I bought this phone on 21st October 2017 and today is its 3rd birthday.
Coming to points.......
? PERFORMANCE - SDM625 is a great processor and no hiccups in day to day tasks and my Mi A1 scored 77,799 points in Antutu
? BATTERY- It is a well optimised phone charging my phone to 100% on 7am it can easily last till 4pm with 30-25% battery left. WhatsApp, YouTube, WiFi, location.
? Camera - It's awesome 12+12MP , Optical zoom it captured some very good shots better than Mi A3 ( i own all the Mi A series ) but due to 12MP photo details are less but its pleasing to eyes ?. One thing I don't like is that non availability of camera2api , but anyway we can enable it through CMD. And 5MP selfie camera
? DISPLAY - With 401ppi its great in this range many phone gives HD+ display in 2020, so in terms of display Mi A1 is a par over other phone in 2020
? SPEAKER - DiRac HD sound amplifier is best and can compete with many of 2020 phones rest of them have less bass and volume
? NETWORK - i didn't have any problem it good
? SUPPORT - It already got Android R roms so its good
? DESIGN - It is an all metal design and feels very very premium in hand it fell 5-6 times on concrete in the time span of 3Years but every thing is fine no cracks or Dents
The only 2 things I don't like in this marvelous phone is that
?? Faulty power button
?? Extreme thick bezels
1) Agree, it's fast enough.
2) What a lie, the battery was rubbish even when new, let alone now. Besides most have wakelock issues due to poor USB port design.
3) The camera was bad in 2017, it's absolutely bloody horrible nowadays. Your only saving grace is to use GCam if you want to get anything remotely usable.
4) It's nowhere as bright as current gen midranges, not even a comparison. It was respectable in 2017 though.
5) The speaker has always been rubbish, don't know what you're on about. And the earpiece breaks easily leaving you with barely any call volume. Not to mention the software bugs in this department.
6) Fair point, I too think it is decent.
7) Eh... no. Xiaomi always gave this device second class support (as is standard for Xiaomi). Community support doesn't really count if you're reviewing a phone.
8) It's an iPhone 7 plus clone, and it's rather well made so yeah I agree.
As for your negatives, the power button failing on you is probably as a result of you dropping it. Mine works fine. The bezels are part of the design, wouldn't call that a negative, just out of fashion.
Artikbot said:
1) Agree, it's fast enough.
2) What a lie, the battery was rubbish even when new, let alone now. Besides most have wakelock issues due to poor USB port design.
3) The camera was bad in 2017, it's absolutely bloody horrible nowadays. Your only saving grace is to use GCam if you want to get anything remotely usable.
4) It's nowhere as bright as current gen midranges, not even a comparison. It was respectable in 2017 though.
5) The speaker has always been rubbish, don't know what you're on about. And the earpiece breaks easily leaving you with barely any call volume. Not to mention the software bugs in this department.
6) Fair point, I too think it is decent.
7) Eh... no. Xiaomi always gave this device second class support (as is standard for Xiaomi). Community support doesn't really count if you're reviewing a phone.
8) It's an iPhone 7 plus clone, and it's rather well made so yeah I agree.
As for your negatives, the power button failing on you is probably as a result of you dropping it. Mine works fine. The bezels are part of the design, wouldn't call that a negative, just out of fashion.
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Mine is still alive and kicking as my daily driver. I agree with most of whats been pointed by the OP except that i never had problems with the power button. The camera and battery are still in great shape despite its age. Just had to replace the display after a really bad dive to the ground.
datasource said:
Mine is still alive and kicking as my daily driver. I agree with most of whats been pointed by the OP except that i never had problems with the power button. The camera and battery are still in great shape despite its age. Just had to replace the display after a really bad dive to the ground.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks
Artikbot said:
As for your negatives, the power button failing on you is probably as a result of you dropping it. Mine works fine. The bezels are part of the design, wouldn't call that a negative, just out of fashion.
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Click to collapse
He's right about faulty power button. Mine failed too under a year. Have to unlock the phone with the fingerprint sensor. Lock with screen timeout or Gravityscreen app
T.Y.M.SAI said:
I bought this phone on 21st October 2017 and today is its 3rd birthday
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is two and half years old
T.Y.M.SAI said:
PERFORMANCE - SDM625 is a great processor and no hiccups in day to day tasks and my Mi A1 scored 77,799 points in Antutu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree
T.Y.M.SAI said:
BATTERY- It is a well optimised phone charging my phone to 100% on 7am it can easily last till 4pm with 30-25% battery left. WhatsApp, YouTube, WiFi, location
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Click to collapse
Not agree. I changed the battery because begin to drain too fast. After a period of adaptation, the new battery it's ok.
T.Y.M.SAI said:
Camera - It's awesome 12+12MP , Optical zoom it captured some very good shots better than Mi A3 ( i own all the Mi A series ) but due to 12MP photo details are less but its pleasing to eyes . One thing I don't like is that non availability of camera2api , but anyway we can enable it through CMD. And 5MP selfie camera
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fully agree, but it's neccesary to stay on Android 9 to keep slow mo.
T.Y.M.SAI said:
SUPPORT - It already got Android R roms so its good
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Partially agree, because the slow-mo issue at Android 10-11
T.Y.M.SAI said:
Extreme thick bezels
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Yes, the design it's old compared with the new phones.
But, it's a AWESOME machine! I love it!
I had no problems with battery, what I have to say is I have two Mi A2 devices, the first one is rooted and with DerpFest ROM (Android 10), but tried new Android 11 as well (I won't say so much about that, farther than I'm so glad to see that hardware can support the most of what Android 11 is giving). The second one is untouched and updated.
Is not a lie that original camera software didn't get the best of hardware, but some other areas have the same exact problem. I think Mi A1 wasn't as good in software as device deserved, knowing the hardware it has... I remember all posts reporting problems each time Android was updated. Xiaomi always forgot to add a block to the wall each time they wanted to make the wall higher (Android major version), and was late to fix problems and give correct support... in some cases things were just left a they were (time started to be Mi A1's main enemy). However, clean installs solved some problems, but that's not what a normal user wants to do.
I loved custom ROMs development for this device. We have so many flavors these days, even after we had a hiatus at some point (maintainers had a lack of devices to test, for different reasons), but things started to go well again, thanks to our developers and maintainers. So I didn't feel that I needed to go back to stock. In some cases I can see that things would be better if main firmwares were better.
About the infamous power button, is all that true. I also had to replace that piece after two years, and I'll possibly have to replace it again. Flex is so fragile and continue use breaks it. Have to mention that in my case, is not just the power button what gets damaged, but vol+ as well... Obvious reason? Well, I go many times to Recovery on my rooted device to test things. Vol- works as expected. Stock device is working, ok since I left a fingerprint set, so physical buttons aren't used so much.
About battery, for me this is relative. I can manage battery use in my rooted device with Magisk modules, but this device has far more apps installed than stock one, so, at the end battery usage is almost equal. This was explained at the beginning. I feel Mi A1 needed more love from Xiaomi at software/firmware and support level.
Mine is approaching its 3rd year, and I am still using it daily with 2 SIMs.
Battery is not what used to be, but it lasts more than enough for one whole day and then some.
My power button acts funny, as sometime registers multiple presses and the camera is launched instead of just turning on the screen. But I think that the cover has something to do with that.
After they stopped updating the phone, I changed from 100% stock to Pixel Experience Plus (currently on Android 10).
Everything I need works as intended. No lags or freezes.
And I love GCam. I wish I'd changed before.
The phone has somehow shrunk since I started using it years ago. My previous phone had a 4.5” screen and the MiA1 seemed huge at the time. With the proliferation of 6.5” screens all over the place, my phone looks tiny now.
Overall, I am 100% satisfied with this little phone, and I plan to be using it for several years until it fails.
Third birthday
So my phone is also having it's third birthday and this is my conclusion so far:
+ Solid build quality (better than Redmi range), I probably drop it like once a week.
+ Speaker is good, loud and not too tinny
+ Signal quality is decent
+ Battery is still in good condition, Xiaomi usually has some decent batteries.
+ Lots of custom roms
+ Snapdragon 625 is battery efficient and generally works well
+ Screen has quite good contrast and colors with calibration (really bad on stock)
+ Easy to unlock, and decently easy take apart and service
+ Still looks as new, the display is quite free from scratches and the oleophobic coating still helps a bit
+++ Accidentally dropped it in a bucket of water and it survived this like a champ.
- Xiaomi's roms all suck (except for battery life which is quite good)
- Camera is quite bad (except with gcam which isn't even comparable to stock and takes beautiful pictures)
- Power button sucks, registers double presses since first year (volume buttons are fine so far).
- Headphone sound quality is absolutely horrible with hissing unless the earphones/headphones aren't sensitive or if using an attenuator (I built one for my A1)
- All custom roms I've tried so far have noise cancellation that doesn't work (works perfectly fine on stock).
- Stock rom is not smooth, lots and lots of stutter (not on custom rom)
As a conclusion, this is the best Android phone I've had and it's survived way more than I thought it would.
I'd rather replace the battery than getting a new phone, unless we get something more exciting that Android because Android is too boring, stagnant and Google infected.
7/10
100% satisfied with the phone, mine also is 3 years old now. No issues except the faulty power/volume button which I overcome using custom roms with double tap to wake/sleep feature.
Display: Fine
Camera: Okayish
Battery: Decent with good charge time
Software: I use custom roms but even the stock one is very clean
Performance: I play games (PUBG, COD etc) yet the performance has never been an issue thanks to custom roms.
Build Quality: other then the power button issue, the phone is build very solid, had many falls, I even use it without a screen guard and case now, never had a broken screen.
Overall this phone has really served me well, I will upgrade to another good midranger but with my own money, since I currently live with my parent sand don't wanna bother them with my expenses. Flagship phones are not worth it for me, unless I have huge piles of cash with no clue how to spend it.
Same here flagship are 99% waste of money ? , when a budget phone can handle everything.
For example Redmi Note 8 Pro is better than samsung s20 ultra ???
after one year mine had a great GPS issues. Used the warranty - they replaced the mainboard. After few months it came back. Good phone but unreliable GPS.
Related
I'm about to pack in my old, beloved M8, which has told me in no uncertain terms that its life is drawing to a close. I've spent way too much time researching, and arrived at the conclusion that the Honor 8 is my best fit. It's not as small as I wanted to be (I love everything about the Xperia Z5 Compact except that it cracks if you look at it funny and heats up enough to start a campfire), but the specs are there and the price is right.
The only real concerns I have left are the reports that it doesn't like to connect to LTE at times, even when there's a strong signal, and EMUI's taking away my app drawer. Are those real concerns, or just overblown? Is there anything I'm missing in terms of a reason to love or be wary of the Honor 8?
Thanks in advance. I'm seeing lots of reviews loving it, and Ars burying it because it's not a OnePlus 3, so that's reassuring.
T.J. Bender said:
I'm about to pack in my old, beloved M8, which has told me in no uncertain terms that its life is drawing to a close. I've spent way too much time researching, and arrived at the conclusion that the Honor 8 is my best fit. It's not as small as I wanted to be (I love everything about the Xperia Z5 Compact except that it cracks if you look at it funny and heats up enough to start a campfire), but the specs are there and the price is right.
The only real concerns I have left are the reports that it doesn't like to connect to LTE at times, even when there's a strong signal, and EMUI's taking away my app drawer. Are those real concerns, or just overblown? Is there anything I'm missing in terms of a reason to love or be wary of the Honor 8?
Thanks in advance. I'm seeing lots of reviews loving it, and Ars burying it because it's not a OnePlus 3, so that's reassuring.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't had any issues with lte on tmobile.
Just install a custom launcher. I put pixel launcher and works fine.
My only concern is updates and dev support
tlxxxsracer said:
Haven't had any issues with lte on tmobile.
Just install a custom launcher. I put pixel launcher and works fine.
My only concern is updates and dev support
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does Pixel Launcher let you have an app drawer again?
Yes.
tlxxxsracer said:
Yes.
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Click to collapse
Pretty damn sure I'm buying it then.
Hi, i think the phone is quite perfect, except for the chassis...is very easy to scratch it , and after just 7 days showed signs of wear on the rear
I'm too considering H8 but if true,this user review from gsmarena has a point(or two):
Since I had both(gave Honor 8 to my sister),if look at it straight objective...it's a no contest win for Mi5.
While the build quality is same,both are fingerprint magnets in specific colors,and looks is a highly subjective point,i can name few things Mi5 has the edge:
CPU + GPU is highly(and I mean HIGHLY) superior in Mi5 if u play games.
Screen in Mi5 is superior in everything to Honor 8 even in blacks.
Screen has Gorilla Glass4,Honor's...if it has any,manufacturers of it needs to be sued. Scratches like anything I've seen in my life from both front and rear. No keyes,no lighters,no change in pocket. It just does.
Sound is superior in Mi5 and I'm talking headphones here.
Dev support is slam dunk win for Mi5. Cyanogen mod official is coming now that kernel is released and community is more alive. XDA has signed agreement with Huaweii regarding dev of roms for H8 but devs are unwilling to work in unknown enviroment(Kirin) for now. So you're stuck with EMUI or what it's called. MIUI in Mi5 is no paradise either but at least u have options and they will be only bigger in near future.
Honor has better cam if you're a photo freak. To me,to my FB,twitter and instagram,they're the same in terms of performing.
So considering recent pricing that puts Mi5 3/64 version around 300-320$(delivery in EU,and pricing likely to go down as Mi5s announced for next week) I objectively cant see any reason to go for Honor 8.
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Click to collapse
And it seems to me,looking that other thread with complaints bout scratches + some reviews that have mentioned it,that phone is built with cheap materials and that is,personally a deal breaker for me.
troublecro said:
I'm too considering H8 but if true,this user review from gsmarena has a point(or two):
And it seems to me,looking that other thread with complaints bout scratches + some reviews that have mentioned it,that phone is built with cheap materials and that is,personally a deal breaker for me.
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Click to collapse
Sand also scratches Gorilla Glas 4/5, to me personaly the device doesn`t look or feel cheap and both performance and batterylife is great. What more can you ask?
People don't carry sand in their pockets dude. It's like counter argumenting that crocodiles kill humans too when someone says that motor bikes are dangerous.
And i'm having my Xperia Z3C 2 years now,carried it in Thor Steinar bag with Zippo lighter,coins and keys(I miss sand tho) for 99% time,no tempered glass no case. Not a scratch on the screen.
Excuse me If i look for a replacement with same quility of screen(and overall) protection. I don't fancy buying a good looking phone just to armor it up like I'm heading to a warzone.
What about things like battery time, has it got a removable battery so it's not a brick or DIY project after a few years, will it get Android 7, 8 and so on. That far outweighs things like having Crapple A10 speed or 4K screen res. for me, hands down. Paying $1000 and you don't even get a notification LED on some devices, geez.
For the LTE connection I didnt find any problem as I already used for 2 months already.
tlxxxsracer said:
Haven't had any issues with lte on tmobile.
Just install a custom launcher. I put pixel launcher and works fine.
My only concern is updates and dev support
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honor US, India and UK models provides updates for minimum 2 years from the date of release. i.e you will get update till Android O for sure.
Remember that Honor 4X which released in Kitkat is now running on Marshmallow. So you will get for sure.
Regarding Dev support, Since Honor has joined hands with XDA, it will be improved hopefully.
iMaterial said:
What about things like battery time, has it got a removable battery so it's not a brick or DIY project after a few years, will it get Android 7, 8 and so on. That far outweighs things like having Crapple A10 speed or 4K screen res. for me, hands down. Paying $1000 and you don't even get a notification LED on some devices, geez.
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SOT is amazing, people are reporting 7h in average
the only downfall is the less durable screen on the back which is prominent to scratches.
I wish the back glass was as strong as the front
GPS bug and light sensor still not fixed
Current version (after last soft release) still has a very crappy light sensor and a huge GPS bug.
whenever you're indoor, GPS is reset to position 0;0, thus teleporting you in the Atlantic Ocean... and ruining every Driving app that was running at the moment.
Currently triggers in every long tunnel, 100% when indoor , randomly if your car windows are blocking GPS signals ....
I bought one , considering all the reviews (sponsored or not), but i had to sent it back.
Now back with my Z3C.
GrrXDA said:
Current version (after last soft release) still has a very crappy light sensor and a huge GPS bug.
whenever you're indoor, GPS is reset to position 0;0, thus teleporting you in the Atlantic Ocean... and ruining every Driving app that was running at the moment.
Currently triggers in every long tunnel, 100% when indoor , randomly if your car windows are blocking GPS signals ....
I bought one , considering all the reviews (sponsored or not), but i had to sent it back.
Now back with my Z3C.
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Click to collapse
thats very disaapointing considering all the positive reviews
GrrXDA said:
Current version (after last soft release) still has a very crappy light sensor and a huge GPS bug.
whenever you're indoor, GPS is reset to position 0;0, thus teleporting you in the Atlantic Ocean... and ruining every Driving app that was running at the moment.
Currently triggers in every long tunnel, 100% when indoor , randomly if your car windows are blocking GPS signals ....
I bought one , considering all the reviews (sponsored or not), but i had to sent it back.
Now back with my Z3C.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dare not say it but GPS is dead on for me on Google Maps, even indoors. Auto backlighting in low light conditions is too low, have my H8 set on manual brightness in the evening. GPS faillure might very well be a hardware faillure.
See attached pic, indoors.
GrrXDA said:
Current version (after last soft release) still has a very crappy light sensor and a huge GPS bug.
whenever you're indoor, GPS is reset to position 0;0, thus teleporting you in the Atlantic Ocean... and ruining every Driving app that was running at the moment.
Currently triggers in every long tunnel, 100% when indoor , randomly if your car windows are blocking GPS signals ....
I bought one , considering all the reviews (sponsored or not), but i had to sent it back.
Now back with my Z3C.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You received the update, right?!
PalakMi said:
You received the update, right?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its more likely to be a hardware problem.
hi my note 5's screen got broke so I need a new smartphone
with my price tag the only solid options are the hTC 10 and the Huawei Mate 9
I found some reviews bashing the headphone jack performance of the mate 9 so for comparison with the galaxy s7 for example or the note 5 for those who owned both of the devices how is it.
also the gaming performance how is it ?for example how much fps you get with Riptide Renegade on high settings
and also I would like to know if there is a flaw or a problem you encountered with this phone.
sorry for being long and I would really appreciate your help.
thanks in advance
AlMaghraby said:
hi my note 5's screen got broke so I need a new smartphone
with my price tag the only solid options are the hTC 10 and the Huawei Mate 9
I found some reviews bashing the headphone jack performance of the mate 9 so for comparison with the galaxy s7 for example or the note 5 for those who owned both of the devices how is it.
also the gaming performance how is it ?for example how much fps you get with Riptide Renegade on high settings
and also I would like to know if there is a flaw or a problem you encountered with this phone.
sorry for being long and I would really appreciate your help.
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally i have no complaints. There are minor ticks here and there but thats as expected. HEadphone jack is fine on my unit. BT is really nice. Battery is great. i avg 9-10 hours SOT per charge and thats over 2 days for me. ( 1d 18hr )
Ive tweaked a few things. i do not get push notifications unless it is from a text.
I also do not use FB apps. Instagram or SC. ( use Metal for FB and website for instagram )
ONLY use the chaarger included with it. or the one huawei makes for car charging.
Reception is great. Small things here n there on Tmo but it works well.
Camera is Excellent. i was 15ft away from a car at a show and in the photo you can read the tire sidewall!
CONS:
Limited cases and Glass coveres
Limited charger options
Trickle charge issue. ( old HTC things. unplug for a few minutes then plug back in for about 5-10 more. gives a true full charge )
I have a 128gb SD in and i love having 183gb to store anything on.
DO NOT use the internal batteyr estimator. Not accurate ( USE GSAM )
Compared to my Note 5 this is THE BEST phone i have ever used. Im going to sell my Note 5, eave sprint and stick just to Tmobile. or ATT idk yet.
Can't argue with this.
On Amazon (in Germany) you can find now plenty of cases for Mate 9. I can recommend the Spigen rugged case that I purchased lately and it is really good. Glass protection is indeed a big problem: most of the items that claim they are for the Mate 9 are to narrow and the few ones that are having the right size are of a very bad quality.
The phone itself is great, better than everything I had so far (my last phone was an LG G4). The screen is "only" full HD, but to be frank, I do not see the need to have a higher resolution on a phone (it still can make 4K videos if this is what you need). Video recording quality is really great: the most beautiful colors I have seen on a phone video recording so far. Wide aperture photos are a hit among my family and friends (I am the only one now in charge to take photos in my family when we go out ). ANTUTU benchmark almost 120k - faster than my colleague's Galaxy S7 - so, whatever you want to do with it, it will do it great.
The only thing that I miss sometimes is the support for MHL (but it has other mirroring options). And I would have liked to have the option to hide the Android navigation keys in all applications but the screen is anyhow huge so, this is not a big issue either since the keys are anyhow hidden when you play videos or I read a book.
so what about notifications problems that is all over internet? is that solved already?
at least europe versions.. I want all my notification instantly like on other phones, no matter is that whatsapp or something else..
And is it true that notification are gone from lockscreen after unlocking phone or just putting screen on to see what is it?
i'm also considering to get this model
digitall1982 said:
so what about notifications problems that is all over internet? is that solved already?
at least europe versions.. I want all my notification instantly like on other phones, no matter is that whatsapp or something else..
And is it true that notification are gone from lockscreen after unlocking phone or just putting screen on to see what is it?
i'm also considering to get this model
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Notification problem happens with the Chinese version, as far as I know, i have the EU version and i get all the notifications.
Honestly, even now, this is the BEST phone there is, the first phone i don't need root as there are workaround for everything, performance, and battery and top notch, camera is great but slightly disappointing in low light, screen is big apparently now "old school" and very sharp and bright, stereo speakers are great, the DAC is average at best but still decent.
Fantastic phone, camera, battery life, screen, sound of speakers, build! Not so awesome is the update history of Huawei. Updates come late and limited.
The only real drawback is the lack of developers. I had hoped for LineageOS, but I think that boat is torpedoed and sunk.
Still GREAT value!
Battery is stellar. I've been in bed all day sick, with my phone by my side. Almost at 10 hours screen on time at 13% battery left. Bluetooth has been used, connected on WiFi.
It's the best phone I've EVER had. Well, S3 note 4 and G2 are up there.
The HD screen is fine. I had the G4 S7 previously. Don't miss the screens.
The video recording format is irritating in that 2k won't upload to YouTube. It's too modern.
Definitely give the phone a go. I bought the Chinese 6gig 128gig version converted to international ROM. Have contemplated selling but just can't let it go! Even my mate with his S8 loves it. Oh, and it's not got a curved screen, another plus for me!
Didn't want to buy a phone with non removable battery.
Pretty much a non issue with this phone as it's hot such a great battery and a sensible screen resolution so doesn't drain fast.
The camera bokeh effect is simply the best on the market by a mile. Low light is mediocre though.
Massive screen. Great speed. Phenomenal finger print sensor.
I hated the soft keys but you learn to hate them less.
Overall delighted with this thing.
Doesn't slow down. If anything it goes faster with time which is odd but just what they seek to claim!
what about 4k video and auto upload to google photos? is that solved or it must be converted into h264?
This is the best phone I've ever had. Coming from an s7 and wife has s8 plus and still use a note 5 for our home phone. It's without question my favorite! Screen still looks fantastic for 1080. The battery is off the chain. I could easily go 2 days and have, just generally charge it before I go to bed and is always above 50%. Fast!!!! Smooth!!! I don't know how they do it, but next to Apple this is the must fluid phone out there. Heck, I'd say it's smoother than my friends 7S. Only paid 400 for it and it's dual sim to boot.
Honestly can't say enough about it. Only get rid of it if mate 10 is better somehow. I am intrigued by less bezels.
Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
It's the best phone AFTER the B186 and up update, before that battery life was ****. I am on the 190 now with the phone updating to 193. It is the best phone in terms of battery life, performance and hardware/software. Too bad the update method is ****... like a HUGE TURD that third parties have to fill the gaps on this. Oh it's also **** that some of the huawei apps are in chinese (like the store) or whatever... It sucks BIG TIME.
I'm not a fan myself.
The Huawei android skin is yet another confusing and pointless skin that just causes issues and degrades Android. Go for a Google phone and have Android in it's true glory rather than in a compromised and inferior veneer.
Oh yes and it looks like I can 'kiss goodbye" to any updates from Huawei, with the Mate 10 phone now round the corner.
My last Android security patch was for April.
I've either cognitively dissonated myself into loving this phone, or it is really quite good. The official camera fix did some good and leaves open the good possibility that further refining will yield a great result, or I'll stick with the progress being made on the GCam port and use the native app for great monochrome shots (I love the B&W sensor and it is EXCELLENT). That said, no cases... I guess no problem - I ordered some SquareTrade insurance coverage today - if it drops or dies, they'll replace it for a hundred beans - I can handle that kind of coverage...
I'm not seeing the same quality defects others are reporting with their handsets (light bleed, TMOB signal issues, etc.) so either I got a keeper or others are being overly sensitive (nothing personal guys).
I asked for and will likely receive a return package, but I think I'll be sending it back empty. Sorry for the trouble Essential, but you are in my daily carry category now - my S8+ will stay ready for outdoor action as needed (water resistance, etc).
The aesthetics are what has done it for me... Maybe you feel the same? The feeling I get holding and using the Essential do indeed remind me of the first day with the OG iPhone - only ten years better. Hell - I still have some great pics I took with that lousy 2MP, fixed focus, no flash shooter from 2007 on my drive.
Anyway, just one man's changed opinion. If it grew on you too, please post your thoughts. I'm interested to know how many others have now caved.
rootdude said:
I've either cognitively dissonated myself into loving this phone, or it is really quite good. The official camera fix did some good and leaves open the good possibility that further refining will yield a great result, or I'll stick with the progress being made on the GCam port and use the native app for great monochrome shots (I love the B&W sensor and it is EXCELLENT). That said, no cases... I guess no problem - I ordered some SquareTrade insurance coverage today - if it drops or dies, they'll replace it for a hundred beans - I can handle that kind of coverage...
I'm not seeing the same quality defects others are reporting with their handsets (light bleed, TMOB signal issues, etc.) so either I got a keeper or others are being overly sensitive (nothing personal guys).
I asked for and will likely receive a return package, but I think I'll be sending it back empty. Sorry for the trouble Essential, but you are in my daily carry category now - my S8+ will stay ready for outdoor action as needed (water resistance, etc).
The aesthetics are what has done it for me... Maybe you feel the same? The feeling I get holding and using the Essential do indeed remind me of the first day with the OG iPhone - only ten years better. Hell - I still have some great pics I took with that lousy 2MP, fixed focus, no flash shooter from 2007 on my drive.
Anyway, just one man's changed opinion. If it grew on you too, please post your thoughts. I'm interested to know how many others have now caved.
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Click to collapse
I really want to like it, I'm trying real hard.
The performance sucks and is not faster than a Moto Z with a Snapdragon 821.
This phone does some really aggressive thermal throttling.
This bothers me.
I really want to like it.
I kind of came to the same conclusion the other day. Software can always be improved with updates, and there's not another phone out there built with better materials. It looks, feels, and is, an upscale phone.
tech_head said:
I really want to like it, I'm trying real hard.
The performance sucks and is not faster than a Moto Z with a Snapdragon 821.
This phone does some really aggressive thermal throttling.
This bothers me.
I really want to like it.
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Click to collapse
I'm interested to hear what you know about thermal throttling. I'm a power user and I play Royale like an idiot and I haven't even felt it get warm, nor do I see the incredible battery drain I see with other devices I've played on in the past (the Pixel XL was the worst for that power drain). Do you have CPUZ installed on it and can get some screenies of the throttling b/c of overheat conditions?
rootdude said:
I'm interested to hear what you know about thermal throttling. I'm a power user and I play Royale like an idiot and I haven't even felt it get warm, nor do I see the incredible battery drain I see with other devices I've played on in the past (the Pixel XL was the worst for that power drain). Do you have CPUZ installed on it and can get some screenies of the throttling b/c of overheat conditions?
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Click to collapse
I don't see/feel the phone get hot. That's the point, before it even gets hot the CPU gets throttled.
If I artificially cool the device or I'm in a cold environment; I can run Antutu and get close to the Qualcomm numbers for their reference platform in the 178k range. I can do that only in a cold environment. If the device is in a warm room the performance drops to 160k or so. If the room is hot or if I try to run again the performance can drop to 150k. I have seen the results drop to below 120k.
Geek bench scores are somewhat better but not great.
1900 single core and 6000 multicore.
The renderscript score is about 8000. Which puts in 33% behind an iPhone 7.
The software grew on me as more mods and ADB tweaks come out...but every time I decide to keep it and slap a skin of the back I find new scratches. Now I even have a scratch on the finish on the titanium. No clue where any of these came from. I haven't had a scratch on a phone in years... I upgrade every few months and always sell my phones mint on Swappa. I've had this a week and it's already scratched to ****. I love the look and feel and I'm happy with the software now but man..it's getting destroyed.
NeutronBomb said:
The software grew on me as more mods and ADB tweaks come out...but every time I decide to keep it and slap a skin of the back I find new scratches. Now I even have a scratch on the finish on the titanium. No clue where any of these came from. I haven't had a scratch on a phone in years... I upgrade every few months and always sell my phones mint on Swappa. I've had this a week and it's already scratched to ****. I love the look and feel and I'm happy with the software now but man..it's getting destroyed.
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Click to collapse
Interesting. Mine still looks like it just came out of the box, and it even took a 4 foot tumble to my bathroom floor the other day.
So I hope the new update improves performance.
Right now if the phone gets to an internal temp of 44C it will throttle to less than half the maximum frequency.
This puts the performance, when warm, behind and LG G4, Samsung Galaxy S6 and my old Nexus 6P.
Not happy.
I'm battling the decision now. I'm still in that 15 day return window, and like others am trying really hard to want to like this device.
Love the display. Don't mind that it's not AMOLED - I still get 5-6 hours SoT with moderate-heavy internet/call/text on wifi w/bt connected. No light bleed issues or lifting of panels for me, everything seems in order there.
There are some problems with the software that make me wonder if the problems I have are hardware or software. The micro-stuttering during scrolling (only while touching the screen during scrolling) could be a hardware problem, could be throttling, or could be OS optimization for this device in general. It's smooth as butter as long as I flick-scroll. Even if I slow finger-scroll vs slow flick-scroll the difference is noticeable, goes from stutter to butter. Finger-on-screen lag is like that of a bloated EVO3D trying to flip homescreens.
Then there are the definite software glitches that are present even after a full wipe of the phone (I really wish you could wipe the cache partition on this thing). This includes the occasional 10 second freeze while scrolling, the microstutters mentioned above, having to press back twice when in a conversation in the default messaging app, random screen presses when not touching the screen, regularly having to tap the screen repeatedly to get response from buttons.
And then there's the support - it takes a very long time to get response. I realize they are busy and trying to be responsive, and I am really trying to support this new company... One of the biggest problems I have is for solely existing as a consumer communications device manufacturer, they have some terrible consumer communication processes happening (or complete lack thereof). All I really want to know is that they are aware of and are working on the specific issues. Maybe I have control issues, but the dark is not a friendly place to be with 700 bucks on the line!!
I'm going to leave myself undecided for a few days and see where things go. If I don't see some kind of a software update addressing many of the issues some of us are experiencing I may have to reconsider... Despite all of the short-comings the new company has had as a baby, it's a beautiful baby. Let's just hope it learns fast I'm really hoping the screen issues I'm having are software related, but without confirmation from the company I can't say that I have high confidence right now. I love the feel and design of the device itself, though! *torn*
I am really trying hard to like this device. In terms of overall feel it's immaculate. They did very well on the design of the the phone. My issues come with software and future development. Right now there's clear software bugs and other optimization that needs to be done. If they can work on some of those things the experience on this phone would improve tenfold. Also once they get the source code and kernel out then we can start seeing more Community Development. We could also get things such as custom recovery and root. I'm hoping that in the coming weeks this phone and the community support will improve. I think I'll keep my device for while to see if that happens if not I may be lookin at a Pixel 2.
theandroidbot said:
I am really trying hard to like this device. In terms of overall feel it's immaculate. They did very well on the design of the the phone. My issues come with software and future development. Right now there's clear software bugs and other optimization that needs to be done. If they can work on some of those things the experience on this phone would improve tenfold. Also once they get the source code and kernel out then we can start seeing more Community Development. We could also get things such as custom recovery and root. I'm hoping that in the coming weeks this phone and the community support will improve. I think I'll keep my device for while to see if that happens if not I may be lookin at a Pixel 2.
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There isn't a massive amount of development on the pixel in relation to other Nexus devices likely due to the A/B partitions so I'm dubious on the pixel 2 at the moment
spotmark said:
Interesting. Mine still looks like it just came out of the box, and it even took a 4 foot tumble to my bathroom floor the other day.
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Can the QC really be that hit and miss? I have zero scratches as well on front or back.
rootdude said:
Can the QC really be that hit and miss? I have zero scratches as well on front or back.
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Same here. The one thing I absolutely love is the build quality. It looks exactly as the day it arrived.
Mine looks like the first day. I'm very impressed with the build quality.
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
No issues with mine fr a build standpoint. Fell a few times and no scratches. I'm using a glass screen protector even though there is a halo. Rather that scratches than the screen. The update that came out today is probably the software the phone should have shipped with initially... but we were all in a rush to get it. I'm keeping this device for sure! I also like confusing the heck out of ppl... I'm running the Arrow Launcher, blackberry keyboard and I use the iPhone sms sound for text notifications..
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
My only complaint really is I think they went too small. Most smarts phones are a little larger.
hoopsdavis said:
My only complaint really is I think they went too small. Most smarts phones are a little larger.
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I think it's refreshing. I mean I love big phones, haven't used a small sized phone in years, but after using this phone for several days, I love how reasonably compact it is with this screen size. I should rephrase, I love big screen size, not necessarily big form factor. So to have this screen size packed in a smaller form, I think it's awesome.
hoopsdavis said:
My only complaint really is I think they went too small. Most smarts phones are a little larger.
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The "small" form factor with big screen is the the biggest reason this phone came into my radar
flakko86 said:
The "small" form factor with big screen is the the biggest reason this phone came into my radar
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Click to collapse
Same with me and many others. The big screen in compact size is among the major pros for buying this mobile. Besides that, I was also attracted to the clean design/material used and the pin port for 360 camera and other gadgets.
But I'm still waiting (impatiently) for how the Huawei Mate 10 pro turns out to be before I buy the essential phone. Hoping the Mate 10 pro is as compact and well built as well, combined with supposedly beast new Kirin 970 and improved dual camera, and maybe some new features like AI, Graphene battery, 3D Face recognition (all already introduced on Huawei's Honor magic). It would be the only contender to essential phone on my list. If Mate 10 pro disappoints then by that time Essential phone would be ready to ship out with 360 camera and charging dock in one go.
I have really grown to like this device. I have been using as my DD since the update, no significant issues and certainly no scratches or signs of wear. The size of the device is a key factor for me, I love the form factor.
So, i got mine OP6 yesterday, damn it is a nice phone i love it.
But how happy are you with it. And what would you change to the hard-software..
Battery percent in circle.
Proximity sensor to activate ambient display.
Speaker sounds a bit tinny.
That's about it from me
Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
I just wish the vibration motor felt more like a Pixel 2XL or iPhone 8/X
Coming from an OPO this is light years in advance. I don't think I could ever go back to a phone with less screen retail and no gestures. Having said that, it is far from perfect:
The glass back is so slippy it makes the phone useless without a case.
The battery life is better than my old phone, but not as good as I was hoping.
There is no thermal paste or cooling on the SOC.
The rounded corners on the screen are annoying and pointless.
Not sure if I should swap my Midnight Black to mitigate #1, but given it is a glass back I'm not sure that is going to help really. On the flip side I do appreciate the improved signal a glass back brings.
lordjan1986 said:
So, i got mine OP6 yesterday, damn it is a nice phone i love it.
But how happy are you with it. And what would you change to the hard-software..
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Click to collapse
Got mine yesterday as well. My previous phone was a note 8. I'm very pleased with the OP6 so far. At this point I wouldn't change anything except it is quite slippery. I feel like I'm holding a baby.
I definitely hope to see an improved camera performance in a future update. My OP6 produces smudgy images that seem way too processed. A Google camera port on my old OP3 produces much better quality photos, so there's that.
Otherwise the rounded corners of the screen are a little reminiscent of an old-school TV and I struggle to ignore them.
Performance is beastly AF.
1. An option in settings to have always on display
2. Speaker volume and tone to be improved. When I had the 5t on Oreo beta the speaker was really good for a single speaker, this one just sounds a bit shallow. Enabling the earpiece speaker would be a plus if they could implement it.
3. Bluetooth drop outs. I'm finding it losses connection to devices temporarily (not due to range)
4. Option to have Google now as the left hand page rather than shelf.
5. Was thinking of a 5th for ages however in the main really happy with it and all the above could be fixed in an update. Let's just hope they don't wait too long and forget about us 6 users because they are working on the 6T!
In love the round corners, they are so cool looking, I got the mirror black and I love the way it looks. I think the phone is fantastic.
Pros of oneplus6
1. Snappy Processor for the Price - Snapdragon 845 is one of the fastest processors
2. A Tall and Notch-ed Display - The AMOLED display of the OnePlus 6 produces rich, bright and crisp colors.
3. Taste of Android P - model for which Android P Beta would be available.
4. Headphone jack!
Vinegar Joe said:
Coming from an OPO this is light years in advance. I don't think I could ever go back to a phone with less screen retail and no gestures. Having said that, it is far from perfect:
The glass back is so slippy it makes the phone useless without a case.
The battery life is better than my old phone, but not as good as I was hoping.
There is no thermal paste or cooling on the SOC.
The rounded corners on the screen are annoying and pointless.
Not sure if I should swap my Midnight Black to mitigate #1, but given it is a glass back I'm not sure that is going to help really. On the flip side I do appreciate the improved signal a glass back brings.
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where did u find out it had no thermal paste or cooling?
masri1987 said:
where did u find out it had no thermal paste or cooling?
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Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z47gXtbXjw
Yikes. Throttling will be bad.
montecarlo5 said:
Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z47gXtbXjw
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montecarlo5 said:
Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z47gXtbXjw
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, that's the one.
Incidentally throttling is not bad right now (I did some quick and dirty tests in another thread), but might be an issue down the line. AFAIK the 5/5T had the same problem. Anyone know how they've held up in the last 6/12 months?
masri1987 said:
where did u find out it had no thermal paste or cooling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably jerryrigeverything tear down videos.
Am I happy? Yes and no. Didn't care for pixel. Miss my note 8. Nexus 6p is still my favorite device but battery issues kept me away. Personally think Huawei handles battery and speed(with bells and whistles) just as good. But emui.
Op6 is a get what you pay for. I think they can do better at the 530+ price. I probably take a lost but I'm going g to hold out until the next update. If things are not imporved I'll sell it for something else. Probably lose a $1 per day of ownership.
Battery life and maybe speed(not as dramatic as people make it vs others) is where the phone beats everything else. Nice to have unlocked bootloader/root. Feels like Nexus days.
intruda119 said:
Probably jerryrigeverything tear down videos.
Am I happy? Yes and no. Didn't care for pixel. Miss my note 8. Nexus 6p is still my favorite device but battery issues kept me away. Personally think Huawei handles battery and speed(with bells and whistles) just as good. But emui.
Op6 is a get what you pay for. I think they can do better at the 530+ price. I probably take a lost but I'm going g to hold out until the next update. If things are not imporved I'll sell it for something else. Probably lose a $1 per day of ownership.
Battery life and maybe speed(not as dramatic as people make it vs others) is where the phone beats everything else. Nice to have unlocked bootloader/root. Feels like Nexus days.
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i came from Note 8, for me the Note 8 was good but it was a lot of hype too. the camera was amazing but the reason i got the Op6 and sold my Note 8 was for dev purposes... the note 8 dev community is small
Just got mine today and love it so far. Buttery smooth and lightning quick. It has so much customization built in that I don't feel the need to put a custom rom on it. At least for a while.
masri1987 said:
i came from Note 8, for me the Note 8 was good but it was a lot of hype too. the camera was amazing but the reason i got the Op6 and sold my Note 8 was for dev purposes... the note 8 dev community is small
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Click to collapse
I was one of the crazy people who actually found bixby useful. Without Tasker and being able to voice command mobile hotspot was great. Battery life was on par. Device community and not very many options out here for old school Nexus type devices.
Not a bad phone just thought by the 6+ device, some of the hardware compromises would finally be on par.
Vinegar Joe said:
Yup, that's the one.
Incidentally throttling is not bad right now (I did some quick and dirty tests in another thread), but might be an issue down the line. AFAIK the 5/5T had the same problem. Anyone know how they've held up in the last 6/12 months?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used a OP5 for the last 11 months and to be honest, I didn't noticed some kind of throttling. Maybe there was, but I never noticed fps drops while playing with a Nintendo DS/PSP emulator (which seems like a good indicator).
Looking at the teardown videos they DO have thermal pads (the black slightly shiny things) so it isn't quite as 'bare' as suggested. Probably not as good as thermal paste, but I'm not exactly up on mobile phone cooling. Maybe someone better than me can provide some insight? I wonder how common this is in other phones.
My problems with it are the too small battery (resulting in **** battery life compared to other current phones), the mediocre camera, and no vibration that can be felt/heard whatsoever.
Rest (whatever is left) is ok.
I should probably return it and get full refund and spend money on something more proper.
First off i'm trying to decide on the Pixel 3 or S9 and I know asking here is kinda dumb but I wanna know if some of these issues are as big of a deal as the media plays them out to be? The issues i'm hearing about that bug me most are the speaker issues, will the low volume be fixed or is it a hardware thing? Also the back supposedly can be scratch quite easily, I went to best buy and tried to scratch it with my nail and it left a mark but it rubbed away. or is this more of a thing that coins will scratch it if put in a pocket with them? I had a Pixel 2 and the back never got scratched well I had it. Like I said I went to bestbuy and handled both the Pixel 3 and S9 and its a hard decision to choose. I like the make and build quality of the S9 but I hate it only comes in grey or purple here in Canada. It also has a beautiful screen. But the Pixel reminds me of my Pixel 2 plus it has the better camera. not that the s9 is bad just I don't like that it over exposes. Do you have a Pixel 3 do you recommend it and how's the battery life?
I've owned about 5 other phones before the Pixel 3. It's got the best speakers of any phone I've had. For me the volume is more than loud enough. I use a thin case so can't comment on the back being scratch prone. I haven't tried scratching it. Worst case you could get a skin for the back if you don't use a case and find it shows marks from your use. The screen is very good. If you're very picky about the display quality at low brightness you may not like it, but that's easy to test at a store before you buy it. The camera is excellent, so no worries there. For me the battery is as good or better than any other phone I've owned. After light use I have about 60% left at the end of the day. Of course, your past experience, expectations, preferences, needs and usage will determine whether it's a good phone for you. It what you've listed are your biggest concerns you'll likely be happy.
My general experience with the S9 was good apart from the battery life, the exynos processor version was shocking (i think this is the one you get in Canada too). Not sure if recent updates fixed this but it seemed like a huge complaint at the time, i couldn't get a day with moderate to heavy use.
With regards to the Pixel3 back texture, i have it naked and it's been rattling in my pockets (albeit i never put any phone in a pocket with coins or keys), it's perfectly fine and i would take this textured back over the slippy S9 any day. I have the Pixel2 also and it's a little scruffy on the back but unless you inspect it very closely it's perfectly fine.
Camera on the Pixel is way better in my opinion, you get a usable picture almost every time whereas the S9 i sometimes had to take several shots to get what i wanted.
I've had the Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS this year also and the Pixel3 trumps all in my opinion.
I do have an outstanding issue open with Google however where the Pixel3's gyroscope sensor isn't calibrated correctly and so it's out by about 2-3 degrees. This means that when taking photos or using apps that use the gyroscope i have to hold the phone slightly off angle to make it think it's level. All that said i still consider it the best !
Is it worth upgrading from Pixel 2 (bought a new one for 350) to Pixel 3 (Pixel 3 would cost me 300€ extra)? I especially want to know, whether the super res zoom and the wide angle selfie camera is worth it - these are the two most outstanding differences between Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 in my opinion. If you know some other differences which are worth the additional 300€ please tell me.
Marcel Eff said:
Is it worth upgrading from Pixel 2 (bought a new one for 350) to Pixel 3 (Pixel 3 would cost me 300€ extra)? I especially want to know, whether the super res zoom and the wide angle selfie camera is worth it - these are the two most outstanding differences between Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 in my opinion. If you know some other differences which are worth the additional 300€ please tell me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wide angle is nicer than I thought although I hate taking selfies ROFL. Super res was a meh compared to dual cam phones but better than nothing.
I'm in the process of upgrading to P3 from P2 (crappy displays, locked bootloaders, RMAs, etc.) and side by side P3 looks so much more modern and if you like modern then it looks so much nicer.
I would be careful with your decision though since this year P3 won the honor to enjoy all the display issues P2XL went through last year, so getting a satisfactory display should be your first priority in my opinion. That said, a good display on P3 seems to be better than the "good" display of P2XL last year, as suggested by others over at P3XL forum and I agree (I ordered both P2 and XL last year and had a brief experience with XL). Anyway, once you get a good display hold on to it!
Other than that, I can't think of buying anything else at this moment mainly because I value stock experience, easiness of modding, and Dev support. Ironically we have the locked bootloader issue right now on both P3 and XL. The dev support was also far behind compared to old Nexus days. If One Plus offered a smaller version of 6T I might have jumped the ship.
P.s. camera is nice as always but being a home guy I use the display 1000x more than the camera so a good camera only means "this" little to me.
cswithxda said:
Ironically we have the locked bootloader issue right now on both P3 and XL. The dev support was also far behind compared to old Nexus days. If One Plus offered a smaller version of 6T I might have jumped the ship.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What issue are you having with the bootloader?
georgs_town said:
What issue are you having with the bootloader?
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Check out the thread in this Pixel 3 QA and Pixel 3 XL QA section. Newer devices *may* come in with bootloader "un-unlockable" :cyclops: Some people received this *feature* on their new devices and some enjoyed it on the new, RMA devices.
orbital247 said:
My general experience with the S9 was good apart from the battery life, the exynos processor version was shocking (i think this is the one you get in Canada too). Not sure if recent updates fixed this but it seemed like a huge complaint at the time, i couldn't get a day with moderate to heavy use.
With regards to the Pixel3 back texture, i have it naked and it's been rattling in my pockets (albeit i never put any phone in a pocket with coins or keys), it's perfectly fine and i would take this textured back over the slippy S9 any day. I have the Pixel2 also and it's a little scruffy on the back but unless you inspect it very closely it's perfectly fine.
Camera on the Pixel is way better in my opinion, you get a usable picture almost every time whereas the S9 i sometimes had to take several shots to get what i wanted.
I've had the Mate 20 Pro and iPhone XS this year also and the Pixel3 trumps all in my opinion.
I do have an outstanding issue open with Google however where the Pixel3's gyroscope sensor isn't calibrated correctly and so it's out by about 2-3 degrees. This means that when taking photos or using apps that use the gyroscope i have to hold the phone slightly off angle to make it think it's level. All that said i still consider it the best !
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We have the Snap Drangon one here in Canada, I believe Snap Dragon is sold in North America and Exynos is the rest of the world