[Q] Z1 a good buy? - Xperia Z1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
So ive tried all the websites like gsmarena etc but i wanted a view user opinions as well.
How is the camera? Is it better than HTC E8, HTC M7 and Samsung Galaxy S4?
Are there any phones better than this in the same price range?
Any issues i should know about?
Finally, should i buy this phone? Its more or less the max i can afford atm.
Any help would be appreciated thanks

AliHB said:
Hi,
So ive tried all the websites like gsmarena etc but i wanted a view user opinions as well.
How is the camera? Is it better than HTC E8, HTC M7 and Samsung Galaxy S4?
Are there any phones better than this in the same price range?
Any issues i should know about?
Finally, should i buy this phone? Its more or less the max i can afford atm.
Any help would be appreciated thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it seems that you're looking at mid-high range phones.
imo, z1 screen isn't as good as its competitors, like you can notice the screen getting washed out with only a slight change in your viewing angle.
Camera is... so-so, video recording is amazing on the galaxy s5. Photos are decent I guess.
Build quality is amazing though and looks sexy. Also waterproof is a big bonus.
Software wise it's probably better than the S4, I hate Touchwiz before the S5 (laggy)
Battery life is quite average

Lol. Mid high range.
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Free mobile app

tomascus said:
it seems that you're looking at mid-high range phones.
imo, z1 screen isn't as good as its competitors, like you can notice the screen getting washed out with only a slight change in your viewing angle.
Camera is... so-so, video recording is amazing on the galaxy s5. Photos are decent I guess.
Build quality is amazing though and looks sexy. Also waterproof is a big bonus.
Software wise it's probably better than the S4, I hate Touchwiz before the S5 (laggy)
Battery life is quite average
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Thank you. Any recommendations, if not Z1?

YES!
I would recommend to buy Z1
Camera is really good. Much more better than Galaxy S4, S5, HTC M8, iPhone 5 and 5S
I have compared these models myself and Z1 is the best
tomascus said:
imo, z1 screen isn't as good as its competitors, like you can notice the screen getting washed out with only a slight change in your viewing angle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is because display colors are calibrated irregularly
Xperia Z1 has one of the best displays
Go to settings > display > white balance and change colors to
Red 5
Green 5
Blue 117

Jedidiah-Morse said:
YES!
I would recommend to buy Z1
Camera is really good. Much more better than Galaxy S4, S5, GTC M8, iPhone 5 and 5S
I have compared these models myself and Z1 is the best
It is because display colors are calibrated irregularly
Xperia Z1 has one of the best displays
Go to settings > display > white balance and change colors to
Red 5
Green 5
Blue 117
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree with regard to color reproduction, but there's nothing that can be done to fix a bad viewing angles other than getting a better screen.
@OP, I would rather get the z1c or Z3c for its battery life and compact-ness if it's in your price range

I recently got one over my Nexus 4 and can definitly recommend it.
What I don't like:
- The screen has a little border, especially top/bottom. But that is in all phones, the speaker/mic and front camera need some space.
- The stock screen protector. While it adds an extra layer of protection it also easily scratches. Warranty seems to be ok when replacing it, but you better get that confirmed.
- Some crappy preinstalled apps. But then again, that is even worse with other phones.
- The "big" internal speaker is a little quiet when listening to music because it needs to be waterproof.
What I like:
- Good prices and basically still the same hardware as in the newest phones released just recently.
- Battery life. At least comparing to a Galaxy S4 I can easily beat it with Stamina Mode. No comparison to Nexus 4.
- Design. It looks and feels very high quality.
- Waterproof. No need to say more.
- Officially unlockable bootloader. No need for hacks, just get a code from the Sony website and it's unlocked.
- Best of all: Only slightly modified Android. No crazy stuff that makes it complicated or laggy, and it looks pretty neat.

I appreciate your help guys, thanks a million

Put it this way...
Dropped my Z1 while the flip case was OPEN... from the top of a scaffold. About 12 feet in the air.
Scratched one of the port covers but it didn`t break. Works perfectly. Very high quality.
My wife also dropped hers down stairs about a week ago. Not a scratch. Not in a case.
These phones are built to last (excluding the port covers... the seals come loose after a while)
Buy it lad!

Related

I really want to get Z1 ..

But all the negativity and *****ing has me worried ..
- How is the brightness ? Too dark ?
- How are colors ?
- How is battery life compared to HTC one ?
- How bad is the camera auto mode ?
- I suppose a case is essential given the glass build, does it become too bulky as a result ?
I read reviews and watched youtube videos of course, but I need real world input from .. y'know casual humans not corps and sites ..
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ..
If you have doubts, you should not take this phone
I am very happy so far. Sure,the camera is not perfect but most of the time the pictures are really good. Far better than s4 another rest can manage. I also belive that it will improve as it has a larger sensor than the rest of the Android bunch.
I use the screen at maybe 25% and that is enough for me, it has better viewability outside than my old s3.
Skickat från min C6903 med Tapatalk 4
Brightness is very high and the darks are also good i dnt know abt the htc one so cant compare
Colors are u can go and check the demo unit
Battery life is fantastic i get 5-6 hrs of on screen time
Camera is also fantastic
Sent from my C6902 using Tapatalk 4
Okay, so just for reference, id been out and looked at this phone in the shops and was massively disappointed with the screen (colours washed out, blacks looked grey etc). I did however take a massive risk after I had one of my uncles tell me how good the phone is and I am in all honesty VERY impressed.
For reference, I bought my handset from handtec, which if you check the screen problems thread is one where everyone who has said they bought them from this shop have not had any funky screen issues, which essentially pushed me to buy it from there.
To answer your questions:
1. Screen brightness for me is not a problem, I have a matte screen protector and although it slightly affects the overall output its not a problem. I have left it on the default setting and have not once had an issue with seeing the screen in bright sunlight or even indoors. Blacks look great.
2. Colours really do pop, the range of colours produced is amazing. I have a Nokia 920 which I think gives great colours. I have seen some photos on the 920 look better and then photos on the z1 look better, you wont be disappointed.
3. No idea, dont own one
4. To me this is something completely overblown. Day time shots are fantastic, Night time shots are as bad as any other phone. Im not a camera specialist and anyone feel free to correct me on this, but it looks like the iso is set really high and the aperture all the way open to offset having a fast shutter speed, leaving super grainy pictures with little to no blur.
5. Waiting on a case But this comes down to the case you choose...
1. Brightness is good enough, usually have the phone at 40-45% brightness... I like the HTC One screen better though. The Z1 screen is more, bland. The One screen speaks more to me.
2. At the moment a yellowish hue, believe it's introduced in the 534 firmware and should be fixable in future updates. Overall fine though. Viewing angles aren't great, but not an issue for me as I don't look at the phone from an angle when using it myself.
3. Comparable imo, can easily get 1 day and if I use it a bit less about 2 days on a singel charge with both devices.
4. Fine with proper lighting, but has a tendency to bump the ISO values bigtime (prolly in order to keep shuttertimes low, but resulting in quite some noise).
5. No idea, not using a case but it's big enough already without one.
Hi Fatelord,
Your thread has been moved from Xperia Z1 General to Xperia Z1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting. PLease post in the correct sub-forum in future.
--wedgess

The "Supposed" washed out screen on the N5

For those saying the N5 has a washed out screen i advise you to watch this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlNcuBcnnoU
The N5 has a top notch screen, the viewing angles are abit off but the actual quality is amazing! It clearly outclasses the Xperia Z1, a £450+ phone which only got released recently, and the screen on that is meant to be an improvement on its predecessor the Z1, I feel sorry for the people who bought that O.O
GalaxySN00B:0 said:
For those saying the N5 has a washed out screen i advise you to watch this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlNcuBcnnoU
The N5 has a top notch screen, the viewing angles are abit off but the actual quality is amazing! It clearly outclasses the Xperia Z1, a £450+ phone which only got released recently, and the screen on that is meant to be an improvement on its predecessor the Z1, I feel sorry for the people who bought that O.O
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To say that the N5's screen is great because it's better than the Z1's isn't saying a whole lot. That's like calling yourself fast bc you're only the 3 slowest kid in gym class. I've had both phones and still currently have my N5. I do find the N5 screen to be dull compared to most phones I've used and compared. That being said, as you raise the brightness the screen does look much nicer. It seems the brightness levels have more to do with it than the actual quality of the screen. The Z1 is a great phone but one plagued by terrible viewing angles. The screen which is still quite nice, isn't the best part of the phone so I wouldn't use it as a base of comparison to build up the N5's screen. I don't put a lot of weight into those "complaint threads" because the phone costs $349-$400, for what you pay you get a pretty good phone.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Forum Runner
A lot of people confuse over saturation as a nice screen and natural as dull. Since you can't really test the difference on a phone, if your TV has a standard or vivid mode then throw it on that. Then throw the TV into movie mode. It would look dull at first but that is the closest picture to a calibrated level you will get out of the box. Once your eyes adjust to that picture, then try going back to standard mode. You will never be able to watch an over saturated fake picture again.
Look at the picture in a movie theater, you can call that dull as well but these is what natural and real life look like.
Now, if they boosted up the contrast, that would improve the screen.
looks like we need someone with calibration equipment to do some testing. i mean compared to a samsung with whatever the latest iteration of amoled screen most do look dull. that doesn't mean the samsung is better. samsung tends to artificailly over saturate the colors and they usually have a high color temp and sometimes a green tint.
any photographers or printers out there willing to test the screen?
Dani897 said:
looks like we need someone with calibration equipment to do some testing. i mean compared to a samsung with whatever the latest iteration of amoled screen most do look dull. that doesn't mean the samsung is better. samsung tends to artificailly over saturate the colors and they usually have a high color temp and sometimes a green tint.
any photographers or printers out there willing to test the screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really looking forward to the inevitable Anandtech review of this phone. Their reviews are almost absurdly detailed and they have lots of great, objective data.
Next to my Moto X and Note 3, my Nexus 5 DOES look washed out. That's the AMOLED effect.
I compared it to both my Nexus 7 and iPad Air and it looks almost identical. Almost every review I have seen claims that it is "washed out", but I'm beginning to think it's just a color neutral LCD screen.
Angeloftech (check out her youtube channel) does some very extensive screen tests in her reviews and talks about the calibration and what the numbers mean. She hasn't released her Nexus 5 review yet, but I suspect it's due any day. That will give us a little better indication of what this screen is about. For example, she called out the LG G2 as being oversaturated and nowhere near accurate. That screen looks great to me, but the tests don't lie. I think we have just become accustomed to oversaturated screens and it's skewing our perspective a little.
The colours are fine it's the white balance that's off it's too warm.
greyhulk said:
Next to my Moto X and Note 3, my Nexus 5 DOES look washed out. That's the AMOLED effect.
I compared it to both my Nexus 7 and iPad Air and it looks almost identical. Almost every review I have seen claims that it is "washed out", but I'm beginning to think it's just a color neutral LCD screen.
Angeloftech (check out her youtube channel) does some very extensive screen tests in her reviews and talks about the calibration and what the numbers mean. She hasn't released her Nexus 5 review yet, but I suspect it's due any day. That will give us a little better indication of what this screen is about. For example, she called out the LG G2 as being oversaturated and nowhere near accurate. That screen looks great to me, but the tests don't lie. I think we have just become accustomed to oversaturated screens and it's skewing our perspective a little.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can have a "natural" colors and still have a "dull" or washed out screen. This isn't simply a case of AMOLED over saturation vs N5 and it's "natural" colors. My HTC Butterfly to me has the best screen I've seen. Mind you I own a 5S, Note 3, Butterfly S and N5 all currently. Its color reproduction, saturation, viewing angles and clarity to me best the others. The N5's colors are closer to "natural " then AMOLEDS however that being said is still on the dull side. The note has a clear, bright screen and tends to have improved the cartoonish saturation effect especially when in Movie Mode. Overall I think the N5's screen is OK but not my favorite.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Forum Runner
Her reviews make many of the big boys look like novice fanboys. She does in depth testing with LOTS of real world use reports. She takes the time to actually use these things and not be the first out the door with a review. Most importantly, she will put the screen under a scope so we can see what is going on. The nexus 5 screen to me looks amazing, very reminiscent of the calibration apple uses. Compared o the broken calibration that was the nexus 4, I think it is great.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Nexus 5 is coming with 2 different panels
There are users who ordered 2 phones and these are different screen, one of them washed colors and yellow whites and the other is more cold and real whites like nexus 4
I prefer nexus 4 cause white is real white not sepia
Enviado desde mi GT-N5110 mediante Tapatalk
fjavierm said:
Nexus 5 is coming with 2 different panels
There are users who ordered 2 phones and these are different screen, one of them washed colors and yellow whites and the other is more cold and real whites like nexus 4
I prefer nexus 4 cause white is real white not sepia
Enviado desde mi GT-N5110 mediante Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This wouldn't entirely surprise me. I've been scratching my heads about the threads about the yellow whites. I believe some people are experiencing it, especially since people have provided pictures. The white on my phone is a neutral or slightly cool white.
No yellow colors here. my xperia t has a more yellowish screen + is washed out a lot more
As far as I have used this device for a week, it seems color temperature is a bit too high. I hope there will be some kernels that has color temperature options.
Dani897 said:
looks like we need someone with calibration equipment to do some testing. i mean compared to a samsung with whatever the latest iteration of amoled screen most do look dull. that doesn't mean the samsung is better. samsung tends to artificailly over saturate the colors and they usually have a high color temp and sometimes a green tint.
any photographers or printers out there willing to test the screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was already a calibration test done. There is a link somewhere in one of these threads. It tested that the N5 had the closest colors to reference out of all the phones they tested. Maybe someone will find the link and post it here. They also tested brightness and contrast.
It was the contest that is scored towards the bottom of all the phones they tested.
greyhulk said:
Next to my Moto X and Note 3, my Nexus 5 DOES look washed out. That's the AMOLED effect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. You can't go comparing Amoled against ISP. There two totally different technologies. When I compare the N5 to other ISP phones mine looks pretty damn good. Like any LCD though I will calibrate it to my taste once the kernels allow for that. This whole thread is literally "in the eye of the beholder."
I've seen 2 different Nexus 5 units here in Canada (at Virgin Mobile kiosks) and in both cases the colors were accurate and very good, though the
whites are a slight bit on the yellowish/warm side. Compared to an iPhone 5S, the whites on the 5S are brighter and cooler.
Well, the good news is that franco kernel is well under development (according to the original nexus development thread) and once it's complete, we should be able to use his app (Display Control) to calibrate the screen if we want to.
Here are a couple of tests run on the N5 and some other flagships and the results. Link pulled from another thread here.
http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...s-schermkwaliteit-scherp-en-dik-in-orde.html
[email protected] said:
Here are a couple of tests run on the N5 and some other flagships and the results. Link pulled from another thread here.
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A//tweakers.net/reviews/3298/7/google-nexus-5-toptelefoon-met-scherpe-prijs-schermkwaliteit-scherp-en-dik-in-orde.html%0A
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol I read the article and wondered why it was written in English but read like the auther was drunk until I saw the web address and saw translate. Good read though, points are easily understood and sum up the comments of most.
Sent from my HTC Butterfly s using Forum Runner
i think comparing the Z1 to N5 isnt fair anyway.
So what if the screen on the N5 is technically better? I've used both and...i didnt think the Z1 screen was that bad really. And viewing angles?
How many people use a personal device tilted to the sides? Most people are going to be looking straight at the thing when they're using it, 100% for me, it's a personal device and i'd be rather happy if others couldnt see whats on the screen.
And also "the Xperia Z1, a £450+ phone which only got released recently, and the screen on that is meant to be an improvement on its predecessor the Z1, I feel sorry for the people who bought that O.O"
really.
Feel sorry for the people who bought a very solid and well build phone?
Feel sorry for the people who dont have rattling buttons?
Feel sorry for the people who can happily drop it down a toilet and still have a functioning phone?
Feel sorry for the people who have a camera that's superbly better than the nexus 5?
Well done there mate.

Want to upgrade from HTC One M7 to Z3 Compact, need input

Hi folks, I liked my HTC One M7, I've been using it for 1 year but recently it has to go to to repair because the camera went purple-tint and vibration motor is dead. Based on my experience local technicians has notoriously sloppy work, so I don't expect this phone will be running trouble-free until my biannual upgrade cycle. So I want to sell my One for a new phone while it still has considerable resale value.
I don't think I liked the bigger-is-better screen hip (One is my biggest phone so far), Being able to operate phone with one hand is definite must for me. So HTC One M8 and Nexus 6 should be out of picture. After a bit of research among the crowd of mini-edition of flagships I think Z3 Compact would be a good candidate.
I used Xperia Pro in the past and I liked Sony build quality mostly.
So HTC One former user, what do you miss when upgrading to Z3 Compact?
I have already thinking about a few downsides:
1. (1080p 4.7 in vs 4.6in 720p), also reportedly Z3C compact has issue with collor accuracy and viewing angle
2. Metal vs plastic -- boy I love my One metallic feel and look, but I guess tempered glass and polycarbonate plastic are classy in its own right?
3. IR Blaster - absolute gem for the lazy me. AC, TV, Stereo with One phone to rule them all (pun intended)
4. Speaker - Both has front firing stereo speakers, but it appears One gain the upper hand?
And of course a few niceties:
1. Waterproof.
2. Smaller footprint with essentially same size of screen.
3. Better processor
So what do you think folks? or should I wait for Z4C which basically will come to my country in mid 2015 (back to bi annual cycle)?
Honestly if you don't need the waterproofness then you are just as good staying with the M7 (all though the camera on the Z3C is better)...
I had the M7 for a year too and in everyday use the M7 is matching the ZC3. I like the size of the Sony better though and you will not miss the full HD screen should you choose to do the change anyways...
Put it in respective for you. I had the m8 and was unlocked and s off. Speakers where giving trouble due to work conditions with dust. Changed to the z3 compact and thought I'd miss having root and customs roms. But I'm not I love the size and feel of the phone. And I'm getting 2 days use of the phone which never happened with any android I have. I'm a heavy user though.
Cell reception and WiFi is better than the m8 as well and both are unlocked from factory
WhizzWr said:
Hi folks, I liked my HTC One M7, I've been using it for 1 year but recently it has to go to to repair because the camera went purple-tint and vibration motor is dead. Based on my experience local technicians has notoriously sloppy work, so I don't expect this phone will be running trouble-free until my biannual upgrade cycle. So I want to sell my One for a new phone while it still has considerable resale value.
I don't think I liked the bigger-is-better screen hip (One is my biggest phone so far), Being able to operate phone with one hand is definite must for me. So HTC One M8 and Nexus 6 should be out of picture. After a bit of research among the crowd of mini-edition of flagships I think Z3 Compact would be a good candidate.
I used Xperia Pro in the past and I liked Sony build quality mostly.
So HTC One former user, what do you miss when upgrading to Z3 Compact?
I have already thinking about a few downsides:
1. (1080p 4.7 in vs 4.6in 720p), also reportedly Z3C compact has issue with collor accuracy and viewing angle
2. Metal vs plastic -- boy I love my One metallic feel and look, but I guess tempered glass and polycarbonate plastic are classy in its own right?
3. IR Blaster - absolute gem for the lazy me. AC, TV, Stereo with One phone to rule them all (pun intended)
4. Speaker - Both has front firing stereo speakers, but it appears One gain the upper hand?
And of course a few niceties:
1. Waterproof.
2. Smaller footprint with essentially same size of screen.
3. Better processor
So what do you think folks? or should I wait for Z4C which basically will come to my country in mid 2015 (back to bi annual cycle)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate,
i "upgraded" from M7 to the Z3C. here some infos:
1) i personall find the diplay quality and resolution great with the z3c, i have no complains about the angle or colours, it looks perfect for me.
2) the z3c feels very quality, the "plastic" at the sides looks good and fits perfect with the glass front/back. if its too slippy for you, just buy a cheap rubber case.
3) i didnt need it, as i use a app via wlan for my receiver from the provider
4) the speakers from the M7 are definitely better, the speaker from z3c cant get be that good, as they more turned inside for waterproof. its its loud enough. you have an build in equilizer (the m7 just a switch for Beats Audio), with z3c you have multiple surround modes, sudio modes, effects, bass boost, profiles etc.
The Z3C seems to be more fluend in the user interface, buts that personally. i bought it because of his size.
Only buy it if the size of the M7 doesnt fit to you and keep it mind that the M7 has plenty ROMs and Kernels, but the Z3C has near nothing and you risk lose of DRM keys if you unlock Bootloader.
I would flash the Google Play [email protected]
So its not an "upgrade" its more a "switch"
Z3c is the phone that never gives you anything to think/worry about. It's just there, always ready (up to 3 days use for me) never too big to hold, never too small to read. It never annoys you with unlock lag or stutter while using it, even the camera with its dedicated button feels just good...
With my previous phones I always tried to tinker around and improve this and that. With my z3c I never had that urge. It works just the way I expect it to. If I haven't made myself clear enough: I love it.
I agree with all of them here.
Though i would not consider it a necessary upgrade as you already have a nicely running, fast phone.
In your place i would wait at least for the announcement of the new Z generation. If there is a Z4 Compact, i would take a look at the specs and see if it fits your needs. Maybe it gets a metal frame again? Maybe it will get an IR blaster?
I dont think Sony will make their compact series much bigger.Maybe thinner and lighter?
Also the waterproofness will probably stay as it is heavily advertised as such.
I own the Z3C, my roommate the M7, so ill talk about it a bit.
I cannot handle the One with one hand. So in handling and feeling the Z3C wins by far. Just using one hand and being able to do anything is just plain awesome.
720p is enough for this screen size and will consume less battery. you cant have it all . Compared to the M7 I only notice the slightly bigger screen.
The screen is bright and sharp, i dont know why anybody really cares about color accuracy on a smart phone. Hell im not doing photoshop with it. Viewing angles are okay, not the best but again , most of the time you are the sole consumer of its content. I dont find myself looking at videos with another person often enough that this may in any way pose a problem or annoy me. Only funny thing i noted is that the screen turns black when i hold my phone in landscape mode and look at it with polarized sun glasses. Funny, must have to do something with the screens technology.
Battery life is very good, like twice the One (though i dont know how his phone is configured, if at all).
Speakers are totally fine but again you have to question what you really need them for. Calls? sometimes. Gaming? Jeah but who REALLY listens to the (mostly annoying) sound when immersed in some heavy gaming. Music? Hell no, I would start to hate my own music, but ppl are different. But in the end you are right the One delivers better especially at higher volume levels.
Phone fells well made and classy, no downside to metal except the One fells more sturdy, the Z3C a bit more need-a-case-fragile. I wont do the real testing though .
As the announcement will happen in the foreseeable future, I would at least wait until you get your phone back from the repair . In my country HTC gives away new phones pretty quick under warranty repair, so maybe youll get a new one. This again could give you a nice resell value.Though i dont know if your repair is under warranty or not.
In the end if I were you i would stay with the M7 a bit and see what the future brings. The resell value of your M7 will drop but so will the price for the Z3C. The ONLY reason i see for you to switch to the Z3C is really the footprint/size and only then when it really, really annoys you. I would never go back and consider myself having found the perfect size in a smartphone with the Z3C.
Foxhunter123 said:
Honestly if you don't need the waterproofness then you are just as good staying with the M7 (all though the camera on the Z3C is better)...
I had the M7 for a year too and in everyday use the M7 is matching the ZC3. I like the size of the Sony better though and you will not miss the full HD screen should you choose to do the change anyways...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough, I would take your advice if only my HTC One weren't going to repair.
snwman said:
Put it in respective for you. I had the m8 and was unlocked and s off. Speakers where giving trouble due to work conditions with dust. Changed to the z3 compact and thought I'd miss having root and customs roms. But I'm not I love the size and feel of the phone. And I'm getting 2 days use of the phone which never happened with any android I have. I'm a heavy user though.
Cell reception and WiFi is better than the m8 as well and both are unlocked from factory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, I had trouble getting a consistent signal with my One on certain sport, whereas my old Xperia pro is doing just fine. Battery would be a plus
darkarvan said:
Hi mate,
i "upgraded" from M7 to the Z3C. here some infos:
1) i personall find the diplay quality and resolution great with the z3c, i have no complains about the angle or colours, it looks perfect for me.
2) the z3c feels very quality, the "plastic" at the sides looks good and fits perfect with the glass front/back. if its too slippy for you, just buy a cheap rubber case.
3) i didnt need it, as i use a app via wlan for my receiver from the provider
4) the speakers from the M7 are definitely better, the speaker from z3c cant get be that good, as they more turned inside for waterproof. its its loud enough. you have an build in equilizer (the m7 just a switch for Beats Audio), @z3c you have multiple surround modes, sudio modes, effects, bass boost, profiles etc.
The Z3C seems to be more fluend in the user interface, buts that personally. i bought it because of his size.
Only buy it if the size of the M7 doesnt fit to you and keep it mind that the M7 has plenty ROMs and Kernels, but the Z3C has near nothing and you risk lose of DRM keys if you unlock Bootloader.
I would flash the Google Play [email protected]
So its not an "upgrade" its more a "switch"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, when I say "upgrade" it means switch to a more recent phone; built it OEM equalizer sure is nice, I have been fan of Sony's customization since the Mega Bass Era.
2mal16 said:
I agree with all of them here.
Though i would not consider it a necessary upgrade as you already have a nicely running, fast phone.
In your place i would wait at least for the announcement of the new Z generation. If there is a Z4 Compact, i would take a look at the specs and see if it fits your needs. Maybe it gets a metal frame again? Maybe it will get an IR blaster?
I dont think Sony will make their compact series much bigger.Maybe thinner and lighter?
Also the waterproofness will probably stay as it is heavily advertised as such.
I own the Z3C, my roommate the M7, so ill talk about it a bit.
I cannot handle the One with one hand. So in handling and feeling the Z3C wins by far. Just using one hand and being able to do anything is just plain awesome.
720p is enough for this screen size and will consume less battery. you cant have it all . Compared to the M7 I only notice the slightly bigger screen.
The screen is bright and sharp, i dont know why anybody really cares about color accuracy on a smart phone. Hell im not doing photoshop with it. Viewing angles are okay, not the best but again , most of the time you are the sole consumer of its content. I dont find myself looking at videos with another person often enough that this may in any way pose a problem or annoy me. Only funny thing i noted is that the screen turns black when i hold my phone in landscape mode and look at it with polarized sun glasses. Funny, must have to do something with the screens technology.
Battery life is very good, like twice the One (though i dont know how his phone is configured, if at all).
Speakers are totally fine but again you have to question what you really need them for. Calls? sometimes. Gaming? Jeah but who REALLY listens to the (mostly annoying) sound when immersed in some heavy gaming. Music? Hell no, I would start to hate my own music, but ppl are different. But in the end you are right the One delivers better especially at higher volume levels.
Phone fells well made and classy, no downside to metal except the One fells more sturdy, the Z3C a bit more need-a-case-fragile. I wont do the real testing though .
As the announcement will happen in the foreseeable future, I would at least wait until you get your phone back from the repair . In my country HTC gives away new phones pretty quick under warranty repair, so maybe youll get a new one. This again could give you a nice resell value.Though i dont know if your repair is under warranty or not.
In the end if I were you i would stay with the M7 a bit and see what the future brings. The resell value of your M7 will drop but so will the price for the Z3C. The ONLY reason i see for you to switch to the Z3C is really the footprint/size and only then when it really, really annoys you. I would never go back and consider myself having found the perfect size in a smartphone with the Z3C.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the problem is in my country there is no such thing as "new replacement" (we have weak to non existent consumer protection law). Everything is going to be repaired if possible, even 1 weeks old item. My repair is still covered under warranty, but the problem is loca technician works are sloppy, this is not isolated to HTC, I have experienced this kind of service with various official brand-name repair shop (laptop, tv, phone). In fact my HTC one is returned with a faulty volume button, just yesterday. (I kinda have predicted something like this would happen). So I have to return it back for re-repair.
I hope you get the idea, say if If I wait for Z4 compact I'm honestly afraid if my One decided to act up again in the future (which is likely thanks to imperfect repair job). The repair cost would diminish the resale value! So better be safe than worry, get a new phone, be it lower spec but I have peace in mind.
I can't agree more with using a phone one handedly and doing another things with the other hand. That said I can handle One with one hand just fine.
It isn't terribly nice coming from a good screen to less than good screen, IMO. Regarding speakers in some emulated console game such as Pokemon and Zelda, music and FX are awesome elements.. so nice speaker is nice
--
Everyone, thanks for the input.. more or less I get the picture of the pros and cons. Anything else I should know before I bite the bullet?
I think you are good to go. I also think you wont notice the "downgrade"as regards certain aspects as screen and speakers except in described scenarios. Ignoring the Ir blaster issue of course. Get Nova launcher to get rid of the Sony ui, get a tempered glass Front screen protector a magnetic charger (the "annoying " flap opening for charging was not discussed) and a micro sdcard if you need it and you will be fine. And ensure your phone is water proof with the pressure Sensor Test right when you get your new phone. At least that's what I would do.
Would be Nice to hear your impressions afterwards (since I think you already made up your mind about the switch )
no regrets (almost...)
The M7's display is still one of the best. I definitely notice a difference, but the Z3c's is sharp enough that I dont miss the extra pixels. The Sony's DPI is better than my Nexus 7 (2013), which is more than fine for me.
Metal v. Plastic, meh, I prefer that the Z3c doesn't have the sharp edges of the M7. The Sony feels MUCH more comfortable in-hand. As for durability, just don't drop it and you'll be fine
I do miss the IR blaster, but I only used it occasionally. Besides, I have a Harmony, so I'm ok with the loss. You might not be though!
The Sony's speakers are really good, even great, but the M7's are in a different class. On my Sony, the speakers are close to if not as loud as my M7, but the M7 is definitely clearer, with more bass. However, I rarely listen through the speakers. In most situations there are others around me, plus earphones are just so much better anyway, so not a big deal for me.
For me, the SD slot of the Z3c outweighs the better speakers and screen on the M7. 16 gigs is enough for my music and apps. I use a 64 gig card for videos/photos. Feels great! I know the M8 has an SD slot too, but it's just too big for me.
Another big thing for me is the waterproof rating. With kids, being able to take pictures anytime, anywhere is a huge benefit. Now, I can do it with my phone instead of having to carry a waterproof camera.
The only regret I have after making the switch, is that the M7's flashlight app is better, with the 3 brightness levels. Seriously. That's it. For everything else, I'm loving my Z3c!

[Q] Would you guys recommend buying the LG G Flex?

Hi,
I'm looking for a new device, as my Note 1 looks like it's about to join the big charger in the sky.
I know the basics - large screen, good battery & processor, meh resolution etc. Judging form the specs and reviews I've read, it looks like a good fit for me.
What I'd like to know is if you'd recommend buying it for long term use (I'm not one to change phones every year), and if there are issues with the phone you think I should know about.
It's a great phablet. Fast, comfortable and bug free. Battery seems to last forerver. Feels solid yet slippery in the hand, and close to impossible to use one handed. You won't feel the difference made by the 720p resolution after a few hours. Color reproduction is great and the screen is sharp and bright.
Coming from the note 2, i see only 3 downsides In the flex.
1. The camera. Real slow to focus indoors, produces lots of noise in dark areas... Sometimes i cant determine where the focus point is. Perfect daylight and closeups though.
2. Lack of development. This phone is locked down tight, so if you love to flash like me, it's a disappointment.
3. No cases, no glass screen protectors. Almost. You can still find them around ebay and amazon, but not as much stuff a samsung would have.
On the bottom line this is a great mid-high range phone, and for the right price, and the right mind it will do.
rotem07773 said:
It's a great phablet. Fast, comfortable and bug free. Battery seems to last forerver. Feels solid yet slippery in the hand, and close to impossible to use one handed. You won't feel the difference made by the 720p resolution after a few hours. Color reproduction is great and the screen is sharp and bright.
Coming from the note 2, i see only 3 downsides In the flex.
1. The camera. Real slow to focus indoors, produces lots of noise in dark areas... Sometimes i cant determine where the focus point is. Perfect daylight and closeups though.
2. Lack of development. This phone is locked down tight, so if you love to flash like me, it's a disappointment.
3. No cases, no glass screen protectors. Almost. You can still find them around ebay and amazon, but not as much stuff a samsung would have.
On the bottom line this is a great mid-high range phone, and for the right price, and the right mind it will do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a lot of cases and screen protectors:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref...ds="lg+g+flex"+-2+case&ie=UTF8&qid=1426858854
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...:2335752011,k:"lg+g+flex"+-2+screen+protector
grayson73 said:
There are a lot of cases and screen protectors:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref...ds="lg+g+flex"+-2+case&ie=UTF8&qid=1426858854
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...:2335752011,k:"lg+g+flex"+-2+screen+protector
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a glass protector? (made of glass)
rotem07773 said:
Do you have a glass protector? (made of glass)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want one, but this one looks pretty good:
http://www.amazon.com/BodyGuardz-Pure-Glass-Screen-Protection/dp/B00IZL5S2G/
This one sold 1204 units:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Premium-Rea...-Screen-Protector-for-LG-G-FLEX-/301293819206
This one sold 89 units:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Premium-HD-...-Screen-Protector-for-LG-G-FLEX-/131417940013
rotem07773 said:
Coming from the note 2, i see only 3 downsides In the flex.
1. The camera. Real slow to focus indoors, produces lots of noise in dark areas... Sometimes i cant determine where the focus point is. Perfect daylight and closeups though.
2. Lack of development. This phone is locked down tight, so if you love to flash like me, it's a disappointment.
3. No cases, no glass screen protectors. Almost. You can still find them around ebay and amazon, but not as much stuff a samsung would have.
On the bottom line this is a great mid-high range phone, and for the right price, and the right mind it will do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
I don't really care about the camera. The lack of development is a bummer. Might have been a deal breaker for me if it wasn't for Xposed.
Oh, one more thing - some users had an issue with ghosting or after images on the screen. Anyone had this problem? How widespread is it?
dude1001 said:
Thanks!
I don't really care about the camera. The lack of development is a bummer. Might have been a deal breaker for me if it wasn't for Xposed.
Oh, one more thing - some users had an issue with ghosting or after images on the screen. Anyone had this problem? How widespread is it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really is a matter of luck... Some of the phones were bad from factory.. You have something like that, you'll get it replaced with your warrenty.
If you want to keep it long term and lack of updates (and also latest apps) will bug you then I suggest Nexus 6 over it. My dad has this phone and I have the nexus, dont get me wrong g flex is a nice phone but starting to fall back in technology and will likely not get updates for 2+ years

What I Love and Hate about my new OnePlus 5!

My OP5 has replaced my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge which unfortunately was dropped and shattered the front glass. It's expensive/difficult to replace the glass on these so I treated myself to a new phone. So this is what I Love and Hate about my new OnePlus 5!
Love
The Snapdraggon 835 -The phone is Fast and bang up to date in connectivity support.
Fast storage and lots of memory- More Speed
No bloatware and streamlined Android -Contributes to the speed and simplicity.
The silent/DnD slider button -No more taking my phone out and turning the display on to switch it to silent! Fantastic.
Fast responsive finger print unlocking.
Solid Home button -Sooner or later the push down home buttons on galaxies start to wear causing rocking, noises/rattles, missed clicks etc because of their frequent use. Hopefully nothing to wear out here.
The deep blacks and saturation from the AMOLED panel
3.5mm jack -Can still use my headphones without an adapter.
Battery -Amazing battery life and the DASH charge is great too.
USB C -So easy to plug in the charger in the dark now.
Gorilla Glass 5 -better drop resistance, the gorilla glass 4 on my Galaxy S7 drop failed
Glass on one side. Feels less premium in a way, but reduces the weight of the phone. This means less force when it falls and less chance of shattering the screen. However metal dents and scratches easily.
Hate
The Camera. So much hype and so much disappointment. Good on paper and for taking 'benchmark' photos. But very poor in real world phone usage. The S7 camera is WAY better. I'm so disappointed I gave it it's own thread.
Only 1080P screen. Also if the brightness is turned up I can see 'noise' on the display. Also get some weird distortions when scrolling. Viewing angle is good, but not excellent. Automatic brightness control is also hit and miss. The S7 was much better. A big downgrade on the S7 display in all areas.
Design is good. But it doesn't look as nice as say a galaxy S8
Having DRM issues, such as reduced quality Netlix streaming. I hope this gets sorted soon.
Sound is loud, but quality is average.
Not waterproof
No SD Card support. Who really wants two sim card holders? Make the other slot for an sdcard like Samsung.
Price. £450 is not a value bargain like the old versions. You can buy a Samsung S8 on Amazon for £550 now.
In a nutshell. It's a mid range phone in regards to features and design, but with high end performance. I don't think it's a bargain. I think the price is about right for what you get.
Sometimes I ask myself why do people actually upgrade from S7 or equal??
The S7/S7 edge is only one year old. I think it's also nonsense to upgrade from S7 to S8 for example.
What do people expect to get? A whole new smartphone experience? Ppl knew the specs right from the start, before they bought it. Of course a 1080p screen will be worse than a QHD.
It's not waterproof, you knew that. It has no SD-Slot, you knew that as well.
For the smoothness and the speed to exist, as well as the great batterylife, there need to be some things that can't be amazing as well for this price. And it's not even bad on this phone.
I understand disappointment, but it's mostly because people expect too much from a phone that is only 1 year younger than the one they own.
I'm coming from a Nexus 5 and I'm totally happy with the OP5. My gf has a S7 edge. They are both good phones. The Samsung might have a better camera, but the Android experience and smoothness is GALAXIES better with the OP5.
Sometimes ist also about people's priotities.
Just my 2 cents. Hope you'll enjoy your new device
Gesendet von meinem ONEPLUS A5000 mit Tapatalk
I don't think you can add lack of water proofing and no SD card slot and only 1080p to the list of hate since you should have known this already but continued to purchase the phone.
bamfsig45 said:
I don't think you can add lack of water proofing and no SD card slot and only 1080p to the list of hate since you should have known this already but continued to purchase the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If he truly does hate the feature, or lack of, why can't he put them on the list? It's HIS list.
sireniankyle said:
If he truly does hate the feature, or lack of, why can't he put them on the list? It's HIS list.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I said . honesty though, I just hate complaints on lack of features when it was a known fact prior to purchase. So I'm going to stick to my opinion on the subject.
bamfsig45 said:
Because I said . honesty though, I just hate complaints on lack of features when it was a known fact prior to purchase. So I'm going to stick to my opinion on the subject.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is possible that he thought he could look past it, but ended up failing at it. idk. All I can say is that it has happened to me. Mostly with iPhone, but that is a whole other beast.

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