Galaxy S7 User Reviews and Opinions - Samsung Galaxy S7 Guides, News, & Discussion

It's hard to believe that before the official release date, some people already have their hands on the S7. If you have one, give us your first impressions and thoughts about the device. Tell us about the display, sound, feel, camera, quality or whatever else comes to mind. If you've had any problems, we'd like to know about that too.
Unboxing pics are encouraged
Thanks!

shortsweet, wait for the s8, if you own s6i love my s6 cam. compapared to s7. maybe updates will help? although now i have 200gbs to store **** photos ,to my 128 s6.. and music so ,****it all , best phone is the 64 gb s6active!!! ,flat screen easily covered

Hi,
it seems that this is a thread for reviews, so here is mine:
Also, here is my Galaxy S7 edge review:

[VIDEO] 1 day with the Samsung Galaxy S7 - First Impressions
I wasn't much of a Samsung lover since the S4, and I'm a huge purist that loves stock Android. However, after using the S7, I must say I'm impressed! I dropped the Android 6.0 theme so now it isn't as colorful and a little more pleasing to look at in my opinion.
If anyone would like, here are my first impressions:

nice review, video was cool.
what icon pack you use

Related

Just got the IPhone 6

Just got the iPhone 6, and all I can say is that the Galaxy S5's screen is far superior.
The extra pixel density on the Samsung sure does make a difference. The iPhone is just not that sharp.
Thus it is just easier to read text on the S5.
Though iOS is very smooth, and exhibits no lag that anywhere that I can find. And build quality does feel awesome.
(In all, I would not rush out the get the iPhone 6. It's a decent phone, but not superior to the S5 IMO.)
Why? Why did you post this, especially in the galaxy s5 forums, gawd
I thought people might want to hear from someone who has both the ip6 and the s5.
There is a sticky to discuss other phones and comparisons
Thanks
FNSM

S8, HTC U11 or LG G6

Hi guys, I just went from S7 on OnePlus 5 recently and had it for two days but I hate camera in OnePlus so I'm selling it. My next chooses are S8, HTC U11 or LG G6.
What will be the best choose for me considering that:
- what's the most important for me is video stabilization (even in 1080p) and nice camera app
- I hate fingerprints scanners on the back like in S8 and LG G6
- I love the screen in S8
- I had S4, S5, S6 and S7 before but never had any HTC or LG in my life
- these bezels in U11 aren't a big thing for me. I can accept it. They are like in OP5
Or....I can always make a switch back to the S7 and buy it again haha I just loved that phone and S7 had everything I wished for but I just get bored of Samsungs to be honest.
But on this moment I would choose on HTC, what's your opinion?
Let me know guys, thanks a lot <3
i have the s8, its pretty nice yaeh. switched from the oneplus 3, that phone was faster, but that was about all it had on the s8
@timrock7 - How about that back fingerprint sensor? If Is it great to use? I can't imagine using that on S8 ;/ but I really like to use that feature on other phones with front fingerprint sensor.
Man, if not that sensor on the back I would buy it immidiately ;/
KamilKiri said:
@timrock7 - How about that back fingerprint sensor? If Is it great to use? I can't imagine using that on S8 ;/ but I really like to use that feature on other phones with front fingerprint sensor.
Man, if not that sensor on the back I would buy it immidiately ;/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
always had a phone with a fingerprint on the front, didnt have to many issues with switching to the back. The only downside is when the phone is lying on the table
In my opinion paying premium for a flagship with last year's CPU is pointless, which leads me to thinnk you shouldn't go for LG G6. Both HTC U11 and S8 are wise choice. U11 has Snapdragon so it will likely have better custom ROM support eventually cause S8 Exynos will never offer fully functional AOSP and US Snapdragon is locked afaik
What about camera comparision between U11 and S8? Which one is better? I saw youtube comparisions but one is on the S8 side and one on U11. Can't really choose a winner here. I saw that photos on S8 have a lot better colors. But Samsung incrases it a lot trough their software.
KamilKiri said:
What about camera comparision between U11 and S8? Which one is better? I saw youtube comparisions but one is on the S8 side and one on U11. Can't really choose a winner here. I saw that photos on S8 have a lot better colors. But Samsung incrases it a lot trough their software.
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Click to collapse
it really depends on how much you care about the camera and the UI
samsung likely has the best camera. probably more features as well
HTC likely has the better/faster UI
I had OP 3 , then T.
Tried G6, pixel XL and S8.
Have in house Honor8, S7 and some Apple nonsense.
G6 felt sluggish and for a phone sold on its camera, it did not impress.
Pixel XL is pretty good. Great camera , great software. Looks very dated.
S8 just edged it on the camera front.
But as a complete device, it is way out front.
Everything else feels and looks like it is from 2013. FPS on rear has not caused me one single problem.
I'm in the same boat as the OP. Hardware wise the S8 is near perfect, but I really hate all the Samsung bloat. Custom ROMs would help, but I'd lose the camera software optimization provided by the OEM.
The U11 has less bloat and is nearly as good in every respect, but other than software and sound its always #2.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00A using Tapatalk
I've tried the OP5 and the Xperia XZ Premium before coming to the S8. I owned the S7E and I swore I wouldn't get the S8 and try something else but after being disappointed by both these 2 and reading review after review I was like **** it gotta try the S8 and if I still don't want it change again. This is were my downfall and love for the S8 came lol, everything about it is quite amazing. The feel of it, the design, camera, graphics, it all just seems they have done it right and its clicked together perfect. I know you can get S8 ports etc for the S7E which i had but the S8 feels so much more than that. The finger print scanner was my main issue of disliking the S8 tbh but it actually works and i mean it works as in placement so easy to use ofc the odd time you move your finger over the camera lense lol but not as often as you would think when you get used to it. Both OP5 and the Xperia had bezels which I didn't mind *until I got this* this screen is beautiful full size and being able to hide the navbar also so nice. As for bloat *what bloat* lol I have it rooted with Reno Ice and NOTORIOUS kernel = all bloat gone and couldn't be happier :good: FYI I'm not a Samsung fanboy in any way trying to promote lol this is my honest opinion to which I explained I swore never to get one :laugh:
Yeah I too had this decision to make, and considering I'm a photographer, the camera was always going to be one of the key deciding factors. My choices (at the time) were, LG G6, Pixel XL and the S8. After going back and forth over specs and testing different devices I decided on the S8 primarily because it was GORGEOUS and in regard to hardware it covered most (if not all) the bases (good camera, expandable storage, water resistance etc). Always had it in mind that if I didn't like it (as I've never been a Samsung fan - AT ALL) I could sell it and get something else.
That was 2 months ago and within that time this device has made me fall in love with technology all over again. Irrespective of what all the reviews say about the FPS location, its really not a problem, like REALLY. And as for everything else....this device just handles stuff like a boss. The camera is excellent, and yes in certain conditions there may be devices that do a slightly better job, but overall and all round, the S8 IS an outstanding piece of kit. Even with the notorious Samsung bloatware, this device is a pleasure to use, and actually feels like how I envisaged mobile devices would look and feel in the future. My advice, get an S8 (you don't even need to go for the plus, the screen size is awesome), if you end up not liking it, at least it will hold its value so you can purchase something else........but somehow, I don't think you will.
(Disclaimer, 100% not a Samsung fan, in fact have been a HTC stalwart since 2003....but this device is just too good!!!!!!)
I had been using the S8 for a week (and U11 for two days) and the s8 fingerprint scanner is very finicky, so I opt to use iris, facial, or pattern to unlock. U11 fingerprint scanner is much better. Also, the audio on the U11 earbuds are full and more detailed (USB C) compared to the included earbuds in the S8, but do prefer having the 3.5mm jack.
Are some minor camera differences. Both good in daylight, but at night the U11 bumbs up the ISO (on Auto) too high causing a lot of grain.
But overall, I like the S8 more. To me, it has more features, AMOLED Display (the U11 display looks good for lcd but I did have 1 pixel that was stuck on red), and I got the S8 for $450 after the $200 trade, while the U11 is $680 with tax. So not worth the price difference. I actually found the U11 a bit boaring.
filterxg said:
I'm in the same boat as the OP. Hardware wise the S8 is near perfect, but I really hate all the Samsung bloat. Custom ROMs would help, but I'd lose the camera software optimization provided by the OEM.
The U11 has less bloat and is nearly as good in every respect, but other than software and sound its always #2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless if the rom is still stock based and edited, you still have the same camera. Also, there's even camera add-ons for the S8.
Bloatware is not a problem at all. We can remove almost everything manually so yea...I'm only afraid of that fingerprint sensor on S8, don't know what to think about it. I need to drive to the nearest phone store and test both S8 and U11.

If You want to upgrade your S6E+ with a new phone to get better photos read this

Hello! :angel:
On the 19th of January 2018 marks the official launch of the new Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 edition. From that day forward You can easily buy that new phone and You mustn't go through any pre-order procedures anymore.
During my free time I jumped into a couple of stores to see if there is a worthy candidate to replace our beloved S6E+.
To be clear one thing with You right from the begging - I was only checking if the quality of the camera photos were better or worse in comparison to Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.
Since there has been also other Samsung Galaxy phones in the stores I’ve visited - I’ve checked them too.
The results may come for You as a bit of a surprise.
Notice that the photo quality measurement was judged by myself only and it was always done indoors with much light in the room (no surprise here since it has been done in shopping centers).
If any of You is considering upgrading S6E+ to a newer model taking into consideration only the photo output of the camera please hold and see what was the verdict. Please read below.
So with no further ado, here are the results:
In all models, the HDR was set to AUTO, flash was always set to disabled.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Winner = Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and I might say it won easily. The S7 Edge has the biggest difference in photo quality of all the devices I’ve tested!
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018 edition)
Winner= Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. I’ve noticed that A8 tries to get better image quality impression by getting more brightness on the photos which is done automatically. In opposition to S7 Edge there is less difference in photo quality between the two compared models.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S8
Winner = TIE. S8 used automatic brightness adjustment to make photos look better. That was very hard to decide which was the real winner or looser in this one.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S8+
Winner = Samsung Galaxy S8+ - again, automatic photo brightness adjustment makes the pictures taken by that phone better. There’s just a little little bit more sharpness in S8+ images.
Samsung Galaxy S8+ vs. Samsung Galaxy Note8
Winner = Samsung Galaxy Note8 – again, images are brighter but they are more sharper too. This is the first real threat to S6E+ and first very good candidate if you want to upgrade S6E+ only by pursuing a better photo quality. Note8 is on the the top of the mountain when it goes for camera picture quality!
Well, that’s pretty much it.
I hope I helped You with upgrade or no upgrade decisions.
Thank You for the time taken to read my post
Before You upgrade Your S6E+ to a newer Samsung to get better photos
please delete this reply Mr Admin.
My mistake. Sorry.
androidbadboy said:
please delete this reply Mr Admin.
My mistake. Sorry.
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Click to collapse
Why do you want to delete? I agree with your opinion and I liked very much this thread. I'd like also add one thing: the number of pixels has a lot of importance when you see the pics in your pc, zoom on or, mainly, when you send them to your smartTV by smartconect. In these cases, S6 edge plus is much better than all of the others with a 16 Mp resolution in 16:9 format against only 12 Mp (4:3 format) and 9 Mp (16:9 format) of the S7, S8, note 8 etc. Remember: to see the true photo quality is not in the small oled screen of the phone (with a lot of artificial tricks and ppi) neither in Facebooks etc! Is in real life like in pc, smartTV or when you print them in paper and here, S6 edge plus photos are long steps ahead and are much better. Here you can see all artificial manipulations of the newer phones, like sharpening... Also that S6 is the only one that has the real and best resolution in 16:9 format perfectly adjusted to Tv's, pc screens etc - in 16 Mp! The maximum resolution in this format performed by S7 and S8, note 8 is only.... 9 Mp!!!! Almost HALF! hehe
For photography and camera in general, I don't swipe FOR SURE
flechinha said:
Why do you want to delete? I agree with your opinion and I liked very much this thread. I'd like also add one thing: the number of pixels has a lot of importance when you see the pics in your pc, zoom on or, mainly, when you send them to your smartTV by smartconect. In these cases, S6 edge plus is much better than all of the others with a 16 Mp resolution in 16:9 format against only 12 Mp (4:3 format) and 9 Mp (16:9 format) of the S7, S8, note 8 etc. Remember: to see the true photo quality is not in the small oled screen of the phone (with a lot of artificial tricks and ppi) neither in Facebooks etc! Is in real life like in pc, smartTV or when you print them in paper and here, S6 edge plus photos are long steps ahead and are much better. Here you can see all artificial manipulations of the newer phones, like sharpening... Also that S6 is the only one that has the real and best resolution in 16:9 format perfectly adjusted to Tv's, pc screens etc - in 16 Mp! The maximum resolution in this format performed by S7 and S8, note 8 is only.... 9 Mp!!!! Almost HALF! hehe
For photography and camera in general, I don't swipe FOR SURE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I don't want to delete the whole topic, just the first reply to it (#2) cause I messed up something while changing the main topic title.
2. Thank You very much for Your input and kind words. I completely agree with your arguments.
3. BTW During my testing I was zooming after the photo was taken to see how the pixels appear. I compared the two devices: one phone in one hand, the other phone in the other hand and I've searched for differences in image quality.
androidbadboy said:
1. I don't want to delete the whole topic, just the first reply to it (#2) cause I messed up something while changing the main topic title.
2. Thank You very much for Your input and kind words. I completely agree with your arguments.
3. BTW During my testing I was zooming after the photo was taken to see how the pixels appear. I compared the two devices: one phone in one hand, the other phone in the other hand and I've searched for differences in image quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your words too.
For this comparison you need, AND MUST, have the both files of taken photos in these different phones compared in the same equipment with same screen as also with the same color and image treatment. As you know, the screens of these phones are very different in size, ratio, dpi, bright scale, color treatment (I think S8 and note 8 have hdr screen) etc.. As you said, was not the case, so that comparison isn't accurate. Any case and with no doubts, the zoom range admitted by phones for those pictures with less resolution (12 Mp) is lower in scale compared with zoom range reached with a 16 Mp photo, for not to see the weackness and imperfections. You'd see in maximum zoom range reached by S6 photos how would be the quality of S7, S8 and note photos - miserable!
At the end, take exactly the same scenario at the same time with these phones and, after that, take theses files to your PC with a accurate color screen in preference, zoom in and out and you'll see great differences in quality, highlighted S6 in comparison with all the others.
Also, there is someone here in xda who is a professional photographer that has made this comparison. His opinion is the same - S6 was the last with a true 16:9 and 16 Mp camera much better than following phones. We're talking about natural noise, sharpness and quality. S7 and following are very artificial in treatment, focused to AMOLED screens or low resolution app's like facebook, in that you can't notice the natural quality. Even for DxOMark, before he changed the rules caused by the 2 cameras fashion, S6 edge plus has the second best cell camera in the world, much better than S7 and iphones...
Best regards
flechinha said:
Thank you for your words too.
For this comparison you need, AND MUST, have the both files of taken photos in these different phones compared in the same equipment with same screen as also with the same color and image treatment. As you know, the screens of these phones are very different in size, ratio, dpi, bright scale, color treatment (I think S8 and note 8 have hdr screen) etc.. As you said, was not the case, so that comparison isn't accurate. Any case and with no doubts, the zoom range admitted by phones for those pictures with less resolution (12 Mp) is lower in scale compared with zoom range reached with a 16 Mp photo, for not to see the weackness and imperfections. You'd see in maximum zoom range reached by S6 photos how would be the quality of S7, S8 and note photos - miserable!
At the end, take exactly the same scenario at the same time with these phones and, after that, take theses files to your PC with a accurate color screen in preference, zoom in and out and you'll see great differences in quality, highlighted S6 in comparison with all the others.
Also, there is someone here in xda who is a professional photographer that has made this comparison. His opinion is the same - S6 was the last with a true 16:9 and 16 Mp camera much better than following phones. We're talking about natural noise, sharpness and quality. S7 and following are very artificial in treatment, focused to AMOLED screens or low resolution app's like facebook, in that you can't notice the natural quality. Even for DxOMark, before he changed the rules caused by the 2 cameras fashion, S6 edge plus has the second best cell camera in the world, much better than S7 and iphones...
Best regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You for tones of great information.
I know that a precise test would have to be perform like that. I did it this way cause I didn't have access to the files of the phones in the stores for obvious reasons. The second thing is that people tend to judge the photo quality right out of the box shall we say. For example, 2 friends are taking pictures with their different phones and then compare the same object photographed by these phones by putting their devices near each other and judging by just looking at the phone's screen. That's what most people do when evaluating cameras and that's why I sort of did the same. I hope I saved our readers some time or gave them a bit information of what to expect out of the phones that I have compared.
With your information added I think we showed that our beloved Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is still the king of the mountain.
PS. Which device dares to claim to be number one?
androidbadboy said:
Thank You for tones of great information.
I know that a precise test would have to be perform like that. I did it this way cause I didn't have access to the files of the phones in the stores for obvious reasons. The second thing is that people tend to judge the photo quality right out of the box shall we say. For example, 2 friends are taking pictures with their different phones and then compare the same object photographed by these phones by putting their devices near each other and judging by just looking at the phone's screen. That's what most people do when evaluating cameras and that's why I sort of did the same. I hope I saved our readers some time or gave them a bit information of what to expect out of the phones that I have compared.
With your information added I think we showed that our beloved Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is still the king of the mountain.
PS. Which device dares to claim to be number one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you're right, people want to see and believe what they're are seeing in the moment, no matter the tricks or screens or etc. but for me, the most important is the real file of the photo that I can see, preserve and remind in the future in any equipment. Also when you need zoom a photo in a bigger TV screen, on where all the imperfections come out, a nice photo on the cellularphone can become tremendous here... Keep in mind this, for everybody the best cellphone photos of all the time were taken by nokia brand cellphones, mainly in the old N8 and lumias pureview. Unfortunately the Symbian OS and Windows phone OS didn't let this cellphones shine like they deserve... This is inquestionable but, in the moment in those TFT hd only screens, those weren't the best picture that someone could see...
About your question, sincerely I don't remember which one was considered the best one by DxOMark before new rules, I'm not sure if it was the pixel, but if you want to know, perhaps visiting his site and try to understand it. Unfortunately, also, DxOMark only started focusing in cellphones photography about a pair of years and never had the opportunity to test nokia models cause they are older
Regards
flechinha said:
Yeah you're right, people want to see and believe what they're are seeing in the moment, no matter the tricks or screens or etc. but for me, the most important is the real file of the photo that I can see, preserve and remind in the future in any equipment. Also when you need zoom a photo in a bigger TV screen, on where all the imperfections come out, a nice photo on the cellularphone can become tremendous here... Keep in mind this, for everybody the best cellphone photos of all the time were taken by nokia brand cellphones, mainly in the old N8 and lumias pureview. Unfortunately the Symbian OS and Windows phone OS didn't let this cellphones shine like they deserve... This is inquestionable but, in the moment in those TFT hd only screens, those weren't the best picture that someone could see...
About your question, sincerely I don't remember which one was considered the best one by DxOMark before new rules, I'm not sure if it was the pixel, but if you want to know, perhaps visiting his site and try to understand it. Unfortunately, also, DxOMark only started focusing in cellphones photography about a pair of years and never had the opportunity to test nokia models cause they are older
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again,
do you know his website, a contact or something?
androidbadboy said:
Thanks again,
do you know his website, a contact or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just Google it.

Very important news about this phone!

Please don’t delete this topic it’s fair warning!
I hate to be right sometimes but as I told long ago after years of testing it turns out that the best camera of Samsung was in S6 / S6Edge+. Test it yourself. Hold S6 in one hand and for example S8 in the other and take a photo in good light. Then zoom it on the phone and you will see that S6 has better details, no artificial brightener while for example S8 has it.
S6 has 16 Mpix and all flagships that came after had 12 Mpix rear camera.
I’ve tested S6 Edge Plus vs. S7 / S8 / S8+, Note8, S9, S9+ and…
only S9+ finally beat S6. (look how Samsung did bad for us from Sep2015 till March2018)
I wish I had NOT sale my S6 and bought a newer one
If You don't believe me? Ask XDA members who has S6 and a later Galaxy S model (but not S9+)
This is a Warning for You don't sell your S6!!!! or sell only if you can afford to buy S9+.
I did the wrong thing so I Warn you no to make the same mistake that I did
So, you say s6 is better than s8 (in camera) because resolution?
Then my xperia S (12 mpx) has the same camera quality like s8, right?
Enviado desde mi SM-G955F mediante Tapatalk
panchuckles said:
So, you say s6 is better than s8 (in camera) because resolution?
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Click to collapse
I didnt say that. I know that res/Mpix is not the final thing in judgeing the cam quality.
The purpose of this post was to warn all of ppl that DO want to use only smartfion to take pics.
I have no agenda against S8+. I just know that a lot of ppl are massivly abandoning S6 cause they think that cam will be significntly better on a newer Galaxy. Out of my good heart I want to spare them the dissapointment.
Like I said if a person wants to change S6 only for pics quality reason they should buy nothing less than S9+ otherwise they will be sadly dissapointed.
I disagree. My s8 takes much better photos than my s6.
andy_n_ said:
I disagree. My s8 takes much better photos than my s6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With all respect to You.
Why is that my S6E+ made 1000 photos of comparing (in bright light of course) since the lanuch of S7 till the launch of S9/S9+
And...
There's a post on XDA where expert members of XDA (high lever, maybe dev even) do agree with me.
androidbadboy said:
With all respect to You.
Why is that my S6E+ made 1000 photos of comparing (in bright light of course) since the lanuch of S7 till the launch of S9/S9+
And...
There's a post on XDA where expert members of XDA (high lever, maybe dev even) do agree with me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thread closed

LG V35 vs Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, what do you say?

They seem pretty competitive hardware wise (845 SD SOC versions for both). However, I was trying to weigh out overall user experience, software, and just first hand user experiences(are you happy with your decision? Would you still take the V35 over the S9+ given the chance today?)
When it comes to the LG V35's advantages I consider:
-Quad DAC (Huge plus for me, I use the V20 and thoroughly enjoy the high quality DAC and built in amplification)
-Current Price (seems to be dropping quite a bit)
Concerns I would have the LG V35:
-Timely software updates from LG(then again Samsung is not that much better in this aspect either)
-Long term Developer support... I respect and like the V35, however it is kind of a more niche/rarer phone, whereas the popular phones with a huge user base usually attracts more developers in the community for that phone.... I like to run the phone stock, but it's nice to have the option of continued support/upgrades through the community when the OEM drops support.
--------------
What do you guys say? Any annoyances with the phone? Any deal breakers? Or... any note worthy praise for the phone? Anything to know? I'd love to hear a user's advice/first hand experience.
TIA
I've had every G series phone since the LG G2. The LG G4 was the worst as you know...
I sold the S9, not plus, back in Sept to buy the AT&T LG V35. I disliked the Samsung curved edge screen.
The V35 battery and DAC are great. Software updates are slow but it's too be expected from LG. I wish they kept the headphone jack on the bottom of the phone but I can live.
If you're going to run it stock it'll run smoothly especially after you debloat it.
I no longer care about flashing as it coincides with games not working if I don't use a work around. We'd need an unlocked blootloader anyways.
Hope this helps
I came from a Pixel XL. It died a month or so ago. I'm on Google Fi and got the V35 for $500 ($700 minus a $200 service credit). Years ago I had a G2 and liked it a lot. I'm a little discouraged by the length of time updates take. On the Pixel XL they came first. I got Android Pie last October. Security fixes came out the first week of the month they were released. Not with LG. I just got the February security fix in late March. LG said that Android Pie would be leased for the V35 in the first quarter of 2019. Today is the last day of that quarter. I doubt it will come out today. But really, does it matter? The incremental changes are nice to have but quite small. Even from going from Oreo to Pie. As for developers, I rooted my G2 but I don't think it is really necessary now. Getting the V35 for half the price of a S9+ did it for me.
ssnova said:
They seem pretty competitive hardware wise (845 SD SOC versions for both). However, I was trying to weigh out overall user experience, software, and just first hand user experiences(are you happy with your decision? Would you still take the V35 over the S9+ given the chance today?)
When it comes to the LG V35's advantages I consider:
-Quad DAC (Huge plus for me, I use the V20 and thoroughly enjoy the high quality DAC and built in amplification)
-Current Price (seems to be dropping quite a bit)
Concerns I would have the LG V35:
-Timely software updates from LG(then again Samsung is not that much better in this aspect either)
-Long term Developer support... I respect and like the V35, however it is kind of a more niche/rarer phone, whereas the popular phones with a huge user base usually attracts more developers in the community for that phone.... I like to run the phone stock, but it's nice to have the option of continued support/upgrades through the community when the OEM drops support.
--------------
What do you guys say? Any annoyances with the phone? Any deal breakers? Or... any note worthy praise for the phone? Anything to know? I'd love to hear a user's advice/first hand experience.
TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would go with the samsung s9 plus.
I've owned the lg v30 (basically the same as the v35) for almost a year, then switched to the s9 for 2 months, switched back to the v30 for 1 month and I'm now using the s10 for a month now.
I loved my v30 but going back from the s9 to the v30 you realise samsung is in a league of its own. Its little details and annoyances but I'll sum some up.
What i love about the v30:
- design: I like the look of the v30 better. Gorgeous phone.
- love the v30 flat screen with minimal side bezels. Curved edges are annoying.
- double tap to turn the screen off and the knock code unlock are great software features i used alot.
- wide angle camera is awesome. Love it.
What i like better on the s9:
- screen: oleophobic coating on the s9 is way better. On the lg the smudges are very visible and they shift colors. Its visible when watching videos. On the samsung no such issues.
- screen itself: going back from s9 to v30 you do notice that the samsung amoled screen is better. If you've never had a samsung you wont realise it but going back you definitely do.
- camera: samsung s9 definitely better. Maybe the v30 can be great on manual mode but how many times do you actually use that. Its so much work.
On auto-mode the s9 photos look way better. Also at night. Shutter speed is wayyy faster on the s9 which also helps with getting sharp photos when the subject is moving,
Autofocus is also way better on the s9. Lg v30 photos have a higher risk of getting a crappy/blurred photo. Especially when the subject is moving. On paper the lg v30 camera looks great but in real life the s9 is alot better. Same goes for video. Im not a movie creator that edits all his videos and color grades them. Im a point and shoot guy and the s9 looks way better.
- front camera: Lg v30 front camera looks like its from the year 2014...... worst front camera on modern phone.
- samsung s9 has stereo speakers and Lg doesnt
- In my country samsung waranty is wayyyy better than lg.
- Samsung software works great. Samsung OneUi feels and looks very nice. Lg v30 feels very basic. Its fast and ok but i prefer samsung.
Also LG updates are very slow, still has not released android pie update.
- audio: quaddac on the v30 is awesome but honestly the s9 audio quality is also good. And the quaddac is actually only really useful when having very expensive quality headphones.
When you use regular good headphones you wont really notice anything.
-Also I noticed i started using bluetooth headphones and also use spotify, so the quaddac is useless for me.
Price: dont know where you live but the s9 plus is also cheaper here, maybe not as cheap as the v30 but i still rather have the s9 plus.
Ow and if you use snapchat, definitely get the s9 plus lol. The LG photos in snapchat are really bad. App is not optimised for LG.
So to sum it all up. If you want a great phone with the least annoyances and thats good at everything, get the s9 plus. Its a complete phone that can last you for years.
Valinorian said:
I would go with the samsung s9 plus.
I've owned the lg v30 (basically the same as the v35) for almost a year, then switched to the s9 for 2 months, switched back to the v30 for 1 month and I'm now using the s10 for a month now.
I loved my v30 but going back from the s9 to the v30 you realise samsung is in a league of its own. Its little details and annoyances but I'll sum some up.
What i love about the v30:
- design: I like the look of the v30 better. Gorgeous phone.
- love the v30 flat screen with minimal side bezels. Curved edges are annoying.
- double tap to turn the screen off and the knock code unlock are great software features i used alot.
- wide angle camera is awesome. Love it.
What i like better on the s9:
- screen: oleophobic coating on the s9 is way better. On the lg the smudges are very visible and they shift colors. Its visible when watching videos. On the samsung no such issues.
- screen itself: going back from s9 to v30 you do notice that the samsung amoled screen is better. If you've never had a samsung you wont realise it but going back you definitely do.
- camera: samsung s9 definitely better. Maybe the v30 can be great on manual mode but how many times do you actually use that. Its so much work.
On auto-mode the s9 photos look way better. Also at night. Shutter speed is wayyy faster on the s9 which also helps with getting sharp photos when the subject is moving,
Autofocus is also way better on the s9. Lg v30 photos have a higher risk of getting a crappy/blurred photo. Especially when the subject is moving. On paper the lg v30 camera looks great but in real life the s9 is alot better. Same goes for video. Im not a movie creator that edits all his videos and color grades them. Im a point and shoot guy and the s9 looks way better.
- front camera: Lg v30 front camera looks like its from the year 2014...... worst front camera on modern phone.
- samsung s9 has stereo speakers and Lg doesnt
- In my country samsung waranty is wayyyy better than lg.
- Samsung software works great. Samsung OneUi feels and looks very nice. Lg v30 feels very basic. Its fast and ok but i prefer samsung.
Also LG updates are very slow, still has not released android pie update.
- audio: quaddac on the v30 is awesome but honestly the s9 audio quality is also good. And the quaddac is actually only really useful when having very expensive quality headphones.
When you use regular good headphones you wont really notice anything.
-Also I noticed i started using bluetooth headphones and also use spotify, so the quaddac is useless for me.
Price: dont know where you live but the s9 plus is also cheaper here, maybe not as cheap as the v30 but i still rather have the s9 plus.
Ow and if you use snapchat, definitely get the s9 plus lol. The LG photos in snapchat are really bad. App is not optimised for LG.
So to sum it all up. If you want a great phone with the least annoyances and thats good at everything, get the s9 plus. Its a complete phone that can last you for years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that detailed response. Sums up my concerns, but you broke it down and mentioned the specifics first hand, appreciate it. I have a V20 and the front facing camera is pretty bad as well, I can't believe how over exposed it looks and how the details are filtered out, sad thing is, it's all processed in to make the person look more "prettier" but it just looks too fake.
smartnphone said:
I've had every G series phone since the LG G2. The LG G4 was the worst as you know...
I sold the S9, not plus, back in Sept to buy the AT&T LG V35. I disliked the Samsung curved edge screen.
The V35 battery and DAC are great. Software updates are slow but it's too be expected from LG. I wish they kept the headphone jack on the bottom of the phone but I can live.
If you're going to run it stock it'll run smoothly especially after you debloat it.
I no longer care about flashing as it coincides with games not working if I don't use a work around. We'd need an unlocked blootloader anyways.
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rklurfeld said:
I came from a Pixel XL. It died a month or so ago. I'm on Google Fi and got the V35 for $500 ($700 minus a $200 service credit). Years ago I had a G2 and liked it a lot. I'm a little discouraged by the length of time updates take. On the Pixel XL they came first. I got Android Pie last October. Security fixes came out the first week of the month they were released. Not with LG. I just got the February security fix in late March. LG said that Android Pie would be leased for the V35 in the first quarter of 2019. Today is the last day of that quarter. I doubt it will come out today. But really, does it matter? The incremental changes are nice to have but quite small. Even from going from Oreo to Pie. As for developers, I rooted my G2 but I don't think it is really necessary now. Getting the V35 for half the price of a S9+ did it for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the responses and feedback from you guys. I suppose the lack of an unlocked bootloader is something to consider, though as it usually goes, it's usually just a matter of time until it gets unlocked(safe to assume?), then again going back to the "niche" of the V35, it's such a rare phone with somewhat significant updates(SD 845 with 6GB of RAM is pretty decent) to keep it relevant, though it was kind of like a knee-jerk reaction too. Reminds me of "AGILE" manufacturing, haha, which I'm sure took place behind the scenes. For the current prices that I see it for, it's gotten my attention, and I haven't written it off yet, but I'm not in a rush to get a new phone just yet, still researching and who knows, the V40 might drop even further( I really appreciate that nice boombox speaker they put in there).
edit: reading through the forums I see that runningnak3d is working on unlocking the bootloader, so looks like there will be some developer support afterall, which can give users an option to keep their phones updated, even if LG decides to stop giving updates.
I just got the V35 last week. Great device, highly recommended for the low price. Other reasons to pick LG over Samsung is Quickcharge 3.0 and wide angle camera. LG phones are underrated because reviewers assume retail price. But if you wait at least a few months after release date then LG devices are way, way cheaper. As far as software updates go both LG and Samsung are pretty bad. If timely Android updates matter best bets are either Pixel or OnePlus.
Valinorian said:
I would go with the samsung s9 plus.
I've owned the lg v30 (basically the same as the v35) for almost a year, then switched to the s9 for 2 months, switched back to the v30 for 1 month and I'm now using the s10 for a month now.
I loved my v30 but going back from the s9 to the v30 you realise samsung is in a league of its own. Its little details and annoyances but I'll sum some up.
What i love about the v30:
- design: I like the look of the v30 better. Gorgeous phone.
- love the v30 flat screen with minimal side bezels. Curved edges are annoying.
- double tap to turn the screen off and the knock code unlock are great software features i used alot.
- wide angle camera is awesome. Love it.
What i like better on the s9:
- screen: oleophobic coating on the s9 is way better. On the lg the smudges are very visible and they shift colors. Its visible when watching videos. On the samsung no such issues.
- screen itself: going back from s9 to v30 you do notice that the samsung amoled screen is better. If you've never had a samsung you wont realise it but going back you definitely do.
- camera: samsung s9 definitely better. Maybe the v30 can be great on manual mode but how many times do you actually use that. Its so much work.
On auto-mode the s9 photos look way better. Also at night. Shutter speed is wayyy faster on the s9 which also helps with getting sharp photos when the subject is moving,
Autofocus is also way better on the s9. Lg v30 photos have a higher risk of getting a crappy/blurred photo. Especially when the subject is moving. On paper the lg v30 camera looks great but in real life the s9 is alot better. Same goes for video. Im not a movie creator that edits all his videos and color grades them. Im a point and shoot guy and the s9 looks way better.
- front camera: Lg v30 front camera looks like its from the year 2014...... worst front camera on modern phone.
- samsung s9 has stereo speakers and Lg doesnt
- In my country samsung waranty is wayyyy better than lg.
- Samsung software works great. Samsung OneUi feels and looks very nice. Lg v30 feels very basic. Its fast and ok but i prefer samsung.
Also LG updates are very slow, still has not released android pie update.
- audio: quaddac on the v30 is awesome but honestly the s9 audio quality is also good. And the quaddac is actually only really useful when having very expensive quality headphones.
When you use regular good headphones you wont really notice anything.
-Also I noticed i started using bluetooth headphones and also use spotify, so the quaddac is useless for me.
Price: dont know where you live but the s9 plus is also cheaper here, maybe not as cheap as the v30 but i still rather have the s9 plus.
Ow and if you use snapchat, definitely get the s9 plus lol. The LG photos in snapchat are really bad. App is not optimised for LG.
So to sum it all up. If you want a great phone with the least annoyances and thats good at everything, get the s9 plus. Its a complete phone that can last you for years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't the V35 better than the V30? Are you comparing the S9 to the V30 or V35? I'm sure it would make a difference?
ScottsoNJ said:
Isn't the V35 better than the V30? Are you comparing the S9 to the V30 or V35? I'm sure it would make a difference?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Differences
- V35 has snapdragon 845 vs snapdragon 835 on V30
- Ram is 6gb on V35 vs 4gb on V30
- Wide angle camera is 16mp vs 13mp (main camera is exactly the same)
- Front Camera is better indeed.
Those are the differences.
If you read my experience, all the things i like the s9 better have not changed like screen and main camera and UI.
I did not complain about overall performance so snapdragon 845 and 6gb is great but snapdragon 835 with 4g was also good.
Same with wide angle, its better on v35 but I was allready happy with it, its in my positive list.
Only negative point in my v30 comparison is the front camera and that they did change so yes I cant compare that, I hope its way better now.
But what I do know is that samsung s9 has a great front camera also.
Valinorian said:
Differences
- V35 has snapdragon 845 vs snapdragon 835 on V30
- Ram is 6gb on V35 vs 4gb on V30
- Wide angle camera is 16mp vs 13mp (main camera is exactly the same)
- Front Camera is better indeed.
Those are the differences.
If you read my experience, all the things i like the s9 better have not changed like screen and main camera and UI.
I did not complain about overall performance so snapdragon 845 and 6gb is great but snapdragon 835 with 4g was also good.
Same with wide angle, its better on v35 but I was allready happy with it, its in my positive list.
Only negative point in my v30 comparison is the front camera and that they did change so yes I cant compare that, I hope its way better now.
But what I do know is that samsung s9 has a great front camera also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Screen is supposed to be better on the V35 vs the V30. LG had inconsistent quality screens on the V30, if you got a good one it was great but many did not. Regarding the main camera, the V35 is supposed to have the same one as the G7. I don't know how much better the G7 camera is vs the V30, though.
htcnext said:
Screen is supposed to be better on the V35 vs the V30. LG had inconsistent quality screens on the V30, if you got a good one it was great but many did not. Regarding the main camera, the V35 is supposed to have the same one as the G7. I don't know how much better the G7 camera is vs the V30, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I luckily had a good screen, one of the later "improved" ones because the V30 got released here very late.
The main camera hardware specs are the same.
Camera software: Dxomark about the LG G7 "The only image quality category that shows a marked improvement over the V30 cousin is Color."
So everything else is the same.
This was the exact switch that I made recently S9+>V35. It was more boredom with the S9+ and I absolutely regret changing phones. It's not to say that the V35 is "bad", it's just that Samsung has done well honing their skills in smartphone design, especially with regard to S-AMOLED tech. The P-OLED panel on the V35 is no comparison. I've had a decade's worth of experience with AMOLED panels and the dreaded "panel lottery", so I speak from experience - I have never seen a bad panel on an S9...it's not to say they don't exist, but i've never seen one. LG's P-OLED tech is about on par with Samsung's AMOLED tech from maybe 5 years ago. I was unlucky and got a screen that's blue on the bottom and pink on top, of course the colors shift at even minute angle differences, so it depends how you hold it. Looking straight on it's distracting, but i'm just going to live with it vs. sending it back and being stuck without a phone for a week or two. All OLED panels have color shift to some degree, but it's much, much less noticeable on Samsung's most recent screens from what I can tell. If panel quality is high on your list, you might be disappointed with the V35.
Camera is another issue, compared to the S9 it isn't good. Zoomed in there's less detail, more noise, more purple fringing, and what seems like less ability to deal with very contrast heavy scenes. Dynamic range isn't the camera's strong suit. The wide angle lens to me is far more useful than the telephoto unit on the S9, but all things considered i'd rather have the better photos. As someone else mentioned, in auto mode it's harder to get a clear photo. With the S9, day or night, auto seems to almost always yield a good photo.
The DAC is nice, sound quality is excellent, but for me that's ultimately secondary, and nowhere near important enough to overlook the other flaws. The last of the main 3 being the software. I briefly had a G6 a couple years ago and i'm not sure why that experience faded from memory the way it did, but going back to LG's take on Android is a good reminder to stay away in the future. Again, it's not that it's "bad" per se, it's just that Samsung has so much of a better handle on making the OS usable and the features relevant. Little things like swipe gestures are absent on the V35 (hides nav buttons, swipe up in place for back/home/recents). There are other little additions Samsung adds that LG doesn't and I miss them. I'm not sure if Pie will bring dark backgrounds to the V35, if it does that will be a nice bonus. LG provides a "high contrast" mode, but for whatever reason it's just not as nice looking as the "night mode" option on the S9. The stereo speakers also make a very nice difference on the S9. The single speaker on the V35 is excellent for what it is.
I suspect I'll hold onto it until the S10 falls in price some, and then go back to Samsung.
kgbeezr1 said:
This was the exact switch that I made recently S9+>V35. It was more boredom with the S9+ and I absolutely regret changing phones. It's not to say that the V35 is "bad", it's just that Samsung has done well honing their skills in smartphone design, especially with regard to S-AMOLED tech. The P-OLED panel on the V35 is no comparison. I've had a decade's worth of experience with AMOLED panels and the dreaded "panel lottery", so I speak from experience - I have never seen a bad panel on an S9...it's not to say they don't exist, but i've never seen one. LG's P-OLED tech is about on par with Samsung's AMOLED tech from maybe 5 years ago. I was unlucky and got a screen that's blue on the bottom and pink on top, of course the colors shift at even minute angle differences, so it depends how you hold it. Looking straight on it's distracting, but i'm just going to live with it vs. sending it back and being stuck without a phone for a week or two. All OLED panels have color shift to some degree, but it's much, much less noticeable on Samsung's most recent screens from what I can tell. If panel quality is high on your list, you might be disappointed with the V35.
Camera is another issue, compared to the S9 it isn't good. Zoomed in there's less detail, more noise, more purple fringing, and what seems like less ability to deal with very contrast heavy scenes. Dynamic range isn't the camera's strong suit. The wide angle lens to me is far more useful than the telephoto unit on the S9, but all things considered i'd rather have the better photos. As someone else mentioned, in auto mode it's harder to get a clear photo. With the S9, day or night, auto seems to almost always yield a good photo.
The DAC is nice, sound quality is excellent, but for me that's ultimately secondary, and nowhere near important enough to overlook the other flaws. The last of the main 3 being the software. I briefly had a G6 a couple years ago and i'm not sure why that experience faded from memory the way it did, but going back to LG's take on Android is a good reminder to stay away in the future. Again, it's not that it's "bad" per se, it's just that Samsung has so much of a better handle on making the OS usable and the features relevant. Little things like swipe gestures are absent on the V35 (hides nav buttons, swipe up in place for back/home/recents). There are other little additions Samsung adds that LG doesn't and I miss them. I'm not sure if Pie will bring dark backgrounds to the V35, if it does that will be a nice bonus. LG provides a "high contrast" mode, but for whatever reason it's just not as nice looking as the "night mode" option on the S9. The stereo speakers also make a very nice difference on the S9. The single speaker on the V35 is excellent for what it is.
I suspect I'll hold onto it until the S10 falls in price some, and then go back to Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said.:good:
DAC and price, the reason I got the v35 and v30.
Lg v35 ia way good then s9+. U get the extra features like DAC, Great OLED, great battery etc. I Know lg is very bad when it comes to the software updates but trust me u will be not happy with s9+. I had a s9+ but i was npt happy with that. Then i purchased a v35 and v40. I'm so happy with my two favorite phones

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