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I currently have a Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version) and been thinking of switching to the Blu Vivo X for the 4010+ mah battery, 64gb internal storage, and 4 cameras. Both phone has 4 GB and rams and an Octacore CPU. The Blu Vivo X is currently more than a $100 less than the Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version).
What's your thought on the Blu Vivo X and would it be worth switching to it from a Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version), even though the Blu Vivo X uses a 720p screen, and Blu has been known for having adwares in their phones in the past?
specs info:
- Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version) gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s7-7821.php
- Blu Vivo X gsmarena.com/blu_vivo_x-9072.php
My thoughts (which are only MY thoughts, I'm not pretending to have the absolute truth):
- Blu Vivo X has a mediatek CPU which isn't at the same level as Exynos or Snapdragon CPU, still it will do the job.
- Blu is know for adware but is also known for having malwares installed
- 4010mAh battery, I would be very careful with that number. A high quality manufacturer will announce the capacity of their battery and you can almost be sure that it is true. Now, when you go to less known, less top quality manufacturers, when they say 3000mAh, you test the battery and it's in fact like a 2000mAh. So before making a choice, find concrete tests which tells you how much time you have with a full charge. Don't listen to people on Youtube with no test protocol who say "Yeah, I can last 2 days with it" because you can't know their perception of things, you can't know if they have been paid, you can't know what they do with their phone. If I turn off Wifi, LTE, and keep the screen of on my OnePlus One, I can last 1 week! Now if I use it normally, I last 1 day, 2 days at the most, but real screen on time is like 6 hours. So be careful and don't trust fanboys or people who just throw numbers like this.
About battery capacity, I give you an example I have read some years ago when Xioami released their external battery pack (10.000mAh). When tested, it was almost good but more around 9000mAh. They had compared to unknown brands found on Amazon, and some batteries announced like 10.000mAh, had in fact less than 5000mAh in capacity. So be careful, Blu isn't such a great highly recommended trusty manufacturer, so I would tend to think their numbers are enhanced for the commercial speech, but in real like, will a 4000mAh battery last a lot longer than a 3000mAh from Samsung, I doubt it.
So in the end, what do you think you will do with the Vivo X than you can't do with the Galaxy S7? That's the real question. You want more storage space? The Exynos version of the S7 has a SD card slot. More battery, better buy an external battery pack, it will cost you less.
That's my point of view, I would never trade a flagship from a very well known brand some model from a brand known for cheap phones and who put Mediatek processors in their phones. I highly doubt that the Blu Vivo X will have internal memory that has the same speed as a Galaxy S7, I highly doubt the pictures from the Vivo X would beat the S7, I also highly doubt you will have more "Screen on time" with a Vivo X as Samsung has spent time to optimize their system (you can also debloat it to gain battery life by removing all Samsung crapware). That's only my point of view, but I don't think it's a good idea. You should make your own idea by reading LOT (not just 1 or 2) reviews on the Blu Vivo X, watching videos on Youtube and read between lines, don't trust people that aren't even tech journalists ; )
EDIT: Here are some interesting reviews I've found on Amazon of people not only putting 5 stars and saying "great phone!":
Review 1: "This phone does exactly what the description says. It takes Ok pictures, is thin and comfortable in the hand, and is relatively easy to use. However, the processor speed and user interface, are not up to par with a Snapdragon or Galaxy S. I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade my Galaxy S7 to the VIVO X. I was not impressed. The system response was slower than what I'm used to and the UI just feels "cheap" to me. On a brighter note, the front camera was awesome for using Google Duo to talk to my son while I'm on the road. Its not a bad phone, I just feel like my S7 is a better phone."
Review 2: "I'm pretty conflicted with this phone. I want to adore it, however there are some pretty major setbacks that I'm not sure if I can look past. With that being said, I'd still recommend this for the price.
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Pros:
- The screen is big but you don't get a big phone. I've strayed away from 6" because I'm a little person, but I quite like holding this because it's skinny enough that small hands can hold it and also enjoy a "big boy" screen.
- It's smooth. It's definitely faster and more smooth than my last phone (HTC Desire Eye). Installing apps is lightning fast, scrolling through google is a breeze, and having multiple apps in the background doesn't slow it down.
- Sound quality is quite good. It's bass-y, which I like. It picks up the slightest noise though, which could be great or bad depending on the situation I guess. It goes quite loud as well.
- Plenty of storage. You'll be able to fit thousands of photos, songs, and quite a lot of apps onto this phone.
- Fingerprint scanner is awesome. I've never had a phone that did this, so it's kind of fun.
- Messaging notification drop-down is AMAZING. I LOVE this feature. I was pleasantly surprised when someone texted me and I was able to read/reply from the drop-down, all while staying on whatever page.
- You can do split-screen. I think it depends on the app though. In theory, it's great that you can have two pages up at a time.
- Android nougat is so nice. I had Android 5.0 with my last phone. Upgrading to 7 is definitely what I needed, and hoping for an update to Android 8 in the next year, maybe?
- The actual feel of the phone is high-end. It feels like a top-rated phone, but without the pricetag.
- All of Google's apps come already installed. I personally don't use many of Google's features, so luckily it's easy to remove them and add some extra storage to the phone.
- It came with a screen protector already on, an extra screen protector in the box, and a case as well! It also came with the standard charging accessories and some earbuds.
- Fast startup/reboot. The initial startup is a bit slow and worrisome, but it's just the one time as it gets itself ready for you! After that, turning it on is quick.
Cons:
- The camera. So many problems with it. I'll go into detail at the end of this post. This is the biggest obstacle holding me back from possibly sticking with this. My last phone had a superb camera that was clear, could focus on micro surroundings, adjusted perfectly to light... And this camera fails in all those areas.
- The resolution IS as advertised. No you won't be getting the clearest of words on your screen, but it's passable. It's noticeable if you switch from a better resolution phone like I did though.
- The lack of cases is strange, I must admit. Hopefully some more come out soon.
- No theme, at least not that I could tell. I think all of my past Androids of recent years have had an option for different interface themes. This doesn't seem to have this feature.
- I couldn't access ANY ringtones/notification alerts. I had to download a ringtone app.
- 14GB of my 64GB was already taken up. I can't figure out what's taking up so much space. I've gotten rid of any bloatware (luckily wasn't a lot, so great job, BLU), but 14 is still a lot.
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I'd love to give it 5 stars, but there's just one thing that's so jarring to me, and I don't understand it at all... When you use your camera (back and front), the window on your screen is crisp and beautiful (back is, front is lackluster). But when you go to look at the image, it's blurry. It's like it goes from the supposed 13MP+, down to maybe an 8MP (at best) once the picture is actually taken. I'm pretty miffed at this. I mean, really, the camera specs are a lie.
To go along with the camera, it also has a hard time focusing on things close to it. For example, selfies are a joke. You get that perma-airbrushed look even without the beauty filter on. I have freckles, but you can't see them in the photos. Some different camera apps make the clarity and focusing a bit better, but you'd more than likely have to deal with obnoxious ads unless you want to pay for a different camera app.
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Overall, I'm not exactly happy with it, but I'm not mad either. I really wish the camera was better. I switched from a 2014 phone which excelled in that area, so it's sort of hard to downgrade after spending a couple hundred bucks. I did upgrade in many areas which is nice though. I sort of want to return the item, but I might keep it. Luckily I'm not a huge selfie taker, so I may not care too much about the problem a week from now."
So all in all, I've also read some reviews from tech websites, the Vivo X seems to be a good phone FOR THE PRICE. So if I were you, I wouldn't expect a 250$ phone to have the same quality of components of a 700$ phone. Mediatek processor, Only Gorilla glass 3, LCD screen not Amoled, Camera with only "ok quality". If you extrapolate, that can give you an hint of the quality of the internal memory, of the quality of the RAM used, the quality of the GPS chip (will it fix your position as fast as a S7? Don't know, but I doubt it).
To me, your question is similar as saying "I have a Ford Mustang, is it worth switching to a "add name of any common cheap car" ?" You see what I mean?
No way!!! Why you would do that? It`s more like a downgrade.. If you really want a change, something stock, more storage, more ram, quickly software updates and maybe a better battery backup, you can change the s7 for a OnePlus 5T, or simply you can wait for OnePlus 6 which is launching in june..
cristiandiaconu6 said:
No way!!! Why you would do that? It`s more like a downgrade.. If you really want a change, something stock, more storage, more ram, quickly software updates and maybe a better battery backup, you can change the s7 for a OnePlus 5T, or simply you can wait for OnePlus 6 which is launching in june..
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Yes it's true, these are the best alternative to my point of view too, but the only thing is that it's not on the same budget level (250$ for the Blu Vivo X and 500$ or more for the OnePlus phones). Though, you summed up all I said very well, S7 to Vivo X is a downgrade.
Hey guys, I just want to know your experience after using Xiaomi Poco f1 for months.... Are you guys satisfied with your phone or do you guys regret buying it?
And please rate the phone.
Yes, I'm very satisfied with the device, it surely is an upgrade from my Lenovo P2. The device is very responsive. It was the transition to Miui that kept me deciding wether I wanted it. After using Miui for 2 months now.. I definitely recommend a Xiaomi device to all my friends.
Upgraded from Galaxy S5 two months ago. Thought that the screen downgrade would bother me but it really doesn't - it's a decent screen for an LCD (and I love a very low minimal backlight level for night reading, usually for me a most useful feature of an amoled screen). Of course, it's extremely snappy and I find even the camera excellent (gcam is a big help here but even a built in app is decent). While I really like the photos, I don't care much for the video. It's detailed enough, with a good dynamic range and the EIS on 1080p is excellent but it's aggressive 'local' HDR is very apparent. It really looks bad when only a certain part of the image keeps changing in brightness while panning. The video is much better if you don't pan around. I rarely take videos so it's not much of a downside for me and maybe a gcam video has a different HDR algorithm (forgot to try it). I am not a gamer (bought a high-performance phone mostly for future-proofing and to run a Linux desktop on) so haven't really been hit that hard with a often mentioned touch responsiveness (seems perfectly OK to me). I have a custom built widget for always on homescreen notifications that I vastly prefer to tiny notification icons so the lack of the latter doesn't bother me. I actually hate notification icons as I am usually running 4-5 background services with permanent active notifications that eat up all the available space. This way I only get dismissable notifications that are actually notifications.
I can't comment on the cell signal quality as I haven't got out of a city lately and here the signal is decent everywhere. Band coverage shouldn't be a problem in Europe, I think. All in all, I haven't regretted the purchase and don't underestimate the 'smug factor' of owning a phone that's a much smarter purchase than all the fancy branded ones.
My dream came true with this legendary phone.... I used to think that when I will use flagship processor.... But my budget not that much high to purchase flagship mobiles ... But after seeing this mobile with high end processor .. I felt that I too have a legendary mobile in my hands... I don't see any brand before purchase ... Just I saw the snapdragon 845 processor and I bought this phone and I felt happy ... This phone is awesome and Google camera is working like a charm ... And I am using pixel experience ROM ... I love that ROM ....
POCO (LOVE )
srabon debnath said:
Hey guys, I just want to know your experience after using Xiaomi Poco f1 for months.... Are you guys satisfied with your phone or do you guys regret buying it?
And please rate the phone.
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the camera warps when you try to stabilize a video because no ois, further note all phone cameras suck at low light video. Google camera by far enhances this phones zoom and low light capabilities greatly.
Remember guys this phone is full of compromises
Of course there are better phones with better screens if your expecting a phone with an amazing Samsung display or flashy looks then best to buy a samsung phone. The only positive side the phone is the copper heatsink and 845 processor. The screens display is praised as not complete garbage.
If your a casual phone user it's better to go with a used s8 because this phone is only for pubg
Pros
Xiaomis support of modding is insane even providing warranty when rooting.
Lenovo and Huawei are terrible in comparison you would be lucky to even have 1 custom kernel or rom on those phones.
I was iphone user ever since 3gs, switched from iphone 7 to pocof1 last year and fell in love immediately. First vacation with my wife took maaaany pics, incomparable to her s7 edge or my iphone 7, so much better. Paid 300€ for 128gb version, unbeatable. Countless custom roms, updates coming fast, of course there r better phones, but they cost 700€ or more, so no, thank you, no more "flagships" for me. Been using poco for 4 months now, no regrets not for a second. AND...i dont need a f..... screenprotector or cover or any other protecting sht like before, not scared of getting scratches, and i dont have any yet, still as new. By far the best phone i ever had
Thanks for the replies guys.
Torn between S21+ and Note 10+. Watched Youtube videos and found nearly all the videos and the follow-up comments were one-sided: Note 10+ is better than S21+. Considering Note 10+ was 1.5 years older than S21+, it's hard to believe that note 10+ is really better than S21+. S21+ is now on sale plus the trade-in program with the T-mobile promotion. Which one is worth buying note 10+ or S21+? Thank you for the help!
You can still get a new N975U for $800 running on Q. I have two now, the other is a N975U1 running on Pie. In spite of being almost 2.5 years old my original one looks and runs like new. One battery replacement was the only repair. The display is still perfect. Current load will be 2 years old in June, still fast and stable.
SOT is 7-13%@hr, 7%@hr for Brave browser more for streaming vids.
The deal breaker against the S21+ are:
•No SD card* slot, I use a .5tb V30 Sandisk extreme soon the be upgraded to 1tb.
•The S21 and all variable rate displays have slightly poorer color rendering and numerous display issues of all sorts. The N10+ display has an excellent track record and it's gorgeous with square corners. Perfect for vids.
•The N10+ comes loaded with Q, no forced encryption and scoped storage isn't fully active, older apps run fine on it like WPS Office.
•The N10+ has a native spen for bt remote shutter release and the very useful Smart Capture tool.
•The N10+ is 7mm thick so even when well protected in a Zizo Bolt case it's not very thick and easy to hold and use.
•5G not needed as my cheap unlimited data plan is 4G. 4G uses less battery which is important to me.
•Cams are pretty damn good on the N10+, laser focus be nice but not high on the list. The better color rendering of the N19+ display outweigh the slightly better cams of newer models.
•Build quality of the N10+ is excellent, battle tested. All buttons, the spen still work like new.
Beyond all that the N10+ is a fun, snappy phone to use even after over 2 years. With 12gb of ram you just don't run out, nominal usage is 4.9-5.2gb on Pie.
The new one was $800, I didn't blink at the price as I know what I was getting. Both will likely never be upgraded to 11 or 12, security isn't an issue for Pie and up. Both can be upgraded to 12 if you wish but likely not 13.
The other phone I considered was the N20U but the 10+ won out. I'm having an excellent user experience with the beast, so I got a backup
*I use the SD card as a data drive, all critical data goes there including full backups (within the limits of a stock Android). I can do a full reload with no internet connection or PC, anywhere.
Moreover I carry my entire CD/HDCD collection in my pocket as wav files. A fast dual drive 1+tb PC in your pocket is magnificent.
Thank you Blackhawk! How is the camera on note 10+ compared with S21+? On eBay, I saw "brand new" note 10+ for less than $500.
pzz123 said:
Thank you Blackhawk! How is the camera on note 10+ compared with S21+? On eBay, I saw "brand new" note 10+ for less than $500.
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You're welcome.
Well I never shot with the S21+ so for all I know it's AF gets lock ons instantly. The 10+'s shutter release could be faster but nothing to compare to except pro cams I shoot with
Still pics, vids are good, action shots not... unless you use burst mode which is easy to do by simply holding the release.
Using the spen as a remote shutter release is great though. Below is one from 10 feet out... not even trying to make it nice.
Be very careful with vendors. Best to talk with them first on the phone. Many are misrepresenting what they are selling. The Snapdragon variant you want is the N975U, it interfaces with AT&T just by putting in the sim card. Assuming you're using AT&T; get the correct variant for your provider. Make sure it has 12gb of ram. Used ones will likely be reflashed to Android 11. You want to keep display brightness at 50% or lower; did the previous owner? AMOLED displays have a finite lifespan; the brightest stars burn out first.
Factory sealed, two day free delivery. I like this seller, not super cheap but top shelf phones, zero issues and he answers his phone. I did a lot of searching...
Personally I think the S21+ is a dog.
In my opinion the Note20U be your next best choice but I dismissed it in part because of potential reliability issues with the display, the display color rendering is less than the 10, and they are shipped with Android 11. The 5G modem will likely eat battery and it's form factor sucks. You may feel differently and as of today it is the last Note. Faster memory/cpu/spen, excellent cam (and hump) and variable refresh rate display. Be very careful if you buy one, a lot of scamming going on with this model worse than what I saw with the N10... it's bad.
Make sure it has 12gb of ram and is the unlocked factory model.
Got a headache yet?
Awesome! Thanks. I am now seriously thinking about getting a note 10+ instead of s21+. Appreciate your help!
pzz123 said:
Awesome! Thanks. I am now seriously thinking about getting a note 10+ instead of s21+. Appreciate your help!
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It's a tough call between the N10+ and N20U*. On paper the N20U seems to have the edge.
In real life though... results may vary
Note 10+ display review.
Note 20U display review.
*S21+, for me the call is an easy no go
Hello fellow Xda members, I'm considering upgrading from my galaxy Note 4 to the Note 20 ultra. I'm resigned to losing the headphone jack and infrared sensor but what I can't live without are three features: call recording (I'm currently using ACR recorder and it's perfect for recording) Root capabilities and the fact that I can install an app (Videocallid) that personalises my contact ringtones with ANY kind of video's (music videos as ringtones are wild . Will I be able to reatin any or all of these features with the Note 20 ultra?
A year ago I was looking at the N10+ and the N20U. Got a second N10+. Samsung started going sideways with the N20U.
Unfortunately the Snapdragon's have the best hardware including heatpipes on the N10+'s. The Snapdragon's are hard or impossible to root. Optimized, stock ones run very well with 12+ hours SOT. I run stock, but still using Android 9 and 10 with no intentions of upgrading.
I can set custom ringtones. Never do call recording. The N10+ is a better balanced Note in my opinion and the zenith point of the Note series. They run like bats out of hell and are very reliable. New ones loaded with 10* can still be had. The Exynos variant is rootable.
*After Android 10 cpu cycle sucking scoped storage is fully active. 11 is so-so and 12 is a mess. I perfer Pie; 10 is slightly less app friendly and has many more Samsung system apps. Pie runs securely without issues; current load on this device is 2.5 years, last update 3 years.
Hey Blackhawk, nice to hear from you again yeah i was thinking also along those lines as i was confronting the note 10 + and the N20U, taking into consideration that the only phone that is nearly identical to the Note 4 is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro, which has inferior ram & storage and terrible sensor proximty problems. surfing on the internet I've seen two ads for a Note 10 + at 350 euros and the N20U at 430 euros. the N20Uhas 512gb of memory while the Note 10 + has 256gb. the Xiaomi costs around 280 euros brand new.
The Weeping Angel said:
Hey Blackhawk, nice to hear from you again yeah i was thinking also along those lines as i was confronting the note 10 + and the N20U, taking into consideration that the only phone that is nearly identical to the Note 4 is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro, which has inferior ram & storage and terrible sensor proximty problems. surfing on the internet I've seen two ads for a Note 10 + at 350 euros and the N20U at 430 euros. the N20Uhas 512gb of memory while the Note 10 + has 256gb. the Xiaomi costs around 280 euros brand new.
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Hey there
You're doing almost exactly what I did a year ago. It gets rather complicated. If I was doing it today I would spurn all the newer Samsung releases and go with another N975U1 No regrets as the N10+ is a joy to use . In terms of color/gamma accuracy/calibration likely exceeds all variable refresh rate displays. This is no small task if you want the best outcome. I recommend buying new if possible as you know exactly what you got, especially true with the bootloader version.
The 2nd new N10+ I bought is 256gb, the first 500gb. Both have 12gb of ram. I'm using V30 rated Sandisk Extremes in them, 500gb and 1tb respectively. They easily stream HD vids. Not a big deal when you have up to 1tb of expandable fast storage. Only the apps, download and dcim folders go on internal and the SD card serves as a data drive. I then redundantly backup the SD card. Everything I need including copies of apps to do a full reload without internet is on the SD card.
If memory serves me correctly there is a 8gb of ram N20U, avoid it. You want 12gb. A year ago there was a lot of scamming going on with the N20U be wary of this. Buy from trusted vendors only and always use a MC or Visa in case you need to do a charge back. There also a 128gb N20U variant too if I recall correctly, avoid it as it's not enough internal memory.
I would avoid the N10+ 5G variant as it's first generation and likely a power hog. I can stream and download movies fine with 4G. In fact 5G has opened up more bandwidth on the 4G band. 5G is perhaps problematic on the 20U as well. It's SOT is less than the N10+, it's cam hump sucks and the spen is on the left side. Any performance increases are offset somewhat by lower SOT, increased weight and bulk. There's a night and day performance difference with the N9 vs the N10+, the N9 is noticeably slower sometimes by seconds. The N10+ vs the S22U that difference is slight as far as opening apps and most daily usage.
Draw your own conclusions about what best will fullfill your mission. Invariably there will be surprises. I went from a S4+ running on Kitkat to the N10+, it was a steep learning curve at first. Pie is a far more capable and secure OS, however the hardware upgrade was just delicious... except for the missing 3.5mm jack. You'll wuv the new spen with bt remote shutter release capabilities. Smart capture is another spen feature I use a lot.
Pick up a pair of the Buds+ as they sound good especially using Poweramp's Eq. They've been discontinued but you may be able to find a new pair.
Use the Zizo Bolt case to protect your new Note. These are heavy phones that wuv to corner hit and face plant when dropped. My N10+'s are always cased. One reason they're still running.
Note: my N10+'s while being stock are optimized extensively. I use Package Disabler, Karma Firewall and a lot of settings changes. All Samsung's should be optimized...
The reason I started considering the N20U was that on local websites here in Italy there is a 80 euros difference between the N20U & the N10+ which i find ridiculous. I really want to keep using the Note series as I've grown attached to it, but the only phone that comes near to the Note 4 in similiarity is the Redmi Note 11 Pro minus the S-Pen, which saddens me to no end as it goes to show that Samsung really doesn't care or feel for it's own customer base.
I always pay through Paypal and they've always come through with their customer support,so no worries about that i really need the call recording app as i use it to take notes during calls. Having a video ringtone app is a bonus, nothing compares with having your favorite music video as your contacts ringtone.
The Weeping Angel said:
The reason I started considering the N20U was that on local websites here in Italy there is a 80 euros difference between the N20U & the N10+ which i find ridiculous. I really want to keep using the Note series as I've grown attached to it, but the only phone that comes near to the Note 4 in similiarity is the Redmi Note 11 Pro minus the S-Pen, which saddens me to no end as it goes to show that Samsung really doesn't care or feel for it's own customer base.
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The price difference should tell you something.
Play with both if you can. The design and balance of the N10+ is superb. The only repair I done is a replacement battery. It has over 8k hours on it, it's heavily used. I looks, feels and runs like new. Zero detectable display degradation, perfect.
You want the spen. I didn't use it for months at first, now I use it almost every day. I use screen write, smart capture and magnifier a lot. It's a swiss army knife of Android.
The Weeping Angel said:
I always pay through Paypal and they've always come through with their customer support,so no worries about that i really need the call recording app as i use it to take notes during calls. Having a video ringtone app is a bonus, nothing compares with having your favorite music video as your contacts ringtone.
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Paypal... don't fed the beast. They made the sorry mistake of becoming a political weapon.
They been quit busy in all the wrong ways. Not consumer friendly. I use to have a Paypal account... never again, but they do get a lifetime of free advertising from me. A stone cold pleasure.
MC and Visa have a good track record when it comes to handling charge backs.
blackhawk said:
The price difference should tell you something.
Play with both if you can. The design and balance of the N10+ is superb. The only repair I done is a replacement battery. It has over 8k hours on it, it's heavily used. I looks, feels and runs like new. Zero detectable display degradation, perfect.
You want the spen. I didn't use it for months at first, now I use it almost every day. I use screen write, smart capture and magnifier a lot. It's a swiss army knife of Android.
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The S-pen is something i will definitely use, which is why I'm sticking with the Note Series-for now. But i really need the call recording option; do you know Blackhawk if there is a sure fire way for both the N10+ & N20U? I've checked the guides but I don't see a clear answer. Unfortunatey there is no way for me to try out either device as both devices are not available anymore in store but i'm sure i couldn't be wrong buying either one. I've only had the chance to see the S22 Ultra and the colors are superb. I really would be disappointed if I have to end up buying the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 pro for simplicity.
The Weeping Angel said:
The S-pen is something i will definitely use, which is why I'm sticking with the Note Series-for now. But i really need the call recording option; do you know Blackhawk if there is a sure fire way for both the N10+ & N20U? I've checked the guides but I don't see a clear answer. Unfortunatey there is no way for me to try out either device as both devices are not available anymore in store but i'm sure i couldn't be wrong buying either one. I've only had the chance to see the S22 Ultra and the colors are superb. I really would be disappointed if I have to end up buying the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 pro for simplicity.
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It goes by region and Samsung's wims apparently. That's a lame deal breaker. Maybe get a cheap dedicated phone just for that.
Xiaomi is problematic in a number of ways including build quality.
Both Google Android and Samsung are circling the bowl, glad I got two N10+'s before the flush cycle started Android 13 is another wack job.
Uninstalling phone bloatware is something i really love to do; can't stand all the rubbish preinstalled on the Note 4; as a pet project one day I hope to make my own personal rom where I can truly customise the Note 4 as I please as i won't abandon the Note 4 totally. It is lagging abit now in perfomance & the memory & ram limitations are starting to impact day to day use.
blackhawk said:
It goes by region and Samsung's wims apparently. That's a lame deal breaker. Maybe get a cheap dedicated phone just for that.
Xiaomi is problematic in a number of ways including build quality.
Both Google Android and Samsung are circling the bowl, glad I got two N10+'s before the flush cycle started Android 13 is another wack job.
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Xiaomi is really a poor man's Note 4, but damn the only thing missing are samsung's vivid colors & the S-pen. Samsung really makes it hard on the consumer. eventually I find either terminal i can downgrade them to the pre-installed android version, yes? 5G isn't necessary but the majority of the used devices I'm checking out do come with that feature.
The Weeping Angel said:
Uninstalling phone bloatware is something i really love to do; can't stand all the rubbish preinstalled on the Note 4; as a pet project one day I hope to make my own personal rom where I can truly customise the Note 4 as I please as i won't abandon the Note 4 totally. It is lagging abit now in perfomance & the memory & ram limitations are starting to impact day to day use.
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There's no comparison between the N4 and the N10+. Its not just hardware. One UI is a quantum improvement over Touchwiz. Again learning curve ahead. If you go beyond Android 10 though it's going to be a true pain. Pie is still my preferred N10+ platform.
Pre Android 9 versions have glaring security holes that worming rootkits can exploit and worm their way out of the user data partition.
Thank you so much Blackhawk for your input and advice. I took the plunge & bought a Note 20 Ultra for around 605 US dollars with a year left on warranty from ebay. After scouting different websites such as Amazon & Subito.it (something like Craigslist over in the US), I couldn't find a Note 10 Plus in a similiar condition so I told myself what the heck & went with my gut. I can confirm that call recording can be activated and works by Samfw frp tool (thank you Senior Member Chosmile & System Hacks on youtube for the wonderful step by step guides ) for the European model. The battery has only been charged 259 times so I believe it will hold up for a fair bit yet. Thank you again Blackhawk for your really constructive advice and point of view
I'm trying to get an updated opinion about the "hot" snapdragon 8 gen 2 phones that are out currently. About 4-5 months ago the Vivo x90 Pro+ and Xiaomi 13 Ultra were the talk, but the vivo as it stands isn't going to be releasing a global version, and the CN version that a handful of people got their hands on, there is quite a bit of talk about all the bloatware on the device, plus notification issues, plus it doesn't appear as rooting it is anywhere in the near future for the phone.
The Xiaomi is an option and they have a global version in the talks, but apparently it might not come to the states and also I hear that the signal support is hit or miss.
Next up is the Samsung S23 Ultra; although I hear great things and generally speaking the hardware is pretty hard core, I don't have good experience with their interface. From personal experience using galaxy s6,7,8 bloatware is a HUGE issue and from what I hear not much has changed for the better since those models. Also I have read root is possible which is a plus on the S23 ultra, but still not sure if there are any limitations (outside of samsung software (I don't use samsung software)) such as google wallet/pay, bank apps, etc?
Moving on, Oneplus. I've always been a hit or miss kinda guy with the Oneplus. I've owned the op3T, op5T, and now the OP9 Pro. I like that they are "root friendly" generally speaking, and have a semi-vanilla android OS. What I dislike about the phone is the curved screen. Don't really care for it. Also the glass back is no-bueno because my current one has cracked multiple times on me despite being in a case and still functional.
Anyway, I'd like to hear some updated opinions about any of these phones or similar phones that you recommend.
For me, I am mostly interested in performance and battery life that can get me through the day or so. Having a nice camera is a perk, but I think most camera's these days are decent at the very least.
Also kind of a side topic, has anyone had any experience with a carbon fiber phone case? I was thinking of using one for my oneplus or future phone to prevent the back from breaking if it's glass. Carbon fiber is supposed to be really strong and light weight; but I'm not sure if it hinders the phone signal/antenna.
The Samsung Note 10+ (N975U1) has a smaller battery, is 30gm lighter, has better form factor & bezel to display ratio and gets better SOT (11-13 hrs) than the S23U*. In actual use it's only slightly slower except for intensive gaming. It runs cool and supports up to 1tb of expandable storage. The 60hz display is still one of the best in terms of resolution, color accuracy/calibration.
It's cams are more than adequate. Solid build quality and long lived. I have two and nothing Samsung has released since has matched it in overall functionality and usability which why I still run them. They are still a joy to use.
New ones are loaded with Android 10 are still available.
*all Samsung's should be optimized otherwise battery life will suffer.
blackhawk said:
The Samsung Note 10+ (N975U1) has a smaller battery, is 30gm lighter, has better form factor & bezel to display ratio and gets better SOT (11-13 hrs) than the S23U*. In actual use it's only slightly slower except for intensive gaming. It runs cool and supports up to 1tb of expandable storage. The 60hz display is still one of the best in terms of resolution, color accuracy/calibration.
It's cams are more than adequate. Solid build quality and long lived. I have two and nothing Samsung has released since has matched it in overall functionality and usability which why I still run them. They are still a joy to use.
New ones are loaded with Android 10 are still available.
*all Samsung's should be optimized otherwise battery life will suffer.
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Thanks for your input. The one concern I have with that model is that I believe the form factor is considered a phablet if I'm not mistaken. I personally like the smaller phones (thinner in terms of width).
Another phone I haven't heard too much about is the iqoo 11. I think it's comparable to the Oneplus 11 in terms of price and specs. Does anyone have any input on that one?