Front camera issues on some phones (Results of detailed testing) - T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II SGH-T989

First of all let me say that my only reason for conducting these tests is to bring attention to any issues I find, so that they can be addressed by Samsung and T-Mobile. I am just the messenger, don't shoot.
If you have not seen the results of my display tests for this phone, I encourage to you to check them out here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1320942
I conducted the following tests with 4 phones. 2 Sprint Galaxy S II phones and 2 T-Mobile Galaxy S II phones. Now let's see how our phone compares with the Sprint phone when it comes to the front camera.
1. Front camera test using DSLR
For this test I borrowed some data from my earlier display test. All 4 phones were switched to front camera and the camera settings were reset to default. I then put the phones down on a table and took a picture with my Canon 60D.
Needless to say, this looks really really bad for T-Mobile sets. This is the test that gave me the idea that something else was going on here in addition to the well known screen problems of the T-Mobile/Telus phone. As we will shortly see, the T-Mobile phone is suffering from a double whammy of screen and camera problems in this test.
2. Low light test
For this test I lined up some random objects on the floor and took pictures using all 4 phones. The room was lit by one CFL bulb, pointed in the opposite direction of the objects being photographed. The camera settings were reset to factory settings. I used the 2-second timer to take pictures from the front camera. The EXIF data on all the pictures is identical. Please keep in mind that this test used jpeg data from the phone camera. And the screen defects played no role. Full size, un-edited pictures are available if you click on an image below.
Camera maker : SAMSUNG
Camera model : Sprint: SPH-D710 T-Mobile: SGH-T989
F-stop : f/2.8
Exposure time: 1/8 sec.
ISO speed : ISO-400
3. High light test
For this test I repeated test 2 above. But opened up the curtains to let the light in from outside and pointed the CFL bulb towards the objects being photographed.
Conclusion
And the parade of tears continues. Like the display, the front camera loses the battle badly. The hardware is supposed to be identical. Why does the T-Mobile continue to perform poorly? Was the QA team sleeping at the wheel?
The low light test probably needs no analysis. It is easy to see that the pictures from the T-Mobile phone are just plain dark. In the bright light test, if one is not paying attention it would be easy to overlook the washed out colors in the pictures produced by the T-Mobile camera.
I'll continue to update this post as additional data on the performance of front facing camera becomes available.

man im getting very disappointed with my phone, tmo users always getting the short end of the stick..

Wow, this is really eye-opening. I'm assuming you wiped off the lens on both phones before the tests? The T-Mobile one almost looks like it's shooting through a haze.
Also, has anyone done a comparison on the rear-facing cameras?

Both phones have the same parts... Just different processor. Im really starting to believe its a software issue.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

Dont forget to thank this guy for his hard work WOW. Still trying to get someone with some followers to voice a concern about this.

I noticed this a little too, but I totally overlooked it.. I will probably never use the front facing camera on any device... But it does both me that t-mobile devices are worse quality... Might as well purchase it at walmart
I seriously think I am going to side step to the Galaxy Nexus when it is available, mostly for the screen issues on Tmo GS2...

Well first of all no need for a separate thread for this ffc for all phones are crap. Second of all you need more precise test. Like see if Samsung and T-Mobile are using the Same screen manufacturer. You can see this by typing dsmeg. In terminal emulator. You have to remember that you have tested I say about 7-8 devices. Not all of them. Xda is about 1% of a total population that has Samsung galaxy 2
---------- Post added at 10:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 PM ----------
phewizzo said:
Both phones have the same parts... Just different processor. Im really starting to believe its a software issue.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SuperCurio the developer for voodoo screen tuning said this himself. We are missing the MdNie chip for processing the screen due to the chipset switch. Meaning Hardware.We emulate the chip in our phones using the Qualcomm MDP. Like i said it may can be fixed by getting better emulation software and samsung reworking the drivers for optimization for the screen. The closest update we have is the wifi calling update which will probably bring various bug fixes as well for the samsung galaxy s2.

I've done some video chat over Skype in the last few days and this has been the best front facing camera that I have ever used. People have noticed a much clearer and smoother image from the SGS2 FFC than from the 3 different PC webcams that I use. I don't know much about the Sprint version, but I've been very happy with ours.

Hopefully they will release an update to fix it...
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

phewizzo said:
Both phones have the same parts... Just different processor. Im really starting to believe its a software issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same opinion.

Killbynature said:
Well first of all no need for a separate thread for this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We are talking about two separate issues here. You can use the camera to take a picture and analyze on a separate studio display. The phone screen does not play a part here. And any defects with the screen should be discussed separately.
ffc for all phones are crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If all FFCs are crap then how come the Sprint Galaxy S II is taking better pictures with the same camera hardware?
Second of all you need more precise test. Like see if Samsung and T-Mobile are using the Same screen manufacturer. You can see this by typing dsmeg. In terminal emulator.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is easy to sit back and point fingers at the data that somebody put a lot of effort to produce. It identifies problems in this device so that they can be fixed. Samsung, T-Mobile and much of user community of this phone are oblivious to these issues.
What you say here is irrelevant and absolutely does not matter. The question I set out to answer was:
"Does the front camera on T-Mobile Galaxy S II take better or worse pictures than Sprint Galaxy S II". I answered that with my research and shared the results with everybody else.
You are very welcome to run your own tests and share the results with us. Additionally if you are going to ask others to go on wild goose chases for you, perhaps you should attempt to meet them halfway. I am assuming that you have the same T-Mobile phone as I, you can parse the dmesg as well as anybody else. Tell us what screen we are using. And we'll go from there.
SuperCurio the developer for voodoo screen tuning said this himself. We are missing the MdNie chip for processing the screen due to the chipset switch. Meaning Hardware.We emulate the chip in our phones using the Qualcomm MDP. Like i said it may can be fixed by getting better emulation software and samsung reworking the drivers for optimization for the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And how did you connect mDNIe to the front facing camera? I am not saying that it is not relevant, but I am curious to know if you have any real information connecting the two or if you are spouting nonsense again.

manekineko said:
Wow, this is really eye-opening. I'm assuming you wiped off the lens on both phones before the tests? The T-Mobile one almost looks like it's shooting through a haze.
Also, has anyone done a comparison on the rear-facing cameras?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All 4 phones were wiped clean. They are like new to begin with.
I do not know of any comparison performed on the rear facing camera with the Sprint phone. I might do that one day, if there is enough demand.

Splaktar said:
I've done some video chat over Skype in the last few days and this has been the best front facing camera that I have ever used. People have noticed a much clearer and smoother image from the SGS2 FFC than from the 3 different PC webcams that I use. I don't know much about the Sprint version, but I've been very happy with ours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera on the phones is better than the 0.3 megapixel cameras on most netbooks and notebook computers. However performs poorly under low light and renders colors incorrectly. In some use cases (e.g. plenty of light) many users will not notice an issue. Specially when they have not seen the output of the equivalent camera on the Sprint phone.
In short, the camera produces decent output for a front facing camera. But it can be much much better!
And that is the goal here. To wake up Samsung.

cheema said:
We are talking about two separate issues here. You can use the camera to take a picture and analyze on a separate studio display. The phone screen does not play a part here. And any defects with the screen should be discussed separately.
If all FFCs are crap then how come the Sprint Galaxy S II is taking better pictures with the same camera hardware?
It is easy to sit back and point fingers at the data that somebody put a lot of effort to produce. It identifies problems in this device so that they can be fixed. Samsung, T-Mobile and much of user community of this phone are oblivious to these issues.
What you say here is irrelevant and absolutely does not matter. The question I set out to answer was:
"Does the front camera on T-Mobile Galaxy S II take better or worse pictures than Sprint Galaxy S II". I answered that with my research and shared the results with everybody else.
You are very welcome to run your own tests and share the results with us. Additionally if you are going to ask others to go on wild goose chases for you, perhaps you should attempt to meet them halfway. I am assuming that you have the same T-Mobile phone as I, you can parse the dmesg as well as anybody else. Tell us what screen we are using. And we'll go from there.
And how did you connect mDNIe to the front facing camera? I am not saying that it is not relevant, but I am curious to know if you have any real information connecting the two or if you are spouting nonsense again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You seem mad. You should calm down. Let me explain it to you. A chipset switch means different devices . Qualcomm and exynos the camera rendering is different on each device. Exynos chipset and qualcomm chipset are different.
The phones are nothing alike except in name. Its like taking a amd processor and comparing it to an i7 the way they work is totally different. Have you looked at the source code. I don't think so because if you did you know we have most of our drivers largely reworked for our processor.
Very little in common with our other variants. A sprint galaxy s2 is closely related to the original galaxy s2. Because it has the same chipset as the galaxy s2. The source even has similar drivers.
The only way to fix it is to have Samsung A) rework the drivers to make it the best they can it they haven't already did that yet. or B) recall all products and switch out processors. Either one is probably most likely not going to happen. Telus did the right thing by naming it Samsung galaxy x2 because that what it is. It is not a galaxy s2 in performance or anything except in name.
DNie -DNIe offers better detail than conventional televisions by using four proprietary processes that optimize and enhance image quality and sound: a Motion Optimizer that is a noise processing technology used to eliminate blurring and noise in moving images; a Contrast Enhancer that offers rich details and image quality; a Detail Enhancer that automatically analyzes the picture signal and reproduces images that result in lifelike video; a Color Optimizer that analyzes the video signals being generated so that the quantities of reds, greens, and blues are calculated to provide natural, realistic colors. The M part stands for mobile.

Killbynature said:
The phones are nothing alike except in name. Its like taking a amd processor and comparing it to an i7 the way they work is totally different. Have you looked at the source code. I don't think so because if you did you know we have most of our drivers reworked for our processor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The processors are different. We all understand that. But the camera hardware is the same and the display hardware is the same.
Going by your example, If I had two PCs, sitting side by side, one had an AMD processor and the other had an Intel one, but everything else, including the monitor and the Logitech webcam attached were the same. Would I be so wrong to complain if the Logitech camera on one PC produced pictures that were much worse?
I think the problem is in the software and T-Mobile / Samsung rushed a product out the door, that was not quite ready for release.
People who paid good money for this product, deserve better. In the meantime I will try to help them find these problems that they seem to have overlooked.
If you think these manufacturers do not overlook problems when they ship products, I point you to Samsung Vibrant and its GPS problems as an example.

cheema said:
The processors are different. We all understand that. But the camera hardware is the same and the display hardware is the same.
Going by your example, If I had two PCs, sitting side by side, one had an AMD processor and the other had an Intel one, but everything else, including the monitor and the Logitech webcam attached were the same. Would I be so wrong to complain if the Logitech camera on one PC produced pictures that were much worse?
I think the problem is in the software and T-Mobile / Samsung rushed a product out the door, that was not quite ready for release.
People who paid good money for this product, deserve better. In the meantime I will try to help them find these problems that they seem to have overlooked.
If you think these manufacturers do not overlook problems when they ship products, I point you to Samsung Vibrant and its GPS problems as an example.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That chip is a big problem for us because that causing everything to look bad. If we had lets say a super lcd screen. We have the drivers to calibrate it correctly. The Qualcomm chips have the correct drivers for it. As i see in most galaxy 2 we are missing the part where we can calibrate the screen are self. A setting under display.
I not a big fan of samsung but the qualcomm chip is much weaker than the chipset in exynos.So is the gpu. It maybe samsung couldn't sacrifice performance trying to emulate precisely. So be wary of what we get because the update might make the phones performance worst. If you compared it to the amaze 4g since they have similar chipsets. The amaze takes great pictures back and front. Since HTC has optimized their device sensors and such for the drivers.
You can't really compare two computers like you do phones. Phones different so much from each other. It's not even funny. More like cars if i get the fastest Cadillac with the most powerful engine and then buy a Cadillac with a different engine then expect them to have the same horsepower and performance. Besides computers have a good integration phones do not. Yes i do feel things were rushed though.
Keep in mind our drivers are largely different. The MDNie chip is largely where our problem is if you read about the Dnie: "DNIe generally improves images are made sharper with DNIe, contrast is improved, and color accuracy is enhanced in many ways.That was from Samsung site. We have a hacked emulated one. You should talk to Samsung through online chat to show them the issues on our devices. Because on the phone i got people who had no idea of the problem. After 20 minutes waiting.

I think the OP got a defective tmobile phone! either that or he works for sprint and he's trying to convince us that their SGS2 version is better so we should switch. I've compared my phone side by side with the sprint one and there's no difference on the screen whatsoever, I tried different angles, different brightness, etc. Our phones are actually faster in my experience!

huggosz said:
I think the OP got a defective tmobile phone! either that or he works for sprint and he's trying to convince us that their SGS2 version is better so we should switch. I've compared my phone side by side with the sprint one and there's no difference on the screen whatsoever, I tried different angles, different brightness, etc. Our phones are actually faster in my experience!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I have been through 3 T-Mobile phones. They all show the same symptoms. And there are plenty of other people who were complaining about the displays before I decided to get a little more scientific about it.
2. I do not work for Sprint. Otherwise I would not be hosting the pictures on my own website. My motivation is that I want the problems fixed. Is that really that hard to understand?
3. Plenty of people have said that they have done the comparison. Some find issues, others do not. Those who do not, have not actually put up any data to support their claims. I suspect most of these people are testing/comparing under bright lights where the T-Mobile display and camera problems are less obvious.

I have noticed this, while comparing my phone with my friend's S2. Honestly the factory settings are junk. I usually, at minimum, change the ISO setting to 200, to get decent pictures. -.-

kosnarf said:
I have noticed this, while comparing my phone with my friend's S2. Honestly the factory settings are junk. I usually, at minimum, change the ISO setting to 200, to get decent pictures. -.-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You cannot change the ISO when using the front camera.
Anyway, the user visible settings in the test are the same. Including the ISO. This can be verified by looking at the EXIF data in the photos.
The pictures produced by the cameras with the same exact settings should be equal in quality. They are not in this case. T-Mobile phones produced noticeably lower quality pictures every time.

Related

Reasons for "sub-par" hardware

I've been seeing a lot of blowback on what many are considering sub-par specs for the Galaxy Nexus. I'm not sure it deserves as much criticism as it's getting.
Processor
The Complaint:
1.2 GHz isn't 1.5
The chip comes with the outdated SGX540 GPU
The Possible Reason:
The s2 Exynos apparently doesn't work well with LTE right now. Personally, I'd prefer LTE latency to HSPA+ with a marginally faster processor.
The GPU does suck, but unfortunately there aren't really any other chipsets available right now offering something better for LTE.
And keep in mind, the OMAP 4460 is BRAND NEW. This is not the same OMAP 4430 that has been in other phones to date. The clock speed was tuned down to 1.2 GHz in order to avoid delays when the 1.5 speeds were not stable.
While the GPU may suck, apparently the OMAP 4460 has some nice features in the way of media/video processing, which was behind Google's decision to go with that chipset.
Update: That media/video processing feature is called the IVA 3 -- it is a hw video decoder/encoder that supports [email protected] for h.264, MPEG-4, and h.263, VP8, etc. In essence, it allows for low power consumption while playing back HD quality video (and this makes a lot more sense as to why Google decided to go with OMAP for their new 720p resolution device). More info: http:// blog . webmproject . org/2010/10/demo-of-webm-running-on-ti-omap-4.html
Camera
The Complaint:
5 MP isn't 8
Sample pictures aren't mind-blowing
The Possible Reason:
Instant shutter and panoramic photos.
The Galaxy Nexus takes photos REALLY quickly, and the panoramic photo capability depends on that. This means the phone needs both a fast lens (search Wikipedia for "Lens speed") and likely a sensor capable of operating at those speeds. It's quite possible that they had to sacrifice in MP in order to get those speeds.
So yes, the camera is not as "good" as other phones might have, but the marginal decrease might be what's allowing it to run circles around other cameras in photo speed and generate some impressive panoramas.
Those seem to be the two major complaints right now. Also, I admit my hardware knowledge isn't as in depth as some others on xda, so I welcome any additional info. Thoughts?
For me it would be the Camera and lack of SD card.
I can deal with 5MP if it also had better image stabilization. The pics I have seen were not sharp. However, the fast AF and panoramic mode are bad ass.
The lack of a SD card is just annoying. As a developer, it would be nice to have this support.
Based on previous Nexus devices (One and S) i think NO see a
FM radio. Too bad...
The lack of SD card is kinda annoying.
The only two "sub-par" items that were listed is rather "meh." You will never tell the difference of 300Mhz. You can run your benchmark tools, but, user experience is nil.
Camera MP doesn't mean anything if the phone can't take decent pictures at all. If you're worried about anything over 5MP, then, you should carry a real camera.
For an FM radio... if it's lacking the hardware.... Tune In Radio app is a sweet replacement.
The Nexus phones sets the standard for all smartphones. This phone seems to be "above-par" to what is currently out there.
My gripes:
1. Way too close to the SGSII form factor. I found the SGSII to be insanely uncomfortable for me. It's far too thin to be so wide.
2. No SD card. Instant fail for me. It's not that the built-in memory isn't enough, it's that Samsung has a history of Nexus devices with failed memory and no way to fix it because there isn't an SD slot.
3. Samsung's total plastic body builds are lightweight, sure, but they feel like cheap pieces of throwaway junk. The Amaze, IMO, makes the SGSII feel like a chump (for reference, I don't use most HTC devices due to Sense, I prefer stock software but I love HTC's build quality).
4. It's made by Samsung. Again.
bfspider said:
If you're worried about anything over 5MP, then, you should carry a real camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't agree more.
JaiaV said:
My gripes:
1. Way too close to the SGSII form factor. I found the SGSII to be insanely uncomfortable for me. It's far too thin to be so wide.
2. No SD card. Instant fail for me. It's not that the built-in memory isn't enough, it's that Samsung has a history of Nexus devices with failed memory and no way to fix it because there isn't an SD slot.
3. Samsung's total plastic body builds are lightweight, sure, but they feel like cheap pieces of throwaway junk. The Amaze, IMO, makes the SGSII feel like a chump (for reference, I don't use most HTC devices due to Sense, I prefer stock software but I love HTC's build quality).
4. It's made by Samsung. Again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
#3 has been connected with a metal chassis. If you take a look around some of the reviews, a few sites notice that difference.
kromem said:
I've been seeing a lot of blowback on what many are considering sub-par specs for the Galaxy Nexus. I'm not sure it deserves as much criticism as it's getting.
Those seem to be the two major complaints right now. Also, I admit my hardware knowledge isn't as in depth as some others on xda, so I welcome any additional info. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the device is meant for DEVELOPERS, not normal folks basically, that was probably their mentality
thus all the lack of high tech stuff, except for the screen
bfspider said:
#3 has been connected with a metal chassis. If you take a look around some of the reviews, a few sites notice that difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of them do have some internal metal chassis that acts like a skeleton of sorts, if I am not mistaken. That doesn't stop them from feeling like cheap pieces of trash.
I won't be able to jog faster with this phone, as it's slightly bigger and heavier than S2.
Galaxy S II weight = 116 grams
Galaxy Nexus weight = 135 grams
AllGamer said:
the device is meant for DEVELOPERS, not normal folks basically, that was probably their mentality
thus all the lack of high tech stuff, except for the screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If anything, that makes less sense. Normal people don't even know what OMAP or a SGX540 is.
And I kind of meant thoughts on whether or not my reasoning relating to the hardware choices seemed sound.
kromem said:
I've been seeing a lot of blowback on what many are considering sub-par specs for the Galaxy Nexus. I'm not sure it deserves as much criticism as it's getting.
Processor
The Complaint:
1.2 GHz isn't 1.5
The chip comes with the outdated SGX540 GPU
..snipped..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha even the 540 is upgrade for me, I'm still using the OG Droid with it's SGX530 toting OMAP3 chip. So a dual core OMAP4 is a vast upgrade for me.
Plus the lack of an SD card is no big deal for me...16GB of onboard storage is more than enough for me, meaning it doesn't really need an SD card as much as my Droid does.
For a while, I was sort of disappointed with a couple of the GN's specs, but I'm now very excited. Let me address the specs in question:
1. GPU : The GPU is the Nov 2007 SGX540 while the current ringleader is the Jan 2009 SGX543MP2. The difference is that the GN's GPU is clocked at a speedy 384 MHz, almost double that of the 200 MHz clock speed of the SGX543MP2. With that knowledge, plus the fact that I won't be playing console-quality games on a touchscreen, I was pretty much satisfied.
2. CPU : I first cringed when I heard that the GN was going to have a Ti-OMAP processor instead of the Exynos, but I was sort of happy when I learned it might be the OMAP4470, a beast of a phone. Then I checked Wikipedia, and was disappointed to learn the 4470 is coming out in Q2 2012, meaning I would have to settle with the lesser version. I'm still uneasy about this aspect, but the fact that Google has chose this processor specifically inclines me to think it will be optimized thoroughly. Just look at the iPhone4 vs the iPhone4S; a dual-core, plus a beefed up GPU don't make the phone any faster, as the OS has been perfectly coded to the hardware already. The GHz make no difference in real life, aside for half a second. Besides, more ICS devices are coming up according to Black_man_x, with AT&T leading in specs for now (the GSMarena Nexus Specs leak is probably that phone) so the best phone is perpetually going to be "right around the corner".
3. Camera: I knew this was going to be a 5MP shooter, as I predicted Google would push Google+ and instant upload with this model, which allows unlimited storage to 5MP photos. The camera is also hard coded to the CPU, which is why you get 1080p on a 5MP camera, which was previously unheard of (at least to me). Some 8MP still can't even do 1080p, resting at 720p only. Plus you get awesome features such as continuous exposure and photo capture while recording.
4. No SDCard slot: I never use microSD's so this isn't a problem for me. I can see how it would affect others though. I prefer internal storage over anything, as it's fast and secure. I just need to keep a NANDroid at all times on the device though
Honestly, everything else was amazing. The LED notification totally surprised me, as I thought it was going to be like the Epic's (a lame blue light at the top). I love the form factor and size, and I'm personally going to buy the HSPA+ model. I hate CDMA with a burning passion, and T-Mobile has got a new prepaid $30 5GB Unlimited Plan with 100 Mins and Unltd Texts that I can abuse. Whenever I feel like it, I can hop on over to AT&T, switch to 3 in the UK when I travel, or go with a local carrier. I made the mistake of buying the Nexus One a couple of months before the Nexus S landed, not going to make the same mistake again
where has it been confirmed the prime will ship with the 4460?
edit: aaaaand here's my answer:
http://www.fudzilla.com/home/item/24529-ti-confirms-omap-4460-is-in-nexus-galaxy
eric b
IMO nothing is wrong with the Camera, plus by now everyone should know that Megapixels don't mean a damn thing -_- this camera is actually pretty damn beast.
i think you misunderstand lens speed. the aperture of the lens for this camera really shouldn't be affected by the sensor. perhaps you mean sensor speed.
people still had the same complains with the NS...........I doubt we will be seeing any Nexus device jump as far ahead as the N1 did
For all those complaining about the lack of SD card slot I'm guessing you don't have a Honeycomb tablet with an SD card slot. Even with the latest Honeycomb update that came out about a month ago Google still doesn't have the SD card working like most expect. It is nothing like an SD card under Gingerbread. I believe they want people to use a new storage API to interact with the SD card so many apps don't see it or consider it read-only. Applications using the new storage API are read/write. It's a change and I think many existing Froyo/Gingerbread era apps will need to be updated for Ice Cream Sandwich.
That said my guess is Google still hasn't worked out these kinks with SD cards for early Ice Cream Sandwich either. Therefore going with all internal storage and no SD card option avoids the problem and will provide the best user experience. Motorola on the other hand has taken a beating from Xoom owners like myself that waited 6 months for any kind of SD card support and even then found it lacking.
The lack the sd card is a bit of a downer, if samsung goes the same route with the partitions as they did on the sgs2 then we'll only have 11.5gb of free space left on the sdcard.
wat no sd card? blasphemy!

[Q] Which highly touted feature(s) of your G'Nex, and ICS, were a bit of a letdown?

Now that you have your G'Nex, (and isn't it the ish?!!) Is there any functionality of it, or ICS, that was a bit of a let down?
I've had mine a little over a week and I'd have to say, that for me it's the camera. Panorama is VERY cool, and impresses everyone, and zero shutter lag is great. But I notice that the quality of basic snapshots is lacking. Colors look unnatural, strange tinting, etc. It may all be in the settings, which I have just now started tweaking. Hopefully I can come up with the right combo, because what's the point of all of the rest, if the pictures come out bad?
Other than that's it's been a major lovefest with the new "baby", complete with frequent battery changes, and late night chargings.
McDizzle said:
Now that you have your G'Nex, (and isn't it the ish?!!) Is there any functionality of it, or ICS, that was a bit of a let down?
I've had mine a little over a week and I'd have to say, that for me it's the camera. Panorama is VERY cool, and impresses everyone, and zero shutter lag is great. But I notice that the quality of basic snapshots is lacking. Colors look unnatural, strange tinting, etc. It may all be in the settings, which I have just now started tweaking. Hopefully I can come up with the right combo, because what's the point of all of the rest, if the pictures come out bad?
Other than that's it's been a major lovefest with the new "baby", complete with frequent battery changes, and late night chargings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO nothing let me down in regards to the specs and quality of this phone/ICS. I came from the SGS so everything with the GNex was a big improvement for me.
Some will probably say that the battery is a letdown, but given the sheer size and resolution of the screen i'd say it is OK.
/PS: I have the GSM version.
I was letdown there wasn't a hidden micro sd slot. That's it.
Sent from my Nexus in Texas.
I would also say the camera, but I will also say the speaker on this phone is a piece of crap!! I can't believe they shipped the phone with such a low ass speaker! Unbelievable!!! But I still like the damn phone
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Letdown:
1. Camera produced out-of-focus quite a lot
2. Speaker is too low
That's all ...
Battery is great, no problem with that (more than 2 days standby with more than 4 hours screen on time).
Gripes
The screen-capture function must have been designed by a complete sadist. For me it works. 1 out of 10 times....
No Scandinavial dictionary. Never thought I'd miss spell-checking, but I do! With a vengance.
Other than that I''m seriously satisfied.
/M
gogol said:
Letdown:
1. Camera produced out-of-focus quite a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is actually a bug in the Google ROM and is fixed in 4.0.3
None. The speaker is a bit of a let down but that wasn't a highly-touted feature.
I dislike the fact that the camera requires a tap to focus and another to take a picture. Why can't I just tap the shutter button and it focuses for me?
EP2008 said:
I dislike the fact that the camera requires a tap to focus and another to take a picture. Why can't I just tap the shutter button and it focuses for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mine works fine, using 4.0.3 AOKP ROM
McHan said:
The screen-capture function must have been designed by a complete sadist. For me it works. 1 out of 10 times....
No Scandinavial dictionary. Never thought I'd miss spell-checking, but I do! With a vengance.
Other than that I''m seriously satisfied.
/M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Geez you are so right! It soo easy on my iPhone compare to the nexus!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Whine, whine, whine.
I must be a sadist, because the screencap feature works for me, EVERY TIME.
The only thing I find to be a letdown is the lack of official Google Wallet with the Verizon version. I don't trust putting a hacked app on my phone that pays with credit cards. Other than that this phone rocks!!
In the original reveal for the GNex, the presenters had mentioned a 'manual white balance.' I got really excited for this, thinking we'd be able to set a custom WB or at the very least manually set the color temperature (in K) to whatever we wanted. Turns out they just meant it was the same as the previous iterations of Android, and that we were limited to Daylight/Tungsten/Fluorescent/etc.
A true manual white balance would alleviate a ton of issues that people complain about in regards to color reproduction. Oh well -- maybe one of these days.
The speaker, like many claim, sucks quite some donkey balls.
The option, or rather not to have the option, to slot a micro-SD card, but we knew that when we bought it . Still 16g should be enough for your phone (imo).
A feature of ICS I never use though is faceunlock... highly featured and beloved, but I don't use it.
It's a nice add-on though but I like to have no lock at all, had my company mail on my older SGS1 and always had to unlock through letter/digit combo.. meh so just slide away for me
Overall, this is the best phone for me, still gonna get the SGSIII aswell to play with.
Or maybe 'encourage' my girlfriend to get it when her contract has to be renewed so I can claim it
the overall smoothness was a huge let-down for me, initially, as most of my previous droids were smoother and faster in comparison. 4.0.3 took care of that once and for all though. Everything's close to perfect now.
This is pretty much the best smartphone on the market right now.
Sometimes I'm amazed by the reading comprehension (or lack thereof). He asked what advertised features of the phone ended up being a let down.
-Couple of things here...nobody ever said the phone would have a SD slot.
-Yes they advertised NFC but don't recall them claiming Wallet would be installed, the highly touted NFC stuff was Android Beam.
-The speaker also was not any kind of advertised feature...we all know its a gamble on any phone.
Anyways..while the face unlock feature works its hardly secure as has been demonstrated, I'd complain a little about the camera but I don't believe phones should be expected to take good pictures that's what DSLRs are for.
derrelicte said:
In the original reveal for the GNex, the presenters had mentioned a 'manual white balance.' I got really excited for this, thinking we'd be able to set a custom WB or at the very least manually set the color temperature (in K) to whatever we wanted. Turns out they just meant it was the same as the previous iterations of Android, and that we were limited to Daylight/Tungsten/Fluorescent/etc.
A true manual white balance would alleviate a ton of issues that people complain about in regards to color reproduction. Oh well -- maybe one of these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
couple of things here. if the picture i want to take is that important that i need to worry about wb i will use my 5d and shoot in raw. also a lot of people seem to be having issues just taking a picture with the gn if you think these same people are going to be able to figure out setting a manual wb thats a hella stretch.
Really I think it's a matter of the nexus not living up to the hype. For months people have been hyping up this phone. My last phone was a Evo 3d, going to the nexus was really a blah kinda upgrade. ICS is really nice and having it be fully functioning is a very good selling point, but on the 3D they pretty much had everything except the camera and wimax. I would say it ran almost as smooth as my nexus. Don't get me wrong the nexus is a great phone and would recommend it to others. It's just not a huge upgrade from a modern dual core phone.
Also the speaker is kickass compared to the Evo 3d's! And this phone should of been named the Nexus Prime!
adrynalyne said:
Whine, whine, whine.
I must be a sadist, because the screencap feature works for me, EVERY TIME.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really??? With on/off button and then vol-down? 45% of the time I get the Phone Options menu, 45% the phone goes to silent. I'm not being facetious, I REALLY want this to work. As Big Samm says; on the iPhone it's dead easy and works 100%. On MY Nexus; hardly ever.....
Any ideas what can be wrong on our phones?

Serious questions before I make the jump??

1. I have an sgs2 if anyone has had one did you make the switch and why?
2. Is the camera really as bad as some reviews?
3. Is there a way to get the official google updates on the ones that receive it from samsung?
4. Does anyone regret their purchase ?
Any info would be much appreciated
1. My Android journey -> N1, DHD, SGS2, GNex. I made the switch purely because I was madly in love with ICS ever since seeing it on a colleague's GNex, and the improved screen resolution on the GNex. The lack of fixed capacitative buttons have made for a nice added layer of personalisation (with custom ROMs of course).
2. I've taken a few shots with the GNex and am generally satisfied. I think for day to day point-to-shoot moments, it isn't bad at all. The zero shutter lag actually helps capture "the moment" well. But yes, I do miss the superb clarity of my SGS2's pics...
3. I won't even pretend to know the answer to this one, but will instead link you to this : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1391881
4. Hell no. Although if the rumoured Galaxy Nexus "Plus" is coming (faster OMAP4470 CPU @ 1.5GHz and 8MP cam) then I will... but this is just a rumour...
AndreaCristiano said:
1. I have an sgs2 if anyone has had one did you make the switch and why?
2. Is the camera really as bad as some reviews?
3. Is there a way to get the official google updates on the ones that receive it from samsung?
4. Does anyone regret their purchase ?
Any info would be much appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2. No. Like all cameras on phones it is fine in good light.
3. All updates are exactly the same whether they come from Google or Samsung.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Thanks guys if anyone else has anything to add I would appreciate it
2. If you focus the Nexus before you shoot, it'll take good photos. That's all it takes really. Pretty much the same with all other phones. If you dont focus, it'll take okay pictures but if you make it focus first then it'll take good photos.
3. Yes, just flash yakju on your GSM nexus then you'll be good. It worked for me.
4. No regret at all.
I just wanted to say something about the camera.
"Capturing the moment" has not really been there for me because I use a pattern lock to secure my phone so I can't go to the camera app as quick as I wanted to. So if you use any type of lock screen that is not the slide one, I wouldn't think that would be that great.
Also about the quality, I would just recommend that you get a friend or go to a store with the galaxy nexus and compare it. I personally don't take many photos so I didn't really care about the quality but I gotta say... its worse than my sgs captivate in my opinion. So I would recommend trying it out for yourself.
Overall, if I had a sgs II I wouldn't switch because that device is still a great device and it will get ics sometime in the future. I would just save my money...
That was just my own personal opinion on the whole thing. Hope you make a good decision!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
I'm leaning towards the switch but I would like to actually use a unit before I make the final call so I might swing into a Verizon store and check one out.
Don't the hardware is a downgrade. The only thing it has is the screen and that's it.once the s2 gets ics it will be much faster and better
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
I have spent 2 days with the nexus as a replacement for my water soaked SGS2(exynos) version. Before the haters get on me, i just want to give my honest opinions.
The Nexus is not as bad as many make it out to be. It does have a great screen and does feel nice in the hand. It is also pretty responsive as well.
Things i dont like coming from an sgs2...
-camera is terrible no matter how u put it-im sorry, it just is compared to sgs2
-micro stutter are quite frequent. There is a fair bit of lag throughout the whole phone. Whether it be scolling through web pages, homescreen, gallery or contacts, it just always has a bit of lag. Not crazy lag but again, coming from an SGS2 you never saw it anywhere.
-talking to people on the phone doesnt sound as clear
-speaker is weaker
-no SD
-battery is ok but not as good (could be because i have had it only for 2 days and also might need updates)
-browsers very fast but not as smooth in scrolling, pinch to zoom or playing videos
-apps not completely compatible yet (not nexus' fault)
Again, this is just my take on what i have seen. The phone just seems like a bit of a "work in progress". Also, i think sammy really put their full attention on the sgs2 and its software when they made it.
If you have a choice between the two, definitely go for the sgs2 unless you absolutely cant wait for ICS.
I like my Nexus but...
...i hear better reviews about the Galaxy S2 (better display)
Is that true? Better or worse in other ways?
the nexus screen is sharper and larger. the sgs2 screen is more vibrant and more contrast.
Infuse > SGS2 > GNex.
When I pick up my friends SGS2 to play around with it a bit, I gladly give it back to him.
The crisper and sharper screen with the noticeably higher resolution allows ics to shine. Don't listen to those who simply down play it's screen; it's pretty much *the* fundamental component of a touch screen device.
Good luck!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
I forgot to add one thing in my response to OP... I dearly, madly miss the ability to mount as USB storage in my GNex.
Potterified said:
I forgot to add one thing in my response to OP... I dearly, madly miss the ability to mount as USB storage in my GNex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might be the only one on the planet who actually likes that it uses MTP. I like not having to worry about whether the phone or my computer has mounted the SD card while it's plugged in.
esuohe said:
Infuse > SGS2 > GNex.
When I pick up my friends SGS2 to play around with it a bit, I gladly give it back to him.
The crisper and sharper screen with the noticeably higher resolution allows ics to shine. Don't listen to those who simply down play it's screen; it's pretty much *the* fundamental component of a touch screen device.
Good luck!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input but how can you say that out of those three phones the infuse is the best? That baffles me
So after reading reviews from tech crunch T3 engadget BGR etc etc I'm at 90% going for Nexus especially with the pure google experience and at least two years of updates ala nexus S rocking ICS
AndreaCristiano said:
Thanks for the input but how can you say that out of those three phones the infuse is the best? That baffles me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that was meant as "greater than" signs, but rather arrows to show his device history.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
Camera quality
I had a Nexus and returned it, primarily because I didn't feel the camera quality matched my HTC Thunderbolt's (running Skyraider).
HOWEVER.
After a week without the Nexus, I got the bug to get ICS again, and all the bells and whistles that came with Samsung's device and the newest phone on the market. I use the camera for work, and after spending some time with it - I now feel it's every bit as capable as HTC's - and surpasses it in many ways. I think it was just dealing with something different that turned me off. Sure, it's 5 megapixels v. 8 ... but that's not an accurate comparison, since lens quality and picture-processing algorithms play such an important part. As others mentioned - the no-lag shutter is great, there are some fun built-in features, and video quality is outstanding. The ONLY thing I don't care for is that the photos are not in 16x9 format. That seemed odd to me, and I was discussing it with a friend who's into photography. He pointed out that the pix the Nexus is taking are in 6x4 format (I think that's right -- definitely not 4x3). He says that's an industry standard for printing photos -- that 16x9 presents a problem if you're trying to have a photo printed professionally. I'd still like the option to shoot 16x9 (if it's in there, I can't find it) -- but the camera is far better than some reviews (and my initial experience) would have you believe.
Stadsport said:
I might be the only one on the planet who actually likes that it uses MTP. I like not having to worry about whether the phone or my computer has mounted the SD card while it's plugged in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love MTP when connected to my Win7 machine, but my netbook runs Linux, and I'm still figuring out getting MTPFS to automatically mount the phone's filesystem when I connect it. I can write a shell script to mount and unmount, but that isn't as nice as it "just working" on Windows.
Stadsport said:
I might be the only one on the planet who actually likes that it uses MTP. I like not having to worry about whether the phone or my computer has mounted the SD card while it's plugged in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

[Q] Further Camera updates? HTC or Devs?

Since the .15/.17 updates, we have seen a modest improvement in camera quality, furthermore, the RAW mode has shown that the sensor and lens combination can take some decent shots, even in low light
(look here) http://www.anandtech.com/show/9211/a-quick-look-at-one-m9-raw-photos
Now, yes, we could all just shoot in raw and learn how to correct the profiles, but, simply put, we shouldn't have to.
It is evident that HTC's jpgs are not being processed well, resulting in poor images.
I've tweeted HTC to ask if there are further improvements coming, and I didn't get a real response. Does anyone in the know have details as to whether they have committed to continue working on their JPGs, or will this have to go to one of the hardworking devs here to do something about?
Personally i've found HTC jpeg shots look better than RAW, and even in the photo's you've linked it's better in JPEG to be fair.
The S6 and iphone don't impress me either.
All the shots are awful, so I wouldn't use any of them as low light or night time shooters.
I wouldn't expect too much more in the way of improvements and if this phone's camera isn't good enough for you, i'd give up and sell it because they're all much of a muchness and no substitute for an Ultrapixel or proper camera.
Would love to see ANY update. When is it coming to europe and Sweden? Hate waiting....
I don't know what to tell you, then. The S6 and the iPhone are pretty much the gold standard for camera phones right now, and to call them awful is pure hyperbole. You might be a pro photographer and prefer a DSLR or pro gear, but even a pro photographer would be able to know what the intended use were for camera phones and not resort to calling them "awful" when they're clearly quite good for what they are.
The HTC camera, however, is simply horrendous. For simple point & shoot operation, this is damn near unusable indoors, and much worse than my Nexus 5, which is generally regarded to have a pretty bad camera. HTC **** the bed on their processing, and need to put some engineers towards improving this before it hurts them even more. Fortunately, this CAN be done over an OTA, but somehow I doubt it will.
Jonathan-H said:
The S6 and iphone don't impress me either.
All the shots are awful, so I wouldn't use any of them as low light or night time shooters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
entropism said:
I don't know what to tell you, then. The S6 and the iPhone are pretty much the gold standard for camera phones right now, and to call them awful is pure hyperbole. You might be a pro photographer and prefer a DSLR or pro gear, but even a pro photographer would be able to know what the intended use were for camera phones and not resort to calling them "awful" when they're clearly quite good for what they are.
The HTC camera, however, is simply horrendous. For simple point & shoot operation, this is damn near unusable indoors, and much worse than my Nexus 5, which is generally regarded to have a pretty bad camera. HTC **** the bed on their processing, and need to put some engineers towards improving this before it hurts them even more. Fortunately, this CAN be done over an OTA, but somehow I doubt it will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There isn't any perfect phone out there, but easy there I think the HTC M9 camera is great if you know how to tweak the exposure, contrast, and saturation. Maybe you should have a look on how to fox it
mr.dj26 said:
There isn't any perfect phone out there, but easy there I think the HTC M9 camera is great if you know how to tweak the exposure, contrast, and saturation. Maybe you should have a look on how to fox it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, for POINT & SHOOT operation, this phone is absolutely awful. Like 99% of the population, I do not want, nor should I need, to tweak any settings to make the phone usable as a camera. Should manually adjusting the camera take BETTER pictures than point and shoot? Sure. But using the camera right out of the box should take semi decent pictures, not the blurry, pixelated mess that HTC's software produces. Saying "Oh, it'll work fine as soon as you adjust the contrast, exposure, saturation, etc etc etc" is NOT something that will work for the general public.
So don't call a camera phone awful, but it is ok to call one horrendous. Lol. My wife has the Note 4 and before that she had the Note 2. We have had other Samsung phones in the past. Her phone does take a slight better pics than mine, but let's not exaggerate it. For those spur of the moment memories, texts, and social media, my phone does just fine. I have found iPhones do produce really nice photos, but my understanding has been that Apple does a little extra with the processing and the end result is not a natural photo.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
fernandezhjr said:
So don't call a camera phone awful, but it is ok to call one horrendous. Lol. My wife has the Note 4 and before that she had the Note 2. We have had other Samsung phones in the past. Her phone does take a slight better pics than mine, but let's not exaggerate it. For those spur of the moment memories, texts, and social media, my phone does just fine. I have found iPhones do produce really nice photos, but my understanding has been that Apple does a little extra with the processing and the end result is not a natural photo.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had the S6, it's quite adept at taking pictures. It's not DSLR quality, but as far as camera phones go, it's at the top for sure. Meanwhile, every single point & shoot picture out of the M9 comes out a pixelated mess.
I never said don't call a camera phone awful. I said you simply cannot take the gold standard out there and say it takes awful pictures. It's simply inaccurate. Meanwhile, for point & shoot, the M9 certainly is a poor performer.
entropism said:
I've had the S6, it's quite adept at taking pictures. It's not DSLR quality, but as far as camera phones go, it's at the top for sure. Meanwhile, every single point & shoot picture out of the M9 comes out a pixelated mess.
I never said don't call a camera phone awful. I said you simply cannot take the gold standard out there and say it takes awful pictures. It's simply inaccurate. Meanwhile, for point & shoot, the M9 certainly is a poor performer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said. I did comparisons and I don't see where it is that bad. I don't know how much better a S6 camera is than a Note 4, but I doubt it is that great. But I guess it could be.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk
I think a fair few of us in this thread agree that the M9 's hardware is CAPABLE of making some good shots, comparable to other flagships on the market. However, to GET to that point, it requires Manual intervention (or RAW). This is ok for 80% of the time, but when you have a short time to take a shot, it certainly falls short of other options.
This thread isn't to argue the semantics, rather asking what everything thinks is the next step for our camera, whether anyone in the know can share whether HTC will continue working on making the AUTO + JPGs better, or whether the notion that they will work on the camera was just a tick box action, and now we've had a small update, it is up to the independent devs to improve.
Karl-Johan said:
Would love to see ANY update. When is it coming to europe and Sweden? Hate waiting....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry mate, no idea, but I do feel your pain.
If you're really eager, any one of the leading custom ROMs have the latest camera update? I'm personally running Leedroid at the moment, and I cant fault it. Stable, with great performance

Anyone upgraded from the g4? What did you get that was better?

I wish the g5 had better battery life than the g4.... But it isn't looking like it so far.
Maybe there'll be an extended battery friend.
Still hoping for a bigger 5.5 model like the 2 paired galaxy's and iPhones
well ,right now i'm not looking to upgrade from G4 . Is still an amazing phone ,so far i had no issues and i hope it wont be (due to bootloops problem) ,currently with S/N 602.
I don't see any benefits to upgrade to g5 or s7/s7 edge. I still don't see the point on doing that ,if we are talking in terms of perfomance /camera /etc. I will be waiting Lg G6 ,maybe next year i will upgrade not sure yet .
I'll be tuning in on HTC tomorrow, as that is the most likely candidate for my upgrade. I'm out of the LG game. The G4 was a mess and I'm not fond of the G5.
I'd also like to check out a Huawei Mate 8 but that is a little hard to come by here.
In my case.... I haven't had any issues at all
mine is a h815 sn506
Would gladly keep it if I could be sure that it wouldn't boot loop
V10 is almost the price of a new s7 here otherwise I would have bought one.
The s7 edge is impressive but I really though the screen curve is gimmicky and makes the phone unnecessarily fragile.
Would get a mate 8 if it was easy to get my hands on one
novastar1 said:
I wish the g5 had better battery life than the g4.... But it isn't looking like it so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Surprisingly it does thanks to 6.0.1
when we get it then the extra battery on the G4 will surpass it.
Still hoping for a bigger 5.5 model like the 2 paired galaxy's and iPhones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
heard something about a mini.
novastar1 said:
In my case.... I haven't had any issues at all
mine is a h815 sn506
Would gladly keep it if I could be sure that it wouldn't boot loop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it does there is warranty but am suprised you have doubts as your poll thread pretty much ended them for me
V10 is almost the price of a new s7 here otherwise I would have bought one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
v11 ?
One Twelve said:
Surprisingly it does thanks to 6.0.1
when we get it then the extra battery on the G4 will surpass it.
heard something about a mini.
If it does there is warranty but am suprised you have doubts as your poll thread pretty much ended them for me
v11 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the sentiment
I have a euro model (815) but actually from .... There is no officially licensed lg reseller or service center here.
So if I have any issues my g4 will end up being a brick most likely.
I actually depend on it for work.
I like this phone as it's like the traditional androids with the removable battery and SD.
I've also taken around 2400 photos with the main camera in that time..... As I think the product so good that my mirrorless camera stays at home most times now.
I also think that sealed batteries make devices "disposable" forcing you to inevitably upgrade and also continuing to growing e-rubbish. It's really sad to me that most consumers accept that sealed batteries are more the norm than the exception now.
No LG here in Trinidad officially but there are official Apple, and Samsung stores.
I wish the Android would just make the same phone all regions so we wouldn't have this problem with matching parts and regional warranties. I honestly don't understand why there are so many different model numbers of just the g4 alone
I've gone to the GS7. I did enjoy the G4 but the S7 feels like a massive step forward.
Krisbo said:
I've gone to the GS7. I did enjoy the G4 but the S7 feels like a massive step forward.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish you a device without lag ,cause i know if you buy samsung after 3-4 months of use cause of touchwiz you get lag on phone and a factory reset doesn't help at all . Anyway ,post some pictures taken with s7 i'm curious . Danke
Haven't taken many photos just yet but from what I have taken I wouldn't say they look hugely better than the G4. The amoled screen makes them look better on the device but on a computer it's much of a muchness. The speaker is pretty pointless on the S7 too but that's the price you pay for IP68. Day-to-day performance and amoled alone are worth the upgrade to me. I do miss the clip tray though.
I used to be in the same boat about Touchwiz but it's come a long way since the awful days of the Captivate or even the SII
Reviews show G4 and G5 camera outperform S7
z0mghii said:
Reviews show G4 and G5 camera outperform S7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which review are you speaking of specifically?
novastar1 said:
Which review are you speaking of specifically?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://i.imgur.com/wTufn3O.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HIMYizg.jpg
z0mghii said:
Reviews show G4 and G5 camera outperform S7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung has issued a new update that improves things a little. What firmware did this reviewer use ?
What resolution was S7 using ? 12MP or 9MP. If you want to do 16:9 then s7 is at a disadvantage. I don't know why they changed the aspect (!) The S6 was 16MP for same aspect as the G5.
The G5 has improved on details so it does not surprise me much. But i prefer to see image data than collages.
There are two advantages that will be useful to S7 users. As a convenience. Slowest shutter is 1/4 whereas on the G4 it is 1/9 with night shot.
And using a faster shutter speed with flash means you can freeze people better. Both with point & click.
To do this on the G4/G5 or even S6/Note 5 will require manual settings. Very possible just extra steps.
---------- Post added at 06:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:25 AM ----------
novastar1 said:
Thanks for the sentiment
I have a euro model (815) but actually from .... There is no officially licensed lg reseller or service center here.
So if I have any issues my g4 will end up being a brick most likely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is better you ask in the title ? i don't know the answer to that question other than to speculate v11. v10 was too big for me so picked the G4.
Keep your data backed up, if it happens so you won't lose much.
It takes a lot of courage to buy a phone like this when others are more available.
In India LG uses a franchise model. I had to call up several shops on their website just to find a seller that had a demo device. It took a trip into the suburbs to finally find it. Suprisingly not available in a number of big box stores unlike samsung or apple.
LG did not spend much on publicity of the G4 compared to G3. For one month when G3 came out i got LG ads on YT and was so sick of it.
I actually depend on it for work.
I like this phone as it's like the traditional androids with the removable battery and SD.
I've also taken around 2400 photos with the main camera in that time..... As I think the product so good that my mirrorless camera stays at home most times now.
I also think that sealed batteries make devices "disposable" forcing you to inevitably upgrade and also continuing to growing e-rubbish. It's really sad to me that most consumers accept that sealed batteries are more the norm than the exception now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fully agree with everything you said there.
In fact there is a growing trend to show that a bigger sealed battery can be as good as two replaceable batteries. S7e for instance. To make replaceable batteries obsolete. If one increases the size of the replaceble battery then there is no chance.
Sealed battery has a way to go on android. Look at the ifixit repairability table.
The G4/G5 score 8.
What does the iphone with its sealed battery get ? 7
What does the S6/S7 get ? 3 (!)
htc one ? 2 (!)
Not only are these harder to repair they are also more expensive to replace the battery so you have to lose them in two years.
It does not stop there amoled is shorter lived than LCD. Loses brightness over time. Not so with LCD.
No LG here in Trinidad officially but there are official Apple, and Samsung stores.
I wish the Android would just make the same phone all regions so we wouldn't have this problem with matching parts and regional warranties. I honestly don't understand why there are so many different model numbers of just the g4 alone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google does it with nexus already. You would think its easier this way. One phone for the whole world.
z0mghii said:
https://i.imgur.com/wTufn3O.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HIMYizg.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm going to need to see EXIF for that. Otherwise I call BS. I can take a few pics with my D750 and (crudely) label it "S7" and suddenly "reviews" will show the S7 as being the best camera on a phone ever. I have a G4, and under NO circumstance 100% crop looks like that (which I am assuming that is 100% crop).
Please stop the fud.
I quickly did my own "review" and I'd like you to guess which is the G4, and which is the S7e. Images attached. EDIT - Both are at high jpg quality auto mode.
Smartphone cameras these days are good, and not one is very clearly better than the other - and none of them will look pleasing at 100% crop. If you want better photo quality, invest in something not attached to a phone.:good:
Source is here and you can find a bigger discussion:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/4dmvku/comparison_shot_of_galaxy_s7_vs_lg_g4_both_in/
Both cameras are good, s7 shoots faster (2x faster), g4 is more clear at 100 zoom.
From what I've seen, nothing really worth the upgrade from g4. We still have Motorola and oneplus to look forward to but it will be very difficult to get those devices where I live so that isn't very exciting prospect. Having said that, I just grabbed the 6p with a substantial discount and I'd consider that an upgrade. If u love xda and everything root, nothing beats a nexus and the 6p is hand down the best nexus ever made
z0mghii said:
Source is here and you can find a bigger discussion:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/4dmvku/comparison_shot_of_galaxy_s7_vs_lg_g4_both_in/
Both cameras are good, s7 shoots faster (2x faster), g4 is more clear at 100 zoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is still fanboy fud. You first claim a 'review' and then link to reddit? Attached are images shot using the G4 and S7e in manual mode @ ISO 50 1/6th shutter auto WB jpeg fine. The S7e isn't even close to looking as bad as this nonsense from reddit. In fact, I can't even call either shot I just did with either camera better than the other. There's a limit on how good a picture will be with such a small sensor.
Not to mention that the G4 in auto mode will never shoot at those settings- I've already demonstrated that with my previous post shooting in auto mode with the samples I attached.
I like my G4's camera a lot. The G4 definitely does a better job of auto white balance, but at 100% (and greater) NO smartphone camera will preserve that amount of detail. That is DSLR territory - with good glass and a larger sensor.
I've wasted enough of my time on this...
/on topic
Don't let the quality of a camera sensor determine what your next phone is. Almost every new flagship phone these days (since the last gen anyway) is more than adequate. Go by what you want in features, root/roms, etc.
anactoraaron said:
This is still fanboy fud. You first claim a 'review' and then link to reddit? Attached are images shot using the G4 and S7e in manual mode @ ISO 50 1/6th shutter auto WB jpeg fine. The S7e isn't even close to looking as bad as this nonsense from reddit. In fact, I can't even call either shot I just did with either camera better than the other. There's a limit on how good a picture will be with such a small sensor.
Not to mention that the G4 in auto mode will never shoot at those settings- I've already demonstrated that with my previous post shooting in auto mode with the samples I attached.
I like my G4's camera a lot. The G4 definitely does a better job of auto white balance, but at 100% (and greater) NO smartphone camera will preserve that amount of detail. That is DSLR territory - with good glass and a larger sensor.
I've wasted enough of my time on this...
/on topic
Don't let the quality of a camera sensor determine what your next phone is. Almost every new flagship phone these days (since the last gen anyway) is more than adequate. Go by what you want in features, root/roms, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Denying the truth doesn't change the fact.

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