[Q] Z1 compact vs S5 mini? - General Topics

Hi
I'm aware there is already a similar thread but I wanted some answers more specific to my needs and to current prices. I recently had my uninsured S5 stolen and I'm stuck in a contract so I need to buy a mid-range phone which is going to last me another 16 months or so without feeling too outdated. I want a smaller handset as I was getting sick of the larger phones. My budget stretches to about £270 for which both the S5 mini and the Z1 compact are currently priced. Unfortunately I can't stretch to the z3 compact price. I want to know which phone has the better camera, as this is one of the main selling points for me. I know that neither will match up to the s5 camera. On paper the z1 compact has the best camera, but I've seen a few posts saying it is actually disappointing and often freezes. The S5 minis camera seems to get fairly positive reviews despite being only 8MP. I'm no pro photographer so will I even be able to tell the difference?!
I don't care about the samsungs gimmicks (heart rate sensor, fingerprint scanner etc.) and also don't mind touchwhiz too much. I do like the fact it has a removable battery as I often carry a spare, but maybe the sony battery is miles better anyway?
I'm also wary about changing to Sony. I've had Samsungs for years and they've never broken, apart from when I dropped them. Samsung quickly replaced them for me free of charge after some persuasion it wasn't my fault! I've seen a lot of posts questioning the z1 compacts reliability, and a few more claiming sony aren't too good at dealing with replacements etc. Also slightly wary about the glass back cracking? Though I admit the Sony looks better.
I've never rooted or flashed custom ROMs or anything so I'm probably in the wrong forum (sorry!) but this seems to be the most active phone forum I could find. I'm not completely opposed to rooting etc if it would be really beneficial, though again, I'm wary!
Should point out that I don't game much on mobile, I just like a smooth, reliable experience for browsing internet, watching youtube, using facebook, whatsapp, reddit etc, and a good reliable camera.
So basically, do I play it safe and stick with Samsung, better screen, decent camera, pics may even look better on the better screen, though the phone may be slightly slower? Or do I go for the z1 despite my reliability concerns?! Is rooting going to change the decision between the two??
Thanks, and sorry for the long post! Appreciate your answers, if I get any!

The Z1 Compact is by far the superior device.

Thanks for the reply. On paper it looks the better phone, but is it reliable? Hows sonys customer service? And is the camera better than the s5 minis?

Yeah but I've seen a lot of posts about a sudden unexplained death of the Z1C so that makes me hesitant

It´s fine. Some people doesn't know how to take care of a phone while in other situations things explodes at random. But to the point, i have the Z2 and it's a really good phone. I actually like the Sony UI and their experience. So there isn't a reason to not choose the Z1 compact, if the specs are superior compared to S5 Mini.

There are 3 threads already established that are devoted to discussions about devices, please read, and if necessary, repost your question in one of these threads: The what should I buy thread or the The Device Suggestion Thread or the The Device Comparison Thread.
There are also several other discussion threads that you probably should review to help you. They are What phone do you wish you had? or
The Worst Android Device That You've Ever Had & Why or even this place that talks about The best phone you ever owned.
Will have to close this.

Related

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.

[Q] Z3 or Z2 or something else?

Hi,
I've been combing the Z3 & Z2 threads because I am looking for an upgrade to my Moto X 2013 (Which BTW, I love... super signal, great SoT of 6.5 hrs, great GPS, splashproof with no flaps) because I get about 2~3% of battery drain per hour with the phone just sitting on the side of my desk doing nothing.
So after looking at the GSM Arena Battery list, the Z3 looks to have the looks and the battery, so it was my main candidate, except for all the faults I keep reading about.
Here they are in no specific order:
1- Random battery drains
2- Sudden shattered glass syndrome
3- WiFi connections issues
4- Not so waterproof manufacturing issues
I am a bit scared to invest the kind of money this phone will require, so I have tried to look for alternatives that may meet the great specs of the Z3. Phones like the Z2 which doesn't seem to have so many issues as the Z3 (and let's not talk about the Z3c or the Z3a with the VGA front camera), the Galaxy S5 (I really don't want to, really), the soon to be released M4 Aqua, or the Honor 6.
Any feedback is appreciated, because right now, the Z3 for me is like Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde... some people vouch the phone is a tank and others claim the phone is possesed to fail. I don't want to play lottery when buying a phone, I just want a good phone with great battery.
I take complaints about phones here seriously, but try to not let it cloud my view too much. You're honestly on a site of 1% ers... the 1% of people who really get into mobile devices and modding, flashing etc... I have the Z3 6603 and I absolutely love it. I've not tested it for water proofing, but I don't have any issues with the phone bending in my pocket, poor battery etc... I do have some issues with Bluetooth, but it's not a Sony thing, it's an android thing.
I have owned a lot of phones, among those three Sony's, and really I can't say anything else compares quality wise.
There's no guarantee, this is technology and it can be applied to everything else you buy, and its all luck. Ignore the stupid negative threads, as mentioned they only make up a small percentage of the overall. That said, I would wait till z3 neo is announced then get the z3/2 as those prices will drop
I have been using the Z3 (Tmobile) for about a month. Love the phone. Go for it. I have not experienced explosions and glass shrapnel or electrocution. You won't regret it.
I would say any problem can happen with any phone.
If you have a shattered back what happened to me once you are doomed by Sony as they don't repair it for you. But I have doubts others are more cooperative on that point so that's a general risk with glass.
Aside of that the Xperia is a really nice piece of design and hard- as well as software and yet the only (former) top model with dust and waterproof certification. You won't miss anything major.
As for the question of Z2 or Z3 it's rather a question if you need to spend an extra amount of money just to get the newest model on paper. By performance there's not a notable difference in daily use (and I have both next to me).
A sale just made things more difficult
So, both phones are on sale now, one from a big company so support should be better and includes for 60 Euro a 1 year damage warranty which should cover any sudden glass damage issue. The second from some small store... So the prices:
Z2 - 438 Euro with the extra damage protection for 1 year.
Z3 - 425 Euro with just regular warranty and a LOT of reported sudden glass damage issue.
It is a hard choice. Considering the glass issue, I am leaning towards the Z2 (which did have the glass issue, but seems to be a lot less these days).
The price for the Z3 is good, the additional warranty for the Z2 comes about 80 Euros... if really needed.

Thinking of moving from my S6 to the Z5 - current users, do you think it's worth it?

I'm mostly interested in good battery life, little to no lag, a good camer and a decent/good screen (not that interested in 4K).
All in all, it sounds like the Z5 is a very good choice.
What do you guys think?
Xperia Z5 hasn't been too good of an experience for me. It gets pretty warm even during light web browsing, battery life isn't up to par for me, and the display and the camera is definitely worse (in most areas) than the Galaxy S6. I'd say keep your Galaxy S6.
All the inverse for me...
Xz5 is a killer.
Better manufacture quality
More true color display and photo
Plus PSN synchro
Sent from my E6653 using XDA Free mobile app
1-1 .
The thing that gets to me with the S6 is the battery, and also the app lag after a while... :/ That's why I am thinking of moving on really.
Not got either but are you interested in waiting for the 820 phones in a few months?
I've had a lot of phones and this z5 is right up there as an oem phone (not rooted) Its the best I've had little things like battery percentage, clear all apps button, battery management tools all Inc I've mixed feelings because battery life isn't as good as my nexus was, but last day or so I've tinkered with stamina mode with the battery and that's made a big difference to me about 3 hrs 30 min screen on time yesterday and 30% left going to bed that's Bluetooth and wifi on all day it's not bad.. If you have a playstation the remote play is pretty awesome too, i've noticed playing some games it's gets a bit hot but not for long, if your a flashaholic with custom roms though you'll be a tad frustrated at the mo
Sent from my Sony Z5 ooossshhhh
King p1n said:
Not got either but are you interested in waiting for the 820 phones in a few months?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or that you are right.
Thing is, I am still within my Amazon return period and with less than 100 pounds more I could get the Z5 over the S6.
Question is, is it worth it?
The other thing to keep in mind is when you come to forums like this you usually only see posts about people with problems so it never paints a good picture the same can be said of any device, is it worth £100 more than your s6 not sure but defo worth considering
Sent from my Sony Z5 ooossshhhh
I'm doing just this. I have an AT&T S6, and I'm less then impressed with the battery life and the RAM management. I ordered the Z5 from expansys-usa.com hoping it works better for my needs (had a nexus 6 but it was a bit to big and my brother wanted it for Christmas.
I always liked the software on my Z Ultra, was way to big though.
I'm just waiting on it to get in now (few weeks di to the song to my location).
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
evak2979 said:
Or that you are right.
Thing is, I am still within my Amazon return period and with less than 100 pounds more I could get the Z5 over the S6.
Question is, is it worth it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I guess thats the beauty of Amazon, you could (Although tedious)
Return S6.
Buy Z5 and see If you like it If not return and rebuy S6?
I dunno lol.
Im tossing up between the Z5 and S6.
I don't think i can wait till next year, as I have a first gen Moto G
I can get the S6 for cheaper, Im not sure the Z5 is worth more with its hot 810.
Decisions will be made by the end of the month otherwise its going to be a tough few months surviving with lackluster Moto G
I've gone from the S6 to the Z5 and couldn't be happier.
Couldn't wait to get rid of the S6 and touchwiz, Christ I don't know what Samsung are thinking with that buggy battery sucking mess.
I (somehow) just downgraded from S6 to Z5, cause really cannot stand the S6 poor batt life.
I'm happy with Z5 camera speed, batt life but i really miss Samsung SideSync
Jumped from sammie i9205
used s6 and z5 or a week.
Winner - Z5
why? i like the design and battery.
You will read alot about problems with z5 but...
well i was samsung fan for many years.
Always was like" bleah wthell" when i was looking at xperia menu buttons.
- it turns out its not a waste of space -
its rly well designed and the buttons desaphere when they should and pop up back when they are needed. 3rd week - used it for games, browsing, google drive and office things, movies.
Its easier to hold z5 in 2 hands w/o pressing anything accidently. The space between screen and edge of phone is perfect for thumbs and the cam button - dmn i love it.
I always rooted / used roms for sammie phones. in Z5 - i unlocked it but than... well i stopped.
Yee yee u loose low light cam quality a little bit. i rly dont notice it. yea it piss me off that i lost some things from system ( even if i dont use them ).
Fingerprint scan is in a dmn good place. Took few days before i got used to new buttons locations.
Screen wont leave u with " hey mr pixel i see u there!" bad taste.
other things like specs and tests etc - are all over the place so i skip thatXD
( sorry for my bad eng
I'm also at the same boat as you, I currently using s6 edge for abt 3 monts now and I just received my Z5 dual 2 days ago. Just fyi I also have LG G4 which I use for ard 5 months. So my opinion will be based ard those 3 devices.
Well, I like the way Z5 handles, it feels balanced and easy to use one-handed, which strangely enough even my smaller s6edge is harder to use as my palm sometimes accidentally tap on the edge screen, and also the capacitive keys, where I believe both problems will not exist on regular s6.
I have a photography hobby, I use full-frame Nikon DSLR, but as they say, the best camera is the one in your pocket, which is my smartphone 99% of the time and the only thing holding me back is the camera quality on z5, when u compare side-by-size, then u zoomed in on the photos u will really notice how bad the image processing on the Z5, too many artifacts and the edges of the object is like its over sharpened, the result is quite similar to G4 but worse. S6 is much much better camera overall, clean pictures with minimal noise and great sharpness.
The worse part is it tends to affect people photos quite badly, which I use my smartphone to take pictures of most of the time, taking those precious moments of my 3yo, even when standing still the details is loss on z5, on the other hand G4 gets most details with most noise but S6 gets almost as much details as G4 without all the noise.
One more thing worth mentioning is that the time when u hit the shutter button until it actually captures the photos is quite slow, even in bright sunlight, I'm not sure whats happening there but I might try a factory reset to see if that helps. S6 is almost instant, while G4 is as fast as s6 in good light but when its not that bright it the worst of the three, it could take a full 2 seconds just to capture the photos.
I read from xda and some other sites that sony is planning on releasing new camera software with new UI, that is my last hope tbh, if that fixes the issue I'm having then I will definetely keep my Z5 as my primary phone. It doesnt have to get s6-quality but at least not this bad.
I'm using Rev.3 unit (stated on the box), some ppl get Rev.4 already which I also dont know what has improved. I'm also using the latest software which is 5.1.1 build no 32.0.A.6.152 model no E6683 (dual sim)
Tbh I will choose Z5 over s6 any day, I like everything about the Z5 over my s6edge / LG G4, well almost everything, the only single thing that holding me back is the picture quality, as I love photography and this is a huge compromise for me if I would choose the Z5.
Hope that helps your decision.
Keep experiences coming! Threads useful for somebody deciding between the S6 and Z5 also.
If only the 810 didnt ruin this years phones.
And if only the S6 had good battery.
Hows one handed use with the Z5? From dummy models the S6 would seem more comfortable, due to Z5's height.
What's the difference in rev on these phones mines only 5days old and days rev 2 I feel cheated lol
Sent from my Sony Z5 ooossshhhh
got rev 2. Was similar to u - felt cheated. but... after i checked forums it turns out that rev 2 had less problems copmpared to 3-4 but imo - dont even look at rev.
Probably its as important for u as case color for antutu score.
i did the move from S6 to Z5 and overall im disappointed so far
the device heat to much
camera is slow and software on z5 is slower and less polished then s6
battery life is disappointing compared to Z3 and its almost on par with s6
i hope sony will fix all of the problems in the upcoming android 6 upgrade
Never owned a Samsung phone but have owned several Sony phones. Very happy with the Z5.
I am on the same boat. I am just thinking of to jump to the Z5 from s6.
But I had a z3+ and that was very underperforming, hot, laggy Snap 810.
And I am afraid of this hot 810 again. I know, the z5 have pipes to drive away the heat. But dunno.....
S6 camera is awesome, and I have never met a person who could say the z5 is better regarding the whole camera. And this is a shame .
Also I have to notice, the Z3's 6.0 concept sw is very good. BUT that would be nice if we could test it on z5. It could help us to make our best choice.
S6's fast charging is awesome too, and I love S6's health app. Booting speed is fastest in android era.
I am not sure about Sony. Will they keep their phone business, and if NO, will they stop SW upgrades ?
S6's big disappointment is the LAGGY interface, wrong multitasking becouse of bad ram management, battery life is terrible. But I have to notice, z3+ had ALL this wrong things too, and that was 810 SNAPPY too.

The rise and fall of the K-Zoom

It's such a shame that the K Zoom never really took off. I owned one for about 6 months and loved it. I only changed it when the Note 4 was released. But during my time with the KZ I found the camera produced amazing photos with its 10X zoom and Xenon flash. The phone part was very capable too with a good sized high resolution screen, along with a decent amount of power. I also thought the price tag on this device was very reasonable too.
So why did it fail? Well I am guessing on a few theories. Firstly, maybe that it looked too much like the Galaxy S5 and although I personally don't think either the S5 or KZ look bad at all, a lot of people do. Samsung was getting a lot of criticism for their lack lustre designs and maybe it was released at the wrong time. Another theory would be that it was bulky. Though less so than its predecessor the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Maybe some weren't sure about a hybrid device, especially when cameras on phones in general were exceeding the quality of standalone cameras.
But I am a firm believer that one of the reasons these niche devices fail, is because Samsung just don't develop or support them once they are released. I mean development for their flagship phones doesn't exactly impress, so what chance does a less popular device get? Take the Galaxy Camera and the Galaxy Camera 2. Both great and revolutionary devices at the time but they just didn't get any proper updates. Both stuck on Jelly Bean and both having issues that a firmware upgrade could have cured. The K Zoom would have benefited from some firmware update love and an upgrade from KK 4.4.2 too was much needed.
I have always wanted to be able to afford to keep certain phones I buy in an archive. But due to the cost I tend to trade everything in to get the latest devices. If I had to choose which ones I would keep, then the K Zoom would be one of them. It is a great phone hybrid, it's a shame it didn't sell well and it's sad there is no successor in the pipeline.
So, why do you think the KZ didn't do so well?
I love the Kzoom - i will never be getting rid of it
I have a few fones , my main driver is zen2 4gb ram 64gb 64 bit SoC .
The kzoom is too luxurious to carry around , mainly for special events
The little development that has been, is enough for me -- its a special device and always will be in my eyes
The only fail is people just want the latest and thats not always the best !
Perhaps Samsung should consider aggressively supporting custom ROM development for the device?
I still use my KZ SM-C111 & take it everywhere I go, I think it's the best android smartphone ever. The only downside is no real support from Samsung.
I just wish anyone successfully make Lollipop Lite for KZ since it came with only 8GB capacity :crying:
it's big, it's heavy, it doesn't have enougth memory, the camera is not dust proof, the battery is too small, but I cannot find any other smartphone with a 10x zoom !
Hello, I really love my k zoom. The pictures are beautiful and the phone is absolutely not to heavy. Soon I can pick another phone but what about the motorola x style?
The fact its big and heavier than normal are exactly the reasons I was seriously considering getting one for my mum who has problems with her hands. The weight and size would be easier for her to hold, modern phones are too small and light that she would just drop them.
The fact its stuck on KitKat is a problem though as I worry about any security holes left in the OS due to no updates.
Love it!
:good:
I've got the K-Zoom from the time it just got out and love it.
The only thing that really suck is the way Samsung has been treating its customers with their crappy update policy but one cant blame the phone for that
The main reason the phone never really 'took off' is in my opinion:
Lack of publicity in Europe.
I havent met anyone in Europe who knew the phone. Everyone who sees it and whom I inform about its specs is interested. Especially in its camera's capability's. The huge lens that appears out of the phone amazes everyone as well as the quality of the pictures. Havent had any negative remarks about the looks or its weight. In fact I've had countless requests of people who wanted to buy it from me.
The name should have been S5 zoom to like the S4 zoom which was more of a camera that could make calls.
I only found out about the K-zoom after intensive search for a good camera phone. Most people don't take that time but after calling/messaging, making pictures/videos is the biggest thing on smartphones so the problem want lack of interest.
Sure there are better phones and better cameras but who wants to pack both all the time?
I love my K Zoom but I wish Samsung (or an XDA developer) would support Marshmallow on it and allow apps to be transferred to the SD card.
The K-Zoom is not dead...
It just has been copied:
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/08/31/first-look-hasselblad-camera-moto-mod/
ROTFL!
rin67630 said:
It just has been copied:
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/08/31/first-look-hasselblad-camera-moto-mod/
ROTFL!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
copied? its a moto mod not a phone unlike KZ.
I love my K Zoom
apprentice said:
It's such a shame that the K Zoom never really took off. I owned one for about 6 months and loved it. I only changed it when the Note 4 was released. But during my time with the KZ I found the camera produced amazing photos with its 10X zoom and Xenon flash. The phone part was very capable too with a good sized high resolution screen, along with a decent amount of power. I also thought the price tag on this device was very reasonable too.
So why did it fail? Well I am guessing on a few theories. Firstly, maybe that it looked too much like the Galaxy S5 and although I personally don't think either the S5 or KZ look bad at all, a lot of people do. Samsung was getting a lot of criticism for their lack lustre designs and maybe it was released at the wrong time. Another theory would be that it was bulky. Though less so than its predecessor the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Maybe some weren't sure about a hybrid device, especially when cameras on phones in general were exceeding the quality of standalone cameras.
But I am a firm believer that one of the reasons these niche devices fail, is because Samsung just don't develop or support them once they are released. I mean development for their flagship phones doesn't exactly impress, so what chance does a less popular device get? Take the Galaxy Camera and the Galaxy Camera 2. Both great and revolutionary devices at the time but they just didn't get any proper updates. Both stuck on Jelly Bean and both having issues that a firmware upgrade could have cured. The K Zoom would have benefited from some firmware update love and an upgrade from KK 4.4.2 too was much needed.
I have always wanted to be able to afford to keep certain phones I buy in an archive. But due to the cost I tend to trade everything in to get the latest devices. If I had to choose which ones I would keep, then the K Zoom would be one of them. It is a great phone hybrid, it's a shame it didn't sell well and it's sad there is no successor in the pipeline.
So, why do you think the KZ didn't do so well?
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I love my K Zoom. Was definitely not advertised enough/properly. After I Rooted my phone (My first Rooted phone) I was able to transfer all apps to the external 64gb SD & I mean all (Games, applications, etc)
The only reason that I want to change my phone is its lack of Mirrorlink support that my new vehicle has.
Great camera, good battery life
I even have my LG Optimus 3D because of its 3D camera & glasses free 3D content.
Its for keeps...
[email protected] said:
I love my K Zoom. Was definitely not advertised enough/properly. After I Rooted my phone (My first Rooted phone) I was able to transfer all apps to the external 64gb SD & I mean all (Games, applications, etc)
The only reason that I want to change my phone is its lack of Mirrorlink support that my new vehicle has.
Great camera, good battery life
I even have my LG Optimus 3D because of its 3D camera & glasses free 3D content.
Its for keeps...
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You are lucky if you can afford to keep them. I had a HTC Evo 3D and I loved it. But 3D never took off sadly, the novelty factor was awesome but like most novelties they fall out of favour. This is another phone I would like to have kept in my little phone museum!
rin67630 said:
It just has been copied:
http://www.droid-life.com/2016/08/31/first-look-hasselblad-camera-moto-mod/
ROTFL!
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I disagree. This is just a bolt on to a phone, it's not the true hybrid device of the K-Zoom or S4 Zoom. It looks like Samsung don't have plans to produce another phone like this (though you never know)
G33RT. said:
:good:
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Lack of publicity in Europe.
I havent met anyone in Europe who knew the phone. Everyone who sees it and whom I inform about its specs is interested. Especially in its camera's capability's.
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Here I am from Rome, I quote everything you say. Now I'm just waiting my other phone (P9) to come back from service due to a broken (insured) glass and I'll send there my KZoom to change and clean the lens. This is the only drawback of such a good phone and such an extraordinary camera (I took some wonderful night pictures in Pisa, couldn't believe my eyes). As soon as it will be back I will root it and try to swap memorys.
Salva con nome said:
Here I am from Rome, I quote everything you say. Now I'm just waiting my other phone (P9) to come back from service due to a broken (insured) glass and I'll send there my KZoom to change and clean the lens. This is the only drawback of such a good phone and such an extraordinary camera (I took some wonderful night pictures in Pisa, couldn't believe my eyes). As soon as it will be back I will root it and try to swap memorys.
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I recently damaged my screen with some water. Got me a S5 mini. These are rather cheap and are quite good actually as well as water resist
Its 8mp cam doesn't perform al that bad but it doesn't compare to the K-zoom which i'm definitely going to get fixed!
Our K-zooms are going to be collectors items since there have only been made and sold few of them i believe :good:
Samsung K Zoom was the king once
Bought this phone (CM 115) for my wife the other day since it was on special and she has always wanted one ever since it was released almost two years back. She absolutely loves her new K Zoom and it's so sad to see how such a powerful phone camera is being ignored by it's developer Samsung.
This phone is amazing with how smoothly it integrates with that camera on board. Just also hope that one day there might be a little bit of something coming from Samsung for this phone in terms of OS that might make this phone more current.
I too own the Galaxy K Zoom, it's a bit...damaged - but otherwise works fine
Got it super cheap due to the digitizer being cracked near the bottom, and thought it was the greatest thing ever with that massive camera!
Played around with it for a while and yeah, it's a great phone with reasonable specs, looks like an S5 (Which never bothered me), and was the perfect blend of a "Camera Phone".
For use as a phone - perfect. In your hands it feels just like that era of Samsung Devices, then go into Camera Mode and it becomes like one of Samsungs flagship cameras. It's amazing how that switch is so well thought out.
Hex-Core, 2GB RAM, 4G/LTE etc. At first I thought it has to be more powerful, logically than the S5 but I think I maybe wrong.
Probably due to being on 4.4.2 and my S5 being on 6.0.1, there's a noticeable difference in speed and all that. The S5 is snappy whereas the K Zoom is a bit laggy.
Camera - I used it a lot for some great photos of close ups of electronics, PCBs etc. Then I kind of got a little iffy with the battery draining quick when taking a decent amount of photos and with the whole phone getting pretty warm and went to my S5 again and was happy with it.
So for 6 months it's been in my DroidDraw, (I have a lot of unusual Android based phones in there) and this was hidden at the side along with my other camera based phones like my HTC Evo 3D and Sharp Aquos 3D Camera phone (SH16?), anyway, got the K Zoom out and really made me think why did this phone fail. It is a great phone but for consumers, being bulky, looking like a reused design, an old OS etc. I think it all attributed to it becoming just one of those fad phones.
Whatever, I appreciate it for what it is. Samsung need to do another phone mix up one day. They can do it. Just need the demands for it I suppose.
So nobody made Lolipop for this phone ? How come ?

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