Android Smartwatch - finally a real Android innovation - General Topics

This is outstanding and would be like the iPhone of the smartwatch world. If they can pull it off, a new era for Android might emerge.
http://www.gizmag.com/im-watch-smartwatch-wristwatch/19176/

This looks neat.

Is it an Android innovation/watch?
Compatible telephones:
iPhone 4
Android devices
Black Berry (January, 2012)
http://www.imwatch.it/en/smartwatch/specs/

I swear I saw a Android wrist watch touch screen phone on eBay. Months ago. I think it was Chinese.

I tell ya...there's a market for just this sort of thing if they can just get it exactly right and marketed just right. Put a small high res IPS display on it and give it proper speakerphone sound...or integrate it with a BT headset...and give it iPhone-4 quality battery life. Then make the UI super fluid and intuitive and it would take off...at the right price point.

Related

Will the Nexus Prime smash the SGS2?

From all the rumours floating around at the moment the Nexus Prime sounds like a beast. Samsung made, 1.5gHz exynos chip, Amoled 720p screen. 5mp rear camera w/1080p and a front facing 1mp camera. No physical buttons and Android 4.0.
But when the SGS2 gets Android 4.0, other than the 720p screen will it be pushed to 2nd in the awesome stakes? After all we have an very nice camera and and awesome chipset. Just like the Nexus S was a google branded SGS1, will the Prime be a google branded SGS2?
Any thoughts?
http://www.fonehome.co.uk/2011/07/18/google-nexus-prime-10-things-we-want-to-see/
robt772000 said:
From all the rumours floating around at the moment the Nexus Prime sounds like a beast. Samsung made, 1.5gHz exynos chip, Amoled 720p screen. 5mp rear camera w/1080p and a front facing 1mp camera. No physical buttons and Android 4.0.
But when the SGS2 gets Android 4.0, other than the 720p screen will it be pushed to 2nd in the awesome stakes? After all we have an very nice camera and and awesome chipset. Just like the Nexus S was a google branded SGS1, will the Prime be a google branded SGS2?
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on how it all comes together. A higher quality 5mp camera could produce better results that our 8mp camera so that doesn't scare me. More power is always good. A pure Google phone is always good from a latest and greatest perspective. It's also guaranteed to have NFC which is good.
The screen kind of scares me. My SGS2 screen (an early build) is great but there have been lots of reported QC issues, wide variations in color temperature, the gradient issue, and the left side banding issue. Pushing even more pixels to get to 720p is going to be tough to pull off based on the challenges they experienced in the jump from SAMOLED to SAMOLED+.
The radio's important and I wouldn't go back to something lower than 21MB HSPA+. I doubt it'll support any form of LTE because there are too many frequencies to contend with.
So count me as a "maybe."
Thanks for responding. I am not so sure either. That's why a discussion is a great place to start. Hopefully it will smash the new Iphone.
http://www.fonehome.co.uk/2011/07/22/google-nexus-prime-processor-detailed/
It all seems over the edge to me. From looking at the previous releases of google phones starting from Nexus One which consisted similar specs to the desire, and the nexus S which again has the similar specs to the Galaxy S, infact they shared the same chipsets. I'm not implying that the prime would indeed carry the similarities of the GS2 on that behalf but maybe not too far off.
An improved build of the AMOLED+ screen with all the banding issue and etc gone (I doubt it'll be 720p either). I'd say yes to dual core and maybe 1.5ghz (why not?). 5mp camera, (really?) I doubt they'd go anything below an 8mp due to competitvity and yes yes we all know that the cmos sensor makes all the difference but most people prefer figures rather than facts which is where the target audience usually lies (consider iphone 5 being the biggest role in competitiveness here).
All in all any specs that surpasses the GS2 is a path to the right direction although it's too early to judge since quad core is only around the corner, so time will tell. I personally wouldn't buy a google phone; my list of reasons would stuff this whole thread.
Next Nexus will also be google with bare basic OS , that means no awesome Samsung media codecs.
Also Nexus S had no external sdcard only 16gigs build in.
Only time will show how crippled its gonna be, sure certain aspects might be better depending who is gonna make it, CPU/GPU might be better , 720p AMOLED screen would be nice or at very least some decked out IPS panel.
Generally nexus devices never been better then some alternatives , but its subjective everyone has different needs. I am more interested in next Galaxy successor !
Yes the galaxy 3 will be a huge step. I think that all the codec support on this device is amazing. The nexus s was OK but destroyed by the s2. The next nexus probably won't beat the s2 when you look at the previous steps taken.
Samsungs software this year has been excellent. It's one of the few devices with duel core being optimised well. Will vanilla android be optimised? Probably not.
nexus s will be interesting, and will be worth a look at if it boasts a 720p display.
EDIT: haah i meant nexus prime , thanks robt772000
blickmanic said:
nexus s will be interesting, and will be worth a look at if it boasts a 720p display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus Prime
tl;dr
Nexus "Prime" will be a very good phone (atleast I can hope so!). But even if it smashes GS2, no shame in that. By all accounts, Prime would be released 6+ months after GS2, so it would be a shame if it can't beat GS2.
I am worried about few other points which you guys might have better knowledge:
1. How would be the application support for Ice cream? Will it be compatible with 2.x application?
2. What would be native/suggested resolution and form factor of displays? I assume that it's 480*800 for 2.x models. Is that going to change with Ice cream?
3. What would happen to Honeycomb? Ice cream is supposed to be across both tablets and phones? So, it appears to me that HC was just a stop-gap arrangement to allow android foot-hold in the tablet market.
4. What sort of processors are they going to support? My assumption was that HC was typically made compatible with Tegra2 and the primary reason why it sucked initially. I would bet that if HC ran on Exynos with Samsung optimized drivers, it would be much better than what it is now.
Most people tend think the battle would be with iOS, my idea is that the biggest threat for Ice cream will be from Microsoft!
Remember Windows 8 - it's being optimized for both tablets and notebook/desktops. Will be running both on x86 and ARM processors. And from initial views, that looks simply awesome. MS is going to have same platform running for phone, tablets and notebooks. I can't help and appreciate how much it would attract the developers. You develop for 1 platform which could run the application on any of the devices. And the customer base - everyone running Windows PC. That is huge. As much as I hated Microsoft, I can say with no shame that I simply love Win 7. I believe I had no BSOD over 1-1.5 years of using Win 7. Ice cream need to step up and has to bring something really useful to be a successful.
My only real concern is the screen quality, the SAMOLED plus is inferior to the regular SAMOLED due to its massive banding and QC issues, for day to day use theres basically no difference between both, For pictures the SAMOLED made some pictures prettier because it was not able to display the flaws/image compression artifacts, color is better on the Plus though. All in all it boils down to the screen quality for me.
robt772000 said:
From all the rumours floating around at the moment the Nexus Prime sounds like a beast. Samsung made, 1.5gHz exynos chip, Amoled 720p screen. 5mp rear camera w/1080p and a front facing 1mp camera. No physical buttons and Android 4.0.
But when the SGS2 gets Android 4.0, other than the 720p screen will it be pushed to 2nd in the awesome stakes? After all we have an very nice camera and and awesome chipset. Just like the Nexus S was a google branded SGS1, will the Prime be a google branded SGS2?
Any thoughts?
http://www.fonehome.co.uk/2011/07/18/google-nexus-prime-10-things-we-want-to-see/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All that and probably no micro sd card slot again.
Most definitely. It's the Big G's OFFICIAL phone. And should it have this epic HD-high-resolution 4.0" or 4.3" display. It'll blow the GS2 away. Not to mention whatever minor processor improvements there will be.
Also it'll be rocking 4.0 - K.O - Game Set Match.
Anyhows, I'm just happy they're continuing the Nexus range, because it really is something that showcases Android and combats iOS and that really brings the best of the best to the table. (well so far it has)........well not really with the Nexus S, but that is still a damn good phone. But this Nexus Prime looks like it's going to be another Nexus One, ground-breaking.
rd_nest said:
Remember Windows 8 - it's being optimized for both tablets and notebook/desktops. Will be running both on x86 and ARM processors. And from initial views, that looks simply awesome. MS is going to have same platform running for phone, tablets and notebooks. I can't help and appreciate how much it would attract the developers. You develop for 1 platform which could run the application on any of the devices. And the customer base - everyone running Windows PC. That is huge. As much as I hated Microsoft, I can say with no shame that I simply love Win 7. I believe I had no BSOD over 1-1.5 years of using Win 7. Ice cream need to step up and has to bring something really useful to be a successful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmmm I agree with you. Microsoft are really stepping up their game. (ABOUT TIME!!) But I think while Apple and Microsoft are trying to unify the desktop and mobile experience into ONE, those two will compete a lot more. I think Android will take a beating in the coming years...but I also think that people (like myself) enjoy a change.
I for one, would HATE to be working on my Mac, or windows...then go out and switch to my mobile and then have the exact same/a VERY similar experience on my phone. I actually like the change in OS, the change in apps...but then again, I suppose most people just want everything to be exactly the same because it's more "simple" :/
daivik said:
hmmm I agree with you. Microsoft are really stepping up their game. (ABOUT TIME!!) But I think while Apple and Microsoft are trying to unify the desktop and mobile experience into ONE, those two will compete a lot more. I think Android will take a beating in the coming years...but I also think that people (like myself) enjoy a change.
I for one, would HATE to be working on my Mac, or windows...then go out and switch to my mobile and then have the exact same/a VERY similar experience on my phone. I actually like the change in OS, the change in apps...but then again, I suppose most people just want everything to be exactly the same because it's more "simple" :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, both MS and Apple are trying to unify the platforms. My view is that Apple will again try to keep that niche segment and their loyal user base. MS, like Google will license their software to other vendors. The whole scenario sounds similar to what happened in the desktop space 20 years back. History repeating itself - we have Apple on one side and MS/Google with a different approach on other. Players like IBM and Compaq making way for present day vendors like Samsung/Nokia etc.,
Ho well, I won't be surprised if in a year from now, with dual core 2ghz ARMs and 1+ gig of ram in phones we will see windows 8 running on smartphones with metro UI on top... If it runs on a tab, it'll run on a smartpone. Hell the SGS2 is crushing any tablet currently, it's just sad that all the SGS are always given unused potential (remember the sgx540 on sgs1, and now exynos mali400 on sgs2). But hey that's what makes them future proof, we'll still see SGS1 running new games and apps in a year or two.
I liked android for the customization and liberty it gave me, but I pretty much ran around it both on tablet (transformer) and phone (SGS1 &2) and I think that my next gen of devices will be wp7.5 mango (if the WP7 SGS2 ever comes out!) and then wp8 stuff late 2012.
Honestly I think the current tab market is just ****ting his pants at windows 8's arrival, because frankly, no iOS or honeycomb can rival win8's functionalities, if it runs smooth of course... (win 8 transformer 2 ).
Standing from here I really see MS as the big winner of following years. Android had 2 years to evolve into something really productive, yet it didn't really came there and still has a lesser quality catalog compared to the app store. But who knows what ICS will bring ? we can only wait.
Just a quick thing I've been thinking about...
If the Nexus Prime does have a 720p display and that's what games are played on, the experience most likely would not be as smooth as the SGS2 as the difference is pixels of the two devices is very drastic. Even qHD hurts game performance. Also, isn't retina display the most pixels needed for a 3.5" screen? I have a hard time believing there would be ANY noticeable difference between a 720p screen and qHD.
It depends on what hardware it will have.
If it will boast a Qualcomm Krait, then it will blow it away. If it uses anything else, then no, it might be slightly faster performance wise, but that's all. The only thing going for it will be the 720p screen, but we still don't know the size of the display or what type it will be.
L Eric said:
Just a quick thing I've been thinking about...
If the Nexus Prime does have a 720p display and that's what games are played on, the experience most likely would not be as smooth as the SGS2 as the difference is pixels of the two devices is very drastic. Even qHD hurts game performance. Also, isn't retina display the most pixels needed for a 3.5" screen? I have a hard time believing there would be ANY noticeable difference between a 720p screen and qHD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's supposed to have a ginormous screen, so think bigger than 4.3" of the SGS2. I don't think it will surpass the DPI of the retina display even at 720p or at that screen size.
If it doesn't surpass SII in every spec then it will be just another SII. You will have to make compromises between a lower mp camera or no card slot, etc. If it beats SII in every section then yes, it will blow it away.
Samsung Nexus for Me
Winner is
Around 2.5x higher resolution screen, 1280x720 vs 800x480
Around 50% crisper display of text, images and video, 315 PPI vs 217 PPI
More than 10% larger screen, 4.6" vs 4.3"
i will go for Nexus !!

iOcean G7 review

*Moved from different thread - this suits better*
Hello everyone,
just made this review about the iOcean G7 a while ago. I cannot post any links or videos yet so I made a small site, for the single purpose it looks a bit better and I can post the photo's and video I made. chinahardware.info/?page_id=9
I left out all the Antutu benchmark stuff, there is already plenty of that to be found. I hope someone finds it informative
Contents
Intro & Specifications.
Screen/Display.
Camera.
Sound.
Overall use & Connectivity.
Conclusion.
Intro & Specifications
Welcome to this iOcean G7 review
The G7 is not the first phone of the Chinese iOcean company but definitely one with a new design. If you are not familiar with the iOcean company you can look up their website iocean.cc or go to their Facebook page. The phone that had put iOcean in the spotlights was the X7 Youth. It has (still) good specifications with a surprisingly low price, making it a very tempting choice. After the X7 Youth there were more ‘adult’ versions as the Turbo, Plus and Elite, all with different sets of specifications and prices. One thing remained: the design. All the X7 models are the same except for their internal hardware components. With the G7 the designers at iOcean made daring step. They slightly changed the design but more obvious: they changed the size of the phone. Where all X7 versions were enjoying a neat 5 inch FULL-HD display, the G7 has a gigantic screen size of 6.44 inch, technically making it a phablet (phone/tablet).
This devices comes with the latest of the MediaTek processors: the MT6592, an octacore processor with the Mali 450 GPU to support it with graphical applications.
My personal questions were if I would be enjoying carrying this colossal phone around and if the GPS-problems with the MediaTek MT6592 would finally come to an end.
Specifications:
General
OS Android 4.2.2
Chipset Octacore Mediatek
CPU 1.7Ghz MT6592
GPU Mali-450 700Mhz
RAM 2GB
Battery 3500mAh
Two Camera’s:
Rear camera 13 mega-pixel
Features F2.0 aperture
LED flash Yes
Video [email protected]
Front camera 5-mega-pixel
Memory
Internal 16GB
SD card Yes: support up to 32GB
Network support
Dual-sim Yes
WCDMA 2100MHz/900MHz
GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
Body
Dimensions (mm) 175 x 90.5 x 8.9mm
Weight (g) 205 grams
Colors Black and White (and perhaps a red one?)
Screen/Display
Let’s start with what is most obvious about the device when you see it: the enormous display. With a 6.44 inch display the G7 is one of the biggest devices I ever worked with. It is quite a bit bigger than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
For the technicians amongst you: the devices comes with a Retina LTPS display and is an OGS, which stands for One Glass Solution. So the screen will be thin with good viewing angles. Since a large amount of the surface of the phone is consisting out of glass, I am glad they processed the screen with laminated glass, meaning it consists of two or more layers of glass and bonding interlayers before fused together though autoclave or chemically.
The above shows us that the display is big, thin, highly scratch-resistant and with the Retina LTPS it also means the display is bright and vivid. When the screen is on full brightness it is very useable in light areas and outside. I used it for a couple of days now and even on these sunny days I could easily read the screen.
This is supported with a stunning 1920×1080 resolution, granting the screen 342 pixels-per-inch. I used the iOcean X7 with 440 pixels-per-inch and I could see some difference but you would have to look closely and search for it. 342 PPI is still very impressive for a screen size this big and reading text is a real charm on this device. Giving the device a higher resolution screen would not benefit the price and the performance of the G7 and I personally think this was the right decision.
In the box I also found a screen protector which I applied directly but since the layered protection of the screen itself I think this is a personal choice.
Another bonus is the fact that you can operate the device wearing gloves or with wet hands. I found out these few days that the display is highly sensitive and I do no longer need my touch screen gloves in the winter which is a real big plus.
Camera
The camera of the G7 is even being used by iOcean to take photos of the new X8 model, which is coming up halfway in April, for their Facebook page. If the company itself is confident enough about the quality is has to say something, right? The G7 enjoys a 13 mega-pixel rear camera which out-of-the-box shoots at 9.5 mega-pixel. This is probably done to save memory and to quicken up the burst-shoot function. At 9.5 MP all photos will be more than sufficient for most uses: Facebook, Twitter, emailing them to friends/family, etc. Switching to 13 MP decreases the field of view as well a bit of speed in burst-mode but it is still very fast and it is barely noticeable. The front camera is 5 mega-pixel and can be used for conference and video calling or to make the much loved selfie. A trend is to not only increase the mega-pixels of the phone but also the aperture of the lens, meaning more light can travel inside which tends to produce better pictures.
I shot some pictures with the G7 myself and I can tell you they are of very good quality. I used different kind of settings; all photos taken inside were under medium-light conditions and outside it is clearly a sunny day. (They are shown on the website.)
One of the things I like to do with my phone is to watch videos on YouTube, mostly with other people. The low quality of the sound and especially the low maximum volume most of the other Chinese phone suffer from sometimes takes the fun away in doing that but with the G7 that will not be the case. The sound can be set to a very loud level while maintaining good quality with no distortion.
Now, something pleasant happened when I laid the phone on its back while playing music: sound actually got better! Thanks to a very smart design feature the G7 device does not fully touch the surface and thereby covering up the speaker grill. A small tab, looking a bit like a stub of the speaker grill, is attached so room is left between the surface and the device hence the sound waves can move freely. It gives a powerful and full sound which I have not heard with many devices. One small point could be that it makes the phone wiggle a bit when lain down but I highly doubt that would bother anyone.
Overall use & Connectivity
The biggest question for me was whether the G7 would fit in my pocket but even with the flip case it fits. Though it is completely understandable when someone would go for the somewhat smaller X7 or better the X8 in April. This is definitely not a one-handed device and both hands are needed to type. It is very useable for watch movies, series, YouTube and the like as reading and typing text. I am a forced user of the public transport every day and I use that time to read rapports for work, etc. Still not as comfortable as a good physical keyboard, on the 6.44 inch screen it is now also workable to edit and type text.
The overall build quality is very good with no plastic-squeaks, a strongly fit back cover and pretty narrow bezels. The only real point of criticism is that the three android control buttons on the chin of the phone do not lit up so in the dark. This may provide an issue when not completely familiar with the device.
The device supports all normal connectivity frequencies used in the West: for Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n for both 2.4G and 5G. For mobile internet: HSPA+ 900Mhz/2100Mhz WCDMA.
GPS
The GPS has been a problem with MediaTek devices since a long time and let me happily start by saying that the iOcean G7 gave me a GPS fix in 3 minutes. This was indoors without any connectivity and updated satellite positions. Outside the same set-up gave me a fix in about 40 seconds. Compared to more expensive and well-known mobile phones MediaTek will always lose the battle but for the average Chinese branded mobile phone user this will be a pretty welcome result.
Conclusion
The iOcean G7 is one of the biggest Chinese phones I have ever handled but also one of the better built and designed. The overall quality of the phone is very good, the camera shoots very worthy photos, the sound capabilities are amazing, playing most games is absolutely fun (no stuttering), display quality is very good at least to say, making the G7 a very enjoyable device for everyday use. Considering all this, the price is very reasonable. If you are looking for an affordable mobile phone with a big display, this is probably the one.
A good functioning GPS and a size that still fits my pocket: my questions are answered, how about yours? Please feel free to post comments or send me a message if you have any more questions.
You can also send me an e-mail: [email protected]
Or look up more information on the official iOcean Facebookpage! Please give them some support and click the ‘like’ button.
chinahardware.info/?page_id=9 for the photo's
I am enjoying the use of the iocean G7. It maybe gigantic but it is not heavy.
Battery life is really good. For light use, you can get up to 4 days. For heavy use, you can get at least 2 days.
Does iocean use a "skinned" version of Android like sense or miui?
sent from Carina Nebula with my Nexus 5 inter dimensional cruiser...
Ltdrev said:
Does iocean use a "skinned" version of Android like sense or miui?
sent from Carina Nebula with my Nexus 5 inter dimensional cruiser...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its Android 4.2.2, I have not played with HTC or Miui but it feel like the standard Android. It came with Google Play Store and all the other apps. Don't think I see any Chinese apps.
It actually came rooted as well.
Ysabelkid said:
I am enjoying the use of the iocean G7. It maybe gigantic but it is not heavy.
Battery life is really good. For light use, you can get up to 4 days. For heavy use, you can get at least 2 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
My Iocean G7 battery lasts about 1 day (wifi and bluetooth always on).
I didn't find how to install CWM on it so I could do a wipe batterie's data.
Does someone has a CWM for Iocean G7 ?
Thanks
Yes a bit
Ltdrev said:
Does iocean use a "skinned" version of Android like sense or miui?
sent from Carina Nebula with my Nexus 5 inter dimensional cruiser...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had no idea but I did a comparison for you. iOcean did use some sort of theme (not a entire skin) for their Android version but you can switch back to the standard Android look with 2 clicks (icon called Theme) does that.
I am using Themer now but in the video review on my website (chinahardware.info) you can still see the iOcean theme.
Does that answer your question?
Ysabelkid said:
Its Android 4.2.2, I have not played with HTC or Miui but it feel like the standard Android. It came with Google Play Store and all the other apps. Don't think I see any Chinese apps.
It actually came rooted as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine came with a small theme (mostly the icons were different) but I could switch back any moment.
Yours came rooted? Where did you buy your iOcean G7?
Danacy said:
Mine came with a small theme (mostly the icons were different) but I could switch back any moment.
Yours came rooted? Where did you buy your iOcean G7?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Settings, under Device Administration, I got Superuser which I turn it on.
I bought my G7 from 1949deal - first time buying from them. Order on Thursday and shipped by DHL and arrived on Monday. I bought the brown case which I think is useless. Cannot find the slip-in case on your video.
I don't use Facebook/bluetooth and have turn off the gesture - thats why I think the battery life last so long.
22
Ysabelkid said:
In Settings, under Device Administration, I got Superuser which I turn it on.
I bought my G7 from 1949deal - first time buying from them. Order on Thursday and shipped by DHL and arrived on Monday. I bought the brown case which I think is useless. Cannot find the slip-in case on your video.
I don't use Facebook/bluetooth and have turn off the gesture - thats why I think the battery life last so long.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean the orange case? Try Aliexpress.com It's a sideways flip-cover (bad quality btw).
Cannot find the Superuser setting you mentioned but I thought that will only appear when you root te phone, right?
How is the battery life on the phone? Better than other Android phones or just pretty similar?
Danacy said:
You mean the orange case? Try Aliexpress.com It's a sideways flip-cover (bad quality btw).
Cannot find the Superuser setting you mentioned but I thought that will only appear when you root te phone, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the orange case - its rubbish.
This guy has a slip case - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXMGeWo0W8Q which is like one of those for spectacles.
Not sure if it is 1949deal that rooted the phone before sending out. I learnt of it from the guy in the above video which is why I bought from the same seller as he did. He mentioned about it here - http://mtkforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=559&p=1929
---------- Post added at 11:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 PM ----------
nismofan25 said:
How is the battery life on the phone? Better than other Android phones or just pretty similar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life depends on how you use it. It has a 3500 mAh battery - huge.
I don't use Facebook or bluetooth or push notification for my GMail. I use Whatsapp, Line, SMS and calls and some surfing.
For light use, I can get more than 3 day. For heavy use, I can get at least 2 days.
I already enjoying the use of the iocean G7. I think its gigantic its not heavy . Battery life is so good. For light use, you can get up to 4 days. For heavy use, you can get at least 2 days. you also use it enjoy it .........................................
Michael Hill said:
I already enjoying the use of the iocean G7. I think its gigantic its not heavy . Battery life is so good. For light use, you can get up to 4 days. For heavy use, you can get at least 2 days. you also use it enjoy it .........................................
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you tell me if the led flash is powerful like Samsung ones I had a few chinese phones but the flash led is weak.
Thanks
cyberbit said:
Can you tell me if the led flash is powerful like Samsung ones I had a few chinese phones but the flash led is weak.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The led flash is strong - red light for Whatsapp and green for Line.
Camera is great - people were impress with it when I took photos in a recent vacation.
good day how to root iocean g7 please help.
Bluetooth
The bluetooth is horrible.
There is lag with the headphone bluetooth, sometimes does not pair with bluetooth on the car.
In others features this phone is really good.
I hope that in the next firmware the iocean improve the bluetooth.
G7 flash and recovery
Hey guys,
I am also a proud owner of my G7... I certainly do love it, at the moment I think I have to flash it to a more recent rom since it came with a 4.2.2.
I want to flash to latest but I dont have a custom recovery installed. Will the inbuilt recovery be fine enough?
I am guessing you guys have an idea of what the way to get a recovery and flash it actually... and I use linux with adb and fastboot installed and it can see my device too although I could get a windows computer is necessary.
Thanks
Recovery
xdadeem said:
Hey guys,
I am also a proud owner of my G7... I certainly do love it, at the moment I think I have to flash it to a more recent rom since it came with a 4.2.2.
I want to flash to latest but I dont have a custom recovery installed. Will the inbuilt recovery be fine enough?
I am guessing you guys have an idea of what the way to get a recovery and flash it actually... and I use linux with adb and fastboot installed and it can see my device too although I could get a windows computer is necessary.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MIUI is always a good choice
http://www.needrom.com/download/miui-by-miuipro-ru-9/
FunTouch OS was also very good
http://www.needrom.com/download/g7-funtouch-os/
To install:
Step 1: From the links above: download the ROM you want and put it on a SD-card. Not in a folder but in the root of the SD-card. Put SD-card in phone
Step 2: Shut down your G7. Not restart but really shut down. Then:
– Power button + volume button up, to enter the recovery mode. (First hold volume up and then press power button and keep volume button pressed until you see the recovery menu)
– Wipe Data / Factory Reset -> delete all user data (use volume buttons to select)
– Wipe Cache Partition -> Wipe cache
Step 3: Return to recovery main interface Install zip from sdcard -> choose zip from sdcard -> Select your ROM
Step 4: Brush complete, restart the phone Patience required – first boot takes a while

[Q] Is the UI smooth enough for you guys?

Hi!
The reason I'm asking is that I come from a one year use of a Sony smartwatch 2. And despite the ridiculously low specs compared to the Gear 2, the UI (scrolling, screen transitions mainly) is waaaay smoother on my Smartwatch 2!
I have to admit I'm a little disappointed in this regard. I mean, the watch is awesome and far superior to the Smartwatch 2, but it's definitely not as smooth as what we have been used to since Android 4.1 and Project Butter.
What do guys think? Is it a software limitation (certainly not hardware, IMO)?
Is it done on purpose to save battery consumption? Low "fps" in order to be easier on the CPU/GPU?
It's true that android wear is very, very smooth, but to my knowledge no android wear watch can last for 3 days of normal use, like I've got out of my Gear 2.
Anyways, as I did not find anything on this topic on the internet, thought I would ask here

Loved this tablet/PC

This is my review in my own words coming from the owner of a Nexus 9 and Nexus 10 tablet and a android user for over 20 years and Yes I received this tablet at a discounted price but in NO WAY does that change my views or thoughts on how I review this product, with that said this is the perfect tablet for first time users or like me "power users". This tablet is $81.99 and based of that price all this tablet does as far as performance and ease of use and just overall build quality it deserves 5 stars. As a heavy tablet user of $700 tablets I find myself using this tablet over my other tablets mainly because of the screen size which is 10.1in compared to my largest tablet that is also 10in BUT in all honesty the screen (as in colors) looks better on this tab. As as android developer this tablet offers "tech people" lots of fun too as this tablet is running Android 5.1 Lollipop and is pretty fast at handling tasks with its Quad Core processor and 1GB RAM. I am trying to keep review in simple terms but if you like to root and add modifications to your devices this tablet/pc is also very easy to root and mod. A few specs on the tablet I liked were, Quad Core Processor 1.3GHZ/Google Android 5.1 Lollipop Operating System/Dual Cameras: Front 0.3 MP and Rear 2.0 MP but picture quality is not great but again this is a tablet not a camera and most every tablet I have owned in the past which is over 10 I never use the tablet for picture taking but if needed this does take good pictures and does the job/*8 GB capacity, extendable to 32 GB with an SD card* This is a HUGE feature and not offered on most tablets out there and neither of my $700 tablets offer extendable storage/5500mAh is a nice size and Im very much a gamer and my battery lasts a full day so im very happy with battery life. This is a tablet/Pc which means you also get a keyboard/case with this tablet, I don't use these often but for reviewing purposes I used the USB driven keyboard case which I found to be a good design and worked very well, I really liked the protection the case provided and loved the pull out stand on back of case for watching movies or using tablet as a PC and the magnetic closure worked well. They keyboard layout was nice and keys seem very soft when typing and had no issues navigating around screen. Tablet fit securely in case and also liked that the case has 2 holes or loops which are used for a stylus which I use when using a tablet. WiFi and BLUETOOTH worked as expected and had no issues connecting to multiple routers and at least 5 BLUETOOTH devices. Overall I was very impressed with this tablet, I put it through some very heavy loads to test speed and it handled everything I threw at it and PLEASE watch video to really show off tablet/PC in action and also show screen resolution and how screen reacts to scrolling and just a better overall view of the whole package. iRULU has absolutely wonderful customer care, I emailed them numerous times with questions and always received a fast/courteous reply. I really wanted people to see this in product decryption also " Tablet is GMS Tested and Certified by Google to guarantee consistent quality, assure reliability, and maximize privacy protection for secure browsing and communications"
https://youtu.be/xJvqQtQqJPs

General Brutally Honest Review of the A52 4G

Hi guys. I bought an A52 4G for myself a few weeks ago and here is my brutally honest review. As you will see, there are some things I wasn't satisfied with but I needed a phone quickly and for my budget and availability, I thought I'd give Samsung a chance.
Pros​
1. Lots of QoL services by Samsung like always on display and apps like Gallery by Samsung can be more useful than Photos by Google. I also mapped the double tap power button to start the flashlight.
2. The 720G chipset along with a 90hz display feels plenty powerful especially for those coming from an older midrange device. However, it's not as fast and instantaneous as stock Android or OxygenOS. Also, you will face lots of stutters and bugs if you enable animation to .5x. At default 1x, animations are too damn slow.
3. Stereo speakers. Sound quality is average though. I don't use it much so I don't care.
4. Water resistance. It's nice of Samsung to bring this feature to a midrange device.
5. The macro camera can be useful for taking pictures of very small items like coins. The selfie camera seems alright.
6. The display, despite having kind of inaccurate colors is actually a lot better looking than most Chinese brand (OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Realme, etc) phone displays. Most Chinese brand displays tend to have a washed out, pale look to them despite having high refresh rates.
7. Battery life is pretty decent. If you don't use it much, it'll last a couple days easily. Of course, battery will degrade over time so a few years later, you might need to change the battery or the phone itself.
Cons​
1. Sound quality output through the 3.5mm jack is very bad. My previous phone (Moto G5s Plus) had a much better built-in DAC. But at least the jack is there so I guess it's better than nothing but I'd suggest you get a good type-c to 3.5mm converter and use that instead if you're looking for decent audio.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very inaccurate and kind of pale. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Also, the amoled screen can be fatiguing to your eyes. Not everyone faces this but personally I have this problem.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. It would be better if Samsung didn't provide this crappy 15 watt charger and made the phone cheaper so I could buy a 25 watt charger myself. I don't see the logic in this. The phone supports 25 watt charging but Samsung includes a 15 watt charger in the box.
4. The lightly colored matte plastic back looks awesome in the beginning but with some mild use, the colors are already starting to fade and become yellowish. So put a case or skin on it if you wanna preserve that awesome color.
5. The colors and details of the main camera are not very good for an upper midrange device in 2021. I saw some reviews on YouTube with review units provided by Samsung that showed much better camera quality than what I'm getting with my retail unit. Especially after you take a picture, if you zoom in on a person's face for example, the details are just not there. Also, the colors are inaccurate and not life like. Hopefully, someone can make a good GCAM for this phone. Otherwise, expect to live with an average camera.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions. EDIT: Luckily, it stopped doing this.
7. If the bezels were a bit narrower especially the sides and top, it would have quite a flagship killer look. Even the A51 has narrower bezels on the side. But I know Samsung did this on purpose so their more expensive S series phones would look more special than the A series.
8. It's a bit on the heavier side if you compare it to the A51. Putting a case and tempered glass on it will only increase the weight further. I find myself having to put the phone down on a table or bed to use it. I can't hold it in the air for long due to its weight.
Bugs​1. "Force dark mode" option in developer settings automatically turns itself off whenever you restart your device.
2. If you set animation to .5x instead of the default 1x, and cycle through your recent apps, there's a weird stutter.
Conclusion​
If you can live with Samsung's annoying OneUI stutters or slow animations, this isn't a bad phone especially if you can get it for around $300 USD. I'd call this a good phone for moms/dads and grandmas/grandpas. If you're a young millennial trying to live on the cutting edge, I'd pass on this one and get something that's a little faster, maybe the new Nord CE (it has a more washed out display than the A52 though).
Well! My phone have just arrived. I'm switching from an S7 edge that I've been using for the last 4 years. So far I find that the screen is pretty good! Better than the S7E. The speed is excellent and of course, the ONE UI 3.1 is superb. I've already uninstalled some unwanted apps. As regards the camera, haven't tested it yet. But obviously, the GCAM will make it better.
LanguageSoez said:
Well! My phone have just arrived. I'm switching from an S7 edge that I've been using for the last 4 years. So far I find that the screen is pretty good! Better than the S7E. The speed is excellent and of course, the ONE UI 3.1 is superb. I've already uninstalled some unwanted apps. As regards the camera, haven't tested it yet. But obviously, the GCAM will make it better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it'll be better than a 4 year old phone lol. If you think one UI is superb, try using stock android or oxygenos, you will be blown away.
I got A72 and the picture quality coming out from the stabilized Sony IMX 686 sensor with pixel binned 16 MP pictures is superior to Samsung HM2 108 MP giving just 12MP images ... So is A52, I don't believe your "honest review" ....
neoxcool said:
I got A72 and the picture quality coming out from the stabilized Sony IMX 686 sensor with pixel binned 16 MP pictures is superior to Samsung HM2 108 MP giving just 12MP images ... So is A52, I don't believe your "honest review" ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A72 is not A52. Specs are one thing, software is another. You don't have to believe anything. As I said in my review, you should experience the phones in person preferably from friends who bought it and then make a decision.
The OP is obviously a satisfied customer
Griping about it being water resistant is really picking at nits. It adds little cost and help to seal out dust, extending the usable service life of the device.
Charging a phone while using isn't a good idea and it should charge slow whilst using regardless of the wattage capacity of the charger brick being used.
NiceGuyIncel said:
Hi guys. I bought an A52 4G for myself a few weeks ago and here is my brutally honest review. As you will see, there are a lot of things I wasn't satisfied with but for my budget and availability, this was one of the better ones.
Pros:
1. Lots of QoL services by Samsung like always on display and apps like Gallery by Samsung can be more useful than Photos by Google. I also mapped the double tap power button to start the flashlight.
2. The 720G chipset along with a 90hz display feels plenty smooth especially for those coming from an older midrange device. It's not as fast and instantaneous as stock android or oxygenos but this is probably the fastest that Samsung OneUI has ever been.
3. Stereo speakers. Quality is average though. I don't use it much so I don't care.
4. Water resistance. It can be useful if you like to take your phone to the bathroom or live in a rainy area but I feel this feature is more suitable for flagship phones. The 4G version of the A52 really don't need this feature and it would be better if the device was slightly cheaper instead.
Cons:
1. Sound quality output through the 3.5mm jack is very bland. My previous phone (Moto G5s Plus) had a much better built-in DAC. But at least the jack is there so I guess it's better than nothing but I'd suggest you get a good type-c to 3.5mm converter and use that instead if you're looking for quality audio.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very boring and washed out. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Hopefully, the xda community will do something about this, maybe a graphics engine or some app that can tinker with the display settings more finely.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. So I really don't know why Samsung pulled an Apple with the charger.
4. The lightly colored matte plastic back looks awesome in the beginning but with some mild use, the colors are already starting to fade and become yellowish. So put a case or skin on it if you wanna preserve that awesome color.
5. The colors and details of the main camera really sucks for an upper midrange device in 2021. I saw some reviews on YouTube with review units provided by Samsung that showed much better camera quality than what I'm getting with my retail unit. Luckily, some people have already started working on gcam for this device and from what I've heard the results are much better than Samsung's default camera app.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions.
7. If the bezels were a bit narrower especially the sides and top, it would have quite a flagship killer look. But I know Samsung did this on purpose so their more expensive S series phones would look more special than the A series.
8. It's a bit on the heavier side if you compare it to the A51. Putting a case and tempered glass on it will only increase the weight further.
9. The amoled screen can be fatiguing to your eyes. Not everyone faces this but personally I have this problem.
Conclusion: That wraps up my brutally honest review of the A52 4G. I hope you enjoyed the fact that I didn't jump up and down and say this is the best phone ever like most YouTube "reviewers". They say that whenever a new phone comes out. Of course the people who are gonna upgrade from a 5 year old phone will also say this is the best phone they ever used. From their perspective, it makes sense but I believe you should thoroughly research the market and only buy what YOU like the most. I was moving to another country where phones are quite expensive so I just grabbed this cause I was in a hurry. If you have the time, research other phones and try to use them in person. That way you will know for sure what you're getting because specs can be misleading. I'd suggest you look into Poco F3, OnePlus Nord, Moto G100, Moto G60 and other similarly priced devices before going for the A52. Don't assume that just because it's a Samsung, it's gonna be a great phone. Samsung intentionally nerfed this phone so there is more incentive for people to go for the more expensive S series phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your feedback. I'm certain most of those who are still undecided will as well.
To be frank, this device has received overwhelming amounts of good press, which, as a consumer, is a good thing.
That said, constructive criticism is a key component towards improving upon future A series models and/or polishing the current user experience.
AHE_XDA said:
I appreciate your feedback. I'm certain most of those who are still undecided will as well.
To be frank, this device has received overwhelming amounts of good press, which, as a consumer, is a good thing.
That said, constructive criticism is a key component towards improving upon future A series models and/or polishing the current user experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Paid press is always good press...
The Samsung Fold series always get rave reviews but they're expensive, fragile and limited devices. Worse I'm being kind in my criticism.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weird, I have never encountered this.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. So I really don't know why Samsung pulled an Apple with the charger
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't mind this at all since it's already proven that fast charging does hurt your battery longevity.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very boring and washed out. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Hopefully, the xda community will do something about this, maybe a graphics engine or some app that can tinker with the display settings more finely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this, although I prefer it for the occasional media consumption. For general usage, it might lead to some eye strain for some people which includes me.
The build despite plastic is decent enough considering the trade-offs with its other specs at this price point and an IP6X is always welcome. The camera is nothing spectacular but not bad, given that it's harder to quantify the expected degrees of quality per $ at this price range. Performance is fine for the majority of the time but there are occasional stutters or lag you will encounter. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase. It's also worth noting that warranty and software support tend to get overlooked when looking at the price.
I was considering Poco F3 as an alternative before getting my A52 however, I didn't go through with the Poco F3 because of various issues and concerns that I can't be arsed to list.
This phone is on my list to upgrade from my Essential PH-1. Keeping an eye on ROM development and Gcam development. I can get it for around $354 depending on the COP to USD conversion rate in Colombia. Anyone know better deals out in the wild?
NiceGuyIncel said:
Hi guys. I bought an A52 4G for myself a few weeks ago and here is my brutally honest review. As you will see, there are some things I wasn't satisfied with but I needed a phone quickly and for my budget and availability, I thought I'd give Samsung a chance.
Pros​
1. Lots of QoL services by Samsung like always on display and apps like Gallery by Samsung can be more useful than Photos by Google. I also mapped the double tap power button to start the flashlight.
2. The 720G chipset along with a 90hz display feels plenty powerful especially for those coming from an older midrange device. However, it's not as fast and instantaneous as stock Android or OxygenOS. Also, you will face lots of stutters and bugs if you enable animation to .5x. At default 1x, animations are too damn slow.
3. Stereo speakers. Sound quality is average though. I don't use it much so I don't care.
4. Water resistance. It's nice of Samsung to bring this feature to a midrange device.
5. The macro camera can be useful for taking pictures of very small items like coins. The selfie camera seems alright.
6. The display, despite having kind of inaccurate colors is actually a lot better looking than most Chinese brand (OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Realme, etc) phone displays. Most Chinese brand displays tend to have a washed out, pale look to them despite having high refresh rates.
7. Battery life is pretty decent. If you don't use it much, it'll last a couple days easily. Of course, battery will degrade over time so a few years later, you might need to change the battery or the phone itself.
Cons​
1. Sound quality output through the 3.5mm jack is very bad. My previous phone (Moto G5s Plus) had a much better built-in DAC. But at least the jack is there so I guess it's better than nothing but I'd suggest you get a good type-c to 3.5mm converter and use that instead if you're looking for decent audio.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very inaccurate and kind of pale. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Also, the amoled screen can be fatiguing to your eyes. Not everyone faces this but personally I have this problem.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. It would be better if Samsung didn't provide this crappy 15 watt charger and made the phone cheaper so I could buy a 25 watt charger myself. I don't see the logic in this. The phone supports 25 watt charging but Samsung includes a 15 watt charger in the box.
4. The lightly colored matte plastic back looks awesome in the beginning but with some mild use, the colors are already starting to fade and become yellowish. So put a case or skin on it if you wanna preserve that awesome color.
5. The colors and details of the main camera are not very good for an upper midrange device in 2021. I saw some reviews on YouTube with review units provided by Samsung that showed much better camera quality than what I'm getting with my retail unit. Especially after you take a picture, if you zoom in on a person's face for example, the details are just not there. Also, the colors are inaccurate and not life like. Hopefully, someone can make a good GCAM for this phone. Otherwise, expect to live with an average camera.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions. EDIT: Luckily, it stopped doing this.
7. If the bezels were a bit narrower especially the sides and top, it would have quite a flagship killer look. Even the A51 has narrower bezels on the side. But I know Samsung did this on purpose so their more expensive S series phones would look more special than the A series.
8. It's a bit on the heavier side if you compare it to the A51. Putting a case and tempered glass on it will only increase the weight further. I find myself having to put the phone down on a table or bed to use it. I can't hold it in the air for long due to its weight.
Bugs​1. "Force dark mode" option in developer settings automatically turns itself off whenever you restart your device.
2. If you set animation to .5x instead of the default 1x, and cycle through your recent apps, there's a weird stutter.
Conclusion​
If you can live with Samsung's annoying OneUI stutters or slow animations, this isn't a bad phone especially if you can get it for around $300 USD. I'd call this a good phone for moms/dads and grandmas/grandpas. If you're a young millennial trying to live on the cutting edge, I'd pass on this one and get something that's a little faster, maybe the new Nord CE (it has a more washed out display than the A52 though).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I will answer this from the perspective of an Indian Millenial coming from Mi A2 (and having only used crappy Micromax and Redmi phones in the past, this is something which I think most Indian youth can relate to). Let's go point by point :
1. UI
Having used stock android and MIUI, I can confidently say that OneUI is definitely a bit clumsy, but it is easy to get used to compared to FuncTouch and MIUI. Also, *there is no Google dialer*, meaning you can safely do call recording. Also OneUI has "Link to Windows" baked right into it, which is a huge boon in my opinion as it kinda compensates for the lack of DeX support, I think this is one of the most underrated feature of Samsung phones.
2. Ads and Bloatware scene
Now this maybe specific to India only. I set the device up using GeekyRanjit's guide on "How to setup Samssung devices" on YT, and so far (1 month later) I have got no ads except wallpaper services message when I swipe from right on lock screen. Also, all bloatware can be either disabled or uninstalled (unlike MIUI and ColourOS), so no problem there. Overall it is much much better than Redmi, Poco and Realme offerings. Though here Oneplus NORD maybe better.
3. Camera
TBH I bought this phone for the camera, and consider the competition it did not let me down, sure there is a bit of over sharpening going on in most images and indoor/low light photos and videos have a ton of noise but considering the competition in 15k-25k INR, it is definitely better. I use Gcam 7.3.018 by Urynx05, and it does improve video stabilisation a lot thanks to OIS (only Oneplus NORD has OIS in this price). For night mode, stock night mode is better than night sight (much brighter and well balanced). Daylight pics, it is a mixed bag, macro camera is good but could have been better,but considering how rarely it is used, it is fine.
4. Display
Most Indian milllenials like me are currently upgrading from LCD to Amoled. I having never used an Amoled, am satisfied with the display. But yeah you are right Amoled displays do cause more eye fatigue than LCD.
5. Availability and Customer support
This is where this phone shines! Here in India, this phone is available like everywhere, in most mobile shop in any market no matter, how small or rural the area, this unfortunately is not the case for OnePlus and Redmi, POCO (infamous for flash sales and black-marketing)etc., thus Galaxy A52's actual competitors are phones from Vivo and Oppo, which are usually more pricey. Also, Samsung customer services is next to Apple.
Set your priorities before buying a phone and you won't be disappointed, my suggestion, if you want good camera hardware and reliable phone go for it, but if you want to do gaming I would suggest you to look elsewhere say iQOO Z3 for 20k INR.
I am trying to get either this phone or s10? I was leaning more towards a52 since it could get up to android 14 opposed to 12 on s10.
Which one should i get?

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