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[Q] The Edge or Nexus 6

Hey guys!
New member and first post
If you dont want to read all of those words down below...haha
Ended up getting the Edge and Nexus 6 shipped to me at the same time... Cant open both devices up and test drive them. Leaning towards the edge just because of all the "phablet" features it has. And the N6 is just a big ol phone with stock android...right? Which phone should i keep? Purely suggestions/opions. Please no arguements. Thanks!
I have a bit of a situation and just wnted to get some opinions. I ordered the Nexus 6 the day it was able to be ordered from TMobile, i ordered the 64GB and that went to backorder. Since ive ordered the N6 Ive been looking at the Edge and was swayed to getting the Edge instead of the N6. So the last 2 weeks I callied tmobile to cancel my N6 order and to see if there were any dates on when theyll be getting the Edge back in stock and i kept getting no dates or info. Finally, i checked again last night and the rep told me that the Edge was definitely in stock and if i ordered it it would def ship. So i went ahead and ordered the Edge, but i noticed that my N6 order was still not cancelled so i asked the rep to process a cancellation on it again. The rep did and i was told it may take up to 48hrs.
This morning, i got an email and text stating that my Edge had shipped. Yay. Then about an hr ago i get another email and text saying my phone had shipped, i thought that was weird so i checked the details and, of course, my 64GB N6 just shipped as well haha.
So since i cant open both boxes to test them out i would like to get some input on which phone to keep. What swayed me to the Edge was just the amount of features it has over the N6. Im wanting a phablet to use for work and just to easily take notes, schedules and whatnot and the Edge just seems like the better choice. Please no arguements just want opinions.
Thanks in advance for any replies. Sorry for the long write up, just wanted to get all the details out of the way.

I think you already made your decision. As a basketball coach, I like the Note series because of the options that are available. So, if it's mainly about business use get the Edge.

I would suggest you try them both for about 3 to 5 days. You should not let a 50 dollar restocking fee stand between you and your true love

Keep the edge. Nexus 6 has one cool feature I wish the Edge had (front facing speakers) but other than that the Edge trumps the N6 IMO
I've had a ton of phones and the Edge is hands-down the best phone I've ever owned, easy

If you want maximum Performance from latest Snapdragon 805 your choice need to be a Nexus.
I got Edge and I want to tell you I'm about to get Nexus 6 White.

I have both of them as we speak and honestly, The Edge is better in terms of options and need. My Nexus is for my business line and Its basically just simple task phone. i pull it out 2-3 times a day. Just my opinion, but the Nexus is much more "boring" to me. The Edge is versatile and i like that.

Here are a couple of good comparison articles that might help choose which device is right for you.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Nexu...-match-Samsungs-cutting-edge-offering_id61787
http://www.androidheadlines.com/201...ogle-nexus-6-vs-samsung-galaxy-note-edge.html

Thanks for the replies, gentlemen.
Been using the N6 for a couple of days and I just tried out the Edge for a couple of hours today. My thoughts so far...
-The N6 is nice but I like the features that the Edge offers and TouchWiz isn't that bad.
-Not that it matters too much, but the Edge is noticeably lighter than the N6.
-I like the Edge's screen compared to the N6. It seems sharper, to me, and overall looks better.
-And like ingenious247 said, the N6's front speakers is the best feature and it's what's making the decision so hard since I watch a lot of videos and listen to music.
I

I have both currently... And I am keeping...
I have been an android phone junky, flasher, and modder for years. I sold my note 3 and bought a nexus 6 (was on sprint). I then changed over to tmobile. Luckily the nexus 6 is factory unlocked (yes the Sprint model is). I used the nexus for 2 weeks and loved a lot about it. I picked up a T-mobile Note Edge yesterday. In the End I am going to sell my nexus and stick with my Note Edge:
Nexus 6:
Pros:
Truly unlocked and can be used with any carrier (Sprint, Verizon, Tmobile, ATT)
Beautiful 6 inch screen
Great front facing speakers (only phone that beat it was my htc m8... thats saying a lot)
Pure stock android OS with quickest update support
Extremely fast performance without slowdown with daily tasks even with tons of apps open
Battery Life (yes, even though the battery is non removable, it lasted me 1.5 - 2 days without recharging)
Turbo Charging - 15 mins gives 6 hours, this is actually true!
No Carrier bloat pre installed (also a con....)
Accessories: Like most phones can get decent cases and tempered glass screen protectors cheaply (although with the nexus you need to order most not much in stores currently)
Wireless charging: Built in support for QI wireless charging (helps makeup for the non removable battery)
Cons:
Signal strength ( some places I have had no issues with other devices, it struggled to hold signal)
Sound quality over some calls was full of static
No wifi calling yet
Non removable battery (i know I said that the battery life is amazing but still option to switch is great)
No sd card slot
Gaming performance disappointing ( Madden nfl has some noticeable slow down... doesn't make any sense with the specs of this phone and no extra bloat from another launcher interface)
Installing carrier apps gave mixed results, some worked but visual voicemail etc, gave problems
No extras : fingerprint reader, stylus, heart rate scanner etc ( i knew this ahead of time, but just saying in comparison with competing phones)
No one handed support (I usually have no issues with large phones even on the note 3/4 ,but did with the nexus). Samsung got it right with the shrinking down to make one handed easier.
Camera : Pictures overall are good, but the built in apps and the speed of camera to react left me disappointed.
Overall: If you want the biggest screen on the latest hardware, want constant up to date software, and no bloat the Nexus is great. It is truly what the "android" experience is meant to be without any adultery. The sound is great as well from the speakers for music and speakerphone conversation. Some disappointment with signal strength and sound on handset during calls but not deal breakers. Truly unlocked for any carrier, so take it to any network and not be tied down.
Note Edge:
Pros:
Amazing Screen (may not be as big as the nexus, but the picture and pop is better and noticeable side by side)
Call quality and signal strength are great. The noise canceling features make a huge difference for those on the other end and never had breakup or static on my end.
Interface and speed : Amazingly fast even with the touchwiz interface
Touchwiz : Yes I am saying this is a plus, Many things like messages coming across the edge screen, quick responses, and being able to send a text to a number that called straight from the history or dialer without adding them as a contact first is something you truly are grateful for once you move to a phone that doesn't have it. The quick are useful as well.
Edge Screen : I have found the tickers and shortcuts to be useful. Some of the features are gimicky but most overall are nice.
Extras: S-pen (great for creativity and productivity), fingerprint scanner, and heart rate scanner.
Camera: Front and back cameras are great and good built in editing options (pictures taping the heart rate scanner makes it a breeze)
Modding support: Samsung devices in general are booming with support for modifications (if you don't care as much about this, this means nothing lol)
Carrier support: Tmobile version is unlocked for ATT as well, this is a plus (not for all carriers like the nexus)
Gaming performance: Pointing out to Madden NFL that I noticed had performance issues on the nexus, runs smooth as silk, no slowdown whatsoever.
Removable battery : Easy swapping of spare
SD card slot: memory expansion and no worries if something happens to the device if you can still pull the card out.
Cons:
Software updates: No official Lollipop from samsung yet, should be out soon. Updates drag a bit with samsung and TW integration.
Accessories: Not many options for phone due to design and limited production. No tempered glass screen available yet (one coming soon supposedly). To me this is a decent concern, I have always counted on tempered glass to protect the screen and avoid scratches. Has saved my screen a couple times from drops. Replacing a screen protect for $15 bucks vs hundreds is huge.
Touchwiz: If you are anti bloat this could be a con, to me its not, but trying to fair to all.
Price: Even with contract extensions the price of the edge is crazy.
Speaker placement: While the speaker may be better than some of the past Samsung devices, the rear placements makes it a pain at times when listening to stuff on speaker.
Battery life: It isn't as good as what I saw on the nexus, doesn't come close to 1.5 -2 days on a charge.
Fast charging: is faster than past samsung devices, but nowhere near as fast as the nexus on turbo charging
Lack of built in wiress charging : At this price point , it is disappointing that this wasn't built in.
Overall: My favorite phone that I have owned so far. The modding support for me will be a huge factor as well. You are paying a hefty price with or without a contract to get it though. The lack of accessories is a bit worrying as well. User experience is very user friendly. Device is extremely fast and multitasks well even with Touch Wiz. Extras like finger print scanner , heart rate sensor and S-pen to me enhance the experience and productivity (heart rate sensor is trivial). One handed support and many things in the software show that it was thought out for user experience to make day to day life easier. Battery life is not what you can get from the nexus but you can carry spares. Addition of "fast charging" is good but not as good as the Nexus. The lack of built in wireless charging is a let down as well. Still the quality, features, and performance to me makes it a clear cut winner.

impossible question to answer
I also have both, if you are into developing and seeing how far you can push your phone with tweaks mods and hacks than obviously you would want to go with the Nexus, if you are looking for ease of use and everyday functionality than you would want to go Edge..... In my opinion there is really no answer as to which one is better its just personal preference. I can say this though, I only had my Note Edge for about 3 or 4 days when my Nexus arrived from Google Play and I have been using the Nexus ever since. That being said I pulled out the Edge for an issue I had with a wearable and am seriously considering switching back for my daily driver. The S pen and the Gear Manager are the two features that I have decided make it the best choice for daily use. I will keep the Nexus no matter what because it is just the way to go for development purposes. It also allows you to keep your daily user nice and clean and even away from rooting if you are the type that likes to not mess with something thats not broken. Keep em both my friend! I know that if I got rid of one a couple weeks later I would be wanting it back. And I agree with the previous poster, the one feature aside from the development aspects that I really hate about the edge is the lack of forward firing speakers. That and the full 5.9 inch of quad HD display is hard to be beat. I really dont understand why manufacturers spending billions on development cant hire someone to implement forward firing speakers.....

There is a surround sound mod for the edge that fixes this issue. I no longer have anything to complain about on the edge besides the lack of accessories which changes soon hopefully
Sent from my SM-N915T using XDA Free mobile app

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Huawei Nexus 6P, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Huawei Nexus 6P is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

This is the best Android phone I've ever used.

Yeah, it's pretty close to the best Android phone I've ever used. It is the full package: battery life, performance, camera, software. Only problem I'm finding is that after a week of use, I'm running into bugs with the camera, Bluetooth, and calls. I'm sure these will be fixed in an upcoming software update.

Best phone I've owned. I just enjoy picking it up and using it.

IMO its a 9 out of 10. Camera has been great for me, battery life fits my daily usage perfectly (never been in power saving mode) and I only charge over night. Bright screen with no color issues to my eyes, fast performance with all the apps and games I use.
Most of my problems are simply due to me not adjusting to the placement of things on the phone yet. I have a tendency to power the phone off when trying to adjust the volume, and lowering the volume when playing certain games.
The only true "issue" I am having is the phone has powered off and rebooted on me 3 times since I got it. I don't know if it is going to be an issue, but it is annoying when it happens in the middle of a task I am trying to complete.

Best phone i have owned and have not rooted it yet even

Best phone I have ever used

I consider it more of a desktop phone. I now really use it for so much more than a phone. And the battery life over my Nexus 5 is not even comparable.

Easily the best phone I've ever used. A week in and not a single issue yet.

Best phone to date! Extremely satisfied.

Fantastic phone. My first Stock Android experience. I actually like it as-is (coming from a Note II with Nova Launcher).

Nexus 6p owner coming from Nexus 5, Nexus 4, Galaxy Nexus, yadeya...
The good:
Hardware: Really nice, premium build. If I'm being honest, I find it a touch slippy in the hand and I'm quite worried about dropping the damn thing, but I'm hoping a case will make this better...once it arrives!
Performance: Excellent. Zero lag, zero slow down.
Battery: Coming from the Nexus 5, it's really good. This was actually my primary reason for buying this over the Nexus 5x - bigger phone == more room for battery, and so far this shows. Today has been a light-use day, to be fair, but still sat at 76% at 8pm is just awesome. My Nexus 5 wouldn't do that well even if I didn't use it all day...in flight mode...switched off. Exceptionally happy here.
Stability: Have had the phone for 7 days, uptime: 7 days. Nuff said.
Camera: Too early to say, but I don't think it's quite as great as everyone says it is. There's still no way in the app to do manual control (e.g. shutter priority for capturing pictures of fast moving objects) so the results still look, well, like they've been taken with a phone. That's not to say it's bad - it's certainly better than the Nexus 5, which was leagues better than the Nexus 4 - it's just...average. Give us some manual control, Google! Lens Blur still takes great shots and it's very responsive, so I would give it a B at the moment, with scope for more in future.
The only elephant in the room is the size. OK, so this isn't the phone's fault and I knew what I was getting, but don't kid yourself that it's anything other than a big phone. I picked up my old N5 the other day and, frankly, it still feels the "right" size for a phone. Oh well, I guess we'll have to see how things go here...
Over all, it's a great phone

So nice, I unbound it twice
I ordered the phone yesterday and got it about 3pm today. I set it up, played with it for about an hour and thought " this isn't so special". I threw it back in the box and decided I wasn't decided on keeping it. I left it at my mom's house, went home and played around on my Note 5 for 10 mins and ran back to the Nexus.
The title was supposed to say unboxed not unbound

Easily the best Android phone I've ever used. The combination of battery life, performance, screen quality, build quality, Camera, quick charge, Verizon compatibility, stock Android, hackability, Marshmallow features, speakers, quick fingerprint sensor, first-to-get-updates and just a general smooth experience, make this phone a TOTAL WIN.
Only wish it had SD card expansion! That's like the only thing, to me, it's missing.
I am REALLY LOVING this phone experience! It's FANTASTIC. Instant recommendation to friends.

Loved my nexus 5 but the 6p is sublime
Loved my nexus 5, but the 6p is awesome, just got to resist the urge to unlock and flash !

I've been with the Nexus line since the Nexus S and only strayed once last year buying a Moto X 2014. A week later I returned it and got the Nexus 6 instead. The 6P is the Heir Apparent of the Nexus project. I love it.
It took me three tries to get here though. #1 a few cosmetic defects out of the box. #2 perfect but then i bought the folio case and it got stuck on the phone. #3 perfect again. Happy camper...

One or two teething problems but the best phone I have ever had, great to have an all aluminium phone too instead of Samsung plastic. 10/10

I'm actually coming from the Nexus 6 and had no real intentions to upgrade, but..things. It sort of feels small to me, which is odd to say. It doesn't have any downsides that I can see yet, outside of me having to buy a couple extra cords for work, etc. On the other hand you don't need to charge it much. It has the best panel I've ever owned, a factor which actually had me thinking about buying a Note 5 earlier before I remembered I was on Verizon and used Touchwiz before. Somehow they got a comparable screen on a Nexus phone which I consider to be no small thing. Great phone, well done Google.

in love with the phone. very happy with the purchase and it has everything I need. Now all i need to do is find a wife and I am set.

Haven't found anything not to love yet.

[Help] considering buying this phone please share your experience

hi my note 5's screen got broke so I need a new smartphone
with my price tag the only solid options are the hTC 10 and the Huawei Mate 9
I found some reviews bashing the headphone jack performance of the mate 9 so for comparison with the galaxy s7 for example or the note 5 for those who owned both of the devices how is it.
also the gaming performance how is it ?for example how much fps you get with Riptide Renegade on high settings
and also I would like to know if there is a flaw or a problem you encountered with this phone.
sorry for being long and I would really appreciate your help.
thanks in advance

AlMaghraby said:
hi my note 5's screen got broke so I need a new smartphone
with my price tag the only solid options are the hTC 10 and the Huawei Mate 9
I found some reviews bashing the headphone jack performance of the mate 9 so for comparison with the galaxy s7 for example or the note 5 for those who owned both of the devices how is it.
also the gaming performance how is it ?for example how much fps you get with Riptide Renegade on high settings
and also I would like to know if there is a flaw or a problem you encountered with this phone.
sorry for being long and I would really appreciate your help.
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally i have no complaints. There are minor ticks here and there but thats as expected. HEadphone jack is fine on my unit. BT is really nice. Battery is great. i avg 9-10 hours SOT per charge and thats over 2 days for me. ( 1d 18hr )
Ive tweaked a few things. i do not get push notifications unless it is from a text.
I also do not use FB apps. Instagram or SC. ( use Metal for FB and website for instagram )
ONLY use the chaarger included with it. or the one huawei makes for car charging.
Reception is great. Small things here n there on Tmo but it works well.
Camera is Excellent. i was 15ft away from a car at a show and in the photo you can read the tire sidewall!
CONS:
Limited cases and Glass coveres
Limited charger options
Trickle charge issue. ( old HTC things. unplug for a few minutes then plug back in for about 5-10 more. gives a true full charge )
I have a 128gb SD in and i love having 183gb to store anything on.
DO NOT use the internal batteyr estimator. Not accurate ( USE GSAM )
Compared to my Note 5 this is THE BEST phone i have ever used. Im going to sell my Note 5, eave sprint and stick just to Tmobile. or ATT idk yet.

Can't argue with this.

On Amazon (in Germany) you can find now plenty of cases for Mate 9. I can recommend the Spigen rugged case that I purchased lately and it is really good. Glass protection is indeed a big problem: most of the items that claim they are for the Mate 9 are to narrow and the few ones that are having the right size are of a very bad quality.
The phone itself is great, better than everything I had so far (my last phone was an LG G4). The screen is "only" full HD, but to be frank, I do not see the need to have a higher resolution on a phone (it still can make 4K videos if this is what you need). Video recording quality is really great: the most beautiful colors I have seen on a phone video recording so far. Wide aperture photos are a hit among my family and friends (I am the only one now in charge to take photos in my family when we go out ). ANTUTU benchmark almost 120k - faster than my colleague's Galaxy S7 - so, whatever you want to do with it, it will do it great.
The only thing that I miss sometimes is the support for MHL (but it has other mirroring options). And I would have liked to have the option to hide the Android navigation keys in all applications but the screen is anyhow huge so, this is not a big issue either since the keys are anyhow hidden when you play videos or I read a book.

so what about notifications problems that is all over internet? is that solved already?
at least europe versions.. I want all my notification instantly like on other phones, no matter is that whatsapp or something else..
And is it true that notification are gone from lockscreen after unlocking phone or just putting screen on to see what is it?
i'm also considering to get this model

digitall1982 said:
so what about notifications problems that is all over internet? is that solved already?
at least europe versions.. I want all my notification instantly like on other phones, no matter is that whatsapp or something else..
And is it true that notification are gone from lockscreen after unlocking phone or just putting screen on to see what is it?
i'm also considering to get this model
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Notification problem happens with the Chinese version, as far as I know, i have the EU version and i get all the notifications.
Honestly, even now, this is the BEST phone there is, the first phone i don't need root as there are workaround for everything, performance, and battery and top notch, camera is great but slightly disappointing in low light, screen is big apparently now "old school" and very sharp and bright, stereo speakers are great, the DAC is average at best but still decent.

Fantastic phone, camera, battery life, screen, sound of speakers, build! Not so awesome is the update history of Huawei. Updates come late and limited.
The only real drawback is the lack of developers. I had hoped for LineageOS, but I think that boat is torpedoed and sunk.
Still GREAT value!

Battery is stellar. I've been in bed all day sick, with my phone by my side. Almost at 10 hours screen on time at 13% battery left. Bluetooth has been used, connected on WiFi.
It's the best phone I've EVER had. Well, S3 note 4 and G2 are up there.
The HD screen is fine. I had the G4 S7 previously. Don't miss the screens.
The video recording format is irritating in that 2k won't upload to YouTube. It's too modern.
Definitely give the phone a go. I bought the Chinese 6gig 128gig version converted to international ROM. Have contemplated selling but just can't let it go! Even my mate with his S8 loves it. Oh, and it's not got a curved screen, another plus for me!

Didn't want to buy a phone with non removable battery.
Pretty much a non issue with this phone as it's hot such a great battery and a sensible screen resolution so doesn't drain fast.
The camera bokeh effect is simply the best on the market by a mile. Low light is mediocre though.
Massive screen. Great speed. Phenomenal finger print sensor.
I hated the soft keys but you learn to hate them less.
Overall delighted with this thing.
Doesn't slow down. If anything it goes faster with time which is odd but just what they seek to claim!

what about 4k video and auto upload to google photos? is that solved or it must be converted into h264?

This is the best phone I've ever had. Coming from an s7 and wife has s8 plus and still use a note 5 for our home phone. It's without question my favorite! Screen still looks fantastic for 1080. The battery is off the chain. I could easily go 2 days and have, just generally charge it before I go to bed and is always above 50%. Fast!!!! Smooth!!! I don't know how they do it, but next to Apple this is the must fluid phone out there. Heck, I'd say it's smoother than my friends 7S. Only paid 400 for it and it's dual sim to boot.
Honestly can't say enough about it. Only get rid of it if mate 10 is better somehow. I am intrigued by less bezels.
Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

It's the best phone AFTER the B186 and up update, before that battery life was ****. I am on the 190 now with the phone updating to 193. It is the best phone in terms of battery life, performance and hardware/software. Too bad the update method is ****... like a HUGE TURD that third parties have to fill the gaps on this. Oh it's also **** that some of the huawei apps are in chinese (like the store) or whatever... It sucks BIG TIME.

I'm not a fan myself.
The Huawei android skin is yet another confusing and pointless skin that just causes issues and degrades Android. Go for a Google phone and have Android in it's true glory rather than in a compromised and inferior veneer.
Oh yes and it looks like I can 'kiss goodbye" to any updates from Huawei, with the Mate 10 phone now round the corner.
My last Android security patch was for April.

Would you buy an Essential Phone again?

Hi all, just discovered the Essential Phone yesterday while getting ready to buy a Sony Xperia XZ2 compact. I like a sleek, small(er) phone and there are very few options that will work on Verizon's CDMA network.
I've been researching all I can on this phone and would likely buy one certified refurbished off Amazon. The price seems amazing!
I've been reading a bit about cellular quality (people losing signal) and other small issues. Of course you always hear about issues online but rarely do people post their pleasant experience with a product.
How popular are these phones? Did they sell well? Do you think there are many out there that have never had any issues or, are these a better 2nd phone next to a more reliable daily driver?
One thing I would like to do is use a new Samsung Galaxy Watch with my new phone. I've read Pie has had some issues playing nice with smart watches (Galaxy watches in particular?)
I also have read the Essential Phone is easily rootable which is fantastic. I've rooted phones in the past (it's been a while) and have no issue doing so again if it would help make this amazing phone more stable, reliable or work better with a smart watch.
SO - Should I (or would you) buy the Essential Phone again or should I skip to the Sony Xperia XZ2 compact? The major driver of my decision is reliability.
Thanks for any comments or recommendations. I'll keep reading up and researching.

I would most certainly buy another Essential. They are smooth, reliable, the custom rom community has grown exponentially recently, and the battery life is decent if you aren't heavy into mobile gaming. As a plus, it also gets updates as soon as (or in a couple cases, faster) than the Pixels. It's a good size and the screen quality is really great for the price. The signal reception issue can be a bit of a hassle, but I've managed to work with it. I won't be getting another phone until this one dies, or I have heaps of cash to get a Samsung Note whatever the new one is when I can buy it.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk

I'd buy again, definitely. Just not for the original price. Try ordering yours in China, you can buy one for 100-130USD, but what you get is a lottery. i bought 3 pieces and 2 were perfect, one was a bit heavily used with scratches and poor battery.
Overall, phone is still great in 2019. I use it as daily driver since 13 months. XZ2 looks medieval compared to essential.
Cons:
- probably hard to resell
- impossible to replace battery, use it till it dies 1-2 years later and rip the phone
- a bit heavy, but it's thanks to great build materials

Almost everything is good for me. The camera could be better, but gcam helps with that. The biggest issue I have is the touchscreen being janky.

The best of the PH1 support and the construction of the terminal, I never had signal or screen problems, the camera is good (although in low light the pictures have a lot of noise). I always liked it from the moment it came out but as it was not positioned to score for many, the sale price was its most negative point. It became a viable option when its low price to $ 450, in that value had no competition. If a PH2 comes out, it will be my next cell phone, in terms of support, without counting Pixel, it is far the best support and customer service. After having flagships of Samsung and Lg, in Android there are 3 options Pixel, OnePlus and Essential.

I would definitely buy it again, but only if I could find a great deal for it (I won't pay a full price for ANY phone, period). Managed to get my PH1 for under US$150 (that's including a 360 camera and a DIY replacement for a shattered screen), and couldn't be happier with it. Everyone's usage pattern is different, so the opinions may vary, but for me it's by far the best phone I ever owned. Speaking of reliability, this phone has never let me down so far, it just works. Rooting of Android Pie is indeed easy with Magisk. I don't use TWRP, and keep this phone full stock (rooted).
I don't care for smartwatches, so can't comment on using them with the Essential, sorry.

I concur with other posters, would buy again. Came from OnePlus 5, intended this to be a backup phone as the OP USB port is janky. The PH1 is now my daily driver, really like the device. Use the Gcam for a better camera, easy to root. Screen is fantastic IMO too. Battery life gets me thru a day no problem, normal usage. Price is good...snagged one with the 360 cam for 180.

[Review] Oppo Ace2 and Red Magic 5G Initial Impressions

Thought I'd share my initial impressions on the Oppo Ace2 since it has not gotten much coverage. I also owned the Red Magic 5G for a week before selling it.
I'm coming from a Oneplus 6 and have owned a lot of other Android devices, off the top of my head these include the Nexus 4, OnePlus One, Asus Nexus 7, Samsung Tab Pro 8.4, Galaxy S7 Edge, Huawei Nexus 6P, LG v20, Lenovo ZUK Z2, Mediapad T5, Red Magic 5g etc.
Let's start with the Red Magic 5G. I ordered this a few months ago off tradingshenzhen, it got to me fast enough and the price was fair, but their customer support was not very good (I will not be ordering from them again cause of this https://i.imgur.com/2qd4zPM.jpg). They'll get your phone to you and offer one year warranty but don't expect them to be nice or helpful in the event you dont like your phone or have any issues.
Either way, here my notes on the phone:
Software
I got the Chinese version of the phone. I found the software experience to actually be very good despite this, ignoring the fact that there were some chinese apps that I didnt understand. I'm sure if I removed these few apps I would have had a very good software experience. The software felt very smooth and stable. There were some pretty cool features, but not a ton. Experience felt close to stock android, but lightly skinned with the right theme after some setting up. It didnt come with play store, I just had to install the playstore from apk, chrome and google keyboard then I had an experience not all that different from my OnePlus 6. My red magic 5g got a lot of updates in the time I had it, with big change logs, I'm not sure if global rom users will get that same experience since these types of phones seem to get better support in China.
Display and Body
This is where my mind was blown. That 144hz screen is beautiful and smooth. This was definitely what I loved about the phone most. However, I had my gripes with this screen. For one the, bezels were huge, and the corners were too rounded (meaning less screen). They were so rounded that it was distracting to me, almost as much as having a notch.. This might be a gross exaggeration but I hope it gets my point across. As for the large bezels, it feels like they used the "gaming phone" identity as an excuse to cut corners here with bezel size. It bothered me that there's so much potential screen space being wasted with those large unused bezels. Now the body has very nice comfortable shape, so I don't have anything against that, but it is kind of big, and it is pretty heavy. It felt very premium and nice in hand, but at the same time, it was not comfortable to one hand for long periods of time, it's size and heft also made it a little unwieldy for one handing. This is the main reason I ended up selling this phone. I would often find myself going back to my oneplus 6 instead of using my new phone cause it was just way more comfortable to use with one hand.
Battery and Misc
Microphone was good according to those that I called, speakers sounded fine to me, werent bad at all. They were stereo speakers, one bottom firing and one in the ear piece, which was nice. Battery was meh. For a 4500mah battery phone, it died very fast. Battery felt about the same as my much older oneplus 6 in it's current state.. Around 6-7 hours of screen on time with regular use (not gaming). With gaming I got around a little more than half that. It charged at a decent speed, not slow but not astonishingly fast. My Red magic 5g benchmarked around 595k on Antutu, so it was very fast. The fan was barely audible in it's intelligent mode or whatever it's called. Personally I think the fan is pointless, and that good thermal design makes a much bigger difference. I loved having the shoulder triggers for gaming. playing games like codm, pubg, etc were great experiences. I sunk hours into these games even though I dont tend to really do any smartphone gaming. I don't really like that manufacturers are trying so hard to make phones into "gaming phones" cause they are still just phones at the end of the day. If anything I would like to have a good value flagship (or flagship killer) with shoulder triggers, it doesn't need to be a "gaming phone". For instance, I think the oneplus 8 (or pro) but with a flat screen + shoulder triggers would be the perfect and ideal phone for me.
I also ordered the Realme X2 Pro but the seller (realme's aliexpress store) cancelled this order due to shipping issues. Then I ordered the Poco F2 Pro but GearBest hadn't shipped it out even after 3 weeks so I cancelled the order. Finally I ordered the Ace2 off Giztop and this was a much better experience. Order placed Friday, shipped out Monday, then received next week Monday (today). The Ace2 was discounted to $589.99 and I got a further 4% discount with the GTRE4 code. Shipping was $30 (DHL) and duties/brokerage was $37, so I paid a grand total of around (roughly) $632. Not bad. The shipping, handling, duties and fees all together were still less than Canadian tax (13%). Canadian retailers sell phones like the Poco F2 pro for around $580 (USD), after taxes that's $655, not even including shipping costs. Much better to wait a little for longer shipping and buy from outside of Canada it seems. So let's talk about this phone.
First and foremost, I'd like to note I do get buyer's remorse (like I did with my red magic 5g), but I've never had any issues post-purchase rationalization. If I don't like something, I don't try to justify it, especially where phones are concerned and having owned so many different devices, both good and bad. For example, the LG V20 was my most expensive purchase and easily the phone I hated most out of all the devices I've owned. I had already paid for it, so I stuck with it even though I hated it for at least a year, before finally getting my current oneplus 6. The LG V20 was so bad that I thought my much older nexus 6p was wayyy better, I wanted to go back to it so bad but I had already handed it down to my mom. While I liked the red magic 5g, I didn't like it enough to keep it and ended up selling it at a loss. My point here is, that these are just my opinions, but I do try to be as unbiased as I can be. I bought the Ace2 knowing that I would sell or return it if I didnt like it, like I did with my Red Magic 5g, so I didnt have my hopes high or any plans to keep it if I wasnt happy with it.
Setup
The unboxing experience was very basic, like any other Chinese smartphone so I will skip this part, but it does come with a pre-applied screen protector and a surprisingly nice clear case. I thought it would be a cheap clear case that looked nasty on the phone.
First thing I did was update the phone's firmware, then do a full factory reset. I set it up fresh, uninstalled what chinese bloat I could (there was a lot), installed playstore with the first apk I found, then using that I installed chrome + google keyboard. After turning on the app drawer, and dark mode I felt I had a very usable experience similar to what I had on my oneplus 6. I hate migrating phones, but the experience here wasnt too bad, I downloaded and used oppo's phone clone app from my oneplus 6, it connected the two phones with direct wifi and copied 30 gigs of data over in around 15min. I did not get much control in what gets copied over but it was still a very simple and hassle free process that I could appreciate.
Software
I'm going to start with this phone's biggest weakness. So the software is.. a mixed bag. Say what you will about the design, but ColorOS and oppo launcher are really well optimized. ColorOS has really come a long way from what it used to be. I tested a bunch of different launchers on this phone but I ended up going back to the oppo launcher cause it was just wayyy smoother and responsive. I wish that's all I had to say about the software but there's a lot more to say.. like how bloated this phone comes. Just random chinese apps everywhere. Most of them can be uninstalled off the bat, but the rest need a little more work to get rid of, including ADB and a little research. I actually think I would have liked coloros a bit more than oxygenos had this been a global version and came with less bloat. It's just a big hassle that I'm sure nobody wants to deal with after getting a new phone. The software experience here is great- if you're chinese. If you're not, you have a whole lot of work to do to get it somewhere good. On the other hand, I thought coming from oxygenos I thought this would be a complete downgrade, but much to my surprise there are a lot of things it actually does better. There are way more features, yes I mean useful ones, it feels smoother and more responsive for some reason (the animations are way quicker and smoother). I think ColorOS isn't actually that bloated once you get rid of the apps you don't need (using ADB where you need to). OxygenOS is great and used to be way ahead of it's time, but I feel the other choices available have caught up while OxygenOS hasn't really gone anywhere. My OnePlus 6 barely gets updates and is slow to get them when it ever even gets any. I've noticed that's a common occurrence with OnePlus devices, you get a lot of quick updates when your device is still a new release, but then it gets put on the backburner as new devices come out.
Display
This display is amazing, it's breathtaking. Side by side with my oneplus 6 it looks and feels like an upgrade in every way. The colors are better, and the smoothness is so satisfying, every bit as much as the 144hz display I had on my red magic 5g, which further leads me to believe anything above 90hz isn't really worth the price premium and battery cost. The punch hole was a little distracting at first since I wasnt used to it, but I quickly got used to it and dont even notice anymore. It's a very small punchole and is a nice upgrade from the big notch my oneplus 6 had. I would rather have this punch hole then the huge top bezel (and lost screen space) the red magic 5g had any day. I didn't realize this until I had the red magic 5g in my hand and wish I realized this sooner. The whole point of notches and punch hole I think is to give us more screen where we used to have bezel, and this is something I appreciate a lot more now. One of the biggest things for me here is that the screen is flat. I'm soo glad that I didn't have to compromise with curved edges. After owned an s7 edge, I never want to deal with that again. I know they aren't as bad as they used to be, but I still think it's silly to have to compromise with how the light reflects off of curved edges, the accidental touches or touch rejection, finding screen protectors that work, etc. If flat screens are cheaper I dont see why more manufacturers dont choose to go this route on their budget flagships at least (looking at you mi 10 non pro and oneplus 8 non pro).
Body
This phone is very solid and quality feeling. It doesn't have any super outstanding premium feeling that a higher end flagship might give you, but it does not feel cheap at all. The body is your typical metal frame, gorilla glass 5 sandwhich build. I have to say though, I love this two tone color on the back. It's like a black/navy type color that looks really elegant and sexy in my opinion. I hate oreo shaped camera modules but this is the one phone that I think it actually looks good on because of it's simple minimalist design. My favorite part of this phone is the weight and size. It's almost the same as my oneplus 6, in both weight and size, but has a larger screen. To me, that's amazing, because looking at all the new SD865 phones released this year it felt like I was going to have to give up the light weight and compact size of the oneplus 6 to upgrade to a "better" phone. It's one of the smallest and lightest Snapdragon 865 phones available and it IS the smallest and lightest one available with a flat screen, which exactly what I wanted. It just feels soooo comfortable in hand compared to anything else I've recently used. They really nailed the comfort aspect with this phone. I had no idea this was going to matter so much to me until I used the red magic 5g for a week (which isnt even that big or heavy for a gaming phone, there are worse offenders out there like the black shark 3). I can see why some people really want smaller phones now. For me, I like having a big screen, so it's not smaller phones that I want, but phones that have better screen to body and weight ratios.
Sound
Now here's where I found a nice surprise. Good stereo speakers. Never thought I would ever care about having this. I'm a headphone guy, and phone speakers always suck anyways so why would I care (so I thought). These are by far the best phone speakers I've ever heard, and they somehow blew me away even though I've never cared about how good the speakers on a phone were. They get very loud, and they sound very full. Even at the loudest volume setting where I expected the fidelity to deteriorate, it still had nice clear, smooth, full sounding stereo audio. I saw someone on reddit asking for a phone recommendation with good stereo speakers, apparently it was a must for him, and I didn't get why until now. I no longer feel the need to grab my headphones when I want to watch a youtube video, the stereo experience on this is just much better. There is still a con to be talked about however, no headphone jack. Having a headphone jack would have been nice, and even cooler if the phone came with a nice DAC (pretty much the only thing LG does right in their phones). Not a huge deal for me, I would be using bluetooth or a USB DAC anyways if it didnt come with a good internal DAC but it does make things less convenient in a pinch.
Battery and Performance
Well, it has a snapdragon 865, haven't had a single hiccup yet. Phone is blazing fast as expected. Coloros is well optimized too. Battery is good too, I will report screen on times soon. Much better than my red magic 5g so far from what I can tell. The main star of this show though is that 40w wireless charging and 65w wired charging. Charging cable that it came with is kind of short but the phone charges so fast I don't think it matters. 4000mah might seem small compared to alternatives, but coloros is surprisingly very efficient with it, even with 90hz on and all the chinese bloat it came with. Im surprised they managed to fit a battery this size and a 40w wireless charging coil in such a compact and light phone (relative to similar spec phones).
Closing thoughts
I think this is what the OnePlus 8 should have been, and I hope for others that this is what the Realme X3 pro is going to be if not better. There are a lot of things more expensive oneplus 8 is missing out on here, like the 65w charging, wireless charging, flat screen, etc. The only thing I think it has going for it is that it seems like a nicer build/quality phone with better software. I think the Poco F2 pro on the other hand is a solid contender because it actually comes with global software, has a huge battery + great screen on time, has a decent camera and will have a big developer community. I ultimately ended up passing up on this phone because it doesnt have 90hz, wireless charging, 65w charging, doesnt support very many frequencies, has a slower face unlock and cause its a pretty heavy phone (so not as comfortable), but this phone will make sense as a better choice for many others that have different priorities. Pick what suits you and your needs best. All in all, this is a very underrated phone that doesn't get talked enough about outside of Asia. I think if you're interested in the Ace2, feel it fits what you want well at a price that you think is good that you shouldn't be afraid to buy it. It's a great phone and it's worth it. Just note that you may need to do some extra work to make the software experience good for you because of the chinese bloat (as you would need to with any chinese rom phone anyways). Not to say that the software is bad, it's very good software that's just marred by all the extra chinese stuff it comes with that most of us probably dont want or need.
If there's anything more you guys would like to know about any of the phones that I own or have owned please let me know. I'll try to answer them the best I can. Would love to see some form of an Ace2 community grow but I won't be surprised if it's just me even months later.

Inspiring
I think that based on your detailed review (That I read before on reddit) I’m convinced to purchase this phone, the only android experience I’ve had was an old samsung s7 edge so I’m convinced that the ace 2 will be smooth, so one question: can you guide me on how to debloat the phone once I get it?