Overall love - Sony Xperia XZ2 Real Life Review

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 Sony Xperia XZ2, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Sony Xperia XZ2 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

I've come from a Pixel 2 XL and I loved that phone, I'm in a fortunate position that through work I can change phones pretty much every few months.
Over time I've discovered that personally I'm a stock android person.
Having said that loving this phone the skin is pretty lightweight, and some of the Sony tweaks are generally pretty useful like the one handed mode.
Battery life is amazing I thought the pixel was good this is even better 2days moderate use no problem.
Camera is pretty good not Pixel 2 standard but not bad either.
Much nicer to hold, the shape is way better than the pixel 2 XL, will be a while before I change phones, don't think it's getting the positive reviews that it should, it does everything well, bit like the HTC U11 from last year very underrated...
If your thinking of buying one do it, you won't be disappointed...
Sent from my H8216 using Tapatalk

Agree, i dig this phone and couple of times i acidently switched to one handed mode and cannot repeat it what is the procedure or gesture to activate it, thanks!

Swipe along the nav keys [emoji16]
Sent from my H8216 using Tapatalk

I come from a Xiaomi Mi A1; i was getting bored of Android Stock and had an amazing offer through an Italian provider. I am basically paying 350€ for my XZ2 which is amazing. I was torn between this and the XZ premium which would've cost me the same, but I decided to go with the newer model, not sure I made the right choice.
However, I simply cannot express how much I love this phone. It has that Stock feeling whilst allowing users to tweak it and customize a little, albeit not as much as the EMUI. Battery life is pretty good, considering it's a 3180 and a powerhouse!
Camera could definitely use some software improvement but HDR does wonders more often than not.
It's incredibly elegant and the materials are definitely premium both to the sight and to the touch.
However, I would like to get some 18:9 gestures that would allow us to "get rid" of the navigation buttons and further highlight the beauty of the display.

my white one reminds me of BMO with that little face on the top bezel, how can you not love that

Came from Pixel 2 back to Sony.. This is hands down my favourite phone ever.. No regrest!

I'm in love with Sony again because of XZ2!
A rock solid device with a "Swiss clock" system, fast, smooth, awesome battery, superb display, superb sound, awesome camera and a lot of other things that simply work as it should on this device!
Great work, Sony!

miker71 said:
my white one reminds me of BMO with that little face on the top bezel, how can you not love that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great now every time I look at my deep green XZ2 I see BMO too. lol. Nah it's all good Adventure Time FTW!
I love this phone. Had several Xperias over the years - Ion, TL, Z1, Z3, an XZ Premium, a OnePlus 5T for a week, several shameful years of boring iPhones. 4 weeks with the XZ2 (H8296) it has become my favorite smartphone ever, hands down. I love everything about this phone and look forward to future phones from Sony.

What drive me nuts?
- No fingerprint sensor shortcuts (notification bar swipe down for example)
- No possibility for vibration pattern set or its strength
- No call recording or vibration when other side answers
- Something's wrong with wireless charging (only 20% per hour)
- Sometimes camera is stuck and can't open, need to reboot device
- No option to turn off blinking LED when device is below 15% (it irritates when you use phone)
- Can't skip tracks with volume buttons while listening music on headphones
- No info on phone if it's using quick charge or not (while charging)
- No face unlock
- No double tap to wake (screen)
Everything else is good, but that software is horrible. It's too Vanilla, it's too close to Android One.

Monolithus said:
What drive me nuts?
- No fingerprint sensor shortcuts (notification bar swipe down for example)
- No possibility for vibration pattern set or its strength
- No call recording or vibration when other side answers
- Something's wrong with wireless charging (only 20% per hour)
- Sometimes camera is stuck and can't open, need to reboot device
- No option to turn off blinking LED when device is below 15% (it irritates when you use phone)
- Can't skip tracks with volume buttons while listening music on headphones
- No info on phone if it's using quick charge or not (while charging)
- No face unlock
- No double tap to wake (screen)
Everything else is good, but that software is horrible. It's too Vanilla, it's too close to Android One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- you can download fingerprint shortcuts from google play
- You can use face unlock from smart lock
- Actually, you can do the double tap thing, just enable raise to wake. Not quite the double tap from older xperia phones, though.

AlvinZahran98 said:
- you can download fingerprint shortcuts from google play
- You can use face unlock from smart lock
- Actually, you can do the double tap thing, just enable raise to wake. Not quite the double tap from older xperia phones, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I know I can achieve almost all of that things using 3rd party apps, but problem with them is that they don't run as system functions so they'll consume a lot more battery than if they were built-in. Come on, it's a Sony flagship, I'm a little bit surprised.

I think I'll return my xz2 to my carrier. Touch screen is terrible. Settings app force closes to often and its had to many random reboots. Sony needs to up their game. Best phone they ever made was the X10.

I have been using P10, S8, OP5T and now XZ2. My review is based on the comparison with these phones and also the price I paid for it (USD526). Mine is a 6GB RAM HK set H8296 Rev.2. At the time of writing, it is running on .265 firmware and I've been using this phone for two weeks. Will edit this if future updates fix some of the issues.
Overall, the phone is worth the money for USD $526. But definitely not worth the MSRP $800! At the price I paid, it's one of the cheapest non-China brand with 845 out there.
Pros:
- Great overall speed. 845 + 6GB RAM + Sony lightweight skin = smooth experience. Subjectively, OP5T feels slightly smoother in scrolling performance. My Exynos S8 stuttered after I updated it to Oreo and 4GB doesn't cut it anymore.
- Feels comfortable in hand. I like the overall size. The main reason I switched from OP5T is the size. It was really stretching my limit. Otherwise, it's a very good phone and I find no reason to switch.
- The camera is A-. Not top grade (P20/S8/S9/Pixel 2) for low light.
- Lots of unique/proprietary features but not all of them are really useful:
- Useful:
- 1080p 960fps, PS4 DualShock controller support out of box, HDR BT.2020, aptX HD, dual front speakers, Triluminos display, X-reality engine, Hi-res Audio (not as good as top end though), DSEE HX, strong Dynamic Vibration System, dedicated physical camera button (I use it to trigger camera app)
Cons:
- Touchscreen issue. It had hold-and-drag sensitivity issue which is fixed in the .265 update. However, the touchscreen sensitivity goes haywire and I noticed I started to make a lot of typo on Gboard. I have to depend on autocorrect in almost all the letters I type!
- Fingerprint scanner and camera position. Very easy to mistaken these two.
- WiFi signal reception is bad/shorter distance vs my other phones Worse than even my Redmi 5A!
- Cellular signal reception seems to be weaker after the .265 update. Then again, I only had the phone for a week prior to .265 update.
- Whilst the skin is lightweight and quite bare, it looks dated and lacking ergonomics like OnePlus Oxygen OS.
- Does not support Camera 2 API. Means porting the gcam app is much harder.
- Not useful/hype proprietary features:
- Speakers clarity and volume is the biggest let down. It sounds thin without bass, and is nowhere as good as Samsung S9 and HTC Boomsound.
- S-Force is a hype. Can't hear the difference at all!
- Stamina mode makes the phone laggy. This feature had been great in the past Xperia. Not sure why it's badly tuned in the XZ2.
- Dynamic Vibration System is partially hype; while strong, the accuracy is questionable. When the audio has arrays of low frequencies sources, the vibration tends to feel random or off-timing.
- The physical camera button without OIS is not easy to use.
Yet to test: mic quality in terms of clarity and high decibel environment. Will update soon.

I came from a pixel 2xl and a p20 pro... Yep, tha p20 cam isnt that great.. to over sharpened...and the so-called 40mpx is actually 4 x 10mpx images merged... Plus EMUI, is too top heavy for me
I love my black xz2... Speakers sound amazing... and are better than my old pixel 2 xl, the 5.7" screen is fantastic... the bezels are a perfect size (i like a bit of bezel...offers the phone protection and strength).. fingerprint reader is a bit low down, but within a day or so of finger training.... no problems.. very fast and liquid smooth... No lockups, crashes or app issues... battery is awesome 2 - 3 days on light use..
My only niggle is the camera, while vastly improved over anything from the old Z range... and improved over the XZPrem... the xz2 cam can stll be a little quirky sometimes and images can range from stunning to a blurry mess for no reason, but thankfully on the xz2, these blurry images dont happen, ever Auto mode is pretty good in daylight... However, Sony phones do take some work and camera is good in Manual mode...so not for the Samsung and Apple "point and shoot" sheep.
Great phone Sony, and the xz2 camera is great, although camera software processing could use some work...

What's there to love?
Sorry but I've only thing for about a week now. I absolutely hate it the colors even in the vibrant mode are extremely oversaturated so much so that they blur the lines and make some games too dark to even see. And we won't mention the horizontal lines from pressing on the screen at all ever. Which is if you haven't encountered this you will. This phone is absolute garbage

Madgnarthebloody - just because your experiencing these issues, does not mean that everyone else is.

Perfect for me

Related

Things I like most about HTC One are... :)

Hello!
Most of the time >on forums like XDA< people are talking about their issues and troubleshooting, making us - readers - feel like the device only has problems and forget about the good things it offers.
There are no or close to no posts about what people like about the phone. I don't blame anyone because it actualy makes no sense of opening a thread like "I like its screen. K thanx bye."
So lets make a thread and write only about the good things it offers and what you like about HTC One and why would you suggest this phone to public.
Try to keep this thread without trolling and discouraging people of buying this phone or pointing out what problems it has. I would like to ask any MOD to delete negative comments in this thread to make it clean and ON TOPIC.
Let me begin:
When I attended HTC Launch in München I fisrt held the device in my hands. The feeling was awesome, incredible, I was speechless about the design (I didn't like it at first) and it really is an awesome device.
Sound quality is outstanding. I compared front speakers to my HTC One X and I couldn't even hear my One X ..it was like speakers weren't playing on One X. I like the Music app finding lyrics for you automaticly. Everything is easy and just works.
Zoe is amazing. I thought it was something I would never use at first (I am more like point and shoot - still images) but than I looked closely - amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R08se6Xc9j0
It works like charm. No problems or whatsoever.
The screen of HTC One compared to my ONE X is like night and day. I always liked HTC One X screen but compared at full brightness really makes a difference.
https://twitter.com/miHah1/status/306137264126316544/photo/1 - a note - battery savings are set to reduce CPU only, leaving brightness at full.
So I already ordered it and can't wait the day it arrives!
What do you like about HTC One the most?
Hello,
I've went to Vodafone Romania in weekend and I could put my hands on HTC ONE. The first thing that left me speechless was the DISPLAY. The display is AMAZING, STUNNING ...no words for it. Is so crisp and everything is looking incredible. (My actually phone is iPhone 4S, which has a great display, but the one on HTC is simply brilliant).
Another thing that I really like is how you feel the phone in your hand.
thanks!
I'm so hooked on this phone, something about it just gets me more interested than any other phone has for quite a while (all the others seemed to just be standard upgrades - RAM, CPU, the works)
Then I saw the One, and the dual speakers, new camera tech and general design made me hooked immediately (Also, the IR Blaster was a nice touch)
So yeah, anxiously waiting for my phone
Re: The thing I like about HTC One the most is...
Can't wait to get the phone!!
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
I really like my One because:
- fantastic music production, on headphones and using the speakers
- fast UI, especially the use of folders
- build quality, feels and looks expensive
- screen clarity makes me use this device moew than any other I have owned
- good value, in the UK it comes with free cases OR headphones OR media link etc
I don't have mine yet. But I'm sure the one thing I'm going to like most about it will be the updates to Sense 5. As far as hardware goes, the whole thing is a monster. Extreme internals along with a strong outer shell.
I love this phone, I haven't been so happy with a phone since my old Galaxy S2, which was actually my first android phone. The hardware is superb, with probably the best design of any phone so far. It is nicely weighted, and doesn't feel cheap, yet it doesn't feel like lead in my pockets. The screen is a nice size and the PPI is fantastic, with extremely sharp text. A way it is improved from my Nexus 4 is that while they are both 4.7", the HTC One screen is slightly taller and less wide, which means more can fit vertically on the screen. The touch buttons are responsive and the screen lacks the stupid wide bezel seen on the iPhone 5. The back is curved nicely and many people have commented on how thin the phone is due to the thinness of the sides, not realising that actually the phone is thicker than others out there at the back. The speakers on the HTC are amazingly loud and clear, and wipe the floor with any other phone I have put them against. When Beats mode is turned off, they deteriorate badly, and I think HTC has done this on purpose to advertise the Beats brand as offering superior sound. The camera seems really good to me, and easily beats my Nexus 4 in ANY situation, with especially fantastic low light performance, and the macro detail is second to none. Landscapes and buildings don't fare so well though and more detail can be found in other phones with more megapixels, which do make a difference at range.
I like how the notification LED is nestled invisibly inside the speaker grill, and it flashes fast enough to be spotted well. I have only seen it light up red and green and don't think it is multicoloured. The software on the phone is elegant and much simpler than previous versions of Sense which I have seen running on the One X. The animations are fast, which helps make the phone even quicker than it is. The shutter lag on the camera is non-existant and photos are taken as soon as the button is pressed. The music player is excellent, and automatically downloads album photos, as well as a nice visualiser with automatic stylised lyrics. I love HTC Zoe, and have entertained many people with some of its creations. Call quality is good. Battery life seems amazing for me so far, I get 0%-1% drain when I sleep at night, and currently my phone is on 90% after 6 hours off charge and 1 hour screen on time. The phone seems to get warm when the screen is on max brightness, although this doesn't affect anything and it may just be my device. Overall, I think this phone is amazing and would easily recommend it over the Galaxy S4 due to the amazing build quality (a few people actually asked me what phone I had when out and about taking photos) and useful software which doesn't seem bloated at all and actually contains features I actually use on a daily basis. I got this phone for £489.99 which I think is a fantastic price.
I like the screen and form factor, smaller than the Xperia Z, and with a better screen...
Makes me sad that I've got both the Z and the M7, I think the only thing the Z will be good for is ripping blu-rays onto it for my commute (that SD card slot is sorely missed on the M7)
Build quality. It's about time someone makes build quality better than Apple or even just on par with them..
I'm waiting for mine, so I don't have one yet, but this is what I fell for:
- The beautiful design, especially on the silvery one
- Blinkfeed (sure that I will love it)
- Sense 5 (like very much the look of it)
- The display (seems very clear)
- That it has a FM radio
- That it has good sound quality
- Zoe (it will be fun to try that)
the Thing I like most about HTC One is .... the waiting
pre-ordered on expansys on february 23 and still status says -19 days
seriously , for a phone's pathological sick like me the waiting is the best moment. even maybe HTC is extending my enjoyng a bit too much
Hi,
i like my htc one, cuz of this:
Sense 5 - fast and really nice
Sense Music Player - this lyric integration is awesome
speakers and microfon - great for music, videos and recording media
build quality and design - i've got an well made one
power - i can play every hd game i own lagfree :laugh:
What I like about the HTC One:
-The Screen quality
-The PPI
-The dual front facing stereo speakers (and their sound quality)
-The design
-The premium materials used (actually looks like the phone costs)
-The UI and it's smoothness (Sense 5)
-The wide angle front facing camera
-The video recording quality
-The low light picture quality
-The in-call quality
-The dual membrane microphones (audio recording quality)
-The IR LED
-The FM Radio
-Sequence shot
-Zoe
Personally though, I'll be waiting for the Nexus 5 despite how nice the S4 and HTC One are.
The main reasons I am going for the HTC One instead of the Z/S4 are:
- It's design and build quality especially
- The front facing, dual speakers (boomsound)
- 1080p SLCD3 display
- Perfect performance (S600 chipset)
- UltraPixel camera (yes, after everything I have read/seen, I am very curious to use it myself)
It's just a very, very nice overall package. The fantastic reviews also help. I have seen websites (like pocketnow and technobuffalo) give their highest scores ever to a smartphone. After listning to some podcasts from Pocketnow I also understand why. It's just a joy too use, and since I have seen multiple websites say this, I believe them.
On the other hand, my choice to go for the One is also made simpler by the alternatives. I had the Xperia Z: it looks good, but it's a pain to use ergonomicly. The GS4 looks like my GS3, so no "wow" looks, but ergonomicly it's nice. The One brings both good looks, fantastic build quality and an ergonomic design.
Then there are the "last year" - specs for the Z (S4 Pro chipset) and the pretty washed out screen. The GS4 has the best specs, but it's only a tiny bit better then the One. And the much better looking and feeling design of the One is worth so much more.
EDIT: I forgot to mention the small reasons I'm going for the One (copy/paste from the sir above me)
-The wide angle front facing camera
-The video recording quality
-The sound quality of your recorded video
-The low light picture quality
-The in-call quality
-The IR LED
-Sequence shot
-Zoe
-Highlight reels
What i like the most
Its gonne replace my galaxy s3(wich i love also) so what i like most about the htc one:
-Great design and built quality
-great sound from the front speakers
-great sound from the delivered headphones
-The best recording mic from all the phones out there
-great low light performance
-The ir blaster(remote control)
-the best screen out there...
-Zoe
-The in-call quality
-Sequence shot
-The wide angle front facing camera
-great recording cam
-Great movie and gaming experience because of the stereo speakers upfront..
So i cant wait any longer till it arrives.....
So, mine arrives tomorrow - I bought before ever seeing one in the flesh just on the design! (currently on Nexus4) but I played with my my sisters new HTC One today.
I have a Macbook Pro and Imac that I use for business and home. The One looks STUNNING alongside these products. It fits in better with my unibody mac more than an Iphone ever would! The build, design, in your hand is AMAZING before I even turned the screen on I was sold.
Turn the screen on... Sold again. WOW clarity, colours, its amazingly sharp.
Camera - Super fast, Super good.
General performance is super snappy, I was planning on rooting and putting stock straight on, now I wont.
Speakers - Best I have ever heard on a mobile device of its size and thickness.
My Beats Mixr headphones sound even better than through my Nexus4.
HTC One = WIN - very premium
Goodnight for all. What about charging time ? It take 3 hours on my one x. Some games(real racing 3, hungry shark evo..) drains battery too fast. I'll recharge my onex to play continue my games but it takes too long. Thanks.
I like my HTC One because:
Best speakers I have ever had on a phone
In-call sound quality very good too
Reliable and quick GPS
Speed and smoothness in transition across screens and in browsing
Sharp, bright screen - unrivalled ppi ratio
Blinkfeed integrated feed - quicker to access than Flipboard and includes calendar/agenda
Build quality is very good
Battery can last a day without issue (though my z10 and note 2 do a bit more)
USING: BB Z10, HTC ONE and GALAXY NOTE 2
uygar2580 said:
Goodnight for all. What about charging time ? It take 3 hours on my one x. Some games(real racing 3, hungry shark evo..) drains battery too fast. I'll recharge my onex to play continue my games but it takes too long. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pocketnow tested the charging time, because they thought the Snapdragon 600 chipset supported Quickcharge 2.0 (which would cut charging times up to 75%). They said it was an avarage 2 hours to go from 0 to 100% though. I did some research and I think only the S800 chipset will support this Quickcharge 2.0 technology.
Sadly.. it would have been great to go from 0 to 100% in 30-45 minutes
AW: Things I like most about HTC One are...
3 hours and via USB about 4h. Thats slow, but battery life is good enough.
Gesendet von meinem HTC One mit Tapatalk 2

Z1 experience coming from Galaxy S3

I recently changed to a Z1 from a Galaxy S3 primarily for the camera and secondarily for waterproofing.
No phone is perfect, so here are my own personal opinions on what I liked and didn't like about the Z1, in case it is useful for anyone else coming from a Samsung Galaxy as you might have a similar experience.
Take them for what they are, you may disagree and haven't thought of these as cons/pros, but this what my own experience has been.
First, the cons:
- The notification LED is useless, at least on my black. It is hidden inside the earpiece, so only appears at maximum brightness when you are looking at the Z1 from the right angle. Maximum brightness is also about 1/4 that on the S3 - I can't see it outside in broad daylight for example. This means I am often turning on the phone to check for messages.
- Sound is very quiet. I've been using Android for years - was an Xperia X10 fan boy back in the day - and this is one of the quietest phones I've used. The quality seems good, but for notifications, combined with the dull LED as above, means it's already frustrating missing messages.
- The usable area of the 5" screen is LESS than the 4.8" screen of the S3. This is because the soft-keys take a lot of room at the bottom. I have compared them side-by-side. The bezel area is also huge.
- I hit the soft-keys by mistake often and end up switching apps or bouncing to the home screen. I'm sure this is just a matter of getting used to it. But so far I miss the physical home button a lot. Even if asthetically it "looks better" without one, it's actually quite useful to have another button to wake up the phone.
- The screen is dull and has a very small colour gamut. It is disappointing. For reading text it is fine. The AMOLED of the S3 is streets ahead in gamut coverage. That's with the S3 set to the "Professional Photo" profile which is decently calibrated, rather than the over-saturated Standard setting it has out of the box. I would not use it to review my photos (stick with the iPad for better integration with Lightroom anyway).
- The phone is HUGE for less screen area than a S3.
- There is far less ROM customisation for Z1's than S3, no surprise as I remember having the same experience on the X10. Going to an S and then S2 afterwards blew my mind how much more customisation there was. Rooting the S3 took 10 minutes after I first opened the box having not read up in advance. I guess the Z1 can be done in the same time once you know what you're doing, but the information is vague, the forums have different information all over the place, and it feels like a lot of rooting or flashing is sort of hopeful that it works. Information seems in posts scattered around rather than helpful and up-to-date guides. There are many more people in the Z1 forums complaining of boot loops or stuck phones.
Now having said all those negatives, here are the pros, of which there are some really good ones:
- The camera IS fantastic. Having used the S3, S4 and various other smartphones this is truly a brilliant camera. Yes, there are cons, such as pixel peeping shows patterns from the software processing. And 20mp looks like about 10mp up-sampled. But the colours are great and the dynamic range is surprisingly good.
- I love the ability to hold the camera button to wake the Z1 and instantly open the camera. This is very useful.
- Waterproofing gives me lot of peace of mind when travelling. I was very nervous when using a previous phone in Europe last November during rain and trying to look up maps.
- The battery life is incredible compared to the S3. I don't have figures or stats but I think it's roughly twice as good. I'm very impressed with this, given how large the screen is in particular.
- The Xperia software seems to be more useful than the gimmicky stuff Samsung puts in their Galaxy range. For example, the auto-triggered Sleep pattern to turn off sync, Wifi when you plug in the charger after 10pm is really neat. (For anyone who hasn't used this, you can customise the trigger, time range and actions that occur).
- It feels like a higher quality device. Also more precious and delicate. Definitely more "premium" as I've heard it said.
- The wifi signal is slightly stronger on 802.11n.
I'm sure there are other pros and cons. These are the ones that mattered to me personally, your mileage may and is likely to completely differ
S3 to Z1
I went to the 4G (2GB Ram) version of the S3 and back whilst my Z1 was being replaced.
you forgot to mention one Massive crucial point,
the S3 felt like a Lag-Fest compared to the Z1 with it's S800 processor and Adreno 330 GPU.
Also much of the Screen issues can be resolved by calibrating the colour and white balance,
and theres no comparison between Quality of the Z1's 1080P panel with 441 PPI compared to a 720P panel with 306 PPI (with some Pixels noticeable)
regards
I too just upgraded from S3 to Z1
Lag fest, true that. Only thing that I miss is the AMOLED display.
S3- Lags (stock ROM, AOSP ROM's are somewhat fast)
Can be used as frying pan, 1080p video fps drops when scenes become too complex (like shooting ocean waves), Gallery sucks, samsung apps are resource hungry. Newer games lag a lot (sometimes quits )
halleyrokz said:
Lag fest, true that. Only thing that I miss is the AMOLED display.
S3- Lags (stock ROM, AOSP ROM's are somewhat fast)
Can be used as frying pan, 1080p video fps drops when scenes become too complex (like shooting ocean waves), Gallery sucks, samsung apps are resource hungry. Newer games lag a lot (sometimes quits )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto
Interested in buying this phone also, coming from the s2, tho I'm worrying about the sound quality of this phone, is it really that bad?
uchechris said:
Interested in buying this phone also, coming from the s2, tho I'm worrying about the sound quality of this phone, is it really that bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the speakerphone is better than the S2/S3,
you can always try it in the shops and hear for yourself, make sure you turn on ClearAudio+ and Dynamic Normaliser on,
If you want the Best speakerphone quality ... theres only one choice at the moment HTC One.
regards
raziel123 said:
the speakerphone is better than the S2/S3,
you can always try it in the shops and hear for yourself, make sure you turn on ClearAudio+ and Dynamic Normaliser on,
If you want the Best speakerphone quality ... theres only one choice at the moment HTC One.
regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol I see, never try sony phones before and I wanna give it a try....done with samsung since battery is an issue and overheating , i don't wanna do HTC due to its camera.....iphones is a no , so imma do sony , might get the Z1 international since the Z1s don't have 4.4 kitkat and has a locked boot loader :/
uchechris said:
Interested in buying this phone also, coming from the s2, tho I'm worrying about the sound quality of this phone, is it really that bad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The loudspeaker is quieter and the earpiece is harder to hear people on call.
However I prefer listening to music with the same headphones plugged into this vs S2 or S3. The Z1 has a warmer sound to the music and I think captures the very low bass just slightly better than the S3. This is without the enhancements turned on. I find the enhancements a bit over the top, like applying HDR to every photo, it doesn't suit everything.
So I enjoy music more - but the loudspeaker is quieter which is annoying for conference calls at work.
I've heard it explained as quieter due to the waterproofing, which is understandable.
awojtas said:
The loudspeaker is quieter and the earpiece is harder to hear people on call.
However I prefer listening to music with the same headphones plugged into this vs S2 or S3. The Z1 has a warmer sound to the music and I think captures the very low bass just slightly better than the S3. This is without the enhancements turned on. I find the enhancements a bit over the top, like applying HDR to every photo, it doesn't suit everything.
So I enjoy music more - but the loudspeaker is quieter which is annoying for conference calls at work.
I've heard it explained as quieter due to the waterproofing, which is understandable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know I actually find the earpiece louder than most phones I used in the past. I thought it was quiet at first as well until I realized that I am holding up to my ear wrong. I find anyone that also used my phone kinda does the same thing. Most of the time the earpiece is usually in the middle of the bezel of the edge and the screen. But because the earpiece is the very top of the phone you have to remember to slide the phone down and make sure the speaker is right at the ear canal. I still do that sometimes but I find it very clear and loud once its position correctly.
Maybe its just me...
I also came from the S3 and agree regarding the notification LED and the soft-keys. The LED on the S3 was perfect (the Z, too), however the Z1's is definitely harder to see. I solved the soft-key issue by switching on pie controls in xposed/gravity box and deactivating the Android soft keys. I can easily use the phone single-handed, tapping the pie keys with the thumb.
I quickly got used to the less explosive colors (which imho are far too saturated on the S3/4) and enjoy the better handling in bright sunlight compared to the S3.
My biggest con is the phone's size. It's so large I don't want to put it into a flip-cover, which would make it even bigger. On the other hand the naked phone is a bit difficult to hold because it's quite slippery.
sumerland said:
I also came from the S3 and agree regarding the notification LED and the soft-keys. The LED on the S3 was perfect (the Z, too), however the Z1's is definitely harder to see. I solved the soft-key issue by switching on pie controls in xposed/gravity box and deactivating the Android soft keys. I can easily use the phone single-handed, tapping the pie keys with the thumb.
I quickly got used to the less explosive colors (which imho are far too saturated on the S3/4) and enjoy the better handling in bright sunlight compared to the S3.
My biggest con is the phone's size. It's so large I don't want to put it into a flip-cover, which would make it even bigger. On the other hand the naked phone is a bit difficult to hold because it's quite slippery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using this case,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Case-mate-B...F8&qid=1401215095&sr=1-3&keywords=casemate+z1
I've had the black one for months now, pretty good,
regards

Overall love

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 LG G7 ThinQ, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the LG G7 ThinQ is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Just picked up 2 of these on T-mobile's BOGO sale. So far, I'm really enjoying the hardware. The phone is slick looking and feels solid. The interface and apps are snappy. The camera hardware is great, the software for it has room for improvement. The only thing I'm not grooving on is LG's android skin. A lot of it seems unnecessary, over-complicated, and doesn't match up visually with stock Android. The screen is great so far, no light bleed or polarization problems I remember from my last LCD screen. The colors are vibrant and true and the display is bright with a dim, always-on option. I am sad that it's not VR/Daydream compatible because of the screen (so I've read, anyway), but I honestly don't remember the last time I've used either of those on our Google phones (Coming from Nexus 6P and Pixel XL). At full price these might not have been my first choice, but the BOGO offer made them a no-brainer. So far, pretty happy with the purchase. Time and use will tell if I'll ultimately be content with the camera and get over the weird LG skin.
Oh, and yeah, case these babies up. They feel like nice solid phones but ultimately are mostly glass that LOVES to grab your fingerprints and put them on display. I just washed my hands and wiped my phone down. Pick it back up, already it's covered in prints and smudges.
I pre ordered mine in Canada as it came with a 43" 4K LG TV gift. +$700 value so it was a 'no-brainer' purchase for me too.
Had G6 and loved its wide angle cam and customized it to my liking.
G7 screen is beautiful! In my experience OLED phones suffer screen burn after a year or 2, esp. with white theme of vanilla android. So, im happy w the LCD and its full rich color spectrum. It pops and is bright.
The notch is a welcome as it is bones real estate for notifications. Nothing lost and 100pixels gained.
Form factor is ideal. So lightweight yet solid and shiny. I thought my box was empty when i purchased it.
LG skin/launcher sux. Hate it. I Dont mind the LG settings / phone app. And props to LG for switching to stock android messaging.
What I do to improve my phone:
1 - put on pixel 2 launcher:
*it*ub.com/amirzaidi/launcher3/releases - props Amir! Outstanding. Supports substratum.
2 - Dark LG Theme
3 - XDAs Gestures Navigation
With these small adjustments makes G7 the best LG has to offer and top 5 mobile device available today
I love everything about it. The LG skin is meh, but regardless I use nova launcher anyway. My only issue atm is the bottom firing speaker. It sounds great and all, but I accidentally cover it a lot and also coming from Sony phones, stereo speakers will be missed. I would have also preferred if the volume buttoms were more centered. Holding it in landscape, my left pinky is always hitting the volume by accident.
I'm usually not a fan of LG but so far this phone is a major Go! I can easily see myself not going back to my S9 plus. LG really nailed the little things on this one. Nice premium feel, satisfying haptic feedback yes the vibrations on this thing are as good as any iPhone. This is something that no android maker actually got until now. I remember the buzzy, tinny feeling of the oneplus 3 and even the Xiaomi mix 2, definite turn offs. They build on everything they got right with the G6. Not a big fan of the UI but it's still a lot better than the previous iterations.
So far what I don't like is the lack of dual speakers, sure the bottom firing speaker is loud and layed flat on hard surface this phone sounds amazing, however most of my media consumption is done when I wake up. So lying in bed watching YouTube this amazing speaker is pointless. The s9 actually remembers the volume of my Bluetooth devices so that when I put in my wireless earbuds my head doesn't explode because I had the volume cranked all the way up in my car. The G7 has no such function. Small potatoes though, definitely not a deal breaker. Still running it through its paces but so far, I'm impressed.
Sent from my LGE LM-G710 using XDA Labs
Coming from a pixel 2 XL I've really enjoyed the phone so far. Hardware wise the phone is a major hit, premium look and feel that makes my pixel feel cheap in comparison. Two concerns so far are subpar battery life, and the camera software. Coming from my pixel I feel those are two downgrades but literally everything else is an improvement by a long shot.
Additionally the phone has great haptics, and fantastic audio quality from the headphone Jack. Awesome phone especially with the BOGO deal on T-Mobile.
i'm wubbin it. camera isn't nearly as sharp as the s9+ i had for a week, but it doesn't overexpose every other pic like the sammy did. i thought i would hate the notch, but it has grown on me and makes more sense now that i've used it for a bit. i find myself using the boombox feature quite often. display is SUPER crisp and colors are perfect. it's hard to believe this is an LCD panel. if you told me it was OLED i would have to look pretty hard to see a difference. battery life has been really good for 3000mah. can't wait for LG to iron out all the small bugs in the coming updates.
You have to excuse my language, I am dutch.
I am completely stoked about the G7. I listen music on the speaker a lot and the sound is outstanding for a phone. Even better when using headphones. The screen is really nice and easier for the eyes than an oled screen (no eye strain) . I liked the quality of the pictures on my G5 and see a nice improvement on the G7. Better pictures at night, nice colors and sharp. Have to play around with the different camera options still. No problems with connectivity and everything runs very fast and smoothly.
The only thing I like less is the software/skin. Having trouble finding simple options, not much logic in there. But that's something I will get used to so not really a problem.
The phone looks beautifull but is slippery as hell. Fell on the first day on a tile floor (and my hart missed a beat but the phone was fine). So I bought a Spigen Though Armor case. I have a muscle disease and the case adds a nice bulk to the phone for me.
The biggest suprise is the battery. It lasts a lot longer than I feared after reading different reviews. I make it thrue two days and one night on a single charge so far while playing a lot with the phone..
Very much in love with my phone
I love almost everything with this phone. Surprisingly including the battery life. It's been very good to me (aod off). On standby it's very efficient only sipping battery. Around 3% during 8 hrs sleep. I could get around 6hrs sot during 12-13 hrs of use.
Coming from pixel 2 xl and oneplus 6, the screen for me is GORGEOUS. LG produces the best LCD, period. The 1000 nits boost = awesome.
Boom box sound is very good. However I feel the use of case reduces its effect.
UI performance is smooth, multi tasking is good, all up to the standards of 2018.
My biggest gripe with this phone is its camera. Well I mightve been spoiled by pixel 2 xl.
1.The camera's shutter lag on medium to low light is too long for my liking
2. the detail on medium to low light is worse than my oneplus 6
3. In good light, it often overexposes
Also, I play a MOBA game called Mobile Legends which my pixel 2 xl (sd835) and Oneplus 6 (845) eats like it's nothing. It seems the g7 sometimes rendering it not at stable 60fps. Feels like only 30+ fps. I suspect that this is caused by cpu/gpu throttling done by LG, hence the surprisingly good battery life considering its 3000ma size.
Overall love this phone, but the camera alone is holding me back to keep this phone as my daily driver after I shoot my YouTube review.
My favourite device of this year!!
For my personal use its near on perfect - smooth and fast in operation with far better battery life than I expected considering the battery capacity. Audio is just superb, especially via headphones and with a decent set of cans really shows the difference the DAC makes.
Camera for me has also been really.good, although I've only tested in good light so far.
Best thing for me is the display, have owned a Pixel 2 XL and P20 Pro in last couple of months and to get a device with the whites I like that just looks 'sharper' and with the legibility in sunlight (even without boosted mode) is just superb.
How did LG manage to squeeze so much battery life out of a 3000 mAh battery?
I love the ease of one hand use, the screen, except the "second screen" that doesn't go dark enough during full screen use). And the haptic feedback is orgasmic )
Coming from LG G4, this thing is "WOW". I don't know why people go for useless Samsung or Apple? This feels almost perfect. Unless up to to the launch of the LG V40.
Ali Mirza said:
Coming from LG G4, this thing is "WOW". I don't know why people go for useless Samsung or Apple? This feels almost perfect. Unless up to to the launch of the LG V40.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I LOVE this damn phone!!
1. Camera I rate as a 3 of 5 with built in app. 5 of 5 with Google Camera.
2. Audio I rate as 10 of 5. HOLY CRAP is it good.
3. Flat glass 5 of 5, easy to find full screen protectors with full adhesive. YES!
4. Killer battery life, 5 of 5. Most days I end up over %50 after heavy usage. Standby time is maybe 4-5 days if I do almost nothing.
5. LG software, 3 of 5. Too much bloatware but not as bad as some phones. Overall not a big deal.
6. Speed, 4 of 5. I think maybe other phones might be quicker but it is just fine for my purposes.
7. Buttons and controls, 5 of 5. Dedicated Google Assistant button rules. Actual Power button, finger print reader can turn screen on.
8. Slow motion video mode is quite nice. I enjoy using it for little fun stuff like capturing throwing a bowling ball.
9. Screen is very nice, I rate as 4 of 5. I prefer OLED but under heavy usage I think LCD comes out as a winner for power usage. I do have a bit of issue seeing the screen in full sunlight with sunglasses on. OLED do better in this circumstance.
The biggest problem with this phone is the camera, and it is far better with the Google Camera apk. Obviously LG could fix it if they wanted to.
redrol said:
I LOVE this damn phone!!
1. Camera I rate as a 3 of 5 with built in app. 5 of 5 with Google Camera.
2. Audio I rate as 10 of 5. HOLY CRAP is it good.
3. Flat glass 5 of 5, easy to find full screen protectors with full adhesive. YES!
4. Killer battery life, 5 of 5. Most days I end up over %50 after heavy usage. Standby time is maybe 4-5 days if I do almost nothing.
5. LG software, 3 of 5. Too much bloatware but not as bad as some phones. Overall not a big deal.
6. Speed, 4 of 5. I think maybe other phones might be quicker but it is just fine for my purposes.
7. Buttons and controls, 5 of 5. Dedicated Google Assistant button rules. Actual Power button, finger print reader can turn screen on.
8. Slow motion video mode is quite nice. I enjoy using it for little fun stuff like capturing throwing a bowling ball.
9. Screen is very nice, I rate as 4 of 5. I prefer OLED but under heavy usage I think LCD comes out as a winner for power usage. I do have a bit of issue seeing the screen in full sunlight with sunglasses on. OLED do better in this circumstance.
The biggest problem with this phone is the camera, and it is far better with the Google Camera apk. Obviously LG could fix it if they wanted to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a working apk version? Thanks
Ordered another G7 today...
I have a Note 9 but just ordered another G7. Despite the software not being great there is just something about this phone that I have really missed, feels great in the hand and is in a real sweet-spot size wise too. There really is not much bloat (compared to a Samsung) and battery life is very decent.
I was convinced this year that the Pixel 3XL would be my droid of choice but boy was I disappointed with that, as someone who rarely uses a case the rear would look like a used chalkboard within 2 or 3 days!
I think the Note is probably the best droid package currently available but there is something about the Samsung software and the amount of bloat that irks me, the G7 is IMO the nicest option at the moment and in the UK at least is an absolute bargain.
redrol said:
I LOVE this damn phone!!
1. Camera I rate as a 3 of 5 with built in app. 5 of 5 with Google Camera.
2. Audio I rate as 10 of 5. HOLY CRAP is it good.
3. Flat glass 5 of 5, easy to find full screen protectors with full adhesive. YES!
4. Killer battery life, 5 of 5. Most days I end up over %50 after heavy usage. Standby time is maybe 4-5 days if I do almost nothing.
5. LG software, 3 of 5. Too much bloatware but not as bad as some phones. Overall not a big deal.
6. Speed, 4 of 5. I think maybe other phones might be quicker but it is just fine for my purposes.
7. Buttons and controls, 5 of 5. Dedicated Google Assistant button rules. Actual Power button, finger print reader can turn screen on.
8. Slow motion video mode is quite nice. I enjoy using it for little fun stuff like capturing throwing a bowling ball.
9. Screen is very nice, I rate as 4 of 5. I prefer OLED but under heavy usage I think LCD comes out as a winner for power usage. I do have a bit of issue seeing the screen in full sunlight with sunglasses on. OLED do better in this circumstance.
The biggest problem with this phone is the camera, and it is far better with the Google Camera apk. Obviously LG could fix it if they wanted to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm coming from a S9 and Note 8.... This damn phone is marvelous. I hate that it's not receiving the love it deserves. LG took me away from my Galaxies with this one and I'm very satisfied.

Overall love

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 Nubia Red Magic 5G Lite, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Nubia Red Magic 5G Lite is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Good Specs, Bad Software (China Rom)
I'm not sure if I am right to post this here as I'm using Nubia Play 5G. I've read that it's almost identical to the Nubia Red Magic 5G lite and seeing that no one else have posted anything yet, I thought I could share my opinion. -Mods, do inform me if my review isn't right to be posted here-
Firstly, the design and comfort of use.
I have fairly short thumbs and I didn't realized how that I would be making a jump coming from the Pocophone F1. The phone is definitely heavier than the F1 due to the larger 5100mah battery compared to the 4000mah of the F1. Holding the phone (with a cover), its comfortable in my hands. The weight distribution is just right for me. Not heavy at the top. This is a big plus for me as I have rather small hands & thumbs. To access the top of the screen, there's an in built option for the 3 button navigation where I hold the home buttons, and the notification panel would come down.
For gaming, I do apologize for not being a phone gamer despite the phone being marketed towards gamers. I've tried playing PUBG. I'm by no means a pro. Definitely a noob as I literally just started playing it. The shoulder capacitive buttons is pretty comfortable to use. I used to play PS3 and this is somewhat familiar to me. I would recommend gamers making use of the shoulder buttons.
Secondly, 144hz display
Silky smooth AMOLED display. No noticeable ghosting. Scrolling is darn smooth. Switching to 90hz for the balance of smoothness and battery life is pretty great as well. It's still smooth.
Brightness, solid sunlight visibility. I constantly work in the sun and the display is brightly lit that I could see it clearly even without having to focusing much. The big 6.65" could be a factor to seeing this clearer. Definitely solid display for me. Also, speakers darn loud and pretty clear. Only distortion when you put it on max volume but I doubt you'll do that on everyday use
Thirdly, 5100mah battery
5100mah is solid. I'm getting 7hrs of SOT with almost max brightness + GPS for 3-4 hours and bluetooth earpiece.
On days of normal usage. Get easily past 24 hours with 20+% or even more if you're a light user.
- Display set to 90hz
Forth, RESTRICTIVE Software.
I'm not kidding when I say its darn restrictive. I roughly understand what I'm getting into when I was purchasing a china rom version of this phone. However, I was still horrified. Unable to change launcher, no support for OK GOOGLE, unable to change default sms messenger, and a few more restrictions that I couldnt remember but these few are my main concern.
- As a driver for my job, I often use OK GOOGLE to help me change music/navigate me around town while I'm driving. This phone (China ROM issue probably) has no support for OK GOOGLE. The option of OK GOOGLE is greyed out. I've tried numerous "fix" or "workarounds" but to no avail. I'm honestly disappointed with this.
- Launcher wise, the default launcher is pretty much like the old iOS where there's no appdrawer (no settings I could see that can change this) however there is folders and widget. Coming from Nova Launcher this is darn restrictive to me.
- Notifications is a hassle at first. I was wondering why my pocophone was still receiving notifications from social media whereas the Nubia was silent. I soon realized that I had to manual set the notifications for all downloaded apps to be turned on. Reminds me of the days when Android Marshmallow was released and there were few buggy Samsung ROMs with this issue. After setting up for every app it works now.
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE IF YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ANY OF THE ISSUES THAT I'VE MENTIONED. THERE'S NO WORKAROUNDS AS FAR AS I KNOW
Fifth, mediocre camera
48MP? more like 12 or 16MP then upscaled to 48MP.
I like to capture lots of photos and I wasnt expecting much from this phone as it is catered for gaming.
- 48MP is very, very mediocre. My F1 can take better photos with better dynamic range and better details (On GCAM). Even trying with GCAM the details is bad (I could be using the wrong config for the GCAM)
- Low light is horrible. On the default camera app. It looks upscaled from a 2MP camera with mediocre brightness. With the GCAM, its brighter. No change to the amount of detail
- Wide angle, as I know, can only be used in the default camera app. It pretty decent imo. I have no experience with other phones with wide angle. I do apologise for this as I dont often shoot with wide angle.
Sixth, in screen fingerprint.
My experience with fingerprints is usually a dedicated fingerprint sensor. On the F1, it was blazzing fast. On the Nubia, its pretty good too. Mostly accurate even at weird angles.
Seventh, overall speed.
Coming from F1 which was a Qualcomm 845, the Nubia feels pretty much the same on everyday use. I use the latest Youtube Vanced and its a bit buggy. Random crashes while watching videos fullscreen. I just downgraded to the older version, still testing it out. Multitasking is pretty good. Few apps in the background that doesnt get killed while using other apps.
That's my personal review of this phone. Do reply if you have any questions on the other aspects of the phone that I didn't cover in this post.
Thank you for taking your time to read this long post. Cheers!

Oppo Find X5 Pro "Real Life Review"

Here's my review after owning for 10 days. I am not an Oppo ambassador so therefore these thoughts are not biased in any way. I could have gotten a Samsung S22 Ultra for around the same monthly price (maybe it was £5 more) but the lack of charger in the box put me off. The Oppo gift incentive also swung me over.
I'm sure everyone knows about the features and specs of the phone so far so I won't bother with those.
What I like:
- The build quality and design are exceptional, without a case the phone feels great in the hand, although it's very slippery if you have cold hands and there is no clammyness from your fingers to provide grip. The ceramic feels better than glass and I haven't seen any scratches yet. It also feels very slim so one handed use is possible.
- The screen is very good, even in 1080p it's hard to see the pixels compared to other 1080p phones.
- Main camera and ultrawide very good, in the right lighting conditions they provide excellent shots with plenty of detail.
- Fast and very few stutters in the OS. I haven't encountered any bugs yet.
- Charging is insanely quick and phone doesn't really get hot when charging.
- XPAN is cool and interesting.
- Vibration motor is much better than previous phones I've used. On the strongest setting I won't be missing any calls.
- Battery life is reasonable in terms of SOT. I consistently get 6-7 hours under heavy use.
- Wireless Android Auto works flawlessly.
What I don't like:
Camera
- You cannot zoom or switch between cameras when shooting 4k60 video.
- Some shots on the main and ultrawide cameras can be over exposed, it sometimes takes a few shots in the same light to get a good one. Hopefully they can fix this in a future update.
- Some indoor daytime shots of moving subjects are always blurry.
- Selfies are often, in my experience, over exposed, and not on par with what I've seen from P40 Pro.
- Videos taken in 1080p do not send well over Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. It could be to do with the compression used in this format, but once uploaded to these sites, the videos are very choppy, colours are crushed, and the videos are in general pretty unusable. Only videos sent in 4K look ok. This was an issue with the Find X3 Pro, and I am not sure why Oppo have not addressed this yet.
- There's no getting around the fact that this phone lacks any reasonable camera zoom at all. 2X is not zoom in my opinion.
- Forget nighttime shots of moving subjects, night photo takes 2s to process (although quicker than other phones).
- I feel like the MarisiliconX thing is mostly a marketing gimmick.
Screen
- The AlwaysOnDisplay is very dim and there's no way to change it. Also the coloured icons are very hard to distinguish at a glance. If the display is dim, then greyscale icons would be easier to see.
- 120Hz doesn't seem to be active in a lot of apps, so I had to manually force it using an app from youtube video.
Software/OS
- Cannot increase grid size in ColorOS launcher any more than 5 x 6. Please give option for up to 9 x 6 like Nova? Otherwise launcher is perfect!
- There is no desktop mode when plugged into a usb-c monitor like Samsung Dex or Huawei EMUI Desktop. You can indeed enable desktop mode in developer settings but it's not the same experience.
- When using a 3rd party launcher (I always use Nova), there are some bugs when going back to home screen, e.g. the recent apps screen flashes up for a split second when it shouldn't. Because of this I forced myself to get used to ColourOS launcher.
- There is no button to turn off/on 5G in the notifications quick settings menu.
- "Hey google" only works in Android Auto & Google Maps if you have the global "Hey Google" listening setting enabled. Not sure if this is an android 12 bug or just Oppo bug.
- Oppo PC Connect is only available on PC, not Mac or Linux.
Battery/Charging
- Standby battery life could be better. It drains about 5-7% overnight when my Huawei P40 Pro only drained 2%. If I barely use the phone during the day (only check/reply to messages etc and use around 1.5h SOT), then the battery is still below 40% when I go to bed. My P40 Pro barely drained when not used heavily. Of course Huawei do much more aggressive battery/memory management and if I enabled optimisation for all apps in the Oppo's settings then maybe I could get similar but I don't want to mess with notifications.
- Wireless charging with a non-oppo wireless charger seems very slow. I have a 5W charger in my Lexus and when charging using it, the phone still loses battery when using wireless android auto.
All in all, I actually preferred using my old Huawei P40 Pro as the camera was superior in most situations as well as better standby battery but the hacked google services installed just put me off. Android auto was very temperamental, hence I can't stick with it.
Interesting review.
I agree. The Marisilicon thing is a slight gimmick. Its not as good as Google Pixel image processors. My Pixel 3 still takes better images.
Build quality is good but heavyish for me. I had an OP8 and I'm finding the camera bump a little odd even after 2 weeks.
I hate that I'm being forced to power down using power button and volume up. Had to download a 3rd party app to make this process more convenient. Also download a lockdown app which is missing from here.
Also have a weird YouTube Bluetooth issue. When I'm listening to YouTube in the car and someone calls, the YouTube still plays in the background through the speakers as well as the conversation!?
Sometimes the apps get stuck and you need to kill the app. The comments section on the YouTube app also sticks and you need to press home and return to the YouTube app. Minor bugs which I expect and hope Oppo fix through software updates.
I too was swung by the gift pack. I was originally planning to get the OP10 Pro but EE do not offer this handset and I get 30pc friends and family so this was a no brainer.
Happy with the phone. At over a thousand quid should be perfect.
OnePlus2Oppo said:
Interesting review.
I agree. The Marisilicon thing is a slight gimmick. Its not as good as Google Pixel image processors. My Pixel 3 still takes better images.
Build quality is good but heavyish for me. I had an OP8 and I'm finding the camera bump a little odd even after 2 weeks.
I hate that I'm being forced to power down using power button and volume up. Had to download a 3rd party app to make this process more convenient. Also download a lockdown app which is missing from here.
Also have a weird YouTube Bluetooth issue. When I'm listening to YouTube in the car and someone calls, the YouTube still plays in the background through the speakers as well as the conversation!?
Sometimes the apps get stuck and you need to kill the app. The comments section on the YouTube app also sticks and you need to press home and return to the YouTube app. Minor bugs which I expect and hope Oppo fix through software updates.
I too was swung by the gift pack. I was originally planning to get the OP10 Pro but EE do not offer this handset and I get 30pc friends and family so this was a no brainer.
Happy with the phone. At over a thousand quid should be perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like your thinking, I am also on EE with the 30pc f&f discount :'D I went for the smart plan so I can hand the phone back with no upgrade charge after 12 months if something better comes along.
I used to work for them years ago and had the discount ever since. It makes the RRP of the phone over 24 months much less (if I factor-in the price i'd pay for sim only anyway).
For your youtube issue, have you tried giving the youtube app permission to Phone? I've had some other apps ask me to set Phone permissions (such as Tidal) in order to pause during a call. I guess YouTube might need that permission so that it can see that the Phone is in use?
It is a little heavy compared to other phones i've used. I have been checking Youtube nearly every day to see if anyone has done a drop test lol.
For me the power button thing isn't a big issue as I rarely power it off.
I agree though, at the price, the phone should be perfect. This is what is kind of putting me off compared to the Huawei I paid only £300 for in Grade A condition from CeX.
Thanks. I've just set the permission on YouTube as per your suggestion. I've never had to do that ever before so just another tedious quirk!
Won't say it too loudly but surprised the F&F is applied to the handset and not just the line rental but I'm not complaining.
Keep me posted to any other bugs/fixes. I'll do likewise
OnePlus2Oppo said:
Thanks. I've just set the permission on YouTube as per your suggestion. I've never had to do that ever before so just another tedious quirk!
Won't say it too loudly but surprised the F&F is applied to the handset and not just the line rental but I'm not complaining.
Keep me posted to any other bugs/fixes. I'll do likewise
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is the line rental, I mean if you add up 24 months of line rental and subtract the price of a sim only (that you'd need to pay anyway, usually around £15pm) then that's your effective handset price.
mcall_r said:
It is the line rental, I mean if you add up 24 months of line rental and subtract the price of a sim only (that you'd need to pay anyway, usually around £15pm) then that's your effective handset price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...so the YouTube permission didn't work. I can't figure out what's going on!?!
mcall_r said:
What I like:
- The build quality and design are exceptional, without a case the phone feels great in the hand, although it's very slippery if you have cold hands and there is no clammyness from your fingers to provide grip. The ceramic feels better than glass and I haven't seen any scratches yet. It also feels very slim so one handed use is possible.
- The screen is very good, even in 1080p it's hard to see the pixels compared to other 1080p phones.
- Main camera and ultrawide very good, in the right lighting conditions they provide excellent shots with plenty of detail.
- Fast and very few stutters in the OS. I haven't encountered any bugs yet.
- Charging is insanely quick and phone doesn't really get hot when charging.
- XPAN is cool and interesting.
- Vibration motor is much better than previous phones I've used. On the strongest setting I won't be missing any calls.
- Battery life is reasonable in terms of SOT. I consistently get 6-7 hours under heavy use.
- Wireless Android Auto works flawlessly.
What I don't like:
Camera
- You cannot zoom or switch between cameras when shooting 4k60 video.
- Some shots on the main and ultrawide cameras can be over exposed, it sometimes takes a few shots in the same light to get a good one. Hopefully they can fix this in a future update.
- Some indoor daytime shots of moving subjects are always blurry.
- Selfies are often, in my experience, over exposed, and not on par with what I've seen from P40 Pro.
- Videos taken in 1080p do not send well over Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. It could be to do with the compression used in this format, but once uploaded to these sites, the videos are very choppy, colours are crushed, and the videos are in general pretty unusable. Only videos sent in 4K look ok. This was an issue with the Find X3 Pro, and I am not sure why Oppo have not addressed this yet.
- There's no getting around the fact that this phone lacks any reasonable camera zoom at all. 2X is not zoom in my opinion.
- Forget nighttime shots of moving subjects, night photo takes 2s to process (although quicker than other phones).
- I feel like the MarisiliconX thing is mostly a marketing gimmick.
Screen
- The AlwaysOnDisplay is very dim and there's no way to change it. Also the coloured icons are very hard to distinguish at a glance. If the display is dim, then greyscale icons would be easier to see.
- 120Hz doesn't seem to be active in a lot of apps, so I had to manually force it using an app from youtube video.
Software/OS
- Cannot increase grid size in ColorOS launcher any more than 5 x 6. Please give option for up to 9 x 6 like Nova? Otherwise launcher is perfect!
- There is no desktop mode when plugged into a usb-c monitor like Samsung Dex or Huawei EMUI Desktop. You can indeed enable desktop mode in developer settings but it's not the same experience.
- When using a 3rd party launcher (I always use Nova), there are some bugs when going back to home screen, e.g. the recent apps screen flashes up for a split second when it shouldn't. Because of this I forced myself to get used to ColourOS launcher.
- There is no button to turn off/on 5G in the notifications quick settings menu.
- "Hey google" only works in Android Auto & Google Maps if you have the global "Hey Google" listening setting enabled. Not sure if this is an android 12 bug or just Oppo bug.
- Oppo PC Connect is only available on PC, not Mac or Linux.
Battery/Charging
- Standby battery life could be better. It drains about 5-7% overnight when my Huawei P40 Pro only drained 2%. If I barely use the phone during the day (only check/reply to messages etc and use around 1.5h SOT), then the battery is still below 40% when I go to bed. My P40 Pro barely drained when not used heavily. Of course Huawei do much more aggressive battery/memory management and if I enabled optimisation for all apps in the Oppo's settings then maybe I could get similar but I don't want to mess with notifications.
- Wireless charging with a non-oppo wireless charger seems very slow. I have a 5W charger in my Lexus and when charging using it, the phone still loses battery when using wireless android auto.
All in all, I actually preferred using my old Huawei P40 Pro as the camera was superior in most situations as well as better standby battery but the hacked google services installed just put me off. Android auto was very temperamental, hence I can't stick with it.
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I agree re the in-hand feel, I am a fan of ceramic and yes on paper it is not much smaller than other phones but does feel more manageable.
- The AlwaysOnDisplay is very dim and there's no way to change it. Also the coloured icons are very hard to distinguish at a glance. If the display is dim, then greyscale icons would be easier to see.
I'd agree wth this, they are tiny
Re the blurry photos, I still think it is better than a Samsung, maybe only the Pixel or iPhone is better in this regard?
I think I prefer my S22U overall especially the more reliable fingerprint sensor but prefer the size and in-hand feel of the Oppo.
arsenal74 said:
I agree re the in-hand feel, I am a fan of ceramic and yes on paper it is not much smaller than other phones but does feel more manageable.
- The AlwaysOnDisplay is very dim and there's no way to change it. Also the coloured icons are very hard to distinguish at a glance. If the display is dim, then greyscale icons would be easier to see.
I'd agree wth this, they are tiny
Re the blurry photos, I still thnk it is better than a Samsung, maybe only the Pixel or iPhone is better in this regard?
I think overall I prefer my S22U overall especially the more reliable fingerprint sensor but prefer the size and in-hand feel of the Oppo.
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I don't have any issues whatsoever with the fingerprint sensor, it seems faster than on my huawei - are you using a screen protector?
I contemplated returning to get S22U but today is the last day of my return window so I think I will just keep it. Samsung is slightly more expensive and I still need to buy seperate charger.
I can trade-in in 12 months anyway and get something else on my contract so maybe Oppo will have released a Samsung beating phone by then.
There is nothing wrong with the FPS, just think the S22U is better. I have had the Pixel 6 and it is way better than that. I just think the ultrasonic sensor is more reliable, less prone to issues if your hands are wet etc
arsenal74 said:
There is nothing wrong with the FPS, just think the S22U is better. I have had the Pixel 6 and it is way better than that. I just think the ultrasonic sensor is more reliable, less prone to issues if your hands are wet etc
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Ah I see, having had both Oppo and S22U (exynos?), is samsung better in every department?
mcall_r said:
Ah I see, having had both Oppo and S22U (exynos?), is samsung better in every department?
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I think the Oppo camera is better indoors but that is anecdotal, actually other than zoom reach the Oppo camera is slightly better overall I think (for stills) I also think the Oppo battery is better at least standby wise. Other than your personal preference re size and design I think the S22U is better for most other things

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