[Q] Talk me out of getting a G Flex 2 - LG G Flex 2

So we've all read and watched review after review of the laggy, thermal throttling, flop of a device the G Flex 2 is. Nonetheless, I'm still interested in this device, and I do not know why. Maybe because I enjoy tinkering and using tech that others don't. Maybe because reading some owners' reviews here seem to paint a different picture.
Are you happy with this device and feel a lot of the issues were addressed?
The only thing holding me back is the total lack of a dev community. This seems to be held up by a current un-unlockable bootloader, correct? I really don't like skinned Android, but have honestly never used LG's skin before. If a CM or stock port could be guaranteed I think I'd pull the trigger on this.
Thoughts?

dimex said:
So we've all read and watched review after review of the laggy, thermal throttling, flop of a device the G Flex 2 is. Nonetheless, I'm still interested in this device, and I do not know why. Maybe because I enjoy tinkering and using tech that others don't. Maybe because reading some owners' reviews here seem to paint a different picture.
Are you happy with this device and feel a lot of the issues were addressed?
The only thing holding me back is the total lack of a dev community. This seems to be held up by a current un-unlockable bootloader, correct? I really don't like skinned Android, but have honestly never used LG's skin before. If a CM or stock port could be guaranteed I think I'd pull the trigger on this.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are no guarantees but I am happy with my choice. I use the us model which has 3 GB of ram. Never even had one stutter. It also does not get very warm like my nexus 6 did. The only downfall I have is being on at&t I will likely never see an update.
Sent from my LG-H950 using XDA Premium HD app

Well, here it goes..
First of all, I have H955 version ( 16gb/2gb).
A couple of days ago , I read that a 5.1.1 update is starting to roll out, which is pretty great, taking the fact that many MANY other devices are still on 4.4 and 5.0. That said, a user that got the update , said that now we have an option for OEM unlock, which is a step closer for getting custom roms ( at least, I think ). Also, update also brings some under the hood optimizations , such is less buggy home and lower temperature while using the phone.
Now, my opinions with the current 5.0.1 - and you have to believe me on this - I have no lags. At all. Those slow downs are just not there - luncher gets reset sometimes after using chrome, and the phone gets hotter when using it for a long period of time, but other than that.. Phone works awesome, apps open instantly, launcher is not buggy etc..
Next the heating issue - it is only there when I play games, browse in chrome for some time (although, sometimes faster , after 2,3 minutes of browsing - dont know why).
The screen - this is very IMPORTANT . Some users, like me, have yellow spots on display when there is a grey background - only visible on that and maybe some greyish bcgrnds AND with brightness turned to 0%.. A say this is important because it can be annoying from time to time - IF YOU CAN SEE IT! Some users have no such issue (if it is an issue). It is a part of production process etc etc etc.
To summarize - I like my g flex 2 . You can see that from all the above. It is great looking, fast phone with great camera. What else is there not to like? It is a personal preference though. There are many great phones out there, like the upcoming LG G4, SG Note 4, HTC OneM9 and many other phones. If you ask me , I would always choose flex 2, and with the upcoming 5.1 android (I cant wait for it) it is a win. I am aware that many users are reporting lags and issues with the phone but I dont have them.
Take your time. Take in consideration , for example , new LG G4. Talk to someone else who has this phone. But in the end, dont let someone convince you in to buying any phone - you will be using it, and you will have to live with its pros and cons. Big text, I know, live long and prosper.

And I think the same way. Is it possible that the G Flex 2 so bad? I have a G3 with CM based rom and I am very pleased with it. But the design of the G Flex 2 like very much. Weak development support for it worries me and if so I'll probably have to skip it.

dimex said:
So we've all read and watched review after review of the laggy, thermal throttling, flop of a device the G Flex 2 is. Nonetheless, I'm still interested in this device, and I do not know why. Maybe because I enjoy tinkering and using tech that others don't. Maybe because reading some owners' reviews here seem to paint a different picture.
Are you happy with this device and feel a lot of the issues were addressed?
The only thing holding me back is the total lack of a dev community. This seems to be held up by a current un-unlockable bootloader, correct? I really don't like skinned Android, but have honestly never used LG's skin before. If a CM or stock port could be guaranteed I think I'd pull the trigger on this.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can, i suggest that you wait 2-3 months. Not only for price drop but to see how the other 810 phones settle down. If you read reviews of other810 phones and check their performance all seem to suffer fron the same problems. For example xiaomi mi note pro, nubia z9,htc m9, even oneplus 2. If you like big dev community oneplus 2 is your choise.
I personally bought flex2 because we had in greece a big discount for only one day 300euro unlocked. If i had missed the discount i would have waited 2-3 months

dimex said:
So we've all read and watched review after review of the laggy, thermal throttling, flop of a device the G Flex 2 is. Nonetheless, I'm still interested in this device, and I do not know why. Maybe because I enjoy tinkering and using tech that others don't. Maybe because reading some owners' reviews here seem to paint a different picture.
Are you happy with this device and feel a lot of the issues were addressed?
The only thing holding me back is the total lack of a dev community. This seems to be held up by a current un-unlockable bootloader, correct? I really don't like skinned Android, but have honestly never used LG's skin before. If a CM or stock port could be guaranteed I think I'd pull the trigger on this.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me this is my 6th phone in one year so I can compare pretty good.
I must say it is not a bad phone. Have some lag here and there but it is manageable. It is not that smooth as an oneplus one for instance.
The heating is there, don't expect to play games for long, as the heating eats the battery.
General Battery performance is ok, I have there no complaints.
I also like the camera it is one of the best I used so far.
I think this is a solid phone but the standard price is just to high. If you pay the full price I would not go for the Flex. For that money you are better of with a more standard phone like the G4. It is more reliable and will get more attention during the years.
I got my for 400USD, for that I think it is okay, but still not that good value as an oneplus one.
Sent from my LG-H955 using XDA Forums

I really love mine although I had my problems with it at first. Mine had a tendency to thermal throttle fairly easily but even then it was quite fast and smooth. After adding a copper shim and modifying the thermal configuration file I like it a lot more. Although it wasn't slow before it's now even smoother and faster. I have the AT&T 3GB version which seems to not suffer from the kind of lag the 2GB version initially had. I'm also really impressed at how many apps I can open without them closing in the background. Battery life is about the same as my Galaxy S4 with a 3000mah battery. It really depends on what you do. It has great standby time but if you push it really hard like a complex 3d game it may not be so great. On normal use I get about 4 to 5 hours of on screen time. Mine also came with light yellowish tint that really wasn't very obvious unless I had a white or grey background. I still asked AT&T for a replacement and the new one came with a much even toned display and no more yellow.

dimex said:
So we've all read and watched review after review of the laggy, thermal throttling, flop of a device the G Flex 2 is. Nonetheless, I'm still interested in this device, and I do not know why. Maybe because I enjoy tinkering and using tech that others don't. Maybe because reading some owners' reviews here seem to paint a different picture.
Are you happy with this device and feel a lot of the issues were addressed?
The only thing holding me back is the total lack of a dev community. This seems to be held up by a current un-unlockable bootloader, correct? I really don't like skinned Android, but have honestly never used LG's skin before. If a CM or stock port could be guaranteed I think I'd pull the trigger on this.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best thing to do is wait a bit if you can, just to see if development picks up.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Ya, this phone interested me for some reason.
I'll keep checking back.

My 50 cent's
G3 is a little smaller with same screen size, a lot better resolution (i can see pixels on G Flex2 from close distance) on a nearly half the price, so it is up to You
P.S.
G3 is looking better (but this is personal teist)
P.P.S.
I have G3 and from 2 days is using Flex2

I love the Flex 2. it's a great phone. i am using it since release in Germany and in the first two weeks it gets very fast very hot, but since an update everything is fine. Great battery life, a lot of Power. But if i can change it, i would pick the 3GB RAM model

I dont have the phone either so im in the same boat as you. I would wait for the g4 to come out not just because its going to be an amazing phone. But if lg is using some unlockable bootloader they will probably use it on the g4 as well and if that happens it will get unlocked much faster since its a flag ship. With any luck then that can be applied to the g flex and cm for all.

TheAxiks said:
I love the Flex 2. it's a great phone. i am using it since release in Germany and in the first two weeks it gets very fast very hot, but since an update everything is fine. Great battery life, a lot of Power. But if i can change it, i would pick the 3GB RAM model
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have the 2gb ddr4 version. The 3gb version has ddr3 or ddr4?

kutulu32 said:
I also have the 2gb ddr4 version. The 3gb version has ddr3 or ddr4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't think the Snapdragon 810 could use anything but DDR4. Honestly I don't think there's a way to tell but considering how much the 3GB version costs as well I would assume it does have DDR4.

you are probably right! I just couldn't confirm it 100% the reason that the difference doesn't show up in benchmarks maybe be fault in memory controller. lol

I got a really good price for the phone so I'm biased. That being said I did go for the phone because of the design itself and it's not a choice that I regret.
For the first couple of days having the phone I did experience the overheating issue. I tend to back up my devices and reset them often and in this case I found that a full factory restore solved the overheating issue.
As for the lag it's noticeable from time to time if you have multiple things going on at once like playing a game while downloading files while streaming music.
As stated earlier with the g4 right around the corner I was certainly wait and see how that one pans out giving its going to have that much better of a system on the inside, and possibly the ability to use custom roms, which I do miss.
Sent from my LGLS996 using XDA Free mobile app

I had the LS996 (32GB/2GB) version of G Flex 2. It is freakin terrible. If I wasn't so busy this past month, I would've traded it in. It was so bad that I spent a hundred dollars and got a GS5. Even after the ZV5 update and the thermal and hotplug mods I've made, it still over heated, froze, and lagged... I called it quits when I started having to do a force shut down (holding the power button until the phone turns off).

I have the 32GB / 2GB model. In my experience, the screen is a little grainy, but I'm fine with it. With the latest 10d update, the phone is a lot cooler, although it will still thermal throttle after some usage. Performance is a lot better as well, but it still can be improved. It continues to freeze in Chrome, so I use the stock web browser that comes with it. When the phone is hot, browsing through menus becomes sluggish and slow, something I really hope they will fix. Battery life is okay, but when you start playing games, or do any processor intensive stuff, it becomes real bad. (Probably the Snapdragon 810's fault) Camera photos are a little washed out, not as sharp as other phone cameras out there, but it produces very vibrant colours. Focusing is a little slow at times, laser focus not working too well, especially up close to an object. The self-healing back isn't doing a very good job. Just being in my pocket (with nothing else) and placing the phone on some tables, it has collected up many scratches. Screen brightness doesn't go very low, so I use an app called Lux to take care of that.
The Dual Window feature is limited to certain apps, unlike Samsung's Multi-Window, but at least it's there. QSlide is useless for me, and so is Quick Memo. Knockcode, on the other hand, is nice to have, very convenient to unlock the phone with one hand. But if you happen to use face unlock, it might interfere with knock code, and you might end up just locking the phone by using the double tap feature, since the phone unlocks when you are still knocking the code.
It's still running Android 5.0.1, so I hope all of this can change with the 5.1 update or when Android M gets released in the future.
I got this phone, because I wanted to try something new. It's a curved screen that can bend, of course it would catch my eye. Even hearing about all the overheating problems, I decided to invest in this two years journey with this phone. Overall, I regretted, an S6 is a better choice in my opinion, it runs a lot better. But if you are all-in for the curved screen, I suggest you wait a while more to see how this phone performs in future updates.

Kidsnd274 said:
I have the 32GB / 2GB model. In my experience, the screen is a little grainy, but I'm fine with it. With the latest 10d update, the phone is a lot cooler, although it will still thermal throttle after some usage. Performance is a lot better as well, but it still can be improved. It continues to freeze in Chrome, so I use the stock web browser that comes with it. When the phone is hot, browsing through menus becomes sluggish and slow, something I really hope they will fix. Battery life is okay, but when you start playing games, or do any processor intensive stuff, it becomes real bad. (Probably the Snapdragon 810's fault) Camera photos are a little washed out, not as sharp as other phone cameras out there, but it produces very vibrant colours. Focusing is a little slow at times, laser focus not working too well, especially up close to an object. The self-healing back isn't doing a very good job. Just being in my pocket (with nothing else) and placing the phone on some tables, it has collected up many scratches. Screen brightness doesn't go very low, so I use an app called Lux to take care of that.
The Dual Window feature is limited to certain apps, unlike Samsung's Multi-Window, but at least it's there. QSlide is useless for me, and so is Quick Memo. Knockcode, on the other hand, is nice to have, very convenient to unlock the phone with one hand. But if you happen to use face unlock, it might interfere with knock code, and you might end up just locking the phone by using the double tap feature, since the phone unlocks when you are still knocking the code.
It's still running Android 5.0.1, so I hope all of this can change with the 5.1 update or when Android M gets released in the future.
I got this phone, because I wanted to try something new. It's a curved screen that can bend, of course it would catch my eye. Even hearing about all the overheating problems, I decided to invest in this two years journey with this phone. Overall, I regretted, an S6 is a better choice in my opinion, it runs a lot better. But if you are all-in for the curved screen, I suggest you wait a while more to see how this phone performs in future updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the dual window there is a mod if you check the android developement thread. It needs editing build. prop. It works ok as far as i experienced.

kutulu32 said:
For the dual window there is a mod if you check the android developement thread. It needs editing build. prop. It works ok as far as i experienced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, was using it until the 10d update. There seems to be a problem during the rooting process after the update, so I can't use the mod now.

Related

i was almost decided to buy sgs2 but i found this :(

Hi everyone? How is it goiing? Its me again, sorry for bothering.. i made a thread a week ago to receive an opinion between atrix 2 and sgs2, everyone told me that sgs2 was the best choice, the day before to buy it i found the next issues that are common in sgs2:
-Very bad Battery Life
-Overheating problem
-Yellow thint in the left superior corner in low brightness
-Green tint when white color is present and you watch it from up, left, down and right sides but its perfect looking at it straight over the display
-pink spot in the centre of the camera in white scenes and low light conditions
-blue tint in camera when night mode is on
-laggy 1080p recording in low lights conditions
-buggy stock firmware that makes the device reboot itsefl and crash.
So.. what now? I dont have much time to change it millions of times, its frustrating, i thought i found what i needed.. so now i dont know what to do.. probably i should wait with my defy until a newer device comes out, what you think?
Thanks for your time, best regards from Argentina.
Well if you don't want to risk it then don't.
However I will say the sgs 2 and is the best android phone you could get and most if not all of those issues are minor, you will not face or may be fixed. Cuz if they were major, I'd have returned this phone already or intentionally break it.
$1 gets you a reply
Yeah i know .. i know their are minor issues, i just hate the technical services centres, they are too far and let you waiting a couple weeks.. Otherwise atrix is not officialy in my country, a seller who often travells to the usa brought many unbranded and sim free atrix origonally from at&t and it is crazy overpriced (800 dollards) and the galaxy s2 is better, cheaper because of the carrier block and 2 year official warranty. Are you experiencing some of the issues i mentioned before?
I've been trying to decide if i should get the SGS2 recently as well, except my problem is deciding if i should wait for SGS3 or Nexus, but from extensive research on SGS2 i can tell you a couple things..
SGS2 is gonna have far better developer support
Some of the issues you're reading about may be only a few people, I've heard good results with battery life for SGS2, but remember any phone with a decent sized screen is going to suffer from poor battery life
Atrix hardware just isn't comparable and is more expensive, unless you're really attached to getting the lapdock
if there's a software issue with the SGS2 it's pretty much certain that its known and there at the very least 1 fix for it.
personally I had this debate when i got my captivate, and it took me one look at motoblur (the interface that motorola puts over stock android) for me to make my decision, i can honestly say i hate motoblur.
there are always going to be little problems with both phones, the new atrix just came out so people haven't really had time to discover ever little flaw but that doesn't mean they're not there.
SGS2 has better hardware, and personally i hate motoblur so SGS2 wins on the software side too. And SGS2 developers are incredible here on XDA so you will have access to all the tech support you could ever dream of. To me its a no brainer (unless your attached to getting the dock for the atrix).
I suggest you go to a store, play with both phones as they have quite a quite different feel to them, and just pick the one you like more, they will both work just fine I'm sure. From experience I can tell you that you'll just drive yourself crazy researching. Good luck
Hi there! SGS2 user here. Here's my mixed bag of complaints and thumbs up's
1. Amazing codec support. It can play almost all files that I throw at it, may it be anime in MKV format, youtube HD, HD Video projects rendered from Sony Vegas Pro, etc! It's good for on the go anime and when I need to show my video projects to others. Best of all, it has USB Mass Storage: no pesky itunes or mandatory video reformatting. Just plug and mount, copy and paste, simple.
2. Screen is a mixed bag as well. On the positive side, it's big, bright, and just looks stunning. Also, when the pixel is black, it really is black in the sense that when i am displaying white text on black background, no matter how much the brightness is set to, only the white text brightens and the black backgrounds stay the same. This is the nature of Super Amoled. But the thing with Super Amoled is, it's power-hungry. Yes, when you use black backgrounds, you save more battery because the black pixels are off. Well not really off, but almost off. The problem is that most websites and most movies are not black all the time. On the average, I can get 3 hours max of compounded screen on time per charge. Also, since Amoled is oled or organic lead, the pixels lose brightness pretty fast. Mine's about 3 months old and i can already notice some pixels that are not as bright as the others when displaying a solid color. Take note though that this is only visible IN EXTREMELY LOW BRIGHTNESS. I use an app called screen filter to lower the brightness way beyond the screen can take. Also, black crush (google it, to lazy to explain) happens when in extremely low brightness levels. Last thing, MHL is the technology the SGS2 uses for TV-out. It's actually TV-out and power in, meaning you need to plug in your charger for it to pump out video. Theoretically, this is done so that when you watch video, you can charge your phone. The thing is, the screen is so power hungry that your battery even depletes even when you are plugged in.
NOTE: I easily solved this batter problem by purchasing
1. An extra battery
2. A samsung external charger/phone stand
http://www.ebay.ph/itm/NEW-SAMSUNG-...AU_MobilePhoneAccessories&hash=item19c9ec5e32
3. Yes, it gets hot especially when playing intensive games like Dungeon defenders or when watching a movie through tv-out. But hey, it's really thin, so I'm not surprised the heat can reach my hands.
4. 99.9% lag free. Really, I've never owned a phone as lag free as this, even on stock. This has got to be the speediest phone i've owned.
5. About the tints: well, I don't really experience them since i've installed a custom rom. Or maybe I don't have a trained enough eye. Overall, I like the screen.
6. I don't record 1080p video mainly because the image gets cropped. It's a hardware limitation, AFAIK. Nonetheless, I'm satisfied with 720p. Actually, since I own a DSLR, all phone videos and images look crap to me, but hey, the SGS2 images and video still look nice. AND THE FLASH IS QUITE POWERFULL TOO, very bright for night time video.
For any more questions, feel free to ask.
Thats one of the reason by wich i love xda, veru fast and usefull replies thanks you guys for wasting time to help! And it really drove me crazy, searching, looking for fixes. Reviews, agh, damn, i spent the entire week deciding, even on work lol i'm a sick of mobile technology, smarthphones are my passion and i spent much time reading threads like this. So .. it heats because of hungry display and powerful processor, battery drains because of display, and of course it would be fine in 720p.. i think i'll take the risk, i cant die without trying SGS2! I'll use the entire functions before the 10 days that my carrier gives to exchange it for a new one in case of factory defects, i hope there is no issuees, wish me look!! Thanks you all! I'll notice you when i get home with it.. does the camera suffer the pink issue? Whatever, here i go sgs2
Since day 1 I specifically tested for the pink issue but couldn't produce it. But other users have it too but are saying its been fixed through the new camera firmware, so all in all you won't get it or it will be fixed.
$1 gets you a reply
previously I apologize if I am wrong opinion
I also compare between atrix, sgs2 and Optimus 2x and finally I decided to buy the Optimus 2x
please note that no single man-made is perfect, there must have been the weakness behind it
so I can only give encouragement to you in order not to regret what you buy
sgs2 also have more side than the other handhelds
you can optimize your handheld to fit your needs
you try to thread sgs2 visit there you will find all the advantages of which have been optimized sgs2
i`m sorry, i can`t speak english well
Well, Galaxy R is cheaper and has a better GPU. And its pretty decent handset.
Sent from my Galaxy Ace running J.A.F CM 7.2 Odexed using XDA App
i have an atrix 2, and while i like the design, look and feel of the phone, and most importantly to me, the way it interacts with the car dock, i will say it has it's share of issues.
i cannot get the emails to stop syncing, even with the accounts set to fetch manually
settings menus are just confusing, you can change the same setting in 2-3 different places
even though the phone state 8gb internal memory, this is not true. it is not accessible to the user, you basically get 5gb of app storage. you are then given a 2gb sdcard to fit your pics, music, videos, lol
people are having a lot of sdcard read/write problems
apps2sd renders the sdcard useless
the camera absolutely sucks. takes forever to focus on anything, then snaps, wait... wait... wait... oh, it's blurry
even though it's not a blur phone, it has an ass-ton of blur apps running. freezing some works, but, i found that the blur and social network integration is so intertwined with system apps that you will get a lot of force closes on system apps when you freeze a lot of the services
there is a device health monitor service that runs, and runs gps 100% of the time, killing the battery. you can freeze this, but if you were like me and purchase the phone in hopes of getting away from having to hack and mod a phone to get it to run the way it was supposed to, your screwed.
the gallery app sucks
the music app sucks
you can hear yourself in call on the ear piece, which is oddly annoying
some of the atrix 2 devices have the infamous nexus s bug where the screen goes wonky sometimes while plugged in
bootloader is on lock down
there's no development happening at all
i'm actually at the point of exchanging it, i have 8 days left on my 30 day return period and i'm looking at getting the samsung focus s since there's nothing else worth having at that price point.
but don't get me wrong, not all atrix 2's are having these issues, and it is a good looking device and runs rather smoothly. the accessories, while expensive, are really cool too.
Well first of all i should assume the fact that nothing is perfect, i think i'm becoming a bit perfeccionist, but hey, when we spent some money in buying something we have a too big spectation! And when we find this little issues we say, damn, i wasn't expecting that! It's not working like it should.. Thanks svtfmook for the Atrix opinion, is the first i read and i think that Motorola focuses in Elegancy of the desing and high quality hardware handsets.. Otherwise Samsung has their own processor, the exynos chipset, and focus on the display, the functionality.. whatever.. Comparing the opinions, i think i should get the Galaxy S2 and stop complaining about those little issues.. I think its fine, i can live with it.. i admit i love the way that galaxy s2 do the things faster, i saw many reviews and i said, wow! What a Phone, just like neilbantoc says, The sharp and bright display and the speedy processor are battery hungry .. I think it won't worth waiting either, o don't think that the next phones will be far different to SGS2.. on 10th december i'll go for it, i'll see it how it works and everything and i think i'll fall un love.. Thanks you all, and its a honor for me to be a member and talk with you guys in XDA, its a great forum and i apreciate your patience to explain, there's no forum like this in Argentina, i'll promise next time i will speak english a bit better, sorry haha, take care

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").
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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

Current feelings on the phone?

Although the phone hasn't been out for too long I feel like having the phone for 2 weeks can give someone an idea on how it still performs, how the apps run, memory management, all the good stuff!
My question does the phone perform sluggish to you?
Is it as scratch resistant as you thought the phone would be?
Are there any major dislikes on the phone after having it for a while?
I want to see how you guys have been experiencing the phone so far
XjokiX7 said:
Although the phone hasn't been out for too long I feel like having the phone for 2 weeks can give someone an idea on how it still performs, how the apps run, memory management, all the good stuff!
My question does the phone perform sluggish to you?
Is it as scratch resistant as you thought the phone would be?
Are there any major dislikes on the phone after having it for a while?
I want to see how you guys have been experiencing the phone so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bought the phone for my wife. She is coming from a Nexus 5. The main drawback is that I bought one from China and there are tons of Chinese apps and various notifications and apps that you need to disable if you go this route. I will wait a while though to see if there is a way to convert it to the EU rom. I heard about a tool that does it for some other Huawei phones so it may come sooner or later.
That being said; EMUI 4.x is not that awesome although the EMUI 5 beta clips that I have seen make it seem as though they are working towards a more stock looking experience. Performance of the phone is GREAT! It's super smooth and I haven't seen it lag once. When gaming the phone barely gets warm. The screen looks pretty nice. It actually seems a bit better than my G3 (my G3 is definitely a hot laggy mess now days though). I already put a tempered glass protector on the front and back so I am not worried about scratches. I miss wireless charging, but fast charging is awesome! Wake up and plug the phone in and you are at 100% before it's time to head out.
The only real dislike (from my wife's perspective) is that she does not care for all of the "extra" apps from Huawei (again on the Chinese variant), but that's relatively minor.

returning the LGv20...

I feel like this phone is a great phone for a small audience.. And that's for music lovers.. Other than that this phone is actually pretty bad... The camera is useless with all the grain.. The screen is horrible at night it bleeds out so much.. The UI is disgusting.. And OMG THE LAG IS ABSURD.. How they released a phone thats constatly lagging..
Tbh very disappointed I have never returned a phone in my life. And I buy almost every phone that's release... Now I have no option to switch to iphone 7 until I can find a pixel xl for a good deal...
T-Mobile 918h
Is this a joke? This phone is smooth as butter especially compared to the v10, you're either running it with a poorly performing sdcard or you've got a defect.
UI is disgusting? What it's like every other freaking phone. There are plenty of 3rd party launchers to change it as you see fit.
Camera I am unsure of since I haven't really used it much yet but I am sure its not horrible like you're claiming.
Either way good luck with whatever phone you choose next. I am being sincere if my phone was like that I'd change too but mine has been good so far.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
evo4g63t said:
Is this a joke? This phone is smooth as butter especially compared to the v10, you're either running it with a poorly performing sdcard or you've got a defect.
UI is disgusting? What it's like every other freaking phone. There are plenty of 3rd party launchers to change it as you see fit.
Camera I am unsure of since I haven't really used it much yet but I am sure its not horrible like you're claiming.
Either way good luck with whatever phone you choose next. I am being sincere if my phone was like that I'd change too but mine has been good so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever used a stock android phone such as a pixel or a nexus?..
egren58 said:
I feel like this phone is a great phone for a small audience.. And that's for music lovers.. Other than that this phone is actually pretty bad... The camera is useless with all the grain.. The screen is horrible at night it bleeds out so much.. The UI is disgusting.. And OMG THE LAG IS ABSURD.. How they released a phone thats constatly lagging..
Tbh very disappointed I have never returned a phone in my life. And I buy almost every phone that's release... Now I have no option to switch to iphone 7 until I can find a pixel xl for a good deal...
T-Mobile 918h
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just explaining my experience owning the phone since October so that you have more info about its capability.
Are you on a stock phone?
The rooting process and custom roms have allowed Dev's to fix many of the issues that existed on stock.
Lag? Mine is fast as sh*t. I came from the note 4 with one of the best custom roms (tx_dbs_tx) and this phone is much faster.
I'm on OvrDrive's rom and couldn't be happier. The latest update has the camera working faster and taking exceptional pictures. Better than my note 4.
Yes, the screen is not a sammy. When we are able to integrate kcal it will be close. I had kcal on an early rom version that really made the screen look good. Unfortunately, we have had problems with modifying the kernel, but I believe it is only a matter of time until it can be done safely.
I'm using a custom theme which looks great, especially at night. I don't spend a lot of time looking at my phone in a pitch black room, so I rarely see the bleed. This is the price you pay for a second screen, which I really like. I wouldn't trade the second screen for a phone without the second screen just to lose the bleed which I only see .01% of the time.
I got my wife an S7 edge. It is stock. Other than the great sammy screen, there is nothing that would make me consider trading my V20. I have so much more control over my phone than hers and can do much more.
If you are on stock, then maybe that is the problem. Rooted with a custom rom is great. If you aren't willing to go down that road, then, yes you should switch.
androiddiego said:
Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just explaining my experience owning the phone since October so that you have more info about its capability.
Are you on a stock phone?
The rooting process and custom roms have allowed Dev's to fix many of the issues that existed on stock.
Lag? Mine is fast as sh*t. I came from the note 4 with one of the best custom roms (tx_dbs_tx) and this phone is much faster.
I'm on OvrDrive's rom and couldn't be happier. The latest update has the camera working faster and taking exceptional pictures. Better than my note 4.
Yes, the screen is not a sammy. When we are able to integrate kcal it will be close. I had kcal on an early rom version that really made the screen look good. Unfortunately, we have had problems with modifying the kernel, but I believe it is only a matter of time until it can be done safely.
I'm using a custom theme which looks great, especially at night. I don't spend a lot of time looking at my phone in a pitch black room, so I rarely see the bleed. This is the price you pay for a second screen, which I really like. I wouldn't trade the second screen for a phone without the second screen just to lose the bleed which I only see .01% of the time.
I got my wife an S7 edge. It is stock. Other than the great sammy screen, there is nothing that would make me consider trading my V20. I have so much more control over my phone than hers and can do much more.
If you are on stock, then maybe that is the problem. Rooted with a custom rom is great. If you aren't willing to go down that road, then, yes you should switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am rooted. I have had the phone for about 10 days. I am on weta rom.. Is just I feel like this phone is phone is not the android experience I am used to.. I used the s7edge as well and did not like it either.. I am more of stock android. And I am starting to realize why people refuse to use anything but stock android.. I have had zero used for the second screen yeah it looks nice and I can see someone use it. But not me.. And the camera is. Really bad like dammed I think the nexus 6p takes netter pics. Selfies look like you have makeup.. Even with beauty turned off. AGAIN THIS IS MU EXPERIENCE.. Is my device defective?. Idk but highly doubt it.
I understand with the camera. I came from the v10 (also tmobile) and I can't figure out why the camera on the v20 takes such blurry/water color grainy what ever you call it pictures sometimes. Still hoping it's a software fix because the hardware is there. Should be at least as good as the v10 if not better... And it's not.
As for lag, I don't get it. Mine was smooth and fast for a while but now it lags sometimes. Open a text and count to 5 while I wait to see when it feels like actually popping up.
Sometimes I'm typing and waiting for the letters to pop up.
Ugh.
I wonder if it could be blamed on my SD card... It's the 200gb card that came with the v10.
I use SwiftKey keyboard. Never had a problem with lag before so I don't think it's the keyboard's fault.
My v10 was doing the same thing with the stock text messaging app and it wasn't even set to save anything so I don't think it had to do with large files or anything.
I set it up as new so I didn't bring a bunch of junk from my other phone and I don't really have all that many apps. I don't use the Facebook app and I don't have any problems at all with battery draining. The battery is awesome!
But I do wish I could figure out the lag. It doesn't make any sense that it should take so much time to open up my text messages. I would be tempted to blame it on the fact that I told it not to delete them anymore but like I said, the V10 was doing it and that one was deleting everything all the time!
I have costumized every aspects to get as close as to what I am used to and no luck at all.. I really tried to give this phone shot.. But just not for me..
planetbeen said:
I understand with the camera. I came from the v10 (also tmobile) and I can't figure out why the camera on the v20 takes such blurry/water color grainy what ever you call it pictures sometimes. Still hoping it's a software fix because the hardware is there. Should be at least as good as the v10 if not better... And it's not.
As for lag, I don't get it. Mine was smooth and fast for a while but now it lags sometimes. Open a text and count to 5 while I wait to see when it feels like actually popping up.
Sometimes I'm typing and waiting for the letters to pop up.
Ugh.
I wonder if it could be blamed on my SD card... It's the 200gb card that came with the v10.
I use SwiftKey keyboard. Never had a problem with lag before so I don't think it's the keyboard's fault.
My v10 was doing the same thing with the stock text messaging app and it wasn't even set to save anything so I don't think it had to do with large files or anything.
I set it up as new so I didn't bring a bunch of junk from my other phone and I don't really have all that many apps. I don't use the Facebook app and I don't have any problems at all with battery draining. The battery is awesome!
But I do wish I could figure out the lag. It doesn't make any sense that it should take so much time to open up my text messages. I would be tempted to blame it on the fact that I told it not to delete them anymore but like I said, the V10 was doing it and that one was deleting everything all the time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think they are not doing very well in optimizing their software
egren58 said:
I have costumized every aspects to get as close as to what I am used to and no luck at all.. I really tried to give this phone shot.. But just not for me..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I get it. But why not give OrvDrive's rom a try since you are rooted? Can't hurt. His rom has the least complications of the others, not to bash them in any way. I appreciate the effort of all devs and know that behind the scene they are working together to some degree.
If you do find a better new phone, let me know. I might switch too.
Cheers.
androiddiego said:
Ok, I get it. But why not give OrvDrive's rom a try since you are rooted? Can't hurt. His rom has the least complications of the others, not to bash them in any way. I appreciate the effort of all devs and know that behind the scene they are working together to some degree.
If you do find a better new phone, let me know. I might switch too.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I just ordered another pixel xl.. Since I lost my first one, But until then I will be using an iphone 7 plus.. And returning this back to T-Mobile...
egren58 said:
Well I just ordered another pixel xl.. Since I lost my first one, But until then I will be using an iphone 7 plus.. And returning this back to T-Mobile...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well good luck man hope it all works out for you. The no external memory support and the ridiculous price point for the pixel is why I didn't choose it.
To be honest I would not be using the v20 if a workable modern Samsung Note were out but we are about 6 months out for that and my v10 got the dreaded boot loop so I had to have a phone. Pixel is too expensive for what it offers, Apple is a scumbag company that I absolutely do not support and the s series from samsung doesn't interest me.
I am a big fan of removable batteries too despite not really using a phone long enough to need to replace the battery but I love aftermarket battery packs. LG is the only one to offer this and it looks like it might be the final high end model to feature this (the g6 looks to be water proof)
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
evo4g63t said:
Well good luck man hope it all works out for you. The no external memory support and the ridiculous price point for the pixel is why I didn't choose it.
To be honest I would not be using the v20 if a workable modern Samsung Note were out but we are about 6 months out for that and my v10 got the dreaded boot loop so I had to have a phone. Pixel is too expensive for what it offers, Apple is a scumbag company that I absolutely do not support and the s series from samsung doesn't interest me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was skeptical about the pixel.. But I'll tell you this..just the pure android and smoothness of a pixel phone alone is worth it.. I had never run into a single issue with that phone. Always butter smooth and never had a fc on any apps
LULZ.
Zero lag here. 3 months in. I'm using the H990DS model with no bloatware.
I also find the camera to be great. Love the wide angle lens as well. Not sure what you're smoking..
reaktor TuT said:
Zero lag here. 3 months in. I'm using the H990DS model with no bloatware.
I also find the camera to be great. Love the wide angle lens as well. Not sure what you're smoking..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera great?. I s voted one of the worst camera of 2017 based on consumer..
Not sure why you think the camera takes poor quality pictures. This was taken with the wide angle camera (which most people think is generally terrible) in super low light, in situations where most phones would fail.
I'm also not sure what's bad about the UI? There are now a dozen or so themes that theme the actual system ui, and a trillion different launchers to theme your icons and app launcher.
No lag here. Over 60 user apps installed.
I use the second screen all the time for the quick flashlight access and for controlling Play Music when the phones docked in my car.
Your phone is either a dud, or you've got an app rampaging in the background somewhere.
Edit: ignore my broken TV. It somehow was cracked while wall mounting, and we handled it like it was the world's most valuable but brittle gem stone.
The second screen is practically a requirement for me after a year with the v10, the music controls without turning on the phone is such a fantastic feature along with the quick function shortcuts.
I am going to definitely miss it if the v series turns into a non removable battery phone or the note 8 grabs my attention.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
egren58 said:
I feel like this phone is a great phone for a small audience.. And that's for music lovers.. Other than that this phone is actually pretty bad... The camera is useless with all the grain.. The screen is horrible at night it bleeds out so much.. The UI is disgusting.. And OMG THE LAG IS ABSURD.. How they released a phone thats constatly lagging..
Tbh very disappointed I have never returned a phone in my life. And I buy almost every phone that's release... Now I have no option to switch to iphone 7 until I can find a pixel xl for a good deal...
T-Mobile 918h
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, just learn how to root it. It fixes every problem you have and more.
StarCommand said:
Honestly, just learn how to root it. It fixes every problem you have and more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been rooted. Since day one..
egren58 said:
I have been rooted. Since day one..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I can't root a phone I don't want it lol.
Also, maybe its the ROM your using, there are a lot of factors that play a part.

After a week, I've had a change of heart...

I've either cognitively dissonated myself into loving this phone, or it is really quite good. The official camera fix did some good and leaves open the good possibility that further refining will yield a great result, or I'll stick with the progress being made on the GCam port and use the native app for great monochrome shots (I love the B&W sensor and it is EXCELLENT). That said, no cases... I guess no problem - I ordered some SquareTrade insurance coverage today - if it drops or dies, they'll replace it for a hundred beans - I can handle that kind of coverage...
I'm not seeing the same quality defects others are reporting with their handsets (light bleed, TMOB signal issues, etc.) so either I got a keeper or others are being overly sensitive (nothing personal guys).
I asked for and will likely receive a return package, but I think I'll be sending it back empty. Sorry for the trouble Essential, but you are in my daily carry category now - my S8+ will stay ready for outdoor action as needed (water resistance, etc).
The aesthetics are what has done it for me... Maybe you feel the same? The feeling I get holding and using the Essential do indeed remind me of the first day with the OG iPhone - only ten years better. Hell - I still have some great pics I took with that lousy 2MP, fixed focus, no flash shooter from 2007 on my drive.
Anyway, just one man's changed opinion. If it grew on you too, please post your thoughts. I'm interested to know how many others have now caved.
rootdude said:
I've either cognitively dissonated myself into loving this phone, or it is really quite good. The official camera fix did some good and leaves open the good possibility that further refining will yield a great result, or I'll stick with the progress being made on the GCam port and use the native app for great monochrome shots (I love the B&W sensor and it is EXCELLENT). That said, no cases... I guess no problem - I ordered some SquareTrade insurance coverage today - if it drops or dies, they'll replace it for a hundred beans - I can handle that kind of coverage...
I'm not seeing the same quality defects others are reporting with their handsets (light bleed, TMOB signal issues, etc.) so either I got a keeper or others are being overly sensitive (nothing personal guys).
I asked for and will likely receive a return package, but I think I'll be sending it back empty. Sorry for the trouble Essential, but you are in my daily carry category now - my S8+ will stay ready for outdoor action as needed (water resistance, etc).
The aesthetics are what has done it for me... Maybe you feel the same? The feeling I get holding and using the Essential do indeed remind me of the first day with the OG iPhone - only ten years better. Hell - I still have some great pics I took with that lousy 2MP, fixed focus, no flash shooter from 2007 on my drive.
Anyway, just one man's changed opinion. If it grew on you too, please post your thoughts. I'm interested to know how many others have now caved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really want to like it, I'm trying real hard.
The performance sucks and is not faster than a Moto Z with a Snapdragon 821.
This phone does some really aggressive thermal throttling.
This bothers me.
I really want to like it.
I kind of came to the same conclusion the other day. Software can always be improved with updates, and there's not another phone out there built with better materials. It looks, feels, and is, an upscale phone.
tech_head said:
I really want to like it, I'm trying real hard.
The performance sucks and is not faster than a Moto Z with a Snapdragon 821.
This phone does some really aggressive thermal throttling.
This bothers me.
I really want to like it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm interested to hear what you know about thermal throttling. I'm a power user and I play Royale like an idiot and I haven't even felt it get warm, nor do I see the incredible battery drain I see with other devices I've played on in the past (the Pixel XL was the worst for that power drain). Do you have CPUZ installed on it and can get some screenies of the throttling b/c of overheat conditions?
rootdude said:
I'm interested to hear what you know about thermal throttling. I'm a power user and I play Royale like an idiot and I haven't even felt it get warm, nor do I see the incredible battery drain I see with other devices I've played on in the past (the Pixel XL was the worst for that power drain). Do you have CPUZ installed on it and can get some screenies of the throttling b/c of overheat conditions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see/feel the phone get hot. That's the point, before it even gets hot the CPU gets throttled.
If I artificially cool the device or I'm in a cold environment; I can run Antutu and get close to the Qualcomm numbers for their reference platform in the 178k range. I can do that only in a cold environment. If the device is in a warm room the performance drops to 160k or so. If the room is hot or if I try to run again the performance can drop to 150k. I have seen the results drop to below 120k.
Geek bench scores are somewhat better but not great.
1900 single core and 6000 multicore.
The renderscript score is about 8000. Which puts in 33% behind an iPhone 7.
The software grew on me as more mods and ADB tweaks come out...but every time I decide to keep it and slap a skin of the back I find new scratches. Now I even have a scratch on the finish on the titanium. No clue where any of these came from. I haven't had a scratch on a phone in years... I upgrade every few months and always sell my phones mint on Swappa. I've had this a week and it's already scratched to ****. I love the look and feel and I'm happy with the software now but man..it's getting destroyed.
NeutronBomb said:
The software grew on me as more mods and ADB tweaks come out...but every time I decide to keep it and slap a skin of the back I find new scratches. Now I even have a scratch on the finish on the titanium. No clue where any of these came from. I haven't had a scratch on a phone in years... I upgrade every few months and always sell my phones mint on Swappa. I've had this a week and it's already scratched to ****. I love the look and feel and I'm happy with the software now but man..it's getting destroyed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Mine still looks like it just came out of the box, and it even took a 4 foot tumble to my bathroom floor the other day.
So I hope the new update improves performance.
Right now if the phone gets to an internal temp of 44C it will throttle to less than half the maximum frequency.
This puts the performance, when warm, behind and LG G4, Samsung Galaxy S6 and my old Nexus 6P.
Not happy.
I'm battling the decision now. I'm still in that 15 day return window, and like others am trying really hard to want to like this device.
Love the display. Don't mind that it's not AMOLED - I still get 5-6 hours SoT with moderate-heavy internet/call/text on wifi w/bt connected. No light bleed issues or lifting of panels for me, everything seems in order there.
There are some problems with the software that make me wonder if the problems I have are hardware or software. The micro-stuttering during scrolling (only while touching the screen during scrolling) could be a hardware problem, could be throttling, or could be OS optimization for this device in general. It's smooth as butter as long as I flick-scroll. Even if I slow finger-scroll vs slow flick-scroll the difference is noticeable, goes from stutter to butter. Finger-on-screen lag is like that of a bloated EVO3D trying to flip homescreens.
Then there are the definite software glitches that are present even after a full wipe of the phone (I really wish you could wipe the cache partition on this thing). This includes the occasional 10 second freeze while scrolling, the microstutters mentioned above, having to press back twice when in a conversation in the default messaging app, random screen presses when not touching the screen, regularly having to tap the screen repeatedly to get response from buttons.
And then there's the support - it takes a very long time to get response. I realize they are busy and trying to be responsive, and I am really trying to support this new company... One of the biggest problems I have is for solely existing as a consumer communications device manufacturer, they have some terrible consumer communication processes happening (or complete lack thereof). All I really want to know is that they are aware of and are working on the specific issues. Maybe I have control issues, but the dark is not a friendly place to be with 700 bucks on the line!!
I'm going to leave myself undecided for a few days and see where things go. If I don't see some kind of a software update addressing many of the issues some of us are experiencing I may have to reconsider... Despite all of the short-comings the new company has had as a baby, it's a beautiful baby. Let's just hope it learns fast I'm really hoping the screen issues I'm having are software related, but without confirmation from the company I can't say that I have high confidence right now. I love the feel and design of the device itself, though! *torn*
I am really trying hard to like this device. In terms of overall feel it's immaculate. They did very well on the design of the the phone. My issues come with software and future development. Right now there's clear software bugs and other optimization that needs to be done. If they can work on some of those things the experience on this phone would improve tenfold. Also once they get the source code and kernel out then we can start seeing more Community Development. We could also get things such as custom recovery and root. I'm hoping that in the coming weeks this phone and the community support will improve. I think I'll keep my device for while to see if that happens if not I may be lookin at a Pixel 2.
theandroidbot said:
I am really trying hard to like this device. In terms of overall feel it's immaculate. They did very well on the design of the the phone. My issues come with software and future development. Right now there's clear software bugs and other optimization that needs to be done. If they can work on some of those things the experience on this phone would improve tenfold. Also once they get the source code and kernel out then we can start seeing more Community Development. We could also get things such as custom recovery and root. I'm hoping that in the coming weeks this phone and the community support will improve. I think I'll keep my device for while to see if that happens if not I may be lookin at a Pixel 2.
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There isn't a massive amount of development on the pixel in relation to other Nexus devices likely due to the A/B partitions so I'm dubious on the pixel 2 at the moment
spotmark said:
Interesting. Mine still looks like it just came out of the box, and it even took a 4 foot tumble to my bathroom floor the other day.
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Can the QC really be that hit and miss? I have zero scratches as well on front or back.
rootdude said:
Can the QC really be that hit and miss? I have zero scratches as well on front or back.
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Same here. The one thing I absolutely love is the build quality. It looks exactly as the day it arrived.
Mine looks like the first day. I'm very impressed with the build quality.
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
No issues with mine fr a build standpoint. Fell a few times and no scratches. I'm using a glass screen protector even though there is a halo. Rather that scratches than the screen. The update that came out today is probably the software the phone should have shipped with initially... but we were all in a rush to get it. I'm keeping this device for sure! I also like confusing the heck out of ppl... I'm running the Arrow Launcher, blackberry keyboard and I use the iPhone sms sound for text notifications..
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
My only complaint really is I think they went too small. Most smarts phones are a little larger.
hoopsdavis said:
My only complaint really is I think they went too small. Most smarts phones are a little larger.
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I think it's refreshing. I mean I love big phones, haven't used a small sized phone in years, but after using this phone for several days, I love how reasonably compact it is with this screen size. I should rephrase, I love big screen size, not necessarily big form factor. So to have this screen size packed in a smaller form, I think it's awesome.
hoopsdavis said:
My only complaint really is I think they went too small. Most smarts phones are a little larger.
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The "small" form factor with big screen is the the biggest reason this phone came into my radar
flakko86 said:
The "small" form factor with big screen is the the biggest reason this phone came into my radar
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Same with me and many others. The big screen in compact size is among the major pros for buying this mobile. Besides that, I was also attracted to the clean design/material used and the pin port for 360 camera and other gadgets.
But I'm still waiting (impatiently) for how the Huawei Mate 10 pro turns out to be before I buy the essential phone. Hoping the Mate 10 pro is as compact and well built as well, combined with supposedly beast new Kirin 970 and improved dual camera, and maybe some new features like AI, Graphene battery, 3D Face recognition (all already introduced on Huawei's Honor magic). It would be the only contender to essential phone on my list. If Mate 10 pro disappoints then by that time Essential phone would be ready to ship out with 360 camera and charging dock in one go.
I have really grown to like this device. I have been using as my DD since the update, no significant issues and certainly no scratches or signs of wear. The size of the device is a key factor for me, I love the form factor.

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