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Since I was an original proponent of the S4 Active's camera, I wanted to publicly admit that I was wrong. The camera on the S4 Active is, indeed, a deal breaker (at least for me).
It's not that it dropped from 13mp to 8mp...that, in and of itself, has no bearing on the performance, but the images produced by this camera are muddy and not pleasing at all. It is miles behind the original S4 or HTC One in the image department.
I went back to the original S4 which is fine, but I really miss the screen of the Active. It's just a choice each individual will have to decide for themselves, but I just can't understand why Samsung downgraded the camera so dramatically on the Active. It's a shame because, to me, everything else about the Active is awesome, most notably, the screen.
cardinalryan said:
Since I was an original proponent of the S4 Active's camera, I wanted to publicly admit that I was wrong. The camera on the S4 Active is, indeed, a deal breaker (at least for me).
It's not that it dropped from 13mp to 8mp...that, in and of itself, has no bearing on the performance, but the images produced by this camera are muddy and not pleasing at all. It is miles behind the original S4 or HTC One in the image department.
I went back to the original S4 which is fine, but I really miss the screen of the Active. It's just a choice each individual will have to decide for themselves, but I just can't understand why Samsung downgraded the camera so dramatically on the Active. It's a shame because, to me, everything else about the Active is awesome, most notably, the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sad to see you go but IMO Screen > Camera
I think the camera will be fixed with an update or mods, screen you are stuck with forever. I know the camera on this thing can be better, just wait for them to get the bugs worked out. Enjoy the S4, it DOES have a great camera
My disclaimer is I rarely take photos with my phone. My wife does a good job snapping great photos I just use it to capture something funny or cool when I am not around family.
I liked the screen too but a lot of original gs4 features were calling me (including customization of the physical phone with cases and replacement parts and internal software)
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Camera seems great for me, a bit better than my Note 2. IMO a waterproof phone, better looking, better display, and more rugged is better than a slightly better camera on the regular S4.
I noticed a green tent sometimes. It must be a software issue.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using xda app-developers app
geoff5093 said:
Camera seems great for me, a bit better than my Note 2. IMO a waterproof phone, better looking, better display, and more rugged is better than a slightly better camera on the regular S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is certainly a fair comment. For me though, the camera was just too weak...but holy crap the Active screen is exponentially better than the SAMOLED S4 screen...not even close.
mattpayne92 said:
I liked the screen too but a lot of original gs4 features were calling me (including customization of the physical phone with cases and replacement parts and internal software)
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cases will not show up if people don't let the companies know that they are wanted
cardinalryan said:
Since I was an original proponent of the S4 Active's camera, I wanted to publicly admit that I was wrong. The camera on the S4 Active is, indeed, a deal breaker (at least for me).
It's not that it dropped from 13mp to 8mp...that, in and of itself, has no bearing on the performance, but the images produced by this camera are muddy and not pleasing at all. It is miles behind the original S4 or HTC One in the image department.
I went back to the original S4 which is fine, but I really miss the screen of the Active. It's just a choice each individual will have to decide for themselves, but I just can't understand why Samsung downgraded the camera so dramatically on the Active. It's a shame because, to me, everything else about the Active is awesome, most notably, the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wait to get the OBEX or Lifeproof case for your S4...as I will do...when I had both (The the S4A for a week before returning) I thought the screens were comparable with an edge to the S4.
planoman said:
Just wait to get the OBEX or Lifeproof case for your S4...as I will do...when I had both (The the S4A for a week before returning) I thought the screens were comparable with an edge to the S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on the person
Some people like their screens over saturated with deep blacks, some people like their screens natural with normal whites.
joshuadjohnson22 said:
Depends on the person
Some people like their screens over saturated with deep blacks, some people like their screens natural with normal whites.
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Click to collapse
So true. I personally was sold on the S4A screen over the S4 screen when I was compairing them side by side, and it was ultimatly the reason I went with the S4A over the S4.
Kyuta Syuko said:
So true. I personally was sold on the S4A screen over the S4 screen when I was compairing them side by side, and it was ultimatly the reason I went with the S4A over the S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the s4 active has a more 'natural' screen but its tft and the color reproduction is horrible. At least in movie mode the regular S4 can seem much more accurate and not bland
To each their own. I purchased the Active because I get wet and my Note 2 was on borrowed time. The better camera and screen on the active are a bonus.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537
I feel like most of the people prefer the actives screen. I compared both side by side and I actually prefer the bolder colors. Its all personal opinion
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Yeah I love the active screen but hate the angles and just hate tft. The active is better from the start but the amoled on the normal s4 has more potential. A wide color gamut. Movie mode Is almost perfect. And this is coming from professional display reviewers. And if we get perseus kernel onto the 9505 variant it'll be even better.
But to be honest I have it on auto screen mode for some reason I love the colors too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
jetlitheone said:
Yeah I love the active screen but hate the angles and just hate tft. The active is better from the start but the amoled on the normal s4 has more potential. A wide color gamut. Movie mode Is almost perfect. And this is coming from professional display reviewers. And if we get perseus kernel onto the 9505 variant it'll be even better.
But to be honest I have it on auto screen mode for some reason I love the colors too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree the SAMOLED screen has more potential and if the S4 ever got a mod like Voodoo Color the user could probably get the screen looking just as good or maybe even better than the S4A screen.
TwoStroker37 said:
To each their own. I purchased the Active because I get wet and my Note 2 was on borrowed time. The better camera and screen on the active are a bonus.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In no way does the Active have a better camera than the original S4. I would venture to say that the camera on the Active is among the worst on a high end smartphone. It is plumb terrible.
cardinalryan said:
In no way does the Active have a better camera than the original S4. I would venture to say that the camera on the Active is among the worst on a high end smartphone. It is plumb terrible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine has taken great photos and mine has taken horrible photos.
The truth is they do need to update the camera to fix the bugs... after that I think it will be great... Of course not as good as the S4 but close
cardinalryan said:
Since I was an original proponent of the S4 Active's camera, I wanted to publicly admit that I was wrong. The camera on the S4 Active is, indeed, a deal breaker (at least for me).
It's not that it dropped from 13mp to 8mp...that, in and of itself, has no bearing on the performance, but the images produced by this camera are muddy and not pleasing at all. It is miles behind the original S4 or HTC One in the image department.
I went back to the original S4 which is fine, but I really miss the screen of the Active. It's just a choice each individual will have to decide for themselves, but I just can't understand why Samsung downgraded the camera so dramatically on the Active. It's a shame because, to me, everything else about the Active is awesome, most notably, the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used the S4 Active in store and the display seems to be a lot more accurate than the S4 (since it uses the TFT display). How was it's outdoor visibility?
Southernboyj said:
I used the S4 Active in store and the display seems to be a lot more accurate than the S4 (since it uses the TFT display). How was it's outdoor visibility?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The display isn't more accurate its just not exaggerated colors. But you can fix that in the regular s4
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
jetlitheone said:
Yeah I love the active screen but hate the angles and just hate tft. The active is better from the start but the amoled on the normal s4 has more potential. A wide color gamut. Movie mode Is almost perfect. And this is coming from professional display reviewers. And if we get perseus kernel onto the 9505 variant it'll be even better.
But to be honest I have it on auto screen mode for some reason I love the colors too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its about 97% accurate to sRGB (which is industry standard) in Movie mode, versus 91% on iPhone 5, 83% on S4 Active, and 85% on HTC One. The AMOLED screen actually has a wider gamut than sRGB but it is not calibrated correctly. At its most vivid, it is capable of about 102% sRGB gamut, though it does suffer from some slight gamma issues as well due to AMOLED being totally off when displaying 'true' blacks.
I tested them all with a friend and his colorimetry gear with some standard calibration images, with Pantone, sRGB, and Rec709 standard materials as well as gray plates and focusing scales (attached). Feel free to compare to your HDTV/monitor of choice.
However, a 3% variation is negligible at best; most males (60-something percent) are partially colorblind anyways and really cant see the difference until its about 18% off. Women its closer to 1% have color issues, and with females comprising the majority of the population and about 1/3 of the S4 buyers, that means that roughly 75% of you could not tell the difference between a perfectly calibrates S4 and one that is 3%, 5%, or even 10% off.
That said, i have some 10 bit Marshall, JVC, and Sony calibrated field monitors that are closer to 78% sRGB, and i used them every day for work (we use scopes to verify anyways; cant trust your eyes), and even a VERY VERY nice, VERY expensive calibrated 10 bit IPS LED LCD field monitor that costs as much as some new cars that is only 94% accurate.
I rely on my eyes at work every day; i have incredibly sharp and perceptive vision, and i can comfortably say that 'Movie' mode is BETTER than most other screens you would watch movies/tv on, yes including your $1,000 HDTV or $300 PC monitor. I can easily see the pixels on the smaller, 720P GS3 screen, and make them out decently on the S4 as well, even 18" away from my face. The HTC one as well, but its closer to 14" away maximum. That is incredible for me.
TFT has bad viewing angles, very bad backlight passthrough transmission, and is based on old tech. IPS LED would have been a MUCH better choice, but Samsung doesnt do much in that field; TFT they have the tech and fab for. It was a poor choice IMO.
The HTC One screen or iPhone 5 screen is way better than that of the Active for viewing angles, and also much more saturated (One is oversaturated, iPhone 5 only slightly). But for contrast and viewing angles alone, Samsung SHOULD have gone IPS.
KEEP IN MIND...
Brightness, viewing angles, saturation, gamut, and contrast are quantifiable. These are what i base my statements on; what ive measured and what ive seen.
PERCEIVED color is not; thats your brain, mostly. Your eyes only collect raw data. I could show you correctly calibrated images under different lighting and you would swear the peoples faces were purple, green, etc, when in fact they are absolutely correct, and its your brain compensating.
As far as the S4A camera, i had read Samsung had a problem with supply on the 13MP units, and opted for the same part as the S III camera as it was available, and part numbers stack up (pinouts do not). The software camera app on the S4A may not be up to snuff in that case; the S III takes great shots for a camera phone; and if you look at S III, S4A, and S4 shots side by side with the same settings of the same objects under same lighting and other conditions, the S4A and S III are pretty damn close to identical if you check out scopes or histograms; the S4 with the 13MP camera has a slight edge.
I cant see the Perseus kernel doing much better; most of the issue with the S4 screen is gamma shift based off the PenTile display architecture; yes the S4 screen is RGBG, which is an RGB variant, but in practice calibrating it is WILDLY different from an RGB screen. If anyone gets a chance, take a look at the exact same picture (both the one i attached and also one of people) on a Motorola Atrix 4G with the RGBW (red green blue white) pixel layout; the Atrix has THE WORST COLORS I HAVE EVER SEEN, period. BUT, you could see that thing perfectly in the glare of the sun at any angle.
LG is falling behind in the smartphone display world. My Note7 is the best phone display I have ever had, by far, and that is no exaggeration. Yet here we are with another flagship release by LG who are using dated technology on the most important component of a phone - the display. IPS contrast sucks. Contrast is a huge deciding factor in image quality - perhaps the most important. Additionally, LCDs and IPS in particular have substantial pixel response motion blur over AMOLED. I HAD to return my HTC 10 because I couldn't stand using the display with how muddy it looked compared to the AMOLED on my 6P, even though HTC touted their display as having a fast response rate. Simple actions like pulling down the notification shade produced easily noticeable differences between the devices. LG is well aware of how great OLED is - they invest billions in their OLED TV division. I have spent $7,000 this year between their 65" and 55" OLED TVs, and they are mind-blowing. LG needs to either purchase Samsung display panels, or invest in their seriously lacking mobile division, because they're going to end up like HTC sooner or later at this rate.
I hope this IPS panel is at least an improvement. The contrast is likely no better than 2000:1, which is great for an IPS, but poor overall. I'm not stoked about the always-on-display in the ticker area either. It is far less useful than the G5's or Note7's - another step backwards. And at night, LCD always-on-displays also look like crap with tons of halo/light bleed. The lack of detailed performance specs at the launch event was disappointing. Using the SD 820 was a poor choice, and you could have easily thrown 6GB of RAM in there. And launching in a few weeks is idiotic as well. They could have capitalized on the Note7's recall and gotten their device out before the iPhone 7 if they wanted to. We'll be lucky to have it by October. There better be a decent promotion, because I am on the fence about buying this phone with its poor display, less than stellar battery (even if replaceable), lack of water resistance, and ugly UI. I must give credit where it is due, and that is the audio and camera capabilities are out of this world (except for the 5 MP front camera - WHY) - and I appreciate them destroying the competition in those VERY important areas., and keeping a removable battery with a premium and durable design. But this phone could have been the best of 2016 if they wanted it to be. This phone hardly has any advantage over the Axon 7 for far less cash.
In their defense, LG manufactures MANY flat panel TVs with excellent picture quality. I suspect their choices of phone screens are based upon energy consumption, cost effectiveness, and the plain ole theory that such a small size doesn't require an extravagantly engineered screen. Don't get me wrong, I love a super-amoled / OLED screen personally. When I compared the S7 vs my G5, I honestly was like....hmmmmmmmmmm, wish I had that screen though.. LOL
But from what I have read, the V20 screen is supposed to be far superior to that of the V10.
AMOLED has a major minus: screen burn, and the white turns muddy over time.
G Flex used to have AMOLED, but it turned out LG abandons it.
mingkee said:
AMOLED has a major minus: screen burn, and the white turns muddy over time.
G Flex used to have AMOLED, but it turned out LG abandons it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AMOLED doesn't burn in normal use conditions anymore - this isn't 2012. The white also does not turn "muddy" over time - whatever the hell that means. You're making stuff up. Sure, some panels have had white uniformity issues... but Samsung may be resolving that as my Note7 is literally perfect. There is no defense for LG here. They either were too cheap to invest in their mobile division's display panels, or they are behind in their mobile division... which is funny considering they make the best OLED TVs in the world. Basically the only OLED TVs.
I've had an OLED display with my Note 2, 3, and 4. I too had hoped that LG was going with OLED this time for the V20, since they do make OLED TVs, but instead looks like they are still using the same LCD that is on the V10. At least Samsung stepped up the OLED on the Note 7 to support HDR.
You're very unlikely to see any light bleed on a high quality IPS-screen. I've never seen light bleed on an iPhone for example, but I had really bad light bleed on my Nexus 5. I also have absolutely zero light bleed on my OnePlus One.
mekanismen said:
You're very unlikely to see any light bleed on a high quality IPS-screen. I've never seen light bleed on an iPhone for example, but I had really bad light bleed on my Nexus 5. I also have absolutely zero light bleed on my OnePlus One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The v10 had significant light bleed from the second screen.
Nitemare3219 said:
AMOLED doesn't burn in normal use conditions anymore - this isn't 2012.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please explain further?
Don't all amoled screens burn in regardless of use because of it's organic components?
mekanismen said:
You're very unlikely to see any light bleed on a high quality IPS-screen. I've never seen light bleed on an iPhone for example, but I had really bad light bleed on my Nexus 5. I also have absolutely zero light bleed on my OnePlus One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a G4 and V10 both with terrible light bleed on a corner that I had to exchange. Also, IPS glow is a huge problem, and at night you don't get true blacks which is especially distracting with the second screen.
rivera02 said:
The v10 had significant light bleed from the second screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly.
Sharpshooterrr said:
Can you please explain further?
Don't all amoled screens burn in regardless of use because of it's organic components?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That isn't burn in. Burn in is permanent image retention and an actual ghost image always being on the display. You may be thinking of OLED wear over time, becoming less bright - but it takes a significant amount of time for this. Theoretically I suppose if you used an OLED display for several hundred thousand hours it could eventually get so dim that you wouldn't want to use it anymore. But you are never going to hit that amount of hours. You will have moved onto something else long before then.
Sharpshooterrr said:
Can you please explain further?
Don't all amoled screens burn in regardless of use because of it's organic components?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Galaxy S1 equivalent screen on my Samsung Epic was used 3 straight years as primary phone and didn't fade or burn-in.
I've read cliches' like this for years and mostly do not agree. The limitation I saw with using the older 2010 era Amoled screen was screen brightness in daylight. That's no longer an issue with newer Amoled panels since 2014 and always improving to the point Samsung Amoled panels exceed LCD panels in virtually every use category including brightness and efficiency.
Other users have experienced burn-in. My mother-in-law burned her S6 screen by charging phone and playing solitaire at same time. Not sure but I think fast charging was enabled. Heat combined with images that are continually displayed and not pixel shifted factor heavily with burn-in. So yes, it's possible but never happened to me. (Samsung does utilize pixel shift in the status bar to prevent burn-in. I'm unaware if pixel shift is used in third party applications like solitaire; her game used white cards on green background. Card images were retained and didn't respond to typical scrolling images to alleviate it.)
I don't use fast charging unless needed. Temperature can be bad on battery and display. I also try to avoid using my phone while in early stages of charging but my Note 4 does revert to slow charging when display is on.
IIRC, I read LG was transitioning to Amoled screens in late 2017. Apple is rumored to be switching to Amoled as well.
I've been known to squeeze 9 hours screen on time on my Note 4's stock 3220mah sized battery when mostly browsing on a single charge. Very much wanted the Note7 but locked bootloader kept me away before their battery became a headline exploding issue. Was also disappointed with edge only screen version and sealed battery. What an open for LG! I looked to LG to address shortcomings but lack of Amoled screen and locked bootloader prospect have me still looking and undecided for 2016 offerings thus far.
I may consider V20 if the bootloader was unlocked to allow TWRP and custom kernels. But I'd miss the Amoled screen. The battery door latch is cool though; I didn't want to lose removable battery feature and see little reason to trust Samsung's batteries to last 24 months without a letdown.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
Nitemare3219 said:
LG is falling behind in the smartphone display world. My Note7 is the best phone display I have ever had, by far, and that is no exaggeration. Yet here we are with another flagship release by LG who are using dated technology on the most important component of a phone - the display. IPS contrast sucks. Contrast is a huge deciding factor in image quality - perhaps the most important. Additionally, LCDs and IPS in particular have substantial pixel response motion blur over AMOLED. I HAD to return my HTC 10 because I couldn't stand using the display with how muddy it looked compared to the AMOLED on my 6P, even though HTC touted their display as having a fast response rate. Simple actions like pulling down the notification shade produced easily noticeable differences between the devices. LG is well aware of how great OLED is - they invest billions in their OLED TV division. I have spent $7,000 this year between their 65" and 55" OLED TVs, and they are mind-blowing. LG needs to either purchase Samsung display panels, or invest in their seriously lacking mobile division, because they're going to end up like HTC sooner or later at this rate.
I hope this IPS panel is at least an improvement. The contrast is likely no better than 2000:1, which is great for an IPS, but poor overall. I'm not stoked about the always-on-display in the ticker area either. It is far less useful than the G5's or Note7's - another step backwards. And at night, LCD always-on-displays also look like crap with tons of halo/light bleed. The lack of detailed performance specs at the launch event was disappointing. Using the SD 820 was a poor choice, and you could have easily thrown 6GB of RAM in there. And launching in a few weeks is idiotic as well. They could have capitalized on the Note7's recall and gotten their device out before the iPhone 7 if they wanted to. We'll be lucky to have it by October. There better be a decent promotion, because I am on the fence about buying this phone with its poor display, less than stellar battery (even if replaceable), lack of water resistance, and ugly UI. I must give credit where it is due, and that is the audio and camera capabilities are out of this world (except for the 5 MP front camera - WHY) - and I appreciate them destroying the competition in those VERY important areas., and keeping a removable battery with a premium and durable design. But this phone could have been the best of 2016 if they wanted it to be. This phone hardly has any advantage over the Axon 7 for far less cash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would the v20 screen be less bright than the N7?
Nitemare3219 said:
AMOLED doesn't burn in normal use conditions anymore - this isn't 2012.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is 2016 and burn in at OLED displays still occurs and will occur. No matter how it's called (supertrooper amoled etc). At my SG7E, I got burn in after 10 days - I used Waze 2 hours every day; brightness at 50% etc. I've been told thay would replace a display as it was in warranty, but I decided to get money back (14 days period) and I will never go for OLED again.
ISP was what has me interested in this device, despite swearing LG off. I do not like OLED, mostly for the burn in issue. Yes, the technology has improved but burn in still exists.
Regarding the screen, I do have one question. It's touted as having a 5.7 inch screen but isn't part of that the second screen? If you can't shut off the second screen and use that space for displaying what's on the main screen, then the device has a 5.5 inch screen, not 5.7.
Should be the main screen that is 5.7 inches. That's how the v10 is. With the second screen it's closer to 5.9"
Sent from my awesome T-Mobile LG V10!
That's be nice. A competitive price and I could be swayed back to LG, provided they offer an unlocked model and do so reasonabley quick.
Sammae7 said:
ISP was what has me interested in this device, despite swearing LG off. I do not like OLED, mostly for the burn in issue. Yes, the technology has improved but burn in still exists.
Regarding the screen, I do have one question. It's touted as having a 5.7 inch screen but isn't part of that the second screen? If you can't shut off the second screen and use that space for displaying what's on the main screen, then the device has a 5.5 inch screen, not 5.7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The V10 an V20 really have one LCD. It is just partitioned into the main 5.7" display, and the top ticker display.
I'm glad that they decided on LCD instead of AMOLED. Despite what has been said in this thread, burn-in is still happening especially when on screen navigation buttons are used. That's why Samsung avoids them. Also uneven degradation happens fairly quick when the status bar is black, which is the case with many apps such as Chrome.
I for one am happy that LG using IPS instead of OLED because the majority of OLED screens flicker at 240hz, which causes eye problems I seem to have eye damage and cannot use OLED screens at all.
I wrote more info about this problem here
I have an amoled burn in in the top of my screen note 3 and 4
Technically it's brighter since the white isn't usually used, the rest of the screen lost a couple percent brightness
It's amoled ageing not burn in. I'm probably getting a v20 if it's rootable. Almost got a note 7 but can't stand no root, sealed battery and fires. I'll admit I'd rather have amoled but ips is ok. Kinda sucks on nexus 5, hope v20 is much better.
Nitemare3219 said:
LG is falling behind in the smartphone display world. My Note7 is the best phone display I have ever had, by far, and that is no exaggeration. Yet here we are with another flagship release by LG who are using dated technology on the most important component of a phone - the display. IPS contrast sucks. Contrast is a huge deciding factor in image quality - perhaps the most important. Additionally, LCDs and IPS in particular have substantial pixel response motion blur over AMOLED. I HAD to return my HTC 10 because I couldn't stand using the display with how muddy it looked compared to the AMOLED on my 6P, even though HTC touted their display as having a fast response rate. Simple actions like pulling down the notification shade produced easily noticeable differences between the devices. LG is well aware of how great OLED is - they invest billions in their OLED TV division. I have spent $7,000 this year between their 65" and 55" OLED TVs, and they are mind-blowing. LG needs to either purchase Samsung display panels, or invest in their seriously lacking mobile division, because they're going to end up like HTC sooner or later at this rate.
I hope this IPS panel is at least an improvement. The contrast is likely no better than 2000:1, which is great for an IPS, but poor overall. I'm not stoked about the always-on-display in the ticker area either. It is far less useful than the G5's or Note7's - another step backwards. And at night, LCD always-on-displays also look like crap with tons of halo/light bleed. The lack of detailed performance specs at the launch event was disappointing. Using the SD 820 was a poor choice, and you could have easily thrown 6GB of RAM in there. And launching in a few weeks is idiotic as well. They could have capitalized on the Note7's recall and gotten their device out before the iPhone 7 if they wanted to. We'll be lucky to have it by October. There better be a decent promotion, because I am on the fence about buying this phone with its poor display, less than stellar battery (even if replaceable), lack of water resistance, and ugly UI. I must give credit where it is due, and that is the audio and camera capabilities are out of this world (except for the 5 MP front camera - WHY) - and I appreciate them destroying the competition in those VERY important areas., and keeping a removable battery with a premium and durable design. But this phone could have been the best of 2016 if they wanted it to be. This phone hardly has any advantage over the Axon 7 for far less cash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Non-full rgb amoled's are garbage. IPS is superior. Nothing to see here.
So when i use the Youtube app the screen is about an inch short on both sides of being full screen.
There is an option to expand the screen its called "crop to fit" but it literally crops the video so you cant see descriptions captions or things at the bottom or the top of the video....missing content like this
Anyone else notice this.
Any suggestions. This is kind of disappointing.
Whats the point of such of big screen if you cant go full screen mode without it cutting out some of the content???????
When i use the stock Samsung browser to go to Youtube in desktop mode. Same thing its not True full screen.
But if I switch the stock samsung browser to mobile view it gives you 3 options. One of the options lets you go true full screen and doesnt crop as much out. But the thing is you cant select or change the video quality/resolution when its in mobile view. That kind of sucks if you want to watch a 720p or 1080p hd vid
This seems kind of like a big deal. I cant be the only one bothered by this.
gn4life84 said:
So when i use the Youtube app the screen is about an inch short on both sides of being full screen.
There is an option to expand the screen its called "crop to fit" but it literally crops the video so you cant see descriptions captions or things at the bottom or the top of the video....missing content like this
Anyone else notice this.
Any suggestions. This is kind of disappointing.
Whats the point of such of big screen if you cant go full screen mode without it cutting out some of the content???????
When i use the stock Samsung browser to go to Youtube in desktop mode. Same thing its not True full screen.
But if I switch the stock samsung browser to mobile view it gives you 3 options. One of the options lets you go true full screen and doesnt crop as much out. But the thing is you cant select or change the video quality/resolution when its in mobile view. That kind of sucks if you want to watch a 720p or 1080p hd vid
This seems kind of like a big deal. I cant be the only one bothered by this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no good way to scale or crop it. That's what we get because Samsung decided to go with a weird screen aspect ratio instead of making this phone a little wider. I wish it was wide enough to keep the ratio correct.
Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk
dottat said:
There's no good way to scale or crop it. That's what we get because Samsung decided to go with a weird screen aspect ratio instead of making this phone a little wider. I wish it was wide enough to keep the ratio correct.
Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Wow. If i knew that I would of waited on the Note 8. People always get so hype over these new phones that they dont even question basic stuff anymore.
Dont get me wrong its a great phone but this could be a deal breaker.
But come on you cant watch true full screen HD YouTube vids. WTF.
No point in bragging about the sceen size in all the reviews.
Seems like my old Notes actually had a bigger viewing area if you dont like stuff cropped out. What a bummer.
>But come on you cant watch true full screen HD YouTube vids. WTF
What are you talking about??? If the youtube video is 16:9 you can still watch it on a 18.5:9 screen. Same idea as watching a 4:3 video on a 16:9 screen. You aren't missing anything just because there are black bars on the side. Do you want your phone to show video in the sides that never even hit the camera sensor that filmed whatever video you are watching? You want something literally impossible.
>If i knew that I would of waited on the Note 8.
Guess what... the Note 8 will have the same problem. Every screen on planet earth has this problem. It's not even a problem, its just how reality works. If the note 8 is a 16:9 screen it wont completely fill up with 4:3 videos. on nooo!!! If you get a 2.4:1 home theater projector screen and try to watch a 16:9 video OMG all that money down the drain!!!! You can't fill your screen!!!
Come on. If you absolutely must watch 16:9 videos on your phone with no black bars then don't buy a phone that is clearly not 16:9.
gn4life84 said:
Thanks
Wow. If i knew that I would of waited on the Note 8. People always get so hype over these new phones that they dont even question basic stuff anymore.
Dont get me wrong its a great phone but this could be a deal breaker.
But come on you cant watch true full screen HD YouTube vids. WTF.
No point in bragging about the sceen size in all the reviews.
Seems like my old Notes actually had a bigger viewing area if you dont like stuff cropped out. What a bummer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might as well stop buying Samsung flagships then, Samsung will keep using the taller screen ratio in the future too. And it's literally impossible to fill the entire 18.5:9 screen with a 16:9 video without either cropping the video or stretching it. Video is information, and new information cannot be generated like you are asking (how are you going to return back in time, to have the camera capture more image from the sides to fill the screen with? The camera did not capture more from the sides, meaning it's not possible to know what was there, the information is missing, thus making it impossible to fill the screen without stretching or cropping)
It's a none issue. The picture quality is so exceptional I don't care enough to worry about black bars
Moreover, if watching a common 2.4:1 movie (i.e. 21.6:9) on the 2.05:1 S8/+ display (i.e. 18.5:9), one can enjoy an almost full screen image using only a small cropping, without the upper and lower black bars...:good:
themissionimpossible said:
Moreover, if watching a common 2.4:1 movie (i.e. 21.6:9) on the 2.05:1 S8/+ display (i.e. 18.5:9), one can enjoy an almost full screen image using only a small cropping, without the upper and lower black bars...:good:
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Click to collapse
The cropping is cutting out informative info at the bottom of the vids I like to watch.
mikeyaj said:
It's a none issue. The picture quality is so exceptional I don't care enough to worry about black bars
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Click to collapse
it is but it was also great on all my old phones. HD youtube can only look so good on screens this size anyways. It does seem better on the 8+ though. I wanted a larger viewing area. Legit question...If size disnt matter why did you go with the 8+ instead of normal 8?
I wish i could get over the black bars like you.
galaxyYtester said:
You might as well stop buying Samsung flagships then, Samsung will keep using the taller screen ratio in the future too. And it's literally impossible to fill the entire 18.5:9 screen with a 16:9 video without either cropping the video or stretching it. Video is information, and new information cannot be generated like you are asking (how are you going to return back in time, to have the camera capture more image from the sides to fill the screen with? The camera did not capture more from the sides, meaning it's not possible to know what was there, the information is missing, thus making it impossible to fill the screen without stretching or cropping)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont mind the Stretch. I prefer the stretch. However stretch view is not an option with the Youtube app. Youtube app is the only way to change the resolution to HD in full screen mode. Thats the whole point to screens like this is to watch HD stuff.
Thanks for the technical info but that is a bit over my head. I still dont really understand that. Its not absurd to buy a $900 device and expect it to play youtube vids full screen in HD.
The cropping is an issue because it literally cuts out some of the info listed at the bottom on the screen that is important to the vids I watch.
Also kind of defeats the whole purpose of an edgeless display and how the phone was advertised.
You think the Note 8 will have the same issue????? You dont think they will make it a tad wider to compensate and make it different from the s8+?
gn4life84 said:
You think the Note 8 will have the same issue????? You dont think they will make it a tad wider to compensate and make it different from the s8+?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, if they make it wider with the same tiny bezels, it's going to end up looking short and odd. Samsung isn't going back to the 16:9 aspect ratio, it's going to look old-fashioned to people that are used to the taller screen, now that Samsung has branded it as futuristic and great (Infinity display). And it's not an "issue", because it's just a way that screens work, different ratio screens have things cropped out or stretched out if you want to fill the whole screen.
dontbstupid said:
>But come on you cant watch true full screen HD YouTube vids. WTF
What are you talking about??? If the youtube video is 16:9 you can still watch it on a 18.5:9 screen. Same idea as watching a 4:3 video on a 16:9 screen. You aren't missing anything just because there are black bars on the side. Do you want your phone to show video in the sides that never even hit the camera sensor that filmed whatever video you are watching? You want something literally impossible.
>If i knew that I would of waited on the Note 8.
Guess what... the Note 8 will have the same problem. Every screen on planet earth has this problem. It's not even a problem, its just how reality works. If the note 8 is a 16:9 screen it wont completely fill up with 4:3 videos. on nooo!!! If you get a 2.4:1 home theater projector screen and try to watch a 16:9 video OMG all that money down the drain!!!! You can't fill your screen!!!
Come on. If you absolutely must watch 16:9 videos on your phone with no black bars then don't buy a phone that is clearly not 16:9.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont be a jerk... Calm down. Dont take it personally. Its a legit concern and question I have about enjoying my device. FOR MY NEEDS THAT I PAID MY MONEY FOR.
The bottom and top of the content of the vids I watch daily is cut off in crop to fit mode. Youtube app isnt offering stretch mode for some reason.
There is important info that i need to see for the vids i watch ussualy at the bottom or top of the screen.
It is not ridiculous to expect to watch HD vids full screen and not miss content. Are you kidding me??? You sound like a fan boy. Its a valid point.
I really like the phone other wise. But this very well could be a deal breaker for some. If Its not fof you great. You have no idea what I use my phone for or why I spent money on it.
Again you pay for a big HD screen to be able to use it fully.
If im having these issues swith just using youtube im sure all the other sites and online media are going to suffer from this.
I bought the phone for screen size and hd capabilities. Had no idea I would have to choose between the 2 on one device.
galaxyYtester said:
Nope, if they make it wider with the same tiny bezels, it's going to end up looking short and odd. Samsung isn't going back to the 16:9 aspect ratio, it's going to look old-fashioned to people that are used to the taller screen, now that Samsung has branded it as futuristic and great (Infinity display). And it's not an "issue", because it's just a way that screens work, different ratio screens have things cropped out or stretched out if you want to fill the whole screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Things come and go every device. I try not to get caught up in the branding or marketing.
Also I would guess the Note needs to be different size than the S8. Otherwise its just going to be a S8 with a pen and moved fingerprint scanner.
Guess we will see.
gn4life84 said:
Things come and go every device. I try not to get caught up in the branding or marketing.
Also I would guess the Note needs to be different size than the S8. Otherwise its just going to be a S8 with a pen and moved fingerprint scanner.
Guess we will see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 8 changes will be a 4K screen, fingerprint scanner embedded inside the screen, dual cameras, 6 gigs of RAM and of course an S-Pen. It's a half-year renovation, the general design will barely change, most likely a bit more square than the S8, but generally the same. The screen size will be the same or a tiny bit bigger than the S8+, this time changes are focusing more on specs than the screen size, that is already at the very edges of what is useful in the S8+. The Note 7 screen size increase over the S7 was minimal too. The Note 8 will also get a major software renovation like the Note 7 did, but thanks to XDA we will see that software in our devices most likely even before official release date of the phone, because the processor is the exact same
The annoying thing for me is when the next video plays I have to crop the screen again I don't know if there's a way to keep it full screen until you exit the YouTube app and when you go full screen straight away the ads go full screen but then the video seems to go black bars and you crop it again.
I never understood why people don't like the aspect ratio. The video would be the same size on another phone but there would just be bezels there instead. At least when I'm in other apps I get more real-estate instead of having just big black bars constantly there in the form of bezels
galaxyYtester said:
Note 8 changes will be a 4K screen, fingerprint scanner embedded inside the screen, dual cameras, 6 gigs of RAM and of course an S-Pen. It's a half-year renovation, the general design will barely change, most likely a bit more square than the S8, but generally the same. The screen size will be the same or a tiny bit bigger than the S8+, this time changes are focusing more on specs than the screen size, that is already at the very edges of what is useful in the S8+. The Note 7 screen size increase over the S7 was minimal too. The Note 8 will also get a major software renovation like the Note 7 did, but thanks to XDA we will see that software in our devices most likely even before official release date of the phone, because the processor is the exact same
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would of waited if I knew that. Wonder the price difference
gn4life84 said:
Would of waited if I knew that. Wonder the price difference
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note 8 be about the same price as the S8+ right now, just like last year the Note 7 was about the price of the S7 Edge. And as software is a big selling point of the Note line, I don't feel bad at all getting an S-line device, thanks to XDA
To the average customer, a software refresh may be a big reason to buy a new device, but thanks to XDA, we will get complete software ports of the Note 8 over to the S8 quickly. These ports will also have very few bugs, because the specs are so similar, good example is how a bugless Note 7 ported ROM came to the S7 before the Note 7 actually went on sale
And take in mind that the Note 8 release date will most probably be later in the yearly cycle than last year so that the S8 can get a good run, because the S8 this year came later than S-line phones usually do. I don't find it worth waiting +5 months for those upgrades, when the price will be the same
simonhcai said:
The annoying thing for me is when the next video plays I have to crop the screen again I don't know if there's a way to keep it full screen until you exit the YouTube app and when you go full screen straight away the ads go full screen but then the video seems to go black bars and you crop it again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah thats super annoying especially if you're eating watching vids.
Wiseor said:
I never understood why people don't like the aspect ratio. The video would be the same size on another phone but there would just be bezels there instead. At least when I'm in other apps I get more real-estate instead of having just big black bars constantly there in the form of bezels
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know if thats true. Especially if you're coming from a note. I wish I could get my old phone to power on to test this.
I do find the black bars or the white menu bar to be way more distracting than a bezel.
gn4life84 said:
Dont be a jerk... Calm down. Dont take it personally. Its a legit concern and question I have about enjoying my device. FOR MY NEEDS THAT I PAID MY MONEY FOR.
The bottom and top of the content of the vids I watch daily is cut off in crop to fit mode. Youtube app isnt offering stretch mode for some reason.
There is important info that i need to see for the vids i watch ussualy at the bottom or top of the screen.
It is not ridiculous to expect to watch HD vids full screen and not miss content. Are you kidding me??? You sound like a fan boy. Its a valid point.
I really like the phone other wise. But this very well could be a deal breaker for some. If Its not fof you great. You have no idea what I use my phone for or why I spent money on it.
Again you pay for a big HD screen to be able to use it fully.
If im having these issues swith just using youtube im sure all the other sites and online media are going to suffer from this.
I bought the phone for screen size and hd capabilities. Had no idea I would have to choose between the 2 on one device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So when you bought it you had no clue about the new aspect ratio?
Sent from my S8 plus, Note 7, S7 Edge or S6
force70 said:
So when you bought it you had no clue about the new aspect ratio?
Sent from my S8 plus, Note 7, S7 Edge or S6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None.
All I knew was the hype and that blue whale commercial.
Didnt know it was a thing to make sure the phone was manufactured with certain porportions.
Thought being able to use the screen in HD and full screen would be a given.
I have no problem with stretching the screen from the aspect ratio. However that doesnt seem to be an option on most HD content.
gn4life84 said:
None.
All I knew was the hype and that blue whale commercial.
Didnt know it was a thing to make sure the phone was manufactured with certain porportions.
Thought being able to use the screen in HD and full screen would be a given.
I have no problem with stretching the screen from the aspect ratio. However that doesnt seem to be an option on most HD content.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not trying to be a **** but dude they advertised the hell out of the new aspect ratio to the point it got annoying.i dont know how you wouldn't have known lol
Sounds like in the future you may want to research your purchases a little more carefully.
I do agree Id much rather have the traditional 16:9 ratio in a 6.2" size...would be much better for sure
Sent from my S8 plus, Note 7, S7 Edge or S6
I posted in the note forums i thought i would see what replies i get here as well
I loved my note 7 (nice rounded edges samsung oem screen protector etc) This phone just feels ...well HUGE... in pocket as well as in hand... I am realizing im not using the spen at all really (other than to send sparkly messages to my wife) since i got my ipad pro and pencil for sketching. For some reason this thing feels immense in my front pocket and heavy.I read at night and holding this phone can be cumbersome at best.. I love the screen and playing games on it but for pretty much everything else its not what i expected. I went to best buy and held both phones at the same time and the s8+ feels so much better in hand with only a .1 in screen difference (i cannot even notice) Am i crazy for exchanging it for a S8+?
ps i like the dual camera live focus thing but for me personally its not that important. 99% of my phone pics are point and shoot and share to a friend or social media..
I had a s7 edge up until 2 weeks ago when i picked up the note 8 and it just feel gigantic.. I wanted a bigger screen because i wear reading glasses but the ergos are not nearly as nice as my old s7edge or the newer s8 and s8 plus.
Do you want to trade? Is your phone unlocked and what carrier are you on? My phone is unlocked by T-Mobile due to military status and it is in new condition! Message me I'm serious.
furfmonkey said:
I am realizing im not using the spen at all really
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there's your answer. and you'll get a bit better battery life with the S8+
I'm sure a lot of people will trade their s8+ for your note 8. Just ask them to add some cash for the difference.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
S8+ is the same size, with no SPen and a single camera, and 2 gigs less RAM. The battery is marginally bigger, though. If you want a smaller device with the same basic experience, go with a regular S8.
Just a quick follow up i got my s8 plus and I'm in love!!!! It's so much lighter and more comfortable in hand and pocket.. I'm so glad i switched ?
RazoE said:
S8+ is the same size, with no SPen and a single camera, and 2 gigs less RAM. The battery is marginally bigger, though. If you want a smaller device with the same basic experience, go with a regular S8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not mine ... I have 6gb 128 version. .
I have always since s3 had the notes Note 3 etc... Can't see myself swapping from s8+ this time. Less battery life on the note? Nah - pass.
I agree with your assessment of the two. I did the same Best Buy comparison last week and wound up buying the S8+. However, I will likely trade it in for dual cameras on the S9+. For now, I just wanted the step up from Note 4 and it fits the bill. S9+ will likely be it for a while unless Note reclaims their ergonomics for all. I'm a small person and not going to start carrying a bag around just to tote a phone. Meanwhile S8 was too small and odd feeling compared to Note 4. S8+ is just right.
Personally I hate the aspect ratios they have started using. 16:9 is the ideal ratio and happens to match widescreen video formats exactly. all this 18.5:9 crap just means you have a long skinny screen with less actual space on it. It's amazing how the screen on my old S5 just seems bigger simply because it doesnt have this silly long and skinny aspect ratio. In reality these screens are not actually 6.2" due to this, they are closer to an equivalent 5.5 and really ARE about 5.5 if you want to watch any 16:9 video without cropping it. Using the same logic they have started using for these screen sizes, by continuing to measure diagnonals despite not having a 16:9 ratio, you could make a screen 10" long and 1" wide and call it a 10.5" screen.....but it isn't is it.
That's my only problem with my S8+ (other than the fingerprint scanner placement) and it irritates me constantly. If it was 16:9 (which would also allow a much bigger battery) then it would be perfect. But I haven't exactly seen people commenting on it so i guess nobody else cares.
ewokuk said:
Personally I hate the aspect ratios they have started using. 16:9 is the ideal ratio and happens to match widescreen video formats exactly. all this 18.5:9 crap just means you have a long skinny screen with less actual space on it. It's amazing how the screen on my old S5 just seems bigger simply because it doesnt have this silly long and skinny aspect ratio. In reality these screens are not actually 6.2" due to this, they are closer to an equivalent 5.5 and really ARE about 5.5 if you want to watch any 16:9 video without cropping it. Using the same logic they have started using for these screen sizes, by continuing to measure diagnonals despite not having a 16:9 ratio, you could make a screen 10" long and 1" wide and call it a 10.5" screen.....but it isn't is it.
That's my only problem with my S8+ (other than the fingerprint scanner placement) and it irritates me constantly. If it was 16:9 (which would also allow a much bigger battery) then it would be perfect. But I haven't exactly seen people commenting on it so i guess nobody else cares.
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Click to collapse
no I agree with you. once i find a 6" phone with a less stretched aspect ratio AND stereo speakers.. i'd gladly trade my S8+. I'm not a fan of playing games/watching videos with a narrower width but longer horizontals. i wish Google would make the Nexus 6 again with modern hardware.
I actually like the new aspect ratio. It simply sees more stuff then 16:9
Had an s7e before s8+ and to me it's like switching from 4:3 monitor to 16:9 wide FHD monitor.
Only thing I don't like is iris not being as fast on daylight unlocking the phone and fingerprint feels useless here.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
I ended up going back to the note 8 !! Even with a case on the s8 plus i was getting false registers on the sides and corners with my big meaty hands... Is will be here Monday. Also in gaming grip or watching movies there note is far superior.. i feel dumb returning it but hey, it was a learning experience and at least i ended up with the better phone in the end
All those guys who say the Note 8 is heaps bigger than the S8+, I own both. a side by side comparison is about 5mm taller and almost exactly same width...
Battery life is pretty mch comparable with both .
I have the Exynos version of both so that may make a difference.
ultramag69 said:
All those guys who say the Note 8 is heaps bigger than the S8+, I own both. a side by side comparison is about 5mm taller and almost exactly same width...
Battery life is pretty mch comparable with both .
I have the Exynos version of both so that may make a difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I certainly wouldn't call it "heaps" bigger. The angles are simply awkward for some hands and some situations. As for the weight, a hundred pound person may find it heavier versus a 150 to 200 pound person. Note 4 and Note 5 felt very comfortable. 8 is different. Not bad, just different. Without a doubt, the Note is the better phone. Thank goodness for choice.
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?