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[Q] Z1 a good buy?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I appreciate your help guys, thanks a million

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

All the Reviews - Share your thoughts

I can't see any other thread covering reviews on the Huawei P10 Plus at the moment.
My review will come soon but in the meantime my wife is using the phone and penned her thoughts along with some camera shots. She is not a tech person so she does get candid sometimes on her views
https://gavinsgadgets.com/2017/04/29/huawei-p10-plus-first-impressions-and-camera-samples/

Surprised nobody else has added any other reviews yet.
Anyway here's mine. I also included a comparison with the P10 to P10 Plus in terms of specs. Any questions just ask.
https://gavinsgadgets.com/2017/05/0...iew-with-the-new-upgraded-leica-rear-cameras/

I will put my 2p worth in.
I came from an LG G4. I was an LG fan for a long time until they started being funny with who got what on the new phone's.
So. I came to the p10 plus. Has everything I'm looking for. Big battery. Massive onboard storage and a great camera.
So far I am very impressed. Battery life is still settling down so can't really comment on it at the no but it seems to be lasting a day with about 4hrs sot and that's most of the day on a poor 4g signal.
I expect it to improve once I have a play with APS and settings etc.
The phone is quick. No lags at all. Plays all the games I can throw at it with ease.
The camera is lovely. Really really nice. It proper impressed me. Even though I managed to smash the glass covering the lenses. (I walked into the corner of a steel table at work) I am still getting great images.
It is a tad bigger than the G4. That being said; it is so thin it is very easy to use one handed.
The UI I really like. I find it straight forward to use and actually quite pleasing on the eyes.
I have opted to use the finger print scanner as my nav keys.
Took 30 mins to get used to it and I love it.
Finger print scanner is as fast as a fast thing on a fast day out.
Binned the head phones that came in the box as I have my own preferred set. Music is crisp and clear and big. Perfect. In fact the only way to get music on Poweramp to sound better would be with Viper4android.
Anyway. That's just some ramblings from an LG convert.
Need to now find a replacement rear glass lol.

bagedntaged said:
I will put my 2p worth in.
I came from an LG G4. I was an LG fan for a long time until they started being funny with who got what on the new phone's.
So. I came to the p10 plus. Has everything I'm looking for. Big battery. Massive onboard storage and a great camera.
So far I am very impressed. Battery life is still settling down so can't really comment on it at the no but it seems to be lasting a day with about 4hrs sot and that's most of the day on a poor 4g signal.
I expect it to improve once I have a play with APS and settings etc.
The phone is quick. No lags at all. Plays all the games I can throw at it with ease.
The camera is lovely. Really really nice. It proper impressed me. Even though I managed to smash the glass covering the lenses. (I walked into the corner of a steel table at work) I am still getting great images.
It is a tad bigger than the G4. That being said; it is so thin it is very easy to use one handed.
The UI I really like. I find it straight forward to use and actually quite pleasing on the eyes.
I have opted to use the finger print scanner as my nav keys.
Took 30 mins to get used to it and I love it.
Finger print scanner is as fast as a fast thing on a fast day out.
Binned the head phones that came in the box as I have my own preferred set. Music is crisp and clear and big. Perfect. In fact the only way to get music on Poweramp to sound better would be with Viper4android.
Anyway. That's just some ramblings from an LG convert.
Need to now find a replacement rear glass lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a great summary. Thanks for sharing.

My thoughts after a little over 1 week of full use:
Battery
I've been happy with it overall in the very short term - with very limited SOT usage, I've usually got ~70% battery life when I'm hope at 6-7pm at night after taking off charge at 7am. I have read degradation of Huawei batteries is more 'evident' than other brands and the battery length may drop fairly quick, but I'll wait until that happens. My only concern is the battery drains a little too easy when is basic sleep/standby mode if there's pending icon notifications/LED flashes.
Size/Screen/Resolution:
I've moved over from the LG v20 with a 5.5" TFT 2K display, which is the same for this device. The body design is much smaller compared to the LG v20 despite the same screen(5.5"), so its much more comfortable in hand. Using the Huawei supplied clear case makes the phone, in my opinion, fairly slippery with its rounded edges. The diamond cut finish is very nice (I've got the champagne gold version), but blemishes, if you have oily fingers 9etc) will still show up outside of fingerprints and smudges that are otherwise hidden. Just throw on a clear RINGKE FUSION case and be done with it! I can't really see any difference in the LG and Huawei 2K displays; would've preferred AMOLED, but I believe the icons/colours/resolution as just as crisp, so no real complaints.
LED notification light:
This was a highly attractive feature to come back to for Huawei, but the LED light is FAR TOO SMALL. Even behind a front-facing white panel, some colours don't come through properly when using a 3rd party app like lightflow. The 'always on' is not 'always on' rather is a very VERY slow flashing over a period of time. There is DEFINATELY a "happy medium" they could reach between their Mate 9/P10 Plus LED and the Blackberry Bold LED's in my opinion...a very useful feature.
Infrared:
Another great feature to have in a smartphone as a universal remote replacement. It works flawlessly. Even if you can't find your device in the list of pre-programmed devices, you can teach the IR as it has an inbuilt sensor of its own to learn and program specific keystrokes from your other IR remotes.
Camera:
First I'll say this: I've had two dozen smart phones in the last 7 years and say that each branded camera iteration across all brands ALWAYS has a big 'pro' with 1 or more 'cons'. Iphone 6/7's take some of the better still images with accurate colour reproduction and crisp details; despite its low MP rating and aperture. LG probably has the best video-rendering ability when taking FHD video (or at least from the LG G4 and v20 when I tested) and most other branded cameras EITHER excel in low light but suffer around clarity/crispness in details regular daylight photography, or vice versa - which is where the P10+ sits. The camera is nice in well-lit areas, but really struggled with 'grain' and excessive ISO in low light. I've yet to test much of the video to provide a review on that. Just accept every phone - MP/aperture aside, is going to have something great about it, but also something it does very poorly compared to the competition.
EMUI 5.1:
I'm new to Huawei with both the Mate 9 and P10 Plus. is there a difference between 5.0 and 5.1? I don't really notice it. Didn't take much 'getting used to' coming from a mostly android background. I did have to change the settings to APP DRAWER as a preference as well as removing the fingerprint sensor as a preference for swipe/back/home etc, as that's just foolish. I prefer the softkeys, but that's just me.
Loudspeaker and Call Qaulity
The loudspeaker is too quiet...and even at low volume settings, there's too much noise or speaker vibration, probably one of the worst loudspeakers I've used in recent memory. However, the audio split over 2 speakers actually reproduces quite well and the 3.5mm audio jack with basic headphones works as expected, nothing special. Call quality is also not worth much of a mention. It's very clear, I don't really notice anything negative about it...nor should I, this is supposed to be a high-end flagship
Internal storage speeds, Benchmarks and 6GM RAM
Sorry guys I'm not much of a benchmarker myself. So...if it takes an extra 2.1 seconds (or whatever) for the same data file to copy over USB or transfer between SD to internal storage vs a competitor phone etc, I really don't care. Yes, it sucked to learn Huawei cut corners on the internal storage with EXTREMELY poor quality control measures, but I've not had a problem with my phone and copying data to/from the device. I've also not really much of a speed/reactional/buffer difference when playing games from a 6GB RAM phone to a 4GB RAM phone using the same chipset. You'd have to be a very VERY high-end demanding user with 20-30 apps open simultaneously to see the real benefit of have 6GB memory, as I certainly can't see it.
Happy to take any questions or do some basic tests. I'm currently using the B126 latest software updated with an unlocked bootloader and TWRP installed. I have NOT rooted the phone yet, as there's NO point until I can get full system access.
RoOSTA

I just HAVE to ask!

It appears that to the vast majority of modern day uber mobiles that the camera is the most important factor?
I notice that some are actually going to change from the SGS8+ to the Note 8 'just' for the camera?
Cards on the table. I know next to zero regarding photography and very very seldom, if ever, use the camera on my mobile. I find the most attractive extra as sound production however...
Can some of you camera experts inform me how a pocket camera compares in quality of picture to the Note 8?
I would think, I don't know, that my Canon DSLR produces better photographs? How would my little pocket Sony camera compare?
Just how good is the quality of pictures produced by the Note 8 (also the SGS8+ that I own)? Is it just a matter of convenience or do these new mobiles produce truly 'good' photo's?
Thanks for your replies.
Ryland

The S8+ takes amazing pictures. I haven't bought a good real camera for about 6 or 7 years, but I am sure it still takes superior pictures to the best smartphone cameras. But it is bulky, easily broken (ex dropped it a week after I bought it and broke the lcd display on the back although you can still see through the cracks enough to use it) and a PITA to carry around. So I have little need personally for an actual camera. It was $850 to boot and I wish I had never bought it.
The Note 8 and it's dual rear cameras are a definite step up from the S8+. The S8+ has a GREAT camera, low light especially. But the dual shooters in the rear are very, very nice from all accounts on the Note 8. If I can actually get $425 for my Note 7 on trade in from Sammy for the Note 8 I will get the Note 8 and sell my S8+. Otherwise I will not take a 400 to 500 dollar beating to switch from my S8+ - which is a very nice phone - to the Note 8. I do miss the S Pen and a bit bigger screen is always nice. I am a tad concerned about going down in battery size - the S8+ has a 3500 mah battery and smaller display, the Note 8 has a 3300 mah battery and a bit larger display.
Anyway, IMO, the camera upgrade alone is not enough for me to switch. The trade in of $425 for my Note 7 would be enough IF I can actually get $425 from Samsung for my Note 7.

Dipends on what that "pocket camera" is, if it's an m4/3 like the Olympus OM-D or even the Canon EOS-M. i don't think Note 8 can compete with those cameras. But if it's like those small Sony "Point and Shoot" cameras, it does stand a chance of being at par if not beating the picture quality of what the Note 8 can produce.
The f1.7 lens is a huge plus because of it's lowlight capabilities and of course the bokeh effect (where the subject in front is focused and the background is somehow blurred). from what i've seen Note 8 also has an Optical Zoom which is waaaaay better than digital zoom IMO.
All in all i think it will be a great move even if you're coming from the S8+, aside from the camera, the S-Pen can offer a looooot of things that will be helpful for productivities (and picture editing too! haha)

I have Canon DSLR and it does have little better picture quality, but: I don't carry my DSLR with me unless I specifically plan to take a lot of pictures and I have my phone with me all the time. Also in good light, which is most of the time I take pictures, it's hard to tell difference. My S8 is as fast at focusing as my DSLR, S8 have higher FPS for action photos, takes better video in higher resolution (4k) than my DSLR. In other words I use S8 camera most of the time, even if I have my DSLR and use Canon only for specific type of shooting (night, portrait and zoom). Note 8 has the same cam as S8 plus x2 zoom, so better bokeh, but for portrait and telephoto DSLR it is still much better, for everything else I prefer phone, if only for it's size. In my case it's not the cam I'm upgrading from S8 to Note 8, since addition of x2 zoom won't improve capabilities over S8 that much, it's the pen and I suspect it's similar with many others.

Thank you all for your kind and informative replies. I appreciate your time.
One point. Whats a "Bokeh"?
Ryland

the camera is important but it just depends on what your gonna do with the pictures...most will just share on social or just look at them on there phone..i havent seen a bad picture since i had a nextel flip phone.
for me the s-pen is the main selling point and of course the size of the unit

I would say the camera features are not important to the "uber mobiles" as you describe but more like the last item that can truly be updated / differentiated on a device for maximum upsurge with minimum cost.
That's all vendors have left to try and create hype for the next flagship.

Quote:
One point. Whats a "Bokeh"?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh

Should I Buy?

I've been considering getting a new phone for a while now as my S8's battery life has fallen off a cliff and the screen also has a minor crack.
My Xperia Z3 is probably my favourite phone I've ever had and I've always been tempted by going back to Sony. I've heard some brilliant things regarding the screen but wondered if anyone could tell me what the camera and battery life are like on this phone? The S8 has a very good camera and I would want something that is at least on a par with that.
I'm toying with the idea of getting this or waiting until April for the P20 Pro's successor. Would really appreciate any user opinions of the XZ3 to help inform my decision.*

I've used the phone for two days now (so not too much time) but battery seems to be great! Had 60% left after my day (with relatively light usage: messaging, an hour or two of youtube a few calls). The camera is not special though. With good lighting the shots are really good, but performance drops fast with lower light (even compared to my previous phone a Nexus 6P). I would check out some camera reviews as I haven't had that much time.
Oh and btw the thing I was most scared about, the fingerprint scanner placement, isn't really a problem now I have it. It's not as cramped as it looks to reach it.

Battery life is great, camera is mediocre. The screen is also great, and the fingerprint reader placement is surprisingly ergonomic. The phone is way too slippery though, and will slide & fall off any surface that isn't perfectly level. The curved screen edges are nice in that they give you a sense that there are no bezels, but in practice when faced head-on, there is a viewing angle effect where the edges are darker than the rest of the screen, which is pretty annoying. Android Pie is great and the skin is almost purely AOSP as we've gotten used to with Sony, although there are the usual suspects with a locked boot loader and no root where certain notifications can't be dismissed and other annoyances like apps that you can't uninstall but only "disable" (I call this "Microsoft syndrome").

The battery life is pretty much at par with the other flagships. Around 6-7 hrs SoT with medium to heavy usage. The camera is good, however there's a very annoying lens flare present. It was mentioned also in one of the reviews on YouTube. Lowlight photos IMO are great. Clean, and definitely does not have the "oil painting" effect.
Screen is super great. I upgraded from the XZP, so it's a huge difference from the IPS display on it.
The phone is indeed slippery, so you might want to throw a case on it.

Check out my full "observations" after 2 days with Camera Images over at Android Central Forums:
https://forums.androidcentral.com/sony-xperia-xz3/921989-i-own-xz3-any-questions.html#post6393260
Ide be interested what you think of the images... Sorry theyre in jpeg

Just an FYI... I just ordered mine from Clove, headed for me here in the states. The Clove price in USD is about $100 less than I can get here, AND it includes the Sony BT speaker.

Question How will the S21 Ultra camera stack up compared to Pixel 5?

Last summer I purchased an Xperia 1 II which I really liked for a lot of reasons - the screen, form factor and feel were all great. Unfortunately, the camera was not up to much and really struggled in low light conditions as well as capturing moving objects. As a camera is one of the top priorities for me in a phone, I made the switch and got the Pixel 5. The camera on the Pixel is brilliant and I am happy enough with the phone for now but the small screen and medium-range specs are definitely a shame.
Having seen some brilliant reviews of the S21 Ultra, my interest has been piqued and I am considering pre-ordering. I am also conscious though that reviews often don't really give a thorough, in-depth review of camera capabilities in different everyday situations (often just focusing on headline specs and flashy new features). Having read the S20 Ultra forum, I noticed a lot of negativity around autofocus, images in low light conditions, images of moving subjects and video quality. This goes back a way but having previously had S6 & S7, I thought the cameras were OK but often a little unnatural/beautified.
Does the S21 Ultra appear to be rectifying these issues and will the camera/video quality be on a par with the likes of Pixel 5 & iPhone 12 Pro Max? For the price of the phone, I would really expect it to be very top end.

It is hard to tell as this is something that very few reviewers focus on, people and pets in mixed light remains Samsung’s kryponite and it is clearly not a hardware issue.
The Pixel sensor is showing it’s age a little but still if I want to pick up a phone take a picture and be confident I’ll get a decent shot then I would currently only really trust the Pixels and iPhone 11/12 line.

Tmel14 said:
Last summer I purchased an Xperia 1 II which I really liked for a lot of reasons - the screen, form factor and feel were all great. Unfortunately, the camera was not up to much and really struggled in low light conditions as well as capturing moving objects. As a camera is one of the top priorities for me in a phone, I made the switch and got the Pixel 5. The camera on the Pixel is brilliant and I am happy enough with the phone for now but the small screen and medium-range specs are definitely a shame.
Having seen some brilliant reviews of the S21 Ultra, my interest has been piqued and I am considering pre-ordering. I am also conscious though that reviews often don't really give a thorough, in-depth review of camera capabilities in different everyday situations (often just focusing on headline specs and flashy new features). Having read the S20 Ultra forum, I noticed a lot of negativity around autofocus, images in low light conditions, images of moving subjects and video quality. This goes back a way but having previously had S6 & S7, I thought the cameras were OK but often a little unnatural/beautified.
Does the S21 Ultra appear to be rectifying these issues and will the camera/video quality be on a par with the likes of Pixel 5 & iPhone 12 Pro Max? For the price of the phone, I would really expect it to be very top end.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Over all it feels me pixel 5 is still
King

I am particularly interested to know how the portrait mode stacks up as this is something I use a lot and has been a real flaw in previous Samsungs. It's going to be a key factor in my decision between S21 Ultra vs Pro Max 12...