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In spite of all the scorn poured out on tablets with voice-calling support, they are the rage in China, with all tablet manufacturers trying to grab a slice of the market. The domestic voice-calling tablet segment is growing with a number of launches from both Chinese and international manufacturers such as Samsung, Lenovo, ASUS.
On the lower end of this market segment, one of the latest voice-calling tablets is the Acube Talk 7X (Quad Core). The Talk 7X (Quad Core) is the refreshed version of the original Talk 7 and Talk 7X, which were respectively released in October and December, 2013. Much like the original Fonepad, the new Talk 7X (Quad Core) comes with a MediaTek processor, supports voice-calling and in addition, it comes with upgraded specifications. But, can it do enough to unseat some very high profile competition? We take a look.
Key Features:
◇7 inch PLS display at WSVGA resolution (1024X600 pixels)
◇Weighs 320g, 191.2*106.5*9.9mm in size.
◇MediaTek MT8382 SoC., 1.2GHZ Qual-core Cortex-A7 processor, Mali-400MP2 GPU, 1GB RAM
◇Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
◇8GB of built-in-storage, expandable by TF card
◇VGA front-facing camera; 2.0MP rear-facing camera
◇Stereo speaker
◇GPS
◇Bluetooth V4.0
◇GSM/WCDMA, full phone functionalities.
◇FM Radio
◇USB on the go
◇MicroSD card slot
◇Standard 3.5mm audio jack
◇1080p video playback
◇3000mAh Li-Po rechargeable battery, 5-6 hours battery life
Design and Build
The Talk 7X’s front houses a 7-inch display surrounded by a black bezel. The front panel does not include any branding, which I would consider a good tradition by the Chinese maker. Thanks to the Jelly Bean's onscreen navigation keys, which mean the front of the device is devoid of physical buttons, leaving simply the black bezel with an earpiece, a VGA camera, a light sensor and a proximity sensor.
On the right side of the device are the rather excellent buttons, with the one piece volume rocker sited just below the power button. They have a very responsive feel and are easy to find with your fingertips. The buttons are colored white to match the finish of the rear side, blending in nicely.
Unusually, the Talk 7X has its micro-USB port located on the top of the device next to the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. While it's uncommon to find the USB port on the top of a tablet of this size, it is ergonomically sound as the Talk 7X is simple to use while charging.
The positioning of this port also helps reduce the costs of manufacturing the tablet, as the circuit board has the connection for the port at the top. Acube has avoided running a cable to the bottom of the tablet as it had to on the original Talk 7.
The 2MP rear camera is housed in the upper left corner of the white glossy plastic back, which gives the tablet a somewhat cheap feeling.
Actually, this upper part of the back is removable, underneath are the dual SIM slot and Micro SD card slot.
You could also find an aperture in the lower middle, along with some of the information Acube wants you to see.
Measuring at 191.2*106.5*9.9mm, it is smaller than most of the 7-inch voice calling tablet. The only smaller 7-incher with phone functionalities I can think of is the Huawei MediaPad X1, which, of course, is many times more expensive than the 7X.
Holding the Talk 7X with one hand between thumb and forefingers is a comfortable grip that can be maintained for some time, no doubt due to its relative lightness and weight balance.
Display and Sound
Unlike many other budget tablets, The Talk 7X hasn't skimped on the screen. It has the same PLS display used on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, comfortably beating the TN displays featured by the Lenovo A1000 and Ainol AX2, which it is in direct competition against.
The 7-inch PLS display the Acube Talk 7X (Quad Core) sports has a resolution of 1024*600 (PPI=169), obviously not quite as good as the best in the business, but it's a step up on the previous Talk 7, which only has a TN display.
Being a PLS LCD screen, it has fantastic viewing angles, even better than most of the IPS panels widely used on Chinese tablets. It does suffer from a little more glare than I would like and the color balance seems a little favored towards a yellowish tint, but these are minor complaints.
Some users will probably find it uncomfortable to be able to discern individual pixels on the display at a typical viewing distance, as most of smartphone displays we look at every day have already gone beyond the so-called retina standard. However, this 7-inch screen still has a much higher pixel density than most of the laptops and PC monitors, thus it should not be much of a problem for tight-budgeted users.
Interface and Software
The Talk 7X runs the Android 4.2.2 OS, along with a healthy amount of customizations on top of it, but nothing to break the head-to-toe Android feel.
The Google Play store works brilliantly on the Talk 7X, with easy access to all the popular apps and games you could want. However there remains a dearth of tablet apps, a space where Google has struggled to engage developers, especially when you compare it to the wealth of high-quality apps made for the iPad.
Seven-inch tablets suffer much less though, as many phone apps still work brilliantly at this smaller tablet screen size.
Benchmarks
The Talk 7X is powered by a quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6582 processor (Quad-core cortex-A7, Mali-400MP2) with 1GB RAM, which is a huge leap forward compared to its dual core predecessors.
General system performance is reliable and relatively speedy, the Antutu Benchmark test returned a decent 16010, matching the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 and besting the ASUS Transformer Prime.
The 5636 Quadrant test result was also surprisingly solid.
The notching in Geekbench2 test was sound, but not very promising.
In the more graphic-focused Nenamark2 and 3D Mark tests, the 7X also did very well.
The browser performance was also proven to be super-solid, the Vellamo test returned an astonishing 1903, putting this $80 device in the same league as the mighty Galaxy S4. And this promise is further proven by the notch in the CF-bench test.
Performance
The way the Acube Talk 7X performs in real world also transcends its budget offering and low price. It's obviously nowhere near the top of the league and sometimes does feel like a machine from the past, but it handily beats many of the pricier cellular tablets such as the Lenovo A3000 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0. The 1.3GHz quad-core processor churns through tasks at a fair pace and it's certainly not unpleasant to use.
The animations when swiping between home screens and loading apps show some jitter at times, but there are no real delays. Apps load fast enough, but the difference in performance between the Talk 7X and my LG Optimus G Pro (Snapdragon 600) is noticeable.
Most games play well once loaded as the graphics processing capability of the 7X is actually very good, and with the screen resolution a notch down from that full 1080P, there are no issues.
Playing 1080P videos on the desktop YouTube page is smooth, and the touchscreen remained responsive to any sort of operations.
Multi-tasking works as well as you would expect given the 1GB of RAM on board. Switching apps is fast and painless, but there is a low limit on the number of big apps that can remain in memory. This isn't a reason to run a task killer, since Android manages its memory very efficiently.
The only time this lack of RAM can be an issue is if you have many tabs open in a web browser. Switching to a browser tab that's not in memory will cause the page to reload. Ultimately though, the memory is sufficient for pleasant enough operation.
Connectivity
The Chinese manufacturer has been promoting the Talk 7X tablet as a complete device, which has both phone and tablet qualities. Thankfully, the voice-calling feature on the 7X lives up to the expectation. The call quality on the 7X was impressive and the tablet was able to latch on to cellular networks even in weak signal areas which came in handy at times. There's also Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, FM Radio and GPS on board. The Talk 7X comes in a single 8GB model, but the storage is expandable with Micro SD card of up to 32GB.
Camera
I am not a big fan of the idea of taking pictures with a tablet, to put it mildly, but if a manufacturer is going to include a camera it had better be decent. The Acube Talk 7X’s camera…. is not.
What we're talking about here is a 2MP camera with no flash assistance. Don't even think about grabbing those Instagram-friendly macro shots here. You'll be sorely disappointed, as the backgrounds tend to come out clear leaving the foreground a blurry mess.
That extends to general shots. Images end up washed out, noisy and lacking in vibrancy and color accuracy.
The front-facing camera can get the online video chatting done, but you would never use it for selfie.
Battery
Despite having a fairly small 3000mAh battery capacity, Acube has managed to endow the Talk 7X with decent endurance by using a fairly efficient chipset. In constant use, the tablet is easily capable of 5-6 hours' screen time, which is considered pretty good at the budget end of the market.
The system did very well in standby, idle drain is negligible even with wireless connected.
Thanks to its standard micro USB port, charging the tablet is easy: it accepts any standard cable and is fast to charge for a tablet (With its standard 5V-2A plug it only took about 2 hours to finish a full charge).
Verdict
There's obviously nothing outstandingly good about the Talk 7X, but neither is there anything outstandingly bad. This is a budget tablet that actually exceeds my expectations in many ways. It's keenly priced and very capable.
The good:
For a device in this market segment, the Talk 7X has a PLS LCD screen, with nice color saturation, contrast, brightness and viewing angle, although the 1024 x 600 resolution seems like it's from a bygone era before 720p became the entry-level resolution for phones.
Audio through the built-in speakers is loud and reasonably clear, making this a great tablet for watching videos and listening to music.
Dual-SIM support is pretty useful for people who need two different mobile phone numbers.
At RMB499 ($80), it is affordable both as a phone and a tablet, and its performance is much better than the price would suggest.
The bad:
The rear-facing camera is a pretty poor effort from Acube and there's no real value in including it at this price at all.
The glossy plastic shell gives the tablet a cheap kind of feel, and has low resistance to scratches.
A 7-inch budget tablet that also wants to be a phone sounds like a silly idea. But the Acube Talk 7X is, in use, entirely sensible. It is stonkingly good value if a low-cost portable tablet is what you’re after.
seems no one else has anything to share about this model.
Sent from my LG-F240L using xda app-developers app
jupiter2012 said:
seems no one else has anything to share about this model.
Sent from my LG-F240L using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good news for some is that this model is now RMB399, which is around $65, quite a bargain.
where is it available for that price $65.00
Nice review- thank you!
who i the best tablet brand in china?(4 quaity).
Wow!!
Inviato dal mio GT-I9505 utilizzando Tapatalk
Xperia-Ray said:
Nice review- thank you!
who i the best tablet brand in china?(4 quaity).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks and to answer the question, Acube and Ainol probably have the best quality.
Sent from my LG-F240L using XDA Free mobile app
I got in touch with Cube's support staff and they told me that their factory are testing Android 4.4.2 and that it should be released in a couple of days.
I've ordered this tablet, for slightly less than $110 it seems like great value for money. Hopefully I won't be disappointed once I receive it.
I do think Cube could have skipped the rear camera and increased the battery capacity a little instead. (Though I suppose it makes sense to have a rear camera if you use it as your main phone/tablet/phablet, I will mostly use the tablet for movies and games)
acube
very nice review .
i also have this tablet for like a week now and i am very surprised to see that it manages almost every task with such ease.
the only thing in don't like about this tablet is the display unfortunately, ythe colors are not saturated, ther red is quite pinkish blue and green don't have too much power.
i am thinking of calibrating the colors but i don't seem to find an app to do this.
what do you guys think i should do?
thanks in advance
best regards,
gbb14 said:
very nice review .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're used to the very oversaturated samsung colours.
I bought this thing 3 weeks ago as an experiment to get my family onto skype.
Conclusion:
This is a supercheap-supertablet,
I compared it next to an Ipad-air(with a comic), and the colours almost match 100% (in my eyes)
viewing angles are excellent, and performance also (compared to price)
We also have a Galaxy Tab2 7", and this little cheap thing (that even can make calls!) outperforms it roughly.
Wow, after 4 years of membership.....finaly, my first post!
boerke said:
I think you're used to the very oversaturated samsung colours.
I bought this thing 3 weeks ago as an experiment to get my family onto skype.
Conclusion:
This is a supercheap-supertablet,
I compared it next to an Ipad-air(with a comic), and the colours almost match 100% (in my eyes)
viewing angles are excellent, and performance also (compared to price)
We also have a Galaxy Tab2 7", and this little cheap thing (that even can make calls!) outperforms it roughly.
Wow, after 4 years of membership.....finaly, my first post!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad u like it as much as i did.
来自我的 LG-F240L 上的 Tapatalk
Help me
Hello, please help. I have a problem with the tablet, the firmware damage and no place I managed to find one that works. Please help me by putting on a rom or something so you can use it, please it would really appreciate it.:crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying:
Babydan said:
Hello, please help. I have a problem with the tablet, the firmware damage and no place I managed to find one that works. Please help me by putting on a rom or something so you can use it, please it would really appreciate it.:crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying::crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had Same problem go to needrom.com down load ROM and brusch tools easy instructions
Will solve your problems.
Rick
Its a nice
I need as much info as possible. Iḿ running stock 4.4.2 and the model number is U51GT-C4BD and I really really would want to get it rooted. None of the common methods i tried work. I am a beginner to supesuser with ubuntu + cli. Could i possibly find a su binary and drop it under system? Also, the main reason is to remove bloath and some tweaking.... By the way its a great tablet for such a low price...
No reset button
jupiter2012 said:
seems no one else has anything to share about this model.
Sent from my LG-F240L using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Acube x7 is a great device but unfortunately when it jamms or bricks one can't reset device ,No reset button:crying:
gdcolin said:
Acube x7 is a great device but unfortunately when it jamms or bricks one can't reset device ,No reset button:crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
press nd hold the power button for more than 8 seconds.
来自我的 HTC D820t 上的 Tapatalk
jupiter2012 said:
press nd hold the power button for more than 8 seconds.
来自我的 HTC D820t 上的 Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Useless, i have two of those devices i tried to hold the power button for more than 8 seconds but nothing happened no power on
Not even when you put on charge! Dead devices
Ever saw two models of Cube Talk 7X U51GT W and Cube Talk 7X U51GT-C4 on cube-tablet.com, which model does the above you mentioned belong to? Any differences between these two models? I'm interested to buy Cube Talk 7X online, but before that i need to make a confirmation.
The home and return bar do not work in upright mode they work fine side ways and upside down
---------- Post added at 12:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:32 PM ----------
the return and home buttons are only blocked in upright position with the loadspeker at the top
The only good way for this problem seems be to flash with a convenable rom...
Hi! I'm searching for a substitute of my S Advance.. I love photography and i miss my old Nokia N82... I've seen some Android phones and i don't know which of them has the best cam..can you suggest a rank of them??
Galaxy K Zoom
Sony Z2
Sony Z3
Vivo Xshot
Meizu MX4
If you unlist k zoom, then xshot should be the best. It has ois, biggest appeture, the only phone that have dedicated camera button.
If you still consider k zoom, then k zoom has advantage in zoom factor. Buy xshot still the best in front facing camera for selfie, even for wefie. And xsot also still has biggerappeture than k zoom. And not to mention xshot has very slim body
Sent from my Lenovo P780_ROW using XDA Free mobile app
Recently picked up the XShot (2GB Elite version) because I wanted a better camera for pictures of my children. I'm coming from an iPhone 5s and also have a OnePlus One and Note 4 (daily driver) so these are my comparison devices.
OPO camera is decent but not great. It's better in ColorOS but I still struggled with blurry shots and noise. I used to miss shots because it's 5.5 inches and really needs two hands to operate. Plus it's a bit slow to focus and shoot. Great price for spec, though.
I loved the 5s. Quick to snap a shot and because it was small, I'd generally miss fewer shots. I underestimated this aspect too much. Problem is the phone is small for other tasks (trading, movies, etc.) and the battery want great.
Next is the Note 4. Good camera with OIS but a bit slow to open and shoot. That and it being 5.7 inches means it's quite cumbersome to take out of the pocket quickly and, although shots were decent, I'd miss too many opportunities from fumbling around. The rest of the phone (media, browsing) is mostly excellent, though.
So in steps the XShot - my 'compromise' device. Which actually isn't much of a compromise I've found.
First the non-camera aspects: still as smooth in day-to-day tasks as the Note and OPO despite being about 10 to 15% lower in synthetic benchmarks. I guess I don't need the extra grunt for my usage. If you do, there's an 'Ultimate' 3GB / 32gb model with 801AC (slightly faster) to get OPO 47k Antutu scores. In my experience, unless you 3D game, the Elite model is more than enough. Software wise, is running 4.4.2 with a heavily customised ROM (Funtouch 2). Lollipop might be a while away yet but, the camera is my primary concern. Those wanting Lollipop should look elsewhere.
Screen size of 5.2 inches and ergonomics are excellent. I can comfortably one-hand this way easier than the OPO and Note but it's still large enough to be fine for media and reading. The curved back and smaller screen combination work really well. It tapers to very slim edges so feels much thinner than it might appear in pictures or on the spec sheet. Build quality is solid - not cheap feeling at all. Great audio is a bonus. I think 5.2 is as big as I'd go in future as it has the best all-round feel.
And then there's the camera. This is a big step up for so many situations. Dedicated 2-step sheet button. Way better aperture so it focuses and snaps instantly so I miss fewer shots and far more are in focus. Part of this is the size: I can grab it from my pocket quicker and, with the dedicated button, already have the camera app open by the time I've raised it to shoot (holding down the dedicated button opens the camera from a locked state). Plenty of options for advanced shooters, too.
So, despite thinking it a 'compromise' choice, I've found it anything but. Yes, it's 9 months old now and may be superseded in 3-4 months, but Vivo may just make the screen unnecessarily larger or change something else. Hopefully they'll keep similar dimensions and just make things even better.
from my XShot
Hey there,
I am looking for a new phone, kinda fed up with my previous Galaxy Wonder which was bought considering budget limits, but now I'm on to buying a new phone, for myself and for my mother.
For me, performance is the most important thing, a phone that I can keep for a couple of years without headaches, and for my mother Camera is the most important thing- she wants quality pictures with sharp images. I guess a phone which has both would be the better choice. I have come to the conclusion that just looking at MP doesn't tell you how good the camera really is (my 5 MP Carl Zeiss Nokia was way better than my friends 8 MP Sony Ericsson at the time, or it seems iPhones take very sharp pictures). So what phones do you recommend we buy (Do you guys consider iPhones and Microsoft phones like Nokia as well?)
Thankyou
Samsung Galaxy Note 4, has an incredible camera, crystal clear photo's
Note4fan said:
Samsung Galaxy Note 4, has an incredible camera, crystal clear photo's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Galaxy S5 is great too. 16MP stills and 1080p/30fps video. GSM Arena ranked it second and first for stills and video respectively. Also a good all around phone, if you don't care about using the stock Android UI!
Have a look at the Galaxy K Zoom. It's designed as a camera that you can also use as a phone, not the 'phone with a camera'.
Alternatively, the Note 4 has a good sensor, too. And it is the most powerful phone available on the market. You can keep using that without any headaches for at least 3-4 years as high-end, and mid-end for another 2-4 after that.
The most important thing to look at for camera quality is the sensor size. The bigger the sensor, the better the photographs.
The best camera phone are the Nokia Lumia, if you want Microsoft OS, or the Xperia z3 if you want android; the latest has pretty performance and battery life, but I'm sorry I don't know nothing about Nokia because I don't like the OS let me know what will you buy :thumbup:
Inviato dal mio LG-D802
Note 4 is HUGE, i don't call those things phones tbh! and it is very expensive.
What about Xperia Z3 and Galaxy S5? Any opinions on those?
ShadowLea said:
Galaxy K Zoom. It's designed as a camera that you can also use as a phone, not the 'phone with a camera'.
The most important thing to look at for camera quality is the sensor size. The bigger the sensor, the better the photographs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great advise! How can I find the sensor size for a phone? Cuz I didn't see such a thing on GSM Arena Phone Specs.
K Zoom seems a fine phone, but low CPU and lots of complaints about dust getting into the phone and other issues by its users.
flywheels said:
Galaxy S5 is great too. 16MP stills and 1080p/30fps video. GSM Arena ranked it second and first for stills and video respectively. Also a good all around phone, if you don't care about using the stock Android UI!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well we don't mind the current UI we have now, is there anything that annoying about S5's UI that I should worry about?
goldendye said:
Great advise! How can I find the sensor size for a phone? Cuz I didn't see such a thing on GSM Arena Phone Specs.
K Zoom seems a fine phone, but low CPU and lots of complaints about dust getting into the phone and other issues by its users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, I'd forgotten that the K Zoom only comes in the Exynos variant. Sorry about that.
Sometimes GSMArena does list the sensor size, It's under Camera > Features if they do. (For instance on the HTC M8 (1/3'' sensor size).) In some cases they list the sensor size in the review of the phone.
Sadly, it mostly comes down to Googling " [phone name] Sensor size".
The one in the Note 4 and S5 are 1/2.6”. The Note 4 also has Optical Image Stabilisation, which adds a clear advantage in terms of image quality.
HTC M8 and iPhone 5S are 1/3".
With sensors under 1", the lower the number behind the /, the better. (So 2.6 is better than 3). Admittedly sensor size isn't everything, but it's the deciding factor when it comes to sharpness, particularly in less than full-light conditions.
I have an explanation on sensor importance *somewhere*, let me dig around for it.. Edit: Ah, here it is: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=50953511&postcount=6
I remember one Lumia had a very good camera
honestly i always think iphone cam is not bad. but if if its android htc definitely have a decent cam
best detailing in note 4
best color reproduction and dynamic range in iphone 6
http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/general/best-camera-smartphone-comparisons-t2901826
ShadowLea said:
Sadly, it mostly comes down to Googling " [phone name] Sensor size".
The one in the Note 4 and S5 are 1/2.6”. The Note 4 also has Optical Image Stabilisation, which adds a clear advantage in terms of image quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aha, so according to his:
Z3: 1/2.3 and , 5248 х 3936 pixels, 20.7 MP
s5: 1/2.6 and, 5312 x 2988 pixels, 16 MP
K Zoom (as the ideal camera): 1/2.3, 5248 х 3936 pixels, 20.7 MP
Clearly, Z3 is the best of three. Its camera is better than S5, and the same as K Zoom. it is smaller in size, less weight (16 grams), 0.7 inch smaller Screen (which is actually a positive feature for me), better Androind version, also will upgrade to 5.0, has radio, fast charging, none of the nonsense apps of Samsung which i really hate, better performance rate
But S5 has a one third better screen quality, Corning Gorilla Glass (I'm not sure if this is better than IPS), microUSB 3.0 (I don't think that's really important), dual video recording (maybe an app can compensate for this), better battery, and it seems it is much more efficient (21 hrs talk time compared to 12 on z3!!), better contrast ratio (i dont care)
Same chipset, same CPU, same GPU, but the endurance rate on z3 is 101h compared to 72h on S5, I don't know what that is.
I think I have chosen my phone , except the battery worries me.
goldendye said:
Aha, so according to his:
Z3: 1/2.3 and , 5248 х 3936 pixels, 20.7 MP
s5: 1/2.6 and, 5312 x 2988 pixels, 16 MP
K Zoom (as the ideal camera): 1/2.3, 5248 х 3936 pixels, 20.7 MP
Clearly, Z3 is the best of three. Its camera is better than S5, and the same as K Zoom. it is smaller in size, less weight (16 grams), 0.7 inch smaller Screen (which is actually a positive feature for me), better Androind version, also will upgrade to 5.0, has radio, fast charging, none of the nonsense apps of Samsung which i really hate, better performance rate
But S5 has a one third better screen quality, Corning Gorilla Glass (I'm not sure if this is better than IPS), microUSB 3.0 (I don't think that's really important), dual video recording (maybe an app can compensate for this), better battery, and it seems it is much more efficient (21 hrs talk time compared to 12 on z3!!), better contrast ratio (i dont care)
Same chipset, same CPU, same GPU, but the endurance rate on z3 is 101h compared to 72h on S5, I don't know what that is.
I think I have chosen my phone , except the battery worries me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you looking at the Z3 or the Z3 Compact? From the specs i'd say the Compact, correct?
The reason the S5 has a better batterylife is because of the AMOLED screen. AMOLED has the advantage that black pixels are off as opposed to dark grey, meaning they don't drain power. (AMOLED is also more colour intensive and crisper.)
Contrast ratio is simply because of the darkest grey vs turned off pixels. AMOLED is the only type of screen capable of true black. Oh and it has a higher readability in direct sunlight.
IPS is a type of display, not a type of glass. Corning Gorrila Glass (3) is very tough, but I don't know what's on the Z3 or how it holds out in tests. You can always look up droptests on Youtube.
MicroUSB3 isn't important, as the MTP protocol slows down transfer speed right down to the USB2 values anyway. Samsung dropped USB3 on newer devices.
The S5 doesn't have a radio, no. That bothers a great many of us, myself included.
The Snapdragon 801 is the part that has the fast charging. All S801 devices have it.
Touchwiz is a waste of time and space, on that I fully agree. (They laughed at me when I told them so, though.) Fortunately they've changed the principle a bit so that it doesn't come with 100 bloatware anymore, but there's still some of it installed. Mainly, Touchwiz. (ugh!)
The S5 has KNOX, which you can't not trip whilst flashing custom roms. It voids your warranty.
In terms of security the S5 has a fingerprint scanner.
There's one other thing to the S5 I should mention, and that's the disgustingly ugly UI colour scheme. Which you can't change.
the tl:dr version:
- The S5 screen is AMOLED, which turns black pixels off. That doubles the battery life.
- IPS is a type of LCD display, (The S5 has AMOLED) Gorrilla Glass is a type of treated scratch resistent glass.
- All Snapdragon 801 devices have Fast Charging.
- USB3 is a waste, MTP doesn't allow USB3 speed.
- The Z3 has a radio.
- S5 has KNOX.(negative thing.)
Simply put the S5 has a better, brighter and crisper screen with better battery life; the Z3 is more compact, has a better camera and an FM radio.
You can also read these two and compare the photo's for a decent camera comparison.
Z3 Compact: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z3_compact-review-1135p8.php
S5: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s5-review-1064p9.php
Is the fact that Z3 Compact has non-removable battery a fact to worry about?
Obviously, Lumia has better camera. But if you want it with better performance and battery life. Z3 would be a better choice.
.SnouXza. said:
Obviously, Lumia has better camera. But if you want it with better performance and battery life. Z3 would be a better choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it does, because it's a 10 MP camera with 1/3.4" sensor size. Although yes, it is Carl Zeiss.
goldendye said:
Hey there,
I am looking for a new phone, kinda fed up with my previous Galaxy Wonder which was bought considering budget limits, but now I'm on to buying a new phone, for myself and for my mother.
For me, performance is the most important thing, a phone that I can keep for a couple of years without headaches, and for my mother Camera is the most important thing- she wants quality pictures with sharp images. I guess a phone which has both would be the better choice. I have come to the conclusion that just looking at MP doesn't tell you how good the camera really is (my 5 MP Carl Zeiss Nokia was way better than my friends 8 MP Sony Ericsson at the time, or it seems iPhones take very sharp pictures). So what phones do you recommend we buy (Do you guys consider iPhones and Microsoft phones like Nokia as well?)
Thankyou
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CAMERA
A $100-200 dedicated camera takes much better pictures than any smartphone ever could (especially with 10x+ optical zoom). Your mum would be better off with such a camera in addition to a smartphone. At any rate, all flagships have "good enough" cameras with not a lot to choose between them. Mid-range and budget models often sacrifice the camera to meet their price points (one reason buying used high-end flagships is an option to consider).
OS
For some people iPhones/WindowsPhones/Blackberry/etc are taken into consideration particularly for the convenience of having the manufacturer control everything so you don't have to. For others, the somewhat open [source] nature of Android is paramount - it permits options that the other platforms actively prevent e.g. custom roms, privacy controls, customizations.
PERFORMANCE
You say performance is the most important thing. What level of performance?. I'll bet that a Samsung Galaxy S2 (yes S2...not S3, S4 or S5) is plenty fast enough for most people today and the Moto G is faster than that. So, is a Moto G performant enough for you? Or is it more like Nexus 5? Perhaps you need Note 4's level of performance? What activities requires the most performance on your phone currently and for the next couple of years?
Personally, I rate water/dust resistance highly (Xperia Acro S, Xperia Z/Z1/Z2/Z3/M2 Aqua, Galaxy S5, HTC Butterfly2). A 720p screen should be minimum now that the 1st gen Moto G exists. I prefer both a microsd slot and a removable battery. I would certainly want both if paying for a high-end device.
The Xperia Z3/Z3C, HTC Butterfly2, Samsung S5, Nexus 5/6 are all contenders if flagship devices are what you want. If you want to pay less, the Moto G and used flagships (Galaxy S3/S3/Note3, Xperia Z1/Z2, Nexus 5) are good options.
Hi, this is a copy of the review I just published on my web site after having tested both the THL 2015 and the latest Elephone P3000S.
Any picture mentioned in the text can be found in my original review since I cannot yet post external links here.
I hope it will help...
The newest release of Elephone P3000S has potential to be another THL-killer.
The earlier P3000S phones were no thread compared to the THL 2015, but for the new version, Elephone refreshed the specification to either equal or exceed its rival, at least on paper:
Look and feel:
The big logo, the red circle surrounding the camera unit, the shiny 4G stamp on the front, ...nothing contributes to make the P3000S a beauty (this is subjective of course). No nice finishing touch and the weird decision to locate the volume button on the left side which the flap will cover. The flip cover itself feels cheap and tends to snap out too easily. While I prefer its transparent window over the round hole in the THL cover, it does make the touch screen less reactive for answering a call.
At the opposite of the THL, the 3 soft buttons don't have back light but the notification LED has a color selector for each type of event. The app history (when you keep the Home button pressed) includes an app killer to quickly clean up the memory. A nice addition that THL used to have in some models but not the THL 2015.
Analog and digital clock can be selected from the S View Cover settings.
Sliding to the right reveals a music player.
What they have in common:
Processor: MT6752 Octacore 64bit, 1.7GHz . The phone is equally snappy and stable.
Dimensions: almost the same, with the Elephone being a bit bulkier and somewhat heavier by 10gr.
Thickness 44mm
Height 149.8mm
Width 77.1mm
Diag. (screen) 126mm
Weight 157gr
Finger print reader: The smaller finger print reader works fine. The secondary unlock method is alway a password. It would have been nice to revert to a pattern like the THL allows. The finger scanner can also be used to restrict access to chosen apps or to scroll up and down within any application. In the security department, the device encryption is available as well as a mobile anti-theft function
Screen gestures: while THL did not advertise it, it also has the same feature. It is located under the Accessibility menu. Using this function on either phone contributes in draining the battery faster.
GPS/Glonass: The compass tends to act a bit crazy (even after calibration) but this didn't seem to affect the GPS performance which is fast and accurate just like the THL.
Wi-Fi/USB/OTG: no bad surprise here, they perform as expected and the Wi-Fi reception is comparable to the THL.
Sound: Speakers and microphone provide a good audio quality. The speaker is loud enough once the BesLoudness option (volume booster for speaker) is enabled in the Audio Profiles menu.
Cameras:
The Elephone's main camera is a Sony Exmor and offers 13 mpx so the expectation is once again to retrieve something similar as in the THL 2015.
In broad daylight pictures are comparable to the THL.
It's a different story indoor where the P3000s struggles to focus and fails to deliver the same sharpness. It looks like the Sony sensor hasn't been combined with the lens it deserves. The resulting pictures are prone to glare and flare. The good news is that we're still light years ahead from an Omnivision camera!
The selfie side is 5 mpx. The face-unlock would often fail in poor lighting condition and has a too narrow field of view which is probably down to the firmware settings because, for the rest, this camera performs like the THL 2015.
The differences:
RAM: 3GB (THL: 2GB): 1 extra GB with a fast processor potentially helps unleashing the phone performance. In reality it is not easy to measure but the heaviest games will certainly not complain.
More Battery: 3150 mAh (THL: 2700 mAh): This gives a correct autonomy for a day of mixed use but not that much compared to the THL really.
Rooted from factory: There's no bloatware within the Android 4.4.4 installed and the phone comes rooted with SuperSU already installed. Great!
Display: 5", 1080 x 1920 px, 440 ppi with DragonTail glass (scratch resistant) and 5 points touch screen which is appropriate for that screen size.
The important difference is in the display quality. No need to use a backlight bleed test app to see the difference. On the left in the picture below: the Elephone and the THL 2015 on the right.
It is crucial to run the Als_ps calibration (proximity sensor) in order to keep the auto-brightness from making it even worse.
The MiraVision options can help but also can make things worse if you push the contrast or select the Vivid mode. In any cases it would never match the THL which has excellent contrast and stunning colors naturally.
NFC?
This is where I understood the real meaning of Elephone's motto: Keep expecting and be surprised
It's a simple trick which works as follow:
Keep expecting...the NFC function...
Be surprised... there's no NFC for the lucky first 100,000 customers!
A discrete notification appeared on their web site once most people had confirmed their pre-order:
P3000S
Published: 2015-04-13 Views: 1379
Dear customers:
Don't you think you're paying too much for 3GB RAM smartphones? Take a look at P3000S 3GB version. It's as powerful as those 3GB RAM flagships on the market. It's powered by 64bit MTK6752 Octa core processor and the most advanced GPU of Mali-T760.
The phone packs other high performance hardware such as 13MP Sony camera and JDI FHD display. It also supports fingerprint ID, FOTA update.
The phone ought to support NFC, but considering that NFC don't have popularity in most of the countries and lower the cost by 5 dollars. We have taken NFC out for the first batch of P3000s. 100.000 pieces of P3000S were sent out in April don't support NFC function. However, if you think you probably need NFC function, we have the next batch of P3000S which packs NFC for you.
[Sarcastic mode ON]...so, yes, no big deal, you probably didn't want NFC anyway, and if you did, just buy it once more... [Sarcastic mode OFF]
The same trick was used for the previous Quad-Core release of the P3000S in 2015.
Keep expecting...a Sony camera
Be Surprised...As you know, Elephone P3000s should pack Sony camera sensor. However, we'd like to inform you that some of P3000s use OmniVision sensor instead.
Other thoughts:
On the performance side, the Elephone P3000S-6752 is on par with the THL 2015, as expected since they're both built on the MTK6752.
Generally the Elephone tends to produce less heat than the THL.
Engineering mode: *#*#3646633#*#*
Test mode: *#*#33#*#*
Conclusion:
The P3000s-6752 is a lower cost version of the THL 2015 but fails to qualify as a THL-killer due to its lower quality in most departments: design, ergonomic, compass, display, but also the camera, ...
It does however perform perfectly and delivers the great performance of the solid MTK 6752. So this is absolutely not a bad phone as such, and currently for 161€/175$ (vs 220€/240$ for the THL) @ Gearbest.com, it is certainly good bang for the bucks.
My real concern is about Elephone themselves:
Elephone is playing a dangerous game with its announcement effects and false promises.
For the second time in a year, they fooled their customers, and not just a few, by changing the advertised specification, in particular during some pre-sale deal!
As a result, it is difficult to trust that brand and buy with confidence. So the lesson learned here with Elephone is: don't be the first to buy! Don't rush for their latest P7000 yet, wait to see if they won't remove the touch screen or the microphone this time...who knows!?
At time of writing (15/05/2015), there are still many P3000S from batch #1 on sale, so if you need the NFC function, ask the seller to confirm before buying!
I was eagerly waiting for the OnePlus 9 Pro, because I have become a OnePlus guy. Unfortunately, I can't get use to having a camera hole cut out, on the screen. If I must put up with it, then the hole must be centered and not off to the side. I was hoping OP would have continued the OP 7 Pro thing or figured out the under the screen technology.
Anyhow, what I am looking for:
No camera hole punch out (even if it means I must have a little bezel). If the camera hole is on the screen, it needs to be centered.
Big screen
Android based, with easy to unlock bootloader (ideally a company that supports it like OnePlus)
5G compatible
Lots of ram, fast processor, lots of disk storage - aka i want a flagship/top of the line.
Something with screen burn-in protection technology
Good camera
Works with T-Mobile in the USA
Although I love a good deal, I am not too concern about the price tag (as long as it is reasonable, like less than $1200 USD).
That said, any recommendations? I also don't mind waiting for OnePlus 9t Pro if there is any solid rumors that they will do something special to the front facing camera.
I am currently using a OnePlus 5t and although I like the phone, issues are starting to arise (issue with VoLTE and certain Bluetooth headsets, screen burn-in, etc).
Any advice would be much appreciated .
That's a lot of money, you can buy a Galaxy S21 Ultra, you'll love it. There's no burn-in proof display, it can be avoided by shifting on the screen pixels, so it's a software thing, you don't have to worry too much, unless you have a bad habit of keeping the screen on all night.
You can also check midrange devices, usually you won't feel any difference, for an example, there's Redmi Note 10, Galaxy A72, Galaxy A52, offering large displays, fast processors, at least 6 GBs of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage, and even 5G support for some models.
All that for less than 500$ (my cousin got brand new RN10 for 200$). Cameras are not a thing to worry about anymore. However, One Plus 9T Pro's front facing camera setup is a bit strange, you should avoid it if the rumours are true.
mkhcb said:
I was eagerly waiting for the OnePlus 9 Pro, because I have become a OnePlus guy. Unfortunately, I can't get use to having a camera hole cut out, on the screen. If I must put up with it, then the hole must be centered and not off to the side. I was hoping OP would have continued the OP 7 Pro thing or figured out the under the screen technology.
Anyhow, what I am looking for:
No camera hole punch out (even if it means I must have a little bezel). If the camera hole is on the screen, it needs to be centered.
Big screen
Android based, with easy to unlock bootloader (ideally a company that supports it like OnePlus)
5G compatible
Lots of ram, fast processor, lots of disk storage - aka i want a flagship/top of the line.
Something with screen burn-in protection technology
Good camera
Works with T-Mobile in the USA
Although I love a good deal, I am not too concern about the price tag (as long as it is reasonable, like less than $1200 USD).
That said, any recommendations? I also don't mind waiting for OnePlus 9t Pro if there is any solid rumors that they will do something special to the front facing camera.
I am currently using a OnePlus 5t and although I like the phone, issues are starting to arise (issue with VoLTE and certain Bluetooth headsets, screen burn-in, etc).
Any advice would be much appreciated .
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Click to collapse
It's a lot of money, for this you will get the top of the top, personally I won't do it but it's up to you.
For considerably less money you can get very good devices covering from the 1 to the 7 of your questions, just I don't know the 8th.
For example comes to my mind the Galaxy Note 10 (although it's 2 years old), the Galaxy S20, but I would go for a Xiaomi Mi 11.
mkhcb said:
3. Android based, with easy to unlock bootloader (ideally a company that supports it like OnePlus)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco or OnePlus.
Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco still have warranty coverage after bootloader unlock. Double check warranty policy youself on their website though, may vary between countries and region.