Related
I want to start a thread with my own review, but im placing it here cause it's more like a thread-starter than actual review.
Usage of smartphones general, and why is Desire Z still extremely useful phone:
1. Hardware keyboard: there are many YT videos showing speed typing on various devices, like iPhone, and Android tablets/phones, but nothing can compare to the actual keyboard. the main advantage, in my opinion is the fact that for a very short time, one can learn to type like using a PC keyboard - without looking. and that feature makes this phone as an actual mobile station for all sorts of stuff that emulate laptop usage. second advantage is clear screen when typing. that is pretty much the reason why I cant imagine to type on a non-hardware phone anymore.
2. material quality - hard casing, and not just compared to other companies, but also compared to the other HTC devices. This phone is like an homage to early indestructible phones that were not intended to be like that (3310, 6210, 7650) Is it weight, is it experiment from HTC (there are 20+ types of plastic for making plastic stuff like casings) or something else, but this phone is the hardest phone I had, and I had Samung Android, iPhones, SE, you name it.
And on top of that, keyboard hinge wont break. I cant find more than 5 forum posts using google where someone complains of broken Keyboard hinge.
And, on top of top of that - "Vision" are the last in HTC production line to have licenced Cornig Gorilla Glass. Sensation XL and phones after that have HTC's substitute glass. (God knows why)
3. Screen - let's start with SLCD - You will find many reviews stating that it's a bad product, cause of the viewing angles. Viewing angles being the MOST retarded property of a screen, marketing vise. WHO watches a screen from an angle, more than 3 seconds, in their life ? So, when we putt aside that property - you have screen (PVA panel) that produces colors maybe even better than IPS. People get easily tricked by Samsung marketing, when they read stuff like: "SUPER AMOLED 2" - like a trailer for Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. And it is in fact - regular OLED screen with active matrix, and digitizer stuck onto the screen itself. Oh my, what a wonder. It was, for sure, made so when you break the SGS2/Note screen, you pay arm and a leg for replacement. Buying digitizer and screen at the same time. And the worst part is that AMOLED is nowhere near that good, saturation is awful (my personal opinion), and >4.0 inch phones with AMOLED have bad colors (google "Note screen problem", "SGS2 screen problem"
Resolution of screen - How come that people get so hyped by late Steve, whenever "retina" was mentioned .. ? ~250PPI is better than "retina" (326PPI)!!!
My neighbor is a rich bastard, and he has every single product Apple made, so I had a chance to see that "retina" and it hurt my eyes. Reading non-zoomed web pages on Desire Z is barely possible, doing the same on 4s is NOT possible.
it is not the pixelation of a font that is problem, it is the possibility of reading such small font. Any other aspect for that matter, is just a marketing trick.
250PPI is perfect. I dont care what journalists say about the new iPad, I dont see anything near suggested with the "retina" hype.
4. High-end phone properties - CPU
CPU is similar to the last of the x86 Intel CeleronD single core series - insanely overclockable. and like that, VERY usable. SGS2 exynos (ARM Cortex A9 @ 1.2Ghz) on stock clock has a problem of playing "Ice breaker" game (for some reason this game draws FPS lag on many devices) and on 1.5Ghz OC-ed DesireZ it runs smooth. "Fragger" game slows down extremely on SGS2 when 3 bombs are thrown simultaneously, and that doesnt happen on 1.5Ghz DZ. Dont know about other games on other phones, or Benchmarks for that matter, but this is my personal experience with SGS2 VS DZ (my brother has Samsung). Never really believed Benchmark scores since Intel started to temper with official results back in 2008 (Benchmark software in favor of Intel, compared to AMD)
I am aware of single core/dual core differences, but that is why one can flash DZ with G-slim or G-lite and enjoy the speed.
5. High-end properties - features
apart from resolution that is constantly growing on new devices, name 1 thing that DZ doesnt have ? This is NOT a midrange phone for housewives to share instagram photos, this is a serious device
Flaws -
1. it comes with crappy headphones. I myself soldered Koss Sparkplug earbuds to HTC stock headphones so I could enjoy the sound and still have cable-control buttons.
2. It is heavy. I see how many people could have problem with that but for me it's a good thing, cause I tend to lose phones, but with this one, I know where it is (pocket, jacket, etc..) and it "feels right" when holding it.
conclusion - This phone is Awesome. If I would buy a new, more expensive phone, I would like it to be 4.0 exact design like DZ, stronger CPU and slightly greater resolution. nothing more.
My only real problems with the phone is that it's too thick and heavy at times, it has severe death-grip reception issues with both wifi and mobile reception at my house where i have very little reception. Then, the thing that seems to let it down the most is the limited 512mb of RAM that it has, which makes it difficult to run Sense 3.* ROMs and such. Otherwise, i'm very happy with my phone and i agree with the points that you made . This is the best phone i've ever had!
Actually, my keyboard is slowly deteriorating >.<, a bunch of keys have stopped responding upon soft presses and need to be pressed firmly for any feedback.
Still a mid level phone. Everything i need is with DZ.
ttyykkee said:
Still a mid level phone. Everything i need is with DZ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see how it's a mid level phone. Maybe performance wise, but it feels quite premium in almost every other aspect.
Wow, that was a kind of a roundhouse kick against all actual hypes.... i like!
I am totally at ur side. The only things i would like to have improved ist cam and ram, and size of screen. But thats kind of wishing, while taking a look at actual state of the art phones...
...at least a HTC ONE S with a HWK sounds nice to me (without AMOLED )
@crestofawave - I believe that he forgot to put "not" word after the "Still" word cause that way it makes sense.
@Superfr34k - Android users are real, compared to Apple, and even they fall under marketing influence. there are many things that do not make sense today, like when you buy a big LCDTV, you see on samsung producsts feat that says:
2 billion colors
standardized results via experiments gave 100.000 colors (human subjects), and biological calculations gave 10 million in the best case. So, this "2 billion" number stands only for Cylons and Terminators. not humans.
high resolution phones make sense, not because of the "retina" and other stuff, but because of only this feat: Wireless Full HD display mirroring. cause I dont see how one can use 1080p on a 5inch device.
all that stuff is the reason why this phone offers 90% of usage, and thats not for an average user, im talkingh about advanced users and their needs.
well
I think that the let down is the wieght, and cpu, it was 1ghz many people say it would be slightly faster which is good enough for me.
I hope they release another HTC Desire Z 2 like motorola releases droid 1 ,2 ,3 etc
If not I might have to get Galaxy S3 which Im not happy about touchscreen only phones nothing beats a qwerty keyboard
This is correct place to put a review since its general and nothing else. Op mentioned to put it here since not an "actual" review...no place else to do it
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
Totally agree with everything in this article, and I know a whole lot of others do as well.
Unfortunately, it seems the cell phone market is swinging away from good phones like the G2/Desire Z. I will be keeping this phone until I see a worthy successor w/ hardware keyboard.
In all honesty, this is the best Android powered phone that I've owned, and that includes having previous phones like the Samsung Galaxy S, LG Optimus T and MyTouch 4G. The only complaint that I ever had with this phone is that I wished that the camera was a little sharper, as the full sized 5 MP pictures always seem to come out a little grainy. Usually decreasing the photo size with photoshop or other software solves that problem.
The camera is just a minor complaint, and I honestly don't expect high quality digital camera type quality from a phone camera. It would just be nice to have... that's all Other than that... it was a great phone when I got it, and it continues to be a great one. It runs all the apps I need it to, and I don't have any random crashes or force closes.
@Igoritza All the same.
I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with you. Especially the points you raise about the screens, Samsung with AMOLED, and Apple with Retina. Merely marketing baloney for their mindless fanatics.
I had no idea our desire z's screen were made of gorilla glass, Mayb I should drop it down the stairs to see how it holds up????
Bottomline there isn't many devices like the HTC Vision
The viewing angle on my screen is amazing. I did get a replacement screen a while ago so maybe mine is a newer revision?
Sent from my Desire Z using xda premium
I love this phones' keyboard - it is made perfectly.
I have used Galaxy S before, and must say, that modified Desire Z is much faster than modified GS.
What I hate in DZ is its PERFORMANCE. Probably it's android systems natural drawback, that with designed UI like sense it's so slow, laggy and buggy.
Our phone runs smoothly only the AOSP GB what is really annoying.
I'n using Sensewich rom and it makes Desire Z feel like a brand new phone, even CM7 doesn't come close to this. I'm sure that once those changes make their way to other ICS roms and bugs are ironed out most of us will be satisfied with DZ for another year or so.
It's soooo smooth, *drool*
@shadal, I'd have to disagree with you. While our phone is obviously not iPhone smooth, it is a considerably fast device with a bit of overclocking (about 1.0-1.2GHz), on anything but Sense 3.x, maybe MIUI as well. Other than that, just about every other ROM I've flashed has been very fast in general.
Sense really isn't that bad...well, 3.x wasn't the best HTC could offer but 4.0 is VERY promising, tried it and it was so incredibly!!! smooth.
So yeah, AOSP has and will have an edge in performance but it seems like HTC is closing the distance...
i love my dz as well, but thinking about buying a nexus because of the larger screen/amoled. want to read ebooks on the phone. but for the dailystuff, whatsapp/email/calls it´s more than enough. bought a mugenakku and i´m very happy with that combination. the only thing i don´t like is the lcd, it really drains more than amoled. but i think i´m gonna wait with a new phone, but i´m pretty sure a phone with quadcore isn´t needed, i think quadcore is only needed for games, but i rarely play games on my phone.
I have a G2 just to be clear.
I just flash the latest Ice Cream JIBwich 2.0 which is based on the Andromadus Beta 1. They added the newly released GPU drivers from Qualcomm and this thing is fast and smooth now. Gives it new life, way faster than it ever was with GB.
Pretty damn happy with these ICS ROMs.
@tarroyo - please dont drop it down the stairs Gorilla has frontal indestructability (doesnt get pierced by bullets or arrows) but it does not endure side pressure. it will crack
@Shure2 - maybe it's IPS and not SLCD. HTC made a special order to Sony for supplies of SLCD's for making new 3.8 phones, but their initial supplier of 3.8 screens was Hanstar - IPS manufacturer that supplies ASUS and Apple. It is Hanstar company fault that HTC had to find alternative because they blackmailed them. So, yeah, your replacement could very well be from initial batches.
@miscz - I tried Sensewich but I need teh cam the cam itself is not that good, but changig ISO from AUTO to 100 improves "everyday photo shoot", and people's faces quality, or should I say - grainy photos are less grainy and better looking. whoever didnt know about this, should try (less ISO means how much camera is sensitive to light, but it also means shorter shutter speed)
it would be nice if someone knew of an App that lets you alter aperture and shutter, thus improving custom settings and making better pictures with DZ cam.
I've been having great experiences with Andromadus. I regret not having rooted my phone in the first year of owning it, seeing as a simple overclock and new rom has made it so much faster.
The thing I'll miss the most when I switch to a new phone is the lack of a physical keyboard... none of the new flagship phones have physical keyboards, and I'm not convinced that I could type anywhere near as quickly on an on screen keyboard if it's not on a tablet.
@Igoritza: I don't think there will be any thing we can really do to our cameras to catch up to all the latest and greatest phones now =[ No matter how I try, pictures from the iPhone 4S or Galaxy Note are far better. I guess we can come close in extremely well lit environments, but even in conditions which are slightly sub-optimal, our cameras tend to perform worse than theirs.
Samsung Galaxy Note Review Thread
As with the original note, i am sure there will be a massive influx of reviews for the upcoming Note 2. We are all keen to take a look at what this great device is going to be like, so i think a centralized place for all reviews is a good idea. Hopefully it should keep the general section clean(er) and give a great resource for future note 2 owners. I will ask all to keep this thread clean of idle chit chat, all we want is quality reviews to give a clear picture of the device.
Thanks in advance to anybody who contributes
The first review is out
Solid rating from PA:
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-II-Review_id3134
I generally don't give much importance to PA reviews, but no harm in reading it whoever is interested.
Another preview: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_ii-review-811.php
A Korean review (note II got released on South Korea today). Of course I didn't understand a word but I noticed a new feature @1:53, the Note II has the same split screen feature as in the Note 10.1. Pure win. :highfive:
BGR's short pre-review:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaZrC98fnOk
Dialaphone review:
www.dialaphone.co.uk/blog/2012/09/27/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-a-display-of-power/
Hell Guardian said:
Thanks guys, great feed back
any news about the camera unit? no change at all? i know they wanted to use Sony's new BSI 13mp units but the production yields were low and LG already pre-ordered them for its Optimus G so Samsung had to stick with 8Mp camera units, so did they actually get better ones or used the same ones that take REALLY REALLY bad low light pictures? :/
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I'm not sure why you think the Galaxy Note II produces really really bad low light pictures? I have seen a Galaxy Note 1 & 2 picture comparison where it does seem like the Note 1 produces better pictures in wide dynamic range scenes.
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-II-vs-Galaxy-Note_id3136/page/3
But the difference is still minimal. I'm sure there will be a HDR mode like on all Galaxy phones, so when told to, it should be able to produce better images during harsh lighting conditions where there is intense brightness and dark shadows.
From what I hear, the 13 megapixel sensor on the Optimus G isn't all that great. It is providing marginally better resolutions in optimal lighting conditions while doing worse in low light situations than a 8MP sensor. From all the reports I'm reading, I'm seeing that the Note 2 will have a BSI (backlit sensor). Is there an article saying otherwise?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Check out my huge collection of 64GB Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Videos (Demos, Accessory Reviews)
http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-retail-unboxing-and-quick-hands-video
Amazing phone.
It may be of interest to some that the Mains charger that comes with the Note II has a 5 Volt 2 Amp output. With the large battery capacity, some of the existing
chargers you may have around your home (as well as car adaptors) are likely to be of a far lower output - typically 0.5 Amp to 1.0 Amp,
My Note II came from Handtec in the UK but the box clearly shows Samsung France and the default language on set up was French.
Not a review as such but a very recent Samsung promo from Korea showing many of the features including the split/multi screen mode (around 2min 10secs through video)
available only in some of the latest ROM versions.
phones4u review:
(can you really trust reviews from a place that sells phones though?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGxTDlVuoIs
Goodm7sn said:
I think he mentioned that bluetooth has to be ON for the phone to alert u when the s-pen isn't in place!??
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Click to collapse
No, he said bluetooth has to be on to detect if you walked away from the pen.
Regardless I don't believe this, and it doesn't say this in the manual.
I'll be testing it.
Another review:
http://www.autoomobile.com/news/samsung-galaxy-note-2-review/1004297/
Thread Cleaned
As much as the comments are appreciated, this is a review thread. The idea was to give prospective note 2 owners a good list of reviews to aid there decision. All of the discussion is just going to dilute this. So please i ask you, only post reviews in this thread.
I have now moved the comments thread from the original note forum. Please use that for general comments.
Cnet Review
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-note-2/4505-6452_7-35426722.html
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Click to collapse
DigitalTrends Review
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/samsung-galaxy-note-2-hands-on/
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First impressions mini review
I was lucky enough to be one of the first to buy the phone on the pre-launch day in London 30th September. I previously owned the Original Note and currently also have a Galaxy S3 so I was keen to compare them.
First thing I noticed was the Note II seemed less bulky but also appears to be heavier in the hand than the original. It's subjective but I also feel it looks more premium and more attractive. Some people aren't fans of the S3 styling but if like me, you are, then you'll love how the Note II is clearly the bigger brother of the S3.
The screen is vibrant and definitely brighter than original. Loss of the pentile matrix isn't that noticeable, there isn't a blue tint but I can't help feel there is a tiny hint of red instead. It's hard to tell.
Placing the S3 and Note II side by side however revealed something that made me a little disappointed. The text just isn't as sharp as the S3 and although I realise this is down to the overall resolution and on a much bigger screen, it just made me feel a little let down. It's still amazing of course and it was always going to be a challenge to beat the S3. Fortunately the Note II has many more goodies to distract you.
The S-Pen is better, being longer and now has a slight texture to the button making it easier to locate. Also shaped slightly different for easy slot loading. These are welcome changes. There's also a few neat tricks that have been introduced in what happens when you remove, insert or leave behind the pen. Some new gesture commands and clever interactions with various apps have been introduced.
I am not going to dwell on these features as they are all demonstrated in any of the online reviews you look at online. This review focuses on what my first impressions.
For the first time in a long time though I actually had to consult the manual to work out and discover the new smart features, because there are many of them! Various gesture and motions to interact, some useful others gimmicky. I found that: with the screen off and phone laying flat, you place your hand near to the screen and it glows and fades in slightly to reveal any missed notifications. This was a handy one for me. Then there's a way the phone knows you are laying on your side to view the screen so it doesn't rotate to landscape mode. It works and it's amazingly useful.
The speed of the device is highly noticeable over the original Note, understandably. It flies through any amount of screen swiping. Even with a custom launcher and hundreds of installed apps I stuck on there, it has no obvious lag at all.
Battery life is outstanding. Bearing in mind I haven't done too many recharge cycles, the battery is easily lasting all day with the screen on so much of the time and all those apps I mentioned! No issues for me there.
The camera is on a par with the S3, haven't had the pleasure of a nice day outside to test it fully. Low light shots are a slight improvement over previous incarnations.
Sound from the speaker is - at last - very very good. It's loud and has more bass and less distortion. Really am pleased this has been improved.
So for me, Samsung have done a great job with this 2nd generation. Build quality, battery life, raw power, feature rich and fully loaded. Difficult to fault and even more difficult to put down!
apprentice said:
I was lucky enough to be one of the first to buy the phone on the pre-launch day in London 30th September. I previously owned the Original Note and currently also have a Galaxy S3 so I was keen to compare them.
First thing I noticed was the Note II seemed less bulky but also appears to be heavier in the hand than the original. It's subjective but I also feel it looks more premium and more attractive. Some people aren't fans of the S3 styling but if like me, you are, then you'll love how the Note II is clearly the bigger brother of the S3.
The screen is vibrant and definitely brighter than original. Loss of the pentile matrix isn't that noticeable, there isn't a blue tint but I can't help feel there is a tiny hint of red instead. It's hard to tell.
Placing the S3 and Note II side by side however revealed something that made me a little disappointed. The text just isn't as sharp as the S3 and although I realise this is down to the overall resolution and on a much bigger screen, it just made me feel a little let down. It's still amazing of course and it was always going to be a challenge to beat the S3. Fortunately the Note II has many more goodies to distract you.
The S-Pen is better, being longer and now has a slight texture to the button making it easier to locate. Also shaped slightly different for easy slot loading. These are welcome changes. There's also a few neat tricks that have been introduced in what happens when you remove, insert or leave behind the pen. Some new gesture commands and clever interactions with various apps have been introduced.
I am not going to dwell on these features as they are all demonstrated in any of the online reviews you look at online. This review focuses on what my first impressions.
For the first time in a long time though I actually had to consult the manual to work out and discover the new smart features, because there are many of them! Various gesture and motions to interact, some useful others gimmicky. I found that: with the screen off and phone laying flat, you place your hand near to the screen and it glows and fades in slightly to reveal any missed notifications. This was a handy one for me. Then there's a way the phone knows you are laying on your side to view the screen so it doesn't rotate to landscape mode. It works and it's amazingly useful.
The speed of the device is highly noticeable over the original Note, understandably. It flies through any amount of screen swiping. Even with a custom launcher and hundreds of installed apps I stuck on there, it has no obvious lag at all.
Battery life is outstanding. Bearing in mind I haven't done too many recharge cycles, the battery is easily lasting all day with the screen on so much of the time and all those apps I mentioned! No issues for me there.
The camera is on a par with the S3, haven't had the pleasure of a nice day outside to test it fully. Low light shots are a slight improvement over previous incarnations.
Sound from the speaker is - at last - very very good. It's loud and has more bass and less distortion. Really am pleased this has been improved.
So for me, Samsung have done a great job with this 2nd generation. Build quality, battery life, raw power, feature rich and fully loaded. Difficult to fault and even more difficult to put down!
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Click to collapse
Glad to read more confirmations of the loudspeaker volume-quality as Samsung typically has been surprisingly weak there. Is the screen significantly brighter than the S3? How are the whites? I hope the camera burst mode is better than the S3?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1915487
Many pictures from russian review: http://hi-tech.mail.ru/review/misc/samsung_galaxy_note_2_n7100_obzor.html
An extensive review at Trusted Reviews. Scores higher than Fruitphone 5.
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/10/03/review_samsung_galaxy_note_2_gt_n7100_android_smartphone/
Highest score i've seen, there
GSMARENA Review
Samsung Galaxy Note II review: Writing home
Final Words
The Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100 is one beast of a droid and a major step forward for the class it represents. The second generation of the phablet is a massive upgrade, doubling the processing power of the predecessor, and bringing a bigger, and better, screen and an ampler battery.
The slimmer waistline and narrower body improve handling a great deal, and while the Note II still isn't the easiest smartphone to wield, it's much better than the original Note. There's also the new S Pen, which is not only more comfortable to use now, but also way better integrated into the platform.
Last, but certainly not least important, the Note II has received a host of software upgrades, which take the user experience a level up. From the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform and its Project Butter to the Buddy screens - it's obvious that Samsung's developers spared no effort to make the new Note as good as it can possibly get.
So the second-gen phablet comes across as a mature device that's able to deliver straight out of the box and give you a really smooth ride. A 5.5" screen however is certainly not for every taste, so recommending it isn't as easy as it may seem. As usual it all depends on the type of user you are.
The way we see it, there are several groups of users that would do well to consider the Galaxy Note II as their next device of choice.
First and foremost, it's those who want a true all-in-one smartphone. The Note II is able to match everything currently on the market for resolution and processing power and then raise the bid with the S Pen and the extra large screen.
Jelly Bean is still hard to come by on the market too, so the Note II is going to use that to its advantage as well, along with the various home-baked tweaks that Samsung delivered with TouchWiz.
So if you are the type of power user, who values performance over one-handed use and have pockets deep enough (literally and figuratively), the Note II seems like a perfect match. It certainly is more expensive than the Galaxy S III and the One X, but the screen upgrade alone is enough to justify the price difference, with the S Pen coming as a bonus.
The second group Samsung is aiming the Note II at is media buffs. Once again, the huge screen and the ample battery are the key weapons in the phablet's arsenal, but it also has vast codec support (both video and audio), and the expandable memory and mass storage mode to back it up.
If you fall in this group, you'll ideally have a tablet, which seems a bit better suited to the purpose, but it would be next to impossible to carry around in a pocket. We understand that the sheer size of the Galaxy Note II can put some users off, but we find it more than reasonably portable. Also there's the price thing - a capable smartphone and a good tablet will cost more than the Note II.
So if you want to save some cash and/or the effort to carry a bag for your tablet at all times, the Note II seems like a good compromise. In that case though, we'd suggest you check it out in person before forking out the cash.
Next up are people who like sketching things up on their smartphones (designers and the likes) and those who prefer taking notes the old-fashioned way - with a pen or a stylus. Samsung has made the Note II a pretty good device for the purpose and Wacom's input is easily able to make a huge difference between the Samsung phablet and anything else there is in the smartphone market.
And, finally, upgraders - and we'll just say it again: the Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100 is a worthy upgrade of its predecessor. You will notice an improvement in just about every part of the user experience, barring perhaps the camera. However, it's also a pricey upgrade and the original Note is still a pretty solid device. In a bit of a quandary there to be honest - if you love the original Note you'll want the second gen badly. But having money to burn will definitely help.
At the end of the day, the Samsung Galaxy Note II seems to have completed all it's here to do. Samsung have solidified its lead in the phablet market, while offering enough novelties to keep those already in it interested. There's also plenty of exclusive stuff too.
We guess some people will still be less than impressed by a bigger Galaxy S III with a stylus. And we're not saying that a big screen and a stylus is exactly what makes a near perfect smartphone better. But they can certainly do wonders for the right users.
Having come ftom the original Note I have been generally impressed and agree with much that has been said in the previous comments.
My only real disappointment has been to find out that apps cannot be moved to micro SD card. I have discovered that the Note II shares this 'feature' of the S3.
Having a large collection of apps that I have been accustomed to storing on a 64GB card on my original Note, I feel somewhat limited with 16GB of internal memory. I did try to get a 32GB or 64GB variant but their availability has yet to be announced.
Of further concern is that I have read that some leading devs are not supporting some Samsung products so I don't know if there will be a solution to my storsge concerns. Maybe I will have to swap my 16GB model when the 64GB model is released.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
Preliminary battery life review: http://www.digitalversus.com/mobile...te-2-battery-life-test-it-s-beast-n26373.html
Among Samsung handsets alone, the Note 2 pulverises its predecessor by practically doubling battery life! It's the same story compared with the Galaxy S3 too. In fact, the benchmark test showed 15 hrs 10 mins of feasible use time, which basically means the Note 2 can power on for two days of regular, reasonable use. Heavy users can knock about a third off that, however.
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Click to collapse
For those of you that now have this phone, what are your thoughts? I'm liking this phone more and more but do I need it, well, not really. I'm perfectly happy with my Nexus 4 running PA but there's something about this that has me wanting it. I think part of it is the fact that it's kind of the underdog. It will be exciting to see what the dev's come up with, ROM wise. Anyway, my brain is just spinning as usual, haha.
davela72 said:
For those of you that now have this phone, what are your thoughts? I'm liking this phone more and more but do I need it, well, not really. I'm perfectly happy with my Nexus 4 running PA but there's something about this that has me wanting it. I think part of it is the fact that it's kind of the underdog. It will be exciting to see what the dev's come up with, ROM wise. Anyway, my brain is just spinning as usual, haha.
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I'm coming from a sony X10 but the oppo find 5 is working good, I had no dead pixels everything worked out of the box.
I have some problems with contact syncing and gmail updates. Photographs are beautiful, but HDR is not really good on dark spots. (lots of noise because of ISO value's)
I did not wanted the nexus 4 because of the glass back. But I think I would also be happy with the nexus 4. But it is overpriced in the Netherlands, my oppo is cheaper then the nexus 4.
It is super fast compared to my X10. No idea how fast the nexus 4 is.
I think you can better donate some money to charity instead of buying yet another high-end phone
nice
previous phone: HTC Sensation
+ Display: WOW! youtube trailer in HD and people start peeping their eyes out!
+ Sound: I never heard a phone playing it sounds like this
+ Speed: I changed the default (ugly) launcher to APEX, this give's the phone a better feel
+ Camera: Although my previous phone was already 2 year old hence i cannot compare it to recent in-phone-camera's it looks great
+ Desgin: It is sharp but not too sharp edged, it's light and thin. the phone is big in size but because its slim dimensions you will not notice it in your jeans (unless you wear skinny jeans i guess, but who does that )
- Temperature when under load, i feel the device is getting pretty warm, your hands start being sweatty.
- Stock UI
Display
Simply Amazing. Bright & Crisp.
However, the screen responsiveness to your touch isn't very good. I find myself having to tap many things twice or three times to get it registered.Battery
Terrible. It seems to be draining even while sleeping.
My usual morning routine, I unplugged the phone from the charger. It's charged to 100% over night. I do a few light tasks like replying to text messages, flipping through Flipboard, see one 30 sec YouTube video, brightness setting at 50%.
After 20 minutes of usage, my battery gotten down from 100% to 78%.Speaker
Nice and loud. Best, I have ever heard. But, when you lay it on its back, the speaker will be completely muffled.Camera
Sucks. 13MP only in spirit. Colors are over saturated. And, the balance isn't there. Lots of graininess in images, even in ample light. Also, don't use the LED flash. Your pictures will be almost all blown white. Absolutely no setting like macro, scene mode, white balance, panaroma, etc.. Just point and shoot and hope for the best...and often times, it isn't.
My 8MP Nexus and 5MP iPad Mini can take picture and video much better.Stock Launcher
The widgets are fugly. Period.Build Quality
Strong like my unibody Macbook Pro. However, the power and volume rockers shifts around. The micro USB port is weak. I feel like I'm gonna break that port anytime soon.Software
Random reboots at least twice or three times a day. No idea why. I feel like I'm using Windows 95 all over again. Oh, and Gmail doesn't open up. Yeah, seriously, Gmail DOES NOT work on this phone. I have to use the other mail app instead. Latest firmware & Gmail update.
Software is actually 4.1, not 4.2. Coming from Nexus 4, that was a let down. I miss the swype style keyboard on 4.2.ROM
Currently, as of late March, no ROMsSide Note
USB wall charger & headphones look EXACTLY like the ones for iPhones. Apple will be calling them soon, if not already.
Conclusion
Beauty & the Beast.......okay, maybe just the Beauty and not much else.
Interesting perspective, thanks for sharing. Hopefully a lot of these things can be fixed with future updates. What's the deal with the Gmail not working and is this something that OPPO is aware of?
I really am happy with the phone. Looks great and stands out in the crowd. Screen is fabulous. It's a new kid on the block, so there are a few things that are not quite there yet. But it seems Oppo are really working hard to make a proper go at this. So far weekly updates and regular fixes. I attached a simple benchmark to give you an idea of the spec. I'm sure there are better performers out there, but it seems to hold it's own!
It seems that my take is a lot different than other peoples on the board, or maybe I got really lucky and got the perfect unit, My Droid DNA is in my drawer and my Oppo Find 5 is sitting on my coffee table right now. All I have to say is wow I am really quite surprised with the device, and I have a Droid DNA now, and my previous device was HTC One X International Version. So I have saw some very nice displays lately, and the Oppo Find 5 is right up there with the best of them, it handles its own. The only fault was that I got my Oppo Find 5 with 1 stuck pixel, you don't even notice it only if you look for it when it’s on the black part while its booting up, once the screen comes on you can’t even see it.
+ Display is really NICE! 1 pixel stuck, on par with Droid DNA SLCD3 and just as bright so you don't have to turn it up that far and waste battery.
+ Build Quality I can’t say enough about this, this thing feels like I could Drop it off the roof and it would last.
+ The All black front display looks so good just as nice or better than the One X, and it has that nice curve in the glass that makes it nice to use.
+ I haven't tried the stock ear buds, but with my Sony ear buds, this thing sounds great, no distortion at all, with bass high, all amps sound good.
+ The stock speaker is also a pleasant surprise, it sounds really good at high volume levels also, when set right, no distortion and it gets loud
+ I stuck with the default launcher to give it a try and it is pretty smooth, has a really nice settings layout. I may switch, it reminds me of MIUI
+ The camera is just as good as my HTC DNA, I don't remember which review said it was about like about like an 8MP LG, It shots fine pictures.
+ The white matte finish does not leave any fingerprints and the screen must have that stuff to keep fingerprints off it also, it barley gets fingerprints
+ I have ran plenty of benchmarks and my unit did not get hot at all as someone said, maybe I wasn't holding it where it was getting hot at on their device?
+ The complete design is what really shines on this phone on the outside, it looks so sleek, and I have already caught people glancing and looking at it, and I have only owned it for one day, if that says anything at all?
+ or - Don't know enough about battery life yet but so far mine seems to be holding up better today, now that it is on its second charge, With a full HD Display you have got to know how to manage your battery, turn things off that you are not using at the time, it worked on my One X and that thing was a nightmare. On my One X I also disabled all my apps that I didn't ever use. At least until we get Roms that will take out all the bloat junk. Today my battery is doing really well almost 2 hours screen time and 76% left.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- I would have to say that the launcher would have been better stock, but I like trying new things out. I really hope Paranoid Android comes to this phone that will be my rom of choice. I already know CM and MIUI are coming soon.
-- The Ugly widgets, Oppo have so many better widgets on their other phones (Oppo Finder, Oppo Way, Oppo 3?) all those widgets look better IMO. I wish I could replace them somehow by switching APKs; maybe someone knows how and could let me know?
-- Contrast I like the over saturated look we have a developer that is working on a kernel or app to set your display just how you like it, at least I think so anyway?- hopefully we can get this fixed soon I know it’s being worked on by paperweistage and his kernel hopefully he gets it figures out, but if you want to help he is looking for some help in his kernel thread, He is looking for JDI Display white-sheets. So help out if you can
And support our developer, that’s how we eventually get more custom Kernel Roms and Apps. Donate to them a couple dollars for a cold one or a coffee.
-- or + It is a little bit on the heavy side but look how it’s made! Some could call this a negative but I left it neutral because it is well balanced and with a full metal frame inside around it, I don't really mind it weighing 20 extra grams, at least hopefully my phone won’t shatter into a thousand pieces if it falls on the ground.
Add more later after I use it awhile longer.
Stock Find 5 Score
[/IMG]
BELOW MY DROID DNA with a custom kernel, once we get a custom kernel for the Find 5, I think it will do better than the DNA I couldn't get the scores I'm getting with the Find 5 with my DNA when it was stock maybe 18900 or 19500.
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
drvsbsm, awesome review! I was checking the OPPO forums earlier and was really getting mixed thoughts on the phone. I know this phone is new and things are just getting started and I think that is some of what's driving me to it. I remember when the Nokia N9 came out with it's Hartmann/Meego OS, I fell in love with that thing and it was pretty much a dead platform when released. It looks like OPPO is keeping up with bug fixes and putting out updates so that's a good sign. Most of all though, I think the thing is SEXY, a beautiful device.
I'm guessing the vendor on Amazon is the place to get it from, the one located in HK?
Thanks again guys!
Very , very good rewiew !
knite75 said:
Display
Simply AmazingBattery
Terrible. It seems to be draining even while sleepingSpeaker
Nice and loud.Camera
Sucks. My 8MP Nexus and 5MP iPad Mini can take picture and video much better. Absolutely no setting like scene mode, white balance, panaroma, etc in stock camera appStock Launcher
The widgets are fugly. Period.Build Quality
Strong like my unibody Macbook Pro. However, the power and volume rockers shifts around. The micro USB port is weak. I feel like I'm gonna break that port anytime soon.Software
Random reboots at least twice or three times a day. No idea why. I feel like I'm using Windows 95 all over again. Oh, and Gmail doesn't open up. Yeah, seriously, Gmail DOES NOT work on this phone. I have to use the other mail app instead.ROM
Currently, as of late March, no ROMsSide Note
USB wall charger & headphones look EXACTLY like the ones for iPhones. Apple will be calling them soon, if not already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1...... The good think is that the almost everything can be repaired (soft related )
Video camera isn't that very good.
Video is okay if the subject stands still. However, when subject runs or any fast moments, then video gets blurry or ghosting.
For example, here's a video of my daughter at her Taekwondo practice. Notice how she gets blurry when she starts running?
http://youtu.be/ln_2YvN6f78
knite75 said:
Video camera isn't that very good.
Video is okay if the subject stands still. However, when subject runs or any fast moments, then video gets blurry or ghosting.
For example, here's a video of my daughter at her Taekwondo practice. Notice how she gets blurry when she starts running?
http://youtu.be/ln_2YvN6f78
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully this will be addressed as OPPO is releasing an update within a few days for camera related issues.
I have a question about the screen durability. I read somewhere, maybe GSMArena, that the screen rippled very easily and was a bit flexible. That sounds very concerning. I've also heard a few things about poor touchscreen response. This may also be hardware only problem that can't be fixed with any updates.
A lot of these smaller phone makers can just buy off the shelf parts (figuratively) and bulid their own phone. They don't need to develop their own hardware components, just how everything fits together and the overall design. The camera is an Exmor RS from Sony, and the screen is probably a 1080p panel from Sharp. Of course the processor is Qualcomm.
The biggest problem these small relatively no name companies face is the software. It's the brains that makes the smartphone smart, and having a small and inexperienced team, especially while trying to make your own skin, can lead to many shortcomings, from bugs to performance issues to compatibility to poor hardware utilization and battery life. A lot of this stuff even the big boys have trouble with and they have far bigger teams with far more experience. Oppo should go the route that BLU is taking in the future. BLU has a really horrible skin, allegedly, and unstable and buggy phones, but they are supposedly putting stock Android on their new Life series line of phones.
From what I've gathered, the screen is made by JDI?
katamari201 said:
I have a question about the screen durability. I read somewhere, maybe GSMArena, that the screen rippled very easily and was a bit flexible. That sounds very concerning. I've also heard a few things about poor touchscreen response. This may also be hardware only problem that can't be fixed with any updates.
A lot of these smaller phone makers can just buy off the shelf parts (figuratively) and bulid their own phone. They don't need to develop their own hardware components, just how everything fits together and the overall design. The camera is an Exmor RS from Sony, and the screen is probably a 1080p panel from Sharp. Of course the processor is Qualcomm.
The biggest problem these small relatively no name companies face is the software. It's the brains that makes the smartphone smart, and having a small and inexperienced team, especially while trying to make your own skin, can lead to many shortcomings, from bugs to performance issues to compatibility to poor hardware utilization and battery life. A lot of this stuff even the big boys have trouble with and they have far bigger teams with far more experience. Oppo should go the route that BLU is taking in the future. BLU has a really horrible skin, allegedly, and unstable and buggy phones, but they are supposedly putting stock Android on their new Life series line of phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen is from JDI. seems pretty sturdy to me. They seem to be keeping on top of things. But they have a very good reputation in the high end Av community. It's also not their 1st phone. Just their first soiree in the international market.
I have had my Find 5 for more than a week now sans screen protector. Unfortunately, there are lots of micro scratches already. And, I'm very conscious about where I put and use my phone.
Same practice, my Nexus 4 fair much better even after six months of usage.
All in all, have screen protector or don't have too long of finger nails.
katamari201 said:
I have a question about the screen durability. I read somewhere, maybe GSMArena, that the screen rippled very easily and was a bit flexible. That sounds very concerning. I've also heard a few things about poor touchscreen response. This may also be hardware only problem that can't be fixed with any updates.
A lot of these smaller phone makers can just buy off the shelf parts (figuratively) and bulid their own phone. They don't need to develop their own hardware components, just how everything fits together and the overall design. The camera is an Exmor RS from Sony, and the screen is probably a 1080p panel from Sharp. Of course the processor is Qualcomm.
The biggest problem these small relatively no name companies face is the software. It's the brains that makes the smartphone smart, and having a small and inexperienced team, especially while trying to make your own skin, can lead to many shortcomings, from bugs to performance issues to compatibility to poor hardware utilization and battery life. A lot of this stuff even the big boys have trouble with and they have far bigger teams with far more experience. Oppo should go the route that BLU is taking in the future. BLU has a really horrible skin, allegedly, and unstable and buggy phones, but they are supposedly putting stock Android on their new Life series line of phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New firmware 328,it has camera fixes...
No marked improvement or fixes to camera with latest firmware.
Just new feature: panorama.
Oppo should focus on fixing all the basic camera problems, rather than, adding gimmick useless feature.
knite75 said:
No marked improvement or fixes to camera with latest firmware.
Just new feature: panorama.
Oppo should focus on fixing all the basic camera problems, rather than, adding gimmick useless feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow knite please get back to your iphone.
They tweaked a bit around with the iso settings. But not something really spectaculair.
At least they did something. Most companies will be like :"DEAL WITH IT!"
Haas8 said:
Wow knite please get back to your iphone.
They tweaked a bit around with the iso settings. But not something really spectaculair.
At least they did something. Most companies will be like :"DEAL WITH IT!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most company would release software when it's ready and in decent condition for general public consumption... Not beta....or alpha in this case.
Check the camera... Aside from poor image quality.... Do see any basic features like:
Macro
White Balance
Scene Mode
As a matter of fact, on Oppo forums, lots of threads and discussion on how poor the pictures and video are turning out... Oppo just ignore them...basically, saying "DEAL WITH IT!"
Instead, they spent their finite limited development resources in adding useless Panorama feature. When is the last time you took a panorama picture, aside from just wanting to see how it works?
I took a panorama earlier at dinner actually. I did the update out of the box and didn't know it added that so that's cool lol.
Sent from my X909 using xda premium
Author's comments: I have always loved HTC phones, my first high-end phone was the original HTC EVO and I am the maker of the Azrael ROM for that phone (which eventually became Azrael X). I also was a proud owner of a HTC EVO 3D. But I have had my share of Samsung devices as well. I have had the Samsung Captivate, the Samsung Galaxy S3, and most recently the Samsung Galaxy S4. I also tried the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom but found for me it was impossible to store and I did not like the false advertising as it is NO S4. It is gimped compared to the S4.
So to sum it off, I like Samsung and HTC, I am no fanboy, I simply choose the device I think fits me best. I am also aware there are other threads like this, but this is just another opinion or another review, so to speak. I hope this proves helpful if you are on the fence about either device.
CONSTRUCTION:
Samsung Galaxy S4: I have easily broken every Samsung phone's screen I have ever had (except the Captivate, which seems to be to invincible!). Let me get that out of the way before I go anywhere else. Do not think Gorilla Glass will live up to it's name! I am not abusive to my phones but I have dropped them while at work especially. I am sure everyone drops their phone from time to time, or it falls out of your hoodie (which has doomed 2 of my phones).
The Captivate was a little tank, that phone is smaller but it feels substantial in your hands and I feel it is the most well made Samsung phone. The S3 and S4 feel very plastic in your hands because frankly, they are! The screen on both my S3 and S4 broke with small drops on the edge toward where the power button is, which makes me think it is a weak spot. The rest of the phone holds up well, despite feeling like it will not but unless you have a very protective case which protects the screen, it does not take much to break the glass.
But as far as the overall setup goes (button locations, etc) I like the 3 button navigation, gestures are pretty cool but I did not use them much. The removable battery and Micro-SD card ports are great to have.
HTC One: Much better build quality, a slightly smaller screen, and aluminum both look and feel nice. I have only had mine for a short time but I was able to tell right away that I liked HTC's construction a LOT better than Samsung's. The phone looks cooler, is a little heavier in the hands (which I like, actually), and the design is very nice. I have not dropped this phone yet in 3 weeks I have owned it, but I am certain if I did it would hold up better.
Where I like the S4 better is the fact you can open the back up and there is a Micro SD-card expansion the HTC lacks. If you carry tons of stuff on your phone, the S4 might be a better bet. I also like the 3 navigation keys on the S4 compared to the HTC One's 2. It took me a bit of getting used to navigating the phone without a back button.
My opinion: Samsung Galaxy S4 has more expandability and I like the fact you can access the battery. But for build quality, there is no comparison. The HTC One is better built and would hold up better.
DISPLAY:
Samsung Galaxy S4: I love the display but I have a few reservations. It is 5.0 Inches with 441 PPI, colorful, and overall very nice with a sharp full-HD resolution. I found the S4 has slightly exaggerated colors, which sometimes look "off" to me. I found even the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, with it's smaller and lower resolution screen, looked way better thanks to improved color accuracy and the brighter display. The S4 Screen was a bit of a letdown for me, to be honest. Still nice for what it is but I feel they could have made it better.
HTC One: Hands down, a much better display, despite it's slightly smaller size. It is full HD, 4.7 Inches, and an extremely high 468 PPI. The HTC One has one of the best cell phone displays I have ever seen, it is more or less perfect. The PPI is higher than the Samsung's and the colors pop without being over-saturated. It has better contrast than the S4 too, which only has an advantage of a slightly bigger screen.
My opinion: No contest, the HTC One display is sharper, better contrast, and higher quality. The S4 is .3 inches bigger, which is not much. Both look good though
SOUND QUALITY:
Samsung Galaxy S4: Another area I think Samsung dropped the ball is the sound quality. The Galaxy S4 sounds awesome with headphones, no doubt. Yet the built in speaker is low quality and distorts easily at higher volumes. In fact, the S3 had a superior speaker compared to the S4. While loud in a quiet room, it's easy to miss calls unless you have it on vibrate as well. Call quality is good but the earpiece speaker is pathetic. Mine distorted easily, barely went loud enough, and had a tinny sound. The S3, again, had a superior speaker for the earpiece. I also found a lot of the ringtones are downright annoying and I had trouble picking one I really liked. Thankfully, custom ROMS have their own versions that are good.
HTC One: Front facing stereo speakers that sound good and go very loud, Beats Audio, a good earpiece speaker, and amazing sound that comes from the headphone jack. For Multimedia experience, the HTC One walks all over the Samsung Galaxy S4. With sound more than display, there is NO question which is the superior device of the two for music or Multimedia. The built in ringtones and sound samples are superior and sound cooler (unless you are into animal sounds or ethnic sounds).
My opinion: I think the S4 is far inferior to the HTC One is sound, the S4 seems to use low quality components (except the headphone jack circuitry and DAC). The HTC One by a landslide.
USER INTERFACE:
Samsung Galaxy S4: Uses Touchwiz, a lot more like vanilla Android. I like Touchwiz a lot and find it both easy to navigate and easy to use on a regular basis.
HTC One: Sense, which I have always loved. While I am not as used to it as Touchwiz, Sense looks good, has good functionality, and I do like the news and social feeds.
My opinion: This is purely personal preference. Both work good and are easy to figure out. I prefer things about both, I think Touchwiz is a little bit easier (but I am more used to it) and Sense has more features. Both are great.
SPECS:
Samsung Galaxy S4: For raw horsepower, on paper the Galaxy S4 is a step up from the HTC One. Super fast, great with games, and lag is rare. But, I also have seen the S4 lag quite a bit even when just using the phone. In actual use, the S4 is the slower of the two usually. Surprising but true.
HTC One: In execution, I have seen no difference in games or using the device day to day. Despite slightly lower specs, the HTC One is just as fast and if the S4 is faster (which it should be according to benchmarks), you do not see it in use. In fact, the HTC One seems to be the faster of the two in actual use. Benchmarks and specs are great but useless in actual use.
My opinion: Both are snappy and are great for games. I would not buy one or the other because of the specs, but in theory the S4 is slightly superior (but you are splitting hairs, really). Both are currently 2 of the fastest devices around. I find the HTC One the faster of the two in actual use, which is surprising.
CAMERA:
Samsung Galaxy S4: with 13 Megapixels, a back-lit sensor, and a bunch of image editing options, the camera is more than adequate for most people. The front facing camera is pretty decent too, I have managed to take some great photos with the S4 as I am sure anyone can. Ghosting around moving objects is the Achilles heel with the S4.
HTC One: With a 4 Megapixel "Ultrapixel" Camera, though it sounds worse on paper, I find they both tradeoff in the camera department. The colors are less vibrant but more natural looking in general on the HTC One. I found the image stabilization to work better on the One, so it is easier to get a better shot.
My opinion: For more vibrant looking photos, or for larger blowups of taken photos, the S4 is the pick. For more natural color, better image stabilization, and a wider angle, the HTC One is the better device. They both have good cameras though, and I am sure they will satisfy anyone who likes to snap photos with their phones. I prefer the HTC One camera overall though.
DEVELOPMENT:
Samsung Galaxy S4: Awesome developers with decently active development going on. But Samsung has been more active in trying to prevent tampering with the phone, so it is harder to root it and get past the protection. The removable SD Card can save your butt if you get into a bootloop as it allows you to have another means to push a different ROM (or firmware, etc) onto the phone if you get into trouble.
HTC One: HTC is a lot more helpful when it comes to unlocking the phone for developers. They even have a website which allows you to get root access (though still S-On) and is simple to use with full instructions. Once you have done that, getting full S-Off, changing firmwares, and even turning your device into more customizable versions (like the Google Play edition or Super CID which is unlocked) is easy to do. The development is as active as the S4 with a lot of very good developers that have been around a long time.
My opinion: The HTC One is your ticket if you want an easier time gaining full root access and not having to worry about HTC coming out with new ways to thwart you from getting full access. In fact, users with newer Galaxy S4 phones have a bootloader that has yet to be fully cracked, which causes a headache and prevents you from easily changing radios or firmwares. It also requires you to use tricks just to put a custom ROM on the phone.
CONCLUSION: Both amazing phones, you cannot go wrong with either. Both are fast, run the newest versions of Android, and have tons of features.
For raw horsepower, removable storage, and a more vanilla-Android like interface the S4 may be the better phone for you.
For MUCH better sound and video quality, a better and more durable build quality, and a chipset that seems just as fast, the HTC One is your meal-ticket. It is also much easier to customize, so if you want to install and run custom ROMS and keep the ability to run custom firmware and radios, the HTC One is yet again the better advice. If you like Sense, you will love the HTC One!
To me, the HTC One is a better device in all ways that are important. A large part of a smartphone is the display and sound for the games and multimedia, and in that respect the HTC One is the better device.
I will likely have to edit this for mistakes but I hope this is helpful and I tried to be as subjective as possible. Both are super nice and show that technology in these phones is quite amazing and will just continue to improve over time. :good:
Good to hear your opinion. Now mods can you close this thread. What a waste of writing.
No comparison thread, you should know this.
Duuuuuuuude! This is very very detailed,
But its probably gonna get closed man. Comparison threads like this have been closed multiple times in the One forums already.
That being said I agree with most of the points you've covered except for a few.
- You mentioned the button layout and said the One is missing the back button... I'm sure you meant the menu button though. Like it or not "menu" buttons are gonna die out. Googles design philosophy opts for the on screen 3 dot menu buttons inside apps.
- I'm not sure how your s4 managed to match the One in speed. In my time comparing the two directly, the S4 has noticeable lag compared to the One. The One is much smoother in real world use. Benchmarks are completely useless imho.
- Also I know its subjective but the consensus around here seems to be different when it comes to Sense vs Touchwiz. You said both are easy to use, and that Sense has more features. Actually, Touchwiz definitely has more "features" to the point of being bloated and gimmicky. Sense is much leaner and easier to use imo. Sense isn't bloated with things nobody will ever use, part of why its a cleaner faster experience I think.
- Not sure what you mean by the s4 being a good choice if you want a more vanilla android experience... Touchwiz is about the furthest away from vanilla android you can get. If your referring to the legacy menu button then as I've said before, that is actually against googles design philosophy, look at nexus devices. No menu button.
Good write up for the most part, and I agree with your conclusion. :thumbup:
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Xstop said:
Good to hear your opinion. Now mods can you close this thread. What a waste of writing.
No comparison thread, you should know this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not meant as a comparison thread, rather my own experience with the phones and to help choose between the two as choosing a device is difficult. For one, what do you care if I write this, does it interfere with your day to day life? Are you a "thread police officer"? At least my thread could be helpful, yours is more of a waste of writing IMO.
FanDroid09 said:
Duuuuuuuude! This is very very detailed,
But its probably gonna get closed man. Comparison threads like this have been closed multiple times in the One forums already.
That being said I agree with most of the points you've covered except for a few.
- You mentioned the button layout and said the One is missing the back button... I'm sure you meant the menu button though. Like it or not "menu" buttons are gonna die out. Googles design philosophy opts for the on screen 3 dot menu buttons inside apps.
- I'm not sure how your s4 managed to match the One in speed. In my time comparing the two directly, the S4 has noticeable lag compared to the One. The One is much smoother in real world use. Benchmarks are completely useless imho.
- Also I know its subjective but the consensus around here seems to be different when it comes to Sense vs Touchwiz. You said both are easy to use, and that Sense has more features. Actually, Touchwiz definitely has more "features" to the point of being bloated and gimmicky. Sense is much leaner and easier to use imo. Sense isn't bloated with things nobody will ever use, part of why its a cleaner faster experience I think.
- Not sure what you mean by the s4 being a good choice if you want a more vanilla android experience... Touchwiz is about the furthest away from vanilla android you can get. If your referring to the legacy menu button then as I've said before, that is actually against googles design philosophy, look at nexus devices. No menu button.
Good write up for the most part, and I agree with your conclusion. :thumbup:
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, and I am glad you agree with my conclusion. I think Touchwiz is a lot more like vanilla Android, but opinions are just that. As far as looks go, for behavior sure it is nothing like Google's version of Android. The extra button makes it easy to navigate for me. But as I said, I am just far more used to it (plus my S3 had the same.)
I totally agree, the S4 seems the slower of the two devices in use, especially when just using the interface itself. The S4 seemed to lag a lot out of the blue, maybe because they just have so much junk running in the background? I have been running custom ROMS (much cleaner) with overclocked kernels so my S4 was snappy and lost the lag problems, but with the HTC One I did not even have to do that.
ricsim78 said:
It is not meant as a comparison thread, rather my own experience with the phones and to help choose between the two as choosing a device is difficult. For one, what do you care if I write this, does it interfere with your day to day life? Are you a "thread police officer"? At least my thread could be helpful, yours is more of a waste of writing IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is definitely a comparison thread. I mean its pretty much the definition of a comparison thread haha.
He is not a thread police officer but he is right. And this thread is going to be closed once an actual "thread police officer" notices it. Sorry man, these threads are just plain against the rules.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Just an fyi....
Gorilla glass has nothing to do with how easily a screen breaks, it is a coating which makes it scratch less easily
crixley said:
Just an fyi....
Gorilla glass has nothing to do with how easily a screen breaks, it is a coating which makes it scratch less easily
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand that, but some people may be under the illusion it is strong. I did...before I had the S3 and it broke being dropped less than 3 feet onto an office carpet.
FanDroid09 said:
This is definitely a comparison thread. I mean its pretty much the definition of a comparison thread haha.
He is not a thread police officer but he is right. And this thread is going to be closed once an actual "thread police officer" notices it. Sorry man, these threads are just plain against the rules.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
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I guess things have changed here, I have not really used the forums much in a long time. I am not trying to break any rules or do a direct comparison thread, I just know it is hard to pick a phone (I had a heck of a time choosing one more than once) but IMO there is no comparison (hence why I own a HTC One now and had a S4 )
Mods, if this is against the rules please close it and sorry. But even if 1 person finds it useful, it is no waste. I also have seen a few other threads like this on here and they were not deleted (hence why I thought it was okay).
ricsim78 said:
I understand that, but some people may be under the illusion it is strong. I did...before I had the S3 and it broke being dropped less than 3 feet onto an office carpet.
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Glass is glass....
They never ever marketed it saying it would survive falls better.
So I think to say it doesn't live up to its name is fallacious
crixley said:
Glass is glass....
They never ever marketed it saying it would survive falls better.
So I think to say it doesn't live up to its name is fallacious
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While Samsung did not (they DO list it as a feature), Corning, the makers of Gorilla Glass, DO market it is the strongest glass you can buy that comes on a phone. If you do not believe me, Google it. It can give you false impressions about it's strengths, but I have dropped my HTC Evo and my Evo 3D (in fact, the Evo 3D fell out of my pocket and rolled down concrete steps) and they both survived without a scratch. I think it is the design of the S4 (glass covers the whole front of the phone) that contributes to this.
Thread closed.
As stated this is a comparison thread and these are not allowed under forum rules. The forum moderators have discussed this and decieded to have the thread closed.
Touchscreen latency issues seemed to be buried with OP2 completely and OP3 at the beginning. There was one great article regarding OP3 xda-developer article and there was promises for better performance with OPV. If you haven't felt and appreciated the buttery smoothness of a Nexus, a Pixel or a iPhone OPV shouldn't be a problem but faster the better, right? So I don't want a phone with latency like OP2 or 3 did. I hope touch latency isn't a problem with OP5 and if it is I hope the problem doesn't get buried like it did with previous OPes.
Post experiences (and what you have compared it to)!
At least in the initial plethora of reviews all of them said the OP5 had a buttery smooth UI and when some compared it to the S8 said it was smoother. I'm not talking about the contentious bench mark tests either. These reviewers had the OP5 for two weeks before the release having signed a non-disclosure agreement.
Did you not watch the launch stream? There was a segment where they CLEARLY focused on fixing this issue.
This is a big problem, none of the reviewers seems to have focussed on. There is this french review which pegs the lags at 88 ms which IMHO is too high.
http://www.lesnumeriques.com/telephone-portable/oneplus-5-128-go-8-go-ram-p38963/test.html
Nitemare3219 said:
Did you not watch the launch stream? There was a segment where they CLEARLY focused on fixing this issue.
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Nitemare3219 said:
Did you not watch the launch stream? There was a segment where they CLEARLY focused on fixing this issue.
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Haven't had time. Should probably have but segment on launch stream isn't good enough for me because we all should know they aren't exactly 100% trustworthy.
Maybe I'm expecting a bit too much and a bit "ruined" because I use mainly my pc that has a 144hz monitor and a good mouse so it has as fast as available response time and I'm comparing phones a bit to that.
I think user amathur2k posted something worth noting. If OP5 truly has 88ms and iPhone 41ms so that's double difference and I'm sure it's meaningful. It's the difference of good and excellent. But now that I've looked up some articles (can't link them - forum's new user restrictions) maybe all devices are worse than I've expected and I'm expecting just too much from my phone.
So OK OnePlus 5 is fine but I want to see something like 10ms (I know i'ts not realistic currently)
3DSammy said:
At least in the initial plethora of reviews all of them said the OP5 had a buttery smooth UI and when some compared it to the S8 said it was smoother. I'm not talking about the contentious bench mark tests either. These reviewers had the OP5 for two weeks before the release having signed a non-disclosure agreement.
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Sounds good based on reviews and especially if they say that in comparison to s8 but s8 isn't directly comparable because touchwiz has some "interesting" UI desicions and one of them is ensuring that touches are registered correctly so that escpecially wipes are ensured. I think galaxy does that by doing what for many is excessive smoothing but maybe better for a mainstream product like galaxy. So I think OnePlus is a bit more raw with it's input handling.
What worries me is that exactly the same was said about OnePlus 2 in reviews and especially now that reviewers have written a agreement ( I don't know if it's normal ) there may have been some pressure to say that it's smooth and as they propably haven't directly pressured the hypetrain definitely has.