Related
I would like to preface this with a couple of items:
1. I have owned these Samsung mobiledevices:
Vibrant
GS 2
GS 3
GN 2
N 10
So it IS fair to say that I have a preference for Samsung devices
2. My unit, mfg date 5/11 ...does not seem to suffer from some of the screen issues that others are having. As for overheating... my GS 3 and GN 2 get blisteringly hot when running 3D intensive games. That, is a reality of mobile gaming... that much computing power in such a small, passively cooled form factor is a recipe for poor heat dissipation. Thus, I do not find the GS 4 to be any different (neither a step back nor an improvement in heat dissipation.)
Those caveats aside, here are my initial impressions:
1. Aesthetically speaking, this is the closest in form to an iPhone that I have perceived a galaxy device to be. Does it bother me...not particularly, but it does give credence to those who bemoan "copy cat" and others who say that the galaxy design ethos is a bit... "tired".
2. Remaining on aesthetics for a moment, which is a very subjective matter....mind you, the GS 4 does not hold a candle to the HTC one. In my opinion, one is a ground-up rethink of mobile design with "form" being a primary emphasis... the other a simple continuation of a design that has met with success in the market. While the GS 4 is not ugly... the HTC One IS stunning. I tip my cap to HTC... (and to some extent sony), and hope that it will push Mobile Divisions to approach future design, with part ruler and part brush.
3. Durability: Now I don't have the stones to just drop my phone; nor has my ownership period been long enough to rebuke anyone else...but the device feels surprisingly sturdy in my hands. Reading some of the comments on the board... and coming from the Brick that is the GN 2 (which survived several falls unscathed), I expected the GS 4 to be a porcelain doll. Frail and fragile to the touch. Not the case. It is clearly lighter than the GS 3 and slimmer as well, but it does not feel like it was done to so at the expense of durability. Now I know that there are plenty of comments and reviews that dispute this... but, in MY hands, some of the initial concern that was raised by all reports has been dispelled. I hope (keyword) that the hairline fractures some have experienced are a mfg anomaly and not a design flaw.
4. Smart gestures: I am one, who truly thinks that this could be a revolution in mobile technology...and I admire what Sammy is trying to accomplish here. But (you knew one was coming), the current implementation just feels not-ready-for-primetime. The gestures do not respond as intended all the time... and sometimes they just flat out don't work. When they do... it is impressive, and is a window in the future of interaction with technology. Given time, I think samsung will iron the kinks out.... I just don't think we will see that on the GS 4.
5. UI: Touchwiz is a love or hate proposition for many... personally, I tend to use some functions and replace others. That being said, whether its smart gesture integration, poor coding or loads of bloatware...sammy dropped the ball here. The UI feels clunky and gimmiky... and lags on hardware that should easily breeze through transitions, screen renders and app launches. You can literally feel the Snapdragon chomping on the bit... being restrained by a poorly designed UI. This to me, was the largest disappointment. Not because I don't think I can fix with kernel and Rom installations... but rather because I was so impressed with how far touchwiz had come on my GN2. This feels like a huge step back... with stutters and judder reminiscent of my Vibrant. For me aesthetics are a luxury... but function is a necessity. Multi-window does feel much smoother in this implementation...so there is that, but still, for shame sammy (don't take 1 step back for every 2 forward). Again, our community will most certainly solve these issues... but it should not exist out of the box for premium hardware.
6. Camera: Very simply, impressive. Will it replace your D9...or any nice DSLR? No. Does it take sharp photos, with a bevy of adjustments, filters and post processing perks? Yes. Can it serve as an everyday shooter? Absolutely. Crisp photos, quick autofocus and no shutter lag make it a joy to snap shots with. Low light performance does lag behind some other phones (notably Nokia and HTC)... but I find this to be the only shortcoming.
7. GPS: It works. Well. I will never....ever.... ever...forget the vibrant debacle. It is the first thing I check on all my TMO samsung devices
8. Display: I left this for last... because, really if you didn't read anything else (TL;DR) then know this: the display ALONE is worth the price of admission. Maybe I have been conditioned as such... but when it comes to mobile devices give me the deep blacks of AMOLED over LCD. Furthermore, sammy had learned a bit from the community, and toned down some of the intrinsic oversaturation. The clarity, rendering and overall visual candy of the 1080x1920 Super AMOLDED is OUTSTANDING. Apple, HTC, LG all make excellent flagship phones... this is reality. No one touches the display technology of Samsung, yet... this is fact. The pixel density allows for the obliteration of any aliasing due to the pentile arrangement. It is jaw-dropping. For those who have gotten a device with screen issues... I wouldn't wait, return it and return it and return it until you get one that is perfect, because it is well worth the hassle.
Conclusion:
Is the Galaxy design, tired and in need of a refresh...probably. Is the HTC One the "prettiest" device on the market... certainly. Did touchwiz initially sour my excitement...definitely. However, those who compare the GS3 to GS4 evolution to the iPhone X to iPhone Xs tract... neither know android nor samsung hardware. Though the design is not a complete or even partial refresh (though I love the way the GS4 feels in my hand as compared to the GS3 and even my GN2) this phone is clearly the next step forward in Samsungs continued mobile presence. The hardware is top notch and only slightly fettered by TW. The display is stunning and the camera and accompanying software a leap forward from both the GN2 and GS3. The continued dedication to sd card expansion and removable batteries should not be underscored.
Perhaps the GN3 or the next GS will feature an aesthetic redesign befitting the hardware inside... and if that is of the utmost importance, than by all means you can wait. Or buy the One, (which in my time with, I did truly enjoy...). But...
If you are eligible for the upgrade... or have some coin kicking around, I can say with all confidence that Galaxy S4 is a top flight device... and quite possibly the best available on the market today.
Nice review Poser. I too have had an GS2, GS3, GN2 and now GS4. I feel you have hit it right on the head. TW is disappointing and the hardware isn't very exciting (except cam). But the device is top notch and Sammy did a good job overall. I came from VZW to Tmobs because of Wifi call/text. Such a great feature!!!
I just got a s4. My old phone was the s3. The phone is great but heres my view on it. It is no different than the s3 except it is faster cpu wise and has a higher res screen. If u had an s3 next to an s4 (like i do) and played around with both of them you would think its the same phone. Some of the features are pointless on the s4. Like air guestures (in my opinion). They are novelties. Why wave my hand 3 inches above the screen to scroll through pictures when i could simply just lower my finger 3 inches and swipe through my pics? All and all it is the fastest phone out and im happy i got it. But if i was goin to keep my s3 though, there wouldnt be much differance.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
As much as some people despise TouchWiz and the Samsung Apps that are preloaded, I actually like using some of the features.
I think, so far, my favorite is the Air Hover where I can preview emails.
Nice op. I had the S3 on Sprint, which was a great device as long as I was on Wifi. So far I have been very happy with the S4 on T Mobile. All the pros as noted above, plus an affordable data plan with excellent coverage for my areas. The wifi calling feature is simply awesome and all carriers should have this technology built in. As far as touchwiz goes, I find it to be functionally quite similar to vanilla android, meaning the basic functions work the same way. For example, adding widgets or adding a shortcut to the dock is done easily (as opposed to how the latest Sense does it). The esthetics are a different matter but are easily altered. Lag is zero with some basic tweaks.
Very well worded essay, Poser. My thanks for addressing aspects of the phone that are important to me (how well the GPS works in particular, which few people seem to comment on). I too hope (and expect) that the reports of screen cracks are an indication of defective samples and not a design flaw. I find it hard to believe that the design would not have been subject to a battery of stress tests.
I spent some time looking at and handling the phone at Best Buy, and I liked how it felt in my hand. That experience makes me dismiss comments about the plastic construction. Seeing the phone up close and personal also showed me just how gorgeous the display is (it truly is eye candy), and thanks for emphasizing this point.
Some additional thoughts:
1. Wifi calling is exceptional when it works flawlessly... I have noticed that it does experience voice dropouts, call answering issues and connecting issues. This was a problem that was present in my S3 GN2 and S4, and does seem to be software propigated (independent of access point).
2. Disabling smart gestures and home key activation of S Voice... SIGNIFICANTLY reduces lag
3. The screen is Amazing. I cant say this enough,
Coming form sgsii
While rebooting, flashing roms, running ANY benchmark, taking video, or browsing the web the phone compared to my SGSII gets way hotter than i would have ever imagined. maybe it is just my phone, however i cant get a stable overclock at all. my MAX stable OC is 1999mhz..... really? that's just a 100mhz overhead from stock........ a 5.2% increase in speed is all i can get.......... in contrast my SGSII i was able to get 300mhz out of it (25% increase in speed) and it would run cooler than this phone on stock.....
however at stock speeds the SGS4 is snappy, lag free, FAST, comfortable to hold, poor battery life, bright screen, alright overall
7 out of 10 is what i give MY phone. as it did meet my personal expectations. I was hoping for 2.2ghz cpu stable 550mhz gpu and then i could see it getting as hot as it is now. i guess i just got a poor OC phone
I'm thinking about shorting the circuit board while it is on, and if that doesn't work, i will hook up usb cable to straight 120VAC wall current and see if it explodes. at least i would get a different phone....
overall disappointed in the phone i got, however the phone itself, like most Samsung products is GREAT!
jimmboonline said:
While rebooting, flashing roms, running ANY benchmark, taking video, or browsing the web the phone compared to my SGSII gets way hotter than i would have ever imagined. maybe it is just my phone, however i cant get a stable overclock at all. my MAX stable OC is 1999mhz..... really? that's just a 100mhz overhead from stock........ a 5.2% increase in speed is all i can get.......... in contrast my SGSII i was able to get 300mhz out of it (25% increase in speed) and it would run cooler than this phone on stock.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, IIRC the GS2 only had a dual core CPU clocked around 1.2-1.5GHz, so to be fair you can expect the GS2 to be cooler and more stable since the stock speed is lower and less cores.
jimmboonline said:
I'm thinking about shorting the circuit board while it is on, and if that doesn't work, i will hook up usb cable to straight 120VAC wall current and see if it explodes. at least i would get a different phone....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like to see a video of that...
Poser said:
I would like to preface this with a couple of items:
1. I have owned these Samsung mobiledevices:
Vibrant
GS 2
GS 3
GN 2
N 10
So it IS fair to say that I have a preference for Samsung devices
2. My unit, mfg date 5/11 ...does not seem to suffer from some of the screen issues that others are having. As for overheating... my GS 3 and GN 2 get blisteringly hot when running 3D intensive games. That, is a reality of mobile gaming... that much computing power in such a small, passively cooled form factor is a recipe for poor heat dissipation. Thus, I do not find the GS 4 to be any different (neither a step back nor an improvement in heat dissipation.)
Those caveats aside, here are my initial impressions:
1. Aesthetically speaking, this is the closest in form to an iPhone that I have perceived a galaxy device to be. Does it bother me...not particularly, but it does give credence to those who bemoan "copy cat" and others who say that the galaxy design ethos is a bit... "tired".
2. Remaining on aesthetics for a moment, which is a very subjective matter....mind you, the GS 4 does not hold a candle to the HTC one. In my opinion, one is a ground-up rethink of mobile design with "form" being a primary emphasis... the other a simple continuation of a design that has met with success in the market. While the GS 4 is not ugly... the HTC One IS stunning. I tip my cap to HTC... (and to some extent sony), and hope that it will push Mobile Divisions to approach future design, with part ruler and part brush.
3. Durability: Now I don't have the stones to just drop my phone; nor has my ownership period been long enough to rebuke anyone else...but the device feels surprisingly sturdy in my hands. Reading some of the comments on the board... and coming from the Brick that is the GN 2 (which survived several falls unscathed), I expected the GS 4 to be a porcelain doll. Frail and fragile to the touch. Not the case. It is clearly lighter than the GS 3 and slimmer as well, but it does not feel like it was done to so at the expense of durability. Now I know that there are plenty of comments and reviews that dispute this... but, in MY hands, some of the initial concern that was raised by all reports has been dispelled. I hope (keyword) that the hairline fractures some have experienced are a mfg anomaly and not a design flaw.
4. Smart gestures: I am one, who truly thinks that this could be a revolution in mobile technology...and I admire what Sammy is trying to accomplish here. But (you knew one was coming), the current implementation just feels not-ready-for-primetime. The gestures do not respond as intended all the time... and sometimes they just flat out don't work. When they do... it is impressive, and is a window in the future of interaction with technology. Given time, I think samsung will iron the kinks out.... I just don't think we will see that on the GS 4.
5. UI: Touchwiz is a love or hate proposition for many... personally, I tend to use some functions and replace others. That being said, whether its smart gesture integration, poor coding or loads of bloatware...sammy dropped the ball here. The UI feels clunky and gimmiky... and lags on hardware that should easily breeze through transitions, screen renders and app launches. You can literally feel the Snapdragon chomping on the bit... being restrained by a poorly designed UI. This to me, was the largest disappointment. Not because I don't think I can fix with kernel and Rom installations... but rather because I was so impressed with how far touchwiz had come on my GN2. This feels like a huge step back... with stutters and judder reminiscent of my Vibrant. For me aesthetics are a luxury... but function is a necessity. Multi-window does feel much smoother in this implementation...so there is that, but still, for shame sammy (don't take 1 step back for every 2 forward). Again, our community will most certainly solve these issues... but it should not exist out of the box for premium hardware.
6. Camera: Very simply, impressive. Will it replace your D9...or any nice DSLR? No. Does it take sharp photos, with a bevy of adjustments, filters and post processing perks? Yes. Can it serve as an everyday shooter? Absolutely. Crisp photos, quick autofocus and no shutter lag make it a joy to snap shots with. Low light performance does lag behind some other phones (notably Nokia and HTC)... but I find this to be the only shortcoming.
7. GPS: It works. Well. I will never....ever.... ever...forget the vibrant debacle. It is the first thing I check on all my TMO samsung devices
8. Display: I left this for last... because, really if you didn't read anything else (TL;DR) then know this: the display ALONE is worth the price of admission. Maybe I have been conditioned as such... but when it comes to mobile devices give me the deep blacks of AMOLED over LCD. Furthermore, sammy had learned a bit from the community, and toned down some of the intrinsic oversaturation. The clarity, rendering and overall visual candy of the 1080x1920 Super AMOLDED is OUTSTANDING. Apple, HTC, LG all make excellent flagship phones... this is reality. No one touches the display technology of Samsung, yet... this is fact. The pixel density allows for the obliteration of any aliasing due to the pentile arrangement. It is jaw-dropping. For those who have gotten a device with screen issues... I wouldn't wait, return it and return it and return it until you get one that is perfect, because it is well worth the hassle.
Conclusion:
Is the Galaxy design, tired and in need of a refresh...probably. Is the HTC One the "prettiest" device on the market... certainly. Did touchwiz initially sour my excitement...definitely. However, those who compare the GS3 to GS4 evolution to the iPhone X to iPhone Xs tract... neither know android nor samsung hardware. Though the design is not a complete or even partial refresh (though I love the way the GS4 feels in my hand as compared to the GS3 and even my GN2) this phone is clearly the next step forward in Samsungs continued mobile presence. The hardware is top notch and only slightly fettered by TW. The display is stunning and the camera and accompanying software a leap forward from both the GN2 and GS3. The continued dedication to sd card expansion and removable batteries should not be underscored.
Perhaps the GN3 or the next GS will feature an aesthetic redesign befitting the hardware inside... and if that is of the utmost importance, than by all means you can wait. Or buy the One, (which in my time with, I did truly enjoy...). But...
If you are eligible for the upgrade... or have some coin kicking around, I can say with all confidence that Galaxy S4 is a top flight device... and quite possibly the best available on the market today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great review OP, thanks!
Motorola Moto 360 (2014) Smart Watch Review
First off, yes you read the title correctly. This is a review of the original 360 and not the brand new one. Why you may ask, well in part because I’ve been meaning to write this for ages and partly because there are simply somethings that you do not pick up on if you have used a device for 2 weeks. Something’s you discover only when you have lived with something for a long time and its only then you discover that there are things, had you been aware of, you may not have bothered getting one. Think of it like a marriage. The first while is all fun and laughter but time can breed contempt. So how well has the 360 held up? Should you snap one up cheap and what lessons have we learnt going forward? Let’s see shall we.
First Impressions: Ahhh casting the mind far back into the depths and it arriving in its round box. Ooh so pretty. Inside the watch itself, round too sitting there, it looks bloody good. They have gone out of their way to make you think that the 360 is a watch, not a smart phone or tiny computer, it’s a watch, round and above all a joy for the eyes to behold and well…………… they pretty much nailed it. The 360 was pretty much the unquestioned pretty one among the first wave of Android Wear devices. It is deserved.
Picking it up and it feels so plush and quality. The strap is real dead cow and feels nice to the touch, the facia with its bare metal glass. So much pretty and quality to the touch. I’m not wild about leather straps, I’d rather metal but it seems that Motorola decided that they couldn’t use standard watch strap fittings. I don’t know if it’s just to be awkward but it’s a bloody annoyance. Something that the new one has corrected so clearly Moto picked up on the feedback. Additionally while the leather strap looks nice it has a traditional buckle mechanism, which is not the most straightforward for taking on and off with regularity. This is going to be an issue going forward.
Specifications: Display 1.56” 320 x 290, 205 ppi, Backlit LCD IPS, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3, Watch Case Dimensions, 46 mm diameter x 11.5 mm high, Weight 60 g (without strap), Battery 320 mAh Wireless charging with charging dock included, Processor TI OMAP™ 3, Memory 4 GB internal storage with 512 MB RAM, Connectivity Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, Wi-Fi, Sensors Pedometer (9-axis sensor), Ambient light sensor, Optical heart rate monitor (PPG), Water Resistance IP67
It also comes in 2 colours, black or silver and a few strap combos too. Though they are proprietary watch straps which is just odd. I mean why do it, urgh.
Accessories: It came with a charger with a built in USB cable, grr. It also came with its little charging dock and a normal micro USB cable for it. If you want more things, like more straps or screen covers, as ever hit up eBay. Sad that they didn’t use normal watch strap attachments but for a bit more money you can still get a fair assortment of straps.
Fit/Comfort: Perfectly fine. It’s a watch, granted it’s a little big for a watch but not wildly so. On it went, and that was basically it. I’d have preferred a metal strap but not enough to go to the bother of actually changing the strap myself.
Screen: AMOLED lovely gorgeous prettiness. The screen is also mostly round, with what’s been dubbed the “flat tire” at the bottom. When the 360 first came out feelings were mixed, some didn’t mind and that thought that it was a good trade-off for having super thin bezels. It’s a shame both perfectly round and thin bezels can’t be had but……. in use you just pick a facia that doesn’t light up the whole screen. Something that isn’t noticeably missing the bottom and then honestly, I didn’t really miss it. Sure when playing with watch faces, perfectly round ones with something obviously missing was the only time it bothered me. Most of the time in use, I didn’t only not mind but I never really even noticed it was there. You just forget that there is anything missing.
However……………… while the “flat tire” thing didn’t bother me what did was the round screen. Does a round screen look pretty, oh god yes it does. Then it’s an AMOLED which just looks sooooooooooooooo pretty it’s just gorgeous, there is just no way around the fact that the 360 is a lovely, super pretty thing. Thing is, there is a reason why we use rectangular monitors and TV’s. A round screen is just stupid. The UI clearly wants things to be square and text especially gets partially cut off at the top and bottom of the screen where it rounds off. It just hammers the functionality and having a Moto 360 and a Sony Smart Watch 3, the Sony is the one I pick up and want to use every day.
UI: Android Wear is Android Wear. It’s in a reasonably rapid state of development still being only a year old. On the whole it’s good, however there is still the screen, rounded and thus missing bits from the top and bottom, issue. The UI is just simply not made with round screens in mind and thus it’s a pain. However the problem is the round face and not the UI in my opinion. Trying not to turn this into an Android Wear review which is a different article entirely. However expect things like swiping in from the upper left to be regularly, mildly frustrating. It’s not terrible but I did get on my nerves.
Features: So the stand out things on the 360, for me, are the round screen, its stunningly good looks, its heart rate sensor and lastly its Qi charging. Now if you are in the know you’ll notice that those are basically the differentiation points between the 360 and the Sony 3.
So that round screen. See above frankly. Pretty but at the price of usability. It really is very pretty but the cost for me is just too high. However if you kept this maybe just for going out of an evening, when pretty really matters then great. It is such a pretty thing.
Heart rate, well it kinda works but it doesn’t seem to continuously monitor so while it is interesting, if you’re a fitness freak why would you be using this device? It would be like wearing dress evening shoes for running. It’ll do the job but it’s clearly the wrong tool for activity.
Qi. Ahhh you know I love Qi charging and I can tell you that every watch should have it. That you slap it down in its little dock, you can instantly see that it’s charging, that any Qi charger works are all boons. It makes charging the thing every night (and you will be charging it every night) not just into a requirement but it turns into a little clock. It lights up with a clock face in the right orientation. Just perfect for living on a bedside table. All Wear watches should have Qi charging.
Build Quality: On the surface, its perfect. The construction quality is exemplary and it’s simply beauteous to behold to both the eye and the fingers. Note that while perfectly built it doesn’t mean you can’t break it. The watch straps and put under pressure can shatter the back screen. While that’s fairly rare it’s a stupid design flaw not a manufacturing issue.
Usability: Take a wild guess what causes a usability issue? Yep that round screen. While it wasn’t as awkward as the Sun S2 with its bevelled edge making it hard to touch things near the edges. The 360 is clean glass right to the edge so you can access it all perfectly. The issue is that the UI is clearly intended for a rectangular screen. So that isn’t really the 360’s fault per say but you get the idea. It doesn’t make anything impossible to do or really much different but a square screen would just be better.
Battery: Well it has a 360mAh battery. The battery is not the issue though, the issue is the screen. That super pretty AMOLED screen you see, needs to be actively transmitting light to be seen. It is an emissive screen and its battery hungry. Then you have the option to have it auto light up with a flick of the wrist or you can have it run in a dim passive mode most of the time so it’s something you can glance at and see. This however is battery destroying. Leaving the screen on and the battery life just plummets like a lead weight. If you make use of the thing or have the dim always lit up feature in use then expect to start charging the thing halfway through your day. I get that the battery itself isn’t the problem, nor can it really grew much physically but that’s not my problem, it’s for Moto engineers to solve. Even if you use it without passively being on still expect the thing to want charged every single night.
Connectivity: So its main method of world communication is via Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy. That’s great, it pairs to your phone, the phone does the thinking and data transmission all over that power sipping Bluetooth connection. You also have the option to use Wi-Fi. You can use it to keep your phone and watch in communication, via Wi-Fi and the internet. You know, for when your phone is out of Bluetooth range yet you still need to be connected to it, if not physically near it. Why you may wonder, I certainly did. The only scenario I can see it popping up is if at work you go to the bathroom, leaving your phone behind but are waiting for some urgent email. You need that notification that it’s come in. It’s a stretch I know, mostly it’s a stupid feature that just further hammers the battery. Of course you can just leave Wi-Fi off which is what I do.
Value: When it launched it was what, £200. So pretty but yeah that battery life. Now with its successor just announced, this will have practically identical functionality and features. Seriously they changed almost nothing, as I see it they have added a smaller one for girls, moved the button up a bit and altered the strap attachment to that of a normal standard watch. Like every other watch on earth. Price though, well this one’s fallen so I saw somewhere selling it for £113. The New one is retailing for US$300, that’s £200 and that’s before VAT and the obligatory you’re not an American price hike. So that makes the old one probably less than half the price of the new one. To me that seems like pretty reasonable value in comparison to the new one.
Conclusion: So what have I learned from the Moto 360 (2014.) I’ve learned that pretty only gets you so far. The 360 is pretty, it’s the prettiest Android Wear device I have seen and the old one, to me is still better looking than the new one. I get that while I *****ed about the straps being some weird proprietary thing and that it can break the glass back of you put them under pressure but…… damn it’s a good looking device. If you want a Wear watch for going out, to look great in a business meeting to impress someone for whatever reason or situation the old 360 is a damn fine looking machine. Oh and that AMOLED, ooooooh just soooooooooooooooooo much pretty.
However, those good looks have left it compromised. Round screen, they are just awkward and there is a reason we don’t use round screens or round sheets of paper, it’s a pain. That strap, the weird fit attachment. Yeah, so for me that means I’m pretty much not changing the strap. I’d really like one with a clasp rather than a buckle because the battery life is such that you need to take the damn thing off every 20 min to charge it. Granted its little dock is cool but you really need one for the office and one for your bedside. Though in fairness any old Qi charger will do fine. AMOLED, it’s just the wrong tech for a watch. I need always on to glance ta the thing and that while better than lighting up a whole LCD screen it is still too battery heavy.
So should you buy one? Well I’d easily buy this over its successor, its price slash makes it waaaaaaaaay better value and offers practically identical functionality and features. Still you have to want to sacrifice usability to get that super pretty round screen. for me, na I’ll take the Sony but if you want something to visually impress on a budget, the old Moto 360 is pretty (oh so pretty) option that won’t destroy your wallet.
The screen on Moto 360 is LCD and not AMOLED. AMOLED will be better for a watch because it consume less battery for always on screen with mainly dark background.
Moto 360 1nd and 2nd are LCD IPS
LG Watch R / Urbane are P-OLED
Huawei Watch are OMOLED
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 Samsung Galaxy Note 7, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
The phone feels really good in the hand. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the worry I have with the scratches.
I love my Note 7 so much! The build quality is exceptional and the display is truly stunning. its just so immersive.
Made a little quick look video about it
Alright, alright. I had to create an account after reading several critiques and complaints on this forum. I'm sure a lot of people that are considering buying the phone will be popping in and reading the very same complaints while considering their purchase. The purpose of this thread is to clear up said complaints, from my own personal experience.
First of all, I'd like to ensure you all who haven't bought the phone yet that you absolutely have to buy it and experience it for yourself before making any decision. After all, you usually have 14 days to return it. I say this because, while the phone is not "perfect" as many here on this forum have pointed out, it is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing phones I've ever laid eyes on, and feels incredibly comfortable in the hand. Pictures DO NOT do this phone justice, and the overflowing screen, combined with the size and weight of the phone, gives an overwhelming feeling of vibrancy when holding/viewing.
(Cost) The phone is expensive, yes, but there's a reason for that: it's a top tier smartphone. If you haven't gotten used to a hefty price tag yet, then you must not have been in the market for long. If you can't afford it, get a OnePlus 3, but I can guarantee you it wont be as fine an experience. Most cell phone companies offer financing, anyway. Meaning, you make a small monthly payment for the phone itself over the course of the 1-2 years you'll be using it anyway, and if you decide to, you simply cancel service and pay the phone off. Most companies will then give you an unlock code, and the phone is then yours to do what you please with it, or bring it to another service provider. Either way, every dime you pay while financing brings you closer to owning it, if you decide not to buy it outright. I personally will probably just pay mine off when the price tag gets down to about $400 dollars.
(Delicacy or Lack Thereof) As I stated in the introduction, the phone is thin, comfortable, feels great in the hand, but the overflowing screen gives it a very large & vibrant appearance even though it doesn't FEEL that large in the hand. Does this mean it feels delicate and fragile? Not at all. Now that's not to say you wouldn't WANT to drop it, but for the most part, it's easy to handle, has the perfect weight to it, and doesn't feel fragile by any means. This phone is NOT going to scratch/break in your pocket, unless you're mashing your legs into the sharp edges of tables or falling onto it, or for whatever reason like to keep sharp objects in the same pocket as your phone. It's NOT going to scratch by simply setting it down on a table, or having it slide in between the seats of your car.
This brings me down to a point I've emphasized before: If you're going to buy a $900 phone? DO... not... drop it! I mean, honestly, lets be real here guys: accidents DO happen. However, it's those of us who are incredibly careful, who are capable of owning phones like these. If you're someone who is very clumsy, careless, active, etc., perhaps NO phone of this design type is meant for you. That is not the fault of the manufacturers. There are many phone manufacturers who build phones designed for DURABILITY. My last Galaxy, which wasn't exactly designed for durability, lasted me 2 FULL YEARS however, and has never been dropped once, nor does it have a single scratch. This phone IS durable though- it's durable for a phone of THIS make, this design, and trust me... this is a stylish designer phone, it simply is not an ACTIVE phone. If you want to turn it INTO an ACTIVE phone? Buy a damn Otterbox Defender. When you're hiking/rock climbing/playing basketball, whatever- you're going to have an ACTIVE Note 7 phone. Then when you're doing some casual driving, sitting at a desk, sitting anywhere at home really, at dinner with friends, or pretty much doing anything that's non-active, pop it out of it's case. You'll then, once again, have the nicest phone that anyone's ever laid eyes on.
To summarize the above, be a responsible phone owner, and you'll be fine. If you can't handle the responsibility of owning such an expensive product that was designed to be durable while keeping a fantastic overall appearance, don't buy it. You can't fault manufacturers for your lack of care.
(Battery Life) I've owned this phone for a little while now, and I've charged it approximately one and a half times (by a half, I mean plugged it in at 40-50% before leaving the house) per day. I keep High Accuracy GPS on, I keep brightness at 85-95%, I keep a multicolor 'Always On' display up, I have the "screen off" time set to 3 minutes, I have HD quality wallpapers for home & lock screens, and I keep WiFi on. I have yet to use any of the battery saver modes or capabilities. During the first few days of owning this phone, I would install back to back programs, take 15+ pictures while playing around with the different camera & video settings, record videos of my screen, experiment with the S pen, experiment with different mobile games, set up setting after setting, security feature after security feature, experiment with high quality video, stream YouTube & Netflix movies, the list goes on and on and I'm sure anyone who's ever owned a new phone knows exactly what I'm talking about.
During these times, my battery would last approximately 9 hours before falling to 20% or below. That's EXTREME HEAVY use, with battery draining functions, brightness, and high resolution screens, and no power saving whatsoever giving me 9 hours of use without even falling into critical battery levels. When I get down to around 20%, I plug it in and it takes about 40-50 minutes to charge back to 100%. If my battery is at 30% or higher, I simply plug it in and it's charged in 30-40 minutes or less. I have ONCE allowed my phone to fall below 10%, and it took no longer than one hour to charge to 100%. So yes, the battery is EXTREMELY good, and it charges extremely fast.
(Fingerprints) This phone will have fingerprints on it within just a few minutes of use, however, they are hardly noticeable unless you're actually looking for them. Once it gets marked up really heavily, which only takes about two hours of use to happen, it becomes a little more noticeable at a glance, but still, you have to be UP CLOSE to the phone to even notice. Now, I have EXTREME OCD, so this should bother me a lot more, right? No, it doesn't. What I do is keep 2 microfiber towels- one on my desk(where I spend a lot of my time) and one in my car. Whenever I pick up my phone after an extended period of non-use, I simply wipe it with the dry towel(takes 15 seconds) and viola- it looks like it JUST came out of the box again... brand new. When going somewhere, I do a quick wipe of the phone before exiting my vehicle- and viola. Brand new looking phone sitting in my pocket wherever I'm going. The gorgeous material of this phone is a worthy sacrifice for some barely noticeable fingerprints that can easily be rectified. Oh, by the way. BECAUSE of the material the phone is made of, it is MUCH EASIER to clean with said microfiber towels than the older plastic models, such as the S4. That one took at lot more scrubbing and hitting specific areas, and would also get smudge marks from the fingerprints being "wiped in" by the cloth, that were almost impossible to get rid of.
(The "oh so" Awful Speaker) This is one of the biggest critiques the phone has received, by both people on this forum, and review videos/articles/websites all across the interwebz. And I? I just don't see it. The speaker, to me, is LOUD. Now, it's not booming, bass boosted music cube quality, however... it is loud enough to where I could easily hear it ringing(depending on the ringtone) from across the house in another room. It's also loud enough to where I could play a video, turn the volume to max, set it about 50 feet away, and still hear it vividly. Also, I love the quality of the sound. It doesn't sound cheap, or poor at all to me. Non-speaker voice sound is crystal clear through this during calls. Sometimes if you hold the phone a certain way, you can block off the speaker since it's on the bottom, muffling the sound. However, muscle memory allowed me to quickly get used to preventing this after the very first time it happened. I never have a problem with the speaker being on the bottom, outside of the fact that I slightly prefer the headphone jack being on the top.
(Performance) Mentions of slow loading, TouchWiz lag, etc on this thread, I have yet to experience once. TouchWiz also has a much better interface now, especially after downloading a free theme that I liked. TouchWiz does not lag at all for me. Nothing on this phone loads "slowly" for me. I did a screen-record video of myself navigating different apps, games, etc on my phone, and literally sh** was opening within milliseconds of each tap, minus games, which, depending on the size/type of game, would take just a few seconds. I see no "slowness" in this phone whatsoever. There's literally not even delays between navigating pages on Facebook, switching from Facebook to YouTube and then from YouTube to Gmail and then from Gmail to a video on my phone. If I were to do all these app switches and loads in order of what I just listed, it would take no more than the time it takes me to open the Edge screen and tap the different apps. Game-play on games such as Mage and Minions is fluid, without noticeable frame drops, and without lag.
(Fingerprint & Iris Scanners) Fingerprint scanner works perfectly if you actually use it right, i.e., gently place your *entire* fingertip over the button. The iris scanner is not perfect, but it works 95% of the time and is FAST... VERY FAST when it does work. If you're looking for a "more secure" method of locking your phone- that's what it's for. It is supposed to be much more secure than the fingerprint scanner, and it's very fast as long as you do it right. Like, I'm talking, sometimes I don't even have time to see the "eye circles" appear on the screen. It just unlocks in a millisecond, as I'm already holding the phone in the correct position upon swiping up. Now, if you wear glasses or contacts, just skip the iris scanner. It is not 100% necessity, by any means, and your phone can be secured with simply the fingerprint scanner or a complex password. Not the end of the world.
Now, I do not consider myself to be a "Samsung fanboy," nor a "Galaxy fanboy." I do not dislike Apple Products outside of the fact that I think they're just a tad highly priced in comparison to Samsung(I know, the difference is becoming very slight, but even still). My wife has the 6s Plus, and it's a great phone. I do not work for Samsung, I do not work for any cell phone company at all, I am not paid to write any of the above. This was simply my unbiased response/personal review of the Note 7, that I was inclined to write after seeing so many negative comments on this thread in addition to a lot of misinformation. I WANT others to get the same experience I'm getting with my Note 7, and frankly, not be discouraged by others. So there you go.
Ace Ryan said:
If you haven't gotten used to a hefty price tag yet, then you must not have been in the market for long. If you can't afford it, get a OnePlus 3, but I can guarantee you it wont be as fine an experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
radioraheem2 said:
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, I'm not attempting to justify it so much as I am saying "it is what it is, and that there are affordable options for those who can't just buy the phone outright. For everyone else, and for those who do not care for the added specs, then there are a wide range of options out there. No doubt, the OnePlus 3 is a great phone for the price, and a good alternative for those who don't want to shell out the extra expenses. It is very much comparable in many ways, but as you said yourself, the Note 7 is better. I am, however, questioning the legitimacy of your statement that you own both phones after you stated your doubt as to people being able to tell the difference between 1080p and the display of the Note. Almost so much so, that I'd be willing to bet you're just a OnePlus3 owner. Maybe I just have good eyesight, but the HUGE difference between the phenomenal display of the Note 7 and the OnePlus 3 when put side to side was what made me go with the Note 7. Also, I can't speak for everyone, but I've owned this phone for a while now and have not experienced a single blip of lag. Then again, I don't use search functions for apps or settings due to the fact that I have a custom layout that has everything very easily accessible with a swipe and a click.
In terms of camera quality, yes, the OnePlus 3 barely falls behind. However, speed of focus, dark lighting, things like that, the Note 7 camera wins hands down.
Ace Ryan said:
I am, however, questioning the legitimacy of your statement that you own both phones after you stated your doubt as to people being able to tell the difference between 1080p and the display of the Note. Almost so much so, that I'd be willing to bet you're just a OnePlus3 owner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, Ryan, you're straight out calling me a liar on here when I typed a pretty reasonable response? How old are you, 14? anyway, i'd advice you stop making so many bad bets, cause you'd go broke.
radioraheem2 said:
Wow, Ryan, you're straight out calling me a liar on here when I typed a pretty reasonable response? How old are you, 14? anyway, i'd advice you stop making so many bad bets, cause you'd go broke.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I is that the p9 plus?
This phone is the best in 2016. Full of useful options and performance is awesome with a fantastic build quality
vodovodo said:
I is that the p9 plus?
This phone is the best in 2016. Full of useful options and performance is awesome with a fantastic build quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi voodoo, yes that is a p9 plus. I like it a lot too, though, the note 7's rounded corners feels so much more comfy in my hands than the square edges of p9 plus.
I love mine! Completely happy with it. I feel like I got one of the better built ones? No light leaks, call quality is amazing compared to my iPhone 6, Note 4 N910W8, LG G4 and S5. Battery life a astonishing! Was out for 14 hours yesterday and had the screen on auto brightness 80-90% most of the time and an hour of Pokemon Go (brought my power bank in case never got to use it) at the end of the day it was still at 62%! Lol! I dont know if thats normal but I'm happy.
Edit:
Just finish Antutu 3D and got a 133565 score which is not bad for me. maybe its because I came from a note 4 my expectations are way low lol.
Love
Sent from my Galaxy Note7 using XDA Labs
radioraheem2 said:
Hi voodoo, yes that is a p9 plus. I like it a lot too, though, the note 7's rounded corners feels so much more comfy in my hands than the square edges of p9 plus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own a p9 plus also at moment and I love it, nevertheless the Note 7 is interesting for me.
Can you comment more on the differences?
I tried many devices and as I live in an area with poor reception one of the best things is that the p9 has absolutely unparalleled reception quality - also compared to the S7 Edge ...
Gesendet von meinem VIE-L09 mit Tapatalk
OnkelAlbert said:
I own a p9 plus also at moment and I love it, nevertheless the Note 7 is interesting for me.
Can you comment more on the differences?
I tried many devices and as I live in an area with poor reception one of the best things is that the p9 has absolutely unparalleled reception quality - also compared to the S7 Edge ...
Gesendet von meinem VIE-L09 mit Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
The biggest difference is that the Note 7 feels a bit more comfortable in the hand, due to its rounded sides compared to the P9 plus' square-ish sides. The software is, obviously, quite different too if used as is. but i use nova launcher on both so they behave closer now.
otherwise, there isn't that big a difference. again, i really don't see a difference between 1080p and quad HD display (i really tried putting the phones side by side and looking at various photos and apps and videos), and the Note 7 camera -- while probably the best overall -- isn't that much better than other cameras out there. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). in fact, i love the P9's gimmick camera features like light trails and night shot, which create really stylish photos that the Note 7 cannot.
as for speed, the P9, like the OnePlus 3, is actually a bit smoother than the Note 7. the Note 7 isn't bad at all, it's just slightly laggy/buggy because of TouchWiz.
overall i would still say the Note 7 is the better phone, BUT i can't stress enough that the difference between the note 7 and a Chinese flagship isn't that big ... not enough to justify the extra $300 or $400 to the average consumer.
i'd recommend the Note 7 for the following types of people:
1: people who don't think US$400 is a lot of money
2: people who really need features like waterproofing and stylus (say, if you are a lifeguard, or if you need to anecdote documents regularly, etc)
3: tech geeks who like to collect gadgets and own the latest/most buzzworthy thing (i am one of these).
4: loyal samsung fans who just want to stick with the company's products
that's about it. otherwise, to the average person -- someone who just buys a phone and uses one phone only for a year or two -- it's very, very hard to justify paying US$850 for the note 7 when the OnePlus 3 costs US$400 or the Huawei P9 Plus costs US$500.
Note 7 is underrated by these standards
radioraheem2 said:
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In performance, OnePlus seems amazing. However the reason I got the Note 7 as a expensive price was, Water Resistance/Proof for 1M 30 Minutes, Curved Screen and Design, Micro SD up to 256gb, Pen for drawing, Iris Scanner (For Wearing Gloves or wet fingerprint), 2K screen, (DPI doesn't matter but for VR, 2K+ definitively needed) Dual Camera and Powerful "Water-Proof" speaker. So far, I have used all these features and found them to be lacking in other phones. I did get Note 7 for Samsung Pay MST however Aussie support sucks so, just rooted and tripped knox.
The Screen is beautiful and curved that makes it appear bigger that it actually is without major size difference. The Water sealing without external ports is so easily to deal with and when i'm in the shower/bath the S-Pen actually helps. I kinda of just got this phone for the easy convenience features. Waterproof is a huge deal, specifically without external ports, it's a major design for people to get the phone. I hear sales people always advertising it and customers wanting it.
I don't own a OnePlus but I'm just saying despite this overpriced phone with it's security restrictions (Hate that) no other phone has all this. Not LG, not Nexus, not OnePlus, not Sony. I do like OnePlus open OEM policy, so no hate. Just hardware and general phone wise, Note 7 is worth twice the price.
BotoxGod said:
In performance, OnePlus seems amazing. However the reason I got the Note 7 as a expensive price was, Water Resistance/Proof for 1M 30 Minutes, Curved Screen and Design, Micro SD up to 256gb, Pen for drawing, Iris Scanner (For Wearing Gloves or wet fingerprint), 2K screen, (DPI doesn't matter but for VR, 2K+ definitively needed) Dual Camera and Powerful "Water-Proof" speaker. So far, I have used all these features and found them to be lacking in other phones. I did get Note 7 for Samsung Pay MST however Aussie support sucks so, just rooted and tripped knox.
The Screen is beautiful and curved that makes it appear bigger that it actually is without major size difference. The Water sealing without external ports is so easily to deal with and when i'm in the shower/bath the S-Pen actually helps. I kinda of just got this phone for the easy convenience features. Waterproof is a huge deal, specifically without external ports, it's a major design for people to get the phone. I hear sales people always advertising it and customers wanting it.
I don't own a OnePlus but I'm just saying despite this overpriced phone with it's security restrictions (Hate that) no other phone has all this. Not LG, not Nexus, not OnePlus, not Sony. I do like OnePlus open OEM policy, so no hate. Just hardware and general phone wise, Note 7 is worth twice the price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you make fair points. thanks for responding in a civil manner, unlike that dude AceRyan, who just accused me of being a liar.
vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you really did not see the mentioned flaws or defects when you bought the phone? I always check the things I buy before paying
As far as the phone, It's gorgeous. Minor things I don't like, but more or less, it's 5 stars.
vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@vodovodo- thanks for posting and making the video....was wondering, do you think the lack of build quality is because it is a non-US variant?
vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure that is not light leak but rather light refraction?
I currently have a 64GB OnePlus One and I am thinking about replacing it with a P2. For me it seems that the positives in doing so are...
+ Metal body design
+ AMOLED screen
+ Fingerprint Sensor
+ HUGE battery
+ 4GB RAM
+ MicroSD expansion
+ Current supported model
+ Will get decent return on OPO to offset cost
Whilst the OPO had a flagship SoC of the time (SD801) that does still perform well enough, I imagine that the "mid range" SD625 probably isn't a massive step back. It has a slower clock speed, but twice as many cores.
Obviously I would be dropping from 64GB to 32GB storage, but the P2 allows for MicroSD expansion. In doing so, does it give the option of adding this as adoptable storage that is then seen as one big lump of internal storage?
I have almost convinced myself, but I am not quite there yet. Has anyone else gone from the OPO to this? If not, what phone did you move from? Do you still see it as a worthwhile move? Can you add anything to the arguments for or against making the change?
Thanks.
SilentBob said:
I currently have a 64GB OnePlus One and I am thinking about replacing it with a P2. For me it seems that the positives in doing so are...
+ Metal body design
+ AMOLED screen
+ Fingerprint Sensor
+ HUGE battery
+ 4GB RAM
+ MicroSD expansion
+ Current supported model
+ Will get decent return on OPO to offset cost
Whilst the OPO had a flagship SoC of the time (SD801) that does still perform well enough, I imagine that the "mid range" SD625 probably isn't a massive step back. It has a slower clock speed, but twice as many cores.
Obviously I would be dropping from 64GB to 32GB storage, but the P2 allows for MicroSD expansion. In doing so, does it give the option of adding this as adoptable storage that is then seen as one big lump of internal storage?
I have almost convinced myself, but I am not quite there yet. Has anyone else gone from the OPO to this? If not, what phone did you move from? Do you still see it as a worthwhile move? Can you add anything to the arguments for or against making the change?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I moved to the P2 from the Huawei Honor 8. The main reason that i moved to the P2 is because of it's battery. Truly has been amazing. I've been using it for a few weeks now and I have not faced any issues. I am a heavy user and the 4 GB ram + the SD 625 chipset have been handling everything that I do on the phone quite well. The storage is adaptable as I've seen the option available. The metal design is not only good but feels quite solid as well. I have used the Lenovo Zuk Z1 a little while ago which has the same 801 chipset as on the OPO phone that you have and you are right, performance wise on a day to day basis, the 625 is pretty reliable. The amoled screen on the P2 is pretty awesome. I am not an expert on screens but I have come to prefer amoleds over lcds, IPS screens etc. So yes, personally for me, it has been a worthwhile move. I switch and change phones quite regularly. But I am thinking of keeping the P2 for while longer than most of the other phones that I've used so far.
Had an Moto x2014. Uses 801 chip. Had a 1080p amoled. I can confirm no obvious performance difference. If anything the p2 seems slicker. Battery is a massive win. Screen is brighter than Moto x2014. Not used opo1 tho.
I've upgraded form Oneplus 3 and it was worth it, battery life is amazing over 12hours sot, color calibration is different, fast charging is quicker 25watts over 20 in Oneplus 3, Android is snappy and all games that I was playing on op3 run smoothly on p2. Op3 has better sound quality on headphones, on p2 sound is OK by using blackplayer ex and built-in equalizer or poweramp+eq. and p2 has a Fm radio with record option but mine only works in mono, build quality is similar, camera definitely is better in op3, but I don't make too much photos so for me p2 is straight winner maybe if op4 will have bigger battery and sdcard slot I will comeback to Oneplus.
It's good to see from your responses so far that you all seem happy with the device, and with no real regrets. So making it look more likely that I'll go for it. I must say though, I am a little surprised to see anyone choose this over the OnePlus 3, which I would imagine would be better in every aspect except the battery. Perhaps this really should send a message to the industry that people really care about battery life?
I might have to have a look to see if I can source a reasonable case and glass screen protector before taking the plunge, just so that I can be protected from day one.
SilentBob said:
It's good to see from your responses so far that you all seem happy with the device, and with no real regrets. So making it look more likely that I'll go for it. I must say though, I am a little surprised to see anyone choose this over the OnePlus 3, which I would imagine would be better in every aspect except the battery. Perhaps this really should send a message to the industry that people really care about battery life?
I might have to have a look to see if I can source a reasonable case and glass screen protector before taking the plunge, just so that I can be protected from day one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, op3 wins in benchmarks but in real life p2.
SilentBob said:
It's good to see from your responses so far that you all seem happy with the device, and with no real regrets. So making it look more likely that I'll go for it. I must say though, I am a little surprised to see anyone choose this over the OnePlus 3, which I would imagine would be better in every aspect except the battery. Perhaps this really should send a message to the industry that people really care about battery life?
I might have to have a look to see if I can source a reasonable case and glass screen protector before taking the plunge, just so that I can be protected from day one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if you find a good screen protector let me know!!! All have found is complete rubbish. Too big, poor quality. Terrible reviews on Amazon and eBay. So yeah, if you find a good one, post the seller here it will be appreciated!!
Great User Experience
I bought this as I needed a phone while my S7 Edge had to be repaired due to faulty memorycard slot.
Other than a slightly mediocre camera on the P2, I feel the P2 is a much better user experience. So I've decided to sell my S7 Edge once it's been repaired.
I will however order me the LG G6 when it launches, but the P2 is a keeper as my second phone. It's absolutely great for my use. Phoning, SMS, Browsing the Web, email, Youtube(just a little annoying delay) and such tasks. When P2 get upgraded to Nougat it will be even more of a killer budget phone.
just think about the best phone you can have at the budget.There is lenovo z2 plus at the same price,which has better processor,but i think lenovo p2 is better than that when considering user experience.or you can go for mi 5
What if I come from a Moto G3, snap 410 and 1 of ram
Typing this post while lagging lol, chrome keyboard and already slowed down phone :|
Kicroy said:
What if I come from a Moto G3, snap 410 and 1 of ram
Typing this post while lagging lol, chrome keyboard and already slowed down phone :|
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will be amazed at the difference.
Came from an LG G2 and find the P2 amazing,battery is King and phone runs well.
A few bugs to be sorted out yet but nothing that puts me off the phone too much.
Sent from my Lenovo P2a42 using Tapatalk
Kicroy said:
What if I come from a Moto G3, snap 410 and 1 of ram
Typing this post while lagging lol, chrome keyboard and already slowed down phone :|
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from same Phone :highfive:
but i am on AOSP based ROM 7.1.1 on my MotoG3
it opens apps faster and organizes RAM better than my Lenovo P2
you must give a try to flash any AOSP roms on MotoG3
nandakis4 said:
from same Phone :highfive:
but i am on AOSP based ROM 7.1.1 on my MotoG3
it opens apps faster and organizes RAM better than my Lenovo P2
you must give a try to flash any AOSP roms on MotoG3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will swap from lineage to aosp then
You have the 1gb variant of Moto G?
edit what is your rom exactly?
I have a oneplus 2 and i think about to switch to the p2. It's a pity that the p2 has almost no custom rom comunity
I came from the OnePlus One and I don't regret it at all.
My primary annoyance with it was the battery life. I never get the insane battery life people claim from a phone, usually 50-75% of what they get. When it was new, I got around 4-4.5 hours SOT, by the time I retired it after 2 years and custom Android upgrades, a meagre 2.
With the P2 a lot of people report 12 hours SOT, I get around 7-8 hours which feels incredible. As a general rule, I don't charge my phone for 3 days. And it doesn't matter what I do with it for the most part, I get that battery life. The main thing that drains it for me is 3G/LTE, that drags me down to about 6 hours. I use relatively high screen brightness, BT, NFC etc. so I don't skimp. Only thing I don't use is GPS, that is also a battery hog and don't need it most of the time.
Camera isn't amazing, but I don't use mine very much. Again, I agree, the 625 for most intents and purposes is fine against the 801. The one thing my OnePlus didn't feel was slow, though my friend's Moto Z Play did feel snappier in the menus than it. I don't think the GPU is amazing for gaming, I don't play many 3D games but have played some Hitman Sniper, and that does bog down to some degree but can't compare it to other phones. Doesn't bother me a bit though, my phone is mainly for messaging, web browsing and 2D gaming and it does all of those things perfectly. And I got mine for £200 which was even cheaper than I got my OPO for at £269.
I do hope we get one or two custom ROMs in the coming months, since I'd like to move to total stock from the P2 ROM, but it's not a bad OEM ROM really.
helppme said:
Well if you find a good screen protector let me know!!! All have found is complete rubbish. Too big, poor quality. Terrible reviews on Amazon and eBay. So yeah, if you find a good one, post the seller here it will be appreciated!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still haven't had any luck in finding a screen protector either from a trusted brand or with good feedback. Not even the wet apply ones. I will keep looking. Will probably just have to go with a cheapy to begin with, just to have something on there. I had a nightmare trying to get a glass protector for my daughters' Samsung A6 (2016), as they were all much smaller than the screen and didn't stick properly around the edges. I think it is because it looks like the screen actually tapers towards the 2.5D curved edges. Looking at the P2 in the shop, its screen looks to be flat all the way to the slightly curved edge, so hopefully won't have those problems.
Russbo said:
I came from the OnePlus One and I don't regret it at all.
I do hope we get one or two custom ROMs in the coming months, since I'd like to move to total stock from the P2 ROM, but it's not a bad OEM ROM really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At least, from what I have seen, all the system menus, etc, retain the stock look, rather than being heavily skinned. So I reckon that once I chuck Nova Launcher on there it'll pretty much look stock anyway. :good:
So I went for it, and so far am quite happy that I did so. There are still a few differences to get used to or to find a way to get them as I like, but well worth the money I'd say. I am getting 3 days use out of it quite easily.
helppme said:
Well if you find a good screen protector let me know!!! All have found is complete rubbish. Too big, poor quality. Terrible reviews on Amazon and eBay. So yeah, if you find a good one, post the seller here it will be appreciated!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I initially bought a tempered glass screen protector from Amazon (sold by Topaccs), but this was awful. It was, as expected, smaller than the screen, but it did just about go from edge to edge of the actual display area. So I wasn't that bothered by the size. But it didn't stick properly, the edges weren't fully rounded and it picked up fingerprints so badly that even after trying to clean it I was just left with a horrible misting across the whole thing.
After looking around some more, I went for the BROTECT AirGlass protector from EBay (sold by protectionfilms24). I was skeptical to say the least about their claims regarding this "real glass" protector that is much thinner and more flexible but just as hard. But as it goes I am, so far, very impressed. It is a much better fit and looks MUCH better on the phone. If anything, it is a tiny amount too big as it appears to go onto the screens' curves, but it really isn't that noticeable with a case on. It has proper hole cut outs, rather than two big cut outs from the top and bottom edges that you get with the glass ones. Clarity and feel are great, and I tried scratching the leftover button cutout piece, and it certainly appeared to resist scratches.
Whilst I was waiting for this to be delivered, I noticed that Ultimate Shield are now selling a tempered glass protector for the P2. I have had good experiences with their products in the past, so would certainly have given them a go. However, I will be sticking with the Brotect for now as I am more than happy with it.
Ultimate shield on Amazon UK full coverage (zagg/skinomi type) now available.
So I just broke my Oneplus One and bought a P2 for 180€(!) Can anyone tell me how the camera compares to the OPO? I know, apparently it isn't that good but I didn't find the camera on the OPO to be any good either. Is it a step up from this?
Coming from op2 I feel camera is worst in low light and slower focusing, software side has better stock experience than that horrible lagging (throttling) oxygenOS, but video bug is terrible
Sent from my Lenovo P2a42 using Tapatalk
It seems that this phone has a lot of issues and problems that are constantly being ignored or not cared about by Samsung.
Is this phone worth it, or am I better off selling it and buying an A50 which seems to have the attention of Samsung? Because The A50 has gotten so many updates compared to the A70 that is still on Security patch level: May.
I've had an A70 for about a month now and it's one of the best phones I've ever had. Battery averages at two days, screen is bright and always legible in bright sunlight, phone is fast and smooth. Fingerprint unlock used to be crap but updates have made it work ok. Face recognition is good. Camera is pretty good - again it's improving with updates.
I think it's the best phone for the price.
I'm really happy with mine but yeah the fingerprint reader isn't the best but it's still a great phone
Have not had any problem with this phone. To be honest, worth every Penny I paid for it.
At the moment I don't have one as my contract is due for an upgrade in October. But I as usual I have been doing research about this device and I must say the pro out weighs the cons by a mile. All the you tube reviews from unboxing to month on reviews are all positive. I am even overlooking the A80 as the A70 offers so much more for my money. Stick to your phone bud. You are in the teething phase now
I have been using a V30 and S8+ for the last year (1 was a personal device and the other as work phone). Performance on both phones was identical, with the key differences being the camera (better on the v30) and the ergonomics (v30 won this as well). Most recently I purchased the A70 and have been using it as my daily driver for the last 2 weeks or so. I have the A70 setup exactly the same way as both the V30/S8+. Same apps, settings, etc. I can say from a performance point of view, I have not missed the V30/S8+ at all. The A70 runs the same apps without any noticeable performance difference. I am not a huge gamer but there are a few that are always installed on my phones.. and they run the exact same on the A70, as they did on the S8+/V30. I haven't seen a difference in load times, or graphics and performance has been the same. Camera quality is pretty good. I thought Id miss the wide angle from the V30 but the A70 has it as well. Front camera on the A70 is much better than both the S8 and the nearly useless front cam on the v30. Battery life is fantastic. I get 2 days usage from the A70, whereas the S8+ gave me 1 day. Audio quality to my ears is the same. That is a lot considering the A70 runs on the SD675 and the V30/S8+ on the SD 835. The display is crisp and what you expect from a samoled. I would say yes, the phone is def worth it. Removable storage, huge battery, fantastic 1080p display, BT 5.0. and great performance. This phone has met all my expectations.. and I am glad I bought this rather than an s10+ which is more than double the cost of this phone.
Hello,
As Stillriza I used a S8+ (for 2 years). I now have the A70 since 1.5 months. The fingerprint unlock is good since last software update (when it is difficult I honestly have an explication such as finger is just coming out of water, long pressure on the finger...).
The 32Mp camera is good outside by day but the quality decreases when the light is decreasing (much worse than the camera of the S8+).
I haven't notice any slowdons on apps compared to S8+.
The screen has a lower resolution than the S8+ one but bigger. It is really not visible and it is very good and effective in the sun.
I will keep this "pocket computer" for a long time. I think it really worth its price.
For that price
i owned the phone before, if you want my advice: forget samsung and go for xiaomi mi 9t (redmi k20) as i did, you will not regret it.
Yes i'm totally happy with my a70, not a perfect device but exceeded my expectations by miles
I will list cons only here:
1-white colour has a tint to it, but no problem may be the amoled nature or my calibration
2-prefer stock android, but one ui is so good
3-no twrp or easy root and custom roms yet, but i will wait
4-no stereo speakers, but the included speaker is loud enough
other than than all are pros not cons
I like it. it's not perfect but it has better native apps than most phones I've owned.
fingerprint sensor is nearly impossible to get to work
but the phone has a night mode for its settings. has a great onboard keyboard. it has its own app store, theme store.
File explorer is very usable. I'm off 3rd party apps for the most part.
The music app is super fast to load the artworks. Sees most artworks. takes 48 hours but indexed my 300GB music and loads entire list (all have artworks) in real time. Really imperfect but very fast, great music app by Samsung.
Then there is the RAM Memory optimizer under settings; device care; then memory button. On other phones I have had lately, this can take a long time. Have to go in apps in settings and do each one individually.
My phone gets 1 bar of signal strength less than my other phones but despite that I love this phone.
Fingerprint reader performance is livable. (A sweaty thumb on glossy glass is prone to cause difficulties with finger print reading, even on Iphones. So I can deal with it. - Try storing fingerprint data with a wet finger? Seems to have helped.)
The camera with the G-cam app is very good, and even so I still find myself using the Samsung camera app more often for its features and the polish of the app. - The panoramic shot is a full 360 degrees and better than my Iphone7. I like the hyperlapse and slowmotion. HOwever, this phone is definitely not a camera phone and won't take steady videos.
The native file explorer app and video player app are great.
The 20:9 aspect ratio is perfect for phones. You get so much usable real estate and yet a slimmer form factor that is much more practical for one handed use and for keeping in your pockets.
I love the ONE UI interface. I have it navigation bar set to invisble and I'm using gestures.
Compared to my previous phone it's thinner as well and feels great. It does not feel like a cheap phone at all. It feels solid and well produced.
I have the one in white. Paid $370 for it.
I got the samsung a70. I like the phone's 6.7 inch display. But the aspect ratio makes it a bit narrow. That's why I'm thinking about getting the huawei mate 20x which has a 7.2 inch screen. Do you think I should stay with this phone or buy the mate 20x?
kruc Ire said:
fingerprint sensor is nearly impossible to get to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Register 3 fingerprints of the same finger and it'll work seamlessly.
ok. I may try that. I have already but for some reason I deleted the first two or three, hoping one clear one.
Hey look at this RAM management screenshot. Whisked away Youtube's 150MB mess and a bunch of others.
Which one shuld i buy?
alsartawi said:
i owned the phone before, if you want my advice: forget samsung and go for xiaomi mi 9t (redmi k20) as i did, you will not regret it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am dueling between the A70 and the Mi9T, what made you change and how has been your experience with Mi 9T compared to the A70?
dieqohc said:
I am dueling between the A70 and the Mi9T, what made you change and how has been your experience with Mi 9T compared to the A70?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the only thing better in a70 is the battery and a little bit the screen colors "but with ugly notch"... as for performance, camera..etc the mi9t is a superb phone.
alsartawi said:
the only thing better in a70 is the battery and a little bit the screen colors "but with ugly notch"... as for performance, camera..etc the mi9t is a superb phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like the Mi9T doesn't have an SD slot?
I have my A70 for a good amount of time to speak about it.
I really like the device. It's fast, reliable and it was a surprise to me that it can hold two sim cards and a microSD card at first. I remember that I was astornished by it's beautiful, shiny back, but that's a personal prefference. I only found 3 problems with this phone that gladly doesn't bother me that much.
Starting with the back, it's really, REALLY easy to scratch it. Mine, even if it was in the case, have some scuffs on the back. It's plastic, not as much resistable as the glass is, but I was aware of that when I was buying it. Kinda shame.
Secondly, the bezels are very small and I have big hands so sometinmes I touch the screen when I don't want to or being aware of. A bigger case like one of those armor cases should fix my issue, but that adds to the size of the phone which, I am not sure if I want right now.
Lastly, the cursed fingerprint scanner. It doesn't work all the times, but the updates seems to give it a bit of speed and accuracy, failed attempts to read out the fingerprint significantly decreases.
Overall. I think the phone is worth the money but again, that's my perspective.
Awangarde said:
I
Overall. I think the phone is worth the money but again, that's my perspective.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own the a70. But I'm thinking of switching to the huawei mate 20x which has a 7.2 inch screen. Do you think its worth buying the mate 20x and selling the a70 for half an inch inch difference in screen size?
.
3 months since I bought this awesome phone. I have no regrets. Biggest pros are 2 sim + sd card simultaneously and the huge 4500 mah battery