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Not sure if I should get Xiaomi or Nokia

I am considering either getting A2 or Nokia 7 Plus.
The A2 has the same hardware platform but is considerably cheaper but there are a few things/questions that I am considering:
1. the updates on A1, if I read comments or on the A1 forum seem to be late and buggy. This is one of the major drawbacks for me as I want a stable device and I am afraid the same thing will happen with A2
2. on Nokia there seem a way to enable gcam without doing root on the device, on A2 I saw that root is needed... this would be a drawback as gcam seems to improve picture taking on many devices
3. How does the device feel in hand? Is it slippery? Is the camera bump annoying?
4. Any software/hardware issues reported so far? I read something about proximity sensor but other than that not much.
The reviews for the device aren't stellar. Most complain about nfc, jack and sd card. None of this are important to me, I care about updates and camera.
So, should I get the Nokia (better build, bigger battery, stable and fast updates, probably a bit better camera, gcam working, better screen, no PWM for brightness)
I'd like to hear your advices. Thank you for your time.

It'll be better if you buy the Nokia 7 plus Android One version! You'll get most the things needed in a flagship phone (not all) and it's better than Mi A2 in most of the time except the camera!

You should also bear in mind that Nokia phones have no official way of unlocking bootloader for now, so there won't be lot of custom development for their devices until HMD decide to provide way to unlock bootloader. And according to HMDs head twitter, they won't do it because of security (proof: https://twitter.com/sarvikas/status/910421837661790208)

There certainly are a ** lot ** of things to consider when buying a phone now-a-days.
One of the very first things I look at is appearance, and weight. So right off the bat, 2 knocks on the 7plus; it's gaudy looking with the faux gold trim, and it's 183 grams (and I thought 165 gram phones were heavy!).
I'm shocked you would say an issue with the Mi A2 would be build quality? I don't have mine yet, but the unibody construction of these devices, like the Huawei Mate SE, are as good as it gets. Could not feel more solid. There's a marked difference to how a device with a unibody and 2.5D raised glass feels compared to how a device (like the 7plus) that has a 'flat' band all around it, holding the top and the bottom panels together.
I much much prefer the rounded unibody, way more comfortable in the hand, less likely to slip. And the metal body of them isn't slippery.
Yes, the A1 has had some issues with updates / bugs. But the A2 already has the ota security patch / bug fixes for August available. Someone mentioned they seem to be doing better with the A2 and it may well be because it's Project Treble.
As someone else mentioned; Is the bootloader unlockable? That's right near the top of the list for me, if not the top. If the Nok is locked down (as said), it's off my list. At some point, and you might keep the phone that long, updates will stop. If you can't unlock it, then the phone is basically done.
As far as reviews go, actually the ones i've read, are stellar. Yes, the lack of nfc, expansion, no jack, are mentioned. They all mention it. I guess they have to or it won't be considered a decent review. But to me, I can live without them, not that much of a big. What is a big, and it's mentioned a lot in the reviews I've read, are the cameras. The f1.75 cams on the back will let in a ** lot ** of light. All reviews indicate they do well in low light (as you would expect), some even say the great cameras make up for the loss of the other items.
So what's important to you? I"m going with Android One is big, good cameras is really big, unlockable bootloader is huge, not too heavy helps to keep me from constantly pulling my pants up, available in black... I like black (not gaudy pls).
We all have our criteria don't we...

Build quality of the A2 is amazing. Feels like a flagship device. I was afraid how it would compare to my light Nexus 5x but man was I wrong. I loved it from the start
Custom roms were my main deciding factor compared to Nokia or bq even if there is no NFC or RGB notification LED. So I am ready to use the hardware until it breaks.
Headphone jack I don't care too much, get a fiio btr Bluetooth headphone amp and you are smartphone independent and can use your cable headphones which I won't change to anything purely bluetooth based unless Sennheiser comes out with some usb-c based ie80s.
SD card? You really need more than 64GB or 128Gb even? I am happy with the 64GB but depends a lot on what you are planning to do.
Oh I forgot the amazing camera. You can find some of my pics in the gcam thread. Guess I will upload a little camera showcase soon.

Thank you all for your thoughts.
@AsItLies I did not say there's an issue with build quality on A2. As you say, I am kind of convinced that it will fell better in hand as it is rounded, and that matters on big phones a lot. What I have noticed is that the camera bump is really big and that could make it wobble on the table.
So to set the list of pros and cons
A2
+ good feel in hand
- no way to use gcam without root and bootloader unlock which is something I don't want to do.
- no double tap to wake
+/- the software remains to be seen... A1 wasn't really great in that department
7Plus
+ double tape to wake
+ better screen quality
+ stable software with quick updates
+ google camera works without root
- like 25% more expensive
- not sure the looks in live preview with the copper accent.
- finger print scanner seems a bit too high, but A2 kind of looks at the same spot
- no notification led and glance uses battery since it has LCD
- bulkier and heavier
To be honest, I don't care for rooting the device. In 2 years, after no more updates, I am sure there will be other cheap alternatives to get.

Looks like you're not power user, doesn't need rooted device or custom ROM, etc. Based on this I recommend the 7 Plus, I think it's better than A2 for general usage. A2 to me strong in the community support and development since it has better value for budget phone.
7 Plus wins in many aspects, but A2 is slightly better at camera department based on some reviews I read. 7 Plus prices is very high compared to other mid range devices, I think if you have the money and can add few bucks more, you can buy flagship phone with Snapdragon 8XX instead of 7 Plus.

I care about:
1. updates - I have my concerns on updates given the previous history with A1.
2. camera - some say nokia is better, some say a2 is better. Probably nokia with gcam is better
3.handling- a2 seems to be more rounded, slimmer but has that huge camera bump what probably makes it wobble on table. Together with no double touch to wake makes it no so ergonomic.
Nokia kind of ticks most of the boxes really, however, a2 is 25% cheaper and may have life after 2 years with the community. At the price of 7plus, I could get a used pixel 2 for instance and that has better camera and updates.
Tough choice to make.

alinescoo said:
I care about:
1. updates - I have my concerns on updates given the previous history with A1.
2. camera - some say nokia is better, some say a2 is better. Probably nokia with gcam is better
3.handling- a2 seems to be more rounded, slimmer but has that huge camera bump what probably makes it wobble on table. Together with no double touch to wake makes it no so ergonomic.
Nokia kind of ticks most of the boxes really, however, a2 is 25% cheaper and may have life after 2 years with the community. At the price of 7plus, I could get a used pixel 2 for instance and that has better camera and updates.
Tough choice to make.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well hopefully you won't mind my version of your concerns, but always remember, these things are evolving and changing, due to experience. It's only natural with complicated things like this.
1. updates - While the A1 did run into a few issues, I'd say remember, this is a new thing for them. They'll probably get it right soon, evidenced by the August patch available now... and it's August! That's almost unheard of in itself.
2. Camera - I certainly like the Zeiss optics on the Nok, but Sony is no slouch either. Keep in mind the aperture of the 2 rear cameras on the A2 are f1.75. The Nok are f1.8 and f2.6 (for the optical zoom one). I don't know exactly, but the diff between the 1.75 and 2.6 is a Full Stop, if not more. That means, if u don't know, that the 1.75 will let in TWICE the amount of light. That's a huge difference, resulting in much better pictures.
The other thing re the GCam. I have a port on my LG G6 now. It's very good. Except it doesn't have all the features the OEM app has. For instance; taking a selfie in portrait mode, there is no timer. Also note the GCam ports won't use both lenses, as the pixel phones only have one lens. Some OEM apps use info from both lenses to create bokeh effects etc.
3. Handling - it is an individual thing for sure. My take on the camera bump is - I'd prefer it didn't have it, but I just don't set the phone down on the back (unless it's in a case). If I set it down I'll set it on the front. It's usually just in my pocket.
All cameras (except the G6!) have a bump, the A2 is just a bit bigger. Oh well. As far as double tap, for me... I've never used it, even once. Just use the finger print scanner.
Again! not knocking your concerns, they are valid for you, that's all that matters. Just giving a different perspective on them. Tomorrow, I may think differently! Haha, phones, they've become so complicated it's more and more time consuming to evaluate them. I've bought and sold so many lately, I never thought I would do that! I think I have a new addiction

About the handling, if you don't use a case with Mi A2, it is a bit slippery for me. The device is actually round but it is also thin. The metal at the back is very smooth and could be slippery for some.
And I think the cameras between two are not so different, depends on your taste. But the sensor with Nokia 7 Plus is larger so it should produce better images in low light.

@AsItLies thank you for your detailed info. I am very glad to receive info from an owner.
@Marciano09 thank you. To be honest, my comfort zone ends around the sizes of pixel 2, but the trend now is to have phones bigger and bigger so I guess I need to get used to it. So, bigger and slippery is not something that sounds comfortable. Nokia seems to have some ceramic back cover which probably improves handling but has rougher edges.
I saw some comparison videos on camera samples, sometimes I liked A2 ones, sometimes the Nokia ones. Nokia with gcam has some really nice photos where on xiaomi I depend on the OEM camera.
Really tough choice to make.

alinescoo said:
I care about:
1. updates - I have my concerns on updates given the previous history with A1.
2. camera - some say nokia is better, some say a2 is better. Probably nokia with gcam is better
3.handling- a2 seems to be more rounded, slimmer but has that huge camera bump what probably makes it wobble on table. Together with no double touch to wake makes it no so ergonomic.
Nokia kind of ticks most of the boxes really, however, a2 is 25% cheaper and may have life after 2 years with the community. At the price of 7plus, I could get a used pixel 2 for instance and that has better camera and updates.
Tough choice to make.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. they're both android one devices, sure, the nokia may not have as much dev support but it will get the same 2y official treatment because of android one.
2. both good cameras yep, the a2 will probably take some better nighttime pics, the nokia might be better at portrait mode.
3. forget about the double tap to wake... it's so much nicer to use the fingerprint to wake up instead! and yes, the a2 isn't stable on a flat table. even with the tpu case it still wobbles. the case helps, but it's still not standing nicely.
if you care about the price difference, go for the a2. but be aware that the a2 will drop in price over the next few months. this is the most expensive it will ever be. the nokia may have started to drop in price already.
the features that may point you to the nokia:
- nfc
- bigger battery
- 3.5 jack
- sd card support
- sturdier
a2:
- slimmer, lighter
- maybe better dev support (on the long long run however it's probably irrelevant since both phones are android one supported) - see LE
- maybe better night shots (it's still a phone however, and anything but the highest end flagships pale in comparison to real cameras - if you ask me never pick a phone based on cameras)
- cheaper (however expect the price to drop over the next months! this is the launch price)
did you consider/looked at the redmi note 5 pro (whyred)?
- already has some good custom roms (lineage)
- better battery
- 636 is a 660 running at a lower clock speed (even better use of battery)
- way cheaper
L.E.
- yes, the proximity sensor on the a2 seems a bit wonky, but not as bad as some reviews describe it
- updates are always a bit weird at first, android one is the fix for that (on both phones), only difference is the nokia had the time it needed to fix some already
- without a case yes, the a2 is slippery. use the included case from the moment you unbox it.
- yes, i own an A2, i love it and dont regret getting one, i recommend it to anyone looking to buy one.
- dev support...
*yes, it's very possible the a2 will get better unofficial support. however, and i don't know how i'm gonna say this without getting the full wrath of the forum thrown at me... that's irrelevant.
*you get a android one so you don't have to worry about the official support! you get one of these to be able to stay on the stock rom.
*either way you look at it, and in all honesty i really appreciate the work all the devs pull of unofficially for devices, thank you all and keep up the good work!
*however you cannot expect a handful of devs to be able to compete with google or big oem's. - again, this may seem like i am ungrateful, that's not the case. (only exception is when those oem-s choose to drop support). with android one they cannot do that even if they wanted to.
*both phones will get security patches and android updates for a minimum of 2 years. by then, regardless which one you buy you'll want a newer one that supports 6g or vr over lte or 5 cameras or a bendable screen. or whatever else gimmick they pull out of the hat by then. (if anything, i would be sorry for having to dump the nokia more)

I personally was debating between this or the 6.1 plus. I don't recall off hand what the deciding factor for me was. But I went with the a2 and it will be here Tuesday.

Nickdroid86 said:
I personally was debating between this or the 6.1 plus. I don't recall off hand what the deciding factor for me was. But I went with the a2 and it will be here Tuesday.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
now that's a better comparison!
picked the a2 for the large screen and better cameras?
enjoy the new a2! and piece of advice... dont switch away from the standard android one for as long as you can. unlike the other xiaomi-s with miui, it's actually not a bad idea to stick to stock.
if you find the time share your opinions about it after a few days

Doing a little research and found on gsmarena u can not only compare phones, but also photo comparisons;
There are 3 categories it compares them in: Lowest ISO, Good Light, Low Light. There's some explanation of how they got their results, but they seem a bit vague (but at least they have SOME control they're doing).
An issue that comes up when comparing Cameras is some think it has to be an apples to apples comparison; Same ISO, Same Aperture, Same exposure time. They think that's the only way to have a true comparison.
But here's the thing; A comparison really should be 'take the best picture possible' for ea camera under the exact conditions and exact subject matter. That way, if one camera has pixel binning, it can use that. Or another camera has a wider aperture it can use that, etc.
But this does give 'some' idea of how the 2 phone cameras compare, it's pretty cool to fool around with, click in the design on the left to change what's focused on. Also note, the pictures do seem to indicate when a lense has a wider angle than another, noted by what's captured in the 'viewing box'.
https://www.gsmarena.com/piccmp.php3?idType=5&idPhone1=9140&idPhone2=9058

I think the build quality of A2 is very good but the metal back is really slippery. I have to use the TPU cover provided. After using the cover, the camera bump is not a big issue. The bump becomes much smaller.
I also considered Nokia 7 Plus but I think it's too bulky and heavy for me. As I don't need NFC and SD card because it's not my main phone, I can live with it.
The screen is vibrant and crisp. I really didn't expect that in such a low price phone.

Thank you all for your valuable informations. The price of Nokia 7 plus is around the same as a Pixel 2 (the smaller one) and I think I'll keep an eye on the market for a good deal. Pixel is more compact, has great camera and another 2 years of software updates.
Thank all again you for your time.

laviniu_c said:
now that's a better comparison!
picked the a2 for the large screen and better cameras?
enjoy the new a2! and piece of advice... dont switch away from the standard android one for as long as you can. unlike the other xiaomi-s with miui, it's actually not a bad idea to stick to stock.
if you find the time share your opinions about it after a few days
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will for sure. I love Android One software. I had it with my regular Nokia 6.1

Comparing 7 plus and a2 is like comparing apples to oranges (both are phones). In terms of price there is a stellar difference, if you can afford the 7 plus, better go for a pixel 1 (you said you wanted updates and camera), i personally bought a2 because it's cheap as hell and even if i'd be the richest person on the planet i would not pay more than 300 dollars for a phone.
Android is made for SD8XX, nomatter what these cheapsters hide under the lid (SD6XX) they will always hang, lag, overheat and die fast.
Component wise the a2 feels like a joke (sorry, copying the iphone x in this manner it's way beyond shame) and a toy for kids with the ir blaster (come on it's 2018) and the lack of nfc (if you're european you'll understand).
If you have the money buy the pixel 1, if you're a cheapster like the a2, go for it. I don't se the reason to buy the 7 plus.

strapabiro said:
Comparing 7 plus and a2 is like comparing apples to oranges (both are phones). In terms of price there is a stellar difference, if you can afford the 7 plus, better go for a pixel 1 (you said you wanted updates and camera), i personally bought a2 because it's cheap as hell and even if i'd be the richest person on the planet i would not pay more than 300 dollars for a phone.
Android is made for SD8XX, nomatter what these cheapsters hide under the lid (SD6XX) they will always hang, lag, overheat and die fast.
Component wise the a2 feels like a joke (sorry, copying the iphone x in this manner it's way beyond shame) and a toy for kids with the ir blaster (come on it's 2018) and the lack of nfc (if you're european you'll understand).
If you have the money buy the pixel 1, if you're a cheapster like the a2, go for it. I don't se the reason to buy the 7 plus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is made for SD8XX? Each phone is optimized for it's precessor, among other hardware. Some better than others. The sd660 in my mi a2 is hanging in there up against my sd845 in my s9+ and the sd835 in my pixel 2 xl..

Honest opinion: V40 vs V35

Let me start by saying I use a Note 9 as my personal phone and LG V35 ThinQ as my work phone. I've been really impressed with the features of the V35 and the smoothness of the interface. Naturally I was curious to see how it compares to the V40 so I did some hands on comparison.
The good changes are 5 cameras instead of 3, Android 8.1 instead of 8.0, power button on the right side rather than back.
As for what's the same with the V35 and V40, Snapdragon 845, 6 GB RAM, 3300 mAh battery, cool Aurora Black color with blue reflection and overall software skin. The screen is excellent on both (fixed after V30)
What I don't care for is the taller, more narrow aspect ratio of the V40. Sure it may be 6.4 inches instead of 6.0 inches, but if you factor in the notch and the narrower screen with noticeably larger side bezels, it doesn't look bigger. The off center speaker was an odd design choice given that the two front cameras could have gone on opposite sides.
The V40 felt premium in hand, just as the V35 does, but I didn't find there to be any upgrades that made the V40 enticing. It feels like LG missed the opportunity for a bigger battery, stereo speakers, software upgrades, or something else to distinguish it. Most camera enthusiasts will probably get the Pixel 3 XL or Note 9 over this.
Bottom line is if you're buying a phone outright, I'd say the V35 ThinQ is a much better value. You're getting almost everything in a smaller form factor, with no notch. If you're looking for carrier financing, the V40 is a great phone, but I'd have trouble recommending it as it faces tough competition from the OnePlus 6T, Note 9 and even S9+. It's already $200 off and likely will get cheaper during the holidays. Save your money and get the V35 ThinQ, OnePlus 6T, S9+, or go all in for the Note 9.

I agree that I think the V35 is a better value. I think the only issue for me, personally, is that the V40 is much more likely to get bootloader unlock and/or some form of root. The V35 has no development community after months of being out, which is honestly a shame because it's my favorite phone this year. Hopefully the guys working on the Qualcomm RSA Signature exploit make some progress to kickstart development across the board (and specifically the V35). Either way, I like what LG's been doing with their phones (with the exception of slow to no bootloader unlock in the states).

If value is equal to cost then yes buying an earlier model of phone will almost always be a better value than the latest and greatest. I must be missing something here...
Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

At least you have the option for the V35, I don't with verizon. That notch turns me off about the V40 and I've been looking at the razor phone 2 128GB(when ever that model shows up). The v10 and v20 have 64GB of storage, so why doesn't the v40 come standard with 128GB? It's bad enough there's no removable battery in the v40.

The Unlocked V35 ThinQ from Amazon or B&H do work on Verizon.
Given that the V35 ThinQ has the same processor, same RAM, same battery, same storage and is less than 6 mos old, it's a fair comparison. The ONLY reasons to get a V40 over a V35 are the cameras and carrier financing, just a tip to those on a budget.

Or get a v30+ 128GB with bootloader unlocked and root

I've had both phones, and it's weird because my feeling is that the V35 is actually faster and more responsive in use than the V40.

Though I don't own either V35 or V40 ( I do have a V20 though).... in addition to what was mentioned, the 5 cameras, "larger" notched screen... I'd mention the "boombox" speakers. I haven't witnessed it first hand but I hear from the community that the boombox speakers are indeed a major upgrade. I personally like using my speakerphone to play music in a small room, though I don't know if it's necessarily worth the price premium on those features a lone... I also got the impression that the V40 had better battery life (impressions are from multiple youtube videos posted).

ssnova said:
Though I don't own either V35 or V40 ( I do have a V20 though).... in addition to what was mentioned, the 5 cameras, "larger" notched screen... I'd mention the "boombox" speakers. I haven't witnessed it first hand but I hear from the community that the boombox speakers are indeed a major upgrade. I personally like using my speakerphone to play music in a small room, though I don't know if it's necessarily worth the price premium on those features a lone... I also got the impression that the V40 had better battery life (impressions are from multiple youtube videos posted).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that

Guyinlaca said:
Let me start by saying I use a Note 9 as my personal phone and LG V35 ThinQ as my work phone. I've been really impressed with the features of the V35 and the smoothness of the interface. Naturally I was curious to see how it compares to the V40 so I did some hands on comparison.
The good changes are 5 cameras instead of 3, Android 8.1 instead of 8.0, power button on the right side rather than back.
As for what's the same with the V35 and V40, Snapdragon 845, 6 GB RAM, 3300 mAh battery, cool Aurora Black color with blue reflection and overall software skin. The screen is excellent on both (fixed after V30)
What I don't care for is the taller, more narrow aspect ratio of the V40. Sure it may be 6.4 inches instead of 6.0 inches, but if you factor in the notch and the narrower screen with noticeably larger side bezels, it doesn't look bigger. The off center speaker was an odd design choice given that the two front cameras could have gone on opposite sides.
The V40 felt premium in hand, just as the V35 does, but I didn't find there to be any upgrades that made the V40 enticing. It feels like LG missed the opportunity for a bigger battery, stereo speakers, software upgrades, or something else to distinguish it. Most camera enthusiasts will probably get the Pixel 3 XL or Note 9 over this.
Bottom line is if you're buying a phone outright, I'd say the V35 ThinQ is a much better value. You're getting almost everything in a smaller form factor, with no notch. If you're looking for carrier financing, the V40 is a great phone, but I'd have trouble recommending it as it faces tough competition from the OnePlus 6T, Note 9 and even S9+. It's already $200 off and likely will get cheaper during the holidays. Save your money and get the V35 ThinQ, OnePlus 6T, S9+, or go all in for the Note 9.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not only is v35 a good value, they're really the same phone with v40 having non significant upgrades.

Having spent a year with V30 and moving to V40 at its launch, I would certainly confirm that it's a minor upgrade. However, if you're big on speaker audio, definitely go for V40. The speaker output due to resonance chamber effect is way better! I don't have to cup my hand around the speaker and hold it to my ear to hear it anymore in noisy areas.
Other areas of improvement for me-- display quality/clarity/brightness and cameras. The V40 feels better to me, and I admit that while I'm not a fan of notches, this is at least a nice approach that isn't wasteful, and being able to "configure" how it appears is a nice touch. The cameras (with latest firmware updates) are much improved over launch samples I saw and took... very pleased with how they've turned out.
I'm mixed on the Power button returning to the side button. I had a love hate with it being combined with thumbprint on V30/V35... it made screenshots harder to take, and it made turning the device off challenging. That said, having it separate on the side has proven challenging to unlearn, lol.
I have asked them about making the Assistant button configurable to default assistant rather than Google. So far they haven't, but I still hope they will. I guess my final verdict is... it's the perfect hardware for ME, but there's still some software tweaks that I want.

I have had the V30 since lauch and its still great. I have not (yet) rooted it but happy about the option to do so when/if I choose to. One thing I noticed on the specs for the V40 is the USB is 2.0 vs 3.1 like on the V30? Did this actually go backwards? I never really seen a technology spec revert way back. It would seem like something as simple/common as USB would at least be the same as the V30??

banshee28 said:
I have had the V30 since lauch and its still great. I have not (yet) rooted it but happy about the option to do so when/if I choose to. One thing I noticed on the specs for the V40 is the USB is 2.0 vs 3.1 like on the V30? Did this actually go backwards? I never really seen a technology spec revert way back. It would seem like something as simple/common as USB would at least be the same as the V30??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is USB Type - C 2.0 (3.1 compatible) from everything I have read and it transfer super fast via USB to and from my laptop. Transferred a 50 minute video from my laptop to my phone in less than a minute along with 2 other videos.
So my assumption is USB Type - C 2.0 is second generation and it is 3.1 for USB connectivity.

truckerdewd said:
It is USB Type - C 2.0 (3.1 compatible) from everything I have read and it transfer super fast via USB to and from my laptop. Transferred a 50 minute video from my laptop to my phone in less than a minute along with 2 other videos.
So my assumption is USB Type - C 2.0 is second generation and it is 3.1 for USB connectivity l.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, thanks that explains it! Now I see the difference. Not sure if the phone itself is worth the upgrade still, but its very nice that the USB does seem like an upgrade.

Guyinlaca said:
Let me start by saying I use a Note 9 as my personal phone and LG V35 ThinQ as my work phone. I've been really impressed with the features of the V35 and the smoothness of the interface. Naturally I was curious to see how it compares to the V40 so I did some hands on comparison.
The good changes are 5 cameras instead of 3, Android 8.1 instead of 8.0, power button on the right side rather than back.
As for what's the same with the V35 and V40, Snapdragon 845, 6 GB RAM, 3300 mAh battery, cool Aurora Black color with blue reflection and overall software skin. The screen is excellent on both (fixed after V30)
What I don't care for is the taller, more narrow aspect ratio of the V40. Sure it may be 6.4 inches instead of 6.0 inches, but if you factor in the notch and the narrower screen with noticeably larger side bezels, it doesn't look bigger. The off center speaker was an odd design choice given that the two front cameras could have gone on opposite sides.
The V40 felt premium in hand, just as the V35 does, but I didn't find there to be any upgrades that made the V40 enticing. It feels like LG missed the opportunity for a bigger battery, stereo speakers, software upgrades, or something else to distinguish it. Most camera enthusiasts will probably get the Pixel 3 XL or Note 9 over this.
Bottom line is if you're buying a phone outright, I'd say the V35 ThinQ is a much better value. You're getting almost everything in a smaller form factor, with no notch. If you're looking for carrier financing, the V40 is a great phone, but I'd have trouble recommending it as it faces tough competition from the OnePlus 6T, Note 9 and even S9+. It's already $200 off and likely will get cheaper during the holidays. Save your money and get the V35 ThinQ, OnePlus 6T, S9+, or go all in for the Note 9.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
V35 and V40 and very similar but I choose the V40 for whatever reason. I do like the V40 tho so not disappointed. Actually liking it more than my Note 9.
The notch isn't bad like the pixel XL 3 or iPhones. And in reallity makes it the same size as the V35 when playing videos and such. Unlike XS the notch doesn't get in the way of videos and games

Anyone know how to update a V35 its been unlocked not on AT&T so I never have got ANY update?

Some Guys 24-Hour Review: Nokia 9 Pureview

PURPOSE
So 1st and foremost, the plan here is to give you my first 24-Hours experience with the Nokia 9 PureView compared to some other recent flagship phones I have tried. Granted, I have only used the Nokia 9 for about 24-Hours now and can say I have yet to fully break it in to find everything that may or may not be right / wrong with it. However, this will be a unbiased look and comparison. I'm neither a fanboy or sheep. No brand affiliation. Not a programmer either, just a pro-sumer Senior Member of XDA willing to get trolled, flamed, etc. for sharing a look at this phone. Hopefully, I can give "the everyday guy / gal look" without getting bogged down in stats, variables or benchmarks. Here goes...
MY BACKGROUND
No one special. Just a guy that likes the latest tech... phones being at the top of the list. I am a nerd. No doubt about that. I think anyone that knows about XDA probably is to some extent. No brand loyalty. I have had the privilege to try out the following phones:
1. Samsung S10 128GB / 8GB
2. Google Pixel 3 XL
3. Xiaomi Mi 9 Global Version 64GB / 6GB
4. iPhone XS Max
5. Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro Transparent Global
And probably some more, but these are the most recent. Does that make me qualified to make a review... Maybe. It does make me an idiot that likes new phones, though. I am always looking for something that meets my needs but also is a good phone. Currently with TMobile but have been with ATT, Verizon & Sprint at some point 20 years of using cell phones.
MY NEEDS
I drive about 45 miles each way everyday to work (yes, my work week is currently 7 days a week with a few occasional days off). So, with this in mind and where I drive. I need the minimum requirements:
1. Can Stream Music
2. Android Auto / Apple CarPlay Compatible w/ My 2018 Honda
3. An equalizer of some sort since I have only switch out my new cars speakers for better ones and don't plan on changing or adding a better sound system.
4. Decent pictures when needed
5. Relatively not laggy - will sometimes do some ROM-ing or some customization but since I tend to get rid of the phones quickly I try not to void warranties or make it too non-stock
THE COMPARISON
I am looking at my experience with the Nokia 9 and the other flagships under/around these requirements and some normal stuff like battery, screen, snappiness, camera & software. Here goes:
BATTERY
This has been a hot topic as of late as the larger phones continue to dominate this field (duh... larger phone mean more room for larger battery), however 3340 - 3800 mAh batteries seemed to be the "standard" for phones the size of the Nokia 9. During setup, from 100%, I tortured it setting up all my apps from scratch while on AC-wireless connection... then after all the app downloading, logging apps in and setting up further. I would say a good 5 to 6 hours of heavy use on Wifi drained it to 56% battery... decent performance given the amount of hammering on it I was doing. If normal day away from home is 12 hours with normal use, I feel it goes the distance... Is it a battery champ like the iPhone XS Max, no. Is it one of the better phones in its group like the S10 and Xiaomi Mi 9... you bet. I feel Android One has everything to do with it... More on Android One later.
SCREEN
At a 5.99" OLED at 18:9 aspect, I do feel that the forehead and chin on the phone is a little circa 2017 - 2018. With that said, I do feel it is more pleasant than "Mein Fuhrer" mustache going on with the Pixel XL 3... so much so I had to toggle no notchiness in the developer settings. The "Little Mac" swing and a miss punch out on the Samsung S10 is definitely not my cup of tea ... I found it annoying for one and the fact that they have graphics to swirl around it to make that much more noticeable is even more unsettling. As for the actual screen itself, the colors, brightness and clarity is awesome albeit small especially if you toggle down the screen size in settings... with that, it is a little difficult to manage photos properly with the size of screen. Not impossible but it can try your patience... but the screen itself is definitely better than the Xiaomi Phones and the Pixel 3 XL... the S10 still has the nicest screen but Samsung is getting me annoyed with the continue elongation of the phone... soon it will have a 76:5 aspect ratio... and will look like a Hershey Bar... btw Samsung, don't take design cues from a candy bar company... just sayin'
THE FINGERPRINT SCANNER
Probably the most controversial item on the Nokia 9. Yes it is not great.... I would place it below the scanner in the S10 & Xiaomi Mi 9 but better than the Mi 8.... Pixel 3 XL , you don't count with your don't rock the boat rear sensor... which of course is super fast. Honestly, this tech is not ready for prime time on any of these phones. The S10 comes with a plastic screen protector that makes it hard at first to register the scanner. I felt like I pressing my finger through the display. It did start working decently at about a 90% success rate, after programming fingers a few different time. The Nokia 9 is definitely 75% at best with just one scan of each of my thumbs... as mentioned in different threads, going to add a second scan of each thumb to see of that improves... I feel though that Nokia HMD will patch it to make it slightly better. With facial recognition available, although not as secure, helps for getting into the phone and really the finger print is only needed for the different apps requiring. There's a learning curve for sure to get it to work well but the same goes for the S10... Definitely, not the "deal breaker" everyone's trying to paint... it's the price of new technology
SOFTWARE
Android One to me, besides the Pixel 3 XL and the iPhone XS Max, is in a class of android that Samsung and Xiaomi can't touch. Vanilla Stock Android (for the most part) is a breath of fresh air. Everyone is creaming in their pants that One UI is so much better TouchWiz for Samsung. When your yardstick is the garbage that was TouchJizz, saying One UI is better without qualifying it further is not a great state of affairs. I personally did not find it "that much better" and was immediately looking to replace the launcher with the pixel launcher or similar iteration immediately. I feel as soon as they take away the google assistant screen to the left on the homepage, its a failure... that's of course is a personal preference. Bixby blows... kill him/her off Samsung... and have Bixby take Siri with them... Google Assistant, the swipe left news screen should NEVER be removed... if it happens, then google and android lose a customer for life... just saying... can't wait for timely security updates that will never come to Samsung. Xiaomi on their own do a great job to update. not much to say about their interface other than like most Xiaomi phones... notifications can sometimes be a pain to get to work right due to aggressive battery savings. Xiaomi also does not have the assistant screen to the left :crying: replaced easily with pixel launcher... the S10 was not as easy... could not just use pixel launcher from apkmirror and had to buy action launcher to mimic. The experience of as close to vanilla android on the pixel 3 xl and the nokia 9 just can't be touched. The 6GB phone rocking the 845 performs IMO better than the 855 8GB S10. Even the Xiaomi Mi 9 feels faster than the S10, 845 or 855.
CAMERA
Ok, camera... or as you all know cameras when speaking about any of these phones except you, you "one-eyed monster" pixel 3 xl. Although I haven't put it through the regiment of use cases, The Pentacular camera explosion that is the Nokia 9 is something I'm digging. If your looking for a point and shoot and send master class phone, get the iPhone 8 XS Max, Google Pixel 3 XL or the Xiaomi Mi 9 in that order. For me, Samsung always supposedly has good cameras in their phones but being a person that went to photography school, shot professionally and still cares about the pictures they take... the software non-sense that the S10 does with pixel smoothing, HDR, etc., etc. makes everything no genuine. The other phones too suffer from this at times as well. Don't get me wrong... Night Shot on the Pixel 3 XL is a feet of software magic... quite frankly, google needs to share this tech with other OEMs to make the sustainability of Android that much better. But if your looking for a genuine picture with great image detail and the ability to adjust in-box, the Nokia 9 excels. Yes, you pay for it in processing time. Are you going to want to take this phone to Monaco to caught a F1 car in motion... hell no, but if you want on par caliber shots with a DSLR with RAW Images on outdoor, standard to semi-low light situations... I don't believe there's a camera that compares... for the price... and that leads to...
VALUE FOR YOUR DOLLAR
Although not the cheapest phone, at $600 USD (pre-sale pricing, $700 now), you get a lot of phone for the dollar. The only better value is you just want to go the point, shoot and send route is the Xiaomi Mi 9 at about $530 USD. As always, Samsung at over $800 is not worth it. Not worth it for camera, not worth it for software, design, etc. Samsung Pay to me is the only thing Samsung uniquely has that I wish every phone did. The Pixel 3 XL which I was able to get around $550 was a good value too, but is barely worth it north of $600 buying new. Yes it has the best single shooting camera of practically any phone in its class, but I feel it doesn't run as smoothly as the Nokia 9 with the extra 2GB RAM increase. Of course, Apple cost to value is in a different class... yes the phone is $1100... but you'll also be able to probably sell it in 2 years for $600 as well. Try that with an android phone and you'll get laughed at that it retains 60% value after 2 years. The Nokia 9 packs the right amount of stuff to make it a great value IMO. It would be a slam dunk of course if it had a SD 855 as opposed to 845 but it would be probably $100 more expensive without adding much value. Android One is wonderful and a great choice. Wireless charging (OnePlus, you can't add wireless charging, are you just dumb or what at this point?) The 5 cameras is a great gimmick and works as advertised. Everyone expecting the world out of a $600 phone... it has a better camera then phones $200 - $500 more than what it costs. Can you shoot in a pitch black room... no? Why are you? You creep... you spying on me... it is a little weird
OVERALL
The Nokia 9 is not the phone for everyone. It's the phone for a person that want great value in a phone capable of taking amazingly detailed photos in its price category. Can you point, shoot, send... sometimes. Does the fingerprint reader work ok? Sometimes. Is it a phone pushing some new hardware envelopes in a cost affordable package? Always! The fingerprint reader hate is just that... hate without a 100% justification. Is it an annoyance, it can be... does it overshadow the value of this phone for those of us wanting more from their phone cameras, absolutely not. It is also by no means cutting edge on design... but it doesn't have to be sporting 5 cameras... chins and foreheads are nice when done tastefully (look at Angelina Jolie... maybe not 2019 Angelina maybe circa 2005 Angelina :highfive: ) It not an ugly phone is all I'm saying. Can the big boys in the cell phone game learn something from the once dominate Nokia (actually HMD) is that innovation is needed to remain relevant... think if Apple put 5 cameras on its next phone (would never happen) but what if it did. They'd be like "The Job-biness is Back at Apple" "Apple, the innovators again" and a multitude of other stupid headlines. Lets face it, this phone has a gimmick, a fairly great one but gimmick nonetheless. Will it catch on? Is it years ahead of its time? It just maybe. As always, this is just Some Guys 24-hour Opinion....... :good:

Great first 24 hour impressions

Camera question
Thanks for the review, mine arrives March 18 and looking forward to the camera. The processing time has been mentioned all over the place but I am still unclear as to whether the processing time prevents you from taking the next shot. For example, I would most likely always shoot raw with the full depth turned on. I am more interested in being able to take the next exposure quickly than looking at the last shot on the phone's screen. So, wondering how quickly one can take the next shot.
Thanks!

jhw61032 said:
Thanks for the review, mine arrives March 18 and looking forward to the camera. The processing time has been mentioned all over the place but I am still unclear as to whether the processing time prevents you from taking the next shot. For example, I would most likely always shoot raw with the full depth turned on. I am more interested in being able to take the next exposure quickly than looking at the last shot on the phone's screen. So, wondering how quickly one can take the next shot.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From experience it doesn't keep you from taking the next shot... I haven't done it with say more than 2 or 3 shots though... don't know how far it will let you go and tell you it can't process anymore. The processing is not unbearable either.... its just kids nowadays, if it isn't ready in 1.5 seconds, time to troll Nokia on a phone that is at least trying to change things up.... :victory:

Con me out of selling my 6T.

So, I landed a 6T for a steal. I wasn't even in the market to replace my G6 (US997, rooted), but here I am.
As of right now, the only distinct advantages the 6T has over the LG G6 are:
Pie
Far smoother operation
Larger screen
Infinitely better aftermarket support (roms etc)
The G6 has my heart in:
Power button being on the back (Yes, I know I'll get used to the side button again).
SD Card Slot (I have a 256gb collecting dust now)
Pixel density
Quick Charge
Always On Display
Integrated headphone jack (although I rarely use my wired headphones anymore)
And right now, I'm on the fence:
Call quality (seems to be a wash)
Display clarity (wash again, despite the pixel density)
and the biggest thing to me, is the camera. I know I'm missing the wide angle from the G6. But is it just me, or is the camera just sort of meh on the 6T?
It seems to charge very slow when not connected to the included charger (which I can't seem to find in stock anywhere?)
I landed it with a case and screen protector for 350. I know I can sell it for that or maybe even up to 400. But I'm not sure I want to. I want to love this thing. It feels so nice in my hand. The battery on it is as big as a freakin car battery. It's more modern than my G6, has better specs. Is definitely faster.
So tell me, what do I do here?

I sorta did the same. My previous phone was a G6. In my case that phone I got it basically for free when I renewed my contract.
LG G6
I hated the fact that I could not root it (in my country that model is bootloader locked).
I loved its camera, but the glass on top of it it's real trash because it scratched in a month or so even with a case and TLC.
I hated the battery not lasting more than 2 hours screen on time.
I hated the button and FP on the back.
I hated the OS, stuttered and most of all, bloated (more of a carrier problem than a phone problem I know).
I hated being stuck on an older Android version.
I hated the screen because I got some screen burn-in issues, but fortunately with no permanent damage (reversible).
I too used it with a 200GB memory card, but the horrible management of the 4GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage meant that I was constantly running out of space. Even if you move apps to external storage, some huge chunks of data remain internally.
I was on the fence between getting the Huawei P20 Pro or the OP6T, and I decided to try the OP6T with 8GM RAM and 256GB Storage and boy o boy, I can't complain at all!
OnePlus 6T
The sheer speed of this phone is amazing! In all these years with Android (I started in 2007) I have never enjoyed a phone this much!
I love the fact that I'm always getting more than 7 hours screen on time with extensive use!
I love the tiny camera notch!
This phone is stupid FAAAAASTTTT!!!
And the fast charge on the OP6T is far FAR superior to that on the LGG6. Every morning I charge my OP6T while getting ready for work and about 40-45 minutes later is already at 100%. No more leaving the phone on my nightstand charging overnight!
OxygenOS is simply the best Android iteration ever created!
OnePlus Android updates and beta program is amazing!
So freaking easy to root.
OnePlus community is awesome (not that xda forums are not cool, but you get my point).
The huge RAM and Storage makes it future proof for many years to come if I desire to keep it that long.
Last but not least, the on-screen fingerprint scanner is a great conversation starter and wow factor. (mine works flawlessly)
This is simply no fair comparison, the LG G6 feels dated in comparison.
I don't miss the audio jack because I'm always listening over Bluetooth.
I don't miss the higher DPI because the OP6T screen despite having less DPI looks stunning!
I don't miss the external storage option on the LGG6
I don't miss the wide angle lens on the main camera, but I do miss the wide angle lens on the front camera.
This is my experience so far!
Cheers mate!

sell it; I'll give you 50 bucks for it

aNGERY said:
So, I landed a 6T for a steal. I wasn't even in the market to replace my G6 (US997, rooted), but here I am.
As of right now, the only distinct advantages the 6T has over the LG G6 are:
Pie
Far smoother operation
Larger screen
Infinitely better aftermarket support (roms etc)
The G6 has my heart in:
Power button being on the back (Yes, I know I'll get used to the side button again).
SD Card Slot (I have a 256gb collecting dust now)
Pixel density
Quick Charge
Always On Display
Integrated headphone jack (although I rarely use my wired headphones anymore)
And right now, I'm on the fence:
Call quality (seems to be a wash)
Display clarity (wash again, despite the pixel density)
and the biggest thing to me, is the camera. I know I'm missing the wide angle from the G6. But is it just me, or is the camera just sort of meh on the 6T?
It seems to charge very slow when not connected to the included charger (which I can't seem to find in stock anywhere?)
I landed it with a case and screen protector for 350. I know I can sell it for that or maybe even up to 400. But I'm not sure I want to. I want to love this thing. It feels so nice in my hand. The battery on it is as big as a freakin car battery. It's more modern than my G6, has better specs. Is definitely faster.
So tell me, what do I do here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G6 has your heart with Quick charge? The OnePlus 6T is one of the fastest charging phones there is.

lg sucks i own 2 still but UI is slow they mess a kernel up don't support developers less everything that's like pulling out the old Razer phone

aNGERY said:
So, I landed a 6T for a steal. I wasn't even in the market to replace my G6 (US997, rooted), but here I am.
As of right now, the only distinct advantages the 6T has over the LG G6 are:
Pie
Far smoother operation
Larger screen
Infinitely better aftermarket support (roms etc)
The G6 has my heart in:
Power button being on the back (Yes, I know I'll get used to the side button again).
SD Card Slot (I have a 256gb collecting dust now)
Pixel density
Quick Charge
Always On Display
Integrated headphone jack (although I rarely use my wired headphones anymore)
And right now, I'm on the fence:
Call quality (seems to be a wash)
Display clarity (wash again, despite the pixel density)
and the biggest thing to me, is the camera. I know I'm missing the wide angle from the G6. But is it just me, or is the camera just sort of meh on the 6T?
It seems to charge very slow when not connected to the included charger (which I can't seem to find in stock anywhere?)
I landed it with a case and screen protector for 350. I know I can sell it for that or maybe even up to 400. But I'm not sure I want to. I want to love this thing. It feels so nice in my hand. The battery on it is as big as a freakin car battery. It's more modern than my G6, has better specs. Is definitely faster.
So tell me, what do I do here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LG G6 a lot slower.
Snapdragon 821 vs Snapdragon 845.
Not even in the same league. 6 month old phone vs almost two year old phone.
I had an LG G6 and traded it for an Essential PH-1.
Sold the Essential when the 6T came out and have not looked back.
The 6T is just a better all around phone.
The 6T is dual SIM which made it a no brainer for me. I was carrying a work phone and a personal phone.
I carry one phone now.

I don't have 2 sims, but I don't disagree about the hardware being superior. I actually wiped the phone last night, put my sim in my G6, and about an hour later, I started setting up the 6T again. I'm on it now.
I'm not going to make any hasty decisions. Probably will give this thing a week.
As I type this, the biggest thing to adapt to is the SD card slot being absent.
Am I being too hard on the camera?

G6 is garbage

If 6T it's slow or seems slow, format the phone or do a MSM tool.
Yes the camera is maybe the cheapest..., but in daylight take good pictures. At night not so good. For camera you can try Google cam.

Reuben_skelz92 said:
G6 is garbage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compared to a 6T it is.

For camera, try the Pixel camera. See separate thread.

aNGERY said:
I don't have 2 sims, but I don't disagree about the hardware being superior. I actually wiped the phone last night, put my sim in my G6, and about an hour later, I started setting up the 6T again. I'm on it now.
I'm not going to make any hasty decisions. Probably will give this thing a week.
As I type this, the biggest thing to adapt to is the SD card slot being absent.
Am I being too hard on the camera?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also came from the G6. I do miss the wide angle camera and the overall photo quality from the G6. Also was a fan of water resistance rating, mil-spec drop rating, and the power button/fingerprint sensor on the back. The G6 really felt good in the hand, but the performance difference between it and my 6T are night and day. I don't think I could go back to the G6 from a performance standpoint.

I think you should sell it.
However, having someone else decided what phone you use will never end well.

Only thing that bothers me about the phone is that fp doesn't work on custom ROMs wich combined with the bad ram management on stock oos is kinda annoying.
About the camera. I find it rather inconsistent. Sometimes i get pretty good shots and sometimes they are just lousy. Anyway it's a tiny phone cam and as such it simply suffers physical limitations.

Sell it!

You paid for it.

tet-bundy said:
Only thing that bothers me about the phone is that fp doesn't work on custom ROMs wich combined with the bad ram management on stock oos is kinda annoying.
About the camera. I find it rather inconsistent. Sometimes i get pretty good shots and sometimes they are just lousy. Anyway it's a tiny phone cam and as such it simply suffers physical limitations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bad RAM management?
Do you have a 6GB device?

I'm reading through this post on my g6 while I let the 6t sit and try to figure out what's giving me wakelocks.
This thing is tiny and slow in comparison lol. I'm glad I'm giving it another go. Appreciate the opinions.

Reasons why I buy OP phones
Nearly native Android experience
Always rootable - I will not touch a phone I can't put Adaway on
Fast updates - almost as fast as the Pixels
Battery that lasts and lasts
Price/performance that can't be beat
Things that could be better
Camera is definitely a meh. Shutter delay is notable and limiting for anything but static scenes. Auto WB is way out of wack in anything but mid day blue sky conditions, and even setting WB manually leaves you with funky casts. This is particularly troublesome with skin tones, where your choice is between a "boiled shrimp" and "jaundice sickness" appearance. I don't use the camera for anything other than utilitarian purposes so this is a don't care, but if my phone was my primary camera I would definitely think twice.
Designs are somewhat bland, but this is probably partly how they keep the price as low as it is. I could not care less, as long as the formfactor is right. Which it is.

tech_head said:
Bad RAM management?
Do you have a 6GB device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
8 GB

Question Defective S23/S23+ main lens

Dears,
As some of you might already know, most of S23 and S23+ units, besides bad camera software, very bad photo quality because of the software, have also defective main camera lens. I noticed the issue after my testing period of this crap device expired and I am not able to return it anymore. I have taken few dozens of shots recently with GCam and this defect is too prominent to ignore, not mentioning the inability to shot documents, notes, invoices, etc.
The problem is well described here: https://www.sammobile.com/news/galaxy-s23-camera-hardware-issue/
Thing is that in many countries (mine included), Samsung is trying to make people dumb, explaining this issue by a "feature" of big sensors, which is - of course - a bull****.
Samsung in Italy has reportedly acknowledged the issue and is slowly admitting that there is a hardware defect they are willing to repair: https://www.hdblog.it/smartphone/articoli/n568223/galaxy-s23-foto-problema/
Has any of you tried to make Samsung Service replace the faulty sensor? Have the service in your country been trying to tell you the bull**** about the lens characteristics and refuse the repair?

Looks like it's optical; the lense has an odd blur pattern...
All lens have blurring ie lense blur chart. It varies throughout the image. Its preferable the image is the sharpest at the center. More blur tends to happen towards the outer areas and preferably in an even pattern rather than specific spots.
This blur seems excessive though. A lense defect is what it looks like to me.
The sensor needs to be perfectly flat otherwise areas will be out of focus. If this is the case it's a gross QC oversight.

Yes, it is optical, it is a defect.
Thing is that Samsung employees are telling the bull**** and insist that's a natural bokeh caused by sensor size and they refuse repair. This is sick and that's why I wonder if this is country-specific trick to try making customers dumb or Samsung strategy for the problem.

chetszot said:
Yes, it is optical, it is a defect.
Thing is that Samsung employees are telling the bull**** and insist that's a natural bokeh caused by sensor size and they refuse repair. This is sick and that's why I wonder if this is country-specific trick to try making customers dumb or Samsung strategy for the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bokeh? Do they even know what that is?
I be ripping them to shreds...

I feel cheated paid more than 900 euro for a device, because I decided to buy of the best flagships. I could as well kept using Poco F3 with Gcam. The other day spend like 10 minutes trying to capture photo of a sick leave document to send to my employer, it was always blurry in the top left corner, so I learned that I should click focus top left corner and worked. Everyone should speak up about this problem.

I have successfully contacted my local Samsung Service.
They "have heard" something about the faulty lens and they offered a repair, but this repair would take over 2 weeks, because local services are not yet allowed to perform any service operations on S23 series. This is about to be changed late May and this is when I will try to contact them again to have my lens replaced. Hopefully for a working one.
Bad news is that the employee I was talking with was not certain if the replacement camera units they have will be free of the issue xD
I just can't believe this crap has ever been released.

Has this been fixed yet? Just bought a 256GB S23, kinda sad to see this in the forum right when I spend 800€ on it

I also bought the S23 256GB version when it got released and I don't have that problem on any pic I take. So it seems that not all units are effected.

It happens when I take picture of pages. But taking normal pictures it doesn't bother me.
Anyway, it is big drawback of this phone. Samsung silent just confirms that the problem exists.

My S23+ is the same, we have to push and show everyone interested in the S23 that they have problems and that Samsung does not admit, it is completely frustrating for a device of this price and to have worse camera performance than my S10e.

xDontStarve said:
Has this been fixed yet? Just bought a 256GB S23, kinda sad to see this in the forum right when I spend 800€ on it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
News?

if i want to buy a new s23 what do i look for to avoid th defective lens?

Samsung addressing this problem!?? Don't know
Samsung finally confirms blurry S23, S23 Plus cameras, says a fix is coming
Samsung has confirmed a so-called banana blur issue affecting Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus cameras, adding that a fix is coming.
www.androidauthority.com

amk316 said:
if i want to buy a new s23 what do i look for to avoid th defective lens?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Test the camera using the main lens shooting a document, look for a curved blurry path, mine has it

With Samsung claiming it's a software thing, everyone will have it. Some people are just more sensitive to noticing it.
I have it as well, but in all honestly, I never barely ever make a picture of something closer than 50cm away.
All other pictures look perfectly fine.

Me Gusta said:
With Samsung claiming it's a software thing, everyone will have it. Some people are just more sensitive to noticing it.
I have it as well, but in all honestly, I never barely ever make a picture of something closer than 50cm away.
All other pictures look perfectly fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's hardware. Either the sensor or lense.
If so will Sammy try to cover it up with AI?
Time will tell, test revision with a random printed document...
Either way Samsung has gone overboard with their AI enhancement bs.
Another reason this 5002 mAh phone gets poor SOT in spite of its more efficient ram and what should be a more efficient SOC.
That also means a warmer running device that will run hot in ambient 100°F temperatures.

blackhawk said:
I think it's hardware. Either the sensor or lense.
If so will Sammy try to cover it up with AI?
Time will tell, test revision with a random printed document...
Either way Samsung has gone overboard with their AI enhancement bs.
Another reason this 5002 mAh phone gets poor SOT in spite of its more efficient ram and what should be a more efficient SOC.
That also means a warmer running device that will run hot in ambient 100°F temperatures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I do feel like Samsung is trying to play off the camera issues as a software thing. I'm doubtful it is as well.
Furthermore, the battery life of the S23 is great. I'm not sure what you're talking about here. The Snapdragon gen2 performs great, and quite frankly, I barely ever have to charge it before going to bed.

Me Gusta said:
Yeah I do feel like Samsung is trying to play off the camera issues as a software thing. I'm doubtful it is as well.
Furthermore, the battery life of the S23 is great. I'm not sure what you're talking about here. The Snapdragon gen2 performs great, and quite frankly, I barely ever have to charge it before going to bed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Specifically if the S23U is optimized what kind of SOT can it get?
My N10+ with a new battery (4100-4300 mAh) will get a 11-13 hrs SOT. Browsing with Brave uses about 6% @hr total with display brightness around 27-30%*.
With the larger 5002 mAh battery I would expect to see 14-16 hrs SOT if running nonstop if optimized similarly with 5G off and display fixed at 60hz.
Most (any?) aren't seeing this. Worse Samsung's removal of expandable storage will force many to use cloud storage which uses a lot of battery. Instead of becoming more efficient Samsung just keeps putting in bigger batteries. 4300 mAh was about as large as you want go otherwise the phone gets thicker and worse heavier. These are already hard hitting devices when dropped, that extra 30gm hurts. Samsung's solution? Give it more bezel The N10+ still has the best display to bezel ratio after almost 4 years. wtf Samsung?
Google Android didn't help any either by fully implementing cpu cycle sucking scoped storage.
Any gains Google made in efficiency elsewhere is wiped out by scoped storage. That also forced Samsung to add dozens of new small system apps to try to preserve UI functionality and appearance. What a mess.
*Optimized: wifi disabled but internet and phone always on.
Tap on AOD. Playstore, Google backup Transport and Framework disabled. Google play Services normally temporarily disabled. All global power management disabled. All carrier, app, Google and Samsung feedback disabled. And little bixby is so disabled.

I used Xperia 5 II before taking a document from main camera (24mm F1.7), the outer words always blur (can say MUST blur). But no problem if use zoom lens (70mm F2.4) but need to pull out my device from object, then the whole page are clear. I think this is the nature of main camera (cannot take an object too close).
Not only documents, when I took pictures of a dish of food, the food at the center was clear, but the edge of dish and out side were blur. So if I want entire picture clear, I usually use 70mm lens. This will look a bit strange when I took picture in restaurant.
This is my experience of using Xperia device. I am not sure about other device except I am currently using S23 coming the same issue. Therefore, I don't think it is len defect, it is how you use a smartphone to take suitable photos.