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last year ,i bought a oneplus one.but i want to change a fast phone now.i am entangled with xiaomi note and meizu mx4.so what about your suggestion?what will worth if compare with oneplus one?
Just One word: "ABSOLUTELY"
PS: Owner of OnePlus 2 since about 7 days now.
bob nguala said:
last year ,i bought a oneplus one.but i want to change a fast phone now.i am entangled with xiaomi note and meizu mx4.so what about your suggestion?what will worth if compare with oneplus one?
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Click to collapse
Yeah, it's a great device, IF you get a good one! The same problems that bothered the OnePlus One, are coming back to the OnePlus 2.
SOFTWARE problems, then some potential problems with the touch sensor that is starting to crop up. If you remember some of the problems with ghost touches, that appear to be associated with grounding problems with the screen. People have noticed if they are gripping the oneplus2 with one hand, wrapped around the metal band, and try to use the touch sensor thingy, it may not work, or produce an unintended result. If you wear gloves, or have the phone placed on a table, the fingerprint thingy sensor works just fine.
If you have a problem, good luck with opening a ticket and returning it.
I'm of the opinion that OnePlus, is nothing more than a paper company, that does beta testing for Oppo, who owns them.
p51d007 said:
Yeah, it's a great device, IF you get a good one! The same problems that bothered the OnePlus One, are coming back to the OnePlus 2.
SOFTWARE problems, then some potential problems with the touch sensor that is starting to crop up. If you remember some of the problems with ghost touches, that appear to be associated with grounding problems with the screen. People have noticed if they are gripping the oneplus2 with one hand, wrapped around the metal band, and try to use the touch sensor thingy, it may not work, or produce an unintended result. If you wear gloves, or have the phone placed on a table, the fingerprint thingy sensor works just fine.
If you have a problem, good luck with opening a ticket and returning it.
I'm of the opinion that OnePlus, is nothing more than a paper company, that does beta testing for Oppo, who owns them.
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Click to collapse
Well, at some points I'll have to disagree.
With me, finger print censor works great. It depends on you how you've set up fingerprint. Ie covering your fingerprint in almost every possible way that you may use.
But you'd ask me, native camera app UI could be much better than this. There is HUGE space for improvement here.
Also, I don't know if battery life is that great as they claim. But I stay most of the time at home or at office so don't have problems.
My thoughts (I've had a Xiaomi Note and an MX4):
1. Much better build quality than both - be sure to Swap the sandstone back for a Bamboo or Apricot to finish the job. Seriously night and day between those and the OnePlus One.
2. Camera is better than both but slower to shoot. This needs sorting out via software. I'm surprised at this because Oppo (chief investor/owner) have always excelled in camera software. My find 5, find 7, and R5s have always been instant shooters.
3. Oxygen OS is much better than Hydrogen, MIUI, and Flyme. It's no coincidence that Chinese market focused OSs are dumbed down and quite childish in appearance - that's how most of them are (ColorOS is another example). I don't mind them, and they're certainly usable, but prefer the more mature and light skins... Preferably as close to stock as possible like Oxygen.
4. Battery is good. Similar to OPO and Xiaomi Note.
5. Performance is great. Smooth and fluid with no app refreshing issues. The SD810 may be underclocked but you will not notice it. And it doesn't get hot.
There's more but you need to try it yourself. As a OnePlus One owner, I upgraded and recommend others do too.
-- from my OnePlus 2 (A2003)
@kinghu,
Awesome summary!
Agree with every word you said.
Wanted to asked if Bamboo is really good?? I am quite confused between bamboo and kevlar
Rushyang said:
@kinghu,
Awesome summary!
Agree with every word you said.
Wanted to asked if Bamboo is really good?? I am quite confused between bamboo and kevlar
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Click to collapse
I don't have Kevlar yet but will probably order it next when I go for the Rosewood.
At the moment I just have Bamboo and Black Apricot. I prefer the Apricot's look as it matches the rest of the device. However, the Bamboo feels really great and doesn't show any fingerprints whatsoever and it looks good albeit in a different style.
The Kevlar will look awesome if you want to go ultra stealth.
To be honest, I think they all look good in their own way and want them to swap out depending on my mood. Before I saw and tried then I though they were a bit gimmicky and might feel cheap but it's the exact opposite.
-- from my OnePlus 2 (A2003)
kinghu said:
I don't have Kevlar yet but will probably order it next when I go for the Rosewood.
At the moment I just have Bamboo and Black Apricot. I prefer the Apricot's look as it matches the rest of the device. However, the Bamboo feels really great and doesn't show any fingerprints whatsoever and it looks good albeit in a different style.
The Kevlar will look awesome if you want to go ultra stealth.
To be honest, I think they all look good in their own way and want them to swap out depending on my mood. Before I saw and tried then I though they were a bit gimmicky and might feel cheap but it's the exact opposite.
-- from my OnePlus 2 (A2003)
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So, did you buy other styleswaps? Wanted to check your review for kevlar.
Rushyang said:
So, did you buy other styleswaps? Wanted to check your review for kevlar.
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The last two (Kevlar and Rosewood) are mid-delivery so will probably arrive tomorrow. I'll post a quick opinion when they land.
-- from my S6
I've got about 12 hours before my invite runs out. Has anyone tested to see if both sims are capable of 4g service simultaneously. I know it's dual standby. Thanks for any info.
sbellseb said:
I've got about 12 hours before my invite runs out. Has anyone tested to see if both sims are capable of 4g service simultaneously. I know it's dual standby. Thanks for any info.
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You mean use 4G (LTE) days on both SIMs at the same time? If so I'm afraid not. In the settings you have to choose s preferred SIM for data.
-- from my OnePlus 2 (A2003)
Sorry, no, not what I mean. Badly worded. I want both sims to be 4g active at the same time to receive calls / text. I do understand only one sim will be 4g active for data at anytime.
Rushyang said:
So, did you buy other styleswaps? Wanted to check your review for kevlar.
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Click to collapse
Arrived today. Must say the Kevlar is real nice. Slightly textured so it grips but not like the sandstone; matte finish so doesn't show prints to badly; and of course it looks stealthy and themes well with the rest of the phone.
If I was going to have one cover for appearance alone, Kevlar would be it.
Small note: I do recommend changing from the sandstone cover because all other covers are slightly thicker, thus making the camera area slightly inset. This means you can go caseless and not have the camera scrape across a surface when you lay the phone down. With the thinner sandstone, the camera area sticks out just enough to be the first point of contact.
-- from my OnePlus 2 (A2003)
kinghu said:
Arrived today. Must say the Kevlar is real nice. Slightly textured so it grips but not like the sandstone; matte finish so doesn't show prints to badly; and of course it looks stealthy and themes well with the rest of the phone.
If I was going to have one cover for appearance alone, Kevlar would be it.
Small note: I do recommend changing from the sandstone cover because all other covers are slightly thicker, thus making the camera area slightly inset. This means you can go caseless and not have the camera scrape across a surface when you lay the phone down. With the thinner sandstone, the camera area sticks out just enough to be the first point of contact.
-- from my OnePlus 2 (A2003)
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Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for your review of Kevlar. Wanted to know user review rather than a YouTube videos.
Also, about the camera going slightly inset after putting on a styleswap cover, I observed that in videos and they were also telling it made a device little hefty. But on a positive side, since I don't like to put on any covers on my smartphone, I thought kevlar would be the best one to protect it from any accidental physical damage.
Again, appreciate your time!
Rushyang said:
Thanks a lot for your review of Kevlar. Wanted to know user review rather than a YouTube videos.
Also, about the camera going slightly inset after putting on a styleswap cover, I observed that in videos and they were also telling it made a device little hefty. But on a positive side, since I don't like to put on any covers on my smartphone, I thought kevlar would be the best one to protect it from any accidental physical damage.
Again, appreciate your time!
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Click to collapse
I prefer caseless too. With recent phones having protruding cameras it's almost been a necessity to protect it.
Kevlar + no case = best look and feel.
Got invite today a few hours left I have opo and happy with it is it worth getting three opo2 seems no much difference besides finger print scanner and no NFC. I keep changing my mind to buy one or not heard the battery life is 4 hours screen on time due to 810 CPU which is worse than opo what do you think
Sent from my A0001 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
kinghu said:
I prefer caseless too. With recent phones having protruding cameras it's almost been a necessity to protect it.
Kevlar + no case = best look and feel.
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Click to collapse
At the moment, my OP2 is in my hand with Kevlar styleswap on! It's really awesome feel and looks awesome as well..! Really happy that I went with Kevlar! Thanks again!
Op2 has been the most powerful device at its price..
Ps: big text incoming... I should write novels not Internet forum posts! Bear with me pls.
I've been kinda wanting to replace my Nexus 5 for a while now.
Things that annoy me are the battery that doesn't last that long - doesn't make it through the day if I happen to use it a bit more than the occasional message and photo. And the camera... I have taken freaking fantastic photos with this phone! Even though so many people complain, and fore sure there are way better cameras, Google Camera's HDR+ works wonders!
However.... Quite frequently I loose quick shots because the phone takes forever from 0 to Photo-snap! Focus is slow and unreliable...
Other than those two things, I really can't complain! Specially for the price! 400€ 32gb bright red model. Kinda cheap and unique as **** as you don't really see many screaming bright red phones around.
Still.... I want a reliable camera and a battery that lasts the day even when I use the phone at will.
So I started looking...
Galaxy S6 => awesome hardware! (even though the battery is kinda iffy) but failWiz makes it a no go for me!.. I was nearly going for it when I found out you can't even use alternative keyboards freely because Samsung's ram manager keeps pushing them out.
LG g4.. Meh camera ain't that fantastic, just has a great manual mode.
Nexus 6p ... Seems cool! But it's too big, and now that it's seemingly crappy internal structure design has been revealed... I'm not looking forward to pay over 630€ for a phone whose design had corners cut.
So I considered the 5x. Even though I hate the fake front speaker grill
It kinda checks all boxes.
But today, to my surprise I found one on exposition on a local electronics shop. First I was like "wow cool!" then after playing around with it for a while and comparing it to my N5 I was more like "Meh... Not paying 530€ for this."
The camera looks awesome, even though it didn't seem to snap pics that fast (was in low light ambient)
But it doesn't really perspire quality.
If it'd cost here the same it costs in the states, sure. Good deal!
But for this price... Doesn't seem worth jumping from the Nexus 5 to the 5x.
Did I miss something? What makes this phone fantastic?
I wanted to love it....but I walked away far from in love.
Yeah... Unless your N5 is crapping out, you really have no reason to replace it.
Only reason why I'm thinking the 5x is because after two years, it has some light wear and tear that drives my ocd nuts, as do a couple of hairline cracks at the sim tray and the volume rocker.
All I would expect from the 5 to the 5x is an improved camera, maybe slightly better battery, slightly improved SoC... And nexus imprint... Other than that, its the same phone. Which isn't a bad thing. The N5 was/is a great device, and if u add the above mentioned features, its worthy of a slightly bumped up price from it's predecessor
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Yeah mine is all cracked too (the plastic around it) and none of the cracks apparently related to falls o.o
First one was the between the audio-jack and the screen. One day... there was a crack there!.. awesome lol
Now there's another one bellow the volume rocker and one next to the sim-tray as well. Top notch built quality!! xD never complained cuz of the price...
The thing about the price bump is that the price bump in Europe isn't because of extra hardware, otherwise it would have the same bump in the States. No - it's most probably because google felt like joining the bandwagon of ripping off ppl in Europe! lol... Taxes? Sure there are more taxes here and import taxes, but not to cover that much difference in price I don't think.
So it makes it kinda hard to justify the price even if I was shopping for a phone from scratch, not for a swap.
If you want a fingerprint scanner and a better camera, but that's about it. Larger screen too. I really like my 5X, it replaced my S6 edge and I'm much more pleased with the 5X. My old man is using my original nexus 5, so I couldn't take that from him, but he's pleased with it.
I got used to using a fingerprint with the S6E and since Android pay wants a secure lock screen, it just made sense for me to get the 5X over finding another 5. But I'm in the States and it's cheaper here, so that helped with the decision too.
SrPintas said:
Yeah mine is all cracked too (the plastic around it) and none of the cracks apparently related to falls o.o
First one was the between the audio-jack and the screen. One day... there was a crack there!.. awesome lol
Now there's another one bellow the volume rocker and one next to the sim-tray as well. Top notch built quality!! xD never complained cuz of the price...
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Oh yeah... I have the one by the audio jack too lmao.
Nobody ever claimed the n5 had good build quality. It's always been described as feeling "cheap" and "plastic". I always thought mine might have came from minor drops until I read that virtually everyone has them lol.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
It's like an N5 that's improved in every way IMO. The downsides being it's physically larger and a bit more expensive.
Biggest improvements are battery life and the camera image quality.
However some examples of the more unexpected improvements that you notice once you start using the device for a while:
Charge speeds. I've not charged over night even once yet as a 30 minute charge is enough to get through a day (roughly 50%).
Skin temperature. This device stays much cooler than the N5 especially during lighter usage such as Streaming Netflix and browsing. Battery temperatures remain consistently cooler than the N5 at all times, especially gaming.
Fingerprint sensor and ambient display: Together make it feel like you're interacting with the device in a whole new way. No need to use the power button ever.
How does the battery fair on a daily basis?
N5 is terrible even dose working it's magic while the phone is idling is not enough for it to make it alive in the evening if I use it a fair amount at some point during the morning.
SrPintas said:
How does the battery fair on a daily basis?
N5 is terrible even dose working it's magic while the phone is idling is not enough for it to make it alive in the evening if I use it a fair amount at some point during the morning.
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It's awesome. I don't need to disable a single thing and my run times are similar to my N5 that had just about everything disabled.
It might only have an extra 400mAh but it feels like an extra 1000mAh. Part of that is because of Android 6.0 and Doze though.
Most of my results are in the 4-6 hours SoT range across 20+ hours. Lowest is 3 hours SoT across 20+ hours with weak signal mobile data usage and gaming. 50% manual brightness with most software features enabled.
Examples:
http://imgur.com/a/gVuT3
http://imgur.com/a/UhqdL
Sounds pretty good.
I rarely (never) see even 3h sot, much less 4 :'D
Sounds like I saw what the N5x has on offer pretty well.
The thing screwing it up is the EU price adjustment being even worse than it was with the N5
Ok, long post too... bear with me...
So, I had the exact same issues as you described. I loved my N5 and I've been using it daily for the past 2 years or so. The main reasons I wanted to change phones was battery life and the cameras, both rear and front facing. I do agree with you when you say that the N5 snapped some fantastic shots though. HDR+ really works wonders.
I considered a lot of options such as the Moto X Style/Pure, Nexus 6P, LG G4, Xperia Z5, Galaxy S6 or the OnePlus 2, but they're just too physically big. Can't carry around a phone that big. I'd have to buy new trousers because I wouldn't be able to fit it in any of my pockets
Also, Z5 and S6 are way too expensive and I find it morally wrong to spend so much money on a phone... personal thing...
After a lot of reading and thinking, I did get the 5X in the end. I'm in the UK so I paid slightly less than 530€ (£350 which is around 485€). I must say that I'm definitely happy with the upgrade.
As for the camera, when you say it doesn't perspire quality, you're completely wrong. The camera on this phone is FREAKING amazing, the quality is outstanding and the focus is lovely! The sensor captures a LOT of detail! I mean, A LOT OF DETAIL! Can't really say about the colours cause I'm colour-blind (lol), but I find them spot on (a little bit on the dark side perhaps but nothing to worry about, you can always bump up the brightness in edit mode). The aperture is quite good which makes the macro mode fantastic as well (depth of field related). Even though I got some decent shots with the original N5, this camera is on a completely different level, quality wise! As for speed, I find the camera app a little bit to slow at times but this is a software issue rather than an hardware one. The focus is fast and accurate. Most likely the app slow down will be addressed in a future app update.
Front facing camera is also quite decent. Wide angle is awesome for selfies and it also captures a lot of detail. Coming from the 1.3MP camera on the N5, this one is a welcome improvement, trust me!
As for battery life, don't get your hopes up. Don't get me wrong, battery usage is way better than the N5 and it does last a full WORKING day (which I wouldn't get out of the N5... I'm a very heavy user) but it's no Z3/Z5 compact. I'd say you can get 30/35% more usage time on the 5X. While it might not seem a lot but I've been getting a lot more Screen on Time and standby usage has also improved. I feel like doze works way better on the 5X than on the N5, probably due to the revamped hardware (note that always on sensors on the 808 SoC are much more battery efficient). Quick charge works wonders too! Charge it for 10/15 minutes and you're good for another 4/5h of usage. Perfect for when you have a night out, just charge it for 10 mins before leaving work and you're good to go!
Chipset-wise, while it might not seem a worthy upgrade, I have to say that the 808 performs exceptionally well. The 64bit architecture DOES MAKE a difference although by looking at the specs on paper you won't really tell. Even though my N5 was mostly snappy, it would lag and struggle at times. I've yet to experience that on the 5X and I have the exact same apps/setup I had on my N5. Definitely an improvement on performance too.
As for the rest, it's pretty much the same experience as the N5. Build quality, android experience, sound (no stereo speakers, bummer, but it's the same as the N5 so...), screen quality. I was happy with what I had and I'm happy with what I have now
By the way, two features I didn't care much for were the fingerprint sensor and the ambient display. While they may not be deal breakers, both things are quite a nice to have. Regarding the fingerprint sensor, its position is perfect and it works almost flawlessly! Also it's fast... like, insanely FAST! The ambient display helps battery and it works good, not great but good (doesn't always kick in perfectly). I'm guessing this could be addressed on a future software update as well. Again, it's not a deal breaker but it's definitely a great addition to an already good phone.
Sorry for the long post, hope it helps
Wow
Don't apologize for the long text! Not only I don't mind reading but that's exactly what I was hoping to find: someone in a similar situation!
I wasn't aware the price was lower in the UK! Neat... Might be worth importing if I travel or someone close does. Any chance of a insurance on purchase for damage or theft?
Oh and regarding what I wrote about it not traspiring quality. After I read again what I wrote I though it might be confusing because I didn't change subject. I meant the device itself, not the camera, when I wrote it didn't transpire quality and thus didn't feel worth the price.
Also jumping from a N5, where do you put the quality at? The one I used had a gigantic anti-theft alarm dongle glued to it's back so I couldn't really tell.
The vibration engine felt way better even though I could only test it by inputting a not-recognized finger print!
The buttons seemed very nice even though I've read bad things about them on several places
In norway you can get a carrier lock discount, witch makes the price of the phone itself the same as in the us. No option to do that where you are buying it?
SrPintas said:
Wow
Don't apologize for the long text! Not only I don't mind reading but that's exactly what I was hoping to find: someone in a similar situation!
I wasn't aware the price was lower in the UK! Neat... Might be worth importing if I travel or someone close does. Any chance of a insurance on purchase for damage or theft?
Oh and regarding what I wrote about it not traspiring quality. After I read again what I wrote I though it might be confusing because I didn't change subject. I meant the device itself, not the camera, when I wrote it didn't transpire quality and thus didn't feel worth the price.
Also jumping from a N5, where do you put the quality at? The one I used had a gigantic anti-theft alarm dongle glued to it's back so I couldn't really tell.
The vibration engine felt way better even though I could only test it by inputting a not-recognized finger print!
The buttons seemed very nice even though I've read bad things about them on several places
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Click to collapse
I got the 32Gb by the way, 16Gb is £300 although I wouldn't recommend 16Gb to anyone given the fact that there's no micro sd slot...
It is possible to get an insurance, yes. I guess it's something like £12/mo but I don't know what it covers (probably 1 screen replacement, theft I don't know... check carphone warehouse for more details). Also, I don't know if you'll be able to do it since you don't live in the UK.
Quality wise, I'd say if you feel like the N5 has a cheap build quality, you'll have the same opinion about the 5X. This phone doesn't have an aluminium unibody neither it does have gorilla glass 4. It is not an iphone 6s/htc m9/6P/etc, they had to cut costs somewhere I guess. It won't win any design awards either, that's for sure. Having said that, if you feel ok with the N5, you'll notice no difference handling the 5X. If you (because you're upgrading to a new device) expect the new phone to have a more premium feel (as "they" put it and has been taunted pretty much everywhere...) you won't get that from the 5X.
Vibration engine is sometimes annoyingly loud and tbh, not quite strong. But does the job I guess, I feel it vibrating in my hand and in my pocket, I've yet to miss a call cause I didn't feel it vibrating plus, I don't think that will be a reason to/not to buy the phone.
The button are, well, buttons... I've seen people complaining about the N5 having ceramic buttons and the 5X plastic ones. My thought about that is... who cares? Because of the fingerprint sensor I'm using a power button a lot less and the volume rocker has a rather nice position as it's placed towards the centre rather on the top of the phone. I find it convenient because the headphone jack is on the bottom so, when listening to music, my phone is faced down in my back pocket and I can easily adjust the volume without hassle.
In my opinion, I don't really care about aluminium unibody bull****. It gives a premium feeling, ok that's fair enough, if you're into that. Although if you're into that, you'll probably, won't be looking at the 5X Also, I rather have a phone that won't give me an heart attack when (notice the "when" rather than "if"!) I drop it
I'm there with you.
"Premium" quality comes with ups and downs.
I'm a but into design so I like a good looking device just like I nice a well designed car.
However I also drop em once in a while xD Nexus has proven incredibly durable (think I'm lucky too), I doubt a S6 or iPhone would survive some of the drops the n5 did.
When i asked about quality and feeling I didn't mean to compare with the more design oriented devices. But compare it with the N5 and other plastic chassi phones. The 5x sure is plastic, but it felt more "solid" in my hand than the N5. But I can't be sure cuz of the alarm dongle that was stuck to it.
On the buttons... So what if the n5 has ceramic?... Nice touch, but they are have some play. 5x's seemed more solid even if not "clickier" like most people seem to like
HabueN said:
In norway you can get a carrier lock discount, witch makes the price of the phone itself the same as in the us. No option to do that where you are buying it?
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Click to collapse
I wish. But so far no carrier has it or has announced anything regarding it
SrPintas said:
How does the battery fair on a daily basis?
N5 is terrible even dose working it's magic while the phone is idling is not enough for it to make it alive in the evening if I use it a fair amount at some point during the morning.
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Click to collapse
Have you tried replacing your original phone battery? Mine was getting pretty bad and I replaced it with a new one bought off ebay a month ago. I now comfortably get a day and a half of moderate use. SOT time around 3.5 hours and doze is doing wonders compared to Lollipop. When kept overnight (11:00 pm to 6:00 am) the battery loses only 3% and I will take that any day!
I think people need to understand that a lithium ion battery will start falling down in performance considerably when approaching its life limit. Now comparing to the N5X I don't consider it worth the upgrade but will most likely switch to the next Nexus in October 2016.
sshariff said:
Have you tried replacing your original phone battery? Mine was getting pretty bad and I replaced it with a new one bought off ebay a month ago. I now comfortably get a day and a half of moderate use. SOT time around 3.5 hours and doze is doing wonders compared to Lollipop. When kept overnight (11:00 pm to 6:00 am) the battery loses only 3% and I will take that any day!
I think people need to understand that a lithium ion battery will start falling down in performance considerably when approaching its life limit. Now comparing to the N5X I don't consider it worth the upgrade but will most likely switch to the next Nexus in October 2016.
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I've thought about it. But kinda dozed off the idea when I didn't know which battery to choose =P
I replaced the battery on my N5 two months ago so I speak out of experience. It has gotten better but 5X's battery still performs better than a new battery on my N5.
Battery life is never linear as it depends on each person usage. I personally have everything on all the time... I rely heavily on Google's services like location tracking, location based reminders and I "need" a always-on data connection. Given this premise, my battery is bound not to last as long as other peoples' but I think starting to turn features off in order to preserve battery is not the way to go. I want to fully experience my phone and I'm aware that may cause battery drains. That's why I have a power bank ;pp
Regarding design, I'm very picky too, trust me. I do, however prefer minimalistic designs and both the N5 and 5X suit my design obsession. Again, this is also a matter of personal taste...
SrPintas said:
Also jumping from a N5, where do you put the quality at? The one I used had a gigantic anti-theft alarm dongle glued to it's back so I couldn't really tell.
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Won't ask any questions, and if u answer, I'll say I never knew u. Lol
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
H0tep said:
Won't ask any questions, and if u answer, I'll say I never knew u. Lol
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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Ahahahah xD
It was in exposition in a major electronics shop and stuck to the counter with an alarm dongle and "chain" cable.
Didn't really use it at home or something with the dongle still attached xD
Hey guys I came across see guy locally that is VERY interested in trading his Essential for my Pixel XL, I must admit that I'm intrigued by this phone but very worried about all the negativity surrounding it. Can you guys give me your honest opinion since you guys are current users?
Jess813 said:
Hey guys I came across see guy locally that is VERY interested in trading his Essential for my Pixel XL, I must admit that I'm intrigued by this phone but very worried about all the negativity surrounding it. Can you guys give me your honest opinion since you guys are current users?
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I love it...it's compact and super sturdy. Built well. I have no issues with the camera...they've updated it several times and I'm not a professional photographer. It comes with an unlockable bootloader and they said during their AMA source will be released in the next week or two. Development will be there. For such a unique device I have no qualms with it at all.
I came from the Pixel XL and dont regret it at all. I'm really excited about the future of this device. Although Essential had some issues on launch they have really stepped things up regarding customer support, communication and updates. Having them involved in the community (Reddit AMA) says a lot about how they feel about us, the customer. The build quality is superior to anything I've ever held and I change devices about every 6 months. It will take a lot from a future device to get me to switch from this. Since the updates I've had really good luck with the camera, even at night. If I were you I'd go for it!
I have a Pixel XL and an Essential - while the build quality of the Essential is top notch (feels really well weighted IMHO) and the edge to edge display really impresses, there are a few things that really annoy me.
- Placement of the hardware buttons (I keep reaching for the power button only to hit the volume buttons)
- Touch sensitivity is all over the place. Many times it does not register when I press on the screen, forcing me to do this multiple times. Given the amount of time we spend interacting with our phones, this can get pretty frustrating.
- General stutters & slowdowns. For a near-stock Android phone, this phone is really laggy when performing certain actions. It just grinds to a halt for a second or two. My Pixel XL or OnePlus 5 do not ever do that.
- Buggy software. I've noticed that the camera app will randomly freeze, forcing me to close it and reopen. I've noticed the same thing when interacting with the system settings.
- Camera: The Pixel XL camera (and app) blows this away. The Essential one is slow to focus, slow to switch modes etc. And the image quality is not comparable to the Pixel XL.
I know most of these issues could probably be fixed with tons of s/w updates, but I am not sure people want to wait and be the beta testers for this phone. For now, IMHO, Pixel XL > OP 5 > Essential PH-1. Having said that, the phone shows a lot of promise but we will need to wait and see if they can deliver on their promises.
rajeshr said:
I have a Pixel XL and an Essential - while the build quality of the Essential is top notch (feels really well weighted IMHO) and the edge to edge display really impresses, there are a few things that really annoy me.
- Placement of the hardware buttons (I keep reaching for the power button only to hit the volume buttons)
- Touch sensitivity is all over the place. Many times it does not register when I press on the screen, forcing me to do this multiple times. Given the amount of time we spend interacting with our phones, this can get pretty frustrating.
- General stutters & slowdowns. For a near-stock Android phone, this phone is really laggy when performing certain actions. It just grinds to a halt for a second or two. My Pixel XL or OnePlus 5 do not ever do that.
- Buggy software. I've noticed that the camera app will randomly freeze, forcing me to close it and reopen. I've noticed the same thing when interacting with the system settings.
- Camera: The Pixel XL camera (and app) blows this away. The Essential one is slow to focus, slow to switch modes etc. And the image quality is not comparable to the Pixel XL.
I know most of these issues could probably be fixed with tons of s/w updates, but I am not sure people want to wait and be the beta testers for this phone. For now, IMHO, Pixel XL > OP 5 > Essential PH-1. Having said that, the phone shows a lot of promise but we will need to wait and see if they can deliver on their promises.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also don't think everyone is experiencing all these bullet points.
I agree it took a little bit to adjust with the volume and power buttons, they are flipped unlike my Nexus.
Touch sensitivity, I mainly only notice that on the border of the screen. I'm assuming this is setup this way so your hand doesn't accidentally touch things when holding the phone since the borders are so minimal.
Personally I haven't noticed any stutters or slowdowns. It runs butter smooth.
Software has pretty much been fixed on my end since their last few updates.
Again, this is maybe just my experience, but I wouldn't assume everyone is seeing the same issues. There are quite a few happy campers from reading through the other threads.
I think you will enjoy the phone a lot. Coming from a Nexus, your phone will feel way less clunky with these screen borders.
Jess813 said:
Hey guys I came across see guy locally that is VERY interested in trading his Essential for my Pixel XL, I must admit that I'm intrigued by this phone but very worried about all the negativity surrounding it. Can you guys give me your honest opinion since you guys are current users?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be a bit skeptical of the source of the phone.
I'd trade but you want to know source.
He would still be inside the return window.
He could sent the Essential back and get a PXL and have change back.
Personally I would do it. The Pixel XL will be replaced in a couple weeks and therefore will be harder to sell if you want to upgrade. Also, I have asked for an RMA and then changed my mind twice on this darn Essential phone because every time I feel this strange connection with it. I want to root for Essential. This sounds silly, of course. I have the S8, have had the G6 and all the other flagships before, but this phone is to me the Nexus device of 2017. I had the Pixel and Pixel XL and while I loved the software and camera, once you hold the Essential phone then the Pixels will have laughably huge bezels and will feel five years old in your hand.
So, the camera. I have taken some awesome outdoor shots and I have also taken some that look like they were from a 2014 Moto X. There is no consistency with this camera. I want to believe in it and I have seen what it is capable of, but when I reach for my S8 the experience blows the Essential away. The camera app freezes on the Essential and is extremely slow. If anyone disagrees, then I completely respect that but I will ask if you have compared it to the best of 2017 devices? That said, the best compromise I have found is this: install the Google Pixel camera and set the power button quick launch to launch that camera. Then leave the default camera app icon in the normal place. So now, I can quickly launch the fool-proof Google camera when I need to snap a quick image, but I can take my time with the Essential camera when I have that time to give. I have a 7 month old son and trust me, he ain't waitin' for that damn Essential camera to load!
TL;DR - I would make the trade.
-Collin-
Man, I'm thinking about returning my Pixel 2 XL for an Essential. Wanted the Essential but then all the bad reviews of the camera and what not turned me away. It is literally half the cost of the P2XL with the price drop. It's nice to have one of, if not the best camera, but I feel silly paying $1000 for this phone when I can get a brand new phone with similar specs for half the cost. Not to mention the disappointing screen issues.
I like to run custom stable ROMs which is why I'm looking at these two phones and the P2XL will certainly have more development. I'm not even sure if the Essential has sold enough to have any decent development. I would hate to be stuck with a phone that ends up getting no development. I guess that's what makes the Pixel worth a grand. I never buy brand new phones and always look for deals on Craigslist but this time I thought I'd pull the trigger on something brand new.....the experience was meh.
I am in a similar boat as you (except I have a pixel). If this phone get done development I might pull the trigger. Partly because at least for me, the whole rom game on the pixel is just a nightmare thanks to the two boot slots. I REALLY miss the simplicity of the nexus. But I get it that having the two slots makes things great for stock users but I have soft bricked this phone so many times. If this phone can be simple like the nexus days (once the images come out) I am really tempted. Also depending on when oreo gets dropped
My previous phone was a LeEco Le Pro 3, bought it last year during a black friday sale, it was released almost 2 months before that sale. No roms or any development at that time, but a couple months later a bunch of great roms were available. I think is just a matter of time, be patience, also, we have stock android, why the hurry to flash a new rom?
b316kane said:
I am in a similar boat as you (except I have a pixel). If this phone get done development I might pull the trigger. Partly because at least for me, the whole rom game on the pixel is just a nightmare thanks to the two boot slots. I REALLY miss the simplicity of the nexus. But I get it that having the two slots makes things great for stock users but I have soft bricked this phone so many times. If this phone can be simple like the nexus days (once the images come out) I am really tempted. Also depending on when oreo gets dropped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The PH-1 has two boot slots just like the Pixel.
I don't remember hearing that. Are they doing the automatic updates too? I figured it was unique to pixels
I am sending back a Pixel 2 XL and getting the Essential
30 day return policy from Amazon right? I'm just gonna get an Essential use them both for a week and make a decision
I have an Essential. It is a solid phone and performs well. However (and this is going to sound strange), it is an unbelievably slippery phone. I took their word that it was made of space-age materials and was drop-resistant, and I didn't get a case. It slipped out of my pocket the second day I owned it while I was sitting down. Screen cracked and it is $200 to replace.
There are really no quality cases available, so I would wait to see if there is going to be any aftermarket support before buying an Essential.
Jess813 said:
Hey guys I came across see guy locally that is VERY interested in trading his Essential for my Pixel XL, I must admit that I'm intrigued by this phone but very worried about all the negativity surrounding it. Can you guys give me your honest opinion since you guys are current users?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just be sure the one you are trading for is not locked to Sprint, unless you're on Sprint of course.
appleguy2 said:
I have an Essential. It is a solid phone and performs well. However (and this is going to sound strange), it is an unbelievably slippery phone. I took their word that it was made of space-age materials and was drop-resistant, and I didn't get a case. It slipped out of my pocket the second day I owned it while I was sitting down. Screen cracked and it is $200 to replace.
There are really no quality cases available, so I would wait to see if there is going to be any aftermarket support before buying an Essential.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a number of decent cases available. I'm using the Incipio NGP Pure:
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Incipio-Shockproof-Polymer-Shock-Absorbing/dp/B076H16TWP
A lot of people like the Tudia cases, especially the new one that just came out with the glass back.
The complaints about the Incipio is that it doesn't work with glass screen protectors... Well 99% of the glass screen protectors available for this phone don't fit right anyways... What I ended up getting was the Incipio Plex Plus Flex... which they claim is flexible glass (I think it's just plastic) but either way, it fits with their case and is invisible on the phone. I managed to snag it on a Black Friday sale because it's kinda expensive for a screen protector, but either way, my phone is now fully protected and looks excellent. I can post pictures if you're interested.
Have had a Note 8 for about 2 months now (got it 20th Sept), and I've been fairly happy with it so far.
A few annoying things about it, let's start off with the screen. It looks fantastic, it's made by Samsung, why wouldn't it? The curve however, is something I've hated since the S7 edge, not a fan of it, completely useless. Can't even get a decent screen protector to stick on it because of the stupid curves.
Up next we have the software. It's great, very fluid, works very well, but I haven't received a single software update/security patch since the day I got the phone. We're still on the August patch, and haven't received anything newer.
Then there are the speakers. One word, garbage. They suck ass, I honestly think even the speakers on my S7 edge were better. You can try all you want to cup your hand around the speakers, but that doesn't help. There's also the placement of the headphone jack, I may be nitpicking a bit, but seriously having headphones plugged in while you're trying to watch something.... is impossible. It's so uncomfortable to hold and in such a stupid spot.
So for you XZ Premium owners, I've got a few questions:
1) I've been going through some battery life related posts, and they seem pretty good, but most of the screenshots are from when you guys were on Nougat. Has the battery life gotten worse/better since the Oreo update or has it remained the same?
2) How is the camera after the Oreo update? And was the distortion issue really that bad?
3) Is the phone uncomfortable to hold due to the large bezels and overall shape of the phone? Do keep in mind I'm coming from something with virtually no bezels at all.
4) Does the adb command to stay in 4K mode all the time still work on Oreo and does it revert after a reboot?
5) Substratum working fine on 8.0, anyone tried Swift Black?
Would appreciate all replies/answers.
Thanks
murtaza02 said:
Have had a Note 8 for about 2 months now (got it 20th Sept), and I've been fairly happy with it so far.
A few annoying things about it, let's start off with the screen. It looks fantastic, it's made by Samsung, why wouldn't it? The curve however, is something I've hated since the S7 edge, not a fan of it, completely useless. Can't even get a decent screen protector to stick on it because of the stupid curves.
Up next we have the software. It's great, very fluid, works very well, but I haven't received a single software update/security patch since the day I got the phone. We're still on the August patch, and haven't received anything newer.
Then there are the speakers. One word, garbage. They suck ass, I honestly think even the speakers on my S7 edge were better. You can try all you want to cup your hand around the speakers, but that doesn't help. There's also the placement of the headphone jack, I may be nitpicking a bit, but seriously having headphones plugged in while you're trying to watch something.... is impossible. It's so uncomfortable to hold and in such a stupid spot.
So for you XZ Premium owners, I've got a few questions:
1) I've been going through some battery life related posts, and they seem pretty good, but most of the screenshots are from when you guys were on Nougat. Has the battery life gotten worse/better since the Oreo update or has it remained the same?
2) How is the camera after the Oreo update? And was the distortion issue really that bad?
3) Is the phone uncomfortable to hold due to the large bezels and overall shape of the phone? Do keep in mind I'm coming from something with virtually no bezels at all.
4) Does the adb command to stay in 4K mode all the time still work on Oreo and does it revert after a reboot?
5) Substratum working fine on 8.0, anyone tried Swift Black?
Would appreciate all replies/answers.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Battery life is improved. In nougat I was getting ~6.5 hours SoT. In Oreo I can get ~7.5 Hours SoT. But it depends on usage.
2) The camera is good, I'm quite pleased with it but when zooming on a picture it's grainy due to the post processing algorithms.. You can compare pictures taken with the Note 8 and XZP at GSMArena. The distortion was visible when taking pictures if objects with lines,and square shapes as well as a bit distortion on objects,nothing too crazy , but now it's much improved.
3) I never had a bezel-less phone, but the XZP is very comfortable to hold. The bezels aren't that bad. When I'm taking pictures with one hand, the bezels helps. Or when watching movies or gaming, it helps rest your fingers. Also the XZP has also a curved front glass, so finding a good screen protector might be hard.
4) and 5) Im sorry, I can't answer these because I don't use them.
Also the speakers on the XZP might not be the loudest, but produce excellent sound quality. And the fact that it has dual front firing speakers is very good for gaming, videos, music.
Software wise, there are monthly security updates along with bug fixes. Samsungs have more software features such as night light. But if you watch videos on YouTube, the XZP had some nice software features as well. Smart battery charging, Xperia Actions, etc.
The whole phone is super smooth and as fast as day one. The display is truly amazing. The black levels are impressive for an LCD display. There are 3 display modes to choose from ( SRG-B, Standard and Vivid).
@Lazaros_K
Thanks so much for answering the questions.
I actually forgot to ask about something you mentioned in your post.
Night Light. I've been using it since Samsung included it in the 7.0 update, it's not available on the XZP? Is there an alternative that works without root?
Sent from my SM-N950F
murtaza02 said:
@Lazaros_K
Thanks so much for answering the questions.
I actually forgot to ask about something you mentioned in your post.
Night Light. I've been using it since Samsung included it in the 7.0 update, it's not available on the XZP? Is there an alternative that works without root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately apps from the play store aren't as good as a native night light. Unfortunately Sony won't implement night light.
Lazaros_K said:
Unfortunately apps from the play store aren't as good as a native night light. Unfortunately Sony won't implement night light.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That kinda sucks.
You also mentioned the screen is curved, there are a few protectors on Amazon and a few local online websites in my country are selling normal tempered glass protectors for the XZP, so I guess it should stick fine?
Sent from my SM-N950F
murtaza02 said:
That kinda sucks.
You also mentioned the screen is curved, there are a few protectors on Amazon and a few local online websites in my country are selling normal tempered glass protectors for the XZP, so I guess it should stick fine?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't use any screen protector so I wouldn't know. There is a thread on screen protectors for the XZP here on XDA which might help you.
murtaza02 said:
That kinda sucks.
You also mentioned the screen is curved, there are a few protectors on Amazon and a few local online websites in my country are selling normal tempered glass protectors for the XZP, so I guess it should stick fine?
Sent from my SM-N950F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just sharing what I know about XZP screen protectors (I might not be 100% correct):
- Tempered glass full coverage + full adhesive protectors do not exist other than the one that uses LOCA and UV curing as seen in this thread. The seller is in Singapore and they haven't announced plans to sell overseas yet.
- Other tempered glass options either do not have full coverage to the curved parts of the screen (ugly, IMHO) or do not have adhesive on the entire screen (which causes sensitivity problems). Some claim to have full adhesive but those don't have proper full coverage or have a weird dotted adhesive pattern.
- There don't seem to be any tempered glass protectors for the back.
- TPU based screen protectors are available for full coverage of front and back but are not as hard as tempered glass and might suffer from yellowing over time or have an orange peel effect (depending on brand).
- Regular PET film protectors are the cheapest of the lot and offer full coverage but these seem to come off the curved parts of the screen easily. They usually feel smoother than TPU ones though.
I am happy with battery life on my xz premium. It holds up well. Can't wait to get the update to try oreo out. Hope it improves the battery life further
Paid off?
Is your Note 8 paid off? May be willing for a trade I wanted a note 8 but needed a new phone before it came out so got the XZ Premium instead.
e8onbreak said:
Is your Note 8 paid off? May be willing for a trade I wanted a note 8 but needed a new phone before it came out so got the XZ Premium instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Already sold my Note 8 earlier today.
Got a chrome XZ Premium an hour ago.
Besides, I'm in Pakistan so shipping to you would be very difficult.
Sent from my G8142
I think if you plan on installing a custom ROM, you'll have more development on the Note8. The XZP side is pretty barren in my opinion. My last phone was a Nexus phone, the custom kernels extended the SOT geatly.
I'd keep it IMO
I rooted my phone for the sole purpose of getting a night light similar mod on my phone. F.lux has issues with oreo, so I went with cf.lumen instead.
Battery life on Oreo is pretty much the same, maybe even a bit better for standby.
For the screen protectors, I got the skinomi. It's a TPU one. Great "self-healing" thing. Scratches and "impressions" do go away on its own after a day or two. I recommend getting that. Devilcase also has a nice TPU SP called "Luster", however it's self-healing thing doesn't really work well.
Basically I stopped looking for a screen protector for the phone. Where I live, we have this phone insurance thing that covers accidental damage + water damage. I'll just send it in if ever it breaks.
Enjoy your new XZP!
Patrck744 said:
I think if you plan on installing a custom ROM, you'll have more development on the Note8. The XZP side is pretty barren in my opinion. My last phone was a Nexus phone, the custom kernels extended the SOT geatly.
I'd keep it IMO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a fan of custom ROMs anymore. The XZPs stock ROM is good enough.
The Note 8 was also terrible with software updates.
iArvee said:
I rooted my phone for the sole purpose of getting a night light similar mod on my phone. F.lux has issues with oreo, so I went with cf.lumen instead.
Battery life on Oreo is pretty much the same, maybe even a bit better for standby.
For the screen protectors, I got the skinomi. It's a TPU one. Great "self-healing" thing. Scratches and "impressions" do go away on its own after a day or two. I recommend getting that. Devilcase also has a nice TPU SP called "Luster", however it's self-healing thing doesn't really work well.
Basically I stopped looking for a screen protector for the phone. Where I live, we have this phone insurance thing that covers accidental damage + water damage. I'll just send it in if ever it breaks.
Enjoy your new XZP!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't gotten around to rooting yet, not sure if I will.
The lack of night light is a bit annoying but I'll just stick to using my other phone at night. Even the lowest brightness setting on this thing is really bright in the dark.
I also forked out extra for the insurance and accidental drops and whatever, cost me a sh*t ton but hopefully it's worth it.
Sent from my G8142
@murtaza02
Please before getting root keep in mind if you unlock your bootloader to getting root access then
1- all the DRM keys will be lost forever from your phone
and with lost of DRM keys these functions will stop for you. Bionz Engine for Low light photography, OTA updates, High Res Audio, Image & Video Enhancement
2- Lost your Warranty if you have
My suggestion is that do not unlock your bootloader until there is a method available here to backup TA Partition with DRM keys without root
Right now its not available
I am also from Lahore, and want to but XZ premium, from where you get yours and in which amount ?
zohaib0001 said:
@murtaza02
Please before getting root keep in mind if you unlock your bootloader to getting root access then
1- all the DRM keys will be lost forever from your phone
and with lost of DRM keys these functions will stop for you. Bionz Engine for Low light photography, OTA updates, High Res Audio, Image & Video Enhancement
2- Lost your Warranty if you have
My suggestion is that do not unlock your bootloader until there is a method available here to backup TA Partition with DRM keys without root
Right now its not available
I am also from Lahore, and want to but XZ premium, from where you get yours and in which amount ?
my number 03314901564
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got mine from a store in Islamabad.
76k with official 1 year warranty from Inovi (Sony's partner in Pakistan).
You can get the imported one without warranty for around 65k (new) or around 45-50k (kit).
Sent from my G8142
What do you think of the phone compared to the Note 8?
Phat-T said:
What do you think of the phone compared to the Note 8?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's great. Stereo speakers, on-time software updates, a newer, faster quick charging standard, what's not to like? It even manages to give me better performance than the Note 8 which had 6 gigs of RAM.
Only thing I miss from the Note 8 would be the ridiculously quick camera. That thing focuses and takes the shot in the same time the camera app of this takes to open up. Not a deal breaker though. I really like this phone.
Sent from my G8142
Phat-T said:
What do you think of the phone compared to the Note 8?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://youtu.be/bbZHuB05_K0
https://youtu.be/_FGBj0h26Ew
Ciro54 said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol thanks for the vids but I had this phone since June and love it. I was just wondering how he liked it after switching from the Note 8
murtaza02 said:
It's great. Stereo speakers, on-time software updates, a newer, faster quick charging standard, what's not to like? It even manages to give me better performance than the Note 8 which had 6 gigs of RAM.
Only thing I miss from the Note 8 would be the ridiculously quick camera. That thing focuses and takes the shot in the same time the camera app of this takes to open up. Not a deal breaker though. I really like this phone.
Sent from my G8142
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just switched from the note 8 how are you finding the display I can't make my mind up if its better or not lol
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Moto G6, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Moto G6 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Got it activated first on Project Fi 3 days ago, for some reasons - I was "expecting" it to be a little bigger but it's just 2 clicks larger than the Nexus 5X getting traded in with the "generous" upgrade. For an entry/mid-range smartphone in 2018, I voted a 4 out of 5 (not that the absence of NFC or inability to use G.Pay is a make or break deal, I hardly use it & most places still do not accept it as mobile payment here in the US)
Dolby sound is very good, screen is bright & audio played via the speaker is fine - giving it a good workout as we hit the road today for a trip, more on the G6 later ... bootloader still locked at the moment.
Net cost to get this brand new G6 to me is about $120 after the trade-in, not really spend much more than paying someone to replace the old, tired & not as good 2.5 years old battery on the Nexus 5X, so I'm a little biased on this Lenovo/Motorola piece.
Letitride said:
Got it activated first on Project Fi 3 days ago, for some reasons - I was "expecting" it to be a little bigger but it's just 2 clicks larger than the Nexus 5X getting traded in with the "generous" upgrade. For an entry/mid-range smartphone in 2018, I voted a 4 out of 5 (not that the absence of NFC or inability to use G.Pay is a make or break deal, I hardly use it & most places still do not accept it as mobile payment here in the US)
Dolby sound is very good, screen is bright & audio played via the speaker is fine - giving it a good workout as we hit the road today for a trip, more on the G6 later ... bootloader still locked at the moment.
Net cost to get this brand new G6 to me is about $120 after the trade-in, not really spend much more than paying someone to replace the old, tired & not as good 2.5 years old battery on the Nexus 5X, so I'm a little biased on this Lenovo/Motorola piece.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Similar thoughts as you (also running the Project Fi version of the phone).
- Phone is smaller than I expected.
- Loving the thin bezels, looks much more premium than the actual cost to me ($200)
- I don't use NFC. Don't trust it, so the lack of NFC is not a big deal
- Battery life is good, front facing speaker loud, screen is bright and sharp
- Responsiveness is in line with what you would expect from a $300-400 phone IMO
- Nearly stock Android experience = CLUTCH
Agree with others. Coming from a 5X most everything is acceptable given the price. I was blown away by the speaker. BUT my biggest gripe is the cameras low light performance...its not good by any means, very grainy, colors are bad. Regular outdoor pics are good though. Also wouldve preferred for it to NOT have a glass back since im a klutz and guaranteed to break it.
Have had this phone a couple of weeks now. Got to say I like it a lot. Definitely a step up from my Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 that I had for 3 years. This is also the most expensive phone (about $250) I've had as I'm a cheap skate and no way I'm ever paying $400 plus for a phone. Just can't bring myself to do it. The price I paid for this phone is "high dollar" for me, lol. Still getting used to the new 18x9 screen. A part of me likes it and a part of me likes 16x9 better. Since pretty much all phones are going to this size, I guess I better get used to it. The new screen size almost feels like a "cheater" to me. Moved the menu icons inside screen and made the width smaller making keyboard in portrait view (which is the way I text) actually a little smaller than what I had. Taller view but most stuff you view in landscape has bars so I don't see the benefit to it yet. Most comments I read about it, people love it. Me not so much. Phone itself is very good. Performance is very good, screen resolution is very good, camera is very good, battery life is very good (especially compared to my Redmi Note 2 which was a battery sucker). I like Android 8 and Moto apps. Pretty much bloatware free, and is nice and snappy. Had to put a case on it (put a Spigen on it) cause the phone actually felt a little small in my hands. The case gave it a little more bulk and made it feel a lot better in my hand. Love the fingerprint scanner which to me is the coolest thing since sliced bread (yup I'm a dinosaur). To tell the truth I would probably still be using the Note 2 but it started acting up on me. Now since I got this one though, it pretty much blows away my old phone in every way possible which of course is a good thing since I spent the bucks for a new phone. All in all I'm pretty damned happy with this phone. About the only thing I could say I wished it was, was a bigger phone. I went from a 5.5" 16x9 screen to a 5.7" 18x9 screen and this feels smaller than the other one to me in my hands. In the 18x9 size, I wish a had like a 6" or 6.5" screen. That would give more width that I would like to have. The width on the 16x9 was actually about 1/4" wider than the18x9 one, which is actually a substantial difference when using a keyboard.
Deleted: Double post
MikeO89 said:
Have had this phone a couple of weeks now. Got to say I like it a lot. Definitely a step up from my Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 that I had for 3 years. This is also the most expensive phone (about $250) I've had as I'm a cheap skate and no way I'm ever paying $400 plus for a phone. Just can't bring myself to do it. The price I paid for this phone is "high dollar" for me, lol. Still getting used to the new 18x9 screen. A part of me likes it and a part of me likes 16x9 better. Since pretty much all phones are going to this size, I guess I better get used to it. The new screen size almost feels like a "cheater" to me. Moved the menu icons inside screen and made the width smaller making keyboard in portrait view (which is the way I text) actually a little smaller than what I had. Taller view but most stuff you view in landscape has bars so I don't see the benefit to it yet. Most comments I read about it, people love it. Me not so much. Phone itself is very good. Performance is very good, screen resolution is very good, camera is very good, battery life is very good (especially compared to my Redmi Note 2 which was a battery sucker). I like Android 8 and Moto apps. Pretty much bloatware free, and is nice and snappy. Had to put a case on it (put a Spigen on it) cause the phone actually felt a little small in my hands. The case gave it a little more bulk and made it feel a lot better in my hand. Love the fingerprint scanner which to me is the coolest thing since sliced bread (yup I'm a dinosaur). To tell the truth I would probably still be using the Note 2 but it started acting up on me. Now since I got this one though, it pretty much blows away my old phone in every way possible which of course is a good thing since I spent the bucks for a new phone. All in all I'm pretty damned happy with this phone. About the only thing I could say I wished it was, was a bigger phone. I went from a 5.5" 16x9 screen to a 5.7" 18x9 screen and this feels smaller than the other one to me in my hands. In the 18x9 size, I wish a had like a 6" or 6.5" screen. That would give more width that I would like to have. The width on the 16x9 was actually about 1/4" wider than the18x9 one, which is actually a substantial difference when using a keyboard.
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Great post, MikeO89...
Love your enthusiasm for the G6. It pretty much echoes mine.
I paid £220 here in the UK for mine, and like yourself, it's really about as much as I want to pay for a phone these days. There's been a considerable amount of coverage over the recent release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, and certainly the specs do look pretty damn awesome, but at close to nearly a £1000, an eye-watering sum of money for me... well, I just couldn't envisage spending that amount, even if I had it. Maybe when I have the next winning Euromillions lottery ticket, I'll buy one or whatever flagship is out then, but until that auspicious and lucky day arrives, I'm more than happy with my Moto G6.
And which I bought to replace my ageing and battery-dying HTC One M8, which I paid £530 for back in 2014. I remember my Dad at the time saying in almost stunned and amazed disbelief "You want to spend how much on a phone??!!!" as though he'd not quite heard me correctly. Of course, I did try to explain that it was more of a personal pocket computer that just happens to have the ability to make phone calls. After I bought one and he saw it in action and began to understand the capabilities of it... well, he went out and bought one himself!
That was four years ago, and I'm a little bit more price conscious these days, so when my One M8's battery began to die earlier this year, I knew I needed a new phone.
Initially, I made the mistake of assuming that you needed to spend £600 or £700 on a phone to get a quality device. I'd been hearing about the Moto G series phones and the rave reviews they'd received around a year before, so when I heard about this years G6 release, I checked out all the reviews. My initial response was one of skepticism ~ how can a company like Lenovo release a phone with such great features at just a shade over £200 AND make a profit. Surely there's a catch, I mean there has to be, right? Wrong!
As it turns out, the Moto G6 is every bit as good as the reviews say it is. And you don't need to mortgage your soul to own one. I mean, where do I begin... fast turbo charging, really nice vibrant colourful screen, amazing battery life, Android 8 Oreo with next-to-no bloat, and fingerprint unlock. Yeah, I love fingerprint unlock. It's like your very own personal ON switch that nobody else can use, and no more playing join-the-dots and trying to remember which unlock pattern is correct for this device amongst the other devices (tablets) I own.
As for the size and aspect ratio, I love it. Coming from my old HTC One M8 which had an aspect of 16:9 and a resolution of 1080x1920...
...to the Moto G6 with an aspect of 18:9 (Rhetorical question: why isn't it just simply called 2:1) and resolution of 1080x2160, which my calculations reveal to be a 12.5% increase based on number of pixels alone. It is a sort of a cheat, but I feel in a good way. I now have a phone that doesn't feel significantly bigger than my One M8, because the width has stayed the same, but the height has increased, but not by that much when you 'add-on' the One M8's speakers at the top and bottom, but the actual screen size increase on the G6 is quite noticeable.
I use Nova Launcher, and I like tinkering around with Themes, Icon Packs, Wallpapers and Layouts and with the increase vertically, I now have more layout options for things like icons and widgets, because there's an extra couple of rows on the Nova desktop. And 5.7 inches feels about right to me. I'm not sure I would feel comfortable handling something like a 6 inch or larger device. If I can, I like to operate my phone one-handed and the bigger these things get, the more difficult one-handed operation becomes.
I do take your point about black bars in landscape mode though, particularly if you're watching video content, most of which tends to be shot in 16:9 aspect. This doesn't overly bother me really, because I generally don't watch a lot of stuff on my phone anyway. And when I do, I just sort of ignore the black bars. I watch a lot of old films and TV dramas on my TV back when things were shot in 4:3 aspect, and I just got used to seeing left and right black bars on my TV, so on my phone it's really not an issue for me.
I guess we can quibble about the shortcomings of the G6 ~ for example, the one thing I do miss is the left and right stereo HTC BoomSound front facing speakers that provided great quality audio on my old One M8. On the G6 there's only a single mono speaker - it sounds pretty good, but I miss the stereo - gotta dig out my headphones now if I want stereo. Great that there's an old fashioned 3.5mm audio socket on it for me to use my headphones. Won't get that an some £1000 flagships! I jest of course; I'm not having a pop at flagship devices, I'm just amused by the irony of it.
So, on the whole, minor quibbles aside, the Moto G6 is a pretty amazing phone for such a great price. It performs brilliantly and looks great. The Gorilla Glass back adds a touch of class to the device, although it can feel a little bit slippery at times. When I first got it, I had unpleasant visions of it sliding out of my hand and crashing to the concrete outside and cracking all that beautiful glass (the horror, the horror!), so I have now ensconced it in the protective embrace of a Spigen case, which actually looks quite good, and feels good in the hand too.
Well, that pretty much says it all really. A great phone at a great price. Can't really say much more than that... Well, I could, but then I'd be here all night typing superlatives and this post would just go on and on and on and on, etc., etc. and etc.
Ged.
its not the fastest device but for a budget device I really like it.
Overall probably the best bang for your buck if your looking at carrier specific devices. Came from a Galaxy S7 which I kinda went swimming with. I'm loving the 18:9 screen. I do notice the occasional hiccup when multitasking, but the battery life is on another level compared to my old S7.
Love my North American unlocked G6! Great value for the money. The battery life is fine, but I suggest using a browser for some of your social media, if you want to get plenty of power for a day of use.
I've already gotten direct looks at my phone from other people, and some folks can't believe I paid less than $300 for it. Glad I chose the oyster finish vs deep indigo. I do have a case on it, as the glass back is known to crack easily if the phone falls hard on the ground. My B&H order came with a free frosted silicone case, and tempered glass for the screen. Perfect!
Coming from U11 life, this phone seems better.
VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling work out of the box with T-Mobile
Rather loud speaker
I think 2:1 screen is OK
It looks like plain Android
Cam looks OK under low light
Decent reception with B12
It's fast like 6xx processor.
Adjustable screen tint
I am satisfied with the phone for the price.
Cool looking..
I've manageg to buy mine G6 for 129EUR, for that price it's best device I could choose.
Great phone for ~$100 now on eBay that's still getting security updates.
Pros:
+ $100 now on eBay for like-new condition
+ Almost pure stock Android, very little bloat and what is there I actually use (chop twice for flashlight, etc). Very stable.
+ Great band support, unlocked XT1925-6 will work on any US carrier, only missing bands 14, 46, and 71.
+ 3gb RAM is plenty sufficient to keep about three resource-heavy apps active at once.
+ Camera is decent enough and about what you'd expect from a phone in this price range.
+ You can adjust DPI under developer options, which makes content on phone appear larger/smaller so you can fit more on-screen. Very handy.
Cons:
- SD450 is an obvious bottleneck in resource-heavy apps, expect sporadic lag if you're playing PUBGM or running a browser with ten tabs open.
- Battery life could be better, usually end the day around 20% with moderate use. Not bad, but not great either.
If this had a SD600 series and a slightly larger battery it'd easily be 5*. For $100 bucks though it's hard to be upset with it.
Well I found the first problem with this phone. I can't get it to recognize an external microphone to record with the camera. I plugged in an external mic I had (3.5mm with 4 pin plug) and at first thought it was working as I made a couple of videos. Then I noticed in the videos that the sound would go up and down through the video. As I later found out, the volume was going up and down each time I would walk away from the phone while recording being the external mic had a 6 ft cord on it. I then actually tested the external mic this time (like I should have from the beginning) and found out the whole time it was still recording with the onboard mic even with external mic plugged in. The G6 was just ignoring it as a microphone and treating it as a headphone. So now I'm stymied. The onboard mic works well enough but I really wanted to have an external mic if I wanted it. I can hardly find any info on this whole external mic vs onboard mic thing with cellphones. Still like this phone and plan on having it for quite some time but a little bummed about this latest development.
OK, doing a follow up post to the one above concerning the issue with G6 not recognizing external mic when making a video. I had about given up on this and I had been searching like crazy about it. With my lack on finding anyone having similar issues like this, I was starting to think I'm the only one who is trying to use an external mic with this phone to make videos. I thought maybe is was just a jack issue so I then tried same external mic with my voice recorder app. With that app the external mic was working. Now I knew it wasn't the jack. I then installed "Open Camera" from the Google Play Store. There was actually a setting in video settings to select an external mic for recording. I then went ahead and made another video using the external mic and what do you know it worked perfect! One other setting that I'm excited about so far in Open Camera is the video stabilization setting. I don't have the steadiest hands and always had to use a tripod or my videos would come out like being on a boat. Made one with that setting on and it kept the video still as I was shooting it. It made me look like my shake was gone (wish it really was). This Open Camera app just kicks the living **** out of the Moto G6 stock camera app! Sure glad I tried it.
Got one on Motorola promo for $100. Very nice inexpensive backup phone!