http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPqS_xJ7jnE
I can't believe this! It comes with a pre-installed Stock Android mode! How awesome is that!
I am quiet hesitant to buy this mobile at this point ...not sure whether custom roms will be made for this mobile
svvv said:
I am quiet hesitant to buy this mobile at this point ...not sure whether custom roms will be made for this mobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i know what you mean..k900 suffers from the same situation.
Root
Sorry to be offtopic, but Kingo ROOT is working for Lenovo VIBE Z2 Pro
majrul said:
Sorry to be offtopic, but Kingo ROOT is working for Lenovo VIBE Z2 Pro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Majrul. Do you have this phone? I'm considering buying it. Can you give a quick first impressions?
Thanks.
Review Z2 Pro vs. the Best Damn Devices
Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro (Dual SIM)
One of the most un-imaginable 6 inch (Phablets) phones that one could buy is available at a price point of Rs. 32,999 which makes it one of the lowest costing QHD devices available in the market today. I have spent ample time ‘googling’ the device and looking for international reviews and quite disappointed to find none. The phone has been completely ignored which leads to either the question that this is a another Chinese import with some customization here and there, or that this has not been marketed enough and thus, comes as a surprise Diwali deal for all.
I have used pretty much every device you can think of from the ios Apple – iPhones (entire series), to the Android Samsung S (entire series), to the Notes (everything), Nexus (entire series) all the way to the Microsoft bred Nokia Lumia 1020 and 1500 and more. The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro would be the last of my options, except that this year I was fascinated by it’s specs and features. For a 6 inch phablet (Phone + Tablet) this seemed to have quite a lot of things on it’s positives. Right now, the top end Galaxy’s and iPhone are fighting each other with 13 MP to 16 MP Cameras, and HD Displays, whereas the Vibe Z2 Pro enters the arena silently with 16 MP Professional Camera (some compare it the Nokia 1020’s 41 MP PureView camera), which undoubtedly can not be true. However where the Z2 Pro shows dominance is with it’s 4K recording ability and QHD screens making it an interesting device at it’s price point. Also interesting enough it houses a secondary 5 MP camera compared to most devices fighting with 2 MP front face cameras. Designed to look “expensive” and slim, the device is supposed to be quick with a 2.5 Gz Snapdragon 801 Quad Core Processor, which even today doesn’t make me feel that fast with any device except the Nexus 5! Armed with 3 GB RAM, this baby should be as fast my computer – or so I would have imagined. Yet with so much bloat being installed by companies for OEM and Custom UI’s you generally don’t get more than 700 MB of free RAM. I would have personally liked having Android Stock UI, no bloat ware and at least 2 GB RAM all for myself ! Now that would be a real “Snap-Dragon” !
No expandable memory card was an instant turn off for me, and having 32 GB minus the whooping 6 GB OS used storage was a kick in my ass. Leaving me with hardly 24 GB of free storage after deducting other in built apps and files, and no memory card – I felt bloated already. There is OTG support, which means using custom cables you can connect your phone’s charging port to a USB cable (OTG) which will allow you to again connect mass storage drives such as pen drives, flash drives, etc. to your phone. I don’t like the idea because it makes things look messy.
What the Z2 Pro does though – is 6 GB includes an option to switch between the Android UI and it’s custom UI – this is a first in my book’s for a dual mode GUI option which allows people like me switch to Androids GUI. I would imagine that this move, should or would free me up to 1.8 to 2GB’s of RAM, but I need to really check to see if it works. I would personally have hoped to be able to delete the entire Lenovo custom UI and free me up another 2-3GB of space which would probably let me fit a good deal of my music collection and some books to read on my 6 inch…. (no pun intended)…. screen.
Now let me compare some top end devices with the Z2 Pro for you to give you an idea of what kind of a “dragon” this could be. The LG 3 – one of the only qHD phones available is priced similarly at Rs 32,999 has similar specs but a smaller 5.5 inch screen.The LG3 has 550 ppi density because of it’s half inch smaller frame, whereas the Z2 Pro has 490 ppi resolution, which for the extra half inch is noteworthy. Having said that, the Z2 Pro’s quality should be good enough since the human eye can not differentiate screens with higher than around 320 ppi. Where companies have begun new competition is brightness to confuse the user on higher ppi scales. So knowing the Z2 Pro supports 490 ppi for a 6 inch screen sounds wonderful. 3GB Ram sounds like a real treat, since companies like LG and Samsung install GUI and Application bloatware that eventually gives you around 500-600 MB of Free RAM. I personally hate slow phones and with all the things these companies put nowadays, the Samsung S5 was one of the fastest phones to exit my pockets permanently. Now where the Z2 Pro does suffer is – lack of stereo speakers like the Sony Z3 and lack of water proof or water resistant bodies. I would have loved knowing that the Z2 Pro with it’s supposedly professional camera could get into fresh water swimming pools for some fun photos. That’s not the case as the Z2 Pro can’t really do that.
However, it does have a professional camera mode which allows it do use custom camera (manual settings) and really take vivid photographs. Now on a positive note – the Sony Z3 costs Rs. 46,000 while the Z2 Pro as I repeatedly have mentioned is Rs. 32,999 (33,000) which is a Rs.13,000 savings immediately. Also on a side note – the Sony Z3 is a said to be breaking it’s screen fairly quickly, speakers damage when submerged into water is causing problems to Sony’s water proof claims too. When compared to an iPhone – the Z2 Pro runs a different operating system, but if you went straight to the tech specs – Z2 Pro has more RAM, a higher end camera and seems to be made more expensive than the iPhone – however this is yet to be seen as my new iPhone 6 Plus is yet to arrive.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 which is expected to launch this week, will be priced around Rs. 52,000 and has a PPI of 515 thanks to it’s super-amoled display. However if you look at the difference between 515 and 490 ppi – it doesnt seem a great deal. That’s where the Z2 Pro which – let me remind you is a 6 inch phablet might be better than the Note 4, which is a 5.7 phablet for a lower price! However, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 does include a pen, and has writing capabilities which almost no other phone has – which continues to make it unique. That being said, to keep this review fair – the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a lower battery life than the Z2 Pro which interesting offers dual sim support, whereby one sim supports 3G/4G/LTE support – but quite surprisingly doesn’t support India’s Airtel LTE network. The second sim card sadly doesn’t support 3G and is good for only 2G networks. The Samsung Note 4 includes the new Snapdragon 805 chipset, which makes it the first device to run the new updated hardware. The new chipset mitigates issues of handling 4K recording as well as QHD screens. The Samsung Note 4 has a 16 MP camera (Front) and a 3.7 MP rear camera, whereas the Z2 Pro has a 16 MP font camera, with a mightier 5 MP rear camera.
Just to remind everyone – higher Mega Pixels are not important for personal photographs whereas the focus lens size is more important for detailed photographs. The MPs come into play only when you want to shoot large images (scenery from a bridge or a hill) or want to take photos for large banners or bill boards. There is no description mentioned around on the Lens of the Z2 Pro and I suspect the camera might be a bit substandard and so mentioning it was neglected. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 does indeed have a finger print sensor which the Z2 Pro does not have, but interestingly the finger print sensor has not really found any place or value on devices till date. Both devices include NFC and bluetooth. Finally, the Galaxy Note 4 does support expandable memory cards up to 128GB which would therefore allow a 32GB model to store up to 160 GB of data including it’s OS, GUI and other proprietary apps and data. I don’t know if the Note 4 is worth paying the extra Rs. 20,000 premium cost but then again the Note 4 is in a league of it’s own.
My opinion to this is, if you have a budget for a high quality premium device – I would recommend either of the two devices – Lenovo Z2 Pro or the upcoming Nexus 6. Since the Nexus 6 is still not available. I will try to make it easier for you – Lenovo Z2 Pro is a great choice till then.
Disclaimer: This review was written by me on my blog and since there are a few questions being asked, I thought I'd share it with you all.
Thanks for the review, rdosti.
I have a few questions I hope you can answer.
Have you rooted your phone? If yes, did you use the Kingo app?
Do the phone have any heat issues?
I heard that it can be difficult to install new apps because of the security app that comes preinstalled. Do you have the same experience?
I will receive my phone in a coupe of weeks. Can't wait!
Why would you root the phone? --- You get stock rom (android) included as an option. You need to enable it through Developer Options in Settings (and you can reboot the phone in Stock android GUI).
No over heating issues have been experienced.
No issues installing Apps. Not sure what Security App you are talking about. Are you referring to "Secure Zone" which is already available on most android smart devices which allows you to separate business and home apps and screens?
"In Vibe Z2 Pro, we have two zones: open zone and secure zone. Every app can be run in open zone while only trusted app will be run in secure zone to protect sensitive application & data for user. User can easily switch between open zone and secure zone by only "one click". In secure zone, it is safer, freer and easier." Reference: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo...-is-coming-in-Lenovo-Vibe-Z2-Pro/td-p/1702177
Thanks: additional question
Thanks:
1. whether we can install & run apps from OTG devices
2. MHL support is not mentioned, is it a software option later can be tweaked
3. DUAL sim 3G/4G is it an software tweakable option
4. who is the winner among IUNI 3, K920 & 64 bit VIBE Z2
5. how is lenovo after sales support, i am ****** with micromax service with A210 [very poor service]
6. is there a promise for Android L or cyanogen mod!
is there a phone you suggest with dual GSM sim, removable battery, 2-3GB RAM, 13+ BSI, dual LED, future ready performer at least FHD 5inch
rdosti said:
Why would you root the phone? --- You get stock rom (android) included as an option. You need to enable it through Developer Options in Settings (and you can reboot the phone in Stock android GUI).
No over heating issues have been experienced.
No issues installing Apps. Not sure what Security App you are talking about. Are you referring to "Secure Zone" which is already available on most android smart devices which allows you to separate business and home apps and screens?
"In Vibe Z2 Pro, we have two zones: open zone and secure zone. Every app can be run in open zone while only trusted app will be run in secure zone to protect sensitive application & data for user. User can easily switch between open zone and secure zone by only "one click". In secure zone, it is safer, freer and easier." Reference: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo...-is-coming-in-Lenovo-Vibe-Z2-Pro/td-p/1702177
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi will try to answer as many as I can.
- I am getting my OTG Flash Drive today so will be able to let you know by tomorrow.
- Micro USB to HDMI should work.
- Dual SIM (SIM Slot one is for 4g/3g/2gb & SIM Slot two is for 2G). By the way I am impressed that both SIMS go into a single tray which has been made so you can fit two sim cards. Excellent design. Sadly second slot is clearly marked for only 2G.
- Vibe Z2 Pro stands out in all my tests
- I have been lucky enough never to need it. I think support of all companies except Apple "suck". Apple's replacement system is unbeatable.
- Lenovo have said that their flagship will get updates - however I will take that with a pinch of salt since there is no guarantees on that.
One of the things I was depressed about was the Camera is not as great as I would have hoped or imagined. Though many reviewers have said it is great, I took photos this morning in day light as well as night time and minor zooming of the photos taken already, were quite grainy. In my opinion the camera is a let down.
I would suggest the Z2 Pro which is quite reasonably priced. The lack of marketing and brand ambassadors have allowed them to allow them to price themselves at a fairly competitive price. The only single sim competitor is the Nexus which is speculated to be announced tomorrow. There is no dual sim competitor worth comparing this device too at this price point.
Photoneutron said:
Thanks:
1. whether we can install & run apps from OTG devices
2. MHL support is not mentioned, is it a software option later can be tweaked
3. DUAL sim 3G/4G is it an software tweakable option
4. who is the winner among IUNI 3, K920 & 64 bit VIBE Z2
5. how is lenovo after sales support, i am ****** with micromax service with A210 [very poor service]
6. is there a promise for Android L or cyanogen mod!
is there a phone you suggest with dual GSM sim, removable battery, 2-3GB RAM, 13+ BSI, dual LED, future ready performer at least FHD 5inch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 11:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:58 AM ----------
By the way - Regarding the secure app - You can force stop and disable it. I did just that. There is an inbuilt antivirus which got the same treatment from me. Those memory hogging antivirus do nothing and waste valuable resources in my opinion. Force Stop - Disable is the way to go !
I also removed some apps and games I wasn't planning to use to free up some space on the phone.
I was able to easily get 1.5 GB Free RAM (out of 3 GB) which is one of the best performing devices I have seen. That allows me to load and run high end QHD videos as well as Games without worrying about RAM issues or lack of available RAM. 50% RAM free is like a God Send for people who really want to take it on for gaming!
I had around 24-25 GB of free internal storage immediately, which gives me quite a lot of space to fill up with things I need or want. OTG always remains a second option.
MY recommendation is load all your apps on the internal storage for faster "read" speeds, and put all your media on the OTG flash drives or any free space left on your internal storage.
I would not recommend apps being put on OTG for a very simple reason, you will find a lag or a every so tiny lag which reduces the fun of having such a beautiful device.
The Brightness makes the Nexus 5 look like crap!
Thanks a lot for your time & strouble.
I am in a dilemma whether to wait for MTK 6595 [vibe X2] or MTK 6795 phones? or to go for 64 bit Snapdragon?
Photoneutron said:
Thanks:
1. whether we can install & run apps from OTG devices
2. MHL support is not mentioned, is it a software option later can be tweaked
3. DUAL sim 3G/4G is it an software tweakable option
4. who is the winner among IUNI 3, K920 & 64 bit VIBE Z2
5. how is lenovo after sales support, i am ****** with micromax service with A210 [very poor service]
6. is there a promise for Android L or cyanogen mod!
is there a phone you suggest with dual GSM sim, removable battery, 2-3GB RAM, 13+ BSI, dual LED, future ready performer at least FHD 5inch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rdosti said:
By the way - Regarding the secure app - You can force stop and disable it. I did just that. There is an inbuilt antivirus which got the same treatment from me. Those memory hogging antivirus do nothing and waste valuable resources in my opinion. Force Stop - Disable is the way to go !
I also removed some apps and games I wasn't planning to use to free up some space on the phone.
I was able to easily get 1.5 GB Free RAM (out of 3 GB) which is one of the best performing devices I have seen. That allows me to load and run high end QHD videos as well as Games without worrying about RAM issues or lack of available RAM. 50% RAM free is like a God Send for people who really want to take it on for gaming!
I had around 24-25 GB of free internal storage immediately, which gives me quite a lot of space to fill up with things I need or want. OTG always remains a second option.
MY recommendation is load all your apps on the internal storage for faster "read" speeds, and put all your media on the OTG flash drives or any free space left on your internal storage.
I would not recommend apps being put on OTG for a very simple reason, you will find a lag or a every so tiny lag which reduces the fun of having such a beautiful device.
The Brightness makes the Nexus 5 look like crap!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your review man, Really appreciate it.
1.). I would like to know specifically in the Google UI Mode, is the sercurity app(I mean the Antivirus App and NOT the Secure Mode App) still installed and running ?
Is it possible to disable and force stop them? Because in whatever little videos i have seen on-line, most have the security app in the Notification drawer which is kinda annoying and
frustrating? Also i read somewhere that the Lenovo Antivirus App(Security App) is soo ingrained in the OS that it starts to mess around with whatsapp and other Apps when Disabled
or Force stopped and it re enables itself after sometime.
2.). Also how much ram usage in Google UI mode?
3.). Does the phone feel less bloated and snappier when in Google UI mode?
4.). Any particular features you feel are missing in the Google UI Mode that are there in the Vibe UI mode?
5.). Would you root the Phone to remove all the unnecessary apps like the Security app , Secure zone, SyncIT, ShareIT apps and all the other useless apps?
Sorry , Too many questions.
If this is any motivation Z2 Pro just released a stability update today of 60 MB.
K920_ROW_S133_141010
Gives you an idea that they are updating things.
To viruscmotu -
1. You can disable (force stop and disable) the app. I did that the moment I got my device.
2. Surprisingly and sadly, the free RAM is almost the same in both UI's which begs the question - WHY ? I actually began to like Lenovo's UI by the way - its kind of like the iPhone - everything's on the home screens + Widgets! I have already mentioned in previous posting's you get around 1.5 GB Free RAM.
3. Google UI mode feels only a very tiny bit (very cautious) faster. I think the Google UI mode has been tweaked by Lenovo since many minor but catchable things are not "true stock".
4. Yes, there is one feature which I think is extremely shocking not there in Google UI - The "OTA Update" feature. This has got me really disturbed about the device. I have to reboot back into Vibe UI to actually look for any new update (we got one last night ) which I would have missed had I stayed in the Google UI permanently.
5. Honestly, I don't see any reason to remove it since it doesn't take up too much space and you can easily disable it. It does not pop up or bother you ever again. Without root you can perform most of the disable actions and if you just want to be sure - you can download "Clean Master" - a free ware and very popular app to disable those preinstalled apps you wish to.
Regarding the question whether to wait for the X2 , etc... The snapdragon is a way better chipset in all reality that any others seen today. The Note 4 and Nexus 6 run on Snapdragon 805 (latest) , though the LG3 and this device run on 801 (which is in my opinion fairly great too).
I would personally not move to any device that is not snapdragon.
Stupid question?
Hello rdosti,
I've been reading this thread about Vibe Z2 Pro, as it looks to be my next phone (hopefully). I have it already pre-ordered, but I am still waiting, as it is not so easy to get on of those devices.
Perhaps this would be a stupid question, but I thought that as you have "stock" android version on the Vibe Z2 Pro, that for example update for Android 5.0 would be pretty straightforward. Can you confirm / decline / comment on that?
I have been using WinPhone for quite some time ,but I've got pretty bored with the lack of the applications in WP store, si I am looking to switch to Android. This Phone would suit me perfectly as it has everything that I need.
Only thing that keeps me hesitating is this Stock / Lenovo version of Android and prospect of new Android upgrades in the upcoming time.
Many thanks for the update &
My best regards
petfro
You have to wait till Lenovo offers an update for Lolipop (Android L). Its still a Lenovo ROM at the end of the day.
Only the Android One phones and Nexus devices are offered immediate upgrades to the new Android OS.
No other phone no matter what ROM its on gets an immediate upgrade. You need to wait patiently
O my god! I am so glad that i found this thread! Ive been in the fence whether to buy vibe z2 pro or mate 7. But after reading this, this made me choose the z2.pro.
Thanks rdosti for your review and answering the questions!
Just one question, rdosti. In the reviews i saw at youtube, i cant help but notice that the lenovo ui in the vibe z2 pro is not that snappy. Is that really the case?
....
Thank you for the answer rdosti.
So it means, taht it is nice that phone have stock android, but still Lenovo has to make upgrade for newer versions of OS.
For the price, they are asking for this device it is still worth to buy it, since Nexus 6 is much more expensive.
You personally thinks that software upgrade will be available for this device in the future? as I am not that familiar with Lenovo phones, I do have Lenovo laptop and I am more then happy with it.
I heard some rumours about overheating of the device on the internet, and also some complains about software buggs, like wallpapers disappearing, screen lock is not working, random factory resets and so on. Is this true? Any comments on that?
Sorry for being pesky and asking a lot of questions, but I was not able to find any review on the web (neither from my country - SVK nor international). Phone was introduced in my country just recently, I mean like 12 days ago.
Thank you &
Best regards.
While in the stock UI, Will the lenovo camera app be available? Or will it be the stock camera app with very basic functionality?
Sent from my HTC One max using XDA Free mobile app
Hello, I have this phone for more than a week. I can answer some of your questions.
hobitt14: The Vibe UI feels great, not bloated but with a lot of additional useful settings. I did NOT notice any lag or overheating.
sacthegreat: There is Lenovo camera app available in the stock UI.
The phone feels great. Love the thin bezels and metallic brushed-wave unibody design. It's really thin and the display is gorgeus. My previous phone was Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and I was deciding between VIBE Z2 Pro and Galaxy Note 4.
Related
Hi all,
I need your input between buying Z Ultra now and waiting for the Note 4. Please let me know your thoughts.
As background, I recently cracked the screen of my Note 2 and am in search of a new phablet. Although I loved my Note 2, I am not biased towards any brand and am open minded to Sony.
Anyway, now that rumor has it that Note 4 will likely be available by October, I am interested and want to wait to see what it has to offer. On the other hand, Xperia Z Ultra is a nice phone with big screen but it seems to be lacking some of the features that Samsung has to take advantage of the big screen like split screen. Also, the Z Ultra also lacks the integrated S Pen (use occasionally) and dedicated apps. However, I do realize that it is a very capable phone and the price makes it good value.
Please keep in mind that whatever I end up purchasing, I plan to use it for at least 2 years or more. I do have a spare phone to bridge me between now until the Note 4's release later this year (i.e. not rushed/pressured to buy now).
Thanks guys and please give me your 2 cents.
Well if you are happy with the size of the Note 2 screen, I would probably just stay with Note 4 then.
In my case, I was very disappointed with Note 3 not being at least 6" so I skipped it and went to Ultra instead. Now I dont think I can go any lower...certainly not 5.7" as Note 4 is supposed to be .
Ultra does have small updates which are similar to the multi app thing for Note.
Thanks for the feedback! Do you find that carrying the phone outside is a challenge due to its bulk? I get to play with one recently and while I enjoyed using it as a tablet indoor, I found it hard to carry it around outside. It barely fits into my front jeans' pocket (not tight jeans) and I ended up holding it in my hand. Did the size bother you and how do you carry it outside?
Also, do you find the screen looks washed out? In the Gmail app, the white background makes the screen looks really washed out... compared to the screen of my Note 2. Perhaps this is personal preference.
diegoultra said:
Thanks for the feedback! Do you find that carrying the phone outside is a challenge due to its bulk? I get to play with one recently and while I enjoyed using it as a tablet indoor, I found it hard to carry it around outside. It barely fits into my front jeans' pocket (not tight jeans) and I ended up holding it in my hand. Did the size bother you and how do you carry it outside?
Also, do you find the screen looks washed out? In the Gmail app, the white background makes the screen looks really washed out... compared to the screen of my Note 2. Perhaps this is personal preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently just bought my Xperia Z Ultra after a year with my Xperia Z...
I got mine fom ebay for £210.. fantastic value i think for a device with such a big HD screen, and a quad 2.2 cpu..
Much better for me i think.. i was kinda torn between ultra and z2.. but i'd have to spend £550..
Size doesn't really bother me but you need to think about your lifestyle..
I have lockers at work so i can safely keep my phone in there.. otherwise it'[d be abit annoying keeping it in my trouser pockets
I only really wear jeans on a night out.. so i wouldn't take my phone there anyway.. I have a backup small phone to save numbers and stuff..
I would recommend the Ultra rather than a Note 4.
It is worth to mention that the Note runs 480 DPI phone mode as standard and suffers from problems when you try to change to 240 DPI phablet mode - this is on a stock TouchWiz ROM.
The Ultra runs 320 DPI as standard and is easy to change to 240 DPI phablet. The reason I mention this is because a large screen device is better in phablet/tablet mode rather than phone mode. I am talking about things such as dual pane view in Gmail, Google Play and desktop style tabs in Chrome or AOSP Browser and so on.
In order to get the most out of the Ultra, including proper optimization for the large screen, my recommendation is as follows:
1. GPe ROM or CM11 based ROMs.
2. Change to 240 DPI.
Note: The latest Sony 4.4.x ROMs suffers from broken notifications when the DPI is changed to 240. This is because of their customized integrated notification/quick settings screen. Because of this, the GPe or CM11 route is way better for large screen optimization since those ROMs change into phablet mode without "complaining".
3. Install Xposed Framework and the App Settings module.
4. Install Xposed MultiWindow - it gives multi window similar to the Note series. Pair this with the MultiWindow Sidebar app.
5. Install Nova Launcher or other launcher that supports phablet mode well.
If you want Sony apps: No problems. Album, Movies, Walkman, Sketch and so forth works great on the GPe ROM. There is even Sony Xperia launchers available. Those apps works great under 240 DPI too.
I had a Note 1 and II before the Ultra and I can only see that this Sony with above mentioned customizations blows the Note series out of the water. Vanilla Android (GPe) in 240 DPI with Xposed Framework and a safe update path to Android L the way Google intended speaks volumes.
It is also worth to mention that the Sony Edition can be reflashed into GPe through the ported GPe ROM. It can't be 100% converted to GPe yet because of different partition schemes but the only practical consequence of it is the fact that Google OTAs doesn't work. For upgrades, the whole ROM must be reflashed.
The ROM selection for Sony Edition is bigger, making it a better choice.
After trying the Note 3 a couple of times, there's only one area where I can see it as being better: the camera.
Ultra has a weak camera but it can be fixed through the DSC-QX/QX100.
From my point of view, the only thing I miss on the Ultra as it is today is 64 GB internal storage beside the microSD card. Otherwise, it offers a very compelling total solution for my needs.
The only devices that can compete properly is one with similar screen size (or up to 7 inch) that runs either Google vanilla or spiced up vanilla, i.e. CM or similar paired with even more powerful hardware. Today, no such competitor exists. If the Ultra wouldn't be there, I would get the Oppo Find 7 though - it is closest.
I don't consider devices from manufacturers that bloat Android heavily (such as HTC, LG and Samsung) together with severely fragmented hardware with different CPU/GPU depending on market causing incompatibility with ROMs for other versions etc to be viable options.
I can only see two devices today that are partly in Ultra territory: Huawei Ascend Mate and Oppo N1. Both of them offers large screens but smaller than the Ultra - but they suffer from weaker hardware (Snapdragon 400 or 600 vs 800).
The Ultra is in a class of its own and I think the closest we can come to an alternative will be either a "Z2 Tablet Mini" 7 inch (considering rumors that Sony aren't releasing a true Ultra successor" or an Oppo N2, i.e. a successor to the Oppo N1.
I am quite sure that Sony will release a device in the same category as the Ultra. A Z2 Tablet Mini LTE would tick the box even if they market it as a tablet rather than smartphone. I don't think they will leave the 7 inch segment open but the next device won't be labelled an "Ultra successor" but a "smaller version of the Z2 Tablet".
The best option is to get the bargained priced Ultra and then simply wait for other phablets between 6.5-7 inch. I would also add that I don't think Snapdragon 805 is worth it (the upgrade) from the 800. The next big thing is the 810/815 and AFAIK, they will start ship them in Q4 2014. It is therefore probable that the first devices with them will be released during Q4 or Q1 (Mobile World Congress 2015). The Q3 collection will mostly consist of 805 based products and I don't think the step to them are worth it - Snapdragon 800 is that good already.
Personally, I have decided to wait for Snapdragon 810/815 before considering an Ultra replacement.
E90 Commie said:
I would recommend the Ultra rather than a Note 4.
It is worth to mention that the Note runs 480 DPI phone mode as standard and suffers from problems when you try to change to 240 DPI phablet mode - this is on a stock TouchWiz ROM.
The Ultra runs 320 DPI as standard and is easy to change to 240 DPI phablet. The reason I mention this is because a large screen device is better in phablet/tablet mode rather than phone mode. I am talking about things such as dual pane view in Gmail, Google Play and desktop style tabs in Chrome or AOSP Browser and so on.
In order to get the most out of the Ultra, including proper optimization for the large screen, my recommendation is as follows:
1. GPe ROM or CM11 based ROMs.
2. Change to 240 DPI.
Note: The latest Sony 4.4.x ROMs suffers from broken notifications when the DPI is changed to 240. This is because of their customized integrated notification/quick settings screen. Because of this, the GPe or CM11 route is way better for large screen optimization since those ROMs change into phablet mode without "complaining".
3. Install Xposed Framework and the App Settings module.
4. Install Xposed MultiWindow - it gives multi window similar to the Note series. Pair this with the MultiWindow Sidebar app.
5. Install Nova Launcher or other launcher that supports phablet mode well.
If you want Sony apps: No problems. Album, Movies, Walkman, Sketch and so forth works great on the GPe ROM. There is even Sony Xperia launchers available. Those apps works great under 240 DPI too.
I had a Note 1 and II before the Ultra and I can only see that this Sony with above mentioned customizations blows the Note series out of the water. Vanilla Android (GPe) in 240 DPI with Xposed Framework and a safe update path to Android L the way Google intended speaks volumes.
It is also worth to mention that the Sony Edition can be reflashed into GPe through the ported GPe ROM. It can't be 100% converted to GPe yet because of different partition schemes but the only practical consequence of it is the fact that Google OTAs doesn't work. For upgrades, the whole ROM must be reflashed.
The ROM selection for Sony Edition is bigger, making it a better choice.
After trying the Note 3 a couple of times, there's only one area where I can see it as being better: the camera.
Ultra has a weak camera but it can be fixed through the DSC-QX/QX100.
From my point of view, the only thing I miss on the Ultra as it is today is 64 GB internal storage beside the microSD card. Otherwise, it offers a very compelling total solution for my needs.
The only devices that can compete properly is one with similar screen size (or up to 7 inch) that runs either Google vanilla or spiced up vanilla, i.e. CM or similar paired with even more powerful hardware. Today, no such competitor exists. If the Ultra wouldn't be there, I would get the Oppo Find 7 though - it is closest.
I don't consider devices from manufacturers that bloat Android heavily (such as HTC, LG and Samsung) together with severely fragmented hardware with different CPU/GPU depending on market causing incompatibility with ROMs for other versions etc to be viable options.
I can only see two devices today that are partly in Ultra territory: Huawei Ascend Mate and Oppo N1. Both of them offers large screens but smaller than the Ultra - but they suffer from weaker hardware (Snapdragon 400 or 600 vs 800).
The Ultra is in a class of its own and I think the closest we can come to an alternative will be either a "Z2 Tablet Mini" 7 inch (considering rumors that Sony aren't releasing a true Ultra successor" or an Oppo N2, i.e. a successor to the Oppo N1.
I am quite sure that Sony will release a device in the same category as the Ultra. A Z2 Tablet Mini LTE would tick the box even if they market it as a tablet rather than smartphone. I don't think they will leave the 7 inch segment open but the next device won't be labelled an "Ultra successor" but a "smaller version of the Z2 Tablet".
The best option is to get the bargained priced Ultra and then simply wait for other phablets between 6.5-7 inch. I would also add that I don't think Snapdragon 805 is worth it (the upgrade) from the 800. The next big thing is the 810/815 and AFAIK, they will start ship them in Q4 2014. It is therefore probable that the first devices with them will be released during Q4 or Q1 (Mobile World Congress 2015). The Q3 collection will mostly consist of 805 based products and I don't think the step to them are worth it - Snapdragon 800 is that good already.
Personally, I have decided to wait for Snapdragon 810/815 before considering an Ultra replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my Ultra for a few days and i've tried GPe.. however the benchmarks are much lower than stock.. and that put me off hugely..
And don't forget that the Ultra's brother, the Ultra GPe will receive Android "L" very quickly after release this fall, meaning we'll also get it very quickly by porting it (which is easy). The Ultra is also incredible cheap now, and you're still getting a Snapdragon 800, so it's still a beast and totally worth it. I've had mine since its release and i simply love it.
(I also came from the Galaxy Note btw).
---------- Post added at 07:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:04 PM ----------
hudsonhicks said:
I've had my Ultra for a few days and i've tried GPe.. however the benchmarks are much lower than stock.. and that put me off hugely..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the GPe ROMs, especially the KitKat versions are scoring pretty low, and it's the same thing on the Nexus models. Note that this only applies to ANTUTU. Try the other GPU benchmarks, and you'll quickly learn that there aren't really that big of a difference between the stock and GPe ROM. The 4.4.3 GPe ROM is also A LOT smoother and quicker than the stock KitKat ROM. Enable ART and it's even smoother. No hickups AT ALL.
Recommended, 10/10.
LordManhattan said:
And don't forget that the Ultra's brother, the Ultra GPe will receive Android "L" very quickly after release this fall, meaning we'll also get it very quickly by porting it (which is easy). The Ultra is also incredible cheap now, and you're still getting a Snapdragon 800, so it's still a beast and totally worth it. I've had mine since its release and i simply love it.
(I also came from the Galaxy Note btw).
---------- Post added at 07:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:04 PM ----------
Yeah, the GPe ROMs, especially the KitKat versions are scoring pretty low, and it's the same thing on the Nexus models. Note that this only applies to ANTUTU. Try the other GPU benchmarks, and you'll quickly learn that there aren't really that big of a difference between the stock and GPe ROM. The 4.4.3 GPe ROM is also A LOT smoother and quicker than the stock KitKat ROM. Enable ART and it's even smoother. No hickups AT ALL.
Recommended, 10/10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you run at the moment? What launcher, rom and kernel please
The GPe ROM is really, really smooth and offers very reliable memory management too. Despite some benchmarks being lower, it offers very high real world performance.
The only thing stopping me from ART is Xposed - I will enable it right away when this mod is compatible.
I think the only competing ROMs to the GPe one is the other AOSP/CM based things out there. Sony's own stock ROM was removed from my list when I noticed that 240 DPI breaks the notification bar completely.
hudsonhicks said:
What do you run at the moment? What launcher, rom and kernel please
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running the 4.4.3 GPe ROM with stock kernel and ART enabled, so no Xposed. I'm using the Epic Launcher which is GEL but with a lot of features. I've also slimmed it all down by removing a lot of "garbage" that I don't use, but I'm pretty much running stock GPe. It's totally worth it.
LordManhattan said:
I'm running the 4.4.3 GPe ROM with stock kernel and ART enabled, so no Xposed. I'm using the Epic Launcher which is GEL but with a lot of features. I've also slimmed it all down by removing a lot of "garbage" that I don't use, but I'm pretty much running stock GPe. It's totally worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You not bothered by dt2w? i like to preserve my power button
Thank you all very much for your inputs! The device is great when I use it at home as a tablet when in the end it was just too big for me to carry around outside. I don't know what to get but I probably will wait for the Note 4 to see what it has to offer.
I had the Note 2 as well and found it an ugly looking toy after using the beast we call Z Ultra. The ZU is a work of art compared to the Note line, even the 3. I'm 6'2", never issues with storing the ZU in my pants/jeans. Even with Nillkin flip cover. Take the plunge, as this is the best phone ever made so far. Period.
diegoultra said:
Thank you all very much for your inputs! The device is great when I use it at home as a tablet when in the end it was just too big for me to carry around outside. I don't know what to get but I probably will wait for the Note 4 to see what it has to offer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will consider if note 4 if its totally different design than this...or they implemented the youm display tech on it...
Knox is one thing to back out for but if towelroot can bypass it so maybe that something to look out for...
But one thing on me, i just can't deal a phone that smaller than 6" after i used the ultra...its like any phone smaller than this even z2 it's look like a toy...
And i dont like Samsung setting menu or icon...its just ugly and cartoonish...sony ui and menu is more mature looking from my perspective...
It just my point of view, hope samsung users dont take it personally..
Sent from my XL39h using Tapatalk
Isn't the Ultra 2 just around the corner?
After having the ultra i can honestly say il probably never get a note again as long as they keep making ultra's
The Ultra 2 ( if it comes out ) should hopefully be alot better.
However the total crap camera and no LED kinda hold back the original from being the best device ever all around.
E90 Commie said:
I would recommend the Ultra rather than a Note 4.
It is worth to mention that the Note runs 480 DPI phone mode as standard and suffers from problems when you try to change to 240 DPI phablet mode - this is on a stock TouchWiz ROM.
The Ultra runs 320 DPI as standard and is easy to change to 240 DPI phablet. The reason I mention this is because a large screen device is better in phablet/tablet mode rather than phone mode. I am talking about things such as dual pane view in Gmail, Google Play and desktop style tabs in Chrome or AOSP Browser and so on.
In order to get the most out of the Ultra, including proper optimization for the large screen, my recommendation is as follows:
1. GPe ROM or CM11 based ROMs.
2. Change to 240 DPI.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Question, I will be getting GPE version of Z Ultra, when you say change to 240 DPI are you referring to changing it using the Xposed framework perapp settings?
thanks
Frankly speak go with note 3. Sony don't age as well as Samsung. I regretted not going note 3. Sony was nice 1year but it's aging and support is.meh
Sent from my C6833 using XDA Free mobile app
300$ now... in 6 months 200$, ultra is the most cheaper
zchen said:
Question, I will be getting GPE version of Z Ultra, when you say change to 240 DPI are you referring to changing it using the Xposed framework perapp settings?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I change to 240 DPI through build.prop and then use the App Settings Exposed module to switch apps to tablet mode.
Regarding buying a Note 3 - I don't see any reason. I have used it a couple of times and the combination of TouchWiz, bloat, efuse and Knox make it a horrible experience compared to a Z Ultra with GPe ROM and Xposed etc. It is also worth to.mention that the Note 3 uses 480 DPI phone mode and that Samsung apps has a tendency to crash under 240 DPI.
Another thing is that the best Note 3 features such as multiwindow works great on the Ultra through Xposed.
I would never consider a Note 3 as an option even if I had both the Note I and II.
I can't find ANYTHING on the popularity of this phone, not that I care, but from what I can see, XDA doesn't care about this phone, but if you go to the Note 4, it's full of threads, and custom roms are there already!
Please guys, support this Alpha, it's such a lovely device! I just wish I could throw in a custom ROM so I can delete the crappy UI and the bloatware. Amazon, Computrace, Google+, etc.
+1
MazingerZed said:
I can't find ANYTHING on the popularity of this phone, not that I care, but from what I can see, XDA doesn't care about this phone, but if you go to the Note 4, it's full of threads, and custom roms are there already!
Please guys, support this Alpha, it's such a lovely device! I just wish I could throw in a custom ROM so I can delete the crappy UI and the bloatware. Amazon, Computrace, Google+, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you just root and you'll have access to plethora of customization options. You can debloat, uninstall unnecessary apps and even install a louncher of your choice. You can also install exposed and also have thousands of options/customizations
As per CM, i think we will not see any build amytime soon as our device having exynos processor is not supported by CM
Probably not going to get much support in the US, since its exclusive to ATT, which hardly advertises the alpha and makes it unrootable. No one I know knows what the Alpha is.
If its not popular here it kinda means it's not a great phone.
They try to imitate apple but without the quality (os) at almost the same ridiculous price tag, Samsung must think the more I ask for this phone the more it sells...
Here is a comparison with the build cost of an Iphone 6
http://www.businessinsider.com/teardown-parts-price-samsung-galaxy-alpha-2014-10
This phone is only on att with a locked bootloader of course there are not many roms the notes 4 is on every carrier
Gray44 said:
If its not popular here it kinda means it's not a great phone.
They try to imitate apple but without the quality (os) at almost the same ridiculous price tag, Samsung must think the more I ask for this phone the more it sells...
Here is a comparison with the build cost of an Iphone 6
http://www.businessinsider.com/teardown-parts-price-samsung-galaxy-alpha-2014-10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If its not popular it doesnt mean its not a great phone. i had the choice to pick between all latest flagship fone but I picked the Alpha. Its not well advertised thats why its not popular
Similar situation here. Came into at AT&T because I couldn't decide between a Note 3 (Didn't feel the Note 4 was a huge upgrade) and an LG G3. Saw the Alpha hiding in between and fell in love with it instantly. The S3 was the last Samsung phone I liked. No regrets so far.
I was impressed by Alpha when I saw and played with it.
Still wish it was also available as Alpha Pro with Note 4 specs..etc.
But may get Apha over Sony Z3 C.
Not for AT&T, for use on METRO PCS/TMO
Discovered the Canada Bell Alpha which has PERFECT
BANDS for Metro PCS /TMobile USA and the 2500 Mah
Battery Kit, should be a good functioning phone.
IF I could choose between about 10 Different Sony Z3
Compacts , I could find better Camera and Speakers but
I need to send emails, proposals , presentations and can not mess around with faulty Keyboard Input, spotty MMS messages etc.
Z 3 Compact seems a bit buggy , right ?
Also Alpha is MUCH more durable.
My theory is that Sony, not being on many Carriers has not been forced to optimize software for Texting,
Keyboard, etc etc, now on TMobile , they will somewhat.
Love what Sony is doing I hope Z4 and Z4C are amazing
and rock solid but I am a bit nervous about the Z3 C not functioning well for simple tasks, like Keyboard Input, Texting, Slideshow Presentations, Emails through Google Desktop..etc.
MazingerZed said:
I can't find ANYTHING on the popularity of this phone, not that I care, but from what I can see, XDA doesn't care about this phone, but if you go to the Note 4, it's full of threads, and custom roms are there already!
Please guys, support this Alpha, it's such a lovely device! I just wish I could throw in a custom ROM so I can delete the crappy UI and the bloatware. Amazon, Computrace, Google+, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
w ell u lucky they made thread for alpha .. for ours Huawei Honor 6 they cand be arsed make separate thread for it .. !
if u wanna delete all apps just root it and delete it .. change wallpapers .. and that is it
The exynox powered phones are not very popular here because samsung do not release the source codes for processor and everything else. But the device is very very nice and works well and the sound quality seems to be over S5 and Note 3 and you can actually use it with one hand...., the build quality is on top, I guess nothing to complain here. We are lucky to have root. After root you can do a lot of customisation. Enjoy your phone
Popularity of Alpha Pro ! Or Galaxy A 100.
IF Samsung made a Thicker Alpha Size Device with a 3000 Mah battery, better screen, thoughit is good now.
SD Storage, Camera from Note 4 ( killer Camera ) , Larger louder speaker for Music, Gaming, Multimedia, 3 GIG RAM, 805 CPU, key business features from Note 4 .would be HUGE if advertised.
1) The Ultimate Phone for Work or Play.
2) Gaming, Music (fat sounding, loud speaker ), Multimedia Champ,Movies, Browsing.
3) Business Pros who don't want to carry large phone, Athletes, Gym Enthusiasts,
Architects, people who need to send Presentations, Slideshows etc etc.
Ads could address all this the ultimate Pocket Power Device for work and Play.
And FINALLY to make reviewers go nuts with enthusiasm
Scaleable Touchwiz by Category, go from Touchwiz to Stock Android in different
Categories depending on Preferences !
As Big as S 5 , maybe not, but VERY BIG seller.IMO.
robertkoa said:
IF Samsung made a Thicker Alpha Size Device with a 3000 Mah battery, better screen, thoughit is good now.
SD Storage, Camera from Note 4 ( killer Camera ) , Larger louder speaker for Music, Gaming, Multimedia, 3 GIG RAM, 805 CPU, key business features from Note 4 .would be HUGE if advertised.
1) The Ultimate Phone for Work or Play.
2) Gaming, Music (fat sounding, loud speaker ), Multimedia Champ,Movies, Browsing.
3) Business Pros who don't want to carry large phone, Athletes, Gym Enthusiasts,
Architects, people who need to send Presentations, Slideshows etc etc.
Ads could address all this the ultimate Pocket Power Device for work and Play.
And FINALLY to make reviewers go nuts with enthusiasm
Scaleable Touchwiz by Category, go from Touchwiz to Stock Android in different
Categories depending on Preferences !
As Big as S 5 , maybe not, but VERY BIG seller.IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup, Samsung S6:laugh:
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What planet are you living on... ? (for clarification phablet means AT LEAST 6in. Or bigger...)
is that when it comes to android, always buy the goddamn flagship.
"OH YES 720p with that processor means this phone will be so smooth and battery life should be great" but here I am a couple months later with a phone that takes 10 seconds to open the recent apps menu. Samsung just does not have the time to regulate and quality control these lower range phones when they've got like 4 flagships to prioritise.
btw, I have 10gb of memory free, play no demanding games and have no more than 20 apps installed. Still a joke.
Note to self, when it comes to android phones, do not try and save money.
junaidmatlub1 said:
is that when it comes to android, always buy the goddamn flagship.
"OH YES 720p with that processor means this phone will be so smooth and battery life should be great" but here I am a couple months later with a phone that takes 10 seconds to open the recent apps menu. Samsung just does not have the time to regulate and quality control these lower range phones when they've got like 4 flagships to prioritise.
btw, I have 10gb of memory free, play no demanding games and have no more than 20 apps installed. Still a joke.
Note to self, when it comes to android phones, do not try and save money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which version do your have? I have the 850M rooted and it wheels great running KK. 850A running KK is also decent.
Well techinically this phone was a real flagship at its time, lauched a little after the galaxy s5 it was the first to use the 20nm exynos chipset, it have the ISOCELL camera, 4k recording, 32gb memory, the heart rate monitor. on efficiency is only superseded by the galaxy note 4 launched several months later using the armv8 architecture, that was a real jump
the real problem of our phone it is because it was REALLY expensive at time(why so expensive i dont know), and the price only dropped years after, so even being a flagship phone, it have low priority of updates now because not so much people have this phone, why kit kat is so stable? because it was new, and samsung was caring for the phone, make it real good.
i bought one for cheap this year, i have no complaints, phone have the absolutely perfect size, i am an avid android tweaker, even tough phone runs nice even on stock configurations, the only downsides are the recent apps bugged button, sometimes it does not work, some times it works, and always respondin slowly, i got used to not using it <_>
i am really sure we will receive the marshmallow update, including the new interface.
but is really sad, that people with the first gen moto g received marshmallow about a year ago, this just show how samsung only wants to sell phones, make it "old" after some time and make you buy a new one.
victoram said:
Well techinically this phone was a real flagship at its time, lauched a little after the galaxy s5 it was the first to use the 20nm exynos chipset, it have the ISOCELL camera, 4k recording, 32gb memory, the heart rate monitor. on efficiency is only superseded by the galaxy note 4 launched several months later using the armv8 architecture, that was a real jump
the real problem of our phone it is because it was REALLY expensive at time(why so expensive i dont know), and the price only dropped years after, so even being a flagship phone, it have low priority of updates now because not so much people have this phone, why kit kat is so stable? because it was new, and samsung was caring for the phone, make it real good.
i bought one for cheap this year, i have no complaints, phone have the absolutely perfect size, i am an avid android tweaker, even tough phone runs nice even on stock configurations, the only downsides are the recent apps bugged button, sometimes it does not work, some times it works, and always respondin slowly, i got used to not using it <_>
i am really sure we will receive the marshmallow update, including the new interface.
but is really sad, that people with the first gen moto g received marshmallow about a year ago, this just show how samsung only wants to sell phones, make it "old" after some time and make you buy a new one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What mods have you done with this phone?
The best part about this phone is the small size, light weight, and changeable battery. I can tolerate not getting MM for having these features.
cqdiep said:
What mods have you done with this phone?
The best part about this phone is the small size, light weight, and changeable battery. I can tolerate not getting MM for having these features.
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+1
victoram said:
Well techinically this phone was a real flagship at its time, lauched a little after the galaxy s5 it was the first to use the 20nm exynos chipset, it have the ISOCELL camera, 4k recording, 32gb memory, the heart rate monitor. on efficiency is only superseded by the galaxy note 4 launched several months later using the armv8 architecture, that was a real jump
the real problem of our phone it is because it was REALLY expensive at time(why so expensive i dont know), and the price only dropped years after, so even being a flagship phone, it have low priority of updates now because not so much people have this phone, why kit kat is so stable? because it was new, and samsung was caring for the phone, make it real good.
i bought one for cheap this year, i have no complaints, phone have the absolutely perfect size, i am an avid android tweaker, even tough phone runs nice even on stock configurations, the only downsides are the recent apps bugged button, sometimes it does not work, some times it works, and always respondin slowly, i got used to not using it <_>
i am really sure we will receive the marshmallow update, including the new interface.
but is really sad, that people with the first gen moto g received marshmallow about a year ago, this just show how samsung only wants to sell phones, make it "old" after some time and make you buy a new one.
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same feeling here, brother
No complains here (except for the too much expected MM update, which was one reason to choice this model).
More than 20 apps installed (G850F).
Battery drains very fast in mobile data mode (and also heats).
It cost 330€, which I found quite good in price/quality ratio.
Because of the fast evolution of technology, I never advise to buy immediately the high-end models. The prices on these will fall very fast within few months. The wait is quite compensatory...
(to give a lot of money for a smartphone its almost a steal...)
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!!
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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.
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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...
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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-
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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!