Database Users

Potential buyer - what is the common fault + other questions

So I am now considering this phone having previously considered 2 other phones that have very common faults, first the HTC Desire has random reboots then I decided I'd look at the Motorola Defy which I actually did buy but then the earpiece died seems this is very common too .
Is there a common fault with this phone? I'd like to know before I get to set on it.
Also:
How is the battery life? with a 4" AMOLED screen surely it can't be too good.
I understand it comes in two varieties (8GB & 16GB), which is do they sell on AmazonUK?
Because it comes in two memory options does this mean it doesn't support micro SDHC expandability? (I have a 16GB SDHC card from the Defy, would be a shame to waste)
Am I right to assume it has a-GPS as well?
What version of Android does it have currently? and what are the upgrade plans?
Thanks

jtak1 said:
So I am now considering this phone having previously considered 2 other phones that have very common faults, first the HTC Desire has random reboots then I decided I'd look at the Motorola Defy which I actually did buy but then the earpiece died seems this is very common too .
Is there a common fault with this phone? I'd like to know before I get to set on it.
Also:
How is the battery life? with a 4" AMOLED screen surely it can't be too good.
I understand it comes in two varieties (8GB & 16GB), which is do they sell on AmazonUK?
Because it comes in two memory options does this mean it doesn't support micro SDHC expandability? (I have a 16GB SDHC card from the Defy, would be a shame to waste)
Am I right to assume it has a-GPS as well?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok where should i start...?
First yes u can expand menory with a micro sdhc. The phone has built in gps. But dome people report problems with lock and accuracy. Cant tell u much about this cause mine seems to work without any problems. A much bigger minus point is that it seems a litle laggy out of the box and they get worse the longer u have it. BUT actually there are several fixes for both of the provlems here on the forum.
So if u like to play around and tweak whatever u can then id say this one is the best u can have.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

Latest Android 2.2.1 no lag .
GPS for me excellent .
has A-GPS
Common as in the majority have a problem or do you mean the occasional phone has a problem .
jje

Durability of the Super AMOLED is underwhelming
see the link on my sig and judge for your self, still a great phone..

Oh yeah forgot to answer for amoled....
Well as on any phone screen is the most energy hungry thing. But the difference from amoled to others is, that black parts of a picture are "on standby" so they dont use as much power as white parts. And amoled doesnt have a back light so its really energy saving compared to others.
To be honest, battery drain IS a problem but compared to other smartphones this one is one of the best (if not THE best)
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

Thanks for all your replies
JJEgan said:
Common as in the majority have a problem or do you mean the occasional phone has a problem .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both. See its hard to tell how common a fault is because most people only post/mention when they have a problem making it seem more common then it is so I'm really looking for what multiple people have reported.
EarlZ said:
Durability of the Super AMOLED is underwhelming
see the link on my sig and judge for your self, still a great phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm that is slightly worrying has anyone else on this board mentioned the same issue?
shrooms90 said:
To be honest, battery drain IS a problem but compared to other smartphones this one is one of the best (if not THE best)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it easily do at least 1 day with out a recharge, or does it struggle to do a day (with moderate usage)?
Also would it be recommended that I get a case/cover. It has Gorilla Glass right?
Has Android 2.3 been confirmed? If so when's it out.
And (finally for now anyway ) did Samsung announce anything interesting at CES?
Thanks I know its a lot of questions but I do really appreciate your help.

Personally I think you'd be better of waiting for the new Tegra 2 dual core phones. If not why not invest in a Samsung Infuse when it comes out. Now that's a phone

PaulForde said:
Personally I think you'd be better of waiting for the new Tegra 2 dual core phones. If not why not invest in a Samsung Infuse when it comes out. Now that's a phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this is a better idea, the Galaxy S2 should be out pretty soon.. I doubt the Galaxy S1 will reach 1yr as the top tier phone.. even though samsung said something like for 13 months it will be the top.

Personally I would wait for the Samsung Galaxy S2 as that is due to arrive/be announced soon (see engadget news recently). In regards to the other questions here we go:
Bell Samsung Galaxy S 2.2.1 (phone bought Aug 4th)
1) No lag. period.
2) GPS works, locks within 10metres, and stays locked. It is very hard to get a lock within a building but I imagine this is common across most GPS devices. Inside my car I get a fast lock and accurate while on the highway for example.
3) SAMOLED burn-in or degradation? I have had no issue. I would say the case above is rare especially since most people are not reporting an issue.
4) Battery life: lasts a bit more than 24 hours with frequent texting and a few hour or so calls. Idling where I am not making a lot of calls it lasts well over a day. Overnight it loses less than 10% battery.
5) It has gorilla glass.
Nothing announced at CES however they are teasing an announcement in feb with the tagline "evolution is fate" beside a galaxy S. See engadget for more details.

The I <3 my sgs2 thread

Just really getting tired of all these silly threads coming up on how someone has the most minute problem with this Zeus of a phone and needs to bash bash bash. I wanted to create a thread where users can post on the things that make them love their sgs2.
For me its the 1080p video recording. Just installed the modded camera apk from the Dev section and took a video. WOW am I impressed.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

I agree. Really impressed by the device. Using it for 3 weeks now and it never failed. Coming from Milestone, this is heaven.

I was thinking of starting a similar thread. With every person with an issue posting a crisis thread assuming everyone else is having the same problem the front page looks a horror story. Then the same three people with the issue post a dozen posts, basically to each other, and you have three pages worth of the exact same thing repeated over and over. Then, god forbid you post anything that doesn't support the latest conspiracy theory and you're flamed.
My phone's part of my life - not my life. I don't think that's so for some of my fellow owners. I mean seriously, I know the phone's not cheap, and it's not perfect, but compared to everything out there it's fantastic. Using a car analogy, if the dash lighting on your BMW's not to your liking you suck it up. You don't try to get a gaggle of those that also don't like the dash lighting and attack BMW. Either live with it, trade the car in, and/or never buy another BMW again. The same thing applies to the SGS2. If Samsung does lurk this board we're undoubtedly providing them with tons of laughs as a small percentage of users are ballistic having had the realization the phone wasn't designed specifically for them.
Anyway, I just got back from an extended trip and here's some of the things I really like about the phone:
1) The software's tight. It responds quickly and consistently each and every time. I've had no funkiness turning the various data functions on and off and all the integrated apps work well together just like they're supposed to.
2) As a media device the phone's the best out there. I downloads a bunch of MKV files before the trip and the phone isn't even phased. Web browsing is fast and fluid and I personally like the Media and Reader Hubs.
3) As an audio device the phone's great. I have about 2,000 tracks on it that are DRM protected Rhapsody files and they play flawlessly. The audio output's great for the way I use the phone - through headphones, via Bluetooth, and through the onboard speaker.
4) The phone aspect works well for me. I can hear people clearly and they can hear me both through the handset and Bluetooth. So many new high-end phones suck at being just a phone.
5) I love the screen. The vividness of the colors and blackness of the blacks are unmatched. That especially shines through with videos, pictures, and web browsing.
Well, those are the things that stand out for me. Anything not mentioned doesn't mean I don't like it, they're either not important or functioning as designed. The latter being a good thing.
So to all potential purchasers, take time to read through this forum beyond the crisis posts. The mute majority is actually quite happy with the SGS2.

Everything nothing is bad some can be improved is my view battery display GPS good .
My phone's part of my life - not my life
Agree but you must understand many posters love the phone as they cannot get a girlfriend .
Others are not technically minded enough to use the phone the ones who double post dont use search or read faqs must fall in to that category .
Then their are the sad ex Iphone users who need hand holding or HTC who buy a phone without sense ..
jje

Agreed. People take this stuff way too close to the heart.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Well, I love my SGS2. I can post here It may not be 100% perfect, but no phone is. This device is the best on the Market right now imo, I recommend it to my friends. They really like the screen, the colours and ultra blacks
I seriously couldnt think of anything I dont like. Only thing I hope is developers start optimizing their apps for the Galaxy S II!

i luv luv luv my sgs2

JJEgan said:
Agree but you must understand many posters love the phone as they cannot get a girlfriend .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMFAO! that's pretty funny! I actually think they COULD get a girlfriend, but it's easier to invest 600+ euro in a phone, rather than investing 600+ euro in a make over, getting into shape and dating. Lol. I love my phones, a lot. But that has NEVER stopped me from dating hehe.
EDIT: You can always find a way to get both in your life! Like, taking public transport to dates, and then while in the tube / bus / train, you could tinker with your phone ^^

I've bought Samsung Galaxy S 2 few days ago and it's incredible!
Granted, I used to have Touch HD so I don't really have anythin good to compare it to, but anyway, I'm in love with it.
P.S. This is like my second post or something
Have fun

I agree. In fact reading so many threads about issues here and there, I started getting cold feet and became concerned the device would be sub-par. However, its an amazing device.
I love the HD recording. I love that Samsung took issues with the previous Galaxy S series and added new functions. For example, there are now settings to change the touch-key light settings to 1.5s to 6s to always off/on or only in the dark. Nice feature. My battery life is better than I had hoped for and haven't even used the power mode feature which is also a nice feature.
My previous phone was a Captivate with serious GPS issues. The GPS in the SGS2 can get up to 4m-10m accuracy. I take the train everyday and while the Cappy used to show me a few km away on a highway, the SGS2 will actually show me as being on the train tracks with dead on accuracy.
It doesn't overheat, doesn't have any yellow streaks and I love my SGS2

I love being able to do anything within 3 seconds with my SGS2
Me: *click *click "Bring me pizza! Now!"
SGS2: Your wish is my command, sir. Meanwhile, could you please rephrase your voice command?
Me: ArrrRRRrr!

coincoinlapin said:
I love being able to do anything within 3 seconds with my SGS2
Me: *click *click "Bring me pizza! Now!"
SGS2: Your wish is my command, sir. Meanwhile, could you please rephrase your voice command?
Me: ArrrRRRrr!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ha ha ha LOL!

Yeah with every day and with every tuning and tweaking and every new good app
I love it more and more.
At the beginning, i allready thought to get it back.. but now i wouldn't give it away

blue265 said:
I agree. In fact reading so many threads about issues here and there, I started getting cold feet and became concerned the device would be sub-par. However, its an amazing device.
I love the HD recording. I love that Samsung took issues with the previous Galaxy S series and added new functions. For example, there are now settings to change the touch-key light settings to 1.5s to 6s to always off/on or only in the dark. Nice feature. My battery life is better than I had hoped for and haven't even used the power mode feature which is also a nice feature.
My previous phone was a Captivate with serious GPS issues. The GPS in the SGS2 can get up to 4m-10m accuracy. I take the train everyday and while the Cappy used to show me a few km away on a highway, the SGS2 will actually show me as being on the train tracks with dead on accuracy.
It doesn't overheat, doesn't have any yellow streaks and I love my SGS2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now this is comforting to hear. Like the man said I was getting cold feet, first the camera issue, now the OELD burnin/yellow issues, people whining about wifi range and battery life.
You'd think this device was a disaster. Yet all the reviews praise the **** out of it. So I was starting to have some doubts about buying it but, it's really nice to see some positive community feedback that goes to show once again that a very loud minority can indeed make you doubt your choices...

Most of these forums are plagued with issues posting because
1. These forums are the easiest location to find solutions for issues. Great gateway to compare experiences (it would be great if people searched and posted in the same topic thread instead of making a new one)
2. It represents a very tiny part of the whole population of owners hence amplifying the issues no matter how many folks are affected by it
3. Most folks won't post unless they run into an issue
As for me. Device has been nothing but stellar
- Great battery life (much better than any other smartphone that i've had and i've had many since the winmo slide out qwerty keyboard device days)
- Improved SAMOLED screen over the last gen and it's noticeably sharper
- Form factor. There is nothing else like it and it's comfortable in my hand and my pocket
- Quickness. There is nothing really slowing down the device at all.
- WIFI - Reception is better than my galaxy s and gets better throughput than any other wifi device that i own except my computer
- Cell reception - My apartment is located next to the water and i don't get great reception in certain parts of my apartment and i get much better reception - four to three bars of hspa+!!! (I get dropped calls with my verizon bb sometimes and none for the gsii yet)
- Comes with gingerbread from the factory and updated constantly
My honeymoon period is over and there are certainly few things that they could have improved on but i'm glad i got the gs2 on the launch day.

ph00ny said:
Most of these forums are plagued with issues posting because
1. These forums are the easiest location to find solutions for issues. Great gateway to compare experiences (it would be great if people searched and posted in the same topic thread instead of making a new one)
2. It represents a very tiny part of the whole population of owners hence amplifying the issues no matter how many folks are affected by it
3. Most folks won't post unless they run into an issue
As for me. Device has been nothing but stellar
- Great battery life (much better than any other smartphone that i've had and i've had many since the winmo slide out qwerty keyboard device days)
- Improved SAMOLED screen over the last gen and it's noticeably sharper
- Form factor. There is nothing else like it and it's comfortable in my hand and my pocket
- Quickness. There is nothing really slowing down the device at all.
- WIFI - Reception is better than my galaxy s and gets better throughput than any other wifi device that i own except my computer
- Cell reception - My apartment is located next to the water and i don't get great reception in certain parts of my apartment and i get much better reception - four to three bars of hspa+!!! (I get dropped calls with my verizon bb sometimes and none for the gsii yet)
- Comes with gingerbread from the factory and updated constantly
My honeymoon period is over and there are certainly few things that they could have improved on but i'm glad i got the gs2 on the launch day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. Hope mine has no problems when it arrives on Monday!

JJEgan said:
Everything nothing is bad some can be improved is my view battery display GPS good .
My phone's part of my life - not my life
Agree but you must understand many posters love the phone as they cannot get a girlfriend .
Others are not technically minded enough to use the phone the ones who double post dont use search or read faqs must fall in to that category .
Then their are the sad ex Iphone users who need hand holding or HTC who buy a phone without sense ..
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah ah, best answer ever

Good thread. I also would like some issues to be resolved, but we all should understand one thing - with increasing complexity of devices, there will be some issues. It is bound to have certain compatibility issues with zillions of different types of formats used. There will always be some compromise made by OEM on what to put in the device - cost vs features vs weight vs thickness Etcetera...
For those who see everything in negative light, I have a solution.

deeply in love with sgs2

Its good to see some love instead of all the usual gripes and moans...
I came from an HD2 and wasnt expecting this phone to completely replace it, but it has. The HD2 is in a drawer and I dont see it coming out for a while. Feel kinda bad for it.. lol
Im loving the readers hub, saves me getting off my lazy ass to go to the newsagents that and the mind blowing speed, gorgeous screen etc etc....
Very happy with my SGS2

x10 VS Galaxy nexus, a comparison (in door and outdoor photos and screenies added)

WOOT! Please excuse my terrible spelling!
Ok so as many of you now know i an the pround owner of a galaxy nexus, the latest in the pure google software phones. The nexus seems to be gathering a fair bit of interest around the forum so i thought i will do a cmoparison of the two.
Now it would be silly to comapre benchmarks in quadrant or lin pack packs as we all kow the Nexus will kill te x10 in these (once benchmarking works properly in android 4.0) i have not even attempted a single benchmark at this point.
Screen and display
So to start with i guess alot of you must wonder how it feels in hand being a large phone with 4.65 inch screen, the answer is actually it feels very comfortable and having quite large hands i find it sits in my hand easier than hte x10. Some of you will know the Nexus has a curved screen, this worried me a little but if im honest you can barely tell its curved when your using it. While we are talking about screens not all of you will know that the Nexus is the first device to received a supre amoled HD screen, resoltution of 1280 x 720 (720p basicly) and the display is absolutly georgeus, rich and bright colours, very dark blacks. I did find yesterday when i was first using the phone whites had a kind of mild tint of yellow to them but this seems to be not so bad now, the colour spectrum now looks more normal and natural. Not had any issues so far veiwing in natural daylight outside but it is winter here in Uk and not much light during the day anyway. The screen is of course actual multitouch.
We all know about the x10 buggy dual touch and resolution is 840x450 and its just a normal lcd screen which can be hard at times to see in direct sun and is 4 inches big without 16 million colours. The difference in quality really is amazing, not just because of 16 million colours but the resolution and screen type. They are like chalk and cheese or cheese and chalk which ever you find tastes nicer
Screen scrolling of the Nexus is smoother than silk, i now know what people mean by eye-gasms lol If your interested the gingerbread crt screen screen on / animations are still there plus some that look similar to iphone for turning landscape to portrait or vice versa.
Performance
As previously stated i have not ran any benchmarks yet but the Nexus is a monster when it comes to speed and performance in general, it comes with a 1.2 ghz texus instroments processor. It has actually been under clocked by 300mhz for Nexus, meaning this dc processor is naturalally a 1.5 ghz monster, turned down presumabley to conserve battery. We all know x10 is 1ghz single core snap dragon with current maxium over clock to 1.2 ghz where it gets unstable for most.
Its a little hard to talk about the performace without general benchmarks to give a rough idea but let me tell you there is not a hint of any lag of any kind trying to use pretty much anything. I did find some lag while typing a PM to a good friend here on xda in landscape mode but quite a lot of apps wont have been updated to fully supportive of android 4.0 at this time so any update will sort that. Yesterday i did a full back up of my apps (system and data) and data on the nexus in titanium and it took about 45 seconds to a minute to complete, x10 can take a few minutes some times.
Software
I think everyone here knows the Nexus lauches with android 4.0.1 aka icecream sandwhich. It is very intuitive and easy to use, very easy to navigate and its on a whole other level compared to gingerbread. Espicially with the time taken to make everything look really very beutiful using mainly black, grey and blue with some greens and whites. If anyone is running cyanogenmod 7.1 there is a free icecream sandwhich for theme chooser which gives a a good idea of what to expect.
The launcher nativly supports folders which is very very handy for keeping stuf tidy together and organised. The folders couldnt be simpiler to create, simply drag an icon ontop of another and theres your folder and just keep adding till your heart is content! The launchre reminds me of the arc style one with the bar at the bottom with space for 4 things whch can be changed and folders can be added into these 4 spaces. With hte nexus you get most of the google apps pre installed which is nice, including a new version of google music with built in eq and its beutiful to use. There are also nice sound effects as you go through menus and for certain key presses, not as cheesy as the touchwiz noes or so noicey which annoyed me on touch wiz on sgs2. The software really is the best thing about the nexus
Camera
This is probably what most x10 users including me are concearned about, it has only 5 mp camera. Get the idea out of your head more Mp means better picture. Yes nexus only has 5, but what it does with those 5 is what counts! Pictures are taking almost instantly, google brags over zero shutter lag and i can see why! You can literally get probably about 3 pics in the time it takes to get one off x10! Actual flash is supported, flashes twice for red eye reduction and the led is very very bright, beats x10 photo light by miles. There is a native panorma camera feuture built in to the camera which is nice to use, upto 1080p video recording and 1.3mp front camera. This can be used for face unlock. Yes thats right, face unlock, when hte screen is locked simply point the front cam at your face which it recognises as you and will unlock the phone. I hear your questions about security, yes its not the best in hte world, it will owrk with a photo or if your phone is stolen in your sleep provided its light enough for te caerato see you. Its more of a fun thing at this time!
I will be uploading some sample photos later on for you guys to see. they will be in doors at night in my study where the pc is so excuse any mess in advance!!
Hardware
So i already talked about dual core, and camera but there is a few other things worth mentioning like for example hw buttons, or more to hte point lack of! There is 3 buttons in total on hte outside of the phone, power on (screen controls) and volume up and down rockers. Thats it, dead simple and anymore now i odnt find needed. All the buttons for apps, back and multitask are on screen. I hear another question, wheres menu? To put it simply menu is built in on screen for any apps that use or need it and not shown at all times. The mulittask button is much more functional to just switch between apps in a breeze.
Also worth noting is lack of sd card support. The phone comes in 16gb version or 32 gb (not released yet to my knowledge). The internal storage is lightning fast to brwose through, faster than class 10 sd card so i have read but nothing to back me up on that. I have the 16 gb and its fine for me. This choice may have something to do with googles plans for google music where you will be able to stream music from your library based on pc to your phone anddownload frequently used albums or tracks and eventually buy albums and tracks directly through the android market itsself (already happening in USA).
You will be pleased to hear that the headphones work normally, buy any set with built in mic and they will work without holding in hte mic button for musivc to sound normal, unlike sony you had to hold in hte button if you had decent headphones of your own.
Conclusion
Its the best phone iv ever had, probably one of the best on the market to date and after spending smoe time with it you will not want to use anything else. My x10 has been untouched and unloved for almost 24 hours. I recommend anyof you to get get one. BUT rooting is kind of a pain in hte arse, you have to first unlock bootloader then flash this superboot.img through adb (no recovery as of yet) and it has hard for me to get the drivers needed for fastboot. It took me quite along time to get root and unlocked bootloadre with the help of a dev, had it not been such a pain with the drivers it would of been much much easier and was straight forwards when the drivers were ok. Just so you you know you need working adb on your pc for root and bootloader.
So i hope this is an ok write up with enough detail, its taken mne long enough to type lol If anyone has questions please post and il do my best to answer when i can.
Photos http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22324879/My Pictures.rar sorry for rar xda was not allowing me to upload each individual pic
See page 8 for out door photos
These are uncompressed out door pics
http://db.tt/imOFLLEC
http://db.tt/BOmMEU4r
some handy links for those intrested...
I AM NOT RESPONCIBLE FOR DAMAGE TO ANYONES DEVICE FOR THESE, working adb is required
Good guide to rooting and boot loader unlocking http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1362957
This would be the way I'd of chosen if it worked at the time but should be working as of 24/11/11 and will do everything you need http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1356917

You already have yours??? God, I hate you right now Still waiting for mine to be dispatched at least
But thanks for the comparison, i was waiting for a honest review from someone who came from an x10 as well. Now it's even harder for me to wait. Dispatch date should be tomorrow though
Two more questions just came to mind:
- since you're from the UK, do you have the volume mute bug?
- Can you perhaps give or link me to the drivers and stuff that I need for rooting?

qwer23 said:
You already have yours??? God, I hate you right now Still waiting for mine to be dispatched at least
But thanks for the comparison, i was waiting for a honest review from someone who came from an x10 as well. Now it's even harder for me to wait. Dispatch date should be tomorrow though
Two more questions just came to mind:
- since you're from the UK, do you have the volume mute bug?
- Can you perhaps give or link me to the drivers and stuff that I need for rooting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah took delivery yesterday luch time, been on it as much as i can ever since. Trust me you will find it worth the wait thanks for making my review sound credible and honest. That first try at bashing something out like that. Could you be more specific about the volume mute bug, not sure if i had it, dont think so. My volume doesnt go up and down on by free will if thats what you mean? Will post driver drop box links later on. will aslo dig out some thread of use for fastboot adn rooting boot.img etc etc

Comparing galaxy nexus with x10 doesn't make any sense for me!
But after reading ur thread...phone looks promising though!!
Can you post some photos taken by ur nexus without resizing them??
Sent from my X10i using Tapatalk

3 words for you TGM
I hate you

Z3US911 said:
Comparing galaxy nexus with x10 doesn't make any sense for me!
But after reading ur thread...phone looks promising though!!
Can you post some photos taken by ur nexus without resizing them??
Sent from my X10i using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its not head to head verus, i was trying to write comparing them against each other although we all know which is best. Is devid vs goliath and goliath wins lol Will be addeing photos and a few others bits tonight

-- X10B -- said:
I hate you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your avatar shows what face id pull if i saw you on the street
much love bro
i do hope you see the funny side of that....

ok so having problems getting photos up, am uploading a dropbox with a zip of photos. Also uploading some useful files like fast boot and drivers. I wont help any one root or unlock their bootloader as i needed a lot of help and frackly i dot wanna risk saying to do the wrong thing. Will update OP asap when all uploads through drop box complete...

Wow, I'm super jelly man! I would also really like the Galaxy Nexus! It looks fine! How is the battery life with constant use compared to our x10? Is it worse, better or the same?
I think I won't be able to buy the Galaxy Nexus this year. My x10 is just over a year old, and I just bought a new gaming PC. I will get one next year I hope so!
I'm really excited for the pictures! Thanks for the great comparison!

xPlayGunZ said:
Wow, I'm super jelly man! I would also really like the Galaxy Nexus! It looks fine! How is the battery life with constant use compared to our x10? Is it worse, better or the same?
I think I won't be able to buy the Galaxy Nexus this year. My x10 is just over a year old, and I just bought a new gaming PC. I will get one next year I hope so!
I'm really excited for the pictures! Thanks for the great comparison!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life isnt too bad, i wont say its amazing and its certainly not rubbish, it depends on how you ue it really and screen brightness and various other settings similar to other phones out there.
Pics are coming but drop box cant decide between 49 mins or 5 mins. will upload asap

drop box for pictures rar in op. pictures taken inside at night time in one room, proably not best picutes to judge the camera from...

How good are you with a camera?
It'd be good to see a side by side comparison of the two phones showing the difference between boot up time, lag, responsiveness, browser speed etc....
That way you can really rub it in and make us mad
Sent from my X10i using xda premium

LJE said:
How good are you with a camera?
It'd be good to see a side by side comparison of the two phones showing the difference between boot up time, lag, responsiveness, browser speed etc....
That way you can really rub it in and make us mad
Sent from my X10i using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not too bad, my main down fall is I don't have another camera to film all that on though. The browser is very fast though, lag only happens while typing sometimes on xda otherwise it just flys through everything with ease.
When I can get my hands on my gfs dhd will see if I can come up with a video perhaps.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Thx for the pics, the camera seems to be quite decent in low light/artificial illumination. X10 always gets blurry when I try to take pics like these. And you seem to have the same problem with X10 The shutter is just too slow after the phone focuses.
And thx for the files too! Now I just have to get my Nexus and figure out how to use these files
Btw. watch out! Now the internez knows your face!

*waiting for scooby snacks*
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

qwer23 said:
Thx for the pics, the camera seems to be quite decent in low light/artificial illumination. X10 always gets blurry when I try to take pics like these. And you seem to have the same problem with X10 The shutter is just too slow after the phone focuses.
And thx for the files too! Now I just have to get my Nexus and figure out how to use these files
Btw. watch out! Now the internez knows your face!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah low light pictures is one of the things this cam does great. In my next post I will attach 2 pics in my bed room, light off curtain shut pitch black without flash then same room and stuff with flash.
For help with your phone there is plenty about on the internet I just don't feel confident enough to help anyone root and do boot loader.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

The Gingerbread Man said:
*waiting for scooby snacks*
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You want scooby? Here, give me a go......
THE X10 IS THE GREATEST PHONE OF ALL TIME.....
That's like his bat signal
Sent from my X10i using xda premium

Its like night and day....
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

LJE said:
You want scooby? Here, give me a go......
THE X10 IS THE GREATEST PHONE OF ALL TIME.....
That's like his bat signal
Sent from my X10i using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually loling
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

The Gingerbread Man said:
For help with your phone there is plenty about on the internet I just don't feel confident enough to help anyone root and do boot loader.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries man, I'll figure it out I learnt how to root my X10 and Eee Pad Transformer, so the GN should surrender as well sooner or later
@your latest pics: seems to be a very decent flash in there, nice! Btw. can the camera flash twice for red eye reduction? Not that I care too much, just interested...

-> Common problems of SGS3 <-

I was considering buying the Galaxy Note, but after I read the Note subforum carefully, I discovered few (major) issues with the device, which made me reconsider my choice.
Now I have the same situation with Galaxy S3. Before I purchase it, I want to know about all the potential problems that are known for this device. Maybe it has bad battary performance, maybe it has bad sound quality, maybe... ?
Please shortly list all the common problems (if any) that happen to be associated with this device.

not just building it up, but i can not say that i have noticed any big flaws with this device.
i have the Note right now as well, and i would pick the S3 hands down over my note, its faster, the screen is better, the battery is great compared to what i was getting on my Note and Skyrocket. and now with Jelly Bean/cm10 here this thing flys.
Gps is decent, Sound is much better than any other phone that i have had, and thats without Supercurio's Voodoo sound which should be dropped here soon.
Its a S3 forum, so yes you will get alot of people saying exactly what i am saying....its a great device. and if you HAVE to choose between the Note and S3 the S3 is a no brainer....
now the Note2 thats a different story when it drops......

TRX_ said:
I was considering buying the Galaxy Note, but after I read the Note subforum carefully, I discovered few (major) issues with the device, which made me reconsider my choice.
Now I have the same situation with Galaxy S3. Before I purchase it, I want to know about all the potential problems that are known for this device. Maybe it has bad battary performance, maybe it has bad sound quality, maybe... ?
Please shortly list all the common problems (if any) that happen to be associated with this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a lot of issues and ended up having 4 replacement handsets and have just got a full refund today. Issues I experienced were; large gaps between the screen and bezel which allowed dust to settle on the edges of the screen, pink blotch issues when using the front camera, volume button and home button that stuck in when pressed, and all AMOLED screens suffer from ink marks on a black screen to varying degrees.
I think the initial production batches have suffered from poor build quality and I do think I will purchase the phone again in a month or so when the factories won't be over stretched to cope with demand. The pebble blue version which I had seems to suffer from a lot of issues which I put down to rushed production.
Good luck

the2rrell said:
not just building it up, but i can not say that i have noticed any big flaws with this device.
i have the Note right now as well, and i would pick the S3 hands down over my note, its faster, the screen is better, the battery is great compared to what i was getting on my Note and Skyrocket. and now with Jelly Bean/cm10 here this thing flys.
Gps is decent, Sound is much better than any other phone that i have had, and thats without Supercurio's Voodoo sound which should be dropped here soon.
Its a S3 forum, so yes you will get alot of people saying exactly what i am saying....its a great device. and if you HAVE to choose between the Note and S3 the S3 is a no brainer....
now the Note2 thats a different story when it drops......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with everything you've said, except for the GPS part.
I don't find it decent, it's exceptional imho.
It seems to be able to get a solid signal within 5 seconds on a cold start.
It uses both GPS and Glonass together, which explains why it's so fast, but it's still impressive to see.
But back on the subject, I've always chosen devices I was pretty sure I'd be happy with (I'm doing lots of research and reading a lot of reviews on them before buying), but it's the first time that I really don't have any complaints at all (besides minor problems with easy fixes/tweaks, but the phone is really stable and fast out of the box).
Even the only thing I thought I'd be disappointed about, coming from an HTC HD2 (the build quality and design), I was pleasantly surprised about the build quality, and I love the look of the phone, even if it's plastic.
Of course that's only my opinion, but I don't regret buying it one bit

These threads are a common problem in the S3 General section....if you look down I'm pretty sure you'll find threads already created, discussing the problems you've just mentioned
Sent from my Jelly Belly S3

TRX_ said:
I was considering buying the Galaxy Note, but after I read the Note subforum carefully, I discovered few (major) issues with the device, which made me reconsider my choice.
Now I have the same situation with Galaxy S3. Before I purchase it, I want to know about all the potential problems that are known for this device. Maybe it has bad battary performance, maybe it has bad sound quality, maybe... ?
Please shortly list all the common problems (if any) that happen to be associated with this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using Note for last 5 months . I bought it from Ebay . Till now I didn't face any problems with the device.
It depends on the device you get, some device may have manufacture defects and that's rare.
Worst case if you get such device you can get it replaced as you have warranty.
So stop thinking about odds and go for the device you love

The GS3 has had an unusually bug-free (relative to most other smartphone releases) launch.
Hardware Problems:
Crackling in audio output when phone display is off (phone is in idle mode). Can be fixed in software by setting sleep mode to Idle Only from Idle + LPA.
Some screens are faulty and have pink areas
Some cameras are faulty and cause pink blotches in images
Software problems:
Cell standby battery usage is misreported and over-inflated
Creating an SMS longer than 3 messages converts it into an MMS. No way to disable this unless modding.
Email client (not gmail) mail body field text selection is bugged. Text gets deleted randomly when moving the text selection handles.
Music player sometimes plays the wrong song (one from a previous playlist) when you click on a song.
Music player also has some problems with organising songs into albums, creating duplicate albums with the same name.
The quick scroll alphabet column (in contacts and music lists) has a delay when sliding finger on it for the first time after app load
That's all I can think of right now.

jonathanyong said:
The GS3 has had an unusually bug-free (relative to most other smartphone releases) launch.
Hardware Problems:
Crackling in audio output when phone display is off (phone is in idle mode). Can be fixed in software by setting sleep mode to Idle Only from Idle + LPA.
Some screens are faulty and have pink areas
Some cameras are faulty and cause pink blotches in images
Software problems:
Cell standby battery usage is misreported and over-inflated
Creating an SMS longer than 3 messages converts it into an MMS. No way to disable this unless modding.
Email client (not gmail) mail body field text selection is bugged. Text gets deleted randomly when moving the text selection handles.
Music player sometimes plays the wrong song (one from a previous playlist) when you click on a song.
Music player also has some problems with organising songs into albums, creating duplicate albums with the same name.
The quick scroll alphabet column (in contacts and music lists) has a delay when sliding finger on it for the first time after app load
That's all I can think of right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say the marble white version was relatively bug-free as a launch handset but the pebble blue version probably has just as many launch defects as any other handset. For example, I ended up going through four faulty pebble blue handsets until finally giving up and getting my money back.

Physical home button - hard to reach, hard to press, looks stupid, feels stupid
Wake up lag - Push the power button and wait 1.500 ms for the screen to appear
Only 1 GB RAM - Not enough for a top phone in 2012... This is not 2011 anymore, Samsung!
Nothing else.. Everything else is top class..

Yea that lag is sooooooooo long I fall asleep! And I have to get a long stick to push that dam home button! And the battery it last way to long! Why can't it just die after 14hours like the rest? If you didn't know I was being sarcastic!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

but the pebble blue version probably has just as many launch defects as any other handset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same device, other color. Other batch though since it was produced after the white one due to quality control issues with the color.
Wake up lag - Push the power button and wait 1.500 ms for the screen to appear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Siyah-Kernel greatly fixes that issue. CM9/CM10 even more, it's probably well below 0.5sec

sav_uk said:
I'd say the marble white version was relatively bug-free as a launch handset but the pebble blue version probably has just as many launch defects as any other handset. For example, I ended up going through four faulty pebble blue handsets until finally giving up and getting my money back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are just too picky about the phone being built perfect it's not going to happen for any phone. The chances of getting a perfectly built phone with no defects at all is lower than getting some minor defect such as "the gap being too big between the bezel and letting in dust" I can't believe they even let you return it for that reason. Good luck on your quest of finding the perfect phone.

Halmo said:
I think you are just too picky about the phone being built perfect it's not going to happen for any phone. The chances of getting a perfectly built phone with no defects at all is lower than getting some minor defect such as "the gap being too big between the bezel and letting in dust" I can't believe they even let you return it for that reason. Good luck on your quest of finding the perfect phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My returns were all due to pink blotch issues with the front camera which is unacceptable. I've never had a phone that takes pictures with a pink blotch. In addition to that pink blotch two of my devices also had large gaps. Bits of dust actually got stuck under the screen which, again, is unacceptable for a £500 phone. Samsung must ensure the bezel and screen are correctly sealed so that dust does not build up in inaccessible areas. I've also never had a phone where I could see black dots and whirls on the screen when viewing YouTube videos at night. I'd rather have blacks that are not so deep but are consistent in colour.
Thing is, general build quality of phones is going down whilst prices are going up. It's inevitable.

Love the phone, not noticed any bugs or faults at all. No crackling when playing back audio via headphones

d4fseeker said:
Siyah-Kernel greatly fixes that issue. CM9/CM10 even more, it's probably well below 0.5sec
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No kernel fixes it. I've tried every single one available on the development section. They are all the same. 1.5 seconds wasted every time you turn on the screen.
Measure it yourself: http://online-stopwatch.chronme.com/

aydc said:
No kernel fixes it. I've tried every single one available on the development section. They are all the same. 1.5 seconds wasted every time you turn on the screen.
Measure it yourself: http://online-stopwatch.chronme.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must be very lucky my phone not even a half of a second, maybe because I'm running a live wallpaper? Or maybe my phone not rooted? But is that 1.5 that important to you? Then you need to change phones,
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Poker gypsy said:
I must be very lucky my phone not even a half of a second, maybe because I'm running a live wallpaper? Or maybe my phone not rooted? But is that 1.5 that important to you? Then you need to change phones,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You seem to be trying so hard to start a conversation with me, but sorry, I don't talk to noobs. Especially ones who think live wallpapers change time Exynos SOC waits for the modem to go out of deep sleep.

I don't need our want you as a friend sorry, just get another phone if it's that bad for you
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

aydc said:
You seem to be trying so hard to start a conversation with me, but sorry, I don't talk to noobs. Especially ones who think live wallpapers change time Exynos SOC waits for the modem to go out of deep sleep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know how to solve your problem! Get another phone! It's simple if your gong to lose asleep about 1.5 it's not worth it
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Poker gypsy said:
I know how to solve your problem! Get another phone! It's simple if your gong to lose asleep about 1.5 it's not worth it
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't know that you was that famous! Please send me your autograph lol
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Tempted to buy this phone

Hey guys my nexus 4 was recently stolen :crying: and now its time to start looking for a new phone
This is probably the best option i've found so far in my price range but... I have a few questions I'd like to ask to people who actually own the phone, not biased internet reviewers
First of all, I will not ask about benchmarks or specs as we all know they mean nothing if the software is not optimized... but here are a few doubts I have before I buy it
1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country

1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
Yes - it's a fast phone. A high clock speed and the fact it renders to 720p rather than 1080 means it's very snappy
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
A good screen, not great like flagship devices. Viewing angles are fine IMO - Sony has a bad rep for this but the SP's viewing angles are a vast improvement on their older xperia phones
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
I don't think you should be worried, this is improving with each update, but people have complained about this.
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
Sony have a good support network, but there are some issues they seem unwilling/unable to address with this phone. Wifi is clearly a problem
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
A relatively new device and not especially common IMO, but development is steady, a rom a week maybe. I don't know which are popular, but stripped back ROMS and ones attempting to give the feel and look of flagship Xperia devices dominate. Kernels are all stock based at the moment, but FreeXperia and some independent developers are planning to bring CM10.1 and CM10.2 to the phone. After that I expect things to gather pace - MIUI and AOSP roms should follow on pretty quickly I imagine. There are a decent amount of mods as well
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
The internal storage - around 5gb is available for the user, this is just about adequate, coming from a 2011 device I thought it would be enough, but because you can't move apps to an external SD, it get's used up quickly. I'm not a power user and it doesn't feel like enough. There are ways around it if you're rooted, but you wish Sony would do what Samsung have done and mod their builds to allow this
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
I think it helps if you've got a newish router, but my experience isn't great and this is echoed by many others here and on Sony's support forums. There are ways to improve it, but out of the box performance for some users is unacceptable IMO. However with the tweaks in place I now get reception in parts of my house where none of my other devices (laptop, netbook, old phone) get reception - for me range has always been excellent, but connecting in the first place sometimes took several attempts or needed a phone reboot
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
The camera is average, don't know whether this is a hardware issue or Sony's image processing - but the fact that people complain about the cameras on better Xperia devices suggests that Sony's software may be at fault. They definitely cut costs with the front camera - fine for video calls and basic snaps but not suitable for photography. Ultimately, whoever the manufacturer, people complain about cameras
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country
The S4 mini has a smaller screen (lower resolution too?), but more RAM, I think it's a better device if you want a more compact phone. The SP feels better in the hand IMO, it is somewhat chunky and heavy but feels solid and well made. If you've come from an N4 going to a smaller screen may be difficult. The SP is almost flagship standard - the corners cut aren't that important to sensible users, do mobiles really need 4 core processors, 1080p and 2gb of ram? I don't think you can do much better for the price - so it's really about the screen size when it comes to choosing between this and the S4 mini. I don't know about the L7

Parkside said:
1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
Yes - it's a fast phone. A high clock speed and the fact it renders to 720p rather than 1080 means it's very snappy
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
A good screen, not great like flagship devices. Viewing angles are fine IMO - Sony has a bad rep for this but the SP's viewing angles are a vast improvement on their older xperia phones
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
I don't think you should be worried, this is improving with each update, but people have complained about this.
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
Sony have a good support network, but there are some issues they seem unwilling/unable to address with this phone. Wifi is clearly a problem
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
A relatively new device and not especially common IMO, but development is steady, a rom a week maybe. I don't know which are popular, but stripped back ROMS and ones attempting to give the feel and look of flagship Xperia devices dominate. Kernels are all stock based at the moment, but FreeXperia and some independent developers are planning to bring CM10.1 and CM10.2 to the phone. After that I expect things to gather pace - MIUI and AOSP roms should follow on pretty quickly I imagine. There are a decent amount of mods as well
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
The internal storage - around 5gb is available for the user, this is just about adequate, coming from a 2011 device I thought it would be enough, but because you can't move apps to an external SD, it get's used up quickly. I'm not a power user and it doesn't feel like enough. There are ways around it if you're rooted, but you wish Sony would do what Samsung have done and mod their builds to allow this
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
I think it helps if you've got a newish router, but my experience isn't great and this is echoed by many others here and on Sony's support forums. There are ways to improve it, but out of the box performance for some users is unacceptable IMO. However with the tweaks in place I now get reception in parts of my house where none of my other devices (laptop, netbook, old phone) get reception - for me range has always been excellent, but connecting in the first place sometimes took several attempts or needed a phone reboot
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
The camera is average, don't know whether this is a hardware issue or Sony's image processing - but the fact that people complain about the cameras on better Xperia devices suggests that Sony's software may be at fault. They definitely cut costs with the front camera - fine for video calls and basic snaps but not suitable for photography. Ultimately, whoever the manufacturer, people complain about cameras
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country
The S4 mini has a smaller screen (lower resolution too?), but more RAM, I think it's a better device if you want a more compact phone. The SP feels better in the hand IMO, it is somewhat chunky and heavy but feels solid and well made. If you've come from an N4 going to a smaller screen may be difficult. The SP is almost flagship standard - the corners cut aren't that important to sensible users, do mobiles really need 4 core processors, 1080p and 2gb of ram? I don't think you can do much better for the price - so it's really about the screen size when it comes to choosing between this and the S4 mini. I don't know about the L7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer everything I asked!!!
This really seems like a good phone, specially for the price. Regarding the screen size, thats why im interested in this phone more than any other "budget" phone, I know it will be hard to go any smaller than 4.5" and 720p. Anyways thanks a lot for your time, guess Ill try to go to a store where I can use it for a while and compare it with others

fcb-1899 said:
Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer everything I asked!!!
This really seems like a good phone, specially for the price. Regarding the screen size, thats why im interested in this phone more than any other "budget" phone, I know it will be hard to go any smaller than 4.5" and 720p. Anyways thanks a lot for your time, guess Ill try to go to a store where I can use it for a while and compare it with others
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plus... If you're a gamer, then this is it! Amazing performance!
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app

Go for it mate.. Using it since 3 months.. Amazing performance.. With the latest Update all bugs are solved for me.. Camera is not great but not bad.. And u will get upcoming android 4.3 and 4.4 ( may be)

Rajeev said:
Go for it mate.. Using it since 3 months.. Amazing performance.. With the latest Update all bugs are solved for me.. Camera is not great but not bad.. And u will get upcoming android 4.3 and 4.4 ( may be)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I will! thanks a lot man, I've seen you around a lot on this forum, glad to know we have people like you guys helping the community!
I have one more question, do I have to unlock my bootloader in order to intall custom roms and kernels, or iin order to make them perform better? If so , I hope any of you can guide me on how to unlock the bootloader without loosing any features as I've read that you'll loose bravia engine and some other stuff... Please excuse my ignorance but the method to do this on the N4 was pretty straight forward and Im a little confused right now lol
Btw: I know I don't even have the phone yet but usually the first thing I do is rooting and unlocking the bootloader and installing a rom so I really want to know a bit more before doing anything stupid :silly:
Thanks again

To open the bootloader it is easy but not like n4, if you open bootloader then you will loose be2 etc.
You can root and install cwm without opening bootloader.
Many Sony xda members use software called flash tools to install ftf files these contain all the stock ROM files.
To install custom stock ROMs you generally can use on locked bootloader, for some custom ROMs like cm 10.xx you will need to unlock bootloader to use kernels(this applies to all kernels)
Sent from my C5303 using xda premium

zolaisugly said:
To open the bootloader it is easy but not like n4, if you open bootloader then you will loose be2 etc.
You can root and install cwm without opening bootloader.
Many Sony xda members use software called flash tools to install ftf files these contain all the stock ROM files.
To install custom stock ROMs you generally can use on locked bootloader, for some custom ROMs like cm 10.xx you will need to unlock bootloader to use kernels(this applies to all kernels)
Sent from my C5303 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah thats what I thought, but I think ill install a "stock enhanced" rom or something similar, Xperia pureness seems to be a good rom with a bit of customization while keeping all Sony features. No custom kernel for me, although I was kind of exited to try doomlodr's
Once again, I appreciate your quick response and support. Think ill buy this little guy today

fcb-1899 said:
Hey guys my nexus 4 was recently stolen :crying: and now its time to start looking for a new phone
This is probably the best option i've found so far in my price range but... I have a few questions I'd like to ask to people who actually own the phone, not biased internet reviewers
First of all, I will not ask about benchmarks or specs as we all know they mean nothing if the software is not optimized... but here are a few doubts I have before I buy it
1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- So far very smooth and great experience. I have around 50 apps installed and so far no noticeable lag or performance issues.
2- The display is pretty good, the viewing angles are not very good but it doesn't bother my much as I'm usually holding my phone straight or have it propped up against something. Other than that the screen is very crisp and beautiful.
3- Like in point #1, no ram issues so far but I haven't tried any resource intensive apps to test it to it's limit yet.
4- Haven't needed to contact Sony so far hope it stays that way. Bear in mind their support services might change from one region to another.
5- Personally I'm really enjoying the stock rom so I didn't feel like I need to install any custom ones. There are a few custom roms out there though including Cyanogen Mod
6- There is something that bothers me about this phone but I don't hate it, it's just an annoyance. The phone feels a bit fragile and if you're clumsy or paranoid like me you'll want to get a case for it. The problem is this model doesn't have that much accessories out for it (and no official accessories) so you might have a hard time finding something. I had to order stuff for it online and it was quite costly.
7- WiFi reception is pretty bad, especially when I use it side to side with my other devices. There is a couple of WiFi fix threads on this forum, I haven't read them yet but you should definitely check them out.
8- Camera isn't amazing but it's not bad either. In low light conditions you have to fiddle around the settings a bit first to get a decent shot. Again there's a thread on this forum with users' camera shots to give you a good idea on how good or bad the camera is
9- The Galaxy S4 mini is a decent competitor for this phone, it has a better camera and better viewing angles if that's important for you, but it has a smaller screen.
The Sony Xperia ZR is slightly more expensive than this phone but has higher specs and some extra features. Mind that the water proof models have all their ports covered with water tight flaps and the sound on the speakers sound a bit muffled probably also because they are made water proof. (http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_zr-5421.php)
There are some nice mid-range HTC phones but the new HTCs often have internal battery and memory (no SD card slot).
Overall I'm absolutely in love with this phone. I love the battery life, the screen and the sound (loud speakers included). If you're into gaming this phone performs good and it also supports Sony Playstation's Dual Shock 3 controller which is a nice little bonus. (Hook it up to your TV and play with the controller :victory: )
fcb-1899 said:
I think I will! thanks a lot man, I've seen you around a lot on this forum, glad to know we have people like you guys helping the community!
I have one more question, do I have to unlock my bootloader in order to intall custom roms and kernels, or iin order to make them perform better? If so , I hope any of you can guide me on how to unlock the bootloader without loosing any features as I've read that you'll loose bravia engine and some other stuff... Please excuse my ignorance but the method to do this on the N4 was pretty straight forward and Im a little confused right now lol
Btw: I know I don't even have the phone yet but usually the first thing I do is rooting and unlocking the bootloader and installing a rom so I really want to know a bit more before doing anything stupid :silly:
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good thing you asked this because I stupidly unlocked my bootloader without paying attention and I permanently gimped my phone in the process. Xperia devices have a hidden partition that contains DRM keys. Without them the Bravia Engine and certain non-essential features in the Walkman app won't work. There is a way to back up and restore that partition before unlocking the bootloader. This will keep your phone's full features and warranty intact if you need them.
Check this thread here before unlocking the bootloader :
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598

ByteFalcon said:
1- So far very smooth and great experience. I have around 50 apps installed and so far no noticeable lag or performance issues.
2- The display is pretty good, the viewing angles are not very good but it doesn't bother my much as I'm usually holding my phone straight or have it propped up against something. Other than that the screen is very crisp and beautiful.
3- Like in point #1, no ram issues so far but I haven't tried any resource intensive apps to test it to it's limit yet.
4- Haven't needed to contact Sony so far hope it stays that way. Bear in mind their support services might change from one region to another.
5- Personally I'm really enjoying the stock rom so I didn't feel like I need to install any custom ones. There are a few custom roms out there though including Cyanogen Mod
6- There is something that bothers me about this phone but I don't hate it, it's just an annoyance. The phone feels a bit fragile and if you're clumsy or paranoid like me you'll want to get a case for it. The problem is this model doesn't have that much accessories out for it (and no official accessories) so you might have a hard time finding something. I had to order stuff for it online and it was quite costly.
7- WiFi reception is pretty bad, especially when I use it side to side with my other devices. There is a couple of WiFi fix threads on this forum, I haven't read them yet but you should definitely check them out.
8- Camera isn't amazing but it's not bad either. In low light conditions you have to fiddle around the settings a bit first to get a decent shot. Again there's a thread on this forum with users' camera shots to give you a good idea on how good or bad the camera is
9- The Galaxy S4 mini is a decent competitor for this phone, it has a better camera and better viewing angles if that's important for you, but it has a smaller screen.
The Sony Xperia ZR is slightly more expensive than this phone but has higher specs and some extra features. Mind that the water proof models have all their ports covered with water tight flaps and the sound on the speakers sound a bit muffled probably also because they are made water proof. (http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_zr-5421.php)
There are some nice mid-range HTC phones but the new HTCs often have internal battery and memory (no SD card slot).
Overall I'm absolutely in love with this phone. I love the battery life, the screen and the sound (loud speakers included). If you're into gaming this phone performs good and it also supports Sony Playstation's Dual Shock 3 controller which is a nice little bonus. (Hook it up to your TV and play with the controller :victory: )
Good thing you asked this because I stupidly unlocked my bootloader without paying attention and I permanently gimped my phone in the process. Xperia devices have a hidden partition that contains DRM keys. Without them the Bravia Engine and certain non-essential features in the Walkman app won't work. There is a way to back up and restore that partition before unlocking the bootloader. This will keep your phone's full features and warranty intact if you need them.
Check this thread here before unlocking the bootloader :
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you talking about the TA partition? Just curious...i did back it up before i unlocked bootloader..so if i restore it, will my "features" be back? Also..any special procedure for restoring the backup? By the way i am on .254 ..i made the backup while on .245 . So will restoring, in any way, harm the device? And also. Does restoring TA wipe data of the phone? ..sorry for so many questions.
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app

That was quick! Congrats on your new phone
Yep, I mean the TA partition. What did you use to back it up? Either FlashTool or TA_Backup script (the .bat file) should give you the option to restore, so use the same one you used in the first place. Yes, it should restore all your features back. I haven't tried restoring before since I lost mine, but I would assume it would wipe your phone since it also re-locks your Bootloader.
As for firmwares, I'm not sure. You can check this thread (use the "search this thread" box) or maybe even ask them directly. If you're feeling brave you can go ahead and try it. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598
Edit: Sorry, my internet is a bit slow today. I did a quick search and it seems it's safe to restore to any firmware. I still highly recommend you check the thread for yourself first. Don't take my word for it.

That was quick! Congrats on your new phone <br />
<br />
Yep, I mean the TA partition. What did you use to back it up? Either FlashTool or TA_Backup script (the .bat file) should give you the option to restore, so use the same one you used in the first place. Yes, it should restore all your features back. I haven't tried restoring before since I lost mine, but I would assume it would wipe your phone since it also re-locks your Bootloader.<br />
<br />
As for firmwares, I'm not sure. You can check this thread (use the "search this thread" box) or maybe even ask them directly. If you're feeling brave you can go ahead and try it. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598<br />
<br />
Edit: Sorry, my internet is a bit slow today. I did a quick search and it seems it's safe to restore to any firmware. I still highly recommend you check the thread for yourself first. Don't take my word for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh thanks man and i'm not the one who made this thread XD i just wanna restore to stock completely
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app

Sadman Khan said:
Oh thanks man and i'm not the one who made this thread XD i just wanna restore to stock completely
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops! Looks like my internet isn't the only thing that's slow today xD
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app

ByteFalcon said:
Oops! Looks like my internet isn't the only thing that's slow today xD
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha XD and just letting you know, i did a full wipe and returned to .245 , then rooted it and THEN restored TA partition. Afterwards i clean flashed 245 and updated to 254 via OTA.everything's fine now and i finally feel the effects of Bravia Engine
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app

Very Very good phone.
Hi,
I'll try to give you my most honest feedback, unbiased as much as possible. I'd like to state that XSP is my 1st droid phone ever, my last phone was nokia E52 (which had a high velocity encounter with a wall) so it is quite a change so my opinion might be and prolly is influenced by that. Ofc i played around with other droid phones like my brother's HTC wildfire S so i have some minor comparison to the inferior phones. Lest get started...
fcb-1899 said:
Hey guys my nexus 4 was recently stolen :crying: and now its time to start looking for a new phone
This is probably the best option i've found so far in my price range but... I have a few questions I'd like to ask to people who actually own the phone, not biased internet reviewers
First of all, I will not ask about benchmarks or specs as we all know they mean nothing if the software is not optimized... but here are a few doubts I have before I buy it
1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The overall Xperia'ence is very good if not great. I would say that 99% of apps you will find run flawlessly, the one i remember that manages to stutter having influent scrolling is A1 SD bench (it also doesnt recognize SD card as a external card). Every game i installed and toyed with ran beautifully be it Osmos, PvZ or nearly anything else. The most extreme fps drop i've managed to get is in (this is the "nearly") arcane legends where there is like 30 people at once on the screen. i think that fps might drop there to like ~25 fps, personally i find it a very secluded and specific case and i am not bothered with it. For crying out loud this little gadget runs full HD 1080p mkv movies like its nothing... The processing power is insane and you really have to find/do some crazy stuff to encounter any kind of unsmooth transition. The only other situation i can think of when things get a bit jerky is the first few seconds after boot up. But i guess it's normal when there is a crapload of things to load up at once.
fcb-1899 said:
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At first when i got the phone i was in 3 days awe, things looked insane. When i started to read reviews there is indeed some truth to it but lets face it... why would anyone need some sick viewing angles on a 4.6" display? Its not a display large enough to view from to great distance to get in the bad angle range. When you are looking at it straight or even on some minor angle, like 3 people looking at the display at once things look great. So... angles aren't THE best, true but are really really great. Not only for this price, but in general they display is performing great. You also have to be aware that you (you as eye-brain) get used to things. So if you are using a very high end IPS display day to day with 120 Hz+ refresh rate you are likely to be not satisfied ONLY due the fact are used to something so much better. I use S27B350 Samsung display daily so my eye is used to similar class or quality and i am very satisfied with XSP display. I am sorry i cant give you any angle values but i didnt measure it so i can only give some examples from practice.
fcb-1899 said:
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think you should be worried about that. I very rarely seen app crash but i did nonetheless. I cant even recall what were the apps to crash since it was so rare. At some point i used Google navigation, music and had a browser opened in the back - no problem, phone not breaking a sweat (apart from insane battery drainage and some heat).
fcb-1899 said:
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be influenced a little by your country. I once called polish support, since i am polish, and the lady i talked to... god id rip her throat out, quite a b*tch she was. The one problem i encountered is the LTE. Let me explain, when my phone is set to LTE (preffered) / WCDMA / GSM the gsm reception (signal) is often lost - i get 0 bars and red x for few seconds. This goes away when i set to WCDMA (preffered) / GSM.
fcb-1899 said:
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cant help on this one i use stock, rooted, locked bootloader (btw rooting with DoomLord's method nearly always generate an offline charging bug - fixable but needs some work). Isnt Cyanomod an option?
fcb-1899 said:
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes in fact there is but minor. I hate the color inconsistency of apps. I would shoot in the head the one responsible for not making black/dark gui (only white) as a stock option for sms phonebook etc. I love that smartconnect in stock is black but hate with passion that updates are white and no longer support gps toggle. Last one is more about 4.1.2 not XSP, i hate that i cant get a popup when i connect to PC via USB asking which mode to connect in. The option to choose either Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) or Mass Storage mode (MSC) is only manual and "hidden" very deep in options (settings > Xperia > USB connectivity > USB connction mode).
fcb-1899 said:
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That one might be true. Prolly one of the biggest if not the biggest issue of this phone - quite bad wifi antenna. It really works bad with weak signals, where laptops or other devices have like ~30% wifi strength the XSP might not have it at all. Where my silly old E52 had 100% the XSP has 50-75%... It is also very likely to lose wifi connection on very weak signals. Some people claim that the 2.254 soft fixed the issue but the only fix i noticed, compared to 1.257, is that i dont need to wait few seconds after unlocking the phone to connect to wifi (at home situation). Sadly I cant see the signal strength to be one bit better.
fcb-1899 said:
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally i am not too satisfied with the camera, neither of the 2.[Rear] I think that compression of images is way to great. I wouldnt mind having 4 MB photos from 8 Mpix camera and not 2-2.2 MB like now. I cant compare to your nexus but i feel that camera could have been a tiny bit better. However, many/most people say it is very good and are happy with it. I dont do too many photos so i am living with that but if you really like or need to do good photos... you might wanna think twice. [Front] And front facing? It's a tiny, little thing in VGA, let's not expect miracles from 640x480 resolution form optics that are the size of a needle (?). Although, I dont know if you would get anything better in that price range...
fcb-1899 said:
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally i hate samsung phones mostly cos they **** them out like they had a diarrhea which leaves little time to introduce updates. Only because like 50% of the market is samsung doesnt mean its good. The LG L7 i dont know... literally i have no opinion. I for one am very happy with XSP. It has one of the highest capacity batteries out there: 2370 mAh, compared to high end considered Xperia Z's 2330 mAh it looks darn good. Beaten by far afaik only by Xperia's Z ultra's 3050 mAh battery. With moderate and reasonable usage the battery can last even 2 days which is quite a feat for any new generation smartphone with a display of that size. XSP to this day has one of the best dual core CPUs and GPU which performs superbly in practice. It is also made quite well, u dont see any "cheapness" in the material. If i were to chose again from the three S4 mini vs LG L7 vs XSP id still go for the Xperia. One more good thing is that we are expecting the 4.3 JB update soon, which gives hope that this phone won't be disregarded and leaves hope for upgrades in foreseeable future. The phone seems optimized dead on in terms of software efficiency which perhaps why many people on XDA are quite glad with stock rom - simply it really is good and well made, not perfect simply because there is are no perfect things in this world.
Personally i think it is the best choice it its class.:good:

Any Front camera samples?
Not expecting any miracles tbh just want to see how it looks.
They should'v ereally put a 1.3 on the front tbh

I can vouch for Sony Support, a few drops of water were in my screen and the aluminum casing was totally messed up(scratched and chipped) from an awful fall, I sent it in using warranty, saying that the display was acting up, and they replaced the screen and the aluminum casing ^_^

it seems that there are fairly decent reviews for SP in this thread.
Actually, I cant decide between a N4 and a SP since I can get either one for the exact same price
I am an average user who tends to do some light gaming, browsing and whatsap
I just wish to have a smooth user experience. Personally I am inclined to have a sony sp, given that the various bugs (wifi, touch screen sensitivity) are actually solved by the recent updates.
Are they major differences between the two handsets ( apart from 3g and 4g) or I would be happy with either one of them?
Thank you.

Main issue for me is the lack of internal storage on the n4. The n5 is rumored to only be a month away and its supposed to be quite competitively priced. Only a rumour though.
Sent from my C5303 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Im between several phones tbh.
Been looking at the HTC One X, not brand new but used, better camera and what not but I heard the battery lifes horrible.