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Hi everyone
I'm new to the mobile phone scene but after a bit of research on deciding which phones to invest in I've noticed something; Chinese phones (not easily available in Western countries) have better specs and prices compared with the phones we have from brands like Samsung, Apple, HTC, Sony etc.
I'm talking about Vivo phones, Xiaomi etc. These phones routinely have 16mp cameras with OIS, large 2.0 (or even bigger) sensors, full HD or QHD 5 to 6" screens, 2 to 3GB of RAM, very large front facing cameras (5 to 8mp with flash, 1080P recording), Snapdragon 805 chips and batteries 3500mh+. All this in bodies thinner than 7mm (in some cases, the low5mm range). Many have aluminium chassis too.
Im wondering why we still see phones from Samsung, HTC, Apple and even the Nexus 6 (which is supposed to be absolutely premium in specs & quality) selling for such high prices but with specs lower than the Chinese phones. Surly Samsung & these other brands can release a phone, keep their prices the same but match or exceed the specs of these Chinese phones.
Why does the Galaxy S5 have a comparably low front facing camera, smaller battery and is thicker than these Chinese phones? Or the Nexus 6 - why is the FF camera smaller, why is the rear camera smaller, why does it have a smaller battery and why is it so much thicker? Surly these phones could match the specs of the Chinese phones.
Example: The upcoming VIVO PD1305 rumoured specs (below) should best (or at least match) the Nexus 6 in every respect. Thinner, same chipset, same amount of RAM, better front and rear cameras, stereo speakers, NFC, larger battery etc. Why couldn't Google have these specs in the Nexus 6 and sell it at the current price? The VIVO is expected to be cheaper by $100+. The specs are leaked; previous VIVO leaked specs matched very closely to the final product and there is strong evidence to support that this new VIVO phone's specs will match to the leaked specs as all the technology has been around for a short while now.
Basically what I'm trying to establish is why the Western market is so full of overpriced phones which can't complete on every front with cheaper Chinese phones? Will Samsung etc actually match or best these Chinese phones in terms of specs?
Specs:
6-inch IPS display with 2560×1440 resolution and 490ppi
5.68mm (0.22") thin
162g (5.71 ounces) weight
Snapdragon 805 processor with 3GB of RAM
32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot that goes up to 128GB
13MP rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and dual-LED flash, 8MP front camera with 88-degree wide view lens
Dedicated ES9018 and OPA2604 audio chips
NFC
LTE Radio support (confirmed at some sources; still in debate as it is useless in China)
Wireless charging
Basic water resistance
Heart rate monitor and a fingerprint trace the source function
3500mAh battery
NOTE: Before anyone says it - that most Chinese phones don't support LTE networks - from some reading there is talk that the latest and upcoming Chinese manufacturers are including support for LTE networks as their market expands. So, they are covering ground fast and innovating far faster than any of the phones we see in our Western markets.
In my opinion the specs for the latest Chinese phones (especially for the VIVO listed) put the Nexus 6 and its rivals to shame. A bit sad.
The problem with these chinese phones is, that you hardly have any warranty.
[email protected] said:
The problem with these chinese phones is, that you hardly have any warranty.
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Click to collapse
Who needs a warranty for a hundred dollar thing...?
Never thought about this question, but now i am really thinking that it's a great idea to buy Chinese phones!
i have had a friend that bought a phone, he was using it for two months until i told him that it is a Chinese device.......
Newyork! said:
Who needs a warranty for a hundred dollar thing...?
Never thought about this question, but now i am really thinking that it's a great idea to buy Chinese phones!
i have had a friend that bought a phone, he was using it for two months until i told him that it is a Chinese device.......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, maybe you are right, but you have hardly any support and if its an chinese phone who hardly anyone has, you can be sure you will not get any updates.
[email protected] said:
Okay, maybe you are right, but you have hardly any support and if its an chinese phone who hardly anyone has, you can be sure you will not get any updates.
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Click to collapse
When i buy a old Motorola phone i also don't have any support or updates....
For 100 dollars or lower it pays!
Newyork! said:
When i buy a old Motorola phone i also don't have any support or updates....
For 100 dollars or lower it pays!
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Click to collapse
Ok you are right and if you are lucky and buy a chinese phone with an large userbase it pays twice because you get support by the community around that phone
So initially I was really excited about the new 1+2, but since its launch I am a bit disappointed because of some crucial compromises that come with buying this phone. And under 24 hrs, moto launched its new Moto X style which just make me not like the 1+2 even more. But I am looking to buy one of these two phone so I logically comparing them to make a decision. With the current info we have moto X seem much better in many departments -
Design, Battery (Fast charge vs 1+2 charging in 3:20 hrs), wireless charging, more Premium feel according to many tech sites, 2k screen, the new Sony 21MP sensor.
But there are also some definite areas where 1+2 seems better but I wanna know 'How' much better, would like to know from someone who has used these processors or knows in detail about these RAMs and USB ports :-
808 vs 810, so the new moto X has the 808 while the 1+2 has 810, both are very mediocre processors from Qualcomm's standards, but it is what it is, so I wanna know exactly how much better 810 is than 808 in real life usage, will i be able to do all kinds of the most power consuming tasks for the next 2-3 years ?
3Gb Lpddr3 vs 4gb Lpddr4, here I am not sure if the new moto X has LPDDR4 or lpddr3 ram and if its 3 then how much difference will it have seeing as its also 3gb vs 4gb, in real life usage, how much difference is that ?
The USB - C port on the 1+2, I was really excited about this one before launch but after its launch I read 2-3 sites mentioning that it's 2.0 and not 3.1( don't know what that exactly that means), and hence it won't be much faster than a regular USB cable and u can't use it as a replacement for HDMI cable.
Edit - P.S. - Also, the moto X has NFC and much better speakers and better customer service.
Personal opinion for everything within; don't quote me as gospel. Have a google around yourself and make your own decisions based on that.
SD808 vs SD810; the SD808 is used in the LG G4 whilst the HTC One M9 uses the SD810 so you should be able to get a basic idea from this comparison. As far as I know about the LG G4, the SD808 performs really well and doesn't leave you wanting for nothing. I personally don't own a G4 so a G4 owner and M9 owner could answer this better. Have a look online and see what people are saying. Linus Tech Tips have video reviews for both phones so that may also be some help for you.
3gb vs 4gb ram; I don't think this is really going to affect mobile users. If we take a look at apple, the ipad air has 1gb ram and performs really well. Same with the iphone 6 and I don't know anyone who owns one that complains about it. Granted, iOS and android are two different beasts - but if 1gb is fine over there, 3gb should be more than sufficient for us.
USB Type-C; even though native support for USB Type-C is coming around in Android M, I don't think the adoption for it will be very quick. I know apple has it on their new macbook air (I believe) - but widespread adoption will be some time from now. Micro-USB is still going to be around for a while imo and won't be an issue for the Moto X.
Again, personal opinion. I'd go for the Moto X based on the fact that Motorola have a good name behind them, build good quality phones that last and have a decent customer service track record, whereas if you look on the oneplus forums (I'd say take it with a pinch of salt but you may need a barrel of salt) you'll find quite a lot of complaints regarding Oneplus' customer service. Granted, they are quite a young company and these issues may not be around for much longer as they work out the kinks in their processes but it's something to consider as every so often, there will be a faulty phone and it may just be your bad luck in getting the bad egg.
Skyerin said:
Personal opinion for everything within; don't quote me as gospel. Have a google around yourself and make your own decisions based on that.
SD808 vs SD810; the SD808 is used in the LG G4 whilst the HTC One M9 uses the SD810 so you should be able to get a basic idea from this comparison. As far as I know about the LG G4, the SD808 performs really well and doesn't leave you wanting for nothing. I personally don't own a G4 so a G4 owner and M9 owner could answer this better. Have a look online and see what people are saying. Linus Tech Tips have video reviews for both phones so that may also be some help for you.
3gb vs 4gb ram; I don't think this is really going to affect mobile users. If we take a look at apple, the ipad air has 1gb ram and performs really well. Same with the iphone 6 and I don't know anyone who owns one that complains about it. Granted, iOS and android are two different beasts - but if 1gb is fine over there, 3gb should be more than sufficient for us.
USB Type-C; even though native support for USB Type-C is coming around in Android M, I don't think the adoption for it will be very quick. I know apple has it on their new macbook air (I believe) - but widespread adoption will be some time from now. Micro-USB is still going to be around for a while imo and won't be an issue for the Moto X.
Again, personal opinion. I'd go for the Moto X based on the fact that Motorola have a good name behind them, build good quality phones that last and have a decent customer service track record, whereas if you look on the oneplus forums (I'd say take it with a pinch of salt but you may need a barrel of salt) you'll find quite a lot of complaints regarding Oneplus' customer service. Granted, they are quite a young company and these issues may not be around for much longer as they work out the kinks in their processes but it's something to consider as every so often, there will be a faulty phone and it may just be your bad luck in getting the bad egg.
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Yeah, inclining towards the X style for now. Will wait for both's reviews now. Also, the 1+2 is priced at 25,000 (389$) in my country, and the new moto X 16gb version is priced at 399$, so that'll probably convert to 26,000 + leather/wood back ones are 2,000 extra so I guess the 64gb one will be priced around 35k, which is 40% higher price than 1+2. This one is a real doozy, both these phones at the end of the day are equal.
Sent from my HM 1SW using Tapatalk
bhu1 said:
Yeah, inclining towards the X style for now. Will wait for both's reviews now. Also, the 1+2 is priced at 25,000 (389$) in my country, and the new moto X 16gb version is priced at 399$, so that'll probably convert to 26,000 + leather/wood back ones are 2,000 extra so I guess the 64gb one will be priced around 35k, which is 40% higher price than 1+2. This one is a real doozy, both these phones at the end of the day are equal.
Sent from my HM 1SW using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
One thing that may sway you towards the OP2 is that apparently (read this in a news article - take it with a barrel of salt again!) OP is concentrating heavily on selling around a million units in India, so they may be giving better support whereas Motorola may not be as prevalent in terms of support. Can't say for certain - not from and never been to India - but speaking from my experiences and knowledge of being in Pakistan for quite a while.
Also, if specs don't bother you too much, it may be an idea to look heavily at the moto x play, simply because of the huge battery whilst still being a really powerful phone.
Skyerin said:
One thing that may sway you towards the OP2 is that apparently (read this in a news article - take it with a barrel of salt again!) OP is concentrating heavily on selling around a million units in India, so they may be giving better support whereas Motorola may not be as prevalent in terms of support. Can't say for certain - not from and never been to India - but speaking from my experiences and knowledge of being in Pakistan for quite a while.
Also, if specs don't bother you too much, it may be an idea to look heavily at the moto x play, simply because of the huge battery whilst still being a really powerful phone.
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Click to collapse
Nah, OnePlus can't compete with moto's customer service. Even if they can, then also, not a big deal, customer service, it just needs to be good, I don't need it to be great. And no moto play for me, I decided that I'll buy a flagship, so I'll buy a flagship.
Sent from my HM 1SW using Tapatalk
iOS and Android system have much differences, that's why 1gb RAM feels so different between Android and iOS..
I've found complete explanation of it but forgot the source *sorry*
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Come on be serious...what comparison is this. Compare 1+1 with 1+2 or 1+2 with my 4 years old htc sensation
Sent from my SM-G920T
bhu1 said:
So initially I was really excited about the new 1+2, but since its launch I am a bit disappointed because of some crucial compromises that come with buying this phone. And under 24 hrs, moto launched its new Moto X style which just make me not like the 1+2 even more. But I am looking to buy one of these two phone so I logically comparing them to make a decision. With the current info we have moto X seem much better in many departments -
Design, Battery (Fast charge vs 1+2 charging in 3:20 hrs), wireless charging, more Premium feel according to many tech sites, 2k screen, the new Sony 21MP sensor.
But there are also some definite areas where 1+2 seems better but I wanna know 'How' much better, would like to know from someone who has used these processors or knows in detail about these RAMs and USB ports :-
808 vs 810, so the new moto X has the 808 while the 1+2 has 810, both are very mediocre processors from Qualcomm's standards, but it is what it is, so I wanna know exactly how much better 810 is than 808 in real life usage, will i be able to do all kinds of the most power consuming tasks for the next 2-3 years ?
3Gb Lpddr3 vs 4gb Lpddr4, here I am not sure if the new moto X has LPDDR4 or lpddr3 ram and if its 3 then how much difference will it have seeing as its also 3gb vs 4gb, in real life usage, how much difference is that ?
The USB - C port on the 1+2, I was really excited about this one before launch but after its launch I read 2-3 sites mentioning that it's 2.0 and not 3.1( don't know what that exactly that means), and hence it won't be much faster than a regular USB cable and u can't use it as a replacement for HDMI cable.
Edit - P.S. - Also, the moto X has NFC and much better speakers and better customer service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depending on how you use your phone and how each phone handles battery life, the rate of charging might not be a factor to consider. If you burn through battery (and/or the phone itself helps) and can't get a days worth then fast charging should be important. If you don't use your phone much, turn radios off, etc. and charge your phone when you are asleep then either method of charging will do. Neither phone has wireless charging so you'd have to look elsewhere to get it. Feel is totally subjective and ONLY important for your tastes/wants. The screen is a contentious issue as some don't see a difference between 2k and 1080p, think the increase is worth the battery hit, or other reasons specific to the screens compared. If DxO is to be believed then the rear sensor in the Style is something to be reckoned with.
In real life usage, the 808 or 810 should be close to each other. The 808 is only "missing" two "Big" A57 cores when compared to the 810. The real difference is in benchmarks where having the "missing" cores will show better scores. With an almost stock Android interface the Style should show no feeling that "it needs more." I have no experience with OnePlus (or Moto and their OS optimizations) phones to speak on how Oxygen OS behaves. Since both phones aren't out to buy and be reviewed, any talk beforehand is just speculation. Wait for reviews from people you trust for an opinion or get a hand-on yourself on the UX "feel."
The amount of RAM you "need" or "should have" is debatable. If you play a lot of games and switch between heavy RAM-usage apps (or a lot of them) frequently, more RAM is beneficial. The type of RAM is cut-and-dry. LPDDR4 is simply better than LPDDR3. AS A STANDARD LPDDR4 operates at faster speeds AND uses less power than LPDDR3. Whether OnePlus has taken full advantage of the benefits has not been disclosed and no one has a device to find out the speed their RAM runs at for a definite conclusion.
USB Type-C is the "cable to end cables" when properly implemented. Full stop. Type-C was created with USB 3.1 and ALL of its benefits come with 3.1 AND software that enables those features. For the actual cable, Type-C brings a reversible plug (like Lightning) so there isn't a correct way you can plug the cable in. USB 2.0 (most likely in the Style too) will max at around 20 MB/s when transferring files to your computer or another device, and will be slower for smaller files. USB 3.0 and 3.1 will transfer at MUCH faster speeds with larger files. You can learn more about 3.1 and Type-C here and with a quick search. Other Type-C features aren't worth discussing as neither phone can take advantage of them.
Contact-less payments are supposed to finally take-off with the launch of Android (and Samsung) Pay to give that "extra push" to retailers that this is a feature that most would take advantage of when consumers can. Honestly, Apple Pay sowed the seed for contact-less payments. If contact-less payments is something you can see yourself doing then the OnePlus2 will not allow you to do so. Speaker quality or stereo speakers is a nice feature to have and should be considered if you play any media over the speakers. I have no comment with eithers' Costumer Support reputation.
For me, the decision between the OnePlus2 and Style is a no brainer. The OnePlus2 makes too many concessions against OnePlus' OWN BELIEFS and against the Style to make this a hard decision. Which is why I'll be replacing my G2 with the Style at some point this year, unless the new Nexus phone(s) are compelling enough
Think I may finally jump on a new phone, the Moto X Play or whatever it's being called for Verizon. That's a bit confusing. But Moto's radios are the best, a big factor, plus they finally went back to SD cards. I keep hearing the screen will not be tops due to it not being Amoled. Guess I'll have to check it out first before jumping. Also want it rooted, so I'm not going to be the one to jump first when it's sold so I can find out if it'll be rooted. But I'm definitely leaning towards that. It's either this or probably going to find a Note 4 developers addition and go that route...hard choices....
Moto x pure edition, not play
Galaxy S6
Which is why I'll be replacing my G2 with the Style at some point this year, unless the new Nexus phone(s) are compelling enough
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus line of phones will never provide microSD card slot (google wants you to use its cloud!), and the 64GB version will make you pay 100$ more than the basic 16GB model. The best 64GB cards are under 30$ right now. So, I essentially get 80GB of storage with Style for 70$ less. Give me Style any day over Nexus or even OP2 (which gives 64GB for 389).
More than that though, its the camera and front facing stereo speakers that excite me about Style. We will see when it comes out.
bhu1 said:
So initially I was really excited about the new 1+2, but since its launch I am a bit disappointed because of some crucial compromises that come with buying this phone. And under 24 hrs, moto launched its new Moto X style which just make me not like the 1+2 even more. But I am looking to buy one of these two phone so I logically comparing them to make a decision. With the current info we have moto X seem much better in many departments -
Design, Battery (Fast charge vs 1+2 charging in 3:20 hrs), wireless charging, more Premium feel according to many tech sites, 2k screen, the new Sony 21MP sensor.
But there are also some definite areas where 1+2 seems better but I wanna know 'How' much better, would like to know from someone who has used these processors or knows in detail about these RAMs and USB ports :-
808 vs 810, so the new moto X has the 808 while the 1+2 has 810, both are very mediocre processors from Qualcomm's standards, but it is what it is, so I wanna know exactly how much better 810 is than 808 in real life usage, will i be able to do all kinds of the most power consuming tasks for the next 2-3 years ?
3Gb Lpddr3 vs 4gb Lpddr4, here I am not sure if the new moto X has LPDDR4 or lpddr3 ram and if its 3 then how much difference will it have seeing as its also 3gb vs 4gb, in real life usage, how much difference is that ?
The USB - C port on the 1+2, I was really excited about this one before launch but after its launch I read 2-3 sites mentioning that it's 2.0 and not 3.1( don't know what that exactly that means), and hence it won't be much faster than a regular USB cable and u can't use it as a replacement for HDMI cable.
Edit - P.S. - Also, the moto X has NFC and much better speakers and better customer service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same thing happened to me
I'm dropping the two and will pick the moto x pure because it has the following that the two refused to add:
microsd slot
rapid charge
21 mp camera
front facing stereo speakers
invite-less purchase
but then that might change when the moto x pure is released
Id give the nod to the moto for several reasons the 3 big ones being.
ext sd card support, this is huge
Slightly larger screen
Moto customer support. If you read anything about OPO one thing is for sure in that their support is terrible.
Thats 3 reasons enough for me.:thumbup:
Sent from my Nexus 6 or Note 4
I was inclined towards the one plus two before launch. Had really big expectations. But Moto X Style has upped the stakes. The only problem is availability and pricing. In India the customer service of Motorola is good. Only if Motorola announces the availability and pricing
Sent from my Moto G using Tapatalk
At this point I'd say moto x is my pick, one plus invite system is a turn off and is already starting to make me not want to get the device.
I still don't get their reasoning for leaving out NFC from the OP2. They claim it wasn't widely used and it added cost, yet they decided to add a fingerprint sensor...
Jweimn said:
At this point I'd say moto x is my pick, one plus invite system is a turn off and is already starting to make me not want to get the device.
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Click to collapse
And theres an artlicle online where someone says he cheated the invite reservation system haha. But yeah its all a joke tbh as you spam people to go up the list.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
Sporttster said:
Think I may finally jump on a new phone, the Moto X Play or whatever it's being called for Verizon. That's a bit confusing. But Moto's radios are the best, a big factor, plus they finally went back to SD cards. I keep hearing the screen will not be tops due to it not being Amoled. Guess I'll have to check it out first before jumping. Also want it rooted, so I'm not going to be the one to jump first when it's sold so I can find out if it'll be rooted. But I'm definitely leaning towards that. It's either this or probably going to find a Note 4 developers addition and go that route...hard choices....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried a Samsung Note 3 and I lost 7% of my calls according to Verizon. I switched to a Motorola n6 six months ago and haven't lost a call since. My dBm ranges from 100 to 121 (right now it 114). Motorola is the only one that can hold on to a phone call where I live. So, I will only buy Motorola phones from now on.
I had the OPO for about a year and finally was able to return it.
Too many touch issues and since getting Lollipop I've had nothing but battery issues. I tried many roms however I couldn't stand it.
I tried the Moto X 2nd gen for 2 days and fell in love.
Currently i'm testing out the Nexus 6 to see if I can handle the screen size, so far it's good however I'd like it to be a little smaller so I think the new Moto X might be fine.
I wish they went with a 5.5 and non QHD or at least went with a bigger battery.
I'm hoping the new Moto X's camera will be better than the Nexus 6
If I was rich I would get both. But the biggest advantage of the oneplus2 will likely be battery life. I have a feeling that the oneplus2 will be easier to hold. I like the fact that you can program the capacitive buttons on either side of the home button. But overall the moto x style would get my hard earned money. Software and screen quality/size give it the leg up on the oneplus2 for me.
I'm currently using a Nexus 5, on stock android 5.1. I'm starting to have a few problems with it, the GPS is slow at best, battery life just gets me through the day, and i'm running low on space at 16Gb.
In my job I have been given a Windows phone for work, What i'd like to do is buy a Dual-Sim device so I can go back to carrying 1 device. I've been looking around and been quite impressed with the chinese offerings. The top phone on my list are the -
Ulefone Touch Be 2
Elephone P8000 (unable to post links)
So far, The features i'm looking for are dual sim (obviously) good camera, expandable storage & good GPS.
There are so many phones to choose from these days im just not sure what to choose.
Thanks In advance.
What model Huawei?
You can try one plus two 64gb.
Its the best. 25,000 rs. Better than nexus
Sent from my WT19i using XDA Free mobile app
I would really like that but its out of my budget.
Try one plus one. Nw u can buy for 15000-18000 rs range.
Sent from my WT19i using XDA Free mobile app
it has to be optimized!
Spardha said:
I'm currently using a Nexus 5, on stock android 5.1. I'm starting to have a few problems with it, the GPS is slow at best, battery life just gets me through the day, and i'm running low on space at 16Gb.
In my job I have been given a Windows phone for work, What i'd like to do is buy a Dual-Sim device so I can go back to carrying 1 device. I've been looking around and been quite impressed with the chinese offerings. The top phone on my list are the -
Ulefone Touch Be 2
Elephone P8000 (unable to post links)
So far, The features i'm looking for are dual sim (obviously) good camera, expandable storage & good GPS.
There are so many phones to choose from these days im just not sure what to choose.
Thanks In advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before you buy a Ulefone, Elephone, Umi ... or any of these cheap Chinese brands. Please be aware that they do not optimize their Android OS!
This means, you may get worse performance as you had on your Nexus 5. I would say before you buy one of these brands, stick to your old Nexus 5.
If you want a good quality phone with optimized Android Rom on it, that offers good performance with a pretty good camera.
Get one of the following barnds only!
Oppo
Huawei
Xiaomi
Meizu
What is your budged btw? If a good camera is important to you, really stay away of not optimized Anrdoid!
All other small Chinese brands, put truly crappy not optimized Android on their devices!
TheUltrametricSpace said:
Before you buy a Ulefone, Elephone, Umi ... or any of these cheap Chinese brands. Please be aware that they do not optimize their Android OS!
This means, you may get worse performance as you had on your Nexus 5. I would say before you buy one of these brands, stick to your old Nexus 5.
If you want a good quality phone with optimized Android Rom on it, that offers good performance with a pretty good camera.
Get one of the following barnds only!
Oppo
Huawei
Xiaomi
Meizu
What is your budged btw? If a good camera is important to you, really stay away of not optimized Anrdoid!
All other small Chinese brands, put truly crappy not optimized Android on their devices!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info, I'm looking at about $200 - $250 Max.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Spardha said:
Thanks for the info, I'm looking at about $200 - $250 Max.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good price range, to start from.
You could check out the best prices if you want to at: kimovil . com
within this price range you could get, all of the following are dual sim:
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 (only oppomart has it in stock right now) ~150$
Xaomi Mi4i ~220$
Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML ~200$
Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML ~260$
Meizu M2 Note 16GB ~150$
Huawei P8 Lite ~250$
I didn't list the following brand, but it's still a decent device:
Jiayu S3 (3GB version) ~180$
ZTE Nubia Z9 mini ~250$
The listed phones are just examples. All of them have their own downs and ups.
Meizu and Xiaomi are heavy skinned Android phones, they might remind you to iOS. I love my Xiaomi Mi4i, but it´s not for everyone.
I do assume that after using the true stock Android of your Nexus 5, you might want to stick to a phone that gets at least to close to stock Android.
So if you want the normal Android, you would have to go for the Asus Zenfone or the Huawei P8 Lite.
The Asus is more powerful but might not get an update, because it features an Intel SoC. The Huawei on the other hand has a weak SoC compared to the ASUS Zenfone 2.
It comes down to what you prefer, what would you use the phone for?
Do you want stock Android, do you want a phone that is at least as good as your Nexus 5 is, or are you willing to compromise just to have dual sim phone?
Within the price range of 200$ to 250$ there is a lot of good stuff to choose from.
That's some great info, thanks for taking the time to help me out. I was hoping someone in the know would be able to shed some light on this for me. I've been looking for a few weeks.
The idea is to replace my current personnel Nexus 5 and works Windows Lumia 635 (Rubbish), so thats what the Dual Sim is needed for. Then I like to use it to take photos on when I'm out with family and travelling for work, Im reasonably satisfied with the Nexus's camera so I'm not looking for a DSLR replacement but something competent. Then when I travel I use it for GPS to get around in Europe and the US. Next is to play music in the car so expandable storage for music and apps. 4G connectivity. Then for work emails etc. i think thats it really.
regarding good GPS signal you would have to stay to Qualcomm or Intel SoC's, those devices paired with a good brand are a save call.
For what you do the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 16GB chinese Version with dual sim and micro SD Card should be good enough. It's a big 5.5 inch phone.
It has the MIUI7 on it, it will be a completely different Android experience. There are no reviews about the GPS quality and the phone uses a fast MTK SoC, it is hard to say how good it is, usually Xiaomi places really good antennas in their phone, but as of now there is no review of it.
The battery is average ~3000mhA thing, paired with the Octa Core it will last for a day and maybe a bit more, should be better than the Nexus 5.
Advantage: it's cheap, it's Xiaomi so great quality with great support.
Downside: it has MIUI7 on it a very heavy Android modification.
You could get it for about 150$ from many different pages or straight from oppomart a bit more expensive.
The Asus Zenfone both version the 2GB/4GB is really good specification wise. The 4GB Ram version is just overkill, in my opinion.
The build quality is good, the performance is great. The only downside would be the battery life and the camera, neither is horrible bad.
GPS should be fine.
You could get the 2GB Version from pandawill for 210$ and the 4GB is at gerabest for 240$
Worth mentioning, not all dual sim phones support the full speed on both slots, as of now only the Xiaomi Mi4i has 4G net on both sim card slots!
The Redmi Note 2 and the Asus Zenfone 2 are 5.5" devices
If you want a pretty nice powerful device without a micro SD card extension, at 5" you could consider to get the Xiaomi Mi4i, the only downside of it is that a optical camera stabilization is missing. I don't see this as a problem, as I do make loads of pictures and it rarely bothers me, but it is worth to be mentioned.
I'm pretty sure i looked at the Redmi Note 2 previously, but didn't think it support expandable storage so dismissed it.
I understand most only support 4G on 1 sim this is fine. Also the size of 5.5 although is a little bigger than the Nexus I'm fine with it but would be the limit.
I also looked at the Zenphone but the camera put me off.
Spardha said:
I'm pretty sure i looked at the Redmi Note 2 previously, but didn't think it support expandable storage so dismissed it.
I understand most only support 4G on 1 sim this is fine. Also the size of 5.5 although is a little bigger than the Nexus I'm fine with it but would be the limit.
I also looked at the Zenphone but the camera put me off.
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The Chinese 16GB Version has a microSD extension slot you just have to find one. I read on gearbest that they sell this version with 16GB and microSD slot, but it's hard to say if they provide the right information.
If you don't need the extra performance, the Zenfone might be the wrong phone.
You could also consider the Jiayu S3 3GB Version (or Jiayu S3 Advanced), some people like the phone! It is available for about 180$
It's a really good all-rounder with amazing GPS and a pretty good camera
Search on youtube for a review of the Jiayu S3 by ITXtutor, it should cover all you want to know about the phone.
If i could push the budget to $300 what could you recommend? Im from the UK too.
Meizu MX5? Just found out no SD and the 32gb is closer to $400..
Spardha said:
If i could push the budget to $300 what could you recommend? Im from the UK too.
Meizu MX5? Just found out no SD and the 32gb is closer to $400..
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Haha yeah I would have recommended the MX5, I had the MX4 Pro for a bit and that was an awesome phone! But yeah the 32GB Version retails for about 390$
The Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90, has only a SD 615, an awesome camera dual Sim and a SD Card Slot. the 32GB is around 300$.
At leats in my Xiaomi Mi4i I have no trouble with this SoC, in daily use it doesn't get hot or anything, I am not a gamer so it's a great SoC for my needs.
The Huawei P8 Lite ships with the same SoC for 240$, it's worth a thought too. I would probably go for this one. The only downside I know about is the screen brightness, it could be better and I am not sure if it has Android 5 by now.
TheUltrametricSpace said:
Haha yeah I would have recommended the MX5, I had the MX4 Pro for a bit and that was an awesome phone! But yeah the 32GB Version retails for about 390$
The Lenovo Vibe Shot Z90, has only a SD 615, an awesome camera dual Sim and a SD Card Slot. the 32GB is around 300$.
At leats in my Xiaomi Mi4i I have no trouble with this SoC, in daily use it doesn't get hot or anything, I am not a gamer so it's a great SoC for my needs.
The Huawei P8 Lite ships with the same SoC for 240$, it's worth a thought too. I would probably go for this one. The only downside I know about is the screen brightness, it could be better and I am not sure if it has Android 5 by now.
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Could you recommend where to purchase the Lenovo Vibe from? its not on oppomart.
Ive been looking at the one+two and i think that is the phone i really want.. the OS is more what I'm used to the hardware is up there, the only downside i can see would be the price for the 64gb model. Im going to see if I can purchase via my work and if need be pay some towards it.
Spardha said:
Ive been looking at the one+two and i think that is the phone i really want.. the OS is more what I'm used to the hardware is up there, the only downside i can see would be the price for the 64gb model. Im going to see if I can purchase via my work and if need be pay some towards it.
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yes that is the best thing to do!
There are two version of the Vibe Shot the Z90-3 and Z90-7, the -7 is more expensive, but supports the right bands to be used outside of japan/china!
aliexpress would have the Z90-7 for 330$, but it's always a bit risky to buy from aliexpress
TheUltrametricSpace said:
regarding good GPS signal you would have to stay to Qualcomm or Intel SoC's, those devices paired with a good brand are a save call.
For what you do the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 16GB chinese Version with dual sim and micro SD Card should be good enough. It's a big 5.5 inch phone.
It has the MIUI7 on it, it will be a completely different Android experience. There are no reviews about the GPS quality and the phone uses a fast MTK SoC, it is hard to say how good it is, usually Xiaomi places really good antennas in their phone, but as of now there is no review of it.
The battery is average ~3000mhA thing, paired with the Octa Core it will last for a day and maybe a bit more, should be better than the Nexus 5.
Advantage: it's cheap, it's Xiaomi so great quality with great support.
Downside: it has MIUI7 on it a very heavy Android modification.
You could get it for about 150$ from many different pages or straight from oppomart a bit more expensive.
The Asus Zenfone both version the 2GB/4GB is really good specification wise. The 4GB Ram version is just overkill, in my opinion.
The build quality is good, the performance is great. The only downside would be the battery life and the camera, neither is horrible bad.
GPS should be fine.
You could get the 2GB Version from pandawill for 210$ and the 4GB is at gerabest for 240$
Worth mentioning, not all dual sim phones support the full speed on both slots, as of now only the Xiaomi Mi4i has 4G net on both sim card slots!
The Redmi Note 2 and the Asus Zenfone 2 are 5.5" devices
If you want a pretty nice powerful device without a micro SD card extension, at 5" you could consider to get the Xiaomi Mi4i, the only downside of it is that a optical camera stabilization is missing. I don't see this as a problem, as I do make loads of pictures and it rarely bothers me, but it is worth to be mentioned.
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Can I access google play/google services on this phone if I purchase and use it in China?
I know my GF's phone cannot install google play store app (Huawei Ascend Y511).
NapoleonWilson said:
Can I access google play/google services on this phone if I purchase and use it in China?
I know my GF's phone cannot install google play store app (Huawei Ascend Y511).
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yes there are a lot of threads about this topic in the official Xiaomi MIUI Forum. Link: en.miui.com
Have a look there and you will find all you need to know
If they release the device globally or in India, it will get a ROM with google installed per default. Xiaomi makes no difference between their devices.
Rom download page: http://en.miui.com/download
Like I have the Indian/global version of the Xiaomi Mi4i and can install the official Chinese ROM or the global ROM, as I like.
Would you recommend any 5inch phones in the $150 dollar region?
5.5 is just a little too big for me.
I've come close to buying a Pixel 3 a few times now but just not sure it it's worth the upgrade.
My 2 main issues are LG's version of Android + lack of updates and overall speed/snappiness.
$500 for 4GB of ram in 2019 seems like a bad decision. Plus no sd card slot or headphone jack, and last year's 845 Snapdragon.
Is there really that much of a noticeable difference in speed and camera quality?
cory733 said:
I've come close to buying a Pixel 3 a few times now but just not sure it it's worth the upgrade.
My 2 main issues are LG's version of Android + lack of updates and overall speed/snappiness.
$500 for 4GB of ram in 2019 seems like a bad decision. Plus no sd card slot or headphone jack, and last year's 845 Snapdragon.
Is there really that much of a noticeable difference in speed and camera quality?
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I'm just about to buy a Pixel 3 to go sidewards from a Nokia 8 Sirocco (went with this inititally due to cheaper Android One experience in a small form factor with an OLED screen).
I guess I get a Snapdragon 845 instead of 835, but the Sirocco has 6GB of ram compared to the Pixel on 4GB.
It's definitely an issue Google only went with 4GB of RAM, but I guess the question always is
"Do you actually notice a real world difference, or could someone tell you that you have 6GB and you wouldn't know any different?". It's a phone operating system, not Windows.
What are you using the phone for? Heavy gaming? Maybe consider it. If it's just like me and its commutting whilst listening to music/posting on social media and if there is ever any gaming its things like Peggle, I doubt we'll notice 4GB.
Google's camera lenses might not be the best in the industry, but their software is and while there are lots of Gcam ports, being on the Pixel means one of the best camera experiences overall. No gimmicks, just great photos.
The only other thing I could suggest to you right now is with the Pixel 4 dropping this year, might be worth waiting for cheaper deals.
As for the headphone jack, I've been team headphone jack since forever, but I reluctantly gave it up with the Sirocco and I guess I've just got used to it. With USB C headphones that is. **** ever going wireless and having to charge headphones.
I had a G6, and the Pixel 3 is a better phone (purely imo, obviously) but as you say, the specs and cost might not be the best deal you can get in 2019.
I came from an LG V10 and I do not think it was worth the money overall.
Can't find info on this anywhere, gsmarena also doesn't seem to know. The Asus ROG Phone 3 has usb type c 3.1, and is advertised to be able to be connected to an external screen ( https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=10379&idPhone2=10393&idPhone3=10296#diff- )
Is Asus hiding this info for the zenfone to nudge the gamers towards the ROG phone? Well, someone will test eventually I hope, but I'd like to know soon-ish because I need an upgrade. And although I'm not a smartphphone gamer, I do need the ability to connect my phone to a lapdock / external screen (like the nexdock etc) (regardless if the phone itself has an official "desktop mode")
Another question: do ALL phones that have USB type C 3.1 support display port / hdmi video over usb? I'm confused because the USB standards say yes, but for example some usb-c 3.1 hubs say that they support 3.1 charging but not 3.1 video...
And is there a general rule that if a phone has UFS 3.1 then it also has usb 3.1?
This phone is great; hope I can get it, once you go main cams as 360 & frontfacing cams, you can't go back... If it had 16 gigs of RAM and ROG's cooling, it'd basically be a notebook
Cheers!
PS: if anyone asks "why not just use a chromecast" / other wireless low bitrate low resolution low framerate solutions, I am going to slap you through the monitor
No video over usb c
Jeeze, I've been waiting for a year for a phone that has:
- over 4500MAh battery
- over 8gb of ram
- over 256 storage
- cameras that don't suck (looking at you ROG phone 3 (also has ugly bezels in 2020..))
- Fully implemented USB type-c 3.1 standard that includes HDMI/video out
And NOTHING. Look at this gsmarena filter: https://www.gsmarena.com/results.ph...Min=256000&nBatCapacityMin=4500&sFreeText=3.1,
2 phones, the rog prone 3, and a bull**** 2000 euro samsung fold phone.
Is it too much to ask? Srsly
What a stupid thing to save money on. It's already bad enough it only has 8gb of ram. The ZTE Axon 20 5G has usb 3.1 and it costs 270 euro https://www.gsmarena.com/zte_axon_20_5g-10370.php
Twodordan said:
Jeeze, I've been waiting for a year for a phone that has:
- over 4500MAh battery
- over 8gb of ram
- over 256 storage
- cameras that don't suck (looking at you ROG phone 3 (also has ugly bezels in 2020..))
- Fully implemented USB type-c 3.1 standard that includes HDMI/video out
And NOTHING. Look at this gsmarena filter: https://www.gsmarena.com/results.ph...Min=256000&nBatCapacityMin=4500&sFreeText=3.1,
2 phones, the rog prone 3, and a bull**** 2000 euro samsung fold phone.
Is it too much to ask? Srsly
What a stupid thing to save money on. It's already bad enough it only has 8gb of ram. The ZTE Axon 20 5G has usb 3.1 and it costs 270 euro https://www.gsmarena.com/zte_axon_20_5g-10370.php
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Click to collapse
I couldn't agree more...it seems that not many people are interested in this feature.
Or simply associate USB Type-C with USB3.1?
Have you found anything yet? Since your last message the S20 FE has come out which probably ticks all your boxes
celticapatchanka said:
I couldn't agree more...it seems that not many people are interested in this feature.
Or simply associate USB Type-C with USB3.1?
Have you found anything yet? Since your last message the S20 FE has come out which probably ticks all your boxes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. It doesn't show up in my gsmarena filter does it?
It only has 8gb of ram and 4500mAh battery. We have 6k+mAh and 16 gigs of ram today... Those are specs from 2 years ago, and I want to use it as a netbook as well. I'd personally also want 524gb of storage and the phone to be at least 76mm wide. The cameras also look pretty mediocre. Especially compared to the zenfone and AF selfies and shooting 8k videos while being able to see yourself and your friends in the frame
Twodordan said:
No. It doesn't show up in my gsmarena filter does it?
It only has 8gb of ram and 4500mAh battery. We have 6k+mAh and 16 gigs of ram today... Those are specs from 2 years ago, and I want to use it as a netbook as well. I'd personally also want 524gb of storage and the phone to be at least 76mm wide. The cameras also look pretty mediocre. Especially compared to the zenfone and AF selfies and shooting 8k videos while being able to see yourself and your friends in the frame
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Click to collapse
Gsmarena filter is not bad but I wouldn't rely on it too much.
I think 8gb is a decent amount of ram, it is what you would find in many laptops.
From a battery point of view, I think the mAh don't tell the story as the 4500mAh on the s20 FE would last you longer than 5k on other phones.
The perfect phone for you seems to be the S20 UItra which you can find with a decent camera set-up, 5000mAh battery, 16gb ram, 512gb storage and is exactly 76mm wide.
I don't know where you are from but link below is to a SD version (or at least I think):
https://www.tobydeals.co.uk/en_GB/product/ruwu8y61fhbghkk0ywbfgbo6pj49hps1m.html
celticapatchanka said:
Gsmarena filter is not bad but I wouldn't rely on it too much.
I think 8gb is a decent amount of ram, it is what you would find in many laptops.
From a battery point of view, I think the mAh don't tell the story as the 4500mAh on the s20 FE would last you longer than 5k on other phones.
The perfect phone for you seems to be the S20 UItra which you can find with a decent camera set-up, 5000mAh battery, 16gb ram, 512gb storage and is exactly 76mm wide.
I don't know where you are from but link below is to a SD version (or at least I think):
https://www.tobydeals.co.uk/en_GB/product/ruwu8y61fhbghkk0ywbfgbo6pj49hps1m.html
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Click to collapse
Ok thanks mr samsung shill. I know more than you about tech and I decline. Also, this is not the right place for advertisements.
Twodordan said:
No. It doesn't show up in my gsmarena filter does it?
It only has 8gb of ram and 4500mAh battery. We have 6k+mAh and 16 gigs of ram today... Those are specs from 2 years ago, and I want to use it as a netbook as well. I'd personally also want 524gb of storage and the phone to be at least 76mm wide. The cameras also look pretty mediocre. Especially compared to the zenfone and AF selfies and shooting 8k videos while being able to see yourself and your friends in the frame
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Why would you need more than 8GB of ram in a phone?
Tagion said:
Why would you need more than 8GB of ram in a phone?
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Click to collapse
"and I want to use it as a netbook as well", I said.
Please don't ever ask people "why would you ever need more than x processing power in y type of device" ESPECIALLY if that processing power already exists on the market in multiple devices.
Maybe what you want to say is "for me, I can't imagine why I would need >8gb of ram this year or next year".
Twodordan said:
Ok thanks mr samsung shill. I know more than you about tech and I decline. Also, this is not the right place for advertisements.
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What the hell are you talking about?
You are complaining that you can't find a phone that meets your requirements and I just showed you one...
I am also looking for something with similar specs and I am anything but a Samsung fanboy...don't really care about brands as long as the phone is good.
About the fact that you think you know more than me about tech...how can you possibly be sure of that? do you know me?
Twodordan said:
"and I want to use it as a netbook as well", I said.
Please don't ever ask people "why would you ever need more than x processing power in y type of device" ESPECIALLY if that processing power already exists on the market in multiple devices.
Maybe what you want to say is "for me, I can't imagine why I would need >8gb of ram this year or next year".
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Click to collapse
Might aswell not spend a thousand on a phone and instead buy a normal phone and netbook instead
Tagion said:
Might aswell not spend a thousand on a phone and instead buy a normal phone and netbook instead
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Click to collapse
Yeah but a netbook with these specs is at least 1000$ and has roughly the same parts. And I don't want to split my mobile computing context into 2 devices. The phone I use most often and it is compact. I just need to be able to plug it into a screen sometimes.