[introduction: I'm Ikmalhidayat, just joined the xda forum., although always visits here for infos. but still, im just joined so, hello~]
I have a small smartphone from 2011, Samsung Galaxy Mini GT-S5770.
I am pleased with its practicality and its simplicity~ Although this phone is now very obsolete and is even lower end then entry phones today, this phone leads my everyday life. I even compared to newer phones like Samsung Galaxy Mega 2, Oppo Neo 5, Lenovo S650, Lenovo A7-30 A3300-HV, etc. But, my phone, by far, is the most easiest to use (by my opinion and those phone owners)
Still in Froyo ver. avoiding Gingerbread upgrade because of ram usage i saw on Galaxy Young (1st gen)'s ram usage.
But, after its 3 years of leading my life, it starts to show its aging. Issues,
1. Home button needs to press harder (as hard as i can actually)
2. Short battery life
3. Proximity sensor not working
4. Broken pieces (USB cover lost, microSD cover breaks, scratches over the screen, back cover)
5. Twice incidents happen (the phone wont charge and wont detect. had to pull out the battery and charge with external universal charger and leaving the phone overnight)
6. Internal memory's getting full, even most of apps uninstalled
I dont planned to by a new phone for now. But i need phone in case my phone dies. Although i have a budget to actually buy 2 Asus Zenfone 4 (4" ver), I want to make use my phone till the end of its life.
In case, i need a new phone suits for me as well. I like my Galaxy Mini more than newer phones because of its simplicity and easy yet smart (for me)
I've been looking phones like Asus Zenfone 4, Oppo Neo 5, Samsung Galaxy Trend Plus, Galaxy S Advance (old, dual core), Galaxy SII, etc. I dont like phones bigger than 5" because is too big for my pocket. Since im a gamer, i would like a powerful phone as well (with OTG, i would rather connect to a controller than bigger screen). But since im in money issues, i cant buy too expensive phone.
Any phone models that you can recommend me? Requirements,
Dual core ARM cpu or Intel
At least 512MB ram
Adreno 302 and above, faster than Mali-400MP2 (was disappointed with MaliMP2, except if it is quad core like Mali-400MP4)
At least 4GB internal storage (i have 2gb and 8gb microSD, always swapping)
at least multitouch screen
Not more than 5" display
at least 5MP with [email protected] recording
Im interested with Asus Zenfone 4 but i dont really like ZenUI. since im using TouchWiz v3.0, i like the simplicity and of course, Task Manager! (long press Home key and task manager appear). like the ColorOS from OPPO Neo 5 but like TouchWiz more. If possible, i want to have a phone very similar to my Galaxy Mini
Am hoping this is not a DUP post,
With the details recently been released, the note 5 has no micro SD storage.
Am wondering what you fellow note users are considering as the best upgrade?
I love the note series, I love the size an the power of the device.
With no additional storage, this is a deal breaker for me.
My upgrade is due in a couple of months.
Just interested on your thoughts on possible alternative devices you may be considering.
I don't know of the S series of Samsung is enough of a replacement.
The note 3, may be the last of the Samsung series for me.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Believe me, there is NO alternative of Note series. When a person gets used with Note series nothing can impress or make them happy any more.
So you either get the Note 5 or stick with your Note 3, or maybe get a Note 4, it's still a great phone.
We don't have any contract stuffs here but I like to update every one year or so, and I am really confused too. Was hellbent that Note 5 would be my upgrade, but now after seeing it I am doubtful that I will upgrade to it. I mean no SD card is no big deal for me, nor is the non-removable battery, but same screen size and smaller battery capacity is weird! But maybe after a couple of months or so I will eventually end up with buying it, simple because there is no device in this planet which could come even remotely close to a Note
What the heck is Sony and HTC doing for all this long for God's sake!
I am due for upgrade...but no SD card ....deal breaker....as I bring media on the road....maybe going for huawei p8 Max....a giant 6.8inch pH.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
I'm glad to see samsung moving to Li-Po from Li-Ion.
But removing the Micro SD slot is stupid, what where they thinking.
Also lack of usb3.
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there is note 5 thread by the way note edge is so much better than s6 edge + note 4 more better than note 4
I would not upgrade to the Note 4, I don't see this as a viable upgrade.
I may have to bite the bullet, find a device with the same size screen an similar hardware specs.
Its just going to be a challenge to drop the S pen.
The edge was a close competitor, need to go onto a store to have a play an feel.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
I'm thinking of getting a Note 4 off of Craigs, if I can find one for "reasonable." Then wait and see if Samsung sees the error of its ways next year for the next Note. Also, a Samsung rep pointed out to me that there's a Mophie case for the S6 that the phone connects to when you put it in. The case has a slot for a microSD card and, from what I understand, an extended battery. They may make one for the Note 5. No telling how big and heavy that would be.
I talked to a tech at the Sprint store, as I was wondering how you get out of a boot loop, should one happen. Apparently for the S6, there's some key combination that's supposed to work like a battery pull. I assume they have something like that for the Note 5.
I think I'll wait to see what people are saying before I decide for sure what to do. Both developers, techs and users. They did tell me at the Sprint store they will have the Note 5 for Samsung's announced date: August 21st. They are already receiving accessories for the phone.
The Note 5 isn't being released in Europe, at any rate.
Well, if you can settle for not having AMOLED and not having an Spen, the upcoming LG G4 Pro is the device the Note 5 should have been. Snapdragon 820, 5.8" 2K, 4GB RAM, MicroSD, IR blaster, FM Radio, removable battery. (not confirmed specs, but the rumours are pretty solid.)
Though frankly, I'm expecting a Note 5+ around March/April. Samsung amended their statement pretty quickly to "Not releasing it in europe this year, will release when individual markets provide a favourable moment".
The EU/International variant of the Note has always been the Snapdragon model, due to its strength and its more powerful GPU. Exynos models have always been lower-market models. The current Snapdragon CPU had too many issues, and the 820 wasn't ready in time for a pre-iPhone release. Given that they released an S6 Edge+ alongside the Note 5 makes me suspect a Note 5+ to be released alongside the S7.
Personally I'm sticking with my Note 3. If it dies, Note 4 will be its replacement. But I will A, never buy a device without a MicroSD, B, never buy a device with an Exynos, and C, live in Europe.
ShadowLea said:
The Note 5 isn't being released in Europe, at any rate.
Well, if you can settle for not having AMOLED and not having an Spen, the upcoming LG G4 Pro is the device the Note 5 should have been. Snapdragon 820, 5.8" 2K, 4GB RAM, MicroSD, IR blaster, FM Radio, removable battery. (not confirmed specs, but the rumours are pretty solid.)
Though frankly, I'm expecting a Note 5+ around March/April. Samsung amended their statement pretty quickly to "Not releasing it in europe this year, will release when individual markets provide a favourable moment".
The EU/International variant of the Note has always been the Snapdragon model, due to its strength and its more powerful GPU. Exynos models have always been lower-market models. The current Snapdragon CPU had too many issues, and the 820 wasn't ready in time for a pre-iPhone release. Given that they released an S6 Edge+ alongside the Note 5 makes me suspect a Note 5+ to be released alongside the S7.
Personally I'm sticking with my Note 3. If it dies, Note 4 will be its replacement. But I will A, never buy a device without a MicroSD, B, never buy a device with an Exynos, and C, live in Europe.
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Largely i´ll have to agree. On the MSD-slot though: If we get a 128 GB option i´d probably surrender. If i understand the issue correctly, the on-board ram is much faster. The current N5 setup: Not a chance. One thing i don´t completely understand: Every time we get a new phone on the market with sd-slot, the on-board ram is always on the small side. The best i´ve seen so far was 32 Gigs. Is it just to keep retail prices down? It almost feels like a "Holy cow". To me this sounds like a situation where we could actually have our cookie and eat it too (Provided of course we were willing to pay for it
Regards
Elo
Polar67 said:
Largely i´ll have to agree. On the MSD-slot though: If we get a 128 GB option i´d probably surrender. If i understand the issue correctly, the on-board ram is much faster. The current N5 setup: Not a chance. One thing i don´t completely understand: Every time we get a new phone on the market with sd-slot, the on-board ram is always on the small side. The best i´ve seen so far was 32 Gigs. Is it just to keep retail prices down? It almost feels like a "Holy cow". To me this sounds like a situation where we could actually have our cookie and eat it too (Provided of course we were willing to pay for it
Regards
Elo
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Click to collapse
You're spot on about keeping the retail prices down. It's mainly because most people aren't paying 100 quid for 32GB extra when you can get a 128GB MicroSD for 66 quid. Consumers aren't that stupid. (Well, most of them aren't.)
I mean, take the Note 4. €599 for the 32GB model, + €66 for a 128GB MicroSD = €665. The 64GB model costs €699. If you buy the first, that leaves you €34 to spend on a really nice case, screenprotector or extra battery. Or two 64GB MicroSD's. (MediaMarkt sold a pack of 2x64GB+adapters for €32 last week.)
You'd have to be pretty bonkers to consider the 64GB edition that way. (I did consider it, and yes, I'm officially mad as a hatter. But unfortunately they never actually produced the 64GB edition of the Note 3.) A 128GB edition would cost over 1000 euros, which would scare people off.
Not to mention, if you keep your apps internal, and your media external (which is safest in the event of a hardware defect, freeze, crash or drop, too), 32GB is more than sufficient. I have 523 apps, of which over 100 games, and still 5GB free internal space.
And then there's MTP. Transferring an average 1080p film of 25GB takes 5 minutes via a MicroSD adapter. It takes 3 hours over MTP, and craps out halfway because the protocol crashes.
The real issue is that a lot of people are idiots. Yes, the onboard storage is faster in its new format. That's entirely true. Aparently, a MicroSD slows things down when apps are put on them.
Which is the problem: people have forgotten that MicroSD's are for MEDIA. It is entirely irrelevant how fast the internal memory is compared to the MicroSD. That film isn't going to play any faster than 25fps. (Rant aimed at the people who use that as an argument. Not at you xD)
And Samsung has forgotten that the average 1080p film is 25GB. How, exactly, do they suggest I put that on a 32GB device that is already housing 8GB worth of bloatware?
I have two 128GB MicroSD's filled to the brim with films, series, comics, magazines and books that I swap around as I need them. Even a 256GB device would not be sufficient for my needs. Overkill? Maybe. I have to travel on public transport for 6 hours a day, 5.5 of which are in a mobile deadzone. (So no cloud, if that was even useful with maximum data subscriptions of 12GB to begin with. That's half a film.)
ShadowLea said:
Well, if you can settle for not having AMOLED and not having an Spen, the upcoming LG G4 Pro is the device the Note 5 should have been. Snapdragon 820, 5.8" 2K, 4GB RAM, MicroSD, IR blaster, FM Radio, removable battery. (not confirmed specs, but the rumours are pretty solid.)
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Click to collapse
LOL! An LG compared with any Samsung is nothing but a joke, utter joke. Sorry if some LG fanboy gets butthurt here, but speaking from a purely personal experience with G3, and the Nexus 5 too.
Biggest shame a Note device could have by being compared with some hotchpotch LG!
devilsdouble said:
LOL! An LG compared with any Samsung is nothing but a joke, utter joke. Sorry if some LG fanboy gets butthurt here, but speaking from a purely personal experience with G3, and the Nexus 5 too.
Biggest shame a Note device could have by being compared with some hotchpotch LG!
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Oh I quite agree. The G4 barely lasts 2 hours with the screen on, 6 with the screen off. Sure, it has a fancy camera, but if I want to take fancy pictures, I'll bring my EOS 70D.
I was just suggesting options. In terms of pure technical specs, the G4 Pro looks to be everything we'd hoped the Note 5 would be. The fact that LG usually screws up their phones (Though nowhere near as bad as HTC seems to be doing these days) has little to do with the core specs.
What's your opinion of Motorola's Nexus 6? Now that Android natively supports MicroSD, and the N6 had an AMOLED screen, the next Nexus may very well be a serious contender.
@ShadowLea
Have you tried the ZE551ML ZenFone 2?
https://www.asus.com/Phone/ZenFone_2_ZE551ML/
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
celderic said:
@ShadowLea
Have you tried the ZE551ML ZenFone 2?
https://www.asus.com/Phone/ZenFone_2_ZE551ML/
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't had the chance to play with it yet, sadly. They're pretty much impossible to come by in the Netherlands.
Also, I'm a little hesitant when it comes to mobile devices from Asus after the I/O issues that plagued every Transformer(Including my TF700T) for years. (in terms of laptops there's none better, don't get me wrong.)
Note 5 = best screen + best camera in a premium device + spen and good battery life and wireless charging endless list of sensors etc etc
Seriously people still b**ching about it ???
As for the LG G4, its n aweaome phone
the battery is better than my note 3 and it got amazing camera screen and speed. Why trolling ??? 4 hours standby = faulty battery, I can easily get 4 hours screen on with continuous gaming, Web surfing video playback and chatting ..... it's my travelling phone mostly cuz of the battery and camera.
ShadowLea said:
Oh I quite agree. The G4 barely lasts 2 hours with the screen on, 6 with the screen off. Sure, it has a fancy camera, but if I want to take fancy pictures, I'll bring my EOS 70D.
I was just suggesting options. In terms of pure technical specs, the G4 Pro looks to be everything we'd hoped the Note 5 would be. The fact that LG usually screws up their phones (Though nowhere near as bad as HTC seems to be doing these days) has little to do with the core specs.
What's your opinion of Motorola's Nexus 6? Now that Android natively supports MicroSD, and the N6 had an AMOLED screen, the next Nexus may very well be a serious contender.
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Click to collapse
I like Motorola actually, but the Moto X 2013 I used had an awful display, I mean I don't know how poor a display could be! So that gives me some scary thing when its about Motorola, but still Nexus 6 is a good phone.
AMOLED panel doesn't matter really. I need to know which generation AMOLED panel it is, the older AMOLED panels are nowhere near as good as current generations' S-AMOLED panels. Also how is the reception thing going on with Motorola? I remember not getting reception in places with my X 2013 where I receive more than decent reception with other phones, that's very serious for me.
Damn if the Note 5 came out with a display around 5.9" I would be all over it. I don't care about the external SD thing at all, and I hope regardless of its smaller capacity battery it will still be better than Note 3 in endurance.
vodovodo said:
As for the LG G4, its n aweaome phone
the battery is better than my note 3 and it got amazing camera screen and speed. Why trolling ??? 4 hours standby = faulty battery, I can easily get 4 hours screen on with continuous gaming, Web surfing video playback and chatting ..... it's my travelling phone mostly cuz of the battery and camera.
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Click to collapse
Yeah awesome phone when compared with the likes of OnePlus One or some Xiaomi nonsense, its not even in the same league with any Samsung flagship for God's sake! Brilliant display? Yeah sure, when 8000+ Kelvins is counted as brilliant, it sure the heck is!
The Note 5 was a complete let-down. The three things it removed are the things I used/appreciated most:
- IR blaster
- Removable battery
- Expandable memory
So, after four generations of Note owning (I bought the Note 1 a week after it launched), I will be leaving Sammy.
If you slapped down a Note 4 and a Note 5 on the table right in front of me right now, I'd pay more money for the Note 4.
Here's hoping they revert to their former prestige. Until then, LG Pro 4? I think I have to.
If the Note 5 has OTG support it's oke but clouddrives like Mega can replace SD for most of the time.
The almost no-go to the Note 5 for me is the glass backside. It really anoys me that samsung didn't continue the fake leather backside. I really love it compair to a glass. Now I really need a case.
Unfortunally I have to import the Note 5 because it will not be available in Europe(at least not in the first period).
Please sign the appeal to bring the Note 5 to Europe:
http://blog.clove.co.uk/2015/08/14/appeal-to-bring-samsung-galaxy-note-5-to-europe-note5foreurope/
Tombias said:
If the Note 5 has OTG support it's oke but clouddrives like Mega can replace SD for most of the time.
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Click to collapse
Oh yes, that works so well...
This is my average Internet speed the 6 hours on public transport when I need the films on my MicroSD the most:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Do please tell me how I am supposed to stream 1080p films from the cloud over that.
I currently have an lg g2 that I really like. The xiaomi mi4 is currently on sale for 155$. It is a really good deal and I am going to sell my g2 for the same amount. The question is, is it worth it? What advantages will I get with the mi4? I am scarred to get a yellow spot on my g2's screen, because it is very common. I also like miui a lot, but I hate lag. I can see the slightest lag
You may just buy Redmi Note 3 Pro instead of Mi4, it has better chip. It has fast development like mi4. I bought mi4 for IDR 1,6 million (about USD 120) for my wife yesterday, but after I know how fast the development of Reno 3 Pro is, I realize "buy Redmi Note 3 Pro" is better choice.
Sent from my m2 note using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:51 AM ----------
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=6518&idPhone2=7863
Reno 3 Pro has MicroSD Expansion or dual simcard if you choose. With thinner body.
Sent from my m2 note using Tapatalk
Yes, I must agree on the Redmi Note 3 Pro. I also had a G2 as my main driver, but after some beating it took, it needed replacement after more than 2 years of use.
I did an extensive research, and was most likely to buy G3 or G4. But the thing that bothers me about those phones is:
a) processor - 801 is not much of a upgrade, and I would rather avoid 808/810, for heating issues/throttling, which means inadequate performance in the long run, and faster battery drain.
b) No physical buttons - this is very subjective, but I hate the software buttons for my reasons, and would much rather go for a phone with physical buttons
c) Design - G4 has an attractive design, but G3 looks very similar to the G2, which got boring to me.
d) Display - I do NOT want 1440p display on a phone, for my own reasons (battery life). Plus, the G3 supposedly has washed out colors.
After a ~month of research, I found out about the Snapdragon 650 and 652, and boy, after owning the Note 3 Pro for about a month now, I can say that the processors are incomparably better than the 808/810 (which leads me to an obvious question - is the 20nm TSMC process to blame? I really believe it is.).
The pros of Note 3 Pro
- price: 32GB/3GB version (the only one you want) cost me about 270 USD, brand new delivered from China by DHL, with custom fees pre-paid and insured.
- display: although 5.5 inch is maybe ever so slightly bigger than an ideal size for one-handed usage, the display looks stunning. I'm getting compliments on the display from everyone who sees it. The colors are so vibrant and saturated! I just love to look at the display (not to say that the G2 didn't have a good display - it is just no match for this one.)
- performance: absolutely unbeatable. I though the G2 was fast enough. Well, that changed when I got my hands on the Snapdragon 650. In my opinion, this SoC can only be beaten by 652, 820 and the 14nm Exynoses. Not to mention that the RAM and eMMC is most likely also much faster compared to the G2.
- battery life: Great, awesome, super cool. 4000 mAh and a very good SoC means that this thing will ALWAYS last you the whole day, even if you throw the heaviest workloads on it.
- and other minor things, like the great fingerprint sensor, MIUI goodies, great Wi-Fi, bluetooth and cellular reception, very clear and loud call speaker, microSD, dual SIM, etc.
Cons:
- missing LTE band 20 - the only thing that bothers me about this phone. Even though I live in a big city, I often have problems getting LTE signal - G2 did not have this problem and always had a reliable LTE connection
- locked bootloader - which can be unlocked, but official way is really cumbersome, as you have to wait for 2 weeks to get a permission to unlock, and even then, I managed to unlock it only after switching to a china dev rom (from global stable). After you get it OFFICIALLY unlocked, this is no longer a problem (there is also an unofficial way, but I wouldn't really recommend it, due to the hassle with flashing roms, which can brick your phone if done wrong).
- as with all stock ROMs, also MIUI is bloated with (for me) useless applications. I like to keep my phones as clean as possible, to maximize performance and battery life. But yeah, after you get a custom recovery and root, you can debloat it to your liking
All in all, I am more than satisfied with this phone. Right now, I would maybe switch it for a Mi5, but the price gap is not justifiable in my opinion.
TL;DR: Get the Redmi Note 3 Pro 32GB!
First of all welcome everyone, glad to be a part of this forum. I've been lurking XDA developers since long, long time ago back in the PDA era (HTC SPV M5000 anyone?).
I've owned my Galaxy Note 2 for over 2.5 years now and I'm tired of constantly running out of internal storage and the now-supar camera. I'm looking to buy a new smartphone that will check off many boxes, but if I could describe what I need in 2 sentences, it would go something like: a large-screened productivity workhorse with loads of storage and battery, and a good camera. And if it's future-proof, that's even better! I want a device that will last me for at least 2+ years.
Here's what I'm looking for:
- Screen size between 5,5" and 6"
- Internal storage min. 32 GB, needs to have a microSD card slot (unless it has 128G internal storage)
- Decent camera with OIS (camera should handle low-light shooting well)
- Decent UI (unlike the majority of community here, I don't really want to be flashing my phone with new ROMs or any of that, I just want something that works well right out of the box and is user-customizeable through custom home launchers etc)
- Great battery life (this is big for me, I'm often on the road, I listen to tons of podcasts, use mobile data, bluetooth, sometimes wifi tethering etc. I need a phone that can get me through a looong day)
- Fingerprint scanner
- Won't put a huge hole in my wallet (I wouldn't mind paying more for the perfect and FUTURE-PROOF phone but seems like there isn't one that checks off all the boxes. At the same time I'm trying to keep it below $500)
- A physical home button is a plus (and capacitive buttons! Just like in Samsung Galaxy series)
- Screen res. above 1080p is a plus (better for VR and I will probably try some VR in near future)
- Replaceable battery is a plus (plus extended phone cases, yay!)
- OTG support is a plus
- USB-C is a plus
- Dual SIM is definitely a plus
- No curved screens like on the Samsung Edge series
I looked at:
- Huawei Mate 8 - checks off most boxes, nice big battery but crappy, buggy, and not very customizable UI.
- Huawei Mate P9 Plus - very interesting camera-wise, the rest just like above
- LG G5 - also very interesting camera-wise, a bit smaller screen, and a battery that's way too small. Although replacable, I cannot imagine remembering to bring a spare battery with me everywhere.
- Nexus 6P - great reviews and everything, great software BUT I'm mostly based in China where ALL Google services are blocked, so it would probably be a big pain to have to rely on VPN the whole time. Also camera has no OIS, although I did read it's great. Another con: a bit expensive and not easily available in the 128G version
- Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro - the top contender for me so far. The 5000mAh battery is nuts and just what I need. Dual SIM and dedicated microSD slot. Affordable. But the big bummer: sub-par camera. Also a bit low on the DPI if I ever want to use VR. And no notification light (how am I supposed to know if I got notifications?)
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4 - a bit slower than the A9 Pro, smaller battery, but better camera. And the stylus - I could definitely use the stylus for more productivity. Just really not sure about investing in the aging technology. I want to get at least 2 years out of the new smartphone. Also I've read there's some issues with GPS that are hard to solve. Added benefit of possibility of extended battery case.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 - nice and seems like a significant upgrade from Note 4 but no card slot, and expensive at 128G. Still only microUSB v2.0 even at the high price point.
- LG V10 and LG G4 - very interesting propositions, reportedly good cameras, very mediocre batteries (and not too good power management it seems) at 3000mAh but both could be extended with a bigger battery. Pretty sure I would be fine with a little bulkier phone with a case that accommodates a 4000-6000mAh battery, but I would still need to keep it as slim as possible, I don't mind if it's not the slimmest phone but I certainly don't want a thick and heavy brick in my pocket. I've also read reviews of some of the extended battery cases and it seems like the battery quality can be a real lottery. The batteries lose their capacity quickly, and I think none of them can be charged using the Quick Charge 2.0
- ZTE Avon 7 - veeery interesting proposition, not the biggest battery but almost everything else knocks me out of my socks. 6GB RAM possible, 128G storage that can be expanded by another 128G (!), capacitive buttons in the higher version, an added benefit of insane speakers. The camera is reportedly not too impressive though, although I'm pretty sure it's better than the one in Galaxy A9 Pro. The main concerns: it's a very fresh phone, the UI is reportedly not very optimized, I can imagine there will be plenty of issues that ZTE will need to fix through software before this phone runs as smoothly as the Galaxy A9 Pro or LG G4 would. And I hate waiting in hopes. Also, being in China, I think it's a bit tricky to purchase the phone in International/European version that has a broader range of bands and doesn't block Google services. I've read through the entire 35 page thread on XDA about this phone and yes, it seems like you can get the Google services to work without problems but who knows what the next ZTE updates will do to that. The way I generally see it is Chinese UI = potential problems.
For the Galaxy A9 Pro or LG G4 I would just go to Hong Kong to buy them and enjoy a phone that doesn't have the Google services blocked. I couldn't find the ZTE Avon 7 anywhere in HK on the internet.
All in all if I had to go to the store tomorrow I'd probably need to choose between a Galaxy A9 Pro, the well-proven LG G4 with a great camera (but a need to buy a good extended battery case and ultimately ending up with a rather bulky phone), the Galaxy Note 4, and the ZTE Avon 7.
Any suggestions, thoughts, recommendations?