A5 & A3 2017 better or worse? - Samsung Galaxy A3, A5, A7 (2017) Guides, News, & D

I appreciate no phone is ever perfect. I also appreciate the A5 (& the A3 2017) are also mid-range phones. I have read both phones have more than excellent battery life + water resistance, etc.
But other my other concerns are:
1. USB Type-C only at 2.0 speeds?
2. Camera quality is bland, has slow autofocus, no image stabilisation & problems with exposure?
3. Slippery glass back/body?
4. Still no sign/news of Nougat 7.0 or 7.1.1?
5. Apps reload when using multitasking?
Can someone please confirm and advice. Thanks.

1: I dont bother
2: enough for average user like me, if its too rubbish for you, go for the Galaxy S - Line
3: just get a back cover for the phone
4 you're just talking trash Samsung is already working on 7.0 it's going to be released expected end of july
5: just dont open too much apps then you dont get those problems
Summary: Enough for the average user who wants a stylish phone which is capable of being fast and has a long battery life at the same. I'm talking about the A5 2017 now but i think you can expect quite the same from the A3 but just a little bit less.
If you are a user who expects the very best of his phone then i advise you to Samsung's S-Line
Have a great day!

hi !
my feedback about this A5:
A great phone widely powerful with his 8 cores at 1.9 for all apps (i think that it's more than enought)
I find that usb is very fast....and fast charge (enought too)
On some test on geek android platform on the net ,they have said that all are fine exept camera but for a much better managment of these 16MP, you have others apps like one of the best : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.sourceforge.opencamera&hl=fr
with our personnal usage this camera is quite enought sufficient ....it's a phone ! no optic zoom....
the battery life ,if there are not problem with tje firmware,it's really incredible ! among the best of phones !
But if you use a lot youtube and many social apps (known for to be very angry!) .....if you have enabled counts synchronizations .if you use gps lots of time.....and play bigs games ..... ==> it's sure that it's bad for battery life ...==> there are no phone who support these heavy charge !
But for me for example with just facebook ,synch disabled,lots of browser surf.... with 4G : i jave 7 / 8 hours of SOT !!!! very funny...
This A5 is really great for daily-usage ....
This A5 inly cost only 350 to 450 € ! ......a S7 is around 600€
in my opiniin ,the difference is not really justified ( the problem of all these "hight-end" )
For rich people who want the full of the best quality and/or very difficult persons : there are S series (lg G6,last iphone....)

Both A3 & A5 2017 phones are currently on sale at Carphone Warehouse here in the UK. I'm leaning towards the A5 coz it is bigger and i feel has much to offer.
But I still have not received any confirmation whether apps reload or not?
And what can the Open Camera do in terms of "improving" the otherwise bland camera photo and lack of any type of image stabilisation?

Related

Vibe Z2 Pro has a Stock Android Mode!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPqS_xJ7jnE
I can't believe this! It comes with a pre-installed Stock Android mode! How awesome is that!
I am quiet hesitant to buy this mobile at this point ...not sure whether custom roms will be made for this mobile
svvv said:
I am quiet hesitant to buy this mobile at this point ...not sure whether custom roms will be made for this mobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i know what you mean..k900 suffers from the same situation.
Root
Sorry to be offtopic, but Kingo ROOT is working for Lenovo VIBE Z2 Pro
majrul said:
Sorry to be offtopic, but Kingo ROOT is working for Lenovo VIBE Z2 Pro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Majrul. Do you have this phone? I'm considering buying it. Can you give a quick first impressions?
Thanks.
Review Z2 Pro vs. the Best Damn Devices
Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro (Dual SIM)
One of the most un-imaginable 6 inch (Phablets) phones that one could buy is available at a price point of Rs. 32,999 which makes it one of the lowest costing QHD devices available in the market today. I have spent ample time ‘googling’ the device and looking for international reviews and quite disappointed to find none. The phone has been completely ignored which leads to either the question that this is a another Chinese import with some customization here and there, or that this has not been marketed enough and thus, comes as a surprise Diwali deal for all.
I have used pretty much every device you can think of from the ios Apple – iPhones (entire series), to the Android Samsung S (entire series), to the Notes (everything), Nexus (entire series) all the way to the Microsoft bred Nokia Lumia 1020 and 1500 and more. The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro would be the last of my options, except that this year I was fascinated by it’s specs and features. For a 6 inch phablet (Phone + Tablet) this seemed to have quite a lot of things on it’s positives. Right now, the top end Galaxy’s and iPhone are fighting each other with 13 MP to 16 MP Cameras, and HD Displays, whereas the Vibe Z2 Pro enters the arena silently with 16 MP Professional Camera (some compare it the Nokia 1020’s 41 MP PureView camera), which undoubtedly can not be true. However where the Z2 Pro shows dominance is with it’s 4K recording ability and QHD screens making it an interesting device at it’s price point. Also interesting enough it houses a secondary 5 MP camera compared to most devices fighting with 2 MP front face cameras. Designed to look “expensive” and slim, the device is supposed to be quick with a 2.5 Gz Snapdragon 801 Quad Core Processor, which even today doesn’t make me feel that fast with any device except the Nexus 5! Armed with 3 GB RAM, this baby should be as fast my computer – or so I would have imagined. Yet with so much bloat being installed by companies for OEM and Custom UI’s you generally don’t get more than 700 MB of free RAM. I would have personally liked having Android Stock UI, no bloat ware and at least 2 GB RAM all for myself ! Now that would be a real “Snap-Dragon” !
No expandable memory card was an instant turn off for me, and having 32 GB minus the whooping 6 GB OS used storage was a kick in my ass. Leaving me with hardly 24 GB of free storage after deducting other in built apps and files, and no memory card – I felt bloated already. There is OTG support, which means using custom cables you can connect your phone’s charging port to a USB cable (OTG) which will allow you to again connect mass storage drives such as pen drives, flash drives, etc. to your phone. I don’t like the idea because it makes things look messy.
What the Z2 Pro does though – is 6 GB includes an option to switch between the Android UI and it’s custom UI – this is a first in my book’s for a dual mode GUI option which allows people like me switch to Androids GUI. I would imagine that this move, should or would free me up to 1.8 to 2GB’s of RAM, but I need to really check to see if it works. I would personally have hoped to be able to delete the entire Lenovo custom UI and free me up another 2-3GB of space which would probably let me fit a good deal of my music collection and some books to read on my 6 inch…. (no pun intended)…. screen.
Now let me compare some top end devices with the Z2 Pro for you to give you an idea of what kind of a “dragon” this could be. The LG 3 – one of the only qHD phones available is priced similarly at Rs 32,999 has similar specs but a smaller 5.5 inch screen.The LG3 has 550 ppi density because of it’s half inch smaller frame, whereas the Z2 Pro has 490 ppi resolution, which for the extra half inch is noteworthy. Having said that, the Z2 Pro’s quality should be good enough since the human eye can not differentiate screens with higher than around 320 ppi. Where companies have begun new competition is brightness to confuse the user on higher ppi scales. So knowing the Z2 Pro supports 490 ppi for a 6 inch screen sounds wonderful. 3GB Ram sounds like a real treat, since companies like LG and Samsung install GUI and Application bloatware that eventually gives you around 500-600 MB of Free RAM. I personally hate slow phones and with all the things these companies put nowadays, the Samsung S5 was one of the fastest phones to exit my pockets permanently. Now where the Z2 Pro does suffer is – lack of stereo speakers like the Sony Z3 and lack of water proof or water resistant bodies. I would have loved knowing that the Z2 Pro with it’s supposedly professional camera could get into fresh water swimming pools for some fun photos. That’s not the case as the Z2 Pro can’t really do that.
However, it does have a professional camera mode which allows it do use custom camera (manual settings) and really take vivid photographs. Now on a positive note – the Sony Z3 costs Rs. 46,000 while the Z2 Pro as I repeatedly have mentioned is Rs. 32,999 (33,000) which is a Rs.13,000 savings immediately. Also on a side note – the Sony Z3 is a said to be breaking it’s screen fairly quickly, speakers damage when submerged into water is causing problems to Sony’s water proof claims too. When compared to an iPhone – the Z2 Pro runs a different operating system, but if you went straight to the tech specs – Z2 Pro has more RAM, a higher end camera and seems to be made more expensive than the iPhone – however this is yet to be seen as my new iPhone 6 Plus is yet to arrive.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 which is expected to launch this week, will be priced around Rs. 52,000 and has a PPI of 515 thanks to it’s super-amoled display. However if you look at the difference between 515 and 490 ppi – it doesnt seem a great deal. That’s where the Z2 Pro which – let me remind you is a 6 inch phablet might be better than the Note 4, which is a 5.7 phablet for a lower price! However, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 does include a pen, and has writing capabilities which almost no other phone has – which continues to make it unique. That being said, to keep this review fair – the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a lower battery life than the Z2 Pro which interesting offers dual sim support, whereby one sim supports 3G/4G/LTE support – but quite surprisingly doesn’t support India’s Airtel LTE network. The second sim card sadly doesn’t support 3G and is good for only 2G networks. The Samsung Note 4 includes the new Snapdragon 805 chipset, which makes it the first device to run the new updated hardware. The new chipset mitigates issues of handling 4K recording as well as QHD screens. The Samsung Note 4 has a 16 MP camera (Front) and a 3.7 MP rear camera, whereas the Z2 Pro has a 16 MP font camera, with a mightier 5 MP rear camera.
Just to remind everyone – higher Mega Pixels are not important for personal photographs whereas the focus lens size is more important for detailed photographs. The MPs come into play only when you want to shoot large images (scenery from a bridge or a hill) or want to take photos for large banners or bill boards. There is no description mentioned around on the Lens of the Z2 Pro and I suspect the camera might be a bit substandard and so mentioning it was neglected. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 does indeed have a finger print sensor which the Z2 Pro does not have, but interestingly the finger print sensor has not really found any place or value on devices till date. Both devices include NFC and bluetooth. Finally, the Galaxy Note 4 does support expandable memory cards up to 128GB which would therefore allow a 32GB model to store up to 160 GB of data including it’s OS, GUI and other proprietary apps and data. I don’t know if the Note 4 is worth paying the extra Rs. 20,000 premium cost but then again the Note 4 is in a league of it’s own.
My opinion to this is, if you have a budget for a high quality premium device – I would recommend either of the two devices – Lenovo Z2 Pro or the upcoming Nexus 6. Since the Nexus 6 is still not available. I will try to make it easier for you – Lenovo Z2 Pro is a great choice till then.
Disclaimer: This review was written by me on my blog and since there are a few questions being asked, I thought I'd share it with you all.
Thanks for the review, rdosti.
I have a few questions I hope you can answer.
Have you rooted your phone? If yes, did you use the Kingo app?
Do the phone have any heat issues?
I heard that it can be difficult to install new apps because of the security app that comes preinstalled. Do you have the same experience?
I will receive my phone in a coupe of weeks. Can't wait!
Why would you root the phone? --- You get stock rom (android) included as an option. You need to enable it through Developer Options in Settings (and you can reboot the phone in Stock android GUI).
No over heating issues have been experienced.
No issues installing Apps. Not sure what Security App you are talking about. Are you referring to "Secure Zone" which is already available on most android smart devices which allows you to separate business and home apps and screens?
"In Vibe Z2 Pro, we have two zones: open zone and secure zone. Every app can be run in open zone while only trusted app will be run in secure zone to protect sensitive application & data for user. User can easily switch between open zone and secure zone by only "one click". In secure zone, it is safer, freer and easier." Reference: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo...-is-coming-in-Lenovo-Vibe-Z2-Pro/td-p/1702177
Thanks: additional question
Thanks:
1. whether we can install & run apps from OTG devices
2. MHL support is not mentioned, is it a software option later can be tweaked
3. DUAL sim 3G/4G is it an software tweakable option
4. who is the winner among IUNI 3, K920 & 64 bit VIBE Z2
5. how is lenovo after sales support, i am ****** with micromax service with A210 [very poor service]
6. is there a promise for Android L or cyanogen mod!
is there a phone you suggest with dual GSM sim, removable battery, 2-3GB RAM, 13+ BSI, dual LED, future ready performer at least FHD 5inch
rdosti said:
Why would you root the phone? --- You get stock rom (android) included as an option. You need to enable it through Developer Options in Settings (and you can reboot the phone in Stock android GUI).
No over heating issues have been experienced.
No issues installing Apps. Not sure what Security App you are talking about. Are you referring to "Secure Zone" which is already available on most android smart devices which allows you to separate business and home apps and screens?
"In Vibe Z2 Pro, we have two zones: open zone and secure zone. Every app can be run in open zone while only trusted app will be run in secure zone to protect sensitive application & data for user. User can easily switch between open zone and secure zone by only "one click". In secure zone, it is safer, freer and easier." Reference: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo...-is-coming-in-Lenovo-Vibe-Z2-Pro/td-p/1702177
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi will try to answer as many as I can.
- I am getting my OTG Flash Drive today so will be able to let you know by tomorrow.
- Micro USB to HDMI should work.
- Dual SIM (SIM Slot one is for 4g/3g/2gb & SIM Slot two is for 2G). By the way I am impressed that both SIMS go into a single tray which has been made so you can fit two sim cards. Excellent design. Sadly second slot is clearly marked for only 2G.
- Vibe Z2 Pro stands out in all my tests
- I have been lucky enough never to need it. I think support of all companies except Apple "suck". Apple's replacement system is unbeatable.
- Lenovo have said that their flagship will get updates - however I will take that with a pinch of salt since there is no guarantees on that.
One of the things I was depressed about was the Camera is not as great as I would have hoped or imagined. Though many reviewers have said it is great, I took photos this morning in day light as well as night time and minor zooming of the photos taken already, were quite grainy. In my opinion the camera is a let down.
I would suggest the Z2 Pro which is quite reasonably priced. The lack of marketing and brand ambassadors have allowed them to allow them to price themselves at a fairly competitive price. The only single sim competitor is the Nexus which is speculated to be announced tomorrow. There is no dual sim competitor worth comparing this device too at this price point.
Photoneutron said:
Thanks:
1. whether we can install & run apps from OTG devices
2. MHL support is not mentioned, is it a software option later can be tweaked
3. DUAL sim 3G/4G is it an software tweakable option
4. who is the winner among IUNI 3, K920 & 64 bit VIBE Z2
5. how is lenovo after sales support, i am ****** with micromax service with A210 [very poor service]
6. is there a promise for Android L or cyanogen mod!
is there a phone you suggest with dual GSM sim, removable battery, 2-3GB RAM, 13+ BSI, dual LED, future ready performer at least FHD 5inch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 11:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:58 AM ----------
By the way - Regarding the secure app - You can force stop and disable it. I did just that. There is an inbuilt antivirus which got the same treatment from me. Those memory hogging antivirus do nothing and waste valuable resources in my opinion. Force Stop - Disable is the way to go !
I also removed some apps and games I wasn't planning to use to free up some space on the phone.
I was able to easily get 1.5 GB Free RAM (out of 3 GB) which is one of the best performing devices I have seen. That allows me to load and run high end QHD videos as well as Games without worrying about RAM issues or lack of available RAM. 50% RAM free is like a God Send for people who really want to take it on for gaming!
I had around 24-25 GB of free internal storage immediately, which gives me quite a lot of space to fill up with things I need or want. OTG always remains a second option.
MY recommendation is load all your apps on the internal storage for faster "read" speeds, and put all your media on the OTG flash drives or any free space left on your internal storage.
I would not recommend apps being put on OTG for a very simple reason, you will find a lag or a every so tiny lag which reduces the fun of having such a beautiful device.
The Brightness makes the Nexus 5 look like crap!
Thanks a lot for your time & strouble.
I am in a dilemma whether to wait for MTK 6595 [vibe X2] or MTK 6795 phones? or to go for 64 bit Snapdragon?
Photoneutron said:
Thanks:
1. whether we can install & run apps from OTG devices
2. MHL support is not mentioned, is it a software option later can be tweaked
3. DUAL sim 3G/4G is it an software tweakable option
4. who is the winner among IUNI 3, K920 & 64 bit VIBE Z2
5. how is lenovo after sales support, i am ****** with micromax service with A210 [very poor service]
6. is there a promise for Android L or cyanogen mod!
is there a phone you suggest with dual GSM sim, removable battery, 2-3GB RAM, 13+ BSI, dual LED, future ready performer at least FHD 5inch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rdosti said:
By the way - Regarding the secure app - You can force stop and disable it. I did just that. There is an inbuilt antivirus which got the same treatment from me. Those memory hogging antivirus do nothing and waste valuable resources in my opinion. Force Stop - Disable is the way to go !
I also removed some apps and games I wasn't planning to use to free up some space on the phone.
I was able to easily get 1.5 GB Free RAM (out of 3 GB) which is one of the best performing devices I have seen. That allows me to load and run high end QHD videos as well as Games without worrying about RAM issues or lack of available RAM. 50% RAM free is like a God Send for people who really want to take it on for gaming!
I had around 24-25 GB of free internal storage immediately, which gives me quite a lot of space to fill up with things I need or want. OTG always remains a second option.
MY recommendation is load all your apps on the internal storage for faster "read" speeds, and put all your media on the OTG flash drives or any free space left on your internal storage.
I would not recommend apps being put on OTG for a very simple reason, you will find a lag or a every so tiny lag which reduces the fun of having such a beautiful device.
The Brightness makes the Nexus 5 look like crap!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your review man, Really appreciate it.
1.). I would like to know specifically in the Google UI Mode, is the sercurity app(I mean the Antivirus App and NOT the Secure Mode App) still installed and running ?
Is it possible to disable and force stop them? Because in whatever little videos i have seen on-line, most have the security app in the Notification drawer which is kinda annoying and
frustrating? Also i read somewhere that the Lenovo Antivirus App(Security App) is soo ingrained in the OS that it starts to mess around with whatsapp and other Apps when Disabled
or Force stopped and it re enables itself after sometime.
2.). Also how much ram usage in Google UI mode?
3.). Does the phone feel less bloated and snappier when in Google UI mode?
4.). Any particular features you feel are missing in the Google UI Mode that are there in the Vibe UI mode?
5.). Would you root the Phone to remove all the unnecessary apps like the Security app , Secure zone, SyncIT, ShareIT apps and all the other useless apps?
Sorry , Too many questions.
If this is any motivation Z2 Pro just released a stability update today of 60 MB.
K920_ROW_S133_141010
Gives you an idea that they are updating things.
To viruscmotu -
1. You can disable (force stop and disable) the app. I did that the moment I got my device.
2. Surprisingly and sadly, the free RAM is almost the same in both UI's which begs the question - WHY ? I actually began to like Lenovo's UI by the way - its kind of like the iPhone - everything's on the home screens + Widgets! I have already mentioned in previous posting's you get around 1.5 GB Free RAM.
3. Google UI mode feels only a very tiny bit (very cautious) faster. I think the Google UI mode has been tweaked by Lenovo since many minor but catchable things are not "true stock".
4. Yes, there is one feature which I think is extremely shocking not there in Google UI - The "OTA Update" feature. This has got me really disturbed about the device. I have to reboot back into Vibe UI to actually look for any new update (we got one last night ) which I would have missed had I stayed in the Google UI permanently.
5. Honestly, I don't see any reason to remove it since it doesn't take up too much space and you can easily disable it. It does not pop up or bother you ever again. Without root you can perform most of the disable actions and if you just want to be sure - you can download "Clean Master" - a free ware and very popular app to disable those preinstalled apps you wish to.
Regarding the question whether to wait for the X2 , etc... The snapdragon is a way better chipset in all reality that any others seen today. The Note 4 and Nexus 6 run on Snapdragon 805 (latest) , though the LG3 and this device run on 801 (which is in my opinion fairly great too).
I would personally not move to any device that is not snapdragon.
Stupid question?
Hello rdosti,
I've been reading this thread about Vibe Z2 Pro, as it looks to be my next phone (hopefully). I have it already pre-ordered, but I am still waiting, as it is not so easy to get on of those devices.
Perhaps this would be a stupid question, but I thought that as you have "stock" android version on the Vibe Z2 Pro, that for example update for Android 5.0 would be pretty straightforward. Can you confirm / decline / comment on that?
I have been using WinPhone for quite some time ,but I've got pretty bored with the lack of the applications in WP store, si I am looking to switch to Android. This Phone would suit me perfectly as it has everything that I need.
Only thing that keeps me hesitating is this Stock / Lenovo version of Android and prospect of new Android upgrades in the upcoming time.
Many thanks for the update &
My best regards
petfro
You have to wait till Lenovo offers an update for Lolipop (Android L). Its still a Lenovo ROM at the end of the day.
Only the Android One phones and Nexus devices are offered immediate upgrades to the new Android OS.
No other phone no matter what ROM its on gets an immediate upgrade. You need to wait patiently
O my god! I am so glad that i found this thread! Ive been in the fence whether to buy vibe z2 pro or mate 7. But after reading this, this made me choose the z2.pro.
Thanks rdosti for your review and answering the questions!
Just one question, rdosti. In the reviews i saw at youtube, i cant help but notice that the lenovo ui in the vibe z2 pro is not that snappy. Is that really the case?
....
Thank you for the answer rdosti.
So it means, taht it is nice that phone have stock android, but still Lenovo has to make upgrade for newer versions of OS.
For the price, they are asking for this device it is still worth to buy it, since Nexus 6 is much more expensive.
You personally thinks that software upgrade will be available for this device in the future? as I am not that familiar with Lenovo phones, I do have Lenovo laptop and I am more then happy with it.
I heard some rumours about overheating of the device on the internet, and also some complains about software buggs, like wallpapers disappearing, screen lock is not working, random factory resets and so on. Is this true? Any comments on that?
Sorry for being pesky and asking a lot of questions, but I was not able to find any review on the web (neither from my country - SVK nor international). Phone was introduced in my country just recently, I mean like 12 days ago.
Thank you &
Best regards.
While in the stock UI, Will the lenovo camera app be available? Or will it be the stock camera app with very basic functionality?
Sent from my HTC One max using XDA Free mobile app
Hello, I have this phone for more than a week. I can answer some of your questions.
hobitt14: The Vibe UI feels great, not bloated but with a lot of additional useful settings. I did NOT notice any lag or overheating.
sacthegreat: There is Lenovo camera app available in the stock UI.
The phone feels great. Love the thin bezels and metallic brushed-wave unibody design. It's really thin and the display is gorgeus. My previous phone was Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and I was deciding between VIBE Z2 Pro and Galaxy Note 4.

Is this phone a flop? no sales figures?

I can't find ANYTHING on the popularity of this phone, not that I care, but from what I can see, XDA doesn't care about this phone, but if you go to the Note 4, it's full of threads, and custom roms are there already!
Please guys, support this Alpha, it's such a lovely device! I just wish I could throw in a custom ROM so I can delete the crappy UI and the bloatware. Amazon, Computrace, Google+, etc.
+1
MazingerZed said:
I can't find ANYTHING on the popularity of this phone, not that I care, but from what I can see, XDA doesn't care about this phone, but if you go to the Note 4, it's full of threads, and custom roms are there already!
Please guys, support this Alpha, it's such a lovely device! I just wish I could throw in a custom ROM so I can delete the crappy UI and the bloatware. Amazon, Computrace, Google+, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you just root and you'll have access to plethora of customization options. You can debloat, uninstall unnecessary apps and even install a louncher of your choice. You can also install exposed and also have thousands of options/customizations
As per CM, i think we will not see any build amytime soon as our device having exynos processor is not supported by CM
Probably not going to get much support in the US, since its exclusive to ATT, which hardly advertises the alpha and makes it unrootable. No one I know knows what the Alpha is.
If its not popular here it kinda means it's not a great phone.
They try to imitate apple but without the quality (os) at almost the same ridiculous price tag, Samsung must think the more I ask for this phone the more it sells...
Here is a comparison with the build cost of an Iphone 6
http://www.businessinsider.com/teardown-parts-price-samsung-galaxy-alpha-2014-10
This phone is only on att with a locked bootloader of course there are not many roms the notes 4 is on every carrier
Gray44 said:
If its not popular here it kinda means it's not a great phone.
They try to imitate apple but without the quality (os) at almost the same ridiculous price tag, Samsung must think the more I ask for this phone the more it sells...
Here is a comparison with the build cost of an Iphone 6
http://www.businessinsider.com/teardown-parts-price-samsung-galaxy-alpha-2014-10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If its not popular it doesnt mean its not a great phone. i had the choice to pick between all latest flagship fone but I picked the Alpha. Its not well advertised thats why its not popular
Similar situation here. Came into at AT&T because I couldn't decide between a Note 3 (Didn't feel the Note 4 was a huge upgrade) and an LG G3. Saw the Alpha hiding in between and fell in love with it instantly. The S3 was the last Samsung phone I liked. No regrets so far.
I was impressed by Alpha when I saw and played with it.
Still wish it was also available as Alpha Pro with Note 4 specs..etc.
But may get Apha over Sony Z3 C.
Not for AT&T, for use on METRO PCS/TMO
Discovered the Canada Bell Alpha which has PERFECT
BANDS for Metro PCS /TMobile USA and the 2500 Mah
Battery Kit, should be a good functioning phone.
IF I could choose between about 10 Different Sony Z3
Compacts , I could find better Camera and Speakers but
I need to send emails, proposals , presentations and can not mess around with faulty Keyboard Input, spotty MMS messages etc.
Z 3 Compact seems a bit buggy , right ?
Also Alpha is MUCH more durable.
My theory is that Sony, not being on many Carriers has not been forced to optimize software for Texting,
Keyboard, etc etc, now on TMobile , they will somewhat.
Love what Sony is doing I hope Z4 and Z4C are amazing
and rock solid but I am a bit nervous about the Z3 C not functioning well for simple tasks, like Keyboard Input, Texting, Slideshow Presentations, Emails through Google Desktop..etc.
MazingerZed said:
I can't find ANYTHING on the popularity of this phone, not that I care, but from what I can see, XDA doesn't care about this phone, but if you go to the Note 4, it's full of threads, and custom roms are there already!
Please guys, support this Alpha, it's such a lovely device! I just wish I could throw in a custom ROM so I can delete the crappy UI and the bloatware. Amazon, Computrace, Google+, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
w ell u lucky they made thread for alpha .. for ours Huawei Honor 6 they cand be arsed make separate thread for it .. !
if u wanna delete all apps just root it and delete it .. change wallpapers .. and that is it
The exynox powered phones are not very popular here because samsung do not release the source codes for processor and everything else. But the device is very very nice and works well and the sound quality seems to be over S5 and Note 3 and you can actually use it with one hand...., the build quality is on top, I guess nothing to complain here. We are lucky to have root. After root you can do a lot of customisation. Enjoy your phone
Popularity of Alpha Pro ! Or Galaxy A 100.
IF Samsung made a Thicker Alpha Size Device with a 3000 Mah battery, better screen, thoughit is good now.
SD Storage, Camera from Note 4 ( killer Camera ) , Larger louder speaker for Music, Gaming, Multimedia, 3 GIG RAM, 805 CPU, key business features from Note 4 .would be HUGE if advertised.
1) The Ultimate Phone for Work or Play.
2) Gaming, Music (fat sounding, loud speaker ), Multimedia Champ,Movies, Browsing.
3) Business Pros who don't want to carry large phone, Athletes, Gym Enthusiasts,
Architects, people who need to send Presentations, Slideshows etc etc.
Ads could address all this the ultimate Pocket Power Device for work and Play.
And FINALLY to make reviewers go nuts with enthusiasm
Scaleable Touchwiz by Category, go from Touchwiz to Stock Android in different
Categories depending on Preferences !
As Big as S 5 , maybe not, but VERY BIG seller.IMO.
robertkoa said:
IF Samsung made a Thicker Alpha Size Device with a 3000 Mah battery, better screen, thoughit is good now.
SD Storage, Camera from Note 4 ( killer Camera ) , Larger louder speaker for Music, Gaming, Multimedia, 3 GIG RAM, 805 CPU, key business features from Note 4 .would be HUGE if advertised.
1) The Ultimate Phone for Work or Play.
2) Gaming, Music (fat sounding, loud speaker ), Multimedia Champ,Movies, Browsing.
3) Business Pros who don't want to carry large phone, Athletes, Gym Enthusiasts,
Architects, people who need to send Presentations, Slideshows etc etc.
Ads could address all this the ultimate Pocket Power Device for work and Play.
And FINALLY to make reviewers go nuts with enthusiasm
Scaleable Touchwiz by Category, go from Touchwiz to Stock Android in different
Categories depending on Preferences !
As Big as S 5 , maybe not, but VERY BIG seller.IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup, Samsung S6:laugh:

Honest suggestions need from owners

Hi guys, I'm Hosso, sorry my poor English
Please let me know how is this phone in real life? Many mixed reviews are confusing me. Also please understand that I live in Mongolia and when I purchase something from US it will take 3-4 weeks to get here and purchase is not good/faulty then impossible to return, so I have to be very careful.
My current phone is Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and it is dying. When I compare SGNote 3 and Oneplus X in GSMArena I see almost same specs such as Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400, Adreno 330. I installed Cyanogenmod on my SGNote 3 when CM was available and still with CM ever since.
I want a phone with good battery life, good camera and good GPS, because I do lots of traveling, hiking, camping and taking outdoor pictures. But this time I can spend only $250-$350.
If software is only an issue on Oneplus X then how is it perform in CM? I've been using all my previous phones with CM, I have very good experience with CM, if all problems is related to Oxygen OS then I'm happy to install CM. But how stable is current CM?
My current choices are below, if you were me which one would you choose? Also if there are any other recommendation please let me know.
- Oneplus X (Good price, looks nice, to me small is really good, for one handed use in cycling, driving, hiking etc. But unknown to this brand and there are so many mixed reviews are scaring me, specs are outdated) $249
- Nexus 5X (Looks nice, smaller, fingerprint scanner but mixed reviews, medium spec) $349
- Nexus 6 (Water resistant, good reviews but discontinued, too big) $349
I hope I find my solution here and I think this is the best community in the internet
Thank you guys.
Hosso
hbayar_morph said:
Hi guys, I'm Hosso, sorry my poor English
Please let me know how is this phone in real life? Many mixed reviews are confusing me. Also please understand that I live in Mongolia and when I purchase something from US it will take 3-4 weeks to get here and purchase is not good/faulty then impossible to return, so I have to be very careful.
My current phone is Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and it is dying. When I compare SGNote 3 and Oneplus X in GSMArena I see almost same specs such as Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400, Adreno 330. I installed Cyanogenmod on my SGNote 3 when CM was available and still with CM ever since.
I want a phone with good battery life, good camera and good GPS, because I do lots of traveling, hiking, camping and taking outdoor pictures. But this time I can spend only $250-$350.
If software is only an issue on Oneplus X then how is it perform in CM? I've been using all my previous phones with CM, I have very good experience with CM, if all problems is related to Oxygen OS then I'm happy to install CM. But how stable is current CM?
My current choices are below, if you were me which one would you choose? Also if there are any other recommendation please let me know.
- Oneplus X (Good price, looks nice, to me small is really good, for one handed use in cycling, driving, hiking etc. But unknown to this brand and there are so many mixed reviews are scaring me, specs are outdated) $249
- Nexus 5X (Looks nice, smaller, fingerprint scanner but mixed reviews, medium spec) $349
- Nexus 6 (Water resistant, good reviews but discontinued, too big) $349
I hope I find my solution here and I think this is the best community in the internet
Thank you guys.
Hosso
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why is your note 3 dying? Perhaps its better for you to buy a new battery (or other parts). Because in performance it will be almost the same.
My experience with opx is that it's the best < 140x70 mm with 5" device for me. Close followed is xiaomi mi4, but lack of amoled and design quality (aluminum trims) made me go for opx. My sot is stable around 6 hours with stock oos and root.
Mi4c has better battery life and better camera (when not tweaked). Mi5 has better hardware.
Huawei is an alternative too.
But both are less custom roms capable!
OPX has a tons of alternatives!
PS : it doesn't come from the US...
Well to be honest this OPX device maybe is not the best spec phone ever, but im my opinion for its price its a master piece, ther way it performs is absolutely great in every situation. From my view the important thing was to have a device with a good GPS, this phone is awesome at that, and of course, I wont use my phone to gaming but to work, that is the main point.
Everything depends on your necessities, mines are absolutely fulfilled with this phone.
Positive points are, overall performance and multitasking, its very fast 0 lag from my experience.
As negative I have some too, im honest, The gyroscope is not 100% precise, but nothing important just some little degrees.
And another point is that the back glass can get little scratches very easy.
I cant say nothign about that the gaming is bad cause I dont buy this device for gaming , instead of that I would have bough a gtx 970 for that purpose.
And the most important thing, and what for what I finallly decided to buy this phone, the magnificent team of independent developers, specially this community that bring us many possibilites and tweak our phones to be even more satisfied with them
Kéno40 said:
Mi4c has better battery life and better camera (when not tweaked). Mi5 has better hardware.
Huawei is an alternative too.
But both are less custom roms capable!
OPX has a tons of alternatives!
PS : it doesn't come from the US...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mi4C has touchscreen problems and no custom kernels. But a better CPU.
winesh said:
Why is your note 3 dying? Perhaps its better for you to buy a new battery (or other parts). Because in performance it will be almost the same.
My experience with opx is that it's the best < 140x70 mm with 5" device for me. Close followed is xiaomi mi4, but lack of amoled and design quality (aluminum trims) made me go for opx. My sot is stable around 6 hours with stock oos and root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you guys for taking time to answers my questions to help me make my decision. I just ordered onyx OPX .
About my Note 3, last summer I have dropped it into the river. Technician said he fixed it but it is acting weirdly since then, specially last 2 months, such as randomly restarts, freezes etc, so annoying. And I'm starting to like small phones, after using my girlfriend's Galaxy S5, it is so easy to use when I'm in active situations

z or z pro

i wanted to buy umidigiz pro but i did not have 250$ so i decided to ask you about z pro.is it worthy to buy(just camera lens)or i should buy umi z?and an other question:do umi z or z pro have a good software?i asked about it and i got different answers! plz answer me with your experience.ty
I have the Z, having had several HTC including the 10, and the Samsung Note Edge I have a good set to compare with.
Its plain Android as far as the software goes and with latest ROM update seems perfectly stable ,not had any of the issues you read about, I'd put most down to the user to be fair as plain android does not hold your hand like the HTC, Samsung or other skins/mods.
Camera gets a lot of comment but see UMI forums with so great examples and I can get great shots that are just as good as any from my other phones , yes the dual focus sometimes needs to be worked with , but so long as you use it correctly its a good camera , if you want to point and shoot switch the focus mode to phase only and you would be fine , my experience anyway.
Speed is great, don't see any lag or slow down in games etc.
Battery seems great, everything left on I get a full day with moderate to heavy use. No issues here.
Screen is good , clear and sharp, colours,seem correct, all can be adjusted anyway.
Sound fine, perhaps headphone a little quiet compared to others but great quality .
East to root, update etc, xposed works fine, mods to plain android seem to work as expected.
All in all a good phone , no idea if pro camera is better , I suspect for some situations it will be, but only if used correctly .
Look inn by forward to nougat update ,just to add some nice bits as I loved that on my note edge,
Just buy it , value for price is amazing , build quality is great ..Good phone
kfasheldon said:
I have the Z, having had several HTC including the 10, and the Samsung Note Edge I have a good set to compare with.
Its plain Android as far as the software goes and with latest ROM update seems perfectly stable ,not had any of the issues you read about, I'd put most down to the user to be fair as plain android does not hold your hand like the HTC, Samsung or other skins/mods.
Camera gets a lot of comment but see UMI forums with so great examples and I can get great shots that are just as good as any from my other phones , yes the dual focus sometimes needs to be worked with , but so long as you use it correctly its a good camera , if you want to point and shoot switch the focus mode to phase only and you would be fine , my experience anyway.
Speed is great, don't see any lag or slow down in games etc.
Battery seems great, everything left on I get a full day with moderate to heavy use. No issues here.
Screen is good , clear and sharp, colours,seem correct, all can be adjusted anyway.
Sound fine, perhaps headphone a little quiet compared to others but great quality .
East to root, update etc, xposed works fine, mods to plain android seem to work as expected.
All in all a good phone , no idea if pro camera is better , I suspect for some situations it will be, but only if used correctly .
Look inn by forward to nougat update ,just to add some nice bits as I loved that on my note edge,
Just buy it , value for price is amazing , build quality is great ..Good phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ty for your help and just an other question:will this phone have hardware issue in future because it has no service man here because its not a known brand?
Well its a £200 phone , guess it can be serviced but seems reliable so far, umi will service if you send back to China I guess , of course supplier will provide 1 year normally , but if local techs can service depends on issue . of course out of warrantee costs for major brand phones is often more than the cost of this phone
pou_gh2 said:
i wanted to buy umidigiz pro but i did not have 250$ so i decided to ask you about z pro.is it worthy to buy(just camera lens)or i should buy umi z?and an other question:do umi z or z pro have a good software?i asked about it and i got different answers! plz answer me with your experience.ty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do yourself a favor and don't buy this phone. Wireless and Wifi connection is bad, gyroscope sensor is bugged, camera is not as good as it could be, scroll feeling is laggy, temperature issues.
Add 100 $ and buy a mi5s or something similar, but don't buy this piece of electronic trash. I will sell mine as fast as i can.
selling mine too. huge disappointment. buggy as hell. it was not worth the time I had to spend with flasing it over an over which is their universal answer to any kind of issues.
nullinger said:
Do yourself a favor and don't buy this phone. Wireless and Wifi connection is bad, gyroscope sensor is bugged, camera is not as good as it could be, scroll feeling is laggy, temperature issues.
Add 100 $ and buy a mi5s or something similar, but don't buy this piece of electronic trash. I will sell mine as fast as i can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't really seem to have Wifi connection issues here. Use gyroscope works well. They updated the software to fix it maybe u didn't have it installed. I can't complain about camera. It's a cheap phone don't expect it to be top notch here. But for the cheap price it does hell beat lots of other devices in the same price range.
Sent from my Z Pro using Tapatalk

Still worth?

I've been looking for a decent smartphone for my mother, but this time I'm not considering xiaomi(been using it from many years). I never liked oppo, realme, and vivo. So I'm left with samsung under 18k price, I now have 2 options - samsung m31 or a50s and to me both of them seems almost similar apart from some oneui features. Only bad reviews I've heard about A50s is the fingerprint sensor and gaming performance (least priority though as my younger brother plays free fire in her phone?). So can you all help me to know if the fingerprint sensor is really slow or not? I've been watching youtube videos but they all are 1 year older now i believe A50s has received many updates since and i think it might have improved the gaming performance or the fp sensor speed.
Pls help if you can, thanks in advance
Have a good day.
Bro ,it's the same case as with me.
My brother just plays free fire on my dad's phone,and dad uses it for very basic use.
I considered a50s as it is slim with good looks,u can go with m31 if you need that big batter and a bit cheap in hand feel(everyone uses a case though???).(addition oneui feature are useless for my dad).
Yes the fingerprint sensor,it takes 1 sec to unlock,as I have never used those ultra expensive indisplay sensors, so for me its fast, need not to be concerned about fingerprint scanner.

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