[Completed] [Q] Please help me choose an android phone? - XDA Assist

Hi Guys,
I need some serious advice choosing a phone.
I have been a Apple user since the early iphone days until iphone 4. It served me well for a long time but then I finally switched to android in 2013 for the first time and got a HTC one M7. It was a very nice phone but the camera was poor and one day I dropped it and broke the screen. Regardless the phone is still in perfect working order. I messed around with it and installed venom rom and its good. Unfortunately fast forward 1 year and its battery has not been great and I cant keep any charge more than half a day with moderate use.
Then about 6 months ago I got into a new contract and got myself a Sony xperia Z2. It was very good and fast but fast forward 6 months the software has slowed down like crazy. Screen responsiveness is no longer there and I think its broken. The sony apps are irritating and annoying as hell. I'm very disapointed at its camera too (even the 4K sucks) but I just love the battery life of this phone when it works. Seriously it rocks 1.5 days on a single charge with moderate to heavy use. It has a serious issue connecting to 2.4Ghz wifi networks. I had to get a Router with dual bands so i can make it work with my home wifi (5Ghz).
I'm a business user and I work in IT so I have ton of emails running, sms, Gdrive, Dropbox, Navigation,etc I also use Authenticator app for 2 step verification so on. Because I'm very annoyed at my sony phone now I want to see if I can upgrade this to a new phone. but I need your help picking one!
1. I use phone camera quite a bit and I want the best camera out there. (Unfortunately iphone 4 took better pics than both xperia z2 and Htc one)
2. Stock android experience as much as possible.
3. Good battery life
4. Minimum 5inch screen size.
I have been looking at Nexus 5 and I hear good things about it but then again most reviews say it has poor battery life and camera. I was so looking forward to nexus 6 but its just too damn big(?) as with Samsung I heard it has too much bloatware and I really hate bloatware so guess its a no. How about Xperia Z3?
I'm more of looking for reliability than gimmicks
Any suggestion is much appreciated.
P.S: My wife told me she ordered a LG R Smart watch for Christmas so yeah need compatibility for this too

Hi,
Here is a dedicated thread on choosing a device opinions..
> General discussion > General > [Discussion] What's your next smartphone / What should I buy
Good luck!

Related

[Q] Might Shift to Droid on a budget ? A Few questions

Hi Guys,
Thinking of shifting from my Blackberry to either Droid or WinMo. I don't really care much about whether i get Windows 8 future upgrade or Android 5.0.
For me the phone should be able to do the following easily:
1. Call Quality / Signal
2. Nice Build for the price. My BB is going strong even after falling from 20 ft heights. I don't expect touch screen phones to be that durable but still they should not just give away if they fell off the hand identically at 4 or 5 ft height.
3. Push Emailing. I have 8 email address on my BB. I can cut them down to 5 (3 work and 2 personal).
4. Good battery life / Talk Time.
5. Deep FB integration
I use my current phone for the following:
1. BBM / Social (FB / Twitter)
2. Emails
3. Occasional SMS around 300 a Month on an average.
4. Phone calls around 2-3 Hours.
5. Browsing (Maybe 10-15 mins a day)
I don't play videos on phone at all unless something really urgent i have to see. That must be once a month or twice. I am music freak but still don't use my current phone for music, just occasional listening for an hour or 2 in a month. I will be keeping 2 phones BB is not going but will be used only for BBM. So my emails / Social experience will shift to the other phone.
My BB easily lasts a whole day and sometimes more. At the moment its already 18 hours since the last charge.
Now most of my friends have BB's and we all love them for BBM / Social experience. A few have shifted to Droids / Apples / WinMo (very less with WinMo). I got a chance to use all of them and Loved the WinMo for its fluidity and ease of use and build of Lumia 800. Its more fluid than S3 and comparing them on 2G internet the Lumia is as fast as S3 in browsing etc. I was amazed that Lumia though looses out on benchmarks by a wide margin but is very easily able to keep up with S3 or One X or 4S etc. Even the FB integration on Lumia is amazing.
Now the real problem is I love the Lumia 800 but its out of my budget. I don't like spending a lot on mobile phones and be the one who has the latest and the greatest all the time. For me it has to be a stable phone which can go over 2 years without bugging me.
I will avoid Samsung, not because i hate them. I like the fact they have became so successful. Their screen's are good and hardware is amazing on spec sheet. But their build just doesn't seems right to me, Sorry.
I am checking for Droids under 15-17k INR and found the following to be good:
1. HTC One V - Nice build quality, Comes with ICS works very well and good enough talk time according to reviews.
2. Sony Xperia V or L - Good build again but i found it a lil laggy when upgraded to ICS though the UI is as good as HTC Sense. I have heard Sony has deep facebook integration.
3. Google Nexus S - I have not seen or checked the phone in person but there seems to be good reviews and its well under my budget but without any warranty. I want to know hows the Jelly Bean experience with it. I dont want lags with menu's and while browsing. Also can we use this phone as usb device to transfer data.
4. Any other phone i should look out except from Samsung / Moto (They dont have enough i guess) or LG.
I know Android is highly customizable and i would like if i can have the following:
1. Deep FB / Twitter integration like WinMo.
2. Live tile like on WinMO on Android screen for FB friends / Pictures in my Gallary. I think a Widget like this should be there.
The LG Optimus ME does all you want and is very cheap, The build quality is also great.

Recommend the G pro 2? Would you buy again? What's to know?

I've kept my eye on the G pro 2 for a while (was about to get the original O G pro, but waited for this to come out). So I'm well aware of the specs, features, reviews, etc. But what I want to know is a real world user's opinion of the device.
Is the phone pretty decent? Any frustrations or quirks to know before trying to get one?
Key questions:
*How is the Mic/voice quality? (sending and receiving during a voice call)
*How is the battery life(I know it depends on usage and habits of the user, but just overall, how would you rate it personally, compared to other current/comparable Android phones)?
*Is it relatively stable and responsive?
*What bothers you about this phone?
*Would you buy it again if you were in the market for a new phone right now?(tells me that you like the phone and are overall happy with it)
I plan on getting a F350(a bit confused with the S/L/etc. acronym endings, can any one shed light?) I want to use it on at&t's network. On paper, and seeing professional reviews, the G pro 2 seems like my phone (1080p 5.9" screen, expandable memory via microsdhc, user replaceable battery, decent camera, etc.) But I want to know, if in practice, the phone is stable/frustration free(relatively speaking), decent real world battery life (if it's competent/comparable at least.. ), hoping that this is not one of those, "you have to root it and install a custom rom in order for this phone to be bearable"- type thing.
My other considerable is the Sony Xperia Z2 (prices are right, even though the screen is smaller and the battery isn't "replaceable"). I didn't want the Samsung Galaxy series due to the smaller screens and bloatware they put on there(note's a great series, but simlar.. bloatware, plus really expensive).
Thanks! I appreciate any input!
these are my questions too..
I came from a Samsung S3 (running CM).
first impressions were: Nice clean looks and lines, it's big (but it's not unwieldy). my wife has a Note 3 and it's about the same. the curve along the back sides makes it more comfortable to hold. Obviously, it's a heavier phone due to size, so your hand might get tired if you're one to use your phone lying down or something.
Screen is fantastic. I have no problems with colour issues with the screen and it's bright enough for me, even outdoors.
Battery life is good. standby can last more than a day. in usage, i was a bit busy yesterday and didn't use it too much, but from 0700 to 2300, i had 63% before i plugged it in. on a more typical day, I'd probably have around 40%. mainly a mixture of whatsapp, a few blogs, games and some TV show watching at lunch.
Camera is decent and acceptable auto focus speed. not a lot of bloatware.
I'm running 10e firmware due to bugs in 10f and waiting for lollipop. 10e is stable. not had problems with it.
problems: it's not widely available and the user base is small. so don't expect any fancy mods/firmwares or anything like that. as such, there's not a lot of accessories for it either outside of LG's own stuff.
My friend has the Z2 (not looked, but isn't the Z3 pricing nearly the same now?), and his camera is better and the battery life is longer due to Sony's Stamina software. display is about the same. If you want a big, stock phone, the LG is great. if you want to play around and like to customise your phone, then i'd go with the Sony.
Thanks for your input Ray-Lee .
I'm on the fence between the two phones, I like the bigger screen on the G pro 2, I haven't held one yet in person, but I don't think I"ll be bothered by it at all. Only thing that really entices me for the Z2 are the current prices for it right now.. for relatively similar specs, smaller screen, but better camera compensates. Honestly, I want the device to work well out of the box.. this is xda and I do play with custom firmwares and roms, but that's more of a result than a mission for me these days.. as in, if the unit runs better/faster/more stable compared to stock(or.. if stock is so horrendous that it must be rooted and flashed to be "decent").
ssnova said:
Thanks for your input Ray-Lee .
I'm on the fence between the two phones, I like the bigger screen on the G pro 2, I haven't held one yet in person, but I don't think I"ll be bothered by it at all. Only thing that really entices me for the Z2 are the current prices for it right now.. for relatively similar specs, smaller screen, but better camera compensates. Honestly, I want the device to work well out of the box.. this is xda and I do play with custom firmwares and roms, but that's more of a result than a mission for me these days.. as in, if the unit runs better/faster/more stable compared to stock(or.. if stock is so horrendous that it must be rooted and flashed to be "decent").
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Ive been using this phone pretty much since it came out (D838 rooted stock) and the stock Performance is fantastic if im honest it really doesn't need a custom rom unless you want to "mod" alot of things and even then as long as your careful theres still alot you can do with just root, i love this phone so much and its modified enough for my liking without a rom, its fine right out of the box and if you can live without a custom rom (which is really doesnt need that much) i think you'll be as happy as i am with this phone on stock with or without root.
But yes if you do like to flash and mess about alot go with the z2/note3 as there is more options there but this is still a brillant phone.
bjscott55 said:
Ive been using this phone pretty much since it came out (D838 rooted stock) and the stock Performance is fantastic if im honest it really doesn't need a custom rom unless you want to "mod" alot of things and even then as long as your careful theres still alot you can do with just root, i love this phone so much and its modified enough for my liking without a rom, its fine right out of the box and if you can live without a custom rom (which is really doesnt need that much) i think you'll be as happy as i am with this phone on stock with or without root.
But yes if you do like to flash and mess about alot go with the z2/note3 as there is more options there but this is still a brillant phone.
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Thanks a lot for the assurance. I'm still bouncing around phone options, I guess it just comes down to price (best bang for buck, with expandable memory at least). I'm still considering the G pro 2, but I saw how the GS note 3 has come down a lot in price.
Thanks again!
ssnova said:
Thanks a lot for the assurance. I'm still bouncing around phone options, I guess it just comes down to price (best bang for buck, with expandable memory at least). I'm still considering the G pro 2, but I saw how the GS note 3 has come down a lot in price.
Thanks again!
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I've had both and granted you can mess around with roms and stuff but for pure joy in use i much prefer the g pro 2 its a really really good phone and for the low price you really cant beat it in my opinion unless this phone gets a good recovery and cm11 ill never bother with costom roms ect. For me its perfect on stock the peformence is amazing, to date (about 6 months of owning this phone) the battery still amazes and im yet to see any lag ever!! The ui is amazing, for a phone out of the box you cant beat it if you like music it outputs brillantly im just in love so maybe im a little one sided but i hope whatever you do you will be happy! Let me know!
bjscott55 said:
I've had both and granted you can mess around with roms and stuff but for pure joy in use i much prefer the g pro 2 its a really really good phone and for the low price you really cant beat it in my opinion unless this phone gets a good recovery and cm11 ill never bother with costom roms ect. For me its perfect on stock the peformence is amazing, to date (about 6 months of owning this phone) the battery still amazes and im yet to see any lag ever!! The ui is amazing, for a phone out of the box you cant beat it if you like music it outputs brillantly im just in love so maybe im a little one sided but i hope whatever you do you will be happy! Let me know!
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I only can agree with that!
I did get mine last week and i am very happy with it! Came from Galaxy Note 2 wich i liked very much but i dont trust Super Amoled Display technology since noone grants you that it will operate more than 3 years with heavy use. I chose this device because it has similar dimensions as the Note 2, stronger hardware, bigger 1080p reliable IPS LCD screen and fabulous 3200 mAh battery.
It's a must have for phablet lovers that want to have a good performing phone with large screen.
After just a few days of use this is my opinion. On software side is everything ok, just the usual Kit Kat problem that bugs lots of users out here, tha lack of having permissions for apps to write to sd card. That was the only thing that bothered me, but thats on Google side. This phone is truly amazing!
Hope that helps the peple to choose the best device for their specific needs. I found mine definitely.
Thank you for the input bhun and derbyshire! I really like the phone and want to get it, but for me the G pro 2 shipped from Asia to the US (I need the F350 model for LTE compatibility), it's about $600, I'm going to wait out just a little longer, it's a bit out of my budget (was hoping to score a phone for less than $450.. Sony Z2 and ZU did fit that for me, but not anymore either, haha).
I'm glad to hear that it's a great phone though(G pro 2), hopefully the prices will come down a bit for the F350 model and I can obtain one soon. Thanks again to all who have contributed!
bhun said:
I only can agree with that!
I did get mine last week and i am very happy with it! Came from Galaxy Note 2 wich i liked very much but i dont trust Super Amoled Display technology since noone grants you that it will operate more than 3 years with heavy use. I chose this device because it has similar dimensions as the Note 2, stronger hardware, bigger 1080p reliable IPS LCD screen and fabulous 3200 mAh battery.
It's a must have for phablet lovers that want to have a good performing phone with large screen.
After just a few days of use this is my opinion. On software side is everything ok, just the usual Kit Kat problem that bugs lots of users out here, tha lack of having permissions for apps to write to sd card. That was the only thing that bothered me, but thats on Google side. This phone is truly amazing!
Hope that helps the peple to choose the best device for their specific needs. I found mine definitely.
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The things that bother me about this phone are the poor wifi signal, I can be within a meter of my router and it still fluctuates between 3 and 4 bars. Any less than 4 bars wifi signal seems to have a noticeable impact on browsing performance. I also find the mobile data hotspot a pain, every so often the connection would hang and you would have to turn data off and back on again to get it to work. It seemed to do that every hour or so. Also if the phone gets even minutely warm, the brightness level will restrict itself to between 80% and 90%. I have had 3 LG G Pro 2 and they have all been the same. I also notice some flickering at times, especially when there is a white background on a webpage. I am almost fed up of mine and looking at selling it soon. It does have the potential to be a good phone, and I think all the faults I mentioned could be fixed with a decent firmware update.
I agree with you on wifi reception, its been the worst amongst all the phones i have owned
Sent from my LG-D838 using Tapatalk
Good Buy
It's a good buy switching. Switched from GS5 to this

Is the Z3 worth it?

Now asking that question here is not the right place to ask since.. Well.. Most people already purchased the device. It is however, the best place to ask about the Z3 since, well.. Most people purchased the device.
At this point i started out on Android with the HTC desire z, then the original Galaxy Note, LG G1, and have now paid off my Galaxy Note 2. Looking for a new phone I found that my needs is somewhat fulfilled with the Z3, although it is hard to tell, without actually owning and using the device as my daily usage.
I was thinking off continuing along the Samsung Note series with the 4, but the screen is to big, and I am honestly a bit tired of having a hard time reaching the far side of my phone. Battery is my main concern actually. I got rid of the LG G1,due to not being able to accept the uptime ratio and I see the the Z3 contains a 3100 mAh battery like my Note 2, and that Sony promises 2 days on 1 charge, but to be honest I don't really believe in such a promise. Hell, I could squeeze 5 days our my battery if I really tried, but the thing is that I actually use my phone.
So is it a decent battery that actually delivers in the Z3?
Also. The camera. That has really got me going as I use my camera a lot, and must admit that lenses and cameras is done really well by Sony.
But is the camera really noticeable better than say a 13 MP camera?
And last but not least. I flash custom Roms. Not as much as I used to, but I would choose a custom bleeding edge Rom over some stock firmware waiting for updates with 3 GB bloatware.
I heard something about locked bootloaders and Sony on general not being a good choice if you want to flash anything, and yet I saw something a few weeks ago where Sony released official video guides on unlocking your Xperia phone.
So which is it?
Has the Z3 been pried open to gain root access and flash custom roms?
Thanks
70 views and no response at this point.
should i take that as a no.
Ok I'll bite.
You'll get anywhere from 6-10hrs of screen on time on a Z3. Factors will be how many apps you use and what types of apps those are, obviously something like a processor and graphics intensive game will chew up the battery far quicker than the gmail app. With realistic, moderate use 3-4 SOT per day, you really can get 2 days battery life.
Some people love the camera and some people hate it. It's a bit slower to respond and in the Auto mode it will spit out a down sampled 8MP file FYI. If a little thought is put into taking a pic, it can produce some excellent results.
ROM support is pretty bad right now, but then again Sony's UI is pretty light
Hope this helps.
I would say it's worth it... and I get mine tomorrow. Honestly, I've had my share of devices, but I keep going back to Sony.
1) The UI is nice, pretty light (as mentioned by se1000) and it does mostly what I want. Nova usually winds up on the device at some point if I want the AOSP look.
2) Sony is good with warranty repairs etc... I know from experience from getting work done on my Xperia T years ago. Took some time as I bought it from the UK and used it in the states, but they didn't balk at repairs and I sent the thing in unlocked and rooted.
3) Build quality feels better to me than any other device I've handled. I am coming from an LG G3
4) They are community friendly. Sure, they may not RUSH to put out Lolli, but they are head and shoulders above others (I've mentioned Oppo... I used to have a find5). They also have, basically, Sony XDA reps as I see them, and I think they work with the FXP team on stuff?
5) Small updates are frequent. Not KK to Lolli, but updates in the same build. I think there have been 5 or
6 on the Z1c I had... you know they're paying attention.
Now, you'll find a decent amount of posts expressing issues with the device. Hell, you'll find the same for any device. The way I see it, usually people make noise when something isn't working, and rarely when things are all hunky dory. Therefore, you will always have a disproportionate level of experiences, in favor of those with issues. I am not going to say the issues are excusable, or that they don't exist, but I tend to think that generally most devices are better than their XDA threads might indicate.
Just my .02
I would also say: yes, it is worth it.
I come from a Galaxy S5 and I don't miss it at all.
I own the Z3 only for a week now, but normaly after 2 or 3 days I'm "not so much in love" anymore with the device but I am still in love with the Z3.
I tested much devices like the One M8, the LG G2, the LG G3, the Z2, the N5, the S5 and finally the Z3.
All in all it is the best device in my eyes. Its design is great, it's very comfortable to use (also in one hand), it's fast and the battery life is insane.
I only have to charge it every 2 days and I get a SOT of 7h +.

[Q] Z3 still worth it?

With the phone now out for some time, I wanted to see what the overall atmosphere for the phone was.
How does everyone like the phone? Specifically the US T-Mobile variant (D6616). I'm reading nothing but complaints about battery not lasting as long as it should/used to, WiFi issues, issues running LTE and so on. Are these the outliers or are they the common case?
With rumors of the Z4 growing (and all other competition as well), I've been wanting to upgrade from my Nexus 5 (with HORRIBLE battery life) for some time now. I've had my eye on the Z3 because of its purported insanely long battery, great display, great audio, great camera. Again, is this all really the case?
Also, with a hopeful Lollipop build releasing from Sony direct, I just wanted to verify that a user could technically flash the image directly to the phone and only risk losing T-Mobile's WiFi calling ability?
Wait for the Z4, because the Z1/2/3 use almost the same chipset. The Snapdragon 810 in the Z4 is a full generation newer with lower power consumption, much faster and has a 2x2 WiFi antenna.
Also support will probably be better as Sony will go to a one year release cycle unlike before where they had a new device every ~6 months.
As for my experience, it's pretty good I get 7-9Hrs of screen time in a 24-30 Hr period, without power saving options. I even have autosync and location services on. The battery life is just amazing. The UI is pretty smooth almost as quick as HTC Sense UI. Also not much bloat when you compare with Samsung.
Cellular signal is as good as my mother's iPhone 6 and dad's HTC M8. As for camera It's great, just leave it on "manual" as "Superior Auto" sucks. It's probably Sony's best camera module for phones. Remember that even Apple, LG, Samsung use Sony Exmor camera modules.
Only issue I had was cosmetic with gaps between frame and screen and light bleed from gaps. I exchanged mine 3 times for that. Currently happy with the one I have. It's not a big deal because T-Mobile exchanged my phone without any hassles.
There will always be a Z4 5 6 in development, ultimately you have to make the decision, if you want to wait it out no issues, but if your looking to upgrade now then z3 is the best choice among all the smartphones,the battery life is phenomenal and the real world performance is brilliant, I think it's one of the few android phones which can give the iPhone a run for the money in terms of performance and smoothness. The multitasking is hands down the best among android phones.I have never experienced a lag or crash till now. I have always been a Samsung user, have used the galaxy sl, s3 and 4,buying the Z3 was like taking a giant leap of faith and it paid off, theres no way in hell I'll ever go back to Samsung.
P.S Did I mention dipping the phone in a bucket of water a few times aswell? Yeah that too.
Sent from my D6653 using XDA Free mobile app
the Z4 will obviously happen, although it may be the last xperia flagship to hit the market, at least from sony alone - if they are looking to exit the business it's possible that the Z3 will be more fully supported in the long run, but who knows? the other point to bear in mind is how long it took to root the Z3 whilst retaining a locked bootloader - the Z4 may be more difficult again here..... having had the Z3 from launch it's now a known quantity, so you can ascertain fully what you're buying and what you can do with it, and whilst build qualities can be inconsistent just control the risk and buy from a no nonsense retailer with a clear returns policy ? for me it's a 9.5/10 and criminally underrated by the masses, but that at least lets you pick up something a bit different that may possibly be better than the existing competition, depending on who you speak to......
But seriously though tech wise the Z1/2/3 are very similar the Z4 is a big upgrade chipset wise.
Even if Z4 is the last Xperia from Sony, it could still continue under a new owner. Motorola for example still exists, though now under Lenovo. Nexus 6 support did not suddenly stop.

New owner looking for advice

Hi to all you Z3 owners! After looking at all the smartphones my carrier (Rogers) has to offer (Galaxy S6, LG G3, etc.) I've decided to upgrade from my old Galaxy S2 (Skyrocket) and purchase a Sony XPERIA Z3.
Today is Fri and it'll be at my door Mon afternoon and I can barely contain my excitement!
*I'd just like to ask everyone how satisfied you are with the Z3? What are the Pros and Cons of the device? Do you have any ROM recommendations you can share?
Thx for any input you guys can give! [emoji3]
Hi and welcome fellow owner!
I certainly do understand your excitement since I had my own z3 for just 3 days now.
I come from a not distant past, the LG G2, and I have to admit, the xperia feels amazingly better in use. Just 100% fun all the time.
I too considered the G3, but recently I found myself needing more of a solid device rather than a specs monster.
Still hesitant to submerge it in the water :S
If you're into rooting I'd recommend you do it right away, I flashed the lollipop update first and now I'm stuck feeling tied to all the personalisation I had made.
Cheers.
I too came from the S2 and I am more then happy, its a beautifull phone to hold and its great in sunlight. Music sounds awsome with the right pair of earphones or headphones. Snappy and smooth all the time. Battery life is excellent. I myself have taken some very nice pics, some astonishingly perfect, some not so perfect I need to play with the camera settings a bit more, outdoors on a bright day it takes great pics. I just updated to lollipop today. Im living in ireland but flashed the central europe generic. Im loving the phone even more now. I would like any tech experts to tell me what the real difference is between a Central Europe generic firmware and a UK generic firmware. As my phone is working perfect on the Central Europe firmware, same reception and everything. I got this insured so I have decided not to bother buying a cover because is such a nice phone why ruin it with a cover. All in all its a 5 star from me so far. Enjoy
I took this pic today. My dog with a sock in his mouth on the grass. To me this picture looks flawless
Try washing and using underwater camera shots you'll see how useful waterproof features btw dont forget to seal all the flaps
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
Thanks so much for all the replies so far! I can hardly contain my excitement about this phone! I even signed up with UPS SMS notifications even though I'll definitely be here on Mon...peering out of my window hours before it arrives lol. [emoji85]
@TanmayTzara - Re. the comment about rooting before upgrading to Lollipop:
I will most definitely be rooting this device but should I do it before the OTA Lollipop update?
@meteor999 - That pic of the Golden Retriever with the sock IS perfect! Wow u had the S2 before as well?! I'm actually typing right now on my old S2 and I'm eagerly looking forward to re-purposing this little guy as an XBMC device connected to my HDTV in my "man cave" downstairs! I have to know....was going from the S2 to the Z3 like going from a Horse n' Cart to an Aston Martin? [emoji33]
Hello mates. I recently went from a Samsung Galaxy S2 (Hercules) to the Sony Xperia Z3 (T-Mobile) model, D6616. The bootloader is locked ? I will not be able to root it. Yes, that's right. I don't know about the Rogers version. But for us Yanks who are with T-Mobile, we are SOL. Enjoy the phone. I love mine the way it is. I am running 4.4.4 KitKat and am hesitant to update to LP. I have read all sorts of disappointibg anecdotes on Google + about battery life not being anywhere near as good as this phone is with KitKat. Just this morning I got 25 hours before having to recharge. The most I've gotten is 36 hours. Amazing. Sounds and pictures are terrific. I like the user interface with KitKat on this phone. I sure do miss flashing roms, though. Please get a case or two. Amazon has plenty of them. This phone is slippery. Good luck.
danishdish said:
Hello mates. I recently went from a Samsung Galaxy S2 (Hercules) to the Sony Xperia Z3 (T-Mobile) model, D6616. The bootloader is locked ? I will not be able to root it. Yes, that's right. I don't know about the Rogers version. But for us Yanks who are with T-Mobile, we are SOL. Enjoy the phone. I love mine the way it is. I am running 4.4.4 KitKat and am hesitant to update to LP. I have read all sorts of disappointibg anecdotes on Google + about battery life not being anywhere near as good as this phone is with KitKat. Just this morning I got 25 hours before having to recharge. The most I've gotten is 36 hours. Amazing. Sounds and pictures are terrific. I like the user interface with KitKat on this phone. I sure do miss flashing roms, though. Please get a case or two. Amazon has plenty of them. This phone is slippery. Good luck.
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Thx for your input about Lollipop and battery life. Also about the case as I wasn't sure on that one.
My curiosity is piqued now...
1) What type of cases and accessories do you guys have or suggest?
2) Does anyone have the cool "smart cover" case with the little window and if so, how is it?
3) Are there any Rogers users here and will I have any issues rooting and/or flashing ROMs?
4) What ROM do you guys recommend? [emoji41] [emoji517][emoji782]
Hi guys, I'm also interested in getting the Z3 (for my girlfriend), but I'm a little bit reluctant because there seems to be many serious issues about this phone.....
I've done a lot of research already and from what I've read so far, the most common issue is pink blotch on the photos. People say that it seems to an issue with the camera hardware. I've also seen some reviews about the 4K recording overheating the camera, which is pretty disappointing considering Sony phones are known for their decent cameras...
The only good thing I've seen in common is to do with the battery life, apparently it averages 8~10 hours. Is that true?
What about Wifi? Sony phones are known to have crappy wifi since the Z1.
chaoscreater said:
Hi guys, I'm also interested in getting the Z3 (for my girlfriend), but I'm a little bit reluctant because there seems to be many serious issues about this phone.....
I've done a lot of research already and from what I've read so far, the most common issue is pink blotch on the photos. People say that it seems to an issue with the camera hardware. I've also seen some reviews about the 4K recording overheating the camera, which is pretty disappointing considering Sony phones are known for their decent cameras...
The only good thing I've seen in common is to do with the battery life, apparently it averages 8~10 hours. Is that true?
What about Wifi? Sony phones are known to have crappy wifi since the Z1.
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I have had my new Z3 for 14 days now and taken tons of pictures and I've had no issues with pink areas in photos at all. I read some ppl got a bad batch of camera hardware. One thing to do is test the camera straight away and if there's issues, bring it (or ship it) straight back for a replacement.
Camera: It doesn't take spectacular pics, but they're quite nice and the low light pics are excellent. I can't speak to the 4k video, however when you change to this mode it warns you there's a possibility of the phone getting too hot. (see below screenshot)
Battery life: 8-10hrs? Try 36 - The battery life is completely insane on this phone. I can get through 1 1/2 days of regular use before needing to plug in and charge.
WiFi: I have a large home with a fully finished basement. My "man cave" is down there and I get a great signal with no issues. Range is only average though, nothing spectacular.
Cases: If you get her the phone, the best case for it that I've found is the Ringke FUSION. I went through 2 other cases (Tudia, Sony Scr24 Style Cover) before discovering this. I purchased the "smoke black" version and I love it.

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