Why have the S20 Forums been combined into one useless mess?
I guess so that you could complain ?. I'm not getting what your issue is I guess
It's much better now than having to browse all forums one by one
jojos38 said:
It's much better now than having to browse all forums one by one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except the cameras are different. When people talk about the camera, you don't always know which model they're talking about. And as far as I can tell, the Ultra camera reviews thread is just gone.
I much prefer it as most news/mods etc are generic across the three models. If not then just add it to the thread title.
Only thing I wish was that the old sites redirected you as its taken me two days to realise ?
Personally I think there is too much variation in the models for it to make sense having one forum.
3 Different Models - with TOTALLY DIFFERENT CAMERA SYSTEMS, different accessories, different specs..
Further subdivided by the Snapdragon / Exynos division.. you effectively have 6 distinct software environments / hardware setups.. all merged into one mess.
Utterly stupid
jojos38 said:
It's much better now than having to browse all forums one by one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are you browsing all of them? - Do you own all 3 devices?
Seems like we've switched to a system that's geared towards backseat browsers, while owners have to sift through 66% more ****e for no good reason.
At the minimum, they should have edited all the existing thread titles to be preceded with "S20U", "S20+", "S20" based on the forum they came from, so at least we know which model that topic was originated about. Going forward, if it's a model specific topic, like cameras or battery life, people need to start tagging them as such.
dajaco said:
Personally I think there is too much variation in the models for it to make sense having one forum.
3 Different Models - with TOTALLY DIFFERENT CAMERA SYSTEMS, different accessories, different specs..
Further subdivided by the Snapdragon / Exynos division.. you effectively have 6 distinct software environments / hardware setups.. all merged into one mess.
Utterly stupid
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. At minimum there should be separate forums for Snapdragon and Exynos, simply for the fact that Exynos (1) is rootable and (2) has its own share of issues.
I, personally, prefer it that way, as most tweaks, settings, circumstances are for all three models, as they are the same base. People (me as well) were posting these issues on all three forums to reach everybody.
Where my s20 ultra picture quality topic ? :crying:
What we can do now to get it back ?
truonglam said:
Where my s20 ultra picture quality topic ? :crying:
What we can do now to get it back ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does anywhere know of good S20 Ultra only forums elsewhere?
I prefer to like it is now, easier to catch everything.
truonglam said:
Where my s20 ultra picture quality topic ? :crying:
What we can do now to get it back ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your camera questions are still in this forum section:https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...cus-issues-t4061919/post82056967#post82056967.
I proposed the merge. I want to remind you all that:
First, not only current owner but also potential buyers would try to find information on XDA forums. Merging 3 forums into 1 make it easier for everyone to find information, especially for potential buyers who have yet to determine which model to buy.
Second, "XDA-Developers" is a development/hacking/mod-centric forum. It is actually harmful to development/mod/guide efforts to have 3 forums for the same model (development- wise), each with reduced userbase. As you can see, I posted a "HOW-TO Root S20 series" guide recently. I may not have done so if a. posting to one forum but userbase is too small to get me motivated, b. posting to all three forums but i will get exhausted by maintaining three identical threads. Merging three forums into one gives additional motivation to developers and actively encourages developers to support all three model instead of only the one they own.
Preliminary researches suggest that the ROM and Kernel sources are shared between these 3 models. No additional development effort will be needed for different models which use the same processor (apart from changing model names, toggle model switch in kernel configuration).
With mostly same software and hardware, reviews/problems/guides/QAs are kinda shared. Merging into one makes it easier for people to find information and threads can have much wider audience/engagement.
Development-wise, there are only two variants there:
S20 Series (Exynos) and S20 Series (Snapdragon)
dajaco said:
Personally I think there is too much variation in the models for it to make sense having one forum.
3 Different Models - with TOTALLY DIFFERENT CAMERA SYSTEMS, different accessories, different specs..
Further subdivided by the Snapdragon / Exynos division.. you effectively have 6 distinct software environments / hardware setups.. all merged into one mess.
Utterly stupid
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, please be civilized and refrain from using profanity. The decision was made for a reason.
Second, there is actually not much variation there.
Yes, camera system is different for the Ultra but the benefits of a merged forum significantly outweighs the slight inconvenience of a "[S20U]" thread attribute or some slightly less useful information getting into your eye.
Accessories, regardless of their sizes (S20, S20+, S20U), were usually made with the same manufacturing. So if someone says, "The quality of my S20 LED case by Samsung is super poor", your S20 Ultra LED case may be affected too.
Specs. There is nothing different actually. You may say display, but S20, S20+ and S20U use the same model of display panel, specifically S6E3HAB. Size is the only difference. You may say RAM, but models have 4G and 5G variants and they use 8G and 12G respectively.
sublimaze said:
Agreed. At minimum there should be separate forums for Snapdragon and Exynos, simply for the fact that Exynos (1) is rootable and (2) has its own share of issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snapdragon is different from Exynos. That's true. But apart from processor, everything is the same. We now have two different development forums, one for Exynos, one for Snapdragon.
Snapdragon doesn't automatically make your device un-rootable. The problem is the two greedy big carriers in U.S., namely Verizon and ATT, not Snapdragon. All Greater Chinese, Korean (and maybe
Japanese) models are unlockable.
jesec said:
I proposed the merge. I want to remind you all that:
First, not only current owner but also potential buyers would try to find information on XDA forums. Merging 3 forums into 1 make it easier for everyone to find information, especially for potential buyers who have yet to determine which model to buy.
Second, "XDA-Developers" is a development/hacking/mod-centric forum. It is actually harmful to development/mod/guide efforts to have 3 forums for the same model (development- wise), each with reduced userbase. As you can see, I posted a "HOW-TO Root S20 series" guide recently. I may not have done so if a. posting to one forum but userbase is too small to get me motivated, b. posting to all three forums but i will get exhausted by maintaining three identical threads. Merging three forums into one gives additional motivation to developers and actively encourages developers to support all three model instead of only the one they own.
Preliminary researches suggest that the ROM and Kernel sources are shared between these 3 models. No additional development effort will be needed for different models which use the same processor (apart from changing model names, toggle model switch in kernel configuration).
With mostly same software and hardware, reviews/problems/guides/QAs are kinda shared. Merging into one makes it easier for people to find information and threads can have much wider audience/engagement.
Development-wise, there are only two variants there:
S20 Series (Exynos) and S20 Series (Snapdragon)
First, please be civilized and refrain from using profanity. The decision was made for a reason.
Second, there is actually not much variation there.
Yes, camera system is different for the Ultra but the benefits of a merged forum significantly outweighs the slight inconvenience of a "[S20U]" thread attribute or some slightly less useful information getting into your eye.
Accessories, regardless of their sizes (S20, S20+, S20U), were usually made with the same manufacturing. So if someone says, "The quality of my S20 LED case by Samsung is super poor", your S20 Ultra LED case may be affected too.
Specs. There is nothing different actually. You may say display, but S20, S20+ and S20U use the same model of display panel, specifically S6E3HAB. Size is the only difference. You may say RAM, but models have 4G and 5G variants and they use 8G and 12G respectively.
Snapdragon is different from Exynos. That's true. But apart from processor, everything is the same. We now have two different development forums, one for Exynos, one for Snapdragon.
Snapdragon doesn't automatically make your device un-rootable. The problem is the two greedy big carriers in U.S., namely Verizon and ATT, not Snapdragon. All Greater Chinese, Korean (and maybe
Japanese) models are unlockable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"But apart from processor everything is the same" - not true at all, different regions often have different camera suppliers (sony or samsung ususally), there is also evidence that the image signal processor is different between Snapdragon and Exynos Variants (resulting in significant image processing differences, not to mention different camera hardware!, and different base software due to the processor, region and carrier variations). The one thing these forums had above and beyond most forums - is a history of solving developer problems, group problem solving /raising issues. When the waters have been muddied this much by combining 6 significant variants all in one place, all the problems already divided by region, software version etc. have been needlessly muddled at the cost of problem solving/highlighting efficiency.
What has been gained? - well perhaps 'browsing convenience' - Which should be more important in a forum with 'developers' in the title; browsing convenience, or problem solving precision?
Why cant we make it so you can view either by device or as a family of devices.. why cant we do both? -- it seems to be a growing trend in the space that phones have lots of variants.. why choose precision of information OR viewing convenience.. - just make it possible to view the same topics with filters for either preference.. then nothing is lost.
So little has been gained for so much lost.
dajaco said:
"But apart from processor everything is the same" - not true at all, different regions often have different camera suppliers (sony or samsung ususally), there is also evidence that the image signal processor is different between Snapdragon and Exynos Variants (resulting in significant image processing differences, not to mention different camera hardware!, and different base software due to the processor, region and carrier variations). The one thing these forums had above and beyond most forums - is a history of solving developer problems, group problem solving /raising issues. When the waters have been muddied this much by combining 6 significant variants all in one place, all the problems already divided by region, software version etc. have been needlessly muddled at the cost of problem solving/highlighting efficiency.
What has been gained? - well perhaps 'browsing convenience' - Which should be more important in a forum with 'developers' in the title; browsing convenience, or problems solving precision?
So little has been gained for so much lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are also Antennae differences between regions - some having MMwave antennae and some not.. Check out ISP / Camera differences noticed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHxRH8aYnUU
And this is purely Snapdragon vs Exynos camera differences.. before you factor in completely different hardware of the ultra camera...
dajaco said:
Why are you browsing all of them? - Do you own all 3 devices?
Seems like we've switched to a system that's geared towards backseat browsers, while owners have to sift through 66% more ****e for no good reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because even tho the specs are slightly different 80% of the thread on the forums works on all devices
Would it not be possible to make multi-device variant phone like this have forums that can be viewed either collectively or by device - can't there a link to each view type - or simple filter system?
It's better this way. Thread closed.
Related
I haven't looked into the files etc. in the ROMs, but from looking at the physical hardware specifications they are VERY similar in terms of processor, GPU, RAM, internal storage etc. The question I have is whether they should be very easy to port from one device to the other? Are the drivers for the sAMOLED massively different from the LCD in the Tab Pro?
I may have a go flashing one of the Tab S 10.5 ROMs on to my Tab Pro 10.1 and see what happens...
Does anyone know if there is anything obvious which would prevent it from working? Other than the model ID checks obviously...
NJ72 said:
I haven't looked into the files etc. in the ROMs, but from looking at the physical hardware specifications they are VERY similar in terms of processor, GPU, RAM, internal storage etc. The question I have is whether they should be very easy to port from one device to the other? Are the drivers for the sAMOLED massively different from the LCD in the Tab Pro?
I may have a go flashing one of the Tab S 10.5 ROMs on to my Tab Pro 10.1 and see what happens...
Does anyone know if there is anything obvious which would prevent it from working? Other than the model ID checks obviously...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't try flashing a ROM for a different device on your Tab Pro, you could get yourself into a lot of trouble and you could end up with a Bricked tablet!!!!!
^^^
NJ72 said:
looking at the physical hardware specifications they are VERY similar in terms of processor, GPU, RAM, internal storage etc.
Does anyone know if there is anything obvious which would prevent it from working?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
???? Look again. The Pro uses a Snapdragon 800 SoC from Qualcomm, the S an Exynos SoC from Samsung.
BTW, there is a sticky in this forum indicating that questions belong in the Q&A/Troubleshooting section, not here. The mods will move it shortly.
Apologies for putting in the wrong section.
that aside, the tab pro 10.1 comes with the exynos chipset here in the UK. The 5420 to be precise, the exact same chipset that the tab s comes with. The only differences between the tab pro 10.1 and the tab s 10.5 is the SAMOLED and the S-pen compatible touch matrix.
I know there are variants of the tab pro with snapdragon chipsets, but the 10.1 is exynos.
FYI
Having had a bit of a mess around with some of the ROMs for the SM-T800 (Galaxy Tab S Exynos) I managed to get some pleasing results. Some elements don't work, mainly the keyboard and WiFi at the moment (presumably they use different wireless chipsets). Managed to fix the Wifi but still working on some other bits and pieces.
May contact a ROM dev who works on the Tab S and see if I can produce a port of one of their ROMs. Mainly interested to see if I can port over a Lollipop ROM but thought starting with a 4.4.2 one was a good shout.
In the most light-hearted of ways - SHUN THE NON-BELIEVER!
If everything works as planned i'll set up a ROM port in the general development section of the forum. :good:
NJ72 said:
Having had a bit of a mess around with some of the ROMs for the SM-T800 (Galaxy Tab S Exynos) I managed to get some pleasing results. Some elements don't work, mainly the keyboard and WiFi at the moment (presumably they use different wireless chipsets). Managed to fix the Wifi but still working on some other bits and pieces.
May contact a ROM dev who works on the Tab S and see if I can produce a port of one of their ROMs. Mainly interested to see if I can port over a Lollipop ROM but thought starting with a 4.4.2 one was a good shout.
In the most light-hearted of ways - SHUN THE NON-BELIEVER!
If everything works as planned i'll set up a ROM port in the general development section of the forum. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kudos to you. I have a 10.1 pro and the chipset is Exynos (I'm in UK). Interested in the port which is likely to be successful. I'm also interested in rooting it whilst keeping Knox 0x0.
Thanks
shayind4 said:
Kudos to you. I have a 10.1 pro and the chipset is Exynos (I'm in UK). Interested in the port which is likely to be successful. I'm also interested in rooting it whilst keeping Knox 0x0.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will keep ars***g about as it is still uber buggy and I don't have permission from creators to distribute yet but will keep you posted.
Currently using the new 'flat UI' which looks and performs great.:highfive:
NJ72 said:
Will keep ars***g about as it is still uber buggy and I don't have permission from creators to distribute yet but will keep you posted.
Currently using the new 'flat UI' which looks and performs great.:highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Any progress with the port?
THanks
How's this looking?? Exciting to see Stock LP work , love to see this available for SMARY T320!! Great job people :
NJ72 said:
I haven't looked into the files etc. in the ROMs, but from looking at the physical hardware specifications they are VERY similar in terms of processor, GPU, RAM, internal storage etc. The question I have is whether they should be very easy to port from one device to the other? Are the drivers for the sAMOLED massively different from the LCD in the Tab Pro?
I may have a go flashing one of the Tab S 10.5 ROMs on to my Tab Pro 10.1 and see what happens...
Does anyone know if there is anything obvious which would prevent it from working? Other than the model ID checks obviously...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any luck here?? Looking at all the hardware and software I believe the files are identical and only differentials are ram, processor, display.
LG G3 VS985 SkyDragon LP
If I've helped you please hit the thanks!! ? ?
Apologies people, not made much headway recently as work has been manic (I'm a 25 year old IT account manager so free time is a rarity!)
I am still awaiting a response as to whether I can kang some bits from other ROMs as well so will do some chasing and see where we can get
I have been running my mash-up for a little while and there's still lots to fix before it becomes useable...
I'm glad people are interested in this, though
One thing to one of the posters, this is just a 'flat UI' style ROM based on 4.4.2/4.4.4 so is NOT a full LP ROM - that may change, but I haven't played with kernels enough yet to try and lob LP on it properly.
:highfive:
Keep trying your best. We are waiting. Do let us know if we can help.
Shayind4
NJ72 said:
Apologies people, not made much headway recently as work has been manic (I'm a 25 year old IT account manager so free time is a rarity!)
I am still awaiting a response as to whether I can kang some bits from other ROMs as well so will do some chasing and see where we can get
I have been running my mash-up for a little while and there's still lots to fix before it becomes useable...
I'm glad people are interested in this, though
One thing to one of the posters, this is just a 'flat UI' style ROM based on 4.4.2/4.4.4 so is NOT a full LP ROM - that may change, but I haven't played with kernels enough yet to try and lob LP on it properly.
:highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Willing to so what I can. Love to see some LP action on the Tab Pro line. Especially the SM T320
guys, i was looking for a new device and came to note 4, but isee there 2 versions Snapdragon and Exynos
these benchmarks are old and since we are like nearly a year further since release in my country witch should i get of the 2
most ppl voted for the Exynos ver on this forum but i dont go read like 200+ posts,
what i want to do wit hthe device
gaming,
watching anime 10bit h264 / h265 mkv/flac
custom firmware something like archidroid witch i used on s3
help me out abit , the on paper reviews dont say everything its more about true phone power, stability, laggless, ofc speed to
as far as ive seen reviews , snapdragon is best in gpu depending stuff while Exynos does the multi process/task stuff but those revies are from 2014 dunno if anything has changed with the firmwares and so
Either one is okay. Depends on your carrier I would assume.
carries is kpn, but they are simlock free , kpn 4g with speed of 225Mbit for data, but that wasnt my question , i wanted to know witch is beter for feature , Snapdragon or Exynos both have cons and ups
snapdragon
more energy save
faster gpu
cons
slower load time eventhough it is 2.7ghz quad core
Exynos
faster multitask
faster loading aps
cons
faster battery drain
slower gpu
so i want ot make the right choice
Be careful my bro got the s6 with exynos, we rooted it and went looking for new roms but only found 2 and there isn't likely to be more because of the exynos
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
This is the Sprint forum. Only one choice.
i have no clue i see 3 versions and i just picked a forum
Wesley_NL said:
i have no clue i see 3 versions and i just picked a forum
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint only offers the snapdragon version.
I would try the main Note 4 forum.
Cjam180 said:
Be careful my bro got the s6 with exynos, we rooted it and went looking for new roms but only found 2 and there isn't likely to be more because of the exynos
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i see, thx for the warning but s6 is difrent from note right ?, the s6 is problematic bcus the edge ?
from what i have readed most ppl on xda voted for exynos on the poll yet no customs , i realy liked the customs like archidroid, it was fast , smooth, easy to use and install/setup and i was hoping there is one for the note 4 to but for me its a kind of difficult choice , so snapdragon has more custom roms faster gpu but its slower in performance and not 64bit ready, and the exynos is faster , slower gpu and less custom roms
the note4 is a difficult choice for me atm it seems
DreamingWolf said:
Sprint only offers the snapdragon version.
I would try the main Note 4 forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it was not directed at this version only, im from eu and i dont know what version i will get so im asking users how and what so i dont take the wrong turn, the version here probaly would be an internantional version like the s3 i had and i dont know what version the note 4 will be that i get, also have no clue how to spot what version is in box
While I am no expert on the difference between domestic and international phones for the US, from what I understand you will want to stick with exynos. The snapdragons are specific to the networks in the US. Will and do they work internationally? Yes. However, I believe you will run into issues with data with snapdragon phones internationally. I may be wrong on this so anyone can feel free to correct me but from what I understand, a note 4 with exynos will be better suited to the carriers internationally.
This is a US carrier section so many of us are not up on this info since we fairly rarely run into this. The general section for the note 4 will have more of an international following I believe.
Wesley_NL said:
it was not directed at this version only, im from eu and i dont know what version i will get so im asking users how and what so i dont take the wrong turn, the version here probaly would be an internantional version like the s3 i had and i dont know what version the note 4 will be that i get, also have no clue how to spot what version is in box
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand it wasn't directed at this varient alone. But you won't get many responses to a request for comparisons when almost no one has an exynos here. That's why I provided a link to the forums where there are many people from both sides available to ask.
DreamingWolf said:
I understand it wasn't directed at this varient alone. But you won't get many responses to a request for comparisons when almost no one has an exynos here. That's why I provided a link to the forums where there are many people from both sides available to ask.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you sure? cuz the poll says otherwise, more ppl voted for exynos so i thought alot used it
Wesley_NL said:
are you sure? cuz the poll says otherwise, more ppl voted for exynos so i thought alot used it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they do, it isn't through Sprint.
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Premium HD app
Wesley_NL said:
guys, i was looking for a new device and came to note 4, but isee there 2 versions Snapdragon and Exynos
these benchmarks are old and since we are like nearly a year further since release in my country witch should i get of the 2
most ppl voted for the Exynos ver on this forum but i dont go read like 200+ posts,
what i want to do wit hthe device
gaming,
watching anime 10bit h264 / h265 mkv/flac
custom firmware something like archidroid witch i used on s3
help me out abit , the on paper reviews dont say everything its more about true phone power, stability, laggless, ofc speed to
as far as ive seen reviews , snapdragon is best in gpu depending stuff while Exynos does the multi process/task stuff but those revies are from 2014 dunno if anything has changed with the firmwares and so
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i know i am partial to the snapdragon versions in all cases, the snapdragons include the available hardware for the fm radios, and even if the fm radio app is not included, u can use nextradio or even the spirit fm radio app from here at xda... and the snapdragons have always been easier to root/unlock booloader, etc., if u ask me... and the snapdragons just seem cooler to me, in a vibe sort of way...
A questions for any Australians out there , or anyone else that has the answer.
I have seen a lot of posts about the USB-C versions (2.0 vs 3.1 etc), I have also asked Samsung Aus directly and they cannot provide me an answer......(not sure why). Maybe they cant until the phone is released.
But i would like to know what version the Australian model will have......2.0 or 3.1?
This is the model number that comes up on my order; SM-N930FZKAXSA
longsville said:
A questions for any Australians out there , or anyone else that has the answer.
I have seen a lot of posts about the USB-C versions (2.0 vs 3.1 etc), I have also asked Samsung Aus directly and they cannot provide me an answer......(not sure why). Maybe they cant until the phone is released.
But i would like to know what version the Australian model will have......2.0 or 3.1?
This is the model number that comes up on my order; SM-N930FZKAXSA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I'm aware all the Galaxy Note 7's have USB-C 3.1
Actually, disregard that... I just had a look around, apparently it varies from one chipset to the next. I'm guessing the Qualcomm Snapdragon models may have 3.1 and Australian Exynos models 2.0, but not 100% sure.
valamer said:
As far as I'm aware all the Galaxy Note 7's have USB-C 3.1
Actually, disregard that... I just had a look around, apparently it varies from one chipset to the next. I'm guessing the Qualcomm Snapdragon models may have 3.1 and Australian Exynos models 2.0, but not 100% sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See, i thought they were all the same until i started digging around as well. Now im confused.
It would be nice to think that being the latest unit it would have 3.1, but i guess it depends on the chip handling it......and in saying that, dont the Exynos chips run better than SD? Im not tech savvy with that so i could be completely wrong in my thought process.
longsville said:
See, i thought they were all the same until i started digging around as well. Now im confused.
It would be nice to think that being the latest unit it would have 3.1, but i guess it depends on the chip handling it......and in saying that, dont the Exynos chips run better than SD? Im not tech savvy with that so i could be completely wrong in my thought process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are both very close in performance, but in majority of videos comparing the Exynos & SD variants of the Galaxy S7 the Exynos comes out as the better performer, although I did see one video that the SD variant won, so not sure what was going on there. The bigger difference it seems is that Qualcomm releases always up to date source code which is needed to get all components of their platform working on AOSP, Samsung does not, so many people tend to like the SDs more for this reason. But in the US the bootloaders are locked down by the phone carriers so they can't modify the software on them anyway.
The A50 differs from the other A-series devices in terms of having an Exynos 9610 which has seen practically zero development and poor GSI compatibility. However, finally we have an Android One device with practically the same chipset.
The Motorola Action One comes with the Exynos 9609 which is the same as 9610 apart from having a 100 MHz lower clock speed. In the past, we had instances of Android One firmware being ported to similar devices, so it is possible for a capable developer to be able to create a functional port.
Of course, bugs are inevitable, especially in the areas of camera and wireless connectivity but hopefully with the right combination of blobs it might be possible to have a daily driver. Again, at this point there is nothing more to go on rather than hope, but it is great to have a sister device running stock Android.
So what do you think about future development prospects? Is there any developer with an A50 willing to have a go once the firmware for the One Action becomes available?
Nice let's Hope ?
Motorola one vision is already out since May, and it's exynos 9609 as well, running Android one.
You can check one vision forum if anyone is interested in system/vendor dump. I got it uploaded a while back.
I'm contemplating purchasing the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact in 2023, but I have some concerns about its outdated Android 9 OS and the inability to install custom ROMs on the DOCOMO SO-02K VARIANT due to the locked bootloader. I would greatly appreciate your insights and advice on whether this device is still worth considering. Here are a few factors I'm considering:
Performance: Despite being released a few years ago, the Xperia XZ1 Compact boasts a powerful Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB of RAM. Can it still handle everyday tasks smoothly, or does it struggle with more demanding apps and games?
Software Support: Android 9 seems outdated, especially with newer versions available. Is it still receiving security updates, and is there any indication of an official update to a more recent Android version? Additionally, are there any reliable custom ROMs that can breathe new life into this device, despite the locked bootloader?
Camera Quality: The Xperia XZ1 Compact's 19 MP rear camera was highly praised at its release. However, with the rapid advancements in smartphone photography, does it still hold up? Are there any notable limitations or issues I should be aware of?
Battery Life: How does the battery hold up in 2023? Does it still provide a decent day of usage, or does it drain quickly?
Alternative Options: Considering the limitations of the Xperia XZ1 Compact, are there any other compact-sized smartphones with better software support and customization options that you would recommend?
I understand that technology moves quickly, and the Xperia XZ1 Compact may not be the latest and greatest. However, I'm particularly drawn to its compact size, robust build, and Sony's reputation for durability. I value the opinions and experiences of the XDA community, so any insights you can provide would be immensely helpful.
Thanks in advance for your input, and I look forward to your responses!
Best regards.
Hi and welcome! That's a lot of questions - and a lot of very subjective information. I'll try my best to answer where I can. For context, I still use mine as my daily driver.
Performance: That all depends on what you want to do. Can it handle the most demanding modern games? Probably not, but what do you really want to play? It's a compact phone that's 5 years old. It wasn't the strongest for games at the time. Can it run most apps just fine? Yes. I've not run into much that have a problem, but I'm also not doing anything too intense, and I know that. Of course, phone processors have largely been commoditized by now, despite what manufacturers would like you to believe.
Battery: Again, it's all about what you do with it. What are you running? It of course won't last the whole day playing video with the screen on full brightness. But no phone will. Battery is more tied to screen size than anything else. Your particular mileage may vary depending on whether your device is used, and how well the previous owner treated it in terms of charge cycles and limiting. Mine easily lasts a day, but I don't tend to use it super heavily. Draining quickly is usually a sign of greedy apps or a busted battery.
Camera: I don't personally have strong opinions on cameras, so can't really comment on whether you like the quality - people have very different requirements. It's perfectly adequate for my needs. Will it be as good as modern phone cameras? Certainly not. Most modern phones have multiple sensors with different kinds of lenses - which drastically changes what's possible. Do you care about that? Only you can answer.
Stock Software. I can say with 99.999% certainty that Sony is never going to release an official update. Don't hold your breath. It's 5 years old, and very outdated. I don't believe there are any more security updates, and again do not expect any.
Custom Software: Let's be 100% clear. There's a locked bootloader, that you have the ability to unlock - but not re-lock. If you don't unlock it, you cannot install a custom rom. Full stop. That's the case for every phone. If you unlock it ... then you can do whatever you want. There are many custom roms available (check out that subforum here), including to the most recent version of Android 13 (via Lineage OS 20). But you'll have to do a little bit of work. If you do unlock it, I recommend doing the pre-work to back up your TA partition, since it will help a little with the camera should you decide to go back to stock.
Alternatives: Again, lots of opinion here. What do you define as "compact"? I'd argue that there are no comparable modern phones that are anywhere near this size, other than the iPhone mini ... and I don't like Apple/iOS. Maybe you don't mind that. Maybe you're willing to go up an inch in screen size, and that's still small enough for you. It also depends on what other features you need/want - like a SD card slot, headphone jack, 5G, etc. To me, there's nothing better, which is why I still use my XZ1c. I know other people that swear by some of the Pixels, Zenphones, or even a few of the smaller Samsung phones.
Finally, you mention the DOCOMO SO-02K version. I don't know where you live, but it runs different firmware (Japanese) and a different set of apps. I think the OS version is even older, and has fewer updates. It's missing NFC (and I think some other sensor), and some of the wireless bands. And as you say cannot be unlocked - though I vaguely recall a post of someone saying they were able to.
Unless you know what you're doing, I would not advise getting that version. The standard G8441 version is a better and more flexible buy unless you live in Japan (and are OK with the lock) or know what you're doing. If you're serious about the phone, it's worth paying a little extra to be sure about what you're getting.
I hope that helps! And remember that this is all just the opinion of one member, but I've at least tired to be as impartial as I can.
tonsofquestions said:
Hi and welcome! That's a lot of questions - and a lot of very subjective information. I'll try my best to answer where I can. For context, I still use mine as my daily driver.
Performance: That all depends on what you want to do. Can it handle the most demanding modern games? Probably not, but what do you really want to play? It's a compact phone that's 5 years old. It wasn't the strongest for games at the time. Can it run most apps just fine? Yes. I've not run into much that have a problem, but I'm also not doing anything too intense, and I know that. Of course, phone processors have largely been commoditized by now, despite what manufacturers would like you to believe.
Battery: Again, it's all about what you do with it. What are you running? It of course won't last the whole day playing video with the screen on full brightness. But no phone will. Battery is more tied to screen size than anything else. Your particular mileage may vary depending on whether your device is used, and how well the previous owner treated it in terms of charge cycles and limiting. Mine easily lasts a day, but I don't tend to use it super heavily. Draining quickly is usually a sign of greedy apps or a busted battery.
Camera: I don't personally have strong opinions on cameras, so can't really comment on whether you like the quality - people have very different requirements. It's perfectly adequate for my needs. Will it be as good as modern phone cameras? Certainly not. Most modern phones have multiple sensors with different kinds of lenses - which drastically changes what's possible. Do you care about that? Only you can answer.
Stock Software. I can say with 99.999% certainty that Sony is never going to release an official update. Don't hold your breath. It's 5 years old, and very outdated. I don't believe there are any more security updates, and again do not expect any.
Custom Software: Let's be 100% clear. There's a locked bootloader, that you have the ability to unlock - but not re-lock. If you don't unlock it, you cannot install a custom rom. Full stop. That's the case for every phone. If you unlock it ... then you can do whatever you want. There are many custom roms available (check out that subforum here), including to the most recent version of Android 13 (via Lineage OS 20). But you'll have to do a little bit of work. If you do unlock it, I recommend doing the pre-work to back up your TA partition, since it will help a little with the camera should you decide to go back to stock.
Alternatives: Again, lots of opinion here. What do you define as "compact"? I'd argue that there are no comparable modern phones that are anywhere near this size, other than the iPhone mini ... and I don't like Apple/iOS. Maybe you don't mind that. Maybe you're willing to go up an inch in screen size, and that's still small enough for you. It also depends on what other features you need/want - like a SD card slot, headphone jack, 5G, etc. To me, there's nothing better, which is why I still use my XZ1c. I know other people that swear by some of the Pixels, Zenphones, or even a few of the smaller Samsung phones.
Finally, you mention the DOCOMO SO-02K version. I don't know where you live, but it runs different firmware (Japanese) and a different set of apps. I think the OS version is even older, and has fewer updates. It's missing NFC (and I think some other sensor), and some of the wireless bands. And as you say cannot be unlocked - though I vaguely recall a post of someone saying they were able to.
Unless you know what you're doing, I would not advise getting that version. The standard G8441 version is a better and more flexible buy unless you live in Japan (and are OK with the lock) or know what you're doing. If you're serious about the phone, it's worth paying a little extra to be sure about what you're getting.
I hope that helps! And remember that this is all just the opinion of one member, but I've at least tired to be as impartial as I can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in India and only the Japanese Docomo version is available here, the XZ1 Compact was never officially launched here but now many refurbished phone sellers are selling the Japanese imported variant.
As I said, the answer is different based on where you are and what's available.
I don't know the quality of the refurbishers there, which means (in particular) the battery life of the phones is less certain.
I'm sure it's possible to order from places online, but I can't tell you the difference in price, or whether that's worth the extra expense to you.
The Docomo version has slightly different hardware and cell bands. I don't know if you care about the NFC chip, and you're on your own to figure out if it will work with your local service providers.
A quick search on XDA shows that it's possible to still unlock the SO-02k model:
Can XZ1 Compact SO-02K run Custom ROMs?
I have successfully unlocked the bootloader for my SO-02K. Can I flash Lineage OS on it or are those only meant for G8441? Are there Custom ROMs for SO-02K? Thank you in advance.
forum.xda-developers.com
Xz1 compact Docomo unlock status
I have an xz1 compact Docomo. The bootloader status is No. however I can use my operator's sim. Is there any way to change bootloader status to YES? Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
forum.xda-developers.com
Guide to "using" Docomo XZ1C?
I have a Japanese/SO-02K XZ1C, What is the process to get TWRP/custom ROM/root onto here? Is it worthwhile? (I understand it will lose NFC, will the battery still be usable?) Or should I just use ADB to debloat the phone and be content with...
forum.xda-developers.com
But you will have to pay extra in order to do it - probably around 2000 INR (give or take). Is that worth it over another phone? Again, I cannot make that decision for you. Only you can decide how "compact" is compact enough for you.
And this thread about battery drain might be worth keeping in mind in case you run into it:
[SOLVED] Battery drain on custom ROMs running on SO-02K(Japanese docomo model)
I'm using Xperia XZ1 Compact SO-02K (Japanese docomo model) unlocked bootloader via qUnlockTool. I installed some custom ROMs like LineageOS 18.1, Havoc OS 4.8, 3.11. Any ROMs doesn't go to deep sleep so the battery drain is so bad. I installed...
forum.xda-developers.com
tonsofquestions said:
As I said, the answer is different based on where you are and what's available.
I don't know the quality of the refurbishers there, which means (in particular) the battery life of the phones is less certain.
I'm sure it's possible to order from places online, but I can't tell you the difference in price, or whether that's worth the extra expense to you.
The Docomo version has slightly different hardware and cell bands. I don't know if you care about the NFC chip, and you're on your own to figure out if it will work with your local service providers.
A quick search on XDA shows that it's possible to still unlock the SO-02k model:
Can XZ1 Compact SO-02K run Custom ROMs?
I have successfully unlocked the bootloader for my SO-02K. Can I flash Lineage OS on it or are those only meant for G8441? Are there Custom ROMs for SO-02K? Thank you in advance.
forum.xda-developers.com
Xz1 compact Docomo unlock status
I have an xz1 compact Docomo. The bootloader status is No. however I can use my operator's sim. Is there any way to change bootloader status to YES? Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
forum.xda-developers.com
Guide to "using" Docomo XZ1C?
I have a Japanese/SO-02K XZ1C, What is the process to get TWRP/custom ROM/root onto here? Is it worthwhile? (I understand it will lose NFC, will the battery still be usable?) Or should I just use ADB to debloat the phone and be content with...
forum.xda-developers.com
But you will have to pay extra in order to do it - probably around 2000 INR (give or take). Is that worth it over another phone? Again, I cannot make that decision for you. Only you can decide how "compact" is compact enough for you.
And this thread about battery drain might be worth keeping in mind in case you run into it:
[SOLVED] Battery drain on custom ROMs running on SO-02K(Japanese docomo model)
I'm using Xperia XZ1 Compact SO-02K (Japanese docomo model) unlocked bootloader via qUnlockTool. I installed some custom ROMs like LineageOS 18.1, Havoc OS 4.8, 3.11. Any ROMs doesn't go to deep sleep so the battery drain is so bad. I installed...
forum.xda-developers.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I don't think it's worth spending an extra 2000 rupees just to unlock the bootloader of a now 6-year-old phone, to be honest. I believe it would be better for me to get a phone like the Redmi Note 9, which is 3 years old, to use as a secondary device. It's easier to unlock the bootloader and install custom ROMs on it, which was my initial motive that led me to consider the XZ1C. Of course, I won't have the small form factor or the premium metallic build of the XZ1C, but it seems like there's simply no other alternative in this price range.
It's possible I did the currency conversion wrong. I don't know how much the phone would cost refurbished - I would have guessed somewhere around 10,000 rupees, if not more.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the price range for you.
How important is the compact to you? I would happily pay a 10-15% premium for that if it were an option.
But price might be more important factor for you than size, and there's no shame in that.
Or you could try the Stock version and re-sell it if you don't like it. I know it has a bunch of bloatware you can disable via ADB, but I'm not sure if the camera software is as good as the Sony one - which also impacts part of your question.
As I said in my first post, there just simply any other alternatives at this size anymore, and you're going to have to compromise somewhere. You either have to go Apple - and iOS, the XZ1c - with it's older hardware and potentially higher price, or a different Android phone - and compromise on the size. Only you can decide which option is the right one for you.
tonsofquestions said:
It's possible I did the currency conversion wrong. I don't know how much the phone would cost refurbished - I would have guessed somewhere around 10,000 rupees, if not more.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the price range for you.
How important is the compact to you? I would happily pay a 10-15% premium for that if it were an option.
But price might be more important factor for you than size, and there's no shame in that.
Or you could try the Stock version and re-sell it if you don't like it. I know it has a bunch of bloatware you can disable via ADB, but I'm not sure if the camera software is as good as the Sony one - which also impacts part of your question.
As I said in my first post, there just simply any other alternatives at this size anymore, and you're going to have to compromise somewhere. You either have to go Apple - and iOS, the XZ1c - with it's older hardware and potentially higher price, or a different Android phone - and compromise on the size. Only you can decide which option is the right one for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't afford to spend more than 8000 rupees; yeah, you guessed it right. For me, price is greater than size in this context. The XZ1C Docomo variant is going for 6000-7900 here right now.
Well, at 6000, plus an unlock for 2000, you're just inside your budget. But I realize that's pushing it.
But you should do some looking around and price-checking yourself. I only followed the first link in one of the threads. There might be cheaper options, and you could see if they'd give a discount to you in another country, or for a significantly older phone. It never hurts to ask.
Or maybe you can find a refurbished one that's already unlocked - though that's probably not too likely.
If it's just a secondary device, then perhaps the compact-ness is less crucial to you. But the Redmi Note 9 is a good cm wider, not to mention a lot taller and more than 25% heavier. But I have heard good things.
I suspect once they're unlocked, they're equally easy to install custom ROMs on.