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this is just a personal experience, opinion, and review of Windows Phone 7 and Samsung Focus based off a few days of heavy use and playing around with the phone. I'm originally coming from an HTC Aria android phone. which some..or most of you may be weary and questioning and doubting microsoft's new and fresh OS.
this'll basically a side by side comparison of both phones and OS's. and hope it helps answers some questions some folks may have before purchasing the phone. and in hopes it will help interest users and give this forum a little growth.
Body and Feel of the Phone
The size was exactly what i was looking for. coming from the HTC Aria..the screen size was a huge bonus for me. it was perfect for viewing and using, but not too big where i felt like my fingers had to stretch. slid in my pocket easily where it's light enough to not weigh down my pants, but just enough to let me know it's there.
minor gripe is the back of the phone..the battery cover. flimsy plastic compared to the Aria's solid rubber like back. it was easier to get off than the Aria's, but the little hooks at top to hold the cover under the body of the phone were just a little small for my comfort. so i'm taking it extremely easy whenever removing and replacing the cover.
the buttons on the sides were pretty solid and flush with the body, but had enough ridge to them so you knew where they were. dedicated camera button, love it, since the Aria and most android phones don't have one. helps with those spontaneous random shots.
the overall thinness and just right curves make this phone pretty damn sexxy.
Body: 9/10 - (if they make an after-market solid backcover..definite 10)
Windows Phone 7 UI and Software
I was actually surprised how quickly i adapted to windows new UI coming from an android phone. gotta say everything is extremely fluid and gorgeous. watching early previous video demoes before Microsoft officially released it, i did not think it would be that fluid, smooth, and quick.
i definitely like how everything i need to know and see is all in one screen. Android's use of multiple pane screens was..genius at first...but tedious over time and too similar to iphone's UI. with my HTC Aria, i had one pane dedicated to my calendar and events notices, one for basic info..time - date - sms - email - weather, another pane with a group of my most used apps, and another pane to regulate GPS - Bluetooth - Sync - Brightness..via widgets. my thumb did A LOT of swiping. most don't recognize with WP7..its touch and go and rarely any swiping, except within the apps.
adding apps was a breeze and less stressful than with the android phone. with microsoft regulating what's in the app store, i feel a little more comfortable with the security measures. i think Apple did one thing right when they went in that direction. how is giving a list of warnings before installing an app supposed to make you at ease with your phone and what you're putting on it? I of course immediately downloaded Netflix app, which works perfectly! i was able to snag near HD quality on a solid 3G connection. and with the Focus's gorgeous and bright screen..gonna love watching movies on it. App Market took a little getting use to, search button makes it a little easier if you know what you're looking for. and it had it's share of hiccups where it wouldn't load back up if it froze, requiring a reboot. not a huge issue and something microsoft is aware of and working on a fix for. I was just glad i didn't have to sift through thousands of crappy apps or apps that were variations and copies of similar apps (memory matching games...those of you android owners should know so well).
Getting my gmail account setup was easy and basic. i honestly gotta say that Windows Phone 7 email interface is the best i've used so far, coming from iphones and blackberries and android. i just can't explain it. it's just something to experience personally. i never really saw google's need to use push notification with their gmail app. i'm fine with having my mail checked every 30 mins. that was probably one of android's many battery draining issue faults. now getting Xbox live synced up with the phone was a little of a chore, but worth the reward in the end. getting messages from xbox players on my phone is definitely a neat addition. and i'm looking forward to being able to play xbox live games on it.
i have a feeling that Windows Phone 7 will be more fluid and well controlled like iPhone. Android is just too sloppy and fragmented. too many app reviews on the Android Market with folks complaining the app won't work on their phone or having different side effects. if you're gonna have an OS on multiples phones, 99% apps should work with every phone. free open source freedom is nice, but it definitely has it's downside. like the old west...everyone and everything needs a law and order to survive or everything goes to sh_ _. - i'm pretty sure John Wayne or someone said it
and as ATT customers we all know that they like to bloat the phones with their crapware. ESPECIALLY with android. but i found it easy just to uninstall ATT's software on this phone. i kept the U-Verse app just in case. may look into getting that possibly as where i live is just out of their area for U-Verse service on the tvs. Unlike with the HTC Aria i had to root the phone and sit around waiting for talented developers to remove the bloat and make a smooth running ROM, flash it, and hope it worked without bugs. without talented XDA Developers..android would be a mess and hassle for a lot of users.
just give it some time. Microsoft hasn't been in the mobile phone market this long and not learned it's lesson (obviously with windows mobile 6.5)
Software and UI: 8/10 - (it's still in it's infancy)
Sound Quality
sound is unbelievable on this phone. music pours out the phone like a good pair of logitech computer speakers. talking on the phone's mic or on speakerphone was very clear and smooth. unsure of why HTC Aria's volume was so low when making calls. i literally had to enable the hearing aid function on the phone, which boosts the volume level slightly higher. still too low in my opinion.
i don't use and do not care for bluetooth, so i can't give an honest opinion or review on that. but Samsung definitely not slack on the audio quality of the phone.
Sound: 10/10
Screen
screen is what caught my attention in the ATT store while eye browsing the whole scene originally looking for the HTC Inspire 4G. the Samsung Focus's screen just popped out and caught my attention. sitting in between the LQ Quantum and the HTC Surround..it was CLEAR the Samsung Focus's screen was the best of the bunch.
Using it in the sun was no problem with the brightness setting set on Medium. I occasionally switch back to low setting when i'm indoors in my apartment or shopping. everything is clear and crisp and almost pop off the screen. i've played with friends' iphone 4's and honestly don't notice too much of a difference in the quality of the display.
Screen: 10+/10
Camera
camera is EXCELLENT on this phone. pictures are crisp and bright. the LED flash is bright but doesn't last as long as it did with a previous Blackberry Curve phone. i've played around a little with the video recording, which is crisp and clear also. sound recording through it is a little deep...expected though. it's not exactly a high-end camcorder. could do with a review option. pictures are snapped and automatcially back to camera mode without a chance to looking at the picture you just took. which i guess is good for those fast random shots. but it would be nice to have an option. and the reverting back to default options after you exit the camera is a little of a hassle and something Microsoft felt was what users would want. hopefully an update will allow more options. other than that i'm very satisfied with the camera's quality and ease of use.
Camera: 9/10
Battery
battery actually seems to be pretty solid for 1500maH...standard for most smartphones. after a couple of days of heavy use, i'd say it would last a whole day with fair amount use. i'm definitely not charging it as much as i was with the Android phone. android apps you took too much of a risk of it sipping on your battery. it was like trial and error trying to figure out what apps wouldn't drain your battery. time waster. i'd probably get a solid 9-10 hrs of use on my HTC Aria before grabbin the charger. on the first full charge with the Focus and full day use...heavy browsing, emails throughou the day, average amounts of texts from friends, picture taking, recorded a short video, installed and tried out some weather apps...i was able to get a good 12-14 hrs of use. possibly longer as with the battery indicator..it's hard to tell how low you really are. there is no app or option to tell you. and from what i've read online, the programming kit Microsoft allows for the phone doesn't allow for pulling the battery information from the system. not a biggie though.
I can honestly say i'm happy with how long the battery lasted where as with the android phone, my charger was a constantly needed accessory no matter where i go. and the worry if an app would drain my battery while i'm out.
Battery: 9/10
Overall
i have a little less than 30 days to give this a good test run and give it back to ATT if i don't like it. but i'm pretty solidly chosen this is my phone to keep and daily driver. HTC Aria is going up on craigslist within the week.
Don't get me wrong now. i'm not trying to be one sided. the HTC Aria is a GOOD phone if you really want an android phone. for it's size and processor speed, it's a VERY fast and snappy and easy to use phone. but professional and smoothness...android hurts it. and i'm just too amazed how WP7 has just won me over so easily.
quoting one user...
Originally Posted by heymen9x
i think iOS is useful , android is interesting and WP7 is so .........sexyyyyyy
THANK YOU for that review.
I am in exactly the same boat as you having just gone from a HTC Aria to a WP7 Focus. It's taking me a bit to adjust.
I've only had the phone 24 hours and the obvious major difference is the screen size compared to the Aria. It's definitely different having all that extra screen real estate.
I was a major tweaker with Android so am finding it a little strange to not be doing much with the phone at the moment.
I also have 30 days to return the phone but want to give it a good run before making a decision.
Any suggestions for some really good apps / games?
yeah it's nice not having to flash roms, do nandroid backups and restores, and all that mess. and the keyboard alone on the WP7 is 100x better than using it on the Aria.
purchasing apps is also a lot less of a hassle on the WP7 Marketplace, as it's just added automatically onto your cell phone bill, well for AT&T users at least.
personally i have the following apps that i use almost daily...
Netflix - instantly grabbed it on the first search on the Market. movies look great on it and battery life could easily last thru 2 movies. so it makes it great for long road trips
Twitter - just makes it simple to use twitter. and i follow a few WP7 related twitters which helps keep me informed early on updates and news and new apps.
last.fm - i had mp3s at first..a couple hundered, but found myself bored with them after awhile. last.fm is close to pandora as you can get and it saves on using up the memory on your phone. and for us WP7 users, it's completely free. iphone and Android users have to a pay a $3 monthly fee or deal with ads. songs stream in pretty quick on 3g and it plays under the lockscreen.
thumba photo editor - one of the best photo editing apps on the market and only 0.99 cents. it does pretty much everything a PC photo editor does, minus layers and transparency. it helps crop down and resize the pictures you take since it's 5MP by default.
4th & Mayor - is great if you use Foursquare. it's better than Foursquare's official app. it loads quicker and just simpler to use. and from what i've read it has features even the official app doesn't app.
The Weather Channel - just to keep up with the weather.
The Harvest - great game to play if you have an Xbox Live account. it's like Halo RPG and shows off the WP7 gaming power pretty well. steep price ($6.99) but well worth it i've had it for a month and play it every now and than and still haven't completed it with the first unlocked character.
Bubble Birds - just a great time killing free game with great graphics
Quadra - another great free game that uses both your fingers at the same time.
Cool, thanks for the pointers.
I notice from your sig that you've installed the NoDo update. I'm assuming this is the unofficial one?
How easy it and is it worth it or shall I wait for the ATT roll out?
What other hacks / mode have you done / are there?
Been playing with the phone a bit more today, it's growing on me for sure but still unsure. I wish there was a better app drawer than having one big long list.
Yeah, the unofficial update.
Which I would avoid since you're still in your 30 day trial of it, until you're sure you want to keep her =)
It requires turning your Focus into a developer unlocked phone.
Its the only mod you really can do with it, besides sideloading unofficial apps. Which I'm avoiding. I just wanted the nodo update.
And if you haven't read up on it, avoid the cheveonwp7.updater PC application. Google it to read up why. The Hungary VPN hack is the only safe way.
Maybe an update will allow a folder structure in the app list to shorten it. Not that big of a deal overall
asiancuta said:
Yeah, the unofficial update.
Which I would avoid since you're still in your 30 day trial of it, until you're sure you want to keep her =)
It requires turning your Focus into a developer unlocked phone.
Its the only mod you really can do with it, besides sideloading unofficial apps. Which I'm avoiding. I just wanted the nodo update.
And if you haven't read up on it, avoid the cheveonwp7.updater PC application. Google it to read up why. The Hungary VPN hack is the only safe way.Maybe an update will allow a folder structure in the app list to shorten it. Not that big of a deal overall
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Is that to do with the fact MS can see what apps you are loading etc. with the Chevron method?
Haven't seen the Hungary VPN hack - is it listed on xda? I'll go have a look.
I'm pretty sure I'm keeping the Focus - I just put the Aria on eBay and CL. I like the Focus overall, I'm definitely spending less time messing around and tweaking and I'm just using the phone for its features.
Mind you, I still haven't had a really good stretch of time to just sit and play with it as I've been so busy at work. Downloaded a bunch of apps and games to try but just no time to try them yet.
I've decided I will probably just wait for the official AT&T NoDo update as it really should be landing this month anyway.
Actually, I unlocked my Focus using instructions found on this forum. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=857127). I did not hack registry to change phone from AT&T.
I hooked up to my PC -different one than I used to install "unlock".
Logged on to Zune. My Focus then showed "Update Available". I went on to install the February update. Rebooted. Hooked phone up again to PC. Then showed "Update Available". Downloaded March update.
Everything working fine. No problems.
So, it is possible that you do not need the Hungarian link.
My billing/data cycle starts on the 3rd so as of today I am trying to keep track of what this thing does and when the data usage spikes.
On the 3rd according to Verizon I used ~20MB. They actually give you the option to download into a spreadsheet your data usage.
Side note: Here's an Excel formula I found handy for modifying their 0.XXXXXX GB cell into a useful numeric value cell that you can further manipulate.
You want to do =VALUE(LEFT(XX, LEN(XX)-3)) where XX is the cell value. If you're handy at all with an excel spreadsheet you will know what to do with this and how to copy it and maybe did it already yourself.
On the 4th my usage shot up to 86MB and it's interesting because usage is broken into bits. I'm pretty sure now that I was showing off a high definition youtube video while I was onsite with a customer and that alone was 40MB used up off my plan. I later went to pick up a fish tank and while I was there, showd another video for a few more megs used.
Saturday the 5th I have been pretty much around the house all day, but when I went out later that night a friend of mine watched a couple low res youtube videos. 31MB used in just a few minutes.
So far today... I have not been outside of a wifi hotspot except for midnight to 2am this morning when the device activated itself twice to presumably check mail or whatever... it used like 50 kilobytes.. negligable usage.
Please take a look at your data usage and if you don't mind keep track of what you are doing on your Xoom when you're out.
If you watch some youtube videos on your 3G... make a mental note of how many you watch and at what quality.
I think for some it will be very hard to realistically stay under 1GB a month of data usage unless they carefully plan out what content to watch or not watch. Upping this to 3GB is an option for some, but for others its a matter of convincing the budget keeper to spend more more more
cwizardtx said:
My billing/data cycle starts on the 3rd so as of today I am trying to keep track of what this thing does and when the data usage spikes.
On the 3rd according to Verizon I used ~20MB. They actually give you the option to download into a spreadsheet your data usage.
Side note: Here's an Excel formula I found handy for modifying their 0.XXXXXX GB cell into a useful numeric value cell that you can further manipulate.
You want to do =VALUE(LEFT(XX, LEN(XX)-3)) where XX is the cell value. If you're handy at all with an excel spreadsheet you will know what to do with this and how to copy it and maybe did it already yourself.
On the 4th my usage shot up to 86MB and it's interesting because usage is broken into bits. I'm pretty sure now that I was showing off a high definition youtube video while I was onsite with a customer and that alone was 40MB used up off my plan. I later went to pick up a fish tank and while I was there, showd another video for a few more megs used.
Saturday the 5th I have been pretty much around the house all day, but when I went out later that night a friend of mine watched a couple low res youtube videos. 31MB used in just a few minutes.
So far today... I have not been outside of a wifi hotspot except for midnight to 2am this morning when the device activated itself twice to presumably check mail or whatever... it used like 50 kilobytes.. negligable usage.
Please take a look at your data usage and if you don't mind keep track of what you are doing on your Xoom when you're out.
If you watch some youtube videos on your 3G... make a mental note of how many you watch and at what quality.
I think for some it will be very hard to realistically stay under 1GB a month of data usage unless they carefully plan out what content to watch or not watch. Upping this to 3GB is an option for some, but for others its a matter of convincing the budget keeper to spend more more more
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There is an app for that. Vzw has an app in the market which monitors your data with widget and its for tablets
I understand that there is an app for it. What I am looking for is active discussion between a small handful of guys who are actually paying attention to it. Perhaps the title of my thread and subsequent wall of spam I posted wasn't enough indication of that.
There are 2 or 3 threads where people are like "holy crap, what is my Xoom doing" because their data usage seems to be excessive. I would like to believe that its useful to someone other than myself to read some personal experiences like "I was driving to XX place and when I watched YY videos my Xoom consumed ZZ amounts of data".
Through the course of discussing this I hope that some users might become more education on how to keep themselves out of a pinch because lets face it.. not every individual is dilligent enough to go download the app, look at the widget (which you have to do ON their 3G network by the way.. thereby consuming more data), set up usage alerts... etc. Honestly I didn't think to look for those widgets until I read forum postings.
You're more than welcome to toss up some usage stats
I used up 90% of my 5gb allocation in about 3 days. We used the wifi tether so we could use the Internet while Comcast was moving our service between houses (we moved on the 25th). This device has been a sweet dream.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
dustywilson said:
I used up 90% of my 5gb allocation in about 3 days. We used the wifi tether so we could use the Internet while Comcast was moving our service between houses (we moved on the 25th). This device has been a sweet dream.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
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Holy cow! Were you trying to be conservative at all during that time with your regular PC usage tethering through the Xoom's Wifi/3G ?
OK, so I am still trying to decide whether or not to buy the Neuxs 7 or not. I have the money for it right now but the following concern me:
I have a good gaming PC (i5 2500K, 8GB RAM, GTX 560Ti graphics etc.) and I am thinking that I may not use the tablet as much because of it. I know it's cheap anyway, but I don't want to buy it if I'm going to rarely use it
The screen lifting issue seems quite common and something which would bug me no end
I am worried about the sound quality via 3.5mm jack. I use a pair of SoundMAGIC E10 earbuds and I'd plan on using it to watch a lot of live streams as well as listening to a lot of music.
It was one of those things where I instantly pre-ordered it because I've never had a tablet before but then I cancelled after I'd heard about some of the issues that people have been getting with their N7's as well as some of my other concerns. I currently don't have a mobile phone and the only portable device I have is the iPod Touch 4G 8GB.
Are my concerns above justified or is there anyone that can persuade me otherwise?
Thanks.
Reading/seeing stuff on here is also tempting me
Hey guys
To be honest, i haven't had any problems what so ever, but then again, you are going to hear more negative comments around here as people are more likely to talk about issues as people like myself are actually using it, etc.
I have consoles, a vita, and a gaming pc. I dont use the tablet as a gaming device, i use it more for consumption (news, media, etc).
The DAC is fine, i have Beyerdynacmics, Audio Technica's and a pair of Kilpsch S4's. It may not be the most outstanding quality i have heard but its perfectly fine. You wont be disappointed. For its price point, this tablet is an absolute blast, its quick, smooth, battery friendly (currently on stock) and has a beautiful screen (especially compared to my HP Touchpad).
Finally, its a 7". My ideal size, but then again, its really up to you dude.
The size of the tablet doesn't bother me because to me the iPad is too big/heavy, it's just simply whether or not I'll end up using it more than what I anticipate. I mean, it's a MASSIVE step-up from my iPod touch, but then again, I don't really use that much for anything other than music.
FTMDan said:
OK, so I am still trying to decide whether or not to buy the Neuxs 7 or not. I have the money for it right now but the following concern me:
I have a good gaming PC (i5 2500K, 8GB RAM, GTX 560Ti graphics etc.) and I am thinking that I may not use the tablet as much because of it. I know it's cheap anyway, but I don't want to buy it if I'm going to rarely use it
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Click to collapse
Do you plan on using the Nexus 7 mainly for gaming then? I personally believe while Nexus 7 is good for gaming but it's so much more. I don't believe it's fair to compare your PC to a tablet when it comes to gaming though.
The screen lifting issue seems quite common and something which would bug me no end
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What percentage of Nexus 7 do YOU actually think have this problem? If you are just going by your impression from the forum then I have to say that would be very skewed. Almost everyone who has that problem will complain but those who don't are probably too busy enjoying their Nexus 7 to even bother creating a thread with the title "All's good folks!".
I am worried about the sound quality via 3.5mm jack. I use a pair of SoundMAGIC E10 earbuds and I'd plan on using it to watch a lot of live streams as well as listening to a lot of music.
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It's about the same as any other tablet I've tried, namely iPad 3, iPad 2 and ASUS Transformer.
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I should've elaborate a bit. Some people recommend the Nexus 7 because with it having a Tegra 3 CPU and 12 core GPU, some people mention that it's a great gaming device. I'd be interested in a few games, sure, but it's not going to be a primary gaming device by any means. I am sure the percentage of Nexus 7s that have the issue are much lower than what most think and I suppose more people would complain that theirs is faulty rather than people writing to say theirs is fine.
I wasn't expecting phenomenal audiophile sound quality, but it was alarming the amount of people saying it was really bad but then I suppose that could be down to the source material (YouTube vs FLAC etc.) or the earphones/headphones of the user.
I have the money and I don't really need/want anything else right now, but at the same time there's this niggling thought it the back of my head saying 'What if I buy it, open it then use it like once a week?'. It's almost like I do want it but I don't at the same time :/
Haha..hey man, either buy it or don't. If you don't really need or want it, what's the problem? You know nobody on this forum is going to be able to make the decision for you, and it really comes down to you. I mean, even if you used it once a week it's still just $200.00. Seems like a steal to me.
My experience with the device was overwhelmingly positive, although mine was slightly defective. I've been missing it terribly these past three days. Our situations are actually pretty similar, since I've never wanted a smart phone and the only tablet I've ever used was a Fire, which I returned before Christmas because it wouldn't let me watch sideloaded videos in fullscreen. Stupid reskin.
I returned my 16 to Sam's Club due to screen lift, and last night I talked myself into mail-ordering its little sister from the Play store for two reasons.
Firstly, they have the best return policy in case I get another defective unit. Secondly, Google can afford to raise its standards for the 8 shipments now that pre-orders for that one are out of the way. If they intend to root out this assembly defect or ramp up quality control, they're going to be more thorough with the model that isn't backordered. Right now the 16 isn't available from the Play store, so I convinced myself not to wait because I enjoyed using it so much.
In terms of capacity, I was surprised by how little I needed the extra space because, although I watch a lot of movies and TV shows, it's pretty easy to set up Wifi streaming from shared folders on your PC. And you can just copy shared files onto your device through an Android explorer app if you're heading out the door. It's as quick and easy as you can configure it to be, so I didn't need to load up 10 gigs of television at a time like I thought I would. I don't have a TV, so maybe watching stuff on a tablet isn't a priority for you. Yes, I'd rather have a 10 inch screen for this, but the Nexus 7 is large enough for immersive viewing if you have good headphones, and a smaller device is better when you're lying in bed.
I think the best thing about owning a tablet is that you don't need to sit in one place when using it. And it's hard to understand how liberating this feels until you try it. Sort of like using a wireless game controller. You can sit on the porch at night and watch Arrested Development, check your email, do online banking, whatever.
As for gaming, it sounds like you don't have a portable device, so you'll definitely get some mileage there. Touchscreen controls are a little bit forced for certain genres, but really satisfying for puzzle, arcade, and strategy games. The quality of games being developed for touchscreens is improving, and even Squaresoft has gotten into the mix by releasing a relatively pricey but very well received revamp of FFIII. I'm trying to save my Play money, so the only game I purchased was Osmos HD, which is pretty old but still well supported. Great game. And there are other titles on the horizon that I'm really excited about, like Asphalt 7 and Fieldrunners 2.
I don't think you'll regret buying a tablet, or find it reminiscent of using an iPod touch. And you should only be worried about getting a defective unit if you don't trust the return policy. I would recommend buying the 8 from Google if you think that will be enough for you. Otherwise, wait to buy the 16 from a store that doesn't make you nervous.
Well, the 8GB would be an option but by the time I pay shipping, it costs £168 and I can get a 16GB one from Tesco for £194 delivered plus 3% cashback.
welcome to forum
I think you should look at the ability to be mobil and rather its something you need or want. I hardly ever use my tablet at home other then reading in bed or outside on deck for a quick search.
So to better answer rathere we can convince you its worth while will depend on your need to be mobile. I love myself a 500. Only it will not fit in my purse.
Hope this helps.
Always geeky Erica renee
FTMDan said:
Well, the 8GB would be an option but by the time I pay shipping, it costs £168 and I can get a 16GB one from Tesco for £194 delivered plus 3% cashback.
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The monetary value of that extra space is entirely dependent on your needs. If you don't know what those needs are, go with the larger capacity.
I would call and ask about their exchange policy, assuming they're still in stock.
I can order one and have it delivered for Tuesday. Tempting.
Still undecided haha, don't know what to do. It's not a device I NEED, but one I want but then don't want it to basically end up being a £199 paperweight (If I end up not using it much). It's one of those things where I'm not really sure how much I'd use it unless I had one?
Do you have a tablet already? It sounds like the question you're asking yourself is not "do I need a Nexus 7?" but "do I need a tablet?"
If that's the case the answer is yes. You'll understand within a day.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I don't have a tablet, no. The only current electronic devices/equipment I have are my gaming PC, Xbox 360 and iPod Touch 4G (I don't have a mobile phone).
I didn't need or want this tablet either. I've got a Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Tab 10.1 and really didn't think a 7" was for me. After buying one for my son for his birthday and briefly playing around with it, I was really blown away with how smooth this tablet is. I was able to buy the last one at my local Staples and absolutely have no regrets. This device now goes everywhere with me; something I couldn't do with my 10.1.
If you're on the fence as I was, I'd suggest picking one up while you can. There's not really any risk of losing money as they're selling like crazy on Craigslist and eBay. I don't think you'll have a problem with getting your money back.
Also, my son's 8 and my 16GB have 0 issues.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
I got mine to hack on. Everything else is a plus. The first time I rooted my phone and flashed a custom ROM I was hooked. I got a galaxy nexus for the Dev support same for the 7. With a nexus device you will always get firmware updates first and there is a ton of developer support on all nexus devices... but if you don't have a mobile phone then I doubt you care about that. It is extremely addicting to root and tweak/ overclock your device to get the full potential out of your hardware. In my opinion it would be worth it just to get exposed to a open source community. Its something no iPhone/iPad user will ever experience on their device. One of my favorite things to do is comparing benchmark test to see what kind of performance increase I get from different Roms kernels and tweaks. If you've never had an android device then you are going to be spoiled because jellybean provides by far the best android experience so far. So in short if you want a device you can't have total control over and discover a whole new world... then any android device is for you. The 7 is especially nice because the hardware is top of the line. If you get a defective one you can always return it for a new one. I would suggest getting it from a retail store if you could just because its easier to return a defective device through a retail store.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Also you can use free emulators off the play store to play any NES,SNES, Sega, n64 and many other console games.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Yeah, I love tinkering about with stuff (Started with the PSP then got Motorola RAZR V3i, ZTE Blade etc.) and the idea of a Nexus tablet interested me from the very moment it was announced but not sure if I'd use the device for what it's meant for (Media consumption). I might add that I'm going to university to study Computing in September and there's free WiFi all over campus.
If you like tinkering then I would say get it. Do alot of reading on rooting and flashing custom Roms before you jump in because you can brick it, however, with nexus devices all the factory images are available so its pretty hard to jack it up beyond repair. If you've never had a device that runs an android operating system then I would say you don't know what your missing... and while it was designed for media consumption it offers a lot more than that... but if you really feel like you don't know what you would use it for then maybe it isn't for you...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
If someone (mod's) feel this thread is out of place or does not belong, please feel free to close or relocate as it is more so going to focus on the how the Pixel fit's into this new Eco-System as compared to a stand alone device topic. In this case I think it's important however due to Google's substantial shift away from the Nexus device with the Pixel in particular. It seems to have created quite a "rift" amongst Google folks, but there hasn't been much discussion on why the shift, as well as why I, among others, are excited to finally see Google take such a big step in what I think is the right direction. I'ts not so much about specs, price etc It's about how your new Pixel XL is going to be used as an invaluable tool in Google's Eco-System...
The point of this thread is to discuss the Pixel (XL specifically since it's the one I pre-ordered) and it's impact on what I perceive is Google's push towards their own "Eco-System". I picked up the Pixel after much thought, considering it's price point it wasn't an easy decision based on past Nexus devices I've owned and loved, there's nothing like that "Pure" Android experience. I finally decided to pull the trigger after watching the launch event. If I had just went to the Google Store and looked at the device, it could very well still be sitting in my shopping cart.
After watching the launch I couldn't help but think about all the possibilities the Pixel is going to have when used in conjunction with other devices such as the Google Home and Chromecast Ultra unveiled at the event. Granted this is partly due to the fact I already have a few dollars invested in home automation such as Philips Hue, Amazon Echo, various switches and outlets, not to mention the ridiculous amount of money I've dumped into "smart bulbs".
These three devices alone are going to make things in "MY" life much more fluent considering most of my entertainment content is through Google services i.e Google Play Music, Movies, YouTube.. as well as future compatibility with Netflix and devices from various other manufacturers.The ability to add tasks, reminders, alarms, lists and all around functionality directly from Google Home to the Pixel without being forced to use various apps is going to be incredible and something everyone should look into doing.
I surely can't be the only one that thinks about the Pixel being more than just another flagship phone, but an invaluable piece in this new Eco-System Google is creating... What are you excited about??:highfive:
I'm excited. I still think price is waaay to high. But I do think this phone will be a dream. And I do like how I will get a free daydream. SK I can scratch $80 off the price. I agree with you about most of the article. The pixel will be legendary. To an extent.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
I agree, the phone is a part of a system that can do much more than phones did previously. It could be the hub of a system in your home, in your car or wherever you are. That's already been the case to some extent but it is progressing in some pretty cool ways. The Google assistant and all that may go with it looks awesome. If you have no use for it or aren't interested, the phone and its accessories probably aren't for you. In that case you probably shouldn't buy the phone. It's not a Nexus with barebones Android at a bargain price. I think people will appreciate it for what it is and those who are upset at what it isn't will get over it. This may be the 1st phone I don't root and hack on, it will be hard to improve on this beast. Please refrain from commenting on the bezel size or the price. We got that. And I probably will root and hack it, who am I kidding?
I just ordered it directly from Samsung
LeEco Pro3
toanau said:
I just ordered it directly from Samsung
LeEco Pro3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also interested as they are on sale at best buy for this price. Wondering if it's good for reading ebooks and PDF files. I'm pretty sure it's good for media streaming. Not too convinced about battery life and charging times so far. Mayhe the s3 is coming soon. Looking forward to some input on this thread.
I have had two (sat on one) , as well as many other tablets in our family. This is the fastest and smoothest of the lot (Nexus 9, Nexus 7, Sony Xperia, NVidia K1). I am the family geek that preps, refreshes them. Of the lot, this tablet is still my choice (T813 currently). I think it is worth it. I rooted the first one, but have not bothered to root the T813 yet. It is a simple process.
SysAdmNj said:
I'm also interested as they are on sale at best buy for this price. Wondering if it's good for reading ebooks and PDF files. I'm pretty sure it's good for media streaming. Not too convinced about battery life and charging times so far. Mayhe the s3 is coming soon. Looking forward to some input on this thread.
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Click to collapse
It's fast enough to be very smooth and the display is really gorgeous.
I use mine for comic reading and PDFs - it's fantastic for colour graphic novels, great for grey scale (B&W) comics. The high PPI level helps that, the OLED screen is YUMMY.
For basic ebooks, the black and white text type, it's probably not as good as a very good E-Ink type reader, they are very crisp and sharp for text (but that crispness falters on pictures)
I'd say:
Colour graphic novels - 9/10
grey scale comics - 8/10
PDFs - 9/10 for pictures, 8/10 for text
Books, plain text - 7 to 8 / 10
That's not to say it's bad, not by any means. The rating is to say that there can be better... but that 9/10 for colour graphic novels means it's essentially unbeatable.
So far battery time and charge time are about normal for a tablet - I did 6.5 hours of general farting about lots of wifi, a little gaming, photos, etc - and i did about 30 mins of wifi transfers from pc to tablet.
And the battery was at 44% after that time. So, good, as far as I can say.
Recharge time to 100% was about three hours.
vernmcc - what benefit is there in rooting. What's the point?
(and I had a silly giggle over that last sentence, given that "rooting" is Aussie slang for a good old bonk, copulation).
The slang...
Fluffbutt said:
vernmcc - what benefit is there in rooting. What's the point?
(and I had a silly giggle over that last sentence, given that "rooting" is Aussie slang for a good old bonk, copulation).
The slang...
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I rooted the original (giggle) to add adaway, gain lower level access to the system for building tasker profiles, and remove some of samsung bloat ware. Adaway is basically an ad blocker that uses host file modification to block known ad sites. Tasker stuff related to WiFi connections and connected blue tooth devices it is hard to do well in Tasker without system access. Removing some of the bloat ware was just an exercise in, can I actually delete this, not just disable in apps. But rooting it (giggle) has a down side that it voids warranty and makes updates less smooth so I have decided to stay with stock for what I use it for (podcast consumption and some light reading).
vernmcc said:
I rooted the original (giggle) to add adaway, gain lower level access to the system for building tasker profiles, and remove some of samsung bloat ware. Adaway is basically an ad blocker that uses host file modification to block known ad sites. Tasker stuff related to WiFi connections and connected blue tooth devices it is hard to do well in Tasker without system access. Removing some of the bloat ware was just an exercise in, can I actually delete this, not just disable in apps. But rooting it (giggle) has a down side that it voids warranty and makes updates less smooth so I have decided to stay with stock for what I use it for (podcast consumption and some light reading).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did a little hunting after asking the question... there are apps that don't work without rooting *giggle* (sorry) - there's a backup app that needs it, and others (as you probably know).
I like the hosts ad block - I use that on win7, a 550k file full of all the crap-servers... works well.
I take it you can't do it on Andy without rooting *stifles giggle*
Mind you, wouldn't having root access *giggle* (I wouldn't mind having root access, it's been a while...) (slap, stop that!) also give any android viruses you came across low level access too?
And if the rooting went wrong (SLAP, stop it) you'd end up with an expensive thin brick?
Anyway - I hope all goes well for you, I'm rooting for you.... :highfive:
I'd say this tablet is a bit of a bargain if you can pick it up for only $250.
Its not got a SD820 inside so it won't be as fast as your phone but what tablet has got a SD820 under the hood?
Great tablet so far (owned for a year, the original T-810 after being disappointed with the Pixel C's crap wifi and coming from a Nexus 9). Could use 4 speakers (like Ipad Pro, hope the Tab S3 has it) but is very good otherwise. Feels faster than my S7 in many cases since the ROM is lighter than that on phones. BTW, Dec update is now out:
https://www.samdownloads.de/download/t810xxu2cpk1-dbt-6-0-1-germany/ so SW is pretty up-to-date compared to most Android tabs that never see an update. Hoping we get Nougat before too long.
For $250, absolutely. Overall, manufactures have stopped doing yearly tech refreshes on their tablet lines due to tablets being a less profitable product know days. The screen alone makes this tablet worthwhile. It may take 20 years, but they will be releasing android v7 on this tablet.
I got it for $250 on Amazon. Just went back and it's $400 (Best Buy too!). So it definitely was a deal.
toanau said:
I just ordered it directly from Samsung
LeEco Pro3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes!
I've had mine for about 3 weeks now - loving it.
Battery life is amazing considering the battery size - I;m getting 12 hours of use in 2 lots of 6 or three lots of 4 or mixture - games, photography, cpu intensive stuff, wifi.
And that screen is still delicious... I love reading graphic novels on it.
Flaws? yes - I'd like to remove the four 100 meg bloats wares of Microsoft word/excel/powerpoint/? (forgot) - they should have given us the option to not have this crap.