Chinese Android phones - how good is the phone o/s? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi I used to import Chinese phones, some of them OK, but all of them significantly lacking in polish in the phone operating system design as in for example, lack of continuous tries on failed SMS (if not sent, it just sits in Outbox), poor logical menu layout, poor/slow T9 and so on. I stopped selling them 2 years ago due to more competitive pricing from known brands.
This post is to enquire the phone O/S itself, which runs with Android. Its also not to enquire about faulty phones, of which they used to have very low QC.
If anyone here has experience with the latest generation of Chinese Android eg 4" screens, with GPS and the bells and whistles can they advise their experience here please.
Thanks kindly,
Alistair

Alistair George said:
Hi I used to import Chinese phones, some of them OK, but all of them significantly lacking in polish in the phone operating system design as in for example, lack of continuous tries on failed SMS (if not sent, it just sits in Outbox), poor logical menu layout, poor/slow T9 and so on. I stopped selling them 2 years ago due to more competitive pricing from known brands.
This post is to enquire the phone O/S itself, which runs with Android. Its also not to enquire about faulty phones, of which they used to have very low QC.
If anyone here has experience with the latest generation of Chinese Android eg 4" screens, with GPS and the bells and whistles can they advise their experience here please.
Thanks kindly,
Alistair
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Click to collapse
Well android should be the same. the only difference i can see for chinese android phones and normal android phones are that chinese android phone might not have play store preinstalled on them
well the latest chinese phones are actually quite good and i want them. HTC(yes they are chinese too ) One X, One S, Evo LTE, Rezound. they all are pretty good. Huawei has their ascend P1 and their ascend p1 quad. they are pretty good. zte has a good quadcore too. Meizu/Lenovo makes good phones too. xiaomi has a really awesome phone
Well the point is that chinese phones aren't as bad as they used to be and they are quite good and sometimes even better than more know brands(ie. samsung, LG, sony)

-DarkKnight- said:
Well android should be the same. the only difference i can see for chinese android phones and normal android phones are that chinese android phone might not have play store preinstalled on them
well the latest chinese phones are actually quite good and i want them. HTC(yes they are chinese too ) One X, One S, Evo LTE, Rezound. they all are pretty good. Huawei has their ascend P1 and their ascend p1 quad. they are pretty good. zte has a good quadcore too. Meizu/Lenovo makes good phones too. xiaomi has a really awesome phone
Well the point is that chinese phones aren't as bad as they used to be and they are quite good and sometimes even better than more know brands(ie. samsung, LG, sony)
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Not quite the answer I wanted. You have generalised, I am asking for someone who actually owns one to comment on it and its o/s, not the Android.
I am interested in the hardware aspect and how the latest implementations of phone operations work.
For example, my old Sony Ericsson had a much better phone o/s than the Chinese phones I sold in several respects; differences as per my OP.
I understand most of them which claim 8Mp cameras are 5Mp or less. The cameras that were on the phones I sold were junk, how do the most recent ones perform? How well does the phone operate eg reception, functionality etc.
Thanks,
Alistair.

Alistair George said:
Not quite the answer I wanted. You have generalised, I am asking for someone who actually owns one to comment on it and its o/s, not the Android.
I am interested in the hardware aspect and how the latest implementations of phone operations work.
For example, my old Sony Ericsson had a much better phone o/s than the Chinese phones I sold in several respects; differences as per my OP.
I understand most of them which claim 8Mp cameras are 5Mp or less. The cameras that were on the phones I sold were junk, how do the most recent ones perform? How well does the phone operate eg reception, functionality etc.
Thanks,
Alistair.
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No I have a used a Huawei ascend p1 and one s
They are really food. Camera is really awesome on both . Both are awesome in benchmarks and both of them have full android features
Sent from the My Little Pony Official App

I have spent some time with a Huaweii ascend G300 recently and it seems like a great budget phone The OS seems good and any problems are fixed by installing a different launcher.

Related

[Q] Are chinese Android phones reliable/good?

I've been visiting dealextreme.com and found some pretty good-looking Android phones for cheap. The problem is, well, these are chinese no-name phones.
Their specs seem to be pretty good. I won't lie. But to be honest, they seem too good to be true.
What I'd like to know is: Are they any good?
Look at the N6300 MTK6589 and the JIAYU JY-G3 MTK6589T in dx.com, for example. Their price tag is pretty low, and the phone looks great. But the thing is: Will they last, or fail quickly?
Also, I found a good deal on a used Sony Xperia Go on Latin America's eBay equivalent (MercadoLibre). For about $160USD.
Which phone should I pick and why? What opinion do you have about chinese Android phones? Would you trust these phones for your daily use? Would YOU buy one of those? Or should I just buy the used Xperia Go?
I live in Mexico, so getting a smartphone for $199 + contract is pretty much impossible here. They still cost an arm and a leg even under plan.
To be honest I've gotten knockoff Chinese phones before...some can be really good but keep in mind there's really no rooting or development for em and you'll stay pretty much stock on it...hence a big reason they stay cheap...blu is a good decent brand..id go with a more name brand phone if you want that and there is places like eBay you can get a good phone pretty cheap
Sent from my P4R4N01D R3D D347H 4.3 using xda app-developers app
REV3NT3CH said:
To be honest I've gotten knockoff Chinese phones before...some can be really good but keep in mind there's really no rooting or development for em and you'll stay pretty much stock on it...hence a big reason they stay cheap...blu is a good decent brand..id go with a more name brand phone if you want that and there is places like eBay you can get a good phone pretty cheap
Sent from my P4R4N01D R3D D347H 4.3 using xda app-developers app
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So I'd be better off buying the used Xperia Go? A safer bet, I guess.
I Own the Cubot GT 99 , 140 USD for 4.5 inch 720p , quad core 1.2 ghz, 12,6mp camera and performs like galaxy s 3 in numbers. The problem with Chinese phones is that they have a cpu brand called mediatek and everything is closed source. So no roms, you can find miui and/or lewa rom, but you have to search. For example my phone, Cubot, is a rebranded xyz x1, and roms like miui are available (I can install 2 day old miui). BUT , unless things change, you are v stuck with the same android version it shipped with, 4.2.1 for me... closed source sucks... and of course no cyanogenmod , also gps is the worst thing in those chips, lock time about half day !
Ya go with the xperia
Sent from my P4R4N01D R3D D347H 4.3 using xda app-developers app
I have a G3S Jiayu, ono commented mate up the big problem is that the code is not released, so no chance of modificafo kernel or custom roms
REV3NT3CH said:
Ya go with the xperia
Sent from my P4R4N01D R3D D347H 4.3 using xda app-developers app
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Can the Xperia Go be upgraded to 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3? I don't mind if it needs CyanogenMod.
Lol, I remember the first time a friend gave me a plum mobile phone for free, three words piece of ****. The god dam phone had only 300 mb ram and 1.0 GHz along with its disgusting screen material and display, not only that but the phone lagged so hard every time I clicked on a app, some process had to end. You can visit the site by googling plum mobile.
Most Chinese android phones aren't reliable/good but there are a handful of companies that make high quality devices like Asus and more.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Icyice said:
Can the Xperia Go be upgraded to 4.1, 4.2 or 4.3? I don't mind if it needs CyanogenMod.
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Youd have to check the thread for it...im very sure there is custom roms for it
You may see on XiaoMi HongMI, quad core, samsung camera, dual sim and latest MIUI only cost 799 yuan.
http://www.xiaomi.com/hongmi
or
oppo.
Icyice said:
about $160USD.
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You can buy THL W100
Icyice said:
getting a smartphone for $199
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You can buy THL W200, Here: http://www.thlmobilestore.com/
It really does depend on the brand, I haven't ever used one myself but friends of mine have tried some out. The bigger brands like Huawei or Xioami are totally legit but the lower ends are pretty much guaranteed to be broken garbage. Still, it's certainly viable to go Chinese.
Grand Guignol said:
It really does depend on the brand, I haven't ever used one myself but friends of mine have tried some out. The bigger brands like Huawei or Xioami are totally legit but the lower ends are pretty much guaranteed to be broken garbage. Stil, it's certainly viable to go Chinese.
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China has some small brands of mobile phones is also doing well.
Lindsay02 said:
China has some small brands of mobile phones is also doing well.
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Yeah, like Jiayu is good and Star is pretty good now too. I think chinese really (like under 50$ or MTK6589 for 100$) are garbage. For example big comapny - ZTE has a model V967S which costs on alie 130-135$ with shipping. It's very cheap for that kind of phone.
muf18 said:
Yeah, like Jiayu is good and Star is pretty good now too. I think chinese really (like under 50$ or MTK6589 for 100$) are garbage. For example big comapny - ZTE has a model V967S which costs on alie 130-135$ with shipping. It's very cheap for that kind of phone.
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100 $ or less Chinese mobile phone, you'd better not buy, there is big quality problem.
depends
Huawei, ZTE and most of other big brands works very good, but unknown brand will usually means problems all the time.
I have Zte v967 and is very good for. 150$. Huge battery as well.
Sent from my ZTE V967S using Tapatalk
just thought I would add in that the Cubot gt99 is great.. really solid build, great screen etc. but as someone said, you are currently stuck with the version of android delivered - 4.2.1. to which I don't see a problem with for a phone with such great specs for such a cheap amount.
there do seem to be a lot of 'copy' phones , eg the cubot one.. these, from my reading don't seem to far so well.
I've stuck with cubot and alongside the gt99 for the wife, which I have seen for less than £100 (- potential import taxes) I've ordered a cubot t9. have to see how it goes.
I am hoping that they will release the source in due course, they are supposedly thinking about it as per the cubot forums.
one thing that really impressed us was the built in to the design replaceable screen protector. when you get it, there is one in place that you can hardly tell, much nicer idea than the after thought stick on top. It is nice and thick too.
Using a Jiayu G3 phone for more than a year. First, there are MANY Chinese companies with hundreds of different models so it's hard to say something common about all of them, some are better than other. I have no complains about my Jiayu after one year quality is good, design is good screen is good. It was $200 when I bought it you can still buy a variant now probably $50 cheaper now.
What is common:
Most use Mediatek SoCs. They are not on the same class as Qualcomm or Exynos but they have for some time Quad core A9 and A7 based and the Octacore A7 just start appearing in some phones (gets about 30000 Antutu scores so not bad for the price).
Mediatek supports dual SIM so all Mediatek based phones have dual SIM (very popular in China).
Now, be careful. All phones have Quad band GSM (2G) so they will work in any GSM based network, but the 3G will most likely not work (may be some small networks in Europe which works). They do not have yet LTE and when they will have may work just in China. So if you need data , forget the Chinese phone. If you use it for voice only, just make sure (in US and Canada) that your provider supports GSM for 2G (it's not one of CDMA ones).
also most phones will hardly get any updates, so expect that what you get is all. Some bigger companies will offer updates and you will find a number of custom ROMs (MIU, Lewa) but if you don't speak Chines you will need to spend a lot of time using Google translate). Rooting is not a problem however, I did not hear about any Chinese phone which could not be rooted, and if you stay with more common brands and models you will find custom recovery besed on TWRP for them.
You can get a quite decent phone either 720p or 1080p with good screen and very decent performance in the $200 range, if you are good with the limitations above.
You can get higher end models with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (or Tegra 4) but you will be in $500+ range which gets you in the big brands range.
In conclusion:
Buy one only if you use it for GSM (2G) voice. Forget if you need 3G or 4G.
Don't buy the very cheap no name ones, I would stay with $150+ for a decent phone. For most, in this price range or higher quality is not a problem, but higher you go in price more features newer SoC, more memory, better screen more recent OS you get.
You can get models which will be at least as good (or better) than brand names if you go to $500+ range (but you will still not have 3G and 4G, and will have less community support, at least if you don't speak Chinese so think twice).If you only use the phone for voice and WiFi for data, however this models could even be one step ahead of brand names ( it looks like VIVO will be the first phone with 1440p LCD).
A good tip I can give is spend as much time as possible to check out reviews about the phones.
At least, that is what I did for my Inew.
When I saw the phone was almost everytime in the top 5 list of the "most sold" or "most popular" phones, I thought those people can't be wrong.
Also, check some reviews for the brands, although there are a lot of brands, it is easy to see which brands are preferred.

Finally, a rival to the XZU - the Huawei Mediapad X2

http://www.androidcentral.com/hands-huawei-mediapad-x2
1920x1200 7" display
LTE
speculatrix said:
http://www.androidcentral.com/hands-huawei-mediapad-x2
1920x1200 7" display
LTE
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This is lovely; I like it a lot.I wonder what the price will be though for each version?
Very interesting indeed!
I decided the Z3 tablet is a bit much for me as a phone but this one could be the one if it gets any dev behind it and a good screen of course.
Agreed about whether a hacker community forms around it.
Before I buy a device, I check XDA and Modaco to see whether anyone else is working on it.
Hmmm, the SoC used has a Mali GPU, but I don't know anything about the CPU
quote
Mediapad X2 boasts an "ultra" octa-core, 64-bit Kirin 930 chipset clocked in at 2.0Ghz
The development for Huawei are pathetic at best.. I have ascend mate 1 & 2. Benchmarks are ok but real life use is pretty laggy. I gave up on the company. Look at their flagship, the mate 7. It's out for a while but there's still no custom rom if I am not wrong..
For me there is more to XZU than just the screen size, be it the extra sensitivity or the looks, on these grounds we should rather wait for the real successor sony is supposedly working on
tchsvy said:
For me there is more to XZU than just the screen size, be it the extra sensitivity or the looks, on these grounds we should rather wait for the real successor sony is supposedly working on
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Agree:good:
I am open to other manufacturers working on 7-8 inch devices but in order to be a viable replacement, some things are necessary:
1. Snapdragon 810 or 820
2. 3-4 GB RAM
3. 32-128 GB internal storage
4. MicroSDXC slot
5. 6.5-8 inch display with 2K resolution or higher
6. Vanilla Android or a lightly skinned version (Sony or Motorola style)
7. Developer friendliness with decent ROM support
8. Adequate camera (12 MP is perfectly fine)
9. Support for an external camera module (DSC-QX10 et al)
It would be great with a keyboard flipcover accessory as well.
A device without microSD slot and a lack of ROMs would fail to replace the Ultra in a proper way. The same goes for heavily skinned Android implementations or a lack of hardware standardization (a lot of different ROM incompatible versions).
The Huawei MediaPad X2 could be a "replacement" provided decent ROM support and similar LTE bands as the Ultra but I am not sure about those things.
I am quite sure that a viable "replacement" to the Ultra will be either a Sony device or something from a Chinese manufacturer. I still hope for an Oppo or Xiaomi since I think it is those two companies that would be able to actually tick the boxes properly if Sony would let us down with a Z4 Ultra. Similar hardware as the new Z4 Tablet would be great.
For me it's about manageability and think my Zu is just about manageable in the hand. I am aware others see it as a bit of a freak when they consider what's acceptable as their phone/daily driver but I like that it blurs the line of whats acceptable as a phone or tablet and I like that for me it's both...The Zu is my phone when I need to make calls text etc add to that the convenience of probably the best Web browsing experience on any device I have ever used with phone capability, decent battery, powerful innards, then let me at it-i say!!
Let the naysayers nay.
However the Huawei pad while spec wise is great it just seems to push that boundary of what I would consider manageable as a Phone.
I enjoy the tall slender ergonomics of the Zu but the Huawei just looks too wide and tablet-y for what I would consider manageable...I do like the smaller bezels tho
Less than a quarter inch taller and half inch wider, has an sd slot and the processor is supposed to be 16 nm die size similar to Apple.A9 chip.
scpion said:
The development for Huawei are pathetic at best. I gave up on the company.
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It's all because it's ''made in China'' .
Con500 said:
For me it's about manageability and think my Zu is just about manageable in the hand. I am aware others see it as a bit of a freak
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Lol, you just reminded me. Several days back I was ordering a Chicken Twister Meal from some fast food restaurant called SFC (Southern Fried Chicken) .
Anyway I placed my order and took a seat since it needed time to prepare. Wife calls and I answer and we start chatting...
I noticed the two Filipino women who took my order were both whispering to each other whilst looking at me and were laughing...
Needless to say I know exactly why they were laughing. They saw me speaking on such a huge phone which wasn't normal for them
and it really made them laugh...
I didn't give a $hit and continued. Other times whilst on the phone, I've had looks/hard stares and in some cases women approach me and ask what phone I have, model and size. There have been many stares especially when taking the phone out my pocket whilst on the train. Half the cabin are staring wondering what phone you have and shocked at it's huge size.
When people do give funny looks I couldn't care less especially because of another thing I saw. On several occasions, I've even seen people talking on 8-10" tablets!!! They were not using earphones, the phone was on their ear, now that looks a lot funnier than my 6.4" Xperia Z Ultra...
Another candidate
http://androidheadlines.com/2015/03/mwc-2015-hands-ztes-high-end-phablet-nubia-x6.html
Personally prefer how the x2 look, but 2015 is turning out to be a promising year for big phablet lover
Hilmhaz said:
http://androidheadlines.com/2015/03/mwc-2015-hands-ztes-high-end-phablet-nubia-x6.html
Personally prefer how the x2 look, but 2015 is turning out to be a promising year for big phablet lover
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Indeed I prefer the x2 as well. I mean, if I am moving from the Ultra I rather do it to a bigger phone but not so sure about the chipset of the x2. I wish it was the Snapdragon 810.
Also, on the ZTE, well, it is the same size as my Ultra so the only way for me to upgrade would be if it was some better looking screen (darker blacks etc) and replaceable batteries. I guess I am happy enough with the Ultra that I can be picky
I don't trust these chinese manufactures.
It will be stuck on the same Android Version for ages, with next to no development.
I have had both the Huawei Ascend Mate7 with an Octa Core Kirin 925 @1.8GHz and the Huawei MediaPad X1 with a Quad Core VR91 @1.6GHz.
The X1 was just too slow and laggy but other than that it was a great device. It looks very nice and build quality was comparable to an iPhone 5 or 6. Of course it's big but I used it as a phone and had no issues with it.
The Mate7 was too small for my taste but performance wise I had no issues. It was comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in that regard.
The MediaPad X2 uses a Kirin 930 @2.0GHz and has Lollipop so I have no doubt it will not be a laggy device.
With regard to ROMs, if you install another launcher the Huawei software is bearable. It's not like TouchWiz. I am looking forward to getting the X2 and if it can be rooted I think I will be satisfied. Hopefully Huawei will come out with a proper European version without the Chinese stuff on it.
Hilmhaz said:
http://androidheadlines.com/2015/03/mwc-2015-hands-ztes-high-end-phablet-nubia-x6.html
Personally prefer how the x2 look, but 2015 is turning out to be a promising year for big phablet lover
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Have been tracking this device (x6 with 3GB RAM & 128gb) at least for the past 6-7 months as I was getting restless for new phone (I change phones every 3 months). Since there was no release date on sight, I sold my XZU, bought Lumia 1520 but found it small for my taste (But loved Windows OS; one for future if they launch with 6.2+ screen size) so sold it off after 1 month and re bought XZU again!
Have been tracking this phone in below website where the Customer care is promising launch dates (3GB+128gb) but nothing has been done in almost 6 months.
http://www.nubiamobileshop.com/nubi...pdragon-801-2gb-32gb-13-0mp-camera-white.html
However, if it launches for around $400 (which is not going to happen as 2gb version is around $450 and 3gb one will around $700), I would definitely look into it as Mediapad X2 looks too wide and will be difficult to hold.
Definitely interested in this device, but I wonder what the price will be. Hard to compete with the Ultra since it can be had for less than 300.
ZTE Nubia X6
Snapdragon 801
6,44" fullhd display
3 gb ram
32 / 64 / 128 gb
lte, bluetooth 4.0, nfc, wi-fi abgn, infrared
4500 mah battery
Hilmhaz said:
2015 is turning out to be a promising year for big phablet lover
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What planet are you living on... ? (for clarification phablet means AT LEAST 6in. Or bigger...)

So, who's excited? What phone are you coming from? What are your thoughts?

It seems like news surrounding this device is really, really slow. What's going on?
I've been a long-time Note user and have recently become disenchanted with the Note line. Although I am an S-Pen addict, I've always been more attracted to phones that have something really unique about them ... hence, my interest in the Phab 2 Pro. I had the LG Optimus 3D and loved the 3D features and screen, and the raw power of the phone, but the trend died out and LG stopped updating it.
Anyway, I'm not just interested in the Phab 2 Pro, I'm totally obsessed with it. Are there any other people out there who are as excited about this phone as I am?
I'm not a developer, so I'm going at this phone from a pure consumer vantage point. But I want to drum up some excitement or something ...
So what is your level of interest? Curious? Planning on developing for it? Planning on waiting in line on Day One?
I plan to be FIRST in line on Day One.
You aren't the only one. I check Google everyday...like everyday twice a day..I can't wait I've already set the money aside for it lol I want it so bad I wanted to pre-order it on August 1 just so as soon as bestbuy opens I can just walk in and grab it. Like best buy opens at 10 I'm trying to have it and be in my car by 10:10 lol
Sent from my LG-H901 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I'm going to get one Launch day! I am amazed, very little news on this device! I too have been trawling for updates, and not much to be found!
Definitely can't wait been interested in this phone since I heard the announcement, will be putting down my nexus 6 but will still be used for VR fun. I'm also interested in Project Ara from Google but not sure if AR will be part of modular phones. My main reason for getting this phone is a bigger screen than my nexus 6 (I'm a gamer) and AR obviously. On a side note Intel is coming out with a VR & AR combo headset next year no smartphone or PC required. You can also use your naked hands to interact in the VR world.
I will am also be coming from a Nexus 6 once the Phab 2 Pro comes out. Sure would be nice for a definitive release date to be set though.
Announcement will be very soon I'm assuming, here's a video posted today, it's from a Greek website I had to use Google Translate
Translated site - http://goo.gl/SuWcR3
Original site - http://goo.gl/ybYYyi
Note 4, here. I'm anxiously awaiting this, LG V20, and to see any other announcements. I WANT this size with the high resolution. Every other huge phone has been low end garbage. I'm a huge guy, I like the size. The camera/Tango setup looks nice, too. I can actually use it
I am also checking everyday. Do you have any idea if it will be released in UK or Ireland ?
Bad news - Delays!
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Leno...cial-Project-Tango-phone-gets-delayed_id85312
I would be SUPER excited if I had even a bit of hope that Verizon will carry this phone. I doubt it, and I'm stuck in a rural area with only VZW or USCellular as my options. I had a Nexus 6, bought a used 6P (love it!) on Swappa, and I'm extremely disappointed that the next "large" Nexus or Pixel is only 5.5"! Ugh. Maybe the V20 once it's rooted...
I'm definitely getting this phone when it eventually goes on sale. The best source of information I've been able to find for updates about the phone is twitter. From everything I've read so far, it may be out by late October or sometime in November. #Phab2Pro #WaitingNeverStops
This official looking marketing video would seem to confirm a November 2016 release.
Which marketing video would that be? I have seen quite a few, though none that hint at a date.
shdwphnx said:
Which marketing video would that be? I have seen quite a few, though none that hint at a date.
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The video linked in my prior post. At the end it flashes very quickly "Available November 2016".
jeffx said:
The video linked in my prior post. At the end it flashes very quickly "Available November 2016".
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Ah. uMatrix was hiding the video from me.
Clay Bavor, the head of Google's VR confirmed that the Phab 2 Pro is coming in November.
https://www.cnet.com/news/google-tango-lenovo-phab-2-pro-november/
I'll be honest, it's pretty disappointing to see that so many corners were cut on the supposed flagship Google "Tango" device.
Snapdragon 652 - This processor is on par with last gen technology. It's not bad, but it's not exactly great either. That being said, don't expect it to match the iPhone 7, LG V20, or Note 7 in terms of performance.
Micro USB - Not sure what they were thinking here either. Most if not all new devices are now USB-C, yet here is a device that's implementing a last gen hardware feature. They really couldn't afford to increase the price by a couple dollars to implement a USB-C port?
LCD Screen - And the biggest disappointment of all is the lack of an AMOLED display. Nothing says "cheap Chinese phone" more than the lack of an AMOLED, which is extremely sad given that even the low end Galaxy and LG devices now sport AMOLED screens. (Hell, even Pixel has an AMOLED.)
I don't mind compromising on the first two points, but the LCD screen was a terrible decision, especially for a device labeled as "professional".
As much as I'd love to support Tango, I'm afraid this device simply cannot compete with the current flagship offerings. The gimmick is also doesn't carry enough weight to buy into this brand only to suffer with a sub-par display and Lenovo's questionable update practice.
I really hope Tango succeeds so that something more premium is made, but thus far it's looking pretty bleak.
YandereSan said:
I'll be honest, it's pretty disappointing to see that so many corners were cut on the supposed flagship Google "Tango" device.
Snapdragon 652 - This processor is on par with last gen technology. It's not bad, but it's not exactly great either. That being said, don't expect it to match the iPhone 7, LG V20, or Note 7 in terms of performance.
Micro USB - Not sure what they were thinking here either. Most if not all new devices are now USB-C, yet here is a device that's implementing a last gen hardware feature. They really couldn't afford to increase the price by a couple dollars to implement a USB-C port?
LCD Screen - And the biggest disappointment of all is the lack of an AMOLED display. Nothing says "cheap Chinese phone" more than the lack of an AMOLED, which is extremely sad given that even the low end Galaxy and LG devices now sport AMOLED screens. (Hell, even Pixel has an AMOLED.)
I don't mind compromising on the first two points, but the LCD screen was a terrible decision, especially for a device labeled as "professional".
As much as I'd love to support Tango, I'm afraid this device simply cannot compete with the current flagship offerings. The gimmick is also doesn't carry enough weight to buy into this brand only to suffer with a sub-par display and Lenovo's questionable update practice.
I really hope Tango succeeds so that something more premium is made, but thus far it's looking pretty bleak.
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I agree that the micro-usb is outdated. But, at least i'm still able to use all my old charging cables.
Anyhow, I just received the Phab2 (base), and while this model has a different screen supposedly, it is very clear and bright. moreso than i was expecting. if the low end version is this good, the pro must be pretty swell.
alaska100 said:
I agree that the micro-usb is outdated. But, at least i'm still able to use all my old charging cables.
Anyhow, I just received the Phab2 (base), and while this model has a different screen supposedly, it is very clear and bright. moreso than i was expecting. if the low end version is this good, the pro must be pretty swell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So where are you using this phone and on what service? I'm interested in the phab 2 pro but have never used a phone not supported by any carriers and they will never support a larger than 6 inch phone. It seems that this should work for at&t but I'm a little surprised people don't talk about the lack of carrier support a little more. I wonder if that is why it got delayed. Lowes and Best Buy have to figure out how to sell unsupported phones to people who have never bought one.
justinernst said:
So where are you using this phone and on what service? I'm interested in the phab 2 pro but have never used a phone not supported by any carriers and they will never support a larger than 6 inch phone. It seems that this should work for at&t but I'm a little surprised people don't talk about the lack of carrier support a little more. I wonder if that is why it got delayed. Lowes and Best Buy have to figure out how to sell unsupported phones to people who have never bought one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as of now, i switched from a t-mobile(metro pcs) phone to this and am on 4g only in the US, Florida specifically. I will hopefully be going to at&t next week, assuming i have time. regardless, 4g has been enough for the time being, but i don't like paying for LTE and not getting it.
my guess would be that upon release, all models will become either an AT&T exclusive or at least be advertised by AT&T, but i still can't even confirm the LTE bands this phone uses. Lenovo tech support says 1900, 1700 and 700, but he had googled it, as they don't have spec data yet, apparently.

Sony X Compact or Iphone SE

Hello,
I'm thinking of buying a small phone, since I find it uncomfortable those that exceed 5 inches.
I was watching and analyzing those who have good battery, camera and features and I think the best that there are currently on the market are these 2: the Iphone SE and the Sony X Compact.
I'm not going to use it for games of any kind. What I most look for is that it has good battery life, a good rear camera (selfies do not bag) and, if possible, you can hear well with the headphones on.
Obvious that it is 2 different operating systems and, leaving aside that, since I like to use IOS or Android, from their own experience, comments or whatever: with which would they stay?
From now, thank you for you help!!
salocin82 said:
Hello,
I'm thinking of buying a small phone, since I find it uncomfortable those that exceed 5 inches.
I was watching and analyzing those who have good battery, camera and features and I think the best that there are currently on the market are these 2: the Iphone SE and the Sony X Compact.
I'm not going to use it for games of any kind. What I most look for is that it has good battery life, a good rear camera (selfies do not bag) and, if possible, you can hear well with the headphones on.
Obvious that it is 2 different operating systems and, leaving aside that, since I like to use IOS or Android, from their own experience, comments or whatever: with which would they stay?
From now, thank you for you help!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't ever owned an SE so I can't really comment on it vs the compact. However I do know that the compact has more picture storage potential due to the SD Card slot (SE doesn't have one). The SE uses a 12 megapixel shooter vs the Compact using a 23. I am note a huge taking pictures kinda guy so no complaints from me on the camera but I guess that's not saying much. Anyway below is a link to a video comparing the two. It's a little outdated as it has the compact running marshmallow (it has Nougat now) but does a decent job of comparing the two. https://youtu.be/U5g7LTCJqaY
Sony. Water resistance, SDcard. That's about it lol.
The SE may perform smoother as it is powered by the 6S internals.
Sent from my SM-G930T using XDA-Developers Legacy app
If you're not bothered about customizing then buy an iPhone, if you want customization then buy any Android.
iphone fails
- missing notification led
- no customizing and no jailbreak in sight, closed source system
- no slight to unlock (stupid doubble press home button to unlock since apple removed slide to unlock)
- less ram, no sd card, memory not expandable
- 1600 mAh vs 2700 mAh and no quick charge
- smaller display hurts your eyes,
- ligning connector incompatible (how many cables do we need ?)
- easy scratches on alu frame,
- banana bending,
- design from 2012
- steve jobs is dead
etc
-
How is the dev community for this phone though?
There doesn't seem to be any official Lineago OS builds and only one AOSP ROM ...
I would buy this phone in a heartbeat with Lineage OS support but without it seems like one would be dependent on one single developer for ROMs on this phone.
andTab said:
How is the dev community for this phone though?
There doesn't seem to be any official Lineago OS builds and only one AOSP ROM ...
I would buy this phone in a heartbeat with Lineage OS support but without it seems like one would be dependent on one single developer for ROMs on this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are welcome to join the dev community and help to bring LineageOS to this device. Otherwise buy yourself a Nexus...
ondrejvaroscak said:
You are welcome to join the dev community and help to bring LineageOS to this device. Otherwise buy yourself a Nexus...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus phones have ****ty hardware, so no thank you. Then I will get an iPhone.
Don't need a phone with a manufacturing defect that has thousands of phones failing and Google telling you that you are sadly 21 days out of warranty.
Problem solved
I have owned both of them and I found the iPhone SE to be the absolute perfect size for 1 hand use. The X Compact is good but there are still times where the opposite corner can be hard to reach. The SE also feels great in hand and is built with high quality materials. I inevitably returned mine and got a X Compact instead. They are both great phones and if OS doesn't matter to you, I would go with the SE, but I personally prefer Android and it's customization so I returned it.
switcher said:
iphone fails
- less ram, no sd card, memory not expandable-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you're comparing two different Systems, iOS doesn't require as much RAM as Android.
Aviad1928 said:
Well you're comparing two different Systems, iOS doesn't require as much RAM as Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe in the old days, but have you seen IOS 10.3 on the SE today ? Compared to the SE the XC performs much better
and the iphone 7+ is shipped with 3gb for a good reason
switcher said:
maybe in the old days, but have you seen IOS 10.3 on the SE today ? Compared to the SE the XC performs much better
and the iphone 7+ is shipped with 3gb for a good reason
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha honestly I haven't seen an iPhone since 2012, maybe you're right
I own both, they both have positives and negatives. I actively swap between the two because of that! The iPhone is smooth and beautiful, great quality hardware, but iOS feels much more restricted and the screen is very small (even for a small phone fan like myself). Camera is awesome; super quality and quick in all conditions, although selfie camera is only 1.2mp. Not that big a deal though since the pics still look good. X compact on the other hand has a much more vibrant screen which is bigger (but not too big!), very snappy and excellent performance compared to other androids, the system is overall much more customizable, great camera too with wider lens and better selfies. But overall the phone feels cheaper in hand (plastic body), and like all android phones it doesn't have the super polished behaviour, look and feel of apple. As I said, positives and negatives for both! For me I use Google Apps for everything, which is more restricted on iphone obviously, and I like being able to read news clearly on my commute on the larger brighter screen, so I use the x compact more. But sometimes I go back to the iPhone se just because of the smooth shiny experience
Hello, I really wanted a powerful and fast phone with clean interface, so I bought an iPhone 7 as the first non-Android phone in 7 years, so I'm very experienced with Android. I just wasn't impressed with with the Pixel for it's price. I also have a SE. I need some functionality in Android that's missing on the 7 and looking for a companion small phone that I can alternate with if needed, so I'm looking to get rid of my SE to fund for the Compact.
What I do learn from using iOS is that it's more primitive than I thought, despite the clean smooth experience. Somethings are just a joke on it I don't know how they get away with it when millions people are paying for it. But it has it's benefits as well, I do enjoy the A10 chip performance and not spending many hours to setup my phone. And some things just work better, like the Fine my iPhone. On the Honor 8, I could just bypass that lost phone screen . I see too many bugs on Android with skinned devices, and giant devices, which made me really tired of dealing with them. The Pixel just doesn't do it for me in term of pricing, all the issues I'm hearing about, the availability. I would say the Android market abandoned me, not the other way around, and this pushed me to iPhone.
My last Sony phone was the Xperia Play. I'm hoping the current Sony's OS is not too far away from stock Android.
I bought the X Compact for my wife as a Christmas gift - the other phone I was looking at was the iPhone SE.
After she tried out a loaner iPhone for about three weeks she decided she preferred Android, chiefly due to more free apps being available/costing less than the iOS version.
From everything I gathered from the numerous reviews, it essentially comes down to which platform you prefer. The iPhone SE has a slightly better camera in low light (night), but that looked like the only hardware advantage. If you go with the x-compact, try to wait until B&H photo has it on sale for $270. It's done that 3 times in the last five months.
switcher said:
iphone fails
- no customizing and no jailbreak in sight, closed source system
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was also seriously considering the SE, but that is the big reason I got the X compact. The Sony open devices program is a major plus for me. I look forward to actually owning my own device and have freedom of messing around with it, maybe even trying out Jolla's SailfishOS when it's available.
The only thing that concerns me about Android is there seems to be vulnerabilities exposed on the net or viruses (adware that calls back to someone's server in the background and monitors SMS messages) through legitimate apps.. seems there's a security flaw announced once a week. How is development for security patches on it, given the frequency of malware?
Not sure about ios but I kinda like having open source android., So long as devs are on top of things and not just adding feature fluff.
volcolm said:
The only thing that concerns me about Android is there seems to be vulnerabilities exposed on the net or viruses (adware that calls back to someone's server in the background and monitors SMS messages) through legitimate apps.. seems there's a security flaw announced once a week. How is development for security patches on it, given the frequency of malware?
Not sure about ios but I kinda like having open source android., So long as devs are on top of things and not just adding feature fluff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android now have built in permission management so you can deny that app from accessing your personal info. It would be nice to have a built in feature to block internet access outright, but generally only MIUI based roms have that. I don't see it as an issue aside from people who download dubious apps or sideloading from questionable sources.
If you are that concerned you should get a phone that is promised monthly security updates, which is a Google Pixel. https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/ I was surprised the X Compact (international version) have timely monthly security updates.
I would say the closed source nature of iOS potentially makes it more insecure, with open source at least you have much more developers looking at it and alerting the issues.
eksasol said:
Android now have built in permission management so you can deny that app from accessing your personal info. It would be nice to have a built in feature to block internet access outright, but generally only MIUI based roms have that. I don't see it as an issue aside from people who download dubious apps or sideloading from questionable sources.
If you are that concerned you should get a phone that is promised monthly security updates, which is a Google Pixel. https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/ I was surprised the X Compact (international version) have timely monthly security updates.
I would say the closed source nature of iOS potentially makes it more insecure, with open source at least you have much more developers looking at it and alerting the issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It'd have been easier to state that the XC already gets monthly (security) updates as the GP, but I digress. This is good, probably better than most manufacturers in that regard. My last phone was a buy once, throwaway after a couple months because Huawei decides "Want latest Android, your phone is obsolete -- buy a new Mate instead". Before folks say "Wait, they update their Mate line now!" - watch a "beta" ROM come online from Huawei after a year of not releasing any updates for months (once new phones are around the corner), the poof, scrapped ROM/patch (and now your phone is obsolete/vulnerable) because hey go buy new shiny phone to get the latest "update". It's infuriating, a phone should be "supported" for at least 3 years. Usually the good XDA developers make a phone last much longer than that!

Should I buy this phone.

My Samsung note 4 has just died and now looking for a new phone. The specification looks fantastic and the price at the moment makes it very tempting. However, the reports of excessive bloatware and no headphone socket is a bit of a turn-off. I see there is an option to root the phone, but not something I would consider in the first year of ownership, so would appreciate the views from current owners on how they are managing with the Huawei interface.
Not if you live in the USA. #abandoned #noupdates #brokenupdates #noGPUTURBO
I like it, and the price is good too
I don't see the hate on the GPU Turbo thing... the phone was a good phone before people knew about it, it hasn't changed to become a bad phone now that they don't have it
But I have the mate 10, non-pro, I wanted front fingerprint sensor and headphone jack
edit: I don't see much in terms of bloatware. But you can ADB uninstall it without using root so it isn't a big issue either way. I mostly considered swiftkey the only bloatware that came with phone, and the facebook system apps. But ADB took care of them without any issue. The Huawei apps might be bloatware to you? I don't mind them and they work well enough that I don't have another app instead (like the video/file manager)
Edit: Back to ranting on the #nogputurbo thing, it's no different than the #no3rdcameralikep20 to me, the phone didn't come with it, make your decision based on what it has and no what another phone has or buy that one instead
rdann said:
My Samsung note 4 has just died and now looking for a new phone. The specification looks fantastic and the price at the moment makes it very tempting. However, the reports of excessive bloatware and no headphone socket is a bit of a turn-off. I see there is an option to root the phone, but not something I would consider in the first year of ownership, so would appreciate the views from current owners on how they are managing with the Huawei interface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the non pro if youre looking for a headphone jack
Other than that keep in mind Huawei's record of updating is a little on the downside especially if youre in the US(like me)
But quite honestly IDGAF about the lack of updates, the phones plentiful, enjoy the phone as it is, I dont regret the purchase of my M10 Pro, but if I were you do more research, especially its already Q3 of 2018, and there will be more phones releasing later this year if the Mate 10 Pro or Non Pro doesnt tick your boxes
Tough to beat the hardware for the price. Love the battery life, best I have ever had. Came from a S8 +, and it's noticably faster IMO. Camera features are a big plus. Have had a lot of fun with all the modes, manual, and great B&W. Don't really notice much difference with screen, lower resolution, but it's not as over saturated as a Samsung panel. Updates may be an issue at some point US model is way behind some of the other variants. Not much in the way of custom ROM support, and not likely to change. Still, I am very happy with the phone.

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