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So... I got my greedy little hands on a GT-I9505 and I have it until Monday.
Feel free to write what you want me to test on it (software, benchmarks, games, features... you name it), I'll make a quick video and publish it somewhere on Wednesday (sorry, but until it's launched... I can't publish any video / pictures ). If you have small questions like "how does it feel in hand" or stuff like that, that doesn't require a video / image... I can reply, no problem.
Looking forward to your requests
Alex.
- Can we change the settings background to black?
- could you see individual pixels by looking very close the screen?
- how good is adobe rgb color, is it really true color?
Sent from my GT-I9300
So, yeah, how does it feel in the hand? How does the display compare to previous AMOLEDs? How's the speaker?
@dragon135
- My settings are black, but I couldn't quite find where to change white / black for now. I'll keep looking
- No, I personally can't see them. I'll try some macro photos of the screen, not sure if they'll work, but mainly the answer is no
- The colors are vivid, I'll tell you that. I'll check out some movies / pics and let you know more.
@ghill55
It's pretty identical to the SIII. The edges are a bit sharp, not rounded like the ones on the SIII, and the home button is more "lifted" from the face. But other than that, size wise and weight wise, they're 95% identical. S4 being a bit longer, but slimmer. I like how it feels in hand (but then again, I have pretty big hands). The AMOLED is nice, vivid colors and all, I'll do some tests and see how it looks while watching movies & playing games. Haven't had a chance to test the speaker, but from the ringtones, it seems to be a bit louder than the SIII.
Which color do you have? If white can you say if there is light bleeding in rgb led and button led?
《posted from s3》
I have the white version. Light bleeding from the buttons - similar to the one on the SIII. I'll check for the LED as well when I install LightFlow.
antutu benchmarks?
I'll make a video with the Antutu and release it on Wednesday.
AlexDmi said:
So... I got my greedy little hands on a GT-I9505 and I have it until Monday.
Feel free to write what you want me to test on it (software, benchmarks, games, features... you name it), I'll make a quick video and publish it somewhere on Wednesday (sorry, but until it's launched... I can't publish any video / pictures ). If you have small questions like "how does it feel in hand" or stuff like that, that doesn't require a video / image... I can reply, no problem.
Looking forward to your requests
Alex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, some all-day camera testing would be nice, you could try out some 3rd party apps like Camera Zoom FX etc. You may join the review thread here or keep it separately, both are cool.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2203620
Test call quality, if they can hear u well and if you can hear them well.. According to phonearena its mediocre, or bad.. Maybe hard to test this but =)
I would like you to explore new things like ir blaster ( do check its compatibility with home appliances), s health, and other smart features and just let us know how much these are useful
sent from: The New S-Pen
Primarily want to know your input on the screen in reference to the S3... in sunlight, brightness, etc.
Hi,
What's the furthest away from the screen you can be in order to still be able operate the touch free preview?
.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
snt frm my inc s wiv my xda app
Another vote here for some macro shots of the new screen compared to GS3.
If you could run 2 games (Modern Combat 4 and Real Racing 3) and post videos of you playing them so we can see frame rates, if possible that would be very much appreciated, I could add them to my gameplay thread along with the Exynos version.
Try to Root it (check if you have firmware XXUAMD2 before you proceed and wait until late Sunday!) LOL :laugh:
http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-root-galaxy-s4-gt-i9505-using-chainfire-auto-root/
Extensive night shots!!!
Preferably a few shots with Auto mode and few with night mode
I would love to see a video from the camera in 1080p with in and out zooming
Please could you test the following....
Glbenchmark 2.7, showing the full results, low level tests etc.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/...mark27&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd
Using Chrome Android Beta 27
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chrome.beta&hl=en
Mozilla Kraken
http://krakenbenchmark.mozilla.org/
Google Octane
http://octane-benchmark.googlecode.com/svn/latest/index.html
Also, pls take a look at my thread on the CPU Binning of Qualcomm GS4s, does my method work for your non-rooted device, if not I'll have to change the method to old-school ADB...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2228246
Thanks mucho..
Can you test these 2 things?
When you pull down the notification bar and have the phone on auto brightness, can you slide the bar left and right and it stays on Auto or does it switch to manual right away?
When you are watching a video can you take snapshots of the screen like on the Note 2 or HTC One X?
Thanks!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
Hi everyone,
So I've been looking at the mate 8 as my next purchase, and Some reviews state the camera quality isn't good due to software/firmware issues. Other reviews state the camera quality is really good. I was wondering what owners opinions are? If it does have exposure and focus issues, are they sorted if you use a different camera app? I don't know if different apps can alter issues that might be related to firmware?
Thanks
Ian
I wouldn't consider myself a power user but I'm very happy with the camera so far. I would mostly be taking pictures of friends and family etc and quality is just fine for me
I'm the same, mainly I'll be taking pictures of the family and scenery, that kinda thing. I'm not what you'd call a professional photographer by any means. But it is said the best camera you have is the one on you at the time, so I just want to make sure it's a relatively good one
Thanks
Ian
Camera was bad with the first update
But with latest update it became better
But if you are seeking for great camera go for lg or sam
If you wanna a power horse phablet go for mate 8
That's the thing, I've had both Samsung and LG phones before, and while the cameras were good I wasn't keen on the phones themselves. I've had a G3, a Note 4, an S6 and a Oneplus One. I was half considering a Oneplus 2, but only because of the price. £249 is cheap for a high spec phone. I'm not keen on the nexus line of phones either. I know they are popular, and you probably think I'm mad. But they are just a bog standard android phone. If I'm paying more than £400 for a phone I want it to do more than the straight forward stuff, straight out the box. Other wise id just get an iPhone. Half the stuff on the Mate 8 I'll probably never use I admit, but the fact its there is what I like. Does that make sense?
Has anybody tried a different camera app from the play store to see if that improves the pictures, or isn't it as simple as that? I'm not sure how apps, firmware, API's and hardware all tie in together, so I apologise in advance if that was a stupid question.
Thanks
Ian
The camera is a so and so in my eyes. It's ok, but very soft, in daytime but I wouldn't pick it to take pictures of kids indoor. Right now the best all around camera I have is the Nexus 6P, mostly because it will do really good indoors and most of my pics are indoors. I read that there will be a upgrade for the camera after 162 firmwarewize. Otherwise, it's a really good phone. Apps doesn't do better than stock camera.
Skickat från min HUAWEI NXT-L29 via Tapatalk
The camera is fine. It's not the best camera out there in terms of image quality when you zoom in on the pictures but it does the job. It has good colors and good exposure. It's fun to shoot with. I think quality should be able to be fixed with software update. I find that some indoor night shots almost have the same amount of detail as some of the ones shoot in daylight. The processing seems to heavy creating artefacts in images taken even in daylight.
The Mate 8 is pretty much the perfect phone in every way except the camera is not top notch. Excellent screen that is more clear and has better contrast than the screen on my iPhone 6S Plus. The battery life is the best you can get on any phone now. The build quality is fantastic. Audio quality in headphones is top notch, best I've every heard in any phone the dynamic range and clarity is amazing. Even better than my Meizu Pro 5 that has an internal DAC and amplifiers in it. It is super fast and has a very smooth and responsive UI.
Thank you for your input. You guys have confirmed the fact that the mate 8 will be my next phone just got to wait for it to come into stock again now!
Thanks
Ian
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mate-8/general/post-camera-picture-t3303629
next time just use ForumSearch
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 Honor 9, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Honor 9 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
overall a great device with great cam, good battery life, KIRIN960 is a beast
Great device.
The honor 9 looks extremely sexy, don't you think?
EriTay said:
The honor 9 looks extremely sexy, don't you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does indeed! I've just ordered mine from flosmall.com can't wait for the 22nd for it to come to my place!!!!!
battilory said:
It does indeed! I've just ordered mine from flosmall.com can't wait for the 22nd for it to come to my place!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should check the robin-egg color variant (available in china )
It is damn gorgeous
I'm using Honor 9 for a few days and everything is perfect
Overall 100% love for this phone. :laugh:
Two thumbs up for this.
It's beautiful device with good specs and features..
Just loved it..
I had bought a Xiaomi Note 4X back in August in 36 monthly installments loan from the shop i work at.After i saw Honor 9 in blue , I had no hesitation...its on my desk now and yesterday the Note 4x was sold...
Amazing design , hidden power in a small package and very convenient fingerprint sensor !
I come from a Galaxy Note 3 that had custom roms for the last 2 years and I wanted to get a smaller phone.
Pros:
+Fingerprint Sensor
Incredibly fast and reliable
+Headphone Jack
+Value for money
+GPS - Very fast and stable
+4G, 3G, 2G all better than my Note 3
Mediocre:
+/-Design
This thing just look awsome and feels great but is is very slippery. You have to use a case or it will slide down your couch or nightstand 100 %.
That nills the super nice feature of a camera that is plain with the backcover.
Great idea to have the volume rocker and the power button on the same side
+/- Build quality
Overall really nice but you can feel some edges where the materials meet and the buttons are a bit wobbly, nothing to worry about though.
+/- Notification LED
Ok, it is there, but the settings limit it very much. You can not effin turn it off while your phone is charging, resulting in a night-light next to you when you charge at night.
Nicely hidden under the mesh of the ear speaker.
+/- Camera
Aparture 2.2 is just not state of the art anymore. At night the pictures are hideous.
2x zoom combines the colour and monochrome sensor with minimal detail loss at day but at night the pictures do not look good (also unzoomed)
Good day shots with poor edge detection for the bokeh effect, some nice and unique setting options in the camera menu
+/- Speaker
Yeah, Stereo speakers are still the best you can get but compared to my Note 3 the speaker is a huge improvement and sounds pretty good
+-/ Headphone jack position.
It is on the bottom of the phone, would have beed nice if they found a way to put it on top but that is a matter of taste I guess
Cons:
-Screen
Coming from a Note 3 (launched 2013) with an AMOLED the screen is really a let down for me.
Especially on low brightness it is not as comfortable for your eyes as the Note 3 screen and pixels are clearly visable altough it is much small an has the same resolution.
Double tab to wake is missing (was available on the honor 7)
Max brightness is OK but not top (definity enough in 99 % of all use cases)
Blacks look quite good for an LCD
Good viewing angles
- Front Camera
"Beauty" filter can not be turned of fully
Very low quality sensor
-No IP certification - your H9 will definitely die in water over time but should survive the toilet drop of doom if you are quick enough to get it out
Nogo:
-Software
Bought with B130 Firmware, now on B180 and there is a major issue with the touch screen as you can read here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/honor-9/help/scrolling-delay-t3665877
If this is a hardware and not a software but it is even worse
Also scrolling is not smooth and you get jump-loading, most clearly visable on the 9gag app.
This bothers me less than the scrolling delay but it is still a major issue, as the hardware should be capable of perfect smooth scrolling with ease.
No option to wake but not unlock your phone with the fingerprint sensor. Either you unlock it and come to the homescreen with a safed finger ID or if the finger ID is not saved or recognised (what very rarely happens) the phone just vibrates but the screen stays black
I swidched from Honor 7 and well, I can't get used to the larger height and I'm missing soft navigation bar too. The home button and top of screen are too far away, which makes it difficult to use it. It is really pitty, that soft navigation bar cannot be enabled
Honor 9 is amazing device worked fanstastic speed!
Camera is beast on new software B180 on video record is on software stabilization on huawei and is very good!
Photos is best!
Perfromacnce / Design / Battery is very nice phone!
Better P10 And P10 Plus / 6 ram version on h9 for plus!
The smaller form factor and the powerful specs on the Honor 9 make it one of my favorite Honor phones.
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 Samsung Galaxy A70, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy A70 is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Half baked A70, coming from S7 edge
Half baked Samsung A70, coming from Samsung S7 edge.
Pluses
- enormous screen 6.7", while keeping the size of iPhone 6s Plus (car mount still works )
- some apps do use full screen - youtube being primary
- big battery and 2.5 days battery life (with disabled Samsung Max!)
- fast charger
- price, value ($350 USD from amazon for A705MN): mine came with case, preinstalled screen protector, and microSD 128GB
- CPU/GPU performance is very good even in battery saving mode
- more LTE bands support for me (North America, I have A705MN model)
- integrated Samsung Max data compression VPN, to save mobile data
- dual sim
- sdcard slot
- headphone jack
- Dolby Atmos and Adjust Sound equlizer and customization work well for headphones
- speaker sound and volume is very good, not sure where mainstream reviewers were coming from
- camera is pretty good with updated software, you can also use gCam. I like LiveView and Portrait modes for their fake bokeh effect
- face recognition works, unless you r wearing glasses or your skin is not white
- bootloader is unlockable, xda recovery released, root is available, custom ROMs here we come!
Minuses
- not all apps use full screen estate, leaving unused notch and navbar area
- some apps like Waze have navbar in white background (AMOLED burnout issue), despite theme being black
- I tried autohiding navbar (with swipe gestures for home, back, recent), but that was way too awkward, I reset it back to normal navbar
- dark or black OS-wide mode is desperately needed, I tried some themes, they do not customize all the screens in OS, let alone the apps, apps follow their own theming
- there is no notification led, but u can turn on "notification reminders", which will turn on the screen periodically
- "Samsung Max VPN" and "Cell Standby" are biggest battery drainers. Luckily Samsung Max can be disabled. That tremendously improves battery life.
- camera has no stabilization of any kind, so good luck getting unshaking videos, or trying to zoom in for photos, I tried both updated camera and gCam
- phone piece (on top of phone) is kinda weak sounding (not the bottom speaker)
- headphone jack sound quality is average even after applying Dolby Atmos and Adjust sound gimmicks. S7edge (with Exynos CPU and CS DAC) rules the king of HiFi headphone sound.
- fingerprint reader works at first, but then the reader area gets too smudged and it stops recognizing even after 5 long attempts. do not use.
Bottom line:
none of the minuses are killers.
full screen issue with the apps will be fixed by app developers, I'm hoping.
Black mode for OS either going to be released by Samsung, some good theme developer, or I will use CyanogenMod.
Shaking camera is a let down, but if u don't zoom - u will be perfectly fine. Pictures r good otherwise.
Notification led - there r ways around it. Vibration/screen/flash - pick your poison.
Alternatives - take a big long hard look at S9 Plus. It retails for $333 right now. Has smaller screen 6.2, smaller battery, better everything else. Or, wait til Note 9 falls in price, as of right now (refurbished!) Note9 is double the price of A70. Note9 does have 6.4" screen and big battery. Plus that S-Pen which nobody uses, but it is cool nevertheless. If u want save some money - consider A50 - while offering the cost savings, it also offers everything less. The phones and manufacturers who offer no sdcard and no headphone jack should reconsider (Apple, Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus, Oppo), if they want to have my attention.
I would not say I love my A70 pocket computer - I prefer to sleep with my wife
I find it very usefull for many reasons and I'll certainly keep it a long time but
- the finger unlock is poor,
- the camera is really... just a kind of bloc note but really not a camera, shame on Samsung for this,
- I hate the apps that are installed and I cannot remove.
@bravomail "- face recognition works, unless you r wearing glasses or your skin is not white"
You have the option to register your face with glasses and then without. Both options are registered.
Posted update to battery life: disable Samsung Max VPN and get 2.5 days of life vs 1.5
4 week of usage and currently on sg6 firmware with may security patch and every Samsung app updated to its latest version along with disabling/Uninstalling Samsung bloatware as much as i could, I still can't get over the fact that fingerprint scanner is not reliable and the camera is a let down.
Coming from Samsung note 4 snapdragon version, I feel like A70 is a step back rather than a step forward.
Yes the screen is amazing, the battery life is solid and sound quality is okayish ( for music using poweramp makes a huge difference) the cpu/gpu performance is better than my note 4 and the one UI and night mode is something I dearly missed.
But the optical fingerprint scanner works at times and that too slowly and then other times completely becomes a baboon.
The camera megapixels are sort off deception. They don't let you choose megapixels for your pictures. Rather it's all hidden under 1:1 3:4h and 9:16 with 3:4h using the full megapixels count.
The absence of ois is noticeable, the sharpness and focus is soft at times. Low light performance is meh. The camera2api is supported uptil level 3 not allowing for full manual control of every aspect.
Zoom in a little and see how the quality detoriates significantly with absence of OIS really messing with picture capturing.
The two biggest issues namely the fingerprint scanner and camera can be improved via software updates, only if Samsung stops messing with it. Just because this isn't note 10 doesn't mean it need to have its quality artificially messed up
I would love it, very bad software updates, only few setting in camera. Anyway for daily driver OK. It is on the border of regreting that i bought it, and satisfaction. For the money I should have chosen different brand.
samsung phones have the worst quality/price ratio. ?
worst camera, touch screen freezing all the time, fingerprint scanner not reading frequently. phone is awkward, fingerprint scanner needs both hands to be used.
Phone dead after 6 months of normal usage. Samsung denies guarantee and claims it "cannot order spare parts", because it was bought in wrong country (replacement for an S7 of which the battery died during travel). Phone repair shop says mainboard is defect.
Symptoms: bootloop first, then
great phone i kept a70 and got rid of my s10 duel sim brand new
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.
Bugs1. "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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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" ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Bugs1. "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?