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Samsung Galaxy S4 undressed on camera, found to be easily repairable

http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/10/samsung-galaxy-s4-teardown/
This is nice considering the HTC ONE is not repairable. This makes me want to get the S4 for this simple fact.

I don't think that the micro USB port is easily replaceable like they say though. All those little pins are soldered to the motherboard on the gs3. I doubt that they just plug in in the s4. It takes a steady hand and a good mini soldering set to do that
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

cell128 said:
I don't think that the micro USB port is easily replaceable like they say though. All those little pins are soldered to the motherboard on the gs3. I doubt that they just plug in in the s4. It takes a steady hand and a good mini soldering set to do that
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The point is that the whole USB connector board is extremely simple and thus probably very cheap to replace, nobody's talking about desoldering the connector itself.
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The IT168 teardown from a month ago already revealed much of the excellent interior design of the phone.

cell128 said:
I don't think that the micro USB port is easily replaceable like they say though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you prefer this? Note the damage to the plastic frame that occured during disassembly.

F9zSlavik said:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/10/samsung-galaxy-s4-teardown/
This is nice considering the HTC ONE is not repairable. This makes me want to get the S4 for this simple fact.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny, in all the years I've been on xda, I've never seen such importance being placed on whether some guys can pull a phone to pieces. Now people are wanting a phone for this very fact!
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

Basil3 said:
It's funny, in all the years I've been on xda, I've never seen such importance being placed on whether some guys can pull a phone to pieces. Now people are wanting a phone for this very fact!
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I think the reason it matters, say for me for example, is because I want to know I can fix it if its breaks especially if I am investing 800 dollars.
Say the S3 for example. Screen cracked. Cost me less then 200 to fix. Had that happen to a HTC ONE, where its not replaceable, and I don't have insurance, I am out 800 dollars.
So yes, there is a huge importance on whether or not its easy to fix if it breaks. We're not talking about 100, 200, or even 400 dollars phones. These phones are much fragile and more expensive then ever before.

Basil3 said:
It's funny, in all the years I've been on xda, I've never seen such importance being placed on whether some guys can pull a phone to pieces. Now people are wanting a phone for this very fact!
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Said the man with the unrepairable phone.
Repairibility is kind of important in a couple of ways. A difficult to repair device is as bad for the manufacturer as it is for the consumer. If what would normally be nominal warranty repairs end up requiring device replacement the manufacturer is going to look to offload those costs to consumers either through increased claims of "customer induced damage" or classifying defects as cosmetic which aren't covered under warranty. And manufacturers that void warranties for unlocking bootloaders have already demonstrated their view on absorbing warranty repair costs.
Replacing a back cover on a Galaxy device is $20 and a new polycarbonate casing for a One X is $125 installed. Display replacements for both are $150-200. Both can also be done by customers themselves to save money if they have the skills. What the impact of low repairibility really is won't be known for a couple of months when people start posting both their warranty experiences and costs compared to other devices for typical repairs. Look at it this way, if repairibility didn't matter manufacturers wouldn't invest as much as they do to achieve high degrees of it.

Basil3 said:
It's funny, in all the years I've been on xda, I've never seen such importance being placed on whether some guys can pull a phone to pieces. Now people are wanting a phone for this very fact!
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well think about it, something as simple as your battery permanently dying can't be replaced.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

SlimJ87D said:
Well think about it, something as simple as your battery permanently dying can't be replaced.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a 2 year warranty.....
I can understand replaceable screens, but I have spent €330 replacing my girlfriend's S3 screen twice. I could get a decent second hand S3 for that.
@Barry I somehow manage to sleep at night, even in the knowledge that ifixit couldn't even figure where to start when tearing down the One
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

SlimJ87D said:
Well think about it, something as simple as your battery permanently dying can't be replaced.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. And it will day someday and the performance will also decline constantly.
That is the main reason for buying a phone with replaceable battery. In a couple of years when I may want to sell my phone, who will buy it when the battery will be dramatically reduced after within the first year they bought it? At least LG tried to remedy this with their 800-cycle battery that should live 50% longer than ordinary Li-Poly. But there is NO indication that the HTC One uses this kind of battery It is a deal breaker for me and one of the main reasons I choose SGS4.

Basil3 said:
@Barry I somehow manage to sleep at night, even in the knowledge that ifixit couldn't even figure where to start when tearing down the One
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link to HTC rebutting iFixit's review and providing the proper instructions for opening the phone without damaging it? They test dozens of devices a year. Give them some credit for being able to figure out how to open them. And HTC's had no problem using Twitter as a megaphone so I'd think if they were slandered by a "1" reparability rating that wasn't accurate they'd have said something in their defense.
And your two year warranty and even insurance doesn't cover cosmetic damage. What if it's dropped and deforms which even a TPU case wouldn't protect it from and you want/need to replace the casing? Frail device + low reparability = not good. The One's a gorgeous phone and a lot of people will be drawn to it for that reason. But you can't tout its best feature without also discussing the potential down sides. The real test isn’t our discussion about what “might” happen; it’s the experience of owners over the next couple of months. If there’s some secret button on the outside of the phone that you press to have it pop apart that iFixit missed I’ll be the first to humbly apologize. Same thing if drops don't create the deformation Android Authority experienced.
This was from 4' in Android Authority's drop test...

Funnily enough, there is a 'secret button' to unlock the One.
As someone pointed out in the One forums, the phone would be heated to a certain temperature, where the bonds would essentially fall apart and the phone could be repaired. It's also fairly obvious that way to dismantle the one is via the speaker grills.

Basil3 said:
It's also fairly obvious that way to dismantle the one is via the speaker grills.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For that to be true, one of the following had to happen:
1) After taking the device completely apart iFixit realized that removing the glued-on speaker grills was the correct way to dismantle the device and, rather than admitting their original approach was wrong, published a story that was factually inaccurate and to a degree slandering HTC's 2013 flagship.
2) No matter which way you approach it, there's no good way to disassemble a One resulting in the replacement of components unrelated to whatever's necessitating the repair.
I guess time will tell which of the two is correct.
And this has nothing to do with how iFixit actually accessed the guts of the phone.
Nine steps after prying the display assembly up from the case, we finally get a look at it on its own. Just like we saw earlier with the battery, this component can't be replaced without removing everything from the rear case…and then first taking out the motherboard.​
Here's what it comes down to. HTC's development goal for the One was design. Anything packaging related was compromised to achieve it including moving the power button from the more logical right side to the left. So, to achieve their design goal, everything was crammed in to the device in whatever way was necessary to support a unique antenna structure because of the aluminum, meet dimensional and weight targets, and deliver a beautiful device. So kudos to HTC for pulling it off. But that doesn't absolve them of the impact to reparability their approach caused. And like you said in your first post how much it matters is still a question.

Basil3 said:
I have a 2 year warranty.....
I can understand replaceable screens, but I have spent €330 replacing my girlfriend's S3 screen twice. I could get a decent second hand S3 for that.
@Barry I somehow manage to sleep at night, even in the knowledge that ifixit couldn't even figure where to start when tearing down the One
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't have warranty on my s3 when the screen broke. Not everyone has the option to get warranty, especially accidental.
So yes, it is extremely important to know how easy it is to fix a device when you don't have warranty. Especially if your like me that pays full price. I don't like contracts.
It's like my laptop. I have a gaming laptop that I bought 3 years ago. Video card died. It had a 5870m ATI. I could, 1, buy a new gaming laptop for 2k. Or 2, buy a newer video card, spend 500 bucks on a 7970m, mod the cooling, and walla. Fixed, plus I get another 5 years out of it because of the awesome video card (6 times the performance). Warranty was only good for 2 years. This laptop is one of the few that is OMG SO SIMPLE to repair. Modding the cooling for the new video card was a task that took 6 hours. Got my money worth.

F9zSlavik said:
I didn't have warranty on my s3 when the screen broke. Not everyone has the option to get warranty, especially accidental.
So yes, it is extremely important to know how easy it is to fix a device when you don't have warranty. Especially if your like me that pays full price. I don't like contracts.
It's like my laptop. I have a gaming laptop that I bought 3 years ago. Video card died. It had a 5870m ATI. I could, 1, buy a new gaming laptop for 2k. Or 2, buy a newer video card, spend 500 bucks on a 7970m, mod the cooling, and walla. Fixed, plus I get another 5 years out of it because of the awesome video card (6 times the performance). Warranty was only good for 2 years. This laptop is one of the few that is OMG SO SIMPLE to repair. Modding the cooling for the new video card was a task that took 6 hours. Got my money worth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm talking about warranty, not insurance. Warranty will never cover you breaking your screen.
You're right though, if you plan on owning something past the warranty period, then repairability might be important to you.
Over the last 6 or so years, I have had 7 HTC's and 3 Samsung's. I have never had to pay for a repair (unless you count 2 repairs for the screen of my girlfriend's S3), and my HTC Hero had a defect, so was replaced next day by my mobile provider.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

Think UV light will fix your OnePlus One yellow band completely? Think again...

Received my OnePlus One yesterday and I have to say I am completely head over heels in love with it.
But..... I'm OCD when it comes to my electronics and of course mine had to come with the nasty yellow banding at the bottom.
I'm thinking I might have gotten a customer's return which is weird because it was completely sealed, I had to open it by pulling the threaded tab just like in all the unboxing videos. When I went into gallery, there were about 100+ personal pictures of some random dude and his family, a bunch of downloaded crap, ringtones, other 3rd party browsers, Amazon apps, ect. Hell I even got some full length movies on there, Transformers and a bootleg cam'd version of Edge of Tomorrow. :laugh:
My guess is that OnePlus is putting customers returns into new packages and sending them out without even fully wiping them correctly. My unit looked like it was never touched, all the screen sticker ect. wow...just wow.
Anyways back to the yellow band, so I followed the advice of people all over the forums to use UV light to try and fix the issue. Well, good thing my mother in law owns a nail salon, I asked if I could take one home for a night. Took it out to the garage and went to work...
On the positive side it actually does help....a little. From a scale of 1-10, 10 being very yellow at the bottom and 1 being completely white at the top, under the UV light for 10 minutes, the yellow was reduced to I'd say a 7.
Bad news is that it doesn't improve any further after that, I put it in there for another 10 minutes and it didn't make a difference. Went crazy and left it in there for 45 minutes, still no improvement. Don't know if the UV damaged my digitizer but touch sensitivity seems to be degraded. Doesn't register my touches as nicely as before...
So there you have it, I left it in a professional nail salon UV machine for about an hour, way more than the recommended 15 minutes, it improved it a little bit but seemed to have messed with the touch sensitivity of the device.
Use UV at your own risk, I tried it and it helped but didn't fix it completely. I love the device too much so I'll be ordering another one when I get a chance.
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Another thing during work today I was experimenting with it and noticed if you apply light heat from a heat gun (lowest setting) the yellow COMPLETELY disappears. Unfortunately when it starts cooling down the yellow comes back.

Dan37tz said:
Another thing during work today I was experimenting with it and noticed if you apply light heat from a heat gun (lowest setting) the yellow COMPLETELY disappears. Unfortunately when it starts cooling down the yellow comes back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I left my OnePlus in the sun on the first morning after I got it. I put it in the morning sun while I got ready for work and made breakfast. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being beyond unacceptable the phone started as a "5". I could definitely see it but it was clearly a "I'd be the only one to notice" amount of yellow. After about 1 hour of direct morning sun on a 75 degree morning it's a "1" now. Just a slightest of slight hints of yellow that may be the warm calibration of the phone.
That's my experience with the whole mess.

Dan37tz said:
Received my OnePlus One yesterday and I have to say I am completely head over heels in love with it.
But..... I'm OCD when it comes to my electronics and of course mine had to come with the nasty yellow banding at the bottom.
I'm thinking I might have gotten a customer's return which is weird because it was completely sealed, I had to open it by pulling the threaded tab just like in all the unboxing videos. When I went into gallery, there were about 100+ personal pictures of some random dude and his family, a bunch of downloaded crap, ringtones, other 3rd party browsers, Amazon apps, ect. Hell I even got some full length movies on there, Transformers and a bootleg cam'd version of Edge of Tomorrow. :laugh:
My guess is that OnePlus is putting customers returns into new packages and sending them out without even fully wiping them correctly. My unit looked like it was never touched, all the screen sticker ect. wow...just wow.
Anyways back to the yellow band, so I followed the advice of people all over the forums to use UV light to try and fix the issue. Well, good thing my mother in law owns a nail salon, I asked if I could take one home for a night. Took it out to the garage and went to work...
On the positive side it actually does help....a little. From a scale of 1-10, 10 being very yellow at the bottom and 1 being completely white at the top, under the UV light for 10 minutes, the yellow was reduced to I'd say a 7.
Bad news is that it doesn't improve any further after that, I put it in there for another 10 minutes and it didn't make a difference. Went crazy and left it in there for 45 minutes, still no improvement. Don't know if the UV damaged my digitizer but touch sensitivity seems to be degraded. Doesn't register my touches as nicely as before...
So there you have it, I left it in a professional nail salon UV machine for about an hour, way more than the recommended 15 minutes, it improved it a little bit but seemed to have messed with the touch sensitivity of the device.
Use UV at your own risk, I tried it and it helped but didn't fix it completely. I love the device too much so I'll be ordering another one when I get a chance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's insane man, though not very surprising of OnePlus at this point. I guess paying $360 for a device of this caliber will numb any indignation. Did you buy it directly from OnePlus using an invite? What is the supposed build date of your phone? Where did it ship to you from? Everything seemed perfectly new when I got mine, the only thing that I thought was odd was the lack of any documentation, you know like a user guide, warranty, warnings etc. Did you get any?
As far as the yellowing goes, I feel that it is slowly fading away, and I haven't even exposed it to any California sunshine or heat, I've mostly used it in air conditioned areas.

I got mine without any defects, but I don't think keeping it under UV light for an hour would do good to any phone.
Why not root it and tweak RGB values with trickster to at least make it unnoticeable?
People bashing everyone but themselves as always.

latenightchameleon said:
I got mine without any defects, but I don't think keeping it under UV light for an hour would do good to any phone.
Why not root it and tweak RGB values with trickster to at least make it unnoticeable?
People bashing everyone but themselves as always.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no need to use mods to adjust the RGB values on this device. You can do it with the stock ROM.
Sent from my One using Tapatalk

mhannigan said:
There is no need to use mods to adjust the RGB values on this device. You can do it with the stock ROM.
Sent from my One using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can only control Hue, Saturation, Contrast, Intensity with the stock ROM. You cannot adjust RGB values, you'll need a custom kernel with this commit in order to adjust the RGB and I'm sure later down the line, there'll be gamma controls similar to the N5 on the OPO

I don't understand this yellow band madness.
If it will really go away just by exposing the phone to sunlight, well, just use the phone normally and it will go away soon or later.
I call this thing corksniffing, i know i come from guitar forums and we like this term over there.
G

I cant believe they sent a used phone. Thats rediculious.
Sent from my One A0001 using XDA Free mobile app

DuckMcQUack said:
I don't understand this yellow band madness.
If it will really go away just by exposing the phone to sunlight, well, just use the phone normally and it will go away soon or later.
I call this thing corksniffing, i know i come from guitar forums and we like this term over there.
G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont understand it either. Its more apparent in some phones than others. Unfortunately for me I can't use my one plus in this way. Never had to with any other phone, why should I now?
OP did you get a used phone and ordered with an invite from oneplus.net?
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

selayan said:
I dont understand it either. Its more apparent in some phones than others. Unfortunately for me I can't use my one plus in this way. Never had to with any other phone, why should I now?
OP did you get a used phone and ordered with an invite from oneplus.net?
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I ordered it directly from oneplus.net, I purchased the invite on eBay. Paid $100 for the invite... I know... but I just had zero patience and had to have it NOW! I felt like Veruca from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. :laugh:
So all in total I paid about $469.xx, but even at that price if seems like a steal. Paid almost $700 for my GS5 which feels like junk compared to this bad boy.
It's too bad about the hardcore yellow band at the bottom of mine, I think I found the perfect phone. The battery life on this thing is R-E-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S! I swear it doesn't want to die.

That sucks it was a used one. To make it worse I would be livid paying over retail for it too and having a yellow band.
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

i would be returning that immediately
Used phone? are you kidding?

spacemanvt said:
i would be returning that immediately
Used phone? are you kidding?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah at first I was going to return it but after hearing people had to pay $50+ to ship it back to China and no guarantees of getting back a perfect device, I decided against it.
I'm hoping my case is just an isolated incident, imagine the outrage if OnePlus was really putting customer's returns back in new sealed boxes and sending them out in order to meet demand?

They need to outsource a company to perform repairs and whatnot within the States.

zephiK said:
They need to outsource a company to perform repairs and whatnot within the States.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They need to do a lot to gain respect. They are lucky people settle with the yellow screens. How can you say it's suppose to be like that? They can control the situation now and censor, deny rma, because of the invite system.
Imagine if the phone was released publicly. Stores would stop buying them because of returns and they would have a lot more people complaining than on the forums about a yellow screen.
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

rickyx32 said:
That's insane man, though not very surprising of OnePlus at this point. I guess paying $360 for a device of this caliber will numb any indignation. Did you buy it directly from OnePlus using an invite? What is the supposed build date of your phone? Where did it ship to you from? Everything seemed perfectly new when I got mine, the only thing that I thought was odd was the lack of any documentation, you know like a user guide, warranty, warnings etc. Did you get any?
As far as the yellowing goes, I feel that it is slowly fading away, and I haven't even exposed it to any California sunshine or heat, I've mostly used it in air conditioned areas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Build date is July 2, 2014.
No documentation, just phone, charger cable and sim card keychain in the box. Box was completely sealed with plastic outside, does not looked tampered with at all.

Mine came with a dead pixel... I wonder.... Hmmm... I wonder if have a customer return.
Well not dead but its stuck and it can't be fixed since I've tried a million methods!!!!

Dragn4rce said:
Mine came with a dead pixel... I wonder.... Hmmm... I wonder if have a customer return.
Well not dead but its stuck and it can't be fixed since I've tried a million methods!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will say one dead pixel is normal. You need 2-3 dead for a replacement.
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

Dusty Rhodes said:
I left my OnePlus in the sun on the first morning after I got it. I put it in the morning sun while I got ready for work and made breakfast. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being beyond unacceptable the phone started as a "5". I could definitely see it but it was clearly a "I'd be the only one to notice" amount of yellow. After about 1 hour of direct morning sun on a 75 degree morning it's a "1" now. Just a slightest of slight hints of yellow that may be the warm calibration of the phone.
That's my experience with the whole mess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will try this, thanks.

After 3 days with the S7 Edge Silver (T-Mobile)

I'm coming from the Note 4. I kept it for the last few years as I loved the battery swapping ability (carried two almost credit card thin batteries in my pocket whenever I went out) and the memory slot. But it was getting long in the tooth.. The batteries were getting worn out and I was jealous of all the faster CPUs out in the market.
So when the S7 Edge came out, I jumped on it because the screen was almost the same size at the Note 4, I could use my memory card again, a better camera, a faster CPU. and the shiny shiny silver body.
While my Note 4 was rooted and running a ROM, I decided I wasn't going to do this with the S7. I wanted to be able to use Samsung Pay, and most of the things I had rooted for, seemed to be fixed by Android Marshmallow.
I could write a huge list of all the things I love about the phone. But you guys aren't here for that. Let's talk about the things that I am having issues with.
1.) Screen sensitivity on the edges. When I first got the phone, I was having problems using Samsung Keyboard and Google's Keyboard. The keyboard keys that were on the outside edge kept not clicking. After a bit, I realized that it was because my pinky was touching the other side of the phone. I had to be more careful on how I held the phone. But then I got a case for the phone and this issue was taken care of, as now my pinky gripped the plastic.
2.) Phone call image. This may seem silly, but i like to see a much bigger picture of the person that is calling me. Why did Samsung now make the picture sooo small now? On the left is my old Note 4. On the right is the S7:
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3.) The camera settings. Why does the camera keep resetting after a while back to automatic? I want it to keep in Pro mode, so I can shoot RAW everytime. I was taking photos of the sunset today, and after it was done, only then realized it was not in Pro mode anymore so I didnt have the RAW images to play with.
4.) The camera settings 2. Why is the 12 megapixel only work at 4:3, but if you want to shoot at 16:9, you only get 9.1 megapixel? Who shoots 4:3 ever? All the photos I have taken, no longer fill my 1080p screens of my computer or TV. Hell, they don't even fill the screens of the phone itself. What is the point of shooting 4:3? Now I need to step back when taking photos, so I can crop them into 3:2 later.
5.) Games/movies not filling screen. So one thing I loved about the Note 4, was that almost all movies and games fill the screen 100%. Now, it seems like a lot of stuff is not filling the screen all the way. One example is Need for Speed: No Limit. The game almost seems cropped when playing.
6.) Slippery. This thing has no grip. I'm afraid constantly it will slide out of my hands. I got a case and now it's perfect. I have a good grip and have less finger prints everywhere.
7.) Battery life. So, as a lot of people have been discussing lately, their seems to be an issue with the Snapdragon 820 processor causing the Android System to eat up 30% of the battery. This does not happen on Samsung's own Exynos chip. So while my battery lasted 12 hours today and is only at 30%, I still wish it was more. Especially seeing that I can't replace it.. and in a few months, it won't be as good. I know a lot of you are saying that the phone needs a couple days to burn in, but it's been 4 days. And I'm worried about battery life bigtime.
Speaking about batteries, I really wish there was a smaller battery that could charge the phone just once at Quickcharge 2.0 speeds. The smallest I could find is the AUKEY Portable 6000mAh, but the thing is huge.. I may return this. I'd be happy with a 3500mAh one that is half the size so it can fit in my jeans pocket, like I carried my spare Note 4 batteries. But they don't make that.
The case I got was the "Galaxy S7 Edge Case, Spigen® [Liquid Crystal] Ultra-Thin [Crystal Clear] Premium Semi-transparent / Exact Fit / NO Bulkiness Soft Case for Samsung Galaxy S7" (seriously... that's the long ass name that is on Amazon). It is very thin, but provides an amazing grip, kills the finger print problem, and I think can save this phone from 3-4 feet falls. The only thing I don't like is the raised lip it has on the bottom. It extends too far out from the bottom of the phone. Either I will take a razor blade to it, or look for another case, as I can see it get very annoying for me.
Ok.. That's it. Hope this helps some people. If you have any ways to fix the stuff I am having issues with above, please let me know. I'll leave you with the pic I took of today's sunset. Unedited, unfiltered, in unglorious 4:3 ratio.

With a 16:9 picture you lose quality toward the edges so the 4:3 retians the same quality and is already cropped. Think of the difference similar to a full frame DSLR and a crop sensor (APS-C) that cannon uses on their Rebel line. I personally enjoy the 4:3 ratio for pictures, but everyone is different. When you change to 16:9 all its doing is crop the 4:3 picture to thst ratio. Also the dialer picture screenshots are not consistent. The Note 4 is showing a contact and the S7E is dialing someone (in call UI) so please fix that so the comparison will be accurate.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs

Pilz said:
With a 16:9 picture you lose quality toward the edges so the 4:3 retians the same quality and is already cropped. Think of the difference similar to a full frame DSLR and a crop sensor (APS-C) that cannon uses on their Rebel line. I personally enjoy the 4:3 ratio for pictures, but everyone is different. When you change to 16:9 all its doing is crop the 4:3 picture to thst ratio. Also the dialer picture screenshots are not consistent. The Note 4 is showing a contact and the S7E is dialing someone (in call UI) so please fix that so the comparison will be accurate.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I figured out that reason why it lost megapixel when going to 16:9, is because it was cropping the image. I shoot full frame with my Sony a7RII. I've never shot with a crop sensor. LOL. It's just annoying that I can't fill the screen with my shots.
As for the call screen from my Note, I would have to reactive my old SIM to get my Note 4 active, which would be a pain in the butt. So I just Googled an example:

EvanWasHere said:
Yes, I figured out that reason why it lost megapixel when going to 16:9, is because it was cropping the image. I shoot full frame with my Sony a7RII. I've never shot with a crop sensor. LOL. It's just annoying that I can't fill the screen with my shots.
As for the call screen from my Note, I would have to reactive my old SIM to get my Note 4 active, which would be a pain in the butt. So I just Googled an example:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That works, it was just hard to compare two different things. I haven't owned a Samsung phone since my Note 3 which was a long time ago. I'm sure you end up cropping those photos a lot, but full frame sensors give you more 'picture' to choose from. Samsung probably use the 4:3 ratio based on what Sony offered for the sensor features they wanted. I haven't taken enough photos in Pro mode to notice whether or not it defaults back to auto a while, but I'll look out for that. I took a bunch of pictures with the S7E and compared then to my 6P for fun. The S7E does better in certain situations it just depends on what you're doing with it. I still have mixed feelings about the phone especially the battery life (dismal right now).
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs

I'm switching from at note 4 so these little insights will be handy. How is loudspeaker volume when playing music and video files compared to the note, cheers.
Sent from my SGP612 using XDA Free mobile app

Im pretty sure ur battery took a big hit due to kernel/partial wakelocks
Sent from my SM-G925F

How is the camera? it seems to me that u not really impressed with the GS7 Edge.

Guys we already have a first impressions thread here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-edge/how-to/impressions-t3325825
I know everyone is excited about the new phone but can we try to not have 100's of threads all the same
Thanks
Moderation Team

EvanWasHere said:
3.) The camera settings. Why does the camera keep resetting after a while back to automatic? I want it to keep in Pro mode, so I can shoot RAW everytime. I was taking photos of the sunset today, and after it was done, only then realized it was not in Pro mode anymore so I didnt have the RAW images to play with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello and thanks for your impressions
maybe with the next FW update, samsung will solve camera settings :-/ a bad bug for this cool device.
Can you explain better about first point? 1.) Screen sensitivity on the edge
without case is not handy write with keyboard? I never had a border smartphone and I'd like be sure to buy this.
The time spent with note4 about writing with keyboard (like email, etc) can be the same using this device or the border are a problem?
thanks!

polhallen said:
Hello and thanks for your impressions
maybe with the next FW update, samsung will solve camera settings :-/ a bad bug for this cool device.
Can you explain better about first point? 1.) Screen sensitivity on the edge
without case is not handy write with keyboard? I never had a border smartphone and I'd like be sure to buy this.
The time spent with note4 about writing with keyboard (like email, etc) can be the same using this device or the border are a problem?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've noticed the same issue even with a case. Sometimes whole I'm typing with 1 hand the keyboard will think I'm hitting letters that I'm not. It then starts to massively lag in my case forcing me to reboot the phone because nothing will make it stop once it's started even when typing with the phone flat on a table. It's a software bug that should be easily fixed.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs

Pilz said:
I've noticed the same issue even with a case. Sometimes whole I'm typing with 1 hand the keyboard will think I'm hitting letters that I'm not. It then starts to massively lag in my case forcing me to reboot the phone because nothing will make it stop once it's started even when typing with the phone flat on a table. It's a software bug that should be easily fixed.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly: (excluding this bug) is it handy and smart writing with this device like a flat mobile?
thanks

polhallen said:
exactly: (excluding this bug) is it handy and smart writing with this device like a flat mobile?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean? I rarely if ever put my phone flat on a table to Type anything unless I'm using side sync via my laptop.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs

Pilz said:
What do you mean? I rarely if ever put my phone flat on a table to Type anything unless I'm using side sync via my laptop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean if writing with S7E is handy as a flat screen

polhallen said:
I mean if writing with S7E is handy as a flat screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is harder to type on compared to a flat screen, and has a strong learning curve (no pun intended)
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs

I believe since your note 4 is rooted, you have done some editing. If I'm not mistaken, you are using the full screen caller mod. Unless they changed it from the note 3 and s5, which uses a small picture, to a full size picture on the note 4, I'm sure it's a mod you've installed.
Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

marcgear said:
I'm switching from at note 4 so these little insights will be handy. How is loudspeaker volume when playing music and video files compared to the note, cheers.
Sent from my SGP612 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The speaker is maybe 2x the volume of the Note 4. It's VERY loud.
Derpling said:
How is the camera? it seems to me that u not really impressed with the GS7 Edge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.. I am impressed. The stuff I listed is just the annoying things that I would love fixed. The camera seems to take great pics. Fast to load up. Fast to take the pic. RAW option is awesome. Autofocus is fast. Front facing "wide" camera option is awesome. It's just annoying that it shoots in 4:3. All monitors, laptops, TVs (of the last decade), tablets, phones, etc are all wide (like 16:9). Nothing is 4:3 anymore. So now every picture I take, doesn't fill the screen.
polhallen said:
Hello and thanks for your impressions
maybe with the next FW update, samsung will solve camera settings :-/ a bad bug for this cool device.
Can you explain better about first point? 1.) Screen sensitivity on the edge
without case is not handy write with keyboard? I never had a border smartphone and I'd like be sure to buy this.
The time spent with note4 about writing with keyboard (like email, etc) can be the same using this device or the border are a problem?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your fingers not to grip the edge of the screen, then you should have no issue. I was getting better at it, but then my case arrived and I stopped having to do it that way.
polhallen said:
exactly: (excluding this bug) is it handy and smart writing with this device like a flat mobile?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not exactly a "bug". More like a new way to use the phone. But yes, after training, you will have no issue typing one handed. But I would advise getting a case anyways, as the phone is slippery as hell.
evilvoice said:
I believe since your note 4 is rooted, you have done some editing. If I'm not mistaken, you are using the full screen caller mod. Unless they changed it from the note 3 and s5, which uses a small picture, to a full size picture on the note 4, I'm sure it's a mod you've installed.
Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I was using the TEKXodus ROM on my Note 4 phone which def had that. But I saw images online of the S6 have this come as standard. I really don't want to root this phone, so I am hoping there is some kind of solution.

That's cool mate cheers I was more than happy with the note so I should be over the moon with the s7 edge. So overall are u happy you switched?
Sent from my SGP612 using XDA Free mobile app

marcgear said:
That's cool mate cheers I was more than happy with the note so I should be over the moon with the s7 edge. So overall are u happy you switched?
Sent from my SGP612 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
90%. I just need to make sure the lack of swappable battery is not an issue. I actually have a charging station at my apartment for all my friends who came here with iphones and android phones who desperately need to charge their phones in the middle of the day. I never had this issue. I have literally never gone anywhere and asked if I can use a place to charge up. Bringing a few extra Note 4 batteries with me was always the solution. That's why it's a shame that there is no small jean pocket size solution for the S7, that can charge the phone fully within an hour.

EvanWasHere said:
90%. I just need to make sure the lack of swappable battery is not an issue. I actually have a charging station at my apartment for all my friends who came here with iphones and android phones who desperately need to charge their phones in the middle of the day. I never had this issue. I have literally never gone anywhere and asked if I can use a place to charge up. Bringing a few extra Note 4 batteries with me was always the solution. That's why it's a shame that there is no small jean pocket size solution for the S7, that can charge the phone fully within an hour.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 6000mah Aukey battery is small and likely your best bet. You have to remember that a 3-4k battery won't fully charge your phone. Some of that capacity is lost due to heat and inefficiencies while charging. I carry the Aukey 6000mAh battery in my backpack and its light/small enough that I forget it's there. A smaller battery would be nice but it would need to be at least 4-5K if you want any possibility of a 0-100% charge. I had a RavPower 20100mah battery that only charger at ~60-70% efficiency which is pretty good for an external battery.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs

Pilz said:
The 6000mah Aukey battery is small and likely your best bet. You have to remember that a 3-4k battery won't fully charge your phone. Some of that capacity is lost due to heat and inefficiencies while charging. I carry the Aukey 6000mAh battery in my backpack and its light/small enough that I forget it's there. A smaller battery would be nice but it would need to be at least 4-5K if you want any possibility of a 0-100% charge. I had a RavPower 20100mah battery that only charger at ~60-70% efficiency which is pretty good for an external battery.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a backpack battery, the Aukey 6000 is great.. But I barely carry a bag when i go out. And now that summer is coming up, I wont have a large jacket to carry the bag. So I need something I can carry in my jeans front pocket that has Quickcharge 2.0 so I don't have to keep it cabled for more than an hour.

ZeroLemon 9,000 mAh Extended Battery Review

**********Work in progress************
I just received the ZeroLemon 9,000 mAh Extended Battery and Case for the LG V10 today.
I am going to leave a review here and update this as I use it for the first few charges.
Before I start, ZeroLemon did provide me with this extended battery and case for review purposes.
Like all of my reviews, this does not affect my opinions of the product and this will be my honest opinions and thoughts.
I have attached quite a few pictures to this post, however if you would like a different picture, just let me know.
Let me start this by saying, this case big.
You know this already though if you wanted this huge of a battery in your phone.
This case is not quite double the thickness of the phone.
The phone at its thickest point without the case (The camera hump) is 0.417 inch.
The phone with the case on is 0.703 inch.
The case will add 0.286 inch to your phone.
I find this is still pocketable, about the max that I would want to carry in my pocket but I can do it and it does not bother me.
The flaws that I found in the LG G4 case and battery have been addressed this time on the LG V10 case.
The ports at the bottom all have a small lip to prevent dust intrusion.
The sides of this new case are thinner and do not add any bulk to the top, bottom, or sides of the phone.
They have added Fast Charge capabilities to the battery this time around.
With Fast Charge comes huge decrease in charging times on this battery vs the one from the G4.
This is a welcome addition considering the 6 hour charge times of the past.
This case is much like previous ZeroLemon cases in overall design.
The looks are the same while the case seems to be a little softer material this time.
There is quite a bit of internal structure in the top portion of the case that is extended above the buttons to make this case much more solid than previous cases were.
The sides of this case are flush with the screen while the top and bottom both stick up slightly to prevent your screen from ever touching anything should you lay your phone down screen first.
This slight change from previous cases makes a huge difference in the overall feel of the case in a good way.
The ports on this case all line up perfectly, including the opening on the back for the camera and volume/power buttons.
The headphone opening is large enough for me to use all of the headphones that I have.
The USB port is also large enough for me to use all the USB cables I have.
The overall fit of the case is excellent, I for one am glad that they did not release this case until it was perfect.
DAY 1
Battery life so far has been excellent.
First day I have 3 hours screen time and approximately 11 hours of use.
I did have this connected to a moto 360 smartwatch via bluetooth as well as a pair of bluetooth headphones.
I had about 4 hours of music streaming on and off throughout the day.
I have the screen set to 100% and 2 emails, one gmail and one exchange, both set to push.
I have 55 minutes of voice calls today.
I started the day with the battery at 92%.
The battery is now sitting at 68%.
On an day like today my battery would usually have been at about 15% and I would have had to charge when I got home or swap a battery out.
I do not think it is possible to kill this battery in one day.
If I had had the screen set to auto brightness I would easily get double the screen on time.
DAY 2
Battery life is still excellent, better than the first day.
Ended the day wit 72% remaining.
75 minutes of phone calls.
3.2 hours screen on time.
DAY 3
Battery life is getting better still
Ended today with 75% remaining.
78 minutes of phone calls.
3.2 hours of screen on time.
I will hold off on updates for a few days.
So far usage is steadily improving over what I had already considered excellent.
I will update this again in a week or two with detailed stats.
I will update this section as I use the phone over the next few days and charge cycles.
So far the battery arrived with 56% charge.
I installed the battery in my phone and put the case on it and plugged it in to charge in a Quick Charge 2.0 charger.
It charged to 100% in approximately 45 minutes.
This is the first charge and I let it charge for an additional 12 hours as stated in the instructions.
I do not think it actually takes that long, however it is what is recommended so I will do it.
ZeroLemon recommends to allow 5 to 6 full charge cycles to achieve optimal performance.
I will come back and update this review after 6 full charge cycles with battery stats then.
ZeroLemon Official site
Amazon Link (Currently Sold Out as of 3/9, was $59.99)
**So far I have one day usage reported, I will continue to update this for a while or as long as people ask for updates.**
Pictures are large, click to view them.
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"lightbox_close": "Close",
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Ask if you would like additional pictures.

Can the sd card be removed without removing the battery?
I'm getting pretty excited here! As soon as I come up with some creative bookkeeping I'm going to order one of these! (hopefully they're back in stock soon)
Sent from my pretty nifty brand new LG V10

How's button access? Is it awkward to use? How about the fingerprint sensor?
Thanks for the in-depth review and pictures.
Sent from my BlackBerry Venice

planetbeen said:
Can the sd card be removed without removing the battery?
I'm getting pretty excited here! As soon as I come up with some creative bookkeeping I'm going to order one of these! (hopefully they're back in stock soon)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the SD card can be removed without removing the battery, you would still need to shut off the phone first I would assume.
joshm.1219 said:
How's button access? Is it awkward to use? How about the fingerprint sensor?
Thanks for the in-depth review and pictures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are welcome, I will update it tomorrow after work.
Button access is better than I expected.
The sides of the opening are slanted so your finger is sort of pushed right where it needs to go.
For the fingerprint sensor... I have the T-Mobile version and do not have the update that fixes the fingerprint sensor.
So you still have to be touching the metal edges for it to work right on mine.
However the if I flex the side of the case a little I can get my finger on the metal edge of the phone and it works perfect.
I would assume once I update my phone to fix the sensor there would be no issues at all.
If you have a version that does have the update for the fingerprint sensor it will work perfect for you.

What about photos? Does the case interfere with the autofocus, or does it cause the flash to interfere with the picture?
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

Hi, thank you for review, can you please shoot a photo side by side (I know it needs work but appreciate) with and without the case to see the real thickness of the device with the battery.
Thank you for the effort.

toastido said:
What about photos? Does the case interfere with the autofocus, or does it cause the flash to interfere with the picture?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not notice any issues with it, I will check again today after work.
fethi2 said:
Hi, thank you for review, can you please shoot a photo side by side (I know it needs work but appreciate) with and without the case to see the real thickness of the device with the battery.
Thank you for the effort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will try, but it will be difficult to get both items to scale. I do have a caliper that I can actually measure both with and give the measurements.

fethi2 said:
Hi, thank you for review, can you please shoot a photo side by side (I know it needs work but appreciate) with and without the case to see the real thickness of the device with the battery.
Thank you for the effort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Updated the original post with measurements via caliper.
The phone at its thickest point without the case (The camera hump) is 0.417 inch.
The phone with the case on is 0.703 inch.
The case will add 0.286 inch to your phone.

Thanks checked it out. :highfive:
Milimbar said:
Updated the original post with measurements via caliper.
The phone at its thickest point without the case (The camera hump) is 0.417 inch.
The phone with the case on is 0.703 inch.
The case will add 0.286 inch to your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Milimbar said:
Yes the SD card can be removed without removing the battery, you would still need to shut off the phone first I would assume.
You are welcome, I will update it tomorrow after work.
Button access is better than I expected.
The sides of the opening are slanted so your finger is sort of pushed right where it needs to go.
For the fingerprint sensor... I have the T-Mobile version and do not have the update that fixes the fingerprint sensor.
So you still have to be touching the metal edges for it to work right on mine.
However the if I flex the side of the case a little I can get my finger on the metal edge of the phone and it works perfect.
I would assume once I update my phone to fix the sensor there would be no issues at all.
If you have a version that does have the update for the fingerprint sensor it will work perfect for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the AT&T and it has been updated. The fingerprint scanner seems to work even better. I get a lot faster response from it.

yuppy for about 5 minutes they had 5 available and was able to order one, now its sold out again

Got mine yesterday. Charged 12 hours overnight and put it in this morning at 07:40. It's now 09:02 so coming up on 1.5 hours and I am down to 73%. I hope the % is way off if not I got a lemon. Probably 1 hour screen on time
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

Is this their regular case or a ZeroShock Case?
How do feel about the texture of the outter cover? Does it feel slippery? Or real "grippy"

I am getting very similar results. I posted about it in the other thread but I'm thinking maybe we need to calibrate the battery? I just don't know how. But yea... I'm getting pretty much normal battery life.
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA Free mobile app
---------- Post added at 01:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:04 PM ----------
valestrand said:
Got mine yesterday. Charged 12 hours overnight and put it in this morning at 07:40. It's now 09:02 so coming up on 1.5 hours and I am down to 73%. I hope the % is way off if not I got a lemon. Probably 1 hour screen on time
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am getting very similar results. I posted about it in the other thread but I'm thinking maybe we need to calibrate the battery? I just don't know how. But yea... I'm getting pretty much normal battery life.
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA Free mobile app

Well, now it's 13:25 and I am down to 15% left. With the normal battery I would be around 40 at this time..
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

Phone died at 1500 so got 7.5 hours out a 9000mah battery.. Lol
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

You got a zero lemon [emoji6] waiting for mine now
Sent from my LG-H961N using Tapatalk

valestrand said:
Phone died at 1500 so got 7.5 hours out a 9000mah battery.. Lol
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would contact ZeroLemon, because I got 32 hours out of mine.. And I don't gimp my phone, full bright and everything on.

I'm curious if you have the standalone LG battery charger, does the ZL battery fit or would the cover flap need to be removed?
If you do and it does fit I'd appreciate a pic!
I don't see myself needing two ZL batteries, but it would be nice to know if it's still a good charging option without having to modify.
Based on your photos it looks like it could possibly just fit or be a slight squeeze.
Thanks!

mastarpete said:
I'm curious if you have the standalone LG battery charger, does the ZL battery fit or would the cover flap need to be removed?
If you do and it does fit I'd appreciate a pic!
I don't see myself needing two ZL batteries, but it would be nice to know if it's still a good charging option without having to modify.
Based on your photos it looks like it could possibly just fit or be a slight squeeze.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. It fits without any modifications. Just won't close, obviously. Did it on my initial charge so I didn't have to stay tethered to the wall for 12 hours.

General First impressions

As per a request for first impressions in another thread, here you go...
Pre ordered a 256gb in green directly from Samsung in the UK. It arrived early yesterday after a surprise email saying it would come a week early. Spent Friday setting up so today was the first real day of use. Still updating apps and extra logins etc but I feel I have a decent idea how it will go as I move from a Note 10+.
Thoughts...
1. Packaging - nicely done and a little quirky. Adds to the event
2. Build quality-feels amazingly well screwed together. The hinge is absolutely solid and tight. No worries at all. The device feels light and is very easy to hold. It is an absolute delight to make calls from, the slightly narrow frame makes it so easy to hold in the hand for extended periods both for calls and screen use.
3. The crease - you can absolutely see it and feel it. After 10 min, honestly, you just don't notice it at all and if you do, it reminds you that you have a phone that folds in half!
4. Speed-it feels rapid and smooth. The 120hz is definitely noticeable and there is no lag at all
5. Battery - it is still optimising so hopefully it will adapt and improve. It came off charge at 7.00am today at 100% and went back on at 8pm with 10% left. This was with 30 min Bluetooth music, 2 hrs browsing, 30 mins gaming, 2 calls about 10 min each and around 50 messages through the day with 10 photos as I played with the camera (director mode?!). Also had a smartwatch bluetoothed all day too. About 5% an hour seems about what I saw today There is no way it will ever go from getting up to going to sleep without a top up but I expected this and am okay with it. To be honest, the note 10 + struggled with similar usage some days. Looks like about 1hr 25 to fill up again from 10% with a fast cabled charge.
6. Setting up - the transfer software is spookily good and it still feels like magic when your old phone home screen appears on your new device
7. Folding - it is a novelty I don't feel will wear off soon.... set mine to answer and end calls as I open and close and the satisfaction is just brilliant. No idea why and can't really explain, it just feels right.
8. Cover screen - far more readable than I thought and is great for checking notifications and dismissing them. I can definitely see the way it will work. Imagine mid range smartwatch abilities on the outside of the phone and you get an idea what it will do. It does more than enough and it doesn't need to do more.
9. Case-Samsung leather in green. Fits great, does what you want it to, will keep it safe enough. Looks really boring. Will probably change it when I get chance for something more in keeping with a fun phone
10. Regrets - yesterday I was a bit unsure, by the end of today I am completely converted and wouldn't dream of sending it back. Amazed.... it feels like a half a dozen steps forward over the note10+ in so many ways.
11. Other people - be prepared for other people to want to hold it and fold it....
Hope this helps someone and happy to try and answer questions if I can

Thanks for the review. I'm coming from a note 9 so looking forward to small form.factor.
Glad to hea opening and closing can answer/hangup calls. I assumed it would bt haven't found anyone mention it.
Regarding the leather case, does it make it much thicker? Does it feel like a thick wallet?

senergy said:
Thanks for the review. I'm coming from a note 9 so looking forward to small form.factor.
Glad to hea opening and closing can answer/hangup calls. I assumed it would bt haven't found anyone mention it.
Regarding the leather case, does it make it much thicker? Does it feel like a thick wallet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It isn't a thick case at all and really doesn't add much to the phone, it is maybe 1 - 2mm at most. It is very well made and feels good, I just find the green colour s bit boring

senergy said:
Thanks for the review. I'm coming from a note 9 so looking forward to small form.factor.
Glad to hea opening and closing can answer/hangup calls. I assumed it would bt haven't found anyone mention it.
Regarding the leather case, does it make it much thicker? Does it feel like a thick wallet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The setting is in the call settings rather than the main setting menu. Took me a little while to find it
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cd1yat said:
As per a request for first impressions in another thread, here you go...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jealous you received your early. However, what a great little review of what to expect! Thanks.

Loving my flip 3 but have a issue when it comes to using android auto, keeps disconnecting and crashes.
2017 vw golf

kedge said:
Loving my flip 3 but have a issue when it comes to using android auto, keeps disconnecting and crashes.
2017 vw golf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems to be fine on my Mégane 2019. I know this doesn't help you though.
Just for info really. Maybe try the beta version?

kedge said:
Loving my flip 3 but have a issue when it comes to using android auto, keeps disconnecting and crashes.
2017 vw golf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a 2018 skoda karoq which will have a similar infotainment system. I needed to remove the phone from the car and the car from the phone and Bluetooth as all settings had copied over but wouldn't work.
A re-pair of Bluetooth and then a fresh set up of android auto worked for me. I also used a new cable just in case as it often gets flaky after about 6 months use.
It is working reliably now.
Good luck

Quick thoughts since ...
The camera is really nice and produces decent photos. Not really missing the telephoto lens
And I had forgotten the joys of a fingerprint scanner that just works quickly and first time, every time. Why it ever moved from the power button (I had a Sony z series) I will never know.

Battery is week, but I was expecting it. With battery care charging to 85% it does not last full day for me. Taking of charge at 7.00 around 18.00 it is left with just few percent of battery. 1,5h on screen time. 2-3 hours bluetooth music (that looks to be eating battery fastest), 5 email acounts, 30 min of talks. Smartwatch (garmin - looks also eating quite a lot) connected all day long. + covid tracking app (bluetooth) on all the time.
Android auto connects no problem (MB e class 2017). There was a problem before due to cable. To my surprise just few cables worked out of 10+ i had. Only original ones worked or very thick one from amazon basics.
Tried to connect via wireless dongle (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/aawireless#/) but after connected after ~4-5 min crashes. Did not spend much time yet, but it seams that even if it will work in the end, will be not possible to use as battery is depleating by 3%/min and phone becomes very hot when connected.
Bought aramid cover. Looked nicer than black leather. As aramid cover is thiner by half an does not look to be so scratchy.
Bought samsung rectangular wireless charger with USB C. Wirelss charging works only when original (included with pad) ~18w charger is connected. Tried other lower 10-15w charges and with them the wirellses charging pad does not work. Tried borrowed older Micro USB samsung charging pad, so it charges with any charger, just slower.

Well, this is not good news
I've had my Flip 3 for 4 days now, and loving it. I have contacted tech support for a reason/answer why.
Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
Unlocking the bootloader of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 reportedly breaks all the camera-related functionalities. Read on to know more!
www.xda-developers.com

I got my phone yesterday too. It's great so far, the only issue I'm facing is excessive heating on the top panel. I'll see if today after more normal use it gets better. Did you experience heating on your unit?

ManuM15 said:
I got my phone yesterday too. It's great so far, the only issue I'm facing is excessive heating on the top panel. I'll see if today after more normal use it gets better. Did you experience heating on your unit?
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Click to collapse
I've had mine for a week now. 8/128, black version F711B. The excessive heating under the cover display is quite disturbing. Noticed it mostly during video calls (GM, Skype, Wahatspp, etc.). When on video calls, it discharges the battery to 0 in about 70 minutes from almost full and heats up so much I can't touch it.
Hoping for a firmware update...

ManuM15 said:
I got my phone yesterday too. It's great so far, the only issue I'm facing is excessive heating on the top panel. I'll see if today after more normal use it gets better. Did you experience heating on your unit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first day or so when it was downloading massive updates and restoring backups etc - yes. Not noticeable almost all of the time now, occasionally warm when charging

Coming from a Pixel 4 and after using the Z Flip 3 for the whole day, I will sadly be returning it to the box. I love the technology behind it and what the future holds, personally I am waiting for a "mini" version. I find the Z Flip 3 actually bulky and heavy for a device that is supposed to make foldbles more poket-able. To me, It does not feel light and it is not that small either when folded. Plus, I don't get it why they made the screen so tall when opened, it is wasted screen past a certain screen ratio (22:9 !?...c'mon). It is so tall the phone wants to roll around the fingers when texting, you have to squeeze it to hold it. Maybe the ergonomics are better and everything is just perfect if you have bigger hands and fingers? This is something worth trying individually. I didn't expect not to be able to get used to the Flip in my hand, before I received I was thinking it will be love at first sight.
For those who are used to and prefer screens this big and tall, you will most likely going to love the phone, the screen definitely delivers. The crease is almost a non issue. When looking straight at the phone, on a white background like in Messages or Chrome, you will not see the crease.

I have had the device since Saturday. Build quality is top notch and I like the form factor and love the portability. I am still not fully convinced. Battery life is as expected the biggest concern. I think it will get you through a light to medium use day. I mean the idea of the phone is too keep you away from it with digital wellbeing in mind. Checking for notifications on the cover screen should help keeping you from opening and using it all the time. At least this is my idea. I don't want to use my phone that much anymore.
There are still some software quirks which hopefully will get ironed out. And hoping for more features for the cover screen.
Btw I noticed one thing: The cover screen doesn't show an incoming Whatsapp voice or video call. You can only answer telephone calls from the cover directly via loudspeaker. Same for duo. I can't access a call from the cover screen. Can anybody confirm this behavior? Not even showing the Whatsapp ones is really annoying... I am lucky that my Garmin is connected and at least will show it on the watch

ManuM15 said:
I got my phone yesterday too. It's great so far, the only issue I'm facing is excessive heating on the top panel. I'll see if today after more normal use it gets better. Did you experience heating on your unit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, heats up. Browsing web and listening to music via bluetooth heats up quite a lot. Installed samsung labs app and reduced max temp by 2 degrees to get earlier throttling. Not sure it had any effect. Even if it works, 2 degrees too little to notice.

I have had mine out of the box for literally 5 hours. So far, so good, I have noticed some heat build up when wireless charging bit OK when wired charging. Battery life so far is poor but it is still learning usage patterns so hopefully that will improve. The device is very solidly built and the internal screen is beautiful. I had been holding off buying a flip until the external screen size was improved and I am very happy with what Samsung have done here. Cameras are OK, I am no photography buff though! It fits into my pocket perfectly and you cannot beat that fold/ unfold action!

The camera is pretty bad. Coming from an iPhone 12 pro max and one plus 7 pro, it's super muddy. Zooming in, it's a muddy, pixelated mess. Even outdoors in a well lit area, the detail and sharpness is pretty meh. Pretty disappointing since I think I read it has the same camera sensor as either the s20 or s21.

E30Nova said:
The camera is pretty bad. Coming from an iPhone 12 pro max and one plus 7 pro, it's super muddy. Zooming in, it's a muddy, pixelated mess. Even outdoors in a well lit area, the detail and sharpness is pretty meh. Pretty disappointing since I think I read it has the same camera sensor as either the s20 or s21.
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Click to collapse
It's the same hardware as the previous Z Flip. You're comparing phones that were in competition for best camera phone to one that tried to pack current Qualcomm hardware into a center fold. The camera and battery are where they brought the price down.
I'm honestly a bit surprised Samsung didn't follow Asus in doing a split battery. The first thing I thought of when seeing the ads for that on the ROG Phone 5 was the Z Flip.
I'm coming from a Note 20 Ultra with the 108MP camera and near perfect action shots. I can definitely appreciate losing quality, but it's also a personal question of whether it outweighs the novelty.