Oppo Find X5 Pro "Real Life Review" - OPPO Find X5 Pro General

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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

Related

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 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

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 Huawei P20 Pro, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Huawei P20 Pro is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Just got the phone today, overall it's ok, coming from mate 9 I would say the camera is impressive but I need more time to test it out.
P20 Pro First Impressions
Got the phone this afternoon and have had an initial play.
I came from the Mate 10 Pro so know the EMUI system fairly well and many of the P20 Pro features are similar.
Saw a tip from a reviewer to use night mode for all shots and gave that a go with some amazing results, really sharp with good colours in poor light indoors.
I have listened to audio on the speakers and in landscape when it changes to stereo the sound is good, nothing like a Razer Phone but good. Sound in portrait mode through the one speaker is only average.
The Bluetooth audio seems so far to be an improvement over the Mate 10 Pro which had a horrible compressed almost 128k sound even playing 320k files through Deezer. The P20 Pro seems much closer to the quality on the iPhone 7 which is great news so far but I will report back once I have tried some FLAC files on the internal audio app.
Other than that the phone seems slightly quicker than the Mate 10 Pro, possibly due to the newer EMUI version.
Updates to follow after more time with it :good:
Love this handset overall. Battery life is great, camera is great, screen is great, sound is great (which was a big bone of contention with me coming from LG V20!).
Please add section on real-life review for Audio Quality! Both speaker and headphones (wired and wireless!).
Just received my P20 pro yesterday and must say I'm quite impressed. The design & build are fantastic, I would prefer the fingerprint on the rear like the Porsche design (but not a huge issue).
Emui is a decent skin as far as skins go, it's easy to get used to and has a few nice features baked in without being to intrusive.
Camera looks very impressive but need a bit more time with it, but I'm happy so far with the results.
Performance is on point and everything runs smoothly.
So far so good and my first ever Huawei device and I'm overall very content with my purchase.
Duncan1982 said:
Just received my P20 pro yesterday and must say I'm quite impressed. The design & build are fantastic, I would prefer the fingerprint on the rear like the Porsche design (but not a huge issue).
Emui is a decent skin as far as skins go, it's easy to get used to and has a few nice features baked in without being to intrusive.
Camera looks very impressive but need a bit more time with it, but I'm happy so far with the results.
Performance is on point and everything runs smoothly.
So far so good and my first ever Huawei device and I'm overall very content with my purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here.
Hopefully we can get some 1080p 60fps EIS and 4K EIS in the future
So far so good, a few strange things like changing lock screen wallpaper and also updating widgets which I hope are simply bugs that will get fixed.
What with the leather texture design of the camera ui....I hate it.
Jamestdd said:
What with the leather texture design of the camera ui....I hate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It remembers the leica legacy
mcall_r said:
Love this handset overall. Battery life is great, camera is great, screen is great, sound is great (which was a big bone of contention with me coming from LG V20!).
Please add section on real-life review for Audio Quality! Both speaker and headphones (wired and wireless!).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed sound in headphones was a big concern for me before buying the phone as my previous Huawei's have not performed well in that regard and I have a V10 that I use when listening a lot to music. Though the P20 Pro surprised me it has good dynamic range and spacious sound. Not quite up to par with my V10 but good enough that it will not bother me at all really.
I love this phone. I love the camera. I can see the display out in the sunny day unlike the other phones I have which are hard to see outside on a sunny day. Phone feels good in the hand. I have dark mode on and it looks great. It is also really fast, no lags so far.
This is my first Huawei or China made phones. I have to say I am impressed. EMUI is not bad really, still missing some features but overall it's a solid contender. The night mode is insane...never seen a camera phone that can do this! Overall I have no regrets buying this. :good:
Definately satisfied, especially since fw 120. Best buy for me!
Let me first set the context. I am currently using an iPhoneX and Galaxy S9+ (Both 256gb model). Therefore, whatever I write here about P20 pro is against the experience of the existing phones (Both are top notch). Now Here we go about P20 Pro...
Camera: I was blown away by some photographs I casually took today both night and day (Auto mode). There are plenty of of options and currently the best camera (phone) in the market that money can buy.
IR Remote : None of the flagship has it. This was another reason to choose P20 pro after lot of dilemma. It's amazing. You can control almost any devices like TV, A/C, Music System etc including your home, office and public places!!!
Screen : Nothing less than iPhone X in terms of viewing experiences. HDR10 fully supported and its awesome.
Android Auto: Perfectly working (Flawless) with my Skoda.
Battery : 4000mah capacity, yet to be tested
Software: Plenty of good and garbage. You can remove garbages what you don't want. I use Nova prime. Supe fluid.
Kirin 970 + 6GB RAM: Flagship experiences but iPhoneX and S9+ does little better here.
Music: Excellent Bluetooth audio. With an active external amplifier the Huawei P20 Pro had the perfectly clear output that befits its flagship standing. Stereo speakers with dolby digital.
Fingerprint & Face Unlock : Fastest (Fast like hell!!)
I know resell value will be hopeless for this brand but I am fully satisfied with my purchase of P20 pro.
What else you want to know... ask
Overall reasonably impressed
I changed from a much loved S5 to the P20 Pro and so far I find it an upgrade in terms of speed and responsiveness (obviously!) but a downgrade in terms of a few other things.
Here are the things that are bothering me about it. If anyone knows how to help with any of them that would be great. Otherwise I'm likely going to return it.
I know some of the items are me being fussy but really I "upgraded" from a 4 yr old phone that has none of these issues.
Issue with screen dimming in some apps (IE: open WhatsApp, screen brightness drops, exit WhatsApp, screen brightness goes back up in seconds)
Edit 1: I have used a rubbish workaround of enabling auto brightness to stop this. However Huawei have confirmed this will be fixed in a future release.
Email notification icons don't show (and also, if you have 2 email accounts you only know if you have emails in the other if you access it separately)
Edit 1: I think I have resolved this by going to Notifications Management >> Batch Management >> Toggling All off and on >> 3 dots >> Badges >>Badge display mode to something other than current and then set to "Unread Messages" >> Toggle all off and on
Google find my device doesn't work on it (works via the app on the phone itself - not very useful as you wouldn't have it with you if you were trying to find it!)
Edit 1: Search for "App launch" in settings >> access app launch >> set google play services, maps, find my device to manual and enable all 3 items within the sub menu (you may need to download find my device - not sure if required)
Camera 16:9 is low resolution (7MP resolution from a 40MP sensor is very poor)
Camera 16:9 photos do not appear to be true 16:9 aspect ratio (it produces black lines at the top and the bottom)
Notification light tiny (ridiculously small, can't be rectified now obviously)
Notification light blinks soooo slowly (I feel like I need to look at the phone for a few seconds to decide if it has a notifcation)
Always on display doesn't show third party notifications like WhatsApp (can't understand why this would be the case)
Infrared only works with some apps (IE: doesn't work with AnyMote)
Edit 1: In AnyMote enable "User Alternate IR Commands"; this fixed it for me!
Infrared requires nearly direct line of sight (older phones I have used work when pointing upwards or downwards slightly, P20 Pro needs almost direct straight line)
Limited on-screen zoom in to gallery photos taken
If screen-on notification are on the notification light won't stay lit to notify (having issues identifying when this happens as it isn't all the time)
EDITS: I'm going to try and edit these as I find a fix for them.
So far I love it! The camera has been amazing, to the point where I'm not feeling anxious if I see something cool and don't have my DSLR with me. The battery life feels liberating.
WhiteSquirrel said:
I changed from a much loved S5 to the P20 Pro and so far I find it an upgrade in terms of speed and responsiveness (obviously!) but a downgrade in terms of a few other things.
...
Camera 16:9 is low resolution (7MP resolution from a 40MP sensor is very poor)
...
Limited on-screen zoom in to gallery photos taken
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a quick headsup, you can change it to shoot 40mp, it just defaults to outputting 10mp (not sure how you got on 7mp?) just like other high megapixel phones never really shoot full size 'out of the box', this is to both make it feel more speedy/snappy, aswell as to simplify the task for the phone (usually things like tweaking light after taking the photo, but in this device some 'ai' is apparently also altering filters shutter-speed etc on the fly based on what you try to take pics from, so im sure that benefits from lower res<->speed tradeoff too)
(edit: #1 wow my signature still works #2 its outdated )
suicidal.banana said:
Just a quick headsup, you can change it to shoot 40mp, it just defaults to outputting 10mp (not sure how you got on 7mp?) just like other high megapixel phones never really shoot full size 'out of the box', this is to both make it feel more speedy/snappy, aswell as to simplify the task for the phone (usually things like tweaking light after taking the photo, but in this device some 'ai' is apparently also altering filters shutter-speed etc on the fly based on what you try to take pics from, so im sure that benefits from lower res<->speed tradeoff too)
(edit: #1 wow my signature still works #2 its outdated )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello there, the 7mp refers to my comment about the max P20 Pro resolution for 16:9 aspect ratio.
16:9 could easily utilise a 40mp photo with the top and bottom removed to make it widescreen-viewing suitable. Obviously I can edit this myself but that will be tedious when you've taken 100's of photos and want to view them nicely on every modern TV and laptop without big black bars at the sides due to 4:3 aspect ratio. The S5 allowed 16mp photos at true 16:9 which were absolutely fantastic and perfect for viewing on the phone's full screen, the full TV screen and full laptop screen with no large black bars at the sides.
nice phone, but won't be buying another Huawei device - software compatibility is appalling, they can't even get their own widgets working on 3rd party launchers, we are nearly 4 months behind with security updates, there's been no update on the mate 10 pro since march, so doubt if will see this phone get any regular updates - overall 5 for hardware, -5 for software and updates
Oh? I have just received the .131 version with June 18 security patch, the camera has been improved, as well as the smoothness, and the stand by battery stats. Hope you get this update on your unit soon, it's a good product.

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 Sony Xperia 1, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Sony Xperia 1 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
I received it today and after 2 hours I've sent it back. Horrible photos compared with my s10+, shaky videos,bad stabilisation, no volte calling possibility or Wifi call,terrible side sensor.
I've tried again with Sony because I like the design but again it's only smoke. Anyway great display
Sure?
https://youtu.be/2GepE25czo4
Enviado desde mi G8141 mediante Tapatalk
marko68 said:
I received it today and after 2 hours I've sent it back. Horrible photos compared with my s10+, shaky videos,bad stabilisation, no volte calling possibility or Wifi call,terrible side sensor.
I've tried again with Sony because I like the design but again it's only smoke. Anyway great display
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mmm i see later posts of you in what you supposedly "still" has the phone. And i see you posted the same about p20 pro and s10+... That take away all of you credibility
Ergonomic and productivity champion, full stop.
I seriously cannot go back to 18:9 anymore. Never used something quite like the Xperia 1. Video on top email at bottom with keyboard up, still plenty to read and write. Single hand grip is way better than XZ3, even with this tall screen, reaching the top for notification is no acrobatics at all.
Anyway, absolutely enjoying the 1, I'm evening considering to get the Xperia 10 Plus for my family now.
Sony always has a way of making desirable devices (Xperia S), but with crazy marketing decision. So after using my OnePlus5 for almost 2yrs I decided to buy into Sony's gimmick of 21:9 screen. Never held one in my hand before, but once I did, I really fall for it. The device feel so nice in your hand. The long narrow shape feel so good and secure! Haven't held a phone so secure for a while... and the screen! The screen is a beast! The screen is unbeatable watching 21:9 in Netflix, totally awesome experience. But, when you watch the normal 16:9 you will feel a little underwhelmed. The camera is also very nice. But for me personally, the size and shape and the screen is the best features of this phone. And actually I'm glad that when I pre-order the grey color went out, and I ended up getting the beautiful Sony Purple.
I bought it in black, it's really a jewel, ergonomic and light, very balance design but it looks very delicate and glides on smooth surfaces.
This phone really stands out for beauty and elegance. I really appreciate the bezel-less Chinese top look, but Sony is a step ahead. The bezels are shiny, it takes up the style of the old Z3 plus, this color ''reduces'' its thickness and adds an elegant mono-block look
A really nice comeback in Sony for me, I had been missing since XZPremium, beautiful one but did not last because frames were too square and big
Got the purple one since 19th june, so far the phone beyond my expectation and it's really good in my hand, i thought the size of phone makes it uncomfortable to hold but surprisingly very gewd.
marko68 said:
I received it today and after 2 hours I've sent it back. Horrible photos compared with my s10+, shaky videos,bad stabilisation, no volte calling possibility or Wifi call,terrible side sensor.
I've tried again with Sony because I like the design but again it's only smoke. Anyway great display
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you'd have surely known there was no volte calling/wifi calling before purchasing? Video capabilities are excellent and have been lauded in many reviews. As for your "it's only smoke" judgement, a tad harsh given that you only used it for 2 hours....still, what do you expect from a Samsung user?
I've had one for nearly 4 weeks now, it's the best Android phone I've used to date. Admittedly, I am a bit of a Sony fanboy but that is down to personal preference having used countless other phones from HTC, Motorola, Nokia, LG, even the awful Samsung down the years...I've been through them all. I've come to realise I like the Sony approach the best.
Great screen, very good photos if you know what you're doing, excellent video, I love the form factor which is almost the spiritual successor to my beloved XZ1. Nice weight and balance in the hand, the usual excellent audio capabilities as well. And none of that stupid curved screen sides, an utterly pointless feature/design aspect that will go down in history as being purely faddish.
Gotta say, loving this Xperia 1 as it is a great all rounder.
quick info - i have owned and daily used s7, s8, s9 (1+ years) mi note2, redmi note 7, mi 5 and 10 other mid-range ones (2-3 months) in the past 7 or so years. i do not like the way samsung processes the images on their phones and the way their phone behaves as they always seem to lag. apart from this i consider all of the previous mentioned samsung's great phones and the rest good phones. btw has anyone noticed how fast even the low spec xiaomi's are ?
MAIN SUBJECT - XPERIA 1
For whoever is concerned:
I bought the phone NEW and the network and wi-fi were always disconnecting in no more than 2 minutes from the moment they were up and running. Sent it to repair and it came back with some SW update.
After 1 week of using it, only the test call dropped and the network got disconnected. It works and the signal is semi-stable with occasional drops in power but never did I see it disconnect, apart from the test call of course.
It is a nice phone and does not really feel outdated (if someone was thinking that NOT having the whole front side as a display might make it look outdated) it is well balanced in the hand and the width helps in having a VERY COMFORTABLE grip BUT the GLASS is more slippery than any phone I have touched. Probably 80% of these phones (with no case or decal) will probably get damaged because of it. (someone should start a thread with pics of broken Xperia 1 glass front or back). It is fast, very fast... faster than all the last Galaxy S10 to S7 (owned for at least 1 year 7-9 and i have access to the s10 daily. Also not "+" versions so please don't start) but I still have to see how it will fare in the long run. Battery is also good, I would get the same from my S9, but the S7... ow how I miss 3 days of running time....
Other things worth noting: Cameras, Notification LED, Camera button with 2step press, weird colors on front camera and bad quality, no-pin SIM tray.
Last thing, the FINGER PRINT sensor. Take note of this - "Couldn't process your fingerprint. Please try again." Is anyone else having issues with this ? I have my finger enrolled 5 times and i still cannot unlock it with the fingerprint in 7 out of 10 tries.
Best of luck to all who want to buy one and/or have bought one. I am not sure now, after 1 week if I want to change it.
I've been using this phone for over 2 months now and I feel I'm ready to share my opinion over this device.
After 9 years of using android phones, mostly Samsung, after considering my options I took the decision to buy this phone. The main decisional factor was that is has no notch, punch holes or any other thing in the display. Other reasons were the display both the aspect ratio and the technology used, and the last but not the least was the camera.
I'm going to share my experience over the main 3 points of my decision, was I expected, what I actually encountered.
Form Factor
I remember the day when Samsung came with the 18.5 displays and everyone were like the doom day is on and what not... The first day I had my note 8 I was stunned to see how much of a difference is there is content when reading and article or a book. When I got the Xperia 1 and boot it up, took the first look of the screen felt exactly the same. It's ideal for content.
The phone sits very well in the hand it has an ergonomic feeling, materials are premium. I had no issues with the grip of the phone and I have big hands... I could hold the note in hand but it's not the same, 1 hand operation on the xperia is more easier than on the note.
Another thing over the Samsung phones I would give a plus for not having curved displays. They look good but the first time I dropped the note on the ground it broke in the corners, the second time the same.... I dropped the Xperia 1 over 5 times on the ground and I could see the dent on the frame, but the display has no issue.... Kudos for this
For the form factor I would give 5 stars with no second look over it
Display
It's an immerse viewing experience.
Some say that the 4K over 2K resolution displays the human eye cannot see the difference. From my point of view this is not the truth, I moved my sd card from the note8 into the Xperia, I looked at the same photos on the note and on the Xperia, the look minimum twice as sharp, and this looking over the photos taken with the note8.
Colour reproduction is good, I took the white balance settings found on the anandtech review and went along with it.
Brightness is also ok, I didn't had a situation when I found myself unable to look at the phone in direct sunlight.
For the display I would give 5 stars also
Camera
Here is where I mostly disappointed with this device... It has a ton of features and everything, it has engines worked with professional teams, eye focus, burst shots, super slowmo, what ever else... Sony sensor’s are found in half of the phones around the world... You would say that the camera should be the strongest point of this phone... Also their marketing campaign is based on the cinematic capabilities of this phone..
I take around 1000 pictures with the phone in a month, I like taking pictures, I like playing with the camera of the most as much as I can. For me the camera is main feature of any mobile phone.
With the Xperia 1, the most annoying thing is the touch focus... I like playing with the focus, focusing on objects that are not in centre of the sensor, with the Xperia 1 this is almost impossible. I touch the screen on the object, the focus circle turns green the image is still in a blur... Try this 10 times, maybe one works.
Another issue with the camera is the burning of highlights due to the HDR failure... In sunny conditions I have to take 2-3 photos for maybe one to be good and not burned, or to go to manual mode...
The telephoto camera is some of a joke... The images look better on a regular phone with 2x digital zoom.
Now these are all mainly software issues but they are a part of the whole phone experience and sadly it makes this a very bad one... I know that if you study a scene and find the best spot and the best settings you can take very nice pictures but this should not be the case.. it's not a professional camera for the experienced ones only to use... The auto mode should do the job for a regular user but it doesn't
For the video camera I cannot give many thoughts because I do not use it, occasionally I record something but not that much
Overall I would give 2 stars for this, maybe with luck over the future someone will fix these in a future software update
Others
Battery life is another thing that could have been done better... It takes me from day to day but that's not something that's meant to be praised. I have the same battery life as my 2 year old Note8
Speakers sound really good in my opinion.
Software updates / Community of developers, sadly I have to say that the updates are just security updates, the first update had some fixes but the rest were mainly security updates... This not something ok from my point of view. As for the community of developers, sincerely I hadn't seen one, there is a lack of people who would actually develop something for this phone.
Fingerprint sensor is working 30% of the time
Final thoughts
Overall I like this phone, I will continue to use it, I like the display and the form factor more than I hate the camera.
I just hope that someone from Sony will give me something for the 900e that I payed for this phone and fix the issues with the camera
here are my thoughts:
Display: I am wowed! it could be problematic viewing 16:9 videos but still, when I see that [email protected] HDR video on youtube or whatever this is soo stunning I have not seen any device perform better than this.
Battery: I see a lot of people argue about this, on 50-70% brightness by manual all the time, (usually I used to keep it 40% on previous devices this lacks a bit in manual-ill get to why in a second) got 24 hours of usage, 7 of them SOT, that and where I work I have trash signal so it takes out more juice, but even then Im still left out with 27% (including a bit of call of duty gaming, clash of clans here and there, lots of social media and some camera usage).
Lets talk about the brightness, if you all do the research of oled screens you will see a lot of information about pixel burn, which leaves the screen with a little ghosting effect, now that happens potentially on high brightness levels and if you know Sony, you know they care about their longevity of their devices (remember the fast charge that takes the same time? XD) thats why their max brightness cant be reached in manual settings, now compare that to samsung's s10 or s10+ their brightness go crazy high on manual (not their highest potential on manual but still very high) and people reported screen burn-ins just weeks after, battery on samsung goes trash after a little while too, phone becomes laggy, thats why the cute little things people care about in a phone like brightness and SOT is something pretty irrelevant because this brightness on the Xperia 1 is enough for you to view things even outside (with auto brightness tho) and the battery is more than enough to keep you charged for more than a day and even if other phones can last longer, lets be real, when you come home from school work etc... the first thing you do is charge your phone! doesnt matter what % youre left with, everyone charges their phone whenever they get the chance so they make sure they are not stuck at some point so thats very irrelevant to me...
Camera: A subject of debate here, since some people report disappointing opinions but here is mine, IT IS CRAZY GOOD! yes maybe in auto mode other phones can be more pleasing due to their HDR being enabled in auto mode unlike Sony, but using the manual is a huge step up for the sony and I havent seen any phone out perform it, you also have to know, Sony is great with cameras, but not even DSLR cameras have good stabilization without a tripod... yes samsung and iphone have better stabilization but that results in trash quality especially at night! I am no joking! photos and videos on Sony takes out samsung and iphone at night! and their Wide angel is trash compared to the xperia 1.
Overall if you want to buy a phone so you can have the best camera, there is no clear winner in flagships there will always be phones better than others in some cases or worse in other cases, so just buy a camera.
for social media its amazing especially with that 21:9 its simply so smooth and fills a lot of content and again WOW those colors ARE ACCURATE!! not over-saturated or artificially pleasing like other devices but STILL VERY SHARP AND COLORFUL! Its CRAZY!
all in all if youre looking for a great device that will still perform the same after a year or two, no battery issues or performance, or screen ghosting, a camera that on manual could look like a DSRL!! then yah go for the sony!
if you want a more pleasing devices for a couple of months in terms of unrealistic but more pleasing colors in both camera and display, with a battery thats only better for a couple of months, there are better phones out there. Unless its an iphone 11 pro since it has very natural display and camera overall go ahead pay that amount and enjoy their very closed minded software (but people say its smooth LMAO yah have you even seen a none smooth phone in 2019? XDDD)
I hope you enjoyed
You should shoot 5000 more photos to learn how to use it
Enviado desde mi J9110 mediante Tapatalk
madshark2009 said:
Lets talk about the brightness, if you all do the research of oled screens you will see a lot of information about pixel burn, which leaves the screen with a little ghosting effect, now that happens potentially on high brightness levels and if you know Sony, you know they care about their longevity of their devices (remember the fast charge that takes the same time? XD) thats why their max brightness cant be reached in manual settings, now compare that to samsung's s10 or s10+ their brightness go crazy high on manual (not their highest potential on manual but still very high) and people reported screen burn-ins just weeks after, battery on samsung goes trash after a little while too, phone becomes laggy, thats why the cute little things people care about in a phone like brightness and SOT is something pretty irrelevant because this brightness on the Xperia 1 is enough for you to view things even outside (with auto brightness tho) and the battery is more than enough to keep you charged for more than a day and even if other phones can last longer, lets be real, when you come home from school work etc... the first thing you do is charge your phone! doesnt matter what % youre left with, everyone charges their phone whenever they get the chance so they make sure they are not stuck at some point so thats very irrelevant to me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is auto brightness on the Xperia 1 in regards to screen longevity / pixel burns? Is it safe to always use auto brightness? I really like the auto brightness on the Xperia 1, first Xperia I actually use auto brightness on (previous LCD Xperias were like, far too bright in auto brightness mode).
EliasAlucard said:
How is auto brightness on the Xperia 1 in regards to screen longevity / pixel burns? Is it safe to always use auto brightness? I really like the auto brightness on the Xperia 1, first Xperia I actually use auto brightness on (previous LCD Xperias were like, far too bright in auto brightness mode).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it is related because some people like to use max brightness even in lowlight which will hurt the screen because its oled, if you want you can check out the reports on youtube using oled screens.
if you also search you will find that apple has made it very hard to find the switch to turn off auto brightness on their latest devices that use oled, its not as easy as it was finding that option because they want to prevent users from using bright settings in lowlight conditions because that will help prevent pixel burns. and sony's approach is to simpley minimize the max brightness on manual so users dont over-use brightness in which case this will also help prevent pixel burn which leaves the device more pleasing in terms of screen in the long run.
now if you are using auto brightness this will not hurt your screen because the device will lower itself when you are in lowligh/in doors and will only go high when youre outside.
Although if you can notice also, the brightness on auto will be like manual on max even outside, but will only go brighter when youre using camera or watching media, but using normally like instagram or chrome or whatever it will only be as bright as manual on max when youre outside, which is an even more inelegant approach to help prevent pixel burn.
Bottom line is, Oled screens WILL have pixel burns, but in terms of how soon? or how bad the effect? that depends on the usage of brightness, thats why Sony's oled screens will last longer because of their approach.
Pros:
Screen
Speed
Design
System
Camera
Memory
Cons:
Average Battery life
A bit bigger
No Edge screen as XZ3
No 90-120Hz touch
Price and market availability
Fingerprint sometimes mess

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 Sony Xperia 1 II, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Sony Xperia 1 II is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
One of my all time favorite phones / camera's
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
Main Things I Didn't Test
* Gaming
* Video
Look and Feel
I personally really like the look and feel of this phone. It has some iPhone 4 qualities to it. By which I mean it feels like a device/tool with nice buttons, very high quality materials. It feels like a tool, like a device that is build for usability rather than build for the wow factor (if that makes sense).
It doesn't have a crazy high screen to body ratio. So something like S20 (or the S10 i used previously) is a bit more awe inspiring. But as soon as you slap a case on a S10 this will disappear any way. But what it has is a uninterrupted screen with no notches or punch hols, it has two front facing high quality speakers. It is function over form rather than form over function. That is not to say that it is not a good looking device it is very nice build it look really great. Although I'm not a fan of mirror polishing but you will not notice that as soon as you slap a cover on it (and it looks way better than the ugly blue s10). I have the official Sony case with stand which will still allow you to see the very nice sides of the phone; they are beautifully machined and have a nice color (especially with the purple one).
The buttons of the volume and the power feel really nice, they have a reassuring click to them. The only thing I'm missing is a click for the shutter button. Perhaps it is not implemented to make sure you don't move the phone while clicking. This has a bit of a downside when you don't have a shutter sound enabled. As the camera is crazy fast and it is therefor hard to see / notice if you took the photo or not. A click would have been nice. But when using the phone more often I got used to it.
Screen
The screen is absolutely amazing especially in creator mode. Colors are very accurate and it is a real joy to watch media on this phone be it movies, clips or photos. Because of the very high PPI reading news or books is possible with small letters it basically looks like it is printed. Compared to my old s10 which has a amazing screen as well I prefer the Sony as it has such natural colors and this printed feel to it. Also the colors are good with low luminescence something the s10 could not manage. That being said the max brightness is a bit less than the s10 and I feel that the display is a bit more reflective. But this could be caused by the fact I keep the brightness down with the Sony as thing look really good with low brightness. That being said I did not encounter any problems reading the screen outside on a bright day.
The screen ratio is really handy. I never used split screen a lot on previous devices. But since it is slightly taller than a s10 (while having the same width) it makes more sense to use it and I use it for more often now (watching YouTube while messaging). I don't feel it is a big phone. It is a bit heavier than the s10 but also it feels better build than the s10. Compared to a Note 10+ the height is similar but the width is significantly less.
Sound
Front facing speaker are great far better than the S10 or any other phone I used. Switching on Dolby Atmos is mandatory as without it is not that good. You really have stereo sound and both speakers are equal in terms of loudness positioning and quality.
The sound quality from the audio jack is good and you have quite a lot of options to set the sound to your tasted. As I mostly use wireless atm I have not tested this comprehensively.
Speed
It is fast, sometimes notably faster than the s10. I think is mostly because of faster memory as I don't to that much cpu intensive stuff. That being said I think the most phones for the last couple of years are fast enough for most of the tasks any way.
5G / reception
5G works no idea if it is faster than 4g. didn't run any test as 4g didn't give me any problems. Reception seems to be very good at least better than the S10. Some places where I did not have a great reception or didn't have any reception with the s10 I do have with the 1ii. Maybe this could be because of 5G (as it uses multiple connections), or maybe not, I have no Idea . WiFi is stable and fast. Bluetooth as well.
Call quality.
It is great, voice is really good, again better than the s10
Battery
it is good, I'm a heavy phone user as I use it for lot's of reading, emailing, work stuff, music and YouTube. No complains and even slightly amazed considering is has "only" a 4000Mha battery
Camera (and a little bit about pricing)
Properly the most important part of this phone it the camera. As Sony did not release a "cheaper" version of the phone with 64GB like the iPhone 11 pro it is a very expensive device and the camera is it's main selling point. Although you could argue it should be compared with a 11 pro max which makes the Sony cheaper than a iPhone 11 pro max (256GB) or similar priced to the 64GB version. I don't understand reviewers that give a lower rating because of the price. It should be compared to an 11 pro (max) or S20+ / Ultra. Personally I think it comes out ahead in many comparisons to these phones. The 1ii is a "pro" phone with a pro price. But than again a "pro" phone is a silly concept to begin with (the only pro phone I ever used was the blackberry passport, best professional / work phone ever, but bad at anything else).
First a small disclaimer. I didn't use the android camera at all (only for scanning a QR code) as you get a photo pro app which should be used if you buy this phone. Secondly I like photography I have used many camera's over the years and also may phones. Up till now my two favorite camera phones where the Lumia 950XL for color and the Mate 9 for b&w photography. The Lumia still amazes me to this day and Nokia/Microsoft did not get enough credit for there work. It was the only phone I knew that could really capture light. Also I don't care for AI powered camera apps. I understand that this is really handy if you just make snapshot and don't care about doing photography your self. I don't care for "HDR" images as all it accomplish is that it removes shadows and makes for a equal brightened image regardless of how the scene looks. If you like these things I'm not sure that this is the phone for you as Google, Samsung and Apple are better at these things
The camera app phone combination is amazing. It really gives you the feel that you are using a camera and more importantly that you are in control. It is a unbelievably fast combinations. For instance; I tried to take a photo of a dog and I was sure I mist it. As he started moving as soon as I pressed the shutter button but to my amazement the camera took the picture, it must have been less than a second between me clicking and the dog moving. I think it might be faster than my RX100m6. If you like to tinker and you know what shot you want and how you want it to look there is not better phone atm. (the Samsung pro camera is highly unusable and Huawei sadly doesn't have Google apps).
The 20fps works really good as well, it is amazing to use on a phone and to be so sure of the results (yes I know I'm using the word amazing a lot). Another surprise is the performance of the digital zoom it is far better than expected is highly usable. Also it is quit nice to have a 70mm option, although I feel that it doesn't perform on the same level as the other two sensor / lens combinations it seems a bit softer and not as sharply focused. The hero of this phone is the main 24mm sensor / lens combo it performs the best and has all the possible options. For the xperia 1iii I would like to see a 50mm included as well. The colors are natural and this gives you the opportunity to post processes the picture your self more easily than say a iPhone or Samsung.
There are some things I would like to see in a software update. Mainly the ability to zoom in normal focal lengths instead of continues (so from 24 to 28 to 35 to 50 etc). To change the shutter sound to a soft click sound. The ability to set sharpness , contrast and saturation. Last but not least RAW support. Also I had a couple of times the app freeze on me but as this is the first version I presume they will fix this.
a bunch of pictures with various focal length and lighting conditions:
https://we.tl/t-8rRytOUylm
Video
didn't really use it and on cnet there is a great review about its video capabilities including a nice short movie. It's great; one of the best reviews ever for any phone or product https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-xperia-1-ii-review-yep-thats-a-real-telephoto-lens/
If you have any questions I will try to answer them (I will not install apps to check stuff )
stefanve said:
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
)
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see link in original post for full rez pictures
Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?
Tmel14 said:
Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?
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I've had the phone for two days. I'd say this is not a phone you'd buy to be "point and shoot" camera. The main camera app takes good photos but not the best. To get best photos, you should use the camera pro app. It is a solid app/camera and I feel like I have a close to DSLR camera in my pocket. Colors are very natural and accurate compared to manipulated photos you get from Samsung or even Pixel camera app. It does have a portrait mode that works fine however in Camera Pro if you learn to adjust focus manually can have similar effect even better.
Thanks for the heads up. Any tweaks you'd recommend to the default settings on the camera pro app?
The pro mode has a auto mode which is quit good. And I used it for a couple of shots I shared. So it can work really well. I guess it is depending on the look of the auto mode settings and if the other pros of this phone are of interest to you
stefanve said:
see link in original post for full rez pictures
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OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks
Love and Hate from me. Eagerly waited for it since announcement and first adverts. High expectations, not only because of SONY´s promises but mostly because of my experience with and long - term SONY user / devices. Most of my SONY phones delivered good images: my XZ Premium, XZ2 Premium, even my last addition, the X, gives me proper images. Not counting the older device along my lifetime (SE68, W-Series, K-Series and so on). But this MK2 is more Hate than Love. Gorgeous design, screen, speakers. Fast and, finally, more storage (novum at SONY!). But the camera - system is a no-go. Mediocre image quality from all but the main camera, even with the 24 lens it delivers inconsistent material. Videos are simply said...to forget. Focus is a hit and miss game when light conditions are different from sunny - outdoor. From 10 images half is usable, depending what lens was used. Not to talk about the front camera. I just informed Sony about my complain and offered them my image and video material to check it. Dunno if they will give me reply....
WarVic said:
OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks
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I have to say I really like most out of camera photo's, but they don't sharp the photos or use HDR ( you can switch it on) but I guess in the end is about personal taste. to my eyes they look miles better than anything samsung.
just to show what you can do with the out of camera photos (I hope raw support will be added soon) look at the different versions of two photos.
But indeed this phone is not for some one that wants a camera that " just works"
That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.
WarVic said:
That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.
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Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level
stefanve said:
Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level
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I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
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Not saying or thinking you are an idiot, just checking
Funny how different people see different things looking at the same image. That being said if the main reason of this phone is to have a great camera than indeed it's disappointing and it's better to get a RX100V or what ever and a mid range phone for the same money. I guess no phone is worth 1200 it is way to much for any phone and perhaps especially for a android as the long term support is non existing.
I just have fun snapping with it and i am pleased with the output (considering that it is a phone
Noticed gaming performance is dropping, guess I've installed something....
Playing COD, every 10 odd seconds it shows, then goes back to normal.
Notice this in other games to, even silly idle games that should be pulling no demand. One of them even said, drop to low performance mode, your phone is struggling. WTF!
My previous phone, one lower chip model and g card model never had any problems.
Must be done software conflicts, but dunno how to find them
Am I the only one who doesn't see what's wrong with the pictures that have been posted?
They are perfectly fine. But if you are used to processed photos from Samsung, Google or Apple you might not like the look as these are basically not altered by some algorithm.
Burst shot of me Pooch : https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=18Os3AQ2j0TuqaFjJ6c9h-TvFGr2zyIk1
WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This guy is not an idiot either
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zevK7xMsYdA&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once
Geoffxx said:
This guy is not an idiot either
&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't use someone on the Xperia YouTube channel to counter the comment from someone criticising the quality as it'll just be massively biased towards Sony lol
If it's like the Xperia 1 you'll be waiting forever for the improvements to come so I wouldn't hang around.

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!

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