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Nexus 5 or One Plus One ?

The One plus just launched 5 days back in India ( I know, its 5 months late). A friend of mine ordered the phone and it looks like an absolute peach!!
Don't get me wrong, I've turned down a swap for a new Iphone 6 with my phone, with there seems to be something about the One Plus!! I love my phone, but is the One Plus better ?
All its specs are better than the Nexus 5 on paper, but I wanna know if you guys have used them both and whats your view on it. If I sell my Nexus ( which turn 1 yr on 25 Dec), it'll get the same price as for a new One Plus, so do the economics of switching make sense?
Many Thanks

TarunN5 said:
The One plus just launched 5 days back in India ( I know, its 5 months late). A friend of mine ordered the phone and it looks like an absolute peach!!
Don't get me wrong, I've turned down a swap for a new Iphone 6 with my phone, with there seems to be something about the One Plus!! I love my phone, but is the One Plus better ?
All its specs are better than the Nexus 5 on paper, but I wanna know if you guys have used them both and whats your view on it. If I sell my Nexus ( which turn 1 yr on 25 Dec), it'll get the same price as for a new One Plus, so do the economics of switching make sense?
Many Thanks
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Click to collapse
Hardware wise the OnePlus is the better one clearly, software wise (the relationship between OnePlus and Cyanogenmod is kinda cooling off) i think the Nexus 5 has the better firmware. Especialy if the Oppo software (color rom) may be implemented on the OPO in the future, though development may compensate that off course. Me personaly i prefer a phone that i can buy instead of hoping on a invite and i don`t know how complaints and defects are beeing handled by the chinese company. Check out the OnePlus One Forum here on XDA for more info.

Oneplus' warranty return process is a bit of a joke apparently. @Theshawty can attest to that. That said, he's had both and would probably say get the OPO. Not sure what it will be like for AOSP though.

gee2012 said:
Hardware wise the OnePlus is the better one clearly, software wise (the relationship between OnePlus and Cyanogenmod is kinda cooling off) i think the Nexus 5 has the better firmware. Especialy if the Oppo software (color rom) may be implemented on the OPO in the future, though development may compensate that off course. Me personaly i prefer a phone that i can buy instead of hoping on a invite and i don`t know how complaints and defects are beeing handled by the chinese company. Check out the OnePlus One Forum here on XDA for more info.
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Click to collapse
I have a few friends who have invites with them, so that's not the issue. Like you pointed I am wary of how the customer service will be. Never had to use LG's service though, haven't had to send this to the shop!!
Any color on how the device is to use ? Usually the hardware specs are only 50% of the job done, phones usually pop up with small problems when using them everyday that you don't get in the instruction manual!!
Would be great to hear some guys who have used both

Stikc with da N5 bro

I own both, both are great phones but 1+ is a better phone. Stock CM11 software works like a champ. No issues. Bigger screen, great camera, very elegant big phone, 64g memory. You can also run experimental lollipop but in US/Canada everyone has a problem with VM notification, kinda works in Europe. Glitches remain. Overall - get One Plus.

Obviously between the two, the one plus one is the better buy (bang for the buck)

TarunN5 said:
The One plus just launched 5 days back in India ( I know, its 5 months late). A friend of mine ordered the phone and it looks like an absolute peach!!
Don't get me wrong, I've turned down a swap for a new Iphone 6 with my phone, with there seems to be something about the One Plus!! I love my phone, but is the One Plus better ?
All its specs are better than the Nexus 5 on paper, but I wanna know if you guys have used them both and whats your view on it. If I sell my Nexus ( which turn 1 yr on 25 Dec), it'll get the same price as for a new One Plus, so do the economics of switching make sense?
Many Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive had the OPO and decided to go back to my N5. The best thing i found about the OPO is the battery life, its an absolute beast, but i am not a fan of the software on it. I know its cyanogen mod, but theres so many bugs and glitches that it just doesn't do it for me as a daily driver. The other reason i sold it is because of the size. OPO might only seem like a tad bigger, but i hated not being able to use it with 1 hand.
Ended up selling it, going back to the N5. Not happy about the battery life, but its stable, comes from a reputable company and warranty is great. Thats another thing, if you need to RMA the product you'll fine quite the wait.

TarunN5 said:
The One plus just launched 5 days back in India ( I know, its 5 months late). A friend of mine ordered the phone and it looks like an absolute peach!!
Don't get me wrong, I've turned down a swap for a new Iphone 6 with my phone, with there seems to be something about the One Plus!! I love my phone, but is the One Plus better ?
All its specs are better than the Nexus 5 on paper, but I wanna know if you guys have used them both and whats your view on it. If I sell my Nexus ( which turn 1 yr on 25 Dec), it'll get the same price as for a new One Plus, so do the economics of switching make sense?
Many Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had to make the same decision a few weeks back and decided to go with the N5, reasons:
(1) Phone size: The N5 feels better in my hand, OPO is too big (my hands are not small )
(2) OS: I wanted to go with stock Android, hence N5 easier choice, whereas you can flash stock Android also to OPO I assume
(3) OPO itself: OPO just launched and its their first phone, hence customer service etc. is not that great (you got XDA though for help), the phone itself is better than the N5 hardware wise
At the end I chose the N5 with the thought that I normally use any phone 2-3 years and I would estimate that the One Plus Two (or whatever name it will have) will launch some time end of next year/beginning of 2016, hence fits into this timeline.
btw: also thought about N6, but same issue with size (and price tag)

rootSU said:
Oneplus' warranty return process is a bit of a joke apparently. @Theshawty can attest to that. That said, he's had both and would probably say get the OPO. Not sure what it will be like for AOSP though.
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Click to collapse
I'd say the OnePlus One IF (and only IF) you can get a fault free version. Their warranty return process (and the whole "support") is a joke.

It would be a side grade at best. However if you don't one hand your phone and want something bigger it might be worth the swap. More battery and more storage space (64GB version) are the advantages, the SoC is a tad faster but nothing you would notice as N5 is already as fluid as it gets.

Thanks guys, I think I'll wait for a bit and try to use my friends One Plus for a few days. But seems the general opinoin is to stick with the Nexus

I'm using OPO n it's amazing earlier used Nexus4. as many said already 5.5in may be a bit big in size but after using a day r two u'll love the display of 5.5 in.
I'm fully satisfied with OPO. Don't know guys who said OPO is too big what they say about Nexus6
Sent from my A0001 using XDA Free mobile app

Honest Opinions Wanted - Is This Phone Still Good In 2017?

Hi all. I have a chance to possibly buy this phone and wanted honest reviews. How do people like this phone and if I happen to find a good one cheap would it be a good buy?
Any gotchas? Does it run Nougat OK?

Dude dude.. Got it since it was launched and i refuse to buy a new one. This is the most beast phone ever!
Is this enough to you? Ahah
It runs nougat smooth as butter

MrObvious said:
Hi all. I have a chance to possibly buy this phone and wanted honest reviews. How do people like this phone and if I happen to find a good one cheap would it be a good buy?
Any gotchas? Does it run Nougat OK?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on what price you're getting in.
Everything you throw at this phone runs smooth as f###

hey pal,
you know for these 2-3 years, i didnt bother to see the smartphone market,
i got no reason to change to a new one.. haha

Depends on you and what you want. If you want high-end camera or excellent battery performance then nope it is not. But it has average even good camera-you dont miss any details or photos can be used for social media easily- and this battery can last you for 1 day. Not official but with custom ROMS you can use very smooth and flawless noguat which is the last and newest version of the android. This specs has got me and i am very happy with my OPO and 3gigs of ram really gives you what you want. But if you want official rom support, really high end camera and high end battery life or high and gaming experience or newest SoT well this phone is not for you. Think and know what you want, then you can find your choice.

Thanks guys.

MrObvious said:
Thanks guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So What's your final call?

Honestly, in 2017 if you are out in the market, OnePlus One shouldn't even be an option.
Its dated, and not at par with current mid range devices. I would advise you against getting a One even though I love this phone.
It just doesn't make sense to get it 3 years after its launch.

rshbhghelani said:
Honestly, in 2017 if you are out in the market, OnePlus One shouldn't even be an option.
Its dated, and not at par with current mid range devices. I would advise you against getting a One even though I love this phone.
It just doesn't make sense to get it 3 years after its launch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didnt even read it.
He said he can get it at a good price. If he can get it at a good price, this phone is (which is amazing IMO) very usable in 2017.
The only BUT is the camera...but even then the camera is pretty damn good.
Once a Oneplus 4 comes out with IP68, Ill finally drop my Oneplus One.

I'm trying to find an excuse to replace mine but none really justify doing so

There isn't a single rational reason to update this phone (despite what the gear heads claim). With the right custom rom battery lasts for two days (try slim7 or nitrogen os), roms are fluid, apps open quickly and camera is on par with other cams of this size. Low light photography is a pain, and will be for several more years for all sensors of this size. Even 3/4 size consumer cameras out there struggle with this, so it won't be any better for long time.

milomak said:
I'm trying to find an excuse to replace mine but none really justify doing so
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Click to collapse
Agreed.
Overall this phone is wonderful. Rough, tough, durable, great battery life, size, quick, good adequate camera (with the right app).
I can't kill this phone (physically or by mucking around with its OS, KitKat to Nougat).
My teen kids loved this phone's looks and performance but hated its size (when I first got it they each took it for a month test run) had they also made this in a 4.7 version, this would have been their phone of choice.
Upon this phone's demise, my next phone will likely be the Oneplus 3T.

milomak said:
I'm trying to find an excuse to replace mine but none really justify doing so
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My only reason would be IP68 and I do miss OIS sometimes for certain camera shots.
But besides that...this phone is still relevant in 2017, 3 years after its release.

MrObvious said:
Hi all. I have a chance to possibly buy this phone and wanted honest reviews. How do people like this phone and if I happen to find a good one cheap would it be a good buy?
Any gotchas? Does it run Nougat OK?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's obvious, MrObvious.
https://www.xda-developers.com/its-settled-the-oneplus-one-has-stood-the-test-of-time/

I have opo from 3 years. If you can buy one i think battery is already dated so the usage will be over limited . for 150 dollars go to xiaomi

It is still a great phone. But battery is aging and is really hard to find "genuine" replacement (after 2 years I am getting around 4h SOT before 6h-9h). Same goes for Back Cover mine is showing that 2 years of using without case and it is impossible to buy replacement. So I am going to wait for OP4 and if OP4 won't by for me I will buy used OP3 for cheap.

Should you buy the HTC U Ultra? Video

Fellow members check out my video below, please share it and enjoMod Edit

Thanks for making this video.. but sorry I just dont agree with your opinion on choosing and buying a device based on its SoC, which in turn , basing it on benchmarks.... IMO its a miserable way to buy a phone, the Ultra is a beautiful phone with a lovely big clear screen.. its shipped with Android N in the box.. which means HTC will support it throughout Android N and into O, so your looking atleast 1 year, maybe even 18 months... You should buy a phone based on how the experience is for YOU, if you pick it up in a shop.. and you love it.. Buy it because of what the phone means to you.. not for its SoC.
If you flash custom roms and "cook" kernels... yes ok, the SoC and ram is important but for 90% of the buying public.. they like the asthetics, the cosmetics of a device and if it runs their favorite apps, music and their media life.. then theyll buy it.
The 821 SoC has been shown to be a very efficient and battery friendly chip... Samsung have laid claim to the 835 for the S8, which means they will set the bar for huge prices because its the latest and greatest SoC, so other Devs will charge huge prices for an 835 SoC phone because itsa the latest and most costly chip to date... and, well.... Samsung did it and sold thousands..
Give me an Xperia XA Ultra any day.. because it runs smooth, fast and has a great loudspeaker.. with a great camera and SONYs UI is almost stock yet it only has a Helio P10 Mediatech chip and 3GB ... IMO, people who choose that device purely based on SoC and ram are chasing rainbows and will never ever be happy with anything they buy and are setting them selves up for a life of misery that their friends phone may be faster than theirs after the latest OTA or Custom rom .... with benchmark and constant speed testing all the time.... and who wants that.. Not me.

NightOrchid said:
Thanks for making this video.. but sorry I just dont agree with your opinion on choosing and buying a device based on its SoC, which in turn , basing it on benchmarks.... IMO its a miserable way to buy a phone, the Ultra is a beautiful phone with a lovely big clear screen.. its shipped with Android N in the box.. which means HTC will support it throughout Android N and into O, so your looking atleast 1 year, maybe even 18 months... You should buy a phone based on how the experience is for YOU, if you pick it up in a shop.. and you love it.. Buy it because of what the phone means to you.. not for its SoC.
If you flash custom roms and "cook" kernels... yes ok, the SoC and ram is important but for 90% of the buying public.. they like the asthetics, the cosmetics of a device and if it runs their favorite apps, music and their media life.. then theyll buy it.
The 821 SoC has been shown to be a very efficient and battery friendly chip... Samsung have laid claim to the 835 for the S8, which means they will set the bar for huge prices because its the latest and greatest SoC, so other Devs will charge huge prices for an 835 SoC phone because itsa the latest and most costly chip to date... and, well.... Samsung did it and sold thousands..
Give me an Xperia XA Ultra any day.. because it runs smooth, fast and has a great loudspeaker.. with a great camera and SONYs UI is almost stock yet it only has a Helio P10 Mediatech chip and 3GB ... IMO, people who choose that device purely based on SoC and ram are chasing rainbows and will never ever be happy with anything they buy and are setting them selves up for a life of misery that their friends phone may be faster than theirs after the latest OTA or Custom rom .... with benchmark and constant speed testing all the time.... and who wants that.. Not me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said I LOVE this phone. Came from a Pixel XL and a OnePlus 3T.

joeyac02 said:
Well said I LOVE this phone. Came from a Pixel XL and a OnePlus 3T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah me too.. Ive had my U Ultra for about 4 days now.. and I love it.. just so smooth.. and it looks gorgeous... to be honest, I went into the store to get either a 3T or a Pixel XL with my Upgrade, but I saw the ultra (which was cheaper per month and upfront cost than the XL) tried the new Sense and Android N... . Camera is stunning and after 15 mins of testing.. I was sold.. took my Upgrade there and then, . Im happy it has 64gb of Storage & an SD., although I wouldve bought it if it had 32GB.
My only SMALL gripes are: theres no USB-C > 3.5mm jack converter in the box and also I think the bass (bottom) and tweeter (ear piece), while VERY VERY Loud and sound fantastic.. For me, dont sound as rounded and full and lack just a LITTLE bit of Mid-Range and less bass as the HTC 10 or even M8 speakers do., but thats just me
I am curious though, Why did you swap your XL and 3T for the Ultra?

I've now had my Ultra for a full day and find it to be a most excellent device. HTC continues to marry all the facets of an Android better than all but Google.
My OnePlus 3T is going to my uncle tomorrow, or Swappa Tuesday. I really appreciate what OnePlus does and their relationship with customers but in daily use, for me, the 3T reveals itself to not be a flagship. My number one gripe is poor touch response.
I always maintained that if HTC made and sold a phablet in the US again, I'd buy it. The design and aesthetics are just beautiful. I've always enjoyed HTC's software and it remains stellar.

Charliebill33 said:
I've now had my Ultra for a full day and find it to be a most excellent device. HTC continues to marry all the facets of an Android better than all but Google.
My OnePlus 3T is going to my uncle tomorrow, or Swappa Tuesday. I really appreciate what OnePlus does and their relationship with customers but in daily use, for me, the 3T reveals itself to not be a flagship. My number one gripe is poor touch response.
I always maintained that if HTC made and sold a phablet in the US again, I'd buy it. The design and aesthetics are just beautiful. I've always enjoyed HTC's software and it remains stellar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get bored honestly the 3T was nice but I didn't get that wownfactor and the camera was doodoo to me. Same thing with the pixel just was a meh phone. I also think I have come to figure out that I need/want a bigger device I think 5.7 is a great size maybe even 6.

Loving the ultra but getting used to size even coming from Pixel XL which was big as well. I feel the included case makes it more clumsy to handle and without the case is great to handle. But man I'm scared that I'm going to drop this off I use without a case.

My last HTC was the M7. After, was on a LG G3 and I wanted to buy the LG G6 but when I saw the U Ultra, I jump on it. Have it since a week now. Love it. The screen is beautiful, the camera give me some good shot.
I don't regret my choice buying an HTC u ultra despite of an LG g6.

Just don't buy it.
Wait for better and cheaper phones.

Anybody coming from a samsung device? Curious how the display is conpared to amoled screens? Does the ultra u seem washed out compared to the super amoled screens

recepo1 said:
Anybody coming from a samsung device? Curious how the display is conpared to amoled screens? Does the ultra u seem washed out compared to the super amoled screens
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Click to collapse
Yes it does, I have many devices and the u ultra screen is not bright enough

ramheer said:
Yes it does, I have many devices and the u ultra screen is not bright enough
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Click to collapse
Thanks i am to going to see what else the year has to bring before pulling the trigger on the Ultra

recepo1 said:
Thanks i am to going to see what else the year has to bring before pulling the trigger on the Ultra
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung s8 plus will have a great screen and maybe even the new Sony xz premium coming out in June

ramheer said:
Samsung s8 plus will have a great screen and maybe even the new Sony xz premium coming out in June
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea the s8 im leaning towards

NightOrchid said:
Thanks for making this video.. but sorry I just dont agree with your opinion on choosing and buying a device based on its SoC, which in turn , basing it on benchmarks.... IMO its a miserable way to buy a phone, the Ultra is a beautiful phone with a lovely big clear screen.. its shipped with Android N in the box.. which means HTC will support it throughout Android N and into O, so your looking atleast 1 year, maybe even 18 months... You should buy a phone based on how the experience is for YOU, if you pick it up in a shop.. and you love it.. Buy it because of what the phone means to you.. not for its SoC.
If you flash custom roms and "cook" kernels... yes ok, the SoC and ram is important but for 90% of the buying public.. they like the asthetics, the cosmetics of a device and if it runs their favorite apps, music and their media life.. then theyll buy it.
The 821 SoC has been shown to be a very efficient and battery friendly chip... Samsung have laid claim to the 835 for the S8, which means they will set the bar for huge prices because its the latest and greatest SoC, so other Devs will charge huge prices for an 835 SoC phone because itsa the latest and most costly chip to date... and, well.... Samsung did it and sold thousands..
Give me an Xperia XA Ultra any day.. because it runs smooth, fast and has a great loudspeaker.. with a great camera and SONYs UI is almost stock yet it only has a Helio P10 Mediatech chip and 3GB ... IMO, people who choose that device purely based on SoC and ram are chasing rainbows and will never ever be happy with anything they buy and are setting them selves up for a life of misery that their friends phone may be faster than theirs after the latest OTA or Custom rom .... with benchmark and constant speed testing all the time.... and who wants that.. Not me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You just spoke my mind O' wise one! Kudos

Looks like its a "NO".
There is a SD835 phone coming in just a month.

I'm using this phone since 1 month and I'm very satisfy with. Its design, Its body, clear screen, many HTC personal touch and customizations. Very small details that will always make me come back to HTC. After using a One Max for years now and still rocking, I was patiently waiting for HTC to come with another phablet. Meanwhile I used many phone but I always come back to my One Max.
Yes, The Ultra is expensive, but I don't mind as my One Max is still rocking with Android Nougat and still impress me after so many years.
I was a bit afraid about the battery life due to 3000mah and such a large screen but the battery optimization app clear all my doubts, after tweaking it as per my needs, It radically change the battery life. No overheating or whatever.
My cons about Ultra are: no 3.5 jack adapter in the box. The stock earphone is of good quality, the sound clear and sounds very good but not so loud for me. The secondary screen lacks. They should have implement more options and customization. I'm waiting for a good custom ROM to fix some of these.
In general, I love this phone and I don't think anyone could change my mind about it. This phone makes me gain more trust in HTC and If another phablet will be out from them, I'm sure I will go for it even if its expensive.

NightOrchid said:
Thanks for making this video.. but sorry I just dont agree with your opinion on choosing and buying a device based on its SoC, which in turn , basing it on benchmarks.... IMO its a miserable way to buy a phone, the Ultra is a beautiful phone with a lovely big clear screen.. its shipped with Android N in the box.. which means HTC will support it throughout Android N and into O, so your looking atleast 1 year, maybe even 18 months... You should buy a phone based on how the experience is for YOU, if you pick it up in a shop.. and you love it.. Buy it because of what the phone means to you.. not for its SoC.
If you flash custom roms and "cook" kernels... yes ok, the SoC and ram is important but for 90% of the buying public.. they like the asthetics, the cosmetics of a device and if it runs their favorite apps, music and their media life.. then theyll buy it.
The 821 SoC has been shown to be a very efficient and battery friendly chip... Samsung have laid claim to the 835 for the S8, which means they will set the bar for huge prices because its the latest and greatest SoC, so other Devs will charge huge prices for an 835 SoC phone because itsa the latest and most costly chip to date... and, well.... Samsung did it and sold thousands..
Give me an Xperia XA Ultra any day.. because it runs smooth, fast and has a great loudspeaker.. with a great camera and SONYs UI is almost stock yet it only has a Helio P10 Mediatech chip and 3GB ... IMO, people who choose that device purely based on SoC and ram are chasing rainbows and will never ever be happy with anything they buy and are setting them selves up for a life of misery that their friends phone may be faster than theirs after the latest OTA or Custom rom .... with benchmark and constant speed testing all the time.... and who wants that.. Not me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to add another "Well said!" post to this thread. I've been using the U Ultra for 5 days now and I'm very happy with this phone. The 821 is indeed a very good at power management, as I've been able to get 36+ hours between charges with 3+ hours screen on time, mostly spent playing games and browsing the web.

This video is the best ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFbixkBiwAw

I love my U Ultra .. but what Im finiding annoying, is that everyone, including reviewers, love bashing HTC at the moment for their "wasted space"... but I ask... did anyone bash Google for the ugly wall brick sized chins on their £800 ($950) Pixel XL .. which has No stereo speakers, Or Apple.. for their wasted chin space on iPhone 6S Plus / 7 Plus.. No, they didnt.. however, I was annoyed that HTC left out the 3.5 mm Adaptor then forced me to pay £10 for one...
And they critisise HTC for "stealing" LG V10/20 2nd'ary screen... but lets take a look here...
HTC were first with Outboard antenna lines for better signal reception..
HTC were first with "real" Stereo speakers
HTC were the first to use 1.55 micron pixels on their camera "Ultra Pixel".. allowing for lower light photography at lower resolutions, opening the way for better mobile photography..
HTC were one of, if not the first dev to make a full all round metal body phone
HTC (and SONY) were one of the only devs to push the boundries with development of the LCD display instead of always falling back to AMOLED
So yeah, sort that one out Apple / Hauwei / Motorola.. and everyone else..
Thing is, HTC make some of the best and most beautiful phones around.. yes theyve made mistakes.. but I dont think they deserve the bashing theyre getting..
Oh and finally.. i was chatting to one of the staff in Carphone Warehouse (UK) and she said theyve sold 100s of U Ultras and U Plays, so good to hear from a support and OTA
updates perspective
I just wish "Sense Companion" worked better here in the UK
Just my thoughts. anyway

Realistic options for a replacement to the Moto X Pure

So I am getting sick of the battery life of this device and charging twice a day just to get by... the QC helps but it isn't always a viable option for someone who is on the road/travels a lot. I am probably going to go back to my Moto G 2015 for the time being as I could get a full days use most of the time on a single charge and just selling my MXPE.
But now the question comes up as what to replace it with... Moto G 5th gen, Blu Pure XR, ZTE Axon 7 Mini, or ???
My requirements are simple, or so I think...
1) 4+ hours SOT, preferably 5+, in mixed signal environment of WiFi/LTE/3G and sometimes without the best signal strength (for reference, I currently get about 2.5 hours on MXPE)
2) 5.2"-5.7" screen with 1080p minimum resolution
3) Stock Android, "near" stock, or simple UI (no TouchWiz, EMUI, ZenUI, or other bloated UI) that allows easy use of replacement launcher
4) 64GB internal storage or 32GB internal+microSD
5) 3GB or more of RAM
6) Full AT&T network compatibility (GSM 850/1900 and LTE Band 2/4/5/12/17 and optionally 29/30)
7) Nougat or Marshmallow with a Nougat upgrade "guaranteed"
8) 3.5mm headphone jack
9) Dual band WiFi - 2.4 & 5Ghz
10) $300USD or less
Would be nice, but not essential...
1) Unlockable bootloader (implies root/custom recovery/ROM development community)
2) Front facing speakers
3) NFC
4) USB 3.0
Absolute no no's are Samsung, Asus, or Huawei/Honor devices.
What else fits these requirements that I am not considering?

I believe the one phone that comes to mind that would fit most of your requirements is the Axon. I took a break from the MXPE (when it flew off my roof and died a horrible death in a rain storm) and had the Axon 7 (normal size) for about a month. You will get NEAR 4 hours of SoT, a qhd screen, 5.5 inches, relatively light for metal body. Unlockable bootloader and decent dev for it, last I checked. Things that bothered me/ pissed me off were that DTTW was laggy and slow, the actual cell service seemed to be really bad, possibly because of the full metal body phone, and the biggest annoyance - no backlit capacitive buttons, so you were left sort of blind in the dark trying to hit buttons. There is also no way through the build.prop to enable the on-screen buttons to bypass the issue at night, last I checked.
LG V20 could be an option too since it has a bootloader unlock now, 3.5-4.5 hours of SoT. I think it has a bottom bezel speaker though, which is a little weird, and as always the LG software has complaints. The dev is good enough to get around that though.
I'm in the same boat as you though. I've been looking pretty hard to find a new phone and the V20 is the only one I am really considering right now.

Get the OnePlus 3T it meets all your needs I get easily 6 to 7 HR sot

datchico305 said:
Get the OnePlus 3T it meets all your needs I get easily 6 to 7 HR sot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would love to... tell me where I can get a new OP3T for under $300... That one is a hard stop requirement.
@xgerryx Same for LG V20 and Axon 7 (which never goes on sale, although the Mini does often), the $300 price point is a big deal

This phone has been a little disappointing. It's good, but definitely not great. It's a night and day difference from the Galaxy S3 I was using, but I wish I had held out a little longer for the SD 820 phones instead of buying in 2015.
It sounds like you've already got a pretty inclusive list for phones that are sold in the US and meet your requirements.
I just checked swappa, and if you're willing to go used, the OnePlus 3 is starting to get down towards the price point you're looking for. It has the same size battery as the MXP, and between the more efficient SoC than this godawful 808/810 generation and an FHD AMOLED I'd think you should get better screen on time out of it. It's a OnePlus so it has loads of good development, so you'll have all kinds of kernel/rom/tweaking available to really squeeze every erg out of it.

jason2678 said:
This phone has been a little disappointing. It's good, but definitely not great. It's a night and day difference from the Galaxy S3 I was using, but I wish I had held out a little longer for the SD 820 phones instead of buying in 2015.
It sounds like you've already got a pretty inclusive list for phones that are sold in the US and meet your requirements.
I just checked swappa, and if you're willing to go used, the OnePlus 3 is starting to get down towards the price point you're looking for. It has the same size battery as the MXP, and between the more efficient SoC than this godawful 808/810 generation and an FHD AMOLED I'd think you should get better screen on time out of it. It's a OnePlus so it has loads of good development, so you'll have all kinds of kernel/rom/tweaking available to really squeeze every erg out of it.
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That actually could be an option... I will investigate further.

acejavelin said:
Would love to... tell me where I can get a new OP3T for under $300... That one is a hard stop requirement.
@xgerryx Same for LG V20 and Axon 7 (which never goes on sale, although the Mini does often), the $300 price point is a big deal
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If you happen to be SUPER interested in the V20, I have seen some go for like 310-320 on Swappa in good to mint condition. You gotta hound the seller though and keep track of it all damn day for when the price drops. Not an awesome experience but I'm waiting for the same thing myself.

xgerryx said:
If you happen to be SUPER interested in the V20, I have seen some go for like 310-320 on Swappa in good to mint condition. You gotta hound the seller though and keep track of it all damn day for when the price drops. Not an awesome experience but I'm waiting for the same thing myself.
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I'm not really interested... TBH, my experience with non-Nexus LG Android devices has been... well... lets just say less then wonderful.
Although I would have to say that the LG enV from years ago probably ranks up there as my favorite phone of all time, back when you could actually get DAYS of usage out of a cell phone on a single charge. I remember I would charge it twice a week. lol

acejavelin said:
I'm not really interested... TBH, my experience with non-Nexus LG Android devices has been... well... lets just say less then wonderful.
Although I would have to say that the LG enV from years ago probably ranks up there as my favorite phone of all time, back when you could actually get DAYS of usage out of a cell phone on a single charge. I remember I would charge it twice a week. lol
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Yea I agree. After my terrible experience with the buggy LG G4, I'm very skeptical about going back again. At the same time I am running out of companies to try out! Haha. Gotta circle back eventually, especially on Verizon.

xgerryx said:
Yea I agree. After my terrible experience with the buggy LG G4, I'm very skeptical about going back again. At the same time I am running out of companies to try out! Haha. Gotta circle back eventually, especially on Verizon.
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NEVER AGAIN!!! I refuse to drop $140 plus taxes and fees (realistically $160) for the service level I get now for $72 per month. Plus the limitations on devices, I would have to buy at least one new phone and/or go under contract. Nope, not happening. (Can you tell I have a grudge against Verizon, lol)

I would look around swappa for a OnePlus 3 or 3t it's worth it no bugs lag free and monthly updates it's already on nougat 7.1.1 and the beta builds they offer are great as well and development is great lots of greats ROMs and kernels and unlocking bootloader will not void warranty

TBH...I think you will have a hard time meeting all of your requirements right now. The market looks pretty dismal which is very unfortunate. I personally will hold out a little longer. I'm really looking hard at what Nokia/HMD are coming up with and hoping their roadmap for US devices includes a mid range device soon. So far their line up seems decent and if they are true to their word about expedient updates for Android, and they will sell devices with unlockable bootloaders at decent prices, I'll be sold.

moving to a galaxy s8 plus, comes tomorrow

unitz0mbie said:
moving to a galaxy s8 plus, comes tomorrow
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Like @acejavelin stated, Samsung is not an option, and I agree with him. Yes they have great hardware for the most part, but a less powerful processor running vanilla, our near vanilla Android will run just as well considering the lack of heavy handed UX. I will admit the phone looks great hardware and looks wise, but I personally don't like the look and feel of Samsung TW.

unitz0mbie said:
moving to a galaxy s8 plus, comes tomorrow
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Sammie's are to bloated... Every Samsung devices we have ever had has been problematic... Hope you enjoy yours though but I would never spend that kind of money on a phone.

I have a moto g5 plus as well, its pretty good. It's fast and smooth. Screen and camera are good too, but obviously not as good as the X style.

Yes mxpe battery sucks. I have to charge 2-3 times a day and am not even a heavy user. I know its more than your actual budget but better wait, save a bit more and probably the price will drop also and go for a OP 3T.

i know your problem man.. but why don't you wait for a nougat update?? why not? maybe they might fix up the battery drain issue!
there are barely very less phones which have dual front facing speakers.. market has got very saturated.. all look for flagship but they just don't think that having a good speakers is also a part of flagship project!
as per my personal opinion... this phone is just the best phone ive ever used (till 2015) but in upcoming era you will see more and more features
i will recommend you to wait and not hurry up to get a phone...
if you need a pure stock surely get nexus but just wait for new nexus phone.. maybe they might consider it as a flagship and the value might be cheap??
anyways if you're just asking for all the requirements my opinion (AXON 7) not just only for dual front facing speakers but also for the processor(sd 820),storage(64gb,6gb ram) expandable ovbio (256gb)
plot twist: has hybrid sim XD
but im legit that it'll be upgraded to android 'O'
but it cost around $350
think man.. public reviews are also good
it meets all the requirements but is as costly as mxpe

Sagar_1401 said:
i know your problem man.. but why don't you wait for a nougat update?? why not? maybe they might fix up the battery drain issue!
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Nougat can't "fix" our battery issue... Radio and display panel are hardware issues and that's where 75% of all battery drain is. It isn't even issues, it's just how much power they use normally. The SD808's radios are terribly inefficient, and the display panel uses more power than some small towns. If you think Nougat is going to noticably improve active use time, your kidding yourself.
To be honest, I might just pull my old Nexus 5 out if the drawer and switch to it... The battery life can't be much worse.
The sound aspect is less important. FF speakers are nice, but as long as I can hear a YouTube video in an average room and turn the ringer up enough u don't care.
I bought the MXPE as an upgrade to my G 2015 and it was on sale for under $250, and for the most part it is, I just didn't realize how bad the battery was, it is easily half of my G.

I got Axon 7 after X and can't be happier. I've had the A7 since August. Has the front speakers i wanted, nice beautiful Samsung screen. Battery is definitely better then X. Software was buggy at the beginning but they have improved it a lot. Axon 7 has been getting a lot of updates, doesn't mean it'll continue, we were the 1st ones to receive 7.0 with the exception of Google devices, and we are the only ones so far (afaik) to receive 7.1.1 with also the exception of Google devices.
It has its flaws but i love the phone. For the money you can't beat it. It's on sale now on newegg for $330.

[Q] Replacement for Nexus 5 (2017 edition)

Hey all, I've seen a few posts out here similar that were older. My wife has a Nexus 5. It has been alright but she runs into space issues and hasn't been super thrilled with the battery. I have a 5x that I've loved (except it does a weird thing now where the screen won't come on when its in a call, but that's a whole other matter). She's dropped the phone and it's old enough to make me not want to mess with that, so it's time to look for something else.
I was wondering currently in June 2017, what a decent replacement would be for a Nexus 5. I would imagine there are all kinds of options out there that should be decent quality and cheap. Main goals at this point are 32 gig and a good battery. Wouldn't mind SD card capability and replaceable battery but from what I understand, you can't get as many replaceable battery phones anymore.
I'm not 100% opposed to buying one used if there are some that hold up well, but obviously new would be nice. I'm not looking for latest/greatest, just something she will appreciate that will work for awhile. Before we had our Nexus phones, we had the Moto G line, which obviously are kind of bargain basement types and it showed, so I hate to make that mistake again.

Lenovo P2: SD 625, 5100mAh battery and 32/64GB storge with dual sim or single sim + sd card.

hipsterdo0fus said:
Hey all, I've seen a few posts out here similar that were older. My wife has a Nexus 5. It has been alright but she runs into space issues and hasn't been super thrilled with the battery. I have a 5x that I've loved (except it does a weird thing now where the screen won't come on when its in a call, but that's a whole other matter). She's dropped the phone and it's old enough to make me not want to mess with that, so it's time to look for something else.
I was wondering currently in June 2017, what a decent replacement would be for a Nexus 5. I would imagine there are all kinds of options out there that should be decent quality and cheap. Main goals at this point are 32 gig and a good battery. Wouldn't mind SD card capability and replaceable battery but from what I understand, you can't get as many replaceable battery phones anymore.
I'm not 100% opposed to buying one used if there are some that hold up well, but obviously new would be nice. I'm not looking for latest/greatest, just something she will appreciate that will work for awhile. Before we had our Nexus phones, we had the Moto G line, which obviously are kind of bargain basement types and it showed, so I hate to make that mistake again.
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Pragmatically and from my perspective, since I am in the same situation searching for a replacement, the short answer is no. Never. I came over from Apple due to the easier customization ability of Android at the time.
I bought the N5 I have now, second-hand, originally for a family member (but they wanted an Apple), so I got stuck with it. Already rom'd. After getting used to the Android system, I said fine, I'm ditching Apple. Not say their stuff is bad. It just wasn't for me.
A broken screen, a new battery, and constantly rebooting to get a signal and nearly 3 years later and updating through first CM and now Pure Nexus.
I run this thing like a nuclear reactor especially during semester months.
Nothing beats it's simplicity. Nothing. It's one of the best pieces of tech I have ever owned and continues to be my daily driver. I did jump ship to an M9 and while a very impressive device. I yearned for my N5 (I thought it was dead). Got it back to functionality and haven't been back. Needless to say, here's what I am mulling over.
Pixel
Nexus 6p
Htc u11
Samsung S7 (or if I hit the lotto S8)
The Moto's. Since the Pure Nexus community is giving them a lot of love right now, especially the one with the crazy battery life but the 625 processor (if it was Daydream compatible I would've gotten it already).
One plus 3t
The high end xiaomi (I forget the model name)
An HTC 10. Another nice and underrated phone.
I can wax poetic about the N5 for days. Nothing beats it's flexibility, simplicity (aforementioned), and usability. Us N5 users do not need the bells and whistles and yet that's nice but we do more with less. I, too, will lament the day my hammerhead finally goes. In the meantime​, I hope my long-winded account helps you out.
Edit: I forgot about the Axon 7.

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately most of them are quite a bit higher in price than we paid for this Nexus. We had actually used the Moto G line prior to this.
I also have to say that since this is for my wife, I may need to watch out on the screen size being overly gigantor. She may not want something that is too much bigger than the N5. That Lenovo is the best in price so far, but for some reason it doesn't have very good rating on Phone Arena. Wonder why?

I still have my nexus, but upgraded to a Huawei Nova, not the Nova Plus, mainly due to spec improvements and similar screen size. Got 4gb memory and 64gb storage, about the exact same size as the Nexus. I hate the Huawei UI, but CM is available for it now, so not really an issue. It might be a bit pricey though. The Huawei Honor, I think 6x, also has a model that is 5.5in screen.
Not trying to sell Huawei, was just checking the price in the US of the one I have and noticed the Honor was similar. I got the Nova CAZ-AL10 for the specs, price, size, and because it is compatible with the mobile networks here in China. The Nexus was not unfortunately.

I think an Asus Zenfone 3 might not be a bad option. It has great battery life and it's not too expensive
I had a nexus 5x and just came back to my nexus 5 with a custom rom and I am loving it!!!

After the lost of my N5, I got an OP 3T and not even rooted it, sweet and fast on stock.
Edit: Actually rooted it and still sweet and fast, the best; more than 8 hours SOT

What about leeco pro 3. I own one and it is for sure one of the best phones for its price if not the best (USD 199, might be even lower now) the stock ROM isn't much to chant for but put a custom ROM on it and you're golden. They were running a sale on amazon a few weeks back but I'm not sure about its current availability. Snapdragon 821 with 4 to 6gb of ram and 64gb of storage. The camera is its weakest point but it's honestly not that bad. Battery life is also great averaging 6 SOT on nougat and around 8 on stock. 100% recommend.

How about OnePlus 5? I was considering replacing my N5 with it, but I'm not convinced by their previous software support.

gr__or said:
How about OnePlus 5? I was considering replacing my N5 with it, but I'm not convinced by their previous software support.
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Can it be rooted?

maybeme2 said:
Can it be rooted?
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Is there a device that can't be rooted? I think so far all of the OnePlus devices where pretty open and got root quickly. Given that the OP5 has just been announced today, there is no root yet, but I'd be surprised if there isn't a root mid-july.

I don't know. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know. I think some devices are said to be easier to root than others which is what I meant to ask. I own a couple of nexus 5s and an old nexus 7 and they are easy to root. Just don't know enough about the op5.

Sorry I dig up the subject
I think to replace my nexus 5 and I hesitate between the nexus 6p (I find one at 190 euros used) or a nexus 5x (has 100 euros used too) what would be the best choice for you?
Thank you for your answers