Sony Xperia X Performance - Sony Xperia X Performance Guides, News, & Discussi

Sony Xperia X Performance Dual with dual-SIM card slots
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2016, February
BODY Dimensions 144.8 x 71.1 x 7.6 mm (5.70 x 2.80 x 0.30 in)
Weight 165 g (5.82 oz)
SIM Optional Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
- IP68 certified - dust proof and water resistant over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes
DISPLAY Type
IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~66.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution
1080 x 1920 pixels (~441 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch
Yes, up to 10 fingers
Protection
Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating
- Triluminos display
- X-Reality Engine
PLATFORM
OS Android OS, v6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
Chipset
Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820
CPU Dual-core 2.2 GHz & dual-core 1.6 GHz
GPU Adreno 530
MEMORY
Card slot microSD, up to 200 GB (dedicated slot)
Internal 32 GB, 3 GB RAM
CAMERA Primary
23 MP, f/2.0, 24mm, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
Features 1/2.3" sensor size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
Video [email protected]
Secondary
13 MP, f/2.0, 22mm, 1/3" sensor size, 1080p, HDR
SOUND
Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm jack Yes
- High-Res audio
COMMS WLAN
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, apt-X, LE
GPS Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS/ BDS (region dependent)
NFC Yes
Radio No
USB
microUSB v2.0, USB Host
FEATURES
Sensors Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass
Messaging
SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, IM, Push Email
Browser HTML5
Java No
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- Xvid/MP4/H.265 player
- MP3/eAAC+/WAV/Flac player
- Document viewer
- Photo/video editor
BATTERY
Non-removable Li-Ion 2700 mAh battery
Stand-by
Talk time

maninder.email said:
Sony Xperia X Performance Dual with dual-SIM card slots
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2016, February
BODY Dimensions 144.8 x 71.1 x 7.6 mm (5.70 x 2.80 x 0.30 in)
Weight 165 g (5.82 oz)
SIM Optional Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
- IP68 certified - dust proof and water resistant over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes
DISPLAY Type
IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~66.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution
1080 x 1920 pixels (~441 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch
Yes, up to 10 fingers
Protection
Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating
- Triluminos display
- X-Reality Engine
PLATFORM
OS Android OS, v6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
Chipset
Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820
CPU Dual-core 2.2 GHz & dual-core 1.6 GHz
GPU Adreno 530
MEMORY
Card slot microSD, up to 200 GB (dedicated slot)
Internal 32 GB, 3 GB RAM
CAMERA Primary
23 MP, f/2.0, 24mm, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
Features 1/2.3" sensor size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
Video [email protected]
Secondary
13 MP, f/2.0, 22mm, 1/3" sensor size, 1080p, HDR
SOUND
Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm jack Yes
- High-Res audio
COMMS WLAN
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, apt-X, LE
GPS Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS/ BDS (region dependent)
NFC Yes
Radio No
USB
microUSB v2.0, USB Host
FEATURES
Sensors Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass
Messaging
SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, IM, Push Email
Browser HTML5
Java No
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- Xvid/MP4/H.265 player
- MP3/eAAC+/WAV/Flac player
- Document viewer
- Photo/video editor
BATTERY
Non-removable Li-Ion 2700 mAh battery
Stand-by
Talk time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it really not support Java?

I'm on hot waters for deciding a new phone. If this doesn't come to US and being able to be used on Verizon, that's where I'm making the jump for the Galaxy S7 Edge. I have everything dedicated towards my current phone, but being outdated is no fun. :/

@GigaSPX @0verdaflow Just buy unlocked and you are gonna be fine.

​
mirhl said:
@GigaSPX @0verdaflow Just buy unlocked and you are gonna be fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not without being on America's number one network.

If you mean you need CDMA I fear they give very few damns to something that adds complexity with no real gain.
Also, for your's sake (given you are posting on XDA, right?) you should avoid locked down cramped device.
Sent from my Xperia S using XDA Free mobile app

64GB model?
Hey I saw 64GB model of Xperia X in GSMarena specifications
Is it true and will Xperia X Performance have that too? cause that would be so awesome.
And it's not listed in Sony Mobile page also and I saw in Chinese Website in Taobao they mentioned about 64GB model, which is really awesome if they bring to the table cause I feel like it's a must since Android OS is taking like 9-10GB of internal storage.
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chesterr said:
Hey I saw 64GB model of Xperia X in GSMarena specifications
Is it true and will Xperia X Performance have that too? cause that would be so awesome.
And it's not listed in Sony Mobile page also and I saw in Chinese Website in Taobao they mentioned about 64GB model, which is really awesome if they bring to the table cause I feel like it's a must since Android OS is taking like 9-10GB of internal storage.
View attachment 3721953
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both X and X Performance have 64GB version, but only dual sim model.
You can see it from white paper.
http://developer.sonymobile.com/downloads/whitepapers/xperia-x-performance-f8132-white-paper/
http://developer.sonymobile.com/downloads/whitepapers/xperia-x-f5122-white-paper/

GigaSPX said:
I'm on hot waters for deciding a new phone. If this doesn't come to US and being able to be used on Verizon, that's where I'm making the jump for the Galaxy S7 Edge. I have everything dedicated towards my current phone, but being outdated is no fun. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Giga,
Unfortunately, this phone WILL NOT work (at least not fully) on any CDMA networks/carriers........... Verizon, Sprint, & U.S. Cellular are all CDMA. The only major carriers that it WILL work on are the GSM ones............ T-Mobile or AT&T.
If you'd like more proof of this, then check here as I did. I have T-Mobile so for me it'll be fine. The only thing that's NOT fine is Sony taking F'ING FOREVER to release this d*mn phone! lol
You could always switch to T-Mobile too if you want. It just depends on your service area and how happy you are with Verizon. I had them before but I felt they charged too much, so I switched to T-Mobile and am VERY happy with them! You get more for less with them I feel. But like my sister lives in an area where T-Mobile is still not yet that strong (though this is changing rapidly IMO), and so she recently switched to Verizon and is very happy. But typically wherever I go I have a strong signal, especially since they recently cleared a Band 12 (700 MHz bandwidth spectrum) issue in my area. Now even indoors in like downtown (Chicago) area where before I had a low or no signal, it's now full strength! Plus if you switch they'll cover your early termination fees (if any) with Verizon.
I had the Z3 and it was the BEST phone ever! I recently got the S7 Edge and it's really nice but was too big IMO. Plus my fingers would accidentally sometimes hit stuff on the edge sides and activate/affect stuff on the screen like apps or video that I didn't intend to be touched. Maybe just takes some getting used to? So I switched to the regular S7 and yeah it's a great phone overall but due to me being unhappy with the physical home button, the sound quality and sound-related issues on this phone (crappy speaker, issues with connecting to portable amp/DACs) and lousy screen brightness (sucks under heavy sunlight), I am basically COUNTING THE DAYS until the X Performance is released! Sony phones are like the only ones left that I can stand at this point. lol
I wanted to give Samsung another chance after S5 (which I kept for like 4 days and returned cuz I couldn't stand it either lol), plus with all the promos they had like free Netflix etc I said F it. I love the promos, but now I feel stuck with the phone. I just hope Sony releases the X Performance by June as they said they would. I don't know why it's taking so long as everyone else has or will have released their phones by May (HTC 10). The only news we have is that the Xperia XA & X are to be released in the UK in early June (XA) and on May 20th (X). Lucky for them, though they are NOT getting the X Performance but we in the U.S. are.

Verizon and Snapdragon 820 Modem x12
Modem
Optional integrated X12 LTE
LTE Category 12/13
Up to 600 Mbps DL
Up to 150 Mbps UL
Global Mode
LTE FDD and TDD
WCDMA (DB-DC-HSDPA, DC-HSUPA)
EV-DO and CDMA 1x
GSM/EDGE
TD-SCDMA
I'm not familiar with the bands for verizon, but I'm pretty sure the new modem covers *all* broadbands even the unspecified ones programmable by software. I forgot where I saw this, but it looked really cool, anyways will those work?

I was checking Sony Mobile's US site tonight to see if there was an update on release dates and noticed that they had removed the fingerprint sensor from the specs list. I don't think it's ever had water resistance listed since I've been checking on updates. These features are both listed on Sony's Italian site. Why doesn't Sony want to succeed in the US? Who's going to pay probably $700+ for one of these? I guess I have to decide between the Z3 or a Z5 if I'm going to get a Sony phone. I was going to wait on the X Performance since it should be a little more durable, even though I don't think it looks as nice.

Hey Buggy,
Yeah you're right! And this is not even a WEEK after they'd added the fingerprint sensor TO the U.S. X Performance! Man, I love Sony's Xperia phones, but their marketing & sales people are f'ing stupid!! lol
The water resistance (IP65/68) is only available on the global/international model, which I am sure is the same as the Italian model. The U.S. model does NOT have this listed anywhere, so it won't have it either. This section from the int'l version's full specs page proves that even more so: "Durability
IP65/IP68 **; **: This service is not available in all variants or markets." So I am sure the U.S. variant won't have it (stupid Sony).
It sure DOES feel like they don't want to succeed, doesn't it? The ONLY good thing that the U.S. variant has that the other variants apparently do not is the inclusion of the QNovo Quick Charge 3.0 charger IN the box! So now, for the first time ever, Sony is giving us U.S. citizens something no other country is getting (wow! lol). If you go to the U.S. site you'll see it listed towards the bottom. But I'd still rather have water-resistance and a functioning fingerprint sensor.
I had the Z3 and it was the BEST phone I've ever had! I have the S7 now and yeah it's a great phone "overall" but once the X Performance comes out, I'm totally selling my S7 and getting the X Perf. F Samsung. lol No other phone out there does it for me. Only one that I'd even get is the HTC 10, but that would only be if I couldn't get the X Perf for some reason.
I actually really like the look of the Xperia X Performance. At first I didn't think I'd like it w/o the glass back, but actually, the graphite black and silver/white models have a brushed aluminum/hairline finish, which I LOVE. I'm super excited to get this phone! I even actually FOUND an online seller (who just happens to be located 10 min away from me......Chicago suburbs) who has the X Performance in all 4 colors available for pre-order right now. The company is called Expansys, and they have international locations all over the world. The U.S. Expansys site has the int'l (and yes better lol) version of the X Performance, so I pre-ordered it last week! If interested, go here to pre-order your own today! They have an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau website, and I know of one person who's already ordered from them several times w/o any issues. Current release date for X Perf is 1st week of July. Hopefully that doesn't change (stupid Sony lol).

Well I think I've decided to just go with the Z3 or Z5(or the compact) for now and save a few hundred dollars. Sad that our choice for the new phone is a gimped version with a warranty or the no warranty international version with all the features(minus the quick charger). Does insurance like Square Trade cover phones without warranties?
I've enjoyed my HTC One M7 and wouldn't be looking for a new phone if I hadn't cracked it's screen. It still works just fine though, but it's given me an excuse to finally try a new brand and I've always thought Sony's were nice looking. I have a Tablet S that has worked well for me, even though Sony quickly abandoned it. The HTC 10 is also one of the only other phones I'd consider. Just hate that they ditched the distinctive front speakers. It now looks like a generic phone in front. I've never liked the looks of Samsung's UI or their phones...just too rounded. LG's V10 is nice, but too big.

Buggy,
You may (or may not) want to still get the XP after hearing what I have to say here. But either way (Z3, Z5, or XP), they are all great phones. The XP may not have the glass back of the Z-series, but for the most part it IS an improvement over both those phones. The XP has a better processor, the Snapdragon 820, which is more power-efficient than the Z5's 810 (40% more actually), and the slightly smaller screen adds to that 40% too. It has the same main camera sensor, but "improved algorithms" in the software to make for even better pictures, in addition to that "Predictive Hybrid Autofocus" feature which Sony has focused a great deal on. This official comparison review video of the Z5 vs. the X (X & XP have the SAME screen & camera) highlights some of the other improvements. But as the video points out, the main specs might be the same, but the software is apparently different. And the front camera apparently has better specs too. Watch it all if you like, but definitely watch 3:35-4:25 with regards to the screen brightness & color accuracy comparisons, and a little after that are the camera comparisons. To me, the XP is worth waiting for. But that's me. I have the S7 and the screen brightness on it sux a$$ under heavy sunlight, so I believe the XP will be better after watching that video. I'll be SHOCKED if the XP's brightness isn't higher than the S7's. I'll be comparing them both regarding that on the day I get the XP. lol Then there's this camera comparison b/t the XP, HTC 10, and Galaxy S7. For the first time EVER, Sony's smartphone camera BEATS Samsung's in quality and color accuracy while in auto mode! I don't believe this was the case even with the Z5. And this isn't even the final release version of the camera software either!
I have some good news regarding insurance on the unlocked XP. Not sure on Square Trade, but I have T-Mobile as my carrier, and they use Assurance for the phone insurance. I confirmed with TWO T-Mobile reps and ONE Assurance rep that as long as I register the XP on my T-Mobile account and keep paying the $8/mo insurance charge that Assurance WILL insure my unlocked XP phone, even though of course I'm NOT buying it from T-Mobile. This was VERY good news to hear! lol So now buying the (cheaper) int'l version makes even more sense.
Sounds like we think alike. I had the M8 and it was my SECOND favorite phone of all time, with the Z3 being #1 of course. lol That sux about your M7 screen, but yeah that was 3 years ago, so now maybe it IS time for an upgrade, especially if you have a cracked screen. I couldn't agree more on HTC's idiotic decision to remove the 10's bottom speaker and move it to the bottom side, and how it degraded the looks. They could've easily put that fingerprint sensor in front (which is NOT a physical button you can press by the way, which is a + IMO) on the back somewhere or the side like Sony does. I think they were trying emulate Samsung and Apple, which yes makes the phone look more generic. I hope the HTC 11 will see a return of the front-facing stereo speakers for HTC. That's one of the reasons I love Sony so much. They have not abandoned that speaker set up on their flagship phones, and they are still making a flagship-worthy phone that is NOT a phablet. I hate phablets (tried the S7 Edge.......too big IMO), so I'm glad Sony hasn't gone that route. If the XP wasn't coming out, I'd strongly consider the HTC 10 actually.
I too strongly considered the LG V10, mainly because LG put a premium amp/DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) chipset in the V10. It has the same chipset used in my $300 Oppo HA-2 portable amp/DAC. With a phone like that I wouldn't need the HA-2 in b/t my phone and headphones anymore, but again like you, I felt it was simply too big, so I passed, despite its great specs. And yes..... Samsung. lol Not a fan either of their UI or phones, though both have improved much in the last couple of years (I def like that they ditched the plastic-bodied phones finally, which I'm sure Sony and Apple had an influence on lol). The UI is still laggy IMO (downloads faster than my parents' Xperia Z1s ((2014)), but when jumping from app to app on the Z1s, I notice it loads up QUICKER than the S7, for real), the menu is less confusing than the S5's was but still not as simple as HTC's and Sony's, the stupid & awful-sounding lone bottom-facing speaker, the constant skipping when listening to music on it via the MicroUSB port (super annoying), and that physical home button: I hate them. lol I tried to give Samsung another chance, but although the phone is great in many respects & I got some sweet promos from buying it (i.e. 1 year of free Netflix HD streaming, etc), I have no desire at this point to keep it any longer than I have to.
I love Sony's Xperia phones the most, so whichever one you get will be great for sure.

RockStar2005 said:
Buggy,
You may (or may not) want to still get the XP after hearing what I have to say here. But either way (Z3, Z5, or XP), they are all great phones. The XP may not have the glass back of the Z-series, but for the most part it IS an improvement over both those phones. The XP has a better processor, the Snapdragon 820, which is more power-efficient than the Z5's 810 (40% more actually), and the slightly smaller screen adds to that 40% too. It has the same main camera sensor, but "improved algorithms" in the software to make for even better pictures, in addition to that "Predictive Hybrid Autofocus" feature which Sony has focused a great deal on. This official comparison review video of the Z5 vs. the X (X & XP have the SAME screen & camera) highlights some of the other improvements. But as the video points out, the main specs might be the same, but the software is apparently different. And the front camera apparently has better specs too. Watch it all if you like, but definitely watch 3:35-4:25 with regards to the screen brightness & color accuracy comparisons, and a little after that are the camera comparisons. To me, the XP is worth waiting for. But that's me. I have the S7 and the screen brightness on it sux a$$ under heavy sunlight, so I believe the XP will be better after watching that video. I'll be SHOCKED if the XP's brightness isn't higher than the S7's. I'll be comparing them both regarding that on the day I get the XP. lol Then there's this camera comparison b/t the XP, HTC 10, and Galaxy S7. For the first time EVER, Sony's smartphone camera BEATS Samsung's in quality and color accuracy while in auto mode! I don't believe this was the case even with the Z5. And this isn't even the final release version of the camera software either!
I have some good news regarding insurance on the unlocked XP. Not sure on Square Trade, but I have T-Mobile as my carrier, and they use Assurance for the phone insurance. I confirmed with TWO T-Mobile reps and ONE Assurance rep that as long as I register the XP on my T-Mobile account and keep paying the $8/mo insurance charge that Assurance WILL insure my unlocked XP phone, even though of course I'm NOT buying it from T-Mobile. This was VERY good news to hear! lol So now buying the (cheaper) int'l version makes even more sense.
Sounds like we think alike. I had the M8 and it was my SECOND favorite phone of all time, with the Z3 being #1 of course. lol That sux about your M7 screen, but yeah that was 3 years ago, so now maybe it IS time for an upgrade, especially if you have a cracked screen. I couldn't agree more on HTC's idiotic decision to remove the 10's bottom speaker and move it to the bottom side, and how it degraded the looks. They could've easily put that fingerprint sensor in front (which is NOT a physical button you can press by the way, which is a + IMO) on the back somewhere or the side like Sony does. I think they were trying emulate Samsung and Apple, which yes makes the phone look more generic. I hope the HTC 11 will see a return of the front-facing stereo speakers for HTC. That's one of the reasons I love Sony so much. They have not abandoned that speaker set up on their flagship phones, and they are still making a flagship-worthy phone that is NOT a phablet. I hate phablets (tried the S7 Edge.......too big IMO), so I'm glad Sony hasn't gone that route. If the XP wasn't coming out, I'd strongly consider the HTC 10 actually.
I too strongly considered the LG V10, mainly because LG put a premium amp/DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) chipset in the V10. It has the same chipset used in my $300 Oppo HA-2 portable amp/DAC. With a phone like that I wouldn't need the HA-2 in b/t my phone and headphones anymore, but again like you, I felt it was simply too big, so I passed, despite its great specs. And yes..... Samsung. lol Not a fan either of their UI or phones, though both have improved much in the last couple of years (I def like that they ditched the plastic-bodied phones finally, which I'm sure Sony and Apple had an influence on lol). The UI is still laggy IMO (downloads faster than my parents' Xperia Z1s ((2014)), but when jumping from app to app on the Z1s, I notice it loads up QUICKER than the S7, for real), the menu is less confusing than the S5's was but still not as simple as HTC's and Sony's, the stupid & awful-sounding lone bottom-facing speaker, the constant skipping when listening to music on it via the MicroUSB port (super annoying), and that physical home button: I hate them. lol I tried to give Samsung another chance, but although the phone is great in many respects & I got some sweet promos from buying it (i.e. 1 year of free Netflix HD streaming, etc), I have no desire at this point to keep it any longer than I have to.
I love Sony's Xperia phones the most, so whichever one you get will be great for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RockStar2005,
Thanks for your input and the tip on T-Mobile's insurance policy. I know I want a Sony phone, but I'm still so indecisive when there's quite a chunk of money involved. If the XP is over $700 are the improvements really worth $200-$300 more than a Z5 or Z3? Plus, how long is it really going to be before it's released here? Sony seems to be pushing back the release dates in Europe. Guess it will just give me more time to save up. lol

BuggyDub said:
RockStar2005,
Thanks for your input and the tip on T-Mobile's insurance policy. I know I want a Sony phone, but I'm still so indecisive when there's quite a chunk of money involved. If the XP is over $700 are the improvements really worth $200-$300 more than a Z5 or Z3? Plus, how long is it really going to be before it's released here? Sony seems to be pushing back the release dates in Europe. Guess it will just give me more time to save up. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buggy,
Not a problem. Thought you might find that information useful.
Yeah I understand. And you've got a cracked front screen to deal with as well. The price of the XP HERE in the U.S. will very likely be less than the price it goes for in other countries. We (the U.S.) don't charge VAT (Value-Added Tax) on imported products like other countries do, so that helps keeps the prices down. You may still pay a LOCAL tax, but not a VAT too. Just something to keep in mind.
I can't really tell you if it's "worth it" because you know my answer, but you may not feel the same way. Again, if I had a cracked screen I may not be so patient either. You could just buy the Z3 or Z5 then upgrade again when the XP is here, or at some point in the near future?
How long? That's a great question Buggy. lol Though Sony IMO makes the BEST phones, their marketing and sales departments are dumb as F. lol I mean, NO real ads for the Xperia smartphones here in the U.S.? No billboard or TV ads? Nope, but they do put those video ads up on YouTube! Of course, the reason why that's so dumb of them to do is that the only ppl who will see them are those who were gonna prob buy an Xperia phone anyway! lol You think if someone doesn't know about their phones they're gonna magically think to go to YouTube to watch their ad? And the ads aren't even that great typically, with one exception (see pics and especially the vid). They need more ads like this one that are personable, and also I think some ads with some big actors like George Clooney, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, etc.
In countries like Sweden, Sony is just as big, if not bigger, than Samsung......and big surprise, they actually ADVERTISE there. lol But anyway, yes, the X got pushed back about 2 weeks, but I believe it will still come out in June. Now when it actually comes out HERE is another story. lol I wish I could tell you the XP will get released on time, but I don't know. Sony Mobile DID re-promote them all in the U.S. just yesterday (see link below, and videos too), but still, no dates were announced. I realize as time goes on that trying to make sense of their odd way of doing business is basically a waste of time. I'm just gonna wait for the phone, buy it, and hope they get their act together one day. lol
JUST saw this new article as I was typing this e-mail. Hopefully it means they are on schedule? Of course, I'm not buying the U.S. version anyway, but I figure the sooner either the U.S. or int'l version gets released, the sooner the U.S. will get both.

RockStar2005 said:
Buggy,
Not a problem. Thought you might find that information useful.
Yeah I understand. And you've got a cracked front screen to deal with as well. The price of the XP HERE in the U.S. will very likely be less than the price it goes for in other countries. We (the U.S.) don't charge VAT (Value-Added Tax) on imported products like other countries do, so that helps keeps the prices down. You may still pay a LOCAL tax, but not a VAT too. Just something to keep in mind.
I can't really tell you if it's "worth it" because you know my answer, but you may not feel the same way. Again, if I had a cracked screen I may not be so patient either. You could just buy the Z3 or Z5 then upgrade again when the XP is here, or at some point in the near future?
How long? That's a great question Buggy. lol Though Sony IMO makes the BEST phones, their marketing and sales departments are dumb as F. lol I mean, NO real ads for the Xperia smartphones here in the U.S.? No billboard or TV ads? Nope, but they do put those video ads up on YouTube! Of course, the reason why that's so dumb of them to do is that the only ppl who will see them are those who were gonna prob buy an Xperia phone anyway! lol You think if someone doesn't know about their phones they're gonna magically think to go to YouTube to watch their ad? And the ads aren't even that great typically, with one exception (see pics and especially the vid). They need more ads like this one that are personable, and also I think some ads with some big actors like George Clooney, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, etc.
In countries like Sweden, Sony is just as big, if not bigger, than Samsung......and big surprise, they actually ADVERTISE there. lol But anyway, yes, the X got pushed back about 2 weeks, but I believe it will still come out in June. Now when it actually comes out HERE is another story. lol I wish I could tell you the XP will get released on time, but I don't know. Sony Mobile DID re-promote them all in the U.S. just yesterday (see link below, and videos too), but still, no dates were announced. I realize as time goes on that trying to make sense of their odd way of doing business is basically a waste of time. I'm just gonna wait for the phone, buy it, and hope they get their act together one day. lol
JUST saw this new article as I was typing this e-mail. Hopefully it means they are on schedule? Of course, I'm not buying the U.S. version anyway, but I figure the sooner either the U.S. or int'l version gets released, the sooner the U.S. will get both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, as my phone is still working, I have time to wait. I'm just impatient and I want a shiny new phone now! (even is it ends up being a year or two older than the latest thing)
You'd think with also being a music and movie company they'd have some celebrities who'd do commercials for them...or at least do more product placement in videos and movies Music videos would be good because they probably get watched by a lot more people than most movies, and repeatedly. I guess they did with the last James Bond movie but it's not nearly enough. It would be nice if they made more of an effort here in the US to market their phones. They need to quit gimping the US versions though, and maybe that's why they don't do much to promote them. They'd have more people going "BUT WHYYY?!?!?!?! THAT'S SO STUPID!!," like me.

Buggy,
Yeah your phone is working which is good, but I hear you on being impatient and wanting to replace it. I'm hoping the new US videos mean they're fully intending on releasing the XP on time (1st week of July!). It makes me nervous though that the X is supposed to come out on June 10th, yet the U.S. Sony Mobile site STILL does not have it listed for pre-order, neither does the international site. The UK Amazon site has it for pre-order though, but the U.S. Amazon site doesn't even have it listed period. I'm hoping that maybe Sony will just release them all at one time here in the U.S., but who the F knows? lol God do I wish I could just put my foot up Sony Mobile's idiot CEO's ass just once! lol
Yes, I would AND DO think that! They had the Sony-Erickson phone (whatever its name was) in Casino Royale, which came out 10 years ago! lol Not sure on Quantum of Solace, but SkyFall (2012) featured the original Xperia Z in it. Then came SPECTRE last year........ that's when they stopped featuring Xperia phones because Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes didn't think it was "Bond-worthy". So instead I think they featured some watch instead. They did however do a Bond-related ad which actually DID get some U.S. TV time (shocking, I know lol) but only ran for maybe a month? lol It featured Moneypenny and was actually an ad for both the Z5 and their new camera at the time. Whatever........that movie wasn't anything special anyway. lol It was nice though to actually see an Xperia ad on TV though vs. online.
I've been saying in these various forums for months now.........you're SONY........get some big actors like George Clooney, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, etc to do ads for you. DON'T make them generic or boring. Get a U.S. ad agency to do them perhaps. I mean, the last 2 actors I just mentioned have ALREADY DONE movies for Sony, so they already have an established relationship with them. I even wrote to Sony Mobile and told them to do this too. I mean, they should get like Sony Movies and Sony Music etc to invest some money into Sony Mobile too..................if SM features ads with these actors or musicians, it's a win-win for both parties. And yes, removing key features from the U.S. versions is inexcusable BS and needs to stop too. So frustrating. If I didn't love their phones to death (or hate the competing phones out there so much lol), I'd go elsewhere. I just hope the XP comes out on time. I mean, it's gotten so bad to where I'm literally checking out stuff daily. I even have a "Google Alerts" setup on the XP.........I get an e-mail every night right after midnight giving me updates on anything new that's related to it. lol Can't wait for this crap to be over with.

Buggy,
Major update:
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_x...ws-18530.php
http://www.theverge.com/circui...availability
Pre-orders for XP begin June 19th, XP gets officially released on July 17th! Now, I think this is for the U.S. XP, which of course is somewhat lacking (no IP65/68, and I guess now they took the fingerprint sensor back off it), though it WILL come with the QNovo Quick Charge 3.0 charger. I though will be getting the int'l one, which I'm hoping will come out SOONER than the U.S. version? I know it will most likely be cheaper too, since the int'l Z5 is cheaper than the U.S. version is. But the fact that the U.S. one has a date at least means we have a better idea of when things will start to happen.
For now, I will keep my pre-order in place with Expansys, which is for the int'l one. They are located all over the world, but the U.S. one is like 10 minutes away from me (Chicago suburbs). But if U.S. Amazon gets the int'l one too by early July, then I'd rather just order from them.

RockStar2005 said:
Buggy,
Major update:
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_x...ws-18530.php
http://www.theverge.com/circui...availability
Pre-orders for XP begin June 19th, XP gets officially released on July 17th! Now, I think this is for the U.S. XP, which of course is somewhat lacking (no IP65/68, and I guess now they took the fingerprint sensor back off it), though it WILL come with the QNovo Quick Charge 3.0 charger. I though will be getting the int'l one, which I'm hoping will come out SOONER than the U.S. version? I know it will most likely be cheaper too, since the int'l Z5 is cheaper than the U.S. version is. But the fact that the U.S. one has a date at least means we have a better idea of when things will start to happen.
For now, I will keep my pre-order in place with Expansys, which is for the int'l one. They are located all over the world, but the U.S. one is like 10 minutes away from me (Chicago suburbs). But if U.S. Amazon gets the int'l one too by early July, then I'd rather just order from them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mind you there still is no information band support, nor is there info on finger print sensor or waterproofing.
Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk

Related

[Make it happen] HTC 8X (World) or Lumia 920 (AT&T)?

Alright, we all know what the drill is. i dropped my TITAN II and now i can't wait to get a replacement for it. I have been buying the flagship device of each wave of Windows Phone from HTC so i think i can try something new as well.
I know you probably thinking "This is another bullsh!t thread that as for the opinion and will end between a post or 2" , but please help me out here.
Coming down to the 920 vs 8X, a lot of poles has been made and look like the flavor goes to the 920. But i think i should take it from my own opinion, not just critic and others people thoughts.
1. Carrier : Not a big deal, i am on AT&T , GoPhone service to be specific, but i do travel international sometime. 8X get a little advantage here , but it is not hard to get an unlocked code for the Lumia either.
2. Storage: Personally, 16GB is enough for me, 32GB is nice but not a MUST.
3. Color : I don't give a sh!t, flat black is what i am getting either one of them.
4. Screen Size : A mix. I started with the HD2 4.3", and HD7 with 4.3" as well before i went full 2 years with 4.7" (HTC TITAN and TITAN II). 4.5 might be a smaller drop from 4.7" but 4.3 is not too bad either.
5. Camera : I am no photographer but sometime do demand some nice and clean shots. There are a lot of mixed review for the PureView Technology on the Lumia , as well as a lot of review said the 8X Camera is somewhat equal or worse than the One X. <= I don't really know, you guys help me here.
6. Battery : Both Non-Removable (Pain in the ass for sure), the Lumia is slightly higher but the usage is kind of the same as the 8X according to some reviews (due to the larger screen).
7. Performance : Both phones are matched...
8. Audio performance: *In the Dust*, i don't trust whatever Beats made and i am questioning the Dolby effect from Nokia too. I own myself a pretty good earbuds as well as some decent headphones.
9. Support: Unclear. Microsoft has been revealed about the way they update the phone is OTA (over-the-air), suspecting to by-pass carrier testing (which takes forever). if not, the World Version of 8X wins hand down.
10. Price : The No-Contract AT&T Locked Lumia stock at $450, the World-Unlocked version can rank up to $800, which not reasonable. the World Version of 8X is around $550-$600 right now, which is affordable for me.
...
11. History: The history really back HTC up for me. Although they said Windows Phone 8 won't even have a chance to have Custom ROM but who knows? Unless i hear it myself from the DFT. And the history of World Phone HTC really back the opinion up. HTC phones usually get the Custom ROM/ HSPL first.
They seem to be so evenly matched to me. Lose some and win some at both phones. Please let me know your opinion. Thanks.
For the Camera - it will depend on the situations in which you mainly take photos. For me it is quite often at parties or otherwise in the evenings which IS a situation in which the PureView actually performs better then anything else out there at the moment. If it's mainly well lit shots at least until Nokia tweaks the software it seems we'll see pretty similar performance.
For Sound we have not really seen any measurements of the devices yet but given that Dolby and Beats are on board I believe it should be safe to assume that both devices should at least offer decent quality with optimizations turned off (I tend to believe that's the way to listen to music the way the artists intended because that is why they recorded it that way).
On Support I actually disagree with you - Nokia has been a lot more active when it comes to Firmware Updates and additionally has continuously worked on getting exclusive Apps and other improvements to their phones. I don't see that changing anytime soon. Even if the current Apps don't offer you an advantage yet the next one might - meanwhile we've seen HTC not doing much in that regard.
Weight has been mentioned by some as a criterion to decide between the 8X and the 920 - it might be an issue for you but the additional 20 g over the Titan 1 don't strike me as that big a problem.
StevieBallz said:
For the Camera - it will depend on the situations in which you mainly take photos. For me it is quite often at parties or otherwise in the evenings which IS a situation in which the PureView actually performs better then anything else out there at the moment. If it's mainly well lit shots at least until Nokia tweaks the software it seems we'll see pretty similar performance.
For Sound we have not really seen any measurements of the devices yet but given that Dolby and Beats are on board I believe it should be safe to assume that both devices should at least offer decent quality with optimizations turned off (I tend to believe that's the way to listen to music the way the artists intended because that is why they recorded it that way).
On Support I actually disagree with you - Nokia has been a lot more active when it comes to Firmware Updates and additionally has continuously worked on getting exclusive Apps and other improvements to their phones. I don't see that changing anytime soon. Even if the current Apps don't offer you an advantage yet the next one might - meanwhile we've seen HTC not doing much in that regard.
Weight has been mentioned by some as a criterion to decide between the 8X and the 920 - it might be an issue for you but the additional 20 g over the Titan 1 don't strike me as that big a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the support side, i was mentioning about the Firmware Update (not necessary apps from the OEM). Do they push that without confirmation/testing from AT&T?
HTC also rolls out like almost monthly firmware and ROM upgrade when i still got my World TITAN, but that does not apply with the AT&T version.
I have the HTC and I love it. I've heard from someone who owned both Nokia and HTC (someone at MS) He said he liked the Nokia as a daily driver because of the bigger screen and said that it had better battery life, but liked to use the HTC whenever he went for a run or something of that nature because of it being so slim and light.
-HTC has a lower screen resolution but a higher PPI
-Nokia has a MUCH nicer main camera IMO, however the wide angle front facing on the HTC is really nice as well.
-HTC told me that the 8X would be just as loud as the Surround that I had before, however I didn't really find this to be true, the built in speakers are definitely good enough though. I haven't done a sound test on a Nokia.
I did get an OTA update already however it was really small 1MB<. Someone from Microsoft was telling me that they will have a program that will allow you to receive updates directly from them (kinda like the Nexus) but I wasn't clear on when that was happening (or if it had already happened)
If I had a choice between the two (The 8X was given to me) I would have gotten the Nokia.
Hope that helped at all!
hixsonkevin said:
I have the HTC and I love it. I've heard from someone who owned both Nokia and HTC (someone at MS) He said he liked the Nokia as a daily driver because of the bigger screen and said that it had better battery life, but liked to use the HTC whenever he went for a run or something of that nature because of it being so slim and light.
-HTC has a lower screen resolution but a higher PPI
-Nokia has a MUCH nicer main camera IMO, however the wide angle front facing on the HTC is really nice as well.
-HTC told me that the 8X would be just as loud as the Surround that I had before, however I didn't really find this to be true, the built in speakers are definitely good enough though. I haven't done a sound test on a Nokia.
I did get an OTA update already however it was really small 1MB<. Someone from Microsoft was telling me that they will have a program that will allow you to receive updates directly from them (kinda like the Nexus) but I wasn't clear on when that was happening (or if it had already happened)
If I had a choice between the two (The 8X was given to me) I would have gotten the Nokia.
Hope that helped at all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply!
- Do you have more info about the OTA Update for the phone? Are you using the 8X AT&T Version or the World Unlocked Version? Thanks!
PS: it is just still my main concern about the update progress. I have own both AT&T HTC TITAN and TITAN II and i know AT&T is an a$$hole in pushing the update out for the device. It is a deal-breaker for me as a power user and a dev also.
Strike_Eagle said:
PS: it is just still my main concern about the update progress. I have own both AT&T HTC TITAN and TITAN II and i know AT&T is an a$$hole in pushing the update out for the device. It is a deal-breaker for me as a power user and a dev also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well Microsoft did say there would be an "enthusiast program", essentially a way for someone who wants updates as soon as possible, to get them, regardless of carrier/phone. Of course until more details about this program are given, we have no idea if it supports all phones or carriers or what restrictions or what not, but I'm inclined to believe that this program should help solve the "where is my update?" issue.
Otherwise, I still think the Lumia 920 is the better choice overall. They are both great phones, but the Lumia 920 just has more going for it, not to mention Nokia's undying support of Windows Phone and their devices. In the short time they've been with Windows phone, they've impressed me with their support and dedication to the platform, more so than HTC has in the past 10-or-so years.
I'll tell ya how the 920 is when I get it today~
Go with the 920!!!
Better camera, better wireless charging, better quality ( NOKIAS are like a Tonka ), more memory and exclusive APPS AND GPS.
My HTC 8x is att branded but it came unlocked so Im not sure where it will be pulling its updates from.
If build quality is a concern, I dropped my htc last night and the screen cracked. It wasn't a big fall either (was laying in my lap and I got up so it fell). Fortunately for me however Im getting it fixed through HTC for free
Hopefully the enthusiast program will be coming out shortly, I really wished I had asked for a time table when the guy was talking to me about that.
hixsonkevin said:
My HTC 8x is att branded but it came unlocked so Im not sure where it will be pulling its updates from.
If build quality is a concern, I dropped my htc last night and the screen cracked. It wasn't a big fall either (was laying in my lap and I got up so it fell). Fortunately for me however Im getting it fixed through HTC for free
Hopefully the enthusiast program will be coming out shortly, I really wished I had asked for a time table when the guy was talking to me about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
really? i don't even remember we covered Accidental Damage for the phone. So you dropped your 8X and you got a crack on your screen? Or completely shattered?
Strike_Eagle said:
really? i don't even remember we covered Accidental Damage for the phone. So you dropped your 8X and you got a crack on your screen? Or completely shattered?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think they usually do it, but because I technically had a "review" unit I talked my way through it. lol
hixsonkevin said:
I don't think they usually do it, but because I technically had a "review" unit I talked my way through it. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL.
Well, my bro prjkthack just got the 920, i am going to wait for the "go" code from him...
it has been a minus from the 8X for me because i actually saw a review from Engadget today and see the 8X is much more smaller than the TITAN II, much smaller than i thought and i also notice that the bezel on the top of the phone is a lot more than i expected...
Unless i can hand it somewhere for myself, i will have to pass HTC Flagship this wave. The HTC Zenith has been DOA for this wave...
Strike_Eagle said:
LOL.
Well, my bro prjkthack just got the 920, i am going to wait for the "go" code from him...
it has been a minus from the 8X for me because i actually saw a review from Engadget today and see the 8X is much more smaller than the TITAN II, much smaller than i thought and i also notice that the bezel on the top of the phone is a lot more than i expected...
Unless i can hand it somewhere for myself, i will have to pass HTC Flagship this wave. The HTC Zenith has been DOA for this wave...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's a good idea. Everything is going to be much small than the Titan lol. If it were me I'd go with the Nokia too, so good choice.
I'd pick the lumia 920. Only be wise if you're goma use your camera alot, especially at night, the 920 will win there in low lighting. Plus you get double the storage at a cheaper price point. The weight isn't as bad as people have made it seem and the Nokia screen is better for watching videos on. It is sharper than the Titan2's screen, and you know personally how good that screen is...
Sent from my PI39100 using Board Express
Thanks guys.
I snatched a 920 today, AT&T version, little bit high off bore for the Without contract, from AT&T, Cyan.
To be exactly, this would be my first time using a flag-ship not from HTC for Windows Phone series... let's see how it goes...
I will wait and see what would HTC bring to the table with the HTC Zenith for the 2nd Wave...
But look like i change phone yearly, lol.
Strike_Eagle said:
Thanks guys.
I snatched a 920 today, AT&T version, little bit high off bore for the Without contract, from AT&T, Cyan.
To be exactly, this would be my first time using a flag-ship not from HTC for Windows Phone series... let's see how it goes...
I will wait and see what would HTC bring to the table with the HTC Zenith for the 2nd Wave...
But look like i change phone yearly, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good call. Enjoy the 920. Especially when Nokia releases that software tweak to improve the camera in daylight conditions. I am a big HTC fan and it does take some time to get used to a non HTC WP flagship, but as it stands, the 920 is the most premium mix of tech out for gen 1 WP 8.
I think HTC did the right thing by holding off a big screen WP 8. They need a quad core monster in WP 8 to sell. Hopefully it will come out with the Adreno 320 GPU. That would be a killer device in WP for 2013, especially with a 4.7" screen...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
trappxl said:
Good call. Enjoy the 920. Especially when Nokia releases that software tweak to improve the camera in daylight conditions. I am a big HTC fan and it does take some time to get used to a non HTC WP flagship, but as it stands, the 920 is the most premium mix of tech out for gen 1 WP 8.
I think HTC did the right thing by holding off a big screen WP 8. They need a quad core monster in WP 8 to sell. Hopefully it will come out with the Adreno 320 GPU. That would be a killer device in WP for 2013, especially with a 4.7" screen...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, sure man. I will do a review as i used to do with the TITAN vs the HD7. HTC sure as hell did a right thing with the HTC TITAN (4.7 inch + metal body), they need to keep doing that.
I have been teased from the boys on the Design Department that they are working on some sort of "TITAN III" , although i am not allowed to dig deeper on that. I have been waiting for that but seem it is DOA for the 1st Wave, and i believe the 2nd Wave won't hit until next holiday season, so i think i will bite the bullet and take Nokia for a ride.
Basically, sure the Software on both Device gonna be awesome, the main concern is how the Nokia behave, which i don't have any clue yet. But time will tell.
Thanks for the advice. :good:
Strike_Eagle said:
Haha, sure man. I will do a review as i used to do with the TITAN vs the HD7. HTC sure as hell did a right thing with the HTC TITAN (4.7 inch + metal body), they need to keep doing that.
I have been teased from the boys on the Design Department that they are working on some sort of "TITAN III" , although i am not allowed to dig deeper on that. I have been waiting for that but seem it is DOA for the 1st Wave, and i believe the 2nd Wave won't hit until next holiday season, so i think i will bite the bullet and take Nokia for a ride.
Basically, sure the Software on both Device gonna be awesome, the main concern is how the Nokia behave, which i don't have any clue yet. But time will tell.
Thanks for the advice. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cannot wait for that review. I picked up a Titan for repairs for a friend as a favor and just may end up sending him my Focus S instead and keeping the Titan as a spare.... I too am looking to jump on the Lumia bandwagon, but will go with the 810 since I'm in T.Mobile. Rest assurance if HTC puts out a nicely designed quad core 4.7"+ monster with WP8 in Gen 2, I will switch back...
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using xda premium
There is only one small problem. The 920 now using the microsim card. Can i trust the microsim cutter on ebay/amazon? Any suggestion?
Strike_Eagle said:
There is only one small problem. The 920 now using the microsim card. Can i trust the microsim cutter on ebay/amazon? Any suggestion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did they give you a sim card in the box? If they did I'd just have them activate that card and then you just get an adapter to use in any spare phones using regular SIM...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
as i thought, HTC always leaves a back door for hackers to do such thing :|
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1966327
I am on GoPhone service, so i will have to keep my sim... No way to transfer it

Why did you choose Xperia Z2?

Hi all, refer to the above let's discuss why you choose xperia z2 compare with others device.
is it because the design, Spec, price, sony fans or others.
Sent from my LT26w using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Simply because it's the best flagship on the market at the moment.
S5 sucked balls. It will be Z2 unless HTC suprises us with a monster in about 1 month.
Skickat från min GT-I9505 via Tapatalk
Just saw ARTICLE about new IPS screen and Sony finally have great and quality product.
I'm completely satisfied with my Z1 but if I get some interesting offer (like I got for Z1) I'll definitely try it.
Why?
Because, now, Z1 is ultimate device and Sony just upgraded it
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
Because the Z2 is the best on the market just now, S5 rom is 8Gb compared to the Z2's 4Gb, plus Z2 has way more excellent specs. I don't care that Samsung maybe releasing a 64bit S5 later this year as I think it is too early for me to get into 64 bit phones just now; as infrastructure etc is not in place yet i.e. app devs have yet to jump on board. That is my opinion anyway...
Waterproofing
Micro SD slot
Front facing speakers
Great camera
And thankfully a big battery
Also simple things like a camera shutter button make this the best phone on the market atm.
BTW, would not touch the S5. The design combined with touchwiz is enough to put me off.
I had a Z, ZL and now Z1. Logical to have a Z2 next.
Sendt fra XPERIA Z SGP312
Lost faith in Samsung with there handling of s3 updates plus had problems with them regarding other Samsung products. Been a fan of sony for a while now and its coming close to my phone upgrade and the Z2 currently looks like it. I have a few months to go so plenty of time to judge the competition and see what negatives might crop up about the z2.
As long as root is easily gained with minimal drawback Ill most likely be picking up the z2.
Plus the specs of this phone do look pretty good to me
Bigger battery, nicer look, wanted something that wasn't made by Samsung for once.
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Eye friendly...
I am one of the small amount percentage of population who seems to suffer from LED's displays... Sony triluminos display tech, seems to be benign on our eyes. At least sony Vaio Pro 13 and flip are better displays... This issue has years... Hope Z2 is really eye friendly to me too...
Seems spectrum of light of triluminos technology is more balanced. Not a huge blue spike on spectrum...
Here you could see a thread talking on LED's:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1677617?start=0&tstart=0
My HTC One is killing my eyes...
Cheers...
xz2
because of this past year i cannot trust Sony easily!
i love to buy Xperia Z2 IF all thing about display & ... be right!
if no two quality of display!
sharp display! jdc! OR all story like those!
It s ok if sony s using different company for display supplying BUT not different quality from each company.
:good:
My first phone was the Motorola RAZR V3i and have been a loyal user since then with Moto Droid & Moto RAZR... just loved the premium build quality along with excellent specs. Beauty with brains! Loved the design of Xperia Z & Z1 but was hesitant to switch due to the screen quality as I'm spoiled by AMOLED on my RAZR.
But the Z2 seems like the only phone to be awesome inside & out with no drawbacks to give me second thoughts why not to buy it... (Size was a little concern but I can live with that)
It's either the htc one 2014 or z2. I'm going to buy on tmobile 's jump program if i do decide to get one of these puppies. The phone addict in me wants the latest and greatest, but honestly don't "need" one just yet since I have the N5.
I expect by Fall, everyone will update their SOCs with 64 bit cpus. Also hope that finger print unlock and pw will be supported more widely. Not to mention waterproof and 3GB of ram. These will be must have options.
bigbrown said:
It's either the htc one 2014 or z2. I'm going to buy on tmobile 's jump program if i do decide to get one of these puppies. The phone addict in me wants the latest and greatest, but honestly don't "need" one just yet since I have the N5.
I expect by Fall, everyone will update their SOCs with 64 bit cpus. Also hope that finger print unlock and pw will be supported more widely. Not to mention waterproof and 3GB of ram. These will be must have options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also want to see what htc will bring to the table. I doubt it can match sony. Also would need a case since you can't get protection on the alu back.
I don't really see a need for 64 bit systems. What do you see 64 bit bring? Do phones need a new OS to match it? Will support for old systems stop?
We might not need it in the consumer space, but it's one of those things where if you can get it as a little to no-cost option, why not? I can envision a bunch of enterprise use cases like big data analytics and data visualization, not to mention phones/phablets/tablets with > 4gb of ram etc
I'm currently on a htc one x, my contract has 2 weeks on it, so I started looking. The galaxy s5 is a massive fail in my eyes, and I'm just getting bored with HTC. As soon as a saw a leak of sense 6 I knew I'd be bored. I'm going to miss BlinkFeed, but the look of the Z2 and the specs, plus noise cancelling and stereo speakers, as well as the camera (going on a once in a lifetime holiday in August), coupled with an sd card slot and waterproofing (11 pools in the resort), I think it'd be a crime not to go for the Z2. I am worried about the size a little bit, even tho I have big hands.
I have the HTC one and have very little complaints about it and the 2014 version looks promissing but that panel that used to have the capacitive buttons on it is still there but now it's just a logo. Idk why they would keep that. I hate wasted space and big bezels and I think the Z2 once I get Cyanogenmod running on it would be amazing
because the first android phone that i used was sony
sony phones are great in price , support in my country and dev's are supporting them great
and the most important one because sony phones are blazing fast and their software is useful and they don't have useless futures that only make your phone slower and they will eat your ram as hell
thats why i decided to buy sony z2
I love the design,
I love the software,
I love the camera,
I love the build quality,
I love the bigger battery,
I love front facing speakers,
And 3gb of Ram which the s5 don't have (besides I got the note 3, I dont need any more Samsung devices for now)
The Z2 and the note 3 will do me for now
mujj said:
Waterproofing
Micro SD slot
Front facing speakers
Great camera
And thankfully a big battery
Also simple things like a camera shutter button make this the best phone on the market atm.
BTW, would not touch the S5. The design combined with touchwiz is enough to put me off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of the above + 3GB RAM is what sold me. It should also make this phone relevant for a while. Can't wait for the Z2 to arrive!

Who in their right mind would buy this phone?

Sony has a long running joke here or something. I've always been interested in the Xperia phones, mostly for the camera, but apparently even that isn't groudbreaking - this makes ZERO sense considering the number of top cameras in the world being from Sony, and the majority of smartphone OEMs using Sony sensors, but somehow putting out superior results compared to Sony themselves.
Seriously, why should anyone spend $700 on this thing?
1. 5.2" is the biggest size offered - Sony clearly ignores what customers want. They give the options of small, and SMALLER with the compacts.
2. The camera app is a joke for being a "cameraphone first," and apparetly so are the photos.
3. They use a 1/2.3" sensor which is great, but no OIS? Seriously? Even HTC managed to put two camera modules with OIS in the HTC 10, and Sony can't even pull it off with the main sensor? EIS is garbage compared to OIS for photos at night, so that is no defense.
4. 3GB of RAM? Seriously? More may not be NECESSARY, but when every other flagship has it, you're going to skimp when charging $700?
5. Market-dependent features? The U.S. doesn't even get a fingerprint scanner? No wonder carriers stopped selling these phones!
What the hell does this phone have to offer for $700? Practically nothing. No mentionable audio performance (actually from sound tests, the stereo speakers are embarassingly quiet). The camera is not blowing out the competiition, lacks features (PARTICULARLY full manual control), and OIS. The software seems decent, but nothing worth mentioning. The display is nothing special. Audio recording is apparently nothing special.
It has water resistance and a cool design. Wow, sure worth the $700. I really want to order this phone and get it next week, but the LG V20 seems to destroy it in every regard. I love taking pictures on a smartphone and pushing their limits (since that is the camera you have with you all the time), but for $700, this thing is a joke! There is literally nothing that sets it apart from any other phone on the market! If I am missing something, please let me know - otherwise, Sony, your mobile division needs fired because they are IDIOTS.
I'm buying this phone. I always buy the new Sony phone when released. I simply enjoy Sony phones, no other justification necessary.
Sent from my F8132 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I think you can say the same thing with other phones currently on the market. Each of the phone has its own problems.
And 5.2" for a flagship is not very bad considering HTC 10 also has a 5.2" but still I would like XZ have a 5.5 " screen
augie7107 said:
I'm buying this phone. I always buy the new Sony phone when released. I simply enjoy Sony phones, no other justification necessary.
Sent from my F8132 using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Click to collapse
But why do you enjoy them? I want to know if there is something I am missing here. What makes these phones more enjoyable than other flagships which have more/better features?
beanxinh said:
I think you can say the same thing with other phones currently on the market. Each of the phone has its own problems.
And 5.2" for a flagship is not very bad considering HTC 10 also has a 5.2" but still I would like XZ have a 5.5 " screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that this phone has problems. I'm sure it works just fine. The Note7 lags like a ***** - that is a problem. Sony phones just seem to LACK stuff that makes them unique or more useful. There is nothing that separates this phone from the pack...
And 5.2" isn't TERRIBLE, but it's still pretty small. What will make it terrible is having on-screen buttons at 5.2". At least the HTC 10 was 5.2" with capacitive keys. You are going to have even less screen real-estate with the on-screen buttons.
Nitemare3219 said:
But why do you enjoy them? I want to know if there is something I am missing here. What makes these phones more enjoyable than other flagships which have more/better features?
It's not that this phone has problems. I'm sure it works just fine. The Note7 lags like a ***** - that is a problem. Sony phones just seem to LACK stuff that makes them unique or more useful. There is nothing that separates this phone from the pack...
And 5.2" isn't TERRIBLE, but it's still pretty small. What will make it terrible is having on-screen buttons at 5.2". At least the HTC 10 was 5.2" with capacitive keys. You are going to have even less screen real-estate with the on-screen buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't know. I don't use any other flagships. I bought the Xperia X1 years ago and never left. I would imagine they are somewhat similar. Every OEM has strengths and weaknesses and none are perfect. Its a personal preference thing.
Sent from my F8132 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I am also buying the XZ. Will import one from Clove UK for $620 with free MDR-XB950BT SONY WIRELESS HEADPHONES. The headphones sell for $ 150 on Amazon.
I have been using the GS7 since it came out and in my opinion it is a piece of crap. The Z3V I had with Verizon was a better phone than the S7. Better battery life and overall performance. The camera on the S7 is better than the camera was on the Z3V but the difference isn't that large.
I have been using Xperia phones since the X10 came out and used many of the Sony Ericsson phones before the X10.
Also based on GSM Arean's review the XZ is the best phone Sony ever made.
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz-review-1500.php
Nitemare3219 said:
But why do you enjoy them? I want to know if there is something I am missing here. What makes these phones more enjoyable than other flagships which have more/better features?
It's not that this phone has problems. I'm sure it works just fine. The Note7 lags like a ***** - that is a problem. Sony phones just seem to LACK stuff that makes them unique or more useful. There is nothing that separates this phone from the pack...
And 5.2" isn't TERRIBLE, but it's still pretty small. What will make it terrible is having on-screen buttons at 5.2". At least the HTC 10 was 5.2" with capacitive keys. You are going to have even less screen real-estate with the on-screen buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nowadays the phone market became saturate and most of the phone become more or less the same,most of the "special" feature coming from vendor is just gimmick like the curve screen. Samsung phone have gorgeous screen but the curve distort the image on it and it also cause glare which is very annoying.
Yeah and the XZ have plenty of space under the screen and yet they choose to have on screen button . It look like that with each of the phone Sony release they try hard to screw something up
beanxinh said:
Nowadays the phone market became saturate and most of the phone become more or less the same,most of the "special" feature coming from vendor is just gimmick like the curve screen. Samsung phone have gorgeous screen but the curve distort the image on it and it also cause glare which is very annoying.
Yeah and the XZ have plenty of space under the screen and yet they choose to have on screen button . It look like that with each of the phone Sony release they try hard to screw something up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I started to dislike about Sony phones is the OS.
It turned out to be too simplistic, it is almost pure Google's Android hence it is lacking the special and unique feeling Sony was giving us in the past.
They should have their unique style / design that will distinguish them from the others.
For me it is too stock now, I do not like this.
Nitemare3219 said:
Sony has a long running joke here or something. I've always been interested in the Xperia phones, mostly for the camera, but apparently even that isn't groudbreaking - this makes ZERO sense considering the number of top cameras in the world being from Sony, and the majority of smartphone OEMs using Sony sensors, but somehow putting out superior results compared to Sony themselves.
Seriously, why should anyone spend $700 on this thing?
1. 5.2" is the biggest size offered - Sony clearly ignores what customers want. They give the options of small, and SMALLER with the compacts.
2. The camera app is a joke for being a "cameraphone first," and apparetly so are the photos.
3. They use a 1/2.3" sensor which is great, but no OIS? Seriously? Even HTC managed to put two camera modules with OIS in the HTC 10, and Sony can't even pull it off with the main sensor? EIS is garbage compared to OIS for photos at night, so that is no defense.
4. 3GB of RAM? Seriously? More may not be NECESSARY, but when every other flagship has it, you're going to skimp when charging $700?
5. Market-dependent features? The U.S. doesn't even get a fingerprint scanner? No wonder carriers stopped selling these phones!
What the hell does this phone have to offer for $700? Practically nothing. No mentionable audio performance (actually from sound tests, the stereo speakers are embarassingly quiet). The camera is not blowing out the competiition, lacks features (PARTICULARLY full manual control), and OIS. The software seems decent, but nothing worth mentioning. The display is nothing special. Audio recording is apparently nothing special.
It has water resistance and a cool design. Wow, sure worth the $700. I really want to order this phone and get it next week, but the LG V20 seems to destroy it in every regard. I love taking pictures on a smartphone and pushing their limits (since that is the camera you have with you all the time), but for $700, this thing is a joke! There is literally nothing that sets it apart from any other phone on the market! If I am missing something, please let me know - otherwise, Sony, your mobile division needs fired because they are IDIOTS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. not everyone likes big phones, i switched from note 2 note 3 to z5 and happy with the size, i think sony isnt big like Samsung which offers massive number of choices, and their target is asian market which ppl there have smaller hands maybe?
2. yes, hope they will update it
3. if they put ois in only to make the lens to be protruded like samsungs htcs lgs and other brands then i prefer they just leave it as is, cell phone camera is only enough for social network or sharing pictures with friends due to the physical limit of sensor size, i use a real camera if im travelling
4. agreed, 4gb in 2016 is the minimum for a flagship phone
5. i think theres patent involved in the us or they will have to pay some fees or whatever if they include the feature, well at least the hardware is there and u can always flash the rom from international version to activate it, or just buy a imported one if u want one i guess
Sent from my E6683 using Tapatalk
Nitemare3219 said:
Seriously, why should anyone spend $700 on this thing?
1. 5.2" is the biggest size offered - Sony clearly ignores what customers want. They give the options of small, and SMALLER with the compacts.
2. The camera app is a joke for being a "cameraphone first," and apparetly so are the photos.
3. They use a 1/2.3" sensor which is great, but no OIS? Seriously? Even HTC managed to put two camera modules with OIS in the HTC 10, and Sony can't even pull it off with the main sensor? EIS is garbage compared to OIS for photos at night, so that is no defense.
4. 3GB of RAM? Seriously? More may not be NECESSARY, but when every other flagship has it, you're going to skimp when charging $700?
5. Market-dependent features? The U.S. doesn't even get a fingerprint scanner? No wonder carriers stopped selling these phones!
What the hell does this phone have to offer for $700? Practically nothing. No mentionable audio performance (actually from sound tests, the stereo speakers are embarassingly quiet). The camera is not blowing out the competiition, lacks features (PARTICULARLY full manual control), and OIS. The software seems decent, but nothing worth mentioning. The display is nothing special. Audio recording is apparently nothing special.
It has water resistance and a cool design. Wow, sure worth the $700. I really want to order this phone and get it next week, but the LG V20 seems to destroy it in every regard. I love taking pictures on a smartphone and pushing their limits (since that is the camera you have with you all the time), but for $700, this thing is a joke! There is literally nothing that sets it apart from any other phone on the market! If I am missing something, please let me know - otherwise, Sony, your mobile division needs fired because they are IDIOTS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well. You can always buy a GalaxyNote 7 which will eventually explode on you. For 800 dollars. Duh!
Anyway:
1. 5.2 is OPTIMAL. Most of the people don't need huge bricks in their pockets. But you need mode? Buy Z5 Premium.
2. The statement about the photo quality without any proof, and with plenty of proof in the net stating otherwise, is so childish it doesn't even qualify to this forum.
The app is great, just use the brain.
3. OIS on a smartphone is a toy. I mean who the f... cares about an OIS, if Digital Stabailization is working on XZ 3 times better than any OIS on any smartphone (proven in tons of videos). Again, instead of reading comparative charts use your brain and think.
4. 3GB is absolutely plenty.
5. They should work it out.
And for the Sony, it also has the best design and UI. Samsung looks like crap inside and is unstable.
LG is designed like sh..t, UI looks tacky. The camera has features but the performance is not there yet.
Why did you come here? Strange reasons I believe.
doministry said:
Well. You can always buy a GalaxyNote 7 which will eventually explode on you. For 800 dollars. Duh!
Anyway:
1. 5.2 is OPTIMAL. Most of the people don't need huge bricks in their pockets. But you need mode? Buy Z5 Premium.
2. The statement about the photo quality without any proof, and with plenty of proof in the net stating otherwise, is so childish it doesn't even qualify to this forum.
The app is great, just use the brain.
3. OIS on a smartphone is a toy. I mean who the f... cares about an OIS, if Digital Stabailization is working on XZ 3 times better than any OIS on any smartphone (proven in tons of videos). Again, instead of reading comparative charts use your brain and think.
4. 3GB is absolutely plenty.
5. They should work it out.
And for the Sony, it also has the best design and UI. Samsung looks like crap inside and is unstable.
LG is designed like sh..t, UI looks tacky. The camera has features but the performance is not there yet.
Why did you come here? Strange reasons I believe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're clearly a Sony shill. I've owned a PLETHORA of phones, so I am loyal to no brand. I go for what is the best option on the market. I am here because I have had an interest in Sony since the Z5 Premium was announced, but with US carriers dropping them (obviously for good reason), I didn't jump on the opportunity to try one out due to poor resale value.
1. You say 5.2" is optimal? For YOU maybe - some people disagree, otherwise phablets wouldn't exist and do so well in the market.
2. Without any proof? You're right, it's hard to find proof when all the recent camera reviews exclude the XZ, probably because it is nothing impressive. Looking at the photo comparisons that do exist, namely the GSMArena comparison tool, there is no tangible benefit from the XZ. It actually LACKS detail compared to the iPhone 7 and Note7 in most situations which is SAD. Sony rocks the camera world but clearly sucks with their phones.
3. OIS is a joke? You're an idiot. Digital image stabilization is not going to make a difference or even work with full resolution photos. EIS can work well with videos, yes, but it is NOT a replacement for OIS. The two should work in tandem.
4. 3GB may be "plenty" for light use, but there is ZERO REASON for them to include 3GB of RAM for $700! That is the whole point of this thread. This phone is spec'd WORSE than a $400 competitor!
5. Oh, they should work it out? No they won't you moron. The past phones still have no official fingerprint support.
This phone is a joke for the price.
Nitemare3219 said:
You're clearly a Sony shill. I've owned a PLETHORA of phones, so I am loyal to no brand. I go for what is the best option on the market. I am here because I have had an interest in Sony since the Z5 Premium was announced, but with US carriers dropping them (obviously for good reason), I didn't jump on the opportunity to try one out due to poor resale value.
1. You say 5.2" is optimal? For YOU maybe - some people disagree, otherwise phablets wouldn't exist and do so well in the market.
2. Without any proof? You're right, it's hard to find proof when all the recent camera reviews exclude the XZ, probably because it is nothing impressive. Looking at the photo comparisons that do exist, namely the GSMArena comparison tool, there is no tangible benefit from the XZ. It actually LACKS detail compared to the iPhone 7 and Note7 in most situations which is SAD. Sony rocks the camera world but clearly sucks with their phones.
3. OIS is a joke? You're an idiot. Digital image stabilization is not going to make a difference or even work with full resolution photos. EIS can work well with videos, yes, but it is NOT a replacement for OIS. The two should work in tandem.
4. 3GB may be "plenty" for light use, but there is ZERO REASON for them to include 3GB of RAM for $700! That is the whole point of this thread. This phone is spec'd WORSE than a $400 competitor!
5. Oh, they should work it out? No they won't you moron. The past phones still have no official fingerprint support.
This phone is a joke for the price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You call me an idiot.
Seriously, I have no time for discussion with trolls.
You're clueless kid, this forum will trash you anyway.
The phone doesn't seem so expensive over in the UK, cheaper than the Pixel at similar specs and includes a microsd slot.
For the OPs question, I think Sony phones are great compared to other flagships. Reliable and long lasting devices, awesome battery life, not much preloaded bloatware and no slow home screen system. At least from my experience with many many devices (for dev), the Sony is always my go to phone for constant usage, as things tend to just work.
I am also getting this phone. Need a replacement for my OnePlus One. I am buying it from UK which comes out way cheaper than buying here at USA. I also will be getting the free headset which cost about 150 USD. Getting phone for 641 with fastest shipping from UK to USA. The price comes out about 500 dollars for the phone.
If you are worry about bank asking for a fee for currency conversion, i suggest to use amazon.co.uk. They do the conversion on their side and will charge your card using your local currency.
dachao said:
I am also buying the XZ. Will import one from Clove UK for $620 with free MDR-XB950BT SONY WIRELESS HEADPHONES. The headphones sell for $ 150 on Amazon.
I have been using the GS7 since it came out and in my opinion it is a piece of crap. The Z3V I had with Verizon was a better phone than the S7. Better battery life and overall performance. The camera on the S7 is better than the camera was on the Z3V but the difference isn't that large.
I have been using Xperia phones since the X10 came out and used many of the Sony Ericsson phones before the X10.
Also based on GSM Arean's review the XZ is the best phone Sony ever made.
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz-review-1500.php
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So are you not with Verizon anymore? I have the S7 Edge as my upgrade from the Z3v, but hell the power saving mode and performance is better on the Z3v. I've never complained about any sort of lags from the Z3v, but I occasionally get it on the S7 Edge.
Despite the TC's anti-Sony statements that any other people babble on about 3gb is not enough, the XZ still intrigues me. The fingerprint sensor is actually confirmed working IF you flash another region's firmware.
The sensor reenabled in USA
http://www.xperiablog.net/2016/10/0...-owners-can-re-enable-the-fingerprint-sensor/
doministry said:
snip
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Click to collapse
Agreed, anything around 4.8~5.2 inch is the sweet spot for normal sized phone, OIS is a great addition, but it's not a dealbreaker without it if Sony come up with something comparable to that, more ram doesn't hurt, but it hurts when it's not being used.
Guess I'm one of those people not in there right mind as I just ordered it a few hours ago
I had the Xperia Z and then the Z3 and both were great. The Z3 was fantastic. I might even still be using it if T Mobile hadn't dropped support on it.
Not sure when will it arrive, upgrading from Xperia Z, good ol' phone served me well, 3 and a half years.

Worth Buying Nov 2016?

I am thinking of buying the Z5 Premium, do you think its worth getting at this point, and how is the Battery life under normal usage?
I just wanted general feedback from what you owners of the Premium think.
Thanks!!
Torguy said:
I am thinking of buying the Z5 Premium, do you think its worth getting at this point, and how is the Battery life under normal usage?
I just wanted general feedback from what you owners of the Premium think.
Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are SONY fan and can compromise over some of the hardware v/s price features then YES, buying Z5p in December 2016 is still fruitful
- the device has amazing resolution, each pixel shines!
- already have 6 patches/updates by SONY and soon will goto Nougat (android N)
- LAST Flagship of Z series (started in 2012) (Z /ZL / Z1 / Z2 / Z3 / Z4 and finally Z5)
- Last flashship device that came out on LP android 5.1 , so you can root without unlocking bootloader and can extract DRM KEYS before updating to MM
It's a good fone. However Sony support and updates are woefully slow. I only just got the August security release. If you plan on rooting and have never done it on a Sony fone, good luck. It's not the easiest... Battery life is good but not as good as my Z2.
Sent from my SGP311 using XDA Free mobile app
I was just about to ask the same question, when I saw this thread. I usually don't need any extra motivation when it comes to Xperia phones, as I'm in love with this brand since the day one.
However, it seems to me that there was never an Xperia phone so promising on paper, but being plagued with so many issues regarding hardware and/or software. So I have few questions that I hope you people with Z5's will know answer to.
First, regarding construction and build quality, is the back of this phone really made out of plastic and is it prone to scratches easily, like internet wants you to think?
Is that famous 3,5mm jack really so fragile, and is it the same across the whole production lifespan, like earliest models are exactly the same as latest production models?
Is there any real benefit with this 4K screen, besides watching the 4K video content, or are there some other situations when full 4K resolution is in action? And also, when it is, is the back panel really "cooking" hot like some people claim?
This beauty currently sells for about 420 euros in my country, so I'm really tempted to try it out.
Coming from the Note5 I was waiting for the Note7 battery issue to clear up. When they finally recalled it I came back to the Zed series. I am glad I did. My last Sony was the Z2 and I liked it enough but went back to the Note4 then the Note5. After only about a month with the Z5 Premium I do not think I will go back to the Note series. Do not get me wrong there are things I miss but I am thoroughly pleased with this device. I would not say that Sony is any slower than Samsung when it comes to updates. As for the build quality of the Z5 I do not think I could be happier. I am not sure about the comment of a plastic back as I put a protector on it immediately as well as a glass protector on the front and a Ringke case. Every thing I have seen says the back is glass. It boils down to how often you want to change devices. I would buy this phone again.
mr_torture said:
I was just about to ask the same question, when I saw this thread. I usually don't need any extra motivation when it comes to Xperia phones, as I'm in love with this brand since the day one.
However, it seems to me that there was never an Xperia phone so promising on paper, but being plagued with so many issues regarding hardware and/or software. So I have few questions that I hope you people with Z5's will know answer to.
First, regarding construction and build quality, is the back of this phone really made out of plastic and is it prone to scratches easily, like internet wants you to think?
Is that famous 3,5mm jack really so fragile, and is it the same across the whole production lifespan, like earliest models are exactly the same as latest production models?
Is there any real benefit with this 4K screen, besides watching the 4K video content, or are there some other situations when full 4K resolution is in action? And also, when it is, is the back panel really "cooking" hot like some people claim?
This beauty currently sells for about 420 euros in my country, so I'm really tempted to try it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
over the years i have purchased 5 Xperia phones and this is how i would rate z5p
1. hardware 8/10 - look, feel, shining everything stands out. the brightness of screen dims when fone is hot to protect processor
2. 4k works only on HD movies, othwise its regular 1080p
3 audio jack .. so far i never reached to the point where audio jack failing. but then i use it rarely since mostly i use bluetooth headphones
---------- Post added at 10:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 AM ----------
CodeNameRedNeck said:
Coming from the Note5 I was waiting for the Note7 battery issue to clear up. When they finally recalled it I came back to the Zed series. I am glad I did. My last Sony was the Z2 and I liked it enough but went back to the Note4 then the Note5. After only about a month with the Z5 Premium I do not think I will go back to the Note series. Do not get me wrong there are things I miss but I am thoroughly pleased with this device. I would not say that Sony is any slower than Samsung when it comes to updates. As for the build quality of the Z5 I do not think I could be happier. I am not sure about the comment of a plastic back as I put a protector on it immediately as well as a glass protector on the front and a Ringke case. Every thing I have seen says the back is glass. It boils down to how often you want to change devices. I would buy this phone again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you! the STOCK ROMs of SONY are better than of samsung in terms of minimal bloatware and somewhat better ram management. there are better roms out there who efficiently keeps ram at lower end (oxygen of oneplus3) however the whole feeling of xperia stockrom is better.
I never bought samsung for myself but my sister uses galaxy mega. i know samsung's rom and the performance. I might never buy samsung
To add to what @yusuHamed wrote about the headphone jack, I use mine 5 days a week on my way to work. I've never had a problem with it. I use different headphones as well, changing them nearly every week. And to add to what @CodeNameRedNeck wrote, I've semi retired my SGS3. I loved that fone. I also have a Z2 which I use daily. Sony devices are good but expensive. My Z5P might be my last one. The jury is still out. If I had broken it a day after I bought it, rest assured I would have bought another one as a replacement immediately. Now, I'm not so sure even the XZ would be a replacement I'd want.
guhvanoh said:
To add to what @yusuHamed wrote about the headphone jack, I use mine 5 days a week on my way to work. I've never had a problem with it. I use different headphones as well, changing them nearly every week. And to add to what @CodeNameRedNeck wrote, I've semi retired my SGS3. I loved that fone. I also have a Z2 which I use daily. Sony devices are good but expensive. My Z5P might be my last one. The jury is still out. If I had broken it a day after I bought it, rest assured I would have bought another one as a replacement immediately. Now, I'm not so sure even the XZ would be a replacement I'd want.
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Click to collapse
for many whom I chat / talked, they keep saying z5 will be their last SONY PHONE, and yes it will be my last sony Phone also! I don't know about others but for me
- I think over the years Sony is not pushing their devices in the market the way it should have been.
- this creates -ve impact
- Sony xperia buyers / lovers don't find Support, accessories easily and if they do , after so much of leg work and on high prices
- the manufacturers are focusing on mid range cost effective devices and the market is saturated with so many devices offering similar specs (and some time even more than sony's) on a very reasonable prices
- Boxing Packing of Xperia's are missing covers, protectors, book covers (high end). I believe if sony has Boxed Z5/ Z5p with 9H protector and atleast one Leather book case on such high price for the device, it would have made a huge different for user like me who is still wandering for quality accessories/protectors
- one more reason of what i think sony getting extinct from market is that GOOGLE NEVER adopted Xperia for any of its NEXUS series!! (accept Z ultra which was using Google's origina AOSP and Sony had to REDUCE their price after some conflict). Had there been Nexus 8 on XPERIA it would had boosted / help Xperia Alot!. The complain of SONY releasing STOCK ROM very late, atleast would have subsided for NEXUS Xperia!
Even though Sony makes exceptional devices, I do not think they are good enough at marketing them.
That's a phone that I had to pick from a limited range of phones which I could buy with a contract from my carier as installment is forbidden for phones in Turkey. And actually I was there for either a Huawei P9 or Xperia Z3+. I didn't even know a Z5 Premium existed as the shelves are full of Xperia "X" derivatives and I wasn't following the market since I had my hard times with my Xperia Z2, even though it was my best phone at the same time.
Still, looked at it's photo scores, laying one point under the Pixel phone with an 88 and bought it.
+ 1080/4K conversion is the cleverest thing ever! Do not be afraid of 1080p this much. You don't race your devices technology, instead focus on the screen quality and it is awesome. Also, being a device of Snapdragon 810 in a S820 era, 1080p gives it the necessary GPU advantage as the S820 rivals have fixed 2556*1440 screen.
+it also saves battery
+the material quality is superb. I jumped from Sony to LG G4, then Nexus 5 and now back again to Sony. It is great. Not a fan of glass back though, Z5 was better at that with a full aluminum body. I picked Premium just for a bigger screen for only 70$ more.
+so far the best music experience from my Android phones always came with Sony. This one is no exception.
+battery life is the best amongst my phones.
+I like Sony's Android implementation. They are slow on updates but stable, also the Woodward is light. That's the opposite on LG G4.
+The bootloader is unlockable and device is easily rootable.
+good headphones in the box
+I listen to music ever day, and never had any problems with the jack.
+camera has greater field of view than the other one on the market, that allows you to capture more area into the frame. With a Samsung, you would be taking the same photo from 10 steps further
+it is good that Sony got rid of flaps from USB ports.
-of your hands are wet or sweaty, fingerprint sensor probably won't work. That's bad for a water proof phone.
-Glass back is so 2012 matter of preference though..
-DRM backup thing requires a bit reading before jumping into the custom software world. Or there is no going back.
-Sonys are a little bit expensive in my country. This costed me nearly 1000$. For comparison; a brand new iPhone 6S 64gb is like 1350-1400$.
-the touch screen is extremely sensitive, so much that I can NOT write at full speed since it reads my two thumbs as one seriously! G4 was on a bit a heavy side when it came to touch sensitivity, thus one recognizes my finger almost before I make contact with the screen..
-never had a chance to try another one but the with-came headphones are low on volume, even though the sound clearness is %100
-it may get hot on the glass panel.
-in a regular room temperature, after 55 min of full HD video it gave me an error saying the device was too hot and needed to get cool for a little time.
-not that I see it a con, but the front camera is a low mp for today's standards..
-I just can't seem to get used to the Album app, I prefer Google's Photos instead.
-back in the days, there was this team called Free Xperia. They were always one step ahead when it came to custom ROMs and kernels on Sony devices, also worked side by side with Cyanogen Team. However, nowadays Xperia Z devices lag behind other devices on especially Custom ROMs. I didn't know that when I was buying the device but was sure I would be able to unlock the bootloader. So it kind of was disappointing for me.. I have to make do with the original ROM for now I guess.. That's a big negative for me.
-the accessory side of Sony is so weak. At least here, don't about the rest of the world.
These are my observations. Hope helps. Which devices I would trade my Z5 Premium?
1)Nexus 6P (not officially in Turkey's market, slightly cheaper).I believe Pixel is something in the history we all will try to forget.. So best Nexus is the best phone on the world.
2) Oneplus 3. That one is great, and the price is great too. But couldn't find it on Turkey. (found it in one store, without a certain origin and the guy tried to sell me at 800$)
3) HTC 10. Noo, not me. Some may like it but I can't trust HTC after One X fiasco..
4) Xperia X seems nicer and thinner. If only I could accept a smaller screen..
That's all.
I don't know, I'm still undecided between this phone and Huawei P9, which sells for about 30 euros less right now. Another phone with Sony IMX 286 sensors and another one which "miraculously" manages to produce great looking photos out of Sony sensors. :/
I still think it is a crime what Sony is doing with its own phones regarding cameras and post-processing algorithms, and seeing what other phones with Sony sensors are capable of, but that's another story not related to this topic. When you think about it, almost all of Sony flagship phones in Android era were plagued with issues this or that kind, and again I end up buying most of them. It's probably going to be the case this time again. I have to be honest and say that with Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P especially, I had great experiences, but after each of these phones I returned to Xperias again, solely for my love for Sony. I'm getting a little bit tired of "unfinished" flagships one after another to be honest, but there is still some passion left in me for Xperia phones so I guess I will give this phone a chance, maybe one last time after 6 years of unconditional love for this brand.
mr_torture said:
I don't know, I'm still undecided between this phone and Huawei P9, which sells for about 30 euros less right now. Another phone with Sony IMX 286 sensors and another one which "miraculously" manages to produce great looking photos out of Sony sensors. :/
I still think it is a crime what Sony is doing with its own phones regarding cameras and post-processing algorithms, and seeing what other phones with Sony sensors are capable of, but that's another story not related to this topic. When you think about it, almost all of Sony flagship phones in Android era were plagued with issues this or that kind, and again I end up buying most of them. It's probably going to be the case this time again. I have to be honest and say that with Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P especially, I had great experiences, but after each of these phones I returned to Xperias again, solely for my love for Sony. I'm getting a little bit tired of "unfinished" flagships one after another to be honest, but there is still some passion left in me for Xperia phones so I guess I will give this phone a chance, maybe one last time after 6 years of unconditional love for this brand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the race against time value, money and fair trade has never been so tighter before for xperias! as you mentioned the "unfinished flagships" is still the case even now with sony xperias where so many other flagship devices are offering so much more for competitive prices, boxing honestly to delight end users and enriching their experience by rich after sale support! its not just one area sony xperias are getting beaten up! its almost every ground, marketing, branding, hardware, pricing, after sale support, replacements, slow updates!
but then agian! as a die hard xperia fan! after z5p, i will buy next xperia somewhere in 2018. By then perhaps 5g will be out and my country will have VOLTE and sony may be giving 6gb ram with snapdragon821 processor, 64gb inbuild, 256gb sdcard, awsome android with switch between nav bar and or touch bar (like oneplus3). BOX containing screen guards and leather book cover .... and ROOTING option in DEVELOPER OPTIONS (like CYNOGENMOD ROMS).............
AM i imagining too much ?
I don't know what to do, literally. :/ I want this phone so much, and yet at the same time, I'm listening to music so much, that idea of audio jack failure in short time is driving me crazy. I guess I will have to choose between X, regular Z5 and Huawei P9 or even Mate 8 (although I find EMUI terribly ugly and unpractical).
*Now going in bed to watch all the Z5P unboxing videos over and over again.
mr_torture said:
I don't know what to do, literally. :/ I want this phone so much, and yet at the same time, I'm listening to music so much, that idea of audio jack failure in short time is driving me crazy. I guess I will have to choose between X, regular Z5 and Huawei P9 or even Mate 8 (although I find EMUI terribly ugly and unpractical).
*Now going in bed to watch all the Z5P unboxing videos over and over again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had two z5 premiums, one for 8 months and another for a month now. No headphone jack issue for either one.
If you can't get a model that can support an unlocked bootloader, then just skip this disaster of a device. I regret every minute of owning mine.
pattmyn said:
If you can't get a model that can support an unlocked bootloader, then just skip this disaster of a device. I regret every minute of owning mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to elaborate this in few words? Why disaster? I can't seem to find any disastrous failure with this phone beside that headphone jack issue. At least reading the web doesn't reveal any additional disaster.
mr_torture said:
Care to elaborate this in few words? Why disaster? I can't seem to find any disastrous failure with this phone beside that headphone jack issue. At least reading the web doesn't reveal any additional disaster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's mostly how most carriers in North America locked down the bootloader, meaning there was zero way for most of us to root the phone unless we bought it straight from Sony. Without root, the phone looks great on paper but there's so much untapped potential going on that it's ridiculous.
Not sure how things operate over in Sarajevo, but there's a "phone number" you slap into the dialer to bring you to a status menu of sorts that indicates if the phone's bootloader is locked or unlocked. If it's unlocked, I'd say it'd be an amazing piece of tech. But without being able to root it (as a power user) it feels like having a Ferrari that you can't drive more than 10km/h in - looks great, but it's all just looks. I can go more into detail via PM if you want to know more. I'm just salty and felt like I got burned by a company that's supposed to embrace the dev community.
Have you tried this?
http://developer.sonymobile.com/unlockbootloader/unlock-yourboot-loader/
Edit: never mind I see what you are saying.
I move from Samsung to Sony after having issues with Samsung phones and bough the Z5 premium as wanted high def music and 4k feature and to be honest I LOVE the phone I recently rooted the device which was a complete hassle and I wish i hadnt done it but that aside the phone is great, battery life is pretty good and when viewing photos it automatically goes into 4k mode which is just awesome, i listen to high def music alot and got rid of my FIIO E17 as the phone does a good enough job
pattmyn said:
....I'm just salty and felt like I got burned by a company that's supposed to embrace the dev community.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your complaint should be addressed to your carrier...Sony sells phones with unlockable bootloaders, carriers force them to completely lock it down...
And nowadays in the US at least, carriers don't even subsidise phones any more, so might as well buy straight from the source and no more bootloader worries...
You know what, I just bought this one, so I guess that's it when it comes to my opinion is it worth bying or not. And wow, the package itself is amazing, as well as contents inside. Free screen protector, UHC10 quick charger, MH750 headset... Seems quite premium if you ask me, because somebody earlier mentioned how the package seem a bit poor compared to rivals.
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NEW 2017 (or 2018?) Phones to replace 2014 Quark (Droid Turbo/Moto Turbo/Moto Maxx)?

EDIT:
I started this thread in April 2017 and went through year waiting for and then eliminating phones that could replace my beloved Quark, without losing any features like QHD (1440p) OLED, Qi wireless charging, and 3.5mm headset jack. While also GAINING features that have become de rigueur for premium Android phones, like IP68 dust/water resistance and fingerprint sensor.
I also wanted to be able to root the phone to keep total control. By the end of the 2017, the only phone that met those requirements (for me in the U.S.) and also was aesthetically pleasing was the open market LG V30 US998. The Exynos Galaxy Note 8 was just too large.
The LG V30 was not even on the original list below, but the LG G6 was... and it failed. The end-of-year LG V30 was what the LG G6 SHOULD have been. It's a more refined version of the LG G6.
I may keep this thread going to discuss 2018 phones, but they will have to beat the Quark while also competing with the excellent LG V30...
_____________
NEW Phones to replace 2014 Quark (Droid Turbo/Moto Turbo/Moto Maxx)?
FIVE PHONES TO WATCH IN 2017
There's NOTHING on the market right now or even in the past two years that is better than the 2014 Quark, in my opinion. The LG G4 and ZTE Axon 7 came close. So, I am waiting for NEW phones to come out.
I have three 64GB XT1225 -- two daily phones running RR 6.X and one still new in the box. I've come up with a list of 5 phones coming out later this year to watch, to see if they are worthy of replacing my daily Quark phone... Skip to the bottom if this is too long to read. But I explain my criteria.
I've had the Quark since December 2014, when I bought two in the same month, and then spring of 2016 I bought a 3rd Quark to be emergency backup (still new in the box).
During that time I had a couple of LG G2 phones I had as backup but when I bought the 3rd Quark, I sold those on eBay. I even won FREE a new 2015 LG G4 from AT&T in a contest, and sold it NEW IN THE BOX (but added a Qi wireless charging back cover I ordered from Europe, so it was even better than new). That 2015 LG G4 (with the Qi wireless functionality) was actually the closest replacement phone I've found for the Quark. But that was the money I used to buy the 3rd 2014 Moto Maxx XT1225.
My point is, each year since 2014 I've looked at various flagship phones and for one reason or another they don't match up to what I have now.
2016 ZTE Axon 7 came very close.
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5.5" AMOLED (exactly same Samsung panel in the Google Pixel XL, has same part number)
Google Daydream VR certified
64GB/4GB RAM ($400, now $357) or 128GB/6GB RAM ($500) -- both with microSD card
award-winning DAC
headset jack
front-facing stereo speakers
frame designed by BMW
20MP camera with rear OIS
bootloader unlock on request and has root, custom ROMs
For Verizon users, CDMA bands and Verizon VoLTE (on stock Nougat and LOS 14.1)
WOW. So, why not? No Qi wireless charging. Plus reports ZTE's firmware could be better. The custom ROMs are almost fixed, but in the beginning couldn't even access the award-winning DAC. Audio was all messed for months on the custom ROMs. But you could still root and run stock.
I wish Google had bought 1 million of these, slapped on their software and sold them as the Google Pixel XL. I seriously would have considered buying it, but the lack of Qi wireless is still a deal killer.
2016 Google Pixel XL.
Bezels too big for no reason. No Qi wireless charging. Google has lost their sense of direction. I owned two of the gen3 Galaxy Nexus and two of the gen5 LG Nexus 5. Ever since the WHALE 2014 Moto Nexus 6 (which I refused to buy), they have lost their sense of what mainstream smartphone users want. A 5.2" - 5.5" updated version of the Moto Nexus 6 would be PERFECT. UPDATED Snapdragon chipset, Qi wireless, QuickCharge 4.0, 1440 AMOLED, headset jack, etc. -- but in a reasonable size.
2016 Moto Z Force
Verizon exclusive. No headset jack. Crappy mods to make you pay for what should already be in the phone -- particularly stereo speakers, Qi wireleless charging, larger batteries. Except you can only use ONE mod at a time.
2016 Moto Z
No headset jack. Crappy mods to make you pay for what should already be in the phone -- particularly stereo speakers, Qi wireless charging, larger batteries. Except you can only use ONE mod at a time.
2016 LG G5
Crappy mods. Even crappier than the Moto Z series.
2017 LG G6
No Qi wireless for international models. No DAC/bigger storage for U.S. models. LG messed up. Make ONE phone with premium specs for the entire world!
2017 Galaxy Samsung S8
Very interesting. Specs are good. Has Qi wireless charging, 1440p AMOLED. Exynos variants have already been rooted and has official TWRP and ROMs. But I'm going to wait until 2nd half of 2017 to see what else is coming...
WHAT ELSE IS COMING THIS YEAR?
Here's FIVE phones to keep your eyes on.
This list below is in order of increasing likelihood -- with the bottom two being VERY interesting.
5 - 2017 Google Pixel 2
Probably still won't have Qi wireless or headset jack... Because Google is stupid.
4 - 2017 OnePlus 5 reportedly will have 1440p AMOLED. I'm not buying a 1080p phone, not since having 1440p since 2014. And any phone I buy has to have Qi wireless charging. I'm also concerned about OnePlus proprietary "Dash Charge" since I have many, many QuickCharge chargers. I'm NOT throwing those away.
3 - 2017 ZTE Axon 8
What could ZTE do to improve their almost perfect ZTE Axon 7 specs? Add Qi wireless charging.
What else could they do? Improve their firmware.
So, let's see what they do!
2 - 2017 Nokia 9
The Nokia 9 is expected to feature the following, key specs:
5.5-inch QHD OLED Display
Snapdragon 835, Adreno 540
22 MP Dual-Lens Carl-Zeiss Rear Camera
6 GB RAM
64 GB / 128 GB storage
12 MP FFC
3800 mAH Battery
Qualcomm Quick-Charge 4
Iris Scanner
Finger-Print Scanner
Nokia OZO Audio Enhancements
IP68 certification
Android 7.1.2 Nougat
Will run STOCK Android. Will it have Qi wireless? I'm very curious about this phone.
1 - 2017 Moto Z2 Force
5.5" 1440p AMOLED
headset jack
Snapdragon 835
Reportedly the Moto Z2 Force will NOT be a Verizon exclusive. Will be sold by all the major U.S. carriers and internationally. Also Motorola is ADDING BACK the headset jack. This still leaves the mods... But you could add a "battery pack" mod which also adds Qi wireless charging. Yes, you are paying $70-$80 for the larger battery and Qi wireless which should already be in the phone. But the final result would be basically an updated Quark.
Leaked renders of Moto Z2 Force
You have that camera hump, but the battery pack mod evens it out.
One of the Qi wireless 2,200 mAh extended battery pack mods for the 2016 Moto Z series. They are also guaranteed to fit the 2017 Moto Z2 series. Adds battery capacity AND Qi wireless charging functionality.
Last year's Moto Z Force (the Verizon exclusive with the missing headset jack) had a 3,500 mAh battery. If the Moto Z2 Force has same battery capacity, then adding this 2,200 mAh battery pack mod would give you 4,700 mAh battery capacity!
Any international variants would have probably have bootloader unlocked on request, just like now.
#1 and #2 are the best bets, with #3 right behind them (depending on Qi wireless).
I'm not buying anything right now. There's no rush, and nothing out there right now (LG G6, Galaxy S8) are compelling enough that I can't wait to see what develops by end of the year.
IF I don't buy anything this year (my wife and I are in the process of adopting two children, but can't say anything more about that for now), perhaps NEXT year's LG G7 will have AMOLED display? Reportedly LG promised almost their entire supply for this year to Apple, which is why the LG G6 still has LCD. And perhaps LG will realize the folly of regionalized specs (Qi in U.S., with DAC/more storage for Asia). Maybe NEXT year LG will produce a FANTASTIC PHONE for the entire world.
Honestly, if I had the money, I would replace my Quark with a OnePlus 3T. I won't give up the possibility of using custom ROMs with devices with uncertain development capability. Still, I am very happy with my Quark (which will soon turn 2 years old), even though its speaker is busted (it sounds like crap).
Shooting Star Max said:
Honestly, if I had the money, I would replace my Quark with a OnePlus 3T. I won't give up the possibility of using custom ROMs with devices with uncertain development capability. Still, I am very happy with my Quark (which will soon turn 2 years old), even though its speaker is busted (it sounds like crap).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just can't downgrade to 1080p and give up Qi wireless charging. Also the OnePlus 3T has the proprietary "dash charge". I have many QuickCharge wall-plug chargers as well as dual port car chargers. I also have several Qi wireless charging pads. I'm not throwing those away.
To me OnePlus is a company who is almost "major" league like LG, Samsung, Motorola -- but not quite. When they offer a phone with at least 1440p AMOLED, I'll know they are serious. All the "major" companies have offered 1440p since 2014 -- Motorola wasn't even the first. LG did it in early 2014 with the LG G3.
There's at least a dozen "budget" Chinese companies releasing 5.5" 1080p slabs. Look at the specs of the OnePlus 3 or even OnePlus 3T vs the ZTE Axon 7. ZTE stood out by offering top tier specs for the same budget price. The ZTE Axon 7 on paper makes OnePlus 3T look like a loser. Comparing all the hardware specs. Where ZTE lost is their firmware, but usually that can be fixed with custom ROMs.
ChazzMatt said:
The ZTE Axon 7 on paper makes OnePlus 3T look like a loser.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the OnePlus 3T has a better processor, bigger battery and much better community support.
zys52712 said:
Well, the OnePlus 3T has a better processor, bigger battery and much better community support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not much better processor, 821 vs 820 only because it's updated version of the OnPlus 3 (820). If ZTE had released a end-of-year update, it too would be 821.
You are comparing a newer phone (November 2026) to an older phone (May 2016).
And slightly bigger battery for the 3T, 3400mAh v 3250mAh (Axon 7). The original 3 had 3000 mAh (June 2016) which is SMALLER than the AXON 7. And the original 3 had the same 820 as the AXON 7.
The other Axon 7 hardware specs still blow OnePlus 3 or 3T away.
OnePlus 3T vs OnePlus 3 vs ZTE Axon 7
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/co...us-3,ZTE-Axon-7/phones/10313,10017,10068?ft=2
(they don't list it but there's also a 128GB/6GB RAM ZTE Axon 7 model for U.S. now)
Why didn't amateur OnePlus put in 1440p or fantastic DAC with front facing stereo speakers in their 3T "update"? 534ppi vs 401 pppi.
All top tier phones by LG, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Huawei, etc have 1440p. Even Apple is going to 1440p AMOLED this year! Until you have that, you are mid-tier spec only. I've had 1440p AMOLED since 2014 and I'm NOT going to downgrade to 1080p.
Maybe ONEPLUS will step up and deliver top tier specs with the OnePlus 5. We'll see.
That Nokia 9 though, unfh. I like the look of it more than the probably-vaporware Droid 3 renders.
...unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be GSM-only, which sadly still isn't an option where I live. No Verizon CDMA+LTE, no deal : \
Regarding wireless charging, apparently the holdup for a while was that manufacturers were moving towards metal case backs, which kind of gets in the way. Qualcomm announced way back that they had solved the problem, but I guess they never actually did anything with what they figured out.
Given that metal backs are SO yesterday and glass backs are the current fad, I expect that wireless charging will make more of a comeback in the coming year.
I wonder if it's possible to grab the wireless coil from a US LG G6 and stick it into an international version, to get the best of both worlds...I would expect they use a similar, if not the same, mainboard.
Septfox said:
it looks like it's going to be GSM-only, which sadly still isn't an option where I live. No Verizon CDMA+LTE, no deal : \
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, ZTE made an effort with their Axon 7 phone to include CDMA, because they were making a big push into U.S. market. Verizon VoLTE even works with Axon 7. But CMDA is the dinosaur that will go extinct. For companies wishing to make a quick splash on world markets, they can safely ignore CDMA.
You may not know this, but LTE is actually GSM/HSPA based technology. Which of course is why all LTE phones now have SIM cards.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_(telecommunication)
In telecommunication, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is a standard for high-speed wireless communication for mobile phones and data terminals, based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA technologies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, GSM won. CDMA lost. Even Verizon and Sprint has switched to it, by going to LTE and to VoLTE. The problem is they have to keep their "legacy" CDMA towers running -- for now -- for fallback protection. But at some point in time, CDMA will disappear entirely.
Verizon has said they will shut down their 2G CDMA network by end of 2019 and their 3G CDMA network by end of 2021. This has been long planned by Verizon:
Aparna Khurjekar, who was at the time Verizon's vice president of global strategy for M2M, told FierceWireless in 2012 that the carrier planned to shutter its 2G and 3G CDMA networks by 2021.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Last year, Verizon announced their 2G CDMA will actually shut down by end of 2019. They have not yet given a firm date for the 3G CMDA shutdown, except for that prediction back in 2012. But they will shut it down. Here's why:
Verizon said in April (2016) that fully 92 percent of its wireless traffic traveled over its LTE network. Verizon is also refarming its 3G, CDMA EV-DO spectrum for its LTE network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was a statistic from a year ago. Surely that percentage is even higher now.
In November 2015, Verizon even made a prediction which has not yet come true:
In November (2015), Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said the carrier is looking to introduce LTE-only handsets “probably more to the end of 2016.”
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, they haven't done that yet. But they are aggressively looking to do it! So, with Verizon LTE-only phones, you won't even get CDMA from Verizon! Once they introduce LTE-only phones, then it's just a matter of attrition. Getting customers to upgrade to the newer phones in such number that they can then petition the FCC to shut down even 3G CDMA.
In 4 years, everyone will own different phones than they do now.
2G CDMA is being shut down end of 2019, and 3G CDMA shutdown goal is end of 2021. That 3G CDMA date is not set in stone, but Verizon wants to shut it down. AT&T has already shut down their 2G GSM network end of last year.
In India, there's already an LTE-only carrier called Jio. That's the future -- LTE only.
And for me, if I wish to import phones from other countries like the Moto XT1225 with the easily unlocked bootloader or even the Exynos variant Galaxy S8 with the easily unlocked bootloader, having a GSM/HSPA/LTE carrier like AT&T is fantastic. I'm NOT buying the S8, but I seriously considered it for a few weeks. If I did, it would NOT be the U.S. model which is bootloader locked, but the international Exynos variant. But for Verizon users, they have no choice. The Exynos variant doesn't have CDMA.
Septfox said:
That Nokia 9 though, unfh. I like the look of it more than the probably-vaporware Droid 3 renders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that was disappointing, that Motorola went with the Moto Z Force instead of Droid Turbo 3/Moto X Force 2. They made the Moto Z Force be Verizon-only (except for reportedly a Chinese model which doesn't have U.S. LTE bands) and then the regular Moto Z was very blah (at least for me) with missing headset jack.
Well, "Nokia" has been reconstituted by former managers of the old Nokia mobile division who have now licensed the name under a new company "HMD" they created. They are getting FoxConn to manufacture their designs --same way Apple gets FoxConn to manufacture their designs for iPhones. They announced the first phones they will release this year, the Nokia 3, 5, 6. They started with "affordable" phones for first batch of releases early this year, and insiders say by end of the year they will release two top-tier phones, reportedly the Nokia 8 and Nokia 9. Yes, those have not been officially announced, but it seems logical with their strategy. Start with the small stuff, build to the big. They are also working with Google to get fast updates over stock Android.
HMD, then, looks as if it is trying to turn its Nokia phones into Nexus-style devices with fast updates, clean, bloatware-free software and aggressive pricing.
“Most of the smartphones in the market do not have the Android OS in the way it should be,” said HMD Global’s vice president for the Middle East and North Africa Per Ekman.
“Vendors are adding a skin on top of the OS. Consumers have the right to have the latest version of the OS, and we will be pushing the latest version and the patches as soon as it is available from Google.”
“We and Google will jointly enhance the Nokia brand to put the right kind of inputs into the phone, including Google Assistant,” he said. (That "Google Assistant" thing was announced back when it was still Pixel-only.)
This is a rather interesting niche in the Android space, now that Google’s Nexus phones are gone, as it is something no one is really exploiting. OnePlus competes on price, but not updates, for instance, so by going this route and doing it successfully, Nokia could find itself in a very good position in 2018/19.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bottom tier and mid tier phones will be released to Western markets by end of 2nd quarter: 720p/1080p and Snapdragon 4XX/MediTek type stuff. Of the three (Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6), the Nokia 6 mid-tier so far is the best -- with stereo speakers and Dolby, 64GB internal memory with 4GB RAM, microSD card, and other stuff. But it's only running Snapdragon 430. You would think they would at least go Snapdragon 6XX? Otherwise the other hardware specs are impressive for that category. Anyway, $300, if ordered from UK.. May also come to U.S. for around $250? But I'm not interested. However, might be something I would buy for my mother!
The top tier models (Nokia 8 and Nokia 9) will be the requisite 1440p and Snapdragon 8XX, of course. But then what other specs besides that? Well, they SAY they want to compete with Apple iPhone and Samsung, and by that time not only has the S8/S8+ been released, but the Note 8 will be coming.
The Nokia 8 has enough substantiated "rumors" -- if that's possible? -- it has a listing in GSMArena:
NOKIA 8 RUMORED SPECS
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8522
5.7" 1440p LCD, STEREO SPEAKERS, etc.
Where the Nokia 9 differs is 1440p AMOLED. Here's similar listing for the Nokia 9 on competing site PhoneArena:
NOKIA 9 RUMORED SPECS
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Nokia-9/phones/10486?ft=2
Part of this is actually "knowable". What do other major manufacturer flagship phones (Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony, HTC, Huawei) have, what's out there on the market right now, who are you trying to compete with?
So, yeah, you're going to have 1440p, Snapdragon 835 (unless Qualcomm releases a newer version by July). You're going to have USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector.
But are you going to be SMART and also put in a headset jack -- or stupid and leave it out? Motorola left it out last year, realized their mistake and are putting it back in. LG and Samsung left it in.
Are you going with the edge-to-edge displays? I think you have to since the LG G6, Samsung S8 and even the new iPhone 8 will have that. If you have any bezels at top or bottom, them put them to use with front-facing stereo speakers!
Are you going with Qi wireless? Or you can't because you have metal unibody? The Nokia phones seem to use metal, unless they change that for their top tier phone?
Point is, it's the mixture of the features and price point that differentiate phones. There's too many "me too" phones. I put ALL the 5.5" 1080p phones into that category including the OnePlus 3 and 3T.
"ME TOO" PHONES
Have you ever heard of the Sharp Z2 Android phone? How about the Asus Zenfone 3? or BLU Vivo 6? or LeEco Le S3? Or some of the Xiaomi models? There's a dozen more I could list. All you need to know is they are 2016, 5.5", 1080p phones.
They all have about the same specs. None have Qi wireless, none have stereo speakers, etc. Is this something you could brag about to your friends? Is this something you would be proud to own? I rag on my friends' iPhones that only have 1080p resolution. I've had 1440p AMOLED since 2014. Why would I downgrade to 1080p? And YES, I can see the difference.
When I went from 720p Galaxy Nexus to 1080p LG Nexus 5, ignorant people were saying "you can't see a difference between 720p and 1080p." Uh, yes you can. And those SAME ignorant people are now saying "You can't see a difference between 1080p and 1440p." Now if someone is telling me they want to buy 1080p because it's a BUDGET PHONE, and they don't care there's a difference in fine details on the display, OK. But don't tell me you can't see a difference. I work in visual media professionally and I easily see a difference, even on my 5.2" AMOLED display.
Back to feature mix and price points... ZTE Axon 7 excelled by putting in so many available features at such a low price point. First they made the 64GB/4GB RAM model (initially $400, now $357) available in the U.S. and later the 128GB/6GB RAM ($500) model available in the U.S. That latter model was not an "updated" model. They were both released in China in May 2016, but ZTE only exported the 64GB model to the U.S. at first.
Where LG messed up this year with the LG G6 was trying to regionalize certain features. Why wouldn't U.S. customers also want better audio and more storage (64GB)? They said it was for "pricing". It's already costing over $600. Like with the 2014 Quark, I want the best or nothing. Put ALL the features in. If you forced me to choose only between an LG G6 or Galaxy S8, I would choose the S8 (Exynos variant) because it has EVERYTHING.
Where the new Nokia will run into problems is if there's enough DEMAND for two top tier 1440p phones at the same time everybody else is releasing their 2ND HALF 2017 1440p AMOLED phones! Yes, Nokia could conceivably cut that back to just one phone.
Septfox said:
I wonder if it's possible to grab the wireless coil from a US LG G6 and stick it into an international version, to get the best of both worlds...I would expect they use a similar, if not the same, mainboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
XDA posted a tear down video where they said YES it seems possible to put a wireless coil on international version. However, it seems a little complicated. It seemed more than just putting the coil on the back cover, which I've done before with LG G3 phones. My attempts with LG G3 phones were mixed for friends' phones. After my trial and errors, I ended up buying back battery covers from where someone else had already done it professionally.
Right now, the Moto Z2 Force with the Qi wireless battery pack seems to be my best bet, IF I get a new phone this year.
ChazzMatt said:
Well, ZTE made an effort with their Axon 7 phone to include CDMA, because they were making a big push into U.S. market. Verizon VoLTE even works with Axon 7. But CMDA is the dinosaur that will go extinct. For companies wishing to make a quick splash on world markets, they can safely ignore CDMA.
...
So, GSM won. CDMA lost. Even Verizon and Sprint has switched to it, by going to LTE and to VoLTE. The problem is they have to keep their "legacy" CDMA towers running -- for now -- for fallback protection. But at some point in time, CDMA will disappear entirely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no "including" CDMA, Snapdragon radios can use every band under the sun by default. It comes down to whether manufacturers want to jump through Verizon and the FCC's hoops to enable it state-side. Well, and I suppose there are minor physical considerations like antenna size, but that's the beauty of designing and manufacturing your own handsets; you can put in whatever you please. <insert headphone jack-based stab at Apple here>
Key thing being "at some point in time". Verizon's not going to shut their CDMA towers off until they know that they'll lose the minimum number of customers doing it; once they get enough LTE towers set up, they'll "generously" offer to "upgrade" customers who're using CDMA/VoLTE-less devices, possibly at a "reduced price".
Until then, Verizon CDMA has the best coverage here in the states, particularly in rural areas. Sitting here at my desk, I have minimum signal, but still enough to call out clearly; my boss's T-Mobile phone wouldn't be so lucky.
Of course, the above is likely to change too, as we get closer to CDMA being completely defunct...more GSM towers going up, T-Mobile, Sprint and their MVNOs getting ready to snap up older Verizon customers when they realize that they were talked into buying a phone using dead-end cellular technology this late into the game.
ChazzMatt said:
And for me, if I wish to import phones from other countries like the Moto XT1225 with the easily unlocked bootloader or even the Exynos variant Galaxy S8 with the easily unlocked bootloader, having a GSM/HSPA/LTE carrier like AT&T is fantastic. I'm NOT buying the S8, but I seriously considered it for a few weeks. If I did, it would NOT be the U.S. model which is bootloader locked, but the international Exynos variant. But for Verizon users, they have no choice. The Exynos variant doesn't have CDMA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's going to be interesting to see how Verizon plans to exert control and keep customers, once CDMA is gone. They're going to need to adopt a different strategy, to continue making buying their locked-down phones appealing, since the whole "because our network is the best and only OUR radios are configured to work on it!" thing will be out.
Sure, being able to buy a phone over a two-year contract is nice (well I mean, contracts are nice if you like being at the mercy of the universe's sense of humor, personally I'd rather buy outright), but all carriers offer that sort of thing nowadays...and they don't sell "exclusives" that are gimped versions of the real thing. Usually.
ChazzMatt said:
"ME TOO" PHONES
Have you ever heard of the Sharp Z2 Android phone? How about the Asus Zenfone 3? or BLU Vivo 6? or LeEco Le S3? Or some of the Xiaomi models? There's a dozen more I could list. All you need to know is they are 2016, 5.5", 1080p phones.
They all have about the same specs. None have Qi wireless, none have stereo speakers, etc. Is this something you could brag about to your friends? Is this something you would be proud to own?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh come on, people don't buy copycat phones because they're trying to make a fashion statement, they buy them because they're cheaper than getting an S#, iphone, uhh...whatever else is competing with those in a given year.
To be honest, I see nothing wrong with there being a bunch of "me too" phones out there. They create competition, the higher-end ones (such as those by Xiaomi and OnePlus) put some pressure on the big players like Apple/Samsung/Lenovo to keep their prices from staying stupid-high for more than a few months at most. The low- to mid-range ones offer anyone low on cash an opportunity to have a frankly more than adequate handset. Gone are the days where "only" spending $150 on a phone meant you were getting something almost uselessly slow.
ChazzMatt said:
I rag on my friends' iPhones that only have 1080p resolution. I've had 1440p AMOLED since 2014. Why would I downgrade to 1080p? And YES, I can see the difference.
When I went from 720p Galaxy Nexus to 1080p LG Nexus 5, ignorant people were saying "you can't see a difference between 720p and 1080p." Uh, yes you can. And those SAME ignorant people are now saying "You can't see a difference between 1080p and 1440p." Now if someone is telling me they want to buy 1080p because it's a BUDGET PHONE, and they don't care there's a difference in fine details on the display, OK. But don't tell me you can't see a difference. I work in visual media professionally and I easily see a difference, even on my 5.2" AMOLED display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No argument here. It's not a completely fair comparison since we're talking old flagship next to newish mid-range phone, but putting my "old" 1440p AMOLED screen next to my mother's g4 Plus 1080p IPS screen...the image quality, contrast and pixel response difference is night and day. Literally the only thing hers has going for it is maximum brightness.
And even two AMOLED screens, the higher-res version is going to win. The only way I can see someone not telling a difference is if they either need glasses, or never use their phone for an extended period of time.
ChazzMatt said:
Back to feature mix and price points... ZTE Axon 7 excelled by putting in so many available features at such a low price point. First they made the 64GB/4GB RAM model (initially $400, now $357) available in the U.S. and later the 128GB/6GB RAM ($500) model available in the U.S. That latter model was not an "updated" model. They were both released in China in May 2016, but ZTE only exported the 64GB model to the U.S. at first..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it weren't for the large price difference when I was shopping, I would have bought an Axon 7 over the Turbo, despite it being slightly bigger. It really is a fantastic package aside from the lack of Qi charging, which is livable as far as I'm concerned. Just couldn't justify the $100+ difference for a used one at the time, and I badly needed a new phone.
ChazzMatt said:
Where the new Nokia will run into problems is if there's enough DEMAND for two top tier 1440p phones at the same time everybody else is releasing their 2ND HALF 2017 1440p AMOLED phones!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nokia has the distinct advantage of a legendary brand name, without the disadvantage of being seen as "business-only" like Blackberry. They've already put out some Android phones that have been fairly well-received, so...why not? If they can manage the specs they're pushing without being too insanely overpriced (*coughBB-Privcough*), they should do fine...enough to continue experimenting, anyway.
It helps too that the concept images for the Nokia 9 thus far have painted a drop-dead gorgeous handset. If it's reasonably sturdy, looks good, and is fast, people might even be willing to overlook its lack of a headphone jack (which I suspect is a reality).
Septfox said:
No argument here. It's not a completely fair comparison since we're talking old flagship next to newish mid-range phone, but putting my "old" 1440p AMOLED screen next to my mother's g4 Plus 1080p IPS screen...the image quality, contrast and pixel response difference is night and day. Literally the only thing hers has going for it is maximum brightness.
And even two AMOLED screens, the higher-res version is going to win. The only way I can see someone not telling a difference is if they either need glasses, or never use their phone for an extended period of time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good stuff, but thank you especially for this. :good:
I can't believe all the 1080p people who seem to just want to defend their favorite phone (iSheep, OnePlus zombies) without admitting 1440p resolution is the sign of a premier phone since 2014 for a very good reason.
Or front-facing stereo speakers, which some phones have had (HTC models, Huawei, Sony, LeEco, Alcatel, Moto X 2014, Moto Nexus 6, ZTE Axon 7, etc.) This is not a "new" concept! If you had the choice between one mono speaker or stereo speakers, why would you not want stereo?
Over in the Galaxy S8 forum, there's a thread about what could improve the S8. And since several professional reviewers have mentioned Samsung OWNS stereo manufacturer Harman Kardon, and front-facing stereo speakers would have been a nice touch on a premium phone, I also mentioned that point. And some fanbois just reacted with intense vitriol. As if having stereo speakers would somehow HARM them, make their testicles shrink and disappear. "IF you need stereo, use headsets or wireless ear buds!" And accused me of being some boombox-loving gangsta. Blah, blah, blah. This was in a thread specifically about how the 2017 flagship phone could be IMPROVED. They didn't have any ideas themselves, they just didn't like the implication the phone they just bought wasn't perfect in every way -- or couldn't be improved in any way. If you don't like the stereo speakers, no one will FORCE you to use them -- you can still use your wired headset or Bluetooth earbuds.
YET, I bet... I would bet $100 that if the OnePlus 3T had 1440p AMOLED and front facing stero speakers -- or the Galaxy S8/S8+ had front-facing stereo speakers -- the fanbois would eagerly point to those features as being the BEST, the pièce de résistance why their phones RULE.
Rumors are the OnePlus 5 will be 1440p. If true, what will the OnePlus fanbois say then?
______
And the earlier point about the "Me Too" phones -- yes, competition is good. But I'm just getting tired of breathless announcements for yet anther -- wait for it -- 5.5" 1080p phone with EXACTLY the same specs as the last dozen phones announced by Chinese companies. This was why the top-tier hardware spec ZTE Axon 7 (at such a reasonable price) was a breath of fresh air. If 100 companies are going to go "Me Too", then go "Me Too" in THAT direction.
I'm just a hardware spec hound, and I make no apologies about that. SOFTWARE can always be improved, but hardware can't. See Apple's iPhone 4 ridiculous screw-up with their with un-insulated external metal band antenna, i.e. "grip of death". The only "fix" was rubber bumper cases. The FIX came next year, when they insulated their antenna properly in the iPhone 4S.
Start off with the best hardware, then software can do it's thing.
I don't care how EFFICIENT you claim the latest Snapdragon chipset is (we hear this each year), I will ALWAYS take a 4,000 mAh battery over a 3,000 mAh battery.
I will always take 4GB RAM over 2GB RAM,
I will always take hardware rear camera OIS over none (should have been included on our Quarks) vs software-only stabilization
NFC chip over none (Motorola's stupid decision to leave it out of 2017 U.S. Moto G5 Plus, but include it in "international" variants).
or stereo speakers over one mono speaker.
You can still buy a phone that might have something lesser or even missing, but don't tell me it wouldn't make the phone BETTER.
Why do I want this phone so much? It makes no sense.
http://www.pcmag.com/news/353461/jelly-is-the-worlds-smallest-4g-smartphone
It's just so cute and tiny!
TheSt33v said:
Why do I want this phone so much? It makes no sense.
http://www.pcmag.com/news/353461/jelly-is-the-worlds-smallest-4g-smartphone
It's just so cute and tiny!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The TINY PHONE TREND returns
I just want the Glitch from ReBoot to be real
Well, as I suspected OnePlus doesn't have the guts to enter the Big Boy arena:
OnePlus 5 Fresh Leaks
http://playfuldroid.com/oneplus-5-f...der-3600-mah-battery-6-gb-ram-128-gb-storage/
1080p in 2017? On a flagship phone? Fail. Even laggard Apple is going to 1440p and they stay YEARS behind top tier Androids!
All major manufacturers since 2014 have offered 1440p. Even ZTE with the Axon 7 offers 1440p. Thus, OnePlus wants to stay in middle school, not play on the varsity team.
Also, no mention of Qi wireless, so another fail.
But not really a surprise. I don't hold a high opinion of OnePlus, not sure why everyone else drinks the Kool-Aid. The whole "never settle" crap motto, when I see PLENTY of hardware spec compromises.
It's the best of the "mid-tier" phones. Won't even be as good as Apple this year, and LOTS of Androids (even mid-tier) normally have better specs than Apple!
In 2014:
In 2016:
______
But some of that "2018" stuff, Apple will reportedly get a year "earlier" -- in 2017! 1440p, Qi wireless charging... But OnePlus users still won't have it!
Why are you so hung up on wireless charging? I find it slow and rubbish, and the only thing it excels at is overheating my phone.
Watevah said:
Why are you so hung up on wireless charging? I find it slow and rubbish, and the only thing it excels at is overheating my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ASK APPLE WHY THEY ARE GOING TO IT? Because it's very useful.
You're not forced to use it you don't want. But I've had it since 2013 on two different phones and it's very convenient. My wife and I use it every day. Walk in, put the phone down. Pick the phone up, walk away.
It's not either/or. You can also plug in when necessary.
It's a premium feature I will insist upon having. Like 1440p.
ChazzMatt said:
You're not forced to use it you don't want. But I've had it since 2013 on two different phones and it's very convenient. My wife and I use it every day. Walk in, put the phone down. Pick the phone up, walk away.
It's not either/or. You can also plug in when necessary.
It's a premium feature I will insist upon having. Like 1440p.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, well it's not like anyone is forcing me to use it, just want to find out why people prefer using it. I have a samsung Qi charger lying on my desk for a few months now and I'm almost ready to bin the useless thing. I think it's the first gen charger. Do the newer models have improved power output, at least?
Watevah said:
Yeah, well it's not like anyone is forcing me to use it, just want to find out why people prefer using it. I have a samsung Qi charger lying on my desk for a few months now and I'm almost ready to bin the useless thing. I think it's the first gen charger. Do the newer models have improved power output, at least?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is research being done so the new gen Qi wi-fi is faster, but I don't really care about that. I've been using this feature since my 2013 LG Nexus 5 and now on my 2014 Moto XT1225 (both me and my wife), and it's great just as it is. Sure, if you want to make it faster, fine.
I use the triple coil tilt ones so I can see notifications easily. Keep two in the living room, two in the bedroom. Even a couple at my mom's house, so we can use them when we visit.
It's not about speed, it's convenience. By the time we need to leave the house, they're charged. If you're going to put your phone down somewhere, it can be charging AND you can still see your notifications.
A friend of mine uses one at his office. The tilt charger lets him see his notifications, and if he has a meeting, just grab it and go.
The major stress on a phone is the constant plugging/unplugging/plugging/unplugging. Qi wireless charging prevents some of that stress.
Yeah, if I need to charge quickly I use any of the QuckCharge 2.0 chargers I have on hand. I even have dual port car chargers for me and my wife.
So, I'm not against plugging in, when necessary. Again it's not either/or. You can use both as needed.
But Apple is going to Qi wireless charging for their 1440p AMOLED phone, so they finally understand the nice convenience factor.
And I will have to find some more features Apple iPhone doesn't have to bash them, because they're about to take my two favorites -- 1440p AMOLED and Qi wireless charging...
I just won't buy a phone without either feature now that I've had them.
Essential FIH-PM1
One phone to add to the 2017 top-tier smartphone watch list now that OnePlus has struck out.
The mystery Andy Rubin "Essential" FIH-PM1 phone. Yes, the Andy Rubin who created a little start-up called Android and sold it to Google...
THAT Andy Rubin. He left Google in 2014, started a hardware company called "Essential" and is releasing a premier Android smartphone coming out this year.
The man who CREATED Android is now creating an Android smartphone.
This is the only CONFIRMED image of the phone, because that's Andy Rubin's hand holding the phone.
Someone THINKS this may be a prototype that showed up in a recent Michelin commercial because no other phones out right now have that combination of bezel-less look, and placement of ports. Not sure why it would show up in a tire commercial -- and in the commercial the volume buttons are on the wrong side -- so that's why I said the only CONFIRMED image is the one in his hand above.
Leaked specs are 5.5", 1440p, Snapdragon 835, 4GB RAM. Bezel-less display. 3.5mm headset jack (because he's NOT stupid). Also ceramic back -- which gives clue it might have Qi wireless charging.
If you decide to buy flagship device go for only Google devices. They are well thought and most long term supported.
IHMO.. Moto is only good for value/budget phones (E/G series).
z4ck1n said:
If you decide to buy flagship device go for only Google devices. They are well thought and most long term supported.
IHMO.. Moto is only good for value/budget phones (E/G series).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) I probably know more about Google hardware than you ever will.
2) While I will agree with you on Motorola being very laggard on updates -- I will not defend them in any way on that issue -- the 2014 hardware duo of Moto Nexus 6 and Quark series (XT1225/XT1250/XT1254), both released at the same time, shows they can play with the big boys. Motorola did make a Nexus phone with some of the best hardware specs ever made, and their Quark was basically the 5.2" version of that phone -- except for lack of stereo speakers and rear camera OIS. (Both were very strange omissions -- Motorola knew how to do hardware rear camera OIS as it's on the Nexus 6, and they had just put stereo speakers on the 2014 Moto X earlier that year. Very puzzling, and the only two things to prevent this from being the best phone EVER. It's not like they didn't charge enough money for this phone -- I paid about $700 each for my first two XT1225 in 2014.)
Quark (Moto XT1225/XT1250/XT1254) vs Moto Nexus 6
3) Uhmmm. I look suspiciously on Google ever since they released the too-big Nexus 6. They still haven't gotten back to where they should be. That was the FIRST of NOT having "well thought" design. Until then, they went with mainstream design size. That year, 2014, the mainstream display size was between 5.0" - 5.5", with the "average" being around 5.2". (Even Samsung with their Note phablets never went over 5.7" display size.) Google jumped the shark and went to 5.95" -- a 6" phablet! Of course people weren't going to buy it! They've admitted their mistake, and Motorola told them they shouldn't go that big. Whoever made that decision really missed an opportunity to solidify the Nexus branding as a commercial entity, and instead RUINED the Nexus brand.
"Well thought"? NO. Tell me what they were thinking with the HUGE bezels in the 2016 Pixel XL? They weren't thinking. Huawei turned them down for Pixcel and they had to go begging to HTC, who re-used a frame from a previous phone.
And they dropped Qi wireless charging, in both 2015 and 2017 when even Apple is adding Qi wireless charging now in 2017! (Motorola also stupidly dropped it, while Samsung did not.) If you charging THAT much money (over $800), you better have everything in the phone.
Look at the hardware specs of the ZTE Axon 7 AND the PRICE and look at the hardware specs of the Pixel XL.
The ZTE Axon 7 matches and even BEATS the Pixel XL in every hardware spec (except maybe camera) and is less than HALF the price. Why can't Google do that? Are they STUPID? I'm not paying EXTRA $400-$500 for HUGE BEZELS. Put some front-facing stereo speakers there, and I'll consider it.
It's not just about the price, but the hardware specs and the look. ZTE's frame is even designed by BMW. Google's frame they got out of the garbage dumpster behind HTC building. Look at the SIZE. The ZTE Axon 7 is SMALLER in spite of having the same display and even adding front-facing stereo speakers! "well thought"? HA!
Both have
same 5.5" 1440p AMOLED Samsung display
Pixel XL has 821 vs the 820 Snapdragon, only because it was released six months later. I would call that even.
4GB RAM
In addition, the ZTE Axon 7 has award winning DAC and front facing speakers + microSD card. I know that's a Google thing to not have microSD card, so if the Pixel XL was superior in all other aspects, I wouldn't even mention it.
Price? Currently over $800 vs $330. There's even a ZTE Axon 7 variant with 6GB RAM/128GB internal memory for $499 -- still beats the Pixel XL.
The only single point the Pixel XL is ahead in is the Google Pixel camera.
Well thought?
Don't make me laugh. Google should have bought 1 million ZTE Axon 7 phones, slapped their software on them, and sold THAT as the Pixel XL! They could even have marked it up a few hundred dollars and still made a profitl
If ZTE had used a ceramic/glass back and had Qi wireless charging, I would have bought 3 of them. Just like I own three Moto XT1225.
________
I was a Google Nexus fanboi with the gen3 Galaxy Nexus and the gen5 LG Nexus 5, buying both for me and my wife. I also bought Nexus tablets, the 7 and the 9. I bragged incessantly about Nexus hardware.
But Google screwed up in 2014 with the whale Moto Nexus 6. The model number for the Nexus phones is NOT screen size! Google got confused and made it too big. They even had a 5.2" Nexus 6 version they were testing! We saw the leaked benchmarks in mid-August 2014:
Shamu:
5.2",
1440p,
Snapdragon 805,
3GB RAM.
It was there! They had two variants. Google should have released BOTH or just released the "mainstream" size. But they told Motorola go with the one that was too big. That's when they lost me. I'm NOT going to look like this:
Someone carrying a Nexus 6
Which is why I bought the 5.2" version, the Quark that Motorola released at the same time. It was either the 5.2" Shamu re-purposed, or had been developed in parallel -- don't really care, it was top tier specs in a size I liked. It's MY Nexus 6. Oh, and the 5.2" Quark has a BIGGER battery than the 6" Shamu! Another way Google always screwed up the Nexus phones -- they skimped on the batteries!
Still, with the Nexus 6 and the Quark series, Motorola finally did graduate to the top tier category.
Ever since then, Google has admitted their mistake by going smaller and smaller - 5.7", then 5.5". But they still don't quite understand -- and they stupidly releasing even smaller versions with mid-tier 1080p specs and lesser RAM.
It wasn't the COST of the Nexus 6 most people didn't like, it was the SIZE. It wasn't mainstream. Even Samsung didn't make their phablet Note series that big (overall frame size).
And now Google screwed up with the most recent phones, the Nexus 6P (although they made it smaller than the Nexus 6, it was also still too big a) and the Pixel XL (with the bezels) even though they made it even smaller than the Nexus 6 and the 6P.
I'll consider the 2017 Pixel XL IF Google can get their act together.
________________
Ever since 2014, I can also list the many mistakes Motorola has made under new owner Lenovo --
breaking their fast updates promise,
not fixing the two deficiencies in the Quarks (stereo speakers/rear camera OIS) in the 2015 Kinzie successor, and instead adding the silly plastic shatter shield gimmick.
making you pay EXTRA for what should already be in phone (mods, with stereo speakers, Qi wireless charging), and
even with the U.S. Moto G5 Plus -- stripping NFC out when including it for the rest of the world.

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