Database Users

3 Wishes - What would you change?

I love my Nexus One, but like everything, as time goes by and new things come along, there are things I wish were different.
If you had 'three wishes' and could change only three things about the N1, what would it be?
Here's my list
1. By far my first wish would be for more application flash memory. Even with App2SD, there is just not enough space for all the apps I want to install. I'd love to see a minimum of 4GB of app memory.
2. Front Camera. Now that real video conferencing apps and reasonably fast 3G is available, this is a big deal.
3. Screen. We all know how terrible the touch screen is. I get real tired of locking and unlocking to 'reset' the digitizer once it's lost it's mind. While we're replacing the screen, going up to a 4" SuperAMOLED at a little higher res wouldn't hurt. Maybe 960x512 ?
Things I wouldn't change
- The dual, noise canceling mics. This works great.
- The titanium alloy case. Light, sturdy, cool.
- AMOLED. I'll never go back to LCD.
- multiple radio bands. Take it anywhere.
- Bare Android. Keep your UI's and overlays.
***Update***
Now that I've been playing with Darktremor's a2sd script on CM6.1.1, I have to revise my list. Google should really release a code update that allows users to (optionally) do just what DarkTremor's a2sd app does. Truly move the apps and Dalvik cache to the SD card. This really does remove the app memory limitation on the Nexus One. In fact I now have 145 apps installed totaling 256MB !
Note that this does require partitioning your SD card and creating an ext(2/3/4) partition and the whole process is not noob friendly, but if you take your time and do a little research first it's WELL WORTH IT!!
This will make you love your Nexus One again.
Now, about my list.
My new wish to replace the app memory item is:
- USB host mode and additional microUSB host port.
How cool would it be to be able to hook up keyboards, mice, external HD's, even monitors? We already know it can be done, but it would have been nice from the factory.

Actually, I wouldn't care about app space too much, since proper old-fashioned Apps2EXT allows installing as much as I can possibly imagine.
I also wouldn't change the screen size. Absolutely no need to go any larger. And that includes resolution - the only visible resolution artifacts are the result of PenTile AMOLED, and not lack of resolution. No need to make the GPU work much harder.
Things I would change:
1) Digitizer (touchscreen), for obvious reasons.
2) CPU - rebase on 7x30, to get the same CPU with twice faster GPU.
3) Better photo camera.

1. More geebees! Seriously, 4-8GB internal memory should be sufficient until Unreal Engine and id games get ported.
2. Dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. Need I say more?
3. Hardware keyboard! I've had my N1 for over 6 months now and still can't get used to virtual keyboards. Swype is nice, but it's not multi-lingual.
Bonus round: Screen size bump to 4 inches would be nice. I find that the optimal size. At the very least an upgrade to a Super AMOLED.

In no particular order:
Better digitizer
More memory
Better speakerphone

Better screen - a cross between the retina display and a super amoled would do me, and with much improved touch screen performance.
Better gpu, coming from a galaxy s that is one thing I miss.
Better camera.
Alreet headphone socket which is actually flush. I really don't want to be buying headphones again to find the phone goes mental when I plug them in (apparently some headphones don't fit in the none flush jack and so the phone gets confused as to whether it's headphones or a headset). Found this out the hard way recently.
More internal app memory, though this isn't such a big deal any more.

3 wishes? i would pay for this...
1. new and BIGGER SCREEN. my eyes are hurting after using a hd2 (thats why im still on the hd2..) atleast 4" would be nice.. but i dont want to leave the 4.3"
2. QSD8x72.
3. erm.. hard to say, the two wishes there are everything i really want.. but probably we need a bit a better battery when if we had QSD8x72
best things on this device are obvious:
- like OP said, the second mic for noise canceling is awsome
- AMOLED is cool, even if the screen is too small
- THE ****IN TRACKBALL, GODDAMN I LOVE IT
- the whole design of the device is awsome
EDIT: oooh i forgot.. 3.5 audio jack on the bottom plz.. at the top just sucks. and get the power key to the other side where the jack now is...

I still have trouble with my wifi connection temporarily dropping after I wake the phone, but I am not sure if that is a hardware or software issue.
I wouldn't mind a line-out jack for audio. Even better would be an HDMI out jack for video capability.
The antenna could be redesigned so the signal wouldn't be affected by hand placement. It's not as bad as some but it could be better.
Overall, though, in terms of design and performance the N1 still rocks for being 11 months old. That is normally eons in terms of the product cycle in this market. I'm so glad I bought two for my wife and I.

-More memory
-Better speakers
-Best digitizer
-SD card slot on outside

My list...
4.3" SAMOLED2 display
Tegra 2 Dual-Core CPU/GPU
Front facing camera

HDMI Out
Printing support (wifi/network)
Desktop Chrome browser....will also need a faster CPU.

1. better speaker
2. Better battery life without changing the size
3. Maybe better camera. Like 12Mp so it can record 1080p.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

x986123 said:
My list...
4.3" SAMOLED2 display
Tegra 2 Dual-Core CPU/GPU
Front facing camera
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Click to collapse
Niceee
10chars

Battery life
Better power button. I'm on my second and it too is buggy.
Better external speaker.
Better digitizer is a. Close 4th.

Digitizer. It felt really disappointing to learn that the sensor could only handle two inputs, and crappily at that. I wish it had shipped with one that didn't spaz out whenever the battery was charging.
Camera Button. I'm not a huge photogeek but this would have been a slick feature. Tapping the screen always shakes the camera noticably, and my photos come out blurred. I think a camera button could have limited that.
Front Facing Camera. I think this really would have helped to future-proof the N1; now, if (hopefully when) a video chat protocol is standardized for the Android platform, I'll have to upgrade if I want to be able to utilize it.
I also still have conflict with the capacitive buttons. I like them because they're sleek and sit flush with the screen. However, I dislike them because they don't work when the phone is locked (in case I want to remap the buttons to, say, skip songs).

1. better digitizer (touchscreen)
2. hdmi out
i think the intention of this post was more towards what you would change and not what phone would you rather buy today.. super amoled and tegra are new technologies and weren't available when the nexus was created
what others have been saying:
ffc: i can live without a front facing cam because i can still video call people, the only reason i would ever use video is to show someone something not just so that i can talk face to face
gpu: it's not that bad, it's not the best but it is almost a year old now
camera: decent enough, do you really need 1080p?
battery: that's not really much to do with the phone, all batteries suck

This is tough, I had to cross a few things out:
1) 4" screen without all the current problems
(love the size and weight, but a tiny bit more screen would be nice. and we all know the other problems)
2) Better battery life
(currently have to charge it 2-3 times a day)
3) Better voice recognition
(I'm from Texas but VR hardly understands me. And the more I repeat a phrase, the more it misunderstands the words.)

Cool
I'm impressed, There are actually a lot of good ideas here.
I'm already cobbling them together into my "perfect phone" list.
So far it looks like:
- Vanilla Android 2.2.1+
- Unlocked
- Multiple Radio bands (like the N1)
- Minimum of HSDPA support, HSDPA+ or LTE pref.
- Minimum of 4GB app storage
- MicroSD slot that's accessible without removing battery.
- Front camera
- 5 MP rear camera (I don't care what anyone says, any more than 5MP in a camera with an aperture that small is a bad idea and only done for marketing reasons. It's all about light gathering, not resolution. Think the opposite of DPI as it's used in screens and printers. The lower the camera pixels per inch, the better)
- 720p video at 30fps
- SuperAMOLED screen. LCD is the past, forget it.
- dual core CPU with GFX acceleration
- HDMI output
- FM radio
- Micro USB with host mode option.
Note that these are in addition to all the standard Nexus One features like a titanium allow case, dual microphones, etc.

Megapixel Myth
william tanaya said:
1. better speaker
2. Better battery life without changing the size
3. Maybe better camera. Like 12Mp so it can record 1080p.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
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Click to collapse
Regarding #3, you've fallen into the megapixel myth. Megapixels don't mean much of anything for most consumer devices. Sure, if you are a pro photographer taking pictures for magazines or billboards, then yes. maybe you need a high MP camera. For everyone else, it's nonsense.
For example, you wished for 12MP to handle 1080p video. but the fact is that full HD, 1920x1080 is only 2MP!
On a cell phone with a tiny camera chip, the less MP, the better. Why? Because this means that each pixel element is larger and therefore can capture more light. This results in better saturation, faster ISO ratings, and better low light capability.
Anything over 5MP in a cell phone is a waste and counter-productive.
Personally I also think 8MP is the limit of diminishing returns on consumer digital cameras, and 12MP for DSLRs.
If you follow digital camera news, you'll find that the biggest push is to put larger image sensors in cameras.

unibody titanium case
unbreakable screen
waterproof to 100m
fold out knife and bottle opener

Tachyon_1 said:
Regarding #3, you've fallen into the megapixel myth. Megapixels don't mean much of anything for most consumer devices. Sure, if you are a pro photographer taking pictures for magazines or billboards, then yes. maybe you need a high MP camera. For everyone else, it's nonsense.
For example, you wished for 12MP to handle 1080p video. but the fact is that full HD, 1920x1080 is only 2MP!
On a cell phone with a tiny camera chip, the less MP, the better. Why? Because this means that each pixel element is larger and therefore can capture more light. This results in better saturation, faster ISO ratings, and better low light capability.
Anything over 5MP in a cell phone is a waste and counter-productive.
Personally I also think 8MP is the limit of diminishing returns on consumer digital cameras, and 12MP for DSLRs.
If you follow digital camera news, you'll find that the biggest push is to put larger image sensors in cameras.
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Click to collapse
nice to know that, sounds logic..
ty..^^

Overall love

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 Huawei P20 Pro, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Huawei P20 Pro is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

Just got the phone today, overall it's ok, coming from mate 9 I would say the camera is impressive but I need more time to test it out.

P20 Pro First Impressions
Got the phone this afternoon and have had an initial play.
I came from the Mate 10 Pro so know the EMUI system fairly well and many of the P20 Pro features are similar.
Saw a tip from a reviewer to use night mode for all shots and gave that a go with some amazing results, really sharp with good colours in poor light indoors.
I have listened to audio on the speakers and in landscape when it changes to stereo the sound is good, nothing like a Razer Phone but good. Sound in portrait mode through the one speaker is only average.
The Bluetooth audio seems so far to be an improvement over the Mate 10 Pro which had a horrible compressed almost 128k sound even playing 320k files through Deezer. The P20 Pro seems much closer to the quality on the iPhone 7 which is great news so far but I will report back once I have tried some FLAC files on the internal audio app.
Other than that the phone seems slightly quicker than the Mate 10 Pro, possibly due to the newer EMUI version.
Updates to follow after more time with it :good:

Love this handset overall. Battery life is great, camera is great, screen is great, sound is great (which was a big bone of contention with me coming from LG V20!).
Please add section on real-life review for Audio Quality! Both speaker and headphones (wired and wireless!).

Just received my P20 pro yesterday and must say I'm quite impressed. The design & build are fantastic, I would prefer the fingerprint on the rear like the Porsche design (but not a huge issue).
Emui is a decent skin as far as skins go, it's easy to get used to and has a few nice features baked in without being to intrusive.
Camera looks very impressive but need a bit more time with it, but I'm happy so far with the results.
Performance is on point and everything runs smoothly.
So far so good and my first ever Huawei device and I'm overall very content with my purchase.

Duncan1982 said:
Just received my P20 pro yesterday and must say I'm quite impressed. The design & build are fantastic, I would prefer the fingerprint on the rear like the Porsche design (but not a huge issue).
Emui is a decent skin as far as skins go, it's easy to get used to and has a few nice features baked in without being to intrusive.
Camera looks very impressive but need a bit more time with it, but I'm happy so far with the results.
Performance is on point and everything runs smoothly.
So far so good and my first ever Huawei device and I'm overall very content with my purchase.
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Same here.
Hopefully we can get some 1080p 60fps EIS and 4K EIS in the future

So far so good, a few strange things like changing lock screen wallpaper and also updating widgets which I hope are simply bugs that will get fixed.

What with the leather texture design of the camera ui....I hate it.

Jamestdd said:
What with the leather texture design of the camera ui....I hate it.
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Click to collapse
It remembers the leica legacy

mcall_r said:
Love this handset overall. Battery life is great, camera is great, screen is great, sound is great (which was a big bone of contention with me coming from LG V20!).
Please add section on real-life review for Audio Quality! Both speaker and headphones (wired and wireless!).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed sound in headphones was a big concern for me before buying the phone as my previous Huawei's have not performed well in that regard and I have a V10 that I use when listening a lot to music. Though the P20 Pro surprised me it has good dynamic range and spacious sound. Not quite up to par with my V10 but good enough that it will not bother me at all really.

I love this phone. I love the camera. I can see the display out in the sunny day unlike the other phones I have which are hard to see outside on a sunny day. Phone feels good in the hand. I have dark mode on and it looks great. It is also really fast, no lags so far.

This is my first Huawei or China made phones. I have to say I am impressed. EMUI is not bad really, still missing some features but overall it's a solid contender. The night mode is insane...never seen a camera phone that can do this! Overall I have no regrets buying this. :good:

Definately satisfied, especially since fw 120. Best buy for me!

Let me first set the context. I am currently using an iPhoneX and Galaxy S9+ (Both 256gb model). Therefore, whatever I write here about P20 pro is against the experience of the existing phones (Both are top notch). Now Here we go about P20 Pro...
Camera: I was blown away by some photographs I casually took today both night and day (Auto mode). There are plenty of of options and currently the best camera (phone) in the market that money can buy.
IR Remote : None of the flagship has it. This was another reason to choose P20 pro after lot of dilemma. It's amazing. You can control almost any devices like TV, A/C, Music System etc including your home, office and public places!!!
Screen : Nothing less than iPhone X in terms of viewing experiences. HDR10 fully supported and its awesome.
Android Auto: Perfectly working (Flawless) with my Skoda.
Battery : 4000mah capacity, yet to be tested
Software: Plenty of good and garbage. You can remove garbages what you don't want. I use Nova prime. Supe fluid.
Kirin 970 + 6GB RAM: Flagship experiences but iPhoneX and S9+ does little better here.
Music: Excellent Bluetooth audio. With an active external amplifier the Huawei P20 Pro had the perfectly clear output that befits its flagship standing. Stereo speakers with dolby digital.
Fingerprint & Face Unlock : Fastest (Fast like hell!!)
I know resell value will be hopeless for this brand but I am fully satisfied with my purchase of P20 pro.
What else you want to know... ask

Overall reasonably impressed
I changed from a much loved S5 to the P20 Pro and so far I find it an upgrade in terms of speed and responsiveness (obviously!) but a downgrade in terms of a few other things.
Here are the things that are bothering me about it. If anyone knows how to help with any of them that would be great. Otherwise I'm likely going to return it.
I know some of the items are me being fussy but really I "upgraded" from a 4 yr old phone that has none of these issues.
Issue with screen dimming in some apps (IE: open WhatsApp, screen brightness drops, exit WhatsApp, screen brightness goes back up in seconds)
Edit 1: I have used a rubbish workaround of enabling auto brightness to stop this. However Huawei have confirmed this will be fixed in a future release.
Email notification icons don't show (and also, if you have 2 email accounts you only know if you have emails in the other if you access it separately)
Edit 1: I think I have resolved this by going to Notifications Management >> Batch Management >> Toggling All off and on >> 3 dots >> Badges >>Badge display mode to something other than current and then set to "Unread Messages" >> Toggle all off and on
Google find my device doesn't work on it (works via the app on the phone itself - not very useful as you wouldn't have it with you if you were trying to find it!)
Edit 1: Search for "App launch" in settings >> access app launch >> set google play services, maps, find my device to manual and enable all 3 items within the sub menu (you may need to download find my device - not sure if required)
Camera 16:9 is low resolution (7MP resolution from a 40MP sensor is very poor)
Camera 16:9 photos do not appear to be true 16:9 aspect ratio (it produces black lines at the top and the bottom)
Notification light tiny (ridiculously small, can't be rectified now obviously)
Notification light blinks soooo slowly (I feel like I need to look at the phone for a few seconds to decide if it has a notifcation)
Always on display doesn't show third party notifications like WhatsApp (can't understand why this would be the case)
Infrared only works with some apps (IE: doesn't work with AnyMote)
Edit 1: In AnyMote enable "User Alternate IR Commands"; this fixed it for me!
Infrared requires nearly direct line of sight (older phones I have used work when pointing upwards or downwards slightly, P20 Pro needs almost direct straight line)
Limited on-screen zoom in to gallery photos taken
If screen-on notification are on the notification light won't stay lit to notify (having issues identifying when this happens as it isn't all the time)
EDITS: I'm going to try and edit these as I find a fix for them.

So far I love it! The camera has been amazing, to the point where I'm not feeling anxious if I see something cool and don't have my DSLR with me. The battery life feels liberating.

WhiteSquirrel said:
I changed from a much loved S5 to the P20 Pro and so far I find it an upgrade in terms of speed and responsiveness (obviously!) but a downgrade in terms of a few other things.
...
Camera 16:9 is low resolution (7MP resolution from a 40MP sensor is very poor)
...
Limited on-screen zoom in to gallery photos taken
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Just a quick headsup, you can change it to shoot 40mp, it just defaults to outputting 10mp (not sure how you got on 7mp?) just like other high megapixel phones never really shoot full size 'out of the box', this is to both make it feel more speedy/snappy, aswell as to simplify the task for the phone (usually things like tweaking light after taking the photo, but in this device some 'ai' is apparently also altering filters shutter-speed etc on the fly based on what you try to take pics from, so im sure that benefits from lower res<->speed tradeoff too)
(edit: #1 wow my signature still works #2 its outdated )

suicidal.banana said:
Just a quick headsup, you can change it to shoot 40mp, it just defaults to outputting 10mp (not sure how you got on 7mp?) just like other high megapixel phones never really shoot full size 'out of the box', this is to both make it feel more speedy/snappy, aswell as to simplify the task for the phone (usually things like tweaking light after taking the photo, but in this device some 'ai' is apparently also altering filters shutter-speed etc on the fly based on what you try to take pics from, so im sure that benefits from lower res<->speed tradeoff too)
(edit: #1 wow my signature still works #2 its outdated )
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Click to collapse
Hello there, the 7mp refers to my comment about the max P20 Pro resolution for 16:9 aspect ratio.
16:9 could easily utilise a 40mp photo with the top and bottom removed to make it widescreen-viewing suitable. Obviously I can edit this myself but that will be tedious when you've taken 100's of photos and want to view them nicely on every modern TV and laptop without big black bars at the sides due to 4:3 aspect ratio. The S5 allowed 16mp photos at true 16:9 which were absolutely fantastic and perfect for viewing on the phone's full screen, the full TV screen and full laptop screen with no large black bars at the sides.

nice phone, but won't be buying another Huawei device - software compatibility is appalling, they can't even get their own widgets working on 3rd party launchers, we are nearly 4 months behind with security updates, there's been no update on the mate 10 pro since march, so doubt if will see this phone get any regular updates - overall 5 for hardware, -5 for software and updates

Oh? I have just received the .131 version with June 18 security patch, the camera has been improved, as well as the smoothness, and the stand by battery stats. Hope you get this update on your unit soon, it's a good product.

Overall love

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 Sony Xperia 1 II, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Sony Xperia 1 II is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

One of my all time favorite phones / camera's
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
Main Things I Didn't Test
* Gaming
* Video
Look and Feel
I personally really like the look and feel of this phone. It has some iPhone 4 qualities to it. By which I mean it feels like a device/tool with nice buttons, very high quality materials. It feels like a tool, like a device that is build for usability rather than build for the wow factor (if that makes sense).
It doesn't have a crazy high screen to body ratio. So something like S20 (or the S10 i used previously) is a bit more awe inspiring. But as soon as you slap a case on a S10 this will disappear any way. But what it has is a uninterrupted screen with no notches or punch hols, it has two front facing high quality speakers. It is function over form rather than form over function. That is not to say that it is not a good looking device it is very nice build it look really great. Although I'm not a fan of mirror polishing but you will not notice that as soon as you slap a cover on it (and it looks way better than the ugly blue s10). I have the official Sony case with stand which will still allow you to see the very nice sides of the phone; they are beautifully machined and have a nice color (especially with the purple one).
The buttons of the volume and the power feel really nice, they have a reassuring click to them. The only thing I'm missing is a click for the shutter button. Perhaps it is not implemented to make sure you don't move the phone while clicking. This has a bit of a downside when you don't have a shutter sound enabled. As the camera is crazy fast and it is therefor hard to see / notice if you took the photo or not. A click would have been nice. But when using the phone more often I got used to it.
Screen
The screen is absolutely amazing especially in creator mode. Colors are very accurate and it is a real joy to watch media on this phone be it movies, clips or photos. Because of the very high PPI reading news or books is possible with small letters it basically looks like it is printed. Compared to my old s10 which has a amazing screen as well I prefer the Sony as it has such natural colors and this printed feel to it. Also the colors are good with low luminescence something the s10 could not manage. That being said the max brightness is a bit less than the s10 and I feel that the display is a bit more reflective. But this could be caused by the fact I keep the brightness down with the Sony as thing look really good with low brightness. That being said I did not encounter any problems reading the screen outside on a bright day.
The screen ratio is really handy. I never used split screen a lot on previous devices. But since it is slightly taller than a s10 (while having the same width) it makes more sense to use it and I use it for more often now (watching YouTube while messaging). I don't feel it is a big phone. It is a bit heavier than the s10 but also it feels better build than the s10. Compared to a Note 10+ the height is similar but the width is significantly less.
Sound
Front facing speaker are great far better than the S10 or any other phone I used. Switching on Dolby Atmos is mandatory as without it is not that good. You really have stereo sound and both speakers are equal in terms of loudness positioning and quality.
The sound quality from the audio jack is good and you have quite a lot of options to set the sound to your tasted. As I mostly use wireless atm I have not tested this comprehensively.
Speed
It is fast, sometimes notably faster than the s10. I think is mostly because of faster memory as I don't to that much cpu intensive stuff. That being said I think the most phones for the last couple of years are fast enough for most of the tasks any way.
5G / reception
5G works no idea if it is faster than 4g. didn't run any test as 4g didn't give me any problems. Reception seems to be very good at least better than the S10. Some places where I did not have a great reception or didn't have any reception with the s10 I do have with the 1ii. Maybe this could be because of 5G (as it uses multiple connections), or maybe not, I have no Idea . WiFi is stable and fast. Bluetooth as well.
Call quality.
It is great, voice is really good, again better than the s10
Battery
it is good, I'm a heavy phone user as I use it for lot's of reading, emailing, work stuff, music and YouTube. No complains and even slightly amazed considering is has "only" a 4000Mha battery
Camera (and a little bit about pricing)
Properly the most important part of this phone it the camera. As Sony did not release a "cheaper" version of the phone with 64GB like the iPhone 11 pro it is a very expensive device and the camera is it's main selling point. Although you could argue it should be compared with a 11 pro max which makes the Sony cheaper than a iPhone 11 pro max (256GB) or similar priced to the 64GB version. I don't understand reviewers that give a lower rating because of the price. It should be compared to an 11 pro (max) or S20+ / Ultra. Personally I think it comes out ahead in many comparisons to these phones. The 1ii is a "pro" phone with a pro price. But than again a "pro" phone is a silly concept to begin with (the only pro phone I ever used was the blackberry passport, best professional / work phone ever, but bad at anything else).
First a small disclaimer. I didn't use the android camera at all (only for scanning a QR code) as you get a photo pro app which should be used if you buy this phone. Secondly I like photography I have used many camera's over the years and also may phones. Up till now my two favorite camera phones where the Lumia 950XL for color and the Mate 9 for b&w photography. The Lumia still amazes me to this day and Nokia/Microsoft did not get enough credit for there work. It was the only phone I knew that could really capture light. Also I don't care for AI powered camera apps. I understand that this is really handy if you just make snapshot and don't care about doing photography your self. I don't care for "HDR" images as all it accomplish is that it removes shadows and makes for a equal brightened image regardless of how the scene looks. If you like these things I'm not sure that this is the phone for you as Google, Samsung and Apple are better at these things
The camera app phone combination is amazing. It really gives you the feel that you are using a camera and more importantly that you are in control. It is a unbelievably fast combinations. For instance; I tried to take a photo of a dog and I was sure I mist it. As he started moving as soon as I pressed the shutter button but to my amazement the camera took the picture, it must have been less than a second between me clicking and the dog moving. I think it might be faster than my RX100m6. If you like to tinker and you know what shot you want and how you want it to look there is not better phone atm. (the Samsung pro camera is highly unusable and Huawei sadly doesn't have Google apps).
The 20fps works really good as well, it is amazing to use on a phone and to be so sure of the results (yes I know I'm using the word amazing a lot). Another surprise is the performance of the digital zoom it is far better than expected is highly usable. Also it is quit nice to have a 70mm option, although I feel that it doesn't perform on the same level as the other two sensor / lens combinations it seems a bit softer and not as sharply focused. The hero of this phone is the main 24mm sensor / lens combo it performs the best and has all the possible options. For the xperia 1iii I would like to see a 50mm included as well. The colors are natural and this gives you the opportunity to post processes the picture your self more easily than say a iPhone or Samsung.
There are some things I would like to see in a software update. Mainly the ability to zoom in normal focal lengths instead of continues (so from 24 to 28 to 35 to 50 etc). To change the shutter sound to a soft click sound. The ability to set sharpness , contrast and saturation. Last but not least RAW support. Also I had a couple of times the app freeze on me but as this is the first version I presume they will fix this.
a bunch of pictures with various focal length and lighting conditions:
https://we.tl/t-8rRytOUylm
Video
didn't really use it and on cnet there is a great review about its video capabilities including a nice short movie. It's great; one of the best reviews ever for any phone or product https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-xperia-1-ii-review-yep-thats-a-real-telephoto-lens/
If you have any questions I will try to answer them (I will not install apps to check stuff )

stefanve said:
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
)
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see link in original post for full rez pictures

Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?

Tmel14 said:
Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?
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I've had the phone for two days. I'd say this is not a phone you'd buy to be "point and shoot" camera. The main camera app takes good photos but not the best. To get best photos, you should use the camera pro app. It is a solid app/camera and I feel like I have a close to DSLR camera in my pocket. Colors are very natural and accurate compared to manipulated photos you get from Samsung or even Pixel camera app. It does have a portrait mode that works fine however in Camera Pro if you learn to adjust focus manually can have similar effect even better.

Thanks for the heads up. Any tweaks you'd recommend to the default settings on the camera pro app?

The pro mode has a auto mode which is quit good. And I used it for a couple of shots I shared. So it can work really well. I guess it is depending on the look of the auto mode settings and if the other pros of this phone are of interest to you

stefanve said:
see link in original post for full rez pictures
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OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks

Love and Hate from me. Eagerly waited for it since announcement and first adverts. High expectations, not only because of SONY´s promises but mostly because of my experience with and long - term SONY user / devices. Most of my SONY phones delivered good images: my XZ Premium, XZ2 Premium, even my last addition, the X, gives me proper images. Not counting the older device along my lifetime (SE68, W-Series, K-Series and so on). But this MK2 is more Hate than Love. Gorgeous design, screen, speakers. Fast and, finally, more storage (novum at SONY!). But the camera - system is a no-go. Mediocre image quality from all but the main camera, even with the 24 lens it delivers inconsistent material. Videos are simply said...to forget. Focus is a hit and miss game when light conditions are different from sunny - outdoor. From 10 images half is usable, depending what lens was used. Not to talk about the front camera. I just informed Sony about my complain and offered them my image and video material to check it. Dunno if they will give me reply....

WarVic said:
OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks
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I have to say I really like most out of camera photo's, but they don't sharp the photos or use HDR ( you can switch it on) but I guess in the end is about personal taste. to my eyes they look miles better than anything samsung.
just to show what you can do with the out of camera photos (I hope raw support will be added soon) look at the different versions of two photos.
But indeed this phone is not for some one that wants a camera that " just works"

That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.

WarVic said:
That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.
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Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level

stefanve said:
Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level
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I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.

WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
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Not saying or thinking you are an idiot, just checking
Funny how different people see different things looking at the same image. That being said if the main reason of this phone is to have a great camera than indeed it's disappointing and it's better to get a RX100V or what ever and a mid range phone for the same money. I guess no phone is worth 1200 it is way to much for any phone and perhaps especially for a android as the long term support is non existing.
I just have fun snapping with it and i am pleased with the output (considering that it is a phone

Noticed gaming performance is dropping, guess I've installed something....
Playing COD, every 10 odd seconds it shows, then goes back to normal.
Notice this in other games to, even silly idle games that should be pulling no demand. One of them even said, drop to low performance mode, your phone is struggling. WTF!
My previous phone, one lower chip model and g card model never had any problems.
Must be done software conflicts, but dunno how to find them

Am I the only one who doesn't see what's wrong with the pictures that have been posted?

They are perfectly fine. But if you are used to processed photos from Samsung, Google or Apple you might not like the look as these are basically not altered by some algorithm.

Burst shot of me Pooch : https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=18Os3AQ2j0TuqaFjJ6c9h-TvFGr2zyIk1

WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
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This guy is not an idiot either
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zevK7xMsYdA&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once

Geoffxx said:
This guy is not an idiot either
&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once
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Click to collapse
You can't use someone on the Xperia YouTube channel to counter the comment from someone criticising the quality as it'll just be massively biased towards Sony lol
If it's like the Xperia 1 you'll be waiting forever for the improvements to come so I wouldn't hang around.

UK OPPO Find X5 Pro - An in depth review

INTRODUCTION
As some of you will be aware, my name is Glenn, more commonly (around here) known as LennyUK. I was chosen to be an OPPO Ambassador and have been playing around with the OPPO Find X5 Pro for a few weeks now.
Before I dive into this review I want to make clear that I have a pretty extensive history of reviewing devices and software, I have written for many Android websites over the years and have been a very long term member of XDA Developers and was once a recognised Developer. On top of all this I have owned an awful lot of devices right from the beginning of Android.
Why am I reminding you of this? Well, there appears to be an apprehension from some people to the Ambassador programme, thinking we have been told what we have to say, and will be inherently bias as a result of having use of the phone for free - all I can say is that everything I say will be my own honest, unfiltered opinion on this device and its software.
So let's get into it - The device I have been using is the OPPO Find X5 Pro. The colour I have is Ceramic White. It has 256GB of onboard storage with 12GB RAM. This is a UK build and I can tell you already (SPOILER ALERT!) some features do differ from the devices available elsewhere including mainland Europe.
https://imgur.com/OfCER3k
I also own the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, so I have a current generation, arguably the pinnacle of Android devices to compare this OPPO Find X5 Pro with.
PROS
Aesthetically this device looks stunning, I am struggling to think of a nicer looking device, comfortable to hold too.
Very smooth performance for normal use and gaming
ColorOS functions and apps are largely useful and well made
SuperVOOC charging is a game changer
The camera is very good especially in low light or night scenes with decent features for pro photographers but its telephoto options are not quite as good as some competitor devices
CONS
Beauty of the device is mostly lost when using a case, which most people will want to (and one is even provided for you)
In indoor settings/shade the display loses a lot of its magic, unless you choose to substantially increase the brightness level
Accessing the devices power menu is clunky and unintuitive
Audio Speakers are not great at louder volumes
Battery life is good but not exceptional
CONTENTS
UNBOXING - Post #2
SETUP - Post #2
BUILD QUALITY/DESIGN - Post #2
DISPLAY - Post #3
SOFTWARE (ColorOS) - Post #3
CAMERA - POST #4
PERFORMANCE/GAMING - POST #4
AUDIO - POST #4
ANDROID AUTO - POST #4
BATTERY - POST #5
CONCLUSION - POST #5

UNBOXING
I won’t go into too much detail here as I have already published an unboxing video that you can find on my YouTube channel (LennyUK TV).
The key points to note is the box includes the phone, a Super VOOC 80W charger, a USB lead (USB A to USB C) and a soft touch phone case.
SETUP
Setup was a breeze. I used OPPO’s clone app to move my data from my S22 Ultra to the Find X5 Pro and whilst it took some time to do, it worked on my first attempt and without issue.
BUILD QUALITY/DESIGN
As stated above, the device I have been provided is the “Ceramic White” colour variant. It is also available in “Glaze Black” - is the rear of the device that is coloured with the front being a full edge to edge screen design that we have come to expect from any half decent or higher smartphone these days.
I have owned white devices previously, but not all too often, with the vast majority (which I am sure you can all agree) have been black, or at a push, silver. White is a nice refreshing colour to have, however, you lose most of the impact when you use a case, which many people choose to do, especially with flagship devices, as these are not cheap!
https://imgur.com/MMX2Txs
The back of the phone looks stunning, the white really pops and it is silky smooth - maybe too smooth (refer back to needing a case…) but in terms of looks this phone has something that many others do not - the Samsung S22 Ultra as a comparison is a big rectangular shape that has certainly been designed from a functional perspective rather than considering aesthetics at all. This was certainly not the case with the OPPO Find X5 Pro, it is clear a lot of thought has gone into its design (as well as its functions).
The back is made of ceramic (yes, the name of the colour gave that away), which you might find an unusual choice, but it works, really well - probably due to the very high quality polished finish and the subtle 75 degree slope, which OPPO claim is the “optimal curve for illuminating the body in sunlight or shadow” - which is great, if you are not using a case…
Aside from the colour, the device has a simple but modern OPPO and Hasselblad (the famous camera brand that has helped co-create the camera on this phone, more on that later) logo in the lower right hand edge with the camera cluster in the top left hand corner.
The camera cluster sits slightly raised from the device and contains 3 lenses and a flash/LED (I will go into more details on the camera further below) with the words “Powered by MariSillicon” sitting between two of the three lenses.
https://imgur.com/HYTMWtl
Having a raised camera cluster isn’t uncommon these days, with devices trying to be as thin as can be, but also trying to include powerful camera lenses that even pros could consider using from time to time but it does mean that the device can’t sit flat on a desk and the OPPO Find X5 Pro is no exception - without a case, if you use the device resting flat on a desk you will notice it wobble - it is at its worst if you try to use the top left hand area. However this is easily solved by the use of a case, including the case that is provided in the box with this device.
More on that case now - it is a matt black colour with a very soft touch texture on the external facing sides, the internal side is more textured, presumably to aid in gripping to the device - it fits perfectly, which I of course expected it to.
Back to the OPPO Find X5 Pro, the front is dominated by the 6.7” screen that for specs nerds, has a 92.7% ratio and a QHD+ (3216x1440) resolution. It has a hole punch selfie cam in the top left hand corner and a speaker very well hidden at the top (the earpiece speaker). Both the left and right hand edges curve slightly which is likely to cause issues for those of you who prefer tempered glass screen protectors, but there are many alternative options today that work great on curved screens - and I best not forget to mention, one does come pre-fitted on this device anyway.
The right hand edge contains the power button, which seems a bit silly to call a power button as its primary function, at least when the device is powered on is to do other actions (more on this later), but I suppose the name holds true when the device is off, that is the button that powers it on.
The left hand edge contains the volume up and down keys.
All three of these keys are well made, they are not wobbly or loose fitting like other devices can have, they click well and I cannot see them being a point of weakness even after long use.
The bottom edge of the device contains a centralised USB C port with a speaker grill to its right and a mic to its left. Further to the left is the SIM Card tray (the device also supports E-Sim).
https://imgur.com/HtDTOMc
The top edge contains the noise cancelling microphone on the right hand corner.
The OPPO Find X5 Pro is very nice in the hand, at least in mine, but I do have large hands so you may need to see for yourself - it certainly doesn’t feel too big for it’s screen size though and is comfortable to hold and use.
Its height measures in just shy of 16.5cm and is about 7.4cm wide and is less than 1cm thick (8.5mm) weighing around 218g. The weight is surprising, as it weighs a fair bit more than the S22 Plus but around 10g less than the S22 Ultra, but you really can’t tell - if I was to use just my muscle memory of the two devices I would have bet a lot of money (and lost!) that the S22 Plus was the heavier device. This is where the aesthetics of the OPPO Find X5 Pro really help to keep its size and weight both comfortable and manageable.
The OPPO Find X5 Pro also comes with IP68 water and dust resistance, which is what you really expect from a flagship device.

DISPLAY
As stated above the device has a 6.7” QHD+ display with a 3216x1440 resolution on an AMOLED panel covered in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, currently Corning's top Gorilla Glass product. The S22 Ultra also has very similar display specs and the same Gorilla Glass.
The OPPO Find X5 Pro has a full 10bit colour depth so you can utilise HDR and has a 120hz dynamic display - keeping up with the other flagships out there at the moment (although not all of those rivals are performing as well as it should be in this department) - the “dynamic” part, should see the display going down as low as 10hz when a faster refresh rate is not required, which ultimately helps conserve some power.
In my day to day use I have not noticed any lag or issues with the dynamic functionality of the refresh rate - I cannot say the same about the S22 Ultra where on occasions, especially when the battery gets lower, you can visibly see the refresh rate slowing or speeding up, rather than it being ready on demand. The S22 Ultra also (at the time of writing this) fails to drop the refresh rate often, or very low and certainly doesn’t get close to the 1hz Samsung claimed it could - the OPPO Find X5 Pro doesn’t have the same issues.
It is worth noting however that firmware updates could likely fix the issues with the S22 Ultra over time.
But that is enough of specs, what you really want to know is how does it look? Well my honest answer is good, but not quite as good as my S22 Ultra, at least not unless I really up the brightness level on the OPPO, something you don’t need to do to get the colours to really pop on the Samsung - and upping the brightness obviously then impacts your battery life - however, in a bright environment the OPPO can hold its own the display is clear and looks great.
Colours almost look washed out (set to Vivid mode at default colour temperature) in those dimmer settings (with auto brightness set as you would expect) which is a real shame, but this is based on a direct comparison, for most users you will be using this device in isolation and it is by no means bad and should not really be something that puts you off the device.
https://imgur.com/yWRK0jJ
Some quick notes on the display software settings:
You get choice of light and dark mode (as you would expect, it is an android device)
Choice of 3 screen colour modes (Vivid, Natural, Pro) and 3 colour temperatures on a slider (Cool, default, and warm)
Eye comfort mode to remove blue light
Choice of resolution (auto, FHD+, QHD+)
Choice of max refresh rate (High 120Hz or Standard 60hz) - both work dynamically
You can choose to “hide” the holepunch camera (basically makes the notification bar solid black)
SOFTWARE (ColorOS)
At the time of writing this review the OPPO Find X5 Pro is running Android 12 with a March 2022 security update - a couple of OTA’s have already been pushed out in the few weeks the device has been released.
ColourOS (what OPPO call their “skin” of Android) is version 12.1 and the devices software version is currently CPH2305_11_A.17
It has a full Google/Android experience (GAPPS) so you have full use of Google Apps including the Play Store.
The device does come with some bloatware pre-installed, but almost all do these days - but you can easily remove what you don’t want.
The device has various apps and other features as part of the ColourOS experience including an OPPO Store, an E-SIM app designed for roaming called ORoaming and a meditation/mindfulness app called O Relax.
I have a very stressful life - I am a lawyer by day with a very very high case load, managing a department and also one of the directors of my firm - when I get home, I have a 4 and a 1 year old and 2 cats (and a wife) - all this leaves me with very little time to truly chill out and as a result I am constantly on that threshold of bubbling over into chaos from all the stress - but that is where I tend to thrive and is certainly my choice, so this is not a complaint merely just a long winded way of saying a mindfulness app is something that is very useful to someone like me.
https://imgur.com/a/5BA9o5s
O Relax on first glance has a selection of Ambient Sounds, Music and “coloured noises” (aka white noise etc) as well as some other sounds created in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen and Jo Malone London - you can set a timer and just chill out.
If you swipe to the left you get three options: “Listen”, which is the default tab, “Unwind” and “Explore”. Unwind hosts a selection of stress-relief games like bubble popping, deep breathing, colour manipulation or picture rubbing all with their own soothing sounds and colours. Explore lets you pick an environment such as various cities around the world and here sounds from ears of those cities, that background noise that helps you zone out. You can adjust how “active” those noises are. If real cities are not for you then you can also explore sounds of an alien world (yes really!) - which is a full Dolby Atmos audio production.
https://imgur.com/HbhP2zU
The device also features a privacy dashboard, accessible through the settings menu that enables you to control things like access to microphone or camera (globally, as it stops all apps from using them) as well as control permissions and other things like locking or hiding applications. You can also choose to have a toast popup that tells you when apps read your clipboard. The dashboard itself notifies you on how often location, camera and microphone have been accused in the past 24 hours, giving you details of when they were accessed and by what applications - you can also access the same data for other permissions if you wish.
You will also see notification icons for when the camera and microphone are in use, so applications shouldn’t be able to sneakily record you without at least giving you the chance to see that it is.
https://imgur.com/a/z05lh90
One feature the device has in the UK that it doesn’t appear to have (based on my discussions with those who have the devices elsewhere) in mainland Europe (or further afield) is Omoji - this is OPPOs version of animated emoji - here you can design a face and then manipulate it in real time via the selfie camera and your own face and take pictures in various poses which can then be used as your own emojis (via insert picture or video into your various apps).
There are of course many other features of ColorOS 12, more than I can talk about in this one review, but to name a few others you have Air Gestures (a way of controlling the device without touching it, imagine if you are baking and your hands are covered in flour), always on display etc
One final feature I will mention is the flexible windows - accessed via a hidden sidebar, not uncommon to find on many devices at the moment - is a quick way to access those important apps you use often, 2-factor authentication, or password manages are two good examples - they open as a floating window you can move around, or maximise, or close - this is much more useful than multitasking where it splits your screen, its quicker and far less disruptive enabling you to quickly do what you need to do then close out back to where you were - this is definitely a function I will miss when going back to other devices as whilst they may have similar functionality it just doesn’t work the same.
As an extra, I know some of you wanted to know - yes the phone does have a native call recording function.
It’s at this stage I get to talk about one annoying factor - and I know OPPO are not alone in trying to “mix up” the norm when it comes to this, what is it? Powering off the device… As I alluded to earlier, the phone has a power button, the button functions to turn the phone on when it’s off, or to turn the screen on and off when powered up, but it does not (in itself) control the switching off or rebooting of the device. Long pressing it does not bring up a power menu (it can be programmed to do other things) - instead, and no where in the documentation that came with the phone or on the device itself (at least obviously) does it tell you this - you have to hold both power and volume up to get access to this menu. You also have to hold it for a length of time that is longer than you would expect, just as you reach the point of thinking it's not going to work, then it does.
Yes, I can see the advantages of gaining a programmable hard key for other uses…but not at the loss of making switching off or rebooting the device ridiculously difficult to understand - your average user will simply not know how to do this.

CAMERA
I enjoy photography. I am not a pro by any means and have never had any formal training, but I do spend a lot of time taking photos with my DSLR, or mobile devices, and editing them - I am not amazing, but I am more than capable of getting some magic shots if everything falls together for me (one of the other Ambassadors is an actual photographer and his work is brilliant).
I know my way around a camera and had some things planned for this review, but unfortunately due to brexit delivery of my phone was delayed and the opportunity for some great night and low light photos was missed (I had a trip to the O2 Arena, London, to see Hanz Zimmer live, would have been great shots of the gig itself but also London at night) - since then I have been very busy with my day job and battling illness so opportunities to get great shots have been extremely limited, but I have still had a play with the camera, enough to give you some thoughts and a rundown.
Anyway, the juicy bits - the OPPO Find X5 Pro boasts three lenses and has been co-developed with leading manufacturer of middle format cameras, Hasseblad, if you have never heard of them before, shame on you! It has a 50MP Wide Angle Camera, a 50MP Ultra Wide Angle Camera and 13MP Telephoto Lens capable of 5x hybrid optical zoom (2x proper optical zoom) and 20x digital zoom.
The Wide Angle camera has a 5 Axis mechanical stabilisation system that really helps with mobile photography and can get you an aperture of f/1.7 which for a mobile device is extremely low - for those of you not camera nerds, the lower this number the blurrier the background of an image becomes, what is known as “bokeh” - perfect for portrait photos.
The Ultra Wide has a 110.3 degree field of view and an aperture of f/2.2 which gives you great options when shooting landscapes, or city scenes.
Both of those lenses use sensors from Sony - my preferred camera sensor manufacturer.
Then what really makes this camera stand out from the crowd is the MariSillicon X NPU (Neural Processing Unit) think of it as a form of hardware acceleration enabling the camera’s software to work brilliantly and do things it couldn’t otherwise do and all without impacting the on the devices CPU or GPU functionality.
https://imgur.com/0XbxqAr
Specifically this NPU enables the device to offer something truly unique when it comes to low light or night photography. You will notice that you can still truly see the colours and other details which most mobile cameras will lose without the images looking faked or over processed or without it looking like a daytime shot - because that isn’t the point - you want a night shot to be a night shot - you want the viewer to know it was taken at night, but without losing any of those important details and that is what the cameras on the Find X5 Pro and the MariSillicon X NPU allow for.
When you open the camera you are greeted with the standard “photo” mode, the click and shoot mode, moving that bar left or right lets you pick other modes including “Night”, “Video”, “Portrait” or “More” - in More you will find access to the Hasselblad Pro mode, a Hi-Res mode, Panorama, Film, Slow-Mo, Time-Lapse, Long Exposure, Dual Video, Sticker, Text Scanner and “X-Pan”, another Hasselblad feature.
Pro mode offers features such as a histogram and focus peaking and the ability to shoot in RAW.
If you are after a device that can take very nice photos in almost all conditions then you can’t go far wrong with the Find X5 Pro. The S22 Ultra also has very good camera options and the Find X5 Pro matches or beats it at almost every step, except one, which is the telephoto option - the S22 Ultra is very very good at 30x zoom and is somewhat good beyond that too, this device can’t go that far, but honestly, how often on a day-to-day basis do you need to zoom in that far?
Using the camera is a very enjoyable experience and it’s pro mode is one of the nicest on a mobile device I have used (Sony offers a very nice Pro mode on their devices, but it is still missing some key features that it’s own cameras or the Find X5 Pro have, such as focus peaking). It’s certainly a solid offering and highly competitive.
https://imgur.com/a/LtsgZSJ
PERFORAMNCE/GAMING
One thing that really impressed me, especially after coming from the Samsung S22 Ultra which you would expect to be the best you can get at the moment, is how smooth this device is to use - there is no UI lag, no missed frames, freezes or delay - it simply reacts to your input how you would expect it to do - you might think this should be standard especially in such a top spec device, but anyone who has used a S22 Ultra should know performance isn’t guaranteed…
The Find X5 Pro has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 CPU with 8 cores and the Adreno 730 GPU clocked to 818MHz - both pretty much as good as you can get at the moment and it shows in the devices performance levels.
I won’t be benchmarking or discussing those in this review, they are largely meaningless and often manipulated (yes I am looking at you Samsung!), so I am focusing on real world usage experience, my usage experience.
Anyone who knows me (or looked me up) will know that one thing I do like to do in my spare time, when I have any, is game, be that on a Console, PC or a mobile device - my current mobile vices include games by Supercell (Clash of Clans and Clash Royale), detective/escape room type games (e.g. Tiny Room) and mobile versions of battle royales (like Bullet Echo).
All the games I play have been smooth and responsive much like the rest of the performance of this device, however, no game, even those that say they can, goes beyond 60fps - however, the same can be said about the S22 Ultra, so it might be a game development issue - but that the end of the world when you know the games are not lagging otherwise - it is certainly far less frustrating gaming on the OPPO Find X5 Pro than the Samsung S2 Ultra.
AUDIO
I spend an awful lot of time listening to YouTube Music or Audible on my devices, including via headphones (Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, which work perfectly on this device with the Samsung Wearable App installed, I have not used the OPPO Headphones to compare) and on the device's speaker.
Whilst certainly not terrible, the speaker performance certainly isn’t as good as other devices out there - the louder the volume gets the more tinny it sounds, regardless of your EQ settings.
Audio performance (like displays) is something Samsung have got near perfect so I know I am judging the Find X5 Pro on a very high standard, but all I can say is, if using the speaker is your main device use, then perhaps this isn’t the device for you (but certainly weigh your decision with the Find X5 Pros other features).
ANDROID AUTO
This might not be your use case, but is it mine - I rely on Android Auto a lot when driving, for Google Maps, YouTube Music, Audible and various EV (Electric Vehicle) apps for route planning with charging locations etc.
I had some issues using android auto on this device, although I have since found a reliable workaround - when the device is plugged in to the car, it sees the car like a PC and gives you the choice to select if you want to “charge only” or “transfer data” - selecting the latter then ensures a reliable connection to the car - selecting the former might work, but could then drop out at random times.

BATTERY
The Find X5 Pro comes with a 5000mAh battery - this is achieved through 2 cells of around 2500mAh each. This is the same size battery that is in the Samsung S22 Ultra so I am able to offer a direct comparison given I have the same apps and same use case on each device.
Before I talk about its performance level, I want to talk about charging. OPPO have developed their own fast charging system known as SuperVOOC - for this you can forget about what you think about fast charging as you are about to experience something truly special. The SuperVOOC charger supplied with the device delivers 80w of electrical energy capable of charging from 0-50% in 12 minutes.
I was able to test this, as when I received my device it was completely flat - so I had no choice - and it really was amazing watching it charge up - the numbers just climb really fast whilst watching - it’s no longer like watching paint dry - and what's more, it’s real power - the device didn’t discharge any faster than it would had it been (super slowly) charged via a USB port on a PC. This is a game changer truly enabling you to have that rapid charge to top up a bit before heading out meaning you should never be without power (if you have your SuperVOOC charger nearby).
If you like to wirelessly charge, then you can purchase the AIRVOOC Charger (or if you pre-ordered the device you may have received one free) - this delivers 50W of charging power giving you a full charge in just 47 minutes which is very good for wirelessly charging.
OPPO Claim that the Find X5 Pro battery will remain at peak levels for up to 1,600 charging cycles, which is around double what you would normally expect to see - a very good claim, but obviously not something I have been able to test out, so I will have to take their word for it.
Now, personally I have always found battery reviews a bit useless - not because what is written is untrue, but because it is so hard to compare that with your own use case, because we all use devices very differently and in the end the only real test is comparing it from one device you own to another.
But we all expect to read about battery life, so here are some ground rules to help you out a bit. I am a fairly heavy user, I have a bit of a problem and use my phone little and very often throughout the day, constantly checking for new messages or the millions of emails I receive (both work and personal), it is my contact list, my calendar, my contact with my friends and wife and kids when at work (and not in meetings). I game on my breaks, I listen to a lot of audio, I have a smart controlled house and the phone acts as the UI hub. Basically it controls me… but that is a story for a therapy session.
What I am getting at is I have never been someone who can boast that I can get 8 hours screen on time from any device, it doesn’t matter what I am using how big its battery is or how new the phone is - I always struggle to get more than say 2 hours of screen on time and the Find X5 Pro is no exception, but I didn’t expect it to be - so don’t base your decision to buy this device on what I am about to say entirely - on paper this is a top spec battery and as I said above, the SuperVOOC charging really is something else and largely negates the negatives I am about to say.
I can make it through a full day of my use on this device, but only just - I am down to the last few percentages before bed, when I charge up overnight - sometimes even with a small USB (car or PC) top up throughout the day.
The battery is by no means a struggle and I am yet to find myself needing to utilise the battery saving software - so I could easily stretch it much further if I needed.
But does it perform as well as my S22 Ultra, the short answer is no - I am not sure what software wizardry Samsung have put into the device, despite its major performance flaws, draining its battery takes is a real effort.
I would say that the Find X5 Pro is probably up there in terms of Android battery performance at the moment, I have not tried enough of the latest devices to be able to say that it sits in second place, but it might well do, behind the S22 Ultra - but… we have to remember that no Android currently gives better battery life than the flagship Apple devices - we will have to wait and see if Android 13 can help that at all.
CONCLUSION
This is a very solid, usable device which is lovely to look at (if you don’t use a case) and hold. It performs very well but battery life is perhaps a little shorter than I would have liked.
It outperforms the Samsung S22 Ultra in day to day use in terms of performance and is a much nicer device to use generally as a result. The Samsung does have a few better areas however, but that doesn’t make the Find X5 Pro a bad choice, it just means it doesn’t quite match up to the top level of Samsung doing what it is literally the best in the world at - making displays and producing good audio.
Would I recommend purchasing this device? Certainly, if you are after something that looks great, is comfortable to use and just works well and its within your budget options then go for it, there is unlikely to be anything better at the moment.
Some of its other features are nice and useful but maybe not game changers but a few areas are:
The SuperVOOC Charger really is impressive, you have to see it to believe it (and I am very very tempted to put up a boring YouTube video of the device charging from 0-50%!)
Also if you are a night time/low light photographer, or a fan of Hasselblad cameras then this is certainly the device for you - whilst other devices have all improved recently on night photography and videography the MariSillicon X NPU that OPPO have developed really gives this device a proper USP.

Nice review. I'm presuming you are in UK by your nom de plume? Not sure where your unit is from, but certainly the one I received from EE UK doesn't have native call recording. Also, can't find Oppostore or ORoaming apps.

BlueMeany68 said:
Nice review. I'm presuming you are in UK by your nom de plume? Not sure where your unit is from, but certainly the one I received from EE UK doesn't have native call recording. Also, can't find Oppostore or ORoaming apps.
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Interesting, it's a UK unlocked device - I can only presume EE had those other bits removed?

Lennyuk said:
Interesting, it's a UK unlocked device - I can only presume EE had those other bits removed?
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Does yours have the regulatory stamps etched I to the back too? I'm on EE and that's what I got.
Luckily I have the white version which has the labels etched which is only visible in some light.
My wife has the black one and it looks awful with all the regulatory labels printed in white underneath the lacquer, the same colour as the oppo and hasselblad logos. She does use a case though but it totally spoils the aesthetic if not using a case.

mcall_r said:
Does yours have the regulatory stamps etched I to the back too? I'm on EE and that's what I got.
Luckily I have the white version which has the labels etched which is only visible in some light.
My wife has the black one and it looks awful with all the regulatory labels printed in white underneath the lacquer, the same colour as the oppo and hasselblad logos. She does use a case though but it totally spoils the aesthetic if not using a case.
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The CE, Recycling and UKCA symbols? Yeah, unfortunately it does.

The Honest Review of Pixel 4a

!! DISCLAIMER !! : THIS PHONE HAS SUFFERED ~30 DATA WIPES BECAUSE OF CUSTOM ROMS.
My honest review of the Pixel 4a after 3 years of not careless usage. Let's recap and ranking each aspects of this device.
Summary:
• Display:
• Sound:
• Battery:
• Connectivity:
• Hardware:
• Software:
• Camera:
• Development:
• Security:
Overall score: 9/10
Detailed review:
Display: Packed with a 1440p, 60hz OLED screen, this screen is considered the best for people who like me. Even though it has a 60hz screen,but hey, at least I don't get motion sickness.
Sound: This is the BEST speakers I ever heard on a smartphone, beating the JBL GO and any typical car stereos. There is no bass in this phone unfortunately, but the sound quality is .
Battery: 3140mAh is already enough for any usual tasks like TikTok, Whatsapp, or Netflix. Using Adaptive Battery from Google, Pixel can dynamically manage your battery depends on your workload, heck, you can watch Netflix at 480p (poor) longer than you can expect when watching TikTok. Using Google's 30W charger, this phone can charge from 20% to 80% in 20 minutes. On the other hand, battery life has been degraded by 20% after 3 years of usage.
Connectivity: Google also manage your network traffic depends on your workload using Adaptive Connectivity, which means using LTE or Wi-Fi should be pretty okay on this device.
Hardware: Despite 3 years old, 6GB RAM with a Snapdragon 715 is enough for basic workload today. However, I should expect more from Google when giving features to any Snapdragon-based Pixel phones.
Software: Launched with Android 10, upgradable to Android 13 (up until August) is not enough for users who willing to get long-term usage from this phone. But at least you have unlimited photos backup with reduced photo quality..
Camera: THE BEST CAMERA I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE, and the reason why I love Pixel phones so much. Shooting crisp photos, in capable of recording at 4K 30 FPS, this phone is great for photos, but okay for video, because of the 30 FPS cap with 4K. Portrait is great, with many different presets like Color Pop (only make colors visible on the focus object), Black&White (yk what that is),... In video, there are 2 different modes: Standard ( Video Stabilization) and Cinematic Pan. Both of them are great at capturing stable videos. In Night Shift mode, capturing photos at night is no longer a bright light flashing at your face, while it uses AI to enhance the details in the dark. Oh, 1 underrated feature in this Pixel is Photo Sphere, Photo Sphere helps you capture photos in 360° view by taking many different photos and merging together, modes like bird eye view, horizontal, vertical can be found by swipe down from the viewfinder.
Development: I have trouble finding proper trees for this device. Maybe because of my skills or the developer itself?
Security: Titan M is good for encrypting personal data while off or on, and Pixel Imprint (fancy name for the fingerprint scanner)'s response time is okay.
Other: The thing I hate the most about this phone is frequent unresponsive touch on the device, sometimes it goes numb, or some slow to response to touch. The bad thing is, they never patch it. Maybe because of factory defects? Or I dropped 10 times and this happen?
All of this comes in a price of $339 in 2020, now worth $129. Now should you buy it in 2023? No. Simply because this device is already 3 years, and features aren't that really worth it now.
Question..? Feel free it ask here!
Wrote this while on a car trip.
Seen​

buy iphone insted this price range is expensive to play with custon rom and wait to develelop apps for it just the name says its new era phone with better design inside i hate google to let someone install it baken rom and manufactura says it can push beta bild ota no worry but put someone odex rom to fresh android gsi builds
phone get 10 to desing and funcions installed

george.washington said:
buy iphone insted this price range is expensive to play with custon rom and wait to develelop apps for it just the name says its new era phone with better design inside i hate google to let someone install it baken rom and manufactura says it can push beta bild ota no worry but put someone odex rom to fresh android gsi builds
phone get 10 to desing and funcions installed
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Did you have a stroke or something

there is only one con and that is the front camera is a joke. i have never seen a front camera so bad like this.

The lack of development for this phone makes me really sad. I feel like it's pretty much the perfect "everyday phone" for lots of people like me who value a great camera and decent battery life in a perfectly sized phone. I still prefer a physical fingerprint scanner over the UDFS in more recent devices, and custom ROMs open up support for stuff like face unlock and general customization that makes the device almost perfect for me