Related
I've kept my eye on the G pro 2 for a while (was about to get the original O G pro, but waited for this to come out). So I'm well aware of the specs, features, reviews, etc. But what I want to know is a real world user's opinion of the device.
Is the phone pretty decent? Any frustrations or quirks to know before trying to get one?
Key questions:
*How is the Mic/voice quality? (sending and receiving during a voice call)
*How is the battery life(I know it depends on usage and habits of the user, but just overall, how would you rate it personally, compared to other current/comparable Android phones)?
*Is it relatively stable and responsive?
*What bothers you about this phone?
*Would you buy it again if you were in the market for a new phone right now?(tells me that you like the phone and are overall happy with it)
I plan on getting a F350(a bit confused with the S/L/etc. acronym endings, can any one shed light?) I want to use it on at&t's network. On paper, and seeing professional reviews, the G pro 2 seems like my phone (1080p 5.9" screen, expandable memory via microsdhc, user replaceable battery, decent camera, etc.) But I want to know, if in practice, the phone is stable/frustration free(relatively speaking), decent real world battery life (if it's competent/comparable at least.. ), hoping that this is not one of those, "you have to root it and install a custom rom in order for this phone to be bearable"- type thing.
My other considerable is the Sony Xperia Z2 (prices are right, even though the screen is smaller and the battery isn't "replaceable"). I didn't want the Samsung Galaxy series due to the smaller screens and bloatware they put on there(note's a great series, but simlar.. bloatware, plus really expensive).
Thanks! I appreciate any input!
these are my questions too..
I came from a Samsung S3 (running CM).
first impressions were: Nice clean looks and lines, it's big (but it's not unwieldy). my wife has a Note 3 and it's about the same. the curve along the back sides makes it more comfortable to hold. Obviously, it's a heavier phone due to size, so your hand might get tired if you're one to use your phone lying down or something.
Screen is fantastic. I have no problems with colour issues with the screen and it's bright enough for me, even outdoors.
Battery life is good. standby can last more than a day. in usage, i was a bit busy yesterday and didn't use it too much, but from 0700 to 2300, i had 63% before i plugged it in. on a more typical day, I'd probably have around 40%. mainly a mixture of whatsapp, a few blogs, games and some TV show watching at lunch.
Camera is decent and acceptable auto focus speed. not a lot of bloatware.
I'm running 10e firmware due to bugs in 10f and waiting for lollipop. 10e is stable. not had problems with it.
problems: it's not widely available and the user base is small. so don't expect any fancy mods/firmwares or anything like that. as such, there's not a lot of accessories for it either outside of LG's own stuff.
My friend has the Z2 (not looked, but isn't the Z3 pricing nearly the same now?), and his camera is better and the battery life is longer due to Sony's Stamina software. display is about the same. If you want a big, stock phone, the LG is great. if you want to play around and like to customise your phone, then i'd go with the Sony.
Thanks for your input Ray-Lee .
I'm on the fence between the two phones, I like the bigger screen on the G pro 2, I haven't held one yet in person, but I don't think I"ll be bothered by it at all. Only thing that really entices me for the Z2 are the current prices for it right now.. for relatively similar specs, smaller screen, but better camera compensates. Honestly, I want the device to work well out of the box.. this is xda and I do play with custom firmwares and roms, but that's more of a result than a mission for me these days.. as in, if the unit runs better/faster/more stable compared to stock(or.. if stock is so horrendous that it must be rooted and flashed to be "decent").
ssnova said:
Thanks for your input Ray-Lee .
I'm on the fence between the two phones, I like the bigger screen on the G pro 2, I haven't held one yet in person, but I don't think I"ll be bothered by it at all. Only thing that really entices me for the Z2 are the current prices for it right now.. for relatively similar specs, smaller screen, but better camera compensates. Honestly, I want the device to work well out of the box.. this is xda and I do play with custom firmwares and roms, but that's more of a result than a mission for me these days.. as in, if the unit runs better/faster/more stable compared to stock(or.. if stock is so horrendous that it must be rooted and flashed to be "decent").
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive been using this phone pretty much since it came out (D838 rooted stock) and the stock Performance is fantastic if im honest it really doesn't need a custom rom unless you want to "mod" alot of things and even then as long as your careful theres still alot you can do with just root, i love this phone so much and its modified enough for my liking without a rom, its fine right out of the box and if you can live without a custom rom (which is really doesnt need that much) i think you'll be as happy as i am with this phone on stock with or without root.
But yes if you do like to flash and mess about alot go with the z2/note3 as there is more options there but this is still a brillant phone.
bjscott55 said:
Ive been using this phone pretty much since it came out (D838 rooted stock) and the stock Performance is fantastic if im honest it really doesn't need a custom rom unless you want to "mod" alot of things and even then as long as your careful theres still alot you can do with just root, i love this phone so much and its modified enough for my liking without a rom, its fine right out of the box and if you can live without a custom rom (which is really doesnt need that much) i think you'll be as happy as i am with this phone on stock with or without root.
But yes if you do like to flash and mess about alot go with the z2/note3 as there is more options there but this is still a brillant phone.
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Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the assurance. I'm still bouncing around phone options, I guess it just comes down to price (best bang for buck, with expandable memory at least). I'm still considering the G pro 2, but I saw how the GS note 3 has come down a lot in price.
Thanks again!
ssnova said:
Thanks a lot for the assurance. I'm still bouncing around phone options, I guess it just comes down to price (best bang for buck, with expandable memory at least). I'm still considering the G pro 2, but I saw how the GS note 3 has come down a lot in price.
Thanks again!
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Click to collapse
I've had both and granted you can mess around with roms and stuff but for pure joy in use i much prefer the g pro 2 its a really really good phone and for the low price you really cant beat it in my opinion unless this phone gets a good recovery and cm11 ill never bother with costom roms ect. For me its perfect on stock the peformence is amazing, to date (about 6 months of owning this phone) the battery still amazes and im yet to see any lag ever!! The ui is amazing, for a phone out of the box you cant beat it if you like music it outputs brillantly im just in love so maybe im a little one sided but i hope whatever you do you will be happy! Let me know!
bjscott55 said:
I've had both and granted you can mess around with roms and stuff but for pure joy in use i much prefer the g pro 2 its a really really good phone and for the low price you really cant beat it in my opinion unless this phone gets a good recovery and cm11 ill never bother with costom roms ect. For me its perfect on stock the peformence is amazing, to date (about 6 months of owning this phone) the battery still amazes and im yet to see any lag ever!! The ui is amazing, for a phone out of the box you cant beat it if you like music it outputs brillantly im just in love so maybe im a little one sided but i hope whatever you do you will be happy! Let me know!
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Click to collapse
I only can agree with that!
I did get mine last week and i am very happy with it! Came from Galaxy Note 2 wich i liked very much but i dont trust Super Amoled Display technology since noone grants you that it will operate more than 3 years with heavy use. I chose this device because it has similar dimensions as the Note 2, stronger hardware, bigger 1080p reliable IPS LCD screen and fabulous 3200 mAh battery.
It's a must have for phablet lovers that want to have a good performing phone with large screen.
After just a few days of use this is my opinion. On software side is everything ok, just the usual Kit Kat problem that bugs lots of users out here, tha lack of having permissions for apps to write to sd card. That was the only thing that bothered me, but thats on Google side. This phone is truly amazing!
Hope that helps the peple to choose the best device for their specific needs. I found mine definitely.
Thank you for the input bhun and derbyshire! I really like the phone and want to get it, but for me the G pro 2 shipped from Asia to the US (I need the F350 model for LTE compatibility), it's about $600, I'm going to wait out just a little longer, it's a bit out of my budget (was hoping to score a phone for less than $450.. Sony Z2 and ZU did fit that for me, but not anymore either, haha).
I'm glad to hear that it's a great phone though(G pro 2), hopefully the prices will come down a bit for the F350 model and I can obtain one soon. Thanks again to all who have contributed!
bhun said:
I only can agree with that!
I did get mine last week and i am very happy with it! Came from Galaxy Note 2 wich i liked very much but i dont trust Super Amoled Display technology since noone grants you that it will operate more than 3 years with heavy use. I chose this device because it has similar dimensions as the Note 2, stronger hardware, bigger 1080p reliable IPS LCD screen and fabulous 3200 mAh battery.
It's a must have for phablet lovers that want to have a good performing phone with large screen.
After just a few days of use this is my opinion. On software side is everything ok, just the usual Kit Kat problem that bugs lots of users out here, tha lack of having permissions for apps to write to sd card. That was the only thing that bothered me, but thats on Google side. This phone is truly amazing!
Hope that helps the peple to choose the best device for their specific needs. I found mine definitely.
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Click to collapse
The things that bother me about this phone are the poor wifi signal, I can be within a meter of my router and it still fluctuates between 3 and 4 bars. Any less than 4 bars wifi signal seems to have a noticeable impact on browsing performance. I also find the mobile data hotspot a pain, every so often the connection would hang and you would have to turn data off and back on again to get it to work. It seemed to do that every hour or so. Also if the phone gets even minutely warm, the brightness level will restrict itself to between 80% and 90%. I have had 3 LG G Pro 2 and they have all been the same. I also notice some flickering at times, especially when there is a white background on a webpage. I am almost fed up of mine and looking at selling it soon. It does have the potential to be a good phone, and I think all the faults I mentioned could be fixed with a decent firmware update.
I agree with you on wifi reception, its been the worst amongst all the phones i have owned
Sent from my LG-D838 using Tapatalk
Good Buy
It's a good buy switching. Switched from GS5 to this
I feel like this phone is a great phone for a small audience.. And that's for music lovers.. Other than that this phone is actually pretty bad... The camera is useless with all the grain.. The screen is horrible at night it bleeds out so much.. The UI is disgusting.. And OMG THE LAG IS ABSURD.. How they released a phone thats constatly lagging..
Tbh very disappointed I have never returned a phone in my life. And I buy almost every phone that's release... Now I have no option to switch to iphone 7 until I can find a pixel xl for a good deal...
T-Mobile 918h
Is this a joke? This phone is smooth as butter especially compared to the v10, you're either running it with a poorly performing sdcard or you've got a defect.
UI is disgusting? What it's like every other freaking phone. There are plenty of 3rd party launchers to change it as you see fit.
Camera I am unsure of since I haven't really used it much yet but I am sure its not horrible like you're claiming.
Either way good luck with whatever phone you choose next. I am being sincere if my phone was like that I'd change too but mine has been good so far.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
evo4g63t said:
Is this a joke? This phone is smooth as butter especially compared to the v10, you're either running it with a poorly performing sdcard or you've got a defect.
UI is disgusting? What it's like every other freaking phone. There are plenty of 3rd party launchers to change it as you see fit.
Camera I am unsure of since I haven't really used it much yet but I am sure its not horrible like you're claiming.
Either way good luck with whatever phone you choose next. I am being sincere if my phone was like that I'd change too but mine has been good so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you ever used a stock android phone such as a pixel or a nexus?..
egren58 said:
I feel like this phone is a great phone for a small audience.. And that's for music lovers.. Other than that this phone is actually pretty bad... The camera is useless with all the grain.. The screen is horrible at night it bleeds out so much.. The UI is disgusting.. And OMG THE LAG IS ABSURD.. How they released a phone thats constatly lagging..
Tbh very disappointed I have never returned a phone in my life. And I buy almost every phone that's release... Now I have no option to switch to iphone 7 until I can find a pixel xl for a good deal...
T-Mobile 918h
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Click to collapse
Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just explaining my experience owning the phone since October so that you have more info about its capability.
Are you on a stock phone?
The rooting process and custom roms have allowed Dev's to fix many of the issues that existed on stock.
Lag? Mine is fast as sh*t. I came from the note 4 with one of the best custom roms (tx_dbs_tx) and this phone is much faster.
I'm on OvrDrive's rom and couldn't be happier. The latest update has the camera working faster and taking exceptional pictures. Better than my note 4.
Yes, the screen is not a sammy. When we are able to integrate kcal it will be close. I had kcal on an early rom version that really made the screen look good. Unfortunately, we have had problems with modifying the kernel, but I believe it is only a matter of time until it can be done safely.
I'm using a custom theme which looks great, especially at night. I don't spend a lot of time looking at my phone in a pitch black room, so I rarely see the bleed. This is the price you pay for a second screen, which I really like. I wouldn't trade the second screen for a phone without the second screen just to lose the bleed which I only see .01% of the time.
I got my wife an S7 edge. It is stock. Other than the great sammy screen, there is nothing that would make me consider trading my V20. I have so much more control over my phone than hers and can do much more.
If you are on stock, then maybe that is the problem. Rooted with a custom rom is great. If you aren't willing to go down that road, then, yes you should switch.
androiddiego said:
Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just explaining my experience owning the phone since October so that you have more info about its capability.
Are you on a stock phone?
The rooting process and custom roms have allowed Dev's to fix many of the issues that existed on stock.
Lag? Mine is fast as sh*t. I came from the note 4 with one of the best custom roms (tx_dbs_tx) and this phone is much faster.
I'm on OvrDrive's rom and couldn't be happier. The latest update has the camera working faster and taking exceptional pictures. Better than my note 4.
Yes, the screen is not a sammy. When we are able to integrate kcal it will be close. I had kcal on an early rom version that really made the screen look good. Unfortunately, we have had problems with modifying the kernel, but I believe it is only a matter of time until it can be done safely.
I'm using a custom theme which looks great, especially at night. I don't spend a lot of time looking at my phone in a pitch black room, so I rarely see the bleed. This is the price you pay for a second screen, which I really like. I wouldn't trade the second screen for a phone without the second screen just to lose the bleed which I only see .01% of the time.
I got my wife an S7 edge. It is stock. Other than the great sammy screen, there is nothing that would make me consider trading my V20. I have so much more control over my phone than hers and can do much more.
If you are on stock, then maybe that is the problem. Rooted with a custom rom is great. If you aren't willing to go down that road, then, yes you should switch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am rooted. I have had the phone for about 10 days. I am on weta rom.. Is just I feel like this phone is phone is not the android experience I am used to.. I used the s7edge as well and did not like it either.. I am more of stock android. And I am starting to realize why people refuse to use anything but stock android.. I have had zero used for the second screen yeah it looks nice and I can see someone use it. But not me.. And the camera is. Really bad like dammed I think the nexus 6p takes netter pics. Selfies look like you have makeup.. Even with beauty turned off. AGAIN THIS IS MU EXPERIENCE.. Is my device defective?. Idk but highly doubt it.
I understand with the camera. I came from the v10 (also tmobile) and I can't figure out why the camera on the v20 takes such blurry/water color grainy what ever you call it pictures sometimes. Still hoping it's a software fix because the hardware is there. Should be at least as good as the v10 if not better... And it's not.
As for lag, I don't get it. Mine was smooth and fast for a while but now it lags sometimes. Open a text and count to 5 while I wait to see when it feels like actually popping up.
Sometimes I'm typing and waiting for the letters to pop up.
Ugh.
I wonder if it could be blamed on my SD card... It's the 200gb card that came with the v10.
I use SwiftKey keyboard. Never had a problem with lag before so I don't think it's the keyboard's fault.
My v10 was doing the same thing with the stock text messaging app and it wasn't even set to save anything so I don't think it had to do with large files or anything.
I set it up as new so I didn't bring a bunch of junk from my other phone and I don't really have all that many apps. I don't use the Facebook app and I don't have any problems at all with battery draining. The battery is awesome!
But I do wish I could figure out the lag. It doesn't make any sense that it should take so much time to open up my text messages. I would be tempted to blame it on the fact that I told it not to delete them anymore but like I said, the V10 was doing it and that one was deleting everything all the time!
I have costumized every aspects to get as close as to what I am used to and no luck at all.. I really tried to give this phone shot.. But just not for me..
planetbeen said:
I understand with the camera. I came from the v10 (also tmobile) and I can't figure out why the camera on the v20 takes such blurry/water color grainy what ever you call it pictures sometimes. Still hoping it's a software fix because the hardware is there. Should be at least as good as the v10 if not better... And it's not.
As for lag, I don't get it. Mine was smooth and fast for a while but now it lags sometimes. Open a text and count to 5 while I wait to see when it feels like actually popping up.
Sometimes I'm typing and waiting for the letters to pop up.
Ugh.
I wonder if it could be blamed on my SD card... It's the 200gb card that came with the v10.
I use SwiftKey keyboard. Never had a problem with lag before so I don't think it's the keyboard's fault.
My v10 was doing the same thing with the stock text messaging app and it wasn't even set to save anything so I don't think it had to do with large files or anything.
I set it up as new so I didn't bring a bunch of junk from my other phone and I don't really have all that many apps. I don't use the Facebook app and I don't have any problems at all with battery draining. The battery is awesome!
But I do wish I could figure out the lag. It doesn't make any sense that it should take so much time to open up my text messages. I would be tempted to blame it on the fact that I told it not to delete them anymore but like I said, the V10 was doing it and that one was deleting everything all the time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think they are not doing very well in optimizing their software
egren58 said:
I have costumized every aspects to get as close as to what I am used to and no luck at all.. I really tried to give this phone shot.. But just not for me..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I get it. But why not give OrvDrive's rom a try since you are rooted? Can't hurt. His rom has the least complications of the others, not to bash them in any way. I appreciate the effort of all devs and know that behind the scene they are working together to some degree.
If you do find a better new phone, let me know. I might switch too.
Cheers.
androiddiego said:
Ok, I get it. But why not give OrvDrive's rom a try since you are rooted? Can't hurt. His rom has the least complications of the others, not to bash them in any way. I appreciate the effort of all devs and know that behind the scene they are working together to some degree.
If you do find a better new phone, let me know. I might switch too.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I just ordered another pixel xl.. Since I lost my first one, But until then I will be using an iphone 7 plus.. And returning this back to T-Mobile...
egren58 said:
Well I just ordered another pixel xl.. Since I lost my first one, But until then I will be using an iphone 7 plus.. And returning this back to T-Mobile...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well good luck man hope it all works out for you. The no external memory support and the ridiculous price point for the pixel is why I didn't choose it.
To be honest I would not be using the v20 if a workable modern Samsung Note were out but we are about 6 months out for that and my v10 got the dreaded boot loop so I had to have a phone. Pixel is too expensive for what it offers, Apple is a scumbag company that I absolutely do not support and the s series from samsung doesn't interest me.
I am a big fan of removable batteries too despite not really using a phone long enough to need to replace the battery but I love aftermarket battery packs. LG is the only one to offer this and it looks like it might be the final high end model to feature this (the g6 looks to be water proof)
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
evo4g63t said:
Well good luck man hope it all works out for you. The no external memory support and the ridiculous price point for the pixel is why I didn't choose it.
To be honest I would not be using the v20 if a workable modern Samsung Note were out but we are about 6 months out for that and my v10 got the dreaded boot loop so I had to have a phone. Pixel is too expensive for what it offers, Apple is a scumbag company that I absolutely do not support and the s series from samsung doesn't interest me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was skeptical about the pixel.. But I'll tell you this..just the pure android and smoothness of a pixel phone alone is worth it.. I had never run into a single issue with that phone. Always butter smooth and never had a fc on any apps
LULZ.
Zero lag here. 3 months in. I'm using the H990DS model with no bloatware.
I also find the camera to be great. Love the wide angle lens as well. Not sure what you're smoking..
reaktor TuT said:
Zero lag here. 3 months in. I'm using the H990DS model with no bloatware.
I also find the camera to be great. Love the wide angle lens as well. Not sure what you're smoking..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera great?. I s voted one of the worst camera of 2017 based on consumer..
Not sure why you think the camera takes poor quality pictures. This was taken with the wide angle camera (which most people think is generally terrible) in super low light, in situations where most phones would fail.
I'm also not sure what's bad about the UI? There are now a dozen or so themes that theme the actual system ui, and a trillion different launchers to theme your icons and app launcher.
No lag here. Over 60 user apps installed.
I use the second screen all the time for the quick flashlight access and for controlling Play Music when the phones docked in my car.
Your phone is either a dud, or you've got an app rampaging in the background somewhere.
Edit: ignore my broken TV. It somehow was cracked while wall mounting, and we handled it like it was the world's most valuable but brittle gem stone.
The second screen is practically a requirement for me after a year with the v10, the music controls without turning on the phone is such a fantastic feature along with the quick function shortcuts.
I am going to definitely miss it if the v series turns into a non removable battery phone or the note 8 grabs my attention.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
egren58 said:
I feel like this phone is a great phone for a small audience.. And that's for music lovers.. Other than that this phone is actually pretty bad... The camera is useless with all the grain.. The screen is horrible at night it bleeds out so much.. The UI is disgusting.. And OMG THE LAG IS ABSURD.. How they released a phone thats constatly lagging..
Tbh very disappointed I have never returned a phone in my life. And I buy almost every phone that's release... Now I have no option to switch to iphone 7 until I can find a pixel xl for a good deal...
T-Mobile 918h
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Click to collapse
Honestly, just learn how to root it. It fixes every problem you have and more.
StarCommand said:
Honestly, just learn how to root it. It fixes every problem you have and more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been rooted. Since day one..
egren58 said:
I have been rooted. Since day one..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I can't root a phone I don't want it lol.
Also, maybe its the ROM your using, there are a lot of factors that play a part.
Hi all. I have a chance to possibly buy this phone and wanted honest reviews. How do people like this phone and if I happen to find a good one cheap would it be a good buy?
Any gotchas? Does it run Nougat OK?
Dude dude.. Got it since it was launched and i refuse to buy a new one. This is the most beast phone ever!
Is this enough to you? Ahah
It runs nougat smooth as butter
MrObvious said:
Hi all. I have a chance to possibly buy this phone and wanted honest reviews. How do people like this phone and if I happen to find a good one cheap would it be a good buy?
Any gotchas? Does it run Nougat OK?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on what price you're getting in.
Everything you throw at this phone runs smooth as f###
hey pal,
you know for these 2-3 years, i didnt bother to see the smartphone market,
i got no reason to change to a new one.. haha
Depends on you and what you want. If you want high-end camera or excellent battery performance then nope it is not. But it has average even good camera-you dont miss any details or photos can be used for social media easily- and this battery can last you for 1 day. Not official but with custom ROMS you can use very smooth and flawless noguat which is the last and newest version of the android. This specs has got me and i am very happy with my OPO and 3gigs of ram really gives you what you want. But if you want official rom support, really high end camera and high end battery life or high and gaming experience or newest SoT well this phone is not for you. Think and know what you want, then you can find your choice.
Thanks guys.
MrObvious said:
Thanks guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So What's your final call?
Honestly, in 2017 if you are out in the market, OnePlus One shouldn't even be an option.
Its dated, and not at par with current mid range devices. I would advise you against getting a One even though I love this phone.
It just doesn't make sense to get it 3 years after its launch.
rshbhghelani said:
Honestly, in 2017 if you are out in the market, OnePlus One shouldn't even be an option.
Its dated, and not at par with current mid range devices. I would advise you against getting a One even though I love this phone.
It just doesn't make sense to get it 3 years after its launch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didnt even read it.
He said he can get it at a good price. If he can get it at a good price, this phone is (which is amazing IMO) very usable in 2017.
The only BUT is the camera...but even then the camera is pretty damn good.
Once a Oneplus 4 comes out with IP68, Ill finally drop my Oneplus One.
I'm trying to find an excuse to replace mine but none really justify doing so
There isn't a single rational reason to update this phone (despite what the gear heads claim). With the right custom rom battery lasts for two days (try slim7 or nitrogen os), roms are fluid, apps open quickly and camera is on par with other cams of this size. Low light photography is a pain, and will be for several more years for all sensors of this size. Even 3/4 size consumer cameras out there struggle with this, so it won't be any better for long time.
milomak said:
I'm trying to find an excuse to replace mine but none really justify doing so
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed.
Overall this phone is wonderful. Rough, tough, durable, great battery life, size, quick, good adequate camera (with the right app).
I can't kill this phone (physically or by mucking around with its OS, KitKat to Nougat).
My teen kids loved this phone's looks and performance but hated its size (when I first got it they each took it for a month test run) had they also made this in a 4.7 version, this would have been their phone of choice.
Upon this phone's demise, my next phone will likely be the Oneplus 3T.
milomak said:
I'm trying to find an excuse to replace mine but none really justify doing so
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My only reason would be IP68 and I do miss OIS sometimes for certain camera shots.
But besides that...this phone is still relevant in 2017, 3 years after its release.
MrObvious said:
Hi all. I have a chance to possibly buy this phone and wanted honest reviews. How do people like this phone and if I happen to find a good one cheap would it be a good buy?
Any gotchas? Does it run Nougat OK?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's obvious, MrObvious.
https://www.xda-developers.com/its-settled-the-oneplus-one-has-stood-the-test-of-time/
I have opo from 3 years. If you can buy one i think battery is already dated so the usage will be over limited . for 150 dollars go to xiaomi
It is still a great phone. But battery is aging and is really hard to find "genuine" replacement (after 2 years I am getting around 4h SOT before 6h-9h). Same goes for Back Cover mine is showing that 2 years of using without case and it is impossible to buy replacement. So I am going to wait for OP4 and if OP4 won't by for me I will buy used OP3 for cheap.
Hi Everyone
I'm looking to upgrade from a Oneplus 3. Previously it was a great price for good specs.
I noticed the magic 3 whilst looking at YouTube and the specs look amazing.
1 - Interested to know of those who have had it for a while would you recommend getting it?
2 - what are the main annoying factors about the phone?
3 - Are there any others in the price range I should consider? I mostly play pubg, do retoo gaming and watch films with my existing phone
Many thanks in advance
Jamie
1 - Difficult to answer....if you're not into rooting and customizing,but happy with a basic Android experience and raw power,you should buy it......otherwise,if you want 100% flagship bells and whistless for half the price,you'll have to search futher,as this phone does not 'has it all' for just €479.
2 - For me,the most annoying thing is that there's much more to squeeze out of the camera,if Nubia's app would match the capabilities......but hopefully, there will be a working Gcam release in the near future.
3 - Xiaomi Mi 9....but I fell for the RM3.....
Many thanks for the reply, I don't mind rooting if necessary.
Also happy with a basic android experience as my oneplus was pretty much that when it first came out.
Thanks for the suggestion I will look into that also ??
Jamie.bshop.1982 said:
Hi Everyone
I'm looking to upgrade from a Oneplus 3. Previously it was a great price for good specs.
I noticed the magic 3 whilst looking at YouTube and the specs look amazing.
1 - Interested to know of those who have had it for a while would you recommend getting it?
2 - what are the main annoying factors about the phone?
3 - Are there any others in the price range I should consider? I mostly play pubg, do retoo gaming and watch films with my existing phone
Many thanks in advance
Jamie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell the battery backup is awesome. Only problem I have is the gaming buttons are too annoying when playing a video.
I have it unrooted without gapps and IMO its better then some flagships. Reason is the big screen and the big battery and the stereo sound.
Also I prefer metal over Glas backside. And NO Notch.
The camera is better than that on my Xiaomi mi mix 3.
this phone is amazing, the only bad thing i see it had is not hdmi usb-c to support
I would wait for two main reasons:
1) Asus is going to announce their new ROG phone at the end of this month. While it will probably be a good deal more expensive, It might have some cool features
2) Nubia just announced they are going to release an 855 Plus version of this phone.
Sent from my Note 9 using XDA Labs
Thing is,no matter how long you wait ,there will always be something better on the horizon after your purchase.......no matter which device you've bought...
Hi,
Considering the price and the specs, I think the Red Magic 3 is about the best phone you can have nowadays.
If you buy it, you should consider two things :
- Chinese UI has a lot of features but is ugly and themes are mostly paid ones ;
- Europe/US/Asia ROM has ZERO features.
Once I recovered from the disappointment, the second solution was clearly what I was looking for.
So here is my advice :
- take the Europe/US/Asia version and flash it to your device (if it doesn't ship with that as stock)
- unlock the bootloader
-root your phone.
All this is done in like 4/5 minutes...
Once done, install all apps to add the required features.
You will have a phone that has ONLY THE FEATURES YOU WANT.
No bloat, no unnecessary stuff...
A dream come true
Of course, it comes with a price : once rooted, you will get OTA notifications but won't be able to install them...
Regards.
roadworker said:
Thing is,no matter how long you wait ,there will always be something better on the horizon after your purchase.......no matter which device you've bought...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True
If you live in North America, I'd steer clear of this company.
I ordered one of their phones last week. I still have yet to receive my shipping notice. I ordered it with priority shipping, and according to their website, it should have shipped within 24 hours of payment.
4 days after it failed to ship, I contacted support, and was told "Be patient". Ever since then, they've stopped responding to emails. They won't give me any sort of clue as to when my order will ship. Apparently this is a frequent occurrence with Red Magic.
They're one of those companies that are only interested in getting devices out to reviewers, everyone else is to fend for themselves.
The support page on their website doesn't work. Apparently they didn't pay for it. Nubia cannot give any answers either, they just argue back in forth in the support email with several of the employees arguing about who's job it is to deal with.
If you ever receive a phone from them, and have an issue, good luck with that. Their current company (if you can call it that) shows that can't deal with supporting their devices. They can't even deal with fulfilling orders.
Stay far far away from this company, for you own good.
Is there likely to significant difference between the 8gb and 12gb ram? I think I'm going to get it but wonder if it's worth the extra money. Also just seen they mentioned the magic 4 by the end of the year. So maybe prices will come down
Well I'm in N.A. and I bought it from the site day it released. Great phone, few bugs at the moment and its a gaming phone at heart with stock Android, easily customizable. Honestly any game task you throw at it handles like a boss. It's an emulation dream with built in buttons. My controller and case should arrive the 22nd and I'm sure it will be great. I can tell you any Bluetooth controller works well on it too. The choice to buy is up to you, basically do you want a gaming phone or something else.
I have had this for two days in the USA and I love it. Usually I have buyer's remorse and would be looking for a new phone by now so I can say it really is great. Battery life is better than my S9 with a Mophie pack so far. Even with playing with it constantly I can't kill it in one day and usually my S9 needs to be plugged in by late afternoon. I have not rooted it yet, and may not. I love a clean version of Android. Not sure why people think that is bad. All the random customization sometimes comes with a speed cost. This phone is just plain fast. Usually I root to get rid of crap so you can see where I stand. If you hate big heavy phones, don't buy it. That is the negative. I had a ZTE Axon 7 and updates were slow so that's another negative. Other than that, super fast, great screen, great battery, strong data signal...it's a buy. Reminds me of the original OnePlus, or the Axon. Phones that were surprising values, but were big and heavy.
Sent from my NX629J using Tapatalk
I'm coming from the OnePlus 3(T) as well, looking for a new device. What I didn't like at the Oneplus were the original ROM (luckily Lineage helped a lot) and the sound and position of the speaker. I loved the front facing stereo speakers of my HTC One (m7) years ago.
So I'm thinking of purchasing the RM3, but at the moment there are no alternative ROMS. Another device I'm looking at is the Black Shark 2, but situation with ROMs and support seems to be even worse.
For the RM3, I have concerns, if a fan inside a mobile will really last for some years, or break down at some time...
I also had the 3T and 1 and the 6T obviously this is just a better phone due to the increases in tech. No way to tell on the fan, I will say...and not sure how ZTE vs it's company Nubia will work, but my Axon 7 had a couple of screen issues due to my dropping it and the speaker stopped working, not sure if it was due to that and ZTE fixed it every time free of charge within the first year. I was very happy with their service on that phone. ROM support will be lacking but it's a clean version of Android so I prefer that
Sent from my NX629J using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 10:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:22 AM ----------
To me...a clean, lean ROM, which the US version is, rooted with Magisk and other mods I choose myself is always the best option. Some custom ROMs can get pretty bloated themselves
Sent from my NX629J using Tapatalk
NexusPenguin said:
Hi,
Considering the price and the specs, I think the Red Magic 3 is about the best phone you can have nowadays.
If you buy it, you should consider two things :
- Chinese UI has a lot of features but is ugly and themes are mostly paid ones ;
- Europe/US/Asia ROM has ZERO features.
Once I recovered from the disappointment, the second solution was clearly what I was looking for.
So here is my advice :
- take the Europe/US/Asia version and flash it to your device (if it doesn't ship with that as stock)
- unlock the bootloader
-root your phone.
All this is done in like 4/5 minutes...
Once done, install all apps to add the required features.
You will have a phone that has ONLY THE FEATURES YOU WANT.
No bloat, no unnecessary stuff...
A dream come true
Of course, it comes with a price : once rooted, you will get OTA notifications but won't be able to install them...
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on what you are looking for an what you want to do?
If you are a person who is happy with stock ROMs an just leaves cellphones in the state they are in out of the box then yes buy it.
However if you are a person who likes tinkering modifications an custom ROMs the please do not buy this cellphone.
I tried to install TWRP over 2 months ago an got stuck in a fastboot bootloop. Every xda suggestion to fix this plus paying a cellphone repair center an trying heaps of suggestions an it's still non functional.
It has horrible software an is rediculously sensitive to any and all attempts to FLASH ANYTHING.
If red magic 3s break you might never be able to fix them at a software level.
Mine lives in a bag by my bed to remind me not to bite off more than I can chew.
I have a xiaomi Mi9 now an have no real issues with it.
Good luck with your decision
So the options are to buy on Ali are with a stock Global Rom or a Chinese ROM. I see some other posts about people flashing to the Chinese one. Is that the best option to choose? I take it you can still select the language as English and support here etc? Thanks for everyone's responded it's been really helpful. I was thinking of holding out for the 855plus but not sure if I can afford which will be most likely an additional cost for it.
I also have the same question but mine is a bit different. Im convinced i am going to buy it but...
Should i buy it now or wait for the 855+ version? Idc if its gonna be a bit more expensive
xorphaz said:
I also have the same question but mine is a bit different. Im convinced i am going to buy it but...
Should i buy it now or wait for the 855+ version? Idc if its gonna be a bit more expensive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would of thought it would be more expensive as they still have the original to sell. Probably will stick another £100 on it or so I reckon ?
I have a Moto Z Play at the moment and as much as I like it, it is still on Oreo and is not up to date security-wise, which is a worry for me.
I was very set on a Pixel 3a which I can get for £299 with a £50 mastercard giftcard as a freebie. I have since seen a few posts on forums saying they get really slow after a few months and lag a lot, which is strange because my Moto Z Play still mostly performs fine, bit for stutter, but for a cheap phone it is fine.
I am wondering if I wait for the 4a to come out and spend maybe £400/£429 (whatever they price it at) for that, or just get the 3a, with the view that if I don't like it, I can return it in the first 2 weeks.
I don't really want to spend £400 on a phone ideally, as I don't really see the point.
Could some users of the 3a for a while give me some idea of how it performs after time?
I use my phone for YouTube, Chrome, Netflix, new apps and emails. Never play games on my phone unless it is a basic casual one that i'll play for 10 minutes and then delete.
(I know the new iPhone SE is out for £419 and will be worlds better than both of the Pixels' but I prefer Android overall and would rather not be locked to iOS.)
I'd appreciate any help, thanks
Edit - Just an insight in my phone history... i did have a OnePlus 6 for a while, but decided I preferred the Moto Z Play, so I sold the OP6. The performance difference didn't bother me and with my usage, didn't seem very noticeable. I just want mostly smooth and reliable.
Hello,
I've had mine for about 10 weeks now and I couldn't be happier with it - came from almost exclusively Samsung S range (3,4,5,7) and a moto x style in there as well.
'pure' android is a delight to behold. Still quick and responsive - boot time is about 2 seconds slower than when it was brand new. I've just checked and I currently have nearly 80 apps installed so that's to be expected.
It's a bit like a car/bike/desktop/whatever in that occasional maintenance is your friend ? I use Ccleaner and Greenify paid version. Rooted, EXKernel Manager, no twrp as on android 10 and it doesn't work on 10 yet. Took a little bit of adjustment to not having twrp as I liked to take a weekly backup but no big deal in the grand scheme of things - I'm still in love with the 'pure' android experience and not having all the extra **** bundled in from Samsung.
Few advisories I'd point out is that: I would have bought a 3XL if I could have afforded one, and the modding scene is pretty quiet but I have gathered 2 main learnings on that. Firstly, that'll probably change when the twrp devs get it up and running on android 10, and B, there is actually very little need to mod as the 'pure' android is just lovely as it is.
I've had no errors, no restarts/bootloops etc and re-rooting after updates is simple. I get a day battery no probs with moderate use, no games and using EXKernel Manager to alternate between Performance and Power saving settings as required. Camera is lovely. Wired headphone volume is a bit quiet but stick Viper4android on it and problem solved.
Happy to answer the odd question or 2 if you have any ?
captain sideways said:
Hello,
I've had mine for about 10 weeks now and I couldn't be happier with it - came from almost exclusively Samsung S range (3,4,5,7) and a moto x style in there as well.
'pure' android is a delight to behold. Still quick and responsive - boot time is about 2 seconds slower than when it was brand new. I've just checked and I currently have nearly 80 apps installed so that's to be expected.
It's a bit like a car/bike/desktop/whatever in that occasional maintenance is your friend I use Ccleaner and Greenify paid version. Rooted, EXKernel Manager, no twrp as on android 10 and it doesn't work on 10 yet. Took a little bit of adjustment to not having twrp as I liked to take a weekly backup but no big deal in the grand scheme of things - I'm still in love with the 'pure' android experience and not having all the extra **** bundled in from Samsung.
Few advisories I'd point out is that: I would have bought a 3XL if I could have afforded one, and the modding scene is pretty quiet but I have gathered 2 main learnings on that. Firstly, that'll probably change when the twrp devs get it up and running on android 10, and B, there is actually very little need to mod as the 'pure' android is just lovely as it is.
I've had no errors, no restarts/bootloops etc and re-rooting after updates is simple. I get a day battery no probs with moderate use, no games and using EXKernel Manager to alternate between Performance and Power saving settings as required. Camera is lovely. Wired headphone volume is a bit quiet but stick Viper4android on it and problem solved.
Happy to answer the odd question or 2 if you have any
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that.
Would you say it has gotten any slower after 2+ months?
Most of the reports I have read have said that it lags on the keyboard a lot and lags a lot in general. I wouldn't expect flagship performance, but I do want something that is mostly smooth and will browse the web without being a stuttery mess all the time.
Nah no lag for me but I use a 3rd party keyboard (SwiftKey) instead of Gboard. I use a lot of voice recognition for typing as well as the on screen keyboard.
---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:44 AM ----------
For Internet I mostly use Opera mini and AdAway and my browsing is fine
captain sideways said:
Nah no lag for me but I use a 3rd party keyboard (SwiftKey) instead of Gboard. I use a lot of voice recognition for typing as well as the on screen keyboard.
---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:44 AM ----------
For Internet I mostly use Opera mini and AdAway and my browsing is fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Decided to just order one. It'll arrive tomorrow. If I don't like it I have 2 weeks to return it.
Best way to decide if it is any good for me is to use it!
Indeed that's what I did as well, let us know how you get on ?
gman88667733 said:
Decided to just order one. It'll arrive tomorrow. If I don't like it I have 2 weeks to return it.
Best way to decide if it is any good for me is to use it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had a 3a since I got rid of the 3 XL in December. I don't notice any slowdowns or performance difference even with games to the 3 XL I had. I take care of my devices though and remove unused apps and keep caches/storage clear as needed. Cloud storage is your friend. Most ppl just install dozens of apps and games and complain their device got slow but don't actually maintain their device. If you maintain your device it will perform well for you. I also get in the habit of factory resetting devices once or twice a year to freshen them up it literally takes 10 minutes if you keep backups of apps and data.
I personally think the 4a will be the better choice in the long run if you intend keeping your phone for a while, that being said the Pixel 3a is still a great phone I got rid of my Samsung S10e couple of weeks ago & picked up another Pixel 3a & i have no regrets at all coming back & downgrading somewhat spec wise, I still may pickup a 4a when the deals are on at some point later this year.
Also the release of the iPhone SE 2020 could be a good thing for future deals on the Pixel 4a.
Got the 3a with me now.
So far, so good! An added bonus is that it has WiFi calling, which I thought it did not.
Display is nice, size is good. Feels nice without a case on, but not sure I'm brave enough to run it without a case!
Speed seems fine, smooth and quick enough for me so far
Similar question...
I'm a Sony fanboy, have nearly all flagships since 2011 here, more or less good maintained with custom fws, i donated devices to devs here at xda, i'm a supporter.
My provider offers me to get a Pixel 3A or a Pixel 4 when i extend my contract for 2 years, the Pixel 3A would cost 11,50 € per month, the Pixel 4 20,00 €, in both cases the the mobile belongs to me after this 24 additional months. I really dunno how to decide, i read and read and read about the pros and cons, the results are all the same - take the 3A, says the tests and suggestions in the www. I'm not a gamer, no facebook, taking not much photos, not involved in social networks, i need pure functionality, navigation, good battery life, playing only CoC, NFS no Limits. The only advantage in the Pixel 4 which i see - it is newer. It's really hard for me to decide - any opinions are welcome. Thanks in advance. At least the fact that i dont really NEED a new phone, my 2 daily drivers are an Xperia Z3 and an S5Neo, both active ( private and business device ) with LOS 16 rock stable, smooth and fast systems. LOS 17.1 is coming for these 2 devices, i think with official status too.
So, that's all, please enlighten me.
_________________________________
Well, whereas I am quite happy with my 3a, my rule for buying (any) tech stuff is to but the best that you can afford at the time. I got my 3a cos it was the best I could afford at the time but if I'd had the money, I would have gotten a 3xl or a 4. Sorry if this isn't helpful, just thought I'd share a bit of my process. I guess the conclusion would be if you can afford the 4, then get the 4
---------- Post added at 10:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:46 PM ----------
gman88667733 said:
Got the 3a with me now.
So far, so good! An added bonus is that it has WiFi calling, which I thought it did not.
Display is nice, size is good. Feels nice without a case on, but not sure I'm brave enough to run it without a case!
Speed seems fine, smooth and quick enough for me so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you like it, I prefer to have mine in a case as well (clumsy) so I just got a gel tpd case and screen protector on ebay. Screen protector covers the entire front including the bezels. It's done a stellar job so far - I keep lots of stuff in my pockets and there isn't so much as a scuff on my phone if you'd like I might be able to link the screen protector if I can find it in my ebay history ?
Link to screen protector:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143284267215
I have a caseology parralax case and a generic glass screen protector now, feels much safer!
So far the battery life on this is incredible, took it off the charger at 8pm Sunday evening, I still have 45% left at 3 hours of SOT.
That's will very weak/no reception for a lot of that too.
Given how small the battery is, it's really quite impressive
Really impressed with this phone so far.
The only issue I am having with my 3a is that I have always used Messenger lite (Facebook) for my messaging app. For some reason, a lot of the time the notifications don't show up after the phone has been locked for a while, until I go into the phone and it picks it up or sometimes until I go into the app.
I have notifications turned on and see no reason for them not to always come through and be visible on the lockscreen. Is this just the Doze feature being a bit too aggressive?
Ah I can't answer that, sorry. I use greenify to sleep my apps, including
social media apps. I only want to use them when I want to use them, you know?
So mine stay asleep until I open them manually.
That is okay. It doesn't do it all the time, I think it's mostly when the phones been sat idle for a while.
captain sideways said:
Well, whereas I am quite happy with my 3a, my rule for buying (any) tech stuff is to but the best that you can afford at the time. I got my 3a cos it was the best I could afford at the time but if I'd had the money, I would have gotten a 3xl or a 4. Sorry if this isn't helpful, just thought I'd share a bit of my process. I guess the conclusion would be if you can afford the 4, then get the 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. And believe me, your post IS helpfull.
Greetz,
0LDST4R
_-_-_-_-_
gman88667733 said:
The only issue I am having with my 3a is that I have always used Messenger lite (Facebook) for my messaging app. For some reason, a lot of the time the notifications don't show up after the phone has been locked for a while, until I go into the phone and it picks it up or sometimes until I go into the app.
I have notifications turned on and see no reason for them not to always come through and be visible on the lockscreen. Is this just the Doze feature being a bit too aggressive?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can exclude the fb messanger app from doze (battery optimization) in settings, its in apps and notifications -> special app access, in batter optimization choose to ahow all apps.
Maybe that helps. But could also be an fb bug.
Cheers. Glad you like that phone, for ne it's the best phone i ever had, it just works.
For some reason this second charge has started off worse. I suppose it'll take a few days to fully settle and let the adaptive battery feature set up.
gman88667733 said:
Got the 3a with me now.
So far, so good! An added bonus is that it has WiFi calling, which I thought it did not.
Display is nice, size is good. Feels nice without a case on, but not sure I'm brave enough to run it without a case!
Speed seems fine, smooth and quick enough for me so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gman88667733 said:
The only issue I am having with my 3a is that I have always used Messenger lite (Facebook) for my messaging app. For some reason, a lot of the time the notifications don't show up after the phone has been locked for a while, until I go into the phone and it picks it up or sometimes until I go into the app.
I have notifications turned on and see no reason for them not to always come through and be visible on the lockscreen. Is this just the Doze feature being a bit too aggressive?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gman88667733 said:
For some reason this second charge has started off worse. I suppose it'll take a few days to fully settle and let the adaptive battery feature set up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will settle in a day or 2, youve got to remember that in the first few days of a new toy there's all the setting up/copying data/etc as well but the battery will learn your normal usage. Here's a screen grab from my Better Battery Stats, it's a pretty good %pH.
The annoying thing currently is that I've just changed my bedroom in my house, there is currently no cell or WiFi reception in it, so it dropped 15% last night because it was searching for them all night. Hoping to sort the WiFi in a few days