Link: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Alle...-January-5th-alongside-a-5.9-Z4-Ultra_id63165
Highlights to look forward to:
Quad HD Triluminos display
4 GB of RAM
Running Android 5.0 Lollipop and its 64-bit kernel
A new camera sensor and two more lens elements for collecting more light. Dual LED flash expected.
3420 mAh battery
Bad points:
Z4 Ultra expected to feature a 5.9" screen, not a 6.4'' panel
Lower 16Mp Camera for Z4 Ultra. Z4 Expected to have 20.7Mp.
Source indicate the Z4 & Z4 Ultra will be equipped with an 805 generation
kanej2006 said:
Link: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Alle...-January-5th-alongside-a-5.9-Z4-Ultra_id63165
Highlights to look forward to:
Quad HD Triluminos display
4 GB of RAM
Running Android 5.0 Lollipop and its 64-bit kernel
A new camera sensor and two more lens elements for collecting more light. Dual LED flash expected.
3420 mAh battery
Bad points:
Z4 Ultra expected to feature a 5.9" screen, not a 6.4'' panel
Lower 16Mp Camera for Z4 Ultra. Z4 Expected to have 20.7Mp.
Source indicate the Z4 & Z4 Ultra will be equipped with an 805 generation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, smaller? Then meh...
maxld said:
Oh, smaller? Then meh...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, when I read it'll be smaller I was put off.
I don't mind if it was decreased to 6.2 or 6.1 but under 6.
kanej2006 said:
Yeah, when I read it'll be smaller I was put off.
I don't mind if it was decreased to 6.2 or 6.1 but under 6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
5.4 and 5.9 no point then. needs to be 6.25 to 6.5. Should be getting eaiser to make the beziles smaller to decrease the overall size
5.9 inch and Snapdragon 805? Completely uninteresting. It will be to use the Ultra and then hope that there will be a Z5 Ultra or a Z4 Tablet Compact with 810, otherwise time to switch brands. Coolpad has a 7 incher that is promising - not in the current version, though but they got the screen right (1080p).
6.5-7 inch is what I want for sure but in case of "emergency" (i.e. lack of suitable devices), a Z4 Tablet Compact could do the trick next year.
blueether said:
needs to be 6.25 to 6.5. Should be getting eaiser to make the beziles smaller to decrease the overall size
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. There are plenty of manufacturers producing large devices having super thin bezels.
Sony need to catch up and start making nicer slimmer bezels...
They could easily produce a 6.2-6.5'' phone having a nice thin bezel whilst being physically smaller than our current Z Ultras, nothing wrong with that...
should be same screen size + much smaller bezels
I dont care too much about camera - its a 'note' device
If you want good photos, you should buy a real camera - we all know that sony cameras are crap on own sony devices
S805 isn't worth the upgrade.
It's speed gains are neglible.
I'll happily stick with the ZU for a long time.
5.9? Yeah I will go back to the nexus line with the Nexus 6.
If this phone was actually a phone I would buy it!
http://www.intrinsyc.com/products/qualcomm/mdp-smartphone-powered-by-snapdragon-810-processor.aspx
I don't think Sony should even consider calling it an ultra unless it's at least 6.2" display.
I think i would rather go to a 7" tablet with small bezels than go smaller that that.
5.9 screen is false news. Ultra will remain 6.4 with QHD. SD810 and 4 GB of ram. Camera I do not know. Also the usb cap and magnetic charger pin wil be gone.
---------- Post added at 10:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:20 AM ----------
By the way no Z4 at CES. MWC it is.
---------- Post added at 10:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:22 AM ----------
http://www.androidorigin.com/sony-x...s-master-hx-amp-imx220-sensor/#comment-326750
thekingisnaked said:
5.9 screen is false news. Ultra will remain 6.4 with QHD. SD810 and 4 GB of ram. Camera I do not know. Also the usb cap and magnetic charger pin wil be gone.
By the way no Z4 at CES. MWC it is.
http://www.androidorigin.com/sony-x...s-master-hx-amp-imx220-sensor/#comment-326750
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the master has spoken
Time will tell young padavan
happy i bought the note 4 now with better specs
zurkx said:
happy i bought the note 4 now with better specs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And TouchWiz and phone mode 640 DPI and....
I have checked the Note 4 and no, I don't see anything it can do that I can't do on my C6833. On the contrary, rather.
It is good that the Z4 Ultra seems to be 6.44 again. This is very good news, lets just hope for a Snapdragon 810. If not, I guess I will wait for it to come down in price (not interested in buying an 805 device full price since the upgrade from the 800 isn't worth it).
I would buy it, however, the Quad Hd combo with a relatively large screen is a concern for battery life.
panyan said:
the master has spoken
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes a sense as if its was 5.9 they couldn't call it ultra I'm happy too I will upgrade definitely.
shadowcore said:
I would buy it, however, the Quad Hd combo with a relatively large screen is a concern for battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, however, Sony will need to upgrade the battery to at least 4000 mAh which is indeed very possible.
Simply make the phone a little thicker and throw in a larger battery.
There are several handsets already having 4000 mAh batteries yet remain very thin.
^^, especially as the current ultra is too thin as it is (and with only so so battery life). was hoping for a 4000mah battery in this to be honest, 5000 in next
Related
Hello,
My question is pretty much what the title asks. I just got rid of my tablet, prematurely (don't ask lol), and it is a great tablet. I want another one, but I am wondering if I should wait until the Z4 drops. I mean, I really only watch movies and Netflix, with the occasional PS4 Remote Play and PC gaming with Limelight. I can get a brand new 32GB white model Z2 Tablet for $400. Do you think that the Z4 is going to be much more powerful and feature rich than the Z2?
What do you all think?
Thanks!
My guess is that it will have the same performance as Z2. From what I have seen and read about 810 it is not much of a performer, so an increased resolution should put it on par with 801 in Z2.
I've owned Z3 Tablet Compact, which is a bit faster than Z2, for a while and it was OK but I expected it to be so much more. Though it was quite faster in games and had a snappier UI than iPad Air.
But it still may be worth waiting for the release of Z4, since the price of Z2 should drop considerably.
solmiler said:
My guess is that it will have the same performance as Z2. From what I have seen and read about 810 it is not much of a performer, so an increased resolution should put it on par with 801 in Z2.
I've owned Z3 Tablet Compact, which is a bit faster than Z2, for a while and it was OK but I expected it to be so much more. Though it was quite faster in games and had a snappier UI than iPad Air.
But it still may be worth waiting for the release of Z4, since the price of Z2 should drop considerably.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Utter nonsense.
Snapdragon 810 is significantly more powerful than 801 both in terms of CPU and graphics performance, and it's the GPU that will deal with the extra resolution anyway, leaving the processor free to bring its performance benefits elsewhere. Plus there's a whole lot more to this than performance anyway -- the Z4 Tablet is way ahead of the Z2 Tablet in terms of battery life, screen brightness, size (it's almost 12% smaller), weight (11% lighter), built-in storage (32GB vs 16GB), has no cover over the USB port, has a better front camera, has better audio, etc. etc.
Basically the only ways that the Z2 Tablet is better than its successor are the inclusion of the magnetic charging port, and a lower pricetag. European-market pricing for the Z4 Tablet without the keyboard dock is around US$600, so you'll save about 30% on the older, lesser model.
knoxploration said:
Utter nonsense.
Snapdragon 810 is significantly more powerful than 801 both in terms of CPU and graphics performance, and it's the GPU that will deal with the extra resolution anyway, leaving the processor free to bring its performance benefits elsewhere. Plus there's a whole lot more to this than performance anyway -- the Z4 Tablet is way ahead of the Z2 Tablet in terms of battery life, screen brightness, size (it's almost 12% smaller), weight (11% lighter), built-in storage (32GB vs 16GB), has no cover over the USB port, has a better front camera, has better audio, etc. etc.
Basically the only ways that the Z2 Tablet is better than its successor are the inclusion of the magnetic charging port, and a lower pricetag. European-market pricing for the Z4 Tablet without the keyboard dock is around US$600, so you'll save about 30% on the older, lesser model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok 810 is good performer. What i was saying is that Z4 UI will perform the same as Z2.
There is 77% more pixels on Z4. How much more powerful is 810? Even if it was 100% more powerful how would that translate in usage. That is roughly 10% better performance. On the videos i've seen z4 drops frames and stutters occasionally, same as Z2 and Z3 TC both of which I've used.
Battery has the same capacity. Sony has absolutely top power saving features but will it manage to draw that much more out of it? I expect battery life to be the same.
Using percentages to describe size reduction is soo apple. Point is, the new tablet will be
12 mm shorter, 5mm narrower and 0.3mm thinner.
All those things are great but for the use he mentioned it is not worth the price difference.
solmiler said:
Ok 810 is good performer. What i was saying is that Z4 UI will perform the same as Z2.
There is 77% more pixels on Z4. How much more powerful is 810? Even if it was 100% more powerful how would that translate in usage. That is roughly 10% better performance. On the videos i've seen z4 drops frames and stutters occasionally, same as Z2 and Z3 TC both of which I've used.
Battery has the same capacity. Sony has absolutely top power saving features but will it manage to draw that much more out of it? I expect battery life to be the same.
Using percentages to describe size reduction is soo apple. Point is, the new tablet will be
12 mm shorter, 5mm narrower and 0.3mm thinner.
All those things are great but for the use he mentioned it is not worth the price difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congratulations on ignoring the bulk of my post.
Trying to use pixel count to estimate the relative performance difference between the two tablets seems silly to me, especially when you're only focusing on CPU.
Like knoxploration said, the GPU is what matters. The Adreno 430 in the Z4 can easily best the Adreno 330 in the Z2.
Still, I think we're splitting hairs. Both tablets seem great. It just comes down to personal preference. Go with the Z4 if you want the latest and greatest, or stick with the still very capable Z2 if you want to save some money.
Personally, I think the Z4 will finally convince me to get a tablet.
Edit: If you want a formal comparison between the Z2 and Z4, here's an article from PC Advisor:
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/...2-tablet-vs-sony-xperia-z4-tablet-comparison/
Edit 2: And if you want benchmarks between the Adreno 330 and Adreno 430, here's another link:
http://blog.gsmarena.com/adreno-430-benchmarked-trounces-adreno-330/
Sounds like price is your most sensitive issue. Otherwise it wouldn't be a concern... I have a z2 and z3 compact, never had any performance issues, and I fully intend to get the z4 asap.
rm40f2 said:
Trying to use pixel count to estimate the relative performance difference between the two tablets seems silly to me, especially when you're only focusing on CPU.
Like knoxploration said, the GPU is what matters. The Adreno 430 in the Z4 can easily best the Adreno 330 in the Z2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I wasn't focusing on CPU I thought that Adreno GPU was a part of Snapdragon processor. I think it is but if I've made a mistake, I apologize. I have looked at HTC M8 vs M9 for comparison since they both have the same resolution displays and have sd 801 vs 810 (or Adreno 330 vs 430). I looked at GFXBench results to draw my conclusion so it was actually the gpu performance that I have been referring.
You're right, solmiler! Excuse me while I remove my foot from my mouth.
I owned Z2. It's super smooth especially for an android tablet, which you usually wouldn't install to much software on it.
Considering the poor performance of 810 when temperature goes high and the higher resolution it has, I would recommend you to go for a Z2 if you get a very good deal on it.
I bet Z2 and Z4 will have almost the same performance.. and Z2 would be way cheaper and easy to get.
Info
testudoaubreii said:
Hello,
My question is pretty much what the title asks. I just got rid of my tablet, prematurely (don't ask lol), and it is a great tablet. I want another one, but I am wondering if I should wait until the Z4 drops. I mean, I really only watch movies and Netflix, with the occasional PS4 Remote Play and PC gaming with Limelight. I can get a brand new 32GB white model Z2 Tablet for $400. Do you think that the Z4 is going to be much more powerful and feature rich than the Z2?
What do you all think?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are heavy user so w8 for Z4 Table
cause with 64Bit you ll get better performance (more ability for heavy usage)
:good:
Interesting article about the Snapdragon 810 heat problems:
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/04/in-depth-with-the-snapdragon-810s-heat-problems/
Another decent rival for the Z Ultra
http://www.androidauthority.com/huawei-p8-max-hands-on-601694/
octa-core 64-bit Kirin 930 processor (in big.LITTLE formation)
3GB RAM
16 or 64GB storage
6.8-inch Full HD
6.8mm thick
13MP rear camera with optical image stabilisation
dual-color dual-LED flash
8MP front camera
^ Nice looking device, however, some things to consider:
- Far to big to fit in most pockets
- Lack of support/customer service should something go wrong
- Roms/Kernals and customization limited since compared with the big boys such as Samsung, LG, Sony & HTC...
Otherwise it's great looking and the specification is more than decent.
We are talking mere millimetres larger than the z ultra. Unnoticeable as far as I am concerned. I'm waiting with baited breath...
Sent from my C6833 using XDA Free mobile app
I really like size of the P8Max but the LeTv Le Max has much much better specs and it's about the same size as the SZU.
http://www.androidauthority.com/letv-announces-superphones-usb-c-600978/
However, I will probably wait and see which one has better band support for Tmobile before I jump in and get one.
kanej2006 said:
^ Nice looking device, however, some things to consider:
- Far to big to fit in most pockets
- Lack of support/customer service should something go wrong
- Roms/Kernals and customization limited since compared with the big boys such as Samsung, LG, Sony & HTC...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are all the same arguments people use about the XZU.
I'm surprised you didn't add "Would look too silly to hold against your head."
rickgillyon said:
These are all the same arguments people use about the XZU.
I'm surprised you didn't add "Would look too silly to hold against your head."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, forgot to add that one! I've had several looks and laughter when I've been talking on my Z Ultra...
Imagine talking using the 6.8'' Huawei P8 Max!!
That said, I WISH the Z4 Ultra is between 6-6.2'' and sports slim bezels. That way it won't look too big...
Anything larger than the current 6.4'' Z Ultra won't fit most of my pockets and therefore are not practical or portable.
kanej2006 said:
Imagine talking using the 6.8'' Huawei P8 Max!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It adds like 1mm length to the XZU, the size difference with the smaller bezels is trivial, for a bigger screen. Sounds like a good trade-off to me. The main problem for phones like this is that the XZU is insanely cheap at the moment...
rickgillyon said:
It adds like 1mm length to the XZU, the size difference with the smaller bezels is trivial, for a bigger screen. Sounds like a good trade-off to me. The main problem for phones like this is that the XZU is insanely cheap at the moment...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, here in Dubai, a brand new Z Ultra is 999 AED which is £182!!
Once the new P8 Max is released, I'll be interested to see a review. If the battery performance is great, screen is superb, camera quality is excellent then I may be interested. Should it come with stereo speakers then it's a bonus...
I don't see why Sony have stereo speakers with every high end device accept for the Z Ultra. Also flash is missing. Hopefully we'll get these in the Z4 Ultra if it is ever released.
here in the UK you can pick up a XZU for under £200 brand new.
I keep saying I will buy a spare one because if mine broke and I couldn't buy a replacement, and since there's no real alternative, I would cry.
it is Kirin 935 not 930 with 2.2 gh
the p8 is the one with Kirin 930
I decided to change mi phone (Z1 compact), but I'm very exigent and the rest of the "mini" models are extremely poor in specs, build quality, well in everything. I have to mention that my gadgets lives in an Android/Windows ecosystem.
IMO the models to choose would be the Z5 compact or Z3 compact. But It's because I don't know if there are better models on sale or coming.
I'll list the technologies I'm interested in.
Longest battery life
IPXX Certification
Magnetic/fast charging
Aptx/High-res Audio codecs
5 poles audio jack
Memory card support
ac WiFi/ LTE cat 6
FullHD Camera + the best focus at night
The fastest mobile GPU available
Mini/Compact body desing
What's your suggestion??
Thanks.
Info
[email protected] said:
I decided to change mi phone (Z1 compact), but I'm very exigent and the rest of the "mini" models are extremely poor in specs, build quality, well in everything. I have to mention that my gadgets lives in an Android/Windows ecosystem.
IMO the models to choose would be the Z5 compact or Z3 compact. But It's because I don't know if there are better models on sale or coming.
I'll list the technologies I'm interested in.
Longest battery life YES
IPXX Certification YES
Magnetic/fast charging YES
Aptx/High-res Audio codecs YES
5 poles audio jack YES
Memory card support YES
ac WiFi/ LTE cat 6 YES
FullHD Camera + the best focus at night YES
The fastest mobile GPU available YES
Mini/Compact body desing YES
What's your suggestion??
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SO YES Upgrade to XZ5c
:good:
[email protected] said:
I decided to change mi phone (Z1 compact), but I'm very exigent and the rest of the "mini" models are extremely poor in specs, build quality, well in everything. I have to mention that my gadgets lives in an Android/Windows ecosystem.
IMO the models to choose would be the Z5 compact or Z3 compact. But It's because I don't know if there are better models on sale or coming.
I'll list the technologies I'm interested in.
Longest battery life
IPXX Certification
Magnetic/fast charging
Aptx/High-res Audio codecs
5 poles audio jack
Memory card support
ac WiFi/ LTE cat 6
FullHD Camera + the best focus at night
The fastest mobile GPU available
Mini/Compact body desing
What's your suggestion??
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro, just get the Z5 compact......unless if you are picky on the design and pricey, then get the Z3 compact
Okay
So guys are you saying that there are not another devices with those features??
In a positive way, I'm right with my idea.
In a negative way, the rest of the manufactures dissapointed me :'(
Thank you so much.
[email protected] said:
So guys are you saying that there are not another devices with those features??
In a positive way, I'm right with my idea.
In a negative way, the rest of the manufactures dissapointed me :'(
Thank you so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's true at this moment. The manufacturers are all looking for the big screens.[emoji174]
㊙Send from somewhere on the earth™ ?
I went from Google Nexus 5 to z5c because I felt I wanted a smaller phone. Even though the difference is not that big, it feels a lot smaller and looks a lot better.
To answer your question, I found z5c to be one of the only small phones compared to all other phones out there. It feels good in my hand, I can reach the whole screen and it is very good looking. The size is the same as z3c but with better specs and new design on the outside. If the price is a big deal, go with z3c. If not, go with z5c. It is about the same size as iPhone 5s, slightly thicker. Holding it in my hand, I recommend it. Keep in mind that I got it this Monday, I have only had it for two days. Wait a few weeks until all the cons have appeared.
Only drawback so far, the placed the volume button at a very awkward location, below the lock button..
Unfortunately, the Z5 compact is the only hi-end (2015) Android phone with small size. Your other 2015 option is the iPhone 6S but it has a totally different OS as you probably know.
Other old options are:
Z3 compact: still a good phone, still supported, not too old.
Moto X 2013: small with excellent grip and battery life, awesome phone, but I think it's no longed maintained.
itaq said:
I went from Google Nexus 5 to z5c because I felt I wanted a smaller phone. Even though the difference is not that big, it feels a lot smaller and looks a lot better.
To answer your question, I found z5c to be one of the only small phones compared to all other phones out there. It feels good in my hand, I can reach the whole screen and it is very good looking. The size is the same as z3c but with better specs and new design on the outside. If the price is a big deal, go with z3c. If not, go with z5c. It is about the same size as iPhone 5s, slightly thicker. Holding it in my hand, I recommend it. Keep in mind that I got it this Monday, I have only had it for two days. Wait a few weeks until all the cons have appeared.
Only drawback so far, the placed the volume button at a very awkward location, below the lock button..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I read that about the volume button position. But, Ok, it's nothing really severe.
I'm coming from a Nexus 5 too. Do you feel the camera better or worse? (I really like the HDR+ quality of the Nexus 5).
I have moved from Z3c into Z5c and I can't complain. The only issue i have is its little but slippy but my old iPhone was that too.
Build quality is very good as well as screen and speakers (which are btw louder than in Z3c)
New UI looks more vanilla which if you are Nexus fan a good think (I am )
I havent tested camera yet nor battery life but it drops around 4% in 7 hours standby (considering push emails, bt on)
thesebastian said:
...
Moto X 2013: small with excellent grip and battery life, awesome phone, but I think it's no longed maintained.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently sold an unlocked Moto X 2013 and it had Lollipop on it. I doubt it will get updated again but it was good to get it to 5.1.
About z5c vs nexus 5 camera: I can't compare because after I dropped my nexus, the camera became useless. It could not focus anymore.
Well it's not as feel friendly as the Ultra but that's it.
R e a l l y like so far.
rockky said:
Well it's not as feel friendly as the Ultra but that's it.
R e a l l y like so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it is rather heavy and feels bigger? heard camera was not living up to its name but on plus side it has a flash and the screen resolution is much higher, bigger battery, improved processor
mac231us said:
it is rather heavy and feels bigger? heard camera was not living up to its name but on plus side it has a flash and the screen resolution is much higher, bigger battery, improved processor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the camera is very much a downgrade, but I have a hunch that it is software related and not hardware. They just need to fix their camera app.
I did my replacement with Galaxy S7 Edge and i dont regret replacing ZU
I also upgraded my Z Ultra to the Phab 2 Pro. Almost identical in size. The new phone fits in my CP-12 Power Cover (face down only because of the curve back.) It does not fit in the Sony Kruesel case, strange enough. The screen is very nice. To me, the camera in the Phab 2 Pro is leaps and bounds better than the XZU. The overall unit is not as user-friendly as the Sony, but it is every bit as snappy (if not moreso.)
Shoupaloop said:
I also upgraded my Z Ultra to the Phab 2 Pro. Almost identical in size. The new phone fits in my CP-12 Power Cover (face down only because of the curve back.) It does not fit in the Sony Kruesel case, strange enough. The screen is very nice. To me, the camera in the Phab 2 Pro is leaps and bounds better than the XZU. The overall unit is not as user-friendly as the Sony, but it is every bit as snappy (if not moreso.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Am in reverse here (sort of) went back to the Ultra Z after owning it in the first 3 months of 2014...lol..great device (existenz rom v7 minimal - double tap to wake, great call clarity, all important lte bands-camera is not great but works well fairly lit indoors, outdoors) (did consider the phab2 pro though; have the Lenovo S850LC 8 inch tabelt phone that can make phone calls get all imp US lTE bands but horrible interface and it has hardly got any updates-still on KK as the 5.1 is atrocious-that device actually has a flash and a decent camera esp considering it is an actual tablet)
Hi Everyone,
I thought I'd share some thoughts on this device after having purchased it yesterday afternoon.
I bought this phone because I felt it was the first device that gave me what I had been craving for a long time - an Android version of the iPhone 6s. I like the size, build and feel of the iPhone 6s/7, but not the software or the price.
I think I am in the minority of people who prefer a smaller handset, and even though Android devices tend to fit a lot more screen real estate into smaller bodies, I still feel that the 4.7in screen size is ideal for me.
The only phones that run Android of that size have been the Xperia compact line, and the Galaxy Alpha/A3 2016 models. There have been others, but only these have come close. Unfortunately, they have suffered compromised designs and specs that have left me wanting (I have owned them all, and this is my opinion which others are free to disagree with).
This new handset, however, has me ticking a lot of boxes.
- Size is fantastic. Just a little smaller than the iPhone 6s, and feels great in the hand. Premium materials, solid build quality, great ergonomics, clicky buttons, no camera hump.
- The display is good, not awesome, but vibrant and colourful without being too over the top. Can be tweaked to each user's preference, and gets both very bright and very dim.
- fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate.
- Camera is good, not amazing. An iPhone definitely trounces this setup, but I paid £280 sim free and my usage is not too demanding so it's absolutely fine for me. Daytime shots are actually very pleasant and I think here it punches above its weight; low light is where it struggles, but I feel that most shots at night are not too important for me so it's a compromise I'll happily make.
- Call quality is very good and it holds onto signal well in my area.
- Sound quality out of the side mounted speaker is actually surprisingly good, at least as good as an iPhone 6s. Headphone performance is also excellent .
- Performance has been nothing short of excellent. I feel we have reached a point where there are not that many tasks that we do that actually need a Snapdragon 821 to run smoothly - granted, some 3d games need serious power on tap to run at their highest settings on a quad HD screen, but with a 720p screen, the A3 2017 runs pretty much anything at best quality without delay or hiccup. And everyday operation is smooth as butter without any lag or slowdowns. Granted, this is very early days, but I am hopeful this will continue.
- Battery life is astounding. I charged it on Saturday night and hit 100% at 10.20pm. I took it off charger and only put it back on at 2% while writing this review and I had nearly 9 hrs and 30mins of screen on time over 1 day and 3 hours. That includes 64 mins of voice calls. Please note that I was home all day on Wifi, but still, I have never seen times like that, not least from a 2300 odd mah battery. Awesome. It also charges pretty fast.
- Other stuff - water proofing is great, finally have USB-C, charges really quickly with the included adaptive charging brick, finally has a blue light filter.
And now for the balance of the review:
- Slippery despite its size, so a case or a skin is advisable.
- 16gb of internal memory nearly broke the deal for me, but a 64gb card and some transferring of apps has left me with 3.8gb left to play with internally. Definitely not ideal and a very cheap move from Samsung, but I'm also hoping Nougat brings adoptable storage soon which will eliminate this as an issue (here's hoping!).
- No notification light is something I have to adjust to, but the always on display does help *somewhat* ( I prefer the light as it's something that alerts me from afar, whereas the display is on regardless of whether you have a notification or not).
- Camera as described above has some shortcomings.
- Usual Samsung software compromised with bloatware - lots of useless stuff on here that eats into that 16gb that I cannot delete (Microsoft suite, Samsung junk, usual duplicate apps that we all use the Google version of). I'll keep trying the usual routes to rid the phone of this but I may have to wait a while.
Other than these points, I am really pleased. It feels nice to have paid relatively little for a device that feels so premium. I know there are other phones at relatively low prices that kill this on specs (OP3, Axon 7, Honor 8, etc) but they are generally much bigger handsets, so for anyone looking at something smaller, this is a great buy.
TL;DR, it's great, buy one if you like small phones ?
I always wanted a phone with an small amoled screen and water proofing so i jumped ship from the huge mate 8 to witch i am comparing. I agree with your pros but i found: 1-the camera is average and lacking OIS (need very stable hands), 2- cannot use sd card as default storage (very handy on mate 8), 3- phone very slippery, 4- Design and Screen of a3 2016 seemed better (personal opinion), 5- no stutter but little slow (comparing to mate 8). Only lacks IR blaster to check all boxes but we can't have everything.
Great feedback, thanks guys.
You mentioned not display is good but not awesome, could you elaborate? Is issue clarity or something else? Thanks.
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mario24601 said:
Great feedback, thanks guys.
You mentioned not display is good but not awesome, could you elaborate? Is issue clarity or something else? Thanks.
Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming from a larger phone with a quad HD screen, it's never going to look as dazzlingly sharp, but on a 4.7 inch screen 720p still looks great and it is perfectly sharp and clear - if you've ever seen an iPhone screen, this feels much the same. Colours can be adjusted to your preference - I prefer accurate rather than punchy, but you can set it to either or somewhere in between.
I've had everything from a galaxy s6 which has crazy high pixel density to a Moto x, and personally I prefer the 720p smaller screen because it's far more efficient and I don't notice the pixel density difference after an hour or two.
Hope this helps.
Sunil_Kaura said:
Coming from a larger phone with a quad HD screen, it's never going to look as dazzlingly sharp, but on a 4.7 inch screen 720p still looks great and it is perfectly sharp and clear - if you've ever seen an iPhone screen, this feels much the same. Colours can be adjusted to your preference - I prefer accurate rather than punchy, but you can set it to either or somewhere in between.
I've had everything from a galaxy s6 which has crazy high pixel density to a Moto x, and personally I prefer the 720p smaller screen because it's far more efficient and I don't notice the pixel density difference after an hour or two.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk
Thanks for sharing this. I am also very happy with this phone so far. It's my second day with it, the battery is at 39% with 4h45 sot and 1d3h total since unplugged. In a night of 9 hours, the phone just lost 3%.
I have noticed though that wifi is constantly detected as running by betterbatterysats, even if it's turned off. Any idea how to fix this?
patci32 said:
I have noticed though that wifi is constantly detected as running by betterbatterysats, even if it's turned off. Any idea how to fix this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you checked in Settings -> Connections -> Location?
There are some wifi settings behind it (in location method and improve accuracy) you can deactivate.
F157 said:
Have you checked in Settings -> Connections -> Location?
There are some wifi settings behind it (in location method and improve accuracy) you can deactivate.
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Click to collapse
Indeed, I didn't know. Thanks, I hope this works.
---------- Post added at 01:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 PM ----------
F157 said:
Have you checked in Settings -> Connections -> Location?
There are some wifi settings behind it (in location method and improve accuracy) you can deactivate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, could you please tell me if you use other settings to improve your battery life?
patci32 said:
Indeed, I didn't know. Thanks, I hope this works.
---------- Post added at 01:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 PM ----------
Also, could you please tell me if you use other settings to improve your battery life?
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Mm, nothing special yet, as I'm really happy with battery life so far.
What I did in the past with other devices is for example use the app greenify (needs root) to hibernate apps you don't want to run in the background.
Also, something that really helped me with my old s4 mini was to set mobile network to 2g, and only switch to lte once required.
And as always, use wifi instead of mobile network as often as possible, disable Bluetooth if not needed, etc.
£280?!?! That's highway robbery for a device with 720p, small battery and everything in budget-range. You get this, all the bells and whistles for £150 with a well known Chinese brand. Now I know why I'd never ever get a Slamsug.
iMaterial said:
£280?!?! That's highway robbery for a device with 720p, small battery and everything in budget-range. You get this, all the bells and whistles for £150 with a well known Chinese brand. Now I know why I'd never ever get a Slamsug.
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Click to collapse
Please could you elaborate on one of these phones that you can get for £150? I'm pretty clued up but if I've missed something I'd be keen for you to share what you've found for myself and the community - my mother needs a new phone so if you've seen something better than the A3 for less I'd love to buy it
Sunil_Kaura said:
Please could you elaborate on one of these phones that you can get for £150? I'm pretty clued up but if I've missed something I'd be keen for you to share what you've found for myself and the community - my mother needs a new phone so if you've seen something better than the A3 for less I'd love to buy it
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Click to collapse
Which stats are you looking for? Battery? Screen res? SoC power?
Compare, with €150 phones, battery, res, SoC, well anything really part from 10 mm in size.
iMaterial said:
Which stats are you looking for? Battery? Screen res? SoC power?
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Click to collapse
Well I'm referring to your comment that you could get a better phone for £150, so I guess I'm wondering what phone you are saying is better for that price...
The battery life of the A3 is epic, the PPI is still perfectly decent (720p on 4.7 inches is still perfectly usable and arguably 1080p is unnecessary) and the SoC is both fat and frugal.
So really I'm wondering whether you can get something the same or better for less money
I'd be happy with an alternative with same form factor. Any recommendations? The A3 still not available in US.
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mario24601 said:
I'd be happy with an alternative with same form factor. Any recommendations? The A3 still not available in US.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
4.5 to 4.7" screen, 720p res. 2015 - today, only 4-5 options comes up.
http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2015&nHeightMax=135&nDisplayResMin=921600&fDisplayInchesMin=4.5&fDisplayInchesMax=4.7
Only A3, Sony X and Z5 compact, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Pro has enough RAM, battery and goodies. LG Spirit and Alcatel Idol 3 only has 1 GB and 1.5 GB RAM, not really a viable option.
Sunil_Kaura said:
Well I'm referring to your comment that you could get a better phone for £150, so I guess I'm wondering what phone you are saying is better for that price...
The battery life of the A3 is epic, the PPI is still perfectly decent (720p on 4.7 inches is still perfectly usable and arguably 1080p is unnecessary) and the SoC is both fat and frugal.
So really I'm wondering whether you can get something the same or better for less money
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Redmi 4 Pro can be had for €150 and its battery life is Epic also, the Redmi 3 Pro is way better than A3 and Redmi 4 Pro, with 720p but alas 5". Redmi note 3 is also really good, for even less than €150. Samsung is priced at least £100 than it should, but the same can be said about Sony and Apple also.
iMaterial said:
4.5 to 4.7" screen, 720p res. 2015 - today, only 4-5 options comes up.
http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2015&nHeightMax=135&nDisplayResMin=921600&fDisplayInchesMin=4.5&fDisplayInchesMax=4.7
Only A3, Sony X and Z5 compact, Xiaomi Redmi 2 Pro has enough RAM, battery and goodies. LG Spirit and Alcatel Idol 3 only has 1 GB and 1.5 GB RAM, not really a viable option.
The Redmi 4 Pro can be had for €150 and its battery life is Epic also, the Redmi 3 Pro is way better than A3 and Redmi 4 Pro, with 720p but alas 5". Redmi note 3 is also really good, for even less than €150. Samsung is priced at least £100 than it should, but the same can be said about Sony and Apple also.
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I agree the Xiaomi phones are compelling - my main issue is the fact that they are all grey imports - many purchasers have reported that they do not get any warranty support whatsoever, they generally require a more experienced android user to side load the Google play store, and they have sketchy android skins which have also been reported to spy on their users.
Don't get me wrong, Touchwiz (or Grace UI as it's now known) is not exactly great, but I'd rather know I can walk into a Samsung store and get a problem fixed than rely on a Hong Kong based website for support.
I think it's only fair to compare this phone to what can be had in Europe, and in that regard, it blows the Sony X Compact, Alcatel and others out of the water.
And given its build quality and design, it's good value compared to phones that retail for double this cost.
Also, most Xiaomi phones don't come with NFC (no android pay), some don't have scratch resistant glass, no quick charging, etc
The A3 also uses a processor built on the 14nm process which is up to date technology, whereas the Xiaomi phones at that price point use outdated processors like the 650 and 616.
The 14nm process is what gives the A3 it's great battery life without needing a 4000mAh battery and heavier construction.
A final point - check out the videos of the Redmi note 3 bend test - not encouraging! (I will add the Redmi 3 pro did significantly better though which is good progress).
Sunil_Kaura said:
I agree the Xiaomi phones are compelling - my main issue is the fact that they are all grey imports - many purchasers have reported that they do not get any warranty support whatsoever, they generally require a more experienced android user to side load the Google play store, and they have sketchy android skins which have also been reported to spy on their users.
Don't get me wrong, Touchwiz (or Grace UI as it's now known) is not exactly great, but I'd rather know I can walk into a Samsung store and get a problem fixed than rely on a Hong Kong based website for support.
I think it's only fair to compare this phone to what can be had in Europe, and in that regard, it blows the Sony X Compact, Alcatel and others out of the water.
And given its build quality and design, it's good value compared to phones that retail for double this cost.
Also, most Xiaomi phones don't come with NFC (no android pay), some don't have scratch resistant glass, no quick charging, etc
The A3 also uses a processor built on the 14nm process which is up to date technology, whereas the Xiaomi phones at that price point use outdated processors like the 650 and 616.
The 14nm process is what gives the A3 it's great battery life without needing a 4000mAh battery and heavier construction.
A final point - check out the videos of the Redmi note 3 bend test - not encouraging! (I will add the Redmi 3 pro did significantly better though which is good progress).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Redmi 4 Pro that I bought for a friend in Jan has the 14 nm Snapdragon 625. I can agree that it might lack a few finishing touches, but I could buy it for €150 inc shipping from aliexpress and get it in 7-9 days. But it's half the price, and I know the Adreno is a better GPU than the Mali.
Both on the Xiaomi and the Slamsug, first thing I would do it TWRP and LAOS ROM, they can keep their crap TW and MIUI, can't stand it.
Never the less, it shouldn't be 2x the price for something that is almost inferior in some points and better on others. Esp not in 2017, maybe some years ago, but every day there are better and better phones for under €200, like the Moto G5 and such, only problem is they are so damn big, and big phones are 99/100 new that are coming out, these days, sadly.
iMaterial said:
The Redmi 4 Pro that I bought for a friend in Jan has the 14 nm Snapdragon 625. I can agree that it might lack a few finishing touches, but I could buy it for €150 inc shipping from aliexpress and get it in 7-9 days. But it's half the price, and I know the Adreno is a better GPU than the Mali.
Both on the Xiaomi and the Slamsug, first thing I would do it TWRP and LAOS ROM, they can keep their crap TW and MIUI, can't stand it.
Never the less, it shouldn't be 2x the price for something that is almost inferior in some points and better on others. Esp not in 2017, maybe some years ago, but every day there are better and better phones for under €200, like the Moto G5 and such, only problem is they are so damn big, and big phones are 99/100 new that are coming out, these days, sadly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't disagree there - it's frustrating how few phones there are under 5 inches available.
I will say though that besides the Xiaomi phones which look to have a nice build, the Moto G4 is very cheap feeling, as are most of the other phones available here in that price bracket, so I would happily pay a little more for a nice looking and premium feeling device.
If the Samsung we're £220 I think it'd sell by the bucket load as £20-40 above phones like the G4 would likely tempt many up, but at £280 I agree that it's a harder sell for the lay person.
I'm looking at from the other side - it's a mild compromise from an S7 or a iPhone 6s/7 , but it's half the price, rather than double that of a cheaper device.
And it absolutely looks and feels as good as a £5-600 phone.
Sunil_Kaura said:
Can't disagree there - it's frustrating how few phones there are under 5 inches available.
I will say though that besides the Xiaomi phones which look to have a nice build, the Moto G4 is very cheap feeling, as are most of the other phones available here in that price bracket, so I would happily pay a little more for a nice looking and premium feeling device.
If the Samsung we're £220 I think it'd sell by the bucket load as £20-40 above phones like the G4 would likely tempt many up, but at £280 I agree that it's a harder sell for the lay person.
I'm looking at from the other side - it's a mild compromise from an S7 or a iPhone 6s/7 , but it's half the price, rather than double that of a cheaper device.
And it absolutely looks and feels as good as a £5-600 phone.
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Click to collapse
There are so many on this forum and in other places that airs the same frustration, so few options for a mobile ca 130mm lenght and 4.5 - 4.7" screen (720p at least), that I'm starting to wonder if we should do something about it, maybe talk to so manufacturer to make at least 1-2 phones under 5"
The Redmi 4 Pro I used for a few weeks felt no worse in build than the Iphone 6 or 6S I have tried a few times, both in metal around 140 - 145mm size. But for €310 I can get a Xiaomi Mi 5 with 820 and have €100 in change over. I have never held a Moto G, last Motorola I have tried was the 4.3" Razr Maxx and it felt solid as a rock.
The J5 goes for around €180-190 here and I see no reason why this smaller, entry level A3 shouldn't be priced in a similar fashion. These days due to deaths in the family and such I'm so poor that €100 is more than I can spare and my Android mobile that I have now is from 2012 or so, single core with 512 MB RAM and I hate every minute when I'm using it. I'm lucky to have been given a 2009 Sony Ericsson C901 as my main caller.
Just my 1¢ (It used to be 2¢, but due to the recession I've had to make cutbacks)
---------- Post added at 07:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:16 PM ----------
What annoys me a lot is also that this A3 is bigger than the A3 (2016) and the battery is only 50 mAh bigger. They could easily have put a 2500 - 2800 mAh battery in this one, just like the Sony Z3, Z5 or X compact, which is 5 mm smaller.
My last perfect phone was the original moto x. I still use it. I am not a power user but the X just needs lil more power but on cm13 it's not bad.
I don't even mind going with old phone as long as has some custom roms to improve performance.
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