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What phone to go for?

edit: for the most up-to-date indecisive rambling, just jump to the most recent post, though feel free to peruse the whole thread.
I understand this is a very difficult question to answer, especially given that no two people's needs are ever quite the same but I'm just looking for some ideas/a sounding board.
I currently have a Touch HD which I have been quite happy with, I really quite like TouchFlo, but it's starting to show it's age and I'm due an upgrade in about a fortnight anyway.
At the moment, given what's available on the market, Android is the only choice IMO.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against WinMo/WinPho but I'm not buying a phone that won't be properly upgradeable and therefore, arguably, rendered obsolete in a couple of months and I'm definitely not waiting two months plus for a new phone on the off-chance I like what I see.
As for the rest, Symbian's a joke; Blackberrys aren't my thing; Palm is not an option; and the iPhone, well unless they announce something pretty damned special on Monday, my dislike of iTunes alone is enough to put me off - before we even get onto the flaws with the handset(s)...
In terms of what I want, that's where it all gets a bit difficult.
I can't work out if I want to go for an all-out powerful handset à la the Desire or the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S or if I want something a bit less fancy, the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini being a prime example - trading off absolute power for benefits in terms of size and cost.
My worry about a high-end handset is that I get one, then a month or two, or even a week or two, later, something else comes along that makes me regret my decision - not least the impending WinPho 7 release and all the potentially 'awesome' new handsets that will accompany that.
With the X10 Mini, I'm not too worried about something better arriving in the near-future, I think it's too niche a device to end up with much competition but, having read the review of it on GSMArena, it seems that my biggest concern is the handset's Achilles Heel - the low screen res. If it was even HVGA, I would probably just go for it but QVGA is pushing usability.
Anyway, yeah, I'm just looking to bounce ideas/suggestions around, so if anyone wants to chip in, please feel free.

Nexus one is my phone of choice at the moment. I've just made the jump to Android and this device is nothing short of awesome! The 2.2 upgrade will be rolled out soon which brings several improvements too. (It is available already but this early release isn't very polished yet. I'm waiting for the OTA release).
Unusually for me i'm keeping this device stock, so no custom ROM flashing etc. It's just such an improvement over the WM phones that i'm used to that i don't feel the need to change anything. I could harp on for hours about all the features that makes this such a good device but you should have a look around instead and make your own informed decision. There are lots of good forums devoted to this device but i'd start with the dedicated xda, nexus one section.

Thanks.
If I were going for a high-end Android device, then it would be the Desire and not the Nexus One - partly because I like the Sense UI and partly because I wouldn't entertain the idea of switching to Vodafone, their tariffs aren't competitive and their coverage is poor where I stay.
I have played extensively with the Desire and it is a lovely phone but, as I said previously, I'm concerned that if I upgraded to it, I'd only want to change again when say the Galaxy S comes out or in a couple of months when WinPho 7 arrives.
Obviously, there's a chance that would be the same if I went for the X10 Mini but I would be able to get it on such a cheap deal instead, that the idea of then choosing to shell out for a new device a few months down the line isn't so bad.
I'm also starting to question whether I need all the features that the Desire/Nexus One offers as opposed to merely wanting them.
I bought myself a laptop back in January and, since then, I'm using the web a lot less on my phone, so do I really need something with a huge, high-res screen?
Thanks for the input, it's greatly appreciated (as is anyone else's opinions/ideas), I fear I've a bit of thinking ahead of me yet though...

At the moment, there are a few phones that I'm considering and I'm trying to weigh them all up, so I'd appreciate any input, suggestions or ideas anyone can offer up.
First up, the HTC Desire
Pros:
HTC Sense
Decent CPU and RAM
AMOLED screen
HTC handset - excellent build quality and 2 year warranty
Cons:
No HD video
Screen is only AMOLED, not sAMOLED
It's already sold a lot and, as sad as it is, I don't really like the idea of having the same phone as everyone else
Samsung Galaxy S
Pros:
superAMOLED screen
HD video
CPU that's potentially even more powerful than the Snapdragon in the Desire
Samsung handset - 2 year warranty
Cons:
No HTC Sense
Even worse, it uses Samsung's childish UI
No camera flash - seriously, wtf?
Not yet released
Motorola XT720
Pros:
8MP, HD video, Xenon flash - the best camera on an Android handset just now
480x854 screen resolution - more pixels are never a bad thing
[edit] HDMI out - a real boon for an HD-recording handset [/edit]
Cons:
LCD screen - not even AMOLED, let alone sAMOLED
480x854 screen resolution - non-standard resolution may cause some app compatibility issues
No LED flash for video use - a minor point but the ideal camera phone would have LED and Xenon
Question marks over CPU compared to the Desire or Galaxy S (720MHz OMAP A8 Cortex as opposed to 1GHz Snapdragon/Hummingbird on other handsets)
No HTC Sense
Motorola handset - 1 year warranty, not sure of build quality
Not available until the start of next month
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini
Pros:
Tiny size
Well thought-out UI
Cheap
Sony Ericsson handset - 2 year warranty
TINY!
Cons:
Small screen size and resolution - will have a negative effect on web browsing experience and app compatibility
Only running 1.6 'Donut' with very vague upgrade roadmap
Sony Ericsson handset - questionable build quality, possible (probable?) software issues
LCD screen - not AMOLED or sAMOLED
No HD video
I know it may not seem like it, given the large number of points in the 'Cons' category for it but I'm actually drawn the most to the Motorola handset.
The problem is, having only just been released there's a number of questions I have which I can't as of yet get answers for - for example, the build quality may not be an issue but I won't know that until I can have a play with one, the CPU may not be a downside, etc etc.
Anyway, yeah, any/all input is always welcome.

ideas
i guess your best choice can be galaxy s
but if you give up on browsing(use your laptop instead) then x10mini will be the best...feature wise and price
wish you luck

I do currently use my laptop a lot for web browsing but I'm not prepared to carry it around with me every day on the off-chance I want to go online.
If the X10 Mini had even an HVGA screen instead of QVGA, then it would probably be high enough to just to alleviate my concerns - at least in terms of app compatibility, though obviously for the likes of web browsing it would never match a WVGA (or higher) handset like the others I'm considering.
As for the Galaxy S, the power, screen and HD video do appeal but leaving out a camera flash just seems so unnecessary, almost like they're doing it deliberately.
But, between that and the Samsung UI, it's just enough to sour my feelings towards it.
As I say, against my better judgement, I can't help but like the Motorola handset.
At least, unlike the Desire, by sticking with an LCD screen it should mean it's ok to use in sunlight - obviously AMOLED has it's advantages but unless you make the jump all the way up to sAMOLED then there's still a cloud attached to that silver lining.
And regarding the CPU, while there are question marks over it, I've also heard it suggested that the TI OMAP 3430 CPUs are actually more powerful than the faster-clocked Snapdragon CPUs like the Desire uses, so it could actually be a better handset than the Desire in that respect.
Also, I should probably point out that my plan when I upgrade is to negotiate as low a tariff as I can out of T-Mobile, then if I see a phone I really like partway through the contract term, I'll just buy it.
So, the shorter warranty on the Motorola may not be an issue.
Thanks for your input, even if it doesn't seem like it, it's definitely appreciated.

Ok, so here we are a full 5 months since the last post and I'm still stuck in the same situation - want, almost need, a new phone but don't know what to go for.
Since last time, obviously things have come on a long way.
Symbian has reached the next level, meaning it's only a bit behind everyone else as opposed to significantly behind; Apple announced the iPhone4 which is a nice piece of hardware but the OS and price are too big of a stmubling block; Blackberry have moved on to OS6 but really there's nothing new about it; WinPho7 was released and looks OK but the hardware is just slightly underwhelming.
As for Maemo/Meego, Bada and WebOS, they're not even worth considering IMO.
So that leaves us with the only thing I am sure about, that my next phone will be an Android handset but beyond that I've still not been able to reach a decision.
Looking back at what I was considering before, none of them are still in the running - the Motorola XT720 turned out to be a dud, the X10 Mini was plagued with problems and the Galaxy S and Desire have both been out-done by the Desire HD.
Obviously the daddy just now is the Desire HD.
The best hardware around, the best UI around, there should be no reason to even consider anything else. And yet, I'm just not taken with it, I know I should love it, I know there should be no competition but it's not exciting me.
On the other hand, against all the odds and especially since the XT720 was so poor, I find myself quite taken with the Motorola Defy.
I know that the specs aren't so great but the idea of a ruggedised handset is pretty neat and the size is just a bit more pocketable than the Desire HD's, though that's not my biggest concern.
Going in the other direction, I'm also quite taken by the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Given how I use my phone making/receiving very few calls, mostly texting and using the internet) a larger device like the Tab is in many ways better-suited to my needs. However, it's biggest advantage is also it's biggest downfall - the larger screen makes the Tab a far less practical device than the likes of the Desire HD or the Defy (I know I said with regards to the Defy that the size difference wasn't my biggest concern but the Tab is a whole order of magnitude larger), to the point that if I decided to use the Tab as a phone, I'd need to get myself a second handset to use on occasions when the Tab's size made it impossible to take with me.
Once again, any/all help will be greatly appreciated.

You want a SINGLE device that is a tablet AND a phone?

I would like to get some opinion from you guys....
I am a startup developing a new kind of mobile device that combines a phone and tablet - putting a 7" screen on a less than 5" phone body. (It is not like the Galaxy Note, where the size is fixed.)
SO when you just want to make calls, check SMS and emails, just use the "phone mode" with a 4"+ screen.
When you want to surf web, watch videos/photos, transform it into a 7"-screen tablet.
Now my question is about the potential market for this device, as it seems that no company is creating a device like this, I am worried if there's no market for it.
a) For those of you carrying two devices (a phone and a tablet), are you feeling a bit inconvenient, annd would you like to have this device?
b) For those of you carrying only a phone, would you like to have a bigger screen, perhaps 7", while retaining the same portability?
c) Would you still buy a 10" tablet after you have this device? (assuming you already have a laptop)
Your help will be very much appreciated!

the first thing that came to mind upon reading this post is the asus padfone.
i do carry the 2 devices (S2 + TF101), and IMO it isn't really a big inconvenience, thus i might not be that interested. Unless it comes with a unique feature / selling point?
cheers.

if the tablet could make calls and i could pair a Bluetooth headset to it, i would get it. maybe it would stop me from texting and driving if it was 10 inch

I see no market for it. Some will buy it for what it is but not enough to make profit or even break even. Try focussing resources on let's say the body of the Droid Razr with an edge to edge screen, custom ROM that gets rid of the touch buttons of the bottom of the device so that can be more room for screen. I would buy something like that.

Or how about a smart-watch that can sync with any tablet to become a secondary display.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using xda premium

Didn't they already do this? And if I recall it kinda flopped... Not being negative, but I think people are used to carrying around a bunch of gadgets...

deliriume said:
the first thing that came to mind upon reading this post is the asus padfone.
i do carry the 2 devices (S2 + TF101), and IMO it isn't really a big inconvenience, thus i might not be that interested. Unless it comes with a unique feature / selling point?
cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply.
There are some aspects of Padfone that we don't think it will be a market success:
1. You still need to carry the 10" screen, and it is not as portable as a 4+" phone 2. When the phone is inside tablet, you'll need a headset to receive and make calls
Anyway our product is not in compete with padfone, although we have something in common - to combine devices from different categories. The key difference, besides the size, is that we emphasize on PORTABILITY; while they probably emphasize on versatile performance.
Our device is small and light and easily slip into pocket, yet comes with a beautiful 7" screen.
BTW, we think the combination of devices (our device + laptop/ultrabook) is more reasonable than (Padfone + laptop/ultrabook), because Padfone size is already very similar to laptop, and almost everyone already has a laptop.

STIDRIVER said:
Didn't they already do this? And if I recall it kinda flopped... Not being negative, but I think people are used to carrying around a bunch of gadgets...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your feedback!
Do you mean Sony's Tablet P?
However, since there is a bezel between the two screens, it cannot be seen as a one screen tablet when unfolded. In fact this is one of the main reason why it gets poor reviews and market reactions (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-21/what-was-sony-thinking-with-tablet-p-rich-jaroslovsky.html). The bezel is simply annoying.
Our startup have found a way to remove the bezel.
Yes people now used to carry around many gadgets, because currently we have no choice

I love the idea of the padfone...4 inch phone during the day, 10 inch phone when at home.
If you have something to offer please let me know, as of know i am seriously looking at the padfone to be my next phone.
Sent from my overclocked desire z via tapatalk app

I love the idea of the padfone!

bigboxrate said:
Maybe this one can be a good choice for you if you do not mind using big screen to make telephone calls.
http://www.tinydeal.com/7-pxp7fh-p-39587.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
800 mhz and 256 ram, gross...
Sent from my overclocked desire z via tapatalk app

Good Stuff....Thanks

Tablet s Phone
I really dont understand why Tablets dont incorporate phones, I own a Dell Streak Mini 5, (best phone Ive ever owned) also a sony tablet s.
Both brilliant devices but most of the pros are duplicated by one or the other,
Dell streak, android device, good general purpose but screen too small for word processing or watching vids, not to mention the small onscreen keybord.
Tablet s, android device, good for all things android but no phone.
I dont follow the logic that there would be no market for a tablet device with a phone, I carry a phone and I carry a tablet I would far rather only carry one, i.e. the tablet with a phone in it, I use a blue tooth earpiece for all my phone/music/audio books so its not as if Ive got it stuck to my ear all the time, in fact the phone never comes out unless i want to use an app.
So the answer for me is a resounding YES device of that nature.

This is a great idea. Today's smartphones have all this horsepower but what good is it if the tiny screens make it a chore to get anything done. I'm having difficulty imagining how one would go about incorporating an additional big screen on a phone, but if you can do a clean job at it, I believe it will be success. By clean, I mean the screens should be good quality either glass or matte, not some flimsy folding ****.

noobletsausecakebbq said:
This is a great idea. Today's smartphones have all this horsepower but what good is it if the tiny screens make it a chore to get anything done. I'm having difficulty imagining how one would go about incorporating an additional big screen on a phone, but if you can do a clean job at it, I believe it will be success. By clean, I mean the screens should be good quality either glass or matte, not some flimsy folding ****.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes we are not using folding screens.

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note exactly for this reason.
The screen is big enough for non-phone usage but small
enough to fit inside a pocket to carry around like you would
carry around a phone. It's already 5.4" so 7" is not that much
larger, you'd better have a real compelling reason for your
device in order to convince people who would otherwise
pick the Note.

Cool Idea
I don't know of your resource base, but have you seen the new translucent material they have demoed for new tablets. That would make your product something that would stand apart. They demoed the material at one of the electronic shows this year.

fetchinson said:
I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note exactly for this reason.
The screen is big enough for non-phone usage but small
enough to fit inside a pocket to carry around like you would
carry around a phone. It's already 5.4" so 7" is not that much
larger, you'd better have a real compelling reason for your
device in order to convince people who would otherwise
pick the Note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup! Ive had my g2 since the day it came out. The two devices im looking at is the padfone or the galaxy note. Im on tmobile usa so hooping one will get 4G sometime this summer. August is my upgrade month
Sent from my overclocked desire z via tapatalk app

challa3223 said:
I don't know of your resource base, but have you seen the new translucent material they have demoed for new tablets. That would make your product something that would stand apart. They demoed the material at one of the electronic shows this year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, we are using standard touchscreens...

I think you will have a harder time distinguishing yourself from the padfone since it is out now.

New Cheap 1:1 Galaxy S4 Clone Good Review

i bought a beautiful 1:1 galaxy s4 clone with a cheap price its name is I9500 Original Size S4.Mod edit: commercial links removed. now let me share some picture and my feelings of this mobilephone with you.
First, it is used with MTK 6589 CPU, and Quad Core, it is the trend of mobilephone in nowdays; it make the phone operate very very fast, you know a quad core phone with 140USD already make make amazing.. and it equippment with a 4.7 inch display screen, everytime when i use it to play game or watch movie, the feeling is wonderful.
Second, the important thing and which i like most is the high pixels resolution of this mobilephone,, maybe next time when you see the beatiful scene, you needn't to use your camera, only use this phone to take a photograph.
Third, the battery of this phone is 2800mAh, my phone 's standby time is 2-3days, if i play game or watch movie, it could 1-1.5 day, the battary is quite well.not like other cheap chinese android phone with cheap battery,and the phone is support with multiple languages, it uses Android 4.2 operate system.
Fourth, the price of this mobilephone is very affordable, it is high performance to price ratio, and it is 1：1 copy Samsung S4, you could use original S4 case to protect your mobiephone.i ask the seller send me a case they agree with me and the case is nice work very well.
I will make a video and upload on youtube and will share with you laterly.

These china phones areee just use and throw

Im interested in the lifespan of that phone. Probably right on the throw n go
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

probably no gorilla glass

of course it isn't gorilla glass screen,such a lowest quadcore phone if the factory still offer gorilla glass screen they don't have money to earn.

well nothing better than the original devices from their manufacturer

did u manage to root it ?
how abouth sound, signal and overall audio quality, does it makes decent pictures?
I readed alot of reviews of chines phones/replicas but didn't actualy came to touch one of those, I know that the case build is with cheapest plastic(I hope it doesn't have that bad smell as all chinese plastics)
cheers for your aquirement
---------- Post added at 09:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------
does it have some os bugs ? does have any other bugs hardware/software related ?
share some of yours experience with this device
---------- Post added at 09:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 AM ----------
MEDIATEK chipsets are used by many producers, along with PowerVR SGX gpu that makes pretty decent figure in syntetic benchmarks
the problem with chinese phones is that they do not have a fan group to cheer them, but many people want's the devices produced there
but that it will change in the future: HUAWEI, ZTE, XIAOMI, MEIZU and other will come in front line, Huawei and ZTE had maneged to make their own designs, not just copy of some famous with many fans phones, also Iphone design was taken from an little chinese producer,
but this doesn't state that every chinese phone made/copy is good, that is why we need you to share your experience and thougths about this one, real impresions not just first wow, it looks like SGS 4 and that is all that matters, SAMSUNG is No1 and it is because they worked theyr a..es to be in top and gather fans for theyr devices, delivering top performance and top experience and afterall it is a shame to try to make your own name by useig/copying something that is allready no 1 and belongs to someone else without theyr agreement, for free, that is named theft, but China is China and maybe they will sell more if they will manage to find theyr identity, but for now China is a copy of something else that is not them, identity crisys, pretty bad, because they have potential, and when they will face with that and feel shame maybe then will realise

I also interested with this cheap copy phone since it's compatible with original battery and case. But, another thing that I want to know is custom ROM support, root solution, spare part supplier( I have copy of S3, drop by my son and cracked touchscreen and broke the LCD - cannot find any supplier for the spare part).

For the price It may be something interesting to play with.

Did you pay customs charges ?
Sent from my i9003
Sorry for my english

How can it be 1:1 when the S4 uses a 5inch screen and this uses 4.7...

Expect the quality you pay for.. that's basically it. But I am a bit intrigue with the 2800Mah battery, if that would be compatible with the real S4 then I want one.
Sent from my SHV-E300L using xda premium

brady56 said:
i bought a beautiful 1:1 galaxy s4 clone with a cheap price its name is I9500 Original Size S4.http://androidexport.com/i9500-orig...ore-47-inch-screen-single-microsim-p-553.html now let me share some picture and my feelings of this mobilephone with you.
First, it is used with MTK 6589 CPU, and Quad Core, it is the trend of mobilephone in nowdays; it make the phone operate very very fast, you know a quad core phone with 140USD already make make amazing.. and it equippment with a 4.7 inch display screen, everytime when i use it to play game or watch movie, the feeling is wonderful.
Second, the important thing and which i like most is the high pixels resolution of this mobilephone,, maybe next time when you see the beatiful scene, you needn't to use your camera, only use this phone to take a photograph.
Third, the battery of this phone is 2800mAh, my phone 's standby time is 2-3days, if i play game or watch movie, it could 1-1.5 day, the battary is quite well.not like other cheap chinese android phone with cheap battery,and the phone is support with multiple languages, it uses Android 4.2 operate system.
Fourth, the price of this mobilephone is very affordable, it is high performance to price ratio, and it is 1：1 copy Samsung S4, you could use original S4 case to protect your mobiephone.i ask the seller send me a case they agree with me and the case is nice work very well.
I will make a video and upload on youtube and will share with you laterly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have very same phone it lasted almost 2 months before shutting down and not powering back up, i have to send it back to fct as soon as possible

crap like the other china phones

The attention to detail some of these fakes have can be astonishing.

Is it just me or do posts like this seem to be written by the people making these knock offs? They include a link to be sure to send everyone to their product. Chinese manufacturers trying to fool tech consumers by writing what I see as a poor excuse for a review written by an English speaking consumer who just happens to not care a thing about build quality and just wants a phone that's fast because "that's enough" for them.
Sent from my Nexus 4

I have one too...
Google play not work, can not using hangout.
Phone storage only few MB not 2 GB. Running fast but less memory.
Can you root it? please share.
THanks

to me 1:1 means "identical" and yet this phone is smaller, has bigger bezels, looks uglier and looks very different from the s4, so i'm not sure how it's a "1:1 clone"
also not sure how long can that big-number 2800 mah battery will last
and megabytes of phone storage is enough for you to have a few songs on there

it looks similar but kinda different...interesting, but most of the time there will be poor support for the product..
any benchmarking test image you can share?

Julien62340 said:
Did you pay customs charges ?
Sent from my i9003
Sorry for my english
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no i won't.becasue most of the chinese company will know write a low value on the package and mark as a gift to help us avoid pay for tax.if you worry about it you can tell the website owner after you order it

In the market for a new phone

As above, I'm currently buying a new phone;
Right now I'm deciding between iPhone 6 and Xperia Z3 (coming from Nokia N8). Basically, being able to stay with the same phone for at least next 2 years is very important for me, same goes for a good camera. Among things that iPhone does better than xperia is 240fps recording. Would it be possible to capture 240fps video with Z3 and some software modifications?:...
And to the most important part - android. I have no idea how to use it, never did. Is it easy to get used to, how many apps and stuff?...

IMO stick with whatever your environment has, IE if you have an iPad, Apple TV it'll make it heaps easier in the long run, if not there is no better time then now to consider Android but I would consider the whole environment such as an Android tablet and android TV or Chromecast.

Got Apple iPad 1, all computers running windows & linux.
I guess I should stick to android then, and also consider Z3 tablet....

That's a good call.
Z3 camera is better than iPhone
Also, android OS is just as easy to use as iOS, it just takes some time to get use to it. In the same way if I got an iPhone (I never wil BTW) but I would get used to the iOS eventually.....

David, here is how I summarise the main differences between an iPhone and a high end Android device:
An iPhone is a phone that tries to be a computer and Android is a computer that duals as a phone.
It's now 16 months since I sold my iPhone 5 and made the move to Android and all I can say is my hatred for anything iOS has just grown by the day.
I Dropboxed some videos for my friend who has an iPhone 6, as they were too big to WhatsApp and I thought it would be the easiest way to transfer them.
Wrong.
From an iPhone you can't actually save the media directly to your phone. This can easily be done on an Android phone and I realised just again how restrictive life as an iPhone owner is.
In fact this is constantly the case with iOS. You can't save most file types and you can never save them where you want to.
But doesn't this defy the very basic principle of what a computer is? A digital device that allows you to save data and access it at a later time?
In fact, the freedom offered by Android is so liberating I just can't understand why anybody would opt for an iPhone. You can save any file anywhere. You can share any file with anybody and you can move any file anywhere in the File Manager software - it really is no different to a laptop or desktop computer.
The sound quality, if music is your thing, on the Z3 is unsurpassed by any other phone on the market.
I did a test with some decent phones (Sennheiser Momentum) and played exactly the same source file on the IPhone 6 and the Z3 and the difference is nothing short of amazing.
When I first transitioned to Android on the Z1, I found it to be very intuitive and easy to understand.
Finding your way around an Android phone for the first time is no harder than finding your way around an iPhone. The only difference is that for every one option on an iPhone you have ten choices or more on an Android phone, but that doesn't make it more difficult, just more usable.
Apple has its followers in a hold around the neck where it keeps them virtually hostage in a choking dictatorship - don't allow one or two other Apple products to pull you deeper into the abyss. Break free now while you can.
Sent from my D6603 using XDA Free mobile app

I use both on a daily basis (Z3 and iPhone 6) and I'll echo a lot of what's been said here already. The first thing I'd consider is ecosystem and what you're coming from. If you had an iPhone and have bought a lot of iOS apps and still enjoy using an iPhone, get an iPhone 6. If you have an android device and enjoy it, get another one.
Generally speaking, Android is a platform that provides features and allows the user to use those features. For example, I have a file system, I have bluetooth, I can then use those pieces to transfer a file. In contrast, Apple is a platform that provides experiences. Apple pay is a perfect example, they don't tell you about the underlying technology, NFC, transaction tokenization, and a fingerprint reader, they simply want users to know they stick the phone up to something and it pays for their purchase.
Both get the job done, and between the Z3 and iPhone 6, there are a few areas where each does a bit better. Neither is a bad device.

It's just my personal opinion, but I actually believe that the iPhone is a bad device.
Android allows you to install any app that you want, download and share any file that you choose, it will allow you to escape the censorship imposed on you by Apple, you can customise your phone and if you get tired of the UI, you can refresh it with a launcher or theme, you have complete control over nearly every aspect of your phone, superior notifications, batteries that last twice as long (Z3), waterproofing, expandable storage, Google Now kicks dust in Siri's eyes and the sound quality of the Z3 driven by the two digital amp chips on board is in a different league to the iPhone 6 - especially if you start using the EQ settings and use good headphones, to me, in my personal view, there is just no contest and most Android fans, not those who necessarily use both platforms, would ever want to go back to an iPhone once they had a top end Android phone. It just does everything an iPhone does, just better.
Sent from my D6603 using XDA Free mobile app

This picture summarises it beautifully for me...
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se1000 said:
I use both on a daily basis (Z3 and iPhone 6) and I'll echo a lot of what's been said here already.
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If u had to pick, which 1 would it be?! And which camera do u prefer?
Just for ****s & giggles, hehe. And maybe it'll help the op...
Sent from my Xperia Z3

Stixxbixby said:
If u had to pick, which 1 would it be?! And which camera do u prefer?
Just for ****s & giggles, hehe. And maybe it'll help the op...
Sent from my Xperia Z3
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Click to collapse
Z3 all day every day for me, especially the camera. The iPhone camera is much quicker to snap off pics but the Z3 photos, if taken with some care, have much more detail and dynamic range. Battery is miles better on the Z3.
There's a blackjack app that's much better on iOS though... that's about it.

Go for Z3, my mom has the iPhone 6. Its got lower battery life and no stereo speakers for starters. Then the whole you can't use bluetooth for transfers and no mass storage option.

I just had a few generations of Ipod touch's. There is pretty close to a zero percent chance that I will buy Iphone. The last generation of Ipod touch would go bad in about a year. Starts with the new usb cable they use not working right. Then the headphone remote stops ffw mute etc. The real killer was sometimes it would take 15 min or so to put a simple podcast mp3 file on it because it would say updating. I still use my last touch for an alarm clock. I plugged it into the computer to charge last night. The stupid thing kept saying it was hooked up then unhooked. I am so glad not to be tied to the nonsense Apple does anymore. Sony is better but they are also full of nonsense and crippling the device. I thought by spending a $1000 to buy the z3 and everything I need with it I would be left alone. I still cant get a headphone with a volume remote/play pause. The volume is way to low for low gain podcasts. I think this is a result of Sony crippling the device. I was looking forward to getting a z4 as soon as it comes out but am thinking I will give HTC or another manufacturer that really doesn't look to cripple user experience.

Johann_London said:
David, here is how I summarise the main differences between an iPhone and a high end Android device:
An iPhone is a phone that tries to be a computer and Android is a computer that duals as a phone.
It's now 16 months since I sold my iPhone 5 and made the move to Android and all I can say is my hatred for anything iOS has just grown by the day.
I Dropboxed some videos for my friend who has an iPhone 6, as they were too big to WhatsApp and I thought it would be the easiest way to transfer them.
Wrong.
From an iPhone you can't actually save the media directly to your phone. This can easily be done on an Android phone and I realised just again how restrictive life as an iPhone owner is.
In fact this is constantly the case with iOS. You can't save most file types and you can never save them where you want to.
But doesn't this defy the very basic principle of what a computer is? A digital device that allows you to save data and access it at a later time?
In fact, the freedom offered by Android is so liberating I just can't understand why anybody would opt for an iPhone. You can save any file anywhere. You can share any file with anybody and you can move any file anywhere in the File Manager software - it really is no different to a laptop or desktop computer.
The sound quality, if music is your thing, on the Z3 is unsurpassed by any other phone on the market.
I did a test with some decent phones (Sennheiser Momentum) and played exactly the same source file on the IPhone 6 and the Z3 and the difference is nothing short of amazing.
When I first transitioned to Android on the Z1, I found it to be very intuitive and easy to understand.
Finding your way around an Android phone for the first time is no harder than finding your way around an iPhone. The only difference is that for every one option on an iPhone you have ten choices or more on an Android phone, but that doesn't make it more difficult, just more usable.
Apple has its followers in a hold around the neck where it keeps them virtually hostage in a choking dictatorship - don't allow one or two other Apple products to pull you deeper into the abyss. Break free now while you can.
Sent from my D6603 using XDA Free mobile app
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I, too, switched from iPhone about 2 years ago. I wouldn't go back, and agree when you say android is basically a small computer and can do much more.
Where I disagree, is when you say "I just can't understand why anybody would opt for an iPhone." Some people actually WANT a simple, possibly more limited phone that they fully understand and for which they do not wish to spend countless hours on xda trying to make stuff work.
My parents just changed their 4S for iPhone 6s even after they have seen some of the stuff android allows me to do, and I'm glad they did. No troubleshooting ever, and if any problem happens all they have to do is call apple /take an appointment.
Much better than having to wait 6 weeks for LG to fix my screen under warranty!
Tl;dr: to each his own.
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se1000 said:
Z3 all day every day for me, especially the camera. The iPhone camera is much quicker to snap off pics but the Z3 photos, if taken with some care, have much more detail and dynamic range. Battery is miles better on the Z3.
There's a blackjack app that's much better on iOS though... that's about it.
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Click to collapse
The best photos from the Z3 are clearly better than those from the iPhone, but having a very fast shutter and focus speed is EVERYTHING when you have fast moving subjects like my children. No android camera that I've tried approach the iPhone when it comes to children pics.

se1000 said:
Z3 all day every day for me, especially the camera. The iPhone camera is much quicker to snap off pics but the Z3 photos, if taken with some care, have much more detail and dynamic range. Battery is miles better on the Z3.
There's a blackjack app that's much better on iOS though... that's about it.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I tend to agree. Btw, Sweet collection of top tier devices man!
Sent from my Xperia Z3

KarlDag said:
I, too, switched from iPhone about 2 years ago. I wouldn't go back, and agree when you say android is basically a small computer and can do much more.
Where I disagree, is when you say "I just can't understand why anybody would opt for an iPhone." Some people actually WANT a simple, possibly more limited phone that they fully understand and for which they do not wish to spend countless hours on xda trying to make stuff work.
My parents just changed their 4S for iPhone 6s even after they have seen some of the stuff android allows me to do, and I'm glad they did. No troubleshooting ever, and if any problem happens all they have to do is call apple /take an appointment.
Much better than having to wait 6 weeks for LG to fix my screen under warranty!
Tl;dr: to each his own.
---------- Post added at 06:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:16 AM ----------
The best photos from the Z3 are clearly better than those from the iPhone, but having a very fast shutter and focus speed is EVERYTHING when you have fast moving subjects like my children. No android camera that I've tried approach the iPhone when it comes to children pics.
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Yes I guess that you are right. Clearly there were 169 million such people in the last year of Apple's figures - it absolutely baffles me, but I put it down to that age old thing of not actually knowing any better.
Another reason why iPhones are so popular despite their lack of functionality, is because of the loyal following that was built up between 2007-2011 when the iPhone *was* the best or only real smart phone choice out there. If you wanted a smooth experience and a good app selection you really needed to get an iPhone - that is how I myself got sucked in for three years.
But the wheel has turned and now millions of people are caught in the Apple ecosystem and can't bear to face the upheaval so they just go with it...
That and of course the blinding light Apple emits from Cupertino that attracts it's sheep like zombie moths to a torch.
Apple somehow can polish a turd, emboss it with a half eaten apple and mindless, soulless people will queue up for two nights to buy it. For the power of their spell at least they do require a credit.
By the way I *love* Android's new advertising campaign where they make a slight dig at Apple when they say "Together. Not the same.". It's so clever.
And... My mother knows how to send an email and search on Google, but she is far from tech savvy. Well, she got a Z1 compact (coming from a basic BB) and had no trouble whatsoever adjusting.
The great thing about Android, exactly because it's customisability, is that you can have it as simple or as complex as you want it. My mum has certainly never visited XDA over an issue, she wouldn't have a clue how to.
So in its simplest form, I don't think that Android necessarily requires any more technical know how than iOS and I dont think it's any more unreliable or prone to glitches either.
Not necessarily.
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Johann_London said:
Yes I guess that you are right. Clearly there were 169 million such people in the last year of Apple's figures - it absolutely baffles me, but I put it down to that age old thing of not actually knowing any better...
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True words cannot be said any clearer. It's that experience Apple had hooked people in with. Most of these people are simple-minded and want simple devices that just work. People tend to move away from Apple products when they become more curious and aware of Android's limitless flexibility.

hanime said:
True words cannot be said any clearer. It's that experience Apple had hooked people in with. Most of these people are simple-minded and want simple devices that just work. People tend to move away from Apple products when they become more curious and aware of Android's limitless flexibility.
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Wow, that is some sweeping generalization you are making there bud, a super broad brush dont think?
Accusing iPhone users of being simple minded, is a very simple minded thing to do. IPhone is used by a very diverse population in all social classes and people in a wide range of IQ. I know people who are software engineers and are as curious, as you put it, as one can be and they still choose to use iPhone for one reason or another. There are CEOs, pilots, engineers, people of all sorts of different professional backgrounds and walks of life who choose to use the iPhone for whatever reason, and to make an absurd observation that most of those people are simple minded is ridiculous.

nohcho said:
Wow, that is some sweeping generalization you are making there bud, a super broad brush dont think?
Accusing iPhone users of being simple minded, is a very simple minded thing to do. IPhone is used by a very diverse population in all social classes and people in a wide range of IQ. I know people who are software engineers and are as curious, as you put it, as one can be and they still choose to use iPhone for one reason or another. There are CEOs, pilots, engineers, people of all sorts of different professional backgrounds and walks of life who choose to use the iPhone for whatever reason, and to make an absurd observation that most of those people are simple minded is ridiculous.
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Yeah, I may have generalized it a bit. Perhaps "simple-minded" was not the correct term to use in this context.

hanime said:
Yeah, I may have generalized it a bit. Perhaps "simple-minded" was not the correct term to use in this context.
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Considering most doctors in know (nurse) use iPhone, yeah, I think so.

Doctors and nurses work with crippled people so why not a crippled phone. Apple does all it can to keep you in their little sand box. Now other company's have hardware that is as good or better so bye bye Apple.

Is this worth getting

I'm looking to get a decent budget phone that can get is upgrades and root but it doesn't seem like this is the phone to go with. Is it worth buying

no get a pixel 3a, its better and cheaper too.
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no fm radio tho.

The Z4 supports an active stylus like the surface pen. It allows for Galaxy Note like features that no other phone supports. I believe it's the only phone that supports the Microsoft Surface Pen. The Huawei use AES and Samsung uses Wacom

I know two people with Pixel 3as, and both of their speakers exhibit weird problems. For both of them, the speaker doesn't work during alarms, it's some known bug that Google hasn't fixed yet. One guy is constantly missing his alarm (because it only plays 1/5 times), and the other guy uses his previous phone while Google stumbles through with a fix.
The other common comparison is the camera. As far as I can tell from comparing shots on the same thing, both phones have identical detail, but they use different color palettes depending on the situation. The Pixel 3a tends to embellish what the scene actually looked like, while the Moto Z4 looks more true to life. Since I don't vanity post on social networks, I like the Z4 shots more.
And finally, the display. The Z4's display is better, it's bigger, and that makes multitasking more effective. You can play a video on the top or bottom of your screen in traditional 16:9, and fit a full regular sized game of Pokemon Go on the other 3/4th's. That's a specific feature I tend to use a lot though, if you don't multitask on your phone I can see that not being a big deal.

Its a decent phone, I think the camera is great for a 350ish dollar phone. The speaker and gamepad mod is nice.

phatmanxxl said:
Its a decent phone, I think the camera is great for a 350ish dollar phone. The speaker and gamepad mod is nice.
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it's often on sale for $229.99 with a free mod.