I m buying a phone for my sis. M totally confused between two phone. Xaiomi Mi Note 3 pro (sd650) and lenvo zuk z1. Tough the zuk z1 comes with a two year older chip that chip was the flagship SD chip of it's time and on the other hand sd650 is a midrange SD chip. And I also don't know if rooting will void warranty on zuk z1 or it will be like my oneplus one, and will have it's warranty intact. Moreover I will get a USB type-C port in zuk z1 and IR blaster on redmi note 3. So I m totally confused with these two options. Whether I should buy the older flagship chipset which is still powerful enough to compete recent chips or should I buy the latest but midrange sd650 mobile??!
sd650 might be midrange due to the marketing scheme, but it wipes the floor with sd801. heck its prolly better than snap 808, which was pretty much last years high end chip. these flagship/midrange talks are pure bs. as far as phones goes, zuk has worse cam (check vids, imo pics are worse) and worse chip. screens are kinda same as well as battery. only thing going for zuk is cm which comes with it officially, and that might make it a better performer in terms of ui smoothness and regular usage. for now. if you dont mind waiting a bit, rn3 should definitely be a better choice in near future.
sikica133 said:
sd650 might be midrange due to the marketing scheme, but it wipes the floor with sd801. heck its prolly better than snap 808, which was pretty much last years high end chip. these flagship/midrange talks are pure bs. as far as phones goes, zuk has worse cam (check vids, imo pics are worse) and worse chip. screens are kinda same as well as battery. only thing going for zuk is cm which comes with it officially, and that might make it a better performer in terms of ui smoothness and regular usage. for now. if you dont mind waiting a bit, rn3 should definitely be a better choice in near future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
SD650 is far better than 801 or 808, see benchies,also real world performace is butter smooth , another benefit is sd650 has excellent heat dissapation and does not get hot at all, not to mention the crazy battery life on the RN3. Get the RN3 eyes closed, you wont regret it.
maybe helpful
my views
@roudra IMO Zuk Z1 has a much better camera which is a major plus for me. The sd801 is still a pretty good chipset and with cyanogen out-of-the-box it will run perfectly smooth. Would have got the Zuk if I could have.
Just my 2 cents.
i don't know the quality camera of Zuk Z1 but as far as i know it has OIS which might take your interest. redmi note 3 has newer and better chip, but if i were you i will take phone with camera+OIS over non-OIS anytime. Snapdragon 801 with 3gb ram is still a good performer nowadays.
I strongly suggest you to reconsider your options, seeing the number of people crying out for unlocking bootloader officially and bricked their devices trying many other things.
1) Zuk is bigger.
2) Zuk waits more.
3) Zuk has no SD slot
4) SD 801 is getting 2/3 of the points in benchmarks that SD 650 has.
5) Zuk is missing IR blaster
So here are at least 5 minuses of ZUK. Moreover, the RN3 camera sensor is good, the problem is the software. My best bet is that there will be fixes coming our way sooner or later. Cyanogen is being worked for our device also so in matter of weeks we will have it. The only thing that the ZUK has is USB C and that's it. Can't really find a good reason to even compare the devices.
And about the problems with unlocking of the bootloader - people simply don't read. I've unlocked unofficially and after I got the permission, flashed china dev and then unlocked officially my device.
I sell my ZUK Z1 and buy the RN3P.
The camera of the RN3P is much better. In low light I see nothing with my Z1, on the RNP3 still can see anything. With good light the ZUK have no chance. Battery also better (same size but still better about 20% and this is really nice to have).
The Redmi feels also much better in the hand (smaller and alu body).
The speaker is a lil bit better on the Z1 but this is it. More support (like official TWRP), better CPU/GPU (64 bit and faster) and MIUI. I really like CM but MIUI is also really good!
You can buy a new original front panel for 22€. This is also nice, because you dont need to worry about cracking screen
Klanac89 said:
The camera of the RN3P is much better. In low light I see nothing with my Z1, on the RNP3 still can see anything. With good light the ZUK have no chance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Huh, I thought the IMX214 would be better than the samsung 1micron pixel sensor... maybe Zuk's software isn't good.
Also I hope Xiaomi does improve the camera software on RN3, though it is unlikely.
The ZUK has CM13 official builds, RNP3 may never get them, even if unofficial builds might eventually work. Fingerprint reader etc is going to be close to impossible. RNP3 SoC the SD650 destroys the SD801 in both performance and battery life.
---------- Post added at 15:51 ---------- Previous post was at 15:51 ----------
Klanac89 said:
I sell my ZUK Z1 and buy the RN3P.
The camera of the RN3P is much better. In low light I see nothing with my Z1, on the RNP3 still can see anything. With good light the ZUK have no chance. Battery also better (same size but still better about 20% and this is really nice to have).
The Redmi feels also much better in the hand (smaller and alu body).
The speaker is a lil bit better on the Z1 but this is it. More support (like official TWRP), better CPU/GPU (64 bit and faster) and MIUI. I really like CM but MIUI is also really good!
You can buy a new original front panel for 22€. This is also nice, because you dont need to worry about cracking screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really ? I thought ZUK had OIS on its camera, RNP3 doesn't.
syl0n said:
The ZUK has CM13 official builds, RNP3 may never get them, even if unofficial builds might eventually work. Fingerprint reader etc is going to be close to impossible. RNP3 SoC the SD650 destroys the SD801 in both performance and battery life.
---------- Post added at 15:51 ---------- Previous post was at 15:51 ----------
Really ? I thought ZUK had OIS on its camera, RNP3 doesn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You cant say fingeprrint will never work, remember when Zuk z1 doesnt have fingerprint support in cm13 early days?
You really think Xiaomi will not upgrade a 3-4 month old phone?
Klanac89 said:
I sell my ZUK Z1 and buy the RN3P.
The camera of the RN3P is much better. In low light I see nothing with my Z1, on the RNP3 still can see anything. With good light the ZUK have no chance. Battery also better (same size but still better about 20% and this is really nice to have).
The Redmi feels also much better in the hand (smaller and alu body).
The speaker is a lil bit better on the Z1 but this is it. More support (like official TWRP), better CPU/GPU (64 bit and faster) and MIUI. I really like CM but MIUI is also really good!
You can buy a new original front panel for 22€. This is also nice, because you dont need to worry about cracking screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats what I expected, zuk's camera has an aperture of 2.2 where redmi note 3's aperture is 2.0 so zuk z1 should suffer in low light
I think @MrColdbird can help you on this topic, as he owns both device. and he maintains a CM13 also for ZUK.
Related
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.
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.
Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk
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.
Click to expand...
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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?
Click to expand...
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.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
I am on a nexus 5, fed up with slow Oreo and low battery and no Volte. How is this device comaped to N5? I will use a custom ROM like PE or LOS, so how is
1)Camera
2) Battery
3) Performance
Compared to nexus 5?
Did anyone updgrade from nexus 5? What is your opinion?
I am eyeing this device since it has official LOS.
Also, is there much difference while playing a game or casual use between SD800,625? Unable to decide between Lenovo Z2 plus and this device.
I will be getting the Snapdragon variant in my market
GopalKaul said:
I am on a nexus 5, fed up with slow Oreo and low battery and no Volte. How is this device comaped to N5? I will use a custom ROM like PE or LOS, so how is
1)Camera
2) Battery
3) Performance
Compared to nexus 5?
Did anyone updgrade from nexus 5? What is your opinion?
I am eyeing this device since it has official LOS.
Also, is there much difference while playing a game or casual use between SD800,625? Unable to decide between Lenovo Z2 plus and this device.
I will be getting the Snapdragon variant in my market
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SD800 is slightly faster looking purely at performance but it heats up pretty quickly and is not very battery efficient (28nm. manufacturing process)
SD625 is amazing when it comes to battery because it's 14nm manufacturing process so the heat is much lower, it's incredibly power efficient and consumes way less battery and generally does not overheat.. it scores about 15k lower in Antutu which is still pretty good.
Camera in Redmi Note 4 is mediocre, Nexus 5 wins here.. especially stock. Homever there are camera mods which help to increase quality, like ported Google Cam with working HDR+.
Battery Redmi Note 4 will destroy Nexus 5, you will be getting atleast twice better battery life compared between the 2. (like i mentioned earlier it's due to the super power efficient SD625 and 14nm manufacturing process but also pretty big battery - 4100mAh)
Edit:
In thread title you are talking about Nexus 5 but in post you are talking about Lenovo Z2 Plus.. make up your mind, and yeah Lenovo Z2 Plus is much better than both Nexus 5 and Redmi Note 4.
k3lcior said:
SD800 is slightly faster looking purely at performance but it heats up pretty quickly and is not very battery efficient (28nm. manufacturing process)
SD625 is amazing when it comes to battery because it's 14nm manufacturing process so the heat is much lower, it's incredibly power efficient and consumes way less battery and generally does not overheat.. it scores about 15k lower in Antutu which is still pretty good.
Camera in Redmi Note 4 is mediocre, Nexus 5 wins here.. especially stock. Homever there are camera mods which help to increase quality, like ported Google Cam with working HDR+.
Battery Redmi Note 4 will destroy Nexus 5, you will be getting atleast twice better battery life compared between the 2. (like i mentioned earlier it's due to the super power efficient SD625 and 14nm manufacturing process but also pretty big battery - 4100mAh)
Edit:
In thread title you are talking about Nexus 5 but in post you are talking about Lenovo Z2 Plus.. make up your mind, and yeah Lenovo Z2 Plus is much better than both Nexus 5 and Redmi Note 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am comparing nexus 5 and redmi note 4, if both are not good then Z2 plus....
Also, with HDR+ how is this camera?
GopalKaul said:
I am comparing nexus 5 and redmi note 4, if both are not good then Z2 plus....
Also, with HDR+ how is this camera?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's decent but only in day light, night and low light pics are pretty bad, same goes for videos which additionally have some issues with LOUD sound, like in concerts. Just Google it, you should find samples easily.
Generally if you use camera alot I would not recommend Redmi Note 4.
k3lcior said:
It's decent but only in day light, night and low light pics are pretty bad, same goes for videos which additionally have some issues with LOUD sound, like in concerts. Just Google it, you should find samples easily.
Generally if you use camera alot I would not recommend Redmi Note 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus 5 has a pretty bad camera too?. If it at par with nexus 5 , great! Else , bummer...
Hi, I have both. I actually upgraded from Nexus 5 (still have it, but with cracked sceen). The battery life can not be compared as the Nexus has very bad and the Note 4 has excellent. The camera middle range both (for me enough). My Note has 4G RAM, so the performance is better (newer phone anyway). The screen is also same category. The grip of the Nexus is way much better, than the very slippery Xiao. I really like my Nexus, that´s why I have it for like 3,5 years already, but dated a bit. The Note is 1 month old and I´m satisfied with it.
Sorry for the bad quality pic, but if you wanna compare the size it´s ok. The Note is somewhat larger and heavier.
krisztian b said:
Hi, I have both. I actually upgraded from Nexus 5 (still have it, but with cracked sceen). The battery life can not be compared as the Nexus has very bad and the Note 4 has excellent. The camera middle range both (for me enough). My Note has 4G RAM, so the performance is better (newer phone anyway). The screen is also same category. The grip of the Nexus is way much better, than the very slippery Xiao. I really like my Nexus, that´s why I have it for like 3,5 years already, but dated a bit. The Note is 1 month old and I´m satisfied with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You ever used moto g5 plus or Zuk Z2?
I had Nexus 5,Galaxy S6, HTC 10, Axon 7, Huawei P9 and now I "downgraded" to a Redmi Note 4 .
Battery life is awesome. I trip alot and I'm the only one in my group that dosen't carry a battery pack.
Performance is awesome. Yes,for like 15-20 minutes any Snapdragon 805+(805,810,808,820) is faster but the Snapdragon 625 dosen't throttle. In games it's solid as a rock. It's a little laggy in facebook but I don't mind.
Camera is ok. I have a Redmi Note 4 with a Samsung sensor. I have a pretty expansive DSLR if I want more but I never need more in a normal day. The dual flash is strong.
Screen is pretty meh. I have a Tianma pannel and after 4 months of usage I have 6-7 stuck pixels . I don't really mind as I don't really see them in day to day basis . It's not a great screen it's not a bad screen.
I'd buy the Note 4 if I were you.
I wouldn't buy a G5 plus if I were you. Moto delivered it with a 32 bit ROM. Yeah,you'll find 64bit ROMs on XDA but it's laggy,buggy and it will be for a while.
GopalKaul said:
You ever used moto g5 plus or Zuk Z2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, unfortunately. Can´t compare them.
---------- Post added at 08:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:05 PM ----------
Robert- said:
I had Nexus 5,Galaxy S6, HTC 10, Axon 7, Huawei P9 and now I "downgraded" to a Redmi Note 4 .
Battery life is awesome. I trip alot and I'm the only one in my group that dosen't carry a battery pack.
Performance is awesome. Yes,for like 15-20 minutes any Snapdragon 805+(805,810,808,820) is faster but the Snapdragon 625 dosen't throttle. In games it's solid as a rock. It's a little laggy in facebook but I don't mind.
Camera is ok. I have a Redmi Note 4 with a Samsung sensor. I have a pretty expansive DSLR if I want more but I never need more in a normal day. The dual flash is strong.
Screen is pretty meh. I have a Tianma pannel and after 4 months of usage I have 6-7 stuck pixels . I don't really mind as I don't really see them in day to day basis . It's not a great screen it's not a bad screen.
I'd buy the Note 4 if I were you.
I wouldn't buy a G5 plus if I were you. Moto delivered it with a 32 bit ROM. Yeah,you'll find 64bit ROMs on XDA but it's laggy,buggy and it will be for a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree.
GopalKaul said:
You ever used moto g5 plus or Zuk Z2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Used zuk z2 plus and redmi note 4 both... Zuk z2 heats too much.. Their ui is not good and battery life also low.... Go for redmi note 4
Either way, you'll be disappointed at some point. Nexus is nexus, nothing can replace that. You will be amazed with battery life but that's pretty much only thing this phone gives. I hate this phone , crappiest phone I've ever had. Run away from Chinese phones.
GopalKaul said:
1)Camera
2) Battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life is awesome. The camera is mediocre (with Samsung or Sony sensor). With Omnivision sensor, the camera can be quite poor. If you are really into great photography, this is not the phone for you.
Man was this bumpy ride.
So i've sold my mi8 a few weeks ago and tried few other phones:
First, i bought Samsung Note 9 - 430eur
- great phone, but a rubbish front camera, bad back camera portrait mode, no gcam support.
Then mate 20 pro - 450eur
- great camera but slow fingerprint reader, emui is a mess.
Then s10 - 510eur
- managed to endure just few days with this phone. Exynos version, horrible battery life, barely gor 3h of SOT.
Then oneplus 7 pro - 600eur
- I loved this phone, but man was it big and heavy.
So now i ordered my good trusty mi8 back. Great in hand feel, great camera with gcam, good battery life, and fasters fingerprint possible.
Is it perfect phone, no: big notch, no ultrawide camera, no ip rating or wifi charging.
But for 200eur it gives better user experiance then anny other phone.
CROrION said:
Man was this bumpy ride.
So i've sold my mi8 a few weeks ago and tried few other phones:
First, i bought Samsung Note 9 - 430eur
- great phone, but a rubbish front camera, bad back camera portrait mode, no gcam support.
Then mate 20 pro - 450eur
- great camera but slow fingerprint reader, emui is a mess.
Then s10 - 510eur
- managed to endure just few days with this phone. Exynos version, horrible battery life, barely gor 3h of SOT.
Then oneplus 7 pro - 600eur
- I loved this phone, but man was it big and heavy.
So now i ordered my good trusty mi8 back. Great in hand feel, great camera with gcam, good battery life, and fasters fingerprint possible.
Is it perfect phone, no: big notch, no ultrawide camera, no ip rating or wifi charging.
But for 200eur it gives better user experiance then anny other phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what you mean. I owned Mi6 which was (and still is) a wonderful phone but I wanted to try something else. Changed a bunch of them but not one was a worthy replacement until I bought Poco f1, which was excellent, but touch problems were driving me nuts so I sold it.
Recently I bought Mi9t, but fingeprint and popup camera were so annoying I sold it and got a Mi8 which is a heck of a device, slim, light, fast and better phone to use than majority of new devices with their trendy but "pain in the ass" features (in -display fps, popup camera etc...)
Overview:
Samsung: currently One Ui is the best oem skin in my opinion, but they are too expensive, and their midrange phones are destroyed by competition in every aspect except for the screen quality. Have bad fps scanners and Exynos versions have lack of support.
Xiaomi: Best bang for buck, excellent fps, excellent support etc...only problem is battery drain on some Miui versions...
Huawei: Great hardware with the worst software...Emui is just ugly and outdated and really needs some refreshment. Also they are like android version of iOs, everything is locked, support is rubbish and you really need some knowledge to amuse yourself with some custom roms and tweaks.
Oneplus: Best of all in all regards, not so cheap anymore but they dont need to be, and they shouldn't be. Cameras not top notch but excellent support, superb displays, software etc... No matter what the price, the best.
LG: Good phones, but too expensive. V50 is maybe the best phone out there, but people are just not interested in them anymore, so the support will suffer also. Probably will follow HTC down the drain.
Nokia/Motorola/Sony: Not worth mentioning. Average at best, lack too many things....Was a fan of Sony for years, but after owning a few of them I was dissapointed. Motorola had some superb phones but they started to make same things like Nokia, midrange phones that nobody wants to buy, and I can't blame them.
Oppo/Vivo/Asus: They make some interesting phones, especially Realme who is destined to be the next xiaomi...looks promising but availability is still limited.
The only thing about which I'm not so excited is Miui 11....they messed up the system animations and make navigating the system slower than on Miui 10. I hoped it would make more sense to simplify things....but they didn't. If they don't change something I think this is my last Xiaomi device...
trop long ton message
jlgra said:
trop long ton message
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand people like you, this is a forum. If you want short messages then chat with your mother on whatsapp. If you're not interested in what other people have to say, you can just leave or shut up
@CROrION, @mejgs
I completely agree! I have also owned many very expensive phones and the mi8 is by far my favorite. My son has a Samsung Note 9 and I will take my Mi8 anyday over his or his Wife's iPhone XS. No doubt, I love this phone and will stay with it for at least another year or two, and then I will buy another Xiaomi.
I have been a happy mi8 owner. Actually it's my first Xiaomi phone, and gosh, can't go back to others.
I have been tempted to upgrade to mi9 and 9T pro. However, after listening to comments from brothers/sisters here, i think i will keep my loyal mi8.
hkwildboy said:
I have been a happy mi8 owner. Actually it's my first Xiaomi phone, and gosh, can't go back to others.
I have been tempted to upgrade to mi9 and 9T pro. However, after listening to comments from brothers/sisters here, i think i will keep my loyal mi8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, not worth it, and it's coming from my personal experience. The only thing that's better on 9t Pro are looks (subjective)...Usability wise Mi8 is better. I even get the same battery life even though 9t has a larger battery...
---------- Post added at 11:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:42 AM ----------
[/COLOR]
CROrION said:
Man was this bumpy ride.
So i've sold my mi8 a few weeks ago and tried few other phones:
First, i bought Samsung Note 9 - 430eur
- great phone, but a rubbish front camera, bad back camera portrait mode, no gcam support.
Then mate 20 pro - 450eur
- great camera but slow fingerprint reader, emui is a mess.
Then s10 - 510eur
- managed to endure just few days with this phone. Exynos version, horrible battery life, barely gor 3h of SOT.
Then oneplus 7 pro - 600eur
- I loved this phone, but man was it big and heavy.
So now i ordered my good trusty mi8 back. Great in hand feel, great camera with gcam, good battery life, and fasters fingerprint possible.
Is it perfect phone, no: big notch, no ultrawide camera, no ip rating or wifi charging.
But for 200eur it gives better user experiance then anny other phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i absolutely know how you feel, i had this experiece as well with MI8, P20 pro, Mate 20 pro and even the Mi9
Now i've a p30 pro and my girlfriend is using the Mi8. The photos of the mi8 with gcam are stunning and in some situations it knocks out the p30 pro easily (i terms with HDR)
the only reason i prefer the p30 pro is in battery life and for the reason it has a ultra wide angle lens.
Otherwise i would switch to mi8 back again.
Yes. Mi 8 is a great device. Especially with Miui 11 and Xiaomi.EU and GCam. Got it few weeks ago, but just as a spare and flashing phone. My daily driver is a s9+ Exynos with oreo and GCam and I absolutely love it. Made some GCam comparison between these phones. Almost identical but a big advantage is that the mi 8s SD offers instant zero shutter lag pictures. That's not possible with my s9+. And yes of course my s9 Gcam also doesn't offer a night mode. But that's ok. A Mi 8 with Stereo Speaker and QI would be so freaking awesome.
Jogg3r said:
Yes. Mi 8 is a great device. Especially with Miui 11 and Xiaomi.EU and GCam. Got it few weeks ago, but just as a spare and flashing phone. My daily driver is a s9+ Exynos with oreo and GCam and I absolutely love it. Made some GCam comparison between these phones. Almost identical but a big advantage is that the mi 8s SD offers instant zero shutter lag pictures. That's not possible with my s9+. And yes of course my s9 Gcam also doesn't offer a night mode. But that's ok. A Mi 8 with Stereo Speaker and QI would be so freaking awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I don't understand why Xiaomi cant build a phone with stereo speakers. I don't really care about wireless charging but the addition of Dolby and an extra speaker would be amazing. It's the only thing that I am missing from my old Le Pro 3, it had the most amazing speaker sound quality.
tsongming said:
Yeah, I don't understand why Xiaomi cant build a phone with stereo speakers. I don't really care about wireless charging but the addition of Dolby and an extra speaker would be amazing. It's the only thing that I am missing from my old Le Pro 3, it had the most amazing speaker sound quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most people who care about sound quality will use wired or bluetooth headphones.
How good can a small speaker sound on a small phone? Not to mention there is so much ambient noise? It's quite pointless.
hkwildboy said:
Most people who care about sound quality will use wired or bluetooth headphones.
How good can a small speaker sound on a small phone? Not to mention there is so much ambient noise? It's quite pointless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is your opinion, it seems that you haven't heard quality speakers on a phone. You would be surprised with how good it can sound. But of course it doesn't compare to larger speakers, with a default flat frequency range.
"It's quite pointless" What is the point of your post? Yes, I have high quality Bluetooth speakers. In fact several different types large and small. You don't see the value that is fine, stick with buying whatever you want. my point was that many phone manufacturers release phones with dual speakers. Xiaomi, doesn't seem to have any recently released phones with stereo speakers
I want stereo speakers because I play musical instruments and I don't always have the a bluetooth speaker with me, many decent quality phones also have pretty decent omnidirectional microphones, which are great for recording scratch tracks with an acoustic guitar. FYI scratch tracks are basically riff ideas, that you save and later build a complete song with those ideas. Another fun thing to do, is once you have recorded 8 bars, you can then loop it and then solo or play arpeggiated phrasing over top of the loop It's definitely a lot of fun. Stereo speakers enhance it and can further provide the ability to hear manually made effects, if merging multitracks.
CROrION said:
So now i ordered my good trusty mi8 back. Great in hand feel, great camera with gcam, good battery life, and fasters fingerprint possible.
Is it perfect phone, no: big notch, no ultrawide camera, no ip rating or wifi charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nearly the same here! i order my "new" black Mi8 6/256GB today ...
Matija Gubec said:
Nearly the same here! i order my "new" black Mi8 6/256GB today ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can You share where did U order it from, Matija?
I gave my 6/256 MI8 to my Dad. I am planning to get Mi 10....but I might just as well get another MI 8...not sure if MI 10 will be worth the price..compared to MI8...I do a lot of low light pics..and Aquarium pics...and MI 8 was awesome in that area.....
I order it in November 2019 by www.banggood.com in Spain.
I pay about 280€
Hi all,
I wonder weather the model is worth to buy? Looking at 11 Pro and 11 Ultra specs this one is significantly overpriced. Am I right?
Regards
absolutely worth it, but if u r into selfie cameras, wait for mix 5, low light front cam performance is meh, but other than that ceramic back and overall design is just too good
Hey, in my opinion, totally worth it... i used to have the mi 11 Ultra, prior to the mi mix 4... the weight distribution was weird, because of huge back sensor. And after a short while, i got fed up with the front notch starring at my face.
But in defense, never made better selfies with the mi11Ultra.
Its a good phone, really like the look of it, cameras are OK nothing amazing, but same for me was about the no notch and fast charging.
OS is probably the worst on any phone ive used though, so many handy features missing or not working. Im still faffing with it and still deciding to swap from my oneplus 8T