trying to decide between p8 max and Letv Le max x900? - Huawei P8max

hello
I'm trying to decide which large screened phone to purchase
Huawei P8 max
Letv le max x900
the p8 max has a bigger screen but I am not sure if the letv has a better screen?
also I am not concerned about the size or the 4g connectivity, I wish to know which phone is better with regard to snappiness launching apps and 'multitasking'
which phone has a better sense of 'future proofing' as much as one could say future proofing...
and which phone is just better phone in other aspects?
I would like to hear your opinions please
oh forgot to mention does anyone know which one has a better loudspeaker, I like to listen to music with the loudspeaker (the one at the bottom)
thank you very much!
- Emmanuel

emmanuelw said:
hello
I'm trying to decide which large screened phone to purchase
Huawei P8 max
Letv le max x900
the p8 max has a bigger screen but I am not sure if the letv has a better screen?
also I am not concerned about the size or the 4g connectivity, I wish to know which phone is better with regard to snappiness launching apps and 'multitasking'
which phone has a better sense of 'future proofing' as much as one could say future proofing...
and which phone is just better phone in other aspects?
I would like to hear your opinions please
oh forgot to mention does anyone know which one has a better loudspeaker, I like to listen to music with the loudspeaker (the one at the bottom)
thank you very much!
- Emmanuel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be patient & buy the LeMax Pro; build-wise it's quite similar to the x900, but it's using the SD820 cpu which is an entirely different class compared to the overheating SD810.

Listen to adwinp!
Wait for the Le Max Pro, before deciding.
I have the Le Max and P8Max and Mate 8 (Mate 8 is NOT worth the upgrade (IMHO) from the 7/S or P8Max and mine will be sold in the next couple days)
If specs are what you're looking for Le Max wins on paper, if you can't wait for the Le Max Pro.
If camera is the selling point, P8max has a brilliant camera (IMHO better than the mate 8 in low light and auto focus mode is faster) and its better (IMHO) than the Le Max which has a decent camera, which struggles with auto focus, and low light. Don't be fooled by 21MP vs 13MP...or ultra pixel...It sounds good but its not.
If connectivity is your thing...the LeMax will connect to 5g Wifi, the P8Max struggles and 9/10 times won't.
Speakers, P8Max, cleaner sound at high volumes.
Overall speed, about the same really. Where the P8Max can freeze during gaming its few and far between and depends on the gaming...
If custom ROMs are your thing, Le Max has the better support community and it seems to be growing.
If screen size is your thing, its tough to say. Tied. While the 2k screen is nice on the Le Max, the p8max has a brilliant 6.8" screen
If storage is your thing, P8Max Simple. While 128GB is nice on the Le Max. That's it that's all. But even better than that is the 64GB and the ability to add a 200GB sd card. I have a 200GB card in my 703L and their are no issues.
If security is your thing, They are both Chinese phones so while the Le Max and Le Max pro have fingerprint
If build quality is your thing, both quality builds, but the edge goes to the P8Max, its cleaner and well built.
If future support is your thing, Le Max. It has the community support behind it.
I'll say this. While I have been harsh on the P8Max, I would not part with this phone. The Le Max already has me wanting the Le Max pro. Huawei has the screen size right and a 2k screen with 6GB, Mali 880 MP GPU, Kirin 8+1 follow up is the hope and dream... the P8Max screen is just perfect in size. I just prefer it to all others, as I read a ton for work.
The Le Max Pro is going to be a monster of a phone. So if you can wait for that, and are leaning towards the Le Max. Wait.
At the end of it all, you cannot go wrong with what you are picking, its your call, just understand that all phones have their pros and cons. These two are no different.
Good luck.
Cheers.

Excellent pertinent comparison, @TheTruthSeeker. What do you do for a living?
 @emmanuelw - I've been changing phones every ~6 months or so for the better part of my smartphone consumer years since the HTC Diamond Touch (yes I know, I'm ashamed, I was a Windows Mobile user). HTC, Sony, Huawei, ... you name it - I've owned most flagships.
Here's my experience with the device so far:
1: really good all-around build quality - metal + glass. Neither scratch easily (I do not use a phone case or screen protector).
2: huge screen - I wanted to see whether this would blur the line between a smartphone & tablet, as I've been using the latter for most of my multimedia needs (video, gaming).
The device sports one of the best screen-to-body ratios I've seen - one of the reasons I stopped liking HTCs after the original One/m7.
Anyway, watching, playing, reading feels really nice on such a huge screen & I've been reaching less & less for my tablet as it is. Doesn't seem to be too much of a battery sucker at low brightnesses but you feel the drain at higher brightness levels. I'm a 5ft9" guy & usually use the device with 2 hands; 6.8" is a bit too big - 6.2"-6.3" seems to be the sweet spot for me.
3: GPS - gets a fix fast & is usually reliable. Never really had an issue with it.
4: WIFI - as mentioned, won't connect to 5GHz, but 2.4GHz is OK, as are the speeds. No dropouts & doesn't take its toll on the battery. Range capture is OK, nothing to write home about.
5: Audio - one of the low points - if you have good earphones or headphones, the built-in DAC might make up for the crappy device audio. Speaker audio is downright horrible by today's standards.
Best I've experienced are of course HTC, & Sony.
6: Storage - I have the 64Gb + external 128Gb microsd Samsung EVO+. I am installing games with huge space requirements (Final Fantasy, emulators & their ISOs), lots of downloads, lots of audio, & not once have I been nagged for space running low. Storage speed is nothing special, definitely not Samsung-fast.
7: Bluetooth - drops out once in a while, but I rarely really use it.
8: 3G/4G - usually stays connected to 4G in urban areas, but sometime stuggles with keeping a connection where other phones still have connectivity.
9: Camera - quality is OK with decent lighting, but struggles in low light - definitely worse than the LG G4.
10: Touch responsiveness - OK, but not great.
11: Battery life - as long as you're not running on high brighness, it really does offer great battery life.
Barely comes close to 2 days of heavy usage, despite what Huawei advertised.
11: software-wise - gets some updates once every month or so, but even at the dawn of Android N, still didn't receive the Marshmallow update.
Virtually zero community support due to spotty GPL compliance related to the released open source components. Definitely no developer support like in the case of Sony. Zero responsiveness to queries by global support. Rooting & customization will be your only salvation.
Usability - the heavily skinned interface takes some getting used to it but nothing alternative apps can't remedy to. The phone itself is quite responsive, with support for most software features. Doesn't have NFC, but not an issue for me. Some built-in features are really useful, like the permission manager & background app monitor, but both are now a standard in android 6.0.
12: performance - you must keep in mind that the P8max is really a mid-ranger. You might encounter rare initial lags with demanding, big apps or games, but the regular mortal you will rarely feel it.
It all boils down to your needs - what are you looking for in a phone?
The snapdragon platform is mature - will provide excellent performance & compatibility, good battery life (especially on the 16nm FinFET process) & should have plenty of developer/community support. The Huawei Kirin platform is not there yet. I was hoping for changes due to advent of the Nexus 6P, but they used a SD810 instead of a Kirin.
Keep in mind that the Kirin935 in the P8max is an aging platform, but prices should drop in accordance.
Are you a power user - if yes, go for Snapdragon, or for Exynos, but I'd really go for Snapdragon. Mediatek is not there yet.
Are you a mere mortal, looking for regular performance from your phone (save for the big screen) - you can bet on any of them.
I'd really go for the LeMax Pro though, unless other manufacturers announce 6"+ devices (I'm looking forward to a Sony Ultra this year). The Kirin935 & SD810 are a thing of the past now.
Again - what are YOU looking for?

first thank you adwinp and TheTruthSeeker
I will definitely heed to your advice and be patient for now see what comes next
I am leaning more towards the LE Max as future support is important for me I don't change phones often
I also desire to have a phone with a good internal speaker sound but then I guess the new le max will have the same speaker as the older one which I understand is only mediocre in quality...
I do use the phone to play music with sheet music on the go so I look at musical notes on the screen which have to be large and listen through the speaker
at the moment I have a small nexus 4 phone so even the 6.3 inch would be an upgrade screen wise but I am not sure if the speaker on the le max is better than the one on my current nexus 4 I can't find any details on the speaker of the le max...
my main concerns are
- good sound and good LARGE screen above 6 inch
- good support updates and preparation for future (as much as possible)
- smoothness of operation the least amount of lag when launching apps and multitasking (I don't do games though)
one of you mentioned some touch problems with the screen I think, this concerns me as I have such problems in my nexus 4 and they annoy me a lot
I listened to some music on the internal speaker of my cousin's lg g4 phone and was quite impressed with the quality, do any of these phones can compare with the quality of sound of the lg g4?
what other phones are to be waiting for this year, the le max pro the maybe p9 max but is the z6 ultra going to be better than any of these for my needs?
or any other phone you know off bigger than 6 inch?
thank you again!
- Emmanuel

After my Tour to Android and P8Max I would only take a Snapdragon device if u plan to have it longer and want Updates and Roms!
I think the Sony Ultra modell this yeah will be your best choice, I will sell my P8max too if the Specc are good!

thank you Hirs_E_Fruit, why do you think the sony would be better than theLE Max? and another issue is how do we know if sony is actually going to release a z6 ultra, and last are there any other upcoming phones larger than 6 inch?

I think because Sony will sell it worldwide officially so there will be a larger base of community. Rumours suggest there will be 4 Versions of the z6, lets hope its true.
P9max but i would not recommend it anymore.

emmanuelw said:
first thank you adwinp and TheTruthSeeker
thank you again!
- Emmanuel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TheTruthSeeker said:
Wait for the Le Max Pro, before deciding.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@ Truthseeker: How is the refresh/frame rate on the p8max? I heard it leaves trails, which I find odd. How are the colors/blacks and what about the sharpness (count pixels easily?) Last but not least, is the speaker of good quality? Cheers :good:
adwinp said:
Excellent pertinent comparison, @TheTruthSeeker. What do you do for a living?
@emmanuelw - I've been changing phones every ~6 months or so for the better part of my smartphone consumer years since the HTC Diamond Touch (yes I know, I'm ashamed, I was a Windows Mobile user). HTC, Sony, Huawei, ... you name it - I've owned most flagships.
Here's my experience with the device so far:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@ adwinp: How is the refresh/frame rate on the p8max? I heard it leaves trails, which I find odd. How are the colors/blacks and what about the sharpness (count pixels easily?) You're the only one who said that the speaker is horrible, strange.

adwinp said:
Excellent pertinent comparison, @TheTruthSeeker. What do you do for a living?
@emmanuelw - I've been changing phones every ~6 months or so for the better part of my smartphone consumer years since the HTC Diamond Touch (yes I know, I'm ashamed, I was a Windows Mobile user). HTC, Sony, Huawei, ... you name it - I've owned most flagships.
Here's my experience with the device so far:
1: really good all-around build quality - metal + glass. Neither scratch easily (I do not use a phone case or screen protector).
2: huge screen - I wanted to see whether this would blur the line between a smartphone & tablet, as I've been using the latter for most of my multimedia needs (video, gaming).
The device sports one of the best screen-to-body ratios I've seen - one of the reasons I stopped liking HTCs after the original One/m7.
Anyway, watching, playing, reading feels really nice on such a huge screen & I've been reaching less & less for my tablet as it is. Doesn't seem to be too much of a battery sucker at low brightnesses but you feel the drain at higher brightness levels. I'm a 5ft9" guy & usually use the device with 2 hands; 6.8" is a bit too big - 6.2"-6.3" seems to be the sweet spot for me.
3: GPS - gets a fix fast & is usually reliable. Never really had an issue with it.
4: WIFI - as mentioned, won't connect to 5GHz, but 2.4GHz is OK, as are the speeds. No dropouts & doesn't take its toll on the battery. Range capture is OK, nothing to write home about.
5: Audio - one of the low points - if you have good earphones or headphones, the built-in DAC might make up for the crappy device audio. Speaker audio is downright horrible by today's standards.
Best I've experienced are of course HTC, & Sony.
6: Storage - I have the 64Gb + external 128Gb microsd Samsung EVO+. I am installing games with huge space requirements (Final Fantasy, emulators & their ISOs), lots of downloads, lots of audio, & not once have I been nagged for space running low. Storage speed is nothing special, definitely not Samsung-fast.
7: Bluetooth - drops out once in a while, but I rarely really use it.
8: 3G/4G - usually stays connected to 4G in urban areas, but sometime stuggles with keeping a connection where other phones still have connectivity.
9: Camera - quality is OK with decent lighting, but struggles in low light - definitely worse than the LG G4.
10: Touch responsiveness - OK, but not great.
11: Battery life - as long as you're not running on high brighness, it really does offer great battery life.
Barely comes close to 2 days of heavy usage, despite what Huawei advertised.
11: software-wise - gets some updates once every month or so, but even at the dawn of Android N, still didn't receive the Marshmallow update.
Virtually zero community support due to spotty GPL compliance related to the released open source components. Definitely no developer support like in the case of Sony. Zero responsiveness to queries by global support. Rooting & customization will be your only salvation.
Usability - the heavily skinned interface takes some getting used to it but nothing alternative apps can't remedy to. The phone itself is quite responsive, with support for most software features. Doesn't have NFC, but not an issue for me. Some built-in features are really useful, like the permission manager & background app monitor, but both are now a standard in android 6.0.
12: performance - you must keep in mind that the P8max is really a mid-ranger. You might encounter rare initial lags with demanding, big apps or games, but the regular mortal you will rarely feel it.
It all boils down to your needs - what are you looking for in a phone?
The snapdragon platform is mature - will provide excellent performance & compatibility, good battery life (especially on the 16nm FinFET process) & should have plenty of developer/community support. The Huawei Kirin platform is not there yet. I was hoping for changes due to advent of the Nexus 6P, but they used a SD810 instead of a Kirin.
Keep in mind that the Kirin935 in the P8max is an aging platform, but prices should drop in accordance.
Are you a power user - if yes, go for Snapdragon, or for Exynos, but I'd really go for Snapdragon. Mediatek is not there yet.
Are you a mere mortal, looking for regular performance from your phone (save for the big screen) - you can bet on any of them.
I'd really go for the LeMax Pro though, unless other manufacturers announce 6"+ devices (I'm looking forward to a Sony Ultra this year). The Kirin935 & SD810 are a thing of the past now.
Again - what are YOU looking for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@adwinp - Thank you for your kind words, I work in the social legal field but repair mobile devices and dab in ROM play here and there. Learning and by no means near a pro/amateur/etc.
I too swap devices regularly and have not held a flagship longer than a year since my blackberry 8800 back in the day! Way back lol.
A wealth of information in your post here, well said and done! Great post!!!
Cheers.
---------- Post added at 02:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:04 PM ----------
gideonMorrison said:
@ Truthseeker: How is the refresh/frame rate on the p8max? I heard it leaves trails, which I find odd. How are the colors/blacks and what about the sharpness (count pixels easily?) Last but not least, is the speaker of good quality? Cheers :good:
@gideonMorrison In all honesty, everyday use NO trails or flashing (Everyday use being texts, emails, maybe two dots, chess, checking the weather and the like) but in memory intensive games (chaos rings 2, need for speed MW, 6 guns, anomaly 2, etc) you will notice trails, screen flashing, and (when the device heats up) dreadded laaaaag. It doesn't happen all the time, but often enough to realize this is a midrange phone NOT a flagship, premium device built to dominate from Huawei.
As for the speaker, its decent. It can play at high volumes with no considerable distortion. BUT, do they have the same sound quality of say a Blackberry passport or HTC boomsound, sadly no. But this is my humble opinion. You will enjoy the speaker while on speaker phone, watching youtube videos, etc. True audiophiles will look past the specs and agree that this is a good speaker with ok sound quality.
Hope this has helped.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

TheTruthSeeker said:
@adwinp - Thank you for your kind words, I work in the social legal field but repair mobile devices and dab in ROM play here and there. Learning and by no means near a pro/amateur/etc.
I too swap devices regularly and have not held a flagship longer than a year since my blackberry 8800 back in the day! Way back lol.
A wealth of information in your post here, well said and done! Great post!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers.
---------- Post added at 02:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:04 PM ----------
gideonMorrison said:
@ Truthseeker: How is the refresh/frame rate on the p8max? I heard it leaves trails, which I find odd. How are the colors/blacks and what about the sharpness (count pixels easily?) Last but not least, is the speaker of good quality? Cheers :good:
@gideonMorrison In all honesty, everyday use NO trails or flashing (Everyday use being texts, emails, maybe two dots, chess, checking the weather and the like) but in memory intensive games (chaos rings 2, need for speed MW, 6 guns, anomaly 2, etc) you will notice trails, screen flashing, and (when the device heats up) dreadded laaaaag. It doesn't happen all the time, but often enough to realize this is a midrange phone NOT a flagship, premium device built to dominate from Huawei.
As for the speaker, its decent. It can play at high volumes with no considerable distortion. BUT, do they have the same sound quality of say a Blackberry passport or HTC boomsound, sadly no. But this is my humble opinion. You will enjoy the speaker while on speaker phone, watching youtube videos, etc. True audiophiles will look past the specs and agree that this is a good speaker with ok sound quality.
Hope this has helped.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Truthseeker for your extensive reply :good: I remember my old Galaxy Nexus suffering from bad ghosting, which is years ago, but find it somehow hard to believe the Max has the same issue (in the year 2015, that is). Is it something a lot more phones suffer from, because it is a new-ish device and by now you'd think they won't make (old) mistakes anymore. I wonder if I would really really (while gaming/watching movies as well?) notice and be put off about it (trails/ghosting/flashing). Not entirely sure what you mean by flashing however
Good to hear about the speaker. My Alcatel Idol 3 had superb stereo speakers, but have a feeling this one isn't bad indeed.

Related

Moving to Honor 8 from lg G4 (is it worth? and why?)

Hi all, whould be wise to move from a g4 to an honor8? Who wins in terms of:
-Camera (autofocus quality and speed and noise on low light pics),
-Browsing Speed,
-Updates over time,
-Screen quality (i changed 3 g4 and all had had screen issues like lines ect),
-Software Features (es gestures, shortcuts etc etc),
-Active battery runtime and charge speed,
-Heat (i've read honor 8 get hot in camera mode, dunno if it's solved with nowdays updates),
-Build quality and unit's faulty rate (not properly happy with the g4, moving over the screen issue, the back cover doesn't match well on the right bottom edge and remains half mm open)
It's going in the hands of a non-power user~
Thank you all in advange
Hey, i did exactly that because my G4 died, so i got a replacement one sold it and got an Honor 8.
Basically it was worth it, the device is faster, has a MUCH higher build quality. But ill just answer your questions (Just my thoughts however feel free to make your own judgement)
Camera (autofocus quality and speed and noise on low light pics) - Honor 8!
Browsing Speed - The Kirin feels faster - Honor 8 (but thats a close one)
Updates over time - Unclear, G4 still on MM, H8 still on MM
Screen quality (i changed 3 g4 and all had had screen issues like lines ect) - You said it, Honor 8 wins bigly.
-Software Features (es gestures, shortcuts etc etc) - Honor 8
-Active battery runtime and charge speed - Honor 8 (But you need to use the Huawei USB Type C Charger else it wont Fast-Charge!!)
-Heat (i've read honor 8 get hot in camera mode, dunno if it's solved with nowdays updates) - Nothing noticed, G4 went hot too
-Build quality and unit's faulty rate (not properly happy with the g4, moving over the screen issue, the back cover doesn't match well on the right bottom edge and remains half mm open)
Hope it helps. By the way there is almost no feature you'll be missing the honor8 even has the IR-blaster like the G4 did
thank you dude, just as i tought... my only doubt was about cam quality but i guess i wont be disappointed with the honor
ktwo said:
-Active battery runtime and charge speed - Honor 8 (But you need to use the Huawei USB Type C Charger else it wont Fast-Charge!!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from Ham2, link in my signature and I feel like the battery life doesn't last as long as my previous device. But with that being said, the battery size was definitely bigger on my Ham2 than Honor 8. But I am a super heavy user and the Ham2's battery should be shot by now, but it seems like the Ham2 still last longer than the Honor 8. I haven't used the G4 before, but I was consider it before I bought the Honor 8. Specs wise Honor 8 wins hands down over both of those phones.
ktwo, how is the battery life on yours? Can you go a whole day without it? With that being said, the Quick charge is amazing. I am still getting use to how fast it charges. I would recommend this device and no need to answer your questions as ktwo did an amazing job at that.
bubbasqueeze said:
Hi all, whould be wise to move from a g4 to an honor8? Who wins in terms of:
-Camera (autofocus quality and speed and noise on low light pics),
-Browsing Speed,
-Updates over time,
-Screen quality (i changed 3 g4 and all had had screen issues like lines ect),
-Software Features (es gestures, shortcuts etc etc),
-Active battery runtime and charge speed,
-Heat (i've read honor 8 get hot in camera mode, dunno if it's solved with nowdays updates),
-Build quality and unit's faulty rate (not properly happy with the g4, moving over the screen issue, the back cover doesn't match well on the right bottom edge and remains half mm open)
It's going in the hands of a non-power user~
Thank you all in advange
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have used the LG G3 and G4 for quite a while and am very happy with the hardware on both. Fantastic cameras! My only frustration was LG's lack of upgrades.. to counter this I recently installed crDroid on them both and they are once again running superbly, on Nougat
I received an Honor 8 just a few days ago and have set it up with Google Now Launcher to look very much like all of my Android devices. It looks very nice (the Saphire Blue one) is about the same size as my Nexus 5X, it is fast, my first photos are sharp, but I wouldn't drop my G4 for the Honor 8, perhaps because I have become so used to the G4
You do get a lot for the money though..
my G4 was sent back for warranty repair because of the motherboard issue. It was gone for 2 months. Bought a Honor 8 as replacement.
It's back now, but I am still with the Honor 8, basically not missing the G4...
I have a Honor 8 but am really impressed with its camera, low noise level... The Fast charging is awesome, speed is also good
Go to honor 8 with closed eyes ! ...
ok ok ok it's is decided
I know it's already been decided, but I also moved from the G4 to the H8.
Camera: G4 (I wish it weren't so! I've tried so many camera apps, and almost 50% of the time, the images are blurry on my H8. How can I check if EIS is working / on?)
Browsing speed: H8 likely due to the 8 real cores. I would have terrible stuttering in any kind of app.
Updates over time: same, though H8 seems to win this via partnership with XDA.
Screen quality: Both for different reasons. G4 has higher res which is noticeable, but really 1080p on a 5.2in on the H8 is a great sweet spot.
Software features: H8 seems to have more practical features. Stock / CM still wins though.
Battery: H8 hands down for both SoT and charge speed.
Heat: H8, aluminum really helps.
Build quality: H8.
ROMs: H8 due to the XDA partnership, G4 (H811) was still locked.
All in all, H8 is a really great buy. On Black Friday, it was totally nuts at ~$265 or something like that.
bubbasqueeze said:
ok ok ok it's is decided
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good Luck !.
camera is really my only doubt about the h8...in every review i watch it's stated be over-average, both on high and low light. The only real issue it does have is the lack of an ois, and i dont know if it's really going to impact a lot on the pictures or on the videos quality. I rly wish i could try it before changing my issued g4.
*in europe where i live, it's priced 360€
Check this to see if it's worth losing OIS.
http://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=5&idPhone1=8195&idPhone2=6901&idPhone3=7815
on gsmarena comparison, regarding the photo samples, i notice a little blurrier, less noisy, less contrasted pics on the g4 especially on good light...h8 seems to perform better on low light and to catch more details....but the ISO are different and i'm no expert, so i cannot rly judge.
bubbasqueeze said:
Hi all, whould be wise to move from a g4 to an honor8? Who wins in terms of:
-Camera (autofocus quality and speed and noise on low light pics),
-Browsing Speed,
-Updates over time,
-Screen quality (i changed 3 g4 and all had had screen issues like lines ect),
-Software Features (es gestures, shortcuts etc etc),
-Active battery runtime and charge speed,
-Heat (i've read honor 8 get hot in camera mode, dunno if it's solved with nowdays updates),
-Build quality and unit's faulty rate (not properly happy with the g4, moving over the screen issue, the back cover doesn't match well on the right bottom edge and remains half mm open)
It's going in the hands of a non-power user~
Thank you all in advange
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera - I saw it can go either way, I've produced really great images with the Honor 8. But it does lack OIS and the G4 can take images in RAW so if you edit photos you can keep your G4 for that.
Browsing Speed - I would say even. Depends on your connectivity.
Software Updates - Right now, Honor 8. I'm already running a Nougat beta on my Honor 8, but then again the G4 is a year old phone.
Screen Quality - Honor 8 and G4 are both crispy.
Software Features - I would say Honor 8. With the Android Nougat beta, it came with a lot of the Stock nougat features like multiwindow.
Battery - I would say they're equal.
Heat - Honor 8 is better. It rarely heats up, even if it does it isn't as bad as the G4 heating up.
Build Quality - Honor 8. Materials are more high quality.
After breaking my G3 screen, I decided to look for a large (5.5 screen) and rootable phone. Since I was pretty happy with G3, I decided to give G4 a try and settled for used, unlocked t-mobile variant (H811). I must say that G4 is unimpressive (bulky and not very responsive) and the ROM support is segmented and not as good as G3.
Luckily, I ended up getting a series of bad refurbished phones (bad charging port, bad GPS, wrong variants). I think unless LG do something useful rather than useless gimmickry (basically just played with back covers for G4 and G5) the Gx line is dead.
With that in mind, I went for the smaller (5.2) and not-yet-root-able honor 8 because of the BF $240 deal. The biggest problem I had was to migrate system and apps settings due to the lack of titanium backup (actually why this is supported by Android itself). This turn out to be not too bad. I read that the EMUI is not android like but that difference is small comparing that of android versions or vendors differences. If only I could find a simple way to invoke the menu (not navigation pane) key for some really old apps, I would be very happy.
One more thing that irritated me on G3/G4 is that the knock code unlock is often hit-and-miss for me unless I turn off the screen first, on certain area of the screen, and do it slowly. All that frustration is gone now with honor 8's fingerprint sensor and it also keep the screen alive when i leave the finger there - and the unlock works even when the finger is upside down or sideways.
henry333 said:
I went for the smaller (5.2) and not-yet-root-able honor 8 because of the BF $240 deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean? it's super easy to root.
I'm selling my LG V10 to my colleague and likely to get the Honor 8 next because I miss the smaller form factor and lighter feel. V10 is a great phone, even for 2016, but it's very bulky with a case. My only concern with Huawei is the software, I had a horrible experience with the Honor 5X software wise, even though I know my way around Android very well. So I'm looking to see if CM14.1 will be available for the 8, but I'm afraid it won't have the same camera quality, which is usually the case due to proprietary drivers. (Had similar experience with many other phones.)
The other option is to upgrade to the OnePlus 3T, but I really want to go small this time. I don't need fast phones or latest specs anymore, just a very good camera. Pixel is out of the question because I can't justify spending more than about $400 for phones anymore (especially without microSD) since there are so many good values out there. I might consider a Pixel if they have a very good deal with Google Fi.
eksasol said:
Pixel is out of the question because I can't justify spending more than about $400 for phones anymore .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I won't be shelling out big money for the latest and greatest anymore with these companies pumping out high quality affordable devices. Btw, I had the pixel, I'd take the Honor 8 over it any day.
eksasol said:
I'm selling my LG V10 to my colleague and likely to get the Honor 8 next because I miss the smaller form factor and lighter feel. V10 is a great phone, even for 2016, but it's very bulky with a case. My only concern with Huawei is the software, I had a horrible experience with the Honor 5X software wise, even though I know my way around Android very well. So I'm looking to see if CM14.1 will be available for the 8, but I'm afraid it won't have the same camera quality, which is usually the case due to proprietary drivers. (Had similar experience with many other phones.)
The other option is to upgrade to the OnePlus 3T, but I really want to go small this time. I don't need fast phones or latest specs anymore, just a very good camera. Pixel is out of the question because I can't justify spending more than about $400 for phones anymore (especially without microSD) since there are so many good values out there. I might consider a Pixel if they have a very good deal with Google Fi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is cm for honor 8 but it's dodgy and stuff needs to be fixed

Worth switching from Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version) to Blu Vivo X?

I currently have a Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version) and been thinking of switching to the Blu Vivo X for the 4010+ mah battery, 64gb internal storage, and 4 cameras. Both phone has 4 GB and rams and an Octacore CPU. The Blu Vivo X is currently more than a $100 less than the Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version).
What's your thought on the Blu Vivo X and would it be worth switching to it from a Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version), even though the Blu Vivo X uses a 720p screen, and Blu has been known for having adwares in their phones in the past?
specs info:
- Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version) gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s7-7821.php
- Blu Vivo X gsmarena.com/blu_vivo_x-9072.php
My thoughts (which are only MY thoughts, I'm not pretending to have the absolute truth):
- Blu Vivo X has a mediatek CPU which isn't at the same level as Exynos or Snapdragon CPU, still it will do the job.
- Blu is know for adware but is also known for having malwares installed
- 4010mAh battery, I would be very careful with that number. A high quality manufacturer will announce the capacity of their battery and you can almost be sure that it is true. Now, when you go to less known, less top quality manufacturers, when they say 3000mAh, you test the battery and it's in fact like a 2000mAh. So before making a choice, find concrete tests which tells you how much time you have with a full charge. Don't listen to people on Youtube with no test protocol who say "Yeah, I can last 2 days with it" because you can't know their perception of things, you can't know if they have been paid, you can't know what they do with their phone. If I turn off Wifi, LTE, and keep the screen of on my OnePlus One, I can last 1 week! Now if I use it normally, I last 1 day, 2 days at the most, but real screen on time is like 6 hours. So be careful and don't trust fanboys or people who just throw numbers like this.
About battery capacity, I give you an example I have read some years ago when Xioami released their external battery pack (10.000mAh). When tested, it was almost good but more around 9000mAh. They had compared to unknown brands found on Amazon, and some batteries announced like 10.000mAh, had in fact less than 5000mAh in capacity. So be careful, Blu isn't such a great highly recommended trusty manufacturer, so I would tend to think their numbers are enhanced for the commercial speech, but in real like, will a 4000mAh battery last a lot longer than a 3000mAh from Samsung, I doubt it.
So in the end, what do you think you will do with the Vivo X than you can't do with the Galaxy S7? That's the real question. You want more storage space? The Exynos version of the S7 has a SD card slot. More battery, better buy an external battery pack, it will cost you less.
That's my point of view, I would never trade a flagship from a very well known brand some model from a brand known for cheap phones and who put Mediatek processors in their phones. I highly doubt that the Blu Vivo X will have internal memory that has the same speed as a Galaxy S7, I highly doubt the pictures from the Vivo X would beat the S7, I also highly doubt you will have more "Screen on time" with a Vivo X as Samsung has spent time to optimize their system (you can also debloat it to gain battery life by removing all Samsung crapware). That's only my point of view, but I don't think it's a good idea. You should make your own idea by reading LOT (not just 1 or 2) reviews on the Blu Vivo X, watching videos on Youtube and read between lines, don't trust people that aren't even tech journalists ; )
EDIT: Here are some interesting reviews I've found on Amazon of people not only putting 5 stars and saying "great phone!":
Review 1: "This phone does exactly what the description says. It takes Ok pictures, is thin and comfortable in the hand, and is relatively easy to use. However, the processor speed and user interface, are not up to par with a Snapdragon or Galaxy S. I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade my Galaxy S7 to the VIVO X. I was not impressed. The system response was slower than what I'm used to and the UI just feels "cheap" to me. On a brighter note, the front camera was awesome for using Google Duo to talk to my son while I'm on the road. Its not a bad phone, I just feel like my S7 is a better phone."
Review 2: "I'm pretty conflicted with this phone. I want to adore it, however there are some pretty major setbacks that I'm not sure if I can look past. With that being said, I'd still recommend this for the price.
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Pros:
- The screen is big but you don't get a big phone. I've strayed away from 6" because I'm a little person, but I quite like holding this because it's skinny enough that small hands can hold it and also enjoy a "big boy" screen.
- It's smooth. It's definitely faster and more smooth than my last phone (HTC Desire Eye). Installing apps is lightning fast, scrolling through google is a breeze, and having multiple apps in the background doesn't slow it down.
- Sound quality is quite good. It's bass-y, which I like. It picks up the slightest noise though, which could be great or bad depending on the situation I guess. It goes quite loud as well.
- Plenty of storage. You'll be able to fit thousands of photos, songs, and quite a lot of apps onto this phone.
- Fingerprint scanner is awesome. I've never had a phone that did this, so it's kind of fun.
- Messaging notification drop-down is AMAZING. I LOVE this feature. I was pleasantly surprised when someone texted me and I was able to read/reply from the drop-down, all while staying on whatever page.
- You can do split-screen. I think it depends on the app though. In theory, it's great that you can have two pages up at a time.
- Android nougat is so nice. I had Android 5.0 with my last phone. Upgrading to 7 is definitely what I needed, and hoping for an update to Android 8 in the next year, maybe?
- The actual feel of the phone is high-end. It feels like a top-rated phone, but without the pricetag.
- All of Google's apps come already installed. I personally don't use many of Google's features, so luckily it's easy to remove them and add some extra storage to the phone.
- It came with a screen protector already on, an extra screen protector in the box, and a case as well! It also came with the standard charging accessories and some earbuds.
- Fast startup/reboot. The initial startup is a bit slow and worrisome, but it's just the one time as it gets itself ready for you! After that, turning it on is quick.
Cons:
- The camera. So many problems with it. I'll go into detail at the end of this post. This is the biggest obstacle holding me back from possibly sticking with this. My last phone had a superb camera that was clear, could focus on micro surroundings, adjusted perfectly to light... And this camera fails in all those areas.
- The resolution IS as advertised. No you won't be getting the clearest of words on your screen, but it's passable. It's noticeable if you switch from a better resolution phone like I did though.
- The lack of cases is strange, I must admit. Hopefully some more come out soon.
- No theme, at least not that I could tell. I think all of my past Androids of recent years have had an option for different interface themes. This doesn't seem to have this feature.
- I couldn't access ANY ringtones/notification alerts. I had to download a ringtone app.
- 14GB of my 64GB was already taken up. I can't figure out what's taking up so much space. I've gotten rid of any bloatware (luckily wasn't a lot, so great job, BLU), but 14 is still a lot.
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I'd love to give it 5 stars, but there's just one thing that's so jarring to me, and I don't understand it at all... When you use your camera (back and front), the window on your screen is crisp and beautiful (back is, front is lackluster). But when you go to look at the image, it's blurry. It's like it goes from the supposed 13MP+, down to maybe an 8MP (at best) once the picture is actually taken. I'm pretty miffed at this. I mean, really, the camera specs are a lie.
To go along with the camera, it also has a hard time focusing on things close to it. For example, selfies are a joke. You get that perma-airbrushed look even without the beauty filter on. I have freckles, but you can't see them in the photos. Some different camera apps make the clarity and focusing a bit better, but you'd more than likely have to deal with obnoxious ads unless you want to pay for a different camera app.
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Overall, I'm not exactly happy with it, but I'm not mad either. I really wish the camera was better. I switched from a 2014 phone which excelled in that area, so it's sort of hard to downgrade after spending a couple hundred bucks. I did upgrade in many areas which is nice though. I sort of want to return the item, but I might keep it. Luckily I'm not a huge selfie taker, so I may not care too much about the problem a week from now."
So all in all, I've also read some reviews from tech websites, the Vivo X seems to be a good phone FOR THE PRICE. So if I were you, I wouldn't expect a 250$ phone to have the same quality of components of a 700$ phone. Mediatek processor, Only Gorilla glass 3, LCD screen not Amoled, Camera with only "ok quality". If you extrapolate, that can give you an hint of the quality of the internal memory, of the quality of the RAM used, the quality of the GPS chip (will it fix your position as fast as a S7? Don't know, but I doubt it).
To me, your question is similar as saying "I have a Ford Mustang, is it worth switching to a "add name of any common cheap car" ?" You see what I mean?
No way!!! Why you would do that? It`s more like a downgrade.. If you really want a change, something stock, more storage, more ram, quickly software updates and maybe a better battery backup, you can change the s7 for a OnePlus 5T, or simply you can wait for OnePlus 6 which is launching in june..
cristiandiaconu6 said:
No way!!! Why you would do that? It`s more like a downgrade.. If you really want a change, something stock, more storage, more ram, quickly software updates and maybe a better battery backup, you can change the s7 for a OnePlus 5T, or simply you can wait for OnePlus 6 which is launching in june..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's true, these are the best alternative to my point of view too, but the only thing is that it's not on the same budget level (250$ for the Blu Vivo X and 500$ or more for the OnePlus phones). Though, you summed up all I said very well, S7 to Vivo X is a downgrade.

Picking up a G7 this evening...

We'll see how that goes I'm fully aware this is not the most solid flagship choice, but I couldn't pass on the campaign from my carrier. 380€ brand new is way below competing offers, and there's a pretty good chance it will see official Android Pie but AOSP support looks to be slim.
Pros for me, coming from Huawei P9 Plus, is:
Better SOC in SD845 vs Kirin 955
Better audio in Quad DAC and BT 5.0LE vs BT 4.0. Huawei has weak BT.
Slightly prolonged software support, possibly Android P, both have lousy track record in that regard but the P9 Plus is already EOL on Nougat.
IP68, military spec, but the P9 Plus has been very durable.
Higher res screen and a GPU to support it.
More modern looks with almost no bezels.
Better video recording, 4K
Wireless charging
Cons:
It's an expense even if good price
Still camera is probably way worse and needs to be outsmarted in different ways unless some update corrects it. I don't use camera that much though and have excellent DSLRs if I need quality.
Probably less stable, Huawei software may be boring but it is rock solid.
Probably less battery, but with normal usage I'm nowhere near half battery at the end of the day so I can take a little less.
Stereo speakers and Super AMOLED on P9 Plus is nice.
In summary it's not a super upgrade but more of a sidegrade to stay current. I probably would have wanted another flagship phone but the prices are getting ridiculous and this was by far the cheapest alternative to be in the SD845-class of handsets. Impressions will follow.
Any thoughts?
The hardware is definitely an upgrade from P9. But The software isn't as feature rich as EMUI..so it will take awhile to forgive and adjust to LG UX. Even if it was Nougat it would have been a stable and complete exp with EMUI. But with LG UX you feel u have taken a step backwards as far the software is concerned. Also please be patient with LG on regular security updates or bug fixes..
Best of luck with your purchase..and enjoy your new device...!!
Thanks, yes, I guess I will have to do some things differently. Huawei works really solid, only big drawback is Bluetooth performance which is subpar by any standard. LG probably has a few more showstoppers, but I'm prepared for that. Better audio jack is a big pro for me, as P9 sounds great but lacks some juice and I listen to music a lot.
xeizo said:
Thanks, yes, I guess I will have to do some things differently. Huawei works really solid, only big drawback is Bluetooth performance which is subpar by any standard. LG probably has a few more showstoppers, but I'm prepared for that. Better audio jack is a big pro for me, as P9 sounds great but lacks some juice and I listen to music a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't knock the speakers on the G7 seriously this phone can kick
The headphone output on the LG G7 crushes everything else mobile, right now driving my Sennheiser HD600s like it was a super expensive HiFI-component system.
It sounds fantastic streaming FLAC from my server using Bubble UPNP, even the DTS-X function is useful as you can get awesome crossfeed for your headphones. And the possibility to choose digital filter is also useful, as the slow filter sounds noticeably more high res with high quality cans. In one short word, Excellent!
Bluetooth is much much better than my Huawei P9 Plus, totally drop out free and the possibility to choose from all contemporary Bluetooth codecs depending on hardware support.

Pixel 5 - Pros, Cons, what's left in between

So, according to the new store page, in comparison to the pixel 4/xl they cut
- Soli
- Faceunlock
- Pixel Neural Core (WHAT?! Why?!)
- Tele-Lens
- Highend Chipset
- Active Edge
- QHD+ Display (from 537 ppi down to 432 ppi )
- ip68 rating (ty u/kelderic, reddit)
And they 'gave' us
+ bigger battery
+ fingerprint (why not both?!)
+ 5G
+ wide (remember Google from last year? "We don't need wide, tele is good")
- Measly +2 GB Ram, still no storage available beyond 128 GB
What do you guys think 'bout that?
Compared to the Pixel 4/xl this just feels like a downgrade, even to the Pixel 3xl it's no real upgrade. Most people who think budget will not turn to this phone and the highend-spenders will not be pleased by this. I don't see googles angle hear, however they haven't shown any good angle recently anyway. And the heck did they remove the neural core? Plus getting a weaker soc.. just madnes.
Apparently neural core made face unlock work quicker so no loss there.
About the only thing I would prefer is higher ppi but I sure don't want to spend $1000 to get it.
My next phone will be 5G so pixel 4/xl aren't an option.
If it's not enough bang for the buck then just wait for black Friday and/or opt for the 4a 5G.
Google phones have never been the best phone for everyone.
Most likely the machine learning Ai stuff is included in the snapdragon 765 so no more dedicated chip is necessary. I would not worry too much
Benjamin_L said:
Most likely the machine learning Ai stuff is included in the snapdragon 765 so no more dedicated chip is necessary. I would not worry too much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it is not included. Where did you get that idea?
darkoroje said:
No it is not included. Where did you get that idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.androidauthority.com/qualcomm-snapdragon-765-specs-1059745/
"Finally, Qualcomm’s fifth-gen AI engine is ported over partially intact, with a Hexagon 696 DSP with a dedicated Tensor Accelerator. The setup sports 5.5TOPS of AI compute."
So still I don't know what Google are using but they wouldn't get rid of it if it impacts performance much. So I don't worry
The Samsung S20FE will be competition at the same MSRP, includes Snapdragon 865, 120hz display, 4500mah battery. Appears to be on sale for $599. Of course it isn't a clean google phone.
Benjamin_L said:
https://www.androidauthority.com/qualcomm-snapdragon-765-specs-1059745/
"Finally, Qualcomm’s fifth-gen AI engine is ported over partially intact, with a Hexagon 696 DSP with a dedicated Tensor Accelerator. The setup sports 5.5TOPS of AI compute."
So still I don't know what Google are using but they wouldn't get rid of it if it impacts performance much. So I don't worry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems to be the case https://m.gsmarena.com/the_new_pixe...nt_mean_they_lack_the_features-news-45589.php
The pro is the camera will be brilliant and it's running stock android.
Pretty much everything else about the pixel 5 sucks
force70 said:
The pro is the camera will be brilliant and it's running stock android.
Pretty much everything else about the pixel 5 sucks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, good battery life, more than enough processing power for non gamers really sucks
Benjamin_L said:
Yeah, good battery life, more than enough processing power for non gamers really sucks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good battery life remains to be seen.
I stand by my original statement, however I suppose I could have made it more clear...for a mid ranger it's fine.
For a flagship (which it isnt). It sucks.
Better?
Pros:
A pure Google software experience
Fingerprint sensor is back( no more awful face unlock)
1080p screen
4080mAh battery
Aluminum back (well, mostly)
Cons:
That awful hole punch (that has me considering canceling my order)
Ultra wide camera replacing the telephoto
Too big
Slow processor
Active edge is gone
---------- Post added at 09:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:45 AM ----------
force70 said:
Good battery life remains to be seen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, we technically don't know what the battery life will be but just knowing a little bit about phone hardware and some common sense indicates that the battery life should be pretty good.
The biggest battery drain on any phone is the screen mainly due to the screen resolution. So take the Pixel 4 XL for example. The battery life wasn't too bad but not great either. Now increase the size of the battery 10%, decrease the number of pixels by 42%(that alone is huge), decrease the overall screen area by 11%, add in a slightly more power efficient processor, remove Soli and remove face unlock and you basically have the Pixel 5. The only thing really working against the Pixel 5 in terms of battery life is the 5G which I'm going to turn off anyways. I have no concerns about the battery life of the Pixel 5.
The more interesting comparison is to the 4a. A significant price difference but both are a similar size and real world performance would be similar too.
This just leaves wireless charging, IP and maybe 90hz as the tangible differences you would notice day to day. Maybe it will feel more premium in hand too but that is hard to know right now.
I got the 4a with the intention of giving it to one of my parents with the 5 landed, I am now hesitating though as the 4a is terrific and I am not sure the 5 is £250 better.
great battery life great phone.
I have only had my pixel 5 for a week and i am super impressed with the battery life. I have been getting 3 days out of it . At the moment it has 25 % left and it's used 8 hours and 26 minutes of screen use , that's using google to simply surf the net and as I am a distribution driver i use Google Maps daily, I also make multiple calls daily and use Bluetooth all day for my vans multi media unit and my zenwatch 3 all day I am 61 years old so I have had tons of phones and I have to say i think this phone stacks up with the best including the Asus rog 3
Pros: Battery, form factor/weight, software.
Con: Price for what is being offered. The speakers are just OK. The gap issue from production quality. Luckily I was able to get my P5 for net cost of about 461 including tax after stacking a bunch of promos, etc. Also no gap issue on mine.
I'm not an iPhone fanatic so I have nothing to say about the iPhone 12. The only phone that I currently have and would recommend is the S20FE, but not at MSRP AND if it doesn't have these touch screen issues that people are talking about. Only thing with Samsung phones is that you have to spend additional time to customize to your liking and reducing bloat. I was also pleasantly surprised with the camera qualify after making settings adjustments to reduce saturation and softening in photos.
After using mine for about a week, I am kind of regretting trading in my 4XL for one reason....the ear speaker quality. It is literally the worst sounding earpiece and is extremely quiet relative to my 4XL. I was driving on the highway yesterday and could barely hear my client on the other end. Had to plug in my wired headset. Unacceptable. I will probably send in for a new unit to see if its any better, but everyone seems to have the same comment as I.
I can settle with almost every concession Google took, and I do think the fingerprint is a big welcome back feature. I hate face unlock especially with having to wear masks. Never made sense to me. The hole punch doesnt both me.
As far as Active edge is concerned. I guess, apparently the feature isn't 'official' on the Pixel 5.
Check the apps,mods section here on xda.
Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...7&share_fid=3793&share_type=t&link_source=app
toneneuewin said:
Pros: Battery, form factor/weight, software.
Con: Price for what is being offered. The speakers are just OK. The gap issue from production quality. Luckily I was able to get my P5 for net cost of about 461 including tax after stacking a bunch of promos, etc. Also no gap issue on mine.
I'm not an iPhone fanatic so I have nothing to say about the iPhone 12. The only phone that I currently have and would recommend is the S20FE, but not at MSRP AND if it doesn't have these touch screen issues that people are talking about. Only thing with Samsung phones is that you have to spend additional time to customize to your liking and reducing bloat. I was also pleasantly surprised with the camera qualify after making settings adjustments to reduce saturation and softening in photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've sold my FE for the Pixel. The screen issues are annoying albeit the last update seems to have sorted it, but I just cannot live with the Samsung nonsense like cannot delete Samsung photos app and playing a dance to get to Google Photos
It's a great phone the FE but not when you are Googled up for home and work and can't be bothered working around 2 of everything
Sent from my SM-G780F using Tapatalk
Davey Dual Sim said:
I've sold my FE for the Pixel. The screen issues are annoying albeit the last update seems to have sorted it, but I just cannot live with the Samsung nonsense like cannot delete Samsung photos app and playing a dance to get to Google Photos
It's a great phone the FE but not when you are Googled up for home and work and can't be bothered working around 2 of everything
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Pixel 5 is great. It just works out of the box. I'm enjoying mine and it has been a couple of weeks. You can debloat Samsung, but obviously that's additional steps. It's not hard, but quite frankly I just don't want to invest time with custom ROMs, adb commands, etc. Those days are long gone lol.
No me neither, I don't even want to root phones anymore can't be bothered
The FE would be a winner of Samsung ran stock Android
Sent from my SM-G780F using Tapatalk
Davey Dual Sim said:
No me neither, I don't even want to root phones anymore can't be bothered
The FE would be a winner of Samsung ran stock Android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A bit true..but this would never happen. Htc had 1 model with 2 versions ...one with htc software and one with google only ...

General Brutally Honest Review of the A52 4G

Hi guys. I bought an A52 4G for myself a few weeks ago and here is my brutally honest review. As you will see, there are some things I wasn't satisfied with but I needed a phone quickly and for my budget and availability, I thought I'd give Samsung a chance.
Pros​
1. Lots of QoL services by Samsung like always on display and apps like Gallery by Samsung can be more useful than Photos by Google. I also mapped the double tap power button to start the flashlight.
2. The 720G chipset along with a 90hz display feels plenty powerful especially for those coming from an older midrange device. However, it's not as fast and instantaneous as stock Android or OxygenOS. Also, you will face lots of stutters and bugs if you enable animation to .5x. At default 1x, animations are too damn slow.
3. Stereo speakers. Sound quality is average though. I don't use it much so I don't care.
4. Water resistance. It's nice of Samsung to bring this feature to a midrange device.
5. The macro camera can be useful for taking pictures of very small items like coins. The selfie camera seems alright.
6. The display, despite having kind of inaccurate colors is actually a lot better looking than most Chinese brand (OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Realme, etc) phone displays. Most Chinese brand displays tend to have a washed out, pale look to them despite having high refresh rates.
7. Battery life is pretty decent. If you don't use it much, it'll last a couple days easily. Of course, battery will degrade over time so a few years later, you might need to change the battery or the phone itself.
Cons​
1. Sound quality output through the 3.5mm jack is very bad. My previous phone (Moto G5s Plus) had a much better built-in DAC. But at least the jack is there so I guess it's better than nothing but I'd suggest you get a good type-c to 3.5mm converter and use that instead if you're looking for decent audio.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very inaccurate and kind of pale. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Also, the amoled screen can be fatiguing to your eyes. Not everyone faces this but personally I have this problem.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. It would be better if Samsung didn't provide this crappy 15 watt charger and made the phone cheaper so I could buy a 25 watt charger myself. I don't see the logic in this. The phone supports 25 watt charging but Samsung includes a 15 watt charger in the box.
4. The lightly colored matte plastic back looks awesome in the beginning but with some mild use, the colors are already starting to fade and become yellowish. So put a case or skin on it if you wanna preserve that awesome color.
5. The colors and details of the main camera are not very good for an upper midrange device in 2021. I saw some reviews on YouTube with review units provided by Samsung that showed much better camera quality than what I'm getting with my retail unit. Especially after you take a picture, if you zoom in on a person's face for example, the details are just not there. Also, the colors are inaccurate and not life like. Hopefully, someone can make a good GCAM for this phone. Otherwise, expect to live with an average camera.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions. EDIT: Luckily, it stopped doing this.
7. If the bezels were a bit narrower especially the sides and top, it would have quite a flagship killer look. Even the A51 has narrower bezels on the side. But I know Samsung did this on purpose so their more expensive S series phones would look more special than the A series.
8. It's a bit on the heavier side if you compare it to the A51. Putting a case and tempered glass on it will only increase the weight further. I find myself having to put the phone down on a table or bed to use it. I can't hold it in the air for long due to its weight.
Bugs​1. "Force dark mode" option in developer settings automatically turns itself off whenever you restart your device.
2. If you set animation to .5x instead of the default 1x, and cycle through your recent apps, there's a weird stutter.
Conclusion​
If you can live with Samsung's annoying OneUI stutters or slow animations, this isn't a bad phone especially if you can get it for around $300 USD. I'd call this a good phone for moms/dads and grandmas/grandpas. If you're a young millennial trying to live on the cutting edge, I'd pass on this one and get something that's a little faster, maybe the new Nord CE (it has a more washed out display than the A52 though).
Well! My phone have just arrived. I'm switching from an S7 edge that I've been using for the last 4 years. So far I find that the screen is pretty good! Better than the S7E. The speed is excellent and of course, the ONE UI 3.1 is superb. I've already uninstalled some unwanted apps. As regards the camera, haven't tested it yet. But obviously, the GCAM will make it better.
LanguageSoez said:
Well! My phone have just arrived. I'm switching from an S7 edge that I've been using for the last 4 years. So far I find that the screen is pretty good! Better than the S7E. The speed is excellent and of course, the ONE UI 3.1 is superb. I've already uninstalled some unwanted apps. As regards the camera, haven't tested it yet. But obviously, the GCAM will make it better.
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Of course it'll be better than a 4 year old phone lol. If you think one UI is superb, try using stock android or oxygenos, you will be blown away.
I got A72 and the picture quality coming out from the stabilized Sony IMX 686 sensor with pixel binned 16 MP pictures is superior to Samsung HM2 108 MP giving just 12MP images ... So is A52, I don't believe your "honest review" ....
neoxcool said:
I got A72 and the picture quality coming out from the stabilized Sony IMX 686 sensor with pixel binned 16 MP pictures is superior to Samsung HM2 108 MP giving just 12MP images ... So is A52, I don't believe your "honest review" ....
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A72 is not A52. Specs are one thing, software is another. You don't have to believe anything. As I said in my review, you should experience the phones in person preferably from friends who bought it and then make a decision.
The OP is obviously a satisfied customer
Griping about it being water resistant is really picking at nits. It adds little cost and help to seal out dust, extending the usable service life of the device.
Charging a phone while using isn't a good idea and it should charge slow whilst using regardless of the wattage capacity of the charger brick being used.
NiceGuyIncel said:
Hi guys. I bought an A52 4G for myself a few weeks ago and here is my brutally honest review. As you will see, there are a lot of things I wasn't satisfied with but for my budget and availability, this was one of the better ones.
Pros:
1. Lots of QoL services by Samsung like always on display and apps like Gallery by Samsung can be more useful than Photos by Google. I also mapped the double tap power button to start the flashlight.
2. The 720G chipset along with a 90hz display feels plenty smooth especially for those coming from an older midrange device. It's not as fast and instantaneous as stock android or oxygenos but this is probably the fastest that Samsung OneUI has ever been.
3. Stereo speakers. Quality is average though. I don't use it much so I don't care.
4. Water resistance. It can be useful if you like to take your phone to the bathroom or live in a rainy area but I feel this feature is more suitable for flagship phones. The 4G version of the A52 really don't need this feature and it would be better if the device was slightly cheaper instead.
Cons:
1. Sound quality output through the 3.5mm jack is very bland. My previous phone (Moto G5s Plus) had a much better built-in DAC. But at least the jack is there so I guess it's better than nothing but I'd suggest you get a good type-c to 3.5mm converter and use that instead if you're looking for quality audio.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very boring and washed out. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Hopefully, the xda community will do something about this, maybe a graphics engine or some app that can tinker with the display settings more finely.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. So I really don't know why Samsung pulled an Apple with the charger.
4. The lightly colored matte plastic back looks awesome in the beginning but with some mild use, the colors are already starting to fade and become yellowish. So put a case or skin on it if you wanna preserve that awesome color.
5. The colors and details of the main camera really sucks for an upper midrange device in 2021. I saw some reviews on YouTube with review units provided by Samsung that showed much better camera quality than what I'm getting with my retail unit. Luckily, some people have already started working on gcam for this device and from what I've heard the results are much better than Samsung's default camera app.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions.
7. If the bezels were a bit narrower especially the sides and top, it would have quite a flagship killer look. But I know Samsung did this on purpose so their more expensive S series phones would look more special than the A series.
8. It's a bit on the heavier side if you compare it to the A51. Putting a case and tempered glass on it will only increase the weight further.
9. The amoled screen can be fatiguing to your eyes. Not everyone faces this but personally I have this problem.
Conclusion: That wraps up my brutally honest review of the A52 4G. I hope you enjoyed the fact that I didn't jump up and down and say this is the best phone ever like most YouTube "reviewers". They say that whenever a new phone comes out. Of course the people who are gonna upgrade from a 5 year old phone will also say this is the best phone they ever used. From their perspective, it makes sense but I believe you should thoroughly research the market and only buy what YOU like the most. I was moving to another country where phones are quite expensive so I just grabbed this cause I was in a hurry. If you have the time, research other phones and try to use them in person. That way you will know for sure what you're getting because specs can be misleading. I'd suggest you look into Poco F3, OnePlus Nord, Moto G100, Moto G60 and other similarly priced devices before going for the A52. Don't assume that just because it's a Samsung, it's gonna be a great phone. Samsung intentionally nerfed this phone so there is more incentive for people to go for the more expensive S series phones.
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I appreciate your feedback. I'm certain most of those who are still undecided will as well.
To be frank, this device has received overwhelming amounts of good press, which, as a consumer, is a good thing.
That said, constructive criticism is a key component towards improving upon future A series models and/or polishing the current user experience.
AHE_XDA said:
I appreciate your feedback. I'm certain most of those who are still undecided will as well.
To be frank, this device has received overwhelming amounts of good press, which, as a consumer, is a good thing.
That said, constructive criticism is a key component towards improving upon future A series models and/or polishing the current user experience.
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Paid press is always good press...
The Samsung Fold series always get rave reviews but they're expensive, fragile and limited devices. Worse I'm being kind in my criticism.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions.
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Weird, I have never encountered this.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. So I really don't know why Samsung pulled an Apple with the charger
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I don't mind this at all since it's already proven that fast charging does hurt your battery longevity.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very boring and washed out. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Hopefully, the xda community will do something about this, maybe a graphics engine or some app that can tinker with the display settings more finely.
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I agree with this, although I prefer it for the occasional media consumption. For general usage, it might lead to some eye strain for some people which includes me.
The build despite plastic is decent enough considering the trade-offs with its other specs at this price point and an IP6X is always welcome. The camera is nothing spectacular but not bad, given that it's harder to quantify the expected degrees of quality per $ at this price range. Performance is fine for the majority of the time but there are occasional stutters or lag you will encounter. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase. It's also worth noting that warranty and software support tend to get overlooked when looking at the price.
I was considering Poco F3 as an alternative before getting my A52 however, I didn't go through with the Poco F3 because of various issues and concerns that I can't be arsed to list.
This phone is on my list to upgrade from my Essential PH-1. Keeping an eye on ROM development and Gcam development. I can get it for around $354 depending on the COP to USD conversion rate in Colombia. Anyone know better deals out in the wild?
NiceGuyIncel said:
Hi guys. I bought an A52 4G for myself a few weeks ago and here is my brutally honest review. As you will see, there are some things I wasn't satisfied with but I needed a phone quickly and for my budget and availability, I thought I'd give Samsung a chance.
Pros​
1. Lots of QoL services by Samsung like always on display and apps like Gallery by Samsung can be more useful than Photos by Google. I also mapped the double tap power button to start the flashlight.
2. The 720G chipset along with a 90hz display feels plenty powerful especially for those coming from an older midrange device. However, it's not as fast and instantaneous as stock Android or OxygenOS. Also, you will face lots of stutters and bugs if you enable animation to .5x. At default 1x, animations are too damn slow.
3. Stereo speakers. Sound quality is average though. I don't use it much so I don't care.
4. Water resistance. It's nice of Samsung to bring this feature to a midrange device.
5. The macro camera can be useful for taking pictures of very small items like coins. The selfie camera seems alright.
6. The display, despite having kind of inaccurate colors is actually a lot better looking than most Chinese brand (OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Realme, etc) phone displays. Most Chinese brand displays tend to have a washed out, pale look to them despite having high refresh rates.
7. Battery life is pretty decent. If you don't use it much, it'll last a couple days easily. Of course, battery will degrade over time so a few years later, you might need to change the battery or the phone itself.
Cons​
1. Sound quality output through the 3.5mm jack is very bad. My previous phone (Moto G5s Plus) had a much better built-in DAC. But at least the jack is there so I guess it's better than nothing but I'd suggest you get a good type-c to 3.5mm converter and use that instead if you're looking for decent audio.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very inaccurate and kind of pale. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Also, the amoled screen can be fatiguing to your eyes. Not everyone faces this but personally I have this problem.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. It would be better if Samsung didn't provide this crappy 15 watt charger and made the phone cheaper so I could buy a 25 watt charger myself. I don't see the logic in this. The phone supports 25 watt charging but Samsung includes a 15 watt charger in the box.
4. The lightly colored matte plastic back looks awesome in the beginning but with some mild use, the colors are already starting to fade and become yellowish. So put a case or skin on it if you wanna preserve that awesome color.
5. The colors and details of the main camera are not very good for an upper midrange device in 2021. I saw some reviews on YouTube with review units provided by Samsung that showed much better camera quality than what I'm getting with my retail unit. Especially after you take a picture, if you zoom in on a person's face for example, the details are just not there. Also, the colors are inaccurate and not life like. Hopefully, someone can make a good GCAM for this phone. Otherwise, expect to live with an average camera.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions. EDIT: Luckily, it stopped doing this.
7. If the bezels were a bit narrower especially the sides and top, it would have quite a flagship killer look. Even the A51 has narrower bezels on the side. But I know Samsung did this on purpose so their more expensive S series phones would look more special than the A series.
8. It's a bit on the heavier side if you compare it to the A51. Putting a case and tempered glass on it will only increase the weight further. I find myself having to put the phone down on a table or bed to use it. I can't hold it in the air for long due to its weight.
Bugs​1. "Force dark mode" option in developer settings automatically turns itself off whenever you restart your device.
2. If you set animation to .5x instead of the default 1x, and cycle through your recent apps, there's a weird stutter.
Conclusion​
If you can live with Samsung's annoying OneUI stutters or slow animations, this isn't a bad phone especially if you can get it for around $300 USD. I'd call this a good phone for moms/dads and grandmas/grandpas. If you're a young millennial trying to live on the cutting edge, I'd pass on this one and get something that's a little faster, maybe the new Nord CE (it has a more washed out display than the A52 though).
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Well, I will answer this from the perspective of an Indian Millenial coming from Mi A2 (and having only used crappy Micromax and Redmi phones in the past, this is something which I think most Indian youth can relate to). Let's go point by point :
1. UI
Having used stock android and MIUI, I can confidently say that OneUI is definitely a bit clumsy, but it is easy to get used to compared to FuncTouch and MIUI. Also, *there is no Google dialer*, meaning you can safely do call recording. Also OneUI has "Link to Windows" baked right into it, which is a huge boon in my opinion as it kinda compensates for the lack of DeX support, I think this is one of the most underrated feature of Samsung phones.
2. Ads and Bloatware scene
Now this maybe specific to India only. I set the device up using GeekyRanjit's guide on "How to setup Samssung devices" on YT, and so far (1 month later) I have got no ads except wallpaper services message when I swipe from right on lock screen. Also, all bloatware can be either disabled or uninstalled (unlike MIUI and ColourOS), so no problem there. Overall it is much much better than Redmi, Poco and Realme offerings. Though here Oneplus NORD maybe better.
3. Camera
TBH I bought this phone for the camera, and consider the competition it did not let me down, sure there is a bit of over sharpening going on in most images and indoor/low light photos and videos have a ton of noise but considering the competition in 15k-25k INR, it is definitely better. I use Gcam 7.3.018 by Urynx05, and it does improve video stabilisation a lot thanks to OIS (only Oneplus NORD has OIS in this price). For night mode, stock night mode is better than night sight (much brighter and well balanced). Daylight pics, it is a mixed bag, macro camera is good but could have been better,but considering how rarely it is used, it is fine.
4. Display
Most Indian milllenials like me are currently upgrading from LCD to Amoled. I having never used an Amoled, am satisfied with the display. But yeah you are right Amoled displays do cause more eye fatigue than LCD.
5. Availability and Customer support
This is where this phone shines! Here in India, this phone is available like everywhere, in most mobile shop in any market no matter, how small or rural the area, this unfortunately is not the case for OnePlus and Redmi, POCO (infamous for flash sales and black-marketing)etc., thus Galaxy A52's actual competitors are phones from Vivo and Oppo, which are usually more pricey. Also, Samsung customer services is next to Apple.
Set your priorities before buying a phone and you won't be disappointed, my suggestion, if you want good camera hardware and reliable phone go for it, but if you want to do gaming I would suggest you to look elsewhere say iQOO Z3 for 20k INR.
I am trying to get either this phone or s10? I was leaning more towards a52 since it could get up to android 14 opposed to 12 on s10.
Which one should i get?

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