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I just saw this on Sony's site:
In terms of audio, both models (Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact) deliver High-Resolution audio output directly via the headphone jack, and also feature Sony's ground-breaking DSEE HX technology which upscales the fidelity of low-res music files (MP3, AAC) to near High-Resolution quality*4, ensuring that extremely high audio quality can be enjoyed anytime. Furthermore, they both feature digital noise cancelling capability built-in, reducing ambient noise by up to approximately 98%.*5
Can anyone here tell me, how does this compare to what the Harman/Kardon mod (or edition) of the M8 does? Sounds like it does the same thing as what H/K does, but which one does it better? Does DSEE HX also come with ADSP files the way the H/K mod does?? Just wondering.
P.S. I'm not comparing phones here, just options on these phones.
Thanks,
RockStar2005
Excellent question. I have no input but would be very intersted in the responses.
augie7107 said:
Excellent question. I have no input but would be very intersted in the responses.
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Hey augie,
Hopefully we'll find out more soon. Though it sounds like the Z3 and the H/K version of the M8 will be neck and neck. I found out this about the hi-res Sony option:
http://www.totonstv.com/blog/sony-high-resolution-audio/ (at least see last paragraph)
To me it's gonna be really close. I'll prob just stick with my M8, but can't say for sure. The M8 has a slightly sharper screen and better selfie-camera (and is slightly smaller with the curved back & edges, so fits in hand like a glove), but Z3 (flat back with curved edges) has it beat everywhere else. Tough call!! lol
Also interesting: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/130642-sony-xperia-z3-vs-htc-one-m8-what-s-the-difference
If I didn't have the H/K version of the M8 (regular version + H/K mod lol), it would be Z3 without flinching. But that mod alone took the phone from a B+/A- to an A+. H/K + PowerAmp = Amazing! Then again, Sony is the "bomb.com" when it comes to sound engineering! But you also have to consider that H/K technology is used in Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars. Now you see my dilemma. lol
RockStar2005
I can see the dilemma. I wanted to pick up an M8 H/K but they were only available locked to sprint. Could have went your route and bought an unlocked and modded but had a Z2 and still with it. Thanks for posting the links good info. The improvements in audio reproduction are the main reason I'm upgrading to Z3 when available.
augie7107 said:
I can see the dilemma. I wanted to pick up an M8 H/K but they were only available locked to sprint. Could have went your route and bought an unlocked and modded but had a Z2 and still with it. Thanks for posting the links good info. The improvements in audio reproduction are the main reason I'm upgrading to Z3 when available.
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Augie,
I see. How have you liked the Z2? I was DYIN' to get it but T-Mobile never released it and I wasn't really down with buying it unlocked, esp before it was released here in the U.S. officially, which didn't happen until 3-4 months after I'd bought it (couldn't wait forever). The M8 was the next logical choice. In some ways it's better (sound?, screen?), and in some ways it's not (battery, RAM, camera obviously lol, although M8 apparently has the better "selfie camera"). If you use "HDR" mode for the camera on the M8, it actually improves the quality. I've had some compliments on pics taken by it actually.
Yeah...... it was a challenge to get it rooted and S-OFF'd, lemme tell ya! lol I learned a few things. But now I'm pretty much an expert. lol It was worth it though. BoomSound was very good, but H/K is incredible. Yeah, I wasn't about to go get a Sprint phone either. Been there, done that. lol
No problem. Glad you found them to be interesting.
Yeah, I think if I was you I'd prob upgrade too. Plus the Z3 is smaller all around too, which I actually like. It's slightly shorter and thinner (by 2mm), although slightly wider. Also the camera is the same but field of scope has been widened. You can find more here:
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=6144&idPhone2=6539
Battery on Z3 is slightly smaller, yes, but the Z3 is said to be more efficient than the Z2 b/c of the newer processor. FYI.
RockStar2005
The problem I had with sony phones is the low headphone volume compared to even samsung. hope this has changed on the z3 as I was disappointed with the z2.
If i has ill defo be picking up a Z3 in black.
RCJ,
Interesting. Well the Z3 is supposed to have hi-res and DSEE HX (to improve lower-quality mp3s), so I'm gonna assume it will be noticeably better. Did you have/use the special noise-cancelling Sony earphones (http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en.../digital-noise-cancelling-headset-mdr-nc31em/) with the Z2? Since they cancel out most of the outside noise, I'm thinking that would help make the music more louder and clear.
Yeah I'm with you there. Def black for me too (if I actually get it). I have the M8 which is louder according to various reviews, so no issues there.
RockStar2005
RockStar2005 said:
RCJ,
Interesting. Well the Z3 is supposed to have hi-res and DSEE HX (to improve lower-quality mp3s), so I'm gonna assume it will be noticeably better. Did you have/use the special noise-cancelling Sony earphones (http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en.../digital-noise-cancelling-headset-mdr-nc31em/) with the Z2? Since they cancel out most of the outside noise, I'm thinking that would help make the music more louder and clear.
Yeah I'm with you there. Def black for me too (if I actually get it). I have the M8 which is louder according to various reviews, so no issues there.
RockStar2005
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The one thing i love about HTCs, in headphones they are loud as ****. Sony hasn't been the same since in terms of loudness since the xperia ARC.
Samsung used to be bad with loudness aswell until the s4, the note 3 and s5 they picked it up even more but according to phone arenas amp output measurement the s5 active is the loudest samsung yet with a headphone amp measurement of 0.67 compared to 0.43 for the s5/note 3. Aparently the galaxy alpha is pretty loud too louder than s5/note 3 but PA hasn't done the amp measurement yet.
The s4 was 0.3* can't remember right now and the z1/2 are 0.29. The HTC M8 is 1.2* iirc so you know that thing is loud!!
I wasn't able to use the N/C headphones with the z2 as I tested a shop model in carphone warehouse using my beats mixr headphones (some may say beats are rubbish but I find these headphones to be good for me).
RCJ,
Wow 1.2?! Crazy. Well you make a great case for the M8, that's for sure! Any idea what the same sound rating is for the Z3 though? I'd be really interested to know that if you could somehow find out.
I see, ok. If I actually bought the Z3 I'd be pretty open to getting those N/C earphones as well. Other countries get them included for free, but ughh the U.S. doesn't....... have to buy them separately. Like $40-$50 on Amazon. I have a pretty good pair of V-Moda earphones..... bought them for about $20 (now worth around $30 cuz harder to find). But I'm guess the Sony N/C ones are better. They're made SPECIFICALLY for the Xperia phones and tablets (basically starting with the Z2 I believe).
Lemme know if you find out that Z3 rating though.
Thanks,
RockStar2005
RCJ89 said:
The one thing i love about HTCs, in headphones they are loud as ****. Sony hasn't been the same since in terms of loudness since the xperia ARC.
Samsung used to be bad with loudness aswell until the s4, the note 3 and s5 they picked it up even more but according to phone arenas amp output measurement the s5 active is the loudest samsung yet with a headphone amp measurement of 0.67 compared to 0.43 for the s5/note 3. Aparently the galaxy alpha is pretty loud too louder than s5/note 3 but PA hasn't done the amp measurement yet.
The s4 was 0.3* can't remember right now and the z1/2 are 0.29. The HTC M8 is 1.2* iirc so you know that thing is loud!!
I wasn't able to use the N/C headphones with the z2 as I tested a shop model in carphone warehouse using my beats mixr headphones (some may say beats are rubbish but I find these headphones to be good for me).
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The HTC One was probably the best quality sound I've experienced on a phone, both through speakers and headphones, although it was modded full of Sony libs and the Walkman app lol. My iPhone 5s sucks in both areas, IMO, for the headphone part it has more to do with the lack of tweaking available to the sound though, only presets, which are all garbage.
I hope the Z3 sounds good though headphones because I plan on using it for pretty much everything.
AllAboutTheCore said:
The HTC One was probably the best quality sound I've experienced on a phone, both through speakers and headphones, although it was modded full of Sony libs and the Walkman app lol. My iPhone 5s sucks in both areas, IMO, for the headphone part it has more to do with the lack of tweaking available to the sound though, only presets, which are all garbage.
I hope the Z3 sounds good though headphones because I plan on using it for pretty much everything.
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If i do get the Z3 it will be my main phone and Note 4 will be my PDA/Tablet/Gaming device.
For me, RCJ's report :good::victory: (lol) that we all hope he will post here on the sound quality rating of the Z3 vs the M8 will make a big difference, although I still can't say for sure that I will switch. Need to know all my pros and cons first. The M8 required rooting and S-OFF to unlock its full potential, and the Z3 prob won't need all of that, but still, it's close. I kinda like having the ViperOne M8 rom from Team Venom. Makes the phone even cooler in some certain ways. I will have to actually HOLD the Z3 in my hand when it's released next month to even have a clue of whether I will get it or not. I have mad love for both phones regardless! lol
RockStar2005
if i do get the Z3 it will be my main phone and Note 4 will be my PDA/Tablet/Gaming device
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Same here, I'm seriously considering investing in a Z3 Compact Tablet aswell, the specs are sweet for the price IMO.
The M8 required rooting and S-OFF to unlock its full potential
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Do you think? I can't say it affected me not being S-Off, but then my use and needs may be different to yours ... The only thing I found I needed S-Off for was removing the Tampered flag.
AllAboutTheCore said:
Do you think? I can't say it affected me not being S-Off, but then my use and needs may be different to yours ... The only thing I found I needed S-Off for was removing the Tampered flag.
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Hey Core,
Yeah for me it did. Like being able to get not only HK, but also Sense 6 Toolbox and also the ViperOne M8 rom as well. I don't know that I needed S-OFF too for those, but certain aspects like being able to flash firmware manually was nice and not possible without S-OFF. It just seems like you can do pretty much anything if you also have S-OFF too.
If anything, I needed S-OFF for HK, and that was my main goal to get that on my phone. Right now I'm looking into Viper4Android, which some have said is even better than HK. I had trouble installing it though earlier today, so we'll see if I can get someone to help with that.
Thank You,
RockStar2005
RockStar2005 said:
Hey Core,
Yeah for me it did. Like being able to get not only HK, but also Sense 6 Toolbox and also the ViperOne M8 rom as well. I don't know that I needed S-OFF too for those, but certain aspects like being able to flash firmware manually was nice and not possible without S-OFF. It just seems like you can do pretty much anything if you also have S-OFF too.
If anything, I needed S-OFF for HK, and that was my main goal to get that on my phone. Right now I'm looking into Viper4Android, which some have said is even better than HK. I had trouble installing it though earlier today, so we'll see if I can get someone to help with that.
Thank You,
RockStar2005
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Hey, I'm not even sure which version of the One the M8 is lol, I had the first HTC One if that makes any sense, I didn't need to be S-Off though to flash firmware, only custom firmware and basically stuff not intended for my variant but maybe that's what you are referring to lol ... The whole process for the One seemed overly complex, especially returning to stock, certainly that's my experience compared to other phones. In the end I decided not to bother going S-Off and risking a hard brick as the Tampered flag was the only thing that I'd have needed to change, and seeing that you had to request a boot loader unlocking token in the first place just made it pointless for me lol (being that HTC knew you'd unlocked the boot loader and when by the fact they issued an unlock token, making removing the flag pointless, for warranty purposes at least)
Restoring is thankfully a little easier on Sony phones, not that it was particularly hard on the One, just more complex and more understanding of adb etc needed, at least if you wanted to mod things like I did. My dilemma now is which phone to get, the Z3 or the Z3 Compact ... I really need to feel them both in the hand to decide which is right I think.
Hey Core,
The HTC One was the M7, which came out last year. The current one which was released back in April I believe is the M8.
Yeah I've seen posts on here where ppl say don't flash firmware or stuff like H/K unless you're S-OFF. In order to get the ADSP files (which further enhance the sound) that come with the full version of the H/K mod, S-OFF was necessary. It took some effort on my part to get that, but eventually I did using Firewater. Just have to remember NOT to use the USB 3.0 port on your pc (that is what I initially did, which was unintended), and of course to not install an OTA while on a custom recovery and not yet rooted. The USB 3.0 rule applies more to the S-OFF, but more the rooting too. The minute I figured that out I tried it (S-OFF) again and it actually worked.
I see. What's the process for restoring on the Sony phones? I mean, does it still involve TWRP? Unlocking bootloader? Just a quick summary would be nice as now you've caught my interest. lol
Yeah I really love BOTH the M8 (at least the unlocked/rooted/S-OFF version lol) and the Xperia Z2 and Z3 phones. For me it would def be the Z3 not Z3 Compact, but that's me. When the Z3 comes out next month, I will be stopping over at T-Mobile to check it out. Right now I'm prob not gonna switch, but like you, once I feel it in my hand, I may change my mind. Initially, I wanted the Z2 very much so. It was the first smartphone I ever actually went "nuts" for. lol But that whole Z2 release was a big screw-up on Sony's part. It came out to the states like 5 months after it was supposed to, and ONLY available carrier-unlocked?? I wasn't interested in paying full price for a phone I may not even keep for 2 years. With the sound improvements that Z3 has been confirmed to have (hi-res and DSEE HX, which makes low-res mp3s sound better, and the brighter screen), I'm glad I didn't get the Z2, now. lol
RockStar2005
Interested in other people's opinions on the S6's internal DAC. I just bought a Beyerdynamic A200P because it was on sale for $140. Eager to try it out I waited all week and received the unit last night and have been testing it for hours, doing many between headphones and ports, and honestly, I really can't tell any differences.
I was under the impression from audiosnob (audiophile) posts that the S6's internal DAC was basically garbage and that spending $70 or more on a simple accessory would be a night and day difference. I'm trying real hard to notice if there are any subtle differences but all I'm really sensing is volume differences; audio doesn't feel cleaned up, soundstages don't feel any wider, and I'm starting to suspect maybe it'd just be better to stick with the S6's standard hardware rather than carrying around and using other hardware.
The s6 internel dac is one of the best in the market for mobile phones. You wont need a dac for headphones you have. Only reason external dac is recommended for studio headphones with high impedance because they need the volume and power to drive them.
Comparing between external dac and the wolfson internal dac is nihil for your setup and just overkill
I was googling some questions and came across some threads/comments, they were old, from just at the time the S6 launched. I already knew Exynos SoCs typically had Wolfson SoC's, but that didn't keep people from ****ting on it. I didn't know why, I thought it sounded great, but when I don't have certain equipment people rave about, then I'm pretty much forced to take their word for it and try it myself. Never having a dedicated DAC for my phone(s), I didn't know what to expect, how much different music would sound, and to my surprise, I couldn't really distinguish any differences. Without a reference to go by, I don't know how good or bad I have it, I guess I just didn't know that I wasn't missing out on anything.
I think the lack of time I had to act on the sale rushed my decision.
Your not the only one who got misguided by those who are calling themselves audiophiles. Thats why im telling you.
Anyway you should try combination dolby atmos with vipermod. Gives a very nice bottom/fat sound and mid boost which i like alot
jody2k said:
Your not the only one who got misguided by those who are calling themselves audiophiles. Thats why im telling you.
Anyway you should try combination dolby atmos with vipermod. Gives a very nice bottom/fat sound and mid boost which i like alot
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gj,thx
Im currently using cos 13.1 and it has really ****ty audio from headphones. Even my old nexus 4 beats the crap out of it.
Any rom that has better audio or is it the phone itself?
I'm in the same boat as you. OPO don't seem to have a good DAC anyways, and the COS 13.1 really does not help with the audio either. If I can't find a good ROM, I'll most likely get an external DAC, like the Fiio Q1 or something. Anyways, very interested in seeing what the community has to say on this.
Tugapower sounds pretty great. It comes with ViPER4Android which gives a pretty good output after some tweaks.
Check it out-
http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-one/development/rom-tugapower-0-2rc-t3463157
anandu1994 said:
Tugapower sounds pretty great. It comes with ViPER4Android which gives a pretty good output after some tweaks.
Check it out-
http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-one/development/rom-tugapower-0-2rc-t3463157
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I just noticed that clean flashing my cos was the fix. I think it was Viper4audio that muffled all the detail.
Now it's way better. Not perfect, but way better.
To expand on Viper4Android;
I recently installed V4A and I don't think I can ever go back. The sound quality is just amazing and it makes my $70 Sony headphones feel like a pair of Sennheisers (maybe a bit of an exaggeration).
I recommend you give it another shot, and play around with the settings, as well as maybe trying out some IRS'. It might take you 5-10 minutes to set up, buy I feel like the quality is worth the effort.
If you're not interested in V4A, you can try A.R.I.S.E which is an excellent alternative.
So let me just start this off by saying that I'm not a firm believer in one side or another. I've used a Galaxy S3 and E5 extensively (over a year each) and I've had my s7 for 6 months or so. I also used a IPhone 5 and iPad air for over a year each. I currently use a 2012 MacBook for school work and use my self built pc for everything else.
IMHO, my best experience with a phone is probably a tie between a jailbroken iPhone 5 and an Galaxy E5 running CM13. On one hand, the jailbroken iphone offered all the customizability that stock android offers and more, and was a joy to use. The E5 running Cyanogenmod was incredibly snappy and was just an amazingly customizable experience.
Now that that's out of the way, I want to know, what are your thoughts on the Galaxy S8 not having a headphone jack? I honestly might revert to IPhone use from my S7 when I upgrade unless it has an unlocked bootloader. I don't link the standard that Apple set and I have headphones which I paid good money for, which will become basically obsolete. I know that people over here at XDA will find a way to root it even if it's unrootable out of the box, but I also know that the Pangu team will probably find a way to jailbreak iOS 10-11, and if they do I'm probably switching back to iPhone. I stayed with my S7 over waiting for the iPhone 7 mainly for the headphone jack, root, and wireless charging.
So what will you guys do, stick with Samsung or switch to an apple product. I'm really curious to see how the community will react to this.
My next phone will not be a Samsung especially if they dont have headphone jacks. If the s7 gets the bootloader unlocked i will stick with it for awhile tho. If not i will probably go towards google for my next phone. I will never own an iPhone again i hated everything about my 5S lol
I started a new job back in August and i was told that we are able to listen to music, but the headphones must be wireless because of safety around equipment. i bought a pair of Aukey headphones that were $10 on Amazon. Ever since then, i have not wanted to go back to wired headphones. This is one of those things that i feel is easy to go against, but once you try it, you'll love it. Now of course i can understand why audiophiles are not pleased in addition to the average consumer. I think the S8 will be fine without a headphone jack. Bluetooth is just so convenient. As more companies ditch the headphone jack, the technology behind it will get better faster. Although, for now the S7 is my last samsung device because of how locked down it is to rooting. I will go to a pixel in a year or 2.
I haven't used wired headphones in years except to try out the free headphones I got with my v20. I work in a shop so wired headphones would be a safety Hazzard, plus Bluetooth is just so much more convenient. I do however not like the idea of taking something like a headphone jack out of a phone. You may not always use it, but there are times when you'll wish you had one. With that said I do plan on getting the s8+ because I really miss Samsung even after the note 7 fiasco, but I'm too impatient to wait for the note 8.
Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
I could care less.
In all the phones Ive had over many years I have never even opened the headphones let alone plugged a set in to one of my devices.
So yeah, not something I will even notice if its gone LOL
Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6
Galaxy S phones were never good audio player anyway, for that you must get an HTC, this is crazy when you know samsung were the mp3 player kings with the P2 and P3 couple years ago
durandetto said:
I haven't used wired headphones in years [...] I do however not like the idea of taking something like a headphone jack out of a phone. You may not always use it, but there are times when you'll wish you had one.
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The problem is that a dedicated headphone jack occupies space. To include it in a phone of a given size, you have to skimp on something else that is more useful. So I'm in favor of removing the jack.
i don't care
bluetooth tech is become better and better so i don't need to think about high quality sound through wires or bluetooth.
i think it didn't use headphone jack for 2 yrs! it s just become dusty hole for my phones! anyway I don't like iPhone
It'll be a deal breaker for me. I don't have to have the thinnest lightest phone possible, but I do have to have a headphone jack. I loved my Note 7 and my Note 7 version 2, but now I'm rocking a V20 which admittedly has way better audio quality than Samsung's ever had. I'd still go back to Samsung for the screen though as long as it has a headphone jack.
Lack of headphone jacks don't bother me since I use BT headphones but I can understand why you would want one of you're an audio enthusiasts.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
It has one according to the leaked images and videos.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Does anyone know if it's the same old speakers that Sony have used for the last couple of years? You know the ones that are so muffled and small that they might as well have put a better, louder single speaker in there?
And while we're at it: what's the deal with it being listed as not being Quick Charge 4.0 compatible? SD835 supports it and the power IC required was available before the 835 was.
Trixanity said:
Does anyone know if it's the same old speakers that Sony have used for the last couple of years? You know the ones that are so muffled and small that they might as well have put a better, louder single speaker in there?
And while we're at it: what's the deal with it being listed as not being Quick Charge 4.0 compatible? SD835 supports it and the power IC required was available before the 835 was.
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Seems like they have improved the sound, but if you want even more you can just flash Divine Beats or Xtreme Music, the last one is optimized for dual speakers phones, about the Quick Charge 4.0, this function will come only at half 2017.
Alex2483 said:
Seems like they have improved the sound, but if you want even more you can just flash Divine Beats or Xtreme Music, the last one is optimized for dual speakers phones, about the Quick Charge 4.0, this function will come only at half 2017.
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Yeah, I saw the QC4.0 news earlier. Seems Qualcomm had some issues. Sad to see it not make it for the first wave of devices.
Do you have a source on the improved sound?
Considering Sony's audio legacy they should have no trouble developing great speakers but it seems like they use the same components in every release instead of iterating on their speaker design.
I have a Z2 Tablet and the speakers aren't great, that's why I'm asking and why I'm baffled that reviewers keep highlighting the speakers as having the same problems for many years now; yet Sony does not do anything about it.
Trixanity said:
Yeah, I saw the QC4.0 news earlier. Seems Qualcomm had some issues. Sad to see it not make it for the first wave of devices.
Do you have a source on the improved sound?
Considering Sony's audio legacy they should have no trouble developing great speakers but it seems like they use the same components in every release instead of iterating on their speaker design.
I have a Z2 Tablet and the speakers aren't great, that's why I'm asking and why I'm baffled that reviewers keep highlighting the speakers as having the same problems for many years now; yet Sony does not do anything about it.
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Unfortunately no sources, only the words of Sony (in fact I said... seems) I hope they are telling the truth, btw as I said you can just flash an audio mod to get the best audio experience, I have a potato speaker and with Xtreme Music I have now a powerful and clear audio especially with the headests.
I wonder if they can enable qc 4.0 with a software update later along the line?
And yes I'm hoping the speakers have improved, the ones on my Z3 are shocking!
No QC4 is disappointing. This is the third phone with the SD835 and all of them passed QC4.
I figure, if they wanted to follow Google's advice/orders and drop Quick Charge and use USB PD instead, then it wouldn't be so bad. But that's not the case at all, they're just using QC3.0
And I'm willing to bet it's not even at full 18W too.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
BozQ said:
No QC4 is disappointing. This is the third phone with the SD835 and all of them passed QC4.
I figure, if they wanted to follow Google's advice/orders and drop Quick Charge and use USB PD instead, then it wouldn't be so bad. But that's not the case at all, they're just using QC3.0
And I'm willing to bet it's not even at full 18W too.
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QC4 will be available only in the next months, don't be angry every phone will support it, but for now no one.