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Well ... 8 months of anticipation with highs and lows as we heard new stuff and I finally got to play with an X1 at a Vodafone store.
First thoughts .... very narrow ... obviously the 3" wide screen feels smaller than the equivalent 2.8" normal aspect ratio.
The build ... well ... although I'm sure the front is metal ... but the black one at least looks like a brush plastic ... it didn't have the standout quality feel I was led to believe. The chrome / polished metal or metal look plastic around it's waist and the edges of the keyboard definitely looks a little bling to me ... again ... doesn't look / feel like expensive kit.
You open the keyboard ... and as I'd noticed in pictures, there is a much larger gap around the waist than a TyTN or TyTN II. This looks a little odd. There is also far more play on the front edge of the mechanism that the TyTNs. Clearly a different type of mechanism ... but to me ... the open close and solidity is not as solid as either my TyTN or TyTNII. It feels more like my 8GB N95 before I had the slide replaced.
So ... in short ... for me at least ... the 'quality' of finish is not evident. Where as in practise it maybe as good or better than the TyTN II... as the TyTN II has no pretence to being made of metal etc ... it gives a more honest quality feel about it. This was a huge surprise to me ... particularly given my wife's T650i with mineral glass really does feel kind of special.
Anyway ... for me the talk of massive quality over the HTC devices is a myth.
Looking into the device ... The panels ... I kind of liked and the basic ones that come out of the box seemed to work well and perform fine. The delays only seemed to be graphical transition ... i.e. synthetically imposed. I'm sure the delays others mentioned maybe there ... when playing harder ... but there was nothing I noticed in the 15 minutes I played.
Memory has been confirmed by others now ... I just saw what had already been shown in screen shots.
Opera fails to open ... but on this one apparently just because there was no comms (no SIM or active wireless) .... I think when you use the panel browser that launched PIE without error ... again .. not Opera as others mentioned.
The keyboard ... initial feeling was ... very positive. I found the keys nicely spaced and noted there was a definite tactile feedback ... you knew you'd successfully hit the key. When trying to type ... I kept missing keys ... so it was a lot slower and less predictable than the TyTNII. I'm not sure ... this may just be experience with something different .. if so ... aside from the missing arrows and for me .. the CTRL key that no device has ... I'd very more than happy. It certainly felt more solid and reliable than the TyTNII keyboard which on occasion made me think one or two keys may pop off (they never did).
The Dpad ... for me ... it seemed fine. I had no problems with the up press at all ... possibly slightly less movement than the other directions but plenty nevertheless. The optical ... I agree ... it is too recessed to be useful. If there was a mouse pointer like you get with the BT Stowaway mouse ... or the 4700 touchpad ... then it may get more use.
Other buttons ... ok ... but to be honest ... not as good quality feel as I got with my TyTNII ... the V1615 variant (people complained about movement of the buttons ... but I never really had that issue).
The camera ... well stills seemed ok (at least with the zoom available on the screen) ... the video on the other hand was worse than rubbish. It may well have had the VGA resolution ... but it's response / refresh was so poor that anything that moved ghosted. This makes little sense because on paper it should have been as good as the N95 ... aside from the optics of course (i.e. the movement should have been crisp). This really means that it is no more useful than the TyTNII camera .... it doesn't offer you a viable carry anywhere camcorder which the N95 did. What a waste.
My general feel was that it didn't feel like a poor PDA (slow ... tatty) ... but it didn't really feel (even with the WVGA which felt too small) like a real improvement over the TyTNII. Massive disappointment.
I guess I will try the HD ... but without a soft dpad (which I'm told by Clove who had a near finished one in the other day ... is almost definitely not there). They also said there was no evidence of TV-Out - although the HTC guy suggested it maybe different with the final version ... I think that is unlikely .. things don't change that quickly.
So ... I probably won't invest in that either.
My only hope now is that the Galxy7 does actually get released. Given the rumours were for end October announcement ... I'm not feeling confident there.
Just to summarise ... the X1 is a good device when compared to what is currently out there ... what it isn't is the standout device - quality or performance wise - that 8 months of marketing and rumour as well as the massive price suggested.
Paul.
Nice review, its good to hear some honest opinions!
I used to have N95 as well and I agree that none of these new PDAs can beat its camera quality and speakers. Camera as mentioned above. Speakers are loud and clear with wider frequency response. Not to mention it's stereo too! I missed these two.
Got to disagree with you on your comparison to the TyTn II.
I've had the Xperia a week now and the TyTn II looks and feels like a fisher price toy next to it.
The build quality and screen quality are in a different league and the resolution increase makes such a difference.
You're right about part of the back being made of plastic. The top and bottom sections are, but if they weren't the cell and GPS radios would struggle for the reception. The rest of the phone is definitely all metal as in the morning it is cold to the touch. It certainly doesn't look bling to me or anyone who's seen it and I am the world's most anti bling person.
For me one of it's greatest improvements over the TyTn II, is the speed in which the screen rotates - it's pretty much instant, which is how it should be.
The panels aren't what I expected and I don't use them a huge amount. I tend to stick to the MS Today Screen or the Fishes. I might just be a little weird though - I've tried TF3D and think it is gimmicky (but pretty) and on my TyTn II I've tried pretty much every homescreen replacement from Ultimatelauncher through WAD to Todaylife and none of them have lasted.
ETA: The d-pad is pretty annoying actually, but I get on fine with optical pad, so I'm not too bothered about that. A ctrl key on the keyboard would be very useful though.
pgamble said:
the video on the other hand was worse than rubbish. It may well have had the VGA resolution ... but it's response / refresh was so poor that anything that moved ghosted. This makes little sense because on paper it should have been as good as the N95 ... aside from the optics of course (i.e. the movement should have been crisp). This really means that it is no more useful than the TyTNII camera .... it doesn't offer you a viable carry anywhere camcorder which the N95 did. What a waste.
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That's odd, the captures that have been posted on this thread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=434409) look pretty fine, no ghosting is evident at all.
What country are you in? could this be the difference between eu/us versions of the xperia, the x1i and x1a?
Stills are ok ... it is the Video that is awful. I'm in the UK so it is the 640x480 at 30fps.
If you shoot video of a still scene ... fine (ish) but if anything moves it is awful.
Re the materials .. I wasn't questioning the metal ... what I was saying is that it didn't look particularly like metal ... two different things ... my feeling is that it didn't look and feel like a jump in quality over the TyTNII. I'm not saying it isn't ... it just doesn't give the impression that is when held close up.
I so wanted to love this device as my previous postings show ... it just doesn't live up to it.
I'm also not questioning the WVGA ... all I'm saying is that seeing a 3" WVGA for the first time since the G900 ... some time ago ... it seems really small ... so small infact, for me, I think I'd rather have the 3.5" Galxy7 or the 3.8" HD (although I'm discounting that because of really really poor camera / video, no tv-out (apparently) and no soft or hard dpad.
The comparison with the TyTNII for me really centres around relative practical differences ... I know there are many extras like the radio and vga video and WVGA but if they aren't well executed or have other issues, it isn't worth the upgrade to me.
Very subjective though.
I think a phone should be small (screen size max. 3-3.5"), a pda should be middle-sized with larger screen (4"), and then comes the UMPC/netbook category. The Xperia (Diamond, Touch Pro, etc) fits fine in the first category as a phone, no need for larger screen. Touch HD is already between the phone and pda category, it is a bit too large to be a convenient phone. I know that nowadays everything is about iPhone and touch-screens, but we don't need to have "brick" or "portable" phones again
yes .. I agree ... it is this cross over need that makes it difficult.
for QVGA ... 2.8" is fine.
As you move to VGA and WVGA ... I think you are looking at a more media cross over device ... which requires a slightly bigger screen ... at least so the short length is the same as the short length of a QVGA device ... this is about 3.5".
The Galxy7 ... which will probably never come out ... seems the perfect compromise ...
Just a reflection on the ghosted video.
Did you look at the video in the phone or did you transfer it to a PC ?
I noticed that the phone can't handle the VGA resolution in 3gp when played back. And even when recording actually .
When you look at the recording on a PC it still has 30fps without ghosting.
I've got mine this morning, and I must say I disagree completely with the OP opinion on video. There's very little ghosting (I haven't owned a TyTN or TyTN II) in comparison to a Touch Pro.
When viewing a VGA video on the phone there's some occasional stuttering, but when transferred to a PC it looks, well, quite amazing for a phone video to be honest.
I haven't seen a video shot by an N95 for comparison either, but it's certainly not "rubbish".
for reference mine is an x1i, in the UK, from Vodafone (and branded as such).
edit: After playing with the phone in different light conditions there is a fair bit of ghosting, I think it depends on what you're filming.
From the Spec of X1, it should be better than Diamond.
I tried a X1 on yesterday, the screen was sharp and the color looked a little bit milky. Is the problem of screen protector or the intrinsic problem?
I want to buy it but I am not sure if the screen is really good.
Any idea??
I have both of them right next to each other. If you turn both to max brightness, they're about the same. The X1 wins in terms of sharpness and obviously pixels. For color, I think the diamond is a TINY bit more vibrant, but not really noticeable.
Returning my Diamond tomorrow =)
it is better, and the fact that the screen is wider/longer portrait makes it better at reading mail etc
Thanks.
This solved my problem.
But did any of you notice any hanging in the 9 panels?
Besides does coremediaplayer work well on it??
Coming from a Touch Pro I can tell you the extra pixels are worth it. Browsing is so nice with the entire width of web pages rendered within one viewing pane...
another thing that is good compared to the diamond is that the x1 screen is more sensitive.maybe thats the reason that the screen is a little recessed on the x1.
.
The Xperia has 60000 more pixels on the screen than the Diamond/Pro.
Do you agree The xperia can show more detail and a lot sharper?
.
Pinguino1 said:
.
The Xperia has 60000 more pixels on the screen than the Diamond/Pro.
Do you agree The xperia can show more detail and a lot sharper?
.
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yea of course, the dots per inch on the x1 is allot more, its better how ever you turn it.
the problem on the x1 is ,,,, can your eyes see the change in the higher resolution?, mine can =)
The X1 is a joy to own and I have had all the Winmo phones including Touch Diamond and Pro. The pro was pretty good but the X1 is amazing. The screen is clear enough to do general browsing on sat on your sofa. The Touch Pro wasnt IMO.
stuartforrest said:
The X1 is a joy to own and I have had all the Winmo phones including Touch Diamond and Pro. The pro was pretty good but the X1 is amazing. The screen is clear enough to do general browsing on sat on your sofa. The Touch Pro wasnt IMO.
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Yes, you are right as the response for X1 is better than Touch Pro and that should be the way for WM device.
Touch Pro is really slow in response and a pain to own.
Yes I agree. I regularly had to press the screen more than once on the TP for something to happen. The X1 is far more sensitive.
My verdict
I currently own both the Touch Pro and the X1, my findings are:
The X1 screen is more responsive definitely but I don't think it is as sharp as the TP. Maybe it's because everything is a lot smaller and my eyesight aint what it used to be!
The real pain of the X1 screen is the fact that not all my favourite apps are compatible. Some make a bad attempt at fitting the screen, others appear as incredibly tiny graphics in the corner of the screen.
The X1 has niggles, like a soft reset button that can only be used once the battery cover is removed. The battery cover is also a bit of a pain to snap on/off sometimes.
You only get 9 panels (most of which are pretty useless), Touch Flo would have been great on the X1, and although you can get this 'working' on the X1 it's a bit hit and miss. Finally, the keyboard is nowhere near as good as the Touch Pro.
The Touch Pro is probably the most unreliable HTC device I have ever owned (I have owned many) It badly needs a ROM upgrade. Shame as I really like the screen and the keyboard is simply the best ever.
As I have only just bought the X1 I need a bit more time to judge its reliability. But I do think it has potential.
apprentice said:
I currently own both the Touch Pro and the X1, my findings are:
The X1 screen is more responsive definitely but I don't think it is as sharp as the TP. Maybe it's because everything is a lot smaller and my eyesight aint what it used to be!
The real pain of the X1 screen is the fact that not all my favourite apps are compatible. Some make a bad attempt at fitting the screen, others appear as incredibly tiny graphics in the corner of the screen.
The X1 has niggles, like a soft reset button that can only be used once the battery cover is removed. The battery cover is also a bit of a pain to snap on/off sometimes.
You only get 9 panels (most of which are pretty useless), Touch Flo would have been great on the X1, and although you can get this 'working' on the X1 it's a bit hit and miss. Finally, the keyboard is nowhere near as good as the Touch Pro.
The Touch Pro is probably the most unreliable HTC device I have ever owned (I have owned many) It badly needs a ROM upgrade. Shame as I really like the screen and the keyboard is simply the best ever.
As I have only just bought the X1 I need a bit more time to judge its reliability. But I do think it has potential.
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I don't own a X1...but hope to shortly with the X1a...there was one point you made that is really irking me about my new upcoming device.
Your mention of the reset hole being under the battery cover, I agree, is a really piss off. Although you never want to have to use that pin/hole, it is bound to happen at some point. Making it a multistep process of turning over the device, popping off the battery cover and then hitting the button is rather annoying..especially if you have the device in a case (for example the upcoming Noreve case)
I like my Prophet on the other hand (and the style it has). That is the reset hole is at the bottom of the device, done and done...
hofo_mofo said:
I don't own a X1...but hope to shortly with the X1a...there was one point you made that is really irking me about my new upcoming device.
Your mention of the reset hole being under the battery cover, I agree, is a really piss off. Although you never want to have to use that pin/hole, it is bound to happen at some point. Making it a multistep process of turning over the device, popping off the battery cover and then hitting the button is rather annoying..especially if you have the device in a case (for example the upcoming Noreve case)
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Click to collapse
It is a pain, the manual suggests the alternative reset method... hold down the power button to switch off the device completely and then turn on again. OK, this 'works' but is still not as quick as the reset hole. I also use a software 'soft-reset' (available on many shell utilities) which is ok but then useless if the screen has locked up of course!
I don't think we'll ever get complete satisfaction with our devices. Each new model brings with it better features but often drops features that were useful in previous models. All I can say is the X1 is a very good smartphone overall.
The reset button is stupid but I reset mine nowhere near as much as my Touch Pro etc.
The Xperia is awesome and I dont agree the screen is less sharp. It is the first device I can truly sit on the sofa and broswe the web on. Way better than the Touch Pro. The only thing is the the Touch Pro screen is a little brighter, but only a tiny amount.
The Xperia is awesome hardware. I would have preferred a flusger screen or perhaps totally flush like the Pro and so far the panels are a waste of time but that doesnt mean they will always be and you dont need them anyway.
I absolutely love it!
The xperia screen is better no question about.
size, reolution and pixel density is superior to ANY mobile phone.
soft reset is not a big deal.
removing the cover to insert the stylus is nothing.
You don't plan to do this all the time.
Once your Xperia is personalized and all your foreign apps
and ports are stabled, you will reset almost never or very rarely.
I just went to AT&T store to play with the Fuze (the Pro) and
after an hour of playing with it in he store. It was a total let down.
Unresponsive, small screen hard to read and fuzzy, limited zooming,
the flush screen is a mess with fingerprints, I rather have the recessed
screen is more responsive.
When flipping to landscape the screen changes to a different display.
A lot of black and white displays.
But I liked the bounce in the keyboard keys despite that are very small.
Not bias here, because at $299 I wanted to see if it was a good alternative for the Xperia.
I agree. I rarely have to reset mine so the button is not a big deal and if I do I can usually do it by holding own the power button to turn it on and off.
The xperia is miles more stable than the buggy Touch Pro and the screen is wonderful. I scratched my Touch Pro and Diamond screen really easily and they were both very unresponsive compared to the Xperia (in fact compared to any touch screen phone I have had)
My plan is to get a drill and a file and make a hole and groove in the back case to allow access to microsd and reset hole. Should be an easy solution to the problem.
which would you guys pick...BUT DISREGARD THE KEYBOARD PART...just simply everything else other than the hardware keyboard....which would you guys choose
The Touch HD, bigger screen, no cracks in case, g-sensor etc.
Indeed. Generalized a lot, the Touch HD is an X1 with a bigger screen and without keyboard.
I chose the xperia because of looks keyboard and I what really made the difference that I found a really cheap 2nd hand phone still in the box.
My friend has the Touch hd and it's also very nice but I really like the keyboard.
If that doesnt matter to you, you should choose the HD.
which one has better battery life?thanks.
tornado000013 said:
which one has better battery life?thanks.
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Definately the Xperia, so far at least. I think it´s partly due to the HD screen taking much more power and that the bttery is smaller in the HD. I love them both though...
Touch HD: Big screen, accelerometer
Xperia: Hardware keyboard
xperia for me.
they keyboard, the metal case, the extra buttons (optical pad, d-pad and probably teh OK button (acts as close and so on ...)
the HD has by far the better/ bigger screen, but it doesnt feel liek a cellphone after all. its a little bit to big for my taste. xperia fits my hand better.
having a gyro is fun but its not like u realy need it. i abrley used gyro features in my old phones. defacto i disabled them cause they rotated my screen when i didnt want to.
if u realy dont want a keyboard, gor for the HD.
For me the Xperia is the choice for me
1. Smaller
2. Opital pad is awesome for browsing & emails and means the screen stays clean
3. battery life is brilliant
4. Screen res is better, just smaller
5. Camera is much better. Proves pixels aren't everything. Has a light too!
6. Build quality and being all metal is nice (but heavier)
My bro loves his HD as he watches heaps of movies, so the bigger screen is a clear winner if this is your need.
Listen, both are great devices and it really depends on your needs.
Good luck.
Dev
So I wasn't the only one who had this dilemma, I was thinking exactly the same, like all previous replies, they are basically the same in terms of specs. I really like the big screen on the HD but I went for the X1 only because O2 doesn't bloody sell the HD directly and it means I would have to pay GBP15 extra a month for the line rental if I went for the HD... so the decision for me was I love my money more than a bigger screen. Also, the keyboard on the X1 is really good, although I think the virtual keyboard would probably be as good. I would say if you don't have any loyalty waiting for you from your network provider, then go for the HD, but I would guess the battery might not be as good. My X1 can last up to 3 whole days with normal usage (couple of calls, good few texts, messing about, and some internet).
Sure whichever you go for, you will have loads of fun.
Its really unfair to disregard the keyboard, because the X1 relies on this aspect of its design so firmly. Most would choose the HD over the Xperia if the keyboards are disregarded, but i don't think its fair to leave out one phone's strong point in a comparison. The X1 has a keyboard and one has to consider this when making a purchase choice, there is no changing that. Either way, i would go with the Xperia, its screen is more sensitive, it has at least one US 3G band either model, it has that awesome metal finish and really beautiful design, and is just so smooth and stylish overall, as well as having that huge battery.
when the THD was announced i did consider it along with the X1. but the size of the thing just puts me off..
its so wide across and taller than the X1. ive held the iphone and it didnt feel good in my palm. and the THD is slightly wider...
I was unsure of which to take from those 2, but i got the xperia and now after nearly 2 weeks i am satisfied with my decision, i wanted a bigger display for video but opted for a hardware keyboard and a light flash (HD no flash at all).
Now i find myself happy with it, the hardware keyboard is useful when i want to type more than 2-3 words, lot easier than onscreen keyboard.
so how about the web surfing?i saw video shows that x1's opera won't reflow text when zoom,does that cause any inconvenience?
i would go for the hd.. bigger screen. i do like the x1 for being small but if the x1 screen was 3.2 or 3.5 than it would almost be perfect for me.
in my eyes right now, the most ideal phone for me would be
the Xperia with a 3.2-3.8" screen
8-10mp camera with Xenon Flash
and
hadware keyboard lol
i know..i know..i can only keep dreaming
elite-fusion said:
in my eyes right now, the most ideal phone for me would be
the Xperia with a 3.2-3.8" screen
8-10mp camera with Xenon Flash
and
hadware keyboard lol
i know..i know..i can only keep dreaming
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haha, I would love that, size has never been a problem for me when it comes to phones, although I was forced to have the horrible C092 (insurance replacement after having lost my W960) but based on your requirements, the phone would probably be the size of a netbook, but the price of a proper computer...
Does anyone else here think having a bigger phones nowadays is more stylish than having those tiny mobile phones?
Also I agree being a woman with slightly smaller hands, I think the X1 is probably the biggest I can handle with pleasure, I have always liked the iphone (being a Mac user) but the size is a bit of an issue...
After all, I am bitter coz I didn't even have a chance to choose the HD coz O2 doesn't do it... I think it's fair to say it all depends on if you like coffee to tea, both tasty and keep you awake...
Xperia for me cos...
1.Optical pad etc buttons, better handle music in -5° with u gloves on +Faster to handle
2.Better sound? Dont know never heard HD's sound quality, but in X1 it's just awesome.
3.Better battery.
4.qwerty-keyboard.
5.Looks better, imo, metal case etc.
6.Smaller.
But HD is great also.
I got this phone because I've been waiting for a smaller Android device that doesn't treat you like a second class citizen. This is really the first one out there that does this, I found it for £360 on sale which is only £30 more than the 32gb Nexus 5 and tbh since it has a micro SD slot, I think it is a really great deal,, especially seeing as the specs are like a main flagship device.
So some thoughts...
- Really well made, feels like an iPhone 5/5s for Android.
- I've been with my Mum today and she had a go on it and said it is the first Android mobile she'd ever think about upgrading to because of the small size.
- When I put it side by side with the iPhone 5, it really isn't much bigger, just a tad wider which is better since my biggest complaint with the 5 is the screen is so narrow
- I can easily use the phone one handed and use the whole screen, I've got average sized hands and I've found all these 5inch Android phones to have just gotten too big, especially my old HTC One, I hand to slide the phone up and down my hand to use the power button.
- Power button is great, the volume rocker is slightly too small as is the camera button, but they're minor flaws.
- The Sim tray and Micro SD slot I found to be really tricky to use, the Sim especially seems rather fiddly and I doubt the average user would work it out without possibly breaking the tray.
- I love the led charging light by the top speaker, I'm not sure if it doubles up as a notification light, but I hope it does.
- The loud speaker is not great, it's serviceable, will get you by, but you wont want to be listening to music or video out of it. That said I never wanted to do that from my HTC One and always used an external speaker or headphones any ways as no small speaker is that good in a phone. However if you walk the dog up the fields like me and don't like using headphones as you want to hear what is going on around you, the loud speaker isn't going to cut it, I struggled to hear it sometimes.
- The Magnetic charging is a cool touch, it really is needed as having to open that flap all the time would be so annoying. I mean I bought a Micro USB to Magnetic charge adapter for a few quid on Amazon, I'd suggest you all do the same as it is pretty necessary, I don't understand why one isn't sold with it as standard.
- Comes with a nice usb adapter so you can do stuff like plugging in your PS3 controller to play games. Maybe this would compliment screen mirroring or Chromecast gaming? I dunno, I haven't tried it, but just a nice little bonus.
- The X reality engine is ****, it just ruins the picture, usually just makes a picture too bright like it has been over exposed. The phone comes with it on by default... turn it off.
- The screen is a mixed bag for me, resolution and pixel density wise, I cannot fault it, looks as crisp as an iPhone and tbh I don't get why people care about having 440PPI when I cannot see a pixel at 340PPI, you never look at a screen under a magnifying glass. Again it is 720p, but for the size screen I just turn browse text to large and everything looks crisp and great, I really do not miss having the 1080p screen of my HTC One. Maybe if I was using a 4.7 inch+ screen again I'd want 1080p, but for this small screen 720p works, Apple have proved this as no one cares abut the iPhones resolution, which is like 640?
That said though I can see the digitizer when the sun glances off the phone, it is a downer as I never saw it on my last phone (Nokia 1020) or my HTC One before that. Though screens are a lottery it seems as they're all made from different companies, my friend got a HTC One and could see his badly.
The black levels aren't that great, neither are the viewing angles, I'm being picky here as they're totally fine, just I'm used to an OLED screen now and it is hard to go back. Black levels on OLED screens aren't perfect, they do have light bleed and a weird effect as the pixels go from colour to black, but... it is hard to adjust back to seeing more of a grey if you're in a dark room.
The colours seem fine to me, the white seems fine, I don't notice any tints, though maybe if I compared it side by side to other phones I would. However I wouldn't let this bother you as you'll never do that in real life, as long as the whites aren't so far off they're obvious.
I'm am struggling however with brightness levels, there doesn't seem to be much control like other phones. I wish there were more brightness presets, I can turn it down to the lowest on the slider and it still seems too bright, I could really make my other phones go quite dark. I dunno if it is brightness or if it is just washing out light colours in particular, but the x reality engine makes it worse... like way worse!
Overall though the screen is good, it isn't the best, but it is still a great screen that I've personally been picky on as I've owned a lot of different phones.
- The software is good, Sony don't mess around with it too much, it is a non offensive Android Skin. My only problem is I'm on 4.3 and that seems a bit weird, you'd have thought it would have a newer version by now. Some things are nice with the software as well, Sony have added some good apps of theirs and the battery stuff is cool. Everything is so fast, faster than any other phone I've used, including HTC One, iPhone 5 and Nokia 1020, omg just SO FAST! The 720p screen also probably helps it too over 1080p screens.
- On to battery, it is amazing, I don't get how they can cram so much life into such a small phone, I can say it is definitely a major step up from the 1020 and the horrible life I seemed to get from Windows Phone. It seems a step up from my HTC One as well and it performs better than my Mum's iPhone 5, though that is a year old now so the battery is probably less efficient at this point. I find it amazing how fast it charges over USB alone on my PC and through the magnetic charge, way faster than anything I've used before. Also though I was playing some games on it earlier and the battery didn't seem to go down much at all.
- The phone doesn't heat up that much, I was expecting worse since it is so small and light, but while I noticed it get hot, it wasn't bad like my Nokia 1020 and obviously since it is a plastic back it doesn't act like the HTC One, which got hot like a radiator... series that was the worst! Never get a mobile with a metal back and that isn't made by Apple, not a good idea.
- I find the speaker position just fine, I kept hearing how it was easy to cover up... with my usage, I haven't experienced that, even when gaming and most likely you'll get a case any ways.
- The camera is a mixed bag and sadly a bit of a downer I'm afraid, I was expecting better from a phone with a larger sensor than the Nokia 1520. Auto mode seems worse than useless, every picture just looks plain bad and I have a feeling it is restricting the pictures to 8mp and there is no way to increase it. Manual mode is really the only viable way to take pictures, sadly though there is no higher res 16:9 option. Every picture though seemed to be different, I could never take the same picture twice and I ended up taking several just so I would get a good one. The good news is when the software did it's job the quality did look good, not as good as I was expecting, but I have been using a 1020 until recently, so maybe that is why it is such a shock.
My main problem with the camera though was the screen never really reflected on what the final picture would look like. Your screen would be out of focus and blurred, yet when the picture comes from, it looks fine, also all the colours and lighting would change, I could never get it to accurately display what I was going to take.
The good news though is the camera is fast and I think it uses oversampling like Nokia's Pureview when it is in 8mp auto mode. Though I'm sick of smart phones today and how they all over saturate everything, the Z1 compact is no different, even the 1020 did this, but at least with the 1020 I could use a .DNG file and open it in lightroom to get natural colours, no such raw files on this phone exist, so you have to live with it.
The Mic performance on recording video is great, unlike with most Android Phones I've had in the past (including the S4) you're able to record loud noises like a concert. I turned up my sound system pretty high with the sub woofer going and it coped as well as Nokia which was amazing for concerts.
The video quality is fine too, the software stabilization works fine, I'm not a fan of OIS is mobiles, I never thought it worked well in the 1020 or HTC One, it always made the image into a watery or dreamy effect and recording on my bicycle was impossible as a result. Yes it is a bit less stable, but tbh so was my 1020, OIS worked poorly on it, though the HTC One it actually worked ok. I'm not missing OIS, all I'm saying, yes it works on dedicated cameras, you can shake them all you like and they cope, but no mobile has managed to perfect it yet.
So the camera is a mixed bag, I'm sure it can all be fixed with software, but I dunno how well Sony do on updates?
My only question really goes out to how well the screen protector Sony put on as designed hold up. It is THE major flaw really and I can see it frustrating a lot of people who do not know it comes with it as it scratches so easily. That reason alone is why I couldn't recommend it to women who shove their phone in their handbag, the phone wouldn't hold up. If you put a screen protector over it (one comes free with in the box) then it is fine, but I just think it is stupid to put a screen protector over a screen protector. There is no protective coating on the glass under either... which means you cannot simply just take it off.
Conclusion...
I love it, looks so premium, feels so premium, has the functionality of a 5inch + screened Android phone, it is the fastest phone I've ever used, Sony's software isn't bad or intrusive like TouchWiz or some other Android skins and the camera is potentially really good but needs a firmware update to fix auto mode.
I have pointed out bad points, but I could do that with any phone, I mean I couldn't stand Windows Phone and how it has no apps and no functionality. With this Z1 Compact I've mirror'd my phone to my TV effortlessly and without chromecast, I can just screen mirror and it works every time. This hasn't happened with any other phone I've used, I could never get it to work with my HTC which had it built in either.
I really think it is THE best iPhone alternative for people who don't want IOS and I think it is finally THE handset to buy for Android if you want a smaller device without all the internals being downgraded.
My favourite Android mobile ever!
I love the colour I chose too, it reminds me of the colour of an old Adidas watch I had in the 90s...
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh316/SkyForce6/Adidaswatch.jpg
The Yellowing Green one.
http://s15.postimg.org/c6ttrs2ij/IMG_7694.jpg
+ I've never liked Sony before, it is my first Sony experience when it comes to mobiles.
Added this to the resource thread!
Great review!
I want to add that the LED light on the camera bleeds into the pictures, so it is pretty much worthless, though I've never used led flash on a mobile for anything other than a torch, Xenon is the only thing worth it.
This is probably a hardware design fault tbh, maybe fixed with a replacement back that doesn't have a see-through layer that lets the light bounce to the side? I dunno.
I used semi-permanent marker fix around the rim of the camera and it stopped the light bleed into it from the LED. My guess is Sony will do a hardware refresh on this, so maybe hold out until they've done that.
I didn't realise the rear cover was the problem until I searched fro fixes, I guess I was right about the clear part leaking light from the LED into the camera.
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Hi as the devices are out in the German speaking countries, some initial comments from my side. I am coming from different devices including Fold 1, N20U and the one with the i, just as a background. My main daily driver in the last 12 months was the Fold 1 which I absolutely loved, that's why I ordered the Fold 2 on the first day.
- Overall a real 2.0 version of a 1.0 product I loved. A lot of improvements
- The small screen is a lot better, I was using the small Fold 1 screen quite often and liked also typing on it, as I swype heavily, and the short distances make it really quick. That advantadge is still there, but smaller, on the other side typing of words which you can't swype like passwords is easier now due to the additional screen real estate.
- The quality of the small screen has significantly improved from my point of view in terms of brightness and clarity
- I hated the small screen for only being able to arrange three apps in the permanent row at the bottom, and it is 5 now! Big improvement
- Audio is incredible, I also had the Mi10 which was the king in that category from my point of view, Fold2 equal or better. Incredible loud. Don't forget to turn Atmos on.
- I treated the Fold 1 very carefully for a couple of weeks, until I found out that nothing happens - actually my 1 year old Fold 1 is in best condition although handled like any other phone. I am in the same phase now with the Fold 2 - I am worried
- I have the Aramid standing cover and I don't like it. It looks cheap and covers only a part of the device, additionally it is more instable on a desk than without it. I am planning to switch to the leather cover
- Training the face recognition is so incredibly fast (1-2 seconds) that I think this cannot be save....
- You have to switch the large display to tablet mode in order to get tabs in the browser or multi window in outlook, this setting is only visible if you have the display open. Took me time to find it. Only then the large inner display makes real sense
- I am a heavy user of the small display and mainly use the large one for media consumption, which results in something like 60/40 usage small/big. With this setup, the battery seems to be fantastic, although to early to provide any detail. The German magazine CHIP made exactly that test and came to incredible runtime with the small display.
- The haptic of the whole thing made a big step forward compared to fold 1, especially the hinge. Real great feeling.
- Not really a dealbreaker, but strange: The flashlight is the weakest I had on a phone for years
- I am everything but an expert for smartphone cameras, more the point and shoot average user. Photo quality seems great to me, but look for better experts to talk about that. The usability is great, fast and responsive
- Generally, same comment applies to N20U and S20U, I think the OneUI made big steps forward in the last two years. Especially looking at the whole eco system with watch and earbuds, the whole user experience is now really great and close to an other phone (can' remember the name, someting with an i as far as I remember)
This are my initial impressions. I am happy with my purchase up to now.
Digging the Samsung Notes app on the big screen. Obviously doesn't support S-Pen but finger writing works surprisingly well.
Sent from my SM-F916U using Tapatalk
So after 5 days, thoughts...
First of all, the delivery was surprisingly on time, (never bought directly from Samsung Germany before) so that was a good start with the experience.
I wasn't overly impressed with the unboxing though. But still, unwrapping the warnings of was a good feeling. Then closing the device for the first time was a "wooow" moment. Coming from the Fold, that hinge feels so sturdy and worthy. I guess I played around, opened , closed the device for a minute or 2 before booting up the device.
It's screen protector in and outside are perfectly fine for the moment. The inside feels a bit "rubbery" and cheapish if I may say so, but it does the job fine.
The big screen is bright enough and clear enough for the everyday use. Regarding the flex mode, I do not give much about it. It's not mature enough yet to use it fully IMHO.
The outer screen, geez I use it a lot. I already used it quit often on the original Fold, but this upgrade is an enlightening. One hand usage, swiping my messages away. A quick look at social media is lovely, reading quickly any article is OK.
The build in general is sturdy, mature and a joy. I have the Mystic Black version. No need to tell anyone it's a fingerprint magnet. It's slippery as well.
And that's what annoys me a bit. I don't care they didn't put any extras in it this time. I mean, you just spend 2000 euro/dollar on a device. Then 60 Euro shouldn't be that big of a problem either. But they should've had it available in shops, online etc to get a case, cause you want to protect it, and this Mystic Black version is slippery as an eel.
I need a case or skin for this version.
But the conclusion is, samsung nailed it, to give us a 2000 euro experience, that feels like a 2000 euro device.
Did I need they phone? No, do I wanted the phone? Yes. But can I go back to a "normal" phone after 2 generations of foldable phones? Probably, but difficult it'll be...
After heavily utilizing my Mystic Black Fold 2 for a weekend, here are some of my thoughts below. I'll try not to repeat common things that I've read here or seen in reviews, but overall, I'm loving this device and having a pocketable large screen!
- The narrower front screen is surprisingly easy to type on, even without swiping. I have nubs for thumbs and I was shocked that I wasn't producing typos left and right.
- The visibility outside for both screens is pretty good, though the inside screen suffers from high reflectivity when outside in the sun. It doesn't affect you as much if you're looking straight on and slightly closing the hinge to angle the display helps.
- This device is so slippery it continually falls out of my pocket when I get in my car or sit at an angle. Where are you Fold 2 cases?! So far no damage but there have been a couple close calls.
- I have tried to be extra careful with this device but the inside screen protector is scratched up. I only notice it at certain angles under bright light but it makes me sad. I'm tempted to remove the inside screen protector but I'm not sure the ultra thin glass would hold up any better.
- The power button is a bit awkwardly placed for my hands and I found that I was constantly swiping up/down on it by accident which opened/closed the notification shade so I turned off that gesture.
- Speaking of that power button, it's tough to feel the button when attempting to scan my fingerprint but that could be due to me being used to face unlock with my iPhone 11 Pro and Pixel 4XL. I'm sure this will become more natural over time and the fingerprint scanner is mighty quick.
- I haven't found many widgets I like as they're not yet optimized for the screens (this includes some of the Samsung apps which surprised me). Many take up a lot of room on my homepages but then have small/compressed text/images. Hope this improves over time.
- I love the ability to be able to have multiple apps open but I initially got confused (and frustrated) with the Android split screen multi-tasking. I hope to be able to take advantage of this more as I use the phone.
- Very minor gripe but I wish there were more stock live wallpapers like how Google provides with their Pixels.
- Not sure if anyone else is encountering this but when I open to the bigger screen, there's a click that happens if I press down on the hinge on a bit. I found that opening to the larger screen by applying more pressure with the tips of both thumbs prevents this.
- Sometimes I get "disoriented" over which screen orientation I'm on when using the larger screen (i.e. is it currently in portrait or landscape?).
- When I have the device open in landscape, I like to keep the speakers on top both to project the sound a bit better and b/c the back half with the camera is a bit more grippy compared with the front screen (I took off the front screen protector).
- Haven't had any issues using Samsung Pay with this device.
- This device is amazing when you're out shopping with a significant other and need to keep the kids entertained with the large screen and loud-ish speakers!
Needs a TOTAL makeover!
I love it yeahhh!
My absolutely favorite phone is ... Nokia e90 Comunicator. I had this 3 times ln the past. Still have one Nokia e7 in perfect condition. I had also Htc Z . My first Android. I love foldables because... I love it, just love this Wow effect and of course more functionality. Bar phones looking like soaps. Even bigger and bigger Soaps!
propov8 said:
I love it yeahhh!
My absolutely favorite phone is ... Nokia e90 Comunicator. I had this 3 times ln the past. Still have one Nokia e7 in perfect condition. I had also Htc Z . My first Android. I love foldables because... I love it, just love this Wow effect and of course more functionality. Bar phones looking like soaps. Even bigger and bigger Soaps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Love the Nokia Communicator. And even flashbacks to the Psion Organiser that I still have in a drawer somewhere.