mind unlocking their devices but do mind losing their warranty on a 500-700 euro device... so most of them wait for the possibility to backup their TA partition.
Oh, and to actually participate in this topic:
I have to say the Z4 tablet takes my fancy and tics just about all the boxes of things I like about tablets... I own a Xperia Tablet Z, well, the misses has it now and I can 'occasionally' touch it :silly: and I have been looking for a new tablet to actually use myself
I don't have the funds to purchase a TabZ4, but I would really like to have one with the keyboard dock
[NUT] said:
Oh, and to actually participate in this topic:
I have to say the Z4 tablet takes my fancy and tics just about all the boxes of things I like about tablets... I own a Xperia Tablet Z, well, the misses has it now and I can 'occasionally' touch it :silly: and I have been looking for a new tablet to actually use myself
I don't have the funds to purchase a TabZ4, but I would really like to have one with the keyboard dock
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Click to collapse
Hello. Thanks for participating our thread. Tab Z4 is a great device with cool hardware, but it is less developed in comparison with Samsung to my regret. All we want for this moment are a fix of bug for twrp, problem with mounting the system, and some customs roms. And the very big dream is cyanogenmod of course
@jelbo, where in NL do you live? Did you root your TabZ4 yet?
---------- Post added at 02:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:26 PM ----------
alex009988 said:
Hello. Thanks for participating our thread. Tab Z4 is a great device with cool hardware, but it is less developed in comparison with Samsung to my regret. All we want for this moment are a fix of bug for twrp, problem with mounting the system, and some customs roms. And the very big dream is cyanogenmod of course
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I am assuming that custom ROM's will come as soon as there is a viable way to flash them
I wonder why @AndroPlus wasn't able to fix the TWRP mount issues yet...
alex009988 said:
Hello. Thanks for participating our thread. Tab Z4 is a great device with cool hardware, but it is less developed in comparison with Samsung to my regret. All we want for this moment are a fix of bug for twrp, problem with mounting the system, and some customs roms. And the very big dream is cyanogenmod of course
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty confident CM will support the 'karin' at some point. Many other Sony phones/tablets are officially supported.
[NUT] said:
@jelbo, where in NL do you live? Did you root your TabZ4 yet?
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Click to collapse
I'll tell you in a PM Yeah, I've unlocked my bootloader and rooted it. I couldn't restrain myself anymore It's so much better now. Just some littles gripes left that'll be fixed sooner or later.
Well, I am assuming that custom ROM's will come as soon as there is a viable way to flash them
I wonder why @AndroPlus wasn't able to fix the TWRP mount issues yet...
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Click to collapse
Time restraints, who knows? He did post a v11 version of the kernel some days ago though @dl12345 who greatly helped him getting TWRP to work, may be able to fix it, but he hasn't been around. You can follow some technical details about it in the AndroPlusKernel thread.
It's just /system/ that cannot be restored though. Which is bad, but you can get out of a bad situation pretty quickly with restoring /data/ and using Helium/Titanium Backup, I think. Unless you really fried the ROM and need your /system/ back, then you can only go the flashtool route now
jelbo said:
I'm pretty confident CM will support the 'karin' at some point. Many other Sony phones/tablets are officially supported.
I'll tell you in a PM Yeah, I've unlocked my bootloader and rooted it. I couldn't restrain myself anymore It's so much better now. Just some littles gripes left that'll be fixed sooner or later.
Time restraints, who knows? He did post a v11 version of the kernel some days ago though @dl12345 who greatly helped him getting TWRP to work, may be able to fix it, but he hasn't been around. You can follow some technical details about it in the AndroPlusKernel thread.
It's just /system/ that cannot be restored though. Which is bad, but you can get out of a bad situation pretty quickly with restoring /data/ and using Helium/Titanium Backup, I think. Unless you really fried the ROM and need your /system/ back, then you can only go the flashtool route now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
* [NUT] pokes @AndroPlus to join this conversation.
Due to lack of time on my side to read the entire topic, what exactly fails when restoring system?
@jelbo, do you have his kernel installed (a.k.a. have you unlocked your bootloader)?
[NUT] said:
* [NUT] pokes @AndroPlus to join this conversation.
Due to lack of time on my side to read the entire topic, what exactly fails when restoring system?
@jelbo, do you have his kernel installed (a.k.a. have you unlocked your bootloader)?
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Yes and yes. Basically anyone here who's rooted their tablet is running AndoPlusKernel and have manually unlocked their bootloader.
jelbo said:
Yes and yes. Basically anyone here who's rooted their tablet is running AndoPlusKernel and have manually unlocked their bootloader.
Click to expand...
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I see, that un-complicates testing a lot
Gotta say... amazing tablet all together and the first device that i havent seen the mighty snapdragon handwarmer throttle from heat in. I kept roasting it for about 3 hours with simpleplanes and PC minecraft (boardwalk app) and it didnt lose any performance just got a bit hot on the back middle. I find the battery life to be good enough for a day of being on and off watching youtube and occasional gaming but i do keep screen brightness on auto at all times and features such as BT NFC and GPS off. Also a app that i think the tablet should have from factory: OGYoutube, you can have floating resizeable youtube above other apps or play in background or with screen off and download in mp4 or mp3.
I'd picked up a Z4T about 4 months ago to replace two different devices, my aging and finally dead cell phone (I hung on to my old Samsung S3 for way too long), and my laptop, which is a still functional but extraordinarily heavy beast of a 17" macbook - about 6 years old on its own as well. What can I say, they were still working so why buy new?
I have to say I'm very glad I made the purchase. I picked up a SBH52 handset to make phone calls more convenient, and splurged on the sony docking kb for the added ruggedness of using it as a "case" - which it does like a champ. Calls are nice and clear, and I've had pretty much no troubles - aside from some occasional static when using the handset (which I owe to the handset itself being a bit flaky). Even with an unlocked BL, remote play on my PS4 still works, only the Bravia screen mirroring to my TV is kaput. It serves very well as a laptop for those like me that need something lightweight for overnight trips, let with a big enough screen to be able to remote desktop troubleshoot back to the main office.
Would this replace every computer I own? Obviously not. I still own a high end desktop for videos, games, and intense word processing (the sony kb is just a bit small if you were attempting to write a novel for example); and my PS4 for console games; but for light end use and for traveling, it's almost the perfect laptop replacement. And as a combo cellphone laptop? I couldn't ask for better. My overall data usage has also dropped, because I'm using far more wireless on this device (I want to make sure it's connected for the stability if nothing else), but I can always drop out to a cell connection if no wireless is available - or if I don't feel like paying the stupid prices at the hotel the convention is being held at.
Now for the Cons:
I've really only got two, one of which was mentioned here. The damn thing is not cheap. Since I live in the states, the LTE version is not available directly. You need to pick up an international version from amazon or another reputable source. Hence the reason I have a kb with extra non-english symbols on it. Not that I mind, but it confuses some people when they look at it. When I picked mine up, the tablet kb and handset ran about $900 US all together. so not something you want to accidentally brick, or drop, or leave behind in a restaurant....
The second one is convenience. Given that it is a tablet - and a fairly large one, most people aren't going to go the phone replacement route like I did. You can't exactly just slip it into your pants pocket. And since the handset is BT, you can't exactly leave the tablet in the car and just use the handset inside most restaurants either (unless you park really close to the building). I'll often leave mine at home if all I do is run to the store for a dozen eggs or something, just because it's easier not to pack it up. But then half an hour of being unconnected and out of touch doesn't bother me - it might bother some though.
So there you have it, a much less technical review, from yet another satisfied user.
begalund said:
I'd picked up a Z4T about 4 months ago to replace two different devices, my aging and finally dead cell phone (I hung on to my old Samsung S3 for way too long), and my laptop, which is a still functional but extraordinarily heavy beast of a 17" macbook - about 6 years old on its own as well. What can I say, they were still working so why buy new?
I have to say I'm very glad I made the purchase. I picked up a SBH52 handset to make phone calls more convenient, and splurged on the sony docking kb for the added ruggedness of using it as a "case" - which it does like a champ. Calls are nice and clear, and I've had pretty much no troubles - aside from some occasional static when using the handset (which I owe to the handset itself being a bit flaky). Even with an unlocked BL, remote play on my PS4 still works, only the Bravia screen mirroring to my TV is kaput. It serves very well as a laptop for those like me that need something lightweight for overnight trips, let with a big enough screen to be able to remote desktop troubleshoot back to the main office.
Would this replace every computer I own? Obviously not. I still own a high end desktop for videos, games, and intense word processing (the sony kb is just a bit small if you were attempting to write a novel for example); and my PS4 for console games; but for light end use and for traveling, it's almost the perfect laptop replacement. And as a combo cellphone laptop? I couldn't ask for better. My overall data usage has also dropped, because I'm using far more wireless on this device (I want to make sure it's connected for the stability if nothing else), but I can always drop out to a cell connection if no wireless is available - or if I don't feel like paying the stupid prices at the hotel the convention is being held at.
Now for the Cons:
I've really only got two, one of which was mentioned here. The damn thing is not cheap. Since I live in the states, the LTE version is not available directly. You need to pick up an international version from amazon or another reputable source. Hence the reason I have a kb with extra non-english symbols on it. Not that I mind, but it confuses some people when they look at it. When I picked mine up, the tablet kb and handset ran about $900 US all together. so not something you want to accidentally brick, or drop, or leave behind in a restaurant....
The second one is convenience. Given that it is a tablet - and a fairly large one, most people aren't going to go the phone replacement route like I did. You can't exactly just slip it into your pants pocket. And since the handset is BT, you can't exactly leave the tablet in the car and just use the handset inside most restaurants either (unless you park really close to the building). I'll often leave mine at home if all I do is run to the store for a dozen eggs or something, just because it's easier not to pack it up. But then half an hour of being unconnected and out of touch doesn't bother me - it might bother some though.
So there you have it, a much less technical review, from yet another satisfied user.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing
So I am coming to this device from the Nvidia Shield Tablet and I love the device thus far for all of the positive reasons mentioned. Also with respect to screen brightness listed as a con my own experience is that it is much better than what I was coming from.
The battery life is truly great with this device and my needs are small when it comes to the development area. I simply need it to be rooted because I prefer to remove all of googles garbage that I don't use and rooting and bootloader unlock was very simple.
All in all I am really liking this device, had it about 10 days now. I have the LTE version but only because I may use it at some point.
Overall very pleased with the device so far.
ThePhoneGeek said:
So I am coming to this device from the Nvidia Shield Tablet and I love the device thus far for all of the positive reasons mentioned. Also with respect to screen brightness listed as a con my own experience is that it is much better than what I was coming from.
The battery life is truly great with this device and my needs are small when it comes to the development area. I simply need it to be rooted because I prefer to remove all of googles garbage that I don't use and rooting and bootloader unlock was very simple.
All in all I am really liking this device, had it about 10 days now. I have the LTE version but only because I may use it at some point.
Overall very pleased with the device so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was seriously considering the Shield because of the dev scene and the price. What made you switch?
jelbo said:
I was seriously considering the Shield because of the dev scene and the price. What made you switch?
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Click to collapse
The device itself just isn't very efficient on battery and I needed something with a slightly larger screen. It does ok but it's really designed more as a gaming device IMO which wasn't what I needed. Also the specs are a bit outdated now.
I noticed in the op that he said being a non eu customer when unlocking bootloader they will notice. Im an eu user, does this mean that they wont notice if I try claim warranty after bootloader unlock? I havent unlocked yet but I was getting slow WiFi and disconnections. I really want root but im not sure about this WiFi issue I set the WiFi to turn off at sleep and it seems better also the issues are caused less im concerned what would you guys do? ive sent it off to Sony once already they said nothing was wrong with wifi. Can someone help me decide? Much appreciated, many thanks.
I'm looking for a cool, unique phone. I don't use my phone much, mostly for SMS, playing music on the way to/from work, Waze, Uber, and a lot of reading the Web and Reddit. No heavy games.
As some have mentioned, there are sites where it's about $200 CAD, which I'm assuming is them getting rid of stock.
Any thoughts? It's either the Yotaphone 2, something else, or wait until the bendy Galaxy S8
Hi Jonathan
As a very proud and happy Yotaphone 2 owner, I definitely recommend it.
First of all, I'm still in love with its second screen.
My main EPD panel shows clock & battery+ notifications + switch tools (mobile data, wifi...). Think that all these infos and options are always displayed and accessible with a double-tap, and that's perfect. When you discover that it's possible, you realize that should be mandatory for every device, in fact.
I think I use the EPD 80% of the time, it's perfect for all the messaging apps, for example. Twitter also works very well. Generally, I find activities like typing or reading very nice on the EPD, because you can take your time. It may not seem like an obvious edge, but I came to the conclusion that's soothing and good for mental health.
Aging? I think I'm not a smartphone power user, like you, and I don't play much. Yet, it still perfectly handles Internet navigation and apps (GMaps, Pokémon,...).
And, last but not least, the people around me love it. It draws attention, and for some, it's even viewed as some kind of magical device.
Beautiful, nice to handle, build quality, there's so much good to say about this device that I can't do it alone. For me, its bigger flaws were related to my extensive use of the EPD : no EPD backlight, the lack for more and more EPD apps, and their lack of features (compared to the not-EPD apps), but even that is improving with system updates (another big one rolled just yesterday, in Europe). It could also use SD card and second SIM slots, but it would be too close to perfection.
Thanks to the guys in Yota.
MonsieurSun said:
Hi Jonathan
As a very proud and happy Yotaphone 2 owner, I definitely recommend it.
First of all, I'm still in love with its second screen.
My main EPD panel shows clock & battery+ notifications + switch tools (mobile data, wifi...). Think that all these infos and options are always displayed and accessible with a double-tap, and that's perfect. When you discover that it's possible, you realize that should be mandatory for every device, in fact.
I think I use the EPD 80% of the time, it's perfect for all the messaging apps, for example. Twitter also works very well. Generally, I find activities like typing or reading very nice on the EPD, because you can take your time. It may not seem like an obvious edge, but I came to the conclusion that's soothing and good for mental health.
Aging? I think I'm not a smartphone power user, like you, and I don't play much. Yet, it still perfectly handles Internet navigation and apps (GMaps, Pokémon,...).
And, last but not least, the people around me love it. It draws attention, and for some, it's even viewed as some kind of magical device.
Beautiful, nice to handle, build quality, there's so much good to say about this device that I can't do it alone. For me, its bigger flaws were related to my extensive use of the EPD : no EPD backlight, the lack for more and more EPD apps, and their lack of features (compared to the not-EPD apps), but even that is improving with system updates (another big one rolled just yesterday, in Europe). It could also use SD card and second SIM slots, but it would be too close to perfection.
Thanks to the guys in Yota.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi MonsieurSun, thanks for your opinion.
I also interested in that device and this is one of the forums with more Info about it.
I have been reading and I have thought about buying a case tpu but do not know whether to buy also screen saver. I would like to know your opinion also on better version of firmware and the various extensions to the EPD screen I've seen on the forum. Thank you and sorry for my English.
Hello
You are asking about the accessories, right ?
I just bought a plain black bumper a while ago, and nothing else. It cost around 10€ and saves the phone from bad falls (it did for me twice) and protects both screens. My screens still look like pristine ones, one year after purchase.
The most recent firmware EU .124 I already mentioned contains a lot of nice improvements and fixes, though it also brought one new and annoying bug : the EPD screen randomly (haven't found any specific pattern yet) freezes when typing SMS. It can be de-frozen with a simple lock/unlock, but it happens often to me. This is the only drawback so far, the update is very, very useful, but it's pretty obvious and upsetting.
As for applications, I installed several EPD tools from the store or from the forum, mostly the ones adding switches, but I ended up disappointed. My wild guess is that most of them would need me to root the device to bypass some privileges to work well, and I don't plan to root it. Typically, I wanted a mobile data and GPS switch, but these just invoke the parameter page where you have to switch the... well, switch, yourself.
I also installed a Playstore clock app with more infos, but the clock does not refresh itself every second, and minutes can go by without displaying the right time. Pretty useless.
To sum it up, I think that most of these apps work fine if you use them on a rooted phone, unlike me.
The EPD apps delivered by Yota work fine, and there's a thread around here just about ideas for new EPD apps.
MonsieurSun said:
Hello
You are asking about the accessories, right ?
I just bought a plain black bumper a while ago, and nothing else. It cost around 10€ and saves the phone from bad falls (it did for me twice) and protects both screens. My screens still look like pristine ones, one year after purchase.
The most recent firmware EU .124 I already mentioned contains a lot of nice improvements and fixes, though it also brought one new and annoying bug : the EPD screen randomly (haven't found any specific pattern yet) freezes when typing SMS. It can be de-frozen with a simple lock/unlock, but it happens often to me. This is the only drawback so far, the update is very, very useful, but it's pretty obvious and upsetting.
As for applications, I installed several EPD tools from the store or from the forum, mostly the ones adding switches, but I ended up disappointed. My wild guess is that most of them would need me to root the device to bypass some privileges to work well, and I don't plan to root it. Typically, I wanted a mobile data and GPS switch, but these just invoke the parameter page where you have to switch the... well, switch, yourself.
I also installed a Playstore clock app with more infos, but the clock does not refresh itself every second, and minutes can go by without displaying the right time. Pretty useless.
To sum it up, I think that most of these apps work fine if you use them on a rooted phone, unlike me.
The EPD apps delivered by Yota work fine, and there's a thread around here just about ideas for new EPD apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is already on the way and a bumper too. Thanks for your help, I'll keep reading the forum.
>It could also use SD card and second SIM slots, but it would be too close to perfection.
Does it have a SD-Slot?
No, it does not have any extra slots. I still don't have any issue with its 32 Go storage, but I guess some will.
To me, the extra screen is a nicer bonus
And I should also mention something about its charger. It's a nice-looking one (lights up when charging), and it looks very fast compared to most ones I saw before and since. Full charge from zero is done in less than 2 hours. I saw some deep review about it somewhere in the forums...
the phone is already at home
Enviado desde mi kenzo mediante Tapatalk
ygrigory said:
the phone is already at home
Enviado desde mi kenzo mediante Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mine too
I opened the boot loader and have installed the latest version Ru, but I can not root the phone or install the recoverys of YD201 (I have YD206)
Enviado desde mi kenzo mediante Tapatalk
Well, I don't know anything about rooting yet, sorry.
But is your yotafon working fine anyway ?
Yd206 or yd201?
Hi,
I'm thinking of buying a yotaphone 2.
But which one should I buy?
Hardware info about both is a bit fuzzy.
Am I correct that yd206 has Snapdragon 801 and yd201 has Snapdragon 800?
Im on European 4g T-Mobile network, so supported band might be an issue.
Please if someone has any info, respond here
Thanks.
The only chinese shop with the current low price (120-140€) that offers the international version with all 4G LTD bands is coolicool.
Check it there. I orderded there a couple weeks ago. Still waiting to receive it.
king conan said:
The only chinese shop with the current low price (120-140€) that offers the international version with all 4G LTD bands is coolicool.
Check it there. I orderded there a couple weeks ago. Still waiting to receive it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Efox has it too for similar price (http://www.efox-shop.com/yotaphone-...moled-fhd-bildschirm-android-44-4g-l-g-297740). Efox has not-so-great user-experiences lately, so might hesitate to buy there..
I like to hear whether there are more differences between the two models (Snapdragon 800-801?)
For this price I also can buy the Xiaomi redmi Note 3 Pro or LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X620, which have double the Antutu score AND are supported above Android 5.0.
But they are less cool, without the E-Ink :-/
Quite in two minds here...
j0p3y said:
Efox has it too for similar price (http://www.efox-shop.com/yotaphone-...moled-fhd-bildschirm-android-44-4g-l-g-297740). Efox has not-so-great user-experiences lately, so might hesitate to buy there..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Antelife, tinydeal, coolicool, efox-shop, myefox ...aaand probably some more I don't remember a.t.m - it is all the same seller. AFAIK they even share the same PayPal account (AUKEY INTERNATIONAL LIMITED). So it doesn't really matter which one you'll choose - but I'd advise you to pay with PayPal and use their protection if sth. goes wrong.
I have ordered my YD201 @efox for 129€ + ~15€ taxfree shipping to EU, but with code YP15 you'll get 15€ off so it's like a free shipping.
j0p3y said:
I like to hear whether there are more differences between the two models (Snapdragon 800-801?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both models have snap 801 (there's a new review by s7yler on YT - he had YD201 and you can see on his video that cpu-z shows 801).
Only difference is in radios (and preinstalled OS).
j0p3y said:
For this price I also can buy the Xiaomi redmi Note 3 Pro or LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X620, which have double the Antutu score AND are supported above Android 5.0.
But they are less cool, without the E-Ink :-/
Quite in two minds here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that is up to you
I have BV6000, I easly get on it over 60hrs per charge with 10hrs SOT - but mostly I use it for reading stuff (web browsing, ebook, mail) so I want to give that yotaphone a try. If it won't fit my expectations I'll just resell it.
j0p3y said:
Efox has it too for similar price (http://www.efox-shop.com/yotaphone-...moled-fhd-bildschirm-android-44-4g-l-g-297740). Efox has not-so-great user-experiences lately, so might hesitate to buy there..
I like to hear whether there are more differences between the two models (Snapdragon 800-801?)
For this price I also can buy the Xiaomi redmi Note 3 Pro or LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X620, which have double the Antutu score AND are supported above Android 5.0.
But they are less cool, without the E-Ink :-/
Quite in two minds here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My previous phone was a XRN3Pro and it's a better phone that YP2 in all specs (great camera, batery, SOC, etc.) I buy a YP2 because I really interested in the epd screen and I read a lot in my phone.
For anyother use you may buy the XRN3Pro .
mc_gee said:
I have ordered my YD201 @efox for 129€ + ~15€ taxfree shipping to EU, but with code YP15 you'll get 15€ off so it's like a free shipping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the code!!
Both models have snap 801 (there's a new review by s7yler on YT - he had YD201 and you can see on his video that cpu-z shows 801).
Only difference is in radios (and preinstalled OS).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange that every seller says it has Snapdragon 800 inside. Well, maybe not so strange since you say Aukey is the main firm above them all. Once bad info is there, than it'll be everywhere down the branch
Well, that is up to you
I have BV6000, I easly get on it over 60hrs per charge with 10hrs SOT - but mostly I use it for reading stuff (web browsing, ebook, mail) so I want to give that yotaphone a try. If it won't fit my expectations I'll just resell it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I find it quite difficult deciding, since I first was only looking for this Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro device when all of a sudden these Yotaphones appeared everywhere, screaming 'pick me, pick me!'
j0p3y said:
Thanks for the code!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No prob
Strange that every seller says it has Snapdragon 800 inside. [...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It states Snapdragon 800 over whole internet - great example of global copy-paste, where some info was repeated so many times that it became official :/
HERE is post from Yotaphone representative, where he states, that those devices has Snapdragon 801 (a part written with bold letters - it's in russian, but any translator will help U).
Well, I find it quite difficult deciding, since I first was only looking for this Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro device when all of a sudden these Yotaphones appeared everywhere, screaming 'pick me, pick me!'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had 2/16 version of RMN3P - grreat device ...with medium screen and camera quality. As ygrigory wrote before - it is overall newer and better device (spec-wise ...but still midrange, so I'm not talking about build quality here). If you will have EPD as a fancy gadget, I guess that in a long run you'll regret buying YP2. But if you read a lot ...you need to answer yourself - do you really need a higher Antutu score?
mc_gee said:
No prob
It states Snapdragon 800 over whole internet - great example of global copy-paste, where some info was repeated so many times that it became official :/
HERE is post from Yotaphone representative, where he states, that those devices has Snapdragon 801 (a part written with bold letters - it's in russian, but any translator will help U).
I had 2/16 version of RMN3P - grreat device ...with medium screen and camera quality. As ygrigory wrote before - it is overall newer and better device (spec-wise ...but still midrange, so I'm not talking about build quality here). If you will have EPD as a fancy gadget, I guess that in a long run you'll regret buying YP2. But if you read a lot ...you need to answer yourself - do you really need a higher Antutu score?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Mc_Gee, any tips on how to get the YT15 code working?
I put the phone in shopping cart, enter YT15 code and on next page I select second shipping option, German express (zollfrei) for €13,00. This is just added to the phone price of 129,99. So coupon not working (yet).
Hope you can help. Greetz edit* doh, it's YP15... which doesn't work either
j0p3y said:
Hi Mc_Gee, any tips on how to get the YT15 code working?
I put the phone in shopping cart, enter YT15 code and on next page I select second shipping option, German express (zollfrei) for €13,00. This is just added to the phone price of 129,99. So coupon not working (yet).
Hope you can help. Greetz edit* doh, it's YP15... which doesn't work either
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try YPH10 YPT10 or YPS10 for 10% off.. maybe one of them still works.
Hi, I'm looking to replace my old sony smartwatch nm2. I'm after a standalone watch with 3g capabilities (I'm in the uk). Obviously, the higher the ram/CPU speed etc. The better. Needs to be a square face one, not round. And must have access to the play store with the ability to run apps reliably. Also I'll want it to be WiFi capable, Bluetooth, GPS, good quality speaker and mic. And have a good battery that will last a day of moderate use.
I know that's a lot to ask, but it seems that the above is possible now (aside from the battery it seems).
I've done a couple of days reading so far and have come up with these options:
Zgpax s8 - a bit old, but plenty of support.
Zgpax s83 - better specs, but no info anywhere yet as is new.
Our time x01s - not read much on this yet?
Finow q1 - as above.
Any obvious winner there?
Any others I have missed?
What's your choice? And why?
Any info much appriciated..
Thanks chaps.. James.
Please, help me to find the best android smart watch. I need a powerful, reliable device, which can to replace a smartphone andy easy develop apps for them.
TLDR: I need an android smartwatch (no wear os, true android with open loader, etc), that supports SIM (mobile network), nfc (if possible), water protection (IP67/IP68), good hardware and battery. I searched in Chinese markets like Ali***ss.
I search for good models and opinions of these models users. My interest is a made in China device with true android as a replacement for typical budget smartphone (but with some specific watch's features like water protection). In ideal case, such watch will have a good mtk processor, 2+gb ram, water protection, bright display (amoled always on, if possible), nfc (in any implementation, if possible), high volume battery.
My typical use case are voice communication, notifications reading, management of other devices via their apps (TV, kitchen appliances in smart home, etc) and healthcare (with regular - continuous or one per 10 seconds pulse checks). How long an android smartwatch will work in this mode? How many hours working device I can get, if I will use skype/telegram/sip client for a hour, a hour of display use and other time idle (with pulse checking and network on to be in touch - for new notifications)?
I found some interesting devices:
IP67: lemfo lem8/lemX, kospet hope. Also found "kospet optimus/optimus pro", but I can''t understand the difference from them to hope/hope lite except specific design. How about chinese IP67? The standard guaranties 30 minutes of waterproof, but I don't know, can I trust the seller's promises? Can I take a shower or swim in such watches?
IP68: Kospet Brave, H7 4G, makibes m2.
Anyone know anything about these models, may be, some one used them? Take your review, comparison or opinion please. May be, you know better alternatives? Why I don't see abundance of roms/hacks for all mentioned above devices on this forum? Is it because they are new or they are not interesting to anyone?
From Kospet, the best selections so far are the Kospet Hope (released last year) and Kospet Optimus Pro (similar specs, only the Optimus Pro has dual OS (Android 7.1 and Lite OS) and dual processors. My understanding is that the second processor only kicks in when you're low on battery.
I have the Kospet Hope, so I can only tell you about this watch.
It's an idea that sounds good on paper: A true Android smartwatch that can double as a phone complete with a camera. Specs are great - 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM. Amoled screen. "8 megapixel" camera.
In reality, I still find it hard to see how this watch can ever replace my phone.
First, they claim that the battery lasts a few days on a single charge. This is true on maximum power-saving mode, airplane mode on, WIFI off, minimal screen brightness, no media running. If you try to use this watch to stream music via BT, play a game, or watch a video on Youtube, you will quickly find that the battery level plummets quite readily.
Second, if you try to watch any video or run Google Maps on this watch, you'll not only notice a sudden drop in battery life but also the watch overheating. I assume it's because the phone wasn't designed w/ any meaningful way for heat to be dissipated.
(BTW, Google Maps is useless on this watch. It takes forever to load a map, let alone get any form of turn-by-turn directions. I tried downloading the maps, but the same thing happens. I'm assuming Maps is not optimized for this device. There's just too much battery drainage to justify using Maps on the watch when I could just run it on my smartphone.)
Third, I don't think the Android OS was meant to run on a device with such a small screen. The watch can switch between full-screen circular display and shrunken square display (to allow everything to fit on screen). But regardless of which you use, the screen is simply too small. Imagine tapping on a link on a webpage on your android smartphone. Now try to do the same thing with the webpage shrunken down to fit into that 1.39" Amoled screen. There are workarounds though, like pinch zooming to increase font size.
Fourth, there are no custom roms for this phone (last I checked). I can go on and on, like the smartwatch doesn't have BT calling, the GPS doesn't sync with Google Fit or other fitness apps, etc...but I think you get my point.
wallofbytes said:
Please, help me to find the best android smart watch. I need a powerful, reliable device, which can to replace a smartphone andy easy develop apps for them.
TLDR: I need an android smartwatch (no wear os, true android with open loader, etc), that supports SIM (mobile network), nfc (if possible), water protection (IP67/IP68), good hardware and battery. I searched in Chinese markets like Ali***ss.
I search for good models and opinions of these models users. My interest is a made in China device with true android as a replacement for typical budget smartphone (but with some specific watch's features like water protection). In ideal case, such watch will have a good mtk processor, 2+gb ram, water protection, bright display (amoled always on, if possible), nfc (in any implementation, if possible), high volume battery.
My typical use case are voice communication, notifications reading, management of other devices via their apps (TV, kitchen appliances in smart home, etc) and healthcare (with regular - continuous or one per 10 seconds pulse checks). How long an android smartwatch will work in this mode? How many hours working device I can get, if I will use skype/telegram/sip client for a hour, a hour of display use and other time idle (with pulse checking and network on to be in touch - for new notifications)?
I found some interesting devices:
IP67: lemfo lem8/lemX, kospet hope. Also found "kospet optimus/optimus pro", but I can''t understand the difference from them to hope/hope lite except specific design. How about chinese IP67? The standard guaranties 30 minutes of waterproof, but I don't know, can I trust the seller's promises? Can I take a shower or swim in such watches?
IP68: Kospet Brave, H7 4G, makibes m2.
Anyone know anything about these models, may be, some one used them? Take your review, comparison or opinion please. May be, you know better alternatives? Why I don't see abundance of roms/hacks for all mentioned above devices on this forum? Is it because they are new or they are not interesting to anyone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
anybody tested the
KOSPET Prime 4G?
---------- Post added at 11:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 AM ----------
anybody tested the
KOSPET Prime 4G?