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I am in the market for a new cell phone to replace my current Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini. Given my budget, I have nearly settled on the Asus ZenFone 2. At $299 for an upper-middle tier cell phone with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, it seems like a solid bet. The only real downfall I have discovered from my research thus far is the ZenUI which overlays the stock Android experience and the massive amount of bloatware that comes pre-installed on the phone.
If I were able to safely get rid of the bloatware and make the phone more like a pure stock Android experience, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
I consider myself fairly able to work with technology, although I have never actually rooted, flashed, or otherwise modded a cell phone. So, I am looking for some guidance. Do you think the ZenFone2 warrants a purchase in spite of the concerns outlined? If no, do you have any suitable reocmmendations in that budget range? More importantly, do you think I would be able to modify the phone to get rid of bloatware and make it a more stock Android experience?
Sorry if this questions has been asked previously. As I mentioned, I am very new to this, certainly new to the forums, and just looking for guidance. Thanks!
Bloatware thing is overblown, you can disable every single preinstalled app on the phone. The performance is amazing, this is a lag free phone. However, I do no recommend this phone simply based on the battery life, its terrible. There is no way around it.
yumms said:
Bloatware thing is overblown, you can disable every single preinstalled app on the phone. The performance is amazing, this is a lag free phone. However, I do no recommend this phone simply based on the battery life, its terrible. There is no way around it.
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I'm not as concerned about the battery life as I am generally near a charger. But, do you think the battery issues might be address through an Android update (I hear 5.1.1 is coming soon to Asus) or even a root/mod like Cyanogenmod?
dchadjohnson said:
I'm not as concerned about the battery life as I am generally near a charger. But, do you think the battery issues might be address through an Android update (I hear 5.1.1 is coming soon to Asus) or even a root/mod like Cyanogenmod?
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Battery life is little fixed for me on this new updates,it's not that bad,but just wait for 5.1.1 update or Android M 6.0 update,zenfone 2 will shine for sure
---------- Post added at 04:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:35 PM ----------
and btw don't install Cm 12.1,i tried it and it's worse than asus stock rom,trust me...
The only bad thing about the phone (550ML) is the battery backup and the memory usage.
Except that, it is good.
Depending where you are, i could advice your to buy the redmi note 2, lower price, more powerfull, pictures a bit better in low light environment, sound better, 5 hours SOT and not three like this phone, lower and brighter screen...
I bought the WW version of the phone you are considering, after upgrading from a S4. Unlike a lot here on XDA, I have left it at stock, with 64gig of storage and 4gig of ram who cares about the bloatware. With Auto Start Manager you can disable anything you want to anyway. It does what I want it to do and I am not stuck to the carrier's software update schedule as I was with the S4.
I've had ZenFone 2 for about 1 month now. My previous phone was first gen Moto G.
ZenUI is surprisingly good. I usually have Google Now launcher or Nova Launcher but I've been sticking with ZenUI. The bloat is only a minor inconvenience.
As for performance: the phone is a beast! Astonishing considering the price. I have 1.8ghz 4gig ram version.
The screen is good. It doesn't get dim enough and so is not ideal for nighttime use. I tried to use rootdim to no avail. I use phone at min brightness for most of day.
Battery life is poor! Struggle to get 3hrs screen on time. I'm a medium to heavy user. Have to charge it twice a day. Hoping this can be improved with 5.1.1. If, not then might consider one plus one.
m98221 said:
I've had ZenFone 2 for about 1 month now. My previous phone was first gen Moto G.
ZenUI is surprisingly good. I usually have Google Now launcher or Nova Launcher but I've been sticking with ZenUI. The bloat is only a minor inconvenience.
As for performance: the phone is a beast! Astonishing considering the price. I have 1.8ghz 4gig ram version.
The screen is good. It doesn't get dim enough and so is not ideal for nighttime use. I tried to use rootdim to no avail. I use phone at min brightness for most of day.
Battery life is poor! Struggle to get 3hrs screen on time. I'm a medium to heavy user. Have to charge it twice a day. Hoping this can be improved with 5.1.1. If, not then might consider one plus one.
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Use lux light as it dims the screen to great nighttime viewing and I get decent screen time and I'm a heavy user as well
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using XDA Free mobile app
I have never experienced the poor battery life others complain of on this phone.
Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk
corrsea said:
I have never experienced the poor battery life others complain of on this phone.
Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk
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yeah me too, I get battery backup around 5 hrs easily and the only thing I dont like is memory management and blaotwares that's all but as someone said earlier you can disable and I did around 13 apps xD
Camera and performace and battery is very good. Waiting for 5.1.1'
[/COLOR]and btw don't install Cm 12.1,i tried it and it's worse than asus stock rom,trust me...[/QUOTE]
Well what people need to understand is that ALL of the AOSP roms for the zenfone 2 are in BETA STAGES! Meaning its not 100% stable. Not the devs fault as they are doing there best to get it to a stable release.
As for recommending the phone to OP. Yes I do, is in my list its one of the top phones for 300 and under this year. Now its not perfect(battery, junk bloat, screen brightness, screen to body ratio) but for the 4gb model if you tweak and make it yours you will love the speed and its flagship experience at a mid level price point.
Well, many people have already give you a help but here it goes another one. This phone is just amazing. For this price you only have OP2 or Moto X to compete (both are a little bit expensive).
My battery reach to 4.30h SOT and i have always wifi, bt and 4g on. Play about 1h games, lots of browsing and social networks. 30m talking. In the end of day still have my battery around 25%. Not bad but with 5.1.1 hope this improve. There is very little bloatware and you can remove them or disable easily.
The bad things is the screen body ratio is bsd and make the phone biggest, the camera is not brilliant, the power button on top, the screen brightness.
But every phones have pros and cons so, for me, this is the best for the price
Already bought another for my sister and i recommend alot. Very happy user
Kambz1994 said:
and btw don't install Cm 12.1,i tried it and it's worse than asus stock rom,trust me...
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Strongly disagree with that, it is improving daily and imho already surpasses the ASUS stock firmware. CM has given me a new found love for and enjoyment of this excellent phone.
Delgadovsky said:
Well, many people have already give you a help but here it goes another one. This phone is just amazing. For this price you only have OP2 or Moto X to compete (both are a little bit expensive).
My battery reach to 4.30h SOT and i have always wifi, bt and 4g on. Play about 1h games, lots of browsing and social networks. 30m talking. In the end of day still have my battery around 25%. Not bad but with 5.1.1 hope this improve. There is very little bloatware and you can remove them or disable easily.
The bad things is the screen body ratio is bsd and make the phone biggest, the camera is not brilliant, the power button on top, the screen brightness.
But every phones have pros and cons so, for me, this is the best for the price
Already bought another for my sister and i recommend alot. Very happy user
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Click to collapse
I get more than 5 hrs xD
See xD
903tex said:
[/COLOR]and btw don't install Cm 12.1,i tried it and it's worse than asus stock rom,trust me...
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Click to collapse
Well what people need to understand is that ALL of the AOSP roms for the zenfone 2 are in BETA STAGES! Meaning its not 100% stable. Not the devs fault as they are doing there best to get it to a stable release.
As for recommending the phone to OP. Yes I do, is in my list its one of the top phones for 300 and under this year. Now its not perfect(battery, junk bloat, screen brightness, screen to body ratio) but for the 4gb model if you tweak and make it yours you will love the speed and its flagship experience at a mid level price point.[/QUOTE]
Lol, cm12.1 and aosp roms are in beta version so they need time to be stable. They aren't ridiculous noob
If you're not a hardcore gamer, then better wait for the Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE550KL) variant with Snapdragon 615 and 3GB RAM. I had almost decided to buy the ZE550ML, although I was apprehensive about the battery life, when I read about the new model. It costs marginally higher than the ZE550ML, but should have better battery if somewhat less performance. Plus 3GB RAM should still take care of the ZenUI bloat.
Gustapo said:
If you're not a hardcore gamer, then better wait for the Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE550KL) variant with Snapdragon 615 and 3GB RAM. I had almost decided to buy the ZE550ML, although I was apprehensive about the battery life, when I read about the new model. It costs marginally higher than the ZE550ML, but should have better battery if somewhat less performance. Plus 3GB RAM should still take care of the ZenUI bloat.
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2 Gb ram is enough for gaming if you know how to use phone
ASUS ZenFone2 is a great phone!
Okay, so I'm a bit biased...but this phone is actually really good! (I came from a Nexus). Battery life is really dependent on your location, signal, usage scenarios, etc. But I'm on T-Mo in the Bay Area where signal isn't the best, I use the phone for work and have gotten through an entire day 7-10PM with at least 20% left. Bloatware can be disabled on the latest firmware.
Yeah, I've disabled 23 bloatwares xD
Ok folks, i might be in the wrong spot, and yes, it's a bit off topic. But i seek your input non the less.
I currently rock a N910F. I'm extremely happy with it, apart from the fact that it gets to big sometimes. At home or in the car it's a non issue, but on the go, in the city one Handed handling is really sub optimal.
So I'm seeking a new/secondary phone. Basically any flagship to date is rather unimpressive imho. The features i seek:
- under 5.5 inch (around 5 would be ideal)
- 1080p display (less is grainy, more drains battery)
- big battery (around 3500mAh or more, bonus points for replaceable)
- flagship level performance (no SD820 i'm aware of, but 4/6GB Ram would be great plus a decent SoC)
- Some kind of development (Any AOSP'ish roms or at least some options for root are a must)
Basically a Android Version of a Iphone SE. Small form-factor with latest specs (in the iOS world ofc). What i don't want are 4k screens, 1500mAh batterys and Touchwiz :cyclops:
Currently, the OnePlus 3 seems close, although at the top of what size i'd want. The Moto G4 Plus or what it's called seems great too, although performance is a unknown.
So, what would you buy for big battery + flagship level performance in a small formfactor? Price is not relevant atm :good:
Just get the SGS7. It has a 5.2 inch display and is very one handed friendly. Personally, I would stick with the Note 4. I came from using a SGSII for 4 years, the reason I kept using my SGSII for so long is that I haven't complete my game of Asphalt 6. So when I finally completed Asphalt 6, I went for the Note 4 N910C. I got use to the size of it so easily and now I don't think I can ever get use to using a device with a smaller display.
DarkGuyver said:
Just get the SGS7. It has a 5.2 inch display and is very one handed friendly. Personally, I would stick with the Note 4. I came from using a SGSII for 4 years, the reason I kept using my SGSII for so long is that I haven't complete my game of Asphalt 6. So when I finally completed Asphalt 6, I went for the Note 4 N910C. I got use to the size of it so easily and now I don't think I can ever get use to using a device with a smaller display.
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Nice idea, but i'd say no to the S7. The normal S7 is only 3000mAh (which is rather big by todays standards) but the 2560 screen draws power like nothing else (the N4 has the same problem with around 3h SOT)...
Plus touchwiz. The Edge has a bigger battery, but on having handled it, the edge screen makes it impossible to handle (for me anyways). In addition to all this it's rather pricey. I agree that it's a great phone, it's just not what i'm looking for currently.
Also, yes the N4 is really great. Still one of the best phones i had to date. But there are more and more situations where it's simply to big
In that case check out the Huawei P9! That is a pretty nice device with great specs! However you will have to install the Google Now launcher from the Play Store as it runs on Huawei's EMUI, which doesn't have an app drawer.
battery is not all about size. it is also about ROM optimization.
so I think most current flagship will be fine for you.
Well you haven't mentioned any price, so I'm supposing that you've no budget restriction,, in that case HTC 10 is a good option. Small, great development and all. Otherwise like you already know OnePlus 3 it is. Moto G4 Plus is basically kind of an entry level phone really.
I want to get a new phone to replace my S6. The two main options I have honed in on are the Axon 7 64GB and the OnePlus 3T. Here are the strengths of each
Axon 7
Better screen (higher resolution)
Better warranty/support
Better speakers
SD card support
OnePlus 3T
Better processor
More RAM
Physical home button.
Thoughts? Those of you have one and wish you got the other?
crcostel said:
I want to get a new phone to replace my S6. The two main options I have honed in on are the Axon 7 64GB and the OnePlus 3T. Here are the strengths of each
Axon 7
Better screen (higher resolution)
Better warranty/support
Better speakers
SD card support
OnePlus 3T
Better processor
More RAM
Physical home button.
Thoughts? Those of you have one and wish you got the other?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, processor and RAM doesn't make that much of a difference when they're this close.....Unless you're a gamer?
Other things to look at, that may make your decision.
Camera - OnePlus 3T wins
Audio - Axon 7 wins
How much space do you really need? My SD card died last week and I was all freaked out, but it all fit on my 64gb Axon 7 internal memory until my new card arrives.... If I had a bunch of movies to save, this would be a deal breaker. I even have 2100 songs and they only eat up about 7-8gb.
I'm an "audio" buff....So the choice was easy for me, and the camera is good enough on the Axon 7 that I can live with it and make it do what I need it to. Sometimes a little editing is needed.
Well this is my point of view, take it with a grain of salt.
ZTE:
- Better Screen (not reaaaaaally noticeable, yes it is better, but both are good enough so that you cant tell each other apart). Real difference might be appreciated with QHD wallpapers, but not much else.
- Better Speakers, and overall sound quality. This has to be the largest difference. Watching videos in the Axon vs the OP3 is like going from dial up to broadband. Plus, the Axon drives higher impedance headphones without much of a hassle.
- Better in call quality. This is a direct consequence of having better audio.
- SD Card Support. I thought I wouldn't need it too much but actually, it is a nice thing to have.
OP3:
- The fact that the screen itself is lower res, means lower battery consumption. Since I read an article from AnandTech, we might be talking maybe up to 30% less usage from the screen + cpu/gpu load.
- The camera has to be better, you don't have to work yourself out to get an awesome picture. Though, if you get it right on the ZTE you can absolutely get beautiful pictures.
- Better processor? Really? Lets suppose you actually need the difference in clocks, where the OP3 would make a difference, how long can you really keep that clock up? Maaaybe 5 minutes before hitting thermal limits where the better cpu just doesn't mean anything anymore.
- Physical button. Well this is really up to you, I prefer the fingerprint scanner on the back.
- Alert Slider. Really an advantage for the OP3, really like this feature, and if it ever becomes configurable, that would be awesome.
-6GB of RAM?? Well, I have 4GB on my Axon and never has an app crashed on me, and I was suprised to find myself having 20+ apps open without the phone even noticing and instantly switching between them with all of them loaded in RAM. So this one is up to you, but I wouldn't mind. It does make the OP3 more futureproof if anything...
- Software> the OP3s software is hands down better than the Axons and that is the best that the OP3 can pull over the Axon, by far.
About support, well I don't know how well any of them do with support so i will not comment on this.
My conclusion is then: should you care about media consumption, buy the Axon, don't even think about it. If what you want/need the best performance around and like having the best software and dev help, then get the OP3. I wouldn't look on hardware differences too much.
Not a gamer in the slightest. I will occasionally take toddler snapshots with the camera when my panny is not handy.
This is more an overall performance and form comparison.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Axon 7 has Daydream support, also.
Now that Axon 7 is getting proper sound support on LOS/LOS based roms, it is Axon 7 hands down.
A7 has better cellular connectivity support. Has more bands than the OP3/T do.
How prevalent is this Google Play bug I am seeing on the Axon 7?
I've had three OP phones and never buying them again. All above aside, they have terrible touch screen lag which makes them unusable. Axon is also cheaper.
Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk
I have both...Also mate 9..Just bought each over this last month...I am coming from my still loved note 5..
First off...Don't think too much into 2k unless vr is your factor. I did too. But after experiencing these latest devices running 1080 with 5.5 inch to 5.9 I cannot believe I said all I did in the past...The one plus 3t is just as sharp for regular use and have not tried any VR on any device...The Axon 7 is great as well...Not as speedy as the latter but still a steal for the price...To be honest the one plus 3t and Axon 7 are both comparable however the camera is a bit better FOR ME so far on One plus but I have to say that 20mp isn't bad at all...The 1440 on the Axon isn't that noticable to me either. Really. The one plus screen looks slightly better to me I guess because of the brightness and calibration. Still miniscule ...Both perform crazy fast for their price but one plus and mate 9 are definitely smoother for me...Just flip a coin. You can't go wrong...I just could not make up my mind so I bought them all...If I have to sell one I will. But for now they are all nice and safe clean and ready for my reviews...Sort of babbling here really but if you have any specific questions I can totally help. I do not keep notifications on so I'll have to check for reply manually. I haven't been on in a year here ...But I'll be checking back for your comments. Or Inbox
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
You can supposedly get Google assistant on Axon 7 which won't happen on op3t
Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk
crcostel said:
I want to get a new phone to replace my S6. The two main options I have honed in on are the Axon 7 64GB and the OnePlus 3T. Here are the strengths of each
Axon 7
Better screen (higher resolution)
Better warranty/support
Better speakers
SD card support
OnePlus 3T
Better processor
More RAM
Physical home button.
Thoughts? Those of you have one and wish you got the other?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
crcostel said:
Not a gamer in the slightest. I will occasionally take toddler snapshots with the camera when my panny is not handy.
This is more an overall performance and form comparison.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
crcostel said:
How prevalent is this Google Play bug I am seeing on the Axon 7?
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I can say I was on the same boat as you in January, when I bought my first Axon 7 and I was amazed with the device. Even when I loved it, I decided to get a Mate 9 because I heard it was a great device. I used the Mate 9 for a couple of weeks and sold it and got the Axon 7 again, I couldn't stand the media consumption in the Mate 9, because of the screen and the sound. The Mate 9 has an amazing display, but I'm used to QHD since many years ago, and somehow I could notice the difference in certain situations. About the sound, Axon 7 is clearly the winner here. The reason I changed the Axon 7 was the camera, because was average and everybody claimed that Mate 9 had a super camera. Truth is, that I didn't see too much difference between the 2 in picture quality, so better go back with the Axon 7.
Regarding the comparison, 821 is less than 10% better than 820, so it makes no difference in real world usage. RAM neither, because most of the time I have 2GB free on the Axon 7, so why should I want 2GB more?, that is only pure marketing and never an app would require so much RAM.
In my opinion, the physical home button is a waste of space, because it only makes the device bigger with no need. I always have hated capacitive buttons, but what I love about the Axon 7 is that even with capacitive buttons, the aspect ratio is great. Is smaller than some of the 5.5" devices I have used before that rely only on software buttons.
The OP3T has a worse display, both resolution and quality, and the people who say that is because of the battery, is lying or they don't know much about technology. Display technology has advanced so much in these years, and even when this statement was true in the beginning, now the QHD screens out there have similar power consumptions. Also to point that the screen on the Axon 7 is exactly the same of the Galaxy S7 Edge, so I can say is really nice to have a display like this one.
As for the OP3T, is true that is has slightly better performance, camera and battery, but is no match for the Axon 7 regarding media consumption (sound, display, storage, etc.) and the difference is huge between the 2.
As someone suggested you, if you aim to media consumption, there is no better device than this one. If you are kind of a ROM addict or you are deep into development, get the OP3T.
:good:
P.D.: All the bugs and problems the Axon 7 (including Play Store) are fixed now with the update that came a few days ago, and I can confirm it.
P.D.2: Have you consider to wait for the OnePlus 5?
crcostel said:
Not a gamer in the slightest. I will occasionally take toddler snapshots with the camera when my panny is not handy.
This is more an overall performance and form comparison.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If performance is your concern then look no further and buy the OP3, unless, since you are an XDA member, know a thing or two about tinkering with ROMs and flashing your phone. In that case then its an Audio vs Camera situation...
In had the oneplus 3 and returned it within 2days. Axon 7 has been the better phone for me.
It's really a matter of opinion. You won't find that much difference in the specs.
Battery - The charging speed is the same (see this), and this), battery is the same (slightly better on the a7). I use the phone a lot and I'm very happy with the battery capacity.
Screen is nearly the same (A7: 2K AMOLED, OP3: 1080p Super AMOLED).
Processor - You won't notice the difference. Seriously, the A7 has great speed.
Camera - The A7's camera is excellent in day light. Not in day light? Not so much. It's fine. But in day light you can take amazing pictures with it (which show great on the screen ). There are a bunch of camera samples online from each phone (and maybe even a camera comparison), so check that out.
You might also want to check some other stuff out like durability, speed, etc. In videos. But do keep in mind that in speeds as high as flagships phone you probably won't notice the difference.
RAM - The 4GB RAM on the A7 is enough for me. I don't see how anyone would need 6GM RAM on a smartphone. (I've also heard that OP3 doesn't use all it's RAM, I wonder if that's fixed already).
The fingerprint scanner on the back is surprisingly comfortable and it's really a matter of getting used to it. I got used to it very quickly and it's instinctive to me.
The stock ROM isn't that great but it could be replaced by unlocking the bootloader so I personally wouldn't take that into account here. Plus the A7 started getting a lot of attention from ROM makers and has LOS official support and other ROMs available.
Also the A7 is cheaper.
The audio is also excellent.
Design is also great, the phone is very pretty (suck it LG G6 )
I enjoy my phone greatly.
Axon 7 +'s
audio
warranty
OnePlus 3T
pretty wood cases
It looks like the stock ROM is probably better (built-in dark theme and accent color adjustment. Well executed)
Processor matters. Maybe not in speed but the additional features Qualcomm rolls up in the chipset can... as long as the manufacturer implements them.
For me, it came down to warranty and particularly the Dash charging is proprietary. I'd rather not buy up a bunch of chargers which charge fast only on their phones. Yes, Quick Charge 3.0 is proprietary to Qualcomm in the sense that USB-C PD is the real standard - but it's less proprietary.
My next phone must have the most standard charging available. I'm tired of this proprietary charging junk. Dicking with finding the right power adapter is annoying and just adds up in $30 and $40 costs if I want car adapters and additional AC adapters which support whatever standard.
Just think of the extra $60 you spent on extra Quick/Fast chargers for the office & car which will be obsolete on your next phone. Hidden costs are crap.
I have it on mine. Just pressed home button held it and there it is. 7.0 stock.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
Thanks everyone - going to BestBuy tomorrow to get a feel for the ergonomics and then will buy from BH if it passes. Currently have VZW so I'll try to get it going and if not, off to ATT
Also worth noting that the Axon 7 can be had for almost 40% less than the equivalent 3T, which seems almost too good to pass up for an incremental upgrade.
Also, from what I understand, it only fully supports AT&T and T-Mobile in states so do beware.
With axon 7 getting proper sound on LOS and an SD card for me it's a no brainer....I like to take my movies with me when I travel so sticking everything on the 256gb SanDisk is awesome....I will never but a phone with no microSD...I don't even wanna count how many times I wiped internal storage when I was resetting for a new Roman install....Having my TWRP backups on external storage was literAlly a life saver for me personally
I'm going to save you a lot of trouble if you're considering this tablet and are unsure, as I just put this thing through a lot of testing.
First off I would like to say that I think this is a fantastic tablet. It is just the right size, has an excellent build quality, and runs pretty good all things considered. This has a decnet running/looking Samsng UI, especially considering that it's an older build running on a slower processor. If this tablet had a better processor and maybe stylus support it would be a killer tablet with no competition. It's sad that Samsung doesn't take this size range seriously any longer.
Now for the badish part. This tablet is great for gaming, perfect size, great screen, good enough speakers (mount them stereo next time Samsung!) However it just won't handle intensive gaming stuff, such as Order and Choas 2 or Rules of Survival with the settings turned up. It will certainly play them if you don't mind the low FPS though. Definitely playable FPS for sure, but it won't be butter.
I was curious to see if this was a Samsung processor optimization problem like it is with the Tab s3, so I did some testing to find out. I can confirm that flashing LOS 14.1 it did nothing for the gaming performance. The tablet was quicker and less laggy overall, but the gaming is still limited by the GPU. This tablet also is so good out of the box that it doesn't need the help of LOS anyway.
So there you have it. Great little tablet, just don't expect any sort of massive gaming performance and don't even think about voiding your warratny to try a custom rom because it won't help. In this size range it is really the ultimate for gaming, so I figured a lot of people would be buying it for that, and I wanted to give a heads up. The benchmark scores don't tell the whole story sometimes. I hope they refresh this tablet in 2018 with a better SOC and keep it alive.
Thanks for the info seh6183. :highfive:
You need to tell us what hardware you are testing as the 2015 is using Exynos and the 2016 is Snapdragon. From previous posts on here, the consensus is that the 2015 has the better GPU for gaming but the 2016 is faster.
I don't game on my tablet so I can't add anything to your observations.
I have the 2016 S2, and it is fine for light gaming. However, it heats up fairly quickly if you are doing anything graphically intense for long periods and throttles pretty noticeably. Even fairly simple apps, like Alto's Adventure, will eventually become unplayable if you don't take a break periodically to let the SoC cool down.
Masteryates said:
Thanks for the info seh6183. :highfive:
You need to tell us what hardware you are testing as the 2015 is using Exynos and the 2016 is Snapdragon. From previous posts on here, the consensus is that the 2015 has the better GPU for gaming but the 2016 is faster.
I don't game on my tablet so I can't add anything to your observations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snapdragon 652.
I just bought a new 'open box' from BestBuy for $209.
I'm not a gamer or user of graphics, mainly a business user. I had the latest 9.7 iPad for a week, and I just kept feeling like one of my arms was tied behind my back.
So I returned it and bought the Samsung Tab S2.
seh6183 said:
Snapdragon 652.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the update seh6183. :highfive:
Are you able to update the title of your post or your initial post to reflect this? Others may find this useful.
Would be interested to hear from a 2015 owner on how it handles the games you mentioned.
I cant imagine buying thos for gaming... If you want to game on a tablet I would just go with the iPad. The new iPad 2017 is so much better than this, and you can get one new for 250 and a bigger screen. I went with tablet only because I can torrent and use my Micro USB to USB 2.0 adapter for music and videos on torrents. Thats literally the only upside to going with an Android tablet nowadays
JoRocker said:
I cant imagine buying thos for gaming... If you want to game on a tablet I would just go with the iPad. The new iPad 2017 is so much better than this, and you can get one new for 250 and a bigger screen. I went with tablet only because I can torrent and use my Micro USB to USB 2.0 adapter for music and videos on torrents. Thats literally the only upside to going with an Android tablet nowadays
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Well, not the ONLY one, but yeah - most of the best games come out for iOS first and then, if ever, for Android. On the flip side, Android lets you actually use your device like a computer and not merely a media consumption machine. I consider that a pretty big plus.
JoRocker said:
I cant imagine buying thos for gaming... If you want to game on a tablet I would just go with the iPad. The new iPad 2017 is so much better than this, and you can get one new for 250 and a bigger screen. I went with tablet only because I can torrent and use my Micro USB to USB 2.0 adapter for music and videos on torrents. Thats literally the only upside to going with an Android tablet nowadays
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For me it has to be Android for little things like power toggles, screebl and the OLED screen.
seh6183 said:
I'm going to save you a lot of trouble if you're considering this tablet and are unsure, as I just put this thing through a lot of testing.
First off I would like to say that I think this is a fantastic tablet. It is just the right size, has an excellent build quality, and runs pretty good all things considered. This has a decnet running/looking Samsng UI, especially considering that it's an older build running on a slower processor. If this tablet had a better processor and maybe stylus support it would be a killer tablet with no competition. It's sad that Samsung doesn't take this size range seriously any longer.
Now for the badish part. This tablet is great for gaming, perfect size, great screen, good enough speakers (mount them stereo next time Samsung!) However it just won't handle intensive gaming stuff, such as Order and Choas 2 or Rules of Survival with the settings turned up. It will certainly play them if you don't mind the low FPS though. Definitely playable FPS for sure, but it won't be butter.
I was curious to see if this was a Samsung processor optimization problem like it is with the Tab s3, so I did some testing to find out. I can confirm that flashing LOS 14.1 it did nothing for the gaming performance. The tablet was quicker and less laggy overall, but the gaming is still limited by the GPU. This tablet also is so good out of the box that it doesn't need the help of LOS anyway.
So there you have it. Great little tablet, just don't expect any sort of massive gaming performance and don't even think about voiding your warratny to try a custom rom because it won't help. In this size range it is really the ultimate for gaming, so I figured a lot of people would be buying it for that, and I wanted to give a heads up. The benchmark scores don't tell the whole story sometimes. I hope they refresh this tablet in 2018 with a better SOC and keep it alive.
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So far the only bad side of this tablet that I saw was mentioned the battery life (as they reduced it from S1) and the speakers.
My main concern is the speakers which are at the bottom - how do they behave when you hold the tablet in landscape for watching a video? Is all the sound on the right side? Can the speakers be accidentally covered off with the hand that's holding the tablet? How is the sound on this thing?
My Nexus 7 (2013) is seriously showing its age now and due for an upgrade.
I'm considering this (T713/715) or the Huawei Mediapad M3 (or lite) 8.0 which is not at all supported on XDA so I would be stuck with it's software and bloatware whether I like it or not.
atirage said:
I'm considering this (T713/715) or the Huawei Mediapad M3 (or lite) 8.0 which is not at all supported on XDA so I would be stuck with it's software and bloatware whether I like it or not.
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I'm in the same boat, but it's vs the M5 and I'm more of a reader. It's a tough decision.
stoatbroker said:
I'm in the same boat, but it's vs the M5 and I'm more of a reader. It's a tough decision.
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If your a reader at night, it's all about the reduced eyestrain of the OLED screen. For me, the M5 is overpriced considering I picked up an M3 for only $180.
Surprise, it was known from the beginning that it has slow gpu, but also not the best cpu, they are continuing this with s3 and s4. They ar selling it for big money and yet, no wonder sales ar low
Extreemator said:
Surprise, it was known from the beginning that it has slow gpu, but also not the best cpu, they are continuing this with s3 and s4. They ar selling it for big money and yet, no wonder sales ar low
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For me the S3 and S4 bring little new to the table.
The S2 (when first released,) had that awesome screen. Even though I never intended to own any Samsung product due to touchwiz, I was sold when that Samsung handed me the 8" version in a store. The combination of killer screen and stupidly low weight set this apart from all opposition. For the 8" version, it could be argued this is still the case.
As long as Samsung keep giving us security updates for the S2, I'm not that interested in the S3 and S4 as 9.7" is too big for me.
So, I bought the 8" wifi version (T713) and I'm severely disappointed with battery life: around 6h SOT!?
I keep reducing the brightness but battery percentages just melt away. I don't know, maybe the LineageOS battery life is better, or a custom kernel would help. (I'm still on stock)
Other things I dislike are the volume/speakers - they're easy to cover up and don't sound so great. Not to mention they're basically mono in landscape mode, I hate that on my phone!
The tablet has sharp edges, very uncomfortable to hold and it hurts my hand after a while, fortunately I can buy a silicone cover for this problem. The rest will stick with me
I come from the Nexus 7 2013, and this is definitely a side-grade. The only thing that I missed on the Nexus is that it struggled with hi-res 60fps video (couldn't even do higher than 720p60).
Oh well.
Not much choice in the Android tablet market currently, but I certainly wouldn't recommend this one.
No problem,in the future it will not be Android tablets anymore,so you will not have choises at all.
Google just removed tablets section from Android page,take a look at http://www.android.com/tablets/ .
Cheers
viasat said:
No problem,in the future it will not be Android tablets anymore,so you will not have choises at all.
Google just removed tablets section from Android page,take a look at http://www.android.com/tablets/ .
Cheers
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Click to collapse
There are very few redeeming qualities left keeping me on the Android side of the fence anyway, and Google seems intent on killing them. The ease of data management, and the ability to run apps that wouldn't have a shot in the App Store (like Nova Launcher, Solid Explorer, etc.) are about the only things keeping me in the ecosystem. Otherwise, it seems like every time I look, the iPad Pro gets more and more attractive.
atirage said:
So, I bought the 8" wifi version (T713) and I'm severely disappointed with battery life: around 6h SOT!?
I keep reducing the brightness but battery percentages just melt away. I don't know, maybe the LineageOS battery life is better, or a custom kernel would help. (I'm still on stock)
Other things I dislike are the volume/speakers - they're easy to cover up and don't sound so great. Not to mention they're basically mono in landscape mode, I hate that on my phone!
The tablet has sharp edges, very uncomfortable to hold and it hurts my hand after a while, fortunately I can buy a silicone cover for this problem. The rest will stick with me
I come from the Nexus 7 2013, and this is definitely a side-grade. The only thing that I missed on the Nexus is that it struggled with hi-res 60fps video (couldn't even do higher than 720p60).
Oh well.
Not much choice in the Android tablet market currently, but I certainly wouldn't recommend this one.
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TBH atirage, 6h of SOT is very good for the 8" tablet. My T715 has only ever managed 5h. I doubt lineage will increase battery life by much. At the end of the day, that 4000Mah has to power a hell of a big screen.
I find the tablet the best I've ever held, (also had a Nexus 7 2013 in the past.) but I just hold it in the bottom corner, not attempting to get my hand the whole way around. Agreed about the poor quality speakers.
The thing I've liked about this tablet the most in the last 2 years is the solid, (not ever fantastic,) performance. I've suffered no bugs and everything just works as well as the day I've bought it. :angel:
Not to be all negative about this tablet: the performance is great, granted I didn't fill it up with apps and games yet but I'll see how it will hold up over time.
Even in battery saving mode (70% CPU) it's still blazing fast and a joy to use.
I got a silicon case on it so the handling became better.
And I got used to the sound - it's not good, but passable and loud enough to watch a few YouTube videos in a quiet environment.
I managed to install SABS on it (and make it work), so I got ad blocking now and the ability to disable apps I don't need/use (Samsung bloatware) so I'm hoping battery life will improve a little bit.
It's growing on me.
It was a weird transition from the Nexus 7 (2013), but that fellow got so sluggish that I wanted to chuck it at the wall. That's why I needed the upgrade and the ability to play qHD nicely, and the S2 tab does it oh-so-well.
Anybody can suggest a nice blue light filter app for it?
atirage said:
Not to be all negative about this tablet: the performance is great, granted I didn't fill it up with apps and games yet but I'll see how it will hold up over time.
Even in battery saving mode (70% CPU) it's still blazing fast and a joy to use.
I got a silicon case on it so the handling became better.
And I got used to the sound - it's not good, but passable and loud enough to watch a few YouTube videos in a quiet environment.
I managed to install SABS on it (and make it work), so I got ad blocking now and the ability to disable apps I don't need/use (Samsung bloatware) so I'm hoping battery life will improve a little bit.
It's growing on me.
It was a weird transition from the Nexus 7 (2013), but that fellow got so sluggish that I wanted to chuck it at the wall. That's why I needed the upgrade and the ability to play qHD nicely, and the S2 tab does it oh-so-well.
Anybody can suggest a nice blue light filter app for it?
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Glad your starting to see the advantages of this tab atirage: :victory:
You'll also notice the screen picks up far fewer fingerprints than the Nexus 7 2013. Don't know what Samsung have done with the glass but its much better. Even though the FP reader is very 1st gen, its still nice to have and better than a pin every time.
I find the sound to be much better if you put the tablet of a flat surface so the sound reflects off it.
Moto G5 Plus was released in early 2017, and to many of us, it is a 3+ year old phone. Fast forward to 2020, many phones are still launching with 4GB RAM at the same price point. To many of us who do not game, Snapdragon 625 is a good enough processor for our daily tasks. Also, the 12 MP f/1.7 shooter can shoot some wonderful shots using GCam in well lit conditions.
Some of us have moved on to newer devices, but others have some valid reasons to hold on to this device for longer.
In this context, what steps do you take to increase the longevity of your Moto G5 Plus?
As a starter, I do the following:
Use Pixel Experience ROM to get monthly security patches and run Android 10
Use Naptime to reduce standby drain, so as to minimize charging my device everyday to preserve battery cycles.
Uninstall apps that I don't use and enable background battery usage restrictions in Android 10.
Kindly share your list of things that you do to extend the lifespan of your device.
Hi!
Recently i upgraded from Stock Android 8.1 to Arrow-OS (android 10) and it runs very well.
The only problem can be the accu which seem to become weaker. And a Accu change is very complex for this phone (i watched the videos)
I currently have no reason to change the phone. I have no problems with the speed of the phone but i am not the Action-Game player on Android!
So i hope that i can use it for another year until new Android 11 phones came out.
Tanzbaerli said:
Hi!
Recently i upgraded from Stock Android 8.1 to Arrow-OS (android 10) and it runs very well.
The only problem can be the accu which seem to become weaker. And a Accu change is very complex for this phone (i watched the videos)
I currently have no reason to change the phone. I have no problems with the speed of the phone but i am not the Action-Game player on Android!
So i hope that i can use it for another year until new Android 11 phones came out.
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Click to collapse
Nice choice you made there! I will also keep this phone for another year, as it meets my daily usage requirements perfectly. Android 11 is going to bring more components that can get updated directly via Project Mainline, so I look forward to Google partially fixing the Android fragmentation problems. I don't use Arrow OS, as dark mode does not make the dialer dark during the last time I tried it. I'm also interested to check out Dirty Unicorns 14.2 for potter, but it's not available via XDA.
By accu, do you mean Accumulator? Then that would be quite difficult to change.
debopriyobasu said:
By accu, do you mean Accumulator? Then that would be quite difficult to change.
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Yes, thats the only problem that could force me to buy a new phone earlier. My experience is that the acuumulator can becomer very weak very fast. On my next phone, i will definitely only buy one where the accumulator can be changed easily. I even use my old Nexus 9 with an new accumulator (there the change was very easy).
I am very happy that so good custom roms exist for the Moto G5 plus. Most of the roms i tried for other devices are not as good as Arrow OS for the G5plus. I never expected that!
More than 3 years good usabilty of a phone which originally costed me 260 Euros. Great!!