Question DJI Osmo 5 with S22 Ultra - Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Question DJI Osmo 5 with S22 Ultra - Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Hi, Has anyone tried this combination before?, Im planning on buying the OM5 for my S22U but not sure with payload capacity issues.
I also use a MOUS case, so plus for that if you have used it with a bulky case.
I am well aware of software issues, but I record with the native camera app and not through the MIMO app anyway.
Thanks!

Every Osmo mobile, I've always used it with a Samsung, and they always barely fit. I always end up having to take off the case, or use a minimal case (which is probably the better way to do it). I don't personally have a om5 but the note 20 ultra is pretty similar in size as the s22 Ultra. If you can find info on it working with the note 20 ultra, it should work with the s22 Ultra.

I have the S22 Ultra and the OM5. My case is a minimal one (Samsung official leather) and the phone fits just fine in the clamp. Be sure you download the DJI Mimo version directly from DJI and not from the Play store - the Play store version is an older one that does not allow access to all the OM5 features. If you get the right Mimo version, it is a great combination.
FYI, I also use the native camera app. The Mimo app I use to set things up, like an external mic. I've found problems trying to switch to a USB mic in the native camera app, but if I select that in Mimo and then go back to the camera app, things work as expected.

da_ferreira said:
I have the S22 Ultra and the OM5. My case is a minimal one (Samsung official leather) and the phone fits just fine in the clamp. Be sure you download the DJI Mimo version directly from DJI and not from the Play store - the Play store version is an older one that does not allow access to all the OM5 features. If you get the right Mimo version, it is a great combination.
FYI, I also use the native camera app. The Mimo app I use to set things up, like an external mic. I've found problems trying to switch to a USB mic in the native camera app, but if I select that in Mimo and then go back to the camera app, things work as expected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx for the tip, was gonna be making a trip soon and now I'm glad I can set it up for this phone, but their reviews have plummeted so low because of it. Also 2 things I'd like to ask, I hear the OM4 has a stronger motor and longer battery life, would you recommend that one more if I won't be using the extension rod? And with the newer OM's overall, does the magnet feel strong enough to not fall off with a sudden jolt or quick movements? That's the only thing keeping me from upgrading so far.

itneveroccurred said:
Thx for the tip, was gonna be making a trip soon and now I'm glad I can set it up for this phone, but their reviews have plummeted so low because of it. Also 2 things I'd like to ask, I hear the OM4 has a stronger motor and longer battery life, would you recommend that one more if I won't be using the extension rod? And with the newer OM's overall, does the magnet feel strong enough to not fall off with a sudden jolt or quick movements? That's the only thing keeping me from upgrading so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both the OM4 and 5.
Magnetic attachment: pretty much the same. I've never felt like either my previous Note 20 Ultra or the S22 Ultra was likely to fall off the gimbal. I just have to make sure the clamp is securely on the phone - that can be an issue, but I've never worried about the magnet.
Motor: the OM4 has a slight advantage here. When either battery is getting low, the motor on the 4 still seems to hum along while the 5 just wants to stop working at about 20%. Until you hit that mark, though, both seem to be comparable.
Battery life: clear advantage on the 4. Lasts probably 20-30 minutes longer than the 5, and recharges faster.
Stuff that comes with: again, the 4. It comes with a hard sided case where the 5 comes with a cheesy pouch.
My wife loves the 5 because of the extension pole (think of it like a tech-laden selfie stick) and I love the 4. The 4 feels like it is built like a tank while the 5 seems a little more fragile. Either is good, but for how I use it, the 4 is a better choice.

da_ferreira said:
I have both the OM4 and 5.
Magnetic attachment: pretty much the same. I've never felt like either my previous Note 20 Ultra or the S22 Ultra was likely to fall off the gimbal. I just have to make sure the clamp is securely on the phone - that can be an issue, but I've never worried about the magnet.
Motor: the OM4 has a slight advantage here. When either battery is getting low, the motor on the 4 still seems to hum along while the 5 just wants to stop working at about 20%. Until you hit that mark, though, both seem to be comparable.
Battery life: clear advantage on the 4. Lasts probably 20-30 minutes longer than the 5, and recharges faster.
Stuff that comes with: again, the 4. It comes with a hard sided case where the 5 comes with a cheesy pouch.
My wife loves the 5 because of the extension pole (think of it like a tech-laden selfie stick) and I love the 4. The 4 feels like it is built like a tank while the 5 seems a little more fragile. Either is good, but for how I use it, the 4 is a better choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya sounds like I'll go with the 4 then, thx again.

I ordered my om 5 and I'm waiting for delivery. I read a while ago the s22u is not supported by the dji app, only up to s21u. So, does the app support the s22u or are you using the native camera app? I know there is a lot more limitations on what the mimo app on android can do compared to ios...I was thinking of getting the om 4, but it's only available in our country on import or 2nd hand....

I was wondering with the S22 Ultra and the OM5, are you able to activate the shutter/video shutter button or other features on the OM5 when using the Native Samsung Camera app (not the mimo app) or do you have to use the mimo app in order to do that? Do you have any bluetooth connection/disconnection issues with the OM5 and the S22 Ultra? Are you also able to fit the S22 Ultra (with a case on) on the gimbal clamp or do you have to mount the phone without a case? Which phone case do you have btw if able to mount phone/case to OM5? Thanks

That depends on the case you have. A thin case will fit tightly but it does fit (such as Spigen Thin Fit). Using phone without case fits perfectly with the clamp fully open up. And you will need the Mimo app to control the phone. The app doesn't work with native Samsung camera app .

Related

My thoughts after upgrading from S7 edge to S9+

I received my unlocked S9+ about a week ago after taking advantage of Samsung's trade-in offer. I'm coming from an S7 Edge and figured I'd share some thoughts, if anyone was considering the same. Hit me up if you're curious about something specific.
Size-wise, this phone isn't that much larger than the S7 edge, just maybe a couple mm wider and several more taller. However, there is a very noticeable weight increase that makes a big difference during extended sessions. The weight also makes the all-glass exterior difficult to keep a grip on and you'll have a thick disgusting smear of fingerprints to prove it -- I think a case is a must. I went with one of the alcantara cases and love it.
I haven't messed much with the iris/facial scanning, mostly because it wouldn't work anyway with most of my banking/security apps that only support a fingerprint. I love the location of the new fingerprint scanner and it is very, very fast.
Speaking of fast, this phone SMOKES. I install a crap-ton of apps and it's just as speedy as when I took it out of the box. 6 GB of RAM means apps get suspended less often, making the overall experience very, very fluid. The screen is also drop-dead gorgeous.
The camera hasn't disappointed me yet, even in fairly low light situations or with significant zoom, and all the widgets in Pro mode give full control over it all. I intend to give it a good workout during tomorrow's blizzard and see if the super slo-mo does a good job of catching the snow. The new AR emoji stuff is useless and ridiculous, I don't see it appealing to much of anyone over the age of 11 -- and even then only if they don't notice how awful it looks. It's just a half-baked attempt to emulate the nonsense on an iFruit.
Things I miss/wish were better:
*Night clock -- RIP, my bedside table friend. You will be missed.
*Edge lighting -- feels like a missed opportunity, it's just "not enough" to be really useful. It feels to me like a step back from the S7e's implementation somehow but I can't really put my finger on why.
*Bixby -- just give up already and take the button away. Awful.
*Samsung's customizations -- the Settings menus are still an exercise in frustration and patience to plow through, even without all the carrier bloat in this unlocked version.

Which version do you have? 64, 128 or 256? I will be upgrading from S5 next month, a huge upgrade for me. Can you tell me if 64 GB will be enough, keeping in view all the bloatware pre-installed. I am not a heavy user, don't keep music in my phone, just the camera and whatsapp stuff and a few bubble witch type games.
I have ordered a few cases and a tempered glass, will definitely keep the device protected. I tested it in the store and it is slippery plus finger print magnet.

ila420 said:
Which version do you have? 64, 128 or 256? I will be upgrading from S5 next month, a huge upgrade for me. Can you tell me if 64 GB will be enough, keeping in view all the bloatware pre-installed. I am not a heavy user, don't keep music in my phone, just the camera and whatsapp stuff and a few bubble witch type games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the 64 GB version. Even with my huge pile of apps, I've still got 42 GB free. Ultra fast SD cards are so cheap these days, onboard storage is a non-event in my opinion. Store pics, vids, and music on the SD and it should never be a concern.
Plus, remember that unlocked devices don't have any of the carrier bloat!

I also came from an S7 Edge (with a couple of months on an S7 after the Edge was lost at sea. Literally.)
Anyway, I'm mostly thrilled with the upgrade. I don't find the weight an issue, but have small hands and do find the extra width just a bit uncomfortable. I could happily live with the shorter screen on the Edge, too. The extra height doesn't really buy me that much most of the time, but it isn't an issue, either. I agree a case is necessary, if for no reason other than to protect the glass if you drop it. But that's another area where the width is a problem--I used a more protective case on the Edge, but can't handle the extra width on the Plus so I'm using a thinner case.
Can't get the Iris scanning to work at all. It gets to about 50% and says my Irises couldn't be scanned. Guess I have weird eyes?
Agree Bixby is pretty much useless at this point, but (1) it should improve over time, and (2) it's Samsung's future UI for all their smart devices, phones, washers, stoves, you name it, so it's not going away. Would be nice if they'd let us remap the button, but at least there are 3rd party tools for that.
There are 3rd party edge lighting tools that are far better than Samsung's, btw. My biggest grip is the loss of per-contact text message sounds. I had to go to the 3rd party text app to get that back.
And yes, it's fast and smooth. No complaints there, even though I'm sure the Pixel cult will claim it's laggy and stutters. I'm also getting the best battery life I've gotten out of any phone, by far.

meyerweb said:
There are 3rd party edge lighting tools that are far better than Samsung's, btw. My biggest grip is the loss of per-contact text message sounds. I had to go to the 3rd party text app to get that back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you recommend something that does a better job with edge lighting?
I also didn't realize per-user alerts were missing, I didn't use Samsung's built-in on the S7e because of the wonky sharing intent support. Nice catch.

Wallcrawler77 said:
Could you recommend something that does a better job with edge lighting?
I also didn't realize per-user alerts were missing, I didn't use Samsung's built-in on the S7e because of the wonky sharing intent support. Nice catch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using this one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lighting.edge.edgelighting
I was a beta tester for it and got it free. It meets my needs, so I haven't compared any of the other ones in the Play Store to see if they might be better.

Wallcrawler77 said:
I received my unlocked S9+ about a week ago after taking advantage of Samsung's trade-in offer. I'm coming from an S7 Edge and figured I'd share some thoughts, if anyone was considering the same. Hit me up if you're curious about something specific.
Size-wise, this phone isn't that much larger than the S7 edge, just maybe a couple mm wider and several more taller. However, there is a very noticeable weight increase that makes a big difference during extended sessions. The weight also makes the all-glass exterior difficult to keep a grip on and you'll have a thick disgusting smear of fingerprints to prove it -- I think a case is a must. I went with one of the alcantara cases and love it.
I haven't messed much with the iris/facial scanning, mostly because it wouldn't work anyway with most of my banking/security apps that only support a fingerprint. I love the location of the new fingerprint scanner and it is very, very fast.
Speaking of fast, this phone SMOKES. I install a crap-ton of apps and it's just as speedy as when I took it out of the box. 6 GB of RAM means apps get suspended less often, making the overall experience very, very fluid. The screen is also drop-dead gorgeous.
The camera hasn't disappointed me yet, even in fairly low light situations or with significant zoom, and all the widgets in Pro mode give full control over it all. I intend to give it a good workout during tomorrow's blizzard and see if the super slo-mo does a good job of catching the snow. The new AR emoji stuff is useless and ridiculous, I don't see it appealing to much of anyone over the age of 11 -- and even then only if they don't notice how awful it looks. It's just a half-baked attempt to emulate the nonsense on an iFruit.
Things I miss/wish were better:
*Night clock -- RIP, my bedside table friend. You will be missed.
*Edge lighting -- feels like a missed opportunity, it's just "not enough" to be really useful. It feels to me like a step back from the S7e's implementation somehow but I can't really put my finger on why.
*Bixby -- just give up already and take the button away. Awful.
*Samsung's customizations -- the Settings menus are still an exercise in frustration and patience to plow through, even without all the carrier bloat in this unlocked version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry after investing millions of dollars on development they're not gonna "just give up" on bixby because some people don't like it, HOWEVER, we can disable the button on bixby home, little gear icon on top and you can set the button to do nothing with a single press unless you press and hold

i like the Bixby button.... so that I can use "BxActions" to program it as my quick Sound/Vibrate button, or turn on flashlight, or take screenshot, or wifi on/off, etc...

Wallcrawler77 said:
I have the 64 GB version. Even with my huge pile of apps, I've still got 42 GB free. Ultra fast SD cards are so cheap these days, onboard storage is a non-event in my opinion. Store pics, vids, and music on the SD and it should never be a concern.
Plus, remember that unlocked devices don't have any of the carrier bloat!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to upgrade to a 9+ from a s6 edge+ sometime in the summer. I'm assuming I would have a harder time adjusting to it since the 7 edge is heavier than the 6 edge+. On the other hand, the 6 edge+ is slightly wider than the 7 edge.

Just my 2 cents as well....Also came from the S7 Edge. Had the S4,S5 and S6 before that. Didn't want to fork out the huge amount of money with my provider for the S8. Van honestly say that this S9+ is damn quick. When looking at the speed comparison tests on youtube I sometimes think my phone in hand is quicker then that... Physically it's nor much bigger then the S7 Edge, but it feels nicer in hand and is easy to operate with one hand...I have biggish hands... Camera in general is a bit better, didn't yet get time to really compare to my S& Edge. Low light is definitely nicer and less noise. Bixby is a first for me...Not to bad....Bixby doesn't always understand our South African english accent. Haven't used google assistant for 2 weeks now...Bixby does what I want and some more when it comes to the phone settings etc. Overall very happy with the phone. Battery life with my use is a bit better then the S7 Edge. I get at least 18-28 hours of battery life, with sot of 3-4.5 hours. The S7 edge got 12-16 hours with sot 2-3. UI is good and no lag detected at all, especially how I use the phone, not a heavy user, but I'm busy on the phone

Same here. I had an S7edge for two years and loved it. I now upgraded to S9+.
I want to be honest. After the first hype you get about a new phone etc. I cannot say that I am extremely amazed by this upgrade.
Don't get me wrong. S9+ is fantastic. It is a phone that has everything. I cannot find a fault. The smoothness is amazing, the screen is amazing, the speed is amazing. But if you used to have an S7 edge, you are also used to most of what samsung offers. Excellent camera, edge screen, samsung apps etc etc.
To be honest I am a power user, so I had installed most of the updated touchwiz apps through APKs (including the new touchwiz launcher) in my s7edge so my daily experience and use of the phone remain the same.
I don't know if I should have waited for oreo to come to S7edge and then decide to upgrade or not, but there were a few areas in s9+ that made me bite the bullet and proceed in ordering it.
- The looks. S7 edge is a very good looking phone but S9+... oh my... I think I am in love with the way it looks.
- 6gb of ram. S7 edge was lacking in this sector. The ram management was not so good. The ram management in s9+ is just extraordinary. There are times that I close an app at night, fall asleep, and the next morning I reopen the app and is in the exact same page that I left it.
- Battery seems better than S7 edge. Maybe power management is better in s9+ due to processor or Oreo android.
- Cameras of both phones take excellent pictures. So nothing too special about S9.
- Speakers is a big upgrade. S7 edge speaker was very low volume. S9+ rocks the place.
- S9 supports project treble. So hopefully S9 will be getting updates sooner. Timely android updates is the only sector that Samsung is falling behind.
Bottom line is that s9+ surely worths the upgrade, but if you come from an s7 edge don't expect the changes and your daily usage and feel to be extremely different and rock your world. Especially if you just update to the s9 and not the s9+.
If you come from another phone (not a recent samsung one), for sure you will be amazed.
I could live easily with s7edge for at least another year, especially if it gets the oreo update. Or I could easily root it and install an s9 rom.
I am just saying all this so an s7edge owner to take everything into account before rushing getting the s9+.

I reluctantly upgraded from an S7 Edge. Didn't want to lose FoxFi but the S7 was so slow and charging was becoming an issue. Got an unlocked S9+ direct from Samsung. This thing is lightening fast. Love the Intelligent Scan. There are times I want to unlock but have sterile gloves on and I don't feel like dealing with a PIN.
That being said...the battery life when I got it was AMAZING. I have long days where it's a pain to charge and it last(ed). Until the update. Now battery is not so stellar. Anyone else experiencing this?

I'm surprised at how many are in the same boat upgrading from the S7 Edge!
My Tmo S7E was so SLOW after all the updates, I resisted throwing it out the window. Their trade in program giving $360 for it was a steal so I jumped on it immediately. Loving the S9+ all the way! Phone is an absolute beast and I love the 6GB of ram. It keeps prompting me to update but I AM NOT UPDATING! don't fix what isn't broken right?
xxlikquidxx said:
i like the Bixby button.... so that I can use "BxActions" to program it as my quick Sound/Vibrate button, or turn on flashlight, or take screenshot, or wifi on/off, etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh man, I didn't know that! I'll have to look into this...! Really wish Samsung had a physical button to set to Loud/Vibrate/Mute

S7edge to S9+ here as well, I'll comment on the VR. I ordered the new GearVR headset before I got the phone in, and using it is like night and day.
-S7edge would overheat in 10-20 minutes, show error and lock up sometimes until it cooled. Unplugged, I'd get from 100-25% in less than 1 3d movie (avg 1:30 in battery only vr usage, 50% screen brightness) When plugged into the Samsung power supply would only drop battery from 100%-70% in 2 hours.
-S9+ has yet to overheat in VR, screendoor is a little more pronounced, but can watch 2:20 movie in 3D (50% screen brightness as usual) battery only 100%-55% and when plugged in would not charge unless headset is off (sleep mode) but would not discharge any battery, start at 100% end at 100%.
S9+ VR headset: SM-R325NZVAXAR is what I ordered. I use this along with Riftcat to simulate a Vive headset and play Elite dangerous for hours, no overheat and no battery drain when plugged in. Smooth as silk.

Another person going from S7 Edge to S9+. Overall I agree with the prior comments, the phone really isn't much bigger but the performance difference is HUGE. I setup many apps and the S7E was bogging down. For example: running Google Play Music and Waze in my car would make the audio choppy at times and Waze would lag. On the S9+ it runs smooth.
A few other comments:
- I used a UAG case ( specifically the Plasma ) for my S7 Edge and now my S9+, I think it is great
- I use BxActions and have it mapped to Google Assistant. I wish there was a way officially disable Bixby and map things to Google Assistant but the BxActions app works.

Red magic 3 after a few days my opinion.

So I have a Note 9. Got into Call of duty and decided it was time to get something to play it on sice I was just beating on that battery. Looked at all the gaming phone's and ended up getting a Red magic 3 256gb, with 2 cases, dock, controller, screen protectors everything mind like new for $455. Not a mark on the phone.
First impression. This does not come packed like a cheap phone. You get flagship level packing here.
It's a big phone. But with the case on it. And my text 22 case it's just a hair bigger then my note 9. But it feels great in the hand. It's thicker but you can't tell it hides it well. I haven't felt a phone like this since my Droid DNA. Build quality is great and I was shocked at he nice it really was. I keep looking for that catch. Why this is not a $1,000+ phone. You can't tell. I wish the phone did not have the red accents on it and the logo on the back but since I got a case a little black vivid automotive vinyl and it looks amazing. The diamond camera lenses lets you know this is not a typical phone. The red switch on the side is a hint that it's packing some serious power.
Display. This can make it break a cheap phone. The display is 90hz and is butter. Play 90hz then play 60. You will then hate 60hz. Scrolling is smooth. Does it have the horrible cheap AMOLED display color shift? Nope looks great! Is it note 9 and 10 great? No. But it's a great display and not really trailing far behind the best.
Camera. Stock app is meh. No ois and all that. But the sensor is good. The foundation is there it just needs polish. Gcam app pics look great. Not the best but more then enough for the typical person. I will say the slow no blows my note 9 out of the water. The note 9 looks like trash why this phone looks very clear. That 1920fps is no joke. But I did notice my orange was a bit bighter and the note 9 was more accurate in color but looked grainy where this phone was extremely clear. And the difference between the 940fps and the 1920fps is amazing. Some of my slow mo videos look absolutely amazing and are so crisp and detailed I was blown away. It does 8k...low fps but it ties into the gamer aspect of my phone does 8k..at 15fps...what's your phone do 8k at? Mine doesn't... exactly. 15fps is more then 0.
Android. Is pretty much stock but with some tasteful additions. They respected Android and did not over do it. Runs smoothly and is what you would expect from a pretty much stock Android. Flip the switch and the game space starts. It pick games up automaticly and it's easy to add apps to it. Screen recording is very easy and works great. Settings are easy to adjust and mapping your shoulder buttons are as easy as dragging them to here you want them. Game space is great.
That fan tho! It works. It's not loud but some times you can hear it. If you screen record with the mic on you can year it in the video. But most of the time you won't notice it. I found my temps playing games and heavy benchmarking never hit over 40.6c even after a few hours of call of duty. It works great
Nubia is a name I never heard of. But Nubia is now on my list of phone's to watch. I will take a serious look at the red magic 4 and if they improve on this I will buy one. This phone is that good.
I really hope they offer an all blacked out version. With just the red button. Clean look till the RGB comes on. I love the look of it all blacked out in my case and the RGB on.
And for those who have Verizon. I have Verizon and not having band 13 sucks but I have always had 4g. I did notice that its slightly slower then my note 9. But still pulling good 4g speed and no issues. Put the Sim in and it worked great.
And those worried about updates. Most phone's don't get them anyways so who cares if they don't. I'm on Verizon so it's not like my phone updates have ever been fast.

bignazpwns said:
So I have a Note 9. Got into Call of duty and decided it was time to get something to play it on sice I was just beating on that battery. Looked at all the gaming phone's and ended up getting a Red magic 3 256gb, with 2 cases, dock, controller, screen protectors everything mind like new for $455. Not a mark on the phone.
First impression. This does not come packed like a cheap phone. You get flagship level packing here.
It's a big phone. But with the case on it. And my text 22 case it's just a hair bigger then my note 9. But it feels great in the hand. It's thicker but you can't tell it hides it well. I haven't felt a phone like this since my Droid DNA. Build quality is great and I was shocked at he nice it really was. I keep looking for that catch. Why this is not a $1,000+ phone. You can't tell. I wish the phone did not have the red accents on it and the logo on the back but since I got a case a little black vivid automotive vinyl and it looks amazing. The diamond camera lenses lets you know this is not a typical phone. The red switch on the side is a hint that it's packing some serious power.
Display. This can make it break a cheap phone. The display is 90hz and is butter. Play 90hz then play 60. You will then hate 60hz. Scrolling is smooth. Does it have the horrible cheap AMOLED display color shift? Nope looks great! Is it note 9 and 10 great? No. But it's a great display and not really trailing far behind the best.
Camera. Stock app is meh. No ois and all that. But the sensor is good. The foundation is there it just needs polish. Gcam app pics look great. Not the best but more then enough for the typical person. I will say the slow no blows my note 9 out of the water. The note 9 looks like trash why this phone looks very clear. That 1920fps is no joke. But I did notice my orange was a bit bighter and the note 9 was more accurate in color but looked grainy where this phone was extremely clear. And the difference between the 940fps and the 1920fps is amazing. Some of my slow mo videos look absolutely amazing and are so crisp and detailed I was blown away. It does 8k...low fps but it ties into the gamer aspect of my phone does 8k..at 15fps...what's your phone do 8k at? Mine doesn't... exactly. 15fps is more then 0.
Android. Is pretty much stock but with some tasteful additions. They respected Android and did not over do it. Runs smoothly and is what you would expect from a pretty much stock Android. Flip the switch and the game space starts. It pick games up automaticly and it's easy to add apps to it. Screen recording is very easy and works great. Settings are easy to adjust and mapping your shoulder buttons are as easy as dragging them to here you want them. Game space is great.
That fan tho! It works. It's not loud but some times you can hear it. If you screen record with the mic on you can year it in the video. But most of the time you won't notice it. I found my temps playing games and heavy benchmarking never hit over 40.6c even after a few hours of call of duty. It works great
Nubia is a name I never heard of. But Nubia is now on my list of phone's to watch. I will take a serious look at the red magic 4 and if they improve on this I will buy one. This phone is that good.
I really hope they offer an all blacked out version. With just the red button. Clean look till the RGB comes on. I love the look of it all blacked out in my case and the RGB on.
And for those who have Verizon. I have Verizon and not having band 13 sucks but I have always had 4g. I did notice that its slightly slower then my note 9. But still pulling good 4g speed and no issues. Put the Sim in and it worked great.
And those worried about updates. Most phone's don't get them anyways so who cares if they don't. I'm on Verizon so it's not like my phone updates have ever been fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is volte working?

suzook said:
Is volte working?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said? Put COD down and answer the freaking question!

SavageCat-TX said:
What he said? Put COD down and answer the freaking question!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is

Yeah volte for me on Verizon is working. Sorry been typically going 30+ and 0 I'm cod lol. Phone kicks ass.

Display under magnification.

bignazpwns said:
Display under magnification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.frequencycheck.com/carr...im-td-lte-256gb-nx629j/t-mobile-united-states
Can some one confirm I selected the right phone based upon this thread? I thought THIS phone was it but now not sure. Might be close enough to run by Tmo (USA) and get a second opinion.
Why do these phone makers market a phone to a country with not enough coverage! (rhetorical question)

SavageCat-TX said:
https://www.frequencycheck.com/carr...im-td-lte-256gb-nx629j/t-mobile-united-states
Can some one confirm I selected the right phone based upon this thread? I thought THIS phone was it but now not sure. Might be close enough to run by Tmo (USA) and get a second opinion.
Why do these phone makers market a phone to a country with not enough coverage! (rhetorical question)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T mobile you should be good. I don't know what bands they use but on on Verizon with no issues so you should have even more band support then me with t mobile. Usually phones don't work well with Verizon

SavageCat-TX said:
https://www.frequencycheck.com/carr...im-td-lte-256gb-nx629j/t-mobile-united-states
Can some one confirm I selected the right phone based upon this thread? I thought THIS phone was it but now not sure. Might be close enough to run by Tmo (USA) and get a second opinion.
Why do these phone makers market a phone to a country with not enough coverage! (rhetorical question)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works for me...

Ordered by RM3s last night. Excited and nervous at the same time.

I paid the extra $6 to have it shipped faster and arrived in 3 business days. I ordered LATE on Black Friday 2019 and had it in my hands on Wednesday.
First, let me provide a bit of history. I'm play PUBG a lot. I'm not on a squad mainly due to lack of the ability to setup a schedule to play with teammates to learn behaviors and work out strategies so I'm forced to play solo. I have been playing on an iPhone 6S plus. The phone did fine on I was hoping that a larger screen would help and WOW what an improvement the size makes (yes, size does apparently matter). The screen of the RM3s is larger than the entire screen and bezels of the iPhone 6S plus. I understand the brightness is only like 400nits or something like that. It's plenty bright enough for me. This was a concern previously but not now.
Buttons: The buttons have a solid clicky feel. I like them. The lock button and the volume rocker are close together so I keep hitting the volume down button. I suspect this might be an issue when my wife calls me and I've accidentally turned down the volume. My iPhone only had one button along the right side of the phone so the extra buttons will take some getting used to.
Face Unlock: This is new to me. With my wife's Note 9, she can lift the phone and it'll detect the movement and unlock. I THINK with the RM3s, you have to push the button on the side to activate the face scanner. Doesn't bother me but it might someone else.
PUGB Mobile: The bootup times for PUBG are effectively the same between the RM3s and the iPhone 6s Plus, we are talking millisecond differences. The iPhone is 4-5 years old and I bought it new. Not sure if this is a testament to Apple technology or not. As I understand UFS 3.0, you primarily see the benenfits when loading large files. My guess here is PUBG has a lot of little files so the performance benefits for loading times of PUGB are a marginally improvement over UFS 2.0. I mention this as I was considering the Samsung S10+ but the screen is smaller than what I wanted to buy.
First MINOR Gripe: Just to prove I'm being objectionable here, I would like to have had the charge port off center like the headphone jack is. I love that the ROG2 can be charged using the side port. When playing games in landscape mode, the cords would be balanced in your hands. That said, there is a freaking 5000mAh battery in this thing so I an easily play several classic matches and not have an anxiety that my battery will be dead before I get home.
Speakers: this was not a big factor for me as when I'm gaming I'll have on headphones but I like to play music or watch YouTube while cooking dinner. The speakers do not disappoint. Are they the best things on earth? Of course not. Are they an improvement over the iPhone 6s Plus? Oh hell yeah. While I am not an audiophile, this speakers are pretty damn good. They get loud. At the volume level of zero, clicking the volume up rocker once makes the speaker loud enough to listen to while working at your desk (w/o a headset). Any louder and my wife will immediately come tell my to turn it down. While the ear piece doubles as a speaker, the volume balance between the two is pretty good. The OnePlus 7t (the other phone I was considering) has a dedicated speaker so I'm sure it sounds perfectly balanced. If I want a higher quality speaker, I'm going to rely on a dedicated unit. Same goes for my TV, computer, or media center, etc. Use the right tool for the job.
Size and Weight: I don't think the phone is big but rather it is long (and I like it "tall" - using tall here for obvious reasons). It does NOT feel heavy and actually feels lighter than my iPhone 6s plus (plus case weight). I will be ordering a silicone case for the RM3s but I doubt it'll had any significant heft. The phone feels solid and not cheap but any means. Perhaps the lack of rear glass and the use of metal cuts down on the weight?
Air Triggers/Bumpers: In a word, "FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!" They are better than what I had hoped for. Before I found out about the RM3s, I considered getting the OnePlus 7t and ordering button attachments from Amazon. The air triggers/bumper buttons respond immediately and without any lag. The finger unlock can also be programmed for a 3rd button. No clue yet what to use for that except maybe the revive button but since I primarily play solo, I'll probably program it for the scope or the exit button while in the vehicle. The beauty of the button is I can stack the icons in PUBG and the center button will activate the applicable button (in a vehicle, the unlock sensor becomes the exit button, outside of the vehicle, it activates the scope or perhaps the reload. So many choices. The placement isn't super easy to tap during extreme game play but after developing some muscle memory, it'll end up being a great addition.
It came with a pre-applied screen protector. I had heard mixed comments about whether or not it would come with one. As a result, I did order one with the phone so I guess I'll put it in a drawer. Of course when I need it, I wont be able to find it, I'll order another one, and then I'll find the one in the drawer. :/
The LED on back is pretty slick (albeit a gimmick but I like flashy lights). You can configure it for a multitude of things, There is an app with the phone to control the LED behavior. I also really like how the LED can flicker when playing music and for notifications. When playing music, I place the phone face-down so the sound from the speakers are bounced back from the counter which amplifies the sound (and you an see the LED).
Storage Space: Mine is the 128GB version. After signing in and before installing any apps, only 11% was used. No complaints there at all. I activated developer mode and then enabled OTG support, connected my OTG adapter and then attached a 512GB jump drive. The phone had no issues reading the contents. If I end up filling up the 128GB, it'll be easy to off load data so no concerns for me here.
Charge: When I unboxed the phone, the battery was around 80% (this is very normal). I placed on charge while I ate lunch, came back and it was 100%. 5000mAh battery. Awesome.
UI: My wife has a Samsung Note 9 so my experience with Android is limited to the time I've used her phone and the Samsung UI (can I say I hate curved screens? They look great but the usability is severely limited IMO.) and her phone feels heavy. I don't know what "bloatware" or "stock android" looks like but I've heard that the UI of the RM3s is very close to stock Android. I like what I am seeing. In all honesty, I like OnePlus's UI better visually speaking. I know you may be saying you can install Nova Launcher but the RM3s launcher cant permanently change to use a different launcher. Even if I can't install a 3rd party launcher, coming from iOS, I'm used to only effectively being able to change the wallpaper so I'm already have more customization options now. The stock live wallpaper is pretty cool.
ROOT: I do not have any plans to ROOT the phone or unlock the bootloader. I also thought I'd never leave iOS but I've seen the errors of my ways so we'll see what happens. I did see in Developer Options there is a slide switch to unlock the bootloader. Nice!
Phone: I stuck my Tmobile sim card in an Tmobile immediately detected the phone needed some carrier updates. After applying them, I made a single call. It connected quickly. I did not pay attention to if it was connecting using VoLTE. After the initial test call, I removed the SIM. My case hasn't arrived yet so I'm waiting to use the phone. Once I make the official switch, I'll add a reply on the phone call since no one on YouTube mentions how it works as a phone. ?

SavageCat-TX said:
I paid the extra $6 to have it shipped faster and arrived in 3 business days. I ordered LATE on Black Friday 2019 and had it in my hands on Wednesday.
First, let me provide a bit of history. I'm play PUBG a lot. I'm not on a squad mainly due to lack of the ability to setup a schedule to play with teammates to learn behaviors and work out strategies so I'm forced to play solo. I have been playing on an iPhone 6S plus. The phone did fine on I was hoping that a larger screen would help and WOW what an improvement the size makes (yes, size does apparently matter). The screen of the RM3s is larger than the entire screen and bezels of the iPhone 6S plus. I understand the brightness is only like 400nits or something like that. It's plenty bright enough for me. This was a concern previously but not now.
Buttons: The buttons have a solid clicky feel. I like them. The lock button and the volume rocker are close together so I keep hitting the volume down button. I suspect this might be an issue when my wife calls me and I've accidentally turned down the volume. My iPhone only had one button along the right side of the phone so the extra buttons will take some getting used to.
Face Unlock: This is new to me. With my wife's Note 9, she can lift the phone and it'll detect the movement and unlock. I THINK with the RM3s, you have to push the button on the side to activate the face scanner. Doesn't bother me but it might someone else.
PUGB Mobile: The bootup times for PUBG are effectively the same between the RM3s and the iPhone 6s Plus, we are talking millisecond differences. The iPhone is 4-5 years old and I bought it new. Not sure if this is a testament to Apple technology or not. As I understand UFS 3.0, you primarily see the benenfits when loading large files. My guess here is PUBG has a lot of little files so the performance benefits for loading times of PUGB are a marginally improvement over UFS 2.0. I mention this as I was considering the Samsung S10+ but the screen is smaller than what I wanted to buy.
First MINOR Gripe: Just to prove I'm being objectionable here, I would like to have had the charge port off center like the headphone jack is. I love that the ROG2 can be charged using the side port. When playing games in landscape mode, the cords would be balanced in your hands. That said, there is a freaking 5000mAh battery in this thing so I an easily play several classic matches and not have an anxiety that my battery will be dead before I get home.
Speakers: this was not a big factor for me as when I'm gaming I'll have on headphones but I like to play music or watch YouTube while cooking dinner. The speakers do not disappoint. Are they the best things on earth? Of course not. Are they an improvement over the iPhone 6s Plus? Oh hell yeah. While I am not an audiophile, this speakers are pretty damn good. They get loud. At the volume level of zero, clicking the volume up rocker once makes the speaker loud enough to listen to while working at your desk (w/o a headset). Any louder and my wife will immediately come tell my to turn it down. While the ear piece doubles as a speaker, the volume balance between the two is pretty good. The OnePlus 7t (the other phone I was considering) has a dedicated speaker so I'm sure it sounds perfectly balanced. If I want a higher quality speaker, I'm going to rely on a dedicated unit. Same goes for my TV, computer, or media center, etc. Use the right tool for the job.
Size and Weight: I don't think the phone is big but rather it is long (and I like it "tall" - using tall here for obvious reasons). It does NOT feel heavy and actually feels lighter than my iPhone 6s plus (plus case weight). I will be ordering a silicone case for the RM3s but I doubt it'll had any significant heft. The phone feels solid and not cheap but any means. Perhaps the lack of rear glass and the use of metal cuts down on the weight?
Air Triggers/Bumpers: In a word, "FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!" They are better than what I had hoped for. Before I found out about the RM3s, I considered getting the OnePlus 7t and ordering button attachments from Amazon. The air triggers/bumper buttons respond immediately and without any lag. The finger unlock can also be programmed for a 3rd button. No clue yet what to use for that except maybe the revive button but since I primarily play solo, I'll probably program it for the scope or the exit button while in the vehicle. The beauty of the button is I can stack the icons in PUBG and the center button will activate the applicable button (in a vehicle, the unlock sensor becomes the exit button, outside of the vehicle, it activates the scope or perhaps the reload. So many choices. The placement isn't super easy to tap during extreme game play but after developing some muscle memory, it'll end up being a great addition.
It came with a pre-applied screen protector. I had heard mixed comments about whether or not it would come with one. As a result, I did order one with the phone so I guess I'll put it in a drawer. Of course when I need it, I wont be able to find it, I'll order another one, and then I'll find the one in the drawer. :/
The LED on back is pretty slick (albeit a gimmick but I like flashy lights). You can configure it for a multitude of things, There is an app with the phone to control the LED behavior. I also really like how the LED can flicker when playing music and for notifications. When playing music, I place the phone face-down so the sound from the speakers are bounced back from the counter which amplifies the sound (and you an see the LED).
Storage Space: Mine is the 128GB version. After signing in and before installing any apps, only 11% was used. No complaints there at all. I activated developer mode and then enabled OTG support, connected my OTG adapter and then attached a 512GB jump drive. The phone had no issues reading the contents. If I end up filling up the 128GB, it'll be easy to off load data so no concerns for me here.
Charge: When I unboxed the phone, the battery was around 80% (this is very normal). I placed on charge while I ate lunch, came back and it was 100%. 5000mAh battery. Awesome.
UI: My wife has a Samsung Note 9 so my experience with Android is limited to the time I've used her phone and the Samsung UI (can I say I hate curved screens? They look great but the usability is severely limited IMO.) and her phone feels heavy. I don't know what "bloatware" or "stock android" looks like but I've heard that the UI of the RM3s is very close to stock Android. I like what I am seeing. In all honesty, I like OnePlus's UI better visually speaking. I know you may be saying you can install Nova Launcher but the RM3s launcher cant permanently change to use a different launcher. Even if I can't install a 3rd party launcher, coming from iOS, I'm used to only effectively being able to change the wallpaper so I'm already have more customization options now. The stock live wallpaper is pretty cool.
ROOT: I do not have any plans to ROOT the phone or unlock the bootloader. I also thought I'd never leave iOS but I've seen the errors of my ways so we'll see what happens. I did see in Developer Options there is a slide switch to unlock the bootloader. Nice!
Phone: I stuck my Tmobile sim card in an Tmobile immediately detected the phone needed some carrier updates. After applying them, I made a single call. It connected quickly. I did not pay attention to if it was connecting using VoLTE. After the initial test call, I removed the SIM. My case hasn't arrived yet so I'm waiting to use the phone. Once I make the official switch, I'll add a reply on the phone call since no one on YouTube mentions how it works as a phone. ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You absolutely can permanently change the launcher.

Do tell. IIRC, you also have this phone.

SavageCat-TX said:
Ordered by RM3s last night. Excited and nervous at the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SavageCat-TX said:
I paid the extra $6 to have it shipped faster and arrived in 3 business days. I ordered LATE on Black Friday 2019 and had it in my hands on Wednesday.
First, let me provide a bit of history. I'm play PUBG a lot. I'm not on a squad mainly due to lack of the ability to setup a schedule to play with teammates to learn behaviors and work out strategies so I'm forced to play solo. I have been playing on an iPhone 6S plus. The phone did fine on I was hoping that a larger screen would help and WOW what an improvement the size makes (yes, size does apparently matter). The screen of the RM3s is larger than the entire screen and bezels of the iPhone 6S plus. I understand the brightness is only like 400nits or something like that. It's plenty bright enough for me. This was a concern previously but not now.
Buttons: The buttons have a solid clicky feel. I like them. The lock button and the volume rocker are close together so I keep hitting the volume down button. I suspect this might be an issue when my wife calls me and I've accidentally turned down the volume. My iPhone only had one button along the right side of the phone so the extra buttons will take some getting used to.
Face Unlock: This is new to me. With my wife's Note 9, she can lift the phone and it'll detect the movement and unlock. I THINK with the RM3s, you have to push the button on the side to activate the face scanner. Doesn't bother me but it might someone else.
PUGB Mobile: The bootup times for PUBG are effectively the same between the RM3s and the iPhone 6s Plus, we are talking millisecond differences. The iPhone is 4-5 years old and I bought it new. Not sure if this is a testament to Apple technology or not. As I understand UFS 3.0, you primarily see the benenfits when loading large files. My guess here is PUBG has a lot of little files so the performance benefits for loading times of PUGB are a marginally improvement over UFS 2.0. I mention this as I was considering the Samsung S10+ but the screen is smaller than what I wanted to buy.
First MINOR Gripe: Just to prove I'm being objectionable here, I would like to have had the charge port off center like the headphone jack is. I love that the ROG2 can be charged using the side port. When playing games in landscape mode, the cords would be balanced in your hands. That said, there is a freaking 5000mAh battery in this thing so I an easily play several classic matches and not have an anxiety that my battery will be dead before I get home.
Speakers: this was not a big factor for me as when I'm gaming I'll have on headphones but I like to play music or watch YouTube while cooking dinner. The speakers do not disappoint. Are they the best things on earth? Of course not. Are they an improvement over the iPhone 6s Plus? Oh hell yeah. While I am not an audiophile, this speakers are pretty damn good. They get loud. At the volume level of zero, clicking the volume up rocker once makes the speaker loud enough to listen to while working at your desk (w/o a headset). Any louder and my wife will immediately come tell my to turn it down. While the ear piece doubles as a speaker, the volume balance between the two is pretty good. The OnePlus 7t (the other phone I was considering) has a dedicated speaker so I'm sure it sounds perfectly balanced. If I want a higher quality speaker, I'm going to rely on a dedicated unit. Same goes for my TV, computer, or media center, etc. Use the right tool for the job.
Size and Weight: I don't think the phone is big but rather it is long (and I like it "tall" - using tall here for obvious reasons). It does NOT feel heavy and actually feels lighter than my iPhone 6s plus (plus case weight). I will be ordering a silicone case for the RM3s but I doubt it'll had any significant heft. The phone feels solid and not cheap but any means. Perhaps the lack of rear glass and the use of metal cuts down on the weight?
Air Triggers/Bumpers: In a word, "FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!" They are better than what I had hoped for. Before I found out about the RM3s, I considered getting the OnePlus 7t and ordering button attachments from Amazon. The air triggers/bumper buttons respond immediately and without any lag. The finger unlock can also be programmed for a 3rd button. No clue yet what to use for that except maybe the revive button but since I primarily play solo, I'll probably program it for the scope or the exit button while in the vehicle. The beauty of the button is I can stack the icons in PUBG and the center button will activate the applicable button (in a vehicle, the unlock sensor becomes the exit button, outside of the vehicle, it activates the scope or perhaps the reload. So many choices. The placement isn't super easy to tap during extreme game play but after developing some muscle memory, it'll end up being a great addition.
It came with a pre-applied screen protector. I had heard mixed comments about whether or not it would come with one. As a result, I did order one with the phone so I guess I'll put it in a drawer. Of course when I need it, I wont be able to find it, I'll order another one, and then I'll find the one in the drawer. :/
The LED on back is pretty slick (albeit a gimmick but I like flashy lights). You can configure it for a multitude of things, There is an app with the phone to control the LED behavior. I also really like how the LED can flicker when playing music and for notifications. When playing music, I place the phone face-down so the sound from the speakers are bounced back from the counter which amplifies the sound (and you an see the LED).
Storage Space: Mine is the 128GB version. After signing in and before installing any apps, only 11% was used. No complaints there at all. I activated developer mode and then enabled OTG support, connected my OTG adapter and then attached a 512GB jump drive. The phone had no issues reading the contents. If I end up filling up the 128GB, it'll be easy to off load data so no concerns for me here.
Charge: When I unboxed the phone, the battery was around 80% (this is very normal). I placed on charge while I ate lunch, came back and it was 100%. 5000mAh battery. Awesome.
UI: My wife has a Samsung Note 9 so my experience with Android is limited to the time I've used her phone and the Samsung UI (can I say I hate curved screens? They look great but the usability is severely limited IMO.) and her phone feels heavy. I don't know what "bloatware" or "stock android" looks like but I've heard that the UI of the RM3s is very close to stock Android. I like what I am seeing. In all honesty, I like OnePlus's UI better visually speaking. I know you may be saying you can install Nova Launcher but the RM3s launcher cant permanently change to use a different launcher. Even if I can't install a 3rd party launcher, coming from iOS, I'm used to only effectively being able to change the wallpaper so I'm already have more customization options now. The stock live wallpaper is pretty cool.
ROOT: I do not have any plans to ROOT the phone or unlock the bootloader. I also thought I'd never leave iOS but I've seen the errors of my ways so we'll see what happens. I did see in Developer Options there is a slide switch to unlock the bootloader. Nice!
Phone: I stuck my Tmobile sim card in an Tmobile immediately detected the phone needed some carrier updates. After applying them, I made a single call. It connected quickly. I did not pay attention to if it was connecting using VoLTE. After the initial test call, I removed the SIM. My case hasn't arrived yet so I'm waiting to use the phone. Once I make the official switch, I'll add a reply on the phone call since no one on YouTube mentions how it works as a phone. ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bignazpwns said:
So I have a Note 9. Got into Call of duty and decided it was time to get something to play it on sice I was just beating on that battery. Looked at all the gaming phone's and ended up getting a Red magic 3 256gb, with 2 cases, dock, controller, screen protectors everything mind like new for $455. Not a mark on the phone.
First impression. This does not come packed like a cheap phone. You get flagship level packing here.
It's a big phone. But with the case on it. And my text 22 case it's just a hair bigger then my note 9. But it feels great in the hand. It's thicker but you can't tell it hides it well. I haven't felt a phone like this since my Droid DNA. Build quality is great and I was shocked at he nice it really was. I keep looking for that catch. Why this is not a $1,000+ phone. You can't tell. I wish the phone did not have the red accents on it and the logo on the back but since I got a case a little black vivid automotive vinyl and it looks amazing. The diamond camera lenses lets you know this is not a typical phone. The red switch on the side is a hint that it's packing some serious power.
Display. This can make it break a cheap phone. The display is 90hz and is butter. Play 90hz then play 60. You will then hate 60hz. Scrolling is smooth. Does it have the horrible cheap AMOLED display color shift? Nope looks great! Is it note 9 and 10 great? No. But it's a great display and not really trailing far behind the best.
Camera. Stock app is meh. No ois and all that. But the sensor is good. The foundation is there it just needs polish. Gcam app pics look great. Not the best but more then enough for the typical person. I will say the slow no blows my note 9 out of the water. The note 9 looks like trash why this phone looks very clear. That 1920fps is no joke. But I did notice my orange was a bit bighter and the note 9 was more accurate in color but looked grainy where this phone was extremely clear. And the difference between the 940fps and the 1920fps is amazing. Some of my slow mo videos look absolutely amazing and are so crisp and detailed I was blown away. It does 8k...low fps but it ties into the gamer aspect of my phone does 8k..at 15fps...what's your phone do 8k at? Mine doesn't... exactly. 15fps is more then 0.
Android. Is pretty much stock but with some tasteful additions. They respected Android and did not over do it. Runs smoothly and is what you would expect from a pretty much stock Android. Flip the switch and the game space starts. It pick games up automaticly and it's easy to add apps to it. Screen recording is very easy and works great. Settings are easy to adjust and mapping your shoulder buttons are as easy as dragging them to here you want them. Game space is great.
That fan tho! It works. It's not loud but some times you can hear it. If you screen record with the mic on you can year it in the video. But most of the time you won't notice it. I found my temps playing games and heavy benchmarking never hit over 40.6c even after a few hours of call of duty. It works great
Nubia is a name I never heard of. But Nubia is now on my list of phone's to watch. I will take a serious look at the red magic 4 and if they improve on this I will buy one. This phone is that good.
I really hope they offer an all blacked out version. With just the red button. Clean look till the RGB comes on. I love the look of it all blacked out in my case and the RGB on.
And for those who have Verizon. I have Verizon and not having band 13 sucks but I have always had 4g. I did notice that its slightly slower then my note 9. But still pulling good 4g speed and no issues. Put the Sim in and it worked great.
And those worried about updates. Most phone's don't get them anyways so who cares if they don't. I'm on Verizon so it's not like my phone updates have ever been fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Nova launcher prime with zero issues on my 3 and 3s.
If you wanna chat get the USB port location for gaming you can pick up a dock for the phone from RM. I got one the added a micro SD card slot to it. The dock is pretty nice overall.

bignazpwns said:
I'm using Nova launcher prime with zero issues on my 3 and 3s.
If you wanna chat get the USB port location for gaming you can pick up a dock for the phone from RM. I got one the added a micro SD card slot to it. The dock is pretty nice overall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I uninstalled and reinstalled and now have the option. It wasn't there before.
When I'm back at the computer, I'll update my original post.
Thanks for the feedback to the dock. I almost ordered it but wanted to the try OTG adapter from my wife's Note9 first.
Thanks guys!

SavageCat-TX said:
Well, I uninstalled and reinstalled and now have the option. It wasn't there before.
When I'm back at the computer, I'll update my original post.
Thanks for the feedback to the dock. I almost ordered it but wanted to the try OTG adapter from my wife's Note9 first.
Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice! Really great phone. I don't understand the complaints about buggy sw. I have zero issues. I did enable aod(root). Wish I could add the weather on the aod too.

Assuming AOD is always On Display, is that only on when charging (screen saver)?
No issues with bugs here either. It's been very stable.

SavageCat-TX said:
Assuming AOD is always On Display, is that only on when charging (screen saver)?
No issues with bugs here either. It's been very stable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, not screensaver. It's always on. There's a substratum overlay to enable it.

This is the closest I could find to AOD.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/red-magic-3/help/phone-display-t3945086/amp/

SavageCat-TX said:
This is the closest I could find to AOD.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/red-magic-3/help/phone-display-t3945086/amp/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you rooted?
I have AOD working with root.

Question about Wonda version

So I've seen most people order from Wonda mobile to get the snapdragon version.
My question is how has your overall experience been with the phone and have you come across any issues?

vidic17 said:
So I've seen most people order from Wonda mobile to get the snapdragon version.
My question is how has your overall experience been with the phone and have you come across any issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was one of the first members of this forum who got the phone from Wonda.
I made a pre-order, the phone launched somewhere at the end of the August and I got it around 5th of September (don't remember the exact date but it was less than a week). I did have an issue with my local postal service (they delivered the package to a wrong place) but this has nothing to do with Wonda.
The phone itself was brand new and factory sealed so no one ever opened it. The package was securely packed.
I've got headphones, charger, phone case and manuals in the box. Also, there was a pre-installed screen protector as well as preinstalled protectors on the back, top and bottom of the phone, all preinstalled ideally and by Samsung. This is a huge plus for me as I didn't need to buy any screen protector and the phone was protected from all sides. I always use Spiegen cases and the phone fitted in perfectly.
I removed the bottom protector recently as it peeled off a little and was annoying but all other protectors are still installed. Also the main screen protector developed a small bubble recently. Not a big deal but a bit annoying.
All worked flawlessly, out of the box - I popped in my UK sim card and it just worked.
Pretty much every feature works: 5G, VoLTE, WiFi calling, Samsung Pay (it does have Chinese promos though), Hiyya spam call filter. No bloatware installed.
The only thing that I didn't like is that stock Samsung Keyboard is different from Exynos version and much less comfortable as it is adapted to Chinese layout. So I had to install a 3rd party keyboard for the first time in 6 years.
Everything else works as expected, no Chinese symbols in any app, menus, etc. All is in English.
Also, no green tint or camera fog issue. No dead pixels.
I am not a gamer so can't tell anything about gaming but the phone itself works really well, no heating issues or micro lags. All just works and benchmark scores also match other Snapdragon Notes.
If you go with this device, bear in mind it has slower updates than Exynos version. Also, the camera seems to be a little better on Exynos as some people reported. For me, the camera is great, especially 5x optical zoom and 10x hybrid zoom in videos and photos. Its a killer feature.
I was a bit disappointed that there is no 2x-4x optical zoom. I thought everything up to 5x is optical but this is not correct - only 5x is optical, everything below and above is digital. Also bear in mind optical zoom and ultra wide mode don't work in 60fps video mode and 104mpx photo mode, only in 12mpx/30fps mode. I couldn't find a difference between 104mpx and 12mpx though, moreover, 12mpx looks better for me.
All in all I can't fault this device and definitely recommend it. Its a great phone and Wonda's service was really good.

vidic17 said:
So I've seen most people order from Wonda mobile to get the snapdragon version.
My question is how has your overall experience been with the phone and have you come across any issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my N20 Ultra Snapdragon from WondaMobile for a few months now as I sent the Exynos version back to Samsung UK due to issues.
I can tell it's a more powerful version and am very happy with the phone on all levels. It optimises much better than the Exynos version.
The only issue if you can call it that is the language was Chinese out of the box which is changed by the press of a button.
I removed the pre installed plastic screen protector as I prefer the Whitestone Dome Glass Screen Protector.
I don't use Samsung Pay as I prefer Google Pay.
I'm using an o2 sim card which is payg do I can't comment on 5G as I can't get it on my payg account.
It is dual sim.
WondaMobile apply a 12 month warranty.
Samsung Uk may not offer support to an imported Samsung phone as per their manufacturing warranty which to be honest is lame. It's about time they offered Snapdragon versions in the UK as a choice.
My phone is also covered by my Home Contents insurance.
It's good to see they've started this with the Samsung s20 fe albiet at £100 more than the Exynos version. I know it has 5G too but still !
Samsung know how to capitalise on people wanting the Snapdragon version !
WondaMobile are a reputable company and kept me informed along the way and delivered within a week.
The box is retail and was sealed and had all the accessories including the original eu i.e 3 pin Samsung Charger Brick inside. And a tpu case is inside which you don't get with the UK version. Winner winner.
Very happy.

Thanks so much for answering my questions. I'll probably order it when I get home. I know the new S21 ultra is out in January but I have no interest in it to be honest. I loved my note 4 and 8

vidic17 said:
Thanks so much for answering my questions. I'll probably order it when I get home. I know the new S21 ultra is out in January but I have no interest in it to be honest. I loved my note 4 and 8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Worth looking into the 5g issues. I have the 9860, and like plenty of other people it will not connect to 5g.

vidic17 said:
So I've seen most people order from Wonda mobile to get the snapdragon version.
My question is how has your overall experience been with the phone and have you come across any issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True but right now 5G doesn't bring enough for me to be a deal breaker.
Faster downloads with 5G isn't a biggie.

VirtualWaver said:
I was one of the first members of this forum who got the phone from Wonda.
I made a pre-order, the phone launched somewhere at the end of the August and I got it around 5th of September (don't remember the exact date but it was less than a week). I did have an issue with my local postal service (they delivered the package to a wrong place) but this has nothing to do with Wonda.
The phone itself was brand new and factory sealed so no one ever opened it. The package was securely packed.
I've got headphones, charger, phone case and manuals in the box. Also, there was a pre-installed screen protector as well as preinstalled protectors on the back, top and bottom of the phone, all preinstalled ideally and by Samsung. This is a huge plus for me as I didn't need to buy any screen protector and the phone was protected from all sides. I always use Spiegen cases and the phone fitted in perfectly.
I removed the bottom protector recently as it peeled off a little and was annoying but all other protectors are still installed. Also the main screen protector developed a small bubble recently. Not a big deal but a bit annoying.
All worked flawlessly, out of the box - I popped in my UK sim card and it just worked.
Pretty much every feature works: 5G, VoLTE, WiFi calling, Samsung Pay (it does have Chinese promos though), Hiyya spam call filter. No bloatware installed.
The only thing that I didn't like is that stock Samsung Keyboard is different from Exynos version and much less comfortable as it is adapted to Chinese layout. So I had to install a 3rd party keyboard for the first time in 6 years.
Everything else works as expected, no Chinese symbols in any app, menus, etc. All is in English.
Also, no green tint or camera fog issue. No dead pixels.
I am not a gamer so can't tell anything about gaming but the phone itself works really well, no heating issues or micro lags. All just works and benchmark scores also match other Snapdragon Notes.
If you go with this device, bear in mind it has slower updates than Exynos version. Also, the camera seems to be a little better on Exynos as some people reported. For me, the camera is great, especially 5x optical zoom and 10x hybrid zoom in videos and photos. Its a killer feature.
I was a bit disappointed that there is no 2x-4x optical zoom. I thought everything up to 5x is optical but this is not correct - only 5x is optical, everything below and above is digital. Also bear in mind optical zoom and ultra wide mode don't work in 60fps video mode and 104mpx photo mode, only in 12mpx/30fps mode. I couldn't find a difference between 104mpx and 12mpx though, moreover, 12mpx looks better for me.
All in all I can't fault this device and definitely recommend it. Its a great phone and Wonda's service was really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What sim card are you using.
How did you get 5G, VoLTE, WiFi calling, all to work?

FWIW I bought my N9860 from T-Dimension in the UK. Price is lower than Wonda and delivery took nine days, but otherwise the experience is as above. I can't test for 5G service with my SIMs as none support 5G. Word is that Vodafone should be OK, but EE 5G is not working. There is a separate thread on this topic.
Members app was Hong Kong oriented on arrival, but is now behaving more like UK. No beta sign-up possible though.

Hows the battery life how long does it last between charges

pro4ever said:
Hows the battery life how long does it last between charges
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I typically charge my phone up while powered down overnight every night but with my set up and preferences I'd easily get two days usage.

Thinking about selling my z fold 2(not a sale post)

I love this device . Best phone I ever owned . opening up to a tablet still feels like magic after months of owning it .but I'm thinking about selling it .why you ask ? Because I just had to pay 150 to get the inside screen replaced . I opened it up a week ago with a crack going down the left side of the screen .no issues with the lcd just the thin glass was cracked .I baby this phone .I don't take it out the house often .never gave dropped it or abused it in any way . And honestly would have felt better about the crack if I knew how it happened . But there it was and a week later I'm getting my fold 2 back tommorow . Now what to do ? Keep using it for who knows just for it to" magically "crack again and have to pay over 500 dollars to get it fixed again . I'm tempted to just trade it to someone for another phone plus cash . thoughts ??

I fully understand your thoughts. I think the novelty and excitement of having big screen at hand anytime I want is now gone. I am finding myself cleaning the inside screen every night, even if I didn't open the screen at all that day, I am just paranoid just to see the dust sitting on it. And there is dust all the time. The constant cleaning of fingerprints makes me mad. I did dropped my phone already when I had it for just 2 weeks, from about 2 feet to carpet floor!!! and the front screen cracked in the corner immediately. I have dropped my phones from that height before and nothing ever happened. Samsung replaced the screen next day for $130.00. I have owned every single Note phone from Note 1 and never was so scared about dropping the phone, scratches on the body or dust on the screen. I am really getting tired of it. Right before the Z Fold I bought Note 20 Ultra that I still keep just in case. I do compare the 2 phones often, and I do miss the S pen a lot. So, I think of selling the Z Fold as well. On top of this, there is no good protective case for the Fold at this time and given the design, I don't see good working functional case in the future. I am using Leather Flip Cover now, it's ok, but not perfect.
I have Book cover on the Note and it works much better. The size of the screen on Note 20 Ultra is not that much smaller than opened Z fold screen anyway. And the seam in the middle of the inner screen has now developed 2 weird bumps that starts to bother me. Well, tough decisions, since it looks like Samsung will probably kill the Note line in the future and go the Fold way anyway..

Update . Traded my z fold for a OnePlus 8 pro and a iPhone 12 pro max today so far no regrets and I'll get another fold one day . Fun device while I had it

Very difficult to go back to the regular screen for me personally
Me using 12 pro max too. So dont regret anything

juggamonkey said:
Update . Traded my z fold for a OnePlus 8 pro and a iPhone 12 pro max today so far no regrets and I'll get another fold one day . Fun device while I had it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The oneplus 8 pro is the bomb. I've had one for a while and keep going back to it over my Note 20 Ultra. I've just recently re-entered the Fold 2 community because samsung is offering $1000 for my old Note 10 plus. Couldn't turn it down, lol.

juggamonkey said:
Update . Traded my z fold for a OnePlus 8 pro and a iPhone 12 pro max today so far no regrets and I'll get another fold one day . Fun device while I had it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope you adapt to and enjoy your new device.
The Sammy Fold series continues to be a disaster. Betaware that forces the customer to suck up Samsung prototyping experimental issues of their imperfect folding technology.
Plus no SD card support, not water or dust proof and as a bonus it spontaneously self destructs, a real masterpiece (as Pappy Boyington would have said).
I don't fault you one bit for bailing; a wise move.

carlitos66 said:
I fully understand your thoughts. I think the novelty and excitement of having big screen at hand anytime I want is now gone. I am finding myself cleaning the inside screen every night, even if I didn't open the screen at all that day, I am just paranoid just to see the dust sitting on it. And there is dust all the time. The constant cleaning of fingerprints makes me mad. I did dropped my phone already when I had it for just 2 weeks, from about 2 feet to carpet floor!!! and the front screen cracked in the corner immediately. I have dropped my phones from that height before and nothing ever happened. Samsung replaced the screen next day for $130.00. I have owned every single Note phone from Note 1 and never was so scared about dropping the phone, scratches on the body or dust on the screen. I am really getting tired of it. Right before the Z Fold I bought Note 20 Ultra that I still keep just in case. I do compare the 2 phones often, and I do miss the S pen a lot. So, I think of selling the Z Fold as well. On top of this, there is no good protective case for the Fold at this time and given the design, I don't see good working functional case in the future. I am using Leather Flip Cover now, it's ok, but not perfect.
I have Book cover on the Note and it works much better. The size of the screen on Note 20 Ultra is not that much smaller than opened Z fold screen anyway. And the seam in the middle of the inner screen has now developed 2 weird bumps that starts to bother me. Well, tough decisions, since it looks like Samsung will probably kill the Note line in the future and go the Fold way anyway..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im using Spigen thin armor pro for protection... best case i had so far and super sturdy... costs $90 tho.

I have a a Note 9 and I've been spending a lot of time debating the Note 20 Ultra vs the Fold 2 but can't make my mind up, I'm not considering the S21 since it loses micro SD and integrated S-pen but doesn't have anything like the folding screen to make up for it. Some users seem to find the appeal of the Fold 2 wears off but others find they can't go back to normal phones.
I've always loved the idea of the Fold and can live with the higher cost if I like the phone but it makes it pricey if I change my mind plus I lose the sd slot and spen and I am concerned about durability as there's a few posts about damaged screens like this one. I do appreciate that problems on forums are going to be exaggerated though.
I'm keen to hear on any other Fold 2 experiences.

Johnmcl7 said:
I have a a Note 9 and I've been spending a lot of time debating the Note 20 Ultra vs the Fold 2 but can't make my mind up, I'm not considering the S21 since it loses micro SD and integrated S-pen but doesn't have anything like the folding screen to make up for it. Some users seem to find the appeal of the Fold 2 wears off but others find they can't go back to normal phones.
I've always loved the idea of the Fold and can live with the higher cost if I like the phone but it makes it pricey if I change my mind plus I lose the sd slot and spen and I am concerned about durability as there's a few posts about damaged screens like this one. I do appreciate that problems on forums are going to be exaggerated though.
I'm keen to hear on any other Fold 2 experiences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can only tell you from my experience, the fold 2 is a terrific phone IF:
- You are OK with dealing with a thick device
- You will need a case. Its glass and expensive, and with a lot of actual opening and closing maneuvers there is always a chance of slipping out of hand (well only happened twice for me, but still)
- Formfactor hinders case designs, I am using the slim armor pro which has awesome protection rating but 2 main Issues. One, it's expensive and difficult to find in my country and 2, it makes the phone bulky still.
- front screen is narrow but then that makes it easy to reach with one hand. I really don't have a problem here.
- no SD card support, I used to use a 400Gb card with my note 20 ultra, to store pics and videos. But with fold 2, I just realised I have almost 140GB free from a total of 256GB. No gimmicky 8k Video here (I never really enjoyed it in note 20 U, 4k with stabilisation was far superior). I also used to offload apps onto the micro SD card but each time the app updated, I had to manually move the apps again. I think 512GB Would suffice if you really need an sd card. It's my use case and yours could obviously be different.
But all things said, I love the phone. Every single person notices it and goes "WHAAAAATT??? AWESOME"... Some relate it to the Nokia communicators though (being narrow and thick)
About the fragility of the phone, well after I have started using the slim armor I have never babied the phone... heck I even dropped it more than a couple of times (in closed position). I have realised that the phone really isn't that flimsy... may be I got one from a good batch coz I hear horror stores, but that's where the warranty comes in ( well in my country samsung warranty is a lengthy process BTW).
Foldables and rollables will be a thing soon but they will remain top of the line for a few years.
I am an artist myself, I use the S pen to sketch and draw and for me spen is super useful, it's a shame that fold 2 can't use it. But I have a Samsung tab s4 just for that (was cheap and serves my purpose). IF you can wait for a few more months, I hear the fold 3 will support spen and if s pen is really important to you, why not get the note 20u now (prices have dropped) and get the fold 3 later? You could be saving quite a bit.

For what it's worth:
I was uncomfortable foraging into experimental phones again as I had the Note Edge. Tons of "nay sayers" then and it transformed future phones...
I am pleased I own this device!
There have always been voices against innovation as it begins its assent until it proves worthy in their personal experience.Same with the Z Fold 2...
Yes it's an expensive device, not as fragile as expected, bulky and heavier than my N10+, no "attached" Spen, though an absolute joy to use as it fits my needs: leaving ALL devices behind save this one for business and pleasure.
It's been in the 2-piece best designed case i could find since I pulled it out of the box (heard good things about Spigen though didn't want m o r e bulk) and have been using a wonderful stylus that duplicates most of the Spen without the cool tricks. I use a ring holder device stuck to the back which absolutely helps with weight and balance. Don't miss the SD card as got weened off dependancy owning a Note 5; great for convenience though many solutions abound (using a 1TB external drive). Since enrolling in Samsung's Device Buy Back Program this phone is more of a "lease" until the Z Fold 3.
Maybe I am blessed with no issues in the first month of ownership though most issues with phones are "operator errors" I've found in my experience owning mobile phones since 1991. Your mileage may vary... good luck. Peace

Thanks for posting your thoughts.
I can manage without an SD card and an S-pen but they are handy features and I have to accept I'll lose the notification light and headphone socket but it makes paying a good chunk of money for a new phone a bit less desirable when losing these. I'm generally happy with the Note 9 and the reason I'm considering these phones is to get the ultrawide lens, I was about to buy one for my camera at around £1300 but then started thinking maybe the money would be better spent on a phone with an ultrawide lens instead. I tend to find I like to leave the super telephoto lens on the camera and then just use the phone for normal wide angle shots since they tend not to benefit so much from the dedicated camera and I have a slightly older ultrawide setup I can use for property shoots or whatever.

Johnmcl7 said:
Thanks for posting your thoughts.
I can manage without an SD card and an S-pen but they are handy features and I have to accept I'll lose the notification light and headphone socket but it makes paying a good chunk of money for a new phone a bit less desirable when losing these. I'm generally happy with the Note 9 and the reason I'm considering these phones is to get the ultrawide lens, I was about to buy one for my camera at around £1300 but then started thinking maybe the money would be better spent on a phone with an ultrawide lens instead. I tend to find I like to leave the super telephoto lens on the camera and then just use the phone for normal wide angle shots since they tend not to benefit so much from the dedicated camera and I have a slightly older ultrawide setup I can use for property shoots or whatever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey man... the cameras on this device are good though the Note 10+
Johnmcl7 said:
Thanks for posting your thoughts.
I can manage without an SD card and an S-pen but they are handy features and I have to accept I'll lose the notification light and headphone socket but it makes paying a good chunk of money for a new phone a bit less desirable when losing these. I'm generally happy with the Note 9 and the reason I'm considering these phones is to get the ultrawide lens, I was about to buy one for my camera at around £1300 but then started thinking maybe the money would be better spent on a phone with an ultrawide lens instead. I tend to find I like to leave the super telephoto lens on the camera and then just use the phone for normal wide angle shots since they tend not to benefit so much from the dedicated camera and I have a slightly older ultrawide setup I can use for property shoots or whatever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey man, here's hoping you create the perfect lens set up for yourself! ;-) I don't know if it's my eye or the zf2 camera specs, seems my N10+ was a better shooter. Oh well...
BTW, I had spoken with ZF2 concierge regarding Edge Lighting +, (Good Lock and selfie camera light notifications), and he said with the new update coming it would be turned on for the unlocked Samsung devices. Hmm. We'll see. Peace

From what I've read that sounds right about the Fold 2's camera not being quite as good which also should really point me more towards the N20 Ultra.

Johnmcl7 said:
From what I've read that sounds right about the Fold 2's camera not being quite as good which also should really point me more towards the N20 Ultra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both note 20 U and zf2, I don't know why people think note 20 ultras cameras are better, quality wise?.. IMHO, they both are neck and neck.. ofcourse you miss 5x zoom, totally useless 24fps 8k and the ever so lovely DOF from the 108mp camera but that's it... quality wise they are both great... you would find it difficult to vote one over the other in a blind test..
Here, have attached few pics from one of my vacation trip recently taken with zf2.. the pickup one, increase brightness and go into a dark room... look at the stars.. I think these are good results..what do you think?

The Note 20 Ultra has better camera sensors than the Z Fold 2, I assume it was one of the compromises made on the Fold to keep the already high cost down. The dark shots posted don't really show much as they're severely underexposed which avoids using a higher iso setting which is an area the Note 20 is better at.

Johnmcl7 said:
The Note 20 Ultra has better camera sensors than the Z Fold 2, I assume it was one of the compromises made on the Fold to keep the already high cost down. The dark shots posted don't really show much as they're severely underexposed which avoids using a higher iso setting which is an area the Note 20 is better at.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dark shot wasn't shot in night mode, I used pro mode. I opted for that look. Yes you are correct n20U has bigger sensor but I don't care about the technicalities here. As a user who owns both (uses both with no partiality AT ALL, After all I paid for both), I don't see any perceivable difference except for the ones I mentioned in my previous post. All I am trying to say here is, if camera quality is your criteria then let it not be. There are other things I noticed while using both. One, the fold is a thick boy and you will notice it
in your pocket. And the weight is also much more than note 20U (your pinky finger will feel it on extended use when closed).. but the inner screen kind of makes up for it. Second, there is always this thought of fragility associated with fold2. I mean I know by now that it is pretty robust, still if I am passing it to a friend to look at, I tell them to be careful with the inner screen. Third, the cases for the zf2 are very very limited, I didn't have a case for 2 months and I can't tell you how scared and careful I was. and lastly, not many people will tell you this, but if you are watching anything more wider than 16:9, note 20 has the bigger picture than zf2 as note 20 u is taller than zf2 so in landscape mode, the almost square zf2 is restricted by the screen width in the x axis.
I use both the phones on a daily basis, and Let me tell you my honest opinion, as a phone n20u is awesome, but the moment you open the zf2 you are in bliss.

OP I respect the fact that you sold your phone and got a device that made you feel more comfortable. For anyone else interested, I'm coming from the OG Fold that I babied for months until I got comfortable with it. After having for almost a year, I was using Dex and upon disconnecting the HDMI cable the edge hit my screen and killed a few pixels. I should have had it folded shut and it never would have happened. I ended up getting it replaced under warranty as there was no other damage to the phone. They concluded it was just some dead pixels even though I told them what happened.
So now I've had my Fold 2 for a month. I love it even more and I do not set it down unless it's folded! But I will keep the insurance on my phone for the first time in many years. This is one of the few phones that it may actually be worth carrying the insurance, and that, along with the durability of the first Fold for over a year of use, gives me the piece of mind to carry this phone as a daily driver.

Johnmcl7 said:
I have a a Note 9 and I've been spending a lot of time debating the Note 20 Ultra vs the Fold 2 but can't make my mind up, I'm not considering the S21 since it loses micro SD and integrated S-pen but doesn't have anything like the folding screen to make up for it. Some users seem to find the appeal of the Fold 2 wears off but others find they can't go back to normal phones.
I've always loved the idea of the Fold and can live with the higher cost if I like the phone but it makes it pricey if I change my mind plus I lose the sd slot and spen and I am concerned about durability as there's a few posts about damaged screens like this one. I do appreciate that problems on forums are going to be exaggerated though.
I'm keen to hear on any other Fold 2 experiences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've owned both, N20U and Fold2 at the same time. I traded in my Note 9 for an N20U. At the time, I was daily driving my Note 10 Plus. I traded in my Note 10 Plus for my Fold2. The battery life on my N20U was actually shorter than my Note 10 Plus. Disappointingly so. At 1440 or 1080 with adaptive, I was averaging 4.5H of SOT whereas I was averaging 6H on my Note 10 Plus. Anyhow, I ended up buying a Fold 2 for the novelty of it.
Pros
The folding and unfolding does not get old. It is magic each and every time.
Battery endurance (I'm averaging 5.5 to 6.5H of SOT at 1440 adaptive within 20-24H of usage in between charges).
Camera's are good.
Cons
Inner display cover is gross. It almost feels like you are using an old Windows phone with a resistive touch screen.
Camera's are not Sammy's best (N20U) and for the cost of the Fold, you want the best camera possible.
Dumb aspect ratios.
Fragility of design will always plague your mind.
I gave my N20U to my wife and she loves it as much as I love my Fold2. It is far from perfect, however it works for me and I am genuinely pleased with my overall experience.
I daily my Fold2. I've dropped it face down, closed and onto my hardwood floor without injury. I put it into my linty jean pockets with no issues. I'm not careless with it, however I've stopped babying it weeks ago and it is holding up just fine.
Hope this helps

I spotted a good deal on a brand new fold 2 and decided to give it a go, so far I absolutely love it. I'm still getting the hang of using apps on the outside and inside but it's such a lovely device to use when it's open it's worth the compromises.
Thanks for posting all your opinions on the two devices.

General Just got my pixel 7 pro. Here are my first impressions

Hey guys, received my pixel today and thought I'd share some first impressions for those interested or who haven't received theirs yet.
I use a 21ultra as my daily and run a 14 pro max for work so I have a broad spectrum to judge the new pixel against. I'll try and break my impressions into bullet points.
1. New pixels design is nice, feels good in the hand, I went for obsidian, looks good, the rear is a total fingerprint magnet.
2. The haptics are very good, different to the iPhone but not better or worse, which is impressive because iPhone haptics are usually the benchmark of good vibration for me.
3. One thing I don't love is the weight, both the iPhone and the s21 are quite a bit heavier at 229 and 240 and it makes the pixel feel less premium somehow. When you tap the screen on the pixel to type it almost feels and sounds hollow whereas the Samsung for example is much more firm. Its a personal preference but of the three phones the pixel feels the cheapest in the hand.
4. The camera are very good, coming from the exynos s21 where I always hated the video, pixel 7s new video is really impressive. Looking forward to getting to use it a bit more.
5. The speaker is good and loud but it's a little on the tinny side on comparison to the Samsung and the 14 pro. It crackles a little higher up the volume.
6. Looking forward to trying out some of the pixel features that are sprinkled throughout the ui, like the call screening, text to speech etc
Will report back once I use these for a prolonged period.
7. The pixel 7 pros sound and haptic integration is top notch and can be adjusted to your liking on the settings. Each activity that includes a vibration now let's you chose the intensity as well.
8. The screen is less curved which I love as I much prefer flat screens and this feels like a step in the right direction. The edges of the phone and indeed the screen are much less rounded too and makes the Samsung look a bit silly with its super rounded corners.
9. Fingerprint scanner being an optical one is another little disappointment for me, having found the ultrasonic in the Samsung to be unbelievably fast and reliable. Something about the white light under your thumb each time you try to unlock feels cheap and a bit silly when ultrasonic is an option.
10. Which brings me to the last feature I like, face unlock. While not quite as reliable as the iPhone it works well and is much faster than previous android phones I've used. Theres a nice little vibration and animation when it unlocks as well, which makes it feel well thought out and well executed. Hopefully it stays as reliable as its been so far.
Overall I'm pretty impressed. I'm a little disappointed at the over all feel, it's not bad, for me the iPhone still feels like a much more premium phone, and at about 350 quid more it ought to be I suppose. Software wise it looks promising and it has some of the best cameras and haptics of any phone. If anyone who hasn't gotten one yet would like to ask anything about it please feel free.
Bar

Nice review details! Kudos

Thanks for sharing, I find myself in a somewhat similar situation. I have an S21U for personal use and an iPhone XR for work that I traded in for the Pixel 7 Pro.
I can definitely relate to the weight difference. I didn't like it at much first but now I've noticed it's a bit easier to hold laying in bed on my back. I'm always dropping the S21U on my face
I've never used an optical fingerprint scanner before so right now the light is oddly amusing /fun for me, but it will probably get old after a while.
So did you keep your iPhone or did you trade it in?

early days here and teething problems I think will be worked out. screen is definitely an improvement over the 6. my main concern tho is the tele lens. so far i'm finding it not as good as the 6p tele lens, which I absolutely love.

Love your review thank you first one I read

does it do usb-c to hdmi output?

Bxperiaz3 said:
Hey guys, received my pixel today and thought I'd share some first impressions for those interested or who haven't received theirs yet.
I use a 21ultra as my daily and run a 14 pro max for work so I have a broad spectrum to judge the new pixel against. I'll try and break my impressions into bullet points.
1. New pixels design is nice, feels good in the hand, I went for obsidian, looks good, the rear is a total fingerprint magnet.
2. The haptics are very good, different to the iPhone but not better or worse, which is impressive because iPhone haptics are usually the benchmark of good vibration for me.
3. One thing I don't love is the weight, both the iPhone and the s21 are quite a bit heavier at 229 and 240 and it makes the pixel feel less premium somehow. When you tap the screen on the pixel to type it almost feels and sounds hollow whereas the Samsung for example is much more firm. Its a personal preference but of the three phones the pixel feels the cheapest in the hand.
4. The camera are very good, coming from the exynos s21 where I always hated the video, pixel 7s new video is really impressive. Looking forward to getting to use it a bit more.
5. The speaker is good and loud but it's a little on the tinny side on comparison to the Samsung and the 14 pro. It crackles a little higher up the volume.
6. Looking forward to trying out some of the pixel features that are sprinkled throughout the ui, like the call screening, text to speech etc
Will report back once I use these for a prolonged period.
7. The pixel 7 pros sound and haptic integration is top notch and can be adjusted to your liking on the settings. Each activity that includes a vibration now let's you chose the intensity as well.
8. The screen is less curved which I love as I much prefer flat screens and this feels like a step in the right direction. The edges of the phone and indeed the screen are much less rounded too and makes the Samsung look a bit silly with its super rounded corners.
9. Fingerprint scanner being an optical one is another little disappointment for me, having found the ultrasonic in the Samsung to be unbelievably fast and reliable. Something about the white light under your thumb each time you try to unlock feels cheap and a bit silly when ultrasonic is an option.
10. Which brings me to the last feature I like, face unlock. While not quite as reliable as the iPhone it works well and is much faster than previous android phones I've used. Theres a nice little vibration and animation when it unlocks as well, which makes it feel well thought out and well executed. Hopefully it stays as reliable as its been so far.
Overall I'm pretty impressed. I'm a little disappointed at the over all feel, it's not bad, for me the iPhone still feels like a much more premium phone, and at about 350 quid more it ought to be I suppose. Software wise it looks promising and it has some of the best cameras and haptics of any phone. If anyone who hasn't gotten one yet would like to ask anything about it please feel free.
Bar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good info, shared. Thanks.
Could you crank up the brightness to the max, use the phone for some 15 mins like that and share the battery drain experience? Various reports like THIS ONE suggest that under direct sunlight the battery drains abnormally.

Bxperiaz3 said:
Hey guys, received my pixel today and thought I'd share some first impressions for those interested or who haven't received theirs yet.
I use a 21ultra as my daily and run a 14 pro max for work so I have a broad spectrum to judge the new pixel against. I'll try and break my impressions into bullet points.
1. New pixels design is nice, feels good in the hand, I went for obsidian, looks good, the rear is a total fingerprint magnet.
2. The haptics are very good, different to the iPhone but not better or worse, which is impressive because iPhone haptics are usually the benchmark of good vibration for me.
3. One thing I don't love is the weight, both the iPhone and the s21 are quite a bit heavier at 229 and 240 and it makes the pixel feel less premium somehow. When you tap the screen on the pixel to type it almost feels and sounds hollow whereas the Samsung for example is much more firm. Its a personal preference but of the three phones the pixel feels the cheapest in the hand.
4. The camera are very good, coming from the exynos s21 where I always hated the video, pixel 7s new video is really impressive. Looking forward to getting to use it a bit more.
5. The speaker is good and loud but it's a little on the tinny side on comparison to the Samsung and the 14 pro. It crackles a little higher up the volume.
6. Looking forward to trying out some of the pixel features that are sprinkled throughout the ui, like the call screening, text to speech etc
Will report back once I use these for a prolonged period.
7. The pixel 7 pros sound and haptic integration is top notch and can be adjusted to your liking on the settings. Each activity that includes a vibration now let's you chose the intensity as well.
8. The screen is less curved which I love as I much prefer flat screens and this feels like a step in the right direction. The edges of the phone and indeed the screen are much less rounded too and makes the Samsung look a bit silly with its super rounded corners.
9. Fingerprint scanner being an optical one is another little disappointment for me, having found the ultrasonic in the Samsung to be unbelievably fast and reliable. Something about the white light under your thumb each time you try to unlock feels cheap and a bit silly when ultrasonic is an option.
10. Which brings me to the last feature I like, face unlock. While not quite as reliable as the iPhone it works well and is much faster than previous android phones I've used. Theres a nice little vibration and animation when it unlocks as well, which makes it feel well thought out and well executed. Hopefully it stays as reliable as its been so far.
Overall I'm pretty impressed. I'm a little disappointed at the over all feel, it's not bad, for me the iPhone still feels like a much more premium phone, and at about 350 quid more it ought to be I suppose. Software wise it looks promising and it has some of the best cameras and haptics of any phone. If anyone who hasn't gotten one yet would like to ask anything about it please feel free.
Bar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there. Nice review. I totally agree with you on two points. I managed to fiddle with a 7 pro at a local target store (a day before launch if you can believe that they had the demo station set up).
The hollow feel while typing on it's screen is something I'd never felt before. It made me send back the 6pro last year and keep my OnePlus 8 pro as it felt like a more solid device. The 7 pro felt the same. I wonder why the hollow feel? Is it possible that it's a feature? Maybe the screen has more give so that it's less susceptible to cracking if dropped? Who knows...
Also agree about the speakers. I blared some YouTube music on the demo phone in the store like a weirdo (Motown) and wasn't exactly impressed. Especially when compared to the 14pro (wife's phone).
I want to love the new 7 pro but am shying away. OnePlus isn't exactly wonderful right now and my 8 pro is aging but I feel like I need more to make the jump

For me it was simply time to make a change from my Note 10 Plus. It's a 3 year old phone and it shows, particularly the camera which wasn't the best when the phone was released and is well behind the times now. I fully expect the feel of the 7 Pro to be less premium (one aspect in which the Note 10 Plus shines and still does) but it looks to me like this is the best Android device out there right now, especially for this price. And I hate iPhones.

Bxperiaz3 said:
Hey guys, received my pixel today and thought I'd share some first impressions for those interested or who haven't received theirs yet.
I use a 21ultra as my daily and run a 14 pro max for work so I have a broad spectrum to judge the new pixel against. I'll try and break my impressions into bullet points.
1. New pixels design is nice, feels good in the hand, I went for obsidian, looks good, the rear is a total fingerprint magnet.
2. The haptics are very good, different to the iPhone but not better or worse, which is impressive because iPhone haptics are usually the benchmark of good vibration for me.
3. One thing I don't love is the weight, both the iPhone and the s21 are quite a bit heavier at 229 and 240 and it makes the pixel feel less premium somehow. When you tap the screen on the pixel to type it almost feels and sounds hollow whereas the Samsung for example is much more firm. Its a personal preference but of the three phones the pixel feels the cheapest in the hand.
4. The camera are very good, coming from the exynos s21 where I always hated the video, pixel 7s new video is really impressive. Looking forward to getting to use it a bit more.
5. The speaker is good and loud but it's a little on the tinny side on comparison to the Samsung and the 14 pro. It crackles a little higher up the volume.
6. Looking forward to trying out some of the pixel features that are sprinkled throughout the ui, like the call screening, text to speech etc
Will report back once I use these for a prolonged period.
7. The pixel 7 pros sound and haptic integration is top notch and can be adjusted to your liking on the settings. Each activity that includes a vibration now let's you chose the intensity as well.
8. The screen is less curved which I love as I much prefer flat screens and this feels like a step in the right direction. The edges of the phone and indeed the screen are much less rounded too and makes the Samsung look a bit silly with its super rounded corners.
9. Fingerprint scanner being an optical one is another little disappointment for me, having found the ultrasonic in the Samsung to be unbelievably fast and reliable. Something about the white light under your thumb each time you try to unlock feels cheap and a bit silly when ultrasonic is an option.
10. Which brings me to the last feature I like, face unlock. While not quite as reliable as the iPhone it works well and is much faster than previous android phones I've used. Theres a nice little vibration and animation when it unlocks as well, which makes it feel well thought out and well executed. Hopefully it stays as reliable as its been so far.
Overall I'm pretty impressed. I'm a little disappointed at the over all feel, it's not bad, for me the iPhone still feels like a much more premium phone, and at about 350 quid more it ought to be I suppose. Software wise it looks promising and it has some of the best cameras and haptics of any phone. If anyone who hasn't gotten one yet would like to ask anything about it please feel free.
Bar
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.3 I've noticed the same thing. When tapping the screen it makes this hollow sound as if you were tapping a plastic cup (thw white one to be precise). The screen on Galaxy Tab S8 makes the same sound but Galaxy S20 doesn't. Maybe the screen panels on Pixel & Tab S8 are of lower quality?!
No. 9 Fingerprint is really fast and more reliable than on S20 (I always had to try multiple times before it finally worked).
No. 10 Face unlock is very fast, even in dim light.
Here are other things I've noticed:
1. Status bar is extremely thick 0.6 mm and therefore unnecessarily wastes too much space when screen resolution is lowered.
2. When in standby screen often doesn't react to taps or the power button being pressed. Screen just doesn't wake up and you have to try 2-3 more times for it to lit up.
3. Sometimes the screen suddenly gets so dim that you can barely see anything but the position of the brightness slider doesn't change at all when it happens. No idea what's causing it.

innit said:
2. When in standby screen often doesn't react to taps or the power button being pressed. Screen just doesn't wake up and you have to try 2-3 more times for it to lit up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Pixel 6 Pro did that all the time, its annoying.
One thing i have noticed it my P7P runs much cooler than my P6P did.

galaxys said:
Nice review details! Kudos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
grangermoch said:
Thanks for sharing, I find myself in a somewhat similar situation. I have an S21U for personal use and an iPhone XR for work that I traded in for the Pixel 7 Pro.
I can definitely relate to the weight difference. I didn't like it at much first but now I've noticed it's a bit easier to hold laying in bed on my back. I'm always dropping the S21U on my face
I've never used an optical fingerprint scanner before so right now the light is oddly amusing /fun for me, but it will probably get old after a while.
So did you keep your iPhone or did you trade it in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to have it on my one plus 7 pro and I loved that but after the speed of the s21 s sensor I'm a bit disenchanted with optical sensors for now. My iPhone is for work so that's staying but the main question is will I be upgrading from my s21 ultra or returning this new pixel. So far I'm not fully sure..
whatsisnametake2 said:
early days here and teething problems I think will be worked out. screen is definitely an improvement over the 6. my main concern tho is the tele lens. so far i'm finding it not as good as the 6p tele lens, which I absolutely love.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must check that out and see what it's like. What are the differences? Was the 6p wider?
liggerz87 said:
Love your review thank you first one I read
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Appreciate that thank you
apoklyps3 said:
does it do usb-c to hdmi output?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me check it out and get back to you
Virgo_Guy said:
Good info, shared. Thanks.
Could you crank up the brightness to the max, use the phone for some 15 mins like that and share the battery drain experience? Various reports like THIS ONE suggest that under direct sunlight the battery drains abnormally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah sure. I'll do that this morning
bacon612 said:
Hey there. Nice review. I totally agree with you on two points. I managed to fiddle with a 7 pro at a local target store (a day before launch if you can believe that they had the demo station set up).
The hollow feel while typing on it's screen is something I'd never felt before. It made me send back the 6pro last year and keep my OnePlus 8 pro as it felt like a more solid device. The 7 pro felt the same. I wonder why the hollow feel? Is it possible that it's a feature? Maybe the screen has more give so that it's less susceptible to cracking if dropped? Who knows...
Also agree about the speakers. I blared some YouTube music on the demo phone in the store like a weirdo (Motown) and wasn't exactly impressed. Especially when compared to the 14pro (wife's phone).
I want to love the new 7 pro but am shying away. OnePlus isn't exactly wonderful right now and my 8 pro is aging but I feel like I need more to make the jump
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you that's a good question, oddly it's something I noticed on the iPhone too, it's like theres an air gap between the sreeen and the actual panel or something so maybe the more give thing is a good call. Either way it's a very small gripe but it's one that's honestly making me consider returning. That along with the weight does not make this feel like a 1k phone to be perfectly honest.
I too want to love it.. But I just don't so far and I don't see any good alternatives left if I send it back
Beefheart said:
For me it was simply time to make a change from my Note 10 Plus. It's a 3 year old phone and it shows, particularly the camera which wasn't the best when the phone was released and is well behind the times now. I fully expect the feel of the 7 Pro to be less premium (one aspect in which the Note 10 Plus shines and still does) but it looks to me like this is the best Android device out there right now, especially for this price. And I hate iPhones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'm fully with you on that. Part of me wishes I didn't have the s21 ultra to compare as I'd probably be less disappointed. I absolutely hate Samsungs android software, but their phones are better build for sure.
innit said:
No.3 I've noticed the same thing. When tapping the screen it makes this hollow sound as if you were tapping a plastic cup (thw white one to be precise). The screen on Galaxy Tab S8 makes the same sound but Galaxy S20 doesn't. Maybe the screen panels on Pixel & Tab S8 are of lower quality?!
No. 9 Fingerprint is really fast and more reliable than on S20 (I always had to try multiple times before it finally worked).
No. 10 Face unlock is very fast, even in dim light.
Here are other things I've noticed:
1. Status bar is extremely thick 0.6 mm and therefore unnecessarily wastes too much space when screen resolution is lowered.
2. When in standby screen often doesn't react to taps or the power button being pressed. Screen just doesn't wake up and you have to try 2-3 more times for it to lit up.
3. Sometimes the screen suddenly gets so dim that you can barely see anything but the position of the brightness slider doesn't change at all when it happens. No idea what's causing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good points! I'll be honest the status bar is also driving me mental. I'm used to full immersive everything on the Samsung so this status bar and tbh the ui in general really vexes me. The little black bar for the pill also does my head in. Why don't we have status bars that have a gradient so we know it's there but it's not a literal banner plastered across the top of the phone. Another point that I'm trying to decide if I can live with. Must check out points 2 and 3 and report back.
MrBelter said:
My Pixel 6 Pro did that all the time, its annoying.
One thing i have noticed it my P7P runs much cooler than my P6P did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a positive at least. I never had a P6P so I appreciate peoples input that ran them last year.
Apologies if it seems like I have a negative bias towards the phone having only had it a day. But the cost of smartphones Is so high these days that I don't expect perfection but there are certain things for me that are absolute deal breakers and unfortunately the pixel ticks quite and amount of those for me. Gonna run it for a few more days and see can I live with the aspects I don't like or is it time to return it and struggle on with the s21

Bxperiaz3 said:
Yeah I'm fully with you on that. Part of me wishes I didn't have the s21 ultra to compare as I'd probably be less disappointed. I absolutely hate Samsungs android software, but their phones are better build for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an S21 Ultra but, ironically given the subject at hand, it stopped working after a fairly innocuous drop and Samsung refused to fix it because I'd previously rooted it (despite removing the root and it being back to a factory image). As a result I swore I would never buy another Samsung and I'm sticking to that, the only reason I have the Note 10 Plus is that a friend upgraded to a iPhone 13 late last year just after my S21 broke and he let me have it on a deal that was too good to refuse (£200), especially given that Samsung had just replaced the screen and battery for him so it was effectively brand new. My son is now getting it to replace his crappy old Poco M3 but I'm done with Samsung and their hateful Knox e-fuse.
I've just gotten a notification from the Royal Mail that my 7 Pro is due for delivery today rather than Monday which is a bonus.

innit said:
No.3 I've noticed the same thing. When tapping the screen it makes this hollow sound as if you were tapping a plastic cup (thw white one to be precise). The screen on Galaxy Tab S8 makes the same sound but Galaxy S20 doesn't. Maybe the screen panels on Pixel & Tab S8 are of lower quality?!
No. 9 Fingerprint is really fast and more reliable than on S20 (I always had to try multiple times before it finally worked).
No. 10 Face unlock is very fast, even in dim light.
Here are other things I've noticed:
1. Status bar is extremely thick 0.6 mm and therefore unnecessarily wastes too much space when screen resolution is lowered.
2. When in standby screen often doesn't react to taps or the power button being pressed. Screen just doesn't wake up and you have to try 2-3 more times for it to lit up.
3. Sometimes the screen suddenly gets so dim that you can barely see anything but the position of the brightness slider doesn't change at all when it happens. No idea what's causing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The display on the 6Pro and 7Pro is edge bonded meaning it's attached to the frame underneath around the edge. This makes it easier to replace but it gives it that "hollow" feel. Most phones today, Samsung etc are mid frame bonded,they're bonded to the frame half way up the display as well as around the edge also, so they don't have that air gap underneath and feel more "solid". The edge bonded display despite being easier to replace have the disadvantage of trapping heat in the phone because of the air gap.

I too am coming from a S21U and noticed the give on the screen. At first I thought I left the keyboard clicks on when I was typing and heard the way the screen sounded.
The other thing I have noticed is when I am driving there are areas where the S21 had signal yet the P7P has no signal with the same sim card.
I too am debating keeping the device or not as these are pretty minor complaints but I'm not sure if it is a truly worthy upgrade for the money.

JamesR913 said:
I too am coming from a S21U and noticed the give on the screen. At first I thought I left the keyboard clicks on when I was typing and heard the way the screen sounded.
The other thing I have noticed is when I am driving there are areas where the S21 had signal yet the P7P has no signal with the same sim card.
I too am debating keeping the device or not as these are pretty minor complaints but I'm not sure if it is a truly worthy upgrade for the money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say the Pixel 7 Pro is an upgrade on the S21 Ultra, but not a particularly big one. A better camera (minus the 30x zoom), a little bit faster in terms of SOC speed but overall no spectacular improvements. In short, I'm not sure I'd spend money on a 7 Pro if I had a working S21 Ultra. But for me it's an easier choice, as my S21 Ultra is long gone and the 7 Pro is a massive upgrade on the Note 10 Plus I'm currently using.
Where it wins big is in comparison to the competition here and now. £850 for a phone that easily competes for everyday use with an iPhone 14 Pro Max which starts at £1200 and a Samsung S22 Ultra that starts at £1150. It loses out on a couple of things with both (battery life for the iPhone, S-Pen with the Samsung, and raw benchmarking horse power with both), but it also has advantages in comparison to both. In short it's a bargain for what you get, and the Pixel 7 even more.
I don't understand what appears to have become an acceptance that flagship phones have to cost north of £1000. It's an absolute nonsense deliberately brought into existence by Apple and Samsung for their own ends. It's good to see Google thumb their nose at it.

Beefheart said:
I'd say the Pixel 7 Pro is an upgrade on the S21 Ultra, but not a particularly big one. A better camera (minus the 30x zoom), a little bit faster in terms of SOC speed but overall no spectacular improvements. In short, I'm not sure I'd spend money on a 7 Pro if I had a working S21 Ultra. But for me it's an easier choice, as my S21 Ultra is long gone and the 7 Pro is a massive upgrade on the Note 10 Plus I'm currently using.
Where it wins big is in comparison to the competition here and now. £850 for a phone that easily competes for everyday use with an iPhone 14 Pro Max which starts at £1200 and a Samsung S22 Ultra that starts at £1150. It loses out on a couple of things with both (battery life for the iPhone, S-Pen with the Samsung, and raw benchmarking horse power with both), but it also has advantages in comparison to both. In short it's a bargain for what you get, and the Pixel 7 even more.
I don't understand what appears to have become an acceptance that flagship phones have to cost north of £1000. It's an absolute nonsense deliberately brought into existence by Apple and Samsung for their own ends. It's good to see Google thumb their nose at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're not getting truly top hardware with the Pixel though, it's only an LTPO 1.0 display for eg so there's a trade off for price.

Beefheart said:
I had an S21 Ultra but, ironically given the subject at hand, it stopped working after a fairly innocuous drop and Samsung refused to fix it because I'd previously rooted it (despite removing the root and it being back to a factory image). As a result I swore I would never buy another Samsung and I'm sticking to that, the only reason I have the Note 10 Plus is that a friend upgraded to a iPhone 13 late last year just after my S21 broke and he let me have it on a deal that was too good to refuse (£200), especially given that Samsung had just replaced the screen and battery for him so it was effectively brand new. My son is now getting it to replace his crappy old Poco M3 but I'm done with Samsung and their hateful Knox e-fuse.
I've just gotten a notification from the Royal Mail that my 7 Pro is due for delivery today rather than Monday which is a bonus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah even with the better build most new phones can't handle any sort of a drop. Nice, let us know how you find it.
Batfink33 said:
The display on the 6Pro and 7Pro is edge bonded meaning it's attached to the frame underneath around the edge. This makes it easier to replace but it gives it that "hollow" feel. Most phones today, Samsung etc are mid frame bonded,they're bonded to the frame half way up the display as well as around the edge also, so they don't have that air gap underneath and feel more "solid". The edge bonded display despite being easier to replace have the disadvantage of trapping heat in the phone because of the air gap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes perfect sense, Thanks for clearing that up. Makes me like the pixel even less now that that's been confirmed
JamesR913 said:
I too am coming from a S21U and noticed the give on the screen. At first I thought I left the keyboard clicks on when I was typing and heard the way the screen sounded.
The other thing I have noticed is when I am driving there are areas where the S21 had signal yet the P7P has no signal with the same sim card.
I too am debating keeping the device or not as these are pretty minor complaints but I'm not sure if it is a truly worthy upgrade for the money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have a sim in mine yet but that would be another deal breaker. Similar to you I only have small complaints so far. But I have more than I was expecting..
Beefheart said:
I'd say the Pixel 7 Pro is an upgrade on the S21 Ultra, but not a particularly big one. A better camera (minus the 30x zoom), a little bit faster in terms of SOC speed but overall no spectacular improvements. In short, I'm not sure I'd spend money on a 7 Pro if I had a working S21 Ultra. But for me it's an easier choice, as my S21 Ultra is long gone and the 7 Pro is a massive upgrade on the Note 10 Plus I'm currently using.
Where it wins big is in comparison to the competition here and now. £850 for a phone that easily competes for everyday use with an iPhone 14 Pro Max which starts at £1200 and a Samsung S22 Ultra that starts at £1150. It loses out on a couple of things with both (battery life for the iPhone, S-Pen with the Samsung, and raw benchmarking horse power with both), but it also has advantages in comparison to both. In short it's a bargain for what you get, and the Pixel 7 even more.
I don't understand what appears to have become an acceptance that flagship phones have to cost north of £1000. It's an absolute nonsense deliberately brought into existence by Apple and Samsung for their own ends. It's good to see Google thumb their nose at it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah in a way I agree, phones absolutely shouldn't cost that much. What's a shame though is the phone feels physically cheaper and that's a bit of a deal breaker considering it was still over 1000 euros.. My s21s camera system is so poor it still makes sense to upgrade, plus a few quid back when I sell the old phone and the pixel watch but I have to say I'm still a bit let down. I absolutely despise apple software but there's no denying when I unboxed the 14 pro I was far more impressed with the quality
Batfink33 said:
You're not getting truly top hardware with the Pixel though, it's only an LTPO 1.0 display for eg so there's a trade off for price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah and it sort of shows tbh. If I could have the s21 ultra with the software advantages of the pixel 7p right now that would be the ideal hybrid.

Bxperiaz3 said:
Yeah even with the better build most new phones can't handle any sort of a drop. Nice, let us know how you find it.
That makes perfect sense, Thanks for clearing that up. Makes me like the pixel even less now that that's been confirmed
I don't have a sim in mine yet but that would be another deal breaker. Similar to you I only have small complaints so far. But I have more than I was expecting..
Yeah in a way I agree, phones absolutely shouldn't cost that much. What's a shame though is the phone feels physically cheaper and that's a bit of a deal breaker considering it was still over 1000 euros.. My s21s camera system is so poor it still makes sense to upgrade, plus a few quid back when I sell the old phone and the pixel watch but I have to say I'm still a bit let down. I absolutely despise apple software but there's no denying when I unboxed the 14 pro I was far more impressed with the quality
Yeah and it sort of shows tbh. If I could have the s21 ultra with the software advantages of the pixel 7p right now that would be the ideal hybrid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd pay the extra for a truly flagship pixel with all the latest hardware. Yes phones are way overpriced but it would be nice to have Pixel software on a phone with the quality build of an iPhone or Samsung. An Sd8+ Gen 1 (or gen 2) Pixel would be amazing.

It's arrived, and it doesn't feel less premium at all. Maybe that's me and, being an engineer, I know weight doesn't equate to more premium. I love the feel of it, solid.
In terms of opinion, I've not got much else at the moment, still setting it up.

Database Info

welcome