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Hi Everyone
I'm looking to upgrade from a Oneplus 3. Previously it was a great price for good specs.
I noticed the magic 3 whilst looking at YouTube and the specs look amazing.
1 - Interested to know of those who have had it for a while would you recommend getting it?
2 - what are the main annoying factors about the phone?
3 - Are there any others in the price range I should consider? I mostly play pubg, do retoo gaming and watch films with my existing phone
Many thanks in advance
Jamie
1 - Difficult to answer....if you're not into rooting and customizing,but happy with a basic Android experience and raw power,you should buy it......otherwise,if you want 100% flagship bells and whistless for half the price,you'll have to search futher,as this phone does not 'has it all' for just €479.
2 - For me,the most annoying thing is that there's much more to squeeze out of the camera,if Nubia's app would match the capabilities......but hopefully, there will be a working Gcam release in the near future.
3 - Xiaomi Mi 9....but I fell for the RM3.....
Many thanks for the reply, I don't mind rooting if necessary.
Also happy with a basic android experience as my oneplus was pretty much that when it first came out.
Thanks for the suggestion I will look into that also ??
Jamie.bshop.1982 said:
Hi Everyone
I'm looking to upgrade from a Oneplus 3. Previously it was a great price for good specs.
I noticed the magic 3 whilst looking at YouTube and the specs look amazing.
1 - Interested to know of those who have had it for a while would you recommend getting it?
2 - what are the main annoying factors about the phone?
3 - Are there any others in the price range I should consider? I mostly play pubg, do retoo gaming and watch films with my existing phone
Many thanks in advance
Jamie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell the battery backup is awesome. Only problem I have is the gaming buttons are too annoying when playing a video.
I have it unrooted without gapps and IMO its better then some flagships. Reason is the big screen and the big battery and the stereo sound.
Also I prefer metal over Glas backside. And NO Notch.
The camera is better than that on my Xiaomi mi mix 3.
this phone is amazing, the only bad thing i see it had is not hdmi usb-c to support
I would wait for two main reasons:
1) Asus is going to announce their new ROG phone at the end of this month. While it will probably be a good deal more expensive, It might have some cool features
2) Nubia just announced they are going to release an 855 Plus version of this phone.
Sent from my Note 9 using XDA Labs
Thing is,no matter how long you wait ,there will always be something better on the horizon after your purchase.......no matter which device you've bought...
Hi,
Considering the price and the specs, I think the Red Magic 3 is about the best phone you can have nowadays.
If you buy it, you should consider two things :
- Chinese UI has a lot of features but is ugly and themes are mostly paid ones ;
- Europe/US/Asia ROM has ZERO features.
Once I recovered from the disappointment, the second solution was clearly what I was looking for.
So here is my advice :
- take the Europe/US/Asia version and flash it to your device (if it doesn't ship with that as stock)
- unlock the bootloader
-root your phone.
All this is done in like 4/5 minutes...
Once done, install all apps to add the required features.
You will have a phone that has ONLY THE FEATURES YOU WANT.
No bloat, no unnecessary stuff...
A dream come true
Of course, it comes with a price : once rooted, you will get OTA notifications but won't be able to install them...
Regards.
roadworker said:
Thing is,no matter how long you wait ,there will always be something better on the horizon after your purchase.......no matter which device you've bought...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True
If you live in North America, I'd steer clear of this company.
I ordered one of their phones last week. I still have yet to receive my shipping notice. I ordered it with priority shipping, and according to their website, it should have shipped within 24 hours of payment.
4 days after it failed to ship, I contacted support, and was told "Be patient". Ever since then, they've stopped responding to emails. They won't give me any sort of clue as to when my order will ship. Apparently this is a frequent occurrence with Red Magic.
They're one of those companies that are only interested in getting devices out to reviewers, everyone else is to fend for themselves.
The support page on their website doesn't work. Apparently they didn't pay for it. Nubia cannot give any answers either, they just argue back in forth in the support email with several of the employees arguing about who's job it is to deal with.
If you ever receive a phone from them, and have an issue, good luck with that. Their current company (if you can call it that) shows that can't deal with supporting their devices. They can't even deal with fulfilling orders.
Stay far far away from this company, for you own good.
Is there likely to significant difference between the 8gb and 12gb ram? I think I'm going to get it but wonder if it's worth the extra money. Also just seen they mentioned the magic 4 by the end of the year. So maybe prices will come down
Well I'm in N.A. and I bought it from the site day it released. Great phone, few bugs at the moment and its a gaming phone at heart with stock Android, easily customizable. Honestly any game task you throw at it handles like a boss. It's an emulation dream with built in buttons. My controller and case should arrive the 22nd and I'm sure it will be great. I can tell you any Bluetooth controller works well on it too. The choice to buy is up to you, basically do you want a gaming phone or something else.
I have had this for two days in the USA and I love it. Usually I have buyer's remorse and would be looking for a new phone by now so I can say it really is great. Battery life is better than my S9 with a Mophie pack so far. Even with playing with it constantly I can't kill it in one day and usually my S9 needs to be plugged in by late afternoon. I have not rooted it yet, and may not. I love a clean version of Android. Not sure why people think that is bad. All the random customization sometimes comes with a speed cost. This phone is just plain fast. Usually I root to get rid of crap so you can see where I stand. If you hate big heavy phones, don't buy it. That is the negative. I had a ZTE Axon 7 and updates were slow so that's another negative. Other than that, super fast, great screen, great battery, strong data signal...it's a buy. Reminds me of the original OnePlus, or the Axon. Phones that were surprising values, but were big and heavy.
Sent from my NX629J using Tapatalk
I'm coming from the OnePlus 3(T) as well, looking for a new device. What I didn't like at the Oneplus were the original ROM (luckily Lineage helped a lot) and the sound and position of the speaker. I loved the front facing stereo speakers of my HTC One (m7) years ago.
So I'm thinking of purchasing the RM3, but at the moment there are no alternative ROMS. Another device I'm looking at is the Black Shark 2, but situation with ROMs and support seems to be even worse.
For the RM3, I have concerns, if a fan inside a mobile will really last for some years, or break down at some time...
I also had the 3T and 1 and the 6T obviously this is just a better phone due to the increases in tech. No way to tell on the fan, I will say...and not sure how ZTE vs it's company Nubia will work, but my Axon 7 had a couple of screen issues due to my dropping it and the speaker stopped working, not sure if it was due to that and ZTE fixed it every time free of charge within the first year. I was very happy with their service on that phone. ROM support will be lacking but it's a clean version of Android so I prefer that
Sent from my NX629J using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 10:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:22 AM ----------
To me...a clean, lean ROM, which the US version is, rooted with Magisk and other mods I choose myself is always the best option. Some custom ROMs can get pretty bloated themselves
Sent from my NX629J using Tapatalk
NexusPenguin said:
Hi,
Considering the price and the specs, I think the Red Magic 3 is about the best phone you can have nowadays.
If you buy it, you should consider two things :
- Chinese UI has a lot of features but is ugly and themes are mostly paid ones ;
- Europe/US/Asia ROM has ZERO features.
Once I recovered from the disappointment, the second solution was clearly what I was looking for.
So here is my advice :
- take the Europe/US/Asia version and flash it to your device (if it doesn't ship with that as stock)
- unlock the bootloader
-root your phone.
All this is done in like 4/5 minutes...
Once done, install all apps to add the required features.
You will have a phone that has ONLY THE FEATURES YOU WANT.
No bloat, no unnecessary stuff...
A dream come true
Of course, it comes with a price : once rooted, you will get OTA notifications but won't be able to install them...
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on what you are looking for an what you want to do?
If you are a person who is happy with stock ROMs an just leaves cellphones in the state they are in out of the box then yes buy it.
However if you are a person who likes tinkering modifications an custom ROMs the please do not buy this cellphone.
I tried to install TWRP over 2 months ago an got stuck in a fastboot bootloop. Every xda suggestion to fix this plus paying a cellphone repair center an trying heaps of suggestions an it's still non functional.
It has horrible software an is rediculously sensitive to any and all attempts to FLASH ANYTHING.
If red magic 3s break you might never be able to fix them at a software level.
Mine lives in a bag by my bed to remind me not to bite off more than I can chew.
I have a xiaomi Mi9 now an have no real issues with it.
Good luck with your decision
So the options are to buy on Ali are with a stock Global Rom or a Chinese ROM. I see some other posts about people flashing to the Chinese one. Is that the best option to choose? I take it you can still select the language as English and support here etc? Thanks for everyone's responded it's been really helpful. I was thinking of holding out for the 855plus but not sure if I can afford which will be most likely an additional cost for it.
I also have the same question but mine is a bit different. Im convinced i am going to buy it but...
Should i buy it now or wait for the 855+ version? Idc if its gonna be a bit more expensive
xorphaz said:
I also have the same question but mine is a bit different. Im convinced i am going to buy it but...
Should i buy it now or wait for the 855+ version? Idc if its gonna be a bit more expensive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would of thought it would be more expensive as they still have the original to sell. Probably will stick another £100 on it or so I reckon ?
0. Have you received the OTA update / which region are you in?
1. Is the notification delayed problem fixed?
2. Do you experience a slow charging problem?
3. Battery performance
4. Any new feature/bug
5. Any other business
chanlokhung said:
0. Have you received the OTA update / which region are you in?
1. Is the notification delayed problem fixed?
2. Do you experience a slow charging problem?
3. Battery performance
4. Any new feature/bug
5. Any other business
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Notification problem not fixed as far as I can tell.
2. Too early to tell as I just installed it.
3. Too early to tell
4. Some bloatware, Hot Apps and Hot Games. Still looking for anything else.
5. Will update my experience in the next few days.
This is a real shame and I'm going to have to start looking for another phone since this may be the last update we receive. Why they wouldn't address the notification problem is baffling.
Twotems said:
1. Notification problem not fixed as far as I can tell.
2. Too early to tell as I just installed it.
3. Too early to tell
4. Some bloatware, Hot Apps and Hot Games. Still looking for anything else.
5. Will update my experience in the next few days.
This is a real shame and I'm going to have to start looking for another phone since this may be the last update we receive. Why they wouldn't address the notification problem is baffling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really is time to get the new phone. I'm looking at note10+ atm. Vivo Nex is such a beast, still today, but the software, locked bootloader and slow updates are really getting on my nerves for quite some time. Such a shame, imagine nex with other ROMs...
Number 8 said:
It really is time to get the new phone. I'm looking at note10+ atm. Vivo Nex is such a beast, still today, but the software, locked bootloader and slow updates are really getting on my nerves for quite some time. Such a shame, imagine nex with other ROMs...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed in hardware vivo nex is one of the best especially the coolest s845 among all phones i've tried. Its infamous software is undoubtly agreed by the majority in this forum.
BTW: The worst software maintenance I have ever had is ASUS. Just a quick tip for those concerning software update quality.
Number 8 said:
It really is time to get the new phone. I'm looking at note10+ atm. Vivo Nex is such a beast, still today, but the software, locked bootloader and slow updates are really getting on my nerves for quite some time. Such a shame, imagine nex with other ROMs...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not willing to pay $1,300+ for a phone and I don't like punch holes etc, even though it would sync perfectly with my Tab S6.
chanlokhung said:
Agreed in hardware vivo nex is one of the best especially the coolest s845 among all phones i've tried. Its infamous software is undoubtly agreed by the majority in this forum.
BTW: The worst software maintenance I have ever had is ASUS. Just a quick tip for those concerning software update quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny you say that because I'll probably be getting the Zenfone 7 Pro. I had a Zenfone 2 and had zero issues with it. The Zenfone 7 meets all my requirements especially the full screen. But in addition a huge battery, NFC, all the 5G bands and it's US/Taiwanese so a lot more secure than the Chinese phones I've been using exclusively for the past 7 years.
Twotems said:
I'm not willing to pay $1,300+ for a phone and I don't like punch holes etc, even though it would sync perfectly with my Tab S6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't stand the punch hole fad, that is one of the reasons I love my NEX. Here where I live note10+ is around 700-800$ and the newest note20 ultra is around 1300$ which is crazy to pay for a phone. And it's not worth it anyway, it's almost the same as note10+. I just need a phone close to 7" display, no punch hole and 90hz+. Can't find any, closest is oneplus 7t pro, but it's basically the same as NEX.
Mate 20x 5g seems like a nice phone...
Number 8 said:
I can't stand the punch hole fad, that is one of the reasons I love my NEX. Here where I live note10+ is around 700-800$ and the newest note20 ultra is around 1300$ which is crazy to pay for a phone. And it's not worth it anyway, it's almost the same as note10+. I just need a phone close to 7" display, no punch hole and 90hz+. Can't find any, closest is oneplus 7t pro, but it's basically the same as NEX.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I'm seriously considering the Zenfone 7. It's got everything I need including 90hz. I don't use or need wireless charging (especially with a 5000mah battery) or waterproofing. They've also committed to two years of updates which is good enough for me. One more thing (from when I had the old one) is a very active forum and good customer service unlike Vivo.
Twotems said:
I'm not willing to pay $1,300+ for a phone and I don't like punch holes etc, even though it would sync perfectly with my Tab S6.
It's funny you say that because I'll probably be getting the Zenfone 7 Pro. I had a Zenfone 2 and had zero issues with it. The Zenfone 7 meets all my requirements especially the full screen. But in addition a huge battery, NFC, all the 5G bands and it's US/Taiwanese so a lot more secure than the Chinese phones I've been using exclusively for the past 7 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My experience is Padfone S, the most horrible things in the world. For hardware part, the screen dies (after 360 days of purchase) right before warranty ends (365 days). They should have timed better so that I need to change my phone after 366 days.
For software part,
The system is eating up all rams and getting unusable after android 5 updates. For other 2GB ram phones across the same period are able to at least keep 2 apps opened. Every single app need to be reloaded after switching between apps. They didn't even plan to release android 6 which they promised 2 years of software support until fury in the Taiwan forum and someone is going to sue the company. And you can guess the result, the android 6 software is also a piece of **** with countless bugs.
My iPhone 7 plus has been using for 4 years and still doing very well (smooth) in today's applications. If divides the price by the number of years it's performing, it is much cheaper than Padfone S which becomes unusable after 3 months of purchase.
F**k ASUS.
chanlokhung said:
My experience is Padfone S, the most horrible things in the world. For hardware part, the screen dies (after 360 days of purchase) right before warranty ends (365 days). They should have timed better so that I need to change my phone after 366 days.
For software part,
The system is eating up all rams and getting unusable after android 5 updates. For other 2GB ram phones across the same period are able to at least keep 2 apps opened. Every single app need to be reloaded after switching between apps. They didn't even plan to release android 6 which they promised 2 years of software support until fury in the Taiwan forum and someone is going to sue the company. And you can guess the result, the android 6 software is also a piece of **** with countless bugs.
My iPhone 7 plus has been using for 4 years and still doing very well (smooth) in today's applications. If divides the price by the number of years it's performing, it is much cheaper than Padfone S which becomes unusable after 3 months of purchase.
F**k ASUS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's too bad. My girlfriend is still using my Padfone X (At&t) from 2014 on 4.4 Kitkat and it's not the greatest but it's still good for media. I also have a Google Nexus 2013 (by Asus) but the screen broke and I can't find one so it's retired now. Never had a problem with any of them or my Zenfone 2.
Most people rooted and changed the rom on the Padfone S and it performed very well I hear. If you love your iPhone so much then stick with it. Personally I could never use such a restrictive OS.
I notice my GPS google crash, cant use now..try to reinstall and nothing happend
Twotems said:
That's why I'm seriously considering the Zenfone 7. It's got everything I need including 90hz. I don't use or need wireless charging (especially with a 5000mah battery) or waterproofing. They've also committed to two years of updates which is good enough for me. One more thing (from when I had the old one) is a very active forum and good customer service unlike Vivo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like to have edge display once again, the last time I got it few years ago on my s6 edge+... Got the update just now and it does not fix the whatsapp not showing on lockscreen, another s.hit update from VIVO...
Number 8 said:
I'd like to have edge display once again, the last time I got it few years ago on my s6 edge+... Got the update just now and it does not fix the whatsapp not showing on lockscreen, another s.hit update from VIVO...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WhatsApp shows on my lockscreen with no issues. My problem is delayed notifications which they didn't address.
---------- Post added at 12:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:09 AM ----------
martinjo24 said:
I notice my GPS google crash, cant use now..try to reinstall and nothing happend
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's GPS Google?
Its okay now
Full recovery Update: http://in-sysuptxdl.vivoglobal.com/...8182309235b0187adcd5ad67d74dbc394d81fe947.zip
0. Have you received the OTA update / which region are you in? France but like Indian version (aka International)
1. Is the notification delayed problem fixed ? Not so, i don't have this issue
2. Do you experience a slow charging problem? Seems ok here
3. Battery performance Waiting for full cycle to understand but actually seems bad
4. Any new feature/bug An huge upgrade on camera can be nice, because Vivo can easily fight againt GCam for my opinion
5. Any other business Stay safe and protect your family, it's important
And shifting to another fairly not flocked brand like Infinix? They are not touting their brand and models "As flagship killers" like OnePlus did, but their newer models are at least mid end spectrum of phone specs.
I'm checking out their Note 11 Pro... Anyone have this phone rn?
plskillme said:
And shifting to another fairly not flocked brand like Infinix? They are not touting their brand and models "As flagship killers" like OnePlus, but their newer models are at least mid end spectrum of phone specs.
I'm checking out their Note 11 Pro... Anyone have this phone rn?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For my it's good phone at the moment x3 pro. I have no issue whit them at all. I'm on legion os, without any modification, just rooted.
irmas5 said:
For my it's good phone at the moment x3 pro. I have no issue whit them at all. I'm on legion os, without any modification, just rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For daily use, it works for me yeah... Somehow, as an everyday carry... But it is quite lacking compared to the last phone that I had(K20 Pro).
The FP is wonky at best, the plastic external button looks like it's about to fall off anytime it's being touched.
The audio is stupendously nerve-wracking if you don't know your way around the settings, good that I found the setting for volume control on individual apps. I find this the most annoying thing in the X3 Pro.
plskillme said:
For daily use, it works for me yeah... Somehow, as an everyday carry... But it is quite lacking compared to the last phone that I had(K20 Pro).
The FP is wonky at best, the plastic external button looks like it's about to fall off anytime it's being touched.
The audio is stupendously nerve-wracking if you don't know your way around the settings, good that I found the setting for volume control on individual apps. I find this the most annoying thing in the X3 Pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeh. some times fp laging, needs touch few times. but overall it's not to bad for me. I'm not gamer or try push to over limits and say i bricked my phone.
I doubt you can find anything better for $200
Simple answer: You get what you pay for. And SD860 with ufs 3.1 storage at this price range is really a good steal.
If you really want a premium phone, you should start with $500+
The only criticisms I have are the relatively slow security patches and the awful MIUI. Everything else is totally acceptable given the very reasonable price.
irmas5 said:
Yeh. some times fp laging, needs touch few times. but overall it's not to bad for me. I'm not gamer or try push to over limits and say i bricked my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't even played on my phone from 100% to 0% if that's what you meant by "Push to over limits". I have yet to unlock BL on my phone or do other soft mods, I lost my touch with custom roms after getting the K20 Pro. Not sure whether it's the lack of time and patience to deal with the whole process of installing a rom.
k3lcior said:
I doubt you can find anything better for $200
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Infinix has the same pricing, not sure if they have the same or equivalent specs for their Note 11 Pro.
i_sagnik said:
Simple answer: You get what you pay for. And SD860 with ufs 3.1 storage at this price range is really a good steal.
If you really want a premium phone, you should start with $500+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean it is pretty much what it is, but weird quirks of this phone is just everywhere. Pocket mode is spotty AF, one time while I was trying to fool myself on getting into running - the phone would randomly hold Forward/Next while on lockscreen or triple click or that other time while I was running and the phone made an in-app purchase worth US$80 Good thing Play store honors 24-hour refunds.
thorin0815 said:
The only criticisms I have are the relatively slow security patches and the awful MIUI. Everything else is totally acceptable given the very reasonable price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The entirety of the phone as a whole is good, the little problems is what makes it problematic for me. I could have just stuck with my K20 Pro if I knew this phone is no better than someone else's OnePlus 3.
k3lcior said:
I doubt you can find anything better for $200
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^^^^ This ^^^^^
Hey all, I am on the hunt for a new phone after four years with a Huawei Mate 10 Pro... still stuck on Android 8 but otherwise going strong.
I am having trouble narrowing this down, but Rog 5/5S Pro is ticking a fair few of my boxes. I like the flat screen, the good specs etc. On the other hand there are strong competitors like Pixel 6 Pro and S21 Ultra, or even Note 20 Ultra (snapdragon version).
I can get a 5S Pro (18GB/512GB) locally here in Australia for $1899 AUD, or pay a fair bit less for a CN version shipped from Hong Kong or China.
I have always had root on my Android phones and will probably want root on the new one.
So a few questions...
1. Do you recommend this phone?
2. Does it matter whether I get CN or WW version?
3. I have read some stuff about problems unlocking the bootloader, or unlocking the bootloader twice, etc. Basically I am usually content with a stock ROM plus root, is this going to be a problem for me?
I am not much of a mobile gamer, but I use my phone fairly heavily in general.
I am having a bit of trouble making a decision here....
1: Yes, I use 5sp, it's really nice phone to have aside from the lack of waterproofing.
2: DO NOT get the CN version, you'll have issues unlocking your phone and / or getting a network connection. Also the device will likely come with a Chinese fw if you buy it without modifications done by seller.
3: if you unlocked your phone then why lock it back.... And yes, you will sometimes have trouble getting the phone to unlock the second time after relock. But there's a guide here on how to fix it.
Stock + root is currently the only option anyway.... There's no ROM available atm. You can find patched boot images in one of my thread, flash it after unlocking, and just enjoy. You won't even need TWRP for anything... For now
Thanks Yurishouse, good info.
I think I'm content to pay a bit more for a local version. Much better for warranty etc apart from anything else.
This has been a hard choice, but 5S Pro is my front runner, having looked hard at Pixel 6 Pro, S21 Ultra, Xperia 1 iii, Oneplus 9 Pro, and a lot else.
I am a bit worried about the low level of activity on this forum but that seems to be how it is for every device compared to three or four years ago, i guess things are different now.
anthropoidape said:
Thanks Yurishouse, good info.
I think I'm content to pay a bit more for a local version. Much better for warranty etc apart from anything else.
This has been a hard choice, but 5S Pro is my front runner, having looked hard at Pixel 6 Pro, S21 Ultra, Xperia 1 iii, Oneplus 9 Pro, and a lot else.
I am a bit worried about the low level of activity on this forum but that seems to be how it is for every device compared to three or four years ago, i guess things are different now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Low activity is likely the cost and how difficult it is to get one. I've been trying to get a 5s pro from a non-scalper for months, was finally successful and ordered one off the asus store yesterday.
Well, I ended up giving up on the current crop of flagships and bought a second hand Samsung Note 10 Plus 5g, 512gb. It even has an sd slot. It cost me a bit over 300USD. It will do me for a year or two so I can stop thinking about options for a while.
yurishouse said:
2: DO NOT get the CN version, you'll have issues unlocking your phone and / or getting a network connection. Also the device will likely come with a Chinese fw if you buy it without modifications done by seller.
Stock + root is currently the only option anyway.... There's no ROM available atm. You can find patched boot images in one of my thread, flash it after unlocking, and just enjoy. You won't even need TWRP for anything... For now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are Tencent versions that come with WW firmware (stock), but still have the lower price. Most sellers are unclear, so it's a lottery trying to find them.
TWRP is a niche software. Some can't live without, but most new phones make it take more time keeping it installed than will be spent using it.
1. Do you recommend this phone?
Nope. Get the ROG 3 with the highest memory specs. ROG 3 is still the ASUS king if you ask me. I switched from ROG 5 to 3 and loving it. Solid built device with a cooler running chipset and mamoth battery life (a properly lean set up ROG 3 has eye popping battery life). - You can still find a few out there if you're quick and do some online hunting.
2. Does it matter whether I get CN or WW version?
Yes. If you go for it, get a genuine ASUS factory WW version that hasn't been converted or touched by a dealer or anyone else.
3. I have read some stuff about problems unlocking the bootloader, or unlocking the bootloader twice, etc. Basically I am usually content with a stock ROM plus root, is this going to be a problem for me?
If you follow the advice and make sure you get a genuine WW version, you should be fine.
At this point in the cycle, another question is whether you want to wait for the next device however..
Probably best to wait after just getting a Note 10.
I've been running a rooted OP6 for 3.5 years or more. Currently on stock OOS 11 with some root specific extras. It still behaves OK, but I'm thinking of getting something newer because of occasional issues that may be age related. OP is selling the OP9 for $499 today in the US. For those of you who are familiar with the device, do you think it's worth buying at that price this deep into its existence?
For 499$? Hell no!
I bought almost new one for 399$ and still pissed. Camera is horrible even with Gcam. Chipset gets hot while playing videos sometimes let alone gaming.
Also depend what you are looking for. OP 9rt has everything OP9 has and have better camera and thermal. I'd say go for 9rt than base OP9 if it's available in the price range.
Thanks. I didn't buy it before the sale ended. I figured I'd have other opportunities with some decent phone or another. Seems like a few years ago, more people were happy with their new phones. Now, it seems like a lot of people have problems with the more recent models.
The phone is fine (cameras aren't the best but everything else is great). The software is the problem. If you want it so you can flash a custom ROM on it, it's great. If you want to just use it stock, it's harder to recommend.
That said, I would take a 9 over a Pixel 6 (in fact my initial purchase decision was between these two since the sale on the OP9 at the time was the same price as the 6) or pretty much anything else because of the community support. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are only just now starting to get decent custom ROMs, Tensor is a mediocre SoC with a weak modem, the display is better on the OnePlus, and the OnePlus has way better battery.
When it comes to devices where I live in the US, the only options for those of us who want root and custom ROMs while maintaining full compatibility with all carriers are OnePlus and Pixel. It's too bad Samsung locks their devices down so much.
I'd have thought the Pixel 6 would have been my best bet until I started reading the myriad complaints about it from users. The glowing commercial site reviews tout the features, but don't mention that those features don't always work as would be expected. The same seems to be the case for the current generation of Samsung phones.
What's the issue with OOS on the OP9? I'm probably running something similar on my OP6, though via root, I've eliminated a lot of the bloat. I'd intended to flash custom ROMs, but I never have on this phone as I've had it set up to my liking most of the time. I'm running Android 11. Maybe that's the issue? 12 has more problems?
People don't like the Oppo-ification that has happened. ColorOS and OxygenOS are on the same codebase now and they're extremely similar. It doesn't help that OnePlus is lagging on updates a lot too. They just started dropping the C.60 update which comes with OOS 12.1 today and ColorOS has been on C.62 since April.
Honestly I got tired of waiting for 12.1 and switched my global LE2115 to ColorOS yesterday and I like it. The bloat is there but it's only an issue if you actually run it. And honestly it cracks me up seeing the Chinese in the universal search lol. *shrug*
One thing I really appreciate about this device is that the MSM Tool is available. This is the low level firmware flash that is meant for manufacturers to use to rapidly restore devices back to working order. Since we have it, it's fairly easy to recover from common bricking scenarios, and I don't know that I would want to go back to a device that doesn't have it (like the Pixel). OnePlus also seems to have excellent warranty service, they don't even void the warranty if you brick the thing, unlike Google who claims they can't even re-flash the firmware and you have to pay for a new motherboard if you brick it.
There are some annoying issues with notifications (which strangely seem to naturally resolve themselves as you use the device) and aggressive battery management in A12 that you have to learn how to work around. It's not perfect but I like OOS12 and COS12 more than I like Pixel-clone ROMs or OneUI.
I wouldn't. Truth be told, if I still had my 6, I'd still be using it. Unfortunately, I left it on top of my car getting gas once, and drove off. Never found it or its pieces.
I ended up with the 7 Pro. It was OK, but I hated the curved screen.
I sent the 8T back as OP screwed early adopters with a water bottle while a few hours later offering a pop up box that was a much better deal for the same price.
Now I have the 9. I'm not crazy about it. It's ok, but I regret paying full price for it. It'd be a hard sale at $499 for me.
Maybe an 8T would be a decent option if you could get a good price on it.
You can get the dual sim version on Amazon it's Chinese version but when I updated it to Android 12 from le2110 it turn into le2115 which is covered by at&t, so far so good, used to have the Pixel 6, I liked it until I got bored with it, I am not a gamer but all this phones depends on who is using it, I don't have any problem with OOS 12, it's stable for me, but I like the customization of the CUSTOM ROMS..
EtherealRemnant said:
People don't like the Oppo-ification that has happened.
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I've seen complaints about that. I haven't seen it with my OP6 because they stopped updating the OS before they merged the codebases.
EtherealRemnant said:
One thing I really appreciate about this device is that the MSM Tool is available.
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Good point. I've never had to use the MSM tool on my OP6, though I've come close a couple of times. The TWRP discrepancies between OOS versions has played havoc with me here and there. But I was always able to solve it before having to use MSM. Certainly its availability is comforting and valuable.
Superguy said:
Now I have the 9. I'm not crazy about it. It's ok, but I regret paying full price for it. It'd be a hard sale at $499 for me.
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What is it that you find disappointing?
imna357 said:
... used to have the Pixel 6, I liked it until I got bored with it, I am not a gamer but all this phones depends on who is using it, I don't have any problem with OOS 12, it's stable for me, but I like the customization of the CUSTOM ROMS..
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I'm not a gamer, either. I'd possibly use a custom ROM depending on things. I use other than the stock launcher, anyway, so at least if I don't like the look of OOS 12, I'd sidestep that much of it.
Superguy said:
I wouldn't. Truth be told, if I still had my 6, I'd still be using it. Unfortunately, I left it on top of my car getting gas once, and drove off. Never found it or its pieces.
I ended up with the 7 Pro. It was OK, but I hated the curved screen.
I sent the 8T back as OP screwed early adopters with a water bottle while a few hours later offering a pop up box that was a much better deal for the same price.
Now I have the 9. I'm not crazy about it. It's ok, but I regret paying full price for it. It'd be a hard sale at $499 for me.
Maybe an 8T would be a decent option if you could get a good price on it.
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Click to collapse
Why would you pick the 8T over the 9? The only real advantage I see is 12GB vs 8GB (hasn't been an issue for me and I'm a heavy user). The disadvantages: hugely inferior 5G modem (that's external instead of integrated into the SoC like the 888 so even worse battery consumption), slower SoC, slower storage (much slower on random writes), closer to the end of the official software support period, etc...
For $499 you can do a lot worse than the OnePlus 9 but also can't really do better.
maigre said:
I've seen complaints about that. I haven't seen it with my OP6 because they stopped updating the OS before they merged the codebases.
Good point. I've never had to use the MSM tool on my OP6, though I've come close a couple of times. The TWRP discrepancies between OOS versions has played havoc with me here and there. But I was always able to solve it before having to use MSM. Certainly its availability is comforting and valuable.
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Honestly this is my first OnePlus and I *prefer* ColorOS to OOS. The depth of customization is insane and it doesn't seem to be as buggy (but that could be due to the fact that C.62 is simply newer and that OOS will get there when C.62 finally releases for it in a month or so too, it's hard to say).
I had to use the MSM Tool... Multiple times... If I had to complain about one thing with this device, it's extremely easy to soft brick it. I have been into rooting and customizing my Android phones since 2009 and of the entire list of phones in my signature, I've only ever gotten the OnePlus 9 to the point of no return. When trying to flash to the B slot, sometimes everything that can possibly go wrong does and you end up with an unbootable system. The A/B system was the worst thing Google ever did to those of us who like to customize our devices. That said, the MSM Tool gets you back up and running with no fuss when you do need it, provided that you have a good USB cable and the technique to get the device into EDL. The lack of working TWRP has led to the need to flash a new recovery with every custom ROM and that's even more chances for something to go wrong.
EtherealRemnant said:
Why would you pick the 8T over the 9? The only real advantage I see is 12GB vs 8GB (hasn't been an issue for me and I'm a heavy user). The disadvantages: hugely inferior 5G modem (that's external instead of integrated into the SoC like the 888 so even worse battery consumption), slower SoC, slower storage (much slower on random writes), closer to the end of the official software support period, etc...
For $499 you can do a lot worse than the OnePlus 9 but also can't really do better.
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I don't get 5G on AT&T and I can't say I was terribly impressed with it on T-Mo either. Certainly not enough that it wowed me over LTE.
I've had big problems with BT on the 9 as well, especially in my Hondas. Seems to do ok in the Ford. I didn't have those problems in the same cars on either the 6 or the 7 Pro.
For what I do, I can't say I've noticed huge differences in performance. The 9 does transfer to my PC faster than the other 2, but I don't sync it that often. Performance has always been good enough for me.
The games I play I haven't noticed much difference in.
If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't pay $499 for a 9. Let alone the $750 I paid for it new.
Depends on what you value and for you use your phone.
YMMV.
imna357 said:
You can get the dual sim version on Amazon it's Chinese version but when I updated it to Android 12 from le2110 it turn into le2115 which is covered by at&t, so far so good, used to have the Pixel 6, I liked it until I got bored with it, I am not a gamer but all this phones depends on who is using it, I don't have any problem with OOS 12, it's stable for me, but I like the customization of the CUSTOM ROMS..
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Chinese version's missing a lot of US bands, unless there's a way to enable them.
Superguy said:
Chinese version's missing a lot of US bands, unless there's a way to enable them.
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That's the only thing, I don't get no 5G with At&t even setting up the APN, but I get decent speed, even compared to my Pixel 5G which is a back up.
imna357 said:
That's the only thing, I don't get no 5G with At&t even setting up the APN, but I get decent speed, even compared to my Pixel 5G which is a back up.
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You gotta watch out with AT&T's VoLTE whitelist... They will eventually kick the phone off since it goes by the IMEI and that doesn't change when the software does. The LE2115 is the only one that's approved for AT&T.
https://www.att.com/idpassets/images/support/pdf/Devices-Working-on-ATT-Network.pdf
EtherealRemnant said:
You gotta watch out with AT&T's VoLTE whitelist... They will eventually kick the phone off since it goes by the IMEI and that doesn't change when the software does. The LE2115 is the only one that's approved for AT&T.
https://www.att.com/idpassets/images/support/pdf/Devices-Working-on-ATT-Network.pdf
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Yup, I know, when I'm in OOS 12 Version change to LE2115, not sure if it matters, so far haven't gotten any text from att
Superguy said:
I don't get 5G on AT&T and I can't say I was terribly impressed with it on T-Mo either. Certainly not enough that it wowed me over LTE.
I've had big problems with BT on the 9 as well, especially in my Hondas. Seems to do ok in the Ford. I didn't have those problems in the same cars on either the 6 or the 7 Pro.
For what I do, I can't say I've noticed huge differences in performance. The 9 does transfer to my PC faster than the other 2, but I don't sync it that often. Performance has always been good enough for me.
The games I play I haven't noticed much difference in.
If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't pay $499 for a 9. Let alone the $750 I paid for it new.
Depends on what you value and for you use your phone.
YMMV.
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These are definitely fair points.
When it's working right, 5G is ridiculous on T-Mobile. I have seen over 300Mbps in the middle of the day and over 500Mbps overnight and that's with my cheap little MVNO that's deprioritized too. My point about the modem applies to LTE as well though, not just 5G. An external modem will always use more power doing the same thing than an internal modem would.
I haven't noticed any issues with BT but I don't use it a lot.
The 865 is no slouch, it's just no 888 either.
I go back and forth on whether I think the $600 I paid for this phone is worth it. I have had some definite frustrations with it (notification issues on OOS *AND* COS are maddening!) but I still feel like I would have been miserable if I took the S21 FE or Pixel 6 for the same price...
imna357 said:
Yup, I know, when I'm in OOS 12 Version change to LE2115, not sure if it matters, so far haven't gotten any text from att
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Yeah I have heard this from other people but the OnePlus subreddit is full of people complaining about getting the boot so I would say it's coming, it's just a matter of when they get around to it.
I'm not really sure, my hardware version always changes to 2115 which is approved by at&t, when I do MSM it goes back to 2110 which is Chinese version but upon updating to OOS 12 it converts to 2115 on my hardware version. But if I put on custom ROM it goes back to 2110
i got a 9 i would sell and take trade with the 6. pm me