Surface Duo 2 - Microsoft Surface Duo Guides, News, & Discussion

Just watched the Surface Duo 2 announcement & reveal. I gotta say, I'm excited.
A few key complaints were solved, and some far beyond what I expected.
The glance bar seen at the hinge when closed...that's effin fantastic. Can see notifications with device closed.
Camera improvements (well not so much improved as it is actually in existence now, lol) - Though I imagine the camera bump will create some awkwardness when device fully open or laying flat on table, etc.
Pen magnetically attached to cover. I like it a lot...but can foresee issues with device protection options.
The curved screens...I guess they are supposed to help lessen the gap between screens visually. Got me curious here. (and, how do you protect that?)
No mention of water / dust resistance - maybe we'll see something in spec sheet.
Obviously thankful for the Snapdragon 888 and 5G connectivity!!
oh, and BLACK!
What do you guys think?

Hi,
Well I was awaiting that event for several reasons, but I must say I am disappointed in many ways.
You're talking about the camera improvement. Well, indeed the bumps makes the device look totally different than what is was and I really loved the neat and sleek design. But OK, so a bump. For what ? 3 lenses : 16 + 12 +12 MP. When all competition is at 108 MP ? I know MP do not make a picture, but still... I could forgive poor camera when there was no bump. Now, it is unforgivable.
It is already difficult to find a nice protection case for this. And a good screen protector. With curved screen,s this is going to be impossible. ANd that is also sad :-(
But the most incredible thing is :
- have you heard what version of Android will be packed in the new Surface Duo 2 ? Nope. not a word. So they may even ship it with Android 10. Because if they would have packed Android 12 (to be released in 3/4 weeks) they would probably have said so. But the silence leaves me with low expectations, especially when they talked so much about how Windows 11 is amazing in that event :
- do you know if the launcher has been improved ?
- do you know if that éamazing" photo software will be available for Surface Duo 1 owners ?
They did not talked a single time about the improvements they did with software. And that is simply scary as this is, for me, the main concern about this device.
As I said, I was awaiting this event. But given the circumstances, as I am still in the money back warranty program, I'll return the Surface Duo as I can not justify to spend 800€ in a device that has so many flaws and that will obviously receive no attention from it's creator.
Regards.

NexusPenguin said:
Hi,
Well I was awaiting that event for several reasons, but I must say I am disappointed in many ways.
You're talking about the camera improvement. Well, indeed the bumps makes the device look totally different than what is was and I really loved the neat and sleek design. But OK, so a bump. For what ? 3 lenses : 16 + 12 +12 MP. When all competition is at 108 MP ? I know MP do not make a picture, but still... I could forgive poor camera when there was no bump. Now, it is unforgivable.
It is already difficult to find a nice protection case for this. And a good screen protector. With curved screen,s this is going to be impossible. ANd that is also sad :-(
But the most incredible thing is :
- have you heard what version of Android will be packed in the new Surface Duo 2 ? Nope. not a word. So they may even ship it with Android 10. Because if they would have packed Android 12 (to be released in 3/4 weeks) they would probably have said so. But the silence leaves me with low expectations, especially when they talked so much about how Windows 11 is amazing in that event :
- do you know if the launcher has been improved ?
- do you know if that éamazing" photo software will be available for Surface Duo 1 owners ?
They did not talked a single time about the improvements they did with software. And that is simply scary as this is, for me, the main concern about this device.
As I said, I was awaiting this event. But given the circumstances, as I am still in the money back warranty program, I'll return the Surface Duo as I can not justify to spend 800€ in a device that has so many flaws and that will obviously receive no attention from it's creator.
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely some good points there!
It is shipping with Android 11, according to the specs listed on website
Surface Duo 2 – Dual-Screen Mobile Productivity – Microsoft Surface
Open two screens and discover limitless possibilities with Surface Duo 2, now with next-level multitasking, lightning-fast 5G and intelligent three-lens camera.
www.microsoft.com

Bandage said:
Definitely some good points there!
It is shipping with Android 11, according to the specs listed on website
Surface Duo 2 – Dual-Screen Mobile Productivity – Microsoft Surface
Open two screens and discover limitless possibilities with Surface Duo 2, now with next-level multitasking, lightning-fast 5G and intelligent three-lens camera.
www.microsoft.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Yes, saw that a little later.
It is comprehensible that they did not make a statement about that in their device presentation.
Is Android an solid positive point today, 2 weeks before Android 12 is going to be released ?
I may see the devil everywhere, especially in some details.
But if Microsoft was working on Android 12 already, would they not have mentioned : "And updated to the latest Android available shortly after it will be released" or something like that ?
I am still asking myself questions that, I think would derserve an answer from Microsoft...
Anyways, here are my complete thoughts about the Surface Duo 2...
1°) Improvements that I would take :
- the external display. Well not really an external display. But at least the ability to see what time it is without having to unfold the Surface Duo is an improvement that would be worth the upgrade in itself ; being able to see the battery status is also nice there. And to at least know if I got a call or message is also nice. Maybe try to add an indication about who is calling and we're good to go ;
- the better battery : surprisingly, with my day to day usage of the Surface Duo it's small battery is quite decent. BUT as probably most of us noticed, as soon as battery is heavily used, it melts like snow in a hot summer day in Florida ! So a better, bigger battery is welcome ;
- bigger dispaly : oh yeah... I would definitely take those as the Surface Duo is really a work tool for me and as such, the bigger, the better
- about the camera, I would of course use the new camera. But not really for quality, more for convenience. The double display management with the current camera is simply a disaster. Most of the time, when I use the camera and turn the device to shoot something else than myself, the opposite display does not turn on so I am shooting blind, if I shoot at all !.
2°) Improvements nice to me, but not "must have"
- better SoC ? It is nice. But will I even notice the increased speeds ?
- more RAM ? Nice, but would I even notice the improvement in a real life experiment ?
- more storage ? Nice, but 256GB is already 5 times what I need ;
- 5G ? I don't even think I've reached the limits of 4G+, so...
- Wi-Fi 6 ? Really nice, but... my Wi-Fi router does not have that, so not in dire need ;
- NFC ? Why not, but really I don't care.
3°) Things I'd like and that are not there (or not sure)
- Wireless charging ? I don't think the new device has that. Why ? Especially in this form factor and with the severe weakness on the USB-C port, wireless chargng would have been cool ;
- fast charging : 23W cahrger ? I think other brands like Oppo or One plus or even Xiaomi have much more than that and can charge a battery in less than 45 minutes... and a battery much larger than the one in the Surface Duo ;
- improved software. Cool, they worked with a phone game editor to have 3 optimized games to play on the Surface Duo... But is this not supposed to be a "work phone" ? And 3 games ? What about all the rest ? What about MS own software ? Will we have improved launcher and stuff like that ? Will MS help devs to adapt their software for the Surface Duo ?
All in all a mitigated impression over those announcements... At least for me.
Regards.

NexusPenguin said:
Hi,
Yes, saw that a little later.
It is comprehensible that they did not make a statement about that in their device presentation.
Is Android an solid positive point today, 2 weeks before Android 12 is going to be released ?
I may see the devil everywhere, especially in some details.
But if Microsoft was working on Android 12 already, would they not have mentioned : "And updated to the latest Android available shortly after it will be released" or something like that ?
I am still asking myself questions that, I think would derserve an answer from Microsoft...
Anyways, here are my complete thoughts about the Surface Duo 2...
1°) Improvements that I would take :
- the external display. Well not really an external display. But at least the ability to see what time it is without having to unfold the Surface Duo is an improvement that would be worth the upgrade in itself ; being able to see the battery status is also nice there. And to at least know if I got a call or message is also nice. Maybe try to add an indication about who is calling and we're good to go ;
- the better battery : surprisingly, with my day to day usage of the Surface Duo it's small battery is quite decent. BUT as probably most of us noticed, as soon as battery is heavily used, it melts like snow in a hot summer day in Florida ! So a better, bigger battery is welcome ;
- bigger dispaly : oh yeah... I would definitely take those as the Surface Duo is really a work tool for me and as such, the bigger, the better
- about the camera, I would of course use the new camera. But not really for quality, more for convenience. The double display management with the current camera is simply a disaster. Most of the time, when I use the camera and turn the device to shoot something else than myself, the opposite display does not turn on so I am shooting blind, if I shoot at all !.
2°) Improvements nice to me, but not "must have"
- better SoC ? It is nice. But will I even notice the increased speeds ?
- more RAM ? Nice, but would I even notice the improvement in a real life experiment ?
- more storage ? Nice, but 256GB is already 5 times what I need ;
- 5G ? I don't even think I've reached the limits of 4G+, so...
- Wi-Fi 6 ? Really nice, but... my Wi-Fi router does not have that, so not in dire need ;
- NFC ? Why not, but really I don't care.
- improved software. Cool, they worked with a phone game editor to have 3 optimized games to play on the Surface Duo... But is this not supposed to be a "work phone" ? And 3 games ? What about all the rest ? What about MS own software ? Will we have improved launcher and stuff like that ? Will MS help devs to adapt their software for the Surface Duo ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do think some of your points are very valid.
Not sure if I misunderstood what you said about outer display, but there IS a notification area when device fully closed. With the curve ends of the inner edge of screens it allowed them to have a strip that can be seen with device closed. It shows things like time, battery, missed calls, notifications. It's certainly not robust, but anything more and they'd have to increase thickness and weight even more. Many consumers would prefer this device to be as light and thin as possible. (according to reviews of Duo 1, the thin design was a huge draw)
2°) Improvements nice to me, but not "must have"
- better SoC ? It is nice. But will I even notice the increased speeds ? OMG yes we should notice improvements here combined with RAM increase
- more RAM ? Nice, but would I even notice the improvement in a real life experiment ?
- more storage ? Nice, but 256GB is already 5 times what I need ; agreed
- 5G ? I don't even think I've reached the limits of 4G+, so... agreed, but they needed to keep up with all the others that offer 5G - I also haven't "needed" 5G, but it is faster
- Wi-Fi 6 ? Really nice, but... my Wi-Fi router does not have that, so not in dire need ; agreed
- NFC ? Why not, but really I don't care. In a contactless world (pandemic is really pushing the need for contactless solutions) we need this
Regarding Android 12...I would like assurance that it will eventually be offered, but will be ecstatic to have the Duo 2 work as intended in the meantime. It sounds like they spent a lot of time on the software to get things right.
One little thing that has me doing cartwheels...the device will remember what apps you use spanned across both screens, so you won't have to fiddle with stretching it each and every time like you do on Duo 1. My Kindle app will open on both screens when launched. LOVE THIS

Bandage said:
I do think some of your points are very valid.
Not sure if I misunderstood what you said about outer display, but there IS a notification area when device fully closed. With the curve ends of the inner edge of screens it allowed them to have a strip that can be seen with device closed. It shows things like time, battery, missed calls, notifications. It's certainly not robust, but anything more and they'd have to increase thickness and weight even more. Many consumers would prefer this device to be as light and thin as possible. (according to reviews of Duo 1, the thin design was a huge draw)
2°) Improvements nice to me, but not "must have"
- better SoC ? It is nice. But will I even notice the increased speeds ? OMG yes we should notice improvements here combined with RAM increase
- more RAM ? Nice, but would I even notice the improvement in a real life experiment ?
- more storage ? Nice, but 256GB is already 5 times what I need ; agreed
- 5G ? I don't even think I've reached the limits of 4G+, so... agreed, but they needed to keep up with all the others that offer 5G - I also haven't "needed" 5G, but it is faster
- Wi-Fi 6 ? Really nice, but... my Wi-Fi router does not have that, so not in dire need ; agreed
- NFC ? Why not, but really I don't care. In a contactless world (pandemic is really pushing the need for contactless solutions) we need this
Regarding Android 12...I would like assurance that it will eventually be offered, but will be ecstatic to have the Duo 2 work as intended in the meantime. It sounds like they spent a lot of time on the software to get things right.
One little thing that has me doing cartwheels...the device will remember what apps you use spanned across both screens, so you won't have to fiddle with stretching it each and every time like you do on Duo 1. My Kindle app will open on both screens when launched. LOVE THIS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Yes, we agree on that "external display". And as I said, to me that is a HUGE improvement. I only wirshed they added the ability to display the name of the guy calling you.
As I also said, NFC, is not something that I would missed BUT indeed your points are right and that would be a nice addition... but to me wireless charging would be more useful.
And yes, if they would add (and offer it to Surface Duo 1) the ability to make the app remember if it's been spanned acroos 2 displays, that would be a HUGE improvement to software
Anyways, Surface Duo 2 is not for me before a long time (until prices drop to low floor as they are now for Surface Duo 1).
Regards.

Related

Thinking of buying this phone, what are the ups/downs ?

Hi,
Im thinking of buying this phone, what are the ups/downs ? strengths weaknesses you have encountered.
Do you hate it/love it ? I need to know, i've read too many articles but some seem biased imho.
Thanks alot.
Perhaps not the best phone at everything but the best at its price point at the moment imho.
Depends really what is important to you.
I was trying to decide between this and S7 edge. The latter is a slightly better phone (smaller footprint, better screen and camera, bigger battery, higher cool factor, wireless charging, waterproofness...) and if it was £50 more than Op3 I would have gone for it. But I could not justify the £200 difference and went for the Op3.
And I have no regrets whatsoever. The phone feels a lot more premium that I had expected, it is blazing fast, the batter is also quite good and I have no issues with the screen at all. It is by far the best phone I have ever owned and I generally switch phones every six to eight months so have tried a few.
There is a 15 day money back guarantee so I recommend that you go for it and if you don't like it you can always return it. I suspect that will not be the case though...
st0rm77 said:
Hi,
Im thinking of buying this phone, what are the ups/downs ? strengths weaknesses you have encountered.
Do you hate it/love it ? I need to know, i've read too many articles but some seem biased imho.
Thanks alot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't speak for anyone else but my favorite things about this phone are:
1) Quick charging. With the Dash charger is very quick, inline with what's advertised. I've charged the phone on a plane using a DC charger and it was fast as well.
2) The finger print reader is super fast.
3) Overall the phone feels fast, much faster than my old Moto X Pure.
Things I don't like:
1) Screen is too dim using adaptive brightness.
2) Sound is weak compared to the Moto X Pure.
the samsung S7/e definitely has better specs, but even if it had a clean stock version of Android (which it definitely does not, TouchWiz sucks), the OP3 is a far more cost effective phone.
A better comparison since now it's almost the same price is the Nexus 6P ($404 on Amazon Prime Day (64GB) for example, and 32GB model has been $380 several times now).
Main differences between these two is:
- QHD vs 1080p (you won't notice unless you do VR)
- OP3 has an alert slider (and disables Automatic DND rules) vs N6P has normal DND mode w/ automatic rules etc
- Camera is better on Nexus 6P (unnoticeable during the day, but during low light photos you can tell)
- Camera App is MUCH faster on OP3 - both at launch and taking photos
- OP3 is smoother/faster & keeps more apps in RAM
- Fingerprint Sensor on front vs on back (both incredibly fast, location is a preference)
- OP3 has optional Capacitive buttons vs N6P has only software buttons
- N6P has Slightly bigger screen (5.7" vs 5.5") and is slightly (20g) heavier - but both are equally thin
- Stock Android M (gets faster updates) vs Oxygen OS (slightly slower updates but has more customization features)
i enjoyed this phone, wanted to keep it, but my 6P takes slightly better pictures. I have kids which i like to photograph whenever i get a chance and it's really important they look best. Its not like the camera is bad or anything, i loved it, in fact. Just think i would stick to my Nexus for now. I also want to try the Axon 7 and need to make the $ back for it lol. However, it was tough to make that decision yesterday
The cons for me;
- no Do not Disturb software. Have to use the slider button. It tends to override 3rd party apps too. May have found one working, but reliability is questionable
- no automated night mode, weak screen dimming software. Again have to use 3rd party, Lux, but having some problem with that app (slows down notification panel)
- I was on a cheap chinese phone last year, but it had a 4000mah battery. Kind of hard to get back to a flimsy 3000mah. Had to install xposed, greenify, Forcedoze, Amplify, trying to boost it to have a decent battery. I couldn't care less about Dash Charge. I charge my phone once a day, and that's while I sleep. I don't carry the Dash charger with me. That is not practical and I hope the people at 1+ and other companies stop ****ing around with the battery size. Device is really light. Really could have used better battery.
- what a poor support. Still couldn't get a refund on the case and tempered glass they had to cancel due to out-of-stock (but still charged me). Ticket is still open going back and forth. Just because of that I will think twice before ordering directly from them.
- I am not a fan of sound coming out from the bottom of the phone. I like ZTE Axon 7 take on stereo sound.
pros
- dev friendly, so roms will most likely fix most software issues
- seems pretty solid. No freeze/crash/random reboots so far, and the only slow downs I experienced in the UI are caused by some compatibility issue I have with Lux permanent notification.
- I like that the home button is capacitive. Won't break due to over use (happened on my last phone)
- providing I find a stable and bug-limited rom, best android phone I owned
2x4 said:
the samsung S7/e definitely has better specs, but even if it had a clean stock version of Android (which it definitely does not, TouchWiz sucks), the OP3 is a far more cost effective phone.
A better comparison since now it's almost the same price is the Nexus 6P ($404 on Amazon Prime Day (64GB) for example, and 32GB model has been $380 several times now).
Main differences between these two is:
- QHD vs 1080p (you won't notice unless you do VR)
- OP3 has an alert slider (and disables Automatic DND rules) vs N6P has normal DND mode w/ automatic rules etc
- Camera is better on Nexus 6P (unnoticeable during the day, but during low light photos you can tell)
- Camera App is MUCH faster on OP3 - both at launch and taking photos
- OP3 is smoother/faster & keeps more apps in RAM
- Fingerprint Sensor on front vs on back (both incredibly fast, location is a preference)
- OP3 has optional Capacitive buttons vs N6P has only software buttons
- N6P has Slightly bigger screen (5.7" vs 5.5") and is slightly (20g) heavier - but both are equally thin
- Stock Android M (gets faster updates) vs Oxygen OS (slightly slower updates but has more customization features)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You certainly will notice the difference of the Op3's Pen Tile 1080p Amoled display compared with a QuadHD Amoled, even in normal use. That's in direct comparison. Use the Op3 for a while and you likely forget.
As to value, the OP3 is clearly better value than £600 flagships but for me, the benefits the S7(E) has are worth the extra. (I cycle a lot and the water resistance is incredibly useful as is the bright screen).
If the above is not too important I'd thoroughly recommend the OnePlus.
(Still, mine is provisionally sold and soon on its way to its new and probably happy owner).
The previous comments all pretty much sum up what I would have to add. Highly recommend the phone...it's worth every penny of the $399 and then some. Very satisfied with my purchase.
I'm going to make one observation about the screen though. 95% of the time, I can't discern a difference between the OP3's 1080p screen and my old Nexus 6 1440p screen. That 5% kicks in when I want to view photos that I've snapped on the phone. Zooming in to those photos creates a considerable loss in detail. This was not the case with my Nexus 6. Zooming into photos retained so much detail and clarity, even though the N6 camera is not as good as the OP3 camera.
My two cents!
Op3 have some flaws,but not everyone experiencing,which are mostly software related which can be fixed with updates ... But it doesn't mean a flawed phone, rather it is best phone on which money can be spent without too much thinking.
By the way every phone whether it cost some penny or our whole arm and leg, has some flaws , that doesn't mean phone is not good.
Therefore you have read several review blog,device specific sections here on xda which will help you to know what are most common problems with particular phone.If these problems are to severe that software update or dev community can't fix then you have to make careful decision before purchase.
=====
About One plus 3 - It is very strong device,its perfomance is strong in every department,and is above the money you pay .
and that Dash Charge its awesome, ridiculously fast ,70 minutes and is goes from zero to hero
For me it's all about development. This device is more stable, faster and nicer than my previous g3. S7 is fine phone and even tw improve a lot, but on open phone, there are unlimited possibilities, on s7 you have just one.
drummerman said:
You certainly will notice the difference of the Op3's Pen Tile 1080p Amoled display compared with a QuadHD Amoled, even in normal use. That's in direct comparison. Use the Op3 for a while and you likely forget.
As to value, the OP3 is clearly better value than £600 flagships but for me, the benefits the S7(E) has are worth the extra. (I cycle a lot and the water resistance is incredibly useful as is the bright screen).
If the above is not too important I'd thoroughly recommend the OnePlus.
(Still, mine is provisionally sold and soon on its way to its new and probably happy owner).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would agree that side-by-side you can tell a difference, but it's irrelevant for day to day use.
Also, far more noticeable is the difference in both DPI, and in colors (unless you enable sRGB mode on both phones).
No dash charging on custom ROMs sucks, but OP should be releasing source code for this later this month right?
Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk
I can't speak for other countries, I live in The Netherlands for the record.
Now, the big plus for me is the price.
The oneplus 3 only costed me € 399,-
If I were to look for other flagships, I would look at these prices
Galaxy S7 : € 650,- on average
Nexus 6P : € 530,- on average
LG G5 : € 550,- on average
Now my last phone was a 2013 Nexus 5 and honestly I didn't feel that upgrading to a 5X was worth it.
But then if i look at other flagships, prices around here seem to rise exponentially.
Yes, ofc I think that an S7 is a great phone, but € 250,- better on average? (Considering all the bloatware you get with it, Its really not worth that much more. Also no support for development really with locked bootloaders.)
Pro's
- Clean version of android with more features
- No bloatware
- 6GB of RAM (For people who say RAM doesn't matter, try using a Nexus 9 Tablet with its 2GB of memory with a 64-bit OS. You will want to throw the thing out of your window before the end of the day.)
- price to value
- great fingerprint scanner
Cons
- only 1 place where you can buy it (online)
- doesn't have all the features like an S7 has (water resistant etc. )
- Slower updates compared to a Nexus device
- No option to use a schedule for "Do Not Disturb", instead you have a slider. (I like the slider but why the **** did they take out the damn scheduler. I like my downtime every night from 23:00 till around 07:00, Now I have to do it manually.)
Let me just add bad camera quality on custom ROMs.
Hopefully Oneplus will release the camera apk
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
The phone feels really good in the hand. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the worry I have with the scratches.
I love my Note 7 so much! The build quality is exceptional and the display is truly stunning. its just so immersive.
Made a little quick look video about it
Alright, alright. I had to create an account after reading several critiques and complaints on this forum. I'm sure a lot of people that are considering buying the phone will be popping in and reading the very same complaints while considering their purchase. The purpose of this thread is to clear up said complaints, from my own personal experience.
First of all, I'd like to ensure you all who haven't bought the phone yet that you absolutely have to buy it and experience it for yourself before making any decision. After all, you usually have 14 days to return it. I say this because, while the phone is not "perfect" as many here on this forum have pointed out, it is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing phones I've ever laid eyes on, and feels incredibly comfortable in the hand. Pictures DO NOT do this phone justice, and the overflowing screen, combined with the size and weight of the phone, gives an overwhelming feeling of vibrancy when holding/viewing.
(Cost) The phone is expensive, yes, but there's a reason for that: it's a top tier smartphone. If you haven't gotten used to a hefty price tag yet, then you must not have been in the market for long. If you can't afford it, get a OnePlus 3, but I can guarantee you it wont be as fine an experience. Most cell phone companies offer financing, anyway. Meaning, you make a small monthly payment for the phone itself over the course of the 1-2 years you'll be using it anyway, and if you decide to, you simply cancel service and pay the phone off. Most companies will then give you an unlock code, and the phone is then yours to do what you please with it, or bring it to another service provider. Either way, every dime you pay while financing brings you closer to owning it, if you decide not to buy it outright. I personally will probably just pay mine off when the price tag gets down to about $400 dollars.
(Delicacy or Lack Thereof) As I stated in the introduction, the phone is thin, comfortable, feels great in the hand, but the overflowing screen gives it a very large & vibrant appearance even though it doesn't FEEL that large in the hand. Does this mean it feels delicate and fragile? Not at all. Now that's not to say you wouldn't WANT to drop it, but for the most part, it's easy to handle, has the perfect weight to it, and doesn't feel fragile by any means. This phone is NOT going to scratch/break in your pocket, unless you're mashing your legs into the sharp edges of tables or falling onto it, or for whatever reason like to keep sharp objects in the same pocket as your phone. It's NOT going to scratch by simply setting it down on a table, or having it slide in between the seats of your car.
This brings me down to a point I've emphasized before: If you're going to buy a $900 phone? DO... not... drop it! I mean, honestly, lets be real here guys: accidents DO happen. However, it's those of us who are incredibly careful, who are capable of owning phones like these. If you're someone who is very clumsy, careless, active, etc., perhaps NO phone of this design type is meant for you. That is not the fault of the manufacturers. There are many phone manufacturers who build phones designed for DURABILITY. My last Galaxy, which wasn't exactly designed for durability, lasted me 2 FULL YEARS however, and has never been dropped once, nor does it have a single scratch. This phone IS durable though- it's durable for a phone of THIS make, this design, and trust me... this is a stylish designer phone, it simply is not an ACTIVE phone. If you want to turn it INTO an ACTIVE phone? Buy a damn Otterbox Defender. When you're hiking/rock climbing/playing basketball, whatever- you're going to have an ACTIVE Note 7 phone. Then when you're doing some casual driving, sitting at a desk, sitting anywhere at home really, at dinner with friends, or pretty much doing anything that's non-active, pop it out of it's case. You'll then, once again, have the nicest phone that anyone's ever laid eyes on.
To summarize the above, be a responsible phone owner, and you'll be fine. If you can't handle the responsibility of owning such an expensive product that was designed to be durable while keeping a fantastic overall appearance, don't buy it. You can't fault manufacturers for your lack of care.
(Battery Life) I've owned this phone for a little while now, and I've charged it approximately one and a half times (by a half, I mean plugged it in at 40-50% before leaving the house) per day. I keep High Accuracy GPS on, I keep brightness at 85-95%, I keep a multicolor 'Always On' display up, I have the "screen off" time set to 3 minutes, I have HD quality wallpapers for home & lock screens, and I keep WiFi on. I have yet to use any of the battery saver modes or capabilities. During the first few days of owning this phone, I would install back to back programs, take 15+ pictures while playing around with the different camera & video settings, record videos of my screen, experiment with the S pen, experiment with different mobile games, set up setting after setting, security feature after security feature, experiment with high quality video, stream YouTube & Netflix movies, the list goes on and on and I'm sure anyone who's ever owned a new phone knows exactly what I'm talking about.
During these times, my battery would last approximately 9 hours before falling to 20% or below. That's EXTREME HEAVY use, with battery draining functions, brightness, and high resolution screens, and no power saving whatsoever giving me 9 hours of use without even falling into critical battery levels. When I get down to around 20%, I plug it in and it takes about 40-50 minutes to charge back to 100%. If my battery is at 30% or higher, I simply plug it in and it's charged in 30-40 minutes or less. I have ONCE allowed my phone to fall below 10%, and it took no longer than one hour to charge to 100%. So yes, the battery is EXTREMELY good, and it charges extremely fast.
(Fingerprints) This phone will have fingerprints on it within just a few minutes of use, however, they are hardly noticeable unless you're actually looking for them. Once it gets marked up really heavily, which only takes about two hours of use to happen, it becomes a little more noticeable at a glance, but still, you have to be UP CLOSE to the phone to even notice. Now, I have EXTREME OCD, so this should bother me a lot more, right? No, it doesn't. What I do is keep 2 microfiber towels- one on my desk(where I spend a lot of my time) and one in my car. Whenever I pick up my phone after an extended period of non-use, I simply wipe it with the dry towel(takes 15 seconds) and viola- it looks like it JUST came out of the box again... brand new. When going somewhere, I do a quick wipe of the phone before exiting my vehicle- and viola. Brand new looking phone sitting in my pocket wherever I'm going. The gorgeous material of this phone is a worthy sacrifice for some barely noticeable fingerprints that can easily be rectified. Oh, by the way. BECAUSE of the material the phone is made of, it is MUCH EASIER to clean with said microfiber towels than the older plastic models, such as the S4. That one took at lot more scrubbing and hitting specific areas, and would also get smudge marks from the fingerprints being "wiped in" by the cloth, that were almost impossible to get rid of.
(The "oh so" Awful Speaker) This is one of the biggest critiques the phone has received, by both people on this forum, and review videos/articles/websites all across the interwebz. And I? I just don't see it. The speaker, to me, is LOUD. Now, it's not booming, bass boosted music cube quality, however... it is loud enough to where I could easily hear it ringing(depending on the ringtone) from across the house in another room. It's also loud enough to where I could play a video, turn the volume to max, set it about 50 feet away, and still hear it vividly. Also, I love the quality of the sound. It doesn't sound cheap, or poor at all to me. Non-speaker voice sound is crystal clear through this during calls. Sometimes if you hold the phone a certain way, you can block off the speaker since it's on the bottom, muffling the sound. However, muscle memory allowed me to quickly get used to preventing this after the very first time it happened. I never have a problem with the speaker being on the bottom, outside of the fact that I slightly prefer the headphone jack being on the top.
(Performance) Mentions of slow loading, TouchWiz lag, etc on this thread, I have yet to experience once. TouchWiz also has a much better interface now, especially after downloading a free theme that I liked. TouchWiz does not lag at all for me. Nothing on this phone loads "slowly" for me. I did a screen-record video of myself navigating different apps, games, etc on my phone, and literally sh** was opening within milliseconds of each tap, minus games, which, depending on the size/type of game, would take just a few seconds. I see no "slowness" in this phone whatsoever. There's literally not even delays between navigating pages on Facebook, switching from Facebook to YouTube and then from YouTube to Gmail and then from Gmail to a video on my phone. If I were to do all these app switches and loads in order of what I just listed, it would take no more than the time it takes me to open the Edge screen and tap the different apps. Game-play on games such as Mage and Minions is fluid, without noticeable frame drops, and without lag.
(Fingerprint & Iris Scanners) Fingerprint scanner works perfectly if you actually use it right, i.e., gently place your *entire* fingertip over the button. The iris scanner is not perfect, but it works 95% of the time and is FAST... VERY FAST when it does work. If you're looking for a "more secure" method of locking your phone- that's what it's for. It is supposed to be much more secure than the fingerprint scanner, and it's very fast as long as you do it right. Like, I'm talking, sometimes I don't even have time to see the "eye circles" appear on the screen. It just unlocks in a millisecond, as I'm already holding the phone in the correct position upon swiping up. Now, if you wear glasses or contacts, just skip the iris scanner. It is not 100% necessity, by any means, and your phone can be secured with simply the fingerprint scanner or a complex password. Not the end of the world.
Now, I do not consider myself to be a "Samsung fanboy," nor a "Galaxy fanboy." I do not dislike Apple Products outside of the fact that I think they're just a tad highly priced in comparison to Samsung(I know, the difference is becoming very slight, but even still). My wife has the 6s Plus, and it's a great phone. I do not work for Samsung, I do not work for any cell phone company at all, I am not paid to write any of the above. This was simply my unbiased response/personal review of the Note 7, that I was inclined to write after seeing so many negative comments on this thread in addition to a lot of misinformation. I WANT others to get the same experience I'm getting with my Note 7, and frankly, not be discouraged by others. So there you go.
Ace Ryan said:
If you haven't gotten used to a hefty price tag yet, then you must not have been in the market for long. If you can't afford it, get a OnePlus 3, but I can guarantee you it wont be as fine an experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
radioraheem2 said:
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, I'm not attempting to justify it so much as I am saying "it is what it is, and that there are affordable options for those who can't just buy the phone outright. For everyone else, and for those who do not care for the added specs, then there are a wide range of options out there. No doubt, the OnePlus 3 is a great phone for the price, and a good alternative for those who don't want to shell out the extra expenses. It is very much comparable in many ways, but as you said yourself, the Note 7 is better. I am, however, questioning the legitimacy of your statement that you own both phones after you stated your doubt as to people being able to tell the difference between 1080p and the display of the Note. Almost so much so, that I'd be willing to bet you're just a OnePlus3 owner. Maybe I just have good eyesight, but the HUGE difference between the phenomenal display of the Note 7 and the OnePlus 3 when put side to side was what made me go with the Note 7. Also, I can't speak for everyone, but I've owned this phone for a while now and have not experienced a single blip of lag. Then again, I don't use search functions for apps or settings due to the fact that I have a custom layout that has everything very easily accessible with a swipe and a click.
In terms of camera quality, yes, the OnePlus 3 barely falls behind. However, speed of focus, dark lighting, things like that, the Note 7 camera wins hands down.
Ace Ryan said:
I am, however, questioning the legitimacy of your statement that you own both phones after you stated your doubt as to people being able to tell the difference between 1080p and the display of the Note. Almost so much so, that I'd be willing to bet you're just a OnePlus3 owner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, Ryan, you're straight out calling me a liar on here when I typed a pretty reasonable response? How old are you, 14? anyway, i'd advice you stop making so many bad bets, cause you'd go broke.
radioraheem2 said:
Wow, Ryan, you're straight out calling me a liar on here when I typed a pretty reasonable response? How old are you, 14? anyway, i'd advice you stop making so many bad bets, cause you'd go broke.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I is that the p9 plus?
This phone is the best in 2016. Full of useful options and performance is awesome with a fantastic build quality
vodovodo said:
I is that the p9 plus?
This phone is the best in 2016. Full of useful options and performance is awesome with a fantastic build quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi voodoo, yes that is a p9 plus. I like it a lot too, though, the note 7's rounded corners feels so much more comfy in my hands than the square edges of p9 plus.
I love mine! Completely happy with it. I feel like I got one of the better built ones? No light leaks, call quality is amazing compared to my iPhone 6, Note 4 N910W8, LG G4 and S5. Battery life a astonishing! Was out for 14 hours yesterday and had the screen on auto brightness 80-90% most of the time and an hour of Pokemon Go (brought my power bank in case never got to use it) at the end of the day it was still at 62%! Lol! I dont know if thats normal but I'm happy.
Edit:
Just finish Antutu 3D and got a 133565 score which is not bad for me. maybe its because I came from a note 4 my expectations are way low lol.
Love
Sent from my Galaxy Note7 using XDA Labs
radioraheem2 said:
Hi voodoo, yes that is a p9 plus. I like it a lot too, though, the note 7's rounded corners feels so much more comfy in my hands than the square edges of p9 plus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own a p9 plus also at moment and I love it, nevertheless the Note 7 is interesting for me.
Can you comment more on the differences?
I tried many devices and as I live in an area with poor reception one of the best things is that the p9 has absolutely unparalleled reception quality - also compared to the S7 Edge ...
Gesendet von meinem VIE-L09 mit Tapatalk
OnkelAlbert said:
I own a p9 plus also at moment and I love it, nevertheless the Note 7 is interesting for me.
Can you comment more on the differences?
I tried many devices and as I live in an area with poor reception one of the best things is that the p9 has absolutely unparalleled reception quality - also compared to the S7 Edge ...
Gesendet von meinem VIE-L09 mit Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
The biggest difference is that the Note 7 feels a bit more comfortable in the hand, due to its rounded sides compared to the P9 plus' square-ish sides. The software is, obviously, quite different too if used as is. but i use nova launcher on both so they behave closer now.
otherwise, there isn't that big a difference. again, i really don't see a difference between 1080p and quad HD display (i really tried putting the phones side by side and looking at various photos and apps and videos), and the Note 7 camera -- while probably the best overall -- isn't that much better than other cameras out there. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). in fact, i love the P9's gimmick camera features like light trails and night shot, which create really stylish photos that the Note 7 cannot.
as for speed, the P9, like the OnePlus 3, is actually a bit smoother than the Note 7. the Note 7 isn't bad at all, it's just slightly laggy/buggy because of TouchWiz.
overall i would still say the Note 7 is the better phone, BUT i can't stress enough that the difference between the note 7 and a Chinese flagship isn't that big ... not enough to justify the extra $300 or $400 to the average consumer.
i'd recommend the Note 7 for the following types of people:
1: people who don't think US$400 is a lot of money
2: people who really need features like waterproofing and stylus (say, if you are a lifeguard, or if you need to anecdote documents regularly, etc)
3: tech geeks who like to collect gadgets and own the latest/most buzzworthy thing (i am one of these).
4: loyal samsung fans who just want to stick with the company's products
that's about it. otherwise, to the average person -- someone who just buys a phone and uses one phone only for a year or two -- it's very, very hard to justify paying US$850 for the note 7 when the OnePlus 3 costs US$400 or the Huawei P9 Plus costs US$500.
Note 7 is underrated by these standards
radioraheem2 said:
i have both phones and i completely disagree. the oneplus 3 is actually faster and smoother (sometimes by quite a bit) and the photo differences are minor (this compares shots by both phones at 100% crop http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...etter-photos-than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/). and i don't know about you, but i'm willing to bet most people can't really tell the difference between a quad HD and 1080p display.
i'm not saying the oneplus 3 is better. overall, the Note 7 is better, but by only a bit (unless you are someone to whom stylus and waterproofing makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. like if you're a lifeguard who likes to sketch or something).
the oneplus 3 is like 90-95% as good, at less than half the price. i don't get why you're trying to justify the note 7's cost for samsung, using excuses like "phone companies let you finance anyway", that's not a fair point to make, because the phone still cost more, period.
also, i see that you say the Note 7 doesn't have lag. really? go into settings and type into the search box. on my Exynos Note 7, after i type something in, there's a full two second wait before anything loads. on my US$280 Xiaomi Mi 5, or $400 OnePlus 3, results load in REAL TIME as i type each letter. the same lag also appears when you search for apps in Note 7's app tray.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In performance, OnePlus seems amazing. However the reason I got the Note 7 as a expensive price was, Water Resistance/Proof for 1M 30 Minutes, Curved Screen and Design, Micro SD up to 256gb, Pen for drawing, Iris Scanner (For Wearing Gloves or wet fingerprint), 2K screen, (DPI doesn't matter but for VR, 2K+ definitively needed) Dual Camera and Powerful "Water-Proof" speaker. So far, I have used all these features and found them to be lacking in other phones. I did get Note 7 for Samsung Pay MST however Aussie support sucks so, just rooted and tripped knox.
The Screen is beautiful and curved that makes it appear bigger that it actually is without major size difference. The Water sealing without external ports is so easily to deal with and when i'm in the shower/bath the S-Pen actually helps. I kinda of just got this phone for the easy convenience features. Waterproof is a huge deal, specifically without external ports, it's a major design for people to get the phone. I hear sales people always advertising it and customers wanting it.
I don't own a OnePlus but I'm just saying despite this overpriced phone with it's security restrictions (Hate that) no other phone has all this. Not LG, not Nexus, not OnePlus, not Sony. I do like OnePlus open OEM policy, so no hate. Just hardware and general phone wise, Note 7 is worth twice the price.
BotoxGod said:
In performance, OnePlus seems amazing. However the reason I got the Note 7 as a expensive price was, Water Resistance/Proof for 1M 30 Minutes, Curved Screen and Design, Micro SD up to 256gb, Pen for drawing, Iris Scanner (For Wearing Gloves or wet fingerprint), 2K screen, (DPI doesn't matter but for VR, 2K+ definitively needed) Dual Camera and Powerful "Water-Proof" speaker. So far, I have used all these features and found them to be lacking in other phones. I did get Note 7 for Samsung Pay MST however Aussie support sucks so, just rooted and tripped knox.
The Screen is beautiful and curved that makes it appear bigger that it actually is without major size difference. The Water sealing without external ports is so easily to deal with and when i'm in the shower/bath the S-Pen actually helps. I kinda of just got this phone for the easy convenience features. Waterproof is a huge deal, specifically without external ports, it's a major design for people to get the phone. I hear sales people always advertising it and customers wanting it.
I don't own a OnePlus but I'm just saying despite this overpriced phone with it's security restrictions (Hate that) no other phone has all this. Not LG, not Nexus, not OnePlus, not Sony. I do like OnePlus open OEM policy, so no hate. Just hardware and general phone wise, Note 7 is worth twice the price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you make fair points. thanks for responding in a civil manner, unlike that dude AceRyan, who just accused me of being a liar.
vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you really did not see the mentioned flaws or defects when you bought the phone? I always check the things I buy before paying
As far as the phone, It's gorgeous. Minor things I don't like, but more or less, it's 5 stars.
vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
the support response was this is a new design
the samsung arabia support completly ignored me
for me note 7 is as good as a cheap chinese phone regardless what it can do.
with such a trash build and poor support i am really wondering how are they number 1 ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@vodovodo- thanks for posting and making the video....was wondering, do you think the lack of build quality is because it is a non-US variant?
vodovodo said:
i hate this phone
the build quality is the worst and there is gap between the device and the screen. u can see it when u at the brightness on full
please watch this video
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure that is not light leak but rather light refraction?

HomTom HT10 - Hands on review of the budget-friendly Helio X20 device

Hi All,
First review so please be kind. I have also posted this at Mod Edit: Link removed.
HomTom HT10 - The eyes have it?
HomTom is a brand who are trying to make a name for themselves by releasing devices at a low price point with interesting features. In reality, HomTom is a subdivision of DooGee so there is shared experience in making decent devices at a reasonable price. I've owned a few lower spec DooGee phones in the past and have found them reasonable given the price tag so will be interested to see how the HomTom HT10 can make a name for itself with a top end set of specifications.
Key Spec:
SoC MediaTek Helio X20 10 Core
CPU 2 x 2.3GHz, 4 x 2.0GHz, 4 x 1.4GHz
GPU Mali T880, 700MHz
RAM 4GB, 933MHz
Storage 32GB + SD Slot
Screen 5.5 inch, 1920x1080, 401ppi
Camera Rear: 21MP, Front: 8MP
Battery 3200mAh
The HT10 is touted as coming with the same Iris Recognition technology that the ill-fated Samsung Note 7 utilised.
Unboxing
The HT10 comes in a plain dark blue box with HomTom branding and with slight wood effect. Opening the box reveals the phone, charger and cable. You don't get any headphones in the package which I'm fine with but the overall impression of the packaging seems a little dated.
A tab reveals a 'secret drawer' containing a wood-effect flip case, and very rudimentary and superfluous instruction booklet.
The flip case actually replaces the removable back cover so doesn't add a great deal of extra weight or size to the HT10 which was a nice touch, though the front is just a simple flap, there is no magnetic magic to keep it shut. final point to note is that this had a screen protector installed which is a bonus.
On the whole a rather boring retail box, I'm not swayed by such things but may be pretty underwhelming for some.
Hardware
Looks-wise the HT10 reminds me of my old Samsung Galaxy S2. A fairly inoffensive shape, with an array of sensors and notification LED at the top and off screen buttons at the bottom.
The first major whinge here is that the buttons are not back-lit, in this day and age this is only excusable in the cheapest of budget phones and certainly at this price point, for a manufacturers top device this is a total no no.
On the top of the phone is a trusty 3.5mm audio jack, and at the bottom we find a standard micro-usb port, 2 speaker grilles and the microphone. On the right side is the power button and volume control.
The screen features the now obligatory '2.5d' glass curving at the edges, and is a decent size though there is a slight element of cheating as there is probably 1mm of black space around the viewable screen meaning that the visible bezels are artificially small.
The rear of the phone has the camera, another microphone and a single LED flash. Again that is a little disappointing as the standard for a top spec phone these days is to have dual-LED flash at least. The back panel is removable and rather cheap feeling plastic, but there are no creaks or areas which depress under pressure.
The sides of the phone are made from metal and look nice - mainly matte silver with a beveled shiny edge. The power/volume buttons seem to have a little lateral play though and could perhaps be slightly better sized to give a more premium feel.
In terms of look and feel I think HomTom have done a reasonable job here. Nothing groundbreaking or uber premium, but it looks and feels nice enough.
Software
The HT10 runs a skinned version of Android 6.0 which seems to be called HomTom Fire. This has inexplicably altered some of the generic Google App icons, such as Play Store and Maps, and as per the majority of import phones does away with the App Drawer in favour of having all apps accessible from the main screens. Though this is what any iPhone user has to deal with, many Android users find this a difficult concept to deal with, but a solution would be to use a third party launcher such as Google Now or Nova. The other option of course is just dealing with it!
There is not a great amount of bloatware on the device which is refreshing, and the majority of what's there can be uninstalled anyway.
Display
I was impressed with the display HomTom have provided for the HT10. Everything looks crisp and clear. The screen is capable of going very bright and I had it set on auto-brightness defaulting to around 40%, and had no issues both at night or in bright sunlight. I could find no evidence of light bleed on my unit which you might expect from a 'budget' device.
Performance
This is where the HT10 really excels. The HT10 comes out very well against more established flagship phones using the main benchmark apps.
Geekbench results below.
Device - Single Core - Multi Core
Oneplus 3 - 1698 - 4015
HT10 - 1655 - 3298
Huawei Nexus 6P - 1212 - 2848
Antutu results below.
Device - Score
Huawei Honor 8 - 94164
HT10 - 87631
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge - 81087
What this shows us is that the HT10 benchmarks very well against phones that are more than twice the price. The Helio X20 SoC that powers the device definitely seems to hit the sweet spot, and we can presume that it's just the Mali GPU that is hindering the scores, but this shouldn't make too much difference if you're not a hardcore gamer
Obviously statistics don't really tell the full story but I've had no issues whatsoever in daily operation of the HT10. I can run all the apps I want with no discernible slowdown.
Iris Recognition Unlocking
Of course the elephant in the room that I've not discussed as yet is the HT10's USP, the 'Second Generation Iris Recognition Unlocking'. What this means in reality is that to unlock the phone you press the power button, then look at the screen. A small window opens up to show you what the iris recognition camera can see, and will tell you to move closer or further away if required. The iris recognition function was present in the top end Lumias released last year, but they were hardly big sellers, and the less said about the Galaxy Note 7 which also has this feature the better.
Apparently iris recognition is much more secure than fingerprint scanners, though I thought fingerprints were unique so I'm not really sure why the wheel needed to be reinvented. The iris recognition works perfectly well in standard light and even darkness, but is very flaky in even moderate sunlight outside. If the iris recognition is unable to match, you are reverted to the standard pin unlock, however irritatingly you still need to confirm the pin meaning an extra screen press when most devices now will unlock automatically after a the right pin is input.
Another annoyance is that the iris unlock takes precedence on the 'unlock screen', so if you are used to your music app telling you what song is playing on this screen you will need to unlock the phone in order to see this.
Overall, this feature is not a disaster, in fact it is certainly pretty cool and definitely (mostly) unique thing to have. I just wish it worked a bit better, and remain to be convinced that it in any way improves on fingerprint unlocking.
Camera
Unfortunately even though the camera in the HT10 (IMX230 Exmor RS) is the same as the one in the best camera phone I've ever owned, the Honor 7, the results from the HT10 were patchy to say the least.
In a well lit situation I could get some of the best photos I've ever got from an 'import phone' (though still miles away from the Honor 7's quality), but as soon as the lighting conditions were less than perfect the photos suffered massively.
In low light both inside and out photos had very poor detailing, with a flattening of features and a watercolour effect.
Hopefully HomTom will be able to resolve this with a software update, as well as the annoying bug which caused the LED flash to activate all the time in auto-flash mode, even in bright sunlight.
If anyone can advise the best way for me to share images I will do this
Other features
Battery life on the HT10 is pretty good. While I'm no power user I managed to get through every day with plenty to spare, at worst I managed to get it down to around 40%, but through general internet/app use and listening to music you'll have no issues at all. The device does apparently feature 'Pump Express' fast charging, but in reality I found it quite slow to charge the 3200 mAH, it took about 3 hours to complete a full charge from flat, though this may be because the charger supplied was not UK spec so I had to use a different one.
Connectivity is fine, I had no issues with my wireless speeds or range, and could get 4G everywhere that I'd expect. The HT10 is touted as a 'Global 4G' phone so all in all the connectivity gets a thumbs up. Bluetooth connected quickly and worked fine in my car for both music and phone functionality.
GPS worked absolutely fine both driving and walking. MediaTek phones have caused me a lot of woe in the past due to poorly performing GPS so they have clearly upped their game.
Music sounded fine through headphones. The loudspeaker is a little flat for music and could be louder for calls but even still it is acceptable.
Conclusion
Taken as a complete package the HT10 really does take some beating for the price. The Iris Recognition seems slightly pointless, and the camera performance isn't anywhere near flagship standard, but in every other area the HT10 performed well, so much so that it has become my 'daily driver' when not reviewing other devices.
Score: 8.5/10
Price when reviewed £199
Review sample kindly supplied by those lovely chaps at LightInTheBox. Head over to Mod Edit: Selling site link removed. for the cheapest price available!
Got myself a HT10 and I agree in your conclusion, but I experienced some touch freeze and poor LTE reception from time to time.
I really hope they fix the camera software asap. The quality is a deal breaker as for now, but the videoquality is strangely very good.
Thanks for the comment.
I've had one occasion where an area of the screen seemed to be unresponsive but this was resolved with a restart. I've not had any 4g problems but am in built up areas most of the time.
The camera performance is the biggest issue and if not resolved would be the one thing that turns me off this device, fingers crossed that it can be solved by an update.
recently bought the Ht10 super great phone feels amazing but i cannot get it to connect to verizons network to call, text or browse any ideas on how to get it working
My main complaints with the HomTom HT10
HARDWARE ISSUES
compass isn't available
NFC isn't available (it was advertised but removed!)
OTG isn't available (it was advertised but removed!)
network reception is bad (3G/4G)
Wi-Fi reception is bad (3G/4G)
not detecting/connecting 5Ghz Wi-Fi networks
audio speaker quality (distortion and not enough bass)
battery losing energy way too quickly
camera quality is bad on low light situation
SOFTWARE ISSUES
- battery saving mode is too aggressive (cannot easily modified for a bunch of Apps)
languages preferences are lost if IDLE or turned off (if you set french language it will comeback later to Netherlands. it could be because Belgium country has multiple official languages (french/nederlands/dutch) or if because the smartphone was shipped from .nl post)
- defaults apps choice in settings is too limited
- If you choose to protect your device with a password (PIN/password/pattern) for intrusion your device is going to freeze and you will have to reboot !
- hardware navigation buttons cannot be modified / edited
- HomTom OS is much less complete than MIUI8 (or even UMI OS)
MAJOR MISC PROBLEM:
There is no official forum to post bugs reports !
There is no updates or fixes for those issues announced.
There is no tutorials yet to flash/root.
Yes, same problem here....
Very HORRIBLE DEAL!!!
One Solution to ROOT FIND ! ! !
KingRoot apk finally works !!!
I tried this version: V4.9.7
by this file: NewKingrootV4.9.7_C152_B341_xda_release_2016_11_14 _20161115194410_105243.apk
IMPORTANT NOTE:
1) I find some bloatware that doesnt wipe out neither with a factory reset
2) the root is factoryreset resistant.
3) Some issue with Wathsapp only when sending stored images.
Best regards!
If you are happy with this please tnx me!
If you have trouble, please share!
Kingroot did not work for me
Westboy82 said:
Yes, same problem here....
Very HORRIBLE DEAL!!!
One Solution to ROOT FIND ! ! !
KingRoot apk finally works !!!
I tried this version: V4.9.7
by this file: NewKingrootV4.9.7_C152_B341_xda_release_2016_11_14 _20161115194410_105243.apk
IMPORTANT NOTE:
1) I find some bloatware that doesnt wipe out neither with a factory reset
2) the root is factoryreset resistant.
3) Some issue with Wathsapp only when sending stored images.
Best regards!
If you are happy with this please tnx me!
If you have trouble, please share!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This method did not work for me, anyone else has any other suggestions on how to root this device?
Please double check the process, is the only way right now to root our Toilet-phone :fingers-crossed:
PS the updated version of the kingroot is here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/devdb/project/dl/?id=22115

Vernee X 4Gb/64Gb Mediatek P23

So, I wanted to put a word in for Vernee, and specifically for this phone.
I looked around for a forum and didn't find one.
This is a wonderful budget phone, absolutely. A sleeper.
At $180 roughly, it's fantastic.
Everything about it IS a step down from Flagship but the package it delivers punches well above it's class.
This is just a set of observations to help those thinking about digging around the lower priced Chinese offerings.
I'll try and give a comparative review.
The phone is just a few millimeters taller than the OnePlus 5T, a few shorter than the Galaxy 8+ and roughly the same width as the HTC U11.
The screen is 18:9 and tinted in such a way that the screen appears to take up the entire front surface before you fire it up.
Although I have seen reviews that say it is a metal phone, it is not. The back is a very solid form of plastic, treated and painted to look like metal.
Don't get me wrong; it's not a bad look at all. The deep blue looks radiant in the sunlight and the soft texture of it feels wonderful in the hand.
The phone is as heavy as the Mate 9 but feels perfectly weighted. It really feels great to hold and they've curved the back in such a way that it feels far slimmer than it is - which at 9.8mm, it is not.
When you turn the screen on, you notice that Vernee has done a great job with slimming the bezels, and the glass, though not Gorilla glass has a nice, slick feel to it.
It's built to a very high standard; compelling when you think they just begun to make phones in 2016.
The P23 mediatek chip is perfectly adequate for everyday use - I'd say think Qualcomm 820/821 (Lg G4).
There are a few stutters and it's not as fluid as say the OnePlus 5T but it IS quick and the management of it's 4Gbs of ROM keeps lots of apps on tap.
And now, the killer. They've stuffed a huge battery in there. They say it's a 6000 but My Device reads it at 4000.
Any which way, the battery is a revelation. On, and on, and on - It will easily give you 2 days of normal use, all in a relatively tight package - but I'm not like that. I am on it ALL DAY doing everything, with everything on from 08:00 and still, as I come to charge at 23:00 there's 15% in it.
Astonishing.
And I think that's where this phone hits its home run.
It looks good, it feels good, it runs well - you'd be hard pressed to be embarrassed laying it on the table beside the absolute big guns - and you could have five of them for the price.
It's an Astonishing feat.
Think 4 by 4 Beemer or Merc in the bush against the original Toyota Prado.
But unlike a bear-bones interior, you have leather seats, good stereo, manual sun-roof and proper differentials.
You know what I'm talking about.
The Vernee X is not rugged but it's handsome, sure footed, tireless and a joy to carry around.
It will take you dancing all night long, and that, at least, in Miyake.
Yes. There is a catch. The camera.
It's not bad but you'll want great light all the time. And don't try that blurred shallow focus thing, it's not good.
Still there pictures are adequate sometimes and very good at other.
This phone has climbed into my pocket and the company, won my heart and I can't wait to see what Vernee has for us this year and next.
The Doogees, Elephones...are on notice.
So are, in another few years I think, Samsung et.al.
Still no one ROM for this model... Someone from the owners of this unit, could you make a full backup of the firmware and put it in the public domain.
room for vernee x 4gb ram / 64gb
Welcome, we hope that a friend will introduce a Vernee x 4gb / 64gb phone room
Dyxless1986 said:
Still no one ROM for this model... Someone from the owners of this unit, could you make a full backup of the firmware and put it in the public domain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
some roms here. Ive not tested but some activity it seems
https://www.needrom.com/category/others/u-v-w-x-y-z/brands-v/vernee/x/
kolembo said:
So, I wanted to put a word in for Vernee, and specifically for this phone.
I looked around for a forum and didn't find one.
This is a wonderful budget phone, absolutely. A sleeper.
At $180 roughly, it's fantastic.
Everything about it IS a step down from Flagship but the package it delivers punches well above it's class.
This is just a set of observations to help those thinking about digging around the lower priced Chinese offerings.
I'll try and give a comparative review.
The phone is just a few millimeters taller than the OnePlus 5T, a few shorter than the Galaxy 8+ and roughly the same width as the HTC U11.
The screen is 18:9 and tinted in such a way that the screen appears to take up the entire front surface before you fire it up.
Although I have seen reviews that say it is a metal phone, it is not. The back is a very solid form of plastic, treated and painted to look like metal.
Don't get me wrong; it's not a bad look at all. The deep blue looks radiant in the sunlight and the soft texture of it feels wonderful in the hand.
The phone is as heavy as the Mate 9 but feels perfectly weighted. It really feels great to hold and they've curved the back in such a way that it feels far slimmer than it is - which at 9.8mm, it is not.
When you turn the screen on, you notice that Vernee has done a great job with slimming the bezels, and the glass, though not Gorilla glass has a nice, slick feel to it.
It's built to a very high standard; compelling when you think they just begun to make phones in 2016.
The P23 mediatek chip is perfectly adequate for everyday use - I'd say think Qualcomm 820/821 (Lg G4).
There are a few stutters and it's not as fluid as say the OnePlus 5T but it IS quick and the management of it's 4Gbs of ROM keeps lots of apps on tap.
And now, the killer. They've stuffed a huge battery in there. They say it's a 6000 but My Device reads it at 4000.
Any which way, the battery is a revelation. On, and on, and on - It will easily give you 2 days of normal use, all in a relatively tight package - but I'm not like that. I am on it ALL DAY doing everything, with everything on from 08:00 and still, as I come to charge at 23:00 there's 15% in it.
Astonishing.
And I think that's where this phone hits its home run.
It looks good, it feels good, it runs well - you'd be hard pressed to be embarrassed laying it on the table beside the absolute big guns - and you could have five of them for the price.
It's an Astonishing feat.
Think 4 by 4 Beemer or Merc in the bush against the original Toyota Prado.
But unlike a bear-bones interior, you have leather seats, good stereo, manual sun-roof and proper differentials.
You know what I'm talking about.
The Vernee X is not rugged but it's handsome, sure footed, tireless and a joy to carry around.
It will take you dancing all night long, and that, at least, in Miyake.
Yes. There is a catch. The camera.
It's not bad but you'll want great light all the time. And don't try that blurred shallow focus thing, it's not good.
Still there pictures are adequate sometimes and very good at other.
This phone has climbed into my pocket and the company, won my heart and I can't wait to see what Vernee has for us this year and next.
The Doogees, Elephones...are on notice.
So are, in another few years I think, Samsung et.al.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im having same phone, camera is useless much better choice is ulefone power 3 or 3s, they have same hardware with much better camera.
I think vernee have problem with drivers, i have tryed to fix it but im not developer if you have any idea for new firmware or update for this camera problem please let me know.
Regards
Dino
After using the phone for a couple of months;
It is slow. The mediatek chip is nowhere near flagship level and it shows.
And the camera is badly optimised - the photos are ok in very good light.
The best thing about this phone is it's amusing battery life.
The screen is also, surprisingly, very good.
In all other respects you must be willing to compromise.
I just got this phone and for the price, you cant beat it. But you are right the chipset is not as good as the snapdragon and thats the major difference here. I dont use the camera so it doesnt bother me.
But great value nevertheless.
kolembo said:
After using the phone for a couple of months;
It is slow. The mediatek chip is nowhere near flagship level and it shows.
And the camera is badly optimised - the photos are ok in very good light.
The best thing about this phone is it's amusing battery life.
The screen is also, surprisingly, very good.
In all other respects you must be willing to compromise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ulefone Power 3 or 3s has better camera optimisation, hardware is the same, so it is better choice in my opinion...
Yes, I think Verne is still too young to optimise Android for it's phones.
It's hardware is very good though - the X is very strong, has a beautiful screen and an unbeatable battery.
It has to do more work getting it's software lined up to it's hardware.
Having used this phone for a year, it's biggest problem is software.
The phone feels sluggish and jittery.
The battery remains excellent. On experimentation, the speed increases vastly when I switch: settings>duraspeed>off
with disable animation to 0 in devolper settings also same lag ?
regards
i will try aslo root the phone later when i have my order , presumably same way as my thread Root vernee M5 page 7
Regards

Question Is it worth it?

My current phone, a Google Pixel 3 XL, needs to replaced pretty soon as the USB port is somewhat broken and replacing it does not seem to really be worth it, due to some other things (brightness, camera, etc.) I am annoyed of.
I have been eying the new Sony smartphones for a while now and I am not sure whether it is really worth the 400€. My other choice would be a Samsung A52 5G and now I am wondering what you guys think about this Sony phone so far.
- Is the camera really as bad as the reviews suggest?
- Is the display bright enough to (properly) use it in the sun?
- etc.
cheers,
fd
I don't mind the camera. Though, I upgraded from an aging Sony Xperia XZ1c, so it's has a fair few more features than I am used to. I know that the Pixel line has historically had great pictures due to a combination of lenses and implementation/software. The implementation is where Sony lacks (especially on the Auto side). But... I don't often use my camera, so I don't often notice any issues with the results. It's fine for me!
I have not had much issue with display brightness in sun.. it is noticeably dim, but certainly not unusable.
Depending on your location in the world, you may want to check band support on the device and cross reference with with your country/carrier. The US is limited, the rest of the world may not be as much.
On paper, the Samsung A52 looks better, but I haven't looked much in to it. Around the same price, you may be able to find some deals on a Google Pixel 4a 5g if you want to stay with the Pixel line.
To me, the 10 III was worth it. I don't need flagship features, and the short comings don't bother me. I've used Sony devices for the past 12 years, and appreciate their effort to remain in the mobile space despite lacking sales. I think the 21:9 is pretty cool and works really well for the endless scrolling most folks do. The narrow width of the device is what I like most; it's the same width as my old XZ1c, but a bit taller.
I realize this is all a bit subjective to personal experience, but that's just how it is.
Hope this helps!
I've got this phone almost entirely due to the lack of a notch or some other obstruction to the display, and because of that aspect alone, I consider it worth it. The other good thing is Sony's Open Devices program, of which this device will hopefully be a part soon, opening up the possibilities for Sailfish OS, Ubports, etc. if that's your kind of thing.
But if you don't care about these additional features, then you can probably find a better bang-for-buck device without much effort. Especially if you don't get the wireless headphones deal from Sony.
Can't really say anything about the camera as I don't use it all that often (if it takes pictures, it's sufficient for me). Also not sure about the screen visibility in the sun as due to the pandemic I mostly stay inside anyways (working from home).
I am coming from Xperia XZ1 compact... the 10 III is only slightly bigger, and again a good device for outdoor use. Still water/dust resist, extremely fast and accurate position fix, display is perfectly bright outside, and due to the 12:9 format, you can hold, carry and operate it very good with just one hand. Performance is outstanding, of course - battery runtime is good.
No issues with the camera. Sure you will get an even better camera when you pay three time of what it costs, but for the price I would call it a very good device, worth every penny. Especially, I find the telephoto lense very useful. Sharp and natural pictures.
Magisk is working fine.
OP, I probably go with the Samsung. It supports a shared SD card slot, yes a data drive ie a dual drive handheld is now possible for you.
Used correctly this feature will become indispensable. All critical data goes on the SD card; OS, apps and temporary files on internal memory. You simple backup from the SD card then. When doing a reset factory you can reload everything from the SD card; no cloud, Playstore or PC needed. Hell yeah.
Samsung's are the most customizable stock Androids on the planet. Hundreds of free theme and icon packs on the Galaxy Store.
Samsung's tech support just plain sucks leaches on your ball sack bad though. If you're Android fluent this will not be an issue more than likely.
Sony tech support is no gem either
Samsung's tend to be bright but you should never use a AMOLED display in direct sunlight!!!
Samsung is at top with displays. This one could be a bit brighter... and live a shorter life.
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G Smartphone Review - Another chapter in a success story
The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G comes with a Snapdragon 750G, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of internal memory, microSD card support, an IP67 cerfication and a large 4500-mAh battery. However, the main feature of the Korean smartphone is a quad-camera system with a 64-MP main sensor.
www.notebookcheck.net
The newer Samsung cams are good, I have a Note 10+ and it captures great images.
Play with both first. Seeing them in person is worth a thousand pictures...
A comparison:
Compare Sony Xperia 10 III vs. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G - GSMArena.com
m.gsmarena.com
Read more reviews on both.
Consider a used flagship model in excellent condition. Most Samsung batteries aren't that hard to replace.
Android 11 sucks, Pie is still my preferred weapon. So with a new phone you're stuck with 11 and it's lame CPU cycle eating scoped storage. Pie is still quit secure.. don't buy into the scare hype.
blackhawk said:
A comparison:
Compare Sony Xperia 10 III vs. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G - GSMArena.com
m.gsmarena.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it really depends on what to do with it.
For me, the main pro's for the 10 III: Corning 6 instead of 5, slimmer and more lightweight - perfect for outdoor use. With the Samsung, I had issues with the size of my pockets and my hand ;-)
oel7 said:
I think it really depends on what to do with it.
For me, the main pro's for the 10 III: Corning 6 instead of 5, slimmer and more lightweight - perfect for outdoor use. With the Samsung, I had issues with the size of my pockets and my hand ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The glass difference isn't much between 5 and 6 unless you drop it without a good case.
With no case don't think Corning 6 will save it... it's still glass.
Both are readily scratched by sand.

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