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[Q] Would you still buy the Z3c today?

Hello from North Carolina, US.
After carrying the Note 2 for two years, I am over the large phone form factor and was considering the Z3c back when it was released. But, I'm on Verizon (CDMA) and it just wasn't a good time to shift to TMobile. My Note 2 died, and I started carrying my wife's old Galaxy S3, which confirmed my preference for a smaller handset. Since my contract with Verizon is over in June, I figured I would carry the S3 until then, see what phones were announced at MWC and make my next phone decision based on that.
Frankly, for my use cases... MWC was MEH.
The S6/edge and HTC One M9 are both lovely phones, but I don't feel like they meet my needs as well as the Z3c. With the Z3c, I love the small form factor, the waterproofiness, the battery and the dedicated shutter button. Also, an S6 with as much storage as the SD card I already own will be hundreds of dollars more expensive than the Z3c.
That said, is it crazy to buy a 6 month old phone? Considering my use cases (primarily utilitarian - music, email, rss, news/weather, social, navigation, camera - no processor intensive games) and considering how surprisingly well the S3 is still running with these use cases at nearly three years old, I am thinking the Z3c may still be a good fit for me. And, I don't want to wait as long as the rumors are saying I would need to wait for the Z4 series (autumn 2015).
What about you, would you still buy the Z3c today? Do you think, based on how I've described my uses, that it would be a good fit for me? Is there another small form factor device I should be considering? Should I suck it up and wait for autumn and the Z4's?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
Cheers
Jack

JackinNC said:
Hello from North Carolina, US.
After carrying the Note 2 for two years, I am over the large phone form factor and was considering the Z3c back when it was released. But, I'm on Verizon (CDMA) and it just wasn't a good time to shift to TMobile. My Note 2 died, and I started carrying my wife's old Galaxy S3, which confirmed my preference for a smaller handset. Since my contract with Verizon is over in June, I figured I would carry the S3 until then, see what phones were announced at MWC and make my next phone decision based on that.
Frankly, for my use cases... MWC was MEH.
The S6/edge and HTC One M9 are both lovely phones, but I don't feel like they meet my needs as well as the Z3c. With the Z3c, I love the small form factor, the waterproofiness, the battery and the dedicated shutter button. Also, an S6 with as much storage as the SD card I already own will be hundreds of dollars more expensive than the Z3c.
That said, is it crazy to buy a 6 month old phone? Considering my use cases (primarily utilitarian - music, email, rss, news/weather, social, navigation, camera - no processor intensive games) and considering how surprisingly well the S3 is still running with these use cases at nearly three years old, I am thinking the Z3c may still be a good fit for me. And, I don't want to wait as long as the rumors are saying I would need to wait for the Z4 series (autumn 2015).
What about you, would you still buy the Z3c today? Do you think, based on how I've described my uses, that it would be a good fit for me? Is there another small form factor device I should be considering? Should I suck it up and wait for autumn and the Z4's?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
Cheers
Jack
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For sure I'd still buy the Z3C today.
You're using your wife's S3 which is over 3 years old, so calling a 6 month old phone 'old' is kind of bs (No offense @ all)
As for the Z4, well.... there is no word about a Z4C and based on what Sony previously did, there shouldn't be a Z4C, but a Z5C (if ever).
The Z3C is a great phone, besides the occasional build flaws and bad camera under low light conditions.

That's great feedback, thank you.
Dsteppa said:
You're using your wife's S3 which is over 3 years old, so calling a 6 month old phone 'old' is kind of bs (No offense @ all)
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None taken. The last 5 phones I've bought for myself or my wife have been purchased within 2 weeks of release, sometimes by me standing in line on release day. I buy them early, use them for 2 years when I can contractually upgrade and get a new one and start the cycle over. I typically use a phone for two years and it starts to feel "old" to me at ~18-20 months when a couple new cycles of phones and android versions have been released. My concern is not that the phone is "old" now, rather that, being 6 months old now, it may start to feel old at 12-14 months rather than 18-20.
Btw, I followed your photo link from another post of yours. Like you comments here, your sample photos are really helpful.
Thanks again
Jack

JackinNC said:
That's great feedback, thank you.
None taken. The last 5 phones I've bought for myself or my wife have been purchased within 2 weeks of release, sometimes by me standing in line on release day. I buy them early, use them for 2 years when I can contractually upgrade and get a new one and start the cycle over. I typically use a phone for two years and it starts to feel "old" to me at ~18-20 months when a couple new cycles of phones and android versions have been released. My concern is not that the phone is "old" now, rather that, being 6 months old now, it may start to feel old at 12-14 months rather than 18-20.
Btw, I followed your photo link from another post of yours. Like you comments here, your sample photos are really helpful.
Thanks again
Jack
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Thank you.
Well I don't know, in terms of specs I don't see much changing any time soon, unless all manufacturers decide to make 64bit phones or use a new type of battery that either lasts long and/or charges super fast.
In the end as long as you're doing 'normal' things the phone should be your companion for at least 2 years without you really noticing a difference between your phone and other people's.

Z3 and Z3 compact are best options on android right now.
implying you don't want a phablet.
new phones like GS6 and ONE M9 are cool but you can find a Z3 for 500€/$ and a Z3C for 400, (gs6 and one ~750$)
you'll have same software 5.0.2 with better UI, and better battery, only the camera will be a bit behind but still excellent.
so unless you have money to waste just go for it it's a good deal

I love my z3 compact but if I were to buy a new phone now, I would get the galaxy s6 edge.
The biggest issue I have with the z3c is the speaker. Currently if I am in a semi loud surrounding, I can hardly hear the other person on the line.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app

As usual it depends on what you need. Me personally there is no other phone than the Z3c atm. Size/hardware/design... its perfect for me.
So if you're looking for a smaller phone (one hand use) with excellent battery life and fast hardware just go for it there is nothing that comes even close in that department.

I'm very torn right now, I'm frustrated that I would have to use the bloated stock software to get decent camera quality (no barrel distortion and better low light) and that CM12, while it runs decently doesn't support the features locked away by DRM. I'm contemplating reverting back to a Nexus 5...I think my biggest issue would be the camera, I thought it would be superb but in reality it only matches my nexus considering the distortion. And Sony's DRM and bootloader locking nonsense seems ridiculous to me.

zander21510 said:
I'm very torn right now, I'm frustrated that I would have to use the bloated stock software to get decent camera quality (no barrel distortion and better low light) and that CM12, while it runs decently doesn't support the features locked away by DRM. I'm contemplating reverting back to a Nexus 5...I think my biggest issue would be the camera, I thought it would be superb but in reality it only matches my nexus considering the distortion. And Sony's DRM and bootloader locking nonsense seems ridiculous to me.
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you can just root and then debloat.

2mal16 said:
you can just root and then debloat.
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That's easy...the hard part is losing all the customizations. I went to stock 5.0.2 rooted, system R/W support isn't there, I lose all sorts of little features like expanded desktop, quick unlock, navigation customization...

zander21510 said:
That's easy...the hard part is losing all the customizations. I went to stock 5.0.2 rooted, system R/W support isn't there, I lose all sorts of little features like expanded desktop, quick unlock, navigation customization...
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Rw is already fixed though you wont like the process if you want to Stay on locked bl. Those features will be implemented either by Sony or more likely xposed working. Just give it some time

2mal16 said:
Rw is already fixed though you wont like the process if you want to Stay on locked bl. Those features will be implemented either by Sony or more likely xposed working. Just give it some time
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Pretty sure Sony is done with us after this update, minus maybe a couple security patches there won't be any new features. I already tried CM12 for a good month, just couldn't stand the camera and the bugs were a bit too much for a DD. Hoping for xposed and working recoveries on lollipop...that's about all I can do right now.

zander21510 said:
Pretty sure Sony is done with us after this update, minus maybe a couple security patches there won't be any new features. I already tried CM12 for a good month, just couldn't stand the camera and the bugs were a bit too much for a DD. Hoping for xposed and working recoveries on lollipop...that's about all I can do right now.
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Jeah it will Come soon enough, I mean lolli was just released and recoveries,custom Kernels and a working xposed will all make their way on this device sooner or later. Just play the waiting game... again

zander21510 said:
Pretty sure Sony is done with us after this update, minus maybe a couple security patches there won't be any new features. I already tried CM12 for a good month, just couldn't stand the camera and the bugs were a bit too much for a DD. Hoping for xposed and working recoveries on lollipop...that's about all I can do right now.
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Let's see... The Xperia Z that has been released for about 2 years also received the Lollipop update, why would you think that Sony would stop update a phone that's just been out 6 month's. Can you please tell me your logic?
Sent from my D5803

Nice Features
There are some things which are so nice. Most of the new phones arent waterproof. Phones are getting bigger and bigger. But the z3c is smaller but quite good.

I certainly would buy the Z3C again, the biggest gripe I have is the lack of Quality Case choices. Great phone IMO, size, battery, speed and takes above average pictures(Auto mode) and if you take the time to use the manual settings it can take excellent pictures.

So far, Sony Z3C has no real competition. In android world. I just bought one.

Dsteppa said:
Let's see... The Xperia Z that has been released for about 2 years also received the Lollipop update, why would you think that Sony would stop update a phone that's just been out 6 month's. Can you please tell me your logic?
Sent from my D5803
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Well with the persisting rumors that Sony is either scaling back or dropping their mobile division...I just have a gut feeling.
And I guess I changed my mind. Just ordered a replacement Nexus 5 like my old one. I will miss the size and it is a sharp looking phone, but the broken features that can never be fixed (mostly camera stuff) and the DRM nonsense really turned me off of this phone. I may be an oddball but I just don't like that I'm missing all the little customizations and things on CM12 when I'm on stock, and Xposed will probably only fix about half of those features. Miss Privacy Guard, Quick unlock, all that good stuff. And I just don't like the UI design choices. Plus all the no-name "device reporting" and "anonymous reporting" services running in the background that can't be disabled.
I'm sure in a few months CM12 will have the microphone & other issues ironed out, but what's the point of having a 20MP camera that has distortion and poor image quality that (from what I've read) can never be fixed in an AOSP rom?
I would recommend it to my fiancee that doesn't use her phone for much more than texting and Youtube, but not for a tinkerer like myself.

FOR SURE! Unless you want to wait for a Z4 Compact to even be announced, and then eventually come out, I'd say the Z3 Compact remains the best phone at it's size from anyone, still to this day. The Galaxy S5 Mini just came out recently, and it's a Snapdragon 400! The Z3 Compact has a great, waterproof build, MicroSD, Camera Button, and 801 processor. Nothing else comes close unless you're okay with a leviathan of a phone I love my Z3 Compact and really do not desire a new phone or ever again something larger...

Would definitely still buy again. Just ticks so many boxes that other devices don't (size, speed, battery, microSD, camera). It really has no competition. I'm not sure we'll see a Z4 compact at all - doubt z3 compact is a big seller and with Sony in such a mess, they may just focus on the Z4. If that happens, we're in bad shape for fully spec'd < 5" Android devices. The good news is that the hardware is advancing so slowly now, the z3c will probably be a viable platform for quite awhile.
My Galaxy S4 (two generations old!) still runs CM12 perfectly fine. It's an SD600!

What will be your next smartphone?

I am exploring options for my next phone. What will be your future pick?
I was looking forward to a new sony device, but I am not blown away with the xperia x. But I guess it is still top of my list.

Guids said:
I am exploring options for my next phone. What will be your future pick?
I was looking forward to a new sony device, but I am not blown away with the xperia x. But I guess it is still top of my list.
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Click to collapse
Probably a Z5 compact. The Z5 is cheaper but has the same spec as the X.
Sony have the market on small top spec phones. I like a small phone in my hand, not some massive phablet.
Plus it's waterproof and has all the features. Top audio, noise reduction technologies built in. IPS screen, there aren't any other manufacturers that come close.
But it won't be for another year, hopefully by then there will be some development on it and things like rooting will be easy.

Didgesteve said:
Probably a Z5 compact. The Z5 is cheaper but has the same spec as the X.
Sony have the market on small top spec phones. I like a small phone in my hand, not some massive phablet.
Plus it's waterproof and has all the features. Top audio, noise reduction technologies built in. IPS screen, there aren't any other manufacturers that come close.
But it won't be for another year, hopefully by then there will be some development on it and things like rooting will be easy.
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Yeah unfortunately support on xda is virtually non existent for the z5 (compact). And I do not think it will surge eventually, then it would have happened already. It is also the main reason why I didn't switch earlier. But yeah.. Xda support is really important for me since I like to tweak certain aspects

I am going with the Huawei P9 Plus. It will be a step up from the z3c in a few areas. First off, the P9 has 4gb of ram, so multitasking is easier, and the chipset is a solid foundation as well. The z3c has a higher megapixel camera 20mp vs the 12mp P9 Plus. The P9 Plus is almost an inch bigger in size 4.6 vs 5.5 but I still think that it does not qualify as ( as Didgesteve called it ) a phablet.

Nokia's (the Finnish company) non compete clause expires next month, so in 8 days I believe, I'm waiting to see what they bring to market - I bet it'll be good - they've had years to prepare.

A Galaxy Note 6/7 or a Nexus phone. My biggest priorities are vanilla, lag free, good battery and waterproof. If google makes a nice Nexus that's waterproof and has good battery, lag and vanilla are given. For the Note, I'm not so sure about the UI. But my Z3C has become laggy as of late, even with a factory reset. Constantly at 1.6-1.9 gb memory usage.

Xiaomi Mi 5 is cheap and really rocks!!! :good:

istux said:
Xiaomi Mi 5 is cheap and really rocks!!! :good:
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Definitely not Z5 Compact, I'd rather wait for the Xperia X to have a compact version than buy a phone with barely any support from the community and not to mention Snapdragon 810 Problems

istux said:
Xiaomi Mi 5 is cheap and really rocks!!! :good:
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I ways also looking forward to this. But that video showing that it breaks easily scared me off. The camera is also underwhelming.
I like specs from oneplus 3, but it is just too damn big.

Much as i like the z3c for it's size and specs, my next phone will most likely be a nexus.
While Sony's firmware isn't bad i do miss the variety of 3rd party, AOSP based roms, something that a nexus won't lack thanks to the open bootloader and abundance of developers.
For now, until we know anything about the next Nexus devices, i just hope the PA team will manage to resolve some of the more pressing bugs, a daily-driver aosp MM rom might just keep me around for a bit longer.

Definitely not a Xperia!!

i switched from z3 compact to iphone SE

I went from a HTC Desire to a HTC Sensation, then a Xperia ZR and I have enjoyed my Z3 Compact since October, 2014. I wanted a new Xperia for the summer of 2016, something like the Z6 Compact but the new Xperia X series is not what I wanted.
The only Xperia X I wanted is the X Performance but it has failed to pique my interest. Battery tests look underwhelming compared to the Z3C, the camera isn't up to the other flagships and the price is too high for a smartphone that wont' be released in Europe until July.
So I have jumped ship and went to buy an S7 Edge that features great battery, screen, camera, waterproofing and Material themes so TouchWiz isn't annoying. Maybe the screen is too big at 5.5", but the AMOLED readability in summer is top-notch and the pictures and videos taken are miles better than any other phone camera I tried.
The S7 Edge was 570 euro including the Samsung VR glasses (thanks to Vodafone). The Xperia X Performance hasn't been released yet, but I expect it to cost around 630-650 euro.
Sony has failed me first choosing the SD 810 for the Z5 line and now leaving the Z series aside (Z6 Compact, Z6 and Z6 Premium was what I wanted).
I may return to Sony when they offer something that fills the void of the Z series, not right now with overpriced phones that are released too late.

I get my Nexus 5X tomorrow! YAY! Not the newest device, but almost anything seems to be better to me than any Xperia. I really like the Nexus line. If I hadn't been that misinformed by Sony about being open blabla I would have bought a Nexus instead of an Xperia. Actually using a Z3C, going to sell it as soon as I was finally able to recover DRM with Windows 10 or Linux (Arch). So my Nexus 5X will cost me about 100 Euro. Nice price for a quite decent upgrade of camera and processor (Snapdragon 801 --> Snapdragon 808) and for a device I can fully customize and which got amazing support in FOSS community / XDA.
I think smartphones today are really fast (more than 200 (!!) times faster than my first PC., an Intel 80386. Imagine 200 PCs in your room, haha) and it's not top priority for me to have the fastest device in the whole universe. What counts for me is that the device is fast enough to be ready for daily usage, that I can modify my device to my needs without losing any feature (camera quality, sound quality), not the needs a company wants me to have... and to have a good camera (battery of the Nexus 5X is not the best but acceptable). At first I was quite satisfied with my Z3C but that slowly turned into frustration and anger. It took months to root this unholy device without losing DRM forever (thank God for the dev that finally got it!). Afterwards it was a pain in the ass to do such simple things like rooting it, install recovery (compared to my S3 and Nexus 7; atm trying to recover my DRM for selling this crappy device but ADB won't call SuperSU - wtf?!)... then saw how "good" the open-source output of the so-called developer-friendly company was and I was massively disappointed, to say it in very kind words. Still there is no fully working (--> fisheye) AOSP for Z3 series. Lollipop got fisheye, CM13 for MM is not available yet (LOL?! The only manufacturer left... what a shame) because Sony released first MM working stuff (RIL, camera) in May 2016 afaik) - more than half a year after release of MM. That's what I call developer-friendly... lol. I never gonna buy any Xperia anymore, never in a million years, that's for sure, and try to avoid buying anything made by Sony in general.
Now I'm very glad to get a Nexus (I'm still very satisfied with my Nexus 7 2013 already) because the needs of the user and customizability are top priority and it has a very good cam, which won't produce (reverse) fisheye-pictures when unlocked. I won't need to use stock ROM for this device to be fully working, nor a locked BL and a thousand hacks for stock to be comfortable with (still no dark settings for MM stock, only eye-killing whiteness). Feels like not being in bonds any more...
My brother and my sister-in-law both got the same device (Z3C stock, not rooted) and are very satisfied (for whatever reason... camera on stock with DRM is even worse than on my old Galaxy S3)... so, well. For everyone who still likes Xperia, I wish you the best with that, honestly.
Good riddance, Sony...

is there any phone out there with similar dimensions to the z3 compact? i would like waterproofing as well, but not sure what's out there these days. i have to admit i love the concept rom

tronjojo said:
is there any phone out there with similar dimensions to the z3 compact? i would like waterproofing as well, but not sure what's out there these days. i have to admit i love the concept rom
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Z5 Compact

deniz2694 said:
i switched from z3 compact to iphone SE
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I know a lot of ppl that had made that switch and was satisfied about it

I'm looking for the best smartphone that does not tells itself that the system was been tampered if i root and modify something (Like KNOX or HTC do tell it), because if i want to bring my warranty back, i simply re-flash the firmware and it become unrooted.

No idea. I will be sticking with my Z3c for the foreseeable future.
I recently purchased a Galaxy s6 and was missing my Z3c within a few days. I have also recently used the LG G4 and Nexus 5x. All of these feel like a step down. The Z3c with the MM Slim rom is so fast and fluid and the battery life is ridiculous. The galaxy S6 could kill itself in 12 hours with almost no interaction. Also, it is hard to go back to a phone as large as those. Once you put a case on them, you may as well be using a tablet.

I would go for OnePlus 3 right now, but it's huge, i just don't get the hype for 5.5" screen, that requires your device body to have more than 15cm in size. All of a sudden 5" was not enough so they all had to go for more, not to mention big bezels on top and bottom of the screen even on those 5-5.2" devices.

Is the OnePlus 3T still a great phone one year later?

Hello again! I've been looking at the OnePlus 3T for a while now, but I didn't want to jump the gun yet.
It was a steady $500 CAD here in Canada for a 64GB and I found a 128GB OnePlus 3T that comes with 2 cases,
for $480 CAD, now, the phone has been out for almost exactly one year now and it's only now $120 off, so this
leads me to my questions, should I go ahead and purchase it? Is it still a great choice, one year later?

As long as you don't need the fake bokeh effect that a dual camera setup gives, you won't regret buying this phone.

I've had mine since April and still love it. Even though that new Pixel XL 2 is tempting, I essentially will do the same thing on both phone and can't justify the money when my 3t is still running excellent

FadedAssassiin said:
.... Is it still a great choice, one year later?
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Yes it is. I bought mine in December and it is one of the best purchases that I have made.
To elaborate, I have been mostly stock except for magisk root, and never faced any issues with this device. I use it for work and play, and it never disappoints. I would not change this phone except maybe for the iPhone X (but a $1000+ phone? screw that)

I came in late to the OP3/3T game and got mine in June of this year and haven't looked back since. Sure I 'want' a Pixel 2 XL but damn that price... The 3T has been amazing to me. I've got mine unlocked, using FreedomOS CE with Magisk, AdAway, Substratum (Ozone & Swift Dark), Nova Launcher with Prime & Google Companion, Google Pixel Dialer/Contacts, Google Pixel 2 Live Wallpaper and a slew of other minor things here and there. OnePlus gives you serious freedom and the devs are already pushing hard on custom O ROMs. If you're here on XDA you most likely enjoy tinkering and this phone will let you go above and beyond simply because of the great folks in the various forums and communities let alone the ease to do so because of OnePlus keeping it open.
Side note: You can get the fake bokeh effect easily by using Google Camera with a Magisk Module to fix the crash bug. Neat stuff but I just use the included OnePlus Camera myself.

How much more is the 5? I love my 3t and couldn't be happier with it.

CJ-Wylde said:
I came in late to the OP3/3T game and got mine in June of this year and haven't looked back since. Sure I 'want' a Pixel 2 XL but damn that price... The 3T has been amazing to me. I've got mine unlocked, using FreedomOS CE with Magisk, AdAway, Substratum (Ozone & Swift Dark), Nova Launcher with Prime & Google Companion, Google Pixel Dialer/Contacts, Google Pixel 2 Live Wallpaper and a slew of other minor things here and there. OnePlus gives you serious freedom and the devs are already pushing hard on custom O ROMs. If you're here on XDA you most likely enjoy tinkering and this phone will let you go above and beyond simply because of the great folks in the various forums and communities let alone the ease to do so because of OnePlus keeping it open.
Side note: You can get the fake bokeh effect easily by using Google Camera with a Magisk Module to fix the crash bug. Neat stuff but I just use the included OnePlus Camera myself.
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How do we get fake bokeh with Google camera? I use it and I'm not able to get it!!

srharshajava said:
How do we get fake bokeh with Google camera? I use it and I'm not able to get it!!
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It's called Lens Blur

CJ-Wylde said:
It's called Lens Blur
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Lena blur is not potrait mode!!

3T is still a great phone whose specs are being duplicated by major manufacturers.

srharshajava said:
Lena blur is not potrait mode!!
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No it's not, it's a fake bokeh effect. It's not all that great, but it's all we have if using Google Camera.

FadedAssassiin said:
Hello again! I've been looking at the OnePlus 3T for a while now, but I didn't want to jump the gun yet.
It was a steady $500 CAD here in Canada for a 64GB and I found a 128GB OnePlus 3T that comes with 2 cases,
for $480 CAD, now, the phone has been out for almost exactly one year now and it's only now $120 off, so this
leads me to my questions, should I go ahead and purchase it? Is it still a great choice, one year later?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're probably going to get a lot of us fan-boy-ing about it. Do you have any questions about it in particular? As far as I'm concerned, it's the best phone I've ever had & may betray my normal cycle of purchasing phones (every 2-2.5 years) and just hold onto it.
You're super free with the software. People say it's "unbrickable" (though I just had the scariest experience of my entire custom-flashing-life of the last 7ish years, but it was resolved either way). No removable battery & expandable storage sucks dongers but that's the trend regardless. The specs are far beyond what's needed for a telephone if you ask me. The price for what you get in hardware + software freedom is craziness (in a good way).
The ONLY THING is if you really need amazing camera HARDWARE, then you should be looking at Samsung, Apple, or the new Pixels. That being said, there are many camera mods enabling you to use (on custom ROMs) the OnePlus camera, the Pixel camera with HDR+, the Snapdragon camera, and if you aren't already aware, learning how to use Manual mode can do wonders...

purplepenguin said:
You're probably going to get a lot of us fan-boy-ing about it. Do you have any questions about it in particular? As far as I'm concerned, it's the best phone I've ever had & may betray my normal cycle of purchasing phones (every 2-2.5 years) and just hold onto it.
You're super free with the software. People say it's "unbrickable" (though I just had the scariest experience of my entire custom-flashing-life of the last 7ish years, but it was resolved either way). No removable battery & expandable storage sucks dongers but that's the trend regardless. The specs are far beyond what's needed for a telephone if you ask me. The price for what you get in hardware + software freedom is craziness (in a good way).
The ONLY THING is if you really need amazing camera HARDWARE, then you should be looking at Samsung, Apple, or the new Pixels. That being said, there are many camera mods enabling you to use (on custom ROMs) the OnePlus camera, the Pixel camera with HDR+, the Snapdragon camera, and if you aren't already aware, learning how to use Manual mode can do wonders...
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I am just looking for a speedier phone than I have right now, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which I am sure is a definite night and day difference in performance, the OnePlus 3T caught my eye back in February, and the price seemed quite good for such a stunning phone. I do have a few questions, how do you rate the fingerprint sensor? Is it fast or super fast, compared to maybe a iPhone 6S or 7, but that might be stretching it. How does the camera do at night? In a poorly lit room? Thanks for the reply!

SourPower said:
How much more is the 5? I love my 3t and couldn't be happier with it.
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Sorry for the late reply! The OnePlus 5 is going for $720 Canadian Dollars for the 64GB, whilst the used OnePlus 3T 128GB is going for $480 Canadian Dollars.

FadedAssassiin said:
I am just looking for a speedier phone than I have right now, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which I am sure is a definite night and day difference in performance, the OnePlus 3T caught my eye back in February, and the price seemed quite good for such a stunning phone. I do have a few questions, how do you rate the fingerprint sensor? Is it fast or super fast, compared to maybe a iPhone 6S or 7, but that might be stretching it. How does the camera do at night? In a poorly lit room? Thanks for the reply!
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Click to collapse
I'm the wrong dude for both of those questions probably. I only messed with fingerprint a littttttle bit on my s5. Compared to that, OP3T is blazing fast.
For the camera, have barely used it honestly! lol Good luck!

FadedAssassiin said:
I am just looking for a speedier phone than I have right now, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, which I am sure is a definite night and day difference in performance, the OnePlus 3T caught my eye back in February, and the price seemed quite good for such a stunning phone. I do have a few questions, how do you rate the fingerprint sensor? Is it fast or super fast, compared to maybe a iPhone 6S or 7, but that might be stretching it. How does the camera do at night? In a poorly lit room? Thanks for the reply!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using stock OOS and the fingerprint is blazing fast.
Regarding the night camera, installing the Google modded apk is the way to go. It offers fantastic night shots.
Unleashed by ONEPLUS 3T rooted

Absolutely! I love it like a child. It's my baby.
I have often said to OnePlus that their customer's service should favorably compare to the phones they produce. Their customers service, in a word, is awful. It is somewhat heartening that it is getting better.
They produce a wonderful product. Their support leaves a little more time, I hope. I have never come across a situation quite like this. The quality of their products far exceeds their support. I think. in time that situation will change. They will improve or fail and that would be a shame.
XDA could learn a lesson from what I said about OnePlus. Their product is truth. Their support also leaves something to be considered.

CJ-Wylde said:
No it's not, it's a fake bokeh effect. It's not all that great, but it's all we have if using Google Camera.
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Click to collapse
Portrait mode (with dual camera) is fake bokeh also. Just not as fake. It's true, the Google lens blur often results in "fuzzy" edges on the subject, or obviously fake/cheesy looking Photo-chopped effect.

redpoint73 said:
Portrait mode (with dual camera) is fake bokeh also. Just not as fake. It's true, the Google lens blur often results in "fuzzy" edges on the subject, or obviously fake/cheesy looking Photo-chopped effect.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, it's as good as we can get with the single-lens and OP / OP3T setup. I don't use it even though it's neat for up-close 'macro' like shots, but the fakeness of it does show through most of the time. I'm saving now to get another DSLR and do love my OP3T for quick on-the-go snaps. It is good for that, the picture quality is leaps above most phones out there, and for it's price point, not really anything to compare to it.

srharshajava said:
Lena blur is not potrait mode!!
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Click to collapse
Not literally, no. But "portrait mode" is just an Apple baloney marketing name for "fake bokeh effect". Now every phone manufacturer feels like they need dual camera and "portrait mode" (which I'm sure Apple is suing them for using that name). Even dual camera is just software trickery (in conjunction with dual camera) to fake a bokeh effect that will never be possible with the focal length of a smartphone camera.
Obviously, you won't get the exact same effect as a phone that has dual camera (OP5, iPhone plus, etc.).
---------- Post added at 12:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:12 PM ----------
FadedAssassiin said:
Is it still a great choice, one year later?
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Click to collapse
Back to the original question: I would say YES it's still a great phone.
I was unimpressed with the OP5, with its mostly incremental improvements, and the "jelly effect". We've actually seen a number of folks on this forum, looking to get a new phone, and opting for the 3T instead of the 5.
Of course there are other, impressive options (Pixel 2, Galaxy S8) with their own pros and cons. But of course they are quite expensive, and don't measure up to the shear value of the 3T; with its combination of build quality, value, and dev community here on XDA.
I don't find myself yearning for the "latest and greatest" phone yet. Maybe next year. The 3T is holding it's own quite well, and still a very solid and capable device.

Who is thinking to buy it ?? (I do)

This device is catching my eyes. I hope the reviews will be good !
It's time for my good old Z5 to retire...
Who is thinking to buy it and why ??

I am thinking about buying it if supports VoLTE on T-Mobile and the new Band 71.
I travel a lot for work and need all the coverage I can get.
It will be the XZ2 or the XZ2 Premium which is supposed to be announced in May.

It depends on the price.if around 600$ I might buy it day one. anything more than 700 I will skip it and go for XZ1.

josephnero said:
It depends on the price.if around 600$ I might buy it day one. anything more than 700 I will skip it and go for XZ1.
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Click to collapse
AFAIK, its price will be 799€ at its release.
But yes, sooner or later, it will be below 700€ ^^

I intend to buy both XZ2 and the Compact, for my wife and I (respectively)!

serajr said:
I intend to buy both XZ2 and the Compact, for my wife and I (respectively)!
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Your wife is somewhat more a spender than you
Thanks, great news !!

@nreuge Hey man,
Good to see you still up and around.
My contract is up for renewal and I was really looking forward to get my hands on a new Sony device.
I've been with Sony since Xperia Z1 and I have loved their phones very much ever since.
But the XZ2 is just to thick for me.
I don't know what the hell they were thinking when they decided that.
Plus fingerprint on the back... Is just really inconvenient for me.
Having it on the side power button has always been one of the most important features that kept me buying Sony phones again.
I hope Sony will step up soon, but for now I'm very sad and disappointed to say im skipping them this time and I'm looking at other phones to upgrade my Xperia XZ.

nreuge said:
AFAIK, its price will be 799€ at its release.
But yes, sooner or later, it will be below 700€ ^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's for Europe buddy. Normally USA prices are lower.
Btw great to know that master serajr will get it too.

koekoek91 said:
@nreuge Hey man,
Good to see you still up and around.
My contract is up for renewal and I was really looking forward to get my hands on a new Sony device.
I've been with Sony since Xperia Z1 and I have loved their phones very much ever since.
But the XZ2 is just to thick for me.
I don't know what the hell they were thinking when they decided that.
Plus fingerprint on the back... Is just really inconvenient for me.
Having it on the side power button has always been one of the most important features that kept me buying Sony phones again.
I hope Sony will step up soon, but for now I'm very sad and disappointed to say im skipping them this time and I'm looking at other phones to upgrade my Xperia XZ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is thick only at the very center...
You might change your mind when you can see it, touch it.
But I understand, every design cannot satisfy every people...
About the fingerprint sensor, I don't care I never use it.
Cheers !

nreuge said:
It is thick only at the very center...
You might change your mind when you can see it, touch it.
But I understand, every design cannot satisfy every people...
About the fingerprint sensor, I don't care I never use it.
Cheers !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will go to my carrier shop once it arrives there so ill have a look how it feels.
Fingerprint really is a deal breaker for me because I always use it and I always use a case. So having it on the back would really suck for me.
Anyway I hope you will enjoy the phone if you get it

Hey, I too want to buy The XZ2, what really got me into Sony Xperia smartphones is their multimedia features and they still do, That 4K screen and the advanced X-reality, conversion from SDR to HDR is just all what I'm looking for in a smartphone (I watch alot of movies and videos on my smartphone so yeah), BTW I really like that they put the Fingerprint scanner in the center (so I won't accidentally smudge the camera) it's convenient for me.
Edit: add to it how Sony is fast to update their phones next to Google, and because of how light their stock roms I won't ever think of custom roms.

AbduSharif20 said:
Hey, I too want to buy The XZ2, what really got me into Sony Xperia smartphones is their multimedia features and they still do, That 4K screen and the advanced X-reality, conversion from SDR to HDR is just all what I'm looking for in a smartphone (I watch alot of movies and videos on my smartphone so yeah), BTW I really like that they put the Fingerprint scanner in the center (so I won't accidentally smudge the camera) it's convenient for me.
Edit: add to it how Sony is fast to update their phones next to Google, and because of how light their stock roms I won't ever think of custom roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome
The XZ2 screen resolution is not 4K, it's FHD+ (this is really sufficient because you wouldn't see at all the difference with 4K and 4K would suck more battery for nothing...)
The Sony roms overlay is clean and fast. Their updates are relatively fast (but not too fast because they usually don't release bugged roms...)

nreuge said:
You're welcome
The XZ2 screen resolution is not 4K, it's FHD+ (this is really sufficient because you wouldn't see at all the difference with 4K and 4K would suck more battery for nothing...)
The Sony roms overlay is clean and fast. Their updates are relatively fast (but not too fast because they usually don't release bugged roms...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh really, I think I missed between the 4K HDR recording and XZ2 having a 4K screen, well that's a bummer but I hope the upcoming premium/pro will do so (just like XZ Premium), thanks for noting it out.
Yeah that's good too, still Sony's updates are always ahead of other OEMs (except for Google), and not to mention most of their smartphones comes with the newest android version (at the time) out of the box.

Im also thinking about buying this one.
But ill wait so i can se how its feels in the hand.
My previous sony phones are zr and z5.
Skickat från min E6653 via Tapatalk

Mario.D said:
Im also thinking about buying this one.
But ill wait so i can se how its feels in the hand.
My previous sony phones are zr and z5.
Skickat från min E6653 via Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can assure you that it's the most comfortable Sony Xperia smartphone on the hand, didn't touch it but it's obvious and that's what reviewers say.

Great and detailed review of gsmarena...
It seems very very good !!
https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz2-review-1735.php

nreuge said:
Great and detailed review of gsmarena...
It seems very very good !!
https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz2-review-1735.php
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I was waiting for days to read it, and the phone did fulfill expectations on pretty much all fronts. But the thing that impressed me the most was obviously the camera. The have really stepped up their game and image processing and brought it on par with S9 duo.
Now this may seem as an exaggeration, but it's actually just like that. I've downloaded full pictures from GSMArena tests and zoomed in as much as it was on S9 and all 12mp cameras, or simply put I've scaled pictures down to 12mp (as of course you are zooming in a bit more because of higher resolution). Did a comparison with S9 directly and I can tell you, although the noise levels are higher on XZ2, the amount of detail is the same, and in some areas maybe a bit better, but also in some a bit worse, so it's balanced out.
But, here is the point, if you take into consideration that XZ2 hasn't got OIS, has notably smaller aperture, smaller individual pixels and lack of dual pixel focus while having admittedly a bit bigger sensor, and all of this contributed to ISO levels 3 times higher than on S9 (or the correct term would be 2 stops higher?) yet it produced pictures with quality that is closely comparable, that just tells you much they achieved and how good the sensor is and processing as well.
Furthermore, studio shots have proven that quality of XZ2 in low-light surpasses S9 while being on nearly the same ISO, which means that processing has matured and paid off. And if Sony improves the specs of their camera setup for the next generation, it will easily top the competition.

Cirra92 said:
Yeah, I was waiting for days to read it, and the phone did fulfill expectations on pretty much all fronts. But the thing that impressed me the most was obviously the camera. The have really stepped up their game and image processing and brought it on par with S9 duo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep, it did well. but remember that GSMArena uses a tripod for many of their shots, which the XZ2 camera software notices and then lowers the ISO and slows shutter speed, giving better detail. handheld shots won't be the same.
still, in many cases it's a marked improvement over the XZ1 and XZ Premium, which use the same sensor.
As an XZ1 owner, I'm tempted to wait and see the model that uses the new dual-sensor module coming later this year, rather than jumping on the XZ2.

eelpout said:
yep, it did well. but remember that GSMArena uses a tripod for many of their shots, which the XZ2 camera software notices and then lowers the ISO and slows shutter speed, giving better detail. handheld shots won't be the same.
still, in many cases it's a marked improvement over the XZ1 and XZ Premium, which use the same sensor.
As an XZ1 owner, I'm tempted to wait and see the model that uses the new dual-sensor module coming later this year, rather than jumping on the XZ2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They do use tripod for studio shot, however they don't use tripod for those outdoor shots in order to replicate everyday usage, you can even see that based on shutter speed, which is 1/16, mostly what is used by Superior Auto on handheld usage. When it's on tripod, it goes slower than that.
The point is that even at high ISO values, it's on par with the S9 duo, objectively speaking and when the ISO is matched, XZ2 goes ahead, due to detail preservation. I'm not saying it because I am biased, as I'm not, I've downloaded the pictures, scaled them and compared. Now, I'm far from photographer and have scarce knowledge about it, but I have good enough eyes and common sense ( I hope so ).
Anyway, the improvement is here and a big one at that, so this is a very good sign. Unfortunately it will be a while until I can buy this one, but since you have XZ1, you can wait for XZ Premium successor, it should be even better than this

Just ordered from Amazon US. Supposedly in stock. Expected delivery is March 22 - March 27. 6GB RAM model, dual SIM.
Edit: shipped March 16, delivery expected March 20

What went wrong with Nokia 8?

It's a great phone and most impressive is SD 835 in it but today I found a deal on my local used market for 250$. He'll, I want to buy it but I don't know why it's so cheap. I am getting he'll of a deal here but is it any good?
I read comments on Amazon and many said it's having a heating problem. I want to buy a good phone for gaming as my Moto Z Play couldn't able to handle pubg very well.
One more thing is that the xda community had igoned Nokia 8, it doesn't have a single official custom ROM or recovery. Phone is good but all this things keeping me from not buying it. I want to know is it any good to buy a used one for 250$?

XDA community hasn't ignored it so much as Nokia/HMD haven't allowed the bootloader to be unlocked
The phone's principal other flaw is that the camera isn't great. Both the stock camera software (post processing, features) and the sensor aren't up to the quality you would expect of a 2017 flagship or even (for the most part) the Galaxy S6 I upgraded from. Until now running modded Google cam has allievated the software side, and there's an update rolling out from Friday that will add camera functionality and hopefully improve the processing and the use of the monochrome sensor. I wouldn't expect miracles though.
Other than those points this is a solid phone. The screen is a nice IPS that does good blacks, accurate colours and is capable of very high brightness. There is no heating problem and in fact this is the coolest phone I've ever used, it's a challenge to make this thing heat up. Software is as close to stock you'll get on a non-Google device. SnapDragon 835 blasts through anything you might want to do. Headphone jack seems to supply a lot of power and music sounds clean and clear. Nokia has been good with updates thus far, releasing OS and security updates better than any non-Google phone afaik.

I also found a great deal for a Nokia 8 6gb ram 128gb internal for 250$. Still thinking if i should give up my Moto Z Play for this Nokia

if quality(which can be improved with a new app) of photos is not your top priority, then you should definitely buy this one.

Manish355 said:
It's a great phone and most impressive is SD 835 in it but today I found a deal on my local used market for 250$. He'll, I want to buy it but I don't know why it's so cheap. I am getting he'll of a deal here but is it any good?
I read comments on Amazon and many said it's having a heating problem. I want to buy a good phone for gaming as my Moto Z Play couldn't able to handle pubg very well.
One more thing is that the xda community had igoned Nokia 8, it doesn't have a single official custom ROM or recovery. Phone is good but all this things keeping me from not buying it. I want to know is it any good to buy a used one for 250$?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing went wrong, it was a loss leader to get the Nokia brand up and running and noticed again.
Best phone i have owned apart from the camera in low light but the new camera app may help with that.

It's a great phone for gaming...I play pubg mobile on the maximum settings with extreme FPS settings and it's silky smooth... It does warm up a little but less then any other phone I've had while gaming, the one and only issue I have with this phone is that the power button has a little bit of rattle/play and that drives my OCD crazy.

razorsbk said:
I also found a great deal for a Nokia 8 6gb ram 128gb internal for 250$. Still thinking if i should give up my Moto Z Play for this Nokia
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't decide too, but i think i need to give up my Moto Z Play for PUBG. And SD835 is future proof too. I don't use camera that much so it's not an issue for me, i think it should be a good deal.

ngagephone said:
It's a great phone for gaming...I play pubg mobile on the maximum settings with extreme FPS settings and it's silky smooth... It does warm up a little but less then any other phone I've had while gaming, the one and only issue I have with this phone is that the power button has a little bit of rattle/play and that drives my OCD crazy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks bro, i wanted to know how PUBG runs on Nokia 8, i am gonna buy it. Only thing thats i'm scared of is Custom ROMs. I like to flash different ROMs. Man, i need to choose between Customization and Gaming.

Almajo88 said:
XDA community hasn't ignored it so much as Nokia/HMD haven't allowed the bootloader to be unlocked
The phone's principal other flaw is that the camera isn't great. Both the stock camera software (post processing, features) and the sensor aren't up to the quality you would expect of a 2017 flagship or even (for the most part) the Galaxy S6 I upgraded from. Until now running modded Google cam has allievated the software side, and there's an update rolling out from Friday that will add camera functionality and hopefully improve the processing and the use of the monochrome sensor. I wouldn't expect miracles though.
Other than those points this is a solid phone. The screen is a nice IPS that does good blacks, accurate colours and is capable of very high brightness. There is no heating problem and in fact this is the coolest phone I've ever used, it's a challenge to make this thing heat up. Software is as close to stock you'll get on a non-Google device. SnapDragon 835 blasts through anything you might want to do. Headphone jack seems to supply a lot of power and music sounds clean and clear. Nokia has been good with updates thus far, releasing OS and security updates better than any non-Google phone afaik.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, even bootloader is not possible to unlock on the phone. I am scared that I'd be bored after some time of using it. But, i think the most important thing for me would be gaming than flashing custom ROMs. I'd be buying it soon.