[Q] Questions from a potential buyer..tablet use/GPE/bugs - Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Hi everyone, I'm considering picking up this bad boy - however I have a few questions that I couldn't find answers to when casually perusing this forum.
1. I intend to use this as a tablet/secondary device - does this phone give annoying nag notifications or even remove key features like the addressbook if you use it w/o a sim? My old Xperia SL did this and I want to make sure this won't hinder usage as a tablet.
2. Are either the Sony or GPE editions of the Z Ultra completely bug free? My old Xperia SL developed quite a few bugs after a few updates which was annoying.
Just FYI, I'm considering either the Z Ultra or an 8in Windows 8 tablet like the Asus Note 8. I currently have an iPad Mini, but the wife has been using my iPad more and more instead of her (bulkier) Acer A500. I figure the Asus Note 8 or the Xperia Z Ultra are good devices that are different enough from the iPad to still be fun. Anyone that owns a small Windows 8 tablet and the Xperia Z Ultra please do list some pros/cons of either device.

1. I have no idea since I, and pretty much all the other ones around here use it as a phone, but I can't see why you can't just kick it permanently into Airplane Mode? That should shut it up (in theory)?
2.Pretty much yes. The few bugs that it does have aren't any serious ones. If you can choose which version to get, then get the Xperia version and not the GPe one. You'll have far more choices regarding ROM flashing and stuff like that down the road. You can flash the GPe build on the Xperia model, but you can't flash the Xperia ROM on the GPe model (yet), so keep that in mind. You're at XDA after all, so i'm guessing that you do want to fiddle with it down the road.

1. In the old firmware it did bug you and shutdown, I didn't look too hard at an solution, just flashed a custom ROM.

(snip)
sonus said:
2. Are either the Sony or GPE editions of the Z Ultra completely bug free? My old Xperia SL developed quite a few bugs after a few updates which was annoying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There ain't no such thing as 'bug free' software.

rayhighness said:
(snip)
There ain't no such thing as 'bug free' software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly.
There are issues with this phone
No flash so camera sucks.
screen does not turn off reliably during phone call. It is still a phone, a big one though and after a while of direct calls, you feel the heat.
Phone call volumes are bad.very bad.
screen is very reflective. badly need an antiglare.
I rarely use the write on screen feature, so it gives me lots of unwanted touches.
sim tray is extremely flimsy; silly design. Easy to break, loose.
and then some more.
I sometimes use it without sim and it doesnt cause issues. Just reboots when you remove/add a sim.
All said, this is still a very good phone. considering that i have used a Nexus 4 for quite a while, its better in features.
and great for reading/browsing if you can bear the glare.

macexplorer said:
Exactly.
There are issues with this phone
No flash so camera sucks.
screen does not turn off reliably during phone call. It is still a phone, a big one though and after a while of direct calls, you feel the heat.
Phone call volumes are bad.very bad.
screen is very reflective. badly need an antiglare.
I rarely use the write on screen feature, so it gives me lots of unwanted touches.
sim tray is extremely flimsy; silly design. Easy to break, loose.
and then some more.
I sometimes use it without sim and it doesnt cause issues. Just reboots when you remove/add a sim.
All said, this is still a very good phone. considering that i have used a Nexus 4 for quite a while, its better in features.
and great for reading/browsing if you can bear the glare.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks it sounds a lot like most of the bugs/issues are related to its phone features. As for the camera, no tablet has a flash as far as I know. All in all, it looks like this would make a great mini tablet and spare phone if I ever need one.

Related

How are these phones compared to Samsung Galaxy Ace

I need to recommend a phone to my 20 year old cousin sister. I had recommended Ace but its low RAM puts me off. All the Sony phones S15, S17 and W17 are having similar price. Would you recommend these over Ace? Which one?
I have to put a stable ROM for her and she will not be messing with such things. She needs good music, facebook and playing games like Angry Birds.
Sent from my GT-I9003 using Tapatalk
jesrani said:
I need to recommend a phone to my 20 year old cousin sister. I had recommended Ace but its low RAM puts me off. All the Sony phones S15, S17 and W17 are having similar price. Would you recommend these over Ace? Which one?
I have to put a stable ROM for her and she will not be messing with such things. She needs good music, facebook and playing games like Angry Birds.
Sent from my GT-I9003 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its all depend on how she is.
sk17 (mini pro) have hw keyboard and front camera, w17 and st17 doesnt have both of it.
But, st17 have dust and water resistant but since your cousin is 'SHE', then i dont thnik that features is a big plus for her (except if she is the type of active and doing a lot of outdoor activities).
I would recommend sk17 (mini pro) (if she doesnt care on how thick and thin it is for all the additional features it has)
I would recommend wt17 (active) if she doing a lot of outdoor activities and would like to have some devices that can stand some heavy situation and doesnt care about having hw keyboard for fast typing and front camera for skype etc.
for wt19 (live) ,all are the same with sk17 (mini pro) and st15 (mini) (cpu, ram, gpu etc) but it has slightly larger screen but with lower density. However, the overall design of it might catch her attention.
feed3 said:
Its all depend on how she is.
sk17 (mini pro) have hw keyboard and front camera, w17 and st17 doesnt have both of it.
But, st17 have dust and water resistant but since your cousin is 'SHE', then i dont thnik that features is a big plus for her (except if she is the type of active and doing a lot of outdoor activities).
I would recommend sk17 (if she doesnt care on how thick and thin it is for all the additional features it has)
I would recommend st17 if she doing a lot of outdoor activities and would like to have some devices that can stand some heavy situation and doesnt care about having hw keyboard for fast typing and front camera for skype etc.
for w17,all are the same with sk and st17 (cpu, ram, gpu etc) but it has slightly larger screen but with lower density. However, the overall design of it might catch her attention.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WT19i/a has got front camera
Sent from WT19i using Tapatalk
I think the Xperia Ray is the best for a girl, thin, beautyful with a high resolution screen, and there's also the pink one
XperianPro said:
WT19i/a has got front camera
Sent from WT19i using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ermmm.. i think i give out the correct info tho. Maybe you misread what i posted. We are talking about wt17 (xperia active) not xperia live with walkman a.k.a wt19
EDIT: oppss.. i DID mistype in above post. not st17, its wt17 LOL Has been too long in front of computer..
Ask your sis if there are any features or apps that she really wants because there are a couple of major differences between the Ace and the SE phones - most notably, the later Xperias are already running Android Gingerbread and will soon be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich (the latest version of Android) and they support Flash - which the Ace doesn't. In case you don't know, without Flash she will be unable to use a lot of really good sites and content - such as online TV. It is possible to hack the Ace to use an older version of Flash but it's not very good and certainly not good enough for anything like watching TV.
The Ace is a decent iphone-look-a-like - the SE phones don't copy that styling. That's a plus-point for me - I love the SK17i for being different from everyone else's phone.
The Ace has a good sized screen - but the resolution is no greater and it's not a particularly good quality screen - TFT and sometimes a bit lacking in contrast and image quality. The SE phones have superb picture quality but the smaller screens (like the mini and mini pro) may be off putting for some people.
I had a Sammy and the Xperia Mini Pro in quick succession (cos the Samsung packed in after less than a week) and they are both good but the Xperia is a much better phone for the money - looks good, sounds great, superb processor (matches many dual-core in real-world use), terrific picture quality, solid build, excellent ongoing support from SE, full Flash support, ICS on the way.
Going to Android market highlighted the additional features of the SE phones - very few apps say "not suitable for your phone" with the SE thanks to the Flash support and fast processor.
The only major criticism I have of the Xperias is that the cameras are terrible - either through hardware or software, they take all-but unusable pictures considering the claimed resolution - massively over-processed and appallingly low quality in anything other than bright light. Some people have reported sound interference when recording videos on some Xperias - that has supposedly been cured on newer phones but might be worth reading around if video recording is important to your sister.
SE's user forums are very good - plenty of input from SE themselves. Also, they are well laid out and easy to use. Samsung's are a bit of a mess - hard to find anything. SE's product pages are also very good - plenty of genuinely useful information and videos to help you find your way around the phone - Samsung's site is more like a big advert with little practical detail or advice.
One other possible negative for the SE phones - depending on your situation. SE use non-standard headphone sockets which annoys some people. They are usually fine with normal headphones but won't always work with headsets that have built-in microphones.
Basic apps on both Samsung and SE are decent. Both include some junk but I'd say that SE have less garbage that can't be removed (though that may vary of you buy from a service provider). Overall though, since these are android phones, it's so easy to add apps that it's not a big deal.
SE's support software is miles better than Samsungs. Samsung's software is bug-ridden and unstable - SE's is easy to use and reliable offering some nice features like the ability to quickly re-install the same software if the phone play up or is getting sluggish.
I really liked the main screen layout on the Samsung - I'm not so keen on the SE screen with those corners (really just folders that you are forced to use if you don't want to lose real-estate - I wish there was a simple way to switch them off). Even so, it's easy to install and use GO or one of the other launchers to get around any such niggles.
The Samsungs have one feature I really miss - proper controls in the pull-down menu to directly switch features like wi-fi without going into menus. There are a few apps available for the SE's to mimic that but they mostly just provide a shortcut to the menus so are nowhere near as useful.
Samsung's task manager is easy to use. SE don't really have but they claim that their software handles memory so well that the user doesn't need to do it manually.
Samsungs DNLA support is excellent and simple thanks to their ready-made applications - just install "All Share" on your PC and it's all but automatic. SE phones take more work to get anywhere near that stage.
There seems to be a lot more happening with the Samsungs when it comes to custom roms and mods. That may attract some people - others may see it as evidence that more SE owners are happy with the phone as it is. To me, it seems to be largely down to the fact that the SE's already have the later version of Android making many of the tweaks unneccesary. Also, just based on reading through the XDA forums, it appears that it is easier to recover the SE phones if something goes wrong when tweaking - a hell of a lot of people are bricking their Samsungs because it's all too easy to lose the imei data when tinkering with them. On the SE phones, most phones are "cured" simply by using the SE support software to reflash the phone (probably not a big deal for your sister but nice to know that it's so easy to repair a corrupted phone if something goes wrong)
Last point - the males who have seen my Mini Pro think it looks odd because they all have iphone-clones and no imagination - the girls all love it for the size and looks (I'm talking the phone )
@pengipete, thanks for the detailed answer. It seems worth to buy the SE over Samsung.
Now the last question is which model to select, ST15, SK17 or WT19. I am inclined to tell her to buy the Walkman phone.
Sent from my GT-I9003 using Tapatalk
i would recommend SK17i, because it looks cute with slideout-keyboard equipped.. and it suitable for girl
Any of those will give her a good quality phone which will not be out-dated too quickly. The Mini is great for being so small, the Mini Pro has the physical keyboard (which is very usable and a major plus-point on such a small phone) and the Walkman looks good and has the better quality speakers.
Best advice I'd give - if the prices are pretty similar or price is irrelevant - ask her which she likes knowing that any of them will be a good phone. It's really just down to looks and her personal taste.
My own preference is the Mini Pro but the world would be a boring place if we all liked the same thing.
You really won't need to do much about the ROM - SE seem to be turning out very stable, usable roms already. Just sort her out a few decent apps and budget for a decent sized SD card if she's going to want to store a lot of music.
Best of luck - and I hope she appreciates you looking after her like this

Xperia Mini Pro users: Should I get one?

Hi all. Long time reader first time poster. Question to you folks out there. I've read up on the Xperia Mini (+Pro). I'm looking for a small form-factor Android phone with a snappy(dragon) speed processor, and want your advice.
1) Would you buy the phone today? If not, why? I know there's bigger and faster, but I don't see on the market anything faster that's as small. I know Sony doesn't talk, but do we think there's a refreshed model coming out soon in 2012 that I should wait for?
2) I'm replacing my Samsung Captivate- can I do these things that I liked to do: a) easy to root/sideload etc? I don't flash ROMs, but do some Rooty stuff.
3) I like swype. Does swype run on the Experia Pro?
4) Suggestions on Mini vs. Mini Pro? I like swype, but if this thing is as small as it looks, should I be looking to get the Pro/keyboard version?
5) GPS never worked on my Craptivate. Does it work well on this phone?
I've got more questions, but I'll start with that!
subs said:
Hi all. Long time reader first time poster. Question to you folks out there. I've read up on the Xperia Mini (+Pro). I'm looking for a small form-factor Android phone with a snappy(dragon) speed processor, and want your advice.
1) Would you buy the phone today? If not, why? I know there's bigger and faster, but I don't see on the market anything faster that's as small. I know Sony doesn't talk, but do we think there's a refreshed model coming out soon in 2012 that I should wait for?
2) I'm replacing my Samsung Captivate- can I do these things that I liked to do: a) easy to root/sideload etc? I don't flash ROMs, but do some Rooty stuff.
3) I like swype. Does swype run on the Experia Pro?
4) Suggestions on Mini vs. Mini Pro? I like swype, but if this thing is as small as it looks, should I be looking to get the Pro/keyboard version?
5) GPS never worked on my Craptivate. Does it work well on this phone?
I've got more questions, but I'll start with that!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the mini and love it. I have had no issues with it at all. in reply to your questions:
1 - would buy again. the Processor is fast enough. I've never had lag. Also it will get the ice cream sandwich update so the software will stay current on the mini for a while.
2 - I rooted the phone using superoneclickroot which took 1 click. But the latest software update for the phone may mean that root might not be available ~yet~ (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1455216 ). If you're buying current stock then more than likely the software update to 62 hasn't been applied yet, so rooting is easy.
3 - I use swiftkey as a keyboard replacement, you can use any android app so swype should work too.
4 - How much do you really use the keyboard? I figured that one of the main reasons in getting the phone was for it to be small & lightweight, so the mini was the smallest & lightest, I used to have a Droid with a keyboard, but now don't miss the keyboard at all.
5 - GPS works fine. I think GPS issues were a Samsung thing?
I'm a mini pro user and must say I'm pretty happy with my phone. But to answer some of your questions I wouldn't buy this phone if I were buying it now, and it's only because I'd really like a bigger screen and perhaps a longer battery as well but these are in no way reasons not to go for this phone. In all my time using it I really had no issues whatsoever and can't find any remarks why not to choose this phone besides personal preference.
The rooting is quite easy excluding the latest firmware which just takes some alternative methods to do, but is not in any way extra hard.
Swype can be used but if you take the mini pro you will most probably get used to the hardware keyboard and will at most times avoid using the on screen one as the hardware keyboard is way more comfortable and easier to use.
Also the GPS works really well, and the phone itself also includes a special module that allows the use of the new tracking technology implemented by the Russians (can't remember the name). So you will have acces to about ten or more satelites (compared to other GPS modules of other phones) which give you faster lock on and more precise measurements.
All in all this phone will not disappoint you, or at least it has not disappointed me.
Sent from my SK17i using XDA App
Brov i would advice yu to get one... am planning of get one soonest too!!!
tha only hinderance about tha phone is dat its small but still handy!
1) Yes, I would. I really like my little phone... I have no idea if any successor is planned - but if so, I don't think it'll be as cheap as the mini/mini pro at the moment.
I also really like the stock launcher, I like the hardware keyboard, the form factor, the speed of the CPU. The camera sucks, the batterylife is mediocre and the display resolution could be higher but it's still a very good phone.
2) I'm quite sure yes. I broke my root with the newest update (but didn't really need it at the moment) but I'm sure the community will come up with a new root very soon.
3) I think so
4) AFAIK the mini does have fewer problems with overall reception (GPS, GPRS, UMTS, WiFi). But - I want the keyboard!! The screen really is quite small - I don't want half of it used by the onscreen keyboard. On top of it - I'm really a lot faster with the hardware one - feels good, works well. TBH, the mini never was a valid option for me.
5) Yes, it does work but compared to other phones the reception is quite poor in my opinion. I don't need it on a day-to-day basis so it's not a deal breaker to me.
Tha main truth is tha SUCCESSOR of dis phone cant be sold dat amount!!! i just love XMP.... I must get it!
If you are interested (and in the UK) I'm selling one. It has only 2 days use, and last night I unlocked the bootloader, put CWM recovery on it, and put NeoDroid's V4 ROM and kernel on it.
Advert here...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1477219&highlight=xperia+mini+pro
Indeed a nice little phone. Much much snappier since I put the custom ROM on it. Got it overclocked to a safe 1.2GHz and removed all the bloatware. Running it as my daily use phone for a few days to make sure there are no bugs.
I've had mine for a few months and would still get one.
The screen is small/low resolution, but it fits in my pocket and there's very little out with a keyboard here.
SE made it easy to unlock, so I have a custom kernel and have no problems with it set to 1.6GHz.
I didn't like the launcher at all with its corners thing, but that's easy to replace
Sorry- I'm in the US, would need a version that could run on AT&T's network bands
melenko said:
I've had mine for a few months and would still get one.
The screen is small/low resolution, but it fits in my pocket and there's very little out with a keyboard here.
SE made it easy to unlock, so I have a custom kernel and have no problems with it set to 1.6GHz.
I didn't like the launcher at all with its corners thing, but that's easy to replace
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can one replace tha launcher brov? but tha phone has 1GHz, How com 1.6GHz?
whalesplaho said:
How can one replace tha launcher brov? but tha phone has 1GHz, How com 1.6GHz?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Launchers like ADW, there's a few on the market
Custom kernels give a few more options, (Rage/KarmaRush) so something like setCPU or Tasker can set it to a higher CPU speed
melenko said:
Launchers like ADW, there's a few on the market
Custom kernels give a few more options, (Rage/KarmaRush) so something like setCPU or Tasker can set it to a higher CPU speed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks so much brov..... i appreciate~!
whalesplaho said:
thanks so much brov..... i appreciate~!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's ADW+, Beautiful widgets, Minimalistic text, Tasker. If you're going to have a nice little phone like this, it's worth making it your own
melenko said:
That's ADW+, Beautiful widgets, Minimalistic text, Tasker. If you're going to have a nice little phone like this, it's worth making it your own
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dis is nice brov.... is dis screenshot taken from XMP?
Hello
1. I had an Xperia X10 mini pro, but bought an Xperia mini pro a few month ago. I am very happy with this phone and would buy the same again, if this one broke.
If you need a phone now, buy it now, It is a nice phone, the only problem I see is the that it can run out of RAM, but then get a kernel that supports SWAP, so you can get some paged memory.
2. I think that it is easy to root, even though it was easier on the Xperia X10 mini pro. The biggest problem is that you it is hard to switch back to the stock ROM. But Once you have tried CM7, will you never return (and CM9 is on the way).
3. I do not know about the Xperia pro, but I have not seen it on the Xperia mini pro, but there are very similar keyboards.
4. Personally I would never buy the Xperia mini. The pro version is not that much bigger and it actually has a very nice keyboard.
5. The GPS of the Xperia mini pro is working very nice here in Denmark. I actually use it as my primary GPS (even though I have a TomTom). I have seen some problems if I am too far out in the country and surrounded by big trees. But in exception of that am I very happy with the GPS of the Xperia mini pro combined with Google Maps.
---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:27 PM ----------
whalesplaho said:
How can one replace tha launcher brov? but tha phone has 1GHz, How com 1.6GHz?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should try to install "GO Launcher EX" from the market.
hnl_dk thanks for dat info.... i think i ll buy it early nextmonth!
but yu talk bout Go Launcher EX, is it better dan tha ADW+??? but i thought Go Luanhcer EX is use for themes cos i use to see alongside themes.
Ok- I have to ask- what is with your grammar and spelling? I wouldn't mind if you said that you were not a native english speaker- where are you from? sorry.
I will start with the problems I have with Mini Pro
* Low resolution - You wont be able to play some games
* Small Screen -Nut can't take it as a big negative because its a MINI pro
As for your queries there is nothing in the current market which has the same or better hardware and is small .In the world of gadgets/technology it is normal for some product to be squished by a better one and it is inevitable so there is no use waiting for a newer one .
You can easily ROOT your phone ,there is a simple tool available - connect phone,click root and your done .
I don't think you will need swype because of the physical keyboard .But yes it will run.
Mini has no keyboard thats all .
GPS works without any issues .
whalesplaho said:
hnl_dk thanks for dat info.... i think i ll buy it early nextmonth!
but yu talk bout Go Launcher EX, is it better dan tha ADW+??? but i thought Go Luanhcer EX is use for themes cos i use to see alongside themes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They can both do themes, and I think there's free versions to try out. The difference is just preference, things like a few options or speed
I have no idea about XMP, I just used screenshot from the power button
I just recently got my SE Xperia Mini Pro, and I'm loving it. For the price I payed for it, I am surprise they are making a profit. My budget was around £250, I checked many phones and many didn't have the specs I was looking for. I needed a fast and good quality camera phone and the Mini Pro lives up to its standard.
Pros
Very fast phone, only crashes when you put it to the extreme
Camera is amazing, really surprised with the picture quality
Can run most apps and games without any problem
Hardware keyboard is really sturdy
SE has added Swype in the 2.3.4 update for the Mini Pro
Cons
Screen a bit small for typing
The outside feels like cheap plastic
This is a great phone for the price. If your budget is low, definitely get this one, If your budget is higher, a bigger screen might do better

Advice request about Sony Xperia Tipo (ST21i, ST21a)

Hi all!
First of all I wish to thanks in advance for any of you who may stop by, and provide some tips, experience
regarding the next matter, advice request:
My context is that I am completely noob regarding choosing android phone.
I want to get my first one, but a low budget, and I thought about Sony Xperia Tipo, cause it uses Android ICS,
and its hardware specs are some better than comparing to others of similar budget as LG Optimus L3, Samsung Galaxy Mini
( phonearena.com/phones/compare/LG-Optimus-L3,Samsung-GALAXY-mini,Sony-Xperia-tipo/phones/6941,5147,7151 )
I already discarded going for Vodafone Smart II, cause after reading its thread in XDA (around 30 pages), despite it was posible
to be rooted at first, in 1 month the new versions have been capped by cel companies (the recovery, the fastboot etc), at least for Spain, Portugal versions, therefore the customization is getting quite impossible, or very random depending the version, the cel company, ...
I think the main problem it is that this Xperia Tipo has been released quite very recently,
and after been searching through forum about info for rooting the Xperia Tipo, I can't find any info about it :S.
So my 2 questions are:
- it is expected that Xperia Tipo will be rooted in a near future ( and therefore customizable with
ROMs ...) ?
- Taking in count any answer to this question, would you suggest to go for it,
or by other hand go for Samsung Galaxy Mini (despite it has worse HW, Android GingerBread,
BUT it has quite plenty support for rooting and flashing with custom ROMs) ?
Again thanks in advance for any advice, and excuse the long post! )
Cheers!
ive used this phone after recomending it for someone else. Its a great cheap ICS phone dont expect it to be really fast or to play excellant games but it is really good for the price under £100!!!. would i recomend it to someone else after using it YES!!!! just remember to clear the apps your not using from the RAM by pressing the Home key and holding it and swiping it to close it so it doesnt get laggy.
as for root im not a dev but im safley sure it will be rooted in the future as its got a SD card slot so its easier to install CWM recovery etc.
BUT it is new out and dont expect it to happen any time soon i have the Xperia U and thats been out ages now and i still dont have root it just takes time for the devs to get the phones and then to start work on them.
hope it helped
djpigz said:
ive used this phone after recomending it for someone else. Its a great cheap ICS phone dont expect it to be really fast or to play excellant games but it is really good for the price under £100!!!. would i recomend it to someone else after using it YES!!!! just remember to clear the apps your not using from the RAM by pressing the Home key and holding it and swiping it to close it so it doesnt get laggy.
as for root im not a dev but im safley sure it will be rooted in the future as its got a SD card slot so its easier to install CWM recovery etc.
BUT it is new out and dont expect it to happen any time soon i have the Xperia U and thats been out ages now and i still dont have root it just takes time for the devs to get the phones and then to start work on them.
hope it helped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip!
Being cheap phone is ok, in fact that is what I seek for, a low budget phone as a start point, looking for customization.
Well, I could get that Xperia Tipo for £48, while the Samsung Galaxy Mini would cost £32. HW (CPU, inbuilt mem, display res) difference and phone release date diff, explain the price difference, hehe.
I was tempted to get Vodafone Smart II (for £48, I think), but atfer reading this whole thread forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1722811 , I found that it is a lottery, if I could get it rooted or not :S
My main doubt is if going for Samsung Galaxy Mini cause its great support in matters of rooting and customization, or expect that Xperia Tipo will get some nice support here in XDA, in the future ...
A third choice could be LG Optimus L3 which has worse display res, same price as Xperia Tipo, and it has some support here at forum for rooting and ROMs.
Regarding your Xperia U, I think there is quite nice support in this site, forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1728 , so you mention you still having probs to root it ?
I have just returned my Tipo today due to very poor reception. If you just want a phone to make calls and send texts then it should be more than adequate but if you are going to use it for browsing or games I would find something with a stronger processor as it can be very laggy after using it a while - even in menus. However the touchscreen is responsive and the display should be OK for making calls and texting but I found it very washed out when viewing pics etc. On my particular handset I could hear electrical interference through the headphones but this could be related to my reception fault I guess. If you can I advise you try it out before making a decision - if ur in the UK o2 shops usually have all there the phones on display switched on. If music is important to you the sound quality is very budget. Also the camera has no flash or autofocus. Tbh if it wasn't for the Sony xperia branding on the front I would have though this was a cheap chinese no-name handset as Sony really have cut costs on this one.
I can't comment on the Samsung but I have read bad things about the lg. Have you considered the Motosmart from Motorola. It has a similar spec to the tipo but at least the camera has a flash and its root able (running gingerbread)
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I bought this phone a week ago. It's very nice for the price!. It isn't laggy, It has plenty of ram. Obviously it isn't so fast as would be needed for a device to play games,and doesn't have a big screen (or an hires one) if you have to surf the web a lot, but handles with no problems at all divx streaming from my pc, using mx-player. It's clearly better than vodafone smart_II and my device hasn't reception problems at all. The battery (this is a good point in my opinion) it's 1500mah just better than the usual 1200mah used in low-end devices
The camera can make decent photos but hasn't flash or aufocus at all & no front camera just like all the cheap phones.
BTW i think it's one of the best ICS devices avaiable here in Italy for about 150€.
I tried samsung galaxy mini too and this experia is a lot better in my opninion.
I have been using the mobile for more than a month... It's perfect .. Go for it... It is the best in the range... I do use it a lot and it has held up against everything... Custom ROM will be available veeeeeeeeeeeery soon... It is already rooted...
Sent from my ST21i using xda app-developers app
[help] firmware flash
my boot loader is unlocked and my device is stuck at boot with single vibration .
i need to install firmware but its get aborted everytime with an error
ERROR - ERR_SEVERITY="MAJOR";ERR_CODE="0019";ERR_DYNAMIC=" SIN header verification failed";
please help

[Q] REALLY interesed on Xperia Z Ultra

I consider this phablet as a very good option. This afternoon I was in the store and I was amazed about the size and design.
But I have two questions:
Can you tell me your user experience with the Xperia Z Ultra? You can tell me any bug present on the phablet too.
How I can replace the battery in damage situations? I am worried, the XZU has integrated battery, I have a device like this an device like this and it's life was of 6 months. And when I tried to find another battery, I only take this device to the trash, :crying: I don't find anything.
Are this type of phablets a good option? What life time it have?
Thanks in advance and good night.
Don Luciano said:
I consider this phablet as a very good option. This afternoon I was in the store and I was amazed about the size and design.
But I have two questions:
Can you tell me your user experience with the Xperia Z Ultra? You can tell me any bug present on the phablet too.
How I can replace the battery in damage situations? I am worried, the XZU has integrated battery, I have a device like this an device like this and it's life was of 6 months. And when I tried to find another battery, I only take this device to the trash, :crying: I don't find anything.
Are this type of phablets a good option? What life time it have?
Thanks in advance and good night.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are batteries on the internet so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to change.
The biggest bug is that on stock ROM most (if not all apps) run in phone mode. The other is the, at best, average camera.
blueether said:
There are batteries on the internet so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to change.
The biggest bug is that on stock ROM most (if not all apps) run in phone mode. The other is the, at best, average camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bug? the rom is configured to run in phone mode
Yeah, that's not a bug. That's the way Sony made it
Sent from my C6833 using Tapatalk
ok, over-sight then rather than bug
easily fixable with Xposed Framework - App Settings.
I absolutely love my XZU, by far the best phone I ever had. The one thing that is below average is the camera, but that might get better with future updates.
3mL said:
easily fixable with Xposed Framework - App Settings.
I absolutely love my XZU, by far the best phone I ever had. The one thing that is below average is the camera, but that might get better with future updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I know that, and have it installed, but why should I have to root my phone just to do something that should be available to a near tablet?
blueether said:
Yes I know that, and have it installed, but why should I have to root my phone just to do something that should be available to a near tablet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You bought a phone not a tablet, no?
Root is easy, and should almost be something of a necessity on this device.
blueether said:
Yes I know that, and have it installed, but why should I have to root my phone just to do something that should be available to a near tablet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's because Sony is defining the Ultra as a phone and not a tablet. The app "Pocket" though, defines it as a tablet and that's why we have the tablet UI. It's the same thing with "TV Show Favs" and "IMDb" too.
LordManhattan said:
That's because Sony is defining the Ultra as a phone and not a tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it's not about Sony and how they think it should be marketed, it should be all about the user and how they use the product. Sony would have known that the device will be used more as a tablet than a phone for a lot of users, would it have been so difficult to ad a toggle in display settings to switch between phone/phablet/tablet modes?
Next I'll want a toggle to swap between pocket size and tablet size - changing the physical form factor...
blueether said:
But it's not about Sony and how they think it should be marketed, it should be all about the user and how they use the product. Sony would have known that the device will be used more as a tablet than a phone for a lot of users, would it have been so difficult to ad a toggle in display settings to switch between phone/phablet/tablet modes?
Next I'll want a toggle to swap between pocket size and tablet size - changing the physical form factor...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think sony took reasonable decision here. Because a tablet layout would be too horrendous for a portrait layout. Everything will be too narrow. It is clearly only for a landscape layout (which suits tablet z more appropriately) but yeah a tablet layout on landscape is still a possibility. But i think Android doesn't support such layout witch just by the rotation?
Sent from my C6802 using xda app-developers app

Is it still worth it?

So, being the phone nerd that I am, I have no idea how I never knew about this phone till now. So! Id like to ask all of you, who have the phone, is it still worth it? Are you happy with your purchase? Did you switch to the ROG Phone 3 or the Note 20 Ultra? Hows the OS? I like to customize my phone alot so, remove any and all bloatware, root the phone and perhaps install a custom rom, etc. Is any of that possible on this phone? Ill be honest! I really just want this phone for its 7.1 inch screen. I previously had the Huawei Mate 20 X so, this looks like a very welcome upgrade. So what are your thoughts on this phone, please share?
I have BS3Pro china device. flash to global rom and this is my opinions.
What I like about this phone :
- Huge display for read cartoon/ watch some video
- beautiful 90hz screen that make my cartoon reading feel great when scroll down to next page
- Great gaming experience here
- Battery is great (if not do a "lot" of gaming) (pubg 90fps can do around 4hr before phone died)
- Fast battery charging from 0% to 100% with around 1hr
What I'm not impressive about this phone:
- Camera focusing(not autofocus) is not done they work. miss focus 80% of time
- Speaker is not loud enough. if you need to race a sound with noisy place, You will hear little sound of your phone.
- Speaker quality is decent. Not great but not worse either
- fingerprint scanner will not work if your screen have a little dirty or oily
The worst part of this phone:
- Software update(Global rom) is very slow. This phone still have miui11 and the last update is probably 2 month ago(if i'm not wrong)
- Lack of community.
- No hope for custom rom.
Summary. this is a good phone that used by few people(I assum). That's make the manufacturer lower the priority in term of software update. and blackshark company didn't have space for custom rom for their phone.
You can still unlock bootloader and install custom recovery for rooting your phone. But no custom rom were made for this phone here.
If you don't mind about custom rom, frequent software update, lack of community to discuss. this is a good phone if your prefer big one.
Phone would be worth it $400 now. ZERO updates coming, xiaomi has abandoned the BS3pro, especially the global model
I love it. If you're rooted you can customise it using swift installer, and a few other apps that work like the audio headquarters, viper, and superstatus bar, CustoMiuizer, etc. I use the Samsung notifications shade etc.
Though I wish there were ways to update the phone since I can't get update to install since I'm rooted.
Other than that. I love it. Just wish it had 120hz
tried any GSIs?
like Mitku01 said, the phone is great. You don't find a better phone with a big screen.
Global support is bad. My Black Shark 3 Pro is still on security patch 2020-06-05.

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