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What do you think?
I have read it will cost in the US 650$, how much will it be in the European in €?
What do you say about a waterproof Pixel and will it have a hard button home key?
FaserF said:
What do you think?
I have read it will cost in the US 650$, how much will it be in the European in â?¬?
What do you say about a waterproof Pixel and will it have a hard button home key?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not waterproof
www.androidpolice.com/2016/09/21/googles-pixel-phones-will-be-ip53-rated-meaning-no-dunking-your-pixel-or-hosing-it-down
Can't see there being a home button either.
Google doesn't do physical or capacitive buttons on the front.
A home button isn't entirely impossible. Case leaks include one on the front, oddly, and the actual photo leaks I've seen have the same area blurred. It wouldn't make sense, but there is evidence to support it. As for waterproofing, it would make sense for them to, but if we haven't seen any info on it yet, it's probably not going to happen
I imagine maybe there is a fingerprint sensor or something along those lines in the front below the screen embedded in the glass
KnownDominance said:
I imagine maybe there is a fingerprint sensor or something along those lines in the front below the screen embedded in the glass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fingerprint sensor is actually on the back of the phone. Since the speakers are bottom firing, maybe they will take up more space than standard speakers?
Man, I REALLY hope they put a MicroSD.
YellowGTO said:
Man, I REALLY hope they put a MicroSD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny because this year it looks like expandable storage is the least thing everybody seem to worry about.
Regarding the price: If the US price is really $650 then I'd expect a similar € price here in Europe. They'd have a hard time convincing us to pay a higher price than most flagship smartphones (e.g. Galaxy S7) without offering some of the features they offer (waterproof, expandable storage)
FaserF said:
What do you think?
I have read it will cost in the US 650$, how much will it be in the European in €?
What do you say about a waterproof Pixel and will it have a hard button home key?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably the same amount (649) but in Euro`s. If all the rumors are correct this will be a expensive device, the XL will cost even more off course maybe even up to 700-750 euro`s, its not waterproof, non expandable storage and rooting Nougat will be harder and harder as Google is gradualy locking down android to obtain root.
I will not pay this amount for a Google phone considering i bought the blue Honor 8 for 399 euro`s wich overall is a great device with a killer camera and fingerprint scanner.
The rumor is that the smaller Pixel will start at $650. No one seems to know what the extra storage will cost, but since Google is trying to replicate Apple's pricing, I would expect an Apple-like matrix. That would put the fatter sailfish at $750. The Pixel XL would then come in at $770 and $870. That also puts them roughly in parity with the Samsung Galaxy S7, but with a larger screen. Of course, the difference is that you can add a comparatively cheap (read, less than $100) SD card to a S7. It is less than the $900 asking price for a Note 7, but it also lacks the stylus and has a smaller display.
I'm hoping this is off, but at this point it's looking pretty likely.
ts-apps said:
It's funny because this year it looks like expandable storage is the least thing everybody seem to worry about.
Regarding the price: If the US price is really $650 then I'd expect a similar € price here in Europe. They'd have a hard time convincing us to pay a higher price than most flagship smartphones (e.g. Galaxy S7) without offering some of the features they offer (waterproof, expandable storage)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that Samsung gave me 4 256gb SD cards Ill be stuck with MicroSD card phones for a bit
If this thing is over 600 bucks nobody better buy it. Once we do the line will be drawn and they will never turn back.
ramblinman said:
If this thing is over 600 bucks nobody better buy it. Once we do the line will be drawn and they will never turn back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering that the Nexus 6 was $699, I'd say that that line has already been surpassed.
doitright said:
Considering that the Nexus 6 was $699, I'd say that that line has already been surpassed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus 6 didn't exactly fly off the shelves either. Part of that may be the lack of demand for such an enormous device, but I suspect a big part of that was the price tag and Google's typical mucking up of marketing campaigns.
The only Android OEM to maintain those kinds of flagship prices successfully has been Samsung. Everyone else has either had to back off (LG) or suffered poor sales performance (hTC).
Now, in their defense, Google always intended the Nexus devices to be "developer phones", so they probably didn't care too much that the 6 wasn't exactly the hottest ticket going.
jshamlet said:
The Nexus 6 didn't exactly fly off the shelves either. Part of that may be the lack of demand for such an enormous device, but I suspect a big part of that was the price tag and Google's typical mucking up of marketing campaigns.
The only Android OEM to maintain those kinds of flagship prices successfully has been Samsung. Everyone else has either had to back off (LG) or suffered poor sales performance (hTC).
Now, in their defense, Google always intended the Nexus devices to be "developer phones", so they probably didn't care too much that the 6 wasn't exactly the hottest ticket going.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you base that on?
The reality is quite the contrary, Nexus 6 sales *exceeded* expectations quite dramatically. They were persistently short on meeting demands until well into 2015 -- first sell date was in November 2014. That doesn't happen when you are having a hard time selling them.
doitright said:
What do you base that on?
The reality is quite the contrary, Nexus 6 sales *exceeded* expectations quite dramatically. They were persistently short on meeting demands until well into 2015 -- first sell date was in November 2014. That doesn't happen when you are having a hard time selling them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google themselves admitted that the Nexus 6 (and the 9) didn't meet their sales expectations, to the point where they impacted revenue statements in 2015. They sold reasonably well, but they weren't barn burners. Now, part of that is the fact that they couldn't keep sufficient stock, which I chalk up to Google's "typical mucking up" of consumer launches, and part of that was the fact that the 6 wasn't sold through carriers.
I suspect the latter is probably the bigger factor. It's a lot easier to charge $800+ for a flagship when the customer can finance it through their phone bill than it is to extend that as a separate loan. As such, it's possible the Pixel phones may be able to pull off the higher pricing now that the carriers are on board with selling them.
jshamlet said:
Google themselves admitted that the Nexus 6 (and the 9) didn't meet their sales expectations, to the point where they impacted revenue statements in 2015. They sold reasonably well, but they weren't barn burners. Now, part of that is the fact that they couldn't keep sufficient stock, which I chalk up to Google's "typical mucking up" of consumer launches, and part of that was the fact that the 6 wasn't sold through carriers.
I suspect the latter is probably the bigger factor. It's a lot easier to charge $800+ for a flagship when the customer can finance it through their phone bill than it is to extend that as a separate loan. As such, it's possible the Pixel phones may be able to pull off the higher pricing now that the carriers are on board with selling them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When did "google themselves" say that? Especially since everybody and his brother and his uncle and his cousin and his ..... has a nexus 9.....
doitright said:
When did "google themselves" say that? Especially since everybody and his brother and his uncle and his cousin and his ..... has a nexus 9.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look, I'm not anti-Google, and I actually liked the Nexus line, so I have no particular axe to grind. However, you will find that in 2015, Google CFO Patrick Pichette stated as much in the Q1 guidance to investors. Additionally, Motorola has independently discussed the fact that the Nexus 6 didn't perform as well in the market as they would have liked, so it's not like this is some new piece of information. Now, anecdotally, I have only seen a handful of Nexus 6 devices roaming wild, and I work in a very tech-oriented town. Instead, I see what you might expect - mostly iPhones, Galaxy S6/7s and Notes, with a smattering of older Nexus devices - particularly the 5. I saw a guy with a 6P the other day in the parking lot, but I only remember that because it's the first one I've seen so far.
I have yet to see a single Nexus 9 in my town. When I do see a tablet in the wild here, it is almost invariably an iPad or iPad pro, though I have seen a few Galaxy tabs and Nexus 7's.
Now, no one is calling these devices failures, or bad. However, they didn't sell to Google or Motorola's expectations for a variety of reasons, and it is likely why the Nexus 6 was the last actual 6" Nexus device made.
jshamlet said:
Look, I'm not anti-Google, and I actually liked the Nexus line, so I have no particular axe to grind. However, you will find that in 2015, Google CFO Patrick Pichette stated as much in the Q1 guidance to investors. Additionally, Motorola has independently discussed the fact that the Nexus 6 didn't perform as well in the market as they would have liked, so it's not like this is some new piece of information. Now, anecdotally, I have only seen a handful of Nexus 6 devices roaming wild, and I work in a very tech-oriented town. Instead, I see what you might expect - mostly iPhones, Galaxy S6/7s and Notes, with a smattering of older Nexus devices - particularly the 5. I saw a guy with a 6P the other day in the parking lot, but I only remember that because it's the first one I've seen so far.
I have yet to see a single Nexus 9 in my town. When I do see a tablet in the wild here, it is almost invariably an iPad or iPad pro, though I have seen a few Galaxy tabs and Nexus 7's.
Now, no one is calling these devices failures, or bad. However, they didn't sell to Google or Motorola's expectations for a variety of reasons, and it is likely why the Nexus 6 was the last actual 6" Nexus device made.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you're taking BUSINESS EXCUSES as fact? That's silly.
Anyone hear anything about a notification light?
I really miss this from my Nexus 5 and enabling it on my Nexus 6 was a pain. The 5X and 6P have it. I would rather have a notification light than the ambient display.
I will consistently miss the "pulsing" ambient display notification, or when I pick up the phone to put it in my pocket etc, the motion will turn on the screen and I'll accidentally activate some app on the phone or change a setting accidentally.
I'd rather not have the screen on unless I turn it on.
-J
Hi,
I have a new Z2 Play and the camera's not great. I'm traveling this weekend and need a good camera. Would the Hasselblad mod be an improvement? I see both the phone and the mod have a 12-mp camera but am not techie enough to understand any other differences in specs between the two. I get 25% off at Verizon, which would bring the price down a bit, and I guess I have 14 days to return, but don't want to go through (or put the store through) all that if it's not an improvement over the Z2 Play camera.
My other option is to take an old, inactive Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus to use as a camera; it had some water damage but I don't think it affected the camera? Unfortunately I just traded in/sold all 3 iPhones
TIA!
(Also xposting to the mods section)
I think you should get it (I want one too!)
Yes, despite the same 12 megapixel rating it will be a noticeable improvement over the built-in camera. Not only does the Hasselblad mod have a real 10x optical zoom, but it offers selectable modes tailored for sport, portrait, etc. that can minimize blurring and optimize lighting and contrast for scenes. It uses its own imaging hardware so it is not dependent on any of the phone's built-in imaging hardware or software. In addition to saving pictures as JPG files, it also captures images in RAW format, so if you really want to tweak the pictures later you will have uncompressed RAW mode files (though file sizes will be several times larger). In addition to all of that great stuff, I *think* it has optical image stabilization, though reviews on the web claim both that it does and that it doesn't. I haven't been able to confirm if it really has OIS or not.
Unfortunately I don't yet have one myself but have been seriously considering buying one and have done lots of research. My opinion is you should get it if you can afford the $250 USD price, especially considering your comment about getting it at a discounted price. I paid over $200 for my point-and-click Samsung camera, and while it has a 21x zoom and 16mpix sensor I would prefer to have my phone be the center of my imaging solution rather than carry around another device. Sure, I would be doing that with the Hasselblad mod as well but I wouldn't have to worry about moving the pictures off my camera later and they would automatically be uploaded to Google Photos. The convenience and added features would make it worth it.
The only downside (beyond price) I see is that it's useless unless it's connected to a some type of Moto Z phone. However, if you're comfortable with that (it's the same for any Moto Mod) then it probably isn't a concern.
Good luck, and if you do buy it please post an update for those of us who are on the fence need an excuse to buy it!
---------- Post added at 10:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------
I forgot to ask; how do you get a 25% discount from Verizon? I would buy it right now if I could get it at that price.
danicrit said:
Hi,
I have a new Z2 Play and the camera's not great. I'm traveling this weekend and need a good camera. Would the Hasselblad mod be an improvement? I see both the phone and the mod have a 12-mp camera but am not techie enough to understand any other differences in specs between the two. I get 25% off at Verizon, which would bring the price down a bit, and I guess I have 14 days to return, but don't want to go through (or put the store through) all that if it's not an improvement over the Z2 Play camera.
My other option is to take an old, inactive Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus to use as a camera; it had some water damage but I don't think it affected the camera? Unfortunately I just traded in/sold all 3 iPhones
TIA!
(Also xposting to the mods section)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tropho said:
Yes, despite the same 12 megapixel rating it will be a noticeable improvement over the built-in camera. Not only does the Hasselblad mod have a real 10x optical zoom, but it offers selectable modes tailored for sport, portrait, etc. that can minimize blurring and optimize lighting and contrast for scenes. It uses its own imaging hardware so it is not dependent on any of the phone's built-in imaging hardware or software. In addition to saving pictures as JPG files, it also captures images in RAW format, so if you really want to tweak the pictures later you will have uncompressed RAW mode files (though file sizes will be several times larger). In addition to all of that great stuff, I *think* it has optical image stabilization, though reviews on the web claim both that it does and that it doesn't. I haven't been able to confirm if it really has OIS or not.
Unfortunately I don't yet have one myself but have been seriously considering buying one and have done lots of research. My opinion is you should get it if you can afford the $250 USD price, especially considering your comment about getting it at a discounted price. I paid over $200 for my point-and-click Samsung camera, and while it has a 21x zoom and 16mpix sensor I would prefer to have my phone be the center of my imaging solution rather than carry around another device. Sure, I would be doing that with the Hasselblad mod as well but I wouldn't have to worry about moving the pictures off my camera later and they would automatically be uploaded to Google Photos. The convenience and added features would make it worth it.
The only downside (beyond price) I see is that it's useless unless it's connected to a some type of Moto Z phone. However, if you're comfortable with that (it's the same for any Moto Mod) then it probably isn't a concern.
Good luck, and if you do buy it please post an update for those of us who are on the fence need an excuse to buy it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much!!! Yes, I noticed the same thing you did about some reviews saying OIS and others not, which really frustrated me. However, the official Moto site says (under "Full Specifications"):
image stabilization
Still: OIS
Video: EIS
--but like I said, I'm not techie enough to really know how much of a difference that makes.
I had the Moto Z a few weeks ago and got a like-new Hasselblad (supposedly only used a couple times) for $100 on Facebook Marketplace. I only took 2 pics with it though, and one was just when I needed the zoom -- an hour after I bought it (which was almost a 3-hour roundtrip in DC Friday rush hour traffic), I was looking across a busy highway trying to figure out how to get a close-up pic of a faraway sign I wanted to show my kids--then I remembered, duh, I just bought this camera with zoom and that's why I drove all the way out here in the first place! The pic was great as far as the zoom went, I didn't pay attention to anything else. I ended up selling it on Craigslist for $100 when I returned the Z a few days later (due to its' poor battery life). When I got the Z2 Play, the guy I sold it to said I could buy it back if I regretted selling it, but he was happy with it and I didn't want to do that to him (plus I would've had to do another long drive).
For some reason I wasn't sure if the quality of the phone/camera makes a difference--the Z had a better processor and camera than the Z2 Play does, so I wasn't sure if that would impact the quality of pics taken with the mod.
I've seen the mod on Facebook marketplace/Craigslist but am out of time to get it that way now, plus a return will be easier at Verizon. Thanks for your help--I'll bite the bullet and rack up more credit card debt at Verizon tomorrow! It's down to $250 there and I get a 25% discount so I guess that's around $187 before taxes.... ouch. I'll play around with it on my trip this weekend and then decide if it's worth keeping
I forgot to ask; how do you get a 25% discount from Verizon? I would buy it right now if I could get it at that price.
Apparently my husband's company/employer is one of the companies that qualifies for 18% off service (doesn't apply to unlimited plans) and 25% off accessories. If your employer qualifies, you can enroll online or (faster) in a store with a paystub (like I did--but they still messed up and I had to go through a lot to redo it). Third-party retailers vary in the extent to which they'll honor the discount, if at all. Corporate stores will honor it, as will Verizon online and by phone. It's down to $250 on the Verizon website right now, so I hope it's the same in stores since I'm probably out of time to order online for in-store pickup (leaving town Friday--well, I guess I maybe I could try for in-store pickup in the town where I'm going, LOL). When I bought the Z a few weeks ago, the 3rd-party store offered 50% off the mods if you bought them with the phone. I don't think they carried the camera mod though (?); I don't think any 3rd party stores do. I had some other options including a Groupon for a third-party Verizon store that could probably special order it for me, but again, I wouldn't have it in time for this trip. Though I guess I could always return the one I buy tomorrow, after my trip, and get it somewhere else cheaper.
That is great info, thank you. I currently get the military discount, which provides 25% discount on select accessories and unfortunately the Hasselblad mod is not eligible. I double checked via a chat session with a Verizon rep and they confirmed it is not eligible. Oh well, I will eagerly await your follow up report on whether I should just close my eyes and click "submit order"
Since I can't get your awesome discount, I checked elsewhere and see it's listed on Amazon for $239.99, $10 less than Verizon. I wonder if there's an unused Amazon gift card hiding between my couch cushions...
danicrit said:
I forgot to ask; how do you get a 25% discount from Verizon? I would buy it right now if I could get it at that price.
Apparently my husband's company/employer is one of the companies that qualifies for 18% off service (doesn't apply to unlimited plans) and 25% off accessories. If your employer qualifies, you can enroll online or (faster) in a store with a paystub (like I did--but they still messed up and I had to go through a lot to redo it). Third-party retailers vary in the extent to which they'll honor the discount, if at all. Corporate stores will honor it, as will Verizon online and by phone. It's down to $250 on the Verizon website right now, so I hope it's the same in stores since I'm probably out of time to order online for in-store pickup (leaving town Friday--well, I guess I maybe I could try for in-store pickup in the town where I'm going, LOL). When I bought the Z a few weeks ago, the 3rd-party store offered 50% off the mods if you bought them with the phone. I don't think they carried the camera mod though (?); I don't think any 3rd party stores do. I had some other options including a Groupon for a third-party Verizon store that could probably special order it for me, but again, I wouldn't have it in time for this trip. Though I guess I could always return the one I buy tomorrow, after my trip, and get it somewhere else cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It uses its own imaging hardware so it is not dependent on any of the phone's built-in imaging hardware or software.
This is something I was confused/concerned about--I know the mod took a couple decent pics with the Z, but that phone had better specs and processor (Snapdragon 820 vs 626) than the Z2 Play, and I wasn't sure how much of a difference that makes when using the mod--in other words, I was worried pics taken with the mod on better/higher-end phones might be better than those taken with the mod on midrange/budget phones. It sounds like that's not the case. Thanks for clearing that up!
That is great info, thank you. I currently get the military discount, which provides 25% discount on select accessories and unfortunately the Hasselblad mod is not eligible. I double checked via a chat session with a Verizon rep and they confirmed it is not eligible. Oh well, I will eagerly await your follow up report on whether I should just close my eyes and click "submit order"
Since I can't get your awesome discount, I checked elsewhere and see it's listed on Amazon for $239.99, $10 less than Verizon. I wonder if there's an unused Amazon gift card hiding between my couch cushions...
I just checked and I have a $24 Amazon balance, LOL, and $22 on Google Express which only has the Tumi battery mod (which I just returned--too heavy, but it's now down to $16.99, which was basically free with a Groupon). Based on my experience with Verizon, I suspect you were given incorrect information about the mod not qualifying as an eligible accessory. I was told something similar at a corporate Verizon store and they turned out to be wrong. When I'm back in town next week, I'll try to get confirmation for you
OT - Another 3rd-party store that currently has a Groupon, said they could special order the Incipio wireless charging battery mod for me. They're saying it's $34.99. I'm going to try to get it and try to get them to honor the price after they realize their mistake (retail is $89.99)......
Update: Got the camera mod!
Update:
Verizon confirmed this accessory isn't eligible for either the employer or military accessory discount.
I went ahead and got it at a discounted price. If I decide not to keep it after my trip this weekend, I'll sell it rather than return it, but that probably won't happen.
Which picture do you prefer? LOL. I also took some indoor shots at my desk and am not sure I see much of a difference...
Having trouble getting both the embedded pics to show up in this post, AND the link to the pictures to work when clicked on (clicking on the Google Photos links takes me to an XDA page)
Comparison shots
https://goo.gl/photos/ont5BbJrGtEN7vGm7
The comparison shots
Sorry about all the posts since there's no option to declutter by deleting.
I just realized if you click the little i at the top right of the pic, and keep that sidebar open as you scroll through the pics, it will show you which pics were taken with which camera (HB being the mod and XT being the phone without the mod).
Can you PM me? I'm not sure if that option exists here. Thanks.
Other than zoom shots, the Z2 Play takes better photos. It's an even bigger gap with the 2016 Z Force Droid and probably Z2 Force. But zoom shots are usually better with the Hasselblad. Also, you can experiment with other camera apps to see if you can get somewhat better shots.
Wow, thank you so much for shooting so many pics for comparison! They both look great but I think the Moto's color temperature is warmer than the Hasselblad's in these pictures, which look to be on the cooler/bluer end of the color spectrum. I like the warmer colors more, but that's something easily changed before or after. Given there are so many tweakable settings in the Hasselblad mod's camera software I'm sure there is something that can be turned on or off depending on the scene. Even so, with the addition of zoom and optical image stabilization I'm still in love with the mod and your efforts have only made me want it more. I now have a birthday gift recommendation to subtly pass to my wife!
Btw that street market looks cool!
danicrit said:
https://goo.gl/photos/ont5BbJrGtEN7vGm7
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Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 08:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:24 AM ----------
I forgot to ask your opinion of the time required to focus with the Hasselblad, especially when zooming. Some of the reviews criticized it's slow focusing. Did you experience that, and if so was it constant or just during certain situations like low light?
tropho said:
Wow, thank you so much for shooting so many pics for comparison! They both look great but I think the Moto's color temperature is warmer than the Hasselblad's in these pictures, which look to be on the cooler/bluer end of the color spectrum. I like the warmer colors more, but that's something easily changed before or after. Given there are so many tweakable settings in the Hasselblad mod's camera software I'm sure there is something that can be turned on or off depending on the scene. Even so, with the addition of zoom and optical image stabilization I'm still in love with the mod and your efforts have only made me want it more. I now have a birthday gift recommendation to subtly pass to my wife!
Btw that street market looks cool!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Sorry for the delayed response, I've been having multiple issues getting into my account and was just about to give up and create a new one. I preferred the Z2 Play shots and am debating not keeping the camera and selling it for the discounted price I paid (or just returning it).
benjamminh said:
Other than zoom shots, the Z2 Play takes better photos. It's an even bigger gap with the 2016 Z Force Droid and probably Z2 Force. But zoom shots are usually better with the Hasselblad. Also, you can experiment with other camera apps to see if you can get somewhat better shots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, I preferred the Z2 Play shots as well, and I'm not convinced there are "so many tweakable settings" with the mod that will really make enough of a difference to justify $200. I'm thinking about returning it, or selling it so someone else can get the discounted price--that's why I asked you to PM me in case you might be interested in buying it. I also wanted to find out what state you're in, since I'm traveling this weekend.
I actually had an album with Z2 Play shots a couple weeks ago, but already took it down. (I think all the pics are still in my trash folder though, if you're interested in seeing them.)
That's the Thursday Farmer's Market right outside my office
I've never noticed any lag/time issues with focusing or zooming, but then again I wasn't really trying/paying attention, literally just walking around doing point and shoot with no effort (the way most of us take our pictures on the fly). I knew from reading reviews this time around that I needed to press the shutter button halfway down, wait for it to focus, and then press the rest of the way to take the picture. One thing that did scare me a bit was that I started getting 'camera error' message issues after taking pics, and wasn't able to save those pics. I kept taking the mod on and off, restarting it manually, etc. It finally went back to working normally, but I don't know what caused it or how to fix it.... I've seen some user reviews that it just stopped working after a few months but am not sure how/why.
tropho said:
Wow, thank you so much for shooting so many pics for comparison! They both look great but I think the Moto's color temperature is warmer than the Hasselblad's in these pictures, which look to be on the cooler/bluer end of the color spectrum. I like the warmer colors more, but that's something easily changed before or after. Given there are so many tweakable settings in the Hasselblad mod's camera software I'm sure there is something that can be turned on or off depending on the scene. Even so, with the addition of zoom and optical image stabilization I'm still in love with the mod and your efforts have only made me want it more. I now have a birthday gift recommendation to subtly pass to my wife!
Btw that street market looks cool!
---------- Post added at 08:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:24 AM ----------
I forgot to ask your opinion of the time required to focus with the Hasselblad, especially when zooming. Some of the reviews criticized it's slow focusing. Did you experience that, and if so was it constant or just during certain situations like low light?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Duh, sorry, I just realized if you're reading this thread you probably have a Z2 Play already as well? And therefore would have no need to see the pics I took with one... LOL. Or maybe not, since I guess anyone with a Z series phone might be interested in questions about the mods.
I'll be in New Orleans for the weekend, and will try to take and post a lot of pictures while trying to decide whether to keep the mod or not. I will say it's not all that quick or convenient standing there taking off/putting on the mod to take the comparison shots! I'm probably also taking an old, inactive Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus to use as a camera and for comparison purposes - it had some water damage but I don't think that affected the camera. I suspect it may be cloudy/rainy all weekend though :-/
A bit OT--I'm excited, finally got my notification that the free Soundboost 2 mod (promo with the new Play) is finally shipping. Though why it says allow up to 2-3 more weeks for delivery, I don't know... Can't wait! Wish I had it for my trip this weekend, where I'll be showing off my new phone and mods (but at the moment I only have the camera mod) to my son and his girlfriend (sophomore/junior in college). I wonder if he'll be jealous, LOL, since he's gotten sucked over to the dark side in the past couple years (iPhone).
Oh, just saw this in the FedEx tracking info--guess it will be waiting for me when I get home from my trip Monday night!
Scheduled delivery: Mon 8/21/2017 by end of day
danicrit said:
A bit OT--I'm excited, finally got my notification that the free Soundboost 2 mod (promo with the new Play) is finally shipping. Though why it says allow up to 2-3 more weeks for delivery, I don't know... Can't wait! Wish I had it for my trip this weekend, where I'll be showing off my new phone and mods (but at the moment I only have the camera mod) to my son and his girlfriend (sophomore/junior in college). I wonder if he'll be jealous, LOL, since he's gotten sucked over to the dark side in the past couple years (iPhone).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh no, those camera error messages are not a good sign, nor is the report about it dying after a couple months. That definitely gives me pause about buying one, and I don't want my wishy-washiness to stop you from getting a refund if you're looking to return it. I greatly appreciate the offer (and I may regret that later) but I think it's probably the right move
danicrit said:
Yup, I preferred the Z2 Play shots as well, and I'm not convinced there are "so many tweakable settings" with the mod that will really make enough of a difference to justify $200. I'm thinking about returning it, or selling it so someone else can get the discounted price--that's why I asked you to PM me in case you might be interested in buying it. I also wanted to find out what state you're in, since I'm traveling this weekend.
I actually had an album with Z2 Play shots a couple weeks ago, but already took it down. (I think all the pics are still in my trash folder though, if you're interested in seeing them.)
That's the Thursday Farmer's Market right outside my office
I've never noticed any lag/time issues with focusing or zooming, but then again I wasn't really trying/paying attention, literally just walking around doing point and shoot with no effort (the way most of us take our pictures on the fly). I knew from reading reviews this time around that I needed to press the shutter button halfway down, wait for it to focus, and then press the rest of the way to take the picture. One thing that did scare me a bit was that I started getting 'camera error' message issues after taking pics, and wasn't able to save those pics. I kept taking the mod on and off, restarting it manually, etc. It finally went back to working normally, but I don't know what caused it or how to fix it.... I've seen some user reviews that it just stopped working after a few months but am not sure how/why.
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---------- Post added at 10:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 AM ----------
I have the original Soundboost and think it is awesome, and that you will be impressed if v2 is even better. It is LOUD and sounds great even at high volume. Beware though, it will kill your phone's battery even though it has battery capacity of it's own. Basically, the louder the volume the more power is required.
danicrit said:
A bit OT--I'm excited, finally got my notification that the free Soundboost 2 mod (promo with the new Play) is finally shipping. Though why it says allow up to 2-3 more weeks for delivery, I don't know... Can't wait! Wish I had it for my trip this weekend, where I'll be showing off my new phone and mods (but at the moment I only have the camera mod) to my son and his girlfriend (sophomore/junior in college). I wonder if he'll be jealous, LOL, since he's gotten sucked over to the dark side in the past couple years (iPhone).
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Been reading every review I've come across on the 20 U and they all have been saying the same thing, not worth the money, camera is barely better than 10, if at all. Has anyone cancelled their order because of this and going to wait it out? On the fence, as I've seen the pixel "getting fixed" , now several months later and still isn't. If anyone has come across a review, post latest update, please share. TIA
shollywood said:
Been reading every review I've come across on the 20 U and they all have been saying the same thing, not worth the money, camera is barely better than 10, if at all. Has anyone cancelled their order because of this and going to wait it out? On the fence, as I've seen the pixel "getting fixed" , now several months later and still isn't. If anyone has come across a review, post latest update, please share. TIA
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No.
shollywood said:
Been reading every review I've come across on the 20 U and they all have been saying the same thing, not worth the money, camera is barely better than 10, if at all. Has anyone cancelled their order because of this and going to wait it out? On the fence, as I've seen the pixel "getting fixed" , now several months later and still isn't. If anyone has come across a review, post latest update, please share. TIA
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Nope. Because the reviews out at this point are early impressions based on not reaching expectations based on hype. Nothing ever hits that, and every phone review is basically the same as a result.
In the end, this is the best Android phone out there, and likely will remain the best for a year. Nobody else does "no compromises" phones anymore, because everyone else knows nobody will pay the money that it costs to do it. Samsung is the only player out there willing to take the risk of putting out a phone that checks all the boxes, and that's all I really care about - I am tired of paying close to a thousand bucks for a phone that has skimped out and leaves me wanting to upgrade a year later, and at this point in my life I can afford to pay more so I can just keep my damned phone for 2 or 3 years rather than regretting some annoyance 6 months later.
Nope, as long as it is better than my Pixel 4 xl.
shollywood said:
Been reading every review I've come across on the 20 U and they all have been saying the same thing, not worth the money, camera is barely better than 10, if at all. Has anyone cancelled their order because of this and going to wait it out? On the fence, as I've seen the pixel "getting fixed" , now several months later and still isn't. If anyone has come across a review, post latest update, please share. TIA
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I didn't get the impression that anyone was saying the camera wasn't better than the S10, only that the autofocus is slower. The camera is better than everything and on par with the iPhone 11 pro from everything I read.
Granted, it's hard to say a $1400 phone is worth it for the average consumer when the Pixel 3a and Chinese phones exist.
Maybe because it looks worse than my Note 10+ which looks worse than my 11 Pro Max which is king when it comes to video and night mode!
My delivery date is 03/17/2020 so plenty of time. Don't think that cancel button is going away any time soon. Real reviews will be live in a week running updated firmware.
After learning of the Samsung store's 15% restocking fee (!), I certainly don't want to make a $240 mistake.
Reviews are not horrible and everyone forget that phone is still 1 full week from officially launching. Everytime I get a phone on launch day, as it activates I get a software update. I'll be super surprised if there isn't a big update in the works coming in a few days
I'm going to try the phone out myself. People get way too emotional about new phones to give objective opinions and as others said, it isn't even released yet. I too have a P4XL and if I like it better, I'll keep it. I can afford it or I wouldn't have ordered it. I also just read Samsung's return policy on their website. It says you have 15 days to return a phone at no cost to you, shipping is even covered. I returned a phone a couple years ago and that's how it was. If that policy had changed I would think their website would reflect the change. returns
le0.br4zuc4 said:
Reviews are not horrible and everyone forget that phone is still 1 full week from officially launching. Everytime I get a phone on launch day, as it activates I get a software update. I'll be super surprised if there isn't a big update in the works coming in a few days
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We know for certain that there's an update to let you turn on 120hz mode at full resolution, and one to improve auto-focus performance.
The auto-focus thing is not really a focus issue so much as an artifact that has to do with the larger sensors and lenses - it behaves a lot more like an SLR than a phone camera in terms of focal length and F.stop, and hence the depth of field detection needs tuning. It's the same reason that the phone gives such incredible bokeh even without turning on portrait mode. Think of it more like the transition from fixed focus to auto-focus cameras, and how people had trouble getting good shots in the early days. More savvy reviewers picked up on this and were already correcting for it themselves by the time of their reviews.
Bottom line is this isn't likely ever going to be as "point and shoot" as other phones are, but they can tune things better than they are now and are working on doing so. In exchange, when you go into pro mode you should be able to do a lot of things that you simply can't with other phone cameras.
Most of the negativity has been about:
Value for money
Specific camera attributes especially the worthiness of 100x zoom
Battery impact of 120Hz refresh rate
Size, weight, and protrusion of the camera array
Missing headphone jack
Boring and limited colors
My thoughts:
With $1K phones not so unusual any more I guess value is relative. With Samsung's liberal trade-in programs a lot of people are going to being paying a lot that than $1.3K.
From reading the reviews improved low light, excellent zoom up to 10x, and multiple ways to take everyday photos will make the camera great and a step up based on the way I use it. I do think some of the issues like occasionally wonky auto focus will be corrected with s/w.
I'll probably use 120Hz and probably have more than enough battery to get through my day. I'll turn it off when I'm travelling when battery is more important than smoothness. I'd bet fine tuning via s/w improves 120Hz performance over time.
I currently have a Galaxy Fold so the S20 Ultra will seem small. But for those used to big phones it's just another big phone. The camera array is pretty in your face but most cases minimize it. I ordered a black phone to help make the camera array less in your face.
Yesterday's news.
Whether black and gray are livable is individually subjective. Don't like black and gray? Don't buy the phone.
This is the first 5G phone that theoretically supports the deployed bands. That's kind of big and kind of cool. I'm on AT&T and cities I travel to have real 5G so it'll be neat using it. AT&T'rs with long term plans for this phone keep in mind their changing their topology in 2021 and it won't work after that. Other than that it's just another solid evolution of the things Samsung does well. I'm guessing for those buying it the phone's assets weighed against its liabilities still make it worth purchasing. To each their own.
How many people actually stop and write a good review, very few because they are busy enjoying their new phone.
I'm gonna rock the Ultra 5g 512gb.Cosmic Black and wait till the Note 20 5g drops and see how Samsung improves and streamlines from the S20 Ultra to the Note 20 plus, with the trade ins each time and the bonus credits of preordering,Still not a bad deal,plus 6.9 inch 120 htz.refresh rate.I'm perfectly happy with that.as for the bland colors I always put a case on it from day one so problem solved on that,but I dont mind Cosmic Black at all either.
cpufrost said:
Maybe because it looks worse than my Note 10+ which looks worse than my 11 Pro Max which is king when it comes to video and night mode!
My delivery date is 03/17/2020 so plenty of time. Don't think that cancel button is going away any time soon. Real reviews will be live in a week running updated firmware.
After learning of the Samsung store's 15% restocking fee (!), I certainly don't want to make a $240 mistake.
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Where did you hear about a 15% restocking fee? I don't see anything about that on the Samsung site (at least for the US Store) and I chatted with a Samsung rep who confirmed that there is no restocking fee for opened phones.
Zargon335 said:
Where did you hear about a 15% restocking fee? I don't see anything about that on the Samsung site (at least for the US Store) and I chatted with a Samsung rep who confirmed that there is no restocking fee for opened phones.
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Samsung seems to have multiple FAQ stores, some claim 15% on most items, others don't.
I returned a S10+, and don't remember a restocking fee, but I also have problems remembering what I did yesterday so.
My new S20 Ultra is here
On Friday, I got my brand new, cosmic black S20 Ultra, to replace my S10+ and there is no doubt that the S20 Ultra is the best phone I have ever used. It is better in every respect than any other phone including the note 10+: The screen is unbelievable sharp with amazing colors and contrast. Camera is quick and snappy and the photos are the best I have ever seen from a phone. So, don't hesitate!! Buy this phone and you won't regret it!! I also got the best case for the S20, the Speck Presidio Grip.. Expensive but the best money can buy.. Go for it
dilgit said:
On Friday, I got my brand new, cosmic black S20 Ultra, to replace my S10+ and there is no doubt that the S20 Ultra is the best phone I have ever used. It is better in every respect than any other phone including the note 10+: The screen is unbelievable sharp with amazing colors and contrast. Camera is quick and snappy and the photos are the best I have ever seen from a phone. So, don't hesitate!! Buy this phone and you won't regret it!! I also got the best case for the S20, the Speck Presidio Grip.. Expensive but the best money can buy.. Go for it
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What SW is it running? Does it have the new one with supposedly updated camera sw?
i dont really trust the reviewers on youtube. there will always be criticisms to try to be objective. but all the reviews are subjective no matter what.
people are going to say 5g is not worth it yet. but later, 5g will be used all over, and this phone will not be outdated by not having 5g.
i guess what im saying is, there are uneducated reviews about products on youtube
vztech said:
what sw is it running? Does it have the new one with supposedly updated camera sw?
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g988bxxu1atb3
Honestly, I have not read any horrible reviews. What I have read are several excellent reviews that also mention there are some issues with the Camera - but which look like they can be fixed with a future software update.
Certainly, it would be ideal to get a new phone and have everything work perfectly - -unfortunately, that isn't reality. The S20 Ultra still appears be an incredible phone - it just has a few software issues that need to be taken care of. I am stil feeling really good about the phone and feel confident that Samsung will provide u pdates to otake care of those issues.
sunmybun said:
i dont really trust the reviewers on youtube. there will always be criticisms to try to be objective. but all the reviews are subjective no matter what.
people are going to say 5g is not worth it yet. but later, 5g will be used all over, and this phone will not be outdated by not having 5g.
i guess what im saying is, there are uneducated reviews about products on youtube
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4G still good today. Also, 5G will not be avaliable in every country in at least 10 years so, unless you live in US or any country that has any plans of starting to use 5G in a short period of time (2-4 years), is pretty worthless. Probably after 3-4 years (being generous) you will change your phone and you would never have used 5G in that time.
Well, first I've to say that I'm not absolutely objective, because I’m a fan from HTC, use their products since 2002 and apart from their update care (honestly it’s bad, just my U11 life with Android One get nearly monthly updates) I’m really happy with the hard- and software!
Back to topic... I unboxed it, and it’s like other ones in the past, high-quality, nicely tidied up, makes the impression you get something for your money. The dimension from the mobile itself is very good, first I thought it’s narrow and long, but after using it I noticed that it’ very good to handle. The wight is good, not to heavy and not so lightly that you think it’s just a plastic phone for kids. Screen is clearly, and I can’t understand some writings like “it just have FHD+ with 1080 x 2400”. I don’t want to use a microscope to find more Pixel! Human eyes can’t see that, so why to pay much more money for more DPIs you can’t see? If the brightness is fully turned up, it is a bit dazzling in rooms, but very good outside in the sunshine to still see everything. Haptic overall is very good (missing the U12+ glass back cover ), the fingerprint sensor on the back in in a good position, easy to unlock with one hand without to have touch the screen; _very_ useful if you just have one hand free.
Also nice the wall power adapter with QC4/PD with 5, 9 & 12V output with comes with, the headphones are cabled Ear-buds instead of In-Aer-Headphones (which were delivered i.e. with U19e or U12+).
Power on, and: eeeeeeehhhhhh!!!! Just 6 languages, English and 5 Asian -seems to be the new disease at HTC, because my U19e have the same - theU12+ 128GB Taiwan Version seems to be the last phone which provide much more then these 6 languages, but may it’s because the U12+ is SKU/Region 708 Taiwan, and my U19e and U20 5G are SKU/Region 709 Hong Kong. I would try to switch to 708, but information about these phones are _really_ rare, don’t think about Images, RUUs or anything else! (If you have some information, please PM me! )
Search for Updates, and Yes, there are some. 3 for mine, but none for update to Android 11 -OK it’s not even 2 month ago released, hope to get it soon! (but if you see my comment in the first sentence... :,( )
The performance is very good, but was expected. We will see what happen after dozens installed apps and several moth of use -my U12+ installation is now over two years old and is getting little bit slowly.
So I tried to copy my data from the U12+ to the new one, but it doesn’t seems to work. The HTC transfer tool recognize the U20, displays the correct PIN, but the confirm button to start the copy process stays grayed out. I also downloaded and installed the latest beta version of the transfer tool, tried to deactivate all security like fingerprint, PIN, startup encryption, administration account from Exchange Server, ... -but nothing helps. HTC Backup is shut down since 30th of September 2020, the google backup is a joke! Tried it first time and brink me back 3 of 100GB... setting up 5 accounts and install my apps (which mostly have to be setup then manually and all data are gone) can be done by myself!
The Camera is brilliant, looking forward to make some pictures, but I have to be warm with the new GUI and settings.
I’m really happy with it, hope I will find some good GSI (may try make them self, started yesterday learning about this) or workarounds to get it with German language enabled -may you noticed that I’m not a native English speaker, and it would be much more easier for me to handle the phone, and all the apps which will appear in English too, if OS is set to it.
Thanks for the review!
And sorry if this is a naive question, but does the phone come with the Google services, Play store and all that?
I'm a long-time HTC user and this would look good to buy, but since it appears that it isn't officially sold in the EU and looks targeted to the Asian market (not sure if they sell it in the US too?) and I don't have experience with import phones, I fear the possibility that making the Google services work and updating them is an experience with fraught video tutorials that have to be renewed each month, like Huawei users seem to be suffering lately (unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to devote to phone upkeep and I prefer things to Just Work(tm)...).
Hi,
don't worry -the intention of a forum IS to ask.
Yes, it have like all other HTC phones gapps installed and it is able to update them. If I'd a look to the US site of HTC, the U20 is not yet listed, I don't know if it will be available there official someday. In ebay shop it is - I've bought mine at ebay US and let send it to Germany via FedEx. As I have an account at FedEx it is very comfortable, because they charge my credit card with German taxes (for phones in Germany just the value-added-taxes VAT, momentary 16%) and deliver it directly without need to drive to the customs station and pay there.
Just google how it works in your country -as your location is not visible I can't give you a hint.
Yesterday I received my Black U20 5G (2Q9F100) from a Taiwanese eBay seller. Fortunately I had a great experience from beginning to end as it was a lot of money to put through PayPal and with global shipping the way it currently is due to COVID, I was almost holding my breath until its arrival. It took about 2 weeks to arrive in the UK which surpassed my expectations so I am pleased. I ordered a standard gel protective case from Amazon in advance for 5 GBP.
I note when compared to the square white boxes the 10, U11 & U12+ had HTC are now aping the rectangular box iPhone packaging. That's not a criticism just an observation and the U20's packaging looks quite cool. For me, once I got the phone out most of the accessories will remain in their shrink-wrap.
The handset itself is thankfully precisely what I want it to be; a quality item that feels like logical continuation of the HTC lineage. I was coming from 2 years of owning a U12+ 64GB handset and I would agree with many observations of the first post here. My U12+ was a great phone but the haptic buttons and lack of software care from HTC put a slightly downer on the overall ownership experience. The camera however was one of the best I've ever used and the U20 5G certainly has big shoes to fill in that regard. Some of the shots I got with my U12+ over the years are worth framing, and indeed some have been
Upon setup, the U20 took my UK nano-SIM and 1TB Sandisk microSD card without issue... an important first step I think we can all agree. Then once I had my Google account registered their Backup feature sucked everything down from the cloud and installed my apps inside 20 minutes or so. So far, so good. I ran through any outstanding updates and numerous reboots of which there were about 4 in total. This brought Android 10 up to November 5, 2020 security patch level which was fantastic to see... given how neglected the U12+ Android 9 had been throughout the years.
One of the main uses of my phone is for me to listen to my extensive FLAC music collection on the move hence the large microSD card... so it took me an overnighter to transfer about 800GB of files which again was pretty quick. Using foobar2000 and once I'd tweaked the EQ it all sounded just as good as my U12+. Fantastic.
Basically, I'm pretty pleased so far. Running the handset in English (US) is no big deal as I can default Gboard to English (UK). I notice Android 10 has done away with the face unlock feature but again, not a huge deal... happy with the fingerprint.
I have yet to really put the camera through its paces as we're in the middle of a few grey and dark days here in the UK due to autumn. I am hoping for a sunny blue sky day when I will take it to the park and do some landscape + close up shots of trees. As mentioned, the U12+ was the best phone I ever had for camera shots so I am expecting great things of the U20. I can see it has a "48 MP" mode alongside the standard Photo mode.
Based on what I have seen I hope HTC give this handset a chance in other overseas markets. I'm sure I'll be a happy owner for a few years yet but it feels weird I can't buy it in my own country!
The title says it all. Google decided to use 'Ontrac' as the company to deliver my 6 pro. And as you might expect, it they decided to mark it as delivered.
A few days ago, after i saw my package shipping email, i decided to look up reviews on Ontrac on Reddit and other various forums.
A downright litany/fukkton of people were complaining that Ontrac marked the package as delivered, when they never were. Packages seem to grow legs and disappear with this company. This gave me deep core cringy anxiety once i saw this.
Now....... I'm pissed, because i can't even reach Google, because of the INSANE wait times for calls and online chat. I'm beyond upset, what a complete sh1tshow.
Please request to have another company deliver your pixel. Stay a mile away from Ontrac.
has your package been stated as delivered? wasn't clear by your post....
Burt Squirtz said:
The title says it all. Google decided to use 'Ontrac' as the company to deliver my 6 pro.
A few days ago, after i saw my package shipping email, i decided to look up reviews on Ontrac on Reddit and other various forums.
A downright litany/fukkton of people were complaining that Ontrac marked the package as delivered, when they never were. Packages seem to grow legs and disappear with this company. Now I'm pissed, because i can't even reach Google, because of the INSANE wait times for calls and online chat. I'm beyond upset, what a complete sh1tshow.
Please request to have another company deliver your pixel. Stay a mile away from Ontrac.
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Edit: forgot to type that my package was indeed marked off as delivered. But of course it wasn't.
mccabeross said:
has your package been stated as delivered? wasn't clear by your post....
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Of course it was marked off as delivered. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to type this.
In the modern world of shipping companies dropping and running, its a GREAT idea to put a motion sensitive security camera of some sort to catch the front of your property.
I use some generic high resolution IP cameras and a Zoneminder server.
If there is ever a claim that a package was delivered, you just need to find the footage applicable for the time they claim it was delivered. If none exists, then they obviously didn't deliver.
I've caught all kinds of weird stuff, like a delivery ape literally THROWING a package marked "fragile". Also a neighbor from across the street trying to sneak a couple of extra bags onto my driveway, and after I had a little chat with him, sneaking it onto OTHER people's driveways.
Note: it was an old guy, and I actually told him that it was OK, just give me a call first so I know its him and not someone from the other end of town throwing out body parts
Similar situation with Best Buy. Had I known, I would have done in store pickup. Now mine is "an event has delayed your delivery". I guess on the plus side, it hasn't officially been stolen yet.
Norma Stitz said:
Similar situation with Best Buy. Had I known, I would have done in store pickup. Now mine is "an event has delayed your delivery". I guess on the plus side, it hasn't officially been stolen yet.
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OMG. Still nothing on my stolen/vanished p6p. I had to order one off eBay, and on top of that miraculously, an hour later found a 256 stormy black at best buy that will be delivered on the 3rd! I got completely scalped on the eBay pixel.
I have learned a valuable lesson. Don't get phones shipped to your house guys.
1) Always get doorbell camera security system for your package delivery doors.
2). Try everything in your power to get packages routed to 'in package store pickup', and DO NOT use sketch package delivery companies like OnTrac!