Is this device problem free? - Nokia 6.1 (2018) Questions & Answers

Hello fellas,
I have a query to you all who are using this device for more than six months up to a year, the Nokia 6.1 or Nokia 6 2018 edition, is this a problem free device? I am looking to purchase this this specific model is currently undergoing a sale in India and would like to pick it up for my mother, who is a senior citizen, so a few basic things I need to know.
I don't need much from a cheap phone. I just need to know the following things, is the earpiece volume of the device in-call loud enough? Is the loudspeaker itself loud enough? How much SoT are you getting on Pie? Is there any known problem occurring in long term? Because the reviews are not good of the device and that makes me wonder whether there is any real problem with the device or not.
I will really appreciate your useful inputs on this.

ithehappy said:
is the earpiece volume of the device in-call loud enough? Is the loudspeaker itself loud enough?
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Click to collapse
No problem for me with call volumes.
ithehappy said:
How much SoT are you getting on Pie?
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Click to collapse
Like anything, depends on what you're doing. I don't often run mine dead, but I'd say average 5 - 6 hours SoT mostly light web browsing extrapolating to if I did run it dead. It's standby battery drain isn't the greatest, but not terrible either. I often only charge it every other day, but I'm not a super heavy user.
ithehappy said:
Is there any known problem occurring in long term?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have lots of little complaints about the software. While I'm able to workaround or ignore them, I don't highly recommend this device. It's lots of little things. Double tap to wake is terribly unreliable. I've never got USB MTP file transfer to work at all and ADB is unreliable. I workaround that using SMB, but I doubt the average senior citizen has a file server set up if transfers to/from phone are needed. The camera is not very good; Google camera port makes it somewhat better. The RAM management is terrible; Nokia actually bundled a fscking third party "battery protection" task killer in the system. I could go on, but most of these land in the annoying category. They might well be stuff your mother would never notice.
On the upside, it's running Android Pie. Mine is currently installing the May 2019 security patch as I type this, and I only paid US $150 for it new, so it's got all that going for it.
I like to call it the most adequate phone ever. Lots of little aggravating problems, but nothing so bad as to make me buy something else (I bought it under duress - my primary phone had died, and backup had funky buttons). The hardware is pretty nice for the price point. If old Motorola (Google's Moto devs, not Levnovo!) had built the ROM for it, I bet it would be a killer low end mid-ranger. As it is, it is a little mediocre.

jason2678 said:
No problem for me with call volumes.
Like anything, depends on what you're doing. I don't often run mine dead, but I'd say average 5 - 6 hours SoT mostly light web browsing extrapolating to if I did run it dead. It's standby battery drain isn't the greatest, but not terrible either. I often only charge it every other day, but I'm not a super heavy user.
I have lots of little complaints about the software. While I'm able to workaround or ignore them, I don't highly recommend this device. It's lots of little things. Double tap to wake is terribly unreliable. I've never got USB MTP file transfer to work at all and ADB is unreliable. I workaround that using SMB, but I doubt the average senior citizen has a file server set up if transfers to/from phone are needed. The camera is not very good; Google camera port makes it somewhat better. The RAM management is terrible; Nokia actually bundled a fscking third party "battery protection" task killer in the system. I could go on, but most of these land in the annoying category. They might well be stuff your mother would never notice.
On the upside, it's running Android Pie. Mine is currently installing the May 2019 security patch as I type this, and I only paid US $150 for it new, so it's got all that going for it.
I like to call it the most adequate phone ever. Lots of little aggravating problems, but nothing so bad as to make me buy something else (I bought it under duress - my primary phone had died, and backup had funky buttons). The hardware is pretty nice for the price point. If old Motorola (Google's Moto devs, not Levnovo!) had built the ROM for it, I bet it would be a killer low end mid-ranger. As it is, it is a little mediocre.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a ton for a really excellent well put feedback can't appreciate it more. Wish more people talked as clear as you.
Anyway, the camera part is a bit scary, I mean I don't understand to what extent it's 'not very good', I thought for the price its supposed to have a decent enough camera. My camera expectations from it is none whatsoever, but when you say not good, I wish I knew exactly against what I can relate it to.
That automatic task killing thing is terrible too.
Funny thing, I actually just bought my mother a Asus Zenfone Max M1 (not the PRO variant), and while the phone is good and all, I can't stand its ZenUI, and ironically it also has some RAM clearing stuff built-in, which for the life of me I can't disable. Other than that I hate the blue channel of the display, which is absurdly high, and no option to decrease it anywhere and the new 18:9 ratio is plain nonsense to my eyes. So I am returning it and thought as the Nokia 6.1 came in offer it would be a great buy, especially the price has gone down to 6999 INR (100 USD) under this sale.
Hmm, I am bit confused now. Not a very good camera, software inconsistencies and poor choice like that of the task killer etc., dunno what to do. Sale ends tomorrow anyway LoL.
In any case, thanks once again for your input.

ithehappy said:
Hmm, I am bit confused now. Not a very good camera, software inconsistencies and poor choice like that of the task killer etc., dunno what to do. Sale ends tomorrow anyway LoL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera sensor is probably fine. I think it is the software side image processing that is lacking. There is a Google camera port that works almost flawlessly (I've had a few FCs) that improves the image quality quite a bit. For what it's worth, my perspective is probably skewed by the fact that my wife is using a Pixel 3XL, and it is hard to say enough good things about it for a phone camera.
However, I think my Moto X (2015) took better pictures than the Nokia 6.1 (2018) does. Without the Google camera port, I think my ancient Galaxy S3 took better pictures than the stock Nokia camera. Software matters on phone cameras, a lot, and I don't see it as HMD Global's strong suit.
Nokia didn't design the camera on this phone. They partnered with a company called Evenwell to handle the camera and some other utilities; that's where the "battery protection" task killer came from. So it's an Android One phone, but it still comes loaded up with some third party telemetry and crapware.

Related

Is this phone worth it?

So i'm thinking about getting a new phone, and i've been following the touch pro 2 for awhile since it was announced, and it's always caught my interest. Right now i'd be paying 350 since i'm under tmobile, i'm just wondering from peoples opinions is it worth it?
can someone layout the pros and the cons on the phone for me? thanks.
Welcome to forums
Of course it´s worth every cent!
Redundant if we post here pros and cons
Better read and search!!
Good luck,
I paid $688.88 for my unlocked/unbranded version a couple months back and I have no regrets.
Paid $525 and I can't put it down! Worth every cent and thank god I made the switch and left the Blackberry world. I will not lie, I did hesitate to leave my Blackberry 8900 even after tracking the TP2 for like a month. Blackberry has nothing on HTC TP2.
I guess imma just shut up and get it haha. sorry for not using the search function. just got really curious
Pros:
the lovely, lovely physical keyboard - I just can't tell you how useful this is;
large, bright, high-res screen (3.6", 800x480);
excellent support from this website;
very good call quality (so long as you don't get the T-mobile version);
some very neat business-oriented features (e.g. if you put the phone down face-down in mid conversation it automatically switches to speaker-phone);
noise-cancelling so other people can hear you clearly over traffic;
TouchFLO interface is quite nice;
running Windows Mobile means a huge range of downloadable apps;
built-in Word, Excel and Powerpoint support.
Cons:
not everyone likes Windows Mobile, and you find yourself dumped into it more often than you'd expect - this also limits you to 16-bit colour;
HTC and Qualcomm between them have somehow managed to arrange things so that 3rd party apps cannot make use of the GPU, which makes video playback decidedly iffy;
larger and much heavier than most phones (that's the price of the keyboard);
uses much the same hardware as phones released a year ago (much less powerful than an iPhone 3GS or even the latest Samsung models);
thoroughly mediocre camera with no flash;
no one version of the phone will work everywhere in the world (as far as I know);
most versions lack a 3.5mm headphone jack, so if you want to use anything other than the bundled headphones you need an adapter, and unless you have a very fancy adapter you can't listen to music on it and charge it at the same time;
unimpressive battery life;
resistive touch-screen is better than most, but less responsive than a capacitive screen and cannot ever support multi-touch (although a capacitive screen wouldn't allow you to use a stylus, so there are swings and roundabouts);
lack of on-board storage.
paid $900 for mine on ebay before official launch - been with it on safaris in Africa , paddled and plotted my course on lower Zambezi with hippos.... It's worth every cent.
AlCapone said:
paid $900 for mine on ebay before official launch - been with it on safaris in Africa , paddled and plotted my course on lower Zambezi with hippos.... It's worth every cent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wouldn't go that far but it is a great phone.
Saying that, like with every device I'd think seriously about what you want your phone to do.
I wanted a web browsing, business phone communicator. Its close to perfect.
If you're looking for a slim camera music player etc.? Stay well away.
Shasarak said:
resistive touch-screen is better than most, but less responsive than a capacitive screen and cannot ever support multi-touch (although a capacitive screen wouldn't allow you to use a stylus, so there are swings and roundabouts)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never say never
Especially the second one is a software only solution, since the Nokia 5800 also has a resistive touch screen.
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/9051_Multi-touch_on_resistive_touch.php
http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2009/03/03/nokia-5800-gets-experimental-multitouch/
ryohazuki said:
So i'm thinking about getting a new phone, and i've been following the touch pro 2 for awhile since it was announced, and it's always caught my interest. Right now i'd be paying 350 since i'm under tmobile, i'm just wondering from peoples opinions is it worth it?
can someone layout the pros and the cons on the phone for me? thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I moved to this phone from a G1 (and an iPhone before that) on tmobile, and IMHO this is the best phone available with tmobile 3G right now. Fast, stable, and with WM you have tons of options for customizing/personalizing your handset. So far (had it about a week) i really see no cons with this device, if anything it'd be its size, but its not a complaint by me, its the same size as a G1.
Shasarak said:
Pros:
the lovely, lovely physical keyboard - I just can't tell you how useful this is;
large, bright, high-res screen (3.6", 800x480);
excellent support from this website;
very good call quality (so long as you don't get the T-mobile version);
some very neat business-oriented features (e.g. if you put the phone down face-down in mid conversation it automatically switches to speaker-phone);
noise-cancelling so other people can hear you clearly over traffic;
TouchFLO interface is quite nice;
running Windows Mobile means a huge range of downloadable apps;
built-in Word, Excel and Powerpoint support.
Cons:
not everyone likes Windows Mobile, and you find yourself dumped into it more often than you'd expect - this also limits you to 16-bit colour;
HTC and Qualcomm between them have somehow managed to arrange things so that 3rd party apps cannot make use of the GPU, which makes video playback decidedly iffy;
larger and much heavier than most phones (that's the price of the keyboard);
uses much the same hardware as phones released a year ago (much less powerful than an iPhone 3GS or even the latest Samsung models);
thoroughly mediocre camera with no flash;
no one version of the phone will work everywhere in the world (as far as I know);
most versions lack a 3.5mm headphone jack, so if you want to use anything other than the bundled headphones you need an adapter, and unless you have a very fancy adapter you can't listen to music on it and charge it at the same time;
unimpressive battery life;
resistive touch-screen is better than most, but less responsive than a capacitive screen and cannot ever support multi-touch (although a capacitive screen wouldn't allow you to use a stylus, so there are swings and roundabouts);
lack of on-board storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dunno if this is considered reviving a dead thread or anything thats my own but
the size isn't a problem for me, i've owned a windows mobile phone before and liked it but whats wrong with the tmobile version? and is the battery life really that bad?
I'm pleased with mine. Basically I had an MDA for almost 3 and a half years, with a short try of a Wing. Great winmobile phone, haven't had too much battery problems, phone quality seems ok, better than the MDA.
And the phone senses when it's close to your ear--no more false button pushes!
Cheers,
Tom
ryohazuki said:
but whats wrong with the tmobile version? and is the battery life really that bad?
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Click to collapse
The t-mobile version is rather oddly configured. Most of what's wrong with it can be corrected (all in one hit if you don't mind flashing it with a different ROM) but it's a little fiddly. For example, the in-call volume seems to be lower on the t-mobile version - people complain that the sound is too quiet and "muffled". I believe this can be fixed by replacing a file with the equivalent from an unbranded phone, but it's still a fiddle if you expect things to work properly out of the box. I think the t-mobile version may also be set up to use Internet Explorer rather than Opera as the default browser. Again, it's not difficult to change this, it's just annoying.
The battery life is okay, but not great. If you're watching video clips or gaming you can completely drain a fully-charged battery in 3-4 hours.
Btw, one important draw-back that I forgot to mention is the lack of a D-pad - that's a real problem if you're a gamer.
General concensus for veteran WM users i found here is that almost all quite satisfied with TP2 out of the box, since these persons are coming from previous devices and know-well that TP2 is the 1st time HTC (almost) do it perfectly. In condition they didn't receive defect unit.
For new WM users, i see 50-50. But that's improvement, because with previous devices it can be as much as 20-80 (80% unsatisfied), with 20% are looking for ways to improve their devices. That's why now we have this great forum
i have the original EU version of this device and i must say that this is the best phone i used ever , and believe me i switch mobiles like socks ...
the most important thing for me is the stability of the OS , in my case i havnt done any soft reset since i got this device three weeks ago ( depens on your ROM version ect...)
another good thing is the speaker phone , try to compare it to the iphone 3gs and you will notice a big diffrence,
schizo said:
General concensus for veteran WM users i found here is that almost all quite satisfied with TP2 out of the box, since these persons are coming from previous devices and know-well that TP2 is the 1st time HTC (almost) do it perfectly. In condition they didn't receive defect unit.
For new WM users, i see 50-50. But that's improvement, because with previous devices it can be as much as 20-80 (80% unsatisfied), with 20% are looking for ways to improve their devices. That's why now we have this great forum
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would consider myself a wm vet, this is my 4rth wm phone and the TP2 if I purchase it will be my 5th. I can hardly run my TP at times because it is so slow. I have everything on my class 6 sd and some apps on my phone which is minimal. I am running nrg rom latest and I must say it is slow as balls.
I might even skip the tp2 because it shares the same chipset for att as the tp. Making it slow as balls but with a much larger screen. My favorite warez website just opened an Iphone section. all apps available, Gui much better, mms hacked, better graphics, shes lookin alot better these days. The tp2 just aint cuttin it as far as performance. I might just make the switch until HTC and winmo get there act together. Truely sad as I've been an iphone and apple hater for quite sometime. The truth is the tp2 lacks everything except the screen and keyboard. Winmo and htc are pushing me out with these piece of **** phones.
eh I might still get the tp2. I am seriously looking for reasons not to get the Icrap. Flame on aholes..
Well I've had the T-mobile version for about a month now and I have to say its pure Winsuace!!! Now as for the same chip set as the touch pro , that's not exactly ture. If you look around on the fourms, some one posted a link about where there was a dispute between Qulacom and another chipmaker about the cpu. So because of that the Touch Pros cpu contained some work arounds so it could be used and that made it slower. On the TP2 it contains no workarounds and its pretty snappy! Also I run a bunch of apps at once and it doesn't bog down So here's my two thumbs up!!!
i really dont see nothing wrong wit the tmo version of this phone.. besides the lack of 3.5mm jack and color change from the Euro version..
But the stock rom that comes with the phone is a bit off.. i had to flash it the first day i got it
but i wouldn't mind taking a euro version over the tmo one anyday.. one major reason that stop me from gettng the euro one is that it do not have 3G US bands on it.
Well it's too late now as I am now a proud owner of a Touch Pro 2
I love this thing already. flashed it with a new rom, whats the best radio to use? i'm not too familiar with the whole radio flashing thing like as in like whats the best one to use, so if someone could point me in the right direction? if not ill just search it.
Well it's too late now as I am now a proud owner of a Touch Pro 2
I love this thing already. flashed it with a new rom, whats the best radio to use? i'm not too familiar with the whole radio flashing thing like as in like whats the best one to use, so if someone could point me in the right direction? if not ill just search it.

[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?

Jump from S8 to Google Pixel - worth it?

I've never used a Google Nexus/Pixel before, because there are no samples in my region that I can have a run.
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years) and is better than its competitors like Samsung in preventing rogue apps from mysteriously draining the battery over time?
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
The only reason I've not jumped over to the Apple camp is because of the drag and drop functionality that Apple lacks.
Will the Pixel be very comparable to the iPhone in all aspects?
What will I lose (other than obvious things like the screen) by jumping from S8 to Pixel?
Lastly, when will Pixel 2 be out? Should I hold my breath for it? More interested in camera improvements.
dylansmith said:
I've never used a Google Nexus/Pixel before, because there are no samples in my region that I can have a run.
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years) and is better than its competitors like Samsung in preventing rogue apps from mysteriously draining the battery over time?
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
The only reason I've not jumped over to the Apple camp is because of the drag and drop functionality that Apple lacks.
Will the Pixel be very comparable to the iPhone in all aspects?
What will I lose (other than obvious things like the screen) by jumping from S8 to Pixel?
Lastly, when will Pixel 2 be out? Should I hold my breath for it? More interested in camera improvements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - even after its EOL it will remain smooth, since we'll still have some dev working on it.
2 - mods other than visual customization are not needed on the Pixel XL. At least not to save battery.
3 - Hopefully the Pixel XL (although looking a little bit similar to the iPhone) will never be comparable with an iPhone.
4 - I don't own a S8 as I don't like Samsung devices, so i can't answer, sorry...
5 - Pixel XL 2 will most likely be released this autumn. Camera is already very nice in my opinion. If you have some money, go ahead. Otherwise wait six more months. It's up to you...
Cheers...
As someone who mainly used Samsung phones in past, I will not even consider S8 as anything. Why? Because of two reasons. First one is a personal requirement. I simply need a phone with smoothly working and consistent UI, which will lag the least, which will be reliable and not throw plenty FC and stuffs. And second one is a FACT. You wanna use an Android phone for real? Then use an android phone for real. Pixel IS Android. Samsung phones are Android in name. If you compare features of the two then Pixel will feel really dull, lacking in features.
Out of Pixel vs S8, I don't even see any point why in God's name would one choose the S8 over Pixel. Only one thing better is less bezels causing a huge and better display. Otherwise that glossy back panel, that fingerprint sensor positioning, a hardware second voice assistant button, jeez! And I am not even saying anything about their new Grace UI.
Pixel 2 will come out same time like Pixel 1 came out, around October.
After using Pixel for three months I have to say the phone simply rocked in most parts, incredible software experience, though still no iOS, that's why I sold it, incredible camera, that I can't forget from my mind, tremendous call quality, clean loud speaker etc., if someone really wanna buy an Android then there is no better phone, or nothing comes even close at this point.
I heard the software for the camera is lacking though. There are limited camera controls and the shutter speed can't go up to 30 seconds (not even with 3rd party Android apps). Is that true?
in addition, I noticed Samsung's weakness in GPS accuracy (this holds true from S2 days even to S8!). iPhone always gets the GPS position right the very first time and in quick time. Does the Pixel match up in this case?
dylansmith said:
I heard the software for the camera is lacking though. There are limited camera controls and the shutter speed can't go up to 30 seconds (not even with 3rd party Android apps). Is that true?
in addition, I noticed Samsung's weakness in GPS accuracy (this holds true from S2 days even to S8!). iPhone always gets the GPS position right the very first time and in quick time. Does the Pixel match up in this case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
Can't speak for the camera as for advanced sbot I'd use a DSLR. :good:
My GPS works well, no issue...
Your right, my SII gps.conf had to be tweaked to work properly.
Cheers...
dylansmith said:
I heard the software for the camera is lacking though. There are limited camera controls and the shutter speed can't go up to 30 seconds (not even with 3rd party Android apps). Is that true?
in addition, I noticed Samsung's weakness in GPS accuracy (this holds true from S2 days even to S8!). iPhone always gets the GPS position right the very first time and in quick time. Does the Pixel match up in this case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No manual controls. Only you can increase or decrease exposure that's it. Lowest shutter speed will be 1/4 with HDR+ I think, no less than that. And no, third party camera apps don't do **** here, all are basically meaningless.
But HDR+ as a whole is leagues ahead than other phones. I have never seen any phone capturing this much details in low light. The camera is brilliant in any way you at it. Just there are two problems, sometimes in low light it keeps focusing on the subject, and there is a blown out effect around light sources in a photo, which looks pretty bad when zoomed in.
GPS accuracy of the phone was awesome. Can't speak for iPhone but most accurate Android, fastest too, I have ever used.
I have a question too, since we are on the topic of switching. I'm thinking about switching from the s7 edge to a pixel/xl, and I was wondering are all the bootloaders for the pixel and xl unlock-able or do I have to look for a certain type?
loeffler23 said:
I have a question too, since we are on the topic of switching. I'm thinking about switching from the s7 edge to a pixel/xl, and I was wondering are all the bootloaders for the pixel and xl unlock-able or do I have to look for a certain type?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
All models directly bought from Google can be unlocked.
Verizon, EE, maybe others, not sure. You can find more infos by reading this forum, it's here if you search... Those can be unlocked if the Android version is 7.1 with an exploit called dePixel8: http://theroot.ninja/depixel8.html
On newer version, the exploit has been patched. If i was you, I'd rather look for a Google version if you want an unlockable bootloader...
Cheers...
loeffler23 said:
I have a question too, since we are on the topic of switching. I'm thinking about switching from the s7 edge to a pixel/xl, and I was wondering are all the bootloaders for the pixel and xl unlock-able or do I have to look for a certain type?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went from S7 to Pixel XL and love it, but I'll go ahead and warn you; if you want the unlockable bootloader, don't buy it from Verizon, order it from the Google Store. The Verizon model (includes getting it at Best Buy) has an permanently locked (can't be unlocked) bootloader on current firmware, but the Google Store source Pixel should always be unlockable no matter what firmware it's updated to. Hope that's accurate, I think it is, unless someone comes up with an exploit to allow unlocking the Verizon bootloader.
Although the device works well in some aspects such as the camera and speed, it is the worst I've had in terms of a "phone". The amount of dropped and missed calls is just not acceptable. Do a search on google's pixel support forum and you'll see I'm not the only one. There's also other connectivity problems like bt and wifi that just shouldn't be. Also Google is shoving more and more ads and money makers for them into everything they do. Example: maps now has a Pacman game built in. They're also making it harder and harder on developers to modify their tracking devices. So, after being an Android fanboy for the last 6 yrs, I'll be looking elsewhere when this one dies the normal death (battery already not lasting through the day like when I bought it).
Droid1019 said:
Although the device works well in some aspects such as the camera and speed, it is the worst I've had in terms of a "phone". The amount of dropped and missed calls is just not acceptable. Do a search on google's pixel support forum and you'll see I'm not the only one. There's also other connectivity problems like bt and wifi that just shouldn't be. Also Google is shoving more and more ads and money makers for them into everything they do. Example: maps now has a Pacman game built in. They're also making it harder and harder on developers to modify their tracking devices. So, after being an Android fanboy for the last 6 yrs, I'll be looking elsewhere when this one dies the normal death (battery already not lasting through the day like when I bought it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello... If you experience one or more of the issues you describe, why not simply RMA your device? :good:
Cheers...
5.1 said:
Hello... If you experience one or more of the issues you describe, why not simply RMA your device? :good:
Cheers...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I got it from Verizon while I could still unlock the bootloader. If I get another from them I won't be able to. Also if you read some of the support forums on VZW or Google you'll see getting another phone is not the answer as some have been through 3-5. The problem lies in the way the new technology in the chip interacts with the towers. So it depends more on where where you are and if the towers have been updated which will be a long time coming in the rural areas that I work in.
Droid1019 said:
Because I got it from Verizon while I could still unlock the bootloader. If I get another from them I won't be able to. Also if you read some of the support forums on VZW or Google you'll see getting another phone is not the answer as some have been through 3-5. The problem lies in the way the new technology in the chip interacts with the towers. So it depends more on where where you are and if the towers have been updated which will be a long time coming in the rural areas that I work in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
Ah... I understand you. Yeah the Verizon policy is really annoying for those wanting an unlockable bootloader.
Also, what makes other manufacturers better as they should pack the same technology in their new chips as well, no?
Cheers...
Hell-to-the-nah-naaaah
Without Xposed, I won't even consider an S8.
Actually, I wouldn't even if they got LOS or AOSP ROM's.
Even back when Galaxy phones did get that type of ROM support, they were always buggy A.F.
Wasn't till I got a Motorola X Pure and Google phone till I found out what a "stable" custom ROM was.
I was rooting & ROM'ing Galaxy Skyrocket, S3, S4, Note 3, Note 4... never had such stability as since the Pure and Pixel.
Sucks too, because I want those new slim bezels, 1000 nit screen, extra water resistance and glove mode if they still have it.
dylansmith said:
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it is not true. Pixel XL uses Snapdragon 821 cpu, which is already obsolete today. The most current and fastest cpu in USA is Snapdragon 835, which is about 30% faster than 821 used in Pixel. In 3 years, this phone will be a complete hog, giving you maybe less that 15 frames per second... If Google keeps updating the OS. If it doesn't, it will stay the same speed. Ironic...
dylansmith said:
Is it true that it is better than its competitors like Samsung in preventing rogue apps from mysteriously draining the battery over time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it is not true. Pixel XL is one of the worst battery draining flagship phones on the market today. Its use of Google Assistant constantly in the background is the major source of battery drain, unless you disable it. But when you disable it, you lose a lot of functionality like the weather widget on main screen, or any other functionality associated with it. Even Galaxy S7/8, with always on display technology, drains less battery than Pixel XL. It's a battery hog. On the other hand, it's active usage battery drain is compatible with other flagship phones. But when you turn off the screen, prepare for a beating.
dylansmith said:
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not true. You don't actually need to do mods to keep a 1-2 year old Samsung flagship phone running fast, smooth, and low-battery sucking. Perhaps your problems are with Google Services settings and Google's inability to fix bugs in their software. Avoid that software, use Samsung's instead.
dylansmith said:
Will the Pixel be very comparable to the iPhone in all aspects?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that is true. Google Pixel XL will be a very basic phone with limited capabilities.
dylansmith said:
What will I lose (other than obvious things like the screen) by jumping from S8 to Pixel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is true. You will lose quite a bit. Here's a list in no particular order:
1) Infinity Display / Curved edges / sense of style / 84% screen to body ratio.
2) Best brightness and best brightness in sunlight ratings.
3) HDR screen certification.
4) IP68 water and dust proofing.
5) Gorilla Glass 5 durability.
6) Wireless charging and Fast Wireless Charging.
7) Micro SD card expansion.
8) Best in class low light camera performance. Best in class camera sharpness performance. Best in class selfie camera.
9) Bluetooth 5.0
10) Always On Display.
11) LTE-4CA, twice faster LTE.
12) Samsung Pay, which works everywhere, even without NFC terminals. Works with magnetic stripe readers, which is unique, because no other pay systems can do that.
13) Iris scanner security.
14) SpO2 meter, heart rate sensor.
15) Desktop dock option with optimized desktop OS.
16) Bixby - **** Bixby. Minus 10 points here.
So, you see? You would be losing A LOT!
nabbed said:
No, it is not true. Pixel XL uses Snapdragon 821 cpu, which is already obsolete today. The most current and fastest cpu in USA is Snapdragon 835, which is about 30% faster than 821 used in Pixel. In 3 years, this phone will be a complete hog, giving you maybe less that 15 frames per second... If Google keeps updating the OS. If it doesn't, it will stay the same speed. Ironic...
No, it is not true. Pixel XL is one of the worst battery draining flagship phones on the market today. Its use of Google Assistant constantly in the background is the major source of battery drain, unless you disable it. But when you disable it, you lose a lot of functionality like the weather widget on main screen, or any other functionality associated with it. Even Galaxy S7/8, with always on display technology, drains less battery than Pixel XL. It's a battery hog. On the other hand, it's active usage battery drain is compatible with other flagship phones. But when you turn off the screen, prepare for a beating.
...
So, you see? You would be losing A LOT!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 things
1 - The Pixel XL gives me 7 to 8 hours SOT, location and assistant all on normally. On standby, drain is less than 1%. I call that impressive.
2 - 821 may be the "not the best" but it is still the second best. I have both the iPhone 6 (not S), and the OnePlus One (running a Snapdragon 801) and they're both still rocking it and are smooth as butter. They are both 3 years old. Nothing gets slowed down or becomes heavy and stuttering unless you're installing a crapload of useless things on it. Pixel being a Pixel will get Android O and even Android P, which will surely optimize it even further.
dylansmith said:
Is it true that the Pixel will remain buttery smooth throughout its entire lifespan (say 3 years)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get little pauses at times when some of my Tasker routines run, so realistically I doubt if I would describe the phone that way after three years.
I've been using Samsung all along and frankly quite tired of doing mods just to keep it fast, smooth, low-battery sucking, just like iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an iPhone 7 before getting the regular Pixel. The iPhone clearly had better battery life for my usage patterns out of the box. I've made a bunch of changes to the Pixel so that it's comparable to the iPhone and my previous phone, but out of the box I would tend to expect Apple to have the edge.
Lastly, when will Pixel 2 be out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will probably release during the same time of the year as the last two phones. The wiki has the announcement and first availability dates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_(smartphone)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_6P
alluringreality said:
I get little pauses at times when some of my Tasker routines run, so realistically I doubt if I would describe the phone that way after three years.
I had an iPhone 7 before getting the regular Pixel. The iPhone clearly had better battery life for my usage patterns out of the box. I've made a bunch of changes to the Pixel so that it's comparable to the iPhone and my previous phone, but out of the box I would tend to expect Apple to have the edge.
It will probably release during the same time of the year as the last two phones. The wiki has the announcement and first availability dates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_(smartphone)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_6P
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious, what changes have you made?
Rooting aside - as for the first time I do not feel a need to root a device.
A lot of my setup relies on Tasker to automatically make setting changes, so it requires root or something like AutoTools Secure Settings on an unrooted phone. My impression was that typically turning off adaptive brightness when indoors may be one of the bigger battery savers from the list. I also had issues with my phone burning through lots of battery when I left wifi on, so automatically shutting off wifi when not in use was another big battery saver, although I hadn't tried changing "Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep" before installing Tasker. I doubt if the average person would benefit much by things like turning off Google Assistant, but I was trying to get the best standby battery life that I could for the times when I just use the Pixel as nothing more than a phone for talking and texting.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=71146945&postcount=301

Battery life

First of all let me apologize for probably creating a new thread for something that has probably been addressed dozens of times here. I'm a Sr member & should know better (but I live in WA state where our biggest retail crop these days is cannabis and - well you get the idea
I just bought a brand new s9 from the Boost up program and the battery life is terrible. I have to charge this phone at least twice a day.
I am a power user and have this phone on a good portion of the day but I've had dozens of new and 1 or 2 yr off flagship phones and the battery life on this one reminds me of about a 3-year old fading flagship
Is this normal for this model? For the record, I love this phone. The cam is awesome. If I could put it in my broken S7's skin it would be about perfect. I just loved the feel of the S7.
Boost store wouldn't exchange it because of an imagined scratch on it (ugly scene, the words "call a cop then bi**h were shouted.)
Is it normal to suck so much
I was used to an LG XCharge, tough, good working phone w a 3500ma battery (free from Boost for switching, still works perfectly after 16 Mos, my new record for owning a phone, highly recommended)
equitube said:
First of all let me apologize for probably creating a new thread for something that has probably been addressed dozens of times here. I'm a Sr member & should know better (but I live in WA state where our biggest retail crop these days is cannabis and - well you get the idea
I just bought a brand new s9 from the Boost up program and the battery life is terrible. I have to charge this phone at least twice a day.
I am a power user and have this phone on a good portion of the day but I've had dozens of new and 1 or 2 yr off flagship phones and the battery life on this one reminds me of about a 3-year old fading flagship
Is this normal for this model? For the record, I love this phone. The cam is awesome. If I could put it in my broken S7's skin it would be about perfect. I just loved the feel of the S7.
Boost store wouldn't exchange it because of an imagined scratch on it (ugly scene, the words "call a cop then bi**h were shouted.)
Is it normal to suck so much
I was used to an LG XCharge, tough, good working phone w a 3500ma battery (free from Boost for switching, still works perfectly after 16 Mos, my new record for owning a phone, highly recommended)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, the battery on these things suck. if you flash the U1 firmware, it removes a ton of crapware on it and it helps some, but not much. Maybe 20% increase of batt. The batt was the biggest letdown of the whole phone
Thanks, I knew the processor was a bit power hungry. I got spoiled w the X charge. It was less than 2/3 less powerful but had a huge battery. If the cam didn't suck so much I'd still be rockin it.
Then of course there is the display on the s9 which is fantastic. That takes most of the power. I can switch to a lower res & do if I'm not playing games. It's nice to have a phone that can keep up for a minute.
Another thing I've noticed is frequent app crashes when playing graphic intensive games. Is this common? I'm trying to get a positive review for my blog.
Oh and for the record
I HATE BIXBY AND ESPECIALLY THE BIXBY BUTTON
That was a mistake. Here's hoping Google will quietly strangle Bixby in her perpetual sleep.
equitube said:
Thanks, I knew the processor was a bit power hungry. I got spoiled w the X charge. It was less than 2/3 less powerful but had a huge battery. If the cam didn't suck so much I'd still be rockin it.
Then of course there is the display on the s9 which is fantastic. That takes most of the power. I can switch to a lower res & do if I'm not playing games. It's nice to have a phone that can keep up for a minute.
Another thing I've noticed is frequent app crashes when playing graphic intensive games. Is this common? I'm trying to get a positive review for my blog.
Oh and for the record
I HATE BIXBY AND ESPECIALLY THE BIXBY BUTTON
That was a mistake. Here's hoping Google will quietly strangle Bixby in her perpetual sleep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont game at all so, i have no experience with that. the last game i played was Earthworm Jim 2 on my modded psp and i only played it to make sure it wasnt glitchy. Literally purchased it for next to nothing just so i could mod it as i hadnt ever done one until then.
positives? its functionality is as solid as can be expected with android. my opinion is that the world of android is so fractured that once the source code is released with its own niggles, it gets compounded by each mfg adding their own little flavor upon. I dont know if google is requiring mfgs to write their own bluetooth stacks etc etc. There isnt a perfect android phone and at this rate there never will be (not that actual perfection is attainable in the first place, but you get my meaning, im sure). Samsung keeps broadening its lineup to appeal to the hundreds of millions of people out there in need of new phones in emerging markets and the recurring customers who number in the billions. It feels like theyre trying to be too many things to too many people.
youdoofus said:
positives? its functionality is as solid as can be expected with android. my opinion is that the world of android is so fractured that once the source code is released with its own niggles, it gets compounded by each mfg adding their own little flavor upon. I dont know if google is requiring mfgs to write their own bluetooth stacks etc etc. There isnt a perfect android phone and at this rate there never will be (not that actual perfection is attainable in the first place, but you get my meaning, im sure). Samsung keeps broadening its lineup to appeal to the hundreds of millions of people out there in need of new phones in emerging markets and the recurring customers who number in the billions. It feels like theyre trying to be too many things to too many people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you're right about the code. In it's purest form Unix was a very stable OS, along comes Linux and it gets a bit more convoluted, splinter off Android and its continual need to upgrade and pretty soon you get an OS as buggy and patched together as WinBlows.
equitube said:
I believe you're right about the code. In it's purest form Unix was a very stable OS, along comes Linux and it gets a bit more convoluted, splinter off Android and its continual need to upgrade and pretty soon you get an OS as buggy and patched together as WinBlows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup. speaking of which. i restart my daily driver pc every day. i never (or maybe 3 times a year) leave it on hibernate or suspend overnight. So the night before last i left it on hibernate overnight and all day the next day as i was at work and wanted to have all the tabs i had open still be there. Got to the computer yesterday after work and it had an update that needed to be installed so badly that it kept reminding me every 45 min and wouldnt let me dismiss the update notif altogether. I was like "really? the ONE DAY i didnt reboot??? REALLY???"
apparently the answer is "really"
youdoofus said:
yup. speaking of which. i restart my daily driver pc every day. i never (or maybe 3 times a year) leave it on hibernate or suspend overnight. So the night before last i left it on hibernate overnight and all day the next day as i was at work and wanted to have all the tabs i had open still be there. Got to the computer yesterday after work and it had an update that needed to be installed so badly that it kept reminding me every 45 min and wouldnt let me dismiss the update notif altogether. I was like "really? the ONE DAY i didnt reboot??? REALLY???"
apparently the answer is "really"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
'
Sometimes I think the MS devs release 'critical, time now' updates just to entertain themselves. Of course a scheduled mandatory world or country-wide update could affect many things, maybe even a tick in the stock market. If that's true, I"m sure there's an algorithm to make it in MS 's favor

mini-Review of the 8 Pro / 12Gb RAM / 256Gb storage version

Introduction
I have never written anything like this before. You might know me as the creator of the Omega kernel for the 6T, and now the 8 Pro. But I wanted to share my experience coming from a OnePlus 6T, to help everyone make a better decision whether to upgrade or not -> I'll cut to the chase... Upgrade now.
I have been using the OnePlus 6T since it was released in November 2018. Before I had almost every OnePlus since the 2, but kept changing between the current top iPhones and OnePlus-es. That changed with the 6T. I was blown away by the speed and responsiveness vs the iPhone 8 Plus I had before that, and Google really upped their game with Android Pie.
Since the 6T I never really wanted to get back into the Apple ecosystem, Android was just too good to use.
Kernel devving on the 6T was also very enjoyable, once a person finds out some of the quirks of the OnePlus code additions.
Enter the 8 Pro
I'll just say this comparing it to the 6T (I never wanted to try the 7 Pro series because of the pop-up camera): OH MY GOD. It's like going from a Fiat Panda (no offense to Fiat) to a Tesla. It's mind-blowing.
The looks. The blue on the 8 Pro is so beautiful, this is the first time I will keep the clear case on the phone that was provided in the box.
The speed. I know, it's mostly a perception, because of the 120Hz display, but oh my does that make a difference... Of course there is the 865 chipset, faster RAM, etc, but that screen is what blows you away the first time you boot it up.
The feel of the device. It's heavier than the 6T, but that's a good thing. You feel it's sturdier.
The experience. It's like opting for the red pill. You never want to go back. I think OnePlus perfectly nailed the combination of hardware and software on this one. After so many years a true flagship.
Setup
It took about an hour to setup from scratch. Yes, I know there is a OnePlus Switch app, but that would rob me from experiencing the setup itself, and I need that. Blazing fast.
Near stock Android experience, with just the right additions. I can tweak to exactly how I like it.
For those who are like me, and want to turn off vibration for everything (since I find it annoying). Go into USB debugging mode, and do:
Code:
adb shell
Code:
appops set android VIBRATE ignore
This disables all standard Android vibrations. If you are finnicky and want to be more granular, or do away with vibrations coming from a certain app:
Microsoft Teams - which I use quite a lot - seems to ignore every single setting I have in notifications, but you can disable app-specific vibrations with:
Code:
appops set com.microsoft.teams VIBRATE ignore
Just substitute "com.microsoft.teams" with the package name you want to turn vibrations off for...
I always disable Sleep Optimization, as I need to have notifications always.
Initial thoughts
Now this is a flagship. Incredible. From the way it feels in your hand, to how blazing fast it is. Battery seems good (see attached screenshots) - I know it has to settle in since it has only been 16 hours, but still. I'm impressed.
By default the screen is set to 120Hz but FHD display. I changed it to 120Hz and QHD resolution. I mean why have a phone like this if you don't enjoy to the max?
How is it vs the 6T?
Huge upgrade.
Camera - will test further over the weekend, but one-two pics I already took are much crisper and more vibrant
Speed - incredible jump forward, and the 6T is still no slouch in 2020...
WiFi - much more stable, seemless roaming now works fully on my home mesh router system. It didn't on the 6T...
OxygenOS - I know most of the added stuff in OOS 10.5 will come to the 6T, but the additions are very nice. Horizon lights, the new fingerprint animation, raise the phone to quiet the ringtone, are all very nice touches.
As I spend more time with the phone I will update this thread accordingly. If anyone has any questions, don't be shy to ask.
The display
OK guys, after two weeks now, let's talk about the display.
Few points: resolution, size, refresh rate, colors, brightness.
Resolution:
You can run in in 1080p or 1440p - some say they can't tell the difference between the two, but I personally can, and I can't go back to FHD... Text is crisper, photos have more detail, it simply looks better. And I read a lot of emails, so it's good to have beautiful fonts on the screen -> BTW I stay on stock Android's Roboto fonts, I simply prefer the more condensed fonts.
Size
6.7". Damn. I never thought I would have such a big screen, but after two weeks my wife's iPhone XR's 6.2" is just small. Because of the size, more calendar entries, more emails, and all my Fitbit stats actually fit on one screen! ...finally
One thing, though. On 1080p, the display density is set differently than 1440p. So if you switch to 1440p (QHD), all text becomes bigger. I'm not that old (yet), so you can actually go into System - Developer options - about 2/3 down Drawing - Smallest width - and change from 411 to 432. Now the scaling is the same as with 1080p, but the fonts are still crisper. (This took me two weeks to figure out )
Refresh rate
This is the biggest jump from my 6T. At first, I was like "yeah it's smooth". After a week, I looked at my son's Pixel 3a, and I asked "what's wrong with it?!?". Then I looked at my wife's iPhone XR, and I asked "what's wrong with it?!?" I'm now spoiled with the 120Hz, and now my work laptop seems slow...
This is the red pill I talked about.
And now the technical part: frame render time is around 6ms, meaning that there is virtually no dropped frame. It took precision to tune the hardware and software to perfection, and it shows!
Colors
Two categories: bright(er) screen is perfect. Colors are accurate, and photos show exactly what it is in real life. Perfect.
Dimmer screens do seem to have a green tint (standard settings), and overblown blacks (DC dimming). But this is something I'm certain will be fixed in an upcoming update, so I'm not worried.
Brightness
After the refresh rate, this is the next best thing. I started testing the phone inside, so it was nothing special. But when I used it in the car as a GPS, even in direct sunlight I was able to see everything clearly. Incredible. Compared to the 6T, and even an iPhone 8 Plus, this thing is bright, and beautiful to look at!
Performance
OK, so next up is performance. It's now been a bit more than 3 weeks with the phone, and I've had ample time to check out performance. Again, this is coming from the 6T.
Few points: general feeling, multitasking, gaming.
General overall feeling
It's fast
In more detail LOL: With the 6T, after booting up the phone, I always had to give it 4-5 hours to "settle in", and after that time performance was great. With th 8 Pro, I'm not really seeing that. It's already fast to begin with.
My primary usage is: emails, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, phone calls, camera, photos. I do tons of multitasking, listen to music in the meantime, etc., and not a glitch, no lag.
Some raw performance indicators: snapping multiple portrait shots one after another is finally working. The 865 chipset does wonders for this, and on the 6T I had to wait 2-3 seconds before I could shoot again.
Multitasking
Snappy, no reloading of apps, everything stays in memory. And now with 12Gb of RAM, everything stays in memory even if I use the most memory-hog app of all, the camera. Switching on a "regular" work-day between emails, calendar, Teams, Spotify, etc. is so seamless, it's an incredible experience.
Everything stays in memory (it does get cleared overnight to help with idle drain, but I'm good with that). Coming from the 6T (and maybe that has to do with the kernel moving from 4.9.y to 4.19.y), memory management is tons better than before. Background task killing decisions are much better, and not once have I had Fitbit close on me during an exercise, it always was able to track my GPS in the background.
Another (previously taxing) scenario was: biking with Fitbit tracking my stats in the background, checking out Google Maps where I am, and doing a Whatsapp video call (I have a bike mount). On the 6T, after the video call, it started killing either Fitbit or Maps in the background, now it's all good.
I guess all this can be attributed to two things: better memory management code written by OnePlus (YAY!), and the faster LPDDR5 memory. All in all great.
Gaming
I'm not much of a gamer, I'd consider myself a social gamer. I occasionally have Clash Royale installed - when my son also installs it . But, it's limited to 60fps, and on top of that the Android code optimization is terrible, so not much of an experience there.
But lets' talk about two games in particular that manage higher FPS: Fortnite and Pokemon Go.
Fortnite: I just had to try it. I rarely play on my PC, but with all the hype, I wanted to try it on the OnePlus 8 Pro. And WOW - they really mean business...
In the menus and before playing, it's limited to 30fps (I guess to save battery, and it doesn't matter in the menus anyways), but during gameplay it was just as smooth as my gaming PC which has a 90Hz monitor. Impressive. And I even got to 4th place! :victory:
If anyone of you is into playing FPS on your phones, this is a game-changer. Also, because of the high RAM, in-game experience is top notch, with zero lag.
Battery seems decent, based on my 20-minute round, I reckon one can go around 4 hours of playtime, which is quite incredible.
Pokemon Go: Previously, my biggest gripe with Android was the performance (or rather lack of...) of Pokemon Go, especially compared to iPhones. The game takes full advantage of the 120Hz display, and it's simply gorgeous. Throwing curveballs is a breeze, and overall exprerience is now MUCH better than the iPhone. Plus add to that that I could probably manage 5-5.5 hours of game time with a full charge.
Summing up
I guess when you have a powerful phone, it doesn't matter what you throw at it... It simply performs incredibly well. And the 8 Pro is a damn powerful phone.
Camera
OK, it's camera time! It's now been 4 weeks with the phone, let's talk about the camera. Again, this is coming from the 6T.
Few points: general feeling, everyday shots, videos, low light.
General overall feeling
This rocks. On the 6T, I almost always had to shoot multiple shots to ensure I have a good picture there. Now - my use case is mostly taking pictures of the family, and they are always moving Also, family sports don't have when there is good lighting, so I was almost always struggling with getting good pictures...
Not anymore. In the first few weeks I did take multiple photos (habit I guess), but it's no longer needed. 95% of the time the photo I take is simply perfect. I think the biggest testament to this is my broader family, and everyone uses iPhones -> since the 8 Pro, they keep on complimenting me on the quality of the photos, and always ask me what phone I have
Everyday shots
Yes, because the family is always moving around (including our rabbit), it's very difficult to get a decent picture. With the 8 Pro, it's actually very easy to do that now. I guess because of the better sensor, shutter times have been reduced, so motion is no longer showing on the pictures (unless of course there is significant movement). But these are the more difficult scenarios.
For simpler scenarios, like group picture with everyone posing, the rabbit laying down, etc., the pictures are perfect, good enough to immediately take to a print studio, even without editing.
Videos
Honestly, this is the best part I am lucky to have a 21:9 QHD monitor, and I love watching movies on it. I was always bummed that none of the previous phones was able to shoot in that format. With the 8 Pro, they introduced Cinematik 4K. I now always shoot in this mode, in 60fps. And oh my it's beautiful. It already fills the whole screen on the phone, and it's immersive, but when I show the family the videos on my home computer, they are in awe. And it's perfectly fluid with 60fps! And this captures every single detail in sports, so perfect.
Low light
I only include this section because for some reason people actually take photos in low light...
Now in the Netherlands it only gets dark after 11PM, so this is a bit difficult to test, but every single dusk picture I took turned out perfectly, again prompting my family members to ask me what kind of phone I have. LOL
That sums it up (for now), do let me know if you have any questions!
Screenshots attached
My personal setup
Accounts, setups
- One personal Gmail account, IMAP idle
- One family-level Outlook.com account for the family calendar, push sync
- One company Office365 account for work, push sync
Apps
- Calendar: Google Calendar
- Email: Nine Email - works perfectly with all accounts, as well as supports dark mode and email aliases
- Gallery: OnePlus gallery - it's fast and also shows an icon for portraits
- Social apps: Twitter, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, LinkedIn, Google News
Settings
- Screen set to QHD and 120Hz, automatic brightness
- WiFi and Bluetooth scanning both disabled
- Disabled "Hey Google" for the assistant
- Dark mode, of course
- Disabled haptics, as per post #1
- Disabled Bluetooth Discoverable
- Disabled Sleep Standby Optimization - I want to receive all notifications as they arrive, even at night
Great Review, i also had the 6t as my daily driver before. As i bought the 8 Pro i remember your last words about the 6t, that you will not switch to another Phone... And now you bought the exact device as me...
Don't know whats better: The Phone or that it will run with omega Kernel.
Thank you.
xx00xx1990 said:
Great Review, i also had the 6t as my daily driver before. As i bought the 8 Pro i remember your last words about the 6t, that you will not switch to another Phone... And now you bought the exact device as me...
Don't know whats better: The Phone or that it will run with omega Kernel.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I loved the 6T. Like I said, I wasn't too happy about the 7 Pro's pop-up camera, but already the 7T was tempting. But then the leaks came out about the 8, it started to look better.
And I have to say, this is one hellova' phone.
Great review & sums it up rather nicely, I have the 12/256gb Glacial Green and I just love it.....? For the same reasons as yourself. Owned every OnePlus from the 3T but this is the first that really is a true flagship......:good:
Duncan1982 said:
Great review & sums it up rather nicely, I have the 12/256gb Glacial Green and I just love it.....? For the same reasons as yourself. Owned every OnePlus from the 3T but this is the first that really is a true flagship......:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved the 3T. That selfie camera was a league of its own. I remember trying to compile CyanogenMod for it. Good ole days...
And back to 8 Pro - I was testing frame rendering this morning, and per-frame rendering time is ~5ms. So even on QHD resolution with 120Hz there are no frame drops. Simply incredible.
kristofpetho said:
I loved the 3T. That selfie camera was a league of its own. I remember trying to compile CyanogenMod for it. Good ole days...
And back to 8 Pro - I was testing frame rendering this morning, and per-frame rendering time is ~5ms. So even on QHD resolution with 120Hz there are no frame drops. Simply incredible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh yes the good ol' days .......? To me I'm like chainfire i used to root and mod all my devices, now there is not so much of a need to, as much as I'm sure your kernel is fantastic, I'll just stay stock, locked.....?
Which is unusual for me as with all OnePlus devices it's been the first thing I have done, now im not so much compelled to (again I'm sure your kernel is fantastic).
Enjoy and have fun with it, I'm sure you will.......:good:
Duncan1982 said:
Ahhh yes the good ol' days .......? To me I'm like chainfire i used to root and mod all my devices, now there is not so much of a need to, as much as I'm sure your kernel is fantastic, I'll just stay stock, locked.....?
Which is unusual for me as with all OnePlus devices it's been the first thing I have done, now im not so much compelled to (again I'm sure your kernel is fantastic).
Enjoy and have fun with it, I'm sure you will.......:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... Don't tell anyone, but I'm also bootloader locked currently...
kristofpetho said:
Well... Don't tell anyone, but I'm also bootloader locked currently...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shhhhh you typed that out loud .......? Who knows I might get tempted to unlock, but like I said it would only be for kernel, as all other mods are not needed or there are no other reasons.......root is something that has unfortunately died.
Before we needed to, there was a reason to, now it's not so much......anyway broken record .....?
#Oneplus you nailed it with the 8 Pro......?
Duncan1982 said:
#Oneplus you nailed it with the 8 Pro......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely agree
Duncan1982 said:
root is something that has unfortunately died.
Before we needed to, there was a reason to, now it's not so much......anyway broken record .....?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to disagree on this, as I think it still mostly depends on what you're going to do with your device, the way you use it, the level of 'freedom' you need to have on your system/apps.
Having been root on each and every device I've had for the past 10 years, I know I could never go backward. Not just because of adblockers (yeah, I could use a vpn-based adblocker but battery consumption is not comparable) or for Lucky Patcher, but for the level of control that you get on almost every part of your system and apps.
But I guess it depends on people, different devices for different needs
(no intention here to start a debate on whether root or non-root is best, just sharing a different opinion, peace ^.^ )
Surfeur-des-Reves said:
Have to disagree on this, as I think it still mostly depends on what you're going to do with your device, the way you use it, the level of 'freedom' you need to have on your system/apps.
Having been root on each and every device I've had for the past 10 years, I know I could never go backward. Not just because of adblockers (yeah, I could use a vpn-based adblocker but battery consumption is not comparable) or for Lucky Patcher, but for the level of control that you get on almost every part of your system and apps.
But I guess it depends on people, different devices for different needs
(no intention here to start a debate on whether root or unroot is best, just sharing a different opinion, peace ^.^ )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely some do require for a few things, also some like the freedom of the device is theirs.....no debating and each has their own take on the matter .......:good:
I still root, but it's definitely far less necessary than it was a few years ago. I do it for Google dialer and vanced and that's about it now
Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk
Duncan1982 said:
Absolutely some do require for a few things, also some like the freedom of the device is theirs.....no debating and each has their own take on the matter .......:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
crzycrkr said:
I still root, but it's definitely far less necessary than it was a few years ago. I do it for Google dialer and vanced and that's about it now
Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. For some people, root is still a necessity. To each their own.
kristofpetho said:
Introduction
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Click to collapse
Congrats on your new phone and kernel.
Sounds like a great device. The price tag on the purchase of two of them right now which is what I would need, is a little too steep. If I'm able to switch, I'm glad to have the 6t's as a backup device if needed
Great review kristfpetho!!!
I will be getting one soon..
Good Read! I'm impressed with my 8Pro Green Machine! Cool ?
Thanks for the review, I am waiting till end of November for buying a new phone so probably go for this or for the 8t but don't know what the price will be and if it's worth the upgrade or go for the cheaper 8pro at that moment... I guess 6 months difference in hardware or software won't make it a huge difference I assume.

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