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Yesterday I received my Samsung Galaxy S6 Active. I've been on the fence about getting one, especially since I have the S5 Active. There didn't seem to be enough of a difference to switch, but I figured I could get it and return it if I didn't like it. Well so far I really like it. Here are items that are making the switch worth while:
Camera - The camera is awesome! Fast and takes great pictures (although the S5 Active does take great pictures also.).
No port covers - It was very nice not having to open the cover every time I need to plug in the USB.
Themes - This is really cool. I didn't have to add anything to install a theme and it's complete. Pretty much everything is themed. The Avengers theme is pretty sweet.
Wireless charging - Although I haven't tried it yet, I'm getting a charging pad as soon as I decide that I'm keeping it.
Some downsides (although I'm good with them):
No micro sd card slot - This one, I can go either way with. I have always added an sd card to any device that had a slot for in case I needed it. So far, I haven't had a time that I actually had to have one. With cloud services and a data connection pretty much everywhere I go, I'm ok with it. Also, I keep a thumb drive with a micro usb connector on it with me most of the time in case I need it.
No removable battery - Again, I can go either way with it. It's nice to just pull the battery on lockups, but that's about it for me. I'm not too worried about switching it out, I normally don't keep the phone long enough for the battery to go bad.
I'm not sure about the battery life yet, but so far so good. After 7.5 hours of medium to heavy use, I'm at 81%.
All in all, I'm pretty happy with it so far.
One week update.
I'm keeping the S6 Active.
The phone is solid and feels good in the hand. The "newer" TouchWiz is ok, but I prefer to use Nova Launcher and the cool thing is that the themes work with it. Again, the camera is outstanding! The battery life is really good. Today I used the phone quite a bit and after 9 hours I'm at 68%. I did notice the occasional lag, but I cleared the cache and it seems to be a lot better.
So, after two weeks with the S6 Active, it's going back to AT&T. There are problems with the touchscreen, especially on the right side. Swiping and scrolling on the right side lags and sometimes dosen't work. There are some issues with using it in water: The dock connected notification pops up when it gets water in the charging port. After the phone was wet, audio from the ear piece and the speaker was really low for about an hour. The phone would not transfer data with a usb cable, even after 8 hours of being dry. It would charge, but not transfer data (I did try 2 different cables and it worked fine with my S5 Active).
Also, earlier today, I had the phone in my pocket and heard it stating that it was going into "VR mode", the screen went black and I could not use the phone. I tried restarting the phone by holding the power and volume down buttons, but it would go back to the black screen when it would reboot. It wasn't until I plugged in a usb cable to try and backup the phone that it started working again.
At this point, I am back to my S5 Active and I'll decide over the weekend whether to exchange the phone or just return.
Sent from my SM-P605V using Tapatalk
Samsung really screwed up removing the port covers.
Disagree completely!
Port covers are just something that breaks causing the phone to fail. Just a matter of common sense to dry your phone off before plugging it in!
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk
Picked mine up Saturday. Got 5 hours SOT the first day. Gonna hammer the usage today and see how much I have left after 6 hours SOT. Pretty sweet device so far. If it had 64GB of storage, it would be about the best phone I have used in a while!
Sent from my S6 Active!
I completely agree! I used my S6 Active in fresh and salt water this weekend and had no unexpected issues at all.
Once submerged, while recording, the audio was distorted until I blew into the mic sharply to clear off the water. Completely expected and unpreventable and a non-issue.
I may have gotten a bad phone. I blew out the ports and waited at least an hour before plugging it in and still had problems with it. I will probably exchange it later today or tomorrow. I contemplated returning it, but I really did like it before the problems.
I went from an N5 to an Active and I like it, but the new update seems to shoot out the "Connected to Dock" a lot and that is very annoying considering it stops you from doing anything at that moment. It'll just pop up like 20 times in a row.
TommyStarwind said:
I went from an N5 to an Active and I like it, but the new update seems to shoot out the "Connected to Dock" a lot and that is very annoying considering it stops you from doing anything at that moment. It'll just pop up like 20 times in a row.
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What are you doing when that pop up comes up? I have the latest update and haven't seen anything like that on my S6 Active.
MarineSSGT0629 said:
What are you doing when that pop up comes up? I have the latest update and haven't seen anything like that on my S6 Active.
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It'll just pop up randomly, but when it does it isn't just once. Even restarting the phone doesn't get it to go away. It hasn't done it for a few hours. I'll have issues with it charging and it'll say that with the fast charger. I have a regular usb plugged into it right now and have zero issues. I was however in the pool with it on Saturday to play with the camera underwater. Pocketnow's review on the phone mentions the same thing, but theirs went away after 30 mins.
http://pocketnow.com/2015/06/23/galaxy-s6-active-review
"Take the phone out of the water and you’re bound to see a flickering notification at the top of the screen informing you that the “dock is connected” – an error that doesn’t seem confined to waterproof Samsungs. Considering how long this bug has been around, it’s disappointing that Samsung didn’t correct it before releasing such a supposedly rugged smartphone. Fortunately, the fix is relatively easy: just take a deep breath and blow some air into the USB port like it’s an old Nintendo cartridge, then leave it in front of a fan to dry."
I just picked my active up yesterday. I really really love the phone and the camera and the waterproofing. I had an s6 edge but I was sold a financed (unlocked tmobile) phone without my knowledgd. I really miss the capacitive buttons and the fingerprint reader, as well as the bottom facing speaker. But still an amazing phone. I almost wonder if I should exchange for the leather back g4 though... I'm very Conflicted... what do you guys think? Stick with the active? Or try the g4? (I only get one exchanhe)
I went a head and exchanged mine instead of returning it. This ones to run smoother, the screen seems to be working properly. I did the latest update, but I don't see any difference yet.
Craleb said:
I just picked my active up yesterday. I really really love the phone and the camera and the waterproofing. I had an s6 edge but I was sold a financed (unlocked tmobile) phone without my knowledgd. I really miss the capacitive buttons and the fingerprint reader, as well as the bottom facing speaker. But still an amazing phone. I almost wonder if I should exchange for the leather back g4 though... I'm very Conflicted... what do you guys think? Stick with the active? Or try the g4? (I only get one exchanhe)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want the waterproofing, you will have to stick with the Active.
The s6 active is the best Samsung phone out right now...it's battery is a beast and it's tough as nails...love it!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using XDA Free mobile app
Kindly Vote for root...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/xda-assist/root-samsung-galaxy-s6-active-sm-g890a-t3257656
I have a nickname for this phone: "Perfect" ? that's how great this phone is in my opinion, still waiting for root though to unleash the beast.
Still missing battery and SD card access not because I really need them (yet) but not having access to all your phone's hardware and software features it feels like the phone is not your property entirely.
Things that impressed me so far are build quality, great grip, screen is amazing making reading and video rendering a pleasant experience, sound quality for calls is great too, not so impressive for music play on speaker or aux on car speakers but good with headphones, pretty fast CPU and RAM, battery life is an improvement I was waiting for for years but missing solar charge (still waiting for this technology to be implemented in smartphones), wireless charging is not my thing because it takes too long.
And of course being a "not bent friendly" device is like having wild berries instead of... you know what ?
Finally, they've listened and the price has been dropped. This price is exclusive to T-MOBILE though!
yep, just got mine last night, so far so good
Do you still get the projector mod free at that price?
Shaffer678 said:
Do you still get the projector mod free at that price?
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Yep, submitted my request last night. Better get it, one of the bigger reasons I got this phone. Don't think Moto can do anything when a carrier drops their price, you know
Just got me second one still haven't got my first projector
joemossjr said:
Just got me second one still haven't got my first projector
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kinda wish they would let you choose your mod, i would rather have the Hasselblad camera over the projector
I'm definitely pulling the trigger at the end of the week. A price drop was all that I was waiting on.
Tmobile will adjust the price too if still within your 14 days, just did that today.
Midnight_Rider said:
kinda wish they would let you choose your mod, i would rather have the Hasselblad camera over the projector
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I work for TMobile and got all the mods free as well as the phone being the brand ambassador of Motorola. Pony up for it, it's sick.
Got the deal with 2 days left for the projector mod promo submitted my proof so no idea if i will every use the projector but seems cool anyway.
Just bought mine......so far no complaints. Will definitely root this joint later
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
JodyBreeze901 said:
Just bought mine......so far no complaints. Will definitely root this joint later
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Click to collapse
It's a beautiful device. I have NO regrets whatsoever! I'm rooted and loving it!
Picked mine up a few days ago. The screen scratches very easily:crying: Does anyone know of a good screen protector on Amazon? Other then that it is an excellent phone The performance is great as well as the battery life especially considering the small battery.
I picked up a few of these, for the family and I am working my way through the device. Battery life is great, BUT I think some CPU throttling is going, by Lenovo design--- as my device renders websites, forum threads (xda labs/Tapatalk) VERY slow. Tidal streaming take 20-30 seconds to buffer the first song in HiFi mode. This is very different than any of my other Samsung, LG,Sony phones on the same network, same plan, same city etc. The CPU and 4GB ram should not be this slow, especially when the phone transitions from app to app quickly and scrolling is very fast.
Screen is great at the $500 price, the DPI should be 480 out the box though. 640 is far to big. Also with the huge bezels, they should have made the navbar smaller, directly above the huge lower bezel. Or just capacitive buttons in the huge bottom bezel, like old Samsung devices. It should not be big ole navbar, mated to a big ole bezel [emoji38]
The music/podcast speaker output is awesome for such a thin device and only one speaker. The phone call speaker output is subpar, though.
The button placement is great, but I keep wanting to use the Motorola circle on the back as the finger print sensor [emoji38]. Its in the PERFECT rear position where my fingers sits when holding the phone rt handed.
The audio out dongle is ok, but the noise floor is pretty bad ( for those music based). It works, but this is NOT a multimedia device if that is your focus. Some background hissing, and electronic background noise, almost like a ground issue in the port. I am using some pretty sensitive iems though. If you are using $20 dollar headphones, doubt you would mind.
Bluetooth strength is good, but this output also suffers from the slight interruptions, here and there. Just small minute sound buckling, not full on stopping the songs. It's as if the phone falls out of range for a millisecond. Again I think this is a software background ram/cpu management design.
Also the notifications (silent or sound on mode), interrupt music pretty hard. That's another reason I think the software is throttling the cpu's pretty hard.
Great job TMobile for the unlocked bootloader with a US snapdragon. This may be the only option for rooting a USA 835 CPU based device.
Rooting Kills the warranty though, So I may not root my other devices. As I found out last night, even if you RELOCK the bootloader, the first screen still notifies you of a different OS. Basically no way to return to TMobile for a warranty fix, if something does fail. Early adopters might want to wait a bit to see if a Dev can mask the unlock/relock black screen back to full stock.
Signal strength is great, in my area. The size (slimness) and weight (super light) feel of the phone is amazing for all that's in this phone.
Camera loads fast, images are just OK, but the auto focus speed it good. Not great, just good.
This is basically a OnePlus 5, without the bubble scrolling issue [emoji38].
Back to enjoying a great, low priced, high spec option. Couple this with the projector mod/free offer, this is an AWESOME deal.
vibraniumdroid said:
Picked mine up a few days ago. The screen scratches very easily:crying: Does anyone know of a good screen protector on Amazon? Other then that it is an excellent phone The performance is great as well as the battery life especially considering the small battery.
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Click to collapse
any screen protector is better than none. i was gonna get a glass one but saw this 8 pack so grab it, im pretty careful will my phones (knocks on wood)
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B071LQHCM5/
---------- Post added at 05:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:10 PM ----------
Amd4life said:
I picked up a few of these, for the family and I am working my way through the device. Battery life is great, BUT I think some CPU throttling is going, by Lenovo design--- as my device renders websites, forum threads (xda labs/Tapatalk) VERY slow. Tidal streaming take 20-30 seconds to buffer the first song in HiFi mode. This is very different than any of my other Samsung, LG,Sony phones on the same network, same plan, same city etc. The CPU and 4GB ram should not be this slow, especially when the phone transitions from app to app quickly and scrolling is very fast.
Screen is great at the $500 price, the DPI should be 480 out the box though. 640 is far to big. Also with the huge bezels, they should have made the navbar smaller, directly above the huge lower bezel. Or just capacitive buttons in the huge bottom bezel, like old Samsung devices. It should not be big ole navbar, mated to a big ole bezel [emoji38]
The music/podcast speaker output is awesome for such a thin device and only one speaker. The phone call speaker output is subpar, though.
The button placement is great, but I keep wanting to use the Motorola circle on the back as the finger print sensor [emoji38]. Its in the PERFECT rear position where my fingers sits when holding the phone rt handed.
The audio out dongle is ok, but the noise floor is pretty bad ( for those music based). It works, but this is NOT a multimedia device if that is your focus. Some background hissing, and electronic background noise, almost like a ground issue in the port. I am using some pretty sensitive iems though. If you are using $20 dollar headphones, doubt you would mind.
Bluetooth strength is good, but this output also suffers from the slight interruptions, here and there. Just small minute sound buckling, not full on stopping the songs. It's as if the phone falls out of range for a millisecond. Again I think this is a software background ram/cpu management design.
Also the notifications (silent or sound on mode), interrupt music pretty hard. That's another reason I think the software is throttling the cpu's pretty hard.
Great job TMobile for the unlocked bootloader with a US snapdragon. This may be the only option for rooting a USA 835 CPU based device.
Rooting Kills the warranty though, So I may not root my other devices. As I found out last night, even if you RELOCK the bootloader, the first screen still notifies you of a different OS. Basically no way to return to TMobile for a warranty fix, if something does fail. Early adopters might want to wait a bit to see if a Dev can mask the unlock/relock black screen back to full stock.
Signal strength is great, in my area. The size (slimness) and weight (super light) feel of the phone is amazing for all that's in this phone.
Camera loads fast, images are just OK, but the auto focus speed it good. Not great, just good.
This is basically a OnePlus 5, without the bubble scrolling issue [emoji38].
Back to enjoying a great, low priced, high spec option. Couple this with the projector mod/free offer, this is an AWESOME deal.
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Click to collapse
tl;dr
most of the things you are complaining or pointing out can and just might be updated or fixed in a custom rom (cpu, speaker output, audio, bluetooth, camera)
my dpi was set at 360 out of the box and can be changed in Developer options/Smallest width
when you get an unlock code from Motorola it states that by just getting the code you void the warranty so yeah, we know that going in
people put too much in the bezel thing, sure an edge to edge screen is cool, but not a game changer (for me anyways). i was gonna get an LG G6 or V30 simply for the fact that both phones are almost the exact same size as my G4 but with a bigger screen. it was basically the price drop and the free projector that pulled me over to the Z2 Force, plus when i tried the camera and saw how fast it was, that helped too
@Midnight_Rider
That protector has very bad ratings do you know of any other one?
vibraniumdroid said:
@Midnight_Rider
That protector has very bad ratings do you know of any other one?
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Click to collapse
really? it has 3 reviews, 2 of them are 5 stars and 1 is 1 star cause the guy didnt like the fact that it did not cover the entire screen. i wouldnt call that "very bad ratings"
search Amazon or google, im sure you can find one that suits you
The Verizon Flexible Glass Display Protector is the best.
I had last years version on my Moto Z Force Droid on Verizon and it never had an issue.
I have this year's version on my T-Mobile Moto Z2 Force and it works great.
I actually am on my 3rd Z2. First one was pre-ordered and would not connect to voice mail so Tmo replaced it.
2nd one was fine other than the texting issue on Tmo, but I fell for the hype and Jumped to the Note 8.
A week and a half later I jumped back to the Z2 Force and got it for $500
I could kick myself for not waiting to get this until T-Mobile dropped the price. :/
The one thing that's really impressed me with this phone is the battery life, given the smaller (compared with the last Z2) nonremovable battery.
pgg285 said:
I could kick myself for not waiting to get this until T-Mobile dropped the price. :/
The one thing that's really impressed me with this phone is the battery life, given the smaller (compared with the last Z2) nonremovable battery.
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Click to collapse
how long ago did you get yours? 2 years ago when i got an LG G4, they dropped the price like this 2 months after i bought it, went back to the store and while they did not give me the full discount, they did give me $80 bucks off, reduced my number of payments by 4 months
I have received the ZTE Axon M and currently using it. Fire away any questions. Still trying to figure out how to post pics
When you’ve used it for a few days maybe you can give an indication of what the battery life is like.
automatisms said:
When you’ve used it for a few days maybe you can give an indication of what the battery life is like.
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Click to collapse
I also have the Axon M, and I can say that it at least has better battery life than the Note 8. I took both phones off the chargers at 9pm (Nov. 8th) when I woke up to get ready for work. By the time I got home from work at 7am (Nov. 9th), my Note 8 was at about 77%, and my Axon M was at 82%. While at work, I streamed music to my bluetooth headphones on the Note 8, and used my Axon M to read a Kindle book and surf Facebook during my two 15 minute breaks, and my hour lunch. I still haven't put either phone on the charger yet, and it is midnight (Nov. 10th). Note 8 is at 52%, Axon M is at 76%
I've had mine for a week now and can give some impressions. Have used it exclusively and set aside my S8. Battery life is very good as long as you don't use the dual screens all day long which is what I end up doing. It's very hard to go back to a single screen as the extra real estate is very nice. While battery life isn't stellar, if I see it drop under 40% I keep it on one screen only. Good news is it recharges very fast! At least as fast if not faster than the S8.
Using the dual screens: I almost always use it in one large screen format. The middle gap can be. Little annoying but it's so much easier to type (doing that now) and navigate web pages. For emulators it's pretty rad as I dedicate the entire bottom screen to act as a touchscreen pad.
The dedicated media button or TV now button can be changed but I use it for DirecTV now. I tried using TiVo with two screens but sadly the media always pauses when touching the other screen so it's frustrating.
Two big problems with this phone are the camera, which is just not great compared to the S8. The other big problem is scratching. I know this is gorilla glass 5 and I have babied this thing, but got a minor stuff on the back bezel (not on screen). I had to cut out some cheapo screen protectors while waiting for skinomi skins and next month! For glass protectors. If I keep the phone I will be swapping it out wit attached for a new one.
I ordered the axon m case from ZTE as well. Last issue and my fellow M owners can help in this, when accepting a phone call the audio on the headset doesn't work until I switch to speaker, then I can toggle back to earpiece. Think it's a little bug they need to patch.
All in all a great phone. Makes me want a truly folding oled screen but I am likely to keep this.
johnnobts said:
For emulators it's pretty rad as I dedicate the entire bottom screen to act as a touchscreen pad.
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How did you get emulators to work with using the two screens as one big screen? I tried two different ds emulators, and both said that the app wasn't optimized and disabled the second screen.
Under settings you can force all apps to run extended mode (a). Then run emmulators in portrait mode and adjust screen size to half and half. Easy
johnnobts said:
Under settings you can force all apps to run extended mode (a). Then run emmulators in portrait mode and adjust screen size to half and half. Easy
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Click to collapse
somehow I swear that option wasn't there before. I only saw the option to force support for dual mode. Now the option to force support for extended mode randomly decided to show up.
How easy or difficult would it be to unlock this phone for use outside the USA?
Flavio said:
How easy or difficult would it be to unlock this phone for use outside the USA?
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Extremely easy. If you're not an AT&T customer, you can unlock the phone for free on their website. They email you a code within 2 days.
johnnobts said:
I ordered the axon m case from ZTE as well. Last issue and my fellow M owners can help in this, when accepting a phone call the audio on the headset doesn't work until I switch to speaker, then I can toggle back to earpiece. Think it's a little bug they need to patch.
All in all a great phone. Makes me want a truly folding oled screen but I am likely to keep this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The case doesn't work very well for me and I hate the glass screen protectors. I think I'm going to try and have it wrapped in that plastic at the mall. ? As far as the issue with the speaker, I have that happen too but my brother does not on his axon m. I think it only happens when I have the Bluetooth on. When I turn off the Bluetooth I don't have a pro lemme with the speaker.
Is your phone running Oreo? I have mine coming in the mail hopefully it'll run the update. People claim to have Oreo on this site but I don't see any videos/images of one running Oreo and working
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Samsung galaxy note 20 ultra
Yes this is great phone i already using it great company
So far I have to say this phone is on its way to becoming the New GOAT. Build quality is stellar, i don't mind the camera bump, small sacrifice for a better shooter. Plus I always rest my finger against it. But that being said, it's pretty much the perfect phone IMO.
The display, the smoothness, the cameras. If I can get 6h + SOT on top of that it'll definitely become my GOAT Samsung phone. Dethroning the Note 7 who dethroned the Galaxy S4 Google play edition but I digress.
I don't see myself moving to another phone any time soon.
Sent from my SM-N986W using XDA Labs
Initial thoughts after final setup:
Going from a A20 ultra to a Note 20 ultra, I think this phone just looks and might even perform better. The feel in the hand, the fingerprint reader, everything seems to run smoother. I'm loving it so far.
My main concern is the battery life with heavy use. I've tweaked the settings a bit, so I guess I will have a better idea after a few days of use. But so far so good! :good:
I just received and configured my Note 20 Ultra. It's so similiar to Note 10+ but faster. Software looks almost the same. I already have 1 software update with security patch from 1st of August
edit: what is annoying is that pen is from the other side it's inconviniet if you are using right hand to operate and hold your phon in your left hand
It's an incredible phone. So much smaller than my first mobile phone 35 years ago. How far we have come since Palm first put a PDA and mobile into the same unit. Luv, Luv, Luv.
PS. The Beans are wonderful. So nice to not have a bud sticking into my ear canal.
PPS. Now I have to wait all over again for my Tab S7+.
advocate2 said:
It's an incredible phone. So much smaller than my first mobile phone 35 years ago. How far we have come since Palm first put a PDA and mobile into the same unit. Luv, Luv, Luv.
PS. The Beans are wonderful. So nice to not have a bud sticking into my ear canal.
PPS. Now I have to wait all over again for my Tab S7+.
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Click to collapse
Lol, I remember those. My first phone was a brick phone with a battery that lasted an hour if you were lucky, and a hand calculator sized screen. Times have changed indeed. It's amazing.
a Lefty's dream!
duchian said:
I just received and configured my Note 20 Ultra. It's so similiar to Note 10+ but faster. Software looks almost the same. I already have 1 software update with security patch from 1st of August
edit: what is annoying is that pen is from the other side it's inconviniet if you are using right hand to operate and hold your phon in your left hand
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have waited on the Note series for a while. What finally took my commitment was finding out the s pen is on the left. As a lefty, this is the most convenient placement I can imagine.
Anticipate that the placement will change back to the right in the next iteration after feedback from rightys.
If the s-pen was on the right, it would be perfect. Fingerprint scanner is brilliant now, screen is unreal, battery life is phenomenal, speed is beyond belief... Perfection. Good luck topping this, Samsung
Love this phone! It's definitely my favorite phone ever. It just barely beats my love for the OnePlus 8 Pro. I like the form factor of this phone better with less display curves. Plus all the tons of software features. However the colors and brightness on the OnePlus 8 Pro are better.
AndroidPurity said:
Love this phone! It's definitely my favorite phone ever. It just barely beats my love for the OnePlus 8 Pro. I like the form factor of this phone better with less display curves. Plus all the tons of software features. However the colors and brightness on the OnePlus 8 Pro are better.
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Click to collapse
Can you elaborate further on the brightness? Everything I've read says the Note 20 Ultra has a brighter screen than the OnePlus 8 Pro, and the rated nits value is quite a bit higher. It might only go up to highest brightness in adaptive mode and being outside? IDK, but you're the first person I've seen say this.
Roland Deschain said:
Can you elaborate further on the brightness? Everything I've read says the Note 20 Ultra has a brighter screen than the OnePlus 8 Pro, and the rated nits value is quite a bit higher. It might only go up to highest brightness in adaptive mode and being outside? IDK, but you're the first person I've seen say this.
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==========================
This is the best way I have of describing my N20U screen brightness.
On a no cloud sunny day, I can take my phone out and see the screen perfectly. No more having to turn to use my body for shade and my hand to see the screen.
I am 69 with mild Adult onset Macular Degeneration. This phone is fantastic for me with auto brightness enabled.
I hope that helps.
duchian said:
edit: what is annoying is that pen is from the other side it's inconviniet if you are using right hand to operate and hold your phon in your left hand
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Click to collapse
Couldn't agree more. After owning note 2,3,4,7,8, and 9 with the pen on the right it will take some getting used to.
Battery life is also a bit meh coming from a Poco F2 Pro but it's good enough to get me to the end of the day so I can live with it.
Apart from those two factors I love this thing. Even at 60hz the screen is very bright and vibrant. It's very responsive, plenty quick enough for day to day tasks, and I've got the inferior Exynos model since that's all my country gets.
Camera is also beast. Low light isn't quite as good as my P30 Pro but it's still pretty impressive compared to a lot of smart phones out there. One thing it does have over the p30 is that it's much faster to grab focus so much better for quick snaps.
great phone, super screen, great that the diagonal has become larger, very convenient !!!
I bought note 20 ultra it is most bs phone i ever use it
No complaint in the overall experience
I've had Note 1, Note 3, S7, S10+ and now N20U from HK with Snapdragon. I've only had it two days, but I'm very happy with the phone. Big £ savings vs UK Exynos are icing and a cherry on top of the cake.
Having pre ordered the phone and having used Notes 3,4,7, 8 and now the 20 Utra 5G with 512gb internal storage; I wanted to wait to make a judgement call but I can say while there are things I like about the phone, I don't think it is what I expected and I am done with Samsung products.
I mean they have tried un-successfully to get rid of the micro sd card slot so then they go after the head phone jack. They skimp on the 120Hz display at full resolution. I mean there are a number of things for a flag ship $1549 phone that just say crap. I was interested in a watch and a tab s7 also. but that isn't going to happen.
I've owned a number of Samsung devices in the past, including Notes 8 and 9 as well as an S10e provided by my company. The Note 9 is, to me, an icon and the last no holds barred, everything but the kitchen sink, no compromises, Note. I do a lot of mobile photography and have always gravitated toward devices that had impressive camera/audio/video capabilities as well as feature-filled in other areas. I wanted to get my hands on the Note 20 Ultra but wasn't willing to relinquish my still pristine Note 9 for the pre-order trade in discount. So I waited for the software problems to get sorted out and the prices to come down. I regularly scanned the Offer Up and Swappa websites until I was able to a factory unlocked 512GB model from a good seller at a great price. This device is a juggernaut of power, form, function, features and fun. I found it not to be too much larger than my Note 9 which fits oh so nicely in hand in its Caseoloy Paraxell case. The camera and video set up is a mobile photographer's dream. I've utilized Google Pixel software apks (GCam) on all of my devices going back to my LG V20 and the stock cameras work so well that I have found no need to port one this time out. This is just overall a top notch piece of tech that does so many things and does them well. It is a quality, powerful, feature-filled piece of technology that will fulfill your needs, whether it's mobile photography, work productivity or content consumption/creation and everything in between. I'm glad I added it to my lineup.
Hardware is great ! With a few greed related exceptions, ( Like Non-Removable Battery, No Audio Port,etc... ) Scamsung's Locked Bluetooth codec really burns my ars !
It could Do/Be so much more/better if they would just fix the Hardware/Firmware lockdown BS.
Coming from a Rooted Note3, this is a really bad experience trying to do anything with this thing, Nothing works without agreeing to some sort of sketchy user agreement. No one is making any usable apps any more, Most of the Best Developers have quit bothering with Android. Even simple widgets don't even work anymore
I DO NOT OWN this over priced phone, They Do ! And they do/steal what ever they want to/from it !
They forced Assdroid 11 in the middle of the night with a corrupt image, I was forced to send it back to them to get it re-flashed. Now None of the apps I was using on version 10 will work on ver. 11.
I will NEVER buy another assdroid, scamsung again. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone either.
Sad that almost all the hardware/software makers are using these creepy/greedy tactics to spy,steal & dictate what you should do. No other choices out there any more ...
Soon you will have to log in just to wipe your ass ! & they Will be counting your turds.
So after spending the afternoon looking over my pixel 7 and setting it up I thought I would share a few thoughts.
I have had a number of larger phones over the years so the pixel 7 is smaller than what I am used to, I wanted a smaller size though as I had had enough of my "larger" phone.
I bought the Obsidian black version and all I will say is it is a massive fingerprint magnet, also it is one slippery bugger! More so than any other phone I have had, so a case for it is a priority.
There are a few of what I would call glitches, when turning the phone on from sleep the bottom third of the screen seems very faded before normalising, is that by design? I don't know.
Also talking of the screen it seems very dull, even at full brightness.
When putting the phone to sleep and then placing it on my wireless Google charger it wakes the phone back up the show the charging details and also the time date - The time date though are not how I had it set up, they are miss aligned - is there a setting to turn this off that I have missed somewhere? (I'm not talking about the always on display - I have that turned off)
Also the charging animations... wtf! Horrible! is there a way to turn that mess off?
So what are your first thoughts/initial impressions of your Pixel 7?
Anything little bugs/glitches that annoy you?
Anything you wish you could change?
Please share your thoughts below.
Good review! Kudos
I'm in wait and watch mode on the 7, since I had early issues with the 6 Pro...
Cheers
Unpacked, switched phone on, entered wifi data, wifi connects, wifi disconnects ...
Asked for a rma
Good start for me so far
galaxys said:
Good review! Kudos
I'm in wait and watch mode on the 7, since I had early issues with the 6 Pro...
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had issues with the 6pro as well, bought it direct from Google the day after release.
Had multiple issues with it and Google said they thought I had a defective unit and to send it back to them and they would replace it.
However no replacement showed up and they then just refunded me.
After that little fiasco I went and bought a S21+ which is the phone I was using until today.
Maddinx said:
Unpacked, switched phone on, entered wifi data, wifi connects, wifi disconnects ...
Asked for a rma
Good start for me so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not so good
Overall I am happy with it, no major issues.
1. Face unlock seems slightly worse than the Oneplus 7T from 2019. Maybe I am mistaken as it has been a while since I used the Oneplus.
2. My screen protector doesn't make contact on the left top edge, I tried applying two. Not sure if it's the protector or phone screen. It is perfectly centered.
3. For some reason it can take a second or two to load after clicking the settings app shortcut in the quick settings menu.
4. Have had some reproducible touch sensitivity issues. Again, not sure if protector or phone but I did enable screen protector mode. Didn't have this issue with the P6.
5. Once again I have to manually force high refresh rate for Snapchat and some other apps.
6. Not sure if this is the case with the Pixel 6, but Snapchat is taking a picture of the viewfinder. Looks absolutely horrible in low light without the Gcam processing.
7. The unlock animation does not look high refresh rate.
It almost feels like I am dropping more frames navigating the UI than my Pixel 6. Although I did follow the optimization guide for the Pixel 6, so I have to do the same on the 7 and see if there is a change. This is something I feel like will probably be improved via updates, it is release day after all.
Also what do you mean by charging animations?
This phone genuinely feels like a Pixel 6 with face unlock (which should have been added to P6 via software update).
Also please share Geekbench 5 scores, I got 1010 Single-core, 2771 Multi-core. Was kinda hoping it would be higher considering the "leaked" multi-core was 4000.
Got a 75mb update and Geekbench is now 1048/3237 which is more in line with what I expected.
Jonnyswboy said:
Also what do you mean by charging animations?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If my phone screen is turned off and I then place it on the google pixel charge stand the screen wakes and does some kind of animation, then shows the clock and charge status for a few seconds before turning off again.
I would love to be able to turn all of those animations off, they are horrible.
Mine is perfect. No issues whatsoever.
I came from a Pixel 3. The Pixel 7 is definitely heavier!
marinierb said:
Mine is perfect. No issues whatsoever.
I came from a Pixel 3. The Pixel 7 is definitely heavier!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try turning it on
I'm coming from a Pixel 3 XL, and I was expecting a nice upgrade, but wow, I feel like I went from a 1992 Ford pickup to a 2023 Honda Civic Type R. What a difference. From the build quality to the overall feel. It is just such a premium experience. I set it up about three hours ago, and have been playing with it for about the last two hours. This thing is perfect. And for about 1/2 the cost of my Pixel 3 XL at launch. I can see myself keeping this for the five years of security updates easy. Even if the battery starts losing charge I know I can get it replaced like I did my 3 XL, so no worries for the next five years. At least five years. Maybe more.
Maddinx said:
Unpacked, switched phone on, entered wifi data, wifi connects, wifi disconnects ...
Asked for a rma
Good start for me so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine did the same thing for the first 15 minutes or so. Rebooting helped, but it still disconnected twice. After it download all my apps (in between disconnects, so it took a long time), and I finished setting it up, the Wi-Fi has been steady strong. I guess it was new growin pains. it's been running flawlessly the past three hours.
Maddinx said:
Unpacked, switched phone on, entered wifi data, wifi connects, wifi disconnects ...
Asked for a rma
Good start for me so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same issue. It wouldn't reconnect after either. Forgetting the wifi network and adding it back fixed the issue.
I bought it yesterday. I hooked up to my LG V60 and synced up everything. Really painless setup. Been steady using it. I love all the photo feature Google packs in the Pixel 7. I have had no disconnections of wifi or anything like that. Calls are clear. Really love the phone. I hate using it without a case and screen protector. But have that coming after the weekend. Got the Spigen rugged case from Amazon. My only gripe so far is the face unlock. It's a bit wonky. But the finger sensor works great.
ern88 said:
I bought it yesterday. I hooked up to my LG V60 and synced up everything. Really painless setup. Been steady using it. I love all the photo feature Google packs in the Pixel 7. I have had no disconnections of wifi or anything like that. Calls are clear. Really love the phone. I hate using it without a case and screen protector. But have that coming after the weekend. Got the Spigen rugged case from Amazon. My only gripe so far is the face unlock. It's a bit wonky. But the finger sensor works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try to redo the Face Unlock. Hold it arms length, and in a bright light area. I did that the second time, and now even when I'm sitting at a desk, and the phone is laying on top, if I double tap the screen, the Face Unlock can see me, and it unlocks instantly.
EDIT - Oh, and the calls are excellent. My first three were crystal clear. Way better than my 3 XL. I'd say better than landlines.
Phone is very fast coming from a Pixel 3. I do have to say this thing is **** huge and brick heavy. The fingerprint reader is horrible compared to a dedicated rear reader. Camera seems pretty nice, that unblur gimmick isn't production ready.
I absolutely love the screen. Feels heavy, but I don't mind it as it feels solid and I think is built well. I miss the back/feel of the pixel 2, which I don't know if people even liked that lol. My fingerprint basically never works though haha maybe I'm just registering it poorly. Came from OnePlus 8T, really missed the AOSP feel.
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I came from oneplus 8t and im in love with this pixel 7, android stock its really more beautiful than these chineses software(s) like oos12.
Face unlock is working as expected, working good except when im in a dark room with low light
My only issue for now is fingerprint scanner, it's working about 1 time on 10 i don't understand why but there's an high chance that's screen protector fault, since i did not even try without it. After the unboxing of the phone, the first thing i did was put screen protector on it then unlocked bootloader and rooted.
Except for FP Scanner, this device is amazing IMO, super fluid animation and transitions from activities. I bought it because i was tired of big screen device and for my needs the dimenions of the display are perfect.
Of course, compared to the oneplus 8t that have an amoled display, colors are better and more brilliant (on op8t) but i don't dislike OLED of the P7, maybe more safier for my eye rests
And i won't speak about comparisons of the FP scanner of these device since the one of op8t is working ALWAYS, never miss a try
My next thing to do is to try FP without any screen protector and if it's working well, to buy a new screen protector maybe better than the one i have installed
EDIT: another important thing: since is my first time with non-snapdragon device, i've noticed that this tensor G2 is working really good, always cool even with wifi-data-gps-bluetooth are on in a connected session with android auto on my car. Oneplus 8t heats up during same sessions but not the pixel 7
azoller1 said:
I absolutely love the screen. Feels heavy, but I don't mind it as it feels solid and I think is built well. I miss the back/feel of the pixel 2, which I don't know if people even liked that lol. My fingerprint basically never works though haha maybe I'm just registering it poorly. Came from OnePlus 8T, really missed the AOSP feel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen is so good. When I first started using it I though it was a good upgrade from my 3 XL, but now after a couple days of using it, I played with the 3 XL, and wow, what a difference. If feels so light and flimsy, and the screen is so dull compared to the 7. And yes the 7 is very heavy compared to the 3 series, but it add that premium feel because of it (IMO). The entire 7's build is quality. I look at my 3 now, and it seems like a Fisher Price toy.
EDIT - Redo your fingerprints. Take your time and read what it asks. I see a lot of setups on YouTube, and they complain about the fingerprint reader, and when I watch them set it up they just spam their finger each time. It asks for a certain angle on some. Like first press normal, then the tip, then the left side, then the right side. I think a lot of people don't read what's asked each press, and then it doesn't work well for them.
The first couple of days coming from a pixel 4a ,,P7 is heavier but in a good way ,, feels premium, and so far I could not be happier ,everything is better than the 4a, sound is louder and crisper, screen more vibrant and faster scrolling, voice quality on calls are amazing, call reception has been excellent even on low bars, Have not noticed any lag with this chipset but then again Iam not a heavy user, Iam sure I will find more things better but so far 100 percent like it.